Gathering the Forces

"That was easier than I expected," Renji admitted as he and his companions made their way through the void between worlds that made up Ichigo's Garganta. Rukia led the way, her expert control over her reiatsu creating a stable path for everyone to run on. Ishida sped alongside them using his Hirenkyaku.

"What, you were expecting a series of epic battles?" Rukia asked with a smirk.

"Sort of, yeah."

"I know what you mean, Renji," Ichigo agreed, having taken off his mask upon entering the Garganta. "I thought for sure Aizen would do more to keep Inoue… I mean, two low-level Espada? Seriously? I alone was equal to the Sexta Espada, with you guys he should have at least included Ulquiorra or higher."

"Aizen most likely did not anticipate Inoue being able to escape," Ishida pointed out. "And while Aaroniero was trying to fool us, the best lies contain elements of truth. Aizen probably did tell all the Espada to wait in their chambers for us. If Inoue hadn't escaped, then we would have had to infiltrate Las Noches and then fought many of them."

"That said, the Espada he did send were well-chosen," Ichigo said thoughtfully. "Someone who could pass as a Shinigami that was close to Rukia, and someone whose power was to take control of others… perfect for infiltrating and then killing us all. He was obviously prepared for the possibility of Inoue escaping."

Chad nodded. "We should not question good fortune. Let us simply hurry back to Karakura, to aid the fight against Aizen."

"Hopefully we won't get into too much trouble with Soul Society," Renji murmured.

"Relax," Ichigo said reassuringly, "would Yamamoto punish you now, when he needs all the able-bodied Shinigami he can get? Especially ones who can take out Espada, or have achieved Bankai?"

"Besides, we never technically broke any orders," Rukia reminded her friends. "We were ordered to return to Soul Society. We did, and then we came back."

"I'm just glad we're all ok," Inoue breathed with a sigh, having been woken up by Rukia while Ishida had battled his opponent. "I can't wait to get home… I could use a shower and some food."

"Speaking of, do you think that Yamamoto-soutaicho has already sent a few of the taicho to Hueco Mundo, and moved everyone else to Karakura?" Rukia asked.

"Maybe," Renji answered slowly. "I mean, we were gone for what, an hour? Maybe two?"

"Sounds about right," Ishida agreed.

"I don't know for sure, but given what Urahara told us…" Renji began, before taking a breath. "We probably left Hueco Mundo at the same time as Soul Society's strike force arrived there."

"Ok," Ichigo acknowledged. "If that's true, then it's a safe bet to say that Aizen will attempt to trap them there and move the majority of his forces to Karakura. What's the best way to trap the taicho in Soul Society?"

"It would depend on the taicho," Rukia told him. "As you have probably already guessed, every taicho has different specialties."

Renji shook his head. "No, the easiest way to trap them in Soul Society is to wear them down. One strong opponent, or waves of weaker Arrancars… They may be easy to defeat, but even the taicho have limited amounts of reiatsu."

"They'd also come across a problem leaving Hueco Mundo," Ishida realized. "They'd need some way to signal to Soul Society for an exit, or someone else with the ability to open a Garganta."

"It's possible they're relying on Urahara for that part," Ichigo suggested. "I mean, he was able to open a way to Hueco Mundo. Maybe he gave them a device to open a way back? Or to signal him?"

"I could see that," Inoue piped up. "I mean, they trusted Urahara-san with the super-secret way to protect all of Karakura so all the taicho could fight at their full power, right?"

"I don't think they'd trust the one man with so much," the archer disagreed. "Technically, Urahara Kisuke is an outcast, exiled, remember? He has no obligation or loyalty to them. Asking him for so much would be putting themselves in his mercy. They would have to have something he wants very badly to do that."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, not understanding where Ishida was going with this.

"Think, Kurosaki. Urahara was banished from Soul Society when he was framed by Aizen for giving the Vizard Hollow powers, remember?" Ishida unnecessarily reminded his rival. "Put yourself in his shoes. You would feel betrayed, maybe even a little angry."

"He's had a hundred years!" the Vizard argued.

"You said it yourself, Kurosaki. To a Shinigami, a hundred years isn't that long, not when they live for thousands of years," Ishida said grimly. "We also know that he's the founder of the Technology Bureau at Soul Society. Urahara's genius is even acknowledged by Soul Society, who asked him to find a way to protect Karakura while they fought! They respect his intelligence more than anyone's!" His voice lowered. "And an intelligent man knows how to make the system work for him."

"They need him, but he doesn't need them," Ichigo breathed.

"Precisely. Like I said, Urahara is a businessman, and if I'm right, holds no love for the society who banished him. He must have exacted a price for his assistance in protecting all Karakura instead of just his own house, and for assisting the taicho to go to Hueco Mundo. And he's not afraid to withhold information or twist circumstances to his advantage, like he did when we were preparing to invade Soul Society and he didn't tell us about the Hogyouku." Ishida shook his head. "No, Soul Society must have its own way to get back."

