65A/N: Whoever has still kept on with this story are the GOATs. Thank you all, whoever has remained, still, to this day and to the new readers, hehe, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Hope your 2023 has been going a lot better than mine guys, happy reading!
Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Tite Kubo-sensei
Chapter 10: Remember Me, O Angel of Mine
Fighting child soldiers wasn't something Ichigo had not prepared himself for.
This was war.
War didn't discriminate when it came to the fights and sacrifices and Ichigo himself wasn't just any other teenager, now was he?
Facing his adversary in the form of a child, Ichigo could only stare and ponder at the fact why this noble was here? The child that called themselves Hikone had quickly started the fight with a lunge towards him after the dragging speech by the green haired man ended and since then things had escalated to the point where Ichigo stared at the now badly bruised child crouching in front.
The noble, who had called himself Tokinada, seemed to not have any interest in the fight, except for a mad glee in his vision watching the child fight, even though he had a zanpakuto but Ichigo could care less about him for now when the child was not ordinary, even in battle.
Ichigo realized early of the fact that Hikone seemed to embody traces of all three spiritual beings in the current realm along with a human signature as well. Whilst being a Shinigami himself, once, he could faintly familiarize with the reiatsu signature much earlier when their blades clashed for the first time. Being a Quincy, now Ichigo could further enhance on his senses by capturing the information left in the lingering reishi in the air as they clashed with their spiritual powers.
Unknowing to Ichigo was the subconscious reiatsu sensing ability left by his lingering Fullbring form, his doppelganger had a Fullbring before getting his Shinigami powers, that identified the Human traces in the Spiritual reiatsu being emitted by Hikone.
A Shinigami, a Hollow, a Quincy even and truly surprising were the traces of a Human's reishi, something Ichigo couldn't figure out how. That was what troubled Ichigo. Ichigo had quickly started to take the fight seriously as the child, in front, seemed to be an anomaly just like him but the faint familiarity had given any pauses to thoughts of the child being anything natural. Also, the zanpakuto they wielded.
It was evil.
Whatever it was, Ichigo could feel the foul reiatsu even when sealed. He knew it wasn't any ordinary zanpakuto if it was retrieved from the bottom of Oetsu's oceanic bed. Ichigo had wanted to converse with his own zanpakutos for some counsel but it seemed to be that for some reason, both of his zanpakuto didn't want to reach him. Ichigo frowned. The noble still grinned.
Ichigo glanced back at the child whose body seemed to glow with purple-red reiatsu. The pressure around the vicinity of the three people started to grow dense as Ichigo gripped the handle to one of Zangetsu and another hand gathered reishi.
"Yoru Yobidasu, Ikomikidomoe!"
Then everything went black.
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"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live beyond the stars? Ichigo?"
The question lingered as the form of a whimpering Ichigo slowly stood from his position in the ground.
"I can bring into being so many things and yet when I think about the vastness of the sky I can only picture a blank space with tiny lights."
The tattered uniform fell off to reveal a bruised body that was engulfed in a dark blue reishi film as the wounds slowly healed.
"Stars look so small and yet when we see them they are a beautiful flicker. And when I imagine them I can only picture the flickers."
As the wounds healed up Ichigo proceeded to walk.
"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to hold a star?" and he reached him. "Ichigo?"
A short hooded figure with blonde hair looked up to Ichigo and met his eyes as he gazed at the figure with something akin to fond understanding. Ichigo let out a sigh before he spoke,
"Stars are a lot bigger than what you see them as Gremmy." The figure, Gremmy, looked at Ichigo with raised eyebrows as he continued to speak whilst sitting down beside him.
"In the human world we currently have enough understanding of the fact that they are a lot bigger than our planet, so I cannot imagine holding one." Ichigo looked at Gremmy.
"Is that so?"
Ichigo nodded as he moved his gaze towards the destroyed training grounds of the palace. Ichigo was currently being administered harsh training, both mentally and physically.
As soon as Yhwach had revealed the whole truth of his mission Ichigo had a few clauses to add. He didn't like how brutal the Quincy King was being when he spoke about his invasion plans and Ichigo had tried to deny his self to be a part of it all.
xFlashbackx
"I will not take part in any killing of innocent Shinigami Yhwach. I will help you get to the Soul King but I will not take innocent lives!" Ichigo growled. Haschwalth looked on but if one could see his eyes, he held in a bit of contempt that surfaced at the way Ichigo addressed his king.
"You speak as if you have any control over your actions now my so-" "I am not your son!"
Yhwach's eyes glowed. Ichigo gritted out with no fear, "You revealed a lot of things today Yhwach. I don't like what I heard, but damn it, if I don't do something to minimalize innocent casualty! I had enough people dying during Aizen's war!"
"Aaaaaaahh! Ichigo…" Yhwach focused. "…the way you phrased that. Do you still hear them?" Ichigo stiffened. "Do you still hear them screaming? The ones who were unlucky enough to fall. So now you just don't want to associate yourself with their deaths now is that it? To forget them?" Yhwach slowly tilted Ichigo. "This war will happen and Shinigamis will die Ichigo and whether or not you kill them, the others will.
