I do not own Bleach or Kamen Rider Ghost. Those belong to their respective creators and not me. Anyone who does not like this story can go read something elsewhere. Those of you that remain, please enjoy this crossover of the newest Kamen Rider in mine and Chrome's Kamen Rider Crossover series.

Kamen Rider Ghost: Bleached

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 1: Death is only the Beginning

"Bast-! OOF!"

The call of a typical thug was cut off by a kick to the face, knocking him back in a groaning heap. His attacker merely considered it a casual move as he sighed, drawing his foot back from the attack. He was dressed in a rather plain gray boys uniform, one for the local high school, Karakura High. His features, although they wouldn't stand out in a western place, certainly did in the Japanese city. He sported bright orange hair, naturally spiked and a bit shaggy, which easily made him stand out, along with brown eyes. His face, although it could be considered handsome, was etched in a natural scowl as he glared down at the thug, one of several, he had just beaten down.

"Dammit, if you guys make trouble at least do it while I'm working so I can get some extra pay out of it," the teen grumbled, picking up his school bag from where he set it down near a telephone pole and casually strolled away from the scene of the fight he'd won, completely unscathed.

Name: Ichigo Kurosaki

Occupation: High School Student/Odd Job Apprentice

Ichigo didn't really consider himself a bad kid. Yeah, he had a temper but he could be honest with himself about it. If so many people would just stop acting so stupid, he'd be calm a lot more often. He did great in school, being eighteenth out of his year at one point. It was also pretty easy to get along with him, unless you triggered his aforementioned temper by doing some stupid act. Despite this, Ichigo just kept finding himself in situations where he had to step up and kick someone's ass. Why? The first reason was because of his hair. Because his hair was naturally orange (and he had his birth certificate on hand to confirm it) a lot of local thugs figured he was a thug too and believed picking a fight with him would give them some street credit. He'd kick their asses of course, but it didn't give him that great of a reputation with his school or many of his fellow students. His other reason for kicking ass was because there were people out there who needed help or just because certain people needed an ass kicking to knock some sense into them.

A somewhat exciting life for a student, right? Well for Ichigo, the world was just dull and gray. It was always that way since three months ago.

For the longest time, Ichigo could see ghosts. See them, touch them, and sense them. One hell of a trifecta. He'd been able to do it as long as he could remember. In turn, those ghosts would latch onto him for whatever reason, thinking that he'd be able to help them cross over. He'd lend a hand so long as they weren't assholes and for a long time Ichigo figured he'd gotten a good look into the nature of the afterlife with how often he'd come into contact with ghosts.

Oh boy, how wrong he had been.

It all began when he'd met his first Shinigami, the entities who escorted souls of the dead into Seireitei, or Soul Society, whichever you were partial to. Her name was Rukia Kuchiki, a somewhat short girl but she was at least nice, if not grating on Ichigo's nerves. During his meeting with her though, he discovered the less pleasant side of the afterlife he'd never known existed: Hollows.

Hollows were souls of people who had passed away. Unfortunately, they had remained in the human world for too long and became warped. They transformed into misshapen monsters wearing bone white masks and had glaring holes in their chests. They had limited intelligence and were consumed with the desire to consume more souls to fill that hole in their hearts. Incidentally, their favorite type of soul to snack on were the spiritually aware kind.

Souls like Ichigo's.

Rukia had been hunting Hollows on the orders of her superiors and Ichigo's powerful abilities may as well have been a buffet for the one that tracked him down. It smashed into his house and attempted to devour him and his family. Fortunately, Rukia defended them, but she had been wounded in the process. So to save all their lives, Ichigo allowed Rukia to transfer her powers to him, giving him the abilities of a Shinigami, including the ability to exercise lingering spirits and exterminate Hollows.

Life hadn't been the same since.

He'd had some struggles along the way, learning the ins and outs of being a Substitute Shinigami. Then there were issues with the Hollows and his friends getting involved in it all. Either they had powers of their own which allowed them to fight off the Hollows, or thanks to his own overwhelming spiritual power, developed abilities of their own. It was crazy and Ichigo regretted dragging them into his world at times, but he really wouldn't change a thing.

Then Rukia's superiors came looking for her and forcibly brought her back to Seireitei as a criminal since giving someone Shinigami powers was taboo. A crime she was going to be executed for. Ichigo and his friends wouldn't allow it and they stormed Seireitei, fighting the best Shinigami there to get to Rukia. It was crazy and Ichigo nearly died a few times and was forced to unlock a new level of power in the process. Still, in the end they managed it although they quickly learned that the whole conflict had been organized by someone else all for the sake of their ambitions.

Sosuke Aizen, one of the captains in the Gotei 13, the Shinigami military organization. He played the part of the kind captain and even faked his own death to remove suspicion from himself. Then when the moment was right, he inserted himself into the fray, removing something Rukia had hidden inside of her called the Hogyoku, a device which could crumble the limitations on things. Aizen stole it, taking himself and his comrades Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen to Hueco Mundo, the world of the Hollows. There he began creating his army of Hollow/Shinigami hybrids called Arrancar, led by the most powerful of them, the Espada. It was Aizen's plan to destroy Karakura so he could harvest the souls and create a special key which he could use to enter the castle of the Shinigami King and take the throne by force, thus rendering reality under his control.

In a battle called the Winter War, Shinigami and Arrancar fought with Ichigo taking on Aizen himself. However, Aizen had implanted the Hogyoku inside himself and was constantly evolving to become more powerful than before. So with no choice, Ichigo executed an attack which although it defeated Aizen, allowing him to be captured, cost the teen his spiritual abilities. He no longer had the ability to see ghosts, assume his Shinigami form, or even fight Hollows. The adventure of a lifetime many had dreamed of was over and Ichigo was forced to return to his ordinary life.

Ichigo sighed, remembering those times as he walked. He didn't regret the sacrifice he made. He'd do it again in a heartbeat if he had to. Aizen had to be stopped and there was just no other way. No, what Ichigo did regret was not being able to see the vast majority of the friends and amazing people he'd met again. Shinigami didn't have physical bodies of their own. They were spirits and only the spiritually aware could see them. Something Ichigo didn't have anymore.

Sure, he could still hang out with his living friends, but it felt to him like there was a wall between them now. They were still spiritually aware, could still defend their town from things like the Hollows, could still meet their friends from Seireitei. Ichigo would feel a pang every time one of his friends would make a hasty excuse in class and suddenly leave, no doubt having gotten a notice about a nearby Hollow that needed exterminating.

Dammit, as insane, deadly, and terrifying as those days were…Ichigo found himself missing them. The days when he felt like he had a purpose, like what he was doing mattered. Now he was just back to the daily grind and wondering if his purpose in life was already finished.

Tossing those regretful thoughts aside, Ichigo reached his home, the familiar Kurosaki Clinic which his father worked out of and where his family lived in the back. Reaching the family side, he slid open the front door, opening his mouth for a greeting, "I'm…"

"IIIIIICHIGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Where he got met with a flying kick to the face, knocking him back. Recovering quite nicely and not looking the worse for wear, Ichigo got to his feet, his scowl even deeper at he stared at his attacker. He was a man in his forties to fifties with black hair and had a light beard on his face. His eyes were narrowed in parental fury and standing above the crouched Ichigo with nothing but supreme confidence in his own fatherly strength.

Yes, this was Ichigo's father, Isshin Kurosaki.

"What the hell was that for you old goat?!" Ichigo demanded hotly, getting up in his old man's face.

