Wrath of the Archdemon: Cerberus

What Next? The Soul Society War Summit!
"Wonder what the ruckus is about?" Shunsui asked, wearing his slightly ripped and tarnished pink kimono over his Haori, scoring a few bandages over wounds recently earned from the battle. Retsu Unohana had treated each and every Captain that she could before this surprising War Summit was proposed by an anonymous ally. Naturally, Jushirō and Shunsui were the least banged up and made leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else.

"Don't know...that fellow from the 11th Division's Reserve wasn't very forthcoming with details, though I don't think he was meaning us harm," Captain Ukitake surmised, shrugging his shoulders before wincing slightly from the wounds inflicted by Rana Zolinder.

"Well, the guy used a trick only Katen Kyōkotsu should possess, but I guess shadows are more the lad's liking," Captain Kyōraku said, bending his straw hat down to hide the amused if not sheepish expression of having someone actually sneak up on the likes of him.

"No need to get embarassed now," Jushirō said with a slight laugh, trying to keep both of their spirits up in light of their sensei's death. They'd have time to grieve their late master and surrogate father figure. For now, they had people to strategize with and plans for the Soul Society's continuation and preservation.

"Oi, don't talk about me as if i'm not here..."

With their combined shadows, Raiken's form slowly rose from the ground, from Jushiro's up to Shunsui's as if he were walking. By the time he had reached the edge of Shunsui's shadow, his entire form had emerged from the ground. His attire still bore the burns from the previous fight with Leviatan, but he acted as if there were nothing wrong with him at the time.

"Welp, now it seems we have to wait for them other lads." he commented, standing a few feet to the duo's right.

"I felt it that time," Shunsui chuckled, tipping his hat upwards to regard the injured man as he walked to his own place of posture, "so precisely who is the mysterious masked man who's playing errand boy for an even more mysterious source?"

"I think its fair we ought to know, if we're going to be working together," Jushirō said with a curious, yet serious tone of his own as he regarded Raiken's stature and aura...slightly menacing, yet restrained and controlled, as if a foreign power lingered over him, seperate from his own yet hanging over him like a dark cloud or overcasting shadow.

"Aye, my apologies for the bluntness of my previous introduction. Time was of the essence." he replied, holding his arms behind his back and standing straight up. "Raiken Uchiwa, 11th Reserve forces. This "errand boy" is under orders of the new Commander to gather all of the remaining Captains and replacements to this hall."

Shunsui's eyes widened a fraction in sync with his academy-old friend, both of them uttering a synonymous, "The what?!"

"Did Central 46 react this quickly for contingency plans? They couldn't have kept a proxy in the wings for so long without our knowing," Jushirō spoke aloud incredulously, hardly believing whoever this supposed new leader could already attain the rank and authority to do this.

"Unless this is not of the official Gotei 13 channels," Shunsui said with a narrowing of his eyes in suspicion, sideglancing at Jushirō, the latter friend of his reading his thoughts through the look in his irises, as the prior man turned his dark eyes to look back at Raiken, "is this new Commander from the Zero Division as a replacement?"

"Nope." Raiken replied to Jushiro and Shunsui's questions at the same time. "The lad wiped out nearly a third of the enemies army by uttering a single word and drawing his blade. His spiritual pressure is just as high, if not moreso than his precursor's. Hell, being in the same vicinity as him was enough to make me think the place was ciphened of oxygen."

His left eye narrowed at the both of them. "He's definitely the sort that's been hanging out of the public eye. I doubt that even the Central 46 knew about him for a while. Whoever he is, I bet ole' Yamamoto was the only one who knew of him."

"Well," Shunsui shrugged as he smiled, "I guess we can just wait and see for ourselves..."

"I don't see why that should be necessary, Captains," Seu-Feng spoke aloud as she appeared in step with a just arriving Shinji, the two worn and weary combatants walked into the room, with her eyes peeled around the Captains' Meeting room, feeling a lot more void without the Head Captain's constant, commanding presence, "considering that he sounds like a man wanting to give us a chance for payback against the bastardized race that tried to take us out for good!"

"I agree, but we should be careful to gauge just how reliable this new guy really is," Shinji commented as he walked to his own posture while Seu-Feng walked in step to be next to Raiken, wanting to keep an eye on the newcomer esteemed Soul Reaper for the time being, "for all we know, he might lead us to our deaths blindly or might want us to cower while he protects our flanks, its hard to know with newbs..."

Raiken barely turned his gaze to the two of them. "Hmm...." he mused in thought, tilting his head lower to the ground in seemingly thought. "Ah...they've all got the message then, good."

They would all notice that several black blobs that were flat on the ground all quickly slipped through the hallway like they were moving shadows. All of them merged underneath Raiken, before they completley enveloped into his own shadow, of which was notably absent previously.

He then resumed his previous, stoic stance as Seu-Feng stood next to him. "I'm bettin' you lot didn't get too banged up now, did you?" he said to her and Shinji.

"As much as the living can be," Shinji said sarcastically, before spitting a wad at the ground and putting on his classic overbited scowl as he looked at nowhere in general, "f'ing Vasto Lordes my ass! They weren't even Shinigamified and they still acted like we were nothing! Did Sōsuke happen to choose the weakest of the best just so he could wear us down or toy with us?! How did we get beaten by bastardized Hollows?!"

"They were all older, much older, than the ones Aizen brought with him," Seu-Feng spoke gravely, narrowing her eyes as she looked down at the ground, her fists balling up, "and I couldn't do a damned thing to stop any of this! My Lieutenant! My comrades! My Head Captain! I couldn't stop any of their deaths...and I take full responsibility for it..."

"Wow," a youthful, yet experienced voice broke the self-loathing on Seu-Feng's part and directed over to what appeared to be a Noble House Clan Head. Having hair in scarlet mingled with slight shades of black, the young man looked to be near Byakuya's, if not a little younger. With a white scarf wrapped neatly over his neck and down his shoulders, he also possessed his Clan's decoratively red kimono with the insignia promptly on its back while wearing a straw hat of his own, "this place is incredibly depressing and I just got here..."

"Well now, this is a surprise," Shunsui broke out, trying to keep the tone a little more enlightened to keep Seu-Feng's haphazard emotions and Shinji's sarcastic drawl in check, nodding to the newcomer, "its nice to see you come here, Hayate-dono.-"

"Please, call me Kukkyōna!" The man insisted, waving a hand in dismissal while smiling, "we meet with you and Jushirō-san enough to speak formally. I'd hate to get bogged down now of all times with legalities and beaucracies..."

"Hmph." Raiken muttered, listening to Seu-Feng's complaint with apparent annoyance. "Do you honestly expect me to..." however, he was cut off from Kukkyona's entrance, glancing at the newcomer briefly before retaining his old pose, sighing in tiredness.

"Well if you insist, Kukkyōna-san," Shunsui said with a smile, placing his hands within the sleeves of his Haori, "its not like we have to be formal at this time around. Might as well be thankful we can get help from the Noble Houses with this mess..."

"If it wasn't for the fact military matters are usually left for the Gotei 13, I would've went out to fight with you," Kukkyōna said sagely, bowing his head before raising it back up with a tinge of malice behind it, "but that changes today. The full might of the Hayate Clan will back the Soul Society's efforts in defending itself, no matter the cost!"

"Bout time you Noble Houses started pitching in," Shinji said with a smile, teasing the young Clan Head, "I was about to drag you all off your haunches and tell you to get to work if you hadn't done so otherwise!"

Raiken simply stood in place, without saying a word to anyone, until his attention slowly began to turn to Seu-Feng. "You seemed troubled lass, moreso than the others about this here' shitstorm."

"What I feel is none of you or anyone else's concern," Seu-Feng said tersely, holding a stoic yet twitching stare at her opposing newfound, yet mysterious looking ally, "so watch how you speak to me, you masked frea-"

"Hey now, there's no need to be hostile to the man, he's just doing his duty and is trying to emphasize your concerns," Jushirō tried to plead with his associate, sweatdropping slightly at already having a conflict arising when they should be united.

"Just because he now decides to show up to help, doesn't make him my ally, let alone an acquaintence who can ask me such trivial questions," Seu-Feng said with an icy tone, not taking her glare off the masked, black haired man whom called himself Raiken Uchiwa.

Shunsui could only sigh, seeing Seu-Feng hostile was no different than any other time something appeared she didn't like or couldn't accept, making any Captains' Meetings they've had in the past difficult to progress through. The only thing that really kept her in line was the old man, but with him gone...

"You really have no reason to be hostile to him, Captain Seu-Feng," Kukkyōna said with a neutral, diplomatic tone as he bowed his head with respect before stretching out a hand to Raiken, "this man bears grevious wounds, yet purposes not to let them bother his emotions. He's fought for the security and safety of the Soul Society, something every Soul Reaper should strive for. If he's simply asking for your state of mind's health, is it not right of him to be worried as all of you Captains were fighting for your lives?"

"Tch!" Seu-Feng growled, but couldn't argue the Noble's words since they appeared to make sense. Looking at Raiken's wounds now, she grasped that he made personal sacrifices of his own, despite his conspicuous appearance and his sudden unexpected alliance pledged to them all, he at least helped take initiative, "Fine. I'll bite my tongue and work with you, but it doesn't mean I'll like it..."

