Author's note: This chapter will deal with more specific things that weren't explained properly in the previous chapter. I will try to convince you that Zangetsu is still Ichigo's Zanpakutou spirit. Other than that, I have actually planned on writing about on howUryu, Toshiro and Aizen are doing. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.

Chapter 53: I Wander Alone

Somewhere in the Diyu Empire, Hell

During an unexpected confrontation against a trio of Togabitos, Ichigo's Inner Hollow had surprisingly taken hold of him and attacked them. But luckily, Ichigo was able to fight back his Inner Hollow before he could do anymore damage to the bamboo forest, let alone exterminate those Togabitos. However, this was perhaps not the most shocking Ichigo would know. He was unaware of what his Inner Hollow truly was.

Since exiting the bamboo forest and resting against what appeared to be a pillar. But he was now being confronted by his Inner Hollow, who revealed himself to be an Arracnar from the past calling himself Igoochi Koregaonkar. While his voice was different, this individual bore facial resemblances to Ichigo. He didn't know what to make of this.

"I don't understand any of this….." Ichigo spoke up while facing the long-haired man before him. "If you're what you claim to be…...then what are you…my Hollow-powers or my Shinigami-powers?" he asked, still feeling confused, yet terrified by this revelation.

Igoochi simply smirked at him in return. "It doesn't matter who I am now. I still am your Zanpakutou spirit, as I've been that since when you were born. But before I was reduced to such existence, I was one of Hueco Mundo's greatest champions, a cornerstone in the foundation of El Dorado, as well as one of its defenders called the Vigilantes. For ages, I watched as Hueco Mundo became a paradise for those poor and lost souls. Being turned into a Hollow, did not mean you were condemned to die" he told him smugly, yet still felt the need to tell him more about himself. "But after the War of the Three Souls, when the Vida was defiled by that bastard Yhwach, I gradually started to lose my intelligence and sanity. In time, my form was deformed and I became a creature resembling a beast than a humanoid. You know that creature from your father's story as White" Igoochi explained to him.

Ichigo had been told about the Hollow he supposedly got his power from, but he first assumed that it had been an ordinary one who simply lived off my devouring Humans. But now, he knew the true identity of the Hollow inside of him. Still, much didn't make sense for Ichigo, as he was having a hard time believing in him.

"Because of my deformation, I wandered the wastes of Hueco Mundo for almost an eternity. I was almost on the verge of dying, until one day, I was found by Sosuke Aizen. It was when he had begun studying Hollows and their different shapes. He took me to his machinations in the Soul Society and began experimenting on my frail body, forcing me to prey upon weak Shinigamis and Souls. Yet despite doing those things, Aizen still told his allies that I was nothing more than his creation. But like I said earlier, he was wrong. I was still myself, although in a different state of mind. And I desperately needed a host to dwell inside. If not, then I would die. Aizen was seemingly to powerful for me to handle given how weak I was, so I had to find another easier prey. But on the other hand, all those Shinigamis I had slaughtered during my time with Aizen were too weak for my own power. As such, they were not worthy of being infested upon" the creature explained what he had done in order to survive.

Ichigo himself slowly started to see the picture, and he even recalled the story his father had told him about his fight with the Hollow called White. But all this about War of the Three Souls and the Vida were unfamiliar to him. "I see. So that's why you came after my father. You wanted to infest his body, given that he was weak enough for you to infest on!" the orange-haired man said with gritted teeth. "And you would've succeeded…...if it hadn't been for my…..." Ichigo was getting slightly more personal when recalling this story.

"That's right, Ichigo. Before I could devour Isshin Shiba, your mother, Masaki Kurosaki, intervened. I was intrigued, given that it had been ages since I last saw a Quincy. At first, I thought she was nothing but a powerless kitten who could be killed easily. But she proved me otherwise when she fired a Reishi Arrow through my head. That alone only demonstrated what a unique woman she really was" Igoochi spoke of Masaki Kurosaki, Ichigo's deceased mother, surprisingly in a fond manner. Ichigo wondered why he did that. "With that being said, it only convinced me to ditch that weak father of yours and feast upon Masaki instead. Yes, despite her naivety and dimwittedness, I knew she was stronger than Isshin. And not only that, I had never in my life devoured a Quincy before. That's why I had to be in her. Her essence would guarantee my continued survival." the Zankaputou spirit then revealed to Ichigo.

The young man became enraged to hear Igoochi say such things about his deceased mother. "But why the hell did you do that!? Why did you infest her!?" Ichigo demanded an answer. Hearing this made the creature before him chuckle, making Ichigo stand up and grab Igoochi by his throat. Now, he was pissed. "Quit fucking with me, you son of a bitch! I wanna know why you did this to my mother!" his anger was getting the best of him.

In response to this, Igoochi simply poked Ichigo on his chest, surprisingly pushing him against the pillar. The orange-haired man was distraught by this. The Zanpakutou spirit on the other hand, was taking pleasure in what he was seeing.

"You should know better than to put your hands on me, Ichigo. After all, I am you. And you are me. Isn't that something you said yourself?" he reminded Ichigo.

