Chapter 48: Lelouch Vs Aizen: Checkmate

(A/N: Here it is folks the conclusion of the Eye of the Storm arc: Aizen Vs Lelouch. What will happen? Who will win? Just read).

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Code Geass

3rd Person pov

Everyone watched Lelouch clad in his Bankai's form. Byakuya, as his surprise at seeing Lelouch continued, showed genuine astonishment upon his face. Lamperouge Lelouch, the individual that he had looked up to all throughout his childhood was in fact Zero. If the costume didn't give it away, the fact that 'Zero' was in the Bankai's name did. Lelouch…is Zero? This has to be some form of joke. Lelouch is the most clever and most well respected Soul Reaper in the Soul Society. What reason would he have to become Zero? Byakuya's astonished face returned to its natural unfeeling one. Then again, I don't think any of us could've expected Aizen to be as twisted and corrupt as he is either.

"Lamperouge Lelouch…is Zero?" Talbumosuke grit his teeth. In rage and in anger he ran at Lelouch, not even bothering with his Zanpakuto's powers. "Zero!" he shouted. Lelouch looked straight him and with his telekinetic ability stopped Talbumosuke from charging, lifted him into the air and flung him towards Aizen, causing Talbumosuke to roll along the ground. He got up and began panting, clutching the shoulder that he had just landed poorly on.

Anger clouds ones judgment. Had he been thinking, I might be just like Soifon and Ichigo's nakama right about now. Lelouch noted.

So, he's really Zero is he? Gin asked in his head. Now dat's certainly a twist.

Lelouch looked back at Aizen. "Well, what do you have to say?"

Aizen looked rather unimpressed. "So that's the reason is it? I suppose I should be more surprised, but seeing you take a form so closely connected to Zero, thereby confirming my suspicions that you are, in fact, Zero, combined with everything else now makes perfect sense. Tell me though, how is it that when I sent you to the world of the living, while you were in recovery in fourth division that you still managed to appear in Rukongai? Unlike Momo, Captain Unohana didn't seem like she knew anything."

"A true genius never reveals his secrets. If such a deception worked once it can work again, but seeing as how I've revealed myself, why not? I'll humor you. It was a decoy. I had one of my subordinates stand in for me." Lelouch stated.

"I see, I must say your subordinate was rather convincing. Perhaps if I had paid closer attention to you I might've noticed." Aizen stated. "Tell me, how long have you known about Kyoka Suigetsu's power?"

"As a former superior of yours might say," Lelouch said and mimicked Shinji accent and all, "Since you were in your mama's womb."

Aizen grinned at Lelouch's imitation of his former captain.

"It's ironic that you would make the same mistake as your captain and mock him for doing so. You could've paid close attention to me and perhaps you may have seen how closely connected I was to Zero, but you didn't. You never really saw me as a threat until it was too late and as such your downfall shall be brought." Lelouch stated and clenched his fist.

"What downfall?" Aizen asked, scoffing Lelouch's assertions. There was a pause. "Don't get me wrong Lamperouge Lelouch. I commemorate you for your actions, but you should've made this move before the Hogyoku was in my hand. The game is over Lelouch. You have lost."

Lelouch didn't back down a single bit. "On the contrary, the Hogyoku had to be removed from Rukia. I never researched it like you did, so I knew you would know how to get it out of her if the execution failed. Secondly how can the game be over? True, you do possess the Hogyoku, but I can attempt to take it from you if I tried. How can you say you've won when you've yet to escape and there are still those willing to get in your way?"

Aizen smirked. So you want to go one final round before I leave. You are quite the fool Lamperouge Lelouch. However, I shall humor you. This will prove to be quite entertaining. "How very true." He walked over to Talbumosuke and dropped the Hogyoku in his hand. "Hold this for me." He faced towards Lelouch, ready to face him and drew out his sword. "It appears I have another speck of dirt to clean up."

"No, sir wait, this man is my enemy. I should—"

"You should follow the orders you are given Talbumosuke." Aizen told him. "Understand?"

Talbumosuke let out a sigh and fell in line. He sealed his Shikai. "Hai, I understand sir."

