269Disclaimer : I do not own anything from Bleach. If I did, Ichigo wouldn't be such a prude, and Mayuri would've died in a hell lot of pain in the Thousand Year Blood War.
(2021-05-11) I decided to inform the differences between canon and my story at the start of the chapter. Thanks for the suggestion, Antex-The Legendary Zoroark! - I put some thought into it, and decided to place it at the end of chapter again, since the AN at the start got a bit too long.
(2021-05-25) The pairing is now IchigoXMulti consisting of Giselle, Meninas, Candice, and Bambietta. There won't be any additions.
(2021-07-13) I revised the whole chapter, making the chapter now 15.4k, from the original 13.8k words, including the AN. I will be revising the next few chapters, probably until chapter 4 to 5.
I welcome 'constructive criticism' as long as you don't blatantly flame me. This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic with English which isn't even my native tongue, so even I know that there are a lot of flaws in this story.
All reviews are appreciated, thanks!
Main Pairing IchigoXGiselle, IchigoXMulti
The Zombie and the Strawberry
"Kurosaki..."
Ichigo could recognize that rather annoying voice from anywhere. As he turned around, Ichigo spotted a fully healed Ishida Uryū forming his Spirit Weapon Ginrei Kojaku, and instantly thought he was screwed. While Ichigo didn't know the exact identity of the person who attacked Uryū earlier, he suspected it to be Tsukishima Shūkurō. It was only logical, since every one of his friends and family except Uryū were currently under the influence of Tsukishima's Fullbring.
Ichigo knew that Inoue Orihime was also under Tsukishima's influence, so it was either that Uryū was healed before Orihime fell under Tsukishima's Fullbring, or Uryū was on the same boat with them. There was also the fact, that Ichigo didn't have all the pieces to put the situation together, which meant that he needed to keep his guard up around everyone. Right now the only person he could place his trust on was Ginjō Kūgo, who seemed to be immune to Tsukishima's Fullbring.
"So Ishida... You are on his side too? Well, fuck. This just gets better and better, I guess." Ichigo said with a scowl, while eyeing Uryū warily. The overwhelming feeling of dread was catching up to him. Just what did he do to deserve this shit? Where were Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san, and his goddamn father when he needed them the most?
"Kurosaki, just shut up and come here! I already checked downstairs. I'm on your side so stop with all your worrying, and hurry up!" Uryū yelled to Ichigo in a no-nonsense tone, but Ichigo was still skeptical of the situation.
"As if I'll fall for that..." scoffed Ichigo.
"Kurosaki you idiot! Don't you understand? The one who cut me is the guy right behind you!" Uryū tried to reason with Ichigo once more, only to realize that he was already late. He quickly gathered the reishi around him, and started to fire arrows at Ginjō who had a predatory smirk on his face, standing right behind Ichigo. Ichigo's eyes widened in shock, but it was already too late for him to react in time.
Ginjō swatted the arrows away with one swift slash like some pests that were bothering him, and brought his broadsword down. It easily cut through Ichigo, and left a deep gash from his left shoulder to his lower abdomen. Ichigo who had barely taken in Uryū's words responded a little too late, resulting in a wound which wasn't fatal, but more than enough to make him fall down to his knees.
"Kurosaki!" yelled Uryū.
Ichigo couldn't believe it. Did Ginjō just betray him?
No, that wasn't right. Ichigo knew that Ginjō never was on his side to begin with.
Ichigo cursed himself for his stupid naivety, for trusting Ginjō who he barely knew anything about. He never should've trusted someone who came out of the blue one day, and told him that they intended to restore his long-lost shinigami powers. He was a fucking idiot who didn't know how to think first before he leapt.
Of course, everything was a plot that somehow involved him. What did he really expect from Ginjō? A man, who tried to manipulate him with the information about his family? It was clear as day, that he had some kind of hidden agenda from the beginning. He should've kept on being suspicious about the whole situation, even after hearing the reason Xcution sought him out.
Ichigo saw Uryū getting cut down from the behind by Tsukishima out of the corner of his eyes. Now that Uryū also received an injury from Tsukishima, was he going to turn his back on him too? How could an ability like that exist? This was almost as ridiculous as Kyoka Suigetsu's complete hypnosis. Maybe not on the same level, but still...
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Ginjō erupted in full-blown laughter, as he watched Uryū slump down to the ground unconscious. He had done it. A plot that he masterminded was executed flawlessly. And now, it was time to claim the prize!
"Why...? Ginjō... I thought you..." Ichigo barely squeezed out the words.
It wasn't the matter of his physical injuries. Anyone who happen to lay their eyes on him could see that his will was completely broken at the moment. The steel like resolve that pushed him to invade the Soul Society without a second thought to save Kuchiki Rukia. The stubbornness that refused to leave Orihime in Hueco Mundo at the mercy of the enemy. The determination to willingly make a sacrifice that would change his life, if only to defeat a threat to his friends, once and for all.
At that time it really didn't matter to him, whether it meant that he would be left in the position to need to be protected or not, because he could never sit aside and watch everything he cherished burnt down. When he was powerless, it was the same problem that made him seek power once more. He probably would've kept away from the whole situation, if not for the assault on his friends, the culprits now revealed to be Tsukishima and Ginjō. But now, he had fallen for their whole ploy, and there was no way out.
"Tsukishima's Fullbring worked perfectly as intended, Kurosaki," Ginjō stated in a matter of fact tone, looking down at Ichigo. "Oh, just so you know, I didn't become your enemy because Tsukishima cut me." Ginjō quickly added before Ichigo could retort.
The fact that he was played like a naive idiot all along from the start made Ichigo want to kill himself for his stupidity. He should've kept staying on guard. He didn't trust Ginjō when he first approached him, and he still didn't trust him even when they began his training. Just when did that change? Why?
"If you seriously believed that only I was immune to Tsukishima's Fullbring or something like that, you really are a masterpiece Kurosaki. If you could beat Aizen and be praised as the hero of the Winter War, then maybe destroying all those Shinigami just might be easier than I first thought. Tsukishima cut me twice Ichigo, and the second cut returned me to my original self again! Do you get it now? Everything was a part of the plan I made!"
While Ginjō was busy ridiculing him, Ichigo noticed the difference in his demeanor. Ginjō became more arrogant, sinister, and cruel compared to the Ginjō he started to trust, before he got cut by Tsukishima. Apparently, it wasn't for the first time. So this was the kind of man Ginjō truly was behind all the acts. His real self was closer to the man he acted like when he trained Ichigo in his Fullbring.
"I'll tell you something, Kurosaki. Now I'm gonna steal your powers, and leave you powerless once more! I wonder how you'll feel when all your powers get sucked out from you. I can imagine that it wouldn't be pleasant," Ginjō looked down at him, as if he was pitying Ichigo.
Ginjō placed his Substitute Shinigami Badge on the guard of his sword. Ichigo watched silently as the badge was fused into the sword, turning into a skull-like form. Soon Ichigo was interrupted by another spike of pain, this time from the center of his chest.
Ichigo stared blankly at Ginjō's Sword of Scaffold, which had pierced through his chest. He wanted to laugh so badly, but couldn't find the strength to do so. Although Ichigo knew that his intelligence was nowhere near the level of the kinds like Urahara Kisuke, Aizen Sōsuke, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri, he honestly could say he was never this stupid.
Of course, he had a penchant to jump in situations without thinking. Maybe it was a major understatement if he put it like that, but getting played like this like a puppet in a child's doll play? He couldn't believe that his desperation for power actually blinded his eyes this much, enough to make him believe the words of some jackass, whose words were never straightforward from the start.
'Oh how the mighty has fallen,' Ichigo thought to himself, noticing his powers shifting uncomfortably, as if it knew what would happen to it soon. 'But then again, was I ever worthy to be referred as mighty in the first place?'
Ichigo won against Zaraki Kenpachi only because the brute enjoyed fighting too much, that their fight dragged on longer than it should've been. Zaraki could've cut him down in the first 5 minutes, if he thought about it now. Hell, it couldn't be considered a win, since he lost consciousness right after Zaraki, right in the middle of the enemy territory. It was technically a draw, but Ichigo had strutted around spewing that he defeated a captain, when the truth was that Zaraki never was serious in fighting him.
The fight against Kuchiki Byakuya ended up as his victory only because his Inner Hollow took over, and bought him the needed time to win. He was still losing while using his Bankai, not even noticing the fact that he was tiring out, which Byakuya easily took notice of.
It took him three life-threatening fights to overcome Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and he could have gotten himself killed anytime during their first fight. He only survived because of his sheer luck, and the fact that Grimmjow was toying with him. It could've been one of Aizen's games, too.
