14 Chapter 14

"Why do you wait if you know you wish to act? You need only raise this spear and none will block your path."

Gae Bolg's words echoed within his mind as he sat with an elbow propped to his knee.

"Hmph, the words of a brute lacking etiquette,"

Kyoka's voice then rebutted. She appeared to be more talkative today as she was near Aizen Sosuke.

Truth be told for this particular matter, he was more inclined to do what Gae Bolg had suggested. However, Aizen did raise some fairly good points earlier on. If he went himself to the human world at the moment, there was no doubt that his presence would indeed be like stirring up a hornet's nest. In which case, countless numbers of Shinigami may appear to combat him, but more likely would be the deployment of Captain class Shinigami with each possessing their own Bankai as Aizen had put it.

A Shinigami's main weapon was a Zanpakuto. In its released state was a Shikai, allowing a Shinigami to exhibit the unique properties of their sword, but not to its fullest extent. For such a thing to be possible, a Shinigami would have to release their Bankai, the second release of their blade. In this state, not only would a Shinigami's spiritual energy skyrocket, but their Zanpakuto's abilities would further increase with a wider arsenal depending on the Shinigami.

This was all explained by Aizen previously, and he had greatly stressed the degree of strength a Shinigami would obtain in their Bankai. For this matter, he had reasoned that should any Captain level Shinigami run into Silent in the Human World, there was no way she would be able to escape. Thus, Aizen had only sent a weaker hollow, Aaroniero to locate Silent and Lilynette and bring them back. With this approach, the chances of attracting Captain Class Shinigami into the Human World should have been drastically decreased.

Still, Aaroniero had been sent a while ago, and with no word of what was happening in the Human World, he was already near the end of his patience.

He got up from his sitting position and moved towards where Aizen was working on his device while being watched by a staggering group of Adjuchas class hollows.

As he approached, he saw a couple of new faces in the crowd.

Harribel and her group had returned from the training they were doing near the outer reaches of the vast land he presumably controlled. Presently, they were staring curiously at Aizen's presence with Apacci and Mila Rose already glaring.

It was reasonable though. It was the exact same reason why Aizen was surrounded by numerous hollows. Not one of them trusted the actions of Shinigami, and Aizen was no exception. Perhaps if he had aided them in some way it would be different, but right now Aizen was simply intruding in their territory through their eyes.

To him however, Aizen was putting in an effort to help him, deepening his impression of the man.

"Of course," Kyoka's voice echoed with a hint of praise. "You can expect nothing less from my master."

He gave a wry smile, seeing the difference in Kyoka's demeanor as she continued giving out incessant praise.

Right now, though, that wasn't important.

As if noticing his gaze, Harribel met his eyes and soon made her way over, her actions drawing the eyes of everyone present to him. After all, when a Vasto Lorde moved, all hollows had to show respect for their strength. Even more so based on the reputation garnered from the various feats they had accomplished.

Take Starrk for example. Although many belittled him for his lazy behaviour in passing, not a single hollow failed to show respect to him after recalling his strength. Harribel too was similar, yet she was far more appreciated by the other hollows than Starrk. Unlike Starrk who remained idle for the majority of the day, Harribel was different as she strove to further improve herself and those around her. This was evident to hollows even before Harribel had arrived as she was protecting her own group then.

As such, she had taken to training with the other hollows, teaching them the extent of their capabilities so they could better draw a bottom line when fighting others. The ability to know when to attack and retreat was vital after all.

In the views of the other hollows, Harribel was like a Quasi-master who would provide pointers from time to time.

This disparity between the two was evident again as only she was present at the moment, and Starrk wasn't. However, what the other hollows didn't know was that Starrk was actually in the process of helping Brans recover and not just lying on his ass somewhere. Still, that was irrelevant at the moment.

"What is going on here?" Harribel asked curiously, her gaze remaining calm as she waited for an answer.

He could tell from her expression that she didn't particularly mind being in the presence of a Shinigami, but she didn't particularly like it either. In this regard, she was far better than the three that followed her which continued to glare.

Because of this, he took his attention away from Aizen to explain the situation to Harribel, inadvertently informing the newer hollows that had arrived as well.

"The brat was sent of all things?" Mila Rose spoke incredulously. "I could probably beat her with just a finger."

Apacci crossed her arms. "In that case I'd defeat her with only a flick," she spoke.

Sung-Sun remained quiet on the matter and instead turned her attention on Aizen, her expression showing her lack of trust. "And you would heed the words of a Shinigami?" She questioned.

"He has not shown any hostilities, so I will not be the one to start them," he replied evenly. Unlike other hollows, he did not hold prejudice towards Shinigami, nor belittlement towards humans. "Besides…" he's in the process of helping, was what he wanted to say, but it was contradictory as he was probably about to do something foolish that would render Aizen's efforts null.

Feeling a tad awkward, he coughed into his hands and moved the conversation away from that topic. Instead, he nodded towards Harribel and the rest before standing in front of Aizen.

"How much longer is this going to take?" He asked, unable to hide his impatience.

Aizen furrowed his brows.

"Such things can not be rushed to insure ideal results," Aizen reasoned before pointing at a piece of the device, a gauge. "The required preparation is only around half, and forcing anymore spiritual energy in would only cause further damage. At the least, it's still going to take a bit more time."