Ichigo scowled with what he was hearing coming out of this man's mouth. But he had to admit that he had said those words before. There was some consistency to what Igoochi was claiming. Ichigo hung his head in defeat.

"I did say those words…but it was different before. I thought you were nothing more than a primitive Hollow and…" Ichigo was interrupted by the voice of his Zanpakutou spirit.

"I was once. But these days, I am your Zanpakutou spirit. Whether you wanna call me Zangetsu or not is up to you. I accept whatever name you have for me. And I will be honest with you here and now, Ichigo. Hadn't it been for your father's actions, I may have never continued to exist. Because when you were born, my influence was passed on to you, all thanks to Isshin's Shinigami-powers you have inherited" Igoochi then told him.

When Ichigo was told this, he knew exactly what Igoochi was talking about. His father had after all prevented Masaki from being Hollowfied thanks to a specialized Gigai that managed to link his soul with both Masaki's and Igoochi's. And of course, Isshin had prevented Masaki from being Hollowfied, if she had indeed been, she would have died, as everything that came from Hollows was nothing but poison for Quincies. If a Quincy was to Hollowfy himself, it would only end up in disaster.

"Very well…..then I'll still call you Zangetsu. That original name of yours is simply too lame" Ichigo spoke up, this time having grown used to this new side of his Zanpakutou spirit. "But what will you do now? Now that my manifested Quincy-powers are gone, what will you do with me!? If you wanna take over my body, then now's your chance!" the young man wanted to know the reason why his Zanpakutou spirit had not done that yet.

Igoochi formed a frown with what he was hearing. "Have you not learned anything, Ichigo? I am you, and you are me. We are both connected to one another" he revealed. "If you were to get rid of me, you would have died. And if I did the same thing, I would have died. And besides, as of now, you are not in the right state of mind" the Zanpakutou spirit informed him.

Ichigo scowled with what he heard. "And why's that!?" he rudely asked him.

"I swear, you're such a hopeless fuck, sometimes. Your real body still exists in the real world, except for the fact that it's lifeless. When Yhwach made this deal with Wang Yanluo, he made sure that your Quincy-powers were taken away. While you mad managed to place both me and the old man in balance, he and the manifested Quincy-powers was what dominated your Spiritual Pressure the most. That alone enabled Yanluo to drag our spirits to Hell itself, even though you had never committed a sin before. Then again, Hell has changed since Yanluo came to power" Igoochi informed him, explaining to his host carefully in details.

"But if my body still exists, then how do I get back? Can't I just get out of Hell and go to wherever my body is?" Ichigo asked his Zanpakutou spirit.

Igoochi responded by shaking his head as a no. "I'm afraid not. As long as you have these chains wrapped around you, there's no way you will get away from Hell that easy. But I take it there must indeed be a way to achieve freedom" he said, even starting to sound smug as he usually was. It was obvious that he was more than willing to help his "host" for a particular reason. "But sadly, I cannot call forth your Zanpakutou for now, Ichigo. You require the other half of your powers which is stored in your lifeless body. Until then, you may have to be more creative with surviving in Hell" he then told Ichigo, who was listening carefully.

But Ichigo felt the need to ask him about something. "But why do you want to help me all of a sudden? Wouldn't you prefer to take complete control of me instead? I still can't trust you fully, Zangetsu!" the orange-haired man wanted his Zanpakutou spirit to be honest.

"Isn't that obvious? Your merging of my power and the old man's have resulted in my sanity, memories and intelligence slightly starting to return. While I still have no qualms in taking jabs at you, I realize that your survival is also my survival. Therefore, it is in my best interest to see you return to normal" Igoochi told him, even trying to be humorous.

"Tch, showoff" Ichigo muttered and began facing the ground. Right now, he was beginning to miss his family and friends. "I really wanna get out of this place…...but I need to….." he was interrupted when Igoochi grabbed his left shoulder and leaned over to whisper in his right ear. This made him surprised, given that he had never experienced something like this.

"Oh, don't you worry, Ichigo. You will be alright. That I can promise you. Now then, stand strong and continue with what you are doing. I'll be watching you from now on" those were the last words that came out of him.

The minute he said that, a bright light began shining upon Ichigo, thus making him wonder if this was nothing but a vision. It turned out to be the case, as the young man could feel himself lying against the pillar, as if he was sleeping. Opening his eyes, Ichigo realized that it had indeed been a vision and that he had been sleeping, yet the environment around him was still the same. He looked at his hands.

"Was all this real? Were you really wanting to help me…...Zangetsu?" he thought while thinking about his Zanpakutou spirit's words. "I may not fully understand where you really came from, but I now know that the Hollow that almost devoured mom was not some wild animal. He was something much else" he added to his thoughts.

Standing up on his feet, Ichigo continued on the road to the town of Huangsheng. While the young Human knew that it would take some time before he got to know his Zanpakutou spirit for certain, Ichigo would wait and rather concentrate on figuring out a way to survive.

