#i mean it. every zanpakutou spirit is the worst

[recurring-polynya]

"Your bones should stay on the inside," the baboon nodded. "Your bones are not involved in our--" They suddenly swung their head around to make eye contact with the snaketail again. The snake made a disapproving face and shook its head. The baboon looked slightly disappointed, but turned back to Renji. "Your bones are not involved in our bankai." <- this make me fuckin howl

I spent all of my middle grade thru young adult years reading corny fantasy books about people who had telepathic/soul bonds with their dragons or magic horses or swords or birds or whatever. I did not know this at the time, but it prepared me for writing zanpakutou spirits, possibly the best part of writing Bleach fanfiction. I love the idea of having this constant, special companion, who is inextricably part of you and will always be with you and support you, but also is absolutely the worst.

(icymi, the ask was a reference to the fanfic i posted yesterday)

[akaluan]

Yo! I'm not going to pressure you or anything, but I wonder what will happen if some idiots manage to upset Kaito while within Kisuke's range? How would he react? I know said idiots are going to go through hell.

Okay this isn’t exactly ‘upsetting Kaito’ because I started trying for that and then Shiro happened, but… it’s something! I’ll try for ‘actually upsetting Kaito’ another evening XD (Honestly, this felt pretty good to write, tho; I’ve been in a Mood this evening because of RL, so…)

“—can’t just /trust/ a Hollow like that! It’ll just betray you in the end, because that’s all it understands!” Shinji’s voice rose, echoing through the training ground enough for Kisuke to hear it clearly.

Kisuke froze at the words, hoping /desperately/ that he had heard it all wrong, that Shinji was /not/ insulting Shiro and telling Kaito that one of his beloved spirits was /untrustworthy/.

“Th’fuck you say ‘bout me?” Shiro bit out. “Keep yer fuckin’ idjit opinions t’yerself, bastard.”

The sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath jarred Kisuke out of his disbelief, and he bolted forward. Not bothering to announce his presence, Kisuke simply lashed out, planting his foot in Shinji’s side and sending the Vizard /flying/ across the training ground to smash into a boulder.

[Read More]

“Fucker,” Kisuke muttered, before he turned to look at Kaito. Or Shiro, rather; the body’s eyes were solidly Hollow amber-and-black, and his stance was more ‘Shiro’ than ‘Kaito’.  “Sorry about him. I thought you weren’t going to be back for another few hours, so I didn’t make him leave.”

Shiro peered at him for a moment, then huffed. “Eh, Grimmjow was more’ve a pussycat t’day than usual. Fucker called it off after only a bit’a sparrin’. Cool kick, though.”

His son paused a moment, then asked in Kaito’s voice, “So why /is/ he here, anyway?”

Kisuke arched an eyebrow and gave his son a pointed look. Kaito had been /relatively/ discrete about his Hollow side, but it was probably one of the worst kept secrets he had ever come across. Kaito, Ichigo, and Shiro were too free with their control, which allowed Kaito’s reiatsu to sway mercurially between Shinigami and Hollow whenever Kaito wasn’t completely in control. And to someone who /didn’t/ know Kaito, it undoubtedly looked like Kaito was wavering along a knife’s edge, constantly on the verge of losing control.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kaito sighed and gave an awkward shrug. “I’m not going to stop doing… this. Letting them have control. I guess I’m a bad Shinigami but—”

“At best, you’re a substitute,” Kisuke finished Kaito’s words with amusement. His son had said that several times, to several different Shinigami, and each time he grew more and more exasperated with the necessity of it. “I know, and I don’t expect you to. They’re not causing any harm,” Kisuke said, raising his voice slightly at the end so that Shinji could more easy catch his words as the man warily walked back to them.

Shinji scoffed. “Not causing any harm? That’s a /Hollow/, Kisuke! They /exist/ to—”

“Finish that sentence, and I’m going to need to apologize to Shiro for denying him a battle,” Kisuke replied, his body settling into a loose stance and his fingers closing more firmly over Benihime’s hilt.

“Why the /hell/ are you defending that thing?!” Shinji pointed at Kaito, fury and disbelief in every line of his body. “After /everything we’ve gone through/—”

“Kaito is not the same as you,” Kisuke snarled, moving to stand between his son and Shinji. “We were /idiots/, Shinji, lost in our panic and haste, but you have had /one hundred years/ to repair your relationship with your blade, and you still have not!”

“Because there’s nothing there to repair!”