"Perhaps they sent along Kurotsuchi Mayuri, the new head of the Technology Bureau," Renji added darkly. "If anyone would have a way to get back, or be able to figure out one, he's got the mad brilliance to do it."

The Quincy pursed his lips at the man's name, but said nothing. He would never be able to forgive the man who had arranged for his grandfather's death simply so he could study the man's Quincy powers.

"Alright, we're almost there," Rukia announced. "Everyone ready?" The grunts of agreement and the sole "Yep!" from Inoue almost made Rukia roll her eyes as they leapt through, arriving once more in the basement of Urahara's shop.

Everyone was silent for a moment, before Ichigo laughed aloud, making everyone stare at him. "We made it! We saved Inoue easily, and we made it back! This was so much easier than saving Rukia!"

"Idiot!" Rukia smacked him upside the head but a smile was on her face as well. "You barely did anything!"

"To be fair," Renji pointed out, "there WERE only two enemies to be fought, and you called one of them. And without Ichigo, we wouldn't have been able to get back easily."

"This is no time to be celebrating," Ishida said sternly. "It is still likely that Aizen will attack in the very near future; we must be ready."

"Then let's get upstairs and see how things are," Ichigo proposed, and the group ran towards the ladder – Ishida was still flying on his Hirenkyaku. They made it upstairs and almost ran into Urahara, who greeted them with a smile.

"Well done," the shopkeeper congratulated. "And you even made it back in time for the party."

"Has Aizen invaded yet?" the orange-haired Shinigami asked, straight to the point.

"Not yet. Did you kill any of the Espada while you were there?"

"I killed Aaroniero, the Noveno Espada," Rukia answered.

"I finished off the Septima Espada, Zommari Leroux," Ishida reported.

"By that time we had rescued Inoue, so we decided that we'd come back so we can protect Karakura," Ichigo explained.

"Excellent, and you are all unhurt! Two down, eight to go," Urahara said with his mischievous smile, not realizing that Rukia had healed her own minor wounds from Aaroniero. "Oh, and Aizen, Tousen and Ichimaru."

"Who was sent to Hueco Mundo?" Renji asked curiously.

"Unohana-taicho and two of her squad members, Kurotsuchi-taicho, Kuchiki-taicho and Kenpachi-taicho."

"Not a bad combination," Ichigo mused, recalling his epic fight with the leader of Squad 11. "Sheer brutal strength and resilience in Kenpachi…"

"Madness and intelligence with Kurotsuchi…" Ishida added, remembering using his Quincy Final Form to annihilate the nigh-insane Kurotsuchi, only to find that the taicho would recover soon from his self-induced liquid state.

"Kido and speed with Nii-sama," Rukia whispered.

"And a few healers if necessary," Chad finished. "The other taicho…?"

"They'll be here in Karakura." Urahara chuckled. "I suppose I shouldn't call it Karakura, considering it IS only a replica…"

"What?" Inoue asked, confused.

"Oh, it's my version of protecting everyone from the full powers of the taicho without revealing Soul Society," Urahara praised himself. "Kurotsuchi-taicho built a very precise replica of Karakura on the outskirts of Soul Society, and I built a device that would swap the replica and the real thing. It's a variation of a Senkaimon, that I like to call Tenkai Kecchu."

"How does it work?" Ichigo asked, curiously.

"And what happens to the people?" Rukia piped up.

Urahara smiled; it was nice to hear someone interested in his work. "Well, like I said, it's based on a Senkaimon. Of course, we don't want it permanently in Soul Society, so I had to create a device that would hold it in a barrier in Soul Society until a condition is met. However, it takes a lot of power and stability to keep something like that going, and I needed a way to define how much area was going to be taken. So, with some help from Tessai, we created four enormous towers, linked through a variation of Kido. The four towers define how much area is going to be moved – in this case, all of Karakura – and the destruction of the towers triggers swapping the replica and the real town back by having the device lose its power."

"And the people?" Ishida queried.

"They've been put into a special sleep that they won't wake from until we transfer them back."

"What about people who need medical attention?!" Ichigo asked, shocked. "People who are dreadfully injured?! People in hospitals who need periodic treatments?! People in the middle of operations?! What about people who are freaking DRIVING and crash when they fell asleep suddenly?!"

"Relax, Ichigo," Urahara told him cheerfully. "Ishida Ryuuken went on the news and radio stations, stating that there was an air-born contagion with a relatively short half-life, a contagion that had infected all of Karakura, one that would put everyone to sleep at an approximate time. He heavily warned everyone to stop driving, get to a safe place, etc. He also said he'd brought in some people to oversee the hospital for the duration. Several unseated members of various Squads did a quick patrol to make sure the roads were clear, and Squad 4 is overseeing the hospital with Ryuuken's assistance."

Ichigo sighed in relief. "Glad to see all the steps have been taken. So, I assume the rest of the taicho are here already?"

