The End of Training

Ayumu followed his friend as they traveled deeper and deeper into the wilderness, far from any civilization. He wasn't even sure he could find his way back easily. "So… tell me again why we're going this far out?"

Akio spread his arms, gesturing to his surroundings. "As with everything spiritual, worlds of the spirit are made of reishi as well."

Ayumu nodded impatiently. "Right, like Hueco Mundo and Soul Society. I get that part. But why are we here?"

"In order to create a world, you must have a large quantity of reishi to shape," Akio explained. "When we actually create and stabilize the world, we will use the void between worlds, but you need practice. We don't want you passing out in the void and being lost forever."

Ayumu swallowed and nodded, accepting the point. "So… what do I do?"

"Now you bring forth the world of your heart."

Ayumu blinked. "What?" he asked flatly.

Akio laughed. "Did you think you could simply forge a world one piece at a time? No! Such a thing would be as weak as its weakest fragment! As soon as one piece collapsed, so too would the world. A true world springs into being all at once, and evolves from there."

"So how do I do it? How do I call up my world?"

"You must achieve enlightenment, my friend." Akio smiled. "It is the same as learning to call forth and work with your Zanpakutō spirit. Only those who have the will to try understanding their own feelings, the source of their strength, may wield the sword of their soul. This is why even the cowardly may find their sword-spirit if they know themselves, why even the meek can wield unearthly power if they find a reason to stand their ground.

"I have brought you out here so that you might know yourself. True power is borne of wisdom, and wisdom is borne of understanding. You must reach true understanding of who you are… only that can grant you the power and ability to share the world of your heart."

Ichigo opened his eyes, but did not make any move to leave the bed. That dream had been longer, more vivid, than those that came before. No… not a dream. A memory. Ayumu… Akio… they created the Hell dimension. But then why did Hell go to war against Hueco Mundo and Soul Society? What changed? Was Ayumu killed, and someone else took over the dimension?

Ichigo raised his right hand above his face to stare at it. The memories didn't start coming until Hell's reiatsu invaded me and formed Zen'i. Did that… spark memories from a past life? Am I Ayumu's reincarnation? Did his soul go through the cycle until it became me? We're so similar… Is this the reason for my chain abilities? Was it passed down from Ayumu to me? Are my chains… the same as the Chains of Hell?

The Vizard didn't know how to feel about it, and both Zangetsu and Cazador remained silent as he tried to wrap his mind around the idea and its implications. He continued to lie in bed for several minutes longer before realizing that he was wasting time. It doesn't matter if I am Ayumu's reincarnation or not. If I am, then it's my responsibility to set Hell right once more. If I'm not, then I still need to do my best to set it right anyway.

With that, he swung his legs out of bed and dressed in the clothes that Pesche had delivered the previous night before heading to the training room. His mind was preoccupied with the second half of the dream. The world of my heart… my Inner World… we have the knowledge now on how to make a world.

Yes. But it is not yet time.

No, it's not. And we're not ready yet. 'True power is borne of wisdom, and wisdom is borne of understanding.' I don't even understand Zen'i yet. But I'm getting there. Maybe one day my dream will become a reality. For now, though… Hell must fall.

Hidden in the shadows of a corner, Ulquiorra watched silently as his king entered the training grounds. His outfit had changed again, and for a moment he wondered if Kurosaki Ichigo's army would be expected to take up the uniform. Kurosaki had obviously modified the Arrancar uniform in order to achieve this look, and even Ulquiorra could appreciate the symbolism present. The white hakama had had four thick black lines placed on each leg, one on each side. The jacket, once completely white, had had its right side dyed black. On its back was a pair of crescent moons: a black one on the white side, and a white crescent on the black side, with their tips forming a circle, mimicking Kurosaki-sama's power seal.

Ulquiorra only understood on an intellectual level why Kurosaki Ichigo had sealed his own power. Kurosaki-sama had spoken of his power being too much for his human body, and therefore the power had to be contained. In addition, the difficulty in controlling such vast power made it impractical for rescuing Kurosaki Masaki. But why had Kurosaki-sama not released the seals, at least while in Hueco Mundo? Could he not see that the more power he displayed, the more respect he would garner from the Hollows?