"When I trained in the Royal Realm, I never got the chance to get better acquainted with Zangetsu. I was so focused on unifying my powers into a singular entity that I failed to understand what was more important. But that was because of my desire to become stronger" Ichigo then noted, thinking about the journey he had traveled in order to defeat Yhwach. The very thought of that man quickly enraged Ichigo. "Yhwach! You'll pay for what you've done to me! Mark my words! Nothing will stand between you and me when I'm out of this place!" he thought of the Quincy Emperor.

Yes. Ichigo may have been sent to Hell as a result of Yhwach's actions, but he would still not give up his vow to avenge Masaki. That man needed to die, regardless of who he truly was.

Somewhere in the darkest depths of Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society

Deep down in what appeared to be a lightless system of caverns, someone was slowly starting to recuperate from his wounds. It was a sleeping Uryu Ishida, once the former Crown Prince of the Wandenreich. Having gone to such lengths in order to get revenge at Yhwach for the death of his mother, Kanae Katagiri, Uryu had almost died at the hands of the Quincy Emperor and his newfound Shinigami allies: the Sonneritters. But who in the right mind was taking him to such a lifeless place?

Slowly moving his eyes, Uryu opened them and realized he was lying on a specialized bed in a dark place. "Where am I? What is this place? Did I die? Is this the eternal darkness that awaits me?" Uryu had so many questions in his head at the moment.

But all of a sudden, a bright light of Reishi shined in the cave he was sleeping in. Looking to his left, Uryu was stunned to see none other than his own father Ryuken Ishida standing by his bed while holding a Laterne, a lantern that beamed with Reishi-like light. The four-eyed Quincy was filled with disbelief with seeing him there.

"Ryuken…" Uryu uttered out, still refusing to address the man as his father.

Despite seeing his son awake, Ryuken didn't smile nor express relief. His face was as stern as he always had. "It took you long enough for you to recover from your wounds. I was thinking of using a different method in awakening you However, it appears that it's no longer necessary" Ryuken spoke up, his voice hinting to dispassion for his son.

Uryu slowly tried to get up, yet he winced in pain when he could feel it on his hips and arms. "What are you…AAAAAAARGHHHHH DAMN IT!" the pain was simply too much for the young man to bear. The four-eyed man eventually took notice of the places on his body where he had been bandaged. "No…..I can't be stuck with this! I have to….." Uryu was interrupted by the voice of his father.

"Don't even bother. Your injuries may have healed, but it will take some time before you're able to walk and move as you please. At this rate, staying on the bed is the best solution" Ryuken informed his son.

Uryu took his time to rest, yet he panted deeply in hopes of easing the pain inside of him. Still, he had so many questions, especially to why his father had begun showing up and what place he had been taken to. But right now, Uryu was thinking back to the episode in Silbern. He still remembered seeing his father coming arriving in the end.

"Why did you come to the Royal Realm?" Uryu broke the silence when he asked that to Ryuken. "I thought I made it clear that I would do this on my own" the young man added to his stubbornness.

Ryuken remained unfazed. "I would have minded my own business if it weren't for you taking the Vergeltung with you" he bluntly told his son, his eyes never leaving sight of him. "Do you have any idea what you have done now, Uryu?" he then asked him.

Uryu didn't seem to get what he was saying. "What do you mean by…..." Uryu was interrupted when he was grabbed on the collar of his white jacket by Ryuken.

"It means you have enabled Yhwach to master his only weakness: still silver! Why did you have to take that arrow I strived so much to build!? At this rate, even if I was to make more of such arrows, they would have no effect upon him!" Ryuken angrily scolded Uryu.

This was very surprising for Uryu, given that his father had never done something like this before. Regardless, the four-eyed man held onto the firm grip of Ryuken, in hopes of removing it.

"I did that because of what happened with mother and grandfather! And not just that! I also did that because of the Quincy race! I had to take that chance to slay Yhwach! You know how that man is a threat to us all! To the entire world!" Uryu hit back.

"But your suicide mission resulted in him achieving his goal instead of the opposite! Why didn't you stop him before he could absorb the Soul King!?" Ryuken barked at this son.

Uryu remained firm in face of getting berated. "Because I wanted to honor the work grandfather had done! I wanted to break the curse of the Quincies!" he retorted, his eyes starting to get filled with tears. It was not surprising, considering how the young man was thinking about his late grandfather: Souken Ishida. "And who the hell are you to judge me!? You think yourself any better!? You let Yhwach do was he pleased! You never once lifted a finger against him! You couldn't save Masaki, mother or anyone! Who do you think is the most pathetic between us now!?" he then yelled at Ryuken.

When Ryuken heard those two being brought up before him, he used his other hand to angrily grab Uryu by his throat. Apparently, those words had really set him off. "Hold your tongue, boy! You should know your place among your forefathers. And do not even dare saying that I let your mother and Masaki die. For years, I have strived to honor their memories and plan their vengeance with enough patience! But you…you foolishly allowed yourself to be poisoned by the drive for revenge! And because of that, all that I have worked for…has amounted to nothing!" he coldly and ruthlessly told his son, never once looking away from him.