"Indeed they are! And a few others you may recognize as well," Urahara agreed. "I was, ahem, sort of forced to stay behind, due to my exile from Soul Society."

"Are you going to be participating?" Ishida asked him pointedly.

"Perhaps. Not immediately in any case," the exiled Shinigami answered. "I don't think I'm particularly wanted or needed at this point. There are six taicho out there, along with whomever they decided to bring along."

The Vizard! Ichigo suddenly realized. Did they escape the replacement? Will they help? He frowned. There's no time for me to ask. "Guys, we need to get up there with the rest of them, now," Ichigo commanded authoritatively. "There's no way to know when Aizen will make his move, and we need to be ready." He turned to Inoue. "I hate to say this, Inoue, seeing how far you have improved and everything, but your unique healing abilities may mean the difference between life and death. I'm sure some of us are going to need you soon. Please stay back."

Inoue nodded firmly, not liking but understanding the request. "Be careful, everyone."

That settled, Ichigo swiftly passed his focus to Ishida. "I realize you don't like Shinigami. Can you put that aside and work with them for the time being?"

Ishida frowned, but nodded his agreement. "There is little choice in any event; if I wish to help, I must work with people who make up the primary force."

Ichigo turned to his best friend, Chad. "Do you know how to air-walk yet?"

"No."

"It's relatively simple. Simply focus your reiatsu into the air beneath you to create a solid base to stand on. Think you can manage?"

Chad gave a small smile, silently activating his arms. "If it's that simple, there is no problem. My arms' attacks require similar control over my reiatsu."

Seeing determined faces on his team, the Substitute Shinigami nodded an acknowledgment. "Then let's go." They ran out through Urahara's front door and simultaneously flickered up, above the action, up to where Yamamoto's forces were.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Yamamoto greeted in his usual tone. "I expected you to be in Hueco Mundo by now, rescuing your comrade." Seeing Renji and Rukia, Yamamoto's eyes opened a sliver further from their usual nigh-closed state. "But I see that you must have already done so."

"Yes, Yamamoto-jii. She is currently waiting with Urahara-san, ready to heal anyone who requires medical attention," Ichigo responded. "With that done, we wanted to help defend our town."

"I see."

Soifon Shunpo-ed next to their group. "Kurosaki, are you aware that you and your fellow Ryoka are the only ones of significant power who have not seen the traitor Aizen's Shikai?"

"I am."

"Are you aware of the significance?"

Ichigo scowled. "You guys suspect you're still under Kyoka Suigetsu's influence? That means you want me, Ishida and Chad to handle Aizen."

Now it was Soifon's turn to scowl. "I would gladly kill him, given the chance, but I must concede that it is not wise for me to test myself against his illusions and his skill."

"Whatever. Fine, we'll take care of Aizen." Ichigo's face hardened as he continued darkly. "I owe him a taste of my steel anyway."

Be careful, Ichigo, Zangetsu warned.

I know, Zangetsu. Been a hell of a day, eh? Find out that Inoue's been kidnapped, risk it all to get my body back, go back to Karakura for backup, return to Hueco Mundo, rescue her from two Espada, come back and find out that it's time for the final battle.

Indeed. But remember you have a trump card: your Adjuchas mask. Use it sparingly; we have no idea how long your body can tolerate it at this point.

Got it.

While Ichigo was conversing with his Zanpakuto, Chad found the air-walk to be relatively easy, actually. It was hardly even draining on his reiatsu when he had both his arms activated, like he had now. I wonder… "Why would Aizen come here now?" he murmured aloud. "There are many opponents here, but only four taicho-level in Hueco Mundo."

"He shouldn't know that we have substituted Karakura or brought the rest of the taicho here, yet," Ishida answered from beside him. "Assuming that, he should take the opportunity to leave Hueco Mundo to come here and take advantage of our weakness, probably by bringing a number of his Espada to keep us busy while he sacrifices Karakura to acquire the King's Key. After all, we shouldn't be as strong as four experienced taicho."

"An excellent analysis, Ishida-san," a calm, easy-going voice commented from behind the Quincy. He whirled to see Kyoraku Shunsui.

"Hello, Kyoraku-san," Chad greeted with a smile.

"Ah, Sado-kun!" Shunsui said, delighted. "I see you've gotten much stronger," he observed, waving a hand at Chad's improved arms.

"I have. Let us hope it's enough," the human with Hollow-like powers said grimly.

"Oi, Ichigo!"

"Eh? Ikkaku?" Ichigo was disturbed from his musings when the bald member of Squad 11 approached him.

Madarame Ikkaku grinned fiercely. "Good to see ya, Ichigo!"

Ichigo gave the man a grin of his own. "You too, Ikkaku. Bet you're going to have fun; we'll be fighting some very strong people."

"You bet that large sword of yours I'm looking forward to it!" Ikkaku agreed enthusiastically. "I'm guarding that pillar over there." He pointed towards one not far away. "Can't let it get destroyed, otherwise the real Karakura comes back."

