Chapter Text
Welcome to the Soul Society… good name for my new world.
Seireitei in ruins
After Yhwach realized that the one he stabbed wasn't Ichigo but Aizen, he acted quickly and decided to use The Almighty for the closest future and liquefy into black goo and move away, with Aizen, from Ichigo who was waiting for the opportunity to strike him with a powerful Getsuga Tensho. Now that he was far enough from the substitute shinigami, Yhwach transformed back, with Aizen to his left, trapped by the black matter from the absorption of the Soul King. Yhwach then smiled with mischief, turned to face the traitorous Captain, and plunged his right hand into the chest where the Hogyoku was, which already regenerated the hole from before.
Aizen started to feel weak, his Reiryoku was being absorbed by Yhwach, ' No matter. ' Aizen thought while smirking ' With the Hogyoku in my possession it will be...' Aizen slowly stopped his trail of thought after having his entire reserve taken from him, the energy of the Hogyoku inside his body was being reabsorbed by the Hogyoku, a look of shock with a tiny bit of fear befell on his face at the realization of what Yhwach was planning to do.
The Quincy King was pleased by the look Aizen had on his face, his smile widened even more when Aizen started to struggle against his restrain in fear. Yhwach accelerated the process. Suddenly, Aizen's head whipped abruptly backward, his mouth opened in silent agony, his body started to become thin to the bones, his skin rotten, his prisoner clothes barely hanging, his hair escaping in the wind, his eyelids closing and becoming dark. Yhwach quickly took his hand out from his opponent's guts and opened it revealing the Hogyoku. With his black matter he threw the rotten corpse of Aizen at Ichigo Kurosaki's feet, who could only watch the event, traumatized by what he had just witnessed.
Ichigo prepared another Getsuga Tenshou but the black matter from Yhwach began to chase after him, he dodged as fast as he could but a black tendril caught his left leg by surprise. He was swung to the ground and against the ruins multiple times until he was incapable of moving but he still had Tensa Zangetsu in hand, holding on to it with an iron grip. He was then trapped by the black matter and could barely struggle, and was brought in front of Yhwach.
" Now it is time to take the fruit of my effort. But first, you will know why I want a world without death and a repetitive cycle. " The black matter was on the right side of Yhwach, forming a wall, images appeared, his friends fighting, his sisters at his house, his dad running with Ishida's father.
The teen asked with wide eyes in fear. " W-what are you doing? "
Yhwach didn't respond. Instead, he lifted his hand that was holding the Hogyoku. Ichigo couldn't tell how or why but he heard a faint cry coming from it, Yhwach didn't seem to notice. Then Ichigo looked back at the images.
He shouldn't have.
One by one they started dying. Chad dropped to the ground on his back, blood was dripping from the side of his mouth and a coin was coming out of it. Orihime was fading away from existence. Ishida had his Reiryoku taken out of his mouth. Rukia was frozen in black ice that started to crack. Shinji had his mask and began to form an unstable Cero in front of him, and exploded. Urahara's weird scars opened and his body shattered. Ishin had a silver arrow coming out of his chest, Ryuken seemed shocked by the arrow. Karin and Yuzu were starting to feel sleepy, Karin sat on the couch and Yuzu on a chair, both giving their last breath, eyes barely opened.
Yhwach started his explanation like a villain should. " Their soul will go to the reincarnation cycle, they will have a new life and new friends, but they will suffer again and again, I cannot let this system make people suffer multiple times without them knowing. In my world, none of this could happen, in my world there won't be a need for purifying the souls, regrets making them monsters, or discrimination toward others because their power makes them different. Your mother wouldn't have been a Quincy, Grand Fisher wouldn't even have existed. "
Ichigo was not listening to what he was saying, eyes still wide open.
" With your power, all of this will become even more possible. " The black matter positioned Ichigo in midair, Yhwach put his empty hand on his chest and the black matter absorbed it. Ichigo began to burn from the inside, he shut his eyes in pain.
Ichigo's inner world
Ichigo felt himself falling deep into the water. He opened his eyes, knowing that he was in his inner world, in Bankai, above the modern Atlantis. Feeling a familiar presence behind him, he turned around to spot the one who gave him the power to defeat Aizen and Yhwach: Tensa Zangetsu, his fused spirits.