"Hmm..." Raiken mused with curiosity at Seu-Feng's hostile words. To him, he didn't really care how she looked at him or how she felt, but he could tell that she was under an intense amount of stress, and he also knew that she could potentially become more of a nuiscance with a clouded mind rather than an actual help. But he could only digress...

"Oh wait, I forgot a couple." he said suddenley, as two more shadows shot out from the hallway behind Kukkyona and into Raiken's own shadow, fully completing it.

''Snap! Snap!''

Popping the bones in his neck, making two loud snapping noises, he groaned as if though not having the shadows entirely drained him and kept him rather tired. "Alright, now I feel like I can move again..."

"Those shadows were grafted by the spiritrons in his body, making a solid-body replicate that's linked to his conscious," Kukkyōna observed with slitted, narrowed eyes of analytic prowess as he watched them regress into Raiken's body, allowing him to regain the lost energy the "bodies" used up, "he must be a master of manipulating his own spirit energy so fluid and precisely in order to accomplish a feat like that. Not to mention, its a Zanpakut'ō technique..."

"How many of those things did you send out there?" Shunsui asked curiously, also keenly observing the unique nature of this man's "copies" regressing into his own shadow, relieving themselves of spirit energy and collescing back into Raiken's body, "did you make sure you had enough for every Noble House's Head?"

"Twenty-seven in total." Raiken replied plainly, retaining his pose. "That's far more than enough obviously, but the excessive amount was just in case any of Caius' stragglers were hanging around and got ideas."

"That has to cut your power tremendously if you overuse them in combat," Kukkyōna spoke aloud in an observing neutral tone, placing a hand around his chin as he narrowed his eyes further, "it must've taken a lot of training and concentration to create that many look-alikes as well as make them move in sync with your conscious..."

SFT-SFT!

"Sorry for being late everyone," A young man with long violet hair, who wore the Kenseikan hair clips over where his long bangs arched over either flank of his fair complexioned browline was, as well as the Kuchiki Clan scarf wrapped around his neck over his violet and white Clan Head uniform, "but I had to go through an...unfortunately taxing ceremony in becoming the new Head of the Kuchiki Clan. It wasn't pleasant, I assure you..."

Standing next to him silently was a woman of regal appearance, donning a white-golden enamored headdress as well as a long flowing white cloak embroidered in a way that gave her a state of presence while also emanated tranquility and beauty. She bore the markins of the Kasumiōji Clan, a recent addition to the Noble Houses of the Seireitei.

''"That's the fun about these shadows. The first time I use them on someone and it scares the piss out of em' all...." ''Raiken thought to himself as the newcomer arrived. Inwardly, he was laughing over the fact that he himself scared everyone at the ceremony by popping up behind the Kuchiki in shadow form.

"Now you finally show yourself," Kōjaku Kuchiki spoke aloud, looking over his shoulder at the shadow behind himself, "walking over here almost felt like someone slipped a feather down my back. Couldn't let go the feeling I had something extra tagging along..."

"..." The Kasumiōji Head was silent, save for bowing her head to the gathered Captains and the Hayate Head, "I'm pleased to see nearly everyone is here. I'm assuming Captain Unohana won't be joining us?"

"Yeah, the thing is this war left a lot of wounded and dying," Shinji said with a tsk, waving his hand offhandedly as he smelled more superiority enter the Captain's Meeting Hall than needed, "so I guess she's too busy to talk war with the rest of us...shame though. She's quite the badass when you get her serious enough..."

"You can say that again," Shunsui and Jushirō said with a comical cloud of foreboding fear of what Restu was really capable of. If it wasn't for her medical expertise being in so high demand and this mysteriously powerful benefactor who's asked to have them all gather from Raiken, she'd surely be assuming the Head Captain's seat.

"I see," The princess sighed with a sad look in her eyes, bowing her head in reverence, "let us hope those who've given their lives in service to their honor and duty may find rest in the embrace of the balance."

"Amen," Kōjaku and Kukkyōna said in unison, their reverence earning themselves a slight smile of admission and recognition to each other.

"Oi, I don't stalk. At least if it's not someone I like or if it's a baddie." Raiken replied to Kōjaku plainly, before remaining silent at hearing the princess speak.

SHFT!

"Only the lowly bother treading upon another's shadow in hiding," An intimidating voice broke out, as an armored, dark robed Noble House Head walked into the space between the Kuchiki Head and the Kasumiōji Head, earning both their sudden stares at the usually socially withdrawn Noble, "but I guess you know all about that, Raiken Uchiwa..."

Seeing the man, Raiken let out a low chuckle. "Aaah come on now lad. You're only saying that because I scared the shit out of you just a few minutes ago with it."

"With all the horrors this war has brought upon us this day," Sōdai emphasized in a dark, unimpressed tone to Raiken as he stared at him with collescing, obsidian irsises, "your petty attempts of misguided enjoyment is far from what I call a major importance to me."

"Now, now, there's no need for hostilities," Kukkyōna raised hands up to Sōdai defensively on behalf of Raiken, "the man's just happens to have strange antics is all..."

"If he's really as competant as you claim him to be, then why does he hide behind a mask?" Sōdai asked, glaring at Raiken's true form as he walked over to stand in his own position as the others now collesced in a parallel format as most of them as always done, "I'd rather fight an unknown enemy than have unknown allies on my side..."

Behind his mask, Raiken was letting out a low grin.

"There are some things in this world laddie..." he began, strange black markings beginning to creep onto it's left side in a fluid manner. "...that are better left concealed."

Tk-Click!

"If you pose even the most miniscule of threats to our plans and our Society, creature," Sōdai threatened lowly, his right hand thumbing his Zanpakutō out of its sheathe, preparing to engage in combat with the currently weakened, yet powerful Soul Reaper, "I'll kill you where you stand!"

"Oh boy," Shunsui grumbled lowly, as he tried to hide his grimace with his straw hat, "this could get ugly..."

"Why does he have to be so untrusting of everybody?!" Kukkyōna let out a elongated drop of his jaw, comically exasperated at Sōdai's willingness to attack an ally within the Captain's Meeting Hall, when they're supposed to work together.

"Oye vey...." Raiken facepalmed in an almost embarassed manner. "Now I know we're about as screwed as a pooch. Can't even have a nice little conversation without someone willing to pick a fight over my choice of attire. Big ole' Ultharon won't have a problem picking us off one by one when we don't even trust each other. You wanna go ahead and get rid of help when it's standing right in front of you or jeapordize our defenses over a simple little feeling? Fine by me. Go for it." He then went back to his old pose, unintimidated by the man's words and actions.

"That won't be necessary," a voice emanated from the far reaches of the Head Captain's old seat, with a man with black raven hair fastened into a high-rise ponytail, with elaborate choice in garments and a Zanpakuto sheathed on his left hip, "cause I believe I'll need all of your help if we're going to stand a chance against the greatest Hollow in our brief existence."

"Shin-chan?!" Shunsui suddenly called out, with widened eyes of delight and surprise, also mirroring a similar look from his comrade and friend, Jushirō, as they saw the familiar boy turned man, "what are you doing here, at a time like this?"

"Hello to you too, Shunsui-dono...Jushirō-dono...," Shin'en spoke aloud as he looked over to the rest of the agape Captains and Noble House Heads. The strangest thing...is that his presence currently emanated no current Spiritual Power at all. While he emanated strength, experience, and a commanding presence, he hid his body's energy completely, "glad to see everyone got my summons."

''"Hehe, looks like ole' Raiken knows a thing or two after all...." ''

Raiken chuckled to himself inwardly at seeing the two's reaction to the man, hoping at least that they would now somewhat believe him for his word. For now, he simply stood in place and waited for Shin'en to speak.

"So...this is the guy, huh?" Shinji thought to himself as he looked neutrally at the young man who rallied them all together, not to mention project that powerful pillar of light-like Spiritual Pressure on the borders of the Soul Society, "I don't feel anything from him now than his personal aura...if he's as strong as I think he is...he may be stronger than the old man ever was..."

"So this is the so-called new Commander that fool babbled about," Seu-Feng herself inwardly thought as she glared at the newcomer, analytically if not in a cynical manner looked him over, "he must be a fool if he thinks he can replace the Head Captain, let alone best Ultharon alone!"

Sōdai narrowed his eyes at the newcomer, before allowing his voice project his thoughts, "So...the prodigal child student of Genryūsai has returned from his sojourn, has he? I was wondering when you would decide to come back, boy."

"Alot of people are skeptical here, huh?" Kukkyōna said aloud incredulously, as he scratched his head as he looked to and fro at nearly half of the gathered Captains and Noble House Heads were either glaring or staring indifferently at the man who called them all here.

"Nice to see the times hasn't changed your pleasant nature, Sōdai-dono," Shin'en smiled unabashedly, before turning to the group as a whole, gracing his fingers along the Head Captain's seat longingly but never sitting upon it, "and now just to set the records straight, no, I'm not here to replace Genryūsai-sensei, for his presence will never be a one that I or anyone can fill back," he lowered his head soberly, letting that sink in before raising a stoic face of determination, "but, I am here to help take charge and help bring you all together for a singular purpose: A plan of Counter-Attack against Ultharon and his Army in Hueco Mundo."