"You're late! That's what!" Isshin snapped back. "Like I always say, the rules of this house are like iron! You break 'em then you gotta bleed! Dinner began ten minutes ago but Yuzu wouldn't serve it until you got home!"

"Sue me! I got jumped by some thugs on the way home and this is how you greet me?" Ichigo growled.

"Bah! You've gotten weak in your downtime!" Isshin scoffed. "With all the training I've given you, you could handle a hundred thugs with your eyes closed! You've gotten soft!"

"The hell I have!" Ichigo yelled back.

"Ha! A future victory for me!" Isshin snapped back, rearing back his fist.

Father and son began throwing punches at each other, erupting in a dust cloud of punches and kicks. One may have become concerned, but anyone who knew them knew that this was how Ichigo and Isshin interacted with each other. They couldn't tell you why the father and son acted that way. Ichigo sure couldn't and he had given up trying to find a reason ages ago. Isshin would just proclaim 'it's obvious' as if expecting the one asking him to know the answer already. No one did. Still, it was how the dysfunctional family worked and worked it did. Ichigo wouldn't be half as tough without having Isshin jump him at all hours…not that he'd admit it.

"Come on you guys," a girl spoke from the kitchen. "Can't you lay off once?"

"Ah leave them be Yuzu. More for us."

The two that spoke were two girls who were the same age, likely getting ready to begin middle school. The girl who first spoke was armed with a spatula and frying pan. She had blonde hair which was done into pigtails that hung down her front. She wore a simple skirt and sleeveless hoodie as she watched father and son brawl ridiculously. She was Yuzu Kurosaki, Ichigo's younger sister.

The other girl had black hair which hung to her jaw, some tied back in a ponytail for style. She wasn't nearly as girly with a bored face and wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Unlike Yuzu, she was taking an apathetic view of the entire battle, having seen it hundreds of times before. Unless Ichigo was really out of it, she already knew who was going to win. Her name was Karin Kurosaki, Yuzu's twin sister and likewise Ichigo's other younger sibling.

*WHAM!*

"And there it is," Karin nodded, not even looking as Ichigo came to the table, grumbling to himself. Behind him, out cold with birdies flying around his head was Isshin, dead to the world. "So how many this time Ichi-nii?"

"Fifteen or so," Ichigo huffed. "Since I started the job, jerks just have more reasons to come after me."

To give himself something to do and get some cash, Ichigo had taken up a job at a local shop which did odd jobs around the district. The shop owner was a tough woman, but she was an okay sort. The store was her only source of income and she had a kid to support so Ichigo had no qualms about being on call practically all the time, even if the woman could piss him off sometimes with the double standard she had when her son was around. Unfortunately, the local thugs who'd harass the place now and then just had a new reason to pick fights with Ichigo since the woman had kicked their asses just to make sure he was there to do his job.

"That's tough," Karin commented. "You'd think they'd have learnt not to mess with the toughest guy in town by now."

"Ah there's always some new hotshot thinking he's awesome or something," Ichigo shrugged as Yuzu happily passed around plates of dinner, even if her father was out cold a few feet away. She'd save him some once he regained consciousness. "So how was your day?"

"No complaints," Karin shrugged.

"Great!" Yuzu beamed. "Don't forget to eat up everyone! We have a big day tomorrow."

"Right…" Ichigo nodded. "That day already?"

"Yep," Karin nodded. "Time sure flies huh?"

"Yeah," Ichigo nodded. "A lot sure has happened since."

"No kidding," the dark-haired girl nodded.

The day the trio were talking about was the anniversary of the death of Masaki Kurosaki, the mother of Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin. She had been a wonderful woman and Ichigo felt no shame in admitting that he was a total mama's boy while she was around. Sadly, she died a tragic death. Officially, it was reported as some kind of tragic accident. Unofficially, no one had a clue as to what happened…but Ichigo did. On the way home with her, he had spotted what he thought was the ghost of a girl. Thinking she was in trouble, he went to go help her. His mother tried to stop him. The next thing he remembered was that she was dead and her body was covering his protectively from whatever had attacked them.

For years Ichigo blamed himself for it, even if his sisters didn't and his father couldn't even entertain the thought. After he became a Shinigami though, he had discovered the truth. The 'girl' he saw was in fact a lure connected to a particularly infamous Hollow named Grand Fisher. He had shown up in the very cemetery where Masaki's memorial was and had tried to eat Yuzu and Karin. Ichigo promptly fought him and managed to wound him pretty fiercely, but the Hollow still managed to slip away. He later returned as an Arrancar, having joined up with Aizen, but it was Isshin who was secretly a Shinigami himself who managed to cut down the monster with one swipe. Ichigo was glad his mother was avenged, although he hadn't learnt about that until after the Winter War. If there was one person who deserved to take down that particular Hollow more than him, it was definitely his father.

Still, knowing that his mother was avenged was…liberating. Ichigo didn't feel the guilt or the pressure on his shoulders anymore. He now knew he didn't cause the accident, but he and his mother were made to be victims of a malicious Hollow. Now that Hollow was dead and Ichigo knew he could move on. He felt confident that this year, he could feel relief at his mother's memorial and simply enjoy remembering the wonderful woman that she was instead of feeling like he robbed his family of her love.

Maybe this year he could leave with a smile on his lips.

June 17th arrived and the Kurosaki Clan did their usual trip up the hillside towards the cemetery. It was a bit of a hike, but Ichigo and Karin certainly didn't mind it. They were the active ones in the family so such a hike wasn't much of a problem. Yuzu would huff a little, but she wouldn't complain. Although it wasn't in her nature to complain, even a stray comment would get their father into one of his excitable rants of 'inspiration' which would likely just get Ichigo or Karin to belt him one and send him tumbling down the hillside again.

They reached the cemetery without incident, although that came from years of experience with ignoring Isshin and his usual antics. Ichigo usually would have slouched while he walked or would be the last in the group at the back, but not this year. He was in front of the grave with his sisters as the incense was lit and offering up a prayer next to Karin and Yuzu.

'Hey Mom,' he thought in his prayer. 'How are you now that you're finally in Soul Society? I'd go visit or something, but with what happened to my powers and fighting Aizen, that really isn't an option anymore. Still, I guess I can stop blaming myself now that I know what happened and Dad managed to cut down the bastard who did it. I know you'd never blame me for what happened that day seven years ago, but I still want to say I'm sorry. I know you'd probably already forgiven me for it, even if you'd scold me, but I just have to say it anyway.' He paused for a moment, not really sure what else to say. 'Well, if you manage to meet some of the friends I made like Rukia and Renji, stick close to them. They won't steer you wrong. I know Soul Society isn't exactly the most peaceful place out there, never mind what's been going on since the end of the Winter War.'

Clapping his hands, Ichigo stepped back as he waited for his sisters to finish up. He actually did feel lighter now that he knew the whole deal, but it didn't mean that he still wished it hadn't happened. One would have to be pretty messed up in order to wish for a parent to be dead. Still, at least he didn't have the crushing guilt of her death on his shoulders anymore. He ended those thoughts as he heard Karin and Yuzu finish their own prayers. No point brooding over guilt he didn't need to hold anymore…

"Okay! Time for the Kurosaki Family's annual Tombstone Domino Tournament! Two and a half hours of embarrassing family fun!" Isshin suddenly cheered, suddenly breaking out into squats for some reason. Karin and Ichigo's faces turned to deadpan stares, not that Isshin took note. "The first round is me vs. Ichigo! The loser becomes the winner's slave for a week! Let's go! Bwa ha ha ha!" With that menacing laugh, Isshin took off running between the graves to find a spot to begin his domino chain.

