Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Good morning Captain!" the collective wishes reached the ears of the twelfth unit captain. Kurotsuchi Mayuri did not answer the wishes and headed straight to his office. He still had a lot of work to do. The war with the Quincy ended in their victory and went down in history as the Millennium War. It cost them a lot of casualties not only in the units but also in their command positions. And Mayuri was busy with the analysis of the dead bodies and the creation of various serums. As a highly intelligent researcher he still had something to research. So he did not look happy when he was offered help from Urahara. He does not need any help! He closed the door behind him with a sigh, sat on his chair and his fingers started the familiar dance on the keys. He was slowly memorizing and putting together the results of yesterday's survey. Fatigue got to him yesterday so he didn’t finish it. He worked quietly, without a break. Within a moment, his eyes caught a red glowing button. He frowned and turned his gaze to the screen. Will look into it later. An unfinished report took precedence. Unfortunately, he lost his chance a few minutes later when the door to his office suddenly burst open.

“Captain we have a problem!” Deputy Akon was red in the face when he tried to get to the office as soon as possible.

"Is headquarters on fire that you're rushing in here like a storm!?" the captain barked in irritation and turned to face him. Looking at the stressed face of his deputy, he frowned.

“What is it?” Akon took a few breaths to catch his lost breath.

"Captain, there is some suspicious activity going on in the interspace!"

“Did you do your research before you decided to run to me? I don't have time for petty inconsistencies!"

"This is something unusual. It damaged the cleaner." The captain's eyebrows shot up. He turned his chair to the monitor and pressed the glowing button. How is it possible that once he decides not to deal with something right away, it's something serious? His eyes scanned the displayed message. His face took on an expression of disbelief. He clicked on the attached video from the interspace. For a while there was nothing. Then several cracks appeared in the interspace walls and the coming cleaner's body was hit by a high heat wave. It burst like a balloon, and when the smoke from the explosion cleared, the walls of the interspace were free of cracks or damage of any kind, and the cleaner lay on its side pierced with several black holes where it had been struck.

,,Hmm interesting." Mayuri smirked and rubbed his chin. Various theories and assumptions began to appear in his head. Akon swallowed behind him and waited for an order. He got it shortly after.

“Give a report to the head captain and request a meeting on my behalf by tomorrow!” Mayuri kept his eyes on the screen.

"Yes sir!" Akon quickly bowed and left the office. Mayuri spent the next hours examining the recording and the reports of several subordinates he had sent into interspace to investigate. The report came back negative, which only increased his frustration. Shortly after midnight, however, he lost the screen and screams of terror could be heard from the black screen. The situation only lasted a few moments, but even that was enough for him to see only three charred bodies on the finally working screen.

"What the hell is this supposed to be?" he asked himself as he gathered information. With the first rays of the sun, a purple butterfly arrived with orders to appear at the captain's meeting. He gathered all the information he could and set off. When he arrived, he lined up and waited for the last to arrive. He didn’t wait long. Kyoraku looked the captains over.

"You are all here. Great. Today's meeting has taken place because of unusual activity in the interspace.” There was a rustle among the captains. All pairs of eyes turned to the captain of the twelfth unit.

“Twelfth Squad Captain Mayuri, please come forward and report your findings.” At the call, Mayuri stood before the head Captain and gave his report.

"According to my findings, it appears that something is randomly disrupting the walls of the interspace. The cleaner was badly damaged and it will take several weeks before it can get back to work. I sent a few members of my unit into interspace for a little scouting. The result was zero information and mass destruction of the sent unit. After the attack, only charred bodies remained. What I can say for sure is the use of heat or fire. I have not been able to find out what is causing the attacks and destruction."

"Fire? That's going to be a problem.” Rukia Kuchiki frowned. The fire reminded everyone of the fallen head captain. Kyoraku rubbed his chin and took a moment to absorb the information.

"If I may butt into the discussion..." thirteen heads turned to the captain of the sixth unit. Kuchiki Byakuya had a glint in his eyes that indicated he had figured something out.

“Speak Captain Kuchiki.” Kyoraku smiled slightly.

“Since the attacker uses fire techniques it would be wise to send Captain Hitsugaya to scout. The captain controls Hyorinmaru, he controls the weather and the ice. It's a perfect match."

"That's right, I can assist him. I control the ice zanpakuto myself.” Rukia nodded in agreement. Positive approvals gradually echoed through the ranks.

“Alright.” The voices died down under the head captain's weight. Kyoraku stood up and spread his arms.

,,Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Kuchiki will go with the selected units to explore interspace. Captain Kurotsuchi will monitor you. I expect results in two days!"

"Yes sir!" the meeting was dismissed and the Captains left to prepare for the task. Rukia took five shinigami from her unit who she knew had had proper training with her. She felt a little nervous, but the meeting with Renji shortly before leaving made her calm. The red-haired deputy was always able to give her confidence.

Toshiro Hitsugaya, on the other hand, was wondering whether to take Rangiku with him. He considered his options, and finally decided against it. He didn't know how long the mission would last and he needed her to lead the division while he was gone. He took a smaller unit of ten shinigami with him and hoped that would be enough. After all, they were going for research and information gathering.

"Captain!" Rangiku looked at him with worry in her eyes, yet there was a glimmer of trust in them.

“Take care of everyone.” Turquoise eyes sparkled due to the reflection of the sun's rays. The long-haired deputy grinned widely.

“You can count on me.” Within an hour, they were gathered in one place, and with the help of the hell butterfly, they entered the interspace. The walls of the space flowed as they should, and the atmosphere was unchanged.

“Watch out for any changes.” Turquoise eyes scanned the empty space intently. Rukia lowered her hand to the hilt of her zanpakuto.

"Record any suspicious activity!" The units spread out around the area and went to work. Mayuri watched everything from his study. Coordinates with information appeared on the edge on the screen and so far everything looked fine. As time passed, the image of the screen made him frown. It was like he was dreaming the whole time and nothing happened. He rubbed his eyes with a frustrated grunt when screams disturbed the silence.

"Do you feel it?"

"It's coming from the interspace wall!"

,,Be careful!"

"Everyone aside!"

"Hyorinmaru!"

"Captain Hitsugayo!"

"What is this? Its pulling me in!"

"Dance! Sode no...we won't make it! Retreat!"

"It's not possible, you're…let me go!" Mayuri began run his fingers over the keyboard as the screen lit up under the onslaught of fire. He lost contact for a moment and when it lit up again, the interspace was empty.

“Captain!” Akon's voice filled with panic made him get up from his chair and walk into the lab. Akon was white in the face.

"What is it Akon?" Mayuri looked at the numbers on the screen and stopped. Just before the attack, one coordinate changed. His deputy took a deep breath.

“Captain, the Tenth and Thirteenth Division units together with Captain Rukia Kuchiki were successfully rescued from interspace a while ago. But..."

“But?” the captain's mask frowned over the image of the captain and the squad members lying in the place where they had set off on their mission. Some of the kimonos were charred and the captain's hands were coal black. One crew member was missing, however. His stomach lurched slightly as Akon confirmed the observation.

“Captain Hitsugaya has disappeared into the glow of interspace and his energy cannot be detected. He's gone."

Chapter Text

It was on days like these that Ichigo Kurosaki had to sigh. A beautiful sunny day without clouds and a pleasant twenty degrees was spoiled by the fact he was on a tour of the city of Karakura. There was really no reliance on others. Unfortunately, he had to start thinking ahead. He hadn't felt or seen any hollow anywhere yet, so he could let his thoughts run wild. There were a few things that were bothering him and he needed to deal with them.

First of all, he figured, he would have to talk to the head Captain about someone more suitable who would actually be able to take care of the city. In a few months he will have his final exams and then his further studies will take him to a university in Tokyo. Unfortunately, it was pretty out of hand and Ichigo couldn't afford to come back every night to take care of the town. His mental health would soon fail from exhaustion. He will request a meeting next month and will try to negotiate with Kyoraku. He wondered to himself if it would be a good idea. But after browsing a few job websites, he found that translators were on the rise. Ichigo excelled in English and at the same time it would be a job he could manage his time if he could meet the deadlines. Perfect for him and his double life. Unfortunately, he was only able to study in Tokyo. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a skater on the new bike path and stopped for a moment. That might work. It will give enough time to select a suitable representative.

With a satisfied smile, he started moving again. That solved one problem for him. The second is his relationship with Orihime Inoue. He was surprised to find that he did not know how to deal with the problem. Despite the fact that Rukia was forever calling him an idiot, Ichigo was not blind. He knew about his beautiful friend's feelings for a long time. Unfortunately, there was no time to pursue this topic with everything that was going on around them. And when he lost his power and was left helpless, he focused on his negative feelings and romance fell to the side again. During the war with quincy he decided he couldn't put it off any longer and after the war they became a couple. They went on dates, were lovey dovey like lovebirds, and yet his heart wasn't complete.

He frowned again as he had to avoid the tall chimney. He stopped for a moment and sat down with his back against the solid bricks. To make it not so simple, he liked the girl. And he himself felt a spark of warm feelings for her. Still, he couldn't fully immerse himself in the relationship. For God's sake, they've moved on to kissing goodbye! And some part of his heart still refused to accept this situation. He felt a strong wave of irritation. Zangetsu responded to his mood. Sighing, he placed the long blade in his lap and soothed his partner with a few gentle caresses. Having discovered the complete truth about himself and gained the blade's true form, he was mentally closer to the white hollow and its black counterpart than ever before. However, this meant that his emotions were seeping through heavily and both spirit partners were responding. He had to calm down. He took a few deep breaths, feeling more relaxed with each exhalation. He needed that. He leaned against the chimney again and stared at the sun, which was slowly setting and turning the sky from blue to blood red.

Okay, back to the problem. He was beginning to doubt that he had done well to manage the relationship. He didn't want to hurt the girl and he tried his best. Maybe he's doing something wrong? Could it be hormones? Inoue didn't seem like she was missing anything in the relationship. But she probably wouldn't tell him herself. She was too nice for that. The unpleasant thought made his eyes widen in horror. Wait, does she want to sleep with him? He immediately shook his head. Stupid! That can't be it. They weren't crazy fifteen teens anymore, but they were already at an age where they could control themselves. Ichigo himself was satisfied with the kisses, he didn't feel the passion and he didn't feel the urge to tear off his clothes either. Plus there's the matter of next studies. The girl was accepted to a university far from Tokyo, far from him. Long distance relationships didn't work very well from what he had read and heard. Was the relationship worth keeping if he didn't feel comfortable in it for god knows what reason?

Frustrated, he ran a hand through his longer orange hair. He had grown them out a bit and now they covered his neck. With the sharper features of adulthood, he looked like a snack as was told by the new first-years. Not that he cares. But the yearning sighs in the school corridors really couldn't be overheard. He wasn't alone. Somehow he got into the elite of sexy hotties, which included Uryu Ishida and a few others. His mind remained standing over the absurdity.

And yes, his mind didn't serve him well, because the last problem was a white-haired creature named Toushirou Hitsugaya. This problem was actually closely related to the previous problem. Under the warmth of the setting sun, he closed his eyes and sank into his memories. The last few months have been...beautiful. He spent as much time at home as he did at Soul Society. The home of the death gods was also becoming his second home. Finding out where his father came from, Ichigo became interested in the Shiba family. He was warmly welcomed and gradually learned new information. He spent so much time getting to know each other and running from uninvited guests asking for friendly matches that he found peace in the tenth unit building. The first time the white haired captain almost froze him, but gradually Ichigo's presence stopped bothering him. After all, he didn't go there to cause mischief. He just sat on the carpet and meditated. He stored the information in his memory and enjoyed the cool calm. He didn't know why, but Toushirou had an aura around him that he was strongly attracted to. He spent time near him whenever he could. Each time he found inner peace.

And here was the problem. His own feelings confused him. He was in a relationship with a beautiful girl and it was going great. Why did his heart skip a beat whenever he looked into those turquoise eyes? And when did that change happen? He couldn't tell. It will probably be the part of his heart that refuses to adapt to the current relationship. A pleasant warmth filled his chest with every thought devoted to the white-haired captain. And he would put his hand in the fire for the young man's harsh reactions to have calmed down and Ichigo's presence was more than tolerated.

"Shit! This is so complicated! What idiot invented feelings!?" he yelled into the silence of the cooling night. It looked like he was going to have to use a great deal of strength to look into himself and solve the problem with his feelings. More confused than he had ever been before he stood up, settled the long blade on his back and when he still didn't feel any monster, he had enough for today. As he was about to turn home he felt a familiar energy, and he turned to his right to see a door, which opened to reveal the curves of a familiar woman.

"Rangiku?" his eyebrows shot up high on his forehead. The deputy never showed herself alone in Karakura. He immediately realized that something was wrong. The long hair was not combed smoothly, the face was white and the eyes were full of worry. A little hope appeared in them. looking at him.

“Ichigo!” she yelled, jumping up to him.

“You have to come with me right now.” She insisted with panic in her voice. Ichigo switched to a serious mood.

"What happened?" the long haired deputy shook to his shock as she tried to hold back the tears.

“The captain has disappeared.” This information made the substitute shinigami's insides freeze.

"What?" he managed quietly.

"He was sent on a mission and disappeared. They request your presence.” Ichigo shook himself enough to nod.

"Then there's nothing to wait for." It looked like his inner conflicts would have to wait again. But as he followed Rangiku into the familiar tunnel, he thought that his two problems might be solved after all. Zangetsu purred strangely inside of him.

Chapter Text

Entering the Soul Society was like a caress to the soul. At least that's how Ichigo perceived it. He was the ultimate hybrid. His soul was made up of several parts, and each part was satisfied by something different. The quincy part of him reveled in the peace and quiet, away from danger. The human part of him reveled in the wild life. Studying, street fights and typical human activities. And the shinigami part of him mixed with the hollow part reveled in both the battles from his hollow part and the fellowship of souls where the shinigami part was at home. It was strange until he got used to the feelings. He could imagine living here forever. But he still had his human life to live out before he was allowed to move on. With a sting in his chest, he wondered how long he could live before the feelings overwhelmed him.

"Are you alright Ichigo?" Rangiku's question snapped him out of his thoughts. He shook his head and smiled slightly at the redheaded liteunenant.

"I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind." He admitted quietly, his eyes running over the society and its beauty. The place was finally back on its feet after the war, and thanks to Urahara Kisuke's clever ideas, it looked more modern. The buildings had more glass and the architecture looked much better. Even the defense mechanism was improved. It took the longest thanks to the zero squard getting too caught up in the appearance debate. Ichigo remembered the bored look on Renji's face when he had to sit in the room with the others for hours, he had to laugh when the red-haired lieutenant told him with a disgusted look on his face.

"What's bothering you?" Rangiku focused on him completely, her eyes curious. Ichigo frowned.

"I don't think we would have discussed everything in the few minutes of the trip. But there's something you could advise me on if there's time.” The lieutenant's lips spread into a wide smile, the first time he'd seen it since she'd came to him in Karakura.

"It’ll be my pleasure!" she exclaimed and immediately became serious. They were approaching the head captain's building.

"The captains are in a meeting. Everything will be explained to you there. I'll just walk you to the door." She said in a serious tone and Ichigo frowned. His heart pounded in his chest. He hoped it wasn't anything serious and Toushirou had just gotten lost somewhere. But knowing himself, it wouldn't be that easy. They landed in front of the gate to the main building. The guard stopped them.

“Announce your purpose of visit!” Rangiku straightened up and put on a serious expression. That of a Tenth Unit representative.

,,Matsumoto Rangiku. I report that I have successfully brought the substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo at the head captain's request to the case of the disappearance of Tenth Squad Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou." She announced in a firm voice and the guard stepped back to let them in. Ichigo winced inwardly. Too military for his taste. But it was necessary to avoid further conflicts. Aizen was enough. He went to visit the bastard a few times to hear how good he was doing as a hybrid and how of a perfection he was. But Aizen's obsession with him was endless. Still Ichigo found he could have intelligent conversations with him. Maybe it was because he finally understood him. But he thoroughly enjoyed those moments.

"We're here Ichigo." Rangiku stopped in front of the large door leading to the main room. Even from this distance they could hear voices trying to shout over each other. Ichigo sighed. He wasn't looking forward to this. He turned to the lieutenant to find that she was looking at him with a sad look.

"Rangiku?" he asked confused. And she hugged him tightly, body shaking slightly. And he understood. He returned the hug.

"Please Ichigo. Bring him back to us." She whispered with tears in her eyes. Ichigo tightened the hug.

"I promise Rangiku. I'll do anything to bring him back." The door opened at that moment and the pair stepped away from each other. Matsumoto Rangiku gave him a pleased smile and with one last look at her Ichigo turned to enter the great hall. It looked like aftermath of a war there. Kyoraku Shunsui sat in a chair and watched the captains argue resignedly. Rukia was looking at them with a bored expression that brightened at the sight of her friend.

"Ichigo!" she called out and the noise stopped. Every pair of eyes turned to him. Ichigo was starting to sweat. He stepped in front of the head captain and bowed politely.

"You summoned me?" he asked and Kyoraku gave him a wide smile.

"Welcome Ichigo! We've been waiting for you!" he shouted to the entire hall. The young substitute was glad that most of them had learned to speak to him by without formalities. After all, he was here almost all the time and had a positive relationship with most of the death gods.

“What's the situation?” Soifon snorted by his left side.

"Pretty stupid question don't you think?" she frowned like a storm cloud. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think so. I have an idea why I'm here but I don't have the whole picture. That's why I'm asking."

"Cha! He's got you now!" Kenpachi Zaraki chuckled. Zangetsu on his back grunted in response. Ichigo had to admit he wouldn't mind a little duel. Kenpachi was the strongest opponent. Even if Ichigo wasn't always in the mood. The captain was quite violent in duels. He cracked a smile.

"We don't have time for jokes!" Lisa barked and Ichigo had to nod. He turned to the head captain with a serious expression.

,,So? What's the situation?” he repeated his question as Kyoraku rubbed his tired eyes.

"It's not good Ichigo. If we could have solved this on our own, I wouldn't have called you here." And so Head Captain Kyoraku Shunsui detailed the incident leading to the current situation. The atmosphere gradually thickened throughout the room as Ichigo's face began to change colors. Finally, his face remained an unhealthy gray color and his spirit pressure thickened to the point where he could taste it, his mind unable to adjust to the information he had just heard, his eyes widening as he finally took in all the information.

"What do you mean he's gone?!" the substitute shinigami looked in disbelief into the eyes of the head captain. The others didn't dare to speak.

“Exactly what I said Ichigo.” Kyoraku rubbed his tired eyes before staring into the caramel brown eyes of the young substitute.

Hitsugaya Toushirou has been missing for a few days now. We have no idea where he might be."

Chapter Text

"Look at this." Kurotsuchi Mayuri stepped forward and pointed to the portable screen with the interspace recording. Ichigo still gray-faced watched the recording play. His eyes were still fixed on the white-haired captain. What seemed like a simple survey quickly turned into a fight for his life when the space was engulfed in flames. He heard a squeal of shock, an almost desperate shout, and then Toushirou was gone. The image then went silent.

"Well? What do you say to that?" Kyoraku watched the young substitute closely. Everyone waited for his answer. Ichigo thought deeply. He had an inkling of what this was about.

"I think it was a kidnapping. But I don't know the motive. From the sounds of it, it's probably going to be some kind of monster. It's not Hollow. The sound is animal. And the entrance to the unknown place will be in the interspace."

"Why do you think that?" Kensei glared at the young man. Ichigo glared back. They were on the same page.

"It's just my deduction, but since the monster hasn't shown up anywhere else, I assume it's passing through the interspace. It's the only way to it and to us.” Applause echoed through the room. Kyoraku was pleased with what he was hearing.

,,Great! So the plan is…”

“Wait Head Captain.” Mayuri frowned and looked at the papers.

“Yes, Captain?” The twelfth squad captain underlined one line and frowned.

"It will be necessary to find out the exact coordinates where the portal will reopen."

,,Portal? Do you think the place is moving?" Ichigo was surprised. He was no match for an intelligence of this level. Mayuri looked at him in delight.

"Yes, it is moving. At least that's what the analysis results say. It will be necessary to get exact coordinates that will show us the exact location. I don't think it'll stay in one place for long.” Mayuri passed the sheet of paper for everyone to look at. Kyoraku stared at the numbers for a moment before clearing his throat and deciding.

"We will assemble a team of explorers with substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo at the lead. Ichigo, in the morning you will report five companions who will go exploring with you. The meeting is over!" with that the captains turned and left the room one by one. Ichigo was the last to leave. He looked surprised at the captain of the thirteenth division who was waiting for him outside the door.

"You're taking too long." she remarked and Ichigo had to smile.

"You know me too well." Rukia smiled back at him and together they left the First Division headquarters.

"Do you have a place to spend the night? You can sleep in my division's quarters.” She offered as they walked through the half-empty streets of Seireitei. Ichigo shook his head.

"I will sleep in the tenth division. I have some work to do.” Rukia raised an eyebrow.

"A job called Toushirou Hitsugaya?" she said in a lazy tone and Ichigo blushed as if on command.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I meant exploring his office! He could have left a clue!"

"But sure. Keep pretending there's no feelings you moron." She hissed and Ichigo stopped. Rukia looked back at him. She wanted to frame the shocked expression in her office.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice? You spend a suspicious amount of time in his office. And I'm in contact with Orihime. I know how you two are doing." She spoke and Ichigo rubbed his face. He wasn't ready to deal with his problems. Rukia slowly walked up to him and removed his hands from his face. She looked deeply into his eyes.

"You can talk to me about anything. I won't judge you Ichigo.” Caramel brown eyes watched her for a moment before he pulled away from her and continued on his way.

"It's not that simple, Rukia. I like Hime. As a couple we function, I dare say perfectly."

,,But...?"

"But I can't give her one hundred percent of myself. I can't.” Desperation seeped from his voice. Rukia frowned.

"And he knows?" she asked seriously. Ichigo glared at her.

,,Maybe. I don't know. We treat each other like friends. But sometimes I feel that imaginary line is momentarily crossed. It scares me. Because I don't know what will happen when it crosses fully.” He heard a resigned sigh and then a hand patting his shoulder.

"think it through . Take your time so you don't make a mistake you'll regret."

"I know. In addition, I have a play in my head that I have to prepare with the class. The year-long project is keeping me busy." He sighed and stopped in front of the tenth unit gate. Rukia patted him on the shoulder again and gave him an encouraging smile.

"You can do it Ichigo. You always manage. But now focus on tomorrow and choosing suitable companions for the mission. See you tomorrow." With that she said her goodbyes and headed towards the thirteenth unit barracks. The substitute shinigami followed her for a moment with his eyes before opening the door and heading into a very familiar room. The tenth unit captain's office was empty. He looked around before surveying the room. But try as he might, he couldn't find anything. Frustrated, he stared at the empty table. The longer he looked, the more he was left with a feeling of loneliness. Every time he arrived, the white-haired captain was sitting at the table and going through papers. A memory of the first meeting after the war came to his mind...

XxX

He walked through the ruined streets of Seireitei and he offered his help wherever he could. The war ended with their victory, yet he did not feel like a winner. He was dirty, hurt and tired. His soul is heavy, like the worries of the whole world. He wanted to lie down and sleep for a week. But he couldn't. The soul society needed every free hand. And even though he felt like he was going to die at any moment, he continued on his way. In every division his help was needed. He started in the first division and gradually worked his way up to higher numbers. After a few hours, he internally switched to autopilot. His mind switched half off.

Rukia to his surprise did not let him speak when he arrived. She told him to rest. One look at his torn face was enough for her. And Ichigo obeyed without protest. He just had nowhere to lay his head. The fourth unit was full of wounded. And everywhere there was a terrible noise that tore at his eardrums. He longed for peace. And he could think of only one place where he would find it. He turned on his heel and started for the tenth unit barracks. The journey took him longer than he intended. His legs were heavy and each step took a lot of effort. With a deep breath, he ran to the door, which he opened with effort and went inside. A destroyed garden welcomed him and the atmosphere was at freezing point. Still, he continued on to the smaller door, which he opened without knocking. He was greeted by a pair of surprised turquoise eyes. His world took on color at that moment.

