The War of Four: Recovery

Previous Chapter

Catching up with the Gang, Bonding of Mortal and Immortals
"Attention! To all operators of the D.C.O. and the Gotei 13!" Hachiro's voice would be loud and clear over the loudspeaker that connected to just about every other speaker within the base, catching the ear of just about everyone within. "All enemy forces have been routed and are retreating from the base. I repeat, the enemy has been pushed back. Great work, everyone!"

They were the words that brought a fresh wave of relief over the exhausted troops and personnel, who had been fighting heavily and taking hard hits for their trouble. With the enemy presence gone, they could now tend to the wounded, properly dispose of the dead and clean up the mess left behind. Soldiers fortunate enough to have gotten through it relatively uninjured resumed their patrols if their work of medical assistance was over with. It was a rather slow transition, and dealing with the damage done seemed to be more work than the defense of the base. Nevertheless, no one complained. The fact that they could do it at all was the sign that they still had control and that the Inner Circle's attempt to push them off what little foothold they had was thwarted. It brought about at least a small boost in morale for the Gotei 13 forces.

The majority of the V-14, who were gathered at some undisclosed location within the hangar, had mixed reactions to it.

Oliver and Angelika, who had returned to her old garments prior to the trip to Aether, had been walking down a hallway leading to the hangar when they heard the announcement. They slowed their footsteps, their eyes directing upwards at the source of the voice. The German seemed to take it with a grain of salt, her time spent in the healing waters having calmed what had been a mind under stress. But the American, even after what he had just gone through, seemed to be very displeased with the fact that the V-14 had not a chance to participate in the fight this time. He was quick to express it.

"The fight's over and done with?!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!"

"It seems that the defense wasn't so worthless after all..." Angelika commented, sliding her hands into her coat pockets. "I can safely predict that the majority of the V-14 were staying within the medical spa area during the entirety of the invasion. After what we've took, it was most likely needed. I almost feel a bit guilty that we were the only ones not to have lifted a finger to help."

Oliver let out a groan, swinging his hands back down and hanging his head a little as they resumed walking. "You'd think that there be at least some of them who would think, "Oh, maybe we should keep them from getting back up as quickly" and attack the medical areas first before moving on to the main area. I was really hoping to kick some ass with my sword and get at least a little bit of practice in."

Briefly, Angelika closed her eye tightly as she spoke the next words. "And end the hunt? For them and especially someone like Yashin, they'll continue squeezing every bit of fun out of this before deciding to finally do away with us. Even if they say they're being serious, you can't take them by their word. There'll be plenty of more opportunities for confrontation..." Once her eye opened again, her expression lightened up a little enough for a small chuckle to escape her lips. "So you won't have to worry, Holmes. Besides..." Her gaze drifted towards him. "You're not regretting what happened back there, are you?"

Oliver smirked, moving over and giving her a peck on the neck. "Are you kidding me? I'd die before I regret anything I'd done."

"Good..." Angelika's smile briefly faded, and she turned her head completely to look at him. "I'm still your boss. Don't expect me to be any easier on you just because of this..."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, boss..."

With that being said, they reached the entrance to the hangar - or more specifically, one of the many entrances to the hangar doors. Angelika was the first one to reach it, pushing it open and stepping inside.

"Took the long way here, boss?" Hyōryū called out from the midst of the hangar, as most of V-14 gathered within it along with the entirety of the Dragonbird squadron, being maintained by Avaron Setsuko. She smiled as she leaned next to Anton, as they all were huddled near Rika's Dragonbird, ready to greet their leader and comrade.

"Looks like they sure liked taking their time to get here," Mōka smirked, winking at Angelika knowingly as she elbowed Yajū's side and wrapped an arm around Karitori, holding her close, "I guess they wanted their moment to last a lifetime..."

"Living in the moment is the only thing that matters, babe," Karitori muttered, briefly glaring at Yajū before leaning against Mōka near the bird, "I just wish I had a piece of the action those cloak and dagger peeps hogged to themselves..."

"W-wait a minute!" Although both Angelika and Oliver were quick to direct suspecting looks at Asuka, Oliver was the first one to speak out. "Did you--"

"I'm sorry!" Asuka blurted out, a slight flush on her cheeks marking her embarrassment. The tips of her fingers were covering her lips, though not enough to muffle her voice. "I really didn't mean to say anything about it, but it just slipped out! I only mentioned what Captain Shiba and I saw, nothing else! But--"

"Hyōryū and I heard things beforehand." Anton finished, grinning in amusement. One of his arms were slung around Hyōryū's shoulders, while his free hand was in his pocket. "I have to admit, Oliver, that was quite a heartfelt moment. I almost was tempted to shed a tear or two, but I didn't want Hyōryū thinking I was some sort of wuss. Didn't keep us from mentioning it prior to you two getting here, though--"

"My life is ruined!!" Oliver wailed, collapsing on his knees and falling on his hands in a bout of comical depression.

"Oi! I don't get it! Why is his life over?!" Zaii blinked in perplexion as he looked side to side at his comrades for an explanation.

Shinshin himself, sitting atop Rika's Dragonbird casually while being next to her, sweatdropped in sync with Shadō, as they both spoke out flatly, "I don't...get it either..."

Contrary to popular belief, Rika's Dragonbird had been recovered from the area at the time of the evacuation. Everyone, especially Rika, had assumed that it had gotten killed or captured within the attack on the Soul Society. But when its owner had found out that it had been rescued, she had nearly broke down in tears and would've probably hugged the creature to death if she had that much strength. So Shinshin, Rika, Yusuke and even Shinji (who was actively staying out of the discussion) all had the privilege of sitting on its back and watching it all take place.

"...quite..." Although a bit irritated at the new development, Angelika decided to ignore Oliver and her colleagues for the time being to focus on Asuka. "How is everyone doing?"

Asuka quickly broke out of her demeanor to settle into a more casual and conversational one. She put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose everyone's here and doing well after resting up. Ever since the attack on the Soul Society, we've had yet to hear from Shou or his subordinate Genesis." Her expression turned a bit wistful. "Mōka hasn't contacted us, either, ever since she had been incapacitated--"

"Incapacitated?" The slight alarm in Angelika's voice shocked Asuka a bit.

"Yes, she had been subdued by this strange spell Daigomi had used on her! But I had carelessly assumed it was no big deal and neglected to have one of the others see to her!" With each and every word spoken, Asuka felt more and more ashamed. "Forgive me, Angelika. I shouldn't have been quick to judge conditions--"

"No." Angelika was quick to cut her off, waving a hand dismissively. "The arrival of the D.C.O. was too unexpected. I doubt anyone would've had time to do anything about it. Where is she now?"

That was when the most unexpected scene would occur.

WHAM!

The entrance nearest to them would abruptly open, and the sound of the door banging against the wall would bring the attention of almost everyone there. The first two figures would be that of the two Daitenshi that had assisted them throughout their endeavour - Shou and Genesis. They came through the door as if breaching something, with the girl having her gun out and aimed to scan the room. Their prepared state of alertness quickly dissipated once they saw that this particular room was filled with allies and not enemies. Genesis lowered her gun, looking over her shoulder.

"All clear!"

The third and last figure stepped out, her crimson eyes looking around the room in a relaxed and serene manner. In her arms, she carried the aforementioned and currently unconscious Mōka Komori within her arms. After looking around, her eyes finally rested on the V-14 as she started her approach towards them. "Sorry to pop in your little conversation," She said plainly. "But I happened to hear you were looking for someone?"

ZOOM!

"You found her!" Karitori exclaimed within a heartbeat, as her body warped from one place in the hangar before reappearing before the Punisher. An emotionally distraught expression crosses her face as she reached out to caress Mōka's face, as tears streaked mascera down her cheeks, even as the rest of her squad came around to see their normally fearless and powerful leader unconscious, "is she okay?"

Yajū chuckled as he crossed his arms in thought, looking over at Karitori with confidence, "She'll be fine. She's just taking a nap after being zapped by that lunatic Dragon-guy or whatever..."

"She's never been kept down for long, you know that right, Kari-chan?" Shito asked his comrade, but didn't dare to lay a hand on her for fear of losing it to the volatile woman.

"The spell used on her was a sort of seal to suppress half-deities like the Hankami." The Punisher explained, looking down at the woman she carried. "She's suffered the most minimal effects, which I can probably guess because whoever cast the spell didn't use its full power." This prompted Asuka to raise her eyebrows as she regarded the Hankami with surprise and slight apprehension.

"Minimal, you said?"

The Punisher smiled grimly. "She always was such a lightweight when it comes to the likes of pain--" However, she abruptly stopped herself, cocking a slight eyebrow at the one directly in front of her. "And who exactly would you happen to be, miss Mohawk?" She asked in a casual, yet not-nice tone.

"I'm her lover, bitch!" Karitori quickly retracted her worried tone for a nasty tone of her own, which she didn't bother trying to hide her disdain as she looked at the Punisher, "you must be her bitched up mom. Can't say I can be surprised where she got her looks from, but from your stuck-up attitude, I can see why she can't stand being around you...!"

"E-E-Easy Kari," Shito raised his hands insistantly towards the volatile, butch-looking woman as she began crackling with chaotic Dark Force energies as she glared at Sakura heatedly, "she saved her, remember? You can cut her some slack after all for saving our boss..."

The Punisher scoffed, rolling her eyes before making her way towards the Dragonbird in order to set Mōka down. "Faggots, both of you."

This garnered mixed reaction from the V-14.

Those who had more of an empathetic side tended to wince and flinch at the Hankami's choice of words. After all, by now they understood Karitori had a very volatile temper. Not only was the Punisher insulting her, but she was also insulting her object of affection. The leaders were sensible enough to understand that another fight, especially between allies, was unneeded and detrimental. Shou, in particular, was slightly alarmed upon hearing the words, and he was quick to raise a protesting hand up. "My Lady--!"

"It's okay!" The Punisher waved him off, not even sparing him a glance. "I enjoy men, they enjoy women! You are what you eat!"

And then, there was those who were less sympathetic.

Genesis, who had been watching the whole scene in slight boredom, had doubled over and burst out laughing at the Punisher's statement. She clutched her stomach, trying to keep herself from falling to the floor. At the sound of it, Shou was quick to round on her with an annoyed glare. "Genesis!" He hissed. But the female Daitenshi continued to laugh without abandon, eventually falling on her back. Her stomach was starting to hurt from it.

"Y-you are what you eat, huh?! I can't b-believe she just said that!"

And despite being the most nearer to Karitori...

"PAHAHAHAHA~!!!" Oliver, after getting over his own drama, had started laughing loud and hard. He had his head tilted up to the sky, his palms over his face as his own shoulders heaved with each and every "ha" emitted. "I ca... I can't breathe...!!" Eventually, he fell over on his back, the black hilarity too much for him. "Oh, God...!!"

Anton had to pull away from Hyōryū and clasp both hands to his mouth in order to ensure that Karitori wouldn't give him an early grave. Angelika was the most composed of them, but that didn't keep her from having to turn away herself in order to keep the upward corner of her mouth from showing. At the very least, they were trying to be considerate...

"T-That's rich, hahahahaha!" Hyōryū herself couldn't contain her laughter, gafawing with the rest of the crowd who were unlucky to fall prey to Genesis' instigation of the mockery to the Punisher's joke.

THUD!

Yusuke had fallen off of the Dragonbird in his own fit of laughter, much to Rika's chagrin. "I-I'm so sorry..!!" He stammered, trying to stop himself. But the more he attempted to, the more he continued to laugh. "Th-that was just so funny!!" The display made the V-14 pilot place hands to her face in order to cover the embarrassed blush that had crossed her face.

"Y-Yusuke-san..."

Even the police officers and Avaron, who had been busy tending to the rest of the Dragonbirds within the hangar, had to fight in order to stifle their chuckles, lest they wanted the Dark Energy user to approach them.

Shinshin, obviously didn't seen the humor in it, but he did sense something else. His eyes suddenly drew towards the most vicious, unforgiving glare come off of the dark blue-black-violet fire-like aura on Karitori. He knew the sensation well enough during his battle with Kunō: Killing Intent.

Shito stepped a few steps back in sync with Yajū, as Karitori began to cause the entirety of the chamber to bend and twist, the air seemed to siphon around her, as if it was sucking the oxygen out of it. Crackles bore through the atmosphere of the hangar, and the expansive chamber seemed a lot smaller than it used to be...

"Take...that...back...you...incestual...bitch!" Karitori growled out, loud enough that everyone in the hangar could hear her voice echo. If seen clearly, her body crackling as violently as if one was consumed by dark blue-black hellfire, her teeth ground across the molars, and her canines baring in a carnal way.

The laughter stopped immediately once the dark energy began seeping in.

Avaron's eyes in particular widened in shock as the aura washed over. The encounters with the Monitor hadn't been so quick to leave her mind, and thus it wasn't unnatural for multiple beads of sweat to form and fall down her face at an incredible rate. It wasn't unnatural for her breathing to slow, or her heart to begin accelerating. Then again, the squad that was with her were also suffering from similar effects. Some of them even began to take a few steps back, trying to keep their balance even as the chamber around them seemed to surrender under the effects of the energy released. She was almost tempted to grip her sidearm and fire it straight into the woman's head just to make it stop. But even she knew that was a foolish move.

"Damn it... Miss Nihilist is going to get us all killed if she keeps this up...!!" She growled under her breath, knowing that she was powerless to stop any feud from taking place.

Only the Punisher herself seemed to be unaffected. She had to stop in her tracks, as the Dragonbird itself was getting restless. Rika, who was suffering just about the same effects under the energy as the police squad were, had switched her attitude from embarrassed to panicked slowly but surely. She gripped the feathers tightly as it abruptly stood up, flaring its wings up without warning and moving its legs up and down in stomping motions. "Oh, no, no, no..." She said, her voice fearful. "Karitori, please, calm down! It doesn't do well when it's near dark energy! You have to calm down!"

The Punisher only looked over her shoulder, remaining silent. But the smile and the malice in her eyes made it very clear that she didn't regret her words and she was daring Karitori to attack her.

"I guess you need your ass kicked, don't ya?! Fair enough!-"

SHFT-SHFT-SHINK-SHINK!

"Don't do it, Karitori-san," Shadō spoke in a low, yet empathetic tone as he held his blade close to her spine, its Shikai properties already absorbing the radiating Dark Energies as if it was honey, as well as his own body's proximity, "she's not worth your anger..."

"The Inner Circle is to blame for Mōka-san's condition, not her mother's," Shinshin spoke in a stoic tone, as he stared with unquivering resolve as he stood in the face of her anger and soaked it like a sponge. His natural affinites with the Tamajutsu Arts allowed him to do so with little consequence, and slowly but surely, allowed Shadō to absorb what was left of her exuding power and himself to calm her down by proximate presence, "we should all be grateful that this many of us have lived through this treacherous assault. It isn't the time to clash," Shinshin then turned his eye to stoically glare sideways at the Punisher's malicious visage, "even if some people deserve it more than others..."

"Tch!" Karitori finally huffed as she relaxed her muscles and let go of her power, allowing the room to return back to normalcy, "I get it, okay? I'll settle this when we're not all in mortal peril..."

Sheathing their blades in sync, Shadō and Shinshin nodded to each other with rapt agreement that she was stable, before turning to walk back to their original positions, leaving Karitori to roll her eyes and walk to the far side of the hangar, causing a good dozen of the Dragonbird forces to part ways to let the volatile woman pass.

However, Shinshin apparently wasn't done, as stopped just beside the Punisher before he returned to his original spot, "I know you're an intimate partner to a good ally of our organization, and you're on peaceful terms with the Soul Societies. But threaten my comrades again, I assure you, that no amount of power and age will be enough to save you from me should you purposely rouse a confrontation again, especially in the midst of so many non-deities," continuing his walk, he additionally noted, "just thought to let you know, Senkuko of Izanami..."

If the Punisher had been within an earlier mindset, she would've not hesitated on incinerating him right where he stood.

But Shin'en's words had still struck a chord within her. She had to keep in mind that it was her fault that the mortals acted like they did towards her. She had to remind herself that if she wanted to be revered, as the Hankami had been before, she would have to change herself. The worst she allowed herself to do was send a glare to Shinshin's back and curl her fingers slightly, having to fight to keep herself from wrapping around Shinshin's throat and tearing his vocal cords out. But she bit her lip and remained silent, refusing to fall victim to her temper like Karitori had just done.She sucked in breath through her nose and exhaled through her mouth in a sigh before moving over to place her daughter beside the calming Dragonbird and the three who were on it.

As she left the presence of the group in general, Angelika let out a breath she had not realized that she was holding. "Well..." She remarked. "Fresh out of recovery and we're already at each other's throats. It's good to see that everyone is spry and alert..."

