Chapter 21: Legacy of the Forgotten King

*This fanfic belongs to Melkor's Mercy, I don't own anything*

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soifon, Hueco Mundo Outlands, Torre Del Sol XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As she followed Athena towards the tower, Soifon glanced back into the distance where the power surge had erupted from. She faced forward with a distraught look on her face and had a clear idea of whose power she was sensing. There was no doubt in her mind that is was Ulquiorra, White's right hand enforcer.

Soifon looked at Athena concerned, "Are you not going to investigate that power source back there?"

Athena shook her head in response, "No, it doesn't concern me at the moment. If what you told me is true, then perhaps it is the Omega returning to the Abyssal Scar. If that is indeed the case, then I would like to fall back for now."

"So what is it that you wanted to show me?" Soifon asked anxiously as she followed Athena towards the front of the massive, shimmering tower. The lavender haired hollow didn't answer right away as they passed through the large opening. As the four progressed inside Torre Del Sol, Soifon looked around incredulously.

The interior of the tower was far more luxurious and impressive than Las Noches in Soifon's opinion. Beautiful tapestries decorated the walls as well as statues of individual figures. They were all in a large circle and each one had a corresponding number engraved below on their bases.

In the center of them was a massive statue. Upon seeing the number 0 engraved beneath it, Soifon immediately realized that the statue was of Zangetsu. She stared at it curiously trying to get a good look at his features.

As she looked at the statue, Soifon couldn't help but notice some unusual things about it. Zangetsu seemed somehow familiar to her. She couldn't quite place it, due to the absence of color on the statues, but upon noticing the horned mask fragment, she felt her heart skip a beat.

'That mask fragment…it looks remarkably similar to White's,' the former Shinigami shook her head disbelievingly.

"What's wrong with you?" Yin asked Soifon confused by the shocked look on her face.

Soifon noticed Yin, Yang, and Athena all giving her curious looks.

The woman gave Athena a serious stare, "Is this…Zangetsu?"

"Yes…that was the true Hollow King," Athena said sadly. Soifon noticed the arrancar was avoiding looking directly at the statue. It was obvious that its likeness brought up sad memories for her.

"I remember the first time I came in here…I could barely believe these were all hollows. The Espada are paragons among our kind. Each a king or queen in their own right. Powerful lords each held together under a banner of unity. They look like gods don't they?" Yin spoke with admiration for the various statues.

"These hollows are all dead now?" Soifon asked as she looked around at some of the imposing looking arrancars.

Athena sighed, "Yes, unfortunately…I don't like to come through this entrance very often because it's a sad reminder of that fact. Nevertheless, I still come by and pay my respects to their memories every now and then."

"So who are all of these hollows? You mentioned you had a brother. Is he one of these?" Soifon asked as she looked around for Athena's sibling.

Athena immediately pointed at a statue with the number 2 inscribed on it, "There…that's my younger brother Arturo. He was the Segunda Espada. He went down fighting in Las Noches…"

"How strong were all of these Espada?" Soifon asked as she stared at Arturo's statue curiously.

"They matched the Gotei 13 in power…but unfortunately after Zangetsu's death, our ranks fell apart and we never recovered. Infighting is very common among hollows unless they have a strong leader. Sadly I doubt we would have won even had we rallied again. The Shinigami leaders were too powerful," the lavender haired arrancar answered.

"So why didn't you try to take command?" the former Shinigami wondered.

"It wouldn't have mattered even had I tried." Athena answered.

"But weren't you the Primera?" Soifon asked slowly.

Athena looked away, "It's not that simple…the numbers of the Espada do represent our power, but they are not beyond contestation. Besides, I wasn't really in a position to take command at that time, after Zangetsu's death."

"How did he die, exactly? You mentioned Captain Commander Yamamoto and Captain Unohana defeated him?" Soifon clarified.

The lavender haired hollow nodded, "Yes…as you might recall, I mentioned fleeing Las Noches from the Purge. That wasn't entirely the truth. I was actually trying to reach Zangetsu and help him. He lured the Shinigami away after they destroyed the Citadel and killed several Espada in their invasion. Arturo and the others stayed and fought rest of the Gotei 13."

"Why did you lie about that?" Soifon wondered confused.

Athena shrugged, "I wanted to make sure I could trust you first."

"So you saw what happened then? Exactly where was this battle?" Soifon asked inquisitively as if she was onto something.

Athena gave a knowing look and sighed, "I didn't see the battle, but I knew where it took place. You wondered about the Abyssal Scar…that's Zangetsu's grave. It came about in his battle against Yamamoto and Unohana. It used to be a mountain range. We called them the Twilight Mountains because they divided day and night in Hueco Mundo."

"What?! But how could a battle have turned a mountain range into a dark gorge like that?!" Soifon gawked.

"That's something I have been trying to discover myself for quite some time. I was nowhere near the battle whenever it happened, but I could sense it from leagues away as I attempted to reach Zangetsu. You can imagine my shock whenever I saw the aftermath of Zangetsu's battle. Many strange things happened that day. The moonlight faded, the Twilight Mountains imploded, and it was raining when I arrived," Athena answered.

"Raining? This place is a barren desert. Why would it be raining in Hueco Mundo? " Soifon wondered completely lost.

"Zangetsu had a strong affinity towards the moon. All of his powers were Lunar in nature. Among them he could manipulate gravity, control water, and absorb energy," Athena answered solemnly.

'That sounds nothing like White's power…maybe it's just a coincidence that their mask fragments look so similar,' Soifon thought to herself.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Soifon asked as she looked around the antechamber again.

Athena shook her head, "I was going to show you something else. Come with me."

As they left the antechamber, Soifon and the others followed Athena deeper into the palace before finally coming upon another large room.

Her eyes shot open with shock upon seeing what was inside. It was a gate…one she had seen several times before in her lifetime. Two skeletons embedded on it were wrapped in chains. There was no doubt in Soifon's mind that this was a Hell Gate.

She stared in complete disbelief at it, "Why is there a Hell Gate in this tower?"

"Torre Del Sol was built over this very Hell Gate. It's currently sealed shut…no need to be frightened," Athena replied.

"Why are you showing me this?" Soifon said somewhat frightened.