"Oh, that'll get you some strong opponents for sure," Ichigo commented. "Who all's guarding the pillars?"

"Let's see. Yumichika's on that one over there, Hisagi's got that one, and Kira's on the last one."

Ichigo frowned pensively. Hmm, I know them all. Then again, that's to be expected; Yumichika and Ikkaku are part of Kenpachi's division, and the other two are lieutenants. Plastering a smile on his face, the Substitute Shinigami made an excuse and left, returning to Yamamoto's group of Shinigami, this time seeing who all he knew.

Let's see, all the taicho are here. Anyone else? He recognized Matsumoto Rangiku, along with Iba Tetsuzaemon, the lieutenants of Hitsugaya-taicho and Komamura-taicho respectively. There was a familiar one as well standing next to Soifon.

A ripping sound snapped Ichigo's attention to it. A Garganta was opening in the air. Reacting swiftly, Ichigo drew Zangetsu, feeling his partner thrum with power. Ready, Zangetsu?

I am ready, Ichigo. Do not let your heart waver. Do not hesitate. Crush your enemies, so we may rest and view the sunset of the aftermath.

I look forward to seeing it with you, Zangetsu.

From the Garganta stepped forward Aizen, followed by Tousen and Gin, and then by over a dozen Arrancar, only a few of whom Ichigo recognized. Grimmjow, Nnoitra, Ulquiorra… That's the sixth, fifth and fourth Espada respectively. He scowled. Damn it. He didn't bring Yammy along. That means Ulquiorra is still on his side.

It is unfortunate, but that is how it is.

"It looks like he's brought just about all of his Espada and their Fraccion," Ichigo murmured loud enough for his side to hear. "Yammy isn't, though. He's probably still in Hueco Mundo to fight the taicho you sent there."

"So this is indeed the final battle," Yamamoto rumbled.

Aizen smiled. "Ah, it seems you've performed an interesting trick, replacing Karakura with a cheap replica. It's no matter… I'll simply have to travel to Soul Society and make the King's Key there." His smile grew just a fraction more. "After, of course, my forces eliminate you all."

"Should we go after the leader first?" Iba asked his taicho, Komamura.

Komamura shook his head very slightly. "No, Aizen's powers are one-of-a-kind. We should take out his forces so we can concentrate on him."

"Only problem with that is that we have no guarantee that Aizen won't interfere with our fights with the Espada," Hitsugaya reminded them all, Rangiku agreeing softly.

"If Aizen's powers work off hypnosis, then perhaps we should make it so he cannot see the world around us to use its effect," Ishida pointed out, trying to analyze the situation.

"Everyone, please move back," Yamamoto told everyone. Everyone did so just as Yamamoto's reiatsu suddenly skyrocketed, forming an aura of flame all around him. Everyone working to protect Karakura, aside from Kyoraku and Ukitake, widened their eyes in mild surprise that their commander was making the opening move. The soutaicho's wooden staff dissolved, revealing a simple katana under the wood with a purple handle and a circular hand guard. "Reduce all creation to ash… Ryuujin Jakka." The sword itself erupted into flame, and an inferno raged around Yamamoto, making everyone jump even further away. He wasted no time swinging Ryuujin Jakka, sending an enormous wave of fire at Aizen.

Less than a second later, Aizen, Tousen and Gin were surrounded by a sphere of flame, but the Arrancar were untouched.

"Joukaku Enjou," Yamamoto spoke, satisfied as he resealed his sword. "Aizen won't be getting out of there for a while. Now, to crush them."

Ichigo stood agape, in awe of Yamamoto's sheer destructive power. Such terrifying power… And he doesn't even look winded! He didn't even use Bankai! Just how strong is he?

He didn't realize he'd uttered his thoughts aloud until Kyoraku was by his side and quietly answering his question. "Yama-jii is the oldest Shinigami in Soul Society, and he wields the strongest fire-type Zanpakuto, Ryuujin Jakka. You'll find that most older Shinigami do not use their Bankai unless absolutely necessary, preferring to rely on their Shikai. It is considered a mark of high skill to have Bankai, but even higher to have Bankai but never have to use it."

"It was considered a very big deal when you demonstrated your ability to break three lieutenants' Shikai with nothing but your bare hands with no apparent effort," Ukitake continued where his friend left off. "That's usually a strong indicator that you have the ability to defeat a low-level taicho if you master your Shikai. It's very likely that one day you will be as strong as Yamamoto-soutaicho. And if you continue to progress at the rate you've shown, that day will come sooner than you think."

Ichigo's attention was once more redirected to the opposing force when one of the Arrancar, presumably an Espada, began to speak. He was noticeably old, but solidly built, rather stocky with white hair being held back by his bone fragment, which was in the shape of a five-pointed crown. He also had a thick white moustache, and his face was lined with scars, including one over his right eye. The Espada wore a white leather coat, with a black fur lining, but the coat had very short sleeves, revealing the Espada's muscular arms and golden wrist-bands.