If he were to be honest, his Inner Hollow had defeated Ulquiorra Schiffer, not himself. He actually died at that time if his memories served him correctly. He was being thrashed badly the whole time, regardless of Ulquiorra's state, be it his sealed form, or his Resurrección form.
He sacrificed his powers to defeat Aizen Sōsuke, but it wasn't enough at the end. Urahara Kisuke's brilliance was the only reason that led to the successful sealing, and imprisonment of Aizen right now. Ichigo realized that he could, no, should have died a long time ago for being such an idiot. It seemed that he was paying the price for his stupidity now.
But it was too late to change anything that had already happened. During the seventeen months of his isolation from the Soul Society, he easily noticed that the residents of Urahara Shōten were distancing themselves from him. To think of it, his father didn't even bother to show his ass when Tsukishima was meddling with his own daughters' memories, and Ichigo knew that Isshin had recovered most of his strength.
Now that he thought about it, even the Visoreds never bothered to make any contact with him. Honestly? It stung. Maybe he was being overly dramatic with all the emotional stuff that was crashing down on him, but could anyone really fault him for it?
"We were allies from the very start, Kurosaki. When Tsukishima cut me for the first time, we became enemies, supposedly betrayed by each other. And it was all part of our plan, just for this very moment! Your friend with the glasses? He was attacked by me, and only because it would've been too boring if there was no one on your side. I mean, a fight we can't lose? Come on, where is the fun in that! Your fate depended on you noticing the difference between him and your other friends... which you obviously failed!" Ginjō was having his time of his life while monologuing to Ichigo, not that Ichigo could do anything about it.
"My Fullbring, the 'Book of the End', its first strike allows me to carve my existence into the victim's past memories in any way I choose to. A friend, mentor, family, lover... Everything is possible. And the second strike can remove that effect. Quite the ability wouldn't you agree?" Tsukishima joined Ginjō and properly explained his Fullbring.
'So, the only way I can remove its influence from my friends, and family is to make him cut them once more... Or maybe if I kill him...'
Ichigo thought his situation was so fucked up, which was practically his fault for falling into this trap... Or was it really? He made the choice to seek Xcution for power, because his friends were being harmed by someone. He hated being powerless, because he was forced to sit back and watch as his friends dealt with the matters of the afterlife. Even then, he could've somehow dealt with it, if his friends didn't get themselves hurt.
'Urahara-san always seemed to know what was happening around Karakura Town. Is this event any different from the others? Did Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san know what was going on, observing from the sidelines like they always did? But then why didn't they interfere yet? There has to be some kind of big plan in this situation, right? Am I being suspicious for no reason, trying to find a excuse that could lift this unbearable guilt? They will come up with some fancy plan to solve this mess, right?'
No, this wasn't like him. Just what was he doing, trying to shift the blame to other people? Ichigo clenched his gut in disgust and spat out a lone curse. "Shit..."
"Shit, Indeed. Since I would be in close contact with you for quite some time, in order to prevent you from suspecting me, we used Tsukishima's Fullbring to make me consider him as an enemy... Not that it was a crucial part of our plan." Ginjō said while he fiddled with the skull on his sword.
"Hey, that's not true. Your acting skills were just too horrible, so that we just had to do it. It wasn't an option." Tsukishima retorted in a joking manner.
"Oh, shut up. My acting mere minutes ago was on par with the very best of the Hollywood actors."
"Yeah, right... As soon as I cut you, you started to call him 'Kurosaki' again. And you didn't even notice it till I told you just now."
"Well, Fuck you too."
'They sure look like they're enjoying themselves. I guess they can't really help it, when they made this day probably my second to worst day in my life.' Ichigo mused somewhat calmly.
He knew what was coming, and there really was nothing he could do that would change the outcome. He didn't even bother to try and strike a conversation with them, seeing it as pointless.
And then he felt it. It felt like a part of the dam withholding his powers had broke down. In a mere few seconds, every last drop of his new power was lost, sucked out from him. His Fullbring was now completely absorbed to Ginjō, and he was powerless once more. Ichigo dropped his Substitute Shinigami Badge, the source of his Fullbring, which was now probably just an ordinary piece of wood.
It felt like he had used another Mugetsu, except that there was no loss of Zangetsu this time, since he wasn't even with him at the moment.
Oh, how he missed Zangetsu. Ichigo suddenly felt tears running down his cheeks. Or was it the rain? When did it start to rain anyway?
"Ahhh... This feels great! I couldn't thank you enough, Kurosaki Ichigo. I can have my revenge at last, and it's all thanks to you!"
"Kurosaki..." Uryū glanced at Ichigo with sympathy.
He knew fully well of how losing his powers would be for Ichigo, as he himself had lost his Quincy powers once when he used Quincy: Letzt Stil. And now, Ichigo had to go through it again. Uryū noticed the tears running down Ichigo's cheeks, and shut his eyes closed. Uryū did not want to watch his ally... No, friend. Yes, his friend's weakest moment. And it seemed that Tsukishima and Ginjo noticed it too, obviously not sharing his sentiment.
"Oh... Is he crying? Now I feel so horrible. He is just a kid after all." Tsukishima mocked Ichigo with fake concern.
"Well, Let him cry it all out. It's not like we have any use for him anymore. The chances of us crossing paths with him again is almost non-existent. Hmm, maybe I should tell him about how he was deceived by the Shinigami too? It would be good for him to at least learn all of the truth, since I was the predecessor of his role?" Ginjō rubbed his chin with his fingers, causing Tsukishima to sigh in response.
"Whatever, the faster you do it the earlier we take our leave. Your call," Tsukishima muttered, and let out another sigh of annoyance.
"Well, I suppose I could tell you! Kurosaki, do you know the purpose of the badge? The one that the Shinigami gave you? Well, you probably wouldn't, since you're all so trusting that you'd never suspect any of your so-called friends, right? It's a device used to track us Substitute Shinigami, and control our reiatsu if they need to do so. They never trusted you, Kurosaki! And the most juicy part of the story you see, is the identity of the person who came up with this device. Do you want to know his name, Kurosaki?" Ginjō's face lit up with a malicious grin. Ichigo instinctively knew that he probably wouldn't like what he was about to hear.
"His name, is Ukitake Jūshiro... Captain of the 13th Division, the most peace-loving, seemingly harmless Captain of the Soul Society! And he was actually the one who came up with this idea! Do you see now, Kurosaki Ichigo? The Shinigami don't deserve to be trusted. Even the most peaceful Captain can be crafty when he needs to be. If that is the case, just what could the other Shinigami be hiding behind their back?" Ginjō let out a snarl, full of hatred.
Ginjō seemed to be dead serious in his words, that it wasn't even funny. Ichigo pieced the facts together, and understood the reason why Captain Ukitake had to give this to him. If the Substitute Shinigami before him was this asshole, safety measures were needed to be taken, and he could respect that decision. To be honest, he was expecting the badge to be something like that almost right from the beginning.
"Kurosaki, don't listen to him!" Uryū desperately cried out, not wanting his friend to vent his anger of the moment at the Shinigami. It was Ichigo who made him change his mind that the Shinigami and Quincy just might be able to work together, and he didn't want Ichigo's relation with them hindered by this piece of information. The Ichigo he knew would jump to conclusions right there without a second thought. But to his surprise Ichigo laughed bitterly, albeit being almost inaudible. "Kurosaki...?"
"I expected it from the start, Ginjō... It's not like I trusted the Shinigami as a whole anyway. I trust only my friends in the Soul Society... nothing less, nothing more." Ichigo replied, but he couldn't hide the bitterness as well as he would've liked to. Uryū noticed it and frowned, but acknowledged the fact that Ichigo had the right to feel some resentment.
"Well, you're taking this better than I expected... But it doesn't matter! I'm gonna get my revenge, and you can't stop me," Ginjō said, while the smug smirk didn't leave his face, not even for a second. "After all, what can you do, without any kind of powers?"
Ichigo inwardly sighed and clenched his fist. He had lost, so it was no use in trying to oppose Ginjō at the moment. But there was something he had to do. He had to do this, no matter how it sucked. His pride and ego weren't worth his friendship, and his family. This whole situation was something he dragged them into, so it was only right that he should be the one to fix it.
"Tsukishima-san..." Ichigo choked out the honorific. To show respect to the bastard who had tortured him mentally, by messing with the memories of people close to him? It was way harder than he had first thought. He could almost hear his Inner Hollow's furious voice.
'You sure stooped low, Kingy! Lemme out an' I'll just kill'em all, and be done with it! No king of mine begs to a goddamn, backstabbing weakling! You don't even deserve to be called a King, much less a horse!'
