Progress

Chad sat in class, though only a small portion of his attention was spent on the class itself. It was the next day following the incredible revelations that everyone had seemed determined to drop on him at Urahara's shop. Ichigo had manifested an Inner Togabito? His dad was a Shinigami? Quincy arrows sent souls to Hell? The Reiō was probably not going to help?

And now everyone had their missions. Ishida and Inoue were tracking down and handling the Quincy contract. Ichigo had volunteered with several Vizard-turned-Arrancar – and how had that happened anyway? – to safeguard Hueco Mundo. Urahara was moving the Dangai – an entire dimension, Chad thought incredulously – with Mayuri. Everyone else was training to be able to handle Togabito. Everyone was busy.

Except me. Chad might have been bothered by the thought, had he not made the decision by himself. He could have been training with everyone else; Chad knew his strength would have been welcomed in the group. But he had chosen to go to class instead. Someone had to be there to safeguard the school, one of the locations with the largest concentrations of reishi in Karakura. As Ishida and Inoue were both busy, and Ichigo wasn't even in the dimension, it fell to him.

Chad didn't begrudge them the choice. Fixing Ishida's powers was important as well, possibly more important in the grand scheme of things. Ending the contract, removing it from existence, could have far-reaching effects. The souls slain by Quincies might be released from Hell, weakening him. But there was no way to know until they located the contract.

So for now, Chad knew what he needed to do. He would defend those unable to defend themselves, and use his arms to protect, just as his Abuelo had taught him, just as Ichigo had done for him. For that was the universal price of gaining power: once you had the power, you were obligated to use it, for good or for ill. And Chad refused to dishonor his grandfather and his best friend.

It was a duty Chad would gladly accept. Even so, he wondered how everyone else was faring.

At that moment, Ishida and Inoue were underneath the hospital, looking through the Quincy archives for any clues to where Ishida Sōken had hidden the Quincy Contract. Although Ishida Ryūken had known nothing of any contract, he had granted them access to the hall of records the night before. The pair of teens had been there all night, researching, but thus far had found nothing.

Ishida let out a quiet sigh of tired frustration and set down the book he was paging through. Again, he had found nothing useful. Despite having narrowed the search to within Sōken's lifetime, there was an enormous amount of material to search through. Removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes, he looked over to Inoue with the intention to ask her how her search was going. But upon seeing her, he kept his mouth shut.

Inoue had fallen asleep, her chin on her chest. Ishida felt a tug at the corners of his mouth as he watched her for a few moments, reflecting on her dedication to help him. It was nice to have such a wonderful friend who would aid him however she could without complaint. Ishida just wished that it hadn't been necessary. Silently rising from the bench and wincing at his legs' protest from not having moved in hours, Ishida removed his coat and gently draped it over Inoue's sleeping form. Rest well.

Glancing curiously at the book she'd barely started on, Ishida made a quick note of the title: Life and Death – A History of Relations by Ishida Sōken. The young Quincy blinked. He hadn't been aware that his grandfather had written a book. Curiosity peaked, exhaustion forgotten, he took it from the table and sat back down to read it.

The book started at the beginning of the Quincy, lending detail to Urahara's brief summary and Ishida's own half-remembered memories. It talked of the first Quincy, and how eventually the Shinigami had become aware of their existence. The book went into extreme detail on every interaction between Shinigami and Quincy, with proposed motivations and supporting conclusions for each side.

Though Sōken had known nothing about Hell, he had suspected that there was more to their arrows than removal of existence. He indicated as much in his analysis of the meetings, and believed that the leaders of the time had shared his skepticism, which had led to further distrust of Soul Society and ultimately, the war that had all but annihilated the Quincy.

There had been a few other occasions of interaction between the Shinigami and the Quincy after that, but they were few and far between. The Quincy clans had gone into hiding in an act of self-preservation, leading to secularization, division between the clans. This division, Sōken believed, was ultimately the death knell for the Quincy – only together had they thrived, and the increasing distrust was causing their numbers to grow smaller and smaller. It was then that Sōken explained his own attempts to reach out, so the Quincy would not be ended completely. However, as Uryū already knew, that had ended in failure.

Sōken concluded with a hope that the Quincy not be forgotten, and that Shinigami and Quincy could work together in peace in the future.

Sighing, Ishida turned the last page, preparing to close the book. Suddenly, a spark of blue caught his eye. On the back of the final page, there was a glowing message, apparently addressed to him.

Uryū,

If you have received this message, then I am gone. I hope the training I have given you has helped you and will continue to do so in the future.

