Bleach 1. Prologue: That Rainy Night

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's note: This is my second account. My first account was Kage of Seireitei. I had this story idea and this time I planned ahead for future chapters. The first arc is already written in Rough draft format. I plan to release a new chapter every couple days until the end of the first arc. I will simultaneously be working on the second arc rough draft.

My writing style may change from dialogue oriented, to very descriptive, stage direction format, depending on what I feel is appropriate. So I am sorry for any inconvenience.

One last note, this story is meant to be read in "1/2" format. I find it pleasing to the eyes and so I suggest that at the top right of the page where it says "full 3/4 1/2", please select the 1/2 option. Other than that, please enjoy my latest work: Enemy of the King.)

Summary: "God has become nothing more than a tyrant." Ichigo's life changes the day his mother is murdered by a shinigami. Watch as he gains allies and grows into the warrior who defies the King's will. Multi-arc series. "Bad" Soul Society. Good Espada later on. Ichihime. Current Chp: Prologue

**First Arc: The Will of Four**

**Date Posted: 7/15/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought_

**Attacks/extreme emotion/scene break**

**Prologue: That Rainy Night**

_That night was the first time I experienced tragedy._

Scene opens with a view of the Karakura riverbank. In the midst of the rainstorm the river is swollen and the current is rough. Up on the hill a mother is walking her son home. Beneath the large umbrella, the boy feels secure in his mother's presence. His attention is focused on the dark clouds above him.

The rain begins to pick up. "Ichigo be careful. You don't want to fall into the river." The mother warned.

_I had always had a special "gift". Ever since I can remember, I was able to see people that weren't really there. These lost souls, or ghosts, or whatever. I was so aware of them that I couldn't even tell if a person I saw was alive or dead._

Little Ichigo gazed down towards the unlit riverbank. Beyond the streetlights, his eyes began to pick up a lonely figure mere feet from the torrential waters. He focused his gaze and was able to make out a little girl dressed in white standing precariously over the ledge.

"Don't jump little girl!" Ichigo shouted as he got loose from his mother's grip.

_The horror of that night still plagues me._

The little boy stumbles down the hill and rushes over to the edge of the riverbank. Ichigo reaches out his hand to the girl, but just before he could tug her back, she vanished.

"?"

"Ichigo!" the mother cried suddenly as she wrapped her arms around him protectively.

The next thing Ichigo heard was a sickening squelch and crunch. The world became silent. Ichigo's very being shook as he looked up into the lifeless eyes of his mother.

"Kehehehehe"

_That laugh. I will never forget that laugh._

The body of Ichigo's mother falls to the side revealing her murderer to the boy's eyes. An image that will stay with him forever. The man was tall. He wore a dark yukata and brown wool overcoat. He had jet black hair and a tattoo of a crown symbol on his forehead. With a sinister expression, he gazed upon his victim with satisfaction. The horrifying sound of blade released from flesh was heard.

Ichigo fell to his knees as he watched the man sheath the sword that ended his mother's life.

His urge to kill fulfilled, the murderer turned away and began walking towards a shining white light.

Despair and hopelessness consumed Ichigo as tears mixed with rainwater. One moment ago he was happily walking home with his beloved mother. The next, she lay before him in a pool of her own blood.

"Why?" Ichigo whispered.

"Hm?" The murderer turned back around towards the life he spared. He approached the terror struck boy.

Ichigo looked up at the man towering over him. Suddenly fear was the only thing that encased him. This man ended his mother's life and he could easily end his too. Ichigo's instincts told him to remain still and silent. But the question burned in his heart.

"Why? Why did you kill my mother?" Ichigo cried out in a cracked voice.

The man paused a moment. That sinister smile spread across his face. He answered simply

"Because God wills it."

And without wasting another moment, the murderer stepped through the white void that abruptly closed behind him.

Ichigo was alone. He lay in the mud next to the lifeless body that was once his warm and caring mother. The rain continued to pour. Ichigo continued to cry. The world continued to go on as time left behind another caught by death's cold embrace.

Those words continue to echo in the little boy's mind.

_God wills it._

**End Prologue**

(Author's note: Hope you enjoyed the Prologue. The next chapter is already written and will be posted in 1 and a half or 2 days. See ya then.)

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 1: Enter, The Protectors**


	2. Ch 1: Enter, The Protectors

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's note: This is a short chapter made to introduce the four main characters. Each successive chapter will be much longer (hopefully not too long)

Actually here is the word count so far for each chapter written:

Prologue: 889 posted 7/15/2010

Ch 1: 2762 posted 7/17/2010

Ch 2: 2854 will post on 7/19/2010

Ch 3: **6101! **will post on 7/21/2010

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.

Oh and I've also included some **Omakes**.)

**First Arc: The Will of Four**

**Date Posted: 7/17/2010**

Font key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought_

**Attacks/extreme emotion/scene break**

**Last Time:**

And without wasting another moment, the murderer stepped through the white void that abruptly closed behind him.

Ichigo was alone. He lay in the mud next to the lifeless body that was once his warm and caring mother. The rain continued to pour. Ichigo continued to cry. The world continued to go on as time left behind another caught by death's cold embrace.

Those words continue to echo in the little boy's mind.

_God wills it._

**Chapter 1: Enter, The Protectors**

Six years later.

The school bell rings. Ichigo's mind snaps back to focus. The setting quickly takes view as we see a typical Japanese medium sized classroom. Seated in the middle, we see a much older and mature young man. He is now 15 years old and a high school student. The memory of that rainy night long ago taunts his subconscious.

"Ichigo" she calls to him.

He turns to see a beautiful young woman with long bright hair and cheerful eyes. "Ah, Orihime."

"Ready to head home?" she asks him.

"Mm." His mind exhausted from the inner turmoil, he follows his childhood friend in tow. The conversations between students he passes by become nothing more than background noise. It's peaceful and gives the young man a sense of normalcy.

Orihime knew what he was thinking about. She doesn't need to voice her concern. She knows better than anyone else the emotions running through his being. For she lost someone close to her as well.

Scene changes to a view of the outside. They trek through the schoolyard and ahead Ichigo sees two more of his closest friends.

Ishida Uryu. The bespectacled, raven-haired teen who stands at number one in their class. And Yasutora Sado. The tall and muscular young man with wavy hair that hangs over his eyes.

"Chad, Uryuu." Ichigo greets with a nod.

"For the last time Kurosaki. Call me Ishida." Uryuu says as he pushes up his glasses.

"We've known each other for five years U-ry-u" he enunciates in an exaggerated tone.

"He just likes to hear you call him that." Sado deadpanned, attempting to hide his smirk.

"What are you insinuating?" Ishida points at him dramatically.

"Nothing. I mean, why would I insinuate anything about the _male _President of the _Sewing _Club?" Sado continues with a false serious expression, poking fun at the rather feminine hobby Uryu has had for a while. Sado's deadpan humor is something he's carried with him since meeting Ichigo several years ago.

"I liked you better when you were quiet!" Uryu shouted as he punched the much taller young man in the chest. Only to shake his hand in irritation and pain. Sado's eyes sparkled in mischief behind his long wavy bangs.

Ichigo started to laugh. A sound so full of happiness and yet so innocent that most people take it for granted. Soon his friends joined him in his mirth.

The negative emotions he had were forgotten for now. As long as he had friends like these, the bonds they share would carry them through anything.

**Scene Break-Setting Change to Karakura Business District**

Scene opens with a view of the busy streets of Karakura business district. With tall buildings casting shadows and large crowds of people making their way home after a long work day. Traffic floods the streets. A rather normal afternoon.

View switches over to the inside of a public bus where a man stands in the middle of the overcrowded vehicle, just wishing to get home to meet his wife. The bus stops at a red light at the center of the busiest part of Karakura. The man looks to the left out the window where he sees a homeless man dressed in rags sitting up against a concrete wall. The homeless man held a cardboard sign in his hands that read 'The End is Near.' The businessman just brushed it off as a normal sight and looked ahead as the bus began to move again.

Suddenly tremors shook the ground. The bus driver immediately halted as the bus began to shake side to side. The businessman fell to the floor just as the others who were standing did too. Then just as soon as it started, the tremors stopped. The man's heart racing, he looks around outside the bus to see pedestrians shocked but nobody appearing to be injured.

"That was unusually short." Someone in the back of the bus comments.

"At least it wasn't a big one." Another passenger adds.

**"Raaaaaaawwwwrr!"** a loud monstrous roar shouted from somewhere. The passengers look around trying to figure out where the source came from.

"**Raaawwrr!" **the shout came again.

The man looked out the window to see pedestrians fleeing away from something. Moving to the front of the bus he commands the driver. "Hey are you alright? We should get moving." The bus driver is unresponsive, his face frozen in shock. "What's wrong?" the businessman inquires. The bus driver remains silent and just points ahead.

What the pedestrians saw, the bus driver saw, and finally what the businessman saw made everyone's jaws drop. "You've got to be kidding me!"

In the middle of the intersection, a large black void had suddenly appeared. It was as tall as a skyscraper. Out of the portal, a hugs scaled claw reached out. The citizens of Karakura looked on in horror as the rest of the beast emerged.

"**Raaaaaaawwwwrrr!"** it shouted as it came into view.

Out of the portal, appeared a giant mutant dinosaur, the size of a tall building with rough charcoal scales, a powerful tail, and jagged bone-colored dorsal fins.

"I know this is Japan, but SERIOUSLY? MOTHERF**KING GODZILLA?" - Businessman

You see what they didn't know was that this creature was actually a Large Hollow, a fusion of several corrupted dead spirits that when put together can take the form of anything. This one just happened to resemble Godzilla…Yea.

Switch back to focus. The crowd screams in panic as everyone attempts to flee from the abomination. The passengers quickly exited the bus and joined in the chaotic retreat. The businessman pauses to look up at the Godzilla-like monster.

It reared its head back as energy coursed through its dorsal fins extending up its spine. With a mighty roar the Large Hollow released a powerful blast of energy at the nearest building, blowing a large hole through it. Glass and other debris fell from above as people dispersed.

"What the hell was that?" the businessman shouted.

"That was his Atomic Breath Ray." The homeless man from before, explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The businessman looked down at the rag-clothed man, seriously not expecting an answer.

"Hey look up there!" A woman yelled, pointing to the top of one of the buildings. People looked up to see a bright haired young man standing precariously near the edge. He was dressed in unusual black clothing and looked to be carrying something big on his back wrapped in a white cloth.

"It's a kid!"

"What's he doing up there?"

"He's gonna fall." And other comments were heard.

View changes to top of the building where we see the person in question is actually Kurosaki Ichigo.

"You're a big guy aren't you?" Ichigo says tauntingly.

The teen reaches up to grab the handle to the weapon on his back. With confidence and practice, Ichigo removes the blade. The onlookers watch as the white cloth unwraps itself to reveal the sword, which was an oversized elegant cleaver.

"**Raaaaawrrrrr" **the Godzilla Hollow roared as it brought a claw down upon Ichigo. The citizens watched in horror as the young man takes the full force of the crash that tears through several floors of the building.

The dust settles to shockingly reveal an unharmed, uninjured, and smirking Ichigo with his sword held above his head-the only thing resisting the gargantuan sized claw that should have demolished him.

"Good. I was hoping to blow off some steam today!" Ichigo chuckled as he threw off the beast's arm with one swipe.

Confused and angry, the Hollow thrashed its tail around in fury. With each swing that contacted with the ground, shockwaves echoed in all directions and craters were formed. The mutant lizard charged up another Atomic Ray and this time fired it into the crowded civilian streets. Screams were heard as many thought their lives were finished.

However, at the last second a young woman jumped between the blast and the people.

"Santen Kesshun, I reject!" she declares.

A large glowing golden triangle shield suddenly appears and blocks the Atomic Ray. The attack shakes the ground and the temperature in the air rises several degrees. The huge shield covered a large area from one side of the street to the other and stood several stories high. The defensive spell held its ground as the attack died down.

"Oy! Your fights with me!" Ichigo shouted as he jumped from the building and swung his sword.

Impact was made against the tough hide. The strike was powerful, so strong that it knocked the monster back into another building. More debris fell from above, but this time the young woman, who we know as Orihime just extended her shield to block it from injuring anyone.

"Damn this skin is tough!" Ichigo complained.

A shining blue arrow wizzed by his ear from behind him and implanted itself into one of the Hollow's eyes. The beast cried out in pain as blood seeped from the wound. The onlookers now see another young man enter the fray.

"Damn it Uryu! You could have hit me!" Ichigo shouted at the newcomer.

Uryu was dressed in a white uniform with a rough cape that extended down his back. There was a large blue cross and pentacle decorating his clothing and the people also saw he had a longbow in hand.

"Sorry my finger slipped. It was an accident" He told Ichigo with a smirk as he pushed up his glasses.

"Like hell it was!" - Ichigo

"Hey boys! Get back to work!" Orihime shouted from street level. The crowd sweat drops as they watch the unusual scene.

"**Raaaaawwrr!" **the Hollow screamed as it blindly swiped the air. Ichigo and Uryu jump back out of the way as the monster flails about.

"This guy's hide is stronger than steel." Ichigo told Uryu who without another word fired a second arrow into the monster's other eye.

"**RROOOOOOAAAAARWWRRRRR!" **Godzilla screamed in pain, anger, and frustration.

"Good job stupid. Now he's even angrier!" Ichigo shouted as the two watch the collateral damage becoming more extensive due to the now blind Hollow.

Then out of nowhere, another young man—

"Shouldn't these kids be at home or at the movies, or just hanging out? Not fighting monsters." – Random person. Piece of debris hits him from nowhere knocking him out.

-another young man jumps into the fight bringing two glowing fists down upon the top jaw of the lizard monster. With a forceful blunt attack, the monster crashed to the ground.

"Chad, that's not going to work. We tried attacking him but it seems the only part that's vulnerable is his eyes. Which _someone_ took care of already!" - Ichigo

Sado ignored him and proceeded to throw punch after punch at the downed monster. The crowd looked on, almost feeling sorry for the Hollow. The tall muscular high school student now had a transformed right arm. It was black with a large magenta stripe running down the middle. Two wing like protrusions and an extension at shoulder level. Overall, the arm looked like a piece of demonic armor.

The Hollow's head crashed into the asphalt street, as well as some parked cars. Feeling humiliated and irritated, it fires another Atomic Ray straight up into the air.

_This Hollow is annoying. But there has to be some kind of weakness. _Ichigo thought to himself.

"…I've got an idea!" Ichigo announced. "Chad! Make him do that again!"

Sado shrugged his shoulders but continued to pummel the crap out of the Hollow who, just as predicted, fired another blast into the air.

Ichigo saw this as his chance.

"**Getsuga Tensho!**" he shouted as he slices the air. At the instant of the slash a large crescent shaped wave of spiritual energy fires from the tip. The wave collides with the slash. Ichigo's attack becomes dominant and continues its course straight into the gaping mouth of the Godzilla Hollow. Blood explodes out of its mouth as the sword slash tears up its insides.

Weakened, defeated, and mortally wounded, the Hollow begins to dissipate into the air. The corrupted spirits cleansed and sent to the afterlife.

Ichigo, Uryu, and Sado landed next to Orihime who retracted her shield spell. The people of Karakura stared, jaws dropped.

"Just who are you kids?"

Orihime smiled and with brimming confidence, struck a pose and announced

"We are the Protectors."

**End Chapter 1**

(Author's note: Character personalities are slightly different, which can be explained in later chapters. Also some abilities and other missing characters (such as Kon and Urahara) will be dealt with later. Hope you enjoyed some of the humor in this. I just made this chapter a little short to ease into the story.

The next few chapters will be flashback chapters detailing the AU background of the four Protectors. The coming up chapters may have little bits of humor, but I'm gonna focus more on character development. Omakes will still have humor. See ya in the next installment.)

**Omake 1**

"We are the Protectors." - Orihime

"…laaaaaaaaaame superhero team name" - Random person from before. _Large_ piece of debris falls and crushes him.

**Omake 2**

(Godzilla uses Atomic Ray)

"What the hell was that?" - Businessman

"That was his Atomic Breath Ray." - Homeless man

"Hey look up there!" - Woman

(Ichigo appears)

"What is that boy doing?" - Businessman

"His name is Kurosaki Ichigo and he is a shinigami. He dedicates his life to fighting and purifying Hollows which, by the way, are corrupted dead spirits." - Homeless man

(Later Orihime appears)

"She is Inoue Orihime. A human with extraordinary spiritual powers. She has a shield spell, a healing spell, and an attacking spell." - Homeless man

"Can she heal my concussion?" - Random person from before that keeps getting hit by debris. _Another_ concrete slab falls on top of him rendering him silent.

(Later Ishida Uryu enters fight)

"That is Ishida Uryu, a quincy, which are a near extinct race of spiritual bow users who also go around purifying Hollows." - Homeless man

(Later Yasutora Sado enters fight)

"And he is Yasutora Sado. Another human with spiritual powers. He attacks with brute force. He is usually silent but sometimes throws in a deadpan joke or two." - Homeless man

"How can you possibly _know_ that?" - Same random person. Same person is ignored and crushed again.

"And together the four of them are the Protectors." - Homeless man

"Do you know everything or something?" - Businessman

"Yes." - Homeless man

"If a tree falls in the forest, but nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" - Businessman

"Yes it does." - Homeless man

"Why don't they make airplanes out of the stuff they use to make those indestructible black boxes?" - Businessman

"Because the airplane would be too heavy to fly." - Homeless man

"What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?" - Businessman

"42. That one was easy." - Homeless man

"Why do I keep getting crushed by debris?" - Random person.

"Because you're annoying" the homeless man answers as he picks up a rock and throws it at the Random person's face, knocking him out.

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia:**

The Protectors – consisting of four members. Kurosaki Ichigo, Shinigami. Inoue Orihime, Healer. Ishida Uryuu, Quincy. Yasutora Sado, Juggernaut. Together they dedicate their lives to defending the citizens of Karakura, both living and dead.

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 2: Ichigo's Story**


	3. Ch 2: Ichigo's Story

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's note: Here we go. I added a few additional details bringing the word count for this chapter up to **3,652. **This chapter is meant to be a character development and background info chapter for Ichigo.

Originally I was just going to incorporate Ichigo's story into Orihime's story, Ishida's story, and Sado's story as a series of small flashbacks, but that just doesn't seem right anymore.

I'm sorry if some of you think this is going a bit slow, but I think it is crucial that I present to the reader the altered history of the characters.

Oh and some info on the future chapters (the titles and current word count for each chapter):

Chapter 3: Orihime's Story. 6,104 words (some additional editing should have this increase a bit lol)

Chapter 4: Ishida's Story.

Chapter 5: Sado's Story. (End of Flashback portion of arc 1)

Chapter 6: Encounter.

Chapter 7: Invasion.

Chapter 8: (haven't decided on a title yet, but this is going to be one of my favorites)

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**First Arc: The Will of Four**

**Date Posted: 7/19/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow speak/Ghostly speak/scene break**

(Sound Effect)/(Extra detail)

**Last Time:**

Weakened, defeated, and mortally wounded, the Hollow begins to dissipate into the air. The corrupted spirits cleansed and sent to the afterlife.

Ichigo, Uryu, and Sado landed next to Orihime who retracted her shield spell. The people of Karakura stared, jaws dropped.

"Just who are you kids?"

Orihime smiled and with brimming confidence, struck a pose and announced

"We are the Protectors."

**Chapter 2: Ichigo's Story**

5 and a half years before the events of Chapter 1.

6 months after the death of Kurosaki Masaki.

Scene opens. It is dusk in the town of Karakura. The golden sun lay nestled in the purple clouds. The orange sky slowly turning dark.

The young Kurosaki Ichigo (9 years old) sat on the banks of the river looking out to the sunset. This place…this was where his mother was killed on that rainy night half a year ago. This peaceful evening was nothing like that night. Today, it was so serene. The once overflowing river now barely flow a trickle. The sunlight reflected off the water and the grass smelled fresh. Some would call it beautiful.

It made Ichigo sick. _How could the world just go on?_

He sat there the whole afternoon just thinking.

_Right now, if everyone, every man, woman, and child. Every holy man, corrupt politician, criminal, and priest. Every cancer patient, every newborn, and every man on their deathbed. If everyone were to disappear without a trace, without warning…the world would just go on. The plants would continue to grow. The animals would continue to live._

_ The Earth would continue to turn. It would continue to revolve around the sun. Years would pass, and the Earth would still be here…unchanged._

Ichigo reached his hand out to the sky. He grasped the sinking sun in his hand as if saving it from disappearing over the horizon.

_But it's hopeless._

The sun finally sunk below and the sky turned dark. The stars began to reveal themselves.

_Just like every night since this world was formed. Before people were here, and it will continue to do so long after we're gone._

Since the night Ichigo's mother had died right in front of him, every afternoon after, he would come here. The first few weeks he would even skip school just to come here and walk up and down the riverbank…searching.

For what? He didn't know. He knew his mother died that night. He knew she was killed. He knew who killed her. Yet he still came here looking for her.

After those first few weeks, Ichigo stopped searching. He just came here to think now. At first all he thought about were memories of his mother. The happier times. The days she would take care of him when he was sick. The days she would play with him when nobody else would.

The nostalgia eased the pain for a while. He could almost see his mother, caring smile and warm expression, sitting next to him on that riverbank. But the illusion was quickly broken and his mind scattered to darker places.

He started to think about that horrible night. That dark memory replayed in his head over and over again for so many weeks.

_God wills it._

_ God wills it._

_ God wills it._

He could hear the cold voice clear in his head as if the killer was right here whispering it to him. Reminding him of the injustice that took place that night.

Ichigo felt so weak. It was his fault she died. Why did she save him?

_When we are born into the world, we cry and the world cheers. When we die, we cheer and the world cries._

_ Do people die for a reason?_

_ Are they even born for a reason?_

_ Or are our lives tied to strings held by some Diety who decides everything?_

Ichigo could hear the crickets chirping as night had fully set in.

It was time to head home.

**Scene Break-Setting change to Kurosaki Clinic/Household**

Scene opens. View changes to inside of the Kurosaki household. The family was seated at the dinner table. One family member was missing.

"Where is Ichi-nii?" the 5 year old Yuzu asks worried on the whereabouts of her older brother. Her twin sister Karin remained silent but looked just as worried.

"Don't worry girls your older brother is turning into a young man. I remember when I was his age. I use to go run all the way to the ocean and scream out to the sea 'You won't get me!' It filled me with confidence…but then sometimes I would get lost on my way back." – Kurosaki Isshin

"Eh?" Yuzu became worried at the thought of her brother getting lost on his way home.

"Er, ah, don't worry. I'm sure he's fine" their father insisted.

"Yea. Ichigo isn't as stupid as goat chin over here." Karin told her.

"Oooooooh Karin! Your words hurt me so much!" Isshin cried as he clutched his heart in an overdramatic fashion.

He was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing. The three rush over to see young Ichigo taking off his shoes. Ichigo looks up, surprised to see all three of them there at once.

"I'm…I'm home." he says.

"You're late!" Isshin shouted as he performed a flying karate kick, to which Ichigo easily ducked under. The father Kurosaki continued sailing past him and right out the door. Rushing back into the house, Isshin dove at his son again only to miss and fall onto the floor.

"What kind of father attacks his own son as some kind of 'welcome home' greeting?" Ichigo says as he comically stomps his father's face into the wooden floor.

"Ichi-nii your home! We were so worried about you!" Yuzu told him as she ran up and hugged him.

Ichigo at first looked surprised but hugged her back. His gaze then met Karin's who tried to hide her worried and now relieved expression. Ichigo reached a hand out to her. Karin, after hesitating a moment, rushed to him and hugged her older brother too. Her eyes shut, keeping the tears in.

"I'm sorry I worried you all." Ichigo apologized. His family was worried for him.

"Come on. Dinner is getting cold." Yuzu told him as she dragged him to the table.

Ichigo took a good look at his family and for the first time in a long time, he smiled. His mother may have left him. But, he wasn't alone. He never was. He wasn't the only one grieving this whole time.

His sisters were just as hurt by the loss as he was. Yuzu decided that now that their mother was gone, she would take the responsibility of doing the house chores. Karin no longer wanted to be a burden to her family. And so since then, she never cried, not even when she was sad or hurt. Ichigo hadn't seen her shed one tear since their mother died.

And his father. Even though he didn't show it, Ichigo knew he was sad too. But he kept up a tough front for his children. Isshin didn't want to show one sign to his kids that there was anything wrong with him. He wanted to let his children know that they still had one parent around. A father that would do anything for them.

**Scene Break-Setting change to Ichigo's Room**

After dinner, Ichigo prepared himself for bed. Laying there, he couldn't go to sleep. His thoughts wandered once more.

_The world will go on. Years will continue to pass by, once I'm gone. My brief existence, an insignificant occurrence to the overall timescale._

_But, while I'm here…while I breathe this air, while I walk this Earth, I will do everything I can to protect the ones close to me. My sisters, my father, my family._

_ It's MY life! I will shape my future with my own hands._

Ichigo would do anything to make sure he didn't lose anyone else. To make sure they will never have to feel the same depression he felt, the same feeling of hopelessness and despair. Ichigo will live. He will live and fight to protect these family bonds. These bonds that hold his life together.

Content with his resolve, Ichigo began to doze off. The moonlight, partially hidden by the clouds shined lightly against the curtains. The silence in the room was comforting as the young boy made peace with himself.

Just as his mind approached unconsciousness, he heard an unusual noise.

"**Raaaaawwwrrr!**" the sound echoed in the distance.

_What was that?_

"**RAAAAAWWWRRRR!**" the cry boomed, sounding much closer than a moment ago. It was close enough that the window frame rattled from the sheer volume.

Out of nowhere, an earthshaking crash shook the Kurosaki household. Ichigo ran to the window to see half his house blown away by what looked like a masked monster. To his horror he saw the beast had taken Yuzu and Karin who were knocked out unconscious.

"Dad!" Ichigo shouted as he saw him get thrown against a dumpster by one of the monster's hands.

_No! _He wouldn't let this happen again. Ichigo grabbed a baseball bat and ran out of the house to confront the humanoid monster.

Ichigo took a good look at his opponent. It was almost two stories tall and had a fish-like mask as well as dorsal fins on its back. Black stripes decorated its armored shoulders like the scales of a fish.

"Let go of them!" Ichigo charged at the monster, bat in hand he swung with all his might.

But the creature just swatted him away like a fly. The bat shattered in his hands as the 9 year old boy collided with the pavement. A wound on his head opened and blood began to seep out. Dots of light filled his sight as he tried to recover from the hit to his skull.

"Graaaaaaah!" Ichigo screamed in fury as he blindly ran at the monster again with the fractured baseball bat. Attempting to stab the masked monster was useless as it flicked its wrist at Ichigo sending him flying into a streetlight pole.

Pain shot through his entire body. The light bulb above him exploded as Ichigo lay there slumped against the pole. Sparks cascaded down around him as the world began to slow down. The sounds around him started to fade away. The light dimmed around Ichigo as he stared at his bleeding hand.

_Why? Why don't I have power? Why can't I protect the ones close to me? I'd do anything! Let me control my own destiny!_

_ALLOW THESE HANDS OF MINE TO GRASP AT THE FUTURE AND PULL ME THROUGH!_

_Give me a CHANCE!_

Darkness consumed Ichigo's vision as he finally fell unconscious.

**Scene Break-Scene change to Ichigo's Inner World**

His eyes snapped open and he found himself in a strange world. Everything was silent. He looked around to see he was standing on the side of a tall skyscraper. The reflection of clouds drifted along the glass.

There were no birds in the sky. No cars or people on the ground. But he felt he was not alone here.

Ahead of him was a dark clothed man standing on a flagpole. He looked both intimidating and mysterious. The man's old age showed on his face.

"Who are you?" – Ichigo

Surprised at this, the man answers but his name is blocked off by a strange sound.

"What?" – Ichigo

"That's sad. How many times do I have to tell you my name before you can hear it? In this world, nobody knows me better than you."

"I don't know anybody who acts so gloomy." – Ichigo

Ichigo looked to see the old man move to standing on the side of the flagpole, defying gravity.

"How are you doing that?" – Ichigo

Suddenly whatever was holding Ichigo up, disappeared and the boy began to fall down the tall skyscraper.

"Aaaaaaaahhh!"

Ichigo, panicking, needed to find a way to stop his fall. His instincts took over as his mind thought

_Stick to the wall!_

Ichigo tumbled but finally pointed his feet to the side of the skyscraper and tried to blend his very thought with the structure. To his surprise, he became stuck to the wall preventing him from falling the rest of the way to his death. Heart beating fast, Ichigo laughed in relief. He looked at his feet in confusion and awe.

"Impressive. You instinctively controlled the spiritual energy around you and channeled it to your feet to stand on." The old man informed him as he quickly appeared next to Ichigo.

"Where am I?"-Ichigo

"This is your inner world. This is also where your _power_ lies dormant."

"My power?" – Ichigo

"You wished for power to protect your family, correct?"

Ichigo nodded furiously.

"I need it! My family needs me! I won't sit back and lose the only bonds I have left! Give me the power I need to create my own destiny!" Ichigo shouted.

"Then take responsibility and find it within yourself!" the old man declared as suddenly the world around him morphed into thousands of boxes.

Ichigo's head spun from side to side, amazed at the sheer amount of containers falling around him. They were all pure white boxes, each roughly the same size.

"Inside one of these boxes is your _power_. Find it quickly or your family will be killed by the Hollow that attacked you."

Ichigo began to panic again. Losing his composure.

"There are thousands of boxes! How the hell am I suppose to find it?" Ichigo cursed at the old man who remained silent.

"Damn it." – Ichigo

_The old man said something about controlling my energy. Maybe I can use that. _Ichigo took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He searched within himself.

His inner feelings reached out into the world around him. Searching, merging. The power he wanted, the power he _needed_! It was somewhere close.

"There!" Ichigo shouted as a box suddenly materialized right in front of him.

It opened to reveal a blindingly white core. It emitted a warm sensual feeling.

"Grasp it! Grasp the power within you! Release your inner strength and become the warrior that defies fate!"

Ichigo dove his hand in, and with a desperate cry unsheathed the strength locked inside him. The light and energy coursed through his soul as Ichigo's strength molded into his body.

The young boy felt as if he was rejoined with another half of himself.

"Excellent. Your desire to protect is strong." Ichigo heard the man commend him as the inner world began to disappear. The young boy was regaining consciousness.

"Come find me again when you're ready to hear my name" the old man whispers as Ichigo's form disappeared from the mindscape.

"**He has a long road ahead of him.**" A deep voice spoke.

The old man turned around to see a dark hooded figure standing on the sideways skyscraper that reformed as soon as Ichigo unlocked his abilities.

"Ah. It's _you."_ The old man said in recognition.

We see a side-on view of the hooded man's form. The cloak gives him a ghostly corporeal appearance. The upper half of his face is hidden in the shadow cast by the hood. His mouth and chin are barely visible to the viewer.

"**He doesn't know it yet, but the fate of the many universes rests in his hands. I feel sorry that this responsibility is forced on him.**"

"Ha! Don't kid yourself. You haven't felt _anything_ in centuries." The old man spat at the emotionless spirit.

"**God's corruption has begun to permeate reality itself. My body, my mind, my soul, my emotions, my past, my present, and my future were all taken away from me by God. However, I still have one part of me…"** the hooded man brings up his hand to his face and looks at the scars running down his palm and down his forearm.

"**My desire…my **_**need **_**for revenge. I will stop at nothing for it.**"

The hooded man disappears for now. The old man looks up to the clear blue sky, alone in this mindscape.

"Kurosaki Ichigo…grow strong quickly, for time is not on your side."

**Scene Break-Scene change to Outside Kurosaki Clinic/Household**

The outside world started to speed up again. Sound returned to Ichigo as he regained his bearings. He looked to see the Hollow preparing to feast on his sisters.

"Oy! You know why big brothers are born first?" Ichigo rhetorically asks the Hollow.

"**Grrr**" It grunted unintelligibly.

Ichigo's spiritual power had risen greatly. The fish-like Hollow dropped its current prey as its eyes set on the little boy for its next meal.

"It's so we can protect the younger siblings that come after!" Ichigo shouted as an explosion of power erupted around him.

A bluish-white light circled him and, rising tall, it encased him. Dust exploded outwards and glass windows in the adjacent building shattered.

The ground shook, and all the streetlights exploded. The entire side road went dark save for the glow from Ichigo's spiritual pressure.

The aura died down to reveal the young boy's appearance had changed. He was now dressed in a black yukata and socks with sandals. On his back was a large brown sheath that encased an equally large katana.

Ichigo drew his Zanpakuto from his back. _Surprisingly light considering how oversized it is. _Especially for a nine year old boy.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed in focus at his opponent. Heartbeat increased, muscles tensed, and adrenaline surging through his system, the young boy mentally prepared himself for his attack.

The Hollow charged at the newly reborn shinigami, ready to devour the large spiritual pressure. Desire and greed blinded it from its impending doom.

_This is it! - Ichigo_

The Hollow swiped down with its claws but was blocked as Ichigo held his zanpakuto over his head. The ground beneath him cracked from the force of the strike. Ichigo smirked confidently as he began his counter.

The monster was effortlessly thrown off the blade and without wasting a single movement, Ichigo severed one of its arms. It flew high into the air as blood exploded out of the wound. The Hollow cried out in pain and shock. Its other claw released its hold on Yuzu and Karin.

Ichigo jumped to retrieve his younger sisters. Landing safely, he gently laid them on the ground.

The young boy's newfound strength coupled with his undeniable resolve to protect his family made him an unstoppable force as he dashed towards the monster.

The Hollow made one last attempt to defend itself, but it was ineffective as Ichigo leaped, flipped, and stabbed the katana deep into the mask and head of the beast.

The mask shatters as the Hollow howled loudly. Its body slowly dissipated. Its corrupted soul was now purified, the spirits sent to the afterlife.

The fight now over, silence and darkness once again consumed the side street.

Ichigo's senses returned to him. The adrenaline dying down, he ran to his sisters to check on their condition. Relieved to see they were fine, the young boy was about to carry them into the house when suddenly he heard someone behind him speak.

"Ha! So my son has become a shinigami!"

Ichigo turned in shock to see his father, still injured, limping towards him with a proud smirk on his face.

"Dad?"

**End Chapter 2**

(Author's note: And there ends chapter 2. Notice that Rukia isn't here, and that Ichigo is only NINE YEARS OLD. XD

Also to answer some questions: The citizens of Karakura can see spirits and shinigami (Ichigo) for a reason that will be explained towards the end of Arc 1. Also Ichigo can _transform _into a shinigami rather than his spirit form separating from his physical body. This will either be explained at the end of Arc 1 or the beginning of Arc 2.

The hooded character in Ichigo's inner world will play a crucial part in the plot later on. And I should say right now that his identity is NOT OC. But I will not answer questions about who he is or give any additional hints until later on in the plot. Lol.

Next chapter continues the flashback portion of Arc 1. And it's a LONG CHAPTER but very important.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now time for some Omake humor. I'll see you on 7/21/2010.)

**Omake 1:**

(Ichigo awakens to find himself in his inner world)

"Nobody knows me better than you." – Zangetsu

"I don't know anyone who acts so gloomy." – Ichigo

Awkward Pause.

Zangetsu crouches in a dark corner and begins to cry.

"Err…sorry." – Ichigo

**Omake 2:**

(Ichigo awakens to find himself in his inner world)

"Who are you?" – Ichigo

"I am (ducks quacking)" – Zangetsu

"?" – Ichigo

"I am (loud fog horn)" – Zangetsu

"I am (sound of applause from large audience)"

"I am (baby crying)"

"I am (airplane taking off)"

"Goddamn it!" – Zangetsu

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia:**

Kurosaki Ichigo – discovered his dormant shinigami powers at the young age of 9. Out of desperation he forcefully unlocked his abilities in order to protect his family. His father, Kurosaki Isshin, seems to be completely aware of his shinigami status and powers.

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 3: Orihime's Story – Release date is 7/21/2010**


	4. Ch 3: Orihime's Story

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: Hey guys this chapter will continue right where we left off and will cover Orihime's background and introduction into the "group" that is forming.

While writing this chapter I got an awesome idea for Orihime's upcoming conflicts in later chapters!

Oh and this one is a LONG CHAPTER. +6,600 words. So I'm sorry if it's too long.

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**First Arc: The Will of Four**

**Date Posted: 7/21/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought_

**Attack names/Hollow speak/Ghostly speak /scene break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

**Last Time:**

The Hollow made one last attempt to defend itself, but it was ineffective as Ichigo leaped, flipped, and stabbed the katana deep into the mask and head of the beast.

The mask shatters as the Hollow howled loudly. Its body slowly dissipated. Its corrupted soul was now purified, the spirits sent to the afterlife.

The fight now over, silence and darkness once again consumed the side street.

Ichigo's senses returned to him. The adrenaline dying down, he ran to his sisters to check on their condition. Relieved to see they were fine, the young boy was about to carry them into the house when suddenly he heard someone behind him speak.

"Ha! So my son has become a shinigami!"

Ichigo turned in shock to see his father, still injured, limping towards him with a proud smirk on his face.

"Dad?"

**Chapter 3: Orihime's Story**

Isshin collapsed to the ground, the pain he felt overwhelming him. Ichigo was surprised that his father could even stand up after the hit he received from the Hollow.

The young boy decided to attend to his sisters first. Ichigo carried them into the house. They were unconscious but they looked to be alright.

"After the trauma those two experienced tonight, we should probably try to convince them it was all a nightmare tomorrow morning." Isshin told his son as Ichigo helped his father into the house and into a seat.

"You alright?" – Ichigo

"Yea just give me a minute. I'm old, not dead" Isshin informed him as he cracked his shoulder into place. Ichigo winced at the noise and looked in admiration at his father's resistance to pain.

A moment of silence passed between the two as Ichigo tried to figure out what to say. "You called me a shinigami. What does that mean? What's a shinigami?" – Ichigo

Isshin bellowed a laugh as he ruffled his son's hair. Ichigo annoyed by the tease, knocks his father's hand away.

"A shinigami is a Soul Reaper of sorts. Their duty is to go around and help guide dead souls into the afterlife. They also have another duty." Isshin explained. Ichigo watched his father, who is also a doctor, struggle to get up and reach into a cabinet filled with medical supplies.

"That monster you saw. That's called a Hollow. It's a corrupted dead spirit and it consumes anything that emits spiritual energy. The second duty a shinigami must do is to defeat Hollows and cleanse their spirit, sending them to the afterlife." Isshin told his son seriously.

Ichigo was surprised to see that his father wasn't joking for once. "How do you know all this?"

His dad took out some disinfectant solution and cottons balls. He then proceeded to dab at the wound on Ichigo's forehead, cleaning it. Ichigo hissed in pain, the solution stinging him.

"Pft. What are you, a crybaby?" – Isshin

"Shutup!" – Ichigo

Isshin removed a bandage from the first aid kit and covered the now cleaned wound on his son's head. "A long time ago…I was a shinigami." He told Ichigo with a solemn expression.

"!"

"Back then, there were other shinigami too and we all worked to help dead souls and protect the innocent." – Isshin.

Memories ran through the father's head at lightning speed. His face became unreadable.

A horrible thought suddenly came to Ichigo.

"Then…then why didn't you help mom? Why did you let her die back then?" Ichigo cried out. Confusion and anger consumed him.

Isshin kept his composure. "Every single day I wish I could have done something to save your mother. But something happened to me a long time ago and I lost my shinigami powers. I was…I am…weak." He admitted with regret.

Ichigo looked at his father in shock. He was accusing his dad of letting his mom die, when Isshin tuned out to be just as helpless as he was that night.

Ichigo turned away, unable to meet his gaze with his dad's. Isshin began to wrap his own shoulder up in bandages.

"You're growing up to be a fine young man. Your mother would be proud of you." Isshin told his son resting a hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Now come! Now that you're a shinigami, its time I introduce you to the family business!" Isshin dragged his son off to a corner of the house.

Ichigo watched as his father tapped a section of the wall and then stomped his foot on the ground twice. Then without warning, a trapdoor opened up beneath the two of them.

"Aaaaaahh!" Ichigo shouted in surprise as they fell down the long hole stretching deep into the ground. _What the hell?_

(Thud)

Ichigo massaged his sore back. _Landing like that can't possibly be good for you. _The young boy finally stood and took in his surroundings. He raised an eyebrow at what he saw.

Apparently, beneath his house there was a large underground cavern at least a square mile wide complete with boulders and a wasteland setup. There was even a sky with artificial clouds. And somehow the whole place was well lit even though there was no visible light source.

"Wooow! Who knew there was this huge space underneath the house?" Isshin's voice echoed.

"As if you didn't already know! Stop pretending to be surprised!" Ichigo shouted at him, kicking his father in the back.

"Okay okay. Sheesh. If only my son had a sense of humor, then maybe he will grow up to be popular with the ladies, like me!" Isshin struck a pose.

Ichigo's forehead vein popped, as he tried to ignore his father's ridiculous comments.

"Anyways back to business. I may have lost my powers but I still have all the memories of being a shinigami. Including knowledge about the spiritual plane, sword fighting techniques, and tactics. I'll teach you the basics so you can at least survive your next encounter with a Hollow." – Isshin

"The one that attacked tonight was easy to beat though." – Ichigo

Without warning, Isshin head butted his son knocking the boy on his back.

"What did you do that for?" – Ichigo

"What are you? An ignorant boy? There are an uncountable amount of Hollows out there and most of them are much stronger than the one you fought. So I need to prepare you so you can at least come out of a fight alive. You need to take my advice seriously." Isshin explained.

"Tch. Fine. But this better not be a waste of my time." – Ichigo

Isshin's grin became menacing as if he was plotting something. And it was that moment Ichigo started to regret his decision.

**Scene Break-Scene Change to Karakura Recreational District (1 month later)**

7 months after the death of Kurosaki Masaki.

Scene opens. We see young Ichigo dressed in his shinigami uniform and carrying his overgrown katana on his back, leaping from building rooftop to the next in quick succession.

"That…old…man! This…is…so…stupid!" Ichigo panted as he continued his jumps.

**Flashback to a few hours ago**

"You need to work on your endurance. If you can't keep up your strength in a battle, you're done for! Now go run 20 laps!" Isshin instructed.

"Around the underground training grounds?" – Ichigo

"No you fool! Go run 20 laps around Karakura Town!" Isshin pointed out of the house.

"What? !" – Ichigo

**End Flashback**

And so here he was. The boy shinigami of one month was continuing his trek around the city.

"Why did they build Karakura so big? Isn't it suppose to be Karakura "Town" not a f**king metropolis! I'm not superman!" - Ichigo

And Ichigo continued to complain-

"I'm NOT complaining!" – Ichigo.

…

Anyways, Ichigo was soon to be relieved of his laps around the city.

"**Rooooooaaaaaaarrrr**" the familiar sound echoed.

"Finally! Time to go kick some ass!" Ichigo cheered as he leaped in the direction of the Hollow's cry.

**Scene Break-Scene change to Karakura Park**

Young Inoue Orihime was a nice and caring child. She never complained and always tried to make those around her smile. Her older brother even told her 'If you do good things, good things will happen to you.' And it was by that code that Orihime decided to live by.

_But then_

"Why is this happening?" she screamed in fear. View changes to see that Orihime and her older brother Inoue Sora were running away from a tall bat-like creature.

This Hollow, despite having large wings, was unable to fly. Its mask was pointed, and two sharp fangs extended from its mouth. It had large talon-like feet and sharp claws at the ends of its wings.

The bat monster almost caught up with the Inoue siblings. Its wing raised high into the air preparing to strike.

"Hyah!" Ichigo shouted as he descended from high above. He brought his buster blade down on one of the Hollow's wings and with a clean, straight through slice, was able to cut it off.

_"An important tactic is to always try to make your first move, your last move. Even if it doesn't end the battle, most of the time it will severely wound your opponent. And then the rest of the fight will be a lot easier for you. You will have the advantage." _His father's advice echoed in Ichigo's head as he watches liters of green blood pour out of the Hollow's gaping wound as it screamed in pain.

"Huh? What happened?" Inoue Sora, the older brother wondered. The two siblings looked at their savior and both voiced the same thought.

"He's just a kid." – Sora and Orihime

"OY! This KID is saving your ass!" Ichigo said with mild comical frustration.

The bat Hollow, angry with both its missing wing and the fact that it was being ignored, roared and attempted to hit Ichigo with its other claw.

Ichigo easily dodged as dust and dirt scattered into the air. _"You will face a lot of strong opponents in the coming years but you should remember this important tactic. No matter how strong or invincible an enemy's attack is, if you dodge it cleanly, it's as good as useless."_

"You two should get out of here! Let me handle this" Ichigo told them as he took a battle stance.

Orihime was about to protest but Sora quickly grabbed her hand and they ran off in the other direction. The young girl looked back once, at the boy that saved their lives.

"**Raaaawwrr!**" the Hollow cried in frustration as its meal got away. Its eyes fully focused on the tiny shinigami in front of him, its rage increased.

"_Balance is a key component that a swordsman should always keep in mind." _Ichigo remembered his dad telling him when Isshin easily knocked him over. _"The moment you lose it, can mean the end of the battle for you. Since a large majority of Hollows you will fight will be greater in size and mass than you, this will be especially important."_

"_There are three key factors in keeping your balance. There is the placement of your arms, your torso, and your legs. The main purpose of this is to position your center of gravity at the spot where it requires the least amount of energy to keep balance. For instance, if you bend your back forward, your center of gravity extends out in front of you, away from your body. And therefore, it becomes a lot easier to knock you over."_

"_When you fight a larger opponent, if you can find the right combination of balance management, you can withstand extremely heavy hits with minimal use of energy and counter accordingly."_

"Okay then let's try it." Ichigo told himself as he spread his feet wide to give himself the best leg support.

The Hollow struck again with its only arm, attempting to end the boy's life.

Ichigo brought his arms and zanpakuto above his head to block the claw slash. Dust exploded outwards in a circle from the force of impact. The Hollow believed it had destroyed its victim with one shot. But when its vision cleared, it could see that was not the case.

The young shinigami was holding his ground admirably. The earth beneath Ichigo's feet started to crack from the full force and weight of the monsters strike.

Ichigo became entangled in a deadlock struggle with the Hollow, each trying to unbalance the other.

The boy started to struggle, but with a simple movement of his feet and torso, he was now able to withstand the full weight of the multi ton Hollow. With a quick extension of his knees and elbows, the young shinigami rapidly converted potential energy into kinetic.

The full force was unleashed, sending the Hollow flying back into a tree. The collision caused the tall oak to collapse on top of the bat monster. Leaves scattered and shards of bark burst everywhere.

Everything Isshin taught him, was quickly helping Ichigo defeat his opponent.

**Scene Break-Scene change to Orihime and Sora**

Even at this distance, Orihime could hear the battle going on back at the park. She started to get worried. Her decision made, the young girl broke free from her brother's grasp and she ran back in the direction they came from.

"Orihime! Where are you going? !" – Sora

"We can't just leave him back there! What if he gets hurt?" Orihime ran further ahead.

Sora whispered a curse to himself as he ran after his little sister.

**Scene Break-Scene change to Karakura Park**

Ichigo watched as the Hollow struggled to get the large tree off of it.

"You're not very smart, are you?" the young shinigami taunted.

The bat creature was able to finally release itself and make its attempt to stand up. Ichigo started to feel sorry for it.

"I guess I should end this." The boy told himself as he charged at the weakened Hollow. Zanpakuto raised above his head, the young shinigami prepared to deal the death blow.

However, just as he was about to make contact, the bat Hollow dissipated into millions of little pieces. Its entire form disassembled and looked to have evaporated away.

_That was weird. I didn't even kill it yet._

"See Orihime. He was fine. Look, he's not even injured." Ichigo heard someone say.

The young shinigami turned to see that the Inoue siblings had returned, apparently because Orihime ran back.

"That was cool! You defeated that big monster thing!" Orihime expressed in awe.

"Err, it was nothing." Ichigo said humbly, rubbing the back of his head.

"My name is Inoue Orihime and this is my older brother Inoue Sora. What's your name?" – Orihime

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Well it's nice to meet you Ichigo." Orihime told him with a dazzling smile that made him blush.

"You're definitely stronger than you look." Sora told him.

"Well I've been training for a while." _I can't tell them it's only been a month of training. They'll think I'm some sort of freak._

"What was that thing?" Orihime asked him.

"Oh, that was a Hollow. It's a corrupted dead spirit. Shinigami, have to go around and purify them and send them to the afterlife." Ichigo explained.