“I’m gunna kick yer fuckin’ ass,” Shiro announced, shouldering past Kisuke and glaring at Shinji. “Jes you’n me, bastard, an’ when I /destroy you/, yer gunna call in the rest a’yer idjit club an’ I’ll beat /all a’ya/ inta th’ground!”

Shinji bristled at the threat, knuckles turning white on the hilt of his zanpakutou. “And what will /that/ prove, Hollow?”

“Cause Kaito’n I are gunna work /t’gether/ an’ fuck ya up. Jes th’two a’us!” Shiro eyed Shinji up and down, then scoffed and announced, “We won’t e’en need bankai t’do it, either.”

“And when he’s done with you, I think I’ll take my own turn,” Kisuke promised darkly. “Kaito is my /son/, Shinji, and that means that /all of him/ is my son.”

“You’ve really changed, Kisuke, and not for the better,” Shinji said.

Kisuke released some of the hold he hand on his inner monster and /smiled/ at Shinji, letting the man catch a glimpse of the deadly Onmitsukido member that he had once been. “Why, I think I rather disagree with you on that score. Shiro, please leave me enough to express my displeasure on, will you?”

“A’course, I’ll leave ya a few pieces,” Shiro agreed.

Shinji didn’t have a chance to do more than shoot Kisuke a furious glare, before he was fighting for his life against Shiro. Kisuke bit back his desire to jump in and instead leaned against a boulder and watched. In the back of his head, closer than she had been in a very long time, Benihime hummed in pleasure and whispered dark promises of vengeance.

Kisuke was more than happy to indulge her in this. Shiro was an important piece of his son, and the spirit did everything in his power to /keep/ Kaito sane and stable. That the Vizard could possibly have had such a relationship with their own blades for all these decades, and had not even bothered to /try/… well. Kisuke wasn’t going to defend them.

(He’d been wrong, too, of course. Accepting Shiro as he was was the very least he could do in penance.)

[darisu-chan]

The Six of Hearts

Prompt: “Kurosaki … Kuchiki … I leave it to you…”

Summary: It’s time for the final battle against Yhwach. With the help of his friends, will Ichigo be able to defeat him?

You can also read it here.

It is over. Ichigo thought as he watched Yhwach open a portal. His powers were gone. All he felt was a void in his mind. It was over. He had lost. Ichigo second guessed all the decisions he had taken which led him to this moment. He felt nothing but despair.

“Farewell, Ichigo.” Yhwach said, turning to look at his body lying on the ground. “From this moment on, I have no need for your or for my children, the Sternritters. Just sit back and watch from here as I bring ruin to it all… The Soul Society and the real world.”

Frantic footsteps could be heard approaching them. Ichigo vaguely noticed the reiatsu that accompanied them. It was Rukia and Renji, who were coming to help him, no doubt. However, it was done. He had lost. There was nothing they could do. Both lieutenants watched horrified as Yhwach turned to look at them, noticing the bodies of both their friends, almost unconscious and deeply injured.

“It’s rather insulting having these insignificant pests coming after me in droves. With your bodies on the brink of exhaustion, I’d be amazed if you could take even one more step from there.” Yhwach said. “But if you truly wish to come for my head, then, by all means, please do. I shall leave this gate open for all of you. And if you do choose to pass through, then, in light of you exceptional spirit and fortitude, I shall bestow upon you a most extravagant and luxurious death.” He threatened them. “For I shall find the future, that one moment in time where each of you feels the greatest amount of joy and happiness, and it is there, I shall slaughter you.” Ichigo barely digested his words, already deep in despair. “So, from this point forward, every time you indulge in your own happiness, you shall think of my words. And, in that moment, when you do, you will remember my looming shadow, the terror of death I now promise you, for all eternity.” Saying these words, he started walking into the portal.

“Wait!” Renji suddenly yelled. “Hold it right there, you bastard!” He pointed Zabimaru towards Yhwach.

Ichigo gave a shaky breath. Stop… don’t even bother, Renji. He thought hopelessly. It was over, after all.

Yhwach stopped and then threw a piece of a broken blade. Renji was horrified to recognize it as Ichigo’s Zangetsu. He could only watch as the greatest foe he had ever seen left through the gate, not even sparing them, one last glance.

