An End to Gods features a recast of several characters from Bleach and Naruto within a new setting and story. Whilst there has been some changes, their names, personalities (within context of story and background), and themes have been imported virtually intact, excepting that most are more sociable (without necessarily being more personable) than their original counterparts.
An End to Gods is not about the superiority of the Bleach-verse powers over the Naruto-verse powers and vice-versa.
Disclaimer: 'An End to Gods' is a work of fiction made to entertain, utilising existing characters, concepts, and settings from Bleach and Naruto. I do not, in any way, own them: all rights to the relevant characters and concepts (which are too many to list) belong to their respective creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Noriaki Kubo (a.k.a. Tite Kubo).
1.
The forest lay largely silent, at least until the passing of several men rushed past beneath the leafy canopy. Well built and hardy, they were uniformly silver of hair and had twin red dots painted upon their brows. Some might have been handsome, but with murderous intent in their eyes and deranged grins tugging at their lips, they presented a disturbingly unwholesome aspect accentuated by occasional giggles that hinted at mental instability. Even so, there was no hesitation or confusion in their manner: they moved with purpose and the clear certainty of task that needed doing.
"Hard to believe they'd leave such an opening in their lines," laughed one of them, who's red band tied upon his brow and his armoured vest identified him as their captain. A chorus of laughs behind him were his answer as they all anticipated the bloody glory of slaughter and bloodshed.
Before they could get further, something crashed through the trees above and struck the sward before them. They hesitated only for a moment before they realised it was only one man who stood his ground, awaiting them with crossed arms. Garbed in the hated black and red of their enemies; he was tall and his wild black hair brushed low against his back; his eyes the hated sharingan on the Uchiha.
Only their leader hesitated, recognition in his eyes, but the rest were either ignorant or too crazed at the sight of a potential victim who smirked at them insolently. Out of bravery, or stupidity, they charged before their captain could restrain them. From their arms and fists, ghastly white bones began to push through their flesh, instantly arming them with weapons and identifying them without doubt as shinobi of the Kaguya clan, inheritors of the Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit.
The first came with a cleaving swipe, only to miss as his target ducked deeply and then he was gasping the remaining moments of his life as he lay on the floor, clutching vainly at his throat. The stranger whirled a short blade in his hand and prepared to receive the hurtling rush of the remaining four.
There was a brief scuffle, heavy panting, and muttered curses, before two of them gave back – on the ground, a second comrade was down and the third was restrained in a powerful grip. This third man was unceremoniously kicked in the back, his flying body colliding with the other two, leaving all three of them in a dazed heap. The stranger did not hesitate or wait, his hands clapping together in a series of seals. Ninjutsu. Katon: Gokakyu.
An immense ball of fire leapt forward with great suddenness and only one of them managed to avoid it by sacrificing his brothers-in-arms, kicking them off him and into the path of the great fireball. Even so, the explosion that erupted knocked the breath from him and sent him crashing into the ground, coughing and gasping for air as he scrambled for purchase. A foot appeared on the ground before his face, and he looked up in time to see the descending sword, but not in time to avoid it.
As the stranger shook the blood from his blade, the smoke from the explosion above him gave way to a descending assailant – the Kaguya captain – long razor-sharp claws extruding from his fist, striking viciously for a killing blow. Before the claws could touch him, the Uchiha pirouetted on his heel and delivered a punishing kick to the chest that sent him crashing against a nearby rock. As he tried to push himself up, he found edge of the Uchiha's sword pressed against his throat, firmly enough to draw blood.
"Tell me where your main force is hidden," demanded the stranger, his voice deep and unwavering. "Answer and you may just be able to keep your life in exchange."
The Kaguya clansman laughed loud and hellishly. "There is no need to tell such a thing to a dead man!" he roared. Seizing his vest, he ripped it open, revealing a dozen explosive tags that all flared to life. The explosion was so violent that it shattered the rock against which he was pinned completely and the shock-wave tore down several nearby trees, snapping them like matchwood.
The dust cleared, revealing the barest flicker of a wispy blue fire that dissipated even as it came into view. "Honour before life then, I suppose," mused the Uchiha, completely untouched by the devastation. "Do any of the rest of you feel like talking or do you prefer to throw your lives away?"
Behind him, an even larger group of Kaguya shinobi snarled in rage and began to charge like blood-mad wolves.
"Oh well..."
2.