I have told you everything about them and yet you hold such foolish sentiments, just like to your parents. You had already seen so much and yet you have that senseless love for those people around you. It is truly amusing."
Fists clenched, Ichigo listened to Yhwach speak his frank amusement in the ongoing discussions.
"Death in this war will be a rebirth for many Ichigo, remember my doctrine I had spoken to you."
Ichigo had learned quickly enough that he couldn't escape the eyes of the King. With no powers whatsoever and the small amount that he trained not even being enough it would be foolish to run as well. So Ichigo listened as Yhwach spoke upon the targets of interest.
"….Yamamoto, he shall be the prize to bringing down the whole Gōtei 13 of Seireitei…."
Ichigo had doubts emerge but the memories and tales of the atrocities had Ichigo reeling back again.
"….when the time comes, I shall be ready to welcome you in my son."
Ichigo shuddered at that word again.
"Son" he whispered. "If I am your son you would also listen to my request then Yhwach." He looked at Yhwach with his own intense brown eyes and spoke, "I will help you reach the throne Yhwach but I won't kill innocents.
I will protect you. I will protect my family and this place. But I won't kill the ones who were ignorant. Grant this and I will stay. That is my only condition."
Yhwach met his gaze as the room they were in stood in pin drop silence at that. The silence broke when Yhwach had a small smirk appearing in his face. Jugram wondered what had brought upon this sudden change in his king's expression when Yhwach spoke,
"Amusing. Just like when I first met him."
"Your Majesty?" Jugram pondered.
"Hehe. You amuse me Kurosaki Ichigo. Very well, I will play this game of negotiations my boy." Yhwach rose from his position as he loomed over Ichigo and spoke, "It is just like I have seen. This is very intriguing. My visions are truly getting better."
Jugram kept his gaze on Ichigo as his eyes narrowed. "If you hurt any-!"
Yhwach didn't speak anything as he turned away from Ichigo and proceeded to walk, Jugram in tow. Ichigo was left gaping for a while as he was seemingly ignored. As Yhwach was about to take a right, suddenly he spoke, "You shall be present in the training chambers in a few moments." With finality in his tone he walked out of the room leaving Ichigo to ponder over his last words.
After a few more steps Yhwach spoke, "Haschwalth."
"Your Majesty?"
"Tell me, what you think of the boy." Haschwalth's eyes blinked at the unexpected question. He calmed himself before speaking.
"Your Majesty, by your grace it has been deemed for him to be added to the daten and the special war powers list. I see no fault in your reasoning your Majesty. He shall be a great addition to our forces if he joins thoroughly.", was the calm and collected reply of the King's right hand man.
"What about his morals? How do YOU see him in the future Haschwalth?" Yhwach kept inquiring without looking towards Jugram. A small pause later Jugram answered,
"Only you have the power of foresight your Majesty so let it be known that if anyone would judge him any better it shall be you. I cannot truly speak of the future but I feel that the re-education process shall be enough."
Yhwach hummed a tone as he just smirked and then replied, "Inform Gremmy of his obligation. He is to approach Kurosaki Ichigo in a week's time and both of them will prepare."
"It shall be done, your Majesty."
xFlashback Endx
That was how the hooded Quincy had become Ichigo's personal trainer, more like torturer at this point. Ichigo had learned quickly enough that Yhwach didn't mind his clauses. The way Haschwalth had described the confidence of the King had Ichigo quiet stumped. It left him to wondering if the King really had no worries for insubordination but that was all left in the dirt when his re-edcation had begun.
On the other hand Gremmy was intrigued when he was approached by Haschwalth for the matter of Ichigo's training. He knew about Kurosaki Ichigo from the daten and finding out the fact that they might have him as an ally had certainly thrown him in a loop for a moment.
Special War Power Kurosaki Ichigo was said to be a very special Quincy by Yhwach and thus when Gremmy was approached for his training and re-admission into being able to use Quincy powers it was with gladness the proud wielder of 'The Visionary' took to his orders.
Re-education wasn't exactly torture. It was a harsh teaching regime that instilled the way of the Quincies into the heads of their recruits in similar ways as to someone grooming a kid. It was the very reason why re-education was mostly done when the Quincies were young and easily malleable. Ichigo was young but he wasn't a child that could be easily turned and thus the training evolved into a type of torture for Ichigo when Gremmy became involved.
Subjected to a very different teaching method, Ichigo was put through harsh conditions in order for his abilities as a Quincy to awaken; for his physical being to use the reishi in the surroundings naturally because even though Ichigo may have Quincy blood, he was a gemischt. Also, due to never using his Quincy abilities his body wasn't used to it.
One may ask how, can one replicate all those harsh conditions simultaneously and how, could one even have so much room for such an almost impossible situation to create.
This was where Gremmy's abilities came to play.
His "Visionary" gave him the ability to create anything he could imagine in his mind. In that sense, he could replicate different harsh training environments much more conveniently which in turn had helped Ichigo in discovering the abilities blessed upon him through his Quincy heritage. It had worked and hence Gremmy had been training Ichigo since.
