(With Ichigo)
For the hybrid, it was an annoyingly long flight back to the Capital. Esdeath was still cradled in his arms, having no practice in Shunpo or Reishi manipulation left her with little choice other than to be carried like a bride in his arms. There's one thing he liked about the general, she didn't tease him in matters like these. Likely due to 'taming' her, as she would put it. After a few hours, they successfully returned back to the Capital. Night when they left that empty island and morning upon their return.
The effort was taxing, trying to prevent major health risks while flying at high speeds while in a flesh and blood body, but they succeeded and Ichigo would be happy to just collapse on the couch in the Jaegers base. Esdeath had plenty of rest, sleeping in his arms. She was cute in her 'innocent' moments... too bad there weren't many of them when he isn't around. He landed in front of the headquarters, letting Esdeath get on her feet, and entered the empty building. Well, mostly empty. They were greeted to the sight of Kurome, using her sword like a crutch as she tried to get to the door.
"Cap... tain... AH!" The assassin girl started before slipping, Esdeath quickly catching her subordinate. "I'm... cold." She was shivering despite the high fever, not nearly recovered from her detoxing.
"Let's get you back to bed Kurome. You know you shouldn't be walking, not in your condition." Esdeath quickly scolded, picking up her subordinate. Once she did, Kurome latched onto the general's shirt sleeve.
"I-I'm still a useful member of this team... right?" She asked, almost terrified of the answer. "I can still remain... please?" Again, Ichigo had to suspect the conditioning and whatever trauma she must've gone through during her assassin training.
"I'll train you myself Kurome." Esdeath suddenly promised, holding a caring, almost motherly, smile on her face. "You'll surpass your old self in no time. I promise." Kurome looked so relieved, she was about to break down in tears.
"There was a Night Raid sighting." She suddenly said, surprising both of them. "It looked like they were heading East to Kyoroch. Run took command and left with Bols and Wave, but Night Raid has a day's lead on them and I would've slowed them down. I insisted that I go along, despite my state." Esdeath held Kurome to her, stroking the girl's hair. "I... I didn't want to be abandoned." She admitted, Ichigo joining in on the hug.
"I already told your sister, but just be patient." He said, pulling back to look her in the eye. "You two WILL be a family again."
"And I'm going to have a few words with Wave about teams and partners sticking together." Esdeath promised, with a smile that promised to hurt Wave later on. "Now let's go!" She said, carrying Kurome with her as she went to wherever she kept her dragon. Not like it could stay with the horses. Ichigo was about to dismiss it as none of his concern, until he remembered that they were heading East. He felt a spiritual disturbance to the East of the Capital while they were on the island, and now Night Raid was heading in that direction. He released a powerful Pesquisa pulse in that direction, getting the information minutes later. Jaegers a few miles from the outskirts of the Capital, Night Raid indeed having a day's lead on them, and that unusual spirit even further out.
'I did say I should check that out, but maybe I'll pick up some information before I head out.' Ichigo thought as he removed his Gigai Ring and flashed directly to Night Raid's base. "Hey Marik, or Bulat, or whoever! Someone get out here and tell me what I missed!" Answering the summons, Marik appeared before his king and knelt down.
"My master, I knew you were fine." He quickly said before giving his report. "Apparently, while Night Raid was forced to lay low due to the Jaegers creation, the attack on the previous base, and your own actions in the Capital putting everyone on high alert, the Prime Minister was able to accelerate his plans in the East where a religious cult called 'The Path of Peace' has put their main base. The previous leader of the group was reported to have recently died and the new head is a man on Honest's pay. The plan of the Revolutionary army was to use the uprising of the Path of Peace in the East in a three pronged attack with the Western Kingdom as the third force."
"Interesting. What are the new leader's other crimes?" Ichigo asked, already suspecting the man's soul to be black with sin. "On top of killing his predecessor."
"From what I heard, he drugs the people in the congregation to become his slaves and sex toys." Ichigo felt his fist clench, hard enough that his nails pierced through his skin and the pain didn't even register in his mind. "Your orders?" Marik asked, making Ichigo take a breath and sigh with regret.