"What are you doing here Kurosaki?" a confused question was directed in his direction. Toushirou Hitsugaya looked better than he certainly felt. He was sitting behind a desk, his hand gripping a pen as he traced the paper in front of him.

"I need to rest. No one will be looking for me here." He grumbled and headed for the comfortable sofa that had survived the war. Exhaling, he took Zangetsu off his back and propped him against the wall behind the sofa, before collapsing onto it with all his strength. The white haired captain was looking at him with sympathy.

"Don't disturb me while I'm working and you can spend the night here" He said and Ichigo smiled.

“Okay.” With that he settled down on the couch and within a minute he was in dreamland. Toushirou worked into the night, his eyes occasionally wandering over the sleeping figure of the young substitute. And so began his regular visits to the Tenth Squad Captain's office. Every time he needed a moment of peace for himself, he went to hide in the cold room of the white-haired captain, where he rested and meditated, the sound of pen on paper and the calm presence of the captain his only companion.

XxX

The memory made his chest twist painfully. What he would give to be able to immerse himself in meditation again in his presence. But now the captain wasn't there and the room was devoid of the aura of safety he was used to. Sighing, he laid down on the sofa he had claimed. He will rest and thinks about who he will take with him in the morning.

Chapter Text

He walked through the streets of Karakura. He held the last math test in his hand and was frowning at the red correction lines. He had missed a lot of classes because of the war and now he was having trouble learning everything. He wasn't stupid, but he couldn't learn so much material so quickly. The red number forty-two percent grinned at him. With a sigh, he hid the paper in his bag. He was doing great in the sciences, history as well. The math alone was a lot on his mind and he had trouble keeping all those formulas in his head. He didn't expect the test in half a year of studying to be so stressful. He wanted to disappear for a few days. 

"All that remains is to learn as much as possible for the test. Although I don't know how I'll make it in a week.” Desperate at the thought, he turned into the next street to freeze in shock. 

"Toushirou?" the white haired head lifted and turquoise eyes looked at him with surprise. Ichigo scanned the small figure. The captain was in a gigai. A pale blue t-shirt and white pants made him look like an ordinary schoolboy. He had to smile to himself. He blended in with the snow that had just fallen. 

"What are you doing here? I thought no one would show up here for a long time." He pointed to the head captain's decision. It was mainly about repairing the damage faster and giving time for the individual divisions to get themselves together. The approximate time was half a year. Ichigo didn't expect anyone during that time. And yet the little captain was standing in front of him. Toushirou Hitsugaya sized him up and nodded in greeting. 

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Captain Hitsugaya? The order is still valid. I'm one of the first to get my division in order. And since Rangiku was complaining about my time spent in the office and lack of sleep, I was ordered to take a vacation considering that I had everything done. Not that I enjoy hanging around here." Crossed arms clenched across his chest. He wasn't pleased at all. Ichigo watched him for a moment, then started moving again. Toushirou followed. The repeated scoldings about the captains title were left without further comment. 

“How long will you be here?” the substitute asked with considerable interest. 

“Two months.” He got a grunted reply. He felt like laughing. For being the strong captain, Toushirou looked like a child who had his favorite toy taken away. 

"Do you have a place to sleep? And any plans for the whole day off?" he inquired, amused by the captain's alternating expressions. 

"I arrived today. I refuse to stay with Urahara. This guy is full of new inventions and is constantly inventing something. It's not very safe to hang around him. As for plans, now that I'm here and I don't have to worry about impending danger, I'd like to visit some places. But it won't be enough for two months." The young captain sighed. He found it strange that the red-haired substitute cared so much. Ichigo clapped his hands. 

“In that case, I have a suggestion for you.” He exclaimed excitedly, turquoise eyes looked at him suspiciously. 

"And the proposal is?" he asked cautiously. 

"You can stay with us. Dad wanted to have a word with you. So you can kill two birds in one blow. Plus you're a genius. It would be great if I could borrow you as a tutor. I have a big test coming up in a week and I'd hate to screw it up." 

"Are you having trouble learning the material?" 

"No, it's more about the fact that I missed a lot because of the war and I don't have a chance to learn everything in seven days. Would you help me Please?" he pleaded and tried puppy eyes. Toushirou watched him for a moment before shaking his head and nodding. 

"You are right. I'll kill two birds with one blow." And so the young captain spent the afternoon having a serious conversation with his former captain. Neither of them commented if one shed a tear. After two hours, Isshin hugged him and said he would like to see him and Rangiku for lunch or dinner and let go. He exchanged a few words with the sisters and continued upstairs to the room of the young substitute. he could hear the redhead cursing on the way up. He opened the door quietly to be met by the image of Ichigo leaning over the papers. He was in pajama shorts and shirtless.The elaborate chest and stomach were right in his eyes. He blinked a few times and closed the door. Frustrated, Ichigo ruffled his hair and tried to read something from the book. 

"Any progress?" his question startled Ichigo. He jumped in his chair with a start that he didn't expect. 

“Don't scare me so much!” he snarled softly. He waved the book as if it was going to bite him. 

"I can't figure out what I am doing wrong." 

"Give it to me." Toushirou tore the book from him, read the example on the paper and then fixed his eyes on the book. He found the problem immediately. 

"You're wrong here." He pointed out the wrong parenthesis. Ichigo removed it, recalculated the math problem, and the result finally came out. Satisfied, he underlined the number and smiled gratefully at his roommate. 

,,Thanks. I felt like throwing the book out the window.” He admitted and scratched the back of his head. Toushirou sat down on the bed. 

"Then we'll continue." He stated and turned the page of the book. Ichigo agreed. They spent the rest of the week going over the material he had learned and practicing new material for Ichigo. His head was full of formulas and formulas only by the end of the week and he had to admit that the captain was the best teacher. Although he didn't look it, he was patient with him and explained repeatedly, which was the result of him remembering everything. He passed the test with flying colors, which raised his grade, as he found out later. He happily invited the captain to a meal. 

"Finally it is over. Perhaps the battle with Yhwach was more stressful.” He bit into a large hamburger with relish. Toushirou watched him curiously. 

"Are you comparing the test to a battle for the fate of the entire world?" he watched with amusement as ichigo frowned. 

"The final grade dictates my next course of study. Of course it is important.” He protested. He wiped the sauce from his chin with his thumb and licked it with his tongue with gusto. Turquoise eyes followed the movement. 

"So, now that I'm done with my duties and we have almost two months of your free time ahead of us, where would you like to go?" He asked with interest. Toushirou thought. He was mixing the whipped cream with the watermelon flavored ice cream with a spoon. 

"I would like to see Mount Fuji. I hear there's a nice view of the sun.” He whispered the last sentence. 

"We can leave tomorrow." Ichigo suggested. And the captain agreed. After eating, they went to Ichigo's house to prepare for the long journey. Ichigo spent the night half awake. For some unknown reason, his eyes kept drifting to the sleeping figure next to the bed. Ichigo was Fascinated by Toushirou since the first time they met, he remembered the feeling of amazement when he found out that the little youth was in command of the whole division. And the feeling stayed.His heart the moment the moon rays hit his roommate's peaceful face missed two beats. He sat up and put his hand on his heart. He took a deep breath to find that everything was fine again. He laid back on the covers to try and get some sleep before morning. 

XxX  

"Ichigo!" the young substitute was snapped out of his dream by a pounding on the office door. He shot up into a sitting position.  

,,Get up! It's assembly time!” Rangiku called out to him in a determined voice.  

"I'm awake! I'll be out in a moment!" he called back, getting up from the couch. His eyes swept the empty office and he remembered his dream. A smile graced his lips. The time he spent with Toushirou was one big adventure. The captain used his company throughout his vacation and practically dragged him around the various places he wanted to visit. They had conversations that lasted for hours. Ichigo could see that the white haired captain was happy to spend his holiday with him. Rangiku was reporting often so he didn’t have to worry. If he had to choose a memory closest to him, he would choose Mt.Fuji. Because that's where his first problems started. The sunset that they witnessed flooded the whole mountain and the sky around. And Toushirou's eyes glowed turquoise with bright orange in the middle, because he was looking directly at the sun with an expression , that took his breath away. What he saw made Ichigo think that the white haired youth was beautiful. His heart skipped a beat again and he realized at that moment that the captain was more to him that he thought. The problem was that he was in a happy relationship with Inoue. And his torment began.  

He shook his head to clear it. There is no time for memories. He has a job. With the selected members of the reconnaissance team in mind, he opened the door and headed for the first division. He knew exactly who would go with him.  

Chapter Text

“Ichigo!” the red-haired substitute stopped in his tracks. Behind him he heard a familiar voice that even a blind person would be able to identify.  

"Rukia." He greeted with a nod to the captain of the thirteenth unit. She returned the greeting.  

“On the way to the first division?” she asked with a smile.  

"Yes, today a team will be assembled and we will go on a survey. There is no time to waste. Toushirou could be in serious danger.” Rukia raised an eyebrow. The tone of Ichigo's voice surprised her.  

"And is it really all about this?" she asked with a smirk and continued on her way. A confused Ichigo caught up with her in no time.  

"What do you mean?" he asked, hoping it wasn't what he had just thought of. But being Ichigo Kurosaki, fate was throwing rocks at his feet like no other.  

"Come on Ichigo. I am not blind or deaf. There are whispers throughout the soul society of your frequent visits to the tenth unit. Renji has already started bets. It's only a matter of time before he rakes in the money."  

"What?" Ichigo played dumb, but it didn't matter. She could see right down to his stomach.  

,,What is this going on Ichigo? Aren't you dating Orihime? You're not cheating on her, are you?" Rukia pierced him with a murderous look that sent chills down his spine.  

"Of course I'm not cheating on her! What do you think of me? I would never do that to her! Come on Rukia, you know me the best." He defended himself. His face turned a deep red. Why is everyone interfering in his relationship problems!?  

"So what's the matter?!" she snapped at him. He had to sigh in defeat. He waved with his hands and shook his head. To his credit, Zangetsu was having a good time. The blade vibrated softly with his laughter. He mentally cursed his partner.  

"Fine. It's complicated. I like Inoue. I am happy with the relationship. But I can't give her all of me, if you understand me. There is a part that is taken by someone else. And I don't know what to do." He looked at his friend resignedly. He waited for her answer. Rukia looked at him for a moment, then thought. They walked for a while without saying a word. Ichigo was starting to sweat.  

"Rukia?" he tried cautiously. The captain suddenly stopped.  

“Ichigo.” She looked at her friend with a serious expression.  

,,Yes?"  

,,Do you have deeper feelings for Captain Hitsugaya? Or is it a momentary infatuation? Lovesickness?” Her question took his breath away.  

"How do you know…?" he didn't finish the question. Of course she knew the person. Who else spends so much time in the captain's office than the captain himself? Pull yourself together Ichigo!  

"I-I don't know. It's been a few months now and I still feel it. We spent two months together almost every day and I…”  

"And Orihime?"  

"I love her," was the firm reply, yet his voice carried an undertone of desperation.  

"Rangiku also talked to me. But I'm not ready to deal with this situation at all."  

“Who would have thought that you're going to turn out to be bisexual.” Another familiar voice interrupted them. They raised their heads to face the Vice Captain of Unit Six. Renji Abarai jumped off a nearby roof and landed right between them.  

“You're having an interesting conversation.” He pointed out with a smirk. Ichigo punched him in the shoulder.  

"Give me a break. And no, I'm not bisexual. Do you know what that word means?" he grumbled, displeased that more people would find out about his relationships. Shouldn't he be holding a press conference? It would hurt less than this. Renji frowned.  

"Of course I know what that word means. I'm not an amateur dude. Why wouldn't you be? Do you like girls and boys or not?"  

"More like girls and a boy," Rukia said and Renji looked at her in surprise.  

,,Seriously? So you're straight overall but gay for Captain Hitsugaya?" he said in a raised voice. Ichigo groaned. He'd had enough.  

“Don't you want to shout it out some more?” he growled and started moving again, still Renji's question stuck in his mind.  

"But you're probably right." He admitted after toying with the thought for a while. Both of his friends looked at each other meaningfully. Finally, Rukia ended the discussion.  

"That's the first step to solving your problem. Just remember one thing Ichigo. If you break her heart, I'll kill you.” Seppuku seemed like a great idea to Ichigo right now.  

XxX  

"So what did you decide Ichigo?" Kyoraku sat bolt upright in his chair waiting for Ichigo's answer as did all the captains and their vice-captains present. The young substitute cleared his throat.  

"I was thinking about who to take with me and I came to the conclusion that it must be someone with whom I am well acquainted. Someone capable in battle and someone I can rely on. So those who will accompany me on the survey are Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, Ikkaku Madarame, Shinji Hirako and myself.” The hall buzzed.  

"Are you sure Ichigo?" Shinji asked to his right. Ichigo nodded.  

"It will be a balanced team that knows each other and will complement each other. I originally wanted to take Rangiku with me, but I won't allow her division to lose its vice-captain. We'll be enough.” He stated with determination. Kyoraku smiled slightly.  

"Okay, you're going to Hueco Mundo with the team. There you will find one of the coordinates that will give us a place to enter the monsters dimension."  

"Jigsaw puzzle huh?" Ichigo wondered.  

,,Yes. At night, the captain of the twelfth unit sent a team to explore human territory, where after a few hours they managed to find the coordinate. It was a place with a high concentration of energy. And the place was badly charred. That might be a clue for you.”  

“Perfect, so if that's all, we'll be off.” With a nod, Ichigo turned and left the room, meeting his chosen group in front of the First Division's gate.  

“You never cease to amaze me.” Shinji stated patting him on the back. Ichigo didn't say anything.  

"Come on, the gate is opening!" Rukia announced. Ikkaku grinned widely.  

"I hope we find that monster. I'm shaking with the desire to slash something."  

"That's two of us." Renji agreed. His gaze met Ichigo's. Their conversation was still hanging over their heads, but for now Ichigo pushed it to the back of his mind. He had to focus on his task.  

Chapter Text

Walking through the space to Hueco Mundo was always like a silent walk. The walls with their hypnotic design moved lazily and Ichigo finally emptied his mind. There was something about it. Even the space between evoked peace in him. Maybe it was because no one just wanders into these places. Maybe it was the parts of his soul that felt better here. There were many possibilities. The important thing was that no one had spoken yet, giving Ichigo the time he needed to calm his nerves. Seriously, who would have thought he would have the nerve to break down a relationship. Him specifically! But he didn't want to deal with that. Now was not the time.  

"So Ichigo, I heard something..." Ikkaku began slowly. A vein of irritation immediately popped on his forehead.  

"Enough! I don't want to talk about it!" he growled, his voice distorted by the hollow's schreech. Ikkaku fell silent. He realized that his friend was more than irritated. And he knew when not to poke a hornet's nest.  

"Leave him alone! He's already talked to several of us about it." Renji exclaimed.  

"Right, and I don't want to hear a word about it until we've completed our mission." Ichigo's yellow eyes turned to him. Renji froze.  

"Ichigo, your eyes..." he pointed at him. The young substitute stopped, took Zangetsu in his hand, and looked into the clean blade. He raised his eyebrows at himself. Zangetsu responded to his emotions. His eyes were a deep yellow, his forehead dotted with prominent veins, and his teeth slightly sharpened to a point, as if he was about to start tearing flesh from bone.  

"Give me a moment." He said quietly, sat down, and placed the blade in his lap. He ran his fingers over it gently a few times, immersing himself in his inner world. Urahara had done a lot of work with him. It only took him a few seconds to enter now. He looked around the sunny city. He couldn't see any water anywhere, only a few clouds in the sky due to his worries about the missing captain. Karakura inside his mind was almost the same, but the buildings were tall and there was much more greenery. His quincy part reveled in green parks and peace. He walked across the rooftops to the other side of the city, where he could see a large lake that had once been a dried-up crater. He suspected he would find them here. He jumped down to the shore and looked around.  

"You don't come here very often, Ichigo." A figure dressed in black approached him from behind a tree.  

"You always have some kind of problem when you come here." The hoarse voice of the other figure dressed in white approached him from the other side.  

"Zangetsu." He addressed his companions with a smile.  

"What brings you here, Ichigo?" The elder looked at him with interest. His last conversation with Ichigo from the wartime still hung in the air. Still, it was a pleasant atmosphere.  

"I came to see you Zangetsu." He turned to his hollow part. A wide satisfied grin adorned his almost identical face.  

"You came to see me, huh? For what purpose?" he asked with interest. He took off the blade that was resting over his shoulder and leaned it against the trunk of a nearby tree.  

"I had no idea you had such an influence on me." Ichigo remarked, pointing to his face and the Hollow grinned.  

"Of course! We're both capable of it! I just enjoy messing with you!" he exclaimed in amusement. Then his face became serious.  

"But seriously. Your talk about relationships is terrible. You have a mission. Focus on it." He growled irritably.  

"He's right Ichigo. A fight can start and if you don't focus, you can get hurt." The older man remarked. Ichigo remembered the reason why his quincy part locked his power. So that he wouldn't be hurt in fights. He was still worried about him.  

"I know. This topic is closed. I'll open it again when it's over. What do you think about it?" his question surprised both partners. They looked at each other in confusion.  

"You're not serious, Ichigo. What should we tell you?" Zangetsu didn't know what to say. But the white one thought for a moment and then said.  

"If it were up to me, I'd choose the little one. He's getting stronger. I don't mind your girlfriend, but when it comes to power, he's a better choice. At least I'll enjoy some action." So the white one was looking for a training partner. Ichigo suspected that the hollow must be bored. Sometimes he felt tension in himself.  

"And what do you think?" he turned to the black Zangetsu. The man studied him for a moment, then took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.  

"That's very complicated, Ichigo. That woman has been with you from the beginning. She has an amazing ability and is not helpless. Yet, there is a certain fragility about her. I can't explain it. I'm just catching the waves. I'm worried that we might end up hurting her. After all, she is human and you are not. On the other hand, the captain is a god of death, he has great potential and is still getting stronger. His partner is strong and they radiate strength like I haven't seen in a long time. But remember, Ichigo, the decision is yours alone. You are a good guy and you don't want to hurt anyone, we understand that. But you can't put it off indefinitely. I recommend that you solve the problem after the mission is completed." The young substitute sighed. Of course it won't be easy. The sky above them became thinly overcast.  

"Ouch!" he yelped as a black and white blade  hit his head. White Zangetsu frowned at him.  

"Don't even try! We're fed upwith this crap! Mission, you idiot! Think about the mission!" he snapped, pressing the tip of his sword to Ichigo's throat. He had to smile at the gesture. The sky cleared up afterwards.  

"Okay, I'll go. Thanks for your time!" he exclaimed with laughter and was gone in a second.  

"That idiot. He would be hopeless without us." White Zangetsu grunted and leaned his blade over his shoulder again. Black glared at him.  

"He'll need us. Can you feel the energy?" Yellow eyes looked at him. He nodded. Black then smiled and turned to the forest.  

"Don't forget that his partner will also be our partner. Hope he makes the right decision for your good." With that he left, leaving the shocked hollow behind.  

Caramel eyes opened. He slowly stood up, his face returning to normal. He grinned at his companions.  

"Everything's fine. Let's go." He started moving again.  

"Ichigo?" Rukia was looking at him. He shook his head.  

"Zangetsu does whatever he wants. It's nothing." The captain of the thirteenth division nodded and they continued in silence. The journey took them a few more minutes before the garganta opened and allowed them to jump down onto the white sand. Silence and endless sandy plains surrounded them.  

"Nothing has changed here, huh?" Shinji looked around.  

"The war caused a high drop in hollows. There are still not enough of them." Renji looked at his cell phone. The device showed a weaker signal.  

"It will be quite difficult to call if we encounter problems." He noted and hid the device.  

"So where do we start?" Ikkaku asked with interest. His foot tapped on the sand. He was impatient. Rukia stepped in front of the group.  

"We'll head north. We'll start from there. Look around. If you see signs of fire, let us know." They started moving in agreement. The sand flowed under their feet. The empty plain was occasionally adorned with a tree or a small hollow animal. But they saw no one anywhere.  

"Maybe we should have made contact..." Shinji paused. Ichigo noticed it immediately. His senses sharpened. Someone was approaching them. Quickly.  

"Someone is approaching!" he shouted and drew his sword. The others imitated him and stood in a circle, protecting their backs. However, their stance did not last long. The silhouette approaching them was well known to the trio, who had come here once before for a rescue operation. A long snake stopped in front of them and a trio of arrancars jumped off its back. They immediately recognized who it was.  

"Hello Ichigo!" the green-haired girl called out and jumped around his neck. He stood there shocked.  

"Nel?"  

Chapter Text

"You look terrible"  

"Shut up! Look at yourself!"  

"Little old me doesn't look like that because someone kicked my ass."  

"In that case I will kick your ass myself Kurosaki!"  

"No thanks..." Ichigo had to grin at the whole argument. But looking at his rival, who looked like he was going to collapse at any moment, he became serious again.  

"Are you sure it was that thing?" he looked at the fire-burnt spots on the arrancar's body. Some spots were literally black. The blood from the wounds was no longer flowing thanks to Inoue, who they had to send for due to the extent of the injuries. After the familiar greeting, Nel led them to Las Noches, where they met Harribel. She explained the situation to them and led them to the injured arrancar. The monster appeared out of nowhere and began to rage. Grimmjow and several other arrancars chased it away, but Grimm was the only one who survived. Ichigo didn't wait for anything and sent for his girlfriend, who immediately came to their aid. Now they were sitting in the hospital room, watching the arrancar's wounds heal.  

"I don't like it. Why did he withdraw? He could have killed all of you. But every time he appears, causes destruction, and disappears again." Renji frowned at the white wall. Shinji nodded.  

"Maybe he can't leave where he came from." Ichigo mused.  

"Is that even possible?" Inoue glared at him. He looked at her and then looked back down at the ground. The atmosphere between them could be cut. Everyone present noticed, but no one said anything.  

"That's a possibility." The golden light of healing disappeared and the blue-haired arrancar stood up. There was no trace of the burns.  

"Great as always." he said towards the girl and ran his eyes over the whole group.  

"If you're going to fight him alone, you need a very good strategy." Rukia approached him.  

"You're right. What can you tell us about him?" the arrancar thought for a moment.  

"What I know for sure is that he's big. Like Yammy was when he released his zanpakuto. He has horns and a long muzzle. His body is colored between red and black. And you can't talk to him at all. The creature doesn't talk."  

"And his abilities?" Shinji sat up on the bed. Grimmjow glared at him.  

"He spits fire, has a fireball on his tail and is very fast. He can also fly. That's all I have for you. It was over quickly." Silence fell over the room. Ikkaku spoke after a few minutes.  

"Did you manage to hurt it?" to everyone's surprise Grimmjow shook his head.  

"It's going to be weird but it has a very tough shell. I managed to get one hit on it and it healed quickly. I don't know what type of creature it is, but it has hollow regeneration."  

"Can’t it just be a dead animal that turned into a hollow?" Renji started pacing around the room.  

"I don’t think so. Hollows are white. This one was covered in dark colors. Unless it was an arrancar, but that's unlikely." their discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door. After being invited in, Nel entered.  

"Dinner is on the table. Come eat before you continue." she urged them and left again.  

"Well, it looks like our discussion is postponed." Shinji got up from the bed and gradually followed Nel to the dining room, where several meals were waiting for them. Harribel was already sitting at the head, waiting for them.  

"Did you finish?" she asked as soon as she saw them. Ichigo waved his hand and sat down.  

"Not yet, we'll continue after dinner." She just nodded and started eating herself. The feast went on peacefully while Nel talked about her new experiences. Ichigo was happy. He didn't see her very often, unless Grimm dragged him here for a duel, so he was interested in how she was doing. From her story, he concluded that she was very well. But he couldn't say that about himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Inoue would occasionally look at him. He suspected that he was in for a rather unpleasant discussion. He sighed inwardly and finished the last few bites. After everyone had finished eating, they got up and headed for the meeting room. However, Ichigo was stopped by an outstretched hand.  

"Ichigo? Can we talk?" Inoue looked at the ground. She obviously didn't want to bring it up here, but she had no choice.  

"Sure." Ichigo led her into the next room and closed the door behind him. They were alone. There was silence for a moment.  