Uryu's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't breathe because of his father's firm grip, and he felt like being chocked. But Ryuken wasn't doing that. No way he would, given the fact that he was a doctor. And doctors never killed their patients. Well, at least the good ones.

"Lord Ryuken…..are you there?" a voice could be heard from behind and it forced Ryuken to let go of his son. He turned around to see several Quincies that Uryu also seemed to recognize. "Oh, so Prince Uryu has finally awakened!? What a relief!" the word came from the female blonde-haired Quincy named Kana Kido.

Ryuken surprisingly smiled with what he was seeing. "Ah, good to see you again, Kana Kido" he told him before facing the other Quincies. "And you as well, Hugo Alvarz, Reinhardt Hasselkampf, Leopold Van Strache and Arthur McQueen" he then added while addressing the other scientists, this time by their full names.

They all bowed their heads at him in a formal manner, almost as if Ryuken was their emperor or something. Uryu was stunned to see them doing that, and he was more than willing to ask those Quincies why they were following his father.

"What is the meaning of this? Why are you serving under him?" Uryu asked them, his angry eyes specifically facing Arthur. "And if I recall correctly, didn't you betray me by selling me out to Haschwalth and his lapdogs, Arthur!?" he then demanded some answers out of him.

So far, Arthur had not looked at Uryu in his eyes. A part of him seemed to be somewhat shamed of standing before the former crown prince. The baldheaded man had in fact been the one to rat out Uryu and his loyalists, as well as tell Haschwalth everything about his plans.

"Look…all that I can say is that I'm sorry. Sadly, I lacked your determination and will to defy His Majesty. I only wish I wasn't that much of a coward" Arthur tried to apologize.

Hugo only scoffed in hearing that. "And you say that now? Tch, it's already too late for that, ya big numbskull!" he rebuked him, yet Arthur was not backing down from this.

"You shut up! I've got plenty of reasons for doing this! And I'm not gonna let some cocky bastard like you judge me, Hugo!" Arthur hit back, yet Hugo was not impressed.

"Yeah right! You're the one who screwed us over, yet here you are trying to deflect blame as usual!" Hugo hit back, not hiding his distaste for Arthur.

"Enough fooling around!" Uryu interrupted their kafuffle, thus catching their attention. "You have many things to answer, but I only ask you this? Why are you still following me despite what has happened?" he wanted an honest answer to their support of him.

Reinhardt stepped forward, the Quincy with the black moustache bowing his head. "Even though your plans were discovered by His Majesty, we still feel that you are a more just and honorable leader than him. Few of us have known a leader to be as compassionate as you or your father" he admitted to Uryu. "Therefore, you are still my Crown Prince" he added, proceeding to bow to Uryu. The other Quincies did the same thing.

As stunned as he was in seeing this, Uryu had to admit he was impressed with how steadfastly loyal they remained to him. "Very well. I see" he spoke, yet felt the need to know more about the situation in the Soul Society as a whole. "What's the current situation? I mean, what is Yhwach doing?" he then asked the scientists.

"For the past days, Yhwach has been focused on his newfound acquisition: the Sonneritters. Along with the Sternritters, they have now been tasked of purging any signs of resistance towards Yhwach's rule throughout the Soul Society" Leopold spoke up, the red-haired man adjusting his glasses. "From what our sources indicate, those who rebel against the Wandenreich's rule are Souls and Shinigamis who refuse to acknowledge him as their Soul King. And of course, they are many. But resistance towards Yhwach has been futile, especially since the downfall of the 13 Court Guard Squads. You see, not long after he defeated Ichigo Kurosaki, Yhwach obliterated the Sereitei using the Wandenreich's secret weapon: the Vernichtung. There were few survivors of that attack" Leopold continued explaining what had happened.

Uryu's eyes widened. He immediately started recalling what he had experienced. Yes, the Sonneritters were people who were actually powerful Shinigamis. But he was even more horrified of the fact that the Sereitei had been destroyed.

"The Sereitei has been destroyed!? He really is one coldhearted bastard! He probably did that to show every denizen of the Soul Society who their new ruler was" Uryu said what he thought of hearing the news about the Sereitei's destruction. "And as for those Sonneritters…..if it hadn't been for them…..I could've ended Yhwach" Uryu then spoke up.

Ryuken remained unfazed. "I sincerely doubt that, Uryu. There is no evidence that one Vergeltung was enough to put an end to Yhwach. Truth be told, I had not yet finished my research on it" the white-haired man told his son, who was feeling annoyed with hearing Ryuken's judgmental words. "Anyway, like the Sternritters, the Sonneritters have emerged as Yhwach's most devoted followers. They reject the philosophy encouraged by the 13 Court Guard Squads and the Royal Guard and have begun accepting Yhwach was their new Soul King. While I don't know their specific reasons for defecting, I can only assume that these Shinigamis know the truth about the late Shigekuni Yamamoto and his wrongdoings of the past" the Quincy then explained who this order was.

Hugo seemed to have more insight to share. "We don't know who is the Sonneritter Grandmaster. But our sources from Silbern tell us that there are actually FIVE of them. The reason for that is because Yhwach considers them to be his favorites" the blonde-hared man informed Uryu.

