The War of Four: Crossing the Wire

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The Final Battle Begins! The First Steps Towards Victory!
"This is Zulu 2-1 to Overwatch. Zulu team has completed sweep of Area 9. No negatives detected over."

"Roger that, Zulu. Hold your position until relieved. Reinforcements are going to arrive shortly. Out."

Zulu 2-1, otherwise known by his real name Brice, let out a heavy sigh as he switched off his communicator. A disgruntled look was on his face as he turned towards his patrol partner. "Patrol this and patrol that. Ever since Squad Omega 3 went missing, everyone's been more tense than usual. If I don't get killed in action, everyone else's stress is going to do me in!"

The partner shrugged lightly, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against a large warehouse. "Well, you have to admit that it's for good reason. I mean, we had reports that these guys were high-ranking officials. Leave them unchecked, and they're bound to cause trouble. Can't really blame the higher-ups for being so on their toes about this."

"I just want to get this over with as soon as possible, Jackson." Brice muttered. "The moment they get to make the call, we get to go home and let the more devoted police officer patrol for as long as they like. I, however, would get to sit at my place for some hot chow. Not to mention that I haven't gotten a chance to send a letter to my wife and son--"

"Wait a minute." The said Jackson looked up with slight interest, both of his eyebrows raising. "You had a wife? And a son?"

Brice smiled proudly. "Yeah. Been married for a year or two. My son Stephen's turning five a few weeks from now, and I'm hoping that this can end in time for me to join his birthday party. He might not remember it, but that's why we've got photo albums to bug him with when he's older."

A light chuckle came from Jackson, and he pushed himself off of the wall. "You're starting to grow old, Robespierre..." He said jokingly, keeping the rifle within his hands lowered. "Think you just might need to retire before you get arthritis or something." This only made Brice roll his eyes in good humor. "Anyway, just to be on the safe side, I'm going to take a brief sweep within the nearby alleyways. Be on your guard, all right?"

"Not like there's much else to do..."

With that being said, Jackson walked away and left Brice to stand with his own pistol at the ready.

Unbeknownst to them, however, they had listeners within the warehouse they had been talking beside.

Tamiko was peering through a one-way window, leaning against the wall as she listened to the two guards finalize their conversation. She gave a heavy sigh, closing her eyes and hanging her head a little. "Hope you live long enough to meet your wife and son, my friend..." She muttered softly. She despised the idea that the ones she opposed weren't all psycopaths and tyrannical zealots, but instead sociable human beings. It reminded her just how grey the situation was in total, just what measures the Gotei 13 was forced to resort to when pushed to such a limit. Masahiro's recent actions were still fresh in her head, after all...

"It can't be helped," Seishuku spoke lowly and stoically calm in Tamiko's general direction. He was leaning against one of the internal pillars of the Beta Team's hideout. With his arms crossed over his chest, his uniform now donning custom-crafted pieces of Kidō armor he was able to forge within the past several days of hiding within the base, "fatality rates are exceptionally high for mercenary organizations. Now that they're an established military force, there's bound to be an even higher rate of casualties because of their allegiances."

"I'd prefer," Tamiko said, shooting a slight glare towards Seishuku for his input. "not to dwell on it, Fubun. Not now, of all times. Masahiro was bad enough, but you repeating the reality of the situation isn't going to make my mood any better about it." She walked away from the window to the radio system they had established within the confines of the main room. Her palms pressed themselves on the table surface as she looked at it thoughtfully.

Enrico had been assigned to man the radio whenever the others weren't. Most familiar with the equipment, he was able to rearrange the parts and designate a makeshift lobby HQ right next to the kitchen and a dozen meters away from the entrance.

"They've been quiet on their end for the last half hour," Enrico spoke as he looked up from the seat he had chosen. Sitting directly in front of it with his hands resting on the table-top, he looked up at Tamiko with a reassuring smile, "I think they're gearing up some fancy speech before they send their troops down. If they need anymore intel we haven't given them in the past several days, then they would've communicated to us..."

"Hope they haven't run into any problems beforehand..." Tamiko muttered, folding her arms across her chest as she looked over at Enricho. "With this being the day that the counter-attack begins, I'm just waiting for a problem to happen..."

"That sounds a bit too pessimistic for you, Tamiko." Masahiro's voice said from the nearby hallway. The source was leaning against it, arms folded across his chest and a small smile on his face. "I think we've all had enough problems stacked up on our persons for once. With anything, this just might be the good luck streak we were all waiting for. And speaking of which," He looked over at his other two compatriots. "Anyone know what to do once it actually begins?"

"We have a few alternative objectives," Seishuku announced, turning around and facing them fully, "we can either move to incapacitate their air fields they've placed within the Seireitei. Aim to smash their communications arrays they've established with their troops. Or...we go to rescue the Captains that are imprisoned somewhere within the underworks of the Seireitei itself."

"Well, I can easily say that rescuing the Captains is immediately out of the question." Masahiro said, causing Tamiko to spin her head towards him in a mixture of surprise and annoyance.

"What? Why?" She demanded, casting a slight glare in his direction.

"Think about it." He reasoned, using a calm but somewhat empathetic tone. The last thing he wanted was to sound too stoic and detached like Seishuku. "That's most likely what the resistance force would be thinking of - salvaging any manpower for attack. What would be the use of going there when our allies will be finding that particular point?"

This was enough to soften Tamiko's light glare. She frowned thoughtfully, tilting her head to the side. "Well, once you put it that way, I suppose it'd be pretty pointless for us to go in there. What about the other two options?"

"Silencing the aircraft, as much of a blow it would deal to the Inner Circle, would not be crippling enough. In a narrow-minded sense, such a thing would only put us on even footing with their troops, but considering that they have the upper hand in combat technology, they would still be fully capable of decimating our forces. Going for their communcations, however..." A slow smile crossed his face. "Would do much more. Without their ability to voice alarms and commands to one another, they're essentially blind and in the dark."

"It'd be a necessary priority then to silence their communication. The only real problem is where is the central hub? If we leave one spectrum of their forces capable of reestablishing contact feasibly, it would be fruitless to partake in this endeavor," Looking between his two compatriots, he crossed his arms as he asked aloud, "is there any place within the Seireitei that would be a good location to set up a communication array?"

This was where his two comrades would furrow their eyebrows in thought and look at each other, hoping that they would find an immediate answer out of one another. But when it was clear that none would come, they were at a loss for words. They started to think about it, racking their brains for a possible point in where they would find a possible central hub for the Inner Circle's communications. But after a moment, they found themselves looking Seishuku with rather blank looks.

"Okay, maybe this isn't going to be so easy as I thought..." Masahiro muttered.

"I'm... sure we would notice it if we see it, right?" Tamiko offered. "I mean, modernized technology is usually the most obvious. There might be some communications tower set up or something..."

"If you're going to bring up an idea, Masahiro, try and at least have a good idea of how to accomplish it," Seishuku sighed, his eyes rolling as he turned around to face the one-way window. What interested him was the reunion of the patrolling guards outside, and the renewal of conversation. While at first he thought it to be idle chatter, he couldn't help but raise a hand to the others to beckon them to come closer to hear it.

"Huh? What is..."

Masahiro didn't bother to finish the question as he and Tamiko tentatively moved over to Seishuku's side. They lent the outside their ears as well, picking up the words of the police officers outside.

"...is nothing but a mess. Why would they keep military elements within the Seireitei when they're sending in police units, too? Why aren't they waiting until the situation's all cleared out?"

"They must be real eager to make this place known as secure as soon as possible. They're trying to lessen military involvement as soon as they're sure there's no more threats to worry about, but there are particularly strong concentrations at the more prominent Gotei 13 barracks. Heaviest one I've seen yet is at the 9th Division."

"You mean the place where they're setting up a communications tower? Well, that'd be a bit justifiable, considering it's... well... a communications tower. Wouldn't be surprised if most of the troops guarding that place were of the 43rd Sherman Regiment. Those guys are mean sons of bitches when they need to be..."

"No kidding. I heard that they've actually got more kills on Captain-class opponents than any other division within the I.C.'s military. No special powers or nothing! I mean, just think. If all of the military was like that, we'd be frickin' invincible!"

"Yeah... because then we wouldn't have to worry about the little things like those scraps of the Gotei 13 running around."

"I heard that..."

"So did we," Seishuku spoke with a smile, turning his head over to the others before dropping his smile as he looked thoughtfully, "but that both helps things and complicates things. Taking out the tower won't be the issue. Its the matter of a sufficient distraction to lure away the majority of the security surrounding it..."

Masahiro folded his arms across his chest and looked away from his partners, thinking about it. "I'm sure whatever assault that the resistance members conjure up will do the trick. They'll be aiming for the strategic points of the enemy's stronghold, and the defenses will most likely be concentrated on them instead of us. That should give us ample opportunity to sneak in and do whatever we need to do in order to severe their communication lines."

Tamiko allowed herself to snort a little, looking a bit smug. "See? You didn't believe me when I said it'd be a communications tower, did you? That's what happens when you don't listen to logic."

"Neither of you looked so hot when your friend asked you where that would be, hehe!" Enrico spoke in retort, momentarily laughing before he ducked away from a dagger-filled glare from Seishuku.

"In any case," Seishuku looked towards the window, as he felt an ominous foreboding sensation sweep the atmosphere as a proximate bright light illuminated the alleyway, "the war, has begun..."

The Stoic Stand-Off, Unrelenting Power!
Within the 11th Division's barracks, there would be a storm waiting to brew.

Deep within the nests of what used to be Noriko's residence of office, soldiers outfitted with various type of Kidō armor were stationed and maintaining a steady patrol. Each of them had their own assortment of heavy Kidō weaponry, capable of shredding anyone who wandered carelessly into the zone of occupation. Unlike the police officers that made up the majority of the internal defense, they were much more serious and competent. Rarely did they speak words to one another, and the conversations they carried were usually related to their business.

This was probably one of the toughest defense to breach. But that was why the one sent to deal with it would be one of the most dangerous combatants Hollowity had to offer.

He walked through one of the more empty hallways with a sword in hand and a mask covering his expression. His other hand was in his pocket, almost as if he was taking a stroll. Underneath the Hollow mask that covered his face was a concentrated and cold expression, his eyes sweeping the area constantly for any threats. Thanks to stealth, he had managed to get in undetected. Had it not been for his goal, he would've probably gotten to their center without any trouble. But he knew that he was only a side show to the main part of the invasion, as were his comrades.

He took in a deep breath, exhaling and forcing any nervousness he had within him out of his body. He stopped in front of the door, reaching a hand and pushing on the handle to force it open. The door made a creaking sound, alerting any nearby soldiers to his form when he stepped through. Had it been police officers, they probably would've warned him to stop. But the armored soldiers were much harsher to their opposition, which was emphasized by the radio command of one of them.

"Unknown entity. Terminate imme--"

However, he would not be able to finish his sentence before Senkaku was on him.

SLASH!

With a single swipe of his sword, that particular trooper and his armor was destroyed. The other soldiers widened in shock, as they attempted to raise their own machine guns to destroy the intruder that attacked them. But the man was quicker.

SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE!

Within a matter of seconds, the intruder had swung his sword to cut down each and every one of the heavyset soldiers before they could even pull their triggers, slowly sheathing his sword as the blood from the cuts sprayed from their bodies. They collapsed, leaving pools of crimson in their wake. The intruder didn't spare a word or look back, knowing that there was no point. There was no time to gloat or crow over how weak they had been. There was only time to move forward, if he wanted himself an his comrades to succeed.

Just as he was nearing the next door, he was greeted with a surprise.

WHAM!

The door was kicked open, revealing more soldiers that raised their machine guns. Briefly, the intruder's eyes widened, and he only had time to put his arms in front of his face before they opened fire on him.

RATATATATATATA~

However, as powerful as they would've been to any other individual, the Kidō bullets that assaulted him had virtually no effect. It was all thanks to the immensely strong Hierro that kept them from shredding him, allowing him to keep his ground. As he held his stance against the barrage, he began to summon his spiritual pressure to his aid. The air around him began to billow with a sudden pressurizing thickness, and it wasn't long before the soldiers began to realize what he was doing.

"Oh, shit! Stop firing! Get out of--"

PWOOM!

But it was too late. The man swung his arms out, unleashing a concentrated force of spiritual pressure. The opposition unfortunate enough to get caught directly within was instantly crushed, their bodies torn apart and rendered asunder by the energy. Those who had been hit indirectly were thrown out, slamming into the opposing wall of the next hallway. Those particular ones didn't dare try their luck again, picking themselves up and retreating to a secondary line. As the stranger continued walking, he could hear their radio chatter.

"We've got an intruder! Code Red! Code Red!"

"Who is it?!"

"It's the Tercera of the Espada Afilado! He's coming this way!!"

Underneath the mask, Senkaku couldn't help but smirk. "That's right." He whispered. "I'm going to destroy every last one of you, and there's nothing you can do about it. For the Primera..."

In the distance, the soldiers couldn't help hear a number of explosions and similar cries in the distance. Four different directions of heavily armed sectors were suddenly attacked and without warning. Like distant thunderclaps, brief flashes of light followed by flames and thick, black smoke that rose to the sky indicated the intensity of the various other invaders.

A number of soldiers began to gear up and rush towards the sound of the nearest proximate exploding Spiritual Pressure. As they saw their men crumpled to irrecognizeable chunks of metal and blood, their response was immediate.

"Open fire!"

RA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!

All eight troopers began unleashing a virtual hell of Kidō blasts, all from which were fully automatic weapons. Never knowing the ramifications of their prior bretheren, they fired their red colored projectiles of concentrated slugs of Spiritual Energy towards their target, aiming to make him as irrecognizeable as their comrades appeared to be.

This time, Senkaku didn't throw his arms up. But all the same, the bullets continued to ping off his Hierro. Once again, he didn't stop to gloat or taunt them. Instead, he swung his hand out towards the group when those powerful rounds came close enough, summoning his spiritual pressure once again to his aid. This time, he used it as a concentrated cloud shield, with the bullets stopping in front of him once they got caught in that cloud. With a slight pulling back of his hand and thrust, he sent that rain right back at the troopers that dared to fire on him.

SPLURCH!

The rounds, enhanced by his spiritual energy, tore straight through the defenses of the troops and shredded the group within seconds. As Senkaku lowered his arms, his senses could pick out even more headed his way. "Let them come..." He whispered to himself, reaching up to pick up one of the machine guns dropped. He aimed it at the doorway where reinforcements would storm through, looking down the sights of the weapon. "Let them all come." With that being said, he unleashed the fruit of their own gift against them.

BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM!

Not only were the soldiers being shredded by their highly modified weaponry, but they also ended up firing a few ricochet shots in other directions, causing them and other follow-up infantry to be mowed down with them, causing blood and metal, sparks and flashes of light to emerge from the deafening sounds that cascaded through the military base.

A few of the soldiers, however, believed they had caught him off guard. Moving in from behind, they unsheathed Kidō blades the size and shape of a small gladius, and moved in for the kill. Each one slashed towards a key vital point on the Arrancar's body, hoping to nail him with a single incapacitating blow whereas their bretheren's projectiles did little to no damage to the Tercera Espada.

Senkaku's senses, however, were too quick to step up to the plate.

With two back kicks, he promptly knocked two of them on their backs. Then, he spun around and used the rifle in his hands to parry and ruin the balance over another. Flipping the rifle to one hand, he hurled the weapon at his opponent's head to stun him before grasping his sword with one hand. He drew it out in an iaiado swing, cutting down his hapless enemy within an instant.

SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE!

With a series of elegant twists and flips, he made short work of the others that attempted to flank him. Throughout it all, his masked face was set in intense concentration, even in the face of the shouts of the soldiers.

"We can't stop him!! We have to retreat!!"

"You stay put right where you are!! Failure is not an option!! Keep up the pressure!!"

"We'll die if we keep doing this!! We need more firepower, now!!"

SLICE!

After cutting down another enemy, this was where Senkaku allowed himself to speak. "Yes, you feel it don't you?" He asked, his voice loud and stern. "The fear of an unstoppable force cutting you down as if you were nothing but leaves in the wind. Tell me, did you ever consider the possibility of facing this fear when you were destroying the lives within the Soul Society? Did you ever think that karma would not be gentle on you?" He swung his sword with a violent flourish, slinging the blood off as he glared at his regrouping enemies.

"Well, now it's too late to reconsider or regret. I'm going to slaughter every last one of you until there's no one left standing. I will accept nothing less!"

"You bast--"

PWOOM!

The retort was promptly cut off when another force of spiritual pressure was unleashed, once again crushing his opposition in a mesh of metal and blood. Senkaku glared at it all before continuing to walk, with his sword at his side and his heart full of fire. "Not one of you will be left." He whispered. "I swear it..."

But what would come in retort, would be different from a mere handful of hardened, yet underclassed soldiers or a volley of weapon fire. Instead, what came next was within the camoflauge of the distant reverberations of the handiwork of the other Arrancars' attacks, reaching full force to the Espada's location. Just enough so to distort the sensory output by a small fraction...

SHFT-WHAM!

...just enough so to allow his mask-covered jaw to be slammed by a fist, barreling through the wall with blurring speeds to the observant senses and eyes to even one of the Tercera's caliber. The force thrown would be enough to kick up all corpses, debris, and haplessly dropped weapons and slugs with the wall of the room, enough to shatter and recoil in a surreal moment of absolute poise and sudden destruction.

What would emerge from the smoke, would be all the more surreal in comparison to the troops encountered thus far. Smooth, purposeful crunching footsteps of metalic in nature, revealed a bronze colored armored warrior, bearing semblence to a design from Aether, but with distinctive markings making him appear foreign. With a regal fur-lined black cloak hung over his shoulders and neck, the being spoke in a measured, eloquent tone while still projecting an assured menace to his enemy,

"No...I believe those are the words I should say to you, Tercera Espada Afilado."

"Ngh--!!!"

Needless to say, Senkaku was genuinely shocked.

His body skidded across the floor, his Hierro creating sparks to fly up as he did so. The intense friction was enough to cause his body to stop before it got too far from his assailant, and he was quick to maneuver himself up to a standing position. From the punch, he gripped his sword tightly in one hand, switching his gaze over to the challenger. As he took in the appearance, his eyes narrowed slightly in thought. This one would certainly be no pushover, judging from the stance and the visage alone. This would be his stopping point.

"And so an officer arrives. I was wondering if you'd show up right away or wait until the majority of your forces were decimated." He remarked. "To whom do I owe the honor?"

"Mukuro Sengumō," the armored general announced, speaking in a hallowed reverberation through his intricately designed helmet. Raising his right hand in emphasis, he preformed a "come-on" gesture as he goaded the Arrancar, "show me what you're capable of, Tercera Espada. You've shown to be worthy of my time...for the moment."

The man hadn't bothered to unsheathe his weapon yet, and he was challenging an enemy openly. Senkaku bristled slightly, straightening his stance a little more. "I'm not going to fight an unarmed opponent." He said firmly. "I don't care how strong you may think you are."

"How strong...I think I am?" Clenching his outstretched hand into a fist, Mukuro stared impassively back at Senkaku.

WHAM-BOOOOOM!!!

Within just a mere few seconds, his body crouched down within a singular movement as his hand slammed into the floor of the base. What happened within the impressive strike into the floor, a discharge of black flames were emitted, discharging out and engulfing the entirety of the base's barracks structure, sending out a searing shockwave to launch his opponent out into its courtyard.

"You must be misunderstood. I am no mere grunt sent to deal with a pest. You're the second strongest Espada Afilado, Senkaku Ningensei," Mukuro spoke in a contempted tone, grasping some of the flickering onyx flames and fusing them into a Kiriken blade into his right hand, his feet crunching the rubble as his body emanated an equally vile and powerful aura that distorted the atmosphere all around himself, "I am the Armored Dragon, a position only entrusted by Suna Tekketsu, the First Horseman, for me to dispose of the most critical of threats. If it be may by design or fate that we met this day, I will fight you on my terms," placing his left hand on a draconic-shaped blade on his left hip, in emphasis, "this weapon will only be drawn when your fullest capabilities are revealed to me. Until then, I will not need it to test your basest abilities, Arrancar."

"Hrah!"

This time, Senkaku was quick to act. He pulled his sword back across his chest before swinging it, the metal meeting the shockwave with immense force. The flames flickered violently within the wake of the collision, dissipating into the strong and rapidly fading winds. As he looked up at Mukuro, he couldn't help but scoff a little. "You regard me as the second strongest, and yet you believe that you can beat me only your bare hands?" He questioned rhetorically, wrapping a hand around the wrist of its opposite. "Fine by me."

TCHT!

Upon his mental command, the metal of his weapon ignited with a green flame, creating a torch effect that one could only relate to his trademark Espada Cero. The light from the flame-like energy was bright enough to illuminate Senkaku's visage, making him appear all the more menacing. He slid his free hand up to the hilt of his sword, preparing it for what he knew would be a tough battle.

Boom!

Then, he was in front of Mukuro in a heartbeat. The empowered blade of his sword raced towards the heart of his enemy.

CLANG!

With a perfect parrying blow with his black fire-enraptured Kiriken sword, Mukuro redirected the thrust to his heart to his right, using enough poise and force to allow him the follow-up counterattack with ease. With his left hand moving in a blur, Mukuro grappled Senkaku's sword arm with a nigh unbreakable grip, turning around and using his lunge's momentum to his advantage, as he hurled him head over heels and into the earth, causing an incredible shockwave.

CRACK-BOOM!!!

Simultaneously, he let loose a proximate spell of Raikōhō, causing an immense electrical blast of searing and concussive force to be let loose upon Senkaku's form, creating a powerful fissure of sparking and howling lightning from his palm upon his target. With an obviously red glow emanating behind the black slits of his helm, Mukuro didn't speak or goad, he just ensured that he'd project enough damage to implore the threat he held against him.

"Argh--!!"

Senkaku instinctively shut of his eyes when he felt his back slam into the ground with immense force. His Hierro was enough to stave off what would've otherwise been a crushing grip on his sword wrist, and thus he could keep a grip on his weapon. When he sensed the energies building up for the Raikōhō, his heart increased out of instinctive alarm. The position he in was certainly too vulnerable, and against an enemy like this, he couldn't afford to be weak. He swung two fingers of his free hand to point at Mukuro before the blast could be unleashed.

VWOOM!

A green Cero was unleashed, ripping through the blast. At the point-blank range they were at, the property of heavy energy concentration had the potential of taking off a good portion of Mukuro's torso and ending the fight right then and there.

Ordinarily, any other opponent would be alarmed at the swifter gesture and the unleashed force that would render any other entity into many awry pieces. Mukuro, unlike his compatriots, wasn't an ordinary enemy that Senkaku has fought. As the emerald glow continue to discharge, a blinding aura of golden light appeared within the epicenter of contact of Mukuro's body.

SSSSSSSSSHK!

A golden hand pushed forth through the emerald wafting energies, grasping Senkaku's fingers, forcefully bending it with a violent movement backwards in an attempt to break the joints and bone, bypassing the annoyance that Senkaku's Hierro presented. Behind the emerald light, a pair of glowing red eyes glared upon him as his right hand speared through and aimed to thrust his black-enflamed Kiriken blade to stab into Senkaku's Hollow hole from a directed angle to deal some damage.

One hand holding the wrist of his sword hand.

Another hand, generated from the very armor that Mukuro had on.

And yet another one, aiming for the Hollow hole just below his sternum and hidden within his clothing.

Senkaku was baffled. Not only did this man quell a concentrated Cero at point-blank range, but he had also made it so that escape was next to impossible. As he saw the Kiriken blade move towards his Hollow hole, he clenched his teeth. His narrowed eyes widened a little, pupils shrinking. All of it would be hidden underneath that mask, of course. But it wouldn't be hidden from the tone he took when he spoke again.

"Get off me!!"

With that roar, he quickly swung his legs so that they were at chest-level, his feet aimed at the spot just below the center of Mukuro's body. Within that split-second, he thrust his feet just as the Kiriken blade stabbed through his shirt and his Hollow hole. Mukuro would receive no purchase from his chosen target. Senkaku, however, would.

CLANG!

His sandaled feet connected with the metal of Mukuro's armor, sending him off of the trapped combatant and causing him to fly away. With a flip and twist, he threw himself at his involuntarily retreating adversary with renewed vigor. His sword ignited once again, and he swung it in a flurry of attacks once he was close enough.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Mukuro responded in kind, only briefly stunned from the force used to propel his person away from the target, by his enemy. Once Senkaku blindingly charged to follow-up his attacks, he'd be greeted by peculiar sight. A golden armored limb jutting out at an angle from his shoulder, past his cloak, in addition to his normal limbs. Despite taking the full brunt of the attack, only the cloak itself bore a singed appearance and even that appeared to be abnormal.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

His sword arm repelled the blasts with equal intensity, causing a superheated wave of pressure to crack and shift the atmosphere around them, cracking and rattling the landscape around them, as the two moved at incredible speeds to retaliate each other. Mukuro found an opening within the flurry of attacks, as his third arm reached out discharged a wide area discharge of Haien-infused Nenshō flames towards his unguarded area. Simultaneously, Mukuro swung his left arm around, and emitted a hyper-condensed Spiritual Energy beam, in the emphasis of a cutting laser, attempting to blindside him from the last attack, if his parrying didn't occupy him enough, or his black flames failed.

Because the attacks were unleashed at the same time, there was much easier room for Senkaku to evade the attacks.

With a boost of his legs, he hurled himself over his opponent in an acrobatic front-flip. Once he landed on his feet, he twisted himself around in a pivot in order to strike at Mukuro's back. The flames around his blade brightened, the energy increasing in potency to the point where the Kiriken blade itself would be sliced in two pieces. It was a property of the Espada Cero to increase the overall sharpness and cutting potential of the blade at the user's will. His aim would be at the arm construct, his focus on the one thing that could cause him problems later on.

"Hmph..."

CLANG!

Within the instant that his adversary hurtled over his reach, he knew what he would aim first, having witnessed the true integrity and resilience of his armor. As he would pivot, Mukuro summoned a blade to his other hand and another to his third arm, forming three black flaming Kiriken blades at his beckoning. With excelling footwork, he evaded the slash of his enemy by preforming a deft diagonal body spin, as he held his three blades close to his form...

VWHOOSH!

...before spinning at a blinding pace towards Senkaku, spinning the blades in a whirling slash of poised, harnessed release of cutting and spiritual power, discharging a wafting fissure of black flames and shredding force upon Senkaku's entire form, sending a crack into the landscape for a square mile with ease.

"Ryūkuroi Kenhane!"

This next move would require precise timing on Senkaku's part.

His eyes narrowed, and he lifted his blade over his head. It was the initiation of an overhead strike, one that would split his opponent straight down the middle. He only had a short time period time to do it due to the speed Mukuro was bearing down on him at, and anything less would risk him. He only had a second to wait before his enemy came close enough. He swung down with all of his mind, releasing the pent-up energy within his blade upon contact.

The results would be devastating.

BOOM!

The power unleashed by the force of the strike was not only enough to make the earth buckle underneath Mukuro's position and create a small crater, but it also caused a bright pillar of energy to materialize and stretch towards the sky. It consumed a moderately large radius, bathing the area within its green brilliance. The energy generated would have torn apart and completely destroyed anything unfortunate enough to get caught within it, even turning to earth underneath it into glass.

The base had all but been obliterated. With nothing but a large crack within the earth and a deepened crater of glass-like properties, steaming and sparking from the two elements that had caused its formation, it looked as if no form of life had been spared. But then, hovering in place was none other than Mukuro himself, projecting an immense Spiritual Pressure while having two arms crossed over his chest, while two arms gripping two Kiriken blades.

"Most impressive, Tercera Espada," Mukuro spoke in a booming voice, his armor glowing golden and unmarred by the collescing destructive forces of their prior clash, "you have an accomplished amount of power and skill in just your sealed state. Truly a warrior of renown and worthy of my respect. I may have to draw my sword to meet you head-on...eventually..."

"Not even a scratch?!" Senkaku clenched his teeth, the grip on his sword unconsciously tightening. Despite his effort, there had been nothing done to the armor that protected his enemy's form. Frustration was starting to bloom within him, but he knew better than to let it become prominent. At this rate, the fight would become nothing but a stalemate. He knew that he needed to turn the tables if he wanted to win this fight. But he had to think about his approach...

"Respect?" He repeated, almost as if the word was a disease. "If you still refuse to draw the sword on your hilt, then you obviously consider me to be beneath you. Don't say words you clearly do not mean, Dragon..."

Tap-Clink!

With a swift use of Flash Step, Mukuro lands on the glassed landscape but a few meters distance from Senkaku. Mukuro stares at him impassively, and tries to convey his emotions through his words, knowing the masked Arrancar wouldn't be able to see it himself, "You doubt my sincerity? When I draw my blade, I aim to kill, not exchange blows to test the abilities of an enemy. But if you truly desire to see my weapon unsheathed," Mukuro emphasized with his right hand slowly and methodically grasping the draconic hilt, causing what looked like jaws to unhinge from the scabbard, allowing the elegantly crafted blade to slide in a smooth manner, as Mukuro stared him down, "then you shall have it...!"

SHIIIIINK!

BOOOM!

With a simple exertion of unsheathing his blade to the side, the glassed floor of their battlefield became shattered once more, sending a billowing shockwave from the mere flick of his wrist and the hefting weight of his weapon. Radiating a silver-black spiritual power, Mukuro became synchronized in releasing his own Spiritual Power with his weapon drawn, causing his extra limbs to dissipate and resume a two-armed stance once more.

"So he was testing me, just like she did." Senkaku thought to himself, tensing his muscles slightly at the shockwave that was sent through the area. The pulses from the power he was emitting signaled a much harder battle, and he knew that this time, there would be no holding back. He flourished his sword in a readying position, holding it at his side while looking at his enemy. "Death in the battlefield is the greatest gift that warriors will ever achieve. Anything less is an insult! If you really wish to show your respect, then no more games! Here, we fight!"

A Personal Fight, Honor and Obsession Clash!
VMMMMMMMM!!!

"Th-This Spiritual Pressure...Senkaku-san's battle is transcending all of ours combined. He must be handling somebody important if that's the case," Lobo thought, as he felt the tremors of the Spiritual Pressure and far-off explosions within the Seireitei's formerly 11th Division Barracks. He himself was in the midst of ruins within the 7th Division's Barracks, reformatted by the Inner Circle as a special close quarters batallion of soldiers to deal with enemies such as Arrancars or Soul Reapers.

Sadly, from the number of bodies and ashes he beheld from his own efforts, he had yet to see a true threat.

"H-He's too strong!" One of the squadsmen, a man garbed in black armor that had been partially shattered and cut by strafing strikes by Lobo's attacks, wheezed out by the remaining dozen or so soldiers.

"And he's one of the weaker Espada Afilado?! How are we to hope to stop him?!"

"We have to hold the line! There's no other option!"

"Isn't there?"

Among the panicked voice of the soldiers, a lone, collected and almost chipper voice rang within the atmosphere. Among the struggling combatants, a lone figure walked through their ranks with the casual attitude of someone taking a stroll. As it came closer, the details of a blue-haired woman could be seen approaching the area where Lobo was. She wore a dress coat and a Russian Cossack hat - something that was very out of place in accordance to the uniforms and armor that the other combatants wore. What was also out of place was the pleasant smile and the gleam in her eyes, almost as if she was happy to be within this area.

"It's good that you know you're being a sore loser if you run away." She commended the fighting soldiers. "But now, after seeing you have so much fun with this one, I think it's time that I stepped in for a turn of my own. Your work is done here."

"Y-Yes Lady Manami! Forgive us-"

"Let's just get the Hell out of here!" One of the soldiers grabs the stuttering comrade and they move as quickly as their exhausted and wounded forms could carry them. This making the ruined and battle scarred barracks completly vacated with the exception of the two combatants.

"Hm?" Lobo turned his attention to the newcomer. After a brief use of his Pesquisa, Lobo discovered that the woman had an effective restraint upon any form of exertion of her own Spiritual Pressure. But the way she held herself when moving through the soldiers and the way they treated her with respect, was definitely one as a superior, "I see that you must be a superior of theirs. What rank do you possess within the Inner Circle, if I may ask?"

As Manami turned to look at the Arrancar, her smile briefly widened a little. "I hold the rank of a Dragon, to be exact." She said readily, taking a look down at herself. "Yeah, I know I don't look the part compared to," She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Oh, I don't know, Mukuro or maybe even Yashin-sama for that matter. But regardless, what you see before you is one of the right hands of the Inner Circle's heads. It's very nice to meet your acquaintance, Lobo de Norte..."

"Likewise," Lobo couldn't help but smile at such a courteous being, even though she held a position he loathed. IN any other circumstance, he knew he would find her as fetching as Rukia Kuchiki, for retaining such a positive outlook in a dark atmosphere surrounding them. But at the mentioning of Yashin's name, he felt a slight pang of anger well within him, "its unfortunate to say this, but I am not here to exchange pleasantries. I'm here on behalf of the Hollowity as an ally of the Soul Society you occupy. If you don't forfeit and leave now, I'll have no choice but to kill you, Manami-dono."

At this, Manami began to idly sway from her heel to toe as she looked at Lobo with curious thought, the smile fading from her face. She had her hands folded behind her back, not yet moving to pull out the Zanpakutō sheathed on her waist. "Well, if it helps," She said casually. "I'm not here to be friends, either. My superiors gave me the order of holding down my position until the enemy's forces were crushed. In fact, I was supposed to be fighting and trying to kill you a minute ago. But, considering I'm facing such a nice and considerable guy, I'm willing to put that bit aside..."

She tilted her head to the side.

"...if you turn and walk away right now. I won't call you a chicken if you did just that. But if you stay, I can't promise what will happen to you."

Lobo's glowing eyes shrunk behind his partial mask. He couldn't help but pity the woman. She had a good heart, but her prowess as a warrior and her command within her organization allowed her to be within such a responsible position. He wished not to fight her, but if he left, someone else might...

"Don't disgrace yourself and the position you bear!" Lobo raised his voice suddenly, raising his blade pointedly towards Manami, "I will not have someone bearing the title of Dragon put on such a mockery before me! You, a person who's on the same plane as that monster, Yashin Shiyōnin, shouldn't display such kindness to me! Drop your act and draw your sword!"

This time, Manami's eyes widened in surprise as she picked out the one word associated with her colleague.

Monster.

That seemed to be enough to make her optimistic demeanor switch to shock before slowly fading to restrained resentment. She placed one hand on the scabbard and the other on her hilt. "Sounds like someone's a bit too serious for his own good." She said, slowly drawing out her weapon. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to throw such nasty words out to other people like that?" As she fully pulled out her katana, she briefly looked over at its cutting edge as if making sure everything was in order. As she looked back up at Lobo, she smiled once again. But this time, malicious intent was clear.

"Oh, that's right. You don't have a mother."

Woosh!

Then, with a Flash Step, she was in front of him. Her blade was swung, the cutting edge on a path of decapitating him.

Lobo's eye widened considerably at the sudden scale of malevolence projected from Manami. Barely able to swing his blade up into a parrying blow, a mighty spike of air pressure blasted any loose rubble and cracked what standing construct was left around them. With sparks raining across the ground, Lobo made sure to make ample opportunity to fight head-on against her without remorse. She wasn't worth an ounce of his restraint, so he would have none...

SNAP!

Grasping onto her free hand, he swifly bent his body forward, slipping a foot between her thighs to have his right heel rest onto hers. Pulling her forward, he swung his grappling arm's elbow with immense force to aim for her neck, intending on killing her in one fell swoop while keeping her weapon at bay with his own sword-lock weapon.

With all of the complex moves made to trap and counter, all Manami had to do was perform a single movement.

WOOSH!

With another Flash Step, she managed to slip out of his grasp and re-appear a distance away. After her form reappeared, she raised her free hand and wagged a finger at him. She spun her sword around in her other hand, the blade whirling around like a pinwheel in her grasp. "Ah ah ah~..." She chided. "Keep that up and people might start thinking something's up..."

"I don't know what you're insinuating, Manami-san..."

BZZT!

"...but I always move close into my opponent's space for the kill!" Lobo spoke in finality after preforming a swift Sonido, his body shimmering out of view and sensation before reappearing just above Manami's person. Swinging down his blade with effiecient power and force, a blue-white blade of energy extended along the cutting edge of his attack, smashing into the earth to create a geyser of compressed air pressure and blast away the landscape from which Manami stood upon.

"La Guillotina Ejercicio!"

BOOM!

With a simple sidestep and extremely careful positioning, Manami avoided the devastating strike that seemingly collapsed the very earth underneath their feet. As her blue hair billowed in the immense winds, the excitement on her face could've never been clearer. "Oh, he has a lot of energy, doesn't he?" She thought to herself, grasping the hilt of her sword with two hands and raising it over her head. "Good. Maybe this won't be so boring after all.."

Woosh!

She unleashed her own counter-attack, swinging her sword down towards his head in an attempt to split him down the middle.

SSSHRK!

At first, a dazed and bloodied Lobo had appeared to be perfectly bisected by the attack, as the producing pressure wave that gave way made an ear-popping detonation that would be heard throughout the city block. However, a quick disintegration and buzzing of two additional movements would indicate otherwise.

BZZT-BZZT-BZZT-BZZT...!

With two Sonido Clones moving in for the kill with a series of rapidly phasing-in-and-out maneuvers to disorient Manami visually, as they would attempt to take her by surprise by either of her flanks with perfectly coordinated slashes towards either side of the enemy.

However, this was all but a feigning tactic, as Lobo had dampened his Spiritual Pressure to all but zero output as he readied his stance directly behind Manami by a good five meters. When the Sonido Clones would come within her range, he reared back his sword arm while in a particular stance...and unleash hell!

SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK...!

With a series of hyper-thrusted movements of his sword arm, a series of wolf-headed shaped thrusts of piercing and shredding blasts from his precise aim to cover the entirety of Manami's flanks, both on the ground and the air above, to ensure maximum coverage area. The blasts that would leave in its wake, would crush and reduce a good quarter of the city block into blasted ruins and echo with the howls and growls of a ferocious wolf pack in its aftermath.

"Manada de lobos Estocada!"

SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE!

As Manami dismissed the clones, she swiftly turned onto her heel to see the projectiles shoot at her form. As she kept her sword within its two-handed grip, she raised her blade again in order to counteract the ferocious assault. Time seemed to slow down as she moved, with nothing form her blade visible aside from the constant flashes that occurred every time it connected with a projectile. Some of them would even deflect back at Lobo - a testament of both her own masterful swordsmanship and energy control.

Then, she herself would attack.