He couldn't help frowning. Already he felt a great sense of urgency as he couldn't help but question his earlier action of putting off his own arrival. Initially, he had been able to be practical about his decision, and this was through the accumulation of maturity over the years and Aizen's deductions. However, as more and more time began to pass, he just felt a sense of 'wrongness' welling from within him as if this was not what he should have done.

This wasn't the sort of person he was.

It was this line of thought that allowed him to feel as if he had come to understand something he had lost in his life in Hueco Mundo.

"Then I will be going now regardless," he said drawing an alarmed expression from Aizen's face.

Very quickly, Aizen placed his work down and turned to face him.

"Doing so now will definitely not be in your best interest," Aizen said calmly. "In fact, I've just received word from the Soul Society ab-"

"I appreciate your concerns Aizen," he spoke evenly, cutting off whatever it was Aizen was about to say. He then outstretched one of his arms and forcibly tore a hole between dimensions at that moment. "I really do, but there are times when one must act without regard to consequences."

If one always thought first before acting, then why act at all if the opportunity had already been missed? It was the same concept of fighting first and asking questions later in the same way a father would naturally defend their child without knowing that their child may have had done wrong.

Aizen fell quiet, his face going blank.

"And besides, regardless of what others think, even now, I don't believe I'm a person who considers every aspect before coming to a decision. Rather, like the girl you saw unknowingly sent to the human world,"

He stepped forward towards his self-made Gargantia under the gaze of everyone present, a distant memory surfacing from the depths of his mind.

Turning his head to Aizen, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I was always an Idiot," was all that he said before disappearing.

The expression left on Aizen's face was one that was hard to describe, but if one could place a word on it, it would be 'Perturbed.'

"There is a reason why so many of us follow him," Harribel took the lead and moved towards the opened Gargantia while speaking to Aizen. "Perhaps you yourself will one day understand why."

With that said, Harribel too disappeared through the Gargantia accompanied by her followers. Even Nel who first considered her options subconsciously moved forward. Following her, came many other of the stronger hollows of Adjuchas class.

The once hollow-filled area was now reduced to a few that remained along with Aizen and Ulquiorra who had been within the crowd.

Turning towards Aizen, Ulquiorra conveyed his intentions before he too stepped forth within the Gargantia, leaving Aizen alone.

Pressing a hand to his forehead, Aizen let out a small laugh before his eyes flashed with something indiscernible. In a quick motion, he then disappeared, returning to the Soul Society.

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Ichigo did not understand the current situation, let alone why Rukia's face had paled considerably to the point that even her body was trembling. As far as he was concerned though, he didn't need to. It was just that seeing the look in her eyes as she saw the approaching people was more than enough.

His face was set in a glare as almost immediately it became apparent that it was a wise decision to leave his home after ejecting his spirit from his body. Garbed in the attire of a Shinigami, his hands tightened around the hilt of his sword as the 'feel' of the people approaching him was far more than any hollow he had ever faced.

They were three in total. One of them had red hair tied into a pony tail that resembled a pineapple. From his forehead, he could see long lines of tribal tattoos that even spread down towards his body. Looking at him, he quickly realized that their gazes locked upon arrival, causing the man to instantly glare with a murderous intent.

"Renji," Rukia said before staring conflictedly at the next person. "Brother, Byakuya."

The man was tall and draped in a white haiori that was placed over top his black Shinigami garb with a long scarf around his neck. His features were as soft and refined as Rukia's, yet his contained a sense of masculinity that was undoubtedly irresistible to most women. His face was slightly rectangular with a narrow chin and high-cheek bones that accentuated his sharp dark eyes which were set firmly on Rukia. His black hair shifted as he moved, the majority of it held up by three white coloured hair ornaments shaped like combs.

Byakuya did not respond to Rukia calling out to him. Instead, his eyes flashed towards the third companion who was busy muttering to himself.

The third companion was an odd man who seemed slightly off no matter how one looked at him. He wore the same white haiori over his shoulders, but he kept an ornament around his head that resembled a white boat from the side. Other than that, his entire face was painted black aside from his nose and lower cheeks. Of the three, this man seemed wholly indifferent to the situation making him seem less harmless than Renji whose glare was screaming murder.

However, from the expression of fear on Rukia's face, this man was not to be trifled with.

Nervously, his hands clenched tightly around the hilt of his sword, his knuckles going white as an ominous feeling swelled from within him. He swallowed as Renji seemed to have had enough of waiting, instantly seeming to come to his conclusions.

"So that's it," Renji spoke heatedly as he approached drawing his blade. "You're the human who got his power from Rukia!"

It wasn't a question.

It was a statement, looking at the sword he held in his own hands and the events that had happened that night.

Renji was immediately angered and drew his sword and attacked him, making Rukia's eyes widen.

He didn't have time to notice any of that though. Instead, Renji was already pressuring him to defend. His sword was barely able to move if at all due to the speed of Renji's slashes. In fact, if it wasn't so abnormally large that it could barely pass off for a shield, then he was sure that he would have gotten injured by now.

"Come on! Is this all the power you have? Is that sword just for show!" Renji yelled while swinging each time.

He clicked his tongue and roared out in response. Strength moved to his arms, and when next Renji attacked, he lashed out with the force of his blade, yet Renji was no longer there.