“Ichigo! Inoue!” Rukia shouted, and then rushed to aid them both. The two of them were deeply wounded, and Rukia had to admire that they were still alive after receiving such injuries. “What on Earth is that ability?” She muttered as she assessed the damage. She had never seen something like that. Not even from Aizen. She started healing Orihime, who had the worst injuries. “He can actually rewrite the future? If he can do that, then there’s no limit to what he can accomplish…” Rukia rambled on, trying to make sense of the situation. There must be a way, though. She thought. It can’t be over yet.

“So…sorry, Kurosaki-kun.” Orihime rasped from where she was lying. “I couldn’t heal Tensa Zangetsu…” She cried. “Which means I won’t be able to use my ‘rejection’ to undo any of the destruction that’s occurring or that will come in this future that we’re entering… Please forgive me… Now you won’t be able to fight any more.” She whispered. It was clear Orihime was despairing as well. It was a pitiful sight. Rukia frowned, deeply conflicted.

Renji, however, had another thing in mind. He grabbed Ichigo’s arm and pulled him up. “Get your ass up.” He commanded seriously.

Rukia gasped, shocked. “Renji! Wait! Now’s not the time!” She yelled at him. Idiot! You’re hurting Ichigo!

“We don’t have that luxury! We’re gonna go after him.” Renji barked back.

Rukia knew he was right. They couldn’t just stand there and watch the world burn to a crisp. Still, there must be another way. Rukia was sure of that. “You fool! Charging in head first is no plan! We need to regroup and form a strategy before we confront him!”

“We could sit here ‘til we’re blue on the face… ain’t no strategy that’ll work against a freak like that…” Renji muttered.

Rukia sighed. “There’s… there’s got to be something…”

“Yeah… you’re totally right… it’s too late… it’s hopeless now…” Ichigo said, eyes downcast and dead.

“Ichigo.” Rukia said. There had been few times when she had seen him defeated, but even then, it was his will to live which keep him going. Now, though, he looked already dead. She hated to see him like that. She stood up and walked towards him. “I know it seems like there’s no way to win, but I know that if we stay together, between all of us we can come up with a solution.” She said with conviction. It was time to be brave.

The young man chuckled mirthlessly. “Like what? I can’t even fight anymore, Rukia. I have no sword.”

“We can help you with that.” A voice said from behind them.

Ichigo turned and was surprised at what he saw. “Tsukishima!” The fullbringer, as well as Ginjou and Yukio were there. “Chad!” Ichigo exclaimed, for his friend was with them. He looked as if he had seen better days, but he was still standing.

“What are you doing here?” Ichigo asked them.

Tsukishima shrugged. “Ginjou said we’re taking your side now, so I didn’t really have much to say on the matter.”

“You’re taking our side?” Ichigo enquired, not quite believing his words.

“You really are a prick.” Ginjou barked. “I never said we’d take their side. My exact words were we’d come to repay our debt to him.” He said with a smirk. “Now, Ichigo, let Tsukishima here pierce you with his sword.”

Ichigo recoiled at that. “Why should I trust you?”

“Because they’re here to help you, Ichigo.” Chad said and smiled.

Ichigo nodded, having calmed down. He trusted Chad blindly. “Okay, do it!”

Tsukishima did as he was told, and pierced Ichigo with his sword. “Orihime.” The man turned to the girl. “Use your souten kishun on his sword again. He may have rewritten the future with such an immense power that you’re not capable of ‘rejecting’ it with yours. But, if there is a past where that didn’t happen, then you should be able to ‘reject’ it there.” He explained. “And that’s exactly what I’ve inserted.” He, then, pointed to his sword. Then, as Orihime used her ability, Zangetsu returned to normal. “Your sword has not been broken.”

Ichigo gasped, amazed at seeing his zanpakutou in one piece again.

“Well, then, I guess we can call our debt repaid. We’re square now, right?”

Ichigo grabbed his sword with shaky hands, and then stood up again. “Hell yeah!” He said, resolve filling him. He wasn’t going to hesitate anymore.

“Well, let’s go!” Renji said, turning to leave.

“Wait! Weren’t you listening earlier?! We need a plan!” Rukia stopped him.

Renji glared at her, but before he could say anything, Ichigo interrupted. “Rukia’s right.”

“What?”

“When I came here to fight Yhwach, I came almost without a plan. Because of that, Inoue and I got hurt, and my sword was broken.” Ichigo exclaimed.

“Kurosaki-kun…” Orihime muttered, feeling bad thinking she had failed him.

“I won’t make the same mistake twice. We need to have a plan, so we don’t such a big disadvantage.”