"You probably know what I want to talk about and I know it's not appropriate now, but then there won't be time." she began carefully.  

"You're right." Inoue looked at him for a moment, searching for something in his eyes. And when she found it, she sighed and sat down in a chair at the table in the corner of the room.  

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong? Because I can see that something's wrong." Zangetsu on his back vibrated strongly. And Ichigo sighed.  

"Yes, something's wrong, but it's not you. The problem is with me."  

"With you?" Inoue frowned slightly.  

"What do you mean?"  

"I don't know." his answer surprised the girl. Ichigo looked at her so mournfully that she lowered her eyes to the ground.  

"Is this about our relationship?"  

"Yes." the girl got up from her chair and approached him.  

"I've noticed that you've been spending your time elsewhere lately. Is this somehow related to your problem?" Ichigo only nodded.  

"So what's the matter?" she asked him in a firm voice. However, she didn't get an answer. A strong tremor shook the castle and then the door flew open behind Ichigo.  

"Ichigo!" Rukia stood in the doorway.  

"What's going on?"  

"It’s here!" They did not need to hear more. They immediately left the room and headed for the side balcony. The energy blasts could be seen for miles.  

"Looks like our conversation will have to wait," Ichigo said. Inoue nodded.  

"You are still here? Move your asses!" Grimmjow growled after them. Another explosion nearly blinded them. Ichigo froze in his tracks.  

"We have to leave the castle!" he pointed his finger towards the light. There was no need to say more. The monster was charging towards them. It was time to fight.  

Chapter Text

Ichigo needed only five minutes to figure out the identity of his enemy. And he had to be an idiot for not realizing it as soon as Grimm described the creature. So he had a picture in his head, but he refused to admit it. What is he, the main character in a fantasy story? Actually, he probably was, when he thought about his life a little. His life is one big fantasy drama.  

"Ichigo!" A panicked voice woke him up from his whirlwind of thoughts. He immediately jumped aside. A red-hot ball of fire flew past his head. He felt a few strands of his hair burn and shook his head. The ball hit the walls of Las Noches and with the sound of an explosion, shattered the wall into small pieces.  

"Damn!" he cursed and ducked behind a boulder. He carefully peeked out. The creature was closer than he thought. Red eyes followed the falling stones. With a snarl, it opened its mouth and let out a growling roar. He had to cover his ears. He felt the need to roar in response to the challenge. Zangetsu was clearly looking forward to a direct confrontation. He scanned the plain to see where everyone was. Rukia was hidden next to him, Ikkaku lay unconscious in the sand nearby when he took a direct hit from the thorny tail and Inoue was trying to heal him. Shinji and the others were spread out around the creature. They were waiting for the right moment to attack. Only Grimmjow was nowhere to be seen.  

"What now, Ichigo?" Rukia was frowning like a devil.  

"Honestly? I don't know. No one has hurt him yet. Ikkaku is out of the game. We have to think of something."  

"Maybe I have an idea." Grimmjow emerged from the sand behind them. Ichigo flinched.  

"Grimm! Don't scare me like that!" he snapped. Another fireball closed his mouth. They crouched to the ground. The fire flew just above their heads and the boulder they were hiding behind slowly began to melt under the high temperature of the flames.  

"We don't have much time. What do you have?" Rukia placed her hand on her zanpakuto. They had about two minutes before their hiding place completely melted.  

"We have to take advantage of the moment of surprise. Its belly should be its weak point. It's not covered in scales."  

"But how are you going to flip it onto its back?"  

"Just knock it over on its side. Kurosaki, you can figure out the rest, right?" Ichigo nodded in agreement. Their hiding place was revealed at that moment and red eyes focused on them. The creature grinned victoriously. They didn't wait for anything and rushed forward.  

"Okay, split into two groups. One will blind it, the other will knock it down. I'll take care of the rest. Let them know about our plan!" they agreed, separating from him as the creature released another fireball. Ichigo jumped into the air and jumped over it. Still, his robe caught. The heat of the flames was too high. He did two spins in the air to extinguish the burning robe. The creature turned away from him. Renji caught its attention. He summoned bankai and attacked without stopping. Shinji's hands were tied. His bankai could not be used, so he confused the creature with the help of Shikai. Senses thrown, the creature remained standing and looked around in confusion. Large paws with long sharp claws cut through the air around but no one was hit.  

"Great, now the second phase." Ichigo stayed out of reach of the large paws and waited for the right opportunity. Rukia used Sode no Shirayuki to freeze the sand under the large body. One paw was enough and the creature slipped on a large layer of ice. With an irritated growl, it clenched its claws. The large black body held its weight on its clenched claws. It could not move. Its head was pounding from the confused senses. A red light shone slightly on its forehead. The noise caught its attention. A blue ball was rushing towards it from the side. Ichigo had to grin. Grimm developed his abilities. He rushed towards the black monster like a large blue ball at the speed of the fastest sports car. A few seconds were enough and the sound of a hard impact echoed through the space. The creature wheezed as it lost precious air. Grimmjow aimed directly at the ribs. Still, he did not pierce the skin. However, the impact was strong enough for the creature to lose its balance on the ice and collapse to the ground. That was Ichigo's signal. He only had a moment. He ran towards the lying body. The blades glowed, ready to strike. He leapt to land on the rapidly rising belly and plunged one blade into the soft skin. The creature screamed, its red eyes rolling towards him. He brought the other blade to his waist.  

"Getsuga Jujishou!" a flash of golden light blinded him from close range. He jumped back immediately. The monster screamed in pain, its body twitching.  

"Now! Strike it!" Shinji didn't wait for anything and ran for the final attack. However, the monster twitched and remained lying there.  

"Shinji stop!" Ichigo took a step back but it was too late. The black head turned towards him and the red eyes burned into him with a hateful look. A coldness ran through his body. That's when he noticed it. The creature had a stone on its forehead that glowed blood red. His senses went out. He fell into darkness. The cold and a strong feeling of loneliness shook his entire body.  

"What's going on?" he looked around confused.  

" Alone..." a low voice full of pain cut through the darkness. Ichigo fell to his knees under the weight of emotions.  

"Where are you?"  

"Who?" he wheezed heavily, his forehead covered in sweat.  

"Is it you?"  

"I..." The substitute couldn't finish the question. He held himself on his knees with his hands to keep from falling to the ground.  

"Traitor!"  

"ICHIGO!" he was back in a moment. Renji was holding him by his robes and was pulling him away.  

"Wake up!" he snapped, and then jerked him to the side. A large heavy tail landed on the spot where they were standing. Ichigo shook his head and jumped to his feet. He was still shaking slightly. What was it? He clutched his clenched chest with his hand. The feeling of cold and loneliness still lingered in him.  

"What happened? You suddenly fell to your knees." Shinji was examining him carefully.  

"I don't know, he looked at me and suddenly I was in darkness." Ikkaku caught his attention, who had woken up and was keeping the creature busy.  

"I don't think it can be killed." Renji frowned.  

"And what are we supposed to do if we can't kill it? Your attack caused it pain, but as you can see, it's back on its feet."  

"I have a theory, but I want to test something before I say it. I could be wrong." Rukia nodded.  

"Okay, what do you want to do?" Ichigo gave her a determined look.  

"Leave it to me." With that he slipped between the fallen pieces of the walls that hadn't burned.  

What do you think, Zangetsu? Does that sound like a good plan? The blade vibrated strongly. So he agrees. He jumped onto a distant piece of stone and inserted both blades. He wouldn't need them. He took a deep breath and immersed himself. Within a moment he felt the beginnings of changes. If it weren't for the eternally curious Urahara, he would never have figured out this ability. But he could count on it, he was different from the others. He would have to thank him the next time he saw him. A slight soreness in his gums and it was done. Ichigo straightened up, wiggled his fingers with longer claws and ran his extended tongue over the sharper teeth. He was ready. He threw back his head and let out a growling scream from his throat. The black body stopped moving. Then it turned towards him. The red eyes looked at him with interest. Then the monster slowly walked towards him. From its throat it let out a growl. And ichigo grinned. His theory was confirmed. He stopped his friends with a movement of his hand. He can do it himself.  

"Who are you?" he screeched and watched it carefully. The monster tilted its head and began to circle around him.  

"Interesting, no one has been able to understand me until now." it growled with pleasure.  

"You have eyes. You see what I am." The mouth opened in a grin. Ichigo frowned.  

"What do you want?" Red eyes flashed. The cold in Ichigo's chest intensified.  

"I'm looking for someone." 

"Who?" Anger flashed in his eyes. The monster crouched down to jump.  

"If you defeat me, I'll tell you." it started with a loud roar. And Ichigo knew that he wouldn't get more out of it. The others ran to counterattack. He jumped off the boulder himself and, using the claws on his feet, increased his speed. He ran under the large body and jumped onto the black tail. He held on to the spines. Even though the monster could feel him, it didn't have time to turn around. And not even time to spare. Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw a portal. The same one that the gods of death had described on a mission to the human world. That meant the monster had to go back. And he was right. The body beneath him began to twitch and Ichigo had to do something to not fall. It was as if the monster was being pulled back from where it came from. He jumped from its tail to its back, neck, and finally its head. Eyes full of anger and pain burned through him. The portal was right behind them. And the monster grinned. The stone on its forehead glowed, the Black body began to burn to the touch and flames shot from the thorns. Ichigo hissed in pain. He let go just as the monster's body exploded in flames. Ichigo screamed in pain, surrounded by flames. A wave of images flooded his mind. Mountains, lava, endless flames, and finally a wall of ice and turquoise eyes that looked at him with fear.  

"Toushirou..." he gasped, then fell to the sand, his head rolling limply to the side.  

Chapter Text

Everywhere he looked, he saw fire. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The small igloo he had created was slowly melting under the heat, and he himself was constantly wiping the sweat from his face. Toushirou Hitsugaya lost track of time. He had stopped counting after two days of running and hiding. At first, he tried to find any exit or portal, but he had no luck. The creature that had dragged him to its home would disappear for a certain time and then return. Hyorinmaru could feel the monster. He said the energy was familiar to him, but he couldn't identify it.  

"How are you feeling?" his partner's concerned voice came through his head. The young captain shook his head, wiping the dripping sweat from his cheeks.  

"So far, good, but I don't think I can last more than two days. I don't know what to do, Hyorinmaru." The long zanpakuto on his back vibrated.  

"We have to find a way out, because of my element your condition will worsen. Fire is your enemy."  

"I know. I'm trying to find a way but..." turquoise eyes swept over the plains covered in flames, high mountains with flowing lava and thick smoke that replaced the sky. He sighed.  

"The only way will probably be to kill or defeat the monster and somehow force it to let me out of here."  

"It won't do that, it doesn't understand you." Toushirou frowned. Of course it wouldn't understand him. When the monster carried him here, he had asked basic questions and received no answers. The flow of thoughts was interrupted by a coughing fit. The small body broke at the waist. The cough had started three hours ago. The captain was dehydrated and losing strength. He knew he didn't have much time. The ice dragon sent him alarming signals, but he didn't respond to them. Exhausted, he leaned against the ice wall and slid down it to the warm ground. Even his ice couldn't cool the ground. A tiny hand found its way to his chest and under the black cloth, where it clutched the pendant of a necklace he had received from a certain substitute shinigami.  

He had spent enough time in the human world in his company to become close to him. Ichigo was with him every free minute. He took him on hikes, to meals, with the captains help catched up on his studies, and had long conversations with him. Among the captain's favorite moments was Ichigo reading Sharespeare. The substitute had confided in him that he wanted to study a foreign language, and that was why he had a pile of books, novels, and dramas in English. Supposedly to practice. However, Toushirou saw how his eyes lit up whenever he started reading. Every time he was about to sleep and Ichigo pulled out a book, he knew he was going to have a great night. The deep, melodic voice of the substitute with the foreign language took on a very attractive tone that burrowed under his skin and made him shiver. The damned boy didn't realize what he was doing to him.  

When his vacation ended and he had to return to his duties, it was harder than he thought. The young substitute looked neutral, but he could still read sadness in him. However, a week after his return, he was waiting for him in his office. He said he was there for their regular conversation. And so their meetings continued. Until the day came when everything changed, which brings him to the pendant that was dangling around his neck. It was as if it had been yesterday that he decided to take a big step.  

XxX  

"Make sure everything is as it should be." he warned his red-haired assistant before the door closed behind her. He was overwhelmed with messages that needed his attention, so he sent Rangiku on a regular check of the training halls. There was always something to solve. He patiently read each paper and signed it. The sun shone through the window and the room was pleasantly lukewarm. It was never hot in his presence. And it suited him. The minutes ticked by and after a while he lost track of time. Until he heard a knock. The hand stopped moving.  

"Come in." the door opened and his regular visitor walked in. His hair was disheveled, as if he had been running the whole way and he looked very embarrassed.  

"You're here two days early. Did something happen?" he asked cautiously.  

"Why would something happen?" Ichigo blurted out and shook his head. Toushirou raised his eyebrows. He wasn't an idiot. He could see that something was happening.  

"Unfortunately, I don't have time for visitors today." he said and went back to his papers. He heard footsteps. They were approaching.  

"I'm only here for a moment. I want to give you something." Nervousness was in the air. He sighed.  

"Listen, now is really not the time for..."  

"Just shut up and close your eyes!" The raised tone of his voice surprised him. Almost panicked. He frowned.  

"Okay, but hurry up. I don't have all day." he grumbled irritably and closed his eyes. Nothing happened for a while. Then footsteps again. The substitute stood right behind him. And then he felt something cool on his chest. The cold spread around his neck and he heard a click.  

"You can open them." The substitute's voice trembled slightly. He slowly opened his eyes and looked down at his chest. He was surprised to find that Ichigo had pinned a silver chain with a snowflake pendant around his neck. The center was decorated with a turquoise stone.  

"What's with this...?"  

"D-don't take it as something meaningful! I saw it in the shop window when I was coming back from school. I thought it would suit you." The substitute's voice gradually softened until it finally became a whisper. And the Captain shivered. He had just received a gift. A beautiful gift. A strange warmth washed over him. He had to smile. He clasped the pendant between his fingers.  

"Thank you, that's nice of you." he said. Ichigo's face exploded into several shades of red. The captain's amusement grew.  

"L-like I said, it's n-nothing. I-I'm just..hmmm!" Ichigo's stutter was cut short by a hand that grabbed his shihakusho collar and pulled him forward. His eyes widened in shock. His lips were locked in a kiss. It lasted briefly, but it was more than enough for Ichigo to turn into a tomato, break free, and run out of the office with an athlete's turn. He almost knocked Rangiku over in the doorway, who he didn't even greet. He just ran past her and was gone. The confused woman entered and looked him over.  

"What was that supposed to mean, Captain? He didn't even say hello." Her confusion turned into a happy grin when she saw a satisfied smile on her captain's face and a turquoise pendant around his neck.  

"Just a visit. As always."  

XxX  

"He's here." Hyorinmaru's warning snapped him out of his reverie. He slowly stood up. The ice walls were half-melted. With another cough, he peered into the space. A portal opened at the distant mountain and the creature literally fell inside. The heavy body rolled down the hill and lay there.  

"It looks like there was a duel."  

"He's injured. I can feel several mental traces on him. One belongs to your partner." The young captain gasped. Ichigo? Hes looking for him and the others too. Wait....  

"He's not my partner Hyorinmaru!" he blurted out, cheeks reddening. But he didn't believe it himself. Something had changed between them. After that day, they still met and had various conversations over tea. But the atmosphere was different, the distance between them was different! Still, Ichigo had a girlfriend. They were nothing more than close friends. And that's how it would stay.  

"Get ready! He's awake!" the ground trembled under the weight of the rising body. The creature slowly stood up, shook itself and roared loudly. Red eyes scanned the plains of fire. It was looking for him. He had to move.  

"I'm not in a condition to fight him. We have to move away from him. Hide and hope they find us before he kills us." With his partner's approval, he turned and headed in the opposite direction. But he didn't get any further. Another bout of coughing brought him to his knees. Red eyes found him in a second. And Toushirou knew. That he was trapped. He clenched his zanpakuto with trembling fingers and turned to face the rushing creature. Hot sweat ran down his forehead, over his eyes, and dripped from his jaw to the ground. His body was overheated. He had no idea how long he could last. But he had to try.  

"Ichigo..." With a low whisper, he charged forward at the black death.

Chapter Text

"How is he?"

"He should be waking up any minute."

"You said that yesterday."

"Really?"

The voices sounded very close. The click of a closed door. He slowly opened his eyes and immediately closed them thanks to the light shining above his head. He hissed softly.

"And it looks like I'm right this time." on the second try he opened his eyes a little and focused on the person sitting next to him. He recognized the green clothing immediately.

"Kisuke?" he wheezed. The blond man smiled broadly at him.

"Good morning my dear Ichigo!" he announced cheerfully. Ichigo grinned at the address. This is what he gets for allowing Urahara Kisuke to make him a guinea pig. He believed that the collected data would not be used against him. Kisuke swore on his knees that he would do nothing of the sort. That it was to satisfy his desire as a researcher. Maybe it was that radiant look that broke him into agreeing. Once a week he spent an afternoon in the lab with the blond man. He had never seen him so happy as when he poked him with his hands and tried to find out how his body worked. The procedures were not painful and together they discovered some interesting phenomena, such as the physical partial transformation into a hollow. Ichigo would not have figured it out on his own. He just bit into something that was not edible one day and that was it. It's strange how a hybrid's body works. He had the title of favorite student and that included a successful experiment. Every time he shook his head with a smile. He got used to Urahara's tactics. None of them hurt him and only satisfied his curiosity.

"How are you feeling?" a slightly concerned voice woke him up completely. He slowly sat up and leaned against the bedpost. He was in the fourth division.

"What happened?" he asked. He was hoping for positive news. Kisuke frowned.

"I was here for work when the garganta opened and everyone literally fell out. Your girlfriend was screaming for help. Grimmjow had you draped over his shoulder. The fight didn't go well, you were almost gone, Ichigo. The monster's fire burned you from close range. Thanks to Miss Orihime's quick intervention, you are still with us. But even her abilities couldn't heal you completely. When they brought you here, your body was covered in burns. In the human world, they would say second-degree burns." Ichigo had a surprised look on his face. Injuries that Inoue couldn't completely heal?

"That's impossible. Inoue has the ability to return things to the way they were before the change. She even returned an arrancar that was atomized to its original state. What changed?" Kisuke grinned.

"Good question. But first, I'll check you over. I need to know that you're completely fine." Ichigo raised an eyebrow and took off his top.

"You probably want to know that your favorite student and most successful experiment in one was not harmed." he grumbled.

"Caught in the act. I will not allow my most precious treasure to be deprived of its perfection in any way." With a broad smile, he helped Ichigo sit up straight so he could examine him. Hands rough from handling chemicals and zanpakuto began their regular journey over the healed skin. Ichigo shivered at the first touch. It was cold. Who knew how long the man had been sitting next to him. The touch was gentle. It never caused pain. With an exhale, he relaxed and let the researcher satisfy his curiosity. The touches had no other intention, so he calmly allowed them. When his back was mapped, his palms moved to his chest.

"I heard you used the learned transformation." Kisuke said, while lightly pressing on his ribs to see how he was holding on. Ichigo nodded.

"It was the only option left. Nothing worked on him."

"And this worked?" The palms moved to his neck, tilting his head back. Ichigo grumbled.

"Hmm, I was able to talk to him." The curious hands left him after a moment. Kisuke pulled away from him and watched him get dressed with a surprised expression.

"You were talking to it? That means..."

"...It's not a living being, it's a zanpakuto." the substitute finished.

"Is that possible, Kisuke? For a zanpakuto to just be running around like that? Oetsu must know about it." the researcher thought for a moment.

"We'll have to discuss that with the others." Ichigo had to agree. He left the room alongside his teacher and exchanged a few words with the captain of the fourth division. He thanked her for her help and headed straight for the first division.

"Are you staying?" he asked with interest. The striped hat jumped.

"I was planning on going back, but I'm interested in this."

"And where are the others?"

"With the head captain." With a breath he was holding back, he quickened his pace. The first division guard let him in with a greeting. No questions. They had to be informed beforehand. They walked through a long corridor and a feeling of nostalgia covered Ichigo like a blanket. Memories accompanied him to the door. The voices fell silent after the knock.

"Come in!" Kyoraku Shunsui looked tired.

"Ichigo!" Inoue called out and ran to him. Her eyes were scanning him. He had to smile.

"I'm fine." he assured her and hugged her briefly. Grimmjow snorted.

"You've been away for two days Kurosaki. We've lost enough time." he said.

"Give me a break Grimm. We have enough information." the substitute growled, approaching the group.

"Welcome back." Renji patted him on the shoulder. Ichigo returned the gesture. Then he bowed to the head captain.

"Well ? Do you have information? According to the reports, you spoke to the monster?" Ichigo nodded.

"I learned a certain ability due to my hybrid status. My zanpakuto is a hollow. I learned a partial transformation into a hollow. Since I have a bond with my zanpakuto that I didn't have before, I have certain advantages with the transformation. One of them is the zanpakuto language.." Kyoraku raised an eyebrow. Surprise was written on his face.

"Interesting, no wonder Urahara here is so interested in you. I'm sure Aizen would be overjoyed to hear that." Ichigo said nothing to that. But his expression revealed what he thought about all of this.

"What did you learn?" The serious tone of the conversation returned.

"First, the identity of the monster. The energy it was emitting was familiar to me. It wasn't the same, but if I were to compare it, it was similar to the energy that Hyorinmaru emits."

"Captain Hitsugaya's Zanpakuto?"

"Yes. We're up against a dragon. Another one, full of negative energy. It wants to destroy."

"It didn't look like a dragon." Shinji said.

"Its body is distorted by negative energy. It's looking for someone."

"Who?" Ichigo shook his head.

"I don't know, if I defeated it, it would tell me." The silence that followed was unsettling. Kyoraku rubbed his chin.

"As for the zanpakuto, it will be necessary to contact Division Zero. Nymaya Oetsu should know more." He nodded in agreement. Tired eyes swept over the group in front of him.

"I'll call a meeting of the captains and contact Division Zero. "Stay alert and wait for the news." With that, he ended the meeting. Now there was nothing left to do but wait, and Ichigo prayed that it wouldn't be too late.

Chapter Text

"Today's sunset is beautiful." Inoue was literally sparkling over the view. Ichigo had to agree. They had been planning this trip for a whole month. Their time wasn't so free that they could set off from day to day, so they had carefully planned the entire trip. But it was worth it. The view of the sun-drenched mountains was breathtaking.  

"You're right. It was worth waiting a little longer." he approached the railing and placed his hand on his girlfriend's waist. They had been together for half a year. Neither of them had yet taken a step into the unknown. They were cautious. Because of everything they had been through. They didn't want to rush. But today was the perfect opportunity.  

"But still, my eyes see something even more beautiful." he said casually and waited. He didn't have to wait long. The large eyes looked at him with interest. They widened.  

"Ichigo?" the question in her eyes turned into understanding when he grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her towards him. He approached slowly. His eyes darted over hers, searching for any excuse to refuse. But he found none. Quite the opposite. She stood on her toes and covered the last few centimeters herself. The kiss was long, sweet thanks to the ice cream they had at the entrance. His heart was pounding until he felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. He was happy.  

"...Liar." The beautiful moment disappeared in an instant. Ichigo tore away from Inoue and turned around. He gasped in shock.  

"Toushirou?" he whispered in horror. What does this mean? The young captain wasn't with them. Why is he here? His heart clenched painfully.  

"You swore. You traitor!" empty eyes pierced him through and through and the surroundings began to crack like glass. The girl at his side screamed.  

"Inoue!" Horrified, he tried to grab her, but failed. She was being pulled into the depths of the earth. His breathing quickened. Panic slowly took hold of him. He turned back to the little captain. He had heard the words he had shouted somewhere before.  

"Toushirou, please..." he didn't know why he was begging. But he felt he had to. Toushirou took a step back and the surroundings around them collapsed. They were left in darkness. Ichigo felt like he was suffocating. He couldn't breathe.  

"You chose. You don't need me anymore."  

"W-what..?"  

