A/N: Hello~!

Things are kicking up now, and the pace of the story will pick up a fair bit until the end of the arc.

I DO NOT OWN RWBY OR BLEACH

Arc 3: Arrancar Arc

Chapter 31: Hueco Mundo

''What do you mean Inoue got captured?!''

The forward-operating team - consisting of a bandaged Velvet, Sun and Coco - winced at the genuine anger in Ichigo's tone as he slammed a fist on the low table, nearly cracking it with the force. Chad was sat behind his friend, but he had a deep frown on his face, clearly troubled by the information they had just been told. Shiro was leaning against the wall by the door, frowning also. Urahara was on the left side of the circular table, hat pulled over his eye while the black cat, Yoruichi, was sat at the other end with a serious expression.

And across from Ichigo was the solemn-faced Summer, hands folded in her lap. ''One of Sōsuke's Espada, Ulquiorra I believe his name was, ambushed us. I was forced to surrender Inoue to him-''

''Bullshit!'' Ichigo snapped, glaring. ''You're a Captain, one of the strongest Shinigami out there! Don't try and tell me you couldn't fight him, or at least try!''

Summer remained unfazed by his outburst, almost like she was expecting it. ''You are correct. However, fighting him would involve releasing my Shikai, which I could not do lest it be seen.''

The teen looked dumbfounded for a minute, before his face turned into a deep scowl. ''Seriously, that's the reason you let Inoue get captured by Aizen? Because you didn't want your Shikai to be seen?!''

''Many of us older Captains don't prefer our enemies to know about our abilities, especially when we are the last line of defence in the event of an invasion.'' She replied calmly, but not unapologetically.

Ichigo scoffed. ''Yeah, because Aizen totally wouldn't know the Shikai of his opponents! He bloody fooled almost the entire Twelve Divisions for who knows how long, and you expect him not to know about it?''

''He knows. Mine especially, since we're close.'' Summer stated, the wording catching his attention, but she replied before he could. ''However, that makes concealment all the more important. Zanpakutō can adapt and evolve subtly over time, and mine is no different. Sōsuke knows this as well. The less he sees my Zanpakutō, the less chance of him countering it is.''

His eyes narrowed. ''So you're telling me that since the last time you revealed your Zanpakutō, it's changed enough for his old methods to be unable to counter it?''

Summer grimaced, and that said more than any defence could.

''Dammit...'' Ichigo muttering, sounding mixed between pissed and tired, running a hand down his face.

A hand on his shoulder made him turn, and he was mildly surprised to see Shiro there, an expression on her face that could only be described as determination.

''We'll just have to rescue her then.'' Shiro said matter-of-factly, as if it was obvious.

Ichigo blinked, not at the concept she proposed - he was just about to say it - but rather the fact she brought it up at all. She didn't even know Inoue - the two had never met, so why would she go out of her way to help her, especially a Hollow who had only recently regained her 'heart'?

As if reading his thoughts, Shiro smiled. It was small, almost indiscernible, but still there. ''You and Ruby are friends with Inoue. So I'll help you.''

He was dumbfounded for a moment, before a grin crossed his face. ''Heh. Welcome aboard the rescue team then.''

''I'm coming too.'' Chad stated almost immediately, deep baritone firm with resolve. Ichigo nodded his thanks.

''We'd come too, but...'' Sun gestured at the rest of the forward-operating team. Without Inoue to heal them, it'd take at least half a day of constant healing from Unohana before they'd be in fighting condition - but that wasn't taking into account their Reiatsu and stamina. Two days minimum before they were back to peak condition, and Pyrrha - who had been injured greatly, hence her absence - would take several days to fully heal.

''That's all well and good...'' Urahara spoke up for the first time. ''But, how are you going to get to Hueco Mundo, may I ask?''

Ichigo paused, before looking to Shiro for assistance, but she only shook her head. Neither had managed to make a Garganta yet.