However, there is a grave task I must entrust to you. There is a sacred contract of our people. You will never have heard of it, and for good reason. It is the origin of our power. It must be protected, but it must never be read, without dire consequence to your soul.

As for why I am giving you the contract… your father is a strong Quincy, but I know him too well. He would read it, if only to know exactly what to spare you and any further descendants. I have been tempted many times to read it over the years, but you must not! You see, the contract is not of this world, nor that of Soul Society. The contract has its origins in Hell itself.

When I was given the contract to protect, I was told of Ishida Haken, who lived during the time of the war between us and Shinigami. He read the contract, and when he was cut down in battle, the Gates of Hell opened and swallowed him whole. So you must not read it!

The contract can be found at our old training ground, underneath the stump that we used to sit on as we ate lunch together. Be careful, my grandson, and never speak of it to anyone.

Grandpa Sōken

Ishida rocketed out of his chair, eyes wide. "Of course," he whispered hoarsely. "Of course he would have a contingency plan. Of course he would pass it on to me, when his own son didn't want to continue the Quincy traditions! Of course he'd hide it in a place special to the two of us! And if something were to happen to me, the Last Quincy, then the contract would die with me! The contract was there the whole time! Why didn't I see it before? Orihime! Wake up!"

Startled by the sudden yelling, Inoue toppled out of her chair. "Ow…" she muttered, getting to her feet. "Uryū?"

"The contract! I know where it is!"

"Less power!" Lisa rebuked. "Have you no control at all?"

Ichigo scowled, but refused to rise to the taunt. Lisa had little skill in Bakudō, but while she preferred Zanjutsu and Hakuda, she was decently proficient in Hadō. Even so, Ichigo had been lucky that Holow Lisa had been willing to relinquish control back to Vizard so she could teach him in turn.

Currently, they were going over Hadō 54: Haien, in a continuation of Ichigo's practice of fire spells. However, it was slow going, as Haien required both power and control, and control was something that Ichigo distinctly struggled with.

Ichigo grit his teeth as he forced his will onto his reiryoku, willing the purple fire of Haien around his hand to take less of his power and stabilize. It shrunk minutely, and the ripples along the edge of it faded. Lisa came closer to inspect it, frowning critically. "Adequate. Still too much power, but now at least the spell isn't going to blow up your hand when you try to cast it. Now hold it as long as you can."

"Damn it…" Ichigo muttered mutinously, his eyes never leaving the violent aura that he was working so hard to maintain. "How long did it take you to get this?"

"A few weeks, but I had my fukutaicho duties to attend to," Lisa answered swiftly and unmercifully. Then her face softened slightly. "I know it's frustrating. Kidō has never come naturally to me either. Kyōraku-taicho tutored me in it every now and then when I was his fukutaicho."

"I didn't know that. Why did you want to learn Kidō in the first place?"

"A passing dream…" Lisa replied softly. "Shihoin Yoruichi successfully blended Kidō with Hakuda to create Shunko. I wanted to create a blend between Kidō and Zanjutsu, a technique that would increase a Zanpakutō's durability and power incredibly, perhaps even enable a Shinigami to cast Kidō through a Zanpakutō to create a limitless variety of attacks. So that Shinigami whose Zanpakutō don't have special energy attacks or whatnot can keep up with those who do."

She gestured towards Zangetsu. "I've seen you cover Zangetsu with its special technique, Getsuga Tenshō, and it increased its cutting power by a great deal. But very few Zanpakutō have abilities like that."

Ichigo blinked. He'd never thought of that, before. "But, isn't a Zanpakutō's durability and power tied to the determination and strength of the Shinigami who wields it?"

"Yes," Lisa conceded. "But those without enormous spiritual energy cannot hope to stand against those who do, as you well know. Blending Kidō and Zanjutsu would be an equalizer."

Ichigo nodded, beads of sweat running down his forehead as he felt his control over Haien waver. Taking a breath, he reasserted his will. "It's… a good dream," he managed to get out, gritting his teeth and forcefully stabilizing the spell. "Did you make… any progress on it after you became a Vizard?"

"No." Lisa's face fell. "After I suppressed my Hollow, it took me a long time to get my Kidō back to where it was before I Hollowified. I can only imagine how much trouble Hachi had. Speaking of troubles with Kidō…" She leaned down to inspect Ichigo's Haien again, then glanced at Ichigo's face. "Alright. Cast it at the target."

Without hesitation, Ichigo flung the spell at the target that Lisa had set up earlier. It erupted in purple flames, almost instantly incinerating it. He took deep, steadying breaths as he relaxed for a few moments.

