The War of Four: Recollection

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A Conquered Dominion; Eyes of the Tyrant
"How's she holding up, doctor?"

"She's stable. The nanogens injected into her bloodstream should be enough to heal and repair any internal damage done to her. Thankfully, all major injuries dealt were in fact internal, so as long as she takes it easy, she should be fully okay within a couple of hours..."

Voices. That was all Brina could hear within her blackened state of consciousness. Although she could hear voices, her mind could not identify or recognize them right away. Her consciousness was too muddled for that, and her body was too numb to move any of her limbs to make any movement. It was as if she had been freshly woken up from a deep sleep.

"Is she comprehensive enough to wake up and talk to us?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. She and the Grey's leader need to be notified of the developments, and I don't want to spend too much time explaining the same thing twice--"

Finally, however, she found it within her to let out a groan which silenced the two voices. As she found the strength to move her arms, the first thing she did was lift her hands up to her face. "Urk... oh, god..."

"Hey, she's waking up!"

"Heeey~ That was quick." Rushifa said, sitting in a seat next to her and in a leaning position, his hands folded together calmly as he spoke. "Alot quicker than I thought it would be."

"R...Rushifa...?"

As her consciousness became clearer, Brina soon heard the sound of rotary blades spinning just outside. She could feel herself moving, despite her body lying prostrate on something solid. When she removed her hands from her face, she could see a figure moving away from one side of her while another stayed on the opposite side. That and the one behind her would be the two she would recognize.

"Nnngh..." She attempted to sit herself up, only to be held in place by a hand grasping her shoulder. Instinctively, she turned her eyes toward the figure who did it.

"Easy, ma'am..." It was the one known as "Disciple", who was giving her a knowing look as she kept her from getting up. "You passed out due to the anesthetic effect of the nanogens we gave you. Although most of the injuries you sustained were fixed up, there's still some trauma detected within the affected areas. You'll have to take it easy."

"Kumiko..." Brina whispered, allowing herself to lie back on the bed. "Glad to see you're still alive in one piece. I was certain that with what was happening with our air support, you had gotten cut down by the Head Captain..."

"The HC is being taken care of." Rushifa said to her calmly, shuffling his hands together as he spoke. "And all other airspace is clear. Any of our guys left down there are home free."

"So, that's it...?" Brina turned a questioning gaze towards the man, hesitant to believe it after her own crushing defeat. "We managed to push them back?"

"Yep..." Kumiko was quick to give an acknowledging nod. "All remaining forces are on the run, captured or killed in action."

This earned a heavy sigh of relief from the Dragon, and her body allowed itself to relax. She closed her eyes. "All right, then. Pilot, have this bird take us to the 2nd Division's HQ. We'll hold up there and begin setting up defensive perimeters. After all this, I think our soldiers deserve a bit of rest..."

A chuckle from the pilot. "I heard that..."

It was within this space and time that something unexpected occured.

"Hey...that's odd," the co-pilot stated over to the other pilot, "weren't we combatting the Head Captain in airspace not too long ago? What happened to him?"

Unfortunately, the answer question would revealed within the instant his sentence finished.

"Maam! I spotted the Head Captain again! He's hovering at 1500 feet and maintaining altitude! Shall I have permission to engage?!"

Kumiko was the first to respond to that. Her head snapped around to the co-pilots, her tone sharp. "Negative, negative!" She barked. "You saw what he was doing to our air support moments ago! We're backing off. He's not our target anymore!" She knew that it was suicide to engage such a powerful enemy, especially with a casualty on board.

"Understood! En route to Onmitsukidō HQ-Wait! Something's happening!"

Furuidenshō glared down at the smoking, burning ruins of what he used to call his home. He remembered the day the Captain of the Royal Guard was satisfied with his powers and the abilities to control him, and he also remembered his warning:

"As long as you have strength, there will be forces at work to triumph over that strength! Whether its by means of cunning or aggression, they will find a way to beat you, no matter how many times you win! When that happens...what will you do? Are you willing to purge that evil by any means necessary, or accept defeat like a dog?"

"I...I will...not...stand for this!" Furuidenshō growled out, his body crackling ominously and the air beginning to quake with his Spiritual Pressure. In fact, the whole sky and earth of the Soul Society began to quake of his Spirutual Pressure, as a maganimously vibrant light erupted from his being and discharged....

VRRRRROAAAAR!!!

...a terrifying pillar of Spiritual Power, enveloping and erupting from his very being, stretching to nearly twenty meters in gait, and discharged high into the sky and directly below into a section of the ruined Rukonagi district below. What occured in the sky was the start of a vicious spiritual storm, crackling and thundering in response to his power, as well as the explosion of his energy pummeling below.

That, and the hurricane-grade winds that began to throw any proximate aircraft awry, and created dangerous weather for en route air ships, such as the one Brina would stand in. The co-pilot began to sputter out, "What the Hell is he?! He's erupting some kind of energy from his body while throwing winds at us! What is he, insane?!"

"Ah shit...." Rushifa said in a low tone as he grabbed one of the handle bars above him with his left hand, while his right hand took hold of the table that Brina lay on. "Looks like he's pitching another one of his fits again. Pilot, get us as far away from the pillar as you can." he finished, directing his last sentance to the pilot.

"Roger that! Breaking away!"

As the two pilots worked to keep the Wasp within the air, Brina shut her eyes tight. Her body tensed once more, the tension of the situation quickly getting to her. Inwardly, she prayed that her bird would make it through. It had been bad enough getting crushed by Sazuke and "marked" by Sui-Feng. But nothing would top getting killed in a aircraft crash.

"Nnngh... come on, you son of a bitch!!" The pilot snarled, struggling against the supernatural storm as he and the co-pilot fought his way through.

It was then, as suddenly as the pillar had been created it vanished. But within this sudden absence, a sudden electrical fissure discharged from Furuidenshō's blade, arcing wildly as it moved towards a condensed area of the Inner Circle's forces within the outer area of the Northeastern Rukonagi District...

SSSRK-BOOM!

...causing it to erupt in a spherical explosion, wiping out nearly a collaboration of two batallions within the area he destroyed, along with the living spaces formerly belonging to Rukonagi citizens. Furuidenshō shook his Zanpakutō hilt as he moved to strike another pocket of Inner Circle troops, blowing one after another as he aimed to eliminated everying around the Soul Society as he worked on purging the evil from without to within.

It was certainly a bad time for the pilots to relax.

The radio blared off, directing a statement towards Kumiko that made her blood freeze. "Disciple, the two battalions stationed within the Northeastern Rukongai District just flat-lined! What the hell is going on over there?!"

"It's the Captain-Commander!!" Kumiko reported back, her expression tense and alarmed. She had assumed that after the intense casualties that had ensued for their air support that he had been taken care of. But apparently, that wasn't a fate to cross them. "He just wiped out that entire area with just one swing of his sword--!!"

'''BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!'''

"--and he's pushing the offensive!! I need all remaining air support to zero in on hi--"

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary, Hamano-san..." Tsukishima's cool and calm voice cut through their intercoms. "The air support will not be enough to stop Shin'en's attack. You have done all you can do. Now, I think it's time that we end this little game. I have sent my puppets to his location to see how strong his resolve is. If it is weak, they will destroy him."

"And if it's not?!" Kumiko questioned.

A dark chuckle from the other end. "He'd better pray it is..."

"Now...this should be good..." Rushifa said with a dark smile as he heard his employer's words, knowing that this was only going to get better and better for his entertainment.

It was within the last, earth-shattering explosion that Furuidenshō felt what the unheard words meant. Looking just behind his shoulder, he quickly pivoted his body around to dodge an attack. Noticing the slight distortion within space, he knew it was Kyokko, and grasped the wrist of the extended arm he now detected. Swinging it around he hurtled it with impressive force, allowing him to see the perpetrator.

"Shindō Takuji!" Furuidenshō growled, tightened his grip on the hilt of his Zanpakutō as he noted the black cloak garbed around his lithe and decievingly strong form, "I should've known they'd target the strongest Element-Weather-based user within the Gotei 13. I'm guessing they got more of you?"

"Yes," the shimmering form of Taiyō Ikidōri appeared, alongside Ryōken and Kōjaku, all of them appearing while radiating an alien Spiritual Pressure, as if they were filled with a foreign malice and contempt for the Head Captain that Furuidenshō never felt within them, "we all are. And we're going to put an end to your reign over the Soul Society, and establish the new order that is rightfully belonging there!"

"Of course they'd choose the most talented of the Gotei 13 they knew that could be easily manipulated," Furuidenshō chuckled wryly as he spread his feet as he took a Kenjutsu stance, pointing his sword towards them, "four Captains of your caliber might actually be a challenge. Come then! Let's see what the puppets of the pupeteer can really do!"

And then...they took off!

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

Shockwaves of Spiritual Pressure and explosions ranged high in the sky of the Soul Society. As the series of flashes and blasts of buffeting wind, one could see the elegant weaves and gestures of the Captains as they fought the Head Captain. With synchronized movements and tag-teaming tactics, they kept him on his feet, but the latter did not yet show signs of tiring.

It would be a sight to see from all observers, it would truly be a magnificent battle to behold, as one master would fight four experts and would be contending on an even ground.

In one moment, Shindō used Kirin to summon a series of lightning bolts to chase him, causing the Head Captain to move at instaneous speeds just to avoid them. Then, Kōjaku would move in and utilize a series of masterfully employed Kenjutsu strikes, keeping Furuidenshō on his toes long enough to have to absorb a kick from Taiyō tower-clog, shattering it with the extended palm...

BOOM!

...before discharging a vibrant and staggering blast of incredible proportions, scalding Taiyō to the point of unconsciousness. Knowing she was an expert healer, Furuidenshō made sure to breach the point of her pain tolerance so she wouldn't keep fighting or heal her comrades.