Ulquirora's eyes emotionlessly followed Kurosaki-sama's training as he contemplated such thoughts. Perhaps the seal, too, was a form of training, training under a handicap so that when the seal was removed Kurosaki-sama would be truly unstoppable. Or perhaps the seal was an aid, allowing Kurosaki-sama better control over his power to accelerate his learning of sealing and Shinigami Kidō. He gave the slightest of nods to himself. Yes, that made sense. Kurosaki-sama desired to rescue his mother. Hell was a problem, and according to the available information he could not be killed – therefore, sealing Hell away was the only solution that would remove Hell as a threat. Therefore, the fastest way to rescue Kurosaki Masaki was to seal Hell, and Kurosaki-sama was leaving his power sealed to accelerate that process.

But one question continued to burn in his mind. Kurosaki Masaki was a weakness, a very dire weakness. That was plain if even those fools, the Soul Society nobles, could see it and capitalize on it. When Kurosaki-sama plucked her out of Hell's grasp, how would he safeguard her? Soul Society was obviously unsafe in its current state of governing. Keeping her in Hueco Mundo was foolish, as the woman had no power and Hollows would have no compunction against attacking and perhaps consuming her. The living world had insufficient reishi in the air to sustain her. Therefore, the only solution was the complete annihilation of the threat.

Would Kurosaki-sama invade Soul Society once again, and bring ruin to the nobles who had attacked him so, and then perhaps establish a stronghold to guard the woman, using promises of money or power? It seemed likely, from a logical perspective. But Ulquiorra knew that Kurosaki Ichigo did not rely exclusively on logic. If he had, then Masaki would have been discarded as an unfortunate loss. She had no power to speak of, not even capable of matching the weakest of Shinigami or Hollows. The woman was valuable only in sentiment.

However, Ulquiorra noted, Kurosaki-sama was fairly intelligent. He had to have considered all of this as well… Ulquiorra's face reflected none of his thoughts as he made the decision. He would speak with Kurosaki-sama in private, and communicate his concerns. In order to implement Kurosaki-sama's plans, he had to know what they were, after all.

In the meantime, Ulquiorra waited to be called upon. The best way to serve his king right now, was simply to be available should his liege need him.

Chad's breathing slowly evened out as he watched another Togabito be sucked into the swirling red portal back to Hell. "She's down."

"Good," Yoruichi's voice responded through the radio in his ear. "There are no more Togabito in the living world at this time."

"That's the third wave of Togabito in as many hours. They've started coming much more frequently," Renji observed warily. "But they don't seem to be increasing in strength."

"I agree," the unusually-somber voice of Kurosaki Isshin concurred. "Something's up. What's his game?"

"There are only a few possibilities," the werecat assessed. "Hell may want to wear us down, so he can crush us in a final assault. Or perhaps he's working another angle and is simply trying to keep us busy enough not to stop him."

Chad grunted acknowledgment.

"How long until the Dangai is positioned?" Ishida's voice queried.

"Approximately another thirty hours," Urahara's voice cut in. "Ever since Yoruichi took over Togabito watch, the Dangai work has accelerated rapidly."

"Chances are high that the Togabito will continue invading periodically until that time comes. Can you hold out that long, everyone?" Yoruichi asked simply.

"I'm fine," Isshin agreed. "Kon and I are taking turns to conserve our strength."

"We can handle it," Rukia volunteered for herself and Renji.

There was a pause. "I can continue for now, but Orihime needs rest," Ishida finally stated. "But I do not think I'll be capable of continuing for more than four or five hours before I too need rest."

"Acknowledged. Sado?"

Chad quietly took stock of his own reiryoku and physical state. It was a little low, and he was tiring. None of them had gotten much sleep, needing to handle the periodic attacks throughout the night. How much longer could he last? "I can handle two, perhaps three more hours if they continue to come hourly," Chad admitted.

Yoruichi's voice held no judgment, good or ill. "Very well. Effective immediately, we are starting rest rotation. We will be rotating every four hours. Sado, Inoue, go home and get some sleep. Hitsugaya will take Sado's place at the school. Sado and Inoue will relieve Ishida in four hours' time. The next cycle, Ishida will relieve Hitsugaya. Abarai and Kuchiki, Kurosaki and Kon, work out between yourselves who will rest first. The Vizard shall remain on standby in case assistance is needed. Am I understood?"