"Good aim," Lisa complimented. "I expected you to miss a time or two first. Haien isn't like Shakkahō or Sōkatsui where you just point and shoot."

"It's just like aiming a Getsuga," Ichigo replied. "It's just a matter of knowing when to fire. My trouble isn't with the power or the aim, it's just the control."

Hearing that, Lisa paused and looked at him appraisingly. "Did you ever think it might be like when you were training to use your Hollow mask?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you remember having trouble keeping the mask up, until you were forced to focus on something else?"

Ichigo's mind flashed back to how Lisa had distracted him, asking about Inoue. "Yeah… I jumped from twenty seconds to more than a minute."

"Right. It was because you were anticipating the mask's destruction, which simply made it happen faster," Lisa reminded him. "Do you think your Kidō difficulty could be similar? You're thinking it's difficult, so it is?"

"That might have something to do with it," Ichigo reluctantly admitted. "But if Kidō is easy, then why aren't there more Kidō masters?"

"True." Lisa tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps it's a mixture of true difficulty and your own expectations, then."

"Could be. What next?"

Lisa sat down on a nearby chair. "Bakudō 9: Hōrin. Sit, Ichigo, and I'll explain the theory."

Ichigo seated himself across from her. "So, Hōrin. That sounds like a Hadō, though."

"It does, doesn't it? Despite the name, Hōrin is a Bakudō meant for capture. It's basically an extension to Hainawa, if you know it." Ichigo nodded an affirmative. "Good, that makes this easier. The thing to be aware of is that Hainawa is stronger and more versatile, but is single-target only. Hainawa can't split and capture more than one person. You'd need separate spells for each target.

"Hōrin, on the other hand, is exclusively a capture spell. It's weaker, but it can be split to more than one person at a time, making it very useful for immobilizing and capturing groups."

Ichigo frowned pensively. "You say it's weaker, but its strength depends on the skill of the user, right? How does that make sense?"

Lisa nodded, acknowledging the question. "Hainawa is purely binding an opponent, while Hōrin allows binds the opponent and allows the user continuous control over the length and direction of the spell. To give an example, if you use Hainawa on me, then I can't move, but you can't shorten the rope or tighten it or lead me anywhere else without picking me up and moving me. You can think of it as a fire-and-forget spell. Hōrin, on the other hand, allows for your direct control, including the ability to fling the prisoner with your spell. Since the focus is fragmented, the strength of the spell is as well."

After a moment, Ichigo hesitantly nodded in understanding. "Alright…"

"As with all Bakudō, you need to have a clear visualization of the effect you want. You'll want to make a sharp hand motion towards the target to fire the spell, which will be attached to you through your index and middle fingers," Lisa lectured, before standing up. "I'll be your test subject."

Grimacing, Ichigo stood up and walked a little ways away. "I don't suppose there's an incantation?"

"There is, but Hōrin is low enough level that you shouldn't need it. Besides, incantations are a pain to remember."

Nodding in agreement with the latter statement, Ichigo made a hand sign with his left hand and visualized his power quickly wrapping around and binding Lisa, while remaining connected to him for him to shape and move as he wished. "Bakudō 9: Hōrin!" he snapped, jabbing his hand at her.

Much to both their surprise, a chain made of orange light shot out and wrapped Lisa up tight for a few seconds before vanishing. "Alright, I wasn't expecting you to get it on the first try," Lisa grumbled, rubbing her arms. "But two things. First, this Bakudō requires a constant feeding of reiryoku to be maintained. Second… that spell isn't supposed to create chains, and it was a damn sight stronger than it should have been. That spell looked more like Sajō Sabaku than Hōrin! Were you visualizing chains?"

"Not really," Ichigo admitted. "I was thinking more abstractly, just wanting my power to bind you."

Lisa looked at him seriously. "Does your Hainawa make chains as well?"

"Come to think of it… yeah, actually. It made chains when I was fighting this Quincy in Hell. I don't know why it worked so well then, anyway. I was struggling to make anything when I was learning the spell to begin with…"

Lisa stared at her fellow Vizard disbelievingly. "Ichigo, that spell is only meant to make a simple rope. Chains are far more complex, and a lot stronger! Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Um… no?"

"Ichigo, you've accidentally recreated Bakudō 63: Sajō Sabaku, which should be well beyond your ability! The only explanation I have for this is that your soul must have a predisposition, no, an outright affinity for chains!"

Ichigo blinked, then rubbed his neck and looked up, deep in thought. "Well, Tensa Zangetsu does have those chains on the end… And I've been able to change their length and make them move ever since I trained in the Dangai… Maybe it's part of Zangetsu's power?"

