FicWad

Hirako Shinji let out a violent string of curses as the massive wave of red-tinged black ripped it's way through the barrier before him. And then cursed even more as the construct began to shatter away from the point of the breach.

"This can't be good." Said Aikawa Love, as he watched the powerful barrier fade. "That thing was supposed to be able to hold back Captain class fighters. Whatever that attack was just tore through it like tissue paper."

"Look on the bright side." Grinned Mashiro, "At least now we can get in there."

"Yeah, and do what?" Snapped Hiyori, "Without that barrier, everyone is gonna need to watch their reiatsu output or they'll start destroying the humans in the surrounding area."

Mashiro looked confused, "Really?"

"Hiyori's right." Shinji said, finally regaining his composure. "We're gonna need to be the heroes here. Hachi, can you do it?"

Hachi rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. "It will not be easy." He said, "But yes, I believe that I can."

"Good. Rose, Lisa, you help him out as best you can. The rest of you, let's go get some payback!" Everyone nodded as Shinji leaped forward, leading the charge into the battlefield.

*

Aizen Sosuke let out a small chuckle. "You are going to kill me you say?" He couldn't deny that the fear emanating from the Arrancar before him was potent, but his powers had only grown since the last time he and Kurosaki Ichigo had clashed. "I find that an entertaining notion when you have no reiatsu to back up your claim."

Shiro watched the former Shinigami captain steadily. "You can posture all you want Aizen." He said calmly, "It won't change anything."

Again Aizen chuckled, "Hmm, well then. You claim that you are not Kurosaki Ichigo. If that is the case, then I vastly overestimated that boy's potential. However, you, a lowly Arrancar with no reiatsu, aren't even worth dirtying my blade with. Kaname."

Kaname Tousen suddenly appeared beside Shiro, his blade swinging in, in a strike meant to decapitate. Shiro's reaction speed made Aizen blink in surprise, as he shifted to the side, reaching up and grabbing Tousen's wrist. He then twisted his grip, causing a loud snap of bones as the wrist broke, and let loose a brutal kick to Tousen's stomach.

Tousen let out a pained cry as he fell back, clutching at his now useless hand. Shiro simply turned back to face Aizen. "Shall I continue? Or are you ready to face me yourself?" As he spoke, his head flicked to the side, allowing Ichimaru Gin's Zanpakutō to rip past him unobstructed. "I suppose that's a 'no'."

Gin stood twenty meters away, his Zanpakutō already retracted to it's original length. "Aww, I missed. You got pretty quick there kid."

"Thanks." Replied Shiro, suddenly behind the silver haired Shinigami, "But you should not compare me to Kurosaki Ichigo. That kind of mistake will cost you." The black blade of Tensa Zangetsu then cleaved into Gin's back with a spray of blood.

As Gin's body fell to the ground below, Aizen stared wide eyed at the scene that had just unfolded before him. What... just happened? He quietly asked himself, How...how can he fight like that without reiatsu?

"Now then, Aizen." Shiro turned once again to face him, "My patience does have it's limits. Are you prepared to die?"

Aizen felt a chill roll down his spine, I'm... afraid? He suddenly realized, the feeling felt so alien to him that he hadn't recognized it until just now. I am actually afraid of this... failure of an experiment?! He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "I do not know what happened to you in Las Noches, Kurosaki Ichigo." He said as he drew his Zanpakutō, "But you are a fool if you truly think you will defeat me. Have you forgotten my power already? Shatter. Kyoka Suig-"

He never finished. Aizen's eye's widened in shock as Shiro's hand closed around the blade of his Zanpakutō. "Perhaps you didn't hear me when I told Gin this." Shiro's yellow-black eyes bore into him, "Comparing me to the late Kurosaki is a costly mistake." His grip began to tighten, until a loud Snap ripped it's way across Karakura town, and Kyoka Suigetsu shattered.

Aizen stared down at the broken hilt of what had been one of the most dangerous weapons in existence, a look of pure horror etched on his features. This... this cannot be happening... His thoughts were numb with fear, Not when I was so close... How can this be? My Zanpakutō... My Kyoka Suigetsu... gone? His gaze slowly tracked back up to lock with Shiro's, however he found no pity there.

"Are you ready to die now?" The Arrancar's voice was even as he asked the question. "Or do you intend to continue wasting my time?"