"Hai!"

With that, the line went dead. Yoruichi had turned off the transmission. Chad let out a quiet breath and waited for Hitsugaya to relieve him. His body ached for the warmth and comfort of bed. Looks like I'm going to miss school today.

In truth, it didn't bother him overmuch. But still, Chad wondered how long it would last… how long until he had to make a choice between his life as a human student, and his other life as a fighter in the spirit world. It's just one situation after another. Rukia… Aizen… now Hell.

Chad cast his mind back to that day where he'd had his eyes opened. The strangely intelligent cockatiel… the soul of Shibata Yūichi… and the Hollow, Shrieker… no. Though that had been the beginning, his eyes hadn't truly opened to the world of spirits until he'd fought that Hollow with Kurosaki Karin. That had been the first time he could see any spirits at all, the first time he'd awakened his power. It was also the day that he and Inoue had met with Urahara, and been given a choice.

'Your transformation is not a disease. You were just given the key to the door in front of you. There's no need to know the cause. No need for sorrow or sadness. What comes next is up to you. You can use your keys to open the door...or lock it tight. And if you do choose to open it...you can still decide not to pass through.'

Chad still remembered Urahara's words vividly, despite how much had happened between then and now. He'd made his choice. He'd chosen to open the door and step through it, to join Ichigo and have his back, as it was obvious that Ichigo was firmly entrenched there.

And he'd been right. For all his life, Ichigo had been far more entrenched in the spiritual world than Chad had ever realized. Ichigo's father was a Shinigami. His mother, eaten by a Hollow. Ichigo himself, a chess piece in the manipulations of Aizen… and then Ichigo became a Shinigami to save his family. Truly, there had been no choice for him… and so Chad could not turn his back. How could he, when each had sworn to always be there for the other, to fight for the other's sake even when they could not for themselves?

But now… Chad knew it was only a matter of time before Ichigo went where Chad was unsure if he could or would follow. More and more, it seemed like Ichigo was losing touch with the real world, with his responsibilities as a human, giving higher priority to the spirits than to the living. Not that Chad could blame him, really. If Aizen had won, then everyone in Karakura would have perished. And now if Hell won, no realm would be safe, living or dead. It was only natural that Ichigo would immerse himself with the Shinigami and Hollows, to gain the power, to recruit the allies, needed to take down the threat to Karakura.

But Ichigo didn't even think twice about leaving to Hueco Mundo to secure it from Hell. He had abandoned his school just like that, sabotaging his chances at living a successful, human life. He had abandoned his body and given it to Kon without any misgivings, authorizing the Mod-Soul to use it to protect Ichigo's family. Why hadn't he gotten Urahara to build Kon a gigai? Ichigo's body could die. Did he really see his body as so… expendable? Was Ichigo truly more at home in the realms of the dead?

Maybe Chad was wrong. Maybe Ichigo just hadn't thought of it, or maybe there was something Chad didn't know. Maybe Ichigo had lent Kon his body as a sign of trust, to garner feelings of loyalty from the Mod-Soul. Maybe he'd done it to prevent Soul Society from asking too many questions about a new spiritual fighter. Maybe Ichigo truly did value his human existence.

Chad hoped so with all his heart. And so when Hitsugaya arrived and gave him a short nod, Chad walked silently home, praying that when it was all over, Ichigo would prove him wrong and truly try to live as a human.

Amagai watched his team with pride. The four of them were holding up against Ikkaku much better than they had the previous day. Instead of relying purely on the strength of his Shikai and attempting to beat Ikkaku at the stronger Shinigami's own game, Hayate was instead being cautious and acting as a shield, jumping in at the last second to deflect and defend against Ikkaku's attacks before backing off. Amagai approved – it conserved Hayate's energy while allowing him to protect the more vulnerable Kidō specialists.

