Sorry for the long wait for this chapter but I hit a rather large block where everything I seemed to write sucked so hopefully this chapter holds up to the others.

For everyone concerned about Tatsuki, I have no intention of making her get to the same level of the higher Espada/captains.

Once again thanks for all the follows, favourites and also all the reviews I receive. Enjoy the chapter!

This chapter begins a short time before the last one ended.

"About time you all got here. I assume you weren't detected, right?" Grimmjow got to his feet and welcomed his five Fracción who stood in the air before him.

"Of course not. There seems to be several entities in the area that are showing a notable amount of reiatsu which weren't included in Ulquiorra's report." Shawlong responded, receiving an angry tut from Grimmjow in response.

"Damn! Let's use our Pesquisa." Grimmjow and the others closed their eyes and began to sense the numerous reiatsu signatures that Shawlong had mentioned. "The chances of them having reinforcements are high so be careful, this might get complicated. Di Roy, Shawlong, Edrad, Nakeem, Yylfordt, It's time to make this thing ourselves. I don't care who they are, if they show even a tiny bit of reiatsu then kill them." Grimmjow finished and the sound of Sonīdo filled the night sky of Karakura town.

-OO-

"This reiatsu! Rukia, it's them!" Tatsuki shouted and Rukia immediately pulled a small cell phone from her pocket and flipped it open.

"I know! 1… 2… 6 of them!" Rukia shakily responded as she realised how many Arrancar there were and what they were doing.

"Are they heading this way?" Tatsuki asked while Rukia stayed fixated on her phone.

"No they are searching for reiatsu, but they don't seem to be heading here yet." Rukia replied, still not taking her eyes from the mobile phone.

"So what the hell is that supposed to mean!" Tatsuki began pacing back and forth in her small bedroom as she scratched the bandage that was wrapped around her head.

"They're combing the town for anyone with reiatsu which must mean they're planning to kill everyone no matter how much reiatsu they have!" Rukia grasped her phone tighter as she realised what was happening.

"Well Ishida doesn't have any reiatsu at the moment since he lost his powers but what about Orihime and chad?" Tatsuki shouted, grabbing the Substitute Shinigami badge she had been given by Ukitake.

"Hitsugaya-taichō and Matsumoto-fukutaichō are near Orihime which means she is the safest out of everyone. As for Sado, one of them is already there!" Rukia responded as Tatsuki slammed the badge against her chest.

-OO-

"Taichō!" The large breasted, blonde haired Shinigami known as Matsumoto Rangiku leapt onto the roof of the Inoue household and took her place to the side of her white haired Captain.

"Where is Inoue Orihime?" Matsumoto knew there was a time and place for her to relax and fool around and she knew that it was not now as she heard the stern tone of her captain.

"I asked her to look after my Gigai, that way she won't be entering the battle." Matsumoto answered as Hitsugaya drew his Zanpakutō.

"Good. Get ready for battle, Matsumoto. They are here." Two of the six Arrancar present in Karakura Town suddenly appeared in the air before the two Shinigami.

"So Fast!" Matsumoto's eyes widened as the taller Arrancar collided with Toshiro who barely brought his Zanpakutō up in time.

"I am the Undécimo (11th) Arrancar, Shawlong Koufang." Shawlong introduced himself by increasing his pressure on the small captain he had engaged.

"Tenth Division taichō, Hitsugaya Toshiro at your service." Toshiro pushed back against Shawlong before the Arrancar suddenly jumped back.

"The Tenth Division taichō, that's good news for me since it means I hit the jackpot." Shawlong spoke with confidence as he stood opposite Toshiro.

"No, you are wrong I think you have picked the unluckiest one." Toshiro's reiatsu began to steadily increase while Shawlong's did the same.

-OO-

Chad quickly got to his feet as he felt the various reiatsu signatures around town and examined his right arm which had been all but ripped to shreds against the last Arrancar he had fought. It had just been finished being healed by Orihime's power which is why he had an arm left at all. Summoning his familiar ability he charged out the front door if his house before he suddenly froze on the spot.

"Tch, not a Shinigami. Well you lose." Chad felt the fingers of the strange looking Arrancar that had suddenly appeared in front of him stop a few millimetres away from his muscled chest and as he looked down he realised what had happened.

"Cut the you lose crap." Tatsuki's hand grasped the Arrancar's hand, stopping it from piercing chad's chest. "The winner is determined by an actual fight." Tatsuki letting go of the pale hand and the Arrancar jumped back.

"That's right, then I shall wait until I kill the both of you to say it again." Di Roy was of a small build and had a large mask which was similar to that of a hammerhead shark, half of which was wrapped in a bandage, and it also covered his right eye.

-OO-

"It doesn't matter which one it is" Edrad stood before Ikkaku and Yumichika. Edrad was a large muscly Arrancar with long red hair, half of which was shaved and black and the large hollow hole in his chest was visible due to his open jacket.

-OO-

"You will all lose!" Yylfordt stood in the sky above Renji. He had a similar build to his brother Szayel however he had long blonde hair and his mask sat on the top of his head and took the form of a broken helmet.

