Not a Mob: Psycho

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...)

"So, this is Hueco Mundo..." muttered Ohta, his eyes reflecting a vast expanse of white sand sprinkled with dead-looking trees made from a type of white, spiritual quartz that glistened subtly under the light of a perpetual moon. Sparse clouds meandered across the sky, and though there were no stars present, the endless void above had a strange allure that gave the impression it was descending toward you if you stared into it for too long.
"And I'm guessing that's Las Noches..." remarked Ichigo, staring intently at a megalithic structure that defied human comprehension as it towered over the horizon. According to the information Ohta had been provided, it was roughly 28km tall and nearly 140km across. With the entire structure visible, they had to be a substantial distance from its base.
"It's...unbelievable..." muttered Chad, swallowing nervously. He had been feeling strangely 'invigorated' since entering Hueco Mundo, but Ohta's casual displays of power and the sight of Las Naches made him feel small and inconsequential...
"So, what's the plan?" asked Renji. "Most of us can use Shunpo, but I get the feeling that building is a lot further away than it looks. We might want to conserve our strength by running normally..."
"Yeah, but wouldn't that take hours?" asked Ichigo, shifting his attention to Ohta, Rukia, and Orihime. He felt that even if they didn't rush over, they could save time and energy by riding atop the translucent 'beanbag' Ohta had created.
Seeing through Ichigo's thoughts, Ohta shaped the squishy beanbag into a large platform, stable enough to stand on but soft like a futon.
"You're free to hop on but keep in mind that I don't do anything for free. If you want to ride on my constructs, you'll owe me a favor," cautioned Ohta.
"Seriously, man?" asked Ichigo, his expression forming a frown. "We're here to rescue my sister, and you're talking about us owing you favors?"
"That and this are different," contended Ohta. "Your sister is something of an apprentice to me, and I owe you for risking your life to help save Rukia. However, I don't recall you carrying my ass when we were in Soul Society, so don't expect me to bend over backward when I'm holding myself back from just leveling all of Las Noches..."
"..." x4(Ichigo/Renji/Uryu/Chad)
Undercutting Ohta's statement, though he didn't say anything to contend it, Rukia waved her hand dismissively and said, "Don't take Ohta's words too seriously. For you to 'owe' him once all of this is over, Karin needs to be rescued, and Aizen needs to be defeated. Think of it as Ohta putting pressure on himself to ensure everyone makes it through alive."
Hearing Rukia's explanation, everyone but Renji became significantly less tense. Ohta felt the urge to remind Uryu of their first encounter when the bespectacled Quincy pushed up his glasses and chuckled, but he didn't want to sabotage Rukia's efforts to make him look like a good person. He definitely wasn't, but it wasn't like he was evil or overtly malicious toward those not actively attempting to harm or interfere with his life...
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With everyone eventually boarding his psychic construct, Ohta controlled the speed to around five times Chad's running pace, 200km/h. He could go much faster, but the bigger the construct and the more wind he had to block, the greater the energy expenditure. More importantly, he found the 'ambiance' of Hueco Mundo's surprisingly pleasant, almost serene...
Voicing Ohta's thought aloud, Rukia remarked, "It's surprisingly peaceful here..." in a soft tone. "I kind of expected it to be more...chaotic..."
"I don't know..." muttered Orihime, tentatively gazing at the sky before clinging to Ohta more closely as she added, "It feels desolate and lonely. I'm worried about Karin..."
Though he was tempted to remark even desolation had its charms, Ohta held his tongue when Orihime commented on Karin. Not everyone could appreciate the stillness of a land of death, and a part of him didn't want a kind and caring woman like Orihime to get used to the transient calm that often preceded tremendous violence and acts of cruelty...
"We'll definitely rescue her..." assured Ohta, his expression calm and stoic even as a pure white sandstorm built on the horizon, gradually obscuring Las Noches. Ichigo and the others panicked when they saw it, telling him to go around or fly over it, but Ohta flew them directly into it, knowing full well that the fastest way to weather a storm was to push through without fear or hesitation...
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Observing the progress of Ohta's group through a circular monitor, Aizen, looking much less Groban-esque, gently tapped the armrest of his throne with his right index finger. He had 'engineered' the sandstorm to throw the group off course and try to split them up, but Ohta just tackled everything he threw at him as if it weren't a big deal.
"If only you had appeared a hundred years ago..." muttered Aizen. He had encountered people with abilities similar to Ohta's, but none came close to the power displayed by the domineering youth since his transition from a human to a Shinigami. If Aizen had discovered him before implementing his current plan, he might have been able to mold Ohta into a useful pawn or a potential 'successor.'
Ceasing his rhythmic tapping, Aizen's voice resonated through his throne room as he said, "Invite our guest over. I would like to chat with her," in a calm yet penetrating tone. Less than a minute later, Karin was ushered into the throne room, looking nervous in a predominately white outfit with soot-black trim. Had Ichigo been present, he would have blown a gasket as her ensemble consisted of bottoms that covered less than a swimsuit, a zipperless vest she prevented from opening by crossing her arms over her chest, sleeve-like arm warmers, and a pair of thigh-high boots.
"Kurosaki Karin..." muttered Aizen, gesturing toward the terrified girl as he said, "Come closer..."
Though she didn't want to, Karin found herself stepping toward Aizen as if her trembling body were being puppeteered like a marionette. She wasn't cold or anything, despite her state of dress, but the Reiatsu exuding from
