107 Death's Intervention

(Ichigo vs Esdeath)

"Before we do this, answer me this Esdeath." Ichigo demanded, holding the black blades of Zangetsu at the ready. "Your mission was to subdue the Northern tribes, was it not?" The general nodded, readying herself for the coming fight at the slightest provocation. "Their army has been crushed, is that not enough? Why continue to kill and slaughter, and don't say it was to summon me. I heard from Budo that you have a habit of torturing your victims, like a cat with her prey." Esdeath looked the Soul Reaper in the eye and told him why.

"The strong live, the weak die." She said, stating what she felt was the most natural fact. "Is that not the way of the world? Survival of the fittest? The weak will always be subjugated by the strong." She pointed with her chin to beaten Numa Seika and the group of civilians still trapped in the pit. "They were weak and have no one to blame but themselves for their loss."

"By that reasoning, you'd have no right to complain if I defeated you." Ichigo returned, the prince keeping his eyes on the Soul Reaper. "Not that I'd lose to someone so weak." Esdeath glared at him, demanding an explanation. "All I've ever heard is that you've destroyed, and I'm not impressed. The true measure of strength and power is not in what one destroys, any single person can do that, but by what they can protect and preserve because that is something only few can do. The duty of the strong is to protect and guide the weak so that they may become strong. That's why people become leaders and warriors."

"Is that what you, a death god, believes?" She said, unable to imagine such a thing as duty in protecting the weak. "I'm supposed to believe that?" Ichigo held his blades at the ready, waiting for the clash of ice and death. "Then prove it to me!" She called as she charged at him, Ichigo met her with a thunderous clash. The strike caused a shock wave and gust of air strong enough to quell the winter winds and snowfall. They stayed in that blade lock for a few seconds, Esdeath gaining an excited smirk for the rematch she was craving and Ichigo charging his Reishi through his blades, making them glow with blackish red and whitish blue.

"You're going to regret asking me to do that." Ichigo promised before swinging his trench knife, cutting through her rapier before being pushed back by a sudden spike of ice she shot from her free hand. Ichigo grunted from the sudden stab, but never let up on the Blut and Hierro that he learned to keep up at all times. The spear shattered, but she created dual blades of ice to make up for the loss of her sword before the two charged at each other again.

"He- he's matching the general with ease!" One of the soldiers said in shock. "He's on par with the strongest of the Empire!"

"No, not just that." Another said. "The general is on par with a god!"

"You're right! The general believes he's a god, but she's matching him blow for blow!" With every slash and every clash, Esdeath needed to use her power to restore her ice swords from their damage. Soon her army was chanting her name, cheering her on. Spurred on by her soldiers, she increased her speed and attack frequency before shooting an ice spire from beneath the two. She jumped away while the spire struck Ichigo's chin and uppercut him, sending the Soul Reaper skyward. The cheers of the soldiers rang out louder as he flew into the air, finding a storm of ice shards and boulders aimed right at him.

"You're mightier than the gods themselves general!" Another cried out, Numa Seika stuck between hope and hopeless, while Ichigo prepared his counter.

"Ye lord. Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man. On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens. Hado #73, Soren Sokatsui." He said before firing a blast of fire so intense, it evaporated the ice and all the clouds. The soldiers were stunned silent, the Northerners began praising their new god as he descended from the heavens. These cries fell on deaf ears as Esdeath grinned, firing shards of ice as rapidly as she could, only to have each one shot down. She barely recognized the glowing bow in Ichigo's hand that he used to deflect her ice shards until he touched down.

"Got you." Esdeath whispered as she activated her trap, freezing the ground beneath Ichigo and consuming his body instantly. "I told this to the spirit of the ice Danger Beast whose blood I drank for my Teigu, now I say it to you my beloved Shinigami. I am always the one to dominate, regardless of my enemy." She walked toward the ice encased form of Ichigo Kurosaki, ignoring the cheers of her soldiers and the cries of her already broken enemy.

"God of Death!" Numa Seika cried out. "Please, I beg you, anything you want! My eternal soul, the lives of my children, the praise of my entire nation, anything! Just please! Save my people!" He pleaded to the frozen statue, hoping that the prayer and sacrifice of his life and all else would be enough to empower the new god to defeat the invading army. His cries were met with a hard punch to his face.