" What am I doing here, Tensa Zangetsu? " He asked, almost not caring at all, receiving silence in exchange " I know that I have to stop Yhwach before he destroys everything but I don't know if I can live after that anymore! " He yelled in actual fear at his spirit. Suddenly, the spirit exploded in particles and reformed in two different places, not too far from each other. Standing and materializing on his left, was his younger Quincy manifestation Ossan, or rather Tensa since he's young at the moment, and to his right was his true Zanpakuto whom he acknowledged. Just like before in the Dangai, the mask was lifted on top of the white hair: Zangetsu; and he looked truly serious, which caught Ichigo's complete attention.
" Do not worry Ichigo, time is frozen long enough for us to talk. " Said Tensa, calmly.
" Yeah, what we're about to discuss is important. So shut up, listen, and don't interrupt us, King! " Said Zangetsu, his loud voice and brutal tone were the perfect contrast to Tensa's.
" We have a plan, we will stop Yhwach for a short moment, long enough for you to free yourself and kill him." Said Tensa, but even then, after finally gaining awareness of Tensa being his Quincy power, Ichigo knew that he won't like this at all, especially with the fact that Zangetsu wasn't his usual self. He already lost his loved ones, what else could he put at stake?... " The other me thinks that we will fight to keep your powers inside of you. And that once we're exhausted, Yhwach will easily steal all of your powers but he is wrong, we will not fight. " After Tensa finish speaking Ichigo was about to yell if it wasn't for Zangetsu.
" I told you to shut up! Do you really think we'll just give up like this, just as you are giving up right now!? The excuse to take over your body wasn't for me to let myself be kidnapped by a shitty version of Ossan! " Ichigo looked down, in shame for doubting and jumping to conclusions, plus Zangetsu was right, he was giving up. " We're gonna fight him from the inside. "
The owner of this world looked up, his frown showing that he knew something was off, he knew that all too well. To defeat enemies stronger than him, he will have to sacrifice something. " Just tell me already. "
The two Zanpakuto looked at each other before looking at their wielder. " When you will kill Yhwach we won't go back, we won't be with you ever again. " The last part of what Tensa said paralyzed the Substitute, eyes widened in fear, the memory of being alone without them for a year and a half was horrifying, and spending a lifetime without his friends and family will be true torture. Could he do this again in even worst circumstances? " I know you don't like this, but it has to be done. "
" But you can't leave me, you said that I am what you want to protect, I need you, both of you, I don't want to be alone! Not again! " Ichigo was desperate and was searching for another plan that won't require him to sacrifice his Zanpakuto.
" Idiot, you think we don't know that you need us? It's pretty obvious. Let's see… you needed Ossan to fight Kenpachi and obtain that fake Bankai, I saved your sorry ass from Byakuya, that big red-haired guy and his metal spider chick of the Bount, Ulquiorra, plus my mask that you use most of the time since you obtained it. " Said Zangetsu, while walking in circles in a mocking tone like he was reading a grocery list. " You idiot! " He suddenly yelled, surprising Ichigo. " That's why we will give you your own soul back but with a bit of us in it. " Now Ichigo was truly confused.
Tensa decided to help his wielder understand. " Allow me to explain what my counterpart just said. We know that you need our powers to protect others, we know that you will always be in danger. Even if everyone is gone, you will go forward, promising to rebuild everything if necessary, and will try to become stronger to make sure that it never happens ever again. " The boy remembered what he felt in the past: he wanted to protect others like before but he was ready to do almost anything to have his Shinigami power back. " We are part of your soul and a manifestation of your power. Koga Kuchiki was able to use Muramasa's ability to disorient peoples' senses to a certain extent but compare to us, we will give you all of our abilities, even those you haven't obtained yet like your Quincy ones, we are simply giving you complete control of what is yours. "
Ichigo remembered Byakuya talking about his fight against the traitorous Kuchiki, then he remembered something else. Pointing with his right hand at Zangetsu " He said that you will give a bit of you in it, what does that mean? "
Tensa was about to answer but Zangetsu was faster. " How do you expect to learn how to use those skills of mine without me, don't think of the surviving Vizard, they barely had a hard time using Cero and their inner hollows are nothing compared to me, and don't think of asking the Arrancar, your full hollowfication is in fact my Bankai, without me you can't obtain it but after the fusion you will have it and I'm sure you don't want a repeat of that time. " Ichigo had his memory cleaned after forging his Zanpakuto so he knew what happened when his instinct took over and made him a monster. So knowing how to control is better than anything. " Plus we're not just a part of your soul, I was a hollow before, White, while the kid here was Yhwach 1000 years ago and has all his knowledge. So Yeah, we have some of our minds that will fuse with you. "
" Well I don't think I want to become like you but I don't have a choice. Let's do this " Ichigo was once again determined to win this battle, for his spirits, but if any could pay attention, they could perceive the sadness of losing them in his brown eyes, and the spirits could see that.