WOOSH!

She kept up her furious sword barrage even as she attacked him once more, striking at him with speed that rendered her weapon and her hands to near invisibility. She wanted to push him back, shatter his defenses and destroy him. The smile on her face was enough to convey her desires, despite its outward pleasantry and mirth.

"She's skilled all factors I have: swordsmanship, close quarters combat, and manipulating the flow of foreign spirit energy. This woman is a fierce opponent for sure..."

Lobo thought as he parried away his own blasts with well placed slashes and thrusts. But it was only short lived, as Manami pressed her advantage by sending a rapid barrage of attacks to hammer at his defenses, causing his body to shimmer back and forth, while his heels grinded and spun around the ashen, broken earth around them.

To upset the balance of her attacks, he decided to take a risk.

Instead of making a formal parry to a series of slashes, he swung out his free hand...

VRRRRBLAAAAM!

...and fired a rapidly-charged Cero he had been holding back while upon the defensive. The massive crimson arc was enough to shake the atmosphere within the confines of their battlefield, as it would slam through several distant buildings before finally exploding in its aftermath. The close quarters proximity to it wouldn't have the affect as he would hope, but he hoped it would deter her from making a berserk lunge at his proximity and allow him time to work a strategy against her tenacious mindset.

SLICE!

With a sweep of her sword, Manami sliced the beam of energy before it could begin to be launched offensively. The released energy, diverted and out of control, was enough to destroy the surrounding area more than anything else. But in addition, her blade would cut through his hand as well. She would not pause, twisting herself around in a pivot.

THUMP!

One of her legs lifted as she spun, and her boot connected with Lobo's face. The force was enough to send him flying away. As she slowly lowered it, she placed a free hand on her hip and lowered her sword to a more neutral position. "You're fun!" She commented. "I don't think I've started enjoying myself so much for a good while. And to think that you're only the Novena of the Espada..."

"Ngh!"

Lobo couldn't believe how much he was being pressured by his adversary. His eyes widened when he felt the shallow cut cut across his extended palm from the blade that cut through his Cero so easily. Following up the kick he unexpectedly saw crossing over and piercing past his perception and kicking him square in the jaw, sending sparks and a flick of blood to fly into the air. His body corkscrewed, only saved from being slammed into distant rubble piles by slamming his sword's edge into the earth, grinding him to a halt and back upright onto his feet.

Staring at her cooly, he reevaluated his approach to her. Outward appearances suggested that this was all a game, and that he was the first to actually push her to such extremes. Or she still had quite a bit skill yet to show off, and he hadn't pushed her hard enough. Looking at his bloodied palm, a thought occured to him, of something he had yet to try out.

"You're quite the opponent, for sure. I believe you might be as strong as she  is," Lobo spoke solemnly, standing firmly towards Manami, clenching his left hand into a tight fist. Taking his left hand to raise it above a parallel-aligned blade, drawing his palm across its surface in a slow, deliberate manner as he spoke stoically, "I didn't think I'd have to resort to this technique, but I believe approaching you any other way will be countered with equal vigor or with greater skill than I possess..."

C-C-C-C-CRAAAAAACK-HSSSSSSSS!

After thoroughly wrapping his own blood onto the surface of his blade, a vibrant blue energy began to crack and hum violently along its surface. The energies began to emanate such a disorienting Spiritual Pressure, that the entire square kilometer shook and quaked from its existance being birthed upon the aura that shined upon Lobo's weapon.

"Gran Rey Espada Cero!" Lobo declared out, as the atmosphere shifted and cracked with intensity, his hat barely holding onto his flourishing hair of dreadlocks, and his cloak flapping from being at the epicenter of such power, "this is my personal weapon as being a part of the Espada Afilado! There is none among my bretheren who can wield this power..."

BZZZT-SMASH!

"...and I will end you with it!" Lobo declared aloud, as his blade swung down towards her position after a swift employment of Sonido, aiming to bisect her with a single blow. The aftermath itself would annihilate a great deal of the landscape, almost appearing as if the spacial fabric would warp and implode from the chaotic energies slashing through its surface.

"Oooh..."

To the fighter who attacked her, the attack created was certainly a beautiful one. She watched in awe as he appeared before her, the brilliant blue light shining on her face. Even as she raised her blade up to meet his own, her amazed smile didn't fade from her face.

POW!

She could feel the very power generated from the Cero as its energy sprayed sporadically from the collision point of the two weapons. Although she had to place a foot behind her in order to ensure that she wouldn't get shoved back by the initial pressure, the only signs of movement she was showing was her fighting against him in the blade lock that they were in. She managed a chuckle. "If only you had shown such devotion in winning at Hueco Mundo..."

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Oh, yeah. Our allies were so kind to tell us about what exactly happened back when Empresa fell. One of the soldiers under your command was so convinced that you were going to show back up to save them. I only wish that I could have seen the look on his face when he found out you had ran away to that Kuchiki girl..."

Instead of wavering Lobo's spirit, however, this seemed to have an opposite effect.

"SILENCE!!!!"

SSSSSHEEEEOOOOW!!!

Lobo snarled out, his blade lighting up dramatically, before discharging a tendril of chaotic Spiritual Power into her form, intending on shattering her Zanpakutō and dealing some damage, if not send her flailing back across the landscape entirely, "I make no apologies for my actions. I know the wrongs I committed and the reasonings I've discerned were flawed. But make no mistake...you aren't one to speak foul of me when you have done nothing but side with those of monsters! How can you dare to smile at me when you're as foul as the ash that has laid waste to my homeland?!"

"Gack--!"

Manami's eyes briefly widened as she felt the spark of energy course through her. She let out a brief, shuddering gasp before her back bent a little. She found herself being pushed harder as she fought against his immense strength, her spiritual pressure beginning to billow in order to counter it. But her shock would only last for a brief moment before she started smiling again and even chuckling.

"I make no apologies for my actions." She said, blatantly repeating his words. "I know the wrongs I committed and the reasoning I've carried were flawed. But make no mistake, you aren't one to speak foul of me when you've done nothing but side with monsters. How can you dare to scowl at me when you're as foul as the ash that has laid waste to my homeland?"

Then, she started pushing. Bit by bit, she forced herself back into her former position, pressing weight against the blade lock. Even in the bright light, she never turned her gaze away. "See what I did there? The only real difference between us is that I'm a woman and you're a man. Other than that, we're both playing the same game, fighting for control and dominion. Why else would your Primera seek to ally themselves with the very same people who almost brought them to extinction years ago? Why would they ally themselves with criminals and bounty hunters? It's because they're frightened, desperate and will do anything to be at the top of the food chain." Her eyes widened a little more.

"So, tell me..."

Then, she did the unthinkable.

Bringing one of her hands to his sword, she grasped at the energy of the Cero and began to close her fingers around it. It was a strenuous thing to do, judging from the slight convulsions of her hand. But, little by little, she had begun to close her palm around the blade and forcibly suppressing the blade. Little by little, the bright light began to fade away and disappear. Eventually, Manami's hand closed around the blade, and the slight smell of burning flesh could be picked up. She yanked the blade downwards to make Lobo fall off balance before raising her sword over her head.

"Do you feel like a hero?"

Then, she swung down.

Skrt!

CLANG!

Within the pulling movement, Lobo skirted forward and extended his foot to steady himself. As the blade came down towards him, he swung up his free hand and blocked it with the back of his own skin, strengthening his Hierro enough to only shed superficial skin. The effect was a shower of sparks, along with the fractional cut that shed a small amount of blood, coating the surface of impact effectively.

Without looking up, he spoke in an incredulous tone,

"Hero? You must have me mistaken for a fictitious character from your fairy tails, little girl," Lobo spoke lowly, as he let the blood run over his fist his face looked up at her with an unnerving menace he had rarely projected. The sheer bloodlust and rage began to wrap around his body like a mantle of blood and death, as his body's Spiritual Pressure spiked and shook around the atmosphere, nauteously before Manami, "I am an Arrancar. I strike fear into the hearts of any Soul Reaper foolish enough to make me lose my temper. In fact, I quite loathe your kind. You embody everything I know that Soul Reapers that possess evil within, and how they would misuse their powers of death..."

WHRRRRRRRR-CR-CR-CRK!

"...and I will purge any filth that dares call themselves of a higher plane of deity, than Hollowity..."

SSSSSHEEEEEOOOOOW!

"...ESPECIALLY YOU, MANAMI!!!!"

Within a single moment, Lobo charged a Gran Rey Cero directly around his left fist, still bracing back Manami's Zanpakutō and swung it upwards, releasing the violent and chaotic razor-shaped Cero with the clear intent of blasting into Manami and making contact, with the result of a violent spacial-rendering explosion.

"!"

Manami's eyes widened, but this time, her shock would hinder her.

She barely had enough time to Flash Step away when the Gran Rey Cero hit, its blue light once again enveloping the area. In its brilliance, Manami's form seemed to have been consumed within. The Russian hat that she had worn could be seen blowing away in the intense winds - an immediate indication that Lobo had finished the fight early.

But when, Manami's form appeared a distance away, it was clear that was not the case.

Even so, the last attack had left its own reward. Her sword arm was now smoking and burnt with third degree burns across its form. Part of her clothing had been caught, exposing minimal parts of her skin. Even so, she kept a smile on her face as she looked at her enemy. As the wind billowed between the two, she couldn't help but laugh a little. "Look who's calling me a monster now." She said, lightly shrugging her shoulders. "This game'll never end..." She pointed the blade once again at Lobo, raising her other hand in a "come on" motion.

"C'mon! Show me how much fear you can strike into me, Arrancar!!"

Raising his blade, he inverted the grip to point downwards as he stared at her across the wide crater of crackling energies, speaking aloud in a declarative chant,

"Howl In the Frozen Wastes..."

VVVRRRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!

Within a large burst of Spiritual Power, a column of blue-black Spiritual Power slammed into the earth and expanded, sending concussive waves of air pressure that billowed across the landscape. Within the wake of such incredible Spiritual Pressure, the temperature dropped significantly. The air that was once stiflingly hot from the expense of so many violent explosions began to freeze over. A howling wind billowed outwards and dissipated the column of ferocious spiritual energy cloaking a now crouched over Lobo.

Rising from his all-fours stance, Lobo stood tall and looked stoically at her with his new form. Wearing what appears to be tuffs of black fur that is interweaved with obsidian armor, with a pair of forearm claw-blades with black gaunts with armored claws over them as well. His chest has magnificently crafted appearance of black metal with black fur interweaved in between each of the crevices, going for the same as his back. Going down to his legs, he has a set of black fur around his waist with a black metalic cuirass, leading down to thigh and shin armor that also had tuffs of black fur around it, leading down to menacing fur-laced metalic boots. He has twin black fur pauldrons that portrudes two spikes moving at a 90 degree angle from the sides. For his face, he bears no semblence of a Hollow mask, but has a more bestial pair of eyes with red eyes with slit irises, wearing a fur-laced cowl with a pair of wolf-like ears.

"...Fenrir," Lobo spoke in a lower voice, his face now revealed with a human appearance, with his complexion intact but with a set of fangs and more dangerous, predatorial appearance, "this is my truest form and my ultimate power, Manami. This is what true despair..."

SHFT!

SHINK!

"...looks like!" he finished, as his body moved at such blinding speeds as his form swung out in an impaling move, with his obsidian armored gauntlet shaped into a knifehand strike towards her chest. With even the slightest scratch, her blood would instantly freeze and begin to numb any point of physical contact, if not tear her to shreds from the sheer physical force behind its movement.

CLANG!

His gauntlet would meet her blade, and as she felt his energy and a chill shoot down her spine, her eyes widened briefly. Lobo might as well have been wielding a one-shot-kill weapon against her now, as any direct physical contact with him would most likely result in the blood in her veins being frozen. Any more grapples or CQC moves as she had done before was suicidal now. Luckily for her, she saw it as more of a challenge than anything else. A gleeful laugh, almost devoid of sanity and filled with anticipation towards the battle ahead, escaped her lips as she clashed with him once more.

Mute, Deaf, and Blind: Silencing the Tower!
BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

"Sir! There are four known intruders engaging our forces and two of our generals on all corners of the Soul Society! We must send what forces we have here to aid them in any way possible!"

"Dammit! How did the Rebels get through our defenses so easily?!"

"We're not sure sir! We believe it might be Space/Time Kidō, same method they used to extract most of the populace and wounded soldiers during the invasion!"

"Alright...we're leaving three dozen men here, and sending the rest to reinforce perimeters. If the Dragons are in combat with the enemy, establish a wide perimeter outside of their range. If at all possible, eliminate the enemy when its clear they're exhausted. Understood?!"

"Yes sir!"

Within a matter of minutes after the deafening explosions, disorienting spiritual pressure, and shockwaves rocked the Soul Society, Inner Circle troops were being rallied around the points of incursion. Not only were they to establish a wide, heavily enforced line behind the enemy's point of attack, but they were to reinforce key points of defense and the like. Currently, the communications array was the farthest away from the battle, so its defense was halved to help aid other hot spots.

Unfortunately, just as forty heavily armed IC troopers left by vehicles and other forms of rapid transit, three stealth-enraptured Lieutenants were coming into the base's perimeter. Seishuku taking the lead, grasped his Zanpakutō and usheathed it deftly, noting that the defenses were indeed significantly lighter, "I'll take the guards out within the courtyard. You go into the hub station itself and eliminate any forces there. I'll make sure to be discreet so as not to alert anyone else..."

SHFT!

Within an immediate movement after declaring their objectives, Seishuku unsheathed his blade and thrusted his blade through the first guard, stabbing him through the heart, making his death painless and silent. Wrenching his blade from the bloodied torso of the falling soldier, he moved in and began to take one after another by surprise. A few managed to catch eyesight of his approaching form but were unable to fire their weapons as he launched himself upon them.

With a motion of his hand, Masahiro allowed himself to take lead.

Woosh!

Without hesitation, they used a Flash Step to carry themselves to the entrance of the hub station and quickly ran inside. As she followed, Tamiko couldn't help but spare a glance behind her. "Wonder if those guys were the 43rd those guards were talking about..." She muttered.

"We would be so lucky." Masahiro rolled his eyes slightly. "They said that the 43rd were capable of killing Captain-class targets. Lower-class opponents like us most likely wouldn't have got the advantage if the 43rd were actually stationed here. At the very least, these must be the more commonplace." It wasn't long before he began to slow down, taking a position behind double-doors. "Hold up, I think we're at the hub station."

As Tamiko moved behind him, she could pick up the trading of radio chatter and reports behind the doors. "Sounds like a mess in there." She whispered. "How are we gonna do this?"

"I'll take this door. You take the other." Masahiro explained, reaching up with one hand to grasp the door handle. His other hand was raised up, having his Zanpakutō's razor wire form prepared. "We each take our own respective side. Open the door quietly, then dispatch them. On the count of three. One..." His hand gripped the door handle tightly. "Two..."

At this, Tamiko reached over to grab her own door handle and keep a hand on her on hilt. She took in a deep breath, sweat beading down her face as she waited for the final number to be counted. Those brief seconds never felt so long.

"Three."

Slowly, they pushed the doors open and wormed their way inside. Then..

Woosh!

SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE!

The operators of the communications were quickly silenced by the coordination of the two Lieutenants. It only took a few seconds before all of them had been given killing blows. Their assailants re-appeared at the center, sheathing their blades as their bodies collapsed on the ground. Tamiko took in another deeep breath, giving a brief nod over to her partner. "Well... at least that was easier than I thought it would be. I thought their security would've been heavier here, of all places..."

Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap!

"Not bad getting in here, Lieutenants," A smooth, chilling voice spoke from the doorway they just came through. What they would see would be a black, spikey haired man with pale skin, black lips, and a white braid running down his shoulder over custom-woven sleeveless jacket and cargo pants with black boots. While he looked defenseless, he radiated an eery bloodlust and menace just from his mere eyes locking onto theirs, "it took us awhile to track you down, but we finally found the perfect location to set the trap. Thanks for springing it, by the way..."

"What the--!!"

The two Lieutenants immediately spun around to see the one who confrontation, with their hands preparing their weapons once again. Their eyes were immediately alight with trepidation as they looked at the newcomer, their senses picking up the malevolence radiating from him. While Masahiro narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth slightly, Tamiko held a pensive expression while a bead of sweat fell down her face. This was clearly no mook that had been sent in.

"Must've been a rather pitiful trap if it allowed us to walk right into your control room unhindered." Masahiro remarked coldly, lifting a hand towards the surveillance panels. "Move back, right now."

"Or what?" Fuhai asked aloud in an amused tone, taking a slow deliberate step forward as his eyes glowed a red, malicious hue as his smile grew ever so wider, "did you actually think we'd leave such an important facility so unguarded? Do you even believe you're in the right room to scramble the entirety of our communications? I don't believe...you even know...where you really are!"

It was then that something very eery transpired. What used to be a simple doorway they had walked into was now a seamless wall, with no decorations or enamorings to show a hastily patch job. It was like the room never had a doorway to begin with. Even the controls themselve seemed to be covered in cobwebs, and the corpses around them seemed to be rotting at an accelerating rate, projecting a foul stench in the air.

All the while Fuhai drew closer and closer to them...with an unholy aura of dark spiritual pressure projecting from his body and a aura of black-violet energy enrapturing his body, his red eyes gleaming with sadistic hunger for their pain and anguish.

"!!!"

Masahiro's widened in alarm as he saw the settings change. Involuntarily, he took a step back as he took in the cobwebs around the controls and the doorway they had stepped through vanish. His nose burned from the stench of the rotting corpses that they had created, wrinkling in slight disgust. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tamiko look a bit more sickened by the display, a free hand to her mouth in an attempt to cover up the stench. He couldn't help but wonder just how well Seishuku was faring now that they had walked straight into this bit of trouble.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he glared daggers at the approaching enemy.

"That's as far as you go!"

When the fingers curled and bent themselves in a rhythmic and cryptic fashion, a multitude of wires surrounded and closed in on Fuhai's form.

Fuhai didn't even register the incoming wires that were aimed to constrict around his body. Once making contact, the man's body began to be cut and bleed easily, profusing what seemed to be an impossible volume into the air. Spinning and twirling, the innards became blood and the blood then reformed and returned his body into normalcy, as if the wires never touched him.

"You're in no position to bargain here," Fuhai's smile lightened, seeing that they were insistant on resisting. Raising his left hand for inspection, as if caring what dirt may be within his nails. Then, with a backhand wave of his free right hand...

BOOM!

...a force of Spiritual Power discharged in a transparent, kinetic strike towards Tamiko's person, purposely avoiding a direct strike to Masahiro, as a sadistic grin came onto his face. Not even bothering to make eye contact with Mashairo, he continued, "you're trapped like rats in my little maze. I suggest you drop the tough guy act if you want to see the light of day again...or I can torture you for my amusement. Or her," looking towards Tamiko's direction, he let his tongue lick slowly and suggestively over his thick, black lips, "yes, I think it will be more fun hearing her scream and feeling her skin come off, don't you think?!"

"Wha--"

Courtesy of the stench that permeated her nostrils, Tamiko was a little bit too unfocused in order to act in time. Her eyes widened as she felt the tremor of energy that approached her, but all she could do was swing her arm up in a meager defense when it hit. She let out a sharp yell as she was thrown back, her back slamming into the buttons and levers of the warn down controls. It didn't help that some of them were a bit too pointy and stabby for her taste.

As she was briefly hunched over, her ears picked up the words that the man was speaking to her partner. She gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing in clear anger. "You're sick!" She shouted, quickly drawing her sword from its sheath. "Scum like you should never even have been brought into existence in the first place!" She lifted her sword to point at him. "You wanna torture someone? You're going to have to bring us down for that!"

"If we don't kill you, of course..." Masahiro added darkly, holding his hands at a close level with one another. The razor wire that made up his Zanpakutō was entwined and wrapped around his hands cat's cradle style, ready to be unleashed once more. But inwardly, he was making calculations. That reformation alone was enough to indicate that maybe the area around them was nothing more than an illusion, and that they really were standing in the communications room.

But how exactly would they shatter it, if that was the case...?

"You shouldn't be worried about killing me," Fuhai spoke cryptically, as he gestured with his right hand to their flanks, "when those you've already killed are your biggest concern..."

And what happened would be horrifying.

Groaning and moaning out dark growls, the bodies of the IC soldiers they just killed began lashing out in vicious thrusts towards their newly found targets. What used to be decaying, rotting flesh was now an array of mobile puppets, and all began to charge at them with drawn weapons and their own undead hands as they aimed to strike them down with their sheer numbers and proximity.

All the while, Fuhai smiled widely as his eyes widened with joy at the sight, "That's right! Claw them up and feast on their living flesh! After all, they robbed you of your lives without an afterthought, so why should you care about taking theirs with you?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Ah...Ah...!"

The irises and pupils of Tamiko's eyes shrunk as she saw the zombies approach her. It wasn't because of the fact that this was a case of undead attacking her (although that did disturb her somewhat). As she stared at them, flashes of earlier memory came into mind. She saw her own teammates, malformed and mutilated by the virus that had plagued them. She could hear their screams of pain and agony as they attacked, begging for their demise. No matter how much she tried to block it out, it was as if she had been pulled straight back into the Mourning War.

"IT HURTS! IT HURTS!"

"GET IT OUT! OH, PLEASE, DON'T LET ME GO THROUGH THIS!"

"TAMIKO! TAMIKO! TAMIKO--AAAAAAAARGH~!!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

As Masahiro sent his wires out to impale the motor systems within all of them, his eyes widened as he heard Tamiko let out a terrified scream. As he swung his gaze to her, he saw that she had dropped herself and fell back against the wall. "No, no, stay away from me~!!" She shrieked, tears running down her arms as she swung her arms up in a vain attempt to defend herself against the zombies. But it was clear that wasn't going to be much help.

Fortunately, she wouldn't have to. Before they could launch any attack, they were stopped as Masahiro's razor wire forcibly connected with their motor functions. Now, all of them were restrained. Masahiro was seething at the Inner Circle operative, his eyes echoing nothing more than the desire to kill.

Fuhai made a finger gun and aimed it as Masahiro as he restrained the undead puppets at his whim. A small orb of coiling spiritual energy began oscilating around the edge of his forefinger, crackling and humming aloud as he winked at his enemy with a teasing gesture, "Bang!"

CRACK-BOOM!

What would come forth would be a foot wide piercing drill of black lightning aiming towards Masahiro's upper torso. If it should connect, not only would it induce painful shocking currents to run through, but a foot diameter wide hole of anything it fully thrusts through.

"Nngh--!"

With a pulling back of the reins he had, Masahiro called out one of the bodies in front in order to take the attack. The combination of sizzling and rotting flesh was not a very good thing to have in your face, and he coughed a little as the order hit him. But still, he didn't allow himself to falter. He directed the rest of his puppets to attack their summoner, his fingers working to move their bodies as best as he could to coordinate their attacks.

As he attacked, Tamiko slowly pulled herself to her feet. Her knees were shaking, and she had to lean against the wall in order for her to prevent falling onto her rump. She had her head lowered, her face in one of her hands.

"Please," Fuhai spoke in a disappointed tone, swinging his hand out and forcing it into a halfway clenched fist, causing all of the bodies to halt in space, no matter how much the wires dictated their movements. With a simple squeeze of his hand, all of the bodies imploded, as if an invisible force of Spiritual Pressure crushed them into tiny fragments of what they were once resembling.

This also allowed him to grasp the wires with his spiritual harness, pulling them all at once into a visible string. Before he pulled Masahiro with a violent tug, hurtling him from one end of the room to the other, intending on battering him against the walls until his body was too battered to put up any form of resistance, "I can play with you two all day without any effort expended upon my part. Your strategies are useless within my playroom and you can't raise a finger without me breaking it off. You're finished!"

"Oh, really?!"

WHAM!

As soon as he neared the first wall, Masahiro pulled in his legs in and slammed them into the wall with enough force to force his feet into it. One of his hands split from the singular wire in order to grasp onto it tightly. "If you think me so easy to kill, then you must not understand the strength of the 11th Division." He said with contempt. "Allow me to teach you!"

Then, he pulled on the wire. The physical force he used was enough to yank Fuhai off of his feet and send him straight towards the waiting Lieutenant. He formed his free hand into a knife-like position, thrusting it towards the man's face as soon as he got close enough.

For a moment, Fuhai's eyes widened at forgetting his tactile control over the wires was still connected to his body, allowing him to be pulled as easily as he pulled Masahiro. But when he saw the move to attack being made by his enemy, he could only chuckle as the strike came towards him. Any force that the Lieutenant placed into the attack, was completely turned to the side, redirected, as if a rolling force was constantly flwing around Fuhai himself.

During this moment, Fuhai swung around his left arm at the passing by Lieutenant, discharging another burst of kinetic Spiritual Power, aiming to him point black at his backside and slam him into the wall directly proximate to the doorway, rippling and vibrating the entirety of the nightmare scenario he ensared them in.

Deftly landing, Fuhai placed his hands on his hips, looking to Tamiko and Masahiro with an incredulous look on his face, "Are you really Lieutenants of the Gotei 13? Seriously, you're making this game way too boring! Try and put some energy into it! I don't want to hear you scream that loudly..."

THUD!

"Nnngh--!!" Masahiro skidded away as he hit the ground, skidding partially on his side. However, the forceful push was nothing to hinder him as he swiftly got back up. The words of the man made him clench his teeth, but he bit his tongue. The last thing he wanted was to let his nerves get the best of him. As he clenched his fists, he looked over towards Tamiko, who had finally seemed to recover herself. "You all right?"

"Y-yeah..." The female still had one hand on her face, her other hand holding her sword at her side. "I-I'll be fine, I just got a little shook up back there. I can still hold my own, though..."

Masahiro looked back at their mutual enemy, his eyes narrowing once more. His fingers started to dig into his palms due to him clenching his fists so tightly. "A game, hm?" He repeated. "I shouldn't be surprised that you carry that mentality. Your leaders have been stringing you along with a piece of meat every step of the way. It's only natural that in time, the ones hiding behind the shield begin to make light of their situation."

"Fufufu, you must have me mistaken from other lackeys the Horsemen sent after you," Fuhai chuckled darkly, raising his hands out in emphasis, declaring openly, "I am one of the highest and most trusted disciples of Lord Shiyōnin, the true mastermind behind all of the events that allowed this organization to momentarily take over this pathetic society. Soon...the curtains will fall...and there will be nothing left of ashes for him to create a new order, one without a need of Horsemen, Aizen, and your precious Gotei 13!"

"Like I said," Masahiro said dismissively, opening his fists back up and curling his fingers. "Strung along with a piece of meat."

Vwoom!

WIthout warning, he began to exert spiritual pressure, his aura washing into the room and taking his partner by surprise. Reflexively, she took a few steps away, as the pressure had briefly overtaken her senses. The level was equivalent to that to a junior Captain's, certainly enough to give off a sense of slight discomfort to be near him. However, he took no notice of it as he raised one of his hands up. The look in his eyes presented nothing but murder. "I'm getting tired of hearing you run that mouth of yours, dog." He growled, swinging that hand outwards in order to send his razor wire at his enemy once more. "It's time you learned your place!"

"Hooh?" Fuhai noted the Spiritual Pressure, but was unable to feel it like anyone else would. If the Lieutenants paid a close enough attention, the Spiritual Pressurized energy within the air seemed to coil and rotate around him, without ever making contact with his body. Something also to note, is that he seemed to talk to someone else rather than them for the first time, "is it time?"

After a brief silence, Fuhai exhaled with a smile on his face, "Got it. Your will be done, Lord Shiy ōnin!"

''' CLAP! '''

"Yami Kyūzō!" Fuhai spoke aloud, funneling the exerted Spiritual Pressure of his enemy along with a ghastly exertion of his own Spriitual Power into the room. His body seemed to become more and more enflamed of black-white electricity, and flames around him, till his aura became so potent...

BOOOOOOM!!!

...the room exploded, along with nearly the entirety of the communications hub station, causing the outside sattelite dish to topple over in a fantastic explosion of force and flames.

It was here that Tamiko's eyes briefly widened to comical plates.

"...oh, f--"

BOOM!

When the room exploded, their vision was filled with nothing but flames and debris. Masahiro's eyes dilated, and he barely had time to swing his wires out in front of him to provide a defensive net. Tamiko had enough sense to leap behind him and his shielding. Still, his defense wasn't potent enough to keep them both from being thrown through the wall and into the outside. Masahiro could feel Tamiko clutch on to him as they flew through the air, the shockwave having knocked both of their senses out of whack temporarily.

THUD!

Then, they crashed into the ground, inadvertently separating from one another as they fell onto their sides.

"Tch, you Soul Reapers are so fragile!" Fuhai sneered from amidst the ruins that used to be the communications hub, taking long strides through the burning wreckage as he glared at them with a malicious smile. Taking his hands, he emitted a dark spiritual energy that began creating a line within the air. Moving both of his palms to point in front of himself, spreading them parallel to either side before bringing his forefingers to meet just a meter above the line he created in the air, creating an arcane triangular rune to crackle to life before his targets.

"Triplicem vis, Obscura Tonitribus Hastae!"

CRRRAAACK-VOOM-VOOM-VOOM!

Within a mere few seconds, a powerful blast of dark spiritual lightning discharged in a trio formation, aiming to collide with them and cause a powerful explosion, aiming to wrend the flesh off their bones and turn them into ashes if fully hit on.

As the two quickly pulled themselves up from the ground, their eyes widened at the blast that raced towards them. Knowing that they would be destroyed for certain if they allowed themselves to be hit by it, Masahiro spread his hands out towards it. As his wires raced to meet the blast, he shouted out the release command of his Zanpakutō.

"Disconnect and Fracture, Barasen!"

Then, the very air space that the blast had gone through was suddenly warped and distorted. After passing a halfway point, the fibers that had held the lightning attack together had been split, and the attack dissipated before it could reach its targets. There was no indication of a weapon within the area, and Masahiro was seemingly armed with his fists. But still, hiss eyes glowered at the form of Fuhai as he slowly moved himself into a stance.

After passing a surprised glance at her partner, Tamiko released that if they wanted a chance at winning this fight, they would have to attack with much heavier firepower. She switched her gaze to Fuhai, flipping her sword in a backhand position and pointing the sword tip to the ground. She placed her hand on the hilt's bottom, uttering her own release command.

"Connect To Me..." A pulse was emitted from the blade before it began to shift, the blade elongating and the hilt and handle gaining a distinct black color. "Ongaku!" She spun her sword into a more defensive pose, her body tensing up once more.

"Now that's more like it!" Fuhai declared aloud in renewed enthusiasm as he noted the released Zanpakutō into their true forms. As he raised his hands to renew his battle against them, he could only widen his eyes as he saw a third Lieutenant soaring through the air, parrying melee strikes by Jadoku with one arm while batting away his giant snake Doll.

Crashing to the ground, Seishuku holds out his blade before his enemies as he stood next to his allies, breathing slightly out of breath from the fight he had with his own enemy, "I see you two survived the blast...for a moment I feared Tamiko didn't survive..."

"Excuse me?!"

If the statement held no derogatory remark, there was certainly one made within Tamiko's mind. She swung her gaze towards Seishuku, one of her eyes twitching. "No, no, no, it's really nice to know that my teammates have so much faith in my ability to survive!" She exclaimed, making comical emphasis gestures with each and every word spoken. "Oh, big explosion? Tamiko must've died first because she's nothing but a useless female, and everyone knows women belong in the kitchen! Those sandwiches aren't going to make themselves, after all! Ha ha ha ha ha~!" Her tirade was finished off by a steaming glare in Seishuku's direction. "You're an asshole, Yabun."

It was here that Masahiro couldn't help but snicker a little.

"I was more concerned for your safety, than for Masahiro's," Seishuku spoke flatly, unamused by her antics as he raised blade to be parallel with his other forearm in preparation, "but I guess I should've used more precise words for my concern for you rather than the one I laid out simply for you.

"Lash Out!"

SSSSSHINK!

"Kyōbō!" With a swift declaration, his katana shifted in shape dramatically into a pair of nunchakus, with elaborate draconic symbols marked along the metalic guard and smooth black handles to hold them close to his forearms. All in all, Seishuku's appearance bore one of determination and total ignorance to his teammate's earlier emotional plight as he renewed his glare upon his two enemies, "this ends here, Dogs of the Circle!"

"Tch, this guy's too stubborn for his own good," Jadoku pocketed his hands as he got onto the back of his enlarged, violet-scaled snake as he glared at him and his two compatriots, "and you're still not finished? Fuhai, you got to stop taking your time with this stuff..."

"If I don't have fun, then there's no point in sending me to do it, honestly," Fuhai shrugged as he rolled his neck side to side, grinning at his enemies as he prepared to attack, "but now that you're here...I guess its time to-"

Then all antics ceased at once with a simultaneous thundering and flash of light around the Soul Society. What was just a air patrolled, darkened sky, then became filled with not just dozens or hundreds, but thousands of descending powerful warriors.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!~" Their thunderous war cries echoed the society as much as their fantastic arrival, leaving the Inner Circle's forces helpless as their communications were cut and the enemy fell upon them without warning and provocation. The hour of reckoning for the invaders, has arrived!

It was an event visually shaking to even the allies who were within the perimeter.

Tamiko and Masahiro's eyes widened as they swung to the sky. As they were hit with the sight of warriors falling from the sky like rain, they couldn't help but gape in awe and amazement. At first, their hearts were stricken with apprehension upon the first glance they took. But as they recognized all of them to be allies and not the enemy, their stances relaxed somewhat. All of their work had finally paid off, and the cavalry had arrived to finish the battle.

"So, they've finally arrived, have they?" Masahiro inquired, slowly lowering his head to turn towards the two Dogs. He folded his hands behind his back, finally allowing a menacing smile of his own to cross his face. His eyes seemed to gleam with anticipation, and the anger that had coursed through his body slowly dissipated. "I guess this is where the final cards will be thrown down. Do you hear me, you punks? Our homeland will be your final resting place. Come, and be cleansed!"

Cry Havoc! Let Loose the Dogs of War!
Chaos.

It was the embodiment of the full scale battle that just ignited within the Inner Circle controlled Soul Society. Within the wake of thousands of Soul Reapers and Arrancars appearing within the wake of thunderous Time/Space Kidō, charging from the sky in a vertical drop that gave the imitation of wrathful angels with the aura of meteorites, the enemies stood no chance in the initial bombardment of what was the come.

Ceros, Kidō, and ruptures of breaking falls from hundreds of meters from the air, flames and shockwaves littered the ground, and what was known to be an organized, disciplined, and superior military force, quickly became disheveled from lack of communication and the sudden attack by so many vengeful warriors. Despite the modified appearance, the Soul Reapers were able to navigate quickly and snuff out many makeshift bunkers, level artillery mounts, and even dismember a number of armored vehicles.

Amidst the chaos, Captain Hayate of the 6th Division swung both of his fiery blades in a passionate discharge of fiery fissures of cutting force towards a number of high-tier enemies. Within the cries of many IC troopers, their bodies burned and turned to ash before the unrepentant eyes of the Gotei 13 Soul Reaper, as he unleashed hell upon his enemies and made sure to kill them as quickly, and painlessly as possible.

Looking to a nearby impact site where his fellow comrades were doing battle amidst a larger convergance of enemies, Kukkyōna observed to see if he was to be needed for any assistance in dispatching their targets.

Needless to say, the heat of conflict, Hachiro was shredding the enemy just as easily as Kukkyōna was.

SLICE!

SPLURCH!

His two blades were literally ripping his enemies to shreds, courtesy of both the speed and power he was unleashing behind every attack. His glasses, repaired and renewed, bore a menacing glint that hid his blue eyes. As he was attacking, the frightening smile that had become his trademark was on his face. All of this combined made for a monster that was tearing through the lines of a desperately defending enemy.

Noriko was matching the elegance and mercilessness of Kukkyōna.

She was constantly using Flash Step to weave in and out of the enemy's fire, striking down and bifurcating her foes before they had a chance to get in a good hit on her. Her strikes (and mostly because she was in her sealed state) provided less of a messy end to her foes than the results of Kukkyōna and Hachiro's work. Throughout it all, she had a scowl on her face and a hawk's gaze that would've destroyed them all, had looks been able to kill.

"This sector is littered with the enemy," Kukkyōna spoke aloud, Flash Stepping to their location after igniting the street with violent flames, scorching any wounded or dead remains of his enemies as he looked over the horizon at more dark shapes of IC troopers heading their way, "how many have they conscripted into their ranks, before awaiting our inevitable invasion?"

"It doesn't matter." Noriko dismissed, looking outward at the reinforcements headed towards their location. She clenched her sword tightly in one hand, feeling the fire burn within her as she slung the blood off of her blade. "They can throw all the reinforcements they want at us. It's just going to be a simple reinforcement in the lesson they'll learn today."

Hachiro exhaled audibly, holding his blades close to him as he moved over to the side of his fellow Captains. "Let's push forward." He said, giving a nod to each of his Captains. "The more we stay in one spot, the more likely they'll have a chance at overwhelming us. If we want to keep the advantage, we can't let them gain any ground."

"Allow me to clear the path then," Kukkyōna spoke affirmatively, walking purposely in front of the other Captains, as the far off troops began to open fire, wrending ruined buildings and the street into craters, unphasing the resolute Captain. Taking his left foot forward, and his right foot back, he pressed both identical fiery blades to have their edges touch at an arrow-shaped position towards the impending enemies.

Within a matter of moments, a fiery sphere began to gather just a few milimeters away from the flame-tongue aura that the Zanpakutōs projected. The sphere grew larger and larger, until it was the size of a human being, and taking on an appearance similar to a small sun. If any Arrancar would see this, it would almost appear similar to a Cero.

Then, with a stoic voice, he declared aloud, "Hai-Fū Taihō!"

BWHOOSH!

Within a mere few seconds, a billowing shockwave emitted from either flank of Kukkyōna, sending a large fireball towards the enemies beyond the immediate horizon. Those initially struck by the fireball would be carried off their feet, and send flailing off into opposite directions, lit aflame by the intense heat created by the projectile. But when it reached the center of the enemies, a dramatic and drastic affect would occur.

KRRRR-BOOM!!!

A large, bird-sounding pyrotechnic explosion enveloped, spreading out into a visage of a phoenix in aftermath as the flames enveloped the enemies, scorching them to bones and ashes within an instant because of the vicious tongues that cascaded across their bodies and the horizon. As a result, a good portion of the buildings were also incinerated, and the following shockwave would flourish Kukkyōna's hair and Haori, cracking the foundation of the structures on either flank to his form.

It was something that brought mixed reactions from his partners.