-OO-

"Chad, Get out of the way." Tatsuki stepped forward to face Di Roy who had since drawn his Zanpakutō.

"Hey Tatsuki, if it's because of my wound then its fine!" Chad ran forward towards Tatsuki.

"Chad! Just leave it to me." Tatsuki shot down her friend who stopped in his tracks.

"I get it, I'll just leave it to you then Tatsuki." Chad called out before suddenly taking off in the opposite direction.

"I can't decide which one of you to kill yet." Di Roy's shark like teeth were visible as he smiled at Tatsuki and Rukia who had just turned up.

"I just ran into Chad on the way here, what did you say to him?" Rukia asked as Tatsuki never took her eyes from Di Roy.

"I just told him to stay back and let me handle things." Tatsuki answered while Rukia sighed in response.

"Get out of the way, Tatsuki." Rukia popped a small pill into her mouth and she suddenly appeared in her Shinigami form, leaving behind her Gigai. "It seems that you're getting a big head after all".

"Rukia, does this mean your powers have returned?" Tatsuki turned in surprise at seeing Rukia in her Shinigami form.

"The only reason they hadn't returned sooner was because of that Gigai Urahara had given me. Once I got rid of that and returned to Soul Society my powers returned." Rukia smiled as Tatsuki was suddenly grappled by the Gigai that Rukia had just been wearing.

"Rukia!" Tatsuki looked on as Rukia was forced to draw her Zanpakutō and block the sudden strike from Di Roy who had grown bored of waiting around.

"Dieciséis (16th) Arrancar Di Roy Rinker at your service." Di Roy introduced himself.

"Thirteenth Division…" Rukia began to introduce herself.

"You don't need to say it. After all, If I had to know the name of every person I'm going to kill tonight then it'd become trouble after a while." Di Roy interrupted Rukia before she could finish.

"In that case I will only trouble you to hear a single name tonight, that of my blade. Dance, Sode no Shirayuki." Rukia held her Zanpakutō out in front of her and began to turn it counter-clockwise, causing the blade and hilt to turn completely white and Di Roy was suddenly hit by a cold rush of air and his eyes widened at seeing the Zanpakutō. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro" Rukia called out as she began to draw a circle with the tip of her Zanpakutō.

"What the hell is this?" Di Roy suddenly leapt into the air as he noticed the ground below him begin to freeze. "Ha! How regrettable Shinigami, you see fighting in the air is my speciality! I don't care if your Zanpakutō can freeze the ground, that piece of shit useless against me! Die!" Di Roy pulled the top of his mask up, uncovering his right eye and a large cero immediately began to charge in front of his eye.

"Indeed, it is quite regrettable that Sode no Shirayuki not only freezes the land it touches but anything that lies within the circle has sealed its mortal fate." Di Roy didn't have a chance to react as a large pillar of ice shot up from the floor beneath him and completely engulfed him.

"Rukia! I take it you defeated him?" Tatsuki called out as Rukia returned to her.

"Of course I did otherwise I wouldn't be here." Rukia responded as she rested her Zanpakutō across her shoulder.

"That Zanpakutō." Tatsuki couldn't help but be amazed at the beautiful Zanpakutō that Rukia held.

"Good thing it was over quick, a bit too quick though." Rukia sheathed her Zanpakutō as she stood beside Tatsuki.

"What's this? Di Roy's killers still waiting around here? You won't get out of this, I'll kill the both of you!" Rukia and Tatsuki looked up in surprise as another Arrancar stood in the air above them. "I'm the Séptima Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez! Remember that Shinigamis!" Grimmjow dropped to the ground and began to slowly walk towards Tatsuki and Rukia.

"This reiatsu! Is he really the same as the other guy?" Rukia froze in place at feeling the deadly reiatsu that Grimmjow released.

"Well now, which one is it?" Grimmjow asked, gaining questioning looks from both Rukia and Tatsuki. "What I want to know is, which one of you is the strongest?" Grimmjow shouted as he closed the gap between himself and the two females.

"Tatsuki, get back!" Tatsuki turned to face Rukia and her eyes widened in shock as Grimmjow's hand lodged itself into the stomach of Rukia.

"I knew it, definitely not you." Grimmjow dropped Rukia to the floor as blood covered the street beneath her.

"Rukia!" Tatsuki broke free from her shock and launched herself at Grimmjow who simply grinned in response.

-OO-

"Awaken, Volcánica!" Edrad called out the name of his Resurrección and he was engulfed in reiatsu as he began to transform. His mask had reformed into wings on either side of his face and his arms morphed to gigantic proportions while growing large extensions beyond his shoulders, which contained an exhaust spout at the end.

"What the hell is that?" Ikkaku watched in surprise as Edrad's Resurrección became clear.

"What the hell is a bit harsh, isn't it? This is how we Arrancar release our Zanpakutōs! This time I'll follow your custom and announce my name to the man I'm about to kill. I am Arrancar Trece (13), Edrad Liones! We Arrancar seal the Nuclei of our abilities within the form of a Zanpakutō entirely different to what you Shinigami use. In other words when we release our weapon's seals we unleash our true power and our true form. You will quickly come to understand that Volcánica not only shows my true form but also the true scope of my power." Edrad finished and suddenly charged towards Ikkaku who was taken by surprise and was blown back by the powerful attack.