"Dad! No!" Yuzu gasped, giving chase. "The priest will kick us out!"

"He tries…he really does," Karin huffed. "I'll take care of it this time. I need the practice anyway."

"Right. I'll go apologize to the monk…again," Ichigo muttered, turning to head down the path to the centre of the cemetery where the local shrine was erected.

Trotting up several stairs, Ichigo came to the main shrine. It wasn't huge, but it was sizable enough for the purpose of the cemetery. The one lone monk who lived there certainly didn't seem to mind, although he was probably the only guy in all of Karakura who didn't have to worry about some of the local punks when they got rowdy. No one but a real asshole would try to mess with a priest. Even the local thugs had their limits. It was signs like that which gave Ichigo some hope for humanity, but not enough for him to stop kicking their asses when they tried to pick a fight with him.

Coming to the shrine proper, he saw the priest sweeping the main walk. He was ordinary enough and of course shaved bald like many of his faith would be. Fortunately, some gray clouds were rolling in so the sun wasn't gleaming off of his head like it normally would. That was a real strain on the eyes.

As Ichigo approached, the man noticed and stood up, showing his squinting eyes and friendly face, "Ah, Kurosaki-kun. Welcome. Is your father off making a ruckus again?"'

"Yeah, trying for Tombstone Dominoes again. Karin went to shut him down and it was my turn to apologize for the noise this year," Ichigo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "So, sorry about the noise Omoi-san."

"Ah ha ha ha," the priest laughed. "It's quite alright. We all deal with this sort of thing in our own way. For your father, utter ridiculousness so his children have a reason to a smile, or simply not cry."

"Smile, right," Ichigo grimaced. Smiling was not the first thing on his mind when he thought of his dad.

His thoughts were cut off as Omoi spoke up, "If I may be so bold to say though Kurosaki-kun, your spiritual presence does not seem to be as pronounced as it was the previous year. In fact, I noticed you coming with my eyes instead of feeling you approach a mile away with my senses like I usually do. Did something happen?"

Ichigo flinched, but recovered quickly, "Yeah…yeah, I guess you can say that. Call it dealing with a particularly nasty ghost. Drained my powers and I don't know if they'll ever come back again."

Omoi nodded. He knew Ichigo could see spirits and would interact with them in order to help them find peace and hopefully be able to move on. He wasn't surprised that the boy tackled a particularly nasty one. "Ah. I see. I've heard of this happening," Ichigo perked up slightly. "The spirit in questioned required all of your power to subdue and exhausted it. It has happened to other priests which I met or have contact with if they had to work a particularly gruelling exorcism which was supposedly beyond their abilities."

"Any chance of it coming back?" asked Ichigo, although he remembered Zangetsu's explanation into what had happened.

"It varies. Sometimes it does, others it could take months to years for their abilities to return. Sometimes it may not come back at all. There is really no standard cure for such an affliction. Everyone recovers at their own pace," Omoi answered, causing Ichigo to slump slightly. The priest gazed at him in thought for a moment before he spoke up, "Although, there is something you might be interested in."

"Really?" Ichigo blinked.

"Yes, follow me," Omoi gestured. The two entered the small shrine, little more than a place of worship with a small living space in the back for Omoi to stay during his tenure at the shrine. He moved to the back, leaving Ichigo in the main worship area for a moment before he returned. He was carrying a small wooden box with him. Coming up to Ichigo, he explained, "This was sent to the shrine by an anonymous person a few weeks ago. Instructions with it insisted that the most powerful warding charms be placed around it so it won't attract spirits. When I held it, I felt my own spiritual powers increase. I have no need for such a thing, but perhaps holding onto it will help your own powers return."

"Really?" Ichigo asked, shocked. Although perhaps a bit cynical, he did feel hope bubble in his chest. Opening the box, he blinked at the item inside. For all intents and purposes, it looked like a plastic eyeball with some kind of plastic casing around it. Before his Shinigami exploits, Ichigo would have thought Omoi was trying to rip him off. After seeing how some small innocent things could in fact unleash total hell on their surroundings, he knew better than to disregard the tiny object. Wary, he picked up the eye-like device.

Suddenly, a rush passed through Ichigo's body. He could feel that something had changed, something wasn't the same as it had been before. Looking around, he had hoped to see some ghosts wandering about, but he already knew ghosts didn't like to hang around cemeteries. They hated being reminded that they were dead so they would go someplace which had an emotional significance to them. Still, Ichigo could just feel that the small trinket had done something to him while he was holding it.

"It…it's doing something," Ichigo admitted. Setting the device in the box, the feeling left him and he frowned, "But it only seems to work so long as I'm holding the thing."

"Then keep it," Omoi shrugged. "You need it more than I do. Keep it until your powers return."

"Really?" Ichigo blinked. Seeing the priest nod he scooped up the trinket again, feeling the rush of spiritual power return. "Thanks!"

Pocketing the trinket, Ichigo said his goodbyes to the priest before heading out to find his father and sisters. Hopefully Karin managed to stop him before he did anything too stupid.

He wasn't holding out much hope though.

Karin heaved a sigh as she sat next to Yuzu. Dealing with Isshin had been easy enough. One swift kick to the back and he was tumbling down the hill with cries of 'Big Daddy One is down!' among a few cries of pain as he bounced off some of the hillside memorial stones in his way. He'd be back on his feet soon enough. The man had an incredible tolerance for pain and physical injury. So Karin decided to take a seat next to Yuzu on one of the stone steps. Sure enough, Yuzu got to thinking about what few memories they had of their mother and she began to sniffle. Every year she'd cry, but Karin had to admit it was taking her longer to break down. So…progress at least.

"Come on, no tears this time," Karin tried to console her sister.

"Sorry," Yuzu sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I can't help it."

"Well, you're getting better," Karin tried to offer. "So we're making progress. Maybe next year."

"*sniff*…maybe." Yuzu tried to smile.

Leaning back, Karin just looked around the cemetery, feeling a bit of déjà vu. Last year she and her sister were in the same position, but then her memory got a little hazy. She didn't really try to pursue the thought though. She knew ghosts were involved somehow and her brother pulled her fat out of the fire. She had pieced together that her brother had gotten strange powers and was fighting evil spirits, protecting everyone in Karakura. There was a lot she still didn't know, but she was still holding over in her denial of it all so she didn't bother to ask. She'd get the story when she was ready for it.

"Mmmmnnnn…."

Karin blinked at the sound of the groan. Looking around, she spotted a figure moving through the rows of graves. Although it was only a short distance away, she was having trouble seeing the one making the noise. She could only see a mass of black in a vaguely humanoid shape. It was stumbling around like it was in a daze. Karin's eyes further widened when she saw it pass through several tombstones as it walked in the direction of the shrine.

"No way…" Karin gaped.

"Mn?" the spirit twitched, no doubt hearing her and turned to face her. A pair of sinister blue eyes flashed in the darkness as it stared at her. "You can see me. Do you have the Eyecon we were sent for?" It changed course and began walking towards the sisters. Karin paled as now that it was paying attention to her, she could feel malice coming off of it in waves. Whatever it was, it had no qualms about hurting her or Yuzu to get to it.

"Karin?" asked Yuzu, wiping her eyes. "What's wrong."

"Give me the Eyecon!" the spirit demanded, reaching out to Karin and sounding none too patient.

And Karin did something out of sheer reflex which she swore she would never do again since her kiddie days.