Renji sighed. “Fine, but don’t take long!”

Meanwhile, Rukia sat down to think. There must have been something. Ichigo and Inoue together had been defeated, but Ichigo wasn’t so lost in that plan. While Ichigo fought, Inoue used her abilities to shield him and heal him. That had been a smart move. However, one person against Yhwach, no matter how strong, was at a serious disadvantage against such an opponent. However, not even Yhwach could probably fight many adversaries at the same time without difficulty. “Got it.” She said, attracting everyone’s attention.

“What do you mean?” Renji asked her.

“I have a plan. It might not work, but it’s better than nothing.” She said.

“Go on.” Ichigo encouraged her.

“One against one won’t ever work with Yhwach. He’s clearly more powerful than anyone in here.” Rukia started explaining. “However, even such a powerful being might have trouble keeping more than one opponent at bay.”

“What do you mean?” Ichigo asked.

“That if, say, five attack him at the same time, he won’t defeat us so easily.” She smirked. Ichigo smirked back.

“And who’s those five?” Renji asked.

“Ichigo, you, me, and Inoue and Sado if they’re up to it.”

Chad nodded. “Count me in.”

Orihime smiled. “Me too!”

“And then?”

“Each of us will have to attack with all we have. Except Inoue, I want her shielding us as much as possible. Ichigo, you, Renji and I should all use our Bankai. With Shikai, we won’t ever get anywhere.” Rukia said. “If all goes well, with our powers combined, we might be able to defeat him.”

Ichigo smiled. “That’s a plan! Let’s go!”

Together, they walked towards the gate. Ichigo stopped for a moment and observed his friends. They were all worn, and should be resting, however there was a special glint in their eyes. They were filled with hope. Something Ichigo was lacking. They went through the open portal, and started running. Dread invaded Ichigo’s body once again. Would they be able to make it? What if they lost and all of them died?

“Are you sure you should be tagging along?” He asked them.

His four friends eyed each other, before they all nodded towards Rukia, who walked to him and slapped the back of his head. “Stop acting so pitiful, tawake!” The small Shinigami scolded him. “Yes, we’re sure! We’re not going to leave you alone, Ichigo! Everyone here stands by you! Believe in our strength as we believe in yours!”

Ichigo looked at her completely mesmerized. He had been so deep in despair that he had forgotten an obvious fact ─he wasn’t alone, and had never been alone in this fight. His friends would always fight by his side, as he would be by theirs. He smiled softly at Rukia. As always, it had been her who pulled him out of his misery. He nodded. “Alright. Let’s go!” Rukia smiled back at him.

They ran until they noticed Aizen had freed himself from his chair, and was now fighting against Yhwach. It wasn’t much of a battle, with both talking more than fighting. Ichigo soon realized Aizen was giving him time to prepare. He turned to look at Rukia, a plan already forming on his mind. She nodded, understanding. They both turned to stare at the others, sending them a signal. This was it. Time for the final battle.

“You’d stand in my way? For the sake of Soul Society?” Yhwach told Aizen. “I don’t think that would be in your best interest.”

“This has nothing to do with interests.” Aizen explained, smirking. “My only agenda is to eviscerate any who might try to rule over and control me.”

Just then, Yhwach noticed that Ichigo and Renji had jumped, swinging down at him. Yhwach ducked and put distance between himself and his enemies. “Ichigo, Renji, you arrived rather quickly.” He said, gauging their reactions. “I’ve already seen it all. That the two of you would come here. That would you restore your blade again only to have it shatter once again in your arms.” He almost laughed, as he watched Ichigo’s shocked expression.

Behind them, Orihime used her powers and restored the sword once again. She could not explain why, but this time, it had worked without Tsukishima’s interference. It seemed that the fullbringer might have added more than one past where that didn’t happen. Yhwach growled.

“You’ve got some rather annoying good fortune, Ichigo. But, it doesn’t matter, I will win no matter what. I’ve seen it all.” He tried to take a step forward, but his legs were momentarily frozen by pure, white ice. Turning, he looked at Rukia in the eyes.

“Did you see that happening too?” She questioned, huffing.

Yhwach chuckled. “Ah. So this is that present in which Rukia and Orihime decided to join you, eh Ichigo? Even your friend Yasutora has decided to join in the fun.” They stared at him in disbelief. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Either way, you will get the same result.” Saying that, he attacked them.

