96 Desperation

"You...you wretched beast...!" hissed Aizen, his legs and body trembling as he stood shakily a few meters from Ohta, the latter smiling menacingly as blood leaked from his scalp, parting at his nose and dripping from his eyebrows.

"What's the matter?" asked Ohta. "You believed you had what it took to become a God, but when the odds aren't stacked in your favor, you can't even stand tall against a single human..."

Clenching his teeth, Aizen resisted the pain radiating from his crotch and charged toward Ohta, nearly catching him off guard as he slid across the ground without any initial movement.

Dodging Aizen's initial spear-like punch, Ohta attempted to grab his arm and perform a shoulder throw but was thwarted by a sharp impact to the back of his head. Aizen had headbutted him in the brief interval when he turned. Then, using the brief moment he was stunned, the furious, hazel-haired man put Ohta in a chokehold, screaming, "Die...!"

Fortunately for Ohta, he managed to tuck his chin before Aizen could get a good hold on his neck. When Aizen shouted, he grabbed the man's arm and threw his head back with as much force as he could muster, causing a sharp pain to radiate through his skull but succeeding in bashing Aizen's nose, forcing him to let go.

Intending to take advantage of Aizen's shock, Ohta turned around only to receive a devastating kick to his side, causing him to stumble. However, due to the adrenaline coursing through his veins, he was able to bounce back instantly, retaliating with a fierce series of strikes that kept Aizen on the backfoot but ultimately failed to break through his guard.

When Ohta invariably had to pull away to catch his breath, Aizen charged forward with similar passion, landing a lightning-fast jab square in the former's face before following it up with a veritable flurry of swift, precise strikes. Ohta managed to get up his guard, weaving, sidestepping, and ducking under some of Aizen's attacks, but the majority found purchase, stacking up damage and draining his stamina.

"Just die already...!" screamed Aizen, throwing his full body weight behind a decisive right straight. Ohta attempted to meet the punch head-on with his forehead, but Aizen anticipated his move, retracting his fist at the last moment before transitioning into a devastating knee strike as he grabbed the sides of Ohta's head.

Though he managed to get his hands under him to protect his face, Ohta soon found himself pinned to the ground after Aizen stepped back, pulling him by his Usekh. Then, like an executioner, he attempted to drop his elbow on the back of Ohta's neck, intending to cripple him. Instead, he found himself gritting his teeth as Ohta abruptly lunged forward, tackling him off his feet and causing him to land heavily on his back.

After rolling around for several seconds in a struggle for dominance, Ohta and Aizen were exhausted and breathing heavily. Blood flowed freely from their wounds, particularly the former, as they traded brutal blows with the ferocity of wild animals. When everything was said and done, it was Aizen who managed to get the upper hand, locking Ohta in a variation of a rear-naked choke as he exhaled a crazed chuckle, straining the muscles of his arms in an attempt to squeeze the life out of his opponent.

Spurred by Ohta's thrashing, Aizen's grip tightened as he screamed, "You did well, Yamada Ohta! This isn't how I imagined our climactic battle, but it was surprisingly fun! Now die...!"

Giving up on pulling Aizen's arms away from his neck, Ohta surprised his grinning opponent by abruptly reaching up, grabbing his head, and trying to stab him in the eyes with his thumbs. Aizen shook his head from side to side to avoid being blinded, but the more he struggled, the less pressure he could exert on Ohta's neck.

Demonstrating his desperation was far more 'extreme' than Aizen's, Ohta temporarily gave up on gouging the man's eyes out and instead closed his fingers around the former's ears, tearing and twisting without mercy. An ordinary person would have released him right then and there, but Aizen managed to fight through the pain, a loud, whining groan emanating from his throat as he closed his eyes, gnashed his teeth, and tightened his grip.

Stating the obvious, Anpu remarked, ("You're dying...") prompting Ohta to internally scream, ("No fucking shit...!") as he reached up to grab Aizen's hair, violently pulling it as he arched his back in a vain attempt to alleviate the pressure around his neck.

Gritting his teeth hard enough to cause his gums to bleed, Aizen resisted the pain from his scalp, determined to choke the life out of Ohta. He very nearly succeeded, but just as Ohta's struggles began to cease, a familiar figure appeared next to them, veiled in a pastel blue aura that contrasted their otherwise black surroundings.

For a brief moment, Ohta and Aizen ceased their struggles, staring at the new arrival in shock. Even Anpu and his green-skinned counterpart had looks of disbelief as, for the duration of the Trial, the domain of Anubis's Judgment was 'supposed' to be inviolable.

"Kurosaki Ichigo..." muttered Aizen, prompting the orange-haired youth to ask, "What's going on here...?" with a neutral mask that belied his extreme confusion. He had just spent the past 2000 hours unlocking a power that would allow him to strike down Aizen in his 'transcendent' form, but when he arrived, he found his greatest enemy and rival fighting each other like a pair of street toughs...

Since he could not speak, Ohta stared daggers at Ichigo while slapping Aizen's arm. He was barely clinging to consciousness at this point, so if the mindless ginger just kept staring at him, there was a good chance he would wake up in a hospital bed long after the fight had concluded.

Realizing that Ohta was asking for his help, Ichigo muttered, "Right..." before casually stabbing Aizen in the forearm with the shadowy black blade fused to his right hand.

As Aizen screamed and released his grip on Ohta, the green-skinned man across from Anpu declared, "The sanctity of the Trail has been violated. A penalty shall be applied to all parties..." in a hoarse, incredibly aged voice.

