Deicide

"…I will buy him the time he needs to tear your soul apart!"

Mashiro quickly wrote out something in a small notebook she pulled from a pocketin her body suit. Spotting this, Kensei furrowed his brows. "What's that?"

"Oh, this?" Mashiro waved the notebook. "It's where I take notes."

"Take… notes…?" Kensei repeated slowly, disbelievingly. "On what?"

"Lots of things! Here, look!" She shoved the notebook into Kensei's face.

Kensei sputtered for a second, then took it and began reading from the page that she'd added to. "Things to learn to be like Berry-tan," he read aloud quietly. "Bankai. Scary serious faces. How to beat people up and then make them your friend."

Ishida and Renji, who were standing close enough to overhear, twitched and gave each other commiserating looks. Ulquiorra, also nearby, began looking at Mashiro out of the corner of his eye but said nothing.

"Master Shunpo/Sonido. Hadō. Resurrección. Sealing. How to tear souls apart." Eyes twitching at the last entry, Kensei handed the notebook back to a smiling Mashiro. "You're trying to be like Kurosaki?"

"Yep! Berry-tan is a real superhero!" she chirped. "He tries his hardest, and he learns everything he can, and he wears power limiters, and he does his best to help everyone, and he never loses when it's important! So I'm trying to be like him by learning how to do everything he does!"

Kensei opened his mouth to criticize her mild obsession with superheroes, and then thought better of it. Kurosaki seemed to have his head on straight – he knew when to be serious and seemed able to read situations well enough. If Mashiro thought that Kurosaki was a superhero and was trying to emulate him, then perhaps she'd stop being quite so immature all the time. "Well, you could have worse role models," Kensei finally conceded, giving her back the notebook.

Mashiro smiled brightly before tucking the notebook back into its pocket. "Who's your role model, Kensei?"

The question caught him off guard, but Kensei answered honestly. "I've never had one. I just want to be the best I can be. I suppose if I had to pick a Shinigami I wanted to be like, then it would have to be Shihoin Yoruichi. Fast, strong, efficient. Master of Hakuda and brooks no nonsense when times are serious."

"Speaking of our favorite kitty cat," Urahara interrupted, typing quickly. "It looks like she's reached the desert level. She's activated the mobile camera. Bringing the feed online… now!"

A third video appeared in between the other two, and everyone fell silent to watch as they were finally fully able to see the fight between Yamamoto and Ayumu.

Blades danced as Yamamoto and Ayumu battled it out directly. Ayumu had foregone re-summoning his barrier as it was clearly obvious that Yamamoto could break it on a whim. Asahi no Kagami clashed against Zanka no Tachi over and over again. But then Yamamoto broke the deadlock by lashing out with his other arm. "Ikkotsu!"

Ayumu took the blow directly to the chest and let out a loud grunt as he was pushed back roughly a dozen feet. Much to Yamamoto's annoyance, the empathy armor that Ayumu was wearing didn't even appear dented. It wouldn't burn, Raikōhō hadn't pierced it, and it wasn't weak physically either. What was it going to take to destroy it? Yamamoto did not want to rely completely on Yoruichi's clothing destruction spell, but he was running out of ideas.

"I'll admit, I'm quite impressed," Ayumu admitted as he rolled his shoulder to stretch it out. "Absolute mastery of fire, more variety of spells than most sorcerers, unbelievably strong hand-to-hand fighter and a master of the blade? Is there anything you have not gone out of your way to master?"

"No." Yamamoto replied simply. Another Gran Rey Cero fired, and Ayumu winced again. Yamamoto, having been waiting for this, instantly began his assault once more. With a mere thought, he generated a blue-white glowing rod of energy in his hand and hurled it at Ayumu. "Hyapporankan! Rikujōkōrō!"

But just as Yamamoto had expected, Ayumu was able to recover in time to lash out with Asahi no Kagami, shattering the rods and the bars of light. "It's useless!" he cried out.

"Hainawa!" Yamamoto commanded in response, creating not one, not two, but three distinct glowing yellow energy ropes, controlling each one with a finger from his free hand. The middle one lunged straight for Ayumu, but the other two veered off to attack from the sides.

