Hope

"So come at me, king of Hell! Do you have the strength to break my resolve?!"

Rukia sighed. If Ichigo felt confident enough to challenge Ayumu so brazenly, then she was sure he would pull through. But… what about afterwards? When he came home, would it be to yet another fight for his life? She turned to the leader of the Royal Guards, whose perpetual smile still unnerved her. "If I may, I have some questions… Hyōsube-sama?" She said the name hesitatingly, wary of the man's warning that she could lose her voice. When nothing appeared to happen, she let out a breath in relief.

"Go ahead and ask." Ichibē's voice was almost cheerful, but his smile sent shivers down their spines.

"I was wondering what the Royal Guard's stance is on Ichigo. I mean, he's evidently a human-Quincy-Shinigami-Hollow hybrid, and the Central 46 hasn't exactly been… kind to hybrids in the past," Rukia explained delicately.

"Plus, there's that whole part-Quincy thing," Renji added bluntly. "Pretty sure we'd know by now if he was using any Quincy powers, but he's gonna learn them at some point." Ishida, standing nearby, winced again, no doubt at the idea that Ichigo would be coming to him for Quincy training sooner or later. Renji ignored him. "And in the short time that he's been alive, he's grown more powerful than most of the Gotei 13."

"He is also the king of Hueco Mundo," Nelliel commented from a few feet away.

Renji stiffened, then sighed. "Let me guess. Aizen was the ruler. Since Ichigo killed him, he became the king?"

"There was a little more involved…" Nelliel admitted tactfully. "While he did kill Aizen, that didn't make him king by itself. He had to make the Hollows – specifically, the Vasto Lordes – respect his strength enough to submit to him."

"But that must be so much more responsibility! Why would he do that?" Ishida asked, his mind racing through the possibilities. "And come to think of it, when would he have had time? And is this why no Menos-class Hollows have come to Karakura despite all spiritual power centralized here?"

"He became aware that with Aizen's demise, many Hollows would vie for the position as the king of Hueco Mundo. Such a rush for power could easily have spread into the living world," Ulquiorra stated matter-of-factly. "It took little time for him to establish himself as the king. Less than a night."

"And yes, one of Ichigo's first orders was that no Menos was to come to Karakura unless he himself called or if it was an emergency," Starrk confirmed. "In effect, we former Espada are running the day-to-day affairs, while Ichigo will pop in from time to time and make sure there are no major issues."

Ichibē cleared his throat, and all eyes returned to him. "To answer your question, Kuchiki Rukia, the Royal Guard is keeping an eye on Kurosaki Ichigo, but truthfully, we're not concerned. His actions speak well of him, and his influence has proven rather beneficial to Soul Society in general." He gestured in the Arrancars' direction. "Also, it will be interesting to see what Hueco Mundo will become under his rule."

Ayumu grit his teeth as he retreated once again. That black flame that engulfed Kurosaki's blade and arm up to his shoulder was giving every strike absurd power, power that threatened to cut straight through Asahi no Kagami. He knew why, of course. The Getsuga Tenshō was a compression of the wielder's energy, magnifying the attack. But instead of releasing the energy, Kurosaki was keeping it within his blade and arm, magnifying not only Tensa Zangetsu's cutting power, but his own arm's strength in slashing.

Ayumu was simply grateful that Kurosaki had obviously not fully completed the technique. If he worked out how to cover his whole body in a Getsuga… would there be anything he could not destroy in one slash?

Ayumu's thoughts were cut short as he was attacked head-on by his opponent. Ayumu vanished in a burst of high speed, reappearing a short distance away with one hand up, lightning crackling for a second before firing in another massive attack in his captives' direction. Unsurprisingly, Kurosaki Ichigo materialized between them, splitting the attack to either side as he had before. Ayumu had not held still, however, and had rushed to the side, firing a Rikujōkōrō, only for the six bars of light to be destroyed almost the instant as they had formed in blindingly-fast slashes.

It was almost infuriating. The sheer variety and strength of the Kidō that Urahara and Yamamoto knew should be giving Ayumu an overwhelming advantage, even without the use of their Zanpakutō, and yet Kurosaki was still matching him. In the center of Ayumu's own world, with all the weapons and knowledge of all the damned souls residing there at Ayumu's fingertips, Kurosaki was matching him.

But the key word was 'almost'. Ayumu's soul may be completely reunited, but he was not yet fighting with everything in his arsenal. "I should thank you," he said aloud.

"What for?"

"Many things, really. You resurrected me, you opened the Gates to let me out, you and Yamamoto reintegrated my soul…"

Ichigo's gaze, already cold and hard, grew even steelier. "Your taunts mean nothing to me."

"… and fighting you has forced me to grow used to channeling the powers of my Togabito," Ayumu finished with a smirk. A few dozen chains suddenly became visible, writhing around him. "Have you not noticed? Before, I could work with a mere one or two chains at a time. Now?" The chains lunged at him, penetrating and yet drawing no blood before vanishing from sight, leaving Ayumu facing Ichigo.