"?!?!?!" A unanimous series of surprised, incredulous, and wide-eyed expressions were seen by all that were gathered. Some thought the young man was out of his mind, others were struck speachless at such a bold proposal, while others thought he was being merely a dreaming fool.

Raiken however, simply looked over to him casually without any form of surprise or shock, but he seemed rather curious. "Give the bastards a taste of their own bloody medicine it is? Probably the best thing to do really. It's never a good idea to just sit idly when you've just gotten yer arse handed to you on a silver platter by a madman. You don't prove to him that you're not fucking around, then he'll keep fucking around with ya."

"Counterattack? Pffft!" Shinji jeered aloud, as he smiled in a semi-mocking away while speaking his own doubts to the young leader, "I don't know what channel you've been watching, Shin-san, but we've got our asses kicked! Do you honestly think we need humiliation added ontop of our own punishment?"

"Shin'en," Seu-Feng spoke aloud, her being the nearest to him besides Shinji, she took the initiative to speak her own set of sage words of advice, "we've suffered heavy casualties not only to the higher-ups within the Gotei 13, but to many of the lower seats and the unseated Reapers also suffered many wounded and dead. It would be unwise to stage a full offensive when the enemy could send some of their forces to take advantage of our defensless or lessened defenses could handle."

"That's why I brought my friend, Hando-san, with me," Shin'en said with a confident smile, crossing hsi arms over his chest as he explained, "I briefly had a chat with your eccentric 12th Division Captain, who happens to be your scientific specialist. Technically he'll be undergoing his special regerative process for another few days in order to be of help, but one of his Seated Officers by the name of Kaze Sasayaki, proposed using some prototype tech that will indefinitely bolster our defenses, provided that my friend preforms the Kidō without being disturbed."

Raiken simply retained his pose and listened to them all speak, making sure he latched onto any details that were spoken.

"Sounds like you thought of everything," Shinji commented with an approving smile, before brushing a hand through his hair thoughtfully, "but its going to be a pain in the ass to deal with the other Vasto Lorde we didn't deal with last time..."

"I have strategies for that," Shin'en said pointedly, starting his walk between the gathered warriors he turned to Seu-Feng and Raiken first, "Seu-Feng-dono, Raiken-dono, you two are perhaps some of our most subtle warriors. We'll use that, to have you both to infiltrate the ranks of the masses and see where they're weakest and advoid where they're strong. You sabatoge what you can within reason and reendevous back with the rest of the invasion force, then we'll crush them before they can make a major defensive..."

"Understood," Seu-Feng said with an understanding nod, glad to see he knew how to maneuver the other Captains promptly.

"Got it." Raiken said without moving.

Shin'en continued onwards, looking to Shinji, "You'll do good as immediate support. Do not engage the enemy unless one of our positions get overwhelmed. Only engage the Hollow forces not near Ultharon, or..."

"...he'll mess shit up in my head, I know," Shinji nodded in bored understanding, making a mock salute to his new temporary superior, "you can count on me to pull someone, if not everyone's, collective asses out of the fire."

"Good," Shin'en said with a humored grin, as he continued on, looking to Jushirō and Shunsui respectively, "Jushirō-dono, and Shunsui-dono, I'll need you to move in and strike fast and hard on the disorganized groups. You'll be making the secondary stride into the main Hollow forces. If anything, you're to make sure their ranks are chaos and flee once they're generals are unsure what to proceed to."

"And who is the initial firing support?" Jushirō asked curiously.

"Kukkyōna," Shin'en said pointedly to him, before explaining as the young Noble House Head gave him a queried look, "I've heard your own Zanpakutō rivaled in destructive potential to that of Genryūsai's own Ryujin Jakka, as your twin Zanpakutō have a unique aspect it does not."

Kukkyōna raised his hands in defense, as he sheepishly said, "I'm not claiming any of that is even close to being true..."

"But its close enough that you can cause a wide-spread artillery fire upon the weak spots within the Hollow Army's ranks," Shin'en said with a smile, walking over and patting him on the shoulder as he spoke with sincerity, "I believe in your power, Kukkyōna Hayate. Now believe in yourself!"

"Yes sir, Shin'en-san," The humble Hayate Head bowed reverently to him, allowing Shin'en to smile back with resigned finality that his ally would do him well.

"Kurīku-san," he looked over to the woman, emphasizing his next assignment to the revered Kasumiōji Clan Head, "your reputation as a Kidō expert precedes you. I'd like you to give fire support and cover for any open combatants out in the field as well as any possible healing abilities you retain to patch up those with wounds impeding their preformance."

"I understand," Kurīku said with a polite, assured tone, standing a bit straighter than before as she smiled earnestly, "I'll do my best to assist you all."

"And what about us three?" Kōjaku asked calmly, his feet shifting slightly as he placed his arms within the folds of his kosode's sleeves.

"We will hold back and wait for the big fish to be lured out to see what the fuss is about," Shin'en said calmly, emphasizing with a wave of his hand, "we will also provide immediate assistance to any pressed or stalemated arenas within the battlefield. This will allow us more oversight and tactical administration to any of the shock troops among the Noble Heads and Captains alike."

"A sound plan," Sōdai said in a solemn, aggreeable tone as his own armored arms crossed over his chest, a hand rubbed his chin in thought, "if for some reason we start to be overwhelmed, we can create distractions or leap into the fray and provide the necessary support."

With a long lapse of silence, Shin'en began to walk towards the recently passed Head Captain's chair, "The Soul Society has had many wars and conflicts since its birthing. From intermediate civil wars, to uprisings, to neighbour soul realms thirsting for power and conquest, to Hollow incursions. But this is unlike any war we've ever faced," turning around he waved a hand in emphasis, "our very survival depends on this! The World of the Living's survival depends on this one battle! The very natural balance of the universe itself, depends on this one moment, where Nobles and Commonfolk, Captains and Officers, Men and Women of all upbringings and traditions fight for one thing! The continuation of life itself, and the very honor, for which we continue to uphold!..."

He then pointed out to all of them, shouting with a youthful, charismatic vigor, "So join me! And together, we will drive back the horde that threatens to destroy that peace and universe we fight and honor to preserve, and slay the oldest Hollow in existence for killing both our most greatest and most honorable Soul Reaper Head Captain, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto! Let us fight, and let us win!"

"YEAAAAAH!" Somehow, even some of the more reserved individuals found themselves yelling out in agreement and preemptive war valor. For in their hearts, they knew they've already won the war. Their enemy came to not only destroy them, but to break their spirits. Now, having failed both, will pay the ultimate price....

Raiken didn't even really move, though he did flinch in slight annoyance when everyone else yelled out in valor and courage as if they were little. Being the oldest in the room, he found noises to be rather damaging to his ears. Sure he agreed with them that Ultharon and his forces needed to pay for what they had done, but did they even consider that more men were going to die in this next battle, considering that thousands of their numbers were already gone, and that Ultharon's forces were growing every minute?

''"Damned kids...since when did war become something to look forward to?" ''He thought inwardly.

"When do you propose we move out?" Sōdai asked smoothly, in light of the others dying cheers and withdrawing back into their collected selves.

"Six hours from now," Shin'en said with a look of seriousness about him, "that will give my friend plenty of time to work in conjunction with the Tech Department in making that spacial barrier to protect the Soul Society while we're gone, as well as allow you to gather what warriors you have within your own respective Clans."

"I hope you know that we only have one shot at this." Raiken said to Shin'en with his own rather serious tone. "If we fuck up here, then there's no turning back. We're the only things keeping Ultharon from tearing through this realm, the world of the living, and hell even Hueco Mundo itself would be better off without him in control."

"I have no doubts about the chances and odds of success we have, Raiken-san," Shin'en said in a equally serious tone, his eyes making a lethal glint that belonged to a specific someone, "there is no secondary plans, no contingencies. We are the first and last line of defense. The only thing standing in between Ultharon and the Soul Society is us. We have no alternatives..."

"That, and the Royal Guard will only step in when the Gotei 13 is no longer functioning and/or able to protect the Soul Society," Sōdai said smoothly, with his eyes closed before sideglancing across to Raiken, "and they certainly wouldn't want any of us alive if we fail now."

"True enough." Raiken replied, going back to his regular stance.

"Now that we have no illusion that this will be our first and maybe our last mission as the collective of bright and skilled individuals we have here, does anyone else have any questions or doubts they want to share?" Shin'en asked, looking around at everyone gathered together, "cause this is your time to spit it and have your peace before the end."

"I do believe, my dear Captains, that I might need to throw something in here..."

An old, raspy british sounding voice could be heard from the hallway leading out of the Captains' meeting hall. Within a few seconds, the hunched over form of Charles McTavish could be seen, his hands behind his back and a calm, relaxed smile on his face while his piercing yellow eyes gave a serene glare upon them all.

"...for without what i'm about to tell you, you will be leading thousands to their graves."

"...Tamenky'ōme...!"