Ryōken didn't hesitate as he swung his water imbued trident, sending a geyser of cutting water towards his backside, intending on enacting some real damage. What happened instead, is the water and trident would strike a instaneously errected barrier, that would redirect the water and attack back upon the Captain, sending a Sokatsui in his direction.

"AAAARGH!" Unfortunately, Ryōken wasn't prepared by the instaneous redirection and the follow-up Kidō, as an immense pillar of blue flames engulfed him as well, scalding him to the point of unconsciousness as well, sending him hurtling across the horizon and crashing down, through nearly a whole block of landscape within the Rukonagi Districts.

After sliding away from Kōjaku, he found himself facing a storm of sakura blossoms, all channeled with Shindō's electricity and aiming to initiate a storm of electricity from all angles as it surrounded him...

SSSSSRK!

"We got him!" Kōjaku crowed in accomplishment as it looked like the sphere compressed and Furuidenshō was overwhelmed. But Shindō's Tamenkyōme eyes told a different story. Reaching out, he grasped Kōjaku by the collar just in the knick of time as he pulled him back with a well placed Flash Step...

BOOOOOM!

As an immense, vibrant explosion ripped apart the manifested Bankai-grade blades along with the electrical forces imbued within them. What emerged from the rolling sphere of flames and energy, was a slightly tattered Haori-donned Head Capain, with not a scratch on his face. With a dark glare cast upon his face and an aura of silver Spiritual Pressure, he had all the looks of the intent to kill.

"You honestly think just because you overwhelmed your colleagues with your teamwork, means a damned thing when it comes to facing against me? If fought against the infamous Shiroyasha, the Silver Flame of the Royal Guard, Ultharon! Whom have you faced?! The gap between our experience and power is the distance between the moon and the Sun!"

"We shall see about that!" Kōjaku chuckled, raising his blade up in sync with Shindō, both of them knowing what would come next.

"BAN-KAI!"

VOOOM!

SSSRK-ROAAAAR!

Within unison, two pyres of Spiritual Power were discharged. One of golden-blue laced Spiritual Energies, while the other one appearing to be vibrant, electrical energy that caused the whole storm overhead to gain shape and form. When the stormhead discharged a magnanimously overpowering bolt of Spiritual Power, enveloping Shindō, the two revealed their respective Bankai forms.

One of a golden raiment, befitting of the finest of nobility with a circular golden guard on his golden trimmed Zanpakutō hilt. The other, enveloped in a thick-black-white aura of what appeared to be a twisted manifestation of a lightning angel, covering the sudden release of his Hollowfication. With the two's relased Bankais, and the other's Hollowfication, the thick and roiling Spiritual Pressures crackled and blasted all around the Head Captain.

"How will you deal with us now, Head Captain Shin'nen?" Kōjaku chuckled menacingly, as he pointed his blade at his former superior, "you know the power of my Zanpakutō well, right? You know the power of Shindō? We are now transcendent beyond your power! You can't possibly-"

"You don't even know," Furuidenshō spoke lowly, raising his left hand in emphasis, a small orb of Spiritual Energy concentrated within its center, "how much I've been holding back. But now, I believe the curtain can finally be drawn...on your poor manipulated lives...forgive me..."

"What are you-"

But then, it happened.

What Furuidenshō unleashed didn't appear like any form of Kidō he had released before. At its core, it took many different culminations of different numbered spells and interweaved them into a massive release. And then, it would be discharged...

BOOOOOOM!!!

...sending out a kilometer wide gait of a roiling blast that ripped the foundation of the eastern section of the Seireitei and the Rukonagi buildings within its direction. The blast looked like a fiery twister of lightning, surging forward with so much speed and force, they never had time to dodge. As the thunderous blast was released, Furuidenshō's coat was ripped off due to the stress, and his elaborate Kidō armor was revealed underneath, and his eyes looked focused and intending on ending this fight.

When the blast finally receded, one could see kilometers of a carved, flaming trench that stretched on beyond the horizon. When Furuidenshō looked through the thick haze and smoke, he saw the two falling forms of his former comrades. Had they attacked, he knew he would've suffered injuries, but he knew he had to aim to hit them at full power. He did register as soon as they crashed into the ruined earth below that they were alive, but only because of reflex and protection they weaved in an effort to shield them.

"It is finished," Furuidenshō spoke, raising his blade as he prepared to kill them all before they could have a chance to rise again, "I will kill you now so you will no longer endager the Soul Society we all swore to protect. I'm sorry its come to this...my friends...!"

"He's going to kill his own mates?!" The pilot muttered, shocked at the display.

"Oh, well." Tsukishima's voice said casually and dismissively. "They were expendable to the very end. If he kills them, that would simply cripple the backbone of the Soul Society's defenses. Of course, if he is able to do it in time..."

''I'd let him do it... ''Rushifa thought inwardly as he watched and listened. It was a good thought, letting Furui's arrogance over his power get the best of him, and therefore let him do something as foolish as weaken his own military's strength altogether.

Furuidenshō swung his blade, and then, something curious happened.

A voice stopped his gait altogether. Words that he'd never forget. Words that haunted him and the Soul Society to this day. The words, that stopped his resolve to kill his comrades-turned-enemies all-together.

"My my...you certainly are a lot more ruthless than I remember you to be," Sōsuke Aizen spoke, a thin mocking smile enamored on his fair features, as his discolored eyes locked onto the shocked features of Furuidenshō himself, "Furuidenshō Kakkotaru Shin'nen..."

Furuidenshō couldn't believe his eyes. The infamous and legendary threat the Soul Society believed to be dead in the wake of the Ultharon War. The one whom turned comrades against each other, experimented on colleagues, and attempted to destroy an entire populace to just ascend into the Royal Palace. The one, standing before him, with tremendous power...that he could plainly feel that shattered him to his core.

For the first time since this war, and for over three centuries, Furuidenshō, was afraid.

"Every man has his weakness..."

From where the Horsemen were, Tsukishima spoke with a calm yet satisfied tone as he continued to broadcast his messages to his troops. Although the rest of them expressed varying degrees of surprise at Shin'en's sudden change in attitude, Tsukishima seemed to have expected this. "For as you can see, in the face of the Soul Society's greatest enemy, even the strongest of their warriors falter. However, the repercussions will be far worse..."

For it was not just Aizen that had entered the field.

"I concur..." a dark, foreign sounding voice spoke aloud from Aizen's left. Here, it was a tall, well built man who appeeared to be in his mid to late forties, wearing a white trenchcoat and matching pants, black boots and gloves, along with a long, tattered black cloak over all of it that covered most of his form. He had a pair of black muttonchops, but was otherwise clean-shaven, and he had long black messy hair that stretched down to his lower back.

It was a being Furuidensho hadn't seen in hundreds of years.

"However, from what I can see, I would call it more...desperate than ruthless." Juhabach finished, his glowing red eyes matching with his dark, smooth grin as he stared down his old enemy from centuries ago.

"Sōsuke...and Juha...!" Furuidenshō uttered out, his eyes suddenly capturing the image of an enemy he thought long to be dead. But, that had been a mistake for Sōsuke Aizen, one of which he shouldn't doubt himself now. Already he could feel an overwhelming hatred for the two rise to the surface, his eyes glazing over a silver light from his irises as he showed his commitment to kill them, "how dare you come back and show your faces after all this time! Siding with these bastards will only end in your own downfall!"

"Now now, Furui-san," Sōsuke spoke in a reprimanding tone, keeping his smile intact while waving his finger towards him, "try to keep your voice down. We wouldn't want your comrades to believe you're losing your nerve, would we?"

"After all..." Juha spoke in a similar tone, raising an eyebrow as his grin remained. "A leader on the verge of breaking is all an army needs in order to utterly crumble. But then again..."

His eyes glanced over the ruined Seireitei, and then came back to Furuidenshō once more. "...you don't seem to have an army to speak of."

Unfortunately, Juha's last statement seemed to snap something deep within Furuidenshō. He could give a damn about what they thought or if he acted appropiately. As far as he was concerned, all of the battles he's fought were anything but appropiate. This is war, after all...

"ENOUGH!" Furuidenshō shouted out, in sync with a swing of his blade, streaming out explosive energies to be released simultaneously upon release...

BOOOOOOOM!!!

...sending an earth-shattering pyre that stretched a good twenty five meters in gait, stretching out like a missile as he roared out into the distance, detonating with incredible fury behind the two entities as he flourished around them, intending on reducing them to dust.

However...what appeared behind the blast of energy, was Sōsuke Aizen and his associate. Sōsuke just smiled tauntingly, as he had merely raised his left hand in emphasis, blocking onslaught of destructive energies without even as much as marring his skin or his clothes.

"Was that really all you had?" Sōsuke asked in a taunting, disappointed tone, "if this is all the great hero of the Ultharon War has to offer, I must've overestimated your abilities. Despite that Kidō you've thrown out before, you have nothing close to the abilities the Primera of the Espada Afilado possessed..."

"Th-The Primera?!" Furuidenshō suddenly asked in aghast wonder, not knowing what he meant. Did Sōsuke actually go to Hueco Mundo before this all happened? Was that where he found Juha, hiding this whole time?

"Juha-san," Sōsuke spoke to his colleague, looking to see if his condition was just as durable as his own, "I'll let you entertain yourself with the Head Captain. He's not in a position to prove a challenge to me at this time. Consider this...a present...for a rematch you've been aching for after all these centuries..."

"With pleasure, Aizen Sousuke." the unscathed Juha replied as he looked over to his ally with a wry grin. "I'll be sure to leave him partially in tact. I couldn't possibly hope to take all of the enjoyment of this....skirmish for my own. Just be sure you steer clear of any crossfire..."

