Here it is, chapter 11! That's it for my backlog of chapters. I'm currently working on chapter 12.

Speaking of the next chapter, I'd like to let you all know that I'm reducing my chapters' length from here on. I work almost every day, so to combat being too busy to write and losing motivation, I have come to this conclusion. (Not to mention, chapters will be out faster as well!) They'll still be decently long, though, that's for sure! I'm aiming for 6-8k each, at least for a little while.

That aside— Please enjoy the chapter!

"Orryah!" Zangetsu cried as he cleaved through a sea of Shades, their numbers diminished significantly since Juha joined the fray.

With both spirits fighting back the increasingly withering horde, there were breaks in the abyss. Despite standing no chance of victory, the Shades threw themselves haphazardly at the beings that threatened their very existence. Cries and howls ripped themselves from these creatures' unearthly throats; they fell away one by one. Zangetu's wild exclamations quickly drowned out the cacophony that the horde emitted, going so far as to even overpower Juha's own calls.

"You are a fool, Zangetsu." Juha sighed at Zangetsu and stepped into a swipe, retaliating with an attack of his own. He left the Shade that attacked him in two without so much as a scratch on himself. The Shade's two halves were set ablaze by Juha's broadsword and ultimately reduced to a darkened pile of ash at his feet. "Zangetsu, finish up over there. We don't have the time to dance around like this."

"Ah, bite me! I was havin' fun…" Came the snappy response from Zangetsu before he plunged his sword straight through three approaching Shades' midsection. "Sorry, Kids, grandpa says playtime is over…!" Mockingly declaring the fight complete, Zangetsu funnelled his reiatsu into his sword and blew the Shades apart.

As the three Shades fell away from him, charred and deceased, Zangetsu flicked his sword out beside him and kicked himself high into the air. His body exuded an ominous aura, coloured black with a faint blue tint. It grew in size by the second until a raging storm of reiatsu enveloped him entirely. Violent winds flung dust and dirt in all directions. Shades were pushed back by the gale, some even swept away with the earth. Those that remained clamoured on top of each other. Rangy arms stretched out with razor-sharp claws in a desperate attempt to pull Zangetsu down. A mischievous smile pulled his lips from his teeth just in time for a savage shout burst from his lungs.

"Getsuga Tensho—!"

A loud whistle tore through the blackened desert as Zangetsu gripped his Bankai's hilt with both hands. The sword's edge sundered the air as it dragged a surge of energy forward, the current becoming more vicious until it was discharged at the peak of the sword's plummet. A crescent of energy now hurtled forth, earthbound and cruel as it sliced down the centre of an outstretched arm belonging to a nearby shade. As the arm fell away to both sides, the surge of energy broke through the Shade-made mountain and struck deep into the dead ground.

The Shades concaved into the missing centre of their squirming monument and filled the gap with their bodies. They scrambled to reform their structure as a crimson light beamed through their bodies' cracks, the crimson lustre ramping up at an alarming rate. A loud bang burst from under the mass of creatures, and the crimson energy engulfed them all, blowing the grey clouds in the sky apart with a plume. Zangetsu grounded himself and plunged the tip of his sword into the remains of a Shade.

"There old man, see?! I was just piling them all up like stupid fish is a barrel!" Zangetsu barked and twisted the blade in the chest of the Shade before he ripped it out. "I had it handled."

"That's what you claimed the last time, also. When you almost got us both killed." Juha retorted as he narrowed his eyes, the tinted glasses he wore doing well to hide his dissatisfaction. Despite this, his words remained harsh and struck Zangetsu harder than he expected them to.

"Oi. If I didn't try something, we would be dead, you bastard!" Zangetsu snapped and thrust his sword forward sharply, cutting the motion short just shy of Juha's face. "Next time, I'll watch you die."

"...Go," Juha said sternly, his fingers clenched firmly around the hilt of his smouldering broadsword. "Return Ichigo's body to him. You possessed him in this purgatory, his soul is not here."

"...Whatever." Zangetsu shut his eyes to hide the flash of guilt that flickered under the mask. "Tell the King not to fuck off, it's boring down there alone."

As the mask dissipated, Zangetsu gradually faded out of Ichigo's body, eventually vanishing to relinquish its control to its rightful owner. With Zangetsu gone, the briefly empty body fell limply forward until it was caught by a hastily positioned arm. A sharp intake of breath caught Juha's attention and drew his eyes down to the small pile of ash, courtesy of the crumbling mask that fell away from Ichigo's face. He flipped himself onto his back and stared up at the sky, wincing when the blood-red sky assaulted his eyes. His ragged breathing made his chest rise and fall rapidly, a sheen of sweat covered his exhausted face. Being possessed like that wasn't something unfamiliar to him, but this was the first time it had taken so much out of him. Ichigo felt utterly exhausted, and every breath burnt his lungs.

"Ichigo… where are you." Juha asked from above, his menacing figure peered down intensely at the dazed Ichigo.

"...My inner world, right?" He answered with a slight pause, his eyebrows drawn together in a pensive display. "Yeah, I'm in my inner world. I was attacked by creatures and— Nngh!"

A hiss of pain cut his recollection short, and he tightly grabbed his chest, groaning as the wound from earlier flared up now in his weakened state. With his teeth clenched, Ichigo lifted himself off the ground and tried to hold himself up in a seated position. Ichigo craned his neck back and stared at Juha. He was overcome with feelings of relief and amity, seeing his most trusted spirit standing behind him.

"Juha… I thought you were gone. I called out when I got here, but nobody answered." He said calmly and cautiously climbed to his feet to not exacerbate the already throbbing pain in his chest. "Where the hell were you…?"

Juha flinched at the sudden change in Ichigo's voice, clearing his throat briefly. "I was attending to other matters. By the time I realized you were here, Zangetsu was already in control."

Ichigo's mood soured further at Juha's response. Still cradling his chest, he levelled his eyes with Juha and set his face in a scowl. There was something uncanny about the situation to him, minus the apparent invasion of the Shades. Whenever he visited his inner world, he could sense, albeit barely, where his spirits were. It took a long enough time to manage that much, so for him not to sense where Juha was at all bothered him more than he was willing to admit. Stepping forward, Ichigo looked around him and felt his scowl deepen further.

"I couldn't sense you. Were you hiding your presence?" He pressed, "What's even going on here… the place looks totally different than usual."