The inner world started to shake for a brief moment, Tensa then spoke quickly. " Ichigo." He then lifted his left hand, Zangetsu following with his right, their respective blades appeared, without the color reverse for the bleached spirit, both humming with power, pointing downwards. " Take them, your original power will still work but the rest won't activate for a long time, the same goes for our personality, everything won't be thrust upon you but it will come slowly. "
Ichigo stepped forward and grabbed the swords. He didn't like this, it was like saying goodbye forever. " I'll miss you both. " He said in a whisper, but they could still hear him perfectly.
A black spiraling portal opened behind them. Tensa then transformed into Ossan and place his right hand on his wielder's shoulder and looked at him like a father proud of his son, with a smile that Ichigo has never seen before and probably won't ever again. " I am proud of what you have become and proud to have been your Zanpakuto. Live on, Ichigo! Do not let us or the death of your loved ones stop you! "
Ossan spoke his final words. " Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop."
" You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate." Ichigo finished for him. The old man let go and entered the portal, never looking back.
A light hit on his chest and brought him back. Zangetsu had his smirk back with his fist on him, but this time it wasn't malicious. " It was fun while it lasted, King, but you better lose that virginity of yours and conquer hot chicks with my personality. And don't forget to enjoy some fights. "
" You got it. " He wasn't going to be embarrassed by his hollow like that anymore, so now it's just funny. Zangetsu turned back and walks to the portal only to stop an inch away from it.
" Good luck and goodbye… Ichigo. " He spoke before finally entering the portal.
The real world
Yhwach let go of Ichigo like a corpse, his body falling on his knees then on the side. The absorption was easier than he thought. He turned back and was walking forward when suddenly, he was in pain. Something within him was disturbing his power, in a heartbeat he saw his own face 1000 years younger, in another heartbeat he saw a white version of Ichigo laughing like a mad man. The darkness around his face started to uncover him. Feeling a sudden surge of Reiatsu behind him he turned back, Ichigo was standing back up with Tensa Zangetsu in his left hand, face down, his hair hiding his eyes. Something dangerous was about to happen and he needed to stop him.
He charged, making his sword appear on his right hand, preparing for a downward strike. He was stopped by Ichigo's right hand, the blade caught by the palm but was dripping blood on it, the wind of the strike showed his new crimson glowing eyes, but Ichigo didn't notice the change nor the little slice on his left cheek that appeared. The Shinigami hybrid, with a fast movement, threw the blade aside, stole the Hogyoku, and uppercut Yhwach. With both hands, he lifted Tensa Zangetsu from his left side to above his head. " Getsuga… " While his blue Reiatsu gathered around it. Yhwach prepared to strike with vengeance and put the power holding the three worlds in front of his body, forming a black barrier. When the blade was perfectly above Ichigo, he slashed straight down at it.
" ...TENSHOU! "
Yhwach was vaporized with the balance of the three worlds, the Getsuga continued onward, and finally far away exploded in a column of blue light, waves of dirt spread everywhere. When it dispersed, Ichigo fell on his knees, his eyes back brown, Tensa Zangetsu in his left hand, the Hogyoku in his right.
Ichigo stood there, alone, as reality started to crack like glass, spreading everywhere, the Hollows invading the human world and everyone could see them, the souls of the Rukongai running from them but also from the living. The power coming from his Bankai was keeping the cracks from spreading to him, but it was also making the Hogyoku shine, not that Ichigo noticed it. The threat now gone he finally allowed the repercussion to settle, coupled with the quadrant fusion with his spirits, his mind fell into a spiraling mess.