Yet Ichigo remained wary – there was no telling what sort of powers Ayumu had just granted himself. Would it be an impenetrable defense? Unmatchable speed? Apocalyptic offense? Ichigo placed himself between Ayumu and his mother, preparing for whatever would come.

And then it came – Ayumu lunged at him at extremely high speed. But before they met, two copies of him sprouted off his body, also attempting to take Ichigo's head off. The original stayed back, preparing some kind of electrical attack in his hand. The two coming at him had to be illusions, and yet they left footprints in the sands, and the sounds of their blades slicing through the air convinced Ichigo that they were real enough to kill him if he let them.

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo put his speed to the test, forcing his body to move as fast as it could. Tensa Zangetsu cut through the first illusion without any resistance, and even as it was falling to the ground, Ichigo was on the second, stabbing him through the head. The third and original Ayumu received a bolt of lightning through the heart, courtesy of a Byakurai from Ichigo's fingertips. However, the electricity that the third Ayumu had generated jumped back into the Byakurai and sent a severe shock throughout Ichigo's body. The pain only lasted a moment, though, so Ichigo's attention never left the clones.

But he blinked in confusion as all three Ayumus promptly vanished as if they had never existed. All three were illusions? Then where was…?

"Ichigo!"

It was his mom's voice! Shit! Ichigo spun on his heel and vanished into Sonido as fast as he could. He arrived less than half a second later, but it was already too late. Ayumu had already finished killing Yoruichi again, and was holding his mother by the back and top of her head. Ichigo barely spared Yoruichi's corpse a glance – he was too focused on the imminent threat to his mother.

"Let her go," Ichigo breathed.

Ayumu looked Ichigo steadily in the eyes. "No. I don't think I will."

"Let her go!" Ichigo repeated, more loudly.

"Or what?" Ayumu demanded. "You'll kill me? Been there, done that. You'll seal me? As if you weren't going to try anyway. No. Here is what is going to happen now, Kurosaki Ichigo. I am going to kill her. I am going to scatter her soul to the desert. And just in case Zen'i never told you, no one has ever recovered from that fate unless I allow it. No reincarnation. Ever."

"Why?!"

"Because her death drove you to despair," Ayumu told him succinctly. "And if you despair, it will be easier for me to kill you."

That was all Ichigo needed to hear. He leapt into the fastest Sonido he had ever used, flinging Tensa Zangetsu with all his might on a direct course to pierce Ayumu's head.

The blade was less than a centimeter from Ayumu's eyeball when he and Masaki disappeared. Ichigo didn't slow down, even as he realized that Ayumu hadn't used high-speed movement at that moment – Ayumu had actually teleported. But he hadn't teleported far – Ichigo could see him, several dozen meters away.

Time seemed to slow as Ichigo rushed with every ounce of speed he could muster. Masaki's eyes met his without fear, only love. Ichigo stared into them desperately, willing the world to let him save her, to delay Ayumu for that fraction of a second longer as Ichigo reached for her hand to yank her out of Ayumu's grip.

But just as Ichigo's hand clasped hers, the ruler of the damned clenched his fist with an audible, stomach-turning noise. Blood, bone fragments and brain matter coated his hand, dripping onto the sands as Masaki's bloody corpse fell into Ichigo's arms.

Ichigo fell to his knees, eyes wide and disbelieving as his mask first cracked, then shattered, dissolving his Resurreccion and leaving him in his Bankai state, staring helplessly at his mother's body. Unnoticed, the communicator in his ear fell to the desert. "No... please, no…"

Then, as if it to add further insult to injury, Masaki's body rapidly began turning into sand and scattering to the desert. In seconds, Masaki was gone. Ichigo didn't move. He couldn't breathe. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. And yet it was.

Ayumu chuckled as he nonchalantly flicked some pieces of flesh off his hands, which too dissolved into sands. "Did you really think you could win against me? Such thoughts are pure arrogance. All I have done is save you the trouble of dying."

With all his power... he couldn't save her? It was all for nothing? Tears began to trickle down Ichigo's face.

"You did!" Ayumu exclaimed with a tone of pure amusement. "You actually did believe you could defeat me and save her. Foolish boy. How could you do what the Reiō could not?"

But Ichigo gave no response. He could no longer hear him, too consumed with shock to do anything but listen to his own thoughts. And then he heard a voice that had always, would always reach him.

"Ichigo."

The youth's head shot up in disbelief. That had undeniably been his mother's voice. "… Mom?" he breathed, looking upon his mother. And it was her, with the Chains of Hell. A Togabito, but that didn't matter, Ichigo could break the chains again. Then Ichigo saw the truth – surrounding them were a crowd of illusions. Asahi no Kagami had been used once more. It wasn't her. Not really. Ichigo's eyes absently noticed that Ayumu was hanging back, watching him intently, not advancing on him for some reason that Ichigo could not fathom.