What was going on?

His eyes darted back and forth.

Fighting an enemy was one thing, losing sight of them was another.

It was then that he noticed it.

A shadow.

His pupils constricted before he immediately attempted to turn his body.

Yet, it was not enough.

He could hear a gasp come out from Rukia's mouth, but almost at the same time, a searing pain blossomed across the back of his shoulder, forcing him to his knees. Stabbing his sword down into the ground, he ended up using it as a crutch. His breathing was a tad laboured, but if anything, Renji did not pierce through his chest, but rather only cut into his skin.

A hand went up to his shoulder, instantly dying itself red in blood.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called while running forward. Yet someone grabbed her arm.

"I don't suggest moving," Ishida spoke as he pushed up his glasses.

Renji glanced up at Ishida. "Who're you?"

"Just a classmate," Ishida spoke before letting go of Rukia's hand. "To think that I would stumble upon you Shinigami while suddenly getting the urge to visit the 'Sunflower' knitting shop this late in the evening. It wasn't as if I could sense the fluctuations in spiritual pressure and used my knitting hobby as an excuse to chance into y-"

The bag of appliances Ishida held in his other hand was cut in half.

"I asked you a question," Renji spoke.

Ishida ignored Renji and instead shifted his sight towards Ichigo.

"You like you're on your last breaths Kurosaki," Ishida spoke.

He grunted before forcing himself onto his feet. "And your just late," he responded as Renji refocused on him.

"Do you really think you would actually be able to compare to a real Shinigami?" Renji asked mockingly. "It was evident from the last exchange."

"Do not be so quick to judge, Renji," a calm voice echoed out.

"C-Captain?" Renji stuttered.

He and Ishida turned their attention towards Byakuya who had opened his mouth to speak.

"The Secret Remote Squad has reports of this boy severely injuring a Menos Grande," Byakuya explained.

"Him?" Renji laughed before his features sharpened into a glare. "What a joke. The Secret Remote Squad must really be slipping these days. What a load of shit! Look at this kid, how could he possibly drive back a Menos Grande? Even more so with an over grown Zanpakuto like that?"

Byakuya kept silent after Renji's out burst, but the other Shinigami did not.

"Hmm," the third Shinigami hummed, causing a chill to go down Renji's back. "Although I could care less about what you do with the boy, do remember whose presence your standing in when you slander the technology of the Research department."

"M-My apologies captain Kurotsuchi," Renji stammered.

"Who is he?" Ishida ended up whispering to Rukia's ear, curious about the reaction Renji had towards his fellow Soul Reaper.

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of Squad Twelve, but better known as the overseer of the Research and Development division of the Soul Society," Rukia answered. "He has quite a reputation involving him and his experiments that most Shinigami fear staying in close contact with him."

"As if I care for your apologies," Mayuri said while keeping his attention on a chart he brought with him. "Just hurry up and finish what you came here to do. There are other matters for me to take care of."

"Understood," Renji said hurriedly before brandishing his sword. "Roar: Zabimaru!"

Renji brushed a hand across his sword, and the plain katana transformed into a black segmented spiked blade.

"W-What happened to his sword?" He called out in surprise.

"You don't even know the name of your own blade? As expected from someone like you who can't even control his own spiritual energy," Renji said as he leaned his sword against his shoulder. "Regardless, it's time for you to die so that Rukia can get her power back, and then be sentenced to death within the Soul Society."

What he didn't know, and what Rukia refused to tell him, was that she broke a law by giving him her powers. In the Soul Society, everything is held through tradition with iron set rules that can not be broken through severe punishments. It just so happened that a Soul Reaper giving their power to a human was of the highest treason punishable by death.

He narrowed his eyes as Renji's words entered his ears. It was all the more reason why he could not allow Rukia to be taken away.

Ishida pulled up to his side, signalling with his eyes his intentions.

He nodded back in gratitude.

Having waited long enough, Renji leapt into the air and attacked. "Howl, Zabimaru!"

Renji swung his blade down, the segmented pieces splitting and extending its reach. In fact, it was even able to bend around his blade.

"Kurosaki!" Ishida reacted fast enough to shove Ichigo out of the way from taking another blow to his opposite shoulder.

Renji grunted as his eyes moved to Ishida. "Not bad, but a human who can just see us will be useless in this battle."

A blue glow encompassed the area, drawing the gazes of everyone present, even Mayuri took his eyes away from the items he had on hand.

"A Quincy," Mayuri muttered before becoming indifferent. "It's unfortunate that I've concluded my research with them."

Hearing Mayuri's comment, Ishida's expression instantly grew cold, yet he did not have time to question. His hands drew the motions of drawing, an arrow of Reishi forming along his bow as he observed Renji's movements.

This his time to prove the strength of Quincy. Not through competition, but through battle. Ichigo had taught him that not all Shinigami were the same, but the one's in front of him now were truly acting in the fashion he hated. Especially the indifference on Byakuya's face resembling the ones of the Shinigami that failed to aid his grandfather. Even more so when he heard Rukia call out to him to put a stop to Renji's actions, yet he did nothing.

"A Quincy, a failed Soul Reaper, it doesn't matter," Renji spoke swinging his blade in an arc. "Under the attack of true Soul Reapers, your nothing."