"But what about the Sternritters, including those of my Schutzstaffel? Are they still in service of Yhwach?" Uryu asked.

"Correct. After our battle against Yhwach, the rebelling Sternritters were offered amnesty for their brief insubordination. And not only that, a secret branch was created by his orders" Ryuken answered before turning around and motioning his head at Kana. "Would you please be so kind and tell him what it is? You are, after all, one of its members" he then requested.

Bowing her head in a formal manner, Kana agreed. "As you wish, my lord" she replied before facing Uryu with a slight smile. "This secret branch of the Sternritters is called the Sturmabteilung. Its members respond to Haschwalth and Yhwach only. And as Lord Ryuken just said, I am one of its members. Kana Kido, Sternritter designated with the letter "Λ" – Lambda" she introduced herself gently.

Uryu was intrigued with what he was hearing. "A Greek letter, just like the one Shaz Domino has" he remarked.

Kana smiled in return. "Indeed. He is also one of its members. As a matter of fact, he is on our side, with the exception being that he is in Silbern 24/7" the blondie responded.

"Wait a second! How do we know that he and you will not rat us out!?" Arthur wanted some answers, yet he was nudged by Leopold and Reinhardt. "Ouch! What gives!?" he wanted to know why they did that.

"You're so hypocritical! Accusing Kana of snitching on us when you did the exact same thing? Grow up, Arthur!" Leopold scolded him.

In response, Arthur got himself on the defensive once again. "I keep telling you, it was a personal matter! I saw no other option!" the baldheaded man tried defending himself.

Reinhardt shook his head at him in return. "I remember the events differently" he told Arthur, yet he simply ignored his words.

"Enough of your foolishness" the voice of Ryuken forced the scientists to shut their mouths.

Uryu, who knew he was still in Wahrwelt, wanted to know where specifically he was. "Okay. Where am I, really? I can tell that this is Wahrwelt and that it's still in the Soul Society" the four-eyed man asked, noticing how Ryuken and the other Quincies had made an encampment in these dark depths.

"As you assumed correctly, we are still in Wahrwelt. These are the deepest catacombs that exists here. At this rate, we are quite deep underneath Silbern. These lightless dungeons act like a maze. In fact, the catacombs are so deep that they can hide Spiritual Energy, similar to the secret chamber I made underneath Karakura Hospital" Ryuken answered his son.

Uryu realized what his father was telling him about. He remembered fighting his father in the secret chamber underneath the hospital in Karakura Town. It was during his attempt to regain his Quincy-powers. But he never knew places like these catacombs had similar functions.

"So does that mean no one will find us here?" Uryu asked his father.

"There is no guarantee for that, boy. But luckily, we still have friends in the Sternritters as well" Ryuken revealed, much to the shock of Uryu. The white-haired man simply smiled smugly. "That's right. Sternritter M – The Miracle: Gerard Valkyrie. He developed quite a respect for you when you were Crown Prince. As a matter of fact, it was he who brought you to me for safety" he told him.

Uryu recalled Gerard, the Sternritter who was a member of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel, yet was known for his compassionate attitude towards fellow Quincies, albeit not towards those he disliked. But why would someone like him go to such lengths in defying Yhwach? The young man couldn't find an answer to that. Soon, he felt the need to know more about things that had transpired while he was dealing with unconsciousness.

"So, we still have friends among the Quincies? But what about other denizens of the Soul Society?" Uryu asked his father and the Quincies behind him.

Reinhardt seemed to have an answer for it. "Absolutely. This hole we are staying in is almost like a laboratory, thus having computers so that we can communicate with some of our newfound friends. As you were told, there remain warbands who oppose the Wandenreich's rule in the Soul Society. They have been driven out to the wilds. We are already in contact with two leaders of these warbands. The first one is Kukaku Shiba and the second one is Genji Isawa. They have managed to avoid getting caught or killed by Yhwach's army But there are also many leaders who will be more than happy to help us" the man with the black moustache answered Uryu, naming two people they had been able to make friends with.

"Kukaku Shiba….." Uryu spoke up, recalling the first time he had visited the Soul Society. Even though it was a long time ago, he could still remember the Shiba cannon as well as how tough and outspoken that lady was. "I see. So, she is now one of the rebels who remain free. Amazing" he admitted, surprised that someone like her was had enough guts to be leading a warband against the Wandenreich.

"I take it you are wondering about your friends, Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado, as well as Kisuke Urahara and other friends from the Soul Society" Ryuken spoke up, thus surprising his son. For some reason, Ryuken was speaking in a much softer voice than usual. "Don't worry. They are all safe. But they have fled the Soul Society" he revealed to Uryu.

The eyes behind Uryu's glasses widened. "Fled to where? To the Human World?" he asked him, to which Ryuken shook his head as a no.