They all leaped, and formed the position they had agreed on beforehand. Orihime settled at the back, protecting everyone with her shield. Ichigo stood in the middle, carrying Zangetsu in his hands. Rukia stood at his right, already using her Shikai. Meanwhile, Chad stood at his left, preparing to attack. Renji, Zabimaru in Shikai form, stood next to Rukia. They started attacking him, starting with Ichigo. He jumped and swung his sword at him. As he did that, Renji soon followed suit, attacking with Zabimaru. Next, Chad would jump and try to punch him. Finally, Rukia used Sode no Shirayuki to freeze the ground, as she tried to hit their opponent too. Yhwach chuckled as he dodged each and every attack. However, they did not manage to injure him. It was getting frustrating. They kept swinging at the villain, getting hit time and time again. However, Yhwach hadn’t managed to injure them completely either, for Orihime used her shield to protect all of her friends. Because of this, she was the first to fall, receiving a well-directed hit from Yhwach, to stop her from shielding them. Ichigo stepped forward and tried to hit his enemy to no avail.

“You all are hanging by a thread.” Yhwach commented as Ichigo breathed heavily. “You should have waited to get healed. Why didn’t you, Ichigo? Was it because you thought you shouldn’t waste time to come after me? I thought I made it pretty clear. That, even if you chased me down, you wouldn’t be able to change a single, damn thing.” He spoke gravely. Then, Renji attacked him with his zanpakutou, but Yhwach dodged once again. “That applies to you as well, Abarai Renji!”

Renji was already fed up. He remembered Rukia’s plan of using their final release form, and proceeded to do it. “Bankai!” He yelled. “Souou, Zabimaru!” He attacked again, but it was useless. His Bankai collapsed. “Shit!”

“When will it get through that thick skulls of yours that even a meager Bankai will be made impotent? All Bankai have been destroyed in the future.” Yhwach explained. “And yet you would still oppose me? So, in order to drive this point home, I’ll crush you with my very hands!” He yelled.

Rukia, who had almost rushed to aid Renji, paused. Was it that futile? No, maybe there was a way. She stopped to think. Could it be? An idea had hit her, but she wasn’t so sure it would work. Meanwhile, Chad, who had been watching passively, attacked this time, leaping suddenly to confront Yhwach. “Brazo derecho de gigante!” He yelled, and then got hit, collapsing on the floor. Before he could get hit even more, Aizen jumped out of nowhere.

“Aizen?! You? Acting as a shield for these people? Ha! Now, I’ve seen it all. Unifying before a common enemy… Actions benefitting the very losers you detest so!” Yhwach taunted him, but Aizen didn’t speak.

“Hadou 99, Five Swirling Dragons of Destruction!” He recited the incantation, and a dragon sprung from behind him. He sped towards Yhwach.

“By the way, it appears you have yet to notice, Aizen Sosuke, that your Kyouka Suigetsu has already broken!” He exclaimed.

Aizen’s eyes widened as he took the hit from Yhwach. Blood dripped down the gash on his chest, as he went flying and hit the ground with a vicious thud.

“Futile. I’ve already seen that as well.” Yhwach merely muttered. “Ichigo.” He turned to look at his enemy, who had jumped to fight him. “A golden opportunity is slipping right through your fingers…” He said as he grabbed Ichigo’s sword. “You assessed the layout of your situation, and decided it would be ideal to unite yourself with Aizen Sosuke. However, as you have clearly seen, Kyouka Suigetsu’s power is no match for mine either.” He said cockily. “The one to feel the wrath of my power in the first attack was Inoue Orihime. Then, Abarai Renji, and finally Sado Yasutora. Now, the one whose arm I shall pluck off will be yours, Ichigo.” He said. “Remember nothing escapes my gaze.” After his words, Zangetsu broke again, its pieces falling to the ground. “Rest in pieces, Ichigo.” Yhwach said, as he made a hole through Ichigo’s chest. Blood splashed everywhere as Yhwach laughed. “It’s been fun, Ichigo. Your resistance was mildly amusing at best. So, the least I can do for you is erase your existence along with Soul Society.”

“I see.” A voice said, which wasn’t Ichigo’s. Yhwach turned to look intently at the person he had grabbed and realized it was Aizen. “So you think you’re gazing at Kurosaki Ichigo. Fascinating.” He said. He then looked behind him. “This is time to try your abilities out, Kuchiki Rukia.”

“Bankai!” Said Shinigami exclaimed. “Hakka No Togame!” Rukia activated her Banaki, her appearance changing, turning pure white as the ground froze around her. She used shunpou to reach Yhwach, attempting to freeze him.

