SailorStar9: This is the start of the new arc of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, will it kill you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.

Prologue: The Beginning of a New Holy War

Hasu awoke to the darkening of her bedchambers. "You are Hades, the Lord of the Underworld." she greeted the cloaked figure appearing from the ground. "What do you want from me?"

"Tula..." Hades rose to his full height, bringing out a scythe. "I have come to take you, my daughter."

"Since when has it been in this condition?" Hitsugaya questioned as he and Matsumoto inspected the dug-up graves of the late Shinigami.

"When we went to check two hours ago, there was nothing!" one of his subordinates reported. "Sacking the Shinigami graves... how... who could have done this?"

"And why one earth would someone steal bodies of dead Shinigami?" Matsumoto wondered.

"Wait." Hitsugaya voiced. "The graves have not been forced from the outside. No, it's more like it had been forced from the inside."

"It seems so." Matsumoto peered closer. "WHAT? You're saying that the bodies came out from the graves by themselves?" she exclaimed. "Impossible, how could dead bodies...?"

"No, there's one who can do it." Hitsugaya corrected. "If it is the one who commands Death, the birth father of our Goddess."

"From afar, a Spirit Pressure stained with evil," Kyōraku stepped out of the Aries Temple. "Impossible. Stop right there." he stepped forth to face the intruders. "Take one more step, and I won't be able to guarantee your life."

"Kyōraku, there is no way you would lay a hand on me." the intruder declared. "Have you forgotten my face?"

"No..." Kyōraku was stunned. "That's not possible! You!"

"How disrespectful you are to me!" the intruder stated. "Kneel down at once! What? Didn't you hear my command? Yes. That's good." he noted, Kyōraku forced to his knees. "After all, you can't go against my words. Kyōraku, I'm giving you this order. In 12 hours, you will bring me Tula's head. You can do it. Why are Kyōraku hesitating? Get Tula's head right away!"

"I can't." Kyōraku replied. "Even if it is your order, I can't."

"You understand how serious a crime opposing Shion-sama is?" a voice sounded.

"This voice." Kyōraku stood up. "You are..."

"You remembered." Suzunami Seigen revealed his face.

"You two..." Kyōraku frowned as Amagai Shūsuke stepped out from the shadows. "You... those bodies... you should be dead and buried. Then would your dead souls still be lost?"

"We are not lost!" Amagai retorted. "We swore allegiance to Hades-sama, and have been given a new life!"

"Hades!" Kyōraku echoed. "The Underworld King! Becoming Hades's tools in order to be resurrected... threatening Tula-sama's life... where has your dignity as Tula's Shinigami gone?"

"Shut up!" Amagai snapped. "You're enjoying your life in Soul Society, how would you understand the horror of the World of the Dead?" and ripped off his cloak, Suzunami following suit.

"Why aren't you wearing Captain haoris?" Kyōraku demanded. "No..." he trailed. "Black as unfathomable darkness, this shine as cold as the moon. These armors are..."

"That's it." Amagai declared. "These are no Captain haoris! But Robes from the World of the Dead, Surplices! The proof we're Hades' faithful warriors, Specters! Move from there, Kyōraku! There's nothing more to say now! Do you plan to oppose Shion-sama?" he questioned as Kyōraku stood his ground.

"Indeed, no matter what, I can't oppose this man." Kyōraku admitted. "But do you really think I will let you through?"

"Then, I'll pass using force!" Amagai snapped. "Raiendan!" he released his fireballs.

"Kyōmon!" Kyōraku cast a barrier spell, deflecting the flames and throwing Amagai back.

"He turned back the Raiendan!" Amagai was stunned. "Wait, this is..." he recognized the barrier spell.

"Wait, Amagai." Suzunami stepped up. "I, Suzunami, won't be stopped by Kyōraku's technique. Shiden Raikō!" he released his lightning at the shield, only to have his attack deflected back on him.

"Do you not understand?" Kyōraku questioned. "Destroying this Kyōmon is impossible. Attacking this Kyōmon is like striking your own reflection in the mirror. No matter how strong your attack is, you'll only get yourself injured."

"Enough with this, Kyōraku," Shion ordered. "Those two are under my command. Everything you did is a rebellion against me. Remove the Kyōmon. If you don't do it, I shall do it myself. Such techniques can't possibly hold me back." powering up his Spirit Pressure, he blasted the barrier with his Spirit Power. "Now, go!" he ordered. "To Tula's side, sleeping in her Temple. Go get Tula's head."