"What do we have here?" the Espada asked, with a note of curiosity in his voice. "Our enemies are numerous, and the boss is stuck in there…"

"I think you underestimate Aizen, Barraggan," another Arrancar responded. This Arrancar was a dark-skinned woman, with short messy blond hair. To Ichigo's minor embarrassment, her Arrancar outfit was oddly cut; it covered the lower half of her face, and extended down so only a significant portion of the lower half of her breasts was covered. There was also a zipper, and Ichigo thought for a second that her power involved seduction of some sort. Her sleeves extended all the way to her hands, which were covered in black gloves. Her Arrancar leggings had no changes from the norm worthy of note, and she wore her Zanpakuto horizontally on her upper back.

"And I think you underestimate me, Harribel," the now-named Barraggan answered indifferently. He snapped his fingers, and six of the Arrancar proved themselves his Fraccion by quickly coming to attention and unveiling a throne of bone out of nowhere. Barraggan seated himself. "With the boss unable to move, I'll be giving the orders," he announced, before narrowing his open eye and adding darkly, "You better not have a problem with that."

"Sure, why not?" a tall Arrancar with mid-length wavy brown hair, and a necklace made from his Hollow mask remnant of a lower jaw, said lazily right before being kicked in the leg by a young-looking girl whose horned mask had a stump on the left horn. "OW! What're you doing, Lilynette?! That hurt!"

Ichigo sweat-dropped. If I'm not mistaken, that's an Espada. Maybe Espada Dos, since that Barraggan guy took control easily. And he's being kicked around by his Fraccion?

Apparently Ishida was thinking similar thoughts. "How shameful."

His thoughts were echoed by another young-appearing Arrancar, with three pink stars above her left eye. Her Hollow mask, a set of upper teeth, was held in a comb-like fashion in her short black hair. Seeing the girlish attributes, including the pretty face, Ichigo and company were a little surprised to hear a boy's voice come out when the Arrancar said, "Jeez, an Espada being picked on by his own Fraccion?"

"Shut it, Luppi!" Lilynette barked.

"Make me, Fraccion! Oh, SORRY, I forgot that I'm an Espada and you're just Starrk's puppy!"

"Know your place, Luppi," Barraggan ordered. "You may be an Espada now that a position opened up, but you are merely a Septima Espada, and I am not as forgiving as the boss."

Luppi was very noticeably quiet after that.

"Now, on to business. The boss said that this place is a fake, that it's been replaced with a replica in Soul Society," the old man who'd taken charge mused. "But do we really need to go there?" He gestured towards the pillars. "It's obvious the pillars here are somehow keeping the replica here and the real Karakura in Soul Society. So, what happens if we destroy those pillars?" He nodded to himself. "Findor!"

"Yes, sir." He brought his right hand to his mouth. Somehow, that was a signal for four Garganta to open, one right by each pillar. A large Hollow appeared from each one, lunging for the pillars.

Barraggan sat back in his chair, amused. "We know where the pillars are. These places always have bridges on the north, south, east and west sides. If we destroy the pillars, then the real Karakura will return, and become our battleground."

"Oh shit! They know!" Omaeda, a rather rotund Shinigami that Ichigo vaguely recognized from very early on in his invasion of Soul Society to rescue Rukia, cried out to his taicho, Soifon.

Yamamoto looked on, undisturbed by the events. He opened his mouth enough to say just one word: "Fools." In that instant, the Hollows were destroyed, sliced away by the defenders of the towers. The Espada were highly surprised, and even Starrk looked shocked by the turn of events. "Do you really think that we'd leave such important locations unprotected? I've stationed skilled warriors there."

Ichigo looked on with a smirk. "Come on, did you trade your common sense for power here? Of course the towers are gonna be protected!"

Barraggan scoffed. "Fine. If you have sent ants to protect the pillars… I should send dragons to crush them. Po, Cool-horn, Abirama, Findor…" His toned turned commanding, brutal and ruthless. "Crush them."

"Yes sir!" The four Fraccion Barraggan had named leapt out towards each of the pillars, flickering into Sonido.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Ulquiorra stepped forward, his indifferent expression never changing. "I see you have returned from your Hollow state."

Ichigo scowled, feeling the combined glares and stares of his allies who had not known the truth. "I have, and I am stronger than ever," he replied coolly.

"Is that so?" Ulquiorra shifted his attention to Chad. "Sado Yasutora, you have said that your arms are manifestations of your feelings, your will."

"They are."

"I expect you to show me how strong your feelings are in the coming battle, or I will kill you myself." Ulquiorra's expression never changed.

Chad looked at the fourth Espada defiantly. "Don't worry, you'll see them."

Ichigo glanced at Chad, and hoped he'd be alright. Scanning through the Arrancar, he saw one whose focus was centered upon him. "Got a problem, Grimmjow?"