Aizen leaped backwards, hoping to put some distance between him and this monster. As he moved, he raised his hand, "The crest of turmoil swells." He intoned, "The vessel of madness grows insolent. They boil, they deny, they become numb, they blink, and they impede slumber. The princess of iron crawls. The mud doll ceaselessly destroys itself. Unite! Revolt! And be filled with earth and know your own impotence! Hadou 90: Kurohitsugi!"

An enormous swell of black reiatsu appeared around Shiro, rising up and closing around him, forming a massive black box. At the sight of the powerful kido spell, the Shinigami and Espada who were watching the fight all felt their spines tingle from the amount of power that Aizen had just unleashed.

"Hmm." Aizen felt his heartbeat begin to return to normal. "I don't know what you became Kurosaki Ichigo. But without any reiatsu, you will not survive within the Kurohitsugi for more than a few breaths. Farewell boy."

"Advance forward." A voice echoed from the depths of the Kurohitsugi, causing Aizen it blink in surprise. "Zangetsu!" The black box exploded outwards, the shock-wave that followed leveled every building beneath it for several blocks and knocked Aizen back in the air.

Then the world went dark.

*

Yamamoto Genryuusai felt his hair stand on end and his muscles tighten as the Kurohitsugi shattered. He still didn't feel any reiatsu, but that only served to make him even more nervous. It suddenly seemed as if someone had thrown a shade over the sun, the light dimmed, and the sky took on a disturbing dark, blood like hue. This is really bad. He thought silently, once again feeling the wooden haft of his staff of office splinter beneath his tightening grip.

Coyote Stark stared wide eyed at the confrontation between Aizen-sama and the strange newcomer. He and the other Espada present had all gathered together to watch, and possibly support their lord should the need arise. However, now... "No way. No way in hell am I going up there." He said, feeling the color drain from his face as Aizen's black kido spell exploded. "Whoever that thing is, it's so far out of our league it's not even funny."

"I told you." Ulquiorra's voice sounded strange as he spoke, "That 'thing' is Shiro-sama. He is the most powerful Arrancar I have ever seen."

Stark looked over to the pale skinned Cuarto Espada curiously. Ulquiorra stood with his hands in his pockets, as usual, but there was something about his stance, that made Stark pause. It was once his gaze reached Ulquiorra's eyes that he understood. He's afraid! The Primera realized suddenly, Scratch that. He's terrified! This 'Shiro-sama' actually made Ulquiorra feel genuine fear! He looked back towards the battle overhead with renewed interest. He had known Ulquiorra for a while, and until that moment, he had been positive that the Cuarto Espada couldn't feel any emotion.

Barragan had also noticed Ulquiorra's reaction to the battle. He watched with genuine excitement boiling through him, matching the fear he felt in equal volume. This Shiro-sama... He thought, his system burning with pure adrenaline, His stance and demeanor... It really is like seeing Arturo-sama reborn! Have I finally found a being that is truly worthy of my loyalty? Someone who is actually my better? The very notion galled him at a fundamental level. He was the God-King of Hueco Mundo! But at the same time, he could not stop it.

Hallibel knelt beside the recovered bodies of her Fracion, her terrified gaze locked on the now blood colored sky. This is like that captain boy's ability... She thought remembering her interrupted battle with Hitsugaya Toushiro. But... on such a fundamentally different level. This... this is unlike anything I've ever seen.

Lilinette Gingerback cowered behind Stark, her small body trembling in absolute terror. She couldn't even bring herself to look at the sky, her gaze had been locked onto the building beneath her feet since the battle had begun. What the fuck is going on here!? She screamed at herself silently. There isn't even any reiatsu coming off that guy... but my legs just gave out when I first saw him... What the fuck is he?

Several hundred yards away, the gathered members of the Gotei 13 braced themselves against the wind that suddenly picked up. Each and every one of them stared in pure shock at the battle that had unfolded so far.

Komamura Sajin felt his fur bristle, his heightened instincts telling him to run with every fiber of his being. His clenched teeth hurt as he fought a vicious battle for mastery over his own body. Just what is that creature? He wondered to himself, unable to even speak.

Hitsugaya felt as though his hand would start to bleed if he clutched the hilt of his Zanpakutō any tighter. He had seen the face of the being that now fought Aizen... and that only served to terrify him more. Kurosaki Ichigo has somehow become an Arrancar... He thought, his youthful features contorting in a mixture of rage and fear. The boy that tore a swath of destruction through Soul Society when he was a ryoka. He defeated two of our strongest captains then. And that was when he barely knew how to fight at all! This is not going to end well for us.