Yet Ichigo couldn't bring himself to care about that, not with the image of his mother in front of him. Even knowing she wasn't real, even knowing that it was an illusion conjured by the enemy, Ichigo drank in his mother's appearance like a man dying of thirst. As long as the illusion remained, Ichigo could fool himself into thinking he was wrong, that she was really there.

"Ichigo…" Masaki's voice was sad, gentle. "You couldn't protect me. You weren't strong enough. Why weren't you strong enough?"

"I tried," Ichigo's breathed. "I tried so hard…"

"I know you did." Her smile was almost wistful. "But Ichigo… you made so many mistakes." Watching her son flinch, Masaki reached out and touched a ghostly hand to Ichigo's cheek. "I'm sorry, Ichigo… but parts of me blame you for my deaths. Will you listen?"

Ichigo's eyes closed. He knew it. He knew he wasn't so lucky to be wholly forgiven. "Yes."

Another illusion stepped forward… it was another Masaki. This one did not have the Chains, but carried a book… the journal she'd written in while captured by the Berean. "Ichigo, why couldn't you save me?" she asked sorrowfully. "I put my faith, my trust in you. I thought you would find the Berean, or at least keep to your deal so I could be set free. I understand that you had to save Karin and Yuzu, but when yo returned why did you not simply destroy the house and find the Sekki-Sekki they were hiding me in? You would have been able to go through the portal they had open and come right back in seconds."

Ichigo bowed his head. She was right. Why had he even bothered to argue with Yamamoto? Why hadn't he just made good on his threat to burn down Soul Society to save his mother? All of this mess with Hell could have been avoided if he hadn't decided to try to follow the rules, to try to make nice with Soul Society. Maybe Zen'i had had the right of it all along. Maybe the only way to protect his family was to kill, to conquer, to make them all fear him and his righteous anger.

"Why couldn't you save me?" yet another version of his mother asked. This Masaki had something attached to her head, something leading to a large, menacing furry Hollow. Ichigo's eyes widened. The Grand Fisher… and his lure. The one thing he could not cut. His mother. "For so many years my soul suffered in the Grand Fisher," Lure-Masaki breathed. "Why couldn't you purify him? Why couldn't you save me? Why did you give me hope and then fail?"

Ichigo began to tremble, and tears streamed faster down his cheeks. He had always regretted not being able to kill the Grand Fisher that day. Why, oh why had he demanded to fight the Grand Fisher alone? Why had he insisted Rukia stay back? Why had he listened to his own pointless sense of pride and lust for bloody vengeance? If Rukia had helped with her Kidō, maybe his mother's soul would have been freed earlier. "I'm so sorry… Mom, I'm so sorry…"

Another Masaki stepped forward, and Ichigo's heart stopped. It was the battered, bloody, dead Masaki from that day on the riverbank, so many years ago. Nightmares that Ichigo thought he'd long since put behind him came back to the forefront, and he knew exactly what she was going to say. Ichigo wanted to run but he couldn't move, wanted to scream but he couldn't breathe, wanted to tear his eyes away from this horror but he couldn't look away. Don't. Oh god, please don't. Don't say it!

Dead-Masaki knelt down and laid a too-cold hand gently against Ichigo's cheek. "Why did you kill me?"

The words that had haunted him since that fateful day, this vision that had so often left him afraid of ever closing his eyes again… But now, at least, Ichigo had an answer. "I didn't kill you," Ichigo whispered, his voice barely audible. "That was Grand Fisher, on Aizen's orders."

"But I'm a Quincy, Ichigo. A strong one. If I could fight Ayumu by your side, why couldn't I slay the Grand Fisher? There's only one reason it could be. You know it. Say it."

Oh god. She was right. All those years ago, Ichigo had lost consciousness after running to the Grand Fisher're lure. He must have been knocked out. Quincies were best at ranged combat. But with the Grand Fisher right there, with Ichigo unable to run or defend himself, Masaki must have been forced into melee, and in the process left herself open to the Grand Fisher's power. And Ichigo knew that power all too well.

Grand Fisher had pierced her, had peered into her memories, had seen the one thing that she could not attack and shaped his lure accordingly. Would it have been Isshin, or Ichigo himself? Maybe Yuzu or Karin? Some combination thereof? It didn't matter. It would have created a hesitation, an opening, something that Masaki couldn't afford while protecting Ichigo. And then the Grand Fisher killed her.

It'd been one thing when Ichigo had thought that Masaki had been powerless. Once Aizen had confessed to sending the Grand Fisher after her in order to motivate him, Ichigo had known that Masaki's death was simply inevitable. The Grand Fisher was a powerful Hollow, had killed many Shinigami in the past. One more nameless Shinigami patrolling Karakura wouldn't have changed anything. If it hadn't been that day on the riverbank, it would have been another day shortly thereafter. It hadn't been Ichigo's fault.