That seemed to snap him out of it. "Kurosaki!" Grimmjow roared. "Fight me!"

Ichigo gripped Zangetsu with a smirk. "Fine then. Bring it!"

"I'll face whoever wants to fight me," Luppi called out. "Multiple opponents are fine too!" When Rukia, Renji, Ishida and Rangiku all appeared in front of him, the new Septima Espada smiled. "Four on eight, eh? Sounds fun!"

"He turned into a Hollow?" Yamamoto rumbled angrily. "How can that be?! I can see him right now, and every sense I have says that he is a Shinigami!"

"Ah, Yama-jii," Shunsui began placatingly, "we do know he has Hollow powers not willingly given to him. It's probably an unforeseen consequence… "

"It only lends credit to what I've been saying all along," Soifon insisted. "He became a Hollow. Even if he is a Shinigami today, making him stronger will only make our fight more difficult when he betrays us all and loses control permanently!"

"Soifon, you know that's not fair," Ukitake scolded. "It's not like he joined Aizen or anything. If he had, don't you think Aizen would have used the Hougyouku to keep him in that Hollow form and on his side, rather than on ours?"

"It does prove troublesome," Hitsugaya murmured. "However, I believe Kurosaki Ichigo will not lose to his Hollow again." Yamamoto opened his eyes at Hitsugaya, a silent challenge. The ice-user sighed, and prepared for a verbal chewing-out. "From what I understand of Urahara's explanations, Kurosaki Ichigo's Hollow powers are manifested internally by what he would have been had he turned into a Hollow, much like our Zanpakuto are manifested internally by their spirits. Further, Kurosaki needs to fight what is essentially himself periodically in order to keep himself from degenerating into a Hollow."

"And you did not suspect that Kurosaki Ichigo had become a Hollow?" Yamamoto asked, his words hard as steel.

"I suspected, but Urahara maintained that Yoruichi was training him, soutaicho," Hitsugaya responded smoothly. "Without any evidence, I would rather not cast shadow on anyone who may not deserve it. After all, Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends did Soul Society a great service, did they not?"

"Very well. You have asserted that Kurosaki will not become a Hollow once more. Explain."

"Yes, soutaicho. I can only speculate, but I would presume that Kurosaki's Hollow self fled to Hueco Mundo and underwent Hollow evolution there. If they are anything alike in terms of gaining power quickly, definitely to Gillian, or possibly Adjuchas. If Kurosaki is in control now, he must have challenged and beaten his Inner Hollow at its most powerful yet. He will only grow stronger." Hitsugaya looked directly into Yamamoto's orbs. "Kurosaki Ichigo is not a threat to Soul Society. I concede that he may need watching during those times that he fights his Inner Hollow, but I believe he has proven himself determined and powerful enough to keep that Inner Hollow at bay. Besides, shouldn't we give him some leeway? Advanced Hollow powers might be just the edge he needs to defeat Aizen, and he is the only one with taicho-class reiatsu who has not seen Aizen's Shikai."

"No one can win every fight, especially against himself," Komamura protested.

"Even so, don't we owe him the benefit of the doubt?" Shunsui argued.

"Is this really an appropriate conversation to have at this time?" Ukitake asked with an embarrassed smile on his face. "Aizen and his forces ARE still here." That seemed to bring everyone back to reality, and they turned to regard the assortment of Arrancar.

"Are you quite done, Shinigami?" Barraggan asked, sounding rather irritated. "Good. Now it seems that three Espada have chosen their opponents. Anyone else?"

Nnoitra stepped forward, holding his precious Santa Teresa in front of him threateningly. "I bet not a single one of you can cut me! My Hierro is the strongest of the Espada!"

"Is it just me or does he sound like Kenpachi?" Shunsui murmured under his breath.

Soifon smirked as though she had already won. I've wanted to kill Kenpachi for a long while; this idiot'll prove a nice substitute. "I'll take you on!" she called.

"A woman?!" Nnoitra screamed angrily. "Why is it always a fucking woman who accepts my challenges?!"

"Nnoitra-sama, please be careful," a male blond Arrancar with a strange diagonal blue mark on his left cheek asked respectfully. He was slim, with a small bone fragment appearing on his forehead in a circlet. He also wore an eye-patch on his right eye, apparently mirroring Nnoitra's own eyepatch over his left.

"Shut the hell up, Tesla. And don't interfere with my battles!"

"Same goes to you," Soifon warned her lieutenant, Omaeda Marechiyo.

"Taicho!" Omaeda cried out in protest, but acknowledged the order even as he turned to Tesla, readying his Zanpakuto. "Fine then, I'll have to deal with this guy then."

Tesla merely smiled.

Barraggan looked on impassively as the four of them left for a separate part of Karakura, so as not to be interrupted. "Espada Seven through Four have now chosen their opponents. Harribel, Starrk?"

