Not a Mob: Psycho

"You will not go," declared Yamamoto, his form projected on a large monitor within Toshiro's room, a peculiar-looking device resembling a portal surrounded by fleshy vines.
"What the hell did you just say!?" screamed Ichigo. "Those bastards kidnapped my sister! We have to rescue her...!"
Showing no change in expression, Yamamoto stated, "Your sister is but one girl weighed against the fates of billions. Should you go and lose your life, everything, including the lives of your family and friends, will be lost. As such, you will stand by and await further orders while the members of the Advance Attack Squad, including former Captain Sui Feng and Kuchiki Rukia, return to Soul Society in preparation for the final battle."
Hearing her name mentioned among the group being forced to return, Soifon furrowed her brows and stated, "Forgive me, Captain Commander, but I cannot abide that order. My loyalties lie with the Shihouin Clan and my current Lord, Yamada Ohta..."
"Mmmm...I figured you, or someone else, might say that..." responded Yamamoto, tapping his cane against the wooden floor he was standing on. As he did so, a Senkaimon opened directly behind the group gathered in Toshiro's room, the forms of Byakuya, Kenpachi, and Yoruichi appearing from within, each donned in Captain's attire.
Raising her hand and waving as if the tensions within the room weren't palpable enough to be cut with a dull knife, Yoruichi mused, "Hey there, kitten. Long time no see, Ohta. Have the two of you been having fun while I was away~?"
"Yoruichi-sama..." muttered Soifon, elated to see her Mistress but more than a little confused.
Instead of Yoruichi, the next to speak was Byakuya, stating, "Come along, Rukia," before half-turning, his gaze briefly overlapping with Ohta's as the latter supplied a faint, nearly imperceptible nod. He knew both Rukia and Orihime would want to travel with him when he invariably invaded Hueco Mundo, but if he wanted to go 'all out,' he couldn't have allies nearby.
Unfortunately for Ohta, Rukia didn't follow her brother silently, placing her hand on his back as she whispered, "Wait for me..." in a faint but firm tone, her expression making it clear she wouldn't be happy if he ran off without her.
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With everyone, even the stationed members of Onmitsukidō returning to Soul Society, the only people left in the Inuneko Hotel were Ohta, Ichigo, and Orihime. The latter was concerned for Ichigo, but she stayed beside Ohta, believing he had a plan.
"Go home to your family, rest, and recuperate," said Ohta, causing Ichigo to raise his head. The orange-haired youth had fallen to his knees with a look of despair, but when he heard Ohta's words, life returned to his eyes as he bounded to his feet, screaming, "Ohta! Orihime! Please, you have to help me save my sister! Help me save Karin...!"
"Calm down, strawberry," said Ohta, his expression and tone neutral as he added, "We're obviously going to help, but charging into Hueco Mundo as you are is suicide. Go, talk to your dad, and get your affairs in order. Once Rukia returns, I'll message you to meet us at Urahara's Shop. He'll have a way to get us to Hueco Mundo. Guaranteed."
Though the thought of leaving Karin in the 'care' of the enemy for even a minute longer than necessary filled Ichigo with anxiety, he forced himself to calm down, replying, "I understand..." while balling his hands into fists. He was prepared to invade Hueco Mundo on his own if necessary, but he knew his chances of rescuing Karin increased immensely with Ohta's help. Thus, after a brief exchange of glances with Orihime, Ichigo turned away and returned home to have a much-needed discussion with his apparent Shinigami of a father...
Observing Ichigo's departure in silence, Ohta waited until the youth had disappeared completely before remarking, "That kid is going to need all the therapy when he grows up..."
"Ohta-kun..." muttered Orihime, throwing herself into his arms and holding onto him with her trembling body when he turned to face her. She was an exceptionally empathic woman, so witnessing others enduring pain and suffering caused her to experience a similar but lesser degree of anguish.
"You're such a crybaby..." remarked Ohta, his words not very considerate but his expression and tone reflecting at least a hint of compassion as he held the buxom beauty and gently pat her back...
