The War of Four: The Precipice of War

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Anticipated Betrayal, The Real Fight Begins Now!
"This isn't looking good," Kyōaku thought to himself as he observed the battlefield. From what he could tell, the Fullbringer squads were being captured or subdued swiftly by the organized Alliance squads. Not only that, but he intercepted the communique from Dragon Brina McTavish, reigning in all of the remaining members of the 43rd Sherman Regiment to withdraw, effectively crippling any chance to establish a good foothold within the Rukonagi Districts surrounding the Seireitei areas.

Not only that, but the staff within the headquarters was only a mere 5% of the remaining forces left at their disposal. With the destruction of their aerial fleet, carrying a good portion of their Airborne Units and Aircraft with them, there would be no chance to call in reinforcements to keep HQ secure.

He also found disturbing readings that Furuidensh ō and Hana had won against his associates. He could sense their Spiritual Pressure faintly, allowing to breathe a sigh of relief. All containment procedures had gone awry with Furuidensh ō's release, not even being able to retrieve K ōsei's very much alive person as he went into hiding within the substructure of the Seireitei.

Even more recently, he saw that Shūkurō's signal had gone offline and his Spiritual Pressure vanished. All video and audio feeds were cut, and his presence seemed to completely disappear. Ky ōaku growled lowly, finding it frustrating that one of his most valued colleagues had gone missing at such a crucial point, as well when he was on the verge of gaining victory over ex-Captain Kuchiki.

"I can't believe its come to this," Ky ōaku spoke as he began to type in specific commands into the interactive console on his armplate, as he spoke aloud to the ever-impassive visage of his unhelpful ally, "S  ōsuke-kun, I suggest if you want to keep purchase of this territory to bring in what forces you have at your disposal. What personnel we have left I'm going to transport to one of our secure outposts in Aether, and regroup with our forces there. It will take time, but we can resupply and repair any damage you and your forces make once I have everything ready in a few days time-" 

"I think you misunderstand the position you placed yourself in, Ky ōaku H ōritsu," S ōsuke interrupted, his voice boding with something akin to a disappointed tone, as his discolored eyes met the visor of Ky ōaku's helm, "you've just weakened the enemy for myself and Yhwach-san to utterly crush here and today. While you and your precious Horsemen associates have now been struck to your knees, I'm going to assume the throne I've deserved since the first day of the invasion."

Ky ōaku's body stiffened, and his finger stopped hitting commands. He knew this would be a issue, and had accounted for a number of ways to deal with him. But now of all times? Considering he didn't have Tsukishima at his beck and call to assist him, he couldn't defer to the frontal assault he desired.

"You know, I think you'll understand if I tell you that I expected this from you. I just honestly wish that it wasn't true," Ky ōaku spoke with a sigh, rising from his seat, walking slowly towards Aizen's direction as he thumbed his Zanpakut ō out of its sheathe, "after all the humiliation you suffered at the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki, you couldn't just roll over and die, could you? How about you do us all a favor and do so now."

"Ky ōaku H ōritsu," S ōsuke spoke directly to him, his eyes casting down at him analytically as he sat upon his smoothly carved throne, "you're a man of great intellect, combat prowess, and resilience. Its no wonder you were chosen as the Third Horseman of the Inner Circle. But honestly, if you wanted to have a chance of possibly incapacitating me, you would've needed at least two of your comrades. Alone...you are nothing but dust in the wind to me."

"All I hear is talking," Ky ōaku snarled behind his helm menacingly, as he withdrew his Zanpakut ō out of his enamored scabbard, raising it to bear upon the White King himself, "why don't you show me what you're made of!"

S ōsuke merely tapped his right forefinger against the armrest of his throne, as his silver eye glowed brightly in emphasis of his remotely triggered action, "R ōten!"

All Ky ōaku saw was white. Instinctively, his Kid ō armor reinforced his physical defenses, as a searing column of white flames erupted beneath him, searing up into the heavens, and splitting the thunderous column of storm clouds. Within the star-lit sky, a cacophony of white electrical bolts flew from one edge of the hole within the storm covered sky to another, to signify the devestating power behind the blast.

Swinging his blade to part the flames, Ky ōaku couldn't help but scoff aloud at the attempt. His Kid ō Armor had been imbued with properties similar to his Zanpakut ō. Having dissipated the destructive energies within the space around his body, Ky ōaku had silently released Zanpakut ō to further instill his integrity against the unnaturally potent blast.

To this, S ōsuke's eyes widened a fraction with intrigue and surprise.

"Oh? You're still standing after an attack like that?" S ōsuke asked with curiosity, his eyes glistening with promise of a challenge.

"Your fancy tricks won't help you, S ōsuke-kun," Ky ōaku chided his enemy with a mock bow, rearing his blade back in preparation, "though, I'm fairly certain that you'll find my type of tricks to be much more substantial."

SHFT-SPLURCH!

"G-Gaugh!" S ōsuke's mouth suddenly ejected a forceful load of blood from his mouth. Looking down with surprise, he barely had time to react to Ky ōaku's thrust, and looked down to see his chest impaled by Ky ōaku's blade. What's worse, was the sight of a split H ōgyoku bend under the power of his enemy's weapon, causing his eyes to widen with shock and very apparent fear "w-what have you done...to...me?!"

"Amaterasu is a Zanpakut ō with unprecedented power over Life and Death. Its an embodiment of sowing life to its wielder and reaping it from those it may claim as prey," Ky ōaku explained as he dug his blade further through the marble throne S ōsuke sat upon, relishing the violent twitches as blood began to flow from the ivory seat and descending the dramatic steps, "I don't care if you think you're a god, superior to the Children of Izanami, or if the H  ōgyoku has made you nigh immortal. My Zanpakut  ō's control over the fate of anything its edge comes into contact is absolute. No one is exempt. Not even you!"

As more blood gargled up from S ōsuke's throat, a guttural chuckle elapsed from his sickly, blood-soaked lips as he looked haughtily back at Ky ōaku, "Thank you for that information, Ky ōaku-chan. I'll make sure...to use it wisely...against you..."

"What are you-?" Ky ōaku began to ask, but wouldn't get the chance to finish.

''' SPLURCH! '''

"-nnnngh?!" Ky ōaku lurched forward onto his blade, as he felt something push through his back and out his chest, effectively tearing through the armor as if it was nothing but cloth. Looking down, he saw an immaculate hand, identical to S ōsuke's, covered in his blood up to his black silk sleeve.

As he looked at the victim that fell prey to his blade, he realized with horror it was indeed S ōsuke who impaled him from behind. The blood, the body, the scent and visual body that sat before him shattered into glass fragments, before dissipating into the air as blue slivers of spirit energy.

"Its a good thing I left myself to double for my presence. Had you hit me with my guard down, you might've done serious damage to me," S ōsuke spoke behind him, as his feet hovered in the middle of the space behind the twitching body solidly embedding his arm within, "that is, if you actually could touch me with such an arrogantly presumptious weapon such as that."

"Myself?" Ky ōaku thought, as his mind began to work in overdrive, as he slowly withdrew his blade from the cracked throne, "does he mean that...he didn't cast an illusion on me...but rather...left an impressionary creation of his that he could manipulate from any span of distance, even preform his own techniques at will? Then...I know he hasn't made me succumb to an illusion...which means..."

GRRRRRRP!

"?!" S ōsuke's eyes widened as he felt his wrist firmly grasped by Ky ōaku's left gloved hand, with sudden renewed strength he didn't account for.

"Thanks for giving yourself away, S ōsuke-kun. That was very..."

''' SLICE! '''

"...thoughtful of you!" Ky ōaku snarled out, as his blade swung around and dismembered both his own grappling left arm, but S ōsuke's right arm as well.

"What?!" S ōsuke quickly backpedaled away, ignoring the fact his own right forearm had been sliced cleanly off, but the fact Ky ōaku cut his own to allow the clean cut to succeed in taking his limb off.

"I'm pretty certain that your body is unnaturally condensed with Spiritual particles, making physical injuries almost impossible to occur unless a high yield of force is utilized," Ky ōaku spoke calmly, as he turned to address S ōsuke, despite the copious amounts of blood continued to leak from his left stump and his midriff's newly attained hole, "so I  hypothesized that the only thing that could negate that type of physical integrity were a spacial-type Kid ō, a refined blade composed of Sekkiseki minerals, or by making contact with my Zanpakut  ō's edge. Thanks to you, the third hypothetical option is now a factual one I can use at my own leisure."

"You seem...awfully confident for a man who has been impaled, and sacrificed his own arm," S ōsuke spoke with an impassively stoic stare, "even if you were physically at the peak your Shinigami abilities, even you cannot possibly fight against me without some form of fallback plan in mind."

"Awfully perceptive of you, S ōsuke-kun! In fact, I do have a reliable source of replenishing my lost blood and body's tissue," Ky ōaku spoke nonchalantly, turning his blade around to point at his chest.

Surely enough, his chest seemed to be instinctively sealing itself up from the inside, as strands of blood red tissue sewn itself from within, before his skin overlapped on the outside and perfectly healed it within a matter of seconds. Even his arm generated new bone, ligaments, muscle, and skin to flawlessly duplicate what had been lost, shown with an instinctive gripping movement as he showed it to S ōsuke's eyes.

"My body is filled to the brim with nanites that activate when my body is in danger. I can subconsciously order them to repair any damage sustained and replace any tissue, blood, bone, organs, and limbs that have been lost. You could call this...Perfect Regeneration...due to it not even touching my bountiful supply of Spiritual Power within my body," Ky ōaku smiled smugly behind his helm, waving his blade out before S ōsuke, "though, I'm sure this is a much more crude form of healing power in comparison to yours, S ōsuke-kun."

"You see right through me, eh?" S ōsuke mockingly observed, as he stood up fully. Without even batting an eye, white fluid and strands of unnatural tissue stretched from within the severed portion of his right arm, reassembling his arm within seconds. He even repaired the sleeve with a small dispersal of unfelt Spirit Energy manipulation, "anymore abilities do you have to show, or am I wasting my time prattling on with you?"

"Patience, S ōsuke-kun," Ky ō aku spoke aloud, as he mentally calculated the next best approach. He knew that a prolonged battle would acquire unwanted attention from any number of allies at his enemy's disposal, not to mention display the weakened state the Inner Circle had been desperate to hide thus far.

He knew a singular strike would be needed. Even if his opponent could die, then at least one that would leave him in a state close to death. He needed to move fast if he was to gather his allies to withdraw and gain more forces to properly take back their headquarters. If he kept this up much longer, he wouldn't be able to accomplish anything.

"As much as I'd like to test my abilities and see if we can truly compete against each other as truly intelligent warriors," Ky ōaku explained, raising his blade to be horizontally aligned to his upper chest, its edge pointing to his left as he glared behind his helm, "but I'm afraid only one attack shall truly declare whom will have dominion over the Spiritual and Material Realms."

Pocketing his hands inside his coat, S ōsuke smiled with an anticipating expression, allowing himself the opportunity to witness this man's strategy unfold.

"Ban...kai!" Ky ōaku shouted aloud, his blade transforming and the scabbard dissipating altogether.

Then, his Spiritual Power erupted.

' VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!!! '

As if a literal Sun had been birthed into the space, S ōsuke's eyes widened with shock and his smile dropped to show a sign of shock-ridden agape. Black tongues flowed across the ground, a column of golden light enraptured over a sphere of silver-orange-red energy that swirled around Ky ōaku and transformed his very being.

Exiting the maelstrom of destruction was a completely different looking entity than S ōsuke would've expected. Gone was the violet and black, dramatic attire, including the black helm he had fastened over his head, now shoing his face, having transformed to reveal all of his magnificence and glory before his enemy.

Ky ōaku's once brown trimmed hair had changed into black, silky smooth mane that caressed his shoulders. A golden necklace rested over his collarbone, with tomoes of various colors resting over the front of his red & white kimono. A pair of rectangular shaped golden earrings dangled from his ears, grouped in three per side, making his beguilingly crimson eyes all the more fiery and intimidatingly attractive. Both of his sleeves were grandiose in gait and had a white background with red symbolic circles on each flanking direction, each of them holding red linen wrappings looped casually over each other to hook behind his lower back. A red sash wrapped around his waist, holding fast the white hakama skirt flowing around his legs, with nothing but bare feet below its enraptured surface.

Most impressively, a fastened array of golden embroidery of deified design flourished from the base of his spine upwards. As if in the shape of a pair of solid golden wings in the shape of rising flames, a pair of tomoe tongues hovered with a vibrant glow just a good meter above his shoulders. Lastly, the back of his head erected into a form of a crown, forming a triangular shape that speared out in three directions, while magnificently flourishing within his black locks.

A smooth and eloquent voice broke out, bordering on the side of effeminity as he directed his attention to S ōsuke's quivering gaze, " Taiyōshin. What you see before you is the ultimate power I withold as the 3rd Horseman, the strongest force that my Zanpakut ō can muster forth ."

"Such...a magnificent Bankai to witness," S ōsuke spoke with more composure than he had shown, his smile returning as he fully analyzed the power standing before him. After just a few seconds of deliberation, S ōsuke placed his hand on his sword, unsheathing it deliberately slow as he verbally regarded him with respect, "this may come to a shock to you, but you have truly impressed me, Ky ōaku-chan. Seeing this power...excites me to no end. I wish to play a little and see what kind of power you possess, and whether or not it can truly end me!"

"I can linger here no longer, S ōsuke-kun," Ky ōaku spoke pointedly, his hand flicking to the side in emphasis. Within a flash of glistening gold light, a blade materialized within his right hand.

Its design being regal, having a brown leather grip with golden weaving within and without. A circular pommel, two curled rings of gold veering into a silver diamond, flowing upwards into a pointed section where the blade began on the sword itself. Flowing upwards, a handful of golden rings hang loosely from the left side of the double-bladed weapon, before ending in a double-edged point.

Bearing his Zanpakut ō upon his enemy, Ky ōaku then spoke with determination as his body lit up with a golden, divine aura that seemed to outshine any Bankai form displayed before S ōsuke's eyes, "Your machinations and this war, end now!"

"W-What is that?!" Furuidensh ō shouted as he suddenly felt an enormous Spiritual Power rise to the surface. It was what followed the enormous pyre of white light that burst from the main headquarters of the Four Horsemen, where he thought Aizen, Yhwach, and the last known Horseman, Ky ōaku H ōritsu were located, "t-that light...it looks like its Ky ōaku's!"

"Ky ō-sama!" Seihai shouted with alarm, recognizing the power and the Bankai, having only shown it to her at one point, "i-i-it can't be! He was going to use Bankai's power to undo all of the death our forces sustained and the devestation wrought by the A-Alliance. Why is he using it now?! Is he going to wipe the enemy out?!"

There was only one answer to that.

"Aizen!!"

Suna's guttural growl would emit the word as if it was a poison. Slowly, he brought himself up to his feet and breathed heavily as he dusted himself off. Thanks to Seihai's healing. the parts of his body that had been destroyed by Furuidenshō had been repaired to full functionality. However, the amount of energy he had expelled in the duel had still left him considerably exhausted. His figure was hunched over, his blade held limply in one hand. But it did nothing to restrain the contempt within his voice.

"Kyōaku wouldn't activate his Bankai this early unless he was engaging a real tough enemy, and Pretty Boy was the one sitting by his side when we left." He continued, glaring over his shoulder in the direction of the power surge. "The bastard must've readied his knife earlier than anticipated! Doesn't matter, though..." He let out a grunt as he tried steadying himself. "If he can't kill Aizen, then I'll make sure to pick up where he left off!!"

"S-Suna! You can't!" Seihai shouted with alarm, grasping him by the shoulder to emphasize her concern, "I've restored the blood you lost and your arm, but you still need time to recouperate your stamina and Spiritual Power. Without it, even a half-dead Aizen wouldn't think of you as a threat!"

"We already have a containment plan set up for Aizen and that bearded partner of his," Furuidenshō spoke from his stalwart stance, holding his sword at the ready, but keeping it sealed to minimize the use of what Spiritual Power he had left, "plus, I owe them some payback. You just sit tight until we wrap this war up."

That caused the Horseman to look at him with a mix of incredulity, disbelief and anger. Although the Head Captain seemed ready to defend himself, he was making no more moves to slay the two where he stood. Earlier before, he had seemed all too ready to destroy him, at the very least. But now that the battle was over, there was no more aggression and no more malicious intent. There was no more fight, despite their positions. Was he really being spared, despite all the destruction he wreaked upon the Soul Society and his reasons for doing so?

To anyone else, it would have been a blessing. But for a warrior like Suna, it was a spit to the face. He grit his teeth, struggling to lift his sword up to point at Furuidenshō. "And what makes you think I'm going to do exactly that, Head Captain?!" He sneered. "I came into this situation expecting a duel to the death. One man lives, the other dies. After all that talk about killing me and the rest of the Horsemen to end this war, you're just going to leave it like this?!"

He couldn't keep his sword arm up for much longer, and it once again fell to his side. But he would straighten himself up a bit more, his eyes meeting his enemy's. "If you don't have the stones to end my life, then how are you even beginning to think of defeating Aizen and Ywach?! Will you spare them, too?! Lock them up in a solitary prison and hope that they don't escape again?!" His sneer turned into a mocking grin, and he shook his head in resentment while letting out a chuckle. "Yeah, I'm sure that'd work very well considering the last time you did that..."

A screeching noise would pierce their hearing senses, and it would be followed by a blinding light. It would take the form of a light blue bolt, the size of a tire iron, One that flew into Suna's left shoulder...

SPLURCH!!!

...and blasted out of his right shoulder, burning straight through his upper torso's innards. The shape, the noise, the spiritual energy associated with the blast... it would be all too familiar to the lot of them.

"It's a pity then, Horseman." the sly voice of Yhwach wrang from the direction of the Heilig Pfeil. His right index finger was pointed directly at them, the source of the blast, and his virtually unfazed figure stood calmly, with his black cloak billowing lightly in the wind. "That you, one of the great warriors of your time, will die filled with despair, rather than pride." he finished with his trademark smirk.

Time stopped.

Suna's eyes widened when he felt the sudden pressure tear through him. His pupils dilated, and the mocking smile was wiped off of his face. He felt himself staggering back against the pressure, all of his limbs suddenly becoming a lot heavier and colder. With his free arm, he shakily pressed a hand to the newly created wound and held his palm to eye level. Not only was his hand coated into his own blood, but he could see bits and pieces of his internal organs across his fingers.

"So this is it, then? This is how I'm going to die?"

As his eyes half-lidded and the light was slowly starting to vanish from his pupils, he slowly looked up at both Furuidenshō and the Quincy King. A small and bitter smile came across his face. "You see, Captain?" He croaked, his voice thick with his own blood. "Th-this isn't a fairy tail in where the villain is redeemed by defeat. One side lives and the other dies. You try to do what you just tried to do with me... they'll break out, continue their rampage and destroy what you value. If you really want what is best for Soul Society and the rest of the world... destroy them, wipe them from the face of existence. That's the only way you can ever hope for peace..."

He was cut off by his own blood rising within his throat. He fell to one knee, erupting a plethora of sticky red liquid from his mouth. His sword dropped to his side, and he found himself struggling to hold himself up with his remaining arm. He couldn't hold his head up anymore and could only direct his voice to the subordinate he had allowed himself to call a comrade. "Sorry, kid..." He whispered, allowing his head to crane in her direction and give a blood-filled smile. "If any of the other Horsemen make it through this... you'll have to give them my regards for me... farewell..." Slowly, his eyes closed and the last of his motor functions began to shut down.

"Seihai."

He would collapse on his back in a puddle of his own blood. His eyes were closed, and his bloodied chest would fall still. The Horsemen was dead.

"N-No!" Seihai felt herself freeze, and her whole body quake. It was unbelievable. She didn't sense Yhwach's approach and was too careless to raise a barrier to protect him. Why didn't she do it?! And his last words, caused tears to roll down her face, "S-Suna-dono?! S-Suna?! SUNA!!!!!!!"

Furuidensh ō's eyes widened at the scene that unfolded. He heard Seihai's cries deafen to the thumping heart behind his chest. His pupils dilated as his gaze directed towards Yhwach, with a vicious snarl to bare towards the Quincy King. An believable, white hot rage boiled within his gut and expanded outwards.

"You...decrepit...human...BASTAAAAAAAAARD!!!!!" Furuidensh ō roared out with no restraint, his body engulfed with a pyre of Spiritual Power that expanded across his whole being. The visage made him appear like a collosal being, with blazing red eyes, with a bright blue sword at his side. The force quaked the entirety of the Seireitei, as debris rose up into the air, and tendrils of spiritual electric pulses ran across the landscape, his being warped as much as his murder-filled voice was, "I'm going to rip you apart and leave nothing for you to come back from, Yhwach Juhabach!"

"Come now, Shin'nen." Yhwach replied calmly, taking note of the massive release of spiritual energy, but not letting it disrupt his composure. "I do believe it's time for you to grow up."

His hand would raise once more, and from his palm, a black arrow of energy would fire out at the massive construct of energy that Furuidensho's person created. It blew right through the construct's chest, and within seconds, the construct began breaking down. Furuidensho's Spiritual Pressure, what he was exerting, was beginning to break down, and decrease in strength.

"It's called 'Zerfall'." he explained casually. "It takes whatever form of Spiritual energy, Reishi, Kidō, even your naturally exerted power, and breaks it down into nothingness. Within just a few minutes, you will be rendered completely helpless." he then grinned in a sinister way. "As will your entire Seireitei, when the Quincy reclaim what is rightfully theirs!!"

'''CRACK-FZZZZT! '''Within a single swipe, Furuidensh ō's blade shattered the structural integrity of the incoming black arrow, as well as dispersing the wrath-induced aura he had. With a vivid glare, the Head Captain snarled out, "You'd actually think such an obvious attack would work on me?! You're losing your touch, old man!"

'' SHFT-SHEEEEOOOOOOOW! ''

"Kaimetsu!" Furuidensh ō shouted, as he appeared before his enemy and released his own Spiritual Power within a blinding wave of destructive light. At the forefront of the light, an enormous pyre of explosive force burst out, aiming to strike the Quincy's Blut Vene protected body and throw him across the skyline of the Seireitei, as the flames burst across the sky magnanimously and declaritively, utterly breaking the moment of respite from titanic battles.

Forming his own Spirit Weapon, Yhwach's curved blade clashed with Furui's and created a large divide between the Commander's incredible attack. Channeling the Reishi around him into his weapon, Yhwach was able to send a powerful wave against the opposing force, sending the Commander skidding back several meters.

"You must not have heard me." The Quincy king smirked, stabbing his blade into the ground while still holding onto it's handle. "I said it's time for the Quincy... to reclaim what is ours."

From the ground underneath him, a massive pillar of blue flames erupted, consuming his entire form and stretching for several meters. Following this, nearly twenty more pillars of the same size and scope began appearing on random parts of the Soul Society battleground. However, while these flames erupted, their shadows began to spread around the Seireitei. Soon, the shadows would start to deteriorate, but in their place would not be the ruined structures of the Shinigami home, but rather, it would appear to be a frozen city of Victorian design. This soon overtook all of the Soul Society, changing the layout of the battlefield entirely.

When the fire pillars disappeared, beings cloaked in the same uniform as Asumu Godai, As Nodt, Driscoll Berci, and Bambietta Basterbine, would be standing in their place. These were the remaining Stern Ritter!

Yhwach himself appeared out of his flame pillar, the place where he and Furui stood now being the top of a massive building made of the same ice material as the rest of the new city.

"Our home."

A Tale of Veteran and Survivor
"How are you feeling?"

"Normally... I'd say okay. But..."

Tenshina was looking at one of his arms in amazement and awe, holding its wrist with the other hand while he did so. "Whatever that revive pill did... it certainly had an extra kick to it. I don't know if it was just the fact that I got killed or what, but I feel so... invigorated." A wide grin slowly crept across his face as he turned his head to look at Kameyo. "I feel like could take down a full-grown Dragonbird with nothing but my bare hands!"

"That's because the pill does more than just revive you." Braeburn allowed himself to speak up, causing the brown-haired young man's eyes to fall on him. He was leaning against a wall with his arms folded across his chest. "It retains the basic genetic code that made up your identity and the like. Normally, that would only allow you to keep your powers. But modification allows the capsule user's combat abilities bolstered to a much higher level. Not sure what exactly what you and your friend's been pushed to," He gave a light shrug of the shoulders. "But, if I had to take a guess, you'd be about triple from where you were when you were human."

"Quite a useful thing to have, considering your recent losing streak." Kameyo remarked jokingly, earning a slight glare from Tenshina.

"Hey!"

"In any case, I guess we owe our lives to that shady character after all," Choku smiled, pressing his forefingers along the bridge of his nose, adjusting his glasses as he looked over at Kameyo and his allies, "its funny how one member of the Gotei 13 ended up saving us from an ex-member, right Valeur-san?"

"It is indeed strange," Valeur spoke with a frown, his arm wrapping firmly around Kameyo's waist as he kept her close, especially while amongst tentative allies, "but I'm more curious as to what kind of price this Noroshi expected from us in return. Information? Tactics? More grunts for the Alliance war effort?"

"Let the brass worry about that later," Yōki spoke with a tired, nonchalant tone as she waved towards Valeur's direction, smiling towards Bokujin and Choku's visage, "consider us on the same side for the time being. Just don't go starting trouble unless you want it to find you."

Rokotsu squatted right next to Kameyo, smiling widely and waved right in front of her face, "Hello there! Let's be friends, okay?!"

"Rok-chan, that's too close," Yōki spoke with a narrow-eyed stare of disapproval.

"Oh go ahead! These people we almost got killed or were nearly killed themselves are totally sociable to your type!" Takashi jeered with a chuckle, now dressed in more traditional Shikhakushō with a straw hat sitting atop his head, leaning against a supply crate, "that is, if the very friendly robot chick wants you to keep your face for herself or not, hahaha!"

"You shut up, Takashi!" Yōki growled towards Takashi, only receiving an uncaring middle finger in emphasis of his dispassion to her orders.

"...I'm not a robot." After regarding the bubbly woman with a wide-eyed stare of curiosity and surprise, Kameyo would turn her eye to Takashi. "The correct term would be "cyborg", a hybrid of flesh and machinery."

This caused Tenshina to take a double-take at her. "...wait, what?"

Kameyo closed her eyes and gave a slight nod of acknowledgement... well, as best as she could while cuddled up to Valeur. "I have certain... disorders... that prohibit me from going into combat without them being regulated. To fix it, I had to undergo extensive surgery to keep internal functionality at stable levels. The Inner Circle doctors were trying to find a more long-lasting and less micromanaging solution. That is, until the war took place."

The brown-haired boy couldn't help but cock an eyebrow. "You definitely sound like a robot, you know that?"

"It's what helps make our group much more diverse." With that being said, Kameyo turned her attention back to Rōkotsu. "And aren't we friends already?"

"Well...I guess so," Rokotsu tapped her lips, as she looked over at Yōki, "are we friends, Yōki-chan?"

"Yes, Rok-chan. We are," Yōki smiled while rolling her eyes.

"Then we are!" Rokotsu spoke with a wide smile, reaching out and hugging Kameyo tightly, "so nice to have another friend!"

Valeur could only blink with surprise, as part of his arm was smothered by the orange haired woman, leaning against Kameyo in a surprise sign of affection and comraderie.

Choku sighed, chuckling as he looked over at Braeburn, "So now that we're all friends, when are you going to pass the rice balls and pour us some cups of tea? Despite my new body's invigoration coursing through me, I'd prefer if I could fill up the empty gut I have right now."

"What?" Braeburn allowed a smirk to cross his face, turning his head to look over at the man. "Did Captain Kuchiki just happen to slice out your lunch, too?" It was a rather dark joke to make, admittedly. Considering the near-death experience they had at the hands of the wrathful Byakuya, chances are it would have shaken them up a little rather than make any of them laugh. So naturally, this would get a slight glare from the brown-haired male.

"Seriously? The least you could do is pay us some sympathy, you prick." He grumbled, showing annoyance. "By what the medics told us, Kameyo was in pretty bad condition when we were taken here. I'm pretty sure that the last thing she or any of us need to be reminded of is us getting butchered like we did--"

"And thus, the cyborg-knight-ninja sandwich was created."

Kameyo's deadpan line promptly caused him to break off from his tirade. Both he and Braeburn ended up looking in surprise at the pale girl, who was now. being hugged by both Valeur and Rōkotsu at once. With the orange-haired woman on one side and the knight on the other, it really looked like Kameyo was being sandwiched between the two. The sight made Tenshina forget his annoyance and smile a little, raising a hand to cover his mouth lightly.

"Oh, if only I had a camera...." He thought to himself, his smile growing wider when he saw Kameyo slip an arm out to bring it around Rōkotsu and bring her closer. Throughout it, she still had the comic deadpan look on her face.

"Alright, Rok-chan, you've socialized enough with your new friends," Yōki grasped her by the collar, pulling her away from the sandwitch that had been created, causing the lastter to pout, "go ahead and take point with the sentry. They need your eyes out there for now."

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiine~" Rokotsu narrowed her eyes, and hung her shoulders with disappointment, as she trotted away. Her axe dangling from her back, she made sure to jump into skip as her mood flipped back into positive as she hummed her way to the perimeter of the FOB recovery camp.

Valeur sighed, as he turned his gaze to the DCO squadsmen, asking them inquisitively, "So after this, what next? I'm fairly certain that the Inner Circle will call for allies from the other domains and encampments across the Spiritual Planes. Not to mention Aizen's forces from Hueco Mundo, and Yhwach's still transparent Quincy army, do you have any more allies to rely upon?"

"Details, details," Takashi waved his hand dismissively with a confident smile, "with the heads cut off from the body, there's no way the Inner Circle will mount a serious offensive against the Soul Society here, least of all once all of our Captains are back on their feet."

A slight frown crossed Braeburn's face. "I wouldn't put that into a guarantee just yet, though..." He commented, pushing himself off of the wall and looking at the two of them. "That's just talking about the Inner Circle here. Aizen and the Quincies are an entirely different story. They run under separate leaders, so I doubt that the casualties of one army will affect the effectiveness of another. Still," He folded his arms in a slight shrug, putting on a small grin. "We're doing pretty good so far. I'm sure that whatever they'll throw at us will just get tossed back just as quickly as it came, don't you think?"

Tenshina gave a heavy sigh at this, sitting down on the ground and resting his arms on his knees. "I really wish I shared your optimism, buddy..." He muttered. "We, for one, have been having real bad luck during everything that's been going on. I mean, sure, you guys were the cause of most of it... but as of this moment, I'm a bit pessimistic. All of it just seems too good to be true."

It was then at some point, the rise of Spiritual Power was unmistakable. It shook the foundation of the Soul Society, and could almost be felt as static-based pressure that sent spasms of pain for those within the Soul Society's perimeter.

Two things happened next. One was an enormous pyre of explosive force flowing overhead the FOB all company was residing in, dictating it to be an attack issued by the Head Captain himself against one of his enemies. The other, was far more ominous and ridden with despair...

The entire FOB encampment vanished, along with the Rukonagi sectors, and even the battel scarred Seireitei. Everything was swallowed up by flowing shadows, and replaced by the atmosphere of a cold, bleak landscape of frozen structures and white themed brick-laden roads.

The Soul Society was gone, and up came a new city, holding all of its inhabitants captive.

"Bokujin," Choku spoke pointedly, pressing his glasses up as he twitched a near comically sign of frustration and horror, melded into a visage of flat expression of irritation towards him, "I do believe that the term, you jynxed us, applies here indefinitely so."

"I have to concur with Ser Choku on this one," Valeur spoke aloud, as his eyes widened at seeing what had transpired before their eyes, as they were all sitting within a white hubble, rather than the comfortable compact tent they were all waiting in.

If Tenshina hadn't been paying more attention to their immediate surroundings, he would have been quick to retaliate.

He shot up from his position like it was filled with snakes, his widened and dilated eyes looking around. Despite the drop in temperature, his skin was sweating bullets under the terror he was feeling. If it hadn't been for the sickening wave of spiritual pressure that had washed over them earlier, he would have been a little more composed. But now, it was like he had been plucked from one familiar area and sent to a completely foreign one that showed signs of an apocalypse. He only managed to get out three words.

"What the fuck...?!"

He wasn't the only one to be deterred by the sudden change of scenery.

"Braeburn to Rokotsu and D.C.O. sentries outside Encampment 05-A!" The Australian barked into his earpiece, breaking from his idle relaxing stance. A few beads of sweat could be seen falling down his own face, and he clearly was on full alert. "What the bloody hell is going on out there?! Over!!" He gritted his teeth, running over to the door and raising a boot to deliver a sharp kick to the frame. It was blown off of its hinges, revealing the new and much more hostile environment to the hubble residents.

The only one who didn't seem that fazed by it was Kameyo.

"Well, this is quite interesting." The woman commented, quickly getting over her surprise quickly and analyzing their surroundings with curiosity. "I never knew that one had the power to transport entire societies from one place to another like this.... assuming that this is some sort of transportation spell..." Oddly enough, she hadn't moved an inch from her spot within Valeur's embrace. Apparently, the fact that they were in the enemy's home base hadn't bothered her that much.

"Rokotsu to Burny! The whole neighbourhood is gone! Just swallowed up by shadows and left stupid frozen buildings in their place!" Rokotsu responded immediately.

"Agent Ryos reporting! It appears that whatever caused it was beneath the Soul Society. It seems that the position of whatever world was axially mirroring this world was now inverted, trading places as if they're on two sides of a mirror, or shadows in this case," Another agent reported.

"What the Hell could've done this?! The entire battlefield has been changed, but none of the people left-...wait! They're appears to be dozens of fiery blue pyres, scorching up to the sky. They seem similar to when those four Stern Ritters appeared!" Another agent responded with apparent surprise.

"Dozens...of Stern Ritters?!" Yōki's face paled, as her breath came out in misty, ragged breaths of fear. Looking outside, she saw many pillars of blue fire, making it almost a frozen hell on the earth they stood upon. More worrisome was the pillar of flames appearing just a half kilometer away from their hubble, and not more than a dozen meters away from their designated perimeter, "perimeter team, you have a pillar of fire ontop of you! Pull back! I don't want the Stern Ritter engaging you!"

"They won't pull back in time," Valeur spoke gravely, tightening his grip on Kameyo briefly, before letting her go, walking forward to Braeburn and Yōki's positions, "I'll go help secure them an exit. Just say the word, and I'll draw its attention away from all of you."

"Sir Spear-a-lot, that's suicide! Those Stern Ritters were decimating the Alliance squads sent to contain them. How can you fair any better?!" Takashi asked out derrisively, while smiling nervously.

"I have something to come back to, and something to protect," Valeur spoke pointedly, as his eyes drew a stoic line towards him briefly, returning back to Kameyo, and then back at Braeburn, "that's saying more than what the squads had in mind when going to face such an unknown enemy. At least I have a vague idea what they're capable of."

This was enough to make Tenshina fall from his horrified trance.

He snapped his attention to Valeur, looking at him as if he had grown two heads. His eyes narrowed, and he grit his teeth. "And you think you can take them out all by yourself?!" He asked rhetorically in disbelief. "Those guys not only have skill, but they're probably going to outnumber you by the dozens! You're out of your mind if you think we're going to just sit here and let you go alone. Let us help you!"

"We are a team, aren't we?" Kameyo asked calmly, sliding off of the bench they were laying on and coming up to her feet. She reached behind her to grasp the hilt of her katana and to her waist to grasp the hilt of her chokuto, slowly unsheathing both swords and readying them. "It'd be a crime to let you stray into a battlefield by yourself if we can help it."

Silently, Braeburn regarded Yōki with a questioning gaze. Despite his own opinion on the matter, it was ultimately her call as the leader to decide on what to do.

Rolling her eyes, Y ōki sighed with a resigned tone, "Fine, we all go together. This place isn't any safer than it was before the topsy-turvy town replaced it."

Valeur looked towards Kameyo and then the rest. With a reluctant smile, he too gave in with a belated sigh, "I guess we're all going to save our friends. Do or die, just like always, hm?"

"That's the usual routine, Sir Pointy," Takashi quipped with a smile, as he stood to his own feet with acknowledgement, "its always a mission that's stacking the odds against us. That's what the DCO was made to do, after all. Take on the impossible missions and somehow succeed by the skin of our teeth."

"Not that much different than us, I suppose," Choku chuckled with realization, as he stood up next to Kameyo, Bokujin, and Valeur, "we're all in this together."

"...oh, no. Don't move at once, it's not like we're in an immediate rush or anything."

With that bit of sarcasm, Braeburn allowed himself to take the initiative. Without hesitation, he sprinted out of the door and began to race to the outside. His movements caused Tenshina to widen his eyes and jerk his head after the Australian. "W-wait a minute, what do you think you're--?!"

"Hurry up, or I'll leave you all behind!" Braeburn cut him off with his own call back to the group. Hee was quick to turn around and wave his arms in a brief rallying stance before using a Flash Step to take himself up to the rooftops.

The Fullbringer would be left to stare in slight disbelief before turning to the apparent team leader with only one question,  "Does he... do that often?"

"Its Braeburn's way of being serious without spoiling his sense of morale," Yōki explained with a smile, nodding to his direction as she walked to the chilling outside, "sarcasm and wit are his best weapons in the face of overwhelming odds of disadvantageous circumstances. You get used to it after awhile..."

Takashi snorted as he followed, "That's like trying to get used to Rokotsu's destructive impulses when she's drunk off her ass..."

"Or your inability to use your brain?" Yōki quipped back with a toothy-smirk.

"Dammit, Yōki!" Takashi comically flailed his arms as he chased after her and his squadmate.

Choku was left sighing as he took initiative for their group, "I guess it doesn't matter what side you're on. Every group needs a comedian, I suppose..."

"Indeed, Serah, we have our own," Valeur nodded, briefly casting his gaze to Bokujin, casting a brief hint of a humored smile, before rushing out of the exit with a bounding leap, "come on, Kameyo! The more we stay idle, the more likely Rokotsu and the others will need our services!"

"Ey!!" As Kameyo raced after him, Tenshina spared a slight glare in his retreating back. "Don't you mean come on, Kameyo and Tenshina?!" He snapped, balling up his fists. "Just because you've got a girlfriend now doesn't mean that I'm not your teammate anymore!" He followed this up with an annoyed groan, but decided to race after the two himself. He drew his balisong out of its holster, flipping it to transform it into the sword he loved so much. Once the cool air hit his face, his eyes narrowed and a scowl formed.

There could be no hesitation this time. There could be no fear or sympathy for the enemy. Either they fought and won, or they died in this Quincy-controlled iceland. He had already died once, and he sure didn't plan on doing it again. He gripped his sword tightly with his lone hand.

"Don't worry, Kameyo... not going to give you another chance to cry over us again. We're going to make it out alive... whatever it takes."

The White Light Cometh, A Band of Survivors Unite!
'''KRAK! '''

"Gaugh!" Rokotsu uttered, as saliva flew out of her mouth, and her body careened into half a dozen ice-crusted structures.

"Rokotsu!" One of the agents shouted with alarm, grasped by the shoulder for restraint by agent Ryos.

"Pull yourself together! The enemy is just over-" Ryos continued, but suddenly found himself cut off as blue arrow streaked through his shoulder, leaving a cauterized hole in its place. After coughing out blood, he fell onto his knee, upon the roof of the building they took refuge, "-there!"

"Ryos!"

"Its nothing I can't handle," Ryos struggled to remain calm, even as he saw the face-less, hodded Stern Ritter walking towards their direction, "but...I'm not sure how long..."

As far as the two remaining agents were, nearly a dozen others lied astrewn across the battlefield. Some were bent out of shape and seen lying in odd angles. Others were lying within pools of their own blood. Some, like Rokotsu, were lucky enough to be durable to handle the effortless assaults by the voiceless Quincy that continued to harass them inexplicably and without warning.

Speaking of Rokotsu...

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Rokotsu shouted out with rage, as she blew apart the debris she was thrust it, as she flew like a rocket towards her prey. Swinging her axe in all manners of directions around herself, she finally flipped in a right arcing sideways direction, swinging her axe with her, while it primed with golden crackling energy.

When she finally connected, she found a black gloved hand coming from his left side grasped her axe with ease, and held her airborne person aloft without difficulty. It was then, that he decided to speak, and with great amusement, "Such a beautiful girl. The Soul Society must be barbarous to have enlisted you into such an organization. Such a shame I have to break you..."

''CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! ''

With a simple clench of the hand, the axe's forward cutting edge shattered, allowing him to grip a handful of the bladed shards. Spinning to the side, he thrust the shards towards her exposed midriff, causing them to impale her body and exit out her back.

"A...uh...lp!" Rokotsu coughed up blood, as she fell to the ground, aghast at how utterly beaten she was.

"No need to cry, little one," the Quincy spoke lowly and with menace, as he pointed his right index fnger, causing it to light up with pale crackling light, "I'll make your end instantaneous."

It seemed like death was unavoidable.

Then, their saviors would come.

The Quincy would not notice the figure that had just arrived, a Flash Step spawning it to his side. He would not see the right cross being swung towards his face until the gloved knuckles came into view. But by then, it would've been too late to stop the attack. The assailant would hold a smile on his face, but a cold edge to a glare that spelled nothing but murder.

The gloved knuckles slammed into its target's jawbone, the force causing the bones within to ripple and shake for a brief moment. Had the man been a lesser being, a decapitation surely would've occurred. But as it was, the Quincy would be hurled back like a football. His body would create a ditch as it skidded through the ground, stopping its surf upon crashing into a far-off building. The assailant let his offending arm drop to the side, standing tall in front of the girl who had been moments away from meeting her maker.

"Mind if I cut in?" The Australian would ask rhetorically, a tone low and somewhat condescending to the foe he had momentarily struck down.

As the Quincy was sent flying in the opposing direction of buildings, Yōki and the others arrived beside Braeburn's side. It was at this moment that Yōki immediately applied the healing foam within her satchel to Rokotsu's injured body, asking her with concern tinged in her voice, "How bad is it? Can you fight?"

"Imma okay, Yōki...I...just need a few moments to catch my breath, ngh!" Rokotsu responded with a slight yelp at the cold foam touching her bleading midriff and backside.

"So much death in such a short amount of time," Valeur spoke with a hallowed tone, as his eyes swept over the area to see a dozen dead bodies of various sorts lying astrewn across the frozen battlefield, "I'm glad we came when we did..."

"It appears that the enemy did this methodically," Choku analyzed with a tap on his glasses, the optics quickly focusing on the various bodies and battle scars the landscape sustained, "almost as if it was a game. He must be an intellectual with a mental instability for sadism and malicious appetite for pain. Keep your guard up, this enemy is no joke."

"Like that wasn't obvious enough, Smartass!" Takashi jeered back as he unsheathed and unsealed his blade simultaneously, holding it out in front of him in a ready stance, "this guy's a Stern Ritter. And from the way they were deployed in the first place, they all seem to have a bit of crazy in each of them..."

"That seems to be commonplace here."

Trepidation crept into Tenshina's heart once he landed and saw the dead bodies all around him. Unlike the encounter with Kaien, this man was a psychopath. There was no indirect anger, only a thirst for blood and desire to kill. This was the same type of people that he had worked alongside prior to the turning point, and now he had to fight against them. He had no idea what his allies were feeling at this moment. But as best as he hid it, he was scared. The last thing he wanted to do was to be at the mercy of a killer with the mindset of a curious child.

Slowly, he took in a deep breath and looked at the D.C.O. operative who had dared to strike first. Although he couldn't see Braeburn's face from the angle that he was at, he could tell from the forward body stance that confidence overrode any possible fears. This allowed him to keep composure and retain himself a little more. If this man could stare into the face of a psycho and grin, then maybe he could as well. With that thought in mind, he gripped his chokuto in both of his hands and settled into a defensive stance.

"Do or die, Tenshina. Do or die..."

"I'll do well to cover you, agent Rokotsu." Kameyo's voice would break him out of his thoughts and momentarily turn his glance over to the pale-skinned woman. In turn, she was looking down on the orange-haired woman with visual serenity. "Even if it is for a moment, it is all that will be needed for the enemy to end your life. These Quincy already seem like the type to kick a foe while they are down..."

"Talking about someone behind their back isn't very polite," the Quincy spoke aloud as he walked out of the path of debris he had made. His hood was now pulled back, revealing black bangs and the tell-tale facial shape depicting him as a member of the Ishida Clan, making it definite with a pair of glasses resting comfortably upon the bridge of his nose, "I might have to cut out your tongues, and play a guessing game about what you're trying to communicate to me as I carve out your genitals. That sounds like a nice compensation for your rude behavior..."

Yōki immediately felt her throat dry as she saw the man emerge completely unscathed by Braeburn's punch. The fact how he seemed to be offended about their conversation about him gave rise to the idea that he was listening to everything being said, even from the distance he was hurdled. That and the fact his unmistakable visage gave her a chill down her spine in recognition of him.

"That's Kurai Ishida," Yōki spoke aloud in a hoarse whisper, raising her blade in front of her, initially causing Kurai to halt his advance as he observed each of them attentively, "he's the mad genius and black sheep of the Ishida Clan, and was considred one of the most prodigious of Hiryū Ishida, the Grandmaster of the Quincy Order. Last we saw of him was him trying to perfect a method of using Hollow powers without coming into physical contact with it...and had tested his theories sickeningly enough on a collection of Fullbring young adults, among his other disciples."

"You seem very informed for such a simple looking woman. I take it from your trappings that you are in league with these pathetic excuses the Soul Society call agents? I hope you're not considered the strongest, cause that would be the greatest disappointment to me, really," Kurai groaned aloud in a bored tone, pressing his glasses upwards as he smiled maliciously at them.

"Didn't even knock the bastard's glasses off!" Braeburn's eyes squinted in disdain as he glared at the man recognized as Kurai Ishida. Although he was somewhat disturbed by both Kurai's choice of words and Yōki's revelation, he was more concentrated on the fact that he hadn't so much as fazed his target. He could chalk that up to the Blut defensive properties in use. Apparently, he had not been fast enough to do damage before the shield could be put up.

"Do all of you Quincies have the habit of mouthing off in the middle of a fight?" He jeered, raising his fists up to a defensive stance. "No wonder all of you got slaughtered like you did!"

"Not bothering to consider how morbid those jokes are, Aussie?" A disturbed Tenshina thought to himself, smiling grimly. However, he would direct his next words to Kurai. "You're outnumbered and outmatched, you maniac!" He snarled, curling his lip and tensing up his body. "Give up and go back wherever you came from!"

"Or else it will be your tongue that we shall cut out." Kameyo added, all compassion in her voice having been exchanged for the cold and unreadable tone that she always took when in the midst of combat. She raised her swords up in a defensive yet aggressive stance, ready to engage. "This could be the very first time that I get to put my practice of a Colombian necktie to good use."

"...and Kameyo's just adding it on. Thank you very much, you frickin' white doll."

"Outnumbered? Outmatched? Those are rather nostalgic words," Kurai spoke with amusement, adjusting his glasses, allowing the lenses to capture a menacing glare off its surface as he continued, "I believe it was a gentleman by the name of Agent Ryunosuke something along those lines. Well...I think that I proved him wrong after I dismembered his limbs and set his insides on fire. They all were incredibly wrong about the overestimations they gave their own chances of success. So really," Kurai asked rhetorically, as he raised his hand towards their direction, the glove becoming enveloped with white light, "how do you know that you're not overestimating your chances?"

SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!

In that instant, a loud scream was heard as a solid wall of hard light slammed into all of the assembled group. The energy dug a large, wide fissure within the frozen cobblestone covered earth as the fighters were thrusted from Kurai's proximity and back the direction they seemingly came.

"Quick one, isn't he--?!"

Braeburn had to swing his arms up in front of him, dig his feet in and brace himself when the wave of light struck the group. But it did nothing but slow down the attack, causing them all to be blown back. He found his feet skidding in the dirt and leaving a ditch in their wake as they vainly tried to stop it. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tenshina's feet on the wave itself and the sword somehow buried within the material. The brown-haired male wouldn't waste time, shouting out to his female partner.

"Kameyo!"

Acting on an unspoken signal, the dug-in Kameyo would boost herself with a jump. She would scale the wall, her feet landing on the midway point for only a heartbeat's worth of time. With another leap, she had jumped the wall completely. Once her boots hit the path between the group and the Quincy, she performed another powerful leap. Tenshina would allow a sneering grin to cross his face as he sensed her move at him. With his blade buried in the light, he twisted it like a key.

The solid wall would explode into blinding brilliance as it was rewritten to its natural form. Kameyo would close her eyes as it came and she closed the distance between her and her target. In advantage of the blinding light, she swung one of her blades in an arc to slash both of Kurai's eyeballs.

The moment the blade grazed the Quincy's eyes, would also be the moment a flash of transmuting light would reveal the body's true form. Taking the form of a faceless, light-formed being, the faint scratch made within its visage quickly recouperated as it moved to thrust a humanoid fist to hit her chest in response.

SHFT-SHIIIIIIIIIIING!

"Careful about your advance, Kameyo!" Choku spoke in a chiding tone, as his body accelerated forth with enough speed to be on par with Kameyo's, and swung his sword with dizzying arcs around the avatar's body, lacing it with arcane letters. Within but a few moments, the avatar halted and then turned into nothing but firefly effigies, fluttering away harmlessly, "the way his Spiritual Pressure read was off and felt too concentrated...hitting us with hard light was far from an actually lethal response. Which means-!"

KRAK-KOOM!

A vibrant flash of electrical white energy flashed to all of their flanks, from which Valeur responded with a swift slash of his red spear, dispersing the energies within an instantaneous manner. He then finished for Choku, "-that the enemy never came back from the path that you sent him on, Serah Braeburn!"

Indeed, within a good thirty meter distance away from the group, Kurai stood with an extended black gloved hand. One could see the cracked left lense with anyone with a sharp eye, despite no signs of bruising seen along the jaw that was struck, clarified that he was indeed the real deal.

Inwardly, Kurai could only smile with amusement how quick their reactions to his attacks were, as well as their counters to his own tactics. He only recently adapted Licht Marionette to reproduce hard light copies of himself for subterfuge and diversionary streategies, but just now, he saw that it served its purpose well.

At this point, Yōki walked next to Valeur's spot so she could get a good view of the distant enemy who tried to hit them from their flank. With a smile, she held her blade horizontally, allowing a crimson aura to flow across it like fire as she gave her orders, "Takashi, I want you to follow-up after my attack's deflected. Bokujin and Kameyo, I want you to bring the heat from his blindspots, if possible. Valeur, provide us some cover from any counterattacks Kurai will throw our way. Choku, analyze any behavior or repetitive patterns within his movements and come up with another strategy when this one falls short."

"Sure thing," Choku spoke with a casual flick to his glasses, smiling in excess of his assignment, "though that doesn't sound like its a negotiable role, if you ask me..."

"This guy's mind is like a machine. The more we stand idle, the more time we give him to think up a winning strategy. I don't want to give him the opportunity to do so," with a sudden swish of her hand, releasing Sukārettosuringu into its Shikai form, "now GO!"

CRACK-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!

With a single discharge from her Hōden technique, the crimson spheres spun through the air, flying through like guided cannon balls towards its target. All of the four projectiles were bathed in fiery spirit energy, and accelerated in excess to strike its target hard and swiftly.

As the spheres neared him, Kurai shouted out with a chilling grin, "Child's play!"

WHAM!

Moving his body like a Kata step within a martial art exercise, Kurai slid his left foot around in front of him, before arcing his left arm around to the side to palm-thrust towards his right. As he did so, four pillars of light formed within the air, cracking against their rotating surfaces, before hurtling them off course.

"Cut them Cleanly, Kusanagi!" Takashi shouted out, as his blade thrust with a speed only rivaled by Braeburn's own Zanpakutō. Cutting a clean line through the hard light manifestations, it thrust swiftly enough to hit Kurai's left shoulder, halting within a shower of sparks.

The edge never penetrated, due to the Blut Vene activated upon finishing his attack to counter Yōki's Zanpakutō. This caused Kurai to smile as he wrapped his right hand around the metal, pushing it back as he arced his head at their direction, "With that level of speed, you'll never catch me with my guard down, Soul Reapers!"

Already, this was turning out to be an increasingly hard struggle.

As Kameyo leaped away from the fist that threatened her, she skidded away in order to observe the attacks made by her teammates. Silently, she heeded the words that had been directed towards her by both Choku and Yōki and allowed her mind to ponder. She would sheathe her chokuto, leaving her katana out and readied. By now, Kurai's taunts had justification within them. The only way that they could hope to break his defense is if they were quick enough to impede his Blut Vene.

But for her, there was always another option.

Her red eyes looked down at the sword she held in her hand. It wasn't just a regular weapon, unlike the chokuto. It was a part of her soul that had manifested with the help of the 4th Horsemen herself. It was her Zanpakutō, pushed to its respective two levels. Its released forms had yet to see the light of day for a long time. But in this particular situation, it seemed like the perfect tool to taking down this particular Quincy. She closed her eyes and breathed out a soft sigh. "Give me strength, my Lady..."

She spoke the release command with a crisp tone, bringing her weapon behind her.

"Show the Unknown, Mukō."

The katana blade would shimmer and disappear from the view of the naked eye, but she would still swing the weapon to Kurai's location. It seemed like a rather pointless move. But when she completed the swing, the seemingly impossible happened. A gash would be cut into the back of Kurai's hand, shallow but certainly foreboding. The way it formed would be as if a sword had cut him - Kameyo's sword, to be exact.

"?!" Kurai's eyes widened with sincere surprise, as he saw the back of his hand cut open from a very tangible force. His optics barely picked up movement, but some form of kinetic force had just carved through his Blut Vene and did so faster than he'd like to have happen.

His eyes traced over to the woman responsible, narrowing his eyes as his optics analyzed her body's composition and the weapon she was holding. As he used his own senses to further delve into the previously unknown power, his smile was renewed with fascination replacing his amusement.

"That Zanpakutō wasn't active a moment ago. Curious," Kurai thought as he purposely swung Takashi's extended blade to the side, batting away the incoming set of rotating spheres, deflecting the follow-up attack of Yōki's.

Then, he used Hirenkyaku to move right up in front of Kameyo, smiling down at her petite and developed form towards her sword's "bladeless" design, "If I may ask, what exactly did you do with that Zanpakutō? I find this quite fascinating and I'm really wishing to know before I render you unable to fight back..."

"!"

The sudden movement alarmed Tenshina, who was just about to unleash an attack of his own. He was forced to stop within his tracks when he saw the Quincy re-appear right in front of his partner, who had straightened up to a more standing position. He couldn't help but admire how boldly she was standing in front of the apparent psychopath, despite being face-to-face with him and within arm's reach. Should he strike now while the man seemed distracted, or should he let Kameyo do whatever? It seemed like she was handling herself pretty well.

In addition, he himself was surprised that Kameyo had a Zanpakutō. She had never told the group about it before and fought as if she had never even used one. Had she been saving it for a moment like this? Had she predicted the possibility of being compromised? Thinking about it made him a bit more intimidated by the machine-like fighter of their group. Kameyo's next words to the enemy wouldn't help that feeling, despite him feeling a sense of encouragement by them as well.

"So you really are the intellectual type." She said coolly, taking a step back and generously lifting the bladeless sword up for Kurai to see. "All I did was release my Zanpakutō. It has a form that can shift to anything wished. Sharp or dull, fast or strong... the possibilites are next to endless. But its form is also an incomprehensible one, something that not even the most accurate of sensing methods can pick up. Even I can't see the blade. The only one who can is my Zanpakutō spirit."

She allowed herself to take a few further steps back, pointing the hilt at her foe as she did so. "A weapon that can be at my side, at your throat or even wrapped around your body and ready to slice you into a million pieces. Had it not been for the recent events at hand, this would've been the reason why I could have been a close candidate for being a Dragon. With that in mind," She gripped the handle in both of her hands in a defensive stance. "Are you sure you're not overestimating your chances?"

"Heh," Kurai pressed up his glasses, noting all of his surroundings as he took in what his interest of choice told him. He knew that it'd be a tasking ordeal to handle all of these skilled fighters on their own, but considering they acted in a cohesive manner, it would take time he didn't have in order to defeat them. Time or excess waste of resources, nothing he enjoyed employing for such a mundane task as eliminating mere underlings, "yes, I think you're skilled. All of you have a cohesive mindframe that keeps me from defeating you within a necessary time. So, I guess I'll need to even the playing board..."

SNAP!

Within a snap of his right hand's gloved fingers, a series of shadows flow up from the debris field and reveal a number of figures. Each of them bore a Spiritual Pressure, similar to the other Fullbring squads, but held a much more intense and powerful sensation from each of them.

One wore a long white, high-collared cloak over a black sleeveless jacket, with a defining lightning bolt-like scar across his face, and a large muscular attire, with blonde hair. Spiritual Pressure radiating from him looked golden in color, and held a controlled, powerful presence among the others.

Another had a stylized matte of black hair, matching the black jacket, gloves, and combat slacks he retained. His spiritual aura resembled an eery red light, that burned along the recess of his attire and skin, matching the fiery look along his malicious grinning face.

The only woman of the group had a high-rise ponytail of strawberry pink hair, fastened by a red hairband. She held a pink aura of controlled force, immediately her power brought down the force of the rain from the sky once more, but managed to swirl it around the entire city block of their battlefield with ease. Her black cloak resided over her shoulders, contrasting her scarlet blouse revealing voluptuous curves.

A more decadently attired man held a katana in his right hand, with a white collar sporting over a matte black suit jacket, slacks, tie, and black gloves. His scarlet-black hair rippled in the wind with his scarlet aura as he grinned with eagerness, and his eyes glared with malevolence.

Last, but not least was a teenaged girl with black hair, similar in coloration and style to Kameyo's. Her onyx eyes shined with a cold, emptiness that was only filled by the black aura that surrounded her black skirt, blouse, sleeved, and legging attire, with only a crimson cloak to contrast her dark and pale complexioned appearance.

"Are you sure that you can win now, dogs of the Alliance?" Kurai asked with a chuckle, waving his hand towards his entourage of disciples at his beck and call, each of them already looking intimidating in their own right.

"This...isn't good," Choku whispered, already viewing their physical and spiritual properties through his lenses, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish it was just the Stern Ritter here..."

"This is madness! Figures crawling out of shadows?!" Valeur reeled back, not used to seeing such enemies crawl literally out of the woodworks.

"Dammit!" Yōki swore aloud, now feeling the situation spiraling out of control, now that Kurai brought backup, "we need to fall back! This isn't a fight we can handle on our own!"

For a moment, Tenshina forgot the world around him as he looked at the last one that appeared. His hardened demeanor, having been so painstakingly crafted for this moment, faltered once he lay eyes on the one who had been his former ally. He clenched his teeth, his eyes wavering as he mentally cursed himself for forgetting. They might have turned away from the enemy's side, but there were still plenty others that hadn't - friends and close associates included. He breathed out a harsh sigh through the nose. "How many former allies am I going to have to fight before all of this over with?!"

"And where exactly are we going to fall back to?" Braeburn, who had taken a moment's respite thanks to his absence within Yōki's plan of attack, allowed himself to speak up. He slid the facial mask on before folding his arms across his chest. "We're in the enemy's stronghold, in case you've forgotten. Everything's labeled an area of hostility right now. We can't risk going into hiding when they own the damn place." He unfolded his arms, allowing one hand to rest on the hilt of his weapon. His eyes glared intensely at the new arrivals, knowing that there would be a tough fight on their hands. "We stand our ground and wipe these bloody rats off of the earth face. Look alive and get ready!!"

SNAP!

"Scatter all of them, save for the lovely lady in front of me, Satsu-kun," Kurai commanded his top subordinate of those who appeared.

Before anyone would realize it, Satsuriku was donned in an aura of bright golden lightning. Raising his hand, he swung it down on the ground, and muttered aloud, "Get lost, trash!"

A bright voluminous wave of golden electricity funneled under the ground of all those who stood firmly in the face of their opposition. Within a concussive blast that sounded like thunder, both squads would be scattered to the wind, thrashing in the air and hurtling towards different areas of frozen cityscape, with the Fullbring henchmen in pursuit.

The only ones who weren't affected was Satsuriku, Kurai, and Kameyo herself.

"Much better, don't you say?" Kurai said with a refreshed sigh, as he waved his arms out in an eerily dark, inviting manner, "now...why don't you show me that delicious power you say can rip me into a million pieces!"

Now, she was all alone.

There was no one but two foes that were standing in her presence. Both of them had already proved to be monumental adversaries, with one having fended off a group's initial attack so effortlessly and the other having just as easily blown them away from the area. But she hadn't been trained to fear odds stacked against her. She regarded them both with her own impassive gaze, slowly sliding one leg behind her and crouching down a little. The bladeless sword was held at a 90 degree angle with her waist in an preparatory stance.

She would have to make the kill quickly, or else risk defeat.

Without hesitation, she threw herself forward at Kurai to begin the battle.

Had it not been for the transformation from society to military base, Brina wouldn't have parted ways from Sui-Feng as quickly as she did.

Her eyes widened as she took in the new environment with a mixture of amazement and shock. Within a second, their familiar recovery room had transformed into nothing but a part of a fortress. From the architecture and the signature of spiritual energy, she could tell that it was the Quincy's doing - Ywach's doing, to be precise. A small grin came across her face as it all started to sink in, and she folded her arms across her chest.

"Well, what do you know? He did do it, after all..." She commented casually.

Sui-Feng felt her blood grow cold the moment the transformation occured to their surroundings. What was once a humble, yet safe encampment with the three of them standing in the tent's warm interior, was made instantly cold. As she let go, she heard Brina's words with growing alarm, and turned to look at her with widened eyes of incredulous ignorance, "Did what?! What the Hell just happened?!"

Yoruichi bolted from the newfound enclosure, finding themselves on the precipice of a tall structure, as the rest of the scattered group of comrades were walking out in the streets in disbelief and trying to confirm their surroundings as well.

Yoruichi couldn't help but gasp, as her yellow eyes widened with fear, "The...Soul Society...is gone!"

"Not gone." Brina corrected, walking out in order to take in the outside for herself. "Transported. The positions in where this fortress was before and the Soul Society have been reversed. I guess that the actual Soul Society is in some other dimension, most likely being destroyed by the occupants in said dimension." She lowered her head, an amused grin on her face as she shook it back and forth. "The Quincy King had to be waiting to do this..."

"The Quincy King?!" Yoruichi asked with sudden alarm, "he's alive?!"

"You're obviously not as informed as I led to believe, Yoruichi-hime," Sui-Feng spoke lowly with a bashful blush of embarassment, as she looked over at Brina with a more mature, hardened look of understanding, "Yhwach Juhabach, the one who gave birth to the Quincy folk's powers, or so the story goes. We've been briefed by members of the Quincy Order about his capabilities and those who follow his commands, the Vandenreich. But they never mentioned anything about swapping an entire city the size of a small country with an equally sized territory. Is this the King's doing, or is it some form of device that he triggered?"

"That I'm not so sure about." Brina admitted. "Considering the circumstances and the time given for the enemy to set up camp, I'd say that they managed to plant a device in order to do it. But who knows just how powerful Ywhach has gotten over the time period that he's been away? At this rate, that possibility can go in both directions."

"Considering how closely he appeared to work with Aizen, its not unreasonable to suggest he's close to the same level of strength. Which wouldn't be far fetched to make him either as intelligent or as powerful as he is. To pull this off would probably take a considerable amount of planning and preparation," Sui-Feng analyzed as she saw the number of agents funneling to and fro from the hubbles they've been transported into, "at least none of his subordinates have attacked-"

"You might want to hold that thought, Sui-Feng!" Yoruichi spoke aloud with alarm, as the landscape suddenly was filled with igniting blue flames. The pillars erupted in the exact same manner as the other four Stern Ritters had appeared, and they were engaged by the Elite Captains for the most part. Now there appeared to be dozens of them!

At the same time, armored soldiers cloaked in white uniforms and white masks burst from the shadows, both within and the outside of the hubbles themselves. Armed with broadswords, pikes, and igniting bows, the Soldats began engaging the DCO and Stealth Force agents taking residence from within, using their growing numbers and skills to take the off guard forces by surprise.

"And thus, the attack begins..." Even as she watched it happen, Brina kept that casual smile on her face. She slipped her hands into her pockets, taking it all in with a collected and almost jovial attitude. "Soldat foot troopers. A step up from the common infantrymen that the Inner Circle provided. Much deadlier in combat. Teams operate like they're controlled by a Hive Mind. Silent, emotionless and very dangerous to anyone who crosses them. The perfect soldier to deploy against any existing army, I believe."

She turned towards the two women, her blue eyes sparkling a little bit mischievously. "So, who wants to start placing bets on who wins?"

Yoruichi's eyes widened at the swarm of spiritually void humans rush through the shadows like a swarm of white ornets. The Quincies were merciless, hacking down and attacking any of the lesser prepared forces that were still reeling with the shock of their beloved home disappearing, and the others they overwhelmed that didn't pull back immediately.

"This is insane!" Sui-Feng swore aloud as her eyes saw the men get overrun by the sheer numbers of the hardened, trained fighters that previously held their own against the 43rd Regiment, "we have to step in before our position is overrun!"

A violent cry would be heard in the distance of the frozen cobblestone street, that'd signify the first to fight back.

"Ryūsei!" Sazuke cried out, as her body was bathed in a golden light, accelerating her movements with incredible ferocity as she bull-rushed through the mass of Soldat forces. Her attacks were precise and deadly, as each impact she struck through her targets caused them to be mutilated, broken, or explode violently from the impacts, with none of them able to activate their Blut Vene to counter her speed-filled attacks.

By the time her spell ended, she nearly cleared the entire street of the Soldat batallion that entered, while steam rolled off her body with emphasis of her technique's use.

As the Soldats turned to face her from their own prey, Sazuke raised her right fist into the air and shouted to her subordinates, "FIGHT BACK! DO NOT LET THEM GAIN THE UPPER HAND! LET US TAKE THEIR CITY, IN EXCHANGE FOR THE ONE THAT THEY STOLE FROM US!"

One squad of Soldats used Hirenkyaku to appear above her, raising their pikes above their heads to stab her from above. Unfortunately, they'd find her upraised fist would open up, and release a maelstrom of Nenshō flames upwards, scorching her attackers down to their bones from the lack of defensive reaction timing.

All of it would momentarily wipe the smile off of Brina's face for a moment.

Back then, she had believed Sazuke to be nothing but a condescending shrew undeserving of her position. But as she listened to the words that were called out to the warriors below, that belief was starting to become a little bit more false. Back then, Brina saw Sazuke as an insubordinate who wanted nothing more than to gain the position of leadership. But now, maybe it was just conflict of beliefs that made Sazuke see Brina as a failure. Maybe it was their status as enemies that made Sazuke seem so condescending. Once again, her rival had shut her down.

She let out a light growl, covering her mouth with one hand as she glared a little at the 2nd Division Captain. "The first times you humiliated me wasn't enough for you, was it? You just had to go and show yourself as the leader Master and Boss made you out to be. And the worst part? I can't even blame you anymore. All of this is my fault and mine alone."

Slowly, her hands clenched into fists. Although her body remained calm, her mind was far from it. "How many times do you have to show me up before your satisfied, you rotten bitch?!"

A magnanimous roar of the remaining Stealth Force and DCO agents cried out in acknowledgement to Sazuke's inspirational words. They began pressing back with a vengeance, striking back in formations and instrumental strategic maneuvers. They followed their Captain's lead, as she continued to use her Hakuda mastery to decimate the oncoming Soldat forces that continues to flow from the shadows towards her.

For one reason or another, Sui-Feng saw Brina's look of amusement transform into a scowl, causing her to lightly smile her direction, "Are you jealous, Brina-chan? If that's the case, why don't you jump down and assist? Show her that you're as capable of fighting back as she is. Isn't that what you really want?"

It was more than just that. Brina was starting to believe that Sazuke was threatening her very existence now. Before, she had been looking forward to a rather poetic death by the Captain, being the one chased down constantly. But after hearing Sazuke's response to the encouragement of death and the words exchanged at the tent, that was beginning to change. To Hell with letting go. The wench needed to die.

With a slow hand and a silence to Sui-Feng's question, Brina grasped the handle of her knife from its handle and drew it out. After flipping it to a backhand position, she observed the battle from below a moment more. There was a massive group of Soldaat below her that had yet to engage the D.C.O. and 2nd Division force, but were rushing towards that area in order to do so. It was a perfect way to enter the fight.

Without hesitation, she allowed herself to fall off of the building and descended towards the group of unsuspecting soldiers. She reared her knife hand back, pointing her knuckles at them as if she would a fist. She used Flash Step as a momentary boost to increase momentum and power she would bring. When she was finally close enough, she swung her fist down at a lone Soldaat target.

That was the starting point of a bloodbath.

Her fist would cleave through its target, carving the body in two and crushing completely under the pressure. When it hit the ground, it would cause a burst of pressure to send a massive number of the surrounding units into the air. A small crater would be left behind under the influence of her strength, expanding to a considerable radius. As her targets floated helplessly in the air, Brina once again used a Flash Step to move between them all within a heartbeats. The blade of her knife moved so fast, their bodies would remain closely held together even as she was cutting them apart one by one.

When she returned to her spot, those airborne bodies would explode in a mess of blood that would rain down upon the ground. This would draw attention of other Soldaat to her as she slowly raised herself up. Her blue eyes were glowing blue and sparkling apparent bio-electricity as an emphasis of her inner fury, even though her body was exuding nothing but calmness. She slowly approached them, the cool smile having returned to her face once more.

"Who's next?"

"Quite the disciples you've trained, Sui-Feng-chan," Yoruichi spoke down at her smiling protoge with a grin of her own, "they are a lot like your younger days. Hot tempered, stubborn, but full of unquestionable zeal."

"Right," Sui-Feng acknowledged with closed eyes, turning her head away to look up at Yoruichi, realigning her thoughts on the given task at hand, "we should head towards the nearby neighbouring FOB's. I doubt this is the only one under such concentrated attack. Our speed makes us the most suitable candidates to reinforce their positions within a sparce amount of time."

"Agreed," Yoruichi nodded back, as she scanned the horizon, noting that the pillars of fire began to wisp away, "it seems the Stern Ritters are on the move. I suggest we don't engage them directly, considering how little we know of their powers and innate abilities."

"We'll meet up back here once we've secured most of the FOB's within our reach. The four of us together would keep any opponent, even a Stern Ritter, from attacking recklessly," Sui-Feng spoke confidently with an upraised fist.

"I hope you're right," Yoruichi sighed with a reluctant visage, "now...let's move!"

SHFT-SHFT!

Within an instant, the two legendary Commander-in-Chiefs of the Stealth Force flew in opposing directions, leaving the prior's students to hold the line.

With that said...

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

A number of concussive blasts were made, as Sazuke slammed her limbs through her enemies and into the proximate structures, as well as into the cobblestone street. Even as the endless mass of Soldats kept coming, between the rallied Stealth Forces, Brina, and herself, they slowly began carving their way past their point of entry and beating them back.

One was ripped apart by bare hands.

Another was cut into ribbons by a knife.

Several more were hit by a brief pulse from her Shunkō and "self-destructed", exploding into showers of gore.

More were crushed to death by the flurry of punches and kicks that both attacked and defended.

All of this was the expression of Brina's rage. Any Soldat unfortunate enough to cross her were dispatched brutally and violently. Brina made every movement seem natural and instinctual, moving just as easily as she was breathing. To the common Shinigami soldier, these Quincy soldiers were a nightmare. But to the likes of the strongest out of the Stealth Force, they were nothing but cannon fodder. Throughout it all, she would keep that concentrated and almost dazed look in her eye as she butchered them.

Then, after a backflip away from her enemies, she would find herself in the very spot she didn't want to be in - right behind Sazuke.

The two women were now back to back with each other and facing a particularly massive group of enemy Quincy. "Decided to crash the party without me, 3rd Seat?" She questioned, her tone filled with a false sense of camaraderie. She raised the knife defensively and settled into a preparatory stance, resisting the urge to plunge the metal right into Sazuke's back. These Quincy were top priority as of this minute. "I didn't know you grew that tired of me just yet."

"Are you sure you're not done crying yet, Brina? Finally deciding to grow a pair and prove yourself an actual asset for once without hindering your comrades?" Sazuke retorted back passively, as she used a haymaker charge to the necks of two Soldats, before twisting them around and using them as makeshift bludgeoning weapons against their comrades in a brutal display of physical power and ferocity, "or are you going to get in my way, as always?"

"Oh, rest assured I'm always going to be in your way."

This was punctuated when a Soldat lunged at Brina. She raised her hands out, catching his wrists and performing a throw that sent the assailant over her shoulder. She twisted herself around, thrusting her hand out towards the group she had thrown the Soldat towards. With another Shunkō pulse, she was able to freeze them in place. With a slow lift of the hand, she lifted them all up into the air and continued to speak to her bitter rival. "That's pretty much your fault, though. I was being nice, hoping that getting killed by you would serve as a sense of poetic irony. Always did love the literary arts. But now?"

She swung her hand down, causing their bodies to explode once more. As the crimson rain fell, her conversational tone would carry a lace of venom. "I'm done trying to be the elegant seeker of death. You're going to die by my hands, even if it's the last thing I do, princess."

"At least you're properly prioritized," Sazuke spoke in a huff, as she swung her arms like a wrecking ball, smashing and crushing the incoming Soldats, breaking through the Blut Vene with utter ease that the enemy forces had, "now make sure you survive this so that you can get your chance. That is, if you think you're up for a third defeat?"

The condescension in the statement was so blunt, Brina was getting the impression Sazuke was treating her like more of a nuisance if anything else. It was keeping the fire within her burning and fueling the malice that escaped only through her blows on the Soldaat. It was a rather ironic thing she had to note, as well; while Sazuke was speaking as if she was indifferent, Brina was a storm full of contained wrath despite her body not showing a hint of it. Their fighting styles contradicted the apparent mentalities; while Brina was fighting with mainly acrobatics, evasion and precision, Sazuke was carrying the elegance of a tank as she tore apart the Quincy's ranks. Briefly, it made Brina's mouth curl into a smile of amusement.

She could speak all the trash she wanted. It was the traitor who was still fighting like an assassin.

The smile was wiped off of her face, but the collection in her composure remained. "Third defeat?" She asked with a bit of incredulity, taking in a bit of sadistic satisfaction as she saw a group of Soldat hesitate to strike right away. She didn't blame them; her bloodied cloak, hands and face weren't exactly something to be blown off or laughed at - especially when their side was getting slaughtered like animals. "You seem to be jumping the gun on that one. You defeated me only once, if I have to recall. Boss had simply interrupted our second duel before we could see its conclusion. What, did you think that I was going to rip out my heart and give it to you, then?"

A Soldat, apparently finally having enough of the talk, attempted to silence her with a lunge and thrust of his sword. But Brina was faster, her next sentence leaking a bit more of her seething emotions before they were contained again.

"Think again, princess!"

With a thrust of her hand, Brina had rammed into her assailant's chest and caught his heart within her palm. The sensation of his life liquid drowning her hand sent a chill down her spine, but she didn't let it get to her. "Now, I'm not going to give you another chance. You want a hundred percent? I'm going to put a hundred fifty. I'll give you two hundred. Whatever it takes to ensure that you and every one of those precious ideals of yours will be buried six hundred feet under." She ripped out the man's heart, his arteries and veins caressing her fingers like a necklace. A following axe kick would send his corpse sky high, punctuating her finishing statement as she leapt after it.

"Then we'll see just who really is the failure of the Onmitsukidō is!!"

With a Flash Step, she was over the body in a mirror-like motion. An elbow would crash into its face, sending it plummeting towards the massive group of Soldat like a meteor. When it crashed down into the ground, it produced a shockwave that blew them off of the earth and into the air. Their bodies would crash into and through the Quincy architecture, with the force of some bringing buildings down. Brina would be in the center of it all, taking it in with a grim amount of satisfaction before looking over her shoulder at Sazuke.

"Your priorities are all skewed, McTavish," Sazuke spoke stoically back at Brina with her back turned, her body perfectly untouched by malformation, blood, or dust from her encounters with her enemies. Most of the enemies looked contorted, bent out of shape, or even untouched but with no life within their forms. Regardless, Sazuke's stance had her hands on her hips and her eyes looking off towards the horizon, filled with the dead of her subordinates and enemies, "you have the will to make your own dreams happen. Instead of finding out which one of us is the failure, why don't you prove yourself to be a better person than I am?"