Hachiro's eyes narrowed as they looked upon the fire sweeping the streets, a frown on his face. He lowered his blades to his side as he felt the heat hit his face like a gentle slap to the face. By now, he was used to seeing such scenes. But that didn't mean he wasn't immune to the gravity or consequences. He closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled a heavy breath in order to steady himself.

"I hope this ends soon..."

On the contrary, however, Noriko seemed more welcoming to the carnage her rival had displayed. A small smirk donned her face as she observed the flames devour their enemies, her eyes gleaming with slight blood lust. Although she was no supporter of tragedy in warfare, there was always a certain beauty that she had learned to embrace as a Captain of the 11th Division. To her and her men, this was nothing but heaven that they always made sure to make the best of. She let out a low whistle as she moved to Kukkyōna's flank, with the elder Captain taking up the other.

Without turning his head, Kukkyōna made a hardened stare into the horizon, as cinders and sparks drifted across the atmosphere as a consequence of releasing so much fire into the landscape. It made him remember the Ultharon War...and how terrible warfare really was. Speaking aloud, he made sure to take the lead this time, "Let's move!"

"Right behind you." Noriko muttered, gripping her sword in anticipation as she and her other partner followed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

VMMMMMMMMMMMM!

The large Airship Carrier, the Behemoth, moved with both a laborous speed, and an unstoppable velocity. It spanned nearly a kilometer in length, and was surely one of the largest aerial warships. Line with not only anti-air Kidō rail guns, but a series of both flank-spaced docks for the many airship snub fighters within its confines. With large engines projecting it forward and four rotating blades keeping it upright and giving it a sense of maneuverability, it moved away from the northern mountainside of the Soul Society's proximity, and to the immediately attacked Seireitei, along with a dozen escorting Air Cruisers.

While beyond its scope, one of the spotters for the Alliance's forces noted the large fleet heading their way, beyond the noted airfield and withholding incredible firepower that would make any even ground they've gained all but futile.

Grasping a Soul Phone from his pocket, he dialed the number for their own aerial units, and began relaying his report, "I spot a large Fleet in the horizon! Coming from the north, having been laying idle within the cover of the mountains, twelve Air Cruisers and one Airship Carrier. Its titled the Behemoth! Can I get a copy on that? We need an immediate preemptive strike on an enemy counterattack heading our way! Does anyone read me, over?!"

Readily, a voice answered him.

"We read you, 5 by 5, caller. Hellfire has acquired target "Behemoth" at the north. Firing."

This would be a display of what the Espada Afilado were capable of when it came to air power.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

Four shots would hit the fans and visually consume the surface of the Behemoth, completely wiping out the carrier's method of staying within the air. White explosions would be the indicator of the anti-matter properties of the rounds unleashed, disintegrating anything consumed within their radius. Four more rounds would tear through the ship's hull, causing it to explode in a supernova-like explosion. Even from that distance, the shockwaves from the explosion could be felt from the ground units at the outer perimeters. Any aircraft unfortunate to be nearby it would be knocked out of the sky and taken down to the ground.

On the radio, loud cheering could be heard from the crew of the culprit aircraft, which was not too far above from the doomed aircraft. It was a massive beast that seemed to hover menacingly over the area, carrying its own assortment of anti-air guns as well as air-to-ground cannons. It was a tank of the sky, an angel of death and one of the most dangerous things the Hollow could've ever created. What was on its way to the area was the H-12 Alma, something that promised absolute annihilation of its enemy.

"That's how we say "fuck you" back at the range!" The voice of Yūrei's police commander spoke out.

"Enemy aircraft carrier has been neutralized." The voice from earlier spoke up. "We are heading in position for ground units to lay out coordinates for more targets, over..."

"Ma'am!!!"

At the 2nd Division's Barracks, an officer of what was the 43rd Sherman Regiment ran up to catch the eye of Brina and Kumiko. He was breathing heavily by the time that he had caught up to them, hunching over with his rifle in one hand. "We've got some serious bad news. An enemy aircraft has just been detected within our outer zone of occupation. Our spotters saw it take down the carrier Behemoth just before it could send supplies down in our direction!!!"

"What?!" Instantly, Kumiko rounded on him with an alarmed expression on her face. However, this was quick to change into an angry expression, and she swung her gaze off to the side while storming briefly away. "Fuck!! First the communications are down, now this?! What in the hell were those patrol officers doing down there?!"

"It gets worse, ma'am..." The officer said, straightening himself up a little. "Our sensors have detected enemy signatures headed this way. They've been sneaking through areas where the security system has been the weakest. Scouts have reported mainly melee and assassination weapons are being carried.

"So she's arrived, too?"

All eyes turned towards Brina as she slapped her palms together, a smile and squinted eyes making up her countenance. "Good. I was starting to get itchy and thinking that the training I went through was for nothing." She said. "Lieutenant, get your men in position. The Onmitsukidō and the 2nd Division are moving to take back their fortress. The highest precautions must be taken, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" With a salute, the officer quickly ran off and clicked on his radio in order to speak to his other forces. "Attention, all occupant units! Enemy targets have been sighted entering the area of vision. Ready weapons and occupy positions! This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill!"

As he ran off, Kumiko looked over towards Brina as the Dragon folded her hands behind her back. "You seem to be quite enthusiastic about this." She commented, frowning. "You do realize that right now, things aren't looking too good for us, right? Even if we fend of this attack, there's less chance that even the 43rd will have a chance to penetrate through the siege right now."

"Oh, you worry too much, dear Kumiko." Brina shook her head sagely and smiled, turning to face the balcony she and her comrade were looking out of. She observed the carnage below with amused eyes. "Getting caught off-guard is something quite common in the heat of warfare. But I'm sure that our forces will have plenty of opportunity to strike back. After all, it was only a matter of hours when we took it." She looked over her shoulder at the 43rd's commander, smiling.

"I think we hold a fair chance of holding it, don't you think?"

"They have a critical advantage though, that we don't, Brina-sama," A guttural, low voice spoke aloud as the next high ranking officer came to bear to her other flank, soundless and without notice. Unlike the others, he wore a dark varnished suit with tie, completely contrasting most of the others' uniforms and combat armor used within the regiment. Not only that, he held a Zanpakutō strapped to a black belt on his left hip, and withheld a totally bandaged head, detailing scarring beyond what most would imagine possible from past experience. The Captain of the Close Quarters regiment, Kakushi Jōnetsu spoke in continuation as he peered towards the horizon, "they have the idea of vengeance and justice for the ones they've lost and for their homeland to reclaim. They'll fight much harder than they have in the past and much less mercilessly..."

"You're sounding like a defeatist, Kakushi." Brina didn't bother to look up at him as she spoke, although Kumiko spared him a surprised glance. She turned her gaze back at the landscape. "I'd rather you not sound like such in such a predicament like this. Otherwise, you might demoralize the rest of us..."

"On the contrary, it just makes me enjoy the idea of ripping away their last hope of redeeming that was theirs and suffer in anguish in their last moments," Kakushi chuckled as he projected his feelings abot what he envisioned to those he'd slay, "but to not take their ferocity into check, would also be a misstep for us, is all I am saying..."

"Not to take it in?"

For the first time in a long while, Brina's voice began to show the first signs of war-induced excitement. The disbelief within her words that would've been otherwise subtle was made very clear. "How could I able not to do just that?" She questioned rhetorically, her smile growing wider and becoming almost similar to the one she had worn when she had fought Sazuke herself. "I can practically feel their rage crushing me, crushing us! There is no possible way of ignoring the weight on our shoulders right now. Their persecution is our excitement! Their desire for revenge is our lust for blood and carnage! This will be where our convictions collide, and it will be here that the final decision of supremacy will be made."

She spread her arms out wide. "Trust me, Kakushi. There will be no misstep here. Not this time..."

"Of course-" Kakushi began before his eyes widened behind his bandaged face. It felt as if he felt something for a moment, a slight fluctuation in the distance. Moving his hand to his Zanpakutō's hilt, he became silent as he waited to hear something, anything that would be coming. And then, it happened, "what the Hell is that?!"

SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK...!

In the distance, a large wall of black crystalline projectiles whistled almost silently towards the base. They numbered in the hundreds, and each one of them faintly glistened by any refracting light of cracking lightning within the clouds above. Curiously, they shattered halfway, and turned into tens of thousands of shards, each of them packing enough force to rip six inch holes through armor as it would descend upon the entire face of the wall, while the forward facing officers would take the brunt of the attack itself.

"Huh...?"

This was enough to garner the eyes of the soldiers. They looked up with initial confusion, which soon spread to alarm as they saw the projectiles launched at their position. A female officer was quick to bark out a warning to the ones setting up what appeared to be beacons within the outer perimeter. "Incoming artilery, 12:00! Activate the trophy systems!"

TZZT!

A loud, brief buzz signaled the activation of what would be a transparent barrier. Although organic entities would pass through it, those of energy projectiles and artillery would not. The crystal projectiles shattered into nothing but fragments when they were within the barrier's zone, raining down harmless shards on the soldiers as they took defensive positions.

"Snipers in position." A voice spoke, cold and mechanical throughout their comm sets. "Acquiring targets and terminating at will."

"Mortar teams, awaiting coordinates to fire!" Another voice, business-like and less formal than the one that had been registered before. "Spotters are in place!"

"Hold the line at all costs!" A male officer's voice spoke out among the crowd. "No falling back until we give the order to! Kill anyone that dares to cross our perimeter!"

What would come first, wouldn't be the expected Stealth Force agents. Instead, something far more ruthless and sinister would cross the threshold instead.

SHFT-SHFT-SHFT-SHFT-SHFT-SHFT-SHFT!

SPLURCH-SPLURCH-SPLURCH!

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

"What just came through?!" Kakushi shouted aloud, unsheathing his blade as he saw blurring images pass through that had been cloaked by transparent-refracting energy. What sounded in the wake of the arriving figures was a series of violent explosions and metal cutting through flesh. Kakushi desparately tried to sift his senses through the intruder, but came perplexed when he sensed a lot more than it appeared, "I-I can't tell how many there are..."

SHFT!

A blurring image appeared amidst the three officer, crouched beneath their spectrum of sight while deactivating the Kidō that wrapped over him. With two of four Zanpakutō drawn, he swung out in a circular manner that would aim to behead all three of the officers, including Brina, while retaining his discretion and form out of sight and arrival.

"!!!"

It was here that Kumiko's heart stopped for a brief moment.

"Already?!"

But it didn't stop her or Brina from acting.

CLANG!

Both of his blades would be intercepted by Brina's knife and one of Kumiko's pistol, with the latter gritting her teeth as the weapon slammed into her makeshift defense, while Kakushin leaned forward deftly to avoid a preemptive strike. She reached with her free hand to pull out another pistol, raising it up to view. As she did so, Brina swung her foot out to sweep her assailant's legs from out underneath him. Kumiko would aim her free pistol at his off-balance form, a single shot aimed at his heart in order to silence their would-be assassins.

BLAM!

"Gauk-!"

What appeared to be the would-be assassin's body sent tumbling over and being shot, what would come would be nothing more than noxious smoke and dust kicked up by the projectile's impact. The real attacker leaped upwards with a springing jump to avoid the attacks sent by the two officers. Once he reached the air, he dove back into the fray headfirst, holding his two swords back...

SSSSSHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK!!!

...before unleashing an incredible exertion of synchronized Spiritual and Physical power, aiming to cut them all to shreds. This action alone caused Kakushin's eyes to widen at the sheer power, precision, and ferocity their newest enemy held. Raising his blade to parry the oncoming force from his body, he could only believe an Elite Combatant could be capable of this.

"Gah--!"

Knowing that imminent death would be certain if they allowed the attack to commense, Kumiko immediately swung one of her pistols up in order to aim at his form. But as she took careful aim, she wouldn't get the chance to fire. It would be not the attack, but Brina's retaliation that would prevent her from getting her shot off.

Woosh!

POW!

Brina's forehead had collided with his own with an audible bang, signaling just how much force had been put into the attack. Her eyebrows were furrowed slightly, and her eyes were half-lidded. But there was a small smile on her face as she looked at her enemy with a mixture of amusement and anticipation. Her counter would disrupt the path of the enemy's attack, diverting it to the massive room they were in. The walls, reinforced material, would not crumble underneath the power of the attack and would keep their surroundings a stable battlefield.

"Disciple 5, I've got an intruder within the Dragon's Head! Type Red!" Kumiko called over her comm piece, sheathing one pistol while keeping the other aimed at her enemy. "Get a squad up here, now!"

"?!" The assassin's head didn't split from the impact, but definitely rattled from the sheer force exerted upon his person. After realizing the other two weren't approaching immediately, he took a good look at who attacked him in the first place. With a sudden narrowing of his eyes, he automatically recognized his enemy and what she was capable of. Backpedaling away a few meters, he narrowed his eyes and kept his attention solely upon her, relaxing his sword stance as he spoke aloud with a stoic tone, "you must be Brina McTavish, Sazuke Tensai-dono's opponent the last time you fought here, was she not?"

"Attacking so suddenly and you didn't even take the time to identify just how it was you were attacking?" As Brina landed on her feet, she slowly raised herself to a standing position. Under the darkness, the light of her blue eyes could be seen shining menacingly. "That's quite the novice mistake for someone of your caliber, I must say..."

"Hardly," the assassin straightened his stance, raising his blades to be held in front and beside of him respectively, calling upon his own Spirit energy to manifest different colored auras to reflect upon the edges of his Zanpakutō, "you moved in the instant my attack was being carried out, making it too difficult to discern who you were precisely. I should've known someone of your caliber would interfere with my work..."

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

"...good thing I kept you busy enough to allow my comrades and subordinates to infiltrate your base without detection," the assassin spoke in the wake of a number of earth-trembling explosions and crashes behind their post. Just as he was speaking, another barrage of crystalline fragments rained upon the refurbished fortress, while more Stealth Force and Shadow Squad forces moved in and began engaging the enemy respectively.

"Dammit! They've must've infiltrated after we took notice away from the perimeter!" Kakushin growled aloud, rushing to the back door exit and leaping out into the air to engage the enemy, "I'll mobilize my men and keep these newcomers occupied! You coordinate with the rest, Kumiko-san!"

When this happened, the assassin moved forward, swinging his right hand blade to release a yellow fissure of Kidō energy to cut and burn Brina's frontside. In sync, he preformed a Flash Step to reappear above her as the attack moved in for the kill, slashing his left hand's sword to unleash a Sōkatsui laced fissure upon her from above, which would enable two attacks to converge at once, with amazing vibrancy and power behind them.

It was absolute chaos.

The 43rd, although having been prepared for the attack, had not been expecting enemies to appear so suddenly within the innards of the base. Guns were fired upon the approaching troops as they converged on the enemy's position. The quickness that the assassins were known for did not allow this to become too much of a hinderance, and they were on the internal guard within seconds. Heads were being blown off at close range, throats were being slit by knives, swords were slicing and cutting and even Kidō mines had been set to catch unfortunate enemies off-guard.

"This is Disciple 6!" A panicked voice shot within Kumiko's earpiece. "Enemy infantry within the perimeter guard! They're just pouring in here like cockroaches! We need additional support, now!"

"Hang tight!" Abruptly, Kumiko herself had moved towards the exit, stopping to allow the automatic doors time to open up. "Jonetsu and his men are reinforcing your area. Keep the area situated until they arrive! And as for the squad that I sent up, you need to pull back and help them out!" As she stepped through the door, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder as she saw Brina contend with the assassin.

"Fight on, Dragon."

The automatic doors sealed shut behind her, leaving Brina alone with her assailant.

In response to her opponent's movement, Brina first jumped upwards towards the ruined ceiling. But as her opponent appeared over her, she initiated a backflip in order to twist her legs toward his arm just as he was unleashing the blast. She managed to wrap her legs around the sword arm once that energy was unleashed, once again diverting its path. The result was the Sokatsui barely missing her face as the blue light raced by her head, the shockwaves billowing her hair. A chuckle escaped her.

Then, she threw her legs over, hurling her enemy away from her. She quickly twisted around, pointing her palm out at his sailing form. A blast of her own Sōkatsui energy was released, toned down but still considerably potent enough to severely injure him upon connection.

"Please..."

WHRRR-SLICE!

The assassin, upon being hurtled away by his opponent's legs, turned around in midspace within a blurring motion to face the oncoming blast of energy. Considering its power, it was easy for him to thrust his blades into the mass of fiery blue light and split it in half, sending it to either side of the observatory deck behind him with a profound explosive crash.

"...that will never reach me if you put so little effort into it," the assassin faced off against his opponent as the sounds of war raged within the 43rd Regiment's base. Taking into account he faced an adversary with Hakuda skills that surpassed his own and the infamous Poision Shunkō, along with her own deadly Zanpakutō, he knew he had to release all pretenses of going halfway against her.

Whish-Whish!

Throwing his Zanpakutōs into the air, allowing them to spin straight up, the assassin unsheathed his blades purposely as he coldly glared at Brina, "Allow me to introduce myself..."

SHFT-Clack-Clack!

Within a Flash Step upwards, the soles of his feet attracted the flat ends of the hilts of the airborne blades, making a total of four swords for each limb. Holding each of his Zanpakutōs respectively, he spoke in a cold, declarative tone, "I am Jōshōtsu, Shadow Squad Captain of the Deep Cover Ops. And you..."

WHOOSH!

"...are my prey!" Jōshōtsu whispered out as his body jettisoned with incredidle velocity towards Brina, one of which that would even match her caliber. Spinning his body in a corkscrewing motion, the force placed into his thrusting attack blurred into a monsterous tornado with glistening, shredding properties as a blast of spiritual power allowed him to hone in on his target and dive directly into her midst, tearing her to pieces.

Briefly, Brina's eyes widened.

"Four swords?!"

Quickly, she propelled her legs away from the area before Jōshōtsu's blades could skewer her. As she skidded away, she made sure to keep her knife in front of her. Her eyes were closed as she spun to face him, and one of her hands drew out what was a silenced Kidō pistol. It was here that she understood the dangers of taking this man lightly. Not only would be a contest of strength and power, it would also be a battle of wits and intellect. Still, it didn't keep her from firing her own taunt back at him.

"You have those very same eyes and attitude as she did." She remarked. "I think I'll rip those out of you first."

SHFT!

Within her remark, Jōshōtsu seemed to appear direct behind her, with his back flush against hers. Whispering, he held the stoic expression with a layer of content towards her, "You sound like a child who wants to smash a mirror for revealing something you didn't like. I don't particularly like children...who never accept...the weight of their...crimes!"

WHOOOSH!!!

Within this moment, Jōshōtsu rapidly spun his body with Hohō employment, as if he was in all directions at once while remaining still. While this was transpiring, his blades moved within a point blank whirlwind of cutting power, that would draw her into be struck, but blow away any countering force she would muster, even if she relied upon her firearm to even the odds.

The requirement of immense reflexes, perception and prediction would have been considered hellish to anyone else, especially at the range Brina was at with her enemy. She opened her eyes to slits as she saw him move around her, her teeth gritted slightly within her mouth. She was made to dig her feet in as she felt the winds pull at her body, her cloak whipping around. But she held her ground quite readily, using her eyes and sense to sweep the area.

"Crimes, you say...?"

Then, she struck.

Whumpf!

The bottom of her foot would connect with his chest, moving with enough speed and precision to do the trick. She twisted her body around, aiming her pistol at his form and firing off a few shots. "That's a very subjective term, Captain Jōshōtsu, and it's not proper for someone of your occupation to be using it. I doubt that spreading good will and morality is within the perimeter of your job description, after all..."

"You're only half right, scum..." Jōshōtsu managed to brace himself for the incoming attack, as the force of his rotation had dampened her kick. Skidding across the air, Jōshōtsu allowed himself a rare smile, bordering upon sadism and menace as he coldly glared at Brina. Spreading his right middle finger out from his weapon's hilt, he  chuckled, "my actual job description...is to seek out and punish those who've left the Soul Society to pursue their own misbegotten goals!"

WHIIIIIIZ-CRRRK!

What seemed like a pointless gesture would turn into a painful, vice grip of hundreds of finite threads of Kidō threads surrounding her leg that had connected with his torso. Movement would become numbed and replaced with searing pain, as blood would seep from the leg, and allow Jōshōtsu perfect control of her limb.

With proper control established within a mere few seconds, Jōshōtsu pulled her back with immense strength, aiming to bring her to him. As she would come within range, he would charge simultaneously with an incredibly swift and slash at her being with all four blades from various angles, intending on inducing severe damage upon the Dragon, and tip the battle's balance in his favor.

"Ah--!"

It was a move that indeed cause pain for the Dragon. She let out a shuddering growl as she felt the threads attack her leg. But she was stronger than to let herself be overtaken by it. She had been trained not to break or crumble, by both Sui-Feng and Shikyo. In addition, there was the refusal to allow anyone but the 2nd Division Captain to kill her. No one else would be allowed that privilege, and she would see that through to the very end.

As she was forcibly pulled towards him, a mild burst of yellow lighting from a Tzusuri Raiden was shot from one body to another. It would only provide a slight surge in the nervous system, and nothing more than a pinch would be felt. Certainly, it would not be enough to stop Jōshōtsu's charge. As the two closed distance, she tapped into the affected leg and used her energy control to push out the wires that had the limb captive and regain control. It was all she could do to prevent further damage to it. But she was careful not to loosen the bindings, lest she wanted to alert him right away.

With the connection still active, she swung her leg again while performing a back-flip, diverting his charge path to send him careening into the far-off walls. She caught herself with her hands on the ground in a brief handstand before flipping back to her feet, chuckling. "And I suppose you would happen to know just what my "misbegotten" goals were, Captain?" She asked mockingly.

BWHOOSH!

Within contact of the wall, the powerful momentum Jōshōtsu funneled forward created an explosive affect, devestating the reinforced room even further. After a few long seconds, as the dust funneled into the air, a sudden change would transform the mild bonds into a total encasement of flesh-ripping cords around her body. Floating out  from the air, Jōshōtsu shot a knowing scowl, but didn't bother answering her with a verbal answer, as if he knew what she had done and what she intends to do from this point on.

"Kaizō Kidō," Jōshōtsu whispered, as a black electrical surge rushed around his body, subtly cleansing him of any electrical shock or influence he felt transferred when he missed his enemy discharge into his body. When that was finished, he discharged the energy from his body along the cords that would be wrapped around Brina, in the form of a five meter wide black lightning dragon, roaring out with immense fury and destructive force, "Ryūfuchi!"

"No answer?"

TZZT!

With a swing of her arms outward, Brina blew away the wires before they could begin tearing into her skin. Sparks flew where the brief burst of spiritual pressure and the Kidō wires were met. She sheathed both her pistol and her knife, looking on as the dragon split itself according to the path of the separating wires. She could feel the heat of the electricity as it soared past her, setting the room around her ablaze with black flames. Yet, all she did was straighten herself up, her eyes regarding her enemy for a moment more.

"No explanation as to what I've done? My reasoning, mindset?" Her voice began to echo throughout the battlefield as she spoke to her enemy. "I'd figure as much. Whenever it comes to the moment where everything and anything is needed to quell your enemy, you always seem to fall short within that department. Reports, intel and tactics... it all seems to fit well on paper. But in actual execution, the pieces never do fit, do they? I can't help but wonder how you feel right now, knowing it was that same lack of knowledge that gave up so many lives to the Inner Circle..."

"Strike Relentlessly," Jōshōtsu spoke aloud in response, flipping his foot held swords to be held by both hands, as an encompassing violet-black Spiritual Energy webbed and began fusing all four blades into a singular weapon...

SHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK!

...with a loud crackling affect, all four blades fused into a large double-edged sword, with obsidian guard and hilt, with an enamored series of carvings embedded into the surface of the blade, "Kisaku. You are such a child, thinking you know everything there is to know about how things work. We allowed you to attain the Soul Society. Just like we allowed you to cover up the supposed murder of your mother, Brina McTavish," Jōshōtsu pointed his blade pointedly towards her position, his eyes fixated upon hers as he spoke in a venomous tone, "the fact you went out of your way to hide this fact, and choose to be a criminal, disdains the uniform you casted aside. For this reason, I am going to take personal satisfaction in maiming your body...and showing the ones you cherish just how weak minded you are!"

SHINK!

SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT...!

Within a single blinding swing with his right hand, dozens to hundreds of arcing slashes projected through the air, intending on cutting her body apart with every grazing pass. This was also a move to analyze her movements, to better anticipate her strategem, to keep from being struck repeatedly by her countering blows.

This time, Brina folded her hands behind her back and allowed her reflexes to speak for her.

Repeated and multiple Flash Steps were initiated within the blink of an eye. As the distortions within the air passed by, it looked like all Brina had to do was stand still. In reality, she was dodging each and every single one that came towards her. It was a combination of reaction, her senses, and the eyes that she bore in order to evade while keeping a constant and minimal pattern. Her voice would come through to him even through the midst of the chaos he was unleashing on her.

"Whatever you say, Captain."

Then, she was in front of him. The barrel of her silenced pistol was staring him in the face, and she was quick to pull the trigger before he could have time to identify.

It was here, that Brina had failed to evaluate Jōshōtsu's true strength.

ZZZZZT!

Within the instant she appeared, he used a burst of Hohō-based energy through his neck, causing him to evade the gun shot with an incredibly small margin. Within this space of time, he aimed to disarm her of the firearm she had been using. Turning around in a graceful riposete, he swung his blade in a brilliant arc to cleave the gun's barrel, intending on ridding her of the prized possession she had been using against him.

Simultaneously, he made a faint gesture with his left hand, sending a number of Kidō cords to slice and slash out in a dozen different oscillating threads. The force made by the cutting gestures would be so great, that the air pressure would warp and crackle of electrifying intensity upon each whipping movement.

Swipe!

It was a bare miss. But Brina's hand managed to yank her gun out of the blade's path before the cutting edge could carve it in two. A bead of sweat fell down her face at her alarm of the close call, but nothing else was betrayed on her countenance. The smile had faded within her desire to concentrate and focus. Anything less would result in her imminent death. As she pulled her gun hand back, her peripheral vision noticed the cords that had endangered her beforehand. The resonating stings of her affected leg reminded her just what they were capable of against human flesh.

To counter them, she swung her free hand in front of her when the wires came close enough. Another Tzusuri Raiden spell was unleashed, igniting the wires with yellow electricity and using them as a current to get to their wielder. Her gun hand was once again active, aiming the barrel down at the lower torso. She moved off to the side as she acquired her new target, using the subtle move to take his attention away. As she lined up her sights, a smirk returned to her face.

Then, she pulled the trigger.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

SHFT!

SLICE-SLICE-SLICE!

"Augh!"

"This way!" Meikurai called out to his companion, Rukia Kuchiki, as he preformed a swift simultaneous Flash Step stroke of his blade over three Inner Circle soldiers, causing spurts of blood to gush from their necks and torsos, as they fell down with minimal resistance. Using his shades as a HUD to scan the Kidō Corps secret entrance, he was able to sneak in during the chaos the four Espada Afilados were causing within the IC controlled Soul Society. Once arriving within the area, however, they found it to be transformed into a weapons testing area with various types of security. Ranging from the simple trained grunts taking up the security personnel, to armored soldiers, and even the hired-on Dogs.

While he knew they were getting closer, so were the number of forces within the corridors leading to the special containment center he believed to be the prison for the four Captains. Looking over his shoulder, he made sure to erect another illusion with his Zanpakutō to cover up the conflict and the obvious bodies laying awry within the base, keeping up their guise of arriving without notice.

"The security's getting more concentrated and dangerous here." Rukia noted, pausing momentarily to eye the uniform that the freshly killed were wearing. Her eyes swept the area, checking for any watchful eyes that could have been simply hiding in place as she moved to follow Meikurai. Her own sword was clutched in one of her hand, lowered at her side for the time being. "And the number of barricades are increasing. If anything, I'd say we're moving in the right direction."

"This is McTavish calling in!" Braeburn's voice on the radio suddenly caught her attention, and she clicked her earpiece on. "How are you guys doing on your end? We're still pretty much walking down completely different paths here, but it seems we're still managing to follow right behind you."

"We seem to be getting closer to our destination." Rukia said. "Enemy defense is getting more potent, although we're still managing to make steady progress. Seems that luck is on our side for the time being. What about you?"

Braeburn chuckled. "Oh, hell, I might as well be walking into a bloody goldmine here! The officers I've managed to kill have key-codes for a good part of the security system they have up and running. While the rest of the team have been progressing, I've been disabling as many of the security sub-systems as I can to make it easier for you to proceed. Unfortunately," An annoyed sigh escaped his lips. "I conveniently haven't been able to find a damn map. You would think that with how these guys navigate, there would be one haplessly lying around..."

"They're probably making sure the containment center is as vague to their security, as it would be for any intruders who would make it down here," Meikurai surmised as he began trekking down the hall, keeping his Zanpakutō at his side as he scanned the area visually and digitally with his shades, "only the highest of authority would have the knowledge needed to navigate through these hallowed passages. Otherwise, you'd have to rely purely on a sense of direction for a fixed area...or use enhanced senses-"

It was within this moment that Meikurai found himself stopping short, as he suddenly heard a number of fast-movement techniques initiated and stopping directly in front and behind them. From what his shades read and their appearance, they appeared to be mostly human, and held a variety of contraband-grade tech and weapons on hand. Strangely, the one at the lead appeared to be sporting a special brace for his torso, as if he suffered a recent back injury of sorts...

"You're not going anywhere, Soul Reaper scum!" Takeshi snarled aloud, as his Kidō blade lit aflame, signaling the others to arm their weapons and devices, making sure to preform a perfect containing ring aorund them, "you can sneak past Fullbringers, pal...we could sense your distortions the moment you came in here! Now...surrender, and I might not think about breaking your pretty faces in before hauling you back to my superiors!"

"We don't have time for this," Mekurai hissed lowly, ignoring the man's speech as he turned to Rukia to inquire the next course of action, "they don't seem as weak as the guards we passed through. Should we make a run for it and pass through, or deal with them here and now, like we did with the rest?"

"We try to run off, it'll just give them ample opportunity to sound the alarm and mess up the plan." Rukia said immediately, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the enemies that were challenging them. She raised her sword to a defensive stance, gripping it with two hands. "Even if this takes up a bit of time, there'll be someone else to pick up our trail and hit the objective. We'll have to take them out quickly..."

"Sounds like a plan-"

"HEY!" Takeshi sported bulging veins of comical proportions upon his forehead, swinging his Kidō blade towards their direction, sending a discharge of violent pyrotechnic energy towards his enemies. But upon doing so, he realized how outmatched he was against the two...

FZZZZZT!

...as Meikurai continued speaking unperturbed, as he raised his left hand forward, errecting a spinning disk of Bakudo-based Kidō, absorbing the ambient heat and energy placed within the attack, "Rukia. Let's finish them with a single blow!"

Turning his vile gaze back to Takeshi, the man suddenly realized whom he was up against. Stuttering he raised his left hand in recognition, "W-W-Wait a minute...y-you're...the...Mist...Dragon...?!"

"Disappear!"

VRRRRRRRROOOOOAAAAAR!!!

"...impossibl-!" Takeshi spoke in disbelief, even as Meikurai transferred his own bountiful Spiritual Energy into the spinning vortex of flames he acquired and then discharged it all at once, causing him and the two compatriots beside him to be consumed in the hyperactive tongues of fire, and reverberate with force along the tiles of the corridor's hallway.

This left the remaining three to charge in sync, fueled with rage of their leader's death and their fellow comrades. One used a special set of rune-laced gloves, harnessing the negatives of the atmosphere of the Kidō Corps base to discharge a web of forked electricity to ensare Rukia. Another wielded a gravity-based Kidō war hammer, swinging it around to make contact with Rukia's body or blade, making the impact all the more impressive and weight her down to the ground for an easier execution. The last held back and observed behind a black hooded visage of calm and clarified patience, intending to adapt his stategy according to the skill this second female warrior withheld.

All Rukia had to do was sheathe her sword, extend her hands out towards her assailants, and unleash a pulse of her own spiritual energy in order to destroy what would have been a lethal attack.

The pulse contained supercooled energy that was enough to freeze the electrified energy, moving outward to catch the attackers themselves in its hold. Their bodies would surrender to the frost, chilled down to the point where they shattered once they made contact with the ground again. Within seconds and without a moment's hesitation, they had been dealt with as easily as their leader had been. It was a demonstration of just how much Rukia had progressed in her training with Kaien.

"What the Hell have you been doing when I wasn't looking?" Meikurai asked jocularly, smiling with amazement at Rukia's handiwork in her perfected useage of her Zanpakutō's powers through sheer will. The fact she was able to use it without needing to employ a stance or employ it through her sword was something only an expert Captain-class Soul Reaper would possess, "were you this strong when we went on our date?"

Rukia let out a heavy sigh, lowering her arms and surveying the damage in order to make sure that her enemy wouldn't get back up again. From the looks of things, there was no sign of freaky regeneration going on - quite possibly the only method that they could've used to come back to life. She directed her gaze to Meikurai when it was safe enough, a small smirk crawling onto her lips. "Well, I was preparing for the Novena prior to." She admitted, before putting on a more serious expression and turning towards the path they were walking down. "C'mon. We need to move before more of them decide to approach..."

Meikuai nodded, turning to rush forth now the path had been cleared. It didn't take long either, as down the corridor was an immense doorway, partially opened with a few rays of ominous light and crackling energy from behind its recesses. And through that recesses, a small portion of the recognizeable Spiritual Pressures lied within the unknown containment center...the Captains' they've been looking for!

"Be on your guard," Meikurai spoke as he stopped his sprint a few meters from the door, raising his blade in a readied stance, "this doesn't appear to be guarded on the outside. Whoever is within, is either really confident or careless to have left the gate unsealed and unlocked behind them..."

"We've been dealing with a lot of the former kind when it comes to the Inner Circle." Rukia lowered her voice to a near-whisper as she neared him, keeping herself close and her blade readied. She took in a deep breath to steady herself as she saw the light behind their destination. She knew that whatever defense was waiting behind that door would most likely make their encounter with the Fullbringers pale in comparison. It was a necessity to go into the situation prepared as possible.

"I'm right behind you..."

Meikurai began to push the door open, causing a painfully loud creak as it swung into the open space. By space, it appeared as if oblivion had been squeezed into a room. With a narrow walkway of neon blue energy extending for beyond the eye can see, everything else seemed to be just vast emptiness with very faint light emanating around the five meter wide "highway" to walk in.

Not too far ahead, Meikurai's eyes and shades locked onto the four disarmed and imprisoned Captains. Each one appear to have sustained continuous torture, but by the looks of it, one of them appeared to be bandaged and tended to separate from the rest. And a person was standing attentively, whispering to the bandaged Captain, confirmed as Gina Tachibana, that bore a striking resemblance to her.

But what really surprised him, was the Spiritual Pressure resonating around her...!

"T-That's one of the servants underneath Aizen!" Meikurai gasped aloud, realizing just what kind of mess Rukia and himself just walked into.

"Mother, I'm sorry but we'll have to cut our discussion short," Murasaki whispered, turning her gaze to coldly glare at the two intruders who managed to enter the containment hall. Not taking a single step, she simply stared at the two of them and then...

VVVVOOOOOOM!!!

...released an immense projection of Spiritual Pressure, the same kind of which she revealed to the Tercera Espada, just showing her true potential to them that dared to cross her path. While keeping it up, she spoke in a dispassionate tone, as she viewed them as insignificant in comparison, "turn back now, or I will crush you where you stand."

For a moment, Rukia felt as if she had been dunked within the deepest depths of the ocean.

Her eyes widened as the spiritual pressure hit her full-force. She almost fell to one knee under the initial shock, her ability to breathe threatened by this sign of force. As her eyes met the ones of her enemy, she realized just why this said servant of Aizen had been willing to leave the door unlocked. Any enemy walking in would have gotten themselves picked off immediately upon stepping in without so much as a single glance. Right then and there, she knew that she was a far cry above the Fullbringers they had faced before.

But still, even as she fought to keep it together under the pressure, her gaze fell onto the Captains within their respective cages. She knew that if they turned away right now, all they would be doing was abandoning their comrades. They had their objective, and she was going to see it through to the very end. She exhaled a breath, delivering her own glare of defiance at the woman. "We're not going anywhere until those prisoners of yours are freed!" She declared, her voice firm and strong. "They're not your toys any longer!"

It was here that the addressed Captain in question turned her head up in surprised confusion. "Wait a minute... are those allied forces I'm hearing out there...?" She thought to herself, biting her lip as realization dawned on her. "Oh, no..."

Crack!

Meikurai could only heave heavy breaths as his shades malfunctioned, the lenses cracking apart as the billowing atmosphere around him threatened to choke him. Seeing Rukia have courage, despite how treacherous it would be, gave him his own strength. Taking one step, and then another, he placed him ahead of Rukia, with his head bowed and his bangs overshadowing his eyes.

"Ngh! Grrr! Augh!" Meikurai grunted, raising his head up to show beads of sweat crawl down his scalp and face, before his body enraptured his whole body, crackling with straing and effort. Then, with a valorous yell, his body projected an impressive, but nowhere near equal level of Spiritual Power, dampening the intoxicating affects of his his enemy's power and allowing him to stand firmly before her, using his own power as shield to Rukia as he raised his blade before himself, "Rukia! I will use my power...to aid...yours! But you must use...your...Bankai! Its the only way...to fight her!"

Murasaki didn't make a move forward, instinctively keeping close to Gina's cell, but didn't let up her Spiritual Pressure's output. She could tell from simple observation they didn't possess the resilience and experience of real Captain-class Soul Reapers, and they would eventually break if they didn't halt her power from consuming them. She wouldn't even need to lift a finger in order to incapacitate them, let alone kill them as they would be helpless to watch paralyzed at their own powerlesslness...

Murasaki's movement - or rather lack of - was something that caught Rukia's attention right away. For a brief moment, she analyzed her enemy's position. She seemed to be very keen on staying by the side of the Captain for whatever reason. But why? A prisoner wouldn't have meant anything to the likes of a follower of Aizen, especially someone from the Gotei 13. For that brief moment, she wondered just exactly why Murasaki was refusing to move from her spot.

As she looked from their enemy to the prisoner, it was starting to click in her head. Her eyebrows furrowed. "I see... that's how it is, isn't it?" She muttered under her breath, flipping her sword and sliding it within the scabbard. It would not be the move of retreat... but rather, she would be heeding to Meikurai's request.

"Bankai."

And then, Rukia summoned an ocean of her own.

VWOOOM!