"My sincerest apologies, kachō." Shou said solemnly, placing a hand over his heart and giving a humble bow to Angelika. "My Lady's tongue is sharp and severe to all that she crosses, even her own allies. Some of my subordinates--" He passed another glare to Genesis. "--find that a bit too amusing for their own good."

"I see that now." The German chuckled, looking over the corner of her eye as Oliver and Genesis finally got up off of the floor. She glanced over at the Punisher, who was kneeling before Mōka and trying to rouse her from her slumber. "It just makes me wonder how exactly the Soul Society managed to get on good terms with her."

"They're much more disciplined than we are, even if we're professionals to an extent..." Asuka muttered, having calmed her alarm now that the tension had ceased. "It's natural that they would respond to whatever jeers she throws at them in a controlled manner..." She placed a hand to her heart, shaking her head. "Not exactly the best feeling to be near a situation like that, and I'm hoping I don't have to face many more." The last thing she wanted was the wrath of a deity to fall on them just because of petty words...

"It could be that they have sharp tongued individuals of their own. I mean, before they fought each other for whatever reason, some of those Captains seemed to have a great disdain towards each other, if not mostly directed at us. I guess her type isn't a new thing for them to deal with," Zaii inquired aloud, scratching his head as he leaned against one of the Dragonbirds nearest to them, "after all, after several thousand year generations of Captains coming and going, is it any real change to have bastards and bitches moaning and insulting each other?"

This would be where another surprise would come to them - particularly, the Punisher herself.

"I leave you alone for only a brief moment, and you nearly cause a fight. Do I have to hold your hand every step you make, Senkuko?"

Abruptly, the Punisher's head snapped in the direction of the voice that spoke to her. Following afterwards was the form of the Slayer, garbed in his usual attire and missing his blade. He had his hands clapped together at chest level as he approached, his eyes twinkling in amusement. She was quick to let out a scoff at his statement. "Fancy meeting you here, Slayer." She said casually, directing her gaze back to her unconscious daughter. "What, was everything on your end too boring?"

"That familiar aura," Shinshin whispered as he looked over from Rika's Dragonbird's location, his widening as he found focus upon what he felt was unmistakably one of the Hankami, "the Slayer?! Why are other Hankami suddenly appearing?!"

"That's a normal thing to expect," Shadō spoke aloud, his gaze coming upon the area where the Hankami were, crossing his arms as he solemnly took in the rare sight, "they are probably acknowledging the brief calm before the ultimate storm as a monumentous occasion. From what I understand about Red Sun Lore, they usually observe events of great tragedy or occasion, mostly due to how it would impact their world..."

"You make it sound like we are merely toys for their amusement," Shinshin hissed lowly as he glared at the Punisher and Slayer's forms, gripping one of his hands into a tight fist, "like we're nothing but bugs in the sight of their age-old accumulated, long-lived lives..."

"Until recently, that was the case," Shito stepped up to Shinshin's side, his own hands were stuffed in pockets but as he stared into Shinshin's eyes, he muttered lowly to escape being heard by the said half-gods, "but everything changed when that day came. It was only because of the strong, beating heart and compassion of one Soul Reaper, that the fates of the universe changed, as well as the loss of their own immortality. The only thing they have left is their control over the nigh untamable sentient energy, Shinsei."

"So...they can...d-"

"Don't even think that, Samurai," Yajū growled out, his eyes glaring at Shinshin in more of a chastising way than an angry one, "they're tough sons of bitches and they don't crack like Soul Reapers do. Especially not our boss! She's the toughest of them all!"

"I'm glad your confidence in our leader is still solid, despite her being blindsided by a sealing spell," Shito spoke with an admiring tone, with a hint of a teasing quip at mentioning what happened.

"That was a dirty trick and you know it!"

"It doesn't deny it happened to her! Aren't gods supposed to be all-knowing?!"

"They're only half god, so naturally she didn't see it coming! No one saw it coming!"

"That just makes her more mortal than all-god-powerful!"

"SHUT YOUR TRAP, YOU!"

Within a mere minute of arguing, the two began a comical cloud of flying fists and bodies, as they began fighting out their disagreement with their fists and flesh rather than through continued verbatum. This only caused Shinshin to stare blankly at the scene, before taking a grain of salt with what they said. Despite being reduced to a state capable of death or incapacitation, they were still a force to be reckoned with. The Hankami. Could they possibly tip the balance of this war to their favor? He could only wonder...

What happened next, however, made Shinshin's eyes widen with shock and pale in embarassment...

"HOLY CRAP! You're the Slayer!" Zaii shouted out, as his bare feet skidded nearly into the said Hankami himself, his eyes filled with stars of admiration that were nearly seen as borderline disturbing. Clasping his hands to a begging position, Zaii shouted aloud, "please, I want you to annoint one, no, ALL of my swords in the collective blood that you have spilled in your eons of existance! I want you to give me a BADASS sword like yours, or make mine even better! PLEASE hear my please, Overseer of all Mayhem, Conflict, and War!"

Both the Punisher and the Slayer - especially the Slayer himself - was regarding the man with dumbfounded and surprised looks. They looked at one another for a brief moment, then back to the man, then back to each other. The female Hankami merely shrugged, turning back to Mōka and gently slapping the girl on the face to get a response. It was clear that he wasn't going to get much help from her.

So he regarded the man with a deadpan stare, cocking a slight eyebrow. "You're certain I'm capable of doing that?" He asked. "Are you really feeling that?"

"I'm feeling it, Slayer!!" The voice of another Hankami would come to their ears. Nearby heads turned to see the figure of the Melody standing perfectly balanced on Anton's head, though Anton himself wouldn't actually feel the weight. In fact, no one would've probably noticed him if he hadn't spoke.

"Melody, that's not a ride!!" The Punisher called back over her shoulder.

"Get off me!!" Anton growled, trying to glare upwards (although he couldn't actually see the Hankami from where he was).

"YESSSSS!" Zaii nodded his head in a violent way, dropping to his hands and knees as he began bowing before the Hankami, "grant me immense power! Give me badass blades! Annoint me! Do something spectacular that only the infamous Slayer of the Hankami would do!"

"Hey, you little bugger!" Hyōryū withdrew her two Jackal handguns and pointed them at the dancing Melody above Anton's head, cocking the safeties back as she glared comically at him, "get off my boyfriend's head or suffer the wrath of modern weaponry!"

Within the slap, Mōka's eyes blinked a few times before she looked over at Sakura's face. She remembered the last thing was being struck by a sealing spell before being driven to unconsciousness from the pain. "You...carried me here...mother?" Not even acknowledging the fact she got slapped awake, Mōka was surprised her own mother whom she abhorred as much as she resented her, went to such lengths to keep her safe, "why?"

"Good question."

Despite her thought, the Punisher didn't let it be expressed through her face. She rolled her eyes, allowing herself to stand back up and fold her arms across her chest. "A thank you would've done wonders before my interrogation." She said sarcastically. "I mean, I did just done keeping your sorry ass from getting captured by those cannon fodder out there. The least you could do is give me some appreciation... for once."

"What do I look like, a prostitute?" The Slayer sniffed, deadpan glaring at the bowing man. "No freebees."

Whumpf!

For emphasis, he stepped on the back of the man's head to pin his face to the floor, albeit in a more humorous show more than rude and hurtful. Truth be told, he didn't mind his own personal fans. But it didn't mean that he would resort to giving them special benefits just because someone walked up to him and asked him to.

Even at the sight of the guns, the Melody didn't flinch. Instead, he contorted his lips into a pout as he looked down at her, ignoring the annoyed Anton. "But I don't want to..." He said, almost as if he was being told by his mother that he needed to get a shot or his hair cut. The way he sounded as well as the his face gave off the innocence only a child could.

"MFF?!" Zaii felt his head faceplant into the hangar's floor by the effortless stomp by the bland-caring Slayer. After his body spasmed from pain and the comical need for oxygen, one of his arms instinctively grasped for the Slayer's heel. The other one swept out in a powerful arc to hit the base of the Slayer's heel, intending on sending the man's foot off his head and propel him onto his backside.

"Forgive my rudeness, Lord Slayer!" Zaii spoke aloud in enthusiasm, as his face would face the Slayer's relatively unaffected by the show of brutality, before grinning in a feral expression, "I forgot that you don't appreciate heartfelt fawning...but the expression of force itself!"

"I don't care if you're wanting to or not, but you're gonna move whether or not you like it, brat!" Hyōryū shook her guns at the boy in emphasis, hoping to get the point across as the scene was irritating her as much as it was for Anton.

"Appreciation for what?! By bearing the pain and agony of you and my father?! You have to be idiotic to believe that any parents would expect their child to be grateful after condemning them with such a terrible burden!" Mōka snarled out to her face, fixating with a cold stare of dispassion to anything she had done for her, "I will not instinctively be grateful to anyone but my friends. They never wished me to bear anything they can bear on their own. The deliverance of personal pain and anguish to another's back...is the act of a coward than someone of authority!"

Mōka was going to make it very hard for the Punisher to have a civil conversation.

Briefly, the Punisher's fingers tightened on her arms. She hung her head down, her bangs overshadowed by her eyes. She remained silent for a short yet agonizing moment, saying nothing and continuing to choose her words carefully. She knew that if she said the wrong thing, an argument would ensue once again. This time, she would have to keep her temper in check as well as her daughter's. But Mōka's hostility towards her was going to be quite the obstacle.

She took in a deep breath, knelt down to her daughter's and began.

"The Hankami... they were considered to be Mother's greatest creations and gifts." She said softly. "When Izanami died and was sent to the dimension known as "Limbo", her appearance spawned our kind from the very dirt and air of the realm itself. After we, the deities of the Red Sun, were separated from her flesh, she gathered all of us and used her power to give us our respective "roles" in order to maintain sovereignty within different parts of the universe. Each of them were made to take up the position of leadership, having their respective responsibility. That influence would spread down to generation to generation, until it became natural tradition for our people."

Despite the display of force, all it really did was lift the Slayer's leg off - a mild gesture to him. However, he couldn't help but be a little surprised at the sudden change of expression as well as the fact that he had dared to even lay hands on the deity. He took a few steps back, his hands in his pockets as he looked on. "You're very persistent, I'll give you that..." He said coolly, setting his foot back down. "And I'm flattered that you remembered just how I operate. But I'm still--"

His statement would be cut off as he picked up the words the Punisher was speaking, his ears perking up and his eyes directing themselves over his shoulder. "--huh..?"

"I still don't want to--" The Melody began, but abruptly stopped himself as he too picked up what was being said by his sister. He and Anton shared looks directed at the Hankami as she continued to speak to her daughter, uncaring of who was watching them at the time. "Wait, is she...?" This prompted Anton's irritation at him to fade, surprised curiosity overtaking him.

"You felt it, didn't you?" The Punisher asked rhetorically. "There was something in the back of your mind that let you know of your own role. To ensure that there was always dominance over submission, a greater over the lesser, whatever. Whatever troubles you suffered, whatever feelings triggered by reactions within yourself along the way wasn't because I was pushing something on you that was too much. It was because you were simply too weak or didn't know how to cope. I gave advice, tried to push you in the right direction so you could understand. But you began to choose self-gratification over your duty, trying to seek comfort within the presence of the very beings we were supposed to govern. At the height of the tensions between the Hankami and the Korai, you disappeared. No warning, no "good-bye"... you just left both me and your father the moment the slaughter began."

Although her words were still calm and composed, the bitterness was clear. "I had never seen the Nihilist so upset before. He was the one who had at least tried to give you the life you wanted, even as his own duties got in the way. He fought a war in which he was forced to help participate in the slaughter of his own kind. He had to see Hankami, even ones who didn't want to participate in the war, get murdered all because of the Reaper and his followers. In the end, he came out of it only to find that his seed had turned on him and his family. He went out of his way to defend both me and you against the Reaper in that fight. You tried to kill him then left us to fend for ourselves. You might as well have sided with the one who wanted the sole destruction of the world if it meant some measly form of compensation for what you weren't given."

She leaned in a bit closer, her gaze and tone growing a bit hard. "Where's the fucking justice in any of that, Komori?! Tell me why I shouldn't call you out as a turncoat who'd willingly turn on even these bunch of friends," She motioned towards the V-14. "If it meant doing something beneficial to her!! Give me one reason, just one!!"

"W-Wait, you got it all wrong...uh..." Shito tried to speak up, but could feel the ire within the atmosphere, emanating from the woman's core. He bowed his head in shame, having not known about her in the least as far as her past went. Had Mōka really condemned all of humanity, both material and spiritual, just so she would escape her duties?

Yajū grinded his molars as he glared at the Punisher for speaking bad about his boss. Despite the revelations, he never really cared where she came from. He just knew she laughed and cried with the rest of them, and even appeared to be on their plane of existance as the rest of them. So what if they condemned her of running away from a life of total domination, Yajū couldn't imagine how boring it would be to be born with power to never have it tested in a truer way...

Hyōryū lowered her guns and felt a knot in her stomach build. She had never met someone so bent on destroying her family when they were just doing what came naturally. Was she even worthy of being a member of the organization, if all she was capable was running away from duty and fate? Would she turn on them within time?

Shadō stayed stoically silent, but chose not to speak, both out of respect of a familial matter and not one to pry into other people's lives and how they made their decisions.

Shinshin could only turn his face away, finding himself balling his fists instinctively, as he almost felt like it was a situation he could identify with. He had desperately wanted acceptance and maternal love from his mentor and surrogate mother, but she ran away without a word or sound. No explanation but simple disappearance. Could she blame the Hankami for resenting her choice?

Mōka bowed her own head, her eyes filling up with tears as she recalled what had transpired. She knew of the bloody war her race, no, her family had went through against both the Korai and themselves. She had been too withdrawn and in denial to accept the responsibilities that were laid out before her, and what little comforts given by her father during his work, never satisfied her. Had she been entirely wrong in leaving them? Wouldn't the world not have suffered so much if she just swallowed her sadness into the void that her heart belonged? "I...I can't..."

"You've got a lot of guts, talking shit to her like that!" A voice suddenly penetrated the air, as Mōka's overshadowed expression widened in shock and lifted up from where she kneeled. Karitori made a path, but not out of fear of her Dark Energy being unleashed, but out of the tear-stained angry expression she bore. With teeth bared and barely controlled grief held in check, Karitori snarled out at Sakura as she reached her within several strides, "what kind of precipice do you think you're standing on, sister?! Don't you remember what you, and your fucking brothers and sisters almost committed?! You were about to do the exact thing you wanted her to do: Unasked Fucking Control over Every Fucking thing!

While I believe running away is something that shouldn't ever be done, under any circumstance, I know for a fact what she went through. She poured her heart and soul to me...just as I did with her! I was within the darkest corner of existance, as my childhood was robbed from me and dominated by entities wearing faces of humanity when they were no better than demons! She...she rescued me...from my isolation and madness! She took upon that pain and cried with me! You have no right to speak shit about her!"

"That's enough, Kari-chan!" Mōka spoke aloud, as tears began rolling down her own face, as she stood up with effort. Walking past her mother without touching her, she limped over and wrapped her arms around Karitori as she began to cry. Turning her face back to the Punisher, without a hint of malice, as she spoke as sincerely as she could, "I admit I was wrong to run away, mother. I was acting out of needless cowardice and selfishness when I didn't come to help fight with you, or help fulfill my duties. But...it was the most stupid, fucking, concieted role that Izanami has ever damned me with! I would've done you a favor of trying to rip away all freedoms and priviledges that all mortals are deemed to hold close to them, and detachedly control everything at my finger tips as if I'm some god with no request or need to exist other than to show how powerless others are!"

Turning her head around, she smiled through her tears as she rubbed Karitori's back and head, locking acknowledging gazes with Shito and the like, "So I swallowed my guilt and started over. I bonded with mortals around me, and purposely kept my origins and true power a secret. With only certain things known about me, I lived life through the eyes of a mortal and I saw what we all had missed. If being a god means losing one's self and heart in the process, then I have never been a true Hankami to begin with! I wouldn't have deserved this power of Domination if I never knew what I was controlling felt about it, nor would I have known the ramifications of reckless overcomposing pressure in moving living beings like pieces of a game board!"

Locking an angry gaze back at the Punisher, she gritted her teeth as she let go of Karitori and stood to fully face her, with only a few square meters of distance in between them, "I'm not like you, mother! I don't have a detached sense of apathy towards the world of mortals. I could simply flick my wrist and bend them to my whim, but that's not what being a deity is really about, is it?! Being true gods, is becoming beings that are looked up to, and those with power to protect and stretch their strength over those who don't have any. Only someone as weak and pathetic wouldn't admit this and would squash anyone who doesn't agree. Accepting what is right and wrong, no matter how bitter it tastes, is what being righteous is all about!"

