Wrath of the Archdemon: Athena

Wrath of the Archdemon: Athena Act I
"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me"

-Psalm 23:4

First Encounter, Origin of Power
It was dark. The night sky was clouded with tall, rolling thunderclouds, crackling and roaring above like an impending invasion or a foreboding prelude of a orchestra, playing doom's tune. The air is cold, electric, and wet, the imminent feeling of rainfall and lightning is almost as inevitable as the blood that will be spilled today.

The men in equally dark garments of the Stealth Force knew this, for their tight-bodily garments that covered nearly all of their bodies still felt the elements and made the slight chill go up their spines. They knew why they were here; following their Lieutenant and Captain to seek out and assess the situation, and if possible, eliminate it. The threat was vague that was given to them, but a unveiling of massive Spiritual Pressure originating that of a Hollow or a multitude of Hollows, the answer unclear still, lied in the Cracked Valley, a place where the fields of grass flowed over to tall cliffs and down into many intricate tall rockfaced, intricate canyons, most of it marred with black and gray stone of nearly unknown origin.

It was here, at the epicenter of the valley, what looked like a indentation in the eart itself from a large blast of sorts or terrible power, which caused the earth to crack and form the vulgar, twisted canyon valley they see today. And it was also at the epicenter, where the Spiritual Pressure was seen skyrocketing off the readings the 12th Division's Department of Research & Development found on their monitors.

The wind blew across the edge of the valley, a flow of dark green grass like rippling of water as the storm began to gather over the valley and canyons. What happened next, was the inevitable. Nearly 50 pairs of feet landed silently on the grassy edge of the cliff, the center of the group had the two high ranking individuals that is the superiors fo the Stealth Force's Punishment Force officers that stood with them. Captain Seu-Feng of the 2nd Division, Commander-In-Chief of the Stealth Force and her subordinate, much to her chagrin, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, Lieutenant of the 2nd Division and Head of the Patrol Corps of the Stealth Force.

The most dialouge traded among these fifty Soul Reapers, happened between these two superiors, as always.

"C-C-Captain!" The Lieutenant stated out in distress, rubbing his forearms up and down, shivering and blue-faced with fear, "this place is scary! Why are we the only ones here and why are we so far away from the Soul Society?!-"

WHAM!

A solid back handed fist indented the Lieutenant's face comically, causing him to flail his arms in alarm and muffled painful pleas and cries from the unwaranted, as far as he knew, attack.

"Stop your whining, Lieutenant! If you paid any attention during the debriefing instead of primping your pigish face and stuffing it full of junk, you would know that the origin of the Hollow Spiritual Pressure came from here. This is legendary area, the Cracked Valley, to a battle fought with a powerful force that once served the Soul King. It is said to be a large burial ground of the very species that fought and died against the Soul Reapers, as well as many Zanpakuto shards. Pay more respect here you fool, or you'll die of your ignorance!"

"S-So cruel!" the Lieutenant cried and stroked his face gingerly, aware that some bruising will diminsh the beauty of his wonderful 'beautiful' face.

Little did they know, the enemy was already aware of their presence....

"Let's move! Spread out and find the source of the Spiritual Pressure anonymoly! If you locate the enemy, don't engage and wait for the rest of us! If they attack, defend yourself!" Seu-Feng shouted out to her subordinates, all of them dispatching after a brief acknowledging nod from all of them simultaneously before using Flash Step, disappearing as silently as they came.

However, her Lieutenant on the other hand, "Y-Y-Yes, Captain!" He stuttered, afraid at what he might find and had almost no intention on fighting the enemy alone at all. With a glare directed at him from his Captain, he immediately gulped and disappeared in a Flash Step of his own, disappearing towards the large, ruined valley and canyons.

Seu-Feng took a deep breath, before exhaling, narrowing her eyes as she had felt the foreboding feeling that something of incredible power lurked within the valley. And she might not live to tell about it...

Shaking her head, she moved in a rapid Flash Step of her own, moving much swifter and farther than her subordinates, aiming to move towards the center of the valley itself. Her hair whipped around, her cloak billowed around her lithe, black garbed form, her eyes cool and narrowed, giving her from the flashing lightning and thunder the appearance of a fearless demon. To anyone else, it would look like a challenge...

But as soon as Seu-Feng dropped onto the ground, her slip-on sandals clacked noislessly against the uneven rock formation below her as she looked, in the center of the cracked earthen landscape rested a figure whose demonic visage knew no bounds. It radiated power...power she had never thought possible but of her Head Captain to possess. The power to shake herself to her core and her blood grow cold.

As soon as her men descended soundlessly, albeit her Lieutenant was whimpering and complaining so loud its a wonder he didn't die first, much to her chagrin, they all grew silent as they all felt in a joining terror of the amazing power the Hollow before them had.

"C...C...Captain?" Lieutenant Ōmaeda spoke aloud in a hoarse gasp, his face turned blue with fear and sweat came down like a rainstorm, symbolizing the downpour they have to face in a matter of minutes.

"I-Is that a Vasto Lorde? A Hollow Lord?" One of the Stealth Force officers spoke aloud in a clear show of attempting to stave the fear within his own body.

"It could be a Adhuchas, but I've never seen any with the level of Spiritual Pressure its giving off," a bald-headed Stealth Force officer responded.

"Cease the chatter!" Seu-Feng said with a strong voice, her teeth bit down on the inside of her mouth, drawing blood to keep her own cool, looking over at her men, "this is the threat, the source of the incredible Hollow Power. Prepare to engage on my command!"

"Yes, Captain!" They all said in unison, remembering their place in unison and began crouching, reaching for their individual Zanpakutos, beginning to unsheathe them with audible clicks and scrapes of metal meeting the sheathes.

"F-Fight...that thing?! We must be insane?!" Ōmaeda thought with remorse and terror, his hand instinctively reached for his own Zanpakuto, but did not dare to unsheathe it, for fear of provoking the monster.

This creature that stood before the Stealth Force was floating just a few feet off of the ground, it's legs put togather, it's arms spread out to it's sides, and it's two pronged tail slowly whirling around it. It's skin was a blackish blue shade, and it possessed numerous pieces of what appeared to be armor all around it's body. It's most notable traits however, were it's head and it's shoulders. The head itself was like a helmet of sorts, covering the top half of it. From the center of it emerged two black forward facing horns, one shorter than the other, and below them were two black holes, presumidibly where it's eyes would be. On it's shoulders were two similar shaped heads with pincher like blades on their lower facing side. They looked similar in design to the helmet itself, albeit split into two of course. Both of them had a similar black hole in their center each. It's chest also possessed two holes within it as well. One would normally expect it to be a demon, if they relied solely on their vision of course.

With a piercing echo like noise, the eye on it's right shoulder revealed itself to be yellow and hollowish in appearance. Right after that, it's left hand counter part followed, then the right eye on the chest piece, then the left eye on the chest piece. After these eyes were open and upon the large squad of Soul Reapers, the eyes on the figures head opened, and a sinister growl was emited from the creatures mouth.

The collaboration of soul reapers gasped, groaned, and yelled out from the grotesque display following by the gusting wind that came from its distinguishable Hollow-like roar, even Seu-Feng twitched and bit on her lip as her hair dangled all over behind her head and neck, fiercer than the winds of the above storm ever did, but her eyes were keen and poised to strike.

With a raise of her hand, she shouted out, "Men! Formation D, Black Wasp Strike!"

"Yes sir!" They say in unison, only Ōmaeda stayed behind as he backed up from the vicious, bloodthirsty abomination before him.

As they charged towards their target with deft speed only known to their Division and their Force, they initialized a number of Flash Steps, appearing in a V-shaped position, as they all began throwing throwing knives to and fro, but not aiming for the beast, but rather stringing up a series of nigh invisible lines, strung with specially crafted Spiritual particles. Once completed, all of the men strung their spiritual energy into the twine, causing a series of blue electric lines to go forth from the lines around the beast and electrocute it high intensity, aiming to both shock and cut into the hollow's flesh, weakening it for a killing blow.

The bald-headed Stealth Soul Reaper, drew his sword, looking onward towards the beast, saying lowly, "You're mine monster," before he Flash Stepped, appearing just past the beast as he cut along its neck and shoulderblade, his sword brimmed with the electric energy that continued to attempt to damage it as well as restrain it.

The Hollow's expression did not change as it looked to both it's left and it's right, taking note of the enemies formation. It touched one of the blue lines with it's finger, seemingly curious as to what manner of attack the Soul Reapers had used against him. It almost felt as if though he was ignoring the Soul Reaper officer that had just struck him.

A slight grin came across the creature's tooth filled mouth. Had the officer looked down, he would have noticed the Hollow's razor-sharp, two pronged tail coming straight from under him, aiming for the center of his torso...

"Shi-gurrrk!" The officer struck his Zanpakuto in between the pronged tail, but the force was so great, it shattered his sealed Zanpakuto effortlessly, like glass, before a audible ripping and squelching of his chest being impaled all the way through his chest and out of his back, nearly killing him instantly. His body spasmed, thinking how he could've not struck the beast and not notice its extra appendage, before his eyes closed and fell limp, a loud clattering of his weapon's hilt clattering on the rock ground below him, caused the other men to notice but not let up their attack, awaiting orders.

"He...he didn't even flinch?!" Ōmaeda gasped, his legs and arms shook as his eyes widened with shock and horror, "he killed an officer without looking and didn't even get phased by the attack?! What the hell is he?!"

"Bakudo #30,"

Seu-Feng had already saw that the lines didn't work long before the beast started tugging at them and killed one of her men, moving with deft speed and proficiency as she strung a inverted triangle of yellow spiritual energy, the result made a set of three yellow beaks while she strung her arm downwards towards her left ankle, in the pose customary to using the Kido,

"Shitotsu Sansen!"

With the name spoken, and the full power used behind the Kido, despite no incantation being used, the yellow lines launched the three yellow beaks, aiming to strike the Hollow beast along the waist and arms, aiming to propel it across the air towards a nearby boulder.

The creature turned it's gaze towards the trio of projectiles, the grin on his face still present. In a quick manner, he licked the blood off of his bloodied tail and began to emit a small amount of his spiritual pressure. This move caused a much more violent wind to spread out, affecting nearly everything in it's vicinity. Though it was spreading around the area, the Hollow was directing most of it towards the three energy beaks that were heading straight for him. Upon contact with the Reitsu, the Kido bolts wobbled and shook, before finally shattering and fading from view. The Hollow simply smirked.

The men around the Hollow from a good 15 meters began to cover their faces and dig their heels into the ground from another burst of Spiritual Pressure, mixed in with its own raw Spiritual Power, distorting not only the Bakudo but the special lines that were wrapped around it, snapping off with the sound of piano cords one by one before they were all laying useless on the earthen landscape.

"He...he didn't even move, and he destroyed a level 30 Bakudo?! This guy," Ōmaeda shivered, stepping back even moreso, "this guy is a monster! "

"I expected as much," Seu-Feng said with a analytically cold voice, as she moved back to grab her Zanpakuto, slowly unsheathing it as she said aloud, "this Hollow is on par by Spiritual Power alone with the Head Captain himself. I don't know if I can kill it, but I will attempt to stave off any attempts in killing the rest of my subordinates."

"But Captain-"

"Get your useless ass out of her, Lieutenant!" She barked out, spreading her legs out and poised herself to move, "do something useful with your existance and get the information back to Head Captain. Now!"

"You'll die!"

"Move dammit!" She looked over to him, her eyes wide with adrenaline filled in her body and a look of sheer lethal tenacity.

The death glare was all Ōmaeda needed as he began to turn and run, shouting back to his Captain, "I'll get help, I promise Captain!"

"I won't hold my breath," Seu-Feng muttered lowly, before she set her eyes back at the monster.

"Orders, Captain?!" One of the soul reapers near the Hollow spoke in a tense and unsure voice.

"Men, I want you to initiate Formation E, Whirlwind Strike," she raised her hand, then lowered it, shouting out, "now!"

"HOOOOHAAAAAAAA!!!" The Soul Reapers all yelled simultaneously, the war cry would ordinarily stunned even the most staunch of foes as they all used Flash Step in unison, surrounding the beast with blades drawn and their numbers surrounding it, all of them aiming to cut and slash the beast as one unit, aiming to kill it in a whirlwind of blades.

The creature tilted it's head slightly, seemingly interested in the banter occuring between the Soul Reapers. The eye on it's left shoulder began to follow the fleeing Vice Captain in an almost hungry manner. Showing annoyance at the number of Soul Reapers all converging in on his position, he gave a slight growl and then vanished from the sight of the Soul Reapers using Sonido, reappearing right behind their Captain. He then stood motionless, waiting to see her response.

After the men clashed their swords together in a rather series of awkward and missed swings, they all looked around until they saw that Seu-Feng stood still and the towering beast was directly behind her.

"So, you know something about assassination, do you beast?" Seu-Feng asked rhetorically, twirling out of her Haori, throwing it up into the air towards the monster's apparent eyes from both its helmeted face and grotesquely torso-located eyes, before Flash Stepping, appearing behind the monster and slashing at his throat with a deft-sped strike.

STICK!

Her blow had landed successfully on the creature's neck, but no blood was drawn, nor did he physically react. Instead, he gave an amused chuckle before actually speaking to the Captain. "I dare say..." it said with a deep, surprisingly sophisticated, albeit monstrous voice. "...All of this violence and chaos is a sure welcome to one who has been sealed away for nearly 3'000 years." When the words left his mouth, he reached his right hand up in a position to grab her by her head.

Its intelligent?! Seu-Feng thought with surprise as he spoke, but made sure not to lose her cool. Seeing the flex of his shoulder and the reac of his hand, allowed her to carefully time a grappel ontop of its head, swinging itself upwards with her feet pointing into the air and her hair draping downwards as she uttered lowly,

"Sting all enemies to death,"

with a subtle glow of crimson spiritual energy, her Zanpakuto transformed, forming a yellow & black vambrace along with a stinger blade pointed out from her middle finger,

"Suzumebachi!" Of course anything this powerful would've bound to gain some sort've understanding and plotting if this was a creature as powerful as her Head Captain. However, she did not expect her sword to vibrate so intensely against his skin. The Spiritual Power behind the monster was so vast, a Captain's Sealed form could not even draw blood. However...she had him still right where she wanted him.

With a directed glare, she called out to him, "Who are you, monster?! Tell me quickly before I end your existance!"

He simply looked up at her, the gaze of all five of his eyes tearing straight through hers. "I am..." The area around him then began to shake violently as the creature spoke in a terrifying voice. "...The True King of Hueco Mundo!" Then, the monster released an even bigger amount of Spiritual Pressure, enough to where it felt as if though the entire world shook by the power of his voice alone.

Seu-Feng gritted her teeth, feeling her blood freeze and the wind around her skidded her unwilling feet a good 5 meters backwards from the release of Spiritual Pressure and Power alone, making her lips and cheeks flop as if a high powered fan was placed in front of her, her hair whipped and lashed around her head erratically.

"Th-This ends...now!" With a shout whizzing away, moving towards the monster with a speed almost famous by her position as the Commander-in-Chief of the Stealth Force, moving low and aiming a decisive strike of her Suzumebachi just below the monster's right pectoral eye..

SNATCH!

Before she had realized it, the Hollow had caught her strike with speed that was almost equal, if not greater than her own. He then held her up to where her face was even with his. He then spoke to her again, his yellow eyes staring straight into her grey ones. "And who might you be...Captain?"

"I...I am...," Seu-Feng began saying with a definite surprise and shock as her hand was caught, its force plenty enough to keep her in its vice grip and leveled her right to where her forehead met its. However...

"Captain!!!" Ōmaeda shouted out, as he ran back towards her, his hands and arms flopped wildly as he rushed back to her, hoping to rescue her in time.

'That...big...fat...IDIOT!!!' She thought in her mind, but quickly used the diversion of her bumbling lieutenant's appearance to burst her Spiritual Power to its maximum, a large blast of red spiritual energy came from her constricted hand, wrenching it free before a silver, crackling aura surrounded her, mirroring her eyes.

"Shunko!" She moved at a hyper version of her speed now, as she commenced a twin knife handed strike to the creature's neck before bringing up a tremendously focused energized kick to its chest, creating a violent blast that shook the ground and air, sending a shockwave that sent the lieutenant backwards, crying out in alarm and indignation.

As soon as the strikes were created, she repulsed herself off the monster, and leaped a good 10 meters away, heavily breathing but still strong enough to fight, her crackling aura of Shunko's energies allowed her to move nearly three times as fast as well as discharge powerful and/or swift Hakuda strikes. The only disadvantage she has at the moment is landing a blow with her shikai, seeing as that the monster would not allow her to get that close again unless stunned or incapacitated for a mere few seconds.

The Hollow grinned and snickered at the same time as the attack from his target forced him to skid back a good 10 meters. Wiping the dust off of his now cracked chest, and regaining his pose, he turned his attention to the bumbling Vice Captain. "Interesting." He crossed his arms, blocking the eyes on his chest. "You defy her commands in order to preserve her life force." He then lowered his head while closing the eyes in his head. "I would normally scorn you for such an action, but then again, that means more flesh for me to feed on." He then opened his eyes and turned to look at the large group of Stealth Force members that were watching his confrontation with their Captain. "As for them. I grow tired of their interference."

He held out his left index finger, near it's tip a string of black lightning began to crackle around it as a dark blue sphere slowly formed near his finger with a deep, electric sound. One would recognize it as a Cero...

Seu-Feng quickly looked back with a drastic look on her face, shouting out to them, "Scatter and head to the Soul Society! Inform them of the situation at once!"

"Yes sir!" With a quick unanimous understanding, they all quickly spread out, each of them giving each other a wide berth of a good 10 meters apart as they used Flash Step making sure to space away from the direction of the Cero and heading past Seu-Feng, Ōmaeda, and the hulking monstrocity.

Ōmaeda on the otherhand, thought quickly how to save his comrades, rushing forward in a unexpectedly swift Flash Step, his own larger than average figure blurring before moving to the space in between Ultharon and the now fleeing Stealth Forces, making a handsign while shouting out, "Oh no you don't, ugly! Bakudo #21, Sekienton!" With a loud declaration and voiding of the incantation, a large burst of red tinted smoke exploded, covering a good 20 meters of space, covering all visibility within that area. Unfortunately, the smoke is as potent as fire smoke, and those who aren't good at using Kido than others tend to...,

"Kack! Hack! Man!" Ōmaeda coughed and wiped his teary eyes as he leaped into the air, getting footing on the air above while crouching, unsheathing his Zanpakuto, "I'm still not good with Kido...gotta work on that after tonight's dessert and a well earned massage..."

"Idiot! Stay out of my way!" Seu-Feng shouted as she too fled the smoke, but not before holding up a hand towards the directly where her eyes saw him just a mere few seconds ago. With his eyes now covered by her inept lieutenant's distraction, she had time to counterattack it with a bit more direct force. As a orb of yellow electricity formed in her palms, her forearms clasped together as she focused her aim onto the beast's overshadowing form, still visible through the smoke cloud, uttering lowly,

"Hado #63,  Raikōhō!" With a thunderous roar, the high powered lightning Kido burst forth and moved towards the area with a intense speed and power enough to quake the ground and shatter the earth further for a good 15 meters.

The powerful blast of lightning slammed into the cloud of red smoke where the being stood. It unleashed a massive explosion who's orange fire quickly overtook the former red shade. When the fire and smoke cleared, all that remained was a mid sized crater that was a good 10 meters wide...

...but the Hollow was no where in sight.

The lieutenant, albeit had to cover his face from the incredible force, was unable to track the movement of the beast below him as the fire blew up mere feet away from his body, sending him sprawling across the air a good few meters before he clawed back upright.

"Where did he go?" Ōmaeda asked himself in fear, holding his Zanpakuto with shaking hands as he looked left, right, up and down, even behind himself to track the area the hulking beast went.

"Dammit!" Seu-Feng growled as she saw the beast eluded the blast, probably due to the fact his outer 'shell' of skin as she now refered to it since it lacked any blood or life force leaking from it and made sure to avoid the blast. Or he truly began to tire fighting someone below his power scale and aims to finish it in a swift ambush. With a concentrated squint, she initiated the light of Shunko and was covered again in a violent, tense aura of powerful spiritual energy, anticipating a momentary strike from the beast.

"You wish to spread word to Soul Society now, eh Captain?"

Had she looked up, Seu-Feng would have noticed the creature floating in the air, it's cracked chest fully healed. "Well I'm afraid that I cannot give you the luxury of that chance just yet." He then looked towards the scattered group of Stealth Force members, gaining further and further distance from the area.

"Hmm. A simple Cero will not do for a group of that size. I looks like i'm going to have to use my Cero."

Suddenley, the two blades on the Hollow's shoulders extended to where they fully covered the creatures pectoral eyes. In between them, the same black lightning seen from earlier formed, and in between all of it was a blue sphere that grew to be the same size as his hand. He then looked down towards the two Soul Reapers. "You'll forgive me if it takes too long. I haven't used this attack in centuries."

With that, the vsphere was then discharged towards the group of Soul Reapers, quickly catching up to them at blinding speeds.

"No way!" Ōmaeda yelled out in shock, knowing that the rate of speed the sphere traveled there was no chance for him to intercept or even attempt to stop it, watching it as it collided in the midst of the wide array of Stealth Forces in the horizon.

Seu-Feng, however, decided to use her attacker's lack of guard, propelled herself faster if even at the rate he shot the sphere, aiming a swift uppercut, infused with the power of Shunko, a loud explsoive shockwave filled the air before the sheer power she used, intending to keep attacking with a barrage of high-sped kicks and punches to overpower her enemy.

From the Hollow's mouth emerged a large wad of spit as the uppercut successfully connected with his chin. But his expression remained the same throughout her vast volley of attacks. His armor pieces cracked as his opponent's attacks continously connected with his body, but he appeared to be unfazed. With a sinister cackle, he made his next move.

SNATCH!

Using the same level of speed that he used before, the Hollow's left hand cut through her assault and successfully grabbed her neck. "You're not watching." he said as he turned her around. In the distance, they could both see the sphere that he'd previously shot connect right dead center of the group of Soul Reapers. It then followed with a massive explosion, almost 4 times as big as the Kido Spell Seu-Feng used on him earlier.

As the explosion ripped through the air and landscape, tearing up canyons and creating a large dome-shaped excess of energy, roaring and howling in the air, the screams of the men caught in the blast was maganaminously defeaned by the explosion of blue-black energy.

Seu-Feng had to cover her eyes from the flashing light, the blast would've blinded lesser Soul Reapers but her timing of closing her eyes kept her sight intact albeit a few spots sported in the corners of her eyes, her ears ringing loudly from the large shockwave created from the explosion, sending rippling winds through the air.

Ōmaeda grit his teeth as he watched the explosion and covered his eyes, partially and momentarily blind from the flash of light the Cero created. A rage boiled over his innate fear, seeing his comrades get blown away as they tried to escape. He knew if he tried to make a run for it again, he'd end up like him. Not only that, his Captain would be surely slaughtered by this monster. With a reluctant grunt, he grasped both hands on his weapon and used a unexpected Flash Step, his body moving like a blur through the air before deftly appear below the two of them.

"Smash 'em!" He shouted out, a wrecking ball of impressive size came from underneath and arced around, followed by a black chain, elongating along with the ball before the latter struck heavily into the beast's face with a mighty force behind it,

" '''Gegetsuburi!" '''

The Hollow, barely affected by the Vice Captain's attack, decided to humor him and released his grip of Seu-Feng. As he dropped her, he turned to face his new attacker. "So you prefer to fight with weapons rather than your fists do you boy?" He then held out his right hand and a strange silver dust that seemingly appeared from the air began to form into a shape within his palm. "Very well then, I will honor your challenge." Then, with a flash of light, the silver dust formed into a magnificent claymore like weapon with a black handle. He then pointed it straight at Omaeda, challenging him to fight him one on one.