"I was not. You were unable to sense me because this is not your inner world." Juha answered with as monotone a beat as ever. He shifted away from Ichigo and stared out at the darkening horizon beyond the distant mountains. "Things are not as they seem here, caution is best shown in full."

"What do you mean this isn't my inner world, the hell is that supposed to mean?" Turning his eyes back to Juha, Ichigo's confusion was evident on his face.

Needless to say, this was news to him. It looked starkly different from the last time he visited, but for it to be an entirely different place? Ichigo was deeply perturbed by this place now, just being present made his skin crawl in disgust. Juha quickly clued into Ichigo's discomfort and grabbed his shoulder, lightly squeezing it to draw his attention.

"Do not worry, Ichigo. While this may not be our home, we can now break through the barrier with those creatures dispatched. Zangetsu's Getsuga weakened the miasma of this purgatory." Juha calmly explained and held his other hand over the ground, calling Tensa Zangetsu to him. "Simply repeat that action, and we will be free."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he beheld the black daito, his heart thrummed deafeningly in his ears when he tentatively extended his own arm to take his sword from Juha's possession. It was only then that he took note of the ragged black sleeve draped along his arm, drawing his eyes downward to take in the rest of him. Gone was his usual shihakusho, replaced by the fitting and intimidating attire belonging to his long-sought-after Bankai. He brandished Tensa Zangetsu in front of him, watching the metallic chain swing like it was on a pendulum. With the hilt gripped tightly in his hand, he closed his eyes and let a draw out sigh of relief escape his lips.

"You are relieved, good," Juha spoke and forcefully dragged Ichigo from his reverie. "In that case, I will field any questions you may have before we proceed from this place."

His words were met with dead silence for a time as Ichigo let himself relish the feeling of his Bankai's power once more. Most of his reiatsu was depleted thanks to Zangetsu and his mask. However, Ichigo still felt the familiar energy that he had grown so familiar with. Finally, now satisfied with his state, he looked back up at Juha and nodded firmly.

"What is this place, and how in the hell do we break out." Ichigo demanded, "I don't care about anything else right now."

"Hm…" Juha hummed with a grin, his bristled cheeks drawing back in a prideful display. "This realm acts as a barrier of sorts. Its purpose is to keep you and me from reaching your inner world. The culprit behind this is none other than the Wraith that I helped you against the other day." Stepping forward, Juha motioned to the large, scorched gouge in the ground just near the two of them. "If that fissure is fed enough reiatsu, the barrier will be overwhelmed and will crumble. That is our only way out of this plane."

Ichigo nodded along in time with Juha's steady explanation, eying the fissure at his feet as he adjusted the grip he held his sword in. "Let's do it then. The sooner we get everything here out of the way, the sooner I can get the hell outta here and back to my body."

"Understood, then shall we?"

"Mhm."

Ichigo and Juha shared a look, neither man wanting to spend more time than necessary in the false-world that they were imprisoned in. Both raised their swords high over their heads, reiatsu coming off of them both in wild waves. Parallel currents of energy raged before they took to the air and swung downward, pairing their strikes with a battle cry. The fissure trembled before it gave way, falling into nothingness as it rapidly grew in size. A blinding light broke through the darkness of the Wraith's barrier and banished whatever remained of its influence— soon engulfing even Ichigo and Juha themselves.

Uryu, Yoruichi and Kisuke had set up camp temporarily in the ring to watch over their friend's body understandably worried about another assassination attempt. One of them brought down a small pot and was boiling from the fire's heat that burned underneath it, cooking whatever hid beneath the stainless steel lid.

"Let's go over what we know, Uryu," Yoruichi suggested and grabbed a small bowl from next to the pot, lifting the lid to ladle in some soup. "Here."

"Ah, thank you." Uryu bowed his head and took the bowl from Yoruichi, blowing over the liquid's surface before tasting it. It was bitter, enough so to nearly make him choke, but he swallowed it regardless. This soup was the best thing he could find when he ransacked Kisuke's shop aboveground. "Starting from the top, I believe we need to discuss the other Wraiths' presence in Karakura."

The duo said nothing to contest Uryu's idea, a unanimous and silent agreement. A sobering air fell among the three as they recalled the late Wraith's words of warning… though perhaps calling it a threat was more apt. Five other Wraiths, one of which Ichigo already encountered a little while ago, prowled their beloved city. Despite how easily Uryu dispatched the one from earlier, and how Ichigo fended the other off without his Shinigami powers, they all still felt threatened by their unwelcome presence. From how they influenced the people, it was clear that their first priority was to track down the remaining Wraiths and eliminate them before considerable damage could be caused.

"I'm not sure how we can track the remaining Wraiths down, but I know we can't waste any time with it. Based on what we read in the texts, the longer they linger around here in the city, the more we'll be putting the citizens at risk." Uryu explained while he sipped once more at the bitter soup in his bowl, choking slightly before he continued on. "Egh… Ahem. As I was saying, we need to find a way to track down his accomplices."

"If the situation wasn't so dire, we could have spared this Wraith. He could have led us to the others," Yoruichi mused, hanging her head in thought. "They have to have some kind of signal, there's no way to avoid detection in the city without communicating."

"..." Uryu narrowed his eyes, his bowl lightly tapping against the ground. "Yoruichi is right. If we can just figure out how they keep tabs on each other…"

Kisuke watched as Uryu and Yoruichi tried to pick up on the Wraith's signal. If there was one at all. "Perhaps," he began, "They have no need for communication. There may not be more than one Wraith, and we're simply being led astray."

"What are you getting at, Kisuke?" Uryu asked, perking up alongside Yoruichi. "Do you think the Wraith here was some kind of illusion?"

"Not quite." With a wave of his fan, Kisuke pointed down towards Ichigo. "I believe that the Wraith was stuck to Ichigo, like a tick."

"Stuck to Ichigo…?" Yoruichi repeated, her eyes slightly wide as she tried to imagine how she missed something so obvious. "We still should have sensed him though, that can't be it…"

"Yes, Yoruichi. It can be. Why?" Kisuke tilted his head with a knowing grin and explained himself to the group. "Ichigo claimed that the other Wraith simply vanished after their fight, but I believe instead of vanishing… it hid inside of Ichigo. Think about it for a moment; How could a supernatural being slip past two Captain-class Shinigami like Yoruichi and me while simultaneously avoiding all of my traps? The answer is that they didn't, and they can't. The only possible method of infiltration would be through a welcome host…"

"But—"

"Let me finish," Kisuke spoke calmly, cutting Uryu off. "The second Wraith must have piggybacked off the first nestled inside Ichigo's body. Which means…"

"It really is the same Wraith!"