There was a thick silence.

Rika and Yusuke had been paralyzed by the tension that permeated the area, regarding all involved with nervous and alarmed eyes. The heat of the situation was beginning to take its toll on them, and they began to fear if there really would be a fight breaking out between either god-tier entity at this point. The unreadable gaze from the mother Hankami did not do well to help either of their fears. The only one sitting on the Dragonbird and was unaffected was Shinji (who had apparently paid no attention to the scene what so ever).

Angelika had put on a face of apathy as she listened. She herself really didn't have much of an opinion on the matter. Everyone had their own personal problems, some of which probably had gotten stronger in the course of conflicts such as this. Emotions coming out to the surface was natural and needed to happen from time to time. Her own fight with Ryūketsu had spoken that much.

Anton himself was someone who regarded the entire situation with his own brand of apathy. Because it wasn't a personal matter, it really didn't affect him as much as it probably would have anyone else. However, he did understand the severity of the situation. Mōka had probably lost credit as a leader with the Punisher's statements, even with any rebuttal. After all, she had been willing to keep her status as a Hankami secret. What else could she have been hiding from them?

Shou and Asuka, having freshly made apparent friends with Mōka, could not help but flinch in empathy and disappointment. On one hand, they sympathized with her due to her unwillingness to suppress the will of mortals. On the other hand, she had ultimately betrayed her family and essentially left them to die. It was really difficult in trying to choose a side under the circumstances, and they certainly didn't plan on it considering they both were supposed to be leaders as well.

Oliver and Genesis, however, each sported looks of slight disdain. Neither of them liked drama very much, and the scene in front of them was enough to bring out the disgust on their faces. The former was immediate to voice that, although under his breath as not to antagonize anyone. "Sheesh, just like a couple of fucking broads... all you need is some popcorn and a chair, and this would be a good soap opera..."

It was at that moment the Punisher did something that the majority of them probably would have never expected them to do.

She chuckled.

It wasn't the malicious, taunting chuckle that she would've given an enemy or an ally she hated. It wasn't bitter or bittersweet. Instead, it was the laughter emitted when someone had said something of positive confirmation and reinforcement. "Irony..." She said casually. "I just got done learning that little fact a while back."

"Then why act so hypocritical and call me out for past sins?! I know what I've done is wrong, but for all my power I can't take back what has been set in stone! What do you want from me if I have already failed my one sole duty as a Hankami! What is it?!" Mōka growled out with frustration, as her eyes were mixed with both perplexion and anger at her mother's response.

The next action would be shocking.

The Punisher wiped away her smile, regarded Mōka for a minute more, took in a deep breath in mental preparation...

...and fell onto her hands and knees, earning an amount of gasps from the audience. Her head was bowed, and her eyes were closed. This was an action what no one would've thought the prideful and arrogant woman would think of doing; bowing to someone out of humility.

"What has been written in stone cannot be taken back." She said softly. "What actions that have befallen the world cannot be reversed. I had been so concerned in seeing you grow into a fine and strong leader for the Hankami, that I had failed to recognize what you had personally felt on the matter. Mōka Komori, leader of Omega and subordinate of Angelika Hartmann... can you forgive me?"

Within the shadows would be another observer. Two sets of eyes could be seen from the darkness, watching and observing with silent curiosity.

Mōka's, along with everyone around her, widened her eyes at the show of such humility. It didn't sound like a facade, like she used to play on the hearts of mortals alike. It sounded morose, and...sad...genuinely sad. Mōka closed her eyes shut, as tears rolled down her cheeks as she began to understand her mother a bit more. Despite all of her vices and tendencies to violence, she really did love her blood and kin.

With shaking legs, Mōka dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the bending form of Sakura, pulling her close into a loving embrace. Whispering within a shaking voice, she spoke lowly, "I am the one who also needs forgiveness, mom. Your little Sayū has done a terrible thing by running away, and leaving her mommy and daddy all alone, hiding and never speaking to you. Will you forgive this unworthy vessel from which you bore from your womb, mom?"

"!"

Now, it was Punisher's turn to be surprised.

Her eyes widened as she felt the arms of Mōka wrap around her form and pull her close. But it wasn't long before that surprise faded away. She smiled, sliding one arm out of the hug in order to return it. "Yeah. I forgive you." She replied readily. "Just make sure you talk to Nihilist, too, whenever you get the chance, and we'll be all set." She fell into silence for a minute, closing her eyes and basking in the warmth of her daughter's hug.

However, it only took a few seconds before she added in one last comment.

"You're still a faggot, though."

"MOM!" Mōka immediately pulled away, a disapproving and angry pouting face made as she huffed, "we were having a moment!"

"If she has a problem with it, Mōka," Karitori smiled, having wiped her eyes as she cracked her knuckles together in a beckoning visage, "I don't mind decking her a few times for you...!"

"Oh hush, Kari-chan," Mōka stuck her tongue out at Karitori, discouraging her from invoking a battle of large magnitude within an enclosed, occupied space, "besides, as much as you don't like it, I still like men. You just happen to be an exception, gorgeous."

"D-Don't say stuff like that so blatantly!" Karitori shouted out in a comical scene of bashfulness and frustration. Much to her chagrin, nearly everybody began to laugh once more, causing her to shrink down into a chibi size and try to ineffectively hide from the laughter.

"Well, what do you know...?"

Avaron, having watched the entire thing from afar, couldn't help but chuckle at the scene as she folded her arms across her chest. "Some of them do have a heart, after all." She commented to her squadmates, earning slight chuckles from some of them. "I was almost certain that we'd have to deal with yet another fight between deities right in our own base."

"Yeah, like there's not enough going around already..." One of them muttered, starting to walk away from the group in general. Idly, he took a peek around the Dragonbird they were closest to. "With all of these suped-up bastards, I'm surprised we aren't dead ye-- OH WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!"

Abruptly, his tone took on a more panicked one, and he immediately pointed his gun at something behind and beside the Dragonbird. His shout would draw the attention of nearly every one of his colleagues, reaching to the V-14's range of hearing. The police officers swiftly ran over to his side, fearing another possible threat.

"What? What is it?" Avaron demanded.

The officer that had shouted motioned with his pistol at what he saw. "Th-that! That... thing laying there beside the Dragonbirds!! It's staring right at--!!"

When it spoke with an almost ethereal and haunting feminine voice, all of them froze.

"The reactions you dear mortals show casting eyes upon our form is most amusing. Are there not humans you have seen that display the same visages as we do?"

That was when the figure, disregarding the weapons the police held at it, made its way past the shocked officers and approaching the V-14 group in order for all to see it. It was a pair of torsos conjoined at the waist, walking with all four hands. The torso nearest to them had white hair and blue eyes, while the one that would have been still looking at the police had white hair and red eyes. That was more than enough reason to regard this particular being as a freak of nature, a monster.

Some of the Hankami would recognize it immediately. Others, and especially the V-14, most likely would not.

"...Asuka-dono." Angelika deadpanned.

"Yes, Angel-chan?"

"Do you see what I see?"

"If you see an extreme case of conjoined twins, then yes."

"I thought so. Get me my cigars."

"W-What is it?! Should I shoot it?!" Hyrōyū's eyes suddenly bulged out comically as she raised her guns to point at the crab-walking freak of nature. Seeing them both look around in humor just made her sweatdrop in fear, as if they would suddenly shoot flames or lazers out of their faces without warning. She stepped into Anton's shadow, just to be safe, in case her boyfriend would be able to protect where she couldn't.

Others has a series of ranging extreme expressions: While those of Omega Team raised brows and eyes bulged, others looked on in nervous wonder and apathetic indifference. All in all, it was quite the spectacle to see such a bizarre form being taken upon by a Hankami.

"Can you really blame them?" Mōka asked in a rhetorical tone, as her eyes blankly stared upon the returned appearance of the Oracle. Having not seen her since she was a child, Mōka felt herself do a doubletake in seeing the bizarre appearing figure of the non-legged Hankami crab-walk over to the three of them, "I mean...with all honestly during my time among mortals, material and spiritual, I haven't seen anything quite like you, Oracle."

"O...Oracle?" Anton repeated, staring in his own shock at the bizarre and disturbing visage of the creature. "You mean... that thing is supposed to be a Hankami?!"

"You are quite correct, child of Stalin." The red-eyed torso, the one who had made the initial remark, replied to him. It tilted its head to the side as it maneuvered itself so that it would have full view of those in front of it, smirking. "We have served as witnesses to time as it has passed by. We have laid eyes on many events of great magnitude, whether within the fabric of the Material World, Spiritual World, or otherwise. In this time, we have wished to reunite with you and participate in the reunion of family, niece Sayū."

"We initially feared that sister Punisher would attempt a confrontation with her offspring." The blue-eyed one added, her voice having a more calm and serene edge compared to the other's confident and stronger one. "So we permitted the Slayer and Melody in order to ensure that she would not do anything detrimental for her allies in this war the shadows of the Four Horsemen wage against existence."

This made the Punisher scoff, folding her arms across her chest and looking away. "Really? You sent them to make sure I didn't get into trouble? I'm not that stupid, Ora."

"Your recent choice in men says otherwise..." The Slayer muttered, prompting his sister to glare at him with a twitching eye and the Melody to giggle in amusement.

"Exactly how she got it on with the Reaper, I have no idea," Mōka spoke with a shiver, as she sideglanced blankly at her mother, "the guy's a freaking asshole and gives me the creeps..."

Only one other person didn't get affected by the Oracle's appearance...

"Whoa! How does that work?!" Zaii asked with a bewildered fascination as he bent down to look at the smooth backside of both overturned torsos, leaning to look at one face and then the other as he asked, "do you both take turns eating, or breathing, or is that something that doesn't matter to a Hankami? If your name is Oracle, can you see my future?! Am I as amazing as I am now and will be later?!"

"...I've got a question." Genesis deadpanned. "How do you function? Is it a case of a hamster scurrying on a wheel or mice dancing on piano keys?" If the Hankami decided to vaporize him right then and there for approaching them in such a manner, she wouldn't have been surprised. Fortunately for Zaii, they seemed to regard him with a mixture of surprise and curiosity, looking from one to the other and then back at him.

The red-eyed one smiled. "You wish to know the possible fruits and thorns of your upcoming future, shadow of Ares? Come closer, and lend me your face..." Her voice would sound sincere and genuine. But unbeknownst to the rest of them, there was mischief coursing through her mind. The other Hankami, and especially the blue-eyed half, had varying degrees of skepticism and curiosity on their faces as they watched.

Feeling mesmerized, if not slightly naive, as his eyes were drawn to the pair of red ones locking onto him. Zaii bent down so that the red-eyed half of the Hankami could reach out to him, and his eyes were aligned with hers, with genuinely interested eyes filled with desire to know his own future.

Everyone held their breath, with mixed skeptism and alarm at once, as they would wait to see what this bizarrely shaped child of Izanami would do to Zaii, rather than do for him.

With a slow hand, the red-eyed half reached out and pressed a palm to his forehead, closing her crimson eyes in pondering. There was no feel of energy emitted, passive or aggressive. There was no sensation that Zaii would feel coursing through his mind or body. It was only a few seconds before the red-eyed half hummed to herself. "Ah, yes..." She purred. "I sense that war flows within your nerves, aligned with the blood that courses so quickly through your veins. I see a very capable soldier with potential like no other..." She opened her eyes, tilting her head to the side. "Yes, I can see it now. Your sword will become your arm as you slay armies upon armies of your enemy. You will be regarded as a nightmare to all opposition and the highest pedestal upon your fellow man, idolized by both male and female alike. If you continue this path, even your very leaders shall find the humility of bowing to you..."

Angelika froze up immediately in the midst of blowing out smoke from a cigar.

"...what."

"The hell is she smoking?" Hyōryū blurted out, as her mind tried to comprehend what was just said. Either the Hankami was lying, acting crazy, or she was blurting out prophetic text yet to be written onto stone. Looking over at Zaii, she elbowed Anton as she asked incredulously, "you're really going to be stood up like that, huh?! How can Anton be ousted by a woman-bashful, two-bit sword for hire?!"

"He technically was known as a myth back within Tendan," Shinshin spoke out truthfully, his arms crossed over as he stared impassively, if not interested in the words of what is supposed to be sacred and unheard, "but slaying an armies is nothing to be entirely impressed about when they are composed by thugs, criminals, and nasty scum dug up from the earth. After all, I think we all lost count of his kill count after it exceeded fifty thousand..."

"That sounds a bit much, even for that man," Shadō muttered aloud, but didn't looked all that interested in the revelation. Looking over at Mōka, he could tell she didn't put too much credit, but none-the-less did a similar double-take that her fellow V-14 leader had, "and I don't think our bosses agree so much either..."

"I-Idolized?" Shito blinked a few times in disbelief at a star-struck Zaii, as he stood up tall and proud, "that...man...idolized?! Now that just-"

"-isn't right!" Yajū growled out, as his form stalked forward, having well recovered since his time being humiliated by the Fullbringer in his last battle. With glaring eyes, Yajū came face-to-face to Zaii, causing the other to smile challenginly back at him, "how can this idiot be so damned famous when I've obviously initiated more carnage than he could ever stomach?!"

"If you're so anxious to get your little peek under the wrappings, why don't you go for it, tough guy?!" Karitori asked out in a goading tone, though obviously with a mocking expression as she smiled tauntingly at him, "because obviously you're so much more of a man than he is, aren't you? Or did I forget who faced off against that Paladin and actually got back up off his ass? Oh yeah, it was him!"

"If that's the way you're going to be, fine!" Yajū growled out, pushing Zaii to the side and squatting on his haunches as he glared fully upon the red-eyed Oracle, holding his hands out expectantly, "go ahead and tell me my fortune! Show me that I'm a terror in the future that I should be!"

"This oughta be good," Mōka whispered to the Punisher, as she smiled in a preconcieved notion that the poor subordinate of hers wouldn't get what he asked for.

"I almost feel sorry for them." The other Hankami murmured back, looking on at Yajū as he stepped up to the Oracle next. "They'd better hope she's in a serious mood delivering those prophecies..."

"Ow!" Anton complained, passing a slight glare to Hyōryū. "What do you want from me, woman?! So it looks like things are going to go his way from here on out! It's not like--"

However, he stopped himself to take a glance over at Zaii and the smirk on his face as he had regarded Yajū. His content expression was instantly wiped away, replaced by a deadpan glare and an insincere smile. "...yeah, you know what? I think I'm going up there." Abruptly, he walked away to the direction of the Oracle. "Hey, Yajū! I'm up after you!"

"Looks like someone doesn't have a big enough sword, huh, sis?" Oliver snickered, looking on in amusement as he folded his arms across his chest. He looked on patiently as the red-eyed half reached out to touch palms with one of his own, wondering just what exactly was going to come out of it. "Going to spoil it for themselves if they get handed their future just like--"

However, he abruptly silenced himself once he saw Angelika walk briskly past them towards the line, his eyes widened in shock and surprise. "Hey, wait a minute. Nazi--?!"

"If it's my future to bow to the likes of him," Angelika readily cut off, her tone expressing annoyance. "I will kill myself immediately!"

Once again, the red-eyed half hummed to herself before speaking the words. "This one... I sense the desire of blood and the need for war burning just as brightly within you just as it does for your comrade. But your blood... seems far too... tainted, impure. Your future as it is does not hold promises of wealth and well-being, but despair and demise. While in the midst of fighting your enemy, you will be subdued and captured by the most vengeful of your opposition. Your body will be ravaged in every way deemed possible, your soul will be extinguished in the most torturous of ways, and your corpse will be consumed by the crows. Because of your brutality, your death will and shall be mourned by no one. In time, you will be nothing more than a forgotten memory..."

While whistling to himself, Zaii could only look slightly taken aback how horrible a fate was dealt out to his comrade. Before anyone could touch him, Yajū bowed his head and his body comically paled over. Crawling away, he found a nearby wall and curled up to it, muttering to himself, "I...gues I should've seen that coming..."

"That's what you get, loser!" Karitori taunted the depressed man, laughing as she stuck her tongue out childishly to him while placing her right hand out in a L stance to further add insult to injury, "don't mess with stuff you're not supposed to know, unless you're damned prepared for the consequences!"

"Took the words out of my mouth," Mōka whispered aloud as she locked surprised eyes at Angelika as she stepped up right after the broken man while Zaii kept puffing up his chest and reveled in his moment of inflated ego silently, "wonder why she's going through with this? To humor herself, or dare Aunt Orie to do something?"