Turning around, Sazuke coolly stared back at Brina's bloodied form impassively, "Trying to bury people just for the sake of ideals in of themselves won't prove anything, idiot. It isn't good enough! You need to see your enemy as an individual, and see what they're like, and why they stand for. What makes them fitting personas of their ideals," Sazuke fixated a dark glare that cast an eery shadow, mirroring the darkness that loomed over the Quincy city, "Your ideals isn't why I loathe and despise you, Brina McTavish. Any soldier that is told to cut off a limb they wish to keep, and retain the pain and agony of that loss is a noble warrior worthy of praise. Any scumbag can blame others for their pain, and cut other people's limbs off, so you may feel better about yourself."

Pointing a hand towards Brina, she clenched it tightly in proclamation, using the other to rip off her infamous and favored demon mask off her face, so she could fully express her livid anger, "But you...you couldn't keep your sadness to yourself and move past it! You spread your sadness to all those you touched, including Sui-Feng-sama! You are a coward, one whom has no right to call yourself noble, or desire to destroy what stands for justice! That is the reason I cannot accept your ideals, goals, or even your existence as a person, Brina McTavish!"

For a moment, the flames subsided as the Brit listened to Sazuke's words. Her smile held genuine amusement within as she stared the other woman in the eye. She began to walk towards the other woman, stepping over a Soldaat's body as she did so. She had personally expected Sazuke to remain silent, emit a "Hmph" of sorts and then turn back to the fighting. But if she wanted to start a lecturing speech, then Brina would give one back. She had full ammunition, and there wasn't any Yoruichi or Sui-Feng to interfere with that.

"Taking my words a bit too literally, princess?" She asked in an almost lazy drawl. Her hand started to flip her bloodied knife, flicking the liquid off as she spun it. Her blue eyes continued to fix themselves on the other woman. Her tone began to regress to a more conversational and casual tone. "If you're going to lecture me, at least say things I'm not aware of. You may not believe it. But I do have my own dreams and goals in life, despite everything that's happened. The only one I'm going to willingly tell you, though, is the goal of killing you. And that's not because of reasons as shallow as you're putting them to be."

She turned herself so that her side would be facing Sazuke, pacing around and idly inspecting her knife. "I want you to stop and listen to yourself for a moment. Sure, a soldier may show his or her loyalty by slicing off a limb on their leader's orders. But then, there are consequences. That soldier may not be able to perform as adequately as they would have had they questioned that order. They may have to be put out of active duty because they lost that limb. In the case of you and Master, that would've led to expulsion from your own family. Alternatively, though, they would still fight and eventually be led to an unnecessarily tragic death simply because they lost that limb on an order." She stopped in her tracks on that sentence, turning her head so that she could look back at Sazuke.

"Those very same orders could change. For example, what if you were ordered to kill someone close to you because of fears of possible conspiracy?" By this point, she was getting into her speech. She lowered her knife hand and raised her freed one for emphasizing and dramatic gestures. "Cutting the head off of Master because of awareness that she trained an apprentice gone rogue? Killing her husband and daughter due to them possibly being associated with the accused? I can just picture it now. Using those hands of yours to grab your little apprentice's head and--"

A violent wrench of her free hand would increase the vividness of her word's imagery.

"Snap that neck like a twig! You lose the very person that might as well have been your second mother, destroy her family and cross into the territory of a cold-blooded murder. All because your leaders told you to." She raised her arms up in a shrug, her expression challenging to Sazuke and her tone heavily sarcastic. "But it's all for "just cause", isn't it? If it's to preserve law and order, it can't possibly be wrong, can it?"

Sazuke's glowered eyes fixated upon her rival and one arch nemesis. Her arm lowered as she heard Brina lash back out at her with just as much venom, but delight with the idea of causing her to break and crumble at her words. Throughout it all, Sazuke wanted to lash out with her own fists and strike her for speaking of such sacred things in such an unsavory manner.

However, as always, she saw a flaw within her turn-around comeback.

Lowering her gaze so her browline would be enveloped by shadows, Sazuke would allow only a hint of bitter humor lapse her visage as she smiled, "Brina McTavish, you still have yet to understand the meaning behind my words. You, who had obeyed every order master gave did so without query or hesitation, throughout your entire time being apprenticed by her. I remember it well, how you would look curious or dubious about a order given to you beforehand, but you never hesitated in pleasing your second mother figure. No, you never questioned, never lashed out for it. Until, the day you were ordered to terminate a suspect that was your own mother," Sazuke's eyes raised back queryingly to Brina's, as a cold wind brushed across her hair to send it flourishing towards her right, as she spoke back in finality, "why didn't you ask Sensei why? Why didn't you protect your mother? Why didn't you stop and think of the importance of the mission assigned to you? It was never about your mother being a traitor or not. It was about deciding your loyalty to the law...or to your heart!"

Throwing an arm to the side, Sazuke glowered at her fully, "You spoiled bitch had it all! A family! A mentor who adored you! Prodigious skill! A passionate heart! But you threw it away in favor of NOT being the one to question your superiors or question your heart! My heart has always told me to be on the side of justice, and protect all that matter to me! YOU embody EVERYTHING I've try to keep from harming the precious things within my life! I never had a family, nor did I have inherent talent that stood out, nor adoration, and I've fought hard to earn what I've gained! If they ordered me to cut off an arm, I'd do so without hesitation! But if they were to order me to take the life of someone precious to me," retracting her right arm back to thumb over her heart, Sazuke shouted back, "THEN I OFFER MY LIFE IN FORFEIT TO KEEP THEM FROM HARM, OR I WILL FIGHT TO THE LAST BREATH THIS BODY HAS LEFT IN ME! CAN YOU SAY THE SAME?!"

Under the emotional power of Sazuke's words, Brina faltered for a moment. The smile faded away from her face, and her expression conveyed the sense that she didn't quite believe what she was hearing. The lawful zealot, openly declaring that she would've went against a questionable order? It was just too unbelievable. It was a ground that they could freely agree on: defiance of questionable law, as different as their methods for doing so were. In addition, the normally stoic and condescending Sazuke was showing a more passionate side. If Brina wasn't seeing or hearing it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed it.

Still, she wasn't ready to give up her side of the argument just yet. There was nothing casual about the darkening of her expression, even though a single muscle didn't change. Her smile and leer seemed to harden on her face, and the malice was much clearer within her voice. "It's not that simple, you idiot!" She sneered. "It's not simply about loyalty to the law or to your heart. It's about deciding whether you should be a traitor to your family, or a traitor to the government you serve under. Do you think that disobeying an order from a commander of the special forces would've bode well for me? That I could say "no" and I wouldn't have had to do it? That's a naive way of thinking about it, a kid's dream. I could've been accused of being a traitor simply because I did what I believed was morally right. I could've been thrown in prison, interrogated, tortured and killed for going against that kind of power! And even if I did stop to question it, there would've simply been another person to take my place and do the dirty deed without me! My mother would've still been killed and I still would have been an emotional wreck!"

There was so much anger and frustration flashing with Brina's eyes as she continued to jab at Sazuke's declarations. The smile was wiped off of her face once more. "It's nothing but an attempt to climb into Heaven using only a mountain, Sazuke! The heroes die in the gutters while the cold-blooded dance on their graves! No matter what direction you turn, no matter how hard you twist, there's always going to be a sword going through your throat for every decision you make! Right and wrong is dictated by the ones in control, and no hero's ever going to change that!"

"Fool! I stand here today because I've followed my heart and my loyalties to the things I cherish the most. I stand here in a position of authority because I can make the tough choices no one else can. Whether I die in the gutters or in the highest heavens is my choice and my choice alone. But I won't be swayed to do anything less," Sazuke began walking towards Brina, her eyes conveying more sadness than hatred, more regret than bitterness, as she kept talking, "and why do you think such things of our comrades? Do you believe that none of your allies were within the laws of reason? Have you ever considered on leaning on them, or even going to the Head Captain to plead your case, a man with power reaching through the heavens? If we were mere tools or pawns to be used...than the organization you swore loyalty would be the perfect description for enlistment."

Standing before Brina, as the rain began to pick up again, dropping slowly and steadily into a sheer onto the icy landscape below, Sazuke whispered to her as her face finally softened. Softened for the first time in the many times she's met Brina's eyes, as she spoke softly still, "Did you revile the Soul Society so much, that you'd believe your own comrades would do such things to you for merely being a human being? Is that why you despised Sensei...and...why you've always despised me? Is that why you never leaned on me for support, or aid?"

"W-what the hell is wrong with this woman?!"

In one of the rarest occasions within her encounters with Sazuke, Brina was actually beginning to feel scared in the presence of her foe. As the rain fell again, she found herself frozen in position as the woman approached her. The words that were supposed to be a vicious retort back were quieted down to a seemingly sympathetic attempt for a heart-to-heart. The snarl on her face was regressing to a dumbfounded and shock look as stared into Sazuke's eyes. Was this the same woman that she hated so much? Was this a side that only their master had known? Why was only now that she was seeing it for the first time?

As much as she wanted to step back and away from those bearing eyes, she couldn't. The last thing she wanted was to look weak in front of her nemesis. That thought caused her face to harden again, although her sneer was significantly weaker than it was before. She glared daggers into Sazuke's eyes as she spoke with a cold tone. "Oh, stop acting like you care. All you did back then was scrutinize me, thinking that I was going to stab Master in the back the moment it was turned to me. I bet you were just waiting for me to snap under the pressure, just so you could jump onto that precious throne of yours. Do you really think that I'd really ask you for help in that situation? Do you really think that the Head Captain would've listened, when he wasn't doing anything about my family being prosecuted against?"

She swiftly turned herself away, taking a few steps forward before stopping. "You were always against me, even when I wasn't even trying to be against you. When the one I considered to be my second mother, the one I would've followed to Hell, gave me the order to kill my own family, she took the bond we had and crushed it under her heel. When I was running away from the scene of slaughter, the first thing she did when she found me was attempt to take my life." She looked over her shoulder. "There was no one to turn to for me, even when I was crying over Mother. No one cared about my grief. But you know something? That doesn't matter now. The only things I need to rely on and listen to from here on out is myself and my heart. I'm going to fight for what I believe in. Damn everyone and everything else to Hell, especially you!"

"I don't know why I bother," Sazuke sighed, her eyes closed as she turned to walk to her right flank, distancing herself to be a good five meters away, "if you want to die alone, I won't stop you. I just desired to keep you from doing so in such a lonely way..."

The way that sentence was formed almost caused a taunting remark about Sazuke's sexuality escape Brina's mouth. But her anger was keeping that from reaching past the throat. In addition, every word Sazuke was speaking continued to baffle her. Was she seriously giving pity? Was she truly attempting to help? With all of the earlier statements about her being a failure and useless to everyone, it seemed like nothing more than a lazy attempt to put her guard down. This was the same woman who had trained for the sole purpose of killing her. This was the same woman who had been at her throat ever since they met. Why was she trying to take all of that back now, especially after Brina made her intentions clear?

"Do I really look like the kind of person that would fall for such bullshit? Try again, princess." She opened her mouth to fire back a retort, ready to call Sazuke out for her apparent lies.

But she would be cut off.

Both of them would be cut off, very abruptly.

A massive wave of incredibly hot, light blue fire burst from the ground just a few meters before Brina, and quickly began rising around in front of Sazuke as well. The intense blue flames soon surrounded both Stealth Force veterans in a fairly large circle. No matter their own strength and power, neither would be able to immediately pierce this wall of fire without seriously harming themselves.

"Ho ho ho now..." a voice wrang from above Brina, coming from a fairly tall and fit young man with red eyes and large red mohawk, wearing the traditional Stern Ritter uniform, aside from his tennis shoes. Smirking and raising an eyebrow, he spoke in a rather snarky tone looking down upon the two women. "Well shit, we must've missed out on one hell of a catfight. What a shame, I think I could have some real fun with you two, if you know what I mean."

He then glanced up at the other building across from him and above Sazuke. "Ain't that right, Cang?"

On the top of that building, was an individual of similar build, however, he wore his Stern Ritter hood over his head, concealing most all of his face. This one, however, said nothing, and simply stared down at the ensnared duo.

The Stern Ritter had made their move.

"And so, the leaders finally come out."

Slowly, Brina closed her mouth and directed her attention towards the one who had spoken. The fury at her rival quickly began to regress, leaving her with nothing but the out-of-place serenity she expressed against the common enemy. There was no use venting displaced anger, and she needed to save it for the one that deserved it the most. These Quincy, especially the one who made the perverted comment, was not worthy of it. She slowly exhaled a breath as she raised her head up and looked at the man directly above her.

"I trust you not to die against these vermin, hero." She muttered to Sazuke, anticipating that a tough fight was to come for both of them.

"That won't be a problem," Sazuke spoke aloud coolly, as her form crouched, reattaching her demon mask over her face. By the mere proximity of the flames, her durable body was already on the verge of bearing sweat by being near it. Having it surround them in a cyclone formation, it'd be near impossible to gain the bearing necessary to penetrate the flames, especially with physical power. But the top of the whirling blue flames?

Bending her knees, Sazuke grasped her Haori and threw it down onto the ground, shouting to Brina, "Hold on tight!"

KRAK-KOOM!

The sheer force released by the weighted coat allowed the two of them to billow upwards near halfway, while Sazuke reached out to grasp Brina's forearm, as she blasted a burst of spirit pressure from her soles to reach the top of the wall of flames.

"Ryūsei!" She shouted out, as she enraptured her whole body with golden-white light, accelerating her fast enough to breach the epoch of blue flames, escaping unscathed while pulling Brina out the rest of the way.

Once breached, she released her grip on Brina, while her spell redirected the remaining momentum towards the instigator of the pillar of flames. Her velocity and force she propelled herself with, would be enough to deflect any incoming fire, while retaining the ability to ram the Stern Ritter with enough force to at least give him pause for a counterattack.

However, en route to the red-haired Quincy, a powerful boot heel would plant itself directly into Sazuke's back, delivering normally bone-crushing force into her person and sending her straight into the frozen street beneath both of them. This attack originated from the hooded Quincy simply known as "Cang", who stared the Captain down blankly as his boot practically planted her into the ground. "You should focus on the one who is an immediate threat, not something else." he said coldly to her, his hood coming off to reveal short black hair, narrow eyes, and a scar across his mouth.

The mohawk Quincy, on the other hand, simply crossed his arms and grinned. "You might wanna think twice before attacking us blindly, bitch. We're not average grunts, or those Inner Circle shits you fought before." he said, before holding out his right hand and pointing at himself with his thumb. "I'm Bazz-B, otherwise known as Stern Ritter H: The Heat!"

"And I am Cang Du, Stern Ritter I: The Iron." the other Quincy said, still floating in the air after his rather brutal attack.

"We are going to be your redemption, through destruction." the two of them both said in unison.

A slow clap would follow right after the united statement, courtesy of the brown-haired woman who was standing a little ways below them in the air. The woman in question would have a deadpan, unimpressed look as she regarded them both. "Cute." She remarked dryly. "Did you two happen to rehearse that on the way here, or is that how you greet all the women you see?"

Although she was keeping her attention on them, her senses were also on her new "partner". She was surprised that Sazuke had moved to pull her out from the fire cage the Stern Ritter had created as quickly as she did. Of course, the Quincy priority reigned supreme over settling the score. As much as she loathed the woman, she also knew the Captain had the smarts to realize what came first. Fighting a battle against two "Captain-killers" wasn't the wisest tactic, after all.

"Ow," Sazuke muttered flatly, as she stood to her feet unpreturbed from the strike Cang made upon her back. Most of the Kidō that enveloped her body absorbed the force, but the rest barely marred her bodysuit's armor, let alone her durable form. Dusting her arms, her eyes locked onto Cang's with a hunter's glare, eyeing him like prey rather than a simple opponent, "so, you want to be the first to dance, Quincy?"

SHFT!

Appearing behind Cang, with her back facing his, she held her arms underneath her generously sized chest, as her eyes gained a cold gleam to them. Her mind and body was within complete focus, ready to attack at any given notice, but kept herself from lunging first this time around.

Instead, she allowed her voice to ring out, "Brina, you take the mouthy one with the hot hands. It seems you and him have more in common anyways. I got this one taken care of."

Bazz-B's expression now became one of annoyance, glaring down at Brina in particular. "I'd watch what you say, bitch." he said, letting his arms unfold and holding one of his fingers up in emphasis. "You and me? We're about to play around; I'm not even going to try when I'm burning your ass to a crisp. You wanna know how?"

He then lifted the thumb of his upraised hand up, and pointed the same finger at Brina, like a gun. "Because I could kill you... with just one finger."

A sinister sparkles shined in his eyes as he grinned in a maddened fashion. "Burner Finger...1."

With almost lightning speed, a hyper-condensed beam of solid blue fire shot out from his finger and went straight through Brina's right hip. It was unbelievably fast, among the Quincy's most fast and occasionally lethal attacks in his arsenal. This wound, however, was not fatal, nor would it seriously impede her ability to fight back against him... but it would show her just how quickly the Quincy could defeat her if she wasn't vigilant enough.

Cang Du, on the other hand, remained stoic and calm as Sazuke appeared behind him. "You and the brown haired girl... you are both rivals? The Daten said that you two have fought against and with each other many times. If that is the case..."

His head slightly turned to look at her. "...then the two of you should die, together."

With speed rivaling that of her own, the Quincy appeared in front of Sazuke, mere feet from her. "Rivals who hate and respect each other, should die as one on the same field of battle. That is my belief." Upon finishing that statement, Cang Du released a powerful, diamond hard palm strike to Sazuke's collar bone, one that would send her careening into the buildings behind her.

It was here Brina learned a very valuable lesson.

Fire and flesh don't mix.

When the beam of fire shot through her hip, her eyes dilated and her mouth opened up. She let out a loud gasp of pain as she felt the shot go through her hip, searing straight through the muscle and bone. Immediately, she fell on her knee, her hand grasping the smoking hole in her flesh. The heat would cauterize her veins and keep her from bleeding. But the pain was incredible, as if someone had taken a cattle brand and rammed it through her. It was excruciating and it told her what kind of enemy she was facing.

But did she feel apprehension or fear? Not in the slightest.

If anything, she seemed to be more excited than anything.

She let out a low and anticipating chuckle, raising her head up so that she could stare him in the eyes. A Cheshire smile had made its way onto her face, her seemingly innocent eyes sparking with lethal clarity. "Is that so?" She remarked, slowly straightening herself back up. She used a hand to pull apart the front of her cloak, exposing her bondings. While it was for the purpose of easy removal for her Shunkō, it could be just as easily seen as a means of seductive tactics. "Then if you're going to play like that, this is going to be a very fun game."

She spread her arms out in a welcoming stance, her knife gripped in one hand. The way she presented her bare flesh was almost as if she was goading him to burn it. "I hope you can show a woman like me a good time, fire boy!"

Sazuke, for the first time since combatting Brina, had found someone who could match her speed. While this idea was new to her, it didn't make her freeze up like amateurs would. Swinging her right arm across to allow her vambrace to protect her collarbone, the force rattled the reinforced material as well as crack its surface.

At the same time, Sazuke grappled Cang's outstretched arm and twisted her body around his outstretched fist, looping one of her legs in between his before stepping behind him. With the leverage gained within a single instant, Sazuke twirled around in a circle before throwing him over her head and into the building's rooftop. The resulting collision would case a massive shockwave of destruction that annihilated the structure instantaneously.

As she landed deftly into three limbed crouch, with her right hand gripping her top sword, and her demonic mask glinting from the lightning that cracked over the raining landscape, giving her a truly demonic appearance as she glared towards where Cang's position would be.

"You shattered by vambrace with a single strike. No ordinary martial art thrust should be able to do that. What kind of fighter are you, Quincy?" Sazuke uttered lowly allowed with menace and impassiveness laced perfectly in a cold monotone.

Cang stared at her impassively as he rose from the debris, virtually unschathed as he reached into his cloak. "I am the fighter...." he began, before pulling out two identical, four bladed Reishi claws out of his cloak. He grinded the two blades together as he pulled them out, before slinging them and his arms down to his side, creating a loud clanging metal sound as well as send sparks out before him, speaking in his cold, frighteningly calm voice. "...who is going to be your end."

(Theme)

Bazz-B's grin lowered from sadism to genuine excitement. Despite the wound he inflicted upon her, his foe seemed all the more willing to fight him just the way he wanted her too: like crazy. This was a fight he knew he would have fun with. He hopped off of the building and landed a couple of meters in front of Brina, smirking as an intense aura of blue flames surrounded his person. His eyes shined a dim blue fire as well, before he spoke aloud in a challenging manner. "Come on!"

With those words, she would descend after him. She let her arms hang over her head as she fell feet-first towards the ground. The wind that caused her hair and cloak to billow also sent chills through her, increasing her anticipation for the battle at hand. She couldn't take her gaze off of the malice that flashed within his eyes, nor could she ignore the smile that mirrored her own. The hole in her hip produced a pain that seemed to fuel her adrenaline levels, sending a violent spark through her body once she landed on the ground. At this point in time, she didn't think she could feel much more alive.

"I'm in an enemy's world. My allies are being surrounded by all sides, and their foes are closing in. We might as well be making our last stand here, against such insurmountable odds." She lowered her knife to waist level, gripping it with both hands and bending her knees so that she was lower to the ground. A Kiriken blade formed around the knife, "morphing" it into the katana she would've used if her Zanpakutō had been sealed. Her eyes sparked with bio-electricity as they glowed a brilliant blue to match the glow of his own eyes.

"I couldn't ask for a more perfect setting to be in right now."

Enter the Pale Twilight, The Quincy Terror Ensues!
Hana noticed two things that sparked the beginning of the end.

One, was the sudden skyrocketing Spiritual Pressure of both Sōsuke Aizen and Kyōaku Hōritsu, as it seemed they were hellbent on destroying each other. The forces released by those two alone sent billowing shockwaves of dense Spiritual Pressure that weighed heavily throughout the debris ridden landscape of both the Seireitei and the Rukonagi districts.

The second, was the sudden decline of Horseman Suna Tekketsu's Spiritual Pressure, and the sudden rise of Furuidenshō Shin'nen's. The force released by him alone was much closer, and the vivid pillar of silver spirit energy rising into the sky only caused the chaotic spirit-fueled storm above them to crack and thunder even more fiercely.

Then, the change in their environment.

What was once one of the transmutated Seireitei terraces which she and Shikyo did battle on transformed into an ice-christened plazza, with a pointed terrace that overlooked the now frozen kingdom of Quincy architecture. The Spiritual Pressure was naturally higher than the battle worn and sapped Soul Society, and the temperatures were much more crisp than before.

As sudden as their victory had been within their grasp, it had suddenly been wrenched away.

"Please tell me this is one of your contingency plans, Shikyo," Hana asked Shikyo aloud, as her eyes widened at her change of surroundings. They further widened at the sight of the dozens of blue pillars of fire discharge into the air, signaling the arrival of many more Stern Ritters than originally before, "or is this one of your ally's doings?"

Oh, how Shikyo wished it was.

She was regarding it all with shock and horror, her expression matched by the fear that had crossed her daughter's face. The ice underneath her back had done nothing but increase the dread that had swept through her. As she moved her head to take in the surroundings, she recognized them as Quincy architecture - something clearly having deployed by none other than Ywhach himself. When she saw those massive flame pillars shoot up into the air, sweat began to fall down her face at an alarming rate. Judging from the drop in Suna's spiritual pressure, disappearance of Tsukishima's and the colliding powers of Aizen and Kyōaku, it could only mean one thing for the Inner Circle.

Aizen and Ywhach had made their move.

"They were never our allies." She breathed, starting to lift herself off of her back. Although she was fully healed, her body was still drained from the brutal assault she had endured. Full recovery would take time - time that none of them had. "We had suspected they would turn on us the moment things began to look in our favor. But we didn't think that something like this would happen..." She managed to get herself up onto her hands and knees, shakily attempting to push herself up onto her feet. "They couldn't wait until we were completely unable to defend ourselves--"

She was abruptly cut off when her limbs gave out underneath her. She let out a pained grunt as she unceremoniously collapsed onto her side, her chest rising and falling as she tried getting oxygen back into her lungs. The action alarmed Michiko, who momentarily forgot her fear over her concern for her mother. "M-mom?!" She exclaimed, placing her hands on the woman's arm in an attempt to keep her from falling onto her back again. "You can't pass out now! I-it's getting too scary! Th-those bad men in white are appearing all over the place!"

"I...I'm fine, Michiko..." Shikyo said weakly, inwardly cursing Hana for the deprivation of energy. It was something that was terrifying her - not only was she at the mercy of an official enemy, but now she was at the mercy of any Stern Ritter that happened to show up in front of them. Considering the ruthless nature of Ywhach's men, having a daughter and being unable to fight would do little to stop the body count from rising. "I... I just need a moment..."

Tap....

Yet with all of the noise transpiring around them, a single footstep would come to the attention of all three of them. Emerging from the darkness from behind them was a Stern Ritter, but in comparison to the rest of the powerful Quincy, the Spiritual Pressure of this entity was much higher.

"Hana Yugure of the Deep Cover Ops." the hooded man spoke calmly, as he slowly and casually came closer to the trio. "And 4th Horseman Shikyo Ninaru." he continued before finally stopping just a few meters away from them.

His hood came off, revealing a young man with fair complexion, long blonde hair and eyebrows, and piercing green eyes. "His Majesty... has ordered your immediate termination."

Hana turned to meet the adversary with widened gaze of surprise. The way he addressed her and her defeated opponent suggested that he did thorough background checks on them, which means all of the Inner Circle and Alliance's forces must be analyzed to all but their darkest secrets. Call it a hunch, but Hana never left anything to chance.

After her shock was reeled in, her glare renewed with killing intent, as her right hand moved to her sheathed Zanpakutō slowly, while she spoke derrisively back to him, "You seem to have us at a disadvantage, Quincy. You seem to know a lot about myself and my prisoner, but I don't know a single thing about you, other than your a smug jackass. So why don't you do us a favor and tell us who the Hell you are, before I decide to cut your conceited head off your shoulders!"

The man's stoic expression changed in no visible way, but he replied to her nonetheless. "You have more disadvantages against me know than you could count, but I will give you my name in title. The last thoughts of a dying Shinigami should be of the one who killed them, after all." His tone was cold and dead seriously, adding weight to his perceived arrogance.

There was a slight billow in the wind as he gave them his name. "I am Jugram Haschwalth, Grandmaster of the Stern Ritter."

"The right hand of the Quincy's God..." By this moment, Shikyo had managed to prop herself up with her hands planted behind her. Despite her exhaustion, she had enough spirit to fix a glare of her own at Jugram. "Of course. Out of all the people I expected to die at the feet of, it would have to be a human."

She grit her teeth, once again struggling to stand on her own two feet. Her daughter would watch her warily as she did so, hands outstretched as if to catch the woman in the event that she fell onto her back. But this time, she had a little bit more success with her efforts. She brought herself to a squatting position with her legs underneath her, her staff held in one of her hands. Every muscle was aching like crazy, begging for her to lay back down on the icy ground. But she refused to pay it any mind, too stubborn in the face of death.

"I have not come this far," She growled, her weakened voice carrying conviction within it. "To become freshly cut meat at the hands of a mere human!" She sucked in a breath as she forced herself up onto her two feet, grasping her staff with both hands. Her stance was hunched, her shoulders were drooping, and it took all of her power not to fall back to the ground again. But somehow, she was managing to hold herself up. The force of her glare came full-strength, and the scowl on her face couldn't have been more prominent.

"You want my life, so-called grandmaster of the Stern Ritter? You'll have to earn it." She moved her body in a defensive stance, her voice carrying a challenging tone. "Come and be destroyed!"

It was the courage of her mother that seemed to press back Michiko's own fear, if only for a moment. A grin broke on her face, and she threw her fists up in the air in a cheer. "You go, Mom! Show that dumb pretty boy who's boss!"

"I cannot allow that," Hana spoke aloud, after observing Shikyo's stunning resolve. Raising her left hand she clapped it onto the ground, creating a silver transparent barrier that enveloped Shikyo and Michiko both at once, "Hakudan Keppeki! This is a barrier that negates the abilities of Quincies, disallowing them from entering or destroying it. Stay in there and protect your daughter, Shikyo, and I'll take care of this Grandmaster of the Stern Ritters."

SHIIIIIIINK! "When I'm done with you, I will go after Sōsuke Aizen and end this war," Hana spoke in a level, promising tone as she unsheathed her Zanpakutō from its sheathe as she walked towards him, her body radiating a blue-white aura of focused Spiritual Power, "you may be the strongest of the Stern Ritters, but I am the strongest Soul Reaper of the Soul Society!"

Just like that, Shikyo's fury was replaced by surprise. She raised her head and looked at the barrier that surrounded both her and her daughter. The both of them were regarding it with equal surprise, which Michiko expressed by running over to the barrier and poking it with a finger. The elder woman would drop her stance, lowering her staff to the side and switching her gaze back to the Head Captain as she walked away. "She's serious. Her power, her strength and her will... I really am looking at the successor of Head Captain Shin'en, aren't I?"

She closed her eyes and let a small smile cross her face, even as she carefully brought herself down into a sitting position. "All right, Hana. I'll take this moment's respite. You beat me fair and square, so I'm expecting nothing short of victory from you facing down this Quincy." She opened her eyes to look at the opening scene of battle, allowing her muscles to relax once more. "Fight like a warrior. Your generation depends on it."

"So, she's not letting you fight?" Michiko questioned, turning towards the meditating woman with a questioning raise of the eyebrow. "You two could totally beat this guy!"

A small chuckle escaped Shikyo's lips. "I would just be baggage, dear..." She answered, working her neck around. "I'm too exhausted for another prolonged fight. This one will be all up to her. If she happens to lose, hopefully I'll have enough strength to continue where she left off..."

"You're afraid."

Haschwalth's sole response to the words of both Hana and Shikyo came in a blunt but honest way. "Can you feel it? You both realize now just what kind of situation you and your forces are in. Both the Inner Circle and the Alliance have fallen apart because of our superior might. We have information on every single high and low ranking soldier on both sides, and have adjusted our powers to deal with each specific one. You both realize... that you are doomed."

His attention then directed itself towards Shikyo in particular. "You speak of us humans in a derogative manner. You wish that you weren't going to die at the hands of a simple mortal, but that would be no one else's fault but your own. It was you and your fellow Horsemen who allowed us to join your ranks, despite distrusting us the entire way. It was because you underestimated the capabilities of the Quincy race... but now look at what they've done to your "empire"; your fellow Horsemen have fallen, your forces are completely routed, and the rest of your followers, including you..."

He then drew a narrow, but razor sharp cruciform sword from underneath his cloak. "...will all die, at the hands of we humans."

"Not if I have anything to say about that!" Hana spoke aloud with a determined tone, as her sword arm brought her wakizashi blade up in an inverted grip below her chin, using her spare hand to tap the auditory receiver in her left ear, "this is acting Commander-in-Chief, Hana Yūgure, of the Alliance. I am issuing the order to deploy contingency forces immediately. Repeat! Deploy the contingency forces immediately!"

'''KRAK-KOOM! KRAK-KOOM! KRAK-KOOM! KRAK-KOOM! KRAK-KOOM! KRAK-KOOM! '''

Within but a few seconds, dozens of emerald pillars of light began to crack and thunder aloud throughout the Soul Society. Even though the plan was only meant to contain Aizen and Yhwach, it was still a considerable bolster to their overall forces. In this way, they could at least contain the subordinates of either party.

With a confident gaze, Hana's eyes stared back at Haschwalth without fear or wavering, as she could feel the ominously powerful Spiritual Pressures scattered across the Soul Society, "Your Stern Ritters may be strong, Jugram Haschwalth, but my allies are just as strong! We fight for our freedom and survival! That's something your forces can never overcome through sheer will and loyalty to your precious King!"

Jugram took note of the green lights shining around the Seireitei. They were nothing more than some mere reinforcements, prolonging their inevitable defeat in his eyes. Still, this wasn't something that he could shrug off or easily ignore; these reinforcements were still pretty strong.

''"Asumu?" ''He inwardly thought, using a mental form of communication he and the other high ranking Stern Ritter used. "They've brought reinforcements. Are you seeing them?"

''"I see them." ''the dry, resonant tone of Asumu came back to him from his other position, nearly on the other side of the Seireitei. "We'll compensate. They may delay our initial conquest, but they don't have the manpower, nor will to keep this up. For now, let's keep moving forward."

''"Affirmative." ''Haschwalth replied. He turned his attention back to Hana, speaking in the same clear tone while taking note of the Kido wall seperating them from Shikyo. "An impressive Kido you've developed, Hana Yugure." he said while looking at her. A couple of seconds afterwords, he inhaled and pointed his sword at the wall. "Do the other officers of your Alliance know this Kido? I imagine if they did, they all would have used it by now..."

A series of large, blue explosions started appearing in the city behind them, originating from other Stern Ritter. "...It seems they haven't." he said with slight disappointment, lowering his weapon. "A pity. If you had taught them this spell, then they might get to die as warriors..."

More explosions began to follow, all from Stern Ritter. "....not animals."

Treaties and Honor, A Parlay Between Deities and Mortals
The Arrancar Queen was standing on a particularly tall structure when she saw and felt the shift take place.

She stood like a statue as she watched the rural and civilian-friendly place transform into a fortress. The near-apocalyptic setting that was the Rukongai and the Seireitei had transformed into a place that could only be described as a city carved from the bosom of the North Pole. She observed as those of the Soul Society were attacked by the new militant residents of the area. She watched as they eventually fought back, taking the war to the home of the Stern Ritter. Both the Shinigami and her people were fighting hard against the invasion, giving the newly established enemy a fight to remember. Even so, there were still reinforcements from the Alliance that were being deployed to aid in the assault.

"This conflict is reaching its climax..." She thought to herself, closing her eyes and taking in a sigh on content. "I'll be with you soon, Jinete. I hope you can be patient with me a little bit longer..."

"Mom!"

She would be snapped out of her thoughts by her daughter's voice. With a surprised gaze, she turned to regard the figure of the Primera. It was covered in a series of scratches, claw marks and burns. She certainly looked worse for wear, but the way she was carrying herself made it clear that she was far from weary. "Ah! Casilda." She greeted with a small smile and nod. "I take it everything went well on your end?"

"It was..." Casilda muttered in agreement, folding her arms across her chest. She had a mixture of annoyance and incredulity as she regarded the changed environment. "Then this happened! Just when you think you're on the verge of victory, they have to swipe it from underneath our feet!" She gave a scoff of annoyance. "Quincy pests always have to ruin everything..."

"It'll all be over soon." Nohemi said calmly, taking it all in with a grain of salt. "The enemy will be toppled and the rightful owners of the Soul Society shall take their place once again. As for us, we will return to Hueco Mundo to help push the enemy out of our homeland."

It made Casilda's eyes widen in realization. "Th-that's right!" She spoke aloud, her face paling for a moment as she remembered. "All of my focus on the Soul Society... I forgot that our own homeland was still being attacked." She pressed a hand to her forehead, sweat falling down her face and dread crossing it. "H-he showed me those... those places in where Arrancar where being taken, held prisoner! All this time, I had completely forgotten about them--!"

"Don't be alarmed, Casilda." Nohemi cut her off, reaching up to place a hand on her daughter's shoulder. A stern but understanding look could be seen within her eyes as Casilda turned her head to look at her. "Remember just who exactly our kind came from. We were born from conflict and have lived through conflict. It is in our nature to fight to the very last breath. The Sennin Butai will come to know what the word "beast" truly means if they wish to control the entirety of our land. The people will survive, and you must have faith to remember that."

After a silence, Casilda gave a heavy sigh and dropped her hand to her side. She looked away, shaking her head numbly in a nod. "You're right. You're absolutely right. Aizen's not taking Hueco Mundo without a fight, even if that fight has to be started without a leader." She gave an exhale of relief, giving a grateful smile to her mother. "Thanks."

The other woman merely smiled back. "Just reminding you not to lose your resolve."

CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!

"Well spoken, Nohemi de la Cruz," An eerily foreboding, familiar voice announced itself, having appeared virtually from thin air from the shadows itself, "a mother like yourself is wise to share such words of wisdom to your daughter, Casilda Selestino."

It was his voice that caused Casilda's skin to grow cold.

Although they both would react with surprised expressions, Casilda would be the more alerted out of the two. Her muscles tensed up, her heart rate spiked and her hands itched to pull her blades out from their holsters. The anger and disgust towards Aizen was welling up within her again, demanding to be let out upon the man who had dared to approach her and her mother. It was by a miracle that she slowly turned around to face his dark figure, with Nohemi matching her movements. Although her tone was controlled and calm, the venom within her tone would be too clear.

"Ywhach." She growled, reaching up to grasp the hilts of her dual swords in order to pull them out. "Of all the times...!"

However, she would be stopped when Nohemi raised an arm against her front, barring her from making any movements towards the Quincy. That caused the Primera's expression to contort to surprise, and she looked over at Nohemi questioningly. But the Queen's gaze was on the dark figure of the leading adversary. "Lord Juhabach." She remarked calmly, carrying genuine respect within that reserved and polite tone of hers as she spoke to him. "A pleasant surprise to see you in front of us."

"I come before you not bearing arms, but with an invitation. A parlay of sorts, if you will," Yhwach raised his right hand out towards Nohemi and Casilda, taking only a handful of steps forward, making sure not to draw too close to make them feel anymore unease than they did now, "I've marked you both as valuable War Assets. Allies-to-be. I wish you to join my Vandenreich as equals to be me alone, and wipe out the rest of this Alliance. Should you do so, I'll ensure that Hueco Mundo is purged of Aizen's army and generals, and that we shall not interfere with your ilk in any way, shape, or form. All you have to do is help expedite the culling we're preforming on our enemies. I leave the decision solely up to you."

For a moment, the rage within Casilda regressed to disbelief.

She remembered his words to her very well. He had made it very clear that he thought of her as nothing more than a beast that needed quelling. The image he had showed to her reinforced that fact. But now, he was offering to make them allies under his banner? She cocked an eyebrow and regarded him with a suspecting look, but allowed her arms to drop at her sides. What could have possibly warranted the sudden change of attitude towards her?

She wasn't the only one wary of something not adding up.

Although Nohemi kept a calm and collected attitude even as the Quincy King approached, she furrowed her eyebrows slightly. She lowered her own arm back to her side, retracting it within her cloak. "That is a very headstrong proposal you're offering." She said. "Might I ask what brought it to mind?"

Sighing, Yhwach lowered his arm as a humored smile elapsed over his face, closing his eyes in emphasis, "With the way the reinforcements for the Alliance, and with my partner's nonchalant nature, there will be more casualties to my liking. The culling will take longer than I wish for it to be, and I will be left with a meager fraction of my strongest subordinates than I used to have. With your assistance, the casualties will be substantially lowered. You understand?"

The disbelieving expression would slowly be replaced by a stare of intensity from Casilda as she listened to his words. He was running low on troops, so he decided to get replacements out of both her and her mother? Did he really expect such a thing after all of the grief he had caused? It was one of the most ridiculous things she could've ever heard or seen. She opened her mouth, ready to decline his proposal and tell him to stick it where the sun didn't shine.

However, she was stopped by a look from her mother. She caught the gaze of the other woman, stopping herself with a look of surprise directed. But as Nohemi held the stare for a moment more, her surprised look slowly shifted to one of understanding. She slowly closed her mouth, closing her eyes and shaking her head in an apparent sign of resignation. When she looked at Ywhach again, her face held nothing but reluctant acceptance.

"I get it. You're wanting to reduce the amount of bloodshed going on." She said calmly, slowly beginning to approach the King. "We help you, this war ends quicker and we can all get back to our lives. It's a really good offer, now that I think about it." She gave a smile of encouragement, extending her hand out towards Ywhach for him to shake.

"Is that a yes, Queen of Hueco Mundo?" Yhwach smiled, cautiously keeping his hand back from the extending one from Casilda, wanting to hear a competant answer before he'd be willing to allow his own hand to be placed within her grasp, "or is that a simple ruse to take me by surprise?"

"If you are willing to evict the men of cruelty from our lands," Nohemi allowed herself to speak, giving a slight nod towards Ywhach. "And if you are willing to contribute to keeping our kind from extinction, then we will welcome this proposal with open arms. It might take extra convincing from the Espada Afilado," She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side. "But they'll understand the nature of this judgement. Rest assured, there is no deceit here."

"I'm a woman of my word." Casilda added, still keeping her hand out and giving a slightly encouraging nod of her own. "Unlike Aizen, I never resort to trickery or the like over my enemy."

"I guess the long-lived beings really are the ones with the most sense," Yhwach uttered nonchalantly, as he finally extended his own right hand to grip Casilda's with open committment to their newfound alliance, "I'll look forward to seeing the results of our partnership this day, Casilda Selestino."

Casilda's grin only grew. "Glad you finally recognize that Arrancar are capable of common sense."

And then, her other hand moved like a snake. Her palm latched onto Ywhach's throat with a vice-grip, and with her other hand still in her grip, lifted him off of his feet and slammed him through the building they were standing on. She would release him upon contact, allowing his body to rip through the foundation. The shockwaves that would radiate from the point of connection would blow the entire structure apart, causing it to collapse into massive fragments that crashed into the ground below. Casilda and Nohemi would stand in the air, with the Primera regaining a cold edge to her eyes.

"Too bad you didn't know we had enough sense to see how full of it you were." She finished, folding her arms across her chest as she looked at the spot where he had crashed. Her mother would watch it all with a slight smile of amusement, remaining silent and taking it in.

It was only a few moments of respite that would be needed. Thankfully he had activated his Blut Vene in precaution if she was ready to turn on him the moment she had him within her grasp. He didn't even notice the building collapsing around him until he embedded his body through it into a voluminous crater.

But then again, they wouldn't be able to detect his next movement.

SHFT!

With a burst of Hirenkyaku, Yhwach nearly moved through the debris as a transparent wraith, before arriving directly behind the two of them. With a disappointed tone, Yhwach stared down the two Arrancars vehemently as his black cloak flourished around him ominously, "So...you dare to turn your nose to my offer? I shall show you the error of your ways, this day, Queen and Mother of Hueco Mundo!"

It would be their directed attention that would take them away from the faster-than-sight visage that would palm both of their heads with enough crushing force to hurdle them down into the ground below with a deafening upheaval of earth.

What they would see would be a white cloaked visage, endowed with the exact identical look as Nohemi de la Cruz herself, responsible for the surprise attack to them both!

It was a particularly brutal attack and one that would've shattered any lesser being.

Both Nohemi and Casilda would be taken by surprise as they felt hands strike the back of their heads. They would both let out grunts as they were hurled from their position in the air, hurdling towards the ground like missiles. The blows to both of their heads did not do any actual damage, courtesy of their incredibly tough Hierro. They would catch themselves with a flip in the air, their feet slamming into the ground and causing sizable craters to be formed underneath them. They would raise up quickly from their crouched positions, with Casilda gaining a bit of anger within her expression as she glared at the one who had struck them.

Her eyes widened in shock, as did Nohemi's.

"Mom?!"

The new arrival was indeed none other than the Queen herself - or at least, someone wearing her skin. Other than the white cloak, the resemblance was uncanny. For Nohemi, it was like staring into a mirror and knowing that the reflection was ready to kill you. That thought was enough to provide a rather unnerving setting for her, collected as she carried herself.

Casilda, however, would look at her with clear shock. "H-he's you?!"

"Upon initial visage, a possible Reigai." Nohemi remarked, straightening herself up. "But he doesn't give off that foreign signature that a Reigai does. It's obvious that particular escort carries the ability of mimicry with him. In any case, let's hope that just extends to visual appearances alone..."

Yhwach smiled, keeping his arms concealed within his cloak as it billowed around him. He looked on with amusement, not bothering to remark, as he nodded to his subordinate to go forth and introduce himself to his enemies.

"My name is Lloyd Lloyd, Stern Ritter Y, the Yourself," the Nohemi-alike spoke aloud in perfect replicated pitch, as "she" lowered herself down to the ground to be but a handful of meters away from the both of them, "my powers do indeed stem to visual mimicry, but it goes much deeper than that. Using my Spirit Energy, I can draw minute samples of yours from a distance, sample them like DNA and transmute my body's physiological, psychological, and spiritual abilities to match the target's perfectly. I am essentially Nohemi de la Cruz, through and through."

"Aside from the fact that you're really not." Casilda said snidely, turning her head to face her mother. "What do you think?"

"I'll face this one." Nohemi said simply, fixing her eyes on the lookalike. She took a handful of steps forward until she was positioned a few ways in front of Casilda. "If he really has managed to inherit my powers and abilities, then he most likely won't hold them back in combat. He'll kill you within an instant." Her words caused a slight shiver to go down Casilda's spine. Even in sparring matches they had with one another, she knew full well that Nohemi had strength leagues above her own. If this Quincy could replicate her to the very core, the result would most certainly be the same.

"So you're leaving me with the King." Casilda summarized, directing her gaze up at the Quincy. A pleased smirk grew on her face at the thought of wiping the look right off of the smug bastard's countenance. Her hands gripped both of her swords, slowly and deliberately drawing them out to hold them parallel to her sides. "Perfect. I've been waiting to cut loose again..."

She began to float upwards so that she could meet Ywhach. But she was stopped by her mother's voice.

"Wait!"

She stopped immediately, looking over her shoulder in surprise. Her mother wasn't looking at her, eyes still trained on the imposter. But her voice would be directed towards the younger Arrancar. "Even as I myself was fighting, I could sense the battle you had with that Reigai. You're coming awfully close." It was a cryptic message, something that only Casilda would understand right off of the bat. "If you want a chance at defeating that Quincy, you will need to take one step closer. Remember who you are..."

A solemn nod from Casilda, before she took to the skies once again.

"I know your tactics, your strategies, and retain your battle experience up to this point. Yet, you're the one who wishes to fight me?" Lloyd Lloyd asks with an incredulous tone, as his eyes narrowed at her, "such notions of chivalry to protect your daughter is unwarranted in the heat of battle. You should know by now...how futile this struggle really is!"

Within a blurring move, the imposter flew towards Nohemi with incredible speed that would match her own, throwing a powerful punch to strike her in the chest.

Yhwach would draw his gaze towards Casilda's rising form, allowing a humored grin elapse over his bearded visage, "So, the Queen comes to challenge the King? I guess you Arrancars long for meaningless deaths as much as lemmings throw themselves off cliffs. In the end, a battle with me is guaranteed suicide."

"Shut up."

Casilda's words were biting, blunt and spiteful as she glared at the Quincy in front of her. She raised her blades to a more threatening stance as she came to level with him. Her body was sparking with crimson electricity, her irises began to glow a brilliant red. "I've been fighting uphill battles ever since the beginning of this war." She growled, not bothering to restrain the venom within her words. "I've been risking suicide every time I fought against an opponent. Your buddy Aizen was the first one I raised my swords against. If you really think that you're that tough, then I dare you to try and cut me down."

With each and every word spoken, the sparks of electricity began to increase in rate and number. Her outline began to glow with a foreboding red, her spiritual pressure coming into play. She raised her arms over her head, her swords forming the twenty-fourth letter of the alphabet as she did so. She clenched her teeth together, the fury never having made it so clear on her face before. "I'm going to put forth everything in putting you six feet under along with your precious sons!!"

Then, she swung her swords out, unleashing all of the pressure building up within her.

A massive pillar of red was formed, using her as the epicenter and extending to an incredible radius. It stretched through both the sky and the ground, sending constant pulses of red energy through both atmospheres. Each pulse would be enough to blow away the foundations of the buildings below, reducing them to nothing but fragments and pieces. The clouds were pushed away, dissipating under the immense power that she was exuding from her body. It was something that even took the likes of Nohemi by surprise as she felt it.

But her own enemy attacking her snapped her back to reality.

She swung out with one of her hands, her palm stopping the punch like a brick wall. Under the immense force, her arm was forced against her chest. But her stance would hold firm as she stared into her own orbs. "It's exactly why I chose to fight you." She answered readily. "No one can understand you better than you can understand yourself. This is only the most appropriate scenario, is it not?"

Without waiting for a response, she thrust her arm back out to send the Quincy flying back. With a roar of the air that pushed against her, she barreled towards her enemy in order to begin a fast and aggressive bare-handed assault.

As the original pressed against the doppleganger, Lloyd Lloyd swiftly thrust his arms up with a rythymitic instinct, parrying the powerful punches as he backpedaled along with the cacophony of disruptive forces ripping apart the landscape like a freight train of destruction. With a further leap back, Lloyd Lloyd dropped his hands to his sides, before stopping fully to allow Nohemi to approach him.

WHAM-VMMMMMMM!

What would strike the air wouldn't be his body, but rather, an octagonal force field of nostalgically familiar properties, "Cero Fuera!"

Behind the immense explosion, a dark chuckle reverberated through the air, indicating Yhwach's being was very much intact.

"Struggled for so much, only to reap so little. This is the way of Hollowity," Yhwach's voice came out from the smoke, sticking his left hand out and thrusting it to the side, dispersing the pillar of smoke with a blistering discharge of Spirit Energy, allowing him to look back at Casilda with a bemusing stare, "unlike Aizen-san, I'm not advert to holding back. What he did with you was merely dance around a child, amuse himself. You will not be so lucky get by me unscathed, little girl..."

Raising his right hand towards her, he formed his fingers into what would be seen as a finger pistol. What culminated around the air would seem transparent at first, but would quickly make itself known. Within the next few seconds, hundreds of arrows formed within the atmosphere around him, until it looked like a quarter mile wide curtain of blue-white projectiles, all of them with cross-shaped tips with jutting sharp edges.

"Gewitter Heilig Pfeil!" Yhwach whispered, allowing his thumb to flow forward onto his index finger, causing the onslaught of condensed arrows to fire.

But they wouldn't fire like ordinary arrows...

KRAK-KOOM-KOOM-KOOM-KOOM-KOOM-KOOM-KOOM!!!!

...as the entirety of the gathered arrows would discharge like spirit lightning, crackling forth with such speed and unorthodox trajectories that evasion or countering would be almost impossible for any opponent. The force would rip distortive waves of destruction across the sky, producing kilometer-wide ballooning shockwaves, shaking the entire district of the Rukonagi they were battling within.

Throughout the midst of it all, Casilda remained in place. While in the shelter of her pillar, she had closed her eyes and lowered her head down. Everything and everyone was shut out of her mind, with only her own person remaining. The only sound she could hear was her own breathing, audible and slow. On the outside, she would be seen through the pillar of energy as nothing more than a shadow. On the inside, flashes of the past were going through her head.

Her training with her sensei and parents.

The battles she had fought in during the Great Schism.

The establishment of the Empresa Afilado's empire and consequent expansion of Arrancar civilization.

Yes, she could remember it all as if it happened yesterday. That was the woman she was, the warrior who had survived up to this day. This was the leader who was fighting to preserve herself and her kind against these tyrants, the monsters who would kill innocent beings for the sake of power. As she felt the familiar changes of her Resurrecion, she would also be welcomed with the sensation of invigoration and awakening. What apprehension that was carried into this battle was wiped away with this new sensation. Although Ywhach would not see it, a smile broke on her face.

Then, she allowed the pillar to collapse, whispering two words as she did so.

"Punish, Verdugo."

The arrows that had been shot in her direction were consumed by the brilliant flash of light as the red column broke apart. It only lasted for a few seconds before it cleared, finally revealing her form. Her long hair had shortened slightly, gaining a silver-white color in both her strands and her eyes. She wore a one piece dress varient of the Espada uniform, with two massive circular discs tied to a sash on both sides of her waist. The spiritual pressure she was exerting from her body could be felt for miles, and even from a distance, it was potent enough to cause difficulty breathing and even moving. The one it would be focused on was the one who had unleashed the storm of arrows upon her. This would be added to by the malevolent glare as she stood within the air.

"Good." She whispered coldly. "I don't intend to hold back, either."

All of it would cause Nohemi herself to leap back, in addition with her fist being deflected by the Cero Fuera. As she retracted her hands back in her cloak, she took idle note of the transformed Casilda. As she reached out with her senses, she could feel the difference from what had been in the battle with Reigai Tousen. She closed her eyes and smiled proudly. "That's my girl..."

"Don't get distracted, Arrancar!" Lloyd Lloyd shouted out, as he struck his foot against the ground, transferring an enormous well of energy within the earth. When it surfaced, it would discharge like a geyser of white-hot flames underneath Nohemi's feet, spreading out to encompass a good dozen meters of gait.

Following up, Lloyd Lloyd spread his feet into a squatting stance, rearing his arms back with an exhale. Then, rapidly thrust out his fists, cerulean spheres of compressed energy rocketing out within the air, aimed to strike Nohemi's distant figure at a distance, as well as keep up pressure on her person.

Meanwhile, Yhwach's eyes widened at the display of power Casilda showed. The form wiped away the last sign of her Hollowity in the form of her mask disintegrating, with her hair gaining a sanctified sheen to it, as well as her own eyes brightening into silver hues. Had he not known who she was, let alone see her sealed form, he'd confuse this empowered being as a holy deity rather than one stemming from Hollowity.

"Nothing within the Daten suggested your Ressureccion could take this form. While Aizen-san told me of slight changes taking place of your power, I simply disregarded it as a simple irregularity due to your birthright. But this...is something entirely different," Yhwach narrowed his dark eyes, allowing a challenging grin stretch across his face, as he lifted a concealed blade within his right hand, holding it up in a beckoning stance, "you've earn the right to fight me with my blade. No one save for Shigekuni Yamamoto ever forced me to take such drastic measures for dealing lethal measures to an opponent. Prepare yourself, Casilda Selestino!"

It would cause Nohemi to open her eyes again, the smile wiped off of her face. But she didn't have to move a muscle. A Cero Fuera was created underneath her feet to block the flames that would have enveloped her otherwise. The winds created by the flames that spread around her caused her cloak to billow violently, reminding her of the flames that the Reigai Yamamoto had created. She would keep up her stance, closing her eyes. Her lips would speak three words as the wave of compressed blasts were shot at her.

"Number Nine - Greed."

The very flames around her would be ripped from the Quincy's control and taken into her own hands. When the compressed blasts of energy connected, they would be consumed within the hijacked pillar of fire that was now acting as a shield against the assault. With concentration, Nohemi took that shield and turned it into a sword - more specifically, a wave that would continue blocking off the shots while racing towards Lloyd Lloyd with the intent of burning him into ashes. She could safely assume that while he had her form, he would be fully capable of surviving. Her words would emphasize that.

"I can't help but be impressed, Lloyd." She said, keeping her eyes on his form. "Even after feeling that ocean of spiritual pressure, you're still maintaining your form and composure." Out of the corner of her eye, she would see Casilda extend her own hand out to the side. A katana, pure white from hilt to blade, would be manifested from thin air. "It seems you truly are capable of putting me to good use, doesn't it?"

Her gaze, calm as it was, would be contrasted to the glaring eyes of Casilda as she regarded her own adversary. She balanced her katana on her shoulder. "It's time someone else took the initiative." She said, beckoning him with a slight tilt of the chin. "Your move, Your Majesty..." Following this, she would pull the blade off of her shoulder and settle into a defensive stance, ready to defend herself against whatever attack Ywhach could throw at her.

Yhwach clucked his tongue, as he took the briefest moments to bend his knees and place his left foot behind him in readiness, "Don't get overconfident, Arrancar. Just because your released form can change its appearance, doesn't mean you can surpass me!"

WHOOSH!

Within a blinding move of Hirenkyaku, Yhwach appeared before Casilda, swinging his blade towards her in a diaongal upwards swipe. What transpired wouldn't be an ordinary cutting fissure, however. What would take place would be the massive accelerated absorbtion of ambient Spiritual Energy within the atmosphere to increase the power of the swing nearly ten fold, creating a magnificent crescent arc in the shape of a massive sparrow, aiming to consume and cut her at the very edge of his blade's path while searing the rest of her proximate skin.

"His majesty wouldn't have chosen me to fight you if he didn't believe it was within my capabilities to withstand powerful forces around me. But make it known, that even as I stand here, fighting you, I am sampling your daughter's power as we speak," Lloyd Lloyd spoke in a eerily familiar, impassionate tone that would resemble Nohemi's, as he stood up straight and lower his left arm, allowing his right hand to point towards her in the shape of a finger pistol, "before this fight is over, I will be able to assume her power and shape as well. It will be most satisfying to see the horror on her ally's faces as I crush them with the very power she dared to use against Lord Juhabach."

"Number Six - Destruction," Lloyd Lloyd whispered aloud, as a magnificent plume of nuclear fire discharged from his fingertip and raced forth with alarming velocity towards Nohemi. The force, heat, and energy used would be enough to make even Yamamoto's Bankai flames pale in comparison.

Nohemi's eyes widened slightly as she saw the oncoming wave of flames collide with the hijacked wave she had sent towards him. They consumed that wave and swallowed it whole, continuing on its path to her. She could already feel the heat scorch her face even at the far-off distance they were at, and the gap between attack and target was only growing smaller by the millisecond. She couldn't help but feel both apprehensive and impressed at how the Quincy was handling his "gifts" without physically and mentally breaking composure. She was not one of arrogance, but she had assumed he would be much weaker because of his status as a subordinate. Ywhach must have been quite confident assigning such incredible powers without fear of betrayal from them.

She thrust her hand out, summoning a particularly massive Cero Fuera to her front. The temperature dropped abruptly once she did so, courtesy of the shield blocking out the very heat that the attack had produced. In the brilliance of the bright light, she had to raise an arm to shield her face. "That is to assume that you will be able to get past me..." She remarked. "You may have trained to control that power. But what new information acquired are simply things I know as well. The decision to fight me in that form will only get you so far." Upon this sentence, she would reach out towards the barrier she had created until her fingers barely touched the surface of it.

She called the barrier down, and the flames met their target.

But they would not incinerate her. Her Number Nine would save her from the fate of complete immolation, allowing her hands to catch the flames and pull them apart into two separate, massive "fans". One fan was held in each hand, the nuclear fire being restrained like dogs on leashes. She threw herself at him, and once she was close enough, she threw them one by one. They would morph into massive funnels that dwarfed both of their sizes and would consume him. It was a very threatening display of energy control and the power of energy itself.

But even so, it seemed to pale in comparison to the energy struggle that would take place in the skies.

"Tornado Alley!"

The red wave would clash with the blue of the spiritrons, growing to kiss the opposing attack head-on. As the two attacks collided, Casilda would press her sword against hers in a struggle for dominance. There was anger, there was defiance and there was the desire to kill in her eyes as they glared into Ywhach's own. But there was also a small glint within them that was expressing an appreciation for the battle at hand. The desire to see an equal had never left her, and so far, this war was being nothing but promising.

With a swing, she parried his sword and broke the lock. She allowed herself to fall into a position where she would have been laying on the ground. Using the support of her hands, she began to perform a windmill break-dance. The wave began to turn into a massive tornado that stretched down to the ground, looming over the Vandenreich and emitting an ominous pressure from its ferocious winds. It threatened to consume Ywhach within its fold, fueled by its source spinning within its epicenter.

"Overwhelm me with a twister of Spiritual Power? Using such tactics against a Hollow or a Soul Reaper would possibly work. But against a Quincy?" Yhwach queried aloud with bemusment, despite his proximity to the looming and gargantuan force of spiritual energy flowing towards him.

Rearing back his sword arm, Yhwach enraptured his elbow with a massive pyre of spirit energy, flowing over to his sword, making it appear as if he constructed a crossbow of blue wisps of spiritual power. Aiming it at the rapidly closing maelstrom, Yhwach uttered lowly as he released the projectile, "Kreuz Spatzen!"

KRAK-KOOM!

A massive plume of kinetic force billowed out from Yhwach's energy enraptured limb, as a automobile-sized, sparrow-shaped arrow dove through the twister with ease. When it split the wind-formed spiritual twister, it dove quickly towards Casilda's form, exploding once it made proximity, quickly upheaving the winds formed and splitting it apart with a pyre of blue-white spirit flames.

"Number 4 - Nihilism," Lloyd Lloyd whispered out, as his outstretched hand splayed out as he ceased the discharge of flames in exchange to create what seemed to be a black rift in the middle of space. All of the redirected energy would be sucked and whisked away, sending it into oblivion, while at the same time, his Spiritual Pressure vented into the atmosphere to poision Nohemi's senses in order to break her will further, "if I can get past you? You talk as if you can beat Yourself, Nohemi de la Cruz."

With a simple flick of his hand, the black rift flew forth at Nohemi, intending on having her sucked into the maelstrom of death and whisk her away into nothing, as it will crush her into total oblivion.

Had it not been for the sudden sensations felt, Nohemi would've chuckled at the (possibly) unintentional pun the Quincy had made.

She fell down to one knee out of reflex, looking on with trepidation at her foe. With that number stated, it felt as if his very presence was filling the air and suffocating hers. Her breathing patterns started to hitch, and she found herself exhaling audibly in the face of the rift. It was a particularly dreadful ability that she herself hated to use simply because of its nature. In the right hands, it could break an enemy's mentality into nothing more than fragments - something that opposed her pacifistic nature. Unfortunately, this Quincy had the malice and the ruthlessness to use it against her.

It was fortunate that she knew the nature of the technique and how to counter it effectively.

"Number Four. Nihilism!"

Just when it was nearing her position, the black hole seemed to be intercepted by another that appeared just in front of Nohemi. The result was the two effectively swallowing each other hole, taking the air of his domination from the atmosphere as quickly as it had come. The pressure that had bore down on her was lifted, and she brought herself back to her feet once more. She let out an exhale of relief before focusing her gaze back onto the Quincy. A smile, challenging in nature and reminiscent of what would've come from her husband, formed on her face.

"Will you prove me wrong, Quincy?" She taunted, approaching him with a slow and formal walk. "I wish for you to show me who is the rightful wielder of such a powerful sword. I encourage you to demonstrate who's convictions are fit for history. Come," She stopped herself once she was only a few feet away from him, meeting his gaze with her own. "Make Lord Ywhach proud!"

Up above them, Casilda would finish off her breakdance with a shift of her position. As the tornado was ripped apart, she would meet the unstable energy with the blade of her katana. As metal met the expanding spiritrons, the explosive energy would be dismantled even further. Although it would explode all around her, she would remain unharmed even in the blast radius. In the hue of blue, her silver eyes would glow a brilliant crimson as they shone through. When the light cleared, she would once again be standing mirror with her foe and the glow would fade away.

Although she was tempted to, she did not fire back a retort. Instead, she moved onto the offensive.

She kicked into a Sonido, one that would have the speed rivaling the speed of light. When she appeared before Ywhach, her blade and body would already be moving in a set of close-quarters attacks. Even as she moved aggressively against him, the spins, twists, steps and overall movements would make it appear as if she was performing a dance. She was fighting as elegantly as she was making herself a deadly opponent. Her eyes had gained a hint of concentration as he fought, her body completely lost within its own world.

Only Yhwach's deft attunement to the atmosphere's constant fluxuating spirit energy allowed Yhwach to percieve and adapt himself to Casilda's gracefully unorthodox dance she weaved within her deadly strikes. Retracting his bow into a light-enraptured blade, Yhwach clashed and spun on his heels like an expert swordsman, never raising himself into the air to meet the acrobatically leaping and pouncing woman who challenged him so skillfully.

Their clashes sent fissures of lightning from their respective weapons colliding, the pressure waves yielding enormous crackes within the earth, while blistering winds blew all acorss the eastern front of the Quincy city that they combatted within. It truly was a battle of titans, worthy of song and awe.

It was such a display of raw power and grace that caused Yhwach's subordinate to pause at the invitation Nohemi beckoned him to accept.

His eyes, mirroring his prey's, stared evenly at his enemy's as he culminated a strategy to overcome her readiness and composed state of being. Considering how evenly matched they appeared to be, in terms of actual stamina and spiritual reserves, he knew this battle could literally take hours, even days. Time that he knew he didn't have, if he wanted to be kept within his majesty's good graces.

So he took initiative once again.

"Number 2, Senescence!"

It happened instantaneously. Lloyd Lloyd seemed to appear before Nohemi's form, crouched low, and already swinging forth a vicious left hook towards her chest. Before she would even know what was happening, he would utter lowly as his fist neared her body...

"Number 3, Sacrifice!"

SHEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOW!!!

Within a great burst of golden light, a mass of foreign Spiritual energy seemed to coalesce around the knuckles of the Stern Ritter's fist, speeding up the punch nearly seven fold, and releasing a bountiful fissure of explosive force upon her body, intending on driving her back for a good distance, as well as landing the first real blow of their battle.

"That last one...is the result of nearly two thousand Soldats dying within the first fifteen minutes of this invasion," Lloyd Lloyd announced as he stared towards her eyes with the hauntingly cold, impassive stare that would greatly contrast her own, "just thought you should know where I drew the strength from if you so happened to be curious."

Two blows - and only one would be countered.

The first one was something that certainly took her off guard. But it wasn't anything that she was prepared to counter. When the words were spoken, she was able to counteract with a mirroring Number Two. Time would slow down all around her, slowing him back down to normal speed. She would raise an arm to block the fist, more than ready to return fire with her own two hands.

But she wasn't fast enough to anticipate him suddenly speeding up again. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw his arm slip through his guard, colliding with its target. The explosive force released would hurl her off of her feet and away from the Quincy like a bullet. Her body would crash through several structures, straightened and crumbled, before it stopped in a particularly massive pile of debris. What seemed like a next to impossible feat for the reigai of Yamamoto, or almost any war was now made possible by this Quincy; not only did he land a blow on the Mother of Hueco Mundo, but he had also swept her off of her feet.

With a quick yank, she tugged herself from the ruins and stood with a slightly hunched over form. Even at the massive distance the two adversaries were at, she could still feel the cold glare of Lloyd as she straightened herself back out. Although no significant damage had been done, there was a resonating pain going through her torso from the blow that had been delivered. An exhale of trepidation escaped her lips.

"He's certainly not going to make this an easy battle, is he?" She thought to herself, dusting herself off and ignoring the sharp aches as her hand brushed over her chest.

As she was making her way out of the debris, Casilda would perform a front-flip over Ywhach's head in the midst of a sword lock. At the zero point, she would speak out for the very first time. But her words not be aimed at him, instead calling out an attack.

"Number Six..."

She would land behind him, pressing her back against his in order to keep him from turning around too quickly. Like her spiritual pressure, the same type of nuclear fires that Nohemi and Lloyd had used against one another would explode from her body, attempting to envelop and incinerate him like a firebomb.

"Destruction!"

Yhwach had no opportunity to evade the firebomb. It enveloped him too swiftly for retaliation, and his senses told him the blast radius would leave him scarred should he move to evade it. Even Blut Vene itself would be ordinarily unable to shield him all of the damage, as its equivalent yield would be similar to Yamammot's Bankai during its infancy, but on a grander scale.

Yhwach, however, had the ally of limitless Spirit Energy at his disposal, and was allowed the use of it even within the vortex of flames.

This would lead in him turnin within the epicenter of the flowing force of flames, seemingly unhindered by it, and swing his blade towards her unprotected backside, as he would cleave through the white-hot tongues and create a fissure of neon blue energy that would cut a clean line through the structures of the Vandenreich city's outskirts for a good kilometer.

"You're not the only one...whom can turn spirit energy into flames, Casilda Selestino," Yhwach spoke undaunted, as his black cloaked form was bathed in a fiery aura of Heiligues Feuer, with his sword bearing the same cloak of blue tongues as his own body, "sometimes the best offense is the best defense."

It was within that instant, that Lloyd Lloyd moved, and with an even faster deployment than his use of Number 2's employment.

"Number 1 - Solitude," Lloyd moved with incredible swiftness, as the distance within space between him and Nohemi was forecefully isolated, allowing him to appear directly in front of her without any warning.

A swift thrust of his left hand to grasp her face as if he was trying to grapple her skull, Lloyd then whispered with quick succession, "Numbers 5 & 8 -Despair and Madness!"

With a swift pulse of energy exiting his hand, a sudden chasm of oblivion would thrust Nohemi's mind into a sea of dread, fueled by the dread pumping through her whole body. In this effort, Lloyd would attempt to psychologically incapacitate Nohemi, in order to render her completely useless to further resist his attempts of assault or in better terms, execution of her body.

It was a very nice combination of attacks.

The use of Solitude was enough to once again catch her by surprise, as she hadn't had enough time to get fully ready for the attack. His palm would latch onto her face like a leech, fingers clamping down in a death-grip. Reflexively, she slapped one of her own hands onto the offending wrist in an attempt to pull him off. However, the combination of numbers that had come up was enough to stop her within her tracks, if only for a moment. With just that set of movements, it looked like Nohemi would get killed by the Quincy.

But there was one thing that he had not taken into account - the immunity to such psychological assaults. It was a passive ability that Casilda had inherited from her parents, as well as something that came naturally to the likes of Nohemi due to experience of its use. As relentless as Lloyd was being, such an attack had left him open for a counter-attack.

So, the hand that clamped his wrist started to squeeze and pull it away from her person. It was a simple act, putting effort into prying someone's hand off of your face. But the muscles and bones within the said arm, under an unspoken spell, would began to weaken. Muscles would become soft, and bone density would decrease. Lloyd would feel the strength within that arm weaken, as well as several sudden aches that would creep up in the joints. Obviously, Nohemi had something to do with it, judging from the stern yet somewhat apologetic stare into her own eyes.

"You'll have to forgive me if I'm a bit rough on you." She commented. "But I can't afford you let you win."

Then, her free fist connected with his ribcage with immense force and power. Of course, the Hierro would keep damage to a minimum despite the force that would send him away from her. But the ribcage would shatter, pieces of bone being impaled into his lungs and the muscle protecting it collapsing. As he would fly away from her, she would retract her arms back into her cloak and state three words responsible for his sudden weakness.

"Number Two. Time."

She would not be the only one to make a particularly lethal comeback.

When Ywhach swung his blade, she would allow herself to spin around. With a move of a daredevil and a display of seemingly reckless abandon, she caught the cutting edge of the weapon between the blunt edges of her teeth. Sparks flew as friction between enamel and metal was created, but it did nothing to loosen the hold Casilda had. He would see a mocking smile on her face even with the weapon gripped in her mouth, hearing a slight chuckle.

Then, like a dog worrying a bone, she swung her body and head around. As Ywhach would be taken with her, the flames that enraptured his body started to envelop Casilda's body. It wasn't a matter of spreading, however, but a matter of transition; the flames were moving from Ywhach's body to Casilda's, as if they were being forcefully pulled away from him. Although it wouldn't be seen right away, the tongues would seep through her pores in a time of absorption. She was taking the flames he had used as a shield and using them for herself.

The phenomenon would be explained once she had released her mouth, sending him speeding towards the ground like a meteor. She stared with hardened yet satisfied eyes as she spoke the words, the flames disappearing as they were completely absorbed. "Number Nine - Greed!"

Even as Yhwach fully thrust into the earth, the ground split and widened underneath him. A twenty five meter deep indentation within the formerly Quincy City outskirts split around him, with his own body at its epicenter. Wincing, the Quincy King's eyes opened to look up at the woman standing above the crater, before stretching a hand out towards her direction.

It wasn't until he smiled, that his forefinger and middlefinger met with a single snap that he clearly had a trick up his sleeve, "Unverzögerte Verbrennung!"

The aura that Casilda so brazenly ignited around her body, as well as residual spirit energy within her body that she absorbed, would suddenly turn into a white light as a chain reaction took place. The very energy that she had absorbed was now detonating, and with a vibrant display of destructive power, leaving as much force upon her as he nuclear wave had nearly done upon Yhwach's person himself.

Leaping out of the crater on the opposite edge from Casilda, he couldn't help but smile in her direction, "You're certainly full of surprises. Weaponizing the very aspects of death that your Espada positions embody? I never knew that was possible for an evolved species such as yourself could use until now."

Not too far away, Lloyd Lloyd was using those gifts to heal his body.

He was surprised that Nohemi had no side affects from his employed attack, but quickly realized this too late. His left arm was a shriveled husk of its former self, broken and weary, while his chest was caved in due to the powerful blow his unprotected torso received.

As he pried himself out of the large building he had collapsed upon, his clothes and body would appear untouched, with only a small rivulet of blue hued energy leaving his doppleganger form to replace some of the clothes that had been torn back into mint condition.

"Interesting. I may have absorbed your body and mind, but nothing recollects the idea of being incapable of brainwashing. I guess due to the lack of experience in that category has left me unaware of that strength. I'll make note of that for future reference," Lloyd Lloyd spoke in an impassive tone, raising his left hand up in emphasis as he spoke aloud, "however, you're not the only one who's creative. Senescence can also be used in reverse, allowing temporarly restoration to be possible. With the amount of Spiritual Power you possess, this is quite easy for me to use at my own whim."

This seemed to amuse the Arrancar, who let out a chuckle and a shake of the head. While the Quincy seemed to exude nothing but swords of ice from his voice and actions, Nohemi was behaving much more casually and jovially despite being in the heat of conflict. "Come, now. You're just being unfair." She said chidingly, allowing herself to step towards the Arrancar once more. Her gait was purposeful but casual, putting one foot in front of the other. "Of course I understand the extent of my own power. There's no need for a refresher course to be taught on it."

It wasn't until she was once again at the traditional fighter's distance from him that the smile faded away a little. Her tone was still casual, but now it had a bit of seriousness to it. "It does, however, show that you're a little less experienced in wielding that form than I thought. Since you're bound to scour through that copy and find the reasoning, anyway, I'll tell you the secret. Immunity to the psychological enemy is something that all Hollow like myself possess. Had I not been immune to such pragmatic abilities, our bloodline would have fallen ages ago. While I'm thinking about it..."

She lowered her head a little, peering at Lloyd questioningly. "I can't help but wonder. If you had the ability to sample someone's very identity and take it as your own, then why choose me? Why not Aizen?"

It was here that Casilda would show her own quick thinking.

Using Solitude, she isolated the energy from her own system before it exploded. It would envelop her body in its bright light, making it look like she had been consumed by the power. But as the flash cleared, she would be shown descending from the sky in a moderately quick manner. The smile had faded away, leaving only the hardened glare as she landed a distance away from him. Her sword was lowered, but her guard was still up. Against the King, she couldn't afford to leave anything to chance - especially with the recent move that he had performed on her.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." She said readily after he had finished speaking. "But then again, I don't ever think you had it in you to take Arrancar seriously. I bet you never thought that the one you usually hunt for sport would actually be standing face to face with you in battle, did you?" Slowly, she spread her arms out in a challenging motion, the smirk briefly returning to her face as she jeered at him. "And I don't even have a scratch on me."

She balanced the blade on her shoulder. "Now, come on. I heard what you said. You weren't going to hold back on me, were you? It shouldn't be this easy to bring the God of the Quincy to the ground like this. I want you to come at me with everything you've got," The smirk once again faded, becoming a snarl once again. "Because I plan on showing you just how horrible of a mistake you made waging a war on us!!!"

"Mistake? The only mistake made was challenging the Inner Circle, believing them to be the only threat in your path to freedom," Yhwach rose from the ground as he smiled towards her, dusting his cloak as his eyes drew to hers. Raising his left hand towards her, three talismans dropped from the crevices of his fingers, dropping into the earth as he spoke challengingly, "you are but a pedestal to the conquest of the known realms of life and death!"

VOOM-VOOM-VOOM-VOOM!

Within a matter of seconds, a bright blue-white light split the earth and created a solidified floor of spirit energy directly underneath the Quincy King and the Arrancar Queen. Shortly after, nearly a dozen towering columns of cross-shaped towers of spirit energy rose up around the two of them, finished off with an enlarged halo that circulated a good dozen meters away from the tops of the pillars themselves. This effectively sealed them away from the rest of the environment and her mother.

"Kirchenlied: Sankt Zwinger!" Yhwach announced with a chuckle, as he brandished his sword once more, now cultivating into a claymore with a cross-shaped guard and a double-edged tip, "my hold over spirit energy is raised nearly ten fold, allowing me to even harness your own offending Hollow techniques. This prison cannot be shattered unless I die or will it to be dispersed. Make no mistake, Casilda Selestino, that you will die here on this hallowed ground!"

KRAAAAAAAAAK-KOOOOOOOOOM!!!

High above the heavens, golden streaks of lightning split the very fabric of the storm clouds. Fissures of astronomical energy flew through the horizon, as the battle between Kyōaku and Aizen intensified high above the Quincy Kingdom.

In punctuation, Lloyd Lloyd answered with a dark smile of admittance, "Sōsuke Aizen is a being that transcends my comprehension. I cannot sample his Spirit Energy, because his power stems not from this world or others. His power dwells within a plane I'm unable to touch. Your daughter has felt that power once and it petrified her to the core, from what I'm told. My Lord Juhabach is no different. His powers as a Quincy is unrivaled by any other in existence. The only reason he allows me to reach such heights of strength is the fact that he holds the entire Vandenreich in sanctified trust and bondage. Our power is his power. That should tell you just how strong our King truly is, Nohemi de la Cruz."