"Unfortunately, not. They have fled to Hueco Mundo, carrying along Ichigo's body with them" Ryuken told his son, who had a hard time coming to terms with the truth. He still remembered what Yhwach had done to Ichigo. "It is apparent they will seek refuge in El Dorado, the true home of the Arrancars. But they will have a hard time finding that place" he then remarked, smiling cunningly in the process.

Unsurprisingly, Uryu seemed to know what his father was talking about. He remembered Yhwach telling him, about how he had almost succeeded in exterminating civilization in Hueco Mundo by defiling its most important life-source: the Vida. And not only that, Uryu was also told of a powerful entity that lied somewhere in the most desolate and forgotten places of Hueco Mundo.

"El Dorado…..the City of Gold….and the place where Augustus Zod Allowin dwells" Uryu spoke up, knowing who that man was.

"Correct. And he is someone who will not show kindness to anyone, whether they are a Shinigami or a Quincy. Even so, he was been with his people while all these events transpired" Ryuken spoke up, adjusting his glasses in the process. "But I'm afraid that sooner or later, he will come out and enter the Soul Society to not fight Yhwach, but to take the man he felt has betrayed him: Sosuke Aizen" he then remarked.

"Aizen? Is he also still alive!?" Uryu was in disbelief, yet a part of him soon realized how foolish it was to assume that he had died. "Of course, what am I saying. That man has completely twisted himself by become one with the Hogyoku" he noted, still recalling the man who had almost succeeded in destroying the Sereitei before Yhwach had.

"It may be too early to consider him as a threat now. But there is no question that Aizen can potentially become a headache to our allies in the Soul Society. We just have to wait and see how that unfolds" Ryuken told his son, who seemed surprisingly more than willing to heed his advice. "For now, rest easy and let your wounds heal fully. I will let you know when you are prepared to walk on your own. But until then, you are not to strain your body. Is that clear?" he added, making sure that Uryu heeded his order.

Uryu laid his head on the pillow, slowly drifting back into sleep. Although he couldn't tell whether it was day or not, the four-eyed man felt tired and the need to sleep. And so, he did. But while sleeping, Uryu couldn't help but to think about his friends, including Ichigo. A part of him felt saddened by the fact he couldn't stop Ichigo's quest for vengeance. But at the same time, Uryu had managed to deceive his friends. Would they ever forgive him? He was completely unsure.

In what was once Junrinan in the 1st District of Western Rukon, Soul Society

Ever since the Wandenreich had assumed control of the Soul Society, the many communities and settlements in the Soul Society had changed as a result of Yhwach's policies. Gradually the many districts in the Rukon District had been transformed into icy buildings, similar to the ones found in Wahrwelt. Most denizens were forced to accept these changes and they were living in them alongside Quincies from now on. Then again, the majority had already begun accepting Yhwach's rule as the new Soul King and they worshipped him as such.

The place called Junrinan had been renamed as Holzkamm by the Wandenreich and both Souls and Quincies lived together. The district was now being patrolled by someone wearing a white-hooded cape while riding a white horse. Underneath his cape, he wore a white double-breasted trench coat with black lapels that was fastened by four buttons on either side and which had a badge with a six-pointed cross on its left breast. He had a black belt with a large buckle around his waist, slightly baggy white pants, and white boots with furry black liners. Judging by the Zanpaktou, he was a Shinigami, as well as a member of the newly-created Sonneritters. Under Yhwach's command, the Sonneritters had been tasked to patrol the remade districts in order to make sure that people were obeying the new Soul King. Accompying the Sonneritter were several soldiers, also known as the Soldats.

The company passed by denizens of the district, who were all surprised to see a Sonneritter ride. Even so, none of them dared to speak out against him. Doing so would only result in their deaths. Therefore, they all bowed formally to him as he rode by them.

But suddenly, the rider stopped, given that it was standing by a house that had not undergone the changes as the others around it. It had retained its old Japanese architecture. But for what reason? The Sonneritter got off his horse, focusing his attention on the house before him. Obviously, he was planning on entering it.

He looked at his subordinates. "Stay here for a while. I have something I wish to do inside that building in peace. Do not disturb me. Are we clear?" he told them in a very familiar voice.

In response, the Soldats saluted before him. "YESSIR!" they responded, demonstrating their loyalty to him.

And so, the Sonneritter entered the home, although he did that at a slow pace. This was after all a place that was very dear to him. He entered the rooms, slowly trying to recall the good times he had experienced in the past. In each hall, the Sonneritter took his time to reflect on the past before moving to the door that would take him to the home's backyard. Standing on the porch, the Sonneritter could gaze into the forest, as it was not that far from his standpoint. But he got off the porch and moved towards what appeared to be a grave. Apparently, someone was buried in the backyard. He approached the nearby tree and stood before the grave where the name of that person was written as Tokiko Hitsugaya.

"It's been a while now, hasn't it, Granny?" the Sonneritter removed his white hood, thus revealing himself to be none other than Toshiro Hitsugaya, former Captain of Squad 10 in the Court Guard. But like many others, he had been convinced by Yhwach that Yamamoto was nothing but a fool and a liar. Therefore, he would now serve the one, true Soul King. "I'll admit that I have been a neglecting you for a while. But now, I have decided to stay with you for a while" the white-haired man said, speaking to the grave of his deceased grandmother.