"Your power. It can really bring into being anything you imagine huh."
Gremmy had a small smile adorned on his face as he heard Ichigo's words. "Yes." He replied.
"His Majesty has given me an amazing power. The Visionary turns anything I can imagine to become reality, anything. You know, if we never had the ability to imagine, this world wouldn't be as lively as it is now would it? It's also another fact that I can crush my enemies with minimal work done."
Looking at the smiling Sternritter besides him, Ichigo could only sigh at that as he spoke, "Have you ever been challenged Gremmy?"
An inquisitive glance was centered on Ichigo when he asked that question and Gremmy replied, "Not in the slightest. The other Sternritters know their place Ichigo and that place is beneath me. That is why I don't necessarily go and claim fights nor do I need to.
They cannot kill me nor defeat me. I can always imagine their defeats in the most gruesome of ways and that always gives them pause for comfort. Comfort at the fact that they are smart enough to not take me on unnecessarily."
The answer was expected if the way Ichigo's face didn't show any kind of alarm at the reply was any indication. He had expected the Quincy to be arrogant in his reply and he was, but to a certain extent it also had an air of confidence like no other. So when was it? That someone realized that their confidence had turned into arrogance?
'Wishful thinking.'
"In this palace I can kill the strongest of them all without even lifting a finger. His Majesty knows this and always gives me free reign. This power I have is so great that I had also created life Ichigo."
Ichigo blinked at the mention of that fact. Created life? Was he saying that he could actually imagine living beings to form? To reality? This he had to ask,
"Life? Gremmy, you said you created life?"
"Oh yes, I surely did. Shaz Domino." Gremmy grinned, mentioning the name as nonchalant as possible.
"He is a new Quincy I was able to create with my abilities while playing around with it, after I was able to make a copy of myself. His Majesty has offered to try and bestow a schrift onto him and see how he would turn out."
A look of disbelief washed over Ichigo's face as he listened to Gremmy nonchalantly admitting to creating a living breathing Quincy out of thin air. He was stumped at this. Ichigo initially didn't seem to realize the extent of power the Sternritter beside him seemed to have. Now he understood.
The various landscape changes. The mental projections. The harsh brutal training equipments that would just appear out of nowhere. Those were his actual creations. Creations birthed into reality by his powers. Ichigo paused.
Then he remembered back to Gremmy mentioning he could create life. But what was the extent of this ability of his? Was there no limit to his creations? Were they as real as they were? Ichigo had seen the creations even disappear in such a manner that it left no traces. As if it was a real enough illusion and had disappeared without any trace as if they were never really there.
"Gremmy…." the mentioned Quincy turned to look at Ichigo. "How real are your creations and do they really last as long as they do?"
Ichigo had to know this. He could live with the fact that the Quincy in front of him had a power unlike any he had ever seen. It was akin to someone becoming the very thing Aizen had spent his life to becoming. Something transcendent. A god.
If Gremmy could truly create something that could truly live and breathe, he had a plan slowly build in his mind about the way he could circumvent his training schedule problems. Currently he could only train on days he could be sure that his family was sure of his whereabouts and the other spiritual entities had no idea of where he was.
He had also recently been approached by a group of individuals who had presumably learned about him and knew about the Seireitei and the various spiritual activities as well. Ichigo had smelled something fishy instantly with the way his new physiology reacted to their presence and the change in the reishi around them.
It was only time that other entities were willing to look into him, now that many would assume him powerless to be a big threat to their plans like Yhwach for example. But that was for a different time.
Right now, Ichigo had to learn more about Gremmy's abilities and its limitations as well if there was any. With the days going away and the new training being ingrained in to his being Ichigo had slowly learned to temper his hard headedness and opted to plan a bit more strategically in his mind.
He focused back on Gremmy as he spoke, "My creations remain as long as I am aware of them. They cease to exist when I want them to or forget about them I guess. I just make them appear and disappear as I wish. Shaz has been informed that he will be bestowed a schrift now. I don't think I will ever forget him so he will never fade unless he gets killed."
Ichigo's eyes narrowed at that explanation. Awareness was the main point Ichigo had been able to gleam from the brief description of Gremmy about his power. As long as he was aware, his creations remained in the world.
"Was there something about my power Ichigo? Are you afraid now?" was the question of Gremmy seeing Ichigo turn silent after his explanation. Ichigo shook his head in the negative.
"No, it's not that I am scared. Your power is really terrifying I can tell you that much Gremmy." Ichigo closed his eyes and took a small breath. "If your ability can really do as you have said then I have a specific plan in mind that would be beneficial for me and his Majesty."
Gremmy raised an eyebrow at that. He leaned in closer towards Ichigo as he was intrigued over what the Special War Power turned Quincy had brewing in his mind. It was not every day that Gremmy had someone to exchange words with.
"I think it's time we played around a little with your schrift, Gremmy. You up for it?" Ichigo asked and Gremmy didn't mind.