"So you're a shinigami? Are there others like you?" Sora inquired.

"A long time ago there use to be, but I'm the only shinigami I know right now." He told them.

"That's so sad. You have to do all this work by yourself?" Orihime wondered.

"It's not too bad. My dad use to be a shinigami and he's teaching me a bunch of things. And it's starting to get fun, going around and 'saving the day.'" Ichigo said with a childish smile.

"Well then mister hero, I think you should be rewarded." – Orihime

"?"

Orihime stepped up to Ichigo and planted a soft innocent kiss on the boy's cheek.

Completely caught off guard, Ichigo fell over, his face burning red and steam coming from his ears. He heard Orihime giggle, and Sora chuckle.

"Bye mister hero." Orihime waved as the two siblings left for home.

There was a silent pause as the young boy watched them leave.

"Girls are weird" Ichigo mumbled to himself, his face still red as a tomato.

Unbeknownst to any of them, the Hollow from before was not dead yet. Out of the millions of broken pieces, there was one tiny mosquito-like creature that had escaped at the last second. This one was searching…for its next host.

**Scene Break-Undisclosed Location**

The viewer sees only a poorly lit room, a monitor screen providing the only light. Two figures, hidden in shadow started to converse with each other.

"It seems one of my specimens escaped."

"I'm very sorry master."

"No matter. It was a weak one anyway."

**Scene Break-Ramen Stand in Karakura Housing District**

It was early evening now. The Inoue siblings decided to have dinner before finishing their day out together.

Orihime enjoyed spending time with her older brother. He was always taken care of her for as long as she could remember. She once asked him about their parents, but Sora just quickly brushed it off and changed the subject.

Orihime was smart for her age. So she guessed that the reason Sora didn't want to talk about it was because it was a bad memory, so she never brought it up again.

"You like the ramen?" – Sora

"Mhm!" Orihime nodded happily as she nearly finished her bowl.

"Orihime. You know I care about you very much, right?" Sora asked. His head was filled with memories of the time before Orihime was born, and the year and a half after she was born into the family.

"Of course big brother. Why do you ask?" she asked innocently.

Sora looked like he was going to say something but one look at his little sister and he decided not to. "It's nothing. Never mind. You ready to go?"

"Mhm." – Orihime

The two thanked the Ramen chef for the meal and were about to leave when

"Ouch." Sora winced, slapping a spot on his neck.

"Are you okay big brother?" Orihime asked in concern.

"Yea…yea I'm fine." He assured her. "It was just a mosquito."

The two siblings left for home, hand in hand. On Sora's neck, we see a throbbing black colored wound. The veins around it begin to darken and spread, as the Hollow infection started to spread into his system.

A few minutes pass as Sora listened to Orihime talk about a wide variety of things. The pain in his neck increased but he didn't voice it since he didn't want to worry his little sister.

"I hope we see that shinigami again someday." Orihime said happily.

"Mm" Sora said weakly. His vision started to become hazy and his legs felt tired.

"Are you alright big brother?" Orihime asked with worry.

This time Sora couldn't respond as he went into a violent coughing fit. He fell to his hands and knees as he vomited blood. Sora heard his sister cry out to him as he lay on the ground. The world started to turn dark. Orihime's voice sounded more distant. The elder Inoue finally fell into unconsciousness.

**Scene Break-Scene Change to Kurosaki Clinic**

"He's drifting in and out of consciousness" Sora heard a voice say. The world around him changed from dark to light and back to dark again.

"Stay with me big brother!" he could hear his sister plea desperately.

"What's that on his neck?" Sora heard what sounded like Ichigo's voice.

"Looks like some kind of bite infection. But this is an abnormal one." Sora heard the man, who must be a doctor, explain.

Pain shot through him, as Sora began to go into convulsions.

View changes to show the entire Kurosaki clinic patient room. We see Sora's body thrashing about on the patient table. Orihime watched in horror, with tears in her eyes. Ichigo looked stunned. However his father, Isshin, kept his composure.

"Ichigo, open the bottom cabinet and give me what's inside the white box!" he instructed his son urgently.

"Here!" Ichigo obeyed quickly.

"Young man, this is going to hurt a bit, but you need to bear it." Isshin told Sora as he began to inject something into the young man's system.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" Sora cried out in pain at first. His body tossed side to side. Ichigo and Isshin did their best to hold him down as the medicine started to take effect.

Sora's breathing became even and his body stopped struggling as his vitals stabilized. The other three in the room breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Ori…hime. Are…you there?" Sora struggled to say, his eyes barely open. Sweat covered his face from the trauma he went through.

"I'm here big brother! I'm right here!" Orihime told him as she clutched her brother's hand tightly.

"You…know…I love you, right?" – Sora

"Of course big brother" Orihime told him with tears in her eyes.

"Those hairpins…I gave you. They…make you look…so beautiful." Sora told her weakly as he reached a hand to gently touch her hair.

Suddenly Sora's heart rate started to become erratic. The arteries in his neck bulged out as the infection struck again. His eyes shot wide open in pain.

"Big brother!" Orihime cried out desperately.

Isshin rushed to his side and worked on what he could. But it was useless.

Sora's twitching halted, as the heart monitor went flat.

"Big brother! No!" - Orihime

"He's flat-lining. Get the defibrillator!" Isshin rushed his son who carried the compact device over to him.

"Stand back." Isshin told Orihime as Ichigo moved her away.

"Charging…Clear." Isshin pressed the device onto Sora's chest. A current of electricity passed through the young man's body as it jumped slightly into the air. The heart monitor continued to flat-line.

"Again! Charging…Clear!" - Isshin

Isshin continued to try to restart Sora's heart for several minutes. But it was useless.

"Big brother! No! Don't leave me! Please!" Orihime begged. She continues to cry out to him. An empty feeling enveloped her as she watched her brother pass away before her eyes.

"What happened?" Ichigo asked his father quietly.

"I'm not too sure, but that infection was not a normal one. I sensed a bit of malicious spiritual energy coming from it as though he were bit by a Hollow." Isshin guessed.

Ichigo looked to the young girl, her cries causing him to clutch his own heart in pain. Memories of the night he lost his mother ran through his head.

The young boy moved to Orihime's side, putting a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Orihime turned around, eyes shut and tears flooding down her face. She hugged Ichigo and held onto him for support.

Ichigo held her close. Patting her back and comforting her. He knew exactly how Orihime felt. What it felt like to lose a loved one. To be so close to them when they were unfairly taken from this world was an indescribably sad feeling.

(Ba-Bump)

Ichigo, Isshin, and Orihime's heads shot up. They had all heard a heartbeat. But it wasn't coming from the monitor.

(Ba-Bump)

Isshin began to get a bad feeling. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end.

They watched as black smoke began to emit from Sora's pores. His hair started to rapidly grow and his hands were morphing into something.

(Ba-Bump)

Slowly but surely a Hollow mask began to form on Sora's face.

"!"

"He's turning into a Hollow!" Isshin exclaimed.

"You mean like that monster in the park? !" Orihime said, horrified.

"How is that even possible?" – Ichigo

"It shouldn't be. Unless somehow that bite wound is the cause of this." Isshin theorized.

Sora's body began to move. Ichigo could sense evil intent coming from it. "We need to restrain him!"

Isshin moved to hold down the transforming Sora's shoulders but was kicked forcefully into a cabinet that collapsed on top of him.

"Dad!" – Ichigo

His father laying their unconscious, Ichigo had to come up with a decision fast. A grave thought came to his head. But it was the only thing he could think of.

"Orihime, you need to leave. I don't want you to see this." Ichigo said with a downcast expression as he transformed into a shinigami.

"What are you going to do?" Orihime asked with worry.

Ichigo remained silent and stared straight ahead at the morphing form of Inoue Sora. A sickening crunching noise was heard as the older Inoue's bones were re-aligning and growing.

"You're not going to kill him are you?" she pleaded with tears.

"I have too." Ichigo told her, avoiding her gaze.

"Please don't!" she cried. Ichigo drew his blade and walked up to the operating table, preparing himself mentally for what he was about to do.

Ichigo looked down at the changed Sora. His hair was grown so long it fell off the table. His hands were almost fully transformed into claws. The mask had completely assimilated onto Sora's face. A hole started to appear in the center of his chest. He was almost completely a Hollow.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Ichigo said as he brought his katana up for a quick stab. Orihime closed her eyes, not wanting to witness her brother's death a second time.

Just as Ichigo was about to finish it, Sora started to gasp for breath. The young shinigami hesitated at the last second and stabbed the table instead.

"?" - Ichigo

"**That was your last chance.**"

The Hollow Sora's eyes suddenly opened. They were now black with blood red pupils. His skin turned dark green as the Hollow hole in his chest completed itself. On its forehead, a tattoo of a crown symbol appeared.

Instantly Ichigo recognized it. _It looks like the one from back then! _

Right away, his mind matched it with the symbol on the forehead of his mother's killer from seven months ago.

A devastating swipe collided with Ichigo knocking him through the wall out onto the street. Debris scattered everywhere as the young shinigami struggled to regain his bearings.

Orihime looked on in terror as the Hollow form of her brother removed himself from the operating table and slowly approached Ichigo.

"**You really did a number on me earlier today.** **But now with this new host I can kill you and that girl and consume your energies.**" The Hollow spoke with desire.

"You're that bat Hollow from the park." Ichigo coughed out. Blood from his forehead wound reached his left eye. His arms felt numb from the impact and his vision blurred a bit.

_Damn. I let him get the first strike._

"**That's right little shinigami. But I'm not the same as before. I've got a few new tricks.**" The Hollow told him as spikes suddenly grew from its back.

"**Acid shot!**" it shouted as a light green solution fired from its masked mouth.

Ichigo moved to the left but cringed in pain as his right arm was caught by the edge of the attack. He looked to the ground to see the 'acid' melt away the pavement.

"Big brother stop it!" Orihime shouted as she put herself in between the Hollow and Ichigo.

"Orihime get out of here" Ichigo ordered the young girl.

"**This body doesn't belong to your brother anymore, girlie**" the Hollow cackled.

"I won't allow you to hurt Ichigo!" Orihime yelled.

"**You're in the way!**" the monster shouted as he swiped her with his massive claws.

Orihime was knocked a ways away. She hit concrete causing a wound to open up in the back of her head. Her right arm lay limp, broken from the force of impact. She lay on her side as her vision started to fade.

"Big…brother…don't." Orihime fell unconscious, the darkness consuming her sight.

"Orihime!" – Ichigo.

"**You should worry about yourself.**" The Hollow told him as it pointed to Ichigo's right arm.

The attack that hit him before seemed to infect his hand. Ichigo clutched his right shoulder as pain shot through his entire side. He watched in horror as the infection slowly crept up his arm causing his skin to turn black and the whole appendage to start dying.

_Damn it! I'm limited to fighting one handed now._

"**The situation looks grim. Maybe you should give up.**" The Hollow taunted as it towered over the young boy. The shadow cast over Ichigo's face as the end approached him.

**Scene Break-Scene Change to Orihime's mindscape**

Orihime awoken to find herself in a strange place. She was standing atop a tall cliff which overlooked a vast ocean. In front of her was an orange sunset that dipped slightly below the horizon.

A closer look at the beach below revealed that the ocean waves were actually going backwards, away from the shoreline and towards the horizon.

"Where am I?" her voiced echoed far as she looked around.

Suddenly, her hairpins glowed brightly and dispersed into six orbs of light. The orbs took form, revealing six fairy-like figures.

"?"

"It's nice to finally meet you Orihime." Said one of them. He had long blonde hair he wore in a top knot and a red jumpsuit.

"Err…hi. I'm Inoue Orihime…" she introduced herself hesitantly.

"We know who you are. We've been with you a long time."

"?"

"I guess I should explain. We are the spirits that reside in your hairpins. I am Shun'o. There's Lily, Baigon, Hinagiku, Ayame, and stupid Tsubaki."

"Why'd you call me stupid? !" the scarf wearing, fiery male spirit shouted in frustration. The rest of the spirits ignored him.

"Why are you here and where are we?" Orihime inquired as she took in her surroundings again.

"This is your inner world. It's where your hidden potential rests, waiting to be unlocked. And it looks like now is the time." Shun'o explained.

"We are your _power_. Your desire to protect was strong enough to call us out from our sealed form." The one named Ayame told her.

"Then can you help me save my brother and Ichigo?" Orihime pleaded.

"I'm sorry but it's too late for your brother." Shun'o told her sadly.

"The moment, the Hollow bit and infected him was the point of no return." - Ayame

"Can we hurry this up? I'm itchin to get out of here!" Tsubaki exclaimed impatiently.

"Yes, I think we should hurry otherwise we won't be able to help the shinigami boy." Lily agreed.

"Orihime, we need you to wake up and call us out. Then we will be at your command." – Shun'o

She nodded and watched as the inner world around her began to dissipate into darkness.

_Awaken!_

Orihime's eyes snapped open and she quickly took in her surroundings. A feeling of energy rushed into her body as she stood on her feet.

"**Shun Shun Rikka!**" she commanded. Just like in her mindscape, her hairpins disappeared, and in a flash of light, the six spirits were summoned.

The spike in Orihime's spiritual pressure attracted the attention of the Hollow. Ichigo looked over to her and was surprised to not only see her standing but to also see that she had a 'battle ready' look in her eyes.

"**Ooh. How interesting. It looks like she's got some fight in her. Well then, I think I'll have to do something about that!**" The Hollow barreled at her with intense speed. With arms extended out and claws raised above its shoulders, the monster prepared to end it with the first blow.

Orihime took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The streetlights around her started to glow brighter and brighter.

"The first technique." She whispered under her breath.

Eyes snap open. "**Santen Kesshun, I reject!**" and with that, three of the spirits coordinated themselves to form three corners of a triangle. A golden sheet of light appeared between the points just as the Hollow collided with it.

The 'negative' event was repelled, sending the masked monster backwards off its feet.

"**What the hell was that?**" it said as it struggled to stand.

"Don't forget about me!" Ichigo said suddenly as he swung his zanpakuto , using only his left arm. The attack was weak but it was enough to imbed the blade into the Hollow's arm.

It cried in pain as he moved away from the furious shinigami boy. Orihime ran up to Ichigo and noticed the rotting appendage he was dealing with. Instinctively she knew what to do.

"The second technique."

"**Soten Kisshun, I reject**" she announced as two of the spirits encircled the wounded arm. The golden light from before reappeared and encased Ichigo's entire side.

The young shinigami watched as his wound began to heal at a rapid pace. The infection started to recede and expel from his body, as his arm was reverted back to its healthy state.

"How did you do that?" he asked in wonder, staring at his arm in disbelief.

Orihime shrugged. "I just kinda knew somehow."

"**You brats are getting on my last nerve!**"

The spikes on the Hollows back grew again. It threw its head back, building up another projectile attack.

"**Acid shot!**"

"That's not going to work." Orihime declared confidently as she called out her shield again which repelled the attack easily.

Ichigo followed up with a counter, jumping high into the air and dealing a critical slash, taking off the Hollow's left hand.

"**Why is this happening?**" it cried out in frustration.

"The third technique." The Hollow heard Orihime whisper.

"**No! I won't let you!**"

The young girl stood firm and stuck her left arm out in front of her. The wind picked up around them. Her long hair flowed in the current as she announced her last attack.

"**Koten Zanshun, I reject!**" A flash of lightning lit up the small street as Orihime launched her quickest and strongest spirit, Tsubaki, at the raging Hollow. The streetlights glowed so incredibly bright, that for a moment it looked like it was daytime.

A small sonic boom followed as the bullet-like projectile pierced through the monster's mask shattering it. Paper and small debris in the street were blown away from the wind lagging behind Orihime's death blow.

"**Raaaaaaaahhhh!**"

Not only did Orihime's attack defeat the Hollow, it also rejected it from Sora's body. The mask dissipated away. The body's skin returned to normal as black steam seeped from its pores. The claws started to retract, and the hair receded to its original length. Finally, the Hollow hole vanished and Sora's eyes returned to normal.

But, even though the body was back to regular form, Sora did not awaken from his eternal sleep. Orihime's hopes were shot as she kneeled by her brother's side. Ichigo stood next to her. Wanting to do everything he could to comfort her.

Orihime felt a hand on her shoulder. At first she thought it was Ichigo but when she looked, her eyes opened wide in shock. Ichigo was also startled for a second.

There stood the Plus soul form of Inoue Sora. A broken chain was visible on his chest signifying that he was indeed dead.

"Are you okay Orihime?" the corporeal voice of Orihime's brother spoke to her.

"Big brother? Is it really you?" – Orihime

"I'm really proud of you Orihime." He praised his little sister, caressing the top of her head. He kneeled down to her height and looked her straight in the eyes.

"You know I love you, right?"

"Of course big brother." She said as her eyes started to get watery.

Sora looked at Orihime with sad eyes as he prepared himself for what he was about to tell her.

"I…I took you away from our parents. They were neglectful and they didn't care about us. I thought that you would hate me for hiding your family from you." Sora told her as tears left his eyes.

"I would never hate you. You took care of me and raised me by yourself. I can't describe with words how happy I am that you're my big brother." Orihime told him as she hugged Sora tightly.

"I'm happy too that I was able to have such a sweet and kind little sister." He hugged her back.

A moment of silence passed between them. The streetlights still glowed as bright as the sun at midday.

"Orihime, I have to go now." Sora told her softly, wiping away the tears from her face.

Orihime nodded and held her older brother close to her one last time. These were tears of sadness and happiness. Sad that they had to part ways, but happy that they could speak to each other one last time.

"I'm ready now Ichigo." – Sora

The young shinigami assumed his role and used the back of his zanpakuto's handle to tap Sora's chest. This was the Soul Burial.

A bright white light shined beneath Sora's feet and ascended up his body. Blue spirit particles dispersed beautifully as the Soul Burial continued.

"I love you Orihime." He told her one last time.

The light cleared and in its place a small black butterfly fluttered high into the sky, disappearing in the distance.

"I love you too big brother."

**End Chapter 3**

(Author's Note: Wow this one was a long one. And I hope you enjoyed some of the battle tactics I threw in there. I like to get into the mind of the characters and dissect a battle bit by bit. Well there it is. The next chapter will be up in two days as always.

I've also included a new section to add to the **Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia **and **Omakes,** called **Tactics Overview**)

**Omake 1:**

(Ichigo arrives to fight the Bat Hollow in the park)

"Alright. As long as I remember the advice my dad gave me, this fight should be easy." – Ichigo

"_Do a barrel roll!" – Isshin_

"…" – Ichigo

"_On the controller, press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, A, B, select, start." – Isshin_

"…" – Ichigo

"_Did you try restarting it?"- Isshin_

"…" – Ichigo

"_Try blowing into the cartridge to get the dust out." – Isshin_

"…" – Ichigo

"_Try rubbing toothpaste into it." – Isshin_

"…" – Ichigo

"_F**ck it. Just buy another one." – Isshin_

"I'm so screwed." – Ichigo

**Omake 2:**

(Ichigo is training his endurance by leaping buildings around Karakura)

"You're the best! Around! Nothing's ever gonna keep you down!" – Song lyrics playing out of nowhere.

"?" – Ichigo

(Sound of radio changing stations)

"The hours approaching, just give it your best, you've got to reach your prime. That's when you need to put yourself to the test, And show us a passage of time, we're gonna need a montage. Oh it takes a montage." – Other song lyrics

"What the hell is going on? !" – Ichigo

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia:**

Inoue Orihime – Lost her brother to a Hollow bearing the same insignia as the man that murdered Kurosaki Masaki. She unlocked her powers, **Shun Shun Rikka**, and instinctively knew how to use their ability to 'reject'. There seems to be a hidden ability within the **Shun Shun Rikka** other than the three original techniques.

**Tactics Overview:**

First Strike – the ability to severely cripple the opponent to such an extent where a prolonged battle becomes their disadvantage and your advantage. Surprise and rapid action are required.

Dodge – a basic ability that can render even the most powerful of hits useless. No hit means no damage. Agility and speed are required.

Balance – a key component in combat, especially for samurai and swordsmen. The placement of appendages and body parts in such a way that your center of gravity is at its lowest and most stable point. This allows you to support weight forced upon you several times heavier than yourself. Requires awareness and intelligence.

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 4: Ishida's Story**


	5. Ch 4: Ishida's Story

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: This continues soon after Ichigo's and Orihime's fight with the Hollow Sora. It's time for Ishida Uryu's debut. Enjoy.

Oh and this ended up just under **8000** words!

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**First Arc: The Will of Four**

**Date Posted: 7/23/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow speak/Ghostly speak /scene break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

**Last Time:**

"Orihime, I have to go now." Sora told her softly, wiping away the tears from her face.

Orihime nodded and held her older brother close to her one last time. These were tears of sadness and happiness. Sad that they had to part ways, but happy that they could speak to each other one last time.

"I'm ready now Ichigo." – Sora

The young shinigami assumed his role and used the back of his zanpakuto's handle to tap Sora's chest. This was the Soul Burial.

A bright white light shined beneath Sora's feet and ascended up his body. Blue spirit particles dispersed beautifully as the Soul Burial continued.

"I love you Orihime." He told her one last time.

The light cleared and in its place a small black butterfly fluttered high into the sky, disappearing in the distance.

"I love you too big brother."

**Chapter 4: Ishida's Story**

One week after Ichigo performed the Soul Burial on Inoue Sora.

Scene opens to an outside view of the Kurosaki household. We see the damage done to the house from the last two Hollow attacks is still visible. The attempted repairs to the destroyed wall were comical at best, consisting of duck tape and random pieces of plywood.

View changes to the inside of the house. We see Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin sitting at the table enjoying their Saturday morning breakfast. The sunlight shines through the kitchen window, lighting up the room. Some dust dances across the room, lit up by the morning light. The family feels a sense of normalcy.

"What is taking Ichi-nii so long? His food will get cold" – Yuzu

"That lazy son of mine! If he doesn't eat his breakfast, I will eat it for him!" Isshin declared diving for the unguarded plate, only to be struck in the face with a frying pan, courtesy of Yuzu.

"No. Bad daddy!" – Yuzu

"Oh Yuzu chan! Whyyyyyyyy are you so mean to me today?" Isshin cries dramatically.

Karin watches as her comically dysfunctional family go through their rather typical morning. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Ichigo running to the front door, plastic bag in hand.

"Hey Ichigo, you going somewhere?" Karin asks her older brother as he puts on his shoes.

"I'm going to go see Orihime again today. She asked me to get some stuff for her." Ichigo told his family as he readied himself.

"Aww look girls. Your big brother got himself a girlfriend now and just can't spend a single moment without her!" Isshin teased as he started making kissy faces.

"Sh-shut up!" Ichigo shouts as he slams the door on his way out, his face red in embarrassment.

"Ichigo forgot his breakfast again." Yuzu said with a frown. She notices her father trying to sneakily steal his son's forgotten food. A victorious smirk on his face.

(BAM)

The frying pan struck hard for the second time that morning. Isshin clutched his nose in pain. "Why did you do that? He wasn't going to eat it?" the Kurosaki father pleaded.

"I don't know. It just seemed like the right thing to do to you for some reason." Yuzu said as she tilted her head to the side.

**Scene Break-Scene change to Karakura Hospital**

Since the Hollow attack a week ago, Orihime's injuries had worried the Kurosaki family enough to send her to the hospital. Isshin was an old friend of the Director of the Karakura Hospital, Ishida Ryuken. And so Orihime was well taken care of during her week stay there.

Not to mention it was completely free of charge, compliments of the Ishida family.

Having connections sometimes helps a lot in life.

Ichigo had just finished his one errand, picking up something from the store for Orihime, and proceeded to the hospital.

The young boy stepped through the automatic doors and walked up to the receptionist desk. He shivered slightly as the cold sterile air hit his skin, a big contrast with the hot summer heat outside.

After signing in the visitor log, Ichigo made his way down a long white painted hall. His eyes moved from place to place as he took his entire view in. The boy may have lived in a clinic all his life, but he had never been around so many injured and sick people before.

The small things his father taught him about treating injuries and preventing infections echoed in the back of his head as he looked at the patients and doctors passing by.

So distracted by this, he didn't realize exactly where he was walking as he turned the corner. Ichigo collided with another young boy who had fallen to the ground.

"Err, sorry about that. I wasn't paying attention." Ichigo apologized offering a hand to the boy on the ground.

The nervous gaze of the boy met Ichigo's stern one. "Ah! I'm truly sorry! It won't happen again! It was my entire fault! I'm extremely sorry!" the boy said in a panicked stutter as he quickly bolted in the opposite direction.

"?" – Ichigo

_That was unusual._

**Scene Break-Scene change to Orihime's inner world**

Scene opens to show the same mindscape that Orihime was in when she spoke to the spirits of the Shun Shun Rikka. The sunset was still half visible above the ocean, locked in place. The young girl sat daintily on the cliff, her legs hanging loosely over the edge swinging back and forth.

Orihime was currently distracted by the waves, who for those of you that don't remember, were flowing backwards away from the beach and towards the distant sun.

_The tide never recedes, and the sun never fully sets. There are no seagulls or other animals._

Her hands grasp the grass beneath her. _There is no ocean breeze and every time I try to climb down to the beach, I always end up back at the top of the cliff._

Orihime looks to the sky. Usually at dusk, the moon, some stars, and some planets should be visible in the sky. But in her mindscape, the sky was empty except for a few low hanging clouds that seem to pass by above her, just out of arm's reach.

Then suddenly, a soft ghostly voice began to sing. It was a woman's voice. The words she spoke were blocked off, but the young Orihime could tell the tone was sad.

She looked around to find the source of the beautiful voice but realized she was still alone. A flash of light brought Orihime's attention back to the sun. Its aura grew brighter as the woman continued to sing.

The young girl closed her eyes as the light became too bright for her to see.

_"Orihime, wake up." _Orihime heard a familiar voice call out to her. The inner world instantly disappeared, as she started to awaken.

**Scene Break-Scene change to Karakura Hospital, Orihime's room**

"Hm…Ichigo?" she groggily whispered as she blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes.

"You're finally awake." Young Ichigo smiled.

"…" Orihime mumbles something and hides her head under the bed sheets.

"Oh no you don't. It's time for you to wake up!" he laughs as he rips away the covers.

"But I don't wannaaaa" Orihime pouts as she hides her head under the pillow.

Ichigo smirked as he took out something from the plastic bag. "Then I guess I will have to eat these all by myself…"

A tantalizing scent reached her nose. Orihime instantly recognized what it was.

"C-c-cinnamon rolls" she stutters, her mouth watering.

Ichigo's trap was set, now to reel it in. He revealed his trump card. "And look what I got." He taunts as he waves it in her face.

"R-r-red bean paste!" – Orihime

Two of her favorite things in the world, even better when put together. Orihime was now fully awake, her favorite treat within reach.

"But since you want to sleep so much, I guess I should let you rest." Ichigo smirked as he started to put the food back in the bag.

"?" Ichigo looked in his hands to see that Orihime had snatched the cinnamon buns and red bean paste without him noticing. _Faster than a blink of an eye. She must be feeling better._

Ichigo laughed at Orihime's delighted expression as she chewed on her delicious treat.

"Have you been eating the hospital food like they told you?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow.

Orihime toggled her hand side to side, indicating a 'meh, sometimes.'

The young boy sighed. "You should, it's suppose to be healthy. You need a variety of foods and nutrients in order for your body to recover." Ichigo told her, everything his dad taught him about a healthy diet replaying in his mind.

"You can't have red bean paste on _everything._" – Ichigo

"Why not?" Orihime asked as she bit into her second cinnamon roll.

Ichigo was momentarily distracted by the cute face she gave him as she nibbled on the treat.

"Err…uh…because it's unhealthy!" he told her as he tried to hide his blush by looking away.

The two of them continued to converse casually when a thought suddenly came to Ichigo.

"I've been wondering, why don't you just use your powers to heal yourself?" he asks her. The bandages on her head and her arm in a sling showed that she was injured significantly.

"It looks like it would be pretty easy compared to when you healed my arm." Ichigo remembered the paralyzing poison that infected his right arm. It would have killed him if it wasn't for Orihime's quick action and healing abilities.

"I tried to heal myself but it doesn't seem to work on myself. Maybe it only affects other people." Orihime guessed.

"That sucks." - Ichigo.

"Tell me about it." – Orihime.

They heard a knock on the door. A man with silver hair and glasses, wearing a white doctor's coat, entered the room. This was the Director of the Hospital, Ishida Ryuken.

"Good morning miss Inoue. How are you feeling today? Oh and I see Ichigo is here again as well. Here to check up on your girlfriend?" Ryuken teases. He may look intimidating but when he is around children, his demeanor reveals himself to be outgoing and friendly.

"I'm feeling good today doctor. And Ichigo even brought me some cinnamon rolls" Orihime said happily as Ichigo's cheeks turned red.

"You can have one if you want." She offered the doctor.

"Ah no thanks. I had a big breakfast. Instead, I think we should see if you are healthy enough to checkout today." Ryuken told her.

Ichigo sat patiently as he watched the doctor check on Orihime's injuries and vitals. Every now and then he heard the doctor say 'Mhm' and right something on his clipboard.

"It looks like the wound on your head is gone and your arm is almost healed up. You can leave today if you like. I just highly recommend that you take it easy on that arm and avoid stressful activity for a while." – Ryuken

"Oh and don't eat too many sweets" the doctor told her with a smile.

"Told you." Ichigo smirked at her.

Orihime pouted but nodded her head in agreement.

The door opened again. This time a small boy with black raven hair and glasses walked into the room.

"Father, I was looking for you. I have a question…" the boy paused as he noticed Ichigo sitting in a chair on the other side of the room.

"Oh it's that kid from before." – Ichigo

"I'm so sorry about running into you earlier! I'm sorry for interrupting you! I'm sorry to disturb you! Don't hurt me!" the bespectacled boy bowed deeply and rushed out of the room.

"?" – Ichigo and Orihime

"Excuse my son Uryu. He is very shy. He doesn't have many friends his own age and he spends most of his time hanging out with his grandfather." Ryuken told them.

"We could be friends with him!" Orihime quickly insists. Ichigo raises an eyebrow at the enthusiasm, (which he shouldn't be surprised about anymore) but doesn't disagree with her.

"Well that'd be great. He needs friends his own age to play with. He is probably in the medical library down the hall if you want to talk to him." Ryuken informs them as he walks out of the room.

"Have a good day you two." – Ryuken

"Come on Ichigo, let's go!" Orihime cheers as she jumps out of the bed and was about to run out the door.

"Wait Orihime! Put on your clothes first!" Ichigo stops her.

"Right!" she disappears into the bathroom and reappears in 2 seconds flat, fully changed out of her patient clothes and into some regular ones.

Orihime barges out the door at what seemed like supersonic speed. Ichigo struggles to keep up with her.

**Scene Break-Scene change to inside the Medical Library**

Here we see Uryu sitting in the far corner of the library in the medical reference section. At his table we see him reading a particularly large text. Books are stacked high all around him. The young Ishida hides himself within these mountains of encyclopedias, enthralled by the information they provide.

_"Excuse my son. He is very shy…" _Uryu's father's voice echoes in his head.

_I'm not 'shy'. I just enjoy peace and quiet all by myself._

_ Yup. These books are the only things I need in this world._

_ …_

_ Who am I kidding? I'm so lonely. _The young Ishida sweat drops as he lowers his head to the table. A cartoonish rain cloud hovers above him.

"I wonder where he is." Ishida heard a girl's voice echo at the other end of the library.

"There are a lot of books in here." He heard the boy too which started to make little Uryu nervous.

Ishida heard footsteps approaching his corner. The young boy raised his legs to his chest, hid behind his books, and held his breath, not wanting to be found.

"Maybe he isn't here." The girl spoke again.

The sound of footsteps started to recede. Uryu let out a sigh of relief. He was alone once again.

"Aha! I found him!" Orihime suddenly shouted as she appeared out of nowhere, pushing Ishida's books to the side.

Startled, Uryu nearly fell backwards off his chair. Clutching his chest in shock, the young boy felt his heart rate speeding from the surprise.

Quickly grabbing a nearby book, he hid behind it, making it look like he was reading it intensely.

"My name is Inoue Orihime. This is Kurosaki Ichigo. And you are Ishida Uryu! It's nice to meet you. Would you like to be friends?" she asked happily, jumping straight to the point.

Ichigo looked on with a sweat drop as he saw Orihime bouncing in place from excitement.

"(mumbles)" – Ishida

"What was that?" – Orihime

"(mumbles)" – Ishida

"Err…say again." – Orihime

"(mumbles)" – Ishida

Ichigo impatiently snatches the book away from Uryu who cowers at the sight of his scowl.

"Could you…please…leave me…alone?" Ishida whispers in a soft voice.

Orihime frowned and turned to Ichigo, poking him in the chest repeatedly.

"You see what you did. You scared him." Orihime accused the young shinigami.

"What? No I didn't! He's just a scaredy cat (coward)." Ichigo defended.

"Don't worry Uryu. Ichigo may look like a scary monster, but he's harmless." Orihime informed little Ishida as she patted him on the head.

"Who are you calling a monster?" – Ichigo

"You are stupid. You are a stupid scary monster that hide's in people's closets at night." – Orihime

"What?" – Ichigo

(Soft laughter)

Ichigo and Orihime stopped when they heard Uryu laughing at their argument. Soon Orihime joined in and eventually Ichigo chuckled along as well.

The ice now broken, Orihime offered her hand to the young Ishida. "You want to come outside and play with us?" she asks innocently.

Uryu hesitates for a moment. He looks up at Ichigo who is smiling at him too. He didn't seem so scary anymore.

"Mhm." Ishida nods, and together the three of them left to go outside and play in the summer sun.

This was a new friendship that would surely last for a long time.

**Scene Break – 3 months later – Scene change to Karakura Primary School**

Scene opens with a view of the inside of a classroom at the Karakura Primary School. We see children between 9 and 10 years old seated in desks organized in rows. At the front left corner of desks, sits young Ichigo, Orihime, and Uryu.

It's midday and the sun is high in the sky. Some clouds drift along lightly partly blocking the sunlight. The shadows appear disappear and reappear in the classroom.

Ichigo is distracted by the change in shade. Orihime is drawing in her notebook. Uryu is diligently taking notes on whatever the teacher was saying.

All in all, it was a normal day for the three young children.

"**Garaaaawaaah!**"

Of course it wouldn't be a normal day without the random Hollow attack. Only spiritually aware people could hear it, such as Ichigo, Orihime, and Uryu. They needed to find a way to sneak out of the classroom so they can go do their job of purifying souls and protecting the town.

"Sensei, I think Orihime has to go to the infirmary!" Uryu suddenly announced, surprising everyone…including Orihime.

"Err…yea, ouch my stomach hurts so much." The young girl clutches her abdomen in mock pain. Ichigo sweat dropped at the horrible acting. Luckily Uryu continued before anyone could notice.

"Allow me to take her to the nurse." Ishida insisted.

"I can help him." Ichigo offered.

"Um…okay. You two can help Inoue-san to the nurse's office. I hope you feel better" the sensei told them.

They nodded and as soon as the three of them were out of the room, Orihime stopped her excruciatingly horrible acting.

"Hey! You could have at least warned me!" she complained.

"Well it worked, didn't it?" Ishida pointed out as they rushed out of the school.

"**Gaaaarraaaghh**" the Hollow cried out.

"That sounded very close." – Ichigo

"It feels like its somewhere on school grounds." – Ishida

"Let's go look at the playground." – Orihime

And sure enough when they arrived, there it was.

"Um…what kind of Hollow is it?" – Ichigo

"It's a bird Hollow of some kind." - Ishida

"It kinda looks like an ostrich." – Orihime

They look at her with a weird expression and then back at the Hollow. It indeed had a round body supported by two long legs that had talons at the end of them. The head was supported by an extended neck and its mask was sharp like a bird's beak.

"I think she's right." – Ichigo

The three children watch the Hollow wander aimlessly around the schoolyard. The ostrich finally takes notice of them and decided the best thing to do was to hide.

Of course being an ostrich, it thinks the best way to hide is to hide its head…in the ground.

"**Gaaafaaa**" it shouted as the Hollow smashed its head into the concrete pavement attempting to drill through the rough surface.

…

It failed completely and instead just injured itself.

"It doesn't seem very smart." – Ichigo

"I kinda feel sorry for it." – Orihime

Disappointed, the ostrich Hollow glances around and smashes its head into the playground equipment, destroying it.

"Um, I think we should stop it now." – Ishida

"Right." Ichigo agreed as he transformed into his shinigami form. Zanpakuto in hand, Ichigo planned to finish this with one strike.

"Alright you stupid ostrich! I'm gonna send you back to where you came from!" Ichigo said confidently as he rushed the bird and swung with all his might.

"Hyahh!" – Ichigo

The bird moved its head at the last second causing Ichigo to swing at air. In the process of its dodge, the Hollow crashed into another part of the playground causing it to collapse.

"Goddamn it! Hold still!" the young shinigami cursed as he chased the Hollow around, continuously missing it.

(clonk)

(clonk)

(clonk)

Collision after collision was made, as Ichigo had continued to miss his target. The whole schoolyard was virtually destroyed in the Hollow's getaway attempts.

"I'll kill you! You stupid flightless bird!" Ichigo says maniacally.

The ostrich Hollow suddenly tripped over its own feet, falling to the ground with a rough thud. Orihime and Ishida sweat dropped in embarrassment for the Hollow, as Ichigo prepared to deal the final blow and end this miserable "battle".

"Hahaha! Die!" – Ichigo

Out of nowhere a blue arrow made of spiritual energy soared by him and planted itself right in the middle of the ostrich Hollows mask, killing it. The children watched as the corrupted spirit evaporated away.

"You stole my kill!" Ichigo pointed an accusing finger at Uryu.

We see that Ishida's appearance had changed. He was now dressed in the white uniform, signature of the quincy, decorated with blue crosses and pentacles. In his hand was a bow constructed of his own spiritual energy.

"I didn't see your name on it. And it looked like you didn't even want to kill it." Ishida said with a smirk.

"What do you think I was doing for the last ten minutes?" Ichigo shouted.

"Failing horribly. So I decided to end its suffering since you were taking so long." Uryu said as his glasses glinted with confidence.

"Grr." – Ichigo

"Um guys. I think we should go. The teachers are coming." Orihime pointed out. The loud noise and destruction caused as a result of the fight caught the attention of the teachers and administrators who ran out to the schoolyard to find out the source.

"Right." Ichigo and Uryu transformed back into their regular attire and the three of them ran back to class.

"I still can't believe you stole my kill." – Ichigo

"Come on Ichigo, he's part of the team so that means he has as much of a right to defeat Hollows as we do." Orihime explained.

Uryu smirks confidently and begins making funny faces at Ichigo behind Orihime's back.

"I'll kill you! You glasses freak!" Ichigo shouted as he comically chased the fleeing quincy. Orihime struggling to catch up with them.

Yup just a normal day.

The school day soon ended without any other interruptions. The teachers were baffled by the wreckage in the schoolyard. They put up barricades and warning signs around it that told the students not to go near it.

The kids gathered around the edge of the barrier to look at the strange sight. Many were disappointed that they couldn't enjoy the playground anymore. Ichigo, Orihime, and Uryu walked right past the destruction without a second glance.

"Oh yea Uryu, I almost forgot. You wanna come to our house? My dad's making a big dinner and he said you can come over if you want." Ichigo offered.

"Sorry, I can't tonight. My grandpa is going to train with me today. He's gonna teach me something cool." Ishida explained with anticipation in his eyes.

"Ah okay. We'll see you tomorrow then. Let's go home Orihime." Ichigo and Orihime waved by to Uryu who ran off excitedly.

Some of you may be wondering… "Ichigo and Orihime live together?"

Well that's an interesting question. Here's the answer:

**Scene Break – Flashback to 3 months ago – Scene change to Kurosaki Household**

It was right after young Orihime was checked out of the hospital. Ichigo had brought her over to his house afterwards.

With fiery determination in his eyes, the young shinigami stood up to his father and demanded that he let Orihime stay in their house.

"Oy old man! Orihime is going to stay here and that's final!" Ichigo shouted at his father.

"Oh. That didn't sound like you were _asking _me." Isshin smirked as he towered over the boy intimidatingly.

Ichigo was unaffected by it. "I wasn't _asking_. I'm _telling_ you!"

"And where the hell do you think she's gonna stay? In your closet?" Isshin taunted.

"…err. No." – Ichigo

"Um, I'm sorry if I'm causing trouble. I'll just go back to my brother's apartment." Orihime said timidly.

"No! You can't possibly be considering living by yourself? You're going to stay here no matter what! Even if I have to beat up the old man." Ichigo told her.

The young boy knew what it felt like to have lost a close family member and he didn't want Orihime to feel like she was all alone in this. So he made his decision a while ago that he was going to protect her like he protected his family. Orihime would become a part of the bonds that held his life together. And just like the bonds he had with his family, he wouldn't let this one go. Ever.

"Oh so it's a fight you want, is it?" Isshin laughed as he lunged at his son.

Ichigo's reflexes kicked in and he easily side swiped his father in the face, sending the old man crashing into a wall.

"Ouch. That kinda hurt. But I'm not done yet!" the father charged again, only to have his feet swept from under him. Ichigo then proceeded to drop kick his dad. Isshin coughed uncontrollably from the forceful blow. The two of them proceeded to fight it out for several minutes.

"Um, I don't think you two should fight just because of me." Orihime said softly as she looked worried at the two Kurosakis.

"Don't worry Orihime-nee. They are always like that." Yuzu told her.

"Yea. Just think of it as a type of bonding experience for those two." Karin explained.

They watched as the brawl finally ended with Ichigo being the victor. Both breathing heavily, Isshin finally managed to say something. "Very good son. You're getting better. Orihime can stay. Actually I kind of already planned on it." The father smirked confidently.

"Go and check your room and see for yourself." – Isshin

Ichigo, Orihime, Yuzu, and Karin ran to Ichigo's room to see that it had indeed changed significantly. The bed was now a bunk bed. There were two desks, two dressers, two closets, two bathrooms, two everything!

"How…when did you do this?" Ichigo said, stunned by what he saw.

"Oho! Your father has super ninja carpenter skills!" Isshin said dramatically, striking a weird pose.

"…"

"Then why don't you fix that gaping wall in the house?" Karin mumbled.

"Everything's moved in too. I'm very impressed." Orihime said in awe.

"Yes! I've even made a small shrine down in the living room for your brother." Isshin explained to her. The shrine to Sora was in the same room as the one for Masaki.

"You thought of everything?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

"Yup!" – Isshin

"Then why the hell did you make me fight you?" Ichigo shouted as he stomped his dad's face into the ground.

"I didn't make you do anything. You just wanted to defend your girlfriend so much, you rushed into the fight." Isshin teased his son.

Ichigo blushed red as he kicked Isshin hard in the shin. "Ouch!" the father cried as he fell to the ground in pain. Karin sighed in annoyance. Yuzu shook her head in embarrassment.

Father and son continued to punch and kick at each other once again.

Orihime smiled. Her brother Sora may have left this world, but she wasn't alone. She became part of a new family. Although a rather strange one at that.

A tear of happiness ran down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away, joining Yuzu and Karin in stopping the brawl between Ichigo and Isshin.

She would fit in just fine.

**Scene Break – Flashback end – Scene change to Woods on the outskirts of Karakura**

Scene opens. The viewer sees a serene open area of grass where a young boy and an old man sit calmly. The old man has grey hair, grey mustache and glasses. He wears a white quincy uniform beneath dark brown robes. He is Ishida Soken, Uryu's grandfather. Uryu is seen dressed in his quincy attire.

The view panders around to see that the area is scattered with several tall trees. The wide branches and many leaves cast shadows in the small opening. The light changes slightly every few seconds as the branches move from the wind.

Leaves dance by them, and grass turns this way and that, following the changing air current.

"Meditation teaches us how to control our spiritual energy. It focuses our mind and soul in order to coordinate our body. The more you perfect your meditation, the easier it will be to channel spiritual energy into your bow." Soken explains.

"Yes grandfather." Uryu nods as he sits in a meditative position.

"Now close your eyes. Try to erase all your senses." Soken instructs.

"Don't try to do it all at once. With your eyes closed, you've erased your sight. Now, focus on your sense of taste. Let the taste of saliva on your tongue disappear." – Soken

"Now smell the fresh grass around you. Allow your awareness of this scent to drift to the back of your mind." – Soken

"Feel the clothes pushing against your skin. The weight, your body holds is your sense of touch. Push your sense of touch to the back of your head, your body becomes light." – Soken

"Finally, hear the wind and my voice. The harmony between the two begins to fade away as you remove your sense of hearing." – Soken

Young Uryu's mind becomes clear as his senses are deadened. His mind and soul connect directly with his body. The world around him begins to morph and change.

**Scene Break-Scene Change to Ishida's inner world**

Uryu opens his eyes and finds himself in a strange mindscape. He is standing on a lone platform.

Young Ishida looks around to see clouds drifting at waist level around him and the platform. A feeling of flight overtakes his being as he looks to the blue sky above him.

Way above his head, out of arms reach, was the peak of a mountain that seemed to hang upside down with its base extending so very high into the blue sky that it couldn't be seen.

There was a constant presence of wind that permeated his inner world. Ishida's mind took in everything with wonder and awe.

"What is this place?" he said aloud and was surprised to see his voice echo around him. He could literally see the sound waves emitted in all directions.

The wind started to pick up around him. Gusting into the shape of a vortex. Slightly panicked, Uryu backed away. The platform he was standing on morphed and changed to become transparent.

Beneath his feet, the young quincy stared in awe at the midday sun that shined far below. It was as if everything in this world was upside down from normal. The wind accelerated hard against him. A low harmonious humming noise permeated the mindscape. Its volume picked up every few seconds until Uryu felt his very bones shaking in resonance with the sound.

"_Uryu. Uryu"_ he heard his grandfather's voice call out to him. Young Ishida felt his body being pulled out of the mindscape.

**Scene Break-Scene change to woods on the outskirts of Karakura**

Uryu awoke from his meditative state. The flood of senses suddenly coming back to him, almost overwhelms the young boy.

"That was very good Uryu. It seems I'm running out of things to teach you." Soken praised his grandson as they stand up.

"Let's go home. I'm starving." – Soken

"Mhm." Ishida agrees.

But before they could leave, a glowing white gate opened up before them. It looked like an old rice paper door.

"A senkaimon?" Soken instantly recognized the portal.

As soon as it slid open Uryu fell to his knees from the feeling of immense spiritual pressure.

"What…is…this…feeling?" young Ishida struggled to say.

Three identical figures stepped out of the portal. They all wore dark shinigami robes and sandals. Their skin was dark gray and their eyes were blank. All of their heads were shaved, further removing their individualism. And one last detail caught the older quincy's eye.

On each of their foreheads was a crown symbol tattooed onto their skin.

"Who are you?" Soken inquires the intruders who remain silent.

The shinigami suddenly rush at the elder quincy in organized formation. They unsheathed their swords and started to attack the old man.

Soken, despite his age, was quick on his feet, dodging and outmaneuvering the strikes at him.

The three shinigami were well coordinated, not giving one chance for Soken to rest. With each strike, came another one right after, and another right after that. This lasted for several minutes.

_These things are not ordinary shinigami. _Soken could tell immediately.

"Grandpa!" Uryu shouted in worry as he struggled to his feet.

Immediately, one of the shinigami broke away and dashed towards the young Ishida. Sword out, ready to end the boy's life with one slash.

"Uyru! Run!" Soken desperately shouted.

Uryu tried to move from his spot but he felt weak and glued to the ground from the intense spiritual energy. Just as the shinigami was about to end his life, another katana came out of nowhere, blocking the death blow.

"Ichigo! Orihime!" Uryu said in relief. The presence of allied spiritual energy allowed him to stand up.

"We rushed over as soon as we sensed that intense spiritual pressure." Ichigo explained as he threw off the struggling opponent who was in deadlock against his blade.

"What are they?" Orihime inquired as she saw the fluid yet emotionless movements of the three enemies.

"These are…they are shinigami!" Ichigo realized in shock as he noticed the crown crest etched into their foreheads.

"**We serve only the King. We follow God's will.**" They said in ghostly unison.

A feeling of fear consumed Ichigo as memories of _that night_ replayed in his head.

"You kids need to get out of here! These things are stronger than they look." Soken shouted at them as his reaction time started to slow in his one-on-two fight.

Ichigo looked down at his own hands. They were shaking from his fear. The lack of control he had over his own body felt frustrating.

Uryu stood confidently, his bow materializing in his hands. Orihime also took a battle stance, readying herself for combat. Ichigo watched all this from the side.

