Bleach

- Hisagi arrives in the Valley of Screams. There he finds a make-shift Soul King crystal barrier. Hikone meets him and refers to the container as his throne. The two discuss the idea of evil and justice. Hikone says that he only exists for Tokinada. He considers him justice and believes that the Shinigami are enemies, which was a call-back to Haschwalth's words, when he stated that the Shinigami are the enemies of the Soul King. Hikone knocks Hisagi out and may have used Senka on him. He leaves to join Tokinada on the battlefield.

- Hikone has grow exponentially stronger within the last few days. It's kinda like how Ichigo grew. Tokinada introduces Hikone as the Soul King of the next era. Kyoraku calls this the height of disrespect, whereas Tokinada calls it the height of respect to replace the Soul King, given the kind of existence the Soul King is. Harribel is simply disgusted that Tokinada would sacrifice a child to Soul Society.

- Ikomikidomoe has a third release command. "Hatch the deceased". This allows Ikomikidomoe to transform into the form of the soul that was used to create the Zanpakto. According to Harribel, Ikomikidomoe used to be an ancient Hollow who had lived during Barragan's time. It is unknown why it ended up as a Zanpakto or why Oetsu did it in the first place but it wasn't a voluntary thing and the noble families might have been involved. What is also implied is that Ikomikidomoe used to be the original ruler of Hueco Mundo. It seems to hate Barragan, Harribel and Aizen for sitting on his throne. Especially Barragan for turning his kingdom into a wasteland. It is a cylopean beast that somewhat resembles Hooler and is described as a beast that could end the world by simply killing everyone on it and far beyond any Hollow. This all also implies that Barragan may be equally ancient, like a million years old.

- The Espada release but Ikomikidomoe causes an explosion that heavily injures some of the Arrancar though Harribel can migate the damage somewhat with her water shield.

- Hikone can condense a Cero into the form of an arrow and fire it with a Quincy bow. The bow itself is hardened by Blut Vene. Apparently Hikone can do what Ichigo should, if he had bothered to train.

It is unclear why Hikone can wield the Zanpakto in the first place. Since it is a Hollow based Zanpakto, most Shinigami would commit Soul Suicide trying to wield it. Kyoraku wonders if it is because Hikone has parts of the Soul King inside him that he can avoid that. If that is true, that would have interesting implications for Ichigo and Ginjou who also would be able to wield Ikomikidomoe. But whatever it is, makes the three eligible to become the next Soul King.

- Kyoraku uses a new game. Yubikiri Genmen. If you lie to each other, your fingers get paralyzed on the first lie; your whole body feels like it is getting crushed by a fist on the second lie and finally, on the third lie, you feel unimaginable pain as if your viscera were being stabbed from the inside. It was a technique meant to extract information from the kind of opponent who lies during battle, but it worked on people 'other than one's own self'. This game had one single disadvantage. As long as the game is activated, the wielder is not allowed to lie.It's possible that Kyoraku tried to use this game against Starrk because he asked Starrk a few truth/false questions but Katen Kyotsu was not in the mood, so nothing happened.

- Kyoraku tried to make Tokinada lie by asking if he really had no involvment in the execution of Nanao's mother. To both their disappoinment, he really did not. Tokinada then uses the game against Kyoraku and making him admit that he and Nanao are hiding the Ise sword. Tokinada provokes Kyoraku further, wondering if he should make that secret public, which would lead to Shunsui's and Nanao's execution. But then Tokinada just laughs it off. He admits that he always had a suspicion and actually had tried to reveal the secret and execute the two in the past, but Byakuya's grandfather rejected the proposition. This entire scene was one of the few moments where Kyoraku completely lost his composure. Tokinada also revealed that the Tsunayahiro family was very adamant on getting their hands on the Ise sword.

- But Kyoraku gets back at Tokinada by making him reveal that Koten Kyoku is not the name of Tokinada's Zanpakto.Kyoraku figured it out because the kanji of Tokinada's Zanpakto are so similar to his own and Tokinada would be the kind of person to lie about such things. It's a fake release just like Yumichika's and apparently at some point Yumichika seemed to have revealed his secret. Or at least Kyoraku knows.