Yumichika looked on as Ikkaku was blown through a wall while the human and friend of Tatsuki's, Asano Keigo sat on the floor next to him unable to move due to the heavy reiatsu that was being released by the two fighters. Yumichika reached into his Shihakushō and brought out a small device which he then turned on.

"Yes Ayasegawa Yumichika please report on the situation there." A voice could suddenly be heard through the communication device as someone from the twelfth division spoke on the other end.

"The destructive capabilities of the enemy has increased and is exceeding our expectations. I'm requesting a spatial stasis with a radius of 30 metres around Madarame Ikkaku. There is a possibility of several souls getting caught in the crossfire, regulations state that we should pull out from combat since protecting souls is our priority however retreat is not an option." Yumichika spoke into the device, not taking his eyes off the battle raging on before him.

"Understood." The voice on the other end came back.

"A similar increase in power is predicted to occur with the other enemies. For Hitsugaya-taichō, Matsumoto Rangiku, Abarai Renji, Kuchiki Rukia and Arisawa Tatsuki provide a similar spatial stasis as well." Yumichika requested.

"And two more things, Make preparations for the funeral of Madarame Ikkaku and have reinforcements stand by in case they are needed." Yumichika didn't bother waiting for a reply and he put the device back into his Shihakushō before turning his full attention back to the fight.

"You fought admirably, fighting until you were completely spent and broken." Edrad dropped down to the ground in front of Ikkaku who was covered in blood and held his snapped Shikai in each hand. Edrad sent another deadly punch towards the injured Shinigami however Ikkaku raised his arm to barely block the large fist.

"Che, There was never a difference in power here but, you see I didn't want everyone else to find out about this. I didn't want to have to use this so watch carefully but don't you dare tell a soul. Bankai, RyūmonHōzukimaru!" Ikkaku called out as Edrad jumped back to get away from the sudden outburst of reiatsu. The Bankai consisted of two large blades that he held in each hand, both of which had a traditional horsehair tassel at the hilt and a long, cylindrical weight for a pommel. The pommels were connected by a heavy chain to the centre section which resembled an axe blade with a parallel handle forged into the blunt end and a dragon crest on one side of the blade.

-OO-

"If this is the standard of a taichō-class Bankai then I am extremely disappointed. It seems Yylfordt has released, did he get bored and want to end it quickly or was he wounded by a surprise counter attack and forced to release." Shawlong took his eyes away from Toshiro who stood on the rooftop heavily wounded after having released his Bankai and looked over to where Yylfordt fought his opponent.

"Tch, Useless." Shawlong easily blocked another attack from behind by Toshiro.

"I'm not done yet!" Shawlong couldn't react in time as the he realised the ice tail from Toshiro's Bankai was aimed straight for his back and he was engulfed in an explosion as he was hit.

"Risking your life by striking with your tail, yet accomplishing so little. It truly is disappointing," Shawlong easily smashed the ice that had engulfed his hand, "You're ice flowers they're wilting."

"So what" Toshiro simply replied knowing Shawlong was talking about the ice flowers that sat above his head.

"Perhaps those flowers floating behind you are a countdown until your Bankai dissolves, am I wrong? You are in infancy and your Bankai is still incomplete. An enormous amount of reiatsu is needed to do Bankai and even for taichō's such as yourself it is difficult to maintain for long periods of time. The fact that you are an incomplete Bankai is obvious, as the time passes, the ice flowers fall one by one. You started with twelve and now have only three remaining, in that case at least let me kill you while you in that form with my greatest fighting ability. Shear, Tijereta!" Shawlong finished as he released his Resurrección.

Shawlong had grown armour that covered his arms and upper chest while his hands had transformed into long claws and his mask extended down to cover the left side of his face, while the part of his mask fragment, extending out to his right, became a claw-tipped tail. Shawlong suddenly disappeared and blood exploded from Toshiro as Shawlong reappeared behind him.

"As I expected of a taichō, even in your state you still stay and fight even with the difference in our power." Shawlong said as Toshiro got to his feet and charged towards him once more.

"Whatever, you said your name was Shawlong Koufang, right? Then there is something I would like to ask you, you called yourself the Undécimo Arrancar meaning, among all the Arrancar you are the eleventh Strongest, right?" Toshiro asked as blood continued to pour down his face.

"No, our number is not the order of our strength, but rather the order of our birth however this only applies to those numbered eleven or above. I shall tell you clearly so you understand, first, via the Hōgyoku we were reborn as Arrancar and given a number according to the order in which we were born, starting from eleven. Those among us who excelled in killing power were chosen and favoured according to their strength, assigned a number from one to ten. Those ten are called the Espada and they have authority over those ranked below them and I will put this bluntly. The Strength of the Espada is on a completely different level than us Números and there is an Espada here with us, the séptima Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." Shawlong finished as Toshiro listened in shock at hearing there was still someone stronger than Shawlong here.