"Now you will witness the glory of Soberana Absoluta firsthand!"

"Ha!" Ōmaeda laughed out confidently, before pointing to him, "you're obviously arrogant if you believe a rich, classy, stylishly good looking lieutenant like myself would actually engage in one-on-one weapon combat! Do you really think a Lieutenant could hope to harm you with just shikai?!"

As Ōmaeda kept talking his usual bravado, Seu-Feng immediately deactivated her Shunko before pointing her left two forefingers, "Bakudo # 61,  Rikujōkōrō!" As she shouted, a number of yellow rods flew outwards at amazing speed before slamming into his waist, constricting and halting his movements temporarily.

"Lieutenant!" Seu-Feng called out to him as she backpedaled a good distance, employing several Flash 'Steps' before appearing a good kilometer away, an aura of red spiritual energy gathered around as she began to ready herself for her next move.

"HAHAHA!" Ōmaeda laughed aloud, diving downwards before striking his shikai's ball deep into the ground, before a number of now visible violet chains gathered around Ultharon's brutish form tying him tightly as it stemmed from the back of his head and linked to his Zanpakuto below, "Bakudo #65, Musaba Baindo( 結ばにバインド, Lit Translation, "Knotted Binds,")! I needed to make physical contact with someone before I could use this...and its the only high level technique I've learned since the Winter War, but its by far one of the most effective binding spells!"

"BAN-KAI!" A loud shout was heard in the distance and Spiritual Power gave way to amazing spiritual pressure, weighing down and roaring in the air, as a fissure of red energy shot up into the sky, causing the storm to give way a number of lightning strikes, thunderclaps, and a sheet of rain descended down afterwards. To Ultharon's eyes, he would see a soaking wet, black clothed woman holding a large yellow hornet-like stinger in the form of a artillery weapon.

The Hollow sneered, grasping his sword while binded. "Do you really expect to contain ME of all people with such an arrogant strategy?" He then turned to where he was facing Seu-Feng. "Ah. So this is your Bankai is it Captain?" he said with a confident growl. "Very well then. I will humor you. I am going to give you ONE chance to impress me. Should you fail, I will ensure that you suffer greatly for not giving me a worthy challenge." He then looked down towards Omaeda.

"And don't get your hopes up now boy. After this, I'm going to make you wish that you could defeat me with just your Shikai alone."

Seu-Feng could hear his voice billow over the expanse despite the physics that were being defied in the mere act by his words spoken and heard so clearly over the storm and pouring rain. Seu-Feng lowered her Bankai's stinger launcher at Ultharon, orange streams of energy began to gather around the weapon, coming all around the air, Spiritrons being absorbed from both her own Spiritual Power and the air itself. As Seu-Feng kept her left eye closed, she could feel the cloth on her arms wetly clinging onto her skin and the flailing of her hair as the winds buckled, flashes of lightning lit up the dark night.

She knew for a fact that if Ōmaeda didn't move from his spot, he'd be caught in the destructive force of the blast and would surely perish, not like Ultharon would let mere Kido stop him having dismantled one by mere excess of his own Spiritual energy. But she knew, that as brave as Ōmaeda became, he would run at the sight of the weapon he's seen twice fired.

"I know this can't stop you," Seu-Feng's breath came out shakily from the cold wetness that mercilessly clung to her body, her breath came out in a wisp of mist as she opened both of her eyes, "but...if I can buy time...even find out the truth behind your strength and power...I'll give my life for that information!" With that, she fired off her stinger, a large excess of energy shot behind her before the missile weapon flew with amazing speed, aiming at the hulking beast with a devestating power and purpose.

Ōmaeda smiled, whispering to himself, "Here comes Captain Seu-Feng's Bankai. I guess I should get out of here, but," with a surprising release of his Shikai, a brief and unexplained eye contact with a wide eyed Seu-Feng and a sad smile from Ōmaeda was shared, before he said, "I don't want to die a meaningless death...so my Captain can live a meaningful one."

With that said, he Flash Stepped upwards, his body came right behind the bound monstrocity, grappling his strong arms up and around preforming a full nelson maneuver on him, "Let's both go with a bang, you ugly son of a bitch!" As the missile collided into Ultharon's cracked chest, a violent magnanomious explosion crackled instaneously in the air its form taking that of a yellow oval that expanded a great distance and consuming the air its visibility able to be seen and heard for miles around. The shockwave blew all rain off the ground after a brieft barrage of pellets striking Seu-Feng's face and the winds cascading and propelling her across the air and ground, allowing her barely to keep her footing.

However, after seeing the selfless act her eyes widened, her stomach tightened, and the cowardous man she knew gave his life to stop the monstrocity, caused her to scream out a horrified, yet angry yell, "LIEUTENANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

From the fires, the Hollow appeared to have been completley vaporized by the explosion...

...but this assurance was cut down when a sinister chuckle could be heard. A black figure then walked out of the massive pillar of fire as if the air was like the surface of the earth. His entire left arm was missing, including his shoulder piece. A large hole was in the right side of his head, his tail was shortened to where it no longer had the blade on it's end, and other various pieces of his body were damaged. One could practically see the blood dripping off of his wounds...

...but he was chuckling. Acting as if though nothing had happened. He then used his Sonido to appear right in front of Seu-Feng, coughing while he spoke. "Now then...Captain...I don't think we've been properly...introduced." Slowly but surely, his body parts began to grow back in a slow and disqusting manner.

"I...am Ultharon...the Mighty."

"Shut your face, monster!" Seu-Feng irrationally began reconstructing her stinger, yellow energy rebuilt its shape and refilled the 'launch pad' it had been attached to, her brow twitched and bore sweat as she did this, showing the stress involved in doing so, "you kill my men...you disown my Lieutenant...and you bother...making pleasantries with me...," as she rebuilt her Bankai fully, she reaimed it back at Ultharon, energy already forming at the weapon and readied to fire, "don't fuck with ME!!!!!!!!!!"

With her anger boiling and her breath let out in a wild outraged scream, a second missile was let loose, coursing with orange electric tendrils around its surface as it moved faster than the last one, homing in on its target with a vicious, bloodlust. She aimed to kill the beast, even at the cost of her own life!

With an annoyed sneer, Ultharon reformed his claymore into his right hand. It then glew into a blue light as he held it up into the air. From his bloody mouth emerged two terrifying words.

"SOVEREIGN BREAKER!"

With that, he swung the sword down, releasing a Getsuga Tenshou like rend attack out towards the missle. Once it connected, the attack sliced clean through the projectile, causing it's two remaining pieces to decipate into the same yellow energy of which they'd formed. The rend went past Seu-Feng and cut through the rock wall behind her.

"No way," Seu-Feng's eyes dialated and went wide with shock, as her Bankai's weapon was torn in two before the arc of energy flew narrowly past her before tearing into a large chunk of the intact canyon cliffs, blasting it apart and sending muddy water all over in the distance, the loud thunderous boom radiated the whole of the pouring, cascading rain that resumed to cover Seu-Feng's shaking body.

Ultharon smiled as he witnessed his opponent's fearful reaction. Slowly, the bone armor that was previously missing from his body began to regenerate, minus the hole in his head. Then, he began releasing more of his Spiritual Pressure, causing the area around him to shake once more. He then began to chuckle in a sinister manner. "Yes...now it's my turn to go on the offensive!" With that, the bone armor in his helmet regenerated and he sprouted a pair of bat-like wings, before flapping them once with enough power to send him propelling towards Seu-Feng.

"YOU'RE MINE!!!"

Dynamic entry! Bitter farewell and the battle of gods and kings
''I...I can't move...I won't be able to dodge him and there's no way I can fight with my Bankai again. What do I do? What do I do?!'' Seu-Feng thought with despair, reflecting her weakened, shaking, heavy breathing form. Her wet body and flailing  soaked hair glowed dimly as she reverted her Zanpakuto back to its Shikai form, but even still, she had barely enough strength to fight intensely as she had in the beginning.

Her eyes traced the oncoming flying object at rapid speeds perfectly, but her body could barely move a few inches per second at the rate it would take to recover the stress of using Bankai twice. She knew nothing would save her at this rate...if only...

As she closed her eyes to accept death fully, a blurred figure moved like a rocket and intercepted Ultharon a mere few meters from Seu-Feng's near limp form, striking his unaware's grotesque torso squarely with a loud excess of air pressure with the sound of a rocket going supersonic in its wake, momentarily halting rainfall once again in the immediate area.

WHAM, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

Seu-Feng's eyes were shut tightly when the force and crash were heard, but she felt no pain. In fact, she didn't feel her body move. She slowly opened her eyes to register if it was her mind going or if it was an illusion. But when she opened her eyes wide, a small blush crept onto the stalwart, duty-driven Soul Reaper Captain as she saw a fleck of flailing rich dark brown hair and a intimidating lithe, muscular, dark skinned form before her, armored around her forearms and legs in a material she had not seen before, but her cat-like grin was unmistakable.

"L-Lady Yoruichi?!" Seu-Feng let out a loud and surprised gasp, as she saw her former mentor and superior stand before her.

Yoruichi smiled as she kept her modified gaunt-covered fist in the exact position it was while looking back at her former student, "Nice to see you! But I also brought some company anxious to see what the racket was going on over here!"

"Others?" Seu-Feng looked back behind herself to see who else she could've possibly brought.

Ultharon stopped middair with the blow's impact as another wad of spit came from his mouth. He was then sent back flying at faster speeds than when he was flying, slamming into another canyon behind him.

As Seu-Feng turned, she could see a young man with a feudal japanese garb around his waist and a black suit on his torso area, as well as a strange armor piece on his left shoulder. He had neck length, brown messy hair and ocean blue eyes that stared into her grey ones. He gave her a charming smile as he slung a large bronze weapon over his right shoulder, his form unflinching in the freezing rain.

"How ya doing?" he said, maintaining his smile.

Seu-Feng's eyes dropped as she saw the man, twitching slightly, "Why are you here...Akisame?"

Yoruichi smiled before looking back at her gaunt, seeing that it was still intact despite the high powered punch she used on the bestial nightmare. Inwardly she thanked Kisuke for modifying the anti-hierro armor further, creating it to withstand more punishiment as well as allow her to retain her speed, finding it to be at least as twice effective as the time she used it against Sosuke. She narrowed her eyes back at where Ultharon flew, the canyon wall across the cracked valley was a good kilometer and a half away, allowing herself a smug smile.

"That monster of yours sure can take a punch...I was able to find you so quickly from that iconical flash your Bankai makes, Seu-Feng and from what I'm guessing," she continued speaking with narrowed eyes and a serious edge to her voice, "the Bankai only wounded him, but didn't slow him down, did it?"

Seu-Feng looked down, digging her Shikai wielding hand into the wet, yet hard ground with her eyes closed tightly, "Forgive me...Lady Yoruichi..."

"Don't sweat it!" Yoruichi said with a casual wave at her, winking back at her which caused the latter to blush hotly, "its not your fault your enemy is ungodly powerful!"

Akisame walked over to her casually, his sword still slung over his shoulder. "C'mon Sophie, you know me. I go where ever there is trouble. Especially if it involves a pretty girl such as yourself." He said with his smile still present.

"Tch!" Seu-Feng turned her head from Akisame, turning her head away, gritting her teeth and hardening her gaze, "your flattery is unwelcome...especially since both my lieutenant and all my accompanied subordinates are dead, so if you excuse me if I don't find your jocular nature forthcoming."

"Omaeda," Yoruichi turned her head back to Seu-Feng, a knowing look was on her face, but it wasn't out of sympathy but more of query, "did he die a good death, worthy of his title?"

Seu-Feng looked up at Yoruichi, seeing lightning crack and thunderclap high above, briefly illuminating her in a silver-blue light before she looked into her eyes, saying with a slow-sure voice, "He died like he never lived under my command. He died a Soul Reaper."

"Well," Yoruichi smiled grimly, before turning her head back from Seu-Feng finishing up by propping her gaunt-covered fists on her hips, "I'm sure his father will appreciate hearing that, when you give him a commendation for service and dying in the line of battle."

Seu-Feng shivered, having to deal with the slug's father, her former subordinate who she reluctantly admits had more skill and honor than his son ever did before his death, but ever since striking it rich he's been nothing but a bad influence on her lieutenant, "Please don't joke like that...Lady Yoruichi..."

Akisame let his sword come down to his side, his smile less charming but still slightly present. "They died doing what they were told. That's all that matters."

He walked closer to Seu-Feng and extended his left hand to help her up. His face was now serious as he made the motion. "Well Ms.Feng, I don't think sitting would be the best thing to do right about now." he said as he glanced over to where Ultharon was. Seu-Feng looked at the hand for a few moments before taking it, only allowing him to get her back on her feet before she released it with a shudder of uncomfort, saying gruffly, "I don't need your help, Aki-same."

Yoruichi then narrowed her eyes at the canyon wall, her keen eyesight allowing her to see in better detail than most as the smoke cloud rose and dissipated, allowing her to see where the giant bestial monstrocity laid, "Seu-Feng. If you can move, then I either suggest running to inform Head Captain at once of this threat or stay near Akisame. I don't think I can fight effectively if either of you are in danger."

"I can still fight, my lady!" Seu-Feng said in a defiant, convincing voice despite the heavy breathing she just only now halted and her slight shaking at the knuckles of her sopping wet form, the winds buckling her hair and skirt below did nothing to comfort her from the unforgiving cold storm consuming them.

Yoruichi's own scarf and hair flew like a storm-covered flag in the heart of a hurricane, as her own body was just as soaked, but her form showed nothing from the cold or wet condition of her body. She smirked, saying, "Seu-Feng, you can barely keep yourself together. Despite the training you've done since the Winter War, you're nowhere near enough the level to take on a monster like this."

"LADY YORUICHI!" Seu-Feng shouted out in earnest, her eyes widened and her face strained as she took a step forward, "I cannot allow you to fight this nightmare! I cannot allow you to suffer the same fate as my idiotic lieutenant or my men! I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO DIE!"

Yoruichi looked back at her former pupil with a sad, knowing stare. Their eyes met with a longing and bitterness they both felt as both women's hair flapped and flailed around their heads and body's from the dreadful, bitter wind from the constant pouring of rain of the heartless storm looming overhead. Yoruichi's scarf flapped equally as haphazardly, as she stood stalwart in the face of most likely her death, before she smiled softly, giving only a brief commanding look to Akisame,before looking back at Seu-Feng, "I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner, Seu-Feng. I wished we could've fought together tonight, but it is not to be. Another time perhaps...in this life or the next," she finished before she turned to face her opponent on the far side of the valley, over a kilometer away and she could see the fine details of what was awaiting her this night.

Akisame nodded in response to Yoruichi's motion as he came closer to Seu-Feng. "Sophie...not trying to sound like a wuss or anything, but if we stay and fight with her, then there's no way Soul Society will be prepared for what is surely going to come for them." he said, not daring to attempt to touch her.

Suddenley, Ultharon ascended into the sky. When he stopped, his two shoulder blades extended and they prepared what he called the Eraser Cero, the same technique that he used to destroy Seu-Fengs men. "Enough talk! I didn't spend 3'000 years sealed away in this pit just to listen to a group of cowards such as yourselves!" The blue sphere then discharged towards them, lightning radiating from it's spherical form. "Face your deaths with some form of courage!"

Akisame noted the attack and sighed. "Welp, that's my cue." he looked over at Yoruichi. "Good luck, ma'am."

He then grabbed Seu-Feng with both arms and forcibly retreated from the area.

"Hey!" Seu-Feng responded after she was visually shaken at seeing the Eraser Cero, feeling herself taken by the less exhausted Soul Reaper, finding her efforts near futile, but she attempted to change his mind as she pressed her Shikai's blade at his wet throat, forcing a black tell-tale butterfly symbol to brand itself on his neck even as he ran, "let me go, or I will kill you right here and now, Akisame!"

As the Eraser Cero moved towards them, Yoruichi moved to intercept it, Flash Stepping with incredible speed and grace through the flashing lightning, pouring rain, and buckling wind, she gathered a icnonic aura of silver energy, before it screamed out and ripped the scarf off from her neck as well as her coat, leaving only her black backless bodysuit to be encompassed by the intense energy of the Kido hybrid.

With a roar, she slammed her left fist into the ball of the erratic Cero, shouting, "SHUNKO!"

As the devestating force erupted against the Cero, the two forces collided then exploded outwards, barely redirected back upwards towards Ultharon, the two energies vast range would momentarily encompass the beast as it left a damaged gaunt's presence, and a cheshire grinning Soul Reaper's body, albeit slightly steaming as her body continued to reflect the rain that sparked and fizzed upon contact.

Akisame then comically looked down at his new tattoo. "Uh...OW! Don't blame me I'm just doing what she said!"

His face then became serious as he looked down at Seu-Feng's tired yet hateful eyes, continuing to move through the wasteland. "Do you honestly think that she would want you to stay here and get slaughtered in front of her? You don't get it do you? She wants you to live. She doesn't want you to stay here and die in vain. Kill me now, and Soul Society has no way of knowing about that monster."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Ultharon gave a wicked smile as the explosion produced reached near him. With a powerful swing of his sword, he caused the pillar of destruction to disappear, before spreading his wings and flying towards Yoruichi.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Yoruichi gave a cheshire grin of her own as she propelled herself off the air, an excess of a shimmering visage as she rapidly moved in a indiscernable rate. Her hair flapped around casting droplets as more caught onto her violet dark hair, her skin jetted moreso every time she took a 'Step', her eyes flared with killing intent and movements cast a near dizzying tango of movements and blurring dashes. All this transpired before Yourichi reappearing in front of a rapidly charging Ultharon, both of her arms cocked back as eyed her target, the cracked segment of his chest that he had yet to regenerate.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Raiōken ! Yoruichi initiated a series of high-powered punches so powerful, it sent a series of rippling shockwaves from the center of the air as she intentionally sent him high into the air, but not nearly finished with him.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;"> As he flew into the air, she propelled herself high up into the sky, where the thunderclapped and the lightning flashed even fiercer, the winds flew wildly with abandon but did nothing to deter the veteran as she appeared above the monster, a devestating forced axe kick towards his back, commiting a high-powered kick technique she perfected herself. Having as much force as the Head Captain's famed Ikotsu punch, the follow-up attack inadverdantly at the same time as a orchestra of lightning flashed around the two of them and a thunderous applause of thunderclaps echoed the concussive blast preformed by the kick. '''Rakuraiō Bunkatsu! '''

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Ultharon laughed maniacally as Yoruichi's blows connected with his form. It's as if though he enjoyed the pain. When in actuallity, he was enjoying the challenge that was being presented before him. As his armor began to chip away with every strike, he began to taunt her. "So Shihoin, you honestly think that your subordinate is goint to walk away from this place alive due to your intervention?" He sneered. "I think not!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Following the mighty kick, Ultharon was sent spiraling towards the ground. Stopping himself with his wings, he quickly used his Sonido to appear right back in front of his foe. He then quickly wrapped his tail around Yoruichi and then grabbed in a bear hug like technique. While their faces were close enough, Ultharon emited a deep and pounding roar up close in her face, his snake like tongue licking her head and his saliva spreading all over her. When it was over, he grabbed her by the head with his right hand and then flew towards the canyon wall directly below them. With a powerful snarl, the Hollow lord slammed Yoruichi into the ground at the same time of a lightning strike, causing a massive crater to form around them and a giant column of debris to fly into the air.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Yoruichi coughed out as she felt her body slam head long into the earth below, feeling her vision give birth to spots and momentary dizzyness. Small trails of blood oozed from her lips, as she smiled, before encompassing herself in Shunko with a loud scream of static noise and power, before rearing her head back...and slamming it into the beast's, emitting a large burst of energy in a effort to force the monster off. "SHUNKO!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">His head cracked slightly, Ultharon jumped back from Yoruichi before forming his sword into his hand yet again. He floated around her while she was stuck within the crater, clanging his sword against the armor on his left arm in a battle taunt. "On your feet Shinigami! It is desrespectful to lay down while fighting a king!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Yoruichi flashed a taunting smile behind her sparking aura, saying to him, "Who said I'm laying down, bastard?!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">As she would say this, she had left a afterimage of her smiling tauntingly, something she knew the prideful Hollow would concentrate on, while she Flash Stepped behind the monster in a bright halo of energy around her gaunts and boots. She landed a knife-handed strike with her armored gaunt-covered hands at the monster's neck, then aimed a energized kick towards his spine with a large amount of power behind it, before spinning around and finishing it with a concussive roundhouse kick with the last move, spinning on the sole of her boots while breathing more labored than she did earlier.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Ultharon was sent flying from the next barrage of attacks, but his insane smile remained. He positioned his feet to break his movement as he landed on the wall of a canyon. Holding out his left finger, he began to charge a dark blue Cero. He sneered as the ball of energy grew to be the same size as his large hand.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Yoruichi propelled herself through the air as water and wind flew off and around her form, her body still shimmering with the silver aura of Shunko as she moved at a rate faster than sound. As he held out the hand-sized Cero, Yoruichi moved just below of the hand, slamming a energized gaunt-covered fist into the side of the bestial's hand, aiming to knock it away while striking another fierce punch into his cracked torso, aiming to bring forth blood another shockwave was produced by the lightning-like properties.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">To finish, she flipped her lower body over her head to land a heel kick with her left boot--covered foot into the monstrocity's face, producing another energized explosion, shattering the canyon wall behind Ultharon entirely while propelling rain droplets and wind in all directions. As Yoruichi backflipped, she backpedaled from the monster, showing the fierceness in her eyes told of how resolved she was to kill the monster, whether it was possible or not.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"Impossible!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Ultharon was actually taken surprise by the next assault as his Cero fired off into the distance. How could one that was so small move so quickly with such large pieces of armor on her limbs? He then fell down slightly, breaking his fall by placing his sword into the ground. He looked up with a blood thirsty glare, another massive hole in the side of his head. The rest of his body was cracked and bloody as he stood himself up. "You ignorant fool...you continue to delay the inevitable."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">With that, he began to release another wave of Spiritual Pressure as he began to emit a blue electric aura around him.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">WHOOSH!

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">He vanished using his Sonido. Unbeknowest to his opponent, he was preparing to reappear behind her, his head reared back to bite her head off...

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Yoruichi had a cool, even gaze with her opponent even as she grit her teeth in the face of such powerful Spiritual Power. As she saw him disappear she said lowly, strangely audible above the roaring wind and pouring rain,

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"You don't get it, do you?"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">As Ultharon reappeared behind Yoruichi, she made a lightning swift sidestep, thrusting a backhand maneuver with her energized gaunt-covered fist, intending on breaking his teeth and inflicting another blazing explosion of energy.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"Its common strategy for Hollows to attack its enemies from behind when all else fails," she speaks knowingly, rearing her fist away from the maw and initiating a knife-hand strike with a swift succession, aiming to cause him to sputter while she spun on the ball of her right foot, her form flew around like a ballerina executing a dance step as her hair flew around in a vivid, violet arc with rain and silver energy coursing around it, her eyes glowing as she curled back her left fist before throwing another energized punch into his chest, causing one more explosion, that sputtered and flew back the wind and rain once more with intensity.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Ultharon was again sent flying back away from her, using his feet to try to stop himself. When he finally did stop, he looked back up at Yoruichi with his same demented grin. He then held up his sword and clanged it against his arm in the same battle taunt, the hole in his head slowly regenerated. "Come come now Shihoin." he said. "Surely you can do better than this?" He then held his sword to the ground, waiting for Yoruichi to make her next move. As of right now, he had been watching her movements and using predictable attacks in an attempt to lower her defense.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">No one had battled a Gran Vasto Lorde in thousands of years. He was going to show her that he was no ordinary Hollow.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Even when he was miles away from the battlefield, Akisame could feel the pounding blows that were exchanged between the two warriors that he had left behind. Even the booming thunder's noise paled in comparison to that of the noble battle taking place behind him. For every time one fighter landed a blow onto the other, he could feel himself losing his footing and his eyes flinched along with it. He could even see a blue light in the bottom right corner of his eye that signaled Ultharon's deflected Cero, as well as several white lights that symbolized Yoruichi's Shunko. For it to be so far away and yet so bright, he could only wonder how either of them were still managing to stand against each other. Guilt began to creep it's way up his spine, he had abandoned Yoruichi, a good friend of his who trusted him enough to take her exhausted apprentice away from the area, despite knowing that she would be defiant until the end...