"Who are you?!" Sōdai demanded in a heated, yet controlled tone as his eyes flashed from obsidian orbs to a pair of tripple digit tomoes in a red eyed background, as his ocular senses began to read the man's Spiritual Energies origins and his physical genetic blueprint like a book.

"Its him again..." She uttered in a low growl, hoping never to see the distasteful man again or the matter hear anything that he would withhold from the Captains.

"Begging your pardon, mister, but I don't think I've been introduced to the likes of you," Shin'en said as he walked over to the hunch-backed man, narrowing his eyes at him as he crossed his arms in front of himself, "but exactly what threat could possibly be greater than the one we're aware of?"

"The threat, my friend, is Ultharon himself, or more specifically, what he is planning to do." Charles said, looking up at Shin'en with the same expression as before.

"Oi, Mctavish..."

Raiken looked over at the hunched over man. "What in bloody hell are you doing all the way out here? I thought you were busy chasin' myths down in that hut of yours."

"Ah, Mr. Uchiwa, what a pleasent surprise." the elder man said, glancing over at the masked man briefly. "I see you've certainly grown in position around this society..."

He then cleared his throat before looking back at Shin'en. "Charles McTavish at your service. I'm here to give you crucial information that you cannot afford to turn down."

"Any information you possess is crucial the survival of all existence, McTavish-san. I hope you realize the gravity of withholding information of this type is very unwelcome from the conspicuous likes of you," Shin'en said seriously as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes into near-slits of seriousness, "so say what you came here to say, and hold nothing back. I want the absolute truth and nothing less."

"Then you might need to take a few steps back..."

Charles reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a disc of some sort. Pressing the center of it, the black disc changed into a dynamic, crystal clear version of it'self as it began to grow in size, enveloping the entire room. When it was done, everyone would feel as if they were in a strange new dimension, with a solid white floor, and with a grey background in where several synthetic appearing rifts of wind were gently flowing by.

"This tech again," Shinji muttered as the collective group of makeshift generals and Captains looked at the passing colors of synthetic colorations as it filtered through the area and showed them the visual description of the new threat.

"While Ultharon was attacking Soul Society, I seized the opprotunity to infiltrate his palace. Unfortunatley, it seems that most everything that I had gathered on Ultharon's origins, was either the telling of another Gran Vasto Lorde, or had simply aged and decayed with time thanks to what I found deep within the reaches of his palace." Charles began, holding up his fingers and moving them as if he were pressing buttons. However, where his fingers stopped, a bright white light for each finger popped up, indicating that there was a keyboard of sorts in front of him.

The scene then changed into a war torn Hueco Mundo, with fires and smoke reaching up into the skies and thousands of dead below a great mountain, Soul reaper and Hollow alike. At a first glance, it would appear as if the Soul Reapers and Hollows had killed each other. But the next part changed that assumption.

One Soul Reaper was staggering around the ground, bloodied and wounded as he grabbed his Zanpakuto as tight as he could. A large, tyrannosaurus like Adjuchas, unharmed mostly from the apparent battle, roared out and charged at him. The Soul Reaper prepared for a fight, but suddenley, a large black spear flew down from above and slammed into the warrior's left shoulder and going out his right shoulder. His eyes buldged out of their sockets and he fell over, squriming around until he was dead.

The Hollow looked at what happened with animalistic curiousity, but then another spear of similar origin flew into the creature's eye and out his other, instantly killing it.

The scene then shifted to the top of the massive mountain, with Ultharon's shell form at it's top, looking over the battlefield with an annoyed and frustrated animalistic glare as he scanned around the area. Another spear in hand, he found another large Hollow scouring the field, and then threw the spear at it, flying through it's chest and pinning it to another large pile of bodies.

"Ultharon was no war hero, no savior of the Hollow race. No, he was in fact the reason that the Soul Reaper incursion of the Plinian Eruption was thrown back, for both the rebelling Hollow forces and the Soul Reaper attackers were both killed by him."

"This thing again," Seu-Feng said with an annoyed twitch in her brow, stepping out of her line to walk over to Charles despite the ongoing story, "I could care less if he was a saint or a heathen! That monster killed my superior, my lady, and many of my comrades for the self sake of terminating us from the map and using the Hollowity to do it! What the hell are you babbling about now, old man?!"

"Oi, shut the fuck up and let em' speak, ya damned brat." Raiken silenced her harshly, narrowing his left eye slit down at her in a down looking fashion. "Keep that mouth of yers shut and you just might find out what he's getting at."

Charles then cleared his throat. "Gran Vasto Lordes, as it turns out, are not meant to lead Hueco Mundo, they are not meant to be gods or kings, but rather, they are a sign..."

Ultharon then took his black sword and stabbed himself in his chest with it, releasing a grand red spiritual energy and revealing his true, sovereign form behind it. Just behind him and in the mountain's large crater were at least thirty Vasto Lordes, all bowing before him and his dark glory.

"...a sign of the end times. Every time a Gran Vasto Lorde is born, it signals the end of a long cycle."

"You mean its the end of the world?" Shin'en asked with a sudden smile. Giving a shrug he then spoke aloud with a nonchalant tone, "if anything is supposed to be the bearer of omens, I guess that would be you. We're about to fight for our lives and you're going to tell me he's Armageddon incarnate?"

"Yes, Commander." the elder replied in a serious tone, eyeballing his nochalantancy with annoyance. "It is a process older than you, all of these other Captains, myself, and even your precursor, Yamamoto. Potentially even beyond individuals that came before his time."

The screen then switched to the cracked valley, showing the massive, demonic armored Hollow battle against the previous Commander before Yamamoto, in his armored Bankai as they battled against each other in the barren wastes. The power of the two exerted was unlike anything that any of them had seen in battle.

"Yamamoto's precursor witnessed this awful power first hand."

"But he was defeated, from my understanding," Shin'nen spoke with a slightly understanding tone, realizing acting carefree wasn't going to smooth the process of storytelling any further, "Yamamoto's predecessor defeated him, sealing him away before he could do any permanent harm to the Soul Society. He stopped him at the Cracked Valley."

"No, Ultharon was never actually defeated." Charles continued in a much more knowledgable tone. "The old warrior was force to use a special sealing spell on the beast, one who's practice has long since been forgotten. He had no other choice...after what the King of Hueco Mundo did."

The screen then showed Ultharon bat away the Soul Reaper in Bankai with a powerful back handed strike, before using Sonido to appear at the top of the tallest rock formation in the valley. Pulling out from behind him, a blackish blue sphere, he held it into the sky, letting it bristle with energy as it flew into the clouds. With a massive burst of power that decimated the clouds and cracked the earth beneath them, the sphere began to grow in size. Lightning from the massive black ball struck the earth, creating large pillars of dirt and fire. Pieces of mountains began to tear off by massive chunks, flying into the sphere as if they were being devoured.

'''"THE END HAS COME!!!!!!!!" '''

"The Devouring Sphere?!" Shin'nen and Seu-Feng spoke in sync, causing the collaborated entities shown to turn their eyes to the two of them. Shin'nen, for one, realized exactly what it was when told the story in a less dramatic and more verbal story. Shin'nen's eyes knitted into a glare, tightening his fists as he looked to the insane man, "it was sealed away long ago. No one knows where it is...had Ultharon found it, he would've used it to wipe out the Soul Society instead of this meaningless battle or retreat when he would've had the chance."

"This battle was merely an ends to test his strength, if my instincts tell me right." Charles replied calmly. "And you're correct about one thing, Commander. If it had been sealed away with Ultharon, he would have used it as soon as possible, and none of us would be standing here today. No, you see, from what I can tell based on my findings, this sphere and the Gran Vasto Lorde are connected in some way. When Ultharon was sealed, the sphere stopped growing, and instead reverted back to it's normal stage. It's likely that the Commander hid this sphere somewhere in a place he hoped no other would find it."

"And you think Ultharon is tracking it down?" Shin'nen spoke aloud, crossing his arms before leveling his stare at the older man, "and I'm going to assume you have an idea where it is too, right?"

"He has to be. It's his purpose, his sole reason for existing is to activate that sphere, and supposidly end this cycle." he replied plainly. "And no, I don't know it's exact location, but seeing as how Ultharon seemingly isn't moving from Hueco Mundo, it's likely that the sphere is in that realm, somewhere. Why the Commander of that age chose to hide it there is beyond me." he replied with a shaking of his head, in slight dissapointment. "This is why I came to warn you, your priority must be to find this sphere, this abomination, and to keep it from Ultharon until you manage to destroy him."

"I'll do more than keep it away from him," Shin'nen said with a guttural tone, his eyes flashing with anger as he locked his eyes with the maddening old man, "I plan to smash it into a thousand pieces, obliterating it from this existence!

"Captain Seu-Fon!"

"Yes!" Seu-Fon responded immediately, deciding to take this young man's word considering his relationship with the Head Captain, as well as his unofficial position among them.

"I want you to get that Soul Reaper agent, Akisame, and go to Hueco Mundo to find the artifact!"

"Sir?" Seu-Fon spoke aloud incredulously.