But… if Masaki was a Quincy… then that meant that she knew what Hollows were. That she could fight back, hold her own, even win. If Ichigo hadn't been there, then Masaki would have been able to avoid the Grand Fisher's technique at a distance. And she'd have killed that damned Hollow. And she'd have lived. All those years, Ichigo had been right all along. He'd killed his mother. Tears fell from his face anew. "It was my fault. All of your suffering… is my fault."

"That's right."

And just like that, the illusions vanished, leaving Ichigo with his newfound truth.

"No it wasn't!" Isshin roared into the microphone. He'd been trying to get Ichigo's attention ever since they watched Ayumu activate Asahi no Kagami's power again. "Ichigo! Damn it, Ichigo, answer me!"

Rukia stole the microphone from the enraged father and began her own tirade. "Ichigo you dumbass, ANSWER US! Your mother's death is not your fault! YOU KNOW THAT!"

Ichigo didn't respond. He didn't seem to be moving at all, either.

"Ichigo! Get up! Get up, you dimwitted strawberry, get up!"

Shinji closed his eyes. "Give it up, Kuchiki. We heard Ayumu use his Asahi no Kagami. And obviously, Ayumu got him this time." He turned his eyes to Ichibē. "So then, mister Royal Guard leader. You about ready to step in, then? Aside from Hachi and Tessai, none of us left have any sealing techniques worth shit, and they're needed here to keep Ayumu from leaving Hell."

Ichibē opened his mouth to answer, but a very calm, cold voice answered instead. "No."

Everyone except Ichibē turned to Ulquiorra in complete disbelief. "What do you mean, no?"

"Do not rescue him yet." The former Quarto Espada looked Ichibē straight in the eyes. "Kurosaki-sama has one other ability. This emotional torment will make it manifest."

Ichibē eyed Ulquiorra for a moment. "I see. Very well. I shall wait a few moments longer."

Isshin whirled on the leader of the Royal Guard, and it was obvious that he was itching to pull Engetsu on the man. "If you wait, he'll die!"

"Perhaps. However, I know the power Ulquiorra speaks of."

Rukia shivered as Isshin leveled a glare at Ulquiorra. The reiatsu behind that look was… massive. It would have sent most Shinigami to their knees, gasping for breath. But Ulquiorra remained unmoved. Isshin turned his fury towards Hachi and Tessai. "Drop the barrier long enough for me to get through," he ordered. "If Hyōsube won't save him, I will."

But before either Kidō master could answer, Ichibē placed a hand on Isshin's shoulder. Isshin froze in place, completely paralyzed. "No one else is to enter Hell," the Royal Guardsman ordered softly. "Strong you may be, but you have no place in this battle. You would merely be hindrances to young Kurosaki Ichigo… and to myself. If any of you attempt further, I will remove your powers where you stand."

"But, but, what about Ichigo?" Yuzu cried out, pointing at the image of her brother, who was now being approached by Ayumu. "He needs help!"

Ulquiorra shook his head, stepping next to Ichibē. "The only help he requires right now is his own."

"What power?!" Karin demanded. "What power could he possibly get like this?!"

Starrk and Nelliel turned away in discomfort. Ulquiorra stared piercingly at Karin for several moments. "Use your eyes, Kurosaki Karin. Look upon me, and know what it is I speak of."

Karin scowled in response to the challenge, looking remarkably like her brother, and her eyes flashed white. Instantly, blood drained from her face and she looked at Ulquiorra in undisguised horror.

"Karin!" Yuzu exclaimed. "Karin! What is it?"

Karin shook her head, refusing to share what it was that had spooked her so badly. Instead, she looked up at Ichibē pleadingly. "Please, save him! That power… why would you let anyone have to go through that?!"

"Because it may be needed later. Other dangers, dangers that Soul Society will require every able warrior for, approach. Yes, it is cruel. But it is necessary." Ichibē returned his gaze to the kneeling form of Kurosaki Ichigo. "I believe your brother will survive this. Names are part of what defines who we are. Let us watch him live up to his name."

Ichigo watched Ayumu approach with dull eyes, not bothering to move. What was the point? His arms had no strength left to them. He recalled his challenge…

"Do you have the strength to break my resolve?!"

Apparently Ayumu did, in fact, have that power. Ichigo had lost. Even if he somehow, incredibly, managed to defeat Ayumu and seal him, what did it matter? Ichigo was poison. His own mother, whom he loved so terribly, had suffered and suffered because of him. His friends, who had lived their lives without knowledge or care of the afterlife, had been brought in because of him, had risked their lives over and over again for the things Ichigo cared about.

So… maybe Ayumu had the right plan. A world without suffering. If it meant that Masaki would live again, if it meant that she would never suffer again, then Ichigo was ready to let Ayumu win.

"Pathetic. All the world's hopes on you, and you break as soon as you lose one person important to you." Ayumu grabbed Ichigo by his coat and lifted him off the ground easily. "I expected more from you. I spent all this time letting Zen'i build you up, allowing him to prepare you. You were meant to be strong."

He was? But why? Oh. Right. Ayumu wanted Yamamoto and Ichigo to lead the assault on Soul Society, so Ayumu could stay safe in his own world. Ichigo vaguely registered that was important, but he couldn't dredge up the energy to care.