"Shut up!" One of the soldiers yelled out as he punched the prince. "None are mightier than our general! The god of Death himself fell before her! Now, time for a proper offering to a true goddess." He smiled savagely, cocking his gun as he and a few of his comrades marched to the edge of the pit holding the civilians. Esdeath reached the frozen case that was meant to hold the Soul Reaper, there was just one problem. The ice prison was empty.

'How? When did he?' She thought in shock, thinking back to her fight with him, before realizing that her soldiers were right the first time. She wasn't keeping up with the Soul Reaper, he was keeping up with her. She probably hasn't even seen how fast he really is. She turned to order her troops to hold, but they already set a single foot across Ichigo's line. The instant it landed on the ground, Ichigo reappeared in front of the man. His Khyber blade raised high, burning with black energy, and a white mask with vertical lines over the eyes on the Soul Reaper's face.

"Getsuga Tensho!" He called out before slamming his sword down directly on the man's head, cutting him in half. From Ichigo's blade was a wave of destruction that burned away anyone and anything caught in the blast. Esdeath and her army watched as over a thousand of her troops were killed in an instant, the golden glare of Ichigo Kurosaki scanning over them in a manner familiar only to Esdeath. An apex predator picking out its prey.

'He was holding back.' She realized feeling a primal sense of fear she thought she had long forgotten come back at full force. 'Is this his real power? How strong is he?' She wondered in fascination before looking to her troops again, stunned in fear. 'Damn you Ichigo!' She cursed before making the one order she never thought she'd ever give in her military career. "Full retreat!" Fleeing from battle. "He's done being merciful! Retreat, all of you!" She yelled out, finally getting her soldiers to turn and run. She stayed behind, unleashing her full ice power on the Shinigami.

"Bakudo #81, Danku." Ichigo calmly stated as the ice shattered against the barrier, unable to reach the Soul Reaper. "I'm guessing you realized that I'm holding back." He said as she stopped the storm of ice shards, instead concentrating on creating a ball of ice so massive it would crush everything in the vicinity. "I still am, just so you know. Now let's see how you stand up to this." Suddenly a blast of energy shot from his chest toward the general, forcing her to use all the energy she gathered to make an ice wall. The Cero struck the ice, fracturing it, but it quickly faded as Ichigo got behind Esdeath and slammed her head against the ice.

"If you're this powerful, why not kill me?" She demanded, immediately refocusing her energy to create an ice spear beneath the Soul Reaper. She needed to buy time, and she was less concerned with making the death god her's and was more concerned with keeping herself alive. "You can't say 'because you aren't involving yourself in this war'. You're pretty involved if you killed so many of my men!" Her challenge was rewarded by Ichigo slamming her head against the ice again.

"Honestly? Because I'm also scouting soldiers for my own war." He answered, unknowingly peaking the general's interest. "Enemies that have threatened existence itself and are the ancient enemies of the Shinigami. A grudge of a thousand years returning to destroy existence as we know it." Esdeath stopped gathering her energy for the spire and smiled excitedly, despite her position.

"Are there many others that are strong like you?" She asked, her desire for battle and bloodshed forcing their way to the top.

"They are definitely stronger than you, Esdeath." The Soul Reaper replied. "While I have a physical form, I am severely limited in my power." The ice general felt her blood boil in anticipation, any promise to Honest becoming meaningless if Ichigo could deliver that promise of such a war.

"Are you planning on recruiting me?" She asked, Ichigo turning her to face him before wrapping a hand around her throat.

"You would definitely make a good addition to our forces," The Soul Reaper admitted, "but unlike my teacher, I refuse to tolerate a bloodthirsty sadist that is just as willing to turn on me as she would fight for me." Ichigo's hand sparked with electricity. "So I'm going to have to break and mold you into a fitting Soul Reaper. Hado #11, Tsuzuri Raiden." Soon, Esdeath felt thousands of volts of electricity charge through her body and began to scream in agony, feeling the worst pain of her life. The cries rang out, far and wide, and Ichigo ascended into the air with her, flying to her army. He suddenly stopped the Kido, leaving the sadist on the verge of passing out. "You've lost, and your brutal actions to civilians will no longer be tolerated." He said, before dropping her directly above her fleeing army.

