Ichigo Awakens

(With Uryu)

The tears in space opened like theater curtains before the Quincy King and his fellow cast mates for the coming performance, a one-sided slaughter of Devils that clung to their archaic past. With him was a few hundred of each major Gotei faction; Quincy, Arrancar, and Soul Reapers, all waiting for the call to battle as they looked down at the confused OSF Devils. Uryu raised his hand and every Quincy spread out among the dozens of portals summoned their bows while the Arrancar started charging their Ceros, all taking aim at the Devils beneath them. With a chop halfway down the Quincy unleashed their arrows, a thick storm of shining Reishi bolts raining down on their targets. Some were turned into pin cushions with the number of arrows lodged in them, others were torn to pieces under the speed and fury of the many shots, blood and flesh rained down in equal measure as a fourth of the enemy was killed in a near instant. Those that remained managed to muster up a defense of magic barriers, banding together to reinforce their shields. Uryu finished his chop and the various Arrancar fired their Ceros, each blast slamming against a barrier. Some managed to weather the blasts as they were forced to the ground while other had their defenses shattered and were reduced to to ash by the torrents of spiritual power.

"Remember," Uryu said coldly as the initial attack ended, "no survivors." Some howled in excitement while others roared their battle cries, charging down at their enemies with the intent of ending the battle as quickly as possible. Some Devils met their ends quickly with swift and precise strikes with blade and fist, other began to fight back but met with more prolonged deaths. As their forces fell upon the shocked Devils Uryu noticed Byakuya looking away from the battlefield before flashing away, the Squad 15 Captain understanding that this likely happened for a reason since Byakuya was far from cowardly or reckless. On the other side was Yushiro, holding out his hand and seemingly summoning a swirling black sphere before crushing it. In that same moment another third of the remaining enemy suddenly had violent explosions at vital points on their bodies, ones that left no possibility of survival as pulped viscera rained down and painted the rooftops of the fake city red with blood. Within five minutes, the outcome of the battle was obvious as Devils continued to fall as macabre rain.

(With Ichigo, Toshiro, and Shinji)

"This is just sad." Shinji said, watching the bloody display from their place on the balcony while Ichigo lowered his arm and dispelled the Kido spell Tenteikura. "Even without our ambush this would've been a losing battle on their part. Did they even do any preparation work for the actual battle?"

"Seems like they were more focused on capturing Orihime rather than ensuring that their assassination attempt would be successful." Toshiro suggested, watching the screen as Byakuya appeared and used his Bankai to wipe out the enemy located at the Rating Game field. "Apparently the idea of pragmatism in combat is either lost on them, or they're just stupid."

"Either way, it doesn't matter." Ichigo said after sending out a Pesquisa pulse to get a read of the present situation. "It seems like only five of them can be considered actual threats with plenty more feeling... off." He said, noting a certain unique signature that felt like an odd mix of divine and draconic, but also something eerily dark. "The chains have already reached Diodora and Byakuya's more than capable of handling that situation so I'll entrust it to him. In the meantime, let's ensure our victory." He said before looking up, finding a pale skinned male Devil flying above them. He had shoulder length hair tied in a ponytail and dressed like a traveling noble favoring black with dark violet accents on his coat and knee length boots with a deep purple cape tied around his neck. "May we have introductions before we fight?" The Devil glared angrily at the hybrid but still answered.

"I am the true blood descendant of the Asmodeus family, Creuserey Asmodeus." He held out his hand and caused a glowing violet glyph of a circle with an infinity symbol in the form of two snakes biting the other's tail. "On my honor as a true Satan descended from the proper line and for the sake of Katerea Leviathan, I WILL CLAIM YOUR HEAD HUMAN!" He roared, charging an attack before Shinji appeared before him and grabbed him by the face.

"He's busy, I'll play with you instead." He said, bearing a condescending smile before throwing the Devil toward a building and caving the roof in. "Go on, I've got this." The squad 5 Captain told Ichigo and Toshiro before the two flashed away, prompting him to turn to where he threw Creuserey. "So, how do you plan to entertain me?" The Visored asked before flashing away as a blast of magical energy was sent right at him, Asmodeus glaring the whole time as he could tell his attack missed. "I can do something like that too, but I prefer something like this. Collapse, Sakanade." The Devil heard from behind, turning to find Shinji smiling as his Zanpakuto gently spun around his hand. The blade had five holes along the length while the bottom of the hilt had a large ring, a seemingly impractical design as a pink fog seemed to grow around the smirking Captain.