But then again, he wasn't even here anymore. Ichigo couldn't believe himself, but he actually missed his Inner Hollow... and it wasn't just because of the power that came with him. He even missed the smug look on his white counter-part's face!
"Hmm?" Tsukishima tilted his head with a rather confused expression. The Ichigo he knew would have already started to curse him, and demanded to give his powers back. What was with the sudden change in his attitude?
Ichigo clenched his fist. He had to do this. This time he heard Zangetsu, repeating the words he had spoke in the past.
'Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate.'
'Sorry, Zangetsu. I fear for being left alone. I shouldn't have looked back, and now I have neither the will nor strength to move forward. I pulled back again, and I'm already dead inside.' Ichigo was unsure of what Zangetsu would think of him, when he saw what he had become. He really didn't want to see Zangetsu's disappointed expression directed at him, but he still wanted to see him nonetheless.
"Please, cancel your Fullbring that you used on my friends and sisters..." Ichigo felt self-loathing, at how pitiful he sounded. He vowed to never let something like this happen again, no matter what. He'll be damned if he acted before thinking once more. From now on, he was going to think at least twice before he leapt.
Uryū's head snapped up in shock. Was this really the Kurosaki Ichigo he knew? He knew that Ichigo always did try his best to protect the people he deemed precious to himself, but to completely discard his pride, and beg to the very people who caused this whole situation, and stole his powers? The sudden change in his behavior was disconcerting, to say at the least.
Uryū blamed himself for not being strong enough to stop this from happening. He had never wanted to see Ichigo in such state, regardless of his opinion about the former Substitute Shinigami. Kurosaki Ichigo should never bow to anyone in this humiliating manner. He was a person who would never back down, no matter what he was facing, and it was supposed to stay that way. If only he was stronger, Ichigo's pride wouldn't have had to be ripped to shreds.
"Oh my... That was quite unexpected! What should I do, what should I do..." Tsukishima seemed to be enjoying his current standing, on the receiving end of the famed Hero of the Winter War's plea. Having Kurosaki Ichigo at his complete mercy? The sensation was exhilarating to him!
Time slowly passed, and after a hour-like minute of silence, Tsukishima turned back and started to walk away again without another word. When Ichigo tried to say something, he barely heard Tsukishima's reply through the downpour.
"Nope."
Ichigo bit his lower lip, and let out an incoherent scream of fury. He was clenching his fist so hard that blood started to seep out from his palm, where his nails had dug in. All the anger he had bottled up inside of him finally exploded outwards. If he still had his powers, he would've Hollowfied completely, just because of the boiling rage he was feeling at the moment.
"Tsukishima! Goddamn you! I'll make you pay, you motherfucker! No matter how long it takes, I'll kill you! I'm gonna completely destroy everything remotely involved with you! I'll make sure to make you beg for your death before I kill you, I swear it!" Ichigo screamed in burning fury, in righteous rage, and promised to himself that Tsukishima Shūkurō and Ginjō Kūgo were going to regret ever approaching him. It was a vow that he would keep, even if he had to make a deal with the devil. Sadly, the people on the receiving end of his rage didn't even bother to acknowledge his outburst.
"By the way, your Quincy friend is going to feel the effects of my Fullbring soon. You have nothing left to you, Kurosaki. Your friends? Your family? I'll make sure to have them ignore and hate you. You don't have the power to stop me, Kurosaki. You have absolutely nothing now, nothing! Do you want to know something really hilarious? There were some Shinigami watching us the whole time! They abandoned you! How do you feel, Kurosaki, now that you've learned that there's no one on your side?!" Ichigo's face paled at the revelation. Tsukishima had to be lying to him. His friends in the Soul Society would never abandon him like this.
But deep inside, he knew that Tsukishima wasn't lying.
"Oh, well. I think we've over stayed our welcome, so we should really get going. Goodbye!" Tsukishima soon disappeared through the rain, Ginjō's form following without another word.
Tsukishima's words struck him hard. Did he really have nothing left to him? The Shinigami were here, and they didn't even bother to interfere? And to think he sacrificed his powers to clean up their mess... Only for him to get involved in another mess of the Shinigami once more, to be the one left to suffer the consequences. Ginjō obviously had some bad blood between him and the Shinigami, and now he was caught between them as the victim... or some kind of bait. Oh, maybe he really was a bait, if they really were watching him all this time.
"Arrrrrrgh!"
Ichigo shut his eyes, not wanting to see anything he wouldn't like.
Ichigo hated the sound of rain pouring around him. He didn't want to hear anything.
'Ichigo, I hate the rain. It rains in this world too. When you're upset, the skies grow cloudy, and when you're sad, it rains. I can't stand it. I wonder if you can grasp the terror of being rained on in this lonely world...'
'Yes. I understand now, Zangetsu.'
'To be able to hold back the rain, I'll give you everything I have. Should you place your trust in me, I won't let any rain fall on this world. I promise.'
'You did give everything you have, Zangetsu. But maybe I didn't trust you enough. It's probably flooding in there now, huh? I'm sorry, Zangetsu. I don't want to see what you would think of what I had become. But at the same time I miss you terribly, and hope to see you again...'
It was always raining when something bad happened to him.
That was when Kurosaki Ichigo realized that he hated the rain too, just like Zangetsu, if not more. Zangetsu was a part of his soul, so it was only natural that they both hated the rain.
A part of Ichigo died that day.
A black haired girl with light-blue eyes hastily made her way through the halls of the frozen palace. She was wearing some sort of white colored military uniform, which was designed to match her taste. She followed the footsteps of a blonde haired man, who held a Stoic expression that made it hard for people to approach him.
'But in reality, he's just a big softie inside...' The girl thought to herself, barely suppressing a giggle from escaping. Almost everyone in Silbern knew that Jugram Haschwalt cared deeply about his fellow Quincy, although he would just blankly stare back at them if someone dared to say that in his face. While she knew that Jugram wasn't a big fan of friendly chats, her mouth was twitching for some conversation.
"So... Have any ideas about why His Majesty would want to see me?" The girl asked while eyeing her blonde comrade's face, trying to read what he was thinking through his expression. Unsurprisingly his expression never changed in the slightest, which made her pout in disappointment.
"No... His Majesty merely asked me to inform you of your summon, nothing more than that," Jugram said while maintaining his demeanor. If he was being honest, the girl was relatively pleasant to strike a conversation compared to the other Sternritter. The point being relatively, as she still was irritating. "And please, stop staring at me."
"Fine... Oh, I know! Maybe I'll be assigned a special mission, that concerns the future of the empire! I hope it's gonna be fun... Maybe it'll be a chance to add something new to my collection!" The girl giggled.
Jugram actually had a hard time trying not to roll his eyes. If His Majesty really did give a mission to the girl, who certainly wasn't the most sane person in Silbern... he shuddered at the thought. He tried not to think about how messed up the outcome would be, knowing that it would be a guaranteed failure.
'But on second thought, Giselle Gewelle would never fail something if it was a direct order from His Majesty...'
The two Quincies' rather one-sided conversation came to an end, when they reached a large door, which lead to the throne room of Silbern. Jugram almost sighed aloud in relief, for he would be free at last from the annoying Sternritter. The door slowly slid open, and Jugram actually rolled his eyes at the emperor's dramatics. Where were the usual soldats, who should be on guard duty anyway? Were they slacking off? He tuned out the girl's rambling,since it was starting to bother him too much.
"Since we are here, I shall take my leave. His Majesty asked for your presence alone..." Jugram said, a little saddened by the fact that he was being left out of the details. It was the very first mission to be assigned since His Majesty woke up from his near thousand-year-long slumber, and as the Sternritter Grandmaster, he really wasn't used to being left out like this. But who was he to question His Majesty's decisions? While it was true that His Majesty didn't want his subordinates to follow his orders blindly, Jugram wasn't about to doubt His Majesty just because he felt left out of anything.
"Ehh... Alright! See'ya Jugo!" As Jugram was about to retort about her blatant use of his pet name - at this point he cursed Bazz-B, since it was him who spread it among the other Sternritter for the sole purpose of pissing him off - he noticed that the girl had already took her leave, and let out his long overdue sigh. She really did know how to get on his nerves. Jugram didn't notice the way the end of his lips curved upwards, as he unknowingly made a small grin.
When Giselle entered the throne room, her almost trademark-like dopey smile faltered for a second. She noticed that there was something off about the emperor. The emperor seemed no different from his usual resting pose on the lone throne, except for the fact that he was actually smiling! Seriously, she didn't even know that he could make that kind of expression, but it was a good surprise. If His Majesty was in a good mood, then so was she.