He then looked back to the Commander with that evil gaze once more. "Because there will be Hell to pay for what this Shinigami wretch has done."

SHFT-BOOM!

"Shut your damned mouth!" Furuidenshō snarled in aftermath of his movement. Having moved with a Flash Step that far exceeded his previous limitations of the Ultharon War, he moved to Juha's front, stepping just below his reach before he launched corkscrewing motion of his left arm. The force utilized would be enough to blow his adversary back, if not send him stumbling in the wake of a follow-up exploding slash of his Shikai across his front.

However, the impact of his fist connecting with Juha's chest would feel like a fist hitting a dense wall of pure steel. Juha's form remained stationary, as if he were protected by some form of incredibly durable defense cast around his body. He cast a dark look cast down upon Furui as he reached up...

...and then slammed his fist down on Furuidensho's back with mighty force, hitting him before the man's Shikai could come around to follow up on his attempted attack. The force of this blow would be strong enough to send him careening into the ground below at incredibly high speeds.

CRK-FWHOOSH!

Thanks to the Kidō armor, Furuidenshō didn't go far. As the force flung his body down a good dozen meters, Furuidenshō glared back up, flipping his body around before propulsing himself back up to face his nemesis. He then began to utilize a series of blindingly swift, even for his own caliber, Flash Steps to catch his opponent off guard. Moving through every angle possible, Furuidenshō continued to lay out the pressure, utilizing the splitting nature of his Zanpakutō, intending on severing the compacting bonds of the inflated-spirit-energized blood vessels and slice through his skin.

The fluency of his gestures suggested that of an incredible swordsman, as well as one who practices his body to instinctively move into his enemy's blindspots and react accordingly to instaneous reactions made by his opponents. While Furuidenshō may be a young Head Captain, his experience and prowess in battle spoke volumes of his skill.

But by the time he had done so, Juhabach had drawn his own weapon; a Spirit sword shaped like a dadao. With one simple slash, the first of Furui's attacks were parried. Along with his slash came a cutting set of other slashes from Juha, matching that of Furuidenshō's own. It would be surprising, after all. Juha hadn't spent the past 450 years doing nothing.

"You must be quite infuriated..." the Quincy spoke with that same wry grin of his, their sword fighting still going on. "Or humiliated one. For the bulk of your military to have been destroyed from the inside out...is truely an embarrasing accomplishment. I can just imagine what Yamamoto would be thinking right now..."

Within the space of Juha speaking, Furuidenshō allowed himself to smile. He remembered the last time he fought this man. Having underhandingly stolen the power of his sensei, he wasn't prepared to face him down all those centuries ago, and now he was entirely confident. Apparently, he hadn't witnessed his triumph over Ultharon or what kind of powers he acquired over the last several centuries.

"You've dropped your guard down, Bach-baka!" Furuidenshō mocked the Quincy, as he backpedaled away from the man's last swipe, and snapped his fingers, "you honestly think I'd just sit there and parry with your sword swipes all day?! Touching my Zanpakutō was bad enough, but that many times..."

SNAP-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM...!

"...you couldn't possibly think that I wouldn't lace dormant Kidōs within it, would you?" He spoke in aftermath of the dozens of incredibly vibrant blasts, all stemming from the variant of Sōkatsui. While ordinarily, any Captain could demonstrate incredible destructive power from using such a Kidō, but Furuidenshō's employment looked like explosive fiery blasts of intense power that could rip apart a good few city blocks if they weren't so high in the air. They came both repeatedly and without quarter, as they were all laced from the man's sword and then launched indiscriminately and repetitively.

"You are truly a fool..."

Juhabach's next statement came out with a lowered smile. He had seen this manner of fighting before, used by this Commander's very teacher in their last fight. Using Kidou itself was a dire mistake on Furuidensho's part, especially when lacing it within Juha's own weapon.

A lesson that Juha would make him learn the hard way

All of the blasts began to come out, but they suddenley stopped midway, none of the capable of coming near him for some reason. Here, Juha's smile came back to normal as he glared at the Commander, pointing his weapon and all of it's laced Kidou right back at Furui's form. "You truly know nothing of Quincy's, do you?"

Then, his weapon, and the Kidou that was previously being discharged began to glow brightly, and then it all quickly formed into a massive, star like pinwheel that slowly began to spin around with it's center at Juha's palm.

"Kirchenlied: Windrad Drehendren!" he said aloud, as the massive star began to spin at much fast rates. Aimed right at Furuidensho, all of that collected and laced Kidou, along with Juha's spirit blade essence, began firing out at the Commander in the form of hundreds, if not thousands of human sized Heilig Pfeil. All of them came right for Furuidensho, aiming to lacerate him into bits until nothing remained.

There were various comments from soldiers who were watching from below.

"The whole sky's lighting up!!"

"Shit... I really don't get paid enough for these kinds of jobs..."

"I'm glad it's the Quincy and not us..."

Who could blame them for their comments? After all, compared to the supernatural powers fighting within the sky, they were nothing but ants. So it was natural that they would be relieved at the bane of their existence turning its attention to someone else.

"You shouldn't have tried that," Furuidenshō spoke lowly, waving his hand in emphasis as the Heilig Pfeil began their launch...

SSSSSRK-BOOM!

''Within the wave of his hand, just as the storm of Heilig Pfeil were launching towards him suddenly lit up and exploded vibrantly, direction the force of the explosion itself back in Juha's general direction. The deft control of which Furuidensh''ō had over the fabric of Spiritual Energy of which was within his control, whether it was stolen or not, was showed in full testament to his abilities as a Head Captain.

"...because to a Kidō Grandmaster...my heart is within my Kidō, and can never be stolen away. Unlike your artificial constructs, used only to destroy the bonds of life and death, my powers will never fade away," Furuidenshō opened his eyes, overshadowed by the bright vibrant series of blue-white energy separating the two warriors of the ages, "its something you can never understand, being the dark hearted monster you are, Juha Bach!"

"Most impressive..." the Quincy said from a few feet away from Furuidensho. Having used a deft movement of Hirenkyaku to avoid the oncoming explosive force that was projected towards him. As of now, his suspicions of Furuidensho were becoming more and more confirmed. "But still a moot point. Regardless of how much "heart" you put into your Kidou, if such a thing were even possible, it is still spiritual energy. No matter which form of spell you use, I will always be able to use it for my own ends."

His gaze then narrowed. "Speaking of heart...when was the last time you saw Yamamoto in battle?"

"You know full well, Bach-baka," Furuidenshō spoke aloud as he turned around, regarding the dark cloaked Quincy while passively readying himself for whatever underhanded tactic he'd utilize, "it was the last time I fought you as well. I shortly set out on a sojourn to collect the knowledge and skills to fully master the Bankai I thought that I killed you with. Yamamoto was robbed of it by you during that day as well...and you were pitiful at wielding it against me!"

"And to think, it was that very sojourn that nearly cost all of Soul Society." Juhabach replied as he held out a hand in emphasis, smiling as usual. "When the God King of Hueco Mundo attacked this place with all of his might. If you had been there, perhaps Yamamoto would have been alive. Moreover, if you had arrived to his aid years before then, you could have stopped me from stealing his Bankai, a Bankai that could have stopped Ultharon in his tracks no less! But no matter. I plan on correcting your failure, as well as Yamamoto's, here and now..."

"If I worried about ever mistake I made, I'd never be where I am now. You certainly know how to carry grudges well, Bach-baka," Furuidenshō allowed himself to smirk, as he rose a brow in emphasis of his own personal joke on the archrival of his, "did being blown to kingdom come drop your ego so low, you want another round of humiliation?"

"No no, Shin'nen-San..." the Quincy grinned with glowing red eyes. "In fact, my defeat suffered years ago has taught me a few things. Gave me time to collect and rethink my means of bringing Seireitei to it's knees. You, on the other hand...will witness firsthand, what real humiliation is."

Shcink.....

A silver medallion came out of his sleeve and it's chain dangled on his finger. "I would ask you if you had ever seen Yamamoto's Bankai at it's full strength, but it would be useless to do so. You and I both know that he has only used it's full capabilities once, and that was against me, nearly 2'000 years ago."

He then smirked as he held the medallion up for Furui to see fully. "Would you like for me to show you?"

"That's it? You've been wasting all this time studying a power not your own? You really don't learn, do you, Bach-baka!" Furuidenshō snarled out, remembering the same posture that Ultharon held while using the Tamakujo. It was that same fury he held against an entity who used things not his own to control or his by right.

With a lightning swift slash of his Zanpakutō, a geyser of bright, encompassing energy flew at him. The force would shred his reinforced body, as well as send what looked like a mountain peak sized column of explosive power against his enemy. All in an attempt to enact his plan to destroy Juha and undermine his plans...

Juha simply grinned, and spoke a single statement:

"Zanka no Tachi..."

Within saying that statement, a mighty burst of bright blue fire shot out and completely overwhelmed Furuidenshō's blast, all of it swirling around the Quincy like a mighty twister and then finally flowing within a single, burnt and rusted appearing sword in his hand. It's dark blue handle and gold tsuba were oddly in tact and normal, but the slightly blue tinted sword was all burnt as if it were put in a mighty fire. Every last bit of fire that was released, and all humidity and fire in Seireitei quickly came to the blade fully.

Pointing the blade at Furuidenshō and grinning with a sinister manner, he spoke in a dark tone. "Come then, Shin'nen. Let's see just how well you last in this little game!"

And within that sentance...

...He reappeared directly in front of Furuidenshō with an incredibly fast bout of Hirenkyaku, slashing the all but fatal sword towards the man's chest. If it hit, Furuidenshō would be blown into oblivion, and out of existance forever.