"Arrogant human!" The Devil growled as he readied another spell. "Do you really think this smelly fog will make... any.." He trailed off as everything started spiraling, filling him with nausea. "Wha-what is-?"

".won thgir em dnatsrednu neve uoy taht toN .kcab dna tnorf neve, thgir si tfel, nwod si pU .sesnes rouy detrevni ev'I" Shinji said, the Devil being unable to understand a single thing before turning around to find the Shinigami and the world upside down.

"What did you do!?" Asmodeus roared, charging his attack while Shinji charged at him from the front. "I will not-!" He shouted, blasting his attack and was stabbed from behind as Shinji vanished. "GAH!" He coughed out before getting beheaded in the next moment.

"There. Hopefully you stay down." Shinji said, flipping over Creuserey's body with a kick. "Now, let's see what this abnormality with you is." He said before slashing open the Devil's stomach, causing glowing black snakes to start slithering out of his body. "Just like with that Leviathan girl."

(Within the Battlefield)

Very few things managed to escape his sight, the one sense that stuck with him throughout his entire existence from Hollow to Arrancar. Ulquiorra Cifer was a man whose skin was as white as bleached bone with teal green eyes and two lines going down his eyes like tears down to his chin and messy raven black hair, an expression of melancholic stoicism ever present on his face. He normally wore his mask fragment in the form of a half helmet on the left side of his head, but he was currently clad in his his Ressurecion and thus his helmet was complete and he had large imposing bat wings on his back. He did not think the increased power unleashing his blade granted was absolutely necessary for the trash that was the Old Satan Faction Devils, but his master's order was 'no mercy', so he would show them such. The Right Hand of the Hollow King was devout and ruthlessly efficient, all within his sight would follow his master's desire.

He wasted no time, immediately going for the kill in each and every instance with every enemy he encountered. Every time his fingers pierced through the flesh of an opponent, every gaping hole made in a torso, every blown off head was almost immediately followed by the next squelch of blood and torn flesh. Out of the corner of his eye was his partner, the Left Hand that was Grimmjow, clad in a bone white body suit themed like a cat, his cyan hair now long and wild as he laughed and reveled in the brutality he was unleashing. There was little reason to be concerned about his well-being, but what he saw beyond the fellow Arrancar proved a concern. A tanned woman with long wavy pink hair, dressed like an Arabian belly dancer with eight Devil wings on full display, with various Gotei members around her suddenly turning their blades on each other.

'I see.' He thought as he watched her mouth move before each time his allies started attacking themselves. He immediately flashed in front of the Devil, getting between her and Grimmjow, before sinking his fingers into her throat and tearing it out. Her shocked expression lasted for all of one before he shot a quick blast of energy at her and destroyed her torso. "With honeyed words did you mask your frailty, making friends and comrades turn thine own blades upon each other. But, mine lord takes every soldier lost as a wound upon his heart and thou hast taken many. Thine suffering should've been prolonged." He said coldly as her body fell. After another second he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen and pocket notebook, quickly finding an empty page and started writing.

"Came up with another flowery verse?" Grimmjow asked, noticing his partner's actions. Ulquiorra didn't answer as he kept writing, prompting the Panther Arrancar to sigh. "You and that Shakespeare crap."

"I'm happy to share a hobby with our master." Ichigo had once given Ulquiorra the complete works of Shakespeare on the anniversary of their meeting during his time as Captain of Squad 8 and the Arrancar developed a habit of speaking in Shakespearean speech every so often. He writes down his favorite lines.

(Elsewhere)

The initial shock of the Gotei's ambush had finally died out and the OSF Devils were doing their best to fight back, their pride refusing to lie down and accept their fates. Any gifted in powerful family magic used it to their fullest extent while those with the odd black snakes pushed themselves as far as their bodies could tolerate. As the causalities started to grow, Squad 4 and attached medical teams of Squads 15 and 16 were flashing about the battlefield to recover and transport the injured back to the medical station. In this case it was a hospital disguised as a hotel in the city and thankfully only one level was being filled at the moment, thanks to a few notable healers.

