The blackened courtyard was still burning—smoke curling upward in slow, suffocating coils. The charred cherry trees swayed weakly under an acrid breeze, brittle blossoms collapsing into the ashes at their roots. Soul Society was no longer a sanctuary; it was a battlefield in ruin. Scattered bodies lay across the flagstones, Shinigami and Quincy alike—silent in death, their blood pooling and mixing in the cracks.
Yoruichi's vision blurred at the edges, her breath ragged. Every inch of her body ached; her left arm hung uselessly at her side, blood dripping steadily onto the cracked stone. She could feel the heat rising from the scorched ground beneath her feet, and the faint taste of ash stuck to her tongue. But her eyes—sharp, golden, unyielding—were locked on the figure ahead.
Primal.
A twisted silhouette against the smoke, her limbs taut with unnatural strength, movements sharp and animalistic. The jagged mask clung to her face—pale bone streaked with black veins, sharp edges refracting the dim red light bleeding through the haze.
Yoruichi knew what she was now—at least enough to understand her mistake in their earlier clashes. She had been fighting her like a Shinigami would fight another Shinigami, expecting tactics, a semblance of battle rhythm. But Primal fought like the Grimm she is—unthinking rage, instinct-driven ferocity. No aura, no sign of spiritual pressure shifts. Just raw, unrelenting violence.
And yet, that mask…
She had known Ichigo had a hollow form before—she knew how much he pushed back against the darkness gnawing at his soul by striking at the shell that contained, then the breaking of Primal's mask might fracture the bond… between her and Scarlet, to free her from this monstrous form.
That was the key.
"Ichigo!" Yoruichi's voice cut through the hiss of burning debris, hoarse but urgent. "Focus on her mask!"
Ichigo's eyes flicked to her, then to Primal, narrowing. He saw it now—the jagged fracture running down her jawline, the splintered crack across her forehead. Small flecks of bone crumbled away with each deep breath Primal took, falling like snow into the ash around her.
He felt the resolve harden inside him. "Renji, you heard her."
Renji kept his eyes locked on their opponent, Zabimaru coiling back in readiness. "Right… We'll need to hit her head-on, with everything we've got."
Primal moved before either could finish forming a plan. She lunged forward, the blur of her speed almost inhuman—fingers curved like claws, teeth bared. The fractured mask only made her more terrifying, as if she were a wild animal whose cage was already breaking.
Ichigo swung Zangetsu to intercept, sparks flying as steel met steel, Zanpakuto against scythe. Renji leapt to the side, Zabimaru whipping forward to loop around Primal's torso. Primal snarled—deep, guttural—before twisting sharply, snapping one of the whip sections with sheer brute strength. "You'll have to do better than that, if you want to beat me."
"She just snapped Zabimaru in half...tch." Renji scoffed under his breath. "No matter....Nothing I can't fix."
That rage-driven advantage was what made her dangerous. Every strike landed with bone-shattering power; every dodge born purely from instinct, not calculation. But instinct wasn't perfect—it left patterns.
Yoruichi staggered forward, her mind racing against her slowing heartbeat. "She won't retreat. Instinct says finish the kill, no matter the cost… we make her overcommit."
Ichigo caught her words and immediately shifted his stance, baiting Primal with an exaggerated opening. She lunged in—exactly as they hoped—and Renji's repositioned strike came down hard on her shoulder, driving her head toward Ichigo's waiting blade.
Dropping Black Rose, from her grip. Primal's forehead came into contact with Zangetsu, the edge of Zangetsu skimmed the cracked forehead of the mask, causing it to crack more.
It was enough to send pain ripping through The Grimm girl—the feral screech that erupted made even the smoke seem to draw back. Her claws lashed out wildly, catching Ichigo's ribs and sending him skidding back into a toppled wall. Blood smeared across his uniform, but his eyes stayed locked on her mask. One strike had made the crack widen—bone splintering under pressure.
Renji moved in again, Zabimaru coiling tightly around her arm. Primal roared and yanked him off his feet, hurling him into the scorched trunk of a cherry tree. The branch snapped under his weight, dropping brittle petals into the ash.
"You're all starting to piss me off." Primal spoke with a deep growl rising from her chest. "It's time to finish this."
Staggering to his feet, Renji grins. "I couldn't agree more, now!"