Gremmy had been lonely as long he could remember. His birth aside, the fact that his power had many of his fellow Quincies squirming and never approach him had turned the young looking Quincy apathetic until the Sternritter named Liltotto approached him once and had made small conversation over foods.
Appreciative of the approach, Gremmy had a very cordial relation with the mentioned female Sternritter. She didn't seem to care much about the rumours surrounding him when she had started their conversation over if she could eat whatever Gremmy could create and have her stomach filed.
Gremmy had no qualms over using his ability for those "mundane" works but it did give him some time and opportunity to play around with his schrift. He didn't know why she bothered but Gremmy seemed to never mind the company her presence brought in and it made Gremmy wonder. Could he ever understand relationships if he never bothered with any attachments? His creations being his sole bringer of joy.
But he digressed and Gremmy wondered if he could ever call Ichigo his friend, while listening to his plan that made the Visionary wielder even more intrigued than his own imaginations. Friends, plans, relations, Gremmy seemed to relish in the present moment while forming a new imagination inside his mind as he heard Ichigo's plan.
'A true artificial Quincy'
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This kid.
Hikone as that person had called them.
This artificial kid had become a nuisance, pretty soon, to Ichigo as he was being pushed on the defensive after whatever power the kid had unleashed with that command, they whispered, a few moments ago.
Black, wispy reiatsu clung to their body as Hikone only looked on forward, entranced in their own powered-up state; like an unconscious, drugged-up person with unfocused, lidded eyes, going off of the high they are getting. Gritting his teeth Ichigo dodged another slash of unfocused trajectory, missing his coat by a few millimeters, as he created distance between himself and the kid.
One of his Zangetsu in hand, Ichigo looked at the hollowfied Hikone in front of him thinking, 'Is that due to the zanpakutō. He called it something like Ikomikidomoe. What is that zanpakutō? Feels unnatural and so Hollow-like.'
Hikone meanwhile, all of a sudden, unleashed a strong reiatsu pulse blast with a scream blowing debris everywhere. Ichigo, himself, was hit with the wave of the reiatsu pulse in full force, pushing him back a bit, surprising him.
Sliding backwards, steadying him-self, as the pulse died down and the dust slowly started to settle, Ichigo realized to not give any more reprieve and quickly gathered reiryoku in his right zanpakutō. Zangetsu glowed as he whispered, "Licht-
A bright blue film of reishi glow lit up Zangetsu as Ichigo let go of the attack with a howl.
-TENSHŌ!"
A huge slash of bright blue reiatsu hurled towards Hikone as Ichigo slashed forward. He saw Hikone grin as the attack swallowed them whole; completely, a huge explosion rocked the area around as Ichigo steadied himself but he didn't have much chance to recover as a bloodied body missile flew straight towards him from the dust cloud his attack had created, right after it subsided.
Bringing up both of Zangetsu, Ichigo blocked the sword attack of the kid as he got pushed back in a blade-lock. Looking into the kid's eyes Ichigo noticed they were fully entranced by the power raging through their body. The hollow-like reiatsu from the blade engulfing the entire form of the kid gave Ichigo pause but he gritted his teeth and kicked them off. Hikone somersaulted and steadied their selves, and then they kicked off again to start another sword battle.
Ichigo dispelled the reishi bow on his left as he unsheathed both of his zanpakuto right when Hikone crashed into him in a sword lock, Ichigo grunted after being hit with the shockwave. Gritting his teeth Ichigo pushed Hikone back and slashed at them horizontally but they blocked it with Ikomikidomoe and were sent flying out. They steadied themselves mid-flight as they gathered black reiatsu in their blade and when they landed they started launching fast, small, black slashes consecutively towards Ichigo.
The slashes were too fast as Ichigo had to instantly jump upwards and used Sonido to dodge three more slashes headed his way. As he got his footing mid-air and looked at the oncoming reiatsu slashes, Ichigo crossed his blades as he brought them upwards, gathering huge amount of both his own reiatsu and the reishi from the surroundings and then unleashing an attack of both Shinigami and Quincy origin, since the zanpakutos's abilities he was facing, Ichigo had deduced, were really Hollow-like.
"Regen Getsuga Licht Jūjishō (Raining Moon Fang Light Cross-shaped Piercer)!"
Numerous cross-shaped bright yellow tinged blue slashes dispersed from one huge cross-shaped slash as the space in front of Ichigo and Hikone exploded in a big blast of black, red, blue, and yellow reiatsu. The shockwave that followed reached the outer parts of the realm as well. Ichigo gritted his teeth as he heard the noble, Tokinada, on the far opposite end of the place laughing boisterously as the kid landed a couple ways in front of him, zanpakuto at the ready as they kept a grin even with a bleeding forehead.
Tokinada couldn't believe the scene he was witnessing all along since the sudden arrival of this mysterious Quincy. He wasn't worried at all about a Quincy actually catching him as he had hikone but the moment the fight had begun it had turned into one of the biggest display of sheer power and cold close-combat. Tokinada grew even more surprised when he heard a distinct technique's name he knew belonged to someone else. For Tokinada, this fight was an opportunity and on he wanted to take part and advantage of as soon as he could.