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">But he would not fail now, not when Yoruichi entrusted him with a noble task such as this, not when the fate of Soul Society rested on their shoulders. Still carrying Soifon, Akisame could see a forest in the distance, a sign that he was close to his destination...

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"Akisame," Seu-Feng said tiredly, having already held her stinger at the base of his throat to no avail, and she couldn't outright kill a man who was doing what her lady wanted him to, despite her distaste of it. The rain dripped off a stone-cold face as she looked down at her lap, fiddling her with her Shikai's stinger unintelligibly with one hand, rubbing the base of her middle finger which held the wet blade, "have you ever lost someone you loved?"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Akisame simply smiled. Finally she was actually talking to him in a non-hostile manner. "Yeah." he said, his face now turning serious. "Yeah, I lost someone I was close to a few years back. Why do you ask?" he said in his polite tone. They were now entering the dark forrest that he'd spotted earlier.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"Wouldn't you want to do more than anything but to stand and die beside them? Because right now, I'm playing out that scenario in my mind as I am leaving lady Yoruichi behind," she looked up with accusatory eyes, the rain washed over her in a sad, mock tear sight while bearing a glare that could tear him apart, "so if you're thinking that you're doing me a favor, then you're damn wrong."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">As she looked away, towards the horizon where lightning crashes and a mighty blast was heard, a distant canyon wall collapsed as they kept moving, "When we get back, I don't want you speaking to me or coming near me, unless you want me to stab you in the throat a second time. Got it?!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Akisame kept his smile, despite her harsh words. "Well, depends on the situation. If they want me to die with them, then I'll die with them." He then looked down at Soifon with a hint of disappointment. "But if they told me that they wanted me to live longer and then give me a chance to do so, I'd be pretty damn grateful." He then looked back straight forward, his sprinting had slowed down somewhat. "Say...what if I came to Soul Society wanting another little tatoo like this one, but I want it somewhere else. Would you do it then?" he said, humor clear in his intent. He knew that she had been through alot, the best thing he could do was try to lighten the atmosphere.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Seu-Feng heard his words, but her expression didn't change. As Akisame joked she flashed her eyes dangerously, moving her hand like a wraith, stopping within an inch of a prinprick of his marked flesh, speaking lowly with a bitter knowing tone, "In the World of the Living, there was something similar that men used to give others hundreds of years ago. They called it the black spot, and they usually inscribe it on a letter or a plain piece of parchment, signing basically a inevitable death. So, when you ask for the mark of death by Suzumebachi, you better not mean it aesthetically, you better mean it as a death wish."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Akisame retained his joking tone, even in the face of certain death. "Really? That's nice to know. Maybe when I get back to the Human World I'll show a tattoist this mark. Maybe he can replicate it for me." he said, smiling as ever. He then began to walk in a fast pace instead of running, Soifon was heavier than he expected. "So...anything interesting happen of late? You know besides the big baddy back there of course."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">CRACK!

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">With a growl, Seu-Feng grabbed Akisame's collar and struck her forehead against his temple, using renewed strength to wrench herself freely from his grasp as she flipped herself off his arms and landed on her feet, breathing heavily in a enraged tone, "Do you think this is a joke? A game?! My Lieutenant was killed by his own stupidity and my hand! I lost twenty of my men! And now I'm going to lose both my mentor and mistress, Lady Yoruichi Shihoin! Exactly WHAT could be going RIGHT for me lately?!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Akisame staggered back in a comical manner, rubbing his hand against his sprained area with his left hand. "...Ow...Well I asked you if anything interesting happened besides the incident with the Gran Vasto Lorde back there, but I suppose I had it coming." He then looked back up at her with a casual face, his sprain still prescent. "And actually it was fifty of your men, the old man was counting."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"Will you just knock the hell of-!" She began to say, her wet dripping body tensed and her eyes changed into one of shock and bewilderment, "hold it! Old man? What are you babbling about?!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Akisame gave a cool and collected smile as he looked back at her. "Oh yeah...I forgot to tell you." He then looked around for a bit before speaking. "Hey gramps! You can come out now!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Suddenley, a dark hunched over figure came out of the trees behind Soifon, his hands behind his back. "Captain Soifon of the 2nd division..." the being said in a british accent, revealing himself to be a hooded figure in white attire along with a black trench coat that was connected to the hood. "...To whom do we owe this pleasure of meeting?"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">''Has he been observing us...this entire time? ''

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Seu-Feng narrowed her eyes, instantly distrusting the new figure as she felt a subtle tickle up her spine that told her he bore spiritual pressure of his own. His control over keeping it low as well as keeping his presence hidden this entire time, made her wary of his actions.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"Captain Seu-Feng of the Gotei 13's 2nd Division, and Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukido Militia. Why have you been skulking around this whole time and why do you bear Soul Reaper powers?" She asked tersely and firmly, her keen eyes staring him down with a hawk-like glare towards the man's slightly hidden eyes.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">The hooded being gave her a respectful bow, his hands still behind his back. "My name is Charles McTavish. I am an interested party concerning the return of Ultharon the Mighty, as was prophesied nearly two thousand years after his defeat." He then held out his right hand in the direction of Akisame. "Akisame is my apprentice. You'll forgive him for his earlier antics. Sometime his optimism gets the better of him when he is near someone of interest to him."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Akisame crossed his arms. "Forgive me. I didn't know the situation was that bad...feel free to hit me again if you wish..."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">WHAM!

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Seu-Feng instantly took the open invitation, moving with such speed Akisame's less experience allowed the Captain to throw a punch towards his chest with enough force to send him sprawling across the air, "Glad we understand each other, bastard!" Seu-Feng said poisonously, spitting a well aimed wad at his injured body before returning her cool, angered gaze to Charles.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"Haven't you the slightest idea what this means to the security of the Soul Society? McTavish, I'm going to be clear that if you had any preconcieved knowledge that his could happen, you WILL be accountable for the entiriety of Ultharon's murders. My Lieutenant and, as you counted so thoroughly, fifty men! Not to mention Lady Yoruichi Shihoin whom may be dead soon enough if we don't get aid from the Gotei 13, now!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Akisame layed in a pile of trees and branches as his face was comically dazed and woozy. "Heh...don't worry gramps...I kind of had that coming..." He then sat himself up, only to have Soifon's spit wad slam into his forehead with enough force to knock him right back down.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">The figure simply looked on as his apprentice was sent flying into a tree in a comical fashion, before turning back to Soifon. "Patience my dear Captain. Believe me, I have been preparing myself for this time period for years now." He then began to pace around Soifon in a slow manner. "If you do not follow my advice, Ultharon will leave no one to punish me for the crime that I would have been accused of."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Raising her right hand up in a perpindicular fashion, showing the weapon she garnishes as she looked at him cooly, "I'm in a frighteneingly bad mood, you decrepit fool. I don't care if you've been preparing for this monstrocity to awaken for thousands of years, cause I have a very, very strong temptation to stab this blade in a place no man wants to be penetrated!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">The man simply sighed and looked down. "I understand your temper and your drive to complete your objective, but you must understand..." With that, the figure looked up and a distant roaring noise could be heard in the distance. "...We are running out of time. Captain Feng, I implore that you come with me and Akisame. There is much information that you need to know, and there is no time to explain it here. Do not worry about Soul Society for now. Ultharon is arrogant and prideful, but he will not attack Soul Society just yet."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Akisame then Flash-Stepped next to the elder Soul Reaper, a dead serious glare in his eyes as his wet and bruised figure stood straight up. "Sophie. What you do know will affect the lives of thousands."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"Don't talk to me, bastard!" Seu-Feng snarled out not bothering to make eye contact with him, as she spoke, "you're as guilty as he is. I don't want you to speak to me, let alone throw a jest at me again, do you hear me?! Never again!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">She let that settle over the dull sound of the rain and the faint soudns of thunder overhead, a crackle of lightning flashed over, showing her unforgiving look and the sound of her words penetrated deep into the air. She was through with fools.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"McTavish-san," Seu-Feng looked at him squarely in the eyes, speaking tersely, "let's get this over with. Lead the way."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">The McTavish gave a sigh of relief as he pulled out a menacing key-like sword and then turned around. Holding it in an upper right hand corner fashion, he then sliced it downward, creating a black tear in the air. "This is a more stealthy method of travel that I invented sometime ago, Ultharon will not detect it..." he then turned slightly to where his yellow eyes stared straight into her grey ones. "...Nor will the Gotei 13." With that, he walked through the tear. Akisame then gave Soifon a simple smile as he stepped out of the way of the tear and held his hand out in a manner that motioned her to go on in. "Ladies first." he said, knowing that he would probably get hit again...or worse.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Seu-Feng looked around her shoulder, a faded horizon of lights and rain darkened the land where she battled not too long ago, now her lady and mentor will fight to the last breath. With a heavy breath, she walked towards the tear, not even bothering to acknowledge Akisame, as if she pulled up a wall in her mind to ignore his existance.

<h3 style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Climactic Conclusion! Return of the Beast

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">BOOOOOOM!

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">As Yoruichi flew from a trail of smoke in the excess of a spectacular explosion, she crashed through a spire of rock, causing her to grunt before clawing the air to slow her momentum, stopping her from slamming into anymore parts of the valley. A large gash bled above her left eye, her left arm and right leg both were bare, showing signs that her armor was destroyed by some earlier parts of her fight, the most recent one depriving her of her left arm's gaunt.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"Dammit! He doesn't know when to quit!" Yoruichi swore under her breath as she wiped her lips as she heaved labored breaths in and out, showing that the intensity and prolonging of the battle has started taking a toll. Ultharon on the other hand...

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">The Hollow was walking towards her in a sinister manner, still full of energy and just raring to go, an evil hissing noise escaping his mouth as his two pronged tail drug along the ground. He had discarded his sword for the time being, and was fighting with his fists. He grinned as he kept coming closer and closer, seemingly unaffected by Yoruichi's earlier attacks.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"See this as an honor, you will be the first worthy Soul Reaper to face a Gran Vasto Lorde in over three thousand years. And if fortune smiles on me..." He then sprouted his wings and flapped towards her in rapid speeds. "...you won't be the last!!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"Like Hell it will be!" Yoruichi yelled out defiantly, leaping off the air she was at like a rocket, still moving at incredible paces despite her own injuries, as she met the Gran Vasto Lorde with a roaring punch towards jaw followed by a series of kicks by her armored covered boot, series of crackles and disrupted air pockets flew the sheet of rain in chaotic directions as well as the high gales flowing abound.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">At this point in time, Ultharon was done playing around.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">After taking a few of her blows, the Hollow managed to catch one of her strikes that went just a few inches from the left side of his head. He then wrapped his left arm around the armored one of his foe's and sneered. "My turn."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">With that, he landed a powerful blow in her gut area with his right fist, sending her flying away from him.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"GAK!" Yoruichi gargled out as a blob of spit and trickles of blood flew out of her mouth, the rain flew off her body as she felt her torso crushed by a anvil as she also felt sickened by the speed she flew. She gasped at the feeling of her body crashing through a boulder and flailing around, her body tumbled head over heels before scraping to a halt at the far end of a flat part of the valley, canyon walls surrounded her and it appeared to be a dead end for those stuck on the ground.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Yoruichi hissed as she scraped her nails painfull across the slick, hard ground beneath her as she placed her gaunt covered hand to prop herself up, her knees cut up as well as various other parts of her body. Breathing heavily, her hair now resting over her right side as it dripped generous portions of water, the rest of her soaked body dripped and covered with drops. She had a hazy vision as she saw blood dripp down from her brow and mouth as she swallowed air with effort, as she continued to prop herself up towards herself up to a standing position, groaning out, "Not...done yet."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">SLAM!!!!!

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Before she could even stand herself up all the way, Ultharon had driven his fist within her gut yet again, this time pinning her to a rock wall behind her. As her form slammed into the cold rock, cracks began to form around it as Ultharon slowly pushed her deeper and deeper into it. Looking into her pained face, the Hollow gave a sinister grin. "Good. I was hoping I would have a few more minutes to warm up."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">"H-Hado #4," Yoruichi whispered, not like her breathing was helping now feeling her ribs on the verge of breaking and everything blurred before her eyes for a few seconds. All Yoruichi had to do, was focus a portion of Spiritual Power, into the tips of her left bare forefingers, charge them and..., "Byakurai!"

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">BZZZCRAAAACK!

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">A mighty bolt of blue lightning shot forth underneath his jaw up towards his skull with a blazing painful intensity, but allowed her enough wind to fight one more time. With a mighty yell with blood soaking her lower jaw, she lit up with Shunko's properties once more, slamming a foot into the side of the beast before simultaneously striking at his smoking skull, causing a devestating blast that detonated the canyon's wall surface and the ground belowy them, a white sphere of light enveloped the area before crackling into dissipation.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Yoruichi stood at the center of the steaming crater, her head held high and her eyes looking straight up into the unforgiving, endless storm above. She smiled, before her mind and body drifted into unconscious, as her body fell flat with a wet slap onto the ground below, splayed out and helpless to anything that could befall her now.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">As he recovered from the blow, Ultharon held his lower chin area with his left hand, letting the blood soak out of it onto the ground. With a pained grunt, the hole in his chin slowly grew back, as did the hole in his cracked head. He then walked over to Yoruichi's lifeless body and slammed his right foot into her stomach area, deepening the crater that she was in. He then held out his left index finger and a dark blue Cero began to charge, giving the area a slightly blue tint. "Normally..." he said with his regular voice. "...I would leave nothing but ashes in your wake." The Cero then became the size of his hand and made the iconic noise of preparing to fire.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">ZIP!

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">But then the sphere vanished, returning the atmosphere into it's dark purple. "But since you have shown great valor and courage. I will give you a death worthy of kings!" he said, holding out his right hand as if he were to grab something. At that moment, a slight explosion of dirt and debris emerged from the side of a distant canyon, and from it was a spinning sword that was heading right for Ultharon. As if it came naturally, Ultharon caught the blade by it's handle and grabbed it with both hands. Pointing the blade straight at Yoruichi's breathless chest, he held the sword up in a position to strike...

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">SHIIIIIIIINK!

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Just then, as Ultharon's raised his sword arm, a violent blur of silver light emanated from behind, causing nearly the entiriety of his torso to split in half from his body, as violent gushes of blood spilled over and around Yoruichi, soaking the ground with the rain that accumulated there.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">As Ultharon would lay confusion for a few moments on his wounds, a blurred dark cloaked figure appeared over Yoruichi's inert form, and disappeared....along with the fallen warrior's body.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Ultharon emitted a pained roar as he grasped his new wound, dropping his sword to the ground. He knelt onto his right knee, breathing heavily as he lost more and more blood. "Damned cowards.....attacking from behind...." he cursed as the wound slowly began to grow back to it's former self. Staggering to his feet with his hand still on it, Ultharon groaned with pain as the wound fully healed itself. He then picked up his sword and looked around for his attacker, despite knowing that they were probably long gone by this point. "Heh....typical Soul Reapers....fleeing from a battle that they know that they cannot win..."

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Sprouting his wings, Ultharon ascended towards the sky. He looked around at the destroyed landscape and let out another mighty roar. Letting the world know that he had returned, before flying away from the area, preparing for what was to come next...

<h3 style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal;">Revelations: A New Age is Dawning! The black tear the McTavish had opened led to a rather large estate area within the World of the Living. It was evening time, with the sun transforming the sky from blue to orange, reflecting itself on the white mansion's surface. A large garden of sorts surrounded the estate and it practically screamed upper class.

As the trio walked up to the front door, the elder of the group opened it and then allowed the younger Captain to enter first. "You'll forgive me if the accomodations aren't to your liking." he began. "I haven't cleaned this place in weeks." he finished with a modest tone. Despite his words, the house was rather clean and well kept. The floors were shiny wood that appeared to have been waxed, and the interior looked more like a mueseum as several cave-man like rocks stood tall in display cases, with writing on them that supported this appearance.

"Tsk," Seu-Feng clicked her tongue and looked around with a dispassionate gaze, uncaring of the surroundings around her, her eyes filled with less life and more motivation, determination, and vendetta behind them.

They then came to a rather large white room at the end of the hallway, nearly the size of a small living room. McTavish stood to it's side and held out his right hand, motioning Soifon to enter first. Before he could catch her reaction, Akisame whistled for his attention. As the other two turned to see him, he was now wearing a black cloak and his sword was drawn. He nodded at Charles and glanced at Soifon with a determined look, before Flash-Stepping from view.

"Where's your apprentice going, McTavish?" Seu-Feng half-growled, half-mumbled towards the old man, walking towards the living room, scanning the room for any particular viable traps, ambush positions, places where men could hide or disappear. She distrusted him, and she didn't want to be caught unawares.

The elder man sighed somewhat as he pressed a few buttons within the white room, causing the elevator to descend. "He has gone to find Yoruichi." he looked down somewhat in pity as he spoke. "...You'll forgive him for his earlier mannerisms, Yoruichi means more to him than one would realize..."

"I highly doubt such a inferior, insensitive clown would be within my lady's interests," Seu-Feng said with a huff, incredibly certain of herself that her master would never associate more than one bafoon. Kisuke Urahara was enough, but at least he proved his worth as a Soul Reaper despite how distasteful he remained to be.

"Well...I would normally agree with you. But given the circumstances in which they met, it's only natural for both of them to care for one another." the elder said.

"I don't even want to understand him," Seu-Feng hissed, before crossing her arms, looking suspiciously at the elevator door they were standing in front of, "what's so secretive that we had to come here? This isn't the Soul Society, the World of the Living, or Heuco Mundo," she looked around, narrowing her eyes at the entire layout of the so-called normal abode, "this almost looks like a pocket dimension, or a space residing within the Dangai Precipice...but that shouldn't be possible."

Charles simply chuckled as he listened to the younger Soul Reaper's words. "Amazing...how more advanced and powerful the Hollow race once was compared to what the Soul Reapers and the Hollows of today are." He then began to pace around the room, keeping a good distance from Seu-Feng. "Tell me Captain, how many types of Hollows reside within Hueco Mundo?"

"What's your game, McTavish?" Seu-Feng narrowed her eyes as she glared daggers at him for not answering her question, "what's the meaning of these questions?"

His voice became slightly more stern. "My game you ask? Oh my dear Captain, I simply seek the prevention of the destruction of the world at Ultharon's hands." The elevator then began to slow down, signalling that it was close to reaching it's endpoint. "What you are about to see, is the reason for the strange sensation that you feel now. What is in this room is the pride and joy of the Hollow race so many years ago..."

The elevator then stopped and the door opened, revealing a massive hallway with a black floor and glass walls, behind them stood what appeared to be the walls of a massive cave, with strange symbols and drawings etched on their faces.

"...This, Captain Seu-Feng, is the history of Ultharon....the Mighty."

"You son of a bitch!" She growled as she looked around the entiriety of the enamored cave walls with all of their carvings and etchings, showing a much more barbaric and old way of telling stories, recording history, recounting art and the like, "you knew all along!"

He chuckled some more. "And the Central 46 never told you themselves?"

"In case you didn't know, McTavish," she spat out his name as if it was poison, as she glared at him venomously, "Central 46's judges were all murdered by a Soul Reaper Captain, named Sosuke Aizen. The most recent generation of Central 46's judges would probably have not known of anything the prior generation did, and if even if they did, I'd highly doubt they'd knew how to contain the threat."

He continued to pace around her. "That is no excuse. Even before Aizen's betrayel, the Central 46 should have been preparing for what was to come. Improving defenses, creating more squads to house more Captains, hell I even made the foolish attempt to involve the Royal Guard to no avail. I tried to warn the fools, but they wouldn't listen. Even Yamamoto refused to acknowledge his return when it was blissfully inevitable."

"That's a lie!" She stuck a hand towards him, gritting her teeth while baring them as she glared hotly at him, "I would've been informed if there were any suspicious characters within the Soul Society. The Head Captain wouldn't keep this from me, much less the other Captains of the Gotei 13!"

The elder Soul Reaper simply chuckled more. "Would they now? Tell me Captain, do you recall the feeling that came over you when Ultharon charged towards you with destruction and malice in his eyes? When he effortlessly parried your attacks and strikes with amusement? When you used your Bankai on him twice and it all turned out to be in vain?"

He then walked over to one of the glass walls and pressed what appeared to be a set of glowing numbers, thus causing the area to light up slightly more. "Ultharon destroyed the Soul Society nearly 2'500 years ago. He ruled Hueco Mundo with an iron fist, and he wielded what is possibly the most powerful sword to have been crafted." He then looked over to Soifon. "I don't know about you, but fear can be a powerful influence on even the most battle worn warriors."

"You're bluffing," Seu-Feng narrowed her eyes at the old man, balling up her fists as she said with sure resolve, "there's no way that the combined might that any generation of the Gotei 13 can muster that monster can destroy."

"Like so many other generations before you, you underestimate the sheer power and influence carried by Gran Vasto Lordes..." he replied, his voice almost humored towards Seu-Feng's naive attitude.

Seu-Feng scowled at his condenscending tone, but questioned further, "You act like you've seen more than just this so-called "Ultharon" or that there were more than one of these "Gran" Vasto Lordes. Vasto Lordes themselves are rare as water is in a desert! Sosuke was incredibly lucky to have found the few that were Vasto Lordes and convert them into powerful Arrancars, but those that weren't were merely augmented by his Hogyoku!"

Charles then motioned her to follow him as he began to walk down the hallway, still speaking to her. "That is because there were more than one Gran Vasto Lorde. Ultharon as of now, is the only one to have revealed himself." He then pointed at the cave wall, motioning her to notice one of the pictures. On the crudely crafted image was a figure that vaguely resembled Ultharon, being worshipped by other hollow like creatures. "Vasto Lordes are rare yes, but one could find at least six as of right now. Gran Vasto Lordes on the other hand, are so rare and powerful, to where only one can exist at a time."

Seu-Feng remained silent, knowing that arguing his points would only lead to her being chastised like a child for not knowing any better. Instead, she decided to take everything he said with a grain of salt, deciphering what she already knew about this bestial nightmare through the exaggerated tales and theories this mysterious enigma of a man knew about Ultharon and its ilk.

They then continued to walk down the hallway as Charles spoke, his voice now more enlightening and less harsh. "What sets Gran Vasto Lordes apart from normal Vasto Lordes is that, while Vasto Lordes consume other hollows to acquire their power, Gran Vasto Lordes are born with a Spiritual Pressure that rivals that of a Gotei 13 Captain, such as yourself or even Shunsei Kyoraku."

"So they skip the natural cause of evolution or the need to feast on spiritual energy?" Seu-Feng asked curiously, though she did remain tense and firm in her walk, as her visage gave nothing away that she wasn't distrusting him or watching him carefully.

"Yes. Gran Vasto Lordes grow in power in the same manner that a Soul Reaper or a human would, training, meditation, fighting. They are quite the mysterious kind. During my first years of study, my colleagues and I believed that a Gran Vasto Lorde was an all new type of soul species, seperate from Soul Reapers and Hollows." he continued as they walked the hallways. "We nicknamed them "Archdemons" as we believed that they were a form of unknown demon upon initial study." He continued as the walls began to feel as if though they were emiting their own Spiritual Pressure. "Of course, this doesn't mean that Gran Vasto Lordes don't eat other souls. They still feed, but they are already so powerful, they feel no real obligation to do so."