"Sternritter R here to restore you all!" Yuzu Kurosaki, The Restore, cheered out as another group of injured soldiers were brought in. She was in a Sternritter uniform that was stylized like a nurse's outfit. "Restorative Injection!" Her index fingernails turned into needles as she went to each soldier and injected each one with a medicine derived of her blood that instantly stitched together cuts and mended broken bones. She was always careful to monitor her own blood levels as a result and never tested her abilities beyond the healing aspect.

"And there. You're arm's reattached." A woman said, her face expressionless and half covered by a white cloth as she moved on to her next surgery. She had chin length black hair and wore a white bone like chest piece that allowed four large white boney spider legs to come out of her back while her arms and legs were similarly armored. "Next." The Arrancar, Roka Paramia, called out as she moved on to a man who was torn in half but was inside a Kido barrier that kept him alive. "Replicating Restorative Injection." She said as one leg sprouted a needle and stabbed into the man's neck and pumped a cup of blood into him. "Beginning surgery." She then got to work, reattaching the man's two halves.

"Are you two good?" A tall woman with chin length silver hair asked, wearing a Shinigami uniform with a badge that read 'Squad 4 Lieutenant'. This was Isane Kotetsu, who's hands were glowing green with healing Kido as she tended to her own patients but still worried about her comrades. "Hey! Do we have the blood sup-" She started before a wall exploded, revealing a bulky muscular man covered in dark red scaled with long and wild red hair and mouth of sharp pointed teeth.

"I thought something was off!" He roared in excitement while everyone in the room that was capable of fighting got ready to do battle. "Come and let me fe-!" He started before a foot slammed into his throat and sent him flying back through the hole he made.

"This is a hospital. Don't cause trouble here." Karin said, her Zanpakuto already in hand as she marched toward her opponent. "Time to wash this place of your filth. Flow, Heigetsu!" She called out, holding her blade up as it pulsated. The air itself shimmering in response to the blade's Shikai, though nothing seemed to have actually happened yet. "Ready?" She asked, glaring at him as she readied herself.

"R-ready for what?" The Devil coughed out, rubbing his damaged throat. His answer came as she flashed in front of the guy and swung her blade, missing him by a good six inches/fifteen centimeters. "Wha-" He started before getting blindsided and sent flying by a large ball of water, rolling a ways before catching the ground and slowing himself down. As he rose to his feet he spied Karin marching toward him, lazily twirling her sword about and somehow calling any and all water to her blade. The Devil got ready to charge at her but she flashed closer to him and started thrusting her blade at him, the water shooting at him like bullets. He could only grunt and growl as the fist sized bullets of water kept slamming into him, the constant pounding diffused by his scales but the consistent hits were making themselves known as his body began to bruise.

"Just about there." Karin whispered to herself, keeping a strong appearance despite the strain on her Reiryoku. She scanned her surroundings while keeping up her attack, grinning as she got an idea from the all the debris around them. She used her Hirenkyaku to charge at the Devil and made a hard thrust with her blade tip just barely touching the Devil's chest, the result being the water concentrating on that singular point with the force of a high pressured fire hose. The Draconic Devil was dragged away by the force of the current, helpless against the water as he carried further down the road. Eventually the water stopped pushing him along and he was left trying to get back to his feet again, this time on softer and uneven ground with a heavy scent of iron that made him want to gag. "This should be a good spot."

"Good spot for-" The Devil started to ask before the words died in his throat, taking in the scenery around them, "for what? Breaking my spirit?!" He roared in anger, his eyes scanning all the dead Devils and the pools of blood all around them. "This only strengthens my resolve! To strike down you foul monsters and avenge my brethren!" His body glowed with power as his own infinity mark appeared in his hands.

"Actually, I just wanted some more water to work with." Karin returned, holding her sword up and creating another pulse from the spiritual steel. As it did that all the blood around them seemed to flow towards Karin, the red seeming to drain away as if only the water of the blood was the focus. Karin then swept Heigetsu in a semicircle in front of her and a wave appeared, gathering up bits of glass, rocks, and broken bones that focused into large spheres of water around her. As she did, her breathing became labored and you could see the strain in her movements. "Damn, still too little for a lengthy battle. Fine." She said, holding up her free hand and started glowing blue with particles of blue light gathering around her.

"NO! I WON'T LET YOU DO ANYTHING!" He roared as charged forward, intent on crushing her skull in his hands. As he closed in, she seemed to flow around his attempt to grab her, swerving underneath his arms and trapping his shoulder joints in water. "WHA!?" He questioned, turning to face her before feeling something against his exposed skin.