(Fleeing Army)

"I can't believe it! Is this divine punishment!? General!" Were among the many confused and fearful cries as the soldiers left their leader behind to face the god of death. Only three kept their wits about them, staying focused enough to lead the army from disarray. The Three Beasts, Esdeath's direct underlings. Former general Liver kept the army organized as they fled, Daidara did what he could to keep morale up, and Nyau played his hypnotic music to calm down the masses.

"I can't believe anyone could be stronger than lady Esdeath." Nyau said, taking the recorder Teigu from his lips and trying to come to terms that anything could match his master. "Was that really a god? A god came down to deliver punishment? Are we next?" He felt afraid for the first time in a long time, the thought of divine punishment terrifying the sadist.

"Quiet Nyau!" Daidara growled, before he and the whole army cringed upon hearing a cry of agony. They all turned to the sky, seeing two people floating high above them. The Soul Reaper with their beloved general in his grasp, and she was screaming in pain. None of them could believe what they were hearing or seeing; that their mighty general, the strongest of the entire Empire, was at the mercy of the figure in black. Her screams finally ended as she began to fall back to the earth.

"Lady Esdeath!" Liver and many others cried out in concern as their mistress fell. "Quick, we have to catch her!" Liver ordered as the army scrambled to save their leader. Liver took his Teigu, a ring that controlled water, took all of their liquid provisions, and shot them to Esdeath with the intention of catching and slowing her descent. The rest of the military took one of the shirts of the giant among Esdeath's army and held it out to catch her. Their efforts bore fruit as Esdeath was cushioned by the water and caught in the jacket of the giant, but her body was twitching, her breathing was labored, and her heartbeat became irregular. "Medic!" Liver cried out as the doctor forced his way to the general. Several tense minutes and hours passed as the doctor worked and the army re-established their base.

"Whatever that Kurosaki fellow did, he meant to stop the general." The doctor finally announced to the key army members. "There might be some trouble, since her heart was damaged from the fight, but she's likely to recover. Especially if we can get her to that Stylish fellow. He might be able to repair her heart." The Three Beasts looked to each other as Liver took the lead.

"We return to the capital." He announced. "We crushed the Northern army, as were our orders. We haven't failed our mission." So the army began their march back to the capital, victorious over the Northern tribes but bearing the weight of defeat for their general.

(With Ichigo)

"Thank you, Shinigami." Numa Seika said, now properly clothed and having his wounds dressed. "You have done what I was unable to do. Protect my people." Ichigo, with the application of Kido and Reishi manipulation, created a path to freedom for the Northerners. "I pledged whatever you desired of me. Now-"

"Stop. I didn't do this to be praised or to get offerings." Ichigo interrupted, silencing the prince. "I did it because it was the right thing to do. That would it serve to aid my plans for Esdeath was a bonus. If you want to show me your gratitude, then take your people and lead them somewhere safe. I have little doubt that the Empire would be generous enough to leave you be and I don't know if I'll be around to stop it next time." With that, Ichigo removed his Gigai ring and faced the hundreds that were still remaining after Ichigo defeated Esdeath. The majority passed on peacefully after he defeated the general, but many refused to move on from their attachments. "I've got plenty of work to do."

"If you are still around and don't know of it yet, might I suggest you look into the 'Crushing Mountain'." Numa Seika offered. "No one has every reached its summit because it seems to have this oppressive weight all around it that brings anything to their knees. Sometimes worse." With that the Northerners began to depart, searching for a new haven to call their home. Leaving Ichigo to reap the dead and wonder what might be the source of the mountain's tale.

(Back to the Capital)

It took the Soul Reaper the entire day to Konso the hundreds of dead from the battle with Esdeath and her army, all of whom either cursed Ichigo for not killing Esdeath when he had the ability to do so or damning him for harming their beloved general . His compassion was spent, sending them all to the afterlife with little care for their final wishes if all they were going to do was rage at him for his choices. He didn't even put his ring back on, staying in spirit form as he wandered about the capital, trying to think.