"Its...Sensei's...Bankai...!"

Furuidenshō's eyes went wide as he saw the enveloped energies and the flames of unmistakeable heat flow around him, allowing him to sift around the initial powerful wave of explosive force he dischaged. But Furuidenshō had sparred with his mentor's Bankai before, and he knew it was contorted and different. All he remembered was a black blade, that glowed orange like embers. He never actually saw a bodysuit of flames as hot as the Sun.

But then, he knew what Juha meant about spending time and studying his stolen prize. As he saw Juha move with the Hirenkyaku maneuver, he knew all too well of the destructive properties lying within the blade. He knew his Kidō Armor might not be able to protect him from its almighty fury. But...

SHFT-SHFT-SHFT!

Within a triple prong of high-tier Flash Steps, Furuidenshō moved a good twenty meters behind Juha within the air. Swinging his blade towards him, it appeared as if nothing transpired wihtin the slash. But within the moment of his slash, the energies he laced within the sudden erupting Bankai, as well as the device itself, he knew he had his opponent within his grasp. Because within the waking moment of his slash...

CRRRK-BOOOOOOM!!!

The flames and the Spiritual Power exuded by Zanka no Tachi itself, turned into a giant bomb to be detonated at point blank where Juha would be. Even for all his impressive endurance, if a modified Bankai's power were to be turned into an explosive of the proportions Furuidenshō believed it to be, Juha would either have to forsake his newfound stolen power or die along with it. The power of the explosion itself turned into what looked like a tower of silver-blue energy that flowed down into the earth and up into the sky with a mighty shockwave that flourished the surroundings for a good several kilometers.

"Your arrogance seems to know no bounds." the Quincy spoke behind the pillar, his voice giving the impression that he wasn't harmed, despite the magnificent power projected by the blast. With a single thrust, the pillar was all but destroyed in a brief bout of blue fire, with Juhabach remaining in place.

"That attack was certainly powerful, no doubt." he explained as he casually walked towards Furuidenshō. "But you see, I remember what your Zanpakutō is capable of, and against Zanka no Tachi, it will do you no good here. The flames that are held by this weapon are far too vast and powerful for it to be captured by that of your own. Didn't you learn that from Yamamoto?"

Furuidenshō's eyes widened in shock. Somehow, someway, Juha had withstood the explosion as he saw flames once again erupting from his being. But, that was just the thing...he knew the flames were doused and used for the explosion itself. So how did Juha survive? Narrowing his eyes, Furuidenshō pointed his blade while snarling, "Nice bluff, Juha, but you were never were present during my training with my master. My Zanpakutō is the only one in existance to have overpowered his own and was capable of surpassing it. No...you did something to your body to keep it from being consumed in the blast, something most likely my last adversary tried to do," Furuidenshō smiled confidently, "you hardened the joints and composition within your body to project as much Spiritual Pressure on the surface of your body to keep it from being damaged. Such fluent projection couldn't be achieved by the powers of a Bankai but a Quincy's Blut Vene...am I wrong?"

"Close, but not so." Juha continued as he continued his pace. "But I dont have time to explain how the abilities of my kind works to the likes of you. And now..."

He then came right above Furuidenshō, the blade pointed down and aiming to go straight through his head. "...your time is up as well!"

Furuidenshō smiled, before crouched lowly, while placing his left hand onto the surface of his blade as the back of it hugged his side, "Bankai..."

SHINK!

"...Fuhen Bunkatsu!" Furuidenshō shouted out, swinging his blade in a upheaving arc as he did so. What happened, would shake any observer to their core.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

During the swing of his blade, Furuidenshō released his Bankai's initial energies, sending enough energy up to swallow a mountain whole. It dwarfed his earlier Kidō by at least twice in mass, and its destructive properties would disassemble anything within its reach. The laws of elements or the heavens no longer applies to Furuidenshō's Bankai, it split and destroys anything within reach.

However, within the wake of such awesome power, a hidden presence had approached to Furuidenshō's front...

SLICE-BOOM!

...and sent an earth-shattering slash of metal and force across his chest, breaking through the Kidō armored breastplate with ease as well as cause a geyser of blood to erupt from his waistline as his body was sent careening into the ground below. Within the wake of the immense shockwave created from Furuidenshō's impact, Sōsuke spoke aloud as he flicked the blood off his sword, "Tsukishima-san...I've taken care of your little pest problem, considering your men couldn't. Juha-san and I have secured your precious Seireitei for you," Sōsuke then spoke with a smile on his lips as he looked down at the smoldering cityscape below, "the Soul Society, is ours!"

"Hmph... so it is..."

Tsukishima's voice didn't sound too pleased at the subtle jab made within his direction. But he did well to dismiss it. He turned his voice towards the ones under his command, particularly the commanding officer. "All forces, the Seireitei's defenses have been neutralized. Maintain defensive perimeters and begin setting up blockades. After our forces are rejuvenated, we'll be knocking on his Majesty's doorstep in Yūrei."

A slight smirk came across Kumiko's face. "Move over, primitives..." She stepped up to the pilots' seats and looked out their windows to see the Wasps dominating the sky. Down below, she could see troops moving in to secure locations and clear out any remaining targets of resistance. Others were being captured and detained, presumably for interrogation and imprisonment. "This afterlife's going to be modernized..."

"Today marks the end of an era..." Juhabach spoke confidently, as he appeared next to Aizen. The Zanka no Tachi that he held was now sealed within his medallion once more and back in his pockets. His black cloak covered him entirely now, it's torn ends flourishing in the wind gently as he too smiled at the destruction of the Seireitei below him and his ally. "Yamamoto and his legacy have fallen at last."

Nice Day for a Hot Bath! Recouperation of the Weary
Angelika Hartmann was not in the best of moods as of this minute, despite having a breather from the chaos that had ensued within the Soul Society. Her efforts of eliminating Yashin had failed. She had been brutally beaten to within an inch of her life by Ryūketsu and nearly killed. She had to be carried in the arms of a Shinigami like some sort of damsel in distress - something that dealt a heavy blow to her pride. All in all, she had been treated like a casualty in war.

The only good thing she found out of it was that she was now relaxing like she was in any other home.

Currently, she was in a large room with enough space to hold a small group of people. The majority of that space was dominated by a pool filled with mist-shadowed waters. These weren't waters of the regular kind, but the ones that were known to heal and rejuvenate the body after times of great stress and injury. These were the waters that Angelika was currently sitting in - or more specifically, resting against the edge of the pool. The warm temperature of the waters was enough to ease what would've been her bitterness at the situation at hand. Her ponytail had been undone, and her old clothes had been discarded due to being soaked completely in blood. It was possibly one of the times she could consider herself the most vulnerable.

Naked in a bath with lots of other people nearby, even though she was currently alone.

She sighed heavily, closing her eyes and leaning her head back for a moment. She knew that for the moment, the Soul Society were allies. Of course, they could never truly tell what the Gotei 13 and the D.C.O. would do once all of it was over and done with. After all, it was most likely the V-14's presence that had caused the break in security for their forces. Who was to say a few of them wouldn't blame the mercenaries for what had happened to the Seireitei?

"I need a drink right now..."

"Hope you plan on getting one for all of us, then."

Angelika's eyes widened at the sound of Oliver's voice behind her.

She spun her head around with an instinctive and quick movement to look over her shoulder to see the man casually step in, a smug expression on his face. "Sitting all alone in a room without any clothes on. Didn't know you would make it that easy for me, Nazi..." He remarked with a jocular tone, chuckling afterwards. He used his foot to close the door behind him before approaching her with a casual gait, as if they were within any other situation.

Thankfully, Angelika wasn't the type to freak out, unlike other women who would've done so at the sight of a man entering a woman's bathing area. Instead, she gave him an annoyed glance before turning her head back forward. "The D.C.O. assured me that I wouldn't be disturbed by anyone."

"And you fucking believed that?" Oliver snickered. "Come on. As long as I'm here, you're going to be disturbed if I'm in that kind of mood." He stopped at the edge of the pool, squatting down to get down to her level as possible.

"They let you sneak in here?"

"More of like I just walked in like I owned the damn place. I don't think they noticed me, though."

An aggravated sigh came from Angelika, and she pulled one hand out of the water to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Holmes, if you just came here to annoy me, I'm really not in the--"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Immediately, Oliver took on a more surprised tone. He raised his hands up defensively, catching the German's attention again. "Calm down, boss. I may be an asshole most of the time, but even I know when to call it quits... regardless of contrary belief. I was trying to get you to relax..." As he looked outwards to the water, smirking a little. "Moreso than you probably already are."

After that, there was a silence that overtook the area. Angelika had closed her eye for a moment, slowly lowering her hand back into the water. Oliver looked at her curiously, tilting his head to the side. For what seemed like the longest moment, neither of them spoke. It wasn't an awkward silence, but rather one of pondering and comprehension. It didn't last long.

"So..." Slowly, she shifted her body around so that she could rest her arms on the pool edge, looking up at him expectantly. "Why exactly are you here?"

That was when Oliver's smile slowly faded into a more solemn and somewhat weary look. He took a pause before answering the question. "One of the D.C.O. was carrying your broken body here and telling me what happened. Ryūketsu had torn you up pretty bad. I think you got the worst out of all of the V-14's injuries, all things considering..." He resisted the urge to flinch when Angelika's eye narrowed into a glare.

"Get to the point."

Another silence. And then...

"...you're not alone."

Those three words took Angelika by surprise. Her anger was quick to go away, her eye widening. But Oliver continued speaking. "Being tossed around like a ragdoll... drowning in the mud with your foe holding you down and laughing their ass off... having no chance to regain your dignity whatsoever... trust me when I say I've been there. You knew that when you saw me lose my shit against Mōshin. It's not fun, knowing that you've been probed every which way and there's nothing you can do about it. But..."