Toshiro's grandmother had died sometime after Aizen had been defeated. As such, her death had heavily affected the young Shinigami. But he had managed to move on, as there were far greater concerns he would have to deal with. But this was probably his first visit in a long time.

"While I know that you will disagree with me on the choices I have made recently, I assure you, this is the right path" Toshiro told the grave, smiling slightly as he faced it. "You supported me fully when I expressed my desire to become a Shinigami. But at that time, I was a little ignorant to know what a Shinigami was, as well as what the 13 Court Guard Squads stood for. But after months of being confused and feeling despaired, I finally found the truth" he spoke up.

The winds blew on the tree standing above the grave. As a result, green leaves started to slowly fall down. In fact, Toushiro managed to catch one and looked at it for a brief moment. The Sonneritter was in deep thought.

"I am more than just a Shinigami. I am the embodiment of a heavenly guardian that is reincarnated every few centuries. As such, I was the close to the Gods themselves. Yamamoto never saw me for who I was, but I honestly could care less about him. That old fool led us all to believe we battled evil. But instead, we let it continue to thrive, all thanks to that ridiculous philosophy of his" Toshiro expressed his open distaste of the man he had once served under. It was shocking, considering how Toshiro had taken his role as a captain seriously. But there was something else that had caused him to resent the Court Guard. As such, Toshiro began clenching the leaf in his right hand. "Evil must be perished. The one, true Soul King will see to that happen. No longer will be abide by worthless nobles and an incompetent Royal Guard. Lord Yhwach will change the world, reduce it so that nobody will have to live in fear of being weak. And I am not weak! I am powerful! I am an angel! I am a Sonneritter!" the young Shinigami continued, almost sounding like a Sternritter at this point.

When he opened his right hand, the leaf had frozen and Toshiro dropped it on the ground. Still, he continued his conversation with the grave of his late grandmother, even though she was not there. But in a sense, Toshiro was speaking to her spirit, wherever that was.

"So I want to make things clearer for you, Granny. I will never forget the words of wisdom you gave me. For that, I am eternally grateful. With it, I shall use your words to help create a Soul Society that is stronger than that of the past. That is what my destiny is. As such, those who dare defile it shall be cut down by my blade. Hollows, Arrancars, Togabitos, or even traitorous leeches like Sosuke Aizen, they shall all burn in the light of the sun!" the young man told his grandmother, as he drew out Hyorinmaru. He was now making a vow to his grandmother, hoping she would hear him. "And as for Momo…..no, despite her continued defiance, I will not kill her. That I promise you, Granny. Yes, Momo will see the truth, as I have. And once I've done that, I will bring her back here to visit you. Surely you will look forward to that" he added, thinking about his childhood friend.

Although she had fled with the other Shinigamis who had refused to accept Yhwach as their Soul King and messiah, Toshiro was still willing to forgive her. That is what he felt was his duty now, to convince Momo that becoming a Sonneritter was now the rightful path she had to take. Toshiro drew back his blade and bowed his head to his grandmother's grave once last time.

"I must be going now, Granny. It was nice to stand here and speak with you. I promise that I will try visiting you more often than before. Until we meet again, may the Soul King guide you to your next life" Toshiro said before turning around to leave the backyard.

He didn't have to walk through the home, as he simply went around it in order to get back to his Soldats. The Soldats saluted before Toshiro as he mounted his horse, preparing to continued with his duties.

"Let us resume the patrol" Toshiro commanded his subordinates.

"YESSIR!" the Soldats replied and they all followed the Sonneritter like any loyal troops would.

Somewhere near the ruins of the Sereitei, Soul Society

The big crater laying directly underneath Wahrwelt had been where the Sereitei once stood. But because of Yhwach's recent actions, all that remained of it was nothing but ruins and ashes. But the crater was not the only thing to glimpse at in this location. For in the nearby forest of the crater, someone was seen sitting on a specialized chair patiently.

The man who was sitting with bindings was none other than former Shinigami captain: Sosuke Aizen. Since the destruction of the Sereitei, he had sat on this specialized chair while being bound to it. But he still had the ability to see and speak. Even so, Aizen was all alone, which suited him just fine. His only visible eye was closed, yet they opened as soon as a noise could be heard. It was a dark portal, but not in the form of a Giganta, of course. A smirk crept on Aizen's lips.

"Aw, I was wondering when you would show up" Aizen spoke up as he could see Yhwach exiting the portal, the Quincy Emperor approaching the fallen Shinigami tied to his chair. He was now having his oval eyes that was similar to the one of the Soul King's. The portal behind Yhwach disappeared, indicating that he had arrived at the right place.

"Well, you are a sight for sore eyes. I never would have imagined that we would cross paths again here in the Soul Society, Sosuke Aizen" Yhwach spoke up, his eyes gazing upon the man sitting on the chair.