...How?... How did this all happen? Why? Who? Was I not strong enough? ̷N̷o̶.̴ It's the Quincy. B̶u̵t̴ ̵t̸h̷e̴y̷ ̸ were hunted. Ḇ̶̿y̴̭̅ ̵͈͛t̵̡͌h̶̳̅ê̶̼ ̴̫̍G̵͈̓ö̶̗́t̸͍́e̷̜͆i̷̞͐.̷͇̔ ̷̻̀ It's them. No. T̴h̵e̸y̵ ̴w̵e̵r̶e̴ ̵f̷o̵r̴c̸e̵d̶.̴ ̵C̷e̴n̵t̸r̴a̶l̴ ̶4̸6̷?̴ But the Shinigami? Aizen. H̴͍̺̟͐o̸̲̥̣͈̎l̶̮̺̟̼͒l̷͓̥̓̈́͊ơ̷̧̱̈̃̐w̸̲̘͝?̵̡͖̱̰́͆̅ ̷̮̊W̷̭͎̳̔h̵͕̯̞́ọ̴̲͌?̸͇̾̂̂ ̴̟̍I̸̭̮͆͒͊̉t̸̛̪̯̦͐̃͜'̸̨̼͙̳̂͝s̴̙̖̍̓ ̸͚̪͐̒͛͗e̵̻̙̔v̵̥̀̍̃ẹ̷̭̀́͠r̶͕̈́̌̐̕ỷ̶̡̲̒͜o̸̭͝n̴͚͔͐ê̴̻̼̭͍̈́̓̚.̸̟͇̰̭̅̔̃ ̸͔͈͊͜Ḯ̷̛̦͛͘ ̸̯̜̑w̶̳̺͙̳̔́͋a̸̡̞̫̪͐͛̂n̵̠̋͘t̶̤̟̮̀ ̷̜̥̮̀͌t̶̲̝͔͇͛̈́o̶̳͉̓̏͘ ̷͈̼͖̭͆́̃̀f̷̞̏ͅḭ̶͂̎͜x̸̛͎̚ ̴̻̳͐͌i̷̢̟͂ẗ̸̪.̵͈͝ ̴̢͑̎F̷̧̤͒i̶͓͂x̴͕͍͂̕ ̶̼̆Ì̴͇̬̐t̷̨̃.̸̠̥̈́̃ ̴̱̣͆f̶͚́͘ḯ̸̪̠͝X̵̼̿͌é̸͚ͅ ̶̟͆i̵̡͑͠T̵̥̺͒.̴̟̃ͅ ̵̥̼͆f̴̠̽̎I̸̤̖͐͆x̴̨̧̍̀Ĕ̷̛̹͇ ̴̲͑Í̴̯̤t̴̘͊.̵̡͘ ̷̘͉̈́FIX IT!
Then a bright flash blinded the whole world, and the young teenager found himself in a dark void floating. " What the heck?! Where am I? " His previous madness gone for the moment as he looked around at the alarming situation he was in. Turning around one last time, he was face to face with a completely white feminine human with no hair or face or ears or anything, just a white statue with her hands on his cheeks.
A silent, but to him audible, whisper came from different female voices at the same time. " A gift for waking me up. " The white being slowly kissed Ichigo, surprising him. He closed his eyes for a nano-second and found himself in the throne room of the Soul King Palace, his face looking at the closed entrance. The young boy, not knowing what happened, walked forward and opened the double doors to reveal something he has never seen, imagined or dreamed of before. In front of him was …
A rainbow void.
' Honestly... It's pretty... ' His first thought was.
" WHAT IN MY DAD'S STUPIDITY IS GOING ON HERE?! " The boy said with his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. The entire cylinder palace, missing the islands of the Royal Guards, was in a colorful void.
" May I know who you are and how did you enter my domain? " A powerful voice exclaimed itself, one that sent shivers down his spine, and he wondered if he was in a heaven for heroes and in the presence of God.
Ichigo slowly turned to widen his brown eyes at what he was seeing. The Soul King, sitting on an actual throne in a pure white yukata, not sealed at all, with ALL his limbs attached to his body.
" Reio? "
To Be Continued...