"You gave up searching, and therefore you chose. Goodbye." Hot flames shot out all around. He felt them burn.  

"Toushirou!" he shouted and tried to reach him. The moment he took the first step, the Big Paw emerged from behind the small body and large claws dug into the empty face. A blood-curdling scream cut through the air and Ichigo was splashed with hot blood. He stood there, unable to take another step. With tears in his eyes, he could only watch the black dragon pull the lifeless body towards black darkness. He fell helplessly to his knees, himself surrounded by flames. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks and his heart clenched painfully. With a loud sob, a heartbreaking scream tore from his throat.  

XxX  

He opened his eyes abruptly and sat up. Sweat was running down his forehead and chest. He could still feel the touch of pain. Tears burned in his eyes.  

"Ichigo?" the quiet question woke him from his shock. Inoue slowly sat up and placed a hand on his shoulder.  

"Again?" her question made him shake his head. He rubbed his eyes and looked around the room. They were in the room Rukia had arranged for them in the thirteenth unit. A quick glance at the clock showed seven in the morning. He took a deep breath.  

"I'm fine." he said with a sigh. The girl frowned.  

"It's been happening for three nights now, Ichigo. Are you sure it's nothing?" he had to smile. She didn't miss anything.  

"It's been three days and still nothing. How long do we have to wait for Oetsu to show up?" With frustration in his voice, he pushed back the covers and got out of bed. He dressed quietly and left the room. Too many thoughts were flying through his mind. He could feel a headache coming on. Which really wasn't helping. He had been ordered to stay with the others and wait for the arrival of Nimaya Oetsu, a member of the Zero Division. But he hadn't expected it to take so long. Three whole days and still nothing! He was restless and his stress was showing itself in the form of nightmares. But this one was different. He knew very well why. He still had to make a decision. His footsteps led him through the still silent streets until they brought him to the familiar gate. The emblem of the Tenth Division seemed to mock him.  

"Don't you think we should talk about this and sort it out while we can?" he turned to his girlfriend with a sigh. She was dressed in a long pale pink yukata dotted with flowers, her hair tied in a quick bun. She looked at him with tenderness, her lips lifted in a small smile.  

"I guess so." His shoulders slumped. He knew that now was the right moment. Inoue walked up to him and took his hands.  

"We're not going to beat around the bush. Do you love me?" He could only nod. Her face frowned slightly.  

"I need to hear it. Let's try it again. Do you love me?"  

"Yes." The answer suddenly came easily.  

"Do you regret this relationship?"  

"No."  

"But you feel something for him too." A shiver ran through his body.  

"Yes."  

"Do you care about him?"  

"Yes."  

"Do you love him?" his voice caught in his throat.  

"I-I..."  

"Answer!"  

"YES! I LOVE HIM!" Silence fell after his scream. Ichigo froze in shock. He said it. He really said it. The girl looked at him with relief. She moved her palms to his cheeks.  

"See? You finally know how you feel." Her eyes were shining. Ichigo wanted to fall to his knees. He wanted to cry. He wanted so many things at once. But the truth remained deep inside him.  

"What now?" he asked quietly. The girl stroked his cheek.  

"I found it strange that even after a year into our relationship, nothing happened except a few kisses and hugs. You care about me. But you care about him more. I'm not blind. I can see how you've changed. And it started when he stayed with you." Ichigo clasped her hands in his.  

"That doesn't mean I'm leaving you and..."  

"I know. That's why I'm making this decision for you. It's tearing you apart. You can't win in this state." At that moment, Ichigo felt a great weight lift from his shoulders. He smiled and kissed one of her hands.  

"I don't deserve you." he said. How could he? She was amazing. He was just...different.  

"Don't be a fool. You can't control your feelings." she let go of him and turned her back to him.  

"I met someone two months ago. We talked. Just friendly. His personality reminds me of you." Ichigo didn't need to know more, but he asked the question anyway.  

"Does that mean...?" Inoue nodded.  

"I'll let you go. It hurts, but we'll both suffer like this." She turned back just as Ichigo hugged her tightly. She hugged him back without thinking.  

"We'll still be friends, right?" he whispered in a shaky voice. He needed to hear those words. A tear fell onto his shoulder.  

"Of course. This bond is stronger than a relationship." They held each other in their embrace for a few minutes before being interrupted by an explosion. The moment was interrupted, they pulled away from each other and looked back towards the explosion. Ichigo became serious.  

"He's finally arrived." Inoue nodded.  

"It looks like it. We should go." With a look of understanding, they set off towards the explosion site. They knew they would all meet there. They would finally get answers and move on to the final step. At sunrise, Ichigo spoke words spoken with love.  

"Inoue, thank you."  

Chapter Text

The atmosphere in the room could be cut into pieces. The assembled captains, along with Ichigo, Kisuke and the others, stood at attention and watched the member of Division Zero as he thoughtfully went through the individual data and information. The meeting had already started half an hour ago. However, Oetsu Nimaya arrived later, and what's more, he was dancing around with his well-known song. The head captain had to point out the reason for his presence. The captain waved his hand and called for an explanation of why he had been asked to descend from his palace. Captain Mayuri then started, explaining the situation, and then Ichigo joined in with his Hueco Mundo version. The member of Division Zero's face gradually lost color until it looked two shades lighter. When Ichigo finished his story, he wordlessly reached out to the captain of Division Twelve, who handed him the data folder. And here they were. In complete silence, they waited to see what would happen. Oetsu sighed, returned the studied papers and turned to the head captain.  

"I thought it must be a coincidence, but from what I can see, past mistakes, just can’t be forgotten huh?"  

"What do you mean?" Ichigo took a step forward to get a better look. Eyes hidden behind dark glasses looked at him.  

"It's a very old story. When I was still serving, as an ordinary shinigami, I experimented a lot. At the very beginning, when I created Asauchi as an experiment. I wanted to achieve something amazing. And I wanted to create a zanpakuto that would ensure my success. I failed many times. I tried for several months and when I finally managed to find the right formula, I was rewarded with a promotion to the zero division. But that didn't stop me and I continued. I wanted something special. I was naive." Oetsu paused, his thoughts in the distant past. Ichigo realized what he was about to hear.  

Why does everyone have to experiment with other's lives? he grumbled in his head and glanced at his teacher. Kisuke was also looking at him. Of course he had guessed the rest of the story. Regret shone in his eyes. Ichigo raised his eyebrows. It was too late for regret. To his surprise, Zaraki broke the silence.  

"Let me guess. You were playing around until something happened that shouldn't have." There was a rustling in the room. Oetsu grinned.  

"Exactly. I managed to find the soul of an interesting lizard in the world of the living. I captured it and tried to turn it into an Asauchi."  

"Wait, a lizard? You mean..." Inoue's eyes widened as she realized what the captain meant.  

"My dear, I'm very old. Yes, I experienced the era of the great lizards. They were treacherous creatures. I captured one before its soul was eaten by a hollow. Unfortunately, its soul was infected. Although I managed to create an interesting zanpakuto, it didn't take long for tragedy to strike. I locked up the finished product. And that was a mistake. Asauchi underwent hollowification overnight. There was nothing to be seen from the outside. I gave my perfect project to a friend. A month later, his energy disappeared. I was assigned to investigate and found that Asauchi had gone out of control, killed several death gods and absorbed their zanpakuto into itself. One of them was a black dragon asauchi, which is why GO-ichi thought his energy was similar to Hyorinmaru. It is the exact opposite of the element. It completely mutated. It didn't even spare its partner. I had to destroy it, but I couldn't. Ichibe came to my aid. He stripped the monster of part of its name and weakened it. And I threw him into the depths of hell, from where there is no escape. At least that's what I thought. He was imprisoned by so many chains that it was believable." Oetsu cleared his throat and scratched his head in embarrassment.  

"So what do you suggest, Captain?" Byakuya rubbed his chin thoughtfully. No one knew how to proceed.  

"Actually, the best solution would be to destroy him. But I don't know how to achieve that. I couldn't do it myself, and I created him. The cause is a mutation. He's not just an asauchi anymore. He's his own master." He paused for a moment. Then he fixed his gaze on Ichigo.  

"But if what you said is true and he's looking for someone, it's probably his master, whom he killed when he lost control of himself."  

"We probably won't revive him, will we?" Kyoraku rubbed his tired eyes. Oetsu sighed.  

"It was thousands of years ago. Of course it won't work. But it will be interesting to see two experiments go against each other." all pairs of eyes turned to the surprised substitute. Ichigo turned red. Of course it will turn out like this! He sighed in defeat.  

"That was the plan anyway. So, when do we leave?"  

"Just like that? We have a journey to the depths of hell. In front of us" Shinji warned him. Kisuke stepped out of line.  

"Unfortunately, we have no choice. If the captain of the tenth unit is imprisoned in hell, he doesn't have much time left. The heat is bad for his body. Maybe it's too late and we'll find a charred corpse." His attempt at black humor was thwarted by the angry wave of energy that erupted from Ichigo's body. He humbly apologized and stepped back again. Kyoraku stood up from his chair.  

"Captain Mayuri is in charge of preparing the gate to hell, everyone present who will participate in the event, stay alert. The operation will begin tomorrow." With that, he dismissed the gathering. Ichigo immediately left the room. Kisuke was waiting for him outside the door. Eyes full of emotion.  

"Ichigo I..." a raised hand cut off what he wanted to say.  

"It's in the past. I forgave you a long time ago. Yes, it annoys me when someone brings it up. I don't need someone to keep reminding me that I'm the result of an experiment. So let's focus on our task. He's waiting for us." the scientist smiled slightly.  

"You're right. I'll go consult with Captain Mayuri. I'm sure he'll welcome my help." with that the scientist said goodbye and left the room. Ichigo shook his head and followed him. He was surprised to find that his group was waiting for him.  

"Are you waiting for me?" Renji grinned.  

"Who else would we be waiting for?" he had to agree.  

"What's this about?" Ikkaku held out his hand with a roll of yellow paper. Ichigo took it and looked at it. It was a map. A very red map.  

"Is that supposed to be...?"  

"A map of hell. The places that were mapped before the shinigami started dying during the missions." Caramel brown eyes widened in shock.  

"That's great." he stated with poorly concealed sarcasm.  

"We'll probably leave tomorrow morning. We should plan some strategy." Ichigo had to agree with that. Their plan had to succeed. It was time to plan the best strategy.  

Chapter Text

"Damn it, I'm going crazy!" Ichigo whined, throwing himself on the bed. He hadn't been able to calm down for the past two days. He felt hot deep inside and didn't know how to cool himself down. He had tried everything. Cold baths, showers, ice-cold drinks, which had made his vocal cords cold and for a few days he had been wheezing as if someone had strangled him. He had walked around the house in only a tank top and shorts, and even then, he could feel the sweat on his forehead. And now, frustrated, he lay on his bed, wondering what to do next. He couldn't concentrate. He couldn't sleep. He could do nothing but pity himself.  

There was one thing, though. He felt the need to see a certain white-haired captain with whom he had been spending a suspiciously large amount of time. Inoue would give him curious looks whenever he mentioned his name. She could see right through him. Of that he was sure.Toushirou was getting under his skin with every day they spent together. The icy blue looks he gave him, the fleeting smiles he had been coaxing out of him with his stories over the past few days, the relaxed attitude and the closeness that had been warming him suspiciously inside. He was doomed. He sat down resignedly and put his head in his hands. He wasn't an idiot. It had to be somehow related. Otherwise, he might have been ill, but he would have been lying in bed with a fever.  

"Damn." he cursed softly and rubbed his tired eyes. And he opened them immediately. He felt a pleasant coolness flowing from the window. He turned his head to see a familiar face.  

"Why aren't you sleeping, Kurosaki?" came the quiet question. The captain raised his eyebrows in question and was staring at him with a curious look. He was sitting leaning against the window frame with his arms folded across his chest. Like the time he had come with his group to fight the Arrancars. Ichigo felt a stab of deja vu.  

"I can't sleep. For two days now. I feel unnaturally hot and I don't know why." he admitted quietly. It was a few minutes past twelve and he didn't want to wake anyone up. The captain frowned and scanned him for a moment, then tensed like a string and his cheeks turned pink. Ichigo tilted his head to the side.  

"I might know how to help you." Toushirou began carefully. He chose his words carefully. He seemed to be talking to his zanpakuto. He sighed heavily.  

"What would you say to joining me for a quick tour of the city?" " he offered with some tension in his voice. Ichigo nodded. Maybe the fresh air would do him good. The young captain swallowed a pill and waited in his black Shihakushou for the substitute to join him. Ichigo grabbed his badge, pressed it to his chest and let his body fall onto the bed. At that moment, Toushirou tensed up and covered his face with his hand. A stream of hot spirit pressure poured out of Ichigo's body. The substitute staggered slightly, as he had not expected it. Fortunately, he found his balance.  

"We can go." he said and without hesitation jumped out of the window onto the opposite roof. He felt relief at the pleasant night breeze that caressed his face. However, what caused him to feel a pleasant chill and raised the hairs on his body was the freezing spirit pressure of his companion. The captain stood by his side, his body radiating the coldness that the substitute literally craved. He sighed involuntarily as his body temperature dropped to an acceptable level. The captain glanced at him and moved forward. They walked from place to place in silence for a while. They only destroyed a few smaller hollows. Otherwise, the city was plunged into darkness and silence. Ichigo enjoyed the walk. He felt much better. They spent two hours outside before returning to the house.  

"Thanks, that helped a lot." Ichigo smiled gratefully at the captain. The captain's cheeks turned pink and he turned his head away.  

"It was nothing. You should go to sleep." The substitute nodded, entered the room and stopped in front of the bed. He shivered as he looked at his body. For some unknown reason, he didn't want to go back. The heat was starting to return. He felt it flowing from his core towards his limbs.  

"Toushirou." he whined. The captain stopped moving. He was on his way out. A wave of heat swept over him again and he turned around, wide-eyed. The substitute had a pained expression on his face and was frowning at the bed. He was crushing the front of his Shihakusho in his palm.  

"It's back. What's going on? I don't understand." Ichigo was starting to get desperate. Was something wrong with him? Was it some kind of mental illness that only affects the gods of death? He raised his desperate puppy eyes and stared into the widened turquoise ones. Toushirou was fighting with himself. He knew what was happening to the young substitute. It was his fault. But it wasn't his intention. He had no idea that something like this could happen. Resignedly, he jumped down from the window frame and inside.  

"Looks like I'll have to spend the night here." Ichigo blinked.  

"Um.." speechless, he watched the little captain walk over to the table and sit down on a chair.  

"I'll stay all night and monitor you."  

"But why?"  

"Because your condition is my fault." he blurted out, lowering his guilty eyes to the ground. Ichigo sat down on the bed.  

"This is your fault?" he asked cautiously. The heat subsided slightly. Could it have been related to his presence?  

"What did you do Toushirou?" sharp caramel brown eyes followed every twitch of muscle on the pale face. The captain sighed.  

"I'm not entirely sure why this happened, but it seems like our energies have gotten used to each other. We spend almost all our time together. I feel restless too when I'm separated from you for a long time." The tiny hand swept over tired eyes. Toushirou was also restless. He just masked it better.  

"Okay. I'll sleep in this form. I feel like I wouldn't sleep at all in my body." Ichigo grumbled thoughtfully and placed his body on the floor next to the bed. He landed heavily on the bed and exhaled the air he had been holding in for a long time. Toushirou watched him desperately. What he didn't tell the young substitute was the essence of it all. He should have been stronger and stayed away from him. But he couldn't. He didn't want to. He couldn't look at the pain in those warm and tender eyes. He fell into an abyss from which there was no escape. He could only hope that the bond would stabilize by morning.  

"I'm still weak." he muttered to himself. He closed his eyes and tried to meditate. He held the position for only ten minutes before a rustling sound reached his ears. Ichigo rolled over. And after a while again. And again. It took an hour before Ichigo sat up on the bed, full of frustration, and reached out to the surprised captain.  

"Come here." he growled, his eyes full of fatigue and anger. Toushirou slowly got up and walked over to the bed. The substitute grabbed his waist and pulled him into bed with him. He let out a yelp of surprise, as he hadn't expected it.  

"Kurosaki!" he growled and tried to break free. Strong hands loosened slightly but didn't let go. Ichigo grunted contentedly and finally relaxed. The cold radiating from the small body literally seeped into him, calming the hot storm inside him. He buried his face in the white hair.  

"Please stay like that. I finally feel at peace." he asked, and the captain stopped moving. Large palms stroked his hair and back, causing pleasant shivers. The heat radiating from Ichigo's body seeped into him, but it wasn't the crazy heat he hated. That didn't do him any good and forced him to hide. This heat was different. Pleasant and soothing. Against his will, he sighed happily and buried his head in the firm chest. He wrapped his arms around the large body and relaxed. He was doomed. There was a fear in the back of his head that he wouldn't let pass forward. Maybe this time it would be different. Maybe he would finally have someone he could call his.  

XxX  

"Get up, little one." The urgent tone of Hyorinmaru's voice forced him to open his tired eyes. He stared ahead for a while before he managed to focus and look around. He was in a cave filled with ice. Hyorinmaru was wrapped around his body and watched him with worried eyes.  

"Thank God. I thought you wouldn’t wake up." A cool nose brushed his cheeks affectionately. He had to smile.  

"Hyorinmaru, what happened?" he croaked. His voice was almost gone. Sweat was running down his cheeks. And the pain was coming back to him like a boomerang. He hissed when he tried to move. The ice dragon didn't take his eyes off him.  

"We fought. We managed to injure the enemy and escape. But you can't fight anymore. You have a high fever, deep burns on your hands and arms, and one of the claws hit you in the leg. I'm trying to cool the wounds, so the infection doesn't get worse, but I don't know how long you'll last." Hyorinmaru sounded unhappy. Toushirou just nodded.  

"How long have I been unconscious?"  

"Twelve hours." he gasped. How much longer would he have to stay in this hell? The dragon curled closer around him.  

"Help is on the way, little one." Dull eyes looked up at him.  

"Ichigo?" he whispered exhaustedly.  

"Yes. I can feel it through the bond. Hes coming." Relief washed over his small body like a wave. He breathed a sigh of relief.  

"You know, it would be good to finally tell him about it." the ice dragon glared at him. The captain sighed.  

"He's a fool. I'm surprised he hasn't noticed anything yet."  

"But he did. When I contacted him through the bond, I got an answer. An uncertain one, but one indeed. He'll have questions." The long body tightened more. The dragon was restless. The sight of the half-dead master frightened him. The captain became sad.  

"I couldn't tell him then. I didn't want to feel another blow. I don't want to experience the pain of a broken bond again. Once was enough." both remembered it well. The pain of losing a close partner. A deep hole from a broken bond that had been healing for decades. The cool head rested on his lap.  

"I'm sure our choice was right this time. We must believe in him." he tried to encourage him. Toushirou couldn't do more than nod.  

"You're right, we must believe." he closed his eyes and stroked the dragon between the ears with his palm. And suddenly he opened them when he heard a loud blow. The bond inside trembled.  

"He's here." Hyorinmaru purred softly. Toushirou smiled. Now he just had to wait for them to find him. He longed to look into those eyes again. And he had a feeling he wouldn't be alone.  

Chapter Text

Finally, we're all here. Okay, so here's the plan." They stood in front of the open senkaimon, looking at the old map. Shinji was pointing along the red-marked route.  

"We'll enter the senkaimon and stop about halfway through. We need to use the coordinates we and the other shinigami collected. The exact location is the gate to hell."  

"Wait, there's another option. The gate that appears when the hollow is cleansed." Ichigo reminded him. Shinji shook his head.  

"That's too dangerous. The guards guard the gate mainly because of the souls that they drag inside. We wouldn't be able to get through them." That was news. Ichigo thought it was the only gate. He had just been proven wrong. Shinji cleared his throat and looked back at the map.  

"So, we'll connect the coordinates, find the location, and break in. The robes we have from Captain Kuchiki will protect us from the heat and our level of spirit pressure will allow us to breathe.” He moved his finger to the staircase pattern.  

“Hell is like an organ. It has several layers and each one is worse. Since we don’t know where Captain Hitsugaya is, we have to go through each layer while trying to avoid the hellish creatures.” He turned the map over and revealed a drawing of a four-legged animal with large jaws surrounded by flames and fur. Ichigo frowned.  

“It looks like a dog. But it has a mask like a hollow.”  

“It looks like one, but it’s not one of them.” Rukia said. Ichigo glared at her.  

“So what is it?”  

"We call them Hi no ago or simply Ago. They got their name from their large jaws. They have so much muscle mass in them that they can bite through iron. Their fur is dark red and flames shoot from their mouths. And they are definitely not friendly, just because at first glance they look like dogs from the human world."  

"With your zanpakuto, it shouldn't be such a problem." Renji grinned.  

"We'll see. I'm not sure how effective my ice will be." she admitted uncertainly. Shinji turned the map over again.  

"In addition to the black dragon that kidnapped our captain and the jaws that we'll have to watch out for, there are also the Kushanada guards. And most importantly, watch out for the pile of fire, volcanoes, and flowing lava."  

"Perfect." Ikkaku grunted. Shinji rolled up the map.  

"That's it. Time to go." Rukia frowned.  

"Wait, shouldn't we discuss..."  

"No, these are in the depths, where we can't reach, and the place isn't even marked on the map. We have nothing to fear." Rukia followed the others silently and with a worried look. Ichigo joined her.  

"What was that about?" he asked curiously. Then he frowned and rubbed his chest with his palm. Rukia, however, didn't notice this gesture.  

"It's a story, a rumor. But supposedly, immortal beings reside in the deepest level of hell. No one knows what they look like, but the stories say that they have bare skulls and are able to kill with one blow." Ichigo hissed softly. He ran his palm over the center of his chest. He couldn't shake the stabbing pain. It pulsed and Zangetsu vibrated on his back. Something was happening.  

"Thanks for the information. We'll keep our eyes alert. They could appear at any time. With our luck, we'll run into them."  

"Ichigo!" the young substitute stopped and turned arounds. Matsumoto Rangiku ran towards them with an urgent expression on her face.  

"I'll go first." Rukia announced and started walking again. The red-haired woman ran towards him and grabbed his shoulders.  

"It's time. Our only chance." he nodded.  

"If we fail, we won't leave." the grip on his shoulders tightened.  

"Ichigo, bring him back." the urgent tone was unmistakable. He nodded with a pained grimace. Rangiku frowned.  

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" he shook his head.  

"No, I've just been feeling a strange throbbing in my chest since this morning and it's getting worse. I don't know what to do about it. Zangetsu is vibrating on my back. He feels it too." The information shocked the lieutenant.  

"Let me take a look." Ichigo slowly lowered his hands and the smaller palm rested on the center of his chest. She concentrated for a moment before her eyes widened in shock. She withdrew her hand.  

"I know it. I felt it myself once. And these days, only two pairs of death gods are lucky enough to have this." Ichigo looked around in confusion.  

"What are you talking about?" The lieutenant’s eyes lit up.  

"What you're feeling is a soul bond. It's a connection on a soul level. Nothing is deeper.” Ichigo was shocked.  

“But who could I be with…” his voice gradually faded. One person came to mind. Judging by the lieutenant’s smile, it must be true.  

“But how? We just spent time together.”  

“Your energies intertwined and merged. Just being together was enough. I never thought you’d be so compatible.” She hugged him with a relieved laugh. Ichigo froze.  

“Rangiku?” the grip tightened slightly.  

“I’m counting on you. I’ve prayed for so long that he’d finally find someone to love. After all these years of suffering, luck has finally smiled at him.”  

“What are you talking about?” she pulled away slightly and shook her head.  

“That’s not my story to tell. He has to tell it himself.”  

“Ichigo! Come on! We are waiting for you!” Shinji called.  

"I'm coming!" he replied and pulled away. Determined, he looked Rangiku in the eye.  

"I will bring him home, even if it costs me my life." With that, he turned and followed his group into the senkaimon. The world went dark. The only light they had on their way was the path.  

"What were you talking about? Ikkaku asked. Ichigo waved his hand.  