An aura of her spiritual energy exploded outwards to fill the narrow walkway and the oblivion surrounding it. It would appear like a blizzard's mist, briefly coating both Meikurai and Rukia within its foggy embrace. Only their silhouettes would be seen in the brilliant blue icy air, and sense would be clouded by the chilling temperatures. Rukia was certain that it wouldn't phase Murasaki, but at the very least, it would provide some cover for her and her partner. She once again took in a deep breath, the frosty air soothing and comforting her as she took it within herself.

Then, she took her steps forward, revealing her snow-influenced form. She stepped beside Meikurai, casting a half-lidded glare at Murasaki. One of her hands gripped her sword tightly in preparation for the upcoming battle ahead. But her words would speak otherwise. "Step away, for your own good." She said, her voice having gained a more smooth and collected edge to it that would've come close to matching her brother's. But it would hold a more connected tone than the detached one he had used when addressing enemies. "It would be dishonorable for me to cause harm to the very blood of the prisoner you're watching."

It was here, that Murasaki's eyes widened a fraction. She had almost forgotten that the barriers around the Captains, let alone her mother, were not as durably suited for extensive battle-based strikes. Sideglancing at her mother, she began to note a reverberation along all of the barriers holding them in place, caused by her own projection of Spiritual Pressure. With a release of tension of her muscles, she let down the Spiritual Pressure down to a bare minimum, knowing she herself had almost caused a blunder vital in protecting her prisoners.

When she reopened her eyes, she fixated them upon Rukia. Noting her beauty having been enhanced to a high degree, much like the Arrancar she fought in Hueco Mundo, she couldn't help but admire how attractive and yet how coldly stoic she held herself. And, after awhile, she finally spoke.

"You wish to change the location of battle?" Murasaki asked rhetorically, as she grasped the hilt of her Zanpakutō, she unsheathed it in a slow and menacing manner, as her eyes glared upon her and Meikurai equally, "your wish is granted. If you allow me but a few moments, I'll make this a more suitable environment..."

"W-What is she doing?!" Meikurai released his own Spiritual Pressure, as he noted the sudden increase of Spiritual Power within the Zanpakutō, "she's not moving nor creating a Garganta...so what does she mean?"

"Obey thy Authority, Sentō Shinkaku!" Murasaki spoke in a level, dispassionate tone as her Zanpakutō took a slightly more elongated and curved shape. When this was completed, she waved the blade to the side, turning it swiftly a number of times till it became nothing but a blur. It was at this point that a ominous pulse of foreboding energies began to distort and shift the environment around the three combatants, warping it, and changing it entirely within a vast array of colors and euphoric bliss....

SSSSSSSHOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

...then, they finally arrived at whatever "location" Murasaki chosen. When Meikurai opened his eyes after a few forceful blinks from the slightly nauseating ride, he found himself directly ontop of a flat space of mineralized earth. Looking around, he didn't feel any of the Spiritual Pressures of the Captains nor got any reading they were inside the Kidō Corps' headquarters. It felt more like a vast ravine of desolated and severed valleys than an actual landmark that he could remember.

"Heikō Shōjun," Murasaki's voice broke Meikurai out of his stupor and dazed state, as he saw that she was a good ten meters farther away than she was originally, but standing upon the large mineralized flatte that is the plateau they called their current battlefield. Pointing her blade to the horizon and to the large piece of rock they stood upon, "is this more to your liking, interlopers?"

"Oh, no."

As soon as she opened her own eyes, Rukia looked around their new area with surprise and apprehension. Within a timespan of seconds, it seemed like the two had been transported to a completely new area. What had been so close was now extremely far away and out of their reach. Even if they found a way to beat Murasaki, who knew how they were going to find a way back? It just seemed so hopeless now...

But that was where Rukia stopped her worries. Would Murasaki have willingly taken the two so far away and risk the possibility of other enemies reaching the Captains? The way the girl carried herself conveyed too much confidence for a glaring error like that to have been made. But then again, considering how strong she was and the way she was addressing them, she might as well have been giving the impression that her opponents were nothing but ants she could dispose of quickly.

Rukia could only hope that her Bankai and Meikurai's hand would be enough to quell this being.

"Meikurai..." She whispered, slowly raising her sword up to a defensive position. "Get ready..."

"Aren't I always?" Meikurai quipped to Rukia, trying to alleviate the direness of their situation, as he raised his blade in preparation of the fight ahead of them.

It was at this moment, that Murasaki made her move.

SLAM-WHOOSH!

With a propulsion from her feet, leaving the landscape uprooted and devestated at a terrifying scale, Murasaki lunged at Rukia with precise and extreme velocity. In her wake, it would sound like a rocket was soaring by at nigh ground level, and destroying the earth beneath its gale simultaneously. Within an instant, Murasaki was upon Meikurai, palm-heeling him with her left hand in the gut and sending the wide-eyed Lieutenant soaring with a ear-popping shockwave in his wake.

Within this same span of time, Murasaki turned a murderous glare to Rukia, directly inverted from her own stoic and calm look. It was clear that Murasaki was fighting a battle more personal than she let on in the beginning. And Rukia and Meikurai would learn all too well what that impacted upon their odds for survival!

SSSSSSHIIIIIIIINK-VWHOOOOOOSH!!!

Twisting her blade as she shifted her body's weight with lightning speed, she thrusted it with such destructive poise and force, that a fissure of spiraling air pressure and shredding energy discharged within sync of the blade's edge's thrust.

CLANG!

When Rukia swung her blade up to meet Murasaki's, it felt like she was a human trying to tackle a moving truck. Although she managed to parry the blade away, the immense force put behind the attack caused her to skid back. The soles of her sandals dug trenches into the ground as she was pushed aside, though she managed to keep herself into a standing position. Her teeth were gritted and her eyes were narrowed out of concentration and adrenaline. She didn't dare let the strength of her enemy shake her, for there was too much at stake for her to allow doubt to get in the way.

She pointed her sword at her enemy, a filled circle of ice appearing in front of her. It would be one of her Shikai techniques, having gained drastic power and formation change. There would be no more need for her to perform the motions needed otherwise in order to initiate such attacks.

"Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"

Within that instant, the Enkōsen-like circle shot a horizontal pillar of ice-blue light to Murasaki. Its speed was next to instantaneous, fast enough to ripple the air as it passed through.

Murasaki's eyes briefly glistened with intensity, noticing the potency of the flash-freezing projection of light rushing towards her body. Discerning flash-freezing done to her body would be catastrophic drop in her fighting capabilities, regardless if she could free herself or overcome it, she chose a more intricate form of defense against the oncoming flow of freezing light.

"Sanjiru!"

With a single utterance, she parried the pillar of yet-to-freeze light with the flat side of her blade, causing it to stop dead in its tracks. Digging her heels into the ground, she proceeded to slash out in a horizontal manner, causing the beams of transparent light to scatter in all directions in front of herself, causing the pillar of ice to solidify in a frayed manner directly in front of her form.

Within doing so, she prepared for a counterattack, through a corkscrewing motion of her left hand into the ice column.

CRACK-BOOM!

Without an utterance, a full-powered Raikōhō discharged with a violent explosive hue, shattering the ice within an instant while also moving at a similar instaneous pace towards Rukia's form, intending on reducing her body to ashes, if not violently shock her body from the untold volts rushing through the energy fissure of Kidō lightning.

Woosh!

By the time Murasaki had moved to counter the blade, Rukia had moved herself behind her opponent with a single Flash Step. The time used to neutralize the pillar of ice and unleash the Raikōhō spell was also the time used for her to summon another Tsukishiro ice circle underneath their feet. Above their heads, yet another circle formed seemingly on the face of the clouds to resemble the actual Shikai technique. In those few seconds, it would seem like the eye of God was casting its light on them both.

Then, both of the circles shot out their freezing light towards each other, threatening to catch Murasaki within their grasp. It would have no effect on Rukia, so she was free to stand on the circle without worry of getting frozen.

Whish-Tap-Tap-Tap-Skrrrrrrt!

Only with enhanced clarity gifted by her Zanpakutō and her highly trained senses, was she able to move within the second the "eye" opened up above to align with the circle of ice beneath the soles of her feet. Jettisoning herself with a projection of spirit energy from her toes, she then preformed a series of one-handed somersaults before landing a good ten meters away.

It was here that Murasaki took up a defensive posture and analyzed her enemy. Knowing that she was both physically swift as her techniques were, in addition to possessing the power over an element that would provide a problem for any opponent facing her, she knew that she'd have to fight with a cunning mind rather than sheer power.

The pillar of light was soon to fade, leaving only the enemy. Slowly, she turned around and raised her weapon to a stance, leering at the other woman. The lack of immediate attack was a sign that Murasaki was getting somewhat wary for the time being. She gripped her sword in both hands, taking slow and deliberate steps towards her enemy while pondering her own next move.

"At the very least, I've managed to turn her attention off of Meikurai. He'll probably need it..." She thought to herself. "...at least, if he hadn't gotten seriously done in by that attack..." She took in another deep breath, stopping after seven steps and settling into a stable stance. Then, she attacked.

WOOSH!

With another Flash Step, she had closed the gap between herself and Murasaki. Her sword swung at her enemy again and again, battering at her defenses with relentless determination. It was here that Murasaki would see the hardened resolve within Rukia's stare as she attacked, understanding what was on the line if failure was to dominate.

Murasaki favored her enemy's choice of attack. While the frost-based abilities were difficult to avoid or counter without being left open, Rukia's sword skills and footwork appeared to be a bit more manageable to handle. As she moved with swift ferocity and graceful gestures, Murasaki matched it with equal vigor, allowing herself to backpedal to not disturb the fierce array of attacks and movements Rukia showed. She would watch, analyze, and observe every foreign twitch of body movement and tactic displayed by the Soul Reaper before she would strike back.

"She's remaining entirely on the defensive here..."

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-!!

As Rukia continued to clash swords with her enemy, she would occasionally pause abruptly in the middle of her attacks. Because of the entirely defensive nature, there wasn't much worry for counter-attack. She would take these moments to regard her enemy carefully, trying to find any holes within her defense that she could exploit. But if she had any, she was hiding them exceptionally well.

"Tell me, servant of Aizen..." She said, her voice soft yet still holding that resolved firmness. "What is your name?"

"You wish to know my name, enemy of my master?" Murasaki inquired, blocking each blow with more precision than the last time, and more effortlessly. It was as if she could begin to predict each stroke she would make before fully carrying it out. As her enemy halted her offense, she lowered her gaze to the ground, allowing her eyes to look at Rukia's entire figure, taking in her presence and aura all at once as she met her eyes with a steeling, impassive stare, "my name is Murasaki Hoshijirushi. I am the personal disciple of Lord Aizen, and I am..."

SHHHHHFFFFFT!!!

SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK!

"...AM YOUR EXECUTOR!" Murasaki growled out in a sudden malicious tone, as her body pulsated with the ominously powerful Spiritual Power she displayed before, but this time, aligned it with all of her actions.

With a burst of masterfully employed Flash Step in sync with a jettisoning start of her feet, she moved her body in an appropiate stance to strike as she would appear. Murasaki's blade began moving in a number of Hohō-enhanced movements rushing through her muscles and her pores, making her appear nothing but a wraith due to the speed she wielded. The poise and precision from each of the sword slashes and thrusts were masterful, aiming for specific weak spots within an enemy swordsman; the wrist, the legs, the feet, before striking at any of the other more lethal-based targets of the body.

The strength...was tantamount! Each of the swings would cause a geyser of focused kinetic force that would rip apart the plateau's top, nearly cutting it into dismembered peices when not making full contact with Rukia in general. This was a testament of being mentored by the One Slash Swordsman of the Soul Society, and the aritficial god that is Sōsuke Aizen. Murasaki was undeniably and unquestionably powerful!!!

All of this would prove to be a heavy bane on Rukia as she defended herself.

Attempting to block was useless, as every time she attempted to do so, she would be parried and forced back. Dodging was almost as equally pointless, as the shockwave would make up for where a swipe did not. One of the shockwaves had been potent enough to cut a deep and wide gash through her side. Sweat was dripping down her face was she was forced by back her angered enemy, barely managing to keep a proper defense up.

But still, she refused to fall.

At the smallest window of opportunity, she stabbed her sword into the ground before Murasaki could attack again. Her voice called out the name of her next attack. "Funsai no mai, Muneshiro!"

BWOOM!

A massive ice pillar would extend from the ground right in front of her relentless attacker, plunging headlong into her body as it reached towards the sky. After that, other ice pillars would form around that one to circle it and her enemy. Rukia held her bleeding side as she took the opportunity to breathe once more, looking at the rising pillars with a mixture of apprehension and concentration. Then, she uttered the second phrase of her ability.

"Devastate."

The pillars, slow to circle around Murasaki, quickly increased in speed as they moved to merge into one. The force applied would crush the target within their ring.

Even as the immense force of the ice pillar would strike her person, she had enough time to brace herself with the guard of her sword, allowing the weapon to become the medium of absorbing the shock of being sent up hurtling into the sky above. As she reached a total of fifty meters into the air, she reared back her free hand, and then swung a corkscrewing knife hand strike into the column of ice...

CCCCRRRRRAAAAAAACK!

...causing the entirety of the pillar of ice to shatter all at once. But she was far out of the danger, as she saw nearly a dozen pillars already errected, and rotating around her, creating an artificial barrier of condensed, frozen water particles and spiritual pressure. The force, when it would be met at its epicenter, would be severely hindering upon her body.

FWHOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!

To utilize the fast moving air within the shrinking space against the many turrets of ice, raised her Zanpakutō and spun it rapidly. The air pressure began to rapidly expand, and form a twister of incredible size and gait, using the rotating force of the collescing pillars to her advantage, fueling it into a monsterously sized Tenran tornado. What's more, Murasaki began sifting Tsuzuri Raiden based energies, coursing electricity in a violent manner, causing the plateau below to be consumed in its electrifying and destructive rotating currents, breaking apart while also blasting away the powerful ice columns.

"What shall you do now, Rukia Kuchiki?" Murasaki queried in thought, as she fueled the fused spell-casted twister to expand, intending on blowing her away or sucking into the violently rotating, cutting, and electrifying twister.

The terrifying twister that Murasaki had spawned would've certainly been enough to make anyone lose their resolve at that point.

Rukia hissed between her teeth as the winds cascaded around her, trying to pull her into its dangerous winds. She was forced to pool spiritual energy under her feet in order to keep herself from moving, but nevertheless she slowly was being pulled in. She knew that if she didn't do something now, she would be torn apart. Yet, as she saw the ice pillars shatter into fragments, she saw a one-time opportunity. In her strain, she closed her eyes and focused on the fragments that were moving through tornado.

"Shinshoku no mai, Shiroittai!"

All of a sudden, the tornado Murasaki was using would grow to be drastically colder. The fragments within began to converge themselves into chilling vapor that would begin to freeze their creator from the outside inward. As the cooled winds touched her, Rukia focused them on the wound to temporarily seal it. She grimaced in pain as her nerve endings were lit with the chilling cold, but relaxed as they were numbed. With lessened strain on her end, she readied her sword once more.

"?!!!"

Murasaki became flabbergasted as the twister began to drop in temperature drastically. Looking around, the force began to freeze and rapidly close in on her, causing the tissue of her skin to begin to frost up. Halting the rotation of the twister immediately, she knew fueling it further would only hasten her own demise. It didn't stop the frozen air to begin to solidify and form a solid structure in the form of a crystalline tower of frozen water molecules.

As her body began to be taken over, she took in as deep of a breath as she could, readying herself for one last chance for a proper rebuttal against the oncoming freezing temperatures, already holding her fast within the air at the epicent of the ice-construct. And then, she let out the air inhaled in one, guttural yell...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!~"

CRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK-VOOOOOOOOOOM!

...releasing a extranomically powerful sonic boom, fueled by the Kiai she released, shattering the molecules and heating the air within his immediate atmosphere. The shockwave would visibly distort and travel down and smash the plateau into the dust-ridden landscape and continue to billow violently for miles around. After panting from the exertion, physically and spiritually on her part, she looked down at the devestation she released and to see if she had defeated her opponent or merely bought herself more time.

As the smoke cleared, the yellow circle of an Enkōsen shield could be seen in front of Rukia's crouched form. There were several scratches on her person that could be seen once the shield faded away. The sweat on her face was more prominent now as she looked up at Murasaki. There was a hitch in her breathing as she rose to a standing position, holding her injured side with her free hand. She felt a little disbelief, however, when she saw the exhausted state Murasaki was in.

"Is she really wearing down?" It would've made sense, considering that the majority of her attacks had a massive amount of spiritual energy backing them. But Rukia wasn't going to take anything for granted. There might have been a lot more or just enough to finish her off. Slowly, she lifted her sword to point at the figure of Murasaki once more to ready herself. "This could be the turning point. I have to keep going..."

"I'm tired of this little game, Rukia Kuchiki," Murasaki stopped showing exhaustion, wiping a mere drop of sweat that had beaded down from her brow. Raising her blade into the air, she prepared to strike her opponent with incredible strength, and would destroy her entirely. The sooner she would do so, the sooner she could return to her mother's side, "Bank-!"

"Too late!" Meikurai suddenly spoke aloud, his body suddenly appeared directly behind her, showing a slightly battered form from the strike he willingly took. Having used his illusionary prowess to keep himself outside of Murasaki's concern as she dealt with Rukia's Bankai powers. Now, he also had time to reveal his ultimate Kidō within, in the form of a fifteen meter wide sphere of collective blue spiritual energy. Striking out with both palms, tapping her in the back, he shouted out valiantly, "Hayate Ryūjin!"

"You bas-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH-!~" Murasaki turned around, aiming to cut Meikurai down, but was caught within the maw of the Kidō. Literally, within the maw of an immense Kidō dragon's head, searing her within its compressed embrace as it forcefully streaked into the distant horizon, towards a collection of mountains while she gave a blood curtling scream.

When it connected...

BOOOOOOM!!!

...a large white-blue explosion of Spiritual Energy enveloped the distant mountainside, producing a brilliant light and a deafening gale of air pressure within the aftermath of the shockwave produced at the epicenter of the strike. Meikurai heaved heavily, knowing how taxing it was anyone underneath Kidō Captain or Head Captain to use such a high level of Kidō, despite taking the time to recite the incantation.

But with all said and done, Meikurai chuckled with a sense of relief, as he had dealt the final blow to their enemy that Rukia had fought so valiantly and skillfully, "That...was a tough bitch...I'll say...that much...phew..."

"And he makes his appearance, just in the nick of time."

All the tension within Rukia's body faded away as soon as she laid eyes on Meikurai. After he had delivered the vicious blow to their mutual enemy, she let out a heavy sigh and lowered her sword. "Well, I was starting to think that the first attack did you in, Meikurai." She said in amusement, before quickly switching her tone to mild concern. "Are you all right?"

SHFT!

Using Flash Step to appear next to Rukia's ground-level form, he coughed a few times as he grimaced. Clutching at his chest, a large purple bruise could be seen beyond the tattered uniform, but nothing of serious nature to be noted, "When I was raising my Spiritual Pressure, I laced a visual illusion that conversed with you and that Murasaki chick. I expected she would go after me first cause I was the first who challenged her, so I placed a Clad-based Kidō Barrier to dampen the incoming damage. I underestimated her brute strength and speed, so my chest is pounding at the moment, hehehe, kaff!"

At this, Rukia scoffed a little. "Maybe that will teach you to not get so careless next time." She said, her eyes falling in the direction of where Murasaki had been hurled. "I would have figured that you of all people would've been quick to assume that when facing an enemy with that much spiritual energy, any disadvantages wouldn't be so obvious."

Slowly, she sheathed her blade back within her scabbard and placed a hand on her hip. "But in any case, I hope that's the end of it." She muttered, looking back towards Meikurai with a pensive expression. "There's a chance that the D.C.O. operators might have gotten to the prisoners. But other enemies might have moved to intercept them. We have to find our way back quickly."

"Funny why we weren't transported back," Meikurai scratched his head, looking around with no shades to inform him of the dimension collapsing or reverting any time soon, "you'd think getting killed by a S-Class Kidō would cause her Zanpakutō to be sealed, and the dimension she created to be dispersed. So why am I-?"

"You truly are a naive pair..."

A ominous voice cut through the air, as Murasaki began walking towards them, as if she had manifested out of thin air. No sign of damage or scarring was displayed upon her body, and her sword didn't even appear to be drawn. Hands at her side, she approached them at a slow and purposeful pace as she instilled fear within Meikurai's blood, "this is my domain. Whatever you may believe you are facing is nothing but a avatar of my real form, created by Sentō Shinkaku. End your petty attempts of resistance here...and your deaths shall be painless," her hand grasped the hilt of her blade, waiting for their response as her eyes assumed a steely gaze at them, "as a token of respect for the resolve and skill you placed in combatting me so far!"

"!"

Reflexively, Rukia spun around to spot her enemy once again. Her hand was already on her sheath and her body tensed up in preparation for attack. However, she was silent as she listened to her enemy's words. Inwardly, she cursed herself. "Of course! No wonder why she suddenly stopped appearing so exhausted after her own attack. All of this was nothing more than an illusion." Even her hand was shaking a little as the realization of this fact sunk in. "Have we really no hope?!"

However, that was when an image of the sealed Captains fell into her head.

If they allowed themselves to give up now, they would be abandoning their comrades. This woman was blocking their way between their allies and salvation. Her heart began to race furiously within her chest again, but this time, it wasn't out of apprehension or fear. It was out of a growing anger. "You would think that we would cave in so easily because the odds us against us, Murasaki Hoshijirushi?" She asked acidly, her eyes narrowing in a glare at the woman. "We've been fighting an uphill battle ever since the beginning of this war! There has been no reprieve, no mercy shown for any of us, yet we managed to make it to where we are right now!"

SHINK!

Without hesitation, she drew her sword once more. "Only death is going to keep me from saving my comrades from your sick game." She declared. "If you plan on trying to talk us down, then I think it's better if there are no more words!"

"Yeah! What she said!" Meikurai spoke aloud with just as much vigor as she had, albeit, smiling cheekily that he said something so simplistic. Drawing his own blade, he laced it with Kiriken energy to heighten its capacity and hopefully give him a better chance of clashing blades with her once more.

"Then I'll end your fragile existances, with one-!"

VVVVVMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!

"-blow?!"

CRRRRAAAACK-KOOOM!

CRRRRAAAACK-KOOOM!

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

Murasaki's eyes widened as she suddenly felt the whole realm shake violently. The dimension itself seemed to be in the process of being wrend asunder, and it showed, as manifested thunder clouds appeared within the skies, raining down powerful shockwaves of electrical power, causing the canyons and mountains beyond to be blasted in a cacophany of force. The pressure, however, felt a lot more ancient and indistinguishable than Murasaki's. The force, felt slightly familiar, and a voice authoring the destruction, as well as a electric aura that pierced through the veil of two dimensions.

"You underestimate the power of the Takuji Clan, scum!" Shindō Takuji spoke aloud, now cloaked in a vibrant manifested cloak of black & white energies, causing an immense and overpowering pressure to fill the atmosphere as he walked directly into the realm that had been crafted effortlessly. The source of the power could be only one thing: Philosophy!

"What...?!"

Needless to say, the Kuchiki had been taken off guard by the sudden entrance of what she had presumed to be one of the prisoners. But she was even more shocked by the electrical storm that had suddenly started to brew within the entire area. She had only felt this power one time before, and that was during the war in Yūrei against the Ahijados. She reflexively took a few steps back as she stared at the ally who had just stepped into the scene. "C...Captain Takuji?!"

Meikurai's breath hitched and his blood grew cold. He never felt such an animosity and absolution within such a person before, Soul Reaper or no. The fact how solemn and yet wrathfully controlled he projected himself to Murasaki just told him that he had somehow disallowed the Inner Circle from wrenching out his true power when he was being controlled. If that would've happened, they most likely would've kept him as a puppet than a prisoner.

"H-How did you conjur the power to be released?" Murasaki spoke with a slight wavering tone, recognizing this power to be superior to hers. She only felt such presence when she was within the immediate proximity to her father or Lord Aizen. To have it come from such a young boy...made it terrifying just how much power she mistook him for not possessing, "you were locked away, broken, and isolated. You shouldn't even have the strength to stand!"

"Deep Cover Ops came in shortly after you errected your spacial pocket on the walkway," Shindō cooly explained, reaching his hand into the air. Within a second, a lightning blast discharged directly into the palm of his hand, funneling with a powerful vibrancy while discharging a shockwave of Spiritual Pressure in all directions. What appeared within his hand was none other than his Zanpakutō, Kirin, as if he had transported his Zanpakutō into the dimension firsthand before entering it himself, "you should really think things through before you take action. Because you didn't seal the containment center, my comrades are already busy freeing the other Captains. I should thank you for making that novice mistake. Truly, you embody everything Aizen prides himself to be: Arrogance entwined with Blind Pride."

SHFT!

Within an immediate ending to his speech, Murasaki moved with defining lethal intent. Using the same speed she used to overcome Rukia's defenses, she aimed to overwhelm the momentarily distracted Shindō and slash his throat with immense force.

CRAAAAACK-FWHOOSH!

Murasaki's eyes went wide with fright and awe, as Shindō's bare left hand stopped her blade in its tracks, causing a billowing wave of concussive force in its wake, ruffling his raven bangs and hair while his eyes remained closed. Opening them, he wrapped his hand around her weapon, before countering with his own weapon...

SSSSHEEEEEOOOOOW-BOOM!!!

...and curtained with immense, electrical energy, Shindō's blade slashed across her torso while enrapturing her in a painful aura of thunderous force, sending her careening for a great distance across the ashen-lightning pocked terrain of her dimension. The result, also dissipated the dimension, showing Murasaki flying forth across the expansive emerald highway beyond the reach of the cells and the currently present recouperating Captains and DCO members.

"WHOA!"

Of course, there were a few that were almost in the way of the flying enemy. Braeburn in particular let out his own yelp as he reflexively ducked to avoid Murasaki's flight pattern. But after she was clear, he slowly stood up to look after where she had sailed. Then, he turned his head to look over at the rest of them. "Well... that was quite the re-entrance..." His eyes focused specifically on Meikurai and Rukia. "Are you two all right?"

Still recovering from the shock of Shindō's immense power, Rukia managed a nod. "Y-yeah... we're fine. Had not Captain Takuji intervened, we probably would never have lived to this point..."

"Wow!" Yōki blinked a few times over the flash of light and the release of such immense power. She didn't realize any of the Captains, even the Head Captain, coud possess such mindbogling power. She wondered why didn't he use it beforehand, "that's...some light show, huh?"

"Uh-huh," Rokotsu nodded with comically enlarged eyes, her hands held up in front of her face as she tried to get over the bright lights that blinded her, "so pretty...hehe..."

Meanwhile on Meikurai's end, he sheepishly chuckled at how narrowly they escaped death. Looking to Rukia, he rested a hand on her left shoulder, whispering in query, "You alright, my snow princess? You fought well out there, but I'm worried about that big cut she gave you earlier..."

"I'll be--"

Rukia would have to cut herself off when a sharp pain raced through her side. She gritted her teeth and reflexively held her side, feeling the sticky red liquid between her fingers. A sharp breath was let loose from her lips, and she hunched over a little. Slowly, her Bankai resealed itself, leaving her with her original form. "I must've... taken a lot more punishment than I thought I did..." She breathed. "It didn't seem so problematic during the fight-- huh?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she would see the bandaged Gina walk steadily in the direction of where Murasaki had been thrown aside, moving readily past her fellow colleagues and allies.

"I guess not," Meikurai smiled, pulling her close into a comforting embrace, stroking her hair as he sighed with relief, "I'm so glad you made it through alive, Rukia...so very glad..."

"Easy, Ryōken-san," Taiyō guided the middle-aged to one of the medical responders of the D.C.O. squad, with Takashi within their midst, "let them administer first aid. Its unfortunate we're in such short supply for the healing and spirit pills, otherwise it would be a simple matter..."

"Nah, don't worry about me, Taiyō-chan! I still got plenty of kick left within me," the older Captain chuckled, letting the other lesser known DCO agents begin to sift their medical spirit energy into his body, recouperating his Spiritual Power that had been drained before healing any wounds he had suffered during his stay.

"I'm sorry for being such a burden, everyone," Kōjaku muttered aloud, having suffered the worse out of the group with the lack of medical attention and inexplicably the worst punishment. More immediate instant-healing measures were taken place as they laid him upon his backside.

"Lie still, Captain Kuchiki."

"We'll have you fixed up in no time!"

"Thank you," Kōjaku could only whisper, drawing his gaze to his cousin being held by Meikurai, smiling faintly that his successor was alright.

However...not everyone was forthcoming in allowing all reunions occur.

"Where do you think you're going, Captain Tachibana?" Shindō asked in a smooth, yet icy tone as he fixated a glare at her as she was about to pass him and head towards the inert form of Murasaki within the distance, still spasming from the volts that course through her prone body, "that girl...that enemy of the Soul Society...should be none of your concern."

"And I don't think you have the jurisdiction to decide that, Captain Takuji, no matter how powerful you may be." The spiteful tone Shindō took with her garnered a rather irate response back as she walked by him. "So I would appreciate it if you kept your nose out of my business, okay?"

"She's not your daughter, Tachibana! Not anymore!" Shindō's tone raised, but not loud enough to get any unwanted attention from the others, "she's been enslaved to Kamijō's will, and then she was thoroughly brainwashed by Aizen. Are you going to take a chance that she can be redeemed just because she wanted to hear a few bedtime stories?! You'd be a damned fool if you think the likes of hers is redeemable!" Turning on his heel, he began walking past the collaboration of allies, only bothering to sheathe his blade as he passed them by with a cold atmosphere around him.

"Shindō-san? What are you doing?" Taiyō asked incredulously, as she clearly saw a look of vengeance underlaying the composed stare he had of the exit out of the containment center, "you're not seriously just going to leave by yourself-!"

"That is exactly what I'm going to do!" Shindō growled out, not bothering to turn his head around to answer her and the others, "I need to clenase the traitors that dare call themselves Takuji. Dim-witted step brother may have stopped me the last time, but I will have my vengeance. I will KILL every last one of Seigi's subordinates, before I tear out my own brother's heart with my own bare hands!"

WHAM!

Using his right hand, he punched open the gate that was a little too close to his own comfort, cracking it and denting it inwards as it flew out to the far wall on the outside. Seething with anger, Shindō's composed self had been dropped, and reared his ugly head: Shindō was going to leave, and he wouldn't have anyone stopping him!

This time, another voice would speak up. But this one would be the most unexpected.

"And then what?" The tone that spoke both amusement and disdain at the Takuji's words was none other than Braeburn himself. He turned his gaze to Shindō's back, his arms folded across his chest. "That's your plan? Kill everyone who's opposed you and everything will be right as rain again? Say you do manage to make it out by yourself, if you can even go that far, kill Seigi and his followers. There's going to be someone angry at you because they happened to share a close bond with the person you gutted. That someone may have the power to kill you. And then maybe there will be someone close to you aiming to kill him, and so on and so on. Walk out that door, and all you'll be doing is setting the fate of the Takuji Clan as one big violent circle."

He paused for a moment before looking away, scoffing. "Oh, wait, why am I bothering to tell you this? I'm sure you have it in your head already. "What does a defector like you have any business with such affairs?" Well, you're right. My words are nothing but that: words. You're free to walk out that door if you wish, carry on with your planned slaughter. But it makes me curious to know what kind of leadership would the clan be under with such a vengeful and bloodthirsty man at the helms!"

A long silence followed, and Shindō stood dangerously still. No sound uttered from his mouth, no sign of breathing. It was as if he stopped in time and had taken pause to reflect upon Braeburn's words. Just as quickly as the anger burst to the surface, it quickly subsided, but his mind had already been made up.

In proper rebuttal, Shindō turned to flash a pair of cold onyx eyes back at Braeburn, "My brother allied with scum that wished you all dead, and may have had a hand in your family's fall from the Soul Society to begin with. Better my rule than his, any day and in any other situation. When you decide to grow a pair and actually take the lead for a change, get in my position, McTavish-san," turning his head from him, he employed Flash Step to disappear from their midst, but left a few parting words, "let me know, kay?"

It was a rather nasty leave of the massive group.

Braeburn glared at the spot where Shindō had vanished for a brief moment more, before slowly shaking his head and turning around. "It's times like these that really make me start asking questions..." He muttered under his breath, looking over to the rest of them. "I take it that everyone's situated and ready to go, then? I'd rather not spend too long in here, considering there's a war going outside..."

"Murasaki..."

As all of this was going on, Gina had finally allowed herself to approach Murasaki's side. She knelt down, hovering her hands over the fallen woman and concentrating. Her palms glowed a vibrant blue, indicating the use of healing Kidō. Any sign of ire she had at Shindō was quickly wiped away, replaced with focused concern.

"M-Mother?" Murasaki twitched, feeling sensation of warmth enter her, and a lessening of the pain that throbbed around her being. Blinking her eyes away the blur that she currently saw from the blinding flash of light that consumed her prior, she turned her face to see Gina hunching over, healing her as she laid prone before, "why? Why are you...helping me?"

Softly, Gina chuckled. "Come, now. Do you really think that after all you've done for me, I would leave you to die?" She asked rhetorically, putting on a gentle smile. "I would never dream of doing that to you, especially when I left you behind once." After she was sure that the electrical currents had been nullified, she reached behind Murasaki to place an arm around her back and help support the girl to a sitting position. Her other hand would continue to work its magic on her as best as it could.

"I...I can't form words...to tell you how grateful I am, but," Murasaki looked over at the chatting crowd of allied soldiers and the other formerly imprisoned Captains, just now recovering from their past ordeal, "what about...your comrades? Will they not...wish me...dead? For I wouldn't have...hesitated...in...killing them...if I had the chance, so...why?"

It was here that Gina's smile faded away for a moment. She averted her gaze away from Murasaki for a moment, looking down at the ground as she pondered her answer. Slowly, her eyes drifted towards the other Captains and the escorts accompanying them as if looking for an answer from them. She stopped the healing energies for a moment, using her freed hand in order to gesture to them.

"Take a good look at them, Murasaki." She said. "If they wanted you dead, they would have stopped me long before I could even take a step towards you. They aren't people who believe that justice and peace can only come by likes of violence and destruction. They're people who've learned from the mistake of taking the lives of others for granted, knowing that there is more to dealing with their enemies than slaughtering them like animals. You may have learned otherwise from Aizen and your father... but we've learned to see both sides of the coin inside of the side that only emphasizes justice through domination. It's what kept us going strong for so long, and I doubt it's something that will change any time soon..."

Murasaki could only stare at the group of Soul Reapers in silence. It was true, despite the dire situation they've been thrust in, they could still smile, still keep going. This sense of comradery and...righteous purpose...its something she never had witnessed before. Biting her lower lip, Murasaki's eyes begin to water, sniffling as she sobbed quietly, meeting her mother's gaze as she whispered, "I wish...father...left me behind...with you...and your comrades...of...the...Soul Society..."

It was all that was needed for Gina to gently pull Murasaki into her embrace, allowing the girl to rest her her head on her shoulders. She closed her eyes, basking in the moment they were having. "Like I said before... you've grown into a strong young woman." She said softly. "You've been through so much, yet there wasn't much of the support you needed the most." She slowly raked her fingers through Murasaki's hair. "You can rest easy now. Everything's going to be all right..."

For Whom The Bell Tolls, the Final Clashes Begin!
"Holy crap, do you guys hear that up there? Boy, I almost feel sorry for whoever's caught in that crossfire..."

"Hopefully, most of them are the Inner Circle's. God knows they deserve it for all of the trouble they put us through..."

"Let's hope it's a good enough distraction. Just how close are we to our objectives?"

"We've had little resistance so far. Sensors are detecting that the bomb points are close by. Make sure that we have our charges set on remote, just to be on the safe side. A timed explosive's just going to make everyone all the more nervous..."

"Yeah, especially after what Sis did to you with what you pulled last time! Hah!"

This was the conversation between Oliver and Anton on the radio pieces, as they and the rest of the V-14 moved through the underworks of the Soul Society's HQ. While all of the other forces would be out fighting on the surface, the V-14 would provide a more covert side of assistance. They would destroy the foundations of the set Horseman's HQ via remote charges, collapsing the ground underneath. Judging from what had been shown out of demeanor and attitude, most of them were willing to assume that the spearheads of the enemy were more willing to sit back and watch rather than actively participate in the battles.

While the others were in teams, their executive leader was by herself.

Angelika had her hands in her coat pockets as she walked through the underground system tunnels, her eye sweeping the area. She was wearing the shades that Hyōryū had presented to her a while back, using them to pick up any possible anomalies in front of her. "Make sure to stick to the plan." She said. "We set the charges and fall back to the safe zone. Eliminate any resistance by any means you see fit."

"Hell yeah! I'll make sure to plug their asses!"

"That didn't sound right..."

"Shito, grow a pair for once! This is the kinda gang you're hanging with now, so deal the fuck with it!"

"Kari-san, just because I have to deal with you and Yajū's vulgur talk, doesn't mean I have to like it!"

"Geeze, can you guys cut the chatter? We're about to approach our objectives..."

"Can someone remind me why the Sir Lancelot is still tagging along?"

"You don't want my help?"

"No no...it just seems odd someone so adamant for justice is hanging with us..."

"Let's not question his worth, considering he's already demonstrated it to us very clearly."

"Thanks, Shinshin..."

"INTRUDER!"

BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BAM!

It was at this point a number of guards armed their firearms and unleashed their guns from around the corridor, having seen Angelika's distinguishably out-of-place form entering the underworks of their assigned patrol area. The flashes of light followed by the compressed Kidō slugs sent her way would be both widespread and well-aimed, a difficult combination to evade or counter effectively.

WOOSH!

Without hesitation, Angelika moved to attack.

With a Flash Step, she was in the midst of the group before they the shots left too far from their barrels. Her trademark pistol was drawn, aimed and fired upon her respective targets. Because of the point-blank range that they were at, gruesome results were produced. One was decapitated by a point-blank shot to the face. Another was split in two. When Angelika's shots connected with their targets, death was brutal and messy. Throughout it all, she had a hardened and controlled attitude in contrast to the furious state of mind that had driven her in the battle beforehand.

Within seconds, they had been taken out and dealt with. Angelika reloaded a clip into her pistol before lowering it to her side and continuing her walk.