"Aizen! Face me!" Lelouch declared.

"With pleasure." Aizen said.

Aizen came at Lelouch who protected himself with a barrier and escaped using Shunpo. He dodged to the side and fired a series of energy blasts at Aizen who flipped over them to dodge. Aizen got behind Lelouch and swung, but Lelouch turned on a dime and blocked with a shield.

"Unreal." Hisana gaped at Lelouch's incredible ability to fight as an equal with Aizen. True, Lelouch was using Bankai and Aizen may or may not have been using his Shikai, but Aizen had only moments before taken out Sajin Komamura with ease as well as Hitsugaya Toshiro who was easily captain level. He also took out Ichigo who had defeated Captain Lusca and Zaraki, neither was a pushover by any means. The very fact that anyone could face Aizen in direct combat and not get destroyed in seconds was a sight to behold.

The fight continued with Aizen and Lelouch running side by side of each other.

"Hado 63, Raikoho!" Both fired the blast of yellow energy at each other and the Kido cancelled each other out.

His Kido is even on par with him. Amazing. Kaien noted.

As the fight continued, many Soul Reapers began to form upon Sokyoku Hill. Those who showed up were none other than Yamamoto, Shunsui, Ukitake, Nanao, Stefan, Kendra, and every other able bodied captain or vice-captain. This excluded Unohana though, as she was tending to the injured. Yoruichi also formed up on the hill to watch the spectacle.

"Ah! It's Zero!" Nanao began to charge, but Shunsui stopped her.

"Easy Nanao-chan, take a closer look, or rather a closer feel." Shunsui told her.

"This reiatsu…Lelouch?" Ukitake questioned. Ukitake was taken by surprise. He knew Lelouch, or rather thought he knew Lelouch, just as well as every other captain in the Gotei. However, it seemed that both Lelouch and Aizen had hid their true nature quite well for a long period of time.

Yamamoto looked on at the battle between Aizen and Lelouch with an interested gaze. Lelouch being Zero took everyone by surprise, but what interested Yamamoto was Lelouch's fierce anger and vengeance highly visible in the man's reiatsu. It was as if Aizen had personally provoked Lelouch at some point and that this battle was the result of the release of a lot of built up tension, which it was, but Yamamoto had no way of knowing that simply from watching the fight.

In the air Aizen's sword clashed against another one of Lelouch's barriers and Lelouch vanished from view with Shunpo. "This ends now. Bakudo 61: Rikujokoro!" Lelouch got Aizen dead on. Perfect. "Shi Kumo!" The black fog of death released itself from Lelouch's fingers and began to take over the sky. Using his cape Lelouch retreated to the ground before the fog could envelop him as well and retreated to the ground. Aizen should be screaming any second now. Lelouch chuckled to himself. He waited only to realize that Aizen didn't seem to being dropping in reiatsu and in the next second, jumped out the way to avoid getting cut. He landed away from Aizen, crouched down with his legs spread apart and his hand lowered to the ground. He stood up once he was stabilized.

Aizen was relatively unscathed by Lelouch's attack. All that had happened was that his Haori had been dissolved unto nothingness. His glasses had been dissolved as well. His hand was bleeding a little, but that was about it. "Did you forget that I know about this attack already Lamperouge Lelouch?" Aizen asked.

I only ever used this technique once in public, and that was against Ichinose Maki. Is he telling me that from that one instance that he already developed a counter measure? Lelouch thought to himself.

"Your technique is powerful, but it seems to eat away at incorporeal objects first like my glasses and my haori. But most importantly it eats away at Kido too." Aizen told him and smirked. "You have a problem with your Bankai, Lamperouge Lelouch. Its form would've easily given you away and that made it impossible for you to experiment with it out in the open. You always pride yourself in having a plan, but it seems that you are working with forces of which even you do not fully understand the details." Aizen told him.