Slowly, he shifted himself so that he was lying down on his stomach, completely level with her. His blue eyes stared into her lone one. "There's something that differentiates us from the rest of the ones who've been pushed on their back repeatedly. Time and time again, we've shown that we were fully capable of pulling ourselves back up. I've had to do it all my life, and I'm pretty sure that you needed to, as well. That's what makes up the backbone of a true leader, when you can pick yourself off of the ground and keep pushing forward. That's what gives the ones who follow you their own sense of morale, helping you every step along the way. When it comes to that, you've failed to disappoint."

It was scaring her to know that the normally hot-headed Oliver was speaking to her like this. Not only that, but he actually made sense within his words. In the time that had passed between them, she had actually allowed herself to forget the extent of her closeness with him as well as the rest of the Alpha team. She was more than just a leader to them. She was their closest friend, one of their most reliable weapons and possibly even more. Under that knowledge, her gaze started to waver a little, and she briefly found herself averting her gaze.

"Yashin's been using us as our puppets from start to finish." She muttered softly. "Even considering that... what else can I do?"

Oliver slowly shook his head. "I wish I could tell you, boss. But one thing you have to keep in mind. If you want to have at least a chance of winning this battle, you've got to keep pushing forward. Let them know that they have the upper hand, and they'll never let you get it back..."

Once again, a silence overswept the area. Slowly, Angelika lowered her head to the point of her face being shielded from view. But Oliver wasn't discouraged by this, looking down on her with empathy and understanding. He wasn't going to rush her through it. He could wait it out. When it came to the likes of his boss, he could afford to be patient...

"...why?"

It was in one of the most subtle ways possible. Her voice was still composed and calm, but there was the slightest hint of weakness within her tone that caught his attention. She lifted her head up to meet her gaze again, expressing a mixture of mild confusion and pleading. "In all of the years that you've been under my service, you never spoke to me like this. What could've caused this...?"

A small smile crossed Oliver's face. "You could say the bout I had opened my eyes in more ways than one. All that time, I gave all I could to you. My loyalty, my life and my service... all of it was put in your hands for any way you saw fit..." Slowly, he reached with one of his hands. His palm gently brushed against the side of her face, seemingly warmer than even the comfortable temperatures of the water she was in.

"But I would've never thought that you'd have the nerve to take my heart..."

What happened next seemed automatic for the two of them.

Slowly, Oliver closed his eyes and leaned in, with Angelika naturally following his lead. Their lips met in a slow and passionate kiss, one that overshadowed the first chaste one that they had. At that moment, the German moment felt her heart race furiously within her chest - a feeling that she thought she'd never be capable of. For the first time, she was starting to reconsider her thoughts about her being vulnerable and exposed at this moment.

Maybe, in times like this, it was okay to be weak...

Unfortunately, their privacy was going to be short lived...

CLICK-SHHHHHFT!

...as the door to the medical room opened, revealing what would've been a comical sight to any other observer. Kaien Shiba, a previous ally in other scenarios to both the Gotei 13 and now V-14, was standing there in a bathing suit. With a well-defined show of his muscles and the near bareness of his figure was only off-set by the cheeky grin on his face.

"Hallo, gov'nor! I brought some company I thought you might-uhhhhh!" Kaien opened his eyes, widening them to enormous proportions as he gaped at what would've been a fantasy of his own. The currently nude, bathing Angelika was making out with Oliver, and he only wished he was alone. Because of the company of bringing along Asuka, she had to resist the urge to make a further fool of himself other than dressing up the way he was now...

It was at the sound of his voice that both Angelika and Oliver's eyes widened in complete shock.

They broke apart from one another, with Oliver snapping his head to look over his shoulder. Both of them froze in their place, locking stares onto the man and woman that had just entered the room. For the longest moment, no one moved. Asuka, in particular, was returning their stares with a shocked look of her own. It was as if both sides were staring within a mirror. Time might as well have been frozen at that particular moment.

But fortunately, Asuka made the decision to break it.

Her eyes squinted shut in two upside down U's, a pleased smile on her face. "Aww, look, Kaien! We interrupted a special moment..." She said lightly, folding her arms across her chest.

"...in my defense," Oliver said blandly, rolling himself over and getting up to a sitting position. "You morons left the door unlocked."

"...what's with the bathing suit?" Angelika deadpanned, returning to her dry and near-stoic demeanor as she regarded the Shiba clan member with a slight amount of suspicion.

Kaien couldn't help but clear his throat before scratching the back of his neck, "I was going to come in and see if I could join Miss Hartmann to cheer her up from what's happened recently. Builing up morale was always a strong suit of mine, but seeing as I am interrupting budding romance, ahem!" He cleared his throat once more, before winking at Angelika, "I'm just glad you found such a capable warrior as a lover. From what I am told, he was able to possess the will to manifest his sealed Zanpakutō and use it in such effectiveness that he beat the enemy whom had been giving you and your partner such a hard time! Such skill and passion is rarely seen in my line of work, especially under such pressure..."

"I thought I made it perfectly clear that I was not to be di--" Angelika started with an annoyed tone, but cut herself off once she completely registered what had been said. She looked to Oliver in surprise, blinking a few times. She had always assumed that Oliver had been a "normal" throughout his Aethan days, based from what she saw in his service. For him to have suddenly manifested a Zanpakutō for usage against the enemy was one of the most shocking developments that she heard. "Wait a minute. You have possession of your own Zanpakutō?"

"....oh, right. I never did tell you about that, did I?" Oliver suddenly bore a sheepish look on his face, frowning lopsidedly as he looked away from her for a brief moment. However, he regained himself immediately, turning himself so that he was facing her once again. "I didn't spawn it just at that moment. I reawakened it, having kept it buried within me for so long. I never thought it would show itself now, of all times..."

"What happened?" Angelika questioned immediately, looking intently at him.

"Well," Oliver began to make motioning gestures within his hands as he explained. "You see, just like everyone else, Hyōryū and I were getting our asses kicked. The guy we were handling wasn't even breaking a sweat, and while we were trying to catch our breath, he takes Sis off guard and cuts her down. I got so pissed off right then, thinking that he killed her... pissed off that I couldn't do a thing about it... and then, something happened. All of a sudden, I began to feel this... presence within me, and I heard a voice speaking in my head. I couldn't recognize it then, but I do now. It was my Zanpakutō's spirit..."

He looked up briefly to see if the other two were listening as well, before he continued. "As she was speaking to me, I heard my own voice answering back to her. But I wasn't the one doing the talking. It was as if someone else was speaking to her for me, but all of what it said was true. She asked me what did I want, and I told her that I wanted the bastard destroyed. Before I knew it, I felt an energy leaving me... and when I regained my senses, I saw him lying like someone just beat the everloving shit out of him. I look to one of my hands, and I see that I'm holding the blade I never thought I'd see again..." All of this was delivered with an incredulity, as he was still overcoming his own surprise at the event.

"Your spirit was looking out for you, Oliver-san..." Asuka said gently, giving him a warm smile. "Be thankful that it surfaced when it did. Otherwise, I think you both would've ended up like Angel-chan and the others..."

This prompted Angelika to turn her attention away from Oliver and towards the two. "And what are the status of the others?" She asked, the question more pointed towards Kaien considering he was part of the ones that had saved them.

"Hmmm," Kaien cupped his chin and went into deep thought, before listing people off with his free hand, "well Hyōryū Fūsoku suffered a deep wound from that Fullbringer, but thanks to Senna's first aid treatment, she was able to get out of danger quickly. But to be safe, she's stationed in a healing pool proximate to your room, Miss Hartmann. As for the others, Shadō Kariudo endured a few lacerations and concussive damage across his body, but he should be fine after a Spirit Energy injection and some first aid. Besides those two, most of the others only suffered exhaustion and superficial wounds, all of which are being taken care of at this moment. And by the way this charming lady is doing, you can tell she's alright as well," Kaien made sure to wink and smile charmingly at Asuka, raising a thumb's up in emphasis of his approval of her health.

It was here that Angelika spared a glance towards the faint blush that spread across Asuka's cheeks, smirking inwardly.

"Oh, good. I needed something to tease you about..."

"Wait, so she's in--"

His cheeks tightening in a comically tense expression, Oliver swung his glance over to the room next to theirs. For a brief moment, he did nothing but stare at the wall. Then, he tilted his head up the sky and let out a groan. "God damn it, I should've made sure to check that room!" He complained. "I hope she didn't hear any of what was going on in here, because she's never going to let me hear the end of it!"

"But why?" Asuka inquired, tilting her head to the side slightly. "You should be happy if she heard. This is good news, isn't it? I'm sure that if she heard, she'd most likely be congratulating you."

That earned a scoff from Oliver."Pfft. She'd probably try and kick my nuts in for just coming in here, and that's considering she slapped me for an earlier ogle at Nazi. And that was right after Nazi voluntarily took off her shirt!"

"I had the front of my shirt torn and my bindings in tatters..." Angelika said dismissively with a wave of her hand. "I wasn't intending on giving you an eyeful..."

"Ahem! I'm leaving now!" Kaien coughed uncomfortably, his face starting to glow crimson as he turned on his heels and walked out, "I'll just have to find a vacant pool to go bathing in! I'll see you all later!"

"He had the audacity to attempt to join me, as he says, but he can't handle a little bit of talk?" Angelika thought, cocking an eyebrow slightly as she watched the red-faced man walk back out of the door and Asuka shut it behind him. Based from the amused expression on her face, she could tell that her former mentor was thinking along the same lines. The man was most likely a child at heart. Not to say that was a bad thing, considering that she already knew several adults who acted younger than their age...