A cold sweat began to appear over Ichigo's face as he realized all to soon that Renji did not withdraw his blade after the first swing, but rather the second came instantly cutting across his body.

He coughed out blood, a feeling of powerlessness taking over him as his sword dropped to the ground.

"Then let me take over,"

His heart beat sped up, pain no longer coming from his wounds, but in his state, he still remained motionless.

"That's enough Renji!" Rukia yelled, jumping onto Renji and preventing him from swinging his sword again.

Ishida attempted to help, but almost instantly a feeling of foreboding took over him as he realized the danger of taking his eyes off Byakuya who had begun to move forward.

In the middle of everything, Ichigo once again gripped the handle of his sword, this time casuing Byakuya to pause in his steps.

"His spiritual pressure is rising," Byakuya observed.

He was not the only one to notice the startling increase in spiritual energy Ichigo was emitting. Both Renji and Rukia had too, both freezing in their actions.

"What the hell!" Renji swore, pushing Rukia off of him. "How is this possible?"

"Is that really Kurosaki?" Ishida couldn't help but shudder and recall the experience with Ichigo's energy against the Menos Grande.

Ichigo felt power coursing through his veins. Nothing seemed to matter anymore to him. His injuries were nothing, the current situation was nothing, all that was left was a single goal to protect.

He didn't know what happened to him, nor did he dwell too much on the matter. Instead he attacked in a burst of speed that left Renji unable to react.

Blood splattered across the ground, the forehead protector Renji wore shattering into pieces, letting blood drip across his face.

"Damn it!" Renji swore as he attacked continuously with his blade once more.

Yet he dodged Renji's blade as if it were nothing more than a child swinging a stick. By the third swing, Zabimaru returned to it's bladed form, and he instantly lunged in to attack.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "You've gotten a lot slower."

It wasn't that Renji had gotten slower, but due to the increasing spiritual energy, he was unknowingly getting faster. A twitch formed over Renji's brow, but he could do nothing as attacks continuously landed on him. If not for the pressure Byakuya was placing on Ishida, then Renji was sure that his situation would have had become hopeless by now.

Ichigo knew that this was going to be his only opportunity. With his power increasing as it was, and his senses heightened, there was no way he was going to lose to Renji. Inevitably, he soon cornered Renji and placed him in a situation where he was unable to evade his next swing.

One down.

This thought echoed across his mind as he swung, yet near the end of his swing, he suddenly realized that his sword had gotten a lot lighter. He blinked, looking at his severed sword. What, what happened?

"Ichigo!" Ishida yelled bleeding from the ground. "D-Don't underestimate him," he forced out before falling silent.

Beside Ishida stood Byakuya who didn't seem as if he had even drawn his sword. Yet in Byakuya's hand was…

How's that even possible?!

Byakuya should have had been too far away to act, yet he had somehow defeated Ishida as if he was nothing while still having the time to sever his blade by the shaft.

Byakuya placed a hand on his blade.

He immediately readied his own even if all that remained was the hilt and a small portion, and in that moment Byakuya just disappeared.

His senses screamed danger, but he was too slow to even react as blood then splattered across his face.

He froze at that moment. Ignoring the gaping wound on his chest in favour of staring at the woman who had blocked Byakuya's second blow.

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Lilynette was grumbling to herself as she watched the proceedings from a distance. Having never been sleeping for too long in the first place, she had obviously noticed Ichigo's departure and had followed. From her current vantage point, she could make out a few others who were similarly watching, one of which was the black-haired girl she had previously seen in Ichigo's house. Karin if she could recall the name Ichigo had called her.

The girl was trembling, her features pale as she watched Ichigo fight that other red-haired Shinigami. Luckily though, Karin knew better than to run into the middle of such a fight.

As she was a resident of Hueco Mundo, she knew full well that it was better to not interfere between conflicts, or at least that was what Starrk had told her in passing. Either way, she felt a tad conflicted at the moment as she didn't dislike Ichigo. In fact, Ichigo had even showed her around town in her search for Silent, and had allowed her to experience this human treat called ice cream. As a hollow, she didn't really need to eat, but that didn't mean she couldn't.

As for the others, she couldn't care less. They weren't her friends, nor were they any hollows she had ever seen within Shirou's territory. Thus, she didn't feel a need to help. And besides, something about the Shinigami in make up creeped her out, and the other calm and collected one just screamed danger.

Normally she wouldn't care of such things, but Starrk wasn't here. To her, Starrk was the strongest, and so long as he was nearby, she feared no one. However, now that he wasn't here, she had actually grown a tad timid as she realized that they were truly separated for the first time.

Anyways, what did the current situation have to do with her? All she wanted to do was find Silent so that they could return to Hueco Mundo. Embarrassingly, another reason she needed to find her was that she didn't know how to create a Gargantia back to Hueco Mundo herself. It was something only Starrk would have had known between the two.

Turning back to Ichigo's battle, she couldn't help but be surprised by the increasing spiritual energy. It really wasn't normal. If before she could have had dealt with him with a couple ceros, now she wasn't quite sure. She knew she was somewhat weak when compared to the other Adjuchas-class hollows in Shirou's territory, but she still had some strength. She nodded her head. She was definitely still stronger.

Yet, her sense of foreboding still warned her against facing the level-headed Shinigami and the one with make up. Yet that decision was taken out of her hands.