Instead, it was Daiki who kept the majority of Ikkaku's attention, landing small blows here and there. Every opening that Ikkaku tried to take advantage of, Hayate Shunpo-ed in front of and blocked with Kodoku no Kishi, giving Daiki the time needed to recover and rejoin the fight.

Amagai was quite glad that the two swordsmen had given each other some tips on their respective specialties. Hayate's Shunpo was still rough, but it was better than before and allowed him to defend his teammates at a moment's notice. At the same time, Daiki's Zanjutsu had improved, leaving fewer openings. He smiled. They were a good team.

The taicho barely held in a laugh as Ikkaku tried to attack Chinatsu to interrupt her Bakudō incantation, only to be stopped in his tracks by Hayate again. Ikkaku's expression was immensely frustrated, and only grew more so as Chinatsu finished her incantation and promptly cast Bakudō 21: Sekienton. The red smoke obscured everyone's vision while Hayate grabbed Chinatsu and Shunpo-ed away.

Ikkaku growled as he stomped out of the smoke. "Oh come on!" he cried out in irritation. "Are these delaying tactics all you're good at?"

"Not at all," said another voice from within the smoke… a voice belonging to someone who hadn't been there a moment before. Ikkaku whirled around, but he not quite fast enough to avoid what was coming next. "Hadō 61: Soren Sōkatsui!"

The gigantic blue blast erupted from within the smoke, and when it faded Ikkaku was on one knee next to the far wall, his chest and arms burned heavily. "Ow," he commented. "Looks like I was right. You do pack a punch with that spell."

The smoke cleared, revealing Haku and Daiki, who had taken advantage of the smokescreen to Shunpo Haku inside it. The Hadō practitioner smirked for only a moment before beginning to chant once again… but he fell quiet when he felt Ikkaku's reiatsu rise.

The 11th Division member got to his feet. "Looks like I have to take you guys seriously now," he said lightly as a red aura manifested around him. "Who would've thought you ragtag bunch could push me this far? Come on then, and have a taste of real power! Bankai! Ryūmon Hōzukimaru!"

Ikkaku's power flared high, obscuring him for a moment before revealing his Bankai. This being the first time Amagai had seen the 3rd seat's Bankai, he observed it critically before nodding. Yes, Ikkaku was a perfect matchup against his team. Ikkaku's Bankai powered up over time, giving the Togabito Capture team an opponent whose difficulty scaled as needed.

But for now, Amagai was looking to see who would come to their senses first, who would take the lead. He suspected it would be Hayate – people without Shikai tended to follow the leadership of those with, as it was a symbol of strength to rally around.

He was right. Hayate shook his head, gritting his teeth as the others looked towards him for an answer. "Right then," Hayate muttered. "Chinatsu, Haku, we need your best spells out here. Daiki and I will hold him off for as long as we can."

"How? He's got that giant metal thing on his back, so I can't attack from behind, and there's no way my sword will hold up against the weapons he's got," Daiki pointed out.

"Not alone, no," Hayate agreed. "But my Shikai's pretty durable. I'll block, you attack. Same as last time."

Daiki grimaced, but nodded. "Just a lot harder. You better hurry with those spells," he told the pair of Kidō users, who nodded resolutely.

"You guys done with your little pep talk yet?" Ikkaku asked, rolling his eyes. "Come on!"

In answer, Daiki flickered into Shunpo, attempting to land a sneak attack on the 3rd seat. Ikkaku blocked it easily with the giant spade in his right hand before counterattacking with the guandao in his left. And suddenly, Hayate was there, blocking with Kodoku no Kishi. But Ikkaku's strike was too powerful – it knocked him off his feet, into Daiki, and threw them both back a couple of dozen feet.

You fight a foe much stronger than yourself. Why?

Hayate breathed heavily, getting to his feet. Because I have to.

Why? Why must you fight?

Hayate readied his blade and glanced to his right, where Haku and Chinatsu were running away from Ikkaku, still trying to get their incantations out. To get stronger, to be ready to fight the Togabito.

That does not answer the question. Why must YOU fight? Why not someone else? Why not Kurosaki Ichigo, the man who gained the title Hell's Nightmare? Why not your taicho, the man entrusted to protect you and your comrades? Why must it be you?

