(Unknown Island)
"What the hell happened?" Ichigo asked, taking in the sight around him. The smell of the ocean, the warmth of the sun, the feel of the breeze, the tropical scenery behind them, and it all felt too real to be an illusion. His training with Kyoka Suigetsu made him intimately familiar with such things and he doubted any illusion of this world would hold him for long. He knelt down to the ground and tried to feel it out, sensing a large amount of Reishi now in the Earth. "Hey Esdeath, is there a Teigu that can transport people great distances?" He asked the general as she went to his side, now in her body.
"I've heard that there are Teigu with spatial abilities." She answered, also trying to figure out where they were. "Unless you know of some abilities that can do that."
"A couple actually." Ichigo admitted, making Esdeath sigh as she expected that answer. "But the one that's similar to this is not one that I have mastered as of yet." He guessed this might have been a sign that he's been neglecting his own studies, Hachi did include plenty of his own barrier spells in that mix and they've always been useful. Especially his works with 'time regression', no telling when Ichigo might need that ability. "Before anything else, we should get an idea of our surroundings."
"On it." Esdeath said, placing her hand on the ground and creating a pillar of ice that shot them high into the sky. The end result confirmed what the pair already suspected, they were on an uninhabited island in the middle of who knows where. "Quite the beautiful sight. Almost as if this were a date."
"You're certainly thirsty." Ichigo sighed, just before noticing a mountain suddenly moving. Ichigo quickly recognized it as the same kind of creature Stylish turned himself into in a desperate attempt to kill him. "Should've figured Stylish might've had more of those abominations hidden away." He muttered, glad that he sentenced the mad doctor to Mayuri's care. The colossal monster turned toward them and began to charge, desperate to kill its targets.
"This should be fun." Esdeath said with a smile, crossing her arms and readying the power of her Teigu to create a barrage of icicles, only to get chopped on the head by Ichigo's hand.
"No Teigu." He told her. "You kill it without your ice powers."
"Is now really the time for that?" She growled as the giant beast came baring down on them.
"Trial by fire. Prove your strength." The hybrid answered, walking off the ice pillar, just as the behemoth slammed into it. The pillar snapped just above the monster's shoulder, with Esdeath running down the length and toward the Danger Beast. "Aim for the person on the forehead!" Ichigo called down, seeing a smirk on the general's face. She may get annoyed by being limited in her weaponry, but she couldn't deny the thrill of the challenge it forced on her. Enjoying the title of 'Empire's Strongest' and the Teigu that could be called the strongest of them all, made her forget the proper rush of battle.
'This is my path,' She thought to herself while charging toward the vulnerable human body on the head, 'I chose this path in order to fight in grander battles. Was I the strongest because of my powerful Teigu? No. I got my Teigu for being the strongest!' The colossal Danger Beast swung its massive hand toward her, attempting to crush her like an ant. At the last moment, she jumped in between the beast's fingers and through the attack to land on its arm. 'I didn't need my Teigu when I was rising in the ranks, I don't need it for every battle, when did I get so reliant on it!?' She thought while fighting down the urge to summon a massive spear of ice to impale the Danger Beast through the head, instead jumping with all her might toward her target. She closed the distance in seconds and swung at the restrained human body that was her target on the beast, cutting the figure in half. Ichigo nodding as he evaluated from high above.
"Hmmmm, six out of ten." Ichigo said to himself, watching the beast fall over dead with Esdeath riding it the way down. "She already had an advantageous position and it looked like she was about to use her Teigu for a moment. Not to mention, that was a pretty obvious weak point if you could get to it." He then noticed another colossal Danger beast, only without the human on the forehead, looked like it was partially melted, had two normal arms instead of one mechanical one, and wearing armor on its chest. "That should be more interesting." He commented as it charged toward Esdeath's location.