"Forgive my skepticism," Nohemi responded, briefly and slightly turning her head so that she was looking at him from one eye. "But I cannot bring myself to entirely believe such words. Are you sure that you are saying that because you have absolute faith within his ability to crush his foes, his legendary status as a warrior? Or is it," She cocked an inquisitive eyebrow. "Simply because of the fact that he holds your life within his hands? Nothing but glorification about his ideals, motivations and actions... otherwise, you may be seen as a potential traitor and sympathizer for the enemy. Make one little action that compromises your position, and you are given the worst of punishments. He rules through your fear and silence, and he knows just how bendable you are because of that.

Her words were serious, carrying a rather dark undertone as she continued to speak to the Quincy. "Are your words of faith motivated by a strong loyalty? Or are they even yours to begin with, Quincy?"

Within the prison that Ywhach had made, Casilda almost let out a scoff. Was this supposed to be his attempt at getting serious? It would've worked on any of the Espada besides her, considering that they ran almost entirely on spiritual energy to work their combat abilities. Despite everything, she assumed that he still wasn't taking her seriously enough. But it wasn't a problem. She was all too ready to wipe the smug grin right off of the warmonger bastard.

"Hollow techniques, huh?" She asked rhetorically, taking a brief glance at the claymore he was wielding. "I'm getting the feeling you're trying to keep me from using my bloodline against you. Don't get me wrong, this prison would've been perfect against any of the other Espada... at least in a straight-forward battle. Even against me, a good majority of my offensive powers are officially limited." She swung her down in a lowered angle 75 degrees from the waist, glaring at Ywhach. "But against the likes of one blessed with the Triada bloodline?" This time, she actually allowed a mocking chuckle to escape her lips, flipping and twisting her blade in a seemingly idle manner.

Then, she stabbed the sword into the ground, and for the briefest moments, she had Hell at her fingertips.

White-hot flames erupted from the ground, surrounding and dwarfing the cage that surrounded both her and her enemy. It was here that Nohemi's expression turned to one of slight alarm as she sensed the flaming columns arise around the area. Although she herself was physically undeterred by the ominous power that the constructs were exuding, a bead of sweat dripped down her face in trepidation. "I hope that this battle does not go too far." She thought to herself. "There may be allies within that could get caught in the crossfire of this. Be careful, Casilda, and don't allow your hatred to consume you here..."

As the pillars loomed through the sky, Casilda tilted her head back up to look at Ywhach. "You might as well be trying to place a leash on a god." She said, her narrowed eyes sparking with a feral undertone. "Those of the Triada bloodline wield the very heart, soul and will of Hueco Mundo as a sword to destroy the most heinous of enemies. That's something that can't be lumped into the same category as the common spiritual ability. It would be an insult to do so." Slowly, she pulled herself onto her feet and leveled her katana tip at her target.

"If you truly are a God, I'd like to see this thing hold against this one. Now, say good-night!'"

From the wide and tall fire pillars, a rain of massive fireballs would separate and launch themselves at the Quincy spell. They would be concentrated, blotting out the area of sky directly over the area Casilda and Ywhach were in. It was a storm of artillery that threatened to flatten a good piece of the fortress that was the Vandenreich's home. It also demonstrated the extent of Casilda's anger at him, Aizen and the Inner Circle.

She was going to make them pay, even if it was the last thing she did.

Termination Protocols, Brotherhood's Fight Against the Culling
When the shadows fell upon the Soul Society, V-14 was immediately hit with shock and awe. Some of them abruptly froze up, their bodies unable to move in their own horror. Some slowed their walk down to a stop, observing everything with a morbid interest. Others remained alarmed but resolute, and a few more didn't have any major reaction to it at all. But it could be safe to say that all felt some sort of surprise upon seeing the environment start to morph around them. It would be nothing compared to what they would feel when the shadows lifted, revealing the Vandenreich's fortress.

Naturally, it was Oliver that spoke the first words that was possibly on everyone's mind.

"The hell?!"

Hyōryū responded in kind, "Since when did the enemy decide to play, Location Swap?!"

It would be Rika who would start the chain of reactions from then on out.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no--" Her words were a frightened mantra as she looked around, feeling like a trapped mouse. She would have certainly been safer on her bird instead of on the ground, now that the Inner Circle's air support had been taken out. But somewhere along the line, she had gotten forcefully separated from her Dragonbird and forced to use the ground units as protection. This scenario reminded her of how underequipped she was for combat in comparison to the rest of her comrades. She fell onto her butt, shaking considerably as the dread of the scenario was taking its toll.

Yusuke was the first to notice. His shock was traded in favor of concern for his teammate, and he ran over to her side. "Rika!" He said warily, crouching next to her and placing his hands on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. "Hey, c'mon! What's wrong?"

"Take deep breaths and relax, Rika-chan." Asuka said softly, allowing her own concern to show. She moved over to the other side of the panicking Rika, immediately deciphering just what exactly was causing her to undergo this fit of hysteria. "Just remain calm. We're still here, remember?"

"Th-this is Quincy a-a-architure," Rika stammered, shutting her eyes and shaking her head tightly. Tears were starting to form, falling from the corners and down her face "S-somehow, the V-Vandenreich have m-managed to s-switch the l-l-locations of th-the Soul S-S-Society and h-here...! They're all around--!" She didn't have the heart to finish, the fear gripping her heart too much. "F-Forgive me, Sakamoto-dono, I should have stayed with the Dragonbird...!"

The only one out of them who hadn't jumped to her aid was Shinji. He was more interested in the environment around them, taking it in with mild curiosity and a cold calculation. "This is the King's doing?" He questioned rhetorically. "I find little purpose in this other than intimidation. Although this would most likely count as a home field advantage for the enemy, the battles taking place would have a high chance of reducing it all to ruin. If anything, this is a foolish move made by the Vandenreich..."

"Rika, calm down," Kenja wrapped an arm around Rika, trying to give her a physical sense of empathy as well as reinforcement for her composure, "its going to be alright."

As Shinji spoke out, Kenja turned his gaze to him to correct his mindset, "You're wrong," empahsizing this statement, he bent down with Rika in tow to place his right hand upon the ground, reaching out his pull of the land that's replaced the Soul Society, "the battle that tore apart the Rukonagi and the Seireitei regions was torn, sapped, broken. This land is made of a higher concentration of Spirit Energy than the Soul Society, at least three fold. It almost like the atmosphere itself is much more pure and cleaner than the landscape that it used to have."

"N-No kidding," Shadō shivered, as sweat profused from his body, a near manic smile elapsing from his face, "my body feels like its going into an adrenaline rush with how much energy I'm gathering from the atmosphere. Its just taking all my will power to keep myself from going mad with glee. This place is intoxicating in comparison to the Soul Society!"

"A perfect hunting ground for the Quincy forces. This certainly takes away the home field advantage we held but moments ago," Shinshin looked over at Zaii with a nod, and then to his mother, "the geological difference makes all those mapped schematics we received from Shito irrelevent. There coudl be tunnels, traps, and many ways to travel through this cityscape in comparison to the straightforward Soul Society layout."

"So the prophecy wasn't a sham, after all," Mōka spoke with a grim smile, as she leaned against the wall with her arms and legs crossed, her eyes closed with memory recalling of this event that was transpiring, "I guess the Quincy folk weren't just trying to show off. It really did happen after all."

Kenja's movement made both Yusuke and Asuka back away a little, their eyes watching the two carefully. As for Rika herself, the strong arm that wrapped around her smaller form hit her alarmed senses like an ice pack to a feverish head. She stopped shaking, her teary eyes opening wide when she felt him, her heart pounding rapidly against him. But her demeanor would only last for a few more seconds before she began to relax, exhaling a deep breath and leaning against him. Her hands placed themselves against his chest in a nonverbal request to keep him close to her.

It made her two partners sigh in relief. Asuka offered a grateful smile to Kenja before standing up and looking around. "If we had some sort of recon position up on the rooftops," She commented, folding her arms across her chest and observing the area with a calm, analyzing expression. "Maybe we could get a better idea of what's happening and where we stand." She turned towards Angelika, who was now looking at Mōka questioningly. "Angelika-san. Do you think one of us could--"

"Prophecy?" Angelika inquired towards the Hankami, cutting Asuka off before she could finish the question. "Are you telling me that this was planned long ago? This change of scenery was something meant from the very start?" She didn't wait for an answer, letting out a light scoff and turning her head away. "Oh, if I started counting just how many of those we've had to deal with so far, I could guarantee you that I would have a long list."

Anton gave a light shrug. "Shouldn't be of any concern." He remarked, putting on an optimistic smile. "All that's changed is scenery, right? We just have to focus on defeating the enemy and finding some way to change it back. With luck, we can take this over and claim it as the new Soul Society!" He finished this off with an amused chuckle, which was shared by Oliver.

"Yeah. Bet the Gotei 13 are going to be having kittens if they take over this place instead of--"

A familiar voice, one they hadn't heard in a while since the war started, cut her off.

"Over here!"

A majority of eyes would turn to see Kaitlyn running towards them. She stopped at a distance away, breathing heavily and hunched over. In her hands was what appeared to be a Kidō repeating rifle, holstered at her chest. Her clothing was covered in scratches, and there were parts of her that were stained crimson. But other than that, she seemed to be okay. Oliver and Genesis were the first ones to vocally regard her.

"Katie!"

"Sis!"

"No time!" Kaitlyn said breathlessly, raising a hand up in order to stop them. Her weary expression had a hint of alarm to it as she looked to them, sweat falling down her face. "I was with a recon team when the setting just changed on us. Not soon after, this... thing... ambushed us. Just barely managed to get out of there alive. The rest of them weren't so lucky..."

"Wait a minute--" Genesis began, her expression changing to one of shock. But Kaitlyn once again cut her off.

"I said there's no time to explain! We've got to get out of here before--"

That was when she would be cut off... by a tentacle wrapping itself around her leg. Her eyes widened, her pupils dilated and her face paled as she felt it. But just as she was looking down, she was promptly yanked off of her feet and out of sight with a alarmed yell.

"GAH--!"

"The Hell just happened?" Yajū asked in a bored tone, dragging his buttocks up against the alley wall as he glanced dryly over in the direction Kaitlyn was and disappeared from.

"What was she talking about?" Zaii asked with a frown, not feeling entirely threatened, due to the void of spiritual pressure in the direction where Kaitlyn's was.

However, the only one feeling of the group feeling something amiss was Shinshin, as his eyes widened at seeing the young woman he had yearned to see again flung away like a rag doll. He felt her emotions permeate the air, and the sense of unmistakable malice draw closer to her.

"KAITLYN!" Shinshin shouted out aloud, getting to his feet and rushing towards the edge of the alleyway.

He didn't make it far, as Mōka appeared before him, arms crossed with the same resigned expression as earlier.

"Out of my way!" Shinshin growled at her, his hand reaching to thumb his katana free as his onyx irises glared heatedly at her.

"Give her a moment, Shin-kun, and you'll see why she's an invaluable member of V-14," Mōka spoke back in a nonchalant manner, her fiery red eyes winked mischieviously back at the bewildered Shinshin.

"What are you-?!"

Sure enough, Mōka's remark would be punctuated by what was happening out of their sight.

There were sounds. A sickening snap, Kaitlyn's pained gasp... and then bursts of gunfire. The flashes of light that would be created from the rifle firing would be seen, but nothing else could be made out. Between split-second intervals of fire, the pain could be heard dissipating from Kaitlyn's voice. Judging from the tone of the occasional grunt and growl from her, whatever that had yanked her away wasn't having the satisfaction of killing her easily. This would be punctuated with three words.

"GET...OFF ME!!"

Kaitlyn's angry snarl would be followed by a small yet resounding explosion, powerful enough to send a small shockwave into the V-14 group. Judging from the weapon Kaitlyn had, it was most likely from a Kidō explosive launcher. Genesis couldn't help but stare in fascination as she listened to it all. Last time she had checked, Kaitlyn had no special powers of her own in comparison to the rest of the V-14. If the one that attempted to kill her was a superpowered entity...

A second later, Kaitlyn came back. She would come out with the rifle aimed at the entryway. Her face had been wiped clean of distress, replaced with a fierce determination as she retreated back with the group. She was panting, but was still standing straight and defiant. "Damn thing just won't take a hint!" She snapped, lowering her rifle once she was close enough. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her father and sister make their way closer to her while also eyeing the entryway.

"What was it?" Genesis asked.

"Stern Ritter." Kaitlyn growled, not bothering to look at her. "Called itself a Quincy, but it sure doesn't act like it's human. If anything, I think the Quincy King built himself a robot complete with artificial intelligence!"

"She survived a Stern Ritter attack?!" Both Genesis and Oliver had incredulous looks on their faces as they looked at the elder sister, even if she didn't look back.

Sighing with relief, Shinshin recoiled from his earlier anxiety as he moved around the smirking Hankami, "Did you have you go ahead and scare us like that?"

"Yeah, that's kind of half-assed, Kaitie," Hyōryū spoke derrisively, though wore an amused smirk on her face, "what was his name? Mr. Doesn't-Die? Bet he was looking almost immortal when you took him on!"

"What a bore. If all Stern Ritters are all pushovers like this die so easily, I'm going to be so pissed how boring this new enemy is," Yajū grumbled as he scratched the back of his head and rolled his eyes.

Yajū wouldn't be disappointed, but he would soon wish he was.

Several loud, sharp foot steps were coming from the area that Kaitlyn had just come from, no doubt belonging to the entity that had attacked her previously. The closer it came, the larger the entity seemed to be, almost as if it were taller than the buildings themselves. But then, they slowly quietened down to regular footsteps, and out of the corner of that building emerged the Stern Ritter.

A rather tall individual with his Stern Ritter cloak covering all of his body from the neck down, the entity wore a white helmet with four narrow slits. It was walking straight forward out of the building's corner, it's right shoulder facing the group before it's head began to turn towards the group with a disturbingly calm pace. When it found it's targets, the entire body shifted towards them, moving towards the group at a calm rate. ''"Kaitlyn Holmes." ''it said in a synthetic voice of clear, emotionless observation towards the woman in question. "Your persistance in maintaining your life force has become... irritable. Your Spiritual Energy reserves are slightly below nominal, therefore making the process of dedicating resources to your demise a waste. However, given your impressive history and occupation, I would prefer to gather what data I can from you before terminating your existence."

By the time the Stern Ritter arrived, everyone's nonchalant attitudes would be replaced by a common sense of spine-tingling fear. The very presence of the soul-less being that stood before them caused all of their eyes to widen synonymously with mixed excitement and trepidation.

"You had to say something, didn't you?" Zaii groaned, as he impassively stared at the tall enemy, resting his enormous bandage-wrapped blade on his back. His feeling of safety was used due to the number of people at his side, his confidence in his own capabilities, and the idea how dangerous they were all together.

The feeling the large swordsman had, would be one of the only uniquely dispassionate ones.

Shinshin immediately crouched back down when the footsteps began, and hardened his gaze. When he saw the Stern Ritter come into view, he grasped the hilt of his katana fully, ready to employ its use at any given moment he felt something amiss. The very fact that he didn't see a single pock mark on the entity's trappings didn't bode well, considering how much firepower Kaitlyn utilized against it.

Hyōryū found her hands trembling as she unholstered her guns slowly out, her forehead prespiring sweat as she locked her eyes on the eerily cloak-draped figure that boded nothing but maliciousness, mingled with calousness. A true machine, designed only for killing and reconnaissance.

Shadō turned his gaze to glare vehemently at the newfound presence. His sweat-coated face bearing nothing but animosity, as his fear was balanced out by the constant mental strain the environment had on his body. His right gloved hand reached up to grasp his sealed Zanpakutō, as his eyes narrowed forthwith at the enemy that reared its knight-like visage at them.

Shito's opened wide at seeing that what he felt. It made him gulp a lump of fear, as he stepped back, his senses screamed out at him, "This thing...isn't human...and yet...I can feel...power emanating from it ever so subtly! What the Hell is it?!"

Kenja's hold on Rika tightened as he turned her body away from him, stepping forward as he grasped his Fullbring blade on his back, readying himself to become a guardian for the one he cherished. No matter whom they were, he would be fearless and strike them down without hesitation.

Mōka held out an arm to stop his advance, earning a scornful look, until one of realization would be seen. The Hankami of Domination was staring hard at the metallic helmed entity with a bewildered sense of confusion and fear of her own. It was as if she couldn't place her thumb on it, and wasn't prepared for being in the presence of such a construct of monstrocity.

Even Karitori was shivering at the sight of the Stern Ritter. She knew she heard explosions, and that a lot of firepower was used by Kaitlyn in order to delay it, due to her attempt to kill it had failed utterly. Yet, the Quincy stood before them unscathed, and sounding more annoyed than upset. It grated and froze her nerves simultaneously. Just what kind of enemy were they dealing with, should could only wonder.

"I take that back, this one looks strong," Yajū spoke with a carnal lust for the entity's insides to spill out. If anything was an indiciation, his body seemed to distort with the projection of spiritual pressure from his body, as he smiled a slasher's grin, turning his scythe around as he approached his newfound prey, "let's see how much life I can reap from your shell, big guy!"

However, he wouldn't get very far before the arm of Angelika was pressed against his chest.

"As much as I'd like to see this thing disposed of as quickly as possible," The German herself would state, her eyes narrowed and a scowl clear across her face. "I'd rather not have a good subordinate get torn to pieces rushing into an unknown situation." Her own eyes were staring at the Quincy with both analysis, scrutiny and irritation. Unlike a good portion of the others, she held no apprehension in the face of this new adversary. Of course, there was the fact that she harbored a malicious entity of her own within her person and her previous encounter with Yashin that could contribute to this.

"Oh, c'mon, Nazi!" Oliver complained, although not moving from his position beside his two daughters. By now, he had drawn the massive Seelenbracher from its stolen sheath and balanced the massive thing on his shoulders in a display of his own fearlessness. "We've been walking into unknown situations for a good majority of this damn war! Besides," He flashed a grin at the Quincy, his eyes sparkling with a brand of his own desire to kill. "This guy just walked out here like he could take all of us on. He needs new assholes to get shot through him!"

"And you're willing to risk it turning out just like it did with Yashin?" Angelika reminded him, momentarily wiping the smile off of his face. "We can't be sure of how powerful these Quincy actually are, considering what type of leader they're under. We can't afford to take any chances here, of all places."

As the rest of them slowly readied their weapons, Rika let out a small whimper as she kept close to Kenja. The sight of the Quincy was bringing back up the reminder that she was a noncombatant in the heat of a conflict. She hoped that being with people who were capable of fighting would be able to compensate for that. Against this intimidating form, she couldn't afford to ask for anything less.

Nearly fifteen meters away from the group, the robotic Quincy stopped and just... stared at them, motionless as it's cloak billowed lightly to the left. Finally, after several seconds past, of which would feel like hours for them, the entity spoke in the same resonant tone. "Data analysis: Complete. Identified as V-14. Well reknowned mercenary group known for being associated with various other criminal organizations. Led by Angelika Hartmann."

It then calmly turned it's head to face the woman in question, seemingly speaking to her in particular. "Identity confirmed: Angelika Hartmann. You are being granted one chance to surrender your weapons, and die without resistance. More data from you and your subordinates is required for further study, and you will not survive the process. Surrender is your only logical option."

The said woman would cock an eyebrow, lowering her arm from Yajū's chest and slipping her hands into her pockets. She tilted her head to the side slightly, almost as if she was pondering the Quincy's proposition. "Allow me to think about this." She muttered, a subtle hint of sarcasm within her words. "Resist, and we die. But if we surrender and give up now, we'll die anyway?" She slid one hand out of her pocket. "Sounds like a rather interesting proposal. But I think I have a better one. How about..."

With the hand she pulled out, she grasped the hilt of her katana and unsheathed it, brandishing the blade with a threatening flourish. The look in her eyes now turned a shade darker, even as she kept up the conversational tone. "We kill you, and then hang your body on the tallest building in this fortress? I'm certain Your Majesty would love a spot of decor to add to this lovely home you reside in."

This was a move that would prove to be a mistake. Not for Angelika....

SCHINK!!!!

....but for Rika Nakamura.

A blinding white line shot out of the Quincy's cloak, and dove straight into the other girl's stomach area, releasing a large gush of blood in the process. That same tendril penetrated the building behind the group as well, and seemed to keep going as the Quincy spoke to Angelika one more time. "As I said: One. Chance."

Several meters away, to the group's right, the end of that same tendril would appear above the building, before cutting through it's top and going all the way across the other buildings that were behind them and cause them to fall around V-14. This wouldn't kill any of them, but it would certainly disable most of them.

''"Will you comply now?" ''

Time stopped.

Somehow, the tendril that had escaped from the Quincy's coat had been too fast for Angelika to perceive. She didn't have time to raise her sword to intercept before it shot past her form - a move which surprised her at first. After all, when someone openly defied a request of surrender, they were usually the first ones to get struck down. Why had her adversary chosen to ignore her?

That answer would come seconds after when Rika would feel the tendril rip through her stomach like a balloon.

From that point on, she knew nothing but pain. Her pupils dilated, and an expression of horror crossed her face as it shot through her body. Her gaze would briefly cast itself downwards to look upon the blood that had been spilled onto the ground - her blood. All of the reassurance Kenja and her teammates had placed upon her had wiped away the moment her flesh was pierced. As she was lifted into the air, she let out an agonized and ear-piercing scream and gripped onto the tendril for dear life.

Yusuke would be the first to scream back.

"RIKA!!!"

But they would have little time to react before the buildings fell down on them. When the ruins reached solid ground, there would be a massive dust storm to be kicked up and suppress any further visual of the area. Within a few moments, everything had turned into chaos... and it only took a few movements from the enemy in order to do so.

Through the chaos that ensued, only five felt compelled to act.

Mōka swung her hand in a dismissive manner, dispersing the falling debris and smoke, flattening the buildings a good dozen meters to either direction, clearing the rest of her allies. She had a non-amused, threatening visage as she glared down the enemy who dared to strike at the weakest one of them to make an example of them. She knew he wouldn't be standing up much longer.

The other two that moved, rushed upwards. Shinshin unsheathed his sword in a fluent arc, cutting the tendril in half to sever the connection it had to its impaled victim. Kenja on the other hand employed Bringer Light to reach her position, grasping her in a bridal stance before shimmering back down by Yusuke, knowing his medical talents would be needed.

"Rika! You alright?!" Kenja asked as he pulled the offending tendril from her midsection, using fullbring on the surface of her skin to cauterize the wound to cease bleeding.

The last two to move forward, was Zaii and Yajū lunged forward. Without hesitation, Zaii undid the bandages upon his sword, swinging it overhead to unleash a large crimson wave of destructive spiritual power, coating the blade's already significant cutting edge. Yajū on the other hand moved beside the Stern Ritter, swinging his demon scythe around in a swift arc to decapitate its helm-covered head, hoping to kill him quickly.

Yusuke's visage was one of horror and shock as Kenja approached him with the wounded Rika. She looked so frail and fragile, her skin having paled a little from the massive loss of blood. She let out a pitiful groan when the tendril was pulled out from her body, turning her head so that she could cough up blood without risk of suffocation. He watched with a helpless gaze as she turned her head back, one of her hands shakily raising up to grasp his leg. Her dim and almost lifeless eyes stared at him, and her mouth opened up as if to say something to him. But all that came out was a series of coughs, sticky red liquid once again flying out and spilling onto the fabric of his pants. It seemed to physically hurt seeing one of his closest friends like this.

It wasn't until that her eyes rolled back and her head collapsed onto the ground that he was snapped out of his thoughts. His teeth clenched together, and his hands hovered over the area in order to start working. As his hands glowed the faint blue commonplace for a medic working its magic, he couldn't help but note the extent of damage done. If she was an empowered being, healing might have been quicker. But because Rika had only so much spiritual energy, injury had been much more severe. He bit his lip, tears forming at the corners of his eyes as he desperately worked to seal and rejuvenate the wounds.

"Don't you die on me.... please don't die...!"

"How is she?" By now, Asuka had clambered over to the area, kneeling down beside Yusuke and Kenja. Although she was still collected, there was clear concern and alarm on her own face as she looked down at the unconscious Rika. The gruesome wound inflicted wasn't boding well for her, and she had to keep the urge to jump in the attack on the Quincy in check.

"It's going to take me a while to do this." Yusuke managed to get out. "Her stomach and other organs in the lower abdomen have been torn. I need to close both external and internal wounds in order to keep her stabilized. But the damage is too severe for her to recover right away. She'll need several days of rest before she can get back up on her feet again..." He grit his teeth, almost clenching his hands into fists. "That... monster...!!"

"I'll keep you covered." Shinji said, a tone of stone coloring his words. He stepped in front of the "medical" area, lowering his umbrella to his side and fixing a cold glare onto the Quincy who had struck down his teammate. "Judging from the skill of the Quincy thus far, however, it might take more than me in order to keep the area stable."

"Right..." Asuka muttered solemnly, slowly rising up to her feet. She gripped the handle of her respective katana and unsheathed it, lowering it into a defensive stance. "I can't make any promises. But I'll buy you some time while you patch her up, Yusuke."

Meanwhile, Alpha Team and the Holmes daughters had taken to looking at it all, taking it all in with their own expressions. While Kaitlyn and Genesis held their own degrees of anger and bitterness at what their foe had done, Anton, Shou and Oliver held hardened looks of solemnity. Angelika was the only one out of them who seemed impassive to it all, regarding their opponent with cold analysis. Kaitlyn would be the first to speak, a bitter smile crossing her face.

"Now you see what I had to deal with trying to get all the way here." She said. "This thing was a nightmare. Called itself by the name of BG9 before it tore the recon squad I was with apart." As she kept her rifle leveled towards the enemy, her hands gripped it a bit tighter. "Sorry I had to bring it with me."

"We're just glad you're all right, kid." Oliver said gruffly, placing a hand on Kaitlyn's shoulder and gaining her eye. "To be honest, I'm a bit glad you managed to get here in one piece. Even more surprised you managed to fend it off while you did so." A small smile broke on his face, and he couldn't help but let out a brief chuckle. "Guess I gave birth to some real hardass daughters, didn't I?"

It was enough to get a genuine laugh out of both of them, brief and weak as they were.

The Quincy responded without moving his form.

First, it focused on Yajū, who had appeared next to it and attempted to decapitate the entity. One of his tentacles quickly emerged from underneath his cloak and wrapped around the man's scythe, stopping it in it's tracks. Then, the mechanical Quincy noticed Zaii, lunging towards him with a Spiritually enhanced blade. Without a hint of hesitation, the tentacle grasping Yajū's scythe swung both it and it's wielder directly into the sword's oncoming path, causing the blow to hit Yajū instead of BG9.

Once this was said and done, the Quincy fired another tentacle out of it's cloak, slapping Zaii straight into several buildings behind him with a massive crash. "Further resistance is futile. Your attempts to avoid defeat are meritless; this battle has already been decided." it calmly stated.

Yajū's scythe handle was sturdier due to its origin, allowing it to absorb the impact with ease, pushing his body into the ground a good half dozen meters. Wincing, the scythe wielder snarled as he attempted to pry himself out of the pit, "Damned mook...!"

Karitori moved within the blink of an eye, allowing her Dark Energy fuel her approach. With a swift right punch, she yelled out mightily, as she attempted to clobber BG-9 with her overwhelming chaotic energy's strength and her amazing momentum.

"Those...Omega...idiots!" Hyōryū spoke with a shiver in her tone, as her hands rattled with the guns in hand, "you can't just bullrush an enemy like that! He'll make us look like amateurs with that kind of approach..."

Shadō looked over to see Shinshin drop next to them, taking it in that he didn't rush forth like the others. However, he could taste the malice ebbing from the blackness that oozed from his body, as his Tamajutsu aura contorted around his person, concentrating into potent, concentrated power.

"I think it goes without saying that if we treat this enemy lightly, we're going to get pulverized," Shadō spoke Shinshin's thoughts, as he looked over at Oliver, Angelika, and Kaitlyn, "this enemy managed to pierce through out defenses and hit the most vulnerable target. It goes to show how precise and...dangerous...this Quincy is in comparison to our prior fought opponents..."

Shito managed to snap out of his reverie, as he rushed over to Yusuke's side bending down on one knee to observe Rika's condition. Furrowing his brows, he reached into the folds of his cloak and produced one of his Kidō cards, flipping it out to land ontop of the damaged area of her body. Making a few handsigns, he spoke lowly to Yusuke, "Don't worry...I'm going to repair all of the interior injuries right away. I want you to concentrate on revitalizing her circulatory system by speeding up the production of more blood, as you repair her external damage."

"Rika," Kenja whispered softly, as tears welled up within his eyes, he reached his hand down to brush her unconscious face, "please hang in there for me...just make it through this!"

Yusuke could only manage a weak nod, turning his attention to Rika's injury. His trademark wires would jut out from his fingers, weaving themselves through the internal organs and beginning the process of stitching. Blood vessels, broken muscle and shattered bone would be tied back together and the cracks would be sealed. Sweat was beading down his face out of nervousness and exertion as he worked, knowing that the girl's life was in their hands. The whimpers of pain that kept coming from her mouth only increased the tension of the situation.

"Whatever you're going to do, Poker Guy, you'd better hurry." He said urgently. "I don't know how long I can keep working before that Quincy decides to target us again..."

"I guess we don't have much of a choice, then..." Anton muttered, shaking his head and stretching his hands out. His trademark Kiriken blades ignited within his hands, readied to be brandished defensively. It caused Shou to look up at him in surprise and alarm, and he didn't hesitate to voice his protests.

"We can't just jump in! We don't know what this enemy is capable of!"

"Well, we won't know until we try..." Oliver said bluntly, raising the Seelenbracher off of his shoulder and readying it over his head. "I don't know about you, boys..." A grin fell over his face, gleaming with a destructive intent. "But I think I'm ready to cause some fireworks. It's time we got a rise outta this Stern Ritter. You with me?"

A smirk of acknowledgement and knowing came across Anton's face. "Whenever you're ready, Holmes..."

"You're too kind..." With that being said, he focused his power into the Seelenbracher. Wisps and twirls of flame twirled and twisted around the blade in preparation for an attack, and judging from the increase of malice within Oliver's grin, it was going to be a big attack. His voice increased in volume as he yelled out to Karitori in warning. "Out of the way, butch bitch!!"

Then, he swung down.

Two massive flames of fissures would race from the blade, scorching the earth as they moved. Those fissures would move to surround and imprison the Quincy, extending to dwarfing heights. Kaitlyn and Genesis would look on in a mixture of wonder and fascination, while Shou would give a heavy sigh of irritation. "You two haven't changed one bit!" He complained, extending one of his hands out towards the resulting pillar. Upon his mental will and control, they would turn the traditional blue of the Daitenshi. Their temperatures would increase to high levels, overwhelming the area with a powerful heat wave.

None of it would shake Oliver's composure as he turned towards his Russian comrade. "Anton? If you would be so kind..."

"You've got it..." With that being said, Anton swung his own hand out towards the pillar, his expression hardening. Before he initiated the final step to their apparent plan, he would allow his voice to shout out to the Quincy. "This is what happens when you cross the likes of the V-14! BURN IN HELL, SVOLOCH!! BAKUYAKUNAMI!!"

It was like a nuclear bomb had been ignited in front of them. The resulting explosion was enough to dwarf the buildings that surrounded them, stretching up in an attempt to reach the very sky. Although the force of it was redirected away from the group, they would still feel the strong winds that resonated from the blast. The fire would consume a good deal of land like a wildfire, uncontrollable and unrestrained in its path for destruction. All of it would satisfy both Russian and American, the latter of whom giving a fist pump.

"Fat Man says hello, you son of a bitch! Ahahahahaha~!"

This would be an outcome BG9 wouldn't have expected.

After splitting it's body into more tentacles, the Quincy machine caused Karitori's strike to slip right between his body and the blast to slam into the buildings behind him harmlessly. He swatted her to the side, only to see the next two mercenaries make their own attacks.

Anton's flames had completely surrounded the Stern Ritter, and due to their alien nature, BG9 wasn't able to immediately break out of them. And then the following explosion seemed to hit him full force. When the fires had settled, nothing could be seen or felt behind the smoke.

"To Hell with it!" Hyōryū smiled ferally, raising her guns at the fiery pyre, and began unloading dozens of rounds at the smoke for good measure, "you dead yet, Quincy?! HUH?! HOW ABOUT NOW?! OR NOW?! HAHAHAHAHA!"

"This thing...is far stronger than I thought possible," Mōka whispered as her eyes peered at the smoke and fiery pillar, growing more volatile with more shots released by Hyōryū's Kidō guns, having been adapted to be explosive tipped slugs for more effective results, "to think it can treat some of our front line fighters like nothing more than children is almost absurd!"

"Sooner or later we'll need to step in, given that your large blast didn't take him out," Shadō spoke pointedly, reaching up to grasp the hilt of his sword as his eyes narrowed, in sync with Shinshin's wordless crouched stance and thumb-released sword, ready at his beck and call, "I wonder if any of us can take it out...?"

"An interesting combination...."

Any hopes of BG9's defeat would be gone with his monotone voice ringing out from behind the smoke. When it cleared away, the Quincy monster was still standing in place. His cloak and helmet showed some burn marks and scratches, along with several bullet holes from Hyōryū's attacks, but otherwise, and judging from the way the being spoke, it appeared as if nothing had changed.

"Your use of Daitenshi flames provided me with some remarkable data ''on the technique. You have my thanks." ''it said to them all calmly. "However, if you wish to continue resistance, I would not recommend using it again. I have already debunked it's core weaknesses and strengths. Such action will have no further effect on me, I assure you."

Then, it's cloak billowed to the right, as a sum of tentacles whipped out in the same direction and formed a massive minigun Spirit Weapon with a star emblazed on it's top. "A pity, truly. I wished you could demonstrate more of your abilities for further study, but it seems that I will have to be content taking it from your corpses."

"T-That's not fair!" Hyōryū's eyes widened, as her guns lowered at seeing the gargantuan chain-railed gun at his disposal, "that makes my Executor look weak in comparison...!"

"This isn't the best time to draw comparisons between guns, Hyō!" Shadō spoke nervously, as sweat beaded down his brow comically.

"I wonder if my Tamajutsu will have any affect on something so machine-like," Shinshin murmured with hesitation, even as he brought forth another inch of metal from his scabbard.

Isolated to their plight, Kenja finally rose to his feet away from Rika, turning away towards the source of everyone's ire and worries. His upper browline was hidden by a dark shadow, as his lower facial features grimaced impassively as he walked past all of the hesitating warriors towards BG-9, "I got it. You want me to protect your friends don't you? No problem..."

As he spoke, he slowly raised his left armored hand up to rest his palm on the back of his head, "I'll wipe him out..."

SHINK-VRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAAR!!!

"...from the face of this world, straight to Hell!" His voice snarled out in a grated, hollowed tone as his armor took a shade blacker, his cloak turning into a mix of crimson blood and thick shadows. With final execution his head became entombed by a wolf-shaped helm with a signifying forced movement of his left hand, donning the face of the Predator once more.

With a swift blurring motion, Kenja moved faster than the eye could see, using his left hand to wrench the Quincy weapon right off its tendrils. Simultaneously, he unsheathed his large claymore from his back and swung down with a enormous cutting fissure, unleashing a hellish blast of flames mingled with Shinsei energy, all hellbent on annihilating him.

By the time BG9 could register Kenja's movements, it's minigun had already been ripped from it's tendrils.

''"What-?!" ''it said aloud in utter confusion towards Kenja's transformation and his following attack. The flames, mixed with the potent green Shinsei energy, were able to tear into the robotic monster and send him reeling back into several buildings, completely disappearing in the flames. Following the large crash and explosion that came as a result, all became quiet...

But it wouldn't be for long.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!" Kenja howled with a murderous aura surrounding him, as sonic waves cracked and flattened the already debris-ridden landscape. Fire rolled off his black armor like the surface of a enraged star, given life and form. A crimson aura also formed upon his blade, slowly being raised over his head to execute a killing blow...

SHEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!

...as a orange-red fissure of blazing energy was sent hurtling towards the cybernetic Quincy's location, intending on ceasing all signs of life and function within that localized area.

From the frontlines, Angelika would observe with silence. Even as the powerful winds from both movement and attack billowed her jacket, she would remain still as she observed Kenja's attack. It wasn't out of the simple fearlessness she had in the face of the machine-like Quincy, or the natural stoicism she had learned to adopt over the years she served as the V-14's boss. It was from the earlier confrontation she had with Kenja and the words spoken by her subordinates. It had been brought on by the words the Fullbringer had spoken to the unconscious Rika. Up until this point, she had expected the variables to stay the same and the organization to remain unflappable up until its eventual demise.

It was becoming that wish was now nonexistent. This war had changed so much perspective and warped so many minds to another direction. Was this really how it was meant to be? V-14, the entity she had created solely to continue villainous acts for the sake of living, carrying the potential to go down in history as heroes? For them, it might have been a good thing. But for her, it was causing conflict to go through her mind. Watching Kenja fight was causing an internal battle... and for once, she wasn't fighting against the Shadow.

Apparently, Asuka had noticed it as well.

"I really thought I'd never see a day like this..." Her soft voice came to Angelika's ears as she walked up to her leader's side. Her katana was still lowered at her side and ready to go, but she had a rather relaxed position to herself. It was clear that she was, at this moment, focused on talking than engagement. "The people regarded as nothing more than villainous scum by all turning into something more. There will be massive change for the business... but I think we can cope. After all we've been through, a little renovating shouldn't be too much of a problem, should it?" Throughout it all, she had a pleasant smile on her face - something that contrasted the slightly bitter look that had crossed Angelika's.

"I... loathe it..." She said lowly, folding her arms across a chest and placing a hand across her mouth. Truth be told, she didn't seem to notice or care if the others heard her. "When I created V-14, I never aimed to be the hero the masses admire. When I picked out the soldiers at my disposal, I expected them to set aside their consciences in order to do what needed to be done, whether it was for money or even territory. Now, it seems like things are escalating out of my control." Under her palm, her teeth with grit into a slight snarl. "That damn outsider--!"

"Oh, stop." Much to the German's surprise, Asuka had gained a somewhat stern tone within her voice. She would direct her attention to meet those brown eyes glaring slightly in her direction. "I knew you for many things, Angelika. But I didn't know you would resort to blaming others for things that they didn't have control over." She nodded her head slightly in the direction of their mutual subordinates. "These men and women always had such ideals and motives within them the moment they were recruited. All this war did was bring the suppressed out to the surface. It opened eyes," She flipped her sword into a backhand hold, turning herself around so that she could approach the German woman. "Just like it opened yours."

Angelika slid the hand off of her mouth, making the slight scowl on her face clear. "What, are you going to start talking like that condescending punk?" She asked sarcastically. "I've gone down this path for so many years. He acts as if it's an easy thing to turn away from something you've fully committed yourself into. He may be able to change like a leaf in the weather... but there are those that don't."

"Can you look me in the eye and say that you're one of them?" Although Asuka's tone had softened again, it didn't stop her from earning another surprised look. "Think about it. Years before, you were emotionally distant and solely focused on nothing but business. Blood for money, conflict for payment of the week's rent, a slit throat for whatever precious artifact a client could give you. But now? You showed the willingness to dive into heavily guarded territory to save one of your own. You demonstrated guilt when confronted with your crimes by Lieutenant Hayate. And to top it off, you have someone very close to your heart." She put on that damned disarming smile once again. "That's a lot of change for a woman who claims to be unflappable."

The silence that fell between the two made it clear that Asuka was right. It was made even clearer when Angelika looked down, the conflict shimmering within her eyes. She made to turn around, trying to avert her gaze away from her and trying to hide her expression. But she would feel two fingers press against her cheek, stopping her in her tracks.

"Look at me, Angelika." Gently, Asuka turned Angelika's head so that they were looking each other in the eye again. "You want to know what I think? I think that deep inside, you really didn't want this life. But you were a fugitive for so long, you were afraid of becoming a normal woman. Hence, being a mercenary skilled in the act of wrongdoing was the perfect position for you. But this war... everything and everyone in it... is starting to tell you otherwise."

"Hah! Asuka's starting to sound like your mother, Angie!" Mōka joked as she approached the two women, quieting her chuckles as she chimed in, "Maybe working for the good guys isn't such a bad idea. I mean, the sole purpose of forming Omega Team when I joined your organization was to carve a niche for myself among comrades. I didn't care if I was shedding blood or tears, as long as I was doing it with those I cherished. I avowed myself to never be like my mother or my father, from what I saw they committed. Hell, I tried to kill both of them a couple of times. But...because you made amends with the Lieutenant, and forged your alliance WITH the Alliance, I was able to start mending my broken bond I've had with her. If I was fighting for the Inner Circle, myself, or the damned Quincy, I would never have found myself ever being glad I've got such a group of comrades. Even when you knew I was a Hankami, you accepted me for what I was. The fact the Alliance was able to do that with traitors amongst them, allow a band of mercenaries like V-14 join them, and even see that Lieutenant forget his anger towards you...it makes me feel happy to be on the good guys side!"

Elsewhere, the focus was largely upon the situation at hand...

"T-The Hell?! The energy exuding from him is monstrous!" Shadō spoke out with alarm, his nerves practically burning from grasping the residual energy Kenja's form dispersed into the atmosphere, "its as if his Spirit Energy is on fire!"

"He's lost his cool again, but on purpose?! What kind of ability is that?! Instantaneous Temper Tantrum?!" Hyōryū asked incredulously, crossing her arms in front of her eyes to shield them from the intense heat of being so close to Kenja.

"He's...in such terrible agony," Shinshin's voice whispered lowly, his hand trembled upon his sword's sheathe as he continued, "I can feel it. That's Shinsei...and its fueling his righteous poised rage at that monster. But I can feel his tears through that anger. This is more painful than it was fighting Daigomi!"

"The Predator's curse has become the blessing of his primal nature..." It was Shinji who would speak next, watching and standing like a stone wall even in the midst of the powerful energy being exuded. His umbrella was unfolded, allowing him to shield both himself and his personal teammates from the temperature rise. "It is not only his anger that speaks, but because his very values are being threatened. A fitting catalyst for such a destructive power, is it not?"

Yusuke, on the other hand, would remain silent. Although he was still concentrating on healing Rika's injuries, he still heard and felt everything around him. A solemn and weary expression was worn on his face as he looked down on his unconscious teammate. With a slow turn of the head, he would turn that gaze on the back of the one who was fighting it out against the Quincy. "Kenja..." He murmured, not knowing what else to say in the face of such powerful emotions. Was this because of Rika getting hurt? Did it really provoke him that much now?

It would be a few meters away from them, the spot where BG9 was sent towards upon being hit by Kenja. Using simple eyesight, one would clearly assume that the being was utterly destroyed.

But a low whistling sound would be all they needed to know that such hope would be too much.

Slowly, the smoke began to fade away, and a dark silhouette was starting to appear within it. It was tall, fairly bulky, with a cape fluttering behind it, and it's head was shaped exactly like BG9's own. Slowly, it's armored foot stepped out of the smoke, and when it made contact with the ground again, a massive crack was made on the frozen floor, signifying the being's massive weight despite using control. Soon, it's entire armored body was revealed... not a scratch anywhere to be seen on it's form.

''"This unit has never encountered the likes of Hankami power within a Human before." ''it said in it's same voice, as a glowing red eye appeared within the darkness past the gaps of it's helmet. "However, your attack has given me a great amount of data on the phenomenon, and I would prefer to gather more, if possible...Kenja Kodai."

It was a very shocking and chilling sight.

The sight of the unscathed BG9 caused eyes to widen, mouths to fall agape and apprehension flowing through the veins. Even after everything Kenja had hurled at him, the ancient energy his aggression utilized in such masterful expertise, it just wasn't enough. Somehow, the machine-like entity had rendered both of the attacks worthless. Had there been signs of humanity within, it would have easily been assumed that this was the work of Blut Vene. But because the species of their enemy was becoming more and more ambiguous by the second, this might have well been an enigma. Once again, V-14 had trekked into unknown territory without a map.

"Wh-what the hell?!" Oliver gasped, pupils dilated in disbelief.

"This guy's even more of a monster than the Takuji experiment was!!" Anton added in, his body and expression tensing considerably as he looked at BG9.

"This thing can't be human..." Shou muttered, a bead of sweat falling down his face as he readied his swords defensively.

"All of that and not even a scratch?! This is getting ridiculous real quick!!" Genesis growled, more angry than anything as she leveled her rifle at her target.

It was enough to break at least two of the three leaders out of their trances.

"It seems we'll have to put this discussion behind us for the time being..." Angelika muttered, casually tilting her head away from Asuka's hand as the source of it directed a surprised gaze in the Quincy's direction. She turned her head towards the Quincy, her own eyebrows furrowing in slight wariness and annoyance. "It seems like this machine won't shut down as quickly as we would have liked..."

The Trickster's Last Hand Played, The Conclusion of the Mastermind's Battles!
If anyone had mistaken the disappearance of Tsukishima's Spiritual Pressure as a sign of immediate death, they would be sorely mistaken.The bare half hour that transpired outside of the realm of understanding was multiplied by ten times, as the realm of temporal distortion weaved around the battlefield he was forcefully brought into had begun to wane with finality.

C-C-CRACK!

With a brilliant luminous flash of violet-white light, the mirage of blissful untouched area bar the damage done by Byakuya Kuchiki's battling was now revealed to be rolling in flames and charred ruins.

Standing among the ruins would be Shidai Kagai, who's form was barely scratched and tampered with, further emphasized by his grin of malice stretching across his face. His eyes drew upon his prey like a patient predator, as the entire vicinity was glistening with his black-violet aura, further extending to just how much power he had in reserves.

Leaning against a charred pillar was Yashin Shiyōnin, had an amused smile on his face, as he gazed leisurely at both Tsukishima and to Shidai. Seperated by a handful of meters, it was apparent whom the victor was, and the sign of the temporal barrier's dispersal proven the fact that their environment had changed with the exception of the area they isolated within the barrier itself.

"Curious...it seems the Quincy King has activated the Shadow Swap, just like I thought he would," Yashin murmured with observation as the rest of the realm was igniting with conflict within an ice-crusted cityscape, all with Quincy architecture, "no matter. This is but one of the final stages to this war. I'm just glad that its finally over. Unlike a fight I know of..."

"Give me a break, Yashin!" Shidai quipped back with an annoyed sideglance, waving his hands dismissively, "sure it took ten hours, but c'mon. The bastard had a lot more fight in him than I expected him to have. Its not like he touched me, but it was still fun to toy around with him and see all those fancy techniques he had in reserve to face me."

"It was nice to see you cut loose. If it hadn't been for the temporal barrier, the Soul Society's combatants on both sides would've felt the ire of your strikes," Yashin commented nonchalantly, with a hint of seriousness.

One would say the nonchalant conversation was quite out of place in the midst of the apparent death duel. But when one saw the state of Shidai's opponent, they could see the justification within its existence.

For Tsukishima, it had been ten grueling hours. The fight had slowly shifted from a fierce struggle to putting all effort in simply fending off Shidai. He had tried just about everything against the man, trying to use his mind-bending techniques in an attempt to curve the fight to his favor. But everything he had thrown failed, and unlike Shidai, he didn't have high enough spiritual reserve to continue fighting at full potential. The exertion he had used on Byakuya had only made matters worse, ensuring that any chance of victory would be ripped from his hands. As a price, he had suffered plenty of considerable burns and bruises contributing to his body's failing. Everything was going downhill.

The downing of the barrier wasn't a good thing. The moment it fell, he felt everything. He felt Suna's spiritual signature dissipate, wiped off of the map courtesy of a traitorous Ywhach. He felt Shikyo's drop down to a low degree, courtesy of the upstart Captain-Commander. He could feel Kyoaku engaging Aizen in an apparent duel to the death, left with the uncertainty that Kyoaku had a chance of winning against the god-like entity. All of it was taking a toll on his mind and composure - something that could plainly be seen within his face. His teeth were gritted in a snarl, his eyes carrying a mixture of fury, shock, and bitterness. It was bad enough that the Inner Circle was breaking apart underneath the stress of it all.

But hearing them talk so conversationally about it ripped apart his composure.

"DON'T YOU MOCK ME!!!" He roared, barreling towards Shidai and pushing aside the sensation of his body screaming at him to stop. He raised his sword over his head as soon as he got close, swinging it down upon Shidai's head in an attempt to cleave him in two.

The blade's edge never reached its target.

Without even turning his head, Shidai's right hand maneuvered within a blurring motion, extending just the index and middle fingers towards the swinging weapon. Within the space between the two digits, Tsukishima would find his weapon stopped in an iron vice lock, as a brief gust of wind billowed Shidai's cloak from the force of the swing he employed.

Turning his face, his kanji-inscribed red iris glared darkly at Tsukishima as he smiled with bemusing humor in response, "Mock you? You did that yourself, dumbass. You invited two monsters into your den, thinking that you could thwart their plans of betrayal with your own. Your combined powers could have overwhelmed and subdued those two, but now? You'll be lucky if even one of you survives long enough to be executed or imprisoned for eternity by the victor of this war."

WHAM!

A sickening crunch was heard as Shidai threw his right foot up to snap kick Tsukishima in the chin. This action would only be followed as Shidai pulled Tsukishima with extreme prejudice to slam face first into the charred ground next to his feet, planting his left foot on his spine to cement him in place, "You deserve to be mocked, fool! You have enough power to defeat Byakuya Kuchiki, a man whom was on par with Aizen and Juhabach in skill alone. You had enough intelligence to plan a complete, utter coup de'tat within the Soul Society, taking them over from the inside out. Your command and power is perhaps the most useful out of all four of them, save the one whom is fighting Aizen now. Look at you now! Reduced to a shell of yourself, ready to be killed by the next competent enemy you face, betrayed by the allies you placed too much faith in saving you from your own proclaimed enemies!"

At that point, Tsukishima could safely assume that his jaw was broken.

Upon impact with the ground, his sword slipped out of his hands and into Shidai's. All he could do now was lay on his stomach with Shidai's foot grinding into his spinal chord. The wounds on his chest continued to scream at him for the action, his blood slowly starting to pull under him as blood leaked from them. Shidai's words only made it worse, striking at his nerves with the force of a jackhammer. It didn't help that, as much as he wanted to deny it, he was right. Everything that had gone wrong was a result of poor decision making on what to do with his potential foes. He had let them dig too deep into the Inner Circle. Now, they had the advantage, and the Horsemen were nothing but shadows outside the circle.

Weakly, he attempted to reach for his blade. But it was just too far away for even his fingers to touch. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe that he was going to die because of his own mistake. He didn't want to know that he died because the very person he should have been keeping tabs on the most was the one that was going to take his life. But how could he ignore it, when it was dangling right in front of his face? It was a humiliating way to death.

"I..." He ground out, his voice weakened but the emotions clear. It conveyed all of his bitterness, his anger, and his sorrow at the situation at hand. The culmination of emotions would be directed towards Shidai and Yashin in the form of three. "I...hate you..."

Laughter erupted from Shidai's mouth as he reared his head back up to let it out, "That's right! You should hate me! After all, I took away your pride and dignity by pummeling your ass into the dirt. But then again, hatred towards someone who did you wrong is the most petty form of hatred. You should thank me for doing it, instead of allowing those Quincies or any of Aizen's minions doing the deed."

Grinding his heel on Tsukishima, he flipped the Zanpakutō to land on its hilt into his right hand's grasp, "I could kill you easily, with your face in the ashes and your comrades out of reach. None would come to your aid, and you'd die alone. Your body would only be gathered for the purpose of being studied and kept in confinement by any winning party of this war. Should you live, you'd eventually be found and brought to what serves as a perverted sense of justice the victor has, and your fate will be determined by them. I can save you all that agony and misery with a single snapped neck, a stab to the heart, or annihilating your body to dust."

"But?" Yashin asked pointedly, obviously enjoying the scene that Shidai was making.

With a smirk, Shidai inverted the grip he had on the sword, driving it downwards as he shouted, "BUT...!"

SPLURCH!

A sickening splitting of flesh and bone would be heard, as Shidai would drive the weapon's edge into Tsukishima's outstretched hand, piercing the back of his hand and exiting into the earth below his palm, effectively pinning it into the ground, "...my words would fall on deaf ears if I were to allow him to die or be captured by the enemy. No, out of some twisted respect I have for Yashin's superior, and the fact you came this far, I don't think you'd repeat the same mistakes should you walk away from this. Should there ever be hope of a new Inner Circle to be born from the ashes of this war, should a new Four Horsemen be erected from the shambles, who do you think should lead them? Someone who's plotted and never tasted defeat? Or someone who's been humbled through the most undignified and humiliating loss they've ever known?"

Releasing his foot from the man's back, Shidai turned around and began walking away from the fallen Horseman. He grasped the edges of his hood, smiling as he did so, as the shadows covered his upper facial features once more, save for his left red-black eye, "Think about it. Take this opportunity to reflect, and see if you have the will to survive this defeat."

"He's... sparing me?!" Tsukishima's eyes widened in shock as he heard the words being spoken. The agonizing pain shooting through his hand didn't register, what with the shock that had him reeling mentally. After all of the torture he had been put through, the man had simply decided to spare his life with the mind-breaking words lingering behind. It was certainly a bad way to end it, leaving him shattered from both the defeat here and the crippling loss that the Inner Circle had suffered by both the Alliance and their supposed allies. But at the very least, this was another chance to live. This was another chance to think over the mistakes made and what could be for the future.

Why did it have to be his enemy that had to be right?

Once again, the Horseman decided to push past the pain shooting through his body. He let out a pained growl as he stood up, the impaled sword tearing at the flesh in his hand as he moved. With his free hand, he grasped the hilt of the weapon before yanking it out. The sharp pain that shot through his arm caused him to emit a loud hiss and his hand to be covered in a crimson red. But he managed to stand, hunched over with his back facing the two figures. He managed to gather strength to look over his shoulder at the two, his glare conveying the strong sense of hatred and contempt he was feeling right now. But he couldn't bring himself to say anything more than three words.

"This... isn't over..."

Then, he stumbled forth... and with a Flash Step, he had vanished from the area.

"You're being surprisingly generous, Shidai-kun," Yashin chuckled at his partner, his eyes mirroring in the same kind of gaze as his prior held, "did you enjoy that fight so much you decided to give him a chance for a rematch? Or is it true what you said, about him holding potential to resurrect the Inner Circle?"

"Our goal was to crush the Inner Circle. Its been thoroughly crushed, both from within and without. There's no need to kill the rest of them, considering they can build it into the designs we wished it to assume from the very beginning," Shidai spoke with a shrug, placing his hands in his pockets as he walked past Yashin's front to observe the winter-christened cityscape, filled with explosions and conflict, "now with them out of the way, the true enemies of this world can be brought to their knees and be defeated by the Alliance. As it should be."

"You side with the Alliance that much?" Yashin queried with an amused grin on his face.

"I don't side with them. I just know with them in control, there's far more opportunities available than would-be tyrranical regimes put into power. The Quincies are far too controlling, and Aizen is too pretentious for my own tastes. After all, we share the same desires and goals, with a little differing methods in attaining them. I like these guys who spout virtue and fight for honor. The other guys have far too many sticks up their asses for me to even think of supporting, you know what I mean?!" Shidai laughed with his rhetorical question hanging in the air.

"True," Yashin sighed thoughtfully, as he pushed his back off the pillar to stand next to his partner, "when this war is over, they're going to have to prepare for the cataclysm. Its going to be a lot of work, but I'm confident that they'll pull it off."

"And in the meantime, our steps to becoming whole is ever so closer," Shidai nodded, raising a hand to feign spotting things within the distance, "our future will soon become realized, Yashin-san. I can feel it!"

"Yes," Yashin whispered, his eyes narrowing as a smile of knowing stretched across his visage, "maybe even sooner than expected..."

BOOM! "Three down, one to go," Yashin announced, as he fled another explosion created by Qilin, sword-locking with Ayūi a spare moment. With a single kick, he sent her sprawling backwards, as he swung another screaming fissure of cutting pressure at Qilin, "soon the Inner Circle will be nothing but a memory, Tsubasa-kun! You, and everyone affiliated from it might as well not even remember all the toiling, sacrifices, and blood you spilled in the name of their laughable cause!"

"And what would you know about cause?" Qilin fired back, his hand having been readied in a position to draw a sheathed sword prior to the fissure that had been unleashed onto his position. By this point on the battle, sweat was one of the more prominent features on his face alongside the serious and concentrated expression that wouldn't have come normally. This was one of the hardest battles he had to fight, made all the more serious by the stakes. Even after so long, he would have been sporting a grin on his face by any other circumstance.

But not this time.

When the fissure came close to him, he drew his sword and allowed his blade to slice through it. Its winds would scatter all around him, causing considerable damage to the environment around him. However, the parts closest to him would undergo a much more sudden reaction, courtesy of his Zanpakutō. He perceived it, coiling his legs and jumping forward just before those particular parts exploded in a brilliant blaze of white fire. The blast force in conjunction with a Flash Step would send him towards his foe like a bullet shot from a gun. As time slowed down, one would see the grit in Qilin's face as attacked. It was like a tiger leaping at its trapped quarry.

The black of his blade would be swung down, aiming to batter Yashin's defense down with one swing if not rend him asunder with the slice. Following that would be a powerful horizontal swing to send him flying away from the Spiritsmith. After that, Qilin would settle down into a defensive kendo stance while continuing to speak out against the other man. "You're one to talk about what's laughable and what's not, taking the scraps of life for the sake of increasing your longevity! It's the shallow-minded view of a being too frightened to die, a petty reason for robbing the freedom of others! If anything, that's the cause anyone should be laughing at right now!"

Using a counter-swing to parry and distill the force of the blast that follows, Yashin was able to send the force of the explosion to either side of his flanks, not once actually touching his person. As he allowed his person to fly backwards, his back smashed through a half-standing pillar with no visible irritation whatsoever, flipping around and landing on the wall on the soles of his feet.

Looking up at him with an amused look, Yashin retorted with ease, "Its necessity for my existence to thrive by communing with the rest of existence, Tsubasa-kun. By having them assimilated under my consciousness, I have given them new aspirations and a greater destiny. Also, you should really be more grateful. Thanks to my hand at exposing you for the Alliance, you're now on good terms with them and their forces have already been chosen as the victors for this war."

With a change in glance towards Ayūi's heaving form, he asked with an exasperated tone, "You owe nothing to this woman. She's a test tube project under Kyōaku-san, a weapon to use against Aizen should he had the chance. Why deny me her body if I allow you to escape? I have no personal ill will against you or your allies. This war itself is nonsense, other than to cull the enemies who've lied within the shadows for centuries. Why do you stand in my way?"

It was here that Qilin broke his stance, straightening back up and balancing his katana on his shoulder. For a moment, he gained a thoughtful look as he looked over his shoulder at Ayūi's exhausted form. He couldn't help but note the humor in the situation; here he was, still in fighting condition and ready to battle it out. But the very creation designed to be used against a god-like entity was prone to collapse? To be fair, though, she had said she was rusty. Although it made his situation a lot more dire because the target wouldn't be able to defend herself for much longer, he could still find amusement within it. But he didn't allow himself to smile, turning his head back towards Yashin with a quirked eyebrow.

"Because it's what I want." He answered readily, a slight smirk crossing his face as he looked his foe in the eye. "Conflict and war stem from opposing ideals and different mindsets. It's a concept that's been the basis for all wars and conflicts that have come into existence. Your word against mine, it is. Your word tells you to acquire a new vessel? Mine tells me to protect a soul that deserves to live. End of story."

At this, he slowly lifted his sword off of his shoulder and lowered it to his side. By this time, the smirk had faded from his face. "Now, are we going to dance some more? This has been a pretty good fight, and I'd hate to waste the moment by your gabbing."

Yashin's smile dropped for the first time, as his eyes glared coldly at Qilin. He didn't even register his latter sentences, as he flipped forward, and stopped a dozen meters away, as his eyes never left Qilin's. When he finally spoke, it would be full of ire, without a hint of humor within it.

"You're standing in my way because you want to?" Raising his blade, he swiveled it to an inverted grip, before sheathing it, sealing it away with a excess puff of violet-black smoke, "I would have better taken your advances of trying to stop me as a matter of duty, honor, or even something as useless as gentlemanly pride. But you had to tell me you wish to stand in my way because you want to. Saying such things...causes me to become sorely irate, Tsubasa-kun!"

BOOM! VRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAR!

Within a single clench of his fists, the air suddenly became nearly ten times heavier. The ground itself throughout their debris-ridden laboratory battlefield distended a good meter deeper, as a sickly black-violet aura flickered from Yashin's being, as his left eye shined bright red in emphasis of his cold anger that filled the air, as sickly and intoxicatingly as a Hankami's Shinsei would.

"I'm through playing around," Yashin snarled, raising his right hand in emphasis, gathering crimson-black laced energy into a funneling sphere that crackled the air around its vicinity, "take a glimpse at my true power, Tsubasa Muromachi!"

"Vacuo Undam!" Yashin's hand discharged the crimson wave within a brilliant blaze of light, with anything touching the beam of crimson-black energy to be compressed into oblivion.

However, Qilin would have help. With a single gesture of her left index finger, her mind reached out to his and swiftly accelerated his reflexes, pushing his body to its limits within an instant to evade the faster-than-normal discharging attack.

There was one word to describe how Qilin was feeling at that moment.

Cold.

When the power Yashin exuded washed over him, he found that the warmth of his body would be ripped from his very bones. The confident composure he had taken was quick to falter, with sweat beading down his face and his form becoming much more stiff. He drew a sharp inhale, reflexively taking a step back before he knew what had hit him. But it was nothing compared to the aura of the blast that came towards him. All he could do was raise his sword out in front of him in hopes of a proper defense. But it wasn't until the thing was close enough that he realized it.

He wasn't going to make it out alive.

"I'm not going to make it...!"

Then, he felt it. A spark in the back of his mind was enough to make his frozen body move again, even in the face of such spiritual pressure. The fear was replaced by shock, but he didn't have much time to react before he found his body performing a leaping cartwheel from the blast's path. His movements were not his own, almost as if...

His eyes drifted to the one he was aiming to protect.

"You again!"

Then, his feet landed, skidding across the ground before allowing his body to come to a stop. As he straightened up, he could feel another presence within him - her presence. His eyes wavered in shock as he looked down at himself, interested in the fact that he was basically observing his own body as it was manipulated like a puppet. Once again, Ayūi had saved him from a seemingly certain demise.

The trail of light ended with a pencil pointed hole in the far end of the laboratory, seemingly compressing itself with perfect control, through the enraged release by Yashin's own hand. Yet, Qilin still lived, and even managed to evade it at a perfect timed interval where the technique took time to reach his form.

This caused Yashin's anger to regress a fraction, as genuine shock settled into his system. His eyes trailed over to where Qilin's trembling form crouched, and saw that he seemed to have a look of equally bewildered state to compare to his enemy's.

"There's no way a mere Soul Reaper should've withstood the pressure of my power, let alone have the speed to dodge it or even know to not counter it. What just happened? He doesn't even know what happened to himself, from the looks of it. What's going on?!" Yashin thought as his eyes knitted into an angry glare towards him, but did not launch an attack outright. Such tactics would be fruitless if he didn't know the cause of Qilin's survival at the hands of a powerful blast that he just released.

Ayūi's voice spoke in the back of Qilin's mind, as if she was standing right next to him, without being physically there at all, "Qilin-san, forgive me for my inept physical aptitude, but I'm going to have to help you this way. There's no way either of us can mentally or physically withstand this spiritual pressure, let alone fight against him in the state he's currently in. I'll guide your body in the direction you wish it to go, so long as you allow me to move for you and you project your heart's intent of where you wish to be. Do you understand?"

It was like an icepack to his heated senses.

Slowly, his shocked expression faded away as the words sunk in. His eyes looked over to the face of Yashin, finding the conclusion that he too had been caught off guard by what had been done. He closed those eyes, holding his chin up a little and taking in a slow breath. This would be a momentary advantage, at best. Yashin was an intelligent man, regardless of his current emotions. It probably wouldn't take him long to discover what was happening. That being said, Qilin would have to finish the duel quickly and adapt to that situation when it took place.

"Remember what's at stake here, Qilin. Remember what you fight for."

Slowly, he shifted into a defensive stance, his gaze leering at his opponent. "I understand." He sent back to Ayūi. "But this won't be a long-lasting advantage. Sooner or later, he'll find a way to counter it. If you happen to have any more ideas that can deal with it, send me a signal. I'll do what I can on my end..."

At this point, Yashin's posture relaxed to an upright stance. His feet strode purposely slow across the ground, as a renewed smile, fixated with his angry glare at him, as a trident manifested within his right hand upon his venture towards his enemy, "I doubt you're using Kidō, let alone have an impressive will to escape my power's livid grasp. You're obviously keeping some secret from me, Tsubasa-kun. Tell me...is the girl helping you, or is there someone else lending you aid?"

"Stall for fifteen seconds, Qilin-san, that's all I ask. I'll provide more than a substantial distraction for you to get the opening you need to end this fight," Ayūi promised with a confient tone within his mind.

"Counting on it..."

As Yashin moved towards him, Qilin's trademark smirk would reappear on his face. "Now, now, Yashin..." He drawled, allowing himself to creep towards the said man while keeping his defensive stance. "I don't divulge answers out for free. You've been proving yourself to be a rather smart boy up to now. Telling you when you've come so far would just be spoiling you. If you want to win..."

Then, with a coil of his legs, he lifted himself high off of the ground in a gravity-defying jump. With a timed arc, he came out of zero point and descended towards Yashin in a two-handed overhead swing. The strike would be backed by immense power and precision, aiming to chop his target in two halves. "...you have to want it!"

The blade would be met in mid-swing, as Yashin thrust his lance up with a single hand to precisely catch the blade in between the left partition of spaces of the tri-forked weapon. The shockwave produced by the collision was enough to billow the two warriors bodily, and tear apart the distended, broken battlefield landscape around the them.

But Yashin didn't seem to care, as his right eye glowed vehemently red as he snarled out, "You don't have the right to lecture me about desires! Tenebrae Fulminare Opprimere!"

KRAK-KOOM!

Within an instant, an enormous fissure of black-violet electrical energy discharged from his trident, intending on annihilating him within an instant. The force of the blast itself was enough to skewer through the roof, carving a trench through the already large spotlight hole made earlier, and spear into the heavens with great cataclysmic emphasis.

Once again, Ayūi's intervention would pull Qilin out of a tight spot. His hands twisted his sword from the web that Yashin's trident had ensnared it in, sliding the blade out and twisting himself into a pivot before the energy could erupt from the weapon. His body skirted the aura of the blast, and it sent shivers down his spine. The intense winds generated threatened to blow him off of his feet. But he knew faltering wasn't an option, especially in the face of such a furious enemy.

And then he realized it. Yashin, the cool and confident entity who knew just exactly to pull the strings, the individual behind the masterminds of this war, had lost his cool. Was it simply because of what had been said? Was obtaining Ayūi as a vessel really so important to him? Was it a little combination of both? Either way, he had done something that none of his allies had done... and it had the potential of costing him both his goal and his life.

As he came out of his spin, he would find himself back to back with his foe. But that would last only for a moment before he spun around again and leaped back, once again raising his sword up to a defensive stance. "Ayūi?! Talk to me, I think fifteen seconds have passed already!!"

"I got it!" Ayūi responded back immediately, followed up by a very real and loud call from her person, "Yashin!"

Yashin's eyes smoldered with unkempt anger, as he directed his gaze over to the opponent he didn't take as much seriousness during their battle. What he saw, however, caused his eyes to dialate with disbelief and cause him to stop his approach altogether, "T-That's-!"

Ayūi's inverted grip of her sword indicated the sign of her original's former greatest weapon, his very own Zanpakutō, "Sorry, but since I'm more prone to action than simply messing with people's heads, I've been trying to hold back this ability I've been gifted. The power of the Zanpakutō that made Sōsuke Aizen feared throughout the entirety of the Gotei 13!"

"You wench!" Yashin snarled, swiveling out his left hand towards her, already crackling with black tendrils of violent and ghastly energy, "I won't let you-!"

"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu!" Ayūi whispered aloud, as she dropped her sword, allowing it to plunge into the cracked and smoldering battleground.

What happened afterwards, was breathtaking.

A geyser of water billowed out from where her blade cemented and disappeared into the earth. Water that soon filled the entirety of the room, and beyond. It became difficult for Yashin to move, or even think, as he felt compelled to believe the illusion that made his senses scream that he was underwater, was all too real. The water would turn into solid ice, freezing him into place, causing his right eye to dialate with pure rage, the kanji pupil itself trying to shift back and forth, trying to see through the veil of lies that kept his body frozen stiff.

In the real world, Yashin's body just spasmed and froze stiff. Sweat beaded down his brows, as veins erected across his perfect browline, indicating his unadulterated rage he felt burn within him. Black tendrils still crackled around his palm, but wouldn't coalesce or prime properly, disallowing him to fire at the now weaponless Ayūi.

"Hurry, Qilin!" Ayūi begged through her mind, as her physical body shook and convulsed with extreme effort, "his mind is unlike anything I've ever touched! I won't be able to hold him long! Take him down, now!"

He didn't need to be told twice.

Without hesitation, he threw himself at their trapped foe. His blade was gripped in two hands, his eyes were narrowed and his teeth were clenched together in a visible scowl. It was urgency that drove him, determination that fueled him and the urge to kill him that kept his blade sharp for execution. If it had been anyone else, he would have surely been unhappy at having to end the fight this way. But this was a situation of importance. If he didn't take the shot now, there was no chance he would have another when he really wanted to end it. He knew that it wouldn't kill Yashin.

But at the very least, it would give them some time.

He thrust his blade towards the back, allowing himself to say one last sentence. "Say good-night, puppet!"

SPLURCH!

The moment the blade passed through Yashin's body, was the moment he finally broke through the illusion that was cast upon his mind. Looking down, he saw his form begin to distort and revert, his being almost dissipating like a mirage as his host body trembled underneath Yashin's departing visage.

"Damn...and I could've become whole that much sooner...how careless...of me," Yashin's voice uttered with a resigned smile, before he finally dissipated with dispersal of black smoke, followed by steam. The girl held firmly within the blade's squewered grip, coughed out blood, as light began to dim from her eyes as she struggled to retain consciousness.

"Y-Y-Ya...shin...s-sama..." She whimpered weakly as her body slid forward, her eyes rolling up as she blacked out, falling with a wet splat onto the ground before Qilin's feet.

All of it would be registered in the eyes of the panting Spiritsmith. But none of it would garner sympathy from him.

He straightened up, slinging the blood off of the blade before resealing it. With a single flip, he sheathed the sword and placed his hands into his pockets. He let out a slow exhale to steady himself, his eyes gazing upon Koko's form with simmering irritation. "Even in your last moments, you still call his name..." He growled, shaking his head in angry disappointment. "You sad little pawn." A bit of his heart scolded him for using such callous words. But the woman had attempted to kill him and aid in the attempted assimilation of an innocent soul. As far as he was concerned, the only one to blame for her predicament was herself.

He took in another breath to push back his irritation, raising his head up to look at Ayūi. "You all right?" He asked, his tone changing to concern as he began to approach her. He stepped over the form of Koko as he did so, ignoring the blood pool that had formed around her. "Can you walk?"

Panting, Ayūi nodded to him with an exhausted smile, sweat caking her skin profusely in evidence of her struggle with fighting on par with Qilin, "I really...am...out of shape...to...have someone...a fraction of my power...fight better than I. When this is over...I'm going to need to train like Hell in order to get back into shape," she muttered with a smile, looking up at Qilin as she grasped her sword and twisted to an inverted grip, sheathing it back into the scabbard now formed in between her sash and Shikhakushū, "I hope you can take the challenge of being my sparring partner...Qilin-kun..."

"Challenge...?" Slowly, Qilin's lips curled into a pleased and anticipating smile. He slipped one hand out of his pocket and pressed it against his chest, giving an elegant bow. "Dear Ayūi... I'm a man that lives for the challenge." He pulled himself out of the bow, taking a few steps back from her and making a gesture towards the back entrance. "C'mon. I bet by now you're dying to see what it's like on the outside, eh?"

The Crimson Sky Battle, The Twister vs the Tornado
The roar of the winds were all he heard. The vicious chill was all that could be felt as it bit into his skin. His eyes were shut in order to keep himself from being blinded by the air friction as his body soared through the atmosphere. It was like riding a zipline across the Grand Canyon, if he was human and a much lesser being. To soar through the air like this, even against his will, was a rather sensational experience. He could stop himself at any time with a Flash Step and catch himself within the air. But where was the fun in that?

Almost as if he was forgetting the enemy behind him, he spread his arms out to his sides, opened his eyes a little so that he could see where he was landing...

...and promptly pancaked a bird in flight.

"Oh fuck, animal control's going to sue me so hard for that one."

After that sentence, he allowed his body to twist and turn in a flip before he began his descent. With a combination of timing, acrobatics and air control, he landed on the roof of a building in a crouched position. His feet created a considerable indent upon impact thanks to the velocity at which he was thrown. The chill that had washed over his skin had stopped, allowing the warmth of his adrenaline to consume him. Slowly, he brought himself up to a standing position and took the opportunity to observe his foe as he would come soon after.

"I'd radio in. But I'm not sure if these guys are the type of opponents to give any leeway for talk..." He thought, folding his arms across his chest. "I'll just have to focus all my attention on this guy..."

"Oi," Jaken spoke just behind Braeburn, scraping the edge of his katana against the ground as he silently appeared behind him, a feral smile of malicious anticipation beared upon his face, "you should pay attention more than that, you dumbass!"

With a blinding slash across the horizon, he attacked. A blinding fissure of transparent cutting force, formed from the very air itself and the momentum of the blade's movement tore its way towards Braeburn with startling velocity.

"Hm!"

When the first signs of a life-threatening attack commenced, the first muscles of Braeburn's motors would start moving. His arms would break away from his chest, and his legs would boost himself over the fissure released. Once again, his body would twist in midair as he flipped over his foe's head. His eyes would fall upon the man with a hawk's glare, a scowl forming underneath his mask. The aggression, the immediate move to kill rather than speak and the overall aura exuded foretold of a tough duel. With the scenario at hand, such was not a good thing to look forward to.

But then again, challenges always did excite Braeburn.

He landed once more in a kneeling position before straightening himself up, spreading his arms out in a stance that asked the question "What are you doing?" One of his eyebrows was cocked, and his tone was conversational - well, as conversational as possible while being directed to a foe. "Well, aren't you the impatient little heathen." He spoke. "What's the rush? We haven't even got introduced to each other yet..."

"Honestly, I couldn't give two shits about who the Hell you are, fucker!" Jaken chuckled menacingly, walking towards him as he carved the edge of his blade along the rooftop, creating an agonizingly audible grating sound as he moved, "but since you're obviously one of those gentlemanly faggots, I guess it wouldn't hurt to take my name to your unceremonional grave," swinging his blade up on a whim, a compressed fissure of air cut not but three meters away from Braeburn's left, creating a gaping trench from the swathe of infrastructures he collapsed and cut through from a mere flick of his wrist, "my name is Jaken Jōdan, the Wind Elemental of the Six Elementals!"

Pointing his blade towards Braeburn in a beckoning tone, plainly asking his name in return while he kept a feral delight in seeing Braeburn's insides on the outside come to fruition very soon.

It was a brutish, destructive and somewhat reckless display of power.

As the wake of the winds fell upon the area, Braeburn had to squint his eyes. His ponytail blew violently, his uniform gaining ripples as it was kissed by the air. But he kept his stance, lowering his arms to his side as he listened to the man's words. Clearly, this was the type of combatant who preferred brute force over all else. Distantly, it reminded him of Rokotsu and Takashi, and the thought made him smile a little under the mask. If it wasn't for the vulgar language coming out of the man's mouth, the image would've fit better.

Slowly, he reached to grasp the hilt of his personal sword and draw it out. He readied it defensively in one hand, his stance becoming more controlled and alert. "Elemental, huh? Is that the name for your band of misfits?" He quipped, but chose to answer the unspoken question. His free hand would reach to grasp the handle of his weapon. "My name's Braeburn McTavish. A pleasure to meet you..."

Then, with a Flash Step, he had made his side parallel with his foe's. His sword was swung in a horizontal arc, aiming for a clean cut through Jaken's neck for a decapitation. His eyes had narrowed into the hawk eye's stare once more, the smile having long faded away.

With only vertical adjustment of his blade, Jaken managed to stop the horizontal slice with ease, holding it back with surprising strength from the momentum that Braeburn initiated in that attack. The fact that Braeburn was so close to his unarmed side, was a fatal mistake.