"A slight miscalculation on my part. Nothing more." Lelouch brushed off. "Besides, I have other methods with which to deal with you." He extended his arm out. "Seishin no Keimusho!" (Spirit Prison) A translucent barrier soon formed itself around Aizen and suddenly the man was brought to his knees and appeared to be in quite a bit of pain. Lelouch cackled at the sight and pointed at Aizen in sadistic earnest. "Yes, that's a good look for you, on your knees in intense pain as you're crushed under the weight of your own spiritual pressure. In the end your own power only served to be your eternal downfall." Lelouch continued to laugh maniacally. With great effort Aizen struggled to bring up his head and look at Lelouch. "Struggle all you want. You will never break free of your power." Lelouch swept his arm across his body and clenched his fist. "Those with power are cursed to be consumed by it. And you are one of the most powerful people of all." He extended his arm out to Aizen. "You never once could've fathomed that one day your own power would be turned against you.

However, Aizen kept pushing through Lelouch's attack and tightened his fingers. "Hado 90…Kurohitsugi." Lelouch gasped as the black coffin rose out of the ground and encased Lelouch from all angles. The hold on Aizen was released and the ex-captain stood up and panted, feeling free from Lelouch's hold. He was not happy that Lelouch had suckered him into such a nasty attack. However, he was quite pleased to see Lelouch being consumed by the infamous black coffin

However, an echo from within the kido brought a surprised expression to Aizen's face. "Shokan," it said as reiatsu began to surge from within the coffin, "Kinshi." (Forbidden Summoning) All the Soul Reapers looked up as the sky darkened. High in the air a crimson portal tore open in the sky above the black coffin around Lelouch, bearing down on it like a giant Frisbee. An anchor connected to whatever dimension the portal opened into dropped itself from the portal and into the coffin. A portal resembling a hell gate began to open up on the ground. Slowly, the chain began to retract and a loud roar, unlike a hollow's and any sound that all known creatures in the animal kingdom, could be heard. The chain retracted completely and a large claw burst through the coffin before Aizen's Kido burst apart completely. The eyes of all the onlookers of the battle widened in sheer terror as an ebony skinned, nightmarish fiend appeared where Hado 90 had recently been cast. It was as large as Komamura's Bankai. It had four thick legs like an elephant and its ankles and thighs were buckled like a squatting cat. Its body was stationed behind its forelegs with a long worm-like tail sticking out from behind it. Its body was shaped like a pistol with the creature's head where the end of the barrel should be. The creature's head consisted of two piercing yellow eyes and large sharp fangs. At the base of the creature's neck, on either side of it were two holes that seemed to be extra nostrils because above those holes were a pair of larger yellow eyes and below the creature's head, on its stomach, was a larger mouth consisting of large sharp fangs with. Each fang was the size and sharpness of a Zanpakuto. The large mouth was concealed by twisting tentacles. The creature's head as a whole seemed to be below the shoulders. Its two arms connected to where the shoulders of the fiend should be. Each hand had three large, sharp nails that made some Zanpakuto seem like plastic kitchen knives by comparison. Two, tattered bat-like wings growing out of the creature's back. Lelouch was standing atop the giant creature. "Behold Aizen! My greatest technique! Witness the power of an otherworldly nightmarish horror. Behold as it crushes you under its very power." Lelouch and the creature were linked by telepathy. A simple thought and the creature would carry out Lelouch's commands. It began by slamming its large hand down to crush Aizen, creating a powerful shockwave. Aizen took to the air to dodge. "Do not think that will save you." Lelouch said and raised his arm up towards Aizen's general direction. The creature looked at Aizen with its smaller head and exhaled jet black flame towards the man.

"Bakudo 81! Danku." Aizen blocked the flames with his Kido.

Lelouch commanded his large nightmare pet to attack Aizen as it leapt up into the air and attempted to bifurcate Aizen with its powerful claws. It missed, but barely as the tip of its claws scraped along Aizen's back and created a very visible wound just underneath the kanji imprinted on the man's haori. The creature landed on the air and roared sending out a deafening shockwave. It then galloped towards Aizen and swiped at him again, once again missing slicing him apart, but it managed to nick Aizen in his sword arm.