''Hm. Well, I suppose I could fix something up.'' The shopkeeper mused lightly, hat still pulled over his eyes. ''Will the Twelve Divisions be sending anyone to assist, Summer?''

''Unknown. If it was up to me or Ozpin, then it would be yes, but the decision ultimately is Genryūsai's decision.'' Summer explained seriously. ''I'll call for a Captain's meeting immediately upon my return. I should have an answer by tomorrow morning.''

''Tomorrow?'' Ichigo interrupted, incredulous. ''You mean we have to leave Inoue with the enemy for nearly half a day?''

''Yes.'' Summer said without hesitation. ''Charging in recklessly will only lead to casualties, and if you attack without back-up it will only result in yourselves getting captured.''

Ichigo grit his teeth, giving the woman a hard stare. ''I don't like this.''

''Nor do I.'' Summer replied, a tad sadly. ''But it is our only course of action. Any other would only result in death.''

Ichigo had no refute for that, merely scowling darkly as he rose from his seat, turning and storming out of the room. Nobody tried to stop him.

Shiro turned an unreadable stare on her pseudo-mother, who met her gaze calmly.

''I may not know a lot about the 'heart', Captain Rose... but I know it shouldn't be cast aside so easily.''

Summer's eyes widened a fraction, looking genuinely stunned for the first time in decades by the Arrancar's words, but said nothing as the Arrancar turned and left, following after Ichigo. Chad left a minute later, and the forward-operating team left for their rooms after that.

...

''Letting Inoue-san get captured, may not have been your brightest idea.'' Urahara broke the silence. ''You seem to forget, Summer, that Kurosaki-san has quite the charisma. Playing secret will only alienate them, especially with the betrayal of Aizen-san still fresh in their minds.''

''Ironic for you to say, isn't it, Kisuke?'' Summer retorted softly. ''You also knew Sōsuke would try and kidnap her, didn't you?''

''Of course. Her Reiatsu is unlike anything I've ever felt. I dare to say it is identical to that of the Hōgyoku's.'' Urahara nodded slightly, earning a surprised look from her. Clearly she hadn't noticed that titbit of information. ''However, I was certain she would be safe in your capable hands. After all, not many people can match you, Ivory Reaper.''

The Rose matriarch ignored the reminder of her title. ''It is better for things to happen this way. Plus, I couldn't risk Yhwach getting more intel about my Zanpakutō than strictly necessary. I was already pushing it by revealing my Shikai against Kōga Kuchiki, however brief it was.''

''True, the Quincy will undoubtedly become a threat, but we don't know when they plan on arriving. The only hint is the old Quincy legends of a thousand-year-slumber, but that is vague at best and without evidence.'' Urahara mused. ''But Aizen-san is only slightly less of a threat. With the Hōgyoku in his possession... even I cannot predict the outcome, can you?''

''I can.'' She said firmly, returning his hard stare with an even one.

When she didn't elaborate, Urahara sighed deeply, almost tiredly as he ran a hand over his face. ''Fine, I'll put my trust in you once more. But if this backfires, we won't be the only ones feeling the heat, and your status as The Vale's secret weapon won't do any good.''

Summer remained silent.

Urahara rose from his seat, idly noting Yoruichi had disappeared at some point, before patting her on the shoulder. ''You once told me that fearing a weapon risks becoming it's enemy, and I don't want to see you become The Vale's next enemy.''

''I know my duty.'' She said, more stern than before. ''Even if my memory withers, my bones break and my heart stops beating, I will never forget that, and will accomplish it no matter the costs. That was the oath I took.''

Without another word, she rose from her seat stiffly and walked out of the store with swift steps.

Urahara hummed lowly, staring after his long-time friend.

''That's just what I'm afraid of, Summer.''

Meanwhile, Ichigo stormed down the quiet evening street, a deep scowl marring his face. It was lucky there were no thugs that dared to try and beat him up, lest he overextend and kill them with his Reiatsu alone.