A blurring motion made by Jaken's left hand, as he discharged a compressed current of air pressure, releasing it into a transparent bullet of condensed air power. While its size may have been small, it speed would be faster than any Kidō armanent or casting, and its power would be power was considerable.

Braeburn's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat as he saw the physical power behind his strike thwarted so easily. "He stopped my attack?! I didn't even make him move an inch!"

His teeth clenched together, and he was forced to slide himself and his blade from the position he was in. When the wind bullet was shot, he felt it scrape across his skin as it barely missed him. He let out a growl as he slid behind his foe, once again allowing his blade to speak for him. A tilt of the blade was all he would need to get into position before he attacked. His sword arm was a blur as it began the assault, striking and thrusting with a combination of exceptional speed and masterful fluidity.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Jaken laughed aloud as he bent and side-stepped each slash, deftly parrying the rapid assault sent his way from Braeburn, "that's it! Come on! Show me all you got, Soul Reaper! HAHAHAHAHAHA!~"

It only happened a second, but Jaken swung his left forearm around to deflect a an incoming slash sent his way by Braeburn's Zanpakutō, derailing it by using transparent spiraling wind currents. During this point Jaken swung his foot upwards, moving swift thanks to the Fullbrought wind currents wrapped around his leg, allowing the delivery of his snap kick to seem as fast as Breaburn's own Flash Step had been.

Minus the bone-crushing force that it'd employ.

Braeburn was quick enough to swing his free arm out in order to block the kick.

But his pupils shrank as he felt his bones pop, the sickening sound of them crunching under the force. As his body was hurled back, he could see his arm being ruptured open and blood spilling out from the gashes created. He managed to right himself in the air, keeping his feet towards the ground as he was sent flying. The battle had barely started, and already he was feeling the pressure. This man had not only stopped a physical strike from him, but was showing enough composure (or insanity) to evade them with the comfort of laughing. Kurai had certainly picked the right soldier for the job.

He would land with his body low to the rooftop they were fighting on, with the tips of his feet and his free hand supporting him. His blade, pointed downward and raised high, was injected into the ground with immense force. As a result, a fissure of the physical force would be unleashed towards Jaken's position. It would be powerful enough to not only carve a ditch through the roof, but cause the cap of the structure they were on to be cut in two and collapse to the ground.

Jaken's smile widened at seeing such a destructive fissure tear through the air, aiming to annihilate him along with the structure he stood upon in one blow. The very fact that Braeburn focused his attack by channeling a physical rupture in the airwaves, however, would be the ultimate blunder against fighting a Fullbringer wielding Air as his very weapon.

Mere moments as the wave of destructive energy manifested before his feet, Jaken raised his blade up to vertically divide his maliciously smiling visage. Transparent, compressed molecules coiled around him at a super speed that would make him nigh visible. As the wave of force broke the foundation underneath his feet, he leaped forward, severing the wave of force in half, ultimately disrupting it and annihilating the house underneath his feet.

As the dust would settle from the explosive crash the debris made from connecting with his shockwave, Jaken would employ his Bringer Light, ushering a slight flash of scarlet light to be employed within the center of the pillar of dust generating from the debris.

The next moment, he'd appear nigh silent and without sensation. As the soles of his boots would tap the ground directly behind Braeburn the moment his sword tapped his shoulder, rythmitcally by the flat of the sharp metal, with the edge nary but a hair away from the left side of his neck.

"You should know better than to challenge the very Wind with a mere swing of your sword, Soul Reaper," Jaken spoke in a sinister, low tone as his lips curled back to bare a gleaming smile of malicious desire.

Then, it happened.

SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOW!!!!

A screaming blast of explosive air waves discharged from the edge of his blade, intending on sending his whole body careening across the landscape of their erected battlefield.

It was like getting hit by the force of a dozen artillery shells.

The Australian could only bring himself to the beginning of retaliatory movements before he was sent sailing by the shockwaves produced. His body tumbled in its flight as it was thrown through the air, then formed a lengthy ditch as it skidded through the ground. He felt an excruciating burning within the side of his body he was skidding on, the friction biting the skin without mercy. The pressure of the explosions had knocked the wind out of his lungs to the point where he found blood spurting out of both blood and nose. In the process, his facial masked had been ripped off to expose his mouth, jaw and nose. Not only did that keep him from choking on his own red fluid, it would also emphasize the shock written on his features.

As he came to a stop, he found himself lying on his side. He could feel the chill of the ground pressing against his skin, courtesy of a seam freshly torn in his pants leg. Another tear could be seen within his shirt, and both exposed irritated skin. Trails of blood were coming from the nose, mouth corners and his temples. He breathed heavily, regarding his enemy with a weary expression. "He parried me with ease, evaded my attacks so naturally..." He thought to himself. "He has enough speed to get past my guard before I can make a move against him, enough power to smash through my physical resistance. And although it's only been in the timespan of a minute..."

His sword hand, which was sprawled across the ground, slowly clutched the handle tightly.

"...and I'm already on the ground. Damn it..."

"Is this the full extent of your prowess, Braeburn McTavish?!" Jaken crowed out, casually striding towards his prey's prone position. He took time to grind the edge of his blade into the desecrated, frost-ridden earth, bathing in a scarlet aura of Spiritual Energy to make his smile all the more demented and sadistic, taking time to even drag his tongue across his lips with anticipation, "you going to lie there and let me run my blade through your heart? Or do you want me to kick your ass some more? Either way, I'm good at both. Hell, let's make this a party and let me kill all your friends and impale their bodies next to yours! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~"

Beat.

All thought processes would stop and focus themselves on the words he had said and the tone he had said them in. These were not only the words of a man threatening his comrades. These were the words of a psychopath, and by now, he had killed and helped kill his fair share of those types of people. Was he going to let that change any time soon? His pride and dignity would have to be at an all-time low before he'd allow someone without a sense of mind to kill him.

He pushed himself up so that he was on his hands and knees. His head was hung low, his expression hidden from his foe's view. A grin of his own, filled with humor and amusement, came across his face. Once again, he was reminded of just how much of a challenge he was presented here. Being knocked down on the floor shouldn't be something to be looked down on. In fact, it should be something to embraced. You would never learn anything if you spent all of your life standing up straight, after all. It was always up to him to decide whether or not this fight would end early.

So he would allow himself to rise.

As he did so, his spiritual pressure would billow out from his body and collide with the aura that Jaken was producing. Sparks would be generated at collision points as red and blue mixed together. The silhouettes of the auras' respective owners would be in the center. He turned himself in a pose that crossed the shoulder blades and waist. While his sword arm was now turned away from the enemy, the free arm that was nearest to him had its hand sticking out its middle finger. His eyes radiated a collected smugness, and the smirk couldn't have been clearer on his face. "You can kick my ass all you want." He taunted readily. "But by the time this is over, it'll be me who's going to be still breathing. Bring it on, human!"

Jaken's widened, both of surprise and reveling. He knew that his boss wouldn't have even bothered to call him and his cohorts to deal with a bunch of weaklings, unless there was more than meets the eye. But the fact that this Soul Reaper possessed this much Spiritual Power, rivaling his own amount of power he possessed currently, certainly defied the previous feats that he pitifully displayed when attacking, countering, and evading his own movements.

However, any pretense of malicious joy was ripped away from him when the man spoke back. It wasn't the fact he sported the finger, or looked back at him from over the shoulder with a pretentious, arrogant posture. Under normal circumstances, that would've invited a much more eager tone from himself, get him really wanting to humiliate him and cram his words down his throat.

But it was a single word that rattled him to the core.

''Human. ''

For generations, the term human has always been a moniker that Soul Reapers used upon spiritually empowered humans. No more used frequently was the regularly seen race of ether-humans, than the Fullbringers themselves. Due to the nature of Fullbring being birthed from humans at the age of childhood or to middle ages, various consequences were brought upon employing the supernatural power they now possess. A traumatic event, a misuse of power, it mattered not. Even feeling it would cause chills to anyone whom was not used to it. The very fact that Jaken's parents were murdered by the unnatural torrent of wind, and he aimed to cut it away, make the power his own, insult it for ruining his life, made him more than human.

He held his blade up diagonally dividing his left shoulder to his right waist. He took the palm of his left hand, and ran it across while siphoning violently twisting, compressed air waves around it, causing a series of electrical sparks to surge from the blade itself. It was then, that Jaken's eyes glared at Braeburn as his voice took on a more murderous edge, lacking any hint of prior malicious and sadistic joy he once held, "I'm anything but human, Soul Reaper! When I step on your balls, rip out your entrails from your maimed, burned carcass, I'll show you best to not underestimate me...MASTER OF THE F%&#ING WIND!"

To emphasize that, Jaken spawned a violent 3rd Class Tornado instantly from his person. The wind would take a hue of scarlet light, making it seem almost sub-sentient and alive, crackling with fissures of hyper-frictioned wind, taking the form of scarlet lightning around him. The structures that stood around him were ripped apart, and hurtled around like bullet-sped projectiles, and all objects further away were being attacked by the chaotic wind that bristled the landscape.

Within that nanosecond's spark of spiritual energy, Braeburn's senses went to full alert. Conjuring the tornado would require concentration of the body, if only for a short moment. In addition, this move gave Braeburn a small, but available window. Because of the proximity and his capable use of Flash Step, the D.C.O. agent could carry himself into the space of the tornado eye before it could form and press the attack. In that short window of opportunity, Jaken would be vulnerable. All Braeburn had to do was not waste his chance.

He moved forward with a Flash Step, closing the distance between himself and Jaken. With clenched teeth and narrowed eyes, he let out a growl as he thrust his blade into his opponent's kneecap. The blade would pierce through the bone and flesh before getting pulled horizontally, toppling Jaken and knocking him off of his sense of balance. He had a hardened gaze of concentration within his eyes as he raised his sword over his head, both hands gripping the hilt. Without hesitation, he swung down on Jaken's midsection with the intent on cutting him into two pieces. Every movement was made with fluidity and didn't depend on extreme expulsion of energy in contrast to his foe's style of fighting.

But would it be enough?

Enough to rattle Jaken's senses briefly, yes.

Jaken may be called many things, but carefree isn't one of them. The moment he felt the spike in Braeburn's Spiritual Power, he immediately coiled his "Armor" of transparently compressed wind currents to bind and flow around his body, immediately after forming the tornado. Without manipulating the air currents to counter the other, his own body might suffer shrapnel damage unintentionall, despite being at its apex.

So the stab and slash to the knee, was a very rude wake-up call to his opponent's apparent skill. Sparks would fly and his body would be sent stumbling a couple steps. In that moment of rattling, his control over the twister dissipated, causing it to siphon upwards and back up into the air.

He still had enough sense to turn and properly defend himself against the follow-up attack.

With incredible dexterity, aided to him by manipulating the air currents acting as his armor to maneuver himself in a complete 180 degree angle to face his enemy, he enabled himself to slash at the offending weapon. Releasing a quickly-produced discharge of compressed air waves, a shockwave would leave his weapon's edge the moment he'd counter him.

It caused Braeburn's eyes to narrow, slight frustration piking up within him.

"Damn it! Wasn't quick enough!"

But he didn't allow that particular feeling to get in the way of the fight.

When their blades clashed, Braeburn's would batter it away. A combination of energy control and physical strength deflected the air waves up and away. But the shockwave would detonate near them, the winds billowing the clothing and hair of the two fighters harmlessly. In this short period, Braeburn's eyes would regard Jaken with a cold concentration. He was quick to assume that this man was an insane one. But at the very least, he was sane enough to plan things out beforehand. So having a tactful mind would not be an advantage here.

That would leave it up to a battle of wills, a contest to see who would break first.

He swung his blade downwards, calling out the release of his Zanpakutō as he did so. "Duel!"

It would happen within the timespan of a single hand clap. But Braeburn's blade would extend to extreme lengths as it was swung down. The force generated would leave a massive ditch that extended for several miles, kicking up a dust storm. With Jaken in its way, he would not simply be sliced in half from the head down. He would be rended asunder and crushed into pieces under the pressure. The power produced by the swing would also have enough power to plow through the "armor" that had been crafted.

"Kettō!"

If Jaken hadn't trained himself to react to split-second moments like these, he wouldn't know how to process the volume of raw power shearing its way through the airspace. But yet again, he still had the advantage that Braeburn was cutting through airspace in order to reach his enemy.

Instead of releasing a compressed wave of force, Jaken accumulated nearly triple the amount of coiling air currents to spiral around his sword and his body. He only had one chance, and he had to make sure to put the full brunt of his Fullbring's power into countering the high-speed spearing blade that aimed to cut him down within an instant.

Jaken's sword didn't seem like a visible piece of matter anymore. Instead, it turned into a scarlet rod of lightning, crashing into the overhead swinging creating a visible explosion of sparks and disrupted air waves between the two powerful weapons, ripping apart glass and cracking the landscape around him. His arms quivered, yet held firm, as his blade of coiling energy held up the enormous sized blade over his head.

Jaken smiled, as he felt small rivulets of blood slide down his wrists and arms, as small fractures had happened within a split second of withstanding the cutting force the shockwave discharged when their two weapons met head-on. It was the first time his enemy had inflicted legitimate pain and cut through one of his ultimate forms of defense.

Looking directly at Braeburn, he chuckled as he spoke in a beckoning tone, "Really? Turn your blade into a freaking skyscraper and swing it down on me? If that's your big plan in finishing me off, then I guess you screwed yourself over, jackass!"

A frustrated growl escaped Braeburn's throat, his eyes glaring daggers at Jaken thanks to his choice of words. His blade, in the timespan of a hand's clap, receded back to its original katana form. Automatically, he shifted into a more defensive stance, gripping the hilt with two hands. He would've gained a bit of encouragement from seeing the droplets of blood and the slight quiver within those arms as his foe blocked the strike. But that accursed smile and that damned chuckle reminded him that such footing was too far insufficient. It might as well have been nothing more than a pinch; it would hurt, but it would not cripple or finish off the enemy. His mind started to summarize just how stacked the odds were against him.

Physical strength? Brushed off.

His speed? Countered with apparent ease.

His sword combat style, which had been used to fight effectively against the likes of 666 and Ryūketsu? The man could dodge it like a fly evading a clumsy swatter and not get pressured.

His Shikai, with speed comparable to a lightning bolt? The scenario that had just played out demonstrated how futile that had been.

Although he was doing his best to keep up moral strength, he couldn't keep the worrying question from escaping the back of his head.

"Am I... too weak?!"

Lowering his lightning-enraptured blade to touch the ground, enormous tendrils sported fissures of scarlet energy beside him as he strode confidently towards Braeburn. His sickeningly malicious smile spread across his face, complimented by the flashing lights that coursed around him like a plasma inferno of light and energy, coursed around by the blurring currents of super compressed and coiling wind currents.

"Fullbringers are a natural state of evolution. What used to be a mere hundred in the entire world three centuries ago, now is a high percentage of the Material World's population. We are no longer mere mortals. I am a living testament to that," stretching out his left hand towards him, as he stopped a half dozen meters away for dramatic emphasis, "I bring a Soul Reaper, a Death god, to its very knees and make him heave with exhaustion. I draw his blood. I make him look like a complete amateur! I'm just getting started and you look like you're about your wit's end!"

Lowering his hand, his eyes narrowed as his voice lowered to a lethal monotone, "So please, educate me on the difference between a Soul Reaper and a Human such as myself, in the next life!"

Within a single instant, Jaken swung his blade around, causing the scarlet energy to whiplash in a coiling arc towards his target. The light would seem to expand, as jetstreams of slicing air would discharge around the electrical currents of searing energy, intending on enrapturing around Braeburn's form and capture it in a painful torrent of high voltage and incinerative power.

Time stopped.

Braeburn's narrowed eyes slowly widened as the energy approach him, his pupils and irises dilated. While under normal circumstances, he would've recognized that if his blade could stand against the weapon his foe was wielding, he could still counter it. But with the weight of the situation closing in, his sword arm had suddenly felt too stiff to move. His motor functions had stopped responding. It was a cruel twist of irony to him; in his fight with 666, he had declared that he was much stronger fighting without his team than with them. But in this situation, once he had been separated from the three, the tables had effectively turned against him.

"I can't win."

No longer was he the soldier.

"I can't win."

He was cannon fodder... and that demoralizing fact was enough to render him completely immobile.

"I can't win."

The lightning would tear through his lower torso, and he would feel the pain of his innards as they were incinerated to ash. He let out a loud, ear-piercing scream that conveyed both the agony running through him. It stemmed from not only the gruesome injury delivered, but from the humiliation of the situation. Just like the Harbinger, he had faced insurmountable odds and had shattered completely. This time, there was no Hana or Daisuke to slap him out of it. He was completely and utterly alone in the face of death, and there was nothing he could do about it.

His body would collapse into the dirt, laying still once it completed its descent.

"Forgive me, guys... I did try..."

Jaken had won.

After all the sweat, blood, and tears that the Wind Elemental faced into training himself, becoming a better warrior and ultimately a powerful deity himself, finally paid off. The fact that he only pushed himself to the limits of his normal Fullbring abilities, meant that this man was child's play in comparison to his own power. Spiritual Power comparison was a complete farce if they didn't have the discerning maturity to wield it.

With this in mind, Jaken's aura relaxed and his body loosened all tension. The Spiritual Pressure was quickly diminishing within the enemy he landed his blow, indicating that he soon would perish a painfully slow death. He wasn't like his comrades in that he wished to land a solid death blow. He rather wait it out and watch them gasp on their last breaths, knowing that he instilled their agony.

A giggle erupted from his mouth. This would be continued, followed up with a sanity-breaking laugh as he reared his head up to the dark thundering sky, covering his eyes with his left gloved hand as he shouted victoriously, "You see that, boss?! This guy was F$%&ING piss in comparison to me! He may have worked well with comrades, but alone, he's just a pathetic piece of shit! Hahahahahahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~"

Those words would be the last Braeburn would hear before his hearing would start to dim. His eyesight was beginning to blur, becoming dark around the edges. Blood once again would flow from the mout and nose to add to the blood pool forming underneath him. A series of choking sounds escaped from his mouth, but that was the only sign that indicated that he was clinging on to life. It was a cruel way to die, hearing the words of the enemy echoing your own desolate thoughts. But it was the only way he was going to go now. He was about to close his eyes, hoping that death would come faster.

But then he would hear it. There was a constant padding against the side that would sound distant at first. But as it continued, it would grow louder and louder with each pad made. Weakly, his eyes started to widen again as he listened to it, turning his attention away from Jaken for the moment. The sounds were coming up from behind him, clearly approaching his broken form. Because of the extent of his injuries and the condition of his body, he couldn't detect the signature or even turn his head to see who it was. Considering the calm way that the individual was approaching, it was probably an enemy there to scold Jaken for not finishing Braeburn off quickly.

But then, he heard the voice that would bring his mind up out of its haze.

"Well, well, well... the first time I've seen you in years and you happen to look like hammered shit. I didn't think you'd get so careless when it came to greeting your elders."

It was a gruff, Glaswegian-accented voice - one that had graced his ears before. Ignoring the pain that ripped through his neck when he did it, he turned his head to look over his shoulder. Standing above him was a man wearing a white gi and a black hakama. He had long, black hair that reached past the shoulders, as well as noticeable stubble on his face. A sheath carrying what looked like a claymore was holstered on his back. He had his arms folded across his chest, looking down on the crippled and shocked Braeburn.

There was only one word that the Australian could muster.

"D...dad...?"

The man allowed himself to sport a toothy grin. "It's good to hear your voice again, kid. Even if that voice just happens to be choked up with your own red fluid..."

The Fullbringer's laugh came to an abrupt halt when he heard a voice call out to his fallen victim. It wasn't familiar, that is, in comparison to the other Spiritual signatures he felt when Satsuriku sent them all flying across the ice-crusted city. Sliding his palm off his face, his gaze fell to the man standing next to the boy's body, whom he looked like a relative of his now that he got a good look at him.

"The F$*% are you?" Jaken snarled at him, his grip on his katana renewed as his left gloved hand tightened into a fist with equal preparation.

All the stranger did was swing a hand out in the Fullbringer's direction, not in a gesture of aggression, but as a signal to stop. His grin would momentarily fade away. "Hold on now, I'll get to you in a minute." He said dismissively, keeping his gaze on the fallen warrior. "Right now, I'm speaking with my blood here..."

"Wh-what in Izanami's name are you doing here...?" Braeburn gasped, struggling to move himself. The best he could do was fall onto his back, feeling the blood pool soak his clothes. "Where the hell have you been for so many years? Didn't you know that Wallaby... was trying to search for you all of that time...?"

"I had a feeling he would." The apparent elder McTavish said simply, reaching up to grasp the handle of his claymore. Slowly, he drew the weapon of choice out until he held it outward from his side. But it could be noted that he still wasn't making any moves of aggression towards Jaken yet. "But he never knew the right places to look for me. I thought I could live the rest of my life as a nobody in the realms of the Human World, fade away with the rest of the masses. But then I met back up with Brina... and I met back up with Eve." A small grin crossed his face once more. "Guess I'll have to tell the blue-haired drunk she's alive and well, don't I?"

It was a violent kick to Braeburn's senses to hear the name "Eve" - and for good reason. "W-wait a minute... I th-thought Mom had... I thought Brina..."

"We all thought wrong, laddie..." The man chuckled, closing his eyes and shaking his head sagely. He moved his sword arm, the tip of the claymore pointing towards Braeburn's chest. "And if you don't believe me, I'll have to have you meet back up with her after she's done on her end. But I can't have you half-dead and bleeding like a stuck pig before you get there."

"Wh-what are you--?!"

The younger McTavish would be cut off when he felt the blade run straight through his chest. He wouldn't have a chance to cry out in pain before being enveloped within a mass of flame-like spiritual energy. The light was bright enough to color the nearby ground with a light blue, similar to the Daitenshi's flame. Within the flames, however, a dramatic transformation would be taking place. The blood pool would appear to recede back into the body, lost muscles and organs would be restored, scars would seal up, and even the clothing that had been torn away would regenerate. Just like that, the wounds delivered by the Fullbringer would be healed.

When the stranger pulled the sword from his chest, Braeburn would be left laying on the floor with a completely stunned look on his face. The elder McTavish would return his claymore blade onto his shoulder, stuffing his other hand into his pocket and putting on a pleased smirk. He watched as his son checked himself over with nothing short of astonishment. "A very handy ability to have when you're dealing with injured teammates. Shame I can't use it on myself whenever I get messed up, but there has to be a drawback somewhere, right?"

Jaken's tolerance was thin when it came to entertaining the whims of others. Unlike his teammates, even Jōgi seemed even-tempered in comparison to himself when it came to dealing with interruptions. When things didn't go his way, the Fullbringer would always make it known. Or lacking any restraint, destroying what interrupted him completely.

So the moment the father of his nigh slain enemy had restored his health completely, he lost his restraint.

Silently, he raised his left hand up to form a finger gun, discharging a hyper-compressed bullet of transparet air currents, intending to pierce the man's head clean through. It'd be a quick, clean death, unlike the slow and painful one he planned out for this suddenly rejuvenated enemy he had.

"I don't recall taking orders from the likes of you, jackass," Jaken snarled lowly, his scarlet eyes glowing in emphasis to punctuate the shot of wind he blasted towards him.

His target didn't move an inch from where his spot, much to the shock of his son.

His head would snap back when the currents smacked into his face. His hair blew in the direction of the currents as they continued along, the hit having apparently made its mark. There was a deathly moment of silence as the attack was completed, leaving the target to stand very still. For a moment, Braeburn had feared that his father had gotten killed. Quickly, he pushed himself up to a crouched position and began to call out to him.

"Da--"

But he would stop himself once he saw the standing body move once again, shifting weight forward so that it was leaning forward. Now, the lone and visible eye was glaring daggers at the Fullbringer for the unprovoked attack. But the most striking factor was the fact that the assault had left no markings. There was no visible damage, no indication that he had even got struck in the first place. All the blast really scraped at was his own patience, and even that was only by a margin. When he spoke to the Fullbringer, his voice would be laced with slight venom.

"And I don't recall turning my attention to you just yet. So, if you'd be so kind..."

With that, his eye briefly glowed a blue that contrasted the red of his foe, and that foe would suddenly find himself hit with tremendous force. His body would be hurtled from where he was standing, crashing through the remains of both standing and fallen buildings for several meters. It would be a short while before he stopped, leaving a massive dust cloud where he had crashed. Haralson would continue to glare in the direction of where his enemy had been hurled, continuing his statement.

"...go sit in the corner and wait. Any more outbursts like that, and I'm gonna wallop you earlier than I'm aiming to, boy!"

The spectator would be rendered speechless.

There was no movement, no apparent effort made by his father as he blew their mutual foe away from the area. His eyes would trail up to the form of the older man with widened and dilated pupils and his body would slowly bring itself up to a sitting position. It had only been a concentrated burst of spiritual pressure that did the deed, but it was certainly a rather intimidating thing to see - especially considering that the target had been the one who was one step away from slaying him. He could bring himself to say nothing more, repeatedly switching his gaze from both the elder McTavish to the crash site. But he would focus entirely on the man once the Glaswegian-accented voice spoke again.

"Me and Evelyn were planning on living our lives peacefully after we reunited. But then, we both realized that we couldn't just walk off the battlefield we knew for so long. So, we both decided to wander the earth for a while, seeking out warriors of the criminal underworld and engaging them in combat. It's how we've managed to keep up our strength after all these years. We never wanted to get too rusty at the things we loved to do, after all..." He lowered his claymore to his side, allowing his free hand to rest within his pocket. "I see that you haven't abandoned it, either. Glad to know that we still share our guilty sins..."

"Look, Dad..." Braeburn began, snapping out of his reverie and taking on a more assuring tone. "I appreciate that you came to keep me from getting killed, but I assure you that I've got this guy handled. Just go back and--"

But once again, he would be cut off when his father gave him a slight glare. "Handled?" He repeated incredulously. "Don't start lying to my face, you idiot. If I didn't step in, you'd still be drowning in your own life water and your foe would be still crowing like a hyena in heat! Furthermore, I saw the look in your eyes. You lost your resolve, your will to fight, didn't you? Facing down a fellow man, regarding him as death incarnate and having the audacity to act like you're the one in control? Are you really going to stoop so low on me?!"

He lapsed into silence, taking in Braeburn's eyes as they averted from him out of shame. But it wasn't long before he spoke again, swiftly shifting his gaze over to the crash site. "You're to stand back and watch." He said sternly, beginning to take steps towards the area. "This boy... this... dog... is going to learn what happens when you desecrate a McTavish's body right in front of his own blood!"

The incredulity of the position Jaken was in, lying within a pile of debris, wasn't as dawning as the moment he realized that his wind bullet had no effect. It was as if whatever it had struck wasn't just a piece of flesh or metal, but a shield of impenetrable power. Remembering the invisible wall of power that simply rocketed him back by hit him bodily, as if it was a wall exactly his height, throwing him into the line of buildings.

Honestly, it didn't hurt to be thrust into such structures as a velocity as it was mind jarring. Now he knew that this old man was a completely breed of prey. If he'd considered the son, Braeburn McTavish, a Beta, he'd definitely see Senior McTavish as an Alpha. The excitement that fueled him ran in sync with the rage for being tossed aside so casually.

Which was all let out, in a single explosion of jettisoned air waves.

BOOM-VRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAR!!!

A pillar of scarlet light discharged from the center of the crater, from which the debris had turned into dust from the sheer ferocity the winds were launched. Bright tendrils of hyper-frictioned jetstreams creating electricity flew all across the renewed battlefield, as Jaken's suit looked slightly tuffled and ripped from the "push" he was given by his prey's father.

"It is just like defenseless prey to have their parents scurrying back to protect them," He muttered to himself with a carnal smile, as he raised his scarlet-lit gaze to face the old man's direction, in sync with his sword's erection to the sky, "I don't care who the F$^% you are, Old Man, but I assure you when I'm through with you...you'll be wishing you didn't F$&# WITH ME!"

Swinging down his blade, he unleashed a powerful surge of wind. It would seem as if a 5th Class Twister would discharge upwards, siphoning from his very blade. Currents were compressed all around the monstrous show of aerial force, colored with a scarlet hue, making it colored as if it was on fire and filled with blood. It was truly a monstrous sight to be behold.

"Tatsumaki Ken!" Jaken shouted aloud, swinging the blade down, along with the entire conical shaped blade of spiraling winds that decimated and crushed anything that it stood upon. It would almost seem to envelop the entire city block in front of him, capable of annihilating them beyond the point of recognition.

It was here that the stranger would call forth his spiritual pressure.

It would be like being submerged within the deepest depths of the ocean. The air would be distorted, visage on the area itself would become heavily distorted, and the crushing aura of spiritual power seemed to dominate over everything else. It would also provide an effective shield against the cyclone-turned-sword, stopping it like a steel wall. When the two energies collided, a screeching effect resonated throughout the entire area. Even though he was protected against the effects of the man's spiritual energy, Braeburn had to shut one eye and put an arm out in front of his face due to the violent visual distortions taking place.

"I don't think I remember Dad ever being this strong! Just what in the bloody hell has he been doing all these years?!"

Although he had essentially stopped the attack within its tracks, the stranger could still feel its power as it attempted to push through the shield that his massive aura of spiritual pressure was creating. He could acknowledge that this man was considerably tough, understand just why his son was so demoralized with his own chances against him. But those traits wouldn't be enough to stop the likes of him. He would make that perfectly clear once he took in a deep breath and spoke his next words.

"Does the purposefully lost dare to tread the same earth as the soon-to-be-guided?"

He gripped his sword in both hands, gripping it tightly while glaring at his enemy.

"Will the soul, transformed into a beast, try and challenge a soul who has fought tooth and nail to keep itself intact? Would the dog, chained and walking at the behest of its master, dare presume that it has the power to kill its enemies by itself?!" With each and every word spoken by the elder man, the fury was making itself clear. "Izanami would not let this defiance of the natural order pass by unpunished, Izanagi would not let it go unpunished, and I sure as Hell will not allow it to go unpunished!!"

He raised his sword over his head in a readying stance. The blade was glowing a luminescent blue, shining with both an attractive and threatening visage. "You will not only be annihilated by the eternal wrath of my blade, but by the wrath of the gods and the sins you have so shamelessly bathed yourself in!!" Upon this sentence, his eye glowed a brilliant blue to match the foreboding glow of the blade. He would only regard the enemy for a moment more before swinging that sword down and bringing his wrath with him in one final roar.

"AMEN!!"

A wave of destructive energy was unleashed upon not only the Fullbringer, but a massive portion of the Vandenreich fortress. Multiple buildings within a large radius would be consumed in the blast, which carried the wrath of a tsunami within it. The crimson red would be overwhelmed by the brilliant blue, and the light would shine over the fortress like a second sun beaming down.

Three things stuck out to Jaken before the wave of blood red energy broke his cyclone blade thoroughly and utterly. First, the man was talking to him like a cultist lunatic or a deranged pastor, speaking as if he was giving a sermon or reading a passage out of some religious text. Second, the sheer weight of Spiritual Power seemed to be enough to block the blade itself, protecting himself and his son along with the entire district area his blade aimed to hit. Lastly, his attack rendered his into oblivion and then some.

Time crawled as the tsunami of blue energy threatened to envelop him and tear a good stretch of the Vandenreich outskirts. He knew that if he didn't at least dampen the impact, someone else's battlefield would be totaled or cut into. He'd get blamed for someone else's incompetence in dodging or anticipating the horizon filled strike.

He hated getting blamed more than dying.

So he defiantly surged forth a ground-rising twister, aiming to propel a good portion of the energy while boosting its heights into the skyline with his own discharge of spiritual energy. Scarlet flames would discharge a monstrous wave of pressurized geysers, jettisoning the wave of destructive power narrowly away from his person and the cityscape, allowing it to shear a good cut into the blackened heavens above, causing an eerily moon-lit glimmer over the ice-caped city.

Sweating with mingled fear and relief, Jaken glared with a much calmer control at his newfound opponent.

"So this is what its like to fight a bono fide Captain of the Soul Society? If it isn't, then he must be something else entirely. Guess I have no choice...but to call out my true power to the surface," Jaken thought to himself, as he raised his blade to point in the direction of his enemy.

What happened next, would one of bewildering amazement.

A new form of Spiritual Power burst to life, its color shifting from scarlet to bright pink. The sheer density seemed to be highly competitive to that of the elder McTavish's, as it cracked and sent large gusts of static-filled wind all across the battle-ruined landscape.

"Bleed Away," Jaken called out, as a rust-colored blade cut through the the pillar of light that oozed from his being, revealing him in a different light. A crimson, high-collared black trench coat would be donned in replacement of his suit, with a crimson interior. Gleaming black leather along with armored red-bordered guards on his forearms, legs,  and shoulders, with a breastplate to finish. Finishing his sentence, he gained a malicious smile of rejuvenated air about himself, as if saying for the first time in ages, "Chizome Hayate."

As the smoke cleared, the elder McTavish slowly straightened himself out and exhaled a slow breath. His eye fell upon the new form that his enemy took, taking it all in with quiet analysis. He was taken off-guard by the revelation of Shinigami powers by the Fullbringer, not having expected such a recovery. To be fair, he had come into the situation with little to no true information about it. He was a stranger that had walked into a town of outlaws, not knowing what their code was and how they worked. As far as he was concerned, he was facing a very unknown threat.

Braeburn was regarding Jaken with a widened glare and a scowl, with beads of sweat continuing to drip down his face. "And he still had more within that arsenal of his?!" He thought to himself, clenching his teeth. "Damn it... to think that I actually stood a chance against him alone... such a fool!"

"You asked me for my name before, didn't you?" The elder McTavish called out, slowly lifting his sword to balance it on his shoulder once again. "It's Haralson McTavish. Figure that I'd give you that much, considering you actually survived that attack." Slowly, a grin of anticipation formed on his face. "I never thought that I'd have the chance to duel against another with the powers of a Shinigami. Where'd you happen to get those?"

"It was a gift," Jaken explained, cocking his head to the side, waving his left hand in the air for emphasis, "I happened to be a young boy when I manifested my Fullbring to its highest form. In this day and age, it wasn't an uncommon occurrence for there to be humans imbued with the powers of supernatural degrees. Let's just say she and I had a teacher-student relationship. After working with her and gaining the Soul Society's notice, they offered me the chance to become a Substitute Soul Reaper. I became one, little knowing that they were wary of my powers. When I confronted her again about this knowledge, she said it was normal for all Substitutes to be monitored and analyzed for abnormal behavior. I didn't trust her...so I tore open her heart with the very powers she granted me."

Lifting his rust-colored Zanpakutō in a presenting manner, Jaken smiled proudly, "What you see here, Chizome Hayate, is but the tip of the iceberg my power entails. Thanks to my boss, my power has developed and transformed into something that no Soul Reaper can possibly achieve. Your pathetic shit-head of a son is living proof of that, Haralson McTavish!"

The insult towards his blood was enough to make Haralson's smile fade away and Braeburn to grit his teeth in an angry snarl. But it would be the elder McTavish who would speak again, his voice carrying a tone of venom. "Is that so?" He questioned rhetorically, taking a few steps forward from his son and towards his Jaken. "You cut out the heart of your own mentor out of simple distrust, using the gift she gave you to do so. You cut down my son and have the gall to say those vulgar words about him right in front of my face. You wave both your sword and your abilities around like they were the treasures of Atlantis. Yet, you claim to have something that no Soul Reaper could possibly achieve?"

He lifted his claymore and brandished it threateningly towards Jaken. "Well, I'm starting to believe you're right!" He remarked, with nothing but distaste and restrained fury. "I don't think a Soul Reaper could ever be capable of such sickening, disgusting acts and be proud of them! I couldn't imagine that a Soul Reaper would carry such extreme delusions! And I never thought it would be possible for someone to tick me off with the very sound of their voice!" He brought his free hand from its spot, grasping the handle of his claymore with both of his hands. His lone eye glared murderously at the substitute Soul Reaper.

"You say your power is something that no Soul Reaper could ever catch up to? Well, I say to bring it on! Fight me, you damned brat, and show me just exactly what you're made of!"

SHFT!

Within an instant of finishing his sentance, Jaken appeared directly overhead of Haralson, sword already over his head and swinging downwards as he wordlessly attacked. When the blade would get close, a fissure of what smelled like tainted iron and pressurized air currents jettisoned forth, all colored a burugundy hue as it moved forth. While the wind would seem incredible in its velocity and pressure, the substance that poisoned its essence would fly through like razors, making the attack especially more dangerous.

From that point onward, Braeburn understood that it wasn't his fight anymore. He used a Flash Step to move himself out of the way, keeping a safe distance from the apparent duel while also keeping a close visual. The fire had died within his eyes, with only a solemn look directed towards both father and enemy. He knew that the events that transpired here today would shame him. He had lost before an enemy, he had cowered once again before an enemy, and he had to get pulled out just like a damsel in distress. Could he even face his allies again after what he had allowed to transpire? Could he face Hana with a straight face?

"You are a idiot, truly a coward and a idiot!"

He lowered his head, falling to one knee and placing a palm onto his eyes. "Damn it..."

His father, however, had other plans in terms of motivation and fight.

As his enemy bore down on him, he let out a growl as he thrust the claymore tip towards the opposing sword. The metals would collide with one another, a bright blue tip meeting the cutting edge with pinpoint accuracy. Following that strike would be an uppercut to parry both enemy and weapon away from his person. In addition, the energies channeled within would be repelled and cast aside, causing further damage to the environment around them. His mouth was kept in a vicious scowl as his eye concentrated on his target. Then, he would use a Flash Step to vanish and re-appear off to the other man's side. With his sword brought over his shoulder and the handle held in two hands, he brought down a mighty blow to both kill and crush his opponent.

Every movement made was the movement of a professional swordsman, a veteran of combat. Every swing and strike was filled with the burning anger that he carried within him, courtesy of Jaken's callous and vulgar insults. Had it been any other type of opponent, he would have been finding more enjoyment in the fight than anything else. But right now, he was more interested in destroying Jaken completely. He was going to put forth all of his effort in order to ensure that dream came true.

Had it not been for the crimson wind that coalesced and discharged with every swing, Jaken would be straining himself against this veteran warrior. As a Fullbringer, he prided himself for physical superiority and enabling himself to fight against those with higher peaks of spiritual energy much longer due to the fact he had more stamina and strength thean they did.

But he knew, from contact there was a lot of power and weight to the man's swings against him, and that getting cut by him, wouldn't be an option.

As Haralson would raise his blade to swing down again, Jaken would take the opportunity to jettison himself into the air above him, twisting out of the way of the enormous blade in his enemy's hands. The moment it would hit the ground, he thrust towards his shoulder, intending on discharging a enormous blast of wind at the point of his blade's edge and overwhelm him with the razor-filled air currents.

It was here that Haralson managed to see it.

There was thousands of razors hidden within the winds Jaken was launching at him. He didn't have to be a genius to figure out that there were at least enough to tear him into bloody ribbons if he didn't stay well enough on his toes. Because of the ability to use such blasts at close range, more hapless targets wouldn't have had a chance in countering or evading. If it were a simple swing, Haralson could've simply done just that. But he knew that such an option might as well have been unavailable upon that moment. Even if he did used a Flash Step, there was no guarantee that he would escape unharmed. This was where he would have to rely on the power of his Zanpakutō instead of simply his swordsmanship ability.

In a follow-up, he took one hand off of his claymore handle and allowed the other to swing in a backhand uppercut in order to once again parry the strike. But this time, there would be a small yet powerful shockwave emitted from the point of contact. This time, another reaction would take place. As Jaken's blade and body was once again knocked aside, he would witness the very razor winds he had created turn against him. All of those blades and all of the wind unleashed would hurl itself away from the intended target and at the one who had brought them into existence. It brought a sneering grin on Haralson's face, and he allowed himself to speak out to Jaken once more.

"It's a beautiful weapon, isn't it?" He asked casually. "Inga. Karma. The name of my Zanpakutō. It can take the power an enemy throws at me and throw it right back. Your beloved gifts, your so-called evolved abilities? I can take them all and give them back to you with just as much force as you put into them. A very handy piece of the soul to have," His lone eye narrowed slightly. "When you're dealing with those of the deluded kind!"

As Haralson spoke, the blood-shearing wind was turned back on Jaken who held a shock-filled gaze. Upon it striking him, an ear piercing scream emitted from his mouth as he fell backwards and writhed on the ground, looking to be in absolute pain.

Then he was silent, almost eerily still. It wouldn't be for long however...

BWHOOSH!

...as Jaken's perpindicularly aligned prone body would suddenly dissipate through a display of speed, reappearing next to Haralson, jabbing a blood-coalescing elbow strike to hit him straight in the chest with incredible precision and power, creating a concussive rip through the air.

A sinister smile appeared upon his face, as his body looked untouched by the collision of his own "bloody wind" making contact. But that was soon answered in the form of what looked like a crimson hued aura circulating close to his body at rapid speeds, almost concealed from the naked eye and senses altogether.

"Nice that you caught on to the secret of Chizome Hayate. Blood soaked wind that is manipulated to become series of air currents that carry carbonized particles with enough potency to become the sharpest razors. The flip side of that ability, is that I possess an alternative use for such a power. A circulating wall of nigh impenetrable armor!" Jaken expresses aloud, waving his arms out in emphasis of the demonic aura of blood that circulated close enough to his body to make it seem like he's become soaked in its crimson tears.

"What the--?"

For a moment, Haralson had been certain that would have delivered a substantial wound to his foe. The grin was quick to wipe itself off his face as soon as the body disappeared, his expression contorting from an alerted state of mind. As soon as his foe had reappeared off to his side, his free hand reflexively swung to catch the elbow thrown his way. But that would prove to be a mistake. Pain would shoot through his hand as he felt the razor blades cut through the flesh, making his eye widen out of shock. As best as he could, he shoved the offending limb away and leaped back from his enemy.

He worked out his free hand, clenching his teeth a little at the pain shooting through it now. Although it was covered in blood and scars created by the accursed razor blades, nothing was too inhibited or threatening. "An armor made entirely from razors, you say?" He questioned rhetorically, keeping his claymore leveled at his enemy. "Rather creative, I have to admit..."

"If it was only razors, there wouldn't be any fun in it. No, this is blood created by Chizome Hayate, fueled by my spirit energy," Jaken spoke with emphasis, raising his blade up to lightly touch Haralson's claymore, immediately staining it with crimson liquid, "blood is a unique medium in of the fact that it is a liquid that contains a number of characteristic features within it. The iron, for example, in these particles can be heightened and excited through a charge of spirit energy, allowing it flow and take forms of my own will. Razors within the wind is a tactful approach, and a wall of something akin to cyclonic liquid armor is another. But blood is also distilled primarily of its makeup by water..."

Within a simple scraping motion of his blade over Haralson's claymore forward, a jetstream of harmless liquid doused itself upon him and the rest of the landscape around him. This moment Jaken allowed himself to leap upwards in a vertical ascent, twirling his Zanpakutō above his head, causing it to spark and siphon pressurized wind currents around its edge.

"...which makes a perfect conductor to lightning!" Jaken finished with a manical grin, swinging his blade down to discharge a powerful surge of scarlet-white electricity, aiming to strike the ground and splay outwards, intending on catching the liquid's essence to touch any blood-soaked part of the landscape and his aimed target in particular.

"Nnngh~!!"

When Jaken sprayed the McTavish with what he assumed was blood, he shut his eye and reflexively took several steps back in order to keep himself from being blinded. When he felt the man's spiritual signature take to the air once again, that eye would shoot open and follow him up. His lip curled in annoyance, and he had to resist the reflex to wipe at the foreign substance off of his clothing. He had to curse his judgement of holding the joy of battle over the desire to survive. Otherwise, he would have cut the other man in two halves before he could even touch the claymore.

As he saw the surge of lightning come down, he felt that scowl trying to form back into the sneering grin he had before.

"Deciding to play dirty, are we, boy?"

Without hesitation, he kicked himself into a Flash Step with his claymore tip meeting the lightning surge head-on. With a channeling of his own spiritual energy into the blade, he was able to stop the electricity from spreading any further than the blade. If it took spiritual energy to hold the particles of each attack together, than an equal opposing force of spiritual energy would knock the foundation right out of the water. Haralson was using his power to cancel out Jaken's, effectively keeping himself from being electrocuted. The light of the electricity cast a shadow upon his form, with only the glow of his eye visible to his enemy.

"It might have made you a nightmare against the more hapless and foolish youth, make no mistake." He spoke, his voice loud and clear over the noises of the lightning. "But against the more experienced foe, all that does is saying one thing. You're starting to feel the pressure, and the questions are starting to creep along the edges of your mind. "Can I fight this man, after all? Will I run out of hands to play before this scuffle ends? Has this become a situation that has escalated out of my control?" Someone that has supposedly ascended beyond the limits of a Soul Reaper would have no need for this type of foul play!"

With that, the sneer would grow to become a little clearer. He reached up to grasp his sword with two hands, swinging his sword downward as he began a pivot. The electricity would be carried in the blade, mixing with his own spiritual energy. He would let out one final snarl to Jaken as he completed his spin, his blade being swung in a wide and violent arc.

"I want more!"

With that declarative statement, a massive wave of spiritual energy would be released in a second blast towards his foe. This one would be considerably smaller than the first he had unleashed, but still carry considerable and devastating power behind it. In addition, it would be laced with the very electricity that had been used against him.

Jaken's face drew into a snarl from the presumptuous tone this man made. He believed that he was becoming disconcerted with the level of strength of skill and power his opponent possessed. He knew for a fact, that his power as of now, surpassed the likes of the average Captain of the Gotei 13. At Shikai he could damage him with a mere physical strike from his own body.

As the fissure of destructive energy raced towards him, he retracted his arm to cock with his elbow, preparing for a lunge as a series of significantly expanding twisting air currents melded with the blood his Zanpakutō. When the energy was almost upon him, he thrust the tip of his blade into the mass of volatile and harmful light that would threaten to engulf him.

"Ryūtsuki Yari!"

VRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!

What appeared from his blade would utterly consume the light, and charge forth towards Haralson. To the eye, it would appear as if a crimson twister that spun at high speeds to almost appear like a solid neck speared through the arc of electric-infused energy, bearing a dragon's head with a wide snarling mouth, with glowing eyes to boot. The speed was unprecedented and incomparable, as its main force was to shred through any opposition within its path.

"Do I look like the kind of guy...who'd stoop to trickery as a last resort, F%$&ER?!" Jaken retorted back in the aftermath of the attack, lowering his blade to the side as he stood within the air, holding a lethal and unamused gaze towards his enemy, "I don't particularly like the fact a nobody waltzed in on the middle of my show and decides to call me a punk cause you're ancient as shit! You heal the wounds of MY prey and come in starting a fight with ME, you're going to be damned sure that I'm going to stomp you into the ground with my own two hands, and nothing less! If you think I'm the kind of guy who values honor, dignity, or mercy, then you obviously picked the wrong opponent, asshole!"

Within the moment that the "dragon" was launched towards him, Haralson felt a violent spike of adrenaline flowing through his body. His eye widened, not out of shock, but out of excitement. He gripped his sword in two hands and let out a roar as he swung again, connecting with the blast of energy that surely would have torn him apart otherwise. When the metal impacted with the winds, the head of the dragon would be smashed apart. As the rest of the body followed the path, it too would be split apart under the force of impact. The bursts of wind would blow against Haralson's face and force him to shut his eye momentarily. But he didn't break his stance, and when the winds finally receded, he would stand tall to prepare himself once more.

But then, he heard the vicious words of Jaken fired at him. For a moment, his stance relaxed as he looked up at his opponent. The rhetorical question immediately brought up a genuine smirk on his face - something that had not happened since the first exchange of blows. The continuation of an apparent rant would keep that smirk on his face. Throughout it all, he would remain silent and still. A more pragmatic opponent certainly would have taken the opportunity to strike him while he was lost within his rage. But despite Haralson's contempt for Jaken, he had enough integrity to restrain himself and allow the man to keep speaking.

When the last word was spoken, he allowed himself to chuckle loudly and almost mirthfully. "Is the little brat having a temper tantrum?" He mocked, both condescension and venom coating each and every words. "It's bad enough that you're only proving me right. But it's only worse when you're showing that you don't understand, even when I'm telling you everything you need to know. I didn't start this fight." The smirk would fade a little at this statement. "You did. Did you honestly think that you could turn my son into chopped hamburger, leave him to choke on his own blood, crow to the skies about how much weaker he was to you, call him a "pathetic shit-head" right to my face, and expect me not to raise my blade to your throat?" By this time, the smile had been replaced by a disdainful scowl. "I didn't come in expecting a fair fight or anything like that."

Then, he released his spiritual pressure.

A violent flash would indicate the release of his power from his body. It would be the equivalent of having the weight of an entire ocean fall upon the area, with nearby and mildly farther structures collapsing underneath it. The earth would glow an illuminating and foreboding blue, matching the aura outline showing around Haralson's body. Although his figure was silhouetted against the light, his face could still be seen. His lone eye was widened with a murderous rage, and his overall expression was nothing short of terrifying. "I came," He finished lowly. "To destroy you, to crush you into fragments where even your trip to Hell will be made as a ball of dust. Is that clear enough for you, stupid brat?!"

Upon the initial force hitting him, Jaken's brow projected a couple beads of sweat. Up until now, he didn't fully acknowledge his enemy's Spiritual Power. Now that it was brought to the brim, he knew now was the absolute zenith of his abilities. Nothing holding him back anymore.

This allowed him to regain his malicious smile, without dropping the pretense of murder in his eyes. A vivid scarlet aura enraptured his being, as a discharge of his own immense Spiritual Pressure, having the sensation of a wild typhoon sweeping in the midst of the ocean that proverbially embodied Haralson's own raw Spiritual Pressure that he exerted as a show of dominance.

"Old man! The only jackass going to Hell today...is your wrinkled old ass!" Jaken shouted aloud, swinging his sword out in a titanic wave of blood-red wind. From the wave of wind emerged nearly six Ryūtsuki Yaris, all of them homing in on his position, roaring loudly as they rocketed towards their prey with the hellbent intention of tearing him to shreds.

The McTavish would grip his sword in two hands, stand tall in the face of the six dragons that were launched towards him and raise his blade to meet them.

He would slash a total of six times. A combination of unrestrained physical power as well as controlled spiritual power would come into play here. With each slash made, the blade would rip through and disrupt the flow of wind holding each dragon construct together. On top of that, every strike would elicit a vicious shockwave that surely would've caused collateral damage to any nearby structures, had they not been wiped out already. Each swing of his sword was filled with strength and the burning hatred for his enemy. It almost seemed like his face was plastered with the snarl and the widened eye of rage.

When the last dragon was cut down, he moved to attack.

In a heartbeat and with a Flash Step, he was in front of Jaken. His blade moved, the tip thrusting towards its target's chest. But this time, the McTavish would not stop his attack. His blade would continue to move in an aggressive and relentless manner, with each and every swing made to batter Jaken's defenses apart. He fought with the ferocity of a grizzly bear, the desire to tear the man apart reigning supreme over everything else.

Thanks to the Ryūtsuki Yaris, Jaken was bought valuable time in order to prepare for the feral assault on his person. Coiling high velocity, compressed air currents around his blade, along with a stream of streaming blood particles, a crimson blade of near equal proportions was created. The blood hardened and softened simultaneously in a manner that would allow the electricity to intensify indefinitely, making it a weapon that had as much shocking power as it did cutting power.

"Raikōhiken!" Jaken called out with a laugh, as he swung the blade into the Flash Stepped man's blade, causing a cacophonic shockwave of incredible power, parrying the weapon with ease. He laughed maniacally with apparent excitement, parrying the two-handed swings with one arm as he danced to meet his enemy with every blow with just as much ferocity and then some.

Side-stepping one of the blows, he counterattacked with his own feral momentum.

Jaken then wrapped electrified air currents around his body, moving at accelerated speeds with blinding results as his sword strikes tripled in numbers, aiming to swing his blood-electric-enraptured blade to hit his target with unrelenting ferocity of his own. All the while laughing with glee and bloodlust.

Even through the red he was seeing, Haralson could hear it. The jackal, as he would have nicely put it, was once again cackling his head off even as he fought. It was the fuel that kept the raging fire within his body going strong, hearing those laughs echo throughout the air in a constant rhythm. By now, he could swear that his blood was literally boiling due to the combination of rage and the adrenaline that the battle was pumping through him. But even so, he continued to fight like he was in the depths of Hell itself.

On the sidelines, the lone spectator was starting to feel that very same rage pour through him.

"What in the hell am I doing?!"

Slowly, he clenched his fists and grit his teeth as he watched the two strike against each other again and again. The despair and dread that had washed over him was quick to dissipate as he saw his father press the attack against his former adversary. "Did I really allow myself to get demoralized just because the mongrel found it easy to evade my attacks? Did I nearly freak out just because he could block my release?! Am I really so scared just because he seems so much stronger than I am?!" He sucked in a deep breath, his gray eyes glaring sharply at Jaken.

"I have a woman waiting for me. I have friends, comrades who are fighting hard for the sake of victory, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Izanami be damned if I give this psychopathic freak the pleasure of victory!!"

Swiftly, he lifted his hands up to his mouth and let out a shout towards Haralson. "RIP HIM APART, DAD!! SHUT THAT BLOODY BASTARD'S MOUTH ONCE AND FOR ALL!!"

Then, the electric air currents.

As Jaken began to push his speed to a higher level than before, Haralson saw an opportunity. He would spin around for a bare miss to one strike while moving his blade to counter another. It was certainly a dangerous ability to have, and had he been within a sealed state, the McTavish certainly would have had to restrict himself to a bit of a defensive approach. But in this particular situation, a window of opportunity had shown itself. He wasn't willing to take any solid chances on it, considering how pragmatic the man was showing himself to be. But he wouldn't waste a chance to turn the tables once it showed itself.

When their blades crossed again, a violent reaction would take place.

The combination of wind and electricity would abruptly turn on Jaken, giving him a full-body electrocution. Sparks and currents would tear through his body like the razors that had torn through Haralson's hand, giving a period of destructive paralysis. As he came out of the swing, the McTavish cocked back a fist and sent it crashing into his foe's jaw. The massive force would shoot him like a bullet across the ground, leaving a lengthy ditch in his wake.

Jaken was stunned. His own bloodthirsty appetite finall turned on him, as he ignited the very field of protection that kept his body from harm, making it a volatile fuel for his enemy to take advantage of. Blood curtling screams would piece the air as his body would contort, crack, and spasm from the violent red lightning that coursed in and around his body.

Jaken wouldn't even had a moment of respite to assess the damage to his body, as a air-popping punch would connect to his left jaw, pinwheeling him into the ground. His body would drag for dozens of meters, smashing through various piles of debris, until collapsing one of the lone towers left standing within their battlefield's proximity.

After that, the atmosphere was deadly calm and quiet, leaving it as an unknown if Jaken had been thrust into unconsciousness or instantaneous death.

"It... is it over?"

Braeburn himself was regarding it all with surprise now, watching as the atmosphere took on a much more quiet tone. With that blow, the battle had seemed to end. To hear those maniacal laughs stop courtesy of a blow was nothing short of satisfying to witness, and he was certain that his father was feeling even more than that. He couldn't help the grin that came onto his face, and he threw his fists in the air out of jubilation. "WHOO!" He cheered. "You did it! The maniac's good as dead! We won't have to deal with his disgusting presence anymore--"

"Hold that thought, laddie."

Haralson's voice cut through his shouts, earning his surprised attention. As he lay eyes upon the elder McTavish, he would see that he was now breathing with the shoulders rising up and down in a slow rhythm. The rage in his face had faded away, replaced by a stern wariness. "We're never so careless as to assume that the enemy's down for good just because he's down." He gripped his sword in one hand, his lone eye glaring in the direction where he had sent Jaken. "The only way to ensure that he's not going to get back up is to destroy everything that makes him up!"

With that being said, he used a Flash Step to teleport himself to a mid-air position. He raised his blade up to the sky, grasping it with both hands and staring down at the spot where Jaken had crashed. The blade began to glow that foreboding blue, readying itself for what seemed like one final blast against his foe. By now, he was ready to end it. "It's time that you joined your kin, you mindless dog!" He snarled, swinging his sword and releasing the massive wave of energy upon the area to annihilate Jaken.

Time slowed for Jaken, as he lied within the rubble. There beside him, ethereal in its form was a majestically veiled woman sitting comfortably upon a "throne" of haphazardly fallen frosted rocks. It took a moment for the Substitute to realize she was there, staring at him. Knowing how alone he was in all of this, he barely restrained tears to come down his bleeding jawline, as he asked bitterly, "What are you...doing here...?"

"You should know better than to lie, to make yourself that much more repulsive to your enemy, Jaken Jōdan," the Zanpakutō, Chizome Hayate, spoke in a sad and chiding tone. The red veil that rippled with the breeze over her lower visage conveyed all of the sadness her emerald eyes showed. Her scarlet hair flickered with the freezing air, now tinged with blood, also covered by a scarlet headdress, fastened over her forehead with a saphire jewel. With her navel exposed, only a crimson-emerald hakama skirt flowed down her waistline, down to bare feet that rubbed over the debris-ridden ground, "I don't like it when you're not honest to yourself..."

"What did you expect me to say?" Jaken asked incredulously, turning his head to the side, wincing as he did so balefully, "that the woman I loved tried to hide me away from the Soul Society's eyes? That even though I couldn't trust her, she sacrificed herself for my sake in the end, to protect a lowly human? I'd rather be hated and despised than pitied and mocked any day, Chizome!"

Chizome looked down, sighing sadly, as she stood up to see the Soul Reaper appear via Flash Step above the caved in structure, "I know you don't like using it, Jaken, but it seems you're out of time..."

"Tch!" Jaken clicked his tongue, as if he'd rather resign himself to his fate.

"Live, Jaken," Chizome whispered, now kneeling beside him, placing her warm soft hand on his outstretched left hand, causing him to look up into her shining emerald eyes, "if not for your sake or hers...but for me. Please don't let yourself perish in this place!"

"Chizome," Jaken's eyes widened, as he gripped her hand tightly, feeling wamth and strength invigorate his form once more. Blood exuded from his blade, healing all of his burnt flesh and repairing minor fractures caused from the plummet his body withstood. Then, an instant later, his body was engulfed with a vibrant aura of crimson light.

KRAK-KOOM!

Jaken's body flew out of the collapsed structure like a shooting star, bending around the wide berth of destructive light, moving much faster than prieviously demonstrated. Curiously enough, Jaken's mouth was firmly holding the sheathe of his Zanpakutō, allowing his two outstretched fists to drive into Haralson's defenses, the fists themselves coiled with blood particles and vibrant spiritual energy.

Haralson could only blanch in absolute shock, as did Braeburn.

"What?"

It wasn't the fact that he had managed to recover. It was the fact that he had healed from the injuries sustained, albeit seemingly being crippled just moments before. As he saw the form of the man skirt over the blast he had released to kill him, he found himself unable to retaliate under the awe. The most he could was force his sword upward in an attempt to intercept the two fists. But he simply wasn't quick enough to keep the two fists from slamming into his chest. His lungs were nearly turned into pancakes under the impact, and spittle flew from his mouth.

"What?!"

He was sent flying through the air, but quickly used his feet to skid across it and keep himself from going too far. He stared at Jaken in a mix of anger and disbelief, unable to bring himself to raise his claymore in a defensive position. "I can't believe this. One moment, he was on the ground and practically begging for a deathblow. Now, he's back up and running as if nothing happened?! Just what exactly kicked him back into gear here?!"

RIIIIIIIIIIIIP-RIIIIIIIIIIP!

Now that he had gained distance, Jaken took advantage of the brief gap between himself and his enemy to rip off his shredded and burned sleeves, revealing his healed skin. His slacks were in far less tatters than his shirt was, so he didn't mind the condition.

With a sigh, Jaken took hold of the hilt of his Zanpakutō, speaking in a much calmer tone than he had previously, as any form of excitement had been replaced with genuine resolve and commitment, "Sorry about the silent treatment, Harry. You've left me in a predicament that I'm not often within, and its quite awkward. I love the name of my Zanpakutō's Shikai so much, that its real name sounds contrastingly weak in comparison. But this isn't about me anymore..."

Raising his blade up into the air, Jaken's eyes gained a luminous emerald glow, as he whispered aloud the release command for his sword, "Ban...kai..."

KRAK-KOOM!

"Kyūten Chimamire Amekaze!" Jaken's body became enraptured in a pyre of crimson light, discharging upwards into the dark skies above their battlefield. Cacophonic flurries of ominous lightning and thunder cracked all across the skyline as Jaken's body surged with scarlet light, fueling the form that was to come to bear upon his enemies.

The first thing for those to notice, would be the rain. Droplets coming down from the burgundy colored clouds formed what looked like tears of blood. The blood would soon come down in sheets, practically blanketing the entire stretch of nearly a couple kilometers in diameter, no doubt spreading its reach into other battlefields due to the influence of the Bankai's power.

The second thing, would be the spiraling funnels of crimson twisters that cycled within the sky, but not coming downwards just yet. Peaking from the clouds were dozens of snapping jaws, dragon's teeth, making the entire skyline surrounding them a nest full of ravenous predators given birth by the blood-soaked clouds that were tainted by the Bankai's presence.

Lastly, would be Jaken's own appearance. A red-tassle hilt, dragon-etched scimitar would cut through the pillar of energy, revealing Jaken in his entirety, revealing a very much different person. Instead of a man, there would appear a beautiful woman, the manifestation of a harmonious bond between Zanpakutō and Soul Reaper. Long scarlet hair would drape over her bare shoulders, matching her red lips and enhancing the allure of emerald eyes that shined through the dark atmosphere fantastically. A silk bra wound over her chest, matching the vibrant dancer skirt, leaving her navel exposed and her feet clad in tower clogs.

Stoically, the harmonized Bankai would stare back at Haralson unperturbed, raising the blade in a proclamation towards its opponent, speaking in a fetching voice, "Welcome to my realm, Haralson McTavish."

Now, Haralson was left in a stunned silence. All of it caused his stance to relax completely, and he stood straight as he faced what he could've easily mistaken as a new opponent. It was not the sheets of blood rain that was now drenching the environment. It was not the immense power that could be felt from the Bankai released. It was the change of mood from his enemy, the sudden shift from psychotic to controlled. It was like he was facing a completely different person - something that wasn't helped by the appearance as a woman. It was foreboding, and yet somewhat fascinating to see and experience.

He found himself looking into the woman's eyes. "Am I to assume that the one that stands before me is one and the same with the psychopath I crossed blades with seconds before?" He inquired, cocking an eyebrow questioningly.

"Is absence from the light make darkness any more vile, as the naivete of light being absent of darkness?" The woman asked rhetorically, flipping the scimitar around in her hand, angling it upwards to catch the droplets of blood that slid gracefully off her beautiful body, "I am him, and I am also something else entirely. Unlike any other Soul Reaper before, the union between Zanpakutō and wielder becomes an intimate bond that makes the being you see before you much stronger than any Soul Reaper, fighting with minor aid and understanding of the power they wield. I am Jaken Jōdan and I am the embodiment of his Zanpakutō, Kyūten Chimamire Amekaze. Does that answer your question, Aethian Soul Reaper?"

Silence.

Haralson lowered his gaze from the woman, his bangs overshadowing his eyes as his mind fell into thought. This must have been the reason why Jaken held himself and his powers in such high regard over the Soul Reapers. Even now, the newly reformed enemy was boasting that the power felt here transcended all of the Shinigami present within this battle. It could be easily taken as a condescending presumption. But somewhere within the back of the mind, Haralson couldn't help but wonder. Was she right?

Even so, it did not stop him from putting on a grin. The canines of his teeth seemed to flash with anticipation, although what would come out was a calm and resigned tone. "Yes... yes, it does." He said, a hint of amusement within his words. "And I have to say, this... entertains me. All he needed was his balls chopped off and he's much more bearable? If I had known that was all I had to do to shut him up, I would've done it long before this moment."

He would casually lift his claymore tip to point at the female, speaking directly to her. "So! You say that this bond makes you stronger than any Soul Reaper? I take claims like that as a challenge, lassie. The bigger the obstacle, the more satisfying it is to topple and knock aside! The stronger the enemy, the better to see her defeated by your own two hands! You say that you have the stones to bring me down? Then by the end of this exchange," His grin grew a little wider. "I expect to be covered in my own blood, not this cheap substitute you're spraying all over the battlefield."

The moment he said that, something would happen dramatically around him. The tears of blood would halt in the air, as if suspended in time and space, holding their place all over the landscape. It would be at this moment the emerald orbs of hers shined brilliantly as a bright crimson aura flared up around her, causing her hair to rise up and flourish her attire.

"This isn't blood. This is the embodiment of my heart's worst pain and sorrow, birthed into the world as crimson tears that rain for eternity," Kyūten spoke in a level tone, stoically explaining to him the situation he's in, "ever wanted to know what its like to drown in agony? Allow me to make that figurative death...a reality!"

With a single twitch of her left forefinger, the suspended blood tear drops discharged like razor bullets towards him from all sides. As it was the entire airspace, the blood drops would all flow in a harmonious current with incredible velocity to pelt and penetrate his body with unforgiving force, as the blood washed form of Kyūten would stare remorselessly after her enemy.

Everywhere.

Braeburn's eyes were widened in shock and horror as he saw all of those droplets close in on his father. It was an omnidirectional attack, a shower of razors aimed at one target. That target also happened to be in the center of it all, with no possible way out. Was it really going to be over, just like that? All of that hard work, and their enemy would still come out on top? His teeth clenched together to the point where he thought they would break under the pressure.

But fortunately, he didn't have to clench them for long.

The initial wave, which had been millimeters away from touching Haralson, was the first to hit him without worry of retaliation. But because of their nature, they were little more than needles piercing through his body. Although injury was widespread across the body, all of them were relatively minor. But he knew that even he wouldn't be able to take them all without coming out seriously hurt. He had to act quickly, or this fight would fall in his foe's favor. He grit his teeth, swinging his arms up over his head and sucking in a breath.

"Gonna have to try a lot harder than that, lassie!!"

He swung his arms out, releasing a violent pulse of his spiritual pressure. Against the explosive aura, the droplets that threatened to end his life had been blown away into the wind. Following the exhaust of power, Haralson would throw himself at his opponent with his sword prepared to cut once more. Although the sensation of his blood boiling came back in his veins, the fury that had fueled him in the earlier stages of the duel had disappeared. Now, he felt as if he could truly enjoy the duel without having to worry about dealing with the manic behavior that had been so constant before. He wasn't facing a brat anymore.

And he liked it.

Kyūten's movements, unlike Jaken's, would appear beautifully graceful in comparison to the sporadic swift feats that he displayed. Without even raising her blade, her body seemed to flow naturally step by step to avoid the heavy weighted weapon thrust towards her, her keen eyes locked onto him wordlessly as she evaded his attacks with the utmost skill.

Then, she attacked.

Moving around a downward slice, she looped around him, slashing at his left arm as she got behind his posterior. The proximity between them made it difficult for him to retaliate, via weapon or body movement, allowing her swift horizontal slash towards his neck all the more lethal should it pass through without resistance. Done so, with a overlying emotion of foreboding despair and stoic indifference.

"She dances rather beautifully, I have to admit. Almost reminds me of Evelyn whenever she fights..."

Unlike Braeburn, who certainly would've gotten frustrated at the constant game of evasion, Haralson seemed to be pleased more than anything else. The grin would continue to grace his face with each and every dodge she had made from the killing swipes of his blade. His eye would follow her body with each and every movement made between the two. While the common outside observer would say this to be out of some sinful lust, this wasn't the case. The way he regarded her was like a piece of art that shone out above the rest, her dance allowing all of it to be shown on display. It was a subtle pleasure that only the more poetic kind of warrior could partake in while in the heat of combat.

On the sidelines, Braeburn could only watch with silent astonishment as the two warriors moved against one another. "He's smiling." He thought to himself, blinking a few times in slight disbelief. "She's just dodging all of his attacks just like Jaken was doing to mine, and yet he's still grinning wide. I can understand him not getting what's at stake here if he loses... but he should at least have some sense of the situation here! Does he really enjoy fighting that much?"

This wouldn't change, even when Kyūten moved to flank him.

"Whoo~!"

He let a small and instinctive whoop as he moved his arm away from the cutting edge of her weapon. As she moved behind him, he would jerk his torso in the direction of the strike headed towards his neck. As he viciously dodged what would've been a killing blow, he could feel the cutting edge thinly trim the side of his hair as it moved past. In a pivot, he moved his sword in a position for an uppercut as he spun around to meet her. The blade would glow the familiar blue as it was brought alongside its wielder to chop its target in two.

Then, the concentrated wide arc of blue energy was released at point-blank range in an effort to annihilate her completely.

Something strange would happen during the uppercut. A vice gripping force, causing the wafting blast of destructive energy to flow over her form like water, as transparent air currents redirected the flow of light-based energy to move around her without actually touching her. If one looked closely, one could see that Kyūten's left hand sported a series of blackened veins, glowing ominously with a red hue.

Kyūten then retaliated with a vicious snap kick to his gut, causing a pop in the air around the two of them, followed by a diagonal slash from her blade towards his chest. All the while, she ridiculed him with an undaunted tone, "You think releasing spiritual energy out like a projectile will affect me in the state I'm in? Clearly you don't understand the power I possess while donning Bankai, Haralson."

"Oof--!"

It was like a cannonball had been thrust into his stomach. The force of the kick made him double over in pain, air shooting from his lungs. But it didn't stop him from raising his sword up in order to bat away the weapon. As he was forced to skid back, his ears perked up at her words. "How could I not?" He answered readily, slowly straightening himself up once more. "It washes over me like the waves of a tsunami over a hapless city. Every second I'm within your presence makes my heart swell a little more, my blood boil a bit hotter and the cutting edge of my sword a little bit sharper. I ask you, lassie, how could I not understand?"

He hunched over a little, settling into a defensive stance. His lone eye seemed to glow an eerie blue as he continued to speak. "I was a Captain of the 11th Division, however..." He explained. "Testing myself, raising my blade against seemingly impossible odds and the very concept of fighting particularly strong enemies... that's what I live for. I told you before, I'm expecting this exchange to end with me drenched in my own blood. That alone's going to show me just how transcended you really are!"

By the time Haralson was finished talking, the sheets of blood downpoured once more. Even as they flourished off her figure, Kyūten's eyes never once shook from wavering in her indifference of him. Though the explanation did produce a hint of ire she had for him.

"A warrior that only seeks to drench himself in his own blood at the very end. You are indeed a delusional fool, to think that you'll find such glory in fighting me," Kyūten drawled out, raising her blade to point towards his direction, preparing to engage him with true intensity, "if you have a Bankai, Haralson McTavish, I suggest you use it now. I just might kill you in the next few minutes..."

What happened next would be a sight to behold. The collection of blood that gathered below suddenly funneled into a large dragon, propelled by the high velocity air waves, its body swiftly flying upwards with the intent to snap its jaws at Haralson from beneath his body in one swoop. The body's properties were like a high quality liquid metal, making the effort of damaging and destroying the semi-sentient construct of blood, spirit energy, and wind a troublesome ordeal.

What seemed like an intense situation was a period of calm before the storm.

Haralson would direct his gaze to the dragon as it lunged at him, the toothy grin being wiped off of his face for the momentarily. Her words would be picked over the roar of the winds that made the beast up. In the face of the attack, he would not allow himself to retaliate - at least, not in the conventional way. With an inverted flip, he sheathed his claymore blade within its scabbard and directed his gaze to Kyūten. His face was overshadowed, leaving only his eye to stare at her.

Then, a piece of Heaven would crash down to Haralson's side through a pillar of light.

Massive in width and sky-scraping in length, it would shoot from the clouds and to the ground. A silhouetted Haralson would be in the center of it with his arms spread out to his sides. The dragon that threatened to consume him was instantly annihilated by the massive and concentrated burst of power released. The shockwaves would spread out, keeping strength for a few miles as they resonated throughout the area. The lone eye that had peeked out through the shadows was now glowing with a blue as bright as the pillar that surrounded him.

"Are you certain you want this, lassie?" His voice was loud, reverberating and resonating through the area with a seemingly worldly volume. The tone within his voice would lose a considerable amount of mirth and replace itself with a solemn and warning tone. "My Bankai isn't just a weapon that destroys. It's something that aims to humiliate and demean my foe as it crushes them into oblivion. If you were still wearing the face of a male, still crowing and laughing like an idiot, then I probably wouldn't have hesitated to follow that request of yours. But now that you're in that particular form, serious and composed... it's really going against my code..."

SHFT!

Within an instant, Kyūten appeared before him within an instant, via Flash Step. Swinging her blade in a bifuricating slash downwards, she jettisoned a crimson wave of spiritually empowered blood particles, wound together by super-propelled air pressure. The only intent was to split him in half with incredible force and end his life, if not wound in some form of severity.

She would speak lowly as her upper visage would be clouded by shadows of their own, "I don't give a damn of what your self-diluted code is. I am your enemy, be it man or woman, warrior or monster, there should be no distinction in the eyes of a Soul Reaper how an enemy must be cut down. You've only seen...a mere fraction of my power for a reason, Haralson McTavish."

Her weapon wouldn't get close to his form.

In the midst of the swing, her harm would have to pass through the massive pillar summoned around him. When it went through, it was like swimming through molasses. Her sword arm would stop just before it could connect with Haralson's head, the crimson energy dissolving within the brilliant blue. The glowing eye would slowly shrink and disappear completely, before revealing two glowing orbs where the said eyes would have been. The coldly dismissive words spoken would push him into absolute certainty of what he was about to do, kicking him into the reminder of what the serious and composed woman was before. For a brief moment, he saw his son once again bleeding out on the ground while his foe cackled like a "hyena in heat", as he had so gracefully put it. His next sentence would convey just how he felt about it now.

"Then allow me to see all of it... right now!"

The pillar that surrounded him would violently expand, hurling Kyūten away from him and towards the ground with tremendous pressure. As for Haralson, he tilted his head out to the sky and let out a feral roar that seemed to pierce the very skies. The wrath pouring through his body was starting to return full-force, growing as quickly as his suppressed power was swimming to the surface. The pulses radiating off of the sky-scraping pillar grew more constant, and by this time, Braeburn had to dig his body in just to keep himself from flying away from the area.

"BAN...KAI!!!"

A flash of light, brilliant as a supernova, would consume the entire area for a brief moment. The massive pillar of energy that had been created by the release would abruptly disappear to leave the creator floating in the air. He would glow with an outlining aura as he floated down towards the ground, his claymore within his hand once more. But this time, one would see the armor-plated suit that decorated his arms and torso. He would be wearing red pants and steel-toed boots, as well as a light blue cape that billowed in the dying winds. Both of his eyes would be seen glaring coldly at Kyūten, his mouth contorted into a vicious snarl.

"Gutaika no Inga."

"So this is the power...of your delusional resolve to drown on your own blood?" Kyūten asked rhetorically, as she stood to her full height on the ground she landed upon, now calf deep in red liquid. Closing her eyes, she basked in her unholy tears that flooded the landscape and drenched herself, as well as any unlucky onlookers who became soured by its depressing caress. Then, she opened her eyes, raising her blade up into the air as she shouted aloud with her own resolve, "then allow me the duty of drowning you in true despair!"

KRAK-KOOOOOOOOOM!

Within an instant, the burgundy hued heavens cracked with unholy cacophony as crimson lightning lashed out around a singular twister that formed within the sky. Then, as quickly as the force of nature was summoned it discharged in a light-imbued microburst of blood soaked wind, electricity, and moisture, crashing atop Kyūten's person.

The fissure of crimson light would rival Haralson's in its entirety, both brilliance and quaking spiritual power, shaking the landscape for miles to come. What would emerge from the pyre of diminishing energy would arrive at Haralson's level on the ground.

Kyūten was now no longer the alluring dancer, drenched in the sheets of eternally downpouring blood. She now donned a helm of crimson metal, with dragonic ears that arced up in a dramatic flare, matching the fin that ran over the helm that covered her head, a single nose piece ran down to rest just above her lower visage, revealing crimson eyes behind the helm itself. Pauldrons, vambraces, shin guards all flared up sharp wing-like fins, with battle armor donned upon her shapely hourglass figure and sharp edged boots that were similar to talons, just like her left gauntlet. Her sword was grasped in the maw of a glowing eyed dragon maw, which now looked more like a double edged bastard blade than a scimitar. Finally, the most imposing part of her visage, would be the ten meter spread, vein-enamored wings that protruded from her back and extended intimidatingly from one side to the other.

Kyūten now looked like she was prepared to fight.