Gritting his teeth, Ayumu vanished in a burst of high speed just before the ropes would have hit him. But apparently Yamamoto had known he was going to do just that and was already three-quarters of the way to meeting him, both hands firm on Zanka no Tachi. There was no time to block, but that was fine. Ayumu knew of Yamamoto's Bankai technique – its cutting power was derived from the impossible heat along its edge. Since he understood the technique, his armor would handle it without issue.

But the sōtaicho wasn't relying on Zanka no Tachi's ability. "Hitotsume: Nadegiri!" Yamamoto uttered darkly, his Zanpakutō flashing forward with extreme speed.

Ayumu's eyes widened as his armor cracked severely down the middle. "What?" he gasped.

Yamamoto's eyes glittered with satisfaction. "Ah, finally. Your armor is not invincible after all."

"What did you just do?!" Ayumu demanded.

"Do you think me such a fool to explain my technique to you now, after you have gloated so about how understanding it is enough for your armor to negate it?!" Yamamoto spat back. "Hitotsume: Nadegiri!"

Not daring to taste that technique again and risk his armor until he understood it properly, Ayumu dodged and flashed away, trying to buy time to think. He quickly conjured his barrier, too – if nothing else, it would force Yamamoto to expend a little extra energy to pierce it before he could attempt to bind Ayumu again. "That technique had nothing to do with the heat of his Bankai," he muttered furiously. "Was it some kind of Zanpakutō-Kidō fusion? Perhaps that Shō technique he used earlier?"

"Do not think you can escape me!" Yamamoto roared from a distance away. "Byakurai!"

Yet another Gran Rey Cero erupted somewhere else in the desert, and Ayumu clutched at his heart even as he used Asahi no Kagami to block the Byakurai that had pierced his barrier as if it had hardly existed. Kurosaki Ichigo's attacks were hurting him more and more. The question was, should he continue playing with Yamamoto to see what he could do, or kill him to focus on Kurosaki?

And then, without warning, he felt a presence right behind him. Ayumu began to twist around but it was too late – Yoruichi had placed both hands on the armor. "Fuku hakai!" the assassin cried out.

To Ayumu's utter astonishment, he was suddenly utterly naked. His armor was gone, his clothes were gone, even his sandals were gone! Unable to quite believe what had just happened, Ayumu just stared for a moment at Yoruichi, who smirked, gave a cheeky wave and flickered into Shunpo, vanishing from Ayumu's senses less than a second later.

"Rikujōkōrō!"

The incoming threat to his person was enough to get his mind back on the fight. Ayumu cut the bars of light heading for him and brought his attention back to Yamamoto, absently conjuring a replacement outfit onto himself. "Did that woman seriously just destroy my clothes and armor?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea how long it took to make that armor?" Ayumu demanded. "Hundreds of years of work! Gone in an instant! To something as trivial as a clothes destruction spell?!"

"So you can't just recreate it in an instant. That's good. I had been worried that might not be the case," Yamamoto said quietly. "Now then, shall we continue?"

"No. Enough of this." Ayumu reached out with his free hand, and suddenly dozens of chains became visible, clinking and waving under the power of Ayumu's reiatsu. There were chains everywhere, completely surrounding the two of them. "Congratulations, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, sōtaicho of the Gotei 13. You have convinced me that you are in fact a threat to me."

Yamamoto's eyes opened wide as first the chains, then Ayumu himself glowed brightly. Another sword materialized in his hand, one that was clearly not Asahi no Kagami. Then Ayumu attacked. The king of Hell was faster, stronger than he had been before. And what was worse, was that Yamamoto's heat aura was somehow not eradicating this new weapon.

Yamamoto grunted as Zanka no Tachi flew into a flurry of blocks and counterattacks. "What did you just do?!" he growled.

"All souls in this realm belong to me," Ayumu explained. "Their powers are mine to command when I call for them. You are not the first to wield fire. With their abilities, combined with the strength of my reiryoku, it's almost trivial to become virtually immune to heat."