The twilight of evening advanced and the avenue began to clear, leaving a single woman to watch the closing of the immense gate of the Shuwaimon as it was lowered into place to once again safeguard the southern entrance to Seireitei – for the nearly four hundred years of its existence, it had never once been breached, and that woman who stood before it now was the reason. Clad in the black garb of a shinigami, the white haori of a captain was draped upon her with the mark of the eleventh division upon her back, identifying her as Unohana Yachiru, the Kenpachi of the Gotei 13.
With a slender hand, she pushed aside a stray strand of hair from her eye, returning it to the dark cascade that fell past her shoulders. Before the gate could come down completely, her blue eyes flashed to the horizon. There was nothing to see of course, except for the rolling hills in the far distance, but it was what lay far beyond that drew Unohana's attention – the unmistakable feel of an Espada class hollow, two in fact, though the sensation was thin and minuscule from the vast distance that separated the Shennincar from Seireitei.
That she could feel it at all was puzzling. There was no reason to doubt that the Espada might occasionally convene to discuss matters, but that would not explain such an immense release of reiatsu. The last time she had felt an Espada utilise reiryoku to such a degree was... she was immediately aware the pangs of nostalgia. Are the Espada fighting amongst each other? Somehow, it just didn't seem possible.
Like the shinigami, the ranks of the hollow had grown precariously thin compared to the days of old, and even the most hot tempered realised the necessity to conserve and remain on the defensive. The Espada had thus retired with their forces to their cities in the Shennincar along the border of the Heuco Mundo, and the shinigami Gotei was reformed into the Gotei 13 that now existed purely to defend Seireitei.
"Unohana-taichō," called a woman's voice from behind.
The gate closed and Unohana turned away to greet the approach of fellow captains Kyōraku and Yoruichi. "Great job at making Seireitei's newest noble family feel welcome, Unohana-taichō," greeted a smiling Kyōraku. "I doubt they'll be able to say they got second-class treatment!"
"Oh?" Unohana seemed slightly surprised and somewhat disappointed. "Are you perhaps implying that my welcome was not sincere, Kyōraku-taichō?"
"Ië, ië! Of course not, Unohana-san!" laughed Kyōraku nervously, raising his hands in defence despite the gentle smile on Unohana's face. "I merely meant to say that no one has ever received such an elaborate and formal greeting. If such a thing doesn't make them feel welcome, well, I don't know what will."
"Indeed. Remember, Kyōraku-taichō, without sincerity in one's words, it is almost impossible to make another feel welcome where they are not. Unfortunately, I fear that this will be the only sincere welcome they will find in Seireitei."
"So you're actually happy to have them here, Unohana-san?" asked an amazed, but amused Yoruichi.
"Has this not been the objective of Seireitei all along, Shihōin-taichō – to have the shinobi ally with us against the hollow, now that we are cut off from the west? Of course, it would have been more convenient if the clan had not broken away from Konohagakure, then we need not have dangled the hook of a prestigious place among the nobility to make them bite; don't you agree Shihōin-taichō?"
"Tell me about it," Yoruichi groaned, scrubbing her purple hair. "I hope it doesn't come back to bite me. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of ignoring them when they split from the Hidden Leaf, preferring to work with Konohagakure and assuming they'd just become another stubborn, isolated, prideful clan that would eventually become a casualty of attrition, especially since they resettled in the Sora-ku region, so close to the Shennincar."
"Instead, ten years on, they're a major power in the region; control the most viable trade route between the north and south; seem to have an alliance, or at least an understanding, with at least one Espada; and I even have rumours from reliable sources that they have arrancar joining their ranks to live side by side – arrancar – can you actually believe that? It's common enough for humans and some shinobi to go and live in the Espada controlled cities on the Shennincar, but who ever heard of arrancar accepting a subordinate position to ordinary humans?"
"They can hardly be called ordinary, Yoruichi-san," chuckled Kyōraku. "Between their sharingan, a natural affinity for battle, and exceptional chakras, the difference between them and ordinary humans, even other shinobi, is quite significant. Surely you haven't forgotten how they repelled the invading hollows and our expeditionary forces alongside the Senju during the Godswar period – indeed, their only real rivals were the Senju clan of the Forest, and with Hashirama-dono's death: the Senju wane whilst the Uchiha wax – and they claim the man that killed him, killed the proclaimed God of All Shinobi who kept the influences of the Espada out of the north, in single combat."
Yoruichi sighed as she folded her arms. "And what do we know about Uchiha Ryūjin?"
"Apart from him going rogue? Almost nothing," answered Unohana, to which the heads of Kyōraku and Yoruichi shot up in alarm.