"We protected Seireitei, so the Gotei 13 Temples' roads have no secrets to us." Amagai grinned.

"Reaching Tula's Temple won't be a problem." Suzunami agreed.

"Don't move, Kyōraku." Shion warned. "I thought I told you those two are under my command. Baring your fist against those two is like baring your fist against me. Will you bring your fist against me, Kyōraku?"

"Move from there!" Amagai roared, slamming a fist into Kyōraku's stomach. "Him!"

"I'll protect this Aries Temple from intrusion, for this is the Captain's duty." Kyōraku was adamant. Even if it means losing my life, there is no way I can let you through."

"Amagai, Suzunami, go take Tula's head." Shion told his subordinates. "Kyōraku won't be able to oppose me."

"As you wish." Amagai nodded.

"At once." Suzunami replied and the two former Shinigami headed out.

Kyōraku immediately shunpo-ed back, casting another 'Kyōmon' spell and blowing both ex-Captains back.

"Kyōraku, don't you understand yet?" Shion questioned. "Opposing those two means disobeying me."

"I told you," Kyōraku repeated. "It is my duty to protect this Aries Temple even if I must die. I, Kyōraku Shunsui, will pay for my disobedience towards you with my death, but... Suzunami, Amagai, I won't forgive you two! I'll send you back to the World of the Death with my own hands!"

"For the first time, Shunsui, the laid-back man had erased his smile, and revealed his might." Shion realized.

"You were once Tula's Shinigami," Kyōraku hissed. "But your desire to be resurrected made you swear allegiance to Hades and now you are ready to threaten Tula's life. I won't let your filthy souls tread the ground of this Aries Temple anymore. I, Kyōraku Shunsui, will put an end to you!"

"Take this, Kyōraku!" Amagai revealed his Zanpakutō. "Bankai: Raika Gōen Kaku! Raiendan!"

"Strike down, Shiden!" Suzunami released his Zanpakutō. "Shiden Raiko!"

"Return to where you came, to the World of the Dead!" Kyōraku declared.

"Run away!" Shion warned as Kyōraku released his attack.

"Flower Wind Rage and Flower God Roar, Heavenly Wind Rage and Heavenly Demon Sneer, Katen Kyōkotsu!" the 8th Squad Captain released his Shikai. "Bushogoma!"

The tornado literally blew Amagai and Suzunami away.

"Suzunami, Amagai, your bodies have completely disappeared from this world." Kyōraku muttered. "Now you have returned back to the World of the Dead."

"Kyōraku, you are foolish if you think the battle will be over because you defeated those two." Shion stated.

"Pardon my disobedience, but I couldn't stand by and watch." Kyōraku apologized. "Until Hades and the 108 Specters are all defeated..."

"I'm not talking about the 108 Specters." Shion corrected. "I mean Suzunami and Amagai are not the only ones to have come for Tula's head."

"Yes, besides him, there are still other Specters." Kyōraku realized. "No... these Spirit Pressures... I've met them all long ago! No way!" he gaped, when three more shadows manifested before him. "Even you... even you accepted Hades' deal and have come to kill Tula?"

"It's too late." Hitsugaya cursed. "We can't do anything more now. If the strongest Captains have been resurrected and are now enemies, Seireitei is surely going to be destroyed from within!"

"Even you..." Kyōraku was stunned when Ichimaru tore off his cloak. "Ichimaru Gin. Kaname Tōsen." he looked as Tōsen pulled off his cloak. "And Kenpachi Kiganjō ." he muttered after Kiganjō blew off his cloak. "Are you saying that even you have become Hades' soldiers and have come to kill Tula?"

"That is right." Ichimaru replied. "Move from there, Kyōraku. If you don't move, I'll have to kill you. Shoot to kill, Shinsō. You dodged through Shunpo?" he noted, after Kyōraku moved out of the way. "Next time I won't only cut some hair."

"Ichimaru, don't shed Kyōraku's blood uselessly." Tōsen stepped forward. "I'll take care of it. Cry, Suzumushi." the vibration knocking Kyōraku into a pillar.

"Because you've become Hades' soldiers, there's no way I can let you through." Kyōraku swore.