A low chuckle would breath down the back of Angelika's neck, before resonating along the walls in eery familiarity, "Nice eyes, Angelika-hime. Or should I say eye? Those shades of yours...really do confuse anyone else that you may have two eyes," Yashin stepped out of the shadows of the only corridor leading forward, his black gloves at his sides, wearing his trademark black trenchcoat with loose fitted collared shirt and a tie. Fixating a pair of discolored eyes upon her, Yashin smiled in an almost charming way, as if he wasn't here to confront her and stop her advances within the Inner Circle HQ's weak spot, "but I digress, it is good to see you Angelika-hime. With the battle going on at the moment, I do believe we can speak our mind freely, if you it would so please you."

It was at this time, simultaneously, all comms went dark. Angelika would hear only static and it happened the moment Yashin speaking. Whatever happened, something jammed all of their contact with each other, despite being within reach of their goals.

This was where the German woman allowed herself to stop in her tracks. One of her hands reached up to pull the shades off of her face before folding them and placing them within her coat. There was a brief flicker of resentment that showed within her lone eye. But it was immediately suppressed. The time that she had spent, as well as the interaction with Oliver gave her the motive to cool down and reflect on her own actions. Leaping to kill this man wasn't going to save her any more trouble, while the best option - as much as she loathed to - was to humor him.

"By now? I can't say I'm surprised." She said, her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she looked at him. She sheathed her pistol, sticking her hands back into her coat pockets to pull out a cigarette and a lighter. With a flick of the lighter, she had ignited the ash end of the cigarette before storing the lighter back within her pocket. She might as well get comfortable, now that her communications were out of the way.

"Must be interesting, your position that is. Having switched sides like this and now fighting for the side that sent you to cause such a genocide. Must feel...redeeming, in a way, doesn't it?" Yashin asked, with no spite feeled in his voice nor mocking. He clearly was curious upon her take and her reasons for joining the Alliance rather than working for her former employers, "why else would you refuse my offer for friendship and partnership so vigorously? You must think your preforming a last act of virtuous conduct before your soul is officially judged, right?"

"What?"

Such words triggered both amusement and surprise within Angelika, and both feelings made themselves clear on her countenance. An amused smile crossing her face, and she chuckled. "A last act of virtuous conduct? You must have be mistaken for one of the more idealistic members of the Gotei 13. Had that been true, I would never have became a member of the Sect or founded the V-14 in the first place. I would have become a normal resident, or even a member of the 13 itself." She slipped her hands into her coat pockets, the smile quickly fading from her face.

"There was a time where the V-14 only had to worry about performing their respective services. There was no worry about getting destroyed or assimilated. There was only competition. And then you showed up. I'm not doing this out of the delusion of atonement or the possibility that I'll make up for what I did. I'm doing this because you are in my way, and I want you destroyed. The only reason why we're with the Gotei 13 and their allies right now is because we share that same sentiment."

"Such a nice professional, if not entirely expected answer from you, Angelika Hartmann..."

Yashin crossed his arms, looking at her as a lingering air of doubtfulness was projected from his voice as his smile widened a fraction, and thinned just as much, "but really, who are you kidding but yourself? Ever since the Plinian Movement occured, you were punished, weren't you? I know you've been restless since that day onwards and you have an undeniable sense of yearning to be released of the agony and suffering, with guilt renewed with every waking moment of your life. You may be able to hide it from your subordinates, allies, and enemies alike, but you'll eventually break. You hope if you preform some deed, some heroic sacrifice, that the karma-induced curse will be lifted and you'll no longer have to bear the weight of sin that's within your gut!"

If there was any truth within his words, Angelika certainly wasn't keen on showing it.

"Do I really look that childish to you?" She questioned back, almost scoffing at his remark. His words were challenging and daunting, aiming to pierce through the mental armor she had. But she only regarded him with a piercing gaze and a light scowl. "Must you really be so quick to assume that taking the lives of those within the Inner Circle will make up for taking the lives of every woman, man and child in the Mourning War? I know my math to understand that taking more lives won't make up for lives already lost. If the curse that those Hankami placed me under is to break me eventually, then so be it. I lived my life the way I wanted to, and there's hardly a regret of mine worth noting."

She quirked an eyebrow. "But, I suppose that viewpoint isn't entirely unexpected. You've done a fine job manipulating and deceiving the likes of others, haven't you? There was them, there was us... and even the organization that you claim to work for. I wouldn't be surprised if even the Horsemen were unaware of what is going on..."

"Oh you have no idea," Yashin smiles with a menacing intent, uncrossing his arms as he approaches her, his aura seemingly consuming the light within the room as he would circle around her with a malicious tone in his voice, "do you realize how easy it is to decieve the likes of humanity? Its the most basic trait that even the most cunning of masterminds have: They always believe they're on step ahead. I have been making plans long before you or any of the Inner Circle has been born..."

Shifting around to stand behind her, he whispered with great satisfaction and certainty, "I've witnessed things from the beginning, and I'll be there when the end of all existance occurs for mortality. Aizen, Ywach, Kamijō, the Horsemen, the Spirit King, your precious Alliance's leaders...have been moving in the exact way I've desired since the beginning. While the Inner Circle has been placed in a position of superority, I made sure that their reign would be blissfully short. I'll be standing at top, and no being will be my equal because their own arrogance and ignorance will tear each other apart," placing a hand to snake smoothly across her jawline, rubbing it in an attempt of seduction and affection, his breath tickling her ear,

"I can allow your little regime to go untouched from this conflict if you so wish. Just play along in this little war, and try to survive. If all goes well, the Alliance will emerge victorious and your organization will be freed from the opression that the Inner Circle sought to impose upon you and your little Sect friends. All I ask...is that you stay out of my way, and allow me to dispose of the Horsemen myself. The other pieces will fall into place soon enough. Try to challenge me...and I will crush you...upon a whim, understand?"

KILL HIM

The demon that resided within her was going wild now that her enemy was so close to her. One of her hands twitched within the pocket it was in, aching to draw her katana and slice the head right off of his shoulders. His advances on her did not help, a flicker of disgust running down her body. But by now, she understood what he was attempting to do. He was trying to provoke her, make her lose her calm. If he wasn't, though... well, he had a rather twisted way of showing affection, that was for certain.

So, she suppressed that voice within her head. "You want to kill the Horsemen yourself? Then you'd better move fast." She said smoothly, turning her head to look over her shoulder and ignoring the hand across her cheek. "My men and women came here expecting to do some damage, and they would be very disappointed if I didn't give them ample opportunity to do so. Unless, of course, you're afraid of a little competition...?"

"Its not them I'm concerned of. This place is securely guarded by skilled agents. While they may not be enough to stop or kill your subordinates, they will only slow them down," Yashin leaned in, breathing softly upon Angelika's lips, with his own within bare milimeters away, they might as well been touching hers, "but its not you I'm directly referring to as an entity who stands in my way. On the one hand, I can't help but feel attracted to you. We are similar, you and I, as we both yearn to rid ourselves of competition and forces that seek to restrict, bind, and smother our independance, usurping our right of fulfilling our aspirations and objectives in life..."

"While on the other hand," Yashin changed his tone, his hand that had been caressing her cheek slid down her jaw and grasped her throat, not clenching it, but emphasizing the dark, foreign tone he conveyed in his speech far from the confident and optimistic tone he prided in using, "you contain something I loathe with every fiber of my being. Its the opposite of what I am: Shackled, Chained, and Obedient to the whim of masters it sought to destroy ages ago. If you use that thing's power in an attempt to stop me, or kill me...I'll not hesitate in crushing you into dust!"

To some extent, he was antagonistic towards the creature within her.

Even as his hand held her throat, one corner of her mouth curled upwards into a small smirk as this thought crossed her mind. He would feel the light vibrations resonating from her neck as she chuckled again. "So that's how it's going to be, hm?" She questioned. "All right, Yashin. Rest assured, I have no intention of releasing this...shadow... for the sake of killing you. As long as you make sure to stay out of my way, you will never have to be concerned about seeing your loathsome counterpart come to fruition against you. Fair enough?"

A chuckle emanated from Yashin's own throat, as his grip relaxed and slid up to cup her chin gently. As he stared into her eyes, his left eye glowed brightly a fraction moreso, and the tone within his voice gave an indication to his thoughts, "Then it seems we reach an impasse. As long as you remain a host to this thing, you will always be in my way. So...how about I just take that body of yours and absorb its essence, hm?"

CLAMP!

Yashin's hand suddenly clasped with an indominatable grip over Angelika's entire face, lifting her off the ground as his own body began to pulsate with rythmitic power, aiming on dominating her body and mind, and make it another part of his magnificently grandiose collection, "I'll never get a better opportunity than this, Angelika Hartmann. As a token of affection, I'll allow you to keep your free will, so long as I absorb the essence of that shadow within you and make it a part of me, as I was once a part of it. We'll be one in ways you won't be able to fathom, and you get to keep your semblence of a free life. Become one with me!"

"!!!"

It would be the first time that Angelika's eye would widen into shock.

When his hand grabbed her face, she instinctively grabbed his wrist with both of her hands. As much as she pulled against him, it was like trying to push an entire fortress with her bare hands. Still, she found herself falling into this pattern when she felt him trying to invade her head, trying to control her. Beads of sweat were falling down her face as she was physically and mentally attacked. But at the same time, she could feel the monster within her stir even more violently.

DO NOT LET HIM TAKE US

WE WILL NOT LET HIM TAKE YOU

During her struggle against him, she could hear the voices of the Shadow within her head. Under normal circumstances, she would've been quite ready to ignore them. But now, their words of hatred towards Yashin and desire to cooperate with her was strong within her mind. Its pressure was building up within her, threatening to burst out of her with each passing second.

YOU HAVE LEARNED TO ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE

EMBRACE US

WE WILL BECOME YOUR GREATEST WEAPON

As her hands gripped at Yashin's wrist, she would start to mentally embrace the pressure that was building up within her. Once that happened, the sensation started to shift from crushing to intoxicating, the Shadow's power starting to push against Yashin's invading power. But even throughout it all, she did not black out like she had done last time. She could see it all, watching as the beginning sign's of the Shadow's presence began to fill the room. It was so thrilling and exciting to feel such immense power fall into her hands.

Then, the breaking point came.

WHOOM!

A sudden burst of pressure hurled Yashin off of Angelika and through the wall, the force powerful enough to throw him into several walls behind that one. She dropped to the ground on one knee, staying stock still as the environment seemed to black out as it did before. But this moment of silence would only last for a brief second before the monster would make itself known.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!"

A loud, inhuman and ghostly howl filled the room, accompanied by an environmental transition which could've only stemmed from a nightmare. The entire area seemed to have disappeared, replaced by nothing but white with rapidly moving and shifting black shapes covering the majority of it. Directly behind Angelika was a massive humanoid silhouette, holding its head while moving its torso around in agony. It seemed to be the one making the howls, which could be heard throughout the entire underworks of the Seireitei and even on the surface. All the while, its immense power seemed to be spreading throughout the system. While the other V-14 would not be affected majorly, it would be still a potent presence to feel and experience.

The Shadow had awakened.

"Tch...I didn't move quickly enough," Yashin grunted, picking himself up from pile of rubble, his body enraptured in a protective aura to keep himself from being suffocated by the Shadow's presence. As he witnessed its manifestation, he couldn't help but feel a sense of elation and fear build up from his chest. While he knew he wasn't in immediate danger, he knew that the single, focused consciousness of the Shadow gave it incredible power, despite being so limited from a single host to host. It was at this point, that Yashin allowed himself a deep throated laugh, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's it! You hate me as much as I do you, don't you?! Well, c'mon!"

VRRRRROOOOOAAAAAR!!!

"Let's have us a family reunion, slave of the Hankami!" Yashin shouted out with a crazed, widened smile as he summoned his trademark trident weapon in his right hand, while a aura of black spiritual power funneled from beneath the soles of his feet and thunderously projected from beneath him and threatened to consume the stark white background in an unseemly blackness.

"Tri-Vis, Pontum Fulmen!" Yashin cried out, forming a triad of dark spheres in front of an outstretched trident, before a trio of black lightning bolts streaked out, homing in on Angelika's body and the Shadow itself, aiming to incinerate her and blast the both away in a single strike.

VWOOM!

Angelika would raise her head up to see a black hole in space briefly open up to swallow the lightning bolts before they could hit Angelika. In the brief time period that it had opened up, she could feel the fearsome power that the Shadow was presenting against her newly acquired opponent. She breathed heavily, raising a hand up to wipe the beads of sweat off of her forehead. But at the same time, she found herself smiling in anticipation and excitement. This thing... this abomination... was on her side. Judging from her ability to still move her body, it wanted to fight alongside her rather than simply taking control over her.

WE ARE YOUR GREATEST WEAPON, AND HIS WORST NIGHTMARE.

Then, she felt a crawling sensation on her right arm. Her lone eye drifted towards it, seeing the Shadow's black energy envelop and consume it. Chills went down her spine at the feeling of her nerves changing and adjusting to the nightmarish limb of shadow-matter. Tendrils extended from it, thrashing and twisting around without abandon or regard for anything - a testament of the creature's violent nature. But at the same time, it seemed to have surrendered the majority of control over to her. It was quite possibly one of the most incredible feelings she would have in her lifetime.

She turned her gaze to Yashin, and he would see that her eyepatch had fallen off. Although the revealed eye was shut, it had to trails of black blood tears spilling down the side of her face. "The Shadow," She stated, her voice heavily distorted by the Shadow's influence. "Will not be the only thing you will have to worry about today." She swung the shadow-matter limb in a threatening matter, the tendrils seemingly ripping holes within the very atmosphere itself as they moved with her.

"Here we come, Yashin."

Then, she swung the limb towards Yashin.

VWOOM!

A wave of shadow matter was unleashed, enveloping the entirety of the tunnel within total darkness as it raced to consumed Yashin's body. It moved with immense speed, a tsunami in the face of a defenseless and vulnerable city.

Yashin's eyes widened at the sheer force the Shadow exerted. Having forgotten on the scale his counterpart was unleashing. He forgotten how often he played around with his enemies, and how much he held back. Knowing the scale of their battle would be nothing short of titanic, he readied himself to go all-out from the get-go.

''Tap-Whoosh! ''

Crouching on three of his four limbs, he leaped narrowly above the swinging shadow tendrils, spearing upwards with his trident piercing a series of holes to allow him passage upwards. Meanwhile, the tendrils on the other hand, continued swinging past him...

BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

"I see it hasn't lost any of that firepower I remember so well," Yashin thought aloud, as his body propelled into the air to avoid the dark matter tendrils, looking down at the torn underworks and the already unstable main HQ for the Horsemen, as pillars and the entirety of the ceiling of one corner was ripped asunder with ease due to the chaotic thrust of his counterpart's attack, "I guess in a way this battle is fruitful. While I have my fun with my long-lost brother, in a sense, the Horsemen will have to vacate from their precious thrones and see their society crumble before them. I wonder what they're thinking of this creature's presence being unleashed in their midst. Oh they must be terrified!"

Gleefully smiling as he rode the air currents, he decided to goad the creature elsewhere, knowing the scale of their battle would undoubtedly reduce all battlefields to dust within a short span of time. Charging his body with Spiritual Power, he propelled himself into the sky, visually appearing like a streak of black lightning moving up into the storming clouds high above the Soul Society. Knowing the relentless nature of his counterpart, it and Angelika, would undoubtedly follow him to take their battle to a new theater more worthy of their plane of powers.

"He's retreating!"

As she watched him moving higher into the depths of the skies, Angelika pursed her lips together. Slowly, the offending limb that had carried the shadow-matter on it dissipated to reveal her normal form. Her fists clenched, and her body tensed upward in preparation to follow him. However, hesitation abruptly stopped her from progressing. Her attention snapped towards the tunnels leading further on, where her teammates were presumably traversing. She knew that before she went anywhere, she would have to notify them of the sudden turn of events. Now that Yashin had disappeared out of the area, she could safely say communications were back online.

She clicked a finger to her earpiece. "All units. This is Angelika. I've just had an encounter with Yashin and he just pulled out of the area. Maintain your current timelines. I'm going after him. Out." It was a message simple enough to convey her intentions. The back of her mind feared possible objection due to her sudden change of interest. But she knew that there might not be another chance like now. She had to kill the chess master.

She clicked off the earpiece, bending her legs in a readying position before boosting herself up into the air. She could feel the Shadow's energy take hold of her again, this time moving around her entire form. She could feel the shadow matter take the shape of a pterodactyl, its wings sweeping to catch the air currents. The Shadow gave her control, but left its thirst of blood and rage fuel her very being. The pterodactyl shadow gave an ear-piercing screech as it flew in Yashin's path, the being inside eager to end it all within this one encounter.

KILL

Take'em Down! The Last Lines of Opposition!
"W-What the Hell was that?!"

Of the squad that was composed of Hyōryū, Anton, and Oliver, it was the prior who shouted at the surprising thunderous rush of force that shook the entire underworks violently. After hearing Angelika's message, she was still flabbergasted how Angelika found Yashin so quickly, and how she intended on taking him down. Like the other Dragons, he seemed impossible to defeat conventionally, so how was she going to do it?!

Although they weren't quick to shout, Anton and Oliver did carry shocked expressions of their own as they felt the tremors shoot through the underworks. They spun around reflexively to look at where they had come from as if expecting the source to just show up right in front of them. But after coming to the conclusion that possibility wouldn't come true, they reached out with their senses. Their eyes closed simultaneously as they focused, and a moment of silence passed between them all.

"...that thing's been released into the open." Anton said finally, his expression conveying both solemnity and apprehension. "And judging from that last message, I think the boss released it on purpose. That, or Yashin forcibly made her reveal itself again."

"Think she can take him?" Oliver questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"I hope so..." Anton muttered, breathing out a heavy sigh as he turned back around to continue the trek down to their own destination. "Every time that we've faced him, he's been nothing but a brick wall. It's been only by the grace of gods that we've always managed to escape his encounters. If anything, I'm praying for this to be an exception..."

"The Hell does she even have behind that eyepatch? Last time someone took it off, her f***ing arms blew off and she looked like something that needed to be have excoriation!" Hyōryū asked aloud, feeling like one of the few to be in the dark what Angelika truly hid behind her eyepatch.

"Sounds like someone wasn't listening to that Oracle creature when it was talking about it in the hangar..." Anton said teasingly, looking over her shoulder. However, he was quick to turn serious. "What we saw was the influence of what they called the Shadow. Haven't exactly heard much about the thing myself, but from what we felt in the hangar and what was felt just now, I can tell you that it's something that I'm personally not willing to go up against. Call me a coward if you wish, but I know my limits."

"Speak for yourself!" Oliver snorted. "If we can see and feel it, we can kill it. Hell, I'd personally take it by the spine and f--"

"This is coming from the guy who charged a deity-level demon with only two pistols?" Anton interrupted him before he could finish that sentence, giving him a comical deadpan look. "Of course you'd see if you could fight it. Common sense is not one of your strongest suits, Amerikos."

"Ah--" Oliver's face contorted into an equally comical expression of mock hurt, and he fell into a brief moment of silence. When he spoke again, it wasn't a biting remark. "You know. If I wasn't a hardened killing machine... that would've actually hurt."

"Too bad you lost your guns that day...if its any consolation, at least you got good substitut-"

Hyōryū stopped dead in her tracks, as she saw movement within her peripheal vision. Within a matter of seconds, what looked like a wave of shurikens appeared in front and behind them. Drawing both of her trademark Jackals, she rushed towards the ones in front, maximizing their firepower to take them out all at once, sending a cascading torrent of yellow energy down the corridor and exploding the wall down from them.

While the projectiles moved, a shadow-enraptured being flew from the darkness above, slamming a Hierro-laced fist towards Anton's head, intending on driving him into the ground with immense force, sending a concussive wave of broken air pressure in the wake of the strength and speed deployed for the surprise attack.

"!"

Although Anton and Oliver were certainly surprised by the sudden sensations within the air, they were just as quick to act.

While Hyōryū was covering the front, Anton covered the rear. He swung one of his hands in a horizontal arc, sending a wave of his own spiritual pressure to counter the barrage. The sharp stars were derailed, slamming into and embedding themselves within the far off walls or the ground farthest from them. Thus, they were spared a gruesome and bloody death.

But then, the figure of their enemy appeared above Anton's head. His eyes widened, and his head instinctively jerked upwards to see the fist swing down towards his head. Fortunately, Oliver wasn't too far behind with his own reflections.

WHUMPF!

"Hrah!"

Oliver's leg was quick to intercept the descending body, his boot connecting with his target's ribcage. The force was enough to send him a good distance away, while his assailant would land beside Anton's flank. He was positioned in a way that would have Hyōryū easily able to fire off a shot if she had a fix on him. "Guess we've found our first line of defense. You good?"

"Yeah..." Anton muttered, giving a brief nod. "Nice to see you have my back..."

BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM...!

Much to Hyōryū's delight, she switched to rapid fire and began peppering the body of the assailant draped in black, causing sparks and grunts of pain to be emitted by her target, visibly contorting and spinning out of control as she unleashed a series of unrelenting shots. After she shot her target dead-on for the dozenth time, ejected the ammo clips from her weapon and began reloading, smiling with victory upon her face.

"That didn't take long..."

"How careless of me," the voice of their attacker spoke aloud without difficulty, stopping Hyōryū's sense of victory cold. Grasping the cloak hiding his form, Reitanmujō threw it off, showing a good five shots had penetrated his skin and opened up gaping wounds across his limbs and torso. The rest were visibly burn upon portions of his hardened skin and repelled with ease. But this was further dismissed as an advantage for the invaders, as the skin rapidly regenerated and healed any damage dealt to his body, showing the masked, sleeveless and muscular form of Reitanmujō, "I underestimated the Black Eagle's response time too late. It won't happen again..."

"T-T-The Fuck?!" Hyōryū's eyes bulged as she saw the thing before them regenerate and repair everything she shot at him with. Not only that, the man's eerily malicious eyes projected such a violent killing intent, it almost felt like being stabbed in the gut by a rusty knife. Ontop of that...his arms were visibly stitched up, as if he was part of a sick experiment, and currently spasming as if something was living within his limbs.

"God, this guy's just speaking the language of psychotic..." Oliver, although not to the same extreme, seemed to share her shock and disturbed attitude towards the enemy that had attacked them. His body tensed up, one of his hands near the sheathed sword on his waist. He narrowed his eyes. "Any more and he'd make a perfectly good movie serial killer..."

"Everyone stay on your toes!" Anton said, his own body settling into a defensive stance. "This guy's one of the assassins from the Takuji's bunch!"

"Too slow!" Reitanmujō muttered, his left arm reared back before punching out. But it didn't simply stop. Instead, the arm extended, stretched out from a series of bundled black-red veins splitting out from the stitched portions of his arm and moving with startling speeds, aiming to strike Oliver directly in the chest with the force of a freight train. But it wasn't meant to connect...

'''SPLURCH! '''

SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK!

...as the collective of black-red muscular tissue suddenly discharged in all directions, creating a series of thin spikes with incredible cutting power, aiming to squewer and impale them, while slamming into the ceiling and floor of the underworks corridor.

Hyōryū cleverly used her guns to propel herself back away from the spikes, getting nicked in several places, before her back unintentionally slammed into the far wall, leaving a indention that caused her to cough aloud, feeling the breath leave her lungs.

"N-N-Not...doing that again...kaff-kaff-kaff!"

This time, Anton would be the one to pull them out of a tight spot.

"Nenshō!"

PWOOF!

Seconds from the point where the spikes were released, Anton sucked in a deep breath after calling out the release command of the Kidō spell. At the same time they were actually released, he exhaled a massive cloud of flames that incinerated the spikes. This protective wave would race towards the enemy, leaving the floor nearly coated within the blaze. It was also an opportunity to allow Oliver to re-appear at Hyōryū's front, one of his pistols held in one hand and readied to fire.

"C'mon, we didn't bring you out here just so we could play babysitter!" He snapped, though concern was clearly evident. He didn't dare turn to face her, knowing that the assassin could recover and strike them down in that brief moment of letting his guard down.

"Please..."

WHIZ-SNATCH!

"...my body has already adapted to high concussive Kidō rounds. Dealing with flames such as this is mere child's play in comparison," Reitanmujō growled out, his arm rushing through the flames, despite the protrusions being burnt away, grabbing Anton by the throat as he was discharging bountiful tongues of fire over the extended limb. Using the off balance motion Anton would have, Reitanmujō whip-lashes Anton into the ground before slamming him directly into the ceiling above, pinning him with the inhumanly strong limb as it tightened its hold around his neck, attempting to snap it.

Simultaneously, Reitanmujō formed a number of vein-spikes from his right arm, and discharged them towards Oliver and Hyōryū's direction. They were hyper-condensed to maximize their heft within impact and held a high penetrative force behind it if they were to strike their bodies.

Upon seeing the half dozen projectiles rush towards them, Hyōryū regained her beath immediately, pushing Oliver out of the way as she pointed her Jackal towards the incoming projectiles, while pressing a new switch she had installed into it.

"Tesla Shot!"

POW!

SSSSKRRRRT!

Within a single discharge of her gun, a string of electricity left her gun and struck the center projectile, causing it to be enveloped in a web of high voltage currents. Those currents lashed out and caught the other projectiles, flashing vibrantly before shattering into thousands of vaporized fragments, dissipating into burnt blood within the air.

"Don't coddle me, Ollie. It makes you look like a woman!" Hyōryū said with a smirk, standing onto her feet to await the next round of attacks the assassin would throw at them.

But even though they were safe for the time being, Anton would find himself in a heap of trouble.

"Haaagh~?!"

His eyes widened in shock as the opponent's hand grasped his throat, forcing him off-balance. The grip behind it was at an extreme, cutting off his air right away and causing him to choke as the palm pressed against his windpipe. But before he could make any form of recovery, he found himself lifted into the air in a seemingly effortless gesture by the enemy.

WHAM!

WHAM!

Like a rag-doll being thrown against a wall by a child, he was treated to having his body slammed into the ground and then hurled upwards to the ceiling. His back slammed into it, embedding a crater within its foundation. His eyes were widened, and his mouth was agape in an attempt to gain a purchase of air. But the grip on his neck was tightening ever so slowly, and he knew that it was only a matter of time until his neck was crushed.

With shaking hands, he grabbed the wrist and unleashed his next attack.

TZZZT!

The electricity of a Tzusuri Raiden spell would course through his enemy's body as it made its way straight towards the source of his burden. Drool was coming from one corner of Anton's mouth, and sweat was starting to form on his face at a rapid rate. But he kept feeding the energy, pushing to electrocute his strangler to death before he himself could succumb to darkness.

"Jeezus!"

Although Oliver was quick to recover from the stumble his partner gave him, he had to stop himself as he saw her destroy the projectiles headed in their general direction. His eyes drifted towards her in surprise and amazement, and he couldn't help the grin from crossing his face. "Well now, looks like somebody's been doing a little tech work." He commented. "That, or you've been talking to Kaitlyn a lot more than I knew..." He swung his gaze over towards the scene at hand, the small smile fading immediately.

"Oh, come on, Ruso!"

With an annoyed snarl, he pointed his gun at the head of the assassin. "If regular Kidō bullets can't cut it..." He thought to himself, taking careful aim. "Then let's see what a dose of an Etherion 13-mm can do. Die, motherfucker!"

BLAM!

Wordlessly, Reitanmujō released his hold on Anton's neck as he felt convulsion after convulsion of high Kidō-based electrical shock fed into his body. Stumbling back, when he noted Oliver aiming his gun at him with a confident snarl, he took caution over retaliation...

SHOOP!

...and his body sunk into his own shadow, enveloping him and hiding his body from view effectively, if not within an unorthodoxical manner.

"Your brother had nice toys, stuff I couldn't pass up pimping my babies," Hyōryū said with a brief grin, before rushing over to Anton's side, standing near him with both guns primed and in hand, unable to help him up herself without leaving herself open to attack, "Anton! You alright?!"

WHUMPF!

As soon as Anton fell collapsed back to the ground, he fell straight into a coughing fit. One of his hands clutched his throat as he struggled to regain breath, keeping himself off of his stomach with his knees and one hand. "Y-yeah... just give me a minute and I'll be fine..." He managed to get out between his coughs, managing a heavy nod. "Fuck, that guy has a grip...!"

After taking a brief check to make sure Anton could get back up on his feet, Oliver directed his sights on the environment once again. He kept his own pistol readied for another shot, ready to turn on a dime and fire if he had to. "Well, it seems like we're dealing with more than just some hapless fool here, aren't we?" He commented. "Tell us who the hell you are!"

Tap...Tap...Tap...Tap...Tap...

Coming out from the shadows, slowly but surely, the methodically slow movement indicated his position and the direction was directly in front of them. As he walked towards them, his eerily green, pupiless eyes narrowed at them and spoke aloud with amusement, "Who am I? What a trivial question for invaders to ask, the very thing they'd rather cut to pieces and scorch the flesh off the corpse of. But since you're not going anywhere anytime soon, I'll deign this as a question worth answering..."

Making a handsign of sorts, his body pulsated with an ominous power, causing his flesh to visibly vibrate and distort. Within a matter of seconds, sicke wet sounds of tearing flesh and stretching appendages indicated another grotesque addition to his form. Something hideous emerged, and that was when Hyōryū's blood turned cold. Four compressed masses of black-red veins and tissue stretched out, with Hollow masks attached at their ends, snarling and growling out in very carnal, anger-filled tones through artificial vocal cords.

"I am the prototype shock trooper within the Takuji's Elite Black Ops military branch. To be precise, I am a host of four Arrancar bodies, all of which were Adhujas-class, in attempt to make me the perfect assassin, warrior, and weapon. But...you can consider me...a real...MONSTER!!!"

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRR!!!!

In unison, all four masked appendages roared out such a terrifying synchronized bellow, that the Spiritual Power projected sent a concussive wave of pressurized air waves. Indenting the ground around Reitanmujō, shattering the ceiling, and blowing back the walls on either side, Reitanmujō's aura was twisted, malicious, and carnal. A perfect host of the souls of thousands of cannibalized hollows, and their collective powers fused within his artificial body. A true monster that the Takuji created.

"Rgh!"

Instinctively, Anton raised his arms to shield his face from the oncoming wind currents, with Oliver following suit. The Russian quickly stepped in front of Hyōryū in order to bear the brunt of the pressure, digging his feet in the ground. The sound that was emitted made him think that he could have been rendered deaf, what with the volume and range that they were at. Right then and there, he knew that this would not be an easy fight. One mistake, and the assassin - if he could call this man that now - would not hesitate to kill them all.

But, even as Anton was having tense thoughts, Oliver was regarding him with a mix of shock and curiosity. Even as he listened to the simultaneous screams, felt the horrendous spiritual pressure wash over him, images of past memories were flashing through his head.

"Damn it, I didn't ask a question! I gave an order!"

"B-But, sir! This is your own son--!"

"He is nothing but an unruly boy that must be corrected. I'm going to trust you to see that he becomes a fit one for the military."

"I... we both know what type of soldiers that come from my regiment of training. It will be hard, gruesome, and I have high doubts that he'll even survive to see the battlefield. Are you certain this is the right thing to do?"

"Consider this a test for you as well, Lieutenant Tichborne. I want you to take this simple boy and mold him into one of the finest soldiers I will witness in my lifetime. By the end of his course, I expect him to be one of the most deadly warriors I could have under my command. An assassin, a warrior, and a weapon to wield as I see fit! Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir. I... I'll do my best..."

Then, as the winds faded, he could feel a pulse from the weapon sheathed at his waist. His eyes slowly drifted down towards it, and he held that stare for a moment. All of his former tension seemed to drift away when he felt the energy of his own sword ripple through him. It was its own way of conveying one message to him, something that only he could understand. A slow smile crossed his face, and he gave a slight nod in acknowledgement.

"All right. I understand."

He closed his eyes, grasping the hilt of his sheathe and slowly drawing it out. When the metal of the sword made itself visible, pulse waves were produced from it and could be seen by the rest of them. During this time, his form actually started to glow a little with a silver light - the hue of his own spiritual pressure. His body language spoke not of the rough and violent attitude he had carried before, but a passive and almost enlightened one that was most certainly out of place.

VRRRRRRRR!

Upon mental command, the Hollow mask to Reitanmujō's immediate began widening its alabaster mask, condensing a large output of Spiritual Energy, and transforming it into a rolling sphere filled with volatile destructive power. The greatest weapon of any evolved Hollow species, and known far and wide among the Soul Society: A Cero!

Hyōryū turned around, using Anton's body as a brace, and pulled out her right Jackal to take aim at the rolling, familiar priming source of energy. Turning her specialized mod wheel beneath the safety hammer of her weapon, she aimed to choose a special type: Detonite Shot.

"Eat this, Bitch!"

VRRRR-BLAAAAAM!

BANG!

Without a thought's hesitation, she fired at the same time as the Cero was about to let loose its full fury within their midst. Knowing that her boyfriend possessed incredible skill within the Kidō arts, she placed instinctive faith that he would dampen the force of the explosion that would follow.

When the red-gleaming Kidō slug pierced through the veil of the approaching Cero, it struck the very center of its energy projection and harness...

BOOM!

And when it happened, it caused a flash of light, and followed by a loud, deafening blast at the source of the Cero, forcing Hyōryū to grab wrap her arms around Anton's chest to keep herself from being flung back like a ragdoll, prior to this particular explosion.

Anton was quick to catch on.

Before the force of the blast could hit them, he thrust his hands forward and summoned an orange, cubical barrier around the both of them. It was just at the nick of time when the shockwave reached them, for the face of the cube protected them from the brunt of the blast. Anton had to shut his eyes in order to keep himself from being blinded by the brilliant light that was also produced from the explosion. He exhaled harshly, keeping his hands out in front of him as he glowered at his enemy. "Well, I would've used one of my spells to counter that..." He muttered, smirking a little and looking over his shoulder at her. "But that works, too." He looked over at his other partner. "Oliver--"

"So!"

The said American's voice cut him off, and he couldn't help gaze in slight surprise at the man as he twirled his sword around in one hand. Despite him being within the proximity, the force of the explosion had not moved him an inch. He had a collected and almost jovial smile on his face as he looked at Reitanmujō. "You're a failed project, too, right? That works out perfectly, then. I don't know about my two partners here..." He stopped spinning the sword, grasping it with one hand and lowering it to his side. His free hand was in his pocket. "But I think you and I are gonna get along just fine."

"You belive you and I are the same? In that regard, you are mistaken," Reitanmujō's voice echoed through the smoke, as he stood with barely a scratch from the explosion that was created by the collision of forces, despite being at its epicenter. It contrast to before, Reitanmujō's skin had turned into a finite grey-colored tone, taking on the sheen of metal rather than actual tissue. Clasping his hands together, Reitanmujō grunted and growled, as the black-red vein-laced wings attached to his back convulse and shiver...and then...

SPLUUUUUUURCH!!!

...split from his back entirely with a sickening wet sound that gushed black fluids, the four veined proxy Hollows shifted into individual bodies, each with slightly different postures and varying masks. This allowed Reitanmujō's back to seal back up and turn into a grey sheen, protecting his body completely. As he rose to a standing posture, Reitanmujō grabs the mask covering his lower face, and spoke in finality, "I am a finely tuned weapon. You? Are a rusty blade who's lost his purpose of existing, and is being handled by a different destiny than intended. The gap between us..."

Shhhhhrk!

"...is as wide as Hell and Heaven!" His face became exposed as he ripped off the mask, showin the lower half had been completely covered by a fragmented Hollow mask, with rows of sharp teeth, all clasped perfectly over his human-looking mouth. As if he himself became an Arrancar, while hosting four others within himself, Reitanmujō was a distorted hybrid of what he originally was and became something completely inhuman.

And then, he and his proxy Hollow puppets, moved with immense speed. He rushed purposely faster, using a lariat maneuver as he moved past Oliver, aiming to catch him with his left arm across his midriff, and propel him through the shattered terrain of the underworks behind the team.

Simultaneously, the four proxy Hollows rushed as one towards Hyōryū and Anton, discharging a wide net of protruding grotesque spikes from their black-red bodies. To give space between her and her attackers, she vaulted with a high jump, bending her knees close to her chest to avoid the daring creatures moving to hit her and Anton. As soon as she was directly behind them in midair, Hyōryū aimed vertically upside down while being parallel with her aim.

"Napalm Shot!"

'BANG-FWHOOSH! '

With a single shot, she sent one of the proxy Hollows howling on the far left into a blazing ball of flames as soon as the fiery projectile struck its backside. This left the other three that rushed at Anton's position, as Hyōryū righted herself and began preforming acrobatic evasive maneuvers from blind-shot strikes by the proxy Hollows bodies.

Anton didn't dodge, swinging his arms out to either side of him. A Tenran spell was invoked, the winds of the spell whirling around him in a miniature tornado. It would catch the spikes within its wind cycle, stopping the eye from meeting impalement. As the three abominable forms moved to swoop in on him, he narrowed his eyes and thrust his hands back out in front of him. In turn, this caused the wind currents to fall to one direction and direct the spikes back towards their sources.

SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-

His reward would be the turned weapons tearing through the masks and heads of the Hollows for an instant-kill. But he was not willing to risk them getting back up in the case that it wasn't. He clenched his teeth together and readied his hands once more, his palms ignited with flames. It was a variant of the Nenshō spell projected from the palm instead of the mouth, reducing the time to summon the actual power of it.

"Hrah!"

PWOOM!

He thrust his hands forward, unleashing a massive blaze of fire to envelop the remains and incinerate them to nothing but ashes.

Meanwhile, Oliver would face the source of the abominations seemingly on his own.

As his enemy moved to meet him, he would raise his sword and stab it towards the spot where the shoulder and the arm was connected. For anyone else, this would have been an absolutely foolish move. The grey skin indicated some form of protection, which was emphasized by the fact that the Takuji was willing to charge inward for a frontal attack. Physical counter-strikes would have been ineffective and nothing Oliver would have done could have saved him from getting swept off of his feet and hurled away. But that was where his Zanpakutō would come in to even the odds.

SPLURCH!

The metal of his sword would run through the area where it was aimed, and the weapon itself would be stopped by the shoulder blade. Oliver would have to dig his feet in against the force of his enemy's body, the soles sliding into the ground a little. He started to chuckle, even as he held his ground. "If this is what the Takuji Clan calls a "finely tuned weapon"," He said mockingly. "Then I would hate to see what an old and broken down one would look like!" Quickly, he yanked the blade out from the shoulder and jumped back, landing a distance away from his enemy.

"Ngh!" Reitanmujō found himself growling as he felt the blade thrust through his shoulder. Looking at the blood-stained Zanpakutō, he could sense that there were abnormalities within it and that it was not sealed. Even as he observed his body repair itself and acclamate to the concerning threat that pierced it in the first place, he knew he had to be more subtle against an opponent with a weapon of that caliber in hand.

