Chapter 29: Chapter 29

(General P.O.V)

The day of the mission had arrived. 1 more week had passed since his first encounter with the hollow and Ash had only grown more powerful. Well not powerful exactly but more in tune with his Quirk.

He could use Unbreakable a bit longer now and had even touched upon his special skill. Though there wasn't much progress on that front.

"So are you all ready?"

Rukia asked the assembled team of Uryu, Chad, Ash, Yoruichi and Orihime.

The latter had fought and stubbornly refused to be left behind as they went to save Ichigo. Standing right before them were Urahara, Rukia, Tessai and the two kids Jinta and Ururu. There was a new addition to the group. A middle aged man who looked as if he hadn't slept for weeks with a rough behind on his face.

"This is Isshin, Ichigo's father."

Urahara explained to Ash, the only one who didn't know who he was. Ash nodded at the man, already having suspected his identity. Isshin tried to smile but failed, he instead settled for a single nod.

Ash said nothing. He could understand what the man was going through and knew words of comfort were not what he needed now.

'I'll get you back to your family Ichigo.' he swore to himself. Ichigo had a dad waiting for him. He couldn't save his own but maybe by helping bring Ichigo back,it would serve as some sought of redemption for the teen.

"Hell is in a world...hellish." Rukia begun.

"Despite soul reapers overseeing the place, that only rings true on a surface level. We make sure the gates are preserved. That's it. Hell has it's own structure and power hierarchy, separate from the Soul Society. It is a place where all the worst sinners go to. People who have done deplorable acts. Unforgivable acts."

"It is even more lawless than Hueco Mundo. The biggest difference is that if ichigo is there as we suspect, then he is most certainly still alive." Urahara took over.

"That's a good thing right?"

Orihime asked in a hopeful tone, holding her palms close to her chest.

"You might think so but..." Isshin replied, shaking his head.

"...it's really not."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Chad wondered.

"Hell is a place meant for eternal punishment."

Yoruichi responded from where she was perched on Ash's shoulder.

"Eternal punishment?" Ash frowned. He did not know much about the Hellverse but Yoruichi's words grabbed his attention. He widened his eyes.

"Don't tell me...the sinners...they can't really die!"

"Exactly."

Urahara confirmed.

"How...does that work? Even soul reapers die and get reborn as normal human beings. Even Hollows die."

Uryu questioned just as surprised as the rest.

"Different dimensions, different laws. In any case, Ichigo is most certainly alive. The problem is breaking the chains of hell. If you die in hell, you become a prisoner and hell itself will not let you go."

Urahara further explained, eliciting another important question from Orihime.

"I don't want to consider it...but, what if Ichigo has already died while in there?"

Her tone was subdued.

The others looked at each other, feeling hopeless before the mission had even begun.

"Don't worry about that, if that's the case, there is nothing you 4 can do. Yoruichi will handle it."

Urahara waved off their concerns. However, it was clear to see that he wasn't as confident as he tried to pretend he was.

"Ok, ummmh so how are going to do this?"

Ash asked, his belly quesy with nervousness.

Urahara stepped away from the group and walked a short distance away, to stand before a cleared space with black metal rods placed strategically in a triagram formation on the ground.

They were all inside the underground training chamber underneath the shop. Urahara placed his hand inside his haori and came out with a lock of ashy hair. He placed the lock of hair inside the formation and stepped back.

"What's he doing?"

Rukia asked Yoruichi. No one had had any idea on how Urahara was going to open a gateway for them to hell. Everyone else had had to die go get there. Except for Ichigo, if he was really even there.

"It's not too complicated. The most difficult part of the task and the reason why it took this long to actually start the plan, was getting that lock of hair."

Yoruichi explained.

"You see the formation is meant to act as a locator spell. The lock of hair belongs to a very vile soul when they were alive. A soul that undoubtedly ended up in hell. The black roads are sustainers. In other words they will keep the portal open for 2 hours."

Yoruichi added.

Tessai wordlessly opened the briefcase he had in his hands and revealed to them, 5 bracelets made of leather with kanji inscriptions. Ash received his from the ever quiet man and held it up to the sky to read what was written. Unfortunately, the Ouroboros interface only translated spoken language not written.

"Those bracelets are connected to the Energy Sustainers, meaning only we can detect and use the portal. I have a spare one for Ichigo."

She added as they strapped on the bracelets to their wrists.

Urahara begun to chant grabbing Ash's attention.

"Heavenly miracles exist. Hell is the stopping point for broken souls. Cast your light upon the favored. Blood red and flowing. Souls pure, good and evil alike glowing. Open the chasm of lost dreams and let those who seek salvation witness your heavenly miracles: Special Bakudo 27 Yomi no Kuni Rifuto!"