_If my friends can face these monsters without backing down, then so can I. Together, our power will be enough to defeat them._

"We won't back down! We swore an oath to protect! And if these things think they can just come into our city and harm others, then we will show them what we're made of!" Ichigo said confidently. His hand wrapped in a fist, the shaking in his body faded away.

The three children were ready for battle.

Soken looked in amazement at them. _So young and yet so much courage. _"Then I guess I shouldn't hold back either." Soken spoke to himself.

"**Pride of the Quincy: Hidden Blade**!" the elder quincy chanted. Out of the sleeves of his robes, a length of spiritual energy formed into the shape of a dagger.

"As a quincy, I am more accustomed to long range fighting. But when I'm forced into melee combat I can use this!" the old man declared as he swung the dagger with speed and precision.

The two shinigami fighting him were caught off guard as wounds suddenly appeared on their faces from the quincy hidden blade.

Ichigo and the others were momentarily distracted as they saw the old man suddenly turn the tables on his opponents. Shaking his head back to focus, Ichigo organized his thoughts on their fight against the third shinigami.

_It's three against one, so we should win if we attack together._

_But I attack at close range, while Uryu uses long ranged arrow attacks. If we attack at the same time, I could get caught up in the cross fire. Orihime can quickly change from short range defense, to her primary long range attack._

_We need to coordinate our movements perfectly._

"Hey guys. I've got a plan. Listen up." Ichigo told them.

The mindless shinigami gazed at them blankly as Ichigo explained his plan to Uryu and Orihime.

"Sounds like it will work." – Ishida

"Let's show this thing the strength of our bonds." – Orihime

Ichigo nodded as the three children took their position. "Go!"

Uryu dashed off in one direction as Ichigo and Orihime ran together straight towards the shinigami.

The enemy lost focus on the young quincy and instead narrowed its attention on the two kids running right at him. Raising his blade high into the air, the shinigami swung down as soon as Ichigo and Orihime were within range.

"**Santen Kesshun**!" Orihime chanted. The wide triangular shaped shield appeared in time to block the swift strike.

Without missing a beat Ichigo jumped over her shield and swung his katana down hard onto the shinigami who barely got his zanpakuto up in time to block the strike. The taller shinigami stumbled back from the attack but was able to keep his balance.

"Now!" Ichigo shouted.

And right on cue, a blue spirit arrow, fired from Uryu's bow, implanted itself in the shinigami's neck who cried out in pain.

Continuing the assault, Ichigo swerved to the side as Orihime called out her attack. "**Koten Zanshun!**" Her attack spirit, Tsubaki, appeared and with the speed of a bullet collided into the enemy with devastating force, knocking the wind out of him.

"Keep going!" – Ichigo

_The plan worked perfectly. Orihime and I attacked head on while Ishida fired his arrows perpendicular to our direction. That minimizes the chances for friendly fire to occur._

_Since Ishida is firing side-on to the opponent, the target cross section is smaller, and so he needed to reduce his distance to the enemy which would usually be dangerous for an archer._

_But since the shinigami is occupied with fighting me primarily, it doesn't matter. Orihime's switch from defense to offense helps greatly and is good at throwing the enemy off guard. The only downfall is that her primary attack is weakened because the range she has to accelerate it is severely reduced, thus it only knocked the wind out of the shinigami rather than piercing through his body. - Ichigo_

The opponent shinigami was severely injured from the arrow in his neck. The combination between long range and short range attacks were starting to weaken him. He decided the best course of action was to take out the quincy first since the arrows prevented him from retaliating consistently.

The enemy turned his back to Orihime and Ichigo and dashed towards the lone Uryu. The shinigami knew he could outrun the younger slower children.

"Do it now Uryu!" Ichigo commanded as he and Orihime ran as fast as they could to catch up with the shinigami.

"**Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot!**" Uryu announced as he charged energy into a single arrow and fired it at twice the normal speed.

However, the shinigami easily moved his head to the side dodging it. He quickly closed the distance between him and the archer and was prepared to end it when he heard another voice cry.

"**Santen Kesshun**!" Orihime shouted as the triangular shield reappeared.

The arrow Ishida had fired collided into the shield. Electrical spiritual energy shook through the shield. But the arrow did not dissipate. Instead it rebounded back at twice the speed, totaling it to 4 times the velocity and force of a regular arrow shot.

The shinigami was caught off guard as the supersonic arrow pierced the back of his skull. A direct headshot, the man fell to the ground dead. His body evaporated away.

"That worked out just like you said it would." Orihime told Ichigo.

_Normally it would be dangerous for an archer to fire in the same direction his allies were approaching from. But Orihime's abilities ended up being the key factor. Her shield doesn't just block attacks, it reflects them. So our position put us in the perfect spot to reflect Uryu's arrow right into the enemy's blind spot._

"We should go help your grandpa now." Ichigo told Uryu.

They rushed over to see that the old man had nearly reached his limit. Wounds were visible on his head and hands. Blood stained his robes from cuts made on his legs and abdomen. Despite the Hidden Blade's effectiveness, it was not meant to take on two opponents at once. Coupled with old age, it was surprising the elder Quincy lasted so long.

Even though the length of the battle stretched over a long time, Soken noticed the two shinigami he was fighting did not get tired at all. Their attacks remained in synch, never once messing up.

A rush of air and a painful crunch sounded next to him, as he realized too late that one of their swords dug into his shoulder. And without hesitation or pause, the second shinigami stabbed Soken deep in his abdomen.

The old man fell to the ground, blades still impaling him.

"Grandpa!" Uryu cried out.

The feeling in Soken's limbs began to fade away. And darkness started to intrude his vision. "I have one last trick up my sleeve."

The old quincy removed a small silver cylinder hidden in the palm of his hand. "Uryu remember the Pride of the Quincy." He coughed out weakly.

Memories of his long life replayed in his head. The happy times he shared with his grandson made him smile. _Uryu has his own friends now. I can leave this world in peace._

Soken removed the cap on the container in his hand and poured out a liquid form of spiritual energy onto the ground next to him.

The two shinigami looked around them to see that the blood spatters from the old man had formed a pentagon-shaped pattern into the ground. The liquid spiritual energy fell onto the seal.

"**Blood Sprenger**." Soken called out his last attack. Light surged through the pattern seal and surrounded the Quincy and the two shinigami.

A powerful column of energy and destruction erupted from the ground, rising high into the air. This last attack used the physical and spiritual energy within Soken's body and released it in one final wave of power.

_Become a strong warrior Uryu. Protect the pride of the Quincy._ His final thoughts echoed as the explosion shook the entire area. Trees fell to the ground as rock and dirt were scattered in all directions.

The light died down to reveal no trace of either the two enemies or Uryu's grandfather. A devastating scorch mark and crater was left in their place.

Young Uryu fell to his knees in shock and sadness. Orihime clutched Ichigo close to her, burying her face into his chest. The young shinigami stood frozen in place, the sudden death of someone innocent and their selfless sacrifice rocked him to the very core.

Today marked the death of Ishida Soken.

**Scene Break-Scene change to Undisclosed Location**

"Sir, three of the old prototypes seemed to have escaped to the real world. They were subsequently destroyed."

"Those old things? They were completely useless. Nothing more than basic mind slaves. Destroy the rest of the ones we have locked up. I don't need any more of them getting out and ruining my reputation."

"Yes, sir."

"Although it would have been interesting to see what data they collected in their final moments. Oh well. Maybe next time."

**End Chapter 4**

(Author's note: I hope this one wasn't too long. The next one is about Chad and will be significantly shorter. After Chad's story, that marks the end of the flashback chapters. And we can jump right into the good stuff.

Hope you enjoyed this installment. The next chapter will be up in 2 days like always. Now time for some Omake humor. Oh and I added another section titled: **Original Skills**. This will list the attacks, skills, and techniques used by the characters NOT seen in the anime or manga, as they are completely of my own creation.)

**Omake 1:**

(Ichigo walks through the hospital to Orihime's patient room)

On the way he passes by an open room and looks inside to see a 'Random' person lying in a hospital bed. He is covered in bandages and casts.

Suddenly a piece of the ceiling collapses on top of the man crushing him.

"Why does this keep happening to me? Isn't this supposed to be a freaking FLASHBACK chapter?" – Random person from chapter 1

Ichigo decided to ignore the weird person.

**Omake 2:**

(The battle between Ichigo, Orihime, and Uryu against the one shinigami)

Ishida fired the arrow. Orihime reflected the shot and it pierced the back of the shinigami's skull.

"**BOOM HEADSHOT!**" – Announcer voice from nowhere

"Do it again!" – Ichigo

Ishida fired at the dead body once more, planting another arrow in its head.

"**BOOM HEADSHOT! DOUBLE KILL!**" – Announcer voice

Another several arrows fired.

"**TRIPLE KILL! OVERKILL! EXTERMINATION!**" – Announcer voice

"…"

"That was cool" – Orihime

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia:**

Ishida Uryu – a young quincy. Originally he was shy and introverted. But then he met Ichigo and Orihime and quickly became friends. Together they fight to protect the innocent and to purify Hollows. He trained with his grandfather almost every day and learned everything he could about the Quincy culture and history. One day, his grandfather Soken was killed in an attack from three shinigami bearing the crown crest on their foreheads. This tragic day will forever be with him, just as the day Orihime lost her brother, and when Ichigo lost his mother. The threat from the ones bearing the symbol of God follows these children maliciously.

**Tactics Overview:**

Attacking in a group – Having allies in a fight is always helpful. But if the group is not well coordinated, friendly fire can occur. Knowing the abilities, strengths, and weaknesses of everyone in the ground is the most important step. Using each other's strengths to cover another ally's weakness can create a near invincible fighting force. In today's example, Ichigo and Orihime used short range combat to cover for Ishida's long range attacks, which at the same time provided support for the close range assault. Requires intelligence and awareness.

**Original Skills:**

** Pride of the Quincy: Hidden Blade** – a technique used by experienced Quincy. The main purpose is to cover for the obvious weakness of a bow user: close range combat. The technique channels spiritual energy into a small metal device hidden within the robes of a Quincy. The energy forms into a dagger-like weapon with which, the extremely dexterous archer can use to catch an opponent off guard.

**Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot** – A basic technique used by the Quincy. It charges twice the amount of energy into an arrow and fires it at twice the speed. The recoil on the bow is enormous. The force of impact from this technique is devastating and double as powerful as a regular arrow. The drawback is that it also takes twice the amount of time to 'cool down' from the attack in order to fire the next arrow in the bow.

**Blood Sprenger** – similar to the 'Sprenger' used in the anime and manga. This technique uses the blood of the user to form the pentagon shaped seal into the ground. While the original Sprenger uses several Seele Schneiders to collect spiritual energy from the surroundings, the Blood Sprenger variant uses the entirety of the caster's body and remaining spiritual energy to release a massive explosion. Since the Blood Sprenger uses the energy of the caster, it requires no time to charge (unlike the original Sprenger) and can release the full force instantly. Of course using this technique has a great cost, the life of the user, and is only used as a final resort.

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 5: Sado's Story**


	6. Ch 5: Sado's Story

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: This continues soon after where we left off. This cover's Sado's story and the completion of The Protectors.

This chapter marks the end of the flashback part of Arc 1. After this, we go back to present day and some exciting stuff!

Technically the next chapter is a flashback chapter too, BUT it only goes back to 1 month before the events of chapter 1.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's not as long as the last two though.

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**First Arc: The Will of Four**

**Date Posted: 7/25/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow speak/Ghostly speak/scene break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

**Last Time:**

_Become a strong warrior Uryu. Protect the pride of the Quincy._ His final thoughts echoed as the explosion shook the entire area. Trees fell to the ground as rock and dirt were scattered in all directions.

The light died down to reveal no trace of either the two enemies or Uryu's grandfather. A devastating scorch mark and crater was left in their place.

Young Uryu fell to his knees in shock and sadness. Orihime clutched Ichigo close to her, burying her face into his chest. The young shinigami stood frozen in place, the sudden death of someone innocent and the old quincy's selfless sacrifice rocked him to the very core.

Today marked the death of Ishida Soken.

**Scene Break-Scene change to Undisclosed Location**

"Sir, three of the old prototypes seemed to have escaped to the real world. They were subsequently destroyed."

"Those old things? They are completely useless now. Nothing more than basic mind slaves. Destroy the rest of the ones we have locked up. I don't need any more of them getting out and ruining my reputation."

"Yes, sir."

"Although it would have been interesting to see what data they collected in their final moments. Oh well. Maybe next time."

**Chapter 5: Sado's Story**

1 week later.

(5 years before the events of Chapter 1: Enter, The Protectors)

Scene opens to show Isshin, Ryuken, Ichigo, Orihime, and Uryu gathered together at the Kurosaki underground training grounds beneath the house.

We see Isshin and Ryuken off to the side discussing something serious with hushed voices. Ichigo and Orihime are sitting on the ground with knees up to their chests, leaning on each other's backs for support. Ishida is sitting against the closest boulder. The young quincy's head is downcast as his emotions are still in turmoil from the death of his grandfather seven days ago. The three children were silent as they waited for the adults to finish deliberating.

"So did you two old geezers decide to tell us anything, or what?" Ichigo said in frustration.

Isshin and Ryuken look surprised at the outburst.

"I've been a shinigami for almost half a year now. I've trained in combat and learned tactics from my dad. I thought it was all for carrying out my duties as a shinigami and to protect the innocent from Hollows. But, those people…no…those _things _we fought. They weren't Hollows. They looked like shinigami!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"I thought shinigami were supposed to help souls. But, the ones I saw a week ago killed an old man. Now if there is something you're not telling us, you'd better let us know. Or the next time we go into combat, we may not survive." Ichigo told the adults seriously.

A pause passed between them as Isshin decided what to say next.

"You certainly have a way with words, boy. We'll tell you everything. But you may be disappointed since we still don't know a lot about what has been going on recently and we can't give exact answers, only guesses." Isshin told them.

The three children looked expectant at them, ready to hear anything.

"As you know, there has been a key similarity between the tragedies that befell you all." Ryuken started to explain.

"Ichigo's mother was murdered by a stranger with a sword who disappeared into a white light. Orihime's brother was infected by a Hollow, which normally is impossible. And Uryu's grandfather, my father, was murdered by three shinigami who seemed to have no independent control over their minds." – Ryuken

"I think we can assume now, that the man who murdered Masaki was a shinigami as well." - Isshin

"All three of these incidents had the opponents bearing a tattoo of a crown symbol on their foreheads." – Ryuken

"What does that symbol mean?" – Orihime

"I can't say for sure, but it may signify that all of these shinigami and Hollow are organized in a division of sorts. Or at worst, they make up a whole army and so far we have only seen just the tip of the iceberg." – Isshin

"The shinigami that killed my grandfather said they were doing God's will. What do they mean by that?" Uryu spoke for the first time in a long while.

"The closest thing we think they meant is that they were serving the 'King'." – Ryuken

"?"

"It'll be easier to understand if I explain this first. There are four planes of existence. There is the real world where humans live. Soul society, where shinigami and dead souls are sent to. Hueco Mundo, where Hollows usually reside. And Hell, where souls who were evil are sent to eternal punishment." – Isshin

"However there is a fifth dimension, a higher plane, known as the Royal Realm. It is ruled by a 'King'." – Ryuken

"This 'King', is he a God?" – Ichigo

"As close to one as you can get. The King has power over all four planes of existence. He governs the flow of spiritual energy between the four worlds in order to maintain balance in the reincarnation cycle. The King is also responsible for maintaining the basic laws of reality that hold everything together." – Isshin

"So did the King give orders to kill Uryu's grandfather and my mom?" – Ichigo

"That shouldn't be possible. The King exists on an entirely different plane, the Royal Realm, and he never leaves it. Communication between the Royal Realm and Soul Society use to be possible with the use of a 'Spirit Key' to open a portal to the King's world. But the key has been lost for centuries and as far as we know, the portal hasn't been opened in just as long." – Ryuken

"So then why would the shinigami attack us?" – Ichigo

"I don't know. But Soul Society has probably changed a lot since I was a shinigami. Until now, they haven't been seen interfering with the real world in decades. Then all of a sudden within the last 6 months, we've had three encounters with them. Something just doesn't seem right." – Isshin

"So what do we do now?" – Orihime

"We train and become stronger. So we can fight back against whatever Soul Society throws at us." Ichigo said with resolve.

"I think it's time I prepare you for the next level Ichigo. And you too Orihime. I think I have a few things you can use. Your talent at controlling spiritual energy will come in handy for what I will teach you." – Isshin

Ryuken walked over to his son. His tall form towering over the small boy who sat still on the ground. "I know I'm not grandpa. But, I am a quincy too. More importantly, I am your father and it's my duty to make sure I pass on my knowledge to the next generation."

Uryu looked up into the eyes of his father. They looked serious but the young boy could tell there was a lot of caring and love hidden behind that cold persona.

The three children stood straight up. These kids would train with all their soul to prepare themselves for the rough future ahead of them.

_The world is changing. We need strength. We need to become stronger to defend everyone and everything that's threatened by those who prey on the weak. We will protect. – Ichigo_

**Scene Break – 1 month later – Scene change to Karakura Primary School**

Scene opens. We see that the school day had just finished. Students are exiting the campus, friends in small groups conversing animatedly walk by.

The viewer sees Ichigo and Orihime walk by. We listen in to their conversation.

"Uryu should be back from his trip by next week." Orihime reminded Ichigo.

The Ishida family had taken a pilgrimage to the ancient Quincy temple on Chiburi Island on the west coast of Japan. They went to pay respects to Ishida Soken, and Ichigo also suspects that Ryuken brought his son there to train him.

"Well if Uryu isn't slacking in his training then we shouldn't either." Ichigo said with resolve.

Orihime smiled at his determination as she agreed wholeheartedly.

The viewer sees a vacant construction site at the other end of the empty street from the two children. A tall young boy, of Mexican heritage, with wavy dark hair walks right next to the site.

A cold feeling passed through Ichigo and Orihime who pause and wordlessly look around them for the source. Their eyes spot a precariously perched steel beam held up by a chain attached to a mechanical crane.

Just as the tall boy passes underneath it, the chain snaps and the I-beam is released.

"Look out!" Ichigo shouts urgently.

The tall boy dives out of the way at the last second, narrowly missing the crushing impact of the steel beam as it imbeds itself into the pavement. Cracks had formed in the shattered sidewalk.

Ichigo and Orihime rush over to the boy. "Are you okay?" Orihime asked him.

Silently, the tall boy stood up from the ground. At full height, he easily towered over Ichigo by at least a head and a half. The intimidating looking boy just nods and, without a word, walked away as if nothing happened.

"?"

"Well that was weird. Most people would at least be fazed from a near death accident." Ichigo said with a raised eyebrow.

"I sensed some kind of malicious spiritual energy surrounding him. I think we should follow him for a while just in case." Orihime suggested. The young shinigami agreed and the two of them proceeded to trail the strange boy.

However what they saw definitely surprised them. Soon after barely avoiding the construction accident, the tall boy was almost run over by a motorcycle, nearly fell into a sinkhole that suddenly appeared in the sidewalk, and just missed being crushed by a piano dropped off a roof.

Yea! A freaking piano!

Even from this distance, Ichigo and Orihime could tell that the boy was significantly injured. They were amazed he could move let alone continue walking. Finally, they followed him till he entered a cemetery.

"Maybe he's here to pray for someone." Orihime guessed as they saw him walk to the far end.

They watched as he approached a lone tombstone. The boy then reached into his bag and removed an open can of…dog food? The tall kid whistled lightly, and to Ichigo's and Orihime's surprise, a small puppy emerged from behind the tombstone.

"?" – Ichigo

The boy set the can of dog food on the ground and watched as the puppy ate it happily. He smiled as he pet it gently on its head.

_I guess he's not as scary as he looks. – Ichigo_

"Aww, what a cute puppy!" Orihime squealed as she suddenly appeared next to the dog. The puppy barked happily as the girl picked it up and hugged it close to her. The only hint of surprise from the boy was a slight widening of the eyes.

"Orihime, you shouldn't startle people like that." Ichigo said sarcastically.

The boy looked at the two of them with a questioning stare.

"Sorry about that. I'm Kurosaki Ichigo and she's Inoue Orihime. What's your name?" Ichigo asked him.

"Yasutora Sado." The boy finally spoke with a deep voice. Much deeper than normal for his age.

"Chado?" – Ichigo

Sado shakes his head and repeats. "Sado."

"Chado?" Ichigo stretches the name incorrectly.

And again Sado shakes his head no, patiently. "Sado."

"Ah screw it. I'm just going to call you Chad." Ichigo decided. Sado…err Chad didn't voice a disagreement, so the young shinigami continued.

"I see you're wearing the same school uniform as ours but I haven't seen you around before." Ichigo pointed out.

"I just moved here." Sado said without explanation.

"Err…from where?" Ichigo asked when the tall boy didn't elaborate.

"Mexico." He said plainly.

"You speak pretty good Japanese for a foreigner." – Ichigo

"I'm not a foreigner." And once again, Ichigo was left with guessing.

"Were you born in Japan?" – Ichigo

"Yes." Silence.

"You don't talk much do you? Well that's cool I guess." – Ichigo.

Sado rose an eyebrow, surprised that someone would say that about him. Most people thought he was an unruly gangster type just by looking at him. Sado's height and voice distanced him from children his own age.

"We were following you since you were nearly killed by the falling steel beam and-" – Ichigo

"You were stalking me?" Chad asked as he interrupted him.

"Err, I wouldn't call it stalking." – Ichigo

"You followed me without my knowledge, ergo stalking." Chad defined.

"I liked it better when you were quiet." Ichigo mumbled to himself.

"Anyways, we noticed you seem to be accident prone. Does this happen to you often?" Ichigo inquired.

"It started when I moved here a few days ago." – Sado

"Can you be more specific?" Ichigo continued.

Sado nodded…but remained silent.

"Well?" – Ichigo

"I think you should have said "Would you be more specific?" or something like that." Orihime giggled as she continued playing with the puppy.

_This is no time to be correcting my grammar! _Ichigo thought to himself frustratingly.

"Okay fine. Would you be more-"

"I think it started when I visited this cemetery." – Sado

_Damn it! He interrupted me again! – Ichigo_

"I didn't come here to pray for anyone, but for some strange reason I was drawn to this place. And then this little one found me." Sado gestured to the puppy who wagged its tail happily.

"Sado-niichan was kind enough to visit me every day and give me food" the puppy spoke.

Ichigo nodded his head…"Wait what? !"

"Did that dog just talk? !" Ichigo pointed in surprise.

"I didn't mention that?" Sado wondered aloud as he scratched his head. Ichigo sweat dropped.

"My name is Yuichi." The puppy introduced itself. Orihime squealed in delight as she clutched it closer to her.

_Wait a minute. – Ichigo_

The young shinigami placed his palm on the dog's head. Ichigo then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Extending his spiritual senses outwards, the bright haired boy searched for any Reiryoku (Spiritual Power).

"This isn't an ordinary dog. This is a Plus soul trapped in a dog's body." Ichigo concluded. Orihime nodded in understanding. The young shinigami looked to see Sado's emotionless expression.

"Aren't you wondering what a "Plus" is or what I was just doing?" – Ichigo

"I am wondering." – Sado

"Then ask me for crying out loud!" – Ichigo

"Well you see, me, Orihime and another friend of ours named Uryu work together to purify souls like these and cursed souls called Hollows. We cleanse their soul and send them to the afterlife." Ichigo explained.

"…" – Sado

Silence.

"Aren't you gonna say "That's crazy! I don't believe you! Stay away from me!" or something like that?" – Ichigo

"I believe you" Sado said without explanation.

"You are an interesting guy." Ichigo told him upfront.

"Together, we protect the weak and the innocent from those who wish to do harm. We are The Protectors!" Orihime happily chirped to the tall boy.

_That's a cheesy name. – Sado_

"Oy! You just thought "That's a cheesy name" didn't you?" Ichigo accused.

Chad shakes his head, trying to hide a guilty smile.

"Well back to the main topic, I am going to have to cleanse Yuichi's soul. Although, I've never done it on a dog before." Ichigo admitted as he scratched his head.

"But I don't want to go Ichigo-niichan!" Yuichi begged with puppy dog eyes (literally).

"But you have too. You can't stay here. It's dangerous. There are hollows looking around for a meal like you." Ichigo warned.

"But I can't. _He _told me I had to stay in this form for 2 years. If I do that he will bring mommy back and I can see her again!" Yuichi pleaded.

"Who are you talking about?" – Orihime

Suddenly, the wind started to pick up around them. Ichigo's battle instincts began to stir as he sensed malicious killing intent coming from somewhere.

"**Hehehehe. Little brat! You're not supposed to tell anyone that!**"

From high in the sky, a large shadowy figure plummeted and landed with an earth shaking crash on the ground next to the children who nearly fell from the force of the landing.

It was a Hollow. Nearly two stories tall, it had pincer arms like that of a Praying mantis. The Hollow had four legs that supported a large thorax and scum green skeletal armor that covered its entire body. There were four separate insect wings on its back and its mask was white and pointed.

The spiritual pressure the Hollow was releasing was enough to make Sado and Yuichi struggle to breathe.

"What is that?" Chad asks with a hint of fear.

"**So you all can see me? Interesting. That means if I eat all of you I will grow stronger from your spiritual energy. Kehehehehe**" The Hollow laughs maniacally.

Ichigo transforms into his shinigami form just in time to block a strike from the Hollow's sword-like appendage. The air blows outwards in all directions from the point of contact. The young shinigami is visibly struggling.

_This Hollow is very strong. – Ichigo_

"**Oho, you're a shinigami too? That's even better for me once I eat you all up."**

"Orihime, protect them while I deal with this guy." Ichigo ordered. Orihime nodded and called out her spirits to cast a shield in front of her, Sado, and Yuichi.

"**You think you can take me on by yourself?** **That's pretty foolish of you. I'm gonna enjoy cutting you up into tiny little pieces! Kehehehehe."**

"That's a very disgusting persona you have there." – Ichigo

"**Of course! I was a serial killer back when I was alive as a human."**

_He has memories from when he was alive? Then that means this guy is completely aware and in control of his actions even though he is a Hollow._

"**One of my more memorable moments actually involves that boy you're protecting over there."**

"What are you talking about?" – Ichigo

"**A year ago, I was just walking down an empty street at night when I happened to pass by a lovely mother and her child. She was walking her son home. They were together hand in hand. The happiness sickened me. So I stalked them to their house and killed them!" **The Hollow sighed happily. "**33 stabs, each more satisfying than the last."**

"You sick bastard!" Ichigo shouted. Orihime's and Sado's eyes were wide open in shock. Yuichi crouched low to the ground, closing his eyes as sad memories came back to him.

"**I would have done more, but that little brat pushed me off the balcony and we both fell to our deaths. I thought it was over. But, then I woke up and I looked like this." **The Hollow indicated its grotesque appearance.

"**I found the same brat hanging around his mother's grave. I decided to have a little fun with him. I told him that if he stayed in that dog form for two years, I would bring back his mother from the dead. As if I could do something like that. Hahahaha."**

Ichigo's grip on his zanpakuto tightened. The anger he felt was becoming hard to restrain.

"**And then I watched as person after person found this puppy in the cemetery and ended up dying in some mysterious "accident" thanks to me. Kehehehe."**

Sado felt like throwing up. How could anyone…no, _anyTHING_ be so heartless? Orihime was ready to attack the killer as well.

"Toying with an innocent kid's emotions, and using him to kill others. I won't forgive you!" Ichigo shouted as he swung horizontally at the insect Hollow, who easily blocked with the sword-like arms again.

As Ichigo was deadlocked with one arm, the other appendage swung at him. The young shinigami jumped back in time to avoid injury.

_This Hollow is experienced in combat. Or it's at least difficult to defeat because it's aware of its actions and has its mind under control. I can't cut through those arms either. I have to strike the Hollow at his center of mass._

Orihime watched from a distance and concluded the same thing. She needed to figure out when the right moment was to strike. "You two stay here!" she commanded to Sado and Yuichi.

The tall boy watched as the young girl ran head first into battle. Sado had felt an incredible rage within himself after he heard what this monster did. Luring innocent people by using Yuichi and killing them.

The little boy's soul was probably crushed and heartbroken from guilt. _He didn't know. He was only trying to get his mother back. This thing is responsible for everything!_ Chad's arm muscles flexed in tension. His hands balled in fists, Sado's next actions would have been hard for him to predict.

Ichigo was desperately trying to keep the fight under control, but he was pushed so far back on defense. It was like fighting two swords on one. Every time he tried to hit the Hollow, it was blocked and then immediately countered, where he barely dodged in time.

_I need another freaking arm. – Ichigo_

"**Santen Kesshun!" **Orihime chanted as a shield was raised on Ichigo's right side, in time to block the predicted counter from the Hollow.

"**The little bitch has powers too? Hahahaha. Interesting!"**

"Ichigo, we need to fight together on this one. Let me be your shield and you be my sword!" Orihime told him as she stood solidly at his right side.

The young shinigami nodded. He could go all out now without worry of defense. Ichigo ran swiftly at the Hollow who tried to hit Ichigo but was rebounded from Orihime's shield. Now that the enemy's offense was dealt with, it was time to deal the final blow.

"This is it for you!" Ichigo yelled as he stabbed hard with his katana, right into the Hollow's center of mass.

But the insect monster didn't die.

"What?" – Ichigo

They looked to see the zanpakuto had hit the Hollow, but it never penetrated the armor.

"!"

"**Did you think you had me there? You'd be hard pressed to find another Hollow with stronger skin then me!" **it taunted.

"**Now you're right where I want you!"** The Hollow swung with both of its pincers at Ichigo who was at an extremely close range.

He didn't have enough space to dodge, and Orihime couldn't cast a shield in time. The battle would end here.

"Graaah!" Sado grunted with power as he came out of nowhere and punched the Hollow hard in its abdomen.

Surprisingly, the Hollow was hit with a significant amount of force. Enough to send the muti-ton insect stumbling backwards.

"**What the hell? !"**

The killer looked into Sado's eyes. They were burning with uncontrollable rage. An untapped energy within the boy was being released.

Ichigo and Orihime watched as Chad's right arm glow bright blue. A liquid appears and covers his arm from hand to shoulder. It slowly solidifies into armor. It has an indentation at the top of his shoulder. There are two wing-like protrusions on either side of his wrist. The arm is black with a dark magenta strip running down the middle of the arm tapering down towards a point that stops at the wrist.

Sado almost completely ignored the change to his body as he blindly attacked the Hollow again. Ichigo and Orihime were stunned for a moment, but they too rejoined the assault.

"**I can take you all on!**"

Ichigo and Orihime blocked both of the Hollow's sword arms, while Chad landed a direct hit on its center of mass again.

"**You'll never pierce my armor!"**

But just as he said that, the spot that Sado had hit twice, began to crack.

"**!"**

"Keep it up!" Ichigo commanded.

The three on one battle continued as Chad landed punch after punch, easily weakening the once tough armor.

"**You f**king brats! I'll kill you all!"**

"This is the last one." Sado said with a deep voice as he sent a final crushing blow to the center of the Hollow's body. The cracks that had formed from before expanded outward, shattering the armor completely. It fell away to reveal a soft underbelly, wide open.

"You're dead now!" Ichigo finished as he stabbed his zanpakuto straight through the monster. Blue blood erupted out of the Hollow's back as the fatal wound killed him.

"**It's…over?"**

Suddenly, light and energy emit from the killer's wound forming a massive gate behind him. There were two skeletons with bandaged heads and torsos on the door.

"What is that?" – Orihime

"That is The Gate to Hell. A shinigami's blade can only cleanse spirits of the sins they did as a Hollow. But if they were evil as a human, they are sent to Hell." Ichigo explained.

The tall gate opened. An enormous shadowy creature can be seen on the inside. Its arm reaches out and starts to drag the defeated Hollow into the depths of Hell.

"**What? ! No! I can't die! Damn it! Gaaaah! It burns! My skin is on fire! Aaaaaaah!" **the serial killer's voice dies away as its soul becomes consumed by the eternal flames of Hell.

The gates shut with an echoing boom, and it slowly descends into the ground, disappearing from sight.

Sado's burning rage dies down, just as his arm morphs back into its normal shape. He felt a sense of justice, now that the killer was gone. The tall boy looked down at the little puppy who couldn't look him in the eyes.

"I'm…I'm so sorry everyone. I just wanted to see my mommy again." Yuichi cried.

"You have nothing to apologize for. The bad guy was punished and you don't have to worry about him anymore." Sado comforted the spirit.

"It's time for you to go see your mommy. She is probably so worried about you." Chad told Yuichi in a big brother tone.

Yuichi nodded as the puppy form evaporated away, leaving a small boy in its place. This was the true form of his soul.

"We'll miss you Yuichi-chan." Orihime told him.

"I'll miss you too." Yuichi said with tears in his eyes.

Ichigo stepped up to the boy and gently tapped Yuichi's forehead. A comforting white light encased him as his spirit started to disperse into thousands of light particles.

"I want to be strong like you someday Sado-niichan." Yuichi told him as his soul left the real world.

Chad gave him a thumbs up, confident that the boy would become strong. The light died down, revealing a black butterfly that carried Yuichi's soul to the afterlife.

A silent pause passed between the three children before Sado suddenly spoke.

"I want to join you guys." – Sado

Ichigo and Orihime looked surprised at his sudden decision.

"I want to protect this town and all the innocent people so that nothing like this happens again." Chad resolved.

Ichigo and Orihime turned to each other and with a silent agreement, nodded. The young shinigami shook the hand of his newest friend and teammate.

"Welcome to The Protectors." Orihime cheered happily.

The fourth member had finally joined their ranks. Together, these children would defend Karakura from anything that threatened it. For years to come, they would live without another conflict with Soul Society.

**5 years later (1 month before the events of Ch 1: Enter, The Protectors)**

The shinigami were never spotted again. The dreaded crown crest never appeared on any of the Hollows that attacked Karakura. A sense of calm was felt between the now young adults for many years.

Until now.

**End Chapter 5**

(Author's note: I don't think I wrote this chapter to the best of my ability. Except for the first part where Isshin and Ryuken describe the 'King', the rest of the chapter, the whole Sado part of the story didn't feel original. It felt too much like the events in the anime/manga.

Oh well. Next chapter, we'll get into some good stuff. I get to throw in some of my more original ideas. And some hints about Soul Society will be revealed.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will see you all in the next two days.

Now for the extra stuff. Only one omake today. Oh and I decided to include one awesome quote from a future chapter I planned out. It could be from the next chapter, it could be the next arc, it could be in the last arc. I won't tell you. XD)

**Omake**

"Welcome to Chad's Laws of Anime." – Narrator voice

We see the tall boy standing on a stage, with a lone microphone.

"The Law of Inherent Combustibility. In anime, everything explodes. Everything! No exceptions. In fact, large cities are the most explosive substance known to man. Especially Tokyo. That thing is destroyed at least once a week by some monster, mecha, or super being. Apparently everything in the universe wants to destroy Japan. But don't worry, as long as the main characters are in that city, it will never be destroyed…completely." - Sado

"…" – Audience

**Quote from a Future chapter**

"Have you ever heard the phrase 'War is Hell' well the reverse is true too. Hell is War. All of the time."

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia**

Yasutora Sado – also known as 'Chad'. He unlocked his powers out of rage and anger against a serial killer Hollow that used an innocent boy to lure his victims. His arm is so far revealed to be a powerful armor piercing weapon. He is the last member to join the Protectors. I've got other powers for him to unlock later on that are non-canon.

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 6: Encounter**


	7. Ch 6: Encounter

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: Now that the character backgrounds are finished, we get to some of the cool stuff. You'll get to see a hint about why the shinigami are the "bad guys."

The chapter after this one will be at least two parts and will end Arc 1: The Will of Four.

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**First Arc: The Will of Four**

**Date Posted: 7/27/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

**Last Time:**

"I want to join you guys." – Sado

Ichigo and Orihime looked surprised at his sudden decision.

"I want to protect this town and all the innocent people so that nothing like this happens again." Chad resolved.

Ichigo and Orihime turned to each other and with a silent agreement, nodded. The young shinigami shook the hand of his newest friend and teammate.

"Welcome to The Protectors." Orihime cheered happily.

The fourth member had finally joined their ranks. Together, these children would defend Karakura from anything that threatened it. For years to come, they would live without another conflict with Soul Society.

**5 years later (1 month before the events of Ch 1: Enter, The Protectors)**

The shinigami were never spotted again. The dreaded crown crest never appeared on any of the Hollows that attacked Karakura. A sense of calm was felt between the now young adults for many years.

Until now.

**Chapter 6: Encounter**

Scene opens. We see the students of Karakura high school nearing the end of their last class for the day. Ichigo's mind is not in the room however. His thoughts wander to the events from 5 years ago.

_That year, everything changed. My mother was killed by a shinigami. Orihime's brother was infected and killed by a Hollow. Uryu's grandfather was murdered by three mindless shinigami. And Chad watched first hand as a boy's soul was tormented by a Hollow that was evil to its core._

_ These tragedies may have hurt us deeply, but they also brought us together. Since that year, we vowed to never allow what happened to us, happen to anyone else._

_ 5 years of peace._

_ I should be glad, but I feel like I'm missing something deep inside me._

_ A void that can't be filled._

_ What is it?_

(School bell ringing)

Ichigo was brought out of his thoughts as the last class ended. Students started to file out of the classroom in huddles.

"Ichigo" Orihime calls out to him.

"Hm?"

"Do you want to ask sensei about tomorrow?" – Orihime

"Ah right. I almost forgot to ask." Ichigo realized.

"I wonder what Ichigo and Orihime are talking to sensei about." Keigo wonders aloud. Keigo is Ichigo's, and Sado's friend since they entered high school. They could be seen hanging out on the roof during lunch with Mizuiro. Uryu sometimes tags along and Orihime usually brings her friends too. Together, they probably make up the largest group of friends in the entire school.

Sado looks to Ichigo and Orihime and ponders for a moment before answering Keigo. "It's personal." The tall young man says plainly.

Sado and Uryu knew that tomorrow was the anniversary of Ichigo's mother's death. They were probably asking the sensei about taking a day off school tomorrow. Orihime was included in this, because she is considered a part of the Kurosaki family.

Although her exact relation to Ichigo, friend or possibly more than that, is unclear to Chad and Ishida who have known the two of them for several years. Chad could sense some unresolved attraction between the Ichigo and Orihime, and would constantly joke and tease them about it.

Actually now was one of those times.

"Personal? Is something going on between them?" Keigo asks, as more classmates become interested in their conversation.

"Maybe." Sado says without further explanation. He personally believes that there is something, but he likes to keep his friends guessing.

"What? Are they sleeping together or something?" Keigo asks jokingly.

"Yes." Chad answers. It's technically true. Ichigo and Orihime still live in the same room. And believe it or not, they sleep in the same bunk beds they had from five years ago, although with slightly longer mattresses.

"Huh? !" half of the class reels back in shock.

"You're having fun with this, aren't you?" Ishida whispers to him accusingly. Chad tries to hide his mischievous smirk.

Ichigo and Orihime finished talking with the sensei, and exited the classroom only to find them being stared at by a large portion of their classmates.

"What are you guys staring at?" Ichigo asks, starting to feel awkward.

"Chiiiiiii (sound effect in anime, when people are staring)"

Outside Chad looked emotionless. But inside, he was laughing victoriously.

"So Ichigo how is _it_?" Keigo asks with a perverted grin.

"How is what?" – Ichigo

Keigo whispers into Ichigo's ears, making it very clear exactly what he meant. The bright haired boy's face lit up in embarrassment as he punches Keigo in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground in comical fashion.

"The rest of you better scatter!" Ichigo threatens. His face red from embarrassment and mild anger.

The various eavesdroppers stumble away. But the damage was done. The gossip would spread throughout the entire school by tomorrow.

Ichigo sighs in mild frustration. Orihime looks innocently confused by the whole scene.

"What just happened?" – Orihime

"N-n-nothing!" Ichigo said quickly as he stuttered.

"Yea don't worry Orihime. Ichigo will tell you all about _it_ when you two are alone…together…in a dark room…without your clothe-" - Chad

"Enough!" Ichigo stopped him.

"I knew you had something to do with this!" – Ichigo

The mischievous jester within Chad struck again.

**Scene Break – Later that Day**

Scene opens. We see somewhere in the woods on the outskirts of Karakura, a senkaimon gate opens. Two figures emerge out of the blinding white light. The first was a tall man and the second was a shorter woman.

The shadows from the dense foliage in the trees, only allows the viewer to see their silhouettes and nothing more.

"We have 24 hours to complete our objective. Then we report back to Soul Society" the woman reminds her partner.

"Okay fine." The man says lazily.

"I mean it. Don't screw anything up." The woman warns as she dashes quickly in one direction.

"I'll finish quickly and use the rest of the time to have a little fun. I haven't done _that_ in 5 years." The man whispers to himself excitedly as he departs to complete his mission.

**Scene Break – Scene change to the Next Day – Anniversary of Kurosaki Masaki's Death**

The scene opens. It is nearly midday. The sun is partially blocked out on this partly cloudy day. The wind carries a calming feeling as the Kurosaki family arrives at the silent graveyard. Each of them pays their respects to Masaki.

Isshin and the twins spoke first. "Masaki, your daughters are here to see you. They have grown up to be so beautiful." - Isshin

"And that idiot son of ours is as reckless as ever. He's out there fighting and protecting Karakura now. I wish I didn't have to give him that responsibility but I am old and unable to fight. I passed on the torch to the next generation for us and he carries it proudly." Isshin says proudly as he looks to his son for a moment.

"I know he fights in your memory, so please keep watch over that idiot boy. We all miss you very much." He finished.

Yuzu and Karin kneel down as they place some flowers in front of the tombstone. "Mother, it's me Yuzu. I miss you a lot. And I know you took care of everyone when you were alive, so I thought maybe I could be just as good to people as you were."

"I see Ichigo go out every day to help the world, so I will do what I can for him and for the family when they come home."- Yuzu

Karin pauses for a moment as she thinks about what to say. "I'm not good at these things. But, I guess what I really want to say is that I miss you very much mother. Oh and I'll try to keep that idiot father of ours in line. He can be ridiculous sometimes." The tough young girl may not have shown it on her face, but she misses her mother dearly just as much as everyone else in the family.

Isshin sees Ichigo standing absolutely still. The young man's mind struggling to find the right words to say to his mother. The father decides that his son is best left alone for this, and so he ushered himself, Yuzu, and Karin out of the cemetery.

Orihime remains by Ichigo's side. She is silent as she watches her childhood friend try to gather his feelings.

"Mom when you died I didn't know what to think. Why were you suddenly taken away from all of us? Why wasn't I strong enough to protect you that night? I felt so alone." Ichigo admitted aloud as he blinked his watery eyes away.

"But then I knew I had to prevent something like that from happening again to my family. I decided that if I were ever given the ability to protect, I would do so with everything I had." - Ichigo

"I used to do it alone, but then I soon found others who were willing to do the same. Together, the four of us protect this city. The bonds I share with them will never be lost. I'm not alone anymore." Ichigo told his mother with a small smile.

The temperature had dropped slightly as more clouds had rolled in. A light drizzle started to fall. It soon picked up into a summer rain shower. Even then, Ichigo didn't move from his spot. Orihime didn't either as she wanted to be as close as possible to him right now.

The young woman looks up into the changing sky. The rain clouds looked so close almost as if she could reach out and touch them with the tip of her fingers.

"If I were rain that joins the sky and earth that otherwise never touch, could I join two hearts as well?" she wonders aloud. The cold raindrops fell onto her face. The sensation gave her a sense of reality.

"Yes, you could." Ichigo suddenly says. Orihime looks mildly surprised, not expecting an answer.

"Even though the sky can never become one with the earth, they are forever connected through their shared past and future. With each rainstorm, their bond becomes stronger." – Ichigo

Orihime smiles genuinely at him. The young man she has been with for several years was willing to share his deepest feelings and she wanted to do the same. She grabs Ichigo's hand in a comforting gesture, letting him know that she would always be by his side.

Ichigo and Orihime close their eyes for a moment, saying one last prayer to the deceased Masaki. The rain made them feel alive. The wind made them feel carefree. The earth made them feel stable. And the other's warm touch made them feel like they belonged.

Another moment of silence passed between them.

"We better get out of this rain and find my dad." Ichigo says lightly.

Orihime nods and the two leave the cemetery, hands grasped together in the strongest bond.

**Scene Break**

"Kehehehe. I think I can have a lot of fun with these two." The man from Soul Society laughs to himself as he plots. His sinister gaze rests on the retreating couple.

**Scene Break**

"Help me. Help me." A little girl's voice cries out.

Ichigo and Orihime look worriedly around the graveyard. The young woman sees it first. A little girl dressed in all white is standing alone in the middle of an opening, clutching a stuffed animal close to her.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Orihime asks her as she is about to reach out to the little girl.

Something in Ichigo's mind clicked and with heightened reflexes, he tugs Orihime out of the way just in time to avoid a sword strike that would have killed her.

"Oho. You're a pretty fast kid." The man chuckles as he reveals himself.

Ichigo nearly fell to the ground as an indescribable feeling of fear and anger raced through him. The man was tall and wore a brown wool coat over his shinigami uniform. He had jet black hair. On his forehead, the tattoo of the crown crest was etched into his skin.

Ichigo's eyes were wide open in shock and surprise. His nerves were momentarily lost as he gazed into the sight of the man who had killed his mother 5 years ago.

"You…you're…_him._" – Ichigo

"Oh we've met before? That's strange. I can't seem to remember you." The man taunts.

"You're the one who killed my mother!" Ichigo shouts in anger as spiritual energy surges through him.

"You can't expect me to remember every person I killed. If I did that, I'd go crazy. Kehehehehe."

"Graaaaaah!" Ichigo's fury heightened as he transforms into his shinigami form. Within the blink of an eye, Ichigo rushes the man with katana in hand ready to end his life in one hit.

"Ichigo!" Orihime cries out in worry.

"Interesting. Well it seems you have a grudge against me. That makes this a lot more fun!" the man laughs as he withdraws his zanpakuto from its sheath and blocks Ichigo's attack effortlessly.

The young man didn't miss a beat as he continued his combination assault.

Downward vertical slice.

Shuffle to the side, stab attack to the opponent's center of mass.

Low sweeping horizontal strike.

High jump attack.

Land behind the opponent and pierce his back.

Roll low to the ground and strike again.

To Ichigo's horror, none of his moves even fazed the man. Even more surprising was that the enemy hadn't even dodged any of his attacks, just blocked them with his zanpakuto.

Ichigo's moment of surprise was enough time for the man to counter with one powerful strike. The young shinigami jumped back just in time, watching in slow motion, as the opponent's blade hit nothing but air.

"What are you?" Ichigo grunts in frustration.

"Hahahaha. I am a being forged by God himself. I used to be a Hollow that went by the name of Grand Fisher. The number of souls I devoured was uncountable. Then I was gifted with this body from the King." The man said as he admired his own form.

"Now I am a shinigami with a new name and identity! I am reborn! I _am _Poison. And I carry out God's will! My devotion and gratitude to the King is unending!" the shinigami known as Poison cries out with confidence. He moves to the offensive against Ichigo who struggles to keep up.

The bright haired shinigami dodged his head left and right, barely avoiding stabs to his skull. Each hit came in quick succession. With each blocked strike, sparks flew from the contact between blades. With each dodge and missed hit, Ichigo could feel a powerful current of air pass by him from the sheer speed and force of the opponent's sword.

"I'm surprised you kept up with me for this long. What is your name?" Poison inquires.

Ichigo's breathing is rough and struggled but he manages to answer confidently. "I am Kurosaki Ichigo, Protector of Karakura, and the one who will strike you down!"

"You will strike _me_ down? I have God on my side! And you…all you have are false reasons for fighting!" Poison laughs.

"?" - Ichigo

"You call yourself a 'protector'. But that's not true, is it? Right now your very soul is shaking with uncontrollable rage. So much anger isn't born from the will to 'protect'. It comes from one thing and one thing only!" – Poison

"Your desire for _revenge_!" Poison's words pierce through Ichigo like nothing else. The truth reveals itself to him and the young man feels sick.

"That dark void in your heart that can never be filled! Your greed can only be satisfied by ending my life! You want to end the life of your enemy! You aren't any better than me." – Poison

Ichigo felt his body shake. His head, a torrent of emotions as he lost control. His mind was no longer in the fight, as he blindly attacked Poison with random uncalculated attempted hits.