Rubbing his right hand over the discolored blood that had leaked out, he balled it into a fist, fueling his own Spiritual Power within the liquated lifeblood over the palm of his hand. A vibrant, pulsating glow emanated from between his fingers. And then, he threw it...

VWHOOOOOSH!

...and a wave of liquid, black-red magma was thrown in Oliver's direction, aiming to overlap and totally consume him with the high grade Kidō he employed. But he left nothing to chance. Kneeling down within the cover of the large wave of magma heading towards Oliver, he swung his left hand into the shadows beneath him...

SHFT-WHAM!

...timing it so that Oliver's retalitory action to the magma, be it evasion or meeting it head-on, would have an elongated Hierro-enhanced fist smash into Oliver's unprotected blindspot, intending on taking him down a notch and leave him open for follow-up attacks.

As for the Proxy Hollows...

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!" They all bellowed out at once, appearing to be writhing in pain from the attack. But it looked as if it did little to damage them externally, as any tissue being wrended asunder, was being rapidly regenerated in succession to any harmed vein-protruding tissue.

As one of the masked apparitions opened its mask, devouring the flames wrapped and burning their artificial flesh, directly into its masked mouth. Turning back, the Proxy Hollow that had devoured Anton's flames opened its mask...

VRRRROOOOOOOAAAAR!!!

...unleashing a pillar of flames that seemed to rival the scope of the Jigoku Hashira Daisuke had been so proud of using, aiming on running down the Kidō Master and burning him alive.

Hyōryū had other problems, as the Proxy Hollow that she had just shot Napalm at was heading straight towards her, launching a quick succession of Balas from its mask to hit her with concussive and widespread force. Those that Hyōryū didn't dodge, she shot quickly, causing them to explode in midair, often to her luck sending her enemy off course or slow it down. They were neck and neck, and it was lucky that the other two Proxy Hollows hadn't joined in just yet, or they'd be in real big trouble!

"Fuck--!"

Shocked that the proxy Hollow had been able to counter the flames, Anton pointed two of his fingers at the oncoming blaze and unleashed a Shō spell, parting the wave of fire and causing it to extend around him. The immense heat generated caused him to sweat profusely, serving as a reminder of just how close he had been to getting himself incinerated. One of his eyes shut reflexively at the heated air hitting them, but he kept the other one open. If he took one eye off of them, that could be the opportunity to overwhelm him.

He slammed his hands down onto the ground.

"Bakuyakunami!"

BOOM!

An explosion was generated in the area that the Proxy Hollows, consuming them within the violent release of energy. Anton raised himself to a standing position, generating two Kiriken swords and settling into a defensive stance. "So you can regenerate, huh?" He commented. "Guess that means I don't have to worry about animal cruelty, then. Come on!"

Likewise, Oliver's predicament was just as sudden, but nothing that he couldn't counter.

He leaped back from the lava, retreating backwards as it came forward to envelop him. But as he did so, he could feel the disturbance the fist created when it swung to his back. As soon as it was millimeters from Oliver's back, that was when he performed a better evasive maneuver.

WOOSH!

With a Flash Step, he vanished from the path of the magma and the fist, timing it in the hopes that Reitanmujō would incinerate his own hand courtesy of his own attack. He re-appeared behind Reitanmujō, his sword moving to cut through his torso with a quick and precise motion.

Reitanmujō anticipated such a feat. If the Black Wolf had regained his Zanpakutō, who would say he didn't regain all his Soul Reaper skills when using the priorly awakened force? He retracted his arm back fast enough when his Pesquisa told him that his opponent moved to his backside, but he knew that particular limb wouldn't be fast enough to stop Oliver's advance. But, with an unseen smile behind the alabaster-tooth-filled mask, Reitanmujō knew he didn't have to.

CLANG!

Instead of penetrating the visible sheen of adjustable Hierro over his body, a violent crack of metal meeting dense, mineralized tissue and caused sparks to fly forth and the blade to be rebounded. Using the bare moment of distraction and pause his enemy would undoubtedly express, Reitanmujō used his proximate left hand to grasp the blade, holding it tightly before stretching a Geki field over its entirety, making it inmoveable for the wielder to wrend it free. Simultaneously, Reitanmujō retracted his arm from the shadows below and twisted his body around so his inhumanly strengthened limb would strike Oliver square in the jaw, aiming to send him sprawling across the ruined corridor they were all combatting within.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!"

WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH!

As soon as all three of the Proxy Hollows were subjugated to the violent explosive blast, they charged violently and with tenacious bloodlust for Kidō Master. Hardening their limbs, they manipulated their body's structure to become a wall of spikey flesh as their bodies would come into contact with Anton's Kiriken blades. Each one discharged a different element from their masks, in succession of their physical attacks not meeting their mark: Lightning, Magnetically Harnessed Metal, and High Pressurized jets of water.

"Cryo Shot! Detonite Shot!"

BANG-BANG!

While the Proxy Hollow was slowly gaining ground, she aimed to incapacitate it, if even for a short amount of time. Aiming one of her Jackals at the apparition, she discharged several shots of flash-freezing cryo slugs, instaneously freezing the limbs and the main body of the Hollow. Following-up, she shot a detonite blast towards the mask itself, seeing as it seemed to be the only thing not regenerating along with the grotesque mass of a body. And when she did...

CRAAAAAACK!

...when done, a dramatic shattering of the creature occurred, followed-up with the fragmentation of the mask the apparition was held together by. Sliding on the heels of her feet, she panted from the constant evasive maneuvers she had to keep from being diced up by the Hollow. Emptying what was left of her Kidō mags into the shattered pieces for good emphasis, she shouted out to Anton with relief, "Anton! These things are weak at the masks! Hit them with brute force if possible, and that should stop them from regenerating!"

"Could've fooled me. Judging from the way they seemed to withstand the fire and that explosion, I could've sworn that even the masks were invincible..." Anton thought to himself, a slight and comical look of annoyance on his face.

Nevertheless, as the Proxy Hollows charged him, he prepared himself. His body fell back to the assault that they were giving him, deftly moving and flipping to avoid getting electrocuted and impaled by the metal and water elements. His swords moved to intercept the spikes, parrying them and batting them away in a show of acrobatic ferocity. For a moment, it seemed as if he could not find an opening to get to the precious masks.

But that would last only for a moment.

SLICE!

One of his Kiriken blades would slice through one of the masks as soon as it found an opening, and the other would cleave the body in two halves. As he fell back a few more steps, he focused his gaze on the two remaining abominations. His irises glowed a brilliant red, and the energy making up the Geki spell ensnared both of their bodies. This allowed him to stop in his tracks, grinning menacingly and dissipating both of his swords. "Either way," He said. "I don't think regeneration matters against the likes of this trick." From there, his eyes glowed a brilliant silver as he called out the name of his next attack.

"Masugyō!"

With that command, both of the Proxy Hollows turned into stone from the outside in within a matter of seconds. It was a technique he rarely allowed himself to use due to it being so quick and efficient. But in the scenario where they had been outnumbered, he found it to be necessary. He raised both of his palms up and thrust it towards the spots where the masks would have been, smashing through the stone heads and causing the statues to crumble where they stood.

"Four down..." He muttered, turning to face their very owner as he collided with Oliver. "One to go."

Oliver's eyes indeed widened in surprise when he found that the blade had been stopped within its tracks. Under normal circumstances, such a defensive means would have been useless against the likes of his Zanpakutō and could have only been thwarted by another attack. There had to be something more to the shielding than what he could see on the outside.

But before he could reflect on it...

WHAM!

"Oof--!"

His face would be greeted by the Hierro-enhanced fist, and he forcibly had to let go of his blade due to the Geki shield surrounding it. He was quick to catch himself in mid-air, landing in a crouched position on his feet and scowling at the predicament. Slowly, he raised himself back up to a standing position and held his hand out. "I'll be taking that back now..." He said bluntly, almost as if he was expecting the man to hand him his sword back.

"Tch," Reitanmujō muttered faced Oliver fully, stabbing the Zanpakutō into the ground next to him, but did not allow the stasis field of binding energy to yield in the slightest. Looking around, he saw that his symbiotic hollows were annihilated during the battle and within a short amount of time. Fighting three at the same time would be difficult, especially with the likes of the Black Eagle, Anton Semenov, and the gun-toting woman with modified weaponry. Looking at them all, he crossed his arms to properly address them all, "you have me at a disadvantage. I should've kept the creatures within me to sustain me for an elongated battle of intensity against the three of you. Now...I have a particular chance of defeat should I engage you as you all are now..."

It would be within the verbal ponderings that Reitanmujō would be surprised by another arrival. One of which had mysterious ties to the one whom he faced, and the organization he pledged support to as a whole.

SHFT!

Appearing within a flickering motion of fast-speed movement, Jamie Holmes stood directly in between Reitanmujō and Oliver, facing the latter with a darkened visage of unusually jubilious gait. The Blood Coat had come to join the fray!

"Hello, Ollie! Seems like things are going pretty well here for ya, I see," Jamie spoke in an enthusiastic tone, with a hidden meaning behind what he spoke of, despite the manner of his arrival of facing Oliver rather than pointing his back to him. That, and the blood-stained hilt of a Paladin's claymore he claimed as his own, strapped around his chest by a black harness, underlayed by his distinguishable dark trench coat, "want me to make things more interesting for ya and your pals?"

All eyes would widen in shock at his sudden appearance.

"Y-you!" Anton was quick to voice his surprise as he looked at the new arrival, recognizing him immediately. Due to their having to leave so suddenly, he had been quick to assume that the man that had been consumed in the Inner Circle's attack on Aether. To see him standing here, however, knocked that theory completely out of the water. However, there was a bit of relief upon seeing him. A potential ally would have been highly beneficial in their bid to destroy the HQ of the Horsemen...

Hyōryū walked to Anton's side, at first a bit enthusiastic at seeing the dashing red-headed man whom supplied her with the mods to her weapons and helped them retrieve Oliver. However, she halted her approach as she observed his stance, having no iota of aggression towards Reitanmujō, nor any sign of actually helping them other than showing himself.

Slowly, Oliver lowered his hand as he stared with bemusement at his brother. "Jamie? What exactly are you doing here, of all places? I figured you'd still be in Aether causing havoc to the Inner Circle's invasion..."

A throat-filled laugh of humor came from Jamie, as he bent his gaze down and closed his eyes, having to cover his face with his right hand's glove to surpress further incredulous outburst, "I'm sorry, but...don't you think my sabatoge went a little too well back in Aether? Or the fact how Brina McTavish, the Dragon of the 43rd Sherman Regiment, happened to have your frequency in order to contact you? You being there...just smokescreened my intentions of softening up the defenses for the IC's forces to invade Shinhae," waving his arms to either side, he proclaimed with pride as he stared levelly back at Oliver, "I am an agent of Yashin Shiyōnin, the puppeteer that has been stringing your entire organization along the path of his choosing! The Blood Coat..."

WHAM!

"...kills for him!" Jamie shouted out, as he suddenly swung his right foot to plant a snap kick to Oliver's solarplex, making enough force to send a vibrant pop of air pressure to blow back anything within the direction of which Jamie struck out for. All the while, he bore a crazed, malicious expression that held only sinister glee in what he was about to do.

Time stopped.

As Jamie's attack closed in on him, Oliver's surprised expression turned to one of shock and horror as he saw the foot come towards his solar plexus. In that brief moment that he saw the insane look on Jamie's face, his eyes flickered with an emotion that would not be recognized immediately. It was something that he had seen within Genesis's eyes before he had shot her and left her for dead. It was the same look within Kaitlyn's eyes when he had been forced to leave her behind in that burning base.

Betrayal.

"What...?"

Then, the foot came.

All air was knocked out of his lungs when the kick connected, sending him crashing through the walls of the underworks. Anton's eyes widened in shock as he saw his partner go flying through the walls courtesy of the former ally's kick. In that brief moment, he could see that brief flicker within Oliver's eyes prior to the attack. He could see that subtle emotion show itself for that split-second. That was how well Anton had come to know him.

And that was enough to encite rage within the Russian.

He narrowed his eyes and put on a snarl, glaring daggers at Jamie.

"You...wretched traitor!"

With that shout, he hurled himself at Jamie with his Kiriken swords at the ready, his heart pumping within his chest. Rage and a desire to avenge his teammate fueled him into the attack, and he wanted nothing more than to shred the man to pieces for what had been said and done.

But before Anton could meet Jamie's amused expression, having sideglanced with the same expression he projected to Oliver, Reitanmujō swiftly discharged an outstretched arm to meet Anton's exposed chest. With enough force equal to a torpedo, he aimed to launch him back across the room, before retracting it flush to his shoulder with an audible wet snap.

"Anton!" Hyōryū shouted out, as she couldn't move to keep up with Anton's advances, and could only holster her weapons and leap to intercept his body, catching him and bracing his impact as her boots skidded across the air and ground of the expansive, wasted corridor of the underworks, "you okay?!"

"I see that you're the backup that Yashin sent. Typical he'd hire your type to aid in his endeavors," Reitanmujō would acknowledge the red-haired man as he rested a free hand over the stasis-field impaled blade near his legs, "if it wasn't for this war, I'd have gutted you out of principle..."

"And I wouldn't have jumped in between my little brother's fight, but considering orders are orders, I can't very well let all my allies die, now can I?" Jamie asked dark humor, smiling toothily as he briefly turned his eyes to meet Reitanmujō's before looking at the angry russian-blooded warrior and his equally spiteful glaring girlfriend's, "well...I can't say you were my allies more than I can say mere acquaintances. A serial killer doesn't have real loyalties, after all, so no need to glare so heatedly at me. You all should've seen this coming, right?"

Anton let out a growl as he slapped at his chest a bit, relieving the ache in where he had been punched. After giving a quick nod to Hyōryū concerning his status, he turned to glare in disgust at Jamie. "Oh, I saw it coming from far away." He answered readily, his voice low and venemous. "Matter of fact, I was hoping that I'd be wrong and overly paranoid. But even now, I can't really believe what I just saw and heard."

Slowly, he pulled himself away to step beside Hyōryū, pointing an accusatory finger. "I always had the feeling you had a bit of a psycopath within you, but that was your own brother, god damn it!"

"Reitan, keep an eye out for Ollie. When he gets back up, he'll be looking for a bruisin'," Jamie whispered to the man, whom silently acknowledged the warning and stayed on guard.

Walking a few steps towards them, Jamie pocketed his hands into his coat, smirking, "That's a funny thing to say for a criminal who hangs with murderers, monsters, and thieves. I could believe Soul Reapers trying to justify the acts they commit in the name of a big cause, but you? You're nothing but the scum they try to ignore that hangs on their asses like a bad scar they wish they didn't have. You might know this or not, but I practically grew up with Ollie's family, and loved his kids to death. So when he blows his daughter's face and brains out because he made a fucking mistake of leaving the other behind, exactly how do you think I'm going to treat him, hm? Giving him a hug? A handshake? Ahahahahaha...you fucking morons!" Jamie finished with a dark laugh, glaring fully while keeping his demented smile intact, "I've been waiting for a golden opportunity in killing off his new family, to see him break, and turn himself into the monster that made him who he was and now is today. By coming here with him, you're nothing but sacrificial lambs to my own twisted amusement. How does that sound, lil shits?!"

Anton's mouth contorted into a snarl, and he took a threatening step forward. "Just try something!" He fired back, clenching his fists tightly and preparing himself to attack again. "I'll cut you down to shreds just like the failed experiment behind you!"

However, he was promptly stopped when he felt the familiar signature of Oliver re-enter the room once again. His look of rage was quick to replace itself by one of surprise when he saw the blonde man's figure standing in front of the hole he had created. A brief bout of relief washed over him when he saw that Oliver seemed to be intact. But it didn't wash away the slight apprehension he now had. The man had just walked right back into the room without speaking a word, and his body language seemed to hold no fury.

Then, Oliver spoke.

"Hey, Ruso. Sis." He said, his voice low and almost monotone. "Think you can handle fighting the Takuji by yourselves? I think I've just changed my mind concerning who I want to challenge now."

"W-What are you saying?! You're unarmed and you just got kicked through a wall by the bastard! How is that supposed to convince me that you can take him by yourself, huh?!" Hyōryū asked in an incredulous manner. She knew why he was asking, but not why he acted so controlled and calm about it. In fact, she never had seen him so calm before. She expected him to be seething with rage and yelling curses rightfully back at Jamie, but he didn't. Why didn't he?

Jamie looked over with a slow turn of his head, smiling with an expectant gleam that he saw his brother walk forth from the hole he kicked him through. He knew he didn't use maximum force, but just enough to jar him to get into the right mindset for their true reunion to get underway.

Slowly, Oliver raised his hand towards the captured blade.

As if on a mental command, it began to pulse as it did when he had started to draw it. After doing this for a number of three times...

SHING!

....it ripped itself from the ground and out of his enemy's grasp. The field around it had been forcibly negated as it traveled to Oliver's waiting palm, where he snatched it out of the air by the handle. As he lowered it to his side, he cast his blue eyes on Jamie. View of his face would be overshadowed, and only the frown on his face would be seen clearly. His next words were directed towards his brother. "It would've been enough when you said you were working for Yashin. But do you realize just what you're saying when you threaten to kill off my "new" family?"

He raised his sword over his head, giving a practice swing.

"Those two over there."

He gave another careless swing.

"Each one of my work buddies."

Another swing.

"Those two Daitenshi, new as they are to our little branch of life..."

Yet another swing.

"My daughter, having fought her way through life just to get back to me..."

Another swing.

"...Angelika."

One last swing.

SLASH!

BOOM!

That last swing would not be as peaceful as the others had been. He had abruptly swung off to his side, unleashing a tremendous amount of force within that single slash. Not only did he manage to slash the entire wall cleanly in two pieces, he reduced it to nothing but rubble. There were some walls behind that one that suffered the same fate, reduced to bits and pieces by the ferocious show of strength.

"The monster never left. It's been with me this entire time, waiting to come back out and show itself. And since it's been so patient with me up to this point, I think I'll let it have it's first taste of freedom..." Slowly, he shifted his arms across his chest in an X-shape, his free hand holding out his index and middle finger in a pointed position. There was no more hiding the contempt and conviction on his face as he glared at his brother.

"...by cutting out your throat!!"

Jamie couldn't help but let loose a demented laugh that would send chills down any lesser or sane person's spine, as his own body began to flourish a crimson aura of demonic-equivalent Spiritual Power, causing the colliding Spiritual Pressures to crack and stifle the lesser observers around them. With glowing red eyes, Jamie side-sprinted to the direction of the corridor wall space that he decimated, "Let's dance, bro! Make this memorable for the two of us, kay? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~"

"He's back," Hyōryū whispered, as she witnessed Oliver's verbatum and physical demonstration of his resolve to murder his demented brother. All with conviction to protect those he cherishes. With a smile, Hyōryū unholstered her Jackals, priming them as she spoke to Anton with assurance, "he'll take care of that asshole. We got our own blockhead we need to plug before getting to the objective. How about it, love?"

Reitanmujō, himself, regarded the flourishment of killing intent and power to be all too real. Despite his own anatomical advantages over him, he knew he was at a disadvantage against such an unknown Zanpakutō and the killing prowess that the Black Eagle held. Judging from his battle with the other two, he'd be at a higher plane of success, and thus, turned away from Jamie and Oliver to better face his other two targets, wordlessly lunging towards them.

This would be the place where Oliver would momentarily part ways from his comrades in order to pursue and kill his own enemy.

As the blonde man wordlessly walked off in the direction of where Jamie had ran, Anton could sense the malevolence and killing intent radiating off of him. There was no doubt about it. Oliver had the resolve and stones to kill his own blood, so there was no need to take up any more fighting for him. That was enough to make him silently nod at Hyōryū as she urged him to focus on the Takuji. He could trust Oliver could do his part, just like he trusted Angelika to hunt down and destroy the culprit that had led them along all of this time.

And he could trust himself and Hyōryū to destroy the abomination that was charging them. When Reitanmujō moved, so did he.

POW!

Anton's forehead would meet his enemy's with a lunging Flash Step of his own in a violent collision. A concussive pain raced through his head as he did so due to the Hierro. But upon the point of contact, a burst of yellow electricity would shoot through the other man's head and briefly assault the brain. A trickle of blood that trailed down from his forehead to one side of his nose and down his cheek. But it was no importance to him. He glared at Reitanmujō as he stood, his hands clenched into fists.

"Don't die, you fool..."

______________________________________________________________________________________________

BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM...!

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's it! Just keep coming! Aha! Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Jamie crowed and cackled out in a bellow, sadistically jubilious tone as he shifted and sprinted around, firing off his Bonnie & Clyde firearms, sending streams of various elemental and raw energy bursts towards Oliver's oncoming form. Pillars, ceiling tiles, and walls were blown back with ease, as Jamie paid no mind in causing absolute destruction in search of Oliver's body being among the wall of shots he fired with both haphazard craze, and with well-timed accuracy.

POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW!

Oliver was returning fire with just as much relentlessness and aggression as his brother was, although his weapons would not have the same explosive effect as Jamie's guns would. Bullets of Etherion would connect with the explosive projectiles Jamie was launching his way, dispelling them before they had a chance to blow him up along with his position. Even so, it was a tense gun battle going on between the two brothers as they aimed to kill, aimed to be the last one standing within the wreckage that they were leaving behind.

WOOSH!

He used a Flash Step to appear behind a thickened pillar, one of his pistols having fell on empty. He exhausted both of the empty clips, letting them clatter onto the ground. As he reloaded both of his pistols, he regarded what was hidden around the corner with that darkened gaze. His heart had picked up the pace, racing furiously in its chest as soon as he had stepped into the arena. There were so many emotions running through mind at that moment. But the ones that were taking point were his anger and grief, and both of which were somehow being contained on a leash. All of the fury and wrath expressed would come in the form of his moves to kill.

After he took in a deep breath, he threw himself out from behind the pillar and began to side-step. The barrels of both Archenemy pistols were leveled in Jamie's direction, and he pulled the triggers without hesitation. The rounds would rip through any cover Jamie could have used at that point, hopefully hitting through vital parts of the flesh. His lips were parted, revealing his clenched teeth as he unleashed the barrage of ethereal bullets upon his target.

It was here that shots began to clash with one another precisely. Jamie stood directly within line of sight of Oliver, emptying his own modified clips of various slugs towards his brother's shots. A cacophony of concussive shocks, flashes of light, and plumes of expansive flames billowed between the two brothers, as one bore a visage hatred and the other of malicious delight.

Jamie's laughter never halted throughout the entirety of the matching shots halting each other before coming even closer than a halfway mark at each other's target of choice. Eyes widened of psychotic thrill of being so close to death, while also being so close to seeing his loathed sibbling being plugged shot for shot from his Bonnie & Clyde handguns. But then, the inevitable occured...

CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK!

Both of his guns ran out of ammo, despite its modifications for longer use, causing a series of audible clicks to occur. Dropping both magazines, Jamie danced to the side, reloading his armanents within spare moments, before darting into the shadows to hide and catch his own breath.

"Isn't this fun, Ollie?! HUH?!" He shouted out from his cover as he goaded his brother to lose his cool further than he already had, "tell me you're enjoying this! This feeling of such familial loathing! Wanting to watch me be scorched, torn to pieces, and writhing in pain as he crush my nuts for the pain I've caused you?! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"Fun?" Oliver spat out the response as if it was a disease on his tongue. His hands gripped the handles of his pistols tightly as he sat behind a massive pile of rubble, almost wondering if they would break under the pressure of his fingers. However, he kept his index fingers off of the triggers for the time being. "You honestly think this is fun for me? That the action of having to raise a gun once again to my own blood is enjoyable?! That I have to fight for my life against the very person I looked up to, the very one I might as well have wanted to be?!" He clenched his teeth together to the point that he thought they would break, all of his rage demanding that he run out and start firing on Jamie's position once again. But he kept himself seated, continuing to speak and suppressing the majority of the fury within his tone once again.

"My wife bled to death in my fucking arms, shot by an Insurgent sniper, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to save her. Because I couldn't find her in time, I ended up having to leave Kaitlyn behind when they burned our base down. Last but not least, I was so grieved and screwed up that I shot my surviving daughter in the face, killing the last fragment of the family I had. I kept telling myself over and over again that something like that wouldn't happen, that I would never have to be responsible for the death of someone so close to me ever again. And then you showed up."

He had to pause for a moment, breathing heavily under the furious state his body was in. In the times that he had gone under the alias Black Eagle, he had never gotten the opportunity to vent at his enemy due to it having not been allowed by his superiors or his own desire not to speak to his enemies. But this was his own brother, someone who had been at their closest to him. "So, to answer your question, James, I'm not taking a drop of pleasure in this. Under normal circumstances, I would've been glad to subject you to a more torturous death. But once the time comes, I'm just going to put a bullet in your head and walk away. That's all the attention you deserve!"

Jamie didn't retort, as anticipated, to Oliver's enraged and grief-laiden comeback.

SHFT!

Instead, Jamie moved in close, making sure that his body was near flush with Oliver's with his own back turned to his brother's. Both of his guns pointed horizontally behind him at different positions, one of which pressed to Oliver's left temple, and the other pressed at Oliver's right kidney. Within the moment of appearing, it wasn't but a few moments later that he pulled both triggers simultaneously...

BLAM-BLAM!

...sending two opposing shots aiming to rip Oliver into pieces from the point blank blasts that exited his Bonnie & Clyde barrels. Following up, Jamie flipped forward, unloading a series of automatic shots while in an upside down position, bending his body sideways to land with himself forward, still firing back, intending on finishing his brother off with his unannounced ferocity and tenacity.

"I HATE liars, Ollie! I thought you knew me better than that!" Jamie shouted over the roar of gunfire, his teeth gritted even as his smile remained upon his face, "don't you dare tell me after all the fucking mistakes you made, that you didn't take an ounce of enjoyment for what you did. Cause if you didn't...then you really are a stinking piece of shit that I want to hear scream as I plug you to my heart's content!"

"Hrr--!"

WHUMPF!

Before the first two shots could begin to make contact, Oliver swung both of his gun hands in accordance to the positions that the opposing guns had made with his body. The bullets barely scratched his clothing - a testament to just how close he was to getting killed. As Jamie flipped over his head, he swung his guns up to point evenly with the pistols of the Bonnie & Clyde ones. Once again, he matched shot for shot, required to do so now that they were face-to-face with one another. This shooting pattern would continue until..

CLICK-CLICK!

"FUCK!"

WOOSH!

Knowing that he would get caught in a barrage if he stayed where he was, Oliver decided to unleash a surprise attack of his own. With a Flash Step, he moved behind Jamie snaked one arm around Jamie's neck. Then, he sheathed the pistol in his other hand to wrench Jamie's arm behind his back in a suppressing hold. His arm tightened around his brother's neck, making sure to keep him restrained. All the meanwhile, he would continue to speak to Jamie in that controlled yet wrathful tone.

"Am I?" The tone he used was almost demanding as the words were hissed in Jamie's ear. "If you're referring to my slaughter of those suckers at that refugee camp, then you're wrong. That was nothing more than an attempt of enjoyment that didn't succeed, a fleeting hope of happiness made from the delusions of a broken man. Matter of fact, Angelika found me slumped beside a bar that I had been kicked out of, drunk and miserable. If you think I'm lying about any of that, then you must not know me very well, do you?!"

He leaned his face forward a little, just so that they'd be looking at each other from the corners of their eyes. "Or maybe you're just hoping I'm lying, that I really did take pleasure from what I did. Maybe there's some part of you that's convinced that if I had no regrets for my actions, it'll make your desire to avenge Genesis all the more meaningful. After all, a psychopath has less value to life than a man with morale and ethics, doesn't he?!"

"Less value, eh?" Jamie uttered out, wincing under the pressure, dropping his right arm's gun as he was placed within a grapple with both his neck and limb. As his eyes met against Oliver's, he projected a seething anger towards him. If he could, he'd spit on his face, but the angle didn't permit. So he did the next best, "you dipshit!"

BANG!

Angling the gun of his free arm to hit Oliver's most proximate foot near his backside, he aimed to strike it dead center, and create a nice golf-ball sized hole within it. Upon freeing himself from either his brother's imbalance and/or the pain of being shot, he'd pivot on his right foot so that he could grab Oliver by the collar to push him forward before bringing him hard into Jamie's forehead, causing a painful cracking sound of two skulls striking each other, intending on dazing his sibbling. To finish, Jamie would push Oliver back and snap kick him in the chin, proving his dexterity and flexibility, before turning around and launching a roundhouse kick to his suspended torso to launch him across the room.

"Killing you if you had no pleasure in doing so, would just prove how pathetic you really are. As both a man, and my brother! You failed to protect my sister-in-law, you lost my neice before shooting the other in the face! What kind of sick fuck would go out of their way and do that?! Which begged the question: Were you already too far gone at that point to care, or were you really just a piece of cowardly piece of shit that you couldn't do anything right in the first place!"

BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM...!

To punctuate his feelings, he'd continue firing with his left hand's gun as he full-on glared at him, losing all sense of humor and sadistic glee. This was a grudge, plain and simple. He'd murder Oliver and make him suffer as much as he had over the years he'd been gone.

The next set of maneuvers were something that nearly took Oliver by surprise.

His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the remaining gun dip down towards his foot. Instinctively, he released his grip and jerked his leg away just before the shot could cleave a hole through his ankle. But before he could move away in time, he saw the hand reaching out for his collar. As sudden as he released his opponent, he was pulled back in when their foreheads collided. The only thing he could do then was shut his eyes as pain shot through his skull. But because he had closed his eyes, the stun effect was lessened.

THUMP-THUMP!

With a swing of his forearm, he had parried the offensive leg away before moving back a few steps. His ears picked up each and every word, and for the first time in the battle, his heart began to feel the first signs of guilt in the center of all of his fury. He knew that his brother was right; his inability to save his family as well as himself was inexcusable and marked him as nothing more than that - a pathetic, cowardly man. But that didn't stop him from preventing his own death.

As Jamie raised his weapon once more, Oliver quickly moved his arm to loop around the arm that had the pistol at its end. With a simple twist, he had moved the offending arm to the point of nearly breaking. His own gun was at level with Jamie's face, and he was now glaring at him eye-to-eye. "Do you think that after all the tampering they did with my mind, I would have been able to make rational decisions by myself at that point?!" He hissed. "Can you honestly say that you would have been able to think straight after you've had foreign sensory signals poured into your head daily and en masse? How about getting a collar latched onto your neck every time they deemed you to be "extremely rebellious and juvenile"? You've never had to live with that, Jamie. But I had to put up with it while making sure my wife and children were all accounted for!"

Then, with the captured arm, he twisted his body momentum.

WHUMPF!

He threw Jamie into the ground, promptly releasing the arm afterwards. He pointed his gun at the man's head, although the barrel would aim itself at his body after the blonde man started backing away. "Rest assured, I really can't assume that as an excuse for my failures." He said vehemently. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to just sit by and let you do a repeat of my history. As long as I have breath within me, you're not laying a damn finger on any of my family!!"

"Do you think you can stop me?" Jamie allowed a sick, twisted smile to crawl upon his face. Sliding his tongue along his lips, he darkly chuckled at the idea of his brother beating him, "you never could catch up to me, Ollie. Even your legend as the twisted Black Eagle doesn't compare to the horrors I've committed. You've gotten soft by attaching yourself to those weak sentiments you call family. I've fed my darkness...it made me indefinitely stronger...and with Yashin's guidance, I've gained a power that far outrivals any military training and animosity you can withhold. That is..."

SHFT!

CRACK-WHAM!

"...my madness, is stronger than yours!" Jamie shouted out in aftermath of his movements. Despite being held at gun point, Jamie propelled himself with incredible speed via Fast-Movement technique. Upon reentry, he grasped Oliver's gun with a startling grip that would shatter its metalic frame while wrending it away from his body, simultaneously launching a strong-armed punch directly towards Oliver's nose, intending to blind him with the pain and blindness. To finish, Jamie threw his forehead towards Oliver's once again, projecting a kinetic force behind his own to dampen the pain on his head while intending on throwing his brother across the air and across the rubble-laiden landscape.

"AGH--!!"

This time, Oliver didn't get a chance to see it coming.

He would feel his nose break under the punch that Jamie threw at him, followed by sensation of being hurled away as the headbutt connected with its target. As his body was flying in mid-air, he could feel the fragments of his pistol as they left his hand. Once again, a flash of the encounter he had with Mōshin occurred, and for a moment, he felt that fear that he would be facing the same thing here. Slamming into the ground and tumbling across it into a fresh pile of rubble did nothing to relieve that moment of vulnerability. Although it was drastically lessened within this situation, there was always the chance that he would lose and fall to his knees in front of an enemy.

But at least now, he knew this opponent could bleed. He knew that his opponent could feel pain, get stabbed and shot just like he could. So that moment of vulnerability thankfully brief and relatively painless. No more was he facing some otherworldly enemy from another dimension, some mutated freak born straight from a kid's comic book. He was facing a flesh-and-blood enemy, one that he could kill with his own two hands. That knocked any possible doubt away from his mind as he ripped himself from the dirt and debris, his other pistol readied and aimed.

He was going to kill his brother, if it was the last thing he did.

POW!

Force from the Beyond, Souls of Emptiness and Darkness Charge!
'BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!'

Crack-Crack-Crack-Crack!

SPLURCH!

These were the sounds of the opposition being met by the full brunt of a combined martial offense of a number of powerhouses within the V-14 organization. Each of them picked their targets without need to communicate a strategy. They knew each other's strengths and tactical advantages, there was no need to even utter a word. The infamous Battle-Meld bond these infamous criminals and warriors held was displayed within full force as they wiped out all oppositon standing before them.

Because they were the largest force of invaders within the underworks, far more IC soldiers were spared in an attempt to halt their advances, meaning many more firearms and even a good number of Sherman 43rd Regimented shock troopers were used to halt their progress. It was unfortunate for them...that most of them there far surpassed Captain-class warriors.

Mōka purposely attracted most the attention by secreting a Shinsei pressure equivalent to a high-powered pheromone spray. The most aggressive and powerful warriors attacked her, and would fall before her deified might and unsurpassed swordplay. At least on the far right of the V-14's heavy squad, Mōka ensured that their progress would remain unimpeded.

For the left flank, Yajū would fight in sync with Genesis, utilizing her firearms to disconcert the enemies with maiming-bore shots to allow him to come in swinging for the kill. Covering their rear and blindspots to back them up further, Kenja swung his blade to cut down assassins and quick-footed enemies, discharged flame bombs to flush them out as well hit clustered groups of enemies.

Shadō would appear behind enemies from the shadows, pulling them within, forcefully stealing their Spirit Energy, while also retaliating with his Zanpakutō and raw monsterous power. Likewise, Zaii divebombs within the thick of it while swinging his gargantuan blade, slamming it within the midst of his enemies while also discharging bountiful amounts of spiritual power to annihilate them before they could recover. Shinshin used his palm-katanas to seemlessly fight through a number of close quarters proximate enemies, sparing no energy and wasting no effort upon himself. Shito would also work within Karitori's use of her Kidō shotgun, using his Hakuda strikes to finish off what enemies Karitori overlooked or chose to leave behind, while adding his own Kidō to the mix.

Needless to say...the "Heavy" squad of V-14 was creating nothing short of a blood bath.

"We're taking heavy fire here! They're breaking through our lines!"

"Get more men up here and push them back! Do not let up!"

"Keep advancing! Move!"

It was here that Shou would would hear the voices and commands of the soldiers as they fought the losing struggle. As his own personal Yusuke cut apart their lines with his monomolecular wire and cleared the path for Shou to engage them up close with his swords, they would hear the shouts and yells of the 43rd as they ferociously engaged the V-14. The Daitenshi couldn't help but admire their tenacity and determination even as he moved to slay them. He could see the looks within each of their eyes as they fired their guns, moving to engage him in close-quarters when that wasn't an option. They weren't the simple mercenaries that would've fled once the odds stacked against them. They were soldiers, loyal and determined to fight to the death. He couldn't help but wonder why they, of all people, were on the side of the Inner Circle.

"These men and women are too honorable to die like this." He thought bitterly to himself, cutting down a group of soldiers who had attempted to attack him with their knives. "I can only hope that you would at least be recognized and commended for how you fought here today." He allowed himself to step back in retreat, feeling the back of Yusuke as the young man fell back-to-back against him. He looked over his shoulder at the man. "Are you all right?"

"Mhm!" Yusuke nodded readily, giving a mirthful smile at Shou. His hands were readied defensively at their oncoming enemies, the wires circling around menacingly "These guys are tough, that's for certain. But they're nothing I can't handle. Just a few more to go, and I think we'll be clear. You ready?" His energetic attitude made the Daitenshi smile briefly before he looked to his own side, readying his two blades.

"Yeah. Let's go!"

SLICE!

Asuka finished off another soldier with a graceful decapitation, spinning her blade around in a flourish before readying it at her side. "My, my... there's a lot more of you than I thought there would have been." She commented, calmly readying her blade as she saw more troops approach her. Like she had been in the initial stages of the infiltration of Xanxus's hideout, she was feeling that familiar excitement once again. Though her smile was pleasant, it was also a subtle display of expressing the sensation of adrenaline coursing through her veins. "If this goes on for too long..."

Slowly, she raised the blade edge to her mouth, her tongue carefully tracing the blade's edge and licking off the blood. She eyed each of the soldiers, some of which looked somewhat unnerved by her display. "I fear I may lose myself in the storm..." She finished, slowly lowering her sword before settling into an offensive stance. She threw herself forward, her smile growing a bit wider as the soldiers reflexively holding their rifles and pistols at her approaching form.

"And I don't think that would be good for anyone here... would it...?"

BWHOOSH!

Mōka discharged a plume of flames from her left hand, devouring all opposition in front of her while shaking the very foundation of the Seireitei's underbelly. Her hardened stare furrowed as she noted the sudden lack of charging forces, and an underlaying ominous presence coming forth, "Something isn't right..."

"Yo!" Zaii shouted out, slamming his blade into a good three soldiers' torsos, causing a wet crunch to be heard before hurtling them into a distant pillar with immense force. Looking around, he noted that soldiers suddenly stopped coming. All the relentless enemies they had been slaughtering and the combatants that used all their might and tenacity to bring them down, were suddenly gone, save for the corpses littering around them, "I think we got them all!"

"Dammit! I wanted to shoot some more up!" Karitori complained, emptying another Kidō shell from her shotgun onto the floor, allowing the steaming empty cartridge to sizzle as she rested the smoking barrel of the weapon upon her shoulder, sighing, "there's always a screwed up limit to these meatbags, I swear..."

