I don't own Bleach.

The Realm Wars: Begin Engagement

Introduction.

Basically this is a "what-if" story centering around the idea of multiple city-states within the Soul Society of Bleach, each corresponding to a different region of Earth, and not all of them are loyal to the spirit king. In this new world, Ichigo and co, the Captains of the Seireitei, the Espada, and the captains of these other cities will have to decide what it is they are actually fighting for in this war for one man's godhood.

This is a rewrite, I didn't like how the pacing was going the first time around, and felt like there was a lot of room for improvement. I'm going to be using this story to stay in practice with the third person perspective, which I haven't really used since I wrote Semper Victoria and Semper Furor. Expect bi-weekly updates.

Prologue: Pre-Emptive Strikes

"We know he's using us for his own ends, but as long as he helps us get our revenge, what does it matter who sits on God's throne?" ~ Legatus Legionis Agrippa Caesar (deceased)

Five days after Aizen's Betrayal of the Gotei 13

"Run dammit! Run!" He could feel her energy spiking behind him, the air becoming dry and hot within moments as she pushed her powers to their limit. "I can't hold them long! Run!"

It was all he could do to obey his Captain's command. His lungs were burning, and his life's blood was pouring from a dozen minor wounds across his body. Even his blade's spirit was whimpering with exhaustion, its soft moans all the proof he needed that he had reached the end of his strength. In any other situation, he would have simply collapsed on the spot, hoping that the medical division would find him before he bled out.

But to stop running means to die... to die means to fail... to fail means that my people's sacrifice means nothing...

Ahead, its stepped form cratered from the impacts of magical spells and cero blasts, was one of the few remaining citadels. It might have even been the last, they had lost contact with the few other hold-outs nearly twelve hours before. And behind him... behind him were creatures that his Captain could only hold at bay for a few minutes, selling her life to buy him the time to escape through the last functioning spirit gate.

His feet carried him forwards, legs moving in a shuffling jog that was the best he could manage. As he slowly left the battle behind, his ears could hear the shouts and screams, and the spiritual energy was roaring as what was left of his division desperately held the line.

Move... just keep moving... get to the Citadel...

As he approached the massive structure, a dozen beams of crimson and blue tore through the air overhead. Most exploded against the massive stone pyramid itself, while a few impacted the ground near its base. His heart clenched as nearly a dozen energy sources vanished in the explosions, pieces of people who had been his friends and comrades joining the stone debris arcing through the air.

How many... how many more of us will die...?

Some defenders still remained, their own spells and powers hurling energy back at their attackers, but the pitiful few that remained were only delaying the inevitable. This last fortress would fall within the hour, and there was nothing that they could do about it. They had given all that flesh, and blood, and steel could give.. and it simply hadn't been enough. Not against what came for them. There was barely a flicker in the combined energies behind him from the retaliatory blasts, and something massive laughed mockingly, his chest vibrating with the force of it.

"Lieutenant! The gate is open sir!" he wasn't sure who shouted it as he approached, and he lacked the breath to respond in any case. Staggering into a flash step, it was all he could to aim himself through the doorway, nearly retching at the effort required to do even that much.

They..come! Mishihpeshu's voice was weak within his mind, her energy drained from the days of fighting that had led to this. Run!

The next minutes passed as a blur. He could vaguely recall other warriors aiding him, using what little power they had left to heal some of his wounds, to let him move just a little faster. Others merely settled into combat stances behind him, waiting for the enemy to arrive so that they too could sacrifice themselves to buy him a few more moments.

At times, all he saw were images. The grim face of a healer going slack, the last of his spiritual energy shifting into that of a fifth division warrior. The dead eyes of those too wounded to fight anymore, well aware of their impending fate. He remembered the sad smile of the Lieutenant of the Healing Squad, the only other ranked officer left. Her blade twisting into the shape of a bow as she took her place to defend her dying charges.

Why...? Why... has all of this... happened!?

Finally entering the heart of the pyramid, he paused, refusing to look at the gleaming gate that waited to take him away from the madness.

What... are you doing!? Go through!

Not... yet...

Closing his eyes, he stretched out with his sixth sense, and felt his city dying. He could feel the dying flicker of his Captain, the heat of the desert drowning as water and wind ripped through her body. Nearer, the sweet healer, the Lieutenant who had sworn to never take a life, calmly stood her ground as a serpent approached.

And further away... the decaying energy of the Captain Commander still permeated through the air. Even with his death days before, the lingering power of his earth spirit was still to be felt, marking the great crater like a spectral tombstone. The energy of the other Captains was already gone. Faded... or consumed.

"Lieutenant Ahiga."

He turned. An older man, his battered robes all that identified him as a magi, gave him a kind smile.

"Please, sir. There's no time."

It was all he could do to nod and turn back to the gate. Lights danced before him, the curtain of energy beckoning him forth.

Closing his eyes, he took a single breath, and stepped into the light.

The old man watched for a moment, counting to himself. Reaching twenty, he carefully murmured the words to the spell, and then sighed with relief.

The gate began to pulse and writhe, the tremendous energy expanding against its rapidly vanishing constraints. Throughout the structure, friend and foe alike felt the ripple of its power. The invaders, suddenly desperate, reversed their course, frantically using both flash steps and sonido to move away as quickly as they could. The defenders, long expecting this outcome, simply shut their eyes and waited for the end.

A few moments later, the ancient structure vanished in a blast of fire and energy, the last legacy of Tamoanchan, Soul Society of the Americas.

Urahara's Notebook, Page 1,487

Ahh. Tamoanchan, soul society of the American continents. Alone of the three city-states, it lacks a common language, even a common mode of dress. Or a unified society at all really. Their army, the Guard, is the smallest of the three, but they try to make up for it in sheer tenacity. They're even more reclusive within their own society than we shinigami are. They rarely, if ever, leave their pyramid citadels, but given how dangerous the districts are, it's not particularly surprising.

At their height, they featured eight divisions, plus the usual specialist detachments of kido users, medics, and scouts. They've been lucky, and able to stay out of most of the big-time events of the last few centuries, and haven't had to deal with as many mortal wars.

A note on their zanpakotou; functionally, they're similar to our own, they have an inner spirit that can be manifested, but oddly they don't have a shikhai-bankai distinction. Instead, they have only one release that increases on power based on the level of trust between the two, as well as the wielder's own power. For example, a trainee with an earth type blade might be only able to make you lose your footing, but give him a century or two, and he might be able to bring down most of a mortal city.

Next is Chapter 1: A Day and Night of Discovery

I hope people will enjoy this fic that I am putting together. It will focus heavily on combat, and the motivations behind the various character's actions. I'm not sure if I'll be going with single or multiple character points of view per chapter, will likely be deciding that over the next couple of days. Expect the first actual chapter this Friday, with updates every other Friday going forwards.

Please read and review, criticism is welcome, flames not so much, as usual. Reviews are my lifeblood as a writer.. every-time my email goes off with a review it makes me want to write more, so please take the time to leave one. Guests can leave them as well, and it only takes a minute, so please. Even if it's as simple as "I enjoyed it, please continue."

Thanks, Kat