"GAAAAAAHHH!" - Ichigo

The young shinigami fell for Poison's taunts. And soon enough it would lead to his downfall. "That's right! Kill me! End my life! Fulfill your deepest desire!" Poison says this and with each missed strike from Ichigo, the sinister shinigami counters and seriously wounds the young man.

Ichigo's movements begin to slow down as the open gashes in his chest, arms, and forehead are pouring gratuitous amounts of blood. His ribs felt broken and his legs were bruised from blunt attacks.

"Ichigo!" Orihime cries out. But her voice is unheard to Ichigo as the combination of rage and exhaustion drown out everything around him. His mind was lost.

"Ichigo listen to me! You aren't like him! I know you! You're kind and gentle." Orihime tells him as tears form in her eyes.

"You protect your family and friends and I've seen you do great acts of self-sacrifice that nobody else in the world would even think of doing!" – Orihime

"You're a natural fighter! But you're also a natural protector! Remember what you promised your mother. You told her that if you were ever given the strength to protect, you would do it with everything you had. You aren't alone! You never were!" Orihime cries out.

"You're getting annoying." Poison grumbles as he suddenly appears next the young woman, sword raised high in the air, ready to end her life.

"!"

"Die!" Poison stabs downward, gripping his sword in both hands. Rubble and debris explode outwards.

It cleared to reveal Ichigo holding Orihime close to him, a small distance away from Poison. The young shinigami had grabbed her and just brought her out of range from the death blow.

"I'm so sorry Orihime. I guess I forgot why I fight in the first place." Ichigo told her.

"It's okay. I know who you really are, even if you sometimes forget." Orihime says with a small smile.

"I'm glad you're there for me." – Ichigo

"I'll always be here for you. Now go and show this son of a bitch just what you're made of!" Orihime uncharacteristically cusses, making Ichigo laugh.

"Such a heartwarming display. It makes me sick!" Poison bellows as he rushes Ichigo. Their blades become deadlocked in a fierce battle for dominance.

"It seems whatever that woman told you brought you to your senses. But it doesn't matter now. You aren't coming out of this battle alive." Poison steps back and lunges forward again, intending to charge through Ichigo's tough defense.

"I can't believe I have to use _that _to defeat you. You should feel grateful. You'll be one of the few to witness the full extent of my power." Poison holds his blade out to the side and chants

"**Become absolute, Kanna!" **

The katana is covered in a bright white light. It died down to reveal the guard had completely disappeared. The handle looked re-bandaged and the blade itself looked sharper and brand new. The hilt was neatly decorated with plum flower designs.

_It changed! This must be his shikai! _Ichigo recognized from what his father taught him.

Poison hold out his blade menacingly. Killing intent rolls off it just as much as its spiritual pressure.

"Of course you know that the longer a battle goes on, you get weaker from exhaustion and wounds. But I bet you didn't know that your zanpakuto is equally affected by the condition of the wielder. The less spiritual energy you have, the weaker your blade gets." Poison tells Ichigo as he attacks again.

The young shinigami watches in surprise as his large katana begins to crack from each connected hit with Poison's 'Kanna'.

"I have no such weakness. My Kanna never bends or breaks, no matter how long a battle goes on! You know what that means. You're finished!" – Poison

Ichigo's zanpakuto shatters in slow motion. His breath is caught in his throat and his pupils are shaking in momentary shock.

A devastating upward diagonal slash cuts across Ichigo's undefended torso. Blood pours out from the severe wound, as the young man falls to the ground with a rough thud.

"Ichigo!" Orihime looks devastated as she watches him collapse.

"You've fought well. Too bad it had to end here." Poison says as he prepares to stab Ichigo in the skull.

Ichigo's eyes slowly close as darkness fills his vision. The world slowed down and the sounds around him faded away. He was entering his inner world.

**Scene Break – Scene change to Ichigo's Inner World**

Ichigo awakens to see himself in the same skyscraper landscape. Even though he has had his shinigami powers for several years, this was only the second time he was ever brought here. But this time, Ichigo noticed it was raining. The streets below looked to be flooded.

"So you've come back." An echoing voice booms.

Ichigo spins around to see the old man from before standing alone. The wind blowing his coat, giving him a ghost like appearance.

"Old man." - Ichigo

"We have fought together for so many years Ichigo. Your feelings carry onto this world." – Old man

"Your rage is my rage. Your sadness is my sadness." – Old man

"I need to defeat him." Ichigo pleaded.

"Why? The path of revenge is a dark one." The old man warns.

"I won't lie. Part of the reason is purely for my own gratification. But I also want to protect Orihime and my family and anyone else that this monster might harm in the future!" Ichigo resolves. The rain within the mindscape stops, as the flood waters below begin to drain away.

"You are true to yourself. That is a big step to achieving the next level. Your mind, body, and soul need to harmonize." The old man explains.

"What else do I need to do?" - Ichigo

"Cast off your fear and call out my name." – Old man

The world begins to dissolve away as Ichigo starts to regain consciousness.

**Scene Break – Scene change to outside world**

Just before Poison could kill Ichigo, an explosion of energy erupted from the downed shinigami's body. It was strong enough to make even Poison stumble back in surprise.

Despite his obvious injuries, Ichigo stood tall on his own two feet and stuck out what was left of his broken katana out in front of him. The rain suddenly stopped and the wind halted as Ichigo called upon the name of his zanpakuto.

"**Zangetsu!**"

In a bright curtain of light and energy, Ichigo's zanpakuto reveals its true form. The blade changes to resemble an oversized elegant cleaver. It lacked a guard and normal hilt. The grip was bandaged in white cloth.

Despite its change in appearance and structure, Ichigo felt like he had always used it and everything he knew about sword combat changed immediately in his mind to revolve around the use of this new blade.

"In moments of desperation, even bugs like you can be surprising." Poison taunts as he takes in the sight of Ichigo's shikai.

Without hesitation, Ichigo swung his sword downward vertically at empty air. To Poison's surprise an arc of bluish-white spiritual energy was released from the blade and was fired in his direction.

Poison brought Kanna up to torso level and blocked the energy attack like a regular sword would have done. "You've just unlocked your shikai, while I've had mine for years! You don't even know how to use your zanpakuto yet. You can't possibly beat me!"

Poison blocked another energy attack launched by Ichigo. "Did you forget already? My Kanna never breaks or bends. Its indestructibility gives me the ultimate defense!"

Ichigo's eyes narrow in focus at his opponent. His will to attack growing stronger. To his surprise, the world around him began to slow down again, but he was not being brought into his inner world mindscape.

A man dressed in a dark hood and cloak appears before Ichigo. His face is well hidden in the shadow of the hood.

"Who are you?" Ichigo inquires.

The man ignores the question. **"Your father taught you that knowing your own limits is half the battle. Just like in tactics, that ability of yours works the same way."**

"What do you mean?" - Ichigo

"**You've been using your attack without ever knowing its name. That makes the difference."**

"But I don't know the name." - Ichigo

"**Search inside your soul. You will realize you have always known. Just like you have always known Zangetsu's name. Now go! Use your power to its very limit and strike down your enemy."**

The world speeds up again just as the mysterious dark figure disappears.

"It's useless no matter what you do! My Kanna is indestructible!" - Poison

"**Getsuga Tensho!" **Ichigo cries out the name of his attack.

A wave of highly condensed spiritual energy, greater and stronger than any of the previous attacks, flies outward from the tip of Zangetsu. The ground beneath the attack becomes upturned. The air around it heats up quickly.

The attack collides powerfully into Poison's Kanna which looks to hold on for a moment. Until

(Blade Shatters)

"It…broke? !" Poison says in disbelief. As the remaining force from Ichigo's attack damages him roughly in the shoulder. The wound pours out blood, as Poison clutches onto it with his free hand.

"What happened? My zanpakuto is supposed to be indestructible." – Poison

Ichigo and Poison watch as the blade suddenly starts to regenerate itself. After a brief moment, Kanna reformed into a brand new katana, a mirror image of its previous form.

"? !" – Poison

"It looks like Kanna's ability isn't that it's indestructible, but that it constantly regenerates itself." Ichigo points out.

"You said something to me like 'You don't even know how to use your zanpakuto yet. You can't possibly defeat me.' Right?" Ichigo taunts as a plan forms in his mind.

_Two more attacks should be enough._

_The first! _"**Getsuga Tensho!" **And just like before the attack hit dead on, shattering Poison's zanpakuto for the second time in history. It slowly started to re-grow but it was too late.

_The last! _"**Getsuga Tensho!" **With nothing left to defend himself, Poison took the full force of Ichigo's strongest attack. The direct hit left a devastating lesion on the enemy's body.

Poison fell on his back silently. Blood pooled around him quickly as the life in him was draining away. "I…can't…be…defeated."

The battle over, Ichigo fell to his knees in exhaustion. His shinigami form deactivated itself. He was panting heavily and was clutching at the wound on his chest.

"Ichigo!" Orihime called to him as she ran over. "Don't worry. I'll heal you right up. **Soten Kisshun**." She chanted as two of her spirits encircled Ichigo and started to heal his injuries.

"Thanks Orihime." He told her.

"It's no problem. It's my job after all." – Orihime

"No I'm not thanking you for that. I want to thank you for always being there for me. Even today, when I was at the lowest point in my life, you still believed in me. Thank you." – Ichigo

The rain started to pour again. But Ichigo and Orihime didn't seem to pay it any attention, as they felt comfort just being in each other's presence.

"You are a disgrace to the pride of the God corps." A woman's voice echoes around them.

Ichigo and Orihime look around in alarm. They see a woman appear by Poison's fallen form. She was short and petite. She had pale skin, violet eyes, and black hair. The tattoo of the crown crest was also etched in her forehead.

"Viral…help…me." Poison pleads.

(Crunch)

The woman known as Viral plants her blade into Poison's skull, killing him instantly.

"You tarnish the name of the God corps. Lying there begging for your life. Despicable." Viral spits at the dead body.

_She just killed her ally without a second thought! _Ichigo started to worry. He was in no condition to fight, and Orihime was busy healing his injuries. Even if she was ready to fight, Ichigo had a feeling this 'Viral' was incredibly strong.

But, to Ichigo's and Orihime's surprise, Viral just looked away from them as a senkaimon gate opened before her.

"My objective is already complete. I don't need to waste my time killing you two." Viral says coldly as she was about to step through the portal.

"What objective? What are the shinigami planning?" – Ichigo

Viral pauses a moment before she speaks. "The seeds were planted today. In one month, we will come for the harvest." And without another word, the shinigami from Soul Society disappeared into the light.

The rain stopped. The wind drifted around them. The sun started to show itself from behind the parting clouds.

_They will come again. Greater in numbers and stronger than before. – Ichigo_

_One month._

**End Chapter 6**

(Author's note: Sorry this came out a little later in the day than usual. But I'm still keeping up with my personal set deadlines. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next ones were some of the most fun to write.

See you in a couple days.

I couldn't think of an Omake for this chapter. It's was hard to come up with one that would fit this chapter. Sorry. I hope the Chad humor at the beginning of the chapter was enough. I still have an Encyclopedia entry, and quote from a future chapter. Might be from next chapter, might be next arc, might be last arc. I won't tell. XD)

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia:**

Poison – formerly a Hollow known as Grand Fisher. He was given a new body from the King. 5 years ago he appeared in the real world and murdered Ichigo's mother according to 'God's will' which he claims he follows diligently.

His zanpakuto, Kanna, has a special ability that allows itself to regenerate quickly depending on the severity of the attack it withstands. It gives the impression that its indestructible because of the regeneration, but an extremely powerful attack can break it. It then requires several seconds in order to regenerate again. This time frame was enough for Ichigo to end the fight with Poison.

Poison was killed by a shinigami named Viral who is also apparently a member of the 'God corps.'

**Quote from a Future Chapter**

"I am the faction of one. My followers are long gone now. Their physical forms stolen from them. I exist as the single carrier for all of their souls."

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 7: Invasion Part 1**


	8. Ch 7: Invasion Part 1

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: We are rolling right along now. This was really fun to write. This chapter covers the first part of the "Invasion".

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**First Arc: The Will of Four**

**Date Posted: 7/29/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

**Last Time:**

The woman known as Viral plants her blade into Poison's skull, killing him instantly.

"You tarnish the name of the God corps. Lying there begging for your life. Despicable." Viral spits at the dead body.

_She just killed her ally without a second thought! _Ichigo started to worry. He was in no condition to fight, and Orihime was busy healing his injuries. Even if she was ready to fight, Ichigo had a feeling this 'Viral' was incredibly strong.

But, to Ichigo's and Orihime's surprise, Viral just looked away from them as a senkaimon gate opened before her.

"My objective is already complete. I don't need to waste my time killing you two." Viral says coldly as she was about to step through the portal.

"What objective? What are the shinigami planning?" – Ichigo

Viral pauses a moment before she speaks. "The seeds were planted today. In one month, we will come for the harvest." And without another word, the shinigami from Soul Society disappeared into the light.

The rain stopped. The wind drifted around them. The sun started to show itself from behind the parting clouds.

_They will come again. Greater in numbers and stronger than before. – Ichigo_

_One month._

**Chapter 7: Invasion Part 1**

_One month._

_ What will happen in one month?_

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Kurosaki Underground Training Grounds**

Scene opens. We see Ichigo, Orihime, Uryu, Sado, Isshin, and Ryuken gathered for a meeting.

"So we've got one month to prepare for whatever Soul Society throws at us." Ichigo told his father.

"We need to reconcile our information. What do we know about them exactly?" – Isshin

"The shinigami that have attacked so far seem to be a part of a division called the 'God corps'." – Orihime

"But, we can't say for sure that the God corps only consists of shinigami. The Hollow that infected Orihime's brother bore the same tattoo." – Uryu

"And Poison was originally a Hollow, until he was gifted with the 'body' of a shinigami. I'm still not exactly sure what he meant by that." – Ichigo

"Let's say for now that the 'God corps' is a division in Soul Society whose members, either shinigami or Hollow, bear the tattoo of the crown crest." Isshin summarizes.

"What else do we know?" – Sado

"Their plan involves planting 'seeds' and a 'harvest' one month from now." – Ichigo

"What could that possibly mean?" – Uryu

"Once again, we can't say for sure. We only know that we have a timeframe of one month. But we should keep our eyes open if we notice anything strange going on in Karakura over the next few weeks." – Isshin

"There are going to be more shinigami like Poison. And probably a lot stronger too." Ichigo realized with a sense of fear and anticipation.

"Is there anything you could teach us that might help?" – Sado

"I can teach you everything I know about macro-tactics, such as environment and field placement, and micro-tactics, such as reading your opponents changes in expression and body features to determine their next move. I might have something extra I can teach you too. But, other than that you kids need to find your own ways to get stronger." Isshin explained.

"We'll take what we can get. If we push ourselves enough, I think we can be ready in a month." – Ichigo

"Then it's settled. Prepare yourselves for the Ultra-Super-Tough Kurosaki Death-Training Boot Camp!" Isshin smirked evilly.

Everyone sweat dropped.

_Can we really be ready to fight in just one month? – Ichigo_

Ichigo looked at his friends. They were determined not to back down. They were soon going to face death itself, and none of them flinched once. Ichigo found his resolve in their feelings.

_Bring it on Soul Society!_

**Scene Break – 1 month later (recap of events of Chapter 1: Enter, The Protectors)**

"**Getsuga Tensho!**" he shouted as he slices the air. At the instant of the slash a large crescent shaped wave of spiritual energy fires from the tip. The wave collides with the slash. Ichigo's attack becomes dominant and continues its course straight into the gaping mouth of the Godzilla Hollow. Blood explodes out of its mouth as the sword slash tears up its insides.

Weakened, defeated, and mortally wounded, the Hollow begins to dissipate into the air. The corrupted spirits cleansed and sent to the afterlife.

Ichigo, Uryu, and Sado landed next to Orihime who retracted her shield spell. The people of Karakura stared, jaws dropped.

"Just who are you kids?"

Orihime smiled and with brimming confidence, struck a pose and announced

"We are the Protectors."

**Scene Break – The Day after the Godzilla-Hollow attack**

Scene opens. We see a view of the destruction the Hollow caused yesterday. Some of the surrounding buildings were severely damaged, several of their floors turned into rubble. The streets are littered with debris and craters. Blockades and police tape surround the entire affected area.

An electronic store sits off to the side. The view focuses on one of the televisions in the display window. A news program is currently broadcasting. We listen in to the report.

"Yesterday's incident marks the third supernatural 'attack' on Karakura in the last month. Just like the previous two occurrences, witnesses report a large masked monster wreaking havoc on the city. But, before it could continue its rampage, four teenagers mysteriously appear and quickly defeat the monster, which vanishes without a single trace." – News Anchorman

"We go to the streets to hear some of the public's opinion."

"It's still hard to believe that these 'monster' attacks are real. Even I couldn't believe what I saw and I was actually there in person. And these kids! They really are something. Taking on a monster like that must require a lot of bravery." – 1

"These kids look to be too reckless in my opinion." – 2

"You don't think they should be fighting these monsters?" – Field reporter

"I wish they wouldn't. If it were my kids out there fighting those things, I'd go crazy from worry and anxiety. But, on the other hand, who else do we have to combat these things? The police and even the military can't seem to step up and do anything about these attacks. It must be embarrassing for the army to leave the work to four teenagers." – 2

"Now in the studio, we have our expert threat and military analyst Mr. Takeda to give his opinion." – News Anchorman

"Mr. Takeda, why can't the military take over fighting these 'monsters'." – News Anchorman

"From witness reports at each of the three scenes, it looks like normal firearms just don't affect them at all. And the military hasn't had enough time to mobilize any air support or combat vehicles. So we can't say for sure that big caliber rounds don't affect these monsters at all since we haven't tried it yet." – Takeda

"You are referring to the fact that these four teenage fighters quickly appear and defeat the monster before the military can respond." – News Anchorman

"Correct. The way they fight might also hint at why conventional weapons don't work." – Takeda

"What do you mean?" – News Anchorman

"Witnesses report one young man using a bow and arrow, another young man using a sword, the other young man using his bare fists, and a young woman using what looked like magic." – Takeda

"Magic? Is that even possible?" – News Anchorman

"Considering what has happened in the last month, I can't say for sure what's possible anymore." Takeda says with a laugh.

"Some people are criticizing the military for being ineffective. What do you say to that?" – News Anchorman

"I use to be a soldier in the military. I know first-hand that the time it takes to deploy tanks and fighter craft is a long procedure, taking up to 45 minutes. So I'm grateful that these kids can neutralize the monsters within 10 minutes of appearing." – Takeda

"Thank you Mr. Takeda. Now we have our color analyst Mr. Hatori for additional comments. What is your opinion on these recent events?" – News Anchorman

"It pains me to say this, but has anyone considered that these kids are the cause of all the 'monster' attacks?" – Hatori

"That's a serious accusation. Could you explain?" – News Anchorman

"As long as I can remember, there hasn't been a 'monster' attack, ever, anywhere in the world. And suddenly within the last month, there are three of them. All occurring in one city. And then these kids just _happen_ to appear and 'save the day.' That all seems a little too convenient for me. You can't deny that there is some connection between the monsters and these kids playing hero." – Hatori

"It seems like you're implying that these kids _want _the attacks to happen. Why would anyone want that?" – News Anchorman

"It's just one possibility. They could be heroes or they could be something more sinister. We can't say for sure about anything, since we don't have all the information." – Hatori

"Well there you go ladies and gentleman. The 'Protectors'. Are they brave teenagers who protect our city or is there something else behind the curtain? We present you the facts, you make your opinions. We will see you at our next scheduled broadcast." – News Anchorman

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Karakura Central Park**

Scene opens. We see the peaceful scenery of late spring in Japan. The air is warm but not humid. The sun shines as clouds lazily drift along the air currents. It's midday. The park isn't as crowded as during the weekends.

Some office workers can be seen eating their lunches during their break. Mothers watching over their toddlers on the playground nearby. It's a picturesque normal day.

But this is also where it will all begin.

A lone senkaimon gate opens. Four figures emerge out of the bright white light. We recognize that one of them is Viral.

One of them is a man with crimson hair kept up in a high ponytail.

Another is a man with a feminine appearance. He wears a shinigami uniform with an orange collar and orange sleeve on his right arm.

The last is a tall lean-built man with short black hair. He wears a choker around his neck and wrists. His shinigami uniform is sleeveless.

All four of them have the tattoo of the crown crest on their foreheads.

"This will be the 'center' position. I will take the North. Viral will handle the East, Strike will guard the West, and Burst will hold the South." The man with red hair instructed.

The people in the park start to notice the presence of these four strange individuals. "It looks like these humans can see us clearly, Storm." The feminine man known as Burst points out.

"That means it's the perfect time for the harvest. No go to your stations." The red haired Storm orders.

"Yes sir!" they all say as they disperse.

Storm stays for a moment as he pulls out a device from his sleeves. It's silver with two vertical antennas extending about 10 centimeters out. He plants it into the ground beneath his feet. With a nod to himself he dashes away to his Northern objective.

The citizens who saw all of this looked on in confusion. Suddenly the device glowed bright and began to emit a small pulse of energy.

With each wave, the people started to grow tired and sleepy. There was no sound from the device. Soon everyone in the park fell to the ground, fast asleep.

We see a small plant, colored black, grow out of the ground from where the device was buried. With each pulse it slowly grows larger.

The harvest has started.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Roof of Karakura High School**

It was lunch time at Karakura High School. Ichigo, Orihime, Sado, and Uryu can be seen hanging out on the roof enjoying their break in between classes. Down below, in the shaded and grassy schoolyard, other students mingle about enjoying the sunny day.

"Did you see that news report this morning?" – Orihime

"No. What did they say?" – Uryu

"Something about how the military is incompetent, and that we may or may not be the 'good guys'." Ichigo said with mild annoyance.

"In the last month, more and more normal people have started becoming spiritually aware. I think the whole city can see Hollows and shinigami now." – Sado

"Do you think this has something to do with what that shinigami told us? About planting 'seeds' and harvesting them." Orihime wondered.

"That's probably it. They might have put something in the air, water, or ground which allows for growth of spiritual energy. But then what could they possible harvest?" – Ichigo

"Maybe-" Uryu was interrupted as they felt four really powerful spiritual energy signatures suddenly emanated from the center of town.

"They're here!" – Ichigo

Orihime looks down from the roof to see students and some teachers fallen on the ground. They looked to be unconscious.

"Something's wrong." Sado said worriedly.

The four protectors leaped off the roof and landed safely on the ground several stories below. Orihime proceeded to check the vitals of the nearest victim.

"I can't say for sure what happened to them. But it looks almost as if their life force is being drained away." She reported.

"I bet whatever is happening at the center of town is the cause of this." – Uryu

The four spiritual energy signatures spiked again. This time the Protectors felt their positions and realized something.

"I was hoping we could have avoided this, but it looks like we need to split up and fight these guys one on one." – Ichigo

"Don't worry. We've been training for the last month for something like this." – Sado

"As if I would ever need help from a shinigami to defeat a shinigami." Uryu said with a smirk.

Orihime touched Ichigo's arm. The brief contact was to let him know that everything would be fine. "Remember that we fight for each other now. We are never alone." – Orihime

Ichigo looked at her at first with worry but her words felt reassuring and so he let any remaining doubts slip away for now. "Okay then. The plan is simple. Split up and engage the targets one on one. Don't take any unnecessary risks. Retreat if you need to. If you defeat your opponent, move on to the nearest ally to give support." Ichigo instructed as he assumed role of squad leader.

"And save _that_ for when all else fails and for when you've reached your limit. _That _is what bonds us together as Protectors. Any questions?" Ichigo looked into the eyes of each of his childhood friends. They were ready to head into the heat of battle and nothing would stop them.

"Let's go!" Ichigo shouted finally as the four of them dispersed, each headed to their objective.

This is what they were training for. But against a cold enemy of unmeasured strength, could they win?

**Scene Break**

Scene opens. We see a sky view of Karakura. A pulse wave can be seen emitting from the center every few seconds. A panned view of the streets reveals everything stopped to a halt. Cars and trucks lay motionless. People lay unconscious on the sidewalks and intersections.

The view switches over to see the small darkened plant buried in the park had quickly grown into a large tree the size of a small house. With each pulse, it grew larger and larger. The expansion would have looked completely unnatural to anyone who would have seen it.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Western Objective**

Scene opens and we see a series of buildings organized at this battleground. One of them is the Karakura Hospital.

The tall, lean-built, dark haired shinigami arrived and surveyed his surroundings. A lone ambulance is seen parked awkwardly off the road. It's driver asleep at the wheel. Hospital patients, who were enjoying the midday sun, lie on the ground haphazardly.

"The harvest is going as planned." The man mutters to himself.

Suddenly, a blue spirit arrow digs into the ground in front of him harmlessly. The shinigami from Soul Society looks up to see a young man dressed in white garb standing on the roof of the hospital.

Eyes like a hawk, Uryu uses his first shot to correctly gauge the distance. Now for the rest of the battle, each shot he makes would be accurate to within a centimeter.

"I guess it's appropriate that I defend my father's hospital." Uryu tells himself as he summons another arrow into his bow.

_I have the high ground and a significant advantage. I'm well out of his range and so I control the battle. – Uryu_

Uryu blinks once and is surprised to see his target had suddenly disappeared. The young quincy looks around in mild panic.

"Over here." A voice echoes. Uryu turns around to see the shinigami had somehow quickly made his way up to the roof.

_He's fast! – Uryu_

"What do you think you are doing? Why are you not like the other humans?"

"I am a proud Quincy. Your cheap tricks might work on normal humans, but I have sharper eyes than that." – Uryu

"You say you are a Quincy? You must be one of the last of your kind. There hasn't been a Quincy seen in several centuries. What is your name?"

"I am Ishida Uryu. I carry the entire culture and weight of the Quincy race on my shoulders. But I am also a Protector of Karakura. Since you desire to bring harm to its people, I will defeat you." Uryu resolves as he draws another arrow.

"You have honored me with your name, so I will tell you mine. I am called Strike of the God corps of Soul Society. Come. Let us fight on this stage before the King's eyes." Strike says with a prideful tone as he releases his sealed zanpakuto from its sheath.

Just as their fight was beginning, the others were starting as well.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Southern Objective**

In the industrial part of Karakura town, there are factories and other construction sites. Of course because of this 'invasion' all of the workers are incapacitated. We see the interior of one of the factories. It is a steel production site. Large amounts of heat is generated in this open air warehouse-like structure. The large front operator garage doors, over 3 stories tall, were wide open.

We see the shinigami known as Burst, enter the complex. He looks about in mild fascination. His orange collar made him feel a little overheated, but it only served to make him feel more 'alive'.

"This is refreshing." Burst says aloud as he happily sighs. He moves around daintily in the heated air. His feminine appearance makes the sight even more unusual.

"But it seems I am not allowed my alone time right now. Isn't that right, Mr. Stranger?" Burst laughs as his eyes rest on the tall muscled young man known as Sado.

"Are you a shinigami?" – Sado

"That's right. I am here under orders from the head of the God corps to carry out my mission." Burst tells him happily, and with a tiny bit of insanity.

"What exactly is your mission?" Sado inquires as he becomes more wary of this unstable person.

"To harvest the energy and prevent any interruptions. Are you an interruption?" – Burst

"I guess I am. I am Yasutora Sado. As a Protector of Karakura, I cannot allow you to complete your mission." Sado resolves as he activates the power in his right arm.

"I was hoping I could fight someone today. I am Burst of the God corps. Let's have some fun." – Burst.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Eastern Objective**

In Karakura's recreational district, several shops and stores align the sides of the streets. There were electronic stores, game stores, clubs, bars, recreational gambling shops and more. Together they were all very lit up with bright illuminated electronic signs. Even in the day time, it looked to be very lively with light dancing all over the place. A large 'jumbo-tron' screen, like the one in New York's time square, is seen replaying the morning news.

But nobody is watching, since everyone in the area had fallen unconscious since the start of the harvest.

We see the stern and serious shinigami, known as Viral, standing in the middle of the pedestrian road. She looked extremely out of place added to the fact that she was the only one awake within eyesight.

Viral's eyes captured her surroundings as she maintained her assigned post. A foreign spiritual energy signature is picked up within her vicinity.

She sees a young woman of around 15 years of age, who we know as Orihime, approach her calmly. At first, Viral doesn't recognize the teenager, but then memories from her mission one month ago reconfirmed what she saw back then.

"I was going to ask you why you are not unconscious like the rest of the humans. But I can guess that you have had extensive training in spiritual energy control, even from before the time I first saw you one month ago." Viral told the young woman.

"What are you doing to these people? This is not a natural sleep." – Orihime

"I exist only to follow God's will. My mission is to oversee the completion of the harvest. Your petty questions mean nothing to me." Viral tells her.

"Then I guess I have no choice." Orihime resolves as she takes a martial arts stance.

"I am Inoue Orihime, a Protector of Karakura, and I will defeat you here and now." – Orihime

"I am Viral of the proud God corps of Soul Society. I must complete my objective. I won't let you stand in my way." – Viral

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Northern Objective**

We see Ichigo arrive at the Karakura Housing district. Just like everywhere else in the city, people lay still on the ground, as the pulse waves continue echoing throughout the town.

_I'm a few blocks away from my house._ Ichigo realized as he recognized his surroundings.

Ahead of him, he could see a red-haired ponytail man standing in the middle of the empty road. His arms were crossed in front of him. The shinigami from Soul Society stared down the Shinigami from Karakura.

Both of their piercing glares met. The anticipation of battle loomed closer.

"I was waiting for you. Viral told me you were the one who defeated Poison. I wanted to 'thank' you personally, since that disgraceful trash was from my division." The shinigami told Ichigo as killer intent started to increase.

"What is the God corps? And what do they want with the people of Karakura?" – Ichigo

"The God corps is an elite organization that follows the King's will. We will carry out our objectives at the cost of our own lives. As for what we are planning to do today, I'll tell you if you can defeat me."

"Fine then. I accept the deal. I am Kurosaki Ichigo, shinigami and Protector of Karakura." Ichigo resolves as he removes Zangetsu's permanent shikai form from his back, watching as it unwraps itself.

"I am Storm, the squad leader of the mission. I expect to be thoroughly entertained oh 'Shinigami of Karakura'." Storm draws his sealed sword and prepares to fight.

"Graaah!" Ichigo grunts as he lunges at full force. Their blades become deadlocked in a struggle for dominance.

Ichigo jumps back, to which Storm mimics. The young shinigami runs to his right to gain a slight position advantage, but once again Storm is there to follow him.

The shinigami from Karakura grips Zangetsu tightly as he makes a powerful stabbing thrust, to which Storm sidesteps and counters with an upward vertical slash.

However, Ichigo predicted that his attack would miss and so countered Storm's attack by side stepping and swinging his sword horizontally.

Storm's reflexes were too great, as the shinigami from Soul Society jumps backwards out of range of the attack.

Neither of them could counter a move by the other because either the attack missed or their swords became deadlocked.

"I'm surprised you can keep up with me." Storm points out.

"I haven't even started trying yet." Ichigo taunted.

Their deadlocked blades struggled to unbalance the other swordsman. But both of their centers of gravity were equally low and well within their control so it wouldn't happen out of sheer force. Ichigo moved on to using some more of his combinations.

Storm started the next round of offense. Holding the sword in a reverse grip, the shinigami from Soul Society made another upward slash which missed but he quickly continued the assault by switching grips in mid-swing allowing him to continue the combination attack by swinging back down.

Neither of these attacks hit though, since Ichigo's agility was enough to avoid them. His next move surprised Storm. The young shinigami accelerated to well within arm's reach. It turned out to be too close for Storm to hit back with his sword. It was also too close for Ichigo to use Zangetsu. But that was not his plan.

Ichigo used his bare hands to grab Storm's shinigami yukata and threw him back forcefully, finally achieving his goal of unbalancing the enemy. Even though it lasted for a split second, Ichigo took advantage of this window of opportunity. A quick downward slash and a small expulsion of dust and air revealed the shinigami from Karakura had put all his strength into the swing.

We see that Storm had moved away just enough to avoid most of the damage. But the enemy from Soul Society still had a noticeable wound opened on his face.

Storm was in momentary disbelief as he examined his own blood that was indeed pouring out.

"Tch. I shouldn't have expected that I could defeat your shikai form while I was limited to a simple sealed zanpakuto." – Storm

The enemy shinigami stuck his blade out in front of him menacingly as he called out its name. "**Obey, Zabimaru**!"

An explosion of smoke, light, and energy erupted from the sword, momentarily concealing Storm from Ichigo's sight.

To the young shinigami's surprise, _something _that looked like a bladed whip suddenly shot out from the smoke. The attack caught Ichigo off guard and so, he sustained an injury to his left shoulder in the process.

The dust and light died down to reveal the shikai form of Storm's Zabimaru. The six-part segmented blade had retracted. It had two protrusions on the end as well as at each of the junctures.

"This is a real shikai. Poison was too naïve to even realize how to use his own zanpakuto. I am fully trained and well equipped with the knowledge to use Zabimaru as if it were a part of my own body." – Storm

Storm then launched another attack, extending Zabimaru rapidly to which Ichigo had a tough time dodging effectively. It looked like Zabimaru's control in the air defied physics as it made turns and course changes that shouldn't have been possible.

Ichigo's breath was labored as he tried to keep up. _Storm controls the battle now that his range has extended far beyond mine. I need to get back on the offensive._

The young shinigami moved far back as he estimated the full range of his opponent's shikai. _35 meters. This is where I will make my counter._

"**Getsuga Tensho!**" Ichigo cries out as a devastating wave of spiritual energy is released from the end of Zangetsu. It traveled swiftly, catching Storm off guard who barely had enough time to retract Zabimaru in order to block the energy attack.

"You seem to get more and more interesting." Storm laughed as the battle continued.

**Western Objective (Uryu v Strike)**

We see that Uryu's battle has been going just as well as Ichigo's. Meaning that the two combatants were relatively even. The Quincy's strategy had mainly been to maximize the distance between himself and his opponent, by luring Strike into the low ground.

But this was done unsuccessfully as Strike continued to close the range between them. The shinigami swung his sword dangerously close to Uryu who was forced to fire arrows at close range.

The disadvantage of doing that is that the opponent can easily predict where you are aiming at close range, so the accuracy of an archer decreases significantly.

This pattern of retreat and attack continued for several minutes, as neither of them could gain a slight advantage over the other.

"Why do you keep running away? Are you a coward?" Strike said in a booming voice.

Uryu remained silent as he stuck with his limited strategy.

"Fine then. If you won't come to me. I'll come to you!" Strike resolved as he stood tall and held his zanpakuto out to the side.

"**Comply to my will, Kazeshini**!" In a display of light and spiritual energy, the shikai form of Strike's zanpakuto reveals itself. It morphs into two Kusarigama-like weapons, each with two blades. One is inverted to make it look like a pinwheel. Both of the blades are connected by a long black chain.

Strike takes a stance, and suddenly tosses one of his weapons at Uryu at an alarming speed. The pinwheel-like blade starts to spin, and Ishida soon found himself dodging a deadly ranged attack.

_I was hoping to weaken him from long range, but to think his reach could extend this far… - Uryu_

Ishida narrowly dodged another thrust from the spinning saw blades of Kazeshini. The sound was similar to an industrial electrical saw used in cutting lumber.

The attacks also seemed more wild and unpredictable, as the zanpakuto tore through concrete buildings and pavement through its entire flight pattern.

The young Quincy was completely forced onto defense, which he hated more than anything else in combat.

"We are on even ground now Quincy." Strike bellows as their fight continues.

**Southern Objective (Sado v Burst)**

"**El Directo!**" Sado announces his attack as a blast of energy is fired from his right arm.

Burst dodges it with graceful agility and proceeds to attack the tall young man who moved out of the way to avoid being hit.

"You're pretty fast for someone so big." – Burst

Sado takes a professional boxer's stance and continues to fight as such. His smallest of movements were enough to dodge the stabbing motion. And his excellent feet work kept him out of reach of Burst's slashes and swings.

"**El Directo!**" Sado calls out again, watching as the energy attack misses and collides into the factory wall.

"Is that your only attack? You're getting boring!" Burst cackles as his offensive moves forced Sado further back into the factory.

We see the large structures of a steel production line. The enormous amounts of heated metal and earth contained in various vats and metal silos. The surrounding temperatures rise significantly as the heat from the molten metal distorts the air slightly.

"Try not to look so pathetic as you retreat away from my attacks." Burst laughs.

However, Sado's 'retreat' put his opponent right where he wanted him.

"**El Directo!**" Sado fired a high angle shot that flew right by Burst's head.

"Can your aim get any worse?" Burst taunts.

"I wasn't aiming for you." – Sado

Burst looks up to see the attack had blown a hole through the roof of the structure. Combined with the damage Chad had done to the walls behind him, half of the factory proceeded to collapse on top of the shinigami who was startled by the sudden destruction of the battlefield.

Sado had effectively used macro-tactics in order to correctly use his surrounding to his advantage.

Burst was buried under tons of rubble as some of the vats containing gratuitous amounts of molten steel exploded its deadly contents all over the collapsing half of the factory.

"Graaaah" Burst cried out as his voice became drowned out in the chaos.

Sado looked on from a safe vantage point, confident that his battle was over.

"Did you think something like that could kill me? !" Burst's voice echoes from the debris. An explosion of energy scatters everything away to reveal his severely injured form.

"Since Storm and Strike aren't going easy on their opponents, I shouldn't either. I'll show you my strength. Don't die too quickly." Burst taunts as he takes a stance.

**"Conform, Rui'iro Kujaku!**" – Burst

The blade transforms into a sickle shaped weapon with a hinge at the base that separates into four identical blades. Just as its name implies, the weapon looked like the tails of a peacock bird.

Sado looked slightly alarmed that his opponent was able to stand after the damage done to him, but he shook it off and took a battle stance.

"**El Directo!**" he shouted as a blast of energy erupted out of the end of his fist.

"Bleagh" Burst gurgles as he was hit by the attack. A vein burst in his head in comical annoyance.

"Just wait a sec-" Burst was interrupted again as he was forced to dodge another attack.

"I said WAIT!" he shouted in fury.

Suddenly, Sado found his movements restricted. He looked down to see dark green vines, glowing with spiritual energy, growing out of the floor and wrapping up his legs, ascending his body. He felt immobile and paralyzed.

"I told you to wait." – Burst

**Eastern Objective (Orihime v Viral)**

Viral had been on the offensive side of the battle ever since it started. But Orihime didn't look too troubled, since her shield casting was faster and stronger which protected her from the opponent's devastating combinations.

"**Santen Kesshun!**" we hear her call out again.

_Her attacks are well calculated and coordinated, leaving no room for error. I can't find an opening for a counter attack. _– Orihime

As the fight dragged on, the air around them started to grow colder and heavier.

With each attempted attack, Viral's zanpakuto hits Orihime's shield causing a small explosion of sparks at the point of contact. Successive combinations were also prevented, since Orihime was able to recast her shield, almost instantly, at another point of defense.

If any normal person were watching this battle, they would think Viral was winning since Orihime hadn't attacked at all. But an experienced viewer would see that the shinigami's movements were getting slower. Even though its only fractions of a second, it could be enough to quickly catch Viral off guard.

Orihime on the other hand, isn't tired at all since the energy required to cast her shield is insignificantly small at the level of force her opponent is applying on it. Not only that, but Viral has been doing most of the moving and rapid repositioning, while Orihime just mainly stayed in one spot recasting her shield when needed.

"You're stalling tactics are getting in the way. Are you hoping your friends will come to help you? I will crush that hope." Viral resolves as she bends her knees and hold her zanpakuto at face level.

"**Serve, Sode no Shirayuki!**"

The air grows extremely cold. The moisture condenses into a fog that is lifted slightly off the ground. Viral rotates her arm just as her blade starts to change.

In a flash of light the shikai is revealed. The blade and hilt had changed into a deathly white color. A ribbon extends out of the end of the zanpakuto.

"I'll end this in one move!

Viral holds her zanpakuto upside down and calls out her attack. "**Some no mai, Tsukishiro!**"

With a slashing motion, a circle of light suddenly appears beneath Orihime's feet.

"!" – Orihime

A tall pillar of ice erupts out of the ground, freezing the air above it. It rises high into the sky, its solid permafrost lowers the temperature even further.

The ice shatters, to reveal a panting Orihime as she struggles for breath. Small patches of her skin are covered in frost.

"That was quick thinking on your part. You were able to cast a shield around your entire body, momentarily sealing it in a protective skin. If you hadn't done that, you would have died from my attack." Viral analyzes.

"Your intelligence and wits keeps you alive for now. I admire that. But I have to complete my mission and you still stand in my way." – Viral

_That was unexpected. But as long as I stay out of those circles, I should be fine. _Orihime reasons to herself.

Viral calls out her primary attack in quick succession. In alarm, Orihime maneuvers out of the circles that formed into the ground. The towers of ice exploded out of the ground, dangerously close to encasing Orihime in a frozen coffin.

"Let's see whose endurance is greater." – Viral

**Northern Objective (Ichigo v Storm)**

Even from this distance, Ichigo and Storm can see the tall pillars of ice forming from Viral's and Orihime's battle.

"Viral always fights her opponents at full strength. That's just the way she is." Storm tells Ichigo.

_Orihime. _Ichigo looks worried as he watches the horizon where he knows she is fighting for her life.

"You should worry about yourself!" Storm shouts as Zabimaru zooms past Ichigo's head, narrowly missing it.

Suddenly the Earth around them shakes violently nearly knocking over both Ichigo and Storm.

_What's going on? ! – Ichigo_

"Hahaha. The harvest is almost complete!" Storm laughs.

At the Karakura Central Park we see the blackened tree grow unimaginably fast. It's size and mass greater than anything else ever seen on Earth. The diameter of its base expands several kilometers, as does its height.

The highest branches extend so high into the sky, that they look to be touching the clouds. The roots are as big as individual streets, spreading outwards to the very edges of Karakura.

"!" The four Protectors look on in surprise.

Thousands of golden fruits rapidly grow from the gargantuan tree's branches. Hundreds of Senkaimon gates open high into the sky as the fruit detaches itself and floats into the open portals to Soul Society.

All around Ichigo, he could see the physical forms of the fallen people of Karakura start to disappear.

"What's happening? ! Why are they vanishing? !" Ichigo exclaims.

"This is the harvest. We planted the seeds within the very population of Karakura. Over the last month their spiritual awareness increased along with their energy. Now today, Soul Society has come to farm the very life force of these humans to be used by the King himself!" – Storm

"Humans are nothing more than an untapped resource to be used by Soul Society. Such vast amounts of spiritual energy can be cultivated within their bodies. Only now have we ever done this on such a large scale. And to great success." – Storm

"Why would you want to do such a thing? !" – Ichigo

"That's a simple question with an obvious answer." – Storm

"Because God wills it!"

**End Chapter 7**

(Author's Note: Phew. For those of you who guessed that Viral was Rukia, I won't say you're wrong, but I won't say you were completely right either. Although the 'Sode no Shirayuki' should make it blaringly obvious to those who didn't guess in the previous chapter. Not to mention the 'Zabimaru', 'Kazeshini', and 'Rui'iro Kujaku'. Notice that the unseal commands are _different _than in the original series. 'Obey, comply, conform, and serve' don't sound very nice do they? XD

Viral's true identity will be revealed next chapter. It will also indirectly reveal the reason for the 'bad' shinigami in Soul Society. Part 1 of the invasion is done. Part 2 will be up in two days as always. The next chapter will contain even more new stuff and revelations. It will also end the first arc of Enemy of the King.

After the first arc is finished, I will need a one week break in order to completely finish planning out the second arc.

Once I am done with that, expect quick updates up until the middle of August. That's when my university's fall semester begins.

I am not sure how quick I can update once that starts, since I have to study for GREs and apply for graduate schools this semester. But my goal is to update every three days during the semester. I can't say for sure right now.

Okay then. Here is an Omake, an encyclopedia entry, a tactic, and a Quote from a future chapter.)

**Omake (Sorry if this offends anyone. These are exaggerated and purely used for entertainment purposes)**

This is how various news programs would report on the monster attacks in Karakura:

"You know why Japan gets attacked by monsters? It's because God hates Japan. America is the greatest and most divine country on this Earth. Blessed by God himself." – Sean Hannity on Fox News

"It's all a big socialist conspiracy thought up by the left wing of our own government! They want you to think monsters are attacking to scare you. You know who else scared people? Hitler! Don't fall for it my fellow Americans. I…(begins to cry)…I just love my country so much." – Glen Beck on Fox News

"Here today we have Snoop Dogg on our program. What is your opinion on the recent news of monsters attacking Japan?" – Larry King on CNN

"What the hell am I doing on this show? There is no way an old man like you can relate to someone like me! I'm here to promote my newest album, and here you are asking me about monsters. When are you gonna die anyway? Your waaay too old for the news business." – Snoop Dogg during interview on Larry King Live on CNN

"And here today, we are joined by our Senior Monster Attack Correspondent, John Oliver." Jon Stewart on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

"This if f**king crazy Jon! The sh*t's hit the fan here in Japan as Godzilla, Rodan, Mecha-Godzilla, Space-Godzilla, and…let's say…Super Omega Godzilla have teamed up on their rampage through this unfortunate country." – John Oliver on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

"I don't think there is a Super Omega Godzilla. And why is Japan colored black and white behind you?" – Jon Stewart

"Didn't you know Jon? Whenever there is a monster attack in Japan, it's required to be filmed in black and white." – John Oliver.

"Riiight." – Jon Stewart

"Anyways Jon. I expect Japan to be destroyed within a matter of hours, so I am taking the next flight back to England where it's safe." – John Oliver

"Wait. You aren't coming back to New York?" – Jon Stewart

"Are you kidding me John? New York is always the second place that monsters attack after all of Tokyo is destroyed. You better get out of there before King Kong is knocking at your front door." – John Oliver

"Right thanks John. We'll be right back." – Jon Stewart

"It's time for Tip of the Hat and Wag of the Finger. First up, Monster attacks. Japan has been plagued with constant destruction of its cities for half a century now from occasional attacks of its friendly neighborhood Godzilla. Disclaimer: May not be so friendly in person. And now we have reports coming in that these monsters are at it again. So what does an average American like me, upper class and personal cable television show, have to say about this? I give it a wag of my finger. I say these monsters aren't attacking enough. I mean, do you know how much our economy has been stimulated from the number of times Tokyo had to be rebuilt just because Godzilla got a stomach ache? What is it, like the hundredth time?" – Stephen Colbert on the Colbert Report

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia:**

The Harvest – a procedure done with the purpose of using human beings as the incubators for spiritual energy. After one month, the very life force that had grown over the brief time period, is harvested through a large blackened tree that produces golden fruit containing the life force of all the affected citizens.

This mission to Karakura was given to a four man squad consisting of Strike, Burst, Viral, and their squad leader: Storm. They are each engaged in a tough battle with the Protectors who defend the city with their lives.

The four shinigami from Soul Society so far have fought with experience and strength. But there is something else in their powers that give them even greater abilities.

**Tactics Overview:**

High Ground and Field Placement – In all forms of combat, the high ground is the most desirable position on the battlefield. It gives you a complete view of the enemy and adds force to your attack. It you charge downhill, you use less energy than if you charge uphill. For archers, it makes it easier to pinpoint the target. Having the best position on the field can turn the tide of the battle and push the force ratio into your favor. Requires intelligence and awareness.

Battleground – A warrior can use his or her surroundings to aid in a fight. Using the battleground to your advantage is like extending your reach beyond your body. Sometimes it helps to spring traps and create unpredictable situations for the opponent just by simply affecting the battlefield. Requires intelligence, awareness, and strength.

**Quote from a Future Chapter:**

"I had thought that in order to pass this trial I had to beat you. But, I realize now that I don't have to do it alone. None of us have to. Together, we will overcome our ghosts. We are comrades and we will help each other to make our own future."

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 8: Invasion Part 2**


	9. Ch 8: Invasion Part 2

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: And here is the last chapter of the first Arc. This was the most fun for me to plan out.

Oh and its OVEEEERR NINE THOOOOUUUUSAAAAAND words. Actually it's just over 11,000 words. So I hope that makes up for this late-in-the-day update. It's my longest chapter ever written after all. I even included an Arc 1 Epilogue / Arc 2 Prologue.

**At the end of the chapter is an IMPORTANT AUTHOR's NOTE. So please read it.**

I'll explain what I plan to do for the next arc.

There is also a **special treat **for you guys at the end.

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**First Arc: The Will of Four**

**Date Posted: 7/31/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

Reiryoku = Spiritual Energy

**Last Time:**

Suddenly the Earth around them shakes violently nearly knocking over both Ichigo and Storm.