"Esdeath would indeed be an impressive ally, but her sadistic personality and bloodthirsty nature makes her too much of a risk." He said, evaluating his first choice. "I doubt what I did was enough to change her, so I should do more work there. That said, she'd be a good fit for Zaraki's squad. Of Night Raid's members..." He stopped when he saw a soul with a scarred left eye, Imperial police armor, and four braided ponytails, raging about his death and clawing at his soul chain.

"You think this is the end!?" The man roared out. "You little bastard! Even if it's beyond the grave, I will kill you! I own this damn city!" He kept yelling before his chain ate itself and fell off, making him glow and explode.

"I do not have the patience for this." Ichigo sighed while the man reformed as a Hollow, an eight foot tall red figure with an Oni mask. The Hollow, newly born and blindly mad, charged at the hybrid. The very instant the Hollow got close, he froze. Cut in twain instantly by the Soul Reaper. "I'm going to punish whoever made that guy go Hollow." He said as the gates of Hell opened for the Hollow. "Not the first thing I wanted to get involved with when I got back." Ichigo continued to walk, going until his feet brought him to the palace yet again. 'Hmmm, maybe if I do this I can improve Budo's situation.' He thought as he walked into the palace and searched for the child emperor. He eventually found him, enjoying a rather modest meal, with Honest stuffing his face with a giant hunk of steak with a full two layer cake for dessert.

"Don't you think you should cut back a bit on your dietary habits Prime Minister?" The young Makoto asked, cutting into his steak. "The amount you eat daily can not be healthy." Ichigo himself walked behind the emperor and got ready to move.

"No need to worry about me your majesty." Honest said with a smile before picking up the cake, blocking his view of the young monarch. "I take very good care of myself. I intend to live a long and happy-"

"I'm taking Makoto. Bye." He suddenly heard, prompting him to move the pastry. Unfortunately, the emperor was gone. Outside the palace, Makoto was dealing with vertigo from the very sudden movements that now put him floating in the air but held safe in Ichigo's arms. "You alright kid?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki!?" The emperor shouted in shock. "What's going on here!?"

"I'm kidnapping you." The Soul Reaper said very bluntly. "Budo was supposed to show you the state of the capital, but that fatass is breathing down his neck. Honest doesn't want you to see how the empire really is."

"But why?" He asked. "What's wrong with me knowing the state of the kingdom?"

"Because then you might think for yourself." Ichigo said, the young ruler looking to the death god as he began his little trip around the capital.

(With Esdeath)

The icy general rode on her steed, a mighty dragon-type danger beast, as her army marched back to the capital. A sense of defeat hung over them and moral was never lower for her troops, all linked to her. She was their unbeatable general, their unbroken pillar of strength, and she was crushed by one man. A man she openly declared was a god, so many took that as the heavens themselves deciding to punish her. But the worst of it was the news from her army doctor, a man she trusted and relied on with the lives of her troops, when he told her of the damage Ichigo did to her. Even if they lied, she could feel the damaged muscle in her chest as it ached every now and then.

'So besting him in combat isn't an option, that much is now evident.' She thought as she began to strategize a plan B. 'He's made it clear that he has far more power than I thought, so I'll need to move with a different angle. He always says a number along with that Hado and Bakudo before casting what seems to be magic, meaning that he has many different kinds of whatever those attacks are. He's fast, meaning I'll have to get faster or somehow slow him down. And he's made it clear that if I want to let my army enjoy their spoils of war, he'll....' She froze before smiling, thinking she found a way to make the Soul Reaper act on her terms. At least for a little while. But first things first, she needed to deal with her heart problem. Luckily, there was a doctor in the empire's employ that likely had just the thing for her.

(With Makoto)

The return to the palace was quiet, Makoto having cried enough after seeing what little Ichigo had to show, was tired. The emperor saw the poor, the desperate, those that took advantage of others, a few instances of bribery, those that faced a slow public execution, all in the more densely populated areas of the capital city. He almost couldn't believe the Soul Reaper when he said that it was worse then what he already saw. Why did the Prime Minister keep all this from him, keep him sequestered in that palace?