So far, Aizen remained unfazed with what he was seeing. "Don't tell me you are surprised. You came here knowing that I specifically was in this location. I see no reason to hide that fact from me" he told the Quincy, yet he still felt he will to speak more. "No matter. I would like to welcome you….to MY Soul Society" he then said.

When Yhwach heard those words, he quickly started to become amused by Aizen. "Your Soul Society?" he asked before letting out a deep chuckle, finding that statement to be ridiculous. "Such delusion. What exactly do you define as your Soul Society? As far as I know, the Sereitei has been reduced to nothing but ruins. What exactly do you rule over?" he questioned the Shinigami before unleashing his Spiritual Pressure. It was quite powerful and it caused the ground to shake slightly.

But not only that, the specialized chair Aizen was sitting on, was destroyed as a result of Yhwach's show of power. Sosuke Aizen was now free! He had the power that were destructive, if not equal to that of the Quincy Emperor. Even so, Yhwach remained far from intimidated watching as the Shinigami got up from the wreckage, although he still wore the bindings around him.

"This is peculiar. I was certain that not long ago, you were in the Royal Realm locked in a fierce combat. From what I gather, Ichigo Kurosaki gave you far more trouble than what you bargained for" Aizen spoke up, as a means of taunting Yhwach.

Still, Yhwach was not impressed. "Do not project your own anxieties into me. You were the one that was defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki" he said, only to grin smugly when he said those words. "And if I recall correctly, wasn't he actually your guinea pig for growth? How embarrassing" the Quincy Emperor revealed, trying to get under Aizen's king.

The only eye on Aizen narrowed as a result. It was time for him to make the move. "Be it as it may be, you have my eternal gratitude for ridding me of that infernal chair. And thanks to that…" Aizen said, unleashing his own powerful Spiritual Pressure. It resulted in winds being created in the area they were standing in. "I now have the means to stop you, Yhwach" the brown-haired man declared, sending shockwaves throughout the area.

Yhwach stood there unfazed, his oval eyes completely fixated upon the fallen Shinigami. "You challenge me? For the sake of the Soul Society? I do not think that would be in your best interests, given that you are now despised by everyone here" he remarked as he watched Aizen confronting him.

"This has nothing to do with interests. My only agenda is to eviscerate any who might try to rule over and control me. And right now, you are a direct threat" Aizen replied suddenly reaching for something underneath his bindings. It was a Zanpakutou, perhaps more specifically Kyoka Suigetsu. "I will not submit to anyone. Especially to you, son of the Soul King" he added to his defiance.

Yhwach had to smile in seeing this. "So you have decided to reject my offer once again? Just as I expected" he spoke up, soon summoning his black Spiritual Pressure to his side once again. "Very well. Then allow me to humble you, Sosuke Aizen" the Quincy informed him before sending the powerful Spiritual Pressure straight towards Aizen.

However, Aizen only stood still, deciding to let his monstrous Spiritual Pressrure defend him from Yhwach. None of Yhwach's attacks reached him, much to Aizen's pleasure.

"Are you seriously underestimating me? Not the smartest choice, Yhwach" Aizen replied before charging towards his opponent, holding onto his Zanpakutou.

But Yhwach quickly reached out for his Reishi Broadsword, standing firm as he and Aizen clashed with their respective weapons. "It appears that I have need to go easy on you, Shinigami. Let us take this fight to a next level! Assuming you have enough guts to do so!" Yhwach dared his opponent.

The clash resulted in a shockwave in the area and it was quite destructive. How would this battle between the two villains end?

To be continued…

Author's note: Well, this was a chapter. I had decided to explain more about Ichigo's Inner Hollow, as well as who he was. Like I said, nothing will change, all that I did was to explain the identity of White, and what he was before. There is nothing confused here. Anyway, more of Ichigo will be explored. We also got to see Uryu, Toshiro and Aizen making their appearances. Bear in mind that more will be explained along the way. Uryu and his father Ryuken will now be working together. As for the scene with Toshiro, I just wanted to show how despite having pledged himself to Yhwach, Toshiro still has some decency left in him. And I really wanted Yhwach and Aizen to have this duel. I may write more on that, but we will also soon know more of how Ichigo's friends are doing.

Vigilantes – Spanish for "Watchers": This was an order that existed in Hueco Mundo a long time before the War of the Three Souls. Apparently, its members were instrumental in the creation of El Dorado.

Sturmabteilung – German for "Storm Detatchment": A new branch has been formed among the Sternritters. According to Kana, its members report only to Haschwalth and Yhwach. None of the other Sternritters are aware of who its members are.

Holzkamm – German for "Wood Crest": This is the new name Junrinan has been given as a result of the changes. The reason is that the district is near the forest, and not to mention that Junrinan means Lush Forest Peace. Anyway, Toshiro Hitsugaya has been placed the one in charge of patrolling this district.

And here are the voice actors of the Quincies we have seen. I should've don that earlier, but now I think this is the perfect time to name them.

Kana Kido – Ali Hillis

Reinhardt Hasselkampf – Sean Schemmel

Hugo Alvarez – Andrew Francis

Leopold Von Strache – Trevor Devall

Arthur McQueen – James Arnold Taylor