_What's going on? ! – Ichigo_

"Hahaha. The harvest is almost complete!" Storm laughs.

At the Karakura Central Park we see the blackened tree grow unimaginably fast. It's size and mass greater than anything else ever seen on Earth. The diameter of its base expands several kilometers, as does its height.

The highest branches extend so high into the sky, that they look to be touching the clouds. The roots are as big as individual streets, spreading outwards to the very edges of Karakura.

"!" The four Protectors look on in surprise.

Thousands of golden fruits rapidly grow from the gargantuan tree's branches. Hundreds of Senkaimon gates open high into the sky as the fruit detaches itself and floats into the open portals to Soul Society.

All around Ichigo, he could see the physical forms of the fallen people of Karakura start to disappear.

"What's happening? ! Why are they vanishing? !" Ichigo exclaims.

"This is the harvest. We planted the seeds within the very population of Karakura. Over the last month their spiritual awareness increased along with their energy. Now today, Soul Society has come to farm the very life force of these humans to be used by the King himself!" – Storm

"Humans are nothing more than an untapped resource to be used by Soul Society. Such vast amounts of spiritual energy can be cultivated within their bodies. Only now have we ever done this on such a large scale. And to great success." – Storm

"Why would you want to do such a thing? !" – Ichigo

"That's a simple question with an obvious answer." – Storm

"Because God wills it!"

**Chapter 8: Invasion Part 2**

**Scene Break – Western Objective (Uryu v Strike)**

(Sound of Spinning Saw Blade)

Uryu dodges to the left as Strike launches a long ranged attack using his Kazeshini. The pinwheel motion of the sickle blades gives the weapon a malicious feeling to it.

The quincy jumps off the roof of the Karakura Hospital to try and flee to a safe distance. Ishida narrowly moves out of the way of another Kazeshini attack that hits the pavement next to him.

The sickle blades, rotating at 500 times a second are strong and sharp enough to carve up whatever stood in their path. The concrete road, the buildings, the trees. All of it showed deep cuts that looked like trail marks from the devastation that Kazeshini dealt.

Uryu had noticed that the unconscious people of Karakura had started to vanish. _That enormous tree must be the cause of this._

The parasitic life form had somehow sapped the very life force within the people. It seemed those who had extensive spiritual awareness before the planting of the 'seeds' were unaffected.

The tree had grown to be so tall and its leaves so dense and high in the sky, that a shadow covered the _entire _city. Small rays of light shot down in between the openings in the foliage. Sections of the streets and roads around him were upturned from the enormous roots that grew outwards from the base of the tree.

The hundreds of senkaimon gates in the sky provided a ghostly white lighting that only barely cleared the dark shade that overcast the town.

"It's a wonderful procedure isn't it?" Strike takes a moment to appreciate the final stages of the Harvest.

"Just what are you planning to do with the souls of these people?" – Uryu

"God has his own plans for these humans. Our mission is to transport these human souls to Soul Society." – Strike

_I need to defeat this shinigami and figure out a way to stop this. - Uryu_

"You should realize the time you have left to save these humans is quickly running out. Have you decided to stop running and face me head on?" – Strike

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Uryu says seriously as he summons a single arrow into his bow.

A surge of energy courses through his body and channels into the set arrow. Spirit particles in the air gather to the tip, as Ishida calls out his attack.

"**Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot Level 1" **– Uryu

The bowstring is released and the arrow screams away at twice the normal speed and force.

Strike was nearly caught off guard by the sudden change in attack velocity. But the shinigami managed to dodge in time.

"That was impressive, quincy. But still not enough to-" Strike was interrupted as Uryu charged his next attack.

The young quincy had lowered himself onto one knee to garner more support and balance for his next attack. The spiritual energy gathered at the arrow's edge again. This time, a circle of blue light hovered around the tip.

"**Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot Level 2"** – Uryu

The force was doubled again, as the arrow was launched at four times its normal velocity. The sound of its release from the bowstring was like that of a cannon firing.

Strike didn't have enough time to dodge. The shinigami brought his two Kazeshini blades up to his body to block the powerful attack.

The arrow struck hard into the zanpakuto. Sparks and electrical spiritual energy shot out from the point of contact. The force of impact made Strike stumble backwards slightly.

The shinigami flinched for a moment, expecting a second attack from the Quincy. But to his surprise it never came.

Strike looked to see sparks of Reiryoku leaking out of Uryu's hands which had started to bleed from self-injury.

"I admit that your attack is strong and it would have killed me had I not blocked it. But if I'm guessing correctly, it looks to be a double-edged sword. Not only does it wound you when you use the attack, but the cooldown time required after firing the arrow is long. Why would you use it if it had such a weakness?" – Strike

"The 'Piercing Shot' is meant to be a one-hit kill move. I honestly didn't expect you had the strength to block it." Uryu admitted to his opponent.

"Then forgive me for taking advantage of this opening." Strike told him as he tossed a Kazeshini spinning blade at the weakened quincy.

Uryu tried to move out of the way, but a searing pain shot through his body, stalling his body for the briefest of moments. A side effect of using the 'Piercing Shot.'

The small window of opportunity was enough however as Strike's zanpakuto dug itself into Ishida's right shoulder. A sickening crunch was heard at the sickle dug deep into bone.

Uryu only visibly winced despite the overwhelming pain. Blood gushed out of the open wound, staining his white uniform.

"I'm not done." Strike said with deep conviction as he tugged on the chain attached to the weapon, dragging the captured quincy towards him like reeling in a helpless fish.

Strike then launched his second Kusarigama weapon as Uryu flew at him. The spinning saw blade imbedded itself into the quincy's midsection.

Ishida coughed up blood. His eyes wide open in pain and shock. His uniform which was once pure white was now stained with so much of his own red blood.

Uryu's broken bones in his shoulder, combined with a cracked ribcage and other serious injuries. Despite all of this he was able to stay conscious.

The quincy lay fallen on the ground, weak and mortally wounded. Strike walked up to him and spoke.

"It was an honor fighting you 'Last Quincy'. I'm afraid I must end it now." – Strike

The shinigami looked closely at his defeated opponent. Their battle consisted so much of long range fighting that he never got a good view of his enemy. Now with their forms so close, he could see that this Quincy was still a young man.

"It's a shame that a warrior as young as you has to die here." Strike said finally as he prepared to deal the last blow.

"Do you know the one thing I hate more than fighting defensively?" Uryu began to say, momentarily distracting the shinigami.

"It's fighting at close range." Uryu said suddenly.

"**Pride of the Quincy: Hidden Blade!"** Uryu shouted as a small dagger-like weapon shot out of his sleeves, which he used to quickly impale his enemy's open neck.

Ishida used his remaining strength to kick the mortally wounded shinigami off of him.

"Graaaahh!" Strike gurgled as he coughed out blood and stumbled backwards.

"Although, I can't deny its effectiveness." – Uryu

The quincy retrieved a small cylinder capsule from his pockets and opened it. He poured out its contents, a liquid form of spiritual energy, and called out his next attack.

"**A silver rod strikes the five fingered stone bed-Quintuple Restraining Frames, Gritz!" **– Uryu

Strike looked around him in surprise as a man-sized pentagonal Quincy cross forms out of the ground around him and quickly encases him in a coffin-like cage that sealed his entire body up to the top of his neck.

"What is this?" Strike managed to choke out.

"This is a Quincy spell known as Ginto. It's similar to what you shinigami call Kido and Hado. This particular spell was made to restrain you." – Uryu

"This won't hold me forever!" – Strike

"I sense panic in your voice. Do you sense your end on the horizon? Your heart beats fast and body starts shaking from the adrenaline in your system. It's a fleeing instinct characteristic of all living beings." - Uryu

"I felt it too. When you had me pinned down with your zanpakuto. It should have been the end for me. But despite my instinct to flee, I obviously couldn't. So I threw away my fear and excitement, my very instinct, in order to come up with this haphazard counter." – Uryu

Ishida knelt on one knee and breathed deeply. He collected all of his remaining spiritual energy and channeled it into the arrow summoned in the bowstring.

"This next attack will kill you. Your body is restrained and I am at close range. Do you feel the hopelessness? Can you overcome your instinctual fear like I did and find your way out of this? Let's find out." Uryu says with malice as he calls out his attack.

Energy surged around him as an aura of blue Reiryoku charged into the tip of the arrow.

"Noo! I can't die here!" Strike panicked as he tried to free himself.

"You've lost your composure, so I'm guessing the answer is no." – Uryu

"**Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot Level 3!**" – Uryu

At 8 times the normal speed of an arrow, this one pierced the sound barrier, leaving a roar of air in its wake. The arrow pierced the coffin with tremendous force and power. An explosion of light and energy shook the very Earth.

Dust and debris shot high into the sky. Rubble and concrete exploded outwards from the epicenter. The chaotic blast cleared to reveal a crater. Ishida lay motionless at the bottom of the hole. His body covered in numerous bruise marks and injuries. His eyes were half open as exhaustion overcame him. The scorched body of his defeated opponent fell next to him.

_My battle is over, but it looks like I can't go help the others. – Uryu_

_I'm…sorry…guys. _Uryu finally slips into an unconscious sleep.

**Southern Objective (Sado v Burst)**

Scene opens. We see Sado's movements are restrained by the dark green vines growing out of Burst's Rui'iro Kujaku. The heat in the air, from the molten steel production line, makes the vision a little hazy to the viewer.

"I told you to wait. That's what you get for suddenly attacking me." Burst taunts.

"But I must admit, you did quite a number on me. I haven't been this injured in a fight in a long time." Burst says as he looks at his wounded body with fascination and insanity.

Sado had been trying to release himself from his enemy's hold but found that it was impossible. Not only that, but he seemed to be getting weaker. Sado's breath had become more labored, and his muscles became less tense. Sweat poured from his skin as if he had just run a marathon.

"Are you wondering why you seem so tired?" – Burst

Suddenly, dark purple flowers began to bloom from the numerous vines. One by one, they opened in a beautiful shower of spiritual energy sparks.

"Rui'iro Kujaku's special ability is the siphoning of spiritual energy from my opponent. These flowers bloom as a result of this and contain the energy my zanpakuto stole from you." Burst sneers as he rips off a flower bud and consumes it.

Sado watches in shock as the extensive injuries on his opponent disappeared and healed themselves.

"That's a neat little trick I've been meaning to use for a while. I can't kill you while I look all dirty and defeated." – Burst

Chad's body started to weaken. The vines loosened their hold a little when he ceased to struggle. The only thing keeping him standing upright was the parasitic plant that was slowly killing him.

"Do you feel it? Your life energy slipping away? It's probably similar to how the rest of the humans were absorbed during the harvest. So don't fret. You won't die a pain filled death. That's just not my style. I will slowly suck the soul right out of you." - Burst

Sado started to lose feeling in his hands and feet as the process continued. His head dipped to the side, neck no longer able to support it. The young man's eyes were half-open in a daze.

"I'm surprised you lasted this long. But it's time for you to embrace eternal sleep." Burst said finally.

(Yawn) – Sado

"What? !" Burst screamed in surprised frustration.

"I was getting bored. You talk too much. And here I am forced to listen to it since I'm restrained in these vines." – Sado.

"How are you still alive? !" – Burst

"I guess you should consider yourself unlucky. My powers have a rather unique trait." Chad started to explain.

"My full potential isn't unlocked until I am completely drained of all of my energy and stamina. You have probably never fought someone like me before, so I guess it's a little hard to understand. To put it simply, if you had just killed me with your zanpakuto while I was restrained, you would have won. But now you've lost your chance." – Sado

Sado's right arm became encased in light as it changed. A new armor shape emerges from the light. His arm morphs into a large shield extending from his hand to his forearm. The red and black pattern remains unchanged, except it now surrounds an intricate design of teeth and eyes painted onto the shield.

"So what if you have a reserve power? I'll just keep siphoning it out until you are empty of everything!" Burst shouts as he increases the absorption rate. His eyes widen in shock when he sees the vines detach themselves and fall to the ground dead.

"My right arm's true form is primarily defensive. I call it **Brazo Derecha de Gigante** and it has the ability to cancel energy-based attacks like your Rui'iro Kujaku." Sado explained as he shook off the remaining vines clinging to him weakly.

"No! My energy!" Burst screams.

"You want it? You can have it." Sado tells him as his left arm becomes encased in light and changes shape.

The arm is white, with a red stripe running down the length of the center. His fingertips have red diamond shaped marks on them. A spike protrudes from the shoulder and two more, resembling claws, extend over his chest.

"My right arm is my will to defend. My left arm, **Braze Izquierdo del Diablo**, is my will to attack." – Sado

Burst loses his composure as he blindly charges his opponent, randomly swinging his zanpakuto.

Sado's left hand starts to glow with white sparks of spiritual energy. He closes it in a fist and punches Burst's open chest.

"**La Muerte!" **- Sado

The devastating blow explodes energy through the shinigami's entire body. A large skull shaped out of white Reiryoku forms behind Burst as Sado's attack hits with full force.

Burst's eyes roll into the back of his head as he falls to the ground, utterly defeated.

The force from the attack causes the rest of the factory to collapse. The machinery bends and shatters as molten steel breaks out of its containers, spreading everywhere.

Sado emerges from the wreckage, relatively unharmed. He searches for evidence of Burst's body, but seeing nothing, assumes it lies beneath all the rubble.

Yasutora "Chad" Sado's battle was finished.

**Eastern Objective (Orihime v Viral)**

** "Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" **Viral shouts again as another tall pillar of ice explodes out of the ground where Orihime was standing only moments before.

"**Tsukishiro! Tsukishiro! Tsukishiro!" **The battlefield became littered with frozen towers.

Orihime's dexterity and high level agility were the only things keeping her alive in the fight. _If this continues for much longer, I'm going to be boxed in. I need to buy some time._

"**Koten Zanshun!**" Orihime activates her primary attack.

The summoned Tsubaki spirit accelerates to the speed of sound and shatters through several ice pillars, collapsing each and every one.

As the towers of frozen water fell, other buildings caved in. A cloud of debris exploded outwards.

The battleground was littered with large chunks of ice boulders the size of cars. Orihime stood tall at the top of the rough terrain that formed. Since the pillars were gone, she could continue managing her fight at a distance instead of being forced into a closed space.

The surrounding fog became thicker as the temperature fell several degrees. The air felt slightly heavier to Orihime as she stared down her opponent.

Viral didn't look exhausted at all despite using so much of her spiritual energy in her waves of attacks. She held Sode no Shirayuki out to her side, its ribbon trailing in the wind.

Despite the damage done to most of the street, the lights from the stores and shops of the recreational district still shined brightly. The artificial illumination was further contrasted by the enormous shade overcastting the town due to the kilometer high harvest tree at the center of the city.

"What do you have to gain from using the souls of humans so greedily?" – Orihime

"I believe in God's will. He will guide us all to a higher existence. And in doing so, if a few pitiful humans must be sacrificed, then so be it." Viral said coldly.

"My resolve is shown in the way I fight. You have done nothing but avoid my attacks. That shows you have a weak desire to win. I always battle without holding anything back! That's why I won't lose to somebody like you! My will is greater than yours!" – Viral

"Let's see how good you are at dodging an attack that can't be avoided!" - Viral

Orihime watched as the water in the air cooled and condensed into thicker fog. Her vision was becoming limited and soon her opponent would vanish from her sight.

"**Tsugi no mai…"** Viral chants as she stabs the ground beneath her with her zanpakuto.

A circle of light appears beneath her feet. Viral then takes her blade and punctures the ground in front of her four times in a semi-circle. She bends her knees and takes a stance.

"**Hakuren!" **– Viral

Ice particles flew up from the protrusions in the ground and fired at Orihime in a massive, powerful pure-white wave of ice.

The wall of cold spiritual energy was as tall as a building and as wide as a street. Even Orihime's top speed wouldn't be enough to avoid the attack. She had no choice. Orihime would have to make her stand.

"**Santen Kesshun, I reject!" **she cries out, thrusting her arms out in front of her, as she calls upon her strongest shield. The golden light from the defensive spell expands rapidly to hold the wave attack.

Orihime digs her feet into the ground as she struggles to hold off the powerful blast. The Earth shook from the two forces of offense and defense. Shards of ice exploded every which way as the young woman held on.

"I'll show you…my resolve!" Orihime shouts as the ice wave explodes against the shield, shattering it. Both the Hakuren and the Santen Kesshun negated each other perfectly.

The terrain became even more erratic, as the ice from the Hakuren had formed a cavern-like structure, shaped by the shield spell used to stop it.

Orihime was panting in mild exhaustion. Sweat ran down her forehead as she concentrated on her next move.

"**Koten Zanshun!**" – Orihime

The small Tsubaki spirit exploded forward in a bullet of energy, shattering through the remnants of the Hakuren ice. Shards and debris scattered everywhere as the attack raced its way to Viral.

"**Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" **Viral called out again as she put up several pillars of ice in front of her to form a strong impenetrable wall to defend against her enemy's attack.

"Go!" Orihime shouted as Tsubaki ripped through wall after wall of ice.

"!" – Viral

The shinigami ducked backwards in time to avoid the piercing attack that would have defeated her. A sonic boom of wind followed the attack spell, bringing with it, small particles of ice and debris.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy." Orihime said confidently.

Viral turned about face to see that the attack spell had reversed direction and was coming in for a second run.

**"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" **Viral quickly stabbed the ground and fired a wave of ice at the incoming attack.

To her surprise, the spell dispersed, cancelled by its caster. The powerful wall of ice continued onward, unimpeded demolishing several buildings in its path.

Orihime channeled Reiryoku into her legs and dashed with all her might, closing the distance between her and Viral.

"I'll freeze you in your tracks!" – Viral

"**Hakuren!**" the shinigami shouted again.

The wall of ice raced towards Orihime who continued forward. "**Santen Kesshun, I repel!" **she chanted.

The wave attack hit, but unlike last time, the shield was summoned with the same momentum as Orihime's rapidly advancing dash. This time the ice rebounded off the shield, sending it back towards Viral.

The shinigami had never experienced her own attack to be used against her and so she didn't know what to do. In panic, Viral did the only thing that came to mind. "**Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" **she quickly summoned the ice pillars forming a barrier.

But the ice towers were poorly summoned and were weak in structure. The moment the rebounded Hakuren hit, the entire system of ice exploded over the battlefield. All of the force of impact struck Viral hard.

The fog and dust cleared to reveal Viral fallen on the ground. The lower half of her body was encased in her own ice, restraining her.

"Damn it! Is my will not strong enough? Is this woman's desire to win greater than mine?" – Viral

"It's not that I want to win. It's that I _need _to win in order to help my friends and protect this town. Something like the desire to defeat your opponent just for the sake of a mission is meaningless to me. Every time I go into battle, I do it with the knowledge that I am fighting to protect everyone!" – Orihime

Orihime jumps high into the air and starts to chant a spell that makes Viral's eyes shoot open in surprise.

"**Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march onto the south! Hado number 31! Shakkaho!**" Orihime shouts as a ball of red energy forms into the palm of her extended hand.

The Kido spell hits the restrained Viral with devastating force. But, the Karakura Protector wasn't done yet.

"**Shakkaho! Shakkaho! Shakkaho!" **Orihime chants several times, firing volley upon volley of red energy blasts onto the trapped shinigami.

Dust accumulates from the debris scattered in the air. As Orihime's flight pattern reaches the end she performs one last agile flip and brings the heel of her foot crashing down into the abdomen of her motionless opponent, signaling the end of the barrage. The ground shatters as Viral was dug deep into the surface.

Orihime jumps back to observe the damage she dealt. The shinigami from Soul Society lay defeated and unconscious. Sode no Shirayuki was released from her grip.

The young woman falls to her knees and exhales deeply, exhaustion taking over her. She looks to the blackened parasitic tree shadowing the city.

The fight wasn't over yet.

**Northern Objective (Ichigo v Storm)**

"Zabimaru!" Storm shouted as he swung his zanpakuto like a whip. The segmented blade arced wildly.

Ichigo dodged carefully backwards, staying just out of his enemy's maximum range. The shinigami from Karakura then channeled energy into his hands that traveled through the base of the sword and accumulated at its bladed edge.

"**Getsuga Tensho!" **

The vertical wave of energy tore through the ground as it raced towards its target. Renji sees the incoming attack and retracts Zabimaru to its standard length, to use it to deflect Ichigo's energy blast.

"How about this!" Storm yelled as he extended Zabimaru to its full length behind him. It reached about 60 meters away. With this, the shinigami from Soul Society dashed with increased speed as he closed the distance to his opponent.

Storm shouted a battle cry as he swung the full length of his sword horizontally. The velocity at its very edge was approximately half the speed of sound.

Ichigo barely had the reflexes to duck under the attack. He watched as Storm swung a second time in the opposite direction. The very end of Zabimaru whiplashed backwards and came roaring at Ichigo a second time.

This time, the shinigami from Karakura used Zangetsu to deflect the attack high into the air. But Storm, who stood relatively comfortable at 60 meters away, swung down hard causing the edge of Zabimaru to barely miss Ichigo's head as it dug itself into the ground.

After Storm's three combination offense, he retracted Zabimaru to its base length. The locking sounds were heard as the tendons in the blade constricted to their minimum size.

"You're adept at avoiding my attacks, but if you don't counter my technique, you won't beat me. And you should realize that time is running out for your precious town's men, women, and children." Storm said as he shook a finger casually at his opponent.

Ichigo had ignored the taunts. His mind was mentally crunching the numbers and making final calculations. _The full extension is 60 meters. The shortest base form is 1.35 meters. And he can only attack in combination of a 3 volley offense. And the time it takes for him to retract from a full extension is…_

_ My window of opportunity is small, but I think I can make it. – Ichigo_

"Are you trying to come up with a plan? It's useless no matter how much you try!" – Storm

_The direction of the first strike determines everything! – Ichigo_

Storm took a stance and launched Zabimaru like a cannon, straight at Ichigo. The shinigami from Karakura easily sidestepped the attack and planned for his opponent's next move.

A slight adjustment on Storm's end caused the very edge of Zabimaru to lash around wildly from side to side. Ichigo used the flat end of Zangetsu to block the assault as he started to close the distance to his opponent.

Storm's last move in his combination was an upward diagonal slashing motion, to which Ichigo dodged easily. However, instead of relaxing away to the end of Storm's range, Ichigo rushed the now defenseless shinigami from Soul Society.

Zabimaru retracted as fast as it could. Storm watched as his enemy was closing the distance between them rapidly. His own zanpakuto was retracting at the exact same speed.

_At this rate I'm not going to make it! – Storm_

The next moment played in slow motion through Storm's eyes. Ichigo was only 2 meters away, close enough to see the killer intent radiating off the young man's eyes. But to Storm's relief, a fraction of a second before his opponent could reach him, Zabimaru made its final constriction, reconnecting completely.

(Click)

"Graaaah!" Storm shouted as he swung down with all his might. A collision was made, scattering dust and bits of pavement into the air. The shinigami from Soul Society was panting hard as he felt the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

_I made it! At this range he couldn't have done anything to stop that attack! – Storm_

"One strategy of battle is deception. Make your movements obvious to your opponent while keeping your true motives hidden." Ichigo recited as the dust cleared to reveal a small hole in the ground where Zabimaru hit. Just out of its range, 1.5 meters away, Ichigo stood unharmed.

A quick replay of the last moments flashes through his head. The shinigami Protector knew his window of opportunity was during the retraction phase of his opponent's Zabimaru. Since Ichigo figured it out, then that meant Storm was aware of his own weakness.

Using this knowledge to his advantage, Ichigo made it seem like he was going to rush Storm at full speed during the opening, intending to end the battle. But instead of doing that, at the last second Ichigo took a step backwards. This small movement was enough to put him out of range of Zabimaru's 1.35 meter base length.

Now that Storm's desperate move was avoided, the shinigami from Karakura decided to end the fight.

"**Getsuga Tensho!" **A bluish white wave of energy erupted from Zangetsu's tip at point blank range.

"Aaaaaaaah!" Storm screamed in pain as the crescent-shaped attack severely damages him. A wound is torn open from his shoulder to his leg. Gratuitous amounts of blood explode out in horrid fashion. The enemy shinigami squad leader fell forward, utterly defeated.

Ichigo's expression was stern and serious as he gazed at his fallen opponent. The battle had finished but the Harvest was still proceeding. _There has to be a way to stop it. – Ichigo_

"Is that all the power this body can give me?" Storm's voice echoed over itself in a corporeal tone.

Ichigo turned around in shock to see the defeated and injured shinigami from Soul Society standing on his own two feet, albeit barely. His high ponytail was undone. His long red hair reaching down his back and covering the left half of his face. The crown crest tattoo on his forehead was glowing.

_How is he still moving? ! – Ichigo_

**Scene Break – We see a split screen view of all four objectives**

Despite the overwhelming injuries dealt to all four enemy shinigami, they were somehow able to stand again.

"Did you think it was over? It looks like I need to use _that_ to kill you!" Burst, Strike, Viral, and Storm told their respective opponents.

Storm clouds rapidly gathered in the sky. Sunlight quickly disappeared. Lightning started to strike down randomly across the city in repeated succession. All of the combatants remained unflinching. Although the four Protectors looked cautiously.

"The God corps isn't just a division of strong fighters. It's a group of soldiers with a special 'trait'. We are all 'hosts' gifted with a 'body'. This form you had just defeated was the full extent of the 'body's' limits. But now I will show you a power beyond this shell!" – Burst/Strike/Viral/Storm

"This is where a God corps soldier's namesake comes from. Our true form!" – Burst/Strike/Viral/Storm

Burst's hair grew long and his eyes turned black. His Rui'iro Kujaku disappeared, assimilating into his own body. Four sickle-shaped claws extended out of each of Burst's four knuckles in each hand. The tattoo on his forehead turned into an intricate pattern of black lines across his face. A Hollow hole appeared in his chest cavity. He looked more beast-like.

Strike's hair changed to a deathly white color. His shinigami sleeves grew to an oversized length concealing his hands. A large black chain hung around his neck, dragging on the ground. The two spinning saw-like blades of Kazeshini now fused into Strike's hidden hands. A saw tooth dorsal fin bone structure emerged from his spine, extending down to his lower vertebrae. The tattoo on his forehead spread out into a complex design on his face. Finally, Strike's eyes turned black and a Hollow hole appeared in his chest.

Viral's transformation first encased her entirely in ice. Fragments of the shell shattered away to reveal her right arm was covered in ice forming the shape of a lance. From head to toe, the ice covered her in an armor that looked to be a combination of Medieval Western armor and Samurai armor of the Japanese Sengoku Period. Just like the others, her eyes were black, her tattoo spread in an intricate design, and a Hollow hole was visible.

Storm's Zabimaru fused into his own arms. They looked to be more cybernetic now. His tendons turned into the metal elastic bands that once bound his Zanpakuto. The teeth-like protrusions now extended out of his arms. More metallic body parts replaced his legs, neck, and parts of his torso. They were all connected by the same tendon-like metallic bands on Zabimaru, covering his skin like a shell.

"This is our true form. This is **Burst/Strike/Viral/Storm**!" they all shout monstrously.

**Scene Break – Return to normal view – Scene Change to Western Objective (Uryu v Strike)**

The sound that Strike's new spinning blade appendages made was similar to that of a loud industrial saw in a lumber factory. Uryu had forced himself awake when he felt his opponent resurrect himself.

_This is bad. I can barely move. While my opponent has grown stronger! – Uryu_

The quincy decided to act quickly before his enemy had a chance to do anything. Ishida removed another silver cylinder capsule from his sleeve pockets and poured its contents.

"**Quintuple Restraining Frames, Gritz!" **he chanted again as the coffin structure reappeared.

"That isn't going to work this time!" Strike shouted as his Kazeshini-infused arms tore through the barrier trap like it was paper.

The morphed shinigami's arms trailed on the ground, it continuous rotations tearing the concrete apart as he approached Uryu with a large killing intent.

"**Feel the wrath of battle and accept this sacred chalice, Heizen!"** Uryu called out another Ginto spell. A rectangular beam of energy forms from the silver tube and shoots out, slicing the opponent.

But Strike just shook off the attack like it was nothing. His menacing form drawing ever closer. "This is a form gifted by God! I am unbeatable! I have achieved a higher plane of existence! This is the result of evolution!" – Strike

"You are the last of your kind, Quincy! While my brothers and sisters in the God corps grown in numbers every day. This is a law of reality! I will fulfill my natural role and wipe out your race!" – Strike

Even though Uryu was lying on his back, he was able to raise his upper body and arms enough to summon his bow. He gathered his remaining spiritual energy into a last arrow and called out a final desperate attack.

"**Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot Level 4!" **Uryu shouted as his hands tore viciously from the attack. Firing such a high level Quincy technique required the person to have as much stability as possible. So laying on the ground when he used it actually was a slight advantage for him.

The air clapped with the roar of a sonic boom as the arrow traveled 16 times its normal speed and collided with the same multiple of force. The glass and concrete in the building behind Strike exploded from the force of blowback, collapsing the entire structure.

But to Uryu's horror, Strike looked unaffected.

"Hahahaha! A desperate last move from a caged animal! Do you realize your race's extinction is imminent?" – Strike

Strike stomped on Uryu's chest with his heavy foot, crushing the quincy's ribs. The shinigami prepared to end Ishida's life with as much pain as possible, as he brought the terrifying chainsaw arms closer and closer to Uryu's face.

**Southern Objective (Sado v Burst)**

** "**Keahahahahaha!" Burst laughed maniacally as he rushed Sado with his clawed hands.

Chad was surprised as he could barely keep up, using his right arm shield to block the assault.

"We'll see how long your 'will to defend' will last!" – Burst

"Hyah!" Burst's voice drips with insanity as his bladed knuckles suddenly extended rapidly.

Catching Sado off guard, they pierced his shield and arm, digging into his upper torso painfully. For a moment the tall juggernaut teen was hooked to his opponent like a fish to a lure. But with a pain filled shout, he released his right arm from the claws. Blood exploded out of the gaping wound.

"**La Muerte!" **- Sado

The attack from Chad's left arm was a direct hit. But this time, the attack didn't penetrate Burst's changed body.

"Hahahahaha! You can't kill me with that! I will never die in this form! God's gift to me makes me invincible!" – Burst

The body-altered shinigami thrust his claws into the ground. A forest of vines covered in thorns explodes out of the surface, wrapping around Sado painfully. They punctured his body with deep wounds, restraining his entire form.

"This is the end for you!" – Burst

**Eastern Objective (Orihime v Viral)**

Orihime immediately went on the offensive. She didn't want to give her opponent the chance to use her newly formed body.

"**Hado number 31, Shakkaho!" **Orihime shouted as the red ball of energy collided directly into Viral's iced armor.

"**Shakkaho! Shakkaho! Shakkaho!"** she continued to fire volley upon volley of energy attacks.

"**Koten Zanshun!" **Orihime chanted as Tsubaki shot forward like a bullet, hitting the unmoving Viral directly.

An explosion of ice and debris scattered the field momentarily concealing the shinigami from Orihime's view. When it cleared, to her surprise, Viral stood there unscathed as if nothing happened at all.

"Are you done yet?" – Viral

"I will show you how hopeless your situation is." Viral told her as she took a stance and thrust out her lance-arm in front of her as she called out her attack.

"**Tsugi no mai, Hakuren" **she chanted as the white wall of energy exploded out of the end of the lance. It was several times greater in size and force than the original Hakuren.

Orihime used whatever strength she had left to call out her shield. "**Santen Kesshun!"**

The shield grew to its largest size yet. The ice attack hit it at full force. To Orihime's horror, the defensive spell shattered almost immediately, as she became overwhelmed by the all-powerful wave of ice and energy!

The ice encased Orihime's entire form. It shattered to reveal, the young woman severely injured, with patches of iced skin. Blood from the open wounds were also instantly frozen. The young Protector lay defeated before Viral's imposing form.

"Making me use this form. Tch. Only my strongest of opponents ever witness it. Consider yourself honored, for I would have never revealed it to you if my mission wasn't in jeopardy." – Viral

**Northern Objective (Ichigo v Storm)**

The rate of fire, from Storm's Zabimaru fused arms was twice as face and two times the original range.

Ichigo had a tough time avoiding _one _shikai before. But, now he had to deal with two of them. His exhaustion was quickly becoming a problem.

"Poison was too weak to attain a form like this. He retained too much of his Hollow personality to evolve into a stronger being. This is what a true soldier of the God corps is like!" - Storm

Storm launched combination attack after combination. Every time one arm retracted, the other shot out immediately. There was no room for a counter.

"**Getsuga Tensho!" **Ichigo cried out desperately as he fired his strongest attack.

"Your old tricks won't work here!" Storm bellowed as he easily threw off the energy attack. Taking a wide stance, the shinigami started rotating his body, with his arms fully extended.

"**Zabimaru Storm!" **– Storm

The rotating arms turned into a spinning hurricane of sharp edges and force, as the ends rotated at twice the speed of sound. Buildings and street corners were decimated as the blades cut through them easily.

Ichigo took the full force of the attack from his side. Storm hooked onto him and began to throw him around the entire battlefield.

"Hahahaha!" Storm laughed as he sent Ichigo crashing into an adjacent building, and then flung him high into the air before colliding him into the concrete pavement. Rubble exploded out of the crater that formed from impact.

The shinigami from Karakura lay motionless in the hole. His eyes were open and blank. The sudden high level onslaught overpowered him quickly.

Ichigo, Orihime, Sado, and Uryu fell defeated to their opponents' full strength.

It was time to use _that._

**Western Objective (Uryu v Strike) – Scene change to Uryu's inner world**

Scene opens. We see Ishida standing on a solitary platform. Clouds drifted by him at waist level. Above him was a mountain, whose base extended beyond his sight. Below him was the midday sun.

"I am here." He speaks to himself and watches as the sound waves emitted became visible.

The wind around him picked up, soon accelerating into that of a torrential storm. A low humming noise was heard, growing louder and louder.

Despite the growing chaos in his mindscape, Uryu did not look afraid. For he did not fear what he could control…

**Southern Objective (Sado v Burst) – Scene change to Sado's inner world**

At the exact same time, Sado had entered his own mindscape. A place he had only visited once before, it was still a miraculous sight to him.

The tall young man stood at the pinnacle of a stone pyramid that looked to be built in the middle of a vast wasteland. The blocks that made up the structure, were in constant motion. Entire rows of construction material were in rotating and rebuilding themselves.

"I need to use _it. _The power that bonds me to my friends!" – Sado resolved.

A dust storm picked up on the horizon, quickly covering the entire mindscape in sand and rock particles. However, Chad did not flinch, for his desire to protect grew.

**Northern Objective (Ichigo v Storm) – Scene change to Ichigo's inner world**

The young shinigami opens his eyes to see himself amongst familiar surroundings. Both Zangetsu and the unnamed hooded man stood before him.

"You've come here again Ichigo." – Zangetsu

"I need _that _power." – Ichigo

"**Is your will to fight strong enough? You must consume yourself with the strongest greed to win." **– Hooded man

The light in the mindscape started to disappear. The daytime sky turned into a starless, moon-less night. Ichigo's form barely remained illuminated in the vast emptiness.

"I can't lose here! There is too much at stake. I will use the power that my friends and I found together!" – Ichigo

"**Use it! Show me your unyielding will. Defy this corrupt God and strike down his demented followers!"** – Hooded man

The dark void completely consumed the world, as Ichigo bonded with his newest power.

**Eastern Objective (Orihime v Viral) – Scene change to Orihime's inner world**

She awoke to find herself standing high atop the seaside cliff. The ever still sunset lay half over the horizon. Out of the nearly empty sky, 6 stars were visible.

Orihime watched as one of the stars glowed brightly and descended from the heavens above. It landed next to her, taking the form of a human-sized Tsubaki.

"Are you ready, woman?" – Tsubaki

"I want to fight at my fullest potential. I can't hold back anything if I want to protect my friends!" – Orihime

The tough and usually hot-tempered spirit accepted his caster's resolve. The will to fight was strong within her and he would aid in whatever way he could.

"Then let's show this bitch what we're made of!" Tsubaki said wildly as his form emitted a bright light enveloping the whole mindscape.

_This is it! – Orihime_

**Scene Break – Split Screen view of all four Protectors and their respective battle grounds**

Strike was about to deal the killing blow, when the body before him suddenly exploded in spiritual energy. A powerful gust of wind knocked him backwards, as he struggled to just remain standing.

Burst was ready to impale his opponent when suddenly an earthquake shook the ground beneath him. Small particles of dirt and rubble floated up into the air. The surface he stood on felt _alive_!

The stores and electronic signs surrounding Viral's field of battle all grew incredibly bright. The light from the bulbs illuminated well above their normal output. The shadows that once overcast the area disappeared, as the sunlight seemed to penetrate through the branches of the Harvest tree.

Storm watched as all the streetlights around him, exploded in showers of sparks. Windows broke, and the air suddenly became heavy with spiritual pressure. Everywhere, shadows danced around wildly as something was awakening within his opponent.

All four Protectors radiated enormous amounts of energy as they stood again. They all spoke the same words to their opponents.

"One month ago, when your shinigami team first arrived, you hinted that there would be a second invasion. Since then we trained to get stronger. But our sensei had nothing left to teach us." Referring to Isshin.

"So we searched within ourselves and together we found our hidden potentials. A power never seen before. This is the true extent of our abilities. The bond that joins us as comrades-in-arms, friends, and Protectors!" – Ichigo/Orihime/Uryu/Sado

"This is our **Elemental Realm!**"

**Scene Break – Return to normal view (****feel free to play whatever awesome battle music you might have. I ended up playing the Fairy Tail main theme several times)****– Scene change to Western Objective (Uryu v Strike)**

The gusting winds surrounded the Quincy's still form as he stood proudly. His tattered cape and blood stained uniform whipped around in the air current.

"**I call upon the Spirit of the Wind. Open the gates to the Sky Realm and become my instrument! Breathe renewed life into the fallen warrior!" **Uryu chants.

Feathered wings, resembling an eagle's, extended from his back. Long silver-chained earrings dangled from his earlobes. His glasses shattered away as the winds continued roaring around him.

For the second time in his life, let alone that day, Strike felt fear as he stared in awe at the vortex of destruction formed from Uryu's power. Rubble and debris were carried high into the air from the torrential winds.

"This…is…" - Strike

"This is my ultimate attack. My Piercing Shot technique only goes up to level 4, meaning I can only shoot my arrow at a maximum of 16 times the normal velocity. However, once I invoke the power of the Sky Realm, my attack becomes nothing like you've ever seen before. My arrow now flies at 100 times its normal speed!" - Uryu

Ishida's bow changes shape, its design more intricate and beautiful. The quincy, bonded with the wind, summoned an arrow in his hand as he held his bow horizontally. His wings extended far back. Drawing the high tension string, he called out his end attack.

"**Blend into my arrow. Soar far and true. Seal of the Wind: Crushing Hurricane Shot!" **– Uryu

The large wings swung forward as the arrow was released, launched at 25 times the speed of sound! It hit Strike almost instantaneously. A thunderous sonic boom followed, blowing away everything and anything in its direct path. The roar of hurricane force winds lasted for an incredible 30 seconds.

Empty buildings collapsed. Streets were upturned. And trees were ripped out of their roots.

As the attack finally died down, Uryu exhaled deeply, closing the Gate of Wind. The quincy's expression was stern as he observed his defeated opponent. Strike's chest cavity was blown open, surprisingly empty inside. The shinigami's eyes remained open in shock as his body returned to its original form.

"That sinister power of yours seems to barely be keeping you alive. I would love nothing more that to end your life right now shinigami, but I hate to kill in cold blood. If you survive your injuries, we can fight again. But, right now I need to help my friends." Uryu spoke as he disappeared in a gust of wind.

A senkaimon gate opened next to Strike's fallen form, dragging him into the white void back to Soul Society.

**Scene change to Southern Objective (Sado v Burst)**

The force of the earthquake released Sado from his restraints. Burst watched in shock as his opponent gained a new power.

Sado stood tall. His right arm healed itself. Its shield grew larger and stronger. A metallic helmet, similar to a Spartan warrior's helmet, appeared on his head. He started to chant.

"**Open the gates to the Earth Realm. Share your gift and craft my will. Forge my weapon. Seal of the Earth: Spear of the Land!" **– Sado

Black Iron Sand exploded out of the ground beneath him. It condensed rapidly in his left hand, shaping into a long spear, twice his height, and weighing several tons. The weapon had a single pointed edge, with two small protrusions, and a heavy counterweight on the other end. The shield, helmet, and spear made Chad look like an ancient Greek soldier.

Burst could feel the renewed power radiating off his opponent. "God made me invincible! No matter what you do, I can't ever lose!" he yelled as he blindly charged.

Sado gathered energy into his left arm and as soon as the shinigami was within range, the juggernaut warrior stomped his foot into the ground causing a rough tremor that made his opponent fall over.

"Hraaaaah!" Chad shouted forcefully as he drove the multi-ton spear straight into Burst's unguarded body. A column of sand and dirt exploded vertically, towering high into the sky. The Earth itself seemed to roar victoriously.

"Nobody is invincible." Sado said to himself.

Rubble and debris fell from the sky in a particle-like rain as Sado closed the Gate of Earth. His spear disintegrated back into Black Sand as his body returned to its normal form. The juggernaut watched as a Senkaimon Gate opened before Burst's fallen form, absorbing him into its white light.

Sado had no time to think about pursuing. Right now he needed to find the others.

**Northern Objective (Ichigo v Storm)**

The shadows on the battlefield became even darker and wilder as Ichigo unlocked his hidden potential.

A chilling feeling crept up Storm's back as he felt something he never felt before:

True fear.

"**Open the gates to the Realm of Darkness. The absent void is all consuming. Bend to my will and defy destiny!" **Ichigo chanted.

Ichigo's shinigami uniform was replaced with a long black cloak. His own shadow arose from the ground and encased him in a transparent dark aura. An ancient form of writing appeared on his arms in black ink.

The battlefield became warped just from Ichigo's incredible spiritual pressure. Buildings bent and the air became twisted.

"…What…is this? It's so…monstrous!" Storm could barely say in awe.

Ichigo re-sheathed his zanpakuto on his back for a moment as he charged an enormous amount of spiritual energy into his hands. The dark writing on his arms writhed about. A cold black fire covered his hands as he re-gripped the sword.

"**Seal of Darkness: Dragon's Roar!" **– Ichigo

The shinigami, bonded with darkness, rapidly released his zanpakuto from its wrappings in a quick draw-like motion. A Getsuga Tensho-type of energy attack was released except it was as dark as a black hole in space, and took the shape of a serpent dragon. The beast roared as it collided head-on into Storm.

The shinigami from Soul Society felt as if his skin was on fire. The attack had consumed his entire form. He lost his sense of 'self' as the damage seemed unending.

Ichigo's attack continued unimpeded, crushing through several buildings and concrete structures. The dark shadows exploded high into the sky one last time before receding.

The young shinigami closed his Gate as he surveyed the devastation. The once crowded Housing district was reduced to nothing more than a leveled battlefield. Storm lay at the bottom of a deep crater, black spiritual sparks of residual energy from Ichigo's end attack resonated.

This was the strength of an Elemental Realm.

"Why…why didn't you kill me?" Storm spoke as he coughed blood.

"I need you alive to tell me how to stop this Harvest." Ichigo told him.

"You can't stop it. Once it's started it will finish." – Storm

"How can I save the souls of the people?" Ichigo demanded an answer.

Storm smirked as he knew the answer to that question.

"Tell me!" – Ichigo

"You'd have to go to Soul Society yourself and take them back. But, that's foolish. You'd be going up against the entire God corps. There are many more shinigami several times stronger than any of us." – Storm

Ichigo's expression turned into one of anger and frustration. _This just got a lot harder. _He thought as he started to walk away.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" Storm asked.

Ichigo paused a moment before he turned back and answered confidently.

"No. You're going to live. You will go back to the damned Soul Society and tell them that we're coming! Let them know that we intend to carry out our duties to protect everyone. Even if it means a full scale invasion!" Ichigo said finally as he left.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Damn you. Damn you to the deepest reaches of Hell. You've ruined my honor and pride as a soldier of the God corps. I swear that when we meet again, I'll kill you. I'll destroy you with my bare hands!" Storm resolved as the Senkaimon Gate appeared behind him, absorbing him into Soul Society.

**Eastern Objective (Orihime v Viral)**

Viral stumbled back as Orihime's form erupted in power and light. Her body was brightly illuminated as she activated her newest strength.

"**Open the gates to the Realm of Light. Clustering hopes become a new star. Its shining omnipotence reveals all. Seal of Light: Nova, Fist of the Burning Sun!"**

Orihime's clothing changed in a flash of light. She now wears black shorts with a black ribbon on each leg and she has a cape tied onto the shorts in a bow in the center. She wears a sleeveless white shirt underneath a sleeveless black vest with a zipper. Her hair is tied into a long ponytail. On her hands, she wears leather fighting gloves with metal pads.

This new form was accompanied with an aura of light that encased her entire form. Pure white spiritual energy covered Orihime's gloved hands like fire.

"This is great! I feel refreshed and ready to go!" Orihime said with uncharacteristic confidence, as her personality merged with Tsubaki's.

Viral looked unimpressed as she took a stance again. The ice lance lunged out as she called out her strongest attack. "**Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" **

The wall of ice launched with its greatest force yet. Viral's eyes narrowed as she saw her opponent make no attempt to dodge.

Shards of ice exploded outwards at the point of contact. This lasted for several seconds. The shinigami had thought she eliminated her opponent but when the attack died down, she saw something that shocked her to her core.

Orihime had blocked the attack with her bare hands! She stood with a casual smirk as she taunted the shinigami. "Is that all you've got? Try not to bore me so much!" Orihime laughed.

Viral couldn't believe what she saw. She used everything she had in that attack, with the intent to end the battle. _This woman just brushed it off like it was nothing! – Viral_

"Well if you won't attack me I'll come to you!" Orihime exclaimed as she channeled an enormous amount of energy into her legs, pushing off the ground with so much force that it cracked.

"**Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" **Viral chanted desperately as towers of ice rose in front of her to form her strongest barrier.

"Hahahaha! That's more like it!" Orihime cheered as she used her fists, glowing of white fire, to punch straight through the barrier.

"My 'Fist of the Burning Sun' gives me greatly enhanced strength. Let's see how much that armor of yours can withstand!" Orihime shouted with a grin as she quickly closed the distance between them and proceeded to pummel the ice armor into oblivion.

"2 hit combo! 10 hit combo! 25 hit combo! 50 hit combo! Let's go for a 100 hit combo!" Orihime laughed as her fists and legs struck Viral hard in quick succession. Each hit left a devastating crack in the ice. The combination attack ended, the ice encasing Viral, shattered away.

"Now to end it!" – Orihime

A trail of white fire covered her entire right arm, extending beyond the elbow like the tail of a comet in space.

"**Supernova, End Flare!" **– Orihime

The energy stored within the last attack was as great as the 100 hit combo packed into a single punch. Except this time, Viral had no ice armor to protect her.

An explosion of light and energy shot straight through Viral's body. The recreational district of Karakura detonated in a flash of power from Orihime's strongest attack. Rubble and debris were tossed kilometers high into the air.

The blast died down to reveal the full extent of devastation. The entire block was leveled, leaving only a crater and scorch mark. Orihime closed the Gate of Light. She was changed back to her original appearance.

An awe of silence surrounded the wasteland. Orihime cautiously approached the fallen form of her opponent. She felt something strange within Viral.

"**Soten Kisshun" **Orihime called out her 'healing' spell, casting it over her opponent.

Immediately, Orihime noticed a foreign existence within the body that should not have been there.

"**I reject!" **she chanted.

A deathly black, gas-like substance leaked out of every pore in Viral's body. A Senkaimon Gate opened but only the spirit of the 'host' was absorbed into the light. The body of the shinigami remained in the real world.

As soon as the portal to Soul Society closed, Viral's body inhaled deeply as if it were the first time she truly breathed in her life.

"_We are all hosts gifted with a body." _Orihime remembered Viral telling her.

It might have been her natural kindness or, some would say naivety, but Orihime felt that she needed to bring 'Viral' with her. At the very least, she might be able to provide some information.

**Scene Break**

We see a sky view of the blackened tree. The fruits from the branches finished detaching. The last of the souls of the people disappeared into the Senkaimon Gates which closed in unison.

Karakura was completely emptied of its inhabitants.

In a flash of light, the tree disintegrated into extremely fine spiritual dust, its task completed.

The Harvest was over.