Both Kisuke and Uryu glanced over at Yoruichi, who now wore an almost excited grin. Her eyes sent a shiver up their spines, though it was her voice's raw tone that genuinely unnerved them. Even with her eyes filled with excitement, each word was lacking in emotion. Yoruichi's legacy didn't show itself often, but whenever she was faced with the unknown, she couldn't help her assassin's instinct. Before she continued on, Yoruichi reached out and laid her hand down over Ichigo's slowly rising chest.

"Kisuke is on the right track, if not right on the money. What if it's a single entity?" She pulled her hand away from Ichigo and gently rose to her feet, the eyes of her friends followed every motion as they listened. "It's not uncommon for spirits to split apart, the Wraith could have done the same. If this one said there are more Wraiths, perhaps he meant more halves."

"Multiple halves of one Wraith, huh? That would explain why they're so weak… Ichigo won in his human body, and we weren't pressured at all." Uryu admitted while nodding, "I have to agree with. Let's treat this as a single invading Wraith."

Kisuke frowned, was it possible for it to be a single entity? Absolutely. What concerned him despite that was the influence each part had on the city, not their lack of power. He figured that even if the Wraiths were grossly outmatched by the four of them, the Wraiths could come out victorious. To that end, he, too, rose to his feet and sheathed his fan.

"If that is the case, then at least one of us has to go hunting for the source immediately." Kisuke declared, "Wraith's get stronger the more they suffer… if one isn't exorcised, it has the capability of driving entire cities to mass suicide."

His words hit the group hard, but they all knew this. They all read the same passages warning about any conflict with Wraiths, and how failure could never be an option. The sheer control of despair and hatred they had was, put lightly, terrifying. Only one loss was enough to affect someone like Yoruichi, and Uryu was already under constant pressure. Even if he kept a cool head, both Kisuke and Yoruichi knew that his earlier outburst was far from ordinary.

"Then, that means all we're doing is making the original body that much stronger by fighting its other halves." Yoruichi added, "Damn it… I'll go after them."

"No, Yoruichi, you won't." Kisuke shook his head and instead nominated Uryu. "He'll go, along with his father."

"Kisuke!"

"What? My father…?"

Faced with a backlash from both parties, Kisuke hung his head tiredly and answered them both at once. "It's simple. If we're assuming that one Wraith is hiding inside Ichigo, it leaves four hiding in the city. When we started this investigation, I was sure Ichigo was what we needed to drive it out. They were targeting him after all, but we can't risk sending him now. If we were to fight a Wraith, it'll just feed the original and make it stronger."

"What does that have to do with my father, Kisuke?" Uryu pressed and rose to his feet as well, "We'd still have to fight them."

"While true, this is where the nature of Quincy powers come into full play. You and your father would eradicate the Wraiths entirely, and that total destruction is exactly what we need right now." Kisuke explained with a solemn tone, "Call your father and fill him in. Yoruichi and I will explain it all to Ichigo when he wakes up."

Uryu hesitated. While he and his father were on decent terms, the waters were still incredibly rough after Sakata's attack. The repairs to the hospital and the chewing out Ryuken gave him, were a pain that he continued to feel now almost a full week after the fight. However, despite his reluctance, he understood where Kisuke was coming from and couldn't put together a coherent reason to decline. A gentle sigh accompanied his eventual acceptance.

"Alright, I'll contact my father and try to get him on board," Uryu said as he turned towards the ring's blown-in door. "I'll leave you to handle damage control, Kisuke. We both know he will have plenty of questions for you."

"That's fine, I'll take care of it when it comes to that," Kisuke affirmed as Uryu trudged towards the staircase that led back up to the surface. He knew Uryu wasn't looking forward to any part of the current plan, but his quick agreement was a testament to its severity.

Both Kisuke and Yoruichi watched him leave before the latter spoke, voicing her concerns.

"I'm worried about him, Kisuke." Yoruichi muttered, "That wasn't like him earlier… and even now."

"What do you mean?"

Yoruichi stayed silent for a moment as she took in the spot where Uryu had practically tortured the answers out of the Wraith. She closed her eyes to wipe the image of it from her mind before speaking again. "That Wraith didn't want to die, yet Uryu killed it so easily. Now he's readily agreed to do the same with multiple…? He usually never wants to take a life like that."

Kisuke's face darkened as he mulled over his friend's words, keenly aware of how valid her concerns were. Uryu was generally averse to taking the lives of those that he fought unless they were mindless creatures like standard Hollows, yet the circumstances here were different than usual. Not to mention his one on one fight with Sakata in Kyoto must have toughened him up somewhat. Even if the blood of that innocent wasn't on his hands, he thought it was. That brief moment likely still weighed down on his psyche.

"Don't worry too much about him, I'm sure he'll be okay." He said at last, "Uryu isn't one to fly off the handle. I think we should just leave him be for now… I'll take care of him if he gets out of hand."

"..." Yoruichi eyed Kisuke from a distance and crossed her arms, "Fine. I won't stop worrying about him, though… it's not normal for him to be like this."

"Do what makes you feel comfortable, but focus on Ichigo for now," Kisuke said firmly.

They settled their attention on Ichigo once again, wondering how their disciple was fairing in his inner world. Without any form of communication between them all, anxieties were piling on top of one another. Ichigo's well-being was their top priority, yet they knew that pulling him out would do more harm than good. With great reluctance, Kisuke and Yoruichi sat idly by and kept watch.

The Leviathan's Berry

"We're coming up on your inner world now, Ichigo. Brace yourself."

"Yeah."

Terse words were exchanged between Ichigo and Juha during their descent towards a Skyscraper's reflective surface, their own swords held tightly at their sides. The air whistled loudly as they tore through it. Quickly channelling their reiatsu to their feet, using the power to swing themselves upright for a clean landing. They touched down without a sound, immediately readying their weapons in preparation. Much to their relief, Ichigo's inner world was just as barren as it always was. An endless sprawl of horizontal skyrises spreading far beyond the horizon, with vertical clouds slowly crawling across the azure sky.

The glass underfoot offered a distorted reflection of them both, every step they took sent ripples through the windows. Echoless footsteps fell away in the stagnant air, the only constant sound in the world belonged to their subdued breaths.