"Our duty as Soul Reapers is not to interfere with the Living, but to protect the Dead." The hybrid answered. "As much as I want to see him die, I must stay my hand. That said," Ichigo perked up, "I think I'll head over to the East anyway. Something is not right there, and who knows. Maybe I'll get there in time to watch him turn into a Hollow and send him to Hell the hard way." The Shinigami scowled, promising himself to see the man sent to Hell. "I'm off." He said before flashing away.
(At Kyoroch)
"Our Lord, our dearest friend and teacher, is making his journey to the blessed divine." Borik told the congregation of followers, with the body of the Lord of the Path of Peach held inside a glass display case. "However, it is taking him time to complete because he is taking all of our fallen brothers and sisters with him." The halls were filled with wails of sorrow and pain as they pleaded for their teacher and leader's safe passage. "But, his mission is at risk. Before he died, he delivered me a vision. A warning of a demon, a demon dressed in black with a head of fire will come and he will try to drag our beloved Lord into oblivion." The sadness turned to anger as the people condemned the demon. "Be vigilant, be ready, for we must protect our Lord." The people began to burst into action, the priest smiling as he descended the stairs to head for his private room in the inner sanctum. He was away from his 'playthings' for long enough.
"I'm surprised no one could tell how insincere you were." A man said from around the corner, one of four people that were constantly guarding him since he began his mission in the Path of Peace. "But then again, they are desperate for direction. And you just pointed them at our target." The man was Sten, a large and heavily muscled man with a thick black beard that went up past his ears in two pointed tips, with a long braid from the back of his otherwise bald head. He had prominent circles around his yellow eyes. He wore Gi pants with half a top covering his left torso with a black pauldron and black metal armbands. "Keep in mind that the Prime Minister considers his death more important than your life Borik."
"Honest is just being paranoid." The priest dismissed casually. "It's just a person with a Teigu putting up impressive theatrics. You and the other Rakshasha Demons have killed Teigu user's before. How should he be any different?" Rakshasha Demons, the personal execution squad of the Prime Minister. Each one a master of the Imperial Fist martial arts style and have undergone strict training practices to control and manipulate their bodies, putting them on par with Teigu users with nothing more than physical ability.
"It takes a lot to make him uneasy, and apparently this 'Ichigo Kurosaki' character has been scaring him since he first showed up and declared himself a 'Shinigami'." Sten returned, privately grinning to himself at the prospect of a challenging opponent.
"That so called 'Death God' also made it clear he values the lives of the people. I've just turned the people against him, so you have that going for you as well." Borik said, getting more annoyed. "The matter can be left in your hands. I'm busy for my appointment." The priest smiled lecherously at the thought of his meeting with his personal flock.
"Well, if nothing else, this should be fun." Another voice from behind Sten said, sounding nonchalant and expecting some fun. The man turned to find his fellow Demon, Mez. A rather short and petite girl with a heavy tan and blonde hair that was worn in pigtails and held together with small metal horseshoes, actually considerable weights to slow her down. Like Sten, she wore metal armbands and Gi pants, but she also had a loose shirt that put her body on display with a white bikini top covering her breasts. "You think that Soul Reaper is really as strong as the report says Sten?"
"It should be a fun battle Mez." He replied with a ready smirk. "And we will release the soul of the would-be reaper." Just then, another of their number came running to them. She outfit resembled a Shinto shrine maiden with black hair in a 'Hime' cut in the front and a short messy ponytail in the back. The kimono was loose and showed her cleavage, with a breast guard on her right breast keeping the outfit from opening completely.
"He's here," She reported to the two, "Ibara's already confronting him."
(Earlier)
"So much easier." He said, finishing the journey from Night Raid's base to Kyoroch in seconds. Times like this, he was glad for his speed as a spirit and it felt good to push that limit after spending hours going not nearly fast enough. Now he stood outside the city, slipping on his Gigai Ring, and walked to enter the desert civilization. The architecture of the buildings reminded the hybrid of his own world's Middle East and desert nations with a bit of Turkish designs as well. He then tried to feel the mood of the city, and it was far worse than in the Capital's slums. The sense of despair and hopelessness hung so thick he could probably cut it. Whoever the leader of the Path of Peace was, it was clear that he was truly loved and adored. 'Must've been a really good guy.' He thought to himself, walking among the populace.