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Staring at the sleeping face of Orihime, tears building in the corners of her eyes as she lay naked next to him, a faint sigh emanated from Ohta's nose as he returned his attention to his cell phone. Yoruichi and Rukia had been texting him about the timeline of the upcoming battle and their respective preparations. He wasn't particularly enthused to learn that Renji would be accompanying them to Hueco Mundo, but he didn't veto the suggestion as it would make his life marginally easier if the crimson-haired Shinigami were to die during the excursion...
Sensing a fluctuation in the barrier surrounding the hotel, Ohta rose to a seated position, spreading his senses throughout the structure to find two auras, one familiar, one not, presumably waiting for him in the lobby. Ohta was somewhat reluctant to leave Orihime alone in their bed while she was having a nightmare, but that didn't stop him from swapping into his spirit form and phasing through his bed, falling through the floor and continuing his descent until he reached ground level.
Emerging in the lobby, Ohta's voice echoed through the otherwise silent antechamber as he remarked, "You guys aren't very considerate, making me leave behind a crying woman to converse with your sorry asses in the dead of night..."
"Sorry about that," replied the man whose aura Ohta hadn't recognized, turning out to be none other than the father of Ichigo and Karin, Kurosaki Isshin. Contrasting his usual Hawaiin t-shirts, shorts, and doctor's coat, however, he was sporting the standard Shihakusho of a Shinigami, albeit with the addition of a white shoulder pauldron affixed with the remains of a Captain's haori.
Standing next to Isshin, wearing his usual dark-green samue, black haori, striped fisherman hat, and wooden clogs, Kisuke got straight to the point, asking, "Do you intend to wait, or are you planning to enter Hueco Mundo on your own...?"
"Things would be much easier if I went alone..." admitted Ohta, shifting his gaze to Isshin as he added, "Lucky for you, I don't think Rukia or the others would be too pleased with me if I ran off without them and failed to return with your brat..."
Understanding that Ohta was referring to going all out without regard for Karin's life, Isshin furrowed his brows as he remarked, "You know, that girl thinks the world of you..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta casually retorted, "And I think the world of the world. Trust me. I intend to do what I can to save your daughter, but if Aizen tries to leverage her life against mine and Ichigo's, you know damn well the 'correct' choice to make, even if it sucks ass..."
"I understand that..." replied Isshin, furrowing his brows even deeper as he said, "But I want to hear you say it. Promise me you will do everything in your power to return my daughter safely. And do it using her name..."
Though he returned a frown, Ohta didn't deliberate for too long before answering, "I'll bring Karin back...you have my word..." in a resolute tone. He might not give two shits about Karin, but he could spare at least one. She was 'technically' his protege, so he wouldn't just stand by and watch her die if there was something he could do to prevent it...
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Isshin's expression relaxed considerably, a faint smile developing across his face as he said, "Then I can rest easy. Had you replied differently, I might have started believing it was a mistake to entrust Karin to your care."
"That's an interesting way of phrasing things..." remarked Ohta, adopting a half-lidded deadpan.
Waving his hand from side to side in front of his face, Isshin said, "Don't let it bother you too much. Karin might be young now, but she's maturing rapidly. Most of the girls you're involved with are hundreds of years your senior, so try not to dismiss my daughter's feelings outright. A three-and-a-half-year age gap means very little when you have lifespans measured in centuries."
Shaking his head, Ohta maintained a deadpan expression as he remarked, "I don't know if I should consider you very 'understanding' or a complete fucking moron. You know damn well I'm not a good person..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Isshin replied, "Few people truly are. Even more so when they have a duty to protect something 'greater' than themselves. So long as you can protect my daughter and help her pursue the path she has decided for herself, you don't 'need' to be a good or righteous person. Just being someone that she can depend on is more than enough..."