"Where is Zan-"

"Don't say it. Saying that name here is dangerous." Juha spoke suddenly to cut Ichigo off. "He is down below, held hostage by what remains."

Ichigo bit down on his tongue and let his feet carry themselves towards the edge of the skyscraper they stood upon, leaning forward slightly to peer down into the abyss where Zangetsu was apparently being held captive once again. He felt a cold sweat come over him as he gazed into the one part of his inner world that he had left unexplored, a part of his inner world that his two spirits never brought up. It would be a lie to say that their silence on the matter didn't intrigue him.

"What exactly is down there…?" Ichigo questioned, craning his neck around to glance in Juha's direction. "I know we went down a bit when I fought you two during the war… but we never reached the bottom."

Ichigo was left waiting for an answer as he strode over, loosening his palm to let his sword fade away. His cloak came down over his hands, hiding them once again, no longer restrained his reiatsu. A stern expression was carved into his face as he peered into the abyss alongside Ichigo, watching the unseen with a steady eye. At last, he took a deep breath and answered Ichigo.

"Down there… is where dreams go to die." He spoke solemnly and stepped up to the very edge until he teetered back and forth. "We must not linger there, once we find him… we leave. Am I clear, Ichigo?"

"What does that mean?"

"..."

"Juha. What does it mean?" Ichigo pressed and reached out to grab Juha's shoulder, turning the taller man towards him. "What is waiting for us down there?"

"There's no point in me telling you, Ichigo," Juha answered. He pushed Ichigo's hand off his shoulder before he narrowed his eyes, concern evident in his eyes.

Seeing Juha look so concerned was worrying for Ichigo, who only knew him to be cold and stern. His inner spirit's curt words had him reeling slightly, but it wasn't too long before he bounced back and shifted his eyes down to the abyss once more. Ichigo pulled his lips back into a grin and hopped off the skyscraper much to Juha's surprise.

"Well, I'll just go check it out then."

"Ichigo!" Juha exclaimed and shot his arm out, narrowly missing the collar of Ichigo's tattered shihakusho, "Fool."

Ichigo spun around midair and glanced up at Juha, who glared down back at him. The light from the sky quickly faded as they fell farther into the darkness, even the steel and glass of the skyscrapers began to look warped. Though through all the blackness, Juha stayed bright in Ichigo's eyes, even as the rest of the world was swallowed up.

"If I'm a fool… then teach me, Juha," Ichigo declared while he locked his eyes with Juha's. "Prepare me for what we're about to fight… like you used to."

There was a brief moment of utter quiet, even the wind had been swallowed up by the nothingness.

"Fine," Juha sighed and let his voice cut through the silence. "The rain that comes when you despair. It does not fall. Whenever you submit to yourself, it claws out from the very depths of your soul. It seeks to devour you whole… and I must not let that happen. I watch over this abyss every day to protect you from yourself.

"Juha…"

"Be silent, Ichigo. If you show empathy, I will kill you," Juha warned, "Protecting you is why he and I exist. Why any spirit exists within a Shinigami. We are your light. Without us, you are all weak, all pathetic."

Ichigo's shihakusho was yanked up suddenly by Juha, who swung his arm out to throw Ichigo into a wall. Before he could react or even let out a startled shout, the glass shattered silently, and he slid roughly across the harsh floor. A wordless groan escaped his throat as he planted his palms on the floor and pushed himself up to his feet, only to be met with Juha's hand at his throat poised to tear it open. For as much as he wanted to say, Ichigo recalled his spirit's earlier warning and held his tongue.

"Without us, the darkness consumes you all. That darkness lives in your soul's very depths: grudges, bitterness, sadistic desires, and greed. The most primal self salivates, ready to tear your throat. No different than I am now. The greatest lesson bestowed unto you by me; Bare your fear proudly, and run. Down here, we are nothing. The rain commands all and will consume all if given quarter," Juha stepped back and pulled his fingers from Ichigo's throat, "I will say no more on the matter. Stay behind me and listen."

Ichigo stared squarely at Juha's back, silently watching his gruff spirit make his way to one of the many doors in the room they found themselves in. "Understood…" He idly rubbed at his throat, offhandedly wiping some sweat from his forehead before following after Juha.

It was undeniable that this place put him on high alert. Something was incredibly wrong here, and Ichigo found himself following Juha's every step as carefully as possible. Of course, he wanted answers as to what was so dangerous about being down here, it was in his own soul after all, yet every time he opened his mouth to speak, his mouth went dry. Words fell away before he managed to say anything, little more than a strained sigh coming out.

After silencing Ichigo, Juha led him from the office room and into the skyscraper's dilapidated halls. The walls were pristine with an untouched grey tint; not a soul could be seen anywhere. Mirroring the surface of his inner world, the skyscraper's interior was barren and devoid of sound save for the footsteps coming from Ichigo and Juha. As they walked through the corridor, Ichigo was stopped by the subtle and distant sound of crying from an adjacent room.

"Juha… Do you hear that?"

"Hm?"

"That crying, can you hear it?" Ichigo asked once more before he stopped and took stock of his surroundings. There were no doors in sight, only an endless hall.

Juha peered over his shoulder, surveying the hall, hiding his emotions behind his glasses' thin, dark frames. Both of them quietened their breathing, letting absolute silence overtake them once again. Muted sobs were heard as Juha listened for whatever his partner detected, lending credence to Ichigo's claims. The taller of the two stepped forward to press his palm flush against the wall, dipping his head to acknowledge the crying himself.

"I can not say for certain where the source is. If we come across it, we will deal with it then. Do not let your mind wander and dwell on anything in this place," Juha advised, turning back to face Ichigo. "I told you before; This is where dreams come to die. This place is the true source of your despair, there is nothing good here."

"I get that, it just sounds too familiar to forget." Ichigo murmured, visibly pensive.

"...Then we will investigate."

Juha's sudden declaration was out of character for him, going against himself so willingly. It came as a slight shock to Ichigo, enough to nudge him out of his own head, drawing a smile across his usual scowling face.

"No, we'll do what we need to do. Wasting time isn't a luxury we have right now, so let's just get going," Ichigo retorted, shaking his head. "You were so adamant about this being a dangerous place after all."