"So you're people, you and your "colleagues" who I'm pretty sure are dead since I don't see any group of maniacal scientists types with suspicious appearances," Seu-Feng spoke out with a poisonous sarcastic attitude before continuing while emphasizing with a wave of her hands, "don't know for sure what they are, despite you're titles you give them as "Grand Lord Hollows", am I correct? For all we know, this must be a Demon that managed to cross the reaches of Hell to rule over Hueco Mundo as their god, correct?"

She then cast a long irritated look at him, halting her walk while crossing her arms, tapping her right finger on her crossed arm with impatience, "Exactly how does that help us at all, other than recognizing what he he is and looking through legends that span past even your decrepit years?"

He continued to walk down the hallway. "A Demon? Oh no Ms. Feng, this is no demon. If it were a demon, then the Hollow race would more than likely attempt to kill it rather than worship it. But a Gran Vasto Lorde is revered as a god amoungst other Hollows due to being born with their massive Spiritual Pressure. The reason why they are so mysterious is because they are so rare. As I said earlier, only one Gran Vasto Lorde can exist at a time. Ultharon himself is over three thousand years old, and he's the only Gran Vasto Lorde to ever actually leave Hueco Mundo. Therefore, we don't have much other evidence besides what you are about to learn."

"I don't know if you actually watched the whole fight transpire, but that thing had holes in its HEAD! How is learning about its past-times and history supposed to tell us anything? Is there any weaknesses of any kind that this monster has, or is it supposedly that strong?" Seu-Feng argued, growing impatient that she was doing nothing but arguing with an aging fossil of a man who's time has long since passed.

He stopped and turned towards a silver table in the center of the end of the hallway. After pressing a handful of buttons on a small pad on it's top, a cyan sphere rose from the top of the table and floated in it's center a few feet above it. The writing on the cave walls then began to glow with a corresponding light that seemed to flow into the sphere like the northern lights...

"Not knowing the history of your enemy, is the same as charging straight foward towards him without even considering his capabilities." The elder said, retaining his calm and enlightening voice as the younger woman grew ever more irritated. "Find yourself a comfortable spot Captain, you're about to learn a bit of history. Damn shame that Akisame couldn't be here to learn with you, he could use a little refreshment of knowledge..." he continued, stepping back from the table as the sphere began to grow in size.

Allies within Hot Places, Demons and Hollows Converse
Even as Ultharon roared out in victory, something had been watching over the course of the battle. Unknown even to the likes of the aging Soul Reaper, McTavish, this being has been in existances for millenia. Its form currently wrapped in shadows as it gazed from hidden eyes as it saw the soaring and flying figure of Ultharon as he propelled itself away from the Cracked Valley, the place where the defeat of two infamous Soul Reapers now have taken place.

The shadows melded back to the norm, as the figure moved with indescribable speed, crossing the many clefts and plateaus that made up the canyon cracked valley. As Ultharon approached the edge of the valley, it emerged as if rising out of a pool of liquid shadow, its cloak billowed and wrapped around the figure as vibrant blue eyes gazed up at the soaring creature.

"Where are you off to in a hurry?" It whispered, briefly pulsating in a flaring manner, the Spiritual Pressure uniquely brought a terrifyingly cold affect, causing all the wet and soaked soil to wither, dry up, even the vegetation began to frost and die. The blue pulse reached all the way up to the soaring demon, as a frosty wind that announced the presence of something only it would know of. The presence of a Demon ilk was nigh...!

Ultharon stopped middair and looked down with a serene yet curious gaze, noting the change in atmosphere produced by the Spiritual Pressure. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Ultharon retracted his wings.

He then floated down in front of the being, gently touching the ground with a slight breeze of dust as he looked at the new figure and gave a sinister grin, seemingly unaffected by the effects of the Spiritual Pressure emited from the cloaked creature.

"Well now....what have we here?" he began.

"Your benefactor, as a matter of fact," it spoke in a liquid-smooth voice, its black cloaked arm reached out of its cloak, before tossing a few pieces of metal with strange enamorings on them. The pieces rolled over to Ultharon's feet, and they look strange and archaic, but unmistakable before the Grand Lord Hollow. They were the seals to his prison...!

The Hollow picked up one of the pieces of metal with his tail, holding it up to where he could take it with his left hand, all 5 of his eyes glaring at it with their serene gaze.

Finally, he spoke. "Ah. And here I believed that it was mere divine intervention that released me from that pit..." he said with an equally calm voice as he then flicked the piece away from him with enough force to cause it to stick into the side of a large rock, causing a slight crack to form on it. He then turned his attention back to the being, speaking calmly and formally. "And I suppose that I have you to thank for this admirable deed?"

"There's nothing divine about your release, oh terrible destroyer of old," the demon spoke smoothly and calmly, its cloak continued to flourish in a continuous liquid-ripple affect, as it continued to speak, emphasizing with a wave of its right covered hand, "and I wouldn't think the Soul Society would think it would be admirable...to unleash the terror they kept hidden for untold millenia. No. I'm not here for your thanks...I'm here so I can understand what you're next intentions are to be. If they are what I think they are, then we part ways and I'll enjoy watching how future events unfold."

Ultharon gave a slight sneer as he peered into the being's cold blue eyes. "And what gives you, a demon, the right to inquire of my intentions? And even if I do give them to you, what would you possibly gain from that knowledge, other than being able to witness the destruction of the treacherous ones?"

"Equivalent exchange really...just sate my curiosity on how things will progress in your plans and I won't hinder nor bother you again. Its a small token of gratitude for the release I've granted you," the demon spoke nonchalantly, waving its hands around in a "shrugging" posture as its liquid cool voice spoke in a non-threatening manner.

The Hollow's sneer grew slightly as he contemplated the being's words...

No, he wasn't lying. Ultharon was no fool, he could read the faceless being's words like a book. Whoever, or whatever this creature was, it truly had no other intention but to witness his plans in effect, and then hopefully it would gain from them.

"Hmm. Very well Demon, as I am in your debt for releasing me, I will tell you what you desire to know...." he began.

"But." he continued, holding up his right index finger. "First, formalities are in order. From what you've told me, you clearly know who I am, now tell me." his eyes all fixed on the being's.

"What is your name, demon?"

"I go by many names...but one of which is Bokyaku, Prince of Madness," the Demon spoke, one could almost tell it was smiling even though its face was all but hidden by his cowl, his glowing blue eyes shined beneath, "so now that's out of the way, "Archdemon", will you sate my curiosity's apptetite?"

Ultharon gave a slight cackle in response to the title that Bokyaku had given him. "Archdemon? Is that what the Soul Reapers have resorted to referring to me by nowadays?"

He then gave an amused exhale as he looked back at Bokyaku with a sinister grin. "Well Bokyaku, my motives are rather straight forward..." He then held up his right arm and tightened his fist as he continued. "I seek to reduce Soul Society to a barren wasteland just as my realm, Hueco Mundo, is now. My brothers and sisters and I will replace the Soul Reapers as the dominate species of the domain of souls. All Hollows will be made stronger under my mantle, and all will tremble before me just as they did nearly two-thousand years ago!"

He then resumed his firm pose, lowering his arm as he spoke. "Is your curiosity sated...Bokyaku?"

"Just as I thought. As pleased I am to be right and to know you're going down a path I desire you to, I feel almost...disappointed the Gotei 13 won't stand much a chance," Bokyaku sounded a little forlorn as he moved its gaze downwards, chuckling to itself like silk scraping against a rugged knife, "that is, if they didn't have their great Head Captain leading them."

Ultharon chuckled slightly. "I will hang the fool's bloodied head on the edge of my sword for all of his allies to see when I'm finished with him. They will then feel the gravity behind my resolve." He then spat a large wad away from Bokyaku as he continued. "Worry yourself not Bokyaku, this is to be a glorious battle indeed. I'm certain that when it is over, you will be more than satisfied with the end result."

"He's no pompous politician, I assure you," Bokyaku advised the mighty bestial former king, waving a hand in emphasis, "there hasn't been a Soul Reaper in all of the Soul Society that rivaled his might within one thousand years. Just think about it, Lord Ultharon," his presence slowly disappeared as his cloaked form dissipated into nothing, his voice carried on before disappearing totally, "or you actually might regret it later."

The Hollow king cackled more as he listened to the Demon's words of caution, before watching the creature fade into the ground. He gave a small growl of annoyance, slightly irritated that this "Bokyaku" would doubt his power in such a fashion. Surely as incompetant as the Soul Reaper army who battled him nearly two-thousand years ago was, the Gotei 13 of today would not have improved by alot...

Shaking the thought off, Ultharon crouched low and sprouted his demonic wings, before rocketing into the sky and resuming his previous flight pattern, roaring and howling as he sailed across the darkened sky.

The True King of Hueco Mundo had returned at last!

Ancient Tales, the Truth behind the Legends
Seu-Feng saw the sphere envelop her as the old man began to tell his tale of Ultharon. She could see the many colors and the particles, bearing no bloodlust or menace to her, so she let her body relax and her brows knit at the man's direction. The fact that he bore no haste nor fear of this time and presence almost made her half-believe he orchestrated the entire phenomena to prove he was right...and to further himself in whatever is left of the Soul Society.

"As you already know..." Charles began, his voice honest and enlightening, as if he enjoyed teaching Soifon about this as he stood a few feet behind her. "...a Gran Vasto Lorde is a Hollow that is born with immense Spiritual Pressure, rivaling that of a Captain's."

Then, the enviroment shifted from a blank white to an orange and black hued area, showing a massive black mountain range that seemed to spread for miles upon miles. A notable sight amoung them was what appeared to be a massive castle resting upon the side of one of the mountains, a single orange light near the top of it's tallest tower of which symbolized a window. The castle seemed to grow in size, when in reality, the massive structure was actaully "zooming in" on Seu-Feng's vision. When it stopped, she could see into the window of the castle. Inside of it were two black figures, who's humane appearance was instead traded for simply black shades with blue lights in their heads in place of their eyes. One of them was female in appearance and she was laying on a bed, trying to what could only be described as giving birth to a child, the other figure trying to help her.

"Ultharon's human body was actually that of an small child's, born nearly 3'000 years ago. Another notable trait of Gran Vasto Lordes is that they were all infants when their mortal bodies died. Stillborn, denied the chance to see the World of the Living through human eyes..." the McTavish continued. "Ultharon's family was of royal blood, the kingdom as well as it's location forever lost in time."

The scene then shows the woman successfully giving birth to her infant, but both her and the other figure (who held the child) appeared to be horrified to learn that the infant is dead. The woman then falls lifeless back into her bed as the other figure sets the deceased infant down to help her. The infant's body becomes orange as the area around it seems to ascend into the now black sky, the infant's glowing form remaining in place as it then appeared to be nestled onto what appeared to be white sand. The dead baby then began to wiggle and whirm, crying loudly as the first noise that could be heard besides Charle's lectures. This time however, the infant's shape was somewhat bigger, two vertical horns on it's head and other small rugged pieces on it's sobbing form. The area's layout then became known to McTavish, and surely Seu-Feng.

The child was within a rural desert part of Hueco Mundo, a massive thunder storm forming over it.

Seu-Feng felt no pity for the past Ultharon. Knowing what kind of monster it was going to become, what it started out to be didn't matter to her. Her sensei, her mentor, her friend...died as well as her useless yet steadfast lieutenant to that abomination. There was no mercy within her eyes as she kept looking at the "thing" displayed before herself.

"When Hueco Mundo heard his cry...it chose him...." Charles stated as the next scene unfolded.

The storm gathered over the creature, a massive black eye in it's center as blue lightning struck and scarred the area. Even the "hologram" that they were in began to distort and lag from the display.

From the center of the black "eye" emerged a dark blue sphere that shot a powerful beam of energy at the child. The infant then began to float in the air, still crying like it was, as it's form began to drastically change.

A sign of four numbers appeared just to the upper left direction of Soifon's eyes, representing the number of years required for Ultharon's ascendancy to what appeared to be godhood. As the numbers rose, the baby's cries became a disturbed and distorted version of their previous form's that was enough to make even the most hardy of people shudder.

"Slowly but surely, Ultharon's body grew in strength and power, as well as size..." Charles went on, watching the disturbing sensation before them.

By the time the number in her eyes reached 200, Ultharon was now average sized, it's crying now yelling and much deeper than before. He then stops floating and lands on the ground, he looks up and snarls as he stands up and looks around the area, slowly walking through the landscape in a casual, menacing fashion.

"Century by century, Ultharon's body grew and his power could be felt all around Hueco Mundo, growing ever stronger for every hundred years that flew by..." the McTavish went on.

600 years, his arms grow and sprout armor. A dust storm kicks up as he tightens his arms into fists.

700 years, his legs and his tail fully sprout, shaking the land around them as his feet slam into the ground, his chest bulges out to massive size, eyes crack open in both of his pectoral areas.

800 years, his head fully grows and horns sprout from his head. His growth as a Gran Vasto Lorde complete, he looked straight into Soifon's eyes and let out a powerful roar that further distorted the visual display.

She instinctively clenched her fists as she saw the monster roar at her, its full growth and current appearance clear before her eyes was...unsettling. "Get to the point, old man! I could watch the World of the Living's "National Geographic" and find out more useful details than what you're telling me..."

"...Afraid Captain?" Charles said, smirking slightly. "You've seen nothing yet..."

Ultharon's fully grown form stood idly by, watching the yellow and black clouds fly by in a fast paced manner, a sign of his presence. He then turned his attention to a rather large mountain made of a strange material that radiated Spiritual Pressure that only the hologram projected Hollow could feel.

"That...is La Montana de Muerte. In times before the advanced civilization of Hueco Mundo, which was destroyed by the Great Schism at this point in time, this mountain was the resting place of Ultharon's symbol of power..." the McTavish said.

Ultharon then sprouted his demonic wings and flew towards the mountain, the wind generated from the powerful flap distorting the vision of the two watchers. He then landed at it's top and at the very tip of the mountain, of which was covered in what appeared to be snow, the sky still it's sickening black and yellow. In the center of the mountain's top, stood a large claymore with a black and silver glow. Seu-Feng would surely recognize it as the weapon that Ultharon used against her.

"That...is the Soberana Absoluta...the Absolute Sovereign." Charles explained. "Forged by a Gran Vasto Lorde older than Ultharon himself, this weapon acts as Hueco Mundo's symbol of power, and was used to choose the true ruler of the realm of Hollows. It was disregarded by the Hollow race when their civilization became so advanced, and only the most powerful of Hollows could lift it, and seeing as how Gran Vasto Lorde was the strongest Hollow in existance..."

Ultharon then walked towards the weapon as a another black storm gathered overhead, lightning striking all around. The Hollow then grasped the blade with his right hand, his yellow eyes becoming cyan as he slowly pulled it out of it's resting spot, the weapon radiating power that could be felt even in the hologram.

Then, with a triumphant yell, Ultharon pulled the sword from it's rocky resting place, holding it in the air and cackling with victory as lightning swirled around his menacing form.

Seu-Feng bristled at the display, before saying aloud, "How was he defeated...the first time?"

"It all began with the Soul Reaper invasion of Hueco Mundo, which occured not to long after the Great Schism Civil war." Charles went on.

The scene then switches to what could only be described as a slaughter.

Soul Reapers attacked the now weakened Hueco Mundo by the hundreds. The Hollows of that time began to fight back, but they soon found their numbers dwindling. Slowly but surely, the Hollow race found itself from the tens of thousands, right down to just a several thousand.

"Soul Society at this time believed that they could deal a major blow to the vastly weakened Hueco Mundo. As the Hollow race was already weakened from using their powers and resources on their Civil War, they stood little chance..."

Unbeknowest to both sides, Ultharon watched the entire ordeal from the top of his mountain. His anger growing for every Hollow slain by the Soul Reaper army. One certain scene involved a Soul Reaper cornering two rather younger Hollows that were clutching one another for safety, only to be cut down where they sat.

"...until Ultharon came."

The Gran Vasto Lorde then let out a monstrous roar that shook the entire area, causing both the Hollow army, and the Soul Reaper incursion to look to his direction in shock. Sprouting his wings, Ultharon flew straight for the larger group and landed right infront of the Soul Reaper that killed the two lesser ones. Too shocked to move, the Soul Reaper found his entire head inside of the monster's mouth, before being thrashed around violently and thrown to the side. The other Hollows then stood in shock as they all saw their powerful brother wielding the sword that was thought to be unobtainable. The other Soul Reapers had a more fearful expression, trembling at the Spiritual Pressure being exerted from the creature. The Hollows then began to cheer in victory and joy when they witnessed the violent display before them.

They then realized that their savior, the True King of Hueco Mundo, was here to protect them.

With a louder roar, Ultharon charged into the army of Soul Reapers, followed by his brothers and sisters. Ultharon himself was cutting them down with hardly any trouble, cutting limbs from limbs, blasting large groups with his blue Cero, devouring smaller Soul Reapers whole....

"A truly disturbing sight no?" the McTavish commented as the slaughter unfolded before their eyes.

"I've seen my share of war horrors and slaughters to know one when I see one," Seu-Feng said dispassionately as she witnessed the brutality the Hollows had against the Soul Reapers as well as their bestial king.

Charles simply chuckled as he looked on at the slaughter now reaching it's end stages. "It was this event that gave the Hollow race hope for the future, and a renewed hatred for Soul Society..."

Ultharon then turns to face his fellow Hollows, holding his sword up in victory as they all began to chant his name. Hollows came to him and patted him on his shoulder, younger Hollows came and embraced him tightly, he shook hands with his various brothers and sisters. Clearly, Ultharon cared for his fellow species members.

"With their pride renewed, Ultharon prepared his next great scheme...and counter attack on Soul Society..." Charles went on. "Having their numbers vastly reduced, the Soul Society found themselves in a similar position to Hueco Mundo..."

The elder then lit a rather large, snake like pipe in his mouth and exhaled a large puff of smoke away from Seu-Feng. "The irony is quite thick..."

The scene then switches to an aerial view of what appears to be a smaller, more primitive looking Seiretei, with only one massive tower in it's center next to the Sokyoku Hill. Seu-Feng and Charles seemed to float middair as they observed the peaceful site...

...until a large blue sphere of energy flew right past Seu-Feng's head and slammed into the Seiretei, causing a massive blue explosion that she would surely recognize. Right behind it flew Ultharon, right next to her again as he and nearly a thousand Hollows followed the blast and attacked the city.

"That was the Eraser Cero..." Charles continued. "Ultharon's signature variation of the technique, it was the primary cause of Ultharon's victory due to it's power and destructive properties. Based on what data I could collect, it is very close in power to your Bankai, being just somewhat more powerful."

"Too bad it didn't do anything to stop his regeneration," Seu-Feng said bitterly as she witnessed the same technique that killed all of her men within the valley as well as decimate its original cracked landscape for a wide distance.

The scene then zooms into the Seiretei, revealing the extent of the Hollow king's wrath. Along with his fellow Hollows, Ultharon was violently slaughtering every Soul Reaper that came into his path, even the civilians who desperatley tried to flee with their families. Cutting them down with his sword and his tail, vaporizing their essence with his blue Cero. The military forces of Soul Society were quickly being worn down.

"It wasn't until the arrival of what we would have referred to as "The Head Captain" of that time, did the tide turn..." Charles went on as the next scene unfolded before them.

A dark haired, white cloaked figure walked steadily towards the horde of Hollows with a few other white cloaked partners of his joining him as they calmly waded through the chaos and fleeing civilians.

The dark haired man, made a shout and gesture, with the other white cloaked Soul Reapers nodding, all of them began brimming of grand Spiritual Pressure, larger than that of all the previous Soul Reapers combined. As they sped and unsheathed their swords, nearly a quarter of the incoming hollows were cut down, and large blasts of destruction were caused by the combined might of the white cloaked soul reapers.

The Dark Haired man then made a shimmering disappearance, before reappearing before Ultharon, making rapid hand signs before a green light enveloped the two of them, a loud thunderous clap overtook them, and they were teleported through time/space to a lush wide open valley far away from the Soul Society.

Ultharon looked around the area in anger and frustration at the sudden turn of events, his sword still in hand as he looked over to the new being that stood before him. He gave a sinister grin as he pointed the weapon at the Soul Reaper and spoke. "Well now...it seems you were capable of taking me by surprise Soul Reaper..." he went on. "I trust that your power is more worthy than that of the pitiful other ones who lay dead at my feet?"

"Silence, creature of darkness and perversity!" The man spoke out in a commanding, authoritating voice as he outsretched a hand, a sphere of red energy gathered before he roared out, letting loose a large concussive cannon ball from his palm, aiming to impact it against his chest with enough force to send him hurtling across the sky towards a nearby plateau.

With a strong upward swing of his shining sword, Ultharon split the sphere in two pieces, both of them flying past him briefly and knocking down several trees before finally vanishing from view. The Hollow king then let his sword glow with a blue, crystal like energy that radiated around him like lightning. He then swung down and let out a menacing two words escape his mouth.

"Sovereign Breaker!!"

The energy in the blade then let itself go in an equally colored rend of energy that went straight towards his new opponent at high speeds, aiming to sever the being in half without even touching him with the sword...

Time to seem to crawl as the man spoke without hesitation or surprise that the monster attacked him, "Kokushokuhatsu Chakushin Kiseimon !" As he said this, two large black pillars that dragged chains along with it a giant, demonic, black gate that dwarfed the monster and his fast-sped attack. As soon as it reached completion, the technique crashed into it, flaring out magnanomiously while shaking the air violently, leaving a large gouge in the powerful Bakudo technique.

Even as the Bakudo held off his attack, the Soul Reaper reappeared above him, attacking him with a near instaneous Iaido slash, as a giant fissure of blue spiritual energy exited in a violent arc upon him, not even showing him the full power his Zanpakuto but throwing his own Spiritual Power at him, intending on sending him hurtling into the vast valley below.

Ultharon's crazed expression remained as he witnessed the failure of his attack and the sudden arrival of a gate that appeared to have come from the pits of Hell itself. His eyes widened in surprise however when he felt the sudden burst of energy that made it's way down towards him with equally blinding speeds.

Reacting quickly, Ultharon allowed his blade to glow with the same energy as before and brought it back up to clash with the new attack, the earth cracking below him as the attack pushed him down. With a snarl, Ultharon successfully broke the attack and all five of his eyes laid themselves on his opponent.

He hissed before sprouting his demonic wings and flapped them with a powerful surge of wind as he propelled himself into the sky, causing the ground that he was previously standing on to crack further. He then flew straight towards the heroic Soul Reaper and brought his blade up to strike him from the left side.

"Seki!" As the blade headed towards the Soul Reaper's left side, he moved his left arm in a muscular reflexsive dodge, but filled it blue propulsive spiritual energy. When the blade met it, a mighty wind buffeted his uniform and coat as the energy blasted it away with the same amount of force used in the strike. This allowed an opening up for a retaliatory counterattack by his own right hand with a powerful right hand strike towards his enemy's solarplex, grinding it against the rough carapace of his foe while thrusting half of his physical energy into the attack. The momentum of the counterattack was enough to send his opponent flying into a distant plateau, as well as cause his opponent's chest to burst open from the inside out.

BOOM!!!!

And sure enough, that's what it did.

His chest armor cracked apart and a large wad of blackish blood shot out from the impact as the Grand Lorde Hollow hissed and sneered in pain from the impact, flying back into the plateau that could be seen from miles away. He smashed into a large mountain side with a horizontal geyser of dirt and debris. For a few seconds, it appeared as if the monster had died from the physical strike alone....

WHOOSH!

A static noise could be heard just above the Soul Reaper in what he would recognize as Sonido. Ultharon reappeared just above him, his chest hole still present, and then slammed his right foot down on the man's back with enough force to send him straight into the ground.