He wouldn't kid himself. He was pissed. The fact he had to leave Inoue, someone who he considered a dear friend, in the hands of Aizen and the Arrancar, left a sour taste in his mouth. He doubted the man would do something dangerous like kill her or torture her, but he still couldn't help but feel anxious over it. He was half-tempted to charge into Hueco Mundo himself, but Summer's words shot that down quickly, and he forced himself to take several deep breathes to calm himself. He had to play this smart, wait for Summer to contact the rest of the Shinigami, and then head into Hueco Mundo with the assault team. Patience.

He looked to the side when he felt a stare on him, revealing the owner to be Shiro, who walked beside him. She didn't say anything, merely tilting her head questioningly, and he sighed and gave a half-hearted dismissive wave. She accepted his wordless response, not bringing the topic up. Instead she brought something up that surprised him.

''Ruby will regain control soon. Tomorrow morning, most likely.'' Shiro informed quietly. ''With Aizen kidnapping Inoue, Ketsukei Bara is cutting her training short so she will be present for the invasion, since I can't use Shikai or Bankai.''

Ichigo nodded, understanding the reasoning behind it and relieved his girlfriend would be returning soon. Though that also brought up it's own problem.

''What about you?''

Shiro blinked, before looking away slightly, the faintest tinges of red on her cheeks. ''I... will be fine. I will return to her Inner World, and continue to... exist.''

''You don't sound too happy about that.'' He noted the quiet disappointment in her tone.

The Arrancar bobbed her head. ''Mm. Freedom feels nice. Having a physical body too... and friends. Ruby's Inner World is too quiet. Only Ketsukei Bara is there, and she isn't the most... expressive person.''

Shiro then turned to him, a small smile appearing on her face. ''But, that is acceptable. I have lived in this body for several days, and the feelings I felt won't go away soon. I can remain content with my 'heart', and wait for the day I'm needed once more. So thank you, Ichigo...''

''Thank you for making this feeble existence of mine worth living.'' She said with utter sincerity, gratitude shining in her golden eyes.

Ichigo smiled back, patting the shorter girl on the head. The gesture said more than any words could.

Morning came, the beams of golden light peering through his window and shining on his eyes, making a half-hearted groan slip past his lips as he awoke.

Ichigo grimaced, rolling closer to the wall to escape the light, only to remember he wasn't alone in bed. Ruby was likely in control, given the bone-like ears atop her head had mysteriously disappeared, as had the mask fragment. She was sleeping peacefully with a small, content smile on her face. There was a certain innocence to it that he found cute, not unlike a puppy. It was one of her endearing traits - the ability to look cute and innocent one moment, only to reveal the quiet wisdom she rarely showed, the sentimentality that came from her many years of living.

As he intended to get up, she shifted, and he waited for a moment to see which one was in control. The truth was revealed as her eyes flickered open drowsily, silver irises staring at the ceiling for a moment before drifting to him, a sleepy smile crossing her face.

''Morning, Ichigo.'' Ruby greeted, yawning.

''Morning.'' He returned the greeting, grinning lightly. ''Good to have you back.''

''Mm.'' She agreed, running a hand through her dark hair as she sat up. ''You ready to kick some Hollow butt?''

''Definitely.'' He smirked, grabbing a change of his Shihakusho before heading towards the door, intent on washing up before the meeting. ''Technically, they're Arrancars.''

''Don't split hairs, Ichi-kun!'' She called out after him, smiling as he chuckled and left the room.

An hour later, the two arrived at the Urahara Shoten, dressed in their Shinigami attire and reading for the inevitable fighting that was to come, shown by the serious looks on their faces. Both knew the dangers that awaited them, and were as prepared for it as they could be.

''Ruby-nee~!'' Came a cry from the store, and Ruby blinked as the young brown-haired Kon hugged her.