"Another one?" She asked, panting from the effort in killing the first colossal Danger Beast. "Fine. Come to your death!" She roared as the behemoth came to her, bringing its hand down to grab and crush her. She ran underneath the hand and toward the legs of the beast just before it struck the ground. The ground shook with the force of his strike, making Esdeath trip up a bit with the sudden seismic shakes but she managed to keep her stride despite the tumble. When she regained her balance, she jumped up to the beast's arm and stabbed her blade into its flesh. She grunted from the thick resistance in the monster's flesh, though it gave her a good hand hold as it brought its arm up to look at her. She pried her blade free and charged to the head, the Danger Beast swinging its hand down to smash her. The process went on like that, she dodges the crushing blow, jumps onto the other arm, and continued on her way. From the beast's left forearm to the right wrist, running from the wrist to the elbow and bicep, jumping from the bicep onto the back of the left hand, and jumping into the armored collar from a very narrow window of opportunity.
"DIE!" She roared out, aiming her saber at where one would assume would be a vital artery of the beast. Unfortunately, her waning patience and physical exhaustion caused her thrust to be off and affected her judgment in the thickness of the monster's flesh, causing the saber to bend and snap. "Damn it!" She growled, throwing the hilt aside while avoiding some of the blade fragments. "I said DIE!" She roared out again, giving up on killing it without her Teigu and summoned up some ice spires. Three massive icicles speared into the beast, into the stomach, chest, and head, killing the beast and ending the fight. "DAMN IT! I failed!" She continued to growl, the bitter taste of defeat on her tongue.
"To be fair, we didn't know of the second one." Ichigo said, suddenly appearing in front of her. He held out a hand, that she took, and he led her onto the Reishi platform he was using to fly before bringing them back down. "That was actually a little unfair to you, and I only said to kill the first one without your Teigu. Which you did."
"You also said I shouldn't rely on it so much." She said back to him. "That doing so would only hinder me while in spirit form."
"Because you don't have your Teigu with you in that state." Ichigo returned. "When you achieve your Shikai, it will likely be an ice elemental type."
"Type? I thought you said 'every Zanpakuto is unique to its wielder.'" She said as they reached the ground, Ichigo grabbing a few fruits along the way.
"And they are. Every Zanpakuto takes a different form, but they usually end up in one of three categories. Melee, Kido, and elemental. The first is usually a full change in the weapon used, like a katana turning into a large ax or spear or something new for a new melee style. Kido types use specialized abilities, like Kyoka Suigetsu's ability of 'complete hypnosis', or this one I know that turns children's games into attacks. The last is the elemental class, which you are already familiar with since your Teigu is similar to my master's Zanpakuto. My master's Zanpakuto is a fire elemental and is considered the strongest offensive power among the 16 squads of Soul Reapers, with complete control of fire."
"So same principal, but a different element." She concluded, wondering what powers might reveal themselves in the future. "As much as I'm enjoying learning about my potential, we should explore our surroundings to figure out where we are exactly."
"And our escape?" Ichigo asked, already thinking about how much energy he might expend flying himself back to the capital before adding Esdeath to that equation.
"Tame a flying Danger Beast, or that Teigu that sent us here might have a return effect." Esdeath answered. "Let's look around first to gather information first."
(Inside the Castle, Honest's hidden chambers)
"Damn. Damn. Damn it!" The good Prime Minister growled while he was stuffing his face on what resembled a large turkey leg, furiously chewing away and attempting to savor every bite while he poured over his reports, but his agitation made the meat taste bland. "I'm losing more funds, two more nobles that pay me are arrested, the assassination unit is getting purged because I wanted to ensure their loyalty and effectiveness, and that damn brat is wasting money on those beneath us!" He growled, furious that Makoto took more of the coffers to fund his 'clean-up' programs. Three full meals, health-care, and a generous day's wages for the job of cleaning up the city streets and repairing damaged buildings in the capital. With tools and equipment all supplied by the government. Fewer people were buying drugs from his dealers, less people were 'entertaining' some of his friends among the nobility and courts, and the quality of the gourmet they enjoy in the palace dropped significantly. All because that brat 'cares' about his people, the worthless masses and not the people that actually run the government. "How could this all fall apart!?"