Shaking his head a second time, Ohta made a shooing gesture with his right hand, saying, "You can go now..." in a flat tone. The duo half-turned as if they were prepared to leave right then and there, but before doing so, Kisuke appended, "The Garganta has already been prepared. Come to the underground study chamber when you're ready to depart..."
Seemingly having completed their objective, Kisuke and Isshin Shunpo'd away, their execution nearly as instantaneous as Yoruichi's. In their wake, Ohta tarried in the empty lobby for almost two minutes before shaking his head, muttering, "These old bastards make me want to bash my head into a wall..."
Though he was tempted to ask why Isshin didn't volunteer himself to go and rescue his daughter, Ohta knew it probably had something to do with Kisuke's 'plan.' Thus, while he had absolutely no 'intentions' toward Karin, he was half-tempted to take in the sporty brat just to keep her away from her inept father and the creepy candy store uncle. If he refused, it wasn't difficult to imagine her going to Kisuke for lessons or work, becoming yet another pawn for him to manipulate...
"Someone seriously needs to kill that man..." muttered Ohta, turning away from the entrance to take the elevator back to his penthouse. Fortunately for Kisuke, Ohta wasn't oblivious to the man's 'usefulness.' Thus, until the threats of Aizen and Yhwach were dealt with, he would permit the man to keep breathing...
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With Orihime choosing to stay home from school, she and Ohta spent much of the day lounging about the penthouse, silently cuddling on the sofa as they watched movies on satellite TV. Orihime felt like they should be doing more, but as she could only provide support, she didn't speak a word about going to Hueco Mundo. Fortunately, just as the Sun started to creep over the horizon, a Senkaimon opened a few meters behind them, causing Ohta to remark, "I need to find a way to prevent that..." in a faint tone.
Emerging from within the Senkaimon, wearing beige cloaks and carrying large backpacks, Rukia and Renji briefly looked around, the former being the one to ask, "Where are Ichigo and the rest? Are we planning to meet them at Urahara's...?"
"Ideally, no," replied Ohta, adopting a smile as he added, "Unfortunately, Chad is a bro, and Uryu is a busybody, so I imagine they're waiting for us to arrive. I also just texted the angsty Strawberry, so we should be good to head over."
Nodding in affirmation, Rukia removed the pack from her back, saying, "Before that, take these. Hueco Mundo is a vast desert filled with Reishi that can be harmful to humans and spirits, so my brother prepared some equipment for us."
Pulling out a pair of cloaks like the ones she and Renji were wearing, Rukia had Ohta and Orihime try them on. They were surprisingly comfortable, so while Ohta didn't need a cloak to protect himself, he accepted it without a fuss. Then, as they could easily imagine Ichigo racing over to Urahara's at breakneck speeds, the group promptly departed without further delay...
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(A/N: I suppose for Isshin, who was 200+ years older than his wife, things like an age gap don't matter all that much (x _ x)...)

Upon reaching Urahara's place, Ohta's group found Tessai waiting outside for them, the burly, mustachioed man revealing, "Everyone else is already inside. Please, follow me."
Though they already knew the way, everyone followed behind Tessai as he led them to the underground study chamber. There, they found Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu waiting for them, the former huffing, "It's about time you guys showed up..." with a pouty yet determined look on his face.
"You could have gone alone," retorted Ohta. "So could I. The reason we're going together is to better your sister's chances. Now, let's get this show on the road."
With nearly everyone turning their attention to him, Kisuke rose to his feet with the unnecessary help of his cane, his usual smile nowhere to be seen as he said, "Just like last time, you're only going to have one shot at this. Make it count." before leaping up to one of two wooden posts sticking out of a pair of similarly sized rock formations.
Tapping his cane against the post, Kisuke chanted, "In my right hand, the stone that connects the worlds. In my left hand, the blade that binds all existence. The black-haired shepherd. The chair of the noose. I strike the ibis when the clouds gather...!"
As Kisuke spoke his chant, the space between the two wooden posts began to twist and distort, eventually opening like a mouth or a large eye, accompanied by a powerful reverberation that shook everyone present to their cores.