"I'm just glad the fighting is over for the moment. That will make our objective that much easier," Shito said with relief, wiping some sweat built up upon his browline, having to fight so swiftly and intensely did take a toll upon him.

"Agreed," Kenja, the unannounced member of V-14, rested his claymore upon his Fullbring armor as he obsered his and his comrades' handiwork, "the less killing, the better..."

"Speak for yourself, I'm with Kari on this one!" Yajū growled out as he rested his scythe upon his own shoulder, smiling with satisfaction of smelling so much death in the air, "I can't get enough of this bloodbath. I hope they send more backup to keep me sated!"

"Then you might be getting what you're after," Shinshin spoke aloud to get all of his comrades' attention, as he stood at his mother's side after wading through the dead and the rubble strewn across their battlefield. Crossing his arms, he sheathed his palm-katanas wetly as he narrowed his eyes towards an incoming figure, "I recognize this one from the Meet. Its..."

"Hoooooooo? You killed all of them that fast? Man, I guess you all decided to show up at once. Overkill much? Ah well," the voice of a rambling, prideful man gave way from the shadows. His footsteps were purposeful, yet casual at the same time. Wearing what would be a gentleman's attire, complete with a black top hat and a black cane, the dark skinned, black haired man would come into full view, with cigarette in his left hand, smoking it occasionally as he approached. When coming into the flickering, dim lighting of the underworks devestated landscape, the infamous traitor of the Black Blood Sect and Dragon of the Inner Circle, Daigomi Bandai, showed himself, "at least, I'll have the pleasure of ending my personal grudge with you, and cleaning up the mess I should've back at the Meet."

That was when all heads turned.

A silence fell upon the area once his enemies fully acknowledged just how else had entered the area. There were looks from people such as Shou and Genesis that were full of contempt and resentment for the one that was standing in front of them, and there was the somewhat piercing gaze from Asuka. But other than that, there would be somewhat surprised gazes for the people who had not been there at the time of the assault on the Sect. They would have only recognized him by what the others had seen and explained of him.

It would be Shinji that would break the silence.

THUD!

"So you are the traitor Sakamoto-dono spoke of." He said coldly, bearing his own glare on Daigomi's back as he dropped a freshly beaten-to-death 43rd operative onto the ground. His umbrella was stained with the sticky red fluid of his enemies, which was steadily dripping off like rain droplets onto the earth. Slowly, he lifted the umbrella to point at the newcomer. "If there is any grudge to be carried, it should be by the likes of us. After all, you were the one that betrayed us."

"You arrogant fuck!" Genesis swore, glaring heatedly at Daigomi. "Walking up to us as if you own the place. Who the hell do you think you are, pal?!"

C-CLICK!

"I'm going to enjoy shredding your ass, bastard!" Karitori pointedly threatened the man, knowing how unstable the foundation would be if she used the Dark Energy here, settling for something more old fashioned.

"You've got to be the dumbest mother-f***er to face all of us by yourself," Yajū, pointed his scythe, smiling wryly at the opportunity of cutting him to pieces himself, "just what's your game, eh?"

"You!"

VMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!

"You're the one who placed that dreaded seal on my neck!" Mōka snarled out, her body projecting a sinister Shinsei pressure wave from her body, pointing her blade towards Daigomi as an aura equivalent to living fire snaked around her whole skin and billowed her red hair into a powerful aura around her head, "every one of us is going to take advantage of that regenerative body of yours, and I'll send you to Hell so you experience that pain ten thousand fold, over and over again!"

Raising a hand up, Daigomi began taunting the lot of them, "Yap Yap Yap! Bark Bark Bark! Wah Wah Wah! All I hear is a bunch of bitches, mutts, and babies crying at me for what I've done to them or their friends. Seriously, you have to be the most pathetic lot if you take betrayal that seriously! I mean, c'mon! There have been far worse traitors among your and your allies' midst that have accomplished much more than I have to earn that hatred, and yet, they fight among you? Hypocritical or just plain stupid, I can't decide which best suits your Alliance!"

Shito winced at the comment, knowing he was full well among suspicion. He was surprised that his boss didn't gut him for what he tried to pull when she found out, or any of his comrades. Why was he here among them? What guaruntee did he have that he wouldn't turn into a robot and start attacking them against his will?

"Enough with your banter, fool!" Shou was quick to step forward with a sharp retort, his own glare staring at Daigomi. His arms were lowered at his sides with his blades ready to swing, but he didn't seem to keen on attacking. Briefly, he closed his eyes. "This is only the second time we've been face-to-face and already your voice is starting to grate on my nerves." He opened his eyes immediately after that to once again glare at Daigomi. "Are you here to fight, or are you here to run your mouth some more?"

"Yeah!" Genesis growled. "We're in the midst of a killing spree, and you're interrupting!"

"Yeah, about that," Daigomi clapped his hands together, smiling in a devious manner, as his eyes glinted with a mysterious gleam of hidden intent, "I appreciate you killing those meat bags. I'm going to use them for the main event, so much appreciated..."

"!!!" Kenja's eyes widened, along with various others, as suddenly the remains of all those they've slain were beginning to disappear. And by disappear, it looked as if the floor itself began to devour their remains, causing the ashes, corpses, and husks to sink beneath its surface as an ominous pulse flowed throughout the entirety of their section of the Seireitei's underworks.

"What the Hell...?" Karitori lowered her gun as she saw all the work of their weapons and the damage the underworks suddenly become repaired. It was as if they were within the presence of a semi-sentient being, and they were within its belly or standing ontop of its belly.

What's more, the entrances they took behind them began sealing up, flowing up like mineralized water. The landscape shifted, and soon the entirety of the underworks changed within a series of tosses and turns, as Daigomi stood within its epicenter and everything lowered deep into the underground below. When everything stopped shifting, the entire area appeared to turn into a small, matte-grey colored version of a colosieum, with the V-14 squad as the contenders and Daigomi as the main target.

"Oh, boy..." Yusuke was the first to voice his alarm, his eyes darting every which way at his new surroundings. He took several steps back, moving closer to his group and holding his arms out in a defensive stance. His tone was casually apprehensive, but his body was tensed up as if preparing for an ambush. The tone that Daigomi had used made it seem now like killing the soldiers had been a bad idea. "Guys, I don't want to rain on your parade... but I think we're in trouble."

"...no." Genesis deadpanned sarcastically, lowering her own gun for a moment and cocking an eyebrow at him. "Really? I thought this was some sort of bonus level where we get extra health and items."

Of course, Yusuke wasn't too keen on seeing the sarcasm within said statement. "Yeah..." He muttered, giving a sigh and hanging his head down a little. "It's a shame there's not a big button you can jump on for coins, otherwise-- wait a minute!" His expression immediately changed, and he snapped his gaze back towards Daigomi. He raised a demanding pointed finger. "Hey, you! Tell us where the big blue button is so we can jump on it!"

That was enough to render Genesis completely silent. Her head lowered, and she slowly lowered herself down until she was sitting on the heels of her feet. She had lowered her gun to put her face in her hands, for her mind had just blanked out on account of Yusuke's mindset. Despite the situation, Asuka couldn't help but chuckle a little at the sight of things.

"I don't understand, mother," Shinshin narrowed his eyes, looking over at her with a clearly confused expression, not getting the sarcastic statement from Genesis or Yusuke's playful comment, "what game are they referring to?"

"To be honest? I'm not sure, Shin-chan..." Asuka answered honestly, putting on a thoughtful look. "I think there's a lot of games that have that in particular..."

Daigomi blinked a few times in perplexion, at the childish nature of the said Yusuke. But then, he too couldn't help but chuckling in emphasis of the situation that the boy viewed. Taking a drag from his cigarette, he tapped his cane onto the ground with a echoing motion, playing along, "Yes, dear Yusuke, there is a button you need to step on. But, until you beat the boss of this level, you can't step on it," letting his cig stay within his mouth, he used his free white gloved hand to beckon the young man and all those surrounding him, "so come here. I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't make me move a single step from this spot."

Yusuke gave a shrug. "Well, if you say so..." He raised his hands up, ready to summon his wires to his aid. "Here I co--"

"Wait!"

However, that was when Genesis snapped out of her momentary lapse and Shou shouted out to stop him. They each slapped a hand on his shoulders and pulled him back into the group, earning a surprised yelp from him. He looked over his shoulder at the two Daitenshi, a bit baffled at their pensive looks. "Hey, what gives?" He complained.

"I know this seems too good to be true..." Shou said to him, keeping his gaze looked on Daigomi. "A lone enemy just standing there, waiting for us to charge him. I can tell you personally that this is nothing more than a trap activated once we attempt to attack him." He lowered his gaze to the ground, tapping one of his feet against it for emphasis.

"Right now, we're standing in the influence of the Sect's security system, or at least a copy of it." He explained, looking to each and every one of the V-14 members. "It'll recognize each and every one of us as "foreign elements" and attempt to eliminate us should we make one offensive gesture towards Daigomi. The more power you put into eliminating the protected element, the more power the system will put into killing you. It has multiple forms and can possibly switch from one to another at any given time, though I'm not sure how many it has at its maximum."

"So when this bastard says that he won't have to move from his spot, he really means it." Genesis added, a scathing expression on her face. "Because the damn security system's going to do all the fighting for him!"

"What a spoil sport, ruining the big surprise," Daigomi proclaimed out, keeping a wry smile as his eyes glared at Shou, "no cake for you..."

"So you're saying that the moment we make the first move, is when the security system activates? Well isn't that just great!" Mōka growled, her Shinsei aura diminishing, knowing her hostile intent wasn't needed if they were in such a pickle now.

"We obviously can't expect him to wait the entire time either," Shito growled out, knowing from what Shou testified, the system must be fairly adaptable, "for all we know, it could strike at any given command from Daigomi. We aren't safe just standing still in the spots we're in..."

"And he's using all your hatred towards him as fuel to the fire waiting to be set off. A cunning strategy," Kenja spoke aloud, his eyes glaring at the man standing so smugly before him and his comrades, "one that would have little fault in relying upon."

"If he can go toe-to-toe with Shou and Genesis at the same time, that won't make it easy if he decides to fight us without the system either," Zaii rested his collosal-sized blade upon his back as he looked around the immense stadium, "and considering the trouble he went through to make this place into an arena, I expect the size and shape of the system could be much more dangerous than the one within this Sect Meet you're talking about..."

While the main group of the V-14 was trying to work out their situation, another meeting would take place.

"What... where am I?!"

In one of the back hallways carved behind the coloseum, a confused Rika found herself staring in confusion and alarm at the change of surroundings. In her hand was a pistol - a stun gun, to be more precise. Unlike the rest of the V-14 in their midst of combat, she had solely stuck to non-lethal forms of taking her enemies down. The result was the unconscious but still alive soldiers lying behind her, sure to be knocked out for a long time.

She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and placing a hand to her heart. "Okay, Rika. Just relax and think rationally about this. Just follow this tunnel down to the other end." She raised her gaze up, seeing a faint light up ahead. "My teammates were nearby, so with luck, I should run into them. I hope." She started to take a few steps forward, mentally preparing herself in case there were any more enemies to deal with.

A voice spoke up behind her.

"Hey there, cutie. You lost?"

"WAH--!!" Had she been a cat, she would've jumped up and clung on the ceiling out of the shock of someone else being there with her. Instead, she did a high hop before promptly collapsing on her bottom, nearly dropping her stun gun in the process. Her shocked eyes drifted upwards to the source of the casual and rough-sounding voice, taking in what appeared to be a normal sight. It was a man with long and spiky blonde hair, red eyes and a toothy smirk as he looked down on her, his hands on his hips. He was wearing something akin to Greek attire, with a yellow and dark blue skirt-like armor that exposed the right side of his chest as well as right shoulder. A distinctive scar could be seen on his breast.

In her state of alarm, she reflexively pointed the pistol at the stranger, who was quick to take on a surprised expression. He raised his hands up defensively, his crimson eyes widened. "Hey, hey! Calm down, toots..." He insisted. "You could really hurt someone with that thing..." He briefly looked over his shoulder at the unconscious guards. "Well, someone who isn't trying to kill you and all."

"Who are you?!" Rika demanded, extremely pensive of possible attack. Her nose could pick up the familiar smell of brimstone and ashes - the same scent that had decorated the likes of Shou and Genesis. But his seemed... stronger and more prominent. In addition, she swore she could feel a much more demonic aura around him. Even though it was obvious he wasn't from the 43rd, she had no idea if this man was friendly or just toying with her.

But if anything, the stranger didn't seem very hostile. He gave a light shrug. "My name's Yōketsu Kurosawa." He introduced himself, once again smiling toothily as he pointed a thumb at his own chest. She could practically hear the pride and confidence in each and every word that he spoke to her. "I'm a Daitenshi, and a full-blooded one to be precise! Don't mind me, I'm just looking around for two others of my kind. They go by the names of Shou and Genesis, if you've happen to hear of them--"

"Wait, what?!" That was enough to make Rika lower her weapon, staring at him in surprise. "You know Shou and Genesis?"

This made Yōketsu quirk an eyebrow, and he folded his arms across his chest as he looked at her inquisitively. "What's your connection to them, eh?"

"...they're my teammates." Now convinced that this man wasn't a threat, Rika finally allowed herself to relax a bit. She pushed herself up from the ground, looking over her shoulder at the path she had been taking. "I got myself separated from them all of a sudden when this whole place started changing around. I was hoping that--eh?"

When she turned to look back at him, she almost jumped when she found that his face was right in front of hers. She balked back a little, alarmed at his sudden invasion of personal space. "Hey--!"

"Yeah..." However, he didn't seem to be too concerned with it, taking a few steps back and turning away thoughtfully. "This girl is one of those mortal teammates he had back in his living days. I'd figure that sooner or later, he'd start interfering with their business. But for him to be actually helping this ragtag bunch again? I'm surprised Her Majesty didn't send him to the circle of Treachery for that."

A slight look of annoyance crossed Rika's face, and a tick mark appeared on her face. "...the least you could do is not talk about me like I'm not here." She muttered, giving a harsh sigh and allowing herself to turn around. "Listen, it's been very nice talking to you, but I have to--"

But she would not get very far.

Without warning, Yōketsu focused his attention back to her and lunged at her. Before she knew it, and with protesting yells, he had her hoisted over his shoulders as effortlessly as a feather, with one of his arms wrapped around her waist. "Wait just a minute there, girlie!" He interjected. "If you're trying to find your way back to him and your other friends, then I can bring you right to them! I've got spiritual sense - something that you don't seem to have. You'd get yourself lost within these tunnels in an instant!"

"...oh..." Rika stopped her momentary and futile struggle against him, looking a bit embarrassed at the fact that she assumed that this might have been a single tunnel. "Right, I did forget the possibility of this being a maze, didn't I?" However, she was quick to trade this off for a look of annoyance, huffing through her nose. "Well, it's nice of you to do so, but really. Can't you just teleport us to where they are? I don't have to be carried around like this you know."

"I wouldn't want a young beauty like you to hurt herself on the way there." Yōketsu said matter-of-factly, grinning smugly as he gave a light pat to her backside and ignored her slight flinch. "Now be quiet and let the man do his work, okay?"

He then proceeded to walk down the hallway, his ears casually tuning out the aggravated groan Rika emitted as he whistled a cheery tune.

While the squad of V-14 and company continued to analyze and talk amongst themselves, having all migrated into a cluster formation directly in front of Daigomi, the latter of which continued to smoke casually while eyeing them all up.

"They got one Hankami, the Dominator, who is powerful in her own right but dislikes going all out. She has a nasty temper, something I can probably use against her. I don't know if the seal will be effective for a second time, so I'll try and maintain my distance from her...

''They have two...no...three Daitenshi on their side. I don't know about this one making his way here, but from I've been able to gauge, their biggest strengths is using the purging flame, using their hell chains, and regeneration to some degree. It appears to be painful for them to do so, which can be an advantage I can use against them this time around.''

''Shito over there is a Kidō expert, but a fairly accomplished martial artist. He's got a cunning mind and an intelligence not to snuff at. But he's not the biggest threat here, so I should just keep him away from my flanks and pressure him enough to distract that mind from churning. ''

''Yajū Reijingu is a atypical berserk-type combatant. He uses his skill in using Kurai Geijutsu with spilled blood he has, as well as that demon-influenced scythe to keep enemies at bay. He's also pretty physically strong. Something common with most of these guys...''

''Zaii Futō is a skilled swordsman with a lot of physical prowess. The only known Kidō from what I've heard about him using is the kind to literally displace and retrieve his infamous weapons through a spacial-storage dimension. A lot of unknowns with him, I should try to use his strength against the group in some way or form...''

Which brings me to the swordsmen and specialists of their group...

''Yusuke Saruwatari, a former member of the Medical Division of the Gotei 13 is skilled at manipulating his own Spiritual Energy through cutting threads with infinite malleability to suit his needs. His child-like nature just makes him all the harder to read when he thrusts himself into combat. ''

''Asuka Sakamoto, a member of the Dove House within the Sakamoto Clan is a master artisan of the elusive and powerful non-shinigami sword style, Tamashī no Sonshitsu. Her use of it had managed to disconcert Yashin enough to make special modifications to his body to resist its affects. I tangled with her and nearly killed her, if it hadn't been for that zombie lieutenant's arrival, so she shouldn't be too much trouble should I get the opportunity to strike her this time. ''

''Her surrogate son on the other hand is a dangerous one like her, in that he also uses the Tamashī no Sonshitsu style. However, he favors a more aggressive form, in which he channels his raw emotions into a potent weapon in sync with his Spiritual Power. It'd be dangerous to underestimate his own strength, especially if he works in tandem with his so-called mother.''

''Karitori is a wild card. She's combat saavy, but is a reckless cannon when using her Dark Energy powers. I doubt she's in the same league as Kunō, but I'll make sure to stay clear of her attacks if the system somehow fails. Dark Energy is known to be as volatile and deadly as Shinsei, so I'll try to hit her at an angle rather than take her head-on...''

''Shadō Kariudo, an Ikiryō and Soul Reaper, having once stemmed from the elitist group underneath the 10th Division. His powers are dangerous in their own right, by feeding off the resonating atmospheric and tactile spiritual energy of his targets, he can augment his own powers by leagues and bounds. I don't know much about his Zanpakutō, but it shouldn't be anything I can't handle.''

''Strange, this is Kenja Kodai, the personally avowed nemesis of Yashin Shiyōnin. This Burning Knight has assimilated the resonated powers of a Hankami, even if its by a small fraction, by using Shinsei energy upon his own Fullbring. Speaking of which, his mastery of Fullbrought energy is second to none, and is something I should take into consideration when using the system to fight him. He may be clever enough to use it in some way against me. I should strike at him first, just to be safe...''

''Lastly, is the hacker and nobody that is Rika Nakamura, heading this way with the unknown Daitenshi. I shouldn't be worried about her. From the files I read, she's strictly a non-combatant and shouldn't be hard to use as a hostage, or kill off with ease. May cause some nice anger-filled reactions within the rest to help me finish them off within one go,''" Daigomi finished analyzing as he continued staring them down, taking swigs from his cig as he smiled with confidence in his plans and his knowledge of their abilities.

This would be the moment in where the V-14 member and the Daitenshi would be coming around the corner, with his voice being the first to speak out.

"So I heard you were running out on your own again, boss. Didn't you learn your lesson the first time?"

"!!!"

Out of all the heads that would turn, Shou and Genesis would be the ones that would snap the quickest. Their eyes would widen at the sight of the blonde-haired Daitenshi carrying the annoyed Rika on his shoulders while giving a lopsided frown on his own. Gently, he set the girl down on her feet and focused his attention on the two Daitenshi as the girl moved off to the side. "I mean, the first time it was okay considering the Hanta were actually there. But this? In all honesty, I'm surprised the Queen hasn't hung you from a rope in the center of the first Level yet."

"...Yōketsu..." Shou's expression of surprise changed itself to one of mild irritation as he stared at his partner. He allowed himself to take a few steps forward to separate from the main group a little, standing directly in Yōketsu's path as he was approached. "I thought I told you and the team to reinforce the surface."

"And I thought I told you to stop mingling with the mortals of this place." Yōketsu retorted readily, placing his hands on his hips. "Especially considering those guys behind you committed some pretty bad atrocities. I'm up all for the "true to your friends" deal, but those guys've pretty much damned themselves to Hell by now. Well, aside from the Hankami, but that's beside the point."

Shou gave an annoyed sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This isn't just me interfering out of sympathy for my comrades." He said sharply, lowering his hand to glare slightly at the loose-lipped devil. "The enemy faction just happens to be housing the Hanta, as well as several other entities interfering with the flow of Hell's will. Even though I have to admit, facing this man alongside them is more of assisting them than anything else..."

"Oh?" That was when Yōketsu's sights turned to Daigomi, a bit of curiosity within his eye. He placed a hand to his chin, a toothy grin on his face as he looked at the man. "Oh, right! I remember you talking to me about this guy." He said, keeping one hand on his hip as he moved close to the Dragon. "So, you're the one who got to beat my commander to a pulp, eh? The moron must've not been trying his hardest if actually got torn up so many times..."

"Hey!" Genesis was quick to round on him for the rather rude remark, gritting her teeth in an annoyed snarl at him. "I didn't see you there fighting him, asshole!"

"Honestly, Shou-san, it seems like you have little to no control over your own kind. Does mother purposely make them rebellious, or does she only give the smartass ones in your stead because they're hard to deal with?" Mōka sighed with indignation, rubbing her face from the fact she had to be around not two but three of her mother's pet monsters.

"Another monster, eh?" Daigomi turned his gaze to meet Yōketsu's directly, smiling as he saw him set down the girl and talk to him and his comrades directly. As he suspected, he bore unruly features as much as his unwholesome presence permeated throughout the makeshift arena he crafted by the system. Taking one last drag from his cig, the Shinen grasped the stub and tossed it onto the ground, stepping on it properly as his left hand reached into his coat, and retrieved a gold-plated Kidō gun, "I haven't had a chance to see your regeneration in action, so let me see it now..."

The next action would what would assuredly spark the inferno that had been waiting to go off.

BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

Four well-aimed shots were discharged by Daigomi's uniquely crafted firearm, but they didn't aim for Yōketsu directly. Instead, they were all aimed at Rika, intending on penetrating what little defenses she had and piercing through her body. If the newcomer Daitenshi didn't protect her, then her death will cause most of the collaborated group to go berserk, and their effective strategy would be brought down to over 50% efficiency. If the newcomer took the blows, he might as well see how skilled he is in comparison to his two devil-sibblings.

Time slowed down.

All eyes widened when the bullets were ejected from the barrel and towards a shocked Rika. Reflexively, she pulled herself back and attempted to go back around the corner in which the two came from to take cover. But she knew that when he raised the gun and shot at her, there would be no time to evade getting hit. All she could do was raise her arms in front of her face and hope that none of them would hit her face.

That is, until...

TZZZT!

Her ears perked up to the sound of electricity coursing through the air. When she opened her eyes, she would find that there was a hexagonal red barrier guarding her front. In its center was a pentagram, glowing a crimson in contrast to the faint red that the barrier made up. She lowered her arms and stared in disbelief at it. "A barrier?!" She quickly looked up towards her comrades, but none of them had shown any successful effort initiating any technique that could have had this effect.

Then she looked at Yōketsu, who seemed to be very surprised at Daigomi's notion of shooting her.

"Wait a minute."

Her eyes looked over her shoulder, reaching behind her to trace the back of her thigh - the spot where Yōketsu had slapped her. Through her clothing, she could feel a slight indent in her skin, and as she felt around, she could trace it to be the very same pentagram shape that was on the fading barrier, although to an obviously smaller degree. "It's a trigger seal. He must have known I was going to get attacked like that." She thought to herself. "And if he can conjure up spells like that with just a simple tap, then he's certainly no joke. I really hope he's on our side."

After regarding the situation for a brief moment, Yōketsu cocked a disbelieving eyebrow and formed a scowl on his lips as he regarded Daigomi. "Well, that was just rude, unnecessary and plain sociopathic..." He said dryly, pounding lightly on his own chest with his fist. "I try to be a gentleman and bring that girl all the way back to her friends, and the first thing you do is shoot her? You know, with that attire, I thought you were some sort of honorable gentleman."

"This speech coming from a Devil, is plain hilarious," Daigomi chuckled in emphasis, twirling his golden gun around his index finger in a whirling manner, his smile becoming darker as a overcast shadow lapped over his upper facial features, save for the menacing glimmer in his eyes, "that was me being a gentleman, you barbaric drabbed simpleton. I aimed for vital points on her body, she'd be dead before she hit the ground should any one of them connected. If you want to see my nasty side...I can oblige for that, I assure you..."

"Mother, hold me back," Shinshin began walking forward, his body radiating a dark aura that only she would recognize, as he tapped into his innermost base emotions through his personal use of Tamajutsu, as blades slowly slid out of his palms from his arms. His eyes glared towards Daigomi as he walked purposely slow as he devised a proper assault upon the confident enemy, "for I am about to cut loose, as it were, and show him what true pain really is!"

"Bastard!" Kenja growled, his body moving forward with his large blade in hand, barely halted Zaii's grip on his shoulder.

"Hold it, Kenny! That's not a good idea!" Zaii tried to encourage, even as he noticed Karitori being restrained by Shito physically, trying to keep her from lunging at him as well, "he's playing us for fools if we attack when he wants us to!"

Of course, there were more sensible hands to keep them from doing anything rash.

Knowing that anything would trigger the security system in place, Asuka quickly placed a hand on his shoulder and gaze a stern squeeze. Her eyes were narrowed slightly, and although she felt a bit of fire steaming within her heart at the jab Daigomi had made, she understood that it would do no good to attempt an attack. "Don't be reckless!" She hissed sternly, momentarily shifting the glare towards her son before looking back at Daigomi. "Have you forgotten just what will happen if we try anything?"

"That's why I asked you to restrain me," Shinshin seethed visibly, sheathing his blades but not relenting his aura, "he is everything I despise of mankind. Unadulturated wickedness. That is all that he embodies. There is no pride within himself..."

Zaii would not be the only one restraining Kenja.

Shinji's hand would grab ahold of the other shoulder and forcefully pull him back. "I had no idea you would allow yourself to succumb to such hypocrisy, Kenja Kodai." He said. His voice was dry but carried a bit of a scolding tone of his own as he held back the Burning Knight. "Is our fury your fury now?"

"Not so fast there!" Yusuke was quick to leap in front of him, his hands held out defensively in front of Kenja. "I don't want to get torn apart by whatever turrets or lasers he might have in here, and I'm pretty sure you don't, either!"

"Huh...?" Yōketsu looked at it all in surprise, taking a few steps back from Daigomi in order to take in the group as a whole. He looked over at Shou and Genesis, the latter of whom was still glaring at him in irritation. "What exactly's going on here, boss? Your friends seem to be raring to go against this guy, yet none of them are making moves. What's stopping them?"

"There's a security system that prevents us from taking measures against him, a supposedly semi-sentient creature within this coliseum." Shou explained, exhaling a breath as he looked at Yōketsu, who had proceeded to look at the floor in curiosity. "Any attack will be registered as an excuse for the system to kick in and attack us in return. The potency of it allows the defended not to lift a finger while the assailants get pressured."

"Really...?" The yellow-haired Daitenshi's eyes widened in intrigue as he looked over at Daigomi, a genuine grin of interest on his face. "Well, now. Something capable of restraining such a massive group of combatants just has to be something quite potent." He momentarily looked over at the silent Rika. "If I hadn't placed that seal on her, just about the majority would be walking straight into a deathtrap. It encourages a bit of laziness, but seems to be quite effective overall. Most effective indeed, Mr. Bandai..."

He clapped his hands together, idly rubbing them while continuing to speak to Daigomi. "And from what the boss told me, you've been taking quite the risks with them in order to get what you want. First you let yourself get faced down by a good amount of the Black Blood Sect, then a good deal of the V-14, too. Even now, you've just let them walk right into your traps like mice hungry for cheese." He leaned forward a little, his eyes gleaming with eager intent. "So, do you mind if I make another little bet with you?"

Kenja slowly let himself calm down, but simply answered the group of them, saying, "I had a student become a victim because I didn't step in quick enough. She's around the same age as she is right now, physically appearing anyway. When I see a woman in trouble, whether its a deity or a simple human, I won't stand by and watch them suffer at the hands of some evil such as the likes of him!"

"Keep a cool head then. We all feel the same about this guy, some a lot more than others, but let's see what this new guy has to say to him before we plan something out," Zaii continued, briefly glaring at Shinji before retracting his hand from Kenja, pocketing his free hand as he listens in on Yōketsu's conversation.

"A bet? What could you possibly wager that would interest me, little Devil?" Daigomi asked with an amused tone, not dismissing the idea, but moreover mocking the thought of betting with an enemy, espcially one as unknown as Yōketsu.

"Oh, nothing much..." Yōketsu answered with a light shrug, using a hand to gesture towards Daigomi. "You turn off the security system and let me take you on one-on-one. Considering you managed to fight off two other Daitenshi by yourself, it's pretty clear you're not a guy who simply hides behind other people for safety. I'd like to see what exactly an equipped Shinen like you is capable of." He slowly turned away from Daigomi, casually walking around as if to pace around the other man. "If you manage to beat me, I'll take my leave and you'll be nothing but their problem. I do have my own business to attend to, after all, and I can't be kept waiting."

"..do you have any shame at all?" Genesis deadpanned. "Any?"

"But, if I win..." Ignoring his female compatriot, the yellow-haired Daitenshi stopped and turned himself back around to face Daigomi. "You're getting a one-way trip straight down to the lowest level of Hell. A bit of a harsh consequence, but as you said before, I'm nothing but a "barbaric drabbed simpleton", right? Then again, you do seem to be on the lucky streak, so there just might be a chance for you yet. What say you?"

A brief bit of silence overcame the group, as all waited for their enemy to answer. At this point, Daigomi wished he hadn't put out the cigarette so quickly, as he began to rub his chin in thought. Knowing full well how much authority Daitenshi held, if he could actually pull off the impossible, he could be spending an eternity in the last place he'd want his soul to spend. On the other hand, it could prove entertaining, as the system's power has been adapted to be more than a match for the collective of enemies he had goaded overall.

Taking his free left hand to grasp the tip of his top hat, he lowered it down before tossing it up into the air, far away from himself and the group as he fully faced Yōketsu. Smiling with sinister intent, Daigomi chuckled as he locked eyes with the brazen Daitenshi, "You got a lot of guts challenging one of the Dragons of the Inner Circle so boldly. You're either less intelligent than your half-breed cousins, or your blood boils your brain cells beyond the point of proper reasoning. I'll entertain you, devil, upon the condition I mentally control the system to not see you as a threat."

A brief clap of the hands expressed Yōketsu's approval and acceptance. "Perfect!" He exclaimed. "I think this is going to work out just fine. Now, then..." He passed a deadpan look over towards the V-14 crowd, waving one of his hands in a shooing gesture. "You all! Get front row seats or something in the stands or something, you're gonna be in our way!"

Voom!

Without hesitation, he had re-appeared beside a startled Rika, grabbed her shoulder, and teleported her in the midst of the group. But he had come out of the movement carrying her bridal style, his arms holding her out in front of Kenja as if expecting him to take her. Throughout it all, he had that deadpan casual look on his face. "Don't forget your lady, Mr. Kodai." He said, blatantly ignoring the shocked look Rika had on her face. He also ignored that very same face turning as red as a tomato.

"I...uh...s-s-she's not...my..." Kenja stuttered, as his own face began to project a crimson complexion of his own from embarassment of having made a scene of himself. With a heavy sigh, however, he raised his hands out and took Rika into his own arms, via bridal style, "thanks..."

"HA! Good for ya, big guy!" Zaii slapped Kenja on the back, quickly retreating upon seeing the death glare he was given by the Fullbringer, but still cackling all the same.

It was at this point, all the group accepted this little duel as a test run to see what Daigomi was capable of when all restraints are let down. Most of the group moved to the northern side of the metalic coliseum, getting seats relatively close for those who didn't have impressive vision or senses as the others did. All went up to the area, with the exception of one person...

"You," Mōka spoke pointedly to Yōketsu, her back turned to Daigomi as to block any word of what she would say via body language while locking her eyes upon the brazen Daitenshi, "I don't know what your game is here, but this man is no joke. He is fluent within the old magic, proficient arts old enough to even bind the likes of me down. He also can regenerate seamlessly from any wound, and without the drawbacks of pain being involved. I respect my mother enough to know she doesn't choose the weak to become her subordinates, but this isn't a person you should take lightly. In short...don't take any chances. Kill him quickly so he doesn't decide to use the system anyways."

"Quickly?" Yōketsu repeated, regarding her with slight disbelief as she spoke the words. He briefly tilted his head to the side. "I don't know what you heard about the art of war, Hankami. But you should come to realize that when two forces of considerable power collide, there isn't going to be a quick end to it. And besides..." He made his way to move past the Daitenshi, his movements brisk but confident and anticipating, "Killing him is your problem. I'm just giving you all a demonstration..."

There were two others that didn't come to the stands right away.

Shou and Genesis moved up to Mōka's flanks, looking at their fellow Daitenshi as he put himself back into place. Shou had his arms folded across his chest, a contemplative frown on his face. "Out of the five in my squad, he's always been the most outspoken with me. But it's with good reason. He may not look or act like it now... but that was the very same man who had trained me into becoming the Daitenshi's commander in the first place."

"Not to mention he's a veteran of the war between the Daitenshi and the Shikyotenshi." Genesis added, watching him as he settled into an offensive stance. "Not that I was there for any of that... but he was one of the keystones in turning the tide against them and securing control over Hell for the Punisher. The guy can act like a real punk at times... but there's always been a justified reason for it."

"Well," Mōka turned her back upon the fight, even as it ignited, before she beckoned the two subordinates of her own mother, "let's just hope he doesn't take it too far. Angering Daigomi could turn this entire arena into a death trap for all of us..."

WOOSH!

With that being said, Yōketsu started off the fight.

With a Tahitita, he was upon Daigomi in a flash. One of his fists were swung in a thrusting motion, aimed to strike at the chest. But that would not be the clincher; from the force of the swing, a massive shockwave would be generated to not only knock Daigomi back, but actually cut into him with the winds of the pressure. It would be here that the Shinen would at least briefly see the expression on the Daitenshi's face. There was not only the confident attitude present, but there was also a flicker of anticipation and the hope that he would get an opponent stronger than shown on the outside.

If all else, he was purposefully looking for a fight.

CLAMP!

Within the fist thrust, Daigomi anticipated the fast-movement maneuver just before the strike delivered, thrusting out his palm to grapple the punch, effectively absorbing the initial force. Even as the billowing, pressurized gale force struck his body full force, he stood his ground, all the while staring impassively at Yōketsu while his coat was ripped off his torso and a number of cuts enamored his body. One had managed to cut his cheek, causing him to smile a tinge wider.

"You're good..."

VLAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

"...but I'm better!" Daigomi spoke in aftermath as the very hand that clenched Yōketsu's fist unleashed a mighty gale of incinerative energy effortlessly, enveloping his form with ease, while bulldozing through the air and earth behind him for a great distance until slamming into the far east end of the arena with a mighty explosion.

Within that brief second, it appeared as if the would-be attacker had been done for. His form was enveloped within the blaze of the energy, which would continue to expand and connect with the stands in that direction. But Daigomi would still feel the fist that he held, sense the energy remain and place and not disintegrate. He would also hear that voice speak out to him, casual and yet somewhat jocular.

"Whatever you say, Shinen."

Then, he would feel the fingers slip out from the grip and wrap around his wrist.

THOOM!

Without hesitation, Yōketsu would spin himself around and hurl Daigomi like a javelin up towards the ceiling. In the aftermath of the explosion, there was virtually no sign of injury. The remnants of incinerative energy could be seen tracing his skin, but even as they faded, there was little to no scars left behind on his body.

"What the Hell is this?!" Daigomi's eyes widened with shock, even as he tried to right himself within the air from Yōketsu, his eyes narrowed upon the nigh untouched form of his opponent, "that was the same yield of force I used on his counterparts and they were torn apart so easily. So why?! Why can he take that with such ease?!"

"Dang," Shito spoke out, blinking a few times as he scratched his chin sheepishly, "remind me never to piss that guy off..."

"He didn't fluctuate any spiritual pressure or used any form of spellcasting that I percieved," Shadō analyzed verbally, crossing his arms as he observed with heightened vision and senses thoroughly, "his physical attributes are much higher than Shou-san's, that much is clear."

Daigomi, however, wasn't about to be discouraged from his fight so early on. Despite the Daitenshi being a lot more durable than him, he used straight forward tactics laced with a hint of deception. He knew the type, and could adjust his strategy appropiately.

SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT-SFT!

With a series of intricate gestures made by the Shinen, a dozen golden glowing runes formed around him with a star-shape with himself at its epicenter. The atmosphere brimmed with unnatural Spiritual Power, and a bright light shined from above, as if it became a artificial sun directly overhead. Splaying out his outstretched hands with his index fingers and thumbs touching, Daigomi smiled as he shouted aloud, "Astrum Caelo, Diluculum Pluvia!"

SSSSSHRIIIIIIIEEEEK-SSSSSHRIIIIIIIEEEEK-SSSSSHRIIIIIIIEEEEK-SSSSSHRIIIIIIIEEEEK!

Within an instant, all dozen star-aligned runes discharged one dozen lightning-equivalent blasts of intense incinerative energy down towards Yōketsu's position below. The movement of the lightning pillars would be as fast as it would be destructive. Upon merely touching the ground, an enormous electrical explosion would follow, causing an astronomical shockwave to rock the heavily reinforced collosieum with pressurized winds that rang wildly around.

"I wonder how he'll get out of that one, hm?" Daigomi mused aloud as he kept his senses alert for any trickery or movement he would make in the aftermath. While the spell he used was intended to kill, this being was shown to survive far worse than previous enemies he's faced.

"Yeah. He looks pretty cornered, wouldn't you agree?"

This time, Yōketsu had not bothered to stay still.

In the instant that the lightning bolts shot towards him, he had kicked into another Tahitita movement in order to weave through the pillars. It was a display of tremendous reflexes, speed and timing. The fact that he had suddenly re-appeared a few ways off behind Daigomi just how little he was stressed in such an environment. Any other enemy probably would have been much more alert and alarmed by the barrage. But if anything else, Yōketsu treated this as if he was in his element.