She smiled brightly at the young boy, recalling their agreement to be brother-and-sister in all but blood. Perhaps she should introduce him to her parents soon. ''Hey, Kon. You been good while I was gone?''

''Mmhm.'' He agreed, reluctantly letting go of her as she entered the store, spotting Tessai carrying some boxes from the backroom.

''The boss is in the basement with the others.'' Tessai informed politely.

''Arigato, Tsukabishi-san.'' Ruby smiled, letting go of Kon. ''Be good alright Kon? We'll hang out once the invasion is over, and we've rescued Inoue-san, 'kay?''

Kon smiled, but there was a tinge of sadness in his eyes. ''Hai... come back alive, alright?!''

She laughed lightly. ''Definitely, Kon. I promise.''

The adorable (if slightly perverted) soul ran into one of the storage rooms, and the two hybrids wandered to a hatch at the back of the store. Ichigo pulled it open, revealing a long narrow drop with only a wooden ladder.

''Seriously?'' Ruby remarked dryly. Ichigo only chuckled lightly before dropping down, slowing his fall with the Reishi in the air, and she followed suit.

When they reached the bottom they were greeted by a terrain not unlike the one under the Visored's warehouse, albeit with a taller ceiling at the cost of being smaller in length. Urahara was nearby, standing before a tall red torii gate with a pair of wooden doors, muttering to himself.

Standing nearby discussing amongst themselves were several powerful Shinigami - Captain Bartholomew Oobleck of Green, Captain Peter Port of Purple, Lieutenant Fox Alistair of Green, Third Seat Weiss Schnee of Cyan, and Lieutenant Sage Ayana of Brown. The group made an imposing presence, and Ichigo had to admit he was impressed that The Vale would send so many fighters. He had to wonder what Summer said to get the old Head Captain to agree to this.

''Kurosaki. Rose.'' A familiar voice drew the duo's attention, their heads swivelling to the side to where Ishida and Chad were sat on a flat rock, both just as serious as the others. ''About time you showed up.''

Ruby pouted at the Quincy, before taking notice of the white glove on his right hand. ''Hm? So you're using Okaa-san's glove too?''

''Correct. I got in some training before now.'' Ishida nodded. ''My stamina isn't the greatest, so I can only maintain the 'form' for less than a minute. Hypothetically, at least.''

The Rose heiress hummed thoughtfully, turning her gaze onto the taller teen beside her. ''Maybe you could use it the longest, since you've got the best stamina out of the three of us, Ichigo?''

''Probably.'' He shrugged, glancing at his glove. ''Won't know until we try.''

Their idle conversation was interrupted as Weiss approached them, expression as frosty as usual. The Schnee heiress had changed slightly since Ichigo fought her - not in any visible way, but rather the way she held herself. No longer was it the stiff regal posture of a noble, but the calmly coiled frame of a viper, ready to strike in an instant. Her Reiatsu had also become stronger, easily Lieutenant-class.

Ichigo had to admit he was impressed, and Ruby was equally impressed by her friend's progress.

''Urahara says the transporter will be ready in a minute.'' Weiss informed curtly, glancing around them. ''Half of us will go first, and the other half second - roughly fifteen minutes later, according to the Captains.''

''So who's going first?'' Ichigo asked curiously.

''You four will.'' Weiss replied, a hint of a smirk curling at her lips upon seeing their surprised faces. ''The Captains agree it would be best. Aizen would believe you may have gone rogue, attempting a siege by yourselves. Even if he does not, it will allow us to hold our hard-hitters - the Captains - back until the enemy has revealed themselves.''

Ishida reluctantly nodded. ''It does make sense, strategically speaking. Aizen will likely know our plan regardless, but whether his Arrancar will is another question.''

None of them knew the answer to that, but they pushed it out of their minds as they walked towards the transporter. Urahara was muttering to himself, something about calculations. As they approached they gained the attention of the other Shinigami, who greeted them easily, no hint of nervousness or unease amongst them.