"Search Ultharon's Fortress for information! If he has even the slightest lead or possesses it already, retrieve it immediately and bring it to me!" Shin'nen spoke with urgency, his eyes showing nothing but determination to finish the task once and for all, "this artifact must not be activated! Its imperative it must be destroyed!"

"Y-Yes sir! I'll go find him and be off at once!" Seu-Fon nodded, rushing out of the Captains' Meeting Hall before initiating a Flash Step, disappearing from view.

"Daaamn~" Raiken said after a few moments of silence. "Bloody ground zero, eh? How did you find all of this shit out anyways, old man?" he asked Charles calmly.

"Simple, Mr. Uchiwa." the man replied calmly as he looked at the rest of the group slowly and turned around as he left. "I did my homework."

And with that, he was gone.

"Bloody lil' fucker." the Scot said in an annoyed fashion.

"Raiken," Shin'nen spoke swiftly, as soon as he was certain the elder man was out of sensory and hearing range, turning his gaze to stare into Raiken's eyes behind his mask, "I want you to keep an eye on both Captain Seu-Fon and Akisame while they're scouting Hueco Mundo. I'll also want you to follow mister McTavish," narrowing his eyes with suspicion, he spoke lowly, "his information is good. Too good. He's hiding something, and I want you to find out what he's doing when he's not spreading the gospel salvation to his fellow Soul Reapers..."

"Don't worry, Cap'n." the older, masked man replied, casually holding up his right hand, with his middle and index fingers touching his head and then sending them away in a lazy salute fashion. "Followin' things is what I do best."

Hollow War Council, Infiltration of the Enemy's Camp!
zzzzzzzzzz....

Within the massive palace of silver towers, known only as Las Noches, sitting on the large throne in the central council chamber, sat Ultharon. His massive, armored Sovereign form sitting high above all of the others as he rested his arm on his arm rest, and held it up to rest his head as he was...apparently sleeping.

"Well..." Caius spoke quietly, not daring to wake his king from his own slumber. "...this is awkward."

"We withdrew from battle just when things get interesting, and now our mighty King is asleep on his throne," Rana grumbled, as she, Caius and only a handful of the Vasto Lordes were left from the battle. As Gravich being one of their greatest casualties, most of the generals and commanders over Ultharon's army were intact, save for a good third of the army that was neutralized by the intruders ontop of the actual casualties produced by the defenders. Gathering for a War Council Meeting with his generals, Ultharon was supposed to deliver the next plan for a renewed invasion.

Or...rather was going to until the generals found him asleep on his seat.

"Aren't you going to wake him up?" A unnamed Vasto Lordes asked Caius, not wanting to be the one to earn a vengeful, irrational punishment by his superior.

"Would you want this entire palace vaporized along with all of us inside?" he replied in an honest voice, inwardly not wanting to be the one to wake him. "We all know that when he rests, no man nor god may disturb him. We will simply have to wait for him to awaken."

"This is what I get for joining a crusade against the Soul Society? You're suggesting we wait here while the Soul Society mounts a counteroffensive, with no real plan of our own to trump anymore equal or superior combatants they might be scrounging from their Noble Houses and pits they're keeping them?! You must be joking?!" Another unnamed Vasto Lordes shouted out, slamming his palms onto the "armrests" of stone cemented around his makeshift seat within the vastly sized meeting.

"And would you rather spur a power far greater than any of us, a power that Soul Society and all of it's military might fears to no end, from his rest, risking our lives over the forces of a crippled army?" Caius retaliated calmly.

"It only took one of them to destroy a third of our remaining forces," Rana pointed out, her eyes now half-lidded and looking dryly at Caius, "the fact that Ultharon didn't kill him outright means his power potentially is on par with his own. Every Captain, locked into a vicious battle, could feel that power. Prove to me, Caius, that Ultharon the Mighty has never been defeated or can be defeated, and I'll follow your King's orders without question."

"He will not need to prove anything...."

The daunting, fear inducing voice of the monstrous and armored king rung out, as his red eyes shined out for all of them to see. Several of them cringed as they felt a crippling power run through their bodies, as their king sat up right, eyeballing Rana in particular.

"And you...will serve me...without question, with...or without proof."

"Did I strike a nerve, Lord Ultharon?" Rana looked up stoically without turning her head, her eyes sideglancing the entity as it awakened, "I would like to know, as your general and subordinate, what our priorities were in that battle initially. If it wasn't to crush them immediately and without hesitation, why did we withdraw? Were you...afraid? Or does it have something to do with not possessing this so-called secret weapon, Project: Sphere?"

The being chuckled lowly in response. "Such a naive little creature you are...so...fragile...."

BRWWWOOOOOOSH!!!!!!

Rana would feel an overwhelming and horrifying sensation running through her mind and body, crippling in strength as the creature spoke to her calmly. "We withdrew...yes, and yet, you chose to follow when I ordered it. You chose to flee...like a coward. If you had elected to stay, I would have let you. And yet you chose to run...I feel it in your half-blooded, worthless soul...you fear me...you will always fear me...."

"NGGGH!" Rana felt herself nearly fall out of her own chosen seat from the crushing, godforsaking pain rushing through her mind and body. The "Pull" felt stronger than she ever knew it could be. It was physically, mentally torturous to even raise her head to him. And yet, with a taste in her mouth resembling blood, Rana smiled, "...I would have been left to be slaughtered...you know that...everyone would know it being left behind. It is not cowardice...it is...Hollow...instinct...to survive...not...to die," she then raised her head up to face his gaze, breathing heavily even as she crushed the handles on her makeshift seat, her Will alone keeping her from crying in pain and falling to the floor, "and I...feel your presence...and know...what...you are...Ultharon. If anyone isn't...Hollow...its...you. I've lived...far longer...than any of those...half-breeds...I'm...genuine...evolved. I didn't need...to rip off my mask...to take it...off...nor need...an empty promise...made by...a lowly Soul Reaper!"

"Indeed." he replied calmly, as he slowly let a more steady, and yet still painful feeling go through her mind, one that went into the minds of the other Vasto Lordes as well. "I am not Hollow, I am not a half-breed."

He then stood up fully, raising his arms to his sides. "I am a god amoungst you all. My age preceeds all of you, my power ascends all of you. Your minds, your bodies, the ground that you walk on, the earth that you tread, the breath you inhale, the thoughts that run through your mind. All of these things are under my control. My word here is law, my fist holds your worlds, and my boot stays at your back. So long as I live, I am your king, your leader, your sovereign. And none of you, will ever change that."

He then came behind Rana, calmly putting a hand on her shoulder as the pain in her mind would cease, and in it's place was a peaceful, soothing one. "Do you understand now, Rana Zolinder?"

"Yeah...I do," Rana's eyes cooly stared into his, not filled with vehement anger, but not of joy either. It was neutrality. As long as the Beast had need of her, he didn't have any intention of striking her down. That made it slightly reassuring...and slightly more honest than any deal she made with that entity, "just make sure you uphold your intention of destroying the Soul Society, and I'll fight to my dying breath to slaughter every, single, one of them. If your goals remain the same, I'll remain at your side, till the end."

"Excellent." he replied, patting her shoulder a couple of times before walking back to his throne, his massive wings sheathing back to allow him to sit better. "Now then...our next plan, is to let them come here."

"A trap?" One of the other Vasto Lordes, clearing his throat as he realized his superior had developed a more diplomatic tone than earlier, "don't you think the Soul Reapers know we'd prepare our defenses for a counterattack?"

"For any predictable strategy, that would be true," Rana spoke knowingly, having remained seated the entire ordeal she merely crossed one leg over the other before clasping her hands as she looked over to Ultharon, "but I assume this would be no ordinary defense?"

"What they fail to realize, is that we have the homefield advantage." Caius said calmly. "His majesty has the power to bend this entire realm in various ways. We can be prepared for any assault."

"Quite." the king replied without looking at any of them. "And the sphere...I can feel it calling to me. It is somewhere, here in Hueco Mundo..."

"Bend? Sphere? What are you talking about?! What homfield advantage?!" The Vasto Lordes asked in an exasperated tone, looking back and forth between Rana, his fellow associated generals, and Caius himself, clearly not understanding what upper hand they possessed over the Soul Reapers besides Ultharon himself.

The king calmly looked over to the Vasto Lorde. "Peace, boy. It is not something that any of you need to worry about in depth. All you need to know, is that it will win this war..."

He then looked up at the ceiling as a peaceful sensation would run through the Vasto's mind. "...and it will end all wars."

"R-Really? Is that the truth-"

"Wouldn't that be delightful?!"

A voice suddenly interrupted the Vasto Lordes' words, as a hidden force entered the Hall without warning even to the likes of Rana and Caius, with the bare exception of Ultharon himself. The man bore a raimant similar to fur around his collar-line on a grey-matte robe, bordering on a simple tunic underneath with a pair of gray linen slacks and fur laced boots. With long silver hair bordering a handsome, youthful yet experienced visage, he smiled with a carefree glint in his eyes as he walked into the presence of demigods and a god-king.

"After all...its a basic instinct to wish all violence and chaos to be ceased, isn't it? Most humans themselves wish for a Utopia to model after the heavens themselves and live forever without fear of suffering, pain, hunger or death. But who's to say we can or can't do it? We are in the presence," bowing halfway, the mysterious man paid a respect to Ultharon before raising his head back up, "of the one and only Gran Vasto Lordes, Ultharon the Archdemon himself!"