Her dopey smile returned as she knelt down on one knee respectfully, showing her respect for the monarch, the Father of the Quincy, once Quincy King and now the Emperor of the Wandenreich, Yhwach. He was probably the only person she respected, and she would be damned if she showed any less respect than the emperor deserved.
"I have come to answer your summon, Your Majesty." She spoke in a manner no Sternritter other than Jugram knew that she was capable of, including her friends. She always made sure to draw a line between her public appearance and formal behavior, which was reserved only for the emperor.
"Ah. Yes, my Sternritter. Let's skip the pleasantries and the usual verbal whippings, as I have summoned you with a matter of great importance. Also, I do know that your little hobby won't hinder our strength due to your Schrift, unlike your sister..." The emperor said with a hint of amusement, which Giselle caught on quickly.
"Hmm... Yes, I guess Bambietta can be quite volatile. But the only reason she is allowed to continue her rather disrespectful actions, is the fact that her strength will more than make up for it when the time comes, is it not?" said Giselle. She knew that the emperor enjoyed some cheekiness from his children, as long as it wasn't in a completely disrespectful manner.
Yhwach chuckled at the girl's response, knowing that it was the truth. But at the same time, he knew that if he didn't correct her thoughts properly, their behavior would likely continue as it is. If it comes to that, he would have to resort to unnecessary means to correct their behavior. He most certainly did not want to resort to unnecessary means.
"Yes, although I hope she would stop killing off the soldats whenever she is in a nasty mood. While I do admit the fact that the Sternritter's strength, and usefulness are not remotely comparable to the soldats', they still are my children all the same. I would rather not have them killed by my own children's hands because of their distasteful habits, if possible. If her behavior actually was as lewd as she feigned to be, her status as a Sternritter would've been revoked a long time ago. But enough of that. Before I have gotten sidetracked, I was going to inform you, that you will be assigned to an urgent mission which involves the Human World."
Giselle almost gasped in surprise upon hearing that. As far as she knew, no one was assigned a mission to the Human World since His Majesty had awoke from his slumber. The last one was something about convincing the Ishida family to return to Silbern, and prepare for the war, which was ordered by Jugram and resulted in a failure.
She also kept the unspoken warning in her mind. Even though her Schrift was a different case compared to her friend, since it did not result in a permanent loss to the empire, His Majesty was not pleased about their acts of killing their own kind, just because their status was above them. His Majesty always did disapprove conflicts in his empire, after all. She also noted to herself to pass on the warning to her friend Bambietta. It was quite obvious, that it was what His Majesty wanted her to do, if the way he mentioned the said person was any indication of it.
"I am yours to command, Your Majesty." The girl said, while lowered her head and awaited her emperor's words.
It was a rather rare moment for her to be so serious, which Yhwach noticed and nodded in satisfaction. He knew for a fact, that while not every one of his subordinates held him in high regard, most of the Sternritters did, and he tried his best to gain it from the ones who didn't. Every last one of the Quincy were his children, and he wished to be respected by his sons and daughters as any self-respecting father would. Yhwach knew that the Yhwach from a millennia ago would scoff at such thoughts, but he was somewhat of a changed man.
Yamamoto would've never imagined even in his dreams, that he would get this soft... But then again, Yamamoto wasn't the best person to express an opinion about such matters. Yamamoto himself had gotten much more softer, even to his enemies, which was disappointing and pathetic to say at the least.
The way he refrained from using his Bankai when Aizen betrayed the Soul Society? The Yamamoto he knew wouldn't have cared about the backlash, and used his Bankai to reduce the traitors to ash. Yhwach on the other hand, he was more than willing to do the very worst to his enemy. The victor of the past war would learn soon enough, that he had lost the right to be called a victor, at the cost of his own life.
"The mission you will be given, concerns the most important, and unexpected part of our war preparations. You will be sent out to recruit one of the Special War Powers. Are you up for the task, Sternritter?" Yhwach asked, already knowing her answer.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Rest assured, for I shall not fail you in any way." Giselle replied with the exact answer the emperor wanted to hear, and it satisfied him to no end.
"Good. The identity of the one you are to recruit, is the Number One Special War Power, Kurosaki Ichigo. I shall cover the background roughly in case you haven't read the Daten about him. Also, if you have not read it yet, make sure that you do so before heading out. His mother was an Echt Quincy who was infected by an experimental Hollow of Aizen Sōsuke, another one of the Special War Powers. Due to this incident she was degraded to a Gemischt, and was subjected to the Auswählen at the time of my awakening. Sadly, at that moment she and her eldest child were being targeted by a Hollow," Yhwach spoke in a soft voice, full of sorrow for the loss of his daughter. It didn't help that he had a hand in the whole incident.
"Immediately after being stripped of her powers, she was consumed by the Hollow while protecting her son, Kurosaki Ichigo. Because of this incident, attempting to recruit him was never a part of my plan. Initially I had thought that he wouldn't react well to the fact that I unknowingly had a hand in his mother's death, regardless of my intentions. Even if he joined us, I had thought that it would've been most likely an attempt to oppose us from within. His rather rash personality would make it hard for him to see reason, and his friendship with the Shinigami wouldn't have helped. I had dismissed the idea... but there was a change to the situation in the recent events." At this point the Sternritter was curious about where this story was leading to. It was getting quite interesting after all.
"It all started from the reports from the Soul Society's R&D department. The very information that would not only allow my son to see the light, but more than enough to make him despise the Shinigami, possibly more so than any of the Sternritter... was acquired. Then, the events that occurred to him a few days ago presented us the perfect opportunity to approach him. Yes, my son born in the darkness shall finally see the light..." Yhwach chuckled.
He was ecstatic about the fact that the scales of the upcoming war had tipped greatly to their favor, but that wasn't all. The son he thought he would have to face, and inevitably put down with his own hands on the battlefield would soon see the truth. He didn't have to paint his hands with his own son's blood, and that alone was enough to improve his mood.
Giselle's eyes sparkled with interest. The fact that she was assigned a mission of such importance made her giddy, but that wasn't all. A Quincy who had been oblivious of his heritage for all his life? Now that was interesting. And if her memories served her correctly the guy was a sight for sore eyes back then, when he was fighting Aizen. She might have thought of him to be intimidating, if only she wasn't familiar with the other Sternritter. Compared to them, the guy was a cutie!
"You are to leave tomorrow for Karakura Town and make contact with him, while using a device specifically made for this mission to keep the operation discreet. There is another Special War Power in the vicinity, so your operation must stay unnoticed. Let my son know, that I shall provide some assistance in solving his current situation. If he does not seem to be convinced even after hearing that, tell him that there are things about his mother that he needs to know. You are allowed to tell him the information recorded in the daten about him, minus the ones that were added in the period of seventeen months. While there is no time limit to the mission, keep in mind that the earlier it is done, our chances of victory will increase drastically. Now you may leave." Yhwach waved his hand in dismissal and closed his eyes, leaning back into his throne.
'Soon, father. The time for your liberation is near.'
"I shall take my leave, Your Majesty. Rest assured, failure is not an option."
The emperor smiled at his daughter's words and replied softly. "Yes, I have my utmost faith in you my daughter."
The Sternritter stood up and bowed before she left the throne room, while pondering about just what exactly was the information that would make the Shinigami's hero hate them, even more than the Sternritter already do.
'It must be something really horrible, I guess. Oh well, I'll know for sure when I read the Daten.'
Her hatred for the Shinigami actually doubled in magnitude that night.
Ichigo could be seen walking through the streets of Karakura Town, almost on the verge of a mental breakdown. Usually he would've been mobbed by some local thugs and bullies, but no one had been bothering him recently. He didn't have his usual scowl on his face, but a pained gloomy look instead. Some of the thugs had tried to mess with him a few days ago, and everyone opted to stay out of his way after their unfortunate trip to the hospital.
It had been a week since that painful night, when Ichigo had lost everything. Tsukishima did keep his word and left a letter to all his friends and family, stating that he didn't want Ichigo to be bothered with his presence, when his dislike was as clear as crystal to him. It had done exactly what Tsukishima intended to do, much to Ichigo's distress.
Karin was giving him the cold shoulder, as if he wasn't even worth it to waste her time.
Yuzu always looked at him disapprovingly, and reminded him about three times a day about how she was disappointed in him.
It hurt his heart. A lot.
After his mother's death, his sisters were practically the whole world to him. To see them turned against him... it was just too painful for Ichigo to withstand, or feign ignorance on the whole matter. Just how much influence did Tsukishima give to himself, when he meddled with their memories? Ichigo knew that he was going to kill that bastard some day, even if it was the last thing he would do in his life.