''Right on time, you two!'' Port laughed lightly, grinning broadly despite the prospect of diving into the heart of Hollow territory.

Hell if anything it seemed to make him more excited.

''Ah.'' Ichigo agreed, glancing around at the other Shinigami. ''So where are we being dropped off then? In the middle of their base, the middle of nowhere, nearby...?''

''Relatively nearby.'' Oobleck informed, glancing at the large torii gate. ''You'll have to travel to Aizen's base - a large white palace - and infiltrate from there. The rest of us won't be far behind.''

''Understood.'' Ruby nodded professionally, her silver eyes drifting to the gate as it glowed blue. ''Seems like it's ready.''

''That it is.'' Urahara agreed, approaching them. ''It's fixed to drop you roughly five hundred metres from the palace. With your speed it shouldn't be hard to reach the palace quickly. Just remember to create a Reishi platform beneath you upon entering it - don't want you falling into the void between worlds!''

''Thanks for the vote in confidence.'' Ichigo deadpanned at the jovial shopkeeper.

''Not a problem, Kurosaki-san!''

Eyebrow twitching, Ichigo scowled lightly and passed Urahara, stopping before the large torii gate. Urahara pulled something akin to a remote out of his sleeve, before pressing the sole red button on it, causing the wooden doors to swing outwards with a low groan. Inside the gateway was nothing but darkness that shifted between abyssal black and dull grey, almost like static with how erratically it shifted.

Without hesitation Ichigo stepped across the threshold, creating a Reishi platform as Urahara instructed, although he noted with some interest the platform was much more visible, being a bright blue construct opposed to the barely-visible distortion of air that normally occurred. He shrugged it off a moment later, and began to run, creating the platform as he went. While he didn't have the best control, he was able to make it steady enough that the others could follow him without needing to make their own paths.

Soon they seemed to near the end of the void, as a lighter grey zone approached them. The moment they reached it everything turned white for a brief moment, before they found themselves in another world. As far as the eye could see was nothing but a pale grey desert, the midnight sky bearing a few grey clouds that were sparsely dotted about. The crescent moon hung ominously in the sky, so close yet so far, and the teen felt a strange sense of longing as he stared at the moon. Perhaps it was something to do with being-part Hollow, or something like that.

Ichigo shook his head, dismissing the thought as his eyes landed upon a structure in the distance, and he realised after a moment it was the palace the Captains spoke of.

''Whoever defines this as only 'large' needs a serious eye test.'' Ichigo muttered flatly, seeing the truly gigantic structure that loomed in the distance, almost being the size of Karakura itself. The term palace was definitely fitting though.

''So that's Aizen's base.'' Ishida noted aloud, pushing up his glasses. ''Hmph. It's extravagantly large, although understandable for someone who fashions themselves a king.''

''Must be pretty crappy to be a king in the middle of a desert.'' Ruby remarked dryly, looking around. ''Wonder what he does to entertain himself?''

''I'd rather not know.'' Ichigo said, earning light chuckles from the others.

As their chuckles died down, they began to travel towards the large building. After a few minutes of walking - with the building getting no closer - they began to Shunpo towards it.

''How far away is this thing?!''

From beside him, Ruby groaned. ''I don't know, but it looks like we're getting closer?''

''You don't sound too sure of that.'' Ishida dryly pointed out. ''Clearly either Urahara's coordinates were off, or Aizen scrambled the transporter somehow.''

The group were sat around on a small rock they came across, taking a brief breather after travelling across the desert for a solid twenty minutes and only getting slightly closer. They would have to take occasionally breaks so they didn't end up arriving at the palace winded and out of breath - and thus, an easy target. At this rate though they'd end up taking all day - night? - to get there.

Ruby was about to suggest they wait for the reinforcements, but paused as she heard a faint, almost inaudible crying. After a few seconds the others heard it too as it increased in volume, almost like it was coming closer.