Because everyone has a part to play in what's coming. Hayate glanced at Daiki and witnessed his own determination mirrored in the other boy's eyes. Without a word, they both Shunpo-ed directly in the way of Ikkaku and attacked with identical vertical slashes, forcing the 3rd seat to defend momentarily. I may not know their parts, but I'd be very foolish to think that they're doing nothing. I've been chosen to be part of the Togabito Capture team. What we do could help end the war.

It may not.

Maybe, but we won't know unless we try. Hayate grunted as he was once again lifted off his feet and thrown into a wall from the force of Ikkaku's counterattack. I do not want to fight a war against the Togabito, he admitted. But I don't think I could live with myself if anyone on my team dies because I selfishly chose to do nothing. So I have to get stronger!

You choose to trust in your taicho's leadership, to put your personal desires aside for the sake of doing what you can to defend your comrades.

Yes.

Kodoku no Kishi chuckled, a deep reverberating chuckle that resonated inside Hayate's soul. And you thought you weren't a knight. A selfless defender loyal to his liege… that is the very definition of a knight! Now stand, Hayate-dono! We fight together!

Hayate stood again, barely noticing blood dripping down the side of his head, from the scrapes on his arms and legs. His body felt full of strength, his reiryoku boiling inside him. He didn't notice Amagai staring at him, or Ikkaku suddenly turning in surprise. He couldn't see how silver reiatsu swirled around him impressively. All he knew was that he and Kodoku no Kishi were in sync, acting in unison.

Together, they raised the broadsword for Hayate to look through the eye-shaped holes. Now, Hayate-dono! Give the order! "Target, Kodoku no Kishi!"

Ikkaku was curious when the entirety of Hayate's eyes began to glow bright silver, but was startled when Hayate was suddenly there in front of him, attacking with a speed and fervor that Ikkaku hadn't seen from him before.

Ikkaku blocked the strike with the giant spade, noting that Hayate had actually managed to chip it, just a bit. He countered by slashing with the guandao, but to his surprise, Hayate managed to block him, only skidding back a few inches from the impact. The boy then leapt at him once again, swinging even faster, and suddenly Ikkaku found himself actually pressed to defend. "This is ridiculous, kid!" Ikkaku complained. "But then again, I've been holding back."

After blocking another strike, Ikkaku flickered into Shunpo and materialized behind Hayate, swinging both swords straight down upon him. Hayate spun and brought Kodoku no Kishi above him to defend, but the sheer power of Ikkaku's Bankai overwhelmed his defense, forcing Kodoku no Kishi down and slicing into Hayate's shoulders.

"Bakudō 63: Sajō Sabaku!" Chinatsu cried out.

"Shit!" While he'd focused on Hayate, he'd completely forgotten about the others. But it was too late for Ikkaku – he was immediately wrapped up by glowing golden chains. Ikkaku immediately began to struggle, and quickly found a weakness in the chains. The chains visibly stretched, and it was clear that they would not hold Ikkaku for long.

"Hurry up!" Daiki encouraged.

Haku was still hurriedly muttering an incantation for another few seconds. "Alright, I'm gonna be useless after this," he warned.

"Just hurry up and fire!"

"Hadō 88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!" Haku roared, and from his outstretched arms a gigantic beam of electrical and spiritual energy rocketed, tearing up the ground as it went, and completely enveloping Ikkaku, knocking him through two… three walls.

When the air cleared, Ikkaku was on the ground, electrical burns all over his body. His Bankai had reverted to Shikai, and he was struggling and failing to get up. "Nice… hit…" Ikkaku managed, giving Haku a shaky thumbs up, before falling unconscious.

Amagai's mouth fell open as he watched Yamada provide first aid for the 11th Division member. How exactly had Haku learned such a powerful technique? And Chinatsu's Bakudō was impressive as well. "They weren't kidding about Aizen finding some of the best men for his Division," he muttered as he walked over the Hadō user.

Like Haku had predicted, he was on his knees, panting and completely drained of reiryoku. No matter, Yamada would take care of that after healing Ikkaku and Hayate. "Well then," he murmured to the boy. "That was a nice technique. I'm impressed."