Almost exclusively for the uninformed Ichigo's sake, Kisuke explained, "This is the Garganta, the 'throat' Arrancar use to trespass other worlds. Unlike the Senkaimon, there is no pathway or solid ground beyond here, only a chaos of temporal distortions and Reishi. You'll each need to create a path using that Reishi if you want to avoid falling for eternity. Now, any last-minute questions before you go? I also have a pen and paper if you want to leave behind a last will and testament."
"Just one thing..." said Ichigo, staring up at the mouth-like gateway as he said, "If we don't make it back, apologize to everyone for me. I know this is incredibly selfish, but..."
Interrupting Ichigo's solemn remark, Ohta slapped the former's shoulder, saying, "You talk too much..." before taking the initiative to leap into the Garganta, giving everyone else present a very limited time to follow. As a result, Ichigo had little choice but to discard his apprehensions, shouting, "Let's go...!" with a resolute expression before leaping into the Garganta alongside everyone else...
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"I swear, everything you do pisses me off..." groaned Ichigo, staring at Ohta as he sat with his legs crossed, Rukia and Orihime seated atop his lap as they floated effortlessly through the void.
Though he didn't say anything, the look on Renji's conveyed he wasn't particularly enthused by the present situation either. Ohta could easily use his psychic power to carry everyone through the Garganta, but he refused since he hadn't 'made' them come and didn't want to waste his energy.
Bringing a smile to Ohta's face, Rukia retorted, "Stop whining and stay focused. If you slip and fall, you're going to feel like an idiot when Ohta has to rescue you."
Though she truthfully felt a little guilty about everyone else being forced to run, Rukia knew they were putting a burden on Ohta just by wanting to come along. She also didn't like when others spoke ill of him 'unprovoked,' so she gave both Ichigo and Renji the stink eye for glaring at Ohta like he was doing something wrong by carrying them.
Clicking their tongues simultaneously, Ichigo and Renji looked like they wanted to retort but promptly decided against it. Instead, they sped up their momentum, barreling toward the darkest point in the void until they burst through an invisible membrane that happened to be a solid wall in the spiritual world of Hueco Mundo.
While everyone got their bearings, Ichigo asked, "This is Hueco Mundo? I kind of expected a wasteland filled with skeletons and stray bones..."
"If we can't find any, there's always the option of making some..." replied Ohta, turning his head toward the sound of something large approaching them from one end of the corridor.
"Me can smell yooooooooooou~" said a creepy, dull-sounding voice as a massive figure with dreadlocks and a bone mask covering the upper half of his face contorted his body to fit through the corridor, crawling through it like a demon in a cheap ghost flick.
"What the hell is that thing!?" screamed Ichigo, prompting Uryu to grab the back of his Shihakusho as he shouted, "Worry about that later, you idiot! We need to run...!"
While Uryu's words prompted Ichigo, Chad, and Renji to begin running, Rukia and Orihime elected to stand their ground next to Ohta after seeing the calm yet intense look on his face. He hadn't come to Hueco Mundo to be chased around by a behemoth whose IQ could probably be counted on his fingers and toes, so he raised his right hand, releasing an invisible force that filled the entire corridor.
As the vaguely humanoid Arrancar crashed into his barrier, Ohta turned to Orihime and said, "Close your eyes or turn away..." in a faint tone. Instead, Orihime forced a resolute expression and replied, "I'm okay...I need to get used to things like this..."
Nodding in approval, Ohta waited for the chickenshit group to turn around and see what was going on before slowly closing his hand, forming it into a fist as the colossal Arrancar was reduced to a mangled spheroid of flesh and white clothing.
"Holy shit..." muttered Renji, having never before seen Ohta's 'patented' method of dealing with fodder. He hadn't thought the colossal Arrancar was a serious threat, but seeing Ohta compress a 15m behemoth into a sphere less than 3m across was jarring...