The level-headed Shinigami had moved, severing Ichigo's blade and coming in for his own attack. That wasn't what caused her to act though.

It was Silent who stood blocking the second attack with her arm bleeding and a segment of her clothes cut open to reveal her hollow hole.

The level-headed Shinigami pulled back and assessed the situation with a hint of surprise.

For a moment, no one moved.

Not the girl from Ichigo's house.

Not any of the Soul Reapers.

And not even herself.

All that was able to be observed were the shifting of expressions found on everyone's faces and the minute movements of their bodies.

The black-haired girl for example had a look of terror flicker across her face as her body set forward into motion. Still though, it would take her a while before arriving at the battlefield as she had been watching from a distance away.

Aside from everyone else's blank expressions, perhaps the only two with different reactions were the Shinigami with make up, and Ichigo himself.

The Shinigami with make up's demeanor instantly changed upon spotting Silent's hollow hole, and something seemed to come alive within his eyes. He moved to draw his blade.

Meanwhile Ichigo just seemed lost, unable to understand that he had been wounded and should be pressing a hand to staunch the bleeding.

Idiot.

With a single thought, she moved and displayed her brash personality despite her apprehension.

"You don't know who you're dealing with!" She called, landing beside Silent who grimaced from her injuries.

Luckily, Silent was tough for a hollow, her skin unable to be pierced so easily. Yet despite that, the level-headed Shinigami had still drawn blood, proving her earlier sentiments about this Shinigami.

She turned her head to stare at Ichigo. "You look like a mess," she spoke before asking. "Who are these guys?"

Ichigo didn't answer, causing her to frown, but he didn't have to as someone else did it for him.

"My name is Mayuri Kurutsuchi," the Shinigami with make up introduced. "And those two are Byakuya Kuchiki, and Renji Abarai. You are?"

She shivered. She didn't like the way Mayuri was looking at her and Silent, and thus didn't give a response other than to charge a cero. Admittedly, it was the only attack she had that could do any damage.

Almost as soon as she charged up her Cero, Mayuri's eyes lit up even further. It was then that Silent charged up her own Cero. At this point, anyone was able to see the grin that appeared over Mayuri's face.

"Interesting, too interesting," Mayuri acted nonchalant despite having two attacks aimed at him. "What are you? I can't wait to find out," he spoke before the blade in his hand transformed into a trident-like golden coloured sword.

"You BASTARD!" Ichigo suddenly became enraged as he realized who Mayuri was pointing his sword at.

She was too on Silent's behalf, but not to Ichigo's extent. In fact, the look in his eyes frightened her to a certain degree as his spiritual pressure once again began to sky rocket. Even with the broken sword he had on hand, his surge in energy put everyone on high alert.

"What the hell's wrong with this guy," Renji cursed staring at Ichigo's sudden rise in power again. "His strength is even on par with a Lieutenant's and he hasn't even released his Shikai."

"Stand down, Renji," Byakuya spoke moving forward once again.

Renji nodded, and pulled back to stand behind Byakuya as they both turned their attention to Lilynette and Silent who were standing off against Mayuri.

What Lilynette didn't understand though was why Silent had even acted on Ichigo's behalf. In fact, looking at her face, she appeared to be in a daze of sorts.

Both her and Ichigo were.

"Oi snap out of it!" She called, kicking Ichigo in the shin and yelling directly into Silent's ear.

As if coming back to his senses, Ichigo yelped in pain from the sudden blow and glowered at Lilynette before remembering the person in front of him. He then turned to Silent and muttered. "This can't be real, can it?"

Ichigo's hands were trembling based on how hard he gripped his sword. "M-Mom?" He called out hoarsely. From the sound of his voice, it was easy for her to hear the fragility and longing laced within.

Silent shuddered after hearing Ichigo speak, yet she didn't turn around as she was wholly focused on Mayuri. Suddenly, the Cero in her hand faltered for a moment, as blood trickled down her arm.

Blood that dripped slowly from Byakuya's blade.

Ichigo's eyes turned murderous. He didn't care if he had a sword at the moment, let alone half of one. He swore that he would not be letting Byakuya's attack go unanswered. And yet, he staggered on his feet, realising the extent of his own injuries. It was hard for him to breath, a stab wound just above his left lung and near his stomach. He collapsed on his knees, his sword barely able to be used as a support.

Lilynette didn't know what to feel as she stared at Ichigo's state, yet she did decide on one thing.

He wasn't bad.

In fact, at times she found the energy he emitted was similar to a hollow's, and even still, it was rich and powerful.

"Starrk," she whispered nervously clenching her hands as a feeling of sudden dread filled her being. Mayuri had begun to move. "Where are you?"

A short distance away, Byakuya motioned to Renji; telling him to secure Rukia as his attention moved to a cat roaming quietly atop a high fence wall. He then shook his head, as horrid memories began to assail his mind regarding a certain master of Flash Step. There was definitely more at play here, and he knew better than to let his guard down.

Wordlessly, Renji moved to Rukia's side. "You will follow," he ordered, yet he couldn't hide the reluctance in his voice.