"I don't care, I think I'll wait and see if your Fraccion finish them. Maybe I won't have to do anything," Starrk responded lazily.

"I believe I shall wait as well, Barraggan," Harribel responded. "Not all of us are as bloodthirsty as Nnoitra."

"So be it," Barraggan boomed, carefully paying close attention to how his Fraccion were doing by way of his reiatsu sense.

Having arrived at the silently agreed-upon spot above the fake Karakura, Ichigo felt the adrenaline coursing through his body in time with his heartbeat, which seemed unnaturally loud to him. Every beat sounded as the beat of a war drum, and with every beat of that drum he felt the primal lust for battle grow within him. With a flash of insight, Ichigo realized why it felt so much stronger now. We're playing for keeps. He won't hesitate to kill me. His grip on Zangetsu's hilt tightened. I've never killed someone who looks so very human, but I can't afford to hesitate.

"Kurosaki, you humiliated me by injuring my Resurreccion." Grimmjow's solemn voice somehow made itself heard, distracting Ichigo from the sound of his own heartbeat. "Allow me to show you how much stronger I have become!" He lunged at his opponent with Sonido, his spiky blue hair pulled back from the air pressure.

Ichigo blocked Grimmjow's vicious swipe with Zangetsu, though his Zanpakuto buckled under the pressure. "You have grown stronger," the Vizard acknowledged. "But so have I."

"Obviously!" the Arrancar agreed with a bloodthirsty grin even as he leapt back to avoid a decapitating strike from his orange-haired enemy. "Before, that strike would have cleaved right through that pretty cleaver of yours."

Hardening his resolve, Ichigo's eyes glowed blue with spiritual power as he began to spin Zangetsu to his right side, charging a Getsuga for use later; he wanted to save Bankai for when Grimmjow used Resurreccion. "Then it's a good thing you're just a pussy cat at heart."

The Espada saw red. "I'm a PANTHER, you fucking strawberry!" Grimmjow used Sonido to appear at Ichigo's left side, hoping to capitalize on the opening he'd perceived.

Ichigo had anticipated that, however, using Shunpo to disappear and reappear directly behind Grimmjow, swinging his Zanpakuto. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

Never let it be said, however, that Grimmjow was slow. He remembered that move quite well, and so he drew his Zanpakuto with all the speed he had and blocked the Getsuga-enhanced Zangetsu with it. In his other hand, however, Grimmjow had charged a Cero, which he then fired at Ichigo.

Ichigo had seen the red glow a moment before the Hollow attack had been fired, but didn't have enough time to fully escape or block the onslaught. The powerful Cero burned hotly against his hands even as he used a Getsuga-enhanced Zangetsu to deflect the majority of it away from himself. As the Cero faded, Ichigo gathered his own attack. "Hado 4: Byakurai," he murmured under his breath, spinning around and throwing out his right hand, pointing his fingers at his opponent so Grimmjow wouldn't see the pale off-white Kido past the fading red of his Cero until it was too late.

It worked. The Sexta Espada had almost no warning before the white-hot lightning pierced him in the shoulder, leaving a hole the size of a nickel; Ichigo had aimed for his torso, but Grimmjow had managed to dodge somewhat at the last moment.

The injury managed to enrage Grimmjow further; before, Kurosaki had needed Bankai to even keep up with him in his un-released state. Now, however, the orange-haired Substitute was somehow scoring hits, cutting him in his Shikai!

Ichigo took in a deep breath, sending what little Hollow reiatsu circulated in his Shinigami form towards his hands to heal his burns slowly; using Kido with burned hands hurt like a bitch. He looked up as he felt Grimmjow's reiatsu spike. "Oh boy, here we go."

"Not again… you will not humiliate me again, boy! Grind, Pantera!"

"And that's my cue," Ichigo muttered. "Bankai!"

Ulquiorra eyed Chad's two activated arms dispassionately. "Your reiatsu is impressive for a human," he asserted.

"Thank you. I also acknowledge that you must be extremely strong despite your appearance, for you to be the Cuarta Espada," Chad stated.

"Indeed." Ulquiorra paused, cocking his head to the side. "I invite you to strike me with your most powerful technique on me. You are at your strongest now, yes?"

"I am."

Ulquiorra nodded. "And I am at my weakest. I am not in Resurreccion, and my sword is sheathed."

"Why do you want me to do this now?" Chad asked.

"To show you the meaning of despair. No human can defeat me," Ulquiorra stated as though it were fact. "However, it also serves a second purpose. We must both recognize that under normal circumstances, a human would be hard pressed to defeat even the most basic Hollow, correct?"

"Given that humans typically cannot see them, and do not usually have the necessary strength or knowledge of how to defeat them, yes…" the empowered human agreed tentatively.

"You have said that your power comes from your emotions. More specifically, your faith in your grandfather's preachings for your right arm. Your attack will provide excellent data for how much your emotion affects the strength of a human. Out of curiosity, what does your left's strength come from?"

