Everyone's Return

(Urahara Shoten/Squad 15 Barracks)

Almost two years since the death of Aizen. Almost two years since they had begun full preparations for the return of the Quincy. Almost two years since Ichigo, Uryu, Chad, Tatsuki, and Orihime left Japan to train. Everyone was dedicating themselves fully to their efforts for the war, every day ended in blood, sweat, and tears from constantly pushing the limits of their abilities and preparations. All the medics were pushing the realms of the healing arts, the scientists were endlessly thinking of new methods to fight the Quincy, anyone capable of being a Soul Reaper tried their hardest to attain the power of Shikai and Bankai became a requirement for lieutenants. The only thing that seemed really out of place was the lack of Hollows.

In the past two years since Ichigo claimed the throne of Las Noches Hollow attacks have been steadily dropping to just once a week. Now there hasn't been a Hollow sighting in months. Some suspect it to be the quality work of squad 16 but Gin Ichimaru wasn't sure about that. After a few attacks from various Menos, Hueco Mundo went oddly silent as well. The only exception were two Arrancar refugees by the names of Asguiaro Ebern and Luders Friegan, neither of whom Gin trusted and was having watched at all times. Manpower he could only spare because of Rudbornne's specific ability.

But now the clock was ticking and the projected date of the Quincy's full arrival was coming close. Despite the Kido spell Urahara made to separate them from the Soul Society, they've sent groups into the Living World and after Ichigo as well. So far they've successfully managed to best every Sternritter and Quincy squad that were found, but Yhwach and his best were soon to come. Someone that Yamamoto himself remained wary of even now, after all the training and preparations done specifically to kill him.

All non-combatants were sent to bunkers while all Shinigami in training were sent to the Urahara Shoten to stay out of the fight and continue their studies under the tutelage of the Shinigami in Isshin's command. This is where we find Yuzu, now with shoulder length pigtails held by pink bobbles and a sailor fuku uniform, waiting for the next arrival with her twin sister Karin who is wearing the same blue and white uniform with her hair longer and in a ponytail. The only one that still hasn't returned was their own Quincy cousin.

The first was Tatsuki, whose hair grew past her shoulders and less spiky, who brought with her an albino man named Karna who was wearing a ragged cloak. After her was Chad and Jackie, with Chad having grown a thin goatee, along with Achilles; a man with spiky blonde hair wearing black jeans, white shirt, and vest, Atalanta; a woman in a black and pale green dress with a hairband hiding her cat ears and wearing her tail like a belt, and a shy child called Medea; wearing a lavender Greek chiton and carrying a moon themed staff. Orihime was next and she grew her hair longer and wavier with a larger bust, bringing a man with long blue hair named Cu Chulainn, who was wearing black pants and a hideous green and orange shirt.

With their new comrades they also brought new techniques that they had to chronicle quickly, new spells and fighting techniques that might prove useful. Unohana took a shine to Medea very quickly and her motherly attitude soon put the young spellcaster at ease and got her to separate from Achilles and Atalanta. Cu Chulainn joined Zaraki's squad and immediately started fighting Ikkaku and becoming fast friends, Achilles was tempted to join him but Kyoraku won the Greek over with a few drinks, Karna joined squad 9 and that was that, and Atalanta still hasn't joined a squad as she's been spending most of her time trying to convince Toshiro to stay out of the fight because he was a child in her eyes until he explained how Shinigami age, making her apologize for her rudeness. Tatsuki brought her training in touki from Sun Wukong to the Onmitsukido corps while Orihime brought what rune magic she learned to the Kido corps.

"What do you think is taking him so long?" Karin asked, grabbing herself and her sister a drink as they waited for their cousin. "Orihime was further away so why is he late?"

"Uryu said that he wanted to finish up his new gun and start planning for dragons in Soul Society." Yuzu defended, still the more patient sibling of the two. "Plus, he was the only one sent for actual intelligence gathering."

"Too bad we didn't get much on the Vandenreich." The other twin sighed, leaning back to take a sip of her soda. "You know they're going to win. Right?"