Then, there was the matter of his father. Ichigo really couldn't believe that bastard. Not only did he actually let his sisters get caught in this whole mess, but he actually had the gall to avoid him! Ichigo loved his father dearly, even if he didn't like to show it that much. Hell, his family was everything to him, and he promised to himself to live up to his name, the number one protector.
But his father's cowardly behavior was getting on his nerves. He should've explained to him about his reasons, for letting things come to this stage a long time ago. Just why didn't he protect them? They were his own children for fuck's sake!
And now thanks to Tsukishima, his home didn't feel like one anymore. No more of his father's childish morning antics to annoy him. No more pleasant talk between the family when they ate their meals. The tension in Kurosaki household was now reaching an almost unbearable level, which actually made Ichigo to consider leaving the home for the moment. But the problem was that he had nowhere to go.
Did he dare to ask help from his friends?
When he got nailed in the gut by Tatsuki for 'being an unbearable jealous asshole' in her words, he gave up all hope on his friends for the time being.
The sorrowful eyes of Orihime when she asked him the reasons, to exactly why he hated Tsukishima so much.
The disappointed deep baritone voice of Chad, his trust that ran deep between them now turned against him.
Keigo who told him in the face that he didn't want to be friends with an asshole like him, and Mizuiro who simply nodded alongside him.
There was no exception to any of them. None of his friends would let him in their homes, much less let him stay over for a single night. Even if they did, the fact that they were at odds with him would make it no different from his own home.
And then there was Uryū.
Even Uryū was cut by Tsukishima at the end, and was actively against him now, almost like the time when he challenged him to a stupid competition for just having Shinigami powers. What made it worse was the fact that everything was his fault.
If only he trusted Uryū over Ginjō. He should've listened to him when Uryū was telling the truth about him being on his side. If he trusted him like he deserved to be, there was a chance that they could've won, and everything would've been fine.
When his thoughts went over to Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san, he almost punched the wall beside him. He knew that Urahara-san... no, Urahara was waiting for him to come and ask for his help. Ichigo didn't know why he hadn't approached him yet, like he used to do so, but he knew that he was running out of options. Actually, he really had no options from the beginning.
Lastly but not the least, there was the matter of the Shinigami.
They were there that night, and just watched from the sidelines as he suffered through everything. Everything that happened on that night was allowed to happen by the Shinigami and Urahara. It didn't take a genius to deduce that fact. If even one of the Captain had come to provide some help, everything would've played out differently. Ichigo knew that Urahara probably could deal with Ginjō and Tsukishima on his own, considering how much of himself he hides under his mask.
'They probably had their reasons,' Ichigo tried to convince himself.
It was getting harder and harder as time went by.
Simply put, he felt used. They discarded him because he was no longer of any use to them.
'No, they're just trying to keep humans out of their business,' Ichigo tried to convince himself once more.
But if that was the case, why were Orihime, Chad, and Uryū dealing with Hollows all the time, ever since he lost his powers? At this point, he really couldn't understand anything. Everyone was keeping their secrets, and he was confused.
Ichigo soon noticed where his feet carried him. It was the exact same riverside where his mother died, almost 8 years ago. The place where he last saw his mother's loving smile, albeit a little strained, and painful. The last memory he had of his mother.
He sat down at the riverbank, and picked up some random stones within his reach. Sometimes when he felt moody, he would come here and throw some stones at the river, counting how many times they skipped over the surface before sinking into the river. When he was in a relatively good mood, he could easily make it skip more than ten times.
None of the stones skipped more than seven times.
Ichigo let out a sigh of frustration, as his thoughts returned to the more important matters once more. There wasn't really a choice to him at this point. He had to visit Urahara Shōten, sooner or later, as much as he didn't want to. He had neither the means nor power to find a solution on his own, despite how much he loathed to admit it. 'But then again, when did I ever come up with a solution to anything on my own?'
"I don't really have a choice at this point, huh?" Ichigo muttered, while throwing the last stone he held. It skipped five times.
He most certainly did not know that everything was about to change at that moment.
"Well, you actually do! Only if you hear me out, that is."
Ichigo was about to stand up, when he heard an unfamiliar voice. It belonged to a girl who looked about his own age, give or take a year or two. Her voice was full of mischief and mirth. She was wearing some kind of uniform, and a long-sleeved white trench coat with matching white shoes. The black leggings she wore showed off her slim legs quite well, and her waist-long black hair had two long strands tied upwards in an antennae-like fashion.
'Huh, how does that even stay that way?'
She had a black-peaked white cap with a pentacle-like symbol on the side, which was probably about the size of his fist. It was sticking out from the side of her head, completely defying gravity, which really bothered him. There was a belt with a heart shaped buckle wrapped around her waist, that seemed to be holding something inside. And then her light-bluish eyes...
'Gods, they're beautiful...'
Ichigo found himself lost in the mesmerizing pools of blue, demanding his attention. He didn't know why, but he couldn't tear his sight away from those pair of beautiful cerulean orbs. While he was completely captivated by her eyes, Giselle tilted her head to the side while wondering why Ichigo seemed to be staring at her with such fervor. She soon came to the hopeful conclusion that he just might be attracted to her, as much as unlikely it would be. This was probably the first time anyone gave her that kind of look, since she had a rather... negative reputation in Silbern. It gave her a warm feeling that she had never felt before, and it made her yearn for more.
But still, she was here on orders and she knew better than to put aside His Majesty's orders for her own need. And he just didn't know her true nature yet. If he did, she doubted that he would ever look at her like that again. As she pushed out her stray thoughts from her mind, her cheery demeanor returned once more.
"Hellooooo? Are you there? Is there something on my face?" Giselle stared back at Ichigo for a while, and then came to the conclusion that if he was given an 'appropriate external stimulation', he would come back to his senses. So she lazily walked up to Ichigo who kept his gaze locked onto her eyes. She stopped right in front of him and stood on her toes, since their height difference was about nine to ten inches. When she closed her eyes and leaned forward Ichigo lost the sight of her eyes and came back to his senses, only for him to almost drop his jaws in shock as her soft lips made contact with his cheek. If it was on his lips he would've freaked out like he usually did, but this somewhat innocent form of affection actually made his heart flutter.
Although Giselle was actually going to kiss him on the lips at first, she changed her mind at the last minute, right when she remembered the line in the Daten about him being a prude.
'And it probably was a good decision too. But I wonder how it would've felt like if I didn't stop...' Her cheeks blushed a little at the thought.
"W-what was that for?!" Ichigo spluttered in embarrassment, his face now reddened to the degree that it actually resembled a strawberry.
"Aww, you didn't like it?" Giselle asked, her lips sticking out in a pout.
"Okay, it's not that I didn't like it, but seriously. What was that for?" Ichigo asked sounding a little dumb, not realizing that the blush on his face had deepened in color. Giselle couldn't help but to giggle, and sneak another peck on his opposite cheek. Ichigo sucked his breath, unsure of how to respond to the girl.
"Well, you were staring at me quite intensely... So I decided to wake you up, and slapping someone in the face when we just met would be quite rude of me, right? And then you were just so adorable close up, that really I couldn't help it!" Giselle gushed, with a rather goofy smile on her face.
Ichigo thought that it was the girl who was the adorable one, and wondered if he was actually attracted to her. In all honesty it was a feeling that he had never felt before.
"Oh... it is a valid reason I guess..." Ichigo said while scratching the back of his head, his eyes looking at anywhere but the girl in embarrassment. "If I'm being honest, I shouldn't complain when I did like it..."
Ichigo's cheeks flushed intensely when he admitted it out loud, which made the girl to giggle once more. Ichigo cleared his throat and continued speaking.
"So, what was that about me having a choice and hearing you out? It's not like I actually said anything about my problem, you know?" Ichigo questioned in doubt. It wasn't possible for her to know about his situation, right? If it was nothing important, then he could probably live with the fact that a cute girl did cheer him up a little at his worst hour. Maybe he could gain a new friend who didn't hate him for something he didn't do, and maybe more than that...
"I'm talking about you having a choice other than going to Urahara Kisuke for help, of course! Let's move on to the business, shall we? We can have our fun later... If you want to, that is!" Giselle teased Ichigo lightly, but he could see the clear blush on her face. Added with the coy smile she had at the moment, Ichigo could only nod dumbly, not really trusting his mouth to form an intelligent answer.
The very reason of his stupid reaction seemed to be amused at his response, which was something he could tell easily from the sound of her soft giggles. And gods, it sounded like music to his ears. Ichigo realized that he was crushing on the girl he had known for less than five minutes, and hard at that. The worst thing, or maybe not, was that he really didn't know why.