"Huh?" Anton looked over his shoulder to see his boss standing behind him. "You're going, too?" He asked rhetorically, immediately stepping aside in order to allow Angelika to pass him. "Well, if you are, then I can wait to go last."

With a curt nod, Angelika allowed herself to step forward to the Oracle, both of which were sporting slightly surprised looks. She knelt downwards so that her forehead would be within reach. "The future can be changed at any time." She said smoothly and with confidence, although keeping her tone respectful. "So I will not fear whatever you show me, nor will I allow my vision to sway me in any way."

"Very well, spearhead of V-14." The red-eyed half said, reaching out to grasp the woman's forehead. The mischief was still within her, however, although the woman's seriousness lessened it to some degree. "I do not mind passing knowledge to those who have endured as much as you and your colleagues have. The responsibility, however, will rest entirely on your shoulders."

But all would change once her palm touched the German's forehead.

All of it happened within the blink of an eye.

One moment, everything was calm as it could have been. But within that one second, the quiet was replaced by a loud static noise that would've rendered sensitive ears deaf. The lights around them had blinked on and off without warning, accompanied by the static noise every time they turned on. Throughout it all, a power and presence filled the room. Even the Hankami, those with vast power and mental resistance, would feel the overwhelming sensation of otherworldly terror.

Then, after that second passed, silence. Everything was consumed in darkness. Everyone had lost all sensation and feeling, spiritual or otherwise. All they could do was listen to the inhuman voice as it spoke out for all to hear.

"THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS..."

"THE BANSHEE SCREAMS..."

"THE BEAST AWAKENS..."

"THE DEMON IS SET FREE..."

"ALL THAT IS HUMAN SHALL DIE UNDER HIS RULE..."

"AND HIS HEAVEN SHALL BE YOUR ETERNAL HELL."

Then, normalcy returned.

BOOM!

Angelika let out a short yell as her body was thrown away, her back smashing into the nearby wall. Upon collision, smoke and dust was kicked up enough for her visage to be masked from view. It was a rather violent reaction to what had been an unexpected turn of events.

But nothing would've compared to the looks of horror the Melody, Slayer, Punisher and both parts of all sported as it ended. It hadn't been just some supernatural scare. Everyone would feel as if their minds and souls had been ripped apart and reconstructed several times over, despite only several seconds having passed. Even the strongest of their kind would not have been able to withstand the brief yet torturous onslaught.

"Wh... what the fuck...?" The Punisher whimpered. "W-what was--?!"

"...that...was new...and that's saying something!" Mōka rubbed her head briefly, as if she had been assailed by the worst hangover, mixed in with the pain of the sealing power that had held sway over her not too long ago, and then magnified her worst nightmares at an undiscernable speed. When she locked her eyes upon where Angelika had flown, her eyes widened with horror and she leaped over to her side within a ear-popping Haya movement, grasping a hold of the German's shoulders with concern in her voice, "Angie! Angelika, are you alright?!"

"Is the boss alright? What did that Oracle just do?" Hyōryū asked groggily, as she had been knocked onto her backside from the traumatic experience, and saw that even the avian mounts were cascaded around the room with groaning soldiers atop them, "did everyone get the number of that mind fuck that just hit me?!"

"That force...isn't anything like I've felt before," Shinshin gasped aloud, as he turned to find Shadō on his knees, bending down to pick his brother-in-arms up to his feet, "what force was that?"

"It felt similar to the void I wander to and from, but I've never felt this entity before," Shadō muttered lowly, as sweat beaded down his forehead from the premonition that had been cascaded upon them all, "but it felt nothing but foreboding, I'm sure..."

"Owwww...," Zaii felt himself rubbing his head before looking over at Yajū with a set of bewildered eyes. Unlike the majority of them, he didn't look as affected as the rest of them but definitely showed a look of bewilderment or shock cross his face, "you okay, Yajū?!"

"Yeah, fine...just...felt eerily familiar," Yajū spoke aloud, as shivers ran up and down his spine, briefly giving him unexplained ecstacy and fear within his bones. His eyes crossed to Angelika, and could only look on in curiosity, "is the boss lady dead?"

"She wouldn't die from a freaking siezure, dipshit!" Karitori got to her own feet after rubbing her own head in protest to what had happened, jerking her arms away from the comforting hands of Shito, sending the man to wander over to his own boss's side to see what had happened.

Only a few of the Hankami would have understood what had happened, and the most prominent of them would be the Oracle.

Both halves now sported a look of terror on their face, their stomach on the ground and their hands holding both of their heads. Multiple beads of sweat could be seen on their skin, a signal of just how much they had been affected. The red-eyed half was the first one to speak, her voice shaking. "K-Kuritsu... was that--"

"It was..." After finally gaining breath to speak, Kuritsu lowered her hands from her head and managed to turn her head around to see the scene. Shou and Genesis were approaching their boss's side, though they did not move as quickly. There was a reason for this, for at the distance they were at, they could see what Mōka had probably missed. "We had known the Monitor had used such means to punish a particular individual until their penance and atonement for their sins had been fulfilled. How could we not have sensed it until it made its very presence known to us...?"

At the sound of Mōka's voice, Angelika raised her head up.

There were now two black pits where her eyes had used to be, with a black liquid seemingly dripping out of the sockets. The same liquid effect seemed to be happening from her slightly open mouth. If Mōka had backed up a little more, she would see that the German's arms had been oblierated. In their place, multiple shadow-like tentacles had formed, hovering over the Hankami menacingly. A continuous hissing could be heard as they moved and slithered about, almost as if they were sentient. Throughout it all, the ones nearest to them would feel an almost overwhelming presence, as if something was trying to swallow them hole.

"How had we not known that this was the mortal whose screams were louder than the millions within that river...?"

Angelika's bleeding mouth formed into a insane, malicous smile.

"Oh god...!"

With a sudden dawning of what had transpired and what had overcome her friend, she had a momentary visage of horror cross her face at seeing what had happened to her partner. With the black blood oozing out of sockets and orifices, she looked more like a creature out of a nightmare-inducing bedtime story than an actual entity. Even the Oracle had appeared more normal than this monstrocity that birthed itself from Angelika's body.

But it didn't stop her from acting.

VRRRROAAAAR!!!

With a sudden rise of her own Shinsei, she reared back her hands before slamming them into the entity's face and slammed Angelika's head back into the wall, as she began invoking her  Gugen's power: Domination. As her body became emblazoned in a wrathful aura of her own, she began projecting her force into Angelika's body and subduing the presence back into Angelika's form.

"You have no power here, Depraved One! Seal back into this one's form, for it is not your time to rise from your prison yet! It is by my Command that this be done!" M ōka shouted out in a hallowed voice, sounding as divine as it was terrifying, her hair flaring out and shining a brilliant crimson and her body blazing in flames that enraptured her fair skin and clothes without burning it. While this all happened, her Shinsei forced its way around the presence and into Angelika's body, surging into the core of the event and began pulling it back into the cursed woman, while also undoing the physical damage done to her body.

The creature within, needless to say, wasn't very happy.

"EEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGUH!!!!!"

A piercing and blood-curdling scream could be heard from the possessed Angelika's mouth as the Shinsei energy invaded the body. Its tentacles flailed wildly and recklessly, struggling violently against the power that was suppressing it. Unlike the Paladins that she had subdued in Aether, this would be the equivalent of a human trying to ride a bull. It put up a vicious fight against the goddess, the energies clashing against one another for what seemed like an eternity. All the while, it was screaming at Mōka with what seemed like angry gibberish, although certain phrases could be heard.

"YASHIN..."

"ANNIHILATION...."

"WHY?!"

"MAKE IT STOP! MAKE THE PAIN STOP! MAKE IT ALL STOP!!"

"I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!!"

But eventually, one side won.

The demon was forced back into Angelika's form, the tentacles disappearing and its aura vanishing once her arms had been restored. What had been left behind was a wide-eyed, gasping German with her co-leader's hand pressing her against the wall. The lone eye looked around in a brief moment of panic, as if its owner had just come out of something terrible. But after seeing where she was, the body finally began to relax. Mōka would feel the sweat against Angelika's face as she kept her palm pressed against the head, indicating her own terror.

Silence.

Then...

"...I'm assuming this is where an explanation comes in...?" She asked hoarsely, in an attempt to make a joke.

"Boss!" Hyōryū shouted out in fear of the worst for her comrade-in-arms and employer, limping over from the exposure of so much psychological and empathic energy flooding her body. As she stopped a few feet to see that she was alright, she allowed room for the likes of Oliver, Asuka, and Mōka respectively, looking at the cracks that had indented into the wall from the struggle the entity had, "what the fuck was that?!"

"Mōka! Karitori passed out," Shito spoke out, as he held onto the limp, butch-clothed woman as he looked at her shivering form with concern.

"She'll be fine," Mōka spoke out with a shakey voice, as her body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat from the effort of subduing the ethreal creature. Prying her hands away from Angelika's face, she sighed with relief as she concluded she successfully subdued the entity without harming Angelika. Looking back at the series of paled complexions, nervous soldiers, and bewildered expressions sent by various comrades, she turned around to face Angelika with a somber face, asking her a peculiar question, "do you remember having a terrible nightmare, the night after you committed the atrocity of the Mourning War? The Oracle can explain better if you tell me exactly what transpired after you completed your mission for the Inner Circle..."

"Terrible... nightmare?" Angelika repeated, slowly sitting herself up against the wall.

"The fuck out of the way!" Oliver was quick to snarl, pushing his way past the ones who had chosen to stand there and watch from a distance. Asuka, Anton and Shou were quick to follow him, quickly kneeling down to the woman's level and regarding their boss with heightened concern. His heart was pounding within his chest, and sweat was all too clear on his skin "Boss, what just happened?! What was that thing?!"

Angelika reached up to grasp her face, her palm covering the patched eye. "There... was no nightmare... that time..." She breathed. "But... after the Plinian Movement--"

"They plagued you constantly, didn't they?" The voice of the blue-eyed half of the Oracle finished, approaching the group that had amassed. She also spoke in a solemn tone, knowing just how severe the situation was at this point. "Before the destruction of your world had been resolved and existence was given a second chance, your soul was one of millions that permeated the Void. There were many voices in your head and millions of lights that were not your own. These voices caused you great pain, and it became too much for you to bear. Your screams of agony were heard amongst the angels of the Flow, and their hearts were moved to see to what had happened."

"They, under the Monitor's service, offered you a chance of freedom from that pain..." The red-eyed half continued. "That freedom was paid for with the sealing of the Shadow within your being. Ever since, you were plagued with nightmares every time you fell asleep. It is the Shadow's function to punish those it is sealed within until it deems the victim to feel true atonement or penance. Then and only then would the nightmares end..."

"But..." Shou began to say, regarding the Hankami with shock and confusion. "Wasn't it about to attack?! The tentacles--"

"Were merely a sign of it tasting its first signs of the outside." The red-eyed one was quick to cut him off with an additional wave of the hand. "It would not have laid violent hands on anyone before receding back on its own. The Dominator would not have needed to suppress it, for it is already under the complete control of the Monitor."

"I know the danger it possessed and the damage it was doing to everyone," Mōka spoke unrepentantly as she looked at the Oracle, trading glances with both sides of its personalities and entities, "what the Monitor has created here is something that shouldn't have done. You've indefinitely extended Angelika's suffering ten fold to the guilt that had already had a hold of her! What the Hell is wrong with you people?!" She finished with an angry snarl at the Oracle, and simmered slightly at the Punisher, knowing that even she probably didn't know about it. The only time Mōka had knew of this particular entity was during the time of the Hankami's prime, and the Monitor had been condemning a particular, unsavory soul to eternal suffering, "do you even know what the thing is capable of?!"

In response, the red-eyed half gave a slight cock of the eyebrow as if the question was a stupid one. "Of course we do." She said bluntly. "The Shadow is a creature born from the depths of the Void itself. It is mindless, driven by the instinct to kill and consume. Whatever intellect it has shown thus far is due to the Monitor's control over it or what unfortunate souls it has assimilated into itself during its time released. Its hunger is endless, and it will not stop until everything within existence is devoured. We had personally witnessed its surrender to the will of our brother, and from experience, we understand with great knowledge what it is capable of."

"Niece Sayū..." The blue-eyed half said softly. "Please do not lay blame upon us for what the Monitor's choice in the utilization of the Shadow. He believed that Angelika, by initiating what you refer to as the "Mourning War', nearly disrupted the balance of existence. If the Soul Society was destroyed, there would be no shields against the lives of passing souls, no one to see them through to this afterlife. The balance would tip, and it would not have been long before existence's destruction began." As she spoke these words, Angelika closed her lone eye tightly. "Doing so is one of the most horrendous crimes one can ever commit within the afterlife. We could not argue with his decision even if we tried."

"Yeah..." The Slayer said, slowly raising his hands up in defense. "If you want to blame someone, take it up with him. None of us, not even the Oracle, knew that he sealed that thing within her, of all people."

The Melody remained silent, a worried and apprehensive expression on his face as he regarded Mōka.

"Maybe after this is over, she will have properly paid this penance," Shinshin walked forward, speaking aloud for those who had chosen to stay silent. With an impassionate face, he locked his gaze to Mōka's fiery one, and then to Angelika, "while I have no room to speak on the acts of selflessness of others, I believe that Angelika's heart far outweighs the darkness of her past. I know not how many restless nights she's experienced since that night, but I do believe that is a fate only deserved for those who would willingly place the world out of balance, not one only devoted out of duty under the orders of the ones who should truly be punished. The ones who instigated the nightmare, and the ones who created it. As far as I am concerned, Angelika Hartmann, was just an unfortunate person caught in between maddened ambitions of the Inner Circle and was given a command she couldn't refuse."

"Sometimes allowing something to happen, and concieving it, are weighed differently," Mōka spoke aloud, leaning against the wall, but allowed a ghost of a smile to linger on her face, "but thanks. Its good to know you think of your sister student so fondly. V-14 is proof that even within the ruins of darkness and death, there can still be so much light found within all of your hearts."

"Your manliness is showing, Shin-chan..." Asuka said teasingly, a slight hand over her mouth as she spoke. "I'm almost blushing out of pride!"

"You make it sound as if I'm some victim of circumstance." Angelika said in annoyance, attempting to bring herself to stand. Immediately, Shou and Oliver moved in order to support her in the event that she was too exhausted to get up on her own, moving their arms around her midsection and helping her up to her feet. She didn't resist, although she felt she didn't really need it. After they parted ways from her, she dusted herself off and looked over at Mōka. "This hasn't been a problem for me thus far. The creature sealed within me is nothing more than a nuisance, as far as I'm concerned. It won't stop me from seeing this through to the very end..."

"M-Mother, please..." Shinshin blushed slightly as he looked away from his mother's admonishing, trying to hide his embarassment, "no need to speak so loudly..."

"I admire your endurance, Angie, but this thing has only been haunting your nightmares. If that thing were to awaken once more, it would be harder for anyone to stop it, and there's no telling what kind of havoc it could wreak if it felt threatened," Mōka spoke aloud with caution. But, after sighing with submission, she clasped Angelika's shoulder with a free hand as she smiled knowingly, "but I know you wouldn't say that you could handle it if you weren't being serious. I trust you completely, and I will always be only a moment away should something go wrong..."

"As will I, kachō." Shou said immediately afterwards, stepping away to give a curt bow. "As long as there is breath in me, my sword and my will shall be yours so long as you wish it."

"Don't forget about me, Nazi!" Oliver added in, smirking and motioning to the rest of the V-14. "After all, who here has the balls to face another god of war in the event that we come across one and threaten to punch it in the face? Be honest. None of these assholes are going to do it, and someone has to."

After briefly wrapping an arm around his shoulder to pull him into a brief and playful hug, Asuka released him to place a hand on the German's opposite shoulder. "Our teacher and student days may be over, Angel-chan. But it doesn't mean I'll stop guiding you in the moments that I can. I'm not someone to turn my back on one of my closest, after all..."

"Ugh..." Angelika couldn't help the slightly uncomfortable look that was on her face as she looked at them. "Look, it's nice to know that I have such dependable allies with me. But is this really ne--"

"Um... Angelika-sama... if I might say something..." Rika, who had remained silent up until this point, made her own way over to her with Yusuke following close behind. She had her hands clasped in front of her, a shy smile on her face. "I might not be able to fight for you directly... but I'll still do whatever it takes to ensure that you and the rest of our friends are safe."

"I think it's time for a hug!"

Angelika's eyes widened when she heard Yusuke's voice behind her, dread welling up even more when she saw even Rika's expression light up. She attempted to raise her hands up in an attempt to stop them.