Faced with his own words, Juha could do nothing but press onward. His footsteps were mirrored by Ichigo, silently following him once again towards an unknown destination. A prideful smirk etched across his features seeing how levelheaded his partner was, a stark contrast to his previous wild demeanour. Even if their contact was minimal, especially compared with his other half, Juha felt that Ichigo was finally settling into his own skin and knew that he played a role in that.

'That is one thing you will never steal away from me, Zangetsu,' Juha thought to himself. 'Ichigo's respect.'

"Come quietly. We will pass by the mob without fighting," Juha whispered with his back to a cracked wall, keeping Ichigo behind him with a raised hand.

"Mm," Ichigo affirmed quietly, closely following Juha's movements.

The two men managed to navigate their way through the dimly lit hall that first welcomed them, successfully pressing past the mysterious sobbing. Eventually coming upon a large room, a conference room, they were met by a mass of Shades, not unlike those met earlier in the barrier realm. Shades' schlepped around throughout the room, aimlessly wandering as they sought Ichigo and Juha out. To the benefit of the latter, not one Shade picked up on their presence.

Hoping to lead Ichigo out of the sudden hot-zone without incident, Juha craned to look around the corner and blanched. While they were relatively safe from detection, Juha struggled to find a clear path for them to escape.

"We must make it into that room," Juha whispered and raised a hand, directing Ichigo's gaze. "Once inside, I can teleport both of us out of here."

"Why aren't we going to deal with them?"

Juha saw Ichigo grip the hilt of Tensa Zangetsu tightly as he spoke, dissuading him from taking action with a silent wave of his hand. "If we were to fight, we would doubtlessly win. However, I worry that the commotion would draw more to us. The battlefield is too compact for us here, it is not advantageous." He justified his apprehension, staring down at Ichigo.

"Alright, then. How are we going to get over there?" Ichigo mused after relenting to Juha's course of action.

Juha hummed. It was a good question, one he wasn't entirely ready to answer. If it were just him getting out of this situation, it would have been simple, he had done it many times before during his ventures down when Zangetsu was still feral. However, traditional means would fail to serve as a reliable plan considering Ichigo's reiatsu was too unruly. For once in his existence, Juha was beginning to miss Zangetsu's reckless and haphazard way of thinking. That's when it clicked.

"We are going to run."

"Run…?" Ichigo repeated, confusion apparent on his face.

"Yes. We will capitalize on the Shades' shock, brief it may be, until instinct kicks in," Juha clarified. "The Shades' will then give chase. The door should buy us time." Referencing the door once more, the integral part of his plan, Juha readied his hand.

"And if your plan falls through…?"

"It won't," Juha responded sharply. "The plan will work just fine, do not worry, Ichigo."

The shadow under Juha's foot slowly stretched out until it reached the middle of the conference room. It bubbled up from the ground until Juha's mirrored image stood proudly for the Shades' to see. A resounding screech rang across the conference room, every Shade lunging for the copy Juha's throat. Mimicking its master's desire, the copy parried away and struck down the Shades' that drew too close.

With their most significant obstacle occupied, Juha grabbed Ichigo's collar, kicking him into gear. They burst out from their hidden corner sprinting for the door that lay unguarded in front of them. Ichigo watched the Shades' closely and felt a pit develop within him, one by one they were beginning to notice that something was off about their prey. He turned to Juha just as the door was opened, managing to slip inside before Juha slammed it shut. Immediately after the door slammed, both heard nails against metal as Shades' pounded at the flimsy barrier that separated them from their targets.

"Juha!"

"I'm well aware, Ichigo! Get to the window. Now! "Juha shouted, swinging his hand out.

Another clone shot out of the ground and lunged towards the door. It plunged its copy of Tensa Zangetsu through the door and wall, pinning the door shut. Ichigo was waiting by the window, sword at the ready, fighting against the crawling fear bubbling up from deep within himself. The scene felt like something right out of a movie, holding out inside an empty room against their foes' endless barrage. One look outside the window revealed that Juha's initial suspicion was right. Shades were scaling the blackened skyscraper's exterior as if they were spiders, surely foaming at the mouth in anticipation of a kill.

Twisting around, Juha left his second clone at the door and hurried to Ichigo's side at the windows. Shades swarmed the windows in his peripheral, spurring his decision to shatter the one directly behind Ichigo. A glance conveyed his intentions prompting Ichigo to spin and leap out the window alongside his spirit. Gravity joined the fray and harshly dragged the two men down away from the shattered window. When he looked up, the sight that awaited Ichigo was staggering. Glass shards sparkled like crystals around them standing stark against a wave of black; The few Shades that were climbing the side of the skyscraper had been engulfed by a tsunami of their brethren.

Wild shrieks and calls rang out as the Shades poured into the building from every crack and window. Even as Juha and Ichigo fell further away from the living abyss, they knew that the sea of Shades would soon turn and descend upon them. Ichigo's shihakusho was yanked to the side, pulling his limp body into Juha's cloak. He'd experienced a similar display from Juha once before; when he was fighting Kenpachi, Juha pulled him from the fight. The only difference here was that they were already in Ichigo's inner world, so Juha's destination was lost on him. The cloak obscured his vision as it encircled him and Juha entirely, constricting around their bodies until they vanished from sight entirely.

Shortly after being wrapped up in Juha's cloak, Ichigo's back met with a harsh landing, yet another skyscraper served as their entry point back into his Inner World. Rolling out of Juha's grasp, Ichigo pushed himself up to his knees, staring down at the roof. Beyond the sound of his laboured breathing, Ichigo couldn't hear anything at all. Notably, the horrendous shrieks of the Shades vanished entirely. A movement to his left caught his eyes; his trance broken. Juha had gotten to his feet and approached the roof's edge, overlooking the area below them. Much like the rooftop, the rest of the environment was bathed in darkness, rendering Ichigo's and Juha's vision extremely poor.

"We are here, Ichigo," Juha announced.

"What do you mean…?"

Ichigo groaned and stood up, joining Juha at the edge. Sprawled before them was a desolate cityscape of broken skyscrapers and lonely streets; in the distance, howls could be heard, unlike those from the Shades. Perturbed, Ichigo went to grip Tensa Zangetsu's hilt only to grab empty air.

"You can't fight, Ichigo," Juha murmured as his broadsword manifested in his hand, blue flames lapped against the cracked concrete roof. He raised his arm high to plunge the broadsword into the ground, blasting the darkness away from them with the fire. "Not here."