The man laughed. “So yours can still work? Ah. I see now! Well, Kuchiki Rukia, let’s see what that Bankai of yours can do! Catch me if you can!”

Rukia cursed as she chased after him. Her time was running out and she knew she had but one chance. Propelling herself, she managed to reach Yhwach in time to partially freeze half of his body, rendering him motionless. “Now! Ichigo!” She shouted.

Ichigo leapt and swung his sword down. “Getsuga Tenshou!” He managed to hit Yhwach, and watched as he dissolved into a black mass with eyes covering. Next to him, Rukia breathed heavily, having had returned to normal.

“Is he gone?” She whispered.

“It appears so.” Ichigo answered, still staring at what used to be the King of the Quincies.

“Passable enough.” Aizen commented. “Well done responding to my Kyouka Suigetsu as quickly as you did.” He praised the pair.

“On my way here, I got this strange familiar feeling. I talked about it with the rest before we arrived.” Ichigo explained. “It was similar to the one I felt when you had placed everyone under Kyouka Suigetsu’s spell.”

“Indeed.” Aizen nodded. “I released Kyouka Suigetsu before you all arrived here. Furthermore, I confirmed that it could be used to interfere with his ‘Almighty’ clairvoyant powers. The final components were you, Ichigo, who is unaffected by Kyouka Suigetsu for lack of exposure. And you, Kuchiki, who, by the power of the Hogyoku, ended up not being unaffected by it.” He said, looking at both of them. “Who would have thought that me not showing you the release, Kurosaki Ichigo, and that storing the Hogyoku inside of you, Kuchiki Rukia, would have paid off like this?” He added as an afterthought. Then, he frowned and turned around, facing the mass that was Yhwach, directly attacking him. He collapsed.

“Aizen!” Ichigo shouted as both he and Rukia watched horrified how Yhwach surrounded them.

“Kyouka Suigetsu’s effect appears to have ended. Pride? Or did it just reach its limits?” He wondered out loud. “Say, Ichigo, did you really think something of that caliber would be enough to kill me?” He spoke, as the mass became humanoid. It was a frightening sight. “My power is the power to alter the future itself. I can even rewrite futures in which I have died!” He yelled.

Ichigo jumped head first, trying to hit him, but Yhwach made his sword fall from his grasp. “Useless!” Next, Rukia tried to freeze the ground or his legs again as Ichigo went back to grab his sword, but Yhwach dodged every attack. Just as Ichigo was about to grab Zangetsu, Yhwach hit him with his black mass.

“Gah!” He exclaimed in pain.

“Ichigo!” Rukia shouted, and leapt to his aid, only to be absorbed by the mass too.

“This is the end.” Yhwach told them gravely. “This world and Soul Society will, before my power, lose their form and become one!” He laughed.

Rukia frowned. She needed to do something. She activated her Bankai once again, and dropped her body temperature to zero, rushing to Yhwach, and watching as he slowly froze. He glared at her and grabbed her, freezing as she cried in pain.

“Rukia, no!” Ichigo shouted.

“Did you really think your measly Bankai would hurt me, girl?!” Yhwach said, as he crushed Rukia on his hand.

“No, but it was a good distraction.” Rukia taunted, watching with pleasure as he kept freezing.

He growled, but before Yhwach could say or do something more, an arrow stabbed him. “What the…? What is this?” He asked, as he felt himself become paralyzed. He started freezing more rapidly. He loosened his hold on Rukia, dropping her on the ground. His powers had suddenly stopped.

“Ishida?!” Ichigo exclaimed, as he saw his friend standing there. It was obvious he had been the one to fire the arrow.

“Now, Kurosaki!” He shouted.

Ichigo grabbed Zangetsu, and rushed towards the villain.

“So what!” He screamed. “So what if you managed to stop my powers for just an instant?!”

Ishida gulped. It’s useless… is it? His mind rapidly rushed to his fight with Haschwalth. Your powers might be the only ones capable of stopping his Majesty’s Almighty. He thought hard about it. He jumped, and rushed to meet Ichigo halfway. We still have time! Just as Ichigo’s zanpakutou hit Yhwach’s hand, it broke, revealing Zangetsu’s original form underneath. Ichigo cut him in half. Ishida wasted no time and activated his own powers.

“Schrift!” He yelled. “Antithesis.”