"ICHI-NIIIIII!"

"ICHI-NIIIIIII!"

Karin's voice shot through Ichigo like a bullet and he felt fear spike into his heart. Turning in the direction of the cry, he took off running right towards it. Dashing around some sparse memorial stones and even hopping over a few in the process, he raced like lives were at stake. He actually feared that lives really were on the line since he couldn't remember the last time he had heard Karin scream over anything. Cheer, yes. Shout, plenty of times. To hear her actually scream? Never. That made it all the more important that he found her. It was actually giving him flashbacks to the previous year where Grand Fisher had lured his sisters in close and attempted to eat them.

Last year he had his Shinigami powers to fight the monster. This time, he only had himself.

"Karin! Yuzu!" Ichigo shouted, dashing along the path. He finally spied his sisters at some stairs and he quickly ran to their side. "What's wrong?"

Karin pointed out along the tombstones, "That!"

Ichigo turned gaped at the strange spirit stalking towards him. It looked rather…plain, like some kind of costumed weirdo. If it weren't for the fact that he could see it passing through the tombstones like a ghost, he would have thought he was looking at some kind of costumed kook. Its body was entirely black like solid darkness. Its hands and feet were covered in silver gloves and boots, the most mundane part of its outfit. Around its waist was an belt with a red-iris eye in the centre which Ichigo couldn't be sure was an accessory and not an actual eye. When it blinked, he got that confirmation. Its chest was patterned with white rib-like markings while similar bone markings were on its shoulders. Its face was just as black as its body with two large blue eyes and a golden spirit flame marking its forehead. It glanced at Ichigo, but when it did it took note of how he could see it.

"Give me the Eyecon," it moaned in a ghostly voice, holding out an outstretched hand. "I don't care who has it. I will take it."

"Eyecon?" Ichigo blinked, but then his eyes widened when he realized what the monster was talking about. Fishing the device out of his pocket, he heard the monster inhale sharply at the sight of it.

Many may have felt intense fear at seeing such a creature and flipped out, tossing the trinket away in a bid to save themselves. Not Ichigo. He wasn't naïve in the ways of spirits nor was he afraid of them. While he had never seen such a spirit before, he did know a good one from a bad one. The thing in front of him was giving off nothing but bad vibes and if it got its hands on whatever the small eye-like trinket was, it would spell bad news for just about everyone. He could already tell that it was powerful since just by holding it, he had been able to see spirits again.

"No way," Ichigo frowned, clutching the trinket tightly and hiding it in his pocket.

"Hn," The creature huffed. It came to a stop next to an older memorial stone, one which looked like a simple slab of stone with a name on it. Looking at the stone, the creature dropped to its knees before hugging the stone. At first the action confused Ichigo, but then he gasped when the stone and creature flashed with blue fire before the stone vanished and the creature seemed to transform. The body of the creature was covered in stone slabs with memorial prayer kanji carved into them, constructed together like a crude mix of samurai armor and football equipment. Its hands and feet became covered in slabs of stone in a crude rendition of gloves and boots with the symbol Aku on the backs of the hands. Its arms looked like they had been layered with memorial tablets, making armored sleeves. The creature's head appeared to be covered in prayer tablets and pieces of them, looking like a football helmet with a grille across the mouth area and the spirit's eyes shining from the visor area. Perhaps what seemed almost mocking was the large incense sticks rising from the monster's back, smoking with some rancid scent, but still smelled like pure evil. What remained the same was the eye buckle which blinked before narrowing dangerously on Ichigo and the trinket in his hand.

"Then I will take it!" the tombstone-based monster snarled before charging at Ichigo in a full football tackle style. Ichigo narrowed his eyes. Although as a normal human his body wasn't as powerful as it had been during his Shinigami days, he certainly hadn't lost any of the reflexes or skills he had developed during that time. Timing the charge right, he dodged out of the way, letting the monster miss him completely, although it crashed against some of the memorial stones, crushing them into rubble.

"Damn. You can do that too," Ichigo scowled. He had partially hoped that since the creature was a spirit, it wouldn't be able to affect the world of the living. A faint hope, but it was one that the orange-haired boy had clung to. Sadly, it seemed like Hollows, Shinigami, and certain regular spirits, the new one seemed just as capable of affecting objects in the real world as it desired. No doubt it could also grind him into paste if it managed to get its hands on him. Remembering his sisters were nearby, he looked to them. Karin's eyes were on the monster, but Yuzu with her limited spiritual ability couldn't see it at all, "Karin, Yuzu, run! Just run and don't look back!"

"But Ichi-nii!" Karin gaped.

"Go!" Ichigo barked loudly.

"HRN!" the tombstone ghost snorted, turning around and preparing for another charge.

As Ichigo faced off against his new supernatural opponent, he didn't notice another of the monsters walking through the cemetery. It looked exactly like the one Ichigo was fighting before it got its sudden outfit change. It watched the fight, gazing at Ichigo and the small device securely gripped in his hand. After a moment of watching the fight, or rather game of cat and mouse, the spirit began looking around for something, anything it could use to grow stronger. Looking around, it spied another memorial stone which had small mementoes from a mourner next to a bundle of flowers and a photo. Of all things, the item was a kunai. A dulled one meant for show, a piece meant to be bragged about but never used, but it was still a real kunai.

"Hmmm," the spirit grunted and walked to the grave before scooping up the weapon showpiece. Holding it, the creature jabbed itself in the chest. Blue fire burst from the impact point as the kunai vanished. It spread over the spirit's form, adorning it in a new outfit, affording it new powers.

Its torso became covered in a white haori with fishnets underneath. Its shoulders were covered in metal caps while more metallic fishnets ran down its arms in a silver mesh. Lastly its arms were covered in metal bracers with black hands. Around its waist was the eye buckle like its comrade while its legs remained the same with metal boots. Its face remained unchanged, although it wore a metal forehead protector on its head with a white hood trailing down, concealing the rest of its head. Resting on its back were four large kunai in a star formation with their points facing outwards. Transformation complete, it hopped onto a taller memorial stone overlooking the confrontation between the human boy and its comrade.

"So he has the Eyecon," the spirit pondered. He didn't want to give it up though. Well, it didn't matter. Reaching behind his back, he removed two of the giant kunai and lifted them up like swords. With another leap, he shot through the air like a blur towards the battle.

Karin grimaced as she and Yuzu backed away from the fight, feeling more than a little helpless at what was happening. Yuzu felt even more so since she couldn't even see what was happening. Karin gritted her teeth, both afraid and angry at what was happening and how she couldn't do anything. As they backed away, she spotted a white and silver blur moving towards the fight.

Realizing it was coming at her brother, she let out another cry, "Ichi-nii, look out!"

"Huh?" Ichigo looked over his shoulder, but his vision was filled up with the form of another blue-eyed spirit before twin implements were suddenly stabbed through his back, coming out of his front. "GCK!"

"ICHI-NII!" Karin and Yuzu screamed in horror, seeing their brother's chest explode in a splash of blood.

"Guh…" Ichigo gasped, struggling to breathe before the large kunai were tugged out of his chest.

"Your fault for not just giving us the Eyecon," the new spirit muttered as Ichigo's vision began to go dark.

The monster unceremoniously kicked Ichigo down, letting him collapse to the ground in a heap. He wheezed, feeling the last of his breath leave as he tried to will his body to move. Inside, his mind was strictly focused on Karin and Yuzu, watching them scream in horror although he couldn't hear it. As his vision died down, he still felt the Eyecon in his hand still warm from his body heat.