-OO-

Tatsuki felt like she was hitting a steel wall as her Zanpakutō was blocked by Grimmjow's arm before she was sent skidding through the air as Grimmjow lazily backhanded her. "Hey! You underestimating me, Shinigami? I still don't feel like killing you yet, get a grip and show me your Bankai or I'll do to you what I did to that other Shinigami over there."

"Pummel, Hagane Aijin!" Tatsuki's fist were surrounded in the familiar steel gauntlets and she summoned the large claws before charging towards Grimmjow once again.

"I said show me your Bankai, not this shit!" Grimmjow once again batted away Tatsuki with ease as she was sent flying through the air.

"You bastard! Bankai, Hagane Aijin Sōzetsu Yoroi!" Tatsuki was enclosed in the familiar steel armour and she charged towards Grimmjow once again. Grimmjow lazily stood with one hand in his pocket as he caught the punch sent his way from Tatsuki before launching her down the street. Tatsuki managed to right herself just in time and barely dodge Grimmjow who had appeared in front of her, before she Shunpoed behind him and launched a viscous kick towards his head which Grimmjow easily blocked again, before a crushing kick connected with Tatsuki, sending her smashing in to the street below.

"Tch, Is that all your Bankai does, increase your speed?" Grimmjow called out and began walking towards Tatsuki who was down on her knees with most of her armour being smashed just from the few attacks Grimmjow had sent her way.

"Ame-kō, Aijin!" Large metal spikes suddenly formed above Grimmjow as he stood in the air looking down over Tatsuki. Grimmjow easily stopped a spike with his outstretched hand while the rest crashed into the street below.

"Tch, is that it. You're pathetic! I'll put you out of your misery!" Grimmjow discarded the large steel spike and aimed a pale finger towards Tatsuki whose eyes widened in surprise at seeing a large blue cero begin to form. Tatsuki grasped her head as she felt the familiar feeling of her hollow begin to take over and she realised that she couldn't move her body.

The cero destroyed the ground beneath it as it travelled towards Tatsuki who still hadn't moved before she was engulfed by the large explosion. "I guess I'm making a habit of doing this." Grimmjow recognised the voice from Ulquiorra's report as the smoke cleared and Urahara stood in front of Tatsuki with Benihime drawn.

"You! Your name is Urahara Kisuke, right?" Grimmjow grew angry at having his cero blocked.

"That is correct, Arrancar. I didn't quite catch your name though." Urahara replied as held Benihime down by his side while Tatsuki fought to stop the hollow in side of her taking over.

"Séptima Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez!" Grimmjow undone his jacket allowing Urahara to catch a glimpse of the large gothic number seven that rested on his torso.

"I see, so does that mean you are the seventh strongest amongst all of the Arrancar?" Urahara asked as he heard Tatsuki get to her feet behind him.

"I owe you one, Urahara." Tatsuki wiped the blood from her face as she stepped beside Urahara who simply smiled in response.

"Yeah, I'm the seventh strongest however I wouldn't be too happy about hearing that. The Espada range from one to ten and as the number lowers the more powerful they are and I can't believe I'm even going to admit this, especially to a Shinigami. The top Espada are on an entirely different level to myself especially the top four." Grimmjow's hand fell to his Zanpakutō as he realised that fighting Urahara along with Tatsuki could prove difficult if he didn't use it.

"Well we appreciate the information but I guess it's time this conversation comes to a close." Urahara recalled the two Arrancar that had helped Aizen escape and he assumed that the one that had faced Yamamoto was amongst the top four, or he hoped it was at least. "You see one of your partners harmed someone I hold close to me and since he is dead I shall hold you responsible." Urahara finished as he cast his mind back to Renji's fight and how Uruyu had been hurt.

"Tch, at least put up a better fight then that trash!" Grimmjow called out as Urahara suddenly smiled.

"I hope you aren't forgetting about me." Grimmjow's eyes widened as he recognised the voice behind him as Shihōin Yoruichi and he knew that he had no chance of blocking her attack however he was even more surprised when Yoruichi was suddenly thrown through the air.

-OO-

Ichigo had lowered his reiatsu to the lowest it could possibly go and had been watching what was going on for a good few minutes as he witnessed Shawlong, Yylfordt and Nakeem all fall to their opponents. He had felt the sudden increase in reiatsu from the Shinigami present as they all turned the fights around at the same time as if they had all been given a power increase. He turned his attention to Grimmjow who was dominating his opponent off in the distance and he recognised that he was fighting the Human Shinigami.

He had been planning on waiting for Grimmjow to kill her before he would take him back and he had been disappointed when Urahara had interrupted the fight and saved her from the cero. Ichigo knew that Urahara was a lot stronger then he let on considering the fact Ichigo hadn't seen his Bankai yet and he knew Aizen had no record of it, made him a dangerous opponent. He knew Grimmjow would have had a difficult time against Urahara alone so when Yoruichi had shown up he knew it was time to act otherwise risk losing another member of the Espada.