- The release of the Zanpakto is "Sip from the four seas; the heavenly shores entwine; equally duplicate ten thousands; and sharpe. Enrakyoten (law of the bewitching lucid mirror)." Interestingly, part of the release is to get wounded. The opposite of Isshin. Enrakyoten can manipulate light and heal so far and in its partially released state it can mirror attacks. If the spoilers about being able to copy Zanpakto are true, then Tokinada might just have copied Kinpika and Minazuki.

"It's only been half a day and your reiatsu has risen considerably."

Grimmjow told Hikone as he fought off the Quincies. Hikone answered with a smile,

"Yes! It is all thanks to you! Ikomikidomoe is indebted to you!"

Hikone's personality had not changed but his reiatsu kept rising by several stages. But Grimmjow was not surprised. Even back in the Rukongai, he had almost mistaken Hikone for someone else, because his reiatsu had been very different than when he was in Hueco Mundo. Things could turn unpleasant if he displayed any further evolution. Grimmjow knew another Shinigami who had evolved remarkably within a very short period of time and who continued to grow even during battle.

"...He is like Kurosaki.."

Grimmjow muttered as if in soliloquy.

"That's right! I will become the king, yes!"

Hikone replied brightly.

"Is that so? What a coincidence! I share the same opinion as yours!"

Grimmjow laughed aloud. Hearing Grimmjow's words, Ikomikidomoe, the zanpakuto that had turned into a beast, responded with a cocky laugh.

"Well said, young Arrancar..."

A voice seemed to reverberate from deep within the earth.

"A kid like you ruling over Hueco Mundo! Ha ha ha!"

"Well, what can I say... I don't know why you're a zanpakuto, but you're supposed to be on our side."

"On the same side? The hubris, honestly. Lee la runa. I had to crawl across the desert and travel by bus to reach Baraggan 2 ken* away, and you are 11 ken away."

{t/n: Lee la runa- Spanish for 'read the runes'. You know, as in 'read the signs' spoken in an annoyed tone. It was in Spanish in the text, by the way. This Hollow seems to like foreign and modern words, since he actually uses the word 'bus'; 'Ken'-Japanese unit of measurement of length}

Grimmjow laughed at those unusual words, baring his teeth.

"Apparently, it seems like I was right in coming here."

He moved towards Ikomikidomoe, his reiatsu boiling over. The reason why he decided to chase after Hikone ever since he had left Hueco Mundo was because of certain words; words that Grimmjow could never forget.

"I don't give a damn about what you want. I'll kill anyone who stands in my way and then devour them."

The memories of his past were what drove his base instinct.

-"Let us go together, Grimmjow."

-"You shall become our king."

Every time Grimmjow stepped in closer, his sinews tightened. Yes, it was evident that this Shinigami in front of him was dangerous. Yes, this child's youthful appearance was misleading and the creature's Adjuchas-like look masked by the reiatsu of a very high class Hollow was unnerving indeed. Grimmjow understood all that. This Shinigami named Hikone emitted reiatsu which was very similar to that of Kurosaki Ichigo but no Hollow hole had opened up for the world to see. It was essentially a living thing. If the soul itself is considered to represent the world, then; it was as if the hole gets punctured the more the world became crowded.

Ikomikidomoe, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. It was like the very personification of greed; pounding everything towards its hole. It could be referred to as a monster, the same as Baraggan, the former king of Hueco Mundo.

Sharpening his reiatsu, he walked forward.

-"We have come to the realization that we are not destined to rise above the Adjuchas level."

-"But you are meant for something far greater."

Grimmjow took another step further.

Thoughts of losing faded from his mind. He did understand, however, that this was not an opponent he could easily win against; in fact, if he wasn't careful, he would be the one whose neck would go flying instead.

But Grimmjow would never stop walking.

After all, this was an internal strife among the Shinigami; he would never become their foot soldier. Well, Grimmjow did come here of his own free will. He did not really consider Tokinada's ideas to be ridiculous. He, too, did not mind watching the world break down. He realized that this idea was unusual and that it was unfortunate that Tokinada was the enemy, but he had come all this way from Hueco Mundo because he thought that Tokinada's idea was not too different from his own.

