Bleach:RC Fic! Chapter One
Author's Note: Spoilers for the end of the Arrancar arc. If you have not gotten that far with manga or anime prepare for a spoiler feast! If not don't worry! Story takes a verge right about when Aizen starts letting you know he's playing around. The idea of Aizen as an all powerful mage is mind blowing evil and amazing to me. Mind you he'd be ten-times cooler than butt-chin Fei-Wong Reed. I used some dialogue from the manga/anime... you'll spot it if you know what I'm talking about. Otherwise just enjoy this chapter because after this chapter everything diverges.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, I am not Tite Kubo. Nor do I own the amazing plot of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles and xxxHolic, that belongs to the master mind that is CLAMP. So for this chapter I only own the plot.
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Decide to End
Aizen watched with feigned fear, violet eyes wide as the orange haired human- nuisance shattered his powerful kidou spell with the swipe of his hand. Black glass like shards flew about and disappear to the wind like dust.
"You don't seem to realize, do you?" Ichigo asked in a calm, resolved tone of voice. "My power is greater than the power you have right now." He slowly lowered his right arm back down to his side, his longer orange hued bangs shadowing his eyes. He tensed slightly body posed to lunge forward.
Aizen hid his smirk well like the composed actor he was. Just as planned. He thought. He kept his expression wide with shock, body too relaxed and open for the human's attack.
The ground gave way under the strawberry blonde's sudden force, he swung his left, sword wielding hand in a swift upward lash. Crimson blood geysered from the wound miraculously not a single droplet landed on either male. Ichigo relaxed his arm slightly, automatically following Aizen trajectory path as the pseudo-god's body dispersed into flashes of bright pale violet light. Only to reappear on a ledge in the far distance, but still within Ichigo's sight.
Aizen felt the bite of the blade, felt the burn as the human's black steel severed skin and muscle. The pain was nothing, he knew no physical infliction could bring an end to his life. At least not solely on it's own for he was an immortal begin. His violet and ivory eyes narrowed on the arrogant brat as he raised a hand to the wound. He pressed his lips tight, he would let him believe in his false hope for a few moments longer. Then he would rip it all away.
"What an odd feeling." Ichigo stated, he ignored the 'gasp of surprise' Aizen uttered and continued. "When I backed away from you in our last battle, you asked me why." His body stood still in his previous spot. "But now you're doing the exact same thing. So let me ask you the same question. Why did you back away just now?" He raised his head, narrowing a fiery brown eye at the pseudo-god.
Violet eyes widened slightly and he took a short gasp of air. His expression quickly returned to an equally relaxed expression that rivaled that of his opponent. "I see..." Aizen mused. "You are pleased to have stopped my sword." He raised his head, straightened his back, an ugly smirk slowly curved the corners of his lips. "Are you also pleased to have overcame my Kidou, Kurosaki?"
Ichigo remained calm and showed no outward change in expression as he watched the pseudo-god carefully trying to figure out just what he was up to. Trying to figure out what Ace the man had up his sleeve.
"Are you pleased to have wounded my superior body?" Aizen continued, voice slightly raising an octave, a crazed glint shining in his eyes. The wound on his right shoulder bubbled up, mending itself back together. He took a deep breath and slid his eyes closed. "There is no reason to be conceited, Kurosaki." He said in a calm, condescending tone. The wound on his shoulder completely healed itself as he opened his eyes and watched the human's impassive form. "I have you just as fooled as the rest of those mindless fools of Soul Society. For you see, having transcended the beings of this world I have come to a realization. I knew for quite some time but now with the power the Hogyoku has granted me I have the power to transcend worlds as well." He noticed that the human still had not moved or made a reaction to his speech. Frowning slightly at the lack of reaction, he supposed it was to be expected. "By now you should realize that there are worlds beyond the three worlds that you think of. That is what the Soul King has kept secret from us, but his power to transcend the worlds is limited. He is weak."
Ichigo furrowed his brows in impatience, he really disliked when this man thought he could fool him with his words. "I don't believe a word." He said firmly, and went in for the attack again, perhaps this time he was a bit more reckless that he thought. His attack halted again by some kind of kidou spell or perhaps a cero. He wasn't sure anymore by this point. When the smoke and flame cleared a bit he had his charred right arm raised to block against the attack.