The Soul Reaper managed to move with incredible mobility as he twirled his body in time to face Ultharon and placed his two arms across his chest to absorb the kick. The air shook from the sheer power of the bestial nightmare's attack, crackling and splitting the air as the shockwave itself sent a ripple of air pressure into the ground below, forcing him to fly straight into the earth below with a thunderous crash that shook the ground for dozens of meters.

Ultharon's grin grew sadistic as his chest began to heal and his foe smashed into the ground. Deciding to not give the opponent any time to breath, the Hollow held out his left index finger and pointed it towards the man. A string of black lightning cackled around the space just in front of his finger, just before a dark blue energy sphere formed in the same spot. Ultharon then fired the massive beam of energy down on his foe, slamming into his area with a powerful explosion...

Unknown to the bestial nightmare, after the flames that had reduced a good 3 meters of earth to ash for a good span of a quarter of a mile, rested a 10 meter tall by 3 meter wide transparent barrier used to shield the Soul Reaper from the oncoming inevitable explosion. Using the smoke as cover, the Soul Reaper gathered a destructive amount of his Spiritual Power with little effort into his left palm, discharging a fearsome electrical blast upwards towards the monster with impending speed and destructive force that little else known could stop it from reaching its destination and exploding magnificently across his hulkish body. The goal was to rip off his outer carapace while his gut was still healing from the punch he initiated earlier, opening a weak spot for his nervous system.

His eyes widened a bit more in response to the cunning move, but it quickly returned to his same, sinister grin. Holding the flat end of his blade towards the attack, the blast struck his form. The massive explosion was strong enough to propel him further into the sky, but he knew that his opponent wouldn't notice this as Ultharon was using the same method of concealing himself within the smoke produced. When he finally stopped nearly a mile up from the ground, Ultharon tilted his body towards the ground and spread his wings. With a powerful flap, the Grand Hollow Lord propelled himself towards his foe, tearing through the smoke with his sword pointed down at the Soul Reaper. It was only a manner of seconds before the Hollow was just a few feet from his opponent, his razor sharp sword coming dangerously close to the man's chest area...

"Kin!"

Or it would've pierced his chest had he remained prone to the ground. As Ultharon stabbed the ground, the metal only tore through the cracked earth, further cracking the earth for meters around while indenting it. Within the moment his sword struck the earth, a black spiritual series of chains wrapped around his sword arm and then around his left arm, tying together behind his back. While this happened, an 'X' shaped band of cloth pressed down on his hulking body with tremendous density and weight as a series of weights bonded onto the cloth with kanji symbols on them, all made of a series of archaic textures.

Ultharon roared in agitation as the various black chains and other strange objects wrapped around his monstrous form, his body fighting just to not be crushed under it's arcane weight. His head managed to look up to the Soul Reaper as his bulking chest slowly made contact with the ground, his sword sinking deeper into the earth as he did so.

"What....What manner of sorcery is this?! Coward! Face me like a true warrior!!" He snarled.

The Soul Reaper stood tall as he drew his sword, speaking to the beast plainly, "That's hypocritical coming from a monstrocity that's slaughtered many underpowered or unharmed innocents in its wake! I wanted to test my skills and yours, seeing your strengths and tactics. As I suspected, you're a underhanded and bestial Hollow with untamed power that would've been best served with a much more control and less violence filled in him," he then pointed his sword towards him.

"Any last words monster?"

Suddenly, Ultharon then began to chuckle as his head lowered close to the ground. "I was about to ask you the same thing....Soul Reaper..."

The area around them began to shake like a violent earthquake as Ultharon became enveloped with the black cloak.

"Brace yourself Ms. Feng...." Charles stated. "You're about to see why Ultharon was kept secret for so long."

Then, the black cloak began to glow with a violet and blue aura, tears began to form in it's shade. The Hollow king then emited a powerful roar that was deeper and more mechanical sounding than before. As he did so, a massive pillar of light was shot high into the blue sky, forming giant black clouds that shrouded the land around the two warriors.

SHRIEK!!!

Then, two giant wings ripped through the veil, shattering the chains around it as well. These wings were blue and grey, and they appeared to be somewhat more mechanical than the previous incarnations. With a powerful burst of Spiritual Pressure, the veil completley shattered with another brilliant display of purple and blue light, and when it all cleared, what stood in it's wake would leave even the most battle hardened warriors trembling. In Ultharon's place stood a tall, armored figure with demonic armor pieces and the same wings from before. His tail was gone, and his face, now concealed by a mask, was more humane. Around his waist was a violet robe that went past his feet and drug along the ground that he stood on. His sword was now double edged and serated, appearing more futuristic than it's claymore counterpart. Ultharon then spoke to the warrior in a deeper, more cybernetic voice, the Spiritual Pressure he radiated could be felt for miles unending...

"I am...the Absolute Sovereign of Hueco Mundo!!"

"The great Ultharon finally reveals his true form, has he?" The Soul Reaper spoke with a stalwart stance, raising his Zanpakuto high into the air before stabbing it into the earth mightily, saying, "With this, our battle shall truly begin. BANKAI!"

With a mighty uproar of fire consuming his body and spreading volatile magma for a great distance, his legendary power and spiritual pressure became known throughout the entire valley, crackling and shaking the very fabric of the earth itself as flames and dark red spiritual energy snaked around for a mile. When his body emerged from the thick magma pyre, he had a layer of volcanic metalic armor that increased his height to that nearly of Ultharon's, with a piked helm that covered his head entirely and glwoing red eyes hiding behind its helm. He held a black obsidian mace in place of his sword in one gauntlet covered hand, while a spewing sorm of lava rippled around him.

"Come and face me, creature of darkness!" He roared out while waving his mace to the side,the sheer concussive force caused a half a mile of landscape to be upheaved deep within the soil.

The Hollow king then picked up his sword and with an equally powerful swing, slammed it into the oncoming mace. The sheer power of the two attacks caused a massive crater to form underneath their feet as Ultharon's violet aura cackled around the warrior's magma. Ultharon then let out a sickening cackle as he swiped away the warrior's mace and brought his double bladed sword above him, twirling it like a high powered fan before bringing it down on the noble Soul Reaper...

The Soul Reaper struck out a palm towards Ultharon, exuming a magnanomious wide gait of magma, with the force of a microburst as it would aim to propel the Hollow King across the landscape in a tsunami of magma while eating away at his very body.

If the attack was used against his previous form, Ultharon would certainly have been dealt a major blow.

But as he was, the Sovereign of Hueco Mundo was far more durable than the warrior anticipated, made apparent by his insane cackling that escaped his mouth. Rather than being sent flying, Ultharon's feet dug into the ground and he skidded back a considerable distance within the crater, but he soon stopped and used a burst of Spiritual energy to derail the superheated magma's grasp on him. He then extended his left index finger towards his foe.

"So you wish to keep me at a distance Soul Reaper?" he said in an almost mocking voice. "Very well. Allow me to show you what TRUE power is!"

At the edge of his finger formed the same blue and black sphere that his previous form discharged from his chest. It grew to be the same size as his own large hand before finally being discharged towards the foe, the earth trembling as it did so.

As mere moments drew near when the large gait of energy would be upon the Soul Reaper, he then disappeared within a instant, his presence nearly faded out of sensation as the Cero flew into the landscape he was upon, causing a tremendous explosion that shook the very land for miles, cracking it and shaking it, reducing a good half of the valley into a cracked series of plateaus.

When he reappeared, the Soul Reaper aimed a righteous swing in a blinding arc with his magma enflamed mace towards Ultharon's mask, having aimed it in a perpindicular fashion so he would be on Ultharon's unarmed side. The force within the swing was enough to possibly send the bestial king's form flying for a mile, as well as disrupt the air around him and ground beneath, while exhaling a ghastly amount of magma fire.

TANG!!!!

With an equally awe inspiring display of speed, the Grand Hollow Lord used his left facing blade to block the powerful attack. The sheer force of the warrior's attack forced even Ultharon to dig his feet into the ground as a massive and unbelievable trail of destruction flew off from the ground below him into the distant land behind him as a result of blocking the strike.

The Hollow and the Soul Reaper kept their weapons locked as the land about them transformed from it's beautiful and lush forest into a barren and destroyed landscape. Pillars of lava shot into the sky, lightning struck the area around them, and the area was only becoming more and more devestated as the two warriors clashed.

"Tell me....Soul Reaper..." Ultharon began as their weapons remained locked, his voice almost mocking. "...You called me out earlier for slaughtering the underpowered and unarmed members of your kind...but did you ever recall the slaughter that the Soul Reaper race commited upon my people mere days ago?"

"Your so-called people's destruction is their salvation and their punishment!" The Soul Reaper said steadily, the vigor in its vibrating and metalic voice spewed volcanic ash from the breathing vents of his spire helm, his eyes glowing hotly with righteous fury behind it as she pushed his mace forward, "they have a chance to rejoin the flow of life as pure, innocent souls! By forcing them to fight your mindless, selfish war to fuel your own arrogance and pride, you're condemning them for eternity!"

As he held the mace against Ultharon's blade, he struck out a palm against Ultharon's chest, a fantastic condensed pillar of magma aimed to penetrate his chest, scald through his armored carapace, and hurtle him with tremendous force from the quick and masterfully initiated attack.

The blast of liquidfied heat completley covered all of Ultharon's visible form, normally letting one think that he had been completley vaporized by the blast...

But Ultharon's menacing voice broke all hope of that assumption.

''"Forcing them?" ''he said, his voice becoming more and more frustrated. "Mindless...? Selfish....?"

The area then began to shake as lightning began to strike closer and closer to the two fighters. "A true king does not force his followers into battle. My people fight for themselves...they fight for their families, the bonds that they have formed with various other members of their kind...they fight for each other...but they fight most of all...."

He then revealed his form, using Spiritual Pressure to break away the onslaught of magma to reveal a now partially burned version of his former self. "...BECAUSE THEY MUST!!!!"

The Grand Hollow Lord then slammed his left fist into the man's armored stomach, blue electricity radiating from the blow as Ultharon intended to send the warrior flying from the area.

The Soul Reaper made no sound as the bestial king's fist struck his chest, causing his body to fly within a crackling flash of thunder and energy, his body flew through what little forest land was left before causing a massive upheaval of earth and magma.

Even as Ultharon threw his fist and sent his combatant away, however, the ground beneath him boiled before a giant pillar of lava discharged mightily into the air, intending on wounding him for making contact with his person.

The Hollow king made no noise as well as his body was propelled into the sky with thundering force. His body now burned more from the blast, his flapped his wings with a powerful gust of wind that destroyed the super heated liquid trailing him. He then looked to where his opponent lay and gave a sinister smirk behind his mask.

"Die in terror treacherous one!" he yelled out as he fired another Eraser Cero down to where the man crashed, the very wind currents shifting as the sphere came closer and closer to it's target.

As the Eraser closed in on the area where the Soul Reaper crashed, a number of thunderous cracks came from the cleared forest land, as geysers projected forth and bubbling heat rose to the surface. As the Cero made it halfway, a giant magma covered hand that spanned to a quarter of a mile in diameter before it enraptured around the Cero, halting it in place. Within moments, the Cero instaneously detonated within, causing the magma avatar hand to expand dramatically, almost to the point of breaking, before solidifying into a massive volcanic stone pillar.

Within the moments of this transpiring, the Soul Reaper had moved back beneath the behemoth, swinging a magma-physical empowered mace towards its back with incredible power, yelling out, "DECEASE, MONSTROUS ABOMINATION!"

PANG!!!!

Ultharon turned just in time to have the mace slam into his chest with a thunderous crash, his armored chest cracking from the sheer power of the impact.

Within just a second, Ultharon's form flew off into the distance, a powerful gust of wind following his flight. It eventually came to the point to where he could not be seen any longer. It appeared as if he had been sent to the other end of the earth...

But then, he could be seen again, flying towards his opponent with speeds that would distort one's very senses. Giving the Soul Reaper no time to react to his movements, Ultharon stopped just before the warrior, another gust of wind flying from behind him as he did so. His chest was horribly cracked and more pieces of his armor were missing, though if one looked close enough they could notice the cracks slowly healing themselves.

"You're so weak." the monster mocked with a raspy voice, before swinging his lightning infused weapon down on the warrior's exposed left shoulder with powerful force.

CLANG!

As Ultharon's lightning infused weapon met the spiritually charged, magma coated mace, a mighty violet-tinted shockwave struck the air, with such force that it crushed some of the soil and trees below. The Soul Reaper grunted and struggled slightly under Ultharon's brute strength, knowing he would have to use another tactic to best the beast.

"Hado # 90,"

The Soul Reaper aimed a violet-black edged sphere at Ultharon's body, before it expanded thus forcing the Soul Reaper to Flash Step backwards as a collosal spike-based Kido box was formed, at its full powered state, aiming to damage Ultharon critically by warping the time/spacial area of his body to rip him to shreds.

"Kurohitsugi!"

The box remained in it's spot, the energy coursing from it's full power almost daunting. For what one could tell, Ultharon would have been completley crippled from it's dark hold.

"Sovereign....Breaker!"

A raspy version of Ultharon's daunting voice broke through the box, and a large crack began to form on the side facing the Soul Reaper. Through the cracks emerged a strange blue light that was bright enough to blind a lesser Soul Reaper.

SHTING!!!!

Then, a series of tendril like energy beams of the same color broke through the Kido spell, moving just a few feet short of the opponent before they all formed into one massive energy blade. Ultharon's form was revealed, now severely cracked all over his area above his waist, and his energy infused blade revealed to be the source of the new attack. The energy quickly elongating, aiming to impale the Soul Reaper through the torso.

The Soul Reaper swung his mace and quickly parried it to the side, unfortunately his left arm got cut, even with his Bankai's armor on it tore through with relentless power before dissipating past him. The Soul Reaper then swung his mace towards him with a overhead strike, and a giant magma hand flew forward, aiming to crush and solidify around him, much like how the las ton solidified and contained the Eraser Cero beforehand.

WHOOSH!!!

Before the mace could deliver what surely would have been a devestating blow, Ultharon used his advanced Sonido to disappear and reappear at the top of the tallest mount in the area, his sword down at his side as he spoke to the warrior.

"You have my congradulations, Soul Reaper." he spoke with his menacing, cybernetic voice as he gave a respectful bow, though one could tell it was a sign of mockery. "You have truly proven to be the most capable warrior of your kind. Powerful enough to be able to fight toe to toe with me..."

He then pulled out from behind him what appeared to be a large black sphere that seemed to have a strange, storm effect moving around inside of him, it gave off a sinister, almost daunting energy.

"That..." Charles said to Seu-Feng. "...is another invention of the Hollow race: The Devouring Sphere."

The Soul Reaper merely hooked his mace onto his armor's cuirass, before clapping his hands together in a praying symbolic stance, saying through a metalic thick voice, "I've seen enough, King of Hueco Mundo!"

VOOOOOOOM!

Suddenly, a great many electric violet strands emitted from Ultharon's chest, expanding magnanomiously to a quarter mile as coursing lightning bolts, as a large black-violet pike portruded from his chest, ripping the armor from the inside out with ease while a number of pikes portruded from inside Ultharon's body all over, before beginning to assimilate a large black coffin, with chains being raised up around around Ultharon's husk as it began sealing him within a half a mile wide by half a mile high cube violet-black colorations.

"Eien Kurushimi Fū!" (永遠の苦しみ封 Eien no Kurushimi Fū ; Lit Translation, "Eternal Damnation Seal.")

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The monster emited a deep and loud roar of pain as the pike emerged out of his chest, instinctivley grabbing it while letting go of the black sphere, which fell to the ground. His struggling became more apparant as the other pikes made their prescence known to him. As the coffin began to surround him, he looked at the Soul Reaper and snarled. "When did you allow this....this thing to come to me!!!???" he roared in anger.

"You truly do not know, do you?" The Soul Reaper asked him rhetorically, sealing his Bankai's energies away as the powerful seal began its work, his physical form shown once more before he raised his fist after sheathing his sword, "my fist that shattered your chest was fused my spirit energy. I placed the seal within your body, and your regenerative ability played right into my hands, allowing it to spread throughout your body and harnessing your very energy to turn against you. Eventually, with enough time, you will wittle down to no more threat than a ordinary hollow, Lord of Hueco Mundo."

As the massive black box began to seal around him, Ultharon's form then became that of his original, bestial form. His five eyes peered into the Soul Reaper's, and a mocking grin came across his face as he muttered a few words.

"This is just the beginning...."

With that, the box completley engulfed him, leaving no trace of his existance behind, save for the black sphere that he had previously dropped.

"It was quite a shame..." Charles resumed as the simulation began to near it's close. "...I was hoping that the Devouring Sphere's purpose would be shown firsthand. But this Head Captain that you see had taken it and hidden it away. Even I haven't been able to locate it's whereabouts." he finished with a hint of dissapointment in his voice.

"This is all...a little too coincidental and incredible that you happened to have "footage" in detail for us to display," Seu-Feng, while her voice was a little quieter and taken aback of how powerful the forces were back then and Ultharon's "True Form" demonstrated, had a tinge of doubt and suspicion. This man seemed too enthralled with Ultharon's legacy and weapons than the actual threat that would loom over the Soul Society if he's still set upon his goal.

"This was all done by what I could judge from the walls around us." Charles went on, pointing around at the now visible cave walls which revealed barbaric drawings of what the simulation had just shown. "It may have happened differently in some smaller aspects, but what you just saw was basically what happened."

"That's some imagination you've got there," Seu-Feng twitched and sweatdropped slightly, realizing most of it was artificially constructed by this...archeologist scientist ex-soul reaper. It made her slightly unnerved this man could deduce this much just from the drawings on the walls...

"But in all seriousness," Seu-Feng continued in her serious tone, crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes to slits, "the footgae you've concocted might help alleviate any doubts of the threats true nature and strength, but you must surely have more information that I can bring back to the Gotei 13, don't you?"

"Of course, of course. Here..." he responded, pressing a few buttons on the table as he did so. A black square shape came from a small slider on it's left side, of which he took and handed to the younger woman. "This has all of the information that you've just witnessed. I believe that it should be more than enough proof to them of what has just transpired..."

Right behind them, the elevator door opened to reveal a soaking wet Akisame, his black overcoat dripping from rainfall, and his form breathing heavily, looking back at the duo.

"Well I see that you've returned." Charles said, looking over at Akisame with amusement at his condition. "Well? Did you find her?"

"Why are you all wet, you bafoon?!" Seu-Feng snapped at him coldly, absentmindedly forgetting why he left in the first place nor questioned it for that matter.

Akisame simply closed his eyes and looked down, his voice solemn and aggrevated. "No. I didn't find Yoruichi..."

He then looked over to Soifon, knowing that she wasn't going to react very well to his sudden appearance, and it didn't help that he was about to deliver bad news. "She's gone."

Seu-Feng barely registered Akisame's words before she realized who they left behind. Her eyes were unfocused at first, then the words began to register within her mind's eye. The pupil's dialated and her face turned even more pale than what was thought possible. Her mouth opened to say something, but no words came out, only heavy breathing and shaky breaths.

After a minute of this, she clamped her teeth down tightly as she began gathering moisture around her eyes, still wide-eyed and sorrowful, a edge of incredulous outrage broke from her mouth, "LIAR! M-My lady...she would not be defeated so easily! She wouldn't die like that! No no no no no no...NO!"

CLAMP, CRACK!

Seu-Feng, almost out of sheer instinctive rage she grabbed a hold of his neck and slammed him forcefully into one of the archaic, ancient walls with a resounding crack of his body meeting the the stone and plaster, uncaring at what damage to history she would cause. Her strength having returned, she held him with just one hand off his feet while staring widely and within panic as tears poured down the etches of her paled face and her jaws ground against her own teeth.

It was at that point Akisame wished he wasn't in a room with a cold rock wall.

"Hnnngh!!!!" he grunted as his back slammed into the wall with almost bone-shattering force, his arms dangling at his sides as her hand squeezed his neck tightly, almost enough to make him choke to death.

But he looked into her rage filled eyes with sorrow and sympathy. He knew now just how much Yoruichi meant to her, and he mentally scolded himself for not acting appropriatley when they both saw Yoruichi for the last time.

"Soifon...It's alright." he said with a calm, reassuring voice. Clearly he wasn't angry towards her rage, in fact he understood it completley. All he could do now was hope to calm her insane state, and hopefully not have his neck snapped at the same time.

Charles simply folded his arms across his back as he watched the display.

"Ah Yoruichi...you always were one to leave me out with the rascals...."

"Why?! Why did you make me leave her side?!" Seu-Feng screamed at his face, the tears began to drop from her stream-lined face, as her eyes still bore a wide shocked expression while her jaw clenched down forcefully, making talking all the more forceful for her, "I would've died for her! I would've stopped that monster if I had to give up my life! WHY DID YOU DENY ME THE HONOR, AKISAME?!"

"Because Yoruichi told me too!" he yelled back at her with an authoritive voice that would definatley take her by surprise. "She didn't want you to die for her Soifon! She didn't want you to fight Ultharon and die in vain! She's a fucking hero for getting you out of there! If she didn't, how would all of the thousands who live in Soul Society know about him and his army?!"

His voice then became slightly lower and more gentle as he went on. "She loved you Soifon....she wanted you to live longer. To get the chance to see and do things that others normally wouldn't get to."

Seu-Feng's eyes softened and gathered more moisture as she heard his words. Deep down, despite all she desired, she knew her actions and her wanting to give her life was purely selfish. Something that her lady would never condone. Her selfless saccrifice paved the way for her to possibly save the lives of everyone within the Soul Society and the Gotei 13, as well as her own life.

"I-I," she tried to utter out as she released his neck with a forceful release of her spasming hand muscles, letting his body skid off the cracked wall and onto his feet or bum, she didn't care, "...I can't...I can't imagine a world without her...she...she was everything to me...," she began sobbing quietly as she grabbed her face and let her tears run freely for a few minutes.

Charles then began to inch towards the two of them, fully prepared to meet any hostile action Soifon may give him as well. "You must consider the fact that since there were no traces of her existance, she may very well be alive but simply taken prisoner..."

SLAP!

"Don't disgrace her, you senile old man!" Seu-Feng shouted as she slapped him with the back of her hand, her eyes moistened and slightly red, but filled with cold anger towards him, "she would've fought until the last of her breath exhaled her body and turned into dust! That's the kind of woman I know she is!"

STICK!

By simply holding up his right hand, the elder Soul Reaper blocked her slap with his wrist with no visible effort, his face showing slight annoyance.

"Mmhmm. But you and her were the first to ever actually fight Ultharon himself. Who is to say what his methods of warfare are, hm?" he said to her.

"Tsk!" She uttered hotly before retracting her hand, gritting her teeth as she spoke vehemently, "give me the data, McTavish, and then we'll part ways. I honestly don't want to see you again, unless you left something out or I somehow meet you on the battlefield!"

The elder simply chuckled in an almost mocking tone before turning his back to her, walking towards the end of the hallway.

"Within these next few weeks, you're going to need all of the help that you can get your fragile hands on..."

He then disappeared into the darkness, leaving the grieved woman alone with his apprentice, who was inwardly bracing himself for what she might do despite holding a calm exterior.

"Let's go," Seu-Feng spoke with a cool, cold tone as she turned her back on the shadows which McTavish slinked back into. Her hair tossed around and aside as her bareback, slender, unwavering form moved towards the nearest exit. Determined to save her Soul Society and her Gotei 13 comrades, Seu-Feng will do what her duty demands of her. Even if it meant her life being extinguished...

I'll join you soon....my Lady...Yoruichi...

Akisame's eyes widened a bit in response to her willingness to take him with her, but he didn't question it, and kept his cool pose as he followed her into the elevator. With a press of the button to his left, the duo began to leave the mansion.

He could feel it deep within his stomach. War loomed on the horizon.