"Amazing, truly amazing.", Tokinada seemed to speak, enraptured. "Is it really you under that hood? Is it?! Who would've thought my creation would bring me such a new surprise. Those zanpakuto, Haha! Those zanpakutos are dead proof!"
Ichigo gazed at Tokinada with narrowed eyes from under his hood.
"Tell me?! Is that really you under that hood?! Hmmmm, Kurosaki IchiGO!"
Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he brought his zanpakutōs to stand still beside him and gazed at Tokinada and Hikone, eyes glowing yellow and blue. He didn't know who the noble was but apparently he knew who Ichigo was. 'Figures I would be popular in Seireitei but amongst the noble too?!'
"Amazing! Why are YOU here Kurosaki Ichigo?!" Tokinada's voice broke Ichigo's train of thought. "Kurosaki Ichigo, the hero of Seireitei. The savior of Soul Society. The one who defeated Aizen Sōsuke! How I thought you would be up there right now, fighting for the glory and to save the very Spiritual Realm that we live in. To save a wretched LIE of the world WE LIVE in!"
Ichigo blinked with un-surety as Tokinada continued, "Why I thought you would be already fighting the almighty Quincy King! Then I assumed you would learn it all! Everything that was kept a lie! Everything that was hidden from your eyes! Oh! What ignorance does to a man heheheheeh!"
Ichigo gripped the handles of Zangetsu tightly as Tokinada continued speaking while Hikone kept a grinning face locked on Ichigo, "But this is a surprise! Kurosaki Ichigo. Your dress. Those weapons you created. The techniques demonstrated. Kurosaki Ichigo, you embraced your Quincy heritage?! When?! Ahahahahaha!"
Tokinada controlled his laughter as he beckoned towards Hikone, "Come here, Hikone."
Hikone proceeded to follow the order as they shunpo'ed back towards the side of Tokinada as he continued,
"This is truly a surprise, Kurosaki Ichigo, even for me. A Quincy? You?! This brings me so many questions. How did YOU, a mere boy playing Shinigami, YOU were able to pull the rug over MY eyes! Someone from the all-seeing clan of reject, old, FOOLS! Splendid!"
Proceeding to clap briefly for a moment, as Ichigo's eyes narrowed; hood still on, Tokinada continued, "I don't know how you did this. I am actually impressed. I knew the Quincies were already in and around Seireitei but I just couldn't pin-point where you all were. How did you come around to their cause I wonder, Kurosaki Ichigo, and when?"
"You know me well." Ichigo spoke slowly as he decided to take off his hood and Tokinada proceeded to grin wider at the spectacle in front of him. For Ichigo it seemed to be a losing battle in hiding his identity but he knew it was only matter of time before everyone found out anyway. But Tokinada still rubbed Ichigo the wrong way still.
Something was not right with his two surprise opponent and Ichigo knew he had to take the situation in to his control, "Now, I am going to ask you a question."
Tokinada's smile showed his teeth, "Ahhh, no answers for me I see. You removed your hood really quickly. Straight to business, hmm."
"What is your move?" Tokinada's face showed a short burst of surprise at the quick question as he looked at Ichigo while Ichigo continued with his question, "You seem to be a noble from the looks of it and you are not in Seireitei but in here. This place, the palace of Nimaiya Ōetsu. Even if you were a noble and had foreknowledge of the palace you would have to either get help from the Royal Members or the device I know Urahara has made to reach here. Or..."
Ichigo's voice darkened as his thoughts shifted to a fireworks making small family, "….did you get a Help from someone?"
Tokinada raised an eyebrow at that as Ichigo continued on, "However you reached, you shouldn't be here even then when everyone is fighting over there on the outside. But you don't seem to care for that, do you?" His eyes went to the zanpakuto in Hikone's hands. "Most likely, it seems you were here for that zanpakuto in the kid's hands. I don't need to be a genius to know you obviously control the boy, noble, so I ask again, what is your move by coming here?"
Ichigo, in combination with his reishi manipulation, abruptly slammed his dense reiatsu on to both Tokinada and Hikone as they staggered.
"What did you do with that kid? And why did you want that zanpakuto?!"
Tokinada started snickering as sweat dripped down his brows from the intense pressure of Ichigo's reiatsu and unknown to him, the condensed pressure of the ambient reishi around as well. He choked out, "Kheh-Th-That is s-some de-den-dense reiatsu y-you, you got, hybrid."
Tokinada raised his reiatsu as well to counter the reiatsu being pressed down upon him but it was still really an unfruitful venture as the pressure only seemed to increase even more over time. "Hi-Hiko-oone!" He is able to choke out but looking at the child warrior he brought in front of him he didn't know what to say as he saw Hikone seemingly stop moving and stay rooted at one place unflinchingly, never even reacting to his call.
'Wh-what is go-goi-ing on with you Hiii-Kooon-ne? Why a-aren-ren't y-you re-responding?', Tokinada started growing worried. The unmoving figure of Hikone made Tokinada uneasy at the situation as he felt the reiatsu keep slamming onto them.