"Just what is your power...?" asked Ichigo. He had never seen Ohta using his powers for anything other than flying or strengthening his attacks, so he had no idea his former classmate was one of, if not the most powerful psychics in the world.
"Worry about understanding your power before concerning yourself with the powers of others," responded Ohta, flicking his finger to send the ball of flesh rolling in the opposite direction so they wouldn't have to see or smell it once the barrier around its body vanished.
Turning to face the orange-haired youth, Ohta added, "Let's go," before taking the initiative to lead at the front of the group, his movements slow but filled with purpose as he spread his senses through the area, ready to unleash his barely suppressed fury on anything foolish enough to try and bar his passage. Fortunately for Ichigo, Renji, Chad, and Uryu, Rukia soon caught up to him, using his previous comment about conserving energy to persuade him to allow her and the others to deal with the weaker enemies in his stead...
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After several minutes of traveling through what seemed to be a spiraling underground passageway, the group eventually found themselves at the entrance to a circular chamber more than 300m across and approximately 50m from floor to ceiling. A tall staircase could be seen at the other end of the room, causing Uryu to openly speculate, "Those stairs could be our ticket out of here...!" before entering the suspicious-looking room without an ounce of caution.
Turning his attention to Orihime, Ohta said, "Stay close to me..." in a faint but authoritative tone. He had barriers protecting both her and Rukia, but while the latter was nearing Captain levels in terms of strength, Orihime would struggle to become a Seated member in any Division outside the 4th, at least in terms of combat potential. Her healing and support were quickly reaching a league of their own.
Nodding her head, Orihime moved a little too close to Ohta, grabbing his sleeve and unintentionally pressing her right boob against his arm. The air in Hueco Mundo was contaminated with something Yoruichi referred to as the Aspect of Death, so Orihime, possessing an intrinsically pure Reiyroku, was more affected by the tense, pervasive atmosphere than anyone else in the rescue party...
Though he shook his head, Ohta didn't say anything or attempt to pull away from Orihime. Instead, he allowed her to cling to him as he looked to the ceiling just in time to see a gap open up, followed by an emaciated figure with four incredibly thin arms descending into the room to intercept Uryu's path. He had clothing that vaguely resembled the outfit worn by an &nbsp;Arrancar, but the only thing human about him was the left side of his face, revealing a section of pale white skin, a beady yellow eye, and ashen hair that spiked away from his scalp. The rest of his face was covered in what could best be described as a plague doctor's mask, comprised of a large beak with four spikes sticking out of his head and running down his back like spines.
"And just where do you think you're going...?" asked the incredibly weak-looking Arrancar, exuding smugness and arrogance despite the fact even Orihime should have no trouble killing him.
Sticking out his left hand as if he were blocking off the rest of the group, Uryu shouted, "Leave this one to me! You guys stand back...!"
Resisting the urge to rub his forehead and massage his temples, Ohta muttered, "Whatever..." before taking a seat atop a squishy membrane of psychic energy, surprising Orihime quite a bit as he pulled her to sit in his lap. His actions drew the attention of everyone but Uryu, but only Rukia dared to ask, "What's this...?" while poking the barely perceptible blob of psychic energy.
"It's a beanbag," replied Ohta, waving his hand to draw the diminutive Shinigami to join Orihime atop his left, sitting comfortably with his hands on the two girls' waists while Ichigo, Renji, and even Chad goggled at him with mouths slightly agape.
"What?" asked Ohta. "If it were up to me, I'd blast through the ceiling and make a beeline for Las Noches. Since that apparently isn't an option, don't blame me for taking a more leisurely approach to things."
After blinking in surprise, Ichigo abruptly asked, "Wait, you can do that? If so, we shouldn't be wasting time with these clowns...!"
"Calm down, Ichigo," said Rukia, feeling slightly embarrassed as a result of Ohta's actions but maintaining a calm and serious look as she said, "If we were going to leave everything to Ohta, there wouldn't be any reason for us to be here. Focus on conserving your strength and doing things at the group's pace. Ohta's actions might seem a bit...standoffish, but this is his way of showing that he trusts everyone to carry their weight..."