She turned her attention towards the two remaining. "All right, you two should leave, as well." She said bluntly. "I'll meet back up with you when I'm done."

"What?" Oliver asked sarcastically, looking down to her as he slowly stood up. "You've got no clothes on and we already started kissing, so why avoid going the extra mile--"

Angelika silenced him with another glare.

"....oh, all right, if you insist. But you don't know what you're missing."

Asuka giggled, opening the door once more as Oliver approached her. "Come on, Oliver. You'll have plenty of time to speak with your new girlfriend later." She teased, earning a roll of the eyes from the blonde man and German. As he walked out into the hallway, she turned to look over at Angelika one last time. "Get well soon, dear..."

Then, she shut the door behind her, once again leaving Angelika alone in silence.

She stared at the shut door for a few moments more before settling back down in her previous frontward position. This time, however, the weight that had made itself comfortable on her back had lifted. Despite everything, the talk with Oliver had seemed to make everything a hundred times better. Not only did she get to see another side of him, but he had seen another side of her, as well. She could tell that they would be knowing each other in an entirely different perspective in the near future.

That was a development she could get used to.

"I'd better start thinking of what we're going to do next..." She muttered to herself, closing her eyes and allowing herself to sink under the waters.

Salt within the Wounds, Debrief of the Losers!
"It appears Captain Kasumiōji is supposed to make a full recovery," Captain Kukkyōna Hayate spoke aloud as he walked alongside his old rival and comrade, Noriko Nagasaki. They walked down the long hallway they were told they would meet the collective of their forces left, "her Lieutenant should also be recovering within a short time as well. However, I am unable to locate Tamiko or your Lieutenant along with my own in the Soul Society. I fear they may be captured or MIA at the moment..."

It was more news that Noriko simply was unwilling to hear.

She had a scowl on her face as well as narrowed eyes as she walked with Kukkyōna. It was bad enough to know that the Inner Circle had hypnotized a good portion of their leading forces to turn traitor. But it was worse to know that those very same forces had not been recovered. Her fury had not subsided ever since she had been pulled away into the dimension, and she even passed a death glare towards some of the D.C.O. operatives who had attempted to converse with her. All in all, she was in a very nasty mood.

However, she made sure to keep it in a restrained manner.

"Why don't you tell me that my favorite puppy got cancer and got run over by an airship while you're at it?" She quipped, directing her gaze towards him. "What about the rest of them? Who's left standing?"

"Qilin and his Lieutenant along with my son have made it back. Fortunately, the D.C.O. was able to extract all of the V-14 organization back here for healing and recouperation. We even managed to defeat a few of the Inner Circle's forces while we were at it," stopping just short of the door, Kukkyōna locked his eyes with his pink haired rival firmly, "I know what you're feeling. If I had it my way I would've went after my Lieutenant and brought him back here with us, if possible, but we had no choice. The true bulk of the Inner Circle's forces had yet to have arrived, and with the Four Horsemen there, along with Sōsuke Aizen and the dark robed Quincy he brought with him, there wouldn't have been a chance for us to fight back."

"That doesn't exactly make the situation any better, Captain." Noriko answered tersely, her eyes narrowing a little. "It's like you said; the full bulk of their forces haven't even arrived yet, and still our side lost. The soldiers under my command didn't die like the soldiers they were. They were massacred like lambs to a slaughter, and all in the course of what? Several hours? Not weeks. Not months. Not years. Hours! Despite their best efforts, they weren't able to hold the fort for even a day before they were overrun. A few won't replace the hundred."

She turned her gaze away. "So save me your empathy. I, for one, am more focused on how we're going to make them pay."

"My best friend turned against me today, Nagasaki-san," Kukkyōna spoke in a still tone, but showed no hint of emotion as he opened the doors and walked in without hesitation, "trust me. The same rage within you burns twice as hot within me. We will make them pay, I assure you..."

As they entered, they would walk into a large dome-ceiling room with various black tiled walls stringing from various directions. The room was also constructed like a circle, with a ring-like array with various computers and monitoring equipment moving around, with a fifty meter radius from one end of the room to the other. The recess below was home to a large square table, home to various seated individuals as well as gathered by even more standing ones.

A view was being shown of the Seireitei in various 3-D angles of a holographic display. The other two remaining Captains were also present, along with Daisuke, Qilin's Lieutenant, and Sakura Keikai.

"...so, what would be the casualty report concerning this new development?" Qilin was asking, his arms folded across his chest as he looked at the monitors. He was standing beside a stone-faced Hachiro, with Tetsuyo flanking his other side. Unlike the majority of the rest, he as well as his Lieutenant seemed to have more of a casual attitude towards the entire situation, though it could easily be seen as an attempt to lighten things up.

"Possibly between two and two-hundred and fifty thousand plus." Hachiro answered grimly, having his own arms folded across his chest as he eyed the monitors. "As far as leading ones go, only Kukkyōna, Noriko, Qilin and I remain. Nozomi and her Lieutenant are soon to make a full recovery, but we haven't been able to establish contact with Gina, Furuidenshō or Yukiakari."

"As far as Lieutenants are concerned, only the ones standing here are the ones left, with the exception of Lieutenant Aizen." Tetsuyo added, his hands within his pockets. "Lieutenants Hachisu, Fiaresu, Sugiyama and Yabun have yet to respond to our attempts to contact them..."

"You can forget about Lieutenant Fiaresu," Kukkyōna spoke out as he approached the debriefing area of the room, with Nagaski in tow, "he was one of the few that turned on us within the Captains Meeting Hall. And from what I gathered from my Zanpakutō making contact with Ryōken's body and blade, it seems that it is Zanpakutō affiliated in the nature of which they've been afflicted by..."

"Th-Then my Captain didn't really...I mean...agree to this willingly?" Sakura asked, her eyes blinking and feeled with a bittersweet hope that her Shindō hadn't tried to kill her so whimsically.

"Your Captain may be many things, Sakura, but he's not a traitor," Daisuke placed a hand of reassurance on his fellow Lieutenant's shoulder, smiling brightly in order to cheer her up, "I'm sure whatever's happened, he can be snapped back out of it soon."

"I hope you're right," Sakura sniffled, smiling back gratefully for the encouragement shown to her.

"...oh, right." After realizing what he had said and acknowledging both his and Noriko's presence, Tetsuyo slapped a palm to his face out of slight embarrassment. "M-my apologies, Captain Hayate. I didn't mean to include Senshi-san within that list..."

"I felt it, too..." Hachiro said, directing his attention towards the two Captains that had arrived on scene. "Matter of fact, I doubt anyone within the room at that time could've overlooked the energy all of them were exuding. That certainly wasn't their signature going off. It was that of someone else's. They had to be under some sort of hypnosis during the whole thing." His eyes narrowed, and he averted his gaze away to think. "But what I'm trying to figure out is who could have the power to do so without even so much as interacting with them? All of the affected individuals were supposed to be on standby, resuming their natural duties here. We would have noticed anything suspicious..."

"Unless the suspect didn't have to." Noriko commented, placing one hand on her hip and letting the other hang at her side. "Maybe that was a power activated from far away, from wherever the source was at the time. After all, we've been facing enemies capable of manipulating the very fabric of space and time itself. A feat like long-range hypnosis would be measly and insignificant compared to that..."

"Manipulating memories...turning people against their comrades...who would have such a power, I wonder? Even if it was by a Zanpakutō, that kind of Illusionary prowess is a rare find indeed," Kukkyōna pondered, his hand cupping his chin as he looked onto the holographic display of the slowly reddening display of the once blue-white area of which the Soul Society used to be within their control.

"Sorry for butting in," Kaien Shiba, the Sword Squad Captain walked in, flanked by Senna Kasumiōji, along with a handful of other D.C.O. garbed entities, "but I think we can give you a pretty good subject for whom might be responsible for your comrades' unintentional betrayal and change of character. Renji?"

"Right," the former 6th Division Lieutenant stepped up, nodding to Hachiro and Kukkyōna respectively, "there was one such power available to a human, a Fullbringer at that, nearly 300 years ago. His name was Shūkurō Tsukishima, and was partnered with the conspirator former Substitute Soul Reaper, Kūgo Ginjō, both of which had died during the incident myself and my Captain, along with a few others, had dealt with them respectively. If he's back, it could explain the sudden shifts in personalities without warning..."

"We really are starting to suck at deciding who's naughty and who's nice." Qilin quipped, rolling his eyes and promptly Tetsuyo's receiving an elbow in response to it, courtesy of his Lieutenant. "Ow!"

"And that was three hundred years ago..." Hachiro summarized, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. "If he's capable of performing feats like this when he's not even in the area, then who knows what he's capable of when one's dealing with him up close. Considering that kind of power--"

"--he's a perfect candidate for being one of our illusive Horsemen." Noriko summarized, the scowl once again returning full force. "Great. We might as well be facing our own personal Hell right as of this minute..." She was directing her gaze from one person to another as she said this, making sure that every one of them got the message. But when her hazel eyes fell over to Qilin, she swore she saw something very peculiar flash briefly across his face as well as Tetsuyo's.

"Was he... smirking?"

CLACK-CLACK-CLACK!

"It doesn't matter what kind of Hell we've been thrust into! What matters most is our next steps," Kaze Sasayaki, clad in his white Gotei 13 Haori, with an elaborate black cloak underneath, clacking his cane nosily to attract their attention as he approached the lot of them, "we are currently lacking the majority of our military strength, along with our leaders. Separated or dead, it doesn't matter, we need to place into action our contingency plan-"

"With all due respect, Overseer, I don't believe she's ready for that kind of responsibility," Renji spoke out bluntly to Kaze, despite the protesting glare from Kaien and Senna, as he took a step forward to his unofficial superior, "she's talented and probably one our strongest agents, yes, but...is she really fit to fill in a gap that large? The Head Captain isn't even confirmed dead and you're already trying to-"

"Silence your tongue, Renji Abarai!" Kaze snarled at Renji, glaring at him heatedly with a pair of yellow-red eyes as he squeezed the skull handle on his cane to audibly painful levels, "do not disrespect her, nor the amount of work and training she's attained over these last few centuries! She, unlike any of you left, is the only one fit for the task at hand!"