"Hado 73: Soren Sokatsui." Aizen attacked Lelouch's pet demon with the twin lotus flame, but the creature swatted the attack away with its massive arm.

"You should give up Aizen or at the very least come a little closer." Lelouch taunted. "You won't get anywhere by distancing yourself from me or my loyal servant."

Aizen, however, was simply deep in thought. Most impressive. Lamperouge Lelouch has indeed grown well, but if this is his greatest technique then it is all downhill from here. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is the end game Lelouch. You lose." Aizen told him.

"You're bluffing." Lelouch said only for Aizen to come in before Lelouch could even blink and take a nasty sword swing right at Lelouch's eye line. Instinctively Lelouch dodged out of the way, by bending over backwards, but he already knew that he was about to start fighting a losing battle as he saw Aizen sailing past him. Aizen is a captain. Lelouch said to himself, reviewing the last two and a half seconds in his head. He knew I would dodge that slash, but he purposely aimed at my eyes and came in far too fast for me to counter. There's no doubt in my mind that he activated Kyoka Suigetsu during that strike. Lelouch sighed and clapped his hands together, dissipating his pet into bits of reishi and began to descend towards the ground.

Is he giving up? Aizen wondered. Or perhaps he was lying about his greatest technique and is preparing another?

I'm wide open Aizen. Lelouch thought with a smirk on his face. Take your best shot.

Aizen, not willing to take a chance came straight at Lelouch from an angle and landed a deep gash in the left side of Lelouch's abdomen. I win. Aizen smirked.

Lelouch could practically tell what Aizen was thinking. You'd think that wouldn't you? "Hado 88: Hiryugekizoku Shintenraiho!" Lelouch missed of course and the resulting shockwave sent him careening into the ground on his back. Lelouch used Shunpo to get as close to Ichigo as possible. Aizen appeared and stabbed Lelouch right in the gut and then slashed it out of Lelouch's body. Blood poured from Lelouch's mouth as he felt every bit of pain from the strike. The 10th Division captain then winced and clutched the wound he had received. He bit down to bear the pain in his gut. That could've been a little less painful. He grinded his teeth. He disengaged his Bankai and dropped to one knee in order to act like he was done for.

Aizen of course saw this as he had completely beaten Lelouch. "As I said before Lelouch, the game is over. You couldn't beat me and you never will. If my biggest mistake was meeting you, then your biggest mistake was challenging me to a head on fight. People like you should not engage against opponents with superior physical strength. You are not a frontline fighter Lelouch. You are a long range tactician and Kido master. Facing me head on was a foolish decision." Aizen told Lelouch and then back hand slapped the teen across the face knocking him to the ground. Lelouch remained vigilant and held onto his consciousness.

Lelouch pushed off the ground and remained on his hands and knees. He scowled at Aizen, but it was the inverse of what he was feeling. Things were going exactly as the young chessmaster had envisioned they would. Lelouch laughed and grinned. "Look around though Aizen. You are surrounded by almost every other captain in the Soul Society. You are finished."

"And once again you are wrong. A true genius always has the perfect escape plan." Aizen leapt back and suddenly a bright beam of yellow light shined down on him, Gin and Talbumosuke. Rangiku, who had been apprehending Gin leapt away as did Tosen who had been apprehending Talbumosuke.

"Those…those are all Gillians aren't they?" Hisana questioned.

"Hold up, it looks like there's something else in there." Shuhei noticed the presence of Fura.

"Well that was a letdown." Gin said and turned to look at Rangiku. "I wouldn't have minded being your captive a little longer. So long Rangiku, maybe next time."

"So you're just going to run away?" Kendra asked and drew out her Zanpakuto. "You coward!"

"Stop!" Yamamoto shouted. "That is the negacion." Yamamoto stated. "The menos use it to rescue their allies. Once trapped within it is impossible for those outside it to affect those within it."

"Aizen…you've joined with the menos?" Ukitake asked.

"You've stooped lower than I ever thought possible." Stefan grit his teeth.

Lelouch knew though that he could no longer trust his eyes. No matter what he was seeing right now he could not be sure that that was what was really going on. Aizen had used Kyoka Suigetsu on him. It was impossible for him to tell if what he was seeing was the truth. "Tosen!" He called. "Can you feel these tremors?"