"Looks to me like he's carrying the two of you..." muttered Renji, earning a warning look from Rukia. She had initially refused to let him come with them, but as he and Ichigo had formed a kind of 'brotherly' bond after trying to kill each other, she permitted him to assist in Karin's rescue on the condition he didn't go out of his way to antagonize or butt heads with Ohta.
Clicking his tongue, Renji promptly decided to intrude upon Uryu's game of cat, mouse, and projectile spam against the bird-beaked Arrancar. The raven-haired Quincy wasn't particularly happy about the intrusion, but as they hadn't come there to take turns showing off to one another, he didn't say anything as Renji's actions allowed them to take out the decently fast Arrancar in a much shorter period. Doing so caused the chamber to start shaking, seemingly on the verge of collapse, but the group had no trouble fleeing to the surface as Ohta held the dilapidating structure in place until they were well out of harm's way...
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(A/N: Ohta flexing on people by relaxing...)

While Ohta was being stalled by Starrk and Lilynette, Rukia and Orihime, tailed by Soifon, made their way to where Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Rangiku were facing off against an Arrancar with effeminate features and six whip-like tentacles protruding from his back. Nearby, Toshiro and Renji teamed up against a large, muscle-bound Arrancar with a bone mask covering his lower jaw while, more surprisingly, Kisuke fended off a child-like opponent with buck teeth who flailed at him like a mindless beast.
"Who should we help first?" asked Orihime, trying to appear calm despite her heart racing and a cold sweat breaking out across her body due to the powerful Reiatsus clashing in the vicinity.
"I'm most worried about Rangiku and the others," replied Rukia. "Captain Toshiro and Renji will be fine teaming up together, and Urahara should be more than capable of taking care of himself."
Drawing her Zanpakuto, prompting Orihime to do the same, Rukia said, "Dance, Sode-no-Shirayuki...!" even though it wasn't strictly necessary for her to call out the name of her Zanpakuto after attaining Bankai.
Following Rukia's example, Orihime shouted, "Cry gently, Kokoroyoi...!" as her Zanpakuto's blade shrank, transitioning into a coil of golden bells with three tiers, functionally identical to a Kagura Suzu, an instrument used by Shrine Maidens during Shinto rituals. The topmost layer had two bells, the second had four, and the third had six, matching the number of petals she had in her hairpins. As for the tsuba(guard) and hilt, the former resembled a six-petalled golden flower in bloom, while the latter was scarlet, affixed with red, gold, white, purple, blue, and black ribbons.
Swinging her instrument-like Zanpakuto toward Rukia, Orihime shouted, "Suzu-no-Kyoshin...!" causing the bells of Kokoroyoi to issue a pleasant-sounding chime. At the same time, a faint golden light enveloped Rukia's body, resonating with and directly amplifying her Reiatsu as she wielded her pure white Zanpakuto, stabbing it into the ground four times before lowering herself into a thrusting posture, taking aim at the Arrancar with six tentacles more than two hundred meters away as she coldly muttered, "Tsugi-no-mai, Hakuren(Next Dance, White Ripple)..."
As the temperature around her dropped rapidly, Rukia thrust forward with her Zanpakuto, unleashing an avalanche-like wave of energy that formed into a destructive vortex as it surged toward the effeminate Arrancar from his blind spot. The raven-haired Demihollow was caught off guard by the attack but managed to retract all six of his tentacles to block it, scowling as he hissed, "Underhanded wench...how dare you sneak attack the great Luppi!?"
Shattering the ice that had formed around his tentacles, Luppi intended to direct them at Rukia and Orihime like a rain of spears, but turning his back to Rangiku would prove to be a fatal mistake. A frigid numbness suffused his body after Rukia's attack, so he barely felt the gentle breeze heralding Rangiku's before a sense of existential dread washed over him.