"O-of course. Onii-chan and Uryu-nii together can beat anyone!" Yuzu said, both sisters knowing that they're masking their own worries. "Plus, they have all their friends, the members of the Gotei, mom and dad, the Arrancar, and-"

"And we're still on the sidelines." Karin finished, clenching her fists. "They keep fighting and we aren't helping."

"We were just a burden last time..." Yuzu felt tears coming to her eyes. "Even though we're training so hard, we can't do anything to help."

"You're both still younger than Ichigo and I were when we finally started fighting low level Hollows." They both looked up to find Uryu walking toward them, looking much the same but now with his left bangs tucked behind his ear while wearing a dress shirt and jeans. "And the both of us absolutely refuse to let you get involved in this war." Yuzu ran up to hug her cousin while Karin looked ready to argue before Uryu cut her off again. "Your first real outing should not be in a war. This is the path that Ichigo and I have chosen, so that you can have a chance at peace." Karin still glared and Yuzu wore a conflicted look as the Quincy hugged his family. "Now get back to your training. When I take over as captain of the 15th division, I want both of you ready to be lieutenants." He said with a smile before walking into the shoten and losing the smile. He seethed while clenching a fist around a medallion bearing the Quincy mark and his latest orders.

(With Yamamoto)

"Aggravating as usual. Seeing her does not get any easier." Yamamoto grumbled as he walked away from a Shinto shrine and toward two figures, one being an elderly man wearing dark robes with a beard that stretched to his chest while the other was a far younger looking woman with purple hair and a purple bodysuit. "Scathach, Hassan, it has been a while." He greeted, meeting the two other ancients, beings he had a history with.

"You never asked for help before Yama boy~." The woman, the celtic warrior queen Scathach teased. "I was beginning to think that you forgot about us."

"Enough." The other man, Hassan scolded. "Genryusai, fill us in on the Quincy matter. What do we know?"

"Not enough." The old Shinigami answered as he opened a Senkaimon with all three of them walking into it. "We learned that they were hiding in the shadow of Soul Society for almost a thousand years thanks to our own Quincy recruit, Uryu Ishida, and a returning captain, Kisuke Urahara. Urahara designed a trap that would seal away the shadowed world and separate our two worlds so that the Vandenreich could no longer spy on us. However, it was not completely flawless as some managed to slip out to the world of the Living."

"Indeed." Scathach added as she shifted her attitude to focus on the coming battles. "Too many Quincy came uncomfortably close to Dun Scaith and paid with their lives."

"Unfortunately, their location was unknown to us as Urahara felt that would risk the seal breaking and starting a war that we weren't ready for. We've spent a lot time just cleaning up after our own messes."

"Better late than never, though you should have done so earlier." Hassan scolded.

"Indeed... I have turned a blind eye to my realm's own corruption for too long. But the past cannot change so focus on the present and the future." Yamamoto answered as they soon entered the Seireitei, with a black butterfly making its way to the Captain Commander and informing him of Ichigo's return. "There's one more thing I must ask of both of you when this war is over."

(With Ichigo: Introducing characters from Akame ga Kill and OCs from Soul Conviction)

He was finishing the last leg of the journey back to Soul Society with nine new comrades from his trial in another world. Seven humans in Shihakusho; a large muscled man with a thick black pompadour named Bulat, a long purple haired woman with glasses and a scar on her right cheek named Sheele, another man with blonde spiky and a beard but lacking visible pupils named Daidara, a short woman with blonde pigtails and a dark tan named Mez, another woman with black even bangs in the front with a messy ponytail in the back with a scar across her nose named Suzuka, another man with a topknot ponytail with black and red eyes named Izou, a woman with long icy blue hair and eyes named Esdeath, and two Arrancar in white garments; Marik Muyomori who had spiky dark orange hair with a muscular build like a tiger's and Mira Tormenta who was a dark woman with long braided gray hair and a slender curvaceous form. They stayed close behind Ichigo as he pulled them along with some Kido threads as he charged forward at high speeds, eager to return to his friends and family before the Quincy war began. Soon he slowed a bit and released the Arrancar who flew to his side.