Kyoraku held his straw hat against the wind, his eyes deadly serious as he looked up to the sky. "This is bad, Ukitake..." He said quietly to the white haired man beside him, "Yama-ji is gonna end having to use it at this rate."

Ukitake nodded, his expression grave. "If that happens..." He stopped for a moment, his thoughts growing even darker. "We cannot allow that to happen in the world of the living."

*

Aizen stared at the figure before him, unable to look away as the wind buffeted his face. The creature that had emerged from the Kurohitsugi was... terrifying, there was no other way to put it. At first glance, it seemed as if nothing had changed, then he realized that the black bladed katana had vanished from the Arrancar's grip.

Then he had noticed the real changes. Shiro's hands no longer ended in simple fingers, long, wickedly sharp talon-like claws instead flexed with strength and wicked purpose. His bare feet, which before had been those of a human, were now something... else. They looked like the clawed feet of some kind of dinosaur or kaiju. A set of black markings now extended out from the hole in his chest, almost like a set of tattoos. A thick lizard-like tail extended down from the back of his waist and flicked about behind him slowly. And his face was now a white skull with a black strip down either side, and a pair of horns that pointed forward.

Shiro lifted one of his clawed hands, examining it with curiosity. "Hmm..." His voice rumbled like thunder from the disturbing death-grin of the skull. "I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from my release... But this feels good." The eye's of the skull seemed to be completely black, like twin pools of darkness. They locked on Aizen, and he felt his blood turn to ice. "Now then, Aizen."

Aizen flinched, trying to leap backwards, trying desperately to put more distance between himself and the creature before him. Before he could however, pain erupted from his chest. Looking down in horror, he saw Shiro's arm, buried up to the wrist, reaching into his solar plexus. He let out a cough, flecks of blood splattering across the Arrancar's white arm.

"Oh? This is a surprise..." Shiro's voice hissed from his mask. "You somehow embedded the Hougyoku in your own body... Hmm, thank you for saving me the trouble of searching for it." He ripped his hand free of Aizen's body, a glittering blue gem held between the gore drenched tips of his claws. "I wonder if I should keep you alive to tell me exactly how to work it? No... you are too dangerous to my desires." A clawed hand closed across Aizen's wide-eyed gaze, "Farewell, Aizen Sosuke."

*

Aizen's scream of pain echoed across Karakura. Everyone watching felt their blood run cold as one of arguably the most powerful individuals in history shrieked in agony, his tormentor tearing his limbs off, slowly. One at a time. Piece by grisly, terrible, piece. Eventually the screams gave out, though it was clear to all present that it was due to the fact that Aizen's vocal cords had broken. He was, unfortunately, still alive.

Hirako Shinji watched with a sickening horror, as the creature dismembered the man that had been the object of his hatred for a hundred years. He could hear Love throwing up behind him, but couldn't turn his gaze away. This... creature... was butchering Aizen Sosuke in a way so brutal, that it actually made his hatred, which had sustained him for over a century, freeze in his veins.

"Wh-what... the hell...?" Hiyori sounded like she was about to puke as well. "Shinji...? What is that...thing?"

"I..." Shinji was at a loss for words. "I don't know..." He suddenly gritted his teeth, "But that son of a bitch just stole our revenge." His rage flared back to life as he spoke, forcing his fear away. "He's dead. Collapse, Sakanade."

*

Shiro held up the ruined remains of Aizen's body, his tail curled around the man's neck while his hands had done their grisly work of reducing the proud Shinigami to what he was now. "I hope you haven't passed out from the pain yet Aizen." He hissed, leaning in close to the man's closed eyes. "You still have body parts left."

As he spoke, he felt a sudden surge of familiar reiatsu behind him, "Hmm?" He glanced over his shoulder in time to see the masked forms of Hiyori, Love, Kensai, Mashiro, and Shinji hurtling through the air towards him, weapons ready to strike. "Well, well... Look who's here..." He turned to face them, throwing Aizen's body aside with a contemptuous flick of his tail. The ruined body fell to the earth just as Hiyori grew close enough to lunge into a screaming downward chop of her massive Zanpakutō.