Evidently, Rukia had noticed, as her gaze drooped down solemnly. At least Ichigo was currently safe, but she knew that if she stayed, it would only be doing more harm than good. "Renji, I-"

"Don't go," Ishida spoke as he grabbed Rukia's leg. Still though, it appeared that this action alone was all that he was capable off as his eyes then shut closed.

Renji clicked his tongue, and then promptly grabbed Rukia's arm. Before he could move however, a deafening explosion sounded from behind him.

Both Silent and Lilynette had fired off their Ceros.

Mayuri coughed from the subsequent smoke that encompassed him, but the man was fine aside from a few minor injuries and a missing arm.

"Oh dear," Mayuri spoke with a grimace before extracting a syringe and needle from his clothing. He then injected it to his missing arm. "But I suppose it doesn't matter for now," he finished as a new arm rapidly formed. "See? Good as new."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the head of the Research and Development department of the Soul Society. It was said that nothing was impossible for the man should he so desire it. He need only achieve it through his own research, ethical or not. This was the mind set of a scientist. All in the pursuit of further discovery. It was not odd for him to carry such concoctions as the one he had used to grow a new arm. In fact, no one in the Soul Society knew just what kind of materials Mayuri kept on his person.

"What a freak," Lilynette sneered. Sure, she had seen similar actions from hollows and their regeneration, but to see it on a Shinigami's red flesh, it was a first.

It was then that Silent tapped gently on Lilynette's shoulder.

Instantly, Lilynette knew her intentions. She turned towards Ichigo before picking him up and retreating.

Unable to react to the sudden turn of events, Ichigo could only watch helplessly as Silent was left to deal with Mayuri on her own.

"Ichigo!" Karin then appeared in view, adding on to the situation, but she supposed this was a good thing.

Lilynette threw Ichigo towards Karin as almost immediately she felt some sort of appendage wrap around her ankle.

"You don't believe I would let something as interesting as you go now do you?" Mayuri spoke as the ear piece of his head ornament opened to reveal a kama and chain. Said chain was now wrapped around Lilynette's ankle with parts of it strong enough to even dig into Lilynette's skin and draw blood.

A blue light once again enveloped the area, a similar scene from the last occurring again.

Silent stood with a fiery blue bow of spiritual energy in hand, much like Ishida's. However, hers was far more potent and exuded a certain strength. Clearly, she was far stronger than Ishida who had been taken down by Byakuya in an instant.

"A hollow with no mask able to use the powers of a Quincy?" The expression on Mayuri's face could only be described as euphoric, as if he had found a long-lost treasure. Forget the one with the partially broken mask, this one was far more interesting. Still, it would indeed be a miss hap on his part if he allowed the one with the partially broken mask to go. He could already picture how outstanding the research material would be.

As such, he was done playing.

The chain and kama he had used were barbed and coated with the same poison as the one found on his blade. This poison would paralyze the body at the specific location and prevent function for hollows and Soul Reaper alike. Long enough exposure would also mean death.

The effects were evident as Lilynette was no longer able to move her leg. With a tug, he had forced her back onto the ground to stand by Silent's side.

Silent had not been able to shoot in fear of hitting Lilynette. She knew her shots were powerful, but she knew her aim was not the best, and as such would prefer it if she was up close and personal. She positioned herself in front of Lilynette as Mayuri's kama and chain returned back to him.

With a thought, there was an arrow.

With a breath, there was an action.

A Quincy's strength lied in their ability to draw the natural spiritual energy within the environment and even within themselves.

Concentration was crucial for such an endeavor.

The arrow Silent had on her bow began to grow larger and larger to the point that Byakuya had no choice but to put on a stern expression.

Byakuya was a Soul Reaper, a Shinigami. It was his duty to prevent disaster to befall the Human World through the acts of the supernatural. Just from the size alone of Silent's attack, he resolved himself to action.

Beads of sweat were beginning to form over Silent's forehead, her hair being blown back from the force of the arrow she was generating. Even the skin of her hands was beginning to flake and peel, yet still she persisted. The reason it was taking her so long to fire was that she was locating a remote region of Karakura Town where she was sure she would not injure any human. Yet before she could even fire, a cold feeling burst from within her chest.

She swallowed before looking down at the blade protruding from her stomach. Under the pressure of Mayuri, she had been unable to react in time to the sudden attack.

Byakuya Kuchiki of the Kuchiki Clan. Not only was he strong, but his speed, his Shunpo or Flash Step was unmatched within the current Soul Society aside from one or two individuals. Even when he had first attacked Ichigo, Silent was only able to perceive the second blow as the first had been too fast for her to even react.

"Power is nothing if one cannot unleash it," Byakuya said coolly before a pink glow suddenly enveloped him.

"Take that ya bastard!" Lilynette growled from her position propped up against the ground. With one of her legs paralyzed, her mobility had been greatly reduced to the point of just crawling. Currently, she had just blasted Byakuya with a Cero.

Blinking, Byakuya had a dishevelled appearance, but he did not appear critically injured.

Lilynette's strength was low even in regards to an Adjuchas class hollow, what more against a captain Class Shinigami? In fact, perhaps her strength was only useful when combating seated officers or lower in Shinigami rankings.

Byakuya only shook his head before promptly knocking out both Silent and Lilynette with his speed. If anything, the only thing that troubled him at the moment was the intense stare of the black cat in the distance. Yet he would never admit such a thing.