"… My will to attack."

"I see," the Cuarta Espada acknowledged. "And how strongly do you wish to attack me, to inflict pain upon me?"

"At the moment, not very strongly at all," Chad confessed easily. "Right now, we are having a civil conversation."

Ulquiorra nodded slowly. "I believe I can understand that. Does the fact that I am here to destroy your town and sacrifice it for Aizen-sama make any difference?"

Chad felt a flash of anger at the reminder. He said nothing, but the Arrancar saw the change in Chad's body language.

Pursuing the lead, Ulquiorra decided to push the subject. "I wonder what will happen to all the souls that are sacrificed to create the Hougyouku?" he mused. "I suppose they will be erased from existence."

Chad's eyes widened. Keigo… Tatsuki… Everyone…

"Allow me to provide a bit more incentive, Sado Yasutora, to wish to attack me. If you fail to injure me, I will personally remove your arms from you and force you to watch your comrades be sacrificed to the Hougyouku and removed from the cycle of reincarnation," Ulquiorra promised.

That did it. Chad's rage could no longer be controlled. He dashed forward with all the speed of his Paso del Viento and slammed his left hand, blazing with power, into Ulquiorra's diaphragm. "La Muerte!" he cried out, creating an imprint of a skull with his reiatsu all around the Cuarta Espada, before punching Ulquiorra directly in the face with El Brazo Dereche del Gigante. "El Directo!" An incredibly powerful blast rocketed out from his right arm, an order of magnitude stronger than his normal blasts.

Ulquiorra went flying, but swiftly recovered, only to find Chad had used his speed technique to be once more in his face. "La Muerte!" Chad repeated, but this time his left arm found itself blocked by Ulquiorra using both hands to hold his wrist.

"That was… impressively strong, Sado Yasutora," Ulquiorra stated with a cough. Chad noticed with some satisfaction that the Espada had coughed up a minor amount of blood.

"Thank you, but I'm not done yet!" Chad's right arm slammed into Ulquiorra's head from the side in a truly brutal right hook, which made Ulquiorra stagger just long enough to for Chad to complete his earlier technique. "Like I was saying, La Muerte!" Chad's left fist struck in a picture perfect uppercut. "Die!"

Ulquiorra was sent flying once again, but he used Sonido to reappear behind the empowered human. "How astonishing." He paused to spit out some blood. "I would never have expected any human to be able to injure me, even in this, my weakest form… Your emotions, combined with your power, make you this strong?" He shook his head. "If you master yourself and your power, you will truly be a force to be reckoned with. However, it is time for me to teach you… the true meaning of despair." He drew his sword. "Bind, Murcielago."

Luppi looked around, seeing his four opponents – Ishida, Rangiku, Renji and Rukia. "There's no way you can win against me, you know."

"And why is that?" Rangiku asked, drawing her sword fluidly, ready to release it at any time. Her actions were mimicked by her fellow Shinigami, while the lone Quincy among them summoned his bow.

"Yeah, if you can't be beat, then why aren't you the Primera Espada?" Ishida pointed out with a smirk.

"Fuck you!" Luppi yelled, inordinately angered by the barb, before suddenly smiling again and leering at Rangiku. "Speaking of, perhaps I will save that big-boobed one for later." His smile grew. "Yeah, that's gonna be fun. Unlike that girl who looks like she hasn't hit puberty yet. I mean, seriously, you look like you're flat as a washboard! Wouldn't want you if Aizen-sama paid me for it. Oh, SORRY!"

Rangiku felt a very sudden urge to take a scalding shower, feeling very dirty having her enemy's eyes on her that way. Meanwhile, Rukia's eyes twitched as both Renji and Ishida backed away, feeling her reiatsu spike with a murderous intent. Only Renji could see that his long-time friend was muttering something. Straining his ears, he could barely hear…

"…flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man." That was enough for the tattooed Shinigami; Rukia was probably using either Soukatsui or Shakkaho. But her next words confused him. "Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six."

What? Renji thought to himself, confused. That's the incantation of Bakudo 61: Rikujokoro.

"Aw, did I hurt your feelings?" Luppi asked mockingly, drawing his sword and waving it at the girl, seeing Rukia's quiet talking and mistaking it as talking to herself. "Well, who the fuck cares what one flat-chested bitch thinks?"

Renji, however, heard Rukia continue. "On the wall of blue flames, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens." Rukia looked up and glared at the Espada before them. "Bakudo 61: Rikujokoro!"

Luppi , caught by surprise, found himself bound by the six rods of light, unable to move. "What the hell?!" he demanded.

"I'm not done yet!" the ice-wielding Shinigami cried out. "Hado 63: Soren Soukatsui!" Blue flames gathered at the end of her palm just before she thrust it towards her opponent.

Luppi, seeing the Kido blast swiftly approaching, and bound as he was, knew he had only one option. He was just glad he had drawn his sword earlier. "Strangle, Trepadora!"