The two of them silently watched as Yhwach’s form imploded and disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

“Great timing, Ishida.” Rukia said, as she limped towards them. She was hurt from the fall and for having thawed too quickly, blood was dripping from several wounds on her body.

“Rukia!” Ichigo yelled, and rushed to her side, holding her before she could collapse. “Idiot! You know you have to melt slowly!” He scolded her.

“Tch. I needed to buy us time.” She explained.

Ishida smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Kuchiki-san. Your efforts were not in vain. We defeated him.” He said.

“About that, how exactly was it possible?” Ichigo asked, lying Rukia on the ground to asses her injuries.

“The arrow I fired at Yhwach was made from a type of silver which forms as the result of Auswahlen. If it mixes with the blood of the one who activated it, can, for just an instant, stop his powers. Ryuken gave that arrow to me, and I used to stop Yhwach just in time for you to cut him down, Kurosaki.” Ishida explained.

“But were Ichigo’s powers enough to defeat him once and for all?” Rukia said suspiciously.

“Yeah, Ishida, is he gone? I also heard you say something.”

Ishida shook his head. “No, I activated a special power of mine called Antithesis. Haschwalt told me it was the exact opposite of Yhwach’s Almighty. While you cut him down, I used it to destroy him. Let’s say I used his weakness against him.”

Rukia smiled. “See? I told you there was a way to defeat him. Our plan worked after all. We’re stronger if we’re all together.”

Ichigo nodded. “Yeah, though we have to give it to Ishida. He’s the true hero, this time.” Ichigo said, and then patted Ishida’s back.

The Quincy flushed. “Well, I’m amazed too that it worked. But I wouldn’t have been able to do that, if Kuchiki-san hadn’t frozen most of his body.”

Rukia chuckled. “That’s teamwork.”

The trio smiled at each other. They had done it.

Suddenly, a shout interrupted them. “Rukia-san! Ichigo-san!” It was Hanatarou, who was running towards them.

“Here!” Ichigo said. “Rukia needs your help!”

The boy ran to patch them up. “Someone is already healing the others.” He explained hastily as he bandaged Rukia. “There’s still a lot of people to heal.” Then, the boy turned around. “Wait… where’s Yhwach? Did you defeat him?”

Ichigo smiled. “Yeah, we did.”

It was over once and for all.

Omake

Aizen, having already recovered from the wounds Yhwach had inflicted on him, stood and grinned when he realized everyone else was distracted. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. While no one was looking, he would infiltrate the Soul King’s palace and take the place that was rightfully his. “Just as planned.” He muttered, smirking. But before he could start moving, something hit him square on the chest, forcing Aizen to fall down right on his chair. “What?!” He exclaimed. How could this be?! Who had deterred his plans?

“Yare, yare. Can’t have you running off, Aizen.” It was none other but Kyouraku Shunsui.

“What?! Unhand me this instance, Shunsui!” Aizen said, as he struggled on the chair.

“No, can’t do. You see, you still have to serve your sentence. If I recall correctly, you’re missing 18, 798 years.” Kyouraku replied, before ordering a group of Shinigami to take Aizen away.

“What?! No!” He screamed as he was taken away.

Shinji smirked in the distance. “Serves you right.”

[recurring-polynya]

Oop my bad I mean Ginrei haha. I was wondering what headcanons you had about him. The kuchiki clan overall is so mysterious

Ohhhhh, that makes more sense!

Sort of the same thing goes for Ginrei though-- just because I think he’s awful does not mean that I do not love him (I do.)

Look, the two wolves that live inside me are (1) I always end up loving rich characters and (2) I hate the rich. Although the contents of my blog may indicate otherwise, I am not actually a Byakuya simp. I am a Rukia and Renji simp, for sure. Byakuya loves them and is important to them, and by extension, I have grown affectionate for him, but the man is ridiculous and just barely escapes being awful, for reasons I will describe in a moment.

Soul Society is problematic. Like, this is not really a debatable topic, it is very much presented this way, and I think one of the most legitimate disappointments people have with the series is that we never see any major shift in this, even though a number of its institutions are literally destroyed, they just end up being being built up again. The main problem with Soul Society is that it is run by the rich and powerful, and the poor are neglected and left to live short, miserable afterlives. The nature of reincarnation and the fact that the strong cannot live among the weak without sapping their spiritual pressure really entrench this, along with the dominant narrative that it’s good for the outer districts to churn weak souls so that power can (rightfully) collect at the center.