"Trouble father?" He heard a familiar voice call out, turning to find a face he had not seen in quite some time. "Maybe I could be of assistance?"
"Syura, my son, you've finally returned." Honest said with a smile, not in joy of his child's return but at the addition of another useful pawn. "How were your travels and did you follow my instructions?" He asked, praying that his son managed to secure something that will be an ace against the Soul Reaper that's been ruining his life.
"The rest of the world proved to be an interesting place, with the only other advanced nation being the Western Kingdom." The scarred face man answered. "The North and South nations don't even have firearms and I was unable to reach the Eastern country, but I did manage to find plenty of talented people to serve as a new team and secured most of us a Teigu. As for the last thing, 'find something to kill a god of death', that one pretty much fell into my lap." Honest leaned in, interested in hearing what his son had found. "A group that came from another world, called the Quincy. They have a strong battalion and can make more Quincy if the people are willing to fight for them. And they have an interest in killing your Shinigami troublemaker. Ichigo Kurosaki, I think his name is?"
"That's wonderful news my boy!" Honest shouted, smiling madly at the thought of finally being rid of his ultimate problem. "When can I meet them?"
"My team will be here after they meet with the boss of the Quincy and get extra powered up." The dark skinned man said. "As for a representative of the Quincy, he's been here the whole time." Honest was surprised and looked around the room, searching for the representative before settling on his son. "I think. I can never keep track of that guy." Syura admitted.
"I'm only seen when I want to be seen." A voice suddenly said as the father and son finally saw a man in a white military uniform standing between them. He had wavy, slicked back blue hair, a hard and chiseled face, and pale white skin. "Sternritter H, the Hidden. Makiri Zolgen, at your service." He said, with a slight bow. "You must be Honest." He faced the Prime Minister, hiding a look of disgust and contempt for the fat man. "My comrades and I have no issue with assisting you, but I'll need to know what we can expect in the way of assets. Ichigo Kurosaki is more dangerous than you think."
"I understand." Honest admits, already thinking of how he might be able to worm his way into a good position with this new group. "I still have a few of the head civil officers in my pockets and I am the Prime Minister, though that position is currently being shared. If my 'partner' could disappear, I could have full authority again. Especially if you have some way to put that brat back under my control." Zolgen was nodding as he tucked the information away in his mind. "Several martial arts masters and plenty of thugs willing to fight anyone for coin. Also, if that fool will do his job, I have a man that will be taking over this religious movement called 'the Path of Peace'. Plenty of people are part of that sect and could give us plenty of fodder to use. And finally, my own Teigu." He said, pointing to his head-wear. "Erastone, able to destroy any other Teigu. That may be useful in the future, should the matter come to that." He finished, the Quincy nodding the whole while. 'I won't say anything about Esdeath. I'm starting to think her battle lust is leading her away from me. Though, for the chance to fight him again, I'm hoping she'd take this opportunity.' He thought to himself.
"I see." Makiri finally said before disappearing from sight. "I'll bring this up with my king. He may have some use of you, but you'll have to declare your undying devotion. He's generous to his vassals, but unforgiving to his enemies." And just like that, the man was gone.
'So long as I can enjoy my long life to the fullest, I don't care about anything else.' Honest thought with a satisfied smirk, the turkey leg tasting delicious to him again.
(With Ichigo and Esdeath)
The two continued to gather information about the island they were stuck on; studying the flora and fauna, learning the new time-zone, hunting and fishing for meals, and using Esdeath's present knowledge of the geology of the empire gave them a rough idea of their present location. Her best estimate was somewhere along the southeastern edge of the Empire, though the distance from the mainland was unknown. During this entire time Ichigo kept watching and studying Esdeath, trying to satisfy his curiosity of the general. While they did talk of their history, Ichigo was reluctant to share too much about his family but he did get a lot more information on her in exchange.