"She just wanted to encourage me." he didn't want to discuss his love life any further. The advice and remarks were tiring him. After a moment of silence, his chest throbbed again. This time he gave in to the sensation and let himself be pulled in. He found himself below the surface of the water. Cooling waves caressed his cheeks. He closed his eyes and hesitantly let the sensation pass through him. Several images appeared before him. They were visions of hell. However, the last one caused him to panic. He saw the young captain. Collapsed in a cave and surrounded by ice. Toushirou was unconscious and bleeding. He abruptly tore himself from the warm embrace of the bond and returned to reality.  

"We're getting closer!" Shinji slowly stopped. Gradually they regrouped and put together the coordinates.  

"Look! The resulting numbers mean that the entrance to hell is below us."  

"There!" Rukia pointed down. Something glowed slightly in the darkness. Ikkaku grinned.  

"That's our entrance!" without another word he jumped. Ichigo grimaced.  

"He's right. Jump!" Shinji jumped second and the others followed him. The fall was free. The light gradually increased until they finally broke through the light barrier. Ichigo gritted his teeth. It had several layers, and each penetration slowed him down. If he got stuck, he wouldn't be able to move anymore. And the heat rose with each layer.  

After penetrating the sixth layer, he finally fell into the first layer of hell. The heat immediately surrounded him, and he found it slightly difficult to breathe. The place looked like a home of flames. It reminded him of an island where a volcano had erupted years ago and destroyed everything. All that was left was fire and destruction. This was the same. Black scorched and cracked earth, tall, roaring volcanoes in the distance and flames shooting from cracks in the ground. He fell to the ground and looked around.  

"I expected destruction but this? Nothing would survive here." Renji slowly stretched.  

"So where do we start? It's quite big here and..." he didn't finish the sentence. They heard a sound. An ugly growling sound. Ichigo would have compared it to the grinding of metal wheels. Combined with the growling, a chilling sound reached them, tearing at their senses.  

"Didn't you say they shouldn’t be in the first layer?" Rukia snapped at Shinji, drawing her zanpakuto. The captain looked around nervously.  

"They should, but something must have changed. Maybe the presence of a dragon or Captain Hitsugaya." The sound of clicking on stone was getting closer. They huddled back to back. And soon they saw them. They climbed out one by one. Every step left a trail of fire behind them. Bloodshot eyes followed their every move. Blood-red fur glistened in the light of the flames.  

But the build was...strange. Slightly different from the image drawn on the map. Long snout, claws, and teeth. Bony jaws covered in white fur. Muscular front legs. Shaggy fur like a lion's and paws laced with protruding bones. Long pointed ears turned in their direction, catching every sound. A long tail laced with flames flicked from side to side. But it was their eyes, empty and bloodshot, that pinned them to the hot ground.  

"These won't be friendly." Renji gripped his zanpakuto tighter. The wolves were closing in on them from all sides. Their mouths were slightly open and saliva was dripping onto the ground, where it immediately evaporated. Some of them had small flames shooting from their mouths.  

"Jaws." Ichigo growled and drew Zangetsu. The sword vibrated strongly in his hand. With the pulse in his chest now painless and the vision of his partner, he threw himself into the path of the first wolf. He had to get to him. Toushirou owed him an explanation. And maybe he would finally confess his feelings for him.  

Chapter Text

There was no end to them. Ichigo spun around and slashed and slashed. But there were too many of them. It was one large pack led by several commanding wolves. They were intelligent. Divided into several groups, they gradually divided them and then charged to bring them down one by one. Renji was bleeding from a wound on his hand and Shinji had two bloody lines across his back when one of the monsters jumped at him from behind. And even though the hot ground was littered with dead bodies and flowing blood, it still wasn't enough. There were over fifty monsters for each of them. Ichigo was breathing fast, feeling fatigue coming gradually. He could feel the heat all around him, but thanks to Byakuya's gift, they were safe from the heat of the flames. He jumped in time to dodge the sharp jaws of another monster and cut off its head with one movement. Flames shot out of the open jaws and scorched his sleeve. He swore and shook his hand to put it out.  

"Damn monsters."  

"I wouldn't say it better!" Ikkaku said. He and his group were breaking through with the help of shikai. But it was obvious that it was taking a lot of strength. Rukia on the left was doing the best. Her ice was holding the monsters at bay.  

"We have to regroup! I have a plan!" she shouted over the loud sounds of the fighting. Shinji and Renji used Hado 33 and at the same time released blue flames in one direction. The jaws jumped aside, clearing the way. Ichigo didn't wait for anything and joined them.  

"How long have we been stuck here?" he asked with a hint of irritation in his voice. His chest was tightening due to the soul bond, and it was making it difficult for him to fight when he couldn't catch his breath at times. Despite the fact that everyone looked like they had just stepped out of a horror movie. Their clothes and blades were stained with blood. A normal person would have thought they were a group of mass murderers.  

"About two hours. We need to find a portal to the lower floor." Shinji looked at the map.  

"He'll probably be on the other side of the burning plains. We need to get rid of them."  

"But how? They're like cockroaches. There's too many of them." Renji raked his hair in frustration. Ichigo looked behind him. The jaws regrouped again and were closing in. His gaze fell on Rukia, who was looking thoughtfully at her blade, and it dawned on him.  

"We don't have much time before they start running at us again, but I have an idea." he said. All heads turned to him.  

"Well out with it." Ikkaku  said impatient.  

"What if Rukia uses her bankai? I noticed they don't like the change in temperature. And a bankai that controls absolute frost could be the end of them."  

"There's something to that. Could you handle it?" Renji looked at his close friend. She frowned. But after a moment she nodded.  

"You need to get away from me. I can't guarantee your safety. My bankai is dangerous even for me."  

"Eh, I think we have company." they turned their backs on each other, blades ready for another massacre. The creatures around them began to circle. Their paws spattered with the blood of the fallen and gradually ignited flames.  

"Rukia?" Ichigo squeezed the handle, also stained with drying blood. The girl took a deep breath.  

"Okay. On the count of three, jump up and move away." They nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed on the circling wolves.  

"One!" the circle slowly narrowed.  

"Two!" The commanding jaws grinned angrily, small flames flashing from behind their teeth.  

"Three!" they jumped out of the circle at once and, with the help of shunpo, moved to higher ground. The first wolves in the circle charged forward. But it was too late. Rukia raised her blade and said in a firm voice:  

"Bankai! Hakka no Togame!" A wave of ice erupted from her blade, enveloping all the creatures in a mist. All they could hear was a painful whimpe and, yowling which slowly died down. Ichigo watched in amazement as the mist receded, revealing a plain of ice covering all four-legged bodies. And in the middle stood his friend, clad in glistening ice.  

"Literally an ice queen." Ikkaku declared in admiration. The mist had almost reached them, and they were standing on the tops of hot rocks. The air had cooled by half. Ichigo shivered slightly at the sudden change in temperature. He tried to jump down, but Renji stopped him. He looked at him with a question in his eyes.  

"Not yet. It'll freeze you at the mere touch. Wait." and so Ichigo waited. It took a few minutes for the ice to begin to recede. The frozen bodies gradually fell to the ground as they were released from the icy grip. Some broke into pieces as they fell. And Rukia gradually lost her icy appearance. When she was back in her black robes, she let out the breath she had been holding and waved at them with a smile.  

"Done!" everyone jumped down to join her. Rukia and Ichigo set about treating their wounds. Shinji raised an eyebrow.  

"I had no idea you could do kido." he remarked. Ichigo shrugged.  

"I only know the basics. Nothing difficult or challenging." Shinji sneered.  

"Let me guess. You wanted to impress a certain captain, huh?"  

"Leave me alone!" the irritated substitute hissed, but the slight blush on his cheeks could not be ignored. No one needed to know that he had begged Toushirou to be his teacher. They already knew more than he wanted to tell.  

"What next?" Renji rubbed his freshly healed arm and looked around. He couldn't see anything. It seemed that the remaining jaws had run away. At least for now. Shinji pulled out the map again.  

"We'll go across the plain. We're at the entrance now, we have to move forward."  

"Eh, I think we have another visitor.” Ikkaku stared into the distance.  

“And I think it’s our enemy.” His voice shook slightly. Ichigo turned around. And confirmed his assumption. The creature was approaching them at astronomical speed. They didn’t have time to react. The black body flew past them, hot air fanning their chilled faces. Then the monster turned and aimed directly at them. Flame shot from its long jaws and with a quick turn they were trapped in a circle of heat. Ichigo covered his face. He sweated slightly due to the high temperature of the flames. They were very close. He watched with his eyes as the black body landed on the rock. The wings shook and folded slightly. And the red eyes sank into his like knives. Finally, he could see it without smoke, fire, or other curtains. It was a dragon with a body covered in black and dark red scales, thorns and a fireball at the end of its tail, exactly as Grimm had described. It looked proud and majestic. And very hateful. Ichigo changed form. He wanted to talk to the dragon. The dragon was watching him like a hawk.  

"Where is your prisoner?" he yelled with a hollow scream. Its head turned to the side, it measured him with its gaze.  

"You won't find him here." it replied with disinterest and turned to fly away.  

"Wait!" he cried desperately. The dragon stopped moving. This was his chance. Ichigo straightened up. The others watched them with curious eyes.  

"We know who you're looking for. But he's no longer alive. You're causing unnecessary destruction!" the head turned slightly, and red eyes sunk into him. Ichigo recognized that look. Full of hope and fatigue.  

"He will come." With that, the wide wings spread and the dragon took off again. Ichigo watched it fly across the plain. Then it changed direction to the ground and disappeared. With a sigh, he changed back.  

"Ichigo!" Rukia looked at him. He shook his head and pointed his finger across the plain.  

"He showed us the way down. We must hurry." Without another word, he rushed forward. The dragon's gaze evoked a feeling of sympathy in him. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly falling into place. He only needed an answer to one question. How did the captain of the tenth squard fit into all of this? He would surely find his answer in the depths of hell.  

Chapter Text

The fall through the next membrane was harder. They felt resistance on impact, but thanks to the protective cloaks they had wrapped around themselves, they broke through. A free fall through walls of flames awaited them further on. The heat slowly increased as they descended, but it was bearable. Ichigo squinted his eyes to see through the sweat dripping into his eyes.  

"Be careful! We don't know what will jump out at us once we fall to the bottom!" Shinji shouted, his white captain's cloak swaying behind him. Ichigo was not afraid. He was ready to fight the grim reaper himself. They were wasting precious time. Suddenly he yelped and clutched his forehead. A sharp pain shot through his chest and head. He recognized it. Hyorinmaru was sending him another signal. Unfortunately, the timing was not good.  

"Renji!" he called to his friend. The red head turned towards him, covered in a brown cloak.  

"Hm?"  

"I need you to catch me when we get close! Hyorinmaru is sending me a signal!" all heads turned towards him, eyes narrowed. Renji nodded wordlessly and wrapped his arm around his waist.  

"Thanks." He smiled slightly and closed his eyes. He let his mind flow along the current that led him to the mind of the prisoner.  

XxX  

Pain hit him like a baseball bat to the back of his head. Toushirou was in a terrible state. He sat on the ground, his back leaning against the firm form of his dragon. His wounds looked bad. The infection had seeped in and gnawed deep into his bones. Every movement hurt. And he didn't have the energy to use kido to heal himself. He was breathing as if he were choking, his body heavy. His heart rate was too fast. Ichigo wanted to scream. But he couldn't. Their bond wasn't deep enough for them to communicate. He watched helplessly as the large black body moved from side to side. The thorny tail occasionally smacked the ground, flames shooting from the tip of the tail.  

"Don't be stubborn, brother, my offer is more than tempting." it growled and its red eyes pierced the eyes of the ice.  

"I will never accept your offer. I chose him as my master and partner myself."  

"You allowed him to chain you to him! Free yourself! Together we can help others. Give them freedom." The large teeth clicked together. The dragon sounded impatient. Hyorinmaru shook his head.  

"You chose your master and your choice was wrong. You cannot compare us to yourself, brother."  

"That's a lie!" a flame shot from its mouth, which lightly passed over the icy body. Hyorinmaru flinched, a few drops of water fell to the ground. The long tail slapped loudly on the ground, making Toushirou flinch. Tired eyes followed the animal.  

"I was not given a choice! The one who created me took that opportunity away from me the moment he gave me to that pathetic creature! He was weak! He couldn't control me! Communicate with me! He didn't understand me! And in the end they silenced me!" The sound of the erupting volcano stopped the dragon. It took a few breaths and started pacing again.  

"They abused me. They don't deserve me. And neither do everyone else. They never gave me a name."  

"You are nameless?" Toushirou wheezed. Ichigo looked at him worriedly. The dragon stared at him.  

"Yes. My creator and my partner, neither of them gave me a name."  

"I'm sorry. But there's definitely the right partner waiting for you. Someone who's worthy of you." A strange flash passed through the red eyes and the dragon turned away.  

"Maybe there is, but it's too late for that." it growled, its wings pressed tightly together. Toushirou coughed, his throat torn by dryness causing drops of blood to fall to the ground. Ichigo wanted to reach out and touch him. To give him some sign that he was with him. But Hyorinmaru knew about him. He nodded as if he knew what Ichigo was trying to do and tightened his grip around his master. The coughing stopped after a few minutes. Toushirou slumped down tiredly and wiped the blood from his lips. The large turquoise eyes looked at the dragon with sympathy and pity.  

"Tell me your story. From the beginning." he called out to the dragon quietly. The black head turned. The dragon watched him for a moment, then turned to face him and lay on its stomach. Ichigo turned his head. He had to remember everything.  

"I don't know what use such information would be to you, considering that you are almost dead. But perhaps saying the words will relieve me of my anger and hatred." Hyorinmaru nodded and urged him on.  

"We are listening, brother." red eyes closed and misted as the dragon immersed himself in his memories.  

"My first memory is of water. Water bubbling all around me. I couldn't move. I was in some kind of water tank. And he was looking at me. He had a satisfied grin on his face.  

"I finally succeeded!" he shouted. Then he drained the water and took me into a room with a long table. He looked at me, running his hands over me, praising how he had created the most unique zanpakuto. I could feel his emotions. Under his guidance, I evolved and was able to take on my form. I thought he was my master.  

But then he gave me to someone else. He said I was a gift. The spiritual energy was half that of mine. I knew I would have trouble communicating with him. He was a strange shinigami. During the day he was a responsible member of the Gotei 13, but at night he became a murderer and a predator. He took me with him, splattered my blade with the blood of innocents and corrupted my soul at the same time.” its eyes blinked a few times. As if to ward off tears that would never come.  

,,I was white as snow. But with the nightly bloodbaths, my appearance changed. My soul turned black along with his.” Toushirou gasped. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. And so did Ichigo. His view of the monster gradually changed.  

“He never gave me a name. Every time he called out, “Rise, dragon,” and I obeyed like a naive fool. My power was spiraling out of control due to the corruption. I myself felt irritation, anger, and a growing hatred for my master. Our communication was intermittent or nonexistent. He used me to do evil. He destroyed all the innocence I had.” The mouth opened and teeth snapped together as the dragon pressed them together. He could still feel it. The hatred.  

“Last night of our time together, I couldn’t control myself. I didn’t want to be under his control. Under anyones control. So I killed him. I thought my creator would be the one I could tell everything, the one who would understand me, like when he created me. But he didn't. Instead, he bound me with hellish chains without a word and threw me into the depths of hell!" he roared the last sentence angrily. But he immediately lay back on his stomach.  

"See what they did to me? And you expect me to spare them? I know that the murderer's soul is somewhere! And he will come to me to kill him again." Toushirou writhed, the pain literally paralyzing.  

"I'm sorry, you went through hell. But the others are different. You will destroy more lives!"  

"And they are on their way here." the dragon finished, flapping his wings. He soared and swept his eyes over the captive pair.  

"I will think about your words, if they can free you from here." with that he turned and flew away. And Ichigo was banished.  

XxX  

He opened his eyes sharply and coughed. There was smoke all around him.  

"Ichigo!" Rukia was bent over him, a worried look in her eyes.  

"I'm fine." he said between coughing and sat up. He felt a little dizzy and he realized two things. First, that he couldn't breathe properly and second, that he could barely see anything. There was a black fog all around him.  

"What's that...?" he started, but his breath caught in his throat. He lowered his head.  

"Don't breathe deeply. It's not ordinary smoke." He slowly stood up and walked over to the others. Shinji turned to him, a map clutched in his fingers.  

"What did you learn?" Ichigo rubbed his eyes.  

"Enough. Toushirou is holding on by force of will, but he is in a very bad shape. And our monster is the result of disgusting treatment of the zanpakuto. It wants revenge and will drag everyone down with it.”  

“Perfect.” Ikkaku shook his head. The irritation was evident in his eyes. Ichigo bent over the map.  

“What next?” Shinji put his finger to the paper.  

“I don’t sense the presence of enemies. There is only this fog but we don’t know what it can do to us if we keep breathing it. We have to get through it and go here.” he pointed to the red cross.  

“Okay, let’s go. We don’t have time to spare.” Ichigo urged them and stood up. He looked around defiantly. Not even his poor vision would stop him. His journey will continue forward until he reaches his destination.  

Chapter Text

The fog was thick. Ichigo could only see a meter of space in front of him. They were walking along the only path that looked well-used. Still, no one was one hundred percent sure that they were going straight to their destination.  

"This has no end." Renji grumbled. He squinted his eyes to try to see into the distance, but still failed.  

"We have no choice. I'm sure it's not far." Rukia reassured him. However, she herself did not look convinced. They were breathing in small breaths, their steps were quickened. They wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, because they did not know what awaited them. They had not encountered any enemies yet, but that could change at any moment and in such thick fog they had no chance of seeing anything.  

"How long are we going to be walking?" Ichigo called, turning his head back. He was talking to Shinji. A muffled reply reached his ears that he didn't understand. He turned his head with a slight frown. And with growing concern, he realized that the captain wasn't behind him. He was nowhere to be seen.  

"Hirako?" Ichigo took a step, then two, and looked around, but he couldn't see him anywhere. Realization hit him like a train. With terror in his eyes, he turned around and looked for his friends. But he couldn't see anyone. He was alone in the thick fog. He gritted his teeth in irritation.  

"I should have known." He had a stone under him, which he used to orient himself and sped up. He must find the others and hope that no one of them will meet a bad fate.  

XxX  

Rukia walked quickly. It had been a few minutes since she had found herself alone in the fog. She didn't feel a single breath of energy.  

"This is not good." She took out her communication device from her pocket and tried to contact her friends and the Soul Society. Not once did the connection succeed.  

"I should have known that there would be no signal in the underworld." She pulled her cloak closer to her body and wrapped herself in her cooling energy. The heat was reaching almost unbearable temperatures. But she had an advantage, which she now gladly took advantage of. One option was to get to her destination and hope that the others would find their way too. Any other way could end in disaster. She pushed forward determinedly when she felt a pinch in the nape of her throat. She hissed, stopped, and rubbed the spot. But she felt nothing. No injury, no pinch, nothing. The world suddenly spun with her. She gasped and fell to her knees. Her cooling energy shield dissipated and hot air closed around her.  

"Damn!" she cursed and tried to stand. She couldn't. She felt weakness in her bones. She closed her eyes and opened them again. There was a palm outstretched in front of her. A palm she knew very well.  

"Get up, Rukia. You've been exposed to the heat. You're safe." She raised her head cautiously and froze.  

"Brother." She gasped in surprise and grabbed the outstretched hand. Byakuya pulled her to her feet and pulled the brown cloak tighter around her.  

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Dark eyes studied her for a moment, then Byakuya turned and rushed forward. She quickly followed him.  

"We were sent to help you. I'm surprised you're only in the second layer." Rukia lowered her head.  

"We're moving as fast as we can. Nothing can be seen through the fog."  

"There's nothing to worry about. The fog is harmless. It just makes it harder to see. Follow me. We're getting closer to our destination." Rukia caught up with her brother.  

"Who  was sent with you to help?" Byakuya glared at her.  

"Two captain-level shinigami and three linteutenant-level shinigami were sent with me. That should be enough to complete the mission." She nodded in agreement.  

"You're right. Let's hurry!" she jumped up and continued on their way.  

XxX  

Ikkaku frowned. A lot. The thick fog was literally getting on his nerves. He tried to swing his Hozukimaru, but it was like cutting hard butter. The fog didn't recede. On the contrary. It was tightening around him more and more.  

"Damn it!" he snapped angrily. He lost his bearings. He didn't know if he was still going straight or if he had turned and was going in a completely different direction.  

"This isn't normal. Something must be causing the fog. Just have to figure out what." he mused. And suddenly stopped.  

"You're finally using your head, Ikkaku!" he turned around and froze in shock.  

"Yumichika?" his friend grinned and approached him.  

"The captain knew you'd need help, so I'm here. And four more with me." he shook his head and put his hands on his hips.  

"We're doing a good job. He didn't have to send you." he grumbled indignantly. But he was inwardly glad to see him. Yumichika chuckled.  

"I see that. You're wandering around like a lost child."  

"I'm not wandering! I know where to go!" Ikkaku protested.  

"Really? Which way are we going?" Yumichika was having a great time. He watched with amusement as his friend turned his head and pointed in all directions. Finally, he shook his head and pointed to the left.  

"This way we'll get to the destination. I was forced to memorize your map. I know where to go.” The bald head turned. Sharp eyes narrowed in suspicion.  

“How did you…”  

“Captain Mayuri.” was the simple answer. That was all he needed to hear.  

“I see. Let’s go.” he shook his head and together they set off.  

XxX  

Shinji continued briskly in the same direction they had taken. He was surprised that Ichigo didn’t say anything in response. He was loud enough. And no matter how much he wanted to call Ichigo an idiot, it was no use, because he found himself alone in the thick fog.  

“This is just perfect!” he exclaimed irritably. Now he had to find those idiots. Great.  

“Ichigo will pay for this. I’ll be drinking sake all night!” he muttered. He looked around for a few minutes, his hand on his zanpakuto in case of an attack. But he felt nothing. No one. There was a suspicious calm. He was slowly calming down. It didn’t do him any good to be so paranoid.  

“Maybe I really am old.” he said with a small smile.  

“You finally admitted it!” a loud voice said behind him. Shinji flinched and turned around in an instant, his fingers gripping Sakanade. He froze. He hadn’t expected the person in front of him even in his dreams.  

“Hyori?” he exclaimed in surprise. The blonde wizard looked at him with raised eyebrows.  

“Who else would be behind you, you idiot?” she said, her arms crossed over her chest. Shinji frowned. And shook his head.  

"That's impossible. The passage is closed. Who are you?!" he shouted and drew his zanpakuto. Hyori sighed and was by him in one leap. Shinji took a blow from the flat shoe and fell to the ground.  

"I'll tell you who I am! I'm Hyori Sarugaki! I'm a wizard! I helped with Ichigo's training! And just to be clear, he’s still a lost cause..."  

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Shinji wiped the blood from his nose. Hyori always knew where to hit. The girl put on her shoe and helped him to his feet.  

"You and your paranoia." she growled.  

"The head captain sent me with the others. Just to be clear! I'm only here for you and Ichigo, because I still owe him." She turned her head slightly. It wasn't easy for her to say. Shinji smiled.  

"Thank you for your help. We should go. The others are definitely on their way." Hyori nodded, but Shinji's sharp eye didn't miss the twitch of her right hand.  

"They're not stupid, one of them is definitely already there. So hurry or we’ll be the last!" she charged forward. Shinji shook his head. She must be nervous. Like everyone else.  

XxX  

Renji raked through his red hair in frustration. He was definitely lost. He didn't know where to go. He tried calling his companions, even tried a few taunts at Ichigo's address. But he didn't get an answer.  

"What now?" he asked himself. He had no direction, no companions, and no way to contact the world outside hell. The heat was literally sticking to him. He sat down on the hot ground with a sigh. He needed a plan. Maybe he could use his zabimaru. But how? There was nothing he could grab onto. Damn it, he didn't know if there were any trees here!  

"Think, Renji, think!"  

"What are you sitting here for, Renji?" he raised his head in surprise.  

"Rukia?" he hadn't even heard her coming. Could it be because of the fog? He quickly stood up.  

"I'm glad to see you!" he exclaimed and jumped towards her excitedly. The girl took a step back, a frown on her face.  

"I've been looking for you forever!" she shouted. Renji lowered his head.  