"Ryūchi is the name of this form. Using the power of lightning and wind to coalesce my spirit energy with the crimson tears, I have forged a carapace of invincible armor that brings out my body's capabilities to their absolute fullest. My power over the elements and the bloody battlefield are at its absolute peak," Kyūten proclaimed, her voice sounding more grated and carnal, showing much resentment and animosity towards Haralson now than before. Raising her maw-clasped blade towards him, Kyūten then asked with expectancy, "are you ready to begin, Haralson McTavish?"

A sneer came across Haralson's face, and he gripped his claymore with both hands in a defensive stance. Curiously enough, the bloody rain hadn't graced his figure in any way. Although everything and everyone else around him was completely doused in the liquid - particularly Braeburn, who was swearing up a storm as he was vainly attempting to dry himself - the elder McTavish had not been touched by so much as even a single droplet. "Do you even have to ask?" He hissed back, leveling the claymore tip threateningly at Kyūten. "I'm more than ready to destroy you, no matter what it takes!"

The Hot Wind Blowing, Heated Battle Amidst the Rain!
"C'mon, Shinigami!!" Bazz-B shouted aloud with a open-mouth grin, shooting flaming Heilig Pfeil at Brina rapidly. Their battle had only been a few minutes, and both of them had already managed to nearly decimate their immediate area. These two were nothing more than blood-knights, eager to give blood to spill blood, and loving every second of this battle. "I thought you were gonna give me a run for my money!!!" he continued, before unleashing a paticularly powerful Heilig Pfeil that would almost entirely incinerate Brina if she wasn't careful.

''Left. Right. Left. Right. Right. Left. Left. Right. Right. Right.''

Brina was executing a series of short Flash Steps to "side-step" the flaming arrows being shot at her. In the few minutes that passed, she had spawned another Kiriken sword and was now keeping both weapons held at her side as she evaded the attacks. Throughout her movements, she kept a straight and tall preparatory stance. There was a wide smile on her face, while an eerily calm glint dominated the eyes. Although she appeared to be somewhat detached to it, there was an excitement flowing through her own veins - something that was made stable by the burning in her hip every time she made a move. Thankfully, the hole hadn't inhibited her movement very much.

When the particularly massive Heilig Pfeil came, she moved. She timed her Flash Step correctly, disappearing when the arrow exploded in a blaze of flame. It would carry her in a heartbeat, placing her right in front of Bazz-B. They would be face-to-face one another, giving Brina the opportunity to look at him up close. He looked rather young for a soldier, fresh in his adult years. Despite the power he had displayed against her so far, his attitude and youthful visage gave off the impression that he was just starting in the Stern Ritter business. Mentally, Brina wondered what the extent of the training he had gone through to come out as such a warrior.

She didn't dwell on it for too long, choosing to respond to Bazz-B's shout. Her tone was silky and almost sultry as she spoke, carrying only a hint of malicious intent within. "Oh, is that what you were thinking?" She asked him rhetorically. "I'm not going to give you a run for your money. That'd be too little for someone like you. No..." The grip on her Kiriken swords tightened with a subtle movement. "I'm going to give you the ride of your life. So I hope you like getting a little dangerous..."

With the grace, speed and precision of an assassin, one of her blades would be swung towards the neck to decapitate him.

Her speed was certainly higher than he expected it to be, given the wound he had inflicted upon her earlier, which surprised Bazz-B visually as she came for him. This would have been his first mistake, as the Kiriken blade was moving fast enough to where it would quickly cut his head clean off...

But with the sound of metal meeting flesh, no blood would be drawn from Bazz-B's neck. Instead, where Brina's Kiriken sword struck, there would only be a small gash, and within his flesh would be light blue marks that were actually his blood veins. He had managed to use the Quincy technique, Blut Vene.

"Hah! Activated it just in time!" he bragged, before bringing his arm around to hit Brina alongside the head in a powerful armbar.

"Blut Vene!"

Brina's eyes widened as she saw the Kiriken blade make a small gash within the neck. Although she was surprised, it didn't stop her from ducking to avoid the arm that swung towards her face. She flipped backwards to a safer distance, her blades held in a backhand position as she straightened herself back out again. Attempting to cut straight through his neck wasn't going to be an option if the speed of his Blut Vene could keep up with her movements.

However, that was where the gift of her weapon came in.

The surprise slowly faded from her face, regressing back into the falsely pleasant and lightly sultry expression she had sported prior to the moment. "Activated it just in time to stop my decapitation. Impressive..." She remarked, raising the sword that she had "cut" him with. The energy that made up the weapon would immediately dissipate, but she would still be holding a weapon.

It was her knife.

"But all I needed was a simple scratch." She whispered, the sadism clear within her tone. "Thank you, Quincy, for holding still."

It was here that a horrifying process would take place within Bazz-B's body. Every nerve would light up in a sudden burst of pain, pushing his tolerance to its limit. Muscles would contract and expand involuntarily, the cardiovascular system working in sudden and unwanted overdrive. The effects would be both sickening and torturous to endure, and the knowledge of such pleased the assassin. She respawned the Kiriken blade over her knife once again, approaching him with a slow and deliberate gait.

"I suppose at this point, I should tell a bit about myself." She said lowly, her tone taunting and condescending. "My name is Brina McTavish, former Onmitsukidō operative, former apprentice of Sui-Feng and Dragon of the Inner Circle. Consider the agony coursing through your body as a return gift for the hole in my hip. To be fair, I could've killed you with that scratch and finish the fight early. But I just can't get over that look in your eyes, that smile on your face... it'd be a shame if I had to see the light leave your eyes so early when I'm starting to have fun..."

She stopped when she was a few feet away. "With that being said, though... can you fight through the pain? Or are you going to roll over and die, just like a dog?"

Bazz-B's world froze.

Pain shot through seemingly every pore of his body; his entire form was stuck in place for fear of making the pain intensify with his movement. He felt not only pain, but anger at the fact that the Daten they had been provided gave him nothing on Brina's abilities, especially considering her prominance in previous records. This anger was going to cause him to reach his boiling point, which wouldn't be good news for Brina.

"Heh..." he started to chuckle, sweating after pushing himself past the effects of her Shikai. "... you're kinda pissing me off, bitch." he continued, before he raised his right hand back, holding out his two fingers as a small bit of fire appeared on their tips. "And it's really gonna suck for you... because I fight better when I'm pissed!!"

He then swung the two fingers down right upon her, threatening to carve right into her gut area. "Burner Finger 2!!" As a result, a massive explosion was produced from the impact, leveling several buildings around the two warriors.

Upon first glance, it would've seemed like Brina had been enveloped by the ensuing explosion. Bazz-B's fingers would explode the moment they neared the woman's stomach, with his fire sweeping the ground. The area was bathed in the light of his fire, swallowing everything within immense heat. It was certainly a step up from the laser beam of fire he had used to injure her earlier.

But then, she appeared once more. With a Flash Step, she would appear a set distance away with her hands in her pockets. The details of her form would be overshadowed by the light of the flames, making her look like a three-dimensional shadow. Her electric blue eyes shone with an eerie glow as the looked at her target. "Not very impressive, Bazz-B..." She commented smoothly, still choosing to taunt him. "Aren't you supposed to be a Stern Ritter, one of His Majesty's elite? I shouldn't be able to evade and counter you like I'm doing. If you really fight better when you're angry, then maybe it's better to lose yourself to your rage. At this point, you're only shaming Ywhach."

He missed?

Surely something was amiss. With an attack like Burner Finger 2 at his disposal, and within such close proximity, there was no way any form of combatant could come out of such explosive force unscratched. He twitched, turning towards her direction and blinking before speaking. "Not a scratch, eh? Mind telling me how you did that?"

It was a question that was not only out-of-place in the heat of combat, but rather dimwitted to ask from an enemy. It made Brina's trademark smile slowly fade into a frown, her eyes flickering with annoyance. This man couldn't possibly be expecting an honest answer concerning her abilities and skills. But if the question was genuine, she couldn't help but wonder just how much intelligence this man really had. The more details the man was revealing about himself, the less encouraged she felt to drag the battle on.

But he was still a tough adversary. Attempts to plunge her knife through his heart would result in the accursed Blut Vene being activated and stopping her. Of course, all she needed was another cut with her Shikai and she could take him down without trouble. But even though she couldn't count on him to be at the level of tact she wanted him to be, she could assume that her previous strike would make him wary. Bringing him down wouldn't be as simple as she wanted it to be. But it wouldn't be impossible, either.

For the sake of giving a response, she allowed her frown to gain a more thoughtful curl to it to give the impression that she was thinking about his question. Then, the answer.

"Yes! Yes, I do mind, actually."

Following this nonchalant and casual answer would be the start of another assault. She raised one of her hands out of her pockets, quickly bending her knees and slamming her palm down onto the ground. Upon contact with the ground, numerous ripples came from the spot where her palm touched the earth. They were white in color, carrying the thin visage of thin and expanding rings. Unlike Bazz-B's move of destruction, they would do no further harm to structures. But against the likes of a living organism, contact would result in severe nerve pain, muscles contracting to the point of rupture, and organs squeezing themselves like prunes. The externally defensive Blut Vene would provide no sort of protection against the technique that targeted the internal workings of the body.

"HAH!"

Bazz-B's only reaction was a maddened grin, and a lift of his leg.

When he noticed the ripples of energy heading for him, he knew he would have to act fast, and it was this movement that would demonstrate to Brina how, in terms of force, he had her almost entirely outmatched. His leg lifted up, glowing with blue fire, before he shouted "BURNING STOMP!!!"

As soon as his boot made contact with the ground, an enormous wave of blue fire and heat was unleashed, blowing through much of the ground and overwhelming Brina's nerve waves, before moving straight towards her. Buildings that were all around them began to melt and crumble into ash, leaving neither of them any cover to use for several hundred meters. "Wanna try that again?" he smirked afterwords

Brina would've never thought she'd feel shock outside of battles that didn't involve Sazuke as the main enemy.

But when she saw the Stern Ritter stop her attack with nothing more than brute force, her eyes widened and dilated. Briefly, she found her mouth gaping out the shock she was feeling as she saw the tsunami of flames racing towards her. That had been only a small application of her Shunkō, of course. But to see the tactical ability get overwhelmed was enough to bring a jolt to her senses of alarm. Just how powerful was this man? She had no idea, and she certainly wasn't interested in finding out the hard way.

She clenched her fists, shouting out the word of her special ability as the wave of fire was close to overwhelming her.

"SHUNKŌ!"

And when the flames washed over her, that brilliant light would explode from her body once more as it had done in her battle with Sazuke. The cloak that had covered her was disintegrated under the power, turning to ashes as it dissolved. Of course, the only thing that Bazz-B would see was a black silhouette standing in the center of a nova-like light. He would feel every nerve lighting up with the same sensations that had hit him when she activated her Shikai ability. But the sensations that her Shunkō aura produced would increase those effects to a much greater level, and as long as she had it up, the pain would not stop.

That deadly nova would throw itself at him, and the silhouette would throw a fist to his face as soon as it came close.

It was here that Bazz-B knew that he would have to step his game up. Brina had somehow managed to spread her neural pain ability throughout the air around them, and it would very well immobilize him if he didn't act fast. His Blut Vene wouldn't help him here, but there was a particular technique that he knew of that could be just as effective: Stahlhaut.

Reishi pored into his skin cells, creating a dense field of Reishi around his entire body, effectively stopping any of the neural field from further hitting him, though what had hit him before was still running through his body. And then he demonstrated why Stahlhaut was a better technique than Blut Vene: he could use Blut Arterie at the same time.

As Brina charged towards him, and her fist heading right towards his paralyzed form, his fist would extend out to connect with hers. Both fists would connect at the same time, but the result...?

A loud bang would signal the fists colliding against each other, a small shockwave being spared between them. Their limbs would be pushed inward towards their respective bodies. Because of the technique that Bazz-B had employed, damage would be minimal at best. Not only would he be protected from the neural pulses that surely would've destroyed his mind and body from close range, but the offensive power Brina had bolstered into her Shunkō would find its match.

As for Brina, she wasn't so lucky.

A gash ripped through her arm as if a knife had cut through it, spraying her blood into the air. Had she not been in Shunkō, she would've guaranteed that her arm would have been ripped apart completely against the immense defense and offense properties put into the Stahllhaut and Blut Arterie. But even as the injury was inflicted, it didn't stop the Cheshire smile from once again forming on Brina's face. The pleasure upon seeing a strong opponent overrode the concern of him overpowering her. With her new mindset concerning Sazuke, she did not have to worry about dying at the hands of someone other than her.

"Not the sharpest tool in the shed... but certainly a tough one..."

"Heh, looks like you Shinigami aren't as tough as you claim." Bazz-b bragged, shaking his hand off from the impact and smirking casually. "I'll bet it sucks to know that a human is the one that's gonna send you to hell, no?"

As she spun around in a recovery move to get distance from Bazz-B, Brina would once again find herself facing him. She broke away from her stance to straighten herself up, folding her hands behind her back and posing in somewhat of an innocent manner. Her hair would move to cover one of her eyes. "Is something so trivial as the species of your enemy really so important in the heat of war?" She questioned back. "I thought your military training would've taught you so much about that. Age, gender, nationality, and everything else... when your life is on the line, none of it matters. The only things that do are the thrill of crossing swords with an enemy and the desire to survive for yourself, if not for others. If I am to be sent to hell, it doesn't matter to me what race my foe happens to be."

She tilted her head to the side, a slight breeze causing her hair to billow slightly. "As long as he or she is considered to be a worthy adversary, then I will be satisfied nonetheless."

"Yeah, I guess race does matter in this fight." Bazz-B continued in the same tone, raising an eyebrow. "See, long while back, your kind nearly wiped out my kind, but you were too sloppy and soft to finish the job. So now, His Majesty and his Sternritter, us, are comin' back to give you a little karma."

He then pointed out his three fingers into the air, the darkened clouds above them began to make a circular formation around Brina in particular. '''"Burner Finger 3!!!" '''he shouted, before a large twister of blue flames descended down to where Brina was, threatening to envelop her in the fires that he generated and burn her into a pile of ash.

Disturbance!

Brina's eyes widened slightly when she felt the atmosphere shift far above her head. Reflexively, she jerked her head up towards the funnel as it spiraled downward to her location. By what had been explained, there was no doubt that this would be much stronger than the Burner Finger 2 technique Bazz-B had used earlier. She wasn't sure if she could use her Shunkō to blow through it as she had done before, and even if she did, there was that nasty ability he had to thwart the offensive powers of her Shunkō.

Without hesitation, she used a Flash Step to retreat from her spot just before the twister crashed. As she re-appeared a safe distance away, she would be kneeling in a crouched position and regarding the tornado with squinted eyes. Because of the immense heat, many drops of sweat was starting to form and drip down the skin of her torso. Her breathing was starting to hitch a little under the temperatures, and she found herself pressing a hand against her heart. It was beating rather rapidly, lightly pounding against the confines of her ribcage.

"Nice try!" Bazz-B shouted with a manic grin, before he swing his hand towards Brina's direction. "But you're not getting away from me that quickly!!" As he did so, the flaming twister would move at surprisingly high speeds directly towards the Shinigami's location, showing that not only could Bazz-B bring such force to earth, but he could actually control where it would go while on the ground.

"It's following me?!"

Shock came across Brina's face as she saw the twister not only come after, but come after her with a drastic increase in speed. At the rate it was closing distance between it and her, she wouldn't get away again unscathed. Reflexively, she summoned her Shunkō's power and spread her hands out towards it, maintaining a defiant stance in the face of the flaming cyclone. It was now a game of risk. Would her Shunkō withstand the fire-laced winds of his attack, or would she get incinerated here and now?

She would get her answer as soon as the walls of the tornado collided with her palms.

She shut her eyes and clenched her teeth as she stood against it. She swore she could feel the skin of her palms starting to burn, seeing smoke rise from the point of collision. But in a defiance of nature, she was holding the massive cyclone back. If it wasn't for the Shunkō, the heat of the cyclone surely would have overtaken her from such a close proximity.

"Got ya."

Bazz-B grinned, lowering his two fingers and leaving his index finger pointed directly at Brina's location. Instead of a small bit of fire, however, the tip of his finger was glowing with a blue energy, showing that he didn't intend on hitting Brina with a Burner Finger 1 again, but rather, he was going to hit her with a Heilig Pfeil. He wouldn't end her life quickly, nor would he let her die burning in his flames either.

He was going to destroy her very soul.

"You're finished!!" he shouted as he fired the spirit arrow directly towards the twister. It would blow right through the blue column of flames, and fly straight through Brina's chest.

At that moment, the McTavish might as well have had a hot iron shoved through her.

Thanks to the tornado she was holding back, she would not see it coming. The arrow shot through her, blowing a massive hole within her chest cavity. The sudden pressure and sensation of organs being blown from her body caused her stance to drop almost immediately. Her mouth fell open, eyes dilated in a clear expression of shock. With just that one Heilig Pfeil, he had ripped through her Shunkō and deliver a crippling blow.

"What?!"

She hit the ground before she knew it, her back smacking into the ash-ridden earth and a massive blood pool forming underneath her. Blood spurted from her throat, and one of her hands reached up to clasp the gruesome wound delivered to her person. She struggled to raise her head up at the Quincy, disbelief and pain written across her countenance.

Bazz-B simply put his hands back in his pockets, casually walking and smirking as he spoke to his defeated opponent. "Well damn, I'm a better shot than I expected. Ole' Asumu'll be happy to hear about this."

Within a few seconds, he was standing over Brina, looking down at her while she was struggling to look at him. "That Shunko thing of yours is pretty badass, not gonna lie, but it's the last thing you should use to block a Heilig Pfeil, mine especially." He continued, as he held his hand up. "See, I embue them with my Heat ability, and they burn through virtually any substance that isn't on equal or higher power than themselves. So you had it rough, having to block my Burner Finger 3 at the same time before I gave ya a fifth hole..."

He then calmly spit on her, almost as if she wasn't even there, before turning around and shuffling his hands in his pockets, walking away. "Won't be much longer now before you're dead and gone anyway. Been nice knowin' ya though..."

"I'm... really going to die here?"

The spittle that splashed onto her cheek had barely been registered. She couldn't keep her head up anymore, made to let it fall back against the blood-stained ground. Her eyes cast themselves up at the sky, holding their widened position and keeping the dilated irises. Because of that one slip-up, she was going to bleed to death in this forsaken environment known as the Quincy's home. What made it worse was that she had just seemingly made up with her master as well as the grandmaster of the Onmitsukidō. Her last words to Sazuke had been not to die to the filth.

"I... I guess I am."

At the irony of the situation, her blood-stained mouth spread to a weak smile. Her chest, or what was left of it, began to shake a little under the small fit of chuckles she managed to push past her throat. She allowed herself to close her eyes, feeling the start of darkness crawling in her dying body. "I guess that all that talk about me killing Sazuke is going to stay as talk..." She thought to herself. "But I guess that's fair. The strong survive, and the weak die. At the very least, I died facing a strong enemy..."

But just as she was about to take the plunge into eternal darkness...

"I don't think I recall giving you permission to die, young lady."

...a familiar voice would pull her out of it.

Her eyes shot open, and she quickly turned her head to spot a mildly distant figure off to the side. The figure was a woman decked in a traditional kimono, carrying what looked like a walking staff on her back. She had black hair and eyes fixed in a shut position, a frown being made out of her mouth. She was standing with her arms folded across her chest, her body language expressing what her eyes should have been doing - a mild glare of disapproval. Bazz-B probably would not recognize her. But Brina certainly would, as evidenced by her one-word response to the woman's presence.

"M...Mom?!"

Bazz-B stopped in his tracks, turning his head to where his eye would glance over at where the new figure had arrived. "Eh? Another one?" he started, before he heard Brina identify who exactly the woman was. "Ohohoho, this'll be good...."

"Nnnngh--!!"

At the risk of immense pain shooting through her body, Brina rolled over so that she was lying on her stomach. Her breaths came out in heavy and pained pants, her body trembling with agony. She pressed her palms against the crimson ground in an attempt to push herself up, looking at the woman as she slowly approached. "I... I never thought... what are you doing here?!" She gasped.

"In all honesty?" Once she was close enough, the elder McTavish stopped in her tracks. "Your father and I just happened to be traversing on horseback for a trip through the Rukongai. We never did expect to come across something like this. Instead of the humble homes of the soul, I see forts and blockades placed on every street. I see a castle looming over a war-torn civlization. In the moment I first stepped forth, I was greeted not by the hospitality of fellow souls, but humans dressed in white and carrying the weight of depravity with them."

It was here that Brina looked behind her, her pupils dilating in absolute shock.

Behind her lay what appeared to be several Soldaat corpses, cut down and even shredded. These were the very same soldiers that had given a tough fight for the Alliance troops, the very ones who had caused considerable casualties. Yet, the woman had apparently slaughtered them all without so much as a scratch on her person. Even now, she didn't seem too exhausted or deterred, even though the kills just behind her were indeed fresh ones. The killer in question had a slight scowl on her face as she continued to speak.

"At least, I thought they were human. The way they attacked made it seem like they were machines programmed with the purpose of murder..."

"Oi, don't talk about us like that." Bazz-B finally intruded, casually coming towards Evelyn with his arms held out at his side, almost in a feigned pity manner. "We're just comin' back around and taking back our home is all. Wouldn't you guys do the same thing if your home was taken from ya'?" he said, though one would see his Quincy cross begin to dangle out of his sleeve, hung on his wrist as if preparing for immenint confrontation with the newcomer.

His words were not taken too lightly by the woman.

"Home?"

As soon as he finished speaking, she turned her head towards him. It was where she would open her eyes, revealing a dim and almost lifeless gaze to Bazz-B. Even in the environment around them, there was no light that could be seen. It was an indication that they weren't real eyes. But even so, it didn't stop them from conveying restrained contempt as they narrowed in a glare at Bazz-B. "Don't you dare speak as if you're the victim here, soldier." She said vehemently, reaching up to grasp the walking staff on her back. "This was the home of the innocent, the afterlife for those ready to pass on to the next life. I may not understand just what you or your apparent army did here, but I can understand that you've destroyed the lives of many good men, women and children without good cause! The blood of victims screams out to me more loudly than words ever could! And yet, you have the audacity to say all you're doing is taking back your home?"

Without hesitation, she pulled out her staff and slung it out to the side. An audible clacking sound signaled the release of a trio-pronged spear-tip at the end of the staff, changing its properties to a spear. "That alone would've been a crime punishable by death itself." She growled, leveling the weapon to a defensive position with one hand. "But to see my daughter bleeding on the ground like a dying animal? I assure you this," Her eyes flashed with cold malice and lethal clarity. "You will not be leaving this battlefield alive, or in one piece for that matter!"

Now Bazz-B would see that this woman would be a much greater challenge than Brina would be. To most, this would be cause for concern, but Bazz-B took it as a reason to be all the more excited. Finally, an opponent who could give him real challenge.

"You think it's that easy, taking me out?!" he snarled with a grin, clutching his fists and holding them further out to his sides. Suddenly, a massive burst of blue fire rose from around him, signifying his "The Heat" ability forming once more. "Then come on! Gimme your best shot!!"

When the flames flared up, Brina had to use a hand to shield her face against the intense heat. This time, she didn't have her Shunkō to defend herself against it. The spike in temperature was starting to make her sick to her stomach, and she wondered if it was possible to puke with the injury that had been given to her. "If bleeding out doesn't kill me," She thought to herself, sweat forming down her face at a high rate. "All of this heat will!" With squinted eyes, she cast her eyes upon her mother's form.

What she saw stunned her.

Although her form was silhouetted in the light of the blue flames, she could see multiple beads of sweat fall down the woman's face and neck. But despite being right in front of the fire, she wasn't moving an inch from her spot. It amazed her even more when she saw the older woman begin her attack. Her feet began to move around in circles, causing her body to spin around in a moderately quick manner. She would twist her wrists as she acrobatically spun her spear around her twisting form, using a mixture of both one and two hands to keep the movement going. It was a short, yet elegant dance that would bring her within striking distance of the flaming wall. Gripping the spear with two hands as she completed her spin, she would unleash a horizontal swing.

What transpired would defy the logic that had been set by the bout between Brina and the Quincy.

The metal would cut through the blue flames, the temperature spike doing nothing to melt the deadly prongs as they passed through and parted the wall. It was just like parting the waters of an ocean to see the very bottom of it; the flames would be divided into two halves, separate from one another and dissipate into thin air. With only a melee attack, the woman had thwarted what was anticipated as one of the Stern Ritters' greatest weapons involved in the war effort... and it was about to thwart another.

It wasn't known if Bazz-B still had his defensive technique active. But if he did, it would seem nonexistent the moment the blades of the Yari spear met his flesh. The teeth of Evelyn's weapon would tear through him cleanly, earning a generous spilling of blood across the ground. Brina's eyes would widen in considerable shock as she watched, disbelief written on her face.

"What?!"

She wouldn't be nearly as shocked as Bazz-B was.

His pupils shrank, his teeth grinded against each other as a grunt of pain escaped through the gaps between them. His Stahlhaut wasn't active, but his Blut Vene was, and Evelyn had cut through it almost as if it weren't even there. The force of the strike she delivered caused not only blood to come out of him, a sight he certainly wasn't used to seeing, but it also sent him skidding back a considerable distance away.

Clenching the area where she had struck him, he panted heavily and then growled at her with clear menace in his eyes. "What... What the hell did you just do?!"

A finishing flip would bring Evelyn's spear to her side once more, her cold gaze once again resting on Bazz-B's form. "I did what you told me to, didn't I?" She asked, the words mocking but the tone very much serious. "I gave you my "best shot"... or at the very least, the best I could give you without killing you outright. Had I truly put my full effort into that strike, you would be in two halves right now."

She began to approach, her spear tip low to the ground as she walked. "It's not the extent of my of power that cut through that armor of yours. It's the extent of my sōjutsu, my technique in spear-fighting. It's one of the tools that I've made sure to sharpen and keep fresh, even in my years out of the Captain's position. I've honed it to the extent that my Yari can not only cut, but rend any matter that it targets. It shows not just how sharp my weapon is, but also how strong the arm of my soul can be."

When she was a certain distance away from him, she allowed herself to stop in her tracks. Her face was overshadowed, with only one of her eyes visible as it peered out from the darkness. "So then, human..." She finished, once again raising her spear to a one-hand defensive stance. "Do you still think of yourself as an opponent that will give me a challenge?"

Bazz-B was finding himself more and more closer to his boiling point. Everything was going fine for him; he had gotten to fight a strong foe, defeat them, and was sure to help win the war for his Majesty's favor.. and then Evelyn arrived and completely turned the game around on him.

"I'm not gonna take this..." he growled lowly, glaring back up at Evelyn and holding his right hand out. "Especially... from a blind old hag!!!" Then, he threw his hand out towards her, shouting as loud as he could. "Burner Finger... FIVE!!!"

From the edges of his five fingers, each would spawn a beam of fire that would swirl around each other. As they came towards Evelyn, they would grow in size, eventually resulting in a nearly kilometer wide twister of flames. This blast utterly devestated anything in it's path... and it was heading straight for Evelyn and Brina.

Evelyn clenched her teeth together, thrusting her staff out in front of her and spinning it like a pinwheel as the flaming twister was shot towards them. She stood in front of her incapacitated daughter as she did so, challenging his attack without hesitation. When it connected with the spinning staff, the flaming tongues would wrap around its form as if guided by her. The tornado would collapse inward on itself, falling victim to her influence as it wrapped around her. A good portion of those flames would depart from the weapon and set the earth ablaze, unable to be supported on her spear. But none of these flames would touch her or Brina, who was looking on in awe.

Abruptly, she would stop the spinning once the attack was countered quickly, leaving a staff of blue fire in her hands. "It must make you sick." She retorted. "To know that this blind old hag will be the one that kills you." She cocked one arm back, holding the spear like a lance. Her free hand was used to aim as quickly as she could at Bazz-B, focusing on her target with pinpoint accuracy.

Then, she hurled her Yari spear with immense force and speed. The flames would leave a trail behind the flying spear as it soared towards its target, ripping through the chest and out the back like a bullet. The flames would follow soon after, burning through his insides just as his burner finger had struck down Brina. It was a perfect karmic move to strike him down with, especially with the use of his own flames against him. It was a satisfying way to take down such an adversary - something that was expressed by Brina as she put on a small grin.

"All right! Nice shot, Mom!"

With that, Bazz-B felt his own world crumble. Rendered speechless, he flew back a good distance, before finally laying in a pool of his own blood, defeated.

"Fucking...Sh-Shini...gami..." he uttered out in a raspy voice, his expression still one of shock.

With that being said, Evelyn extended her hand out. Her spear would fly back towards her, the flames on it having faded away. She caught it by the staff before twisting it and slamming the butt end down onto the ground in an air of finality. Her eyes would slowly shut once again, sealing away that dim gaze of hers. "Now you lie there," She said, turning herself away from his form. "And think about just what you've done."

With that statement, she walked away from him and approached Brina. Her hardened expression was quick to soften. Once she stood in front of her daughter, she knelt down so that she was at a closer level. "How bad is it?" She asked gently, allowing her spear to rest against her shoulder.

"I... it's... he blew a hole through my chest..." Brina panted, hanging her head as she tried to fight off the urge to pass out. She had tried holding out as long as she could. But there was a considerably large blood pull underneath her form. "J...just give me a moment..."

Mustering up as much strength as she could, she reached on her waist holster and yanked out a large needle. Without hesitation, she stabbed it into her neck and pressed down on the plunger. There was a slight pain that passed through her neck and shoulders as she felt the liquid seep through her system, and she let out a slight hiss as it did so. But almost instantly, the intended effects began to take place. The hole in her chest began to shrivel, flesh and blood were being restored and the severe pain running through her was reducing to nothing more than a dull ache. It took nearly a minute, but by the end of it, she looked very much good as new. A relieved sigh crossed her face as she allowed herself to sit back up.

"All right." She said calmly, looking down at herself. "I think I'm good for-- oh, my god!"

Her face lit up in a cherry red as she realized her situation. When Bazz-B shot the arrow through her, her bindings had been ripped and cast aside. The nanogen agent healed only flesh, not restore clothing lost in the heat of battle. So when her injury was healed, she was left with her bosom exposed like sore thumbs. Immediately, her arms raised to cover herself in an attempt to retain dignity.

"What?" Evelyn asked blandly, thankfully not having the eyesight to see what Brina was freaking out about. "What is it?"

"I... I was kind of wearing nothing but a cloak and chest bindings... the cloak got blown away by my Shunkō and my bindings got ripped away when he hit me!" Brina exclaimed, nothing short of flustered. "I am not going back to Master like this!"

"..." As Evelyn made a picture of the situation within her mind, she would find herself giving a blank and lightly exasperated stare. There was a slight tilt of her head to the side. "...what exactly convinced you that it was a good idea to come into battle with such an attire?" She asked. "You were just asking for that to happen to you."

"Oh, sure, go ahead and rub it in!" Brina snapped, biting her lip and looking around nervously. "We've got to get out of here before anyone sees me--"

Then, she felt it. A drop of something hit her face, causing her tirade to stop in its tracks. Instinctively, she looked up to the sky as she felt a few more droplets of something. Above her, the sky had turned a crimson and unnatural red. Upon peering closely, she could see that what was presumed to be rain appeared to have the qualities of another liquid. She could only stare in fascination, extending one of her hands out to catch the steadily increasing amount of drops.

"Blood...?"

She wasn't the only one who would be captured by the anomaly.

Evelyn also had her hand out, her expression contorted into one of curiosity and wonder. As her palm was getting soaked, she lifted it up to her face and sniffed at it. "Iron and copper..." She commented, "looking" at Brina. "This is blood, not a doubt about it. But where exactly is it coming from...?"

For Bazz-B's dying expression, the sight would be slightly more... disturbing.

The raining blood was hitting him as it was the others, but there was a bright light in the center of his vision. As the light came closer, it would start to manifest as a figure wearing a black cloak. He would almost immediately recognize the figure as Yhwach, his king.

"Y-Your Maje-..." Bazz-B uttered, unable to speak further as blood came more and more out of his mouth and wound. The King, however, simply smiled, his eyes glowing blue as he calmly waved his hand in front of Bazz-B. ''"Greatness calls... my son..." ''he said in an echoing voice.

Bazz-B's eyes then shot open as a blue pike of Reishi shot out of his chest, right in the middle of his wound. And then the atmosphere would take on a new visage, as a massive spire of Spiritual Energy shot up into the sky from where Bazz-B lay, ending in a large Quincy cross. The red liquid falling from the sky would look blue for a brief time while this was happening, but then the column shattered like glass. When that happened, a massive wave of deep blue flames shot out all around the surrounding area, threatening to burn any and everything in it's path asunder.

"!!!"

Both Evelyn and Brina would regard the sudden release of energy with widened eyes and a sense of alarm, which was heightened when they saw the wave of blue flames unleashed towards them. With respective Flash Steps, they would quickly take to the air and look on as the fire swept across the land. In spite of her lack of torso clothing, Brina had one arm lowered to her side and the other still covering her chest as she looked at it all with wonder.

"A detonation of his body, I presume" She said. "A failsafe to ensure that nothing of vitality would be extracted from the body. Impressive tactic of trying to take us down with him, but--"

"No." Evelyn cut her off, once again opening her eyes to "stare" at the falling fragments of the column. Her voice was serious and grave as she spoke. "That wasn't a desperation attack. That was a demonstration of chains being broken. He's still alive..." Her eyes narrowed, and she slowly moved her staff to her one-hand defensive position. "And he's decided to release his true power."

Sure enough, Bazz-B emerged from the shattered Reishi glass and blue flames in a new form. He had flaming wings spread out to his sides, his fists and legs covered in the flames too, and his chest area was now adorned with a flaming blue Wandenreich star, put almost exactly where Evelyn's nearly lethal wound had hit him earlier.

His eyes, the edges of which trailed blue flames as well, glared at the duo and he smiled in a sinister manner, his voice now fully recovered. "I hope you two weren't planning on leaving early..." he said, standing up fully. "Because we're just getting started. You both are going to see what the Quincy: Vollstandig can really do!!"

The Shocking Conflict, Kameyo's Resolve Emerges!
Kameyo's fight had been a hard one, and needless to say, she had exerted a lot of effort into trying to kill the Quincy.

She stood with her bladeless sword lowered at her side. Her stance was hunched, her chest rising and falling with each breath she made. Although she wasn't at the point of exhaustion, she was getting close to it. The only sign of her being tired in that impassive expression of hers was her slightly parted mouth as she attempted to regain air into her lungs. Had she been anyone else, she certainly would have been feeling frustrated with her own progress

So far, Kurai had been evading her attacks and pressing her with his counter-attacks. She could tell that although he was making an effort to combat her, he wasn't using much of his power to do so. Somehow, and despite the invisibility her weapon had from both sense and sight, he was able to evade and escape the death she was unleashing upon him. Idly, she was wondering if taking him on alone had been a good idea - especially considering Satsuriku's presence within the field. She had been hoping to take him down quickly before moving on to kill the one who had launched her colleagues away.

But even if she found a way to slay Kurai, there was no way she would have the energy needed to fight Satsuriku. Her situation was looking very, very troubling...

Kurai was having the time of his life. Here he was, fighting an unknown enemy who held an unknown weapon for the first time, and he danced around escaping near death and absolute injury. He felt as if it was his first days combatting Hollows as a child, all those years ago as a member of the Ishida Clan.

Despite having a small cut on his left cheek, a pair on his collar bones that tore neatly through the coat and jacket underneath, several on his left arm and a couple on his shins, it wasn't anything serious. Generously, he applied Blut Vene at minimal capacity to where the wounds would happen, not enough to deflect the force, but enough to make it keep from advancing pass the first layer of tissue.

The wounds were actually purposeful, in that she was leaving imprints of the Zanpakutō's spiritual pressure, allowing him to read its movements and "know" its makeup, so he could gain one step closer into understanding it.

So far, he had been putting his senses and his special lensed glasses to the test, analyzing the makeup and habits of the Zanpakutō that she manifested. Not only was he starting to predict the creation and speed of the blade, but he also gained a hypothesis of its makeup and what it truly embodies. The wounds, the analysis, and the time taken has all been very worth it.

Stopping for a moment, he allowed himself to stand upright, noticing the faint rise and falls of his enemy's chest. Her tired condition would only make his own assault that much easier. The smile that he presented showed that he was very much exicited and unalarmed by his adversary's formless weapon, "You surprise me, Mod Soul. The very fact that you wounded me, shows how much stronger you are in comparison to your comrades who equiviliate to meat sacks. Your discernment, control, and mastery over such a new weapon while fighting a superior force is nothing to scoff at. You should take pride...at fighting toe to toe with a Stern Ritter, even if for a few minutes."

"I am not," Although Kameyo's voice carried its natural stoicism as she answered Kurai's comment, one couldn't help but wonder if there was a frosty bite within her tone. "A Mod Soul." She slowly lifted her arm to point the tsuba of her sword in his direction. "And I will not take pride in anything until I kill the two of you."

With that being said, she abruptly rose her sword arm and started swinging it with rapid, fluid movements. The "blade" of it would split and move at Kurai at high speed in the form of multiple tendrils. They would thrust and swing in an effort to reduce the Quincy to pieces, while at the same time attempting to flank, corner and surround him to keep him from escaping.

Satsuriku smirked. The entirety of the time that Kurai had, what he'd like to think of as "playing", he had been leaning against the standing structure what seemed to be a dozen meters away from the perimeter of destruction that Kameyo had created with her invisible sword. So when she said she will not pride in any feat she would accomplish in the battle, until their demises were had, she'd be sorely disappointed in his eyes.

Left...right...from behind...

These were the directions that Kurai could sense in the Zanpakutō's attack pattern. He may not be able to truly "see" the blade in a physical sense, but he could see the outlines around it, like irradiating heat waves. They looked like whips, in the manner they maneuvered, and sought out his presence like snakes. Considering he always had the distinct impression that her weapon was composed of a metal that could bend as dexterous as a ribbon of silk, he knew that it was very delicate in its integrity.

With that said, he waited just before the blades were at their zenith, coiling around and lashing out at his body, to make known why Kurai was given the designation, "L".

As if in slow motion, dozens of small white tendrils of electricity oozed off of Kurai's body, tracking along the proximate edges of the transparent blades, snaking their way towards him. Then, within an instant, Kurai's body was enveloped within a column of white light, discharging white electricity in a form of defense to repel the transparent blades, while also sending a trailing wave of lightning back towards Kameyo's body.

"If you can't land a meaningful attack against the boss," Satsuriku spoke aloud, as Kurai's light-enraptured body became overcast with shadows, his eyes shining a distinctive red glare behind the voluminous pyre of white and his smile looked very demonic behind the pure gale of electric-spiritual force, "then you have no chance in Hell of even touching me, bitch!"

So concentrated in her counter-attack, Kameyo decided not to respond to Satsuriku's counter-taunt.

When the electricity was launched at her form, she reflexively pulled her hilt back in front of her to a defensive position. The invisible blade would retract, coiling in the form of a circular shield. The lightning would connect, but would not get farther than the metal that made up the blade. Although it was unintentional at best, her face would be overshadowed by the light with only her own naturally crimson orbs to glow eerily. Oh, if only the rooms matched the paint job...

Swiftly, she counter-attacked. Her blade would shatter, forming into a hail of bullets reaching up to 13 millimeters in length. The current charging through the metal would die out, leaving them "invisible" once more. They were shot towards Kurai with armor-piercing speed and force in an attempt to rip through his defenses.

The pillar of white light would reconstruct itself into a large square shield of its own, a blue outlined cross filling its center, outlining exactly what's keeping the bullets from penetrating. Although the metal wasn't destroyed, it was ricocheted in many directions.

Haphazardly, a few flew towards Satsuriku's position. Without moving an arm, golden tendrils of electricity popped into existence, reflecting the bullets way without him batting as much of an eye. He chuckled with amusement with the tenacity of which the girl fought with, knowing ones with just as much spunk have come before her. Guts alone doesn't keep someone from dying.

"Imagination is a powerful avenue to create all sorts of weapons of awesome power. But if the resources are limited to what is within conception, then it is significantly weaker than what we picture it to be," Kurai spoke behind the wall, walking up to it and pressing his right gloved hand onto it, uttering aloud with enthusiastic menace, "that is how I'd describe your Zanpakutō, Soul Reaper!"

Within an instant, the wall of light and electrical force transmuted into a mass of cross-edged arrows, forged from spirit energy and composed of electricity. A matter of seconds would pass before the arrows were discharged at the clap of thunder, aiming to eviscerate and shock her body upon contact, cracking and blazing through the landscape around it.

If she had been at full strength, Kameyo would've had a better chance at dodging it. Certainly, she made the right movements as she kicked into a Flash Step, jumping and twisting in order to keep herself from getting hit. But the truth of the matter was that she was slowing down. She was unable to feel pain. But she could feel her exhaustion setting in. She could feel her motor functions start to slow, losing their dexterity in the face of her constant movement. That would cost her dearly.

A sudden pressure collided into her arm, causing her eyes to shoot open in surprise.

"What--?"

She twisted her head to see one of the arrows blow a hole in one of her arms. It trembled violently under the currents of electricity that were sent through it, barely holding on by a few pieces of skin and muscle. A generous amount of blood spilled onto the ground, with a few chunks of her shattered flesh joining it. In the most subtle of ways, her eyes would widen in shock.

"Am I starting to slow down? That can't be right..." As she staggered back a little with her sword hilt in hand, she let that gaze fall upon Kurai. "I have barely enough wounds inflicted on his person to slow him down! And already, I am starting to fall?"

SHFT!

In an instant, Kurai employed Hirenkyaku the moment her eyes averted down towards the one point his lightning infused Heilig Pfeil. He appeared right next to her, swinging his left leg around in an electrically accelerated kick towards her back, aiming to arc the momentum employed to send her hurtling back into the ground below.

Raising his right hand towards her direction, forming it into a finger gun, tesla coil cross formed out of white electric spirit energy, displaying the point of which his Cross was physically located, "I'm fighting for real now, Soul Reaper. That should tell you just how serious your predicament is!"

His left hand swiftly grasped upon the crackling bowstring, pulling it back towards his left cheek, before he whispered aloud with carnal delight, "Blitzschlag!"

What would sound like a thunderclap would emit from his right hand, as a powerful Heilig Pfeil with the power of an artillery round would fling itself towards her position. Arcing white currents, dictating its high voltage makeup, would fly along with the solid construct of sanctified creation the silver arrow of electrified spirit energy would have upon contact or bare proximity to her form.

Although the kick would send her flying back down towards the ground, Kameyo would perform a front-flip so that she could land on the soles of her boots. Her arm, still hanging on, flailed uselessly as she soared towards and hit the ground - a rather disturbing sight to see, especially considering the fact that she couldn't even feel the pain of losing it. But she didn't pay any mind to it, thanks to the arrow that was launched in her direction. She twisted herself around, her eyes meeting it as it was shot at her form. Once again, she would boost herself away with a powerful jump just before it connected with the ground.

But she would not escape the extension of electric current that would make up the wake of the explosion.

Once again, she found herself reeling in both surprise and paralysis as she felt electric currents shoot through her body. Motor functions temporarily shut down, and she let out a slight gasp as she realized that she was unable to control her body in midflight. Her vision would tumble as she crashed into the ground, twisting and rolling before stopping a considerable distance away from where she landed. It was very fortunate to not be able to feel pain. Otherwise, she certainly would have been hurting right then and there.

"He's so strong..." With a grunt, she pushed her elbow and knees underneath her and did her best to prop herself back up. She would manage to get herself back on one knee before stopping, her breaths a little more audible and her shoulders visibly heaving. "I really am not sure if I can beat him like this, much less kill Satsuriku. At this rate... it will be me who's going to die... I have to think of something... I have to think!"

Within a shimmering blur, Kurai appeared six meters away. The measure of his excitement had only increased, if only by a small fraction, upon noticing the spams of her body and not see a single profusing bead of sweat on her body. Clapping his hands, the Quincy admonished her as his feet began taking deliberate slow strides in her direction, "Very impressive. I apologize for the insinuation, Soul Reaper, but the extensive modifications done to your body had almost led me to believe that you were in fact a Mod Soul. Your powers over the Shinigami Arts are a testament to how wrong I was. Your body must be composed of artificially resilient material, as well as lacking pain receptors, in order to stand up so readily after withstanding Lightbringer ability twice."

Reaching into the folds of his cloak, he produced a golden Quincy pendant, which within a flash of blue-white light would manifest into a solidified weapon form. It was a Trident, composed out of pure gold, glittering within his right hand. The sparks of harnessed electricity danced around the glittering material, crackling with power and ferocity as Kurai's eyes narrowed with lethal determination at Kameyo.

"This is my ultimate weapon, Gungnir," Kurai explained in a dark tone, as tendrils of white electrified spirit energy flourished around the atmosphere, dancing from the tri-edged weapon's point, "using the one metal substance that can conduct electricity perfectly, Gold, I can embody both my physical power and the fullest extent of my Lightbringer abilities simultaneously. Your Zanpakutō...is no match for-"

However, Kurai's boasts would be cut short, by an unexpected interruption.

What seemed like dozens of prieviously transparent wires, now visible due to the raging electrical light that flashed around Kurai and his weapon, swung out in an attempt to bind and decapitate him. His eyes widened with alarm, as his concentration averted him from sensing them until the light's refraction off the unnatural substance's mass heading for him.

With weapon in hand, Kurai swung his golden lance downwards, cutting the threads effortlessly. Turning on his heels, his eyes were greeted by the arrival of what seemed to be three Soul Reapers, and one normal denizen of the Soul Society.

"Who dares interrupt my fun?!" Kurai snarled, his tone keying in Satsuriku to direct his gaze at the trio of interlopers that made their dramatic debut.

It would also cause Kameyo's gaze to widen, her head snapping in the direction of the Shinigami.

Out of all the things she expected to happen, she hadn't thought that a trio of soldiers from the Gotei 13 would come to her aid - especially those who she assumed had not heard of the truce between her comrades and the D.C.O. agents. They might have been simply attacking on sight, or assisting her out of coldly logical cause. But if they were fighting to genuinely support her in combat, she would be in outright disbelief.

"They would never help out of sympathy for an operative of the Inner Circle... would they?"

As she struggled to push herself to her feet, the flash of Senna ran through her mind. The girl had been sympathetic, moved to tears by the story of the pale-skinned girl's life. She had been willing to allow Kameyo the chance of saving her downed teammates from the wrath of Kaien and retreat from the fight without so much as a feeble attempt to backstab her. With that in mind, was the thought of them serving as true allies for her that ridiculous? Was it really that odd for them to be willing to support her?

"A trio of angry Soul Reapers who want their home back," The voice of the 11th Division's Lieutenant cut her thoughts off. His eyes sported a bitter visage as he glared at the Quincy and Fullbringer. Nothing but a burning hatred could be seen within those orbs of his. His broken wires would retract back within their sleeves, but he kept his hands at the ready. "And you humans just so happen to be trespassing on our lands!!"

"Are you okay, over there?" The voice of the 3rd Division's Lieutenant would come to her ears directly. Her expression would be concerned at first as she squinted in Kameyo's direction. "You look like you're injured--" However, she cut herself off when the ex-Dog's red orbs met hers, causing her to blink owlishly. "...wow. That arm looks ready to fall off and she doesn't even seem to care. That's what I call taking it like a champ."

"It seems that the Dog has been taking a beating. We've arrived at an impeccable timing," Seishuku spoke smoothly, his hand already moving to his sheathed weapon, as his thumb unfastened it from the sheathe by a fraction, "and now we get the pleasure of disposing of a Stern Ritter ourselves."

"Ah...the Daten did say there were three MIA Lieutenants from the Gotei 13, upon the day they evacuated the Soul Society," Kurai spoke with understanding, his anger defusing into curiosity, his dark smile returning as he erected his spear upwards once more as he used his left forefingers to push the bridge of his glasses upwards in observation, "three Lieutenants. Yes...yes this will do nicely. Satsu-kun!~"

"Boss," Satsuriku spoke solemnly, still leaning against the structure a good dozen meters away, his eyes never wavering from the three warriors that entered the battlefield.

"Since you're free, I'll allow you to test these three out. If they succeed in reaching my expectations, I'll allow them to aid the girl and I'll fight them all at once. If they don't, feel free to annihilate them," Kurai spoke nonchalantly, as he began scanning their persons and weapons, bringing up their current level of Spiritual Pressure output, "in any way you wish..."

"Yessir," Satsuriku said bluntly, pushing himself off the wall, walking slowly across the battle scarred landscape, aiming to approach them up close and personal.

And thus, the new opponent arose to challenge the Lieutenants.

Masahiro's glare shifted as he looked at the approaching enemy, his own feet carrying him in a slow gait against Satsuriku's. His hands were folded behind his back, his wires twisting and twirling once again. His eyes took in every aspect of the other man's traits and hints that he demonstrated concerning skill level. As all of his concentration was on his enemy, he barely heard Tamiko say something presumably to one of his comrades. He exhaled a slow breath, allowing his mind to work out a plan of victory.

A physical build of a solidified fighter was one trait. The immense spiritual energy radiating off of his person was another. He was walking with a casual and collected gait, not hasting to attack the enemy right away. Judging from the look on his face, it was clear that he didn't think much of his enemies. Because of the power the 11th Division Lieutenant could feel from him, it didn't take much to justify that attitude. Still, if he wasn't expecting much out of it, it would be that much easier to take him by surprise.

Just like what he was about to do.

As soon as the two got close enough to each other, several wires would abruptly shoot from the ground. They would loop and wrap themselves around Satsuriku's left leg. They latched on with a vice-grip, refusing to let go unless Masahiro himself allowed it to happen. The 11th Division Lieutenant himself would have a rather nasty smile on his face. "I applaud you for correctly keeping your eyes on us." He said. "But if only you had turned when I had attacked your leader, you would've seen the wires lying around your own feet. For a formidable adversary..."

He yanked his arm up, his wires swinging Satsuriku off of his feet. With another swing of the arm, he would drag his foe through the earth like a rag-doll being pulled by a truck. Another swing would lift the man off of the ground and slam him through one of the nearby structures. The force of impact would cause broken parts of the building to fall to the ground, releasing small shockwaves as they did so.

"...you certainly are careless." Masahiro finished, the wires retracting back to his form.

Satsuriku seemed to be hurled off his legs and thrown into the construct with little resistance. His body would disappear within the pile of rubble within a plume of dust and smoke from the force exerted in his bodily collision. It would seem deathly quiet from his end.

Simultaneously, Seishuku advanced upon the Stern Ritter himself. Drawing his blade, a gust of flames exited the scabbard's opening as Seishuku roared aloud, "Nenshō Burēzu Bijutsu, Form 9, Enen Taiyō Hadō!"

An enormous explosion of flames, sprouting up to heights and lengths that'd be comparable to a tsunami, forced the Stern Ritter to take evasive and defensive measures. As Kurai employed Hirenkyaku a good distance, the tsunami of flames narrowly evaded touching Kameyo's injured form, but gave her enough of a dramatic show to watch as her enemy would be consumed in the flames. Almost like a river of molten rock, Kurai himself seemed to be indisposed, if even but for a few moments...

"That should get his attention," Seishuku spoke lowly, sheathing his blade once more, as he kept in a crouched ready stance.

Enrico, however, wasn't pleased at all by the recent turn of events, "Are you all loco?! How are you all supposed to protect me if you go against Macho Opponents?! Do you WANT me to get killed or something?!"

"Oh, sure, trying to play tough guy against someone like a Stern Ritter. I'm starting to think Enrico has a point."

A displeased frown would come onto Tamiko's own face in sentiment with the V-14 supplier, not exactly thrilled that Seishuku had chosen to ignore her in favor of deliberately provoking an extremely potent foe. The fact that Masahiro and Seishuku had chosen separate opponents to engage wasn't exactly a good thing, either. Did they really think that they could fight the two by themselves, especially after the condition that they saw Kameyo in. But she knew that because of the rivalry the two had with one another as well as their pride, it was next to useless to get them to stop their recklessness.

"Sorry, Enrico..." She muttered dryly, with a bit of sarcasm. While one hand was holding her sword in front of her defensively, the other hand was placed on his shoulder. "But these boys will definitely be boys. I'll keep you covered as best as I can. My Zanpakutō's best to support others in the field of battle, anyway."

However, Kameyo wasn't sharing in the sentiment of leaving them alone.

As she saw the flames race in front of her and witnessed Kurai's disappearance from his spot, Kameyo felt something ping within her. It should have been a good thing to have assistance, especially from people as competent as operatives from the Gotei 13. But as she witnessed the attacks on both Fullbringer and Quincy, she couldn't help but get the impression that something was wrong. It was like something was being taken away from her and certainly would be if the Shinigami slew the enemy. She couldn't fight the urge to stop them, tell them to cease out of the strange feeling. It would be the cause of her raised voice, alarm showing through.

"No! Stop this, Lieutenant!" She shouted at him, her eyes widened and almost pleading. "This isn't your fight! It's mine! I swore to myself that I would kill these two with my own hands, and that's what I plan to do! Do not get yourself involved!"

"I concur, Kameyo Takaki," Kurai spoke aloud with an irate tone. Slamming his spear's pommel into the earth, a bright circular explosion of silver light burst from the epicenter of the sea of flames, overwhelming it all within an instant, breaking up the earth that the tongues were feeding upon. His cloak was burnt to cinders, with parts of his sleeves burnt through, but showed no real damage as the blue-black veins shined upon his skin. His eyes glared upon the equally annoyed irises of Seishuku, "this isn't your fight, 6th Division Lieutenant Seishuku Yabun. Fight Satsuriku, if you're so eager to have your blood spilled."

Seishuku hissed, unsheathing his sword with declaration as he spoke to Kameyo and the Stern Ritter, "I've cut down nothing but small fry since I was forced to hide like a rat in a maze. I have no sympathy for those who served the Inner Circle. However..."

Slamming the palm of his free hand onto the pommel, Seishuku uttered aloud in a commanding tone, "Shear their Flesh, Garyū!"

Within a flare of orange fire, enrapturing Seishuku's arms, the sword changed in shape into a pair of crimson-black tonfas. The orange hue mirrored the blackness that consumed Seishuku's eyes as his body was consumed within a pyre of orange Spiritual Power, cracking and shaking the ground around him.

"This is no longer a battle of personal pride and duty. This is an avowed enemy of Soul Reapers, an enemy that should've been purged countless eons ago. They swallowed my home in the abyss, and replaced it with an abomination. I will not stand by and allow another sister or brother of my kind, enemy or ally, be slain by their ilk!" Seishuku roared out passionately, sliding his tonfas together with a fiery shower of sparks, before parting them to either side, spreading his feet with readiness.

Meanwhile, Satsuriku stood up from the debris, pushing large partitions of concrete and plaster off his body with a single hand. Sighing, his eyes looked over at Masahiro, as he rolled his neck side to side, breaking out to a series of painfully audible cracks and snaps, "Was that it? Throw me into a building? Your body must be delicate if that's all the force you could muster..."

A dark smile crossed Masahiro's face, and he raised one of his hands up. His index and middle finger were pointed together towards the sky, dividing his face. "That's a very stupid question, Fullbringer." He said. "Do you really think that I'd be so foolish to assume a throw like that could kill you? If that were the case, then it would have been quite the shameful death for you. No, I plan to subject you to far much worse."

He swung his hand down, and a murder of wires would materialize. Their blue hue marked their visage as they twirled and hovered menacingly over both fighters. The smile slowly faded, replaced by a scowl. "You helped twist the Soul Society into this abomination of a wasteland. You destroyed millions of lives in the process. I'm very glad that you didn't die such a shameful death, because now I have the opportunity to punish you for your deeds." His legs spread apart, his arms and hands settled into an aggressive stance. "Prepare to suffer!!"

Both of these speeches rendered Kameyo into stunned silence.

She could only listen as both of the Lieutenants let loose their declarations. Once again, the face of Valeur and Senna came within her mind as she watched them challenge the Stern Ritter and Fullbringer. Once again, she was coming to face to face with people who stood in the face of danger with nothing but determination. They did not care about the odds or the possibility of death. They were solely focused on toppling their foe and continuing on their way to victory. It was a truly fascinating thing to see for her.

She would lower her sword and look on, tilting her head to the side slightly and wondering just was going to happen next.

"They're insane! They want to die, right?! This is madness if they think they can beat them!" Enrico shouted with horror, as he saw the forces before them they had to defeat, being next to impossible to cripple.

Satsuriku would be the first to respond, answering him with a toothy grin, "I'm going to enjoy...tearing the skin off your bones, Soul Reaper!"

Reaching his palm upwards, Satsuriku discharged a stream of golden electric currents, causing them to coalesce and charge the dark clouds above them. Clasping his hand into a fist, Satsuriku swung it down to have his knuckles pointing at Masahiro. Then, it happened. A pillar of golden lightning, with the power of a nose diving aircraft, barreled down at his position almost instantaneously, intending on incinerating him to ash, if not scorch his body with the force he put forth.

It was that moment, that Kurai wordlessly rushed forward, leaving a jetstream of aircurrents behind him as propelled himself with just sheer muscle power. Swinging his electrical-endowed spear in a downwards arc, he intended to cut, shock, and pound the indignant Lieutenant standing in his way. He laughed as he saw Seishuku swing his left tonfon upwards to defend the attack, "You can't defend against me, Seishuku Ya-"

He'd be cut short, as the force and energy put forth in the attack, rebounded.A brief glimpse of a lunar hued veil would dissipate from above the weapon, indicating the use of Seki. The Stern Ritter felt as if his body would catch some of the electrical discharges, feeling his footing lost, as his body flew back.

It was that instant, that the scowling Lieutenant rushed forward within an immediate Flash Step, his reentry would cause the velocity to enhance the thrust of his right tonfon's blunt edge. The impact would hit a Blut Vene covered area, tearing the white linen away to reveal the skin and slight signs of cuts involved. Then, within a second of seeing Seishuku twist his arm and being forward, that discharged a bright blue flash of Shō, pushing forth an incredible train-sized blast of exploding air pressure, causing several thin cuts across his chest to form as his midriff indented from the power hitting him point blank.

Seishuku's eyes never wavered in its vengeful, determined gleam, growling out as he held his posture from seeing the Quincy fly backwards into a line of structures with explosive force, "That was for the life you intended to steal, Quincy!"

As for Masahiro, all of those wires would arc upward to meet the arc of lightning that would shoot through the wires. But they would stop at his fingertips, leaving each and every wire electrified. In the immense light, Masahiro's form would be overshadowed with only his eyes visible to Satsuriku. His voice would call out to his adversary, taunting and condescending. "Sorry, human. But such things won't work on the likes of me anymore. My spiritual energy can be used as an insulator for your electricity. Once it is within my Zanpakutō's field, it is forever lost to you. You may have immense power and strength backing you up..."

Under the cover of the light, there were wires that would loop around Satsuriku's neck and tighten. The sharpness would cut into the muscle, but move no farther than that thanks to restraint. A Flash Step would carry him in a leaping position in front of his enemy, with one wired hand grasping the throat and the other pulling back to increase the tightness of the wires. They would not cut, but instead focus on choking his foe to death. The sadism in his smile could've never been clearer.

"...but it means absolutely nothing against the likes of me!!"

They were both rather fierce attacks - something that Tamiko mentally noted as she stood beside Enrico. "We're in a world surrounded by the enemy, Enrico..." She said softly and with a grim undertone. "Sooner or later, we're going to run into a fearsome enemy capable of overpowering us. Sooner or later, we're going to enter a scenario having a high chance of our demise. What else is there to do but fight back? There is nowhere to run and certainly nowhere to hide. Considering you being of a more pragmatic nature, I don't think you'd understand. But this is the way it has to be..."

"I...I know...its...just the fact that I might die here, in a forgetful lane of a city that shouldn't even exist," Enrico spoke with a sweat-beading face, wringing his hands as he fell to his knees, "I just wish I could live to see the end of this...you know?"

Kurai, in the meantime, showed just how resilient he was.

Within a flash of light, Gungnir was sent flying towards Seishuku, enraptured within a column of electrical white light. It moved with the speed of a lightning bolt, only giving Seishuku an alarming spare moments to react, as he clasped his forearms in an inverted angle, allowing a flourishing blast of flames to exude from his tonfas to repel the immense energy-endowed weapon. The bus-sized lightning-enraptured lance crackled and ignited the ground around and in front of Seishuku's front, causing a bead of sweat to travel down the Lieutenant's browline.

However, he didn't account for the fact a secondary flash of white lightning to arc around his back side, splaying a palm over the back of his head. His throat wouldn't even allow him to scream as his body would be engulfed in a flash of light, his limbs convulsing as his skin would be charred from the intense voltage blazing across his form.

"I don't have time," Kurai spoke evenly, his eyes filled with anger, as a trail of blood was seen traveling down his jawline and down his chin, "to deal with uninteresting specimens..."

Satsuriku could only chuckle, even as his body seemed to convulse under the pressure of the spiritual threads, claiming to try and choke the life out of him. Blood would ooze from where the threads would be wound, but the Fullbringer would slowly stand to his feet, as veins pulsated around his neck, producing a thick muscular contraction around the point of tension. As if he fullbrought his body's physical apparatus to withstand the wire's pressure, Satsuriku grasped the threads as he glared at him with an overshadowed glare. His eyes glimmering with golden light.

"Your ruthlessness and abilities sure make you a terrific asset to the Gotei 13. Let me use the words you used on me," Satsuriku took a step forward, his form towering over him as a thick blackness overcast his front, in sync with the lightning crack overhead, only showing his malicious gleaming eyes and teeth, "you may have immense power and strength backing you up. But it means absolutely nothing against the likes...OF ME!!!!"

Within a crackling golden flash, Satsuriku's body seemed to become Lightning. His body would phase through the material that latched onto his flesh, moving forth in a mass of humanoid electric force, with a hand moving forth and striking into Masahiro's gut, followed by his form re-materializing into a physical form. All of this would discharge a powerful current of electrical energy, issuing from a thunderclap that split the air waves around the two of them, indenting the earth below as his fist embedded solidly into his chest.

Masahiro didn't see it coming.

"What--?!"

His thoughts would be cut off when he felt Satsuriku's fist slam into his stomach. The force of the punch would cause his pupils to dilate, the smile to be wiped off of his face and blood to be puked from his mouth. He might as well have had his innards cave in on themselves with the power of that attack. With the winds knocked out of his body, he fell from Satsuriku's fist and onto his knees. His arms clutched his stomach and his forehead was now touching the ground. The electrical currents that surged through his form didn't help matters, either.

"No... this can't be! After all the Hell that we've been put through, this can't be how it ends!" He thought, straining to look up at the enemy that towered over him. "I...we can't let them win! Not here!! Not now!! Not ever!!"

At this point, Tamiko wished she could say something to lighten the situation. But the reality of the situation was all too clear. They had unwillingly charged headlong into an unbeatable situation. Seeing her two fellow Lieutenants crumble under the wrath of their respective foes brought a fierce pain within her heart, and she wished nothing more than to plunge her sword into the necks of the ones that dared to hurt them. But she knew that she would only get crushed trying.

So, with a bittersweet smile on her face, Tamiko knelt down beside Enrico and brought an arm around his shoulders in a one-armed hug. She hung her head down, shutting her eyes and feeling the first of her tears flow. "So did I, my friend..." She whispered, her soft voice cracking under the desolate atmosphere created. "So did I."

Kameyo would take it all in silently, flashes running through her head like a freight train.

She saw Bokujin and Choku, scared as they had been, raise their swords against Byakuya as he moved to kill them. She saw herself fly at Byakuya in rage after he had struck them down, only to get thrown aside like a ragdoll. She saw Valeur move to protect her, despite the powerlessness they both had against the likes of him. All of it was an extent of resolve, determination and unflappability, even in the face of insurmountable odds. When those flashes came within her mind, she felt that pinging within her grow stronger. Her sword hand would press its back against her heart.

"Yes... that must be it. That must be the thing I've been missing in order to fight opponents as strong as these. I've been letting myself run on logic and nothing more. But seeing this... yes... I believe that I am opening my eyes once more. This must've been what you felt, Valeur!"

"Tch," Satsuriku slammed his right foot onto Masahiro's head, sneering down at him with displeasure, "that's it? I told you! You're fragile if that's all the force you can send my way!"

Kurai let Seishuku fall to his knees, his hand still gripping his tonfas tightly, refusing to let his Zanpakutō out of his grasp. The Quincy didn't bother finishing him off. He'd perish or drift into unconsciousness soon, like a common soldier. Turning away from him, he began to walk towards Kameyo, summoning Gungnir to his right hand with a burst of white light.

"Time to finish our fight, Kameyo Takaki," Kurai spoke with a relieved smile, glad that all interruptions had been dealt with. The fact that Satsuriku had dealt with the other with as little difficulty as he did, meant that the other Lieutenant and the rat clinging to her wouldn't last much longer, "sorry for keeping you waiting."

Had it not been for the hand on her shoulder, she would've quickly responded. But when it happened, her eyes widened. She would see Kurai slow before freezing in his walking position, the color in the environment seeping to a dull gray. The only thing that would be in color would be the stranger behind Kameyo. It would be someone similar in platonic appearance to Kameyo. But she would have purple hair instead of black, with eyes to match in contrast to the crimson red the other woman possessed. She was wearing a dim purple gi and a bright purple hakama, as well as sandals without socks. None of them would see the strange woman, and only Kameyo would recognize her.

It was her Zanpakutō, Mukō.

"You..." Kameyo spoke breathlessly, earning a smile from the Zanpakutō.

"Yes indeed, me." She remarked with a pleasant and joking tone. She looked over in the direction of the Quincy and Fullbringer, as well as the fallen Lieutenants. "I'm glad that those brave warriors managed to come in when they did. Otherwise, it would have been safe to assume you never would have reached this state of mind. I would even dare say you would have been killed by the Stern Ritter had it not been for their intervention."

"What do you mean?" An expression of mild disbelief was on Kameyo's face as she looked at Mukō. "Valeur... Senna... even that one Daisuke Hayate... I understand what they had felt, but it won't mean that victory is absolute!"

"If you were wielding any other Zanpakutō," Mukō said. "That would have been false. But this epiphany has affected my being as well, Kameyo. You have been restricting yourself with logic, deeming some feats to be possible and some to be not. I, one who's meant to represent the unpredictable and constantly changing void, couldn't let you connect with my true power as long as you had that kind of mentality." She watched Kameyo's disbelief slowly fade away, replacing itself with realization and acknowledgement. "But now that you've understood just how powerful the concept of resolve can be, that limit is unreleased. There was a reason why Brina McTavish considered you the successor of her position, Kameyo Takaki."

She looked at the Quincy once more. "Now, it is time that you let these people know that fact. It is time you pulled the chains off of your subconscious." With her words, her figure began to fade away like smoke being blown by the wind. She would dissipate from arm to body, all the meanwhile carrying that pleasant smile on her face. "Go on, and show them what you are really made of! Show them the power that they'll never forget, as long as they are breathing!"

Time resumed itself, once the figure of Mukō disappeared. Slowly, Kameyo's expression would convert back to its normal stoic look as she watched Kurai approach her. Slowly, she pointed her tsuba at him and spoke with an eerily calm tone.

"I am sorry, Stern Ritter."

Then, she attacked.

Her blade would move beyond the senses of the masterful, beyond the readings of Kurai and Satsuriku. The metal would extend so fast, it would appear as if two blades were extending at once from Mukō's tsuba in a flash of energy more than anything else. They would plow through the chests of both Kurai and Satsuriku before either of them could realize what was happening. It would make Tamiko's head jerk up just in time to see the blood flow from their bodies, her expression contorting to one of shock and disbelief.

It was a heavy contrast to the serene and dispassionate countenance that Kameyo had taken on, even as she lowered her head to her nearly severed arm. Her teeth bit down on it before her head raised up, taking the arm with it. With her pseudo-dismembered limb in her grip, she would finish her sentence clearly. "But I can't afford to play around with you or your subordinate anymore. This is where it ends, Kurai Ishida..."

Kurai was dumbfounded. He had thought that he had solved the mystery of the Zanpakutō that he couldn't see. But he now felt a blade penetrate his midriff, right where his Blut Vene was weakest, and where small cuts were made by Seishuku's earlier attack. As he felt his body tremble, with his blood spewing out copiously, he couldn't help but smile with fascination. Even with blood spilling out of his mouth and over his lips, he couldn't help to be giddy with the chance to truly test himself.

Raising his left hand upwards, Kurai smiled at her, saying aloud with bloody lips, "Congratulations, Kameyo Takaki! Your Zanpakutō has now exceeded my expectations! Since it rivals my power as I am now, allow me to demonstrate...my full power...IN VOLLSTANDIG!"

A geyser of spiritual power erupted from his being, forming a pentacle-shaped cross at its precipice. The tall tower of spirit energy would quickly subside, cracking and shattering like glass as Kurai emerged with a pentacle-shaped halo over his head, white-vambraces and boots, along with a cross-shaped breastplate, matching the lightning manifested wings protruding from his back. In his right hand, Gungnir manifested into an enormous halberd of white electrical spiritual energy, further demonstrating his control over the land's spirit energy and the element of electricity around him.

"Shall you continue...to amuse me, Kameyo-chan?" Kurai asked with a bloody smile.

Satsuriku would not immediately rise to his feet. As if he thought it was Masahiro's doing, he backed away a few steps, looking down at the hole in his chest. He felt a defining blade, invisible to his eyes and senses, except his sense of touch, wedged into his flesh. He began to grit his teeth, and his eyes bulged with incredulous anger, even as blood oozed from the spaces between his teeth.

"Who...the...fuck...is responsible?!" Satsuriku snarled angrily, before looking over at Kameyo, declaring the same thing as she held her arm up in her teeth, with Kurai having the same wound. Even as he saw the manical-induced release of energy, Satsuriku's eyes began to glow golden as veins protruded from his jaw, forehead, and neck, showing just how enraged he was.

"That...bitch!" Slamming his left foot into the ground, with enough force to shake the landscape, sending a wave of static shock through everything proximate to him as his body began to bulge and crackle with intense electrical imbuement and power, "I'm going...to...rip...her...apart!"

"GAUGH--!!!"

The unfortunate Masahiro was both blown away and electrocuted by the force of electricity that Satsuriku unleashed. He was sent skidding and tumbling back, barely managing to stop himself on his hands and knees. With blood running down his mouth, he raised his head up to look upon the scenario. There was an enraged Fullbringer and an empowered Quincy, with both of them targeting the bloodied Kameyo. Much to his shock, however, Kameyo was standing tall in the face of both of them. Despite being challenged by two very powerful opponents at once with the very high possibility of getting killed, she wasn't even giving an inch.

"Is this truly a Dog of the Inner Circle?" He thought to himself. "Or could this be a Dragon, one we didn't know about? We had tried everything to bring them down, and she delivers critical blows to both of them with just one strike? From her Shikai nonetheless!"

Kameyo did not pay attention to Satsuriku immediately. Her crimson eyes looked upon Kurai's form with an unreadable expression on her face, but the words she spoke next would say it all. "No. Throughout my involvement within this war, I have been nothing more than a tool for other people's amusement. I have been amusing the Horsemen of the Inner Circle along with the rest of their pawns. I have amused my former Gotei 13 adversaries when I fought a battle I was destined to lose. No more will I be someone's jester that dances around for their entertainment."

This was where her crimson eyes would drift back towards the furious Satsuriku. "Both of you, come at me at once." She finished her speech with a sentence that continued to encourage her normally stoic tone. But this time, there were laces of passion within her words. "With a single swing of my sword for each of you, this meaningless dance ends here and now."

Kurai, despite how enthusiastic he was to attack first, wouldn't be the first to move. It would be his subordinate, Satsuriku, that would be the first to jump towards Kameyo. His body now donned with a bright golden aura of lightning, empowered with incredible spiritual power that seared the ground around him. He entered the Raijin state, the strongest form his Fullbring would grant him.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" Roaring out, Satsuriku moved in an instantaneous streak of golden electrical light, creating a wide fissure of torn and electrified earth as he traveled. He swung a fist towards her, aiming to take her head off with a single punch, if not completely incinerate her with the amount of electrical energy he discharged from his knuckles.

For a moment, time stopped. Satsuriku's fist seemed to hang in front of Kameyo's impassive expression, and she herself didn't seem to move an inch from her spot. The very setting around the two would be momentarily phased out in Kameyo's eyes, replaced by a void of black. The form of her foe was colored in all white. It was like a monochrome 3D painting for the one-armed woman, with only the voice of her Zanpakutō cutting through what would have been a deathly silence.

"A blade that can dismiss the rods of a storm and pierce through its heart."

Time resumed with a slicing flash that passed through Satsuriku's offending arm and chest.

The result was messy. A gash traveled on the path of the flash, cutting deep within Satsuriku's chest and chopping through his lungs to the point of complete division. The same was for his arm, which was sliced horizontally in half down to the shoulder bone. A satisfying amount of blood was spilled from the wound, causing the spectators to gaze in shock and awe. Kameyo would continue to look on in stoicism, allowing herself to say only two words to what had transpired.

"One down."

"Hoooooo?" Kurai mused aloud, as he saw his berserk-induced subordinate fall onto the ground unconscious, now completely devoid of spiritual pressure and seemingly dragged into unconsciousness as he bled out from his injuries, "your blade is now truly invisible to me. I wonder if you used Kidō? No, you don't seem the type to be that skilled. If you had, you would've used it from the start, and it wouldn't have fooled Satsu-kun. No, you really ARE materializing a blade from nothing, aren't you?"

Spinning Gungnir in a virulent arc, the Stern Ritter walked horizontally to the side as he observed her, "I guess I should be careful to stay out of your range. Let's test how powerful that Shikai of yours is, hm?"

Thrusting his spear towards the air, a coiling circuit of white electrical energy discharged into the heavens, causing a cacophony of bright flashes of thundercracks to emit through the dark voluminous clouds. As the thunder issued a flurry of flashes, what seemed like a pentacle of swirling light forming in the clouds above was created, before five enormous pyres of lightning guided downwards strike at Kameyo from all sides with extreme prejudice.

The pyres would fall short of their target.

In nearing their target, the pyres were detoured from their paths and crashed down all around Kameyo instead of on her. The spots they crashed would hint at a barrier surrounding her form as the reason for the lightning artillery strike failing. But it was more than that, a reason that wouldn't escape Kameyo's lips so generously as it had before the duel between them began. As the flashes of light ensued around her to cause destruction to the nearby land, she raised her sword horizontally towards Kurai's position. Her Zanpakutō's words once again rang out in her head.

"A blade that defends as well as it attacks..."

"Stay out of my range?" She questioned rhetorically, moving herself forward with a slow and deliberate gait. She released her affected arm from her mouth, letting it hang to her side as she walked towards him. "With all of your apparent intellect, you don't seem to understand. As long as it and its owner is challenged, the reach of my sword knows no bounds. Even if you were to stand as far away from me as possible while still continuing this fight, it would make no difference. It's pointless to take precautions now..." She pulled her sword back, readying it for another swing.

"Especially when you're facing something you can't comprehend anymore."

She swung.

Her sword cut through Kurai's chest in the same manner that it had cut through Satsuriku's, tearing through the Blut Vene that had protected him so many times before and ripping through the lightning armor that had repelled Kameyo's earlier attacks on him.

Kurai couldn't process what he was witnessing. Even after watching his own subordinate get torn apart, after seeing erect an invisible barrier to defend against his attacks, he still couldn't see the blade that tore through his Blut Vene and his lightning aura. He couldn't register it for a moment, even as a geyser of blood exited from his torso.

As the wings on his back shattered into "glass" particles of spirit energy, his halo evaporated along with the rest of his Vollstandig. He smiled, as a sense of resignation and acceptance crossed his eyes, as he reached a hand out towards her, as if trying to grasp something he couldn't see. As the last of the electric energy left Gungnir, he whispered out, "So...that's what...omnipotence...is like. I wish...I had found this out...sooner..."

A second later as the words left his lips, Kurai's eyes rolled up to the back of his head as he fell forward with a crunch onto the blood spilled earth beneath him. His spear clattered next to him, as his body lied still and slowly drained the life out of him. Kurai Ishida, the Lightbringer, was defeated.

And then, a thick silence.

Kameyo stood within the midst of it all, a soft breeze blowing against her as she took it all in. Her crimson eyes stared with a cold disposition towards both Fullbringer and Stern Ritter. It was only two out of the many enemy reinforcements that dominated the area. But to her, it was one of the biggest victories she could have ever felt. She had declared to kill the two with her own hands and no one else's, and she fulfilled that declaration to the letter. Had she still been a part of the Inner Circle, she had a feeling her old mentor would have been proud of her.