Immediately after the man had finished speaking, a symbol resembling a four-tiered Bishop from chess appeared on the foreheads of Ohta, Aizen, and Ichigo, glowing like a brand. In the latter's case, however, it failed to penetrate the aura veiling his body, ultimately disappearing as the space around them returned to normal.

"What is this...?" muttered Aizen, reaching up to touch his forehead as the Hogyoku in his chest gradually regained its light. He could tell that Ohta's power was no longer in effect, but his Reiatsu hadn't returned to him.

Before Aizen could make sense of the situation, red lights resembling the sharp ends of stakes erupted from his chest, forming the shape of a cross as a burning sensation permeated his body.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaah...!"

As Aizen reeled back, unable to remain standing due to the pain he was experiencing, Kisuke appeared out of thin air, remarking, "Looks like it's finally activated. Though, if I'm being honest, I never expected things to play out quite like this..."

Recognizing the voice of his most hated enemy, Aizen shouted, "Urahara Kisuke! What have you done!? What manner of Kido is this...!?"

"It's very clearly a seal..." replied Kisuke, shifting his gaze to Ohta or, more accurately, the symbol burned into his forehead as he explained, "I knew from the beginning that if you fused with the Hogyoku, it would be nearly impossible to kill you. Thus, during your metamorphosis, back when you were at your most vulnerable, I placed a Kido specially developed to seal the Hogyoku inside of you..."

Returning his gaze to Aizen, Kisuke seemed 'disappointed' as he added, "Never did I suspect that you would be rendered 'human' by Ohta-kun's power..."

"Human...?" parroted Aizen, disbelief marring his face before he shouted, "What are you talking about!? So long as the Hogyoku is embedded within me, I'll continue to grow and evolve without limitation! If you think I'll be defeated and sealed away this easily-"

Before Aizen could finish speaking, cross-shaped stakes of glowing red energy erupted from his back, drastically increasing his pain. He felt like he was simultaneously burning and being twisted apart from within, and he wasn't far off. Kisuke's seal was designed to scatter and constantly redirect the flow of energy in his body, so as the Hogyoku did its best to restore his Reiatsu, Aizen's muscles, nerves, and bones twisted within his flesh, contorting him painfully as a bone-colored mass erupted from the base of his feet, stretching, twisting, and compressing his body more than ten meters before forming a trio of interlinked crosses that hovered in the sky.

("Holy fucking shit...") thought Ohta, ignoring the burning sensation from his forehead as he stared at the brutal scene with wide eyes. He had no sympathy for Aizen, but watching someone having their body twisted and stretched like playdough was jarring. If Aizen managed to survive due to the Hogyoku's influence, he would be in a truly incomprehensible amount of pain...

"Do me a favor..." said Ohta, covering his right nostril to snort out a clot of blood before joking, "If you ever have to seal me away, don't use such an 'extreme' method..."

"I'm certain that won't be necessary," mused Kisuke, regaining his usual 'mysterious' smile as he looked at the Djed symbol on Ohta's forehead and added, "Rather, as far as I can tell, it appears you've done a number on yourself. I'm guessing that seal is a side-effect of utilizing a power you weren't prepared for...?"

"Something like that..." replied Ohta, seeing no reason to explain things in detail. He also didn't blame Ichigo for intervening as, if the orange-haired youth hadn't arrived, he'd likely be dead with most of his power absorbed by Aizen. If that had happened, there was a decent chance that nothing could have stopped his ascent...

Shifting his gaze to Ichigo, Ohta remarked, ("Well, almost nothing. This brat got a hell of a lot stronger in a very short period. I can't even sense his power anymore...")

Though most of his power had been sealed away, Ohta could at least 'feel' the Reiatsu radiating from Kisuke's body. When he looked at Ichigo, however, he felt nothing, almost like he was staring off into empty space or gazing up at the sky of Hueco Mundo.

Raising his brows, Ichigo asked, "Are you good? Need help standing...?"

"I've been better, and no," replied Ohta, forcing himself to his feet despite his body's protests. Most of the ribs on the left side of his body were at least fractured, and he had broken three fingers in his desperate attempts to get Aizen to release him. However, with his options being walking back with his head raised and being carried, he would endure.

"So, what's with the weird ass chain...?" asked Ohta, referring to the thin black chain wrapped around Ichigo's right arm, stemming from the black bandages encompassing his fist, preventing him from releasing the blade affixed to his hand.

"Ah..."

Staring down at his Zanpakuto with a forlorn expression, Ichigo revealed, "You're not the only one who went to great lengths to prevent Aizen from triumphing. I fused with my Zanpakuto in preparation for one final attack. Once I end my transformation and return to normal, I'm told my Shinigami powers will disappear completely..."

Furrowing his brows, Ohta briefly shifted his gaze to Kisuke, prompting the pale-haired blonde to smile and shake his head, mouthing the words, 'This is for the best.'

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Ohta returned his half-lidded gaze to Ichigo, shrugging his shoulders as he said, "Well, it's not like this is the first time you've lost your power. It might take a while, but I'm sure you'll get them back somehow. Until then, you should focus on your family and finishing High School..."

Seeing no reason to stick around with the mysterious candy store uncle and brooding teenager, Ohta slipped his hands into his pockets and began walking in the direction Rukia and the others should be. Not being able to teleport or use Shunpo was inconvenient, but Ohta pretended not to care as he kept calling out to Anpu and Susu in his mind, only to be greeted by silence...

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(A/N: There are no true victors in war...)