"Gin senp-"
Before Luppi could finish his utterance, his body was abruptly bifurcated at the waist, his upper half consequently disintegrating while his legs fell to the ground with a sickening crunch. It was a relatively gruesome sight, causing Orihime's stomach to churn, but she managed to avoid throwing up as she and Rukia joined hands with Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika to provide support to Toshiro and Renji...
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Sensing the death of one of his comrades, Starrk's brows furrowed ever so slightly. Fortunately, the one that perished was the one they intended to use as a sacrificial pawn if things went south. Starrk only really cared about the Espada ranked two through five, so the death of Luffy, Luppon, or whatever he was called, was summarily dismissed in his mind.
Catching the gunslinging Arrancar slightly off guard, Ohta asked, "What's your and the other Arrancars' aim? You said that if it were up to you, you wouldn't be here. Is Aizen controlling you...?"
Scratching his head with his right pistol, Starrk deliberated momentarily before replying, "Those of us ranked three and above are immune to the effects of his Zanpakuto. At least, that's what he told us. As for why we're helping him..."
Interrupting Starrk's explanation, the pistol in his hand screamed, "Stop fraternizing with the enemy, Starrk! You know this bastard is going to run rampant in our home after this, right!? Is your head hollow or-"
Sheathing the pistols in their holsters, Starrk continued, revealing, "Aizen promised Lilynette and me an end to our loneliness and gave us comrades to protect. Once he claims the throne of the Soul King, Barragan, Harribel, and the two of us will become his Royal Guard, building a peaceful society outside the influence of the three realms..."
"Is that supposed to be some kind of joke...?" asked Ohta, brows raised in disbelief. "Aizen intends to supplant the Soul King and destroy the current balance. Billions will die for the 'peace' you're referring to..."
"But those who survive, the truly strong, will build a far stabler world atop the previous one's destruction," contended Starrk. "As someone born with tremendous power, you must have felt it, right? The pain and loneliness of being different from nearly everyone else. Having to continuously restrain your power so that you don't inadvertently crush the lives of those around you like ants..."
Casting his gaze at the moon overhead, Starrk softly but firmly asserted, "If you haven't yet, you will..."
With Ohta unleashing a far larger crescent of energy, Starrk unholstered his right pistol and fired a massive column of azure blue energy, piercing the former's attack and forcing him to evade.
Contrasting his threat from earlier, Starrk didn't immediately begin firing upon the town of Karakura. Instead, he used Sonido to keep a distance from Ohta, kiting him with weaker projectiles and periodically evading his opponent's destructive attacks while drawing the exchange closer to the ground.
"You fucking pansy ass mother-fucker...!" screamed Ohta, seriously considering going full postal without regard for his surroundings. The moment he crossed that line, however, he would be no better than the monsters that incited the war in his previous life, resorting to the use of nukes the moment they realized they had invited a global ass-whopping onto themselves...
In response to Ohta's shout, Starrk surprised him by appearing right in front of him, pistol leveled at his face and angled toward the sky as he pulled the trigger. The attack knocked Ohta's hood off, incinerating it in the process, but when the blue light faded, the jackal-eared youth was largely unscathed, the same blue light from Starrk's attack rising from his throat like a haze as he said, "You'll need to do better than that..."
Raising his brows, Starrk questioned, "Did you...eat my attack...?" before dodging as Ohta opened his mouth to unleash a similarly blue projectile. His body was tough enough to withstand the flames of the Sokyoku, and his ability to absorb and repurpose energy was frightening to the point that Yoruichi had warned him against exhibiting it in front of others lest he truly be labeled a monster. More importantly, with the majority of Starrk's attacks being energy projectiles, Ohta was, very nearly, the man's natural enemy.
Before Ohta could try and take a bite out of Starrk directly, a pillar of light abruptly descended from a crack in the sky, enveloping the gunslinging Arrancar in a nearly indestructible barrier. If an ordinary Shinigami were to strike it, not only would they be unable to affect it, but the energy within the light would rebound, seriously injuring or killing them. Ohta was aware of this, but instead of simply gnashing his teeth and allowing Starrk to get away scot-free, he Shunpo'd forward and landed a meteoric blow against the thin energy membrane, cracking it like bulletproof glass but ultimately failing to break through as blood erupted from his arm...