Yoruichi pushed forward despite her fatigue, her voice harsh but commanding. "Drive her into the ground—hit the mask again!"
Ichigo was already on the move, body aching but fueled by that familiar stubborn resolve. He darted low, sliding under a slash from Primal's claws. The ground blistered under the impact, but Ichigo was already behind her—Zangetsu raised. "Getsuga-" He stopped as he spat up blood, Primal punched him hard in the stomach, sending him spiraling back through the snowing ash.
"Ichigo!" Renji yelled. "Dammit, she's reading our every move."
Primal chuckled. "Slowing down are we? So much for strategy plans."
Ichigo slowly got up, blood dripping down his chin. "I'm not....I'm not done yet...."
Primal glared at Ichigo, a smirk played at her lips under her mask. "Oh? Well now, If you really wish to die that badly then..." She charged towards Ichigo, her sharp horn pointed directly at his chest. "I'll be more than happy to tear your heart!"
That was the opening Ichigo was looking for. "Getsuga...." Taking his other blade, and cutting it through the air like a hot knife in butter. A golden slit of energy formed as Ichigo brought the larger blade down over it. "Jujisho!"
A large golden cross of energy was fired towards Primal, Ichigo shot Renji a knowing look before watching him jump towards Yoruichi, to get her to cover. The cross shaped energy moved towards Primal, as it made direct contact with her. Causing an explosion.
The explosion kicked up ash off the ground, the charred petals of the burnt Sakura trees. The entire area was colored in a golden light from Ichigo's attack. It could even be seen from the distance, if anyone was paying any attention to their surrounds.
"Renji, stay on your toes. We don't know if that attack did anything or not." Ichigo spoke, his gaze still stern, never leaving the spot he was looking at.
~~~
Within her mind, Scarlet didn't seem to feel what was happening outside. She was too focused on trying to find her way out and back into control of her body.
Ruby's voice kept echoing around her, mocking and taunting her. Then her voice changed, it changed to that of Yang's.
"Look at you, a disgrace...you're nothing to us. You're just a copy cat of my sister Ruby. Sometimes, no take that back. We always wish you were never made from the start, but that was our fault. Not mother nature, we should've made certain that Merlot was gone for good and made certain he didn't have any extra labs." Yang's voice spoke. "Don't even bother trying to return to Remnant, we're not family. And we never will be."
Scarlet stayed silent, ignoring Yang's voice. As she kept wandering around her mind, a ripple made itself known within the vast space, stopping. Scarlet scanned the area, her crimson red eyes glowed as she squinted. Something was approaching or someone, not having any weapon on hand, she took a look around her surroundings, searching for something to use as a weapon. There, laying under a pile of rubble was Pyrrha's weapon, her spear. But why was it? No, she didn't have time to think. Reaching down, she grabbed it. Yanking it out of the rubble.
The figure approached, closer and closer. Scarlet got into a combat stance, ready and waiting. "Come on, come a little closer so I can see you clearly." She spoke, her grip tightening on the spear.
The figure got closer inch by inch, second by second. Until it stopped, Scarlet slowly approached the figure. But the more she did, the more it seemed like it was backing away. Thinking of something, Scarlet lowered the spear, dropping it until the water beneath her rippled. Then the figure was on the move once more, drawing closer and closer.
Scarlet stood there, waiting. Waiting to see who it was, or even if it was someone she knew. "Who are you?" She asked, her voice echoed.
The figure stopped, it became smaller. Seeing the water ripple more as it drew closer. The Grimm girl's eyes widened slowly, the figure approaching wasn't just anyone from Remnant, but it was herself, but as a child, why?
The child looked up at Scarlet, her hand out. "You're lost....I know the way.."
Scarlet's breath hitched in her throat, her hand reached out as she grabbed her younger self's hand. The thought of being guided by a younger version of herself, through her own mind. It was...different, she didn't feel any anger, any rage or darkness for that matter. "Why are you helping me?"
The child looked up at Scarlet. "Because...she is going to show up."
"She?" Scarlet asked as she realized who her younger self meant. "White Queen?"
"Mhm! If you're not out and back in control of our body...Primal will side with Queen, and see to it that you're trapped here..." The child spoke.
Determined, Scarlet's face morphed into a scowl. "I see, then lead the way me."
The child smiled brightly as she started to pick up the pace. "Come, we must hurry! Right now, Ichigo, Renji and Yoruichi are struggling to break the mask."