"We're in the same situation. I've lost my way. I don't know which way to go." he admitted quietly. The girl shook her head.  

"You'll lose your head one day too. Come on, I know which way to go. The others are definitely there." she reached out and clasped his fingers. Renji blushed slightly and let her guide him, ignoring the firm grip and something sharp in his palm.  

XxX  

Ichigo was at his wits' end. His heart was pounding in his chest. His breathing was slightly rapid and panic was slowly taking over him. He couldn't find anyone. No one answered his desperate calls. He stopped to calm down. He wouldn't be of any help to anyone if he kept running around panicking.  

"There has to be a solution to this."  

"Of course there is, you idiot! Why are you carrying me on your back?!" Angry words ran through his head. Ichigo hissed and rubbed his forehead. Zangetsu vibrated strongly on his back. He was angry. Ichigo apologized with a small smile and took the blade in his fingers. An idea flashed through his head. He could draw attention to himself with his spirit energy! He mentally slapped himself for his unthinkability. He gripped Zangetsu tighter, closed his eyes and concentrated his spirit energy. And let it explode all at once. A large wave of golden color gushed out of him and cut through the thick fog. The fog retreated as if it was afraid of him. He smiled at his victory.  

"Ichigo." the smile on his lips froze when the receding fog revealed a small body kneeling on its knees. The body was shaking with exhaustion, the clothes were literally in pieces and he saw blood wherever he looked. A battered head, its white curls stained with blood and volcanic dust, lifted, and large, lusterless turquoise eyes looked at him pleadingly. Ichigo almost dropped Zangetsu to the ground. His concentration faltered, allowing the fog to return. But he didn't care. His entire being was focused on the goal of his mission.  

"Toushirou?"  

Chapter Text

Ichigo couldn't believe his eyes. But even though he rubbed them several times and slapped himself, he still saw him. Alive in front of him. And in a state that tore his heart.  

"Is it really you?" he whispered in a shaky voice. Turquoise eyes narrowed slightly. White hair fluttered slightly as he shook his head.  

"Of course it's me, you idiot." Ichigo didn't wait for anything and ran. He grabbed the broken little body in his arms and held it tightly to his own chest. He refused to let go. His heart was pounding.  

"How did you manage to escape?" he asked quietly. Tiny fingers gripped his Shihakusho.  

"It wasn't easy. I had to make every minute count. But I managed." Yes. Ichigo knew that Toushirou was smart and experienced, but he hadn't expected this. He pulled away and examined him more carefully.  

"You need healing." He raised his hand and tried to use kaido. The tiny hand stopped him.  

"I’m. I'm not dying. We need to hurry up and leave." Ichigo stopped. It was true that they needed to leave as soon as possible. But the others were god knows where and how is Toushirou going to leave on his own?  

"Can you carry me in your arms?" the train of thought stopped abruptly.  

"What?" is it because of their bond that the little captain is so determined to say what he thinks? He hadn't done that before. Ichigo was confused. Something was missing. About this whole situation.  

"Ichigo?" the quiet utterance of his name was like magic. Without a word, he took him in his arms and stood up. He didn't comment on the heavier weight of the body in his arms.  

"Let's go. We need to find the others." he said and walked into the unknown fog.  

XxX  

Rukia was starting to frown. She and Byakuya had been walking for quite a while and the destination was out of sight. She tried to remember how long the route was on the map, but the memory didn't come back to her. Strange.  

"Brother, how long will it take to get there?" she asked flatly. Byakuya stopped.  

"Just a little more and we'll be there." he said and started walking again. Rukia ran after him.  

"How do you know? There's only fog everywhere. And you can't see anything through it!" it didn't make sense to her. The whole situation didn't make sense to her! Why doesn't her brother have a communication device? Surely he could contact the others here in hell? Urahara or Mayuri must have fixed the device! And when Byakuya didn't answer her and continued on his way, she stopped. His footsteps then stopped too.  

"Don't stop Rukia, we have to keep going." he said in an icy voice, sending a chill down her spine. She quickly drew her zanpakuto. Byakuya hadn't spoken to her like that in years! She knew what to do.  

"You're not my brother! What are you?!" she shouted and pointed the tip at his back. Byakuya stood for a moment, like a statue. And then he slowly turned towards her. Instead of eyes, there were empty black holes. She took a step back in horror. And she did the right thing, because the fake Byakuya raised his hand and then something hit her throat. She gasped and ran her fingers along a long red line. The wound was bleeding. In small drops and slowly.  

"You're a creature from hell!" she didn't wait for anything and shouted the name of her zanpakuto. She let herself be fooled by the creature from hell and suspected that the others would be the same.  

XxX  

Something didn't feel right here. Ikkaku and Yumichika walked side by side, immersed in a meaningless conversation. But Ikkaku was starting to suspect that they were going the wrong way.  

"Yumichika." he addressed his friend. Yumichika stopped.  

"Hm?"  

"Are you sure we're going the right way? We've been walking for a long time and I don't see any mention of the others anywhere."  

"Yes, we'll be there in a moment." Yumichika grinned and continued walking. Ikkaku stood still. He had heard this answer twice already. Did Yumichika really mean it, or was he teasing him? Or...  

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up!" he urged him and Ikkaku broke into a jog. His eyes darted around him. It was quiet. Suspiciously quiet. If they were approaching their destination, shouldn't he at least faintly hear the others?  

"Something's wrong here." he growled to himself. Yumichika stopped, his shoulders and back stiff. Ikkaku looked at him suspiciously. He couldn't hear him from this far away. Because that would mean it wasn't... pain exploded in his left shoulder. He grabbed the wound and jumped back. A deep gash ran through his left shoulder. Blood gushed out.  

"Damn!" he cursed. Yumichika was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared. And Ikkaku was drawing Hozukimaru. He was dealing with a creature of hell that could take the form of others. That would be a problem.  

XxX  

Shinji was looking at the map and frowning. According to the marked path, they should be approaching their destination. But the route remained the same. And that didn't make sense. After a long, almost straight path, there should be a chasm that they had to cross and on the other side there would be an entrance to the next floor. But they were still on a straight path.  

"That's strange."  

"What's strange? You've been frowning for ten minutes, Shinji. Leave the map in your pocket and follow me!" he raised his head and looked at Hyori. She walked in front of him with her typical gait. There was impatience in her eyes. She was in a hurry.  

"I think we've taken a wrong turn." he said and hid the map.  

"That's not possible. We're going the right way." she replied. Something flashed in her eyes. Shinji approached her.  

"How do you know we're going the right way? You have no way of contacting the others."  

"I just know." Her voice darkened and Shinji took a step back. Her hands twitched slightly. He closed his eyes. He put two and two together. He might be the funny captain but his mind was sharp.  

"Where are you taking me? Tell me the truth." he growled, his eyes literally piercing hers. She understood that they would not get any further. Her face twisted into a grimace worthy of a mass murderer, her eyes sank, leaving empty black sockets behind. She drew her zanpakuto and rushed at him. Shinji jumped and kicked her in the back with all his strength. She fell on her chest, but immediately got up. A hoarse growl tore from her throat. Shinji pulled out Sakanade. This was not going to be an easy fight.  

XxX  

Renji couldn't take his eyes off the fingers that gripped his. He hadn't yet found the courage to tell Rukia how he felt. It felt harder than any fight he had been in. Strange how feelings worked. He returned her squeeze and let himself be guided. Rukia was smart. She certainly knew where to go. But as time went on, when she didn't say a word to him and just walked forward, oppressive thoughts began to creep into his mind.  

"Rukia? How long do you think we'll be going?" he asked, hissing as she clenched his fingers with a force she shouldn't have. He looked at their joined fingers in surprise. Since when has Rukia been so strong?  

"Why aren't you answering me?" His voice was urgent. One thought came to the surface from his tangled thoughts. Rukia stopped and clenched his fingers tighter.  

"We'll be there soon." she said with icy calm. Renji frowned and jerked away from her. The thought was already on the surface and his alertness was at its highest level.  

"You've barely said anything the entire way. Are we going in the right direction?" he asked in a sharp voice. She froze in place. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, then she gritted her teeth and swung her zanpakuto at him with a sharp turn. Renji jumped up and drew Zabimaru. A long gash ran across his chest.  

"I should have known. Are the others with one of your kind too?" he received an answer in the form of a grin full of sharp teeth. Without a word, she lunged at him. Renji thought at that moment that this fight would be harder than he thought.  

XxX  

Ichigo continued on his way. He held the small body close to him. Toushirou was cold. He must have lost a lot of blood. But every time he offered to heal, he was rejected. Toushirou had his head resting on his chest and his eyes closed. He was resting.  

"Tell me Toushirou, what are your plans when we get out of here?" he asked. Turquoise eyes opened slightly. They looked darker than they should have.  

"I don't know. I'll think about it when we get out of here." that answer stopped Ichigo. His friend / bondmate always knew what he wanted. Where his path would lead. His answer didn't sound like him at all. Should he blame it on the blood loss?  

"We need to have a proper talk when we get out of here. About us."  

"No need. We're together. There's nothing to talk about." Okay Ichigo started to frown. These answers didn't sit well at all. He squeezed the small body tighter. Something was wrong. Pain shot through his chest in that moment. He hissed and stopped. Pain caused by their bond. His eyes were glued to toushirous body. Eerily calm. Why didn’t Toushirou feel anything? He answered himself with a resigned sigh.  

"Toushirou I..." pain exploded in his chest. His eyes widened in shock. Blood poured out in large streams from the hole between his ribs. A tiny hand was buried between his lungs. He felt sharp claws scratching his heart. The bond pulsed strongly.  

"Something is wrong with you. Even though I am like the original. Something is missing." Toushirou said in a hoarse voice and his turquoise eyes turned black. Ichigo fell to his knees, paralyzed by pain and shock.  

"Toushirou" he gasped. The darkness gradually swallowed him until there was nothing left but silence.  

Chapter Text

,,...”  

,,Igo.”  

,,Ichigo!” his tired eyes slowly opened, revealing his veiled eyes. Ichigo had no idea where he was. His vision was very blurry. He blinked a few times and slowly raised his hand to rub the sleep from his eyes. He felt as if a herd of bulls had walked over him. His limbs were heavy, his muscles tired and weak.  

,,Wake up! Ichigo!” a familiar voice sounded very close and when he finally managed to focus, he saw the worried faces of his companions above him.  

,,Z-zangetsu.” he was wheezing heavily and then he coughed. His throat was dry. The seizure lasted for several long seconds. Zangetsu helped him sit up and held him by the hips to keep him from falling to the ground again. Ichigo shook his head, took a few deep breaths and straightened up. Despite the pain in his body, he managed to stay in position.  

"What happened?" he asked confused. The last thing he remembered was meeting Toushiro and looking for the others and then...nothing. Zangetsu hit him over the head.  

"Ouch! What was that for!?" he yelled in surprise. His companion frowned.  

"You're an idiot! You didn't even respond to our warning!" Zangetsu snorted to himself and stood up, his hands folded on his chest. Ichigo looked at him. The black one looked stressed too. He lowered his head and tried to remember what exactly had happened. And then he finally felt it. A stabbing pain in his chest. With a hiss, he placed his palm on it. The cold spread through his fingers. He immediately pulled back the fabric of his shihakusho and opened his mouth in shock. A hole filled with ice was filling his chest.  

"What the hell...!?" He ran his fingers over the cool surface and felt a shiver of relief. He knew who the ice belonged to. The black one held out his palm to him, which Ichigo accepted and slowly stood on his unsteady feet. The world spun slightly with him. And when it finally became clear to him, he looked around in amazement.  

"You would be dead if it weren't for your bond. He saved us." The sight of the icy plains and snowdrifts calmed the storm of emotions in him. Although he suspected the truth, he asked the question.  

"Who?"  

"Me!" A powerful voice roared across the plains. He saw a long silhouette in the snow, then the long wings flapped once and a gust of wind blew the snow away, revealing a long majestic body covered in ice blue like turquoise. Red eyes surveyed him.  

"I was the one who drew you into our world through the bond you share with my master."  

"Hyorinmaru..." he said softly and bowed. He was with his companions in Toushirou's inner world and the home of the ice dragon.  

"Rise, there is no need to bow to me. Thanks to the bond with my master, you are on the same level." Ichigo stood up.  

"You froze my injury," he remarked. The dragon snorted.  

"That was a small thing. I sensed that the mental bond was in danger the moment you were hit Ichigo Kurosaki. My master chose you, and your death would have dealt him a blow he would never recover from. That's why I penetrated your inner world through the bond and froze everything along with your injury. It's only a temporary solution, but you won't bleed out." The long wings flapped and folded again. The dragon moved to a small rock behind him and curled up on it. White Zangetsu grinned.  

"After all, you get a lot of benefits from it. My question is: How could you not notice that it was a copy?"  

"I felt something wasn't right. But I was so wrapped up in my belief that I had him back that I pushed my intuition aside."  

"And look where that got you, idiot!" the white one snapped, slapping him over the head. Ichigo said nothing. He knew he deserved it.  

"What now?" he asked, looking around again. He frowned slightly at nothing but the empty plains filled with snow. Could this be a representation of the loneliness the little captain felt?  

"You need to heal." the black Zangetsu said, placing a hand on his shoulder.  

"Your wound is frozen, but your quincy abilities are working inside. They're keeping the wound from bleeding out, and the ice is holding your heart together. Use kaido and hollow regeneration. You're running out of time." Ichigo nodded, sat down on the cold ground and got to work.  

Using his kaido, he found that his heart was almost destroyed. The ice held the pieces together and blue energy seeped through the long, crack-like wounds. His quincy ability. Yet the whole wound was shaking. Hyorinmaru was weakened by his master's condition, and so was Zangetsu. He gradually melted a small hole in the ice to reach the wound and began to heal it in small sections. White Zangetsu watched him warily. His regeneration had finished the half-done work of Ichigo's kaido. The ice dragon watched them patiently. The work had taken about an hour of slow and careful work. And when he finished the last section, the ice was completely melted. The last section healed, and Ichigo let his hands drop wearily. The regeneration had taken care of the muscles around it, the destroyed sternum and skin.  

"Finally!" he exclaimed with a sigh and stood up. He felt better. He had more energy, his heart was beating, and the bond was pulsing strongly.  

"I think I'm good." he said. His companions breathed a sigh of relief. They would never tell Ichigo this, but the terror they had felt when he used the final Getsuga against Aizen had just subsided. They were afraid they would disappear again. But there was no need to burden Ichigo with it. They turned around and bowed to the dragon.  

"Thank you for your help. We should go. Our friends are in danger. And I need to get to Toushirou as soon as possible. He didn't look good in my vision." Ichigo called his companions back to the blade of his sword and turned to leave.  

"Wait!" Hyorinmaru roared. The substitute soul reaper turned back to him. The dragon was leaning down from the small mountain, looking at something.  

"He wants to talk to you. You only have a moment. Unconsciousness makes him vulnerable and prone to succumbing to his injuries." he understood what the dragon was telling him. He ran to the mountain, where he saw a silhouette of white-blue mental energy. He would recognize it anywhere.  

"Toushirou..." he whispered. With eyes full of tears, he reached out to touch the silhouette. It passed through. Slightly disappointed, he dropped his arm to his side.  

"Ichigo, hurry up. I don't know how long I can last." came a quiet voice. It was full of pain, fatigue, and stress. Ichigo's heart skipped two beats.  

"We're on our way. I promise we'll get to you soon. Hang in there!" he blurted out, desperate that he couldn't see him. The captain probably didn't have the energy to fully materialize his body. A tiny hand reached up and caressed his cheek. He felt a cool touch of energy and shivered. He raised his hand and let his own energy surge out. He let his warm one wrap around the cool one. The silhouette twitched. He felt it. He had to smile.  

"I won't fall easily, but I don't have much time. My wounds are infected and I'm too weak to try to heal myself. I'm starting to hallucinate. I'm hiding, but it won't be long before he finds me." A wave of relief ran through Ichigo's body. He had just given his soulmate hope.  

"We'll find you. I swear. It won't be long." he closed his energy around the tiny silhouette. He could see a small smile on the outline of his face. But it immediately faded.  

"Be careful Ichigo. He wants you. I don't know what for exactly, but he has his eyes on you." With that, the silhouette faded, and Ichigo was left alone with the dragon. A chill crept under his skin.  

"You should go. My master is calling me to him." Hyorinmaru tossed his head, and Ichigo saw a white portal.  

"It will take you to your world. This method is very risky, so don't use it. I'll come if necessary. Good luck." with that, it rose on its tail and spread its wings. Its body gleamed like a blue diamond. Ichigo ran towards the portal. It was time to act.  

XxX  

Rukia jumped to the side, but a gash appeared on her face.  

"Damn!" she growled. The creature with her brother's face was agile and alert. It let out screams from its throat that sent chills down her spine. She still saw no sign of the others.  

"I have to hurry. Sode no shirayuki!" she exclaimed, suddenly plunging her body into the icy cold. The petals of the Senbonzakura froze as they approached her. This was her chance. She rushed forward and touched the shoulder with her palm. The creature wailed in pain, and then its entire body froze in an instant. Rukia hoped that would be enough. She released her shikai and let her body warm up again. The creature stood in a state of agony. It suddenly began to tremble. Her brother's face began to fall away along with the ice, revealing the true face of her enemy. The creature shook itself and turned towards her. Dressed in a black robe, under which there was nothing but darkness, with the skull of a ram and curved horns, long claws and teeth, it reminded her of something. Rukia was sure that she had seen this form somewhere. Unfortunately, she could not remember where. The long jaws opened, and a loud scream was let out. The moment she heard it her legs went stiff. Shocked, she tried to move, but to no avail. She was paralyzed.  

"No..." she muttered. The creature was approaching her. Its ram-like face twisted in a grin, swaying from side to side. At that moment, she heard a rustling sound on her right. And before she realized what it could be, something black blocked her vision, an arm wrapped around her waist, and she was being carried away. She turned her head to see her savior.  

"Captain Hirako?!" Shinji looked like he wanted to throw himself in the covers of his bed. He had black circles under his eyes, and the left side of his face was covered in blood. He had been hit in the head. The blond head turned towards her.  

"At least I found you! We have to find the others and regroup!"  

"What about your opponent?" There was silence for a moment.  

"He's not dead, just confused. I used my bankai, but since I had one opponent, he was attacking everything around him. The effect will wear off soon. We need to regroup by then. I don't think they'll come to kill me." she had to agree. After a while, she found that she could move her legs again, so Shinji set her down on the ground and she continued running next to him. They didn't get far on their own. With a loud roar behind them, they saw her opponent. He was on their heels.  

XxX  

Renji was breathing heavily. His opponent's attacks were strong. But he managed to repel them. What worried him was the face of his friend that the creature was carrying. He had to take that face off somehow. The sudden attack surprised him. With a small stumble, he took two steps back and blocked the sword aimed at his throat.  

"Damn it!" he growled. He pushed the creature away and kicked it in the chest, knocking it to the ground. He didn't have time to play around here. He had to hurry.  

"Bankai! Sōō Zabimaru!" The transformation took only a moment. During it, the creature stood up and shot a dark red ball of fire from its palm at him. He jumped to the side.  

"A creature of hell, as it should be" he ran towards his opponent and without slowing down, pierced his body.  

,, Zaga Teppō " the large head of the snake made of yellow energy opened its jaws and with a single snap gripped the pierced creature. Renji finished his attack by shooting energy directly through the smaller body. He jumped away from the dust from the explosion and waited for the result. And then a sharp pain hit him. Something hit him in the back. He jumped to the side and with clenched teeth he searched for the cause. It was slowly approaching him. A long black hood with a ram's head and long claws covered in blood. So, it crept towards him. A painful scream echoed through the space. Renji jumped in fright. His opponent emerged from the smoke. He looked just like the first one. Only his horns were broken. They began to circle around him. Renji wiped the sweat from his face. He had two monsters facing him and he had no idea how to defeat them. His last attack had only damaged his skull. He would have to find another way.  

XxX  

Ikkaku was having a great time. As a member of the Eleventh Unit, he enjoyed fighting. And this one was amazing. He was fighting a replica of his friend, and Yumichika knew how to fight well. His face and left arm were covered in wounds, and the right side of his ribs was badly bruised. With a shout of excitement, he charged forward, parrying several blows and landing a blow in the center of its chest. Surprised to find that his Hozukimaru had passed through nothingness and caused no damage, he jumped back before the monster hit him. The empty holes burned through him. He could only imagine the look he would see in them.  

"Don't get excited yet, I'm just getting started!" He jumped back a few more steps. He needed space. The creature let twisted horns grow from its head, its face gradually drooped, revealing the bare skull of a ram. He had to grin. He definitely didn't want to see this.  

"Time to use more power." he lifted Hozukimaru above his head and spun him around. The rising wind caused a tornado of dust. The creature retreated a few steps. That was enough for him.  

"Bankai! Ryumon Hozukimaru!" A large explosion hid him from empty sight. With a firm grip, he spun his bankai. He was increasing his speed. He needed to fill the dragon as soon as possible. In this position, he was vulnerable. The creature rushed at him with an outstretched bony hand. The long claws caught in his shihakusho and dug into his skin. With a painful hiss, he jerked and with a slight jump kicked the creature. It hit him directly in the skull. There was, a crack and the creature retracted. Ikkaku grinned. He had just found a weak spot. He spun his weapon again. He only had to move a little and he was ready.  

"It was an honor to fight you, but it is time for you to go!" he shouted, burying his weapon in the ground. The large explosion blinded him. He could see two red dragons through the white and hear screams of agony. After a while, they stopped. And when the dust and tornado stopped, he saw a black robe and dust in front of him. His attack was so powerful that it literally crushed the skeleton to dust.  

"It seems I've grown quite a bit stronger since the war." he commented with satisfaction. With his opponent defeated, it was time to find the others and rush to their aid.  

XxX  

Ichigo opened his eyes. He was back in hell. He took a deep breath. He felt no pain. That meant the treatment had worked. He sat up carefully and looked around. The creature copying his friend was gone. It probably thought he was dead. He breathed a sigh of relief. The fog was still in place, and he couldn't see anything. But he knew exactly what to do. He took Zangetsu and got into position.  

"Bankai! Tensa Zangetsu!" he reveled in his growing power. He felt a long horn growing from his head, his sword changing form. In his bankai form, he could feel his companions much more clearly. As if they were standing by his side. He had summoned bankai for one reason. To get rid of that damn fog and let his friends know his position.  

"AaaaaAAAA!" with a loud warrior cry, he let an explosion of his soul energy erupt from his body. The fog dissipated in all directions. He continued until he was sure the fog was gone. Then he directed his energy upwards. He sensed that his plan had worked. His friends sensed it and were heading towards him. He remained in his position with a smile, waiting for them to reunite. Because together they would escape this layer of hell without further trouble. Of that he was certain.  

Chapter Text

The hot air swirled in a large tornado of golden energy. Ichigo stood still, waiting for his friends to arrive. He could feel their presence. They were close. And with them, the energy of their enemies. Zangetsu vibrated strongly in response to their display of power. The Hollow was always happy to show off. Even when Ichigo tried to tame it. 

"Ichigo!" Rukia was the first to arrive with Shinji. The captain was close behind her. 

"Nice to see you again!" he said with a smile and remained focused. Shinji scanned the area. The fog was gone, revealing a dark red stone area full of cracks. But no fire. It had been replaced by fog. 

"Finally!" another voice called out. Ikkaku came down towards them with style. Rukia turned to him. 

"And your opponent?" she asked. She knew her creature would be here soon. She hoped Ikkaku would have good news. His smirk reassured her. 

"I got him. He broke into small pieces!" Shinji raised his eyebrows. 

"How did you do it?" he asked with surprise in his voice. He couldn't believe it. But he knew that the bald god of death was constantly training and getting stronger. Ikkaku exchanged a smirk with Ichigo. 

"Their skulls. It's their weak spot. I tried to stab it and chop it into smaller pieces, but there's nothing under their robes. It's like they were created from nothing. Only the skulls and clawed hands are made of bone. It took me a while to figure it out." 

"I knew you'd figure it out. You guys from the Eleventh Unit know how to fight." 