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Discovering Ohta lying in the middle of the road, staring listlessly at the sky with his right arm mangled, Orihime screamed, "Ohta-kun...!" before rushing over to heal him. Rukia and several others ran over to him as well, many wearing expressions of disbelief as they couldn't believe that he, of all people, had 'lost.'
Creating an unnerving disparity, especially with the condition of his arm, Ohta rose to a seated position, his expression a neutral mask of calm as he said, "Don't look at me like that. This injury is the result of punching the Negaci&oacute;n. Now, tell me, what happened on your guys' end?"
Instead of answering Ohta's question, Toshiro stared at him with even greater disbelief, asking, "You punched the Negaci&oacute;n? With your bare fist? Do you have a death wish...?"
"Yeah," replied Ohta. "More specifically, I wish that coyote bastard and his stupid talking pistols would choke on Aizen's dick..."
Interpreting the malice in Ohta's words to indicate he would be fine, Rukia exhaled a sigh of relief, placing her hand on his forearm as she said, "We'll get them next time..."
"Preferably on their home turf..." muttered Ohta, his expression and tone huffy. The fact this raid had occurred two days before their assault on Hueco Mundo concerned him, but it wouldn't matter once they received the order to attack. At that time, even if Aizen and his hypnotized holes escaped to the Human World, Ohta could unleash his full power without restraint...
Thinking of the final battle against Aizen, Ohta gave up on receiving an answer to his previous question and asked, "Where's the strawberry...?"
Shaking his head, Toshiro replied, "We don't know. We had our hands full with our opponents, but he should be okay if he were with those Visored. If they were defeated by a single Arrancar, they wouldn't be very useful in the fight against Aizen..."
"You're not wrong..." muttered Ohta, flexing his right hand since Orihime had just finished repairing it. He then used said hand to caress her head, replacing the concerned look on her face with a smile as he adopted one of his own...
Interrupting the moment, Ichigo landed like a meteor next to the group, not controlling his descent in the slightest. As a result, a large crater was formed in the middle of the street as he shouted, "Ohta, everyone, it's an emergency! We need to go to Hueco Mundo right now...!"
Before anyone could advise him to calm down or ask what the fuss was about, Ichigo, looking particularly desperate, barreled through them in an attempt to grab Ohta's collar, shouting, "It's Karin! She's been kidnapped! I need you to help me rescue her...!"
Though he initially shoved Ichigo away, Ohta's irritated expression turned to confusion as he asked, "Seriously...?"
"Does it look like I'm fooling around...!?" screamed Ichigo, the sclera of his eyes gradually turning black as Renji and Ikkaku struggled to restrain him.
Stepping between Ohta and Ichigo, Rukia shouted, "Calm down, Ichigo! We'll help you get your sister back! Just explain to us what happened...!"
Though he stopped trying to free himself from Renji's and Ikkaku's holds, Ichigo appeared no less panicked as he shouted, "Some asshole calling himself the Cuatro Espada attacked my house and took her hostage! He said that if I wanted to save her, I needed to come to a place called Los Noches and that I needed to bring Ohta with me. Now, let's go! We don't have time to waste...!"
Contrasting Ichigo's and nearly everyone else's expectations, Ohta rose to his feet, dusting himself off as he replied, "Sounds like fun. Let's go." in an almost casual tone. He was more than a little dissatisfied with how his fight with Starrk ended, so although this was clearly a trap to isolate him and Ichigo before the final battle, Ohta didn't care. The caveat was that if the enemy attempted to leverage Karin's life against them to compel their surrender, Ichigo would be losing a sister...
...
..
.
(A/N: RIP Luffy. Also, here's your daily reminder that Not a Mob: Psycho is NOT a harem novel...)

Chapter 75: Preparing for War