She exhaled slowly, her Zanpakutō sealing itself. Her hand flipped the blade and brought it into its scabbard. She closed her eyes for a moment, basking in the sound of metal sliding against the sheath innards up to the very click of the hilt as it pressed against the maw edges. "No more." She said with an air of finality. "No more games made out of good people dying. No more amusement taken out of friends being tortured, mutilated and destroyed before the eyes of others. It is time that the horror of war showed itself to the children like you, Kurai Ishida. It will be here in this fallen wasteland that you and your kind will perish." She slowly turned away from the two bodies. "Farewell... you tragically curious monkey."

It was here that she turned her gaze to the ones that were still alive - her allies. She started stepping away from their former threat and towards the Gotei 13 Lieutenants and the V-14 supplier. "How well are you all?" She asked, the hardened edge having faded away from her voice. "Can you still get up and fight?"

"Nnnngh," Seishuku groaned, as a crimson light enraptured his body. Through the power of Geki, the 6th Division Lieutenant was able to forcefully lift his body into a standing posture, turning to face Kameyo as sweat beaded down his burnt scalp and browline, "I can fight, so long as I have strength left in this broken body."

"Well count me out!" Enrico waved his arms, standing up insistantly at the others, "I've gotten you around long enough! I'm not cut out for this kind of suspense and near death experiences! I'm going to find one of my bunkers and just wait this whole thing out like a bad dream!"

Tamiko and Masahiro were more concerned about the display of force in front of them.

They couldn't believe their eyes. A moment ago, this woman was just about to die. But within the timespan of a second, she had slain both of their mutual foes and was still standing up to tell about it. Despite her barely hanging on to an arm, she seemed more concerned about their health than her own. Even if she was on their side now, it was something rather creepy and astonishing to witness. Just how strong was this girl in front of them? Just how much of an effect she would have on the enemy army if they charged deeper into enemy lines? Would they see more of that power?

The one who would snap out of her daze first was Tamiko, with Enricho's words being the catalyst. She turned her attention to him as he stood up, bringing herself up to her own feet along with him. Her hands were on her hips and her lips contorted into a mock pout as she regarded him with fake hurt. "What, you're leaving? And here I thought you were getting used to our company, Enrico..."

"Let the coward leave...!" Masahiro grunted, grasping his stomach as he hefted himself onto his feet. The only thing lost to him was the air from his lungs. Aside from the burning ache within his stomach and chest area, he was still in constitutional stability. "If he is unable to take a bloody nose, then what good is he in the field of battle?" He ignored the clear glare that Tamiko had turned to give him for the rather rude comment.

"I wonder just how far he'll get before running into a Soldat patrol?" Seishuku queried with morbid amusement, a faint menacing smile donning upon his face, causing Enrico's stomach to turn, "or when a lone Inner Circle soldier finds you alone? We could possibly do you the service of giving you a quick and painless death, much more deserving than a criminal should deserve. Or you can wait and see what kind of horrors our mutual enemies have planned for you?"

Enrico gulped heavily, as sweat beaded down his face comically. Chuckling sheepishly, he slid next to Tamiko and wrapped an arm around her waist as he forcefully said, "No no, you got it wrong amigos! We're family now, us four! I could never leave you to such terrible fates when I-er, you would be subject to such terrors. Please let me stay with you guys a little longer?"

Seishuku was spared another glare from Tamiko when she felt Enrico's arm snake itself around her midsection. She regarded the Spaniard with surprise, questioning with just the slightest hint of annoyance and a slight tint of pink across her cheeks. Sure, it was most likely out of fear that he brought her closer to him than anything else. But it was still a rather bold motion that he made. To be fair, however, she had wordlessly opened herself up for it with the rather emotional hug that she had given him earlier.

Ultimately, she decided to disregard it. She maneuvered an arm around his shoulders while resting another hand against his collarbone in a gesturing motion. "Knock it off, boys..." She said, fixing a slightly stern stare in their direction. "If it wasn't for Enrico, we most likely would've been captured by the Inner Circle before even getting to this point. He may not be the fighter type, but he's still helped us out during our hardest times. Throw him a bone, for once..."

A slight smile, smug and amused in nature, came across Masahiro's face as he watched the two. "Oh? If I didn't know that you two would get so att--"

"If you finish that sentence," Tamiko sharply cut him off, bringing her hand off of Enrico's collarbone and pointing a warning finger at him. "I swear to the Spirit King, I will have you stripped naked, dance and sing "Poker Face" until your lungs collapse. Would you care to continue?"

Needless to say, that was more than enough to shut Masahiro up.

"Good boy."

"You two are insufferably irritating, I swear," Seishuku groaned as Seishuku's barrier relaxed. Stumbling over near them, he allowed himself to lean against a half-crumbled column, sighing with relief, "Stern Ritter or not, I feel that there are far more enemies out there that we'll need to slay before this is over."

"Do you always have to be a stick in the mud?" Enrico asked with an annoyed stare at his position.

"Do you have to insist on continuing to live?" Seishuku growled back at Enrico, causing the man to comically bead sweat down his face, "cause I can assist you, if you're life has no more value to it-"

"N-N-No! Its fine, amigo, really!" Enrico waved back at him with a nervous smile, imploring to him.

It was here that Tamiko turned her gaze to the injured Inner Circle operative, who was taking it all in with a silent analysis. Her expression was unreadable, so it wasn't exactly easy to tell if she was amused or annoyed by their banter. Fortunately, the female Shinigami was concerned about other things rather than impressions. "Hey, crimson eye." She said, her tone trying not to convey the insult that her words probably carried. "Are you sure you can keep fighting like that? Sure, you just took down two pretty strong enemies by yourself, but--"

"It's no problem." Kameyo cut her off. "Even if I opted to find a location where my injuries could be treated, I doubt I can due to the shift in environment. All stations rooted by the Alliance are most likely replaced by areas owned by the Vandenreich. But I am still in a stable status for combat." Her red eyes drifted towards the hilt of her Zanpakutō's sealed form. "Especially now that I've realized just how far my powers can go..."

"She'll be a welcome addition to this ragtag group." Masahiro thought to himself, putting on a small smile as he dusted his chest off. He turned towards his comrades. "Well, now that we're all good to go, how about we start leaving? No doubt that they'll have reinforcements pouring in when they realize one of their Stern Ritter has been killed in action..."

KRAK-KOOM!

A violent thunderclap could be heard, as Satsuriku's left fist slammed into the earth. The violent flash of light that coursed from his good arm's knuckles sent a chilling stream of static electricity through the group, as the billowing wind flourished across their persons. Satsuriku began propping himself upon his fist alone, as he glared viciously at Kameyo and the others with sheer bloodlust.

"Where...the...fuck...do you...think...you're...going?!" The Lightning Elemental snarled incredulously at them all, though more focused on Kameyo than anything else.

When they heard the fist slam into the ground, all of their eyes would widened in collective shock. When they felt the static electricity sweep through their bodies, the physical shock caused them to utter grunts of pain and surprise. Their stances faltered briefly under the current, but they managed to regain their sense of balance. They would swiftly turn to look at the Fullbringer, shocked that he had somehow survived Kameyo's strike. How was this man able to withstand something that had killed his leader? It didn't make sense.

As soon as she locked eyes with him, however, Kameyo's expression fell back to its trademark blank look. "Do you really think you stand a chance, Fullbringer?" She questioned rhetorically. "One of your arms is gone, and you have a gash cutting through half of your torso. All you're doing is agitating your own wounds. Take the opportunity to leave now while you still have your life. Your master is already dead..."

Puking out blood, Satsuriku just chuckled gutturally as his eyes locked onto Kameyo's, "I could give...a...rat's...ass...of thought...about that asshole! Who are you...to say...when...I'm done...FIGHTING?!"

It was then that Satsuriku's eyes  were enveloped by a black hued lense, with his irises shifting to a golden color of an eerily menace. His teeth ground against each other, as electric tendrils of spiritual power began to crackle around him mightily, a heavy and dense spiritual pressure crushing the earth and shaking the landscape of dozens of meters. The tendrils began to be coalesced into black coloration, and his body began to morph, change in shape. His enlarged muscle mass cracked and shifted, producing what looked like a large hole in his upper torso where his sternum was located. His skin paled and his hair lengthened down into a waist-length mane, a black & white helm with Hollow teeth resting over his cheek bones formed, with eye slits that held the menacing golden glow of his darkened eyes, casting a silhouette underneath a pair of sharpened horns formed upon his newly formed mask. His hands and feet bore claws, crackling in a painful manner as flesh and bone were regenerated instananeously from the earlier wounds, leaving no trace of his injury.

When his transformation finished, Satsuriku let loose a gout of steam from his mouth, as his body crackled with a black & golden electric aura. His unsettling gaze of bloodlust and maliciousness amped up to a high degree, as a smile renewed upon his sickeningly hollowfied visage. The voice that spoke would even cause Seishuku's eyes to widen with apparent horror, "Soul Reapers and Quincies be damned, I am a force of nature that can't be stopped. Not by you, or your precious blade!"

"A Ressureccion?!" Masahiro was the first one to speak up as he saw the new form Satsuriku took. His eyes widened and his mouth opened as he felt the spiritual pressure wash over the land. He felt a chill run down his spine when he saw that the wounds Kameyo inflicted had healed themselves without a scratch left. "Damn it, and I thought things couldn't get any worse!" He turned towards his allies, summoning his wires but retaining a defensive stance. "We have to fall back now!"

"All of his wounds healed instantly...?" Kameyo thought to herself, stunned by his recovery. Immediately, she grasped the handle of her sword and drew it out from its scabbard, readying it defensively. "How could he have managed the will of summoning up another power?"

"None of you will escape!" Satsuriku snarled out, his body shimmering out of view. The speed of which he launched himself towards Seishuku and Masahiro would be unreadable, as he would vividly crackle into existence behind the two of them. His hands would grapple each of their heads, smashing them into each other, before throwing them in opposing directions with extreme prejudice, allowing their forms to barrel through the landscape and standing structures like rag dolls, "not a single one of you will be left standing!"

Punctuating this statement, Satsuriku raised a clenched fist that contained a powerful surge of black and gold electricity, before slamming it into the ground. The explosion would be enough to reduce the entire half city block area into ashes immediately, as the sphere of unstable spiritual force blackened the earth and sent tendrils crackling into the sky.

Tamiko's heart clenched at the sight.

To see both of her colleagues ambushed and dismissed as easily as they were caused her blood to run cold. In just a few seconds, both of their best combatants within the area had been downed again. The only ones left were the wounded Kameyo and the defenseless Enrico. The former hadn't even released her Zanpakutō yet, and by the looks of things, the enraged Satsuriku probably wasn't going to let her without broken bones. She needed to help out, otherwise the Inner Circle member would get trounced.

As Satsuriku summoned his seconadry attack, she quickly grasped Enrico around his waist and shouted out to him. "Hold on!"

With a Flash Step that was synchronized with one from Kameyo, she moved out of the way just before she could get torn apart by the power. The three would reappear a safer distance away, crouching right beside each other and regarding the enemy with their own tense expressions. It was Tamiko who would speak, holding out her sword in a readied position. "I'm gonna buy you some time." She whispered to Kameyo, who raised an eyebrow in question, "my Zanpakutō isn't exactly a combat-type, but it can give you a fighting chance."

The crimson-eyed woman decided not to question it. Her blade wordlessly released itself, once again regaining its invisible visage. "I'm not sure if I can handle his speed anymore. My Zanpakutō might have considerable potential. But my body and eyes aren't up to par with his now. I won't be able to slay him as quickly as I had Kurai."

"Don't worry about it." A small grin crossed Tamiko's face, and she placed her hand around the back of her sword. "I've got you covered. Connect to me, Ongaku!" With the call of her release command, she changed her sword from a katana to a nodachi. Both the handle and blade elongated, the handle gaining a sleek black color.

"Trying to run away, eh?! This whole city is my hunting ground!" Satsuriku shouted viciously, as he thrust a palm into the air, discharging a black fissure of spiritually enriched electricity, fueling the darkened clouds above. Within a matter of moments, the clouds would be flashing and clapping with the sound of corrupted energy. Seconds later, Satsuriku would swing his hand down in emphasis, causing nearly the entire skyline to discharge pillars of destructive golden-black lightning down, causing a cacophony of violent explosions across the Vandenreich cityscape, "disappear, maggots!"

"He's gone loco! He'll kill everyone!" Enrico shrieked with terror, as several proximate lightning bolts rained down. The explosions would be deafening and very much lethal, as they stretched across the horizon in how they struck the earth repetitively and in sickening symphony.

Everyone had to be grateful that Kameyo had her Zanpakutō released and readied.

She raised her sword over her head and bent to one knee just as the fissure was released. The same invisible barrier that had protected her from Kurai's attacks had came to shield all three of them from the bombardment. Similar manifestations would be created to protect both the fallen Masahiro and Seishuku, with the former letting out a loud groan as he lay on the ground. One of his hands flew up to his head, feeling as if someone had driven a knife straight through his cranium. His fingers were stained with crimson - indication of a rather serious head wound. If that didn't tell it, his disorientation would.

He had momentarily gone deaf, raising blurred vision to see the black lightning crash all around him. He could barely feel the ominous and destructive power Seishuku was attempting to destroy them with, his sense of touch having been shut down thanks to the blow he had been dealt. Sluggishly, he brought himself to stand to his feet and looked on with horrified awe. Just how powerful was this man? Just how much strength had been withholding? Was he holding any more?

He really hoped not.

"Nngh...!" Kameyo let out a grunt, lowering her head and shutting her eyes. The constant pressure against the barricades she had created was fighting against her relentlessly. She knew that exerting this much concentration on more than one area and bearing the burden of Satsuriku's power was going to take its toll on her. "I can't... keep this up forever! Whatever you plan on doing, Lieutenant, do it quick!"

Praying that Kameyo could hold out for a good while, Tamiko put her plan to action. Her eyes quickly scanned the ground, looking amongst the fallen debris around her. Because of the destruction, there was obviously a lot of broken debris and pieces of buildings. So it was very easy to spot what she was looking for - a small piece of metal. She quickly snatched it up and held it out at level with her sword, taking in a deep breath to calm herself.

"Here goes nothing."

Then, she started to gently clang the rock against the flat side of her katana. She did it in a rhythmic manner, uttering a melodic hum akin to what one would hear from a musical chant. It was a rather odd action and one that seemed pointless. But as she continued to do it, the sounds of lightning bombing the area would be joined in by melodious sounds, as if they were fingers striking at a piano. The barrage conducted a symphony that would be rather pleasing to the ears, regardless of the sounds of destruction that joined it.

"Is that...music I'm hearing?" Satsuriku thought to himself, subtly behind the haze of his undoubtedly high power he was currently yielding and bringing forth. The air felt saturated with electrical currents, a cacophony of thunderous explosions, issued from black and golden lightning bolts slamming into the landscape. But there it was, that musical tune, ominously playing throughout the cascading violence that echoed so clearly within the background.

Over the harmonious melody that contrasted so heavily with the rain of lightning, Kameyo's voice would be heard above it all.

"Why are you continuing this struggle?"

Up ahead of him, Kameyo would be seen walking with a slow and steady gait. Her bladeless sword was lowered at her side, but her hand gripped the handle with preparatory tightness. But her stance conveyed a sense of casual attitude, almost as if she wasn't gearing up to engage Satsuriku once again. She spoke to him with a reserved yet firm tone of voice. "There is no point to it. All you're doing is exhausting your reserves. Just give up now and walk away. There doesn't need to be anymore unnecessary death than there already is..."

"That...bitch...!" Satsuriku snarled lowly, turning his heels to face the direction of where he heard Kameyo's voice. Even the music seemed to be deafened by the sound of the Soul Reaper that killed his boss and humiliated him once. Tightening his fists, the lightning rain subsided almost at an eerily instantaneous moment.

What happened next, would give the indication why.

"I'll blow you straight to Hell, Soul Reaper!" Satsuriku roared aloud, as the space between his helm's protruding horns began creating an enormous sphere of compressed and volatile energy. The spirit energy seemed to hum at an ominous level, growing to a substantial mass of ten meters in width before Satsu's muscular form.

Then, the Cero was discharged.

VLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!

A crimson-white pillar of destructive energy hurtled straight towards their huddled group. It left a super heated trench in its wake, all of the earth turning into a billowing geyser of flames, signifying the true power of the Cero It screamed well above the decibels that the music radiated, intending on overwhelming the entire group before exploding with a significant radius of destruction in its wake.

Though, the wall of disassimilating energy would be stopped short by one tall silhouette. Thrusting a crimson spear into the wake of the energy, the red sea of molten force would part ways before the edge of the active Shikai. The blazing energies that sifted all too close around them would sear the earth and erupt anything it touched into a fiery body.

"Looks like I've arrived in the nick of time, Serahs," Valeur grunted, as he struggled to keep his spear erect and level at the oncoming wave of Cero energy, "now, if you be a dear Kameyo, and slice a rift through this Cero. I can throw my other spear at the stationary beast that's attacking you so ferociously!"

It was certainly a savior's move.

But it would turn out to have a very different effect than what was most likely intended.

Kameyo - or rather, her visage - flickered for a moment before shimmering out of existence. She had never been there in the first place, and what had been seen was an image created by illusion. The music was meant to act as a pathogen to the senses; the longer someone was exposed to it, the more powerful the illusion would be. Not only did the Cero momentarily override the sound, it would affect the eardrums of everyone involved.

Tamiko fell to her knees, dropping both sword and rock to hold her ears in her hands. She shut her eyes, clenched her teeth and let out a loud groan as the sound ripped through her drums. "God damn it!" She snapped, feeling the grasp of her technique slip and her power fade away into the wind. "That Cero nearly made me go deaf! Kameyo, are you all right?!"

However, the real Kameyo (who had placed a hand on only one of her ears) had no chance to respond when she saw her beloved in trouble. Her crimson eyes widened in shock and horror as she saw Valeur take on the Cero head on. Although she was far enough not to hear what he had said, the act of counteracting the Cero need not to be spoken to fit in her mind. Before she knew it, a Flash Step had carried her right beside her ally. Without hesitation, she swung and allowed her invisible blade to cut a rift through the energy blast. They were movements of instinct, reflex and the desire to defend what she valued the most.

"Thanks for making a convincing trick," Valeur said a bit sheepishly, hefting up his yellow spear in his left hand, throwing it into the rift within the powerful flowing walls of the Cero, "now to end this!"

The spear whistled through the loud screaming Cero that continued to sear the earth it flowed over. By the time the rift had lessened near the point of origin, the spear was easily able to pierce through the veil of energy.

As its golden bladed edge flew through, Satsuriku's eyes would widen with surprise at seeing the offending and foreign weapon head towards his skull. With all the enhanced speed and reflexes he could afford, the Hollowfied Fullbringer bent his head to the left. Doing so allowed him to evade being struck in the forehead and escape without a scratch on his person.

However...

CRACK!

...the spear had ruptured the rightmost horn of his helm, ultimately shattering the controller over his Ressureccion augmentations.

"N-No!" Satsu whispered hoarsely out, as his body reverted back to its former Raijin visage, with his hair shortening and his skin returning to its normal complexion. The mask disappeared and his eyes reverted to normal sclera and coloration. Gritting his teeth, he knew that he couldn't continue this fight any longer.

"To Hell with this mission!" Satsuriku snarled out, raising his hand with emphasis. With a vibrant spray of golden lightning shining into the air, a vivid casting of intricate lettering would indicate a signal for all remaining members of the Elementals: Time to Retreat.

"This score is far from over, Soul Reaper scum," Satsuriku snarled, using Bringer Light to disappear from sight, in order to retrieve what fallen comrades he had left, "when I return, Hell be raised as I step on your bones!"

And just like that, the battle was over.

Kameyo fell to her knees, the battle having taken both a physical and mental toll on her. Her sword fell from her hands as it was resealed, clattering and sliding a few inches away from her hands. Her head was hung, and she was breathing heavily due to an adrenaline crash. She was barely aware of a fuming Tamiko storming up to the two of them, with her gaze locked onto the Shinigami. She raised a pointed finger in his direction, her voice conveying clear annoyance.

"You are so lucky Crimson Eye intervened as quickly as she did!" She seethed. "Do you realize just how close you could've come to getting killed?"

Valeur looked over at her, casting an annoyed stare at her as he propped his red spear on one shoulder, "Weren't you the one responsible for casting an annoying song just earlier? I think, really, if it wasn't for you I would've managed to note there was no one to defend in that area and thought more carefully about my approach."

"He's right, you know," Choku spoke aloud, his body covered in light scratches from his own battle, hauling Seishuku's bleeding and burnt form over his shoulder, "you really should be careful, about the ramifications your techniques have in other battlefields."

Although Choku's statement had made it clear they weren't appalled to verbally ganging up on her, Tamiko refused to give in. She still continued to hold Valeur with her glare. "You should've thought more carefully in any given situation! I mean, sure, it would've been heroic of you to do that if she was the real thing, but--" However, she cut herself off before she could continue with her rant, throwing her hands up in the air. "Oh, wait. What am I doing? Arguing with a male run by his testosterone and a strong desire to just throw himself in death's way. Izanami-no-Mikoto..."

She turned around and took several steps storming away from him. But then, she stopped herself, abruptly turning around and pointing another accusing finger at him. "And my music is not annoying! You just have terrible tastes!"

"Nnngh...."

But before anyone could respond to that, they would hear Masahiro's groan as he once again came into the air. He was holding his forehead, his face covered in his own blood. He was staggering and limping towards the group, expressing just how severe his own injuries were. "Guys... I... I can't..." He groaned weakly, stretching out one hand towards them. However, it was all he could do before he promptly collapsed on the ground. It broke Tamiko out of her rant, her eyes widening shock as she looked at him.

"Oh my God, Masahiro!" She quickly raced over to him, moving to place one of his arms around her shoulders and one of her own around his waist. She slid his limp body over her shoulders before looking over to Choku. "We need a place to hole out, find somewhere to lay low. At this rate, my colleagues are going to get slaughtered in the next encounter we get into!"

"It wouldn't be advised to continue seeking out enemies, given our current strength for those left standing," Choku spoke matter-of-fact, pushing up the rim of his glasses as he saw the conditions of all those present, "I saw a few of the DCO agents rounding up the remainder of those who survived this skirmish, but I haven't seen a place that currently locked in engagement-"

"Hello?! Is anyone out there?!" A voice suddenly reached out to all those still present among them, "please respond if you do!"

"Oh, thank God!" At the medic's voice, Tamiko's heart abruptly soared. Quickly, she extended a hand out while stating the chant of the Kidō spell for broadcasting. "Black and white net! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns and belts! Footprints, distant thunder, sharp peak, engulfing land, hidden in the night, sea of clouds, blue line! Form a circle and fly though the heavens! Tenteikūra!"

Upon the last word, the telltale square appeared in front of her palm. She wasted no time. "Captain Ikidōri? Oh, thank the Goddess of Hueco Mundo, you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice again! This is 3rd Division Lieutenant Tamiko Okayama reporting in!"

"By the name of Spirit King, its good to hear that Gina's Lieutenant is safe. Rest assured, she and a few others are standing next to me as I speak. We're going to fire up a flare, hopefully that will be visible enough for any stragglers and survivors to meet up. Hana sent out a telepathic signal not too long ago, indicating that she and the Head Captain have a plan to set in motion for those of the Alliance and their reinforcements to participate," Taiyō explained, just as the remainder of those who were either unconscious or standing of the ragtag team of squads met up among the debris, "may you reach their in all due haste and safety."

Within the distance, an emerald pyre of light jettisoned into the sky, indicating the position of the Captains.

It was the beacon of light they were looking for - something that could easily be conveyed by the look on Tamiko's face. After all of their hardships, after all of the times they had been knocked aside and stomped into the ground, they could finally find a place of salvation within this apocalyptic fortress. That was enough to hoist the body over her shoulder with a little bit more strength as she spoke her last words to Tamiko. "Understood! Okayama out!" She turned towards her comrades, her eyes landing particularly on Kameyo as she struggled to stand. The Inner Circle Shinigami's sword was sheathed as she did so, allowing her free hand to clutch the tunnel carved into her arm. But she seemed to be ready to keep on going.

"All right. If we wanna get there without any more problems, we're going to have to hoof it. You guys ready to move?"

"I'm able to keep going for a while." Kameyo said quietly, hanging her head as she breathed in and out. "But... I am not sure if I can continue for prolonged periods of time. I have lost a lot of blood in the fight and I may be close to falling unconscious..."

Valeur had finished holstering his last spear over his back, sealing them as he did so, when Kameyo finished speaking. With a soft sigh, the gentleman Soul Reaper walked up next to Kameyo and bent his knees, looping his arms underneath her knees and around her lower back, picking her up in a bridal style to tenderly mind her wounded state.

"I'll carry you, Serah Kameyo," Valeur spoke affectionately to her, smiling tenderly at her as he held her against his chest, "I wouldn't want you to strain yourself after all the heroics you employed so eloquently this hour."

It was a rather heartwarming thing to see for Tamiko, despite her earlier gripes against Valeur for his comments. She looked on as Kameyo silently accepted his gesture of kindness, wrapping an uninjured arm around his shoulders and bringing the wounded one into her lap as best as possible. A smile slowly spread across her face, and she had to raise a hand to her mouth as she saw the crimson-eyed girl lay her head against his chest. After all the stress that they went through and the flare that had been shot up into the sky by a rescue point, it was rather relieving to not see allies fighting for their lives against a dangerous force. She gave an acknowledging nod towards them before briskly walking over to Enricho.

"Great! We'll head towards the rally point, hopefully rest and recouperate. As of now, I can safely say that we've all earned it." With a free hand, she reached out to place on the Spaniard's shoulder in order to ensure that he came with them. "C'mon!"

Enter the Reaper, I'll Show You A Shinigami!
"The battles are in quite a flux," Kukkyōna spoke aloud with observation, having cleaned his blade from a pile of Soldats that he personally encountered. Ever since the Soul Society had been overturned, Kukkyōna had found himself in the midst of a new force of enemies. Humans, and above all, the Quincies hailing under a new banner. The fact that the Hayate Head saw so many forces willing to lunge themselves upon their persons, meant they didn't distinguish the gap of power between themselves and their enemies.

For soldiers of their caliber to rush three Captains, was utter suicide.

"Judging from all the eruptions of Spiritual Power, it seems a lot of the battles elsewhere are getting much more intense than ours," Kukkyōna looked towards Hachiro and Noriko's directions, "shall we move elsewhere and assist our comrades, or search for more potent enemies to crush?"

From that statement, one would be led to believe that Kukkyōna was the calmest out of the three.

The 11th Division Captain, although certainly controlled, was far from calm. As she slung her own blade to get rid of the blood that stained its edge, she had a hardened edge to her eyes. Her mouth was set in a thin line, with the corners of her mouth pointed slightly downward in a restrained scowl. The corpses of the Soldaat troops did absolutely nothing to sate the rage burning within her. After all, everything had been looking good for them, and she had been so close to avenging her fallen troops. The only real bad thing that had happened was getting struck by As Nodt's arrow and the subsequent psychological assault, which had thankfully wore off after a moment's time.

Now, the Quincy - no, their King - had gone and turned everything upside down. Once again, they were fighting against insurmountable odds and victory had slipped through their finger tips. Now, their very home had been taken away from them and replaced with this wasteland of a fortress. The thought made her lips part, partially revealing her clenched teeth in the process. She walked over to a decapitated head of a Soldaat and stomped one of her foot down onto its side, applying gradually increasing pressure. If she had to, she would kill every Quincy residing within this new area without hesitation.

"Pick whatever you want, noble." She said lowly, looking down on the head with clear distaste. She took a grim pleasure in seeing the eyes start to bulge from the sockets. "But personally, I prefer the route that gives me the pleasure of slaughtering these Quincy. The more of their numbers that litter these frozen streets, the better off we all are..."

A sickening crunch indicated the head's skull finally crumbling under the pressure, falling apart as a mess of blood, bones and brain matter. Although she didn't care much about the mess she caused, it caused a nearby Hachiro to grimace slightly. But it wasn't enough to wipe the restrained anger off of his own face. He slipped his swords back into his sleeves, his icy blue eyes sweeping the area. "The rest of them can hold on their own." He said calmly, his tone taking on a much more leader-like quality. "I'm sure that they're already adapting to this place as quickly as we have. Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, these Quincy have the home field advantage. We're most likely going to run into a Stern Ritter more than a friendly."

His rather authoritative tone caused Noriko to smirk slightly despite herself. She sheathed herself, reached into her pockets and fished out a lighter and cigar. She stuck the cigar in her mouth, flicking the lighter's flame and raising it to the end away from her mouth. "I wish I could say that was a good thing, considering we'd have a chance to kill some more Quincy. But," That smirk would soon fade back into a frown, and her tone took on a slightly melancholy quality. "Considering how we faired against As Nodt..." Her eyes started to flicker with slight anger. "I can not believe we had to bail out like that. By one Captain, nonetheless!"

A short distance away, one of the shadows elongated into the form of the Vandenreich's emblem, the five pointed star wreathed in darkness could only herald one thing, the arrival of a Stern Ritter. From the bleak portal created a lone dark-haired girl stepped forth. She wore a personalized variation of the usual Ritter garb; A light blue jacket with a black undershirt and dark blue tie, a white skirt with blue trimming, white leggings she had tucked into her blue-soled combat boots, also white. On her left sleeve was a blue armband emblazoned with the five-pointed star served as the organization's symbol.

Although close to the Shinigami in question, the girl remained hidden. She couldn’t risk being found out quite yet. The odds were still against her after all. Three versus one would be tantamount to suicide, and death was certainly not on her agenda today, especially against the group in front of her. She would not die if she could avoid it. To tilt the odds in her favor, she activated her unique ability, granted by her epithet, The Reaper. Four strands of reishi reached into the shadows and seemingly by command, four more beings, each wearing hooded cloaks as white as snow. The girl looked behind her as the four walked forth, bound to her by the reishi wires, each connected at the base of the neck.

In her mind’s eye, the girl could see herself from four slightly varied angles. She could see through the eyes of her assembled squad. The connection to all four was a success and the bodies were ready to be used to her ends, as if they were puppets.

Without a word between the five,  they made their move, using high-speed movement to appear right in front of the captains almost soundlessly, the girl standing behind the four bodies. The girl manifested her spirit weapon, a crimson red shotgun, and stepped forward to meet her opponents and declared a challenge for the three to hear. “Shinigami of the Gotei 13, my name is Reimu Ryougetsu and by order of His Majesty, Ywhach, we are going to kill you if you don’t flee from this place right away. If you value your lives, I suggest you take advantage of this kindness.”

After Reimu finished speaking, her four servant bodies drew their swords and prepared for a battle.

Kukkyōna's eyes briefly flickered with acute awareness, just as the four figures appeared before each of them. Though, to be fair, Kukkyōna had two directed upon him, as the other two were singling out each Captain. Why? Kukkyōna rationalized it was because the enemy saw two swords on his person, and assumed two enemies would be more proper.

As the said enemy flamboyantly declared herself before them, Kukkyōna could sense a hint of madness ebbing from her being. She felt too excited to be simply doing this out of maliciousness or sadism. He could only imagine what drove her to the brink, as it had. But he had no time to dwell upon it, knowing pity would make his blades dull.

"Seems you'll get your chance for venting, Noriko-san," Kukkyōna spoke aloud with a smile, brandishing his two blades in front of his twin cloaked opponents, scraping them together as he glared excitedly at the two before him, "cause I'm about to get fired up!"

Both his and the Quincy's words would stop any possible conversation between Noriko and Hachiro.

The two Captains immediately turned their gaze towards the enemy that had swooped down in front of them. They both would gain an analyzing look of their own as they regarded her and the four bodies acting as her escorts. It certainly was a rather bold move, directly challenging the three of them without even an attempt to take them by surprise. Then again, if this girl was anything as As Nodt, she probably had the skill to back up her bravery. It was enough to keep them on the alert, with Noriko readying her sword in a stable stance and Hachiro drawing out his own twin swords to brandish. It would be Noriko that spoke out to the Quincy.

"Kindness?" She spat out the word like a bad taste in her mouth, her eyes glaring icily at the girl. "You've killed so many of us, ripped our home out from underneath our feet and now you're demanding that we tuck our tails between our legs." With each and every word, her anger started to surface little-by-little. The combination of this and a controlled manner of speaking made her voice a little intimidating to listen to. "And you claim this is kindness? You should have just ambushed us while you hand the chance..." Her eyes narrowed into slits. "Because now, you're going to regret ever challenging us."

Reimu merely glared at her opponents for a moment, wondering why such lowly dogs would spit in the fact of generosity freely given to them from a being far greater than them. The Shinigami were more stubborn than she had hoped. Not that it would matter. Having effectively divided the captains from one another, it would stand to reason their collective fighting power would suffer as well.

The body nearest to Hachiro made the first move, reversing the way his blade sat in his hand, the cutting edge facing up. With his free hand, he reached into his robe and  pulled out four ginto tubes, the small silver capsules visible even in the shadow of his robe. “Spin the chalice around. Rotate and deceive those at this feast, Schwert der Zerstörung Gottes!” Completing the rite, he dropped the tubes over his blade, slicing them in half to release the condensed silver inside them, coating the sword in that very substance. The metal seemed to burst into flame covering the once elegant blade in a wreath of fire, blue as the day-lit heavens. Only the hilt prevented the warrior’s hand from brushing against the blaze.

Leaving Hachiro no time to react to the spell, he thrust forward, aiming to deal a fatal blow to the Shinigami, a blow aimed straight at the heart.

Noriko’s opponent drew a Seele Schneider, the blade emitting a violet glow as it expanded into a wakizashi-length sword. The body took a second Schneider and connected it to the base of the first one, forming a dual-sided sword made of reishi. Taking a defensive stance, the body waited for Noriko to make the first move.

The body to the left of Kukkyōna manifested a scarlet red bow lined with dark blue vein-like patters across its surface. Taking aim, the body used the Klavier technique to fire a multitude of red arrows from his weapon, aiming to pin his victim to a building.

The one to Kukkyōna’s right rushed into the air and held out a gloved hand before speaking an incantation, “Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Shakkahō!” At his command, a red blast of energy surged forth at high-speed. with the intent of burning the Captain it was aimed at.

Kukkyōna acted accordingly to counter both attacks, while making a counterattack of his own.

Twisting on his heels to spin with each blade out in a parallel direction to his sides, Kukkyōna discharged a voluminous current of Kidō generated wind from his pores. In doing so, he gained an insane momentum, as a powerful twister generated from his body and billowed up all the way into the sky. As the wind rotated at a high enough velocity, the volley of arrows were thrown off course or were shattered by hitting the solid wall of wind. Even the Shakkahō was thrown off course from his person, striking a building not too far away and causing it to explode violently.

Then, he counterattacked.

"Nenshō Burēzu Bijutsu, Form 13," Kukkyōna spoke lowly, as flames voluminously flowed into the hyper rotating column of wind, giving it an abundant amount of fuel and force to propel it, "Nitōbu Doragon!"

The tornado ignited into a high speeding inferno, blazing and blackening the earth around it, while expanding to an astronomical width of fifteen meters in diameter. The upper half of the twister would suddenly peel away from the sky, launching itself down towards the earth. That head of the fire twister would diverge, splitting into two very animated dragon heads. With mouths open wide, the two dragonic avatars aimed to pummel the two targets into the ground with powerful force, while spewing the geysers of incinerative energy upon their persons.

A challenge had been openly presented to Noriko, even if the body challenging her hadn't spoken. She reached up with one hand to push her glasses closer to the bridge of her nose before settling into a ready stance. She kept her hawk-like glare on her singular foe as she approached, keeping her sword defensively prepared as she crept. The chaos of the other battles wasn't enough to take away her focus on the puppet, nor would it be enough to sway her eyes away. She would only stop her walk once she was directly in front of her target with only a few steps worth of distance between the two sides.

Her blade would first move in a fierce thrust towards the heart, mirroring the attack directed towards Hachiro. Then, her wrists would turn to send the katana in a rebounding series of strikes against her opponent. Each and every swing was an attempt to rip through her target's defenses. There were several weaknesses to take advantage of in terms of pure sword fighting, including the increase of the hilt size, limitations of technique and the style of the weapon itself. But she was no fool; she was aware that there had to be something to fall back on. She had to keep a look out for it, but until then, she had to focus on battering her foe's guard down.

Likewise, Hachiro was approaching his own situation tactically.

Behind the glasses, his eyes widened in slight shock at the flames enveloping his foe's blade. The blue flames of the Stern Ritter were known to be quite hot, capable of burning even the supposedly flameproof environment of Hueco Mundo. Direct blocking with just his sealed Zanpakutō was suicide, lest he was begging for himself to get run through by the fire. Thinking and acting quickly, he flipped one of his blades around to an inverted grip before raising it over his head. With a tilt of the body and a step forward, he had evaded the attempt on his life. The hilt of that sword swung down, colliding with his foe's sword hand with bone-crushing force in an effort to knock him off his balance.

It was here that a grin, psychotic and malicious in visage, crossed his face. He swung his remaining blade forward in an effort to decapitate his enemy.

Due to the speed that he had used to actually strike out at Hachiro, the body with the bright blue blade had little time to even think of a counter to the oncoming strike. Within a single moment, his body followed the crushing force that impacted his wrist, the weight of his weapon only adding to the downward momentum. With only a split-second’s time to avoid decapitation, he lowered his head, just enough to avoid certain death. Hachiro’s sword sliced the man’s hood apart, revealing the face it once obscured.

A pair of dark eyes gazed with a malicious intent at the Shinigami across from him. A single scar ran from the top of his forehead down past his eye, the very top of the scar hidden by his black hair. Opposing his former captain stood Sousuke Kurasuma, a man thought long dead.

Reimu could sense overwhelming emotion coming from the body named Sousuke Kurasuma in life. Loosening her restraints over the will of the man’s soul, not enough to allow him to break her control entirely, but enough to allow him to interact with the man he recognized from his time as a part of the slowly crumbling world around them all.

Instantly, the hate-filled eyes softened and seemed to radiate a sense of joy. “Hachiro-taicho. It’s been a while hasn’t it?” he spoke while stabbing his sword into the ground, spreading his arms wide in a gesture showing he was, for all intents and purposes, unarmed. “If you want to strike me down, go right ahead, I wouldn’t blame you. But I would rather we talked, for a moment, before that girl restrains my soul once more. What do you say?”

Kukkyōna’s spell soared at both bodies, twin dragon heads lit ablaze. The body in the air was the first react, stretching out both hands. Unable to cast a large enough spell to defend both himself and the other body, he started chanting his incantation to erect a massive Danku in front of his person. The spell created a large, clear wall in between him and the flaming wind, activating at the last possible moment before impact, effectively destroying the oncoming dragon’s head, leaving only a small crack on the otherwise flawless, glass-like shell of the Danku.

The second body, the archer, instinctively knew that he was on his own to dodge the hellish storm heading towards him. Using a hail of arrows let loose from his bow, he attempted to dismantle the spell before it even became close enough to be considered a threat to his person. The damage done was minimal as far as he could see. A much less simple, less barbaric tactic would need to be used to survive this.

Using shunpo, the archer appeared above the spell, and watched as the swirling flame veered into a gentle curve, more than capable of circling about to hit him. The emotion he registered from Reimu’s connection to his mind was one of shock. His own thoughts, however, were less than worried. With his natural talents combined with the powers bestowed by the childish Stern Ritter he was bound to, dispatching even this tracking Kido would be simple. He waited for the spell to level itself with his being before rasing his bow once more. Firing a single arrow at the swirling fire, he expected the attack to destroy the spell, just as before. Imminently, he turned around and let lose another arrow, this one aimed straight for Kukkyōna to ruin the caster’s concentration.

Noriko’s opponent knew well that the design of his weapon looked unwieldy, but it was foolish to judge a weapon simply on its design without paying attention first to the nature of the weapon. With a simple flick of his wrist, he split the dual-edged blade back into its composite parts. The blade in his right hand expanded as it absorbed reishi from the air, growing to the length of a traditional katana, making the dual-sword components a daisho pair. With the shorter weapon, he deflected Noriko’s strike, using his elongated weapon as his offensive tool, aiming to slice off her sword arm, thus removing the threat of attack from his enemy.

A grunt was released from Noriko when her weapon was parried away. Her sword arm was bounced back against its will, with sparks flying between the two metals in order to emphasize the atmosphere. For a brief moment, she appeared to be vulnerable as the long blade was swung for the limb. But, as expected of a highly skilled swordsman, she was able to recover and strike back. She pulled the sword back just before the metal could connect with it, flipping the blade around in her hand as her opponent's steel barely missed her flesh. The way she maneuvered her sword positioned for a perfect cut through both of his arms, and that was just what she aimed to do. She would follow right behind the path of his arm with her weapon, her cutting edge racing straight for its targets.

In contrast to that, Hachiro found himself stopping once he saw the familiar face.

Sōsuke Kurama. Former Lieutenant under him and one of the best soldiers he had under his command. One of the victims of the plague released on the Soul Society. After his death, Hachiro had the body cremated as to keep possible infection of the virus from spreading once again. But now, somehow in someway, this Quincy had recovered it... if not made an entirely new copy. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of his former subordinate, and he found himself lowering his weapons automatically. Even if Kurama hadn't spoken then, he didn't know if he had it in him to attack right away after seeing that face.

"S...Sōsuke?" Was the only word he could manage, his voice low and with disbelief.

The Last of the Reigai, The Immortal vs the Superstar!
"Dammit! With all these explosions and overlapping fields of spiritual pressures, I can't tell where the action is taking place!" Shinji complained, trudging around in his crimson coat that overlapped his Shikhakushō. His footing scaled over the ruined buildings of a recently ended battle, his bowl-cut head turning to and fro to look for any signs of the enemy.

"Sir, we shouldn't tread lightly here!" One of the DCO agents accompanying him, one of twelve, a violet ponytailed man with standard flak jacket wear approached his left side, "the enemy has been reported to use the shadows for immediate materialization. They can sprout at any position at any given moment!"

"Takoshi, you worry too much," Shinji waved away with a overbitten frown, waving his hand dismissively towards the Bishōnen subordinate of his, "I can tell if an enemy is heading our direction from a mile away. I can't just tell where they are specifically..."

"That's not reassuring!" Takoshi flailed his arms with comical indignation.

"Honestly, Tako-kun," A brunette squadmate, Nozomi, walked up to his left side. She began putting him in a arm lock, her sleeveless lithe arm keeping him pinned as she noogied his violet mane-covered head as she chuckled, "you need to ease up and relax! You're part of the Survey Corps! No need to be paranoid around our Captain!"

"AH! LET GO, NOZOMI!" Takoshi flailed with eyes clenched tightly, emphasizing his dismay.

"Oi, you lover birds should really get a room," A red mullet haired squad mate, Enma, said from their far right, keeping his dual scythe pole Shikai on his shoulder as he glared at them with detest, "you're going to make me vomit with your poorly hidden romantic gestures-"

"WE'RE NOT AN ITEM!" Takoshi shouted insistantly, barely covered by the distant explosion that cracked with cacophony around the atmosphere.

"You guys give me such a headache," Shinji groaned as he rested a hand on his head as he looked blankly ahead.

A certain enemy would take advantage of this situation. With Shinji unable to comprehend where the fights were happening, and the DCO agents distracted with their bickering, it was the perfect chance...

"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!!!!!!"

... for an ambush.

Right behind Shinji and the DCO agents, a large, darkened figure with a flowing cloak and white silhouette eyes leapt towards the group, letting out a large bellow as he did so. When he made impact with Shinji, a massive crash came as a result, shaking the earth around them and causing parts of the ice-like ground to erupt in the form of large slabs.

In the middle of it all, the figure stood straight up, revealing himself to be dressed in a typical Sternritter uniform, but oddly wearing a Luchador-esque like mask. He had cheery looking eyes and a fairly large, white moustache. "Ha-ha!" he laughed aloud, placing his fists on his hips proudly and grinning. "The classic 'from behind' tackle. Works every time!!"

"They never saw it coming, mister!" a short, chubby man with overalls cheered, ringing a small wrestling bell that he was carrying with him.

Within a single instant, four of the twelve DCO agents were crushed under the momentum and weight of the enormously proportioned Stern Ritter. This caused four ahead, including Shinji, to look back with shock at the sudden and incredible entrance their newfound enemy made before their group.

"T-The Hell is that?!" One of the agents shouted incredulously.

"He took out them like nothing, and appeared out of thin air!" Another spouted out.

"Cut the chatter, dumbasses!" Shinji shouted in a commanding tone, laced with comical annoyance, producing a throbbing vein on his forehead with emphasis.

"Tch, told you to be more aware," Enma spoke lowly, turning on his heel to glare at Mask's form, spinning his double moon-shaped pole scythe weapon around declaratively, "I take it you're a Stern Ritter, gauged from the outrageous sense of fashion and the medal emblazoned upon your person. State your status and name, so I may kill you with hon-"

"Don't you go all acting macho, En-san!" Nozomi shouted with a brash tone, releasing Takoshi from her headlock, to reveal her Zanpakutō's rose-shaped guard, with a silver laced sheathe and a crimson sheathe, "if we're going to take on someone of that caliber, might as well do it together!"

"For once, I agree with you, Nozomi-san," Takoshi spoke aloud, as he thumbed his triangular guarded Zanpakutō free from its sheathe, as he narrowed his pink irises at Mask, "what are your orders, Captain?"

"Assume a defensive position, and wait for my command to strike on your initiative," Shinji spoke assuredly, causing the more proximate agents to Flash Step away from Mask's presence and form a triangular formation in readiness for his next attack, "I want you guys to buy me some time, when the heat really starts to get boiling..."

"Ah! A Captain level foe?" the Sternritter said as he turned to face Shinji, his grin less maddened and more excited than anything else. "Perfect! A perfect chance to show off my full battle prowess! Finally, I can fight someone that is truly worthy of my skill!"

"A great challenge to take down, mister!" the portly man with the bell continued to cheer.

"Shinigami!" the Sternritter said as he pointed a finger at Shinji. "I am Sternritter 'S' - Mask de Masculine, and I will be your opponent!!" he exclaimed.

"Yeaaaaah, no," Shinji spoke in a bored tone, turning his head comically away to dryly stare over his shoulder, "I have better things to do than mess around with bulbous muscled retards like you. Enma, if you please do the honors..."

"Right!" Enma shouted out, slamming one moon-shaped scythe into the ground, clasping his hands together as he began speaking to Mask directly, "my name is Enma Tetsukō! If you truly want a challenge, then try withstanding...this!"

Pushing his hands out forward, letting his forefingers and thumbs create a triangular space between his hands, shouting out aloud as a bright vibrant light exudes from his hands, "Gyaku Niji Kakusui!"

Within an instant, the light would discharge from the space between his hands, launching a stream of rainbow light to slam into Mask's chest with incredible kinetic force, capable of bludgeoning through the most tough substances. However, the attack itself would be a ruse to cause Mask to retaliate or dodge, as the DCO agents that formed a triangular formation would disappear via Flash Step, reappearing all around him with their respective Zanpakutōs brandished, swinging, lunging and thrusting at the respective weak points to gain purchase upon his person and injure him.

When their Zanpakutōs would make contact with the looming silhouette of Mask's figure, they would feel nothing but a diamond hard surface, seemingly making no wound on his person whatsoever.

"Hah! A noble attempt!" Mask said to the agents, standing in the same pose as before, virtually unharmed as a faint blue Reishi "sheet" was wrapped around his whole body. "But your power isn't nearly enough to even crack my Stahlhaut! Now please..." then, with outstretched fists, he swung himself around in a full circle, knocking all of the agents back a considerable distance. "...stand aside!"

He then looked back at the Captain and pointed at him once more, this time speaking more seriously than before. "Shinigami! Face me!"

"No way!" Nozomi uttered aloud with horror, as she saw her friends knocked away with such force that they skidded across the ground like bullets before narrowly evading to hit their comrades, as they crashed into nearby structures, "that didn't even phase him?!"

"It seems that he draws upon an advanced form of Blut. His body seemed to radiate a cloak of spirit energy to increase the overall protection area," Takoshi muttered with narrowed eyes, unsheathing his own blade with understanding, "since he is a Quincy who relies on that much protection, I'll simply take away that source of that shield of his."

Within a flicker of fast movement, Enma appeared next to them, brandishing his pole lunar scythe Shikai around in a steady arc, causing it to glow a blue-white hue as he did so. He never took his gaze off Mask, as his eyes fixated upon his beady eyes, hidden behind the mask that he so proudly wore.

"Captain, we'll buy you the time you need," Enma declared, smiling as he grasped the blade's handle with both hands, leaning forward with the weapon held at an angle, "my Buyōtsuki will be enough to rend his flesh asunder, protection or not."

"Very well," Shinji spoke aloud with a smile, nodding to them as he unsheathed his own Zanpakutō with haste, brandishing it as he readied to release it, "go for it!"

"Make haste," Nozomi declared as she unsheathed her sword, whipping it out in a graceful arc, allowing the substance that made up the weapon to dissipate and form a pair of gauntlets and boots. The boots had small wings on the silver stylized etchings, while the gauntlets sported similar wings on either flank of her wrist, "Datto Tenshi!"

"Embrace," Takoshi spoke in a neutral tone, raising it up a in a perfect vertical stance, allowing the transformed essence of his Shikai to fall upon his shoulders. What appeared would be a beautiful, nigh transparent weave of silk, embroidered to almost appear like a simple piece of cloth that flourished weightlessly around his shoulders and arms in a flamboyant manner, "Shōbi Yūrei!"

"Collapse, Sakanade," Shinji spoke lowly, as he spun his Zanpakutō to its inverted stance, allowing it to fall from his hand. It stopped in midair, as the blade changed shape to contain several holes in the flat of its make, with a distinguishable hoop hanging from the edge of its pommel, allowing Shinji to spin it through its center without ever touching its surface. As it did so, Shinji narrowed his eyes at the Quincy as he smiled, "have fun kids!"

When that happened, Nozomi rushed first, coming in with incredible momentum and force. It seemed that powerful fissures of jetstreams flew out of her boots, allowing her to move at indiscernable rates. When she appeared before the Stern Ritter, she would spin around and land a simple hammer fist strike to his back before backing away from him and doing so around him again and again. Each time she did so, she released powerful geysers of pressurized punches, packed with jetstreams that increased speed and force of her attacks.

With Mask busy with her, Takoshi would seem to materialize at his rear flank, issuing Nozomi to back away as he would extend the fabric that coiled around his sleeves to enrapture around his elbows and pull them back tightly. Within a few seconds, the silk glowed brightly, as it sapped him of his spirit energy and flowed directly into the cloth itself, giving it a much more larger presence that gave the shape and body of a transparent ghostly female figure behind Takoshi, reflecting an eery smile that contrasted his stoic stare.

Finally, Enma rushed from above, swinging down his lunar double-bladed scythe weapon to slash downwards twice, issued by a front flip over him, shouting with emphasis, "Baiho Ichida!"

Dual lunar shaped blasts would try to ram into Mask's shoulders with incredible cutting power, intending on cutting his immense log-sized arms off his body and disarming him completely.

Mask's frustration was beginning to show as the agents charged at him. Nozomi's shikai powers, no matter how impressive, wouldn't be enough to penetrate his Stahlhaut. He quickly grabbed one of her punches and threw her whole body to the side away from him. And then Takoshi came from behind him, wrapping his elbows with his strange silk Shikai. Despite it's unique ability, it stood no match for Mask's strength. Using his strength, he warped his hands up to grab the silk, and then spun Takoshi around until he slammed into one of the ice slabs jolted around them.

And then the lunar cuts came, which were equally as annoying. His Stahlhaut pushed to a fair amount, he let both blasts slam into his shoulders, before they imploded on themselves, leaving only minor burns on his outfit as a result. "The tryouts are over now." he stated in a more serious tone, punching Enma up into the sky. "Let the professionals do their work!"

It was a true testament to how unstoppable this Stern Ritter was. He tanked through every attack, no matter how unique or effective, as if they were nuisances to his hulking being. Each Agent was struck with enough force to be bludgeoned into unconsciousness or had the wind knocked effectively out of them.

But it was that spare amount of time that Shinji required to go on the offensive.

Walking towards him with a smile on his face, with a contrastingly menacing glare projecting from his hazel eyes, Shinji spoke aloud, "Let's cut the bullshit, shall we, tough guy? You wanted to fight me...neht s'tel og!"

Shinji spoke aloud, as the world would suddenly shift visibly and audibly for the Stern Ritter. As if the entire world was inside out, with them standing up in the air and the ground just above their heads. Shinji walked forward as if he had no problem moving forward, but was not so keen in explaining to him what was going on.

At least, not in the normal way.

"s'tahW gnorw? uoY t'nod kool os toh!" Shinji spoke in a seemingly gibberish speech back at Mask, further emphasizing to the trap that he wove for him.

"Wh-What is this...?!" Mask studdered, his vision beginning to distort and his hearing seemingly going backwards as he began to feel as if he had been put into an entirely different world. "What did.. you do to me??!" he shouted, slamming his fist to where Shinji was, but he felt no flesh meet his own, only more hardened ice material. Shinji had the admittidly dull man in a bad spot really quick.

"Up is down. Left is right. Even the direction of your body's movements are reversed, as well as the wounds and movements I make. You may be a stout warrior with incredible reflexes and powerful endurance. But in the Inverted World," Shinji spoke plainly, while his words were nothing but incoherent babble to his enemy, "you depend so much on your sense of sight and direction, that you are as helpless as a flailing infant."

'SHNK! VMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!'

Within a single hand gesture, Shinji donned his Phaoroh Hollow Mask, bringing his significant Spiritual Power to an incredible degree. This also increased the distortive inversion, making things twist and turn in a vertigo like aura. As Shinji moved in with swift speed, his blade slashed with incredible force across his left shoulder, leaving a wound on his right, landing on the other side with a hidden smile behind his mask.

"Gah!" Mask grunted as he stumbled back, almost losing complete control of where was, or better yet, what he was. He was completely disjointed from reality, and clearly couldn't fight in his current state.

"Sayonara, Mask de Masculine!" Shinji snarled in his Hollowfied tone, sounding little more than static in Mask's ears. Raising a fist, he charged up a crimson flare of condensed spiritual energy, causing it to leak out from the space between his clenched knuckles. Then, he threw it forth in the form of an open palm releasing a powerful fissure of explosive spiritual energy: A Cero.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't leave it's master.

A blue streak whistled through the air, screeching like a banshee and blowing right through Shinji's shoulder and even through his entire arm, tearing through his fist and canceling the charging Cero before crashing into the ground with a loud bang. "Sayonara... Shinji Hirako." Asumu Godai said calmly, standing nearly two kilometers away from Shinji on a high perch of a building, his bow drawn and preparing another arrow. He then fired it, causing it to sail through the air and go into the Hollowfied Captain's back area, a fatal shot, if un-hindered.

"Jigoku Dangan!" A violent cry would be heard just below his perch, as a high-sped fireball would crash into Asumu's backside, enveloping him into a powerful explosion. The wielder, Daisuke would be breathing heavily, with a single eye closed from being scathed by a shot from Asumu's gun and his body riddled with scathing close calls. His torso was bare, burned and cut up, a testament to how fierce his battle was. The overlying field behind him would be riddled with the unconscious and broken bodies of the Lancers whom fought valiantly together to fight against the Sharpshooter, but were outmatched. Daisuke, whom had been unconscious mere moments ago, had narrowly stopped him from claiming another unknown victim from a distance, "the Hell do you think you're doing, Asumu?!"

Shinji, on the other hand, was glad enough that he had donned his mask. His arm, from the shoulder to the finger tips, had been completely split in half, as a azure arrow flew through his limb and narrowly missed Mask's immense figure with a powerful shot. Blood spurted lightly from the cauterized limb, as it fell limply to its side, as his sword toting one swung out towards the area his offender was.

"Dammit! Freaking being sniped at from afar, eh?! Nothing pisses me off more than that," he'd briefly see a small fiery explosion in the distance, indicating the position the attacker was at, "it seems some of my comrades are slacking. Tch, not sure how I'm supposed to deal with this lummox before handling a freaking gunman!"

Mask wasn't the only one capable of Stahlhaut, thankfully. The fireball slammed into Asumu's back, burning his Sternritter cloak off but leaving him mostly unscathed. Calmly, he turned and threw his cross shaped bow at Daisuke, causing it to slam into his chest and likely just knock him off of his feet.

"Performing my duties as a soldier, Daisuke Hayate." the silver haired man spoke as the bow returned to his hand, like a boomerang of sorts. "War doesn't provide an honorable person the means to win their battles, or protect their homeland. If I must give enemy troopers or leaders a humiliating death from behind in order to better his Majesty's kingdom, then I will do it without a moments notice. Honor is what seperates the Quincy from Shinigami; while you cling to it, we abandon it, and therefore, we become your better."

Daisuke felt himself land onto his backside, his Zanpakutō falling out of his hand as he grunted painfully on the ground. Panting, he struggled to get back up, reaching for his blade as he glared up at Asumu, saying guturally, "So you're saying...you'll abandon your humanity...in order to win? How much more hypocritical can you get?!"

Standing back, stumbling back and forth, Daisuke's eyes burned with anger as he pointed his sword up at him, "Tell me, Quincy! When was the last time you ever considered what you did was considered anything but pretentious bullshit?! You think you've ascended, got better, and can look down on everyone. All I see is a man trying to convince himself that the utter shit you're willing to do in order to win, and not having a single waking moment that you're not regretting it! Tell me I'm wrong, Asumu!"

Asumu's eyes narrowed in annoyance, as he calmly walked next to Daisuke and used his foot to swipe his Zanpakuto away, before placing that same boot on Daisuke's chest. He then pulled out his sidearm, the long barreled pistol he had used not too long ago, and aimed it directly at Daisuke's head. "Look at your home, Shinigami. Listen to the screams of your comrades, the drop in your own power, the bodies of the defeated right behind you. You look at my eyes, and tell me that I'm wrong."

Meanwhile, back at Shinji's location, the small portly man with the bell ringer began to cry. "M-Mister Masculine... you can't lose! You can win this fight, I know it...!!!!"

And then, behind Shinji, a much larger, darker silhouette of Mask de Masculine appeared, grasping the Visored Captain's shoulders in an unbreakable hold. As if that weren't enough, a bright white light shined before Shinji, before it materialized into the form of a young, teenage girl wearing a military skirt, cap, and Sternritter cloak. Smirking, she winked at Shinji before pointing her finger right at him. "Peekaboo, motherfucker!" she shouted, and before he could do anything, an explosion would erupt from the surface of Shinji's chest, but his body wouldn't budge, because the empowered Mask was holding him dead center, unhindered by the blast.

Asumu, back at Daisuke's location, finished his statement by cocking the charge of his gun. "No, you don't have to tell me... because you already know the answer." he then put it right on Daisuke's forehead.

"You're wrong."

Rumbling Fury, The Gloryhound's Last Preformance
Mask and Bambietta, however, would be in for a rude awakening.

A violent elbow would drive into the back of Mask's neck, aiming to incapacitate him long enough to release Shinji's mask-shattered form down. Just before the figure could be seen, a combat knife would be brandished, swinging out towards Bambietta, unleashing a powerful gust of pressurized wind currents, laced with dozens of cutting threads that would be sharp enough to warrant caution even with Blut Vene activated.

"You really shouldn't let your guard down, Quincies," Kensei Muguruma spoke, his sleeveless white cloaked person standing between the two of them, with his grey hair flourishing in the wind as his eyes steeled a glare between the two, "cause you just might die..."

While Mask fell onto his face, Bambietta's smirk disappeared and was replaced with an expression of both shock and annoyance. Using Hirenkyaku, she managed to avoid the massive string of airblades and land back a ways from Kensei, flinching in frustration. "Just who the hell are you supposed to be?!" she snarled.

"Ehehehe," Shinji coughed with blood oozing out of his mouth, smiling up with half of his mask on his face. His arm was already regenerating, but it was clear by the strain on his face that his limits were about used up, "what took you, ya bastard?"

"Seeing you on your ass pisses me off, Shinji," Kensei muttered as tossed the knife up in the air, catching it in an inverted grip. Turning his eyes, he looked up with an azure glare at Bambietta as he spoke bluntly, "I'm the guy without sleeves, Kensei Muguruma. Sorry, but I'm not going to fuck around here with you clowns. Bankai!"

With an explosive burst of spiraling cerulean twisting air currents and spiritual energy, Kensei's form became endowed with his Bankai form. An arcing braided flowing from two pairs of armbands of metal material, wielding two pairs of knuckle blades, the ground around Kensei became grounded sulfur as he shouted at the top of his lungs as he focused his eyes at the two Stern Ritters, "Tekken Tachikaze!"

At that point, Kensei moved and with great prejudice. As Mask was still on the ground, Kensei moved his body to kick his hulking form upwards, transforming one of his knuckle blades into metal knuckles, slamming into his chest with incredible force. The rift of force would indent and rip apart the landscape for a dozen meters, cracking and shattering the constructs around him without restraint. Grabbing onto Mask's shredded uniform front, he would turn on his heels and pivot himself in a complete 360, throwing him at Bambietta with powerful momentum, aiming to send him and possibly her barreling through a number of Quincy structures.

As Mask was thrown, Bambietta calmly jumped into the air, spinning around once as the hulking luchador was slung into a building behind her and landing back in her place. "Huh, looks like this Reigai has a bit of bite to him. That's just perfect." she continued as she pulled out her Quincy Cross and drew her trademark forked blade from it in a flash of blue light. "I was getting bored of killing people who couldn't do crap to me!!"

She then swung the sword up into the sky, causing a massive pillar of explosive energy to erupt from under the Reigai of Kensei.

The Sharpshooter & The Beast, A Battle of Honor and Passion!
Asumu wouldn't have a chance to pull the trigger. An armored, behemoth fist would come in swinging at startling speed, slamming into Asumu's right jawline, causing enough power to disrupt the air around them into an audible pop. When the Quincy would be sent back, for whatever distance he may be, the warriorwould be revealed in a silver armored form. A smoldering blue flame exited from the eye slits as he spoke in a deep, authoritative voice, "There will be no more Soul Reaper blood spilled today!"

Asumu skidded away as a result of the punch, his Blut Vene preventing it from being broken but it still hurt nonetheless. "Who..." he stared, before his eyes widened at the Spiritual presence the being was letting out. "Sajin Komamura? You were.... no." he then resumed his calm stance and expression. "No... you're a clone... a Reigai."

"Reigai...?!" Daisuke looked up with slight alarm at the imposing visage, remembering the name from the history books. He had died three hundred years ago, at the hands of the Archdemon Ultharon, "then...you're on...their side?!"

"Not anymore," Sajin spoke lowly, pointing up towards the sky. Up above, high within the upper atmosphere, vibrant stretches of lightning that spread for kilometers along the skyline. What appeared to be two shining entities, moving too fast for the eyes to see properly, their powers were legendary and nigh untouchable to most observers looking upwards, "our leader is engaged in combat with your leader, Quincy. This means that the contingency plan...to have us destroy you without prejudice...is now initiated!"

Drawing his blade swiftly, almost at an impossible rate from his cumbersome appearing mass, a massive ethereal blade manifested within the air and swung towards Asumu with incredible force. The crimson trails of compressed and released spiritual power, aiding in its assault, was clear that it was magnified much moreso than the living predcessor's, "Tenken!"

The blade forming seemingly from nothing had Asumu distracted at first, but not for long. The soles of his boots shined bright blue, and using a burst of Hirenkyaku, managed to avoid it's powerful strike. Dust and debris flew throughout the area around him, but past it, he remained calm and composed, speaking plainly with observation. "A shame that you aren't the original Sajin Komamura, I would have preferred fighting someone with actual heart, a Captain of old at that. But alas, I'm forced to fight the shallow clone of him, with more of his power, but none of his soul." he finished, before raising his bow and firing a slew of arrows at Sajin's Reigai.

"What would you care for warriors with passion, when you yourself are not one?" Sajin questioned back, parrying the arrows with ease with his sword. Having done this, Sajin used Flash Step, appearing behind Asumu employing his Tenken ability once more. Instead of an enormous blade, however, a gargantuan hand would reach out to slam into his backside, intending on sending him flying across the air. The force would be great enough and swift enough to cause a defining crack within the atmosphere, sending electrical tendrils from the point of movement and contact, "your hypocritical nature sickens me, Quincy!"

Asumu wasn't able to see the hand strike come for him. As he flew into the air, he managed to stop himself a good few meters away from where the group was, looking back down on Sajin's Reigai with dispassion. "If I'm fighting someone with heart, it makes the weight of the battle all the more intense. It reminds me that while we might be different, we both have similar goals in mind, why we fight."

He then removed his Sanrei glove, causing his body to be enraptured in a blue pentagram shaped like the Vandenreich's medallion. As it shattered into glass, he was once again in his Vollstandig, his crosshair shaped eyes narrowing down on Sajin's location. "Therefore, it gives me all the more reason to fight at my best."

It was during the Vollstandig release that Sajin responded with barely restrained anger, only emphasized by the vibrant azure glow behind his helm's eye slits, "Are you saying that using your Vollstandig Release...isn't fighting at your best? Or are you simply just chiding me, to give yourself a pretentious pedestal to stand upon, Quincy?"

Sighing to himself, Sajin readied his blade as he assumed a Kendo stance, his body rippling with crimson Spiritual Pressure that shook the air around him, as he glared at his enemy from beyond his helm, "Then come, show me your heart, Asumu Godai! Show it to me, so that I might show you, what true warrior spirit is!"

"If I were fighting at my best, Reigai." Asumu started, aiming his bow down at Sajin's area. "You would be dead by now."

The cross shaped bow then tilted itself to where it was now in the shape of a regular bow, with two horizontal arrow tips at each side and a single circle in the middle. '''"Deadeye." '''he said, before a hypersonic arrow was fired from the circle's center. This arrow was almost like a standard, compressed beam with streams of wind blowing off from it's side. Regardless of Sajin's armor or defenses, this arrow would be a kill shot if it hit him.

"So fast!" Sajin thought, realizing it would be futile to parry or hope to take the brunt of such a high-powered projectile. Maneuvering with a Flash Step, he narrowly evaded the arrow, allowing it to detonate in the distance with a large and voluminous explosion in the horizon.

Reappearing, a small fissure on his left pauldrond would be visibly steaming, showing just how close the shot had been to connecting with his person.

"I'm at a disadvantage against this man. Not only was he thoroughly durable against my physical attacks, but his own offense has increased dramatically, increasing his already absurd ranged abilities to its peak. Though he may not say he's fighting me at his best, he's certainly not holding much back," Sajin analyzed as he looked at Asumu's left flank, breathing out slowly and calmly, intending on finding a way to outmaneuver this Quincy's powerful defenses.

"Your armor isn't so strong after all." Asumu stated, observing the spot where his arrow had struck. "Not that it would  matter. My arrows destroy all things without distinction. Which reminds me, before you die, I should tell you my real title."

His bow remained in the same shape, another arrow drawn as he spoke loud enough for Sajin and any others around him to hear. "I am known as Sternritter 'S' - "The Sharpshooter"".

From his bow, another Deadeye bolt was released upon Sajin's person, aiming right straight at the noble Shinigami Reigai's head.

"Now!" Sajin thought, as he dashed forward, the instant the Deadeye was released. As his body moved within swift momentum of his Flash Step, the right jawplate of his helm would be slashed by the peripheral side of the arrow. Ignoring it, Sajin swung his blade, forming a Tenken to not hit Asumu directly, but strike at his halo and the tips of his wings. In this aspect, he hoped that this would damage the Vollstandig enough that he would be limited in speed and from using the dreaded Sklavrei in the near future.

But this attack would still come at a price.

A resounding crack would be heard, as his mask would shatter from the proximate strike it made on his helm. As the metal fell off his head in pieces, Sajin's face would be revealed. Though it wouldn't be the wolf's head that all would know him from. In fact, his head seemed draped in a mane of golden hair, with wolf ears on either side of a strong and sharp visage, with blue eyes glaring at Asumu, as he wordlessly unveiled his appearance before him.

The Sharpshooter's eyes widened and he quickly pulled his head back, allowing his halo to just barely miss the massive blade's edge. The resulting force however, caused him to fly back a few more meters and regain his balance. But then he saw Sajin's new unmasked appearance. "Wait.... this is what you truly look like?"

Staring stoically back, Sajin lowered his blade down, allowing Tenken to disappear once more as he answered his opponent, "The Real Sajin never told anyone this, but I shall summarize: My Clan is composed of a race of Beast Men, having committed a generational series of sins against mankind, keeping us from entering either the Animal Realm or the Soul Society completely. In essence, we are both alive and dead at birth in the Soul Society. I however, preformed a ritual that only our Clan can preform, called the Human Metamorphisis technique."

"And does giving you human form allow you to have some sort of advantage over me?" Asumu replied with a tilt of his head. "Because if it's purely cosmetic, or something that lets you feel like a human again just for that very reason, then it will have been a wasted effort."

"You haven't noticed yet, hm?" Sajin asked cryptically, raising his blade with emphasis, "despite me not having the cutting power to pierce your Blut, you have been shown not to have the physical strength to repel it. Even in Vollstandig, you still cannot withstand the mass and velocity that my Tenken delivers."

Pointing it towards him, Sajin finished as his eyes began glowing a bright azure flame, ebbing out of his sockets as his whole body generates a neon blue aura of Spiritual Power that shook the atmosphere heavily, "Don't worry, you'll understand soon enough. Bankai...!"

Within moments, the gargantuan Bankai would emergy from the depths of Hell, rending the earth behind Sajin asunder in brilliant crimson and orange flames. What emerged appeared to be demonic in nature, as a samurai helmed being stood dauntingly over Asumu and its master. A black mustache donned upon its skeletal face, as the eyes ebbed yellow flames, its teeth jaggedly resting upon each other. A series of black ropes spun out of its torso, wrapping around his back and over its shoulders. A black Shikhakushō hakama wreathed around in a tattered visage over its skeletal and muscular legs. In one hand resided the enormous blade that resembled Tenken, as a pair of black gloves fastened over each set of digits, palms, and up to the elbow of each limb.

"...Dangai Joue!" Sajin proclaimed valiantly, causing the enormous mouth of the Bankai avatar standing tall and above him to let out a deafening and chilling roar from its maw.

Asumu had only felt fear once in his entire life, but that scenario was nothing compared to what he was seeing now.

"Good God..." he said, staring up to the skeletal Bankai's colassal form, of which was towering over him with it's flaming eyes. The Bankai belonging to Sajin he had studied before looked nothing like this. Was it a new form? Hollowfied? He couldn't tell, but he had a creeping feeling that he was going to find out soon enough. "...what is this...?"

"Death!" Sajin answered gutturally, as he swung his hand around in a swift horizontal arc. As he did so, the Bankai swung the blade around with immense power and velocity. The edge of the blade's mass caused the earth to be distended from proximate superificial contact, causing a large fissure of uproared debris and earth to rise up as the blade moved to cut down Asumu, along with everything else he stood upon in that vicinity.

Asumu pushed his Stahlhaut to the max, as he wouldn't be fast enough to dodge the blade's strike. However, as he expected, it was harder than the Shikai strike, sending him crashing through a few buildings and finally getting stuck to a wall. With a slight groan, his wings began to break the entire building down into Reishi and therefore began to grow in size. "This changes nothing." he stated, as he formed his bow back into it's horizontal shaped state. "Deadeye." he said, firing an arrow similar to the ones fired before, but much larger in size and crackling with electricity.

Moving with intense speed, this arrow blew the rest of the buildings that he had previously been hurrled through away and sailed right towards Sajin's heart.

Sajin was already leaping towards Asumu. He didn't want to give such an intelligent and experienced opponent to regain composure. The fear was still fresh, and he wanted to utilized that aspect to his own advantage.

Just as the giant Bankai was falling down to the ground, blade overhead, the arrow flew towards his chest. Sajin didn't look phased at all, unlike before. He still swung his blade down towards the Quincy with incredible velocity and force, aiming to have the blade crash through the earth with Asumu's body at its edge's epicenter.

The arrow would pierce his armor, but pass through him without stopping, spearing into several structures in the distance before violently exploding. Within the wake of the violent mushroom of azure flames, Sajin would be standing stoically before Asumu, with his Bankai looming over and glaring down at his form. The one noticeable thing that would be visible, would be a profound hole where his heart was supposed to be, perfectly cut out with a hollowed area where nothing resided, save slight steam from the arrow's trail.

The Stahlhaut once again managed to block the blade's descent; this time when it was pushed to it's max, it managed to keep the blade in place. Now his face was cleaned of fear, though one could see that he was still curious as to what Sajin had done. "Missing your heart? Just what kind of tricks are you trying to pull, clone?" he said.

"The price for the technique I mentioned, is the absence of one's heart," Sajin explained, his eyes stoically staring back at Asumu, the grip on his sword getting slightly tighter as he forced the Bankai to push Asumu further into the indented earth, "my Clan forbids us from using it, due to the fact that we become the walking dead in a world of spirits and humans. Our souls cease to travel the cycle, and forever belong to the void once this body becomes ashes. However..."

Along the towering blade held up above Asumu's form would light up a brilliant crimson-orange flame would discharge from the edge of the blade, detonating the earth within a voluminous fashion of intense, searing heat, "...such a sacrifice is far more irrelevent, than having the ability to put monsters like you in their place! Kantei Kaen!"

As Asumu landed on the ground, he noticed the ground beginning to boil from underneath him. An attack he would've expected from the likes of Bambietta, he had a perfect counter for such offenses. Four rods appeared in his hands, before he spoke aloud: "Kirchenlied: Sankt Zwinger."

Just as the molten earth shot up in the air, it would be almost immediately canceled by a bright blue light. Asumu was now in the middle of a fairly large fortress of Reishi with four Reishi columns forming into stars at their ends. The perfect defense for a Quincy.

"A Gintō Spell?" Sajin thought with observation, as he raised his blade up and away from the cerulean fortress, observing it with his senses and eyes, "it seems its composed of highly condensed and harnessed spirit energy. No doubt the amount of spirit energy he accumulated while in Vollstandig has allowed him to mount such a taxing technique. However, he's only seen the surface of Dangai Joue's full power."

Raising the blade over his head, he kept his eyes on Asumu's, hidden behind the fortress of azure and white light. A brilliant blue geyser of Spiritual Power gathered around himself, causing the Bankai's own aura to burst into a brilliant crimson and orange flame, making it seem all the more menacing. Swinging the sword down with a mighty and swift slash, Sajin merely spoke in afterthought to his attack sent towards the defensive fortress protecting his enemy.

"Shikaro!"

When the blade would come into contact with the fortress's exterior, a brilliant crimson electric shock would be seen from the collision from the sheer weight and power put into the immensely statured blade. Even moreso, a geyser of flames and spiritual power would increase the force indefinitely, pouring all over the fortress's surface, while focusing its edge with the utmost intensity. The ground for dozens of meters would be leveled and burned away from such destructive power that the Bankai's attack.

"Got you."

Sajin had done exactly what Asumu had wanted. Sankt Zwinger was not only the perfect form of defense for a Quincy, but it was also the perfect form of offense. Just as soon as the blade came down, the fortress would shine brightly and Sajin's Bankai would find itself completely immobile. As Asumu's crosshair like eyes brightened, a similar shaped, enlargened crosshair would appear on the Dangai Joue's chest.

"Obliterate." he said plainly, as the star like tips of the Reishi towers fired thin Reishi beams into the crosshair's center, before a massive blue explosion would erupt from Dangai Joue.

It was that instant, that Sajin felt the pain of his Bankai's destruction. His body seemed to erupt fire from his pores, setting his armored body ablaze as Dangai Joue was crushed in an instant. It was a careless move on his part, to believe it to be a natural defense. The barrier had been a trap, and he fell headlong into it.

Falling to one knee, Sajin's form looked utterly beaten from the view of Daisuke, not but a couple dozen meters away. His eyes widened with shock, terror, and sympathy for the stout warrior. Even if he had been a member of the enemy, he had willingly stepped in to fight for his behalf, and take down another of a would-be ally.

However, Sajin's stoic visage would only retain a smile, as his eyes finally lifted to meet Asumu's once more, "Very impressive, Captain of the Stern Ritters, Asumu Godai "S", the Sharpshooter. Making sure to use my own offense is turned against me is a calculated strategy. However, this proves one thing to me..."

As he would speak, the flesh, bones, and trappings of his Bankai would regenerate instantaneously within the air, revealing its most prized trait in comparison to its armored counterpart, "I need to stop taking you so lightly. From this point forward, you'll fight me at full strength, Stern Ritter."

Now Asumu was annoyed, heavily.

His whole body seemed to bristle with a mix of light and dark blue Spiritual energy, and his wings were slowly beginning to compress into smaller sizes. "I despise resistance, Reigai; utterly despise it. As cliche as this may sound, I cannot stand those who continue to persist in a battle that they will lose. If you continue to fight back..."