Meanwhile when Ichigo had released his reiatsu, mixed with every heritage's signature he was birthed with, he had unknowingly done something miraculous at that point.
Hikone was an artificial child. Tokinada made them with a specific plan in mind. A plan of almost bizzare proportions and goals but Tokinada had made the child to be the main part for his nefarious endgame, creating a being that could potentially rule over all of the realms. For that instance, Tokinada had planned.
Since learning about the original sin, even after various transcripts had been somehow lost in time, Tokinada had been planning this act. The expose of a century and the crowning of a new era's overseer. For this very plan he created Hikone, the very crutch to his overall goal. Tokinada didn't care how long it took, it only needed to be done when he was still alive and for many, many, years, Tokinada had successfully been able to do his covert work in the most discreet way possible.
An artificial hybrid soul mixed with the collected spiritual essences of various deceased Shinigamis and also Human essences, with the various Soul King fragments he could find. Tokinada had also mixed in Hollow reiatsu as well to the soul but initially it had always failed to maintain a stable body. For years it had been one of the things that had left him stumped.
Tokinada had been covertly creating Hikone for so long that once the Quincies had attacked the Seireitei, it only gave way to opportunities for him. The attack had finally brought him the answer to his failures. A brain he found in the battlefield. A human body part of an extremely powerful Quincy, someone who had fought the new and re-invigorated Kenpachi, the true one to hold the title.
Tokinada knew about Gremmy from the fight he had observed whilst in his compound looking over the destruction of Seireitei. How it pleased him to see the numerous deaths of his fellow Shinigami, the various martyrs of the Soul Realm who gave up their lives despite being ignorant of the truth of their existence.
And so he waited, as the battle had ended between the walking destruction and the imagination creator and he could see what was left behind in the wake of the fight. No dead body, just a brain, encased around a small glass container that lay in the aftermath ruins of the battle. He had procured the brain and there it was; his missing piece to the child's puzzle.
Hikone was, then, complete.
The ultimate weapon of the Tsunayashiro scion and his one successful venture to relish in the despair he was to bring.
Now, the child stood in silence whilst the other two adults faced each other in a battle of reiatsu, unbeknownst to the fact that the child had another war raging inside his mind. The pulse of reiatsu Ichigo had unleashed had unwittingly reached a small, minute, part of a conscious, inside the child's mind, that was presumed dead. A soul that was thought to have been lost that now had awakened.
It remembered that signature. It remembered that rage and the pain. Now it wanted its place back. It was a complete being before, Hikone was not. Hikone was because of the conscious itself, it was not the other way round.
Unknown to the combatants currently facing each other on the battlefield, Hikone was coming to their revelation, and it was only a matter of time that something truly unprecedented was coming to fruition.
xFlashbackx
"Gremmy."
The Visionary turned towards his right as Ichigo walked into his peripherals. Ichigo stopped beside him and proceeded to sit down besides the Visionary as he said, "It is a surprise to see you here Ichigo."
"The first fall is coming. I just wanted to see you one last time before everyone leaves for war." Ichigo replied.
"Aaaah, so the plan is still in effect. You are to not appear in the war right now."
"I am to see how my copy has grown. I have heard that he has made first contact with one of the Arrancars his Majesty had captured and sent out to the Human World."
Gremmy chuckled. "Do you know what happened?"
"My clone kicked his ass."
Gremmy nodded as he said, "The Hollow Queen. Such a pitiful existence. I wonder why his Majesty wouldn't just kill her and be done with taking over Hueco Mundo. We could rule this dimension altogether anyway if she is done for."
Ichigo sighed, "You know it is not just that easy to do that, Gremmy. She needs to be alive. Or the Hollows will rebel in even more numbers. Numbers we cannot underestimate."
Gremmy only seemed to scoff at the idea that he could lose against any kind of Hollow or any number of them. For him they were just a blight in his perfect world. They didn't need to exist. He wanted a world free of the kind of ugliness the Hollows created. His Visionary would make it come true, Gremmy had confidence. In himself and his Majesty.
A short moment of silence later Ichigo spoke, "I wasn't here just to meet you Gremmy. There was something that I needed you to have."
The statement had Gremmy raise an interested eyebrow as he looked at Ichigo and beckoned for him to continue.
"My plan wouldn't be possible without your help on every turn Gremmy. No matter what happens, you are a friend to me. Not a monster. You don't know a monster unless you've met people. People outside of this walls and shadows. I will always appreciate your help no matter and for that same reason. I want to give you something in return."
"Oh, what is that Ichigo?"
"Soon, but one more thing. Have you taken to heart my suggestion for your powers?" Ichigo enquired.
"I do not require any assistance on that Ichigo. It is powerful and only I know how it works and I can control it." Gremmy replied. It was something Ichigo had told him about to expand on his powers and make more complex imaginations but Gremmy didn't want to bother with it.
Ichigo sighed but replied, "That's great Gremmy but I just don't want you to be all alone in your dreams again."
"I am never alone Ichigo. My imagination keeps me company." Gremmy said with no deflection.
"True….. But still, I wanted to give you something. If you don't mind Gremmy."