This was something that made the likes of Noriko and Hachiro quirk an eyebrow and glance at each other.

Choosing a Head Captain this quickly was one thing. But choosing someone from the D.C.O. instead of the Gotei 13's ranks? One would have figured that any of the Captains standing right now would've sufficed. Hachiro and Kukkyōna probably had better chances due to their veteran's status within the Gotei 13 as well as their immense power. So who exactly would have been better suited for the job than the two of them?

In the ranks of the D.C.O., Braeburn couldn't help but let out a brief and almost quiet snort of disdain.

"I take it from the silence and disgruntled unintelligible sounds you are making you aren't aware of the true purpose of the Deep Cover Ops, are you, ladies and gentleman of the Gotei?" Kaze growled out in annoyance as he locked his eyes from the Captains to Braeburn, "this was all approved centuries ago! I can't believe you all have gone dull over these times of peace-"

"What Overseer Sasayaki is trying to say," Kaien intervened, smiling briefly at his irate superior before looking over to Kukkyōna and the other Captains present, "to preserve numerical strength and members of the Gotei 13, the D.C.O. was constructed as a means in times of dire circumstances that we would need to temporarily assume positions of the lost ranks from KIA or MIA Soul Reapers. Captains and Lieutenants in particular," and he then looked over knowledgeably to Braeburn with a resigned sigh, "as well as the position of Head Captain. These last few centuries of honing our skills and preserving former members of the Gotei 13 were only so that we'd be ready for a situation such as the one we are currently having. Head Captain Furuidenshō Shin'nen himself agreed to this proposal, due to the situation we all had during the Ultharon War, so it may never be again that we are bereft of leaders or soldiers again..."

"But this is Hana we're talking about!" Daisuke decided to voice out his own concern, his eyes widened with the idea of the person whom he called friend and comrade to assume such a heavy burden, "I know she's strong, Hell, stronger than me or almost anybody, but leadership?! I don't know much about her or her training, but is she really qualified for such a thing?!"

"It does seem...precarious and...convienant that you would mention this now, of all times, Kaze-san," Kukkyōna looked over at his fellow Captain with mild suspicion, but kept himself composed and collected, "why wouldn't you want to volunteer yourself for the position of Captain? Certainly your intellect and strategic mindset is the best suited for the position-"

"I am not out for mundane things such as power, Captain Hayate," Kaze spoke back in a less irritable tone, turning his gaze to him, and the other Captains, "I am here to ensure the preservation of the Gotei 13, and the Soul Society. As much as I dislike people in general, they are necessary to continue to make certain the Balance is kept and chaos doesn't reign. Without skilled tacticians and warriors, we are nothing but sheep to the slaughter. We need to give Hana Yūgure the benefit of the doubt that she possesses all the tools and prowess necessary for the task. She won't be alone in this fight, as we are all needed to ensure this will end in victory instead of defeat..."

For what seemed like the longest time, no one spoke. All of them regarded Kaze with their own expressions. Hachiro and Noriko seemed to be pondering what was said within their own heads. Qilin and Tetsuyo passed a look to one another as if speaking with an unheard message. Braeburn himself was still rather disdainful, even after giving Kaze a rather nasty glare when the 12th Division Scientist had turned towards him. But all of them remained silent on the matter.

Then, Hachiro spoke.

"To be honest, Sayazaki..." He stated, initially giving Kaze a skeptical gaze. "I still think this is a bit of a stretch on your part." The skeptical look immediately faded, replaced by a subtly encouraging smile. "But I for one know you're a man who knows what he's doing, despite how he does it. If you think that this is the best approach, then I think it's all for the best." He gave a slight nod. "You as well as she have my arm."

Noriko gave Kaze a slight glare, but seemed just as complacent. "If this screws up, Sayazaki, it's all going to be on your head." She said bluntly. "And I'll be one of the first to tell those bastards to chop it off before the rest of us." The second sentence was one said out of her own brand of humor - rather dark humor, but humor nonetheless.

"The mad scientist has a point, for once." Qilin said lightly, giving a shrug of his shoulders. "As long as the Captain-Commander's M.I.A., she can be considered a good candidate just in case we aren't able to reach him."

"Y...yeah..." After giving all of them a somewhat hesitant gaze, Tetsuyo nodded in agreement as he scratched the back of his head. "Possibly the best idea we've had all day..."

"...meh." Braeburn grunted, folding his arms across his chest and turning away. "Not my call, anyway..."

"Glad to see the vote of confidence is with me," the chirpy voice of none other than Hana Yūgure spoke out, as she just had entered the debriefing room to hear the last spat of conversation between all the Captains. Despite that, she kept a confident stride in her gait as she approached them, walking down to stand next to Braeburn with a slight uppraised brow before turning to the rest of them, "but skipping official legalities, I wish to inform you of what information was acquired during the invasion..."

"What have you found out?" Senna spoke aloud first, but had obviously had the majority interest by the present company.

"First off, I've found out that we were able to retrieve a good quarter of our Gotei's forces, along with near the entirety of the Onmitsukidō Militia and Kidō Corps. Apparently, Captain Tensai had ordered an immediate deployment of her forces to seek out and engage the enemies she had sensed before the incident within the Captains Meeting Hall. While they have suffered casualties, they had managed to retreat to D.C.O. HQ before the Head Captain began to rain down major destruction upon the Inner Circle forces.

"Secondly, we aren't the first Society to be struck at by the Inner Circle," she looked around at the other Captains, D.C.O. and Gotei alike, before speaking gravely, "it seems that Aether's Capital city, Shinhae, fell victim to a synchronized series of well-timed bombardments and a number of splitting factions revolting within its confines. Apparently, a number of sleeper agents have been working for the Inner Circle to accomplish this feat. From all we know, only the Knight Commander and a handful of her closest allies had managed to escape the chaos and massacre with their own respective forces, and fled to the Stronghelm Family's Fortress..."

"Lastly, the main players at hand besides the Inner Circle were responsible for Furuidenshō's downfall showed themselves quite willingly: Sōsuke Aizen, and a dark robed entity that was identified as a Quincy, whom was wielding an unusual Zanpakutō signature."

"With all the energy out there, we might as well have had a front row seat to it..." Hachiro said grimly, looking towards Hana in acknowledgement. "The Quincy's name is Juhabach, and he's just as nasty a piece of work as Aizen is. Nearly responsible for the the Head Captain's death if it weren't for the intervention of his student. And just like our resident traitor, we all thought that he had been killed, too..."

"I'm getting a feeling that Buddha has a really bad grudge against the Gotei 13..." Qilin muttered. "What's next? Is Ultharon going to come out of his grave and--"

"DO NOT GO THERE!!!" Both Braeburn and Tetsuyo were quick to yell this at him, a mixture of angry and frightened expressions on their faces. Qilin sweatdropped, immediately raising his hands up defensively.

"Right. Sorry...."

"He is responsible for more than just that, Captain Horikawa..."

A calm voice came from the entrance to their meeting hall. Stepping out of the darkness was a fairly tall, youthful appearing man with a white cloak on that covered most of his attire, while also wearing a hood that barely gave vision to a pair of sky blue eyes. As he came closer to the group, his right hand reached up and pulled the hood off, revealing a man with short white hair and a fair complextion.

"Juhabach has caused more destruction and havoc in the World of the Living than any other Quincy born." Asumu finished as he stood before all of them.

"Within the last century he's popped in and out of the radar of creating hotspots for Quincy Order," Yūgana Sogeki, the Licht Ritter and second-in-command to the leader of the Licht Ritters, "he's considered one of the most dangerous threats besides the infamous war criminal, the Doctor, whom had also began popping up around the same time as the Inner Circle's most recent assault within the World of the Living..."

"How widespread is the damage?" Daisuke ventured a query, his eyes widened at the precedence of how massive of this Blitzkrieg style war the Inner Circle had just launched.

"Nearly half of the world is now subjugated by the Inner Circle, and within an estimated time slot of twenty four hours they should control the rest of it," Saya Ishida, daughter of the esteemed Hiryū Ishida whom was leader of the current Quincy Order and inheritor of Uryū Ishida's Will, "they've been planning this for centuries, perhaps since the reorganization of the Gotei 13 in the aftermath of your Ultharon War, around the same time that the Quincy Order itself was established."

"So in other words, the whole existence is about to go under martial law soon..." Noriko summarized, closing her eyes and scowling. "Terrific."

"We can't do anything about the Material World, as far as the Gotei 13 and the Deep Cover Ops are concerned." Hachiro gave a heavy sigh after getting over his mild surprise, folding his arms across his chest. "I can guarantee that the D.C.O. expended quite a lot of resources just pulling us out of the fire, and even that wasn't enough to save everyone..."

"Its better than losing everything," Kaien pointed out, looking to Hachiro with an understanding stare as he crossed his arms over his chest, "if even one survived, the fight is worth it. There will always be casualties of war, and I am not exempt of that fact."

"Wait a minute!" Daisuke suddenly looked over to his father, as if an idea dawned upon him, "what about the Espada Afilado?! Surely the Primera could send some form of task force to aid us in this battle, wouldn't she? We are on good terms with her, despite with the Izanami incident, right?!"