Clearly confused, Ichigo shook his head while backing away from the roof's edge. The broadsword's flames illuminated their immediate area enough that Ichigo wasn't too concerned with his footing. Disregarding the urgency of the situation, for the time being, he plopped down onto the ground and propped his head up in his palm. As always, Juha wasn't one for explanations, and it was starting to get to Ichigo more than he was ready to admit. No matter how much Ichigo wanted to let it all go, he knew that Juha was hiding a lot from him.

Juha picked up on the drop in his partner's mood and let out a soft sigh, the howl of some unseen creature drowning out its sound. With his sword serving as their only safe haven, he joined Ichigo in its little bubble of warmth though refrained from sitting down. Words rolled across his mind as he thought over what he wanted to say, and how, yet struggled to articulate himself properly. It wasn't that keeping Ichigo in the dark was Juha's intention. The spirit's issue lay with himself and what he represented.

"I told you earlier," Juha began, his words garnering Ichigo's attention. "This place is the deepest part of your soul. A Shinigami's spirits reside on the surface of their vessel's soul. You are too far away from the source of your power to draw upon it."

"How can I fix that?" Ichigo replied, "I'm not just going to be protected… you of all people should know that."

"..."

"Damn it, Juha," Ichigo snarled and directed his glare towards the broadsword jutting out from the roof. "If the surface of my soul is where you two get your power from, then why aren't you powerless too?"

"I cannot tell you that, Ichigo."

"Juha," Ichigo called through his teeth. "Enough of your bullshit. Either you tell me what you're hiding from me, or I'm going after Zangetsu alone."

"Ichigo!" Juha snapped, "Don't say-"

"Why the hell not, Juha? Huh?" Ichigo bit back, swinging his arm out around him. "There isn't a creature in sight besides us, and those Shades are too stupid to pick up on a name. What's so bad that I can't call out to Zangetsu?"

"Ichigo," Juha said quietly, "I understand-"

Juha's voice was cut off by a piercing wail that brought even Juha to his knees, hissing through his teeth. Ichigo quickly covered his ears, wincing as the ringing refused to go away. The wail persisted, growing in intensity, as both men struggled to push the sound from their skulls.

"We need… to go!" Juha declared and climbed shakily to his feet, dragging Ichigo up with him.

Offering no resistance, Ichigo clamoured to his feet and matched Juha's pace. He blindly ran alongside his spirit away from the broadsword's warmth into the darkness's cold embrace that awaited them beyond the flame's reach. As they ran, the rooftop began to crumble away underfoot, creating a significant gap that seemed to race after them. Ichigo chanced a glance behind them and blanched at the sight that awaited him. Tendrils made up of the Shades they escaped earlier lashed out from below, tearing through the roof like wet paper.

"Juha! What the hell is going on?!" Ichigo yelled to make himself heard over the relentless wailing, setting his eyes forward to watch his footing.

"We are being chased."

"No shit, we're being chased!"

"My apologies," Juha spoke as they reached the edge of the roof. "Jump."

Giving Ichigo no chance to breathe, Juha called out his order before leaping high into the air. Soaring across the gap, he landed firmly on the roof of an adjacent building. Spinning around, he cast out a clone of himself that grabbed hold of Ichigo's hand as he fell just short of the roof. Juha's clone pulled Ichigo up onto solid ground before dissipating, leaving Juha and Ichigo alone.

"Thanks!" Ichigo called out as the two men broke into a run once again, "I can't draw on any of my powers… this is really irritating!"

"Of course." Juha nodded, peeking behind them to witness the skyscraper they just stood on getting demolished by whatever chased after them. As the building fell to the ground in a grand display of dust and debris, the wailing and rumbling came to a complete halt. "We can stop now… for a time, at least."

Winded, Ichigo took a deep breath and satiated his aching lungs. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, forcing his voice out through the heavy breathing. "What… the hell… was that, Juha."

"..." Juha bit his tongue as he stared at the empty space in front of him. Though knowing there was no better time than now to explain things, he cleared his throat and answered at last. "That was Masaki Kurosaki."

Machines buzzed inharmoniously high above the busy Karakura streets; Diligent workers arduously chipped away at the damage done to Karakura General Hospital. Uryu hugged the coat he wore close to his body, dreading the encounter he was about to subject himself to. Shortly after his discussion with Kisuke about what to do next, Uryu called his father and informed him about the plan. Ryuken's response took Uryu by surprise as he was more than willing to lend his aide; in all their years together, Uryu had never seen such a credulous side of his father. Usually, every conversation would be halted by him claiming it wasn't their problem to deal with, or a bevy of questions would be thrown in Uryu's face.

To say that the abnormal situation had Uryu feeling apprehensive about seeing his father was a vast understatement. Fighting against his better judgement, Uryu walked through the hospital doors and started on his way to his father. Anxious steps brought him into the claustrophobic elevator where a loud ping signalled Uryu's ascent. Digital numbers flashed across his glasses while he gradually rose to the top floor, where Ryuken waited for him. The elevator's telltale chime announced the end of Uryu's brief ride, a metallic screech sounding out when the steel doors pulled open, revealing a hall. Disembarking, Uryu trudged across the beautiful carpet towards Ryuken's office at the very end of the corridor.

Stalled outside gazing at a set of double doors, Uryu took a deep breath. His face set in a neutral expression, he nudged his glasses higher up on his nose and walked into the office. It was a large room flanked on both sides by enormous shelves laden with books of various topics. The far wall was made of glass serving as a window overlooking the city, and in front of it sat Ryuken. He reclined in his chair once the doors closed together.

"Uryu," Ryuken said with a nod of his head.

"Father," Uryu greeted and stepped forward into the room, his eyes fixed on his father. "Are you ready to get to work?"

"I will not be working, Uryu. Something as small as this should prove no issue for you to handle alone," Ryuken announced and rose out of his chair to approach Uryu. "I am simply going to shadow you to ensure that you're performing at a respectable level. What happened in Kyoto mustn't happen again. You're too unstable for me to leave you alone out there, I'll be watching your every move."

"I-I see…" Uryu drawled with a thinly-veiled show of disappointment. "From what you said on the phone I misunderstood, I thought you were going to help."

"Of course. I will help," Ryuken stood at Uryu's side and lightly patted his shoulder in what should have been a tender act, though it only muddied the water between father and son even more.

The words his father left unsaid were no secret to Uryu, he knew all too well what his father's idea of help was. Even remembering what time they spent training together was enough to make him break out in a fine sweat.