"YOU!" He suddenly heard someone shout, finding a tall and pale man. He plenty of lean muscle, purple hair with a ponytail and framing bangs around his black eyes, red line tattoos going from his eyes down to his hands with stitch marks on the borders and circling his head. He only wore a pair of shorts and black metal armbands. "The demon that would drag the Lord to the darkness!"
"What?" Ichigo asked, not expecting this. He didn't even notice the people slowly perking up.
"The Lord said on his death bed that a demon, dressed in darkness with head of fire, will come and drag his soul to damnation!" The man continued to yell.
"What?" Ichigo repeated, now more annoyed as he started to suspect this was staged.
"Demon! You will not take him! We WILL stop you!" He roared, the people suddenly brandishing improvised weapons and throwing rocks.
'I'm not dealing with this.' The hybrid decided, easily dodging everything as the group charged at him. Before they could reach him, he disappeared from their sight. "Tell me, how lovely are these falling blossoms?" He reappeared between the crowd and the man. They were about to charge, when they saw dark cherry blossoms suddenly falling all around them. Within seconds, everyone was asleep. "Hakufuku, you don't get enough credit for a Kido spell." He said before attempting to investigate the man that started the near riot, only stopping to dodge out of the way of something he heard flying toward him.
"Damn. Missed." The Shinigami looked up to see three more people, a man and two women, appear. "Maybe he's not just all hype."
"Who the hell are you?" Ichigo called out, sensing something was off about the three... four if he included the sleeping guy that was getting woken up by one of the girls.
"We're the Rakshasha Demons. The strongest masters of the Imperial Fist style." The man said before introducing his team. "I'm Sten, the dark one is Mez, the other girl is Suzuka, and that guy is Ibara." The four spread out, poising to attack. "And we're here to kill you." Ichigo raised an eyebrow and then bolted, stunning the four. "AFTER HIM!" Sten roared as they gave chase.
(With Ichigo)
'Gotta get some distance between us and the civilians.' Ichigo thought as he looked for a more proper battlefield, settling on a field near the city's edge. 'Okay, now that THAT'S done, time to focus on the fight. Maybe my Hakuda against their Imperial Fist. Been a while since I did just plain martial arts.' He was brought out of his musing when he heard something zipping through the air, jumping to avoid... nails... that were extending from Sten's hand. 'That's new.' He thought as the other Rakshasha Demons tried to spear him with their nails as well, Ichigo dodging by skating around on Hirenkyaku. 'Okay, that's not a Teigu. But they feel human.' "Pretty odd style to use your nails like that!" He said after landing, hoping they were both arrogant and stupid enough to boast.
"The training is to strengthen our bodies and allow us to control them to our desire." Ibara said, Ichigo pleased he fell for it and disappointed at the cliché, while the martial artist seemed to stretch and flex his shoulders. "The broth of the Lake Kraken Danger Beast allows us to to do things like this!" He threw an arm at him like a bullet, his nails extending along with the entire arm and doubling the speed of the attack. The nails touched Ichigo's gut and then bent and broke, shocking all four of the Demons as Ichigo's veins began to glow blue.
"You're not the only ones to undergo harsh training for the martial arts." He said before flashing in front of Ibara, thrusting an open palm at the man's chest. "Tessho." Ichigo spoke upon contact, sending the Demon flying back with an indention on his body from Ichigo's attack. "So do you want to see which is stronger? My skills or yours?" Sten glared at him, Mez smiled, and Suzuka looked... excited. Not Esdeath excited, she reminded him more of Nel when she was being 'punished'. 'Not another one.' He sighed before dodging another stream of attacks from all sides, swiftly getting into a handstand and spun around with his legs out. The Demons forced themselves back due to the speed of Ichigo's spin and seeing what he did to Ibara made them more cautious.
"You'll pay for that!" Ibara roared, coming back to the fray, shooting his arm at Ichigo. The hybrid dodged and caught him by the wrist before crushing it in his grip. "AHHH!" The Demon screamed in pain, just before Ichigo yanked on his arm. The pale martial artist flew to the Soul Reaper, who ducked as he flew above him, and saw Ichigo pulled again in the opposite direction. There was a sickening crack and tear as Ibara's arm was torn off, shoulder and all, and Ichigo did a backflip to kick the Demon away.