Before Athena could answer, Soifon heard the rattling of chains. Her heart skipped a beat as it was followed a cranking sound. The gates were opening. A wave of heat came her way causing Soifon to back away with fear.

"Why is it opening?!" Soifon said worried.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo's Mindscape XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Both halves of Zangetsu charged Ichigo from opposing angles with their weapons in hand. The hollow king immediately jumped back a safer distance and looked between the two of them seriously. He swung his unsealed white zanpakuto and double parried their opening strikes with the flat end of his blade.

As each half of Zangetsu advanced against him, Ichigo felt himself getting overpowered. The Hollow King growled at them annoyed, "I don't have time for this! I need to achieve a second release! Tell me what I have to do!"

Both halves of Zangetsu stopped momentarily and exchanged brief looks at one another. The dark haired one then stared at Ichigo, "Why do you need this power so badly anyways?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes at the question, "The answer to that should seem pretty obvious shouldn't it? How am I going to stand a chance against Yamamoto, Yhwach, or even the Soul King unless I have power to match them?! Everyone is counting on me…and I can't fail! If I don't do this, then who else can?!"

"Fancy yourself the hero huh? It's funny how skewed the lines between protector and conqueror can be. Although, I can't blame you…I am the same way. Born to be a king…and not a horse," the white haired one cut in.

"There is fire in your eyes Ichigo…but pride swells around you like a cloud of doom. You come demanding answers, and yet you are not ready to accept them. You are angry, brash, and inexperienced. Do you truly understand what you're asking for…and why you need power? You don't even know what your own power is." the dark haired Zangetsu stated.

"What would you have me do then? I can't afford to be unprepared when the time comes. If I fail, then everyone else fails. My friends…my family…they need me. Call that what you want, but my reasons for wanting power aren't selfish or misguided if that's what your concerned about," Ichigo answered.

The White haired Zangetsu gave him a blank stare, "That's not the problem. I don't think you fully understand us if you think something like that really matters here. The power you're after has nothing to do with your ambitions, motivations, or morality. You need to start asking the questions that really matter."

"What do you mean by 'Master Zangetsu?'" Ichigo wondered as he looked between them cautiously.

"We told you that the only way to achieve your true potential is to master Zangetsu. If you truly wish to do that, then you must be willing to accept Zangetsu as a part of who you are," the Quincy Zangetsu stated.

"Yeah but why is my Zanpakuto named after the first hollow king?" Ichigo asked as he looked between his two inner halves.

The hollow one shook his head at Ichigo as if the question was stupid, "If you're asking us that question, then you're not ready. Think for a moment before you speak…why would Zangetsu be my name?"

"I guess because you actually are Zangetsu." Ichigo responded slowly.

"You already knew the answer, but for some reason you have a difficult time accepting it. Why is that?" the hollow Zangetsu asked.

Ichigo shrugged, "I don't know…it's just weird considering that I know almost nothing about you. What's your connection to me?"

"Is it really that difficult to figure out?" the white haired spirit chuckled.

Just then, Ichigo thought about what Aizen had told him previously. A Zanpakuto was a part of its wielder's soul. All of the answers were buried somewhere deep within. Upon realizing this fact, he experienced brief flashes of the dream he had previously when facing the Gotei 13.

'That wasn't just a dream…it was Zangetsu's memory. Why did I overlook that?!' Ichigo thought anxiously.

He looked up at the pale hollow Zangetsu again, 'What happened then…how did he die?'

Before Ichigo could even ask the questions, more flashes of Zangetsu's past came flooding through him. The dream he had previously from when the Gotei 13 was approaching him continued onward from where it left off. It skipped forward a considerable amount showing Ichigo flashes of the past. He saw Las Noches falling under siege before his mind finally focused on a particular memory.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo's Mindscape, Zangetsu's Memory XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Zangetsu stopped in his tracks after running a considerable distance away from the heat of the battle in Las Noches. The Hollow King looked up at the Twilight Mountains of Hueco Mundo momentarily as he awaited his pursuers to catch up.

Seconds later, two foes landed behind him. A brief, unusual silence passed as none of the three spoke a single word. Finally, Zangetsu turned around and looked between none other than Yamamoto and Unohana. The Shinigami captains looked roughed up, but otherwise unharmed.

"Why do you flee, hollow? I thought your kind knew no fear," Unohana spoke darkly as she gave the arrancar king a dangerous glare.

Zangetsu scoffed at her, "I wasn't running away…I was luring you out here. You fiends will not kill another one of my kind so long as I live. Hold nothing back, Shinigami, for I certainly will not."

"What you have done to Hueco Mundo goes against the balance of the six worlds. This gross disruption of the cycle of rebirth will only bring doom and chaos upon the natural order imposed by the Soul King himself," Yamamoto stated sternly.

"The cycle of rebirth is a concept only a Shinigami could find comfort in…because you're the ones that enforce it. It's easy for you justify your validation for control. Do you think I wasn't aware of that, Shinigami? I know how things work…and that's exactly why I want to change them. There will be no more cycles of suffering for me and my followers. I reshaped this desolate, barren world into a place of prosperity. I didn't need to be bound by your laws or your supposed balance. I will not exist as a starving beast, a suffering sinner, or a self-proclaimed god. Your assimilation of souls into this joke that you call balance is all one big lie. Your Soul King is the real enemy," Zangetsu said resoundingly.

"I knew you were lying when you said you wanted peace at that summit meeting. You've been stalling and building your forces for a long time. Had we not acted, your kind would have eventually attacked Seireitei. We are not fools!" Unohana said venomously.

Zangetsu gave her a nasty glare, "Evidently not…but you are shortsighted. I did want peace…because in truth I don't really resent your kind. You simply do what you're told by the gods above you. It was never my intention to start a war with the Soul Society. My enemy is only the Soul King."

"If you oppose the Soul King, then you oppose the Shinigami beneath him. You oppose existence itself. I'm pretty sure that makes you everyone's enemy. You cannot challenge the Soul King unless you go through us first!" Unohana said with a deadly resolve.

The hollow king frowned at her statement, "Is it truly righteousness that drives you? I wonder…how do you find purpose in such blind obedience? Does your dogma inhibit your ability to actually think? Have you ever stopped to ask why things are like this to begin with?"