As everything faded from sensation, his last remaining thought was, "Rukia…Renji…someone, help them…"

"ICHI-NIIIIIIIIII!"

Ichigo suddenly found himself underwater. Struggling for breath, he swam up towards what the thought the surface was. Fortunately, he broke through the surface with a gasp before coughing and wheezing for breath. Wiping the water and his hair from his eyes, he quickly began taking in his surroundings. Looking around, he found himself in some kind of grotto and he was standing in a spring with a simple waterfall behind him. All around him was natural beauty and plant life.

"The hell?" Ichigo asked, utterly confused. Looking down at himself, he was surprised to find that he didn't have a Soul Chain, a bond most ghosts had to the world of the living. Removing it meant they'd become a Hollow, but he didn't have one. Did it mean he immediately went to Soul Society? It wasn't any part that he recognized.

"ICHI-NIIIIIIIIII!"

Ichigo looked up and his eyes widened as inside some dark cloud was a bird's eye view of the graveyard. His sisters were off at one end while the two spirits that had attacked him were looking over his body as if admiring their handiwork. The growing pool of blood and the holes in his back certainly showed that his body was dead.

"Karin! Yuzu!" Ichigo cried out. The cloud rumbled and began to fade away, taking the vision with it, "Wait! I'm not dead yet! Let me go back!"

"Sorry! Can't do that yet!"

Ichigo blinked and turned before a flash of golden light blinded him. Grimacing, he shielded his eyes as the light continued to pester him for a moment. Thankfully it quickly died down and he could see who had spoken. Standing up at the top of the waterfall was a jolly older man with white hair and dressed in rather extravagant gold, white, and red robes. In his hand was a simple walking cane although he didn't seem to need it. He sported a salt and pepper beard while he had white hair which reached to his shoulders.

"Hello there!" the man smiled. Another flash of light nearly blinded Ichigo and he was suddenly on the shore of white stones in front of the teen. "Welcome!"

Ichigo blinked, but shook his head, "Whatever. Where am I? Are you a Shinigami from Soul Society?"

"Nope!" the man shook his head. "Why don't you step out of the water. You'll be less soggy that way!"

Ichigo obliged, but he wasn't going to be distracted, "Okay, so just who are you? Where am I if this isn't Soul Society? I died didn't I?"

"You sure did!" the man beamed. "Well, I am simply known as the Sage. So call me that. As to why you're here, well, call it Limbo. Your body obviously now is dead, but your soul refuses to cross with how your heart lingers in fear for your little sisters!"

"Okay…" Ichigo scowled. Limbo, right. He could deal with that. Still, there was apparently a lot of things going on he had no clue about. "So what the hell were those things that attacked me and my sisters? Those weren't Hollows."

"Ah, those were Ganma," the Sage answered, strolling along the clearing as if taking a daytime walk. "Nasty little spirits who are on the hunt for Eyecons, hoping to use their power to open up portals to their realm and let out more of their kin into the living world."

"Okay, so what's an Eyecon?" asked Ichigo.

"Well, look in your pocket first," the Sage replied. The irate teen did so and found the eye-shaped trinket. However, it had changed from when he last saw it. No longer all white, instead the casing around the eye-like part had turned pitch black. Frowning, Ichigo looked to Sage, "Your soul is now inside that Eyecon. It's why you're here in Limbo instead of hovering around as a disembodied spirit waiting for Soul Society. The Ganma are going to want it since your natural power is certainly strong enough for their tastes. It just might match the Legendary Souls they usually hunt for."

"Legendary Souls?" asked Ichigo, feeling like he was getting the runaround. "Why would they want those?"

"Simple!" the Sage grinned. "Those Eyecons when they're brought together can unlock the power to do anything! All you need is fifteen of them and any wish can be granted! Even…coming back to life!"

"What?" Ichigo gaped. "These things are that powerful?"

"Only if they have the soul of a legendary hero inside, although you might be an exception, which is why that Eyecon reacted to you," the Sage shrugged.

"Okay, fine, but how does this help my sisters now?!" asked Ichigo. "Those Ganma things are right next to them and might try to hurt them!"

The Sage nodded, "Well then you're going to need the power of Ghost to go back and fight them, won't you?" the Sage grinned. Twirling his hand, he pointed it at Ichigo's waist where a flash of light shone. Ichigo yelped before the light solidified into a belt. The front looked like semi-clear plastic which in the centre looked like a closed eye of some sort. Underneath was the vague image of some kind of machinery. On the right side was a black handle with an orange centre.

"What the hell is this?!" Ichigo cried, looking up from the device.

"It's what you need to become Ghost, stupid!"

"Oi!" Ichigo whirled around with a scowl, looking for whoever talked smack about him. Another flash of orange appeared in the air before a tiny ghost appeared in the air. It seemed relatively the same size as Kon, the Mod Soul Ichigo kept at home from his Shinigami days, with an orange phantom-like body and a trailing white cape. Its head was just a round ball with a big eye in the centre with a creepy and toothy grin just underneath of it.

"That's Yurusen," the Sage explained with a grin. "He'll explain the finer details with you."

"That's Yurusen-sama to you!" the tiny ghost added, shooting down to be face level with Ichigo.

"Right," the teen frowned before abruptly pushing the ghost away, causing it to yelp. "Okay Old Man, so if I want to come back to life I'm going to need to find fifteen of these Eyecons which have Legendary souls in them."

"Yes!" the Sage nodded.

"But to get those Eyecons, I'm going to have to fight through some Ganma who are also looking for them so they can unleash hell on the world or whatever reason," Ichigo continued.

"Yes!" the Sage nodded again. "But you've only got ninety-nine days to do it or else you will die for good!"

Ichigo nodded, but then stopped and gaped at the man, "WHAT?!"

"Now get going!" the Sage bellowed before slamming his hand into Ichigo's chest, causing a flash of light which launched the teenager back into the water with a splash.

The two Ganma slowly closed in on Ichigo's downed form, eyes trained only on the Eyecon. Before their eyes, it began to shine before the casing around it turned black. Both malicious spirits looked at one another, unsure if it was safe to touch the Eyecon now that there was a soul inside of it. The Tombstone Ganma shrugged to the Kunai Ganma, deciding that some risk was in order and it was the sturdier of the two. So with that in mind, it reached down to reclaim the Eyecon.

"LEAVE ICHI-NII ALONE!"

Both Ganma looked up again to see the black-haired girl running at them, her twin kneeling on the ground behind her, looking quite afraid. The Tombstone Ganma grunted and as the girl got in close enough, he swatted her away with a backhand, "Go away."

Karin was knocked back and landed in a heap, the side of her face reddening from the strike. Yuzu let out a scream and dashed to her sister's side. The Tombstone Ganma got up to deal with the two when the Kunai Ganma grabbed its shoulder, "Nn?"

"Ignore the pests. We have what we came for," the Kunai Ganma spoke. "No sense stomping every worm we see. We'd never get anything done that way.

The Tombstone Ganma laughed, "Heh, you're right about that."

The Kunai Ganma nodded and turned to grab Ichigo's Eyecon when the teen's entire body began to glow. Fearing a trap, both Ganma leaped back, ready for a fight. The teen's body shone with spiritual light and for a moment, they could see Ichigo's soul standing on top of his own body in a golden hue. In the next moment, there was a flash of light and Ichigo's body vanished in a sparkling haze. In its place stood the teen himself, hale and hearty as ever although…

"Ichi-nii!" Yuzu cried, beginning to look around frantically. "Ichi-nii! Where did you go?!"