Unseen to anyone in the melee that ensued, a figure darted forth from the rubble below, catching the falling body of Aizen, before vanishing back into cover.

Shiro raised his hand to brush the blow aside, but found the blade smashing down onto his opposite shoulder from behind instead. What? He thought, as Kensei smashed his fist into the back of his head, snapping it forward with the force of the blow. How are they behind me? As he tried to think, Mashiro and Love also barreled in, delivering their blows with as much force and anger as the previous two.

Shinji meanwhile had stopped, and held forth a Zanpakutō with a strange ring shaped hilt. It was steadily sinning around his hand as he watched the others. "I don't know who the hell you are asshole." The blonde haired Visard stated, hatred in his voice as he removed his hollow mask, "But we were waiting for over a hundred years to kill Aizen. You just pissed off the wrong group of people."

The creature with it's skull-like death grin stood motionless for a few moments, surrounded by the four Vizards who had attacked him. Then, unexpectedly, it rolled it's head back, the skull's jaws opened, and a deep, rumbling laugh echoed across the destroyed town. It rolled across the watching Shinigami and Espada like some kind of physical wave, sending chills down their spines. Shiro continued laughing for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he regained enough composure to speak.

"So... hahaha... so much about you just became so plainly clear. Hirako Shinji." The gathered Vizards all flinched in surprise at the creature's apparent familiarity with their leader. "Of course... you all were Shinigami long before you gained your Hollow masks. Could it be that Aizen was somehow responsible for that? Oh? where are Hachi, Rose and Lisa? Hmm? You can't really think that you'll be killing me with just you five."

"What the fuck?" Kensei drew his combat knife shaped Zanpakutō, "How the hell does this thing know us?"

"I'll let you wonder about that for a little while, Kensei-san." The creature turned it's disturbing, empty, black eyes on the former captain. "Meanwhile, I sugest you flee while you all still have legs to carry you. My blood is still boiling from not getting to finish off Aizen, but I'm in a good mood now. So I'll be generous and give you all a present." As he spoke, he lifted one clawed hand, and the talon-like tips began to glow a deep, blood colored red.

Love was the first of the Vizards to realize what was about to happen, "GET BACK!" He screamed, physically kicking Hiyori and Kensei away from the Arrancar. "Mashiro! Get-"

"Getsuga Tenshou." The talons created a terrible slicing arc through the air as Shiro brought them down in a slash across Love's chest. The massive wave of red-tinged black that then erupted from them cut through his body with sickening ease. The Vizards watched in horror as their friend fell, lifeless from the air, his head and right shoulder landing several yards away from the rest of his corpse.

"LOVE!" Kensei couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Rage coursed through his frame as he re-summoned his mask. "SON OF A BITCH!"

His move to attack suddenly halted as the clawed hand closed around his throat. "Spare me Kensei-san." Shiro's physical might bore down on the well built Vizard as he slowly crushed the man's neck. "Aikawa Love sacrificed himself so that the rest of you wouldn't be caught in my attack. You should thank him."

Hiyori shrieked as she tried slamming her Zanpakutō into Shiro's back over and over again. Each time she struck however, his tail casually flicked out, knocking the strike aside, and enraging her even further. Mashiro lunged forward with a series of brutal kicks to Shiro's arm, struggling to free her friend. Shinji meanwhile stared dumbstruck at where Love had stood just moments before.

Shiro smiled to himself, feeling Kensei's struggles begin to weaken in his grip. However a sudden surge of reiatsu forced him to look down, just in time. "REDUCE ALL CREATION TO ASHES! RYUUJIN JAKKA!" The mighty form of Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryusai lunged at him, his blazing Zanpakutō stabbing straight for the center of his back.

Shiro rolled backwards, vanishing with a sonido as he did, and reappearing several yards away. Looking down, he saw that he no longer held Kensei in his claws, the Vizard instead leaned against the form of Kyoraku Shunsui, gasping for breath. Shiro looked back to Yamamoto, "Hmm... This could be interesting."

"Foul beast." Yamamoto raised his sword, pointing it at Shiro's chest, "I know not who you are. But you are clearly too dangerous to allow to live."

Shiro considered the old man before him carefully. He could easilly sense the Shinigami's unbelievable reiatsu, and the memories of Kurosaki Ichigo warned him not to underestimate the Commander. After a few moments, he chuckled. "Sorry, Ji-san," The Commander's expression twitched darkly at the familiarity with which he was addressed, "But I have other matters to attend to. Now that Aizen is dead, I have no reason to stay here." He then vanished, reappearing down before the four Espada.