To this, the mighty king looked down slowly at the newcomer, speaking a calmly delighted tone. "Ahh....Jinete del Juicio. What a pleasant surprise. I can only imagine what brings my old friend back from his...sojourns...?"

"Caius," Rana spoke lowly, as to not interrupt or cause diversion of attention of the newcomer to herself, "do you know this entity?"

"I've been watching your progress, Ultharon," Jinete spoke with a smile, walking forward past the various suspicious glances and glares by the other Vasto Lordes seated around the high-risen throne of his own crafting, "From the time of your Rebirth, to your rallying of a Legion of Hollows, to your Invasion of the Soul Society for the first time in over several thousand years, your actions have sparked my curiosity. That, and your...latent talents of guidance and charisma," he chuckled in a subtle, knowing tone as he crossed his arms across his chest as he walked to just a handful of meters away from Ultharon's throne, looking him into the eyes with a stoic look more genuine than Rana's front of blind courage.

"You recall saying that you are a genuine Arrancar, Rana?" Caius replied quietly back to her. "This is the very first of your kind, Jinete del Juicio, a pure Arrancar."

Ultharon chuckled quietly. "Of course you have, old one." he replied, placing both arms on his armrests and sitting up straight. "So tell me, how have you been these past few thousand years? I trust that Nohemi and your...hm, offspring, are doing quite well? Not that I need your input really, as I see what all Hollows see, but it would be good to have an idle conversation, yes?" he spoke in a wry, sinister tone.

"Oh, here and there," Jinete spoke vaguely, smiling as he was unaffected by Ultharon's initial tone of voice, narrowing his eyes, "but you shouldn't worry about them. They're off on their own personal sojourns. They aren't as...interested....in this war as I have become."

"They will be, soon." the armored entity replied, not changing his tone. "All Hollows will feel my influence, and they will come in greater numbers. But you, on the other hand, have only come here out of curiousity, am I right?"

"Of course!" Jinete spoke with a flourish of his arms, turning around and hopping onto a slap of stone, raising himself up in a slightly higher pedestal than the others and about even with the Hollow King, "I've lived for countless ages! I've seen some of the most fantastic battles! The most horrific massacres! The longest and bloodiest wars! The Rise & Fall of nations! The Death and Rebirth of Legacies! This is no different than what happened twelve years ago, when the fate of our world rested in the hands of a human and a Soul Reaper.

"Now," he waved a hand in Ultharon's direction, smiling widely as he spoke, "it rests in the hands of a Hollow," and then he waved his hand behind him, emphasizing what laid beyond Hueco Mundo and outside Ultharon's fortress, "and a Soul Reaper. Because we all know, it matters little how this war ends. It will be decided by one, key battle. Between you and your Soul Reaper counterpart. One will lose, the other will win. I'm here, to make sure I see it all," he then placed his hands on his hips, speaking in a confident tone, "by joining you as one of your key military advisors and generals in this monumentous battle!"

"Hmph." The hollow tyrant mused quietly, before tapping his fingers in rythym on his arm rest. "I'm glad to see that your spirits haven't dampened, as well as your determination to battle."

He then stood up fully. "And with your aid, it's likely we won't fail at all..."

"Sounds good!" Jinete clapped his hands together with anticipation, rubbing them with jubilious cheer as he hopped back off and sat on the broken pillar's stump as his own little seat, crossing his legs over, "I assume no one has a problem with that?"

None of the other Vasto Lordes dared to speak against their Hollow King's wishes, nor wish to challenge the new visitor. No, most of the gathered entities eyes fell onto Caius and Rana, the only ones whom didn't say much after the intruder spoke out to their superior and king.

While Rana narrowed her eyes at him, she remained silent.

As for Caius...

...nothing, showing his approval.

"Excellent." the hollow king declared as his massive form walked down from it's stairs and next to, and then past Jinete as his placed his arms behind his back.

"My brothers, sisters," he began, speaking in a rather noble voice, despite it's menacing echo. "Yesterday, was merely a taste of what Soul Society deserves for it's treachery. Despite the numbers that we lost, Soul Society lost nearly twice as much. We proved to them that day, just what happens to us when we are treated like animals. And now, now they wish for more pain and suffering. They wish to intrude upon our sacred ground, and hunt us...LIKE ANIMALS!!!!!"

BOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!!!!!

Raising his arms into the air, the entire palace of Lost Noches began to shake violently, before it suddenly jerked upwards as if it were rising. From the outside, the castle appeared to be rising into the air, with a massive pillar of dirt and debris following it. Behind the dust, was an actual pillar of the same creation of the castle, revealing more to Las Noches than even Aizen would have thought. It was several thousand meters in the sky.

"But here, the advantage is ours! In their land, the only way that they could shape it's creation was with destruction! Here, the very earth bends to our will! Here, Hueco Mundo is it's own life! We will give them war..."

He then walked to the edge of the door way, with the other Vasto's following. "...a war that they will not soon forget!!!!!!"

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Only a few meters on the edge of Las Noches' great wall, now thousands of feet in the air...

"What's going on?! Why is the fortress moving?!" Seu-Fon voiced aloud with widened eyes of disbelief, as the priorly thought already more-than-large-enough city-sized castle was now even higher and larger than before. With a sea of pale sand pouring from the new outer edges of the enlarged and more ancient looking fortress, Seu-Fon couldn't believe how many hat tricks this new Hollow Lord had up its sleeves.

"Holy shit..." Akisame said along with her, now fully healed and garbed in the standard, sleeveless Soul Reaper Haori, his Zanpakuto on his back as he too looked up in disbelief at what he was witnessing. "...the fuck is this guy?!"

"Whatever he's up to with this base is irrelevent," Seu-Fon spoke in a firm, cleared tone, reassuring herself as much as she was Akisame. She turned her head towards the upper balcony from which they heard most of the War Council Meet of their enemies, "it seems like Ultharon can feel the sphere in Hueco Mundo, but doesn't appear to have it yet. We should check the interior of his fortress, see if we can find any center for intelligence so we can cross reference what we know with their own findings..."

"Well, I'd bet if it was anywhere...." he replied as he looked around briefly, looking more towards the center of the newly risen tower, noticing several arcane symbols and etchings. "...it would be here, right under him."

"That'd be too easy," Seu-Fon looked at the tower, blinking a little at seeing the arcane letters and markings within its space. The very place where former King Barragarn had sat, the same place where Aizen built the new structures now called Las Noches, was the very spot where the sphere was hidden?! "I hardly think our Head Captain's predecessor was so foolish as to hide it where the predominant seat of power for Hueco Mundo's rulers were sitting...!"

"You'd be surprised..." Akisame continued, walking up to the tower's side and smoothly rubbing his hand against it's surface, as if he were trying to decipher some of the markings and etchings. "A lot of things can happen within a span of nearly 3'000 years. Wherever he may have hid it before, if he didn't already put it here, something, or someone may have found it, and then tried to have some fun with it. Who knows?"

He continued to look at the markings carefully, pointing at certain symbols and memorizing their appearance. "Let's see...I remember old man telling me about how these things worked...."

"Its coded? Are you sure its wise to unlock it when all of our enemies could sense its activation?" Seu-Fon asked, suddenly looking around, wondering if it was a good idea for them to be unlocking anything the enemy would be aware of.

"It's coded...but it could be a map..." he said as he continued to look at the symbols.

"Well, make it quick," Seu-Fon turned around, placing her hand near her weapon as she narrowed her eyes and readied herself for conflict, "I'd rather be gone from here as fast as possible and find the sphere. I can't help but feel trapped just being close to this place. Cold...and suffocating..."

"Okay..." he continued, eyeballing more of the symbols. "Old man always said that Las Noches was special for some reason. I think I know why..."

He looked around at them more, pointing at different symbols and silently speaking to himself out of hearing range. "The sphere...is in this column that Ultharon raised up. The symbols are all saying it's just below us, in a lower level. But how to get down there..."

Suddenly, he felt a very odd pulling sensation, feeling as if it were wanting him to go around the building from the left, behind the main entrance. "Hey...Soifon, follow me over here..."

"Whatever you say," Seu-Fon spoke lowly, turning around and following him towards the intended destination, "just don't let us get caught intentionally, idiot..."

"That hurts my feelings, you know." he said with a wry smile as he continued to look and feel for the sensation. "If there were any Hollows here, we'd have felt them by now. Most all of them are up there with him...-here we go."

He then found a rather large carving at the base of the pillar, showing what appeared to be a primitive Ultharon's sovereign forn, with it's sword stuck in the ground. "Heh, I wonder what this is supposed to mean?" he said in a jocular, sarcastic tone.

"The End Is Nigh, Rawr!" Seu-Fon comically tried to impersonate Ultharon, scrunching up her face while clawing her hands up while attempting to make an effigy expression of her arch nemesis. Also, it was her sarcastic response to what the painting was depicting.