Yoruichi let out a grunt in pain as she felt her foot stop short of Grimmjow's head as a powerful hand gripped it tightly, stopping it going any further before she was thrown through the air towards Urahara. Grimmjow turned around in surprise as he watched Yoruichi land next to Urahara after being flung through the air and his eyes widened as he realised Ichigo stood next to him.

"Damn it, who the hell is he, it felt like he was going to crush my foot!" Yoruichi shook the pain from her foot as she stood beside Urahara and Tatsuki.

"Don't you remember him from when Aizen escaped? He's the one that fought Yamamoto." Urahara's statement brought a shocked look from Yoruichi.

"What the hell is so special about him?" Tatsuki called out, growing frustrated at not knowing who it was.

"I suppose you were told about an Arrancar fighting Yamamoto-sōtaichō when Aizen escaped and matching him." Urahara replied as Tatsuki suddenly realised what they were talking about.

"No way, we don't stand a chance against someone like that." Tatsuki had heard about the fight that had occurred in Soul Society and a how a mysterious hooded Arrancar had taken on the sōtaichō while she was unconscious.

"What are you doing here?" Grimmjow's loud voice broke Tatsuki from her thoughts as she noticed that the hooded Arrancar hadn't moved since arriving on the scene as he stared at Urahara.

"You should be thanking me for saving your life. You've already lost five Arrancar today," Grimmjow realised that he been so caught up in his own fight that he hadn't realised Shawlong and the others had all died. He also noticed that the Shinigami barring one or two that had been fighting were all making their way towards them. "Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi Shihōin are at a level above yours, especially both of them together." Ichigo finished, receiving a growl from Grimmjow in response.

"It would seem the limit release came through for you all just in time." Urahara spoke up as the numerous Shinigami that had been fighting suddenly began to appear. Looking around, Ichigo noticed that most of them were all in bad condition and that none of them would put up any challenge for him.

He examined the white haired captain that had shown up and he realised that he appeared in better condition then what Ichigo had saw him in during his fight with Shawlong. His curiosity was answered as the orange haired human he recognised from Ulquiorra's report suddenly came running down the street and he knew that she must have healed some of his wounds before arriving.

"Orihime! Rukia needs your help!" Tatsuki's commanding voice caught the attention of Orihime who let out a gasp at seeing the injured Rukia lying in her own blood. Ichigo watched as the wounded Shinigami was surrounded by the orange barrier, which immediately went to work in healing her wounds.

"If I remember correctly he was the one that fought Yamamoto-sōtaichō. Let's just hope we can hold out." Toshiro said as he dropped down next to Urahara and the others with his Zanpakutō sealed. He didn't like his chances going against the two Arrancar even with Urahara, Yoruichi and the others backing him up.

"Are you not going to give us all the pleasure of knowing your names?" Urahara spoke up as he stared at Ichigo underneath his striped hat. Ichigo's gaze flickered between the various Shinigami and humans that had gathered on the street below himself and Grimmjow before landing back on Orihime. He knew that only Urahara and Yoruichi would give him any kind of problems and even then, only if they went all out.

"Séptima Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez! I hope you damn Shinigami are stronger than her!" Grimmjow was angry that his fight with Tatsuki had been interrupted and was itching for a new fight.

"I'm not finished yet, Arrancar!" Tatsuki stepped past Urahara with a furious look on her face before she noticed the hooded Arrancar also step forward beside Grimmjow.

"I don't think you understand, Grimmjow." Ichigo stepped forward and placed a pale hand onto Grimmjow's shoulder causing him to turn around. "You lose five Arrancar in battle and fail to kill any of our enemies. I personally couldn't care less what you do but you don't answer to me, Aizen's not happy with you which means you will no doubt be punished once we return." Ichigo finished, ignoring Urahara and receiving an angry growl from Grimmjow.

"Leaving us already?" Urahara smiled at the two Arrancar who ignored the shopkeeper. A Garganta opened up at the outstretched fingertip of Ichigo and Grimmjow stepped past him and stepped through.

"Where the hell do you think you're going? You come here and think you can leave just like that! Our fight isn't over!" Tatsuki was furious that Grimmjow was leaving without finishing their fight and Grimmjow suddenly stopped inside the Garganta.

"Count yourself lucky, Shinigami! This unfinished fight spared your life, you wouldn't stand a chance against my released form." Grimmjow angrily glared at Tatsuki from inside the Garganta.

"Released form?" Tatsuki's eyes widened at hearing that Grimmjow had another form.

"Do not forget my name and pray you don't hear it again. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the next time you hear it will be your last!" Grimmjow turned away from Tatsuki and disappeared in the darkness of the Garganta leaving Ichigo alone.

Ichigo spared one last look at the various Shinigami and humans that had gathered before he turned his back towards them and stepped towards the Garganta he had opened. Ichigo suddenly froze in place as a crushing force smashed against his torso keeping him in place. Ichigo watched as six yellow beams slammed into his waist locking him up and a golden chain wrapped around him forcing his arms down by his side.