"Is that so?" Gremmy was a little bit interested. "What would this thing be?"
He saw someone enter the room they were in. A small figure, with light footsteps, approached the two as the person, a girl, then stopped right next to Ichigo. Ichigo just whispered,
"Something that I hope you will never need."
xFight against Zarakix
As the physical form of the Visionary's hands and face slowly started to erode away into the reishi everything was made up of, the slowly disappearing Quincy proceeded to have one last look at the opponent in front of him.
Shadowed over by the Captain's towering figure looking down at him from the skies, the Quincy himself was battling him in, Gremmy chuckled. A throaty, rasping voice was all he could muster.
"I see. Haha!"
Gremmy had always believed in his power. Believed in his imagination, the world where, he could create all that he wanted. Destroy all that he wanted. Make-believe anything into reality. He had created things that could only be called God's creation, an extension of his will. He had brought forth a new generation, a new era to the world of Quincy. He gave a new meaning to the word 'impossible' as Ichigo had once told him so.
'Heh, you were right it seems….'
Zaraki slowly floated down. Landing in front of Gremmy's disappearing body, Zaraki watched. The heavily injured Shinigami still standing made Gremmy laugh in denial. He had thought he could defeat him, this fiend.
"…I couldn't defeat him." Gremmy softly whispered. He remembered the battle.
The elements didn't matter, world-ending events didn't matter, even, space didn't matter, to this hulking monster that Gremmy had tried to become. He brought upon him humanity's biggest and most dangerous means of death, and yet. He still stood in front of him.
The demon of the Gotei13 they called him, the Kenpachi. Kenpachi Zaraki, the 11th Division Captain, and Gremmy remembered, only now.
In his dying moment, Gremmy remembered the conversations, of how much Ichigo had emphasized over the fact that the Kenpachi was someone not to be messed with. That he wasn't any ordinary Shinigami who could be handled easily, but Gremmy hadn't listened. Gremmy had still been arrogant.
'Royd took him down in His Majesty's guise, didn't he? That meant he wasn't a true monster and yet….?'
He had known, Gremmy had known that the Kenpachi was defeated by one of the twins. It was the plan when they had first invaded the Seireitei and the transformed Royd had been able to match the Captain Commander with his abilities until he was struck down quickly by the Captain himself.
'But still, I could imagine it Ichigo. You were wrong. I could imagine it perfectly. The kind of monster this guy is.'
Zaraki watched the disappearing body of Gremmy when suddenly Gremmy spoke, "Heh, so it was inevitable after all." Zaraki focused on Gremmy as he continued speaking.
"He was right about you but he was wrong about this one thing. I could imagine it all Kenpachi Zaraki. Your full powers I could imagine it all, the extent it could flood your veins. But then again, he was right about you."
"Hmm?"
"He always told me to try and work more on my schrift. Expand my imagination, to have an open mind, watch out for any inspiration. He had warned me about my one track imagination." Gremmy focused back on Zaraki's eyes as his body kept disintegrating from the bottom right.
"And it came back to haunt me."
"The hell are you talking about, brat?!"
"How crude, haha. But that is just you isn't it Kenpachi Zaraki?" (a pause) "I could have defeated you but it was my own fault that I failed to truly imagine it all. He warned me about it as well."
"Who are you talking about?"
"You don't need to know who. Just know that today, Kenpachi Zaraki, it wasn't you who defeated my imagination. It was my own failure that I wasn't imagining it all better."
Zaraki looked on as Gremmy's body had slowly eroded away a little more than half of what was left currently, slowly disappearing as well.
"It's funny. I want to rant. I want to deny. I feel exhausted. I feel this nasty anger wallow up and yet, I can only accept this loss. Kenpachi Zaraki, you are the first person to have given me this taste of defeat. Tch, damn it. I wanted to win you know."
All of sudden, something shattered and before Zaraki's own eyes a brain, encased in a protective casing, fell out the backside of the disintegrating Quincy. Zaraki was flabbergasted for a while as he did not expect this turn of events. "What…is…that?"
Unknown to both of them, a small seal had glowed and then disappeared into the brain that was encased in the protective shell.
"Hehe, I told you before this fight started didn't I, that I would destroy you without even using a single finger." Gremmy continued after a pause. "Even this body that you see before you is a product of my own imagination. Shame it couldn't handle the power I imagined to face you. I should've been more imaginative but in the end…
….I am the one who lost."
With almost all of his body now almost completely disintegrated Gremmy looked at Zaraki with his fading vision. "I told you Kenpachi Zaraki, I would face you and kill you without even lifting a finger. In the end, it seems like it doesn't matter.
My imagination seems to have exhausted itself. Even his image is fading from my memories. He gave me something but I cannot see the light anymore. It's all blank, my vision. I feel lonely. I feel lost. I am scared. I don't want to go to this place, where there is nothing to imagine…..
….where he is not there."