"Thanks, Amagai-taicho," Haku said. "I can't do it more than once, though, even when my reiryoku is at their max."

"Even so, that's a very nice trump card. Where'd you learn it?" Amagai extended his hand and pulled Haku to his feet.

"Aizen taught me, before he turned traitor," Haku admitted. "He said that I was skilled enough with Kidō I could've gone far in the Kidō Corps, and wanted me to nurture that talent. So he tutored me on high-level Hadō. He was talking to me about becoming 4th seat before he turned traitor."

"It was the same with me," Chinatsu interjected, "though he wanted me to become 6th seat.

Hinamori, who had remained silent for most of the practice, came up to them then. "Aizen was a very good taicho, wasn't he?"

"Hai, he was," Haku admitted.

"I wish he hadn't turned traitor," Chinatsu agreed.

"Me too. But I think you and I will become good friends. He was training me in Kidō as well. Maybe we could compare notes later?"

Haku and Chinatsu glanced at each other, then smiled. "We'd like that," Chinatsu spoke for them.

Amagai smiled as well, moving quietly away to Hayate, who was now being healed by Yamada. "So… new technique, huh?"

"Yeah," Hayate muttered. "When Kodoku no Kishi targets someone, it's like tunnel vision and an incredible adrenaline boost. I couldn't really see anything except for Madarame-san and the ground between us, and it was like he was going slower than before. I felt so much stronger, too. Did I really block his Bankai alone?"

"You did," Amagai confirmed, pride coloring his voice. "It's a dangerous technique, though. Tunnel vision leaves you wide open to a sneak attack from a friend, and it keeps you from knowing where your allies are. You'll need to train in this technique to expand your awareness, but well done."

With that, the taicho strode over to Daiki, who seemed a bit upset. "What's wrong?"

"I just feel a bit useless," Daiki admitted. "Haku and Chinatsu, they could actually do something against Madarame-san's Bankai. And Hayate, he was able to stand alone against it for a bit! But me? I couldn't do anything."

"To be fair, Ikkaku's Bankai is particularly suited against your style of combat," Amagai told him. "Daiki, you specialize in Hohō, striking at openings and the sides. Ikkaku's Bankai made it so you couldn't attack from the back, you couldn't strike at the sides, and attacking from the front is nearly suicide. That Bankai is meant to try to force people into his style of combat – one on one, in a straight-up duel. It's not so much you being useless, as it was Ikkaku being able to counter you. With more experience, you'll be able to counter his counter."

"What would you suggest?"

Amagai's smile took a slightly more wicked turn. "Remember, I served under Soifon-taicho. And Soifon-taicho learned Hohō directly from the Goddess of Flash herself, Shihoin Yoruichi. I'll be your teacher until it's time for your team to do its duty."

Daiki swallowed nervously. He had a feeling this was going to suck.

Amagai stepped back and looked at his team. He cleared his voice and spoke loudly so they could all hear. "You have done very well, and I'm proud of you," he announced. "I declare the Togabito Capture team ready. You worked together, and successfully took down an opponent whose difficulty approaches taicho-class. Once the Dangai is stable, you will be sent to the living world with the following mission: capture a Togabito, and bring it to the 12th Division for analysis."

The taicho broke the solemn mood by smiling. "Today, however, is your day to recover. Dinner tonight is on me. Congratulations, guys."

"Zen'i!"

With a sigh, the Togabito resealed Asahi no Kagami and sedately made his way to Masaki, who was still chained to the same wall he'd first seen her at. Her voice had been insistent, but unafraid, so he took his time entering the room. "Yes?"

"You fought Ichigo, didn't you? How is he?"

Zen'i fought the urge to sigh again. This would be a long conversation, he could tell. So he pulled up a chair and sat. "Yes, I fought him. He is still alive, and still determined to get you out." He smiled grimly, rubbing his throat absently from the phantom pain. "He's growing stronger."

"Did you use Hell's Zanpakutō?" Masaki's voice was quieter now, as though she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Yes." Zen'i eyed her carefully before coming to a decision. "But I will not share his inner demons. They are his feelings to share, his secrets to keep. The only reason I told Hell about them was because I'm relatively certain he can still commune with Asahi no Kagami, and she has no reason not to tell him."