"No, if you so much as touch me, I'll--"

But before she could do anything, Yusuke had wrapped his arms around her torso in a tight and affectionate embrace. Rika followed soon after, and the result were the two sandwiching Angelika in a hug. Her visible eye twitched as she saw Oliver and Anton snicker at the display. "...it burns." She deadpanned, looking at Mōka and Asuka with a hint of pleading. "Please. Make it stop."

"You heard the lady," Mōka looked over at Asuka with a mischievious glint as she nodded her head over to Angelika, "she wants the pain to go away. So why don't we all pitch in, and make it better?!"

"Sounds like a good idea!" Shito fist palms with a bright look in his eyes, genuinely taking his boss seriously. However, as he turned to look at the glare emanating from Angelika's eye, he paled in complexion before bowing his head in apologies, "I am sure you can manage on your own, boss..."

"Well, who wants to pitch in?" Mōka called out, wrapping her arms around Yusuke and Rika's bodies, hence squeezing Angelika just a fraction more. But even through the comedic mass of antics and irritation, Mōka looked sympathetically into Angelika's eye, projecting of what she believed to be an empathetic understanding.

"No one deserves to suffer like you have. Not even the guilt you had to endure could be weighed by most entities in existance. And these last few years...must have been horrible for you. You have a strong will, Angie, but even the strongest of hearts will eventually fall prey to despair that this creature inflicts upon its host. Now that it has awakened from its slumber...it will be much more difficult to have it fall asleep once again, whether willingly or not. Just...be careful and don't tempt it, Angie..."

"C'mere, you four!"

The last one to come into the group hug was Asuka, taking up the final opening and wrapping her arms around them. No one else followed suit, clearly not into such public displays of affection and camaraderie. This was enough to elicit a groan from the German, but she didn't say anything more. But as she caught the glimpse within Mōka's eye, she found herself reading that message sent to her. A ghost of a smile crossed her face, and the most discreet of nods was sent her way.

She would get through this. All of them would.

Imminent Deployment, Three Days till the War Drums Beat!
"Well...that went better than expected," Hana spoke aloud with a smile, as she overlooked all of the attending Captains (D.C.O. and Gotei alike), and the rest of the assorted allies of high ranking and authority. Looking at the damage scales throughout each level of the large base, she swiveled her fingers as she brought up the cameras to zoom in on each major battlefield, "nearly 89% of personnel were able to hold their own and repel the enemy intruders. The result left most of the base intact and only superficial damage. However, nearly 19% of the base has incredible structural damage, as some of the fights were probably the most serious that high ranking officials and allies alike dealt with accordingly. Thankfully, that wasn't raised to 50% because the Thunder Room absorbed the worse of the...Cataclysm-grade...forces being exerted..."

"It seemed strange, though. If they knew a blind raid into enemy headquarters wouldn't benefit them at all, why bother initiate such a grand scale of an assault?" Renji spoke in a direct manner, as he looked around at the others for explanation.

"It was a message, rather than an executive blow," Kukkyōna spoke solemnly, locking his eyes with no one in particular as he emphasized with no gestures but a narrowing of his already hardened glare into empty space, "they were trying to have us forced into a state of despair or reckless abandon. While this may work for lesser factions or soldiers, this will only serve to fuel our resolve to win this war. Never-the-less, they did manage to inflict some substantial damage to our headquarters, and also declared that they have access to our personal whereabouts. We should try to find a way to block continued travel to and from this base until we are ready to invade the Soul Society once more..."

"I just want to get this damned war over with," Shūhei spoke aloud, his arms crossed and an irritated scowl crossed his own hardened features as he spoke lowly, "I'm tired of finding out that the Inner Circle keeps getting the upperhand and is one step ahead of us!"

"Let's kick their asses first before they humiliate us any further!" Ikkaku spoke aloud with a jubilious, if not slightly sadistic, tone as he clenched a fist upwards. While Yumichika looked on with a smile, he kept his voice to himself, knowing that it woud be foolish to encourage the thought.

"Take it easy, Ikkaku," Renji spoke first, his eyes meeting slightly irritated ones of Ikkaku's, as he continued on, "if we charge in recklessly, like Captain Hayate said, we're going to be the ones with our asses kicked. We should at least give ourselves a window of time to gather resources, submit battle plans, and train for the upcoming conflict, rather than charge into a seemingly less exhausted force that outnumbers our own."

"Tch! You've become so sickeningly uptight, Renji," Ikkaku grumbled aloud, but turned away and halted his voice from futher antics. He knew that his fellow Lancer and former Gotei comrade was right.

"And you've become so bald!" Yachiru decided to add her two cents in, appearing on the man's shoulders and slapping at his head for emphasis of his lack of hair. "All this time and you still haven't gotten any hair, Baldy!"

After snickering at the display, Avaron turned to face the leaders of the Gotei 13 and the Deep Cover Ops. "Most of the pilots got out of there. We only received a few casualties, but nothing major." She reported. "The Dragonbirds are safe and sound. So we still have air support on our side for assistance in the counter-attack. As far as the V-14 is concerned," She said this with a noticeable grimace. "They seem to all be in one piece... at least, physically."

"Physically?" Hachiro inquired, cocking an eyebrow.

"It's--" Avaron paused for a moment, with the outburst of Karitori still fresh in her head. She closed her eyes and shook her head, raising her hands up. "It's nothing. Never mind that last part, the point is that they're still kicking. More notably, though, the Hankami had decided to drop in on them and the Dragonbird pilots in the hangar for an apparent visit..."

"Why don't you get off my back before I make you bald, you pink-parrot-woman-child?!" Ikkaku growled out in annoyance, but tried to keep his voice to a minimum volume, even as his fist rose up with a clenched, protruding vein from the back of it.

"I think we all felt that," Renji spoke blankly as he turned his eyes to Avaron, regarding her with an inquiring look, "what the hell happened, exactly? I mean, did they puff up their muscles and wanted to have everyone inside be reminded who's strongest or what?"

"If Captain Setsuko says there isn't anything wrong, then we shouldn't pry," Hana intervened on her behalf, as she redirected the focus on what was to come next. Looking to the Lancers, Casilda and her two Espada aides, and to her fellow Captains, she spoke solemnly, "I'm not going to lie to you, this is a pretty grim situation. With most of our citizens hidden away, and even more non-combatant Arrancars hidden within a temporary home-away-from-home, there won't be many of us to push for the final battle. Even still, as a Soul Reaper, I've known that the odds are always stacked in the enemy's favor, and yet, there will always be a way for us to survive. That is why we're standing today, because we have beaten the odds time and again! It is for this reason, that I will make one last ditch effort to extract any allies within our reach and take them here, to reinforce our numbers, and allow us three days preparation for the invasion."

"Thee days," Kukkyōna spoke out in a quiet voice, looking down and his gaze traveled out in thought, "will that be enough? Or is that too much time to let our own enemies prepare for our invasion?"

Noriko allowed herself to scoff lightly at this. "They're letting us do this, noble." She said bluntly, looking over at him. "If this was nothing more than a message, then they must have not bothered to put full effort into this attack. If anyone had to guess, they're probably well-prepared and just waiting for the chance to fight back. Up to this very point, they've been playing games with us. You even heard that much right out of Tsukishima's mouth."

"And that will be a mistake they'd wish never to make." Bernabe, who was standing beside Casilda along with Senkaku, allowed himself to say. There was nothing but venom within his words - something shared by his colleagues. "Once we've got our feet on enemy soil and those forces converge on our forces' location, it'll be like rats throwing themselves into a fire. They'll see just how much of a game this is to them once the Espada Afilado has its hands around their throats!"

"Yeah, why don't you come over here and say that to my face, tough guy?" Yachiru retorted, bending herself over so that her face would be inches from her own, albeit his view of her would be upside-down due to her position. Her eyes were contorted in a mock glare at her former subordinate, comical in nature.

"You are in my face you little-!"

SNATCH!

"Alright, Yachiru, that's enough playing with your friends," Kaien spoke lowly to Yachiru, as he grasped her by the back of the collar of her uniform, and pulled her off Ikkaku's person deftly. Placing her on a firm perch of his own shoulders, smiling in an encouraging way as he looked up at her, "time to pay attention to the debriefing, soldier."

"May I remind you that the Inner Circle is still using nearly half of our citizens as their personal denizens of their newly established society," Kukkyōna spoke aloud in a stoic, firm tone to the Espada across from him, "any enemy who engages us has forfeited their lives, but anyone who doesn't is a designated non-combatant and possible citizen of the Soul Society. I will not stand for needless manslaughter!"

Yachiru pouted. "Sorry, Kaien..." She murmured apologetically, looking down at the floor like a freshly scolded child.

"Chin up, Yachiru! If you have something useful to add to the discussion, please don't hold back," Kaien encouraged her further, bouncing her in emphasis of her participation, "while some may view you as a child, I know you're as sharp as the rest of us here. Please help us solve dilemmas and add tactical advice when you see fit, Lancer Yachiru."

Bernabe sneered, regarding the noble with disdain at his choice of words. "Needless manslaughter? This is war, Shinigami. Civilians or not, lives will be put at stake no matter what we do. The Inner Circle has proven that they are not above playing dirty and feeding on your need for morale and ethics. If any citizens get in the way of the fighting, they would be the only ones to blame. If you're unable to take a little bloody nose, then you obviously are too weak and naive to even contribute to this war!"

"Bernabe--!" Senkaku hissed in alarm, but was silenced when the Segunda turned a wrathful gaze to him.

"Don't you dare, Tercera! You know this as well as I do. And I guarantee that everyone here understands the same..." He turned around so that his eyes were staring into Hana's. His eyes peered into hers intensely, and he said the next words with a bit of mocking. "Right... Head Captain?"

"Chin up, Yachiru! If you have something useful to add to the discussion, please don't hold back," Kaien encouraged her further, bouncing her in emphasis of her participation, "while some may view you as a child, I know you're as sharp as the rest of us here. Please help us solve dilemmas and add tactical advice when you see fit, Lancer Yachiru."

Hana held her tongue, but narrowed her eyes a fraction at the heated response by the Espada. While there was a grain of truth in what he said, she knew that if she admitted the cold tactics of war aloud, it would diminish the accomplishment of winning against tyrants and scum. If they used the same means to win back their people, they would ultimately fail. So she allowed things to sink in, and waited for a clear opening to respond.

"Then I guess you're no better than the ones we're fighting, you-!" Kukkyōna began to growl out, his hand even twitching to grasp one of his Zanpakutō to issue his point to the heartless Espada. But then, he was interrupted...

"What Captain Hayate is meaning to say, Bernabe-san," Daisuke intervened timely before his father could rear his head to the hot-tempered Arrancar, stepping up before the Espada with an empathetic gesture and gaze as he spoke, "because we went out of our way to make sure all of your citizens made it safe, as well as your warriors, that shouldn't you give the same courteousy to our people? While it would've been simpler to have taken the easy way out, and only have transported your people that could fight and benefit us in the long run, I wanted to save everybody because it was the right thing to do. I doubt any of us could have a clean conscience knowing we would leave any of you behind after what happened to you," bowing his head, Daisuke apologized forthrightly, "that is all my father, and the rest of us meant when we wish you to stay your hand if possible, to our beloved people of the Seireitei! For I love them, as I would love every soul of the Living world as well as your own people, Segundo Espada Bernabe!"

Bernabe regarded the Lieutenant for a moment, his hard stare boring into the eyes of the one who addressed him for a moment. Then, he scoffed. "That is all we will promise you, boy. We will make sure not to purposefully target any of your civilian populace. But as the distraction, we cannot ensure their direct protection or safety. Therefore, any rescues will have to be performed by either the Deep Cover Ops or the Gotei 13." He clenched his teeth together, looking away. "As much as I would enjoy killing off a few--"

WHUMPF!

He was cut off as an elbow was driven into his side. His head spun to see the Primera glowering at him, silencing him immediately.

It was here that Yachiru would take Kaien's words to heart. As she sat on her boss's shoulders, she placed a pondering finger to her lip. "Excuse me, Hana-chan..." She said curiously. "But what about the V-14? Why isn't their boss here to discuss things with us? What will they be doing?"

Using that as her oppotunity to change subjects, Hana answered the Lancer with a smile, "I will be personally in a private debrief with her as to what personal targets of interest I want her organization to acquire. Their Covert Ops experience makes them perfect for the hit-&-run objectives and assassinations to induce chaos among the Inner Circle's ranks."

Avaron's lip curled slightly at this. "...experience, huh? Didn't keep them from getting their asses kicked, did it?" She muttered, almost tempted to smile at their misfortune. She had intended for this to be under her breath. But there were those that would pick up the words quite easily.

"Oi! They put their lives on the line against enemies they've never faced before! A war of attrition isn't their style, but they got points in my book!" Renji spoke aloud in a terse tone to Avaron, as he noted her unconcealed words to their allies' misfortune.

"Well it was their fault for needing us to pull their asses out of the fire! If they were weak in battle, then its their fault!" Ikkaku spoke in kind, as he met a challenging stare with Renji, as they both glared at each other.

"Enough! The fact we're not fighting them is a blessing, not a hinderance!" Kaien snarled at the two Lancers, quieting their dispute within an instant, "we should thank Lieutenant Daisuke for overcoming his desire for revenge and forging a pact with valuable assets. Their preformance, is none of our concern, unless our own lives are on the line. Understand?!"

"Well put, Captain Shiba," Hana nodded curtly to Kaien, turning her gaze next to Casilda, swiftly changing subjects once more, "I understand that one of the Inner Circle troops failed to be transported back. Wasn't it that Arrancar you fought with, Casilda-san?"

"More or less." Casilda said smoothly, opening her eyes after keeping them closed throughout the entirety of the talk. "Although right now, I wouldn't really refer to her as a soldier under their banner more so than I would refer to as an "unfortunate victim". I'm sure that Hana knew this already..." She looked around the room to the rest of the occupants. "During the initial stages of our duel, she had been forcefully possessed by Yashin, who then proceeded to fight me himself using her body. Naturally, I managed to overcome and defeat the vessel, and Yashin left soon afterwards. Currently, she's in medical custody."

"P-Possessed?!" Renji's eyes widened incredulously, almost disbelieving of what he heard, "what the hell does that mean?! How can someone possess another soul?!"

"I don't like the sound of this," Yumichika spoke lowly, his eyes narrowed a fraction with disgust as he hissed, "its utterly distasteful when one trades one's personal beauty by stealing the handsomeness or majesty of another being. Utterly distasteful..."

"Creepy is more like it. Do we even know the limitations to this, or can this Yashin possess people at will?" Ikkaku asked aloud, believing it to be a good question of merit.

Hana cleared her throat as she turned her attention to the assembled group as a whole, "Yashin Shiyōnin is a confirmed Lieutenant underneath the Four Horsemen, holding the title of Dragon. From what we have known, only he and a select few others have went out of their way to hunt and pressure various factions, such as V-14, and were the cause of many events that led us all to this war. But from what I, and most of you have probably felt for a moment, is that Yashin is far more powerful and cunning than what we were led to believe," taking her gaze away from the crowd, Hana locked her eyes upon the Primera, speaking solemnly, "please tell us how the battle went. How strong is this Yashin, in comparison to his superiors and comrades?"

"I was forced to use my Resurrecion." Casilda explained. "Doing such a thing is something I try to make use of under only rare circumstance. But when I did, he was able to compete on even footing with me. This was also true when I faced Sōsuke Aizen, and I'm pretty sure I don't need to give an explanation on how powerful he is, do I?"

"But we know Sōsuke is strong, as his display in beating Furuidenshō-sama, was evidence enough," Hana cringed at the admitance, but continued none-the-less, "but at least we know this Yashin isn't immortal. If his hosts have particular strengths and weaknesses he has to adhere by, then we can come up with a way to defeat him in certain circumstances..."

"His hosts must be strained if he fights at such a height. This is probably how the Primera was able to beat Yashin after all," Kukkyōna cupped his chin in thought, his mind reeling with possibilities, "but why did he willingly leave his host behind, instead of killing her? Does he still have control, or does she have knowledge that we seek?"

"In any case, I think Captain Hando should be able to decript any information stored within her mind since joining the Inner Circle. We might gain a few clues as to their weaknesses and their troop placement without the need of sacrificing scouts or probes to scan the area further," Hana concluded, looking over at the crowd of commanders and lieutenants alike, "any further matters that should be addressed, please speak now. I wish to deploy some of our teams on their respective missions..."

"I've got one..."

This was where Qilin spoke up, his arms folded across his chest and and expression of casual thought on his face. "Tsukishima had said that there was more "evil" within our shadows, didn't he?" He questioned, cocking an eyebrow. "It'd be terrible if we worked so hard to prepare, commenced the counter-attack and then have more sleeper agents stab us in the back. I think we should start focusing on rooting out any potential traitors we have within our midst before we get too far into anything else..."