'When did I start to get so violent?' Ichigo wondered, thinking back to a time when he would at least offer the chance to join him with some of his foes. 'This world is doing things to me.' He was again brought out of his thoughts when he noticed the ground was now covered in a new liquid. 'Oil?' He thought, sniffing the air. 'Sweat?' He then saw Mez rushing at him, flying through the air. On reflex, he tried to shift his footing to prepare for the next attack and ended up slipping.
"Got you!" She called out, throwing an extending punch while Suzuka threw an extending kick at his leg, and Sten shot his nails and his beard, all at Ichigo's heart. The combined attacks threw Ichigo off his feet and sent him flying back by quite the distance, though his hardened skin protected him from the worst. The oily sweat made keeping his footing difficult, until he resorted to using Hirenkyaku to get back on his feet.
"Ikkotsu." Ichigo whispered, before flashing in front of Sten and slamming his fist into the man's guts. Sten began to turn and shift as Ichigo made contact with him, avoiding the worst damage, but getting much of his abs and side ripped off from the force and friction. The man dropped to his knees, screaming in agony as he grasped his wound as if it would stop the bleeding or his organs from spilling out. "What do you think of your odds now?" He asked, sensing that Ibara was back and attempting to attack him despite his mangled body, along with Mez and Suzuka. Ibara was dodged altogether, Mez got a rib shattering kick to her side that threw her into Sten and Ibara, and Suzuka was pinned under Ichigo's foot and ready for it to snap her neck. "Okay. Play time is over, who sent you to kill me? I have an idea, but I want to confirm it."
"The," Mez started while coughing out blood, "the Prime Minister." The others looked at her with anger and a sense of betrayal. "Oh what? Like it makes any difference whether I tell him or not?" Ichigo took a deep breath, which did little to calm him down.
"I'm starting to lose my patience with that man and this bullshit." He growled before unleashing his Reiatsu. The effect was immediate as they were crushed under the weight of his pressure, all of them suffocating from the sudden lack of oxygen in their lungs... Suzuka looked like she was enjoying herself though. "I didn't come here expecting a fight. I was hoping that the Prime Minister would learn to leave me to my own devices. Instead, this happens. Someone challenges me." His veins turned red as he charged his Blut Arterie. "And then they die. Maybe if I stay like this, they'll leave me alone." His black Reishi swirled around him for a few seconds, eventually revealing Ichigo in his Vasto Lorde state. "Maybe then, he'll end his interference." He put his fingers against Ibara's forehead and prepared to flick. "Or maybe, I'll accelerate Makoto's attempts to find him guilty and be rid of him like so." He released his finger and blew off the top part of Ibara's head. "But for now, I'm content with taking my anger out on you." He said before punching Sten's head into a red mist, decapitating Mez, and crushing Suzuka's neck. He then reverted back to human form and removed his Gigai ring, less likely to get involved in another attack that way.
"Is... is this what the afterlife is!?" He heard Mez gasp as the four now became newborn spirits.
"No. Not sure what your lingering attachments are, but you're not in the afterlife yet." Ichigo answered. "I'm going to go deal with something first. Until I return, think about whether you wish to pass on or join me." He then disappeared, leaving the four martial artists alone to think.
(Path of Peace Cathedral)
'Finally.' He thought, flashing in front of the temple gates. 'Now, the disturbance seems to be here. Let's see what it is.' Due to having been attacked earlier, he decided to stay in spirit form for the time being. Probably should've done that from the beginning, but he wanted to experience the city for a little bit. He phased through the wall and found a massive throng of people, singing hymns of passing and sorrow and hope in a hopeless world, but the thing that stood out the most was the clear glass display casket and the pale man in chains pleading to the people.
"Remember the point of it all!" The man called out, still preaching to his people despite his current state. "Do good to and for others, never be cruel, always remember those that walked the path with you, and persevere throughout all the hate! Do not give in to hatred!" He continued until he saw Ichigo walking toward him. "Do not fear death, for the passing of the soul is not the end. He is not the demon that Borik named him as. He is the Reaper and I-"
"Just stop already." The hybrid said, somewhat annoyed. "I'm not an actual god, just a being that helps souls pass on." The spirit of the man looked confused.