Look who put on his thinking cap, Asahi taunted coolly. But yes, he can. He just chooses not to most of the time.

"I see." Masaki looked down for a few moments, then steadfastly met Zen'i's gaze. "Are you really going to kill him, to become one again?"

"That depends entirely on Ichigo. If he lets me kill him, then yes. If he can kill me, then no."

Curiosity welled up in his mother's eyes. "Isn't it awkward, fighting with a reflection of yourself?"

The question was so unexpected, Zen'i actually laughed. "Yes," he admitted. "Yes, it is. I still have Ichigo's memories of fighting his Inner Hollow. It's disturbing, fighting a shade of yourself that wears your face, knows everything you do, and is completely unafraid to take advantage of your every weakness. I'm sure he feels the same way fighting me now. But for me?" Zen'i shrugged. "For me, it doesn't bother me a bit. Ichigo may be the wellspring from which I was born, but our fights serve a purpose."

"What purpose?" Masaki pounced on the choice of words like a starving animal.

Zen'i smiled. "To make him acknowledge the parts of himself that aren't as pretty as what he shows the world. Ichigo may strive to be a hero, he may be the most powerful hybrid in creation, he can be an all-around great guy… in public. But everyone's got a dark side. And the closer you are to the light, the longer and darker the shadows you cast.

"Take me for example," he continued, gesturing to himself carelessly. "I've been part of Ichigo all his life. You could extrapolate a few things about me that say something about Ichigo's character. Even on a superficial level, you could tell that I despise having someone else have authority over me… until they've proven themselves to me.

"But that's a nasty little catch 22, isn't it? In order for them to earn it, they have to have authority… but I hate them having that authority until they earn it. And you know what? I don't care. It doesn't have to be logical. It's how I feel." Zen'i smiled mirthlessly. "Ichigo hates it too. Yamamoto hasn't proven himself to Ichigo, and so Ichigo quietly nurses his resentment every time the old man tries to give him an order. And now that Ichigo's as strong as the bastard… who knows what'll happen?

"But here's something to think about. Let's think about what would have happened if Rukia's punishment had been decided by Soul Society's lawmakers to something more reasonable, even for a human. How about, say, five to seven years in prison? That's practically nothing to the lifetime of a Shinigami. A slap on the wrist. I bet Byakuya would've had her out in three years, tops, with some noble family bullshit.

"But you know what? Ichigo would have invaded Soul Society anyway. Because he wouldn't care that there could be perfectly valid reasons to make transferring your power to a human illegal. For all he knew, being a human with Shinigami powers could have drastically lowered his human lifespan, or maybe it causes problems with his soul reentering the cycle of reincarnation or something. Or maybe it made him into the spiritual equivalent of an atomic bomb and his soul could explode anytime. Who knows? He certainly didn't!"

"Wouldn't Rukia have told him about any major consequences, though?" Masaki jumped in. "Even if she didn't say anything before she gave him her powers, if there was something dangerous about it then wouldn't she have called Soul Society to get some help, even if it meant her own punishment? She obviously cared for him."

Zen'i raised an eyebrow at her. "Perhaps," he conceded. "But then again, she did know it was forbidden. And neither I nor Ichigo have any idea as to why that is. In any case, the point is that all Ichigo would have seen, all he would have cared about, was that Rukia was being punished for breaking the law to help him save his family. It didn't matter if it was execution or imprisonment. So he would have gone to Soul Society and tried to enforce his own will, because to him it was the right thing to do. Instead of trying to get all the information, Ichigo decided that Soul Society could go screw itself and its laws. He didn't even bother to ask Urahara or Yoruichi what a reasonable punishment was – any punishment, in his eyes, was too much. He was thoughtless, and arrogant."

"And so you too may be thoughtless and arrogant," Masaki concluded. "So that's the purpose behind your fights. You want Ichigo to see himself in you."

"Precisely." Zen'i laughed, a chilling, mirthless laugh that sent shivers down Masaki's spine. "Every trait that Ichigo sees in me while we fight, he has to acknowledge originated from him and him alone! I will make Ichigo truly see all those things about himself that he tries to deny. Or I will kill him. One way or another, we will be one again."