Silence swept the debriefing room.

With a series of gestures of disdain, discomfort, fear, and anger flaring in each and every visage across the room, not even Daisuke was able to speak up to break the tension.

"That's already being handled," Hana spoke aloud, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture, as her eyes locked onto Qilin's in an eerily knowing manner, "I have already compiled a series of possibilities of what the Horsemen could be referred to. Until I have verified it, consider this a simple attempt of causing distrust to be sowed into our ranks. I rather not have everyone try to murder each other in their sleep because of needless accusations and distrust towards each other. Rest assured, Captain, I'll make sure that this is on top of my priority list..."

Meanwhile, Meikurai made it a point to avert his immediate gaze from Hana's, even though he was quite visually concealed within the mass of commanders and co-leaders alike. He couldn't help but direct a glare of ire nature towards Qilin, for having willingly brought it up something that would make any of their real work become that much more complicated.

"Damn you, Qilin! Do you want me to be compromised to keep your cover?! A lowly Dog like you has no place compromising your superiors, that is for certain! Here I believed Yashin's stare was worse, but your mouth is going to get us both in trouble..."

"Now, with that out of the way, I believe this debriefing is over. If any of you have further issues or things that should be acted upon, seek me out immediately. That is all," Hana spoke with absolution, shutting off the projecting table of the base, and allowing the lights to brighten a fraction, as well as the doors to open for those who were to make necessary preparations. Even as Hana watched them all go in various directions, her eyes never drawn to one particular individual any longer than the other.

It unnerved Meikurai as he left amidst the crowd, how cool and collected this Hana was in comparison to the young girl in training he knew of.

For once, Starrk was trying to stay awake during this debriefing.

Having been in the corner once again, with Lilynette sitting on the floor listening in, Starrk made it a goal of his to try and take more initiative in these meetings, though doing so was tiring him out immensely. Lilynette, on the other hand, had been paying close attention to the entire meeting, and based on some of the expressions they made, she couldn't help but be slightly worried.

She looked back at Starrk, before speaking to him with telepathy. "Starrk, did you see all of that?"

''"Yeah...I saw it." ''Starrk murmmered inwardly for her to hear, looking at the group with an equally serious glare.

''"That Meikurai guy seemed awfully nervous when Hana mentioned undercover agents..." ''she replied, looking at the person of interest's leaving form with squinted eyes. "I'm gonna talk to Lady Primera about it..."

''"Go for it-wait." ''he began with a cocked eyebrow at Lilynette's last statement. "Did you just call her Lady Primera?"

''"Yeah?" ''she questioned with a raised eyebrow as well. "So?"

''"Well, it's just that...you've never really referred to anyone besides Aizen with an honorific like that." ''he questioned casually.

To this, the girl grinned. "Oh come on, don't act like you don't know. Obviously, you respect her and...well, you know. So if you feel that way about her, then I do too!!"

''"Good point..." ''he replied, resting his head back. "Well, wait for her to finish whatever she's doing first before you go..."

As the group dispersed, Bernabe couldn't help but chuckle a little. "It seems like the security of the Shinigami isn't so impenetrable as it is glorified..." He said to his two Espada colleagues. "With the amount of suspicion and distrust, I'm surprised that they aren't trying to kill each other as of this minute." He looked over to Senkaku. "But enough debate about their problems. Tercera, three days will be plenty of time to prepare ourselves for the upcoming struggle. Come!"

"Yes, sir..." Senkaku murmured, giving a respectful bow to Bernabe before looking over at Casilda. "I bid you farewell, my Lady. May a thousand lights of the Red Sun smile upon us."

"And deliver a thousand curses upon our enemy!" Casilda answered readily, turning her head to look at each of them as she spoke the words. "Por voluntad de Dios!"

"Nos asaltar a la victoria!" The two Espada responded back with a bit of zeal and a clear display of the patriotism they held towards her and Hueco Mundo. With that finishing line, the two parted ways from her. The Primera simply watched them walk away, an expression of thought and pondering on her face as she did so.

"A word with you, if I may, Selestino-san," Hana inquired aloud, her form walking purposely and gracefully towards Casilda's back, her Haori flourishing in sync with her hair, "I need to ask a favor of you, if its alright. It concerns with a potential ally stranded within Hueco Mundo...mentioned to me by Coyote Starrk, no less."

"Ulquiorra Cifer, the former 4th Espada under Aizen's rule." Casilda said immediately, slowly shifting herself to face Hana. Her eyebrows were furrowed slightly. "The last time I was told about him, he was nearby a white tree not too far from Empresa, as Starrk himself was so gracious enough to tell me. What about him?"

"While I trust in Starrk's abilities completely, he doesn't have the tact nor direction that you do. Nor do I believe Daisuke has enough experience in which to deal with forces stronger than what his power may allow. I wish for you to accompany them both into Hueco Mundo, and help locate Ulquiorra Cifer," Hana spoke in a neutral tone, glancing briefly over at the leaning form of Starrk from a distance, and Daisuke's, before redirecting her gaze back to the Primera, "you're the only one I trust to complete such a delicate mission. I'd go myself, but I have a few...moles...to uproot from their holes, and I wish to do it quietly and without chaos being ensued forth."

It was a heavy risk.

Casilda knew that sending forces within the area of Empresa at this period in time would be expected by enemy defense. Confrontation at this point was unavoidable. Inwardly, she was highly reluctant to do so for the sake of one single ally - one that seemed as if he didn't want to leave in the first place. But she wasn't one to doubt the intuition of her predecessor. After all, he knew the former Cuatro better than she ever would. Logic said no, but pride and respect for the former Primera said to comply with Hana's wish.

So she let out a heavy sigh, scratching the back of her forehead. "I know that this just might bite me in the ass later on..." She muttered. "But okay. I'll make sure to keep them in line if I have to."

"Thank you, for this," Hana nodded respectively, smiling towards Casilda in acknowledgement in aiding her. Looking over to the three in question, she whistled out and snapped her fingers, "Coyote! Lily! Daisuke! Your mission is going to start and Casilda will be in charge. She'll debrief you," saluting the three as she snapped off orders, "cha!"

"W-Wait, Ha-"

SHFT!

"-na?!" Daisuke reached out for Hana, not entirely certain why the Primera and the former Primera were now his partners in the recruitment/extraction mission. Looking between the two Arrancars, he scratched his head and asked aloud, "so...what changed that I need two Primeras for this mission?"

"Because!" Lilynette appeared on top of Daisuke's shoulders, popping him on the back of the head with her head. "You honestly think you would be able to go there and find Ulquiorra-san with just one of us?? Especially with all of the baddies around there??"

"What she means is..." Starrk began with a scratch of the back of his head. "...it's likely that Ulquiorra would listen to someone that he knew a long time ago, in this case, Lilynette and I. And yeah, since it's close to enemy territory, we have no clue what to expect."

"There were also enemies that were capable of contending with and even taking down my Espada with varying degrees of difficulty." Casilda added. "Someone like you, no offense, wouldn't be able to take on all of them." She closed her eyes for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing. "Even moreso considering that there are rather excellent minds within their ranks..."

"Good point. So I guess this is just a field trip to mark down for my experience, huh?" Daisuke winced, trying to ignore the petite tween perched on his shoulders as he looked side to side at the two Primeras, smiling in a enthusiastic way, "at least I get to see what guys of your level are capable of against the enemy. Maybe I'll even see Ulquiorra fight, when he agrees to join our fight...!"

"If he agrees to join our fight."

Casilda did not dare let this thought slip past her mind and to the outside, instead putting on a small smile of her own. "That makes two of us. C'mon, I doubt even he's going to wait forever..."

Descent into Chaos, The Pale Sand Wanderer
"Alright," Daisuke muttered aloud, as within a brief flash of light, they all traveled into the Hueco Mundo's world with a sudden landing onto the pale sands. Looking around, Daisuke could feel the unsettling emptiness and silence that Hueco Mundo's aura should witholds, but felt even more empty than usual. Like a vast void of lonliness, it lacked the usual population centered around where the Empresa's borders usually held. Even though they were a few kilometers away from the overrun city, they were only a mere kilometer away from the location of which Ulquiorra should be located. "nice to be back!"

Had Casilda not been paying more attention to her surroundings, she would have assumed that to be a joke.

She looked outwards to the landscape that surrounded them, stuffing her hands into her pockets. The wind caused her hair to billow slightly as she swept the area with her eyes, visually picking up nothing. As her mind drifted to Empresa and the enemies the Espada had confronted, she closed her eyes in slight bitterness. She still was unable to get her head over the fact that her very own mentor had joined the likes of a mass murderer, unable to understand why he would support the destruction of civilization even after she had fought so hard to save it.

"I hope you're happy, sensei..." She thought. "Had it not been for the intervention of the Soul Society, you would have played a part in a massacre. I wonder just how exactly you're feeling right now, knowing what is on your conscience..."

She looked over towards the two. "Keep your spiritual signatures and energies in check and out of detection." She said firmly. "We're only here to retrieve Ulquiorra, not start another battle. Once he's retrieved, we're leaving. Understand?"

"No problem!" Lilynette cheered. "Starrk and I do that all of the time anyways, no worries from either of us!"

Starrk simply sighed. "What she said."

"Thankfully my overcoat keeps me from being detected naturally anyways. So no problem from me," Daisuke said with a smile, tucking on the high collar to cover his lower jaw, a bright look came into his eyes as he looked forward to seeing this legendary Arrancar, "let us go recruit an Ex-Espada!"

"Starrk." Casilda looked over to the man in question. "Can you pick out his spiritual energy and lead? You know his signature the best, I'm assuming..."

Without speaking, merely sparing a glance in Casilda's direction, Starrk briefly closed his eyes and then opened them. In place of his normally silver eyes, were a pair of glowing blue eyes that only shown briefly, his use of Pesquisa, to those who could recognize.

"Yeah, I know where he is." he said, looking over at them. "but I also feel a few more Arrancar around him. Doesn't look like he's alone after all..."

He looked down at Lilynette, whom nodded in acknowledgment, moving ahead of the group a little faster than the others. "Lilynette'll show you."

"We shouldn't waste any time then!" Daisuke soke aloud exuberantly, as he sprinted after Lilynette in order to keep up with her. Despite her size, Daisuke had to admit that she moved with a experienced rythym, and swift steps in comparison to her size. When it came to being the will of the two beings, Daisuke knew she had a lot more spunk and energy than Coyote would allow to show.

"Who--" Casilda abruptly stopped herself before she finished the question, huffing slightly. "Okay, never mind that question. I'll just let it be a self-surprise..."

She continued to survey her surroundings as she moved with the two for any enemy ambush. Her senses were on full alert, knowing that any opposition could just be as close as potential allies were. As she did so, she raised two fingers on one hand and placed them on her temples, looking down for a moment. This might have been a meaningless gesture on the outside, but those who understood her abilities knew that this was the indication of her mental telepathy. She was getting in contact with the leaders of the neighboring cities of Empresa.

Everyone needed to be aware of just how severe the threat was, after all...

As she and Daisuke made their way ahead of the group, Lilynette turned her head around to face the young Soul Reaper with a raised eyebrow. "So, why are you so interested in finding Ulquiorra-sama? I haven't seen anyone this eager to meet him...ever."

"Well, from what I can remember, he was the strongest Arrancar to have served under Sōsuke Aizen, besides Starrk, I mean. He was a personified obstacle for the legendary Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki, in his path to becoming the true embodiment of heroism and relentless courage. I guess I'm curious to see if he's anything like I've been told about in the historical texts, or if he's someone I can learn from is all," Daisuke spoke at first with exuberance and awe, before drifting to a curious shrug as he looked off into the horizon of the endless, pale sands, "I never had a real defining nemesis or rival of my own. I've just fought for the ones I love or for the duty and honor I am bound to. No one has actually openly challenged me for a prolonged period. I guess if I meet an iconic rival of someone I've heard tales about, maybe I can get a glimpse of who my own rival and nemesis really is..."

It was here that Casilda cocked an eyebrow, raising her eyes up to look at him. "You're telling me that you'd actually look forward to someone else putting forth their very mind and soul into ending your existence?" She questioned. "I'd be careful what I'd wish for if I were you, Lieutenant..."

"I don't mean that!" Daisuke flailed his arms in emphasis, comically scrunching his face together into inverted squints, "I just want someone who I'd be able to fight my ideals against without having it just be another long list of bad guys I've had to put down!"

Casilda rolled her eyes. "You Shinigami are hard to read, sometimes..."

"Lily, are we almost there?" Daisuke asked with a sweatdrop crawling comically down his brow, hating to sound juvenile in front of those he wished to impress. The sooner he met this Ulquiorra, the better in his opinion, "I think we should be close to where this guy is held up, right?"

To this, Lilynette blushed wildly and her eyes dialated as she looked back at Daisuke. "D-Did you just call me Lily?!!" she said aloud, clearly embarresed by the nickname. "Erm...yeah, we should be close to them....should be right over this ridge..."

Boosh!!!!

However, a Bala had found its way right in front of her and exploded, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. "Wh-What was that?!!!"

"That was a Bala, dear. Don't stand in front of those."

With that bland, deadpan and clearly sarcastic statement, Casilda pulled her hands from her pockets and tensed up slightly. She was immediately tempted to fire back immediately out of the presumption that this was an attack. But if it was, then wouldn't the one who had fired it hit dead-on? As fast as Lilynette was running, it was nothing that one couldn't solve by simply tracking the target.

"It was a warning shot! They're probably testing us to see if we're hostile," Daisuke realized after calming down from the initial shock of seeing the projectile explode near him. Holding up his hands and waving them towards the distance, of which he could tell a few outlining figures near a lone, bare tree, "we are not enemies! We're here to request the assistance of a comrade and wish to not cause any violence towards you! Please lower your weapons and allow us to approach!"

At the top of the hill, the source of the attack could be seen.

It was an armored woman with a white cloak over her shoulders, her hand smoking from the Bala that she had fired. From behind her emerged two other females dressed in the same sort of garmet, with varying armor pieces on them as well.

"You've got three seconds to tell us who the hell you are, Shinigami!!" the first woman snarled as her still open palm began to glow red, as if she was preparing another Bala. "Or else, we'll blow you straight to hell!"

"Shinigami? Can she even see us from where she is?"

It was here that Casilda took the opportunity to speak out. She moved to step in front of the trio, her eyes settling on the three above her. "For Hollow who've fought in the Winter War, I'm surprised that you don't recognize at least the one you just shot at..." She commented coolly. "But, oh well. I'm Cortez Selestino, the current Primera and the leader of Empresa." She nodded towards each of her company. "These are my associates, Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerback of the former Espada and Daisuke Hayate of the Gotei 13. Now, if you would be so kind as to not try and kill us, that'd be great..."

"I told you that I should have taken the lead here..." the dark skinned female of the Arrancar sighed, shoving her blue haired, trigger happy friend aside onto the ground. "Ever since your eye went blind, you've been shooting at practically everything that we told you not to shoot at. Idiot..."

"Hey!!!" the blue haired one shot back after promptly landing on her bottom on the sand. "I can't help that I can't see that good! Who were we shooting at anyways? I thought I heard someone speaking..."

The dark skinned woman ignored her associate and used Sonido to quickly appear before the group, briefly bowing before the Primera and speaking respectfully. "Lady Primera, please forgive my associate's incompetance. Her recent blindness has been causing her to go more insane than usual..."

"Mila-Rose?" Lilynette inquired with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't think we'd see you guys around here for a while. I thought you'd left to you guy's older hideout."

Seeing the small Arrancar speak caused the woman's sight to at first gaze down upon her, but then back to the man that had accompanied her. Seeing his form caused her eyes to widen, and she bowed before him as well. "S-Starrk-sama...? I didn't know you and Lilynette were still alive?"

"Yeah, we are..." Starrk replied in his usual drowsy tone. "And don't ask how. I don't feel like reciting it..."

"Sorry if we're intruding on your grounds." Casilda said. "But we're only here to see to another one of you. Once we do, then we'll be on our way and out of your hair..." She shifted her hands into her pockets, looking at Mila-Rose for a moment more before switching her gaze over to the blue-haired Caucasian still on the hilltop.

"His name is Ulquiorra Schiffer," Daisuke said with a polite tone, bowing in a humble attitude as he regarded Mila-Rose with respect and neutrality, "we were told that he resided here near that dead tree over there. From I know, he's a well respected Arrancar, and having been one of the strongest Espada. Is he willing to talk to us?"

Here, Mila Rose's eyes widened once again, and Appachi slid down the hill to come right alongside her. Cyan Sung-Sun appeared next to them, her mouth covered by her clothed hand as always. All three of them looked at the group with uncertainty and confusion.