Suddenly, his entire body would be slowly lifted into the air and the Reishi surrounding him would begin to take form, a human form consisting of a skeleton that was steadily taking on what appeared to be samurai armor. Sure enough, with a deep, blaring horn like sound that echoed throughout the area for miles, the Reishi had formed into a samurai like being with red eyes concealed by a large helmet and with Asumu straight in it's center. "...then I'll simply crush you to the point where you can't even begin to pick yourself up."

The feat that Asumu preformed, was nothing short of extraordinary. Not only was it a solidified and stable construct of such mass, it was also intricately designed to resemble a samurai warrior, from the era of Japan's feudalism. Its trumpeting sound that bellowed across the landscape would cause the air to shift and the ground to quake. What's worse, is that Asumu was standing within its epicenter, making it difficult to aim for specifically him.

But if Asumu thought he could overpower him, Sajin still had one surprise left.

Pulling back the burnt sleeve of his sword-wielding arm, one could see the faint glistening sight of a silver bracelet with a violet jewel at its crowning center. Using but his single index finger, Sajin looped the digit around the piece of jewelry as he looked up at Asumu with a challenging smile, "To think you could mount up a construct of spirit energy so vast and balanced, is truly a feat worthy of your title. Allow me to demonstrate to you, my rebuttle to such a force!"

With a snap, the bracelet broke in two. It was then that an inferno of azure and crimson Spiritual Power exploded from his person, dousing the simmering flames upon his armor and flesh. His hair would bristle about, and his eyes would then glow a bright blue-white hue, as bristling tongues of energy ebbed from his sockets. The landscape trembled with the amount of power that was withheld in his being, which in turn, caused his Bankai's body to discharge a voluminous aura of violent flames and spiritual energy.

Raising the blade up to be gripped in two hands, Sajin and Dangai Joue would fight as one, with maximum strength superceding his prior against his enemy. He intended to crush him, and end his terror upon the Alliance and Inner Circle forces alike. With a valiant shout, Sajin proclaimed, "COME AND BE REAPED, HUMAN!!!"

Triumph and Treachery, Dance of the Void Climaxes!
'''Astounding. '''

That was the only word that could be nearly adequate to describe the two battles ensuing in the outskirts of the Soul Society. Such conflicts were rare and far between in elapsing of such power, precision, and grace to be employed. The earth shattered when blades and fists collided, parried, and missed their marks. The air would erupt in a shower of sparks, flames, and electricity throughout the atmosphere proximate to the combatants.

"You fight well," Yhwach Juhabach spoke lowly, breathing slow and steady breaths as he did so. His eyes glared appropriately at his opponent, only batting a small glance at his own condition. His left arm had been torn off during the battle, having absorbed an attack meant for his torso only minutes ago. A faint gash had been split over his left brow, forcing his eye to close intermittenly as the flow of blood carressed over his eyelid and down his jawline. A few sparing tears and burns marred his uniform, but he felt that he was far from done fighting. As long as he had the Soul Society's infinite supply of spirit energy, ambient within the atmosphere, he could fight at this level for as long as he needed to, "Casilda Selestino..."

Likewise, Lloyd had been suffering at the hands of his opponent. Despite his knowledge over all the aspects of his enemy's abilities, thoughts, strategies, and raw power he possessed none of her inherent instincts. As it stood, he couldn't adapt his fighting style to be totally in sync with hers and only rely on his own instincts and intelligence to continue countering her attacks. Nohemi de la Cruz had managed to bruise his left jaw, forcing a dribble of blood to flow out of his lower left lip and down his chin, with a series of cuts enamoring his person. But unlike his genuine counterpart, he had no words to exchange and only coolly stared back at her.

Casilda was quick to give a mocking smirk. "I do, don't I?"

In the fierce fight, she had suffered her own scars as evidence of her ability. There was a horizontal trail of blood crossing one side of her forehead courtesy of a slash grazing it. There was a similar slash wound on her neck, followed by a prominent amount of burn marks. Most of them, however, had been from the earlier fight with Tōsen. All in all, she was still in effective combat condition. She raised her katana up to a defensive posture, meeting Ywhach's glare with one of her own. "You don't get involved in countless wars without picking up the ability to fight well. Now, look where it's gotten me. I've managed to reduce the Quincy God to nothing more than another weary and battle-torn warrior. How does it feel, knowing that the one you dismissed as nothing more than a beast is going to be the one to kill you?"

In contrast to that taunting tone, Nohemi's words to Lloyd would be complimentary. "You're very good." She remarked, a soft smile on her face as she looked at him. "It's been a while since I've enjoyed myself in battle like this. Do you not revel in what you have now? To know that you wield my form as a weapon against me, carrying all of that power with you in the field of battle. Does it not excite you... Quincy?"

Yhwach could only chuckle lowly, responding in a knowing tone, as he briefly closed his eyes, "I suppose you have me there. I discarded your mere presence in this war as a afterthought when I should have treated you like a War Potential. Such power, such dramatic evolution, and such prowess. To think you would reduce me to this state is truly a sign of how worthy of an adversary you are in this battle. Likewise, you shouldn't treat me as a mere afterthought, Queen of Hueco Mundo."

Lloyd could only exhale, closing his right eye as he answered Nohemi, "Such desires and reveling is not a priviledge I allow myself to partake. Being such an individualistic creature, you cannot possibly understand what it is to commit yourself fully to any one entity. Be that entity weaker or stronger, charismatic or conniving, holy or unholy, it matters not. I am a individual who places my faith absolutely in my King, Yhwach Juhabach. A Hollow, evolved or not, will always remain a Hollow. You can never understand the pain I am about to endure for his behalf..."

"About to...?" Those were the words Nohemi picked up the most out of his response. Her eyes widened slightly, and her smile was quick to fade back into the neutral curve of the mouth. "Just what exactly are you talking about?" She questioned. "I'm sure that with all the effort you've been making into killing me, I'm certain that you don't plan on dying." Mentally, her senses had gone on high alert and suddenly, she was a bit more wary of the man in front of her.

"I never dismiss my foes as an "afterthought"." Casilda answered. "Do you think I would've started out releasing my true form against you if I thought you wouldn't be worth the trouble? Don't try to make me more pompous than I am, Quincy." She swung her katana in a flourishing manner to her side. "I know the type of enemies you take on, and I know you wouldn't bother raising a hand towards an enemy unless you assumed it to be a severe threat to you. Trust me when I say I've been taking you seriously the whole time. So if you still have fight in you," She raised her free hand in a beckoning gesture towards him. "Then come on! It's been far too long since I've actually enjoyed myself in the heat of battle!"

"Agreed!" Yhwach raised his sword upwards as he shouted.

Seeing that as the signal, Lloyd then wiped the blood off his browline, allowing him to stare back at Nohemi, "I invoke the Aspect of Sacrifice!"

A guttural scream would be emitted from Lloyd's throat, as yellow fissures of energy seeped out from his skin like cracks in an earthen landscape. Splaying each limb outwards, Lloyd's body would soon transform into a golden pentacle of energy, shooting up into the sky and have it rebound back down into Juhabach's sword.

A grin of victory stretched across Yhwach's visage as the golden fissure enveloped his whole being. When he would emerge through a single sword swing, his previously black cloak would be transformed into a magnificent raiment of golden light, reflecting the rest of his attire's now golden bordered trappings. His wounds were healed and his missing arm replaced with a new one, muscular and fresh to use at his own beckoning.

"Shall we continue this battle then, Casilda Selestino?" Yhwach asked, as his spiritual pressure weighed heavily in the air and the devestated landscape continued to be torn apart by the energies leaking into the atmosphere.

Both mother and daughter's eyes widened at what had just transpired.

Nohemi immediately jerked her gaze upward to follow the beam of light as it had traversed to Ywhach's blade, realizing what had happened. In an unexpected move, Lloyd had sacrificed his life force and his power to hand over to his leader. All of his abilities, intelligence, knowledge and prowess - no, all of hers - had been given to Casilda's foe. She had went out of her way to keep her daughter from having to face down that kind of power. But now, not only was the Primera facing down Ywhach's powers, she was facing down Nohemi's as well. Beads of sweat fell down her face, and the alarm on her expression was clear.

Likewise, Casilda had seemed to get the same gist, or at least was smart enough to recognize that the tide had just turned. The smile had been wiped off of her face as apprehension began to sink in. "What did he do...?" She asked quietly, gripping her sword handle tightly as she stared at Ywhach. There would be a moment of silence before she repeated the question again, her voice taking a small leap in volume. "What did he just do?!"

"Here I thought your intellect was of the higher caliber," the Quincy King remarked with a dark chuckle, waving his sword to the side as he tensed and relaxed his newfound muscles, power, and senses. He then turned his eyes towards Nohemi's more sweat-dribbling visage, smiled and nodded towards her, "why don't you care to explain the obvious truth that eludes your immature spawn, Nohemi de la Cruz?"

"Assimilation." The word came from Nohemi's mouth before she realized it. Her expression was tense as she regarded Ywhach, her stance no longer tall and relaxed as it usually was. "Lloyd employed the Aspect of Sacrifice upon himself, giving up his mind and spirit to Ywhach. All of his combat skill and abilities... all of my combat skill and abilities... what he acquired from me and from you has just been absorbed by Ywhach. I'm sorry, Casilda..." Although her voice was controlled, there was a subtle hint of distress within it. "I couldn't stop it...!"

If her mother was on the defensive so quickly, then this just had to be something very bad. Casilda clenched her teeth and leveled her katana so it was pulled back with the tip pointed at Ywhach. She had no idea just how much this newfound power leap would take him against the likes of her. But now, she knew she had to be on her toes. "That... is not what I wanted to hear at a time like this!" She said with anger and trepidation.

"You have to retreat, Casilda! Fall back! I have a better of chance of standing against him--"

"NO!!!"

The conviction within her daughter's tone made Nohemi take pause, her alarm once again being traded by surprise. "Casilda...?"

"I am not retreating from this battle!" Casilda snarled, casting a furious glare in Ywhach's direction. "I did it once before, and what did it get me? I was fighting to keep my people from getting slaughtered, and Aizen went out of his way to strike me down when I wasn't looking! I fell, and so did Empresa! I cannot afford to back down just because my foe got a little power upgrade from his dog! If he thinks that this is going to change anything, then he couldn't be more wrong!" She sucked in a deep breath, trying to regulate her systems before they could go into overdrive. "My blade is going to run through this tyrant's heart, even if it means I have to fight against your power!"

"Aspect of Greed, Invoked!"

Within the moment she finished her words, Lord Juhabach inhaled the very fabric of spiritual pressure ambient around them, including the particles of energy disassembled from the broken landscape. Even the rubble and dirt underneath both entities feet were not exempt from this mad scaled devouring of energy. It wasn't until that the Quincy King bristled with a bright blue-white hue of spirit energy, that he cupped a portion of space before his face.

"Aspect of Destruction, Invoked!"

VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!

An instant after invoking the power, a voluminous mass of blue-white flames exued out of his lips like tongues exiting the pits of Hell. The fire would liquify the earth, glass stone, and expand across a great gait as it aimed to consume Casilda to a degree like no other priorly used attack has done before.

It was here that Casilda summoned up her own defense.

Even as the storm of fire closed in on her, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She thought of the Arrancar slaughtered by the megalomaniac named Rey Dorado. She thought of the Sennin Butai's overall take over of Empresa and their subsequent attacks on Hueco Mundo, whereas thousands of civilians and soldiers alike were massacred. She thought about the Arrancar who aided the Shinigami here and sacrificed their lives for the sake of liberation. As all of this came within her mind, she felt tears spill from the corners of her eyes. Even the heat that washed across her face did nothing to keep them from coming down.

"I will not allow your deaths to go unavenged any more."

Her eyes opened to reveal a crimson tint, with even the tear trails glowing.

"Lend me the strength you carried into this battle. Lend me your might, power and spirit so that I may be able to destroy this monster!"

She gripped her katana in two hands and swung it up to allow the metal to meet the flames. The wall would stop within its tracks, momentarily causing a stalemate. The flames would spread all around her, but the bulk of the attack kept her under pressure. She gritted her teeth, digging her feet in and feeling her muscles tense up under the power. But she held firm, refusing to get pushed back and overwhelmed.

"This time, I'm going to win!"

With a scream that pierced the heavens, she swung her blade and parted the wave of destruction. The very air seemed to smoke around her blade as it was swung, unleashing a visible wave of physical power upon her enemy. There was a massive fissure torn within the earth in its wake, the ground shaking before splitting and falling into itself. It held the capability of not cutting, but rending Ywhach's form out of existence as it was doing to the environment around them. It caused Nohemi herself to stare in quiet awe, even as destruction reigned all around her.

"So far she's come... Jinete, if only you could see her now..."

The look upon Yhwach's face was one of sheer perplexion. Everything down on his right side had been obliterated, as the rupture through the space in between him and his enemy. He felt the power, his ability to sense energy, everything leave his being. His eye began to roll up as his throat murmured, "F-Forgive...me...Lord...Juha...bach..."

With a sickening crunch, Yhwach fell onto his back with the aura of gold light flickering away from existence. As tears began to fall from Yhwach's fading eyes, his visage regressed into a visage uncannyily similar to that of his brother's had it been seen. Blood flowed out of his mouth as those eyes faded into whites.

The Twin "Y" Stern Ritters had fallen.

At first, neither Casilda or Nohemi would notice or hear the final words spoken by the fallen enemy thanks to the giant dust storm that had fallen upon the area.

As she felt the spiritual energy of her opponent fade away, she began to breathe out of exhaustion. Her white hair lengthened, regaining the raven black that it always had been. Her Hollow mask fragments were restored, and even her clothing was returned back to her normal garbs. One of her breaths was a sigh of resignation as she began to descend, sheathing her twin swords as she did so. Inwardly, she had been shocked that she had been able to end the battle with a single stroke of the sword. But as long as it was over, she wouldn't complain. It would be the first real victory she had against an opponent in a while - especially against Ywhach.

As her feet touched the ground, Nohemi Sonido'd to her side. "Are you all right, Casilda?" She asked softly, reaching out to place her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"I'm fine..." Although she was exhausted, Casilda gave a weak nod and a smile. "More than fine, now that this fight is over. I can't believe I actually did it." Her voice sounded very enthusiastic - something that was rarely heard form her. "Now that Ywhach is dead, I can say for certain that the Quincy threat won't be much of a problem anymore. They don't have their all-powerful leader pulling their strings, so it's possible that their ranks are going to have to scramble to gain order... especially in this heat of combat." With a nod towards Nohemi, she started to walk away to the spot where her foe had fallen. "C'mon. Let's go make sure he isn't breathing anymore."

A humored sigh came from Nohemi, and she shook her head as she followed. "You may be a gifted leader of the people, Casilda... but sometimes, you seem as brash as your father can be..."

As the dust storm cleared, Casilda could see more and more of Ywhach's body as she came closer and closer. A smirk came across her face, and she walked more briskly. "This is going to be the start of your downfall, Lord Juhabach." She said confidently. "All of your subordinates and all of your followers are going to be marching right behind you to Hell soon enough. In the meantime, I'm sure the Queen of Hell will certainly enjoy having you as company--"

Then, she began to saw distinct features within his clothing that made it click.

Wait a minute.

Her triumphant expression was starting to become tainted with wariness and trepidation once again. Her heart rate began to pick up as she broke into a jog, increasing with each and every visual detail that she was picking up. By the time she had reached the body, all victory within her face was gone. Her eyes were dilated, and her mouth was slightly hung open. Her shock was not lost to Nohemi, who had started to jog after her.

"Casilda? What's wrong--"

Then, her eyes fell onto the body as well, and she understood why Casilda had faltered.

"Oh, dear..."

The one who Casilda had felled wasn't Ywhach. He wore the standard issue Stern Ritter uniform, looked much younger and had features similar to the Quincy Nohemi had fought. It became clear just what exactly had happened. While Nohemi was gazing at the body in quiet shock, Casilda had a much more outward reaction. Her face was a mixture of shock, horror and rage as she stared at the corpse, her hands clenching into fists. Without looking at Nohemi, she spoke to the older woman.

"Who the hell," Upon the third word of her sentence, her teeth bared and her eyes narrowed. "Is this?!"

"I don't know..." Nohemi said softly. "He must have had a connection with the Stern Ritter I fought... the ability to mimic the appearance and ability of other people. We didn't even notice it until the final blow was dealt. To think that these Quincies are capable of such detailed mimicry... I am certainly quite impressed..."

A flourish of movement occurring beside them would interrupt the audible voices to their thoughts.

"I believe I can answer that question," Jinete spoke solemnly, observing the landscape with an appraising gaze before raising up a limp and bloody body, "funny, cause that's what this Stern Ritter called herself. Very talkative, but I managed to change her subjects quite quickly."

With a dispassionate toss, he dumped her body atop the fused twins before looking to his wife and daughter, "Bernice Gabrielli told me all 27 identities of their kindred, including their true Quincy King. One of the unusual pairs was Lloyd Lloyd and Lloyd Royd, the latter being the one you were fighting Casilda."

After tossing a surprised look to Jinete's direction, Nohemi turned back towards the pile of dead Quincy. "So that explains why they shared that ability." She commented, giving an acknowledging nod. "I wonder, though. Were they born twins, or did Ywhach have them artificially created?" She walked around to an angle so that she could study their faces. "These faces look far too... abnormal... to be considered natural." She bent herself down to one knee, peering closely for a moment before shaking her head. "Although, I suppose it wouldn't matter as of this moment. We have more important things to worry about--"

She would be cut off when Casilda raised her foot up and stomped on Royd's neck, earning a disturbing crunch as the bones shattered into power. Her eyes widened, and she reflexively lurched back before looking up at her daughter. She opened her mouth in order to speak. "Casilda, what--?!"

When she lay eyes upon Casilda's face, she would be a little horrified at what she saw.

The Primera's eyes had dilated, her pupils and irises becoming pinpoint. The look on her face conveyed a murderous rage and a bitterness that was just inches away from being released. Those eyes were directed towards her father, and her next words were coated with a venom that would've caused genocide if they were capable of killing. "Where is he?! WHERE'S YWHACH?!"

Steelly silver eyes met hers, his mouth curling up with grimace. He could tell that this battle took an emotional toll upon her, and the detriment it was that she'd been fighting a mere fake in replacement to the real leader of an enemy who's done nothing but help incur her wrath and despair.

Closing his eyes, he let loose a tired sigh as he responded, "Do you think that you could take that bastard on, as you are now?"

Raising his eyes back up to look at her without waiting for a response, he pointed towards an erupting pillar of light that emitted within a matter of seconds of the his words, "A group of Captains have carved up a perimeter for the remaining members of the Alliance to reendevous. Though it isn't like me to halt an attack, an especially justified one, you need to take a breather for a few minutes. Most of your kin have been fighting nonstop for several hours."

He did have a point.

Casilda had spent a good portion of the time she was in the Soul Society fighting it out against enemy forces. The fight with Tousen had particularly exhausted her, and the encounter with the Ywhach lookalike certainly hadn't helped matters. She had been defending herself against and attacking waves upon waves of the enemy up to this very point, and so had her subordinates. His words just made her aware of the fact that she was breathing hard, her emotional and physical state of mind having been pushed hard. After all the hardship endured, a more rational Casilda would've gladly accepted the chance for rejuvenation.

But her rationality, as of this point, was quite fragmented. Frustration was overruling her judgement, provoking her next choice of words to him. "Do you realize what just happened here?!" She demanded, swinging a gesturing hand towards the bodies of the Quincy. "This was a trick, a ploy to expose more information about the enemy and we fell for it!! I can guarantee you that as we were fighting these copycats, there was another Quincy hiding in the shadows and watching our every move. That spy's probably on his or her way right now to tell that tyrant just what he's dealing with. We cannot afford to let him have that luxury!!"

"As accurate as you may be," Nohemi said softly, walking over and reaching up to place a hand on Casilda's shoulders. "You aren't in full fighting condition. If you were to jump into the battle right now, who knows what might happen to you? This was an unfortunate set of circumstances, but there's nothing more we can do about it. We'll just have to let this pass by and figure out our own way of defending ourselves."

"But--!" As much as Casilda wanted to push her argument and her insistence that they should keep pushing forward, her mother's gentle tone was enough to stop any further fire from coming out of the surface. The exhaustion began to sink in as soon as she was starting to relent, causing her to fall to her hands and knees. Her head was hung, and she shut her eyes tightly. All of that effort, all of her tears and all of her dedication to putting down Ywhach had been directed towards nothing more than a human shield. All it earned her was a feeling of sickness into her stomach, knowing that she had unwittingly walked into yet another trap.

"I know it's very dissatisfying right now, Cassie." Nohemi's tone had taken on a more empathetic tone. She knelt down beside her daughter, placing a hand onto her back. "But let it be known that this is a message of warning to His Majesty. We will stop this evil and we will take back our homeland. For now, we'll rest easy and think of a way to do so. All right?"

"...I..." When Casilda spoke up, the fire within her voice had disappeared. Now, her tone was choked up and distraught, and tears had started to stream down her face once again. "I... thought I was so close to ending it all. All of those innocent Arrancar, rounded up and sentenced to a slow, painful execution... settlements in Hueco Mundo being burned down to the ground... if I could kill him, I would be one step closer to liberating Hueco Mundo again... all I did was get my hopes up!" Her hands slowly clenched into fists. "God... damn it!"

"I understand your pain just as your mother does, Casilda," Jinete whispered tenderly, kneeling down before her and wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug, "Hollowity may never have the love for us that we have for them, but we are all entwined to the same fate. The same grief that you experience has been the same for both the Commander of the Alliance and the Head Captain who fights the very same enemy who sought to claim his own. We cannot allow our own anger, no matter how righteous and justified it is, to cloud ourselves in a haze of vengeance and be led astray by these cunning liars and deceivers."

Sucking in a breath, Casilda moved to embrace him back. Her arms wrapped around him and she held him close while resting her chin on his shoulder. "You're... you're right..." She whispered, taking deep and shaky breaths in order to calm herself back down. "I can't let myself go overboard. Too many people are counting on me... on us... to see this through." She sniffled, lowering her head to bury it in her father's shoulder. "Thanks... I think I really did need that..."

With a touched smile in their direction, Nohemi allowed herself to turn towards the pyre of light. The smile would fade as she fell into contemplative thought, her form standing back up and taking a few steps towards it. "A beacon of light, beckoning everyone to its location. Our allies will most certainly be there, but what about our enemies? They will be sure to intercept us in some form or another..." She took in a deep breath, her face regressing to solemnity as she stared at it.

"Hopefully, we can all press through..."

The KO Round Begins! The Brains and the Brawn
Tenshina was certainly not having a good time.

There had been a lot of things that he wasn't expecting. Like many of the others, he hadn't expected Kurai to summon up reinforcements to counter their numbers. He wasn't expecting him to single Kameyo out while the others were forced to contend with his subordinates. He certainly wasn't expecting to encounter Yūyo again, not as an enemy. But it all was happening, unfolding so quickly. It was chaos for him, which was perfect. War wouldn't be complete without chaos to reign over everything. Surely, it must've explained his current predicament.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!!!!"

He was screaming in a mixture of anger and terror as he was sailing through the air against his own will. His eyes were shut in order to protect themselves from the immense air blowing against his face. The only thing keeping him aware of his surroundings was his spiritual senses. But even they were dulled in the new environment they were in. That wasn't enough to keep him unaware of the fact that he was sailing over several buildings and rapidly descending. The air resistance was keeping him from obtaining proper control over his own body for a good crash landing. He knew that it was going to be a painful thing to experience.

Especially when there was a building right in front of him. Unable to do much else, he crossed his arms in front of him and ducked his head down.

"SON OF A BITCH!!!"

With that roar, he crashed through the concrete wall of the building. His body smashed through like a wrecking ball, coming into one side and out the other. Behind his makeshift shield, his eyes widened even as he smashed through a few more buildings in the same manner. Throughout it all, he barely felt anything. What should have been a painful crash felt like nothing more than him smacking into pockets of wind. Was this the effect of his "revival"? Just how much of his capability had been enhanced?

He was about to find out.

He found himself crashing into the ground, skidding shoulder first against the dirt for a few meters before stopping. He came out of his position with a cartwheeling roll, landing in a crouched position and breathing heavily. The first thing he did when he raised his head up was shout out to his comrade, who had presumably flew with him throughout it all. "Choku?!"

"I'm fine," Choku shrugged off his own landing with a bit more ease. What looked like a parachute harness that he unlatched off his person, allowing it to disperse into spirit energy he walked over with sword in hand, "it appears that my attunement to my newfound powers allowed me to gracefully land away from the impending buildings. Whatever enhancement we were graced with has boosted our powers significantly."

In response, Tenshina ended up falling silent with a slight death glare to match.

It wasn't as if he wanted Choku to get hurt. But the fact that he had plowed through a building while the guy had summoned up a parachute chipped at his pride a little. It had been the same situation against Kaien; while he had fallen to his knees, Valeur had stood resolute. Although it was unfair to say that the rest of the team got off scot-free in those comparisons, Tenshina couldn't help but feel he was always getting the short stick. In addition, the choice of words Choku used made it almost seem as if he was bragging about it, rubbing it in his face on how perfectly he had made that landing. And despite Tenshina showing immediate concern for his friend's well-being, that wasn't reciprocated.

The next choice of words from Tenshina would express these feelings.

"I'm fine, too." He said sarcastically and a little bit more nastily than he intended to. "Thank you for asking." With a grunt, he shoved himself up to his feet and roughly dusted himself off.

"What?" Choku asked incredulously, as if totally unaware of Bokujin's demeanor he was radiating, "what did I do?"

"I just crashed through a fucking building, screaming my head off, skidded shoulder-first onto the ground and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is how good your fall was?" Tenshina answered irately, his upper lip slightly curled upward in a disapproving sneer. He spread his arms out momentarily to emphasize his frustration. "What's next, are you going to tell me how much that landing earned you an Olympic Gold Medal too?!"

In the back of his head, he knew what he was doing was nothing more than a bad idea. Having an outburst in the middle of enemy territory would only stir up trouble for the both of them, especially when there was a foe following them right as of this minute. But the majority of him didn't care. He wasn't Valeur, someone who could keep his own emotions in check even when it was clear he was in the wrong. That had been perfectly clear when he had voluntarily stopped attacking and almost walked out prior to the confrontation with Byakuya Kuchiki.

"I was confident that you could handle yourself," Choku twitched irritably, but kept his voice neutral to the best of his ability. Raising his free hand to press his glasses up, he glared back, "I didn't mean to sound like gloating, but you were calling out my name. I was telling you I was alright, and from appearance's sake, you look relatively unharmed. Was I wrong to assume that you would come out better than I would if I landed head first onto the ground?"

"You don't just assume--!" Those four words experienced Tenshina raising his voice to Choku. But he was quick to stop himself, giving a harsh sigh and throwing his hands up in frustration. "Oh, why am I bothering with this? You and Valeur are always acting like the hard-asses of the group, anyway. Should've figured you could give less of a damn if I was injured."

Choku had enough at that point.

A harsh grasp upon Bokujin's shoulder would follow in a matter of seconds, before being turned around to see a very angry looking Choku. His fist flew forward and would clock him across his face, as he yelled out, "Don't you dare discount my demeanor as heartless! NEWS FLASH! I'm a human being just as much as you are! Why do you think Valeur fights so hard to protect Kameyo?! Why do you think I was willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING to protect my friends?! I have been building up stress about this inevitable damned war since day one of being employed by these assholes! It took being beaten by a pink haired Soul Reaper to at least try and acknowledge my fears and feelings, to move past all of the crap that I've been building up. So when I say I assume a fall wouldn't do in my friend, I say it because I trust you with my life, as much as I trust Kameyo, Valeur, and all of our comrades with my life! Stop treating yourself as some useless punching bag and stand up on your feet, dammit!"

Needless to say, Tenshina was shocked.

The irritatingly neutral tone Choku had taken with him was replaced by the same anger Tenshina himself had used. So shocked was he that he didn't register the impact of the punch that knocked him on his back. He let out a grunt as he fell, managing to prop himself onto his side as he listened to the words. Throughout it all, he carried a shocked expression on his face as he regarded his comrade, barely aware of the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. To hear himself being vented at was almost refreshing, as if he was seeing a new side of Choku. That was enough to make him consider apologizing for his actions and poor judgement of character.

But then, the last sentence.

A bitter laugh escaped him, and he pushed himself up so that he was on his hands and knees. His head was hung down, his face lowered from Choku's vision. "Stand up, huh...?" He asked rhetorically with a tone of bitterness. But this wasn't directed towards Choku anymore. "And then what? Get knocked back down? That's what's been happening ever since the start of this war. I try to get up, only for some stronger force to stomp my face back down into the ground. I try to live, only to figure out I've been used for the sake of someone else's goal. I try to fight, only to get knocked down and crushed like an ant. When's it going to end, huh...?" By this time, his tone expressed a little bit less of a shell-shocked veteran even as he attempted to be casual about it.

"Now, look at us. We're trapped in the fortress of a psychopathic Quincy God, surrounded by Angels who want nothing more than to spill our blood. Right now, what used to be one of our allies is coming to murder us. I can only pray that Kameyo isn't getting gutted by that maniac Kurai right now." Slowly, he shifted himself up to a sitting position, keeping his head lowered while holding his temple. "I had a life planned out for me, you know? I would use this job to get money until I could get myself a home. I could meet a girl, get hitched with her, married, raise a daughter. But she wouldn't learn how to fight like I did. She'd learn how to truly live, become a respectable member of society, have children of her own while the wife and I look on with pride." When he laughed again, the tone he used was enough to convey how drained his spirit really was - especially when it slowly transitioned into a soft and angry sobbing.

"What the fuck happened to us, man? Where did we go wrong?"

Choku couldn't help but look on with empathy. He himself only took the job offer from the shady mercenary organization, only to really find out there were many others just like him. They took the job and were paid handsomely for it. The intent behind this benevolent employer of theirs became all too clear in the first days. He couldn't escape it, knowing what he knew and he couldn't attain his desires with the money he was given. He hoped to find some way to survive it, and undermind them from the inside out. That was the sole purpose of allying with others within their mutual ranked system, so that he could survive.

But now, he saw their desires and passion poured out in front of him, making his own survival all the more meaningless.

But he wouldn't be able to lend a helping hand to his grieving friend, or comfort him.

"I can clue you in, if you'd like," a haunting, cold voice mellowed out the air of tension.

As Choku turned on his heels, he whispered aloud aghast when he saw the black dressed girl leaning against part of the walled structure Bokujin crawled out of, "Y-You-?!"

"Don't act surprised. You saw me there. Did you actually think I'd pay attention to your little Soul Reaper friends?" Yūyo crossed her arms, her visage partially overshadowed in a dark silhouette formed by the hood attached to her collar, "I know that an imposter of me infiltrated the hospital room you were all staying at. You think I haven't been keeping a close watch on all of you since?"

Her cold voice would stop Tenshina's sobbing.

He lowered his hand - no, dropped it like a dead weight - as his ears picked up her words. But he didn't turn around, already having the feeling that she was simply watching the entire thing. Slowly, he pushed himself back up to once again dust himself off. He couldn't help but laugh mentally at the irony of it; he had to get up and dust himself off twice now, right after a conversation that revolved around that concept. Had it not been for his bitter state of mind, he would've laughed out loud, too. Instead, the only expression that could be seen was his face of weariness. He didn't turn to face Yūyo, remaining silent to her words. It was almost as if he was ignoring her and shutting out the situation.

But he was listening, and he certainly didn't like what was about to transpire.

"Dogs. Such a suitable title for such hungry and bloodthirsty warriors, only to be lambs to slaughter against the hardened warriors of the Soul Society," Yūyo mused aloud humorlessly, as her cold blue eyes looked to the two of them, "the whole reason behind the initiative for you foot soldiers was twofold. The first and most obvious was to have experienced shock troopers with adatpable abilities that trump the more common Soul Reapers and Arrancars easily. They never really intended on many of you surviving in their newfound utopia, as the tactics were purposely sacrificial against such opposition."

"And the second?" Choku asked interestedly, pushing up against his glasses as he controlled his temperament not to slash out at her.

"To weaken resistance upon the Earth when the Inner Circle dominated the Earth with half of its collective forces," Yūyo spoke nonchalantly, never once even gesturing other than moving her eyes as she explained, "while the Inner Circle forces are decimated here, they are widespread across the soul realms. Even though the established protectors are being defended by the Quincy Order, they already have established footholds across the Material World. This bout of euphoria and dreams of power by Aizen and this Quincy King is nothing short of temporary. Regardless, the Dogs were all but sacrifice in this battle so that the physical world would be ripe for the taking. That is your truth, turncoat comrades of mine."

And there it was. The dreaded confirmation.

Although he didn't know Yūyo that much, he could tell that she was a professional Inner Circle operative compared to... well, at least him. She understood the military machinations of their organization more than he did, and thus, he knew she was telling the dreaded truth. It was the final weight to crush him, the straw to break the camel's back. Once again, he found himself falling onto his knees. But this time, his posture would be straight up. His arms hung at his sides, and he stared distantly into the sky with a miserable look on his face.

"My truth..."

Tears streamed down the corners of his eyes.

"My fate..."

His whispers were soft and almost unheard, his words sounding like they were spoken to himself than the two of them.

"My truth... my fate... is this really how everything's going to end? Did we really get resurrected only to die like starved dogs? We've killed so many people, ruined the lives of so many more, destroyed so many homes... all I wanted was to live. All I wanted..." He trailed off, slowly hanging his head back down and letting his hair cover his eyes. His shoulders shook as he cried silently, unable to bring himself to speak much more.

Closing her eyes, Yūyo reached up to clasp her fingers around her earring as she responded, "It is unfortunate that you are fuel for the flames of war and attrition. Lord Shiyōnin helped me to see the truth behind the lies the Inner Circle would've allowed me to believe, as you were all deceived. However, he doesn't see any use for your continued existence for his plans to work. Kurai's orders or no, you are a threat that must be purged."

SHINK-CRACK!

With a swift flourishing motion, Yūyo summoned an elegant scythe from a flash of emerald light, squewering the wall of the building she leaned upon it. Even as the matter around it cracked and ebbed into ashes from being in contact with the blade, Yūyo's eyes opened again to stare at Choku and Bokujin, "I shall ease your passings and reap you quickly."

Choku chuckled aloud himself to smile, something that Yūyo quickly realized as something he's done for the first time since she known him.

"You find imminent death amusing, Choku-san?" Yūyo asked curiously.

"I find it ironic how a human could be given the power to reap, but have no respect for the lives she's about to take away," Choku responded with a taunting gesture of pushing his glasses, "but you wouldn't know anything about respect, would you, callous pawn?"

It was that moment that Yūyo attacked, and it was Choku she chose to attack first. Ripping the blade up in a swift arc, cutting through the frost covered plaster and stone as if there was none, flowing down with enough momentum and speed to cause a scream to cut through the air. Without even removing his left hand from his face, Choku swung his blade up to catch the scythe up at the base of the pole, only allowing its edge to hover precariously inches away from his left shoulder blade and backside.

The earth buckled and the air was disturbed as the pressure flew harshly out like a gale force wind. Choku didn't seemed to be phased at all, something that disturbed Yūyo enough to cause her eyes to open widely, "What is this-?!"

In that instant, Choku's new power would be realized. A veil of violet light would erupt from her scythe, constricting the weapon and flowing at such a pace that Yūyo gawked as it overwhelmed her whole being in an instant. As her enemy eased himself away from his precarious position, he walked back away as he revealed the flat of his blade to be covered in runic letters.

"It is the power of my Zanpakutō, Daishonin," Choku replied coolly, allowing his smile to relax back to his normal neutral visage, sideglancing her as he stood in front of Bokujin, "anything that the blade or the surface that it comes into contact with can invoke lettering of law. Nothing can deter or nullify this power. That is the Gohō, the word of law if you will, that anything that comes into contact with its power."

"I-Impossible!" Yūyo muttered beyond the field of petrification, trying to budge and twist, but with all her might she couldn't move, "you can't have a Zanpakutō! Fullbringers cannot inherit the powers of Soul Reapers! Its a simple fact-"

"We aren't human anymore, Yūyo-san," Choku spoke levelly, turning his gaze to Bokujin, "we died today and were rebirthed as Soul Reapers. Our power dwarfs our own and we cannot go back to the ways that once held. That means whatever fate and desires we had in the prior life is over. But it also means that we can carve our own destiny in the way we desire. Right, Bokujin?"

Throughout it all, Tenshina had been rendered into silence.

The despair had been wiped away, replaced by shock as his comrade's display of power. Although Yūyo had been paralyzed by the demonstration of such power, he was left within his position without any hastle. He slowly drifted his gaze downward, looking at his hands with newfound realization. He had forgotten that he too had an upgraded body, a much more powerful vessel to use against his adversaries. No longer would he have to suffer the fate of being knocked down every time he got up. Now, he had been given the tools to fight against his enemies proper, to control his own destiny just as he always wanted. He slowly clenched his fists, an enlightened smile crawling on his face as he heard Choku's words.

"Yeah... you're right."

Slowly and with newfound energy, he brought himself to stand up on straight once again. He stepped beside Choku, his hand drifting towards the new weapon created on his person - his katana, complete with a sheathe, secured to his waist. The knife he had used before was gone, the traces of his Fullbring having vanished. "You said that the Inner Circle didn't intend for us to survive to this point, right?!" He yelled out, the conviction and defiance returning to his voice once more. "Well, they succeeded! But it was our "little Shinigami friends" that kept us from making it too far! Why they gave us this power, I still don't know and probably never will! But I know one thing." He grasped the hilt, quickly unsheathing the blade and bringing his own katana to a defensive position. "I'm going to use it to my advantage!"

With that punctuating statement, he released his own spiritual pressure. It exhaled from him like a plinian eruption from a volcano, crashing down on the area with the mercy of a snowstorm. The presence of his aura was visually and physically distorting, causing nearby buildings to fragment and crumble underneath his wake. He gripped his sword tightly within two hands, exhilarated and rejuvenated. "Yashin wants us to die?!" He snarled, his upper lip curling to threateningly show off his teeth. "Fine!! But he's going to have to try a lot harder than sending the likes of you to come kill us!!"

"Don't know who this Yashin character is you're yapping about, but it doesn't matter," a voice rang out from the distance. A silver ponytailed man with a dark trench coat overlapping his muscle shirt and sweatpants would appear, chewing on a piece of grass. He looked annoyed, more out of incredulity than what Satsu looked like, "boss says you die, and I intend to kill you. Yashin will have to wait in line if that's the case..."

"Another friend of yours?" Choku asked the paralyzed Yūyo without batting an eye at her.

"Only a man stubborn on idealism and not on practicality," She responded disdainfully, rolling her eyes at the thought of him, "Ningen-kan is a man full of pride and honor. Kurai-san gave us a boon to increase our powers infinitely, and it was him and that ex-Substitute that refused the power. He thinks he can take you on, but I can see that he will fail..."

The spiritual pressure Tenshina was exuding stopped abruptly when he felt the presence of the additional enemy.

His eyes widened in surprise, and he abruptly spun to face the newcomer with his sword brandished in that threatening position. His eyes looked over the new enemy with both wariness and analysis. Despite the spiritual pressure he had flooded the area with, this man wasn't phased by it at all in comparison to Yūyo. The physique and build of the man was an obvious clue of just how strong he was in terms of physical power. The fight had not even began and he could already tell that he was far ahead of their former colleague. Normally, that would've been quite a dangerous thing to deal with had he still been human.

But now he was much stronger and much more confident.

He decided to take a risk. "Choku." He said, turning his gaze towards the so-called Ningen-kan. "It seems like you've got Yūyo under control here. I'm gonna make sure this asshole doesn't interfere with you. Sound like a plan?"

"Fine by me," Choku said with a relaxed smile, stepping aside to lean on the temporal imprisoned Yūyo, much to her chagrin, "have at it."

Ningen-kan observed the two enemies in front of him with a relaxed gaze. Reaching into the folds of his cloak, he withdrew a pair of worn boxing gloves and began putting them on as he spat out the piece of grass he was chewing on. Once fully on, he spoke aloud with assurance in himself, "I'll make this quick so I can get you out soon, Yūyo-chan."

WHAM!

"Knock-Out!" Ningen-kan declared aloud as he slammed his boxing gloves together with a loud clap. This created a vibrant luminiscent flash of emerald spiritual energy to crackle from his gloves. When they fully transformed, they were metal fingerless gauntlets, radiating an immense spiritual pressure that his own body seemed to project from his very being in a soft and controlled form.

The control of his spiritual pressure was another emphasizing trait that this wasn't going to be an easy fight. Still, it wasn't enough to shake Tenshina from his demeanor. There was a slight curl of the lip, followed by the brief breaking of his stance. His enemy didn't seem too keen on attacking first and immediately - an indication that there was at least a little desire to humiliate him before defeat. It was a challenge which the former human was willing to take. He spread his arms out in his own challenging manner, speaking directly to Ningen-kan.

"Not going to attack me? I guess I'll have to start this, then!"

And he did.

With a flip and stab, he punched his katana through the ground and dragged it through as he ripped towards Ningen-kan. The ground turned to sand under his wake, sizable enough to create a brief storm within the area. A snarl decked his face, his eyes narrowed into slits as he charged. His heart beat faster with each and every inch of distance he closed between himself and his target. A battle yell erupted from his throat the same moment he was within striking distance, and his hands swung the blade in a horizontal uppercut. The sand seemed to trail in the wake of his blade, giving it a rather ghostly appearance as it moved to batter Ningen-kan's defenses.

"One...two...three...four," Ningen-kan counted aloud, his body haunching down and twisting on its heels to meet the incoming blade. Before the blade even erupted from the sand, he threw a punch towards the angle of which the blade would most likely come up from. So sure of himself, he momentarily closed his eyes as the sand flourished across his face and body, allowing his left fist to make a powerful impact against the blade's edge.

"Four seconds into round one," Ningen-kan responded with a grin, his eyes opening to gaze back at him, to observe his punch's handiwork upon his enemy's blade.

If Tenshina paid heed to the words being spoken, then he certainly didn't show it.

Gripping his sword tightly, he swung the katana in a fierce parry. The force would send Ningen-kan a tremendous distance away from his person, allowing him to level the katana back into a defensive stance. That would not be the only effect that he would have on his target. If Ningen-kan looked down, he would see a clean crack in the gauntlet used to block Tenshina's katana. It wasn't due to force. It was the effect of Tenshina's own Zanpakutō; he "wrote" the "settings" of his blade so that it would become sharp enough to deal damage to the metallic gauntlets. But he hadn't sliced through it completely; he wanted Ningen-kan to get the message that he wasn't here to mess around.

"Is that all you're going to give me?" He growled. "Even after all that talk about killing us? C'mon... give me something better than that!"

As his feet touched the ground, Ningen-kan could feel his heels dig into the torn earth. When he examined his gauntlet, his eyes widened with surprise at seeing his Fullbring damaged from a single strike. Knowing the limits of what he could handle, he knew it had something to do with whatever unnatural power his blade possessed.

Hearing his enemy taunt back at him, Ningen-kan could only chuckle as he righted himself up into a boxing stance, "Patience, enemy of mine. We're only seconds into the first round. There's no need to rush yet."

Having said that, Ningen-kan moved on the offensive this time. A flicker of movement would be registered just a mere meter away and he appeared with his right undamaged gauntlet forward, uttering aloud, "Mikuro Heki!"

BWHOOOOOSH!

An enormous twister of physically propelled air pressure would manifest a wide twisting maelstrom of striking power. The attack would be voluminous enough that Choku pivoted around Yūyo's immobile form, piercing the earth and swiveling its edge into it. What emerged would be an octagonal barrier, aiming to protect himself and Yūyo from the high pressurized gale from the punch that was ushered forth.

Tenshina stood his ground. He had to squint his eyes in the face of the immense winds that billowed against him as the twister approached. He spread his legs apart, holding his blade at level with his head and pointing it at the oncoming attack. Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but notice the move Choku had made. He had assumed the girl would've broken out and they would've had their own fight. But apparently, his comrade had subdued her completely. Although he was relieved to know that one enemy was suppressed, he was a little annoyed that the man had not taken the opportunity to finish her off.

"Et tu, Choku?" He thought with dry humor, stabbing the twister once it came close enough. An explosive reaction occurred; the twister would dismantle and its winds would scatter all around the area. They were powerful enough to pick up the grounded up earth and create a massive, constant sandstorm. The grains were flying around with enough veolocity to tear the flesh right off of the bone, capable of chipping unfortunate victims to a slow and painful death. Only Tenshina, Choku and Yūyo had absolute certainty in being unharmed by it.

Within the sandstorm, he made his attack. His spiritual pressure dwindled out of sense, and the only sign of him would be his silhouette constantly coming up on Ningen-kan. He darted in and out of the curtain he created, striking his target from location before disappearing and then jumping out from another. He moved in an irregular pattern to keep Ningen-kan from reading his attacks, and his aggression was constant in order to keep him from attempting to blow away the cover he had.

"Dammit!" Ningen-kan swore aloud, gritting his teeth as he projected his aura to protect his body from the swiftly careening sand particles. If he hadn't trained in such environments prior to this, he would be taken aback by the swift sneak attacks employed by his opponent. Yet again, he narrowly ducked weaved and sidestepped the near slashes and thrusts, although was kept from counterattacking. The man was hidden well enough that he couldn't simply strike back.

It was then that Ningen-kan crouched down, avoiding a sword swipe at his neck, that he stood back up with his arms swung out at both directions that he let out a loud yell, "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!~"

An enormous flexing motion of Spiritual Power distilled the winds, thrusting all of debris and blinding air currents away as the ground cracked from the mighty discharge of spirit energy. This would allow Ningen-kan to see the incoming thrust towards his torso, allowing him to counter with a hammer stroke down at the blade's flat edge aiming to break and send the thrust downwards, while simultaneously thrusting his fist in a spiraling motion focus a compressed punch into Bokujin's sternum.

"The bastard's still trying to break my sword!! For a so-called honorable enemy, he doesn't seem too against disarming a target!!"

Tenshina could tell that much from the force exerted into his weapon as it was knocked down to the ground. Because of the two fists moving at once, he didn't have much room to react. The punch crashed into his chest, and he let out a pained grunt as his body lurched. But much to his credit, he didn't give ground. The pain that shot through him did nothing to stop him and the dead-set goal on destroying his foe. It also didn't stop his next action, either; his thrust had been performed with one hand, keeping the other one free for immediate counter-attack. He promptly used it to grasp the wrist of the fist that hit him, shoving it against his opponent's chest. He threw his weight into the other man in order to knock him on his back, straddling him and throwing his body weight on him.

With a sharp inhalation of breath, he shoved his sword forearm against Ningen-kan's throat and started applying pressure. It was an attempt not only to suffocate his opponent to death, but to break the man's neck. If the action didn't sell it, then his words would. "Snap your neck like a goddamn twig!!" He snarled, the malice and fury thickly coating his words.

Ningen-kan was taken aback by his punch's ineffectiveness of his punch. The fact that his enemy abandoned his weapon for the sake of strangling him, proved that his hunch about the plethora of abilities he retained. Even as he gurgled against his own limb's weight against his throat, his free hand curled into a fist and repeatedly punched his opponent's kidneys, preforated audibly by ear splitting cracks with each impact.

At the same time, he struggled to push his arm back against the offending grappling limb, thrusting his upper body forward with enough force to headbutt him off his person.

A punch to the chest was fine.

But repeated blows to the kidney was enough to make even the most aggressive enemy start faltering.

Tenshina let out a grunt and then a pained groan as the fist crashed into his kidneys. He was forced to relent, his grip on Ningen-kan's throat faltering. As he was attempting to recover and push against the attack, he saw the other man's head slam into his own. He got off Ningen-kan, staggering to a hunched stance and sparing a murderous glare at his foe. It was soon to straighten up, with his scowl replaced by a mocking sneer. Getting to the point where he could actually use his bare hands to pin a foe was a rather impressive feat in the heat of combat, and he relished accomplishment.

He spoke no words as he walked backwards to his dropped katana. Repeating his challenging gesture, he spread his arms out to once again mock the Fullbringer. The grin of clenched teeth spoke volumes in place of whatever taunt that could've come from his mouth.

"Impressive strength and resilience," Ningen-kan complimented Bokujin, rubbing his throat with his right hand as he stood back up to his feet, "not many people, Soul Reapers or no, can take a punch from me and live. To withstand them at all boasts your physical power greatly. Wise move on my part in aiming for your dark aura'd sword, rather than attempting to see what else that blade could do to my Fullbring..."

Grabbing the rim of his coat, he shrugged it off, followed up with a pull on his muscle shirt. What was shown lying underneath looked both impressive and visibly disturbing. Crackling springs and wires seemed to hold back every fiber of Ningen-kan's torso and arms, restricting movement and flexibility. It also seemed to pack incredible density, due to the coloration and thickness of the material that weighted upon his being.

"Its fair to say that I'll need to take this off in order to fight you at my maximum," Ningen-kan said with a challenging grin, pressing two forefingers down on a button clasp over his sternum area. When done, the clasping system split upon the top of his shoulders, falling to the ground haplessly. An audible exhale of relief was heard, and a slight steaming hue of spirit energy rippled across his skin, but never erupting in a violent manner.

After punching the air a few times, flexing his muscles tightly, he smiled with satisfaction. With a turn, he pointed a finger towards Bokujin, saying, "Your turn, Soul Reaper. The restraints come off in the closing seconds of round one."

The sight was enough to make Tenshina grimace. He shook his head, staring at his foe leeringly. "Aren't you the courteous one?" He questioned rhetorically and sarcastically, allowing himself to turn around and grasp the hilt of his katana. Picking it up and turning himself around, he settled into a preparatory stance. With the apparent restraints off, this fight would only grow tougher. He had already shown himself to be capable of pushing his foe back with the limiters on. But now that they were off, how far would the battle escalate? There was only one way to find out, and he wasn't going to get there standing around.

So, he used his Zanpakutō to "write" the air currents. There would be frequent warps within the atmosphere, indicating the air moving at high speeds. These rifts would follow random paths as they moved through the air, controlled by the will of Tenshina. The Shinigami lifted his sword in order to direct them, raising it over his head and focusing on his target. Then, he swung the blade to point at Ningen-kan, sending the rifts at him in irregular and scattered patterns. They would be like homing eighty-eight missiles as they were unleashed, carrying the capability of tearing his target to shreds.

Ningen-kan's eyes widened at the obvious distortions within the atmosphere. They cycloned and warped around the blade's path, being commanded by the weapon in his enemy's hand. He felt no rupture in air currents when his fist made contact with the weapon's path. What was the origin of this Zanpakutō's power?

Then, the air missiles were swung in his direction.

With his elbows adjacent to his ribs and his fists held up beneath his chin, Ningen-kan began propelling himself backwards at rapid speed. Utilizing the very velocity of the air heading towards him, moments before damage could transpire, he employed a burst of emerald light to rapidly distance himself to a good fifteen meters away his feet skidding across the airspace just above the ground. As the ground exploded, upheaving the very earth, Ningen-kan detonated the air pressure behind the soles of his feet and propelled himself back through the dust-ridden area between him and his enemy.

Before his body would appear through the pillar of smoke, he flipped forward, employing Bringer Light through a blurring pinwheel motion to appear directly above Bokujin. With another Fullbrought pulse Ningen-kan hurtled down towards Bokujin with enough force to cause the air to ignite around his body. With a silhouette of crimson and white, Ningen-kan swung his left fist down as he shouted aloud, "Ryūsei Ken!"

The force of the impact would cause a fiery explosion from the hyper pressurized blast of spirit and physical force generated.

Even as the flames flourished wildly along with debris against Choku's barrier, Yūyo scoffed, "It looks like he got a little stronger..."

"Sure doesn't look like a little to me," Choku remarked back, pushing up his glasses with a gleam of refracting light.

A direct block would've been risking suicide. Tenshina wasn't exactly pinpoint when it came to blocking projectiles such as a fist heading for his head. But he could sense the volatile energy waiting to detonate within the attack Ningen-kan carried. Trying to evade it would risk him getting caught within an incinerating explosion cloud that only the Spirit King knew how far it extended. He had to act fast if he wanted to keep up the pressure on his target.

He moved, initially using his own physical moment. But the moment that Ningen-kan's fist touched the ground, he used a Flash Step to carry himself completely away from his enemy. As the flames chased after him, he swung his sword and allowed their tongues to get clipped by the steel edge of his blade. In that moment, the flames would be "written" to reverse inward for an implosion. They would threaten to swallow their very maker, promising the firey death that had almost been forced on Tenshina. But the Shinigami wasn't done yet.

"I'll put you under!!" He shouted, stabbing his blade into the ground. Several meters around Ningen-kan, a reaction took place. The earth converted into lava, which exploded from the ground and rose to the air in a cyclone's path. The lava towered over him in the form of bending pillars briefly before being brought down, intending on drowning him within the scorching liquid earth.

"Now he's manipulating the flames? What kind of power does this Zanpakutō possess?!"

Ningen-kan would only have time to think this as the flames he created would rush to consume him. Frustrated that his opponent slipped a moment before his punch connected, he was starting to grow apprehensive in facing such a versatile powered enemy. His response to the impending flow of flames was a blurring flurry of punches, causing the air to be Fullbrought with enough pressure to blow them all back away from his person.

What occurred later, allowed him to take pause at the power of a Death God.

As the earth itself transformed and turned into molten earth, spiraling up into the air, Ningen-kan's skin sweated profusely at the close contact to the super heated earth. Even with his aura protecting him from powerful damage dealt by normal means, he knew that a force comparable to the Devil's hand would do irreparable damage to his mortal frame.

That is, until a mental clock just rang in his body.

A smile erected upon his previously frightened visage, the light of courage returning to his eyes as he put up his fist at the impending hands of death sent his way. In an instant before the towers of molten rock would converge, a blinding flash of light exuded from his skin, causing his hair to be undone from its band and become erect.

A powerful wave of spiritual pressure would overlap with Bokujin's, as Ningen-kan thrust his fist forward with a powerful shout, "Taiyō Ken!"

A burst of white-hot energy would flow forth from his fist, overwhelming the pyres of lava as it discharged into the sky. The force would be enough to cause violent indention into the very soil that Ningen-kan stood, and cause a shockwave to crush the nearest structures and soil within a fifteen meter radius. The heat would cause a great distance to become enamored by a steaming hued atmosphere, as Ningen-kan's body oozed a white aura from his very pores.

As the steam of his own sweat hissed and sizzled, Ningen-kan spoke with a flame-ebbing pair of eyes and an excited grin, "Round 2 has commenced, Soul Reaper!"

With that being said, he thrust his left fist forward within a blinding blur, pulling down his right fist in the same motion. A pressurized gale of imploding, fullbrought kinetic energy flew towards Bokujin with the power and velocity of a artillery cannon. It was clear that the power he possessed now was now overwhelmingly obscurred by the strength he just attained now.

Choku himself found his mouth agape as his eyes widened at the readings his lenses gave at what he saw, "W-What the Hell is this?! No human should be this powerful!"

"Fullbringers are a rare thing, even in the numbers of the modern day," Yūyo responded in a idle tone, finding no need to emphasize her words with anything more than a impassive visage, "they control the very spirit of the land, the air, even immaterial objects. They are more attuned with the spiritual realm, yet they maintain a physical body. Their focus isn't a religious symbol but an object of their pain and anguish, much like how the mask of a Hollow is the manifestation of the pain that caused their heart to be ripped out of their soul. Most of the time, this power is seen as trivial, not suited for close quarters combat, and unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. But cultivated on a level of actual combat? Is extremely perilous against any who cross their path. A Fullbringer with the power to command the physical apparatus of their own body could said to be...utterly invincible."

Tenshina was about to find out just how much his enemy's power increased.

Reflexively, he swung one foot behind him to dig himself in, placed his blade in front of him and braced for impact. Against the resistance of his spiritual pressure, the kinetic energy found itself stopped in its tracks. But the force made Tenshina's feet dig into the ground, and he let out a strained groan as he fought to keep himself from getting blasted away. Within a few seconds, he found enough room to swing his sword and blow away the remnants of the attack. As he straightened up, his eyes fell upon his enemy's new "form".

"So the "round" thing wasn't figurative." He thought to himself. "It's the signal of a power increase. And I have no clue just how many "rounds" are going to come into effect here. Shit..." He took in a deep breath, shaking his head to clear it. "But no matter. I'm not going to get knocked down on my ass again. I'm not gonna let this asshole kill me!" He straightened himself up, readying his katana in a defensive position. "Got too much to live for, damn it, and no one's gonna take that away! Not this time!"

Ningen-kan kicked off the surface of his position, propelling forward like a rocket with an emerald hued trail of flames. He then began rapidly shimmering, disappearing from view and reappearing faster than the trained eye could see. When he appeared right beside Bokujin, he thrust his left fist what seemed like nearly a hundred times, simultaneously out in a flurry of rapid-fullbrought attacks. In actuality, only a single powerful punch thrusted towards Bokujin's face, hidden from view by the hundred "imaginary" attacks.

"Hyaku Kyokō Ken Hōretsu!" Ningen-kan uttered as he attacked.

The trained eye wasn't capable of seeing it. That was something that initially took Tenshina off-guard as Ningen-kan attacked, causing him to momentarily break his stance out of alarm. However, when he saw that his eyes weren't working, he immediately relied on his senses. Even though the eye couldn't keep up with such fast movements, his spiritual senses were more than enough to do so. So when Ningen-kan appeared by his side, he readily spun around to face his enemy. In his line of vision, he saw those hundred fists come for him. But thanks to his senses, he knew that only one of them was real.

Thus, he was able to act. With a pivot, he managed to not only avoid the fist but circle around to Ningen-kan's back. He thrust the back of his hilt towards the back of his target's head to stun him, then pull back and unleash an uppercut swing for a critical blow. He let out a sharp bark as he urged his sword forward, the close call fueling his adrenaline.

The sword pommel would graze Ningen-kan's cheek, as he instinctively pulled his extended arm back and twisted his body around in a 180 degree angle to avoid the visibly direct posterior angled attack. As the sword swung up in a uppercut, he twisted his body to the left, avoiding the bisecting slash. At the same time as the slash, he thrust out his right hand to rapid-punch Bokujin's face three times, backpedaling away immediately to thrust out a powerful pressurized gale of compressed kinetic energy.

"Good reaction timing, but your body won't get any faster. In the 3rd Round, it'll be game over for you at this rate," Ningen-kan crowed out, hopping on his feet as he kept a modicum of distance as his body glowed with a pure light.

This time, Tenshina couldn't pull back in time.

His attempt to pull himself back came too late, the metal gauntlets smashing into his face a total of three times. Pained yelps were produced from him with each hit, and it was enough to stagger his form. He clutched his face with one of his hands, letting out a dog-like snarl as he felt blood spill from newly formed cuts and a bloodied nose. The attack had left him too disoriented to block the next attack effectively, and so he chose to roll out of the way before it could hit him. The kinetic energy sent a chill down his spine as it raced by - a sensation that was quick to go away once he came back to his feet. Exhaling from his nose to get rid of excess blood, he fixed a fierce glare at Ningen-kan.

"Fuck you!" He snarled. "What, you think you've got an advantage just because you boosted your power a little?! It's not gonna be enough to stop me from kicking your ass!"

"First round, I had to resort to removing my restraning armor and you still had the upperhand. It hasn't been less than twenty seconds into the second round, and I've already landed three punches while you've only given me a single scratch," Ningen-kan thumbed with emphasis towards his cheek, not minding the trickle of blood snaking down his jawline, "Ninety seconds left until the beginning of the third round. Allow me to present a certain incentive to keep you from running away."

'''SLAM! '''

"Champion Ring!" Ningen-kan called out, slamming his two fists into the ground, causing four mighty pillars to erect at a twenty meter distance from each pillar. A web of transparent energy was created between and above the pillars, while an invisible force seemed to wrap around Choku and Yūyo thrusting them just outside of their proximate side of the barrier. The ground itself was molded and reshaped to appear like a boxing ring, tiled and gleaming with a fresh hue.

"A boxing ring?" Choku queried aloud, having recovered from the unnatural "push" out of the ring.

"The audience isn't supposed to participate inside a boxing ring," Yūyo mulled out matter-of-fact, continuing onwards despite a brief glare sent her way by Choku, "it also happens to be a replication where his day of greatest anguish occurred. He was destined to be a professional boxer, only one fight away from the Champion Round. However, his father was murdered and was unable to attend the one round that mattered to his son and the only one he ever missed."

When their battlefield fully transmuted, Ningen-kan rose to his feet, raising his hands up in a boxing stance in readiness against his enemy, "Come on, Soul Reaper. Put away any distractions and thoughts out of the ring. Your life or mine. This match will decide it!"

Although Tenshina was certainly wary of the boxing ring, he more more attentive to the words and the reasoning for the summoning of said ring.

First, the man had taken to bragging about his "accomplishments". Then, he had the nerve to summon up a means to prevent him from running away, as if the thought had ever occurred to him in the first place. Although he could grudgingly come to the conclusion that honor and kindness could be mutually exclusive from one another, he certainly didn't like the "prideful" part that was being exuded right now. The man might as well have been holding the word "victory" in front of himself on a sheet of paper. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or scowl out of disdain.

Knowing the time gap was closing little by little, he made his decision quickly.

Promptly, he sheathed his sword and made a shrugging motion with both of his arms. His face conveyed annoyance, but there was also a hint of resignation. "All right, then." He said condescendingly. "If you're so convinced that I'm going to lose at "Round Three", then I think I'm going to wait these ninety seconds out." He lowered himself down so that he was sitting on his legs, his palms resting on his knees in a meditative stance. He took in a deep breath, closing his eyes and falling silent. It would probably be a surprising motion to his enemy, but he didn't care. If he was as supposedly honorable as he was arrogant, he wouldn't take the time to attack this defenseless foe while they waited it out.

"The Hell?!" Ningen-kan thought as he saw his enemy haughtily sit upon his buttocks, motivated to wait out the remaining time until Ningen-kan's power boost.

Gritting his teeth, Ningen-kan waved his right arm to the side in emphasis, "You can't do that! You're a fighter in the Champion Ring. If you don't start fighting now, the ring itself will penalize you!"

"Well, do something about it, then?" Tenshina sneered, re-opening his eyes. "I'm sure that with all of that grandiose power you've got, you can do something as simple as that. I'm just trying to humor you and that big ego you've got running around your head. I mean," He lifted a hand off of his knee to point at his bloodied face. "Three punches and suddenly victory is right around the corner? Tell me, what kind of enemies have you beaten down to give you this mindset? To think that running away was the first idea to come to my mind when you haven't even started to kill me? To think that a few measly blows will spell the outcome of this battle? Let me tell you something..."

He leaned forward a little, as if divulging some big secret. "This isn't some boxing match with set rules and regulations tied to it. It isn't some sword-fight where both combatants have to adhere to certain conditions. This is war, where chaos reigns and plans fall apart at the seams. I've had to learn that lesson the hard way, and it seems that you have much to learn, my young Padawan." His wry grin gained a bit of humor from that particular reference he had made. "So go on, let's skip to Round 3 and finish this. Or is all that talk just a means to satisfy yourself?"

Ningen-kan never felt anger towards those he was ordered to kill. His boss gave him sanctuary, comradery, and a reason to continue onwards despite the power he wielded. The anguish he suffered and the darkness that nearly consumed him was more painful than any ridicule or punch he received from an opponent. So why was an enemy bringing him to the point of utter incredulous rage?

Grinding his teeth, he knew that the rules for his Fullbring were set. If he didn't get the Soul Reaper fighting soon, the ring itself would annihilate him instead. The honor of fighting an opponent standing straight up to letting his own power decimate his enemy for him, heavily outweighed one or the other.

WHAM!

Within an instantaneous blur, Ningen-kan swung his foot up to kick Bokujin in the chin aiming to send him up in the air. Before he would have time to recover, he grasped his ankle and twisted on his heels, hurtling him towards the opposing barrier behind him, aiming to have him get shocked by its high voltage currents that kept everything from escaping.

"It isn't simply a matter out of pride," Ningen-kan snarled out, raising his fists up in readiness, "a Champion is supposed to goad the enemy into revealing their best. It isn't because I am cocky, it is because I have the utmost confidence I will annihilate all opposition. It is fact. I've never met an enemy I fought one on one who's ever beaten me. With the attitude you're facing me with, so recklessly, you'll never win!"

"GACK--!!"

It was here that Tenshina abandoned the idea of Ningen-kan being honorable.

His head snapped up when the man kicked him, sending him off of his sitting position and into the air. But right before he could ascend too high, he felt a wrist wrap around his ankle. He would face whiplash again as he was twisted around and thrown towards the electromagnetic barricade. Fighting his disorientation, he willed his body to perform a backflip and head feet-first towards the barrier. For a moment, it looked like he was going to be on the receiving end of an electrocution.

That is, until he landed.

When his feet touched the barrier, the currents of the electricity would flare up to fry him. But in a defiance of law, they weren't shocking him. The bolts danced around him, but none of them would even touch him. His eyes were narrowed in a hawk-eye glare, his upper lip having been curled once more in a show of restrained fury. He exhaled from his nose, and one could swore that steam was billowing from his nostrils. Other than that, there was no sign of pain or any indication that the ring's incentive was working on him. This wasn't due to some manipulation of spiritual energy or anything like that. It was the effect of his Zanpakutō, one that had been enabled from the moment Ningen-kan's gauntlets had touched the edge of his sword.

If anything, Ningen-kan's actions only served to increase the temperature of the former Fullbringer's already boiling blood. "Is that really how you want to play?" He growled, grasping the hilt of his sword and drawing it out. "Punching the shit out of me when I'm trying to be nice? So be it. It's going to be the last time you're getting any more favors."

Then, he used a Flash Step.

Braeburn had said that the "resurrection" method used on him amplified his capabilities by three times. He wasn't sure as to how that would affect his speed in this fight, nor was he sure that his increased speed would take his target by surprise. But he had to try. As he appeared behind his foe, his sword would be positioned in a sportsman-like backhand for a heavy swing. He let the blade fly milliseconds after he made his reappearance, the cutting edge making a path for his target's back.

Ningen-kan's eyes widened as he saw his enemy unaffected by the electrical currents, his mind analyzed how it didn't harm him in the slightest. When the man snarled back how he was trying to do an enemy a favor, the boxer just spat a wad at the ring's floor, finding it distasteful that an enemy would attempt to be merciful in such a shameful manner.

Then, his enemy moved.

His shocked demeanor only increased when he saw the sheer speed he moved through the distance. His eyes almost couldn't follow it, and he knew he couldn't evade it as easily as before. Employing Bringer Light, his body leaped up into the air, spinning around to see the blurring blade's path just before the air around him became Fullbrought to ram straight into enemy with both of his fists.

With a punctuated clap of broken air pressure, he backflipped gracefully a good distance away, allowing himself to take a moment of respite as his widened eyes were fixated at his enemy with a newfound sense of caution.

When Ningen-kan saw how the electrical currents danced around his body but never touching his skin, he began to understand what exactly he was fighting against. Much like how the author of a book could bend the fabric of reality in favor for his story, so too could this Soul Reaper bend physics and nature around to fight on his behalf, bow to its knees, or shatter upon his command. It was truly a terrifying power for a god of death to retain.

"A durable body, a Zanpakutō that bends nature to his whim, fighting tenacity of a beast, and speed to force me to employ my very best. This man is not to be trifled with after all," Ningen-kan thought as his eyes stared back at his enemy coolly and his smile regressed to an impassive visage. Raising his fists back up in preparation, he was on guard for any underhanded tactic his enemy may employ.

This time, Tenshina managed to block the attack.

He raised the flat edge of his blade and staggered a few steps as the fists collided with his defense. But he quickly settled into a preparatory stance just as his foe was leaping back, taking in a breath. He took grim satisfaction upon seeing the smile being wiped away, putting on a smirk of his own. But he didn't bother to speak any more words, instead choosing to spin his katana in a slow and rhythmic manner. His foe was much more cautious and wary, just as it should have been in the first place. If he had been from the very beginning, Tenshina would've probably had to fight harder to win the bout. But thanks to the Fullbringer's arrogance, he had turned the tide in Tenshina's favor.

But he wasn't going to let that be known willingly any time soon.

At a point in time, he stopped spinning his sword and stabbed it into the ring floor. He charged toward his enemy, dragging the blade along with him as he had done before. But this time, the metal would ignite in a blaze of fire courtesy of the Zanpakutō "writing" the friction between floor and metal. As he neared Ningen-kan, he gripped the hilt with both hands and brought the flaming blade up in a fierce uppercut. Then, he started an aggressive attack, swinging again and again in a feral yet experienced fashion. Not only was his foe under the danger of getting cut, but also burned by the flaming tongues that decorated Tenshina's sword.

Ningen-kan knew now the next minute would be horrendously long, due to how truly skilled his enemy was shown to be.

As he saw him charging, he decided to switch it up and go for the offensive instead of waiting for him to make the first blow. Knowing just how scarily strong the Zanpakutō was, made him think twice than simply take it head-on.

A mere foot before the sword would be dragged up, Ningen-kan employed a fullbrought leap to appear just beside his unarmed flank. Using the momentum of the fullbrought motion, he began circling all around him at high speed that defied vision and distorted the air's energy from its manipulation. It looked like twelve Ningen-kans were attacking him at once, throwing out rapid punches that distorted the space around him and cracked the air pressure from where the fists traveled, causing a slew of sparks to fly out as his punches exploded at impact.

"Hyaku Saikuron Hōretsu!" He muttered aloud as he thrust his fists out at all angles he possible could.

Consequently, Tenshina was forced to stop himself before the uppercut could take place. He quickly reverted to a defensive position, letting out a snarl as the after-images raced around him. At first, he was alarmed at the high-speed movement made. But it was only a few seconds before he remembered what he had done. A canine-exposed grin formed on his face, and he immediately relaxed his stance. Had it been under any other situation, the move might as well have been suicide. But this wasn't any other situation, and Tenshina was starting to feel quite confident in his chances.

He let his foe strike him. Punch after punch reigned down on him and his person, jerking him every which way. He staggered to the left, almost fell to the right, swayed back and forth but was never knocked down on his back. Although the sounds of the man's blows were clearly heard, there was no grunts or yells of pain coming from their victim. Tenshina just stood there and took it for a brief while in what seemed to be a frightening display of durability.

In the midst of an oncoming punch, Ningen-kan would find his speed slowed down to a figurative crawl before it could reach its target. With a free hand, Tenshina reached out and grabbed Ningen-kan by the throat before sending him on his back in a violent collision with the floor. But this time, he wouldn't keep his hand there for means of suffocation. Instead, he quickly released the man and relied on disorientation to take effect. He himself raised his flaming blade over his head and swung down to chop the boxer in two. "DIE!!!"

Ningen-kan couldn't process how or why Bokujin got instantaneously faster in a split second. The fact remained is that he felt his punches become irregularly soft in impact upon his enemy's body and then suddenly feel his whole body feel heavier, made him believe that his nefarious sword had something to do with it.

So the moment that Bokujin let his hand go and Ningen-kan was temporarily immobile from the grapple that forced him to the ground, he felt all sensations return to normal. When the sword swung downwards, he swung his hands out to clap over the blade swiftly, employing a wave of fullbrought energy to distill and "quiet" the blade's influence. His palms were split and burned by the contact, but his arms allowed it to hold firm and allow him to subtly move his right leg into position.

"So much power for a Soul Reaper. I never knew that a blade that could create rules on the battlefield could exist until now. I can only imagine the havoc you would wreak after this war is over and what you would become afterwards," Ningen-kan surmised aloud, finishing with a vicious kick to his enemy's gut. Moving the blade's edge to the side, impaling it there, Ningen-kan would rise up with a burst of Bringer Light and swing his left fist in a twisting spiral motion to blow him away.

He knew now that something was amidst between the scales of strength and speed upon his own powers. One could not be adamantly maxed out over the other, otherwise he'd end up dramatically reducing the other form of strength. As long as he kept them balanced, he would be able to maintain a sense of status quos against his opponent.

"Oof--!" A pained gasp was uttered from Tenshina when the foot collided with his stomach, and he was forced to stagger back. He clenched his teeth, recovering quickly enough to leap back from the punch. He landed a distance away, quickly settling into a defensive stance and glaring at his foe. "Havoc? What I would become?" He repeated, his eyes taking on an incredulous emotive as he regarded his enemy. "You make it sound like I'm some sort of monster that's going to destroy anything and everything. Believe it or not, Mr. Honorable, you don't seem like a saint yourself!"

"I know what I am, and I know I'll disappear without anyone to remember me. That is the fate of Fullbringers," Ningen-kan spoke stoically as he regarded his opponent with steelly eyes. Settling into a defensive stance, he growled out, "but Soul Reapers? Ultimate power corrupts them ultimately. What do you intend to do with such power? Make profit? Slaughter humans and Hollows? I can't imagine a man full of anger wielding his sword for anything of noble intent."

"Can you really blame me for being so pissed off?" Tenshina fired back, relaxing his stance when he saw that Ningen-kan seemed to once again settle back into a defensive posture. He met the man's glare with his own. "I mean, I never asked for any of this. I just wanted a way to live, get through life before I pass on to the next stage of reincarnation. Can you honestly say that you can remain calm when your world's been turned upside-down, to discover that there's a big bull's-eye planted on your back by the very ones you worked for? Can you honestly keep your cool when you've had your face smashed into the ground over a dozen times by forces higher than your own, time and time again? Can you not be "full of anger" when you've had nearly everything taken away from you, just like I have? You may not get it, boxer, but I do." For emphasis, he pounded his chest with a free fist a few times.

Then, he extended it to briefly swing a finger in Ningen-kan's direction. "And who are you to talk about something like "nobility"? Do you know who exactly you work for? Do you know that your boss is a fucking psychopath who likes "carving out tongues and playing guessing games with his victims while carving out their genitals"?! Did you know that he cut off someone's limbs and burned the insides out of his body?!" A brief wave of disgust and horror washed over him as he remembered those words. He clenched his teeth, momentarily averting gaze away from his foe. "You can't imagine me being a noble person? Well, I can't imagine just why you would submit yourself to a sicko like that Quincy! Can you tell me that?!"

"I owe him an insurmountable debt! A debt I'll gladly sacrifice my life for!" Ningen-kan shouted back, his mental clock ringing as the end of round two began to close in its final seconds. As he raised his fists, making them parallel to each other, he slammed the gauntlets together as his aura ignited into a neon-blue-white aura that resembled a coalescion of fire and lightning in its intensity, "I did not come to explain myself! I didn't come to be honorable or noble! I CAME HERE TO FIGHT!"

The entire arena shook violently as light was blindingly generated from Ningen-kan's being, radiating with power of the Round 3 stage. Choku could only grimace as his lenses dimmed to not be caught by the full force of the glare, as the spiritual pressure shook the landscape for a kilometer in gait.

And so, Round 3 had commenced.

Although Tenshina had to squint his eyes in the face of the brilliant light and he had to tense his body in the mist of the shaking arena, he didn't give an inch. His voice would carry loud over the roar of the spiritual energy Ningen-kan was releasing, angry yet taunting. "No. You came here to show off, to tell your pimp and your fellow whores how easy it was killing us. Maybe if you had met me a few days back, that would've been so very true. But now, I'm awake. I'm alive. My eyes are wide open, and I'm not going to let some delusional hypocrite have the pleasure of killing me."

He abruptly swung himself into a defensive stance, his teeth bared as he readied himself. "Now come on, you fucker! It's time we stopped playing games and started waging war!"

The Alliance's Regroup, The Final Push Draws Near
A miracle is what was needed.

That was the line of thinking that 4th Division Captain Taiyō was believing. Even as explosions and battle cries were growing quieter in the distance, the blurring of hostile spiritual pressures still filled the air. How many would be able to make it to their reendevous point safely? How many would be ambushed because of it?

"Stop doubting yourself, Taiyō-chan," Kōjaku spoke softly, standing near the pillar of emerald Kidō-incantated light, "this is the best course of action. With both Hana and Furui locked in combat, you're the best one suited to maintain authority over the Alliance."

"I'm just worried that our flare didn't kill as many allies as we're hoping to bring to this spot," Taiyō retorted in a dry, humorless tone, sitting atop a piece of debris within the square they set up camp within.

Luck would smile on her this day.

The moment that she had finished saying that pessimistic sentence, signatures started to appear within the area by the numbers. Whatever problems that the refugees had come across in their journey had been effectively dealt with for the time being. Various types could be sensed, ranging from human to Soul to Hollow. The most prominent of the ones who arrived were the ones who had made a name for themselves in the events of the war. It probably wasn't the whole of the attack force. But it was certainly a considerable number.