''Uh... you guys here that?'' Ruby tilted her head, looking around for the sound.

''Mm.'' Chad hummed, standing up before nodding towards the nearest sand dune. ''There.''

True to the silent giant's words, a tearful young girl crested the dune, dressed only in a green cloth that vaguely resembled a simplistic dress, with sea-green hair and light brown eyes, a vertical streak of red across her nose and cheeks. What was noteworthy was the cracked skull-esque mask fragment on her head, identifying her as an Arrancar.

Behind the girl was three Hollows; an oversized purple worm, a skinny purple ant-like man, and a large tiki-masked Hollow. All three were chasing the young Arrancar with excited expressions on their faces, but Ishida noticed they radiated no bloodlust. If anything, despite the girl crying, all four seemed to be rather happy.

''Something isn't-'' He began to say, only to notice the two hybrids were missing.

Not a heartbeat later Ichigo and Ruby appeared before the Hollows, kicking the tiki-faced Hollow and the worm one in the face, sending them crashing backwards, and clotheslining the ant-like Hollow in perfect synchronisation.

''The hell are you doing, chasing a kid around?!'' Ichigo barked, grabbing the ant-like man by the collar.

''Yeah!'' Ruby agreed, holding the girl to her chest. ''Especially an adorable one too!''

''Nel is adorable?'' The girl tilted her head cutely, blinking.

''Mm. Very adorable.'' Ruby replied cheerfully, now completely ignoring the three writhing Hollows. ''So your name's Nel?''

''Yep! Nel ist Nel!'' The now-named Nel smiled innocent, having a slight lisp. ''And them three ist my brothers! Dondochakka, Pesche and Bawabawa!''

It took a moment for what Nel said to register with the duo.

''Wait, they're your... brothers?'' Ichigo blinked slowly. ''Then why are they chasing you?''

''We're playing eternal tag!'' Nel smiled brightly, as if the answer was obvious. ''Do you want to play too?''

Ichigo and Ruby shared a glance, briefly looking back at the tangled mess of bodies that was the three 'brothers'. ''Er... we're a little busy at the moment...''

''Oh.'' Nel blinked, before tilting her head at them. ''Wait... you look a lil' familiar... black clothes... big swords...''

''We're Shinigami.'' Ruby spoke up with a smile before Ichigo could stop her.

...

''EHHHHH?!'' Nel exclaimed, leaping out of her arms and pointing a finger at them. ''Sh-Shinigami?!''

From behind the duo, the trio of Hollows suddenly leapt over them, landing in front of Nel. Well, the tiki-masked one, Dondochakka, and the ant-faced one, Pesche, did land properly... whilst Bawabawa just sorta crashed into the sand behind Nel. While Nel and the large snake maintained 'defensive' stances, the two others held more genuine defence stances, and it was clear they considered them a real threat, and weren't messing around.

''Oi oi, we're not the bad guys.'' Ichigo informed with mild annoyance.

Nel blinked. ''You're not?''

''Of course they are, Nel-sama! They're Shinigami!'' Pesche told his apparent sister, pointing accusingly in their direction. ''Look! They're threatening!''

Ichigo and Ruby glanced at each other flatly. When they decided to invade the Hollow's home-world, they didn't expect this. Not by a long shot.

''Hm... but they said they weren't, so they can't be.'' Nel stated with childish certainty.

Ruby's eyes lit up. ''Plus, we're here to rescue someone! Bad guys don't rescue people, do they?''

''...hm, no, they don't.'' The young girl nodded thoughtfully. ''So where ist your friend hidin' then?''

''Over there.'' Ruby smiled, pointing at the distant white palace.

''Eh?! In Las Noches?!'' Nel cried out. ''But that place ist dangerous!''

''All the more reason to save our friend then.'' She replied with certainty.

The green-haired girl said nothing, but stared at her with large brown eyes full of innocent awe. It was hard not to pick her up and glomp her with how cute she was.