"I did not need the help," Mayuri spoke as he approached Byakuya.

"Nor did you care about what happens to the area around you and the people in it," Byakuya replied.

Mayuri didn't respond and was instead in the process of examining Silent as he held her up by the hair. In the very same process, unexpectedly, a rock hit his head. An unnoticeable twitch formed over his brow.

"Fuck off you bully!" Karin had run forward while leaving Ichigo clambering uselessly behind her, fury in her reddened eyes. "Let her go!"

"What is with this town?" Renji grumbled. "How many humans have enough spiritual energy to see us?" Finishing his words, Renji then moved in Karin's direction yet Rukia immediately stopped him.

How could she not? Karin was Ichigo's sister and she herself was well acquainted with the brash girl.

"Karin don't!" Ichigo warned as he forced himself back onto his feet, his eyes going blood shot. "Get behind me!" He urged. "I-I'll save her," he grit his teeth saying.

No matter what Ichigo said though, it appeared highly unlikely that he would be able to accomplish such a task. His level of strength was near Ishida's level, and Ishida had been taken out in an instant by Byakuya.

Ignoring Ichigo's words, Karin picked up another stone to throw, unknowingly coating it in a thin blue light. "I said LET HER GO!" she screamed, throwing the stone.

Steam hissed, as the smell of burnt flesh permeated through the air. The speed in which the stone Karin threw was fast enough to continue spinning in Mayuri's outstretched hand.

"Do you know what happens to unwanted pests?" Mayuri's voice was undoubtedly annoyed. "I string them up with my fingers before prepping them on a lab table where I take my time to procure anything useful from their bodies. Now unless you have something useful worth my time, I sugg-"

Another stone bounced off Mayuri's head. The sound of it rolling across the cement of the street evident for all to hear.

There was a short silence as both Renji, Rukia, and Byakuya were astounded by Karin's actions in provoking Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

Placing Silent on the ground, Mayuri released a heavy spiritual pressure down on the area. Ichigo, already injured as he was, collapsed flat on his body. Karin who had never been put through such a thing was in a similar situation to the point that she could even feel her organs getting crushed.

"My patience has never been long, girl," Mayuri moved forward towards Karin, his intentions clear.

Yet at that moment, a hand clasped firmly around Mayuri's ankles.

Silent glared defiantly from the ground, her wounds still bleeding profusely.

Irritated as he was already, Mayuri stomped down on Silent.

Thump.

Thump.

Thwack.

It was the sound one would hear when pounding on a piece of meat.

Silent's face and body had long ago become beaten, bruised, and bloody, but still she did not let go of Mayuri. Staring off at Ichigo and Karin with a fierce light in her eyes.

She Knew them.

They meant something to her.

They were dear. And she would not let them be harmed in any way.

She did not know this feeling that overcame her, driving her to endure, yet it was an instinct of sorts that only woman could intuitively describe.

A Mother's love.

Seeing the scene in front of her, Karin was in tears and was cursing her inability to even withstand the mysterious force over her. As the retched sound continued to filter into her ears, she couldn't help but despair at that moment. "Ichigo, please, do something," she pleaded before passing out.

"AAAHHHHGG!" Ichigo screamed, pushing himself up despite the spiritual pressure pressing down on him. "I'll Kill you!" And yet, other than standing, he couldn't even move. Eventually being forced back onto the ground exhausted and out cold.

"Ichigo," Rukia muttered before clenching her fists. She did not know who this woman was to Ichigo, nor did she hear any of the interaction he had had with Lilynette, but she knew what she had to do. She noticed Renji's grip on her arm grow slack, and in that moment, she pulled free and immediately took Mayuri by surprise.

As Mayuri was solely directing his spiritual pressure upon Ichigo and Karin, she was unimpeded as she kicked him across the face and sent him flying.

One could imagine how enraged Mayuri had become, immediately attacking with lethal force.

"Rukia!" Renji called in concern.

Byakuya however noticed a shadow move in the distance, his eyes narrowing.

The air suddenly became moist as a film of moving water blocked Mayuri's attack and obscured the sight of Rukia, Lilynette, and Silent.

"We meet again, Kuchiki," a familiar voice echoed out in the night as a figure spoke from within the waters.

Every pair of eyes widened in disbelief, but none more so than Rukia.

Under the protection of a flowing dome of spirit-made water, a man stood protectively in front of Rukia, holding both Masaki and Lilynette under his arms.

"I just wish the situation could have had been better," the man spoke within the silence.

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Aaroniero was internally cursing his current situation. If not for Aizen ordering him through a message to protect Lilynette and Silent, he would have damn well never have had acted and let the fools earn what they had sowed. However, not only did Aizen order him to protect, he had also informed him of the Vasto of White's impending arrival.

In Hueco Mundo, none other than the more reclusive hollows did not know of the strength the Vasto of White possessed. Stronger than even the God King Baraggan of Las Noches. And his power was truly absolute.

He did not know the Vasto of White's temperament, but he did not wish to test it either. If the Vasto of White himself would personally move to insure the lives of the two he was currently protecting, then he wouldn't want to be caught in a situation where it appeared that he had done nothing to defend the two. At least this way he did not risk obtaining the Vasto Lorde's ire, and at the same time he could perhaps gain favour instead?