"I can." Tosen replied.

Okay, good. Lelouch said and then looked at Ichigo. "Ichigo, tell me," he pointed. "Do you see Aizen up there?" he pointed to the man.

"Of course I see it!" Ichigo shouted. "What did Aizen do? Blind you?"

Lelouch sighed with his eyes closed. Good, then all objectives have been cleared. It's time I made my final move. Lelouch reached into his robes and pulled out the flying device that Yoruichi had given him. "Fly!" The object opened its functional mouth and snaked itself around Lelouch's arm. A dragon wing extended off of Lelouch's arm. He took to the sky. The time had come for him to unleash his final move. Here I go. He headed into the air and started rising steadily with Aizen.

"Hey, wait!" Ichigo called only to cough up more blood.

"Ah, taicho!" Rangiku called out wondering what Lelouch was prepared to do.

Just what does that idiot think he's doing? Hisana wondered.

"Hello Aizen." Lelouch smiled, flapping in the air as he hovered at Aizen's eye level.

"Come to say goodbye Lelouch?" Aizen smirked.

"I've come to stop you." Lelouch declared with a grin.

"Stop me?" Aizen scoffed. "What could you possibly do?" Aizen said running his hands through his hair creating a completely different hairstyle. "There is nothing you can do.I've won, you've lost. It's over. You've fallen victim to Kyoka Suigetsu on top of that. You have lost your edge."

"Wrong Aizen." Lelouch said. "It is over. In fact I have you right where I want you."

"You're bluffing." Aizen laughed at the absurdity of Lelouch's statement.

"Am I? Take a look at yourself, you have nowhere to run or hide. The negacion has you completely boxed in." Lelouch stated pointing at Aizen with his left arm.

"And protected." Aizen reminded Lelouch.

"Not absolutely." Lelouch said with a smile. He went to remove his contacts. I have longingly waited for this moment. "In fact this leaves you wide open for my final move." Lelouch removed both contacts. "Aizen! Kill yourself!"

Aizen, having no idea what to expect, only seeing the emblem of the geass reflected in Lelouch's eyes, asked, "What's wrong with your ey—" The geass took hold and Aizen was forced to obey Lelouch's command. "I understand, master Lelouch."

Gin and Talbumosuke were both shocked at hearing this. Gin even opened his eyes. Everyone watched as Aizen drew out his sword.

"Sensei! No!" Talbumosuke shouted.

STAB!

Aizen's blade penetrated straight through his heart. However, Lelouch's orders were for Aizen to kill himself and while a Soul Reaper could survive with minor heart damage it was not enough. Aizen gripped his sword harder.

"Sensei! Stop!" Talbumosuke shouted.

"Your pleas fall on deaf ears." Lelouch grinned. "Aizen is under a form of hypnosis more powerful than his own. He cannot counteract it.

"Sensei!" Talbumosuke shouted again only for Aizen to slash his own blade out of himself, damaging his heart so severely that it stopped beating. Aizen's Shihakusho became stained with an abhorrent amount of. Blood poured from the rebel's mouth and Aizen collapsed onto the ground. Kyoka Suigetsu slid to the edge of negacion where upon the blade vibrated momentarily before snapping in half.

Gin's eyes opened completely and Talbumosuke's eyes turned so wide a magnifying glass would almost needed to be used to see his irises. It was official. Aizen Sosuke had just died.

"Well that was certainly unexpected." Gin commented.

Everything was silent. Only the hum of the negacion and the ocassional grunt from a menos grande could be heard. All the captains stared in shock at what had just occurred. Nanao even cleaned off her glasses and readjusted them to make sure that she wasn't seeing things.

I don't believe it. Kendra stared.

Iba took off his sunglasses to make sure he was seeing things properly.

Tosen could feel Aizen's life force draining away. He had no idea how Lelouch managed to accomplish what had just happened. No one did, except Lelouch himself.