"To introduce myself, my name is Giselle Gewelle, the Sternritter 'Z' of the Wandenreich. I'm here on a mission under the orders of His Majesty, to recruit the Number One Special War Power Kurosaki Ichigo to our cause! His Majesty promised to provide his help on your current situation, if you decide to join the Wandenreich."
As Giselle stated her purpose, more and more questions popped up in Ichigo's head. He was missing too many pieces to understand everything she said, but Ichigo tried to use his head a lot more than he used to do before the incident.
"Okay, first off. If your objective is to recruit me, I need to know exactly what I'm getting into. Since you know my name, and also know about Urahara, you and your... Well, you did say 'His Majesty', and this 'Invisible Empire', so I'm gonna guess that there is some kind of empire I'm clearly unaware of. This empire is obviously consisted of people who are spiritually aware, but seriously, an empire in the 21st century?" Ichigo thought it was a bit outdated, but then again there was this supposed Soul King in the Soul Society, so it's not like he was supposed to be surprised that much.
"Sternritter of the Wandenreich, The Star Cross Knights of the Invisible Empire, huh? Another cool name like the Espada, but I'm not sure which one is more fancy. The Espada or the Sternritter?" Ichigo thought about it for a second, and shrugged."Anyway, from the word Special War Power, I can deduce that you're obviously going to wage war, but against who? Who exactly are your people? And if you're here to recruit me, am I right to guess that you have the means to restore my powers?"
When Ichigo thought more about it, a part of him was worried about what would happen to him, should he refuse. He obviously didn't know about Giselle's presence until she revealed herself to him, so if she wanted to harm him in any way... then he was currently at her complete mercy. He didn't like to think that she would harm him, but then again, was this any different from how Ginjō approached him?
Well, not including the kisses on his cheek, that is. He knew that it wasn't something serious in some other countries, like France for instance, so he probably shouldn't put that much meaning into that. Giselle was a foreign name, after all.
'Giselle was way more upfront about it... Whether I think of her company to be pleasant or not doesn't really matter, though. She's here on someone else's orders, so I might as well keep my guard up for now.' Ichigo most certainly did not want a repeat performance of what had occurred barely a week ago.
"Ehh? The information about your intelligence in the Daten was wrong. Lower than average? Jeez, what's the definition of average these days?" muttered Giselle. She then gave Ichigo her answer to his first question, with a hint of pride evident in her voice. "To answer your questions, we are the sworn enemy of Hollows and protector of Human kind, the Quincy."
Ichigo's eyes widened at the unexpected answer. Then what about Uryū's claim of him being the last Quincy? At first, Ichigo thought that Giselle was telling him a lie. But as he thought more about it, it didn't add up. Why would she lie to him about them being the Quincy, when they probably knew about his friendship with Uryū?
'Uryū doesn't know about the existence of these Quincies, or the Wandenreich!' Ichigo wanted to laugh so badly, at the thought of his friend learning that he wasn't the last Quincy. It would be hilarious to see the expression on his face when that happens. He bit his lower lip to calm himself, and turned his attention to Giselle.
"As far as I know, the Quincies were wiped out at the hands of the Shinigami. I heard it from Uryū who thinks he is the last Quincy." Ichigo frowned. It wasn't that he didn't believe Giselle's words. She really didn't have any reason to lie about it after all. It was an unexpected answer that caught him off guard, but he did believe her.
"Well you're right and wrong at the same time. You see, about a thousand years ago the Lichtreich - which was our kingdom at the time - declared war with the Shinigami. We Quincy prided ourselves for being honorable, and gave the Shinigami the time to prepare for war, before we attacked. But the Shinigami took advantage of it and launched a sneak attack on us with the intention to wipe us out. It was a miscalculation on our part, considering how the members of the Gotei 13 at that time were animals full of bloodlust with no sense of honor." Giselle frowned when she was reminded of the heinous acts the Gotei 13 had done to her kind during that time.
Ichigo found himself drawn into Giselle's history lecture, even if he wasn't sure about how much of it he should believe. All of it may be a lie, or the truth. It wasn't like he had anyone to tell him otherwise, so he just decided to listen to the full story.
"We fought to the best of our ability, despite the fact that we already took too much damage when they first struck, and we ended up losing badly. The Quincy that survived from the war hid in the shadows with our king to bid our time. While His Majesty took a near fatal wound from the leader of the Gotei 13, he used most of his strength to bind us with the realm of shadows, thus resulting in the beginning of the Wandenreich. The massacre you probably know about, was the Quincy that were currently living in the Human World a few hundred years ago. I'm not sure about how much you actually know about the Shinigami, Quincy and the Soul King, but do keep in mind that the history is always written by the victors." Giselle answered in a dead serious tone.
Somehow, Ichigo could tell that she really wasn't lying to him. He also had a weird feeling when he saw that her eyes were burning with hatred at the Shinigami. Was he... sympathizing with her?
"Oh god, all this shit is really starting to give me a headache. So, the Wandenreich is going to wage war against the Soul Society again, which means that there really is a way to restore my powers. You wouldn't bother to recruit me if you didn't, and... Oh, fuck," A sudden realization struck Ichigo. If the Quincy were here to recruit him, didn't that mean... "I'm a Quincy?"
"Ohh, hole in one! You really are way smarter than you let on, Ichi-chan!" Giselle said while maintaining her dopey smile. Ichigo's eyebrow twitched when she called him Ichi-chan, but didn't comment about it. While it was hardly an appropriate way for Giselle to address him, considering the fact that they barely knew each other, it didn't bother him as much as he thought it should have. Seriously, his infatuation was getting ridiculous at this point!
"So you're saying that I'm a Quincy. I also happen to know, that my dad was a Shinigami. So if I really am a Quincy... Oh, mom..." Ichigo smiled softly for the first time in a week, as he learned an important piece of information about his own mother. Anything new about his mother was something he was more than happy to learn about, but it was more than just that.
It felt like he had finally found out about something important to him, that was missing for all this time. If his mother was a proud Quincy, then he would gladly follow her footsteps, and become a Quincy she would've been proud of. He loved his mother that much.
Although new questions kept on popping up as he gained more and more new information, he had the feeling that he probably could get the answers he so desperately wanted from Giselle. Unlike Urahara or his father who always tried to hide things from him, Giselle seemed to have no such qualms. A moment later, Ichigo scowled. He couldn't help, but to growl in annoyance under his breath. "And he kept something like this from me all those years...? You're so dead Goat-chin."
The fact that his father hid something like this wasn't all that surprising, given how he also hid the fact that he himself was a Shinigami from him, even when he knew his involvement with the Soul Society for the whole time. He knew just how much Ichigo beat himself up about his mother's death being his fault when she died, and he didn't even bother tell him about his mother, something of this importance to him? The nerve of his old man...
"Yup, your mom was a Quincy. Kurosaki Masaki was the last Echt Quincy of the Kurosaki line. In case you didn't know, Kurosaki is your mother's maiden name, not one she took after her marriage with your father. It was probably a measure to hide your father from the Soul Society, if I were to guess. And I think the rest of the story is His Majesty's to tell, so forgive me if you have more questions." Giselle flashed him an apologetic look when she said that part. "Anyway, if you choose to join us, His Majesty will provide you the help you would need to reach your goals, awaken your Quincy heritage which is rightfully yours, and you'll get to see me every day! Sounds appealing?"
Giselle fluttered her eyelashes at the end of her proposal, which was more cute than sexy in Ichigo's opinion. Frankly, he wasn't completely convinced yet. The fact that his mother was a Quincy would've been all they needed to convince him to accept his Quincy heritage. But fighting against the Shinigami was something he simply wasn't ready to participate in, as much as he didn't trust them at the moment.
"Sounds great and all, but I don't know if I can fight against the Shinigami. I'm not really that comfortable with the idea, when my own father was one, and I still have my friends in the Soul Society..." said Ichigo with a small frown.
Ichigo was deeply conflicted. One side was his father's kind while the other was his mother's. He was on friendly terms with the Shinigami, and his human friends were also close to them. On the other hand, he wanted to become a proud Quincy like his mother. If someone actually asked him to choose between the two of his parents, his answer would always be his mother. It wasn't that his father meant that little to him, but his mother always held a special place in his heart. And even if Shinigami powers were more familiar to him, he neither knew how to regain it nor did the Shinigami wanted to help him on the matter. If they were silent for a year and a half, the answer was quite obvious, wasn't it?
All in all, he really wanted to become a Quincy, but didn't want to fight the Shinigami. Just what was he supposed to do?