"What?" Ichigo blinked, looking to his sisters and seeing one down while the other panicking. "Yuzu…"

A pop sounded off and Yurusen appeared in an orange haze, hovering next to Ichigo's head, "You're a ghost now too Berry! She can't see you like you are now!"

"Oi! Watch it!" Ichigo snapped, glaring at the tiny ghost.

"Hee, hee, hee! You've got more important things to worry about. Namely them!" Yurusen laughed before pointing at the two Ganma who were recovering from their shock and getting ready to kill Ichigo all over again.

"…right," the scowling teen grew serious and turned to face the pair. "So how do I use this GhostDriver thing?"

"Just open the top and hit the Eyecon's switch! Then load it inside and shut the Driver and pull the handle once!" Yurusen explained. "And then, HENSHIN!"

"Right," Ichigo nodded, gripping the Eyecon in his hand. The Tombstone Ganma in front of him slowly continued to march towards him, steady and confident like the rock his form was based off of. Behind him, he heard Yuzu trying to wake Karin up from where the spiritual monster had smacked her. Being stone, or at least wearing it, she was knocked out by it. Part of Ichigo wanted to go and tend to his sister, but being in a spectral form, he couldn't do anything to help. The Ganma on the other hand…

"You just made the worst mistake of your life," Ichigo growled, lifting up his personal Eyecon.

"Hm?" the Tombstone Ganma tilted its head. "The Eyecon?

Ichigo didn't reply as he tapped the switch on his Eyecon, causing the pupil to flip over, showing a white letter G in the centre.

"EYE!" the GhostDriver let out. Ichigo pushed the front of the device, opening it from the top which revealed a hollow space inside. Getting the gist of it, Ichigo placed the black Eyecon inside the space where it locked into place like a glove. He then slammed the machine shut, causing it to begin speaking again, in song of all things.

"BATCHIRIMINA! BATCHIRIMINA! BATCHIRIMINA!"

Ichigo's eye twitched at the rather weird actions of the belt, but he ignored it. Now wasn't the time to lament idiocy. Grabbing the handle on the side, he gave it a yank which caused the eye in the centre of the belt to open up, ending the singing and causing the eye to glow orange.

"KAIGAN! ORE!"

The belt flashed before coming out of the eye in the centre came was a black coat-like creature with orange edges and a hood which was up with glowing red eyes and a horn coming from the dark folds. Acting as arms were short belts which hovered around. Ichigo himself flashed with orange energy before he was covered in a black bodysuit with transparent armor protecting his body. Orange geoglyph-like markings which resembled bones flashed onto his arms and legs while in the centre of his chest was a blue eye-like symbol, shining just as bright. His face was covered in a black helmet with a purely blank faceplate which was smooth and reflective in the light with no features.

"The hell?" Ichigo blinked, looking at himself before looking up to the coat/ghost/thing hovering in front of him. Most would have been afraid of it, but Ichigo knew and was experienced with ghosts so the creature didn't scare him. Secondly, he could feel the energy from it. The Parka Ghost was forged from Ichigo's own soul, born from his own power. The Parka Ghost looked at Ichigo, as if making sure he was looking at the same guy before glancing over his shoulder to where Karin and Yuzu were. Its red eyes narrowed at seeing them before looking to Ichigo.

"Let's do this," Ichigo nodded.

The Parka Ghost agreed and dove down at Ichigo before wrapping around him, fitting like a glove. The hood settled over his head and the coat's 'arms' clipped to his shoulders as it settled into place. His faceplate suddenly flipped up, showing a glowing orange expanse with two large black eye with a slightly wavy horn coming from the centre of his forehead. As the coat settled, the GhostDriver spoke up again.

"LET'S GO! KAKUGO! GHO-GHO-GHO-GHOST! GO! GO! GO! GO!"

Kamen Rider Ghost breathed a sigh as his armor flashed with spiritual orange power. Somehow, although it wasn't the same as being a Shinigami, Ichigo felt a sense of familiarity with his transformation. He was back in familiar territory and he already knew what to do in the situation. Looking across from the two Ganma, he clenched his fists and pulled back his hood before moving into one of his karate stances. One might think his bare handed fighting skills were perhaps rusty, but thanks to fighting gangs every so often, he was as sharp as ever when it came to his bare fists.

"So you've manned up huh?" the Tombstone Ganma mocked. "Well you might last longer than thirty seconds anyway!"

"Try me," Ghost scowled.

"HAH!" the Tombstone Ganma bellowed, charging at Ghost like a demented linebacker. Ghost braced himself and the Ganma crashed into him, pushing Ghost back into a row of tombstones. Fortunately, both were spirits so rather than leaving a trail of destruction, they passed through the memorial stones before they vanished into the woods. Phasing through several trees, Ghost figured they had gone far enough before he slammed his foot into the ground and grabbed the Tombstone Ganma in a hold before he executed an over the shoulder throw, sending the spirit crashing into the ground in a heap.

"That stone's not going to make it easy," Ghost muttered to himself. Looking around, he spied Yurusen humming a tune as he hung in a tree, "Hey! This suit come with a weapon or something?"

"Sure does!" the tiny ghost cackled. He pointed a tendril at the GhostDriver, "HYAH!"

The eye in the centre of the GhostDriver flashed before spectral energy emerged from it, taking the form of a European-style sword. It was mostly black with two razor edges which were a ghostly green/blue on either side of a black centre. The hilt had an eye symbol on it while the handle was orange. This was the weapon with many forms, the Gan Gun Saber. Taking hold of it, Ghost gave it a few swings to test it out. Although the range wasn't what he was used to with his old oversized Zanpakuto, he couldn't complain.

"You're no Zangetsu, but you'll do," Ghost accepted.

A grunt from the Tombstone Ganma alerted Ghost to its return and he prepared himself. It charged in again and once it was in range, Ghost slashed wide with his Gan Gun Saber, cutting a line across the Ganma's chest. It recoiled with a scream, sparks flying where the sword had cut it as it stumbled back. Despite the stone it wore, it obviously wasn't thick enough to stop the strength of a spiritual weapon like it could regular attacks. Ghost didn't let up, striking the Ganma several more times before he launched a kick to its head, knocking it back again. It landed in a heap, smoking from the strikes and groaning.

"Hey, not bad!" Yurusen hovered down to where Ghost stood. "You might have some talent for this!"

"Nah. I just have experience," Ghost shrugged. "But where'd the other one go?"

"Over here!"

Ghost turned but then was assaulted with a rain of kunai which sparked off his armor, knocking him back with a grunt. Shaking his head, he looked up to see the Kunai Ganma kneeling in a tree, several kunai between his fingers as he looked down at Ghost.

The Kunai Ganma spoke, "You've really toughened up. I didn't think even a human with an Eyecon would be able to take on one of us much less two. Your soul must be especially powerful if you can fight like this."

"Why don't you come down and see?" Ghost challenged as he got his footing back. "Or better yet…" Ghost took a running start and leaped up at the Kunai Ganma. Rather than immediately begin coming down, Ghost tried to use a technique he recalled from his Shinigami days. It more or less was to collect his spiritual power, or reiatsu, under his feet and use it to stand in the air. With multiple leaps, he could be miles up in the air. He felt his power pool and suddenly his body flashed orange before Ghost began to feel weightless. Coming up to the Gama, he slashed at it with his sword, but instead of standing on air, he was truly flying as he did so.