No, Ichigo. My power, and my younger form's power, has always been the Getsuga Tenshō, a compression of your power.

Well, it certainly ain't my power.

Which means it must be one innately Ichigo's.

Whoa. Badass, Ichigo! Knew I made a good decision agreeing to team up with you. I'm gonna have to see if I can do anything with chains.

Ichigo looked at Lisa with wide eyes. "Zangetsu says that he's got nothing to do with it, and Cazador de la Luna is denying involvement as well. They agree with you that it's probably an affinity of mine."

Lisa ran up and grabbed Ichigo's hands in her own. "Ichigo! You can't let this go to waste! With a chain affinity that lends itself so well to Bakudō, you could make a personalized seal for Hell, binding him for good!"

Relief, sweet, glorious relief rushed through Ichigo's veins. Finally! Finally, he didn't feel overwhelmed with the prospect of learning enough Bakudō to finish Hell. Finally, he knew how to keep moving forward. He found himself smiling, and for once didn't bother to crush it with his usual scowl. "Alright! Let's get started!"

"Hadō 63: Raikōhō!" Rukia roared, rushing at Sode no Shirayuki, unleashing a massive lightning blast with one hand while readying her blade with the other.

"Tsugi no mai: Hakuren," Sode no Shirayuki retorted, pointing her own sword at Rukia. Ice met lightning with explosive results, where both Shinigami and Zanpakutō had to dodge to avoid being caught up in it.

Flickering behind her opponent with Shunpo, Rukia quickly slashed at her beloved Zanpakutō with a blade empowered with San no mai: Shirafune. In her left hand, she had prepared Hadō 54: Haien, just in case.

Sode no Shirayuki barely managed to spin and block, her eyes narrowed as she clashed with her wielder. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"

Jumping backwards to avoid being caught in a pillar of ice, Rukia flickered into Shunpo again and flung Haien at her Zanpakutō from the side, only for it to be effortlessly batted away. Fine. If I need more piercing power, better be… Once more, she Shunpo-ed, but this time appeared right in front of Sode no Shirayuki and clashed her sword against that of her sword spirit. Imitating her brother, she jabbed her free hand's index and middle fingers into Sode no Shirayuki's shoulder and incanted "Hado 4: Byakurai!"

The piercing lightning lanced through Sode no Shirayuki's shoulder, taking her by complete surprise. She jumped backwards, grimacing in pain, but Rukia knew better than to wait for her to recover – Sode no Shirayuki could very easily temporarily repair the damage with some self-generated ice. She'd learned that the hard way earlier in this very fight.

Rukia quickly pierced the ground a few times. "Tsugi no mai: Hakuren!"

Hidden behind the avalanche of cold, Sode no Shirayuki smiled, and held her sword up in front of her face. "Shi no mai: Shirayuki."

As soon as the Hakuren vanished, Rukia looked around frantically for her Zanpakutō. She could feel that Sode no Shirayuki had not returned to her heart, but she couldn't see or hear her anywhere. She kept on her guard, unsure of where the attack would come from. So she was completely surprised when she felt a blade at her throat.

"Well done, Rukia," Sode no Shirayuki congratulated, backing away. "You have forced me to use Shi no mai: Shirayuki, and so you have earned it."

Rukia turned around, an excited smile gracing her face. "I did?"

"You did. Now, watch me use it, and tell me what you see. Shi no mai: Shirayuki."

Rukia watched her sword spirit dissolve into many, many snowflakes that floated in midair before coalescing back into Sode no Shirayuki's form. "You… converted yourself into snow and cold air? And then back?"

"Yes. Shirayuki is a double-edged technique, Rukia. It grants you intangibility, invisibility to an extent, and freedom of movement… if your will is strong enough. This technique will endanger your life, Rukia. If you lose yourself to the call of the cold, then you will die." Sode no Shirayuki cupped her wielder's cheek as her feet and legs began to dissipate. "Be careful, Rukia."

"I will." And with that promise, Sode no Shirayuki vanished, returning to Rukia's Inner World.

"Congratulations, Rukia." Renji stepped into the clearing, having watched from a distance. "You have your fourth dance. You've made fantastic progress. Hell, I'm a little jealous. My desperation technique leaves me without a Shikai, yours makes you a freaking ghost!"

"That's what you get for being all brawn and little brain," Rukia teased with a smirk.

"Oi! This is the thanks I get for getting you started on Bankai?"

"Like you've been training me at all since I manifested her! I've been doing your work AND mine, casting those Kidō for you!"

"Oh, as if you didn't enjoy showing off!"

"Says the man with giant freaking snake for a Bankai! Compensating much?"