"What? When did this happen?" Yoruichi all but demanded.
"Nearly two weeks ago, at least so Sasuke-dono tells me," replied the older captain as she cross folded her arms into her sleeves. "He killed his father, amongst other clan members and escaped. The Uchiha now have a matriarch: the oldest of Tajima's five children, Uchiha Saeko. That he's gone rogue presents its own set of problems, but also opportunity – Sasuke-kun hinted that Saeko-dono would be most grateful for his capture. Apparently, whether he is captured alive or taken dead is inconsequential to them, so long as he is no longer free to roam as he pleases."
Kyōraku adjusted his hat and Yoruichi bit on the nail of her thumb. The monitoring capabilities of the Onmitsukidō were all but flawless within Seireitei, but outside was another matter. They needed to expand further, which was difficult given their limited numbers, or else have better relations with the shinobi clans outside. Yet, as Unohana had pointed out, it was an opportunity, a chance to boost relations with the Uchiha without spending months, or even years, pandering to them and stroking their ego. "I suppose I'd better–"
"What is that?" asked a surprised Kyōraku. Yoruichi frowned, following his gaze. The captain of the eleventh had already turned towards the horizon in the south-east before either of them had noticed it. Walking unhurriedly to the side door in the Shuwaimon, she opened it to look out towards the horizon, though she knew there would be nothing to see there. Yet, in her mind's eye, it was almost as if she expected to see an immense ebon pillar on the skyline.
"Is that... reiatsu?" asked Yoruichi, though Captain Unohana remained silent as she contemplated the riddle. The density and the scale is on completely different level from anything we've seen before. No. It's not just a matter of scale – it's a completely different sensation.
For nearly a full hour it pulsed and surged before finally fading away, leaving emptiness in its absence.
3.
The window opened to a portrait of the tranquil, cultured backdrop that was the noble quarters of the inner court of Seireitei; wispy clouds drifting lazily against the coming darkness of the night; here and there, cultivated gardens and pristine mansion complexes – everything at peace and everything in its place. Despite this, the watcher at the window was not wholly at ease. Uchiha Sasuke turned at a knock to his door, feeling a small sense of relief as he saw Genma enter.
"Everything seems fine Sasuke-sama: we have more than enough men to ensure the compound is secure, day and night," Genma boisterously announced as he strode into the room, though his tone dropped markedly as he came to stand at the window beside the younger man. "They gave us a smaller residence than the other four noble houses, undoubtedly to remind us of our place, but that has merely turned out to our advantage since we need not spread ours thin to safeguard it."
"I wonder..." grunted Sasuke without humour. "Perhaps they didn't want to antagonise the other houses more than necessary. Despite the Captain's welcome at the south gate, even I can tell that this hasn't exactly been a popular move here."
"Perhaps a bit of both then," Genma grunted in concession as he smoothed his greying beard. "How are you holding up Sasuke? I know this isn't the place you wanted to be. Still, I'd take it as an opportunity to relax a bit, despite the circumstances."
"How can I relax when I know my people are still fighting the Kaguya clan in the east? I should be on the front lines, Genma, together with my clan and family; to be stuck here, playing diplomat whilst others are dying... I cannot even find the words to express my frustration! How am I expected to get stronger in such a place, however vicious the politics may turn out to be."
Before Genma could answer, another tap at his door interrupted the moment followed by a short silence until Sasuke bid the other enter. Genma straightened to take his leave, patting the younger Uchiha on the shoulder.
"Do not fret, Sasuke-sama – there is always opportunity when one looks for it," he offered kindly, but Sasuke felt his calloused hand slip a wedge of paper into the folds of his robe and nodded his acknowledgement to the older Hagoromo. Genma made his exit, acknowledging the newcomer as he left.
"Obito-sama."
"Genma," returned Uchiha Obito. Almost as tall as Genma, Obito was a lean individual with short black hair and a dark blue band covering the empty socket where his left eye had once been. "By the way, Genma; have some of your men take a rest now so that they can be ready for night detail – it will probably be a very long first night for them."
The door closed and Obito made his way to Sasuke, who had moved from view of the windows to read the paper that had been secretly passed to him. Once done, he passed it on and the note was read again, to which Obito grunted, crushing it into a ball when he was done and tossing it into the central fire-pit of the room where it flared brightly for a moment and then was ashes. After receiving a nod from Sasuke, he placed his hand on the other's shoulder.