"That is a good point," Kukkyōna looked over to Hana, knowing now where chain of command currently stood, "with her as an ally, it would be much easier for us to mount a counter offensive without too many casualties for either of our factions. This will eventually reach her domain, with Sōsuke back as well as the Quincy Juhabach, they will recognize the threat they are being placed in..."

"Unfortunately, that cannot happen," Hana spoke with a melancholy tone, for the first time since arriving, "we used to have both probes and a communications tower linked to the Espada Afilado's city, Empresa, in order to guaruntee assured contact with them. However, it was only a day or so ago when we lost all outgoing and incoming transmissions with all of our probes and the communique tower. For all we know, they must've been under attack around just before we were..."

"Sending out some form of scouting party would be dangerous," Renji nodded in emphasis, pocketing his hands within his garments as he looked onto the Lieutenant, "not to mention probably a waste of time. If they were under attack by the same people as we were, Empresa is either a pile of rubble or under control."

"It would be better than just not knowing what's going on there! If no one else will go, then I will!" Daisuke threw out his hand in emphasis with the passion in his voice and the light of hope wihtin his eyes.

"If you go, Daisuke, you probably will not find anything," Hana spoke with a stoic, presuming tone as she locked her hawk-like gaze upon him, crossing her arms across her chest, "but, I don't think it would be an entirely wasted venture. If your Captain approves of this, I will condone it, but I will be sending Braeburn with you as added measure of caution," Hana then turned her eyes to look at the said man, an idle sparkle in her eyes played out her mischievious side of her insistance, "cause I know he's been itching to get out lately, and you two are like brothers anyways..."

Sending Braeburn.

One of Braeburn's eyes twitched as he heard the statement, even as he looked over in time to see the twinkle in his girlfriend's eyes. It was enough to relieve at least some of his disdain at the decision of her being Head Captain. The reality of her now being his commanding officer and him being her subordinate hit him like a smack in the face. All of a sudden, he felt like he could relate to Daisuke being whipped by her in his own dating sessions with her. It was going to take quite some used to, and he doubted the rest of his comrades would let him hear the end of it.

He let out what was something between a groan and a sigh, shutting his eyes and slapping a palm to one half of his face. "I'm so not going to get used to this..." He complained, rolling his eyes and shaking his head briefly. This earned a set of chuckles from the rest of the cast, but it was most prominent from Noriko and Hachiro. Apparently, they were aware that there was something deeper between Hana and Braeburn then they showed on the surface.

"Better her than Kaze, I say..." The elder Captain said in amusement, unhesitant in taking a subtle jab at the scientist. He was quick to don a more serious expression, however. "If they do happen to find anything or anyone, what should they do? Considering that the Inner Circle may have complete control of Empresa, I don't think it would be a wise option for open engagement."

"They are to take Trans-Dimension cubes for immediate evacuation," Hana held up a cube-shaped device found on the waistline belt of her person, holding it up for everyone to see, "this is the standard method D.C.O. agents move to and fro from this dimension. It is faster than a Senkaimon or a Garganta, as it borders on the principles of Space/Time Kidō..."

"What if they find survivors? Should they try to evac them?" Kukkyōna asked inquistively.

"That will have to be judgement based up to the Lieutenant," Hana spoke cooly with a closing motion of her eyes as she attaches her personal cube back onto the rim of her belt, "from what I've gathered, he seems to have more heart and at times, intelligence, on crucial matters. He's probably more adept at handing apocalyptic times than most of us are," Hana then cast a serious glint to Daisuke, fully knowing the hard choice he made during the Plinian Movement, "isn't that right, Daisuke?"

"Uh, sure," Daisuke averted his gaze from Hana, not really feeling as if he made an entirely huge impact besides trying to get to know the Punisher, "I'm not entirely certain if that is enough of a reason to assert I'm better at this than anyone...but, I thank you for the vote of confidence..."

"So we're sneaking in and pulling out any potential survivors before the I.C. find them, eh?" The Australian commented, putting on a small smirk before turning his head towards Hana. "Captain-Commander, requesting permission to take Abarai with us."

"Wait-a-minute-"

"Done."

"-b-but Han-, Head Captain!" Renji's eyes suddenly widened to comical proportions, the first time of him breaking his cool stoic attitude since anyone saw him, "why me?!"

"You're one of the only ones present within the D.C.O. with the most experience with the layout of the landscape within Hueco Mundo, and its best if such versatile balanced fighters such as Daisuke and Braeburn can have such a heavy hitter at their disposal," Hana crossed her arms and smiled slyly, reveling at the position she put one of her former colleagues in, "am I wrong?"

"N-No its...just...ngh..." Renji bowed his head in a comical display of dread, "I still have nightmares of the last time I went there..."

"Well you can make new ones! Come now, it should exciting for you to stretch your legs out a bit," Hana spoke with a smile, trying to make light of Renji's predicament.

"Right...or possibly get caught in crossfire between the pissed-off Arrancars and whatever army they were being attacked by. Reaaaaaal fun, Head Captain," Renji spoke with a dry tone as he stared blankly at Hana, feeling as if he had been told off by someone he always wished he could do the same.

At this time, it was possible Braeburn forgot the reason he had ever been annoyed in the first place.

Seeing an opportunity to pick on his newfound ally in their mission, Braeburn put on a comically incredulous face with a grin to match. "What's the matter, Shiela?" He mocked, placing his hands on his cheeks. "Can't handle a little heat when the time calls for it? Maybe they'll be a kitchen they have in Hueco Mundo where you can stay and make sandwiches for me and Daisuke, huh?"

"Hey! Let's not forget that you've been charma's bitch this whole time, huh!" Renji pointed back in a rage, a pulsating vein protruding from his forehead as he waved his hand angrily, "I guess its no surprise that you're thrown into the frying pan again, huh big guy?!"

"Guys, try not to fight, please!" Daisuke raised his hands in emphasis of trying to cool down the situation, as well as dampen the laughter of the other Captains present within the debriefing room.

"I just hope that things don't go to Hell the moment we walk out the door..."

Infiltration; You Scratch My Back? I Scratch Yours...
"As the travelers followed Her, they found themselves within a wasteland."

It was not too later that the three had set foot on the sands of Hueco Mundo, slowly approaching their destination.

The one who was speaking was Braeburn, his tone cool and casual as he moved. Holstered in his hands was what the humans would've called a sniper rifle. It was somewhat humorous - despite having technology that was possibly more advanced than what the humans had, firearms were modeled off of weapons straight from the Material World. What Braeburn wielded right now was similar to the MK-14 Enhanced Battle Rifle, with the only real difference being the amount of power.

"One of the travelers had noticed where She had taken them." He spoke, presumably to his two compatriots. "With a look of bewilderment and fear, he graced upon her the question that they all had in mind. Why are we here? He asked. She looked down on his form and answered, My child, do you not recognize it? You have always been here. Even if we go back the way we came, there is no difference. This is your home. And thus, her followers were silenced."

"What the heck are you babbling about?" Renji asked in an irritated tone, garbed in a beige robe over his current garments instead of his crimson one, similar to the attire he had donned during his first visit to the desert world.

"You'll get used to it," Daisuke spoke with a chuckle, looking over to Renji with an amused grin, "he's one of those religious people who likes to cite things to calm his nerves. He's probably getting anxious, knowing he's in unfamiliar territory..."

"Oh, a superstitious one, I see," Renji chuckled back, crossing his arms as he looked over at Braebrun as well as the gun he carried, "I guess he has less faith in his abilities if he's carrying that thing with him, huh? No wonder he prays so often..."

A scoff escaped Braeburn, and he looked over his shoulder at Renji. "Maybe I just like to be a little versatile. Mix things up a little, make everything a little bit more interesting." He answered readily. "Maybe you two like being a bland, one-track-weapon samurai when going into things like this. Not me. Besides..." He turned his attention frontward once more, using his eyes to sweep the area they were walking through. "You in particular, Daisuke, seem to have forgotten that I took daily walks through Hell just to learn more about it. This desert is nothing but a cakewalk..."

"You're wrong about that, Braeburn," Renji looked at him with a pair of serious eyes, speaking from experience as he spoke, "what you see is only the surface of this world. Underneath these sands is a nightmarish realm, with endless legions of Hollows, always devouring and always hungry. Its like a nightmare of demonic entities waiting to pounce on you. Exactly what about this place isn't like Hell to you? Its eternally midnight and its dry as the hottest sauna while being as cold as an polar cap."

"You certainly are glum, Renji," Daisuke sighed, rolling his eyes before peering off into the horizon, "from what I've gauged so far, there seems to be an unusual Spiritual Pressure residing towards the direction that Empresa should be. I say we skirt the outlying perimeter, and see if there is any survivors hiding out somewhere before approaching it..."

"Let me see..."

Braeburn took the opportunity to lower himself and moving over what would've been a small mound of sand. He took up a crouched position and looked down the scope of his weapon. At the same time, he used his spiritual senses to reach out and feel the "unusual" spiritual energy for himself. As he scanned the area, he kept all of his senses readied. After all, they never knew if the enemy or the local wildlife was watching them or not.

"Almost got it, and... there."

Finally, he picked up something.

There were multiple trails of footprints within the sand, radiating the said spiritual signatures. At this, Braeburn lowered his sniper rifle and looked to his two compatriots. "I've managed to sight out tracks a few kilometers to our one o'clock. The signature is that of what would come from Arrancar. Think we might've hit our jackpot?"

"That area has nothing but catacombs," Renji noted, huffing in excess of his earlier irritation before nodding towards the area Braeburn scoped out, "a perfect place to hide one-self. They can go on for miles in any direction and are usually secluded. We should head over there while our Spiritual Pressure isn't noted..."

"Sounds like the place to look first," Daisuke said with a smile, looking to Braeburn and giving him a salute in emphasis, "lead on, Brae-san! Let's get there as expeditiously as possible!"