Yamamoto couldn't believe the creature's gall. "You think that you will escape me?!" He lunged down after the Arrancar, readying his blade to incinerate all of the Espada along with it if need be.

Shiro turned to face the oncoming Shinigami, and began charging a Cero between his horns. The attack that he unleashed was unlike anything the commander had ever seen a hollow produce in all his millennia long life. The blast seemed to eclipse everything, and he was forced to be grateful that it was aimed upwards. He was just about to dodge when he realized that the others behind him would not be able to move nearly fast enough, even his favored pupil Shunsui.

Uttering a violent curse, Yamamoto unleashed the largest blast of fire that he could muster from Ryuujin Jakka, using it as a shield against the oncoming Cero. The explosion that followed was utterly cataclysmic. It vaporized everything within several thousand yards, and threw smoke and debris in all directions for miles.

Shiro appeared on the edge of the massive crater that the explosion had created, the Espada all landing behind him. He gazed into the smoke, searching for any sign of the Shinigami, hoping that they had survived, if only so he could enjoy battles with them in the future. His hopes were soon rewarded, as he sensed the reiatsu of close to two dozen individuals, gathered behind an impressively powerful barrier.

Satisfied, he turned to the Espada, Stark and Lilinette stared wide-eyed at him, clearly worried of what he would do, Barragan considered him with a narrowed eye, Hallibel and Ulquiorra stood a bit further away, the unconscious bodies of the female's Fracion lying between them. He glanced at the Fracion, "Did you carry all three of them yourself?" He asked Hallibel.

"N-no... Stark helped a bit." She was clearly nervous as she answered, "I wasn't about to leave them behind to die."

Shiro simply nodded, clearly satisfied with the answer. "Good. Your conviction is impressive." There was an unexpected warmth to his voice as he spoke, one that caught the gathered Espada off guard. "You all are strong, I can sense it. Good, you'll serve me well."

"Excuse me?!" Barragan couldn't stop himself, his pride overwhelming his caution. "What makes you think that any of us will serve you?" He raised his large dual bladed axe.

Shiro considered the old man for a moment, silent and unmoving. Then suddenly Barragan felt his blood run cold, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably as pure, undiluted fear thundered through him. "You'll serve me, Espada. Because you cannot hope to kill me, and because just my focusing a bit of reiatsu on you has this kind of reaction." The statement caught all present except one off guard. "Would you like to see what happens when I direct my full power at you?"

Barragan fell gasping to his knees, his axe landing beside him with a clatter. As he did, Ulquiorra stepped forward. "They do not understand, Shiro-sama. To us, it feels as if you have no reiatsu." His voice was measured and respectful, but his eyes still held a twinge of genuine terror.

"Hmph." Shiro turned away from Barragan, the Espada gasped as though he had just swam to the surface of an ocean. "I suppose I need to work on controlling my output in the future then." He turned to Stark, "I suppose you have no objections to serving me?" Stark and Lilinette both shook their heads vigorously. "Good. Then it's time to go. Ulquiorra, help her carry the bodies of her allies."

Ulquiorra nodded passively, turning and picking up the body of an amazonian looking woman with thick brown hair. Hallibel blinked in surprise at the order, but quickly nodded her thanks, taking up the unconscious form of a long haired girl, while Stark hefted up the third, short haired girl. Barragan had recovered enough to claim his axe before following the other Espada into the air behind their new leader.

As they rose, the smoke from the crater finally began to clear. The Shinigami stood, swords drawn watching the ascending Arrancar. The Vizard, including Hachi, Rose and Lisa, were gathered around the body of Aikawa Love, Lisa was shrieking as she clutched at him almost looking like she was trying to put him back together somehow. Yamamoto Genryuusai had his gaze locked on Shiro, his eyes burning with pure rage.

"Hear me now Shinigami of Soul Society, for this will be your only warning!" Shiro roared out as he stopped rising in the air. His voice thundering clearly across the devastated battleground. "I am Shiro, the Hollow King! And as of this moment, Hueco Mundo is MINE! Any Shinigami found in Hueco Mundo from this day forth, will suffer the same fate of Aikawa Love." As he spoke, his mask began to break away, his released form sealing itself back into the form of the black katana that reformed in his hand. His claws shrank back down into regular nails, and his tail withered away until it was gone. "Do not take my words as a polite suggestion." He said, his yellow black eyes glaring down at them.