Perhaps this is more of a logical extension than a headcanon, but everyone in Soul Society who controls any amount of power is likely to be awful: at worst, scheming and corrupt like that guy from CFYOW, and at best, crafty and artful a la Yoruichi. Take the Head Captain, for example, who is, on one hand, definitely presented to the audience as A Good Guy, and yet every single filler arc is about some shadowy thing he did 300 years ago coming back to bite him. Does he ever once show contrition about this? He does not.

Look, here is a headcanon I have hinted at, but I don’t usually say out loud: You know how Unohana was Soul Society’s worst criminal, and now she runs the medical station and teaches ikebana and smiles all the time? I also think that Kyouraku and Ukitake have done some nasty stuff in the past, and the fact that they now act like kind and genial goofuses is because they can. You get little hints of this all the time-- Kyouraku’s actions as Head Captain, Ukitake monitoring Ichigo through the substitute badge, etc. These dudes have done some shit, you will not convince me otherwise. (This does not affect my love for them, it may even enhance it)

I know this is very roundabout, but what I’m getting at is that to me, it’s a safe presumption that a Great Family Head is going to be slimy unless proven otherwise. Now, I don’t think Ginrei is a guy who gets up in the morning and says “how can I be evil?” I do however think he subscribes to the sort of circular thinking of “I am noble and therefore better than everyone else, it is right and good for me to make decisions that benefit myself and my family. Because we’re better than everyone else, it’s important that we remain in power as nobles.” On one hand, I think that Ginrei definitely does have ideals, like that he should lend his strength to the defense of Soul Society, that nobles should adhere to a certain standard of behavior, etc. On the other hand, when push comes to shove, he will absolutely prioritize covering his own ass (or his family’s). We see this directly in the Zanpakutou Spirits Arc, where he lectures Kouga on being a bad Kuchiki, and then immediately goes to pull some strings to get him off.

I think Ginrei and Byakuya are very, very alike in personality, which is the primary reason they don’t get along. The one big difference is, though, is that Byakuya does not talk out of both sides of his mouth the way Ginrei does. I think most nobles talk big talk about principles and standards in a way that is literally impossible to achieve, and yet Byakuya is constantly trying to hold himself to this, in a way that his relatives don’t really understand, and make a lot of people nervous. I also think that Ginrei is very, very pragmatic and makes decisions based on what needs to be done, and he doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for the people who get hurt along the way. Byakuya does this, too, to some degree, but through his association with his adopted baby scumbags, he realizes how much harm this did to his family, and he doesn’t want to be like that (although he’s also not really sure how to NOT be like that).

Here are some miscellaneous Ginrei headcanons:

- He had a good partnership with Byakuya’s grandmother, and they had affection for each other, but it wasn’t a love match.

- Good buds with Yamamoto, super problematic together

- Hair is incredibly silky, on par with B’s

- Was always unfailingly polite (bordering on patronizing) to Unohana and her bestie-at-the-time Iba Chikane. This however, was cover for a burning rivalry because Ginrei did not enjoy two women being better at things than him and Retsu and Chikane did not enjoy the patriarchy.

- Always had sky-high expectations for Byakuya, because he secretly thought Byakuya was great and wanted to see him be his best self. As a kid, Byakuya admired his grandfather, but as he grew up, and especially after the death of his father, Byakuya felt like his grandfather was just unpleasable for the sake of being an asshole.

- Ginrei had always been somewhat gentle with Soujun, because of his personality and illness, and partially blamed Soujun’s death on the this laxity, leading him to double-down on his expectations for Byakuya.

- Did not like Hisana because he was convinced she didn’t really love Byakuya and that Byakuya was throwing away a ton of political capitol for a woman who wasn’t even going to live very long. In other words, he legitimately thought he was looking out for B, but was a jerk about it. Finally let B marry her as an object lesson that... did not end the way he had hoped.

- Prior to the whole execution debacle, thinks Rukia is a disappointing nobody, not worthy of being a Kuchiki

- Is not dead, lives at the Kuchiki lake house in northern Rukongai.

- Has chilled waaaaaay out in retirement, loves tennis, tries to brew his own sake (it tastes like paint thinner but he keeps making B drink it)

I think this is the point where my Ginrei headcanons start to bleed into the Ginrei-comes-to-visit fanfic that I have been pretending to work on for, like a year now, so I’ll stop. Thank you for this discussion, which kinda makes me want to work on it again, even though I have a dozen other things to do.