Aizen, even when he wasn't actively releasing it, caused her to tremble in the depths of her soul.
Once Karin was in front of him, kneeling with a wide-eyed expression, Aizen pressed a concealed button on his throne, causing a square-shaped pillar to rise from the floor. Once it reached its full height, the top opened to reveal a crystalline container, within which sat a beautifully glowing orb that emitted predominately bluish-white light, tinged with accents of pink and dark purple.
"Do you know what this is?" asked Aizen, unsurprisingly when Karin responded with a faint, quivering, "N-N-No..."
"It's called the Hogyoku. With it, the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollow can be broken down. However, after considerable research, I've discovered it has a far more important function..." revealed Aizen.
Removing the Hogyoku from its crystalline protection, Aizen held it with his index, middle finger, and thumb. As he picked it up, an intense light exuded from the Hogyoku's interior before becoming pitch like the heart of a black hole, actively absorbing light as tiny tendrils of the same black substance entangled his fingers.
"The true power of the Hogyoku is the absorption and actualization of desires..." revealed Aizen. "The greater and more primitive the desire, the more potent its effect. Now, tell me, Kurosaki Karin. What is it you desire the most at this moment...?"
Swallowing hard, Karin meekly replied, "I...I want to go home..."
"Is that truly the case?" asked Aizen, adopting a faint smile as he held the Hogyoku right before her face and asked, "Are you absolutely certain you don't desire the power to escape this situation? The ability to free yourself from the shackles that bind you and live true to your desires...?"
"I...I..."
As the darkness from the Hogyoku seemed to draw her in the longer she stared at it, Karin's voice trailed off, her eyes losing focus. Soon after, her arms slumped to her sides, exposing a length of chain with a lock bearing a skull attached to its end. Her soul had been separated from her body shortly after being brought to Hueco Mundo as she lacked the Reiryoku to endure the aspect of death permeating everything. As such, she was in a state that was neither dead nor alive, making her extremely susceptible to the influence of Reiatsu and other forms of spiritual suppression.
Narrowing his eyes, Aizen observed with fascination as the abyssal black tendrils from the Hogyoku extended to touch Karin's face. As they did so, the light from her eyes completely faded, the sclera of her eyes gradually replaced by inky darkness as her soul began cracking like glass, releasing an intense light from within...
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Feeling a sudden shortness of breath, Ichigo clutched his chest, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
Being the closest to Ichigo, proximity-wise, Chad asked, "You okay...?" in his usual flat tone.
"I'm...fine..." replied Ichigo. "I just...it's difficult to describe, but I have the feeling something terrible just happened..."
Hearing the strawberry-blonde's groaning remark, a frown marred Ohta's face as he asked, "Should we speed things up?" while gradually doing just that.
Shaking his head, Ichigo forced a smile as he replied, "No...to be honest, this kind of thing has become pretty normal for me. Since my inner Hollow awakened, I occasionally experience bouts of dread, and my emotions go haywire. I think the atmosphere of Hueco Mundo is making it stronger..."
"I've also been feeling strange ever since we came here..." revealed Chad, holding his hands palm-sides up before balling them into fists. "It's like an infinite amount of energy is coursing through my body..."
"That makes sense," said Uryu. "From what I've seen, that red and black gauntlet you summon draws in Reishi from your surroundings instead of solely utilizing the Reiryoku in your body. The way we Quincy form our bows and arrows is very similar, so I've also been experiencing a feeling of empowerment."
"Isn't that a good thing?" asked Ichigo, largely due to Uryu having a very serious, almost grim expression.
"Ordinarily, yes," replied Uryu, pushing up his glasses as he added, "This place would make an excellent training ground if we wanted to increase our strength in a short period of time. However, while the abundance of Reishi in the environment makes our attacks more potent, we can expect it to have a similar effect on our enemies. Rather, since they are native to this land and have acclimated to it, they should have a significantly easier time manipulating the Reishi than we do..."
"Oh, well, that's just great...!" exclaimed Ichigo. He could barely hold his own against the Rank 6(Sexta) Espada back in the human world. If it were true that Grimmjow was even stronger in Hueco Mundo, they were in for a tough fight. Well, all of them, except for maybe Ohta...
Interrupting the group's discussion, one of the many dunes separating them from Hueco Mundo rose like a tidal wave before condensing into a vaguely humanoid figure with a large, greyish-white body and massive arms that grew larger as they extended past its hips, culminating in giant fists adorned with white bracelets. Its head resembled a sand castle with a mustachioed Hollow mask, and there was a massive hole in the center of its chest, within which no light could escape.
"Foolish invaders! I am Runuganga, Guardian-"
Before the sand-formed Hollow could finish its introduction, Ohta caused the psychic platform to accelerate like a slug fired from a railgun, piercing through the Hollow's chest and causing its entire body to disperse as the group continued on their way unabated. Ohta was marginally surprised to see it reform in their path, but as it took several seconds to materialize, he rammed through it a second, third, and sixth time before it simply gave up trying to block them directly, instead utilizing sand waves and tornadoes that had little effect on his psychic barrier...
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(A/N: Aizen is over here digging the deepest of graves...)

"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)...)

Chapter 76: Maw of the Void