He was now standing in the air with his arms folded across his chest and his back turned away from the Shinen as if looking at something else. Although, there was nothing more than the ceiling itself.

"So...not powerful enough to take that blast, eh?" Daigomi asked aloud, turning his form to face Yōketsu's backside, but not approaching him. He settled for twirling his cane as he chuckled, "you got speed and power, I'll give you that, but seems even your body has its limits. I think I have a proper gauge on your powers by now, Daitenshi..."

"Nnnneat."

It was a short, brief and dismissive response that was nothing short of rude and emphasized with a brief clapping of Yōketsu's hands. But the tone and choice of words Daigomi had used made it at least a little bit clearer of what type of mindset Daigomi was holding. The battle had gotten no farther than a fist and a release of energy, and yet he was claiming to have understood just what kind of power his enemy held. It was enough to make the Daitenshi wonder if what Mōka had told him was really true.

He turned himself around to face Daigomi again, slowly setting into a defensive fighting stance.

Smiling as he saw the confidence still brimming from his opponent, the Shinen knew he would have to convince him to not take this situation lightly.

"This isn't usually my forte," Daigomi spoke in an admittant tone, as he clasped his hands together, his eyes closed at once as a smoke-like energy emanated from his body, "but let's see how well you do against this. HM!"

With a sudden opening of his eyes, a blast of smoke discharges like a hurricane gale wind, billowing throughout the entire airspace of the collosieum, with dark lightning crackling and thundering throughout it all. It was at this point, Mōka widened her eyes with shock. With a deft wave of her hands, she spread a curtain Shinsei to overlap all of her comrades, keeping the smoke at bay as it continued to flow throughout the entire arena.

"This smoke is unnatural," Mōka spoke aloud, even as it wafted over the crimson transparent barrier. She could only look up with fear towards the area Yōketsu, whispering in hope, "be careful, Yōketsu..."

It was within the mass of smoke that Yōketsu would experience the power this force presented before him.

RAAAAAAWR!

A vicious growl bellowed within the smoke, revealing a gargantuan hand with a mouth filled to the brim with teeth, reaching out to wrap around Yōketsu and crush him while simultaneously shredding his body.

That was when Yōketsu extended one of his hands outward, waiting until the giant hand came close enough to him.

He unleashed a fireball down the mouth and throat of the hand that had threatened to consume him, creating a blue light within the haze that the smoke had created. He continued to feed the flames, allowing them to spread on the outside as well as the inside. For each and every bit of malevolence within Daigomi, the flames would burn much more painfully than it would have been for a less hostile-minded soul. Even as the smoke consumed his position and the wind of his own flames blew in his face, he continued to stand firm with only a slight exhale of breath.

It was when the smoke had been substantially filled with flames that the nature of the smoke took another bizarre twist. As the flames consumed the smoke, the flames themselves began to twist in nature, and shift in coloration. From a simple blue or red tongues, to black-silver flames, with animated eyes that seemed to all manifest within the fire itself. From these eyes, fire-engorged vines shot out and began to wrap around Yōketsu, intending on digging into his flesh and turn much hotter fire upon his own frame while sending immense pain into him, the likes even a Daitenshi would find excruciating.

"Its Anima!" Mōka shouted out with horror, as she saw the flames briefly lock eyes from behind the Shinsei barrier, as the airspace continued to be filled by the nature twisting sub-entity, "I can't believe the bastard is using that of all things!"

"What the hell is that thing!" Karitori snarled out, flaring up briefly with Dark Energy as he she saw the force swathe over the barrier keeping the sub-entity at bay.

"Its a spell that animates and controls whatever the caster's spell comes into contact with. It usually starts off with an illusionary force, something to goad the target into feeding it. Once the mass has control of the element of attack being used against it, the energy becomes morphed, devoured, and then turned upon the target afterwards. Its one of the spells...the Korai had effectively used against otherworldly forces such as Demons and the like, even against the Hankami it was an effective spell," Mōka growled, pulsating a bit of her Shinsei in a aggressive form, pushing away the force that swirled and crackled around the airspace of the coliseum, "its an ancient spell that should be forgotten. How the Hell does a snake like him know about it?!"

"Yashin could've shared the information," Shinshin mulled aloud, turning to Asuka for reference, "remember, that Yashin had managed to steal that book about the lore of Shinsei and the Hankami race within the Keeper's quarters. Its quite possible that someone as resourceful as Yashin could've provided his allies with a number of useful spells, techniques, and tactics for them to employ against us..."

"Damn that, Yashin!" Kenja growled, gripping his fists hard enough to make the gauntlets creak in protest, having long set Rika aside near him to not burden her further to allow him more freedom of movement, "how much has he given the enemy and taken away from us?!"

"!"

This time, Yōketsu was taken aback.

Reflexively, his hands shot out to grasp at least two of the vines before the rest of them. His eyes started to narrow and his teeth clenched as he felt the thorns claw at his skin. At the same time, he could feel his very own flames trying to burn him, sliding and grating across the surface of his skin once again. But the thorns were the only real threat that had the possibility of hurting him. Fire was his element, as it was with all of the Daitenshi. Although the thorns were pressing hard, they would be insignificant to him. Thus, he could freely push his hands to grasp as much of the vines as he could with his thorns.

"This is an illusionary technique, was it...? In that case..."

He closed his eyes and lowered his head, concentrating on situating the false from the reality. Everything else was shut out of his brain, other than the target he was looking for. As he "scanned" the environment, he could feel his lips contort into a grin. Although it was a sudden step, Daigomi was starting to show more and more of his own power. He had the feeling it wasn't a large step up, but it was a rather good start.

Beat.

After a few seconds, he could feel it. It was faint, it was passable if one allowed themselves to get even the slightest bit discouraged to find it. But he could feel the irregularity within the mist, the real point and the source of the spell that had been cast. "All right, Daigomi..." He said out loud, giving a brief nod. "I think I'm starting to see just why exactly you managed to scare even the Dominator into submission. Maybe this time, boss wasn't trying to hold back against you here."

Then, he moved.

Voom!

With another Tahitita, he slipped out of the vines that had encased him. For a moment, it would look like he would simply retreat back. But that would not be the case.

THUD!

His feet would collide with the spine of Daigomi's back as he re-appeared behind his enemy, carrying enough force to send him careening into the earth. He himself would backflip to land on the ceiling, his feet meeting the face of it as he looked downward. He tilted his neck and clapped once more, a chill of anticipation running down his spine.

"Show me more of that power... because I think you've just caught my attention."

Within that moment, the smoke began to lose form and consciousness, and would begin to dissipate into normal spirit particles with the appearance of transparent mist. Mōka was relieved enough to release her hold on the barrier, allowing everyone to witness the rest of the fight without distortion. They would see far above them, was none other than Yōketsu himself, perched upon the ceiling upside down. Directly below, within an indented crater, was Daigomi himself.

He crawled out of the crater, pushing a shoulder back into joint and rolling his body in different directions, his regenerative abilities healing up the exposed flesh while also repairing internal damage dealt within. After spitting out a wad of blood, Daigomi smiled widely as he looked up to look towards the roof-proned entity. His calculations were correct, and he now knew what to use next against his enemy.

BWHOOSH!

With a slight bending of the knees, Daigomi skyrocketed to the ceiling within an instant, causing a burst of air pressure to break in excess of the force used to home in on Yōketsu's position. At the halfway mark, he swung his right arm forward...

BLAAAAAAAAAAAM!

...discharging a geyser of volatile spiritual power to hit the Daitenshi directly, which would result in a powerful explosion. While a mere feigning gesture to move Yōketsu rather than actually do damage to him, Daigomi preformed a follow-up maneuver...

SHFT-SHINK!

...by using a fast-movement technique to get in close, Daigomi thrusted his arm forward, spearing his hand directly into his gut and out his backside. Along his arm beneath his shredded sleeve, one would see an intricate weaving of yin-yang colored symbols endowed upon his skin, showing an indication that his arm had been augmented or enchanted at the last moment.

"Sanctus Umbra Gladius," Daigomi announced, a smile crestened upon his lips as similar symbols shown beneath his skin along his torso and limbs, with the exception of his face, "this is the Holy Shadow Armor, once used by ancient warriors to do battle against demons to pierce their thickened skin and boil their blood. It takes the divine purities that spirit energy withholds to harmonize the force perfectly, and hardens it to an invincible shield with unholy pressure. Its more than a match for your durable frame, Daitenshi..."

RIP!

"GAH--!"

This was a blow that had, for one of the rarest occasions, delivered a blow that had torn straight through the flesh. Both Shou and Genesis's eyes widened in horror as they saw it, and although they knew that he could just as easily regenerate from it, it was a clear sign of just exactly what he was dealing with. The sharp yell that had escaped his lips only emphasized that.

"...looks like you had a trick up your sleeve..." Yōketsu breathed, a trickle of blood dripping down his throat as he stared into Daigomi's eyes. The smile had faded, if not momentarily, as the arm remained resting within the confines of his stomach.

"Now..."

WHRRRRRRR!!!

"...you die!" Daigomi shouted aloud with a wide-eyed, maddening glare as he unleashed a torrent of explosive energy deep within the confines of Yōketsu's insides, and intended on vaporizing him then and there, sending him back to Hell to keep out of his way.

Pain.

For one of the rarest occasions that it happened, Yōketsu could actually feel an agonizing pain tear through his body as much as the energy did. He clenched his teeth and let out an agonized groan, both of his hands grasping the arm embedded within him. For a moment, he fought back with his own energy in an attempt to contain it. But he knew that he didn't have long. He swung his eyes over to his two Daitenshi compatriots, both of whom had unnerved expressions on their faces. With increasing difficulty, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I hope... you and your friends are getting all of this, boss...! Because I don't think you'll get another chance like this again... it's time that you stopped being cowards and take the initiative, because all you're doing is letting the enemy look at you like a piece of meat from a grocery store!" His voice was becoming more and more ragged as he spoke, the toll of having to contain the energy and speak to them wearing him down quickly. "Aren't you supposed to be a bunch of hardened criminals, outlaws to the end?! You'll never get that way if you allow a single obstacle to stop you from doing what you do best... either you start moving forward now... or you'll never make it...!"

"AAH--!" At this point, the area of injury was starting to spread a bit, blood spilling out of the cracks in his flesh. A strangled yell escaped his lips, and he jerked his head down. However, he managed to overcome the pain enough to manage a weak smile. "That being said... this is where I... go home..." He breathed. "Boss... if I happen to find you and Genesis appearing there, too... you are going to be very sorry..."

With those last words, he relented against the built-up energy and allowed it to consume his body.

SPLURCH!

The result was a messy explosion of blood, flesh and organs that decorated the area. Much to the disgust and appallment of at least some of the V-14 below, some of that blood would drip down on them like rain. Rika, Asuka and Genesis in particular would raise their arms up instinctively in an attempt to keep their heads from being soaked by the sticky fluid.

"And he decides to go out with a bang..." Genesis muttered vehemently, slowly lowering her arms up to glare at the lone form of Daigomi. "Leaving us with the short stick. So damn typical of him." She slowly allowed herself to stand up, clicking the safety of her rifle off and narrowing her eyes into a slight squint. Slowly, she lifted the barrel up to line up with Daigomi, her index finger tightening threateningly on the trigger.

"Well, in any case..."

In sudden realization concerning what she was about to do, Shou's eyes widened in shock. With a sudden swing of the hand, he shoved the barrel back down and glared fiercely at Genesis. "What do you think you're doing?!" He said furiously. "Have you forgotten--"

"Fuck the security system!"

For the first time that the V-14 would see her do it, Genesis bit back with a defiant snarl and a vicious glare that made Shou reel a bit in clear surprise. "He may be nothing more than an asshole..." She growled. "But he's right! All we're doing is letting this guy kick us around! I mean, there's probably good excuse for most of you here..." She raised one hand off of her weapon to point a finger at Mōka. "But she is the fucking Dominator, the one who managed to subdue our Mistress, in case you've forgotten! And she's just sitting there with her thumbs up her ass! It's real embarrassing when the underling has more guts than the physical god!"

Without waiting for a response, she swung her gaze towards Daigomi and raised her gun up again. "I'm through standing around and waiting for something to happen, especially when that fucker just showed both me and you up. If you want to keep sitting here like a coward, then fine by me. But do me a favor and stay out of my way!"

Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger back.

BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM!

It was when Daigomi had a sadisfying grin, that his attention turned to the sudden yelling coming from below. His shirt and face bloodied from his recent kill, as well as his glove being scorched from his technique, he knew he must look like a complete psychopath with the grin and mess he wore all over himself. That was all it took for the Daitenshi girl to open fire...

SLRRRRRRP-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

...and cause the ceiling to morph in shape, creating a curtain to shield him from the high caliber blasts, notably causing dents whenever impacted, but would revert to normal shape afterwards. It looked like liquid metal, what most of the grey material they were standing within. Speaking of which, was also starting to take form around them...

SSSSSHIIIIIIIINK!

...into a number of sharp forming projectiles and artificial limbs, all of which aimed to pierce and squewer the lot of them right then and there.

"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAH!"

SLAM-BOOM!!!!

After an unearthly cry was let out, Mōka let out a anger-ridden yell and slammed her foot into the ground, sending a gust of flames that didn't touch her friends in a harmful manner, and ripped apart the metallic avarices, shattering and melting them instaneously while sending a large rippling shockwave throughout the colosieum.

"I warned him! I freaking warned him, and did he listen to me?! Of course he didn't, that idiot!" Mōka growled aloud as an astonished Daigomi saw a great earthen crater left behind, while the system attempted to rapidly repair the damage and return it to the desired state and normalcy, so it could counterattack. Before it could reach them, Mōka unsheathed her two blades and an aura of fiery Shinsei energy wrapped around her like a cloak, burning from her eyes while she glared up at Daigomi's position, "okay, you want initiative? Here's some fucking initiative! I'll give you cover from the system as much as I can and you all go and take that asshole out, got it?!"

"Music to my ears!" Yajū swung his sycthe around in tandem with Kenja, Shadō, and Zaii, all of them armed with their maganimously sized weapons, each of them deadly in their own right.

"Let's purge this nightmare, once and for all," Shinshin spoke with murderous zeal, unsheathing his palm katanas and wrapping his body around with his style of Tamajutsu force.

"No need to tell me twice! Let's rip this bastard's heart out!" Karitori lit up with Dark Energy, finally finding a good place to vent her destructive force within.

Even Shito wordlessly flourished an aura similar to Shunkō around his body, ready to go head-to-head with the monster and his damned system to kill him, "Let's do this!"

As he looked at it all, Shou couldn't help but give a heavy sigh and close his eyes in resignation. He knew that despite the attitude Yōketsu had displayed, the man had struck very accurate points. They were allowing themselves to stop because of this one lone man and the creature he had under his control. He had fought the thing before, only having nearly been stopped due to him getting reckless. Now that Yōketsu had did his part to show him just what exactly Daigomi was capable of, they could go forward knowing at least a little bit more. Slowly, he allowed himself to stand up, grasping both of his swords and pulling them from their sheathes.

As he looked over at Mōka, he couldn't help but feel a sudden chill go down his spine. Mōka Komori, who had loathed her power so much, had been driven to unleash it now of all places. He had little idea of the bond between her and her mother. But he could guess that if the Punisher had been watching, she would've probably shed a tear of pride. After all, it seemed like her daughter would push forth her own resentment of her existence in order to help save her comrades and defeat this newfound enemy. He couldn't help but put on a gentle smile at her before directing his gaze back up to Daigomi.

There were those who, in spite of the sudden motivation to fight, remained silent.

Shinji and Asuka would sit beside each other with varying degrees of stoicism and scrutiny as they looked at Daigomi. They had not so much as flinched when the limbs were thrust at them, having known they would've been protected. At the same time, Yusuke had his arms around the shoulders of Rika, who had a rather pensive look on her own face. Unlike the rest of them, they didn't seem to be as eager to jump into the battle.

Then, Shinji spoke to Asuka as he slowly stood up, balancing his umbrella over his shoulders. "I will do my best to keep Rika safe, Sakamoto-dono." He said, his voice low and deep as he looked at Daigomi. "Considering that I do not know a technique that would allow me to stay within the air, I would be nothing more than a liability if I tried to help you in the fight with the Shinen. Out of the group of us, Rika is the only one who is unable to defend herself against this type of enemy."

"I'll stay behind, too..." In the face of the rage that his teammates had displayed and having Rika huddle so closely to him out of her anxiety, Yusuke had a subdued and quiet tone of voice. "The last thing I want is for Rika-chan to get hurt by something as nasty-looking as that system." His arm gently gave her shoulders a light squeeze, emitting a small gasp from her. For a moment, he would directly look at her and give a weak but encouraging smile. "Don't worry. I won't let you die."

Looking at him from the corner of her eye, Rika wordlessly and numbly nodded. "Th...thanks." She said softly, feeling a bit of relief come to her.

"You make it all sound like I was planning on leaving you three."

Asuka's statement made her three subordinates snap their gazes to her out of surprise, with even the stoic Shinji having to do something of a double-take at what he had just heard. She had her arms folded across her chest and her eyes closed in certainty, clearly confident within her own decision to stay behind. Yusuke was the first to speak, his sentiments probably shared by the other two.

"How come? I mean, not that the sentiment's appreciated..."

"What kind of a team leader would I be if I didn't stay by the side of my subordinates?" The woman answered. "Besides, I had my fight with Daigomi. It would be unfair if I took up a good chance for someone else to have a turn."

Time to Show our Hand, Let Loose the Dogs of War!
"Hmmmm...it looks like they're putting up a lot more fight than we had anticipated. This may be too much for our regimented forces and even the 43rd to handle," Kyōaku observed, as he crossed his right leg over his left, observing what appeared to be a continually oscilating spherical display of the whole Soul Society under their control. This, being projected by a liquid-smooth obsidian round table, was being shown to all four of the Horsemen, as they commanded the battlefield through advanced technology and Kidō broadcasts, to make up for the lack of communication, thanks for the broadcast station's destruction, "who knew that the Alliance had formed this large of an offensive towards us at such an unprecedented time?"

Their position within the former and now remodeled Captains' Meeting Hall, had transformed into an elaborate marble and obsidian carved interior, with statues of each of the Horsemen on each respective wall to embody themselves as legends for their accomplishments for attaining the crown jewel they've possess now. Within the center, their table and four thrones occupied what appeared to be a dual purposed meeting chamber and a debriefing hall.

On the far back wall, where the Head Captain had formally sat, was a grandiose 180 degree cut series of steps leading up to a pair of identical stone thrones. One of them currently used on the right hand side, was none other than the figurehead leader of the new Soul Society, Sōsuke Aizen, while on the other identical throne, was none other than Juhabach, the viceroy of their newfound province and expanding empire. While at the moment, they observed from a distance with keen perception and amusement, Sōsuke's own omniscience allowed himself to be aware of nearly every fascilating factor within the battle's entirety. In doing this, Sōsuke can feign ignorance, while keeping track of the progress their mutual enemies made upon their recently acquired territory.

And so far, since the battle's start, they haven't spoken aloud a word. Which was all the more disturbing for Kyōaku, even as he never made eye contact, he could see from behind his rebuilt dark helm with its built-in 360 paronamic vision, that Sōsuke was plotting something. He just didn't know what he and his cohort were up to, and until then, acted like nothing was going on behind their backs...even though he obviously could feel something was.

If the other three Horseman could feel the same thing, then they certainly weren't showing it.

Tsukishima was regarding the orb with a calculating and stern stare, his hands folded at face level with his elbows resting on the table that he and the other three Horsemen were sitting at. Although he was regarding the display with a calm and controlled composure, he was inwardly seething with rage at what he was seeing. They had taken the entire Soul Society within a matter of hours with their offensive, and somehow they were being pressured so easily? How could the Soul Society have gathered up so many allies for such a mass offensive in only three days time? How were the defenses of the Inner Circle struggling so much to put up a fight?

Shikyo was at least a little bit calmer than that. "The Dragons and the other lines of defense are doing their best to maintain stability." She said. "But they've managed to break through to the Captains' containment center and free the prisoners." She spared a glance towards Aizen. "Not to mention that they managed to subdue the apprentice of Sōsuke that was guarding it. That might be a sign that although the enemy has yet to push too far, they'll be making more progress than they will now."

Suna remained silent.

"May I add some input," Sōsuke's voice asked in a inquistive tone, not raising a finger, but letting his voice carry enough weight in the atmosphere as a member of their current allied forces, "I believe some reinforcement is in order. Nothing drastic, but I believe perhaps my friend here, Juha-san, could send a few of his personal best subordinates to reinforce the more...critical...areas of the battlefield, while you can deal with the mass in whatever means suit you best."

"And what are these subordinates that you suggest," Kyōaku, not even turning to face them, allowing his augmented voice to travel to Juha in particular as he inquired on behalf of the Horsemen, "Yhwach Juhabach?"

Sitting with his head in the dark overcast of the room, Yhwach's red eyes shined through the darkness as he leaned forward, having a wry and very casual appearing smile on his now revealed face. He folded his hands together on the table, speaking in as plain of a voice as one could have. "The ones that Aizen-san refers to are some of the most powerful Quincy that have ever walked the earth. One of them is capable of killing a Captain within a matter of minutes, and you will have four at your disposal. They have more skill, tact, intelligence, strength...and ruthlessness of any human that you have, and ever will see."

His smile widened, showing his teeth as he finished. "They are called, the Stern Ritter."

There was only a brief silence that reigned afterwards, before Tsukishima spoke up.

"You will have to forgive me if I am not particularly enthused hearing that." The Horseman said, allowing himself to sit back in his chair. "There are a plethora of enemies that have shown themselves to be well above that of Captain-class. And you say that you are only sending four of them? I have heard of you to be many things, but surely ignorance cannot be one of them." His eyes drifted towards the Quincy in question. "How exactly do you intend on employing them within the battle situation?"

"This is your Empire, Shūkurō-san, not ours," Sōsuke explained, though in a cold tone, as his physical position didn't diminish his verbally contempted tone, "I am but a figurehead leader, to keep the masses from disagreeing to be ruled by the likes of mercenary generals. I show them that they have a god watching over them, while my associate, helps enforce that legends of humanity keep the forces of the spiritual world in check. You will have to rely on your own separate division of mercenaries to help reinforce your pathetic grunts, but we will ensure key targets are protected. That is the necessity, behind the use of the Stern Ritters."

"Thanks for being so generous, Aizen," Kyōaku didn't bother hiding his disdain in his voice for the enigmatic former traitor Captain and now Ascended Shinigami, but redirected his focus upon the mysterious and dark Quincy upon the said man's left, "but I have to agree with Tsukishima-san's skeptical view. While a tier above Captain-class is useful, I doubt that these so-called Stern Ritters are that skilled enough to fight the otherworldly combatants hiding within the fog of war within this battlefield."

"You all are accustomed to believing that the Quincy have the same limitations as humans." Yhwach responded calmly. "However, you've yet to see what we can really do. Your Dragons, Dogs, and Moles are all trained for war against other forces, and use the land of Soul Society to their advantage. But not only is a Stern Ritter beyond a Gotei 13 Captain in most every aspect, they can bend the very fabric of this realm, any spiritual realm to their will. They will turn the Shinigami's very homeland against them. Damage to the area would be almost immeasurable if I were to let you have more than just four Stern Ritter." He smirked as he finished. "And we certainly can't have that happen now, can we?"

This time, Suna would speak up before Tsukishima would, voicing his interest within the sudden development. "Well, when you put it that way..." He said, the corners of his mouth curling upwards to form his own smirk as he kept his eyes on the display. "That makes it sound like you were hiding some pretty good weapons from us this entire time. If these Quincy are as deadly as they say you are, then I think it's going to be fun seeing them out on the battlefield personally..."

"Though you are but a figurehead leader..." Shikyo said, looking over towards Yhwach as she spoke. "They are your soldiers and I have no doubt that their loyalty will be presented only to you. Considering that you have full understanding of the situation at hand, I believe it is best we leave it up to you to decide who goes where."

"In the meantime, I think its best to deploy half of the Dogs at our disposal to reinforce the regs and the 43rd. Individually, they are not as powerful, but we have seen them to work best in numbers and squads. They'll overwhelm these vigor-filled rebels in a matter of minutes and help manage the stress our taxed soldiers are undergoing. If there's any key points being overrun by high caliber enemies or a Dragon needs assistance, I believe those would be the place your Stern Ritters, Yhwach-san," Kyōaku directed his attention to several hotspots as good options for the dark Quincy King to direct his subordinates, all while hiding his glare of contempt and suspicion behind his dark helm.

Yhwach's smirk faded in favor of a calm smile upon hearing Shikyo's propositions. "You needn't worry, Shikyo-san; we are all allies in this war. Should you require the aid of a Stern Ritter, simply beckon them, and they will come. I've ensured that they will do so." He then leaned back in his throne as if he were amused by the entire situation as Kyoaku spoke as well. "A good plan of attack, Kyoaku-san. This rebellion will be quelled within the day, I am certain..."

"Hey, Kameyo?"

"Yes, Tenshina?"

"I'm very depressed right now."

"Would you like a hug?"

"..."

"..."

"...really?"

"What seems to be the problem?"

"You asking me if I want a hug in that tone of voice makes me think you're actually plotting to stab me in my back or suffocate me, maybe break some ribs."

"Why would I want to do that? You just said that you were depressed, and the last thing I want to do is cause my comrades more injury than they already have."

"Well, I think I'm going to say "no" just for safety reasons."

"I don't think you're in a proper state of mind to say that. Therefore, I will give you a hug anyway."

"What the hell--?!"

"Do not resist."

"Wait, wait, god damn it! I don't like this! I didn't agree to this! Get your hands off me, you crazy marshmallow! Help! HAPE! HAPE! IT BURNS!"

And thus was the interaction between Tenshina and Kameyo. The latter of the two now had her arms wrapped around Tenshina's torso in a hug from behind, while the former was comically struggling to get out of her grip. The display would make nearby people murmur amongst themselves, with some of them snickering at the brown-haired boy's misfortune.

The two, as well as their other two comrades, were on an airship that was currently en route to its location. They would be the ones to reinforce the positions of the falling, considering they were much more efficient than at least the regular troopers. Of course, the negative feelings that had been produced within the recovery room had yet to fade away during their voyage. But still, it seemed that they could still have a light moment in the midst of the dark environment stewing thousands of feet below.

"Serah Choku," Valeur inquired of his comrade, sitting next to him, as the prior held one of his spears while laying the other across his chest leaning against his ankle, looking at Kameyo and Bokujin, "a question, if I could have but a moment of your time..."

"You were interrupting the best nap of my life, but sure, go right ahead," Choku spoke in a sarcastic tone, but did his best to sit up to address his recent comrade's inquires, trying to ignore the silly antics of his comrades across from them.

"I have been wondering...about Kameyo..."

"Oh? What about?"

"I am a bit conflicted upon how to approach her and confess my feelings," The Aethian spoke honestly, sighing in admittance.

"Didn't you confess when you first met the gal?" Choku asked, smirking slightly as he sideglanced at the man's dilemma, wondering why the man made such a fuss about it when nearly every other conflict came with such ease to solve for him.

"Speaking honestly about one's appearance is one thing, but actually convincing them that romantic feelings are genuine is another...especially when that one I love has committed acts that have left me confused."

"Such as?"

"She callously butchers the enemy without hesitation. She cares not for fair play, nor does she care whom she is killing. She has no conscience to speak of when it comes to manslaughter or murder alike," he spoke in a slightly bitter tone.

"And?"

"But...she clearly does this upon instinct rather than choice. Like a well-cogged machine, that doesn't know how to move diagonally when its only been told how to move forward and backwards," Valeur tried to emphasize comically by making robotic guestures without having to move his spears or stand up straight.

Choku could only stare blankly, moving his right hand's forefingers in a circle in emphasis to get to the point, "So?"

"Her conflict with the Deputy Captain Senna has left her confused. She didn't need to come back for us, and she could've easily continued causing mayhem, and yet, she came back anyways. She was more concerned for our wellbeing than that of her own directive," Valeur emphasized by striking his palm in a subtle way.

"I see," Choku pushed his glasses up with his left hand's middle finger, allowing it to catch a few rays of sparing light within the airship, before returning to normal transparency, "so you're hesitant on making a commitment with a woman who's been programmed to kill without hesitation, but still love her because she genuinely cares. While this is a bad example," Choku gestured towards Bokujin's frantic movements to comically, and ineffectively escape the blank-staring Kameyo, "its obvious she doesn't know how to express her feelings, but she truly does care for those closest to her. While she may not shed tears like sensitive people, she'll definitely feel it and respond wihtin her own way. So in a way...she's programmed to be emotionless, but inwardly, she still expresses herself in a much more subtle way."

"So her callousness is just a instinctive feat, not a choice?" Valeur acted hopeful, sincerely hoping his comrade's insightful intuition and help ease his mind about his actions he has yet to make.

"It seems to be that way. Otherwise, I'd doubt she'd try so hard to comfort Bokujin, despite his feigning protests contrary to what he wants," Choku spoke in a intellectual tone, causing Valeur to sigh with relief, looking upon the comical struggle with newfound enlightenment, even as Bokujin continued to cry out pitifully for help.

"That's it then," Valeur smiles, nodding as he softly speaks his mind, rubbing his hands together over the aloft spear on his right, "I'll confess to her before we set foot on the ground. I'll just wait for her to halt her bonding time with Serah Bokujin first..."

And sure enough, Kameyo finally released Tenshina from her affectionate grip.

"Gah!"

The man promptly leaped away and scurried off before he could risk Kameyo making another attempt to embrace him. She looked at him as he zoomed off, mild surprise on her face. However, after a second of that, she simply turned her head in the other direction. At the very least, he seemed a lot happier than he was beforehand. She could safely say that she had done her job.

Slowly, she stood up from the table she was sitting at and walked over to the rail guarding. Her hands settled themselves against it, and she raised her head up to gaze at the sky. Her hair billowed in the winds that served as the air resistance against the ship, and she couldn't help but close her eyes for a brief moment to enjoy the sensation. She took in a deep breath to inhale the scent of the fresh and crisp air.

"Okay," Valeur breathed out, noticing she was one of the few to take a hold of the guard rail near the exit ramps, as most of the others were chattering amongst themselves and minding their own buisness. With a exhale of finality, Valeur got up and swiftly holstered his spears within his backstraps, before marching his way towards Kameyo, leaving a smirking Choku behind as he closed his eyes and resigned to get whatever sleep he could.

Grasping the handle in as close of comfortable proximity to Kameyo as he dared try, Valeur boldly spoke first, "Serah Kameyo. A word with you, if you spare the moment?"

"Yes, Valeur?" Slowly, Kameyo turned her head to look at him as he addressed her. Her eyes would regard him with slight curiosity, and she subtly tilted her head to the side out of subconscious emphasis. It was almost as if she was a simple kid trying to figure out the workings of something new she had just found, like a strange toy or a new person introduced into their life.

"Since the hour draws nigh to the inevitable twilight of this supernatural conflict, I will be honest and confess something that has been building beneath my heart," Valeur spoke in a level, yet passionate tone as his eyes stared directly into hers. Taking courage, he grasped her free hand with his, and spoke in a slightly higher octave as he spoke truthfully, "I am in love with you, Serah Kameyo."

Silence.

The irises within Kameyo's eyes would dilate a little as she looked at him. Her mind would briefly take her back to the point where she had been killing off D.C.O. operatives as coldly and callously as she had. She had seen him turn away in disgust and maybe anger, and she had assumed that feeling would have stayed. But to hear him speak with such passion and sincerity in her voice touched her - something that sent a chill down her spine. Had the encounter with Senna affected her in a way more than she understood?

"You... love me...?"

With that quiet question, she took her other hand and placed it around his, gently bringing it to rest on the spot where her heart would've been. She held it there, feeling her heart race a little and a bit of warmth come to her face. She would continue to regard him in silence for a brief moment, allowing him to feel the pace of her heartbeat in an effort to help him understand how she was feeling. The hand that held his gave a slow but gentle squeeze.

"I..." Her tone was hesitant. "I am sorry, I am not sure what I should say here. You just told me... that I... I hold a special place in your heart, didn't you? And hearing that... seems to bring me a comfort I never knew I wanted..."

"This is the first time someone has told you that you've been loved, Serah? While this does bring me sadness in that you've never been cared for, it gives me great joy to be the first to give you that love sincerely, and without battle to get in between us," leaning forward, Valeur allowed his forehead to press against hers, allowing his eyes to look deeply into hers as his smile widened into a sparkling, toothy one, "I loved you the moment my eyes laid upon yours. Only now after spending time together, that I can confirm that love is genuine. Please allow me to share that love with you, in an eternal bond of friendship that penetrates even death itself!"

This time, Kameyo would not grace him with a verbal response.

Then, she slid her free hand up to his face, allowing her fingers to slide across his cheek in a gentle manner. As the tips of her fingers met the beginning of his ear, she closed her eyes and brought her lips to his in a kiss. Under his hand that she was holding to her chest, he could feel her heart racing even more. The sensation within her began to make itself more prominent, and she couldn't help but note how good it felt. In that brief moment, she had forgotten about the setting she was in and the people around her.

The best she could compare this to was the healthiest drug she could ever take. But she wouldn't let that go past her mind.

Unfortunately, it was here that the loudspeaker on the airship blared and the automaton voice of a female spoke out. "Now approaching Junction C6. Position available for orbital descent."

When Kameyo parted ways from Valeur at that point, she felt a bit of emptiness upon feeling that warmth leave her so quickly. However, none of it would be betrayed by her expression. She looked over the edge once again, turning to it and placing her hands on the rails. "That would be our call." She said. "When we land, the entrance of the underworks will be right underneath our feet."

It was also at this time that Tenshina scurried his way up beside them, but not tossing his voice over at Choku. "Hey, Choku! C'mon, or we'll miss our stop!" He shouted just before he reached the railing himself.

"Hm? Right, right," Choku mumbled, yawning slightly from the sparing few winks he got in before making his drop with his team. Grasping his pen that had been tucked away snugly within the crevice up the space between his right temple and outer ear, he removed it promptly, and ignited it with fullbrought energy, transforming its shape into that of a black guarded sword, "onward to our glorious deaths, sacrificed in the name for the greater good," he finished with a dry sarcastic edge, as he walked towards the railing, grabbing the empty space behind Bokujin.

"Do not worry, love," Valeur spoke in a confident, soft tone, winking at her as he fearlessly stepped towards the front of the ramp without holding onto the rails himself, "I will protect you with my life, and stand between any obstacle that besets our hearts' desire!"

Kameyo allowed herself to give a small smile as he looked at him. "I do hope that you do not die in the process." She answered, looking back towards the ground. She placed one foot on the rails, with Tenshina and presumably the others quickly following suit.

Then, without hesitation, she pushed herself over the rails and off of the ship. Air resistance was quick to greet her mercilessly, with the winds blowing her hair back and forcing her to shut her eyes. As she reached out with her senses, she could feel the rest of her comrades descending right beside and behind her. They were in a suicidal freefall towards the ground, and for a normal human or soul, this would have surely marked them for imminent death.

But, at the last second, they would save themselves. Kameyo herself would twist her body so that her feet were positioned towards the ground. She pooled spiritual energy underneath to slow her descent, but not stopping herself in mid-air. Her boots would slam into the ground and she would fall to a crouched position, with several corresponding thudding noises surrounding her. Slowly, she stood back up, opening her eyes and looking at the entrance that led to the underworks of the Soul Society. After a moment of silence, she would hear Tenshina's voice having renewed with some of the bitterness that had been present in the recovery room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hell."

"Nah, this isn't that bad...yet," Choku countered his comrade's statement, as he looked up into the sky, noticing constant reverberations and thunderous shockwaves within the lightning-filled sky, "its going to get a lot worse before this is over. I can feel it..."

"Commander Des Vents," a IC regular called out, crawling out of the shadows with a handful of weary and battered troopers that were holding the entrance for the oncoming squadron of Fullbringers. He wore a mask, distorting his voice, but protecting him from any harmful elements the unpredictable battlefield might withhold, while clenching a Kidō rifle in hand, "we've been expecting your arrival."

Valeur, despite always being regarded as a professional, was never told he was given command over his comrades, but he decided to acquience the man anyways with a nod, "Trooper, can I get a status of what's going on in the underworks?"

Pointing towards the entrance, the officer of the group verbally debriefed, "Just an hour ago, several squads of Deep Cover Ops and other elements have entered various points across the Seireitei's tunnels to get to the Kidō Corps HQ while also going underneath the Seireitei's support columns. They're aiming to rescue some POW's within the base's containment center, as well as blow up the supports to cause the upper portions of the Seireitei to fall upon itself."

"Seems like they know the lay of the land better than we do," Choku spoke in a derrisive tone, pushing his glasses up a notch as he criticized, "and here I thought this was the same force that effortlessly toppled the entirety of the Soul Society's military power within a single day."

"The more an enemy has been backed into a corner, the more they will fight. It is clear that their resistance has been too much for our forces to handle." Kameyo noted, folding her arms across her chest. "Once we go down there, I have little reason to doubt that they'll bother holding anything back this time."

Tenshina removed his butterfly knife from its holster and idly flipped it around within one of his hands as he looked at the entrance. "I guess that means if we happen to run into Captain Shiba again, he won't grant us any more pardons." He muttered, giving a heavy sigh. "Choku, remember when you said that there would be a point where our superiors would say, "you have outlived your usefulness"? I'm getting the feeling that this is it."

"You don't have to tell me that twice," Choku muttered back, as Valeur decided to keep the other guard occupied while his own personal comrades murmured amongst themselves, "I'm starting to think whatever that snake spy had offered us, was probably better accepted than refused."

That made Tenshina scoff, and he abruptly stopped folding his butterfly knife. "Are you kidding me?" He asked incredulously. "I don't know about you, but I don't think listening to some snake freak Team Fortress 2 spy wannabe from the 12th Division would be that trustworthy. Plus, he's a guy from the Gotei 13. You really think he'd give his enemy a way out and leave us with our freedom? I don't think so, pal."

"They might interrogate us, sure, but it would be a lot better on that side than this side. Just saying," shrugging off the conversation as Valeur turned around, having saluted and dismissed the officer to regroup with his men and move to another location in need of securing.

"Apparently the enemy is in intense combat and stress down below within the Underworks. If we hurry, we may catch them by surprise, and use our numbers, teamwork, and unique abilities to our advantage against them," Valeur spoke to the entirety of the couple dozen of Fullbringers under his unanticipated disposal, speaking both with experience and authority from his former command, "if you work as a team, and don't do anything stupid, we may make out of this all alive. Any questions?"