"And that's why I'm telling you, you'd be a good fit for us, Ichigo!" The substitute shook his head. He had had this conversation several times before. The liteunenants, and even the captains themselves, were betting among themselves on where Ichigo would be assigned when he arrives. So far, according to his information, the third unit was winning. Although he didn't know why. He would have to ask. 

"Hey! Here you are!" The last friend arrived, and Ichigo left his bankai form. Renji looked quite disheveled. His shihakusho was torn, blood was dripping from his hands, and his face was scratched with long scratches. 

"You look terrible, Renji." Ichigo commented. The red-haired liteunenant shook his head. 

"Group up! They're after me!" he shouted. Several unknown energies soon surrounded them. The creatures were here. They grouped together, their backs to each other, weapons ready. The sounds of bone-crunching and nerve-wracking grunts grew louder. And then they saw them. There were four of them. Dressed in black robes with hoods. Ichigo gritted his teeth. How could he be fooled? 

"I don't know how to defeat them!" Renji's eyes darted from one creature to another. His eyes fell on one with a bald head. He managed to remove the horns. The creature wasn't happy. Ikkaku laughed. 

"But I know! Just destroy their skulls! It's the only place we can hit them." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Do you dare to doubt me? Yes, I'm sure! My opponent is dead!" the creatures circled around them. Faster and faster until a vortex formed around them. They focused on their energies. Rukia raised her zanpakuto just in time to repel an attack from one of the creatures. It retreated into the vortex again. And the attacks continued. The creatures took turns. Each one targeted one of the group. 

"This is endless." Shinji growled. It was starting to irritate him. 

"Leave it to me!" Rukia raised her zanpakuto and slammed it into the ground. A wave of icy air repelled all the creatures. The vortex disappeared. The others managed to jump into the air. The cold mist slowly dissolved. 

"Watch out! They might transform again!" Ichigo called. He parried Renji's attack and jumped back. Surprised at first, he immediately recognized the difference. Their eyes. They were black, like an abyss. The creature was trembling slightly. 

"Could it be because they don't have complete control over their transformations? Or is it energy?" he mused, dodging the attacks. His back bumped into Shinji. The captain flinched. 

"Maybe you're right. My creature is literally dissolving." he pointed at his opponent. The creature took on the form of Kensei. However, its face was literally melting. Ichigo winced in disgust. 

"We should get rid of them before their transformations become perfect!" Rukia shouted. Her zanpakuto was embedded in her opponent's skull. With one long swing, she broke the skull in two. The creature let out a loud scream, whereupon the skull cracked and fell apart. One fell down. 

"We better hurry! Another one is coming our way!" Renji warned. And he was right. An army was approaching them from afar. Ichigo frowned. 

"We don't have time to deal with them here!" he crushed the skull's jaw with an elegant twist. The creature jumped back but Ichigo didn't let it. He jumped up and split the skull in half with one swing. 

"Which way is the entrance to the next layer?" he asked the captain. He had just finished with his opponent. Shinji raised his hand and pointed to his right. 

"Okay. We'll help the others and run. If the army catches up with us, we'll lose more time!" Ichigo didn't wait for anything and flew to help Renji. Not that he needed help, since he knew the method to defeat them. But time was running out and Ichigo felt a lump in his stomach. They had to move. Defeating the remaining two opponents was a piece of cake. The creatures were fast, but their strength lay in something else entirely. Their trickery. The last creature fell. Ichigo didn't wait for anything and started towards the entrance. 

"Wait!" Rukia called after him. The single sight of the black cloud approaching them made her swallow her next words. Together they followed Ichigo. The journey to the entrance to the next layer took several long minutes. The army was slowly approaching them. Ichigo's eyes were fixed on the large black circular abyss. They were getting closer. 

"Watch out!" Renji pushed him away just in time. Black arrows flew past their heads. 

"What's this again!?" Ikkaku turned just in time to dodge another one. He managed to catch one. 

"It looks like an attempt to poison us. They're covered in something, and I don't want to investigate what it is." 

"We're here! Jump!" Ichigo picked up speed and flew into the abyss. The heat didn't stop. But the sounds did. He summoned light. But he couldn't see anything. Only a black tunnel. 

"Do you think we should name these creatures?" Renji asked. Shinji nodded even though they couldn't see him. 

"Any ideas?" 

"I have one." Ichigo joined in. Rukia chuckled. 

"I'll go with your idea, Ichigo." the substitute thought for a moment. 

"I've been thinking about their abilities. They were able to take on the form of our loved ones. They hid behind the fog and couldn't maintain their forms without it. I think they belong together. We were fooled by the illusions of our loved ones." 

"And I'm not proud of that at all!" Ikkaku interrupted him. 

"That's why I would call them guard illusionists. They guard the second layer, and they deceive their victims." There was silence for a moment. The heat increased slightly. The tunnel narrowed. 

"You're right. It's not a bad name." Renji admitted. With his nod, everyone agreed with Ichigo. So, Shinji, with the help of the red light from his kido, drew the shape of the creature on the map and wrote, 'Guardian Illusionist' under the picture. They had passed the second layer. Now they were heading to the third, about which they had little information. But the race against time was coming to an end. The question was who is going to be the winner.  

Chapter Text

"Don't you think it gets hotter with each layer?" 

"It does, I've sweated about ten kilos, and we're not even done yet." 

"This is hell in here." 

"You idiot! We are in hell!" 

"Stop it! You're like little children!" Ichigo had to chuckle to himself. He was glad that everyone had the energy to argue. The fall into the deep abyss seemed endless. He was sure that they were falling much longer than from the first layer to the second. Which led to a very disturbing thought. That the first two layers were the easy level and the next two would be the hard one. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath. Or he tried. Breathing was much harder with the heavy air pressure. His cell phone suddenly started vibrating in his pocket. With surprise, he pulled out the device and answered the call. 

"Hello?" 

"Oh my goodness! We've finally connected, Ichigo!" Kisuke Urahara's cheerful voice couldn't be missed. 

,,Kisuke!" he exclaimed. The argument instantly stopped. 

,,What the hell..." Ikkaku didn't finish his sentence. He coughed due to the heavy air. 

,,Breathe slowly! Or you'll suffocate!" he switched the sound to loud so everyone could hear. Shinji moved closer to him. 

,,Well, maybe it's just my imagination. Is there anything on this planet and dimension that you can't do?" 

,,No, I can proudly confirm that." Kisuke was having fun. He was in a very good mood. Ichigo would have put his hand in the fire for having made a bet with Mayuri and won. 

,,Should I take it that you've been trying to connect with us for a long time?" he asked a question. 

"Exactly. For over three hours, Captain Kurotsuchi and I tried to find a link between us and you in hell. Believe me, it wasn't easy. The waves are constantly changing and breaking. But we found a compromise. Unfortunately, the connection won't last long. This link will break in ten minutes. We have to hurry." 

"Did you figure something out?" Rukia asked. She also moved closer. Ichigo grabbed her hand and pulled her to his side. There was a rustling sound on the other side. Kisuke was moving. 

"We searched through old documents and records. We tried to find out as much as we could about our zanpakuto. It took a long time, because the oldest documents are not very readable. But we found a single piece of paper." 

"Really? What did it say?" Renji shook his shihakusho. Sweat was dripping from places he didn't know he had. 

"Our Friend Oetsu forgot to mention that his friend was the first captain of the Tenth Unit. His name was Kuroko Shimada. After the units were formed, he was elected to the position of captain of the Tenth due to his intellect. He was the youngest captain at the time. He was nicknamed a great genius. And the name of his zanpakuto is removed from the document" Ichigo frowned. Tenth Unit? Genius? That almost sounded like... 

"I know what you mean my dear Ichigo. I thought so too. That there are suspicious connections between him and our captain Hitsugaya." 

"It's possible that the dragon is looking for its master. But is it his original one, or is he looking for a close replacement?" Shinji mused. Ichigo gritted his teeth. 

"Hyorinmaru won't allow it. They had been through so much shit together. He will not give up without a fight.” as if on command, his head was hit with sharp pain. He hissed and closed his eyes. He was immediately transported to the place where his dearest was. He watched in horror as the black creature flew from side to side at high speed and attacked the ice barrier in fierce lunges. He could not see Toushiro through the ice, but Hyorinmaru supported it with his body. His ice body looked much thinner than he remembered. Red eyes full of determination and despair fixed on the black demon. 

“I will never give him to you!” he thundered. The dragon roared angrily and unleashed a stream of fire. Hyorinmaru loosened a piece of the barrier and sent his ice through the hole. His body was shaking. He was exhausted. And his master’s condition was not helping him. Suddenly, Ichigo was thrown back from the vision into his own mind. 

"Ouch." he rubbed his forehead to get rid of the pain. 

"Ichigo?" Kisuke's concerned voice was almost sweet. 

"I'm fine, but I just saw another vision. Hyorinmaru is weakening. It won't be long before he falls. And then there will be nothing and no one to protect Toushiro." Silence fell. Everyone took a few minutes to absorb the information. Their pace was not fast enough. 

"Before the connection is lost, tell me your location and what you saw." Shinji pulled out the map with notes with difficulty. 

"The first layer had jaws. They were hell wolves. They looked exactly as they were described. We didn't spend much time there. We managed to get through in two hours. But the second layer was a challenge. The creatures that occupy the layer are nothing but void and bones. They have ram skulls and can take the form of others. They didn't have a name, so we agreed on the name of the guard illusionist. They were guarding the second layer and were lying through illusions. Now we're on our way to the third layer. The heat increases with each step down. We're having trouble breathing." he finished. There was silence on the other side. Kisuke was probably writing down new information. 

"Look!" Renji pointed down. They were finally approaching the exit. There was a rustling sound on the other side of the link. 

"Okay, you're doing well. I'll contact you in a few hours, when the waves have stabilized again. Be careful. The danger will increase. And Ichigo... bring the captain home alive." With that, the line went silent. 

"You don't have to tell me that." Ichigo growled. He hid the device. 

"Prepare to exit!" he called over his shoulder as he felt a surge of heat. The color changed from white to orange. He stopped in horror and crossed his arms in front. 

"Immediately erect a spirit barrier!" they didn't wait for anything and one by one erected a barrier of spirit energy around them. Thanks to their proximity, the barriers merged, creating one large colored barrier. The impact of the lava geyser was strong. Rukia screamed, not expecting the force of the impact. But Renji was behind her. Hot lava flowed up the barrier. The heat contracted around them. It squeezed them in its grip. 

"Damn it!" Shinji called for his hollow mask to help and strengthened the barrier. If it breaks, there would be nothing left of them. 

"It looks like there will be a lot of geysers in the third layer. The question is whether we will see them." Ichigo watched the flowing fire like a hawk. After a few minutes, the geyser stopped and the lava flowed back to the ground. The barrier melted and they were finally able to leave the tunnel. The first thing that hit them was unbearable heat. The entire surface of the third layer was raised rocks and piles of geysers that shot out of the cracked ground. 

"This is going to be difficult. We don't know how many there are and at what interval they will erupt. It will be best to stay in the air." Ikkaku said. They agreed and rose into the air. The sky, if you could call it that, was red like blood and instead of clouds there were piles of vapor. Ichigo suspected that they would not be safe to breathe. 

"There is no information about this layer. That means we don't know how far to go for next exit." 

"We'll have to find a way." Suddenly, the explosion shook the layer. A gust of hot wind almost knocked them down from the height to the ground. Renji shuddered. 

"What the hell was that!?" He yelled and looked around. Shinji closed his eyes. He concentrated. Then he flinched as if someone had hit him. 

"That's impossible..." he said. Ichigo looked at him with considerable confusion. He tried to imitate him. And he understood. He felt it. Spirit energy that he shouldn't feel anymore. His face turned white. 

"But that..." he didn't finish the sentence and flew towards the explosion. 

"Ichigo wait!" the others rushed after him. A few minutes of flight felt like an eternity. He couldn't believe it. He had to see it. He had to see them! Another gust of spirit energy. He stopped on the highest rock. Horrified, he stood there, staring at the scene unfolding before him. Unknown creatures were flying through the sky. There were many of them and they were fast. But what caught his attention were the figures on the ground. Fighting among themselves. He recognized them. He felt their spirit energies die back then! The long zanpakuto produced flames and formed a barrier against the attacks of new creatures. And in the circle stood two people. Two men. Two gods of death. Rukia gasped. 

"They are..." she didn’t finish her sentence and sank to the ground. Ichigo could barely utter the names of those they had buried during the war. 

"Head captain Yamamoto and Captain Ukitake." 

Chapter Text

The scene before their eyes was unbelievable. The two gods of death who had been buried after the war were here. Alive, unharmed and with the full arsenal of abilities they had wielded during the war. Ichigo had to rub his eyes. But even that didn't help. He could really see well. 

"You're kidding me." Ikkaku blurted out, a shocked expression on his face. Another wave of energy rolled over them. Rukia stood up carefully. 

"It's him. Captain Ukitake." she whispered. The long creatures continued their attacks, but they couldn't get through the fiery barrier. Shinji drew Sakanade. 

"We won't find out anything if we stand here like boulders. If we want answers, we have to go to them." Everyone agreed. They drew their zanpakuto and rushed to the pair's aid. The hot air still made it difficult to breathe and burned in their nostrils and lungs. However, that didn't stop them from releasing a huge mixed wave of spirit energy. The creatures screeched and retreated, sensing new targets. The white-haired man turned to them in surprise. He was without a single scratch. 

"I didn't imagine it. It really is you." he breathed and straightened up. Rukia jumped to him and dropped to one knee. The automatic reflex still lingered in her. 

"Captain Ukitake!" she called out. He immediately knelt down next to her and pulled her back to her feet by the arm. 

"I'm not the captain anymore. You are Rukia. There's no need to bow to me anymore." he smiled. 

"But there's one person you should show respect to." he noted, nodding his head behind them. The entire group knelt before the former head captain. She joined them. Yamamoto Shigekuni surveyed the group. His eyes could see the stiff muscles, the tension, the nervousness, and the signs of healing. 

"I guess you were sent on a mission?" he said in a familiar husky voice. 

"Yes sir, our mission is to rescue the captain of the tenth unit and eliminate the wild zanpakuto." Shinji took over. Jushiro joined them. 

"We spotted the dragon. It never lingers in this layer. It senses the power of the head captain's energy and doesn't want to engage in unnecessary fighting. It will only fly up through here." 

"You'll have a hard job if you're going to eliminate it." Yamamoto said, zanpakuto still in hand. He expected an attack at any second. Ichigo chimed in. 

"That's true, but thanks to Kisuke, we have some information that we can use. The question is how we'll use it." 

"I advise you to be careful. A Zanpakuto without a master is dangerous." 

"I remember that from the time my own was after my throat." Renji said. 

"Don't remind me of that at all." Rukia growled. A loud scream from above caught their attention. 

"It's time to hide." Yamamoto said. A flock of winged creatures was approaching them. Ichigo tried to inspect them, but they were too high. He couldn't see the details. He followed the head Captain's lead and noticed one positive thing. Both Yamamoto and Ukitake knew the positions of the geysers. They successfully avoided them. The screams were gaining in volume. They were getting closer. 

"What the hell is that?!" Ikkaku looked behind him, trying to get a full picture of the flying monsters. 

"Hell’s howlers. "Unpleasant beasts!" at that moment a wave of screams sounded so loud that they had to stop and cover their ears. Their eardrums throbbed and itched painfully. Shinji started to bleed from one ear. Ikkaku screamed and rubbed his face in his hands, trying to numb the pain. Ichigo pulled out Zangetsu and slammed him into the hard ground. He erected a protective barrier around them. The decibels subsided. 

,,Thanks." Renji straightened up and shook his head. He could barely hear. 

"Are you all okay?" Ichigo asked, looking around. No one except Shinji seemed to be injured. He was relieved. 

"I'm afraid my eardrum has burst." Ikkaku growled. He shook his head from side to side, trying to listen. He was right. He couldn't hear in one ear. 

"Great." Rukia approached him and examined him. 

"We'll need kaido, but we can't heal here. We have to take cover." at that moment a black ball hit the barrier. Ichigo flinched, as he hadn't expected the attack. They had a flock above their heads. Gradually they were flying towards the barrier and trying to destroy it. To get to their prey. He still couldn't see them. They were too fast. 

"Head Captain, how far is your hideout? 

"If we use shunpo, we'll be there in a few minutes." 

"Okay, then prepare for a quick escape!" the barrier began to crack. Ichigo gritted his teeth and loosened the barrier. Yamamoto released a wave of fire to slow the flock down. 

"Run!" with the help of shunpo they rushed to the shelter. What surprised everyone was the resistance of these creatures of hell to fire. The fire held them back for a few seconds. They were already rushing after them. 

"Quick! We'll be there soon!" Jushiro pointed ahead of him to the tunnel of rocks. One by one they flew into it. Yamamoto erected a barrier, which Jushiro strengthened. The flock began to fly in front of the entrance, but they did not get inside. 

"That was a close call." Ikkaku noted. He covered his bleeding ear with his hand. Ichigo approached him and began to treat him. They stayed at the entrance for several minutes. Fortunately, the injury was minor, so Ichigo was able to finish the treatment in a moment. 

"If you are ready, follow me." Yamamoto started walking into the depths of the tunnel. They followed him. 

"Captain Ukitake, are there more of you here?" Rukia asked the first question. The captain sighed. It was only a matter of time before they started asking questions. He was honestly surprised that they didn't start asking questions as soon as they got to them. 

"We're not alone. Everyone who died is in hell." Ichigo frowned. 

"How is that possible? I thought souls return to the cycle." 

"Yes. But remember, this rule applies to normal souls, or those with little spirit energy." Silence fell over the tunnel. They processed the information they had received. Renji flinched. 

"Wait, does that mean everyone with a high concentration of spirit energy is here?!" 

"Yes, and it doesn't just apply to us gods of death." 

"What the hell is that..." 

"You'll see." Yamamoto shot him a look. Renji immediately fell silent. The implication of the words worried him. He had an idea what it meant. But he hoped he was wrong. 

"We're here." Yamamoto said and stepped out of the tunnel, first. The streak of light blinded them for a moment. When they stepped out of the tunnel and let their eyes adjust to the light, they could see the newly opened space. Their eyes widened in shock. They were underground. Or so it seemed. High walls of rock rose upward and gradually narrowed. In the center was a large lake filled with water and rock fragments. And all around were the other prisoners of hell. 

"Look guys! We have new members!" one shouted and slowly approached them. Renji froze. He didn't want to see that face. Not even in his dreams. A longclawed hand reached out to him. Purple lips parted in a grin. 

"What a shame. I wanted to kill you myself and I would have succeeded if I hadn't been disturbed." 

"You talk like you had a chance. It was only a matter of time." another familiar voice spoke. Ichigo knew who it was even before he saw him. Zangetsu began to vibrate strongly on his back. He felt a familiar energy. 

"I-Ichigo, it's..." Rukia and Shinji looked at them, their palms on the hilts of their zanpakutos. Rukia's eyes darted from side to side, looking for another one she had met before. But she didn't see him anywhere. The newcomer approached Ichigo and examined him. 

"We meet again, Ichigo Kurosaki." the air grew heavy at that moment. Ichigo swallowed, memories filling his mind. He slowly squeezed Zangetsu's hilt. While Renji locked eyes with his former tormentor, Ichigo remained calm and spoke with determination and voice laced with hollow screech. 

"Ulquiorra" 

Chapter Text

The days at the academy were boring. He sat by the window and half-listened to the lectures, which were already literally etched in his mind. Another year and he would be able to leave the academy as a fresh graduate. Toushirou had no goal he wanted to achieve. No one interested him, he didn't chase anyone. He didn't want to surpass anyone. He was here because he had no choice. He didn't want to hurt his grandmother. He thought of himself as someone who shouldn't exist. He was dangerous. Everyone in the district avoided him and slandered him. They refused any skin contact. He would pick up coins from the ground many times because they wouldn't put them in his palm. He was too cold, emotionless. No one tried to understand him, to talk to him as an equal. He wasn't interested. He was resigned to his fate as a lone wolf. He just wanted to keep an eye on Momo. Words about a soul bond and indescribable strength flew through his ears. He frowned slightly, but didn't catch any further information. He knew about the bond between two souls. But he doubted that with his reputation, anyone would want to be tied to him. 

"You are Toushirou Hitsugaya, is that right? The cold genius everyone is talking about?" Surprised, he turned his head to face the young man he had never seen before. Black hair combed to the side revealed red eyes and a face full of optimism. 

"That’s me." he nodded and straightened up. The young man extended his hand to him. 

"I am Kusaka Sojiro. I believe we will become good friends." he exclaimed with a smile that caused a slight shiver in him. A flame of hope flared up in his cold heart. He returned the outstretched hand and shivered at the warmth that flowed into him through the touch he hadn't felt in a long time. And so began a new path to knowledge. 

X 

Becoming friends with Kusaka was surprisingly easy. The young man was optimistic, interested in him, his past, his feelings and opinions. They had long discussions together on various topics. And the warmth gradually warmed his cold heart. Toushirou began to think that it wouldn't be a bad idea to meet outside the academy. For personal training, for example, or for a meal. One offer was enough and Kusaka enthusiastically accepted. And so they began to meet outside the academy. Toushirou had no idea how it happened, but two months before the end of the year, he began to have strange dreams. Dreams that left him trembling and longing for something he couldn't name. And then it happened. The mission that injured Kusaka. Toushirou was scared to death. He stayed with him in the infirmary and when the young man woke up ten hours later, he jumped on him. 

"I thought this was the end of you." he whispered. Larger hands placed themselves on his back and pulled him into a warm embrace. A kiss landed in his hair. He froze. 

"As if I could die and leave you here alone." Kusaka pulled him away and looked him over. He frowned. 

"Did you sleep at all?" he asked. Toushirou shook his head. Kusaka sighed. 

"I wanted to stay here in case something worse happened. I don't know what I would do if you..." turquoise eyes closed and Toushirou lowered his head. There was silence for a moment. And then Kusaka spoke. He asked a question that left him in a state of complete shock. 

"Tell me Toushirou, would you like to become my soulmate? Connect us with a bond?" white hair twitched as Toushirou straightened his back quickly. He stared at his friend's calm face, a thousand thoughts racing through his head. 

"Are you serious?" he said. Hope burned within him like a wild flame. Could he finally start to hope? To have someone he could call his own? Who would belong to him? Who would love him? Kusaka laughed and stroked his cheek. 

"I wouldn't want anyone else. There’s only you." With that, he leaned in and connected their lips in a kiss. Toushirou was sure that everything in him had stopped and then started at more than one hundred percent speed. With red cheeks, he kissed back. 

X 

It was strange at first. He wasn't used to holding hands with someone in public. Receiving affection and small gifts and missing classes because of the sudden desire to be closer to Kusaka. The long makeouts left him breathless and longing. Still, they didn't go any further. They agreed to wait until they left the academy and got into one of the thirteen units. It was logical. Work and income meant a roof over their heads where they could stay together. Still, Toushirou had doubts the size of a small worm in his head. Everything was going like clockwork. Without a problem and although he should be happy for it, he felt that his happiness would not be for free. However, the close contact with Kusaka had clouded his mind with other thoughts. He left the doubts in the back of his mind. Now he would focus on his happiness. 

X 

He should have known. That something would go wrong. That his luck wouldn't last long. After he gained Hyorinmaru's respect and thus his zanpakuto, he wanted to see Kusaka first. He was surprised to find that he had an identical zanpakuto. Could it be their bond? Even though they weren't connected? 

"We'll be a dragon duo! No one will dare to challenge us!" Kusaka's optimism was startling. But Toushirou smiled and let it go. Maybe he was right. He was looking forward to their first mission. But he didn't get to see it. That night they were called to central forty-six. He looked in horror at the people behind the curtain. They knew that two identical zanpakuto could not exist. That they had done something terrible. Something forbidden. Toushirou trembled. The final verdict extinguished the heat with icy horror. 

"You will face each other in a duel. The winner will become the rightful master of Hyorinmaru!" The dragon inside him roared angrily. He knew about the partial soul bond and did not want to harm his master. Toushirou did not see Kusaka. He got his chance the next day, when he was taken out of his cell and taken to a wide open area. His friend looked terrible. But determination burned in his eyes. 