Turning his head to the side, Ichigo laid eyes on the man who had hit him with the Kidō. He was a tall, muscular, lightly tan-skinned man. His hair was cornrowed and he had a large handlebar moustache, which was connected to long sideburns. He wore a pair of rectangular-shaped glasses, a white muscle shirt with regular pants and a blue apron.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up, Tessai. How is Uruyu doing?" Urahara never took his eyes away from Ichigo as he addressed the ex Kidō corps-commander. Most of the others had surprised looks on their faces at seeing Urahara's assistant show such skill in Kidō.

"Sorry I am late but I wanted to make sure she was fine before I left. Jinta is watching over her now." Tessai was pleased that he had managed to catch the hooded Arrancar off guard since it sounded familiar to the description Urahara had given him after returning from Soul Society. Having caught the Arrancar with Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō and Bakudō #63. Sajō Sabaku, Tessai knew it should keep him locked up for a decent amount of time but he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Despair! Fill with soil and face your nightmares for all eternity!" Surprised looks adorned the faces of everyone other than Yoruichi and Urahara at hearing the chant for Hadō #90. Kurohitsugi but with a different ending.

Ichigo hadn't been fazed by the Kidō that he had been struck by earlier since he knew that he could break through the spells with ease, however as he listened to Tessai chant an incantation to another Kidō he knew he might be in some sort of trouble. "Zetsubōhitsugi (Despair Coffin)!" As Tessai called out the name of the Kidō, Ichigo knew it was too late to make any attempt to dodge or block the spell and he was engulfed in a large black coffin, cutting him off from the outside world.

"The sister spell to Kurohitsugi, a rather nasty Kidō if I do say so myself." Urahara's nonchalant tone didn't do justice to the situation as Tessai appeared next to the other Shinigami that had gathered.

"A full incantation Zetsubōhitsugi on top of two other Kidō should be nearly impossible for even a taichō to break out with brute force alone." Tessai tried to sound convincing but from the looks of his good friends Urahara and Yoruichi sent his way, they weren't dealing with a normal captain level opponent.

"Well it will no doubt keep him in place until Soul Society send some reinforcements our way." Yoruichi began before she winced due to the pain still in her foot from where Ichigo had grabbed her, "This is a good opportunity for us to heal up, we'll no doubt need it since I don't want to imagine what being stuck in their will do to him."

"Wait a second, that's a forbidden Kidō! It was banned since not only can it double the strength of any Kidō that is inside it but it is said to be nearly impossible to break out of. It's said even Yamamoto-sōtaichō himself forced Central 46 to ban it." Although it wasn't his main strength, Toshiro had a good knowledge of all the spells and he had learnt about most of spells that had been made forbidden by the Central 46 since becoming a captain.

"I'm sure you can turn a blind eye this once, Hitsugaya-taichō." Tessai didn't take eyes away from Yoruichi's foot which he was currently healing with another Kidō. Toshiro knew that this was no time to get on the bad side of the three exiled Shinigami.

"So the only reason that spell is forbidden is because of how tough it is to break out? It doesn't look so bad." Renji had never been strong in Kidō so didn't take much interest in the higher level spells or the forbidden ones which meant he had no idea what Zetsubōhitsugi had did.

"It wasn't banned because of its toughness although it is formidable. The real power of Zetsubōhitsugi is what happens to whoever is trapped inside. Not only does time go by slower inside but just like the incantation states, those trapped inside have no break from seeing the things that trouble them most until they are released. Not only is he trapped inside Zetsubōhitsugi but I also cast two other Bakudō spells on him which will make things even worse." Tessai's voice brought shivers from various people as they realised what the Kidō actually did.

Ichigo was still wrapped up in the golden Kidō and was now surrounded by nothingness. He could no longer hear the sounds of the Human world and in fact the only sound he could hear was his own breathing. On all sides Ichigo was surrounded by pitch black darkness and he wasn't sure if he was surrounded by walls or if the darkness just carried on and on with no end since he could no longer sense the reiatsu of anyone on the outside.

Ichigo quickly lost track of time since the pitch black darkness made it nearly impossible to keep track of anything and he for all he knew it could have been hours and he was quickly beginning to grow frustrated. "Damn it!" Ichigo began to struggle against the Kido that was wrapped around his body however it seemed like it had strengthened in comparison to before he had been trapped in the Zetsubōhitsugi.

Ichigo suddenly froze and his eyes widened as a loud giggling could be heard which sounded like a young girls. Ichigo tried to focus in on the direction it was coming from but it seemed to come from every direction. The giggling suddenly stopped and a bright light began to shine in front of Ichigo and he could now see that he wasn't simply surrounded by black walls but it was more that the darkness had no limit. He was forced to turn his head as the light grew brighter before it suddenly disappeared.

Turning his head back towards where the light had come from his eyes fell upon a small girl with dark grey eyes and black hair that was and cropped to hang around her face, just above her shoulders and she wore a black kimono similar to a Shinigami Shihakushō. Ichigo couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the little girl and he felt that she must have been important to him when he was a Shinigami.

"Who are you?" Ichigo ignored the smile sent his way from the child and demanded an answer form the small girl who only smirked in response.

"I hope you're not forgetting me Ichi!" Another girl suddenly ran from behind from Ichigo and took a place beside the other and Ichigo could tell instantly that they were twins just from their faces alone. The second girl had short light brown hair with short bangs hanging over the right side of her forehead. She also wore a red hairclip on the left side of her head and wore a similar Kimono as the other girl apart from it was a sky blue colour.