"But didn't the Shinigami abandon you, when you were no longer useful to them? You sacrificed your own powers for them, and what did they do for you in return? You probably know already that they were watching you that day, when you lost your powers for the second time. But what you didn't know, was that everything was just a plot to draw Ginjō Kūgo out into the open. He's currently held in a cell in Soul Society, waiting for his trial. They didn't even bother to capture his allies, especially the one that tortured you mentally. They don't care about us humans, Ichi-chan. They eagerly slaughtered even the children, when they razed Lichtreich to the ground!" Giselle exclaimed with heat, trying her best to persuade Ichigo.
"That is kind of sick..."
"Do you know what happened to the Quincy that were slaughtered 200 years ago? Their souls found themselves in the Soul Society after their death, and all of them were captured for experimentation purposes by the 12th Division. If it wasn't for the fact that His Majesty was still recovering at that time, a full-out war would've started because of it. Your loyalty is admirable Ichi-chan, but it shouldn't be placed at the Shinigami as a whole. If you wish no harm to your friends in Soul Society, join us and fight, and spare them on your own terms." Ichigo listened to Giselle's words and came to the conclusion that she just might be right.
Who knows, if any Kurosakis were killed at the hands of the Shinigami? What if his own ancestors' souls were used in an experiment at the hands of the Shinigami? Considering the fact that his mother was the last Quincy of the Kurosaki line, it was a distinct possibility. He was too deep in thought, that he completely missed Giselle muttering 'As if any of them deserve to be spared anyway...' under her breath.
"I'm still not entirely certain about this, so I want to know about the Special War Power part first. What does that exactly mean?" Ichigo asked, quite curious about what it was, and why he was labeled as one.
"The Special War Power, is what His Majesty considers an individual who is capable of changing the tides of the war. His Majesty named five certain or possible enemies with each of their own strength. Zaraki Kenpachi's Combat Strength. Aizen Sōsuke's Spirit Pressure. Hyosube Ichibe's Wisdom. Urahara Kisuke's Means. And the one His Majesty placed as the most potentially dangerous one... The Number One Special War Power, Kurosaki Ichigo's Latent Ability." Giselle replied, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen in shock. Why the hell would he be placed as the most dangerous one, when he was no more powerful than the weakest Hollow?
Ichigo could easily understand why Zaraki Kenpachi was listed as one of them. If he actually drops his restraints, he becomes a force to be reckoned with. But even then, he didn't take his fights seriously. If he actually went full out in a fight seriously, Ichigo didn't want to be on the receiving end of his Zanpakutō. Ichigo actually shuddered, when he thought about the possibility of Zaraki succeeding to learn his Zanpakutō's name. Zaraki Kenpachi with a Shikai, or even a Bankai? It would be a living nightmare for his enemies.
Hearing Aizen's name wasn't that surprising at all. Although he couldn't help but to wonder why exactly a man who was currently imprisoned in Muken was on the list in the first place, he knew just how strong Aizen really was. He had felt Aizen's reiatsu for the first time while rescuing Rukia. Back then he wasn't fused with the Hogyoku, and yet his reiatsu was on a whole different level, compared to most of the Captains. Now fused with the Hogyoku, he could survive a clean hit with Mugetsu, the strongest technique in his arsenal when he was using the Final Getsuga Tenshō. And now he couldn't even use that anymore.
If Aizen was somehow freed from his prison, no one in the Soul Society could defeat him, not even the Head-Captain. Ichigo himself couldn't use the Final Getsuga Tenshō again, and even if he could, he would think at least twice before using it for Soul Society.
Urahara Kisuke was the only person Aizen admitted to be in equal terms of intelligence, which probably meant that the other was actually above him in Aizen's case. Aizen truly did have the biggest ego he had ever seen, after all. Urahara Kisuke's inventions were something else, and he always seemed to have some kind of solution about almost every possible situation at ready. He truly was an unpredictable man, who could very well be the joker of the Shinigami's side.
"Hyōsube Ichibē? I've never heard of him. Can you tell me who that guy is?" Ichigo asked, wondering if he was a retired Captain or something like that.
"Well, he's probably the first Shinigami to ever exist in this world. The Daten recorded about him states that he was said to be born at the same era when the Soul King was born, and that would make his age above one million years. A living fossil if you ask me. You do know about the Royal Guard, right?" At this question Ichigo nodded his head, shocked by Giselle's revelation about the eldest Shinigami.
"The leader of the Royal Guard is Hyōsube Ichibē. He has the knowledge about every piece of the history, and secrets of the Soul Society, hence his immense wisdom. Other than that, nothing is really known. We never did see him fight for real during the first war, since... you know," Giselle replied while tinkering with a small metal cube. She noticed Ichigo's curious gaze, and held up the cube for him to observe. "This is a tool that was provided for the success of this mission. It essentially blocks all attempts at eavesdropping or spying. It doesn't give away any reiatsu while activated too. Without anything like this, I doubt that His Majesty would allow anyone to set foot in the same area where Urahara Kisuke resides in."
"Well, I guess you're right about that. You never know when a certain black cat will try to listen in to a conversation after all." Ichigo chuckled, quite surprised at the Wandenreich's readiness. But it was to be expected when they were preparing for war for a thousand years.
"Hmm... Right, Shihōin Yoruichi! Her ability to shift into a cat is quite well known to us. She was spotted sneaking around the Soul Society in her cat form every few years. The Wandenreich knows almost everything that happens inside the Seireitei you know. When you first infiltrated the Soul Society, your growth of strength did surprise a few of the Ritters! Starting from a mere lieutenant level at most, reaching the level of a lower captain in short of a week! It was something unheard of, and when you fought against Aizen... Well, actually they were more surprised at the similarity between our ultimate technique and your Final Getsuga Tenshō. It was quite the gamble for us to gain that information, since the fight occurred outside the Seireitei, but it was totally worth it! We gained some insight of what to expect from the battle between two Special War Powers, all thanks to you. The Sternritter who saw the extent of your powers at the fullest won't underestimate you, even if you are currently weaker than a soldat."
At that point Giselle had Ichigo's full attention, not because of her small jab at his strength. They had a technique like the Final Getsuga Tenshō? Giselle seemed to catch on his interest at the topic and gave him a mischievous grin.
"I'll tell you about it later! Just know that our technique doesn't have the loss of powers as a consequence now, and let's leave it at that! Back to what I was saying, when you used that sacrificial technique, His Majesty named you as the most dangerous of the Special War Powers. I think it had something to do with the potential to become a transcendent being... Oh, I wonder..." Suddenly Giselle's eyes glazed over as if imagining something, and soon started to giggle madly. Ichigo had no idea what brought it up, but smiled anyway. Even if it was somewhat perverted, she was still cute all the same.
Ichigo thought about what he would do, should he choose to join the Wandenreich. He would have to train harder than ever, since if he was going to become a Quincy, he wouldn't settle for anything less than the absolute best. He didn't know if he had any talent regarding archery, but if he wasn't good at it... then he was going to train until he WAS good at it. Unlike the time when he was a Substitute Shinigami, he actually wanted to do the very best in his capability, in order to make his mother proud.
Then there was the matter of war. He didn't know exactly what they were trying to achieve, but his belief in the Shinigami dwindled just enough for him to actually consider fighting against them. He would have to kill, but it probably would be the same if he was on the opposite side. And honestly, after hearing about how the Shinigami wiped out the Quincy, he didn't feel like participating in the war against them, his own kind.
There was also the fact that if he were to choose one heritage over the other, he didn't want to choose the one that discarded him so easily when his use was done. While the Quincy could do the same to him, it didn't happen yet, and that was a good enough reason for him to take their side over the other. There wasn't the choice of not participating in the war. He knew that one way or another he would get dragged into it, just like how everything started in the first place.
Another reason for him to take the side of the Quincy over the Shinigami, was that the emperor promised his help on his current situation. Ichigo wanted to kill Tsukishima in the most painful way possible, and remove the effects of his Fullbring from his friends, and sisters. Then another problem struck him. If he decided to participate in the war, would his sisters stay out of it? If the 'Book of the End' was canceled, and they found out that he was missing, they would demand answers from his father. And then it will eventually lead to his sisters getting involved with the Shinigami.
He knew that Karin was already somewhat acquainted with Urahara, as he had seen his sister exiting the very shop Urahara owned. He would have to ask for help on that matter, if he were to join the Wandenreich. If he was a Quincy, then his sisters shouldn't be any different, right? Maybe they could be provided protection from the war if he requested it, or his friends on that matter? What should he do if he was confronted by his father during the war? Would his father choose the Shinigami over his family like Byakuya did?