"What do you call that, if not a god like being?" He asked the Shinigami.
"I don't want unrealistic expectations. Okay?" He answered as he scanned the man. He... surprisingly didn't feel human. There was something else to him that was enough to make him inhuman, but what was it?
"I understand." The soul said, nodding. He too encountered people that expected greater things than he could deliver. Undoing someone's death was a recurring matter, but beyond his power. "But if I may, could you tell them the truth of my passing?" He asked Ichigo, who was barely listening as he studied the man's body. "I made a poor decision in trusting my adviser Borik, for he-"
'Is he?' Ichigo wondered as he felt a tinge of life still in the body, finding the chain on the man's soul was still connected to his physical form. He went through the glass and placed his ear against the man's chest and listened, drowning out everything else. After a few seconds, his eyes widened. "Alive." He said, silencing the spirit. "You're in a coma, but still alive.... How?!" He yelled, doing a quick diagnostic check on the man. "Mix of drug overdose, cardiac arrest, and... yeah, a stroke. And your body is still alive." Ichigo put on his Gigai Ring and broke open the glass, blowing away the shards before they could cut the body and also scaring the congregation. "I don't know what this falls under, but I know this. I only send those that have already passed on, not those with life still in their veins." He grabbed the man by his soul chain. "Get back to life!" He roared before shoving the soul back into the body, ignorant of the many people that recognized him as 'The Demon' and began to charge at him. All were silenced as a deafening gasp filled the air.
"I'm... I'm back?" The man said as people slowly reached out to him, almost scared to find it to be a lie. "My friends, my family. I'm alive." He got to his feet and laughed. "I'm alive again!"
"Lord... our good deeds did come back to us." A woman said, tears filling her eyes. "Our Lord is back." She reached out and he took her hand.
"Rakul was your husband Ageth. And I remember you as well." He turned to his people as the woman began crying tears of joy. "My soul was removed from my body, but my flesh did not die." He announced, the people calling it a miracle. "The 'Demon' Borik told you of was in fact the Reaper of Souls. I thought he had come to deliver me to the land of God, but it seems the opposite was true. I was not yet ready to depart and not yet truly dead. He restored my life, which I will continue to live with our message in mind. Be good! Be kind!"
"LORD! LORD! LORD!" The people chanted, bringing a smile to Ichigo's face. Finally, a decent happy ending. "PRAISE TO THE SOUL REAPER THAT RETURNED HIM TO US!" That part was less appreciated, but all were silenced when the Lord raised his hand again.
"Now listen, and listen till the end." He said, taking a deep breath. "I was not stricken with illness, but was betrayed and poisoned." The people gasped in horror and shock, which quickly gave way to anger. "I forgive him!" The Lord announced, surprising everyone. "I forgive the one that betrayed me, for if I held hate in my heart for him, then everything I stood for would become meaningless. I will not give in to my hate, my anger, but I will still see him punished. Not out of personal vengeance, but for betraying the Path and its people." He turned to Ichigo and bowed. "May I ask for your protection in this? I doubt that he would leave gracefully."
"Lead the way." Ichigo said, as the prophet made his way to find the man that betrayed him.
(Inner Sanctum)
Borik was indulging in the pleasures of the flesh with one of his more recent inductees, eyes still glazed over from the drugs she drank, all without a care in the world. That is until he heard a commotion, not the singing of the memorial service that the people were holding of their choice. Soon he heard the calls of 'punishment' and 'heathen' all getting louder and louder. The confusion pulled him away from having his way with his slave, only to be utterly shocked when his last personal bodyguard, Horimaka, blew through the door.
"Your Teigu is pointless if you don't actually use it!" He heard someone say, looking to the door to find a certain Soul Reaper with a scythe in hand, the entire congregation, and a still living Lord. His deceptions were laid bare for the people, his guards were all dead, even if he made it out of here then Honest would dispose of him. He had no hope of escape.