"And you had such promise, too! A human using Shinigami and Hollow powers in conjunction? And the potential for Quincy abilities too!" Ayumu sighed. "Of course, I knew you would die here. That was inevitable. When you resurrected, bound to me but longing for vengeance, I would have been able to set you after the Reiō with the promise of bringing her back if you succeeded in killing him. But now I see that you are too weak.

"So I wonder what I should do with you… I could hang you prominently next to the gate, I suppose – a nice little reminder to all the newcomers of the folly of fighting me. But then there's the chance that you'll regain your resolve and come to fight me again. Or perhaps set up a little band of rebels, and you know that would just be a pain to deal with." He lifted Ichigo higher now. "I suppose the prudent thing to do is to kill you and see if Zen'i takes control when you come back. I could use him."

With his other hand, as if in slow motion, Ayumu readied Asahi no Kagami. Ichigo didn't even look at it. He had failed to protect his mother, failed to save her. Despite having more power at his command than he could have ever imagined possible a year ago, he had failed the second chance that so few people got. So… maybe the problem was with him. Him, Kurosaki Ichigo, the entity in charge of all that power. Maybe he was too soft. Maybe Cazador or Zen'i would have done a better job.

Ichigo fought down the mad urge to laugh. Maybe? Of course they would have. Cazador was the embodiment of his instinct, of his Hollow side. Cazador wouldn't have settled for Adjuchas, he'd have gone straight for Vasto Lorde, and damn the consequences. That power might have made the difference. And Zen'i… Zen'i wasn't enchained to the morals, the humanity that Ichigo clung to so desperately. He would have done what was necessary. He would have taken Ayumu's offer from the beginning and traded the pure soul for Masaki, and then trained like mad to rescue the pure soul. Failing then would hurt, but not as much as losing Masaki.

If he died, and returned in Hell, odds were pretty good that Zen'i would take over. Zen'i would do what was necessary to protect Ichigo's loved ones. Who knows, maybe he'd manage to resurrect Masaki from the desert as a Togabito, or convince Ayumu to do so as a reward. Ayumu had just suggested it not even a minute ago as a reward for killing the Reiō. Zen'i would take that deal in a heartbeat.

But for now, Masaki was gone, and it was all Ichigo's fault. Whether it was the strength or the mindset, Ichigo didn't have the power to keep his loved ones safe from Hell. He knew that now. All Ichigo wanted now was to rest, to retreat so far into his own soul that he couldn't feel this pain anymore. Let Zen'i use their power as he wished. Let Cazador consume him, if he desired. Just… let it end. Let the pain end.

Asahi no Kagami pierced his chest, and Ichigo allowed himself a small smile. Soon, soon he'd feel nothing at all.

'DON'T DIE, ICHIGO!'

…Yuzu…?

"Let me go!" Isshin screamed, struggling with all his might against the invisible bindings that Ichibē had placed upon him. "Let me go, damn you! Can't you see my son is dying?!"

Apparently thinking exactly the same thing, Karin leapt into the air and snapped off a powerful kick to Ichibē's head... with absolutely no physical reaction. Ichibē's gaze met hers as she landed on the ground, scowling. "I understand your anger," the leader of the Royal Guards murmured. "However, I…"

He was interrupted by the sound of several Zanpakutō leaving their sheathes. "We're going," Rukia announced, her voice as cold as her blade. "And you will allow us, leader of the Royal Guard. After all, you are commanded by royal edict not to interfere 'until the situation has escalated beyond that which the Gotei 13 and its allies can handle', are you not?"

Ichibē's perpetual smile became rather grim. "You are correct. However, there is a complication. If you declare that you are still capable of handling the situation, then I am unable to aid you in any fashion until you have died. You would not even be able to rescue your friend, as Ayumu would easily detect your presence the moment you step into his world. In his current state, Kurosaki Ichigo would be killed instantly."

Hitsugaya growled lowly. "And what would you have us do instead?"

"Concede that you are at present unable to handle the situation," Ichibē told him bluntly. "Acknowledge that it has cost Yamamoto-sōtaicho and Urahara Kisuke their lives, and that you are ultimately incapable of stopping Ayumu. If you do so, then the moment Kurosaki Ichigo's reiatsu lowers to something that is incapable of harming Ayumu, then I am enabled to rescue him."

"And what about now?!" Shinji asked bitingly. "What about now, when Kurosaki has a sword in his fucking chest?!"

Completely ignored by everyone else, Kurosaki Yuzu stared in horror at her brother, who was incomprehensibly smiling. She couldn't just sit there and watch this. She couldn't accept it. She couldn't bear to see that expression on her big brother's face, couldn't endure the sight of Ayumu plunging his sword through her brother's chest. The concept that her brother was going to die, now, like this… "DON'T DIE, ICHIGO!" Yuzu screamed, tears streaming from her face.

'…Yuzu…?'