First, there was the trio of Lieutenants alongside remnants of the former and defected Fullbringer squad.

Gina, who had been resting against a nearby rock, perked up when she sensed a welcoming signature. She raised her head up, turning a surprised gaze and feasting it on her personal subordinate. With haste, she brought herself to a standing position and stared incredulously. "Okayama?" She called out in disbelief, as if expecting the one addressed to just disappear in an illusion.

Tamiko snapped her head in Gina's direction, and although she would express just as much surprise, she would also show a great deal of faith in what she saw. "Captain!" She exclaimed with a wide smile, using a Flash Step to appear in front of her personal commander. She grunted a little, shifting Masahiro's unconscious form so that it would better fit over her shoulders. "We ran into some pretty heavy resistance coming here. Masahiro and Seishuku got hit the hardest..."

"By what?" Gina asked warily.

"A Fullbringer, with a Ressurrecion." Tamiko answered breathlessly, earning Gina's shocked gaze. "Not to mention a Stern Ritter! If it wasn't for the Dog over there and her boyfriend," She nodded her head over towards Kameyo, who was still being carried bridal-style by Valeur. "We'd probably all be dead by now!"

Valeur bowed his head, smiling reverantly as he kept an arm draped around his weary lover, "This war is far too big for our prior grudges and differences to seperate us from the common goal of survival. It was the right thing to do and I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"Even if it was a rather reckless thing to do at the time..." Tamiko muttered underneath her breath, though a humored smile still crossed her lips. That was quick to fade away once her mind focused back to her injured colleagues, and she turned her voice to her Captain. "Listen, as much as I'd like to talk, we've got some seriously injured people here and they're not going to last forever."

"No doubt." With a solemn and acknowledging nod, Gina swerved her head to look in Taiyō and hastily beckoned her over. "C'mon, Taiyō! This isn't a time to be daydreaming! We've got wounded here and there might be more on the way, let's move it!"

That was when the second group - or specifically, pair - arrived on scene.

"Ey yo, where's the party at?!" Qilin's cheery voice shot through the air and gained the attention of several people, his figure coming into view a second after. All in all, he looked relatively unharmed compared to most. But notably, he wasn't alone. Up against his form leaned the figure of a young woman, who only seemed burdened by exhaustion. It drew a good deal of eyes, but Gina would be the first to speak up with a slightly amused voice.

"Hey, Unicorn. This is war, not the time to be picking up potential girlfriends. What were you doing?"

A mix of fluster and incredulity appeared on Qilin's face, and he raised the arm that wasn't wrapped around Ayūi's waist in a disbelieving shrug. "Gina, please! Do you really think me to be that kind of man? I may have been a spy, but I'm certainly not as lewd as you would claim. She's a simple friend that I came across, nothing more!"

"Ayūi is the name, people," She spoke dryly, despite needing physical support, rolling her eyes with emphasis, "and no. I may have needed some rescuing, I am not his damsel. He probably wouldn't be alive without me either, so partnered acquaintence probably sounds best to describe our platonic relationship..."

"If she needs medical assistance or recouperation, it'll have to wait after I'm done with these two," Taiyō spoke aloud, settling down on her knees as the two injured lieutenants were on either flank of her kneeling form, "by the Spirit King, how are they still alive? These wounds would've killed lesser Soul Reapers..."

With the weight free from her shoulders, Tamiko gave a shrug and a wide smile. "What can I say? When it comes to dying, these boys are such amateurs." She replied casually, placing her hands on her hips and looking down on Masahiro and Seishuku. "They're tough ones, and they've survived for this long in enemy territory. They might look bad right now. But they'll make it, I can guarantee that."

"Well, I'll try my best to heal them to fighting shape. We just recovered so I don't want to stress what energy I have regained too hastily," Taiyō responded with reluctance, knowing full well that they wouldn't be the only ones brought to her attention. She even cast a gaze towards Kameyo, almost gaping at the wounded arm she was sporting, "damnation, why didn't you say anything?! I'll heal that arm as soon as I patch these two up..."

"Would you believe me if I told you she fought a Stern Ritter off and won singlehandedly with just one arm?" Choku asked with a grin, pushing up his glasses in a cheeky manner.

"After what I've seen so far, I wouldn't doubt it. I'll make sure to patch her up so she can help us put an end to this war," Taiyō said seriously, allowing herself to smile as she restored the skin and knitted back the damaged cells within both of her patients' bodies.

It was here that the silent Kameyo decided to ask a question.

"What will become of us?" She asked, her voice soft and quiet as it spoke to Taiyō. Her eyes, although maintaining their trademark stoicism, held a slight weariness within them. "After this war is over, I mean." She took in a deep breath, her blank gaze drifting up to the sky. "The Gotei 13 and the ones they protect... they have a home to go back to. Once the enemy is driven back, that home will be yours once again. But what about the being of your opponents, the ones that survive? We may live through it all. But we have no place to return to. The only place we've recognized as refuge will be destroyed by the hands of our enemy. We shall be mercilessly judged for our amoral and horrible crimes against you. Someone has to pay for them, after all..."

The arm around Valeur's neck tightened a little in unconsciousness, and she slowly closed her eyes. She was barely aware of the eyes she had drawn, courtesy of her rather bleak words. "If that is the case, Captain Ikidōri, I ask you. What type of noose will be placed around our necks?"

The Captain of the 4th Division had no immediate words to answer the young woman's question. Bleakly, she kept her eyes upon her patients as she mended their wounds as she thought up a reasonable solution. Despite being one of the more level-headed and smartest among her colleagues, she knew she had little final say when it came to the likes of judgement or decisions. That was left up to the Head Captain and the Court, though the latter was rather indisposed due to obvious reasons.

"If I may say a word, before you give a valued answer," Valeur responded in a daunting tone, staring back at Taiyō and to each Alliance member present, "you have every right to judge us guilty for the crimes we help instill, and being associated with such a disreputable organization that's been the source of so much pain for you all. I myself, knew of the consequences of my actions for what I was going through with in going through with this war. I only wished change, everlasting freedom and true hope for those of every Society in this Spiritual Realm. I truly do not wish to face my death, even past this victory, but I cannot believe that this Alliance will treat our aid so callously!"

"You've made a point, Knight," Kōjaku spoke out for the first time, treading towards him and the others, keeping his tone so hospitable, "even if the Inner Circle, what remains of it, allies with us we cannot simply disacknowledge it. But on the other hand, we cannot simply excuse the criminal actions that drove us to this point of desperation. Rooting out the apparent evils, in hindsight, may have saved the world but it may have also doomed it."

Pausing, he looked over to Kameyo, whom had believed to be the voice of the original question, "To answer your question, with a question, seems more appropriate. What do you suppose we do with you? Do you believe you and your comrades would still be loyal to this Alliance? Do you believe you can still prove yourselves worthy and act continuously on good merit for the betterment of all others?"

"Loyal?" Kameyo repeated the question as if she hadn't heard him correctly. She looked over at Kōjaku as best as she could while in Valeur's arms. "You have to understand, Captain. We were never loyal towards this so-called "Alliance". Our loyalty was to the Inner Circle, up to the very point where we were left for dead. Then, we became loyal to no one but ourselves. We are allies with you, but not servants. We are helpers, but not underlings. That is why I ask what will become of us, for as of now... we have no direction of our own. That is all I am able to say."

A subtle grin of approval crossed Qilin's face.

"Well, what if we repurpose the Inner Circle?" Ryōken asked, scratching his chin idly as he intervened into the conversation.

"Repurpose?" Taiyō asked.

"Well, yeah. We were talking about legalizing V-14. Why can't we find an alternative use for the Inner Circle to be used for a beneficial means without tying them into a political or military arm of the Alliance?" Ryōken inquired, looking between all of his standing comrades.

"What exactly would you suggest? Allow them to continue doing what they've done prior this shenanigan of a war?" Kōjaku asked in a near incredulous tone.

"No! I mean, well, they ARE mercenaries. Maybe they could be a militia for the free people? I mean, there are a lot of frontiersmen in between each society of the Spiritual Realm. Hollows tend to encroach upon it, and we usually tend to focus on protecting the societies and the living world. Why not have them be a sort've border patrol across the spiritual plane?" Ryōken asked with genuine curiosity.

"It'd be a nice thing," Gina said, placing her hands on her hips. "But let's not forget that the V-14 leader agreed to it. In order to ensure things will truly go into that direction, we'd most likely have to ask the Horsemen themselves. By this point in time? I would start to question whether or not they're even alive, what with all this chaos going on."

Although it was unintentional, Gina's words caused Qilin to avert his gaze slightly away from her in subdued thought. This too was a subtle movement; the last thing he wanted was to confirm Kukkyōna's earlier accusations of him having personal ties with the 4th Horsemen Shikyo.

Kōjaku's eyes shifted to a number of silhouettes approaching from the horizon. With a feigned cough to direct all attention to the new arrivals, he spoke aloud, "Let us continue this conversation at a more relevent time. We have new comrades to welcome..."

Yōki was the first arrive with her comrades in tow. Landing down with a skidding drop, she heaved heavily, nearly out of breath from the non-stop sprint she pushed her weary body to get here. Behind her landed Rokotsu, with two unconscious agents over her shoulders, along with a bruised and bleeding Takashi.

"I can't believe we made it..." Yōki sighed with relief, her breaths coming out haggard.

"Can I set down these guys now?" Rokotsu inquired, her own brow caked with debris dust and sweat.

"Sure thing, Rok-chan," Yōki smiled with a nod of acceptance, watching her female partner set down the two knocked out agents onto their backsides.

"Whew!" Rokotsu unceremoniously squatted onto her buttocks, allowing her now golden-sheathed sealed Zanpakutō to clatter next to her, "that was a work-out..."

"We nearly died back there and you call that a work-out?!" Takashi asked incredulously, a bulging vein pulsating upon his forehead as he waved a hand comedically for emphasis.

"Well, yeah. What would you call it?" Rokotsu asked coyly, placing a finger upon her lips as she blinked her large eyes up at Takashi.

"A withdrawl from certain death, that's what it was!" Takashi snarled, before allowing himself to land onto his backside with a pain-filled grunt in sync with the bodily thud, "I need a drink and a vacation...in that order..."

"Hey, guys and girls! Glad to see you made it in one piece!"

Not soon after they arrived, Braeburn's voice would be heard as he approached. He gave a wave as he saw them, ensuring his presence in the area was known. Strangely and in contrast to his war-torn teammates, he was virtually untouched. The only thing that indicated his involvement in a battle was the blood that stained his uniform. Behind him was what they would only know through history: a grizzled and older man with a samurai-like uniform, a claymore balanced on the shoulder and a patch on one of his eyes. He was sporting more injury consisting of slash marks and bruises along with his own blood coating. But if they was hurting him, he wasn't saying anything about it.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, Brae-kun!" Yōki quipped with a happy smile, her eyes adoring his undamaged frame, yet narrowed when she saw the bloodstains on his uniform, "had a rough time?"

"Would you be surprised if I said yes?" Braeburn answered back, spreading his arms out and giving a shrug. He slowly approached the group, with the older man silently and loosely following him. "In any case, it's over now, we're all alive and the band is still together." He folded his arms across his chest, briefly unfolding one of them to gesture towards his companion. "During my particular adventure, I happened to run across someone. Know you haven't met him before, but I'm sure that if you delve into recent history, you'll figure out right away."

The elder broke out of his silence, giving a sniff as he looked over at both the D.C.O. and the Captains. "I know I've been gone for quite a long time..." He commented, his Glaswegian accent emphasizing a slightly miffed tone. "But I didn't think that these bunch of children would forget about me so easily. Minds so young shouldn't be losing memory so quickly!"

"By the various gods," Yōki's eyes widened, almost immediately recognizing the english-accented man's face, "Haralson McTavish?!"

"Wait, isn't he supposed to be dead?" Takashi asked from his prone position on the ground.

"He looks alive to me," Rokotsu wiggled her bum to turn around and look up at the dauntingly tall father of Braeburn, "yup-yup! He's alive!"

"I know he's alive, idiot!" Takashi growled, squirming on the ground pathetically to emphasize his frustration.

Taiyō breathed out with relief as she finished the healing required of her two patients. As she walked over to Kameyo's side, she couldn't help but gawk at the supposedly deceased and MIA man standing before them all, "When...did you get here?!"

"Not long ago," Choku quipped with a smirk.

"No, I mean when did he arrive here in the Soul Society?" Taiyō further inquired as her stare hardened at the man with the imposing-sized blade balanced upon his shoulder.

"Its a fair question. He hasn't been seen for a good number of years," Ryōken nodded in sync with Kōjaku, as his eyes trailed over to the partially battered and bruised form of the Glaswegian-appearing Aethian, "what? Did you just walk out of the bar or did you bail your son out of a proverbial and literal fire?"

"Neither." Haralson answered in dismissal, feasting his stare on the Captains. He paused for a moment to glare questioningly at Taiyō before looking over at Ryōken. "I happened to be visiting the Rukongai District along with the wife, walking through town... at least, that's what we intended before we came across this. I have to say, Captains, you've really let this place go." He slowly slid his claymore within its back holster and folded his arms across his chest. "What in the bloody hell have you been doing to get yourself into this mess?"

Behind him, Braeburn's mouth twitched a little at Ryōken's words. Had he realized that Haralson pulled him out of the fire? It wasn't something he wanted the rest of them to figure out... at least, not if he could help it.

"The short of the long story, an organization called the Inner Circle has been planning the demise of the Soul Society. They initiated a forced coup with the power of a dauntingly strong Zanpakutō and a surprise attack via airspace. Lot of casualties forced us to retreat and retrieve all of our allies from across the Spiritual Realm. With this ragtag bunch we call the Alliance, we assaulted the IC refurbished Soul Society, and seemed to have everything going well. But then the Inner Circle's own allies, that's Aizen and the Quincy King by the way, turned on them and transformed the Soul Society into an equivalent of a Vandentei. Suffice it to say, we are in the raging inferno out of the pan, so to speak. Most obstacles are overcome, but the two remaining enemies are yet to be defeated," Ryōken reiterated in a quickly spoken abridged story of what happened. Shrugging, he smiled ruefully, "that is, in a sense, what happened in a nutshell."

"Lot of details thankfully eluded," Choku muttered with a half-hearted grin.

Haralson frowned thoughtfully. When he had come here and witnessed everything, he understood that the Soul Society had been plunged into chaos. But this piece of information expressed just how far the situation had descended. He wanted to say that it was their own carelessness that put them into it. But he knew that there were things some people just couldn't control, and this was one of them. "So, in other words, you all are moving down shit creek without a paddle." He remarked, putting on a wry and amused grin. "Some things simply never change..."

"Wait a minute." Gina took the opportunity to speak up, slowly rising to a standing position and regarding Haralson with a cautious expression. "You said you were traveling with your wife. Would that just happen to be the--?"

But she was cut off by two more voices, courtesy of two more figures that were approaching the scene.

"I honestly cannot believe you would choose such attire to wear for combat. I thought you were smarter than that, Brina."

"If I knew this was going to happen, I would've chose something better! Now can you please keep walking?"

"If you insist..."

The voices came from the female half of the McTavish family. Brina was hiding from view behind a kimono-clad woman, who was sporting a walking stick as she approached the area. Although the older woman's eyes were closed, she carried a somewhat exasperated look on her face as she spoke to the girl. In contrast, Brina's face expressed fluster with a blush running across her countenance.

"Evelyn's...alive?!" Yōki burst out with incredulous disbelief.

"I'm trying not to be surprised. Not working so far," Taiyō quipped with eyes wide open at seeing the woman whom was presumably claimed deceased.

Kōjaku also gawked at who was accompanying her. The Dragon, whom was notoriously responsible for launching the surprise attack upon Aether's capitol, stood inches away from her parents. He held his tongue, however, for he knew what he and his trio of comrades were forced to do. He couldn't help but stand in shock and awe though.

Valeur himself couldn't believe that his superior was alive. While she was no doubt the more tolerably hospitable Dragons within the organization, she was still a disciple underneath one of the Horsemen. But he had at least the respect to bow his head before her, and speak genuinely, "I'm glad you still walk among us, Serah Brina."

Their statements caused the two to break away from their conversation and focus attention towards the others.

Brina would be the first one to speak up, moving tentatively away from Evelyn's cover. She had one of her arms draped over her chest, allowing the other one to hang by her side. She looked at her former subordinates with confusion, as if she didn't believe she was seeing them for real. "Valeur? Choku? Kameyo?" She asked rhetorically, slowly gaining a relieved smile on her face. "Oh, you guys have no idea how good it is to see you still alive! Never thought you'd survive something like this."

"Nor we you, Lady Brina." Kameyo said softly, giving her own nod towards the woman.

"And what's this?" Brina's relieved grin would grow into a more cheery one once she laid eyes on the D.C.O. squad. "The folks I met back before the invasion of Yūrei? I was expecting more warning!"

"Wait, that's where we met her from?!" Yōki sputtered out in a flabbergasted manner, having nearly forgotten the chance encounter they had back during the Ahijados war.

"I remember her. She fought Braeburn a bit then departed like she had important business. I guess we know NOW what that business WAS, hm?!" Takashi growled.

"Nice to meet you again, Brin-Brin!" Rokotsu bounced her bum across the ground towards Brina, stretching out her hand to grab hers and shake it comically fast, "remember me? My name's Rokotsu! But you can call me, Rok-chan, Brin-Brin!"

"Brin-Brin?" Braeburn found a grin stretching across his face as he watched Brina shake hands with the hyperactive girl and somehow keeping pace. "Oh, I'm so going to be teasing you about that the first chance I get..."

"How could I forget?" Brina asked, laughing a little as her hand was shaken. Her other arm pressed a bit against her chest in order to keep it from getting shaken off. "The hyperactive ginger of my little brother's group!"

Evelyn took it all in with a soft smile, huffing a little. She may not have been able to see what was going on, but she could hear it all and sense the mostly positive atmosphere within the environment. To know that her children was still alive and well even after what happened to them would've been a relief for any parent as it was for her, and to be in the midst of such mirth kept her own spirits lifted. "And just like that, the family is back together again. Oh, how I've longed for this moment..."

"You and me both, lassie." Haralson said, placing a hand on her shoulder and making her turn her head to him. A grin of his own was on his face. "After so many years, fate has deemed it be good for us to come back together. Izanami smiles on us, she does..."

"Heads up, we got two more-" Ryōken nodded one moment, before a whirling blur came in between all of them.

Even as the wind billowed around, a battered and bloodied Sui-Feng accompanied by a sweating and bruised Yoruichi appeared before all their comrades.

"Glad some powerhouses made it!" Takashi laughed with relief, still wriggling like a turtle on his back.

"Good to see an able-bodied Lancer," Taiyō spoke with acknowdgement, smiling as she mended Kameyo's arm back to its normal state.

"We had to deal with some Stern Ritters. It was tough, but we got through alright," Yoruichi spoke with a soft, sheepish chuckle.

"Easy for you to say...sensei. It was only by sheer luck I was able to use that enormous pyre of lightning in the sky to beat that metal bastard," Sui-Feng huffed, blushing slightly at leaning so close to her big sister figure mentor.

And then, the smiles were wiped off of their face.

Haralson and Evelyn's eyes widened upon hearing the voices of Yoruichi and Sui-Feng. They turned themselves around to face the two women, having various expressions of surprise. Evelyn, in particular, had a slight wariness within her expression as she sensed the presence of her unofficial judge. The one who had ordered the assassination attempt on her life was standing right in front of her, not having yet noticed her from the sounds of it. It was one of those moments where she felt true anxiety, and she wondered what would happen once Sui-Feng actually paid attention to her.

Her husband sensed her trepidation, once again placing a hand on her shoulder for comfort. "Hey." He said softly. "Are you sure you want to do this? The Onmitsukidō are a cold breed of Shinigami..."

"I'll take my chances." Evelyn said firmly, giving him a slight nod. "If I don't say anything now, I'll just be burdened later. This is something I have to do."

"All right... but... if you're feeling a bit too pressured, you've got us. You know that, right?"

"I know." With that being said, Evelyn slipped her shoulder from his grasp and took a few steps forward. She took in a deep breath to mentally prepare herself for what was to come. Then, she allowed her voice to call out to her target. She was one of the few that freely used this particular name used to get her attention, and for Sui-Feng, it would narrow down the possibilities of who addressed her.

"Shaolin?"

Sui-Feng felt her heart skip a few beats. Maybe she lost too much blood? No, it was unmistakeable that voice belonged to the woman she had condemned. Slowly but surely, she turned her shocked and wearied face to gaze upon the woman standing near her husband. Alive in the flesh, her eyes seeming to have lost the original light she once saw in it, regret already began snaking up her throat, trying to suffocate her barely controlled visage she portrayed before her.

Yoruichi noticed her anxiety, but placed a strong hand upon her shoulder and scooted her away from her side, whispering, "Go on, Sui-Feng. I'm right here."

"Y-Yes..." She began, as she swallowed down a lump of fear. Raising her eyes to meet Evelyn's, not caring if her eyes could see hers, she raised her voice to an even, slow tone, "Eve. Eve McTavish. Its been a long time..."

Now, all eyes were on them. The stage had been set and the actors were in their places. Evelyn, for the most part, was unconcerned about the attention. She had her blank gaze settled on the Captain as she approached with a slow gait. She could sense the apprehension coming from the younger woman, the wariness and worry as clear as day to her. To be honest, it surprised her. She was truly expecting a much colder attitude and even a reprimand for the use of that officially discarded name. But instead, she was facing herself: someone who had not been prepared to face the events of the past. At the very least, it relieved her to know that she didn't have to deal with the more apathetic type of person.

A smile, weak and momentarily, crossed her face at the shortage of her name. "Eve?" She repeated, chuckling a little. "I haven't heard anyone call me by that nickname in a long time. Then again, it has been a long time, hasn't it?" She stopped once she was close enough to Sui-Feng, the smile slowly fading away. "And yet, there are still scars that have yet to disappear. There are wounds that have yet to be healed, no matter how long we've waited thus far. From what I've heard from Brina, I can safely assume that you've come to know that much."

Her blank eyes slowly closed in a brief mental pause, and she took in another breath before speaking again. This time, her tone would show a hint of pain within. "I've caused you a lot of trouble... haven't I, Shaolin?"

"An understatement, to be sure, Evelyn," Sui-Feng muttered out dryly, her attempt of humoring the situation failing as her voice trembled. Raising her hands to clasp each other over her chest, she began her confession, "I've rarely ever found any decision, official or not, that I've made in my life to be filled with regret. But if there was one decision I wish I could revoke, change everything, it would be the one that led your family down a path of such misery, antagonism, and anguish. It not only ruined my disciple's life but also marred her view of justice that I've sworn so desperately to uphold..."

Tears began to snake down her face, as the composed facade began to crumble away as she closed her eyes, biting her lower lip as she kept herself from sobbing, "You were a cherished colleague and comrade to me. I acted merely as an accord to test your daughter's loyalty, even when details were too thin to act upon. I ruined your relationship between you two, and I created a fissure of hatred for your family against this wonderful society we've helped protect. If you see it fit, Evel...Eve, that I be punished, please, take out what aggression that is left in your family's hearts and I'll pay the price!"

For a moment, Evelyn remained silent. Her blank eyes opened, conveying a sense of weary empathy as she listened to Sui-Feng break down. Slowly, she bent down to place her walking stick on the ground before approaching Sui-Feng again. But this time, she would be right in front of the woman, her tall gait looming over Sui-Feng's smaller frame. She lifted her hands, and for the briefest of moments, Haralson thought that she was going to strangle the Captain. But that paranoid notion faded away when Evelyn placed those hands on Sui-Feng's shoulders.

"I think you've been through enough without me adding on to it." She said simply, managing a weak but encouraging smile. "What reasons do I have to hold any sort of grudge against you now? What has been done cannot be undone. The scars on my body may still continue to live with me until the end of my days. But I am still alive and breathing, and now I'm back at the side of my loved ones. I have come face-to-face with my prosecutor and find not a cold executor, but an individual plagued by their own demons ever since judgement. What flame could I possibly hold against the likes of that?"

Then, she slowly slid her arms around Sui-Feng's shoulders and brought her close in an embrace. "I forgive you, Shaolin Fēng. And I hope you can find the heart to forgive me for what I did..."

Sui-Feng could feel the weight of her burdens lifted off her like a mountain removed from a village. Her eyes opened wide when she heard her speak to her with forgiveness, albeit weary and saddened. When she pulled her into an embrace, Sui-Feng's eyes couldn't help but sparkle with relief, as she returned the gesture and hugged the taller woman tightly as she sobbed, "Thank you...Eve...chan...thank you so much..."

It was as stunning for Brina to see as much as it was heartwarming for the majority of onlookers there.

Rarely she had seen her master show weakness in front of anyone outside of those closest to her heart. It was even more shocking due to the one she was showing it to: the very victim of prosecution. Like Evelyn, she had assumed Sui-Feng would not show remorse for her actions. But apparently, she had changed a lot over the years that they were apart. She couldn't help but smile as she watched, remaining respectfully silent but having a mind running through thoughts.

And then, a voice spoke up.

"Oh, by the grace of Izanami, get a room, you two!"

"Don't be rude, Casilda!"

The annoyed voice of Casilda followed by the chiding tone of Nohemi would be heard, and their respective forms plus Jinete would come into view a second later. Casilda had her arms folded across her chest and a disapproving scowl on her face, while Nohemi fixed a disapproving look of her own towards her daughter.

"You know, Cassie, I could always bring up some stories about when you're young and embarassing. I'm pretty sure everyone else, since you've gained their attention, would be dying to hear them," Jinete half-heartingly threatened, as he chuckled from behind his wife and daughter, his daunting frame nary untouched by this war's hardships.

Yoruichi facepalmed, her smile evaporating into a visage of exasperation. As she drug down her hand, she could only fix a dry stare at the Queen of Hueco Mundo, and irritatively glare at her with her own brand of annoyance.

Takashi busted out a gut in laughter, shaking on the ground like a marred backsided turtle, believing what he heard was comedy gold.

"Honestly, you have no decency, Arrancar," Valeur muttered under his breath, turning his gaze away, less he should attract any unwanted antagonism towards his insignificant form.

Sui-Feng retracted her grasp upon the weary woman, quickly rubbing her eyes to discard her tears. She already let down her guard more than she desired, but she dared not continue to do so under less understanding entities. After fixating a cross glare at Casilda, she wordlessly strode over to Taiyō. Squatting into a cross-legged stance, she sighed heavily and bowed her head with resignation, "Please patch me up, Captain, so I may not linger here for much longer."

"As you wish, Sui-Feng," Taiyō chuckled dryly, placing her sapphire-aura covered hands over Sui-Feng's weary and battered form, beginning the arduous process of healing and recovering for her patient.

Jinete's "threat" wasn't taken too lightly.

"Dad, I swear to Izanami," She growled, turning herself around and pointing a warning finger at him. There was a red blush across her face, as she still had memories of those particular times. "If you so much as open your mouth, I will never forgive you!" That was enough to make Nohemi giggle, covering her mouth and turning her head away from the two.

Evelyn didn't seem too phased by the abrupt interruption, although having been surprised by the voices of the Arrancar. She let out a light huff as she was released, placing her hands across her hips and shaking her head a little. "That was to be expected..." She muttered, turning herself away from the medic and patient and frowning a little. "Reinforcements are probably still on their way. It's not unexpected for at least some of them would disapprove of a heart-to-heart."

"Think of it this way." Haralson piped in, taking a few steps forward. "At least it wasn't--"

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEE~!"

He would be cut off by the sound of a female's voice. He and other heads would snap towards the source, who was currently plummeting towards them at a high speed. Notably, she had legs tucked into herself like a cannonball and was spinning loosely as she came sailing towards the group. Casilda, in particular, started paling once she recognized just who it was. "Oh, no, I thought I got rid of--!"

"Here comes the F-bomb!" Melina yelled as she descended towards the group... as well her unfortunate target.

"Wha--?"

Braeburn had sensed her obvious presence, but wasn't so quick as to turn around to actually see her. When he finally did in order to see what was going on, he was met with the body of the Arrancar as it slammed into him. In turn, this produced a bone-crunching sound effect, followed by Braeburn's yell of agony as they fell on the ground.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGH! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!"'

"...oh, that was a big one!"

"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU BLOODY PSYCHO?!"

"Ooooh," Yōki raised up her hands as she flinched, seeing Braeburn's body contort painfully as he screamed aloud, "that's going to a leave a mark..."

"Or twenty," Takashi quipped.

"Wouldn't doubt it," Yōki sighed.

"Can't you healthy people stay healthy?" Taiyō groaned as she continued to mend a currently irked Sui-Feng, with protruding veins emphasizing her barely tempered anger boiling within her, "I'll shrivel up into a corpse by the time I'm done healing all of you at this rate...!"

It was then, that this sudden burst of energy triggered Rokotsu's own playfulness. Launching from her buttocks prone position, the orange haired girl jettisoned across camp, erecting her body in a missile shape across the airspace. As she let out a giggle, she yelled out in kind, "My secret weapon: THE HEADBUTT ROCKET!"

With comical emphasis, the air seemed to break in a concussive fashion as Rokotsu flew head-first into Melina's head, aiming to knock her senseless. Having sensed the challenge arise from her dynamic entry, how could she refuse?

"Actually, it's more like a grenade--"

Bonk!

Melina's attempt to correct Rokotsu was interrupted when the girls' foreheads collided with one another. Melina's Hierro prevented her from getting knocked far away, with the only knockback received being a bending of her back. The two girls ended up falling stomach-first to the ground, with Melina still laying on a groaning Braeburn in a criss-cross fashion. After a few seconds of daze, the Arrancar shook her head and looked at what might as well have been her species sister. "Oh, we just butted heads now." She remarked, giving a big grin. "Let's be friends!"

"There's two of them." Casilda had a hand covering her face and her head lowered in a gesture of dismay. "There's two of them now, in the same area. Why does this have to happen to me? Seriously, I've tried to be a good girl and this is what I get for it?"

"GET OFF ME!!!" Braeburn roared, trying to pull himself out from underneath his assailant to no avail. All he did manage to succeed in doing was garner snickers and giggles from his family, who was looking on with varying degrees of amusement.

"Is this usually how someone makes friends?" Kameyo questioned, tilting her head to the side a little as she looked at Rokotsu and Melina. "Should I have done that, too...?"

"No Serah," Valeur shook his head with a sigh, "only the odd ones have social skills involving such brute violence with nonsensical purpose behind them."

Jinete placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder, laughing jubiliously, "Look on the bright side, Cass. At least they're bonding alone and not right next to you."

Rokotsu rubbed her forehead for a few moments as she got up on her knees. When she heard Melina's offer of friendship, she immediately beamed with a smile, glomping into her with a big tight hug, "Okay! My name's Rokotsu, but you can call me Rok-chan! That's what Yōki-chan calls me! What's your name?"

"Melina!" With a smile that was much more beaming, Melina pushed herself off of Braeburn and readily returned the bear hug. "Nice to meet you, Rok-chan!"

"My Lady!"

Before Casilda could respond to her father, the voice of her personal subordinate came out. She turned her head to see a very exhausted Findor running towards her. She fixed a glare on him, raising a finger to point at the perky Arrancar. "You were supposed to have a leash on that thing!" She reprimanded, causing Findor to sweatdrop in nervousness.

"F-forgive me, my Lady! I tried to stop her, but... she was just too much! Has she hurt anyone?"

"Only that one there." The Primera casually pointed a thumb at the floored Braeburn who was now struggling to push himself. "Other than my head, everyone and everything is fine."

"Good, good..." Findor sighed in relief before straightening himself up again, a more serious look on his face. "Nicolao's tracking of the Espada within the battlefield has been completed. They've seen the beacon sent from this location and they should be on their way right now. Have any of them come across this area early?"

The presence of another abruptly made itself known before Casilda could answer that. Both leader and subordinate would turn their gaze to another leader-subordinate pair: Senkaku and Hermosa. Senkaku was approaching them with a brisk walk, his eyes leveled in a hardened gaze as he strode towards the group. A notably nervous Hermosa was bringing up the rear, her blind eyes shifting between him and the group of survivors they were approaching.

"Senkaku! Good to see you alive and kicking, kid!" Jinete waved to the visibly worn Arrancar, trailed behind with Hermosa.

"Do you require healing and recovery, Senkaku?" Taiyō inquired, her hands dimming their healing energies as all of Sui-Feng's superficial wounds had been healed, along with most of her spirit energy recovered.

"It'd be nice if all the Espada showed up," Ryōken spoke lowly, scratching the back of his head as he leaned against a partially standing structure, "Spirit King knows that we could use their strength, with what little we have left..."

"I'm fine." Senkaku brushed Taiyō's statement off curtly, dismissing the offer for healing. His tone was as cold as the mask he wore on his face. It was a heavy contrast to the generally friendly attitude he gave outside of combat - something that the Primera could pick up right away. "Save your strength for the people who need it."

"How were things on your end?" Casilda inquired, looking over at Senkaku with an inquisitive eyebrow. "I picked up the signature of your secondary release. Was your foe truly that strong?"

A scoff escaped Senkaku in response. "Hardly. The only reason I was made to release it was because I was too foolish to see any other means of defeating him." He said with a slight tone of bitterness. "I will take care not to make that mistake again."

"Don't feel bad, son," Jinete chimed in, flashing an encouraging smile to the bitter Espada, "we all made mistakes we wish to correct. In life or battle otherwise. My life's a testament of few decisions built up from the many errors made along the way. At least I made two good decisions," turning towards his daughter and wife, he wrapped an arm around each shoulder as he looked back at Senkaku, "they're still breathing examples I'm not a total failure. And hey, you still have Hermosa with you, safe and unharmed. What more could you ask other than victory, flawed or flawless?"

"How about death, complete with a side order of gore, screams and lots of fire?"

Another voice would speak for Senkaku before he could open his mouth. If there were looks directed towards the source, they would see someone that had not been directly present in the war effort all this time. It was none other than the Queen of Hell, who was sporting a rather suave smile on her face. But she wasn't alone; on her shoulders and within several floating flame "cages" were the six members of the D.C.O. operatives that had fought Asumu. More specifically, Daisuke was the only one she was carrying around her shoulders, while the rest were contained within the cages. "I see that you all are still alive. For a moment, I was seriously putting money on you having gotten slaughtered by the Quincy long before this moment."

"Lady Senkuko." Casilda whispered, earning the Punisher's slight gaze. She folded her hands behind her back and gave a humble bow, with Senkaku and Nohemi following suit. "An honor to see your presence within this tattered battlefield..."

"This feels nostalgic," Yōki commented with a wry grin, seeing the Punisher in all her flamboyant glory striding in like a boss, "death nipping at our heels, the Punisher here to take accounts of the casualties, and all of our Captains wondering if we should run for the hills or to our very deaths. Tell me I'm dreaming, Takashi."

"I wish it was just a big, alcoholic-induced nightmare," Takashi groaned, even as Rokotsu invoked a mindless game of patty-cake in a violent manner with Melina in the background, "that way, the only pains I'd have to deal with is a hangover. I'd much rather deal with a hangover than the wounds I feel in places I wish I didn't have right about now..."

"Oh gods," Taiyō's eyes widened with sudden trepidation. She could barely feel any spirit energy emanating from their broken, caged forms. She immediately got to her feet and rushed towards Sakura with a concerned look on her face, "what are their conditions?! I must tend to their wounds immediately!"

"They're busted up pretty bad." The Punisher said casually, levitating the flame cages to one position and dispersing them to allow Taiyō access to their injuries. "I gotta say, that Quincy gave them quite a beating. It's a miracle that they're still breathing. You want to make sure they stay that way, you'd better hurry."

As she set Daisuke down, Braeburn allowed his eyes to twist in that particular direction. A slightly shocked look appeared on his face as he saw the extent of his injuries. For all the times that Braeburn saw the Lieutenant fight, he had always remained standing even in the face of insurmountable odds. To see him beaten as he was now stirred up something within him. He knew that the man wasn't invincible, but found it unnerving to see the very spirit of the 9th Division subdued and battered. Slowly, his eyes narrowed and and his lip curled slightly.

"Even he was beaten? I can't believe it... I just can't believe it. If I didn't know any better, I would have said you allowed yourself to get beaten like that, Hayate. But you couldn't possibly have. Chances are you probably went down swinging, right? Unlike me..."

He shut his eyes tightly for a brief moment. "God damn both you and me..."

As Taiyō began healing the wounds of all the recognizeable Lancers, the air grew humorlessly quiet. Any pretense of jocular antics, sarcastic quips, and anything normally social was defused in front of so many wounded. Not only that, but one of the key driving forces that kept all in good spirit and confident was laid defeated and broken at their feet.

It caused Yōki to cover her mouth with horror, as she stared at the young orange haired man of the Hayate Clan who befriended her in the agency. His fiery will to fight no matter the cost, to protect his Clan and his friends, and to keep living for the sake of one mentor who died in his arms. Even then, his will had inspired the Children of Izanami to halt their inevitable doomsday plot and even kindled the heart of the Punisher herself.

Seeing him there, labored in breathing, looking near dead made her want to weep how badly her heart ached.

Taiyō immediately began harnessing healing energies upon the boy, sighing with a weary tone, "Daisuke, you fool. If you go and become a martyr yourself, your father would have my head and your girlfriend would no doubt eviscerate me in a painful fashion."

"Probably not far off the truth, there. She's one crazy bitch," Takashi quipped, finding the sense to joke about something to keep their thoughts off the morbid awareness of the wounded comrades laid before their feet.

Jinete himself seemed to look solemnly at the boy, thoughtfully staring at his bleeding prone form. He nodded firmly, allowing himself to grin as he looked to his wife and daughter, "He'll pull through. His will to live is far too strong to allow wounds like that to drag him into the abyss..."

Both of the Arrancar women gave a silent nod in response. Although neither of them knew Daisuke very much, Casilda at least had seen the fire within Daisuke's eyes during the evacuation of Empresa's citizens and their defense. The Primera could safely say that as long as he had a mind, he would continue defying the odds if it meant protection of his values. It was enough to make her smile, folding her arms across her chest. "You'd better believe it..."

Fortunately for Takashi, the Punisher didn't see interest in retaliating for the rather offensive remark made towards her person. Instead, she focused her attention on her beloved. Slowly, she raised up her hand out towards the body, with her thumb and index finger poised in a snapping position. In Hell, it was the universal hand symbol for the release of fire - something commonly used by Genesis. Obviously, she was about to use the fire of healing on Daisuke, restore his wounds and bring him back from the brink of death. For her, it would've been so easy to do so and it certainly would've saved Taiyō a lot of effort.

But surprisingly, she didn't. Instead, she would lower her hand back down and fold both hands behind her back, looking on as the medic worked her magic. The smile had faded, her eyebrows knitted and the eyes peering intensely at Daisuke's unconscious form.

"C'mon, Lieutenant!" Taiyō muttered lowly in a commanding tone, as she finished unraveling the remaining threads of spirit energy into his being, now continuing onto his wounds. She was amazed how resilient he was, constitution and all, with the volume of blood he lossed with the accumulated damage inflicted upon his person. Whomever he fought, truly wanted him dead with a thoroughness few enemies possessed.

A light seeped through the dark tunnel, however, as Daisuke's voice ebbed through the eerie silent air.

"S-Sakura..." Daisuke's mouth whispered aloud, his left eye opening even as he breathed haggardly from the gradual process of restoration and healing, "is...t-that...you?"

And there it was - his resolve.

As her ears picked up his words, she found a smile working its way up to her face. She walked over to his fallen form, kneeling down and sitting on her legs. One of her hands found its way to his, gripping it with a gentle tightness. The presence of the others didn't matter to her at this point, even if it most likely would've been an odd sight to see. "Yeah, it's me, hun." She said softly, briefly squeezing the hand she held in order to emphasize her words. "Glad to see you're still alive..."

Those haggard breaths turned to slow, even ones almost immediately upon feeling Sakura's grip in his own. Squeezing tightly, tears snaked down his eyes as he smiled past the pain that welled within his battered frame, "Yeah...I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see you again...like this, you know? Guess I'm too stubborn to give up, huh?"

"Keep being stubborn so that I can heal you proper, Lieutenant," Taiyō commanded in a firm tone, but her eyes shined with a grateful light as she continued distributing her healing energies over Daisuke's chest.

"Actually," Sakura turned her attention and voice to the medic. "I think you can handle the rest of them from here on out. You need your energy." It could be noted that her tone, which usually had a condescension behind even her most casual tone, seemed a little bit more friendly. "I can take over for this one."

For emphasis, she raised her free hand to hover over Daisuke's chest. It glowed with the blue fire of healing, and that fire would spread to consume Daisuke's entire form. As she retracted her hand, the effects would be seen right away; Daisuke's wounds were healing at a much faster rate than what Taiyō could've accomplished, with even the blood staining his clothing disappearing. Not only that, but he would find that what lost energy he had lost during the fighting was being restored at a rate just as fast. But unlike the Captain, Sakura seemed to be pulling this off as if it was as natural as breathing. She wasn't even showing indication that she was keeping the energies controlled, sitting as lax as she was. But then again, could anyone expect anything less from the Queen of Hell?

"I feel so warm," Daisuke remarked, blinking rapidly as he could feel every breath he took filled no life into him. As he sat upright, looking down at his hands as the tongues of azure flames died out, he quipped with a tone of realization, "oh. Huh, I guess these flames are just warm. Thought blue fire would be hotter..."

"Nice work, Sakura-san," Taiyō nodded to her gratefully, allowing the reamining tongues of flames to heal Daisuke as she moved onto two other lesser damaged operatives and began using one hand on each to heal them at a faster rate, "I'll get these people back on their feet. Spirit King knows we need all the help we can get..."

"That's a rather odd sight..." Casilda muttered, prompting Nohemi and a few others to look at her. "That's supposed to be one of Izanami's children, isn't it? Why's she seem so... intimate... with that Shinigami? I thought they weren't meant to be so close to those they consider "mortals"."

"As of late, the children of Izanami have come into continuous contact with the lesser beings due to a recent summoning." Nohemi said. "They are like the Greek gods of mythology, powerful and yet carry just as much emotion as mortality does. I suppose that in this particular time, they've allowed themselves to become at least a little closer to us than several centuries ago." A small smile graced her lips. "Izanami indeed smiles on us upon this day..."

"Its just a shame we had to go through an apocalypse for them to open their eyes and see the beauty of the Universe, instead of the ugliness they were trying to paint on it," Jinete chuckled nervously, scratching his chin with afterthought, "didn't like the idea of my skin being plastered onto the rock I was napping on..."

"He beat us so easily," Daisuke finally spoke, forlorn and downcast as he squatted onto the ground fully recovered. His eyes were angrily knitted, as his fists balled above his upward facing knees, "that Stern Ritter, Asumu Godai, the Sharpshooter. He beat every single one of us, stole most of their Bankais as if they were gift wrapped for him, and then pummeled us into the earth. I fought longer and harder than any of them, but it still wasn't enough. Hell, a Reigai of the enemy camp was the one to keep me from dying. Even he fell before that bastard's might. Their King is supposedly ungodly powerful...how are we supposed to win a fight we can't fight with sheer attrition?!"

Out of everyone's ears there, the ones that would perk up the most would be Braeburn's.

Those defeatist words sparked a few memories within his brain. His mind went back to their trip in Hell, where they had faced the Harbinger. He had fallen into a severe state of despair because of their enemy's nature, reasonably so in his honest opinion. But despite this, Daisuke along with Hana had viciously slapped him for his weakness as well as continuously attack the being despite their failing efforts. He himself had been spurred to join in the attack, but fared just as well as they had. If it hadn't been for the Punisher separating herself from Bokyaku, they wouldn't be alive right now.

He went back to the moment where the Gotei 13 and D.C.O. first confronted the Hankami as an enemy. Daisuke had stood in front of the very one that was trying to kill them all and defended him from the Kidō Captain, who had been aiming to kill her. With mere words, he made the superior back down and the rest of them become ashamed. It was so remarkable and so unfathomable, and up to this very point in time, he had no idea as to how Daisuke managed to do what he did. Had it been anyone else, Braeburn was sure that they would've simply been hurt or killed to get to the enemy.

He went back to when Daisuke, Renji and himself scouted an enemy-held Empresa and helped save the citizens there. He hadn't gotten to see it much in the actual fight, but he felt the empathy go out towards the victims of the Sennin Butai. He probably would've fought any enemy that attempted to impede that, even if that enemy happened to be leagues stronger than him. He never would admit it, but that was the first time he had come to admire the other man's determination. Even if it leaned in the direction of him getting killed, Daisuke's determination was a thing to be impressed by.

So hearing him speak such words was a smack to the face, a hammer to the certified center of the mind. It was enough to make him slowly clench his fists, his eyes narrowing in anger. Slowly, he allowed himself to stand up from where he was sitting, with Brina looking over at him curiously.

"Brae...?"

But he didn't answer.

Instead, he slowly walked over to Daisuke until he was right beside him.

Without warning, his foot swung up and crashed into the Lieutenant's face.

Daisuke didn't hear the painful crunch of the boot kicking his chin. All he felt was his teeth biting into his tongue, his eyes widening from the impact and pain, as well as the ringing in his ears when his head hit the ground. That was nearly ten feet away from which he was originally squatted, as he tumbled head over heels in the air before plummeting backonto the ground. With shoulders and head skidding across the debris-ridden ground, his legs fell back down as he moaned with disorientation and pain.

When he rose, he saw a number of their assorted allies showing mixture of reactions, ranging from shock to outright disbeliefing anger.

"You bastard!" Takashi was the first to start to rise, as if to return the favor to their mutual teammate. Yōki immediately grappled him from behind, using a Full Nelson, as he writhed with a fiery anger in his eyes, "what the Hell's wrong with you?! You think bludgeoning him will make Daisuke feel better, jackass?!"

Sui-Feng herself fixated a heated glare at him, also taking a step forward, but was held back by a gentle squeeze from Yoruichi's hand upon her shoulder. Turning around, Yoruichi had a confused stare of her own, but kept her former pupil held back for the sake of seeing this event play out.

Taiyō, too busy mending wounds was she, to lend a caring glance towards the fighting other than knit her brows into a frustrated disposition. She just hoped it wouldn't be too long, for she needed the utmost concentration to preserve her own strength as well as heal them meticulously well.

Braeburn's family had varying degrees of surprise of their own when they saw Braeburn assault the Lieutenant without provocation. However, they allowed themselves to remain silent and look on in wonder of what the young man was doing. The only one who wouldn't be that curious would be the father, who had a small grin on his face. Only he knew about the young McTavish's defeat, and he could figure out just what was about to be said. "Not a very tactful way to start this off, boy..." He thought to himself, watching as Braeburn started storming towards the fallen man. "But still very effective. Go show your mettle."

Casilda was getting a flashback to the beginning of the fight between Kiorra and Daisuke. She was looking on with a deadpan expression, with Melina, Senkaku and Findor looking on with varying degrees of confusion. "I'm starting to think that he gets smacked around a lot now." She muttered under her breath, folding her arms across her chest and shaking her head. "And here I thought he was a lot more likable than that..."

Sakura, in particular, had been stunned at the assault on her boyfriend's person. But as she looked at Braeburn, she could see the anger within his eyes as clear as day. If she was to stop him, it simply wouldn't bode well for anyone. So she kept herself seated and looked on, making a mental apology to Daisuke for allowing him to get kicked around. "Sorry, hon. But someone needs to vent, and I'm not one to clog up the ducts when it's time to..."

Braeburn's voice lashed out at Daisuke like an angry snake, with each and every word filled with cold venom. The Australian accent somehow seemed to enhance his words with a more intimidating edge. "So, is this what it's going to come to, eh? You, the one was willing to fight against the very being of armaggedon to save his girlfriend! You, who made the Kidō Captain bow down before he could put in his hand at killing her! You, who fought so hard to save the civilians at Empresa from death at Aizen's hands! Now, look at yourself and listen to yourself. You're lying on the ground, crying and whining about how you've failed. Is this the very same man who slapped me for doing the very same thing?!"

He paused to regain his breath, but kept that fiery gaze on Daisuke. He lifted a finger and pointed it like a dagger at his target's direction. "You are still breathing. You still have a mind to think with, a body to move in and hands to cut your enemy to pieces. It's time that you put that blind determination, that suicidal courage and that reckless passion to good use. Will you die quivering on your knees, or are you going to get up and show us how much of a hero you are? We'll all be making the march to Hell together, even if I have to pull you by the hair every fucking step of the way!"

Daisuke felt his breath hitch. As his widened eyes stared incredulously back at Braeburn, he recalled all the times he was in the face of adversity and how he felt his heart pushing him to never give in, and his gut to never quit. It was that tenacity that helped save them, in one way or another. It wasn't his power or his strength, but his will to win that helped someone or himself to push through to victory. Even his own Zanpakutō showed more guts and willpower than he did when facing down the unstoppable Hankami whom entered the realm of his very own soul.

He couldn't help but laugh after spitting a wad of onto the ground beside himself. Even as the rest of the assembled allies stared at him in confusion, Daisuke retorted back at Braeburn with a rekindled light of understanding and determination in his eyes, "Braeburn, we both already went to Hell and back saving Sakura. I don't plan on going there again unless I have to."

Standing upwards, struggling as he did so from the bruise that formed underneath his jaw, Daisuke grinned and planted his own fist over his heart with emphasis, "I swear I won't quit, even if the enemy does beat me into the earth. I'll make my bones and flesh a pedestal for someone else to reach the goal if need be. But until then, I'll use every fiber of my being to help throw flames hotter than the Sun's at this Quincy King and Aizen!"

"That's the spirit!" Jinete fist pumped, smiling with sincere pride in the young Soul Reaper's renewed vigor, "show them that you fight on their level with the heart and passion that surpasses their own zeal. In the end, that's the one thing they'll never take away from you. Your heart will take your resolve to newfound leagues you've never dreamed of."

"That's all we can hope for in the end," Taiyō spoke solemnly with a smile as she continued healing the Lancers, "have faith in our resolve to win. Our drive for freedom, preservation, and victory will be the key that will trump their will for selfish goals."

"And no matter what they've done to us," Ryōken continued, nodding to Kōjaku with a grin that matched his own, "we'll continue the fight..."

"...until someone else can take the victory for us all," Kōjaku finished with a nod of understanding.

"Well said, you all!" Yoruichi spoke with fondness and acceptance, feeling the charisma invigorate all those who were present, "let's make sure the fire of our burning passion continues to burn brightly when the rest of our allies arrive, hm?"

"Well spoken..."

As he listened to the others resonate the proverbial fire that had been sparked within them, Braeburn couldn't help but give a grin. "Officially, you may be nothing more than playing second fiddle to your Captain. But as far as the majority is concerned, you're their hero." He thought to himself. "When you were defeated, everyone seemed to have lost hope. But when you showed that your spirit was still there, they rejoiced. You're the chain that holds them together. Remember that, and just maybe we'll have a chance of seeing this war through to victory." He allowed himself to turn away from Daisuke, allowing the cheering to resonate within the area.

He didn't expect the friendly punch to his shoulder, courtesy of a grinning Brina.

"Ah--!" He yelped, holding the affected area and looking at his sister. "Oi! What was that for?!"

"Oh, it's just that my little brother is all grown up now!" The brown-haired McTavish chirped, both of her arms across her chest now. "I'm so proud of you! I'd give you a hug right now if it wasn't for the fact that it'd be real awkward at this point in time!"

It was here that Braeburn finally noticed Brina's wardrobe predicament. His eyes only needed to travel to her arms-covered chest for a moment before one corner of his mouth curled up. A second later, he broke out into a grin and started snickering. Seeing her smile slowly fade away into confusion increased that to shoulder-shaking chuckles, and he had to lower his head down as his mirth steadily increased. As for her, she became confused and a little bit flustered.

"W-what?"

"W-what? You lost your bra, that's what!!"

With that particularly loud statement, Braeburn broke into a laugh while covering his face with one hand. It made his sister gain a cherry red tint to her face, and she let out an "Eep!" while instinctively crouching down in a vain attempt to make herself visibly smaller. "Jeez, Brae!" She hissed, averting her gaze to the ground. "Do you really have to shout it out loud to everyone?!"

"What's the matter?!" Braeburn taunted, trying to stifle his laughter long enough to do so. "Did the Quincy you were fighting get a little too frisky?! I didn't know you were that time of girl, Brin-brin!"

"Oh my god, stop it!" Brina whined, covering her face as best as she could with both hands.

Daisuke tried to cover up his own face as he uttered pain-filled giggles at the predicament Brina found herself in. Takashi joined in as he snickered with sadistic satisfaction that a former enemy and snooty woman had been mocked by one of their teammates. Rokotsu was still playing tag with her new friend Melina, and the Captains just sweatdropped at the situation.

Yōki's comment was more or less an unexpected one.

Stepping beside Braeburn, she punched him in the arm he wasn't already struck, glaring at him as she explained, "That is for thinking lewdly and humiliating your sister."

Grabbing him by the collar, she pulled him in for a long, passionate kiss before pushing him back with a wry grin on her own face, "That is for cheering us all up and getting Daisuke's head back on his shoulders, hero."

"Ow!" The second punch to his opposite shoulder wasn't entirely unexpected, but it still made Braeburn yelp in both surprise and pain. He clutched the affected area, giving Yōki a slight glare. Although it was mostly complaining, there was the tiniest bit of genuine anger flashing within those eyes of his. He opened his mouth, ready to fire back with a retort.

He didn't expect Yōki to yank him in and kiss him like he had just promised her a really good night of bedroom tango.

He and Brina, who was just recovering from her embarrassment, would have mirroring looks of shock on their face when the Australian was kissed by his colleague. When he was pushed back, he staggered a few steps in an almost numb fashion. For several seconds, he continued to regard Yōki with disbelief, his mouth hung open and one of his eyes twitching slightly. He could barely keep himself from stuttering out loud, having enough mind not to embarrass himself along with his sister.

After those several seconds were up, he finally found his voice again. "That's... one hell of a "thank you", don't you think?"

"What can I say?" Yōki winked back at him coyly, smiling with mischief, "I've been waiting a long time to plant one on your handsome lips. Now seems as good as time to get that out of the way as any."

"Yeah but...did you have to do it right now?!" Takashi practically recoiled, having seen someone who could've been affiliated as a sister kiss one of the men he always seemed to have a beef with.

"If you can't handle some display of affection, Taka-baka, then you can always just close your eyes," Yōki pouted her lips, harumphing as she turned her head in a sharp incline away from him, crossing her arms over her chest with emphasis.

"Who's the childish one now?" Takashi muttered with fish lips of his own.

It was here that Braeburn regressed from his shocked demeanor into a smug one. "You still are." He quipped, moving over to wrap an arm around Yōki's neck and shoulders. It was a friendly gesture, but one made to tick Takashi off and take advantage of the sight of the sudden kiss. "You really still are."

"Oooooooh~! Burn!" Melina hollered from a distance away, right before she was tackled by Rokotsu. "Oof--!"

"You jackass!" Takashi growled at Braeburn, comically raising his hand to point at him accusingly, "you take that back, or I'll be the one to kick you in the noggin'!"

"Glad to see things have become lively again," Taiyō sighed with relief, placing her hands on the last of the Lancers, encouraging herself to project what healing energies she could to restore their power and their constitution back to peak form, "now if only we get more allies gathered here, I'd feel more assured by our chances of victory..."

Notably, the one who was remaining silent throughout all this was Qilin.

He observed it all with a casual and relaxed gaze as he sat Indian style on the ground. He observed the McTavish family as they reunited with one another. He watched the Captains of the Gotei 13 reform themselves, gearing up for what was ahead. He watched the remnants of the Onmitsukidō become whole in mind. All of it brought a smile onto his face. "I can't believe you wanted to destroy this, Shikyo." He thought to himself. "These bonds, this camaraderie and the will to keep going in the face of insurmountable odds... this is something that should be preserved as long as possible. Then again, you were fighting for your own good intentions in mind, right? Just like me..."

He tilted his head at his own thoughts. "I wonder. Are you satisfied with how things turned out to be, after all that we've been through? Are you bitter at this outcome? I guess I'll find out soon enough... at least, when I meet you in person." He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh as he leaned against an embedded piece of debris on the ground.

"Keheheheheheh...."

Just on a building behind Qilin would be a rather short and frightening appearing old man with a lazy right eye and skull like features. He was looking down at the former Captain with a blank and disturbing stare, speaking to himself quietly. "Yeeeeeees... he will do just fine... with my "The Vanishing Point" ability in tow, I will have him lying dead on the ground in seconds. And then I'll go to the next one... and the next one... and the next one... and the next one... and the next one... and the next one... until they are all mixed into one splendid puddle of red!! Ohhh yes indeed, his Majesty will be most pleased, a-"

Before he could finish his mad rant, a sharp cut found itself going through his neck and severing his head entirely from his body. His head would plop down in front of Qilin and stare up at him blankly, utterly lifeless. But the source of the cut was no where to be found; had he commited a sudden act of suicide?

Das Ausmerzen, Our Final Hour Is Nigh?!
An emerald pyre of light erupted into the ominous storm covered sky. It was the first sign of genuine hope, among the various climactic changes throughout the cityscape battlefield. Not only had it encouraged many of the foot soldiers, Captains, and other denizens that aimed to claim their freedom from the Axis of Evil, but it also heralded hope for one of their most staunch leaders.

And that leader was fighting with a vengeance.

With nary a piece of Kidō armor left on his body, Furuidenshō's shirtless torso sported several shallow gashes from the blows that the Quincy leader had narrowly missed upon himself. His hair was unbound, flowing around his head like a silky veil, momentarily hiding the onyx glaring eyes that bore into his enemy's. Sword held firmly in his hand, he barely acknowledged the destruction that scorched the upper terrace of the Quincy Palace.

All that mattered was the extinguishment of his enemy's life, by his hands.

"Bakuyakuken!" Furuidenshō shouted as he swung his blade out, discharging an enormous fissure of explosive force, aiming to consume the Quincy King within its potently destructive maw.

Yhwach, on the other hand, was doing much better than his opponent.

"This will be attempt number four..." he said plainly, holding out his left hand and discharging a Heilig Pfeil from it's palm. The force of this Heilig Pfeil was clearly stronger than previous ones, evidenced by the burst of dust that shot out from behind Yhwach's feet, and the loud cracking sound that it made as it left his hand and tore through the air. Not only did it completely break apart the Commander's attack, but it also flew past it and straight at the Shinigami Leader.

"...I wonder which one will be your last?" he finished.

Invoking the power of Itten Heki, Furuidenshō cut through the Heilig Pfeil with ease, as he rushed through the pillar of smoke with the employment of a swift Flash Step. With a vivid blur, he employed the matter splitting property his Shikai to cut through Yhwach's resilient Blut Vene and across his chest. A focused and anger-brimming glare was focused upon the Quincy King all the while he slashed at his enemy and personal nemesis.

When he had came towards Yhwach, the latter was already prepared. His Blut Arterie was activated, and his left arm extended to where it caught the charging Furuidenshō's neck and stopped him dead in his tracks. "Try as you might, but you aren't going to get anywhere." he said as he twisted around and threw Furuidensho into a wall of the building behind him, no doubt imbedding him in it's broad side. "I'm more powerful now than I've ever been, and the last time we fought, you could barely hold your own."

The Head Captain felt the wind knocked out of him as his back struck the wall, his body indenting into its surface. As he felt his ears ring, his eyes winced open, baring his teeth into a mocking grin back at Yhwach, "Funny...that's not how I remember it..."

Wrenching himself from the wall with a roar, Furuidenshō slammed his right foot forward and thrust his sword out towards the Quincy King. He then began uttering an incantation of an ominous, abysmal origin, "May your blood swell upon the coming storm. Rampage through the dead of night, crush all living things and turn it into dust, leave not an inch of soil unturned. I breathe life into you..."

SHINK!

"...Shinigami Daikama!" Furuidenshō snarled out, as his blade thrust out in a discharge of a mighty aura of shadow cloaked entity before him. The wraith's eyes glowed, holding a massive scythe as it charged forth, intending to swing a the large ethreal weapon in hand, and cleave away not at his defenses and flesh, but at his very essence and life force.

"You've yet to fully understand..." Yhwach would start, waving his sword arm into the air. As the energized wraith was coming closer towards him, neither it nor Furuidensho would notice the large Reishi bow forming in the sky above them, tilting it's aim to where it was following the entity's every step. "...just what sort of war you've stepped into."

The bow then formed a sword shaped arrow that fired down upon the black wraith, cutting right through it's center and disintegrating it almost entirely. The blade was wedged into the ground, as Yhwach calmly walked up to it and yanked it from it's spot, clenching it in his hands as it's energy seemed to crackle all around him.

Furuidenshō didn't bother hesitating at this point, even witnessing an arrow fly from the heavens he prieviously didn't witness being formed. He knew that Juha was powerful enough to form it without anyone noticing, just how he was able to draw upon the Soul Society's essence to strike down Suna not but less than an hour ago.

Raising his blade up in a two-handed grip, the Head Captain built up his Spiritual Power up to its peak, flourishing about in a brilliant silver aura that gave him a dark and larger-than-life silhouette. He knew without his Bankai he'd be at a serious disadvantage facing a man such as this. But he knew there wasn't any other option. He had to fight him with the tools at his disposal, even if his enemy wielded a greater force than he was capable of projecting.

The uncanny resemblence of the arrow blade to his own Reiken technique did strike the youthful Head Captain as more than coincidental. Was it possible that he copied a technique of his own in just a short amount of time, or was his Zanpakutō that much similar to the nature of Quincy powers?

"I understood what kind of war this was the moment it was thrust upon my doorstep, Juha Bach," Furuidenshō uttered aloud with an assured resolve, as his Shikhakushō flourished around his legs, his skin shining from the brilliance of his own Spiritual Energy being exuded from his own pores, "conniving treachery laced with opportunism. You didn't hesitate to cut down your own allies, even if it went against you. I doubt the Inner Circle's grandiose army spread across the spiritual realms will take kindly to hearing their supposed "comrades" struck down their leaders. Not even your supposed godly power can topple an empire that vast. Not that I'd allow them, or you, the chance to squabble within the ashes of my homeland!"

A wry chuckle escaped Yhwach's mouth in response to the Commander's claim. "But that is where you are wrong, Commander." he began, stabbing the tip of his sword into the ground next to him and resting his hand on it's upward facing hilt. "Yamamoto never told you of my origins, did he?"

"He told me enough," Furuidenshō sneered, his flaring aura flowing back over his person into a controlled glow of silver hued light, "you're the mythic King of Quincies. You bestowed their ancestors the ability to pull upon the fabric of the spiritual realm's essence and turn it into an abolishing light that sent Hollows into a realm of oblivion, rather than be perserved and redeemed. You caused war that ravaged the lands and caused my master to fight a bloody fight against you. It wasn't until your return that you stole something precious to him, before I killed you. What else do I need to know from a fossil like you?"

"So, you know nothing..."

Yhwach calmly, held his left arm out to his side as he continued. "My sons and daughters are capable of taking the energy from things around them and using it for their power. I am the only Quincy who can do that, and the opposite. Tell me this, Commander: How is it that my Sternritter have their powers? How can a Quincy transform into a great beast? Or form their skin into a steel sheet of metal? It is because I gave them that power. I give them all a fragment of my soul, of which carries the desired power either myself or they want. They use this power and become stronger, causing the fragment of my soul to grow and strengthen as well. When they die, that power returns to me, and I become stronger for it."

He then grinned in a confident manner. "And as of right now, every single being on this plane has a fragment of my soul. For every one of them that dies, they all return to me."

"Fragments?" Furuidenshō's eyes widened as his aura died. The palpable realization that grew within him was as plain as the color that drained from his face. Every Stern Ritter was ungodly powerful, requiring only the most elite of warriors and sometimes in great number to subdue. Every single one of them, and even the lowliest of the foot soldiers, had been granted a piece of the power their physical god had within his own soul.

This whole war had been his sustenance. His meal, to put it morbidly. He had been feasting upon the lives of those dead within his own ranks, giving him such strength that none could oppose him. It wasn't simply about a clash of opposing powers, about being disadvantaged with no Bankai to call upon. This was about a sheer scale of strength yet to be brought to the surface, to bear upon Furuidenshō himself.

"No wonder Aizen allied with you," Furuidenshō growled, even as beads of sweat crawled down his scalp and jaw equally, "you're every bit the monster he is!"

SWOOOSH!!!!

One swing upwards would clearly demonstrate what sort of power Yhwach now held, and just how much he had been holding back. With a simple slash upwards, the entire building in front of him would split, and even further beyond that, the entire land behind Furuidensho would be split along with the building. This created a massive trench in the earth to form, causing all of the skyscraper and house sized house buildings around it to collapse and fall within it's gaping maw. The wall outside of the frozen city was also easily torn in two.

"That's one-hundred and forty seven souls, all returning to me." Yhwach calmly stated with a smirk. "All living things here are now part of my power. Including the Sternritter, your Captains, the Dragons, and even the living Horsemen; they're all part of me, and upon death, I will gain their strength. Your chance of victory is now slim to nothing!"

Furuidenshō's eyes widened and he felt almost all resistance falter. This kind of power was beyond even his old master, if not his own abilities. He was tapped into the fabric of life all around the Soul Society. Every casualty, every death, all fueled this monster to heights he couldn't possibly fathom. Even the power to wipe out an entire city and beyond with his Bankai seemed next to insignificant.

Would he dare chance using it now? What good would it do at this point in time?

Furuidenshō's eyes seemed to flicker with life, however, as a familiar hand grasped his wrist and raised it back up towards Juha's direction. In his perspective and no one else's, it would be the stalwart immense stature of his Zanpakutō, manifested in a ghostly manner.

"Furuidenshō, this is the moment you have been desiring," Bunkatsu stated in a hallowed voice.

"But...the difference in power is so vast. How can I overcome it?" Furuidenshō questioned out loud, as if he was speaking to a specter that didn't exist.

"You're using your head too much. This isn't about weighing the superiority of who's stronger or who's more skilled. This is the man who disgraced and dishonored your master. The time to avenge his grave is now!" Bunkatsu shimmered with vibrant light, transforming into his younger Bankai state, "if you don't try to now, you will never find solace. It is now or never. Whether he can take the Bankai from your skin or not, you must show him that you don't give a damn about such power. Instantaneous Death vs Overwhelming Power? The difference, in my eyes as should yours, should be absolutely clear!"

"You're...right. Sorry for doubting you," Furuidenshō bowed his head, closing his eyes as he felt both hands grasp the hilt of his Zanpakutō, "thank you, my friend!"

It happened within seconds.

The once brilliant light of confidence that once enraptured Furuidenshō returned three fold. It looked and felt as if he was an entirely different being. His aura enshrouded his body in a silhouette that made him look like a giant of epic proportions, with glaring red eyes, holding a blade similar in shape but larger in mass than Furuidenshō.

Then, a defiant shout escaped the dark-veiled Soul Reaper, "BANKAI!"

Instead of a dramatic explosion, like before, the volatile energy seemed to thrum back downwards into an implosion of sorts. It revealed a runic tattooed body of Furuidenshō, with azure-white flames that ebbed out of his eye sockets, with a similarly enamored blade. His voice hallowed rumbled out with a lethal intensity, "This is our final battle, Yhwach Juhabach! I will either avenge my master or join him in the ashes! One thing will be certain, Quincy God: You will not walk away unscathed!"

Yhwach's smile was quickly replaced with an annoyed frown. This conflict that had been waged for such a long time was now growing old, and had gone on far longer than it should have. From his left hand fell the medallion that contained Yamamoto's Bankai, and he then held it up to point straight at Furuidenshō.

"Bankai." he said plainly, before bringing his left arm over to his right shoulder and then swinging it outwards. As soon as it did so, the medallion released a brief bout of black energy that was quickly overcome by a long wave of searing hot steel. It was formed into a very large crescent shaped blast that was fast and strong, heading straight for Furuidensho. It was clear from the strength of the blast and how quickly it was used that it was meant to finish or incapacitate the Commander.

"Zanka no Tachi, Kita: Tenchi Kaijin!"

Furuidenshō didn't hesitate a second longer.

As his feet kicked off the ground, nearly the entire foundation of the palace behind him became brittle and smashed from the force of his charge. Grasping his Zanpakutō with both hands, Furuidenshō raised his blade directly over his head as his body flew in an azure-hued blur. A bellowing yell later, Furuidenshō swung in the simultaneous moment that the medallion was slashed out towards his body.

And just like that, their battle came to a startling halt.

With the edge of his blade touching the ground, Furuidenshō's body seemed to have returned to normalcy. Gone was the magnificent Bankai that he demonstrated in an attempt to annihilate the Quincy King. Just a sword, and a weary, sad smile adorned upon his visage.

"I'm sorry, Master," He whispered, eyes raising up to gaze with satisfaction at Yhwach, "your Bankai, even in the hands of this usurper, is too magnificent for my own to destroy. But at least...I can go...knowing he isn't...invincible..."

In synchronized gesture, Furuidenshō's body suddenly erupted into a golden flash, along with his blade. As his body and blade turned into ashes, something else would transpire upon Yhwach's person...

And that something was a harsh reminder of how no Commander goes down without a fight.

Not a second would be given to Yhwach for him to celebrate his victory, as a bright white flash erupted from his chest. Engulfing the entire building that they stood on, the bright orb of explosive energy sent the Quincy King soaring from his place and through several of the towering skyscrapers of ice. Finally, he was embedded in the side of the tallest building that could be seen in all of the frozen Seireitei.

"Eugh...!" he coughed out a large wad of blood; his entire chest burned and bloodied from the explosion. The medallion he was holding had been destroyed, and his sword was no where to be seen. Even in death, the Commanders of Seireitei were still getting the better of him.

The Eve of Victory, The Deity's Sacrifice!
Far above everyone's gaze battled the two titans of the Shinigami.

One was the last of the remaining Horsemen still fighting. Kyōaku Hōritsu. His powers in his Bankai state both magnificent and awesome to behold, clashed with his enemy with deft skill and prowess. Every impact his blade made against his opponent's caused astronomically sized fissures of spiritual distortions and fissures of lightning alike to light up the interior of the dark storm clouds.

The other, Kyōaku's opponent, was the infamous White General himself, Sōsuke Aizen. Having transcended beyond prior limitations, his powers dwarfed that of any ordinary Soul Reaper, capable of fighting toe-to-toe with the strongest of deities and entities alike. His black cloak flourished about his person as every parry, every slash, and every thrust caused insurmountable blasts of spiritual power to erupt within the heavens, mimicking thunder and lightning to those battling below.

Throughout their entire bout, neither could gain ground. Sōsuke was nearly using all of his power to combat Kyoaku, much to his equal chagrin and delight. He never felt so alive to find another equal, and the fact it was the one he aimed to have killed by his own hand, made it all the more delightful to do battle with. The unpredictable depth of Kyōaku's Zanpakutō's powers were so amazing that he had to test his own transcended limits against it.

Kyoaku then paused in mid slash at a powerful blast of spiritual pressure hitting the fabric of the heavens, as well as the spike and drop of two significant spiritual signatures. One was Head Captain, Furuidenshō Shin'nen, and Sōsuke's ally, Yhwach Juhabach. The latter started to recover, after a minute of observation, while the prior vanished completely.

"You sense it too, don't you?" Sōsuke asked from across the darkened space, earning a livid glare of Kyōaku's, "the former Head Captain is finally a late Head Captain. Fitting that the legacy of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto ends with his disciple's death. Hilarious that the monster that could have ended all existence fell to his Bankai but not to that of the Quincy King. The failure of the Soul Reapers is finally complete."

"Even though, you too were a Soul Reaper, you would demean their honor by callously denouncing their sacrifices?" Kyōaku snarled out, his body radiating a golden light among his radiantly crafted Bankai visage.

"Come now, Kyōaku-kun," Sōsuke chided lightly, raising his left hand up to point at him, "wasn't it you who wanted the downfall and destruction of every Soul Society? Wasn't it you that constructed the Reigai in order to preserve the memories of those you've slaughtered in order to feed off their misery? Don't tell me you did this for the betterment of the Spiritual Realm. Such idealism is unbecoming of a Horseman..."

"We may be many things, Sōsuke Aizen, but we are not heartless. We know how to weigh in equal measure the deaths and lives we corrupted, ruined, and betrayed. We know this firsthand, because we in our own ways, were betrayed, corrupted, ruined, and left to the wayside. But with each other, we found purpose. We founded an Order and started an initiative, hundreds of years in the making, to do away with the old traditions that have destroyed so many innocents. Just like the Soul Society, we have made many dark decisions in order to preserve a brighter future," Kyōaku explained, thoughtfully looking down at his Zanpakutō's blade, "but what have we done? We opened the door for monsters like you and that Quincy to turn on us. For an instant, we decided to rely upon your aid. In the end, that moment costed us dearly and now all of our efforts will be for naught. Or..."

"Or?" Sōsuke grinned with amusement, inquiring purely out of curiosity.

"Or so you would believe!" Kyōaku growled out, his body suddenly glowing as bright as a star. Spiritual Power suddenly rising up to a peak that Aizen himself couldn't expect, causing him to raise an arm to shield his eyes from the glare that threatened to blind him.

"What do you intend to do? You can't possibly pull your organization out of the pit it dug itself into!" Sōsuke shouted out with incredulity, not believing his enemy was sane anymore.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Kyōaku began to speak, a grim smile adorning his face, "I loathe the Alliance and for what it stands for. Banding together for survival is an admirable quality, but I can foresee their downfall generations into the future. My dream of preserving a pure, bloodless order may be gone...but that doesn't mean your dreams can go straight to Hell too!"

What transpired was breathtaking. As Kyōaku's blade pointed into the fabric of the storm, an overwhelming blaze of energy dispersed from it. Parting the clouds like a dark veil, it seemed to be a small star, glistening and rotating with incredible potency. So much of Kyōaku's power was poured into it, visible beads of sweat began to fall down his face, mingling with faint tears running down his face.

"I'm sorry, Seihai," He whispered, closing eyes as the maelstrom of power glistened to its peak, "you will need to inherit my dreams and my desires. I hope you can find happiness, even within my absence. Farewell."

Aizen's deft perception to see the light expanding from Kyōaku's person for what it really was. Eyes widened with shock, he raised a hand out and shouted out, "YOU FOOL! STOP THIS-!"

"Shokujo Seiriyaku!" Kyōaku shouted magnanimously, as his eyes opened with bright light pouring from his sockets.

In that instant, the dome of light cascaded like a tidal wave, crashing into the ground and overwhelming every living and spiritual being down below. The ether streams of liquid light flowed to and fro, casting a relaxing warmth across those it came from and seemed to envelop the deceased, swallowing them up. Due to this, another sensation sweeped across the Soul Society.

Signatures of hundreds to thousands of dead suddenly resuscitated and revived soldiers, officers, and commanders of the Inner Circle and Alliance were brought back to life. Death was reversed for all spiritual beings, only allowing the countless Quincy beings still alive and the many who now lay dead at their feet to remain untouched by the gracious gift bestowed by the Horseman.

Sōsuke's eyes widened with disbelief, swallowing hard at what he just witnessed. The power that rivaled his own was turned into the greatest gift to his enemies. Casting a livid glare towards Kyōaku, he saw the consequences of his technique.

Already reaching out to those who were revived, Kyōaku's long hair began to turn stark white, symbolizing the rapid depletion to his own life force, "You may not know who I am or why I have done this...but...I have given you all a second chance...in hopes of stopping...these monsters. I don't care...what you do...amongst yourselves...after...but now...show them what your power is capable of...against these usurpers...pretenders...and...monsters. SHOW THEM YOUR RESOLVE TO WIN, ALLIANCE AND CIRCLE!"

"Enough prattle!" Sōsuke snarled, shimmering beside the dying Kyōaku, swinging his blade out in a perfect arc. The slash brought forth a geyser of blood to jettison from the Horseman's torso, causing him to fall lifelessly down from the sky and barreling unnoticed to the earth below. Sheathing his blade, Sōsuke sighed as he regained his composure, "I guess since I don't feel Yhwach's Spiritual Pressure recovering, I can only assume that it'll take time for him to recover back to full strength. No matter. That is why I have you to rely on..."

Turning his eyes, he saw the shadows lurking just beyond the borders of the Vandentei, his army rising from the darkness. Leading them at every angle was a general,  ready to lead the slaughter that will commence upon his command. The Vandenreich could no longer be relied upon, and once again it fell upon him and his resources to finish this war once and for all.

"...my Sennin Butai," Sōsuke finished with a dark, delighted smile as he stared at the ominous invasion force stalking towards the Alliance and Inner Circle's doorsteps.

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