"You still want to fight even though you're injured?" Ichimaru questioned.

"No one can break up a Captain's duty." Kyōraku replied.

"Indeed, we won't get a man like Kyōraku Shunsui to let us through like this." Kiganjō concurred. "If we still have compassion for him, it's better to kill him now."

"Kiganjō, have you all really sold your souls?" Kyōraku demanded.

"That's not it." the former 11th Squad Captain corrected. "We just understood what path we should walk and what we should do."

"You mean betraying Tula is what a Captain should do?" Kyōraku snapped.

"Exactly." Kiganjō replied.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Kiganjō." Kyōraku powered up. "Hadō No. 4: Byakurai!"

"Don't you think I can display the same power?" Kiganjō retorted, deflecting the lightning. "You overestimated yourself, didn't you, Kyōraku? You should know your own weakness, Kyōraku." and retaliated with an even more powerful 'Byakurai' spell.

"Too slow!" Tōsen slammed a fist into the dodging Kyōraku's stomach.

"And how do you still plan to dodge this?" Ichimaru charged in once Kyōraku landed, sending the Captain into the air.

"Do you understand, Kyōraku?" Kiganjō chided. "Your duty is almost meaningless to us."

"I don't understand..." Kyōraku muttered. "Why..." what if... his eyes widened. Kiganjō... he realized, when he had a vision of Kiganjō shedding tears of blood. Is crying? Is Kiganjō's heart... crying? No, not only Kiganjō. Ichimaru and Kaname, too. Their souls are lamenting and shedding tears of blood. I can feel it. Is that so? Is it really like this?

"Prepare yourself!" Kiganjō was ready to finish Kyōraku off.

My body... Kyōraku was suddenly paralyzed by Sōjun.

"Kiganjō, enough." Shion barked. "I can control Kyōraku's movements. I'll give Kyōraku the final blow. You must go get Tula's head quickly. Whatever happens, we only have 12 hours. If we fail, you know what will happen."

"Wait..." Kyōraku voiced as the three former Captains headed off, entering the Aries Temple."

"Kyōraku, you've disobeyed me many times." Shion stated. "I hope you are ready. Yet, I cannot forget my affection towards you. The least I can do is kill you painlessly with my own hands. Farewell, Kyōraku. What?" he muttered, as the fire clock lit up. "Who lit that fire?"

"It was me." Yamamoto addressed his former comrade.

"Yama-ji..." Kyōraku gaped.

"It's been a long time, my friend." Yamamoto remarked. "It's been over a hundred years, hasn't it? But I didn't expect to see you again in this world. Why don't you show your face, my friend? The Seal Keeper that had been killed by Aizen Sōsuke. You, the ancient Shinigami, Aries Shion!"

"My predecessor, Aries Shion..." Kyōraku gaped after Shion threw off his cloak. "But this body..."

"Oh, you're over a thousand years old like me, but you look as young as if you hadn't changed from almost one thousand years ago when the last Holy War started." Yamamoto noted.

"Surprised, Genryūsai?" Shion grinned. "This is Hades-sama's power. Because I swore allegiance to Hades, I received a new life. And I have this 18 years old body, the age where the Shinigami body is at it's best strength and beauty. In comparison, what are you, Genryūsai? You've grown old."

"Illusions." Yamamoto stated. "These lives and youth. They are all illusions. Why do you think I set the fires on the Seireitei's clock? Your lives are illusions that won't last longer than those 12 flames. And that, Shion, you must all be aware of more than anyone! Shunsui!" he turned to his student. "You will go after Kiganjō and the others at once. And with Jūshirō and the others' help, you will make sure they don't take another step towards Tula! Until the last of these 12 flames burn out, you must continue to protect Tula at any cost!" he pointed his stick to the flame clock. "You should be able to move now." he added, Shion's paralysis wearing off. "I'll take care of this Temple. Drone on your God Robe and go, Shunsui!"

"Wait, Kyōraku!" Shion barked as Kyōraku took off.

"Don't move, Shion." Yamamoto blocked off Shion. "Now I'm your opponent after a thousand year pause. Let's enjoy this slowly."

"Do you realize that if we fight against each other, we'll fall once more into 'One Thousand Wars'?" Shion reminded. "Genryūsai, you possibly..."

"Wish for that?" Yamamoto finished.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.