"H-How do you know about her-I mean, Ulquiorra-sama?" Appachi questioned, her mean spirited persona disappearing in favor of a worried one.

"Starrk and I could have sworn that we felt his Spiritual Pressure out here some time ago before we left with the resistance." Lilynette replied with a raised eyebrow, not knowing why her former Fraccion companions were acting so nervous all of a sudden.

This time, the Tres Bestias all looked at each other, as if they didn't know what to say at first. Mila-Rose then looked back at Daisuke with a relaxed expression, though her voice still carried uncertainty. "Why do you wish to see Ulquiorra-sama, Shinigami?"

"Do you see those soldiers, foreign beings and the like, burning and raiding across Hueco Mundo? Your land isn't the only one to suffer," Daisuke waved his hand out to the direction of Empresa, still smoldering from the battle waged not but a day or so ago, "in fact, the whole world is on its knees to the invaders and their allies who took it upon themselves to become the new gods of this universe. We need every ally, every comrade, and every warrior who's willing and able, to help fight the enemy's leaders who are based in the Soul Society. We can't seclude and isolate ourselves from conflict any longer. And we need Ulquiorra's power to help end this conflict as well! If he's unwilling to listen to reason, maybe he should be told what's really going on!"

"Wait a minute."

Casilda's eyes swerved in the direction of Empresa and the ruins it had been reduced to. A pensive frown came across her face as she observed closely, using both visual and spiritual sense in order to analyze. "I would have assumed there would have been troops rebuilding defenses in the event of a counter-attack." Her eyes wavered slightly. "I guess that the attack didn't just appear to Empresa, after all. The Sennin Butai must have left to go assist in other attacks..."

"Mila-Rose." Cyan Sung-Sun said to her comrade calmly. "We might as well go ahead and show them. There isn't much point in stalling any longer."

"Fine, I-" the dark skinned Arrancar began, as she turned to face the hill however, she stopped herself after seeing something she wasn't expecting. Up on the top of the hill was the individual that they had been referring to this entire time. It looked down on them with the same kind of uninterested, dismissive glare that anyone who knew Ulquiorra could recognize, with it's hands in i'ts pockets, and it's rather long black hair flowing calmly in the air. From appearances alone, it looked just like Ulquiorra...

Only, it was a girl.

"Lady Cifer!" all three of the women bowed before the Arrancar above them.

"Wh-What the?!" Lilynette said aloud in disbelief, she and Starrk both looking up at the newcomer with looks of sheer dumbfoundedness. Was this really the Ulquiorra that they remembered???

"Okay, I'll bite..." Casilda had resumed her trademark bored look, slowly turning her head in order to look at what they were looking. She even cocked an eyebrow at first. "What's going o--"

Then, her eyes fell upon the form of Ulquiorra. They abruptly widened, her pupils dilating and her mouth nearly falling open at the sight. She fell silent, freezing up as her mind took in what was in plain sight of them. She had gotten clear reports and details within her archives that Ulquiorra Cifer was male. Here this individual was with the same traits and visage. Had they not knew who she was, Casilda would have assumed this Arrancar to be a twin.

She could only get three words out.

"...what the fuck?"

"I wonder how that happened...." Starrk commented with a couple of blinks as he too looked at the female that he once could have sworn was a male, the former Cuarta Espada.

"W-Wow," Daisuke felt a tad bit of color warm his cheeks, feeling embarassed that he became somehow attracted to the stoic, pale complexioned female Arrancar. He cleared his throat as he adjusted his eyes back to Ulquiorra, or what he could confirm was as what she is, and bowed his head respectfully, "its a pleasure to make your aquaintence, Lady Ulquiorra. I'm Daisuke Hayate, Lieutenant of the 6th Division within the Gotei 13. I'm here as an emissary of the Soul Society, along with our allies, Coyote Starrk, Lilynette Gingerback, and Casilda Selestino, to request your assistance in the fight we are about to have with the enemies that ransacked this land and many other worlds."

"Her name is Kiorra, you dope-ow!" Appachi began to speak to Daisuke lowly while she continued to bow to her apparent master, only for Mila-Rose to pop her on the back of the head. "Be quiet, you idiot!" she whispered harshly.

Kiorra, in generally, turned her gaze over to Daisuke. There wasn't a shred of change in her expression, her features might as well have been permanately glued to her face, but one who was good at reading other people very well would see that the woman had taken an interest in him. Calmly, and stoic-like, the Arrancar walked down the hill as if there were stairs there already in place for her feet to tread on. With her subordinates moving aside, she walked up closer to Daisuke until she was at least a couple of feet away from him.

Her emerald eyes gave no form of feeling, it would feel as if one were staring into an empty vessel of a girl, ran by instinct alone. She stared at him for several seconds longer than what some would consider comfortable.

Lilynette felt like trying to get her attention, but she and Starrk knew better than to try anything. If there was one thing they remembered about Ulquiorra, it was that one could almost never predict what he, in this case, she would do.

Then, after nearly twenty seconds, the Arrancar girl reached up with her right hand, and placed it softly on Daisuke's chest, where his heart was, specifically. This time, her eyes became just a little bit more open than usual, as if she had an inquiry, and she spoke in a low, soft whisper.

"...Heart?"

"Well, at least she seems to let my little outburst slide..."

Casilda was quick to regress back to an expression of calm observation, looking on as the ex-Cuatro focused solely on the boy. She, like her predecessor, remained silent. She had no idea what the woman was trying to do. After all, Lilynette had given off the impression that Ulquiorra (or Kiorra, apparently) would've attempted to kill Daisuke rather than anything else. That alone made it even more necessary to not interrupt. After all, if this was her way of expressing interest, then there was no use getting in the way.

"My heart?" Daisuke felt himself blush hotly, and sweat coldly at the same time the woman stared at him. Despite this eery presence of emptiness about her visage and her pressure she exerted, he could tell there was something beyond the thick, ink-layered veil of dispassion that he could see. Like sensing the scared little girl within Sakura, he could see Ulquiorra, now referred to as the feminite name Kiorra, was curious about him. As if she wanted to know if he truly had a strong heart.

"You want to feel it?" As if guiding a child, Daisuke gently grasped Kiorra's hand and shuffled his overcoat aside, as well as his uniform, so he could allow Kiorra to place her cold, soft hand upon the place where his heart beat steadily, if not slightly quicker than usual. Smiling in a reassuring way, Daisuke whispered back, "that's my heart."

Here, the Arrancar girl's expression changed not one bit, save for a couple of blinks after he moved her hand. At first glance, this seemed like a heartwarming connection between the two of them. One would normally assume that, by this point, Kiorra would possibly understand the concept of one's heart, something that her old, male self had been left yearning for before his departure. Perhaps she would even give her aid to them in their plight.

But as she slowly moved her hand off of his chest, things would take an unexpected turn.

Her hand quickly snatched onto Daisuke's coat collar with a nigh unbreakable grip, and within that same motion, she twirled around and threw him right towards the white tree that she had been around before. While the force of the throw would be great enough for him to slam into the sands with great force, it was just enough for him to land next to the tree.

The Tres Besitas moved aside respectfully, as their leader calmly walked towards the tree where the orange haired boy had just been flung. They all three knew that Kiorra had something in store for their Shinigami friend.

Starrk and Lilynette typically were a bit clueless as to what just happened, but again, Ulquiorra was always known for his unpredictable nature...

If not for the lack of extreme reaction from the audience, Casilda would have been quick to assume that this was something unexpected and stepped in.

"...I'm missing something here, aren't I?" She questioned, raising a slight eyebrow at Starrk and Lilynette. "First the "he" turns out to be a "she". Then this. Tell me, was this normal when you were Espada?"

"I honestly can't remember..." Starrk said, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced back at Casilda. "I never really paid attention to the things the other guys did. All I know is that Ulquiorra, or Kiorra, whatever her name is, was the weirdest of the bunch, from what I saw, anyways..."

"Ulquiorra was always pretty weird..." Lilynette commented as she watched the Arrancar leave them to supposedly fight her prey.

BWHOOSH!

Within the moment that Daisuke was held at a strangle point and then tossed over to the pale tree with impressive force, the air briefly leaving his lungs as he shook his dazed head it came to him. He was mistaken when she was asking about his physical heart. She was looking for his heart within confrontation! It made sense, considering most Arrancars are battle-driven by nature, and Kiorra would be no different in her own mysterious way...

Within a single blast of fiery Spiritual Power, Daisuke blew back all the sand and broken tree limbs that had buried him before. With glass fragments floating around him in a g-force display, Daisuke began treading towards Kiorra as he saw her approach him in a similar manner. Grasping his overcoat and Zanpakutō, he flourished off his attire within a single flourishing motion to reveal his sleeveless Shikhakushō and brandished a instaneously, fire-enraptured Zanpakutō.

"So, this is the heart you're seeking?! Well then," Daisuke raised his blade in acknowledgement, a brief roar of flames billowed into the air, before condensing them into a sphere and then throwing it towards her, "Jigoku Dangan!"

A pressurized ball of pyrotechnic energy flew towards Kiorra with high velocity, uncanny speed, and incredible power, intending on detonating with incredible fury and explosive force, billowing a good shockwave of sand in excess of the attack.

A swift motion was all that followed. No expression change, no sign of hesitation, just a simple grasp of her green handled weapon was all she began with. With a single bright reflection from the moon, the silver blade came unsheathed with a graceful, flawless motion. The razor sharp weapon cleaved throught he ball of fire like butter, sending two halves of it flying behind her to explode in the distance.

There, she stopped a few meters away from him. Bringing her sword down to point directly at him in a challenging pose, her intentions were made clear without a word. If his heart was truly as strong as he made it out to be, she would uncover how much it helped him in an actual battle.

Only then, would she lend him her arm in alliance.

Now, Casilda could see a serious complication that had just formed.

The energy released by Daisuke would be sure to alert any potential enemy forces nearby the area to come running to their location. It was the reason why she had wanted them to remain underneath the radar, lest they wanted to get ambushed. By doing this, the two were jeopardizing their element of cover and surprise if they needed to take out any nosy enemies. Now, she couldn't be sure if that safety was still assured or at risk.

Still, she didn't bother to make any movements to stop either combatant. If this was what had to happen in order to see through to her comrades' desires, she would see it out. But she knew she had to keep on her guard now.

Daisuke charged. With his blade in hand, covered in powerful flames, the Lieutenant moved with speed and precision, appearing directly in front of Kiorra as he swung his blade towards her front. As he discharged a stream of flames, he used them only as a distraction. Swinging out his left hand around in a arc, gathering a blue torrent of Spiritual Energy, he pushed it out with a powerful thrust, shouting out...

"SŌKATSUI!"

SSSSRK-VROOAR!!!

...releasing a powerful, destructive blast of blue flames towards Kiorra's occupied front, intent on taking advantage of the smokescreen of searing flames of his Shikai to land a solid blow by his own Kidō.

It was within the small space of time of hesitancy, that the true Alpha Predators took shape and form.

A spectral nightmare flew through an empty space, unseen and unheard by all, flowing forth from one pocket door to another, until it found the one it found suitable. Rising from the shadows, like a statue from tar, a being draped in refined clothes and a metalic mask, covering the entirety of his jawiline. And he appeared within the midst of the Tres Bestia and the two Primeras.

"You all look...so bored," he spoke out in a refined, eloquent tone as he looked to all of them with a cool, stoic visage, grating out, "perhaps we can keep you occupied, while your two friends settle things out?"

"Great..."

Starrk twitched slightly in annoyance as the masked entity came between them and the three other Arrancar. Of all the times that he didn't need to have a fight with anything, it had to be this instant. "Actually," he began, regarding the entity with a half-lidded glare. "we're doing pretty good just standing around, if you don't care..."

"!"

Casilda's eyes widened, and she found her attention locking on to the one who had appeared to them. But it wasn't because she was being affected by the spiritual signature he was giving off or the rather creepy visage he gave off. It was out of recognition, for he had been one of the enemies the Espada Afilado had confronted. He had been one of the people who had participated in Empresa's fall, nearly responsible for a genocide. He was one of the soldiers who served under the faux god's rule, and now he had the audacity to stand in front of her once again. Needless to say, she wasn't pleased.

Her eyes narrowed in a glare as cold as ice, the scowl becoming more prominent on her face. Slowly, a bit of her spiritual pressure began to leave her body and enter the atmosphere, causing a bit of distortion to the air. "I don't know why exactly it is that you are here..." She said lowly. "But if you value your life, you would be wise to get out of my sight right now!"

"Actually," Shukun's eyes shifted a abysmal black-red coloration, as his head tilted to the side in acknowledgement to her threat, "I would appreciate if you would all come with me. I rather not distract our friends here with your shouting..."

What happened would be unexpected and without warning. Within mere seconds, the shadows themselves stretching out from the gathered entities consumed them, causing the Arrancars to be sunk into blackness into an abyss no one would wish to visit. But they would not stay there for long. For Shukun and his allies...had much more entertaining plans for them all...

The Fugitives, Life on the Run!
Anxiety.

That could describe the current atmosphere around the usually collected, calm, professionals that were high ranking military officers within the Gotei 13. Because of their involvement of being part of the defenders of the Gotei 13 and being left behind by the rest of their retreating allies, the Lieutenants: Seishuku Yabun, Masahiro Sugiyama, and Tamiko Okayama. Having been on the run from a special police force, instigated by the Inner Circle after the remaining populace had been secured and properly "educated" upon their takeover of the Seireitei.

"This way, friends!" Enrico whispered aloud to his current fugitive comrades, as he was one of the sole reasons that the Lieutenants stayed one step ahead of the Inner Circle's Pacifying Corps. Having found them during one of their initial chases, Enrico befriended them and began smuggling them along the many smuggling routes hidden beneath the Soul Society within its sewer systems.

Currently, Enrico led them through a series of demolished buildings that had been left deserted on the outskirts of the Soul Society, mostly due to the ransacking of IC forces that occured when the Head Captain began counterattacking them. Leading them to what was to believed a old communication post for Enrico's operations, he made sure that the three Lieutenants were to get into contact with the remnants of the SS's forces and mount an effective attack upon the currently controlled Soul Society.

As he followed Enrico to their desired location, Masahiro clenched the teeth within his mouth. The patrols they passed by seemed to be lightly detaining civilians; a small group was patting down a particular citizen for any weapons, and yet another group was escorting several more arrested individuals presumably to a detainment center. He observed with pensive eyes. "They're already taking prisoners. Can't believe how quickly and efficiently they're adjusting to things..."

Tamiko's eyes followed a rather peculiar scene. As she noted one group near a destroyed building, she could see a child trapped within the wreckage courtesy of the flashlights being shone upon the position. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but judging from the actions and movements of the police officers, they were attempting to rescue the child. "I thought they would be much more aggressive towards the civilian populace..." She muttered. "But it seems like they're at least not completely interested in power and domination..."

"They probably trained a separate department within the organization to handle policing and enforcing their laws and rules, rather than engage in military operations. By winning the people over with an organized, fluid government, the society will eventually accept their new world and forget about the way things were beforehand. It would only be a matter of time," Seishuku spoke lowly, as he looked on at the scene Tamiko had been witnessing, knowing full well what their superiors were intending, "unless we do something to stop their brief occupation..."

"I...I can't believe that this happened..." Tamiko sighed, bitterness and sorrow within her. "How could we have not seen this coming? Not only was security compromised, but our allies were turned against each other so easily. A matter of hours and the Seireitei has become the territory of the enemy... just where exactly did we go wrong...?"

"Don't give yourself a hard time, Señora," Enrico spoke in an encouraging tone, beckoning the two to follow him into the ramshackled house overlooking most of the Rukonagi Districts from its elevation, "they've been plotting for decades, maybe centuries! I have only known of them through my best partners, the V-14 organization, so it was best a myth for the last century due to their subtlety. They probably were very cautious to plan this one, worldwide invasion and waited until now..."

"Centuries or days, it is the matter that our pride as stalwart warriors have been tarnished due to how easily and swiftly they defeated us," Seishuku snarled lowly, his eyes briefly glaring at the hispanic man, before turning to see the Soul Society being restructured and disciplined into their image, "this is defeat at its worst. Even Aizen, someone who should've been forogtten in the annals of our history, has returned to add insult to injury to our efforts. Errecting a statue of himself and the Four Horsemen within a courtyard before our Captains' Meeting Hall, scoffing and laughing as he finally won..."

"But, don't you guys have a backup plan? I mean...doesn't that infamous Division, that Royal Guard or something do stuff when shit hits the fan like this, as it were?" Enrico asked the Lieutenants, his head turning left and right as they entered the cobwebbed, dust-filled air of the messy communique post of his.