Besides, he had an ability different from most hollows that made him confident that he wouldn't be killed right away even if he was captured. And by then, Lord Aizen would have probably found a way to rescue him. After all, it was because of Lord Aizen that he got to where he was now. Therefore, why then would Aizen waste his own investment? Thus, it was highly unlikely that Aizen would abandon him.

His ability was one based on his ability to continue evolving by absorbing the strengths and powers of others, both Shinigami and Hollow alike. Not only did he absorb their strength, he also assimilated their memories and personalities. In which case, this allowed him to handle the current situation by altering his appearance.

"Lieutenant Kaien Shiba, presumably dead in battle," Byakuya spoke with a hint of surprise lacing his voice. "What is the meaning of this?"

Yes indeed. Kaien Shiba was the form he was currently taking. Aside from some minor discomfort in taking the form, it wasn't impossible to maintain.

"Rukia, I want you to take these two and get out of here," he spoke.

"K-Kaien?" Rukia asked still in a daze.

He clicked his tongue. How useless.

"You're protecting the hollow?" Byakuya questioned.

He remained silent as he pondered the situation. He knew that he stood no chance against either Byakuya or Mayuri in a confrontation. Then what was he to do? Rukia was currently useless as now that he thought about it, even if she took Lilynette and Silent, she would not abandon the orange-haired kid.

This situation was just too difficult, he inwardly complained.

"This is," Renji muttered. "You must be an imposter!"

Renji's outburst caused a flicker of doubt to enter Rukia's and the other Shinigami's eyes. Still, he paid it no mind as he was sure that any suspicion would be shed when he revealed his Zanpakuto.

"I'll be taking this. It would be a pity if I did not research it." The voice was directly next to his ear, causing him to immediately react. He slashed out with his sword, but it was too late.

Mayuri was once again on the other side holding Silent in one arm. Luckily, because of his quick reaction, he had prevented Mayuri from taking Lilynette.

"If you take her, you will regret it," he spoke with a grimace.

"Hardly," Mayuri spoke before eyeing Lilynette.

"Then you've forced my hand," he spoke before brandishing his blade in front of him. "Rage through the Seas and the Heavens: Nejibana,"

As soon as his Zanpakuto displayed itself, not one Shinigami present doubted his identity, and this was exactly what he wanted.

"I-It really is you," Rukia stuttered.

Mayuri raised a brow. "And why would a Shinigami like you care for a hollow?"

"You don't know what it's like in Hueco Mundo," was his response, eliciting a gasp from Rukia as she should know how 'Kaien Shiba' ended up there.

Mayuri shrugged. "Hmm, well, don't care," he said. "Besides, I believe you know what it means to be cut by my sword."

One of his arms slackened before falling to his side. Indeed, it was a paralysis like effect that he knew from Kaien's memories.

The order of events may have seemed long, but they all happened in mere moments from the point that he had been protecting the two, till the point Mayuri had swiped Silent away from his hands. This result left him at a loss, and as such, he sent a mental message to Aizen using another of his abilities.

He truly was conflicted at the moment though, unwilling to place himself in danger for another. But in the end, he chose to follow through with his actions.

He opened a Gargantia under the astonished eyes of the Shinigami around him. It was the only way. With how Mayuri continued to eye Lilynette, he knew that Mayuri would quickly make his move, and by then he would be unable to do a thing. Thus, he acted first. Even more so when he realized Byakuya too was going to act.

Without much thought, he then tossed Lilynette along with Ulquiorra's eye into the Gargantia as almost immediately Byakuya apprehended him with a blade directly to his neck. At least with this, he could vouch for his efforts. Now all that remained was staying alive long enough to be rescued. And for that, he would play all his cards.

"Kaien Shiba of the Shiba Noble Clan requests to be judged under the rule of the central forty-six," he spoke in protocol.

"I don't give a damn about your request!" Mayuri spoke incensed as he brandished his word. "You let a subject get away!"

Yet before Mayuri could act, Byakuya was already standing on guard, his sword raised protectively by duty.

"Mayuri," Byakuya spoke. "Have you forgotten our purpose here?"

"Your purpose," Mayuri insisted. "I only came to research the strange fluctuations in spiritual energy. Presumably I'd found it along with another promising specimen. And this fool, has cost me one of them."

Seeing his words have no effect on Byakuya, Mayuri grimaced before he opened a Senkaimon and proceeded towards it with Silent held under his arm. There was nothing else left for him here.

Mayuri was gone with Silent in a mere moment.

Byakuya sheathed his blade before speaking.

"Rukia," Byakuya spoke. "It is time for us to go," he said.

Hesitating, Rukia looked on with a pained expression at Ichigo who lay unmoving on the ground. How could she possibly leave him in this state? Yet she knew that it was better than him being dead. It was a mercy shown by her brother to even allow him to live from this point, so she couldn't complain. Karin though…

As she next opened her mouth to bring up the matter, something inexplicable occurred.

Another Gargantia formed with an immense spiritual energy pouring out from within.

The expression that appeared on Byakuya's face was one Rukia was familiar with. It was the one that spoke of extreme danger.

"Renji, take Rukia and the Shiba, now," Byakuya spoke.

While both Renji and Rukia heeded Byakuya's words, Aaroniero couldn't help but smile internally.

He knew exactly what was coming.