"Our purpose may not be righteous, but it is necessary. The Soul King created everything…and to uphold his will is to know true meaning. What ridiculous delusions of grandeur have you imagined that could have possibly led you to believe that you have the right to change the way things are?!" Yamamoto countered.

"What possible purpose can you find in meaningless cycles of stasis? If you kill me and destroy what I've built, then nothing will change. Nothing will ever change! My will manifested through my hollow form and it made me into an arrancar, because I realized something important. Our destinies and our realities are shaped by our own wills! I and those who choose to follow me will not be bound by an existence that is without meaning or purpose! We will not live as slaves in this oppressive existence!" Zangetsu shouted furiously.

"Hmph…and through your will you have become an abomination. You defy the Soul King in a petty pursuit for self-importance. You see nothing beyond your own vision of rebellion. Even if by some impossible chance you were able to achieve this goal, then what? All you would succeed in doing is destroying everything. A flawed existence is better than none at all…wouldn't you say?" Unohana added.

Zangetsu shook his head at the two Shinigami, "I'd rather die for the pursuit of a greater meaning than live as an indoctrinated slave of the Soul King. You two have no idea just how foolish you are for serving him. But I suppose that can't be helped. We've spoken enough, and you two are clearly beyond reasoning with. You've also spilled too much blood for me to truly forgive you. Only your deaths or mine will put an end to this conflict."

"So be it," Yamamoto growled as he drew his Zanpakuto.

Unohana did the same as she drew her blade, "Bankai."

Minazuki slowly turned blood red as a strange acidic looking substance began to drip off the blade. What appeared to be a corrosive red acid was actually blood. Zangetsu gripped his blade tightly as he sized the woman's bankai up.

"Burn all creation to ash, Ryujinjakka!" Yamamoto shouted as he released his shikai. The blade quickly erupted into flames, and it didn't take long for the temperature to increase drastically. Fires began to spread around them in all directions shortly afterward.

They both stared down Zangetsu with furious expressions. Unohana had a somewhat sadistic attitude, but Yamamoto appeared more serious than anything. As he examined his enemies for a brief moment, the arrancar finally drew his Zanpakuto

"The two strongest Shinigami against the King of the Hollows. What a showdown this will be. I guess you two will be the first Shinigami to ever see my Resurreccion. Rain…Lunaryu." Zangetsu spoke eerily as he held up his Zanpakuto.

Unohana and Yamamoto visibly tensed as a surge of unbelievable power erupted from Zangetsu's release. Much to their utter astonishment, it began to rain shortly afterward. The raindrops were fast and heavy, and they immediately began to counteract the intense heat created from Yamamoto's shikai.

After the blinding light subsided, Yamamoto and Unohana both widened their gazes as they looked upon Zangetsu's release form. It was a form unlike anything they had ever seen before. Zangetsu had long, ghost-white hair and was covered head to toe in what appeared to be white draconic armor. His mask greatly resembled Ichigo's, but it was black with white stripes. Wings extended from the back as well as a draconic looking tail.

The Hollow King growled at them as he held up a single, massive blade. It was shaped in the form of a crescent and glowed white with an unnatural brightness. Clouds began to form around the sky, but they left the moon uncovered. The celestial body itself appeared as if it was glowing brighter as well. Through its opening in the sky, the moonlight illuminated the rain.

"It's raining? He has water powers?" Unohana said surprised as she exchanged a brief look of disbelief with Yamamoto.

Zangetsu held up his crescent blade which appeared to gather the surrounding water within it. He immediately swung his weapon unleashing a torrential surge of water against the two Shinigami. Yamamoto was quick to counter as he created more flames and amplified their heat.

The two elements collided unleashing a massive bout of steam. The sand from the surrounding area began to get muddy and soaked as water washed across the horizon, but it was quickly glassed as Yamamoto's flames increased in intensity.

Zangetsu growled as Yamamoto's flames gained the edge and repelled his water blast. The Shinigami leader was now surrounded in an inferno, but his flames were obviously not as large as they would have been had it not been raining.

"Did you forget about me?" Unohana asked as she appeared behind Zangetsu with her blade held to his back.

Her question was immediately answered as the Hollow king's tail grabbed around her ankle holding her in place. She narrowly brought Minazuki up in time to brace Zangetsu's heavy spinning swing. The oozing acidic blood from her bankai flew off her blade as she flicked it at Zangetsu's body. It quickly began to do its work as it seared several spots in his armor.

He regenerated swiftly, but it was obvious the acid did quite a bit of damage judging by the pained expression on Zangetsu's face.

'I'm guessing Zangetsu dies in this battle. But how would that make him part of my Zanpakuto?' Ichigo thought as he watched this memory continue to unfold.

'The two of them were too powerful for me to defeat together. This was a futile battle,' Zangetsu's voice sounded in Ichigo's mind as he watched the battle continue.

The hollow king battled against the two Shinigami for a considerable amount of time. Ichigo couldn't help but feel surprised at how well the Shinigami were holding their own. Despite Zangetsu's impressive Resurreccion, he wasn't really making any progress against the Shinigami.

'Pay close attention to this part, Ichigo…' Zangetsu's voice sounded again.

Yamamoto and Unohana panted heavily as they ceased their assault. The woman looked towards Yamamoto with a serious face, "We need to do something about this rain…it's diluting my bankai's powers and he's healing faster than we can really do damage."

Yamamoto's fire was starting to dwindle ever so slightly the longer he remained still. There was definitely something unusual about Zangetsu's power that had the Shinigami leader concerned. He looked up at the sky for a moment curiously, "Where are those clouds coming from?"

"You two aren't putting up quite the fight I was expecting," Zangetsu said loudly over the heavy rainfall.

"His powers must have something to do with the moon…we need to stop whatever it's doing," Unohana stated urgently.

"Are you feeling heavy yet?" Zangetsu asked as he looked between his foes.

"What are you talking about-" Unohana immediately felt the gravity around them intensify dramatically.

The added gravity made the rain fall even faster, which also negated Yamamoto's fire a considerable amount more. The head captain clutched his zanpakuto even tighter as he tried to reignite the landscape. So far it was proving quite futile.

Without warning, Unohana swung her zanpakuto in a large arc flinging what appeared to be some type of gas off the blade. It was quick to form a cloud overhead blocking the moonlight. With its light obscured, the only things that could clearly be seen were Yamamoto's flames and Zangetsu's shining form.

Zangetsu watched uncertainly as the gaseous cloud began to heavily disperse mixing in with his own. Shortly afterward, it began to rain acidic blood from the skies. Yamamoto stood back and warded it off with fire, as he waited for Unohana to finish her plan.

"What is this?" Zangetsu asked as the blood red drops began to sear his armor. His moment of distraction alleviated the intensified gravity which allowed for Yamamoto to move in for a follow up of attacks.

'How long is this battle anyways?' Ichigo wondered as he watched them continue for what he assumed was several minutes. The battle was bloody and intense, and to his surprise, Unohana and Yamamoto always had a way to counter Zangetsu's abilities.

Part of him wondered how well the Hollow King would have fared against them one on one. Finally, after another pause in battle, Zangetsu panted heavily, "You two are certainly living up to your reputation now. Sadly, I cannot allow you to win!"

With a heavy swing, Zangetsu cleared Unohana's acidic clouds revealing the moon once again. His body was heavily burned and many portions of his armor had melted off. In spite of this, he was still holding up well against his foes. Zangetsu pointed his blade towards the moon causing it to glow much brighter than before. The gravity intensified to nearly unmanageable levels forcing everyone back to the ground.

His opponents were still on their feet, but they were clearly struggling as hard as they could to not kneel down. "The moon is empowering him somehow! We need to do something about it!" Unohana repeated once again.

"This has gone on long enough! Your reign ends today, Hollow King! Zanka no Tachi East!" Yamamoto exclaimed strongly as all of the surrounding flames began to disappear. Moments later, Zangetsu felt a wave of incredibly overwhelming heat. It immediately dissolved all of the rain in the sky and dissipated the remaining clouds.

Zangetsu stared with shock at the reveal of Yamamoto's bankai. The Shinigami leader held the smoldering dark blade to his side staring the Hollow King down with hatred. Even from where he stood, Zangetsu could see the waves of heat radiating off of the bankai.

"Stand back, Unohana…I will finish him off," Yamamoto commanded. The woman reluctantly nodded as she backed a considerable distance away from the intense heat. Judging by her reaction, Zangetsu could tell that the bankai of the Shinigami leader was definitely a serious deal.

With as much spiritual energy as he could muster, Zangetsu attempted to counteract the ridiculously high temperature by creating more rain. This time it fell with quadruple the volume as it worked to cool down the environment. Swinging his blade in spiraling motions, the Hollow King managed to create a shield of water between himself and Yamamoto.

"Zanka no Tachi West!" Yamamoto followed up. His body immediately erupted into flames creating a flaming cloak around his form.

Without warning, the Shinigami flew in like a meteor swinging straight for Zangetsu. The surrounding water immediately moved with unnatural speed as it formed around the edge of Zangetsu's crescent blade. In mere fractions of a second, the gathered water formed, collided, and dispersed everywhere in repeating fashion as their blades rapidly clashed back and forth.

Yamamoto seemed genuinely surprised that Zangetsu was holding his own against the monstrously powerful bankai. He was even more surprised that the water wasn't evaporating as quickly as it should have been.

Their exchange continued briefly until the hollow finally backed off. He quickly amplified the water volume during his moment of respite. He was using up a lot of spiritual power to maintain the rain and heavy gravity, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was saving him from being overwhelmed by Yamamoto's bankai.

With a heavy swing, Yamamoto attempted to send a wave of intense heat, but was surprised when it didn't seem to reach his enemy. The bearded man cocked his head in confusion, but quickly realized that the gravity was increasing even more. Yamamoto attempted to send another long range bout of heat, but it failed once again. The gravity was so strong now, that it grounded any long range attacks immediately.

"Come and get me, Shinigami!" Zangetsu taunted as he made a taunting gesture. Yamamoto wasted no time listening to the taunt as he charged in for another close range exchange. Due to the high gravity, he couldn't move quite as fast. During his approach, he saw a huge white glow radiating from Zangetsu's non sword hand.

"Cero Blanco!" Zangetsu howled once Yamamoto was in close range. The point blank cero blasted the Shinigami a considerable distance away. Holding up his blade, Yamamoto struggled as it continued to push him back. From a distance, Zangetsu was continuing to fire the beam which only continued to grow in size.

During this time, Unohana rushed in delivering a quick cheap shot from behind. Zangetsu instantly ceased his attack as he swung around attempting to behead the woman. She swiftly blocked his swing with her own blade, and followed up by covering the area he was standing in with acid.

As Zangetsu was forced to retreat back, Yamamoto finally managed to slice his cero in half sending both waves off into the distance. Unohana's acid was beginning to melt off additional portions of the hollow's armor and skin now. She was about to move in for continued pressure, but backed off again when she saw Yamamoto returning.

Zangetsu looked at several of his injuries with a pained face, before facing the approaching Yamamoto. He was doing his best to keep the gravity at its high levels, but that negated his ability to fully regenerate. "You just don't quit, do you?" Zangetsu said annoyed as he looked between Yamamoto and the retreating Unohana.

"Zanka no Tachi South!" Yamamoto shouted as he continued with his bankai's power. Flaming skeletons began to form from what appeared to be a blanket of ash surrounding the landscape. Zangetsu's eyes widened in shock as they rose from the ground.

Zangetsu backed away with a distraught look on his face, "How many powers does this bankai of yours even have?!"

The menacing undead army began to slowly advance towards the hollow king as Yamamoto stood back catching his breath. Yamamoto gestured for his newly summoned army to move in and wear the Hollow King down. They each jumped in one by one to deliver any kind of damage they could. Zangetsu released the intense gravity finally and decided to jump into the air. He flew slightly higher to avoid the army and glared at Yamamoto.

Ichigo could barely believe how crazy this battle was, 'That's the Captain Commander's bankai?! How the hell does anyone deal with something like that?'

Despite the relief in gravity, there appeared to be a shift in its direction as all of the nearby rain and even light began to gather at a single point. The Captain Commander looked up and noticed all of it was gathering around the fully charged free hand of Zangetsu.

"Cero Illuvia!" Zangetsu roared as he fired the cero into the air and charged the sky. Shortly afterward, it began to rain watery ceros. This attack was devastating against many of Yamamoto's skeletons, and even managed to deal a significant amount of damage to head captain himself.

After the attack subsided, Zangetsu landed again as he attempted to catch his breath. He was beginning to reach his limit in this battle, and he still had Unohana to deal with as well. Looking up at the moon for a brief moment, the hollow king sighed, "Forgive me, but I need more power."

The very light from the moon started to fade as it gathered around Zangetsu's blade into a shimmering coat. A shadow began to eclipse the full moon from its edge and slowly grew in size. As the shadow on the moon grew, the light around Zangetsu increased. Unohana looked up at the sky and noticed it darkening. She wasted no time moving in to stop the Hollow from charging more power.

Zangetsu was interrupted by her intervention, which left the moon in a crescent glow. Unohana furiously hacked away at him keeping him from continuing.

Yamamoto was quick to figure out why she intervened and sighed heavily as he held his blade up, "Zanka no Tachi North!"

A massive bout of flaming power gathered around his sword as it charged to full power. Unohana immediately backed off when she saw Yamamoto about to swing.

With a mighty swing of his blade, Yamamoto unleashed a colossal arc of flaming energy towards the unsuspecting hollow king. Zangetsu tried to dodge it, as he flew up, but the wave was so large, that it was actually impossible to avoid. Knowing he had no choice but to face it head on, he took a deep breath. Time seemed to slow down as the encroaching energy blast got closer.

"I guess there's only one option left…" Zangetsu said to himself as he looked down.

When Zanka no Tachi North finally got in range, Zangetsu redirected the blast with his charged blade and forced it downward towards the Twilight Mountains. They were completely demolished by the attack as the two spiritual energies engulfed them in a devastating series of explosions and blinding infernos. As the mountains crumbled, an earthquake shook the entire landscape of Hueco Mundo.

Zanka no Tachi dissipated afterward, causing the heat levels to drop to a normal range. With his bankai now exhausted, Yamamoto returned to his normal state. When it was safe to move in closer, Unohana approached Yamamoto with a look of anxious concern, "Do you think that got him? I don't sense his spiritual energy."

"Let's make sure he's dead," the man stated seriously between heavy breaths.

Zangetsu was nearly out of spiritual energy now as he felt his Resurreccion about to dissipate. He looked at his blade which was now beginning to lose its light. Struggling to stand up, he looked up at the moon and tried to gather more power from it. The shadow on it grew slightly larger as he charged more power.

Sensing him finally, Yamamoto and Unohana quickly locked on to his position. The two traded shocked expressions when they confirmed that Zangetsu was still alive.

"He's trying to gather more power…allow me to handle this, sir," Unohana said as she swiftly moved in and cut off Zangetsu's sword arm.

Despite losing his arm, Zangetsu immediately retrieved his sword with the other hand as he dodged a follow up of attacks. Sadly, he wasn't able maintain his footing and soon fell to his knees. His power was almost completely exhausted now.

Yamamoto stepped forward and looked down at the kneeling, now armless hollow king. He shook his head in disgust, "It's quite remarkable that Zanka no Tachi North didn't kill you…but you're done for nonetheless."

"I'm not done yet!" Zangetsu growled as he jumped up again. Yamamoto quickly reacted by punching him in the head, shattering off most of his mask. Zangetsu's pride was the only thing keeping him standing now.

With an angered face, Yamamoto grabbed the hollow by the throat and forced him back to his knees. The two exchanged hateful glares before Yamamoto spoke again, "I want you to remember this feeling as you die on your knees, hollow. Maybe it will remind to know your place!"

Zangetsu looked up at him disgusted, "My name is Zangetsu…not hollow!"

"Your name means nothing. It will be stricken from history and erased," the man stated callously.

"You may have beaten me, but you will never get that satisfaction of destroying my legacy…" Zangetsu said bitterly as he jabbed his blade through Yamamoto's leg kicking himself free. Unohana immediately moved in to guard Yamamoto, but much to her surprise, Zangetsu turned around.

The hollow king stood up as quickly as possible threw his blade into the remnants of the Twilight Mountains. His action seemed strange to the Shinigami leaders, as they watched the shimmering white blade fly into the distance.

"Why would you throw your weapon away?" Yamamoto asked confused.

His question was instantly answered when the remainder of the Twilight Mountains all began to implode into a massive chasm. Another earthquake shook the land as the remainder of Zangetsu's power created a gaping, Abyssal Scar.

Turning back around, Zangetsu dropped to a knee again, wheezing in pain. His resurreccion finally dissipated revealing him to be in a very critical condition. Blood was profusely leaking from many of his injuries, bruises were everywhere, and burns covered most of his body.

Zangetsu looked back up at the moon with a frown on his face, "Sorry your light had to be wasted for nothing."

"What the hell are you talking about, hollow?!" Unohana demanded.

Moments later rain began to fall from the sky in spite of all that had happened. Zangetsu continued to stare at the moon shamefully before finally acknowledging Unohana's question, "At least some of it was spared."

"Put this creature out of its misery," Yamamoto said between his heavy breaths as he applied direct pressure to his leg. Zangetsu's thrust managed to damage Yamamoto's femoral artery and it was bleeding quite heavily. Unohana nodded as she brought her blade up ready to deliver an execution.

"Any last words, hollow, before I send you to Hell?" Unohana asked.

"One day you will fear the rain," was all Zangetsu said as he began to glow brighter. Before Unohana had a chance to execute him, a blinding explosion followed his last words. Light dissipated everywhere shortly afterward. When it finished, there was no trace of Zangetsu anywhere. After his death, Ichigo felt his senses return back to his inner world.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo's Mindscape XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo blinked hard several times, finally feeling himself back in front of both Zangetsus. He looked at them uncertainly for a long silent moment.

Finally Ichigo looked at the White haired Zangetsu confused, "What happened after that battle though? That still doesn't explain how you became my Zanpakuto. And what did you mean by 'One day you will fear the rain?'"

"You're still asking questions that you already know the answers to?" the hollow Zangetsu said with a grin.

Ichigo looked down for a moment deep in thought, "Did you find a way to preserve yourself so that you could be reborn again one day?"

"Yes…though to be honest, I am not entirely sure about how I ended up a Vasto Lorde again. I have memories of fighting your father and mother. They managed to kill my new body, but the remaining fragment of my soul attached to your Quincy mother, Masaki Kurosaki. Since hollows are poisonous to Quincies, she nearly died, but your father poured his own spiritual power into her in order to counteract the effect. The result was he lost his Shinigami powers and your mother lived. They thought I was destroyed in the process…but I wasn't. My soul attached to yours when you were born…and you essentially became my reincarnation. Though you have much more power than I ever did since you possess your father's Shinigami powers and your mother's Quincy blood," the white haired Zangetsu explained.

The look on Ichigo's face was one of disbelief, "This is crazy…so then I'm literally you?"

"In a sense…yes," the hollow nodded.

Before Ichigo could question him further, his inner Quincy spoke up, "More answers will come with time…but for now, you understand enough about who Zangetsu the hollow king is."

"Come to think of it, I don't really know anything about you either…or even Quincies in general. How are you a part of me as well?" Ichigo said to his dark haired Zanpakuto spirit.

"All Quincies possess a fragment of Yhwach within their souls…that's what I am," the dark haired Zangetsu said.

"A part of Yhwach…inside of me? That seems like it could be a problem," Ichigo realized.

"Normally it would be. As a fragment of Yhwach, it is in my nature to inhibit your Shinigami and Hollow powers. However, due to the nature of your situation, I am in a way…contaminated. Perhaps free would be a better word. I am not your enemy," the Quincy elaborated.

"I see…so then how do I use my Quincy powers?" Ichigo said slowly.

The Quincy Zangetsu looked over at the Hollow Zangetsu, "Remember that your Shinigami power maintains the coexistence of your Hollow and Quincy parts. To truly access both at the same time, you have to pour all of your Shinigami energy into both at once, and bring them together. Think of it as your Shinigami power chaining both sides. If you wrap the chain around both and drag them together then they will eventually be forced closer and bound as one."

Upon hearing that explanation, Ichigo's eyes widened in revelation, "I get it now…just like that time with Aizen. So then, I just have to bind you two together?"

Shortly after realizing this, Ichigo began to channel his blackened red Shinigami power around the two Zanpakuto spirits. Hollow Zangetsu glowed red white and black while the Quincy Zangetsu glowed black and blue. As Ichigo's power wrapped around them, it took the shape of a chain pulling both of them closer together. Ichigo's entire inner world began to shake as they were brought closer together.

The closer they got, the more intense the spiritual energy became. It swirled around Ichigo's inner world like a hurricane. In this distance, he could see red, blue, white, and black all chaotically twisting closer together as it made its way into his bound Zanpakuto spirits.

After the chaotic powers all finally combined, Ichigo saw something shocking. The two Zangetsus were now one. His body was divided down the middle very much like the first time Ichigo saw him. As Zangetsu looked at Ichigo, it began to rain heavily.

Ichigo stared at Zangetsu uncertainly, "Did I do it? What now?"

The two locked gazes for a brief moment before Zangetsu spoke, "You're one step closer, but there is no avoiding what comes next. If a second form is truly what you seek, then it requires one more thing."

Much to his shock, Zangetsu began to transform even further. His hair grew much longer and turned completely black. It as well as the black shroud covering his body began radiate a mixture of red, blue, and white auras. A hollow mask formed, but immediately afterward, the entire upper half of Zangetsu's mask flaked off. The only part of the mask that remained were the two white horns and the lower portion that covered the mouth. The remaining mouth cover of the mask had red stripes similar to that of Ichigo's mask.

Zangetsu's chest, neck, and right arm were all covered in dark bandages now, and through their various openings, a blue glow from tribal markings could be seen converging into the center of his chest where the hollow hole was. From his back, extended two massive wings. They appeared to be made out of complete reishi and shared a similar color to his black form, but were remarkably colorful with the added red, blue, and white auras. Beneath the wings, Ichigo spotted a dragon like tail as well. It matched the wings in color and composition.

Holding up each arm to his side, Zangetsu formed two blades of pure spiritual energy in hand. One was a blue and black but the other was red white and black. It didn't take Ichigo long to realize what the different colors meant. The bluish black blade was some type of corrupted Quincy reishi, and the red white and black was purely hollow and Shinigami in nature.

Ichigo could do nothing but stare in complete awe at this immaculate amalgamation of power. This being was the most incredible thing he had ever seen before, but to his utter astonishment, he couldn't even sense Zangetsu's power.

"This is my true power, Ichigo…the power you seek," Zangetsu finally said after noticing Ichigo's disbelief.

"What now?" was all the arrancar could ask.

"It's not over yet," Zangetsu answered as he advanced. Without even bothering to explain, Zangetsu swung his blue blade at Ichigo, "Heilig Getsuga Tenshou!"

Ichigo moved as fast as he could to dodge the attack and saw it cut down everything in the landscape of his mind. He turned back towards his Zanpakuto spirit with utter disbelief, "What the hell was that?!"

"Prove that you want this power, Ichigo…and it's yours," was all Zangetsu said as he stared Ichigo down. In addition to his incredible metamorphosis, Zangetsu now had red irises within blackened sclera.

Ichigo took a deep breath and nodded, "If that's what it takes, then I'll prove it to you! Protect, Zangetsu!"

A flash of light and an eruption of power followed as Ichigo released his power. Now in his Resurreccion form, Ichigo stared his opponent down with deadly resolve, 'It all comes down to this. I have to find a way to defeat him.'

"Getsuryu!" Zangetsu shouted as he swung his red blade. It unleashed a titanic red black and white blast that took the form of a dragon. The beast flew at him with its jaw open wide.

"Getsuga Jujisho!" Ichigo countered immediately. He wasn't even about to hold back given the size of the attack. Despite the use of both of his swords, he still had an incredibly difficult time canceling out Zangetsu's attack.

After the blast subsided, Ichigo shook his head disbelievingly, 'He's on a completely different level than me…that was just one blade. It took both of mine to stop his attack. If that's any indication to his strength, then he's probably twice as strong as I am at the minimum. Think Ichigo…this isn't a fight you can brute force your way through.'

"You can't defeat me, Ichigo…" Zangetsu said with a sigh.

"No! I didn't go through all of this just to fail! I'll make you give me my power!" Ichigo retorted with fury as he charged in to attack Zangetsu. The Zanpakuto spirit effortlessly parried his opening swings and kicked Ichigo back.

Before he had a chance to react, the winged Zangetsu flew past him and snatched him mid air, by the throat. He held Ichigo up and sighed as they locked gazes once again, "Why are you fighting this?"

"You're the one that attacked me!" Ichigo growled as he kicked himself free. The hollow king proceeded to move back as he held both of his arms up, "Gran Rey Cero Oscuras!"

A white red and black cero converged from his two hands as it fired towards Zangetsu. Before it could even reach him, Zangetsu crossed both of his swords together, "Getsuga Jujisho!"

The use of both of his blades was completely overwhelming towards Ichigo's attack and it proceeded to literally cripple his resurreccion. After the blast subsided, Zangetsu landed on the water covered ground. It His entire mindscape was covered in knee deep mud now. Zangetsu looked down at Ichigo, who was slumped over in a defeated stance.

Despite his resurreccion being gone, Ichigo still managed to stand up. His body was covered in serious burns and cuts, and he himself was on the verge of death it seemed. He looked at Zangetsu for a long moment, 'The power gap between us is too great…nothing I do is even affecting him. That's the power I need to save my family and friends…to kill Yhwach and the Soul King. Something I don't understand is why I have to fight him if he's the manifestation of all of my powers? Shouldn't I have access to my own power?'

"I attacked you so that you would realize something important. Your greatest enemy is yourself." Zangetsu said calmly.

'Why am I fighting myself?' Ichigo thought.

Upon thinking this very thought, his eyes widened as an epiphany hit. Though Ichigo couldn't see it, Zangetsu smiled sadly, "You understand now, Ichigo."

As he finally lowered his guard, Ichigo felt a chain link between him and Zangetsu, drawing them closer. Bandages, spiritual power, and chains surrounded the two as they finally were bound together. An awakening of power coursed throughout Ichigo's entire body. He could feel his senses fleeting which indicated he was probably leaving his inner world.

Before he was gone, he heard Zangetsu's voice echoing, "Protect your friends, and the legacy of the forgotten king. I will always be here to guide you Ichigo, for we are one."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Upon returning to reality, Ichigo opened his eyes. He found himself back in Hueco Mundo in his new form. Ichigo looked at his clawed, bandaged arms with amazement. "This is my Segunda Etapa…" Ichigo said to himself. His power felt overwhelming. He looked around in every direction wondering if anyone was sensing him right now.

He immediately locked on to Nel's spiritual signature not too far away and made his way towards her. It didn't take him long to track his Espada friend down. With unbelievable speed, he appeared in front of her. She was currently in her Resurreccion form charging for a rock formation.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed Ichigo in front of her. Nel gasped in shock, "What the?! Who are you? I didn't even sense you?!"

"You didn't?" Ichigo asked surprised as he took a step closer. Nel fearfully backed away from this terrifyingly beautiful creature.

She held up her lance, "Answer me! Who are you?!"

"Calm down, Nel…it's me, Ichigo," the arrancar said calmly.

Upon looking more closely at his horns, and other features, Nel gasped, "Is that…really you, Ichigo? I can't even sense your power!"

"That's unusual. I might see if Aizen knows anything about that," Ichigo said more to himself.

Nel simply stared somewhat awestruck at his form, "Did you…achieve Segunda Etapa?"

"Yes, you're the first person to officially see it. I finally achieved my second release," Ichigo announced.

The turquoise haired beauty beamed with amazement at Ichigo's form, "That's incredible news! How though? I've been training for the past day, and I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. My power just feels capped."

"I'll tell you what I did…but I'd rather get some of the others first so I don't have to explain it a dozen times. I think Starrk, Barragan, and Harribel are out here training somewhere. We might as well find them while we're all out here," Ichigo replied.

Nel nodded, "Let's go find them then. I'm eager to find out what you did!"

Without another word, she followed Ichigo who was quickly beginning to lock onto the big three.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Further out in the Desert, Barragan, Starrk, and Harribel XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harribel watched lazily as Starrk and Barragan continued on with another round of sparring in their resurreccion forms. She learned a lot about the two of them and their new arrancar powers during the past day. Barragan's miasma power from when he was a Vasto Lorde had evolved into a terrifying ability called Respira. It aged and inevitably killed anything it touched. Having seen it in action, she had a feeling that it would be an incredibly useful ability in the wars to come.

This power would definitely have the ability to wipe out any hollow below the upper Espada with ease. That combined with Barragan's monstrous levels of Reiatsu made her realize why he was in fact the Primera. That being said, Starrk's colossal level of Reiatsu matched it, and his cero barrage did wonders to keep the Respira at bay.

Lilynette's voice came out of Starrk's gun after a ceasefire, "Alright, I think I've had enough of trying to one up him. The old guy is definitely a monster."

"It's kind of refreshing fighting somebody who doesn't die right away. Good duel, Barragan," Starrk said with a faint smile.

"Likewise, Segunda…your defense and offense are both intertwined. It would be very difficult for any opponent to match your onslaught. Though you do lack a will to kill. That hesitation could easily get you killed yourself. Always take your battles seriously, Coyote Starrk…lest an enemy takes advantage of that weakness," Barragan stated.

Starrk rolled his uncovered eye, "Yeah yeah…I know."

"He's right Starrk! You need some more of my killer instinct!" Lilynette piped up.

The man simply shrugged as he ignored her comment, "If you don't mind me saying, Barragan, I think you have the opposite problem. You're too reckless and arrogant. There's a couple times I easily baited you into traps. You tanked way too many of my shots when you honestly didn't even have to. It's always better to dodge something even if you know it won't do serious damage. A weaker opponent could still kill you if you let them outsmart you. That kind of flaw could also be exploited in a death match."

"Interesting advice…" was all Barragan said in response as he looked down in reflective grumpiness.

"Let's duel Harribel again!" Lilynette said energetically from Starrk's gun.