Another Gran Rey Cero fired, and Ayumu winced in pain. Fortunately, it was enough of a distraction for a massive fist to slam into Ayumu from his left side, sending him flying. Yamamoto blinked, then looked at the figures that had just come to his aid.

"Nice going, Allon!" Apache congratulated, approaching before wincing. "Wow it's hot. Is that you, old man?"

"Don't get carried away, Apache. Much as I hate to admit it, we have no place being here," Mila-Rose told her. "We would die very quickly. We should retreat and let Harribel-sama and Allon do the fighting."

"I agree." Sun-Sun shook her head. "Who would have thought we would be coming to a Shinigami's aid?"

"None of that," Harribel rebuked. "We don't have time for those petty conflicts. Yamamoto, are you still combat capable?"

"Yes." Yamamoto took a breath, steadying himself. "I assume Kurosaki sent you to my aid?"

"Not explicitly," Harribel admitted. "He allowed me to enter Hell to save my Fracción, but my orders after that were to guard his mother with my life. As I was unable to locate her where Kurosaki-sama said she would be, I felt the best way to fulfill my duty would be to help hold off Hell."

Allon roared a warning and let fly another punch at the swiftly returning Ayumu… only to be sliced in half from head to navel in a single slice. As the two halves fell to either side, Ayumu carelessly walked between them towards the others. "Yet more Togabito siding against me? You must be punished."

"Run!" Harribel urged, placing herself between Ayumu and her beloved Fracción. "Run, get to the Gates and find Ulquiorra! He can cut the chains!"

There was silence for a moment, and then Apache's voice, quiet and scared, whispered out loud. "Harribel-sama… I can't control my body."

Yamamoto blurred in place for a split second. An instant later, three sets of chains fell to the sand. "Go," the sōtaicho commanded. They did not need to be told a third time – all three of them promptly vanished in a burst of Sonido.

Harribel said nothing, but the glance she gave him clearly expressed appreciation. Then she turned her attention back to Ayumu. "Destroy, Tiburōn!" With a flash of reiatsu, Harribel transformed into her Resurrección. "La Gota!"

Water blasts shaped like shark teeth began firing rapidly from Tiburón, though Ayumu flashed about at high speed, dodging every one of them. "Is that the best you have?" Ayumu mocked mercilessly. "Your attacks aren't even coming close."

"I don't expect to hit you," Harribel stated coldly. "Cascada!"

An enormous surge of water materialized and rushed at Ayumu, who stood his ground. But then Yamamoto unleashed a terrific blast of fire, instantly evaporating the water and turning it to steam, obscuring their views. "Do not think I will let you hide!" Ayumu declared, flaring his power and dispelling the steam. Knowing the sōtaicho's likely strategy, Ayumu then turned on his heel and stabbed Yamamoto in the chest from where the sōtaicho had been lunging at him.

Ayumu was completely surprised, therefore, when the Yamamoto he had stabbed vanished into nothing. An afterimage! A Gran Rey Cero fired in the distance, and Ayumu winced, his movements slowing for a moment. But even that moment was enough. Behind him, Yamamoto crouched low and executed a perfect low spinning sweep kick, knocking Ayumu onto his ass.

"Sai! Geki!" Yamamoto cast quickly, forcing Ayumu's arms to lock behind his back and then paralyzing him with a red glow. "Rikujōkōrō! Gochūtekkan! Kuyō Shibari!"

Ayumu easily broke free of the two low-level Bakudō, but they served their purpose in holding him for the time it took for the six bars of light to hit him. He was able to break through that as well after another second, but then five ridiculously tall metal pillars landed on him, pinning his limbs and back. Then the black holes of Kuyō Shibari appeared, and Ayumu was evidently trapped.

Not wanting to waste any time, Yamamoto immediately began chanting. "Limit of the thousand blades, dutiful blades…"

A mere second later, five Quincy arrows shot out and impacted the metal pillars of Gochūtekkan, destroying them. Then three of the black holes were destroyed by bolts of lightning. Ayumu chuckled as he flared his power yet again, destroying the remaining black holes as he got up. "Ah, my lieutenants… well done."

