Watching the Signs

Act 1
Within a few seconds of entering the shadow, Asumu and his squad of Soldat had all appeared within the realm of Hueco Mundo, the massive palace of the Vandenreich being right in front of them and all of the other remaining Stern Ritter who had returned, along with their troopers.

Juhabach was no where to be seen, though Asumu and the other Stern Ritter had all assumed that he'd returned to his chambers upon re-entering this dead landscape.

"Alright..." Asumu spoke calmly to his squad, with the other Vandenreich members all left to their respective devices. "You all know what to do. Clean up, and then report back to me."

As his troops left for their barracks, he started taking of his gloves and glanced in their direction. "You all did good today. I'm proud of you."

Even though the majority of them glanced and waved back at him before continuing, one of them stopped and turned around before walking up to the Stern Ritter's side. "Did good, eh? You know we were only there for a few minutes, right?" he said.

"Yeah, well," Asumu continued, putting his gloves in his pockets and rubbing his hands some to get the feel off of them. "it's better than saying nothing to them at all."

"True." the Soldat replied, pulling off his hat and mask to reveal a teenage looking boy with black hair and red eyes. "Though, i'm pretty sure they're thinking the same thing that i'm thinking."

This time, Asumu looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something in particular that you're wanting, Auron? I recall giving you and the others an order."

"Just looking for a little input is all." the Soldat replied with a shrug, crossing his arms as he continued. "Be straight up with me: How did it really go?"

Asumu popped his neck slightly before answering. "Honestly? Better than I was expecting. Thanks to Driscoll's previous attack on the First Division, the Shinigami were all but thrown off by the medallion's powers. Four of them were foolish enough to trigger Bankai anyway just to see what they did, exactly. Something that cost them all dearly."

His gaze turned a little from Auron and back to the palace, frowning slightly. "Though, I was hoping we wouldn't lose as many as we did. As Nodt, Najahkoop, Driscoll, and the Lloyd brothers were our only casualties."

"It was the Shinigami Commander that killed them all, right?" Auron asked in confirmation. "If so, then it took their most powerful warrior to kill five of the Stern Ritter. That should spell leagues about how much this war is in our favor. Especially since that Shinigami is dead now."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Asumu said, turning his attention back to his subordinate and putting on his more serious demeanor as a result. "Now, go do what I said. And make sure the others haven't started a scene. The last thing I need is Felix and the others making a mess in the barracks.

"Right, right." Auron held his hands up in a mock surrender pose, before letting them drop before turning to leave. "I'll make sure the others come back on time."

However, from behind him came another Stern Ritter that he had known for a while. "Your troopers seem restless." he said calmly.

Asumu glanced behind him at the older Quincy before replying. "Yeah, I can't blame them really. They didn't get to see much action, after all."

"While that may be true..." the other Quincy went on, by this point having came side to side with Asumu while speaking. "It's good for them to have at least gotten a glance at what the enemy is capable of. Though, based on our victory, that might discourage them more."

Here, Asumu scoffed in good humor. "True enough. Admittidly, i'm a bit appaled at how easy the attack was."

"Indeed." his elder replied. "We managed to bring them down to a third of their original strength, and we've killed their leader in the process."

He adjusted his glasses and closed his eyes smoothly. "Even if the Royal Guard were to participate in the next invasion, this war is all but won."

"Dissapointing, really." Asumu added. "All of this training, preperation, and anticipation. All of it for something that lasted half an hour."

"Do not fret, Asumu-san." the older Quincy said, placing a hand on his comrade's shoulder in assurance. "When Soul Society falls, the rest of the world will be open to rule. The World of the Living will have the protectors that it deserves." he finished, letting his arm come back down to place.

"Right." Asumu replied, smiling at his old comrade in agreement. "The World of the Living. That's what matters here."

Before their conversation could continue, a trooper came from the palace steps to the Stern Ritter duo. As he bowed before them both, he spoke to Asumu in particular. "Asumu-sama. His Majestly has requested to see you immediately for an urgent assignment. He's asked that you come to his quarters as soon as possible."