The two girls stood at the same height and they seemed to light up the darkness around them as they stood side by side. "How do you know that nickname? Only one person uses that name for me." Ichigo had recognised the nickname almost immediately and even though he wasn't a fan of it he knew only Zemi had ever called him that.

"Eh? You let us call you that all the time, Ichi!" The black haired girl answered with a confused look as if they were having a normal conversation and weren't inside some Kidō.

"It might be easier if I know your names. It might help me remember you." Ichigo dismissed the nickname and realised that it might be easier for him to get as much information as he could from the girls.

"Y…you m…mean you don't r…remember us?" The brown haired girl barely managed to get her sentence out as she looked like she was about to burst out crying. Ichigo felt a feeling of protectiveness wash over him as he watched girl try to stop herself from crying. Although it hadn't exactly been an answer he wanted, he knew that he could never be angry at the two girls in front of him no matter what.

"How could you forget us, Ichi?" The black haired girl comforted her sister and Ichigo couldn't help but feel guilty although he had no idea what he had done wrong.

"S…Sorry." The words escaped his mouth before he realised that he was even apologizing and he realised that in all the years he had been a hollow, he had never apologised for anything other than with Zemi. "Maybe if you tell me your names it would help me out."

"Our names?" The black haired girl seemed to smile as if she realised that she could help Ichigo.

"Yeah, I know your important to me but I just don't remember from where." Ichigo had never talked to even Zemi this gently before and the mood of the two girls seemed to brighten at hearing the tone of his voice.

"Hehe, you're nearly as forgetful as Goat-face is." Ichigo began to wonder who they could be referring to but thought better than to interrupt. "If telling you our names will help then of course we'll tell you. My name is…" The two girls suddenly froze in place and a horrified look spread across both of their faces.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Ichigo couldn't help but feel worried for the two girls and he looked on in shock as the two girls suddenly fell to their knees and blood sprayed from their mouths. "What the hell is this?" Ichigo roared as he met the terrified eyes of the two girls.

"P...please h…help, Uncle." Ichigo's eyes widened even further at hearing one of the girls call him Uncle and he began to take a step towards the girls before he suddenly remembered about the Kidō keeping him locked up.

"Fuck!" Ichigo roared once again and he didn't care less about the language he had used in front of the two young girls since he was more occupied with helping them. Ichigo strained against the Kidō with no luck. "Damn it! This isn't real, this damn Kidō is making me see things." Ichigo reassured himself and he was glad no one was here to see the Primera act like he was over two girls but he couldn't get rid of the feeling that he had to help them. He closed his eyes hoping that once he opened them again the girls would disappear but he was suddenly hit with a warm substance which he immediately recognised.

Opening his eyes, the first thing he realised was that the front of his jacket and hakama were covered in blood and he could feel blood dripping down his face. Looking to the spot where the two girls had stood his eyes fell upon the two small bodies lying face down in their own blood and a wave of fury washed over Ichigo at seeing their dead bodies.

"What the hell is this place?" Ichigo questioned himself before he looked away from the bodies that lay on the floor.

"Is that really you, Ichigo?" Ichigo turned his head to the right as quickly as he could as he realised who the new voice belonged to.

"Tier, is that really you?" Ichigo looked into the eyes of Harribel however he didn't see the same look she normally had but this time her eyes were filled with hurt and sorrow.

"How could you leave me, Ichigo? I thought you loved me." Harribel's words made Ichigo question himself and he began to wonder if he really did love Harribel. He wondered if the Kidō was playing on his inner feelings and showing his true feelings but he still didn't fully understand what was going on.

"What are you talking about, I've never left you." Ichigo questioned after he realised what Harribel had said.

"You said you would protect me yet you left me." Although Ichigo could only see the upper part of her face he knew that she was getting more upset.

"I don't understand, when did I leave you?" Ichigo mentally cursed whatever it was that had increased the strength of the Kidō spells that were locking him in place and keeping him from going over to Harribel.

"You left me to die!" Harribel's outburst shocked Ichigo into silence and before he could reply another voice spoke up form Ichigo's left.

"I thought I was the one you loved." Turning his head to left Ichigo's gaze fell upon Unohana Yachiru who was stood with a sad look upon her face. Ichigo couldn't help but feel that what she had said was true and he began to wonder if perhaps he had loved her in some way when had been a Shinigami.

"I… I don't know." Ichigo turned away from Unohana's sad face and he spared a quick glance at the bodies of the two girls he had failed to help.

"You failed to protect us all." The two females spoke at the same time causing Ichigo's head to shoot up and turn towards Harribel however he was too late to do anything.

"Tier!" Blood splattered the floor in front of Tier as the blade of a Katana erupted through her chest and she reached out to Ichigo before falling to the floor. Ichigo didn't have to look towards Unohana to know that same had happened to her as he heard her body drop to the floor.