Karin's eyes went wide. "Did… did you just hear that?" she breathed.

"Hear what?" Isshin asked bitterly.

Yuzu ignored the two of them. "Please, onii-chan… don't… don't die…!" she sobbed.

'… I'm sorry, Yuzu.'

"It's Ichigo," Karin explained to her father quickly, not noticing how everyone else had suddenly gone quiet, or how Ichibē's smile had grown even wider. "I don't know how, but he can hear Yuzu! Now be quiet so I can hear him too!"

Isshin blinked, opened his mouth to argue, but looked at Yuzu and promptly shut his mouth.

"Please!" Yuzu begged, simultaneously grateful for the miracle of getting through to her big brother and desperate to keep him alive. "Please, onii-chan! I know it hurts! We're all hurting right now, but we know that you tried your hardest. None of us blame you!"

'You should.' Ichigo's voice was getting quieter, and Yuzu stared in horror as his smile seemed to become a little fonder. 'I'm glad I could speak with you… in the end. You always were the one who kept our family together. I can entrust my heart to you.'

Karin's eyes went wide, and her gaze met Yuzu's. Yuzu's eyes… had gone completely white, just like when Karin activated her Eyes of the Oracle. Acting on instinct, Karin leapt for and snatched Yuzu's hand, holding it like a lifeline. "Don't you dare die, Ichigo!" Karin yelled.

'Karin?' If anything, Ichigo's small smile grew a little wider. 'To have the chance to talk to both my sisters… I guess Kami-sama took pity on me at last.'

Karin choked a sob down. "Don't talk like that, Ichigo! You're not allowed to die!"

'Listen, Karin. I need you to protect our family, alright? I'm afraid it doesn't look like I'll be able to anymore. Just do your best.'

"I can't replace you, Ichigo!" Karin retorted, wiping tears from her eyes. "I can't! You have to come back! I'm not strong enough to protect us yet! And even if I was, even then I would still want you protecting me!"

"And me," Yuzu agreed, squeezing Karin's hand tighter. "You've always been our protector, and we still need you! We still need Ichigo, He Who Protects!"

'…' Despite not saying anything, both sisters could sense Ichigo's resolve weakening.

"That's right!" Karin jumped on the tactic. "All your life you've fought to live up to that name! We need you!"

"So please don't die, Ichigo! Please! You're my number one big brother!"

'Please! You're my number one big brother!'

What could he say to that? How could he reject his sisters when they were literally begging him to protect them? He couldn't. His life's purpose was to protect. And even though he had failed to protect their mother, Ichigo's humanity still compelled him. Thus was his soul bound, and thus was his will binding.

Ichigo's eyes closed. There was only one thing to do, then. He had to win. Despite how despair drowned his soul with frigid rain, despite how much he loathed himself, his sisters were counting on him. Ichigo's eyes opened in his Inner World. Standing mere feet away from him on a rapidly-crumbling skyscraper, staring back at him silently were the rain-soaked forms of Tensa Zangetsu and Cazador de la Luna.

And then Tensa Zangetsu was in Ichigo's face, his expression a mask of anger and hurt. "Ichigo, never give up again! No matter how you despair, no matter how bleak things seem, do not give up on life! All I have ever wanted was to protect you, and you being willing to throw it all away because of a setback is…!" For once, the Bankai spirit seemed at a loss for words, trying and failing to find the right expression to express his outrage.

"A setback?" Ichigo breathed, his own rage rising to the surface. "You dare call my mother's death a SETBACK?!"

"Yes, I do!" Tensa Zangetsu argued fiercely. "After all that we have grown and learned, do you still believe it possible that a soul can be so easily destroyed?! The soul of Kurosaki Masaki still exists! Even if her form has crumbled to sand, she can be brought back!"

"You can't know that!" Ichigo roared at him. "And even if it were possible, this is Ayumu's world! Even Shūren, a Togabito who carried a piece of Ayumu's power, could not resurrect my mother from the lava pool! Who aside from Ayumu could raise her from the desert?!"

"Well, then we have a plan, don't we?" Cazador spoke up casually from a few feet to the side. "If only Ayumu has the power, then the answer's simple: take the power from him."

Ichigo staggered back as if physically slapped. "What?"

Cazador shook his head pityingly. "Come on, King. Use your brain. Your mom's a Quincy. That means you are too."

"So what?!"

"Quincies can absorb power you moron! That means you can too! If you're capable of binding people with your chains, capable of manipulating their reiryoku with your own… what exactly stops you from simply taking his reiryoku and figuring it out?"

Ichigo didn't see the sharp look that Tensa Zangetsu gave the Hollow spirit. He was too stunned by the possibility. Could he actually do that? Could the answer really be that simple? It made sense, too much sense to ignore. His chains were a nearly perfect conduit for his reiryoku… could he truly tear Ayumu's reiryoku away from him with them?

And yet… Ichigo's face contorted somewhat, uncomfortable. If he failed at that, then that would mean that truly only Ayumu would be able to bring her back. And there would be no way to force him. He didn't want to get his hopes up, because then the pain would be fresh all over again if he failed. No, it'd be even worse.