"M-m-my Lord!" Borik started, turning into a sniveling wreck of desperation, covered his lower half and stumbled toward the inhuman priest. "Y-y-y-y-you have returned to us! Truly, you are a-"
"Borik, you are excommunicated from the Path of Peace." The Lord stated with finality. There was no mercy, no love, not even hate. Just that, a sentence. "You have betrayed the teachings, lied to my followers, and sought to bring the entire movement to ruin. And why? Because you were a slave to your greed. I'm sorry that I failed to save you, but I cannot help those that only indulge themselves." He turned away while the people of the church ransacked his office and documents to find where the other members of the church were and what Borik used to poison them.
"Please my Lord!" Borik cried out, tears falling from his face before he tripped and fell. He abandoned any sense of modesty and shame as he crawled to the Lord helplessly desperate and naked. "I was wrong! I've seen this miracle of your revival for myself! I-"
"Just want to save your own disgusting hide." Ichigo growled getting in front of him. "You're not actually repenting, you just don't want to die. Like a filthy coward." The rage Ichigo felt toward the man boiled as Ichigo could smell the stench of sin on the man, almost as foul as Honest's own presence. "Here's my own prophecy for you." The hybrid said as he slowly turned to his more Hollow form. "You will be abandoned by the people and forced out into the desert with nothing more than the skin on your back. Even if you survive the heat, the weather, and the beasts, you will be hunted by agents of that corrupt master of yours as punishment for this failure. You will become a soul and I will wait until you succumbed to the rot of hunger and madness that will turn you into a monster. After that, I will find you, break you, and when you lay on the border of your second pathetic death at my feet, then I will send you to your final punishment in Hell!" He roared, feeling something burn inside of him as the Gates of Hell suddenly appeared.
"What are those!?" The Lord called out in fear, Ichigo himself looking surprised at their presence.
'Did... did I summon them at will?' Ichigo wondered as they opened and chains flew out toward Borik, who screamed in pain as he was impaled. Soon, his body's screams stopped as his flesh fell dead and his soul was ripped into Hell.
"My Lord! What did you see?! What happened!?" The people begged and asked their leader.
"Boric... I think he was dragged into Hell." He turned to Ichigo. "That's where those gates led to right? To Hell?" The hybrid nodded, noting that this person or, maybe thing, could see things on the spiritual plane. Figured he'd run into someone that could at some point. Ichigo then began puking up black ooze.
"Not this again." He muttered before retching out another torrent of blood and blackness. "I need to rest." Ichigo ripped off his Gigai Ring and collapsed, the Lord catching him as he fell.
"You returned light to my people Soul Reaper." He said as he lifted Ichigo and turned to his congregation. "Let us guard you while you sleep."
(Ichigo's inner world)
"Well... haven't seen this in a while." He said, standing in the wasteland of Hell's deepest level. Where he was granted the power of the Kushanada and sealed Kokuto away for eternity. "Am I going to get any answers as to what's going on?"
"Yes." Ichigo heard a familiar voice, turning to find a single Kushanada towering above him. "You will learn of your powers over Hell."
(Illustrated Guide to Teigu Users)
New God
It was the third day of the Lord's revival and the people continued to celebrate. More converted to the Path of Peace and a new idol was made to stand with the god of the Path. It was a sharp contrast to the more peaceful looking bull esque deity that many associated the religion with. With sharp angular horns, fearsome claws, the presence of two swords at the hip, and a skull like face, it was a fearsome image. Like the previous god this new deity was nameless, only known as 'Guardian of Souls'. Word of his intervention with the sinner Boric and the revival of the Lord spread like fire, returning joy to the people as they praised that god as well. A god to bless them for their good deeds and a god to protect their souls from the corruption of others.
"That's Ichigo, isn't it?" Lubbock asked, some of his fellow Night Raid assassins in disguise with Chelsea's Gaia Foundation Teigu and confused as hell by what they found. "He apparently sent our target to Hell itself, brought a man back from the dead, and is now a god. I feel so inadequate."
"Implying you could even compete in the first place." Leone snickered, Mine and Chelsea joining in.
"Shut up!" He whispered loudly, Tatsumi offering a sympathetic pat on the back. Just then, Esdeath and her Jaegers entered the cathedral, just as they began to give thanks to the 'Guardian'.
"Ichigo?" She asked, seeing her beloved sleeping and venerated as a deity. "... I'm officially mated to a god... That's hot." She smiled, disturbing both her team and Night Raid.
"She's not wrong." Leone whispered.