Ichigo also realised that more bodies littered the area and he recognised some of them from the original members of the Gotei 13 however two bodies caught his attention in particular which made his blood boil. Starrk and Nelliel both lay in a pool of their own blood with numerous large wounds covering their bodies.

He also recognised the body of his brother, Isshin who lay across the body of a young women with brown hair as if he was trying to protect her but Ichigo couldn't make out her face from where he stood. He could feel his anger get the better of him as his reiatsu began to rise and rise at seeing the numerous bodies scattered around.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" The yellow beams that were around his waist suddenly shattered and Ichigo realised that in his anger he had released reiatsu without realising it and he felt like slapping himself for not doing it earlier. However he was still wrapped in the golden chain which seemed even tougher than the other Kidō he had broken. Ichigo looked down to examine the chain to see if there were any weak points however another voice he immediately recognised interrupted him.

"H…help m…e, I…Ichi." Ichigo looked up to see Zemi stumble forward and fall on to her hands and knees. Blood hit the floor below her as she coughed it up and she brought up a hand to her stomach and Ichigo could see that she obviously had a large wound on her stomach due to the blood that now covered her hand.

"Damn, not you as well!" Ichigo knew that none of it was real but it didn't mean that it still didn't anger him watching those he held close to him die while he could do nothing about it.

"I…it hurts, p…please h…help me." Ichigo couldn't take it anymore and the air around him suddenly seemed to distort as he let out a loud hollow-like roar. The golden chains couldn't withstand the pressure much longer and they shattered under the strain allowing Ichigo to jump forward to catch Zemi before she collapsed entirely. Leaping forward Ichigo reached out to grab Zemi however her body along with the others suddenly shattered, leaving Ichigo to fall to his knees.

"What the hell just happened?" Ichigo let out a tired sigh and closed his eyes in relief, he was glad that it was at least over for now.

"Enough of these tricks. I'll kill that damn Shinigami for trapping me in here." Ichigo rose to his feet, still feeling the reiatsu leaking from himself due to his anger and he wondered if that was why the illusion had shattered. He had never felt angrier then he currently was in his entire time as a hollow. He knew it was time to put this to an end and pay back those who were waiting outside the Kidō for making him see Zemi and Harribel die in front of him even if they weren't real.

At this point Ichigo didn't care about what Aizen wanted with the town, he wanted to teach those damn Shinigami a lesson. A pitch black cero began to form and spin violently in the palm of his hand before he forced more reiatsu into it increasing its size. "Cero!" Ichigo roared as he released the cero causing the Kidō to suddenly shatter around him.

-OO-

"Impossible! We shouldn't be able to feel his reiatsu at all through the Kidō never mind it be this strong." Tessai was forced to raise his own reiatsu to withstand the fierce reiatsu emanating from the large black box that housed the powerful Arrancar.

"It feels like the sōtaichō himself is in there." Toshiro felt refreshed after having a chance to replenish his Reiryoku reserves however after feeling the crushing reiatsu come from inside the Kidō, he couldn't help but feel worried about what was to come.

Orihime and Chad were beginning to feel the pressure and were thankful that everyone else was raising their own reiatsu to combat the deadly reiatsu pressing down upon them. The Shinigami that were present were all beginning to think the same thing as Toshiro and that was that it felt like the sōtaichō himself when he released his own reiatsu.

"I'm not sure it was a good idea to lock him inside that Kidō, Tessai. I've never felt such anger from reiatsu alone." Yoruichi glanced at Tessai who looked slightly worried after feeling the reiatsu.

"Well it's too late to change anything now. We should prepare for what is to come." Urahara suddenly changed to his serious self as he felt a sudden increase in the already powerful reiatsu coming from the Kidō.

The eerie calmness that had engulfed Karakura Town suddenly exploded before the various Shinigami or Humans could react and everyone's eye widened in horror as they realised what had happened. Not even Yoruichi or Urahara had been able to react in time as the gigantic cero flew past them before they even had time to blink.

"Dankū!" The gigantic cero was suddenly halted in its path as a large translucent barrier appeared in its path. Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he realised that his cero had been stopped although he knew that it would take more than a simple barrier to stop it. The various members of the Karakura relief team breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the cero collide with the Dankū.

"Guess I arrived just on…" The voice from behind the barrier was suddenly cut off as the Dankū unexpectedly shattered under the force of the cero. The newcomer was forced to unsheathe his Zanpakutō and barely managed to deflect the blast up into the night sky. The first thing Ichigo noticed was the white Haori that that blew wildly in the wind however that was all he managed to take in before it suddenly disappeared. Ichigo's eyes widened once again as the newcomer appeared before him with his finger drawn back and he was suddenly sent flying backwards through air. Looking back at the spot where he had just been standing Ichigo's eyes rested on the one person he hadn't expected to see, his brother Isshin.

I wanted this chapter to be longer because of the huge gap since my last one but I am struggling to come up with a lot of ideas at the moment.

Regarding the kido that I made up, I wanted something to get Ichigo angry and also get him thinking about his Shinigami life and it won't be last time you see that spell being used in one form or another.

I'm not sure how long it will be before I get the next chapter out but hopefully it won't be too long.

Thanks for reading!