He stood and began to walk away, but Masaki raised her voice. "You forget one thing, Zen'i! Even when he didn't like it, my son accepted that part of him is Hollow when he was confronted with it! He's strong enough to acknowledge every part of himself!"

"Is that so?" Both Zen'i and Masaki turned their heads at the voice just in time to see Hell walk inside. "Well then, I should accelerate my plans, then, shouldn't I? Zen'i, you'll be meeting with a new lieutenant of mine to fight Kurosaki Ichigo. Between him, the veritable army he's leading, and my little gift to you, the two of you should easily be able to bring Kurosaki-kun to me."

"Yes, Hell-sama," Zen'i acknowledged deferentially. "Where should I find him?"

"I believe he's gone ahead without you," Hell answered with a slight smirk. With a wave of his arm, a portal opened, presumably to Hueco Mundo. "You should hurry."

"Yes, Hell-sama." And with that, Zen'i stepped into the portal.

Ichigo was continuing his training with his chains when his body stiffened and his eyes unfocused. He lowered his hands. "Go to your room, Tsuki. Now. Ulquiorra, make sure she gets there unharmed, then meet me outside."

Tsuki took one look at her savior's face and took an involuntary step backwards, her hands flying to cover her mouth. Ulquiorra materialized behind her, and without a word grabbed her by the arm, vanishing with her a moment later.

Ichigo turned to the other occupants of the training room – the three Hollowified Vizards. "Time's up, training's over. Hell's invaded again, with a much larger force. I can sense Zen'i too, and he'll be my problem. There's another with extremely high reiatsu, he's Ulquiorra's. Your job will be handling the army. Capture where you can, but don't die. Got it?" He received resolute nods from all three. "Good. Move out."

A few moments later, Ichigo stood outside the gates to Las Noches, eyeing the army that had been sent to conquer them. It was incredible – they seemed to stretch into the horizon. Where did Hell get this many people? Are there really this many Togabito, this many souls damned for eternity? A quiet horror fell over him, one that he could feel echoed within Cazador and Zangetsu.

"Wow. Lot of enemies out there," Love commented calmly, hefting Tengumaru over his shoulder.

"Yep," Hiyori agreed. "Want to make a competition out of it?"

"Sure, why not?"

Lisa remained silent, and somehow Ichigo had the feeling that she too was struck by the implications of the enormous army. Then she took a breath and forced herself to relax, looking at Ichigo. "We can handle the army. Go take care of Zen'i."

Before Ichigo could respond, Ulquiorra Sonido-ed next to Ichigo. "Kurosaki-sama."

"Ulquiorra. You know who's leading them."

"I do." Interest flickered across the Arrancar's eyes. "I presume I am to fight him?"

"You are," Ichigo confirmed. "Capture if possible."

"Understood." Ulquiorra Sonido-ed away to a less occupied area, and Ichigo could sense the other strong reiatsu break away from the army to follow.

Ichigo turned towards his Vizard-Arrancar allies once more. "See you in a bit."

Love laughed. "See you," he agreed.

Nodding, Ichigo vanished in a burst of Shunpo, going to where he could sense Zen'i waiting for him. "Did you know?" he asked accusingly.

"I did not," Zen'i denied. "Believe it or not, Hell doesn't share everything with me. He trusts my desires, but he does not trust me not to betray him."

Ichigo snorted. "With good reason, apparently."

The ends of Zen'i's lips tugged upwards. "Apparently," he concurred. "Shall we begin? Reveal the truth, Asahi no Kagami."

"Tear the sky asunder, Zangetsu."

They looked at each other for another moment, and then leapt at each other.

Meanwhile, Ulquiorra stood atop one of the dunes of the desert, facing the cloaked opponent before him with his usual emotionless expression. "So this is how far you'd go," he observed calmly.

"This and farther," the figure replied. "I'll go to any lengths to become king!" The figure lowered his hood, revealing light blue hair and a maniacal grin. "When I eat you, I'll become Vasto Lorde, and then I'll finally have the power to kick Kurosaki Ichigo's ass! Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez will be the next king of Hueco Mundo!"