Besides, hope seemed like a bad idea – Ayumu was so strong. If Ichigo kept even the slimmest hope that he could still save his mother, he would get distracted. He'd try a technique he'd never used, a technique whose consequences he didn't know, a technique he didn't even know could work, in the hope to save her. Wouldn't it be better to simply accept that he'd failed her? No matter how callous it was, no matter how much it tore at his heart, wouldn't it be better for him to write off his mother as a casualty instead of blindly trying to save everyone? If he let her go, then Ichigo could do what had to be done without being tempted by Ayumu's offers to bring her back. If he accepted her demise, then he could fight Ayumu without sabotaging himself by trying something he'd never done before. If he killed his heart, Ichigo could seal Ayumu until the end of days.

Ichigo could learn to live with the pain he felt right now. He knew he could do that. After all, he'd lived with the knowledge that he was directly responsible for the death of his mother for years. If he made the decision to let Masaki's soul remain in Hell, he would hate himself forever, and his sisters probably would too. He'd welcome their hate as well-deserved punishment. But if he allowed himself to hope, to try once again to save his mother… if doing that ended in him falling to Hell, failing to protect everyone else… no. No, it was too much. He couldn't take that risk. Ichigo couldn't risk losing what was left of his family.

And yet… It was selfish. Absolutely pathetic. Foolish to the utmost. He knew that. But Ichigo's heart continued to scream, demanding he not let his mother go. Not now, not after all he'd done, not after finally having her back after all these years.

What was the right answer? Was there a right answer?

… No. There was no right answer. No matter what choice Ichigo made, his heart would die – either from knowingly condemning his mother to eternity to Hell, or from purposely endangering the rest of his family further in order to rescue her.

It was an impossible decision. How could he make that choice? His mother, Ichigo knew, would gladly have sacrificed her soul for her family. She would insist that Ichigo forget her if it meant that he and his sisters would live. But Ichigo also knew his sisters, had witnessed the changes in them after Masaki had died, had seen their absolute joy of seeing her again after Ichigo had rescued her from Aizen. They too would insist that it was worth the risk, that Masaki didn't deserve eternity in Hell. They would absolutely forgive him for putting them, for putting the world, at a little more risk to save her.

The rain fell a little harder, and the skyscraper he stood upon began crumbling even faster. Ichigo bowed his head, unknowing of the concerned but grim expressions that Zangetsu and Cazador shared. If there was no right answer… what answer could he live with?

…If Ichigo was forced to balance one soul, no matter how precious to him, against the fate of every soul in the living world, in Hueco Mundo, in Soul Society… Ichigo turned his face to the sky of his soul. He knew there were no answers, divine or otherwise, there. He knew what he had to do.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Cazador groaned. "You're being stupid!"

Ichigo's eyes shot towards him. "How am I being stupid?" he demanded in a low voice.

"You're being stupid because you're hurting yourself when you don't need to!" Cazador's expression softened just a little. "Listen… I get it, King," the Hollow spirit told him quietly, approaching. "Truly, I do. I am a Hollow. More than that, I am your Hollow. I was born of your heart. I know the taste of your despair, your fear, more than anyone else ever could. You're afraid of losing everyone, everything, if you try to save your mother. But you can't let her go. And you shouldn't."

"No doubt you've considered that attempts to save your mother will hinder your attempts to seal Ayumu," Tensa Zangetsu commented. "But you have forgotten something important. You knew before what I am… tell me again."

Ichigo lowered his eyes. "My vision of true strength. An ideal to chase."

"Correct. And what emotions empower me?"

"My determination. My courage. My resolve…" Ichigo's eyes lit in understanding. "My hope. If I try to save her, then I'm stronger than if I give up. Trying to save Mom doesn't hurt everyone else's chances, it helps them!"

"Yes. I will not let your hope die, Ichigo. I will not allow your heart to drown in the bleak rain of eternal despair and self-loathing. As long as you believe in me, I will protect you and give you the power to protect those you love."

"And as long as you accept me, I will fight at your side and give you the power to win," Cazador continued. "It's an endless cycle, King. Your soul gives us strength, and we share it with you. Together, we can win."

Ichigo wanted to hope again, could practically feel the emotion trying to grasp his soul once again. But he had to ask one burning question. "You told me once that you were a pragmatic man. You and Cazador know my capabilities, my potential, probably better than I do. Tell me the truth… is there really a chance to save her, and defeat Ayumu? Could Cazador's plan to take his reiryoku work?"

Tensa Zangetsu met Ichigo's gaze without flinching. "Yes. It is indeed within our power to tear Ayumu's power from him. But only if you can find within yourself the strength to hope."

"Hope is scary," Cazador admitted, "but that's how life is."

"To give up hope is to give up on yourself, on your ideals."

"As long as you fight, there is hope."

"And as long as there is hope, you must fight."