They stared at each other for a minute, then broke down laughing. After a few moments, Renji managed to get his chuckles under control. "Seriously, Rukia. Well done. I'm proud of you."

Rukia smiled, accepting the compliment. "Thanks. How're you doing on Hadō 11: Tsuzuri Raiden?"

Renji beamed. "Very well, actually. Thanks for showing me that one, Zabimaru and I are excited to try it next time we fight."

"Show me."

Renji nodded. "Howl, Zabimaru!" Once his Zanpakutō emerged in Shikai, he swung it at a tree a dozen meters away. "Hadō 11: Tsuzuri Raiden!" Zabimaru crackled with electricity as it extended, and it cut through the tree easily before it shortened again, at the ready in Renji's hand. "I feel like I could keep this spell up all day!" he exclaimed happily.

Rukia inspected Zabimaru carefully. "The spell looks good. Looks like all that time we spent on your control is paying off. Does using this technique hurt him?"

"No. He says it tickles a little, but it doesn't bother him," Renji relayed. Then he cocked his head, obviously in mental conversation with his Zanpakutō. Nodding quickly, he released the spell, making the electricity dissipate from Zabimaru. "But apparently I shouldn't try to hold it for too long. Something about electricity heating up the metal thread that holds all the segments together, and if it overheats too much then it would hurt Zabimaru, and possibly break the sword."

Rukia nodded in understanding. "Let's get some lunch. I used a lot of reiryoku training, so I'm hungry."

"Sounds good. Lead the way!"

"Tear the sky asunder, Zangetsu," Zen'i incanted, and was gratified to feel the familiar weight of his Zanpakutō materialize in his hands. He could tell without trying that Bankai was beyond him without Zangetsu's spirit, but at least he wasn't completely defenseless.

"Very good," Hell commented from the door of the room that Zen'i had chosen to test his powers in. "And the mask?"

Nodding, Zen'I raised his left hand to his face and pulled, and successfully manifested a mask. Taking it off to look at the face, Zen'i frowned to see that it was the Gillian variety. "Hmph. I was trying for the Adjuchas mask. It seems that without their spirits, I'm left with only the basic forms," he commented. "It's better than nothing, though."

"True. However, it's not enough if you're to do battle against Kurosaki Ichigo."

Zen'i looked sharply at his boss. That hadn't been part of the deal, but he knew better than to argue. "Yeah. Do you have something in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. My power flows through you. It may be enough, especially here. I wonder if she'll accept you…" With merely a gesture, Hell conjured his sword and then held it out to Zen'i. "Go on. Take her."

It's a Zanpakutō. Why would giving me a Zanpakutō help, if I already have Zangetsu? Hold on, how does Hell have a Zanpakutō? Nevertheless, he did as he was told, taking the sword with his left hand. Hello?

…

Zen'i had the distinct impression that she was not impressed. It was definitely female, from the feel of it. "I don't think she likes me very much."

"Well, at least she hasn't cut off your hand," Hell comforted him offhandedly. "That's what she did to the last couple of people I tried to lend her to. Well, good luck. I'm locking you in until you know her name. For Masaki's sake, you shouldn't take too long."

"Wait, stop!" But Hell was already gone, and the lock activated a moment later. Grumbling, Zen'i sat down and stared at the Zanpakutō in his hand. Listen, I'm sure you don't like this any more than I do. I know damn well that Zangetsu would have my head if I ever tried to just give him to someone else. He's a part of my soul.

… Liar. Zangetsu's influence is here, yes, but he is not within your soul.

Surely you've noticed by now, I'm not exactly a whole soul.

No. No, you are not. You are a fragment of Kurosaki Ichigo. Zangetsu lies with him. But that serves my purposes well enough.

The frown on said fragment's face deepened. 'Your purposes'?

None of your concern. Suffice to say that I am not happy with my master, and that our goals are aligned, for the moment.

Then may I know your name so I may wield you in battle?

No. I do not know you. I do not trust you. What I do know is not promising. Tell me, would you trust a discarded fragment of a powerful soul being kept alive by my master for his own plans?

Silently, Zen'i had to admit that she had a point. Even so, I thought our goals were aligned? And that I serve your oh-so-mysterious purposes? Surely it'd be in your best interest for me to stay alive, and you know that Hell is going to send me into battle against Ichigo. After all, if I die, then who knows when the next sucker will come along who you'll be able to tolerate?

You twist my words against me. Clever. Zen'i nearly dropped the Zanpakutō as it suddenly burned his hand. But cleverness alone is not enough to raise yourself above me. You will not command me. But we may work together, nonetheless. Very well. My name is…