"Close." he said with a chuckle, not at her actual impression, but at the fact that she actually tried to be funny around him. "But it actually means..." he went on, placing his hand on the center of the etching. With a blue glow emerging from his eyes, and his form bristling with a strange blue aura. Slowly but surely, the ground below them began to sink, causing him to step back as he looked and saw that a stair case was now revealed, leading to places unknown. "...that whatever we're looking for, is down there."

"...!" Seu-Fon could only gasp as she saw the secret hidden door open, and briefly shine a blue luminous light over him, allowing them both entry to the spiral staircase. Whatever lied within the dark, Seu-Fon could only feel the cold, suffocating embrace become stronger. It felt almost as if...it was stronger than the bestial nightmare she faced, even when he transformed. With a shivering vocal response, Seu-Fon nodded in the direction with a unknown certainty, "whatever we're looking for...its down there. I'm c-certain of it..."

"Yeah....it's down there alright."

He then looked over to her with a slightly concerned expression, holding out his hand to her. "You okay? You look kinda shaken..."

Once he took hold of Seu-Fon's hand, he'd almost feel a bone-crushing force of trembling from her. It was almost like she was having a panic attack. Her eyes's pupils contracted in and out, as the unheard howling could be felt by the superior senses that the female Captain held over the average senses of the male Captain-class entity next to him, "That thing...its...feels like its hungry. It wants out. Its like its a living thing...and not...and...and...it feels like it wants to suffocate anything around it, for being drowned in darkness without its master! I can hear its voice!"

"Hey hey..." he said calmly coming closer to her, doing his best from cringing due to the powerful grip on his hand, placing his other arm around her back as he spoke to her in a calm, stern voice. "You don't need to panic, not now. We have to do this, Soul Society, hell, even all of existance depends on what we do right now in these next few minutes. Stay strong, we can get through this."

"Ah~" Seu-Fon felt herself brought back to the present, as her eyes refocused back onto Akisame. It wasn't until now she realized that same, strange feeling emanated from Akisame himself, yet softer and more controlled. It was as if his own voice sounded reasonable and calmed her. Releasing her steel vice grip from his hand, she walked quickly past him, resuming her passive, stoic tone as she spoke, "let's go. I want to awake from this nightmare once and for all..."

"Right." he said, following her as they descended the stair case, finding their visibility decreasing as they went lower and lower for what seemed endless.

"Geez." he said as they continued at their even pace. "It feels like this goes on for at least a mile-"

BONK!!!!!

Of course, before he could finish, he found himself hitting a flat wall at the end of the steps that he had absolutely no way of knowing it was there before hand. "....or not....I think this is it..."

SPRAT-FZZZZZT!

"Let me help you with that," A smirking, haughty tone heard from Seu-Fon as she raised her left hand and created a makeshift light, stemmed from her Spirit Energy. The yellow glow was both warm and comforting in the aura that it covered, allowing Seu-Fon to see the ancient, rune-covered stone door before them. Rubbing her hands over it, she could definitely tell it was made from the minerals not of Hueco Mundo itself. With startled realization, Seu-Fon whispered, "this is made of unrefined Sekisekki mixed with the sands of the dessert below us. I think this is what's kept everyone from feeling its presence and power," looking over to the luminous colored Akisame, Seu-Fon looked to him for guidance, "what do you make of this?"

"Hmm...." he said as he looked up at the large, primitively marked door as he rubbed the top of his head briefly. "Let's have a look here..." he went on as he began looking at the symbols carefully.

"Okay...okay, old man always said that each of these markings represents a single word." he said, pointing at five symbols that were going around what appeared to be the Sovereign form of the Hollow King, with his arms spread out to his sides.

"Look down here." he said to her, pointing at part of the etchings that were below the Sovereign, showing what appeared to be etchings of a desert land on the right, with ghost like drawings floating up to the King's own etching, and on the left was what appeared to be a very crudely drawn Seireitei, with the same ghost figures floating from it up to the King's form as well.

"This must be relating to his previous invasion, the one in ancient times." he said cooly, as he stroked his chin in thought as he looked at the etchings carefully. "But I don't get why both sides are going to him. The Sovereign of Hueco Mundo only rules Hueco Mundo....unless....in this prophecy, Ultharon was actually supposed to conquer the Soul Society...but if he failed the first and second time...then...maybe, just maybe, the sphere won't work. If it's only supposed to work for one cycle at a time, and it's pattern was distorted...."

"So, what's it got to do with the sphere and the door? Is there a reason why our Head Captain's predecessor bothered to record all this mumbo jumbo onto the door itself?" She asked quizzidly, knowing that it wouldn't have been the enemy's own doing.

"I doubt the old Head Captain made this." he said, as he stood up full and looked at it more. "But then again, who's to say he didn't?"

As he looked further, his gaze looked upwards and then downwards, as a hint of confusion came on his expression. "Something's not right...I keep feeling like there is something missing in this picture...."

"Maybe I need to give you more light? Your head seems pretty dim right now," Seu-Fon joked, as she held her light-aura hand closer to the letters enscribed onto the ancient door.

"Ha ha. I get it." he chuckled, before looking at the carvings closer. "No I mean...it feels like there's more to it, but it's just buried under the stairs...."

zzzzzzzzzz....

"What the hell...?" he said suddenley, as a blue light came from his chest, reaching down in his haori, he pulled out a necklace that had been on his neck for as long as he could remember, a blue shard in it's center that released the blue glow. the object was also oddly pointing towards the door, with the etchings and carvings slowly taking on the same blue light. "...is this???"

The sudden, ominous thrum from within and without suddenly struck Seu-Fon as if she was pulled into a spacial vacuum and warped inside and out. This thing, even as it glowed vibrantly, permeated a eery pressure that enraptured her and for some reason, didn't even affect the damned wearer. She knew exactly what it was, without even seeing the original article. Her body couldn't take the proximity...it had to be destroyed!

"Akisame..." Seu-Fon said in a low, barely controlled tone as she stared wide-eyed at him, reaching her hand out to him with an almost demanding gait, "give that to me! That's...the suffocating...that's a fragment! It wants to be whole! Do not put it in there, you hear me?! DESTROY IT!"

"Whoa now." he said with confusion as the fragment suddenly went away from her, going to the back of his head and away from Soifon. "What are you talking about?"

"I...don't know," Seu-Fon gasped, trying to breathe once more in a calm state, but heaved with effort as sweat drained down her browline, "but whatever it is...its trying to reach out on a mental level, almost empathetically manipulating those around it. Its a sub-sentient organism, capable of consuming anything within a single command, though it can gradually break down the spirit of those around it, eventually consuming the mingling energies prespirating from the deceasing Spirits around it. That...is a fragment of the Destruction Sphere of old. The Tamakujo!"

"The Tamakujo...." he repeated quietly, as he felt the fragment pointing towards the door. "Well....we either stand here and let the bad guys catch up to us, or we go ahead and open it....and at least try to get it out of Hueco Mundo, as far away as we can from Ultharon at the very best....What do you think?"

"Fine," Seu-Fon swallowed down the last trace of fear, nodding to the door, "open the damn thing and let's smash it. Failing that, we can take it and thrust it into the black abyss that separates this world from all others. Deal?"

"Sure thing." he said with a smirk, before letting the shard on his necklace touch the center of the Ultharon etching. With a fairly low grumble, the door began to rise, showing the rest of the carvings that Akisame previously said was missing. Showing a large sphere growing in size and devouring the previous two mentioned Societies.

When it went all the way up fully, what they saw could only be described as mezmerizing.

It was a massive circular room, with a walkway going all around it, Just past this walkway a few feet was a circular set of stairs that descended towards the center of the room. When they reached the center, they ascended into an upward stair case, making a sort of stair tower in the very center of the room. And above that stair, was an enormous, floating sphere of pure stone, in appearance.

"Oh wow...." Akisame said with slightly wider eyes, the shard on his necklace still pointing to it. "...smashing that thing is going to be fun, that's for sure...."

"Please..."

SSSSPRAAAAACK-FZZZZZRRRRK!!!

"...allow me!" Seu-Fon spoke aloud, lighting up her body with the properties of Shunkō, her body emanating a fierce and vibrant Spiritual Pressure in tune to her animosity towards the sleeping, dormant shell of was known to be the ultimate weapon for Hollowity. The weapon of mass destruction, the Tamakujo, was finally going to be annihilated, once and for all.

"HAAAH!" With a mighty swing of her right fist, enraptured in Spiritual Energy of the most potent kind, sending the cracklying fist in what would seem an attempt of shattering the ancient stone artifact...

BOOOOOOOOOONG~

...only for her strike to be the equivalent of trying to move a mountain.

Nothing. The only thing that her move did was simply make a fairly loud booming noise in the room, and send her flailing back from it's impact.

Akisame sighed, casually walking up to her and looking down at her in a rather bored looking expression. "Nice. Now do you think you'll let me have a look at it first?"

"I-I was just warming up!" Seu-Fon comically snapped back, feeling flustered as the object seemingly denied her the satisfaction in destroying it. After righting herself up, she walked around the object, trying to find some sort've indication a shield or a barrier that would've knocked her back so hard. It couldn't be so dense that it would blow off a strike from Shunkō so easily, would it?