''"Already?" ''Asumu thought, briefly raising an eyebrow at the messenger. Nonetheless, he nodded in acknowledgement. As he and the other Stern Ritter shook hands before departing, Asumu quickly walked up the stairs to meet his king.

What was Juhabach wanting at this point?

Act II
Asumu arrived inside of the large, ice like castle, moving at a standard walking pace. As he furthered up the stairs, the cold sensation that the palace always radiated was slightly more...colder than he remembered. Something didn't feel right here to him.

As he approached the throne room, he bowed before his seated King before speaking. "Your Majesty, you requested my presence."

His king was leaning forward on his ice like throne, giving that same wry, smooth smile that he always gave. "Asumu Godai. How are you doing?"

This sign of common courtesy was rather odd to Asumu, as he was used to having his orders be given to him right off the bat when in the presence of his King. "We've dealt a great blow to Soul Society. I've never been better, your Majesty."

"Indeed we have." Juhabach said in response, shuffling his hands together. "It is quite a good day to rejoice, but I regret to inform you that your work isn't finished just yet."

Asumu's eyes slightly widened, not out of annoyance at this statement as he was always willing to serve his King in whatever capacity needed, but rather, what exactly it was that Juhabach was wanting. "What would you have me do, your Majesty?"

Juhabach stood up fully this time, his black cloak covering all of his form except for his feet as he spoke in the same tone. "We might have dealt a fatal blow to our enemies this day, but we still have a pressing matter." he went on as he walked down the steps towards Asumu. "The Royal Guard will most likely act soon, and the survivors of the attack will start doing their research."

He then came next to the stationary Asumu, speaking lowly. "I fear they might learn of a powerful weapon that could drastically turn the tide of this war."

Asumu's eyes widened further in shock, almost as if he knew what Juhabach was referring to, but he had to ask to make sure. "What would that be, your Highness?"

Juhabach's smile faded, and his face became more blank in appearance. "...the Wundermittel."

He almost didn't want to believe it when he heard it.

The Wundermittel...an ancient artifact of significant power. It was a weapon said to be so powerful, it could kill any one entity with a single bullet. Juhabach was right in saying that it could drastically turn the tide of this war, and that was all the reason in the world for him to fufill this quest immediately. But there was something else that bothered him too.

"The...Wundermittel..." he murmered, still in slight shock over hearing it's name. "You fear the Shinigami might learn of it?"

"Yes, and I would prefer that they not have the chance to take it." Juhabach replied without looking at Asumu at first, but his half lidded stare soon turned to the silver haired Quincy. "I understand that your family were the chosen guardians of this artifact, no?"

There were a few seconds of silence after this statement, before Asumu finally replied. "Yes, we were...years ago." He sighed as he spoke. "My fa-...Shinobu Godai attempted to steal it from my family chambers, but he was stopped by Masao Godai. They fought, and Masao was killed, but as Shinobu tried to steal the gun, it split into several pieces and was sent to various parts of the earth. It was Masao's last defense to keep it from falling into anyone's hands..."

"Indeed, I recall reading the reports afterwords." Juhabach commented, turning around and walking in front of Asumu, his back facing the loyal Stern Ritter as he went on. "Do not let Shinobu's ambition weigh on you, Asumu. Your father was an idealist, one who needed to be put down. His recklessness might have made this easier for us, however."

He then turned to face Asumu fully. "The Wundermittel split itself into five pieces that are now scattered across the earth. For a Quincy, they will be easy to find, especially for you, one who has actually seen the weapon." he then folded his hands behind his back. "I want you and your team to find these pieces and bring them back to me for reassembly. It will be a great advantage to us in case the Shinigami manage to take us by surprise. Understood?"

"Yes, your Majesty." Asumu bowed fully, and immediately after the King spoke. "I'll have my team ready within the hour."

"Good." Juhabach then turned to go back to his throne. "Be mindful of your surroundings Asumu, and do not return here until you have all five pieces..."

As he sat on his throne, he grinned slightly and wry-like. "...I do not tolerate failure."

END