Can it be? Shuhei thought to himself. Aizen…is he really…

The silence was broken when Lelouch began laughing. It was normal laughter at first, but it turned maniacal in seconds. "I win! He's dead! That's checkmate Aizen!" Lelouch shouted at the sky above the menos. "Do you hear me you bastard? Checkmate!" Lelouch was so elated. He won. His plan had worked perfectly. Aizen had been defeated and Lelouch was victorious. His century long dream was finally a reality. Best of all, now that Aizen was out of the way, things could be ended once and for all. Lelouch looked up at the menos. "Release them!" He commanded. The menos roared, forced to carry out Lelouch's command.

Just what sort of power is he using? Talbumosuke wondered. When the negacion dropped, he and Gin lost their footing and the Hogyoku went bouncing out of Talbumosuke's pocket and sailing through the air. Lelouch, Gin and Talbumosuke went divebombing for the Hogyoku. Talbumosuke made it first and then he drew out his sword and slashed Lelouch from the center of his torso up towards his shoulder. The extra damage, combined with Lelouch's already received wounds, proved to be too much for Lelouch to handle and began to fall out of the air. "Dammit!" Talbumosuke stated. "Fura!" He shouted at the large hollow. Fura released several new Gillian of which activated the negacion and the rescue attempt continued without a hitch. Talbumosuke looked down at the Gotei. "Hear me denizens of the Soul Society, just because my master has fallen does not mean that his will shall not be carried out. In the name of Aizen Sosuke, I, Atrumier Talbumosuke, do hereby declare war between the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo! Do not think me to be a pushover, unable to contend with the immense strength my master showed. I will prove to you all that the death of my sensei was only the beginning! I am now your enemy. Farewell Gotei 13, I shall see you when the time comes." Talbumosuke and Gin were brought into Hueco Mundo by the hollows and Talbumosuke and Gin arrived on the white sands of the dimension beyond.

"Well gee, that was kind of a letdown eh?" Gin asked Talbumosuke. "So does dat mean I gotta follow you around now?" I could just kill him, take the Hogyoku, and run, but I know what dis guy is capable of. It'd be stupid of me to take him out while his defenses are up. Besides I gotta have some fun once in a while.

"Yes Gin, it does." Talbumosuke stated crisply.

"So what are we gonna do now?" Gin asked.

"The same thing we've done every day and night up to this point Gin: try to take over the world!" Talbumosuke declared holding his cupped palm towards the sky.

Back at the Soul Society the 4th Division, and Orihime, were busy treating the wounded. While they did, Yamamoto looked at Aizen's corpse. "Someone make sure he's dead." he ordered.

Stefan walked up and decapitated Aizen. "He's dead."

Soifon was currently being helped by Yoruichi who was trying to heal her and the rest of the Karakura Town residents.

"Former Executive Milita Commander Soifon and former Captain of Squad Two Shihoin Yoruichi." Yamamoto stated, walking over to them. "It certainly has been a long time. It seems we were greatly misled all these years. Aizen pulled the wool over all of our eyes."

"If you're trying to apologize, Head Captain, we gracefully accept. Don't we Soifon?" Yoruichi asked her partner.

Soifon blushed and cleared her throat. "Hai, we accept your apology."

It was very hard to see the slight upward curve on the wrinkled old captain's lips. Yamamoto walked over to where Unohana herself was treating Lelouch's wounds. "How are you feeling?" he asked Lelouch.

"Nothing too serious. I'll recover." Lelouch said. Lelouch of course had received some nasty injuries from the battle. He didn't escape Hado 90 unscathed, though he tried hard to hide it and he really had to push himself to get to Aizen. Talbumosuke's slash at him did not help matters. He had brought a spare case of contact lenses with him and had put them in his eyes before anyone had seen the glowing emblem circulating around his irises.

"Good, then I hereby sentence you to detainment!" Yamamoto declared. Everyone's heads turned at hearing this. Unohana didn't say anything, she just looked solemn.

"What the hell? He saved your lives and you're arresting him?" Ichigo shouted. "What the hell for?" He coughed on his own blood considering that he was still being healed by the Soten Kisshun. Orihime and Isane's wounds had been healed first so that they could attend to other injured.