There was a brief moment of dizziness, followed by a dislocation and skewing of the senses. Sasuke found himself in a twilight place, standing atop a stone block; one amongst many that stretched off into the gloom and, if his eyes could be trusted, rose out of the darkness from unimaginable depths. He had enough time to see Obito spiral out from a single point in the air at eye-level, before the other stood by him.
"How's it looking?" queried Sasuke as he seated himself on the floor.
"About as much as can be expected," snorted the other. "At the end of the day, it's just a nice-looking prison. They're definitely not going to make it easy for us to move around that's for sure. The shinigami's watch dogs are on almost every roof and every window that can look on the mansion. Fortunately, they won't be able to set foot inside it without being seen – Genma's men are in every corner and blind spot, and I even have some of our own on look out as well. And at the end of the day, we still have this place. Give me a moment, I'll be right back."
In the space of three heartbeats, Obito was gone, leaving Sasuke to frown over some private matter. Within the minute, the warping effect resumed, though it was not Obito who came first. Another Uchiha in black, this man was in his prime, tall and his sleeves rolled back to reveal sinewy limbs, with a black lion-like mane of hair that long enough to reach his waist. Moments later, Obito rejoined them. There was a clannish resemblance between all three men, though only Sasuke and the newcomer had some familial resemblance to each other.
"You're looking well Sasuke," chuckled this one as he passed, ruffling Sasuke's hair as he did so.
"Well enough, given the circumstances, Madara-niisama," returned Sasuke as he smoothed his hair back into place. "How's things looking on the front?"
Madara shrugged. "We've all but won. The Kaguya have been pushed back into the forests where they ran afoul of the Konohagakure military again. I hear the conflict was particularly fierce with both sides taking heavy loses. Still, by all reports, they're now weak enough that if we make a large-scale offensive it will be the end for them – we won't even have to attack them – it would just like the Kaguya to go out in a blaze of glory."
"I should be there with everyone."
"You're needed here Sasuke. What's more, the battle is nearly over and if you were to head back, not only will you cause an incident here, all you'll be doing is picking at scraps – the Kaguya clan are past their glory days; you've already been in the best battles we've had with them – now they're just a bunch crazed, desperate animals lashing at anything that comes their way... take my word for it, little brother, their not worth your time anymore."
"Don't be so quick to look for battle Sasuke-kun," interjected Obito. "It rarely goes the way you want it, and even when it does, you still lose something."
"Well, I supposed you'd know," chuckled Madara. Obito mere returned a blank stare, unconsciously touching band over his empty eye.
"What about our contact in Seireitei?" asked Sasuke. "Has Saeko-oneesama informed you on what our strategy with them should be?"
"Yes. That issue." Reaching into a pocket, he removed a thick unmarked envelope which he proffered to Sasuke. "They're spies and information brokers – the Orochimei of the Sound Shinobi has already made her wishes known to us. This envelope will have enough dossiers and intelligence to satisfy her. Not everything she requested, but enough – it would, after all, be imprudent to give them all that they asked for."
"And what does this buy us?" asked Sasuke as he leafed through the contents, his fingers pausing for a moment at a vaguely familiar sight, but went on.
"Alliance and assistance whilst you operate in Seireitei. We don't know of any others who know Seireitei as well as they do – they should prove invaluable – and help you avoid the eyes of shinigami's Onmitsukidō." Madara remained silent for while, mulling over something in his head.
"Something else, niisama?"
"Nothing that I can think of," grinned the older Uchiha. "Take your time on this one Sasuke. A shinobi's talents aren't all in battle after all."
To this, Sasuke scoffed: "That's rich coming from you."
Though Madara laughed to this, Sasuke couldn't help but feel that it was to something else that his older brother found amusement. Obito coughed. "Well, there's no changing things now, Sasuke-kun. At any rate, this is a mission directly from Saeko-sama. Don't rush yourself – you're still young – there's time enough to enjoy a life away from fighting, even if briefly. And I'm certain that your time in Seireitei will occupy your attention fully." Now, even Obito bore the semblance of a grin. The two older men were obviously sharing something that they were withholding from him.
"Just a word of advice, Sasuke," said Madara as he finally shook off his humour. "Stay away from the Konoha delegation. Our time with Konohagakure is finished, and our interests are not likely to converge again. I know you were born there, unlike most of us, but it would be best for you to cut ties with them completely."
"I know that already," frowned Sasuke.
"As long as you remember it," nodded Madara.
"Well then," intoned Obito, "shall we get to the matter at hand? Not that I don't find all this sibling banter heart-warming, