Rather uncharacteristically, Ichigo did not jump at the declaration to charge headfirst into a fight to protect his town and friends.

Instead he just stared at the two of us with a shell shocked expression like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Something his dad picked up on by the look on his face. That... and the sudden vicious headbutt to the head.

“Didn’t you hear me?!” Isshin yelled at his son, “I said we’re going to protect Karakura!”

Again, Ichigo was uncharacteristically quiet and just looked away.

“...it’s no use...there’s no way we can do that…” the teenage Soul Reaper said morosely.

I said nothing and just stared at the teen disapprovingly. I knew he was rattled, anyone sane would be after what he had been through, but seeing him just give up still didn’t sit right with me.

It didn’t sit right with his dad either given the way he yelled.

“You don’t know that!”

“Yes, I do!” Ichigo screamed right back, “You felt it, didn’t you?! There’s now way we can beat a freak with Reiatsu like that!”

That certainly shocked Isshin. The older Soul Reaper muttered something before brushing past his son.

“I’m going.” he declared.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asked when Ichigo made no move to follow.

“What will you do if you don’t come?” Ichigo just lowered his head.

“Cry?”

Isshin rounded on his son and started yelling, “Will you sit there and cry that you couldn’t protect anyone?!”

“...Think about what it means that Aizen is heading for Karakura Town in Soul Society.” Isshin continued in a more level tone. “If you don’t go, it means that everyone you wanted to protect and everyone else in Karakura, will die by his hand.”

It was a harsh way of motivating someone in my opinion; to remind him that he either stepped up or allowed everyone he cared about to die. But with the situation as it was I couldn’t exactly deny it wasn’t needed. Or effective.

Ichigo’s eyes settled as he got himself under control, the look of hopelessness and defeat losing out to a renewed determination.

He stepped forward. “Dad...open the Senkaimon.”

Isshin smirked at Ichigo’s renewed attitude. “I don’t need you to tell me that.”

I simply rolled my eyes at how little of a pep talk it took to change the orange haired soul reaper’s mind. But spirits were up and we were ready to go so I couldn’t complain.

-o-

The Dangai was as unpleasant as ever.

The walls still dripped a noxious purple sludge and the ground was still covered in bones. Which should be impossible because the Cleaner running through all the time should’ve definitely ground them to dust. But more importantly the feeling of loose Reiatsu digging into me like standing in front of a sand blaster was definitely not enjoyable.

And it was only getting worse the longer we were in here.

So when Isshin planned to stop in here to give Ichigo some last second training, I had no inclination to stay with them.

“You sure?” Isshin questioned after I had made my opinion known. “We don’t have second chances after this.”

“I’m sure. Besides there isn’t enough space for me to really do anything.”

Aizen had destroyed the Cleaner, removing the obstacle to staying in the Dangai for a long period of time and Isshin apparently had a way to stabilize the current of its walls so they wouldn’t be swallowed up. The combination of these two things meant Ichigo could get approximately 2000 hours or about three months worth of training and only an hour would pass in the Soul Society.

Isshin didn’t know the chaotic nature of this place was a slow poison to me and I had no intention of telling him, but Ichigo could use the time to get a power boost.

If everything went to plan though, he wouldn’t even get a chance to fight.

“I’ll go on ahead. Who knows? I might finish up everything before you even get there.” I joked, sparing a glance at Ichigo who was fully immersed in trying to communicate with his sword.

“If it were that easy we wouldn’t be racing to Soul Society right now.”

I refrained from saying I probably could have fought Aizen before he reached Soul Society but didn’t simply because I did not want to rearrange the landscape in the World of the Living. Much better to leave the destroyed scenery for the Seireitei to clean up. It was the least they could do after being mostly useless.

“Well he won't be running off this time.” I said as a parting shot, before rushing off down the corridor. After all, just because Aizen wasn’t in a hurry, it didn’t mean he couldn’t cause some major damage if left unchecked. And there was one more person I needed to talk to before I fought him for real.

-o-

Rangiku Matsumoto wasn’t exactly sure what she was hoping for when she confronted her childhood friend.

Scratch that. She knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted to know why he had turned his back on everyone and betrayed them, but she wasn’t sure what she was expecting to come of it.

Was she hoping that Ichimaru would just laugh the whole thing off as one big misunderstanding? Or perhaps she could convince him to turn on Aizen despite them being on the cusp of winning it all?

Whatever it was, she wasn’t exactly expecting him to simply attack her.

So now she was laying on her back, drained of Reiatsu, and watching helplessly as Ichimaru left her behind again…

“Leaving so soon, Gin? And after being so rough with her too...” A familiar voice called outside Rangiku’s sight, and she couldn’t move.

A black boot and the edge of a red garment entered the edge of her vision as the new arrival walked around her.

“Like I told her, she was in the way. I really don’t know what she was thinking, trying to face Lord Aizen in such a condition if she couldn’t even stand up to me for long.”

“So that’s why you took her as far away from Aizen as you could?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Besides she’ll be dead soon at this rate.”

The newcomer -Alexandria Cross, Rangiku remembered sluggishly- snorted. “I’m sure. But I’m not here to talk about your girlfriend.”

“Here to continue our fight then?”

Rangiku would have gasped if she wasn’t so tired. Alexandria had been the one fighting Ichimaru? That Reiatsu had been on the same level as the senior Captains, she had no idea the strange human was that strong.

“Nope~, I’m here to tell you your plan to kill Aizen won’t work.”

“What?!”

It took a moment for Rangiku to realise that she was the one who said that, and now both of the others were looking at her.

Alexandria’s blue eyes met hers. “Well then, I wasn’t expecting you to still be awake…” her hand started to reach down to Rangiku’s forehead when Ichimaru’s Shikai thrust between them.

Startled by the sudden action Rangiku looked to the origin of the attack and saw Ichimaru standing there with a serious expression.

Then there was a flash of purple and she only saw darkness…

-o-

“You’re an idiot, you know that? I even told you what would happen.”

“He he, *khack*, w-ell I couldn’t exactly believe you n-now, could I? Besides...this was my only chance. Had t-to try anyway…”

I looked down on the bloody form of the former Third Division Captain.

Aizen had nearly bisected him from shoulder to waist and stabbed him through the chest for good measure. The only plus out of this situation was that my warning of what to expect meant that he hadn’t lost an arm in a futile gesture as well.

It figured the second time I tried using my out-of-context knowledge to alter things went about as well as the first. Although I couldn’t exactly deny it was partially my fault for trying it on two people almost completely unreceptive to people telling them what to do. Ichigo had been so used to just forging ahead on his own that me suddenly coming forward and saying he just needed to accept things was completely rejected.

I frowned.

Actually I might have hurt his training there if he was subconsciously rejecting my advice still. He should have at least been on the way by now. Not that it would matter.

And Gin had spent over a century maneuvering to a place where he could kill Aizen. Thinking about it now, there was no way he would give that up just because I told him what would happen.

After leaving the Dangai, I had taken the opportunity to teleport directly to Karakura via a destination circle I had left in the town. From there it was a quick jaunt to confront Gin as he was finishing up dealing with Rangiku.

After some quick talking to keep things civil once he had fully knocked out the lieutenant, I told him exactly what would happen if he tried to kill Aizen, going as far as to reveal the hidden ability of his Bankai. Since he had told no one of the cell destroying properties it had, it went a long way in giving me credit, but the ex-Captain refused to give up in the end and now he was quickly bleeding out in a pile of rubble.

Or at least he would be bleeding out if it wasn’t for the healing Kaidō tags I had Urahara prepare for me. With those in place, Gin should be fine until Aizen was dealt with.

“Ah w-ell,” Gin said with difficulty, “I guess this means I a-ccept your offer then.”

“Tch, you’re only saying that when there’s nothing more you can do.”

“It’s just how...I am.”

“The both of you seem to be under the impression that you will actually survive this.” Aizen must have grown bored of our conversation and decided to interrupt.

I turned to face him.

Once again Aizen had changed. Now in addition to the three pairs of moth-like wings, he also had a large hole in the middle of his chest that mimicked a Hollow. Unlike them though, the Hogyoku rested in the middle of his chest connected to a cross structure.

“I admit I’m surprised to see you here, Alexandria Cross. After our last brief encounter I assumed you would know the difference between our powers. A difference that has only grown in the short time since.” He continued. “And you seem to be interested in Gin? I wonder what you could possibly have planned when I’ve already been proven beyond him.”

“Oh, I’m not counting on Gin for anything right now.” I replied. “I’m recruiting him for what happens after you.”

“After me? That won’t happen. Ichigo Kurosaki was the only one among your group to come close to my new Reiatsu, for you to be unable to sense that just proves how far beneath me you are.”

I smiled at Aizen’s proclamation.

“Never have been the best sensor. Now, shall we take this elsewhere? I’d hate for anyone to get caught up in our fight.” I tilted my head to the spot where several of Ichigo’s friend’s stood nearby. Had Aizen been chasing them?

It didn’t matter. It was time to move this fight to where a town full of innocents wouldn’t get caught up in things.

“A meaningless proposal.” Aizen dismissed. “Those are the words of someone powerful enough to make me listen. You aren’t on that level.”

“No?” I raised a hand. “I think you’re wrong about that.”

With a snap of my fingers a bright yellow spell-circle encircled both of us, and in the blink of an eye, the world was obscured in a flash of light.