"Kusaka." he said helplessly. There were guards all around them. They were watching to make sure they did not try to escape. He pleaded with his eyes. In vain. The last flame of hope went out the moment Kusaka drew his zanpakuto and pointed it at him. 

"We have no other choice, Toushirou. I want to be the one who rules the heavens!" and then he rushed at him. With a bleeding heart, he took a step back and drew his own blade. A few seconds were enough. And the winner was decided. Toushirou watched with horror in his eyes as the ice covered his friend's body. Kusaka lost. And his fate was sealed. He ran towards him with a scream but was stopped. He could do nothing. The moment Kusaka's life was extinguished, the bond snapped like a thread. Toushirou let out a heart-ending scream from his throat and fell to his knees. He was bleeding. And from the wound, a coldness that he would never get rid of spread into his nerves, muscles and organs. It seeped into his bones and skin. It flowed through the blood and when it reached his brain, everything went silent. Toushirou lost consciousness and when he woke up twelve hours later, his only friend was apathy, coldness, and the feeling that a part of him had been torn out and would never be regained. Along with all the hope and love, which he held on to helplessly. He floated through his empty life like a puppet on a string. Empty. 

. 

. 

. 

Until he met Ichigo. A wild young man with a flame as hot as the sun. The young captain stayed back. He tried. But over time, the sun drew him to itself. Like Icarus, who took off towards the hot rays. Toushirou succumbed to a desperate desire to be whole again. He burned, but he did not fall to the ground. The sun enveloped him with its warmth and still held him in its arms. The question was whether he would have the strength to stay there. 

XxX 

"Is everything okay?" Hyorinmaru's voice woke him from his delirium. He slowly sat up and hissed in pain. He either couldn't feel his leg at all, or it felt like someone was amputating it. He trembled and gave up trying to get to his feet. The long dragon was leaning towards him. Concern was reflected in his eyes. 

"I dreamed of Kusaka," he wheezed. His lips were cracked. He was thirsty, hungry and wanted this nightmare to finally end. Hyorinmaru examined him more closely. 

"Your condition is getting worse. Soon I won't be able to protect you." The long body full of cracks tightened around him. 

"Hold on, little one, he's coming. I can feel him." Toushirou smiled. Turquoise eyes, veiled in pain, looked around the burning plain. Maybe it wouldn't be bad. To die in hell. Maybe that was his punishment for everything that had happened. But Ichigo still fought. He carefully reached for his leg and tried to use kaido. A faint light shot out of his palm. If he had to stay alive until Ichigo arrived, maybe he would pass this test and finally be able to live. A loud roar cut through him like a knife. He shuddered. The black creature was returning. He had no idea where it had flown to, before, but it was returning. And it was full of anger. He closed his eyes tightly and focused on healing. Hyorinmaru wouldn't last long. He had to survive. That was his only task.

Chapter Text

The atmosphere could have been cut in the third layer of hell. On one side of the geyser was Ichigo with his group, head Captain Yamamoto and Captain Ukitake, and on the other side were the dead Espadas. 

"I really didn't want to see that bastard." Renji sneered, glaring at espada number eight. Ichigo agreed. Ulquiorra kept his eyes on him. He refused to look away. 

"What are we going to do?" Rukia asked. She looked nervously at the other side of the geyser. 

"We have to come up with a plan, and as soon as possible. We're wasting time here." Ichigo growled. He was restless. Zangetsu vibrated slightly on his back. He could feel his opponents. But Ichigo didn't want to fight. He couldn't. With every second he lost, Toushirou was losing his own fight. Shinji turned to them. 

"There's one option." Ikkaku turned to him with surprise in his eyes. 

"It wouldn't be what I just thought, would it?" They looked at each other for a moment before Ikkaku looked away. A satisfied smirk played on his lips. 

"I thought so." 

"What's the matter?" Ichigo didn't understand. Yamamoto straightened up, drawing everyone's attention to himself. 

"If your enemy is time,your only option is a short-term alliance." 

"You can't be serious!" Renji blurted out. He looked around at everyone on the other side of the geyser with disgust. 

"They won't agree to that." 

"Maybe they will." Ichigo stepped forward. An idea formed in his head. 

"Captain Ukitake, you said in the tunnel that the attacks were escalating, is that right?" he was referring to the information Ukitake had told them when they were running away from the beasts of this layer. The black beast was raging in all layers. For no reason. It was venting its anger. At least that's what Ukitake thought. And Ichigo wanted to use this information. 

"Yes, that's what I said." 

"In that case, we can convince them to help us." he turned to face the group and smiled broadly. 

"Leave it to me." with that he turned and headed to the other side. Rukia had time to call after him, but he didn't stop. He bounced off the hot ground and in one big leap was on the other side. Szayelaporro Granz didn't take his eyes off him. He came out to meet him with a wide grin. 

"What brings you to us, rat?" Ichigo had to grimace in disgust. This fool was like Mayuri. He only saw him as a lab mouse. 

"I have an offer for you." he began. Szayel raised his hand and stopped him. 

"I don't think you can offer us anything that would..." 

"Silence." Ulquiorra moved him behind his body with a wave of his hand and stood face to face with Ichigo. Just like when they had come here. They stood opposite each other and exchanged glances. Ulquiorra broke the silence with a question that took Ichigo's breath away. 

"How is the woman doing?" he immediately realized who the espada was asking about. He clenched his fingers into a fist. 

"She's doing well. She's waiting for my return." he answered with a calmness that he gathered from the depths of his soul. He still couldn't get through this. Their entire relationship, which wasn't really a relationship. But it was strange and it was getting on Ichigo's nerves. The espada nodded and pointed to the table made of red volcanic stone. They had to make one to sit somewhere in this hole. He sat down in silence and waited for the question that would soon come. 

"What's your offer?" He rubbed his chest slightly. He felt pressure. Probably from nervousness. He straightened up and started. 

"Our offer is this. Help us get out of here and you'll get rid of that raging creature." Ulquiorra eyed him. 

"How do you want to do this? None of us could hurt him. Aaroniero almost died. We are trapped here. We dare not climb out of here because we do not know when he will appear again." He thought so. The Espadas looked bored. The reason was probably their stay here in this hole. 

"The creature is our target. It is holding one of the captains captive and our mission is to get him out of here before he dies." 

"Let him die. Your journey is useless. Even you cannot kill it." Aaroniero declared. Ichigo shot him a murderous glare. 

"You may not be able to touch him, but I can. I have to kill him and get Captain Hitsugaya home! Do you want to spend eternity here hidden and unable to move freely?" Szayel rubbed his eyes. 

"You're right. I'm bored to death. I want some lab mouse from outside! My hands are shaking to cut into meat again!" he shook his head, his eyes covered by a dreamy look. 

"I'm for an alliance. Anything will be better than rotting here." 

"I have to agree." Aaroniero joined in. Ulquiorra considered their options for a moment. Finally, he extended his hand to Ichigo. 

"We'll help you." Ichigo took the outstretched hand with a sigh of relief. 

"Thank you all," he said with a smile. Szayel grinned. 

"Never thank your enemy Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo had to agree with him. He got up and started his way back to his group. However, he didn't get further than halfway. Right in mid-flight, a sharp pain hit his chest. With a scream, he lost control and fell to the ground, where he stayed. 

"Ichigo!" Rukia was the first to run to him. He didn't notice her. His senses were paralyzed by unbearable pain. His fingers were convulsively gripping his black shihakusho, his teeth were clenched together. Flames spread scross his body from the center to all his limbs. It burned his veins, his blood boiled. Finally, he opened his mouth and let out a bloodcurdling scream. The fire was slowly replaced by cold. He began to twitch as his muscles stiffened. The image above him turned red. He could see nothing. Someone tried to touch him. With another cry of pain, he jerked and rolled onto his side. He felt the blood running down his cheeks. 

"The veins in his eyes have burst! Use kaido quickly!" was the last sentence he heard before being transported to their final destination. Full of pain, he could helplessly watch as Hyorinmaru tried to hold the cracked barrier. The black dragon angrily slammed into the obstacle from every side. And Toushirou lay unconscious under the long ice body. The new wound on his back was bleeding and Ichigo desperately shouted his name. However, he did not receive an answer. He was banished from the vision back into his body. The twitches slowly turned into a constant tremor. 

"Ichigo, are you with us?" the hazy vision gradually cleared until he could see the outlines through the red fog. The cold froze him. The pain did not stop. With his last strength, he uttered only one sentence. 

"He is dying..." within a few long seconds he lost consciousness and let his head drop limply. Red tears adorned his face.

Chapter Text

He was floating through cold unconsciousness with a blank mind. He couldn't see anything. He was in complete darkness. He couldn't move a single muscle. The pain that had tormented him was gone. Now he felt nothing. He seriously doubted that he would reach his destination in time. Time was running out, and he was constantly tripping over sticks under his feet. This time it was the beast's fault. He hoped that Toushirou was still alive. His injuries looked serious even though he hadn't had a chance to examine the bloody wounds more closely. Because if the little captain didn't survive, Ichigo would be at his wits' end. He could feel it. Before he lost consciousness, his soul was torn in two. 

"Toushirou." he gasped heavily. The sound of his voice echoed through the space. Suddenly someone grabbed his arm. The darkness and cold receded in an instant and the light blinded him. He squeezed his eyelids tighter. 

"Ichigo!" He blinked a few times and finally opened his eyes. With relief, he saw Zangetsu. The white hollow was bent over him with panic in his eyes. 

"Zangetsu." The substitute said quietly and then coughed. His partner helped him sit up and lean against a tree. He was in a calmer part of his mind away from the large skyscrapers. He took a few deep breaths and when he didn't feel the pain, he rested his hand on his knee and looked around. He was horrified to find that several large buildings were in ruins, the grass was yellow, and the lake was cloudy. Above them, dark clouds covered the sun. The biggest shock for him, however, was the fact that the white zangetsu was covered in cracks. His black companion wasn't much better. The black cloak that covered him looked torn, his glasses were broken, and the black hair was tangled with white strands. 

"What happened here!?" he yelled in a hoarse voice. The two companions looked at each other cautiously. They were discussing something with their eyes. White Zangetsu then turned to him with an expression full of worry. Ichigo had never seen him like this before. Gone was the mask of arrogance and superiority with which he always spoke to him. 

"This time we were lucky. You lost consciousness after your bond was attacked and almost destroyed. If that beast had succeeded, the little captain would have died and you would have followed because of the depth of your bond." Ichigo froze in shock. He almost died. He and Toushirou. Because of that winged lizard! He clenched his palms into fists in anger. 

"Who intervened?" Black Zangetsu approached them and sat down. Careful movements revealed his cracked hands. 

"It was Hyorinmaru. At the last moment, he penetrated our world and forcibly took some of our power. Hence, the pain. Nothing should ever be forcibly torn from the soul. There is a risk of permanent damage.” 

“He knew we would survive, otherwise he wouldn’t have dared to do it. But it cost us.” A single glance around confirmed the result. His mind looked like someone threw a bomb in here. He stood up carefully. 

“Did he say something? What about Toushirou?” Ichigo swayed on unsteady legs, but remained standing. Both of his companions watched him warily. 

“The captain is fine for now. Hyorinmaru managed to repel the airstrikes and freeze his masters injuries. But we can’t say how long he will last.” Ichigo sighed. First, he had to think about his next steps. The first step would be kaido. He had to get things in order here and then his mind would return to the others. He would come up with a plan to get through the monsters of this layer and find the entrance to the next one. He nodded his head in satisfaction. 

“Okay, let’s get things in order here first.” He sat down again in the yellow grass, folded his hands together, and closed his eyes. This would take a while. His companions joined him. Together, little by little, they regained their lost strength, gathered energy, and repaired the damage to their inner world. There was an immediate change in the air. Before, Ichigo had smelled dust and rot, now he felt fresh air full of strength. With the last bit repaired, they all stood up. Ichigo looked at his companions. 

"Is there any way to contact them?" Hollow snorted. He poked him between the ribs with his finger. 

"You know how to do it." he grumbled. At first, not understanding, Ichigo thought for a moment, and then it hit him. He closed his eyes and focused on their bond. He found it with one hundred percent accuracy. The bond was strong again. It sang to him. With a smile, he reached out and let the bond wrap around his entire arm. The golden strand gradually wrapped around his body and brushed against his face. A wave of pleasure ran through his body, and he winced. 

"Toushirou, can you hear me?" he asked. The bond vibrated and began to change the intensity of the glow. He felt it. He tried to connect with it. The glow gradually intertwined with turquoise. His color. And then a silhouette appeared in front of him. He knew that shape very well. 

"Ichigo." a faint voice rang out, and Ichigo's legs buckled. He had to hold on to the tree behind him to keep from falling to his knees. Relief washed over him like waves. Toushirou could feel the emotion through the bond. They were connected now. 

"Toushirou, how are you holding up?" he asked, his voice slightly shaky. The figure looked around. Ichigo wondered if the captain could see what it was like in his mind, or if he could only see him. He would save the question for later. A sense of exhaustion reached him through the bond. He frowned. 

"I'm holding on. Hyorinmaru took a risky step, but he saved us. He really cares about this bond. He knows what it would do to us if it were broken. I can't tell you how much longer I can hold on. I'm trying."a strong wave of helplessness nearly brought him to his knees again. Ichigo shook his head. 

"I know. We're trying to get to you. We're in the volcano with the other Espadas." the silhouette froze in place. 

"You're close. Just one more layer and you'll be there." 

"We won't be alone. Head Captain Yamamoto will help us with the others." 

"Head Captain?" Ichigo began a shortened version of the explanation. Toushirou had no idea about the souls of their fallen and was surprised. When Ichigo finished, only determination remained. 

"With their help, you'll get to the entrance. You need a strategy." Toushirou said. His silhouette began to weaken. Ichigo moved towards him, but Zangetsu stopped him. 

"The bond is weakening. Let him go. He needs all the strength he has." Ichigo watched the silhouette disappear with eyes full of despair. 

"I'm coming for you! Don't let him win!" he managed to shout before the silhouette disappeared and the bond returned to its golden color. He let it melt away. 

"What now?" Zangetsu asked him. Both were without cracks. Their wounds were healed again. Ichigo looked at them both for a moment. He remembered the feelings associated with their looks. They were afraid that they would disappear forever. That they would be separated from him. Like when he used the Final getsuga tenshou. He will never forget that pain. He pulled both companions into his arms and hugged them tightly. The white hollow yelped in surprise and tried to break free, but Ichigo didn't let him go. 

"Nothing will separate us anymore. Do you understand? Not even an overgrown lizard." he said with a smile in his voice. Two pairs of hands patted his back, and then both companions pulled away from him. 

"Go! There's no time to waste." black zangetsu smiled slightly and disappeared in a moment. white grinned at him. 

"Give it your all. So that you don't cry here. Or I'd have to hit you." shaking his head, the substitute shinigami waved his hand and disappeared. Opening his eyes, he was back among the others. He heard muffled voices. They were arguing. He stood up carefully and walked down the tunnel they had come through. They had to carry him here. He went out. The sight that met his eyes was quite comical. Once the enemies sat opposite each other and argued like little children. With one jump, he took into the air and flew across the surface of the volcano. Shinji was the first to notice him. 

"Ichigo! How are you feeling?"he called out. The voices fell silent. Renji breathed a sigh of relief. 

"I thought you wouldn't wake up again, you idiot." he grunted. Ichigo fell to the ground and approached them. The Espadas watched him cautiously. 

"I'm sorry. Everything is fine now." 

"I hope you don't collapse again during the fight. There won't be any space to protect you." Ikkaku warned him. Ichigo waved his hand. 

"That won't be necessary. I have a plan to get out of here." There was silence. Ulquiorra cleared his throat. 

"Is this a well-thought-out plan?" Ichigo sneered. 

"You can't come up with a better one." With his plan, they would get out of here in no time. If no obstacles stood in their way. And knowing himself, he was a magnet for obstacles. He had to take everything into account. He had no other choice. 

Chapter Text

"Okay, so let's summarize." they sat at the table and looked at the map marked with arrows. Ichigo ran his eyes from place to place, trying to remember the entire route. He hoped he wouldn't make a mistake. Hell was damn big, and even a single wrong turn could send them back a few steps, and they couldn't afford that. They were close. He could feel it in his bones. 

"Creatures of this layer move in flocks. They work together and can plan their attacks, right?" Yamamoto nodded. 

"That's right. They're smart. During one of the clashes, one of them sneaked up on me from behind a rock. I still have a scar on my ribs." he revealed a large bite scar on the right side of his ribs. Renji hissed. Judging by the indentations in the skin, it looked like their enemies have quite long teeth. Shinji took out his journal. 

"Can you describe them to me? Their appearance and behavior? You've definitely seen them. None of us who arrived had a chance to look at them. It'll help us." Ulquiorra took over. 

"They have a long muzzle, large teeth, empty sockets instead of eyes. They can spit fire. Their body is covered in scales, it's long. They don't have hind legs. They have to move on the ground using their front legs. Their tail is also long, watch out for it. Another warning is definitely about their horns. They have two or three. If they get you, it's over." 

"So they're half-dragons. Great." Ichigo growled. He had several ugly scenarios in his head. He didn't like any of them. 

"They're extremely fast, they can disappear. They blend into shadows, and they make such a scream that you'll wish you were stabbed instead." Szayel joined in, while Shinji took notes. 

"We're missing a name." 

"What do you need it for?" Aaroniero, who was quietly watching, joined the discussion. Ikkaku waved his hand. 

"Isn't it clear? It's useful information. It'll be filed in the archives for future use. Every monster is recorded." 

"Does anyone have any ideas?" silence fell. What name should a winged lizard with assassin abilities be given? 

"How about a scream?" Renji suggested. Ichigo smacked him on the head. 

"You must have seen that movie! It sounds terrible!" 

"Ouch! Come up with something then, smartass!" 

"I'm thinking!" 

"Silence!" Yamamoto thundered. Everyone sat up straight. Even though he was dead, the head captain was the first in the power ladder. Jushiro cleared his throat. 

"I might have something. They're creatures from hell, and with their big mouths and screams, I'd call them hell's shriekers." Ichigo frowned. 

"This may sound long, but I can't think of anything better. I agree." 

"Me too." Rukia joined in. Gradually, the others joined in, and so the name was decided. Shinji wrote it down and happily hid the diary. 

"Great, now our plan. There are ten of us here. We will divide our group into three smaller groups. The first three will go first. They will lure the entire flock to themselves and must be able to keep them at bay. The second group of three will then trap them in a strong barrier and try to keep them there as long as possible. The third group will go on a reconnaissance mission. They must find the entrance to the next layer as quickly as possible. Time is running out. We must be fast. Do you agree with this Ichigo?" The orange-haired substitute nodded. 

"The search for exit won’t be easy. It is big here. It would be best to choose the fastest ones." 

"Let's hope you get to the captain in time." Ichigo looked at Ukitake more closely. He was stunned by what he saw. The former captain of the thirteenth unit had an agonized expression on his face. He didn't understand why. He flinched in shock when the communicator in his pocket vibrated. He quickly pulled it out and put it to his ear. 

"I can hear you." 

"Ichigo! It's Kisuke!" The cheerful tone was immediately replaced by a deadly serious one. 

"I don't have good news." 

"Kisuke! Wait a minute.” Ichigo switched to loud communication and placed the device on the stone table. Everyone leaned in to listen. 

"I tried to analyze the energy particles left behind with Captain Mayuri. And the results are bad." 

"Where did you get them?" Shinji asked. 

"Shinji! I'm glad to hear from you! We collected everything we could from the interspace where Captain Hitsugaya was kidnapped." 

"And the result is...?" the substitute's stomach sank. Kisuke cleared his throat. 

"We've tried several tests to destroy the particles. The result is zero. That brings us to one conclusion. Our enemy cannot be killed." 

"What?!" Ikkaku stood up abruptly. It's never happened that something couldn't be killed! 

"That's impossible. You'll always find a way!" Rukia shouted. Kisuke sighed. 

"Let me explain. There's no way for you to kill him. You're running out of time. The only option is to slowly break the particles down into smaller pieces until they cease to exist. They have a highly regenerative element in them, and any damage you cause will quickly regenerate." 

"And a big explosion wouldn't kill him?" Ulquiorra asked. Kisuke fell silent. He took a breath. 

"Greetings, Espada! From the tone of your voice, I assume everything is okay?" 

"Yes it is. For now. Go ahead." Ichigo rubbed his forehead. His head was starting to hurt. 

"It would have to be a blast of energy at least four times greater than the head Captain could produce. And you would need time to prepare for the attack. As I say, time is your greatest enemy." A pin could be heard dropping. A wave of uncertainty and hopelessness poured over the group like water. Ichigo felt an icy hand gripping his organs. He had no answer to the question that would follow. The scenario in his mind did not have a good ending. What else could they do? Eliminating the opponent has always been a priority. They would not be able to drive the creature away. He had not counted on that. The dragon had a goal to pursue. And it was walking over the corpses. A small flame ignited inside when a thought came to him. 

"I can communicate with it. Is there no way I could somehow..." he didn't finish the sentence. It sounded absurd. When had any of them managed to persuade their opponent to retreat? The communicator rattled. 

"There is one option. We can try to seal it." Kisuke suggested. Ichigo then received a message. Curiously, he clicked it open. 

"That's...?" 

"If you're going to seal the dragon, you need a seal. Ichigo, do you remember Aizen?" the scene flashed through his mind. He was clear. 

"Is this the new kido?" 

"Captain Mayuri and I put it together. It should be strong enough to hold a creature of that size and strength." 

"Thanks, Kisuke." The communicator rattled again. 

"My time is up. Good luck!" and the communication fell silent. 

"That's great. Let's choose someone to seal the dragon." Rukia said. 

"I'd volunteer, but we can't leave this layer." Jushiro smiled apologetically. Ichigo got up from the table and glanced at everyone. 

"I'll do it. I can communicate with it. If that doesn't work, I'll seal him." Shinji grinned and patted him on the back. 

"Okay. I think we've got everything figured out, and it's time to go. Little Hitsugaya is waiting for us, or rather, for someone." he winked mischievously at the substitute. The guy frowned at him angrily. Together they got up and headed for the cave they had come from. Jushiro grabbed Ichigo's arm. 

"Wait." He stopped, confused. The former captain waited for the others to enter and turned to face him. 

"How's Kyoraku?" He asked quietly. Ichigo didn't understand the question. Something in the captain's tone of voice seemed different to him. He quickly went through his memories and with a shock discovered the reason. Those painful looks he was giving him, their closeness to the captain of the eighth unit, their behavior towards each other. 

"There was a bond between you." He breathed. The captain's face was contorted in pain. He nodded. 

"We never completed it. We knew about my fate, and I didn't want him to suffer when I left him." Ichigo nodded. 

"He misses you. But he's coping." He reassured him in a warm voice. A question flashed through his mind. 

"Are there more of us with a soul bond?" Ichigo asked cautiously. But he didn't know if that was the right question given to the situation. The white-haired captain nodded, however. 

"The first soul bond was formed between the head captain and his lieutenant, who was killed by the quincies before the first invasion. The second was between me and Kyoraku. The third was between Captain Soifon and her former superior Yoruichi. Before my death, their bond was very strained. Another broken bond connected with lieutenant Matsumoto and Gin Ichimaru. We know how they ended up. In my unit, there was a bond between Rukia and Kaien. Before it could develop, she killed him on a mission. I hope it will be different with Renji." Ichigo faltered with each example. They all ended badly! Is the soul bond cursed? 

"And what about Toushirou?" He whispered. Jushiro sighed. 

"He should tell you this himself. As his new partner, you have the right to know from his own mouth." Ichigo didn't need to know more about it. He wasn't the first. Someone had been connected to the little captain first, and judging the look on Jushiro’s face, it didn't go well either. 

"If that's all, we should go. They're waiting for us." Jushiro walked around him with a small, relieved smile and headed for the cave. Ichigo looked around the fire area. He had a bag of pins in his throat and a hundred kilos of rocks in his stomach. 

"Hold on Toushirou, I'll be with you soon." He swallowed hard. He had to focus on the mission. He shook his head and followed the others with a lighter mind.