"Sever." The Shinigami Quincy said as she pulled on her hilt like she was pulling a rope, causing the water to flow rapidly around his arm with the debris inside it tearing his flesh apart.

"GRAAHHH!" He roared in agony as his flesh was stripped to the bone before even that was broken apart, leaving his arms to fall to the ground and blood pour from his shoulders. Karin relaxed her stance and deactivated her Shikai, sheathing her Zanpakuto and letting all the water fall to the ground. The Devil kept glaring at her as she looked at him impassively, infuriating him more at her casual disregard as if the fight was over. She turned and started to walk away, making the Devil growl in fury as he sprouted his wings and took flight with the intention of crushing her under his heel at the very least. His plan was cut short when his body went numb with cold, a white haired Soul Reaper with cold turquoise eyes glaring at him from Karin's side before falling in step with her. The Devil soon fell and his frozen body shattered like glass.

"I was going to dodge that." Karin said disapprovingly to her husband.

"I know that, just as you know that I'll protect you." Toshiro countered, taking her hand in his.

(With the Gremory Peerage)

The group of young Devils ran unimpeded through the barren stone field of the Rating Game arena, heading up the floating stairs toward the large stone temple like structure at the top of the levitating rocks. Their progress was protected by a shield of shining flower petal blades supplied by Captain Kuchiki, whose expression never once changed as his power callously slew the hundreds of OSF Devils that sought to attack them. So on they ran, ran to try and find and rescue their precious stolen comrades. Ran with the expectation that they would meet resistance and put their skills to the test, to crush Diodora's pathetic excuse of a peerage with their new power and skills.

"What the hell?" Issei asked as a group of Shinigami were putting Astaroth's peerage into body bags and loading them onto a cart. Rias was about to say something when Byakuya put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't ask. Keep running." He instructed, looking at the prone bodies of the women with a clear look of pity on his face. "You have to save your companion, remember?" The Gremory group seemed conflicted but conceded his point. This was not their concern, Asia was and they were going to rescue her. So on they ran, ran till they reached the temple at the top, ran through the halls until they heard the rattling of chains and cries of agony. They came upon a throne room, a large and wide open room with a red carpet leading to golden horned throne, and in this room was Diodora, Asia, and Orihime. The two women were tied to the wall behind the throne, restrained by a set of binds that resembled the bones of a spinal cord around their arms and legs. Diodora himself was writhing on the ground, screaming in pain as the rusty chains of Hell seemed to be fighting against black snakes that seemed to burst out of his body before sinking back into his flesh.

"Th... that's gross." Issei said in shock while everyone else looked on in horror before Rias got them to keep moving. Only Issei stayed behind, dark thoughts emanating from his mind, the chance to kill Diodora before he became an actual problem. The Seikiryute thought it over but decided to leave Diodora to writhe, recognizing the Hell Chains and their punishing effects. He was crippled and a non-threat at the moment, they could take their time. He went on to rejoin his companions as Asia and Orihime awoke with Rias trying but failing to free the two from their binds.

"What is going on?" The Gremory heiress asked in confusion as her destruction magic failed to touch the bone like structure.

"Issei! Koneko! Help me with this!" Kiba called out as he created his holy demonic sword and made a few futile swings that bounced off the bones with a clang before tossing it aside as the Pawn and Rook of the Gremory peerage began pulling on the device with no signs of success.

"What the hell is this!? Boosted Gear, Balance Breaker!" Issei roared out in frustration as he focused on freeing Asia. "Don't worry Asia! We'll get you out of here!" Asia nodded in agreement, having complete faith in her companions while Orihime calmly studied her restraints.

"Hey Ddraig?" The Spirit user called out, getting the attention of the Devils and the Red Dragon. "Could these have been made with... Dimension Lost I believe?" The name was lost on the Devils but the Welsh Dragon immediately recognized it.

"It's possible." The Dragon's voice called out from Issei's hand. "These seem to be a special type of barrier and Dimension Lost is certainly capable of making unbreakable bonds if the user has achieved their own Balance Breaker." The information shocked the group to their core, causing them all to gasp in shock.

"Then how can we free them!?" Issei demanded, to no one in particular. The Devils seemed lost and panicking as they wracked their brains for any possible answer, growing more and more agitated as the seconds ticked away.

"Calm down everyone." Orihime ordered before she started humming a happy tune. "Panic will do you no good. Focus your minds and calmly think." The complete tone shift caused the Gremory peerage to freeze and refocus themselves.