'I've compared her to Zaraki, but it's probably more accurate to compare her to Unohana during her time as the Kenpachi.' Ichigo thought while the general stripped off her top, showing off her 'swimwear' and taking a relaxing dip in the ocean water. 'But where she killed to soothe her bloodlust, Esdeath has always enjoyed torturing her victims.' He thought back to the story she told him of the Partas clan and the hunts she was part of, how some of her favorite hunts required the prey to still be alive while she carved out her prize. 'She's perfectly sane, but an amoral sadist. Well, if she follows the animal mindset than I can and will tame her. I am the KING of Hollows.' He thought in finality, but there was still something he needed to know from her. "Hey Esdeath!" He called, gaining her attention while she held up a shell. "Why did you want to fall in love?"
"Why? Let's see..." She said, putting a finger to her chin as she thought. "I guess it was simple curiosity at first. Like I said the first time we met, I wondered what it would be like to fall in love. You appeared and met every single criteria I was thinking of in a lover, almost as if we were destined for each other. I'll admit, I was planning to be the more dominant partner in this relationship, but you've matched and exceeded me at every step. I want you, to make you mine, I desire to stand on your level, to make you look at me in a way to let me know we are each others." The general said, blushing more and more before raising her hand to her chest, smiling the whole while. "You have so much to offer!"
"And what are you willing to do to make it work?" Ichigo asked, surprising her. "You've made a gamble in the sacrifice for power when I gave you the power of a Soul Reaper, which was a little unfair when I think about it. Will you abandon the empire if I ask? Will you stop torturing people I say shouldn't be tortured? What are you willing to do with and for me that proves your commitment to being my lover?" She didn't know what to say, the concept of what he was saying was pretty alien to her. "Your desire for a mate is instinctual, to find a worthy partner with the best genes to ensure strong and healthy offspring. Your feelings toward me are more infatuation and admiration, not of love. Love is something else and I am willing to teach you. But there's something I'll have to do first." He said, walking toward her.
"And what is that?" She asked, feeling herself get hot. Right now she could tell that the man before her was an apex predator, and he was going to take what he desired. He reached her and cupped her cheek.
"I will make you mine." He growled before pulling her in for a kiss and the general felt her body submit.
(Timeskip! Go to Other Awakenings you pervs!)
Hours passed, Ichigo standing vigilant in the place where they first appeared on the island, waiting for either the portal to appear or for a flying steed. There was a rustling in the leaves as Esdeath came out, her hair still wet from bathing in a freshwater stream and adjusting her clothes. She unashamedly displayed a dark hickey on her neck with a slight limp in her step as she went to his side, her hand slipping into his seamlessly. They remained silent and scanned the area, waiting for the time to be right. When Ichigo felt the Reishi in that area dissipate, he resolved to get the matter done himself. Would likely move faster than any Danger Beast they could catch too.
He took his hand out of Esdeath's and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, with her leaning into him before he swept her off her feet. Once firmly held in his arms, Ichigo started to float up and create a shield of Reishi around them. He then released a massive Pesquisa pulse and focused, waiting for a response. It took a few minutes, but he got the familiar sense of his subordinates' Reishi and thus the general direction back to the capital. There was something else that caught his attention, in a region far to the east of the capital. A particularly unusual spirit for this world, not a Quincy or Hollow, but something else. Then that light suddenly dimmed, almost fading away.
(Eastern City of Kyoroch)
"I was hoping to enjoy myself a bit more, but the Prime Minister apparently thought I needed to speed things up." A man said, dressed like a priest in fine robes and a wide hat. He had a thick chin curtain beard with two extending points on the sides of his chin, smiling cruelly at the other man in the room. A slender and pale man with long white hair, slumped over on a table with his eyes rolled to the back of his head and foam coming out of his mouth. "Oh well, I'm sure I won't be too busy after I take over. You'll be deified, and I'll have plenty of love to share with the lost lambs of your flock... or should I say, my flock?" He said, laughing happily, as he went to enjoy himself with his 'flock'.
(Back with Ichigo)
'I should probably check that out at some point.' Ichigo thought as he and Esdeath flew through the night sky, accelerating a little bit more in response to the dimming light.