**End Chapter 8**

**Epilogue Arc 1/Prologue Arc 2:**

Hours after the battle for Karakura ended.

The Four Protectors were gathered in the Kurosaki Household/Clinic. Isshin, Ryuken, Karin, and Yuzu avoided the devastation of the harvest by hiding in the underground training grounds which were sealed with powerful spiritual stone. The house was also miraculously intact despite the destruction from the battle.

We see the four teens, along with Isshin and Ryuken gathered in one of the clinic rooms. Viral is in the middle, tied down to an operating table.

"Do we have to restrain her?" Orihime asked worriedly.

"We shouldn't take any chances. She could still be the shinigami that attacked you or maybe even worse." – Ichigo

"She's waking up." Isshin announced.

Everyone watched, holding their breaths as the shell that once housed Viral awoken.

The shinigami woman looked around the room with half-open eyes. Her muscles felt weak, and her body was hurt like nothing she ever experienced before.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the real world." – Ichigo

"How did I get here?"

"Don't you remember anything?" – Uryu

She shook her head no.

"Do you remember your name?" – Ichigo

"My name? My name is…"

"Kuchiki Rukia."

**End Arc 1**

(Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this unusually long chapter. It was the most fun for me to write. Okay so several things I want to say.

First, I want to thank the readers for following the story as it unfolds. The story isn't over yet, and it's nowhere near a third done.

Also, I hope the original attacks/abilities I described were easy enough to understand. I will put a small summary of them at the end of the chapter.

And now for the **IMPORTANT AUTHOR's UPDATE (Please Read): **I will be taking a one week break to finish planning out the second arc of Enemy of the King. Hopefully that shouldn't be too long of a wait. Once that week is over, you can expect updates every other day until my fall semester starts. Then the updates might reduce to one chapter every 3 or 4 days. But I've got so many ideas planned for the future of this story! I can't wait to get to them! And a little extra note: if you happen to have an XBOX LIVE account and sometimes play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, I'd be happy to share my gamertag and perhaps we could play together. Or maybe if you just want to check in on my progress for Arc 2, and want to talk over XBOX LIVE, that would be fine too. Actually I would really enjoy that. I love talking about my story. So if you need to contact me in a way besides email, my XBOX LIVE gamertag is: **Kage of UF** (spaces are included, and capital letters appear as shown). I'm usually on in the afternoon (Eastern Time Zone U.S.)

And a **special treat **for you all. I have compiled a list of some of my favorite quotes that I plan to use in Arc 2: Soul Society. Then I have the Omake, Encyclopedia entry, and attack/ability list to follow as always.

See you all in a week.)

**Quotes that will appear in Arc 2: (They are in no particular order of appearance)**

"I am Zaraki Kenpachi, rogue of the Rukongai!" – 1

"Her power is just like my Shunko!" – 2

"A rebellion is rising in the furthest part of the Rukongai" – 3

"The shinigami in the Seireitei have built slave camps where they force the regular plus souls to work in harsh conditions." – 4

"I am Sin, General of the God corps First Army Group." – 5 (Remember there are no OCs.)

"If you thought we were all forced to join the God corps, you're wrong. Some of us, like me, joined out of our own free will to repay the debt we owe to the King. We retain our minds. And we choose to protect and serve God." – 6

"You did all _this _while locked up here?" – 7

"I've made the Maggot's Nest my home for over a century. It gets boring here so I've had to find ways to occupy myself so I don't go crazy. Kehehehehehe. Oops. Maybe it didn't work too well." – 8

"The power of the Supreme Commander of the God corps is like nothing you've ever experienced. You will be decimated before you can do anything." – 9

"Ichigo, be careful. Promise me we'll return home together." – 10

"I promise." – 11

(Characters '10' and '11' should be obvious. Lol)

**Omake 1**

"Today we are here to interview one of our newest characters. Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome Nova Orihime." – Television talk show host

"That's right! You better cheer for me!" – Nova Orihime

(Audience applauds nervously)

"So Nova Orihime, how did you come out as an idea for a character in this story?" – Host

"We'll its simple really. The author was too lame to come up with anything original, so he just combined Tifa Lockhart's appearance, with the 'Nova' power in the manga: MixiM." – Nova Orihime

"That was only loosely based off of it, I swear!" – Spirit of Entropy

"Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome our second guest, the author of Enemy of the King: Spirit of Entropy." – Host

(Audience remains silent)

"Kinda pathetic that you are introduced in your own writing _after _a fictional character." – Nova Orihime

"I've got a lot of other powers in store for you so you better be nice." – Spirit of Entropy

"Wooh I'm waiting in anticipation." She says sarcastically.

"And the Elemental Realm thing was all my idea! Those chants and incantations were hard to come up with!" – Spirit of Entropy

"Psh. A sixth grade WOW addict could have come up with something better." – Nova Orihime

"Damn you." – Spirit of Entropy

"You are hardly original. Ishida's appearance looks like a degenerate Pit from Super Smash Bros Brawl. You even _described in detail _how much Chad looked like a Spartan warrior. And I didn't read anything that made Ichigo look different." – Nova Orihime

"Don't undermine my work!" – Spirit of Entropy

"Go back to sucking at Modern Warfare 2!" – Nova Orihime

"Graaaaah! I'm out of here!" – Spirit of Entropy

"Well it looks like the author is done for now. Personally, I can't wait for the second arc." – Host (shameless advertising)

(Audience applauses the shameless advertising)

"Any closing statements Nova Orihime?" – Host

"You are a pathetic pawn." – Nova Orihime

(Host cries)

**Omake 2:**

(Chad's fight with Burst, after he activates the Gate of the Earth)

"This is madness!" – Burst

"No…" – Sado

"This is SPARTA!" Sado shouts kicking Burst into an endless pit that just happened to appear behind him.

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia:**

The Elemental Realms – Consists of Earth, Sky, Light, and Darkness. Opening the Gates to these Realms of power releases tremendous amounts of energy and unlocks the potential of the user. These abilities were discovered through extensive shared meditation between the four Protectors during their one month of training. There is no telling the extent of techniques that could arise from this new found power. (I know the 'extent' but I won't tell you. :-P)

**Original Skills:**

** Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot Levels 1-4 – **With each successive level, the arrow fired is twice the speed of the previous level. The charge time and cooldown time also double. And risk for self-injury increases as well.

**Gate of the Sky Realm: Seal of Wind, Crushing Hurricane Shot – **invoking the Spirit of the Wind, the strongest arrow is fired. The very winds of the Earth gather into Uryu's wings which swing forwards at the moment of release. The arrow is fired at 100 times the normal velocity of an arrow which corresponds to about 25 times the speed of sound.

**Gate of the Earth Realm: Seal of Earth, Spear of the Land – **Sado opens the gate. Immediately a spear constructed out of Black Iron Sand forms into his left hand. It weighs several tons and only Chad can wield it. Anyone who is hit by its attack is dealt a blow with the force of several Earthquakes.

**Gate of the Light Realm: Seal of Light: Nova, Fist of the Burning Sun – **Called 'Fist of the Burning Sun' for short. Orihime temporarily merges with the spirit Tsubaki to gain incredible strength for a limited period of time. Her increased strength allows her to break even the strongest of armor. Her transformation includes a significant change in appearance and a confident, cocky personality. Nova Orihime's strongest attack to date is **Supernova, End Flare. **This attack gathers energy into one arm and releases it in an all consuming energy blast that destroys anything in its path. (personally this was my favorite attack/power/ability to think up)

**Gate of the Dark Realm: Seal of Darkness, Dragon's Roar – **Ichigo re-attaches Zangetsu on his back and charges up black fire into his hands. Then, in a quick draw technique, Ichigo releases the full power of his attack. The energy blast is as dark as the night sky and forms the shape of a dragon seen in Eastern mythology. It's an ultimate move that destroys everything in its path.

**God corps 'True Form'** – an ability used by the 'host' to increase the capabilities of the 'body'. Usually involves significant physical changes to the body as it merges with the Zanpakuto.

**Next Time:**

**Arc 2: Soul Society**

See you then.


	10. Ch 9: Rescue Mission

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: Arc 2 start!

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**Second Arc: Soul Society**

**Date Posted: 8/7/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

Reiryoku = Spiritual Energy

**Last Time:**

"She's waking up." Isshin announced.

Everyone watched, holding their breaths as the shell that once housed Viral awoken.

The shinigami woman looked around the room with half-open eyes. Her muscles felt weak, and her body was hurt like nothing she ever experienced before.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the real world." – Ichigo

"How did I get here?"

"Don't you remember anything?" – Uryu

She shook her head no.

"Do you remember your name?" – Ichigo

"My name? My name is…"

"Kuchiki Rukia."

**Chapter 9: Rescue Mission**

Ichigo looks to the others in the room, judging their reactions along with his own.

"Is that all you remember?" the teenage shinigami asks.

'Rukia' looks at her hands. _Are these my arms?_

"I feel like I've been…_asleep _for a very long time." She says quietly.

_I'm a stranger to my own body. – Rukia_

"So what do you guys think?" Ichigo whispers to his friends.

"She could be faking it." Uryu warns, partially biased due to his hatred of shinigami.

"I don't think she is. When I used my powers on her, I was able to 'extract' the 'host' out of the body. This is the real Rukia right in front of us." – Orihime

The God corps soldier, Viral, was no more. Rukia's weak posture, pale face, and empty eyes were in stark contrast to her alternate form.

"Could you tell me why I'm here?" – Rukia

Ichigo pauses for a moment as if deciding if he should tell her anything. "You were…_are_ a shinigami."

"I think I remember something about that. I have a zanpakuto too. What was its name…" – Rukia

"Sode no Shirayuki." Orihime told her.

Uryu frowned in disapproval. He didn't think that Rukia should know the name of her weapon, since that unlocks its power. But Orihime had enough trust in the reborn shinigami.

"You remember that you're a shinigami but you don't remember anything about the God corps?" – Ichigo

Rukia shakes her head no. Isshin steps up, offering an explanation.

"Her memory loss might be a result of trauma. Or maybe the memories she experienced in the 'God corps' are memories belonging to 'Viral'. Since Viral was extracted, so were the memories." – Isshin.

"The shinigami told us they were gifted with these bodies from the King. So that means the other ones we fought are probably the same way." – Orihime

"Was I…Was I a bad person?" Rukia asks hesitantly.

An uncomfortable pause passes between everyone. Having absolutely no idea where you are or what you've done is a horrible feeling to have.

"No. No you weren't. Somebody was just impersonating you." Orihime told her in a comforting tone.

"What happened to me?" – Rukia

"We're not exactly sure. The closest thing we have to describing it was that you were possessed by some_thing _that called themselves 'Viral' and you were forced to follow orders in the God corps. Viral's last mission was to invade Karakura in the Human World, which is where you are now, and steal the souls of all the people in the city." – Ichigo

Rukia's eyes opened in shock. She was the vessel for something so sinister and evil. She couldn't believe it. But somehow she knew it was true.

"So what happened after that?" – Rukia

"The shinigami succeeded in stalling for enough time for the soul harvest to finish. They retreated back to Soul Society." – Ichigo

"What are you going to do now?" Rukia inquired, unsure of her own fate.

"Actually, we haven't planned out what we should do next." Ichigo admitted.

"It might even be too late to save the souls of Karakura." – Uryu

"Don't lose hope yet" Orihime encouraged. The others took her words lightly.

"We might still have a chance." Isshin informed them.

"The human body is fragile, but its soul is extremely resilient. Not only that, but the shinigami also looked like they were preserving the souls within these 'fruits'." – Ryuken

"What are you trying to say?" – Ichigo

"If you were to just kill a person outright, you couldn't use their spiritual energy. In order to efficiently extract the Reiryoku within the souls, you have to store it, preserve it, convert it, and _then _you siphon the energy out. It's a careful, time consuming process. And it has to be done for _every _soul." Isshin explained.

"So then we might have a few days timeframe. We need to move quickly." – Ichigo

"What are you planning to do, boy?" – Isshin

Ichigo clutched his hands into fists from the frustration. "I'm not foolish enough to think I can save everyone. But, I'm also not selfish enough to be satisfied with saving just the people close to me. I want to save a mountain load of lives."

Isshin bops his son over the head. "You can't just waltz right into Soul Society! The Seireitei is heavily guarded. And even if you were to somehow get in, what will you do about these God corps shinigami?"

"We'll fight them of course!" Ichigo said in a raised voice.

"Don't be stupid! Have you learned nothing? They severely outnumber you and there are still a lot of them that are stronger than you, even if you use the Elemental Realm." Isshin pointed out.

Ichigo hesitates for a moment. He was blinded by rage and anxiety. His arms shook in anger.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't go. I'm telling you to make a plan first." Isshin finally told his son.

Ichigo was surprised at his father's answer.

"You're all practically adults now. You can make your own decisions. But no matter how old you get, I'm not going to let you run off and get killed. Use everything I taught you about tactics, and about reading the strength of your opponent. What is the perfect plan for this situation?" – Isshin

Ichigo pauses for a moment as he searches his memories for the answer. "Special Forces." He says with a knowing grin.

"Ha! That's my son!" Isshin said proudly.

"What are Special Forces?" – Sado

"When faced against an enemy of far greater numbers and unknown strength, the best thing to do is to send in a Special Forces squad." Ichigo starts to explain.

"It's a term used to describe a small group of combatants. The main objectives for Special Forces is to _avoid _combat unless absolutely necessary and to gather information." – Ichigo

"But what good will it do for our situation?" - Uryu

"Information is everything. From large-scale planning, to one-on-one fighting, if you know more about your opponent then even they are aware of, then you will always end up the victor." Ichigo said confidently.

"Infiltration, Reconnaissance, Stealth, _Rescue_. These are all missions that Special Forces take." – Ichigo

"But how are we going to save tens of thousands of souls _and _remain unnoticed?" – Uryu

"There just has to be a way. We'll use their technology against them. I think I have a plan. All I need is a way into Soul Society." – Ichigo

"I've got that covered." – Isshin

"Good. Then we can leave tomorrow morning." – Ichigo

"I'm coming too!" - Rukia

They group looks at her in surprise, nearly forgetting she was there.

"I know that…some_thing _used me as a shell to do bad things. I want to repay you for saving me from continuing such a horrible fate. I need to repent for what I've done!" Rukia said sincerely.

Ichigo looks like he is thinking about it. Uryu still didn't believe in the woman that was once their enemy.

"Why should we trust you?" - Uryu

"Please! I'll follow your every order. I'll even sacrifice myself to preserve the mission if you require me to." Rukia pleads desperately.

"Can you fight?" Ichigo asks plainly.

"I remember a little bit." – Rukia

"You can't be seriously considering this?" Uryu whispers to Ichigo.

"If we take her back to familiar surroundings, she might start to remember things, and we can use her for inside information." Ichigo explained his reasoning.

"Alright then, it's settled." - Sado

Ichigo looks to each of his friends and nods in confirmation. A fire burns in his soul. His desire to protect, his will to overcome his limits, and the need to trump any obstacle that lay before him, inspired the other's to do the same.

"Prepare for war." – Ichigo

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Ichigo's/Orihime's bedroom, Night**

Karakura was now an empty city. Its inhabitants gone, its structures and roads damaged beyond imagination. The once populated city was nothing more than ruins now.

In fact, the current residents of the Kurosaki Household, including its few guests, were probably the only human life forms left in Karakura.

The light from the crescent moon shined in the night sky. Just as it did every night. Before people were here and after they were gone. Time and nature's indifference is a law of the universe.

"Ichigo…" Orihime whispered as she lay on the top bunk, looking out the window.

"Hmm?" Ichigo heard her. Neither of them could sleep. The pressure from tomorrow's task was in the back of their minds.

"I…I don't know." – Orihime

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" – Ichigo

"Yea. But not just that. I'm worried about the day after that. And after that. And the next day. I guess I'm just worried about the future." Orihime realized aloud.

"Life was a lot simpler back then, wasn't it?" Orihime reminisced.

"Back before either of us knew anything about spirits and shinigami. Back when the only thing I worried about was my big brother." Orihime said with a solemn smile.

"I suppose ignorance is bliss." Ichigo agreed as he thought back to his childhood, where his mother cared for him every day. His mind drifted to the life changing decisions he made in the past. Becoming a shinigami, saving Orihime, befriending Uryu and Chad. But all of it came with heartbreaking conflict.

_Was it all worth it? - Ichigo_

"Do you ever regret any of _this_?" Ichigo asked her, referring to the life they had now. His mind was clouded with worries.

"No. Not even for a second." Orihime answered without a second thought. She leaned over the side of the top bunk bed. Her long hair lying over the end. She looked straight into Ichigo's eyes.

"Without you, I don't know what kind of person I would be today. But I'm happy with how my life is right now. I have friends and a family. I even have you right beside me." Orihime told him with a genuine smile, her cheeks flushed in slight embarrassment.

"I wouldn't change any of it." – Orihime

"Me neither." Ichigo agreed, his face red.

The world might continue on indifferently whether or not human life exists. But, to each individual person, life is precious. They live for the sake of others, for the bonds shared with friends and family, and for love, the feeling that makes everyone feel the most alive.

**Scene Break – Scene Change Next Day, Underground Training Grounds**

"The moment you step through the gate, your soul will separate from your body and enter the Dangai Precipice World. The shinigami usually have strict control over entering and leaving the Soul Society. So the only way for you guys to get in undetected is through this shortcut dimension." Isshin explains.

We see everyone gathered around. Some tension and anxiety hung in the air. They listened intently as Ichigo's father continued to explain the procedure.

"You need to be quick and travel fast, for it is forbidden to be in the Dangai Precipice World for too long. I've approximated your arrival to the edges of the Rukongai. That's where the plus souls live outside of the Seireitei." – Isshin

The older Kurosaki activated the portal, supported by two pillars. A shining white light suddenly appeared. A membrane-like gate opened before them.

"Is everyone ready?" - Isshin

The four Protectors look to each other and nod wordlessly.

"Let's go kick some ass." – Ichigo

Rukia was the first to approach the gate. She was no longer a soldier of the God corps. Her mind was cluttered with thoughts.

_I'm going to Soul Society. No…I'm returning. But this time, I'm in control of my own destiny._ - Rukia

With her resolve made, and determination solid, Rukia stepped through the gate.

The young Quincy was next. Uryu checked himself one last time, confirming he had all of his supplies and armament.

_The world of shinigami. I will find the one responsible for all of this. For the suffering of so many people. And I will make them pay. _– Uryu. He steps through the white void.

Sado wordlessly enters the portal to Soul Society. His strength unfaltering.

Orihime walks up to the portal and takes one last look around her, a little hesitant.

_Straight into the heat of battle. - Orihime_

She sees Ichigo's determined look and she feels confident again.

_For my friends. For Karakura. For everyone. – Orihime _

Her body disappears behind the blinding veil.

Just as Ichigo is about to step through, he turns back to his father with an unreadable expression.

"If you're going to say "Keep my sisters safe", I already know that. I am their father after all." Isshin said with a smirk.

"Hmph. Old man. Making me do all the hard work while you sit on your ass at home." Ichigo joked lightly.

Suddenly Sado's head sticks out of the portal momentarily.

"Hurry up. The train's leaving." Sado smirks as he roughly tugs Ichigo through the gate.

"Oy!" Ichigo bellowed roughly. His voice disappearing into the Precipice world.

"These kids hold the weight of the world on their shoulders. And they don't even realize it. To go and face the ghosts of the past and confront the corruption head on, takes a lot of courage. I'm kind of jealous." Isshin says aloud.

The gates close with a booming echo.

**Scene Break – Scene change to outskirts of the Rukongai District**

Ichigo, Orihime, Sado, Uryu, and Rukia exit from the shortcut dimension, finally entering the Soul Society. It was midday already in this world.

They find themselves in the middle of a clearing in the woods. A small village could be seen down the hill. And on the furthest horizon, towards the center of Soul Society, was the Seireitei. Tall structures could be seen even from the incredible distance away. A dark smog seemed to hover over the base of the God corps.

Ichigo and the others looked upon it like predators stalking its prey. Their target was close and their desire to win grew.

"This is it. We may not have started the war with the shinigami, but we will finish it!"

**End Chapter 9**

(Author's Note: Here it is. Significantly shorter than my previous two chapters, but I think this is a good place to stop for now. Next chap will be up in two days like before. See you then.

Now for some omake and a Tactics overview.)

**Omake 1 – Bloopers/Mistakes 1**

(Night before, in Ichigo's/Orihime's bedroom)

"I wouldn't change any of it." – Orihime

"Me neither" – Ichigo

Bedroom door slams open. Chad, Uryu, Isshin, Ryuken, Yuzu, and Karin suddenly appear in the doorway.

"Did you do _it _yet?" – Sado.

"Get out of my room!" – Ichigo

"Aww" – Everyone

**Omake 2**

(News report next day on the sudden disappearance of everyone in Karakura)

"Holy sh*t!" – Every news station

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia**

Rescue Mission – The four Protector's along with Rukia decided the best thing to do was to go to Soul Society and bring back the stolen souls. A rough battle awaits them, as the mysterious God corps continues with their, still unknown, plan. Time is short.

**Tactics Overview:**

Special Forces – A squad of highly trained individuals is sent into enemy territory to carry out stealth missions. They are deployed against enemies of unknown strength and greater numbers. Their small group allows for them to remain largely undetected. Avoiding battle is the overall plan for a Special Forces squad. Reconnaissance, and Rescue are the primary missions. Requires high level teamwork, stealth, endurance, courage, and strength.

**Quote from a future chapter (could be from any chapter in any arc)**

"I used to think my existence had no purpose. I wandered Hueco Mundo for who knows how long trying to find out why I exist. These humans taught me that a question like that doesn't even matter! If you want to have a purpose, make your own. Don't let the flow of destiny control you. Shape your future with your own hands."

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 10: Rogue of the Rukongai**


	11. Ch 10: Rogue of the Rukongai

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews everyone. I realize I haven't been saying that lately. Here it is: chapter 10.

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**Second Arc: Soul Society**

**Date Posted: 8/9/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

Reiryoku = Spiritual Energy

Reiatsu = Spiritual Pressure

**Last Time:**

Ichigo, Orihime, Sado, Uryu, and Rukia exit from the shortcut dimension, finally entering the Soul Society. It was midday already in this world.

They find themselves in the middle of a clearing in the woods. A small village could be seen down the hill. And on the furthest horizon, towards the center of Soul Society, was the Seireitei. Tall structures could be seen even from the incredible distance away. A dark smog seemed to hover over the base of the God corps.

Ichigo and the others looked upon it like predators stalking its prey. Their target was close and their desire to win grew.

"This is it. We may not have started the war with the shinigami, but we will finish it!"

**Chapter 10: Rogue of the Rukongai**

"The trip through the Dangai Precipice World wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." Orihime realized once they were all safely out.

"Yea. It's a good thing that we didn't go through on the day that the Kototsu was purging it." – Uryu

"Can you imagine how bad it would have been for us? If we had trouble before even getting into Soul Society." – Sado

"Yeah, well it didn't happen so let's just move on." Ichigo told them as they made their way through the woods.

"So what do we do first?" Orihime asks.

"We need to create a base of operations. Sort of like a headquarters we can return to." Ichigo explains.

"Why do we need that?" – Rukia

"We won't be able to rescue the souls right away. It will take time to gather information and to find out everything we can about the enemy's weaknesses. So this mission will be divided up into smaller operations with achievable objectives. Together, each of these operations will eventually lead to the final goal. In between these operations, we would need a place we can return to and recuperate, recover, and plan out our next move. That is a base of operations." – Ichigo.

"So what type of place are we looking for?" – Uryu

"We need it to be well structured, it shouldn't stand out, and it would be great if it was hidden." – Ichigo

"Then I guess we should check with the locals." Sado confirmed as the group made it into the village.

The building architecture within the town resembled wooden structures of varying degree of detail and craftsmanship, all similar to Kyoto during the Edo period of Japan. The plus souls wore rag-like robes and old style clothing. Despite this humble lifestyle, the inhabitants looked relatively happy.

"Our appearance makes us stand out too much." – Ichigo

"I think we'll be okay for now. There aren't any shinigami here from what I can tell." – Uryu

_You're the one who looks the most out of place. _Sado thought with a sweat drop, referring to the Quincy's white clothes and cape.

"Hey you youngins' over there. Are you newcomers?" An old man called out to them.

They paused, unsure of whether or not they should respond. "Yes sir. We just arrived. Could you tell us a bit about where we are?" Rukia was able to ask kindly.

"Of course young lady. This is District 80 of North Rukongai, also known as the Zaraki district. We are the furthest away from Seireitei. Follow me, I'll show you around." The old man offered.

"This place used to be infested with crime and was generally referred to as the worst 'slum'. But being so far away from Seireitei has its own benefits." The old man indicated as he points out the smoke stacks and dark towers on the horizon.

"It's difficult for the shinigami's 'absolute rule' to reach here." – Old man

"'Absolute rule'? What do you mean?" - Orihime

"You kids must be really new here if you don't even know that much. The shinigami have a strict iron-fist way of controlling the masses in Soul Society. Freedom to live and to express yourself is hard to come by in the closer districts." – Old man

A group of children run by them, laughing happily.

"But places like this, which are furthest away from the central Seireitei are free to live beyond the oppression." – Old man

"So how bad is it in the interior?" – Uryu

The old man looks down to his feet for a moment. A bit of depression rises up. Dark memories from his time in the inner districts resurface.

"There isn't a word that exists that could describe the terror and horrors of the inner towns. The shinigami are ruthless. They take what they want, they control what they want, and they will kill you if you get in their way." – Old man

Ichigo and the others look shocked at just the mere description of the rule of the God corps. The shinigami may have done evil things in the human world, but Ichigo couldn't imagine just how strict they controlled the Soul Society.

"The people you see here are all 'refugees' from the inner districts. Life is simple here but as long as we can live freely, we are fine with what we have." The old man told them with a contented smile.

"Hey everyone, _he's _back!" a villager shouts in the streets.

Ichigo and the others see the townsfolk gathering together excitedly near the center of the village. Everyone was smiling in anticipation.

"Who's back?" - Orihime

"Come see for yourself. Our savior has returned." The old man told them with a wide grin.

The group gathers together with the crowd. They see a large caravan moving down the street towards them. A tall muscular man was at the head of the caravan. He had a wild expression and spiked hair, with bells on the end of each spike. He also wore an eye patch over his right eye.

"That's Zaraki Kenpachi, our savior. That name is given to the strongest warrior in the land. The shinigami in Seireitei call him the 'Rogue of the Rukongai'. Zaraki-sama is always fighting the God corps. Nobody knows why he does it, but every time he fights, he wins. And on his return, he brings back supplies and refugees." The old man explains as they see some poor-looking and malnourished plus souls resting in the carts of the caravan.

Without a word, the Rogue of the Rukongai leaves the caravan at the center of town and walks away from the crowd. The villagers cheer as they reap the most recent rewards from Zaraki's battle. The refugees were also put into immediate care.

_This man might be able to help us. – Ichigo_

"Do you know where we can talk to this guy?" Ichigo asks the old man.

"He lives in seclusion in a temple just outside the district." - Old man

"Thanks." Ichigo told him as the group was about to leave.

"I should warn you. He is a…'wild' spirit." The old man tells them finally.

"I wonder what he meant by that." Sado said aloud as the group left the town.

"Do you think he will help us?" – Orihime

"You know the old saying, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'? Well if his enemy is the shinigami, then he should want to help us." Ichigo reasoned.

The light from the sun hanging in the sky turns orange. Its dusk now as the group approaches the isolated temple. They were amazed at the vast size of the compound. Tall concrete walls, about 3 meters high, surrounded an area of about 4000 square meters. An ornate archway structured the only entrance into the temple. The courtyard was vast and covered in a mixture of gravel and sand.

The temple itself was grand. An ancient structure composed of a combination of Corinthian pillars and roof tile design of the Sengoku era. The walls were decorated with paintings of a golden dragon.

Several torches were lit along the sole walkway up to the temple. Combined with the late dusk sunlight, they could see a silhouette behind the rice paper door at the top of the stairs. The shadow was seated on the wooden floor with his legs crossed in a meditative position. The figure looked like he was waiting for the group to approach.

Ichigo hesitates for a moment. "Ah screw it!" he shouts as he rips open the sliding door. Suddenly, a powerful spiritual energy erupts from within the dojo-like temple. The strong reiatsu forces the group to stumble backwards in alarm.

The beast known as Zaraki Kenpachi rises to his full height. Stepping out from the shadows of the dojo, his menacing grin is revealed in the torch light.

"What…what is this Reiryoku?" Ichigo struggles to breathe out.

"Oh. I don't usually get visitors. Unless you aren't here to visit me. You're here to challenge me! Great! I'm always in the mood for a fight!" Zaraki declares as he storms out of the temple.

"You! The guy that looks like a shinigami, I'll fight you first!" Kenpachi shouts as he rushes at Ichigo, blade raised high.

"W-wait!" Ichigo barely dodges in time. Gravel and small pebbles explode from the near miss. The sheer wind from the speed of the strike almost knocked Ichigo off his feet.

"My name is Kurosaki Ichigo, and we're not here to fight you! My friends and I just want to ask for your help." The young man pleads.

"That's boring. In this world of battle, if you don't fight, you die. If you want to keep on living, you better learn that quickly!" Zaraki lunges again.

Ichigo had no choice but to unsheathe his zanpakuto and block the strike. A blowback of force shot out behind him, as the young man held back Zaraki's attack.

"Ichigo!" Orihime cried out in worry as the others were about to jump in and help.

"All of you stay back!" Ichigo ordered. _I need to try and reason with him._

"It wouldn't be fun if they interrupted our fight anyway." Zaraki grinned as he continued the assault.

"We share a common enemy. We came here to ask for your help in fighting the shinigami." - Ichigo

"Who said the shinigami was my enemy?" - Zaraki

"? !"

"I just love to fight. The thrill of battle is what makes me feel alive. I will fight anyone who is strong." Zaraki revealed shockingly.

"Then what about the villagers? They call you their savior." – Ichigo

"Some of them started following me around while I searched for strong opponents. And every time I beat a shinigami, they would take what they could and bring it back here. I don't really care much for material possessions, so I let them do what they wanted." Zaraki told them.

"So the 'savior' doesn't even realize he is helping people when he fights the shinigami." – Uryu

"I don't care about the pointless struggles between shinigami and pluses or Seireitei and Rukongai. If you're strong, I'll fight you. It's as simple as that." Zaraki shouts as he launches another large blast attack sending Ichigo crashing into the ground.

"But if you need incentive to fight, I guess I can tell you something. I figure you're looking for a place to stay hidden from the God corps. If you can beat me, I'll give you the perfect location." Zaraki told Ichigo as he indicates the temple.

"This compound is an ancient temple, designed for housing the strongest warrior of every generation. Its walls are made with powerful Spiritual Suppression Stone, to hide the Reiryoku from leaking out and being detected. The compound is also physically well hidden in the woods. I'd say it would be the perfect place for you. And all you have to do to get it is beat me." – Zaraki

"Tch. You should have just said so from the beginning." Ichigo smirked as he gripped Zangetsu tightly.

"Hahaha. Don't think it'll be so easy, boy!" - Zaraki

_This guy is strong. I can't hold back anymore. _Ichigo realized as he channeled energy into the tip of his zanpakuto.

"**Getsuga Tensho!**" Ichigo shouted as he launched a wave of energy that carved up the ground beneath it.

Zaraki faced the attack head on with a menacing grin. With a powerful roar, the Kenpachi beast deflects the attack into the air with his jagged sword.

"Haha! What a rush! This is a true battle!" Zaraki shouts.

Suddenly, a deathly gold reiatsu explodes out of the strongest warrior in Rukongai.

_How can he have so much power left? – Ichigo_

"His eye patch! It fell off!" Orihime pointed out.

"I found that thing during one of my 'raids'. It eats at my excess reiatsu, weakening me." Zaraki explained.

"Why would anyone want to do that?" – Uryu

"Because without it, most of my battles end too quickly! I'm the kind of guy that wants to enjoy a fight to the fullest. So I'll even limit myself in order to experience the thrill! But, I don't need it here! You seem like you can handle it, Ichigo! So don't disappoint me!" Zaraki exclaimed as he charged the young man at full power.

"Graaaah!" Zaraki grunts as he swings upward. An arc of golden reiatsu shoots out from the blade and races across the ground.

"**Getsuga Tensho!"** Ichigo launches his attack to counter.

"There's more where that came from!" Zaraki shouted as he swung down, launching another arc of spiritual energy.

This time Ichigo couldn't move out of the way and was hit with the full force of the attack. "Gaaah!" he shouts in pain as a wound gashes open on his shoulder.

"Ichigo!" Orihime shouts in worry.

Ichigo clutches his arm painfully as he thinks about his opponent's moves. _This guy is all strength. There is no strategy or planning involved in any of his movements. I need to find a way to counter. _

"Are you trying to come up with something? Ha! Stop thinking about fighting and just fight me!" Zaraki taunts as he swings down and then quickly back up again, creating a pincer-like wave of deadly energy.

Ichigo grips Zangetsu tightly as he tries to block the devastating attack. But it was useless. An explosion of Reiryoku erupted from the collision. A small crater formed, with Ichigo standing in the middle, his body covered in scorch marks.

_If I continue like this, I might die. _Ichigo thought to himself. But suddenly, an idea came to him.

"This whole time, I've been trying to figure out a strategy that I could use to beat you. I figured that if I could overturn someone of your power, with as little effort possible, then the rest of the shinigami would be easy pickings. But I couldn't come up with anything." Ichigo admitted.

Zaraki looked on with a raised eyebrow, curious at what his opponent had to offer now.

"This battle has been narrowed down to strength vs strength. So in order to win, I will have to go all out!" the young man shouts. Ichigo re-sheaths his zanpakuto on his back. He connects his two fists together in front of his body. Powerful spiritual energy courses through him.

The spectators see the shadows on the ground dance around erratically. Parts of the surrounding Earth become upturned.

"**Open the gates to the Realm of Darkness. The absent void is all consuming. Bend to my will and defy destiny!"** Ichigo's shinigami uniform was replaced with a long black cloak. His own shadow arose from the ground and encased him in a transparent dark aura. An ancient form of writing appeared on his arms in black ink.

"This is my true strength: Gate to the Realm of Darkness. I won't hold back anything!" Ichigo resolved.

"Hahaha! You're very interesting boy! You finally decide to show me the true extent of your power!" – Zaraki

Kenpachi holds his sword out to his side. An explosion of deathly gold reiatsu nearly consumes the field, as the black shadowy reiatsu from Ichigo's Elemental Realm holds it back.

"Hraaaaaahh!" Zaraki powers up his Reiryoku. The spiritual energy takes the form of a yellow skull that grows in size.

The writing on Ichigo's arms levitates off and form cuffs around his wrists. The painted tattoos circle around, accelerating as Ichigo powers up. Black fire ignites in Ichigo's fists, reaching up his arms.

"**Seal of Darkness: Dragon's Roar!**" Ichigo chants as he unsheathes Zangetsu in a quick-draw motion. The black fire in his arms channels into the sword and explodes out the end. Ichigo's spiritual energy combined with that of the Elemental Realm, takes the form of a large serpent Dragon with black scales and red eyes. The terrifying monstrous attack charges forward.

Zaraki looks on with excitement as he channels everything into his blade and swings with all his might. The two attacks collide in an enormous display of Reiryoku and power. Rubble, wind, and reiatsu sparks scatter outwards from the center.

The dust clears to show Ichigo and Zaraki lying still at the bottom of a massive crater, unmoving.

"Ichigo!" Orihime runs over and checks on him. The others were frozen in shock at the ferocity of the battle.

_Are they monsters? _Rukia thought with awe and a hint of fear.

"I'm okay…Orihime." Ichigo struggles to breathe out. His voice relieved her a bit as she started to heal his injuries.

The shinigami from Karakura struggles to sit up, just as Zaraki does the same. In that last moment, Ichigo could understand Zaraki's will: the desire to fight, the need to find an opponent worthy of challenging him. Even though Ichigo didn't feel the same desire, he was able to understand Zaraki just by crossing swords with him.

Words weren't needed.

"Orihime, heal him too when you can." Ichigo told her.

"That was the best fight I've ever had! Haha. I'll help you all." – Zaraki

"Why? !" the others ask in surprise, but Ichigo already knew the reason.

"Strong people like us are born to fight. We are instinctively drawn to battles, whether we know it or not. You want to fight the shinigami for a just cause or noble reason. I'm not as sane as to agree with that. I haven't had sanity in so long. But I'll help you just because I believe you will attract a lot of strong opponents. And I want to be there to fight too." Zaraki resolved.

A new ally has joined the Protectors from Karakura. His unyielding will for battle matches his desire for powerful enemies. Will it help the Protectors or lead to their downfall?

**End Chapter 10**

(Author's Note: Sorry this came out so late in the day. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will begin the Protector's first operation. Thanks for taking time to read this, and I'll see you all in two days.

Now for some other stuff. Sorry no omake this time. I couldn't think of one.)

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia:**

Zaraki Kenpachi – the strongest warrior in all of the Rukongai. He enjoys fighting strong opponents more than anything. Throughout his battles against the shinigami, he has earned the nickname 'Rogue of the Rukongai.' His past is shrouded in mystery, but as he joins the Protectors in their struggle against the God corps, Zaraki's background will slowly reveal itself.

**Quote from a Future Chapter:**

"The Earth fragment is the easiest to find, but it might also be the hardest one to obtain."

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 11: Maggot's Nest**


	12. Ch 11: Maggot's Nest

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Kage of Seireitei**

(Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews everyone! Here it is Ch 11. Two familiar characters will be making their debut.

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**Second Arc: Soul Society**

**Date Posted: 8/11/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

Reiryoku = Spiritual Energy

Reiatsu = Spiritual Pressure

**Last Time:**

The shinigami from Karakura struggles to sit up, just as Zaraki does the same. In that last moment, Ichigo could understand Zaraki's will: the desire to fight, the need to find an opponent worthy of challenging him. Even though Ichigo didn't feel the same desire, he was able to understand Zaraki just by crossing swords with him.

Words weren't needed.

"Orihime, heal him too when you can." Ichigo told her.

"That was the best fight I've ever had! Haha. I'll help you all." – Zaraki

"Why? !" the others ask in surprise, but Ichigo already knew the reason.

"Strong people like us are born to fight. We are instinctively drawn to battles, whether we know it or not. You want to fight the shinigami for a just cause or noble reason. I'm not as sane as to agree with that. I haven't had sanity in so long. But I'll help you just because I believe you will attract a lot of strong opponents. And I want to be there to fight too." Zaraki resolved.

A new ally has joined the Protectors from Karakura. His unyielding will for battle matches his desire for powerful enemies. Will it help the Protectors or lead to their downfall?

**Chapter 11: Maggot's Nest**

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Next Day, Temple of Kenpachi**

Ichigo, Orihime, Uryu, Sado, and Rukia were seated on the wooden floor in a small circle. They were planning out their next move.

"We've made the temple our base of operations. We will regroup and recover here in between missions." Ichigo told them.

"So what's the next step?" – Uryu

"We need to gather some information about the God corps. So that means we need to go on a Reconnaissance mission to gather whatever intelligence we can about the shinigami." – Ichigo

"What should we look for?" – Orihime

"Anything that might tell us how many shinigami there are and how powerful they may be. We should also find out the locations of important objectives such as their headquarters, soldier barracks, and most importantly: where they are storing the captured souls." Ichigo explained.

"Remember this is a recon mission. Avoid fighting at all costs. We want to keep our known presence to a minimum." Ichigo urged.

The others nodded in understanding. "So when do we leave?" – Rukia

"We'll leave in the evening to allow the cover of nightfall. We just need to find someone who knows how to get to the Seireitei." – Ichigo

(Sound of wood splintering)

Suddenly Zaraki Kenpachi burst through the sliding door. The others watched as it fell to the ground in pieces.

"I hear you want to go straight to the God corps!" Zaraki said with an anticipating smirk.

"Why didn't he just open the door?" Sado whispered aloud.

"Was he eavesdropping on us this whole time?" Uryu sweat-dropped.

"It's just a spying mission. There isn't going to be any fighting. You don't have to come with us." Ichigo nervously told the battle-hungry beast.

"Nonsense! You need a way into Seireitei, right? I just happen to know all of Soul Society like the back of my hand. I'll lead the way. I won't take no for an answer." Zaraki 'insisted' forcefully as he towered over the group.

"O-okay." Ichigo stuttered.

"Great! Let's go we're wasting time!" Zaraki shouted excitedly as he ran out the broken door.

"What happened to waiting until night to leave?" Sado sighed tiredly.

"If the shinigami don't kill us, I'm pretty sure that guy will." Uryu mumbled.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Forrest, Some Hours later**

Despite leaving the compound several hours earlier than intended, their journey turned out to be long enough to allow for night to fall.

"How long have we been walking?" Rukia wondered as she looked around the dense woods the group happened to find themselves in.

Orihime looked up to see that the stars and moon were blocked out by the trees. "It's really dark. I can't see my own hand in front of my face."

"There doesn't seem to be a village anywhere for miles." Sado added at the lack of lights.

"Just how far away is the Seireitei?" Ichigo asked their 'guide' Zaraki.

"Don't worry about it. I know where I'm going. The Seireitei is to the South of the 80th district of North Rukongai. So all we have to do is walk straight south to get there." – Zaraki

"And which way is south?" – Ichigo

"That way…probably." Zaraki pointed in front of him.

_Probably? ! Just how bad is this guy's sense of direction? ! _The others thought in comical frustration.

"Wait! Look over here!" Rukia announced as she pointed to a light source in the distance.

The group approached the edge of the tree-line that surrounded a clearing. In the middle of the open space was a cavernous stone structure. It had a large steel door and two shinigami standing guard. The light that Rukia spotted was two torch lights that provided just enough illumination for the small clearing.

"Well it's not the Seireitei. But, whatever is worth guarding must be worth investigating." Ichigo reasoned.

"So we need to get in there right?" Sado asked in confirmation.

"Yeah. But we should take out the guards first. Try to do it silently. Then we can take their keys and-" Ichigo was interrupted.

"ORRRRAAAAAA! Out of my way!" Zaraki shouted maniacally as he burst out of the tree-cover and rushed the guards, easily beating them to a pulp. Then with another mighty roar, the beast Kenpachi punched the steel door with his bare hands. The others watched in surprise as the barrier crumbled to the ground.

"Err…never mind." Ichigo and the others sweat-dropped.

"Come on! You guys are going to miss all the fun!" Zaraki exclaimed.

They enter the cavern and soon find themselves descending a long stone staircase without railings. The further down they went, the colder the air felt. The stone on the walls were damp with moisture from the condensation.

At the bottom of the stairs, they entered an enormous room. It was at least a hundred meters wide and just as long. The 'roof' was far above their heads, about 10 stories high. At the center of the room was a large raised platform that made it look like a stage. Along the walls were a series of ledges and small platforms that held lit torches that provided lighting for the voluminous room.

"What is this place?" Orihime wondered aloud as everyone heard her voice echo.

"Look over there." Sado pointed towards the lone dark hallway at the other end of the room.

"Let's check it out." – Ichigo

The group cautiously walked along the poorly lit corridor. At the end, they found another steel door. Zaraki breathed in deeply as he prepared to smash it down.

"Wait! Wait! Let's check if it's unlocked first." Ichigo stopped the large man.

And to their surprise, it was. Orihime knocks politely as they open the door. The room is completely dark with no visibility.

"There must be a light switch or something." – Ichigo

(Click)

The room is suddenly flooded with light, revealing what looked like a make-shift chemistry lab.

(Glass Breaking)

The group tenses in alarm. They see a man dressed in stained, ragged clothes. He had light blonde hair and gray eyes. His chin and face had traces of whiskers. This man also looked like he hadn't slept for days since he had bags under his eyes. Orihime also noticed that he looked exhausted and a little malnourished.

For a moment, the group just stared at the man, who stared right back. The temporary silence was broken when the dirt covered man finally spoke. "Oh come in come in. You're here just in time to see my latest and greatest invention."

"?"

"Close the door and turn off the lights." He told them kindly.

They wordlessly comply as they watch the strange blonde haired man. They seem him crouched over a Bunsen burner which was heating a strange substance in a glass beaker.

"Erm, excuse us but…" - Ichigo

"Shush. Watch…" the man urges.

They watch as slowly, green and yellow orbs of light start to levitate out of the container. Nearly a hundred small spheres of light danced around the room in a silent ballet. Shadows on the floor circled wildly with the fantastic illumination. The man waves his hands around like a conductor as if directing the flow of the 'stars'. Pure wonder was the only way to describe it.

The moment was broken as suddenly the room lights turned back on.

"Okay, I'm bored." Zaraki grumbled as he finished switching on all the light switches.

To everyone's confusion, they see the strange man dive under the nearest table.

"?"

They look up to see the orbs of light had frozen in place and began to shake uncontrollably.

Ichigo sensed a spike in spiritual energy. "Get down!" he shouted.

Everyone ducked in time, just as the light show exploded violently, knocking the steel door off its hinges. They coughed as dust and smoke filled the room uncomfortably for a moment.

"Still too sensitive to illumination. Oh well. I'll fix it later." The man spoke to himself in mumbles.

"Um, excuse me." Orihime said timidly.

The blonde man looked up at them a second time, but his expression looked like it was the first time he saw them. "Oh hello. When did you come in?"

"?"

"We were here for a while. We were almost killed by that light show!" Ichigo says frustratingly.

"Light show? What light show?" the man asks, ignorant of what he just did.

"You called it your 'latest' and 'greatest' invention." - Uryu

"I don't usually get visitors. My name is Urahara Kisuke and this here is my humble abode." Urahara ignores the inquiry and introduces himself with an exaggerated bow.

_This guy's not exactly right in the head. _They all thought.

"I'm Inoue Orihime. And this is Kurosaki Ichigo, Yasutora Sado, Ishida Uryu, Kuchiki Rukia, and Zaraki Kenpachi." She introduces everyone.

"And what may I ask, brings you to the 'Maggot's Nest'?" Urahara gestures wildly with his arms raised.

"Maggot's Nest? Is that what this place is called? Is it some kind of jail?" Ichigo asks.

"Not really. It's a containment facility for people who are considered 'dangerous' but who haven't committed any actual crime." Urahara explains with a smile.

_So it's like a mental hospital. _Uryu thought as he watched the unstable man carry on with his explanation.

"I've made the Maggot's Nest my home for over a century. It gets boring here so I've had to find ways to occupy myself so I don't go crazy. Kehehehehehe. Oops. Maybe it didn't work too well." Urahara grins with borderline insanity.

"You did all _this _while locked up in here." Ichigo says with disbelief as he indicates the various devices and inventions scattered around the room.

"It wasn't easy to get the materials to make most of these things, especially since I'm locked up in here. But I have always found a way." Urahara told them as he searches for something in his cabinets.

"Aha! Found it." Urahara exclaims victoriously.

To everyone's surprise, he curiously takes out a stuffed lion's doll and sets it on the table in front of them.

"This was one of my more exciting inventions." Urahara says with glee.

"It's a toy." Uryu points out as he sweat-drops.

"It's more than just a toy." The crazy inventor claims.

They watch intently as the doll sits still.

And continues to sit still.

"…"

"Oh right forgot about the _other _part." Urahara realized as he takes out a small green pill from his sleeve pocket and puts it in the doll's mouth.

To everyone's surprise the doll jumps straight up as if it suddenly became alive.

"I the great Kon-sama, live again!" the toy declared astonishingly as it struck an exaggerated pose.

"What…What is it?" – Uryu

"I am not an _it_! I am greater than you! Bow down to me!" Kon orders the much larger Quincy.

"It's a mod soul, an artificial soul made for combat. You can put it in virtually anything and it will come alive." Urahara explains proudly.

"So then why did you put it in a stuffed animal?" – Ichigo

"Ahaha! The question is why _not?" – _Urahara

"This guy is a little crazy." – Uryu

"I haven't had guests in so long. Make yourselves comfortable, I'll get some tea." Urahara offers kindly as he looks through his cabinets.

They hesitantly find some wooden stools to sit on. Zaraki remains standing by the door, a little fidgety from the lack of action.

"Tea...tea…tea…where is the tea? Aha!" Urahara announces. "Kon prepare the tea." he orders as he hands it over to the stuffed animal who grumbles a complaint.

Urahara takes a seat on the nearest stool and asks "So what can I do for you?"

The protectors look at each other for a moment, deciding whether or not to reveal anything to this strange man.

"Well, I guess we can ask you. Do you have any information on the God corps?" Ichigo asks, not really expecting an answer.