Wrath of the Archdemon: Act 2
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

-Edumund Burke

The Shattered Path of Bitter Memories
As the elevator rose to it's original floor, Akisame decided to break the eerie silence between himself and his partner, Seu-Feng.

"So...why do you need me to go with you?" he asked with his hands in his pockets without looking at her.

Seu-Feng walked stoically silent, towards the entrance, her body swayed to and fro as her brows knit as she thought carefully what to say.

"I need someone to bring the data. Despite how much I detest you personally, you've shown enough...resolve upon behalf of my lady's wishes to carry out your duty. I'll trust you enough to take the data from me in the event we are separated, or I'm unable to carry out the mission. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Ah."

It was all he said as the elevator stopped to reveal the original floor that they had entered in, the door to the outside revealing a vast evening desert setting.

"Best get to it." he said as he Flash-Stepped out into the outside and began jumping backwards with his hands in his pockets, each leap he made going a considerable distance.

Seu-Feng looked around at the outside, realizing it wasn't the World of the Living almost instantly. She could feel Spiritual Energy flowing naturally, but not like the Soul Society. It was wild, untapped, with no real constructs feeding on it like the Seireitei's buildings. She could tell there was much life, as there were mountains in the distance that made up the Soul Society's borders, and forestland that stretched for miles. Where they were was considerably more arid though, as there was the beginning of the Cracked Valley just a little ways from where they were to her right.

"I've never been here before," she spoke thoughtfully, before she saw Akisame was gone. With a shake of her head, she used Flash Step deftly, catching up to Akisame and sprinted past him, "move faster unless you want to be left behind!"

He couldn't help but crack a slight grin.

He then let his jumps catch greater distance, and his body moved with better speed, easily catching up with his sprinting partner. He looked as if though he was using little to no effort at all.

"In case you're wondering..." he began, looking over at her as he caught up with her rather easily. "...we're in Aether, the old man's homeland."

"Aether?" Seu-Feng said lowly, and kept sprinting. Her feet moved at such speeds, the soles of her sandals sounded like they were beating the ground like a out of control heart within a chest. Her hair flailed behind her head like racing ribbons, her body suit clung tightly to her accentuated muscular and defined body. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them, saying in a deadpan tone, "never heard of it."

"Didn't think so." he replied, turning his gaze back straight forward, albeit still hoping backwards. "It's not as...popular...as your Soul Society is."

"Probably," Seu-Feng cast a dangerous glint towards him, saying in a borderline presumptious yet knowing voice, "its home to outcasts, rebels, and dangerous elements to the Soul Society. All souls go through the Seknaimon gate, meaning, they were all part of the Soul Society at one point or another. Those that leave, are never welcome back, or are forced away. I should probably warrant a investiation into this 'Aether' of yours after this is all over..."

Within the next hour or so, the duo stood at the very front of their destination. Akisame slid his hands into his pockets and let out a low whistle.

"Damn. Somehow, it feels like this place has gotten alot bigger than when I last saw it." he remarked, staring up at the massive wall surrounding the Seireitei.

"I doubt they'd let someone like you in, considering your idiotic, clumsy nature," Seu-Feng said put-offishly, scowling now that she had gotten a few looks from some of the men within the Seitreitei, only to be silenced by her inhuman death glares, "we're almost to the 12th Division Department. We're bypassing the Captains' Meeting considering we're under Emergency Measures right now. Be on your best behavior and no funny buisness, understand me?"

"You got it." he said, smirking slightly at her initial insult. He wasn't at all affected really, in fact, he found it rather cute when she insulted him. But he kept his pose and followed the woman inside in the direction she went.

Seu-Feng smirked as they reached the 12th Division HQ after jogging for a distance. When she reached the destination, a flourish of welcoming, familiar dark garbed forms appeared in front of her as well as around her, most of them in protective stance while the others held blades up to Akisame's. It was the Punishment Force!

"Captain! We only just found out about your survival a few hours ago, and have made necessary preperations to...protect you and detain the unknown Reaper with you," a feminine voice with a surprisingly bust hidden within her Punishment officer garbs.

Akisame's eyes widened in comical fear upon the troopers blades being pointed mere inches from his face, but it quickly went back to being serious, though he made sure to keep his head reared back to avoid accidently jabbing his eyes out. He wanted to say something rather humerous towards the officer's words, but he decided against it, remembering that he was to behave himself while in his partner's prescence.

Raising her hand, Seu-Feng was tempted to rid Akisame from the world...to avenge her master's death due to her voided presence and way this man tried to understand her, despite having never met her until now. But, she knew in her heart, if she was to kill this man, it would be by her own hands and not cower to let her subordinates do it.

She then pulled her hand into a fist, causing all the subordinates to flinch but then begin to retract their drawn blades. They all created a more spacious circle around their leader and commander, only leaving the female officer to gawk at her superior momentarily before withdrawing her own blade. She did however give a heated, glare of daggers towards Akisame before stepping back into formation.

"He has critical information about the enemy, and regretably, a known student of the late Yoruichi Shihoin. If anyone is going to execute him, it will be by my hands. Understood?" She made herself clear, in the most cold, apathetic voice possible as she gave a narrowed eye stare across all of her men.

"Yes sir!"

Without question, the men used Flash Step to resume their original formations, hidden within the shadows. Leaving the path to the Departmen of Research & Development, open to the two of them.

"It's so nice to feel welcome." he said as they disappeared, shifting his hands into his coat pockets as he gave an uncaring expression towards the words spoken.

"They were waiting for my orders to execute you, on the grounds of being a Soul Reaper outside of the three branches of Military within the Seireitei. While you were daydreaming, I initiated a kill code to my observation posts the Stealth Force has set up on the outskirts of the Soul Society. It is a criminal offense to be a Soul Reaper outside the Soul Society," she said coldly and without remorse as she didn't even spare him a glance as she walked towards the Department, "but...these are desperate times. I don't know if there's something encrypted or something only you can carry out in the event myself or my comrades can't deduce."

"I understand." he said calmly as he followed her. "But it's like the old man said, within the next few days, you're going to need all the help you guys can get."

"I doubt one fool will make any difference," Seu-Feng said dismissively as she stalked towards the entrance, quickly parted by the two 12th Division guards, leading them into a humming, clicking, and chattering atmosphere that the Department of Research & Development was.

People in stereotypical labcoats rushed to and fro within the dark, dimly lit halls and corridors, where clicking, whirring, and humming computers of all sizes were lit up with numbers of different anonymlies and readings pulled up. Hence the chaos.

"No no no!" Yelled out a high pitched, unpleasant voice of a hooded cobra garbed man, who bore the haori of the 12th Division Captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, "I wanted the test samples from that last dozen readings an HOUR ago, not an hour and seventeen seconds!"

"F-Forgive me, Captain!" Said the trembling, standard Shikhakusho garbed 12th Division member as he held the readings on his trembling hands.

SLAP!

"No excuses, imbecile!" Shouted Captain Kurotsuchi as he backhanded his subordinate across the room onto his back, "bring me, the forumlas for the countermeasures I wanted! At least try and not break it, like the test tubes I had you handle, you twit!"

"Y-Yes sir!" The man scrambled on all fours, rushing to retrieve the requested formulas like his superior wanted, for fear of his life.

"Now then," the Captain turned towards Captain Seu-Feng and Akisame, entwining his hands together as he looked at them both with a very displeased expression, "what exactly did you come here to bore me with that can't wait unti...what say...never?!"

"And she calls me a fool"

Akisame's thoughts reflected an almost humored and amused tone as he watched the antics displayed before him. Now he could see exactly what Seu-Feng had to put up with as a Captain!

Seu-Feng patiently endured it with a expression that not even Kido could shatter. She produced from the inner pockets of her clothing the data, holding it up with a serious look to the Captain that not even he could ignore.

"I need you to analyze this. It contains valuable information your Department is scurrying around about the massive influx of Spiritual Pressure from the Cracked Valley we investigated. As well as a detailed history of the enemy we face, that our Soul Society faced thousands of years ago.-"

"Where did you get this?!" Mayuri asked with an ecstatic, excited face as he snatched the data immediately, holding it as close as his eye allowed, turning it from all sides so he could see its physical construct from all angles.

"A resource that has no importance at the moment. I'll debrief you later, however time is-"

"-critical, I know!" The 12th Division Captain immediately moved towards the computer, plugging the information in while feeding code within the system. "Marvelous! This is truly...why does this look so familiar? I wonder...?"

"Captain Kurotsuchi?" Seu-Feng began to query as she approached him and the screen flooded in code and data, wondering how on earth this man could analyze it at all.

"This is code feed used by a ancient form of Research Department that were more like a conglomeration of what humans might recognize as alchemists. Our science back then was very old, yet still centuries ahead of most humanity's time! These codes indicate that whoever used these algorithims not only succeeded in using the current updated technology of this Soul Society with his own, but inputted his own advanced form of old technology to input the most accurate datafeeds and codes I've seen yet!"

"Gramps always did have his way." Akisame commented, slightly amused by the Captain's reactions to his mentor's work.

"I'll defer to your idiom that your mentor was the one who concocted this, hmmmm?" The Captain asked creepily, his face turned from the screen slowly, a wide golden-tooth smile greeted him as his cobra visage looked insanely menacing, "you wouldn't mind if I extract your brain and find out whatever you know about this man, would you, boy???"

"I can arrange that for later," Seu-Feng said callously indifferent, crossing her arms over her chest, before looking at him deadly serious, "AFTER this crisis has past."

"Ruin my fun, you stuck up brat?" The 12th Division Captain sighed before turning back to the computer display, typing rapidly on the piano keyboard while inputting the necessary information, "ah well...this information stream should keep me entertained for quite some time, so I guess I can wait to dissect your young little friend..."

"Well I don't think I'll be needing it anytime soon...."

Before Akisame could fully reply to the strange man's question, a strange feeling began to creep it's way up his spine. It was a feeling that he could have swore he had felt somewhere, but at the same time, it felt oddly foreign and even....sinister.

Something else was in the room with them, and it didn't feel like a normal Soul Reaper.

Suddenly, Seu-Feng herself began to feel a lurking evil, seperate from that of Kurotsuchi's madness and insantiy, hiding in the dark. She reached for her Zanpakuto as she looked through the darkness and shimmering lights of the computer room.

"You there," Mayuri called out to no one in particular, or so Seu-Feng thought, as he reached for a dark corner within the room, "how long are you going to skulk in my laboratory..."

SNIK-WHIIIIIZ!

Suddenly, his left arm detached and extended with mechanical parts that moved at lightning speed towards where the hidden menace laid, intending on grabbing his throat and throwing him against the wall,

"...RAT?!?!?!"

SLAM!!!

The robotic arm made contact with something that felt organic and slammed against the wall, but it was still unseeable in the darkness...

...until a light shined into the area to reveal, not a rat or an evil, but another of Mayuri's scientists, more specifically the one that he had slapped just minutes earlier.

But his body was almost unrecognizable, it was black and charred, as if it had been struck by lightning itself. But what could have possibly done such a thing?

Akisame held his right side coat back and placed a hand on what appeared to be a rather large handgun, preparing to meet whatever this new threat was.

"Ho? I missed?" Mayuri said aloud without remorse, dropping the body and like a snake locked his arm back into position within a instant. The upgrades the Captain has made to his augmentations the past two years...have significantly improved, "now now, that's not nice to kill my subordinates without my permission," Mayuri turned around from the computer, grasping a hold of his Zanpakuto while his eyes contracted and began to slit, showing him everything within his ocular lenses, "hiding will get you nowhere, rat. I am quite good at it, you see, and no one can hide in my own laboratory without me knowing."

Seu-Feng was shocked that something threw up a decoy that Mayuri mistaken for his presence. Despite his insanity, he was a genius among par with that of Kisuke. To have outwitted him in such a manner...seemed frightening.

"Akisame," she spoke lowly, looking over to him as she spoke, "is there anyone else who knows about the data we recovered?"

"No one." he said, slowly pulling his gun out and holding it pointed to the ground with both hands, looking around his surroundings to find the threat. "The only ones who knew about it were the old man and just us three....unless..."

He wouldn't get to reply all the way.

SLAM!!!!!

Just from above his head, a shadowy figure fell from the ceiling and landed a powerful side swiping kick to the right side of Akisame's face, sending him flying into and through the wall in the same direction.

As the being landed, his form was revealed: A tall man with a black trench coat with a green interior, silverish black hair that extended down to his neck, and a menacing white mask with a disturbing smile and a blue lightning bold on it's right eye.

"What the-?" Seu-Feng looked shock at the rapid speed and deployment of taking down Akisame. "So weak!!!" She thought inwardly about Akisame with a blank expression.

"That's pretty stupid of you, to reveal yourself like that" Mayuri spoke with a evil smile, drawing his sword out as his eyes narrowed, turning red as his body became enveloped in a violet aura as his Spiritual Pressure brimmed with seething anger of the intruder interfering, "IN MY DAMN LABORATORY!"

With a effortless raise of his mechanical arm, his palm opened up a series of thin mechanical slits, like a eye, before a faint glow of yellow energy gathered before...

BRRRAAAAACKBOOOOM!

...it was released in the form of a Kido-like attack, a thunderous yellow lightning bolt struck his location, without regard of Akisame or Seu-Feng's safety as it caused a dramatic and deadly explosion.

Seu-Feng instinctively Flash Stepped to Akisame's side before retreating barely to a safe distance across the magnanimous chamber Captain Kurotsuchi called his laboratory.

"Hehehehehe! I've wanted to test that out," Mayuri cackled with a wide-eyed insane pleased look.

When the smoke cleared, the being was revealed to have left his spot, leaving only a smoking hole in the ground. The masked man was no where in sight.

Until he reappeared into the same spot with two black daggers in his hands, both of them vibrating with a sky blue electric aura as the being peered into Mayuri's eyes with a disturbing hint of emptiness.

He then threw the right dagger at the Captain, the blade covered in blue lightning as it trailed across the room while attached to a black metal wire, giving it the effect of a rapid moving lightning bolt that threatened to tear through Mayrui's chest.

Akisame then picked himself up and rubbed the back side of his head comically. "Ow...Man, life hates my guts today..."

As Seu-Feng as the speed of the dagger raced towards Mayuri, as well as the console, she acted with lightning reflexes with her hand stretched out, "Bakudo #4, Haianawa!" A long rope of yellow binding energy suddenly grasped a hold of the dagger in mid-flight, allowing her to try and throw it across the expanse away from the fragile data and the computer.

Mayuri was already avoiding the dagger, paying no heed to his computer as he Flash Stepped away, reappearing behind him with his Zanpakuto already glowing from its transformation into its Shikai, "Claw out!, Ashisogi Jizō!"

With a blurred swing, Mayuri aimed to merely cut the unarmed Auron, incapacitating him with the fast-acting paralyzer poison that kept pain receptors active witin the wound.

Auron himself then held up the other glowing dagger and caught the now formed trident of his foes weapon within the gap between the blade's pronges. Looking back at Mayuri, a menacing red light pierced through the mask's left eye slit, as the blue electricity traveled through the weapon and into his foe's body, aiming to electricute him and allow him to escape the grasp. He did the same with Seu-Feng's Kido rope that had wrapped around his dagger's wire, the electric current quickly getting closer and closer to her.

"A ZanpakKKKKKKKRRT?!" Mayuri was shocked...literally, as his weapon locked with a Soul Reaper's that he never recognized. His body momentarily became transparent due to the intense shocks as he was thrown backwards from the force and shocks running through his body.

Seu-Feng immediately recognized the danger, and let loose the binding rope, letting it light up with electricity as she now felt its Spiritual Pressure as indeed a Zanpakuto. Using her adept high speed, Seu-Feng took flight, engaging the enemy while drawing her Zanpakuto. With a calculated series of slashes, Seu-Feng aimed to not engage her weapon against the lightning-based Zanpakuto, and would dodge any blow the enemy would try to counter against her. It would be highly difficult, but she knew it was one of the only ways to fight this man up close and personal. She also aimed to see who was behind the mask...

The electric aura from around the daggers briefly disappeared as the being began to parry her attacks, holding his blades in a horizontal manner as he found himself being pushed back from her assault. But it was only for a few short seconds.

SNATCH!!

The apparant assassin then caught one of Seu-Feng's strikes within the gap between both of his daggers. Looking at Seu-Feng with the same disturbing red glare from before, a slight blue shock ran through the blades and into her own. His aim was not to damage her to the extent of Mayuri's own injuries, but to rather throw her off guard enough to where he could get to his objective quicker.

"You fell for it," Seu-Feng said lowly, as her bangs covered her eyes before she let go of her Zanpakuto with both hands. With a swift snatch of both of his wrists, she swung her legs from either side, aiming to kick both sides of his abdomen with her shins, aiming to incapacitate him before she vaulted backwards and throw him towards the ground below with amazing force, enough to shatter the ground below.

"Nnngh!!"

The man grunted in pain as her ankles slammed into his waists. Any other opponent would have probably fell right then and there.

But he was no ordinary opponent.

"Did I?" he replied, his red eyes still glaring at her. "Or did you fall for my own little trick?"

Shifting his hands to where the blades could just barely pierce her arms slightly, the being let loose another violent shock of electricity into her body, this time aiming to force her onto the ground in paralysis.

"Grrrrrkaaaaah!" Seu-Feng cried out as she was electrocuted, feeling her body thrown away from the man, falling to the ground heavily as her body was momentarily paralyzed. Closing her eyes, she grimaced and winced at her own negligence. Inwardly, she blamed at herself for thinking she was back at full strength...after all, she used her Bankai twice just a couple days ago. It would be another day before she was back at full strength.

"You...impudent...rat!!!" Mayuri's spiritual pressure boiled through the air, as he looked absolutely infuriated, as well as maddened as any scientist would when someone storming into their laboratory. Taking his Zanpakuto out to the side, he discharged his arm like a viper, aiming to wrap around the man's body and constrict it with incredible metalic force.

"Never learn, do you?"

As the arm began to wrap around him tightly, Auron knew that he would have to leave eventually. Before the mechanical construct was able to squeeze him further, he pierced both of his daggers into it, sending yet another shock through the arm and back to it's wielder.

Or it would have...had it not been primed to explode upon attack.

CRRRACKBOOOM!

The arm's metalic construct exploded violently around the infiltrator, with enough shrapnel and concussive force to stagger even a Lieutenant of prime health. Mayuri quickly removed the prosthetic hump before quickly adding his regenerative serum, quickly growing back his old arm with painful results that made him sigh with a sickening ecstacy, "You say I never learn, do I? You're seriously underestimating me, if you think a genius such as myself would be bested by a ninja wannabe thug like you!!!"

Out of the explosion, the infiltrator was shown to have been flung down the hallway that was previously in front of him. His body was burned and scarred, the upperleft section of his mask broke off to reveal a youthful left eye that was grey in coloration.

Staggering back onto his feet, the infiltrator found himself in a bad position. He was already crippled by the unexpected move by his opponent, finding it difficult to stand in one spot alone. What could he do at this point? It would be a miracle if he would get out of the area with the data, let alone his own life!

The hall that would lead out of the massive laboratory within Mayuri's Lab suddenly closed heavily, with several serpentine seals locking around the front of the lab door, almost imitating a mad science version of a Kido wall.

"Leaving so soon?" Mayuri asked in a murderous tone, twirling his Zanpakuto in his right hand at a violent, humming tone, his eyes glowed red in the illuminating light created by the emergency lights that glowed within the 12th Division's building as a whole, "I haven't done my experiments on your body yet! Please let me extract your internal organs for testing!"

"Sting all enemies to death," Seu-Feng said lowly as her own Spiritual Pressure brimmed to the surface as she stood back up, grabbing her sword and morphed into her needle vambrace weapon, "Suzuemebachi!" She ran towards him, with a unexpected backup as Mayuri, as they rushed towards the enemy infiltrator, aiming to either kill him or take him in for questioning. Either way, in their minds, he was screwed!

What happened next was staggering.

Just before the two of them managed to get close to the weakened assassin, a rumbling sound began to shake the hallway that they were in. The masked man looked at both of them with a slight grin.

"Been nice meeting you guys."

They wouldn't get to react in time.

SMASH!!!!!

From the ceiling above them, a crashing noise boomed out from that direction and a massive, hulking figure fell and landed onto the ground between Auron and the Captains. It then slowly stood up, towering over both of them as it looked down upon them with an evil glare, the Spiritual Pressure emited from him was staggering.

It was a Vasto Lorde, a powerful Vasto Lorde.

Sudden Intervention! Enter the Demon King!
"???!!!"

Both of the Captains stopped dead in their tracks at seeing the Hollow. What's more, it was completely inconceivable. How did a Hollow breach the 360 shield and the wall of Reason?!

"This...is...impossible!" Seu-Feng uttered aloud in a low, cautious voice as she took a step back and readied for an attack from the monstrocity. Its Spiritual Pressure rivaled Kenpachi's...and that frightened her the most. She grimaced, as sweat bullets dotted her scalp, knowing her strength had not totally returned, handicapping any chance of using her own full capabilities. What can she do?!

Mayuri himself staggered back, but somehow had a strange reaction to the rather large brutish figure. He began gasping then...laughing. He laughed a cackling manner as he saw the monstrocity standing before him, "Excellent! A live Hollow of incredible Spiritual Power comes right through my Research Department's roof into my laboratory! Was this fate?! DESTINY?! I now have the perfect specimen!!!"

BOOM!!!!!

His cackling left the Captain open for an attack from the Vasto Lorde, whom slammed his right fist into the Research Captain's gut with enough force to cause a massive burst of wind to sail behind him.

"So fast...too fast...to analyze...and fight...at the same...time!..."

"GAAAK!" Mayuri let out a stream of blood and saliva exit his mouth as the Vasto Lorde sent him hurtling across the laboratory and indenting with a crash into the wall next to his collosal computer. His body twitched, even as his neck was cocked at a irregular angle and his eyes moved in opposite directions. Mayuri seemed out for the count!

"Dammit!" Seu-Feng swore aloud, immediately utilized her "Clone" technique, creating a dozen solidifed copies of herself. All of them grimaced and sweat bullets as they faced their target. Within a instant, they all flew towards the monster with a series of thrusts, kicks, and punches, aiming to overpower the monstrocity with sheer numbers. Or, so it would appear to be...

Seeing the numerous clones of his opponent spring at him gave the Vasto Lorde a sense of primal joy, evidenced by the low chuckle emited from the creature's mouth.

Just as they closed in, the Vasto Lorde let out a load roar and a massive burst of spiritual pressure shot out of all sides of his body, aiming to decimate the numerous clones and potentially send the main opponent flying.

Just after Mayuri was sent flying, the assassin quickly darted for the keyboard, pressing a handful of buttons on it and then extracting the valuble data disc from it's console. He then left the building, flying past Akisame, who began to chase the man down, leaving Seu-Feng to fight the monster alone.

Even as the clones were all destroyed, the real Seu-Feng appeared behind him silently and swiftly, coated with a thin veil of sparking transparent energy. With a swift strike of her Zanpakuto's blade, coated with Shunko's properties, a violently silver blast cracked and exploded upon the hulking creature's backside, right at the base of his spine.

"SHUNKO!"

BOOM!!!!

Her silver blast of energy slammed into her target's back, creating a rather large explosion upon impact with silver lighting like energy radiating around the vicinity.

But then, the dust and debris was cleared when the Vasto Lorde, whom had turned around, charged at her with a loud snarl. He appeared to be visibly unfazed by her attack as he charged at her smaller form with the intent to pummel her into the ground.

Seu-Feng looked unfazed by the tenacity of the Vasto Lorde, but she had dealt with far more powerful threats before. And he would be no different. With a cool gait and graceful set of movements, she etched a inverted equilateral yellow triangle in the air, swiftly speaking, "Bakudo #30, Shitotsu Sansen!"