The blonde espada shook her head, "I don't really see the point of doing another round, to be honest. We've been at this for a while now, and aren't really getting anywhere. We need to sit down and just talk for a bit about how to actually go about unlocking a second level of power."

"I agree…we have definitely gained all the combat experience and practice with our current abilities that we can for now. We need a clear direction about where to go before continuing onward," Barragan agreed.

He and Starrk both receded their resurreccions and sat down next to Harribel. As they all exchanged looks with one another, none of them had any way to really start a new conversation. All of them had been working hard but to no avail it seemed.

Finally, Lilynette couldn't take the awkward silence any longer and spoke up, "So, none of you have any clue about what else to do?"

"Honestly I don't…unless we get some kind of direction as to what a second release even is, then I have no idea what to do," Harribel stated.

Before Starrk or Barragan could add any input, they sensed Nel approaching. The four turned their gaze towards the approaching Espada, who was in her base form. What surprised them however, was the figure escorting her. Upon reaching the upper espada, Nel and Ichigo stopped in their tracks. Barragan, Starrk, and Harribel all stood up and stared Ichigo down with disbelief.

"Nel, who is that?" Starrk asked curiously as he examined the fearsome, but unusual looking hollow.

"It's Ichigo…" she answered. Nel decided it was probably best to let Ichigo explain the situation, so she remained silent afterward.

"You…achieved a second form?!" Harribel gawked in utter astonishment.

Barragan's jaw dropped low as he looked up and down, "Why can't we sense your power?"

"I don't know, but that doesn't really matter right now. I found out how to achieve Segunda Etapa. It's like Aizen said…our Zanpakutos are a part of us. You have to become one with your Zanapkuto if that makes sense," Ichigo explained.

"How do we do that?" Harribel asked confused.

Ichigo shook his head, "It's difficult to explain…you have to talk to your Zanpakuto in your inner soul. It's a part of who you are…you need to embrace it."

"Really?! That's what it takes?" Nel gasped in amazement.

"That's certainly an important revelation…I never would have thought of that to be honest," Harribel added.

"How would we communicate with our Zanpakutos in such a way?" Barragan wondered.

"That's something you'll all have to figure out on your own. I'm sure it's different for everyone," Ichigo answered.

"So wait…you are saying that we have to become our Zanpakutos? How does that work for me exactly? I don't really have one like the rest of you…" Starrk stated seriously.

Harribel shook her head and pointed at Lilynette, "You do though…what about her? She's a part of your power isn't she?"

"I suppose so…" Starrk said as he looked at his fraccion uncertainly.

Lilynette gawked at him, "What are you saying!?"

"This is definitely something to reflect on," Starrk said distantly without answering her question.

Barragan's good eye opened considerably as he stared at Ichigo, "So you became one with your Zanpakuto? With Zangetsu?! Did you ever discover why your Zanpakuto was named after him?"

"Yes…because I'm Zangetsu reborn," Ichigo replied calmly.

Much to Harribel and Starrk's complete disbelief, Barragan actually cracked a grin, "You truly were fit to become King it seems. Zangetsu reborn…hahaha!"

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Harribel asked.

"White's Zanpakuto is named after the first hollow king…according to my predecessor, Arturo, Zangetsu was the very first arrancar. I don't believe in fate or destiny…but something like this is surely a prophecy coming full circle," Barragan answered.

"Wait a minute…what's this about a first arrancar and hollow king?" Harribel asked.

Ichigo finally receded his form and returned to normal. He walked over towards the upper three Espada and sighed, "Everyone take a seat…Barragan and I will explain everything."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karin, Soul Society XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Karin's time with the Shibas thus far had proven quite taxing to say the least. Kukaku and Ganju were an animated, energetic pair that always kept her on her toes. Lately, she had been working hard with her shikai in the hopes of improving as a Shinigami.

Rukia had been overseeing her training for the last few days, and was proving to be quite a blessing in her opinion. Unlike the obnoxious teachers and immature students she dealt with in the Shinigami Academy, her personalized training with a lieutenant was much more beneficial.

The raven haired Rukia shook her head at Karin's aggressive cleaves which sent off various waves of energy.

"You're never going take down a high level hollow without a better control of your power. Do you even know what your Shikai is capable of doing? You have a good handle on it physically, but those energy beams aren't really useful unless they are refined into specific abilities," Rukia explained.

Karin stopped what she was doing and sighed, "Well what should I do then?"

Before Rukia could answer the question, Kisuke Urahara's voice interrupted them, "You should probably learn how to use Getsugas like your father. Those beam attacks look a lot like his."

"Captain Urahara?" Rukia said surprised by the man's arrival. Next to him was none other than Yoruichi. They both had serious faces as they approached.

"What are you two doing out here?" Kukaku half-demanded as she made her way over from a nearby perch.

Kisuke had a calm, distant look on his face as he answered, "Well, that's complicated. We were actually wondering if you could help us out with something…"

"Really? What kind of help could I possibly offer you two?" Kukaku asked as she looked between Yoruichi and Kisuke.

"I have a message that I would like for you to deliver to the Zero Squad…" Urahara stated grimly.

Kukaku's eyes shot open with shock, "Are you kidding me?! Why would I do that?!"

"What's the Zero Squad?" Karin asked confused.

Rukia was quick to answer for her, "They're the Shinigami that protect the Soul King."

"Soul King?" Karin cocked her head.

Yoruichi looked at Urahara before facing Kukaku again, "We'd prefer if you kept this on the down low. The other Gotei 13 members are too proud to ask them for help…but given the situation, we felt that they should be contacted."

"I see…we'll discuss this more in private. Come on inside," Kukaku gestured for them to follow.

Rukia stared at the trio heading inside with utter shock. She was only brought out of her stupor by Karin's voice.

"What's going on, Rukia?" Karin asked concerned.

The raven haired woman shook her head, "I don't know…but if they're sending a message to the zero squad, then that means they doubt the Gotei 13's ability to stop the inevitable Hollow Invasion."

"Can you teach me Kido? I would like to learn it," Karin changed the subject. She wasn't really in the mood to worry about what was going on. Training was a good distraction from her ever growing list of concerns.

Rukia snapped back to reality and nodded, "Of course…I'll find out what's going on later."