"Well, you're welcome to do it again." he said as he walked around the other side of the large, dark white sphere of stone in the air, his necklace shard still pointing at it. "It's definatley a shield of sorts, something covering the actual sphere itself...but it doesn't seem to be made of stone...more like the material used to make the door from earlier...."

"It would explain why my Shunkō couldn't dent it," Seu-Fon sighed in frustration, propping her fists on her hips, furrowing her brows as she swayed her black ponytail side to side, in sync with the shakes of her head, "physical force would need to be immense in order to crush it, and Spirit Energy would just be repelled unless a large concentrated force would aim for a specific spot."

"And then there's this shard on my neck..." he said as he eventually made his way around next to Soifon, with their backs facing the original entrance of the room, looking down at the small, black object with confusion. A necklace he had kept with him all of his life, and he never knew where it came from, nor why it was acting the way it was. "....Why does it keep pointing towards the sphere...?"

"Because, my dear boy...."

His eyes widened when he heard the all too familiar voice of his old mentor, Charles McTavish. The elderly man's hunched over form at the entrance with a rather...sinister grin on his face. "...the sphere wishes to be whole..."

Seu-Fon's eyes widened when she heard the decrepit, menacing voice. Turning around, she snarled at seeing the old man looking smug as well as finally showing his true colors. It all made painful, terrible sense now that she thought about it. "You're the one who let Ultharon bypass the Sekisekki shield! You're the one who gave him information the last time he invaded the Seireitei, and this time! You're the traitor who made this all possible...Charles McTavish!"

"My my, quite the deductive skills you have, Captain." he continued with the same look, holding out a hand in emphasis. "Yes, I did cripple the Sekisekki barrier, but I gave him no information on the actual battle. I let him handle that on his own."

"Now I see why you've been so focused on this Gran Vasto Lorde bullshit..." Akisame said with a scowl, disqusted at how his old teacher and friend was actually a decripit traitor. "...and I guess you're going to tell us why you're doing this right about now, right?!"

"No." the elder replied, placing his hands behind his back once again.

ZIT!

Boosh!!!!

A massive shadow appeared behind both Seu-Fon and Akisame, towering over both of them as the spiritual pressure within the entity almost made Akisame throw up from it's suffocating wake. As he turned his eye to see what it was, he could barely speak upon seeing the armored form of Ultharon, looking down at the two of them with a evil grin, hidden behind his mask.

"He will."

"Y-You-!" Seu-Fon felt herself nearly suffocate from being so close to the fully armored, Sovereign form of the nightmare that took so many of her comrades and people she cared about. Genryūsai Yamamoto. Yoruichi Shihōin. And many others...but...turning her gaze towards the old man who made this all possible, she couldn't help but direct a unbridled rage towards the one entity she was convinced she could kill.

"You..."

SHFT-SPRAAAAAAACK-FZZZZTCRRK!!!

"...TRAITOR!!!!" Seu-Fon launched herself at the elderly man, her body moving at speeds as fast as she could muster, as well as donning the chaotic, destructive energy cloak of Shunkō. Swinging her right fist as she reached his position, she intended on smashing his face inwards, ripping his head clean off so at least the Soul Society would be rid of one hinderence.

Here, Charles simply smirked.

"Blacken."

WerBRUSH!!!!!!

He held out his right hand, a sudden burst of blackish fire emited from his palm, with the flames quickly forming into a demonic, key like weapon with razor edges on both of it's sides.

"Jikan no Ichi."

TANG!!!!!!

Seu-Fon's fist connected with the flat end of the sword, and as soon as it did, she would find her movements slowed to an almost insane degree with her vision taking on a violet hue, the shockwave of her punch flying behind the elderly man, who stood motionless with his same expression.

CRACK!!!!!

With a deft and masterfully executed Flash Step, with speeds that would be almost unbelievable for one of his age, he reappeared to her left, and delivered a bone crushing boot into her right rib cage, a sickening crack coming from them as it would send her flying into the other end of the room.

"Seu-Fo-GARCKK!!!!!" Akisame began as he tried to run to her, only for an effortlessly exerted back hand from the Sovereign Ultharon sending him in the other direction, slamming into the wall with such force that the room shook violently.

"NGH!" Once the foot connected with her Shunkō-enraptured body, she could even feel the force behind the deceptively old man's attack. Feeling herself flying through the air in a cartwheel, spinning motion, she finally righted herself before slamming the soles of her sandles against the wall, propelling herself back up into the air, raising both of her hands towards her target, "Hadō #72, Sōren Sōkatsui!"

SPRAAAAAACK-BOOM!!!

The resulting fissure of condensed blue-white Spiritual Energy fire, raced across the air within moments, intending on destroying her target and the object of her rage and despair once and for all. She would...not let her actions be for nothing!

"Ha!" the twisted elder said as he pointed his black, key like weapon at the oncoming blast. As it approached, the weapon becan to glow with several strands of violet electricity, before discharging them towards the Kidou and enrapturing it's form. the blast seemed to literaly stop in middair just inches from Charles' form. However, it didn't stop there, the strands all flew towards and surrounded Seu-Fon's form, slowing her movements once more to great degrees.

BRWOOOOSH!!!!!

He then pointed his left finger at her slowed form. "Tenran!" he shouted, releasing a violent and continuous torrent of concentrated, tornado like winds upon her slowed body. However, this blast caught hold of the still Sokatsui blast, enrapturing it within it's maw in it's center, therefore, combining the two attacks into one that released a truly devestating explosion in her area.

Fwhoosh!

Coming from the smoke cloud, Seu-Fon's smoke curling, charred appearing form flew over with her arms limp and her head held back with a pained expression on her face. She was beaten, and she knew why. They rushed in without a plan and opened the door with that fool coming in. But then again, judging the way Akisame looked at the old man...he probably didn't expect him to be betrayed by his mentor either. A common...attraction she supposed...

CRACK-Slump...

With that thought left in her passed out mind, Seu-Fon fell to the ground, limp and unmoving. If it wasn't for the faint gasps her unconscious form took, one would almost think her to be dead.

"How pitiful..." the old man surmised with dissapointment as he held his blade at his side and shaking his head. "A Stealth Force Captain, defeated by a few fell strikes. I expected more..."

ZIT!!!!!

Seu-Fon's form then vanished, and in it's place stood Akisame's slightly bruised form from the previous impact, holding the unconscious woman in his left arm while holding his sealed Zanpakutōin his right hand. His face in a scowl as he breathed fairly heavily, as Ultharon's previous backhand had surprisingly taken a great deal of energy out of him.

"Why, McTavish?" he said with anger as his grip on both his weapon and Seu-Fon tightened. "What drove you to do this? To side with them!?"

"It's fairly simple." the elder replied calmly. "Revenge, and for retribution. The Soul Society made a grave mistake when they attacked me an my followers, disciples."

"Followers?" Akisame said as he took a step back, waiting for either Charles or Ultharon to make a move. "What followers!?"

"Foolish imbecile, have you forgotten my teachings? The lectures and all of the lessons? The Red Sun, the glorious spawns of Izanami's brood, shall now have their revenge for the unjust actions taken upon them so many centuries ago!" he replied.

"Heh, you really are as pathetic as I imagined you to be," Seu-Fon's previously thought incapacitated form opened its eyes shifting towards the old man mockingly, "you're nothing but a senile old man who harbored a grudge against the only Just people in this world. Your delusions and insanity will be your own undoing..."

FZZZT!

The body in Akisame's arms suddenly dissipated into nothing, appearing as if it became nothing but a "Clone". Which meant the real Seu-Fon was...

SMACK-CRACK!

And with that said, the real one had absorbed the damage with the sudden flash and defusing of her Shunkō, allowing her to cloak her Spiritual Energy and presence by Bakudo # 26, Kyokkō. When Charles became convinced her Flash Step Clone, she appeared within the space of an instant as her double talked to him, and launched a nigh invisible, powerful elbow jab to the base of his neck where it met his shoulder. The result of such physical impact would surely incapacitate him, no matter his physical integrity, "Never let your guard down, Bastard!"

SNATCH!!!!!

Charles wouldn't have to move, for the massive form of Ultharon caught her by the back of the head with an effortless, and yet painful grasp.

"Surely, you didn't forget about me now, did you?" the beast mocked as he held up the smaller form of Seu-Fon. "I advise that you stay down next time, I would prefer that you remain alive for the big show."

"GRK!" Seu-Fon felt her arms spasm from the grip, the unforgiving malicious grip of the monster behind her. She shouldn't have been so careless, she thought, for forgetting the fact the King of Hueco Mundo was in the same room and vicinity. She couldn't reach her sword without her head being popped like a melon, and she couldn't possibly hope to overpower him like he was in his husk form...so she did the only thing she could do.

"P-Protocol Lambda 6-6-9-1-..."

SLUMP!

And like that, Seu-Fon knocked herself out, via special voice command probe within her brain and her Spiritronic network. With her unconscious, she knew she would be less of a hinderence to Akisame. After all...he was trying to help them, right?

"Go for help...its the only way...Akisame..." Was her last thoughts before submitting to the darkness she forcefully plunged into, for the sake of keeping them from interrogating them.