Ichigo closed his eyes as the words washed over him. Hope gives birth to the will to fight. The will to fight gives birth to hope. To give up one was to abandon the other. Of course. Hadn't he known that from the very beginning? Even before he had become a Shinigami, even before his spiritual might had been determined by the strength of his resolve, hadn't he known? Even before the Grand Fisher had consumed his mother, hadn't he known? He'd taken up martial arts because he hoped to protect those he cared about. He'd known even at that young age that hope and will went hand in hand.

The rain continued to fall, yet it felt lighter as Ichigo made his decision: he would fight once more. Not simply to protect his still-living sisters, nor to safeguard the living world, though they would have served to motivate him regardless.

But for his mother's soul, there was nothing he would not do, no depths to which he would not sink, no sky that he would not tear asunder. Kurosaki Masaki would be saved.

And for his part in harming Ichigo's family, Ayumu would suffer for eternity.

That was a promise.

Ayumu was watching his opponent bleed out, disgusted with how the fight had turned out. He had chosen a relatively slow death, just in case Kurosaki Ichigo rediscovered his resolve, and instead he was smiling, accepting his death. How utterly pathetic.

Wait. Ayumu blinked. The boy's eyes had suddenly changed. His left eye had Hollowified once again, and both eyes were glowing bright with power. Yes. Ayumu smiled. There was his resolve.

Suddenly, Ichigo was wreathed in black fire, and Ayumu quickly withdrew his arm and Asahi no Kagami to keep from being hurt by it. He stepped backwards several paces to give himself some distance.

Ichigo felt his mask rematerialize as his body entered Resurrección. The stab wound through his chest that he'd suffered was gone, overwritten by his Hollow hole. Yet it was not enough – this form had failed to slay Ayumu, had failed to keep Ichigo from falling into true despair. And the Hollow within knew it. The black flames of reiatsu continued to engulf him, obscuring the entirety of Ichigo's form save his glowing eyes and horns, waiting… waiting for what?

It was then that he felt it… a cold spark of power within his spirit. Deep in the depths of his soul, where despair had ripped a hole in his heart, there was power if Ichigo would only take it. Terrible power that tasted of rain and mud and blood and death, a monstrous power that reverberated with the sound of a little boy's broken screams from a wound that had never healed. Without hesitation, Ichigo reached for it, willing to accept any changes it wrought if it would only help him. This time would be different. This time he would save her.

Without warning, Ichigo's reiatsu flared and pulsed outwards, rippling across the desert, sending sand searing through the air in every direction. Ayumu's sight of his foe was obscured for a few moments, and when the air was clear once more, he was surprised to see that Kurosaki Ichigo was… changed. This was not the Resurrección Ayumu had been fighting.

Ichigo's Bankai coat was open, revealing his Hollow hole and markings. The hole had widened slightly, and the markings were no longer solid lines. They now appeared to be chain patterns, flowing to points where Ayumu could not see under Ichigo's Bankai coat. Ayumu's curiosity was stoked when he observed that literal chains were hanging from Ichigo's wrists and ankles, much like some of his own Togabito. Yet… he could not feel any connection through the Chains of Hell. No, these chains were somehow purely Ichigo's.

The chains were attached to deadly-looking bands that seemed to have grown at an angle away of Ichigo's bone-white skin. The outermost edges gleamed with a sharpness that could almost be heard. Ayumu could just make out that there were some decorations on those bands… circles with varying amounts of ruby and pitch composing them. Ayumu's eyes gleamed when he realized that they were depicting the phases of the moon.

There was also a band around Ichigo's neck, though this one seemed flush with his skin. Ayumu was intrigued by what appeared to be a tiny multifaceted blue gem centered over a Yin-Yang symbol depicted proudly upon the front of that band. The purpose of the gem eluded Ayumu's understanding, but the symbol was easy enough – a balanced symbiosis between Ichigo's Hollow and Shinigami powers.

And then Ayumu's eyes reached Ichigo's face. There was no mask. Ichigo's face was uncovered, and yet the bone-white horns remained. Though they were slightly smaller than before, the horns were seemingly attached directly to Ichigo's skull as if they'd grown there naturally. And something about that sent a chill up Ayumu's spine. Perhaps it was that the horns gave Ichigo's appearance a faintly demonic impression. Perhaps it was the realization that Ichigo's soul no longer cared to hide his identity behind a mask as all Hollows do. Perhaps it was the chain patterns that crept up Ichigo's neck and face and stopped when they met his eyes…

His eyes. Ayumu could not help but stare at his opponent's eyes. They had changed – before, they'd been full of defeat, of despair. Now, Kurosaki Ichigo's mismatched eyes seemed to be overflowing, glowing with an unholy light filled with raw, unfettered hate and a lust for vengeance so thick it was almost tangible. It was a look that Ayumu had seen uncountable times, and yet to see that expression on Ichigo's face… Ayumu smiled.

Ichigo's next words echoed in the absolute silence that had descended, both in the living world and in Hell. "Resurrección: Segunda Etapa."