Gremmy's left eye had a single tear running down, surprisingly, as more than half of his body had already disappeared along with more than half of his face. Gremmy took one last look at Zaraki before he truly disappeared, a couple of seconds later. A small wind blew away the lingering reishi matter. A single brain encased in a shell was the only thing that was left in the aftermath of the battle as the stage began to crumble down without its creator's presence.
xFlashback Endx
Tokinada smashed through a wall as Ichigo followed through whilst gathering reishi.
"Licht Regen!" A hail of reishi arrows swarmed the front of Ichigo as it rained down on Tokinada who used Bakudō #81 Danku to protect himself as the ground exploded.
Ichigo didn't waste time before he was on the move but he had to dodge the Hadō spell #63 Raikōhō (Thunder Roar Sear) that followed through as he saw an injured Tokinada, bleeding from his right elbow.
"You are truly, as they say, a menace to people like us. Truly you're destined for more Kurosaki Ichigo. Everything I predicted, everything that I envisioned, you truly broke through each and every path of it. You're starting to annoy me. Just like a certain Captain I know of." Tokinada gritted out.
He was breathing heavily as his gaze turned towards the still unmoving Hikone. 'That thing! Why won't it respond?! What is wrong with that thing?!'
Tokinada chewed his teeth as he didn't know why Hikone had suddenly stopped moving after that one reiatsu attack by Ichigo. He had hoped to fight the hybrid with his own after he revealed himself.
He didn't have any of this planned. Tokinada never imagined that Ichigo would actively join the Quincy. Nor did he ever plan for the time when he would confront the hybrid himself when he was doing the heist of the century. He had already released his zanpakutō but there was a secret to it.
'This has all turned out a mess. I only wanted to get the sword for Hikone.'
"Seems you can only reflect zanpakutō attacks." Tokinada narrowed his eyes as Ichigo continued. "It looks like I won't need my zanpakutōs to defeat you."
Tokinada's eyes seemingly sparkled but he gritted his teeth still. 'Tch, how naive. It's a shame that I will have to use my trump card so soon. I wanted to keep it close. If only that Hikone moved!'
"Huh, is that so Kurosaki? A minor ability lapse and you think you've won?"
'He doesn't need to know about my zanpakuto. So what, he found my zanpakuto's ability. I will just have to try har-..!' Tokinada's thoughts were interrupted by two broadsword-like Heiling Bogen just missing his head and chest as he brought up his zanpakutō to deflect two more reishi arrows.
"Yeah I think i'm going to beat you down without Zangetsu and then check on that kid you brought up with that ugly looking zanpakuto." Ichigo spoke up with more confidence as he pressed is attacks on Tokinada, temporarily forgetting about the still Hikone. Tokinada manuevered around the palace as he dodged the arrows and sent kidō based attacks towards Ichigo.
'Tch, it seems Kuten Kyōkoku (Nine Heaven's Mirror Valley) won't be enough to deal with this boy!'
"You seem to think that I do not have many tricks up my sleeves. Are you even aware of what the Tsunayashiro clan could do? Or what they represent?! Hah, you don't even know your history RYOKA!"
Wariness took hold of Ichigo as he heard Tokinada's reply. It wasn't that Ichigo was confident to win it easily. Tokinada was a very good swordsmen, Ichigo had assessed him during their battle. But Tokinada was still hiding something, Ichigo could feel it. He still had doubts over Tokinada's zanpakutō. Now, Tokinada spoke about his clan as well.
'I need to know who this man is. Damn it, what is it I'm missing?! Old Man? Why won't you speak to me?'
Ever since Ichigo entered the palace of the thief Godsmith his zanpakutōs have been quite, almost too quite. It was out of the ordinary. Even Blanc had some wise words to say everytime Ichigo entered in battle, but his inner world was just too silent.
It unnerved him throughout the fight he had. Not even Sōkyoku had spoken up. Ichigo felt something was fishy about the whole situation, and it all escalated when he met the noble and the kid.
'Oi, Sōkyoku. Old man? Blanc? Where are you all?'
"Now, shall we start again? Kurosaki Ichigo?"
With that said, Tokinada launched himself towards Ichigo but his sword thrust was blocked by a reishi sword made by Ichigo. An overhead swipe was dodged by Ichigo as he slashed at Tokinada who turned himself to the right whilst mumbling something that Ichigo only partially heard.
"…four seas…enly shor.."
Ichigo didn't give any mind as he steadied his slash and went for a stab. To his surprise Tokinada let himself be pierced with no resistance. Eyes wide with shock Ichigo couldn't think further as, only when close, did Ichigo hear Tokinada finish his lines, eyes focused at Ichigo with a grin while holding the bloodied blade that pierced him.
"…..duplicate ten thousands and sharpen."
Tokinada gurgled out a name.
"Enrakyōten (艶羅鏡典, Law of the Bewitching Lucid Mirror). "
Next: Tokinada's fate. Hikone's awakening. Gremmy's plot. Events of Canon Chapters 647-661.
A/N: I have had some of the worst starting to my year and it hasn't been improving still. I am sorry for not ever being consistent with the stories but that is how it is right now, I cannot be consistent. I don't know what this or the other stories will become but if you are still reading, until I'm alive there will be updates for everything, whenever I get time.
Ja Ne.