"Hmm. I think I have a text somewhere…" Urahara takes out a book from the dusty shelf and tosses it at Ichigo. The cover read '101 Curry Recipes'.

"Err, I don't think this is the right book." Ichigo says with a sweat-drop.

"Oh I guess I misplaced it. Well I can give you the important summary I suppose. What do you want to know?" – Urahara

They were surprised that this man was so willing to help.

"Well for starters, how big is the God corps?" – Ichigo

Urahara takes a moment to think of the right way to answer. "Imagine the largest possible army you can think of. Then multiply that by 10."

"!"

"Ah but an overwhelming majority of them are just weak grunt soldiers. I suppose you want to know about the actual strong ones. The ones that refer to themselves as 'hosts'." Urahara shocks them with his extent of inside information.

"Only the upper levels of the God corps receive a 'body' and become its 'host'. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but from what I've heard, the body's abilities and powers are greatly increased with the inclusion of these 'hosts'." Urahara explains.

"Do you know anything about how the God corps is run?" – Ichigo

"The hierarchy of the God corps goes like this. Soldiers are divided into one of 5 different army groups. Each army group is led by a General, with a Colonel second in command. Below them in the rank are various Majors and Captains. There is a separate army group called the Reserves which house the weaker and older of the troops. And then there is the Recovery Division, responsible for healing. Its led by a Lieutenant Colonel which is the highest rank allowed in that division. All of the army groups and divisions are led by the Supreme Commander at the top." - Urahara

"Everyone with a rank of Major or higher is a 'host'. The shinigami that only have the host ability to 'fuse' with their zanpakuto are of 'Major' rank. Colonel's and General's have other abilities, but they are unique to the user." He adds.

"Damn. I was hoping the shinigami we fought were at least as strong as a Colonel or something." Ichigo admits.

Kon brings over the tea, setting down the ceramic cups in front of each seated guest.

"You all fought with Majors and won? ! That's amazing! You must be extremely strong." Urahara exclaims as he gets uncomfortably close to Ichigo, examining him.

"I'll inspect the woman!" Kon shouts in glee, diving at Orihime with a perverted grin on his face.

Orihime sweat drops as she bats away the mod soul with the back of her hand. The defeated stuffed animal crashes into a cabinet. The contents spilled onto the floor. Beakers, papers, cardboard containers and other things fell out.

One object immediately caught Ichigo's attention. It was a small dark violet sphere, the size of a large marble. It shined with a light that seemed to come from within it.

Ichigo hypnotically picked it up and gazed at it in the palm of his hand. A sharp pain tears through his body. He falls to the ground clutching his head. A storm of screams, whispers, and voices fill his mind.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Ichigo's inner world**

The hooded man collapses to his knees, grabbing at his face in pain. He doesn't scream though. Black sparks of Reiryoku shoot out of his cloak randomly.

Zangetsu looks at the hurting man in concern.

"**It's…it's **_**that!**_"

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Urahara's Lab in the Maggot's Nest**

And suddenly, it all disappeared. Ichigo's body is covered in sweat as he breathes rapidly. He is on the floor, struggling to sit up right. Orihime is kneeling by his side. Ichigo blinks once to see that Urahara had removed the marble from his hand. The blonde man stares at him intently.

"I would suggest that you not touch _that _again" Urahara says seriously, which surprised the others.

"Are you okay Ichigo?" - Orihime

"I…I think so. Something weird happened…when I touched that…thing." – Ichigo

"Oy! Are we going to go find some shinigami to fight or not? !" Zaraki suddenly shouts impatiently.

"We still need to find a way in to the Seireitei. Do you have something we could use, Urahara?" – Uryu

"Hmm. I don't think so. How about this?" He takes out a green and white striped hat.

"Uh…what does it do?" – Sado

Urahara puts it on his head and leans his body all the way forward. "It's one of my favorite inventions. It's a hat that never falls off your head no matter what." He explains proudly.

The group sweat-drops as they stare at the man in disbelief.

Urahara starts digging through his boxes of devices and other things. The others look around the room, trying to find something that could help them.

Orihime finds something on the floor and picks it up. It's a framed picture of a beautiful woman with dark skin, purple hair, and a jester's smirk. The woman was dressed in the finest of royal silk that wrapped around her, giving her the appearance of an empress.

"Who's this?" – Orihime

Urahara glances at the picture once. "Oh that's just a cat that visits me every once and a while."

"Huh?" - Orihime

"Lalalalala." Urahara ignores her confusion and hums a random tune.

"What about this?" Sado points to a map on the wall. It had a detailed cross-section of the 320 districts that make up the Rukongai. It clearly marked other locations, such as the Seireitei and the Maggot's Nest. At the center of the map was a large shaded region marked 'God corps'.

"Oh that's just a map of Soul Society. You probably won't need that. Lalalala" Urahara hums.

"That's exactly what we need." Ichigo sighs in frustration as he smacks his forehead.

"I can hear footsteps coming from the staircase. I think that's our cue to get out of here." – Sado

Ichigo looks around the room once and quickly comes up with a plan. "Take Urahara and the map with us. Also try to get as much of his stuff as you can carry. We can bring it all back to base and plan out our next step. Orihime, Zaraki, and I will stall for time." Ichigo ordered.

"Alright! Time to fight!" Zaraki shouted excitedly.

"What about me?" – Rukia.

"Help Chad and Uryu get this stuff out of here." – Ichigo

"Are we moving out? I love moving out! Or do I hate it?" - Urahara

"Oh I'm definitely going to need to bring this and that and this." Urahara said as he ran around the room collecting some of his belongings.

"And don't forget about the great Kon-sama!" the stuffed animal added.

**Scene Break – View change to Staircase**

We see three figures descending into the Maggot's Nest. We immediately recognize one of them as Storm. He is joined by two other shinigami.

The one at the head of the group was a man with a bald head and red coloring at the corner of his eyes. The other member of the group is a man with blue eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair combined into three points, one in the front of his left eye and two behind his head.

"Why did you have to drag us all the way out here, Major Viper? Isn't the Maggot's Nest under your army's jurisdiction? I don't see why I have to be here." the blonde man asks.

"Can't you stop being lazy for a minute, Major Sorrow? You're making the God corps look bad." The bald man known as Viper tells him.

"I can't help it. That's just the way I am. Besides, at least I'm not like Major…oops, I mean _Captain _Storm." Sorrow teases, referring to the Storm's demotion after his defeat in Karakura. The mission may have been a success, but you will always be punished for losing a fight.

"Don't be so hard on him Sorrow. After all, Storm is only a lowly Captain." Viper joins in the taunting.

Storm takes the insults, without retaliating, for it is forbidden to speak against someone of a higher rank in the God corps.

The three shinigami approached the large central room. At the other end, they spot Ichigo, Orihime, and Zaraki. Storm immediately recognizes Ichigo.

"You!" the demoted Captain screams in fury.

"Oh you know him? Then this must be the kid that beat you on your last mission." – Sorrow

"And isn't that the Rogue of the Rukongai, Zaraki Kenpachi? What is he doing working with these kids? I thought he fought alone." – Viper

"It doesn't matter! I'll kill them all!" Storm shouted with rage.

"Looks like that guy has a bone to pick with you." Zaraki told Ichigo with a smirk.

"Let me fight Zaraki. I want to be the one to bring him in. I'll be a legend." – Viper

"Then that means I have to fight the girl. Fine. I didn't want to try hard anyway." – Sorrow

"So should we fight three on three, or have three different one on one battles?" Orihime asked Ichigo.

"I think we can each handle ourselves against these guys." – Ichigo

"Perfect! I didn't want you two to interfere in my fight anyways." – Zaraki

"Let's go!" Ichigo shouted as he unsheathed Zangetsu.

**Ichigo v Storm**

"**Obey, Zabimaru!" **Storm forcibly released his shikai.

"I need to pay you back for last time." The red-haired shinigami said menacingly as he swung his zanpakuto around like a whip.

This time, Ichigo was easily able to dodge the attacks. His opponent's moves hadn't changed much since their last encounter. He measured Storm's Reiatsu and was able to determine that the God corps Captain was no longer at his level.

"What are you spacing out for? !" Storm released his shikai's full length, smashing into Ichigo's unmoving side.

"!" Storm looked in shock as the shinigami from Karakura not only blocked the full force of his attack, but also did it with his _bare hands._

"Either you've gotten weaker, or I've gotten stronger than you in the last few days." Ichigo said seriously. He wasn't taunting. In fact, Ichigo was surprised at how much the gap was between their strengths.

"Graaah! Don't mock me!" Storm screamed as he released his true form and fused with his blade.

"**Storm!" **the Captain chanted as his arms fully merged with the metallic tendons of his zanpakuto.

"I'll show you how much I've changed!" – Storm

**Orihime v Sorrow**

"You wouldn't mind giving up would you?" Sorrow asked with a lazy expression.

Orihime sweat-dropped.

"Then I guess I should end this quickly and get back to the others so we can leave." Sorrow muttered as he held his zanpakuto out to the side.

"**Bow down, Wabisuke!" **he shouted. The katana in his hands shines in a bright aura. It disperses to reveal his shikai: A curved blade with two 90 degree turns on the end to make it look like a hook. The cutting edge is also surprisingly on the inside of the hook.

Sorrow grunts forcefully as he swings at Orihime who dodges back. But despite his lazy appearance, the God corps Major was quick on his feet.

"**Santen Kesshun!" **Orihime announced as she summoned her shield between her and her opponent.

The shikai struck against Orihime's shield, which didn't falter under the force of the attack. However, Sorrow didn't end his barrage as he continued to hit the energy shield over and over again.

To Orihime's surprise the shield began to crack until finally, it shattered into thousands of pieces.

"!" – Orihime

"My Wabisuke's ability is to double the weight of anything it touches. And it's compounded with each hit. I struck your shield 8 times, so it became 64 times heavier than normal and collapsed on itself. Now you can't hide behind anything!" Sorrow shouted as he charged his defenseless opponent.

"**Koten Zanshun!" **Orihime chanted her primary attack. The spirit zoomed straight at Sorrow who just blocked it with his zanpakuto.

Tsubaki rebounded but Orihime redirected the attack to hit again. It failed, as Wabisuke hit the attack spirit several times, compounding its weight to an unbearable limit.

"Now that's two spells you can't use anymore." Sorrow taunted.

"I've got another trick up my sleeve!" – Orihime

"**Open the gates to the Realm of Light. Clustering hopes become a new star. Its shining omnipotence reveals all. Seal of Light: Nova, Fist of the Burning Sun!"**

Orihime's clothing changed in a flash of light. She now wears black shorts with a black ribbon on each leg and she has a cape tied onto the shorts in a bow in the center. She wears a sleeveless white shirt underneath a sleeveless black vest with a zipper. Her hair is tied into a long ponytail. On her hands, she wears leather fighting gloves with metal pads. An aura of light encased her as her gloved hands glowed with white fire.

"Making me use this power. Tsk. You better not lose too quickly!" Nova Orihime taunted, as the energy circled around her powerfully.

**Zaraki v Viper**

"**Submit, Hozukimaru!" **Viper shouted as soon as the fight started. The blade changed into a wooden spear with a red tassel at the end. The God corps Major knew he couldn't hold back anything against the legendary Rogue of the Rukongai.

"Tell me something. What is your name?" Zaraki asked with a serious expression.

"I have no interest of sharing pleasantries with the likes of you!" Viper defied.

"Tch. To announce your name is a last courtesy for your opponent. If a person dies in combat, at least you get to know the name of the one that ended your life. Weaklings that can't follow this don't deserve my time." Zaraki told him.

"Interesting. If that's what it takes to fight you then I'll grace you with my name. I am Viper, Major in the 3rd army group." He stated with pride.

"I am Zaraki Kenpachi, Rogue of the Rukongai. Let's make this fight interesting." The large beast of a man charged forward, Reiryoku flaring behind him.

**Ichigo v Storm**

Since Storm transformed into his true form, Ichigo had to use Zangetsu again to block the extended range of attacks. But even though the onslaught looked to be out of his hands, Ichigo was actually well within control.

"You think you're so strong? ! Try dodging this!" Storm shouted as his segmented arms dug into the ground. Fissures and cracks raced across the surface.

Ichigo looked to his feet in time to see the metallic edges from Storm's Zabimaru-infused body erupt from the dirt. The shinigami Protector easily dodged away from the surprise attack.

"I've got you now!" – Storm

Ichigo saw that he was forced into a corner of the massive room. He looked to be trapped there with nowhere to dodge.

"Now die!" Storm roared as he launched both arms at a terrifying speed.

"**Getsuga Tensho!" **Ichigo fired a wave of spiritual energy from Zangetsu that easily cut through the metallic tendons.

Storm watched in horror as his blades shattered into several pieces before his eyes. "W-what? Impossible! With…one…attack?"

Ichigo's eyes were shadowed as he looked down with a serious expression. "I guess I should feel lucky that you haven't improved a bit since we last met. That makes my mission easier. But, I can't help but feel a little disappointed."

A silent pause passed between then. Ichigo exhaled a deep sigh and looked straight into Storm's eyes. "I'll show you just how far away you are from me."

"**Open the gates to the Realm of Darkness. The absent void is all consuming. Bend to my will and defy destiny!" **Ichigo chanted.

Ichigo's shinigami uniform was replaced with a long black cloak. His own shadow arose from the ground and encased him in a transparent dark aura. An ancient form of writing appeared on his arms in black ink.

The dark written tattoos fell of his arm and leaked into his blade. Zangetsu's edged side was now covered in the scriptures.

"**Seal of Darkness:…!" **Ichigo shouted as he dug Zangetu into the ground.

Thin black lines raced across the surface from the point of contact, twisting and turning. The very shadows casted in the room jumped out of the way of the expanding pattern on the floor.

Storm watched in horror as the angled lines converged beneath him, holding his shadow in place. The God corps shinigami could do nothing.

"**Eruption!" **

An explosion of black spiritual energy erupted from Storm's own shadow, burning him in a fiery blast from under his feet. "Graaaaah!" the shinigami cried in pain as the attack consumed him.

The blast radius expanded for a moment, before ascending high into the roof of the room, ten stories above everyone's heads.

The dust cleared to show Storm, fallen and defeated.

"You're just no match for me." Ichigo said with sincerity.

**Orihime v Sorrow**

"Oy you lazy bastard! Try and keep up!" Nova Orihime taunted as she continued to pummel Sorrow with her gloved fists.

The slower shinigami couldn't keep up with the fierce onslaught of his renewed opponent. "I guess I have no choice. **Sorrow!**" he cried as his body morphed with his zanpakuto.

The light from the change cleared to show that Wabisuke had split into four identical blades that connected to a central point on his back, making it look like a large swastika. The shinigami's blonde hair changed to a dark black.

"I think I remember now. You are the one that liberated Viral's 'body.' I guess I should have gone all out from the start." The morphed Sorrow realized.

Dark purple wisps of Reiryoku circled around his body as he powered up. The ground started to crack beneath him from the sheer pressure.

"Nothing's going to change. You're still going to lose!" Nova Orihime rushed the unmoving Sorrow, and delivered a swift open palm thrust to his chest.

A blast of white Reiryoku from Orihime's hands exploded against the shinigami's body. But to Orihime's surprise, Sorrow remained in place, relatively unaffected by the strong attack.

She tried again, performing an agile flip and swinging the heel of her foot down onto her enemy's head. The attack hit full force, the ground beneath Sorrow cracked and crumbled into a deep crater. Yet, the shinigami still looked unfazed. Sorrow grunted roughly as he grabbed Orihime's leg and flung her against the wall.

Her eyes shot open in pain and shock as she slid to the floor. _What the hell was that? _Orihime thought to herself as she found it hard to stand.

"My true form allows me to increase my weight allowing me to withstand your direct attacks. Not only that, but with just a mere touch of my hand, your whole body becomes 10 times heavier." Sorrow explained.

"You should give up and come quietly. That increased weight must be taxing on your exhausted body." Sorrow told her, trying to coax a surrender.

Nova Orihime took a moment to look at her arms and legs. They indeed felt several hundred pounds. "That's nothing I can't handle." She ginned maniacally.

"? !" – Sorrow

"This Nova's ability gives me increased strength. Something as insignificant as this won't affect me at all." Nova Orihime explained as she flexed her legs.

"In fact, it'll turn out to be my advantage." She said confidently as she jumped high into the air.

To Sorrow's surprise, his opponent miraculously ascended all the way to the roof where she momentarily stalled in the air.

"I guess you could call this the finishing move! Thanks for standing still!" Orihime laughed as the pushed hard off the stone roof 10 stories above her opponent.

Sorrow was unable to move, due to his increased weight. He watched as Orihime rocketed towards him.

"Take this!" she shouted as the full force from her glowing white fist, combined with the accelerated fall, and the increased weight, smashed through Sorrow's dense and toughened body. This time, the attack severely injured the shinigami, breaking bones and tearing muscles.

Sorrow fell to the ground in silence, as his true form receded away.

Nova Orihime struck a pose victoriously as she closed the gate to the Light Realm.

**Zaraki v Viper**

"I know you're still holding back something! Show me your full strength!" Zaraki yelled forcefully.

"My true form! **Viper!" **he shouted. The energy around him surged and changed his body. A red tassel of hair appeared at the back of his head. The red face paint around his eyes expanded into an intricate pattern on his face. His hands turned into pointed spear heads, as his arm extended into long black chains, attached to his shoulders.

"Excellent! Now fight me with everything you have!" Zaraki roared as he charged head on.

Viper lunged his arm forward, shooting out a spear head at terrifying speed. The hookshot-like attack missed as Zaraki suddenly disappeared.

(Bells ringing lightly)

Viper jumped to the side, quickly avoiding Zaraki's surprise attack from behind. The jagged sword hit the ground with an incredible force.

"Oh. You can hear the bells. I put them in my hair for a reason. Only those with strong enough spiritual energy to harm me, can hear the bells." The beast Kenpachi laughed as he continued to attack.

"If you keep attacking me so recklessly, you're soon going to leave yourself…open!" Viper shouted in victory as he thrust his spearhead hand at Zaraki's head.

The gargantuan rogue leaned back just in time to avoid getting hit. But, to Viper's surprise, he saw that he was able to knock off his opponent's eyepatch.

Waves of golden Reiryoku suddenly exploded out of Zaraki's form. The air became slightly distorted from the sudden increase in Reiatsu from the strongest warrior.

"You knocked off my eyepatch. Maybe I should say congratulations, since that's the closest you've gotten to injuring me. But now that you've removed it, you won't get another chance." Zaraki explained as his spiritual energy skyrocketed. The ground shook and the roof cracked from the release of power.

Viper experienced fear for the first time in his life as he stared upon the demonic beast known as Zaraki Kenpachi. The deathly golden spiritual energy took the form of a large skull with horns.

This was the Rogue of Rukongai's full power.

"k…kkck" Viper choked as he felt the overwhelming spiritual pressure crush him.

"Raaaaa!" Zaraki roared as he crashed his jagged zanpakuto into his unmoving opponent.

The ground shattered, wind and energy exploded outwards, and Viper fell forward, completely defeated.

Kenpachi sighed as he retied the eyepatch onto his head. "Pathetic." He muttered to himself.

"W-wait…" Viper struggled to say, blood dripping from his mouth.

"K-k-kill…me" the defeated shinigami coughed out.

"I have no interest in killing weaklings." – Zaraki

"Are you…toying with me?" – Viper

"Don't admit defeat and seek death, die first, then admit defeat. When you lose, but don't die it just means you were lucky. At those times, think only about survival. Survive and think only about killing the guy who failed to kill you. Fight me again, when you're stronger." Zaraki told him finally as he walked away.

Viper stared at the back of his opponent. The defeated shinigami's mind was clouded with rage, fear, confusion, and so many other emotions. Finally he fell unconscious.

**Scene Break – Normal View**

Sado, Uryu, Rukia, Urahara, and Kon appeared out of the dark hallway carrying various containers of devices and documents.

"Oh my. What happened here?" Urahara piqued curiously as he looked at the three fallen god corps shinigami.

"Let's go, we need to leave before they send reinforcements." Ichigo ordered as they all ran up the staircase.

Rukia spotted Orihime's opponent and was shocked to see just how severely he was defeated, while the young woman looked relatively unharmed.

_This is the power of the one who defeated 'me'. _Rukia thought with awe as she hesitantly gazed at Orihime.

"We need to return to base and prepare for tomorrow." Ichigo told them.

The full moon in the sky shined brightly, as the thick forest concealed their retreat.

**End Chapter 11**

(Author's Note: The fight scenes were a little bit rushed in my opinion. Sorry. The upcoming confrontations will be a little more descriptive.

And now Urahara and Kon have joined the group. Hooray. See you all in two days.

Now for an Omake and other such things.)

**Omake**

(A conversation between Nova Orihime and Zaraki)

"So that is your true power?" – Zaraki, referring to witnessing Orihime's Nova power for the first time

"Psh. I haven't even revealed my true strength yet. If I did, I'd end up killing every weakling I fight." – Nova Orihime

"I know what you mean. I have to seal up my power with this damned eye patch. It itches too! Sometimes if I'm irritated enough, I'll just kill my opponent if he annoys me." Zaraki complained.

"Yeah. I'd do that too." – Nova Orihime

Just then, Kon walks in. To his horror, he visibly sees the killer intent radiating off of Orihime and Zaraki.

_Those two should never be in the same room together. – Kon_

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia:**

Urahara Kisuke – Imprisoned because he was considered dangerous by the God corps. But despite his century-long imprisonment, he still is somehow able to occupy himself with creating some of the strangest inventions. He has an in depth knowledge of the God corps and its inner workings. A 'cat' used to visit him every once in a while.

**Original Skills:**

**Seal of Darkness: Eruption **– Ichigo transfers the energy from the Elemental Realm into Zangetsu's blade. Stabbing it into the ground causes black lines to expand out of the sword tip in an intricate angled pattern. The lines converge onto the opponent and erupt out of the ground in an enormous explosion of spiritual power.

**Quote from a Future Chapter:**

"Your memories from over _there_, have they returned?"

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 12: Infiltration**


	13. Ch 12: Infiltration Part 1

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. An important note: the next few chapters are going to be published in multi-parts of 2 or 3. My schedule is starting to crowd up as the Fall semester approaches. My updates will be just as frequent, but the chapters won't be as long. On the bright side, I can now concentrate more on quality rather than quantity of words in each submission.

So here we go. First real infiltration mission in this chapter.

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**Second Arc: Soul Society**

**Date Posted: 8/13/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

Reiryoku = Spiritual Energy

Reiatsu = Spiritual Pressure

**Last Time:**

Sado, Uryu, Rukia, Urahara, and Kon appeared out of the dark hallway carrying various containers of devices and documents.

"Oh my. What happened here?" Urahara piqued curiously as he looked at the three fallen god corps shinigami.

"Let's go, we need to leave before they send reinforcements." Ichigo ordered as they all ran up the staircase.

Rukia spotted Orihime's opponent and was shocked to see just how severely he was defeated, while the young woman looked relatively unharmed.

_This is the power of the one who defeated 'me'. _Rukia thought with awe as she hesitantly gazed at Orihime.

"We need to return to base and prepare for tomorrow." Ichigo told them.

The full moon in the sky shined brightly, as the thick forest concealed their retreat.

**Chapter 12: Infiltration Part 1**

**Scene Break – Scene Change Next Day, Temple of Kenpachi**

Scene opens. We see the interior of the main room of the temple. What was once a dojo-like setting was now converted into a makeshift lab and workplace for Urahara. This, of course, frustrated Zaraki a bit but he calmed down at the prospect of a good battle in the upcoming mission. Ichigo is in the middle of discussing the operation.

"The information that Urahara gave us was exceptional, but we still are lacking the key piece of intel. We need to find out where the shinigami are storing the souls." Ichigo explained.

"Does the map give us any hint as to where the facility might be?" – Sado

Ichigo brings out the detailed hand-made map and unfurls it onto the table in front of him. He points out the large shaded area covering all of the Seireitei marked 'God corps'.

"A large portion of the Seireitei is classified as unknown. There aren't any identifiable structures or landmarks that we can make out." Ichigo tells them.

"However, there is one area of the God corps that is at least partially identified." He indicates a revealed building at the very edge of the Seireitei, built right next to the outer wall.

"What's that?" – Uryu

"It's a lab." Urahara says plainly with a blissfully ignorant smile.

"A lab? Why would they need a lab?" – Orihime

Unnoticeable to everyone else in the room, Zaraki tenses up slightly, hands balled into fists.

"I'm not sure. But since it's the only clearly marked objective, we'll make that the focus of our next mission. We'll look for any clues as to where the souls might be stored." – Ichigo

"A place like that must be heavily guarded. How do you expect us to get in?" – Uryu

Ichigo paused to think for a moment. There was no obvious way to get into the Lab without detection or engaging the enemy. For now, the tactician was at a loss.

"I know of a way in." Zaraki suddenly spoke up. His tone was uncharacteristically serious and even. His demeanor was neither wildly expectant nor desirably eager.

"?"

The large man steps up to the map and points to an area just outside of the wall, next to the Lab. "That's where we make our way in."

Ichigo looks at the map, trying to identify what feature there was that allowed for a secure entry into the Seireitei. But there was nothing obvious.

"That unnamed compound resting next to the Lab, is known as 'Camp 13'. It's a…slave camp." Zaraki barely managed to control himself as he spoke. His hands were noticeably shaking and he didn't like the feeling one bit. Dark memories surfaced for a moment but he quickly threw them to the back of his mind.

"The God corps controls several slave camps within the closest districts of the Rukongai. That particular one, 'Camp 13', is used as a source of…'test subjects' for the shinigami working in the Lab." – Zaraki

"That's horrible." – Orihime

The absolute rule of the God corps was more severe than any of the Karakura Protectors had suspected. The idea of people being used as guinea pigs in experiments was sickening.

"The shinigami pick the candidates for their tests daily. So if you want a way in, that's the clearest method." – Zaraki

Ichigo was going to ask Kenpachi about how he knew so much about 'Camp 13' but once he looked at the tall man's conflicted expression, the young man knew he shouldn't privy further. So instead, Ichigo formed a plan in his mind from this new information.

"We need to disguise ourselves as slave camp inmates and infiltrate the Lab." Ichigo decided.

"Perfect! I have disguises prepared for all of you!" Urahara cheered as he produced 6 costumes.

"Why would he even have this?" Uryu muttered with a sweat-drop.

"We should leave right away. The sooner we get into the camp, the sooner we get into the Lab." – Ichigo

"What are you going to do about your zanpakuto? It's not exactly a concealable weapon." Sado pointed out the rather larger buster blade on his friends back.

"Hmm. I think my dad taught me something about sealing my spiritual energy. I haven't tried it before. But I guess this is the best time for it." Ichigo removed the wrapped shikai from his back and held it out in front of him with both hands. Taking a deep breath, he started to lower his Reiryoku. The zanpakuto dissolved into a spray of light particles before everyone's eyes.

The procedure over, Ichigo looked at his own arms, feeling as if he was a stranger to his own body. Quickly shaking it off, he nodded to his friends that he was fine.

"Are you coming with us Zaraki?" Ichigo questioned.

"Yeah." The normally battle-hyped man said with a neutral tone. Everyone noticed the change, but didn't voice it.

"You're going to have to hide that sword under your clothes. I believe the best thing to do would be to hide it on your back and wear a few extra layers over it." Uryu suggested.

Zaraki looked at his blade carefully. He had always carried it with him proudly. Its jagged edge and rough look made it a lasting symbol of his blood-stained past. To hide it made him feel cowardly.

But if it's the only way to get into _that _place, he would do it. Urahara handed him several clothes. Zaraki wrapped his body in bandages to hold the sword on his back. The bulky mass of clothing made him look like he had a hump back. Combined with the eye patch and scar on his face, Kenpachi's overall appearance gave him the best disguise out of the whole group.

"You're a natural" Urahara complimented, to which Zaraki resisted the urge to kill the blonde inventor.

"We better get going. Remember to hide your powers as much as you can. We want to avoid confrontation with the enemy." Ichigo urged.

The others nodded in confirmation as they left the temple. Urahara and Kon would be staying behind since neither of them was suited for this sort of job. The fighters' mental strength and physical endurance will be tested and heavily strained during this operation.

Their destination was the worst pits of the Rukongai. Their goal: infiltration.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to North Rukongai First District**

The slums of the inner districts were worse than what the visitors from Karakura expected. As they approached closer and closer to the God corps-controlled Seireitei, the living conditions of the civilians around them seemed to worsen.

Finally they entered the First district. Here, there were no buildings, no houses, and no streets. There was nothing but wide extents of wasteland. The souls in the slave camps were forced to mine the rough terrain and expected to farm the infertile lands. Both tasks were near impossible and so many of them suffered.

Ichigo and the others found it easy to blend in with the slaves since the guards were looking for escapees rather than noticing a few extra inmates adding themselves to the crowd. The six operatives arrived in time for the current shift to return to the compound.

As the tired laborers gathered around them for their march back to camp, Orihime noticed the condition these men and women were in. Exhaustion, malnourished, weak, these unfortunate souls were susceptible to disease. Their faces were pale, their muscles and bones fragile from lack of nutrients. Their eyes were red and blank. The very lives of these innocent people were tortured.

As they approached the camp, Ichigo made a mental note of the structure. The compound was vastly large, surrounded by a tall barrier that looked impossible to climb for a normal person. There was also guard towers placed every 20 meters around the perimeter, overlooking the interior. The inside revealed several poorly constructed wooden shacks that housed 10 times the occupants that could initially have fit in each of them.

The entire sight was horrifying and only served to strengthen the group's desire to overcome and defeat the tyranny of the shinigami.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Central Headquarters for Camp 13**

The head office for slave camp 13 contained various low ranking officers and the Warden himself who ran the entire compound. The Warden was only of a Captain rank within the God corps. His desire for a promotion was strong, and so he worked the inmates to death to produce results that would please his superiors.

He was especially eager to please the officers that worked in the Lab, who would often visit his camp to collect 'test subjects' for whatever they were working on. Today was especially important to him, for Colonel Sever of the First Army Group and Head Researcher of the God corps Laboratory, was visiting the camp in person.

"Colonel Sever, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." The Warden bowed deeply.

The Colonel's appearance was unusual to say the least. The man had a skeletal appearance with a skull-like visage. His fingernails were blue, and with the exception of the middle finger on his right hand, were all short. The long fingernail was as long as the finger itself. He also wore a white hat with two points that jutted out to his right, and a purple scarf. His face and skin were also painted black and white. This man's terrifying appearance made the Warden hesitate for a moment.

"My department has always chosen this camp for its 'subjects' in the past. However, today I am here personally to handpick the candidates for my latest experiment. It's extremely important and classified above top secret. So I trust you will aid me in choosing the souls best suited for me." The Colonel told.

"Of course, Colonel Sever. What, may I ask, is it you are looking for in a candidate?" – Warden

"I need them to be physically fit and in a healthy condition. I will need multiple male and female subjects, no more than 5 in total." Sever stated his requirements.

The Warden was sweating nervously. He knew full well that the inmates were all weak and sick. How was he going to find any suitable souls?

"That won't be a problem, will it?" Sever asked with restrained killer intent.

"No of course not! I've got exactly what you're looking for. Please wait here while I retrieve them. My guards will tend to whatever you need." The Warden told him while trying to hide his own nervousness.

"Fine. But be quick about it." Colonel Sever shooed him off.

The Warden quickly made it down the staircase from the headquarters to the ground level of the compound. He was accompanied by two guards.

"Listen up! Gather around you scum. It's time for an inspection!" the Warden ordered the slaves angrily.

The souls ordered themselves slowly, and after several minutes, the entire crowd of 1200 inmates was assembled.

"We need to find the most fit and healthy slaves amongst them for Colonel Sever to use." The Warden ordered the guards.

"But sir, they all look like walking skeletons. I don't think any of them are in top notch condition." One of the guards pointed out.

"Well you better find some, or I'm handing _you _over to the Colonel to be a 'test subject' in his latest experiment!" the Warden threatened.

The guards quickly walked through the rows of people, looking for anyone who might still have shreds of life in them. To their surprise, they were quickly able to isolate 3 healthy young men and 2 young women.

Of course, the chosen 5 happened to be Ichigo, Orihime, Sado, Uryu, and Rukia. Zaraki was left out because of his apparent humped back and eyepatch that made the guards assume he had damaged vision.

"This is…this is perfect!" the Warden said to himself in shock. "Get the Colonel. Let him examine these five for himself and he can make his final decision." He ordered the guard.

Ichigo looked to his friends, silently communicating with them through nods and slight gestures, unnoticeable to the average observer. Everything was so far going according to plan. Zaraki was left behind, but Ichigo thought that it was for the best. Kenpachi was a wild card and it was hard to predict what he was going to do.

In a delicate operation such as this, they couldn't have him spontaneously start a fight. Not only that, but most everyone noticed that Zaraki was deeply conflicted about this mission. So from the start, Ichigo was hesitant to bring him along. But, everything seemed to be working out anyway.

"So these are the best you can offer?" Sever conducted a quick preliminary examination with his sight.

"I suppose it will have to do. My soldiers will take over from here." Sever told the Warden as several shinigami from the First Army group stepped forward.

"**Bakudo Number 1, Sai!**" the soldiers chanted.

Ichigo and the others felt their arms become forcibly restrained behind their backs. The crowd watched the five of them led away and out of the camp.

Zaraki looked on with an unreadable expression. He was now 'alone' in the camp. He knew the others depended on him to keep their cover. So for now, the warrior within him would have to remain locked away.

As they were led out of the compound and through the massive walls surrounding the Seireitei, Ichigo could only confirm that phase one of the operation was complete.

But, would the rest of the mission go just as smooth?

**End Chapter 12**

(Author's Note: Hope this chapter was conveyed clearly. Expect the next one in two days. I'll continue the multi-part format for a while, in order to keep up my schedule.

Oh and the Warden can be considered a minor OC. He won't play too much of a role though.

Now for omake.)

**Omake**

(Some reviews of the story, in the minds of the characters themselves)

Kon: "I need more screentime! My sheer awesomeness needs to be conveyed to the viewers. I am the main character after all."

Hooded Man: "Am I supposed to be emo, angry, vengeful, helpful, or what? And what about my background? Is that going to come up anytime soon? I feel so useless."

Urahara: "Ahahahaha. I love this story. Or maybe I hate it? Is it edible? Can it be used with a blowtorch, a microwave, and three rotating blades? Has anyone seen my hat? Oh right, it never falls off! Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't been able to remove it since I put it on. Oh well. I'll fix that later."

(Other reviews from the characters to come later)

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia**

Camp 13 – A slave camp in the first district of North Rukongai, ran by the God corps shinigami. The inmates are forced to perform impossible tasks in harsh conditions. The Warden is an ambitious Captain who desires a promotion. He will do anything to gain recognition in the eyes of his superiors. Camp 13 is most known for handing off unwilling 'test subjects' to the Lab, which is in close proximity, run by Colonel Sever of the First Army Group.

**Quote from a Future Chapter:**

"Do you see it? The decay of the universe. I have done everything I can to stop it."

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 13: Infiltration Part 2**


	14. Ch 13: Infiltration Part 2

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for the late update and shortness of the chapter. I've been sick for the last few days. I haven't been sick for 8 years until recently :-(.

For the new readers, I always post the date of submission for the chapter just below this message for convenience. Again, the short/quick update format will continue for the near future. If anyone is disappointed by the length of the chapters, I am sorry. I do have to study for the GRE and GRE Physics tests that I have coming up. But anyways, here is the chapter.

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**Second Arc: Soul Society**

**Date Posted: 8/15/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

Reiryoku = Spiritual Energy

Reiatsu = Spiritual Pressure

**Last Time:**

"So these are the best you can offer?" Sever conducted a quick preliminary examination with his sight.

"I suppose it will have to do. My soldiers will take over from here." Sever told the Warden as several shinigami from the First Army group stepped forward.

"**Bakudo Number 1, Sai!**" the soldiers chanted.

Ichigo and the others felt their arms become forcibly restrained behind their backs. The crowd watched the five of them led away and out of the camp.

Zaraki looked on with an unreadable expression. He was now 'alone' in the camp. He knew the others depended on him to keep their cover. So for now, the warrior within him would have to remain locked away.

As they were led out of the compound and through the massive walls surrounding the Seireitei, Ichigo could only confirm that phase one of the operation was complete.

But, would the rest of the mission go just as smooth?

**Chapter 13: Infiltration Part 2**

The Seireitei. The massive complex housing the God corps shinigami stretched far into the horizon. Ichigo and the others reserved themselves as they were led through the streets towards the nearby Lab.

Tall metallic towers were spaced around the Seireitei every few hundred meters. Some looked similar to radio towers, and others were constantly releasing black smoke into the atmosphere of Soul Society.

The design of the Lab was made for optimum security. Only three floors were built above ground, and the other 37 stories were dug deep beneath the surface. The exterior was bland, containing no windows and painted gray. The only evidence that it was even a building was the solitary front door from which they could enter.

Colonel Sever felt a sense of pride every time he gazed upon his Lab from the outside. The design was his personally and its long standing reputation as the leader in combat advancement for the God corps was something to admire. The face-painted man entered his Lab, his prisoners/test subjects in tow.

_Today is going to be a good day. _– Colonel Sever

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Camp 13**

Zaraki told himself that he shouldn't do anything rash. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be for him. For some strange reason, his very presence in Camp 13 made him extremely reserved and cautious. But why?

His back started to feel sore from being crouched over for so long. Kenpachi was reminded that he had to stay in disguise, so he pushed the minor irritation to the back of his mind.

"Listen up you ingrates! As punishment for not being chosen by Colonel Sever, you get to work an extra 6 hour shift today!" the Warden announced harshly. The man was angry. His desire for a promotion from the Colonel was basically ignored, and so he wanted to release his frustration on something. Unfortunately, the camp slaves were the perfect stress reliever.

Zaraki half-expected the crowd of souls to riot and shout in complaint. But to his surprise, nobody voiced any disapproval. The 'absolute-rule' of the shinigami was severe indeed. There was no room for argument. The Kenpachi from the 80 th district found himself following the rest of the slaves back into the barren fields. The clouds in the sky darkened signaling the coming of rain.

An unusual sense of déjà-vu passed through him.

But why?

**Scene Break – Scene change to Lab interior**

The inside of the Lab was extraordinary. The only lighting came from the glowing floors. The walls had lines of fluorescent wire running parallel to the ground. As Ichigo and the others were led deeper into the complex, the pressure in the air from spiritual energy felt like it was slowly increasing.

The air grew colder and the tension the group felt was starting to affect them. They were very deep into enemy territory, and the only way out was a door 25 floors above them. The Lab was filled with shinigami and a Colonel, the highest ranking God corps soldier they've ever met, was only feet away from them.

"You." Colonel Sever suddenly pointed at the guard escort who was at the head of the line. "Pick one of the subjects and bring him to Laboratory 27. Then take the rest to the holding cell."

"Yes sir!" the guard saluted as the Colonel departed.

"You'll be coming with me." The guard grabbed Ichigo roughly, dragging him away from the others who were being taken to the jail room.

Orihime looked at him with worry, but Ichigo nodded to her that he would be okay. The mission had taken an unusual turn. However, the objective was still the most important thing.

The shinigami from Karakura was led to a large room fitted with machinery and computers from wall to wall. At the center was a lone operating table. The guard released the sealing spell on Ichigo's arms and forcefully strapped him to the bench. He struggled a bit, but realized he wouldn't be able to break out without releasing his sealed shinigami powers. If things went south, he'll have to do just that.

The guard departed without a word, his task complete. Ichigo pushed the feeling of helplessness to the back of his head. Soon the Colonel entered the room, accompanied by a woman with long dark braided hair and bangs pulled to the sides. Her expression was neutral and it looked like she was the personal assistant to the Colonel.

"Prepare him for the experiment." The Colonel ordered her.

The assistant attached several nodes and sensors onto Ichigo's forehead and neck. She then injected a light anesthetic that made him feel drowsy.

_Maybe this was a bad idea. _– Ichigo

"Begin the procedure." – Sever

She removed a long silver cylinder that was stored in a sub-zero container. Cold fog-like smoke leaked out into the room. The cap on the cylinder was removed and the assistant retrieved the object within: A small dark orb.

Ichigo could barely make out what was going on around him. But he was still able to see the small sphere clearly. In fact, it soon became the only thing he could see. The world around him faded away into nothingness. Sound, sight, and feeling disappeared.

_What's going on? – Ichigo_

A series of scenes flash into Ichigo's mind. First he sees himself at the river on that rainy day so long ago. His mother pulls him away from the river just as he remembers. But to his surprise she isn't cut down by a shinigami. She is killed by a Hollow that resembles an Angler fish.

"?" – Ichigo

Another scene flashes before his eyes. He is now 15 years old. He's in his room alone. It looks as if Orihime had never moved in with the Kurosaki family. Suddenly, a shinigami that looks like Rukia appears in his room. He sees his family get attacked by a Hollow, but instead of unlocking his abilities himself, Rukia gives him her shinigami powers.

_What is this? – Ichigo_

Other flashes of scenes. He saves Orihime and purifies her brother. He saves Yuichi with Sado's help. He is challenged by Uryu in a Hollow-killing duel. Rukia is kidnapped by shinigami from Soul Society. He sees himself training with Urahara in the Real World. Then he is joined by Orihime, Sado, and Uryu in their mission to rescue Rukia.

_Nothing makes sense. These feel like memories but it's so different. – Ichigo_

The hooded man from his inner world appears before him. The cloaked form blended in with the black background, but Ichigo could still see him somehow.

"**You're not ready. I cannot allow you to see anymore."**

The hooded man pulls up the sleeves on his coat, revealing tattooed and scarred arms.

"**Once I release you from this place you need to run. I can help you for only 10 seconds. Don't die, you still have a mission to complete." **The shadowed man opens his palm. Black wisps of Reiryoku erupt out of his palm and consumer the distorted area.

Ichigo is jolted awake. He shouts in surprise as the seal he placed on his powers breaks. Spiritual energy explodes outwards destroying experimental equipment and machinery. Colonel Sever and his assistant are startled by the sudden release of power.

The Reiatsu continued to increase. Ichigo's Gate to the Realm of Darkness is forced open and the most energy he ever felt consumed his entire body. Strength beyond strength. Power beyond power.

It was so overwhelming.

Ichigo's mind blacks out. But his body continues to move. The restraints _melted _away. The assistant falls to the ground, choking on the immense spiritual pressure.

Colonel Sever looks into his subject's eyes. They were black and pupil-less. Zangetsu materializes in Ichigo's hands, but it wasn't him controlling it.

"**Bankai!" **the possessed young man roared.

"!" Colonel Sever stumbled backwards as he witnesses first hand, his test subject ascending to a level of power only the strongest of shinigami could wield.

"**Getsuga Tensho!" **

A devastating wave of spiritual power collides directly into the unprotected Colonel, sending the man crashing through the walls. The attack continues unimpeded and floods the hallways.

(Sounds of explosions)

The dust and debris cleared to reveal the entire floor of rooms and labs fractured and scattered. The support holding up teetered on the edge of collapse. Sever lay on the ground unconscious.

"**That's all I can do. The rest is up to you, Ichigo." **

Just as quickly as it appeared, the awe-inspiring power left him. Ichigo inhaled deeply, his eyes opened in shock and his muscles feeling sore.

"What the hell was that?" he coughed.

Ichigo knew he didn't have time to ponder. The shinigami were going to come pouring into this facility. There wasn't much time left.

"I need to find the others and get out of here." – Ichigo

The mission was compromised.

**End Chapter 13**

(Author's Note: The hooded man forces the release of Ichigo's Bankai. But I will tell you now that Ichigo himself can't use it. And the memories, mwahahahaha, more about those will be revealed later.

Sorry for the extreme shortness of the chapter. My flu is pretty much gone now, so the next chap should be up earlier and quite a bit longer.

See ya next time. Sorry for no omake, I wanted to get this chap out in time.)

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia:**

Colonel Sever – The head of the Lab division in the God corps. Also second in command of the First army group. His love for live subject experimentation matches his sinister desire to attain greater and greater states of being. He sees the body as a limitation and wishes to exceed such a weakness.

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 14: Infiltration Part 3**


	15. Ch 14: Infiltration Part 3

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: Thanks for the review! I'm feeling all better now and I've got 150 out of 350 GRE vocab words memorized. Lol, still got a lot to go.

And I went all out on this chapter!

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**Second Arc: Soul Society**

**Date Posted: 8/17/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

Reiryoku = Spiritual Energy

Reiatsu = Spiritual Pressure

**Last Time:**

The dust and debris cleared to reveal the entire floor of rooms and labs fractured and scattered. The support holding up teetered on the edge of collapse. Sever lay on the ground unconscious.

"**That's all I can do. The rest is up to you, Ichigo." **

Just as quickly as it appeared, the awe-inspiring power left him. Ichigo inhaled deeply, his eyes opened in shock and his muscles feeling sore.

"What the hell was that?" he coughed.

Ichigo knew he didn't have time to ponder. The shinigami were going to come pouring into this facility. There wasn't much time left.

"I need to find the others and get out of here." – Ichigo

The mission was compromised.

**Chapter 14: Infiltration Part 3**

Run

Run

Run

That was the only goal that mattered now. Ichigo rushed down the long hallway. The lighted floors were dim and cracked. Sparks and currents of electricity leaked out of the floor sporadically. Unconscious shinigami lay slumped against the walls. Ichigo's vision was constrained—the dust hadn't settled down completely yet.

_That power I had. It felt incredible and strangely familiar as if it was a part of me. And those flashes of 'memory', they appeared when I was in close proximity to that dark orb. It looked like the one Urahara had. And that hooded man, how did he take control of me?_

Ichigo felt like a stranger in his own body. A storm of questions plagued his mind and he knew that there were more pressing matters to attend to, but he couldn't help but be affected by everything that happened in the last hour.

Sounds of someone barking orders could be heard down the hall and around the corner.

"Lock down this floor! Find the Colonel and secure any escapees!"

"But sir, this whole level could collapse any minute now."

"I don't need to hear excuses! Just do what you're told!"

Ichigo remained hidden around the corner as he heard the squad of shinigami depart in the opposite direction. The whole facility was on high alert so it was going to be an arduous task to escape. Not only that, but he needed to somehow meet up with the others who could be anywhere by now.

His worries turned out to be for not, as blue spiritual arrows suddenly shot down the adjacent hallway impaling two shinigami guards. Ichigo turned the corner to see his friends had escaped their holding cells.

"Hey, over here!" Ichigo signaled to the others.

"Fancy meeting you here." Sado joked.

He nodded. "We need to get out of here as quick as possible. The risk of the mission has escalated." Ichigo told them seriously.

"That explosion, it looks like it took out an entire floor of this place." Uryu observed.

"Did you do that?" – Rukia

Ichigo didn't say anything but his conflicted expression answered for him. "Let's just go."

As the others ran down the hall, Orihime took a second to glance at the epicenter of destruction that Ichigo had caused unwillingly. Black scorch marks were painted into the ground, walls, and ceiling spreading outwards from the testing station. This looked like an uncontrollable burst of energy. Orihime knew that Ichigo didn't like to be out of control of his own abilities, so that meant he was internally dealing with something. She would need to ask him about it later.

Right now, the window of opportunity for a safe escape was closing.

**Scene Break-Scene Change to First District North Rukongai Barren Fields**

Zaraki had joined the other slave camp inmates in the most recent shift of hard labor. The weakened and tired bodies of these souls struggled to keep up with the strain of this work. To make matters worse, rain had begun to pour heavily upon the muddy and slushy ground.

Deep puddles formed every time someone dug a hole. Zaraki didn't know for what purpose he was digging. He knew in his mind water would flood it, either collapsing the mud into it, or making it more difficult to continue digging. What was he even doing? Was he mining, or farming? He didn't know. He was just told to dig a hole and here he was, doing it without so much as a complaint.

What was with this unusually subservient behavior? The man known as the strongest warrior seemed to have left this body. His banter for battle and his wild thirst for a fight were lost to him.

The hole he was digging got as deep as the top of his head. Water continued to pour into it. But Kenpachi didn't move from his spot. He would continue digging and digging. Finally, the water reached up to his chin. He paused for a moment, as if considering if he should continue.

"You shouldn't do that." A man's voice told him.

The large man looked in alarm for the person who spoke to him. Nobody was there. All the other slaves were scattered around the field quite a distance away.

"What kind of idiot drowns while digging a hole? !" the voice said with mirth.

Zaraki realized the voice wasn't coming from anybody around him. It was echoing in his mind.