"Hey, Giselle. Do you think the... err... well, this is awkward. Would His Majesty provide protection for my family and friends if I requested it?" Ichigo asked uncertainly. If his family and friends' safety was guaranteed, he actually looked forward to join the Wandenreich. He was still unsure about what he would do with his Shinigami friends, but he would try his best to make sure that they live through the war if possible. They probably would see him as a traitor, that was for sure, but that was his burden to carry.
"Ichi-chan, Giselle is a bit too... cold...!" Giselle stuck out her lips that were quivering, as if to prove her point. "You can call me Gigi like my friends do, Ichi-chan! And of course His Majesty would grant your request. You are a Special War Power! The outcome of the war could change if only one of them chose not to stand against us, but if you actually join us, the scales would be greatly tipped in our favor!" Giselle exclaimed while reaching out and grasping Ichigo's hands.
"Now call me Gigi!" Giselle stared into Ichigo's eyes, her own sparkling with amusement.
"Alright Gigi... Satisfied now?" Ichigo replied with a chuckle, easily giving into her rather cute demand. It really wasn't like him to act like this, but he couldn't help himself.
"Very! And I think we are about done with what I had to tell you. So..." Giselle fidgeted her fingers, which were still holding onto Ichigo's hand. She then tightened her grip on his hands in anxiety. "Have you made your decision Ichi-chan?"
Although Giselle thought that Ichigo probably would join the Wandenreich, she really didn't want him to reconsider and choose to stay. If she were to be honest, it wasn't for the Wandenreich, but for a completely selfish reason. She wanted her 'Ichi-chan' as much as... No, probably more than her 'Bambi-chan'. The reason she wanted 'Bambi-chan' to be hers, was that she wanted to watch her beg for her blood. Kind of a sadistic fetish, really. Ichigo on the other hand...
He was an entirely different case, compared to Bambietta. No other male had given her the look he gave to her when they met earlier. It was a warm feeling she wanted to savor, and for that she wanted her 'Ichi-chan' to join the Wandenreich. No, not the Wandenreich, but to join HER. She didn't want him as a zombie like she would've normally preferred, but if he chose to be an enemy of the Wandenreich, the only way she could have him was making him one. And if she did, he wouldn't look at her like he did earlier, so she didn't want to do that to him. Giselle definitely wanted Ichigo alive and healthy by her side. She could only hope that he wouldn't reject her when he found about her true nature, which would be the greatest obstacle.
"I can't believe this but... Yeah, I did. I'll join the Wandenreich, and serve under His Majesty on one condition. I'm going to have a conversation with him about what his goals exactly are, and how it'll influence the people I swore to protect. If the answer is satisfactory, His Majesty will gain a loyal subordinate." Ichigo replied and closed his eyes.
Giselle was quite thankful that she didn't have to mention anything about the 'information about his mother he needs to know' to quote His Majesty's words. It would've disturbed Ichigo unnecessarily, and to be honest, she really wanted to be nowhere near him when he learns the truth.
'If I remain useful, I won't be discarded without a second thought. I'll prove myself to be useful, if only to ensure my sisters' safety.' Ichigo vowed to himself.
His sisters were supposed to be Quincy too, so they could easily belong there. While he still had his doubts due to the Shinigami and Ginjō, he didn't think that the Soul Society would protect his sisters. Placing his bet on the Wandenreich would be a relatively safer choice for his sisters, when he succeeds in removing Tsukishima's Fullbring.
"Good! Now I'll get to see you every day, whenever I want to! I'm soooooo happy!" Giselle squealed and threw her arms around his neck, burying her head into his chest, causing Ichigo to blush madly. Giselle's muffled voice could be heard a moment later. "We are going to leave for Silbern via the shadows. It's going to feel like taking a dip in a lake in the middle of winter, so brace yourself!"
"Wait a minute! We are leaving now?!"
"Well, I don't really have a time limit on the mission itself, but His Majesty said that the faster I bring you to the Wandenreich, the chances of us winning the war increases drastically. And I don't think staying in the same area with Urahara Kisuke would do us any good. Do you need to take care of something before we leave?" Giselle asked, looking up at Ichigo's face, admiring his looks. There really weren't many eye candies among the Sternritter, and soldats always made sure to avoid her, so she was saving every second of this moment into her memory.
"I..." Ichigo wanted to say that he needed to say his farewells, but he remembered that there really were no one who would appreciate his farewells at the moment. He didn't want to take any chances with his father or Urahara, and Yoruichi-san, so that left literally no one. It's not like he had anything of worth to take with him, which made his choice all the easier. "I guess we can leave right now, Gigi. My life is so fucked up at this moment..." Ichigo sighed in frustration.
"Don't worry, Ichi-chan. Everything's gonna work out in the end, you know? If you worry too much, your handsome face will be covered with wrinkles!" Ichigo let out a small laugh and wrapped his arms around Giselle. "Thanks, I needed that. I'm ready."
Ichigo steeled his resolve. Everything was going to be alright. He was going to make sure of it.
"It's no biggie! As I said, brace yourself Ichi-chan!" As soon as Ichigo complied to Giselle's advice, the shadows engulfed them. Soon there was no trace of the Sternritter and soon-to-be-Quincy left at the peaceful riverside.
My first attempt at writing my own fan fiction only because I got pissed off when every Quincy!Ichigo stories I found are either discontinued or abandoned. This story will either go up in flames due to my lack of writing skills or I just might decide to share my pain and abandon it. I'll try not to.
Differences from the canon and this chapter.
1. Tsukishima's Book of the End isn't all that different from canon. If he dies, the effect will wear out. But this time, there was no Ginjō to explain that so no one knows about it. Kinda like how if Gin didn't explain anything no one would've known that one can be immune from Kyōka Suigetsu's effect if you touch the blade. I don't know if canon Book of the end's effect reduces over time... So it won't in this story. It won't be an important factor in the long run, but it is a major part of Ichigo's character building in this story.
2. There will be some differences to the characters mainly to the Quincies. Other than that, I'll try my best to stick to the canon personalities, but I'm nowhere near perfect so expect a lot of OOC moments.
3. This Ichigo isn't the same Ichigo from canon. Ichigo is subjected to more emotional distress in the span of a day compared to what canon Ichigo experienced. I'm sorry if you were expecting the same brash, trustworthy, getting beaten up all the time until someone saves his ass, not even bothering to use his above average intellect Ichigo. This Ichigo will be thinking a lot more, his perceptive side won't be limited to combat, he won't need someone to save his ass, and he is going to put some use to his head. Yes he's practically an OC if I'm to be honest, as some of you guys pointed out.
Yhwach is going to be a bit different from canon. Canon Yhwach doesn't really deserve to be called the emperor but the one in this story will.
Main pairing is Giselle and Ichigo, but due to Giselle's somewhat 'Unique' personality and Schrift I've come to the conclusion that normally Ichigo could never have anything remotely romantic with Giselle, so Ichigo is going to have a major crush on Giselle and Giselle enjoys the attention.
If I decide to give Ichigo a harem - which I did, two months after uploading this -, the members will be strictly inside the Female Sternritters.(Candice, Meninas, Bambietta.) No Liltoto, cuz that's just going to be weird.
The reason I won't include non-Sternritter girls in the harem no matter what happens, is that there are a bunch of IchiXNel, IchiXYoru, IchiXHalibel, and others in comparison to the Sternritter girls. I've seen enough of them, and I really don't want to write about them in this particular story. Don't get me wrong, I love the parings. Maybe in the future, but I'm not even sure if I can finish this one. I'm not the type to write a bunch of stories for 10 to 20k words and leave them abandoned.
Why is Giselle the main? Because I felt like it.
There was a review about how I was being rude completely ignoring the canon and acting trans-phobic in this AN and I actually agree with the comment. After reading the review I did remember that Kubo confirmed Giselle as a biological male, meaning she actually is transgender in canon. I wasn't intentionally ignoring or offending the canon on that matter, it was just that I was more focused on the story line that some minor details that aren't in the official comic book, so it slipped out of my mind. I own the comic books, but not the Shonen Jump so I really can't remember all the extra information that wasn't released in the comic book itself. Anyway, I'm sorry if it seemed like I was offending Kubo on the matter by being rude. It really wasn't my intention to do so.
I do dislike the idea of 'Drawing a female and then saying that the gender of the character is actually male' because it is confusing as hell, not because I have anything against transgenders. In this case, I looked over the fact that Kubo explicitly stated Giselle being biologically male, and was being offensive by stating my opinion on the matter without giving out my exact reasoning. I really don't have any negative opinions about transgenders, and I apologize for my words that could be easily read as an offensive opinion to transgenders in general.
Giselle in this story will be biologically female and also in gender, 'cuz I'm straight. This is my preference, and I'm not asking for anyone to agree or disagree on that matter.