He unsheathed his sword and the whole chamber begun to tremble. Ash and the other teens felt a crushing weight slam onto their shoulders and bring them to their knees. Urahara's reiatsu or Spiritual Pressure.

It was overwhelming in a way that Ash had never felt before. He activated his Quirk in a desperate attempt to stave off the pressure, startling Yoruichi and causing her to jump off him. The effects lessened somewhat but Ash was already sweating after a few seconds of this exposure.

He could see the soil below him undulate slightly, the grains rising up before slamming down onto the ground in a sudden burst. His reiryoku was not only immense but was also dense.

"Kisuke!"

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A shout from Isshin caused Urahara to contain some of his Reiatsu. Ash and the rest were able to breathe and stand up again albeit unsteadily. Ash looked at his hands weirdly, deactivating his quirk just as someone touched his shoulder. For a minute there he felt as if something deep inside him was marshalling up forces to fight back Kisuke's Reiatsu. Weird...

"Are you okay?"

Orihime asked.

Ash blinked, bringing his focus to her. He nodded his head and smiled.

"Yeah just...was a little overwhelmed."

He explained.

Orihime smiled back and both of them turned to see the end of what Urahara was doing.

He tapped the tip of his sword on the first black rod and a web of blue spirit energy spread to the heads of each of the other pikes, connecting into an intricate pattern of power. The space in between the pikes started flashing with electric energy before an ominous red portal appeared.

Ash and the rest all took a step back.

"Is it too late to back out?"

He asked with a nervous laugh.

"The feel of this...thing. It's unreal."

Rukia whispered.

"Well, we are taking a back door to hell. I for one was not expecting a golden gate full of majestic light and angels singing welcome to us."

Uryu quipped.

"Well said Uryu, now who wants to be first?"

Urahara asked with the same smile on his face.

"I..." Isshin stepped forward. All eyes turned towards him. Urahara narrowed his eyes. 'Surely he knows why he can't go. Isshin you understand the danger.' Urahara thought to himself.

"I..." Isshin composed himself.

"Even if you can't bring him back..."

He started.

"Isshin."

Yoruichi interrupted only for him to hold a hand up to stop her. He turned his bloodshot eyes to them and struggled to smile.

"Even if you can't bring him back, the fact that you went in to try...I won't forget it."

He bowed.

Yoruichi and the rest looked at him. Ash was feeling awkward but understood the man.

"Come on...let's go."

Yoruichi told them before jumping off Ash's shoulder again and walking away. Ash took one look at Isshin, sighed and followed after him.

"Kurosaki-San!" Orihime cried out.

"We will get him back!"

The confidence with which she said that was unshakeable. Isshin was speechless. Ash and the rest stopped to watch the whole affair. He stayed in the bowed down position for a few more seconds before rising up. 

A genuine smile was on his face.

"Thank you, Orihime."

Ash placed his hand on Orihime's shoulder and pushed her a little towards the ominous portal. 

"Stay close to the group and don't separate. If we're attacked, remember the objective. Finish the fight fast and try to find any clues on where we might find Ichigo."

Yoruichi told them as they gathered around the rift.

"This is at best a save Ichigo mission, at worst it's a recon mission." She looked around at them.

"That means we can do this again. so your life takes precedence. Incase you find yourself being overwhelmed, pull your bracelet off your wrist, the Pikes will sense this and you will be sent through the portal regardless of where you are. However, do not try to exceed even a second more inside. We only have two hours. No more no less."

"Unfortunately you don't have a way to properly keep time. None of us remembered to bring any watc..."

Rukia observed before Uryu, Orihime and Chad all raised their hands. On each of their other wrists, was a watch. A tick mark appeared on Rukia's forehead.

"I feel like you were all waiting for me to say something just to prove me wrong."

Ash on the other looked at the corner of his Ouroboros interface. He frowned, there didn't seem to be a clock or anything. It would have been awesome if there was a way for the system to show time. He shook his head and dismissed the text box.

"Guess I'm the only one without a way to keep time."

Ash shrugged.

"You could have built in a watch in this bracelet Urahara."

He said, fiddling with it.

"The technology would have disrupted the spirit energy relay. That bracelet is complex spell work."

Urahara answered smoothly, him, Tessai, Rukia, Isshin and the kids walking to stand away.

"Ok let's do this."

Yoruichi said, looking round at the team. Then they all jumped inside the portal.

"Good luck."

Urahara said, tipping his hat.

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