As the creature's mask broke away, the gathered Shinigami all saw the face beneath. "W-wait..." Kyoraku said quietly, "Isn't... that...?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo?" Yamamoto felt his grip on Ryuujin Jakka falter.

"ICHIGO!?" Shinji roared in betrayed horror. "Y-you... killed..."

Shiro's eyes locked with the blonde haired Vizard. "Kurosaki Ichigo is dead." He said, a tone of finality in his voice. "Any Shinigami who come to Hueco Mundo shall suffer the same fate."

With that, he nodded to Ulquiorra, who turned and opened a large Garganta. The Espada stepped through it, walking quietly into the darkness within, their minds each filled with their own thoughts on the revelation of their new lord's identity. As Shiro stepped into the Garganta, a shout caused him to pause.

"ICHIGO!" Shiro turned back to see Hiyori between him and the rest of the Shinigami, struggling to get free of Captain Komamura's restraining grip, tears of pure rage falling from her eyes. "I swear to god Ichigo. I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!?"

Shiro said nothing as the Garganta closed around him. He simply continued watching the struggling Vizard, a look of mild boredom on his face, until finally he was gone.

*

Hiyori continued raging in Komamura's arms for several minutes, screaming her rage and grief to the heavens. Her Zanpakutō fell from her grasp, landing in the blackened dirt below, and still the diminutive girl shrieked and thrashed. The massive humanoid fox simply stood there, holding her back, keeping her from hurting herself or anyone else. his eyes filled with an unbearable sadness.

Everyone present was in similar states of shock. Ichigo had been a friend to many of them, and all had been so sure that he would survive his battles in Hueco Mundo. But now... the reality of the situation was impossible for them to grasp.

Lisa hadn't even seemed to hear the revelation of Ichigo's fate, so consumed by her desperate attempts to undo Love's fate. Rose knelt beside her, his hand on her back, and his eyes squeezed so tightly shut that it looked like he were trying to burn the image from his mind. Kensei stood, his expression one of shocked horror, Mashiro buried her head into his shoulder and cried, beating her small fists against his chest and arms. Hachi sat cross legged, his gaze cast down, his hands clutching at his head, but a look of pure rage burning in his eyes. Shinji knelt opposite Lisa and Rose, his eyes glazed over, the look of a dead man on his face.

The Shinigami all watched the grieving Vizards, the reality of what Ichigo had done finally beginning to set in. Kyoraku just stared ahead, his expression a potent mix of shock and horror. Ukitake felt his knees give out as his body was wracked with a fit of coughs. Hitsugaya sat down heavily, suddenly looking very much like a frightened child. Soi Fong felt the strength in her arms and legs give out as she realized that someone would have to tell Yoruichi-dono, the very thought of her mentor's reaction tore the stealth corps leader's heart apart. Of the present lieutenants, very few of them were still conscious, but those that were all bore similar expressions of horror.

Only one man kept his composure steady in the wake of the tragedy that they had just experienced. Yamamoto Genryuusai put all of his considerable discipline towards maintaining an outward level of calm, despite the boiling rage he felt coursing through his blood. "Captains." He said, his voice dangerous, just slightly betraying his true thoughts. "Gather the wounded, and return to Soul Society. There is much to discuss." He turned to the Vizards, "Ushōda Hatchigen." The large man looked up at his name, his eyes burning. "In light of your companion, Former Captain Aikawa Love's brave attempt to save his allies lives, at the cost of his own... You and your allies may recover within the Seiretei. It would seem that we currently share a common foe."

Hachi could not summon the ability to speak. He simply nodded, rose to stand, and lifted Shinji's dazed form from the ground.

"What... what about Love?" Rose asked weakly, still staring at the body of his old friend in disbelief. "I won't just leave him here."

Kyroaku approached slowly, "We'll see too it that he's buried with honor." Looking to the commander, he continued, "It's the least we can do after... everything that's happened." Yamamoto simply nodded, before turning and opening the Senkaimon and leading the way silently back to Soul Society.

As the Senkaimon closed, the enchantments holding the Real Karakura town within Soul Society finally collapsed, returning the town back to the realm of the Living, and moving a massive crater to the Soul Society.