"Handle the lieutenants," Yamamoto ordered the former Espada without wasting a moment, restraining himself from groaning in frustration. "I will keep him occupied until you return."

"Understood." With that, Harribel vanished a burst of Sonido.

"You'll keep me occupied?" Ayumu repeated softly. "No, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni. Your time is just about done."

Yamamoto scowled, considering his options. The ultimate defense of his Bankai had been bypassed. His fire was essentially useless directly. But… Ayumu had proven susceptible to misdirection and indirect attacks. That gave Yamamoto a few ideas. "Hyōga Seiran!"

A massive wave of ice rushed at Ayumu, who carelessly swung his yet-unnamed blade. The ice shattered and melted almost instantly, the water being absorbed into the sands. Making note of it, Yamamoto was already casting his next spell. "Daichi Tenyō!"

For the second time, the desert sands lunged at Ayumu. "Is that all?" he drawled, easily blasting it away again with the pressure of his sword swing. He immediately fell into a guard position – last time, Yamamoto had used the cover of this attack to get close and connect a series of attacks. Ayumu would not let that happen again.

But that was not Yamamoto's intent. His hands lashed out from under the sands that Ayumu stood upon, gripping him by his ankles and pulling him down, down into the water-soaked sand that Yamamoto had filled with his reiryoku.

A few moments later, Yamamoto stood once again atop the desert, concentrating on the makeshift water seal that he'd made up on the spot, shoring up any weak spots. It wouldn't last long, especially since water was not his specialty, but it should be sufficient to retrieve Kurosaki. Once Kurosaki had applied his own seals, then Yamamoto could use the Boidobureido Kugyō. He had been lucky, Yamamoto reflected – Ayumu had not anticipated the water from his first attack remaining a threat.

"Behind you!" Urahara's voice yelled in the sōtaicho's ear.

But it was too late – even as Yamamoto began to move, he felt hot steel pierce his back and burst through his chest, felt his body go numb as his spine was severed. His eyes widened in surprise for a brief moment, before they closed, apparently in resignation. "How?" Yamamoto asked simply.

"Did you forget I can resurrect the people whose bones make up this desert? It was easy to bring just one to life while you were underground. I replaced myself with him just in time for you to pull him under." Ayumu smiled. "You fought well. Do not worry – you will have that opportunity again."

And then Ayumu sliced with Asahi no Kagami, and Yamamoto's head left his shoulders.

"Fuck!" Renji swore loudly.

"This is bad. This is very bad," Hitsugaya agreed.

"Ichigo!" Urahara spoke quickly into the microphone. "Yamamoto's dead – prepare for direct confrontation. No more Gran Rey Ceros, they'll only give away your location. Be aware that Ayumu has the ability to tap into the abilities of Togabito when he materializes chains."

Ichigo said nothing for a moment. "There's isn't a curse strong enough to express how shitty that news is. At least tell me that the armor is gone?"

"The armor is gone," Yoruichi confirmed.

"That's something, at least. Yoruichi, you've got to get my mother out of here. If Yamamoto's dead, the invisibility spell he put on her will have worn off."

"On it."

"Urahara…" Ichigo's voice was quieter now. "I can keep Ayumu occupied, but I'm under no illusions that I can seal him on my own. I need help, powerful help. I don't want to risk sending any Vizard here, not after what happened last time. Harribel seemed fine, though. So if any Arrancar listening have capture techniques, now's the time to tell me."

All eyes turned to Ulquiorra, Starrk and Nelliel. Each of them shook their heads negatively. Urahara cleared his throat. "They do not."

"Didn't think so. Moving down the list, then. Inoue's barriers would be useful, but she's recovering, and even when she's back on her feet she'll be needed in the living world. Unless Ishida's hiding some super Quincy sealing power he's not going to be much help here, and Chad doesn't have the right skillset for capturing people, especially someone as fast as Ayumu. That rules out the Vizard, Arrancar and humans. That means I need a Shinigami. A taicho-class master of every form of Shinigami skill - Hohō, Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kidō. Someone with experience with sealing. There's only one man besides Yamamoto I know that has that combo. You've seen Ayumu fight – how do you feel about a tag team?"