"Hmmm," Aizen mused to himself again, the violet and ivory of his eyes swirled until they had reversed, his irises now purple. "Perhaps I will need some time to prefect this type of magic." Aizen flicked his eyes over to the boy, the flame ceased instantaneously, and next he stood a foot before him. "You have yet to surpass my power Ichigo Kurosaki. You can not stop me as you are now." He raised a hand, the two fingertips of his index and middle finger pointed to the human's chest and slowly raised to his neck. A strange bright violet light shone from his finger tips as he swiftly traced a few symbols, like ribbons they lengthen on their own and swirled down the human's arms and wrapped around his wrist tightly.
Ichigo tried of playing possum opened his eyes and glared at the pseudo-god. The tell-tale signs of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth appeared, as his eyes took on a defiant look. "Is this the best you've got?" He tugged on his bonds in an attempt to remove himself from the binds only to find he actually could not move. This was no kidou binding spell he had ever know of... The binds instead pulled his arms wide out to his sides, level with his head. He continued to give Aizen a rebellious look. He was not going to be out done. He would not lose. "Let's end this now Aizen. I grow tried of your..." He tried to loosen himself from the binds again only to find it was impossible.
"It is of no use. You can not break free from this spell, my magic far exceeds yours." He swung his arm around in a semi circle, violet light following his movements and drawing the binds tighter. "I shall strip you of your hindrances and allow you the privilege to gain the power that power."
"No, we end this now. I'll show you. This is the Final... Getsugatensho!" His reiatsu flared brightly and wildly for a few seconds before it seemed to have counter reacted with whatever Aizen had done. Bright blue and black reiatsu split apart and swirled down either of the two ribbon like bands. "Wha-What?"
Aizen smirked. "You have failed to realize that my Zanpakutou has already faded away, it is no longer necessary." It was true, his blade had faded and become a source of his new power. The white of his skin seemed to return to normal, the rest floating like the wind and reforming into white robes of some sort, elegantly embroidered with accented edges and designs of both blood red and deep royal purple.
Ichigo then turned his head to the side to noticed Zangetsu, which he thought was absurd because he knew he was not within his soul at the moment. His head quickly snapped to the left and there was his hollow. But how? He snapped his attention back to Aizen, grinding his teeth in frustration. "Aizen!"
"I have simply relieved you of your hindrances." He repeated as if it were as simple as that. With a wave of his hand the binding ribbons released, but Zangetsu and his hollow were both still locked within the tethers.
The human dropped to his knees a wave of sudden powerlessness suddenly washed over him. "How? What did you do?"
Aizen's only response was a continued smug smile before he swiftly drew several more strange symbols in the air, the words tightly curling in on themselves glowing with the same violet light. The symbols shifted into winged form in the center of a band of symbols drawn in a circle. The seal affixed itself to Ichigo's chest, turning the color of sick black ink. "You have at most approximately a year and a half to find the power to surpass me Kurosaki otherwise your time is up."
Ichigo stilled kneeling and utterly confused, his eyes slowly dropped down to stare at the odd seal on his chest. His fear and confusion only sky rocked once the thing took on a life of its own. The outer circle of symbols twisted slowly and the wings began to expand slowly and creep over his body. He parted his lips to question the nature of the- whatever it was... he knew it was no Kidou spell.
"The Engraved Seal of Death." Aizen informed him. Once the wings fully expand the curse will become fully active and claim you, body and soul. Your existence will cease in all worlds." The god began drawing out several more strange symbols that formed a bright circle of some sort below his feet. A strange wind whipped about them. "No pressure Ichigo Kurosaki, I'll be seeing you again real soon." The strange wind became thicker and whirled around Aizen and the two trapped spirits before completely vanishing into thin air.
Ichigo sat on his knees staring at the spot Aizen once stood. He still confused and terrified. He had failed.
"You did the right thing Ichigo, and you did it well." Said Urahara has he slowly approached. He stopped once he was close enough. "Ichigo, don't beat yourself up over it, Aizen had to die."
Wait... what? Ichigo was even more confused now and apparently the seal was only visible to him. He snapped his head to look over at the blond. "Urahara... I didn't... He... he just..." But then it suddenly made sense. Aizen had them all fooled. It was never about the Hogyoku or the Spirit King...
"Aizen knew that if the Spirit King were to cease to exist then the world would fall apart. The Spirit King isn't a person. The Spirit King is the keystone that holds the three worlds together." Urahara went on to explain, as if he thought that was what Ichigo wanted to hear... but it wasn't. It was what Aizen had programed him to say.
Ichigo raised a hand to his head trying his best to make sense of it all. If all Aizen wanted was the power to transcend this world and unto other worlds... how did the Spirit King fit into all of this. Perhaps Aizen wanted to kill the Spirit King so he could destroy this world and then transcend other worlds to continue his destruction. Shit! If that was so, then things were much, much worse!