"What are you thinking about now, Kurosaki Sensei?" Akeno asked, being the first to come to her senses. Orihime beamed happily to her student.

"About the pastries I'll be baking once we get out of here." She said, giving her students hope. "Though I'd love to cook a special type of bun, but I need to get some cream from my husband first." Everyone blushed at that but Rias gained a thoughtful look.

"That is a nice thought." The crimson Devil muttered to herself, though not quietly. "Course, the father of my children will be Issei." The Pawn in question started glowing pink from the blood rushing to his face as he blushed. "Sensei, anything particularly sexy you'd recommend I wear to finally push him over the edge?" She asked, blushing herself but held herself confidently as she made her request. Issei felt his brain was about to melt when something Rias said resonated in his mind.

"Wear." The Red Dragon whispered as he got his idea. "I hope this works. Ddraig! Boost me to the max!"

"Issei?" The Gremory group asked as this comrade began doubling his power over and over.

"Rias, cover my eyes! Asia, Kurosaki Sensei, forgive me!" He called out as Rias fulfilled his request, Akeno and Koneko covering Kiba and Gasper's eyes, and the last thing Issei did before going blind was touch the blouses of Asia and Orihime. "Dress Break! Boosted version!" He called out as he channeled his power to enact his will, the sounds of cloth tearing and crumbling stone signaling the end result. "Did it work?" He asked, dreading the suspense.

"Oh my!" Akeno gasped. "Kurosaki Sensei, your breasts look amazing! So big and perky!"

"And that bra is such a cute design!" Rias cooed. "What's your brand?"

"Focus children." Orihime said taking a motherly tone. "We still need to escape safely." The girls responded with a quick 'yes ma'am' before removing their hands from the boys' eyes. Asia was dressed in her school uniform while Orihime was in a pink blouse with tight white pants, both courtesy of Akeno. "Issei, thank you for freeing us and managing to leave our underwear."

"I'm honestly surprised that it worked Sensei." The Pawn admitted. "And I didn't want the Captain Commander to kill me." The group giggled before the Gremorys did acknowledge the possibility of that happening. "Anyways, let's get out of here." He said as they pulled out the cubes they got before all this happened, except for Asia once she realized that she lost hers.

"Guess it was destroyed with my outfit." She giggled lightly, before a black tentacle crushed her into the ground. As quickly as it appeared it was pulled away, revealing the broken form beneath and the large pool of blood that left no delusion that she could be alive. Rias shouted something, the whole peerage gasping in shock and crying some pleas to try and save their beloved Bishop, but all Issei could see was Asia's dead body and the dull ringing in his ears as everything else faded away. After the few seconds of shock, the moment feeling like an eternity, Issei felt himself being pulled away. Rias was trying to tell him something, gesturing at where Diodora was, and that was when Issei heard the screaming of the traitorous Devil once more, mixed in with the tearing of flesh and crunching of bones.

The Astaroth's body was still cover by the rusted chains and black snakes but it also started twisted and contorting in ways that screamed tortured. He started getting bigger, flesh tearing and knitting back together instantly as he grew to towering heights. Bony pincers tore through the flesh of his right forearm as it grew in length, turning his arm into a gnarled claw of serrated bones while his left was just a black tentacle, twisting and crushing its own bones until it was a spiny length. Two points on his chest exploded as clawed talons burst out and a large lump was growing from the base of Diodora's neck, dragging his twisted arms with him while more spines tore out along his flesh. The lump on his back soon took a humanoid shape of melted flesh before the whole thing split open to reveal a toothy maw and mouthed tentacles ready to tear into anything they could bite. The last recognizable feature of what was once Diodora Astaroth was his head before it spit open to reveal a single bloodshot eye.

The transformation was horrific, downright lovecraftian, and Issei just barely understood Rias's call to retreat, but he held his gaze on the monster. He recognized the tentacle and the smell of blood still on it, and made his decision. This thing killed her, Diodora murdered Asia. Nothing was going to stop Issei from destroying it beyond the point of reincarnation.

"Rias, go." The Gremory pawn growled, still deaf to everything but the giant monster before him, as he started glowing blood red.