Chad and Ishida nodded in agreement as they were mentioned. But they were stunned when Ichigo asked Urahara to fight – it was hard to see him as anything other than an eccentric scientist. A former Shinigami whose strength came from his genius, rather than spiritual ability. Out of all their interactions with Urahara, the man had enabled them, had given them information, had demonstrated an intelligence and ability to use it that could strike them dumb in awe…. But Urahara had only once displayed any sort of combat prowess, and that was against Aizen.

Urahara blinked for a moment, then took off his bucket hat and set it down on the computer. When he looked up again, his face could have been carved from stone. "My blade is yours, Ichigo."

Ishida shivered. Urahara's reiatsu, like his voice, had become suddenly sharp, deadly, focused. It gave the Quincy an impression of an inevitable, silent death, one that could be anticipated but would be helpless to avoid. Ishida no longer had any trouble imagining Urahara being an instrument of death.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, Ichigo." Silently, the founder of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute drew Benihime from her cane sheath, the light reflecting off her blade gleaming. "Thank me when the mission is complete."

Karin was pale, shaking as she stared with wide eyes at Urahara. Gone was the shopkeeper who liked to play jokes and give out candy. In his place was an assassin who wore geta to avoid letting his feet rest in the blood of the innocents and guilty alike whom he'd slain in the name of duty. And in his hand was a princess in crimson who danced with a cruel smile on her face, who saw beauty in the way blood was spilled, who lovingly guided her master's hand to give her more and more of the precious ruby life for her to dance in. Monster…!

Isshin put a hand on her shoulder. "Turn off your power, Karin. That is a man you really don't want to look too deeply at."

Karin agreed one hundred percent. She did as she was told, shivering strongly as she turned towards her father and buried her face into his robes, desperately in need of comfort. "How…?"

"How can a man hide something like that inside him?" Isshin finished quietly. "Karin, everyone has a side like that. It's just a matter of what brings it to the surface. Urahara Kisuke is a man who has learned how to summon it himself."

Karin stilled, and looked at her father with horror-filled eyes. "Everyone has a side like that?" she whispered. "Even you? Even Ichigo?"

"Even me. Even Ichigo. I pray to Kami-sama that you never need see them."

Urahara ignored them, walking purposefully to the Gates of Hell. "Open the barrier," he ordered quietly.

Tessai and Hachi did as they were told, and Urahara was gone in a flicker of Shunpo.

"You're here." Ichigo's voice was calm, measured.

"Oh? I thought you couldn't sense my reiatsu?"Ayumu questioned, appearing a few meters away.

"I still can't. But I can smell Yamamoto's blood on you."

Ayumu's smile had no joy to it. "Your Arrancar friends are dead now."

"I know. Harribel was cornered by your lieutenants. Her Fracción were annihilated by the Togabito who are trying to reclaim the portal to the living world."

"You knew? Then why didn't you save them?" Ayumu asked curiously.

"For the same reason Yamamoto didn't. It's callous to say, but their lives weren't as important as sealing you away. I was busy using Gran Rey Cero, trying to help Yamamoto from afar."

"You got close," Ayumu admitted. "Another one or two of those and he would definitely have caught me if I hadn't taken him out right then."

Ichigo nodded, acknowledging the information and storing it for future use. "Harribel knew the risks. Her Fracción were already Togabito." He narrowed his eyes behind the mask of his Resurrección. "When you are defeated, when they resurrect, I will cut their chains."

"I see. Does the same apply to them?" Ayumu gestured, and two large pillars rose from the desert. Tied to them with chains were the forms of Yoruichi and Masaki. "I caught them trying to escape. Do not worry – they live. For the moment."

Ichigo reached out with his spiritual sense and confirmed that they were in fact who they appeared to be. "You have no idea the mistake you've just made," he said, his eyes burning with hate in stark contrast to the icy tone of his voice.

"Oh? It seems to me that I've captured your mother and someone else dear to you."

A Getsuga flared into existence around Tensa Zangetsu. "Not just dear to me, Ayumu."