PHEW-PHEW-PHEW!

Suddenly, three beaks of binding energy propelled themselves like rockets towards the Vasto Lorde, intending on pinning him on the far side of the wall, aiming to incapacitate him and go for the kill with her Shikai.

Whoosh!

Using a quick and masterfully placed Sonido, the Vasto Lorde avoided the binding projectiles, quickly reappearing behind Seu-Feng's smaller form. Releasing another loud snarl, the monster thrusted his right fist into Seu-Feng's back with enough force to send a gust of wind in front of her and intending to send her flying in that respective direction.

"So fast!-"

As Seu-Feng's eyes widened, she found the beast's presence behind her. It was only by sheer skill and instinct that she turned herself about and raised her Shunko-laced arms in front of herself, absorbing the blow, but flew across the room into the intended beaks of kido and the wall, causing a large explosion of dust and debris.

RING! RING! RING!

"INTRUDER ALERT! THIS IS A EMERGENCY! HOLLOW PRESENCE DETECTED INSIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH OF DEVELOPMENT! I REPEAT! A HIGH LEVEL PRIORITY HOLLOW PRESENCE IS INSIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT!" The warning blared out, as red lights flashed everywhere, issuing the notice that more Soul Reapers would be deployed into the Department and take out the powerful Hollow.

The Hollow creature sneered and chuckled in amusement at the alarms calling him by his race. His purpose here was done, the data had been retrieved, and as far as he knew, his partner had done left the Seireitei. There wasn't any point in him staying longer...

...but he was bored. He wanted to inflict pain on something lower than he was. He wanted to make them scream and beg for their lives.

And this small Captain was just the right target.

Releasing another powerful burst of spiritual energy, effectively leveling the hallway and destroying the respective sirens in that area as he charged at Seu-Feng once more, intending to pummel her into the ground until nothing was left.

"Tell em' the Demon King sent you straight to hell!!!!!" he snarled as he came closer to her prostrate form.

"Hado #33," Seu-Feng uttered aloud, her hands suddenly forming a straight palm in the direction of the powerful creature, "Sokatsui!"

BLAAAAAAAAM! BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA, KABOOOM!

Within the center of the blue flame of energy came a barrage of Hado #31 Shakahao cannon balls, causing a tremendous and continuous bright blue-red-violet explosion. Seu-Feng rested heaving, as she knew she couldn't manage Shunko at her exhausted rate, and that last skill set of Kidos nearly put her at her limit, as her arms kept a stiff poinedness at the Hollow before her within the large plume of smoke she created from the flames of the explosive power.

The explosion only devestated the area further, and out of the resulting pillar of smoke emerged the Vasto Lorde, his armored chest slightly burned and scarred, and his left arm having similar burns and his entire form steaming from the heat. But he walked casually out of the smoke, chuckling in humor at her continued defiance.

"Say. You're the one that was given the privelage of fighting my king firsthand." he said in his deep, cybernetic voice. Now it was certain, he was a follower of Ultharon. If the monster could acquire a Vasto Lorde of this much power to his cause, there was no telling what else he had on his side.

He contined to get closer to her limp and exhausted form, cracking his knuckles. "I'll make sure to give you a death similar to the last one that fought him..."

"!!!!!~"

Seu-Feng suddenly growled at him, stepping forward while placing a hand atop her Shikai's vambrace, her Spiritual Pressure began to rise incredibly and radiate, shake, and quake the whole room. If she was going to die...she might as well do it with style, in her mind.

"You stupid Lieutenant," she spoke to herself, as she smiled at the Vasto Lorde, "making me think like this...its not my style, and yet your influence will never wane off my back."

She then focused her eyes like a hawk towards him as she stood fully and without weakness or trembling, speaking directly towards him, "You're not worthy to speak of her name nor anything that monster destroys. For your ilk," a column of crimson Spiritual Power flew into the roof and shook, raising slight dust particles and stones, floating around her as ther power ignited, "is nothing but trash before us Soul Reapers!!!!"

The monster only laughed further at her words. "Typical words for a Soul Reaper to speak. If we are trash and not worth your time, why do you fear us so much? You yourself have to admit, that with a mere 5 Vasto Lordes, we can tear this place to the ground...."

He then began to radiate spiritual power that easily outgrew her own. "And I'm gonna start by ripping your heart out!!!!!" he yelled as he charged at her, coming closer and closer until....

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!

Out of nowhere it seemed, a figure appeared just between Soifon and the monster, wearing a black and yellow suit of armor with a black cape flowing behind him. In his right hand was a massive golden claymore of sorts that resembled a key.

With a simple arm raise, the flat end of the weapon blocking his oncoming fist and shaking the area. The armored figure didn't flinch, but the Vasto Lorde was all but shocked.

"What the hell?!" he yelled out in anger. "Who the fuck-"

SLAM!!!!!

With speed that was incredible, considering the size of the weapon, the armored figure slammed the tip of his weapon into the Vasto Lorde's face, cracking it and sending him flying down the hallway with a loud crash.

Without moving, the figure spoke to Seu-Feng, his voice cybernetic, but unmistakable to her. "Miss me?"

Seu-Feng was about to surprise the impudent Vasto Lorde with her Bankai, despite the fact it might've possibly drained her life to absolute zero when she used it, when...he appeared. Overpowering the Vasto Lorde who appeared to be a walking tank of destruction just second to the abomination who overpowered her and her mentor. And saying hi...to her...again!

"A-Akisame," Seu-Feng said, her aura faded and suddenly exhaustion took over and her eyes rolled to the back of her head, "I...I...damn...you..."

THUNK!

She fell straight to her back, not having an ounce of strenght left in her due to her cursed Bankai and no rest in the last 14 hours. She felt like hell, and she knew unless Akisame could protect her with that ridiculous looking Bankai, she knew she was going there soon.

"Do something useful for once...Akisame..."

"Pfft" Akisame scoffed, resting his weapon over his shoulder. "Geez, I come to help and all you can do is curse me again." Deep inside his helmet, one could tell he was grinning a mile wide.

"Damn rat!!!!" the Vasto Lorde yelled, propelling itself higher into the exposed sky and holding out his left hand, charging a wide orange Cero in it's palm that soon descended upon Akisame.

Quickly grabbing Soifon in his left arm like one would to a baby, the noble Soul Reaper quickly darted out of the building and barely avoided the massive explosion produced from the impact.

He quickly landed outside of the area, looking around briefly before yelling out. "HEY! If you stealth force chaps are of any use, come get your Captain!" he yelled to the Stealth Force members he encountered earlier. Truly, he couldn't fight while carrying an exhausted woman with him. She would only hinder him like she claimed he did to her.

Sazuke, the woman who threatened him just minutes ago, arrived at the scene with the compliment of Stealth Force officers, bending down before her fallen superior with a sudden trembling reverence and fear, "Commander! Captain!" She looked up, her mask-covered face peered eyes into him with a different light and begged for answers, "what happened?!"

"Didn't you hear the sirens?" Akisame asked plainly. "There's a-"

BOOM!!!!!!

Before he could answer fully, the Vasto Lorde soared high into the sky, a trail of dirt and debris following him as he circled around and found his two targets.

"Get ready for hell you miserable pissants!!!!!!" he snarled out loud as he radiated a massive burst of spiritual energy that shook the area around them, forcing the trees to thrash violently and several buildings below him were demolished from the force alone.

Akisame then pointed his sword at the being. "That happened!"

"By the Spirit King!" Sazuke uttered, placing her body over Seu-Feng's prone one as the Spiritual Pressure flew over them all, protecting her from the initial shock of pressure. She choked slightly, breathing heavily as she struggled to keep the burden off her superior's form, breathing out orders as she did so, "let's get the Commander out of here! She needs immediate medical attention!...STAT!"

"Yes maam!" They said in unison, grasping her to help her alleviate the stress as they all struggled to carry her while under the Spiritual Pressure's influence before they all began to disappear rapidly. Leaving Akisame alone with the monstrocity.

PHTEEW!!!!!!!

The creature then let loose a massive Cero upon Akisame, threatening to vaporize him into thin air.

Akisame stood motionless, tilting his head slowly to face the monster. Slowly, the ground around him began to crack and boil as if it was about to erupt. He then pointed his weapon at the creature, the tip of it beginning to glow with an orange light that was deeper in coloration that the latter's Cero.

"Gaia Eikyo." he said plainly as he fired a small orange bolt of pure explosive heat from his weapon, the firing itself caused his vicinity to shake and rumble.

BOOM!!!!!!!

The bolt of energy sailed into and then through the Cero, causing a shaking sensation in the wind and then sailing into the surprised Vasto Lorde's chest.

CRRRRAACKCKOOOOMM!!!!!!!!!!!

A massive explosion tore through the skies, creating an orange bright light that could possibly be seen from all around the Seireitei, the scarred and burned Vasto Lorde sailing further into the sky, snarling in pain and rage as he did so.

As the explosion reverberated through the sky, a young form followed by a number of other Captains landed around Akisame and his area, the one who spoke first, "Who are you? Identify yourself and who that Hollow is!"

"Oh Crap..."

Akisame briefly glanced at the various Captains and subordinates around him, before returning his attention back to Gravich.

"My name is Akisame, sir." he said plainly, keeping his voice as respectful as he could. "I'm an accomplice of Captain Seu-Feng. It's a long story, the short version is that her Stealth force operation turned up something far more powerful than any of you can realize."

He then looked back at all of them. "She discovered a Gran Vasto Lorde."

Various facial expressions of shock and intrigue ran across the collective of superior officers within the Gotei 13 there. Toshiro looked at him like he was pulling something, retaining the most composed disposition between the majority of them, "What the hell are you playing at? What Gran Vasto Lorde?"

"Is that what the big guy up there was?" Shunsui asked pointedly while tipping his straw hat upwards, as Ukitake looked slightly alarmed at the trailing smoked figure.

"No sir." Akisame continued, resting his weapon over his shoulder. "A Gran Vasto Lorde is much more powerful than what you see before you. This Vasto Lorde is one of his servants..."

He then pulled out the black square disc that the thief had stolen earlier, and handed it to Toshiro. "Here. Everything that you guys need to know is on this disc. Make sure that when your Research Captain comes to, he gets this."

"Captain Kurotsuchi fought that monster?" Ukitake asked aloud, emphasizing with a pleading gesture of his hands, "what is his status? Is he alright?"

"You seem far too cagey for my liking," said the Kuchiki Captain of the 6th Division, walking towards him with a stoic, dispassionate gaze while staring at him accusingly, "who do you work for? I don't recognize your face nor your spiritual pressure, not to mention you have a Bankai you so clumsily flared out. Tell us now," he said after taking the disk swiftly, "or I'll have you brought to Head Captain Yamamoto to deal with you, considering the Commander-in-Chief of the Stealth Force is currently out of commission."

Akisame's helmet then retracted itself, revealing his serious face along with a strange yellow shade in his eyes compared to his previous blue. "My name is Akisame, Captain." he began, turning to face the elder Soul Reaper, though retaining a respectful pose and voice. "I'm a former apprentice of Yoruichi Shihoin, as well as the current apprentice of Charles De Soto McTavish, a scientist and expert on Hueco Mundo history. After her encounter with the Gran Vasto Lorde, as well as acquiring information from McTavish, Captain Seu-Feng brought me here in case this information required a special verification from me, that's when the Vasto Lorde came. I apologize for bringing my Bankai out like this, I realize that you have a ruling about that, but at any other level I may as well have been killed, as would have Captain Seu-Feng and the Research Captain."

"Speaking of which," he continued, looking over to Jushiro with reassurance. "I think he's alright. His Spiritual Pressure hadn't faded all the way when I was in the room for the short time that I was."

Jushiro sighed with relief at the news, with Shunsui smiling in a knowing way as he tipped his hat down, "Despite how creepy that guy is, he sure knows ways to cheat death, now doesn't he?"

"He certainly does," Jushiro said in acknowledgement.

Kenpachi looked up towards the sky, his eye dogged onto the still airborne form of Gravich, asking in a somewhat bored tone, "So...is that guy going to come down anytime soon? I'd like to get a workout before I fight this Gran Vasto you've been spouting about..."

"He should be." Akisame said plainly, pulling his helmet back over his head and looking up towards Gravich. "I had the element of surprise on him that time. No way I can keep up with him now that he knows how I act."

Sure enough, the Vasto Lorde stopped middair, glaring down at Akisame and the group with anger and malice.

"No...no way..." he began, his muscles beginning to flex and ripple with size, his eyes becoming red and another powerful burst of Spiritual energy erupted from his form.

"THERE'S NO WAY I WILL BE HUMILIATED LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!!" He roared out, holding up his right hand to face the sky. A violent string of black electricity began to surge and spread around the Seireitei in the center of his palm. It struck the ground around them, creating destruction and chaos all around. In the center of his palm and the black lightning emerged a small orange sphere that quickly began to grow in size. Eventually reaching up to be the size of a large building. The orange light could be seen from miles nearly, it's Spiritual Pressure daunting.

"Holy shit...." Akisame stated as he readied a defensive pose. The attack was powerful no doubt, certainly strong enough to level the area.

"Like it pissants?!" Gravich yelled out to them. "I call it the "Final Cero""

He then threw the massive ball at them all, roaring out. "CAUSE IT'S THE LAST THING ANY OF YOU WILL EVER SEE!!!!!!"

As all the Captains opened their eyes wide at the release of Spiritual Pressure, causing all but Kenpachi to take momentary pause, as the latter Captain smiled, saying a atypical tone, "Impressive Spiritual Pressure....I may have fun with this one!"

As the Cero was launched, Shunsui looked to Jushiro whom simply nodded his head. Taking hold of his Zanpakuto, he wordlessly released it into the pair of dual blades with a red tassle and charms connecting the hilts together, he rushed up towards the oncoming monstrous energy heading towards them, holding up his left Zanpakuto in readiness.

"Rain over the frosty heavens," Toshiro spoke lowly, leaping up as well, as his Zanpakuto assumed its loose-chained crescent moon form, he swung his Zanpakuto in a swift arc, sending a large dragon of ice that intended to freeze the loose energy Jushiro wouldn't capture, "Hyourinmaru!"

None of them would get the chance to neutralize the target.

For another Vasto Lorde had intervened.

Whoosh!

Just a few meters in front of Jushiro and Toshiro, a massive figure appeared between him and the massive ball of energy, his back facing the Captains. The figure was tall, having a skull shaped head with a strange crest like armor piece going around his head with several prongs facing upwards. Any more of his figure was concealed by his torn and black cape that flown around behind him from the Cero. It's Spiritual pressure was absolutley monstrous, being much higher than that of Gravich's. Even Akisame could feel the being's power from all the way down to the ground.

"My apologies, Captains..." the being spoke in a deep, yet sophisticated Hollow like voice as he raised up his right hand and his right hand alone.

CCCCCRRRRRAAAAAAAACKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!

As soon as the ball of energy made contact with his hand, a violent string of black electricity shot out from the point of contact, normally showing signs of struggle...

But this Vasto Lorde showed no such difficulty. With a simple passing of his hand, the ball of monstrous energy was vaporized in a powerful surge of wind and electricity.

"My compatriot tends to get out of hand when he isn't kept on his leash." he finished, still not looking at the two Captains.

Gravich was at first horrified to see his strongest attack so easily overcome, but his expression quickly became one of annoyance once he laid eyes on the culprit.

"By the Gods...." Akisame stated slightly, even taking a step back out of weariness. "It...it's him....!"

"What in-?!"

"By the Spirits!" Said in unison by Toshiro and Jushiro, as they had been stopped dead by the powerful being, who's strength was estimatedly second to Head Captain's, and he reacted with just sheer physical and spiritual force against the oncoming devestatingly powerful attack. Despite the vulgar and crude method, he did it without as much as batting an eye, that is if he had an eyelash to bat with...

Byakuya himself even opened his eyes in surprise seeing and feeling the being overcome the visually awe-struck attack. He lowered it back to half mast as per usual, however, as soon as a relatively reasonable amount of time passed, he walked serenely forward before using Flash Step, appearing between the paused Captains' Toshiro and Jushiro, speaking in a demanding yet polite tone.

"Who are you? Why have you and your allies attacked the Soul Society?" Byakuya had a hand resting meaningfully on his Zanpakuto's hilt as he asked this, as with good reason, "is this a declaration of war from Hueco Mundo to the Seireitei?"

The being then turned itself around, revealing a skul like face with piercing red eyes in it's centers. His figure was massive, but composed, a curaiss of bone like armor on his chest along with gauntlets and pauldrons of similar design. His legs were wrapped in a black fur like material and his boots were monster like in design. He folded his hands behind his back, and spoke with an equally respective tone.

"I am Caius Louisenbairn, Lord High General of the army under the command of God King Ultharonis Tyrannus the Mighty, the current Gran Vasto Lorde of this age." He looked down upon the three Captains, unintimidated and unthreatened by their weapons and Spiritual Power. "My king has not officially declared war on the Seireitei. The Vasto Lorde under me came without consent from myself or my lord. I have simply come to detain him and return him to Hueco Mundo."

"Caius Louisenbairn....." Akisame said lowly. "I never thought....that I would ever get to see him with my own eyes....."

"Louisenbairn...?! Don't tell me," Jushiro spoke aloud with deft intuition, as he raised his shikai zanpakuto in emphasis, "that you're Baraggan Louisenbairn's relative, the former Segundo Espada?!"

"It seems unlikely that the king of Hueco Mundo would leave any relatives alive to challenge his rule," Toshiro surmised aloud, before insisting otherwisted with a slight cock of his head, "unless any of his elder relatives had no real interest in ruling during that space or time, or were physically incapable as well."

"I see that you have heard of my younger brother." Caius said plainly, glancing over to Jushiro briefly. "Yes, I am the elder brother of Barragarn."

He then looked over to Toshiro, showing no hostility within his movements or words. "Lord Ultharon has been chosen by the realm as it's king. Had the Absolute Sovereign chosen me, then our places would be switched. But he is the stronger of the two of us, and he trusts my judgement. Despite what you all have been taught, not all Hollows are monsters who devour each other. Lord Ultharon cares for his people, and he would never kill any of them unless a proper reason arises. As for my brother, as much as I cared for him as any sibling would, Barragarn was a heretic of Hollow traditions that span back before any of our age. He was no true king, he was not chosen by the Absolute Sovereign. Hueco Mundo is better off without him on the throne."

Shunsui, by this time, had migrated up to the conversing Captains, taking care to show no drawn swords of his own as he began listening in. As soon as he heard about the elected ruler of Hueco Mundo, he tipped his overshadowed eyes towards him curiously, "That's strange...its been only less than twenty four hours since this Ultharon guy, beg your pardon if I speak wrongly of his grace, but how could he be King when we've had resources monitoring Hueco Mundo saying otherwise. Last time I checked, there were...multiple factions of Hollows, both natural and Arrancar alike, who've formed their own territories and veered away from their once unified Hollowity. What exactly gives this Hollow the right to rule over all others, considering the most average intelligent Hollow is usually a solitary predator who fends for him/herself?"

"My apologies, Captain." the elder Vasto Lorde stated, bowing his head respectfully to the new Captain that entered the scene. "I would love to answer that question, but it is not my place. Only the King knows the true potential behind the weapon's power. I know for a fact that it triggers a strange reaction in Hollows to where they are attracted to the blade, and they serve it's owner diligently. Add to that, my king is potentially the most powerful recorded Hollow of this age. And power carries great weight. So far, he has brought hundreds and hundreds of Hollows under his rule, all of them serving him fanatically. I know the King personally. He and I were old friends and veterans during the Great Schism. I would follow him to my grave."

"So its a Hollow monastic order that follows their so-called prophet or god-king into a revitalized era for Hollows," Toshiro said with factual speech, raising his Zanpakuto slightly before swinging it idly side to side, as he narrowed his eyes by a fraction, "it wouldn't work. Even if your king accomplished in destroying the Soul Society, it would create a radical imbalance within the order of the world, and your kind would utterly destroy the World of the Living and eventually turn on each other in order to sate each other's dominance and thirst for energy. There is no eternal peace for Hollow kind. None."

"You do realize by tredding on the grounds of the Seireitei is a high offense," Byakuya spoke aloud, as the other Captains began shimmering up to join the rest of them, nearly all of the combined might of the Captaincy stood next to the noble as he unclicked his Zanpakuto from his sheathe, "and by being a Hollow, you being here tarnishes the pride of the Gotei 13. We cannot allow you to escape here with your life, Caius Louisenbairn."

"Oh I do believe you will make an exception, Captain." Caius said plainly, glancing up at Gravich and nodding quietly, visually telling the Vasto Lorde to leave.

Gravich snarled a little bit, but he reluctantly opened a Garganta and left their sight.

A similar portal then opened behind Caius. "I apologize for the adrupt departure, but my king's affairs are more important than your oblivious questions. If you wish to know more about my king, then you should ask your Central 46 about him. After all, they were the ones who kept him secret...."

"...and just to make sure you don't do anything foolish..."

WHOOSH!!!!!!!!

The Vasto Lorde briefly shot out a powerful and daunting blast of Spiritual Pressure that easily equalled that of Gravich's outburst just moments ago. The burst would be strong enough to keep the Captains at bay, while he easily slipped into the Garganta and closed it, leaving no evidence of his existance behind him.

All of the present company of Captains knew better than to antagonize someone who was above the Vasto Lorde's level they had attempted to combat. Instead of all of them feeling fear, they all began to take Caius' measure and began to lower their swords as it appeared he had no interest in fighting. Yet...

"Well," Shinji spoke first for the first time, as he shrugged and began 'walking' towards where Akisame's stationary figure was, "I guess this means war, huh?"

"That's an understatement," Shunsui fired back, chuckling slightly despite the situation as he tipped his hat back down as he sheathed his Zanpakuto that hadn't been seen drawn before. The other Captains remained silent as they all turned around...and Flash Stepped around Akisame, all of them having suspicious or accusatory stares.

Jushiro said firmly, "You're going to come with us, Akisame. I'm sorry, but despite your heroic actions you're potentially the source of our problems and we have to present your case before our Head Captain, will all of us present. I surely hope you understand the situation we're in...being faced with another war so soon after a crisis not too long ago."

Kensei approached the Bankai garbed Akisame, staring him down intimidatingly as he crossed his muscular arms across his chest, "That isn't a request. Its an order, punk!"

"Refusing would be...an untimely demise for you, boy," Byakuya spoke coldly as he stared at him with a stoic, serene stare that would turn any man's blood to ice from the underlying threat within it.

"I understand Captain." Akisame said with a slight smile and nod of his head to Jushiro.

Before Kensei came up to Akisame, the boy began to glow with an orange light, and his armor and cape all retracted into orange dust, revealing a black t-shirt with black cargo pants and military boots. Around his neck were what appeared to be a pair of dog tags, but one could not really tell.

He dropped his now shrunk weapon to the ground, a sign that no resistance or hostility will be provoked on his part and he looked past Kensei to Byakuya. "Running from 12 Captains wouldn't be the greatest idea on my part. You have my utmost cooperation."

"Very well then," Shinji said as he approached Akisame from behind, placing a hand ontop of his hair, briefly mussing it before he smiled with a hidden menace within it, jokingly said, "let's go meet your maker, Akisame."

Oh boy......

Coming of the King, Prepare for the Arrival!
Within the next few minutes, they were all present in the Captain's chamber. Akisame stood in the center, facing the Head Captain while the others were on both of his sides.

Akisame stood straight up and folded his arms behind his back. His legs were spread in a sort of "attention" stance and his face was serious and focused, though deep down he was deeply nervous. He was facing the Head Captain, easily the most powerful Soul Reaper in existance, something he thought he would never get to see firsthand.

He was beginning to wonder if he would actually get out of this place in one piece.