(With Ichigo: Around the same time)

The hybrid Soutaicho calmly walked down the streets of the artificial island, tapping one of his sheathed Zanpakuto on the ground around him with every step. He paid no heed to the din of battle and the cries of war, focusing on the singular task he gave himself in this war. As much as he wanted to fly to Orihime's side and secure her safety, he would be disrespecting his comrades by taking on every burden as they appear. Byakuya was certainly capable enough, the ideal Shinigami combatant among the Gotei, and the Gremory peerage, Issei in particular, needed situations like this. That wasn't to say that the ambush that allowed Diodora to capture Orihime didn't leave a bad taste in his mouth and he fully intended on having a lot of family time when everything settled down. He finally stopped tapping his sword on the ground, finally finding what he was looking for. He held the sword by the sheath in front of him and started to focus his power into the blade.

"You damned wretch." A voice growled with barely contained rage, the buzzing of insect wings growing by the second. Ichigo heard him but paid no mind. "Ruining my plans, destroying my kin, how dare a human bare their fangs to us! HOW DARE YOU TREAT ME LIGHTLY!?" He roared as the air now hummed with magical energy. "FACE ME DAMN IT!"

"Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro called out as a wave of ice slammed into the magic circles behind the Devil, freezing them before the Devil shot a concentrated fireball against the ice and flew higher up. "And who are you Devil?" The captain asked as he inspected his opponent. The Devil was a handsome man with long brown hair that covered one eye and wore black armor with a black furred collared cloak, a textbook villainous appearance.

"The true heir of the name Beelzebub, Shalba Beelzebub." The Devil claimed, now glaring at the icy Captain. "Now begone! My quarrel is with him!" He said, manipulating more flying insects to create a new magic circle behind the Shinigami. "I will avenge my fallen-!" Toshiro immediately turned and swung his blade at the circle, sending out another wave of ice and freezing all the insects inside. Shalba didn't hesitate as he held up his arm, revealing a wrist mounted crossbow and firing a metal bolt at the Captain. Toshiro shielded himself with ice again and caught the bolt, immediately kicking it away as the metal rod gained a familiar glow.

"Toshiro." Ichigo called out from his position on the ground, pausing the fight. "Order the evacuation. You have two minutes." Shalba remained quiet, confused by that order, but the Captain nodded.

"Understood." Hitsugaya answered as he pulled a marker out of his pocket and drew a series of lines on his arm. "Bakudo #77, Tenteikura!" He called out as a glowing square appeared in front of his outstretched arm. He didn't say anything but mentally spoke Ichigo's orders and soon started to sense the departure of the Gotei forces. "One minute, thirty seconds." The Captain whispered to himself before glaring at Shalba, who recognized that the fight was about to resume. He braced himself for whatever he could against the Soul Reaper's power and loaded his wrist crossbow again, but the next moment he found both the Soul Reaper and his arm were now missing with a sheet of ice over the stump at his forearm.

"GAHH!" Shalba cried out, unable to actually feel his injury but still reacting to the sudden loss. "Damn you! Wretched humans! I am the true ruler of the Devils! How dare you meddle in our-!"

"Be silent." Toshiro called out, holding and studying the crossbow on the severed limb from behind the Devil. "Between Devils that seek peace and those that seek war, it should be obvious who we'd side with. Now, run along. I don't have the time to crush a fly." The ice dragon growled, glaring at the current 'Lord of the Flies'. Shalba, recognizing his loss, disappeared through a magic seal. As the Devil fled, Toshiro immediately opened a Senkaimon and flew through it.

"Time's up." Ichigo said, sending out a Pesquisa to confirm that only Devils remained. "Reduce all of creation to ash, Kagutsuchi." The hybrid calmly chanted as the dragon tattoo on his arm ignited and covered his limb in flames. In a swift movement, Ichigo unsheathed Kagutsuchi, revealing a blade glowing a bright orange and radiating such intense heat that air around him got a shimmering haze while everything else started to blacken or warp from the heat. "Joka no Maki." The Head Captain whispered as he stabbed his glowing blade into the ground. The next moment, all of the floating island erupted into a grand pillar of flames. Within seconds, Ichigo was the only thing left on the fake island as it became a sea of lava and fire. "And that takes care of... what the?" Ichigo said, suddenly sensing a new presence and turned just in time to get punched in his face, his jaw tearing off in a bloody mess.

"Well, look at you healing from that." A new man said, wearing a black coat and bearing black and gold hair and eyes with pointed ears, as he watched Ichigo grow a new lower jaw. "Name's Crom Cruach, and I was sent here to kill you."