It was because he knew. He knew that a trivial reason was enough for him to turn the world into his enemy, given his way. That was his sole purpose for fighting against Hikone and Ikomikidomoe. To ordinary people, this would sound ludicrous. When he was dominated by the overwhelming personality of Aizen, his desire was still suppressed. But during his battle against Kurosaki Ichigo, the words once spoken by his former comrades were brought to the surface. The very words, if neglected, would lead him to deny his own existence and bloodlust.

-"Devour us, Grimmjow."

The voice of his comrades resounded within his head; his comrades who had called him king and had later given up on their path to evolution. They, who had once become his own flesh and blood, now gave rise to Grimmjow's bestial instincts.

Halibel, the real ruler, who was also aware of Grimmjow's nature, never addressed herself as a ruler precisely because of this. She knew that the moment he called himself that, he would regain his instinct to kill. Even if he lost, he would invariably sink his fangs into his opponent's body.

Aizen's words were

"Do not deny your desires."

Condensing his reiatsu on the claws of both his hands, Grimmjow sprang forward, his face predative and ravenous, ready to plunder and bring about destruction.

"I am the king!"

A jet black wind scatters the young foliage.

Singing its worth, the same wind that surrounds life and death.

-"Dedicate."

He heard a voice.

Hisagi realized that he was standing atop a large tree. A shower of green leaves fell around him, giving off the illusion of a forest at first glance. Hisagi's feet were touching a thick branch; and through the small gap among the leaves, a clearing was visible little above the ground. The scenery appeared foggy and a gigantic tree came into view. Its proportions were massive enough to call it the Yggdrasil.

{t/n: Yggdrasil-Also known as the World Tree; a mythical tree that connects the nine realms in Norse cosmology. It is interesting to note that this World Tree is quite often depicted as the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden. And the Biblical 'original sin' was after all heavily connected to the Tree of Knowledge. And in this story, the kanji for the Soul Society's original sin is written in the same way as the Biblical one. Also, the tree symbolism comes from Hisagi's name; the kanji in his surname reads as the Japanese cypress}

"Ah... So you have come?"

Hisagi recalled that this was not the real world.

"....Since I had arrived at the Reiokyu."

Hearing metallic sounds and iron clanging behind him, he looked back and saw a huge windmill standing upon the vast plains visible through the branches. Even though it was a windmill, it resembled a cedar tree to which clung the odour of iron and oil that could be smelled from afar, the description of the scenery matching that of an idyll.

The red, rusty windmill had a cog-wheel with a pulley exposed to the outside; it kept rotating as the chain connecting it to the windmill's rope pulls it.

Hisagi now knew that this was the inner spiritual world of Kazeshini's; one that his heart had inter-woven.

Then, a black wind blew all around him; discolouring the green leaves as they all withered away. The cog-wheel of the windmill started turning vigorously as it violently rotated.

-"Dedicate."

That voice, again.

Hisagi replied to the familiar voice with his usual response.

"Discipline yourself. I will not do as you say. I will not fight to make you suck the enemy's blood."

Ignoring Hisagi's words, the black wind kept on blowing.

The lamp in the wind turbine lit up. It was as if the leaves, the branches and the serenity of the landscape, which had signified 'life', until the red rust-covered windmill withered it away, was on one side; and the fire lighting up the windmill symbolized the advent of 'death'.

"Good grief... I think there is something that I was able to understand."

The black wind now took on the form of a person and appeared behind Hisagi.

"Am I to understand that this is your form, Kazeshini?"

In retrospect, Kazeshini certainly did have a form like this.

"That's right. I am your shadow and the shadow of the world itself that you see around you. Depending on the manner in which the light strikes, this form may change its appearance, way of speech and everything. But, if you talk to me, you may find this form's tone to be very agreeable."

Exasperated with this unusually long conversation with the black shadowy figure, Hisagi spoke in annoyance,

"I see. So if you are capable of changing your nature, then all the chats I've had with you until now were all pointless?"

"Incorrect. You certainly understood one side of me, and that's why you could achieve Shikai by calling out my name. That is why, I..... this world of 'Kazeshini', has invited you in."

The shadowy form changed back into the black wind and passed through Hisagi's body, pouring words craving with desperation into Hisagi's soul.

"Dedicate your blood and life to appease my soul. Hurry."