''We better get going.'' Ichigo whispered to her, gently nudging her. They still had a ways to go, and waiting around was just begging Aizen to send some Arrancars to intercept them.

''Right.'' She whispered back, before turning a gentle smile on Nel. ''We have to go now - saving our friend and all. If you see anymore Shinigami pass by here, tell them we went ahead of them, okay?''

''Okay.'' Nel nodded, looking a little sad, before she perked up. ''What ist your names?''

''Ruby Rose, and this is Ichigo Kurosaki.'' Ruby introduced them, before pointing down the hill. ''Over there is Uryū Ishida, and Yasutora Sado. We're all friends working to save our other friend.''

''Nel is Nel!'' The girl smiled brightly, introducing herself again.

''I'm Pesche!'' The ant-like man stated cheerfully, posing by flexing his muscles.

''Dondochakka!'' The larger Hollow added.

''Arawaa!'' Bawabawa cried out incoherently, but the message was the same.

'...they do know they already introduced themselves, right?' Ichigo thought dryly, but didn't point it out lest he drag this out longer than necessary.

''See you later, Nel-chan!'' Ruby smiled, earning an eager nod from the young girl, before Ruby left in a step of Shunpo, Ichigo not a step behind. ''Well they were nice.''

''I guess.'' Ichigo shrugged, before he turned serious, eyes focused on the distance palace, 'Las Noches' as Nel called it. ''C'mon. We've still got a lot of ground to cover.''

Without another word, the four invaders headed towards their destination.

It felt like what took like an hour, but they finally felt like they were getting close. Ten more minutes at best.

Of course, it just couldn't be as simple as that.

Out of the sands ahead of them rose a Hollow of titanic proportions, made completely out of sand. His body was grey in colour, with long arms that became thicker at the forearms, and had a cloth around his waist. Oddly, his head looked akin to a sand castle.

''Halt!'' The large Hollow boomed, his voice echoing across the endless desert. ''I am Runuganga, Guardian of the White Sands! You, intruders, are trespassing on Lord Aizen's territory... and for that, you will be punished harshly!''

Ichigo stared at the giant Hollow dully for a solid five seconds, before drawing his blade and swinging, releasing a wordless Getsuga Tenshō. The crescent screeched as it flew across the sky, impacting Runuganga directly in the chest, blowing it apart... before sand rapidly filled the whole, essentially healing him nigh-instantly.

''Foolish invader.'' Runuganga chided, but the smugness in his tone was undeniable.

''It appears he can regenerate, possibly endless with all the sand around.'' Ishida noted grimly.

''What about his mask?'' Chad asked quietly.

''Maybe... no, he formed out of sand, so it's likely his mask is also made from sand.'' Ishida shook his head.

Ichigo still hadn't moved his gaze from Runuganga, pondering idly how to get rid of the big guy quickly, when a thought struck him. A moment later, he smirked, nudging Ruby with his elbow. At her confused glance, he merely summoned his Hollow mask, and she got the message quick enough and copied him. With silent communication born from their long hours of sparring, they raised their free hands in unison, a crimson ball gathering at the centre.

Runuganga noticed them and was not idly, swinging his right arm down at them to crush them, only for a Getsuga to strike the arm, destroying it up to the elbow and giving the hybrids the seconds needed to fire.

''Cero!'' Both Ruby and Ichigo declared, firing the crimson lasers at different parts of Runuganga's torso; Ruby at the stomach and Ichigo at the collar.

The effects became rapidly apparent as the sand-like body swiftly heated up into glass, and the two didn't waste the fresh opportunity. In under fifteen seconds they turned his whole torso into glass and wasted no time in striking his heat, ignoring his roars of pain as his face became glass. Chad took the opening present, leaping forth and smashing his fist against Runuganga's glass torso, shattering it and the rest of his body into countless shards.

