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 Kid ō 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."