"This is not an issue of Shinigami or Quincy, Father," Uryu affirmed, having mustered the strength needed to combat his father. "We mustn't put our pride over the lives of the city."

"Any matter where we act becomes one of heritage, Uryu. I suggest you grow to see beyond the wool and come to realize this soon. I tolerate you keeping Ichigo Kurosaki as a companion, but the same courtesy will not be extended here. Urahara has requested the service of a Quincy for a reason, you will display your expertise without failing miserably again."

Ryuken's words tightened the illusory noose around Uryu's throat and smothered any retort that his son may have begun to muster. His cold eyes burning through his son, eyelids pinched around his steely irises.

"Forget it, then," Uryu bit and lazily turned his head up to his father. "I'll handle it myself. You can sit right there and judge me from the sidelines where it's safe like you always do."

"You will die if you go alone, Uryu. Don't overestimate your capabilities." Ryuken asserted with a look of disdain in his eyes.

"Don't underestimate my capabilities, I can do more than you think I can," Uryu defended with a harsh sneer and turned his back on his father's glass expanse. "I'll tell Kisuke that you lent a hand, so don't worry about the backlash."

There was no chance for retort as padded footsteps followed Uryu's hasty retreat, each echo rolled weightily off the walls as they carried his act of rebellion with them. There was no mistaking the look in Ryuken's eyes as he watched the scene unfold. Traces of pride flashed from behind his darkened frames, drowned out by overwhelming appreciation.

"Do as you wish," Ryuken relented, "but be careful." His admittance was caught between the closing office doors, washed away by the startling slam. Turning from the door, he cast his gaze over the city, following the sparse rays of sunlight that fell over the shopping district far below. Everything fell away as he expanded his senses as far across the city as possible, pinpointing each Wraith's location. A sour expression graced his usually emotionless face. "Who could that be...?"

Dial tones rang from Uryu's phone while he crossed the busy lobby of Karakura Hospital, his eyes set on the horizon until he heard the line pick up. He glanced over at his shoulder as if watching for a tail before he spoke into the phone, "Kisuke, I'll be at the large shrine on the edge of town. You know the one. Send Yoruichi."

"What's going on, Uryu?"

"We're going to wipe the Wraith's out in a single blow. The strongest one is near there," Uryu announced after he rounded the hospital's rotating door.

"...I see. You understand the risks, yes?"

"Of course I do. That's why I want Yoruichi here; if worse comes to worst, the two of us can hold out long enough to escape."

Kisuke's line went silent, dead air quickly settled in. After a short wait, he returned. "What happened to Ryuken?"

Uryu stopped moving and looked behind him, staring up at the hospital's highest floor with a hollow smile when he felt Ryuken cast his senses over the city. "I decided that I didn't need the help of a coward, nothing more. Is Yoruichi coming?"

"I see. Don't be too hard on your father," Kisuke sighed, "She'll meet you at the shrine. I'll come with Ichigo if he's up in time."

"I appreciate it." Uryu ended the call and tucked his phone away in his pocket, brushing through the evening crowd until he was clear of the hospital. He pursed his lips, jumping up onto the roof of an empty shop.

The surprise he felt when Ryuken made his intentions clear felt wrong, to Uryu. He should have expected such a response from his father, he wasn't so readily available unless it benefitted him somehow. Without saying a word, he flared his power back at his father and took off for the shrine on the other end of town. As he crossed one gap after another, there was another power that he picked up belonging to Yoruichi. She was already halfway to their destination, her speed startled Uryu even now.

In an effort not to be outdone by her, he began using hirenkyaku to cover even more distance, soon matching her pace to his ability. A wordless, mutual agreement was formed between the Shinigami and Quincy as they dashed over their town's rooftops, inching closer to their goal. Regardless of the Wraith's intentions, no matter how twistedly moral they may perceive themselves to be, not one would be left to roam Karakura's streets any longer. Their reasoning wasn't something that had to be expressed with anything further than a simple glance— it was their duty to protect this town. Even more so now that Ichigo was temporarily out of the picture.

Branches cackled forebodingly around them now that the Karakura borders were far at their back. Something was brewing in the distance, behind the smattering of forgotten and neglected torii. Uryu watched Yoruichi perch herself on a branch, opting to follow suit and trust whatever her instincts were telling her. The wind whistled across the faded steps and blew through the trees, singing a melancholic message in its wispy breaths.

"I don't like this," Yoruichi said over the wind, her long ponytail fluttering above her shoulder as if to flee.

"That aura…?" Questioned Uryu, noting the shift in Yoruichi's eyes at his words. He was right, though he wasn't at all surprised to learn this. Even Ichigo would have been able to pick up on the hatred that oozed down the crumbling path. It's foulness draining what little colour remained in the soulless and dim torii. "We have no choice but to push forward. If we turn back… you know what happens."

"I'm just concerned is all," Yoruichi explained. "We should hold off on advancing, take some time, and plan it out for the time being."

"I suppose you're right, though we can't spend too long thinking. Giving the Wraiths any more time to gather power…"

Uryu refrained from finishing his sentence, keenly aware that he couldn't say anything that wasn't already abundantly evident. Unlike Hollows, these Wraiths thrived off of the fear and despair of those around them. A thin sheen of sweat formed on Uryu's face as he recalled the Wraiths left in the city, continuously feeding back into what they hoped was the Alpha. Having agreed to Yoruichi's proposal, they both jumped down to the stone footpath base and concocted a plan.

While they discussed their approach, the malign aura continued to grow, weighing down on the pair to smother them. Despite the growing evil, neither Yoruichi nor Uryu gave in to its presence and instead turned to face the foreboding ascent. The twisted air was incomparable to when they were perched high in the trees. As they peered through the decayed torii gates up the cracked stone stairway, that foul wind blew once again as if to dare them to climb up and meet the monster that awaited them.

"Don't listen to anything it says," Uryu asserted hushedly, "If it gets under our skin, we're done for."

"You don't need to remind me, Uryu. I let it bother me once today, it won't get that chance again," Yoruichi's eyes narrowed into slits as she spoke, affirming her understanding of their situation. Unlike Uryu, who seemed built to handle creatures of this nature, she had to be much more cautious of its manipulative ways.

"Then let's get to it."