'Because you might think for yourself.' The words of the Shinigami rang in his mind as he remembered that line. Anytime he ordered an execution or imprisonment, someone was criticizing or slowing down something of the empire that Honest approved of. There were so many people starving, selling their bodies for food and drugs, and the Prime Minister was always eating something. Was Makoto even the actual leader, or was Ichigo right and he was a figurehead? Ichigo brought him back to his room in the palace, easily getting into the royal bedchambers, with the thunderous sound of footsteps telling the pair that the royal guard were searching frantically.

"What should I do?" Makoto asked, thinking it'd be best to let everyone know he's fine but stopping in front of the door. "I don't know who to trust anymore."

"You do what Honest never wanted you to," Ichigo answered, "think for yourself. You've got to make your own decisions, listen to your people, and choose was you think is right for your country. However, at the same time, you should probably play along with Honest. Let him think you're still his puppet but slowly drift from his control. I'd recommend having Budo near you, he's still loyal to the empire and your safety is his top priority." Makoto looked to the Shinigami, who gave the child an encouraging smile. "I felt it in his fists." He said before disappearing, leaving Makoto alone.

"Okay." He said, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this." He pushed the door open, getting the guards attention as they proceeded to ensure his good condition. "Take me to the Great General, I have some questions for him." The guards complied as they escorted the boy to the throne room, where Honest and Budo were arguing.

"The palace's defense is your responsibility! How did this happen!?" Honest demanded, tearing into a huge chunk of meat. Budo was not intimidated, rather annoyed.

"Someone decided to try to take command of my forces and waste time and resources to essentially watch and force me to always look over my shoulder." He countered. "Maybe if that someone would let me do my job, that person wouldn't have had the emperor taken while he was stuffing his fat face!"

"Enough!" Makoto yelled out, thinking about what a strong ruler was like and imaging that on himself. "Budo, what's this about you being unable to perform your duties as head of the guard?" Budo stepped forward and knelt before the emperor.

"Forgive me, my emperor." The lightning user started. "But it's been getting a little hard to focus on my duty when I'm under constant watch myself. I can't effectively command the guards because I don't know how many are waiting to stab me in the back." He said while giving a pointed glare to Honest, who was putting on his best face for the young lord.

"You were brought to us, defeated by that Ichigo Kurosaki fellow." The Prime Minister argued. "This is the palace and the emperor himself, we can't afford to have a Great General that's incapable of the task of keeping either safe."

"Prime Minister? Are you a general?" Makoto suddenly asked, surprising the two adults. "Did you get your position because you are a brilliant military soldier? I believe that Budo is and has been the head of the imperial guard AND the much relied on Great General from my father's time." Budo had to force down a smirk, knowing that a certain Soul Reaper had worked his magic. "Let the general do his job, while you focus on yours. Budo?" He turned to the still kneeling general. "From now on, the Imperial guard will answer to you and I as the top authorities. I give you full permission to recruit, fire, and imprison as you see fit among your ranks. Now if the two of you will excuse me, I'm going to bed." He said, heading for his room. The moment he entered and shut the door, his hand went to his racing heart. "Do not back down, think for yourself." He repeated, changing for a night of rest... hopefully.

(Illustrated Guide to Assassination)

Tatsumi Afraid

The fresh and young assassin had just finished his report to the rest of Night raid, getting stripped and searched by Akame, Leone, and Najenda shortly after for any wounds he might have hidden, and was feeling pretty confident with himself and his accomplishment. Then he started shivering for reasons unknown to him, but he was confident that it had nothing to do with the drafty air, that he was now to be trained by Mine, or that Bulat was checking him out.

Ichigo Tired

The Soul Reaper finally returned to the Night Raid base, feeling drained and exhausted from the entire day of fighting, reaping, and doing his own version of the Ghost of Christmas Present for the child emperor. He made his way inside the base, looking to claim a bed and just sleep off everything he dealt with that day. That's when Tatsumi ran up to him excitedly.

"Hey Ichigo! I had my first mission. This captain of the Imperial Guard that was taking bribes and sentenced innocent people to death." He said, making Ichigo's eye twitch. "I bet he went to-" He didn't even finish as Ichigo backfisted him into a wall.

"I'm going to bed." Was the only thing the Soul Reaper said after punching the green eyed assassin.