Scarlet raised an eyebrow up, but she didn't say anything. She, not they both needed to hurry and fast.
~~~
Back outside, Primal staggered, her breathing uneven. An angry growl escaped her lips, she could feel herself becoming weak. "No.....Not yet...." Her hand came up to the mask, pressing against it. Trying to keep the pieces from falling, as if she was trying to glue it back together.
"It's over." Ichigo spoke. "You're in no shape to continue fighting." Ichigo stepped forward, unwavering, the fire from the burning courtyard reflecting in his eyes.
"No, it isn't over. Not until I say it is!" Primal yelled loudly. "I am in control here, not her! You can't take that away from me!"
Renji moved away from Yoruichi, stepping carefully behind Primal. Zabimaru arcing upward in a final strike. The whip slammed into her back, jolting her forward. Primal growled as she took notice of Zangetsu swinging upwards towards her mask, she gained her footing, and kicked Ichigo off his feet.
Landing on his back, Ichigo was quick to jump up to his feet. Swinging Zangetsu once more at Primal. "This is your end!"
With a mighty roar and swing. Ichigo brought Zangetst down from above, the blade slicing down the mask on Primal's face.
The sound was sharp, brittle—a breaking shell.
Bone fragments scattered into the smoke; the mask fell away in pieces, Primal snarled. She glared at Ichigo. She felt herself slipping. "This isn't over..."
Inside her mind, Scarlet and the child felt things shaking. They were so close to the way out. Scarlet glanced around as Primal was reforming inside the mind, cursing under her breath. Scarlet had let go of her younger-self's hand. "I'm sorry if you can't bring me with you, but this is where we part ways."
Scarlet's breath hitched once more, hearing the child version of herself say that to her. She knew this was where the child was meant to stay. Even if she had to go into hiding, then the empty void filled with an echoing roar.
"SCARLET!" Primal roared loudly. "You can't escape!"
The ruins of Beacon and the other kingdoms crumbled and fell, the water rippled as things were caving in. Scarlet glanced at her younger-self, she spoke to her. "I won't forget what you've done for me."
The child smiled as she waved bye to Scarlet, she watched as the Grimm girl made a dashing sprint for the exit. "Hurry! Primal's coming!"
Scarlet didn't waste any time, she picked up the pace and speed. This was her mind after all, if she could imagine it and think it up. She could, she thought of herself using Ruby's speed semblance. Turning into a blur of red and black, Scarlet raced forward towards the exit. Getting closer by the second, her hand reached out for it.
And then....silence, darkness..
~~~
The smell of smoke, the irony smell of blood. It filled Scarlet's nose and lungs, her eyes slowly opened. Her vision blurry, a blurred figure loomed over her. She couldn't make out who it was, not at first though.
"Welcome back from beyond the grave." Yoruichi spoke.
Scarlet sat up, she glanced around as she noticed Kotori was talking to Renji and Ichigo. The Grimm girl looked towards Yoruichi. "This battle, it isn't over."
Yoruichi raised an eyebrow up. "Oh? Don't tell me Primal is still holding on to what little hope there is."
Kotori, hearing Scarlet's voice. Turning to where she had been laying at. "What do you mean, isn't over?"
Scarlet glanced at the flame spirit. "Call me silly, but I had a chat with my....younger-self."
Kotori smirked. "Hehe, kid Scarlet? Please. But do go on."
Scarlet gave her a dirty glare but spoke. "She told me, Queen is going to appear."
Kotori's blood went cold, White Queen, she was going to appear. Here in Soul Society? But what could that mean? "What does that mean? Do we stand and fight or?"
Scarlet didn't have the answer to that, she slowly got up. Winching in pain as she held her side. "Damn, you really did a number on me." She glanced at Kotori before looking around. "I'm not sure, but there could be two things. One, we fight Queen here and now, or two..."
"We're leaving and going wherever. I may go back home, but you..." Kotori spoke.
"Yeah, still chasing Queen to her final stop." Scarlet spoke. "The one that may appear may just be one of her clones."
Kotori nodded lightly. "Right, she's Kurumi's inverse form, with her own body and mind."
Yoruichi spoke up to change the atmosphere in the air. "Right now, we need to rest. The others are still out there, this war will never change. Not until one side wins and the other fails."