''Well that was... shattering.'' Ruby grinned widely, giggling as she took off her mask. Ichigo groaned at the poor joke, Ishida made a face and Chad shook his head in mild amusement. ''Good idea though with the Cero. Forgot it could heat things up.''

Ichigo smirked, jerking his head in the direction of Las Noches. ''Let's get going. I don't want to see if this guy can still regenerate or not.''

The group mutually agreed, and were gone in a step of Shunpo/Hirenkyaku/Idō.

They reached Las Noches short of ten minutes later, as they predicted. What they didn't predict was the fortress' sheer size. Sure, it looked big from a distance, but up close was all the more bewildering.

''I'm almost worried what's inside here.'' Ichigo sighed, staring at the wall for an entrance but finding none. ''Guess we have to make a front door then.''

Ishida raised a brow. ''Would stealth not be a better option, Kurosaki?''

Ichigo scoffed. ''Yeah, because Aizen totally doesn't know we're already here.''

The Quincy clicked his tongue, but didn't argue that point.

Drawing his Shikai blades, the orange-haired teen channelled Reiryoku down the khyber knife, before swinging it down. The explosion that resulted from it send a shockwave that kicked up nearly a ton of sand. While Ichigo and Ruby were used to this level of destructive power, Chad and Ishida weren't at the same level of power as them, and had to create a mini-Reishi platform to prevent themselves getting pushed back by the high winds. It ended after a short while and the sand settled, revealing a large vertical scar down the side of the building, piercing deep enough to cut through easily two dozen metres of thick stone, revealing a Hallway

Wordlessly, they entered the scar, warily staring at the ceiling as small bits of dust and debris dribbled down. Upon reaching the hallway they blinked when their only option was to go left, as the right wall had a perfectly pristine wall. The suspicious part was that there wasn't even dust or damage on it... as if it had suddenly been moved there.

Shaking off the possible trickery, the group headed left, down the wide hallway until they reached an intersection with four doors, each leading down a separate tunnel. The group exchanged grim glances, but knew that this was far too coincidental to be natural.

''Well, guess we're going solo.'' Ichigo mused, looking around to see if any cameras were present. He wouldn't put it past Aizen to watch them like it was a stupid game show.

Ishida raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. ''Is that a wise idea? From the looks of things, that's just what Aizen wants.''

''Doesn't look like we have much choice...'' Chad murmured, drawing all eyes to him. He pointed behind them and their eyes widened upon seeing the hallway they just walked down was gone, replaced by a perfectly in-tact wall.

Ruby smiled confidently. ''Then we'll just have to kick ass on the way to Inoue then. We can probably break through these walls if we need to, so we can regroup if necessary.''

Ishida sighed but didn't dispute the point. Even he could break through them with enough powerful arrows, and due to the abundance of Reishi in the air he could restore his strength quite easily. All he had to be mindful of was his stamina.

''Then it's settled.'' Ruby stated with certainty, holding her hand out, palm-down.

The others looked at her, confused.

''What? It's a good-luck-team-hand-stack.'' She pouted. Her three companions were amused by the childish gesture but complied, stacking their hands atop one another's, silently promising to survive the day and make it home alive.

They wouldn't accept anything less.

A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter, but now we're getting into the thick of it, although it'll definitely go down differently than in canon.

Shiro-chan is gone for the time being, but she went happily at least, and Ruby's back in the game. Nel made an appearance, but she won't show up until later. The Menos Forest was skipped for two reasons; one, I felt like it would unnecessarily drag things out more than needed, and two; that it would be pretty boring to read, let alone for me to write. When you know something you're writing is boring, and it's not essential to the plot, then it's probably not a good idea to write it in the first place. Or something like that.

That aside, the Espada will be revealed in full in the coming chapters, and the Shinigami will get to show off their Shikai/Bankai.

A little tension between Urahara and Summer too. Hope it gives more insight into her motives and personality.

Till next time~!