His memories from 75 years ago were coming back to him.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to First District North Rukongai, 75 years ago**

It had been raining for what seemed like weeks. Sunlight hadn't been seen in just as long. The gray sky and impenetrable rain would gloom any average person. But for these slaves, it was just another day for them. The shinigami forced them to work until their bodies broke, and then told them to work some more.

We see a much younger man who we know as Zaraki Kenpachi. But his appearance is significantly different than what he looks like 75 years from now. Here, he was just a young man with long unwashed black hair. His legs and arms looked weak and his body was small.

This young man was digging a hole for no other purpose than that he was told to do it. Soon he found himself nose deep in a hole filled with muddy water. Yet he still continued to dig without hesitation.

"You shouldn't do that." A man's voice calls out behind him.

The young man turns to see the person addressing him. He was tall and had wild spiky hair colored bright red. One could even say it was dark pink. The neutral expression of the young man in the hole was in severe contrast to the man outside, who smiled happily.

Seeing that this guy wasn't saying anything else, the young man in the hole continued to dig.

"Hey. What do you think you're doing? !" the bright haired man asked incredulously. He was apparently ignored, as the young man's head was now below water. Scratching his head in frustration, the interrupter forcefully pulled out the young man from the hole.

"What kind of idiot drowns while digging a hole? !" he asked with mirth as he patted the teenage boy's back as he was still coughing uncontrollably.

"That's your body telling you to stop doing stupid things." He tells the silent young man.

"What's your name?" he asks after a while, but the boy remains silent.

The pink-haired man decided to introduce himself. "The name's Yachiru." He said proudly but the young man still remained silent.

"You know. If someone gives you their name, you are suppose to give yours back. It's a rule you know." Yachiru told him with mock scold.

"I…I don't have a name." the young man mumbles.

Most people would be slightly hesitant in the next thing to say, but Yachiru followed up confidently. "You're a strong looking young man. I always see you out here digging holes, no matter if it's in the middle of the blazing sun or coldest night, you never stop. I'll tell you what. I'll give you my 'second name'. You should feel honored." Yachiru chuckled as he rubbed the kid's hair.

"From now on, you are Kenpachi." He told the young man who looked up questioningly.

"I can tell you're wondering what it means. Well it's a name given to the strongest warrior of each generation." Yachiru told the boy, whose eyes opened in surprise.

"W-w-why would you give that name to someone like me?" 'Kenpachi' asked with a great deal of emotion.

"Because it sounds cool." Yachiru laughed, as if that was the only explanation required.

'Kenpachi' was about to protest but the wild man strangely pointed his hand up into the sky. It was still raining and so it looked even more ridiculous.

"Do you see it? The clouds have the freedom to fly and the rain has the freedom to fall. I see this everyday and it burns my soul with desire." Yachiru says with a wild grin.

"But, the clouds have to follow the air currents, and the rain has no choice but to fall to the ground." The now named Kenpachi muttered.

"What if the clouds choose what currents to fly on, and what if the rain chose where to fall? Even if the ending is the same, the idea that you can pick your own path is something that everyone deserves." Yachiru boasted.

Kenpachi just looked at this man like he was crazy. What could slaves like themselves do? They worked and only worked. There was nothing else for them.

Yachiru looked at Kenpachi's eyes between his long black bangs. He knew what the boy was thinking of. "I probably am crazy. But a strong desire for something is natural for any living thing. And what I want might seem impossible for people like us, but if I do everything I can to grab _'it' _then I will eventually have it."

"?" – Kenpachi

"Freedom. I want freedom from all of this. I never want to see another shinigami in my lifetime. I want to escape the tyranny of the God corps and control my own destiny. This slave camp is an obstacle in my way and I'll fight with everything I've got to defeat it." Yachiru declared.

They heard the whistle blow signaling the return of all current workers to Camp 13. It was just another sign of the hopelessness of their situation. But to Kenpachi's surprise, Yachiru didn't look the least bit affected.

"My desire to fight for my freedom will never die." – Yachiru

Kenpachi and Yachiru gathered with the rest of the group as they made their way back to camp.

The once nameless boy thought about the words of this man. Could freedom possibly be a universal right? Was this how someone on the 'outside' thought?

**Scene Break – Scene Change to 1 year later, 74 years before the events of 'Infiltration'**

Over the past year, Kenpachi and Yachiru became close friends and soon Yachiru's desire to be free became Kenpachi's desire too. Their hopeful spirits soon spread to others in the camp. A plan was forming in the wild man's mind. And it was only a week ago where he told Kenpachi about his idea for an escape.

"You think we can really do it?" Kenpachi asked. A year ago he would have labeled this whole thing a stupidly crazy. But listening to his friend's eagerness just made him hopeful as well.

"Of course. If we can just get enough people to go along with it, we can get everyone out." – Yachiru

It was decided then that a massive uprising in the camp would give the best chance for escape.

Before Kenpachi knew it, the day had come to execute the plan. The rain had picked up again for several days as it always does around this time of year. Word had spread through the camp about the escape, and most everyone was eager to join. Yachiru's confidence had spread to so many of them in the last year.

"As soon as the first labor shift returns for the second to leave, that will be the time to act. In that brief moment, all 1200 of us will be in one place and so the shinigami will be easily overwhelmed." – Yachiru

Hours passed by. The other work shift finally returned from their labor. The second shift exited their shacks earlier than usual to meet up with the first group. As soon as Yachiru saw that everyone was in place, he started the plan.

"GO!" he shouted loudly. The crowd of over a thousand men, women, and children of all ages charged the front gate, roaring like wild animals.

The shinigami were caught off guard as the wooden gate burst open dramatically from the sheer force of the mob. The earth shook from the flood of stomping feet.

Kenpachi and Yachiru were at the lead of the charge, as soon as they crashed through the gates, they held them open forcefully allowing everyone to rush out. A large majority of the slaves had escaped. But to the conspirator's surprise, the last 400 at the back were being pursued by the shinigami.

Kenpachi felt his heart stop as he watched the God corps soldiers methodically slaughter anyone they could reach.

They were no longer taking prisoners.

"Damn it!" Yachiru shouted as he ran back in to help anyone he could.

"Yachiru!" Kenpachi called out to the man who blindly charged a shinigami guard and knocked him over. Quickly retrieving the dropped sword, the bright haired man swung furiously, fighting several enemies at once.

"Graaaah!" Kenpachi yelled forcefully as he rushed an unaware guard who was knocked to the ground forcefully. The young man grabbed an abandoned shovel and swung it around dangerously. The sound of metal vibrating was heard, each time Kenpachi struck a shinigami's skull.

"Get out of here!" Yachiru yelled to what remained of the escaping crowd. They ran out as fast as they could, but with the interference of the guards, it would take a while to get everyone out.

"Come get me you bastards! I'll fight you all!" Yachiru said with a bloodthirsty grin. The sword in his hand was stained with the crimson life of his already defeated opponents.

Kenpachi was ready to take on what he could, equipped with only a shovel.

_250 left. _Kenpachi estimated as he looked to the front gate.

"What is going on here?" a powerful voice shouted. Suddenly, heavy spiritual pressure descended on everyone in the camp. They looked to see that The Warden had finally joined the fray.

The viewer sees that this is not the same Warden as the one we see 74 years later.

This man held an aura of respect and fear amongst his soldiers. Even though he was only a Captain, he was still strong.

"Lieutenant, tell the guards to kill everyone left in the camp!" the Warden ordered forcefully.

The viewer recognizes that the Lieutenant is actually a younger version of 'the Warden' we know 74 years from now.

"Yes sir!" the Lieutenant signaled the guards on the towers to descend and wipeout the remaining 100 attempted escapers.

Yachiru and Kenpachi watch in horror as one by one, the innocent souls fell to the blades of the shinigami.

"No!" Yachiru shouted in fury as he charged the Warden with a blinding rage.

"Insolent brat!" the old Warden grumbled as he drew his sword and quickly disarmed his opponent. Kenpachi watches in astonishment as Yachiru continues to fight, even without his sword.

"If you get rid of my blade, I'll fight you with my hands. If you cutoff my hands I'll kick you to death. If you cut off my legs, I'll just attack you with my head!" Yachiru shouts as he rushes the Warden.

"Your will to fight is impressive. What could possibly drive someone to go so far?" – Warden

"You shinigami and your 'absolute rule'! That's what stands in my way. I have the strongest desire to be free. We all do! I'm not foolish enough to think I can take on the God corps. But if I can just over come 'this place' then I'll be one step closer to my goal!" Yachiru shouted proudly.

"Such hopeful thinking. I'll have to show you just how impossible your 'desire' is." The Warden told him as he increased his spiritual energy. This Captain had no shikai, but his strength was still incredible.

Yachiru, knowing full well he was outmatched, charged the Warden while he himself was unarmed. "Take this!"

"How foolish! You're wide open!" the Warden shouted as he stabbed his katana into Yachiru's exposed torso. The blade pierced deep and blood poured out of the wound immediately.

Yachiru coughed out blood but his smirk remained where it was. "Now I've got you where I want you." The wild man chuckled as he held onto the Warden's sword to keep him in place. Withdrawing a concealed knife, Yachiru stabbed the old man in the shoulder. His intended target was the skull, but somehow the Warden was more agile than he looked.

"Get off me!" the Warden shouted as he kicked Yachiru off his blade.

The critically injured man's body tumbled on the muddy ground until coming to a rest. Yachiru lay motionless as he stared straight up into the rain-filled sky. Kenpachi quickly made his way over to his dying friend.

"Yachiru!" he shouted as he watched the man who had given him his name, grow weaker.

Despite the gratuitous amounts of blood loss and the severe wound in his chest, Yachiru managed to reach his arm up into the air, grabbing at the sky above him.

"Clouds choose where to fly, and rain chooses where to land." Yachiru muttered.

The rain was dying down to nothing more than a drizzle. "Have I chosen my own path? Is this freedom?"

Yachiru watches as the sky begins to open up for the first time in weeks. Beams of light shined down all over Soul Society. The air felt cool, and the wind slowed to a light breeze. And with that, Yachiru's life finally slipped away.

"Yachiru!" Kenpachi cried with heavy grief.

The man who gave him a name, the one who had given him purpose and told him of a life worth living, died in front of him.

_'My desire to fight for my freedom will never die.' _Yachiru's voice echoes in Kenpachi's mind.

_'Kenpachi…it's a name given to the strongest warrior of every generation.'_

_'But if I can overcome this place, I'll be one step closer to my goal!'_

"What a pathetic slave. He was nothing until the very end." The Warden spat at the dead body.

Suddenly something clicked deep within Kenpachi. A powerful eruption of spiritual energy and choking Reiatsu exploded out of the young man.

The Warden and the guards reeled back from the overwhelming display of power. _What is this? What's going on?_

"Desire…fight…" Kenpachi muttered as his own power possessed him.

"Who are you? !" the Warden

"I…am…the…strongest warrior!" Kenpachi roared as the wild beast locked away unleashed its havoc.

"Stop him!" the Warden ordered but the guards were blown away from the wind and pressure extending outwards.

"You! I'll fight you!" Kenpachi pointed menacingly at the Warden who shuddered in fear. Never before had he felt such an awesome display of strength.

A jagged sword suddenly materializes in Kenpachi's hands. The earth shook and the clouds above opened up completely to reveal the shining midday sun. Rocks and rubble turned over as the ever increasing energy from the warrior continued to rise.

"W-w-wait." The Warden pleaded, but it was too late.

"GRAAAAAAHHH!" Kenpachi swung his blade, ejecting an arc of dense spiritual energy. It collided into the unprotected Warden, killing him instantly.

The attack continued to sail through, destroying one of the four walls that secured the compound. Dust and debris scattered everywhere as the remaining 25 slaves witnessed the devastation caused by one person.

But just as soon as the power appeared within the boy, it vanished. Kenpachi fell to the ground unconscious, as everything left him. The remaining guards fled the scene, not wanting to get involved with such a monstrous person.

A man—one of the surviving slaves that Yachiru and Kenpachi fought to defend—approached the fallen Kenpachi and hoisted him up.

The viewer recognizes that this man is a younger version of the old man that gave information about Zaraki Kenpachi to Ichigo and the Protectors when they first arrived in Soul Society.

The remaining escapees helped to carry Kenpachi out of the nightmarish camp.

Together, they left as free people.

**Scene Break – End Flashback – Time return to 74 years later**

Zaraki Kenpachi's memories of his life so long ago, had come rushing back to him. Everything about his life in camp 13, to his escape was revealed to him. He looked to the raining sky above and remembered everything.

As he looks at himself now and compares it to his life back when he had no name, he could only think of one thing: that his life today was thanks to Yachiru. He has a purpose and a reason to live. He has a name others call him, and he carries it proudly. Yachiru's desire became his desire to overcome and defeat the 'absolute rule' of the God corps.

Kenpachi, now a changed man, had unknowingly adopted his friend's personality through the years. The wild, uncontrollable urge to fight strong shinigami was a result of this.

The man who died that day so long ago was no slave.

Yachiru, the only man Kenpachi has ever admired, had achieved his greatest desire.

Freedom.

**End Chapter 14**

(Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The infiltration multi-part chapters have either 1 or 2 left. I'm not exactly sure.

For those wondering about 'Yachiru', I got the idea from Zaraki saying he named Yachiru (the little lieutenant on his shoulder) after the only person he ever admired.

So I assumed that the only person he ever admired was also named Yachiru. I'm not too good at identifying Japanese Gender-less names, so I assumed this was one of those.

I wholly expect to see that in the Bleach manga/anime the 'Yachiru' that Zaraki admired turns out to be a member of the Zeroth Division.

See ya next time. Omake is here)

**Omake**

(Continued reviews from the characters of this story)

Zaraki Kenpachi: "Why would I need a background story? I'm supposed to be an uncontrollable fighter with a thirst for strong opponents. Who cares about my past? (slightly depressed tone)"

Rukia: "I don't really have many lines in this story, not counting the time I was 'Viral'. So I hope to work hard to get at least a few sentences in. (annoyingly optimistic)"

Colonel Sever: "My Lab! Holy sh*t! Why would you destroy my precious Lab! Come on man! I wouldn't just go over to your house and blow that up, would I? Sheesh!"

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia**

Yachiru – 75 years ago, he was a slave alongside the previously unnamed young man, who we know today as Zaraki Kenpachi. Yachiru's desire for freedom is matched by his will to fight for it. A year after meeting each other, Kenpachi and Yachiru planned an escape that eventually succeeded in the release of 1100 out of 1200 prisoners. The other 100 were either killed while fleeing, or were never seen again. Camp 13's Warden was killed during the escape. His lieutenant, now Captain, is Warden of the new slave camp and runs it to this day. Now that Zaraki's memories have returned, just what will happen next?

**Quote from a Future Chapter**

"I am the Keeper of the Archives of Soul Society. Your intrusion must be dealt with swiftly."

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 15: Infiltration Part 4**


	16. Ch 15: Infiltration Part 4

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Here's the next installment. Enjoy.

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**Second Arc: Soul Society**

**Date Posted: 8/19/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

Reiryoku = Spiritual Energy

Reiatsu = Spiritual Pressure

**Last Time:**

Zaraki Kenpachi's memories of his life so long ago, had come rushing back to him. Everything about his life in camp 13, to his escape was revealed to him. He looked to the raining sky above and remembered everything.

As he looks at himself now and compares it to his life back when he had no name, he could only think of one thing: that his life today was thanks to Yachiru. He has a purpose and a reason to live. He has a name others call him, and he carries it proudly. Yachiru's desire became his desire to overcome and defeat the 'absolute rule' of the God corps.

Kenpachi, now a changed man, had unknowingly adopted his friend's personality through the years. The wild, uncontrollable urge to fight strong shinigami was a result of this.

The man who died that day so long ago was no slave.

Yachiru, the only man Kenpachi has ever admired, had achieved his greatest desire.

Freedom.

**Chapter 15: Infiltration Part 4**

**Scene Break – Scene Change to God Corps Lab Basement Level 25**

Amidst the ruins of Level 25 was the Commander of the Lab division, Colonel Sever. The man was knocked out by his test subject's sudden release of spiritual energy. Caught off guard, the painted shinigami crashed into a wall and fell unconscious. After several minutes, the Colonel started to groggily awake. He could hear his subordinates calling out to him.

"Colonel! Colonel!" some guard called out to him.

Sever was finally able to bring himself up to a sitting position, his back leaning against the damaged and cracked wall. His head hurt and there was a loud ringing noise in his ear. He looked to his arms and even though they were painted, knew that there were deep bruises on his skin.

"Colonel, the five prisoners are escaping!" one of the guards reported.

Never in the many decades since this facility was built had there ever been a successful escape attempt. And since there was rarely anyone crazy enough to try it, the guards were inexperienced in this matter.

The Colonel quickly took command of the situation. "What floor have they reached?" Maybe there was still time to stop them.

"Sir, they are ascending the eastern staircase and will approach Level 10 within the next 5 minutes."

_Level 10, eh? Then this will be the perfect time for 'that'. _"Destroy the eastern stairwell, use smoke, fire, whatever you can to flush them out onto Level 10." Sever ordered.

"But sir, we don't have any troops stationed on that floor."

"I've got everything under control. Just call the Ground Floor and make sure they destroy the stairwell. If we can get them onto Level 10 then there is no way they can escape." The Colonel told the shinigami. The guard saluted and departed hastily.

Sever turned to his assistant who had awoken moments before and was now standing at attention. She looked severely injured, since she took most of the blast at point blank range, but despite this she didn't seem affected by it.

_I certainly designed you well. _The Colonel thought to himself with a hint of pride.

"Let's go. If everything goes according to plan, we can test out the Prototype series." Sever thought with a maniacal grin. His latest and greatest work will certainly be more than a match for these intriguing young souls from the Rukongai. However, the bright haired shinigami boy worried him a bit. If that power was ever released again, it could prove troublesome for his Prototypes.

But Sever had a feeling he wouldn't have to concern himself about that.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Lab Eastern Staircase**

Nearly 15 stories above the destroyed 25 th Level, Ichigo and the others were quickly making their way to the exit. They met little to no resistance so far and so their hopes were fairly high. But soon, they would find out that things were going to change.

(BOOM CRASH)

An explosion from above them rocked the stairwell. Everyone grabbed onto the railings to hold on for support. Dust particles and small amounts of rubble fell around them.

(FWOOOOSSSHH)

Below them, Ichigo saw a fire burst out of the 20 th level and it was quickly making its way up the stairs. With explosions above them and a firestorm beneath them, it was decided that this path of escape was no longer an option.

"Quick through here!" Ichigo shouted over the loud commotion. The group rushed through the door unaware that they had entered into an awaiting trap.

For this was Level 10.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Lab Basement Level 25**

The Colonel and his assistant were seated in a dark room filled with several monitors. Sever pressed a few buttons and typed in the command code, and soon all the screens displayed the action on the 10 th basement floor. All angles were covered and sound capture didn't seem to be a problem.

"Unlock Prototypes 1 through 5, all seals should be released." The Colonel ordered his assistant.

On screen, the jail cell doors were seen to open slowly and dramatically. Sever's anticipating and slightly insane smirk grew even wider. 5 figures emerged from their confines and as soon as they left the perimeter of the cell, the Colonel typed in another command code. These were the orders that would be transmitted directly into the minds of his Prototypes. The brains of the Prototypes were reduced to nothing more than automatons.

"Activate the intercom system." Sever told his assistant.

It was now time to let the prey know that it was time for the hunt.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Lab Basement Level 10**

Ichigo and the others found themselves in a rather strange place. They had entered a large empty room with a ten meter high ceiling. They could see the other end of the room, was about 100 meters away. Uryu noticed that the room was just as wide.

A blaring noise echoed for a moment on the speaker system in the room. Someone began to speak, and Ichigo immediately recognized it as the Colonel's voice.

"Attention escapers, if you look around, you will find yourselves on Level 10. It is one of my most cherished designed floors. You'll notice that unlike the other levels you've seen, this one is completely without hallways and laboratories. That's because this Level is used for practical live testing." Sever told them.

Across the room, they could see 5 figures standing absolutely still, each spaced at 15 meters apart. These unknowns all looked the same. Shaved heads, black eyes, emotionless blank expression, dressed in shinigami robes, and equipped with a sheathed katana on their left hip. On each of their foreheads, next to the crown tattoo, was a number from 01 to 05. The escapers had a pretty good idea of what they had to do to get through here.

"That's right. If you want to get to the Western Staircase on the other side of the room, then you'll have to defeat my Prototypes. I'll even give you a little information about them to give you a chance." Sever snickered.

Ichigo didn't like what he was hearing. If the enemy was confident enough to reveal something, then that meant the Colonel felt it was impossible for them to beat it.

"The five beings standing before you are former shinigami. I 'upgraded' their forms to optimize their combat capabilities. You will see that they are not all the same, as each one is equipped with some special skills. And one last thing, they are programmed to follow my every command, and so they will continue to attack you no matter how much you injure them. So try not to die too quickly. I need some data I can work with." Sever finished as he cutoff the intercom.

"That bastard" Ichigo mumbled. Their opponents would fight relentlessly, but at least they found out about it now instead of the middle of battle, where it could catch them off guard.

"I guess we will each take one." Rukia spoke out the mutual agreement.

They each took their positions. Staring down their motionless opponents, everyone could feel the tension in the air.

"Go!"

The first charge was taken, as the Prototypes mimicked the group rush, the two sides met in the middle.

**Uryu v Prototype 01**

The Quincy fired several test shots during his initial charge, in order to test out the strength of his opponent. Prototype 01 looked to be unflinching as he easily deflected the arrows with his blade.

_Let's try something else. _"**Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot Level 1.**" Uryu chanted as he drew back the bowstring and charged twice the energy into it. The arrow was shot off at two times the speed and force. This was the next strongest attack past his base level.

The attack struck 01 but the Prototype just shook it off. In fact, this time 01 didn't even use his katana to block or deflect the arrow. It just looked as if the attack bounced off his skin. The distance between them had closed quite a bit, so Uryu backed off with his superior speed to gain a ranged advantage.

_I need to go stronger. _"**Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot Level 2.**" Now with four times the speed and force, this attack would surely do some damage. The arrow made a direct hit. Light blue sparks expanded outwards from the point of impact.

But to Uryu's surprise, 01 looked unaffected. Even the strongest opponent would at least reveal signs of strain. However, this prototype remained undamaged. The Quincy immediately concluded that there was something strange going on with 01. He needed to find out what it was or he could lose this fight.

**Orihime v Prototype 02**

Orihime had been carefully keeping her distance from 02. She didn't know what the prototype was capable off, and so she didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. 02, however, wasn't as reserved, as Orihime saw him charge unflinchingly, blade raised high

"**Koten Zanshun!**" she called out her attack spell. To her surprise, and benefit, the attack hit 02's wrist, knocking out the blade from her opponent's hands. The sword flew far away to the other side of the room, sliding across the ground.

Orihime expected the prototype to go and retrieve the weapon, but she was nearly caught off guard as 02 just rushed her with his bare fists. She didn't like to be in close range combat—in her current form.

"**Santen Kesshun**" Orihime chanted as the shield appeared and blocked the punch. The unarmed assault from 02 was apparently stronger than it looked as the shield shook from the force of the fist.

The prototype wasn't done yet as his left fist was firmly pushing against the light shield, he performed an open palm strike with his right hand.

Normally, this still wouldn't have affected the shield, but Orihime watched in surprise as sparks of spiritual energy cascaded outwards from the points of contact. The shield cracked and suddenly shattered into thousands of shards.

Orihime's motionless shock was short lived as she dodged backwards from her opponent's continued assault. The distance she put between them allowed her to contemplate what had just happened.

_My shield has broken before, but only against really strong attacks. To have it shatter from two punches is unthinkable. _– Orihime

Something else was at play here and she needed to figure it out soon.

**Ichigo v Prototype 03**

Ichigo was currently limited to engaging his opponent in close ranged sword combat. Judging his opponent's strength was the first key aspect in battle. But so far, there didn't seem to be anything special about 03. There was no apparent shikai the Prototype could use, and his sword handling wasn't that much above average.

But Ichigo knew that there had to be a hidden ability that his opponent had. They wouldn't send grunt-level soldiers after them.

_Let's see what he does about this. _"**Getsuga Tensho!**" A wave of white spiritual energy fired from the tip of Zangetsu. It wasn't a large blast since Ichigo needed to control the amount of damage that could be done to the room before it collapses from the stress.

03 did nothing special, just dodged it like most opponents would. However at that moment, Ichigo felt the floor under his feet shift suddenly. The surprise movement nearly made him fall over. The prototype used the chance he had—Ichigo's imbalance—and tried to make a devastating slice attack. But, Ichigo was able to bring up his cleaver to block the attack that would have severely injured him. The hit was strong and metallic sparks were viewable for a moment.

_What the hell just happened? _Ichigo wondered. With his many years of combat experience, it wasn't easy for him to just lose balance like that. He wondered if this had something to do with 03's hidden ability.

Ichigo would just have to wait and see what the rest of the battle would be like.

He hated waiting.

**Rukia v Prototype 04**

04 easily towered over the short-ish stature that was Rukia. But, that didn't matter to her as she was currently holding her own in the sword fight. It wasn't that surprising. If you are lower than your opponent, you have more balance, but you still have to deal with stronger attacks from your enemy.

To make things worse, the prototype happened to be quite agile despite his appearance. In fact, most of the moves he had performed should be impossible for someone of his build.

Rukia was in a tough spot, and so she decided to step it up a notch. "**Mae, Sode no Shirayuki**" she chanted. Her blade transformed into a pure white color, with a white ribbon trailing off the end.

She didn't get a chance to attack however, as she was pushed onto defense from 04's sudden onslaught. Rukia knew that this fight would be difficult since her reach wasn't as great as the prototype's. But despite the difference in 'Range of Influence'—a phrase that could be used to describe the maximum reach you have in close range combat—the difference between them shouldn't be this much.

It looked as if 04's attacks were coming from all directions, which couldn't have been possible judging from the length of the prototype's arms. Rukia was forced to come up with a solution to this unusual battle.

**Sado v Prototype 05**

"**El Directo!**" Sado threw his right arm forward, launching a small burst of spiritual energy. 05 just deflected the attack to the side, watching as it crashed into the wall with explosive force.

The muscular young man half expected his opponent to come rushing at him but was surprised to see that the prototype remained where he was. Chad knew that usually when an opponent kept their distance, it meant they had a long ranged attack. But the only weapon that 05 was equipped with, was his sword.

_Let's give it another shot. _"**El Directo!**" the attack was launched. This time, 05 pierced the ground in front of him and planted his katana into the metallic floor. As the wave of energy reached him, it made contact with the unmoving blade.

To Sado's surprise, his El Directo became absorbed into the ordinary looking katana. That was something he had never seen before. _Is absorption this prototype's ability?_

Chad needed to be careful. If he misread his opponent, then it could turn out to be a huge disadvantage for him. It might even lead to his defeat if it turned out 05's skill was something else.

**Normal Perspective**

Colonel Sever's voice echoed through the speaker system once again. He took this chance to gloat about his prized creations.

"Have you figured it out yet? Each prototype has a unique special ability. It's not a shikai skill, but a power I fused into their bodies. If you weren't able to guess it by now, then you won't have another chance. It's time for me to increase their battle prowess to the maximum setting. I'm afraid you won't live through the test. But please do provide me with some useful data."

**End Chapter 15**

(Author's Note: 5 one-on-one matches. Have you figured out what each prototype does? It'll be revealed next chapter of course.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, now it's time for an Omake.)

**Omake**

(Even more reviews/complaints from the characters)

Kurosaki Isshin: "So what's with my past? Why is it so vague? Don't tell me you're trying to be as unclear as possible so as to let the Manga reveal my background just so you could use it too! That's kind of uncreative."

Man/bystander who is continuously crushed by rubble and debris: "You've all probably forgotten about me by now, but I was important! I provided one of the earliest examples of repeated comedic punch lines that you see in this story. But now that I've bought Accident-Away (TM), a can of spray that when applied to the body helps the user evade dangerous falling objects, I'm pretty much a useless character. (Ceiling tiles fall and crush him) Oh yea, like who didn't expect _that_? I hate my life."

**Spirit of Entropy's Encyclopedia**

Prototype 01-05 – the latest and greatest creations from the mind of Colonel Sever, these automaton soldiers are adept in all basic forms of combat. However, they do not have a shikai ability like most opponents that the main characters have faced. Instead, a special ability has been infused into their bodies which they readily use. More will be revealed next chapter.

**Quote from a Future Chapter**

"You have yet to experience the true strength of a Colonel, and here you are challenging a General to a fight. You must be the most ignorant person alive."

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 16: Infiltration Part 5**


	17. Ch 16: Infiltration Part 5

**Enemy of the King**

**Author: Spirit of Entropy**

(Author's Note: Sorry for the lateness, I was moving into the college dorm today. Couldn't get this chapter out here till now. And since the semester is starting tomorrow, I will be changing my update schedule to one chapter every 3 days and I'll see how that goes.

Finishing the Infiltration saga here.

Just a reminder, I highly suggest reading this story in "1/2" format. So please select the "1/2" option out of the "full 3/4 1/2" selection. Other than that, please enjoy the latest installment.)

**Second Arc: Soul Society**

**Date Posted: 8/22/2010**

Font Key:

Text

"Speaking"

_Thought/emphasized words_

**Attack names/Hollow Speak/Ghostly Speak/Scene Break**

(Sound effect) / (Other)

Reiryoku = Spiritual Energy

Reiatsu = Spiritual Pressure

**Last Time:**

Colonel Sever's voice echoed through the speaker system once again. He took this chance to gloat about his prized creations.

"Have you figured it out yet? Each prototype has a unique special ability. It's not a shikai skill, but a power I fused into their bodies. If you weren't able to guess it by now, then you won't have another chance. It's time for me to increase their battle prowess to the maximum setting. I'm afraid you won't live through the test. But please do provide me with some useful data."

**Chapter 16: Infiltration Part 5**

**Uryu v Prototype 01**

With each arrow that the Quincy shot at his opponent, a pattern began to emerge. "**Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot Level 3!**" The projectile fired at 8 times the speed and force. A small vacuum trailed behind in its wake, emitting a sharp clap from the sonic boom.

However, just like with the other shots fired, 01 was easily able to deflect it. Such a level of invulnerability shouldn't exist. It was then Ishida noticed that the Prototype soldier had stood absolutely still at the moment before the arrow struck.

_How very suspicious. Let's test that out. _Uryu decided as he summoned three low-powered arrows into his spiritual bow and then fired them all at the same time.

01 grunted forcefully as he stuck his hands out in front of him and deflected the projectiles to the side. Just as Ishida predicted, the prototype was forced to stand absolutely still at the moment of impact. Not only that, the Quincy also noticed that with the inclusion of more simultaneously fired arrows, 01 looked to struggle more.

_So the key to defeating this guy is quantity over quality. _– Uryu

A high pitched ringing noise sounded as Ishida pulled back the bowstring to its fullest. However, not a single arrow was summoned within the weapon. "**Pride of the Quincy: 99 Blast!**" The Quincy released the 'empty' string and, just as the name of the skill implied, 99 spiritually charged arrows materialized and rained upon his opponent.

01 did not falter, as he took in a deep breath and roared loudly. The cloud of arrows dispersed in every direction. Some hit the roof, others hit the wall, and a few completely bent around the Prototype soldier. Each collision made against the surfaces scattered small metallic particles into the air. Debris blocked the Quincy from view for a moment.

"**Pride of the Quincy: Piercing Shot Level 4!**" Ishida fired his strongest base-level attack, at 16 times the speed and force, the arrow shined brilliantly as it collided into the mysterious defense used by 01.

However, this time the total deflection that usually happened didn't. The super charged arrow looked to have slowed down at the last moment, but it still kept its course implanting itself into 01's right thigh. The mindless automaton didn't flinch but it still acknowledged that its leg was damaged.

"I think I've figured you out. Your power is a type of telekinetic defense. I had thought that your ability was a type of skin-armor but not even the strongest body could go without a single scratch. Then I postulated that you were deflecting my attacks before they could injure you. It's extremely difficult, even impossible for someone to withstand every single attack just with their body."

"But if you consider the idea that the opponent is somehow changing the course of the arrows, it wouldn't take much effort to apply a small force in a perpendicular direction. I've also identifies two weaknesses. You need to stand in one place for your ability to work, and you need to accurately judge the amount of force necessary to deflect each attack. Too much or too little, and your 'perfect' defense won't work." – Ishida

If 01 had the ability to think for himself, he would have been surprised to find out that his skill was so quickly identified and its weakness clearly exposed. He would also have experienced fear, which might have saved him since it would force him to come up with either a counter-strategy or an escape plan.

But none of that happened. Prototype 01 was inflexible and could only fight with how he was programmed. He was limited to an uncreative and restricted fighting style, which would lead to his downfall.

"So if I randomly vary the amount of power with each of my arrows fired in quick succession, you should eventually be unable to deflect them." Ishida concluded as he prepared to open his Elemental Realm.

"**I call upon the Spirit of the Wind. Open the gates to the Sky Realm and become my instrument! Breathe renewed life into the fallen warrior!**" Wisps of swirling air current circled around the Quincy, forming into large wings that attached to his back. The bow in his hands changed form to become more intricate in design.

"**Seal of the Wind: Crushing Hurricane Shot!**" he shouted as his strongest attack accelerated at 100 times the force of a single arrow. The blowback from the attack was enormous, but Prototype 01 was able to barely manage deflecting the attack with his telekinetic ability.

Ishida had predicted this and quickly closed the Gate to his Elemental Realm. The rapid decrease in energy felt unusual but he shook off the feeling and fired a base-level arrow which pierced through 01's psychic shield and into the enemy's ribcage.

The Quincy's assault wasn't over yet as he opened the Gate to the Sky Realm again and fired a full powered projectile. But just as quickly as the attack left the bow, Ishida closed the Gate and fired another base-level spiritual arrow. The continuous opening and closing of the Elemental Realm was taxing on his body but his plan looked to be working.

Prototype 01 couldn't keep up with the rapid changes in strength and speed of his opponent's attacks. 01 had to use everything he had to block the strong attack, but that left him defenseless against the weaker secondary attack. Even though the automaton's mental 'will' to fight was unyielding, his physical body was dying from the numerous injuries.

Huge open wounds covered 01 from head to top, and finally the artificial being collapsed from lack of blood supporting his system.

Ishida struggled to maintain an even breath as his entire body succumbed to the stress and exhaustion of releasing and sealing the Sky Realm. This battle was over.

**Orihime v Prototype 02**

"Shield Breaker." That was what Orihime guessed 02's ability was. When the Prototype put both of his hands on her Santen Kesshun spell it shattered almost immediately.

She had quickly put some distance between her and her opponent. Such a strong close range-type fighter should be dealt with at long range. "**Koten Zanshun!**" Orihime chanted as Tsubaki raced away at high speed.

02 faced the attack head on and brought his left hand up to block it. Unbelievably, the attack spell appeared to have been stopped. But that wasn't all that happened. The Prototype brought up his right hand and smashed it into his left which was holding Tsubaki in place. The spirit shattered into small particles of golden light, as Orihime recalled the attack into her hairpins.

Whatever 02's ability was, it became apparent that it was more than a shield breaker. Orihime would have to try something else. "**Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march onto the south! Hado number 31! Shakkaho!**" A red ball of energy channeled into her palms and was released.

Orihime watched as Prototype 02 used his left hand to hold the kido spell in place, and then smashed his right palm into the orb of red energy, destroying it in s show of light and sound. That confirmed what his ability was. 02 used his left hand to block and control objects, and possibly analyze their structural make-up and then he used his right hand to break it apart at the microscopic level.

If that was the case, Orihime would have to use more drastic measures. "**Open the gates to the Realm of Light. Clustering hopes become a new star. Its shining omnipotence reveals all. Seal of Light: Nova, Fist of the Burning Sun!**"

Orihime's appearance changed in a flash of light as it always does when she opens her Elemental Realm. Her gloved fists glowed with white spiritual fire as she prepared to fight her opponent in hand-to-hand combat.

"It's time to go all out!" Nova Orihime shouted confidently as she struck a pose.

"Since energy attacks won't work on you, I'll just have to beat the crap out of you with my own two hands!" Tendrils of spiritual energy circled around her as she channeled it into her feet to launch her forward at devastating speed.

The first punch thrown was blocked by 02's left arm. An echo of spiritual waves rebounded off the impact and spread out in ripples in slow motion.

"Ora ora ora ora! Pow!" she taunted as her combination moves connected.

_Program initiating… - _Prototype 02

_Technique: Shattering Disassociation_

The command was entered into the automaton's mind and the execution had started. 02's left fist glowed light blue.

_Left arm: Analysis_

Nova Orihime's fist connected with his, resounding in a large echoing sonic boom. The prototype took this opportunity to try to disable his opponent.

_Right arm: Destruction_

The arm connected with Orihime's glowing fist. A red shine erupted from the point of contact due to the sound, energy, and heat released from the reaction. But to 02's surprise (if he could feel surprised), the young woman's hand had not shattered into pieces.

"That's not going to work on me! I'm constantly regenerating spiritual energy into my gloves which both add to my attack force and protect my hands from damage. I was hoping this battle could have lasted younger!" – Nova Orihime

"**Supernova, End Flare!**" A wave of white fire consumed 02 from point blank range. The residual blowback from the attack was powerful as it incinerated the wall behind the Prototype.

Orihime closed the gate to the Light Realm, her task finished.

**Ichigo v Prototype 03**

_Program initiating… _- Prototype 03

_Technique: Ghost Hand_

Ichigo felt the floor beneath him shift violently. The metallic tile under his feet suddenly upturned and hovered in place. Other tiles around him performed the same maneuver. His opponent looked to be absolutely still as metal and steel pieces from different parts in the room began to rotate around his form. 03's katana was among these pieces.

"What the hell is this?" – Ichigo

A strange sense of static electricity hovered over Ichigo's skin as 03's control over the pieces increased. Suddenly, three sharp projectiles flew at him with terrifying speed. The shinigami from Karakura skillfully dodged and deflected the shards of metal. But it seemed the onslaught had no pause as more and more daggers of metal and steel flew at him.

"Magnetism? Is that what this is?" Ichigo confirmed his guess as the Prototype's storm of metallic projectiles rained down upon him.

_Block…dodge…block…deflect…dodge…deflect. _The mental mantra echoed in Ichigo's head as he kept up with the attacks from all directions. But staying on defense really wasn't his preference so his eyes sharpened on his opponent, ready for a counter maneuver.

"**Getsuga Tensho!**" the wave of Reiryoku arced wildly cutting a path through the storm of debris. For a moment, 03 lost control over his magnetic ability as he was forced to dodge the attack.

_Not done yet! _Ichigo fired two more of his energy attacks, effectively disabling his opponent's technique long enough to open his gate. "**Open the gates to the Realm of Darkness. The absent void is all consuming. Bend to my will and defy destiny!**"

The transformation was hurried. As soon as the black tattoos formed on his arms, they quickly seeped into his blade which he stabbed into the floor in front of him.

"**Seal of Darkness: Eruption!**" The ground shook furiously as black lines of reiatsu shot from the puncture point and raced across the floor. With each shadow cast upon the attack, it grew in strength.

Finally, as the lines converged upon the unmoving Prototype the end was dealt. A column of black light and energy exploded from beneath 03's feet. The dark fire consumed him, blowing a hole through the ceiling that most assuredly reached the surface at ground level.

The Gate closed, Ichigo reverted into his normal form.

**Rukia v Prototype 04**

Even though Rukia, knew the name of her zanpakuto and her techniques, she was still hesitant about using the full extent of her powers. Viral was a ruthless user of these very same skills and Rukia's fear was rooted in her previous lack of control.

04's commands were finally received. _Program Initiating…Technique: Release of Form_

Rukia watched as 04's body twisted and turned unnaturally. It made her sick when the Prototype's bones had apparently been reduced to a viscous and more flexible substance. It was then that she realized 04's ability was a type of shape shifting/body extension.

A fist rocketed towards her from quite a distance away—Prototype 04's arm had extended to a length greater than 10 meters. She tried to cut the exposed arm but as soon as the sharp edge connected it felt like it was cutting through chewing gum.

Injuring 04 with normal means looked to be an impossible task. Rukia needed to compose herself if she wanted to defeat this abomination. Rapid extension and consecutive contractions require a significant heat tolerance in order to prevent tear and break. She knew this and that meant she also knew how to act on 04's weakness.

A cooling effect on Prototype 04's skin would be enough to counter and destabilize his unusual ability. Most people in her position would consider themselves lucky at the fact that they were equipped with such a zanpakuto that could provide the solution. But she was still hesitant.

_Viral was just a parasite. It wasn't me in control. _That's what Orihime had urged her to realize. Rukia wanted to believe it, but her inner turmoil still held her back.

An elastic hand extended towards her and wrapped around her left ankle tightly, effectively trapping her. Prototype 04 dragged Rukia towards him, watching her struggle in a vain attempt to get free. The automaton reshaped his right arm into a spear shape and fired it at her.

Rukia moved her head to the side to avoid the strike that would have killed her. But the sharpened makeshift-projectile still dug into her shoulder. It retracted back into the body of 04 almost as quickly as it attacked.

The former God corps shinigami clutched her shoulder in pain. It was actually the first time she experienced such a feeling since she had regained control of her body. It felt strange, but more importantly it provided her with an epiphany.

_Pain. _She had actually felt that intense reaction. Such a foreign sensation provided her with a sense of self. It meant she was alive, and that she was in control of her own body. This realization was enough to restore some more of her identity and confidence for a moment. This flash of self-evident truth allowed her to call out the attack that would end the battle for 04.

"**Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!**" A wall of ice formed in front of her and consumed the sight in front of her. Everything cooled around Prototype 04 as the spiritually-charged ice encased him. His shape-shifting abilities were halted since the genetically altered cells within him couldn't cope with the sudden decrease in temperature.

If he could scream in pain—the program in his head wouldn't allow it—04 would have. The ice tomb that permeated throughout his entire body shattered, his form falling away along with it.

His enemy in pieces before her, Rukia couldn't help but feel conflicted. Was this a triumph, or was this evidence of her earlier worries. Was she as deadly and vicious as Viral was?

**Sado v Prototype 05**

"**El Directo!**" the juggernaut teen shouted as a blast of spiritual energy launched from his fist. 05 had kept his sword punctured into the ground in front of him. As the attack raced towards him, the Prototype performed a rather peculiar counter.

The automaton soldier flicked his blade with two of his fingers. A small vibration—only noticeable from a really close distance—shook the dug in katana. Sado watched as his attack reached the sword and exploded into a shower of harmless light particles.

_Program initiating…_ - Prototype 05

_Technique: Empowered Resonance_

05 lightly struck the zanpakuto in the ground once again. The vibration carried and extended out into the air around them. Sado watched as the metallic floor cracked and pieces shattered into dust as the sound wave permeated outwards.

The Prototype then withdrew his katana a centimeter higher out of the ground, still leaving it imbedded in the surface, and struck it with his fingers once again. This time the metal didn't shatter. Instead, Sado felt a painful ringing noise reach his ears. He clutched his head as his vision shook violently. Blood began to leak out of his ears and nose. His eyes felt watery and a sharp stinging sensation suddenly hit the back of his head. But then it all stopped.

The tall young man tried to shake off the strange pain that had coursed through him less than a moment ago. _Did that have something to do with his blade vibrating? _He replayed 05's disguised attack in his head. The first time 05 used his technique, it shattered his attack. The second time, it broke the floor. The last time, it somehow hurt him. There was one physical property that existed, Sado guessed his opponent was exploiting.

_Resonance Frequency. _Every object has a resonance frequency, which is the frequency of vibrations that when applied, shatters the very structure of the object. Apparently, 05 could use his katana to emit varying levels of resonance frequencies that could theoretically break anything.

05's adjustments corresponded with the Prototype's attempts at finding the exact frequency he could use to severely injure Sado. The young man realized this and decided to act fast before the automaton could use his technique again.

"**Open the gates to the Earth Realm. Share your gift and craft my will. Forge my weapon. Seal of the Earth: Spear of the Land!**" Black Iron sand exploded out of the cracks in the walls. The whole structure was built underground, so that made the collection process easier. The particles formed a long spear that was held solidly in Sado's hands.

However Sado's used his mastery of the Earth and continued absorbing minerals and elements from the surrounding dirt. An armor encased his body from head to toe, resembling bleached-white bones. Normally, this type of defense would be weak, but Sado had a plan.

Prototype looked to be analyzing his opponent's change in structure. Adjusting the katana—used as a tuning fork—05 struck the blade with his fingers. The automaton didn't realize his mistake, and it cost him dearly.

The vibrations he initiated in his blade were set at the resonance frequency to shatter Sado's bone armor, but that meant it was also set at the exact frequency to destroy his own skeletal structure. 05's bones in his arms, legs, and torso shattered and his body collapsed quite painfully. The Prototype lay on the ground, his own ability had defeated him.

Sado's bone armor shattered away to reveal a secondary armor composed of diamond which shielded his body from the harmful resonance frequency. Closing his Elemental Realm, Sado looked around the room to see that everyone had quite easily defeated their opponents.

These Prototypes were certainly nothing to brag about.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Lab Basement Level 25**

Colonel Sever looked at the monitors with seething anger. His prized creations were so easily disposed of, as if they were annoying obstacles rather than the ultimate soldiers they were designed to be.

"GRAAAAAAHHH! I'll kill those insolent brats!"

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Lab Ground Floor**

"Don't let them get away!" the Colonel's voice echoed through the intercom system. However, unknown to him, the shinigami stationed on the Ground Floor were already knocked unconscious and readily disposed of as Ichigo and the others easily escaped the facility. Compared to the experimental soldiers on the 10 th basement floor, the rest of the guards were easy pickings.

**Scene Break – Scene Change to Camp 13**

The Warden was conversing with some of the guards, planning to increase the workload of the camp slaves as soon as their shift ended, when suddenly a loud explosion rocked the headquarters.

"What the hell was that? !" the Warden inquired furiously.

Several guards ran outside to deal with the commotion, only to be cut down as the demonic form of Zaraki Kenpachi ascended the stairs up to the high tower that overlooked the camp.

This beast of a man had cast off his disguise. A golden aura of deathly Reiryoku encased his muscular form. The steps beneath his feet cracked from the sheer spiritual pressure that exuded from him. The Warden pissed himself as he stared into the eyes of the 'Rogue of the Rukongai'. A man thought to be a monster, shinigami from all over the God corps knew to fear Zaraki.

"What…what are _you_ doing here? !" the Warden stuttered as all feeling left his legs.

The eyepatch wearing man crept closer and closer to the terrified Captain. His enormous form towered over the cowering camp warden. A bloodthirsty smirk adorned his expression.

"I'm just here on a visit." He said with a maniacal laugh.

The Warden stared into Kenpachi's glowing eye, recognition finally coming back to him. And that only served to increase his fear of the man.

"You! You're that boy from all those years ago! You killed my Captain!" the Warden screamed.

"Hahaha! I would ask for your name, but I don't care to remember pigs like you." – Zaraki

"W-wwait! I'll give you anything you want! Anything! Just name it!" – Warden

Zaraki paused for a moment faking consideration at the warden's desperate plea. "…"

"How about this? I'll give _you _something." – Zaraki

"I'll give you the name of the man who ended your life! Zaraki Kenpachi, Rogue of the Rukongai!" An explosion of power surged through his blade as the demonic man killed the pathetically weeping warden.

The Headquarters tower collapsed in a heap of rubble taking with it an entire section of wall. Kenpachi emerged from the pile of debris, unscathed as he powered down his flaring energy. The slave camp inmates emerged from their shacks, looking around in amazement at the destruction.

The man who had caused it all stood tall and roared loudly at the crowd. "Follow me if you want freedom! To leave behind the tyranny of the God corps and to grasp your future with your own hands, follow me! Beyond this nightmare is a world _you _can live in freely!"

The crowd was mixed with awe, disbelief, hope, and happiness. They could feel the metaphorical 'chains' holding them down, release. Together they left this nightmare, following the Rogue into the horizon to a free life.

**End Chapter 16**

(Author's Note: The planning out stage for the fights in this chapter felt a lot better when I wrote it. But then when I actually put it out in a full length chapter, it just didn't feel good at all. Oh well.

No omake this chapter. This was released late enough as it is. Remember, I'm starting the 3 day – 1 chapter schedule now. See you next time.)

**Quote from a Future Chapter:**

"In Hell, we go to war when we're bored...we get bored a lot."

**Next Time:**

**Chapter 17: Factory**


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Bleach, Adventure, Romance