On cue, Urahara appeared in a flicker of Shunpo right behind Ayumu, his face impassive, but Benihime mid-swing and glowing bloody red. "Kamisori, Benihime."

Ayumu's eyes went wide as his right hand, the one holding Asahi no Kagami, was cleanly cut off. He leapt away, trying to get away, only for Ichigo to grab him by his left wrist and lash out with Tensa Zangetsu, obviously trying to cut off Ayumu's other hand. Ayumu barely managed to wrench his wrist out and take the hit with the nameless sword he had in his hand. The Getsuga fired, flinging him dozens of feet away.

"Shibari, Benihime."

Ayumu managed to shunt the Getsuga away just in time to cut the net that Urahara had conjured with the sword in his left hand. Then he flashed away, moving far away from the net and setting himself up so he could see both Ichigo and Urahara at once. His stump glowed for a moment, and a second later his hand was completely regenerated. Asahi no Kagami materialized in his hand just in time to block a powerful strike from Ichigo.

But Ichigo instantly leapt away to the side, much to Ayumu's confusion until he saw Urahara in motion a dozen meters away, a sinister blackness outlined in purple flickering around the assassin's fingers. "Unite. Repulse. Know your own powerlessness. Hadō 90: Kurohitsugi."

Watching the black coffin erect itself around Ayumu, Ichigo gathered his power, preparing to use his chains to help Urahara seal Hell away. But then the Hadō shattered, with an annoyed-looking Ayumu stepping out… right into a Rikujōkōrō that Urahara had silently cast. Ichigo promptly flung his chains at Ayumu, looking to seal him away, but Ayumu flared his reiatsu and shattered the Bakudō in time to dodge out of the way of the chains.

Yet Urahara still had not stopped moving, having apparently completely anticipated Ayumu's actions. He had moved quickly enough that he had managed to tap both of Ayumu's wrists, his fingers flowing with power, and moved away.

"And what was that supposed to…?!" Ayumu began, before cutting himself off as glowing yellow rings had appeared around his wrists.

Urahara's expression remained just as impassive as it had upon arriving. "Fūsatsu Kakei."

"Shit!" But it was too late. Ayumu's arms were forced outwards by the power of his own reiatsu just before he was encapsulated into a white oval of fiery reiatsu.

Ichigo kept his sword at the ready. Had Ayumu died from that seal, or would he emerge weakened? He hoped it was the latter, but he was feeling a lot more confident about their chances. Urahara was scary in battle.

The white fire died suddenly, revealing what appeared to be a sunburnt Ayumu. "Well, that hurt," the leader of Hell admitted. "You forced my own reiatsu to try to burn out my Hakusui, to render me powerless and at your mercy. It's lucky that I killed Yamamoto then – his mastery of the fire element was truly unparalleled. With his knowledge and my power, I was able to stave off most of the damage."

"… I see. In that case, given the situation, I can't think of a better setting for this." Urahara finally smiled, but it was not a smile Ichigo had ever wanted to see on his face. It wasn't Urahara's "having fun at your expense" smile, nor was it his "I'm being secretive and mysterious because it's fun" smile. It communicated neither satisfaction nor grimness. No… with his normally gray eyes glowing a bright red, with his lips parted just enough to begin to see his teeth, with the wisps of crimson reiatsu emanating from his body, Urahara's smile made him look like the devil incarnate.

Urahara placed Benihime horizontally across his body, placing his other palm on the blade itself as if to brace himself. But Benihime was backwards, and the blade lightly bit into his skin. As blood began to trace its way down Benihime's blade, Urahara uttered a single word. "Bankai."

Crimson reiatsu swirled around Urahara for a moment before settling. Benihime had transformed – she had become double-edged, and along the flat of the blade there was a long, thin rectangular hole reaching from about four inches from the tip of the blade to the guard. The U-shaped guard now sported a ruby on either side.

But Benihime was not the only thing changed – Urahara's clothes had changed. Now he wore matching jacket and pants, both the exact shade of freshly spilt blood, with a white diamond pattern running down his arms and sides. Urahara aimed his Bankai right at Ayumu and whispered its name. "Shinkō Maōhi."