At the mention of the Royal Guard, Masahiro couldn't help but snort. "Hah! Even if the entirety of the Soul Society was being destroyed, I doubt they would lift so much as a finger to help us." He answered readily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tamiko briefly turn around in order to check to see if anyone was following them in before turning back to shut the door behind her. "Only in the event that the Soul King himself is in danger that the Royal Guard would dare step in to our affairs. Even in that case, I doubt any of us would be able to perceive such..."

"It makes me question the chain of command at times of how the Soul Society is run. A King shouldn't reside silently within the heavens overlooking his subjects, but should take a course of action. But then again, we wouldn't have been able to transgress through our lives as individuals and warriors, if the Soul King has protected us over and over. Which means the fight is yet to be won for either side," Seishuku spoke with a hint of hope, despite his stoic tone.

"In that case let me help you guys out then," Enrico implored as the began setting up a table and collecting an array of parts, putting them together to adjust his communique device, "its the least I could do, seeing as I've always been on the sidelines in these scales of conflicts. Hope this little favor of mine can help you all out in the long run..."

"You know, Enrico..." Tamiko tilted her head to the side as she approached. "I have a question of my own to ask you. Why haven't you turned us out? I would have figured one of the first things you'd do would be to trade us in to the Inner Circle for a potential pardon..."

"You ask me now of all times?!" Enrico asked rhetorically as he got busy wiring and patching up the complex system, sighing as he continued, "I'm doing this cause you're allies of my business partners and clients of V-14. All I know is that the Inner Circle has been making legitimate businessmen regret ever working within their environment. They're bad for business and want to monopolize anything they touch. Trust me, Señora Tamiko, that it wouldn't benefit me in the least if I traded off the only protection and support I have left in this society now!"

"Tactfully you are wise to keep us nearby," Seishuku spoke solemnly as he looked out a window, keeping an eye on any suspicious activity or movement within the area, "there isn't any guaruntee why they should spare you from the same fate as any of their enemies. Either you'd be indoctrinated into a system that would only benefit them, or you'd be tortured and executed publically for standing in their way. Smart move on your part..."

"You're not doing me any service of reminding me of the consequences, bastard!" Enrico huffed as he attached a few boxes together before getting to work on what looked like a stationary microphone of sorts, taking a screwdriver to fasten it to the table and align the wires correctly.

Tamiko couldn't help but huff a little at Seishuku as well. "You're not doing any of us any good by reminding us what's going to happen if we're caught..." She added, walking over to a nearby chair and sitting herself down. She folded her hands within her lap, shifting one leg over the other. "At the very least..." Her expression changed from chiding to nervous as she continued speaking. "I hope we can get the word out of what our situation is..."

Masahiro himself leaned against a wall, folding his arms across his chest and looking over at her. "Agreed. By now, the Captains would probably assume we've been either captured or killed already..."

"Well, with this system up, I should be able to connect you to your friends for a few minutes without detection," Enrico patted the box with confidence, smiling toothily at the Lieutenants surrounding him, "this is such an outdated, cryptic code, that it'd take a good few hours of listening in from those IC bastards before they realize its older than what their crack boxes can handle!"

"A few minutes is plenty of time to get a simple message out." Masahiro looked over to Enricho and eyed the machine he was patting. "We're not concocting some speech or anything like that, are we?"

"Relay only what we know of the current situation and where the Captains may be held, along with various captured Soul Reapers," Seishuku spoke aloud without drawing his gaze from the window, his eyes peering vigilantly for any disturbances, "we don't need to give them resolve they may already have to get this done. After all, we are defenders of the Soul Society. We don't need words of encouragement from those left behind when we are already determined to get their comrades back, and our fallen bretheren avenged!"

"Well spoken! Now let's see if I can get this thing running, amigos!" Enrico spoke with enthusiasm, as he began turning flips on the device and began tuning its frequency. After a few low drone, high pitch switches, eventually a clear channel had been found, causing the man to raise his hands in a sign of victory, "YES! Now, which of you knows the backup channel your friends would be using? Like I said, you should act fast cause this will only be silent for a few minutes before people realize what we're up to..."

"I suppose this would be my field, then." Masahiro spoke up readily. "If you would..."

The 11th Division Lieutenant briskly walked over towards the desk where the machine was placed. He reached over, turning the dial clockwise and counter-clockwise in a code to secure access to the channel. It only took several seconds for him to complete the code, and when he did so, he leaned over to the microphone. "Client name Razor Wire. Give me a secure line to access junction Blade Runner."

Almost immediately, a familiar voice came on - one Noriko Nagasaki.

"Well, well... and here I thought you had gotten captured. Glad to see you're still alive, Sugiyama..."

Masahiro smiled proudly for a brief moment. "Of course, sir. As much as I'd like to talk things over, I don't have long. Inner Circle security will triangulate on this position if this is on for an extended period of time."

"I'm listening."

"As I said before, the Inner Circle are already deploying internal security in order to deal with any resisting remnants of the Gotei 13. We've been trying to find out where exactly they may be holding the Captains that fell under the hypnosis. So far, there hasn't been any solid proof. But if I had to take an educated guess at this point, I would have to say that they're being held somewhere within the barracks of the Kidō Corps. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, considering the secrecy of their operations..."

"Understood. I'll inform the others of this new development. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to hear it."

"I can't make any promises, Captain. But we'll try and keep you updated on the situation as it unfolds. Razor Wire out."

With that, Masahiro cut the connection and raised himself up from the desk, looking over at his two compatriots. Tamiko was regarding him with a subtle curiosity. "All right, then. I'm putting this in good faith, ladies and gentlemen, and hope that our allies pull through for us. In time, we need to ensure that we don't end up under the grasp of our enemy beforehand..."

"Then we should get moving then," Seishuku spoke aloud with a sense of urgency, though keeping his calm visage, as he turned to the others, speaking aloud, "they have scouts heading this way. We should leave before they get any ideas..."

"Then allow me," Enrico began to say, as he grasped the edge of the table, before flipping it over, smashing the equipment with a sudden crash, proceeding to rip and tear wires and connections he had effortlessly patched together, "to make sure they can't trace the connection! The less they know about whom we contact, the better!"

Tamiko couldn't help but flinch at the loud noise. "Couldn't you have done that in a manner that produces, I donno, less noise?" She complained, quickly standing up from her seat and looking in the direction of Seishuku. "That probably just tipped them off even further!"

"What's your escape route?" Masahiro asked, pushing himself off of the wall and curling his fingers a little in anticipation of a confrontation.

"You're standing on it," Enrico spoke aloud, as he walked over to Masahiro's direction, his hands smoothing out the dust and debris near the Lieutenant's feet, before revealing a subtle outline for a trap door. After touching a pressure valve, too subtle to see, the trap door began opening before Masahiro, and showed a ladder leading down into the dark abyss of the sewer system once again, "quickly! We must climb dowm before they reach this place! We can lose them down there!"

"Ladies first~!"

Before Masahiro could begin climbing down, Tamiko moved ahead of him and slid down the ladder before he could take a step. He could only shake his head a little as he followed suit, making sure he didn't accidentally land on her if she was under him the moment he began sliding. "At least we know who's still got plenty of spirit within them..." He thought to himself, smirking a little.

After a brief push by Seishuku, insisting on covering their escape route, Enrico followed Masahiro before the Lieutenant followed suite promptly. Pressing on a latch within the tight, tubular ladder, the door slid back up over their heads, sealing them within a dimly lit vertical tunnel that would lead them back to the sewer system. As they would travel downwards, the faint sounds of inspected scouts of the Pacifying Corps could be soon tuned out and the sound of rushing water greeted their senses. That, and the pungent odor accompanying any sewer system...

"I pray I can forget the smells rushing through my nostrils after this is all over," Seishuku grumbled lowly under his breath as he climbed down with the three others, issuing one of his first and only complaints since the crisis has erupted within their lives.

"You get used to it after awhile, amigo. As a boy, I knew I had to get used to it, for it was the only way I could avoid the authorities of...well...your military," Enrico shed a little light about his childhood, despite how vaguely told, of the hard times he faced.

"It was your choice. We are seemingly forced down these passageways everytime we come across these occupying police forces. I wish we could just hide in the shadows above ground, then stay within the annals of our Seireitei," Seishuku growled lowly, though dared not alter the movement of his steps down the ladder, for fear of causing a domino falling affect none of them needed.

Needless to say, this didn't suit well for Tamiko.

"Urk--!" She abruptly covered her nose and mouth with one hand in an attempt to protect her nostrils from the stink of the place. "Oh, Go-- why did I do--ugh!" She coughed a few times, the smell having hit her a bit harder due to her not seeing it coming. The disgust was clear on her face. "Okay... not my best choice to make... ever in my life. Ngh, this stinks!"

Chuckles escaped Masahiro, and he couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. Although it was clear that he disapproved of the stench of the new environment they were walking through, the humor at Tamiko's distaste for it got to him first."Well, at least we abided by the norms, hm? Ladies first?" He teased.

"Okay, I learned my lesson now. Next time we absolutely positively have to go somewhere unsanitary, I'm going to have someone like you guys go first. Jee-zus..."

"What did you expect, Señora? We were on the outskirts of the Rukon Districts, not a friendly place, and we were going underground. Where did you expect I'd take you, a lavishly designed bunker?! A candy making tunnel? An amusement park?"

"Just shut up and keep climbing so I can get on solid ground again," Seishuku groaned, his firm visage was becoming more and more strained from the environment and the dialogue grating through his ears, "I can't wait to get back to the surface..."

"And I can't wait to meet back up with the rest of our forces..." Masahiro's grin faded away. He looked upwards at the two still climbing, folding his arms across his chest and standing back to allow them room to step past the ladder. "Though, I'm sure that sentiment can be shared by all of us, right?"

"...Gina..."

Tamiko's sullen tone had caused the 11th Division Lieutenant to turn his head towards her. She had a fist against the wall, her back facing away from them and her head hung slightly. "I can't believe she, of all of them, is now their prisoner..." She said bitterly. "Is there really nothing we can do to save at least the ones who got captured? Who knows what they could be doing to her and the rest of them..."

"I'm sorry, Tamiko..." Masahiro said, frowning and walking over to her. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "But on our own, we wouldn't stand a chance against what they would have. We're not even sure if our location given was correct. We risk any rescue attempt, and all we'll end up doing is making ourselves easy prey. There's no other choice..."

As Enrico got down off the ladder, Seishuku dropped deftly, turning his attention to the conversation at hand. After a brief silence, he stepped forward and began speaking his mind...

"Its the best thing to do. For both our superiors and your own, to keep alive and out of enemy hands. We're vital pieces in a game of strategy that could use all of our respective abilities. We need to focus on just keeping safe," Seishuku spoke solemnly, looking to Tamiko, and then Masahiro respectively, "if we are to rescue your Captain, we must be available for the opportunity to strike."

Tamiko breathed out a heavy sigh, not bothering to look at them. But she did nod her head to show that she acknowledgement. "Yeah, you guys are right. This is best for all of us. We're doing the right thing..."

Masahiro nodded, smiling in appreciation. "Indeed we are. Now, let's keep--" However, he stopped himself once he saw Enrico's mouth shift out of the corner of his eye, as if he was about to say something. Curiously, he looked over his shoulder. "Enrico? I'm sorry, were you about to say something?"

With a paled complexion come over Enrico's usually tanned one, the man looked over at the Lieutenants with widened shock-filled eyes as he could hear something over the conversation of his protectors, "They're here...!"

CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-WHIIIIIINE!

"Hold it right there!" A lead officer of nearly two dozen officers, facing them from one particular direction, as they readied their weapons onto the four fugitives. Readying the likes of Kidō guns, shock batons, and swords, they looked almost under prepared and startled than lurking in wait for them, "put your hands on your heads and surrender quietly! We will not ask again!"

Immediately, heads spun in the direction of the group that had massed upon them. Tamiko had a look of surprise on her face as she laid eyes on the lead officer and his men, almost throwing her hands up just out of reflex. Masahiro however, only needed a brief moment before putting on a clear and amused smile. He allowed himself to turn his body towards the men, placing one hand in his pocket and leaving the other out.

"Oh, I assure you that you won't."

All he had to do was twitch his fingers.

SLICE!

Without warning and within a millisecond, all of the officers aside from the lead one had been sliced to pieces, with the only sign of attack being the blood that burst from the remnants of their bodies. The pieces fell into the sewer rivers, the blood staining the already contaminated water as well as the walls of the passage. Masahiro's eyes seemed to gleam with a subtle and yet fearsome menace as he looked upon the one who had challenged them vocally.

"Run along, little boy..." He said lowly. "This isn't the time and place for children to be playing..."

Looking on in horror, the officer looked to his left and right, his mouth opening to let out a choked yell of disgust and shock. As sweat crawled down his face, he looked on at the Lieutenant, his hands shaking as he brought the gun to bear, "Y-You're a monster! You're all monsters-!"

SHFT!

"Wrong," Seishuku spoke aloud, his body shimmering into place just behind the officer, his hand just now sheathing his blade as he finished his attack, "the real monsters are the people you call your leaders. There isn't mercy for those that follow under their banners..."

SPLUUURCH!

"...none shall be found for any of you," Seishuku spoke coldly, as he looked back with a glaring sideglance at the perfectly bisected, blood spurting halves of the officer whom had been momentarily spared by the gruesome shredding of Masahiro's precision.

"They're all dead? Th-That was so fast!" Enrico spoke aloud, his eyes not once shying away from the bloodbath but dialating in wonder of how swiftly and precisely they slaughtered their enemies, "no wonder the Inner Circle wants you three so bad!"

A bead of sweat ran down Tamiko's face as she observed without hesitation. SHe never was one to like violence, no matter how much she had gotten used to seeing such scenes. She exhaled a breath after Seishuku finished off the last one. "Yeah... for what, I'd prefer not to think about..." She murmured, shaking her head in an attempt to relieve herself of the disturbed feeling.

"Sorry about that..." Masahiro commented, his smile turning a little sheepish. "But I was afraid Okayama-san would have gotten a bit nervous about killing all of these underequipped and poorly prepared enforcers, and I didn't want to give you two more work than you had to put in..."

"I can't speak for Tamiko, but I was more than prepared to put those mongrels in their place," Seishuku spoke coldly, his glare only interrupted as he spat into the blood soaked sewer water, as he treaded back to glare back at Masahiro challengingly, "and here I thought it would be a waste to show off your talents best suited for truly dangerous soldiers, Masahiro."

"Point being, you both have big man-sacks, and you want to be as rapido in dealing with the bad guys as possible, I get it! Let's go, go, go!" Enrico spoke aloud in an attempt to defuse a possible argument, walking around the two Lieutenants while motioning to Tamiko to follow him as he waded indifferently through the contaminated, flowing water up to his shins.

Out of knowledge of the situation and respect for Enrico, Masahiro only allowed himself to chuckle in response to Seishuku. Then, after waiting for the man to pass by, he promptly stepped into the fluids in order to follow right after the Spaniard. The sludge feeling that enveloped his legs up to the shins made him grimace briefly in disgust, but he made no complaint about it. Such conditions wasn't anything he couldn't get used to.

Tamiko, however, didn't seem too eager to join them. "W-wait a minute, you're actually walking through the water?" She questioned, looking on in disbelief. "Look, I know we're in a sewer and all, but seriously. We can just walk on the side paths and make it a little more easier on ourselves..."

"If you don't like it friend, you can always use the ladder from which you came from. This is the best way to get through this part of the sewer system, as there was no walkways installed out this far," Enrico spoke aloud, obviously uncaring how Tamiko felt about the path they had to take.

Seishuku then did something unexpected. With a simple exertion of spirit energy within the soles of his sandles, Seishuku raised himself out of the dryest area of the sewer, and levitated himself above the water, nodding to Tamiko to do the same as he spoke tersely as he followed him from above their messy trail, "I rather not, thank you, Enrico. I'll keep what pride and dignity I have as a warrior rather than a street urchin..."

Tamiko scoffed, rolling her eyes at Enrico's choice of tone. "Hey, easy does it, pal! No need to bite my head off..." With an appreciative nod to Seishuku, she gathered reishi under her feet and stepped up to "hover" over the waters. She was mentally beating herself for not thinking of that prior to. It was the minor things like this that would get her killed!

"What's the matter, Yabun?" Masahiro asked in amusement, looking over his shoulder. "Afraid of getting your stockings dirty? Ha!"

"Its being smart, not a thing about masculinity. You should try using your head once in awhile, Masahiro. It would be good excercise from your animal instinct you so often defer to," Seishuku murmured aloud as they traversed through the dark tunnels towards another safehouse. It was ony a matter of time till they were able to fight back, and reclaim their home!