"Hmph!" the Ganma snorted, blocking the strike with his own kunai, crossing them to hold the blade. Ghost didn't let it stop him as he kicked off the Ganma's chest, knocking it from the tree as he flew back. The Ganma landed on the ground near its comrade. Stopping his flight, Ghost dove in for another strike. The Kunai Ganma narrowed its eyes and throw another barrage of regular kunai at him, forcing Ghost on the defensive as he tried to slash them out of the air before they could strike him.

That was when the stony bulk of the Tombstone Ganma leaped into his view, crashing into him with a blast of sparks.

"GAH!" Ghost cried, knocked right out of the air where he crashed into a tree. Sliding down to the earth he groaned and shook his head. To add insult to injury, Yurusen shot down with an annoying cackle.

"Bet you're glad you're dead now! Doesn't' stop it from hurting though!"

"Oh shut up," Ghost groaned, forcing himself to his feet. Dammit, he should have been able to take the strike better than that! Maybe he had gotten lax since the end of the Winter War? Looking around, he spotted his sword a few feet away, but the bellow of the Tombstone Ganma alerted him to the incoming monster, ready to crush him under foot. "Crap!"

"Relax! He's open!" Yurusen laughed. "Just pull the handle and activate an Omega Drive attack!"

"Omega Drive?" Ghost frowned, but he quickly obeyed, giving the handle of his GhostDriver a tug.

"DAIKAIGAN! ORE! OMEGA DRIVE!"

Ghost's body suddenly exploded with orange spiritual power, forming an arcane eye-like symbol marked with glyphs which sparkled even in the light. The rush reminded Ghost of his old signature attack and he moved to a kick stance. Around him, the orange eye turned to streams of energy which came down to Ghost's right foot, energizing it from knee to sole and causing it to light up in the charged power. The Tombstone Ganma just continued its charge, believing it could take him down in the next strike.

Ghost breathed to collect himself before he lifted into the air with his spiritual power and then launched himself with a burst out of his back, "HAH!" He launched through the air, his glowing foot outstretched. He came bearing down at the charging Ganma, leaving a trail of orange energy as he went. Finally, the two opposing forces met with a crash which sent a shockwave through the air. Ghost kept moving, the Ganma was launched back with a scream of pain.

Ghost skidded to a halt on the grass and looked up as the Tombstone Ganma came down, squirting a black sludge which was likely its blood from its torso as it went. As it hit the ground, it crackled with orange energy and suddenly, the Ganma's armor slipped off and hovered away, leaving the Ganma as it used to be. Suddenly, the Ganma exploded as did the Parka Ghost. Ghost winced and shielded his face before looking to see what had happened. In the blackened spot where the Ganma had landed, there was a cracked tombstone and with it an Eyecon which immediately cracked and shattered.

"Ganma are Eyecons?" asked Ghost.

"Of course! Why do you think they want all of them? To make more Ganma!" Yurusen huffed, hovering in once again.

"I don't believe it." Ghost turned and eyed the approaching Kunai Ganma who had larger versions of his weapons in his hands, wielding them like swords. "It seems you're more than just a pest or some amusement after all. You're a genuine threat. We can't have that."

Ghost faced off against his final opponent, "Then do something about it."

The Kunai Ganma took the invitation and charged at Ghost, weapons raised. The Kamen Rider dipped and dove past his opponent, coming up to where his sword was on the ground and quickly scooped it up. Blocking another strike from the Ganma, he turned it aside before slashing up horizontally, causing a flash of sparks and a spray of black ichor to come from the impact. Ghost followed up, aiming for more damage, but the Ganma was quick to recover and likewise slashed back.

The Ganma was naturally quick, knowing exactly how to use every kunai in its possession perfectly. However, it didn't have experience with the weapons. Granted natural talent, supernatural talent in this case, could cover a lot of ground. Against the average foe, the Ganma perhaps would have had an advantage. However, Ghost wasn't an ordinary foe. He'd gone up against some of the most powerful beings in the supernatural world and had even gone to Hell and back just to make sure the people he cared for were safe. He was perhaps a little rusty after several months of so little action, but that rust was quickly flaking off and his skill was quickly matching the abilities of the Ganma.

"HAH!" Ghost cried, scoring a stab to an opening in the Ganma's defence, knocking it a fair distance back from the force.

"Hey, not bad! Not bad!" Yurusen praised, perched in a tree. "But if you wanna finish him with a sword, you gotta bring the sword and Driver eye to eye!"

Ghost nodded and brought the hilt of his sword down to his belt. From the eye of the Driver came a line of red light which connected to his sword. Immediately the sword began to react.

"DAIKAIGAN! OMEGA BREAK!"

Ghost took a stance as orange energy began to pool into his sword. Feeling a bit nostalgic, and familiar, Ghost properly concentrated for a familiar attack which he had used numerous times. The Gan Gun Sabre reacted and seemed to almost explode with more power, causing the weapon to shine. The Kunai Ganma pulled itself up to its feet but then stopped to stare at the power Ghost was bringing from his sword. Ghost himself could feel his face splitting into a grin as the words came to his lips.

"GETSUGA…TENSHOU!"

Ghost slashed, unleashing a wave of orange energy which literally tore through the space between him and the Ganma. The malicious spirit wasn't able to move out of the way fast enough, not that it had enough space to actually move since the attack itself was composed of so much energy. It struck the Ganma head on, causing it to scream as its Ghost Parka slipped away in a blast of black sludge. The spirit exploded, dropping a blank Eyecon which likewise shattered while the Parka Ghost exploded, dropping the dull kunai it was created from.

"Heh!" Ghost smirked, hefting his blade over his shoulder. "I'm back."

"Woah! Way to destroy a cemetery's property!" Yurusen laughed, coming back down to Ghost's side. He admired the destruction consisting of a huge trench and several tree branches being burned away to leave smoking stumps where they used to be. "Hope you don't get cursed for it!"

"Whatever," Ghost shrugged. Stabbing his sword into the ground, he opened the GhostDriver and removed the Eyecon before shutting it again. His entire body and flashed before the armor and his sword vanished in a haze of orange spiritual energy with a calm cry of, "OYASUMI."

"Does it always have to speak up when I do something?" Ichigo sighed, looking at the device wrapped around his waist. "It sounds kind of dorky."

"Eh, roll with it. All Kamen Riders do," Yurusen shrugged.

Tucking the Eyecon into his pocket, Ichigo turned and jogged back in the direction of his sisters. He quickly came back to the spot where they had been and quickly found a scene which was breaking his heart. Yuzu was sobbing over the brown stain of his blood where he had fallen. Karin was behind her, but looked like she wanted to do the same. Instead, she was looking out in case someone came or worse, the monsters came back.

Ichigo only watched, scowling sadly at the sight, "So…am I stuck as a ghost for good now?"

"Nah. You're in a state of limbo," Yurusen answered. "Keep your emotions strong and you can have other people see and even touch you as if you're alive. If you start getting down though, you'll turn into a ghost again and you'll be lucky if anyone sees you."

"Really?" Ichigo blinked, turning to his new companion.

"Yep! But remember," Yurusen leaned in closer to Ichigo, snickering, "You've only got ninety-nine days so you'd better start hunting for those Legendary Hero Eyecons. Once those days are up, you're dead for good!"