"This is about my being Zero isn't it?" Lelouch asked in confirmation.

"You're damn straight it is!" Yamamoto thundered. "Central Forty Six being dead or not that is something I cannot overlook. Also, the ability to somehow command menos to release their allies and to coerce Aizen, a captain level Soul Reaper, with a simple command into committing suicide is a power that warrants extreme investigation. Once you are healed you shall be detained until further notice."

"That's not fair!" Ichigo shouted, rising to his feet. "Lelouch saved you all and you're going to lock him in prison. Aren't there clauses and crap to cancel out whatever misdeeds Lelouch did?"

"What do you think this is an adventure novel?" Yamamoto asked. "The law is the law. Lamperouge Lelouch must own up for his crimes against the Soul Society."

"You damn bastard. You—"

"Quiet!" Lelouch shouted at Ichigo. He looked sternly at the Head Captain. "I knew that this day would eventually come. I am prepared to receive whatever punishment awaits me."

"Lelouch, you can't this!" Ichigo shouted.

"This is not your fight Ichigo!" Lelouch shouted back. "You have no business meddling in the Soul Society affairs this time. Once you and your friends have recovered you are going to go home, get some rest and put this out of your mind."

"Like hell I am!" Ichigo shouted.

"Silence the both of you!" Yamamoto thundered raising his reiatsu. Ichigo, Lelouch and everyone else silenced immediately from Yamamoto's command. "It is as Lamperouge Lelouch says. Kurosaki Ichigo and his comrades shall be sent home upon their recovery with Kurosaki Ichigo receiving the commemoration of becoming an official Substitute Soul Reaper. Lamperouge Lelouch will be detained until proper course of action can be decided. That is final."

"But—"

"Ichigo, let it go." Yoruichi said to him.

"Yoruichi-san." Ichigo said, looking in her direction.

"Detainment is not the same as incarceration. The other captains will properly decide Lelouch's sentencing based on the facts. However," Yoruichi looked sternly at Yamamoto, "All facts, circumstances and evidence must be considered, am I right?"

"It is as Miss Shihoin says." Yamamoto responded. "This is a matter that the Gotei itself must discuss. This does not involve you or Karakura Town unlike what occurred over the last two months."

Soifon put a hand on the barrier of Orihime's that was healing Ichigo. "Relax. If you want I'll get regular information from Kisuke if you're that worried about Lelouch."

"Lamperouge-kun." Orihime looked over to him. "I don't know what you've done, but please try to understand that we're just concerned about you. You're our friend. You helped us."

"I know." Lelouch responded, looking more solemn than ever.

"It's all right Inoue." Ichigo told her. He looked at Lelouch. "Don't make it so that I have to come busting you out of the Senzaikyu, okay?" Lelouch completely avoided Ichigo's gaze and did not respond. "Oi!"

Soifon banged on the dome. "Let it go Kurosaki." She told him.

Ichigo sighed and dropped the argument. He recognized a lost cause when he saw one. Nevertheless he'd still storm in and grab Lelouch by the collar and run like hell if it turned out the man would be executed.

When Unohana finished restoring Lelouch's injuries the young-looking captain looked at Yamamoto. He began by removing his haori and handing it to Unohana. "Apprehend me." Yamamoto found Lelouch's lack of resistance intriguing, but all the while welcoming. Lelouch was carted off to the same jail Rukia had once been locked in. He willfully gave up his Zanpakuto to be confiscated and did not bat an eyelash when the door was locked and he was forced inside. His lack of resistance made Stefan feel that handcuffs and restraints were not needed. Lelouch was left alone and starting tomorrow the Gotei 13 would begin to decide his fate.

(A/N: Yes folks, you read this chapter right. Lelouch just punched out Cthulhu and killed Aizen. Aizen is dead. Talbumosuke will now take over as the Big Bad with burning vengeance directed at Lelouch. But first, Lelouch is in a spot of trouble as he has now been arrested for his actions as Zero. Next time on Soul Chess: the Free Lelouch arc. See you then).