"Return to Hueco Mundo," the hybrid quickly ordered, "there's a good chance that the enemy may strike there first since the Quincy have such a hatred of Hollows."

"Yes, my lord!" They answered, branching away as they returned to the ancient home of the Hollows and Ichigo's kingdom.

"Everyone else, get ready!" Ichigo shouted as they went through a sudden tear of light and passed into the Soul Society. His companions looked on in surprise at the new world which the hybrid himself focused on the gathered congregation of Soul Reapers with the majority of captains in tow. Esdeath herself began evaluating each and every Shinigami in front of them like the general she once was. "Master, I have returned." Ichigo said, approaching Yamamoto and bowing before his teacher.

"Give a summarized report of your activities in the other world Ichigo." The Captain Commander ordered.

"Yes sir." Ichigo took a deep breath and recollected his thoughts, remembering his time in the Empire. "Upon entering the world, I became disoriented and ill due to the vast change in Reishi in the world. Mainly because of how limited it was and how foul it was from black souls that would be sent to sent to Hell and Hollows from all lost earthbound spirits. I was found and taken in to meet a child emperor of the nation I landed in and learned that the country was facing a civil war. They asked for my help but I tried to stay out of it, so the Prime Minister that was manipulating the emperor sent two of the Empire's strongest soldiers after me." Esdeath raised her hand to show that she had a part in that. "I managed to escape as I needed to recover from the journey, eventually meeting assassins on the other side of that civil war. Once again I was asked to join the war and again I refused, but this time they accepted it more graciously and made a deal. I could use their base so long as I protected it."

"From there I did my duty as a Shinigami and attempted to distance myself from the war while recruiting as many capable beings as I could, but the Empire insisted on getting me involved by forcing me to fight then general Esdeath to prevent mass murders in an attempt to summon me. After besting her in combat, she wanted to learn more about being a Soul Reaper since she's much like Kenpachi, in that she craves strong opponents. After a while, I finally got more directly involved and showed the child Emperor the truth that was hidden from him. After a personal mission that led me to save the leader of a religion, getting deified in the process, I grew a greater connection to the powers of Hell from the Kushanada that merged with me. After that mission, the Quincy made their presence in that world known and I fully abandoned any pretense of not involving myself since the Quincy were my fight. Before the final battle, Kyoka Suigetsu revealed that Aizen himself did not know her true power due to wanting an equal, thus limiting himself, but also that it alters reality and no one is safe from it. Thanks to that intervention, their world is coming to a new age of unity and peace and of all the beings I met that were capable of becoming allies only these seven became full time Shinigami. The two Arrancar I found I already sent to Hueco Mundo." Yamamoto stroked his beard and sighed.

"Your morality and strength have always been something I was proud of you for having, but your discipline still requires some work." He said with a mix of pride and disappointment. "That will have to wait till later unfortunately. Now, who from your group goes to which squad?" Ichigo thought for a moment.

"Bulat, Daidara, Izou, see that scarred man with the eyepatch?" He said, pointing to Kenpachi Zaraki. "That man is the leader of the main combat division, I want you three to join him." Daidara and Izou smiled viciously while Bulat's was more friendly and slightly flirtatious toward Yumichika. "Suzuka, Mez, you two were martial artists and assassins primarily, so you'll be joining the Onmitsukido Corps, led by that short girl with the black hair." He said, pointing to Soi-Fon, who was glaring at him. Ichigo then turned to Sheele and Esdeath. "As for you two-" he didn't say anymore when a Garganta opened high above them with a figure Ichigo immediately recognized falling out of it. "Ulquiorra!" He shouted as he shot toward his loyal knight who was in his Hogyoku enhanced form and riddled with holes while one of his arms was missing. He caught the falling Arrancar and teleported in front of Unohana, who began administering her treatment with Orihime quickly joining her. "Ulquiorra, what happened?" Ichigo asked, feeling anxious at seeing one of the strongest Arrancar in such a state.

"I... Ichi... go." The pale knight managed to cough out, blood spurting from his mouth, while he reached up to pull out one of his eyes. "Las... Noches... destroyed." He said before using his Solita Vista to show them what happened.