All of the Captains looked at Akisame, each with their individually seperate thoughts, some of them mirroring in likeness to others as they all felt a keen suspicion of this boy. Claiming to be a apprentice of Yorouichi seemed almost too far fetched to the majority of the Captains, especially since she left alone and didn't even take her devoted disciple and bodyguard, Seu-Feng. So...this was an unusual case.

The Head Captain stared at Akisame with nearly seamless shut eyes, his aging brows curled in a manner of deep thought and his body hunched over and clutched his aging, ember-cane, as he observed the boy. It had been only ten minutes since the meeting...started...but it would appear as if the boy felt like it took hours.

"Boy," Genryuusai spoke with a gravely, yet commanding tone as he opened his left eye to acknowledge him in some way, "what is your name?"

"My name is Akisame, sir." the boy replied in a respectful, diligent tone, doing everything he could not to show any weakness on his part.

"Who trained you in the arts of the Soul Reaper, Akisame?" The old Captain probed very blunt, and to the point, as his left eye narrowed at him with attention and curiosity.

Akisame took in a deep breath and then spoke once more, retaining his respectful tone. "I was mentored by a man named Charles McTavish, a native of Aether. Despite what you may have heard, sir, Yoruichi Shihoin was not my mentor. She found me in the Rukongai several years before she enlisted in the Gotei 13 and I was raised within her family's household in secret for several years, before I left Soul Society on my own accord when she joined amoung your ranks."

The Head Captain paused upon hearing this, looking side to side at the Captains with slightly open eyes, an indication to voice their opinions.

"I've never heard of this Aether," Jushiro spoke frankly, looking pensive as he lifted his hand to cup his chin, "but I've heard the name McTavish before. They are a outspoken family within the Seireitei, as a few of their familial members are enrolled within the Gotei 13."

"I've never heard the name Charles McTavish before," Shinji spoke frankly, retaining a flat, blank and bored appearance even as he was in the presence of the other Captains and his superior, "sounds like a man who openly trains spirits as Soul Reapers. Doesn't really bode well for rogue elements we have to deal with, does it?"

Unohana looked down, before speaking herself, "I have vague familiarity of the place he calls Aether. Its a vibrant, lively land that borders the location of the Cracked Valley, the location where a devestating battle occured between the Gotei 13's Predeceesing Head Captain and an imposing threat that was rumored to be a incredible powerful being unlike any we've seen today. I suppose that being was Ultharon, was it not?"

"I only know of what my predecessor told me," Genryuusai spoke aloud in a grave, yet knowing tone, as his eyes opened to half mast, "this creature...this threat is one of the oldest kept secrets of the Soul Society. Only the Head Captain of the Gotei 13 and the Courts of Central 46 are priviledged enough with this information, for fear of mass panic and insecurity within our borders. That knowledge...is why I selected Captain Seu-Feng and her Punishment Force to see what had disrupted the ancient and powerful seal my predecessors have kept hidden. But with it loose...this changes everything," he stood up, looking down at the boy with a impending stare that would surely turn his insides cold, "so tell me, Akisame. Which side do you place your allegience with? I will have no rogue elements operating freely within the Soul Society, no matter how skilled or good their intentions may be. Either ally with the Soul Society, or be executed where you stand. That is my ultimatum to you, as Head of the Gotei 13!"

Akisame looked down for a few brief seconds, before looking back up at the Head Captain with resolve and honesty in his eyes. "This Ultharon has murdered thousands and he plans on killing more. He has also taken the life of one of my dearest friends without any remorse or respect. I will not side with the likes of him, my blade is yours, should you so desire for it's help, sir."

"Tch!" Kenpachi simply hissed out, turning his head towards him with a cocked angle and a downlooking attitude, "you better sharpen that blade of yours if you're going to do any good in this war, trash. This isn't a field trip for the likes of you..."

"I have no desire or patience to trial you for the many offences you've committed knowingly and ignorantly within the Soul Society. The Soul Society's protection must come first, for that is the duty of the Gotei 13!" He then looked to all of the Captains, slamming his cane down profoundly as his words that followed, "I proclaim the War Expemption Rights! All Soul Reapers are to wear Zanpakuto at all times and the unrestricted use of Zanpakuto's released forms are allowed! Infiltrators are inevitable, as witnessed within the prior day, we cannot allow ourselves to be caught off guard again! All Divisions...prepare for full warfare!"

"How adorable....."

A piercing, menacing and deep Hollow like voice echoed throughout the chamber. The power and the sheer malice and bloodlust that it possessed caused Akisame's spine to freeze. Certainly, the Head Captain's prescence was bad enough on his body, but this.....this was something else entirely. Something powerful. Something terrifying...

Something he had felt before.

An electric buzzing sound came from behind him, and as he turned his head slowly, he could see a large crack forming in the middle of the air. It slowly opened, going nearly ten feet tall and six feet wide. Out of it emerged a dark figure, tall, muscular, with a long two pronged tail moving around his back, and two yellow eyes opened on it's head. It slowly walked out of the now confirmed Garganta, revealing it's grinning and massive form to all of the inhabitants of the room, towering over all of them while radiating a power that was nothing short of staggering, easily higher than that of Gravich's or Caius's

It was Ultharon, in the flesh.

"Evening." he said lowly, a mocking and amused grin on his tooth filled mouth.

"In the middle of the Seireitei-?!"

"-A Garganta penetrating the shield?! Impossible!"

A number of verbal responses that were hushed before the incredible power that bore upon them all. The only one that didn't seemed phased was Kenpachi, and he couldn't help but contain a wide feral smile. He reached for his Zanpakuto as did the others as the readied for a confrontation immediately.

Genryuusai's eyes opened fully as the display of subterfuge and power was shown before him, before he returned them to half mast. A thick, gravely voice churned out with a vicious demand, "Are you the one they call, Ultharon?"

The creature's grin grew wider as he watched their reaction to his prescence. "What's wrong Commander? Have you never seen a Gran Vasto Lorde in person before? Judging by the faces of yourself and these half wit dogs, I would say no...."

He then stepped forward, placing a hand on Akisame's frozen shoulder and gently pushing him aside to where now he stood in the boy's place. "I am Ultharon the Mighty, the True King of Hueco Mundo."

"There is only one true King of the spiritual universe," Genryuusai spoke as he stared him down, unimposed by his presence in the least, "and it is certainly not a twisted creature like you, who only lusts for power to sate his pride-filled manics and vengeful heart to destroy the Soul Society!"

In response, the monster let out a sickening cackle that echoed throughout the building, and even forced Akisame to cover his ears in response to it's shivering noise.

"A true king defends his land when it is threatened, instead of leaving it's protection to the likes of incompetant dogs such as yourself." the creature said, stepping forward once more and towering over the Commander, not in the least intimidated by him, and even slightly dissapointed at what he saw. "But I did not come here to debate religion with a short sighted boy."

He then extended all of his right fingernails, revealing their sharpened and razor edged forms, looking at them in a sadistic manner. "I came to see how well this place has faired since I..."

He then looked down at the commander, his two chest eyes and his shoulder eyes now opening, with all six of the menacing yellow orbs looking down at him. "...destroyed it."

"Did you come here to gloat and bask in your aged pride," Genryuusai asked, clenching his cane a little tighter than what anyone could see, "or did you come here to fight, Hollow?!"

"As I just said Soul Reaper, I came here to see the condition of this place has been. So far..."

He then leaned in towards Yamamoto, his face a mere few inches from the latter's, speaking in a lower, more raspy tone. "...I'm not impressed."

"We're not here for your amusement, creature," Genryuusai said rasply, his eyes glaring into the Hollow's with contempt and threats, no actual fear was upon his own eyes, "I have not been Head Captain of the Soul Society's Thirteen Court Guard Squads for over one thousand years to be talked down by an arrogant whelp who's long outlived his glory age! Begone, or I shall destroy you here and now, with no precious army to misguide for your own self-gotten gains of vengeance!"

His speech was nostalgically compelling, powerful and confident, almost the same words the Head Captain spoke to Ultharon the last time he declared war upon the Soul Society. These words rang true in this shell of an old body as if he said these words over one thousand years ago. He would not let a simpleton with drunken power goad him into a mere thug's fight, he would fight him as a warrior and will kill him like a dog if he continued to bark.

To this, Ultharon emited a low chuckle, nothing but amusement and mockery in his face and voice. He sneered a little bit before standing all the way up on his feet, again towering over the Commander before folding his hands behind his back and turning around, walking casually around the other 12 Captains in a hawk like stare. Looking at them with a mocking grin as he scanned them from top to bottom.

"So tell me, Commander...." he began as he walked around the other Captains. "....I've heard stories about what all has happened in my absence. Quincies being exterminated, Modified Soul Reapers. And Aizen! Oh so much about how Aizen, a Soul Reaper turned abomination nearly destroyed you all from both the inside out, and with an army of Arrancars. It's sad really. You claim that you are here to protect Soul Society from impending threats. But how can you possibly hope to protect Soul Society from something like me, if you can't even protect it from yourselves?"

"Don't place your self on a pretentious pyre of omnitiousness, Ultharon," Genryuusai spoke without making a flutter from his words, "the unknown is always the undoing of those with absolute power and duty. Something you fail to grasp, as you too were defeated by my predecessor, sealed away for milleniums until now. I'm surprised you have the strength to gloat when you've been rotting away in a dark cage prison for thousands of years, having been nearly bested by my subordinates! If anything, Ultharon, you are the one who disappoints me..."

"Being sealed away for over two thousand years does not spell defeat." the creature said plainly. "He was strong. Possibly the only Soul Reaper to have ever earned my respect. But he was too weak willed to finish what his kind started. Instead of defeating me like he could have, he sealed me away, knowing that without a doubt one day I would be set loose upon the world once more..."

He then glared at Yamamoto with another mocking look. "...It seems to me that your predecessor has damned you all."

"What my ancestors had done was given you a token of mercy," Genryuusai, lifting his cane up without any age or elder feebleness within them, almost grasping it like a weapon as he turned towards the Gran Vasto Lorde, "but it seems they were aware of the possibility that you might break free one day. For that reason, I've made the necessary...preperations, to ensure you suffer the ultimate punishment, you twisted abomination!"

"Do you know why that I am King of Hueco Mundo, Commander?" the monster peered all of a sudden, his left side facing the Head Captain and his head turned to face him.

"You're the worst that your damned kind has to offer," Genryuusai said with a certain knowing, "you're greedy, selfish, and maliciously relentless in attaining your power hungry vengeance so you can sate your appetite for destruction and place yourself on your self imposed pinnacle of pride!"

"Oh...it's much more than that...."

The creature then held out his right hand, a silver and blue dust began to form in it's palm, before....

SCZINK!!!!!!

A large claymore then formed in the creature's palm, the blade shining with a white light and blue electricity radiating around it, the tip of it a mere inch from the Commander's face. Even Akisame felt shivers running down his spine from the power that could be felt in the blade.

"What is that.....?"

"It's because I was chosen by the pinnacle of my races pride. A blade older than you and your pathetic Soul Society. A blade that kept my kind at the top of the Spiritual races. This Commander.....this is the Absolute Sovereign."

Genryuusai didn't flinch at the sight of the sword, despite some of his subordinate's instinctive gestures to draw their Zanpakuto from their sheathes in alarm at the provocative stance the hollow took.

"Head Captain-!"

"No, Jushiro," Shunsui said, holding out a hand to keep him from engaging as he felt no immediate violent intentions from the old hollow's movements, "let's see where he's going with this."

Even Sajin was feeling like crushing the large monster where he stood, only to be stopped by Toshiro's petitely smaller hand to his chest, keeping a stoic eye to him in a silent admission that there was no rational action at this point they could take to stop the abomination.

"It looks," Genryuusai finally said after a long pause and graced look upon the electrified, magnanomious weapon, "like a old weapon, use to disillude the minds of many of your twisted brethren, conjurer of malice and hatred."

"If you see it as such, then you are truly blind." the creature said, turning slowly around while keeping the blade in it's same stance, pointing it's edge at the other Captains.

"Soberana Absoluta was created by a Gran Vasto Lorde older than all of our ages combined. It was created with a special power, a power that would force Hueco Mundo to it's knees. He used the weapon to spur my kind into a unified race so many years ago. Only a Gran Vasto Lorde such as myself is capable of wielding it, as any other Hollow would be vaporized." he continued, still slowly walking around and holding the blade close to the Captains. "It has it's own soul, presumidibly the soul of it's creator, and every Hollow, young and old feels it's influence. It reminds and teaches them that they were once a powerful race that could overcome any boundry. That is why they follow me, and that is why they always shall, until the next Gran Vasto Lorde comes of age."

"It sounds more like a Zanpakuto," Shinji spoke aloud, entertaining a grin even as the blade pointed in his direction, "except that in order for it to exist, a soul of powerful Spiritual Power must be sacrificed and bound to the blade's body. Or...the Gran Vasto Lorde's energy transforms into a blade? It sounds really unreliable if all the blade needs to exist is a blade," he then cocked his head in query, "wouldn't that mean if you put too much stress and your life is in danger, the sword absorbs your life essence and spirit energy to keep from being destroyed? A weapon being broken like that...could cause a massive release of raw spirit power if you're not careful..."

The creature sneered at Shinji, all five of it's eyes peering into him curiously. He sniffed a couple of times, as if he was smelling for something. "I smell.....Hollow in you whelp. You must be a Vizard..."

He then chuckled lowly as he looked back at Yamamoto. "Now this is hypocrisy if i've ever seen it. You always refer to my kind as twisted and single minded, unworthy of praise or mercy, and yet here you harbor Soul Reapers that carry our blood. Such arrogance on your part Commander."

"Easy there, Ulthie," Shinji waved his hand to the gargantuan Hollow King, smiling back nonchalantly, "we're all friends here, right? Mind your manners around the old man, would you? He doesn't like it when you insult him repeatedly. He kinda doesn't like that kinda thing, y'know," he winked at him, "also, I didn't ask for Hollowity, and neither do any of my other comrades did, but we bear that burden for the sake of the Soul Society. I'd mind your tone...what you speak of us..."

Byakuya then drew out his sword in a fluid, excericised motion, his cool eyes gazing upon the hulking piece of hollowity, speaking cooly to him, "We gain nothing by exchanging idle words and playful banter. You came here to start a war and have declared it by setting foot on our pride. For that, we will fight you to the last living soul. I'd suggest you leave,"

BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!

"...before the full might of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads crushes you here and now!" Almost as one, all of the Captains flared their Spiritual Pressures at Ultharon with a unified, mighty front, soon followed by Geryuusai's own, making the entire Seireitei shake with a violent intensity, and the air crackle, causing the skies above to distort and gather negative energy. Storm clouds began to crack and gloom ominously above with the impending inevitable storm about to break, both naturally and physically. It was only a matter of time...before the dogs of war were let loose!

WHOOSH!!!!

Just as the mighty torrent of Spiritual energy was released, the Gran Vasto Lorde let out a Sonido that was nothing short of sheer mastery, knowing as soon as the Kuchiki drew his blade that trouble would soon begin.

By the time the storm clouds had gathered, the Hollow King was high above the building, looking down at them with his blade in hand, sneering in pride and malice at the group. He then yelled out at them with a daunting and menacing voice.

"Fools! If you think that your combined might can stop me, then you are all lost in your own filth! The skies will burn with fire, the oceans will all boil! And your Soul Society will run red with your own blood! Prepare yourselves for the Arrival!!!!"

He then opened a Garganta, and left the area.

Ultharon wasn't affected by the outburst.

But Akisame was.

Comically lying in a large pile of wood and other pieces of debris from the mighty burst of power, he lifted up a single arm. "I'm alright.....I think I broke everything right there...."

WOOOOOOSH!

Almost in unison, the crowd of Captains left the area, some of them gathering ontop of the building to watch him ascend and others rushed towards him, drawing their respective weapons as they intended to engage him, here and now. Then the Garganta opened up...

"We can't pursue him now," Byakuya said as he halted himself beside the most fiery spirited Captains, all of them could only watch helplessly as the incredibly powerful time/space tear seal itself, leaving the King of Hueco Mundo to return to his armies without incident, "he's a coward who decided to gloat in front of his enemies, showing that he had the capability of doing so at any time. This does not bode well for our defenses and security measures..."

"Kensei," Shinji said, pointedly looking over to his fellow Visored Captain with a knowing look, "see what you can find out about how he penetrated that shield. We'll ask Kurotsuchi when he's in a better shape than he is now."

"Right," the white haired Soul Reaper said before flickering out of view, his tell tale Flash Step leaving only a whisper in his wake.

Shunsui tipped his hat up as he smiled a carefree expression momentarily as he looked up at the sky, "That was quite the show. That Ultharon guy sure likes to express himself, doesn't he?"

"That he does," Jushiro said as he looked to his superior's grave, near unreadable expression looking up at the skies where Ultharon disappeared, "I hope we can ready ourselves. If that weapon is as truly powerful as he claims he'll bring the largest force of Hollows we've ever faced down."

"You think the Royal Guard will get involved?"

"Who knows?" Shunsui sighed, tipping his hat to forshadow his facial features as he turned with a final reluctant grimace follow his jaw, "I just hope it doesn't come to that. After all...they only come in if we fail, and I'd rather not think about it as a when, you know? Makes us look bad."

"Ah, is that the only thing?" Jushiro turned to have a grim smile of his own, acknowledging Shunsui's feelings on the matter.

"Tch!" Kenpachi huffed, disappointed such a powerful opponent slipped through his fingers. He turned around and walked away from the other Captains, saying briefly to his superior, "I'll get my men ready for the war."

"See to it is done," Genryuusai said without really turning to face him, earning a slight uncharacteristic pause from the warrior-blooded Captain.

"We'll beat'em, old man," he said with a note of encouragement, before turning his back on him and initiated a Flash Step of his own, disappearing with a slight flutter of wind in his wake.

Meanwhile, Unohana approached Akisame with Toshiro in tow, bending her head slightly to look at the young Reaper, "Are you alright, Akisame-san? Can you stand?"

Slowly, the other arm came out of the rubble and grabbed the ground, both hands now pulling his form out of the debris, revealing a bruised but normal Akisame. "I'm fine Ma'am. Just wasn't expecting the sudden outburst of power from all of you, not to say that it wasn't required."

"Good," Unohana had already turned her back without a second thought to Akisame's well being, speaking as she walked calmly towards the exit of the meeting hall, "then I think now is the best time to visit Captain Seu-Feng. Considering this may be the last time we shall catch breath before the plunge, seeing her will probably do her some good."

His eyes widened slightly in a little bit of surprise and potential excitement at seeing his comrade (and crush), but it quickly went back to being the same serious one from before. "Yeah....Right behind you."

He then stood himself up all the way and proceeded to follow the elder Captain.

Silence and Companionship, The hours are numbered
Seu-Feng opened her eyes hazily.

She felt as if she had taken all those hits from that brutish monster and then relived Ultharon's nightmarish strength pummeling her into the ground, exhausting her of any strength and hope. She looked around, trying to sit herself up, feeling a bit dizzy as she did so. The last thing she rememebered...the last thing she could remember was...

"Please don't move too much, Captain," Isane, the Lieutenant of the 4th Division said in a empathetic, warning tone, holding up her hands in emphasis, "you've been out for half a day. You need to rest while you can to recover your strength."

"Wh-What happened?..."

"You were found drained of your Spirit Energy to almost zero," Isane sighed, shaking her head with disappointment but didn't voice it as she continued, "your injuries have been treated and you should be able to make a full recovery if you stay in bed for a few days."

"Wh-Where's Akisame?!" She suddenly asked in a dry, hoarse voice, her hair draped in a sweat matted form across the pillow she now laid down, but the urgency was still clear in her tone, "is...is he alright?!"

"Right here."

Akisame was leaned against the wall just opposite of Isane, standing himself up and walking over next to her bed. "You don't need to worry about me. How are you feeling?" he asked in a casual and friendly tone. Though his face didn't show it, inwardly he was somewhat surprised by her strange concern for his well being. Maybe he got lucky? Only one way to find out.

"C-Come closer," she whispered hoarsely, reaching out a hand to beckon him to lean closer, "I...I need to tell you...something...Akisame..."

He cocked an eyebrow and looked to both of his sides briefly before looking back down at her. "Mmkay..."

He then leaned in as close as he would allow, turning his head slightly to where his left ear was facing her face. "Yeah?"

SLAP-SLAP-SLAP-SLAP!

"YOU IDIOT!" Seu-Feng shouted at him, almost in a Rukia-esque manner as she huffed and puffed at him with flushed cheeks, "you jumped in the middle of a fight and tried to play hero?! What the hell did you hit your head with?! You could've died you fool!"

"OW!" the man yelled aloud in comical pain as his face also reflected similar emotions. When she finally stopped, he looked down at her with a sheepish expression, rubbing the spot on his cheek with his right hand. "Well it was either I stand outside and watch you get destroyed, or I step in and try to chase the bastard out. I mean, better me than you, right?"

"Tch!" Seu-Feng looked away with a frustrated, tired look in her features. Grimacing while her eyes twitched in frustration and irritation.

"There's no need for you to act heroically on my behalf," Seu-Feng said lowly, closing her eyes and not opening them as she faced her head in the opposite direction of Akisame, "as a Soul Reaper, its our acknowledgement that we may have to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good, and that our lives may be well short lived. I don't know if Yoruichi implored it, or your decrepit master, but to me, acknowledging the inevitable means that we don't have to burden ourselves in protecting all of our comrades. I'm no different," she then opened her eye and sideglanced Akisame, saying coldly, "and neither are you."

He let out a slight sigh and put his hands in his pockets. "Well....if you think about it, I kind of did try to sacrifice myself for the greater good. I mean, if Ultharon is going to live up to his threats, then this place is going to be attacked in just a little while from now. Can you imagine how weakened the Gotei 13 would be if they lost even one Captain? I'm not all that smart, but I know for a fact that one Vasto Lorde is much stronger than the average Captain, and so far, Ultharon has two of them. One of them is almost as strong as Ultharon himself."

He then looked out of the room's window. "Again. It would be better for a low life like me to die in place of someone who knows what they're doing."

"Why?"

Seu-Feng then asked in a slightly confused, yet bitter-tinged tone as she looked at him now, with hidden sadness reflecting her eyes.

"Why would you compel yourself for someone you hardly know, let alone to a military you don't swear allegience to? While your logic of saving a Captain is understandable, but what makes you want to protect the Gotei 13 when you're not even part of it? Who's side are you on, Akisame?!"

He then looked over to his right, seeing that Isane was no longer in the room with them, which was a relief. He then looked down at Seu-Feng with a serious expression.

"I'm on the side that Yoruichi would want me to be on. The side where I can help prevent dark and twisted maniacs from having their way with the world, where I can feel like I've contributed and benifited someone in this world and this life. But more importantly, I'm on the side where I can fufill my promise to Yoruichi..."

He then leaned down slightly and spoke in a lower, more gentle voice. "...My promise to her, that I would protect you so long as I draw breath."

Seu-Feng's eyes widened, her pupils dialated at the same time her orbs gathered moisture and her cheeks flushed slightly at hearing the words Akisame spoke. A torrent of emotions flooded her mind and body, thoughts, questions, and demands flooded her cognition, threatening to break the barrier of dispassion and professionalism she usually clings to for a solid defense and filter. But this man...this student of Yoruichi's...pledged to protect his lady's one companion asides from the other Captains.

"You...," she began uttering out, in a hoarse sad voice as tears began falling down her cheeks from her eyes, "you said that...to her?"

"Yes. I did Seu-Feng." he replied, sitting in the seat next to her bed and retaining his serious expression and gentle voice. "She cared for you, and I care for you too. From what she told me, you meant the world to her, and she told me to watch out for you if she didn't make it. And I promised her that I would so long as I was capable of breathing."

Closing her eyes tightly, Seu-Feng let a shaky breath out as she then spoke out, "I think...you should leave now, Akisame."