"Fair enough," the orange-haired teen nodded. Turning to his sisters again, he focused on his emotions and on keeping them strong. Being an emotional guy, especially his temper, Ichigo could easy keep his emotions hot and high. It showed in his body as the GhostDriver vanished and a haze appeared over him which likewise vanished after a moment on his skin. Feeling himself become…solid, for lack of a better term, Ichigo stepped out of the forest and began running towards his sisters, "Karin! Yuzu!"

Both girls gasped and looked to who had called them, their eyes widening as Ichigo ran towards them, "ICHI-NII!"

Both girls ran at him and were quick to wrap their arms around him in a hug. They weren't the type to do such a thing since they were kids, Karin even less likely than Yuzu, but when seeing their older brother get killed, vanish, and then suddenly return to life, both girls weren't going to hold back in their relief at seeing him.

"We thought you died!" Yuzu sobbed. "There was blood, then you fell, then you vanished!"

"It's okay Yuzu," Ichigo sighed, kneeling slightly so he could hug the both of them. "I'm okay."

"What about those…things?" sniffled Karin, clutching Ichigo just as tightly as her more emotional sister.

"I took care of them. They can't hurt anyone now," Ichigo replied softly. He knew he should explain what happened but…how could he say they watched their brother die and in ninety-nine days he might die all over again? He couldn't lie to them, not now that they had a better idea as to what the spirit world was like. But…he could put it off. Let them get their relief and maybe then he'd explain what happened and what he had to do now.

Unbeknownst to the three, they were being observed. On another hill which gave a good view of the battle stood two observers. One was a young man who for all intents and purposes, looked average. What stood out about him though was the dark clothes he wore and the pale streaks in his black hair. His shirts and pants were all black and he even wore a cloak over his shoulder, making him look especially grim in the cemetery setting. Next to him was an older man who wore glasses, a trench coat, and a fedora hat.

"You didn't mention a meddler," the young man frowned to his companion.

The older man grinned, showing a row of incredibly crooked teeth, "Don't worry Alain. This is just the beginning."

The two didn't share any more words as they left. They had more important things to fume over than just one scheme falling to the wayside. There were more Eyecons out there to claim and to achieve their goals, they needed as many as they could get. After all, Karakura was a big place and there were plenty of other Eyecons out there. One meddler hardly mattered in the long run.

Back with the siblings, Ichigo sighed as he stood up, allowing them to get control of themselves, "Okay, let's grab goat-chin and go home."

"Mn," Both girls nodded, wiping their eyes.

Kurosaki Clinic/Residence

Ichigo heaved a sigh as he walked back to his room, fresh from a bath. He needed it as his body ached in all too familiar way after the fight with the Ganma. Walking to his desk, he sat down before he looked to where the black trinket sat innocently on the desk. For how harmless it looked though, Ichigo knew he had to keep a close eye on the thing since the Sage said that it contained his soul. Logically, breaking it would be bad and whatever power it had was only good for ninety-nine…ninety-eight more days.

For all the danger he was in though, Ichigo couldn't help but feel…excited? Yes, excited would be the word. A world which he thought closed off to him forever was now open to him again. Granted, the rules were different and he was on a time limit, but he was now back with the vibe on the spiritual world. Suddenly the barrier between him and his friends didn't seem so insurmountable anymore. Still, he was going to get the move on starting tomorrow when it came to hunting down the Eyecons of legendary souls.

"Hey Ichigo!" an annoying voice sounded off, making the orange-haired teen cringe.

The door to Ichigo's room slid open slightly and squeezing through was a small lion-like plushie with a flat head like a sun and an annoyed look on his fuzzy features. He wasn't really a plushie, merely an artificial soul which was inhabiting a plushie. His name was Kon, and ever perverted pain in Ichigo's ass. He was the result of a Soul Society project to make artificial souls to animate dead bodies so they could fight Hollows. However, Soul Society decided that such a project was immoral (odd considering the list of other disgraceful things they allowed) and had the batch destroyed. Kon somehow slipped through the cracks and ended up with Kisuke Urahara who gave him by accident to Rukia so Ichigo could leave his body to do Shinigami duties. Sadly, the perv would take any chance he got to flirt with girls and mess with Ichigo's reputation and was completely unrepentant. So naturally Ichigo kept him on a short leash.

"'Sup Bostov?" Ichigo snarked, glaring at the doll.

"Shut up!" Kon shouted, padding across the room to glare up at Ichigo. "What's this I heard about you dying again? Yuzu was blubbering all about it while writing in her journal. She was rambling about 'eye demons' or something."

"Ganma," Ichigo huffed. "Some weird creeps looking for Eyecons."

"Eyecons?" Kon frowned. "What the heck are those?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to explain, if only because it would shut Kon up, when a familiar orange burst appeared near his head and Yurusen appeared, "You don't need to know!"

"Waugh!" Kon jumped back, gaping at the small ghost. "Holy crap! What the hell are you?!"

"How rude!" Yurusen huffed. "And what are you supposed to be? A stuffed toy?"

Kon began to growl at the obvious insult, "Hey! Don't left the stuffing fool you! I'm a portrait of manliness! The almighty Kon!"

"Heh heh heh! Yeah right," Yurusen chuckled, hovering down to eye-level with Kon. "All I see is a has-been mascot!"

"WHAT?!" Kon growled. "I'll have you know that I am the FACE of this series! Bleach wouldn't be nearly as famous without me!"

"Well this isn't Bleach now is it? It's Kamen Rider Ghost!" Yurusen retorted. "Now get lost has-been!"

"Bah! This takes place in Bleach with only bits and pieces from yours! So you shove off!" Kon retorted, getting in Yurusen's face.

"You wanna go?" Yurusen scowled.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Kon shouted.

Kon leaped at Yurusen and the two began to tussle, rolling across the floor as they swatted at each other. Fortunately, neither were in any condition to do any real damage. Ichigo had long since begun ignoring them, and their conversation, before moving to his books in some vain attempt to get his homework done. He may be in limbo, but he wasn't going to stay there forever. Once he got those Eyecons then things would get back to normal and that meant his schoolwork too.

Even if he didn't like it.

99 Days Remain...

To Be Continued…

Next time on Kamen Rider Ghost: Bleached

Ichigo: Damn, someone's actually hunting down all the punks in town?

Orihime: Kurosaki-kun!

Uryu: Kurosaki, what are you doing out here?

Chad: …glad to have you back.

?: Musashi took on a hundred opponents and so can I!

KETTO! ZUBATTO! CHOKENGO!

Next Time: Spirit of the Samurai!

Yurusen: Please look forward to it!

CHECK IT OUT! OMAKE CORNER!

PARKA GHOST PARADE!

Ore Damashii

This is Ghost's default form, the mode he'll start off any fight with unless instinct tells him otherwise. The stats are more or less average, strengthening Ichigo with his own skills and abilities so he can fight off Ganma or any other opponent he might run into. It's unique characteristic is the Ore Parka Ghost, forged from Ichigo's power. Thanks to that, it reflects some of Ichigo's mannerisms such as his protective instincts towards the people that he cares about. Since this is the default form, it doesn't boast a unique weapon, rather it uses the Gan Gun Saber and can configure it into different weapons although Ichigo is most experienced with the basic sword configuration.

Gan Gun Saber

Ghost's primary weapon. In its initial form, it takes the appearance of a double edged sword based more on a European design rather than a Japanese one. However, the sword is able to disassemble and reconfigure into a number of different weapons, among them being twin katanas, a gun, and a naginata. With a few other additions, these weapons can be further modified into even more weapons which can help Ghost fight off the forces of the Ganma. Depending on the Damashii Ghost he is armored with, he gains a different specialization with a different weapon.