With a few simple words from Uryu, the duo began their climb up the wicked way. The farther they progressed, the more that they came to notice a distinct lack of… well, anything. From the bustling city's sounds to the cicada's hum hiding amongst the greenery, it was all gone. The air had grown stiff and murky, making every step a trial to progress. Plants wilted and faded away until, at last, there was nothing but a grim and lifeless road. No matter the distance travelled nor the steps ascended, their journey to the top seemed endless… as if something were actively repelling them.

Azure flames lapped against the cracked concrete under Juha and Ichigo, continuously fending off the darkness' advances. Though the light burned bright from the broadsword, it failed to make Ichigo feel comfortable, his mind playing Juha's words on repeat. His ravenous guilt, unremitting in its pursuit of his light, created a being to combat his progress. Ichigo Kurosaki blamed himself for his mother, Masaki Kurosaki's death, long ago. Despite the knowledge he gained over the years, Ichigo continued to hold himself accountable. According to Juha, this creature began rampaging in the depths of Ichigo's soul shortly after his death to Ulquiorra Cifer. It started out resembling nothing more than a shadow… Zangetsu brushed it off as nothing more than a trick of the soul. Yet each time Ichigo drew upon Zangetsu's mask, it fed off the energy. Gorging itself like a rabid mutt on the very fibre of the hollowed reiatsu.

The rest of Juha's words were either forgotten or blocked from Ichigo's memory, already trying to find a way out of the reality he was thrust into. All the time spent on growing stronger, fighting for his life against beings he shouldn't even be aware of. Every bloody second felt pointless to him now, just like the darkness wanted.

"Ichigo," Juha spoke softly. His cadence gentle and careful, "You must not dwell on this. Regardless of your actions, the fault befalls us. Neither of us informed you of the parasite."

Unresponsive, Ichigo stared up towards the distant watery sky. Reflections of a non-existent sun mirrored off his darkened eyes, nearly covered by his dipping eyelids. In the distance 'Masaki's' howl jolted Ichigo to his very core, he was on his feet in seconds. "It's my fault that he's trapped here then."

"Ichigo—" Juha uttered, stepping in close to where Ichigo stood. His voice trailed off as if conceding to the piercing wails that polluted the air. "I have one more thing to tell you. Regarding your mother."

"...What is it?" Peering over his shoulder, Ichigo stared into the dim Shades that hid Juha's tired eyes.

"Your mother, as that Sakata claimed, was a Quincy."

Ichigo chuckled. A harsh, painful laugh that made his throat sting. Sure, Sakata and his father confirmed it not long ago, but part of him refused to accept it as reality. It wasn't until his first encounter with a Wraith that he began to acknowledge it. The power Juha used to help him fight without his Shinigami form— that pattern covering his entire body like a spider's way it enhanced his abilities so greatly. It was identical to the technique that Uryu often employed to fight against Captains or other strong opponents. It was solid proof of his heritage that no matter his excuse, could not be ignored.

Turning from Ichigo, Juha stared down the side of the skyscraper they stood on. Ichigo's anxiety funnelled into him, bringing about a wave of familiar and unwanted emotion. "I, too, am a Quincy. Your mother's legacy lives on in you, through me."

"Figured as much," Ichigo whispered, turning his back to the horizon. Shoulder to shoulder with Juha, he felt his bond with him for the first time. Not as his Zanpakuto spirit, but as who he truly was. Being lied to again crushed him, but it was neither the time nor place for him to say anything. "Then teach me how to use these Quincy powers of mine."

"That is not possible, Ichigo."

"Why the hell not?" Ichigo pressed, grabbing the sleeve of Juha's cloak. He struggled to see beyond the tint in Juha's lenses and into his soul's mirror even at this distance. Any emotions were hidden and robbed Ichigo of the flimsy leverage he sought.

"Because it is simply impossible. To use Quincy powers, your soul must be pure and free of pollution," Juha supplied, only fueling Ichigo's growing irritation. Between the tense atmosphere and the non-stop revelations, his patience had run out a long time ago. As if detecting Ichigo's dip in mood, Juha sighed. "Your other spirit and I— we are in constant contention. He is both Shinigami and Hollow, while I am Shinigami and Quincy. You should know what that means."

Ichigo's brow twitched as Juha questioned him and roughly shoved him back. Of course, he knew what that meant. If first-hand accounts weren't enough to prove it, Uryu spared no expense to drill the knowledge into his skill. Hollows were weakest when confronted by a Quincy, they'd be totally annihilated if they lost a fight. Ichigo witnessed it often during their adventures, most notably in Hueco Mundo, where many-a-hollow were ruthlessly slain by Uryu's arrows.

"I used your powers just fine back at Ikumi's place," Ichigo contested, "I didn't feel any pain. Maybe you're wrong. It's worth a shot."

"I am not wrong. If you truly desire to use the powers left to you by your mother, then forsake those bestowed upon you by your father. Only then—" Juha pointed out with a calculated emptiness in his voice, wholly devoid of any emotion. Not dissimilar to their first interaction so long ago, "Will my power be available to you."

"I—" Ichigo hesitated, his tired eyes shifted away from Juha and down to the murky expanse under them. The consequences of that decision far outweighed any change that he would undergo. "If that is what it takes to use your power, then I refuse. Forget I asked, let's just keep going forward."

"..." Juha nodded, silent. It was no surprise that Ichigo would be so against his help, especially with yet another lie exposed. "I understand, Ichigo."

"... Don't mistake me, Juha," Ichigo mumbled as he stepped behind his spirit and away from the blue flames' warmth. "I'm not choosing him over you, I'm choosing both of you. If you asked me before all of this, I might've actually considered making a choice. But not after losing you both to gain the strength needed to beat Aizen. You are just as important to me as he is, just... enough with the secrets, okay?"

"Ichigo," Juha whispered while he digested his partner's words, "I—"

Ichigo rubbed his neck shyly, hiding his awkward blush with the crook of his arm. Knowing that he was kept out of the loop yet again upset him considerably, but he couldn't forsake Juha over that. Even if they disagreed on most of their ideals, he was still part of him. Cutting Juha off, he cut through the strained atmosphere. "A-Ahem! Now stop being so damn gloomy all the time, I think it's rubbing off on me."

"Understood, Ichigo," Juha acknowledged with a wisp of a smile that lightened his otherwise cold face. "Let us press on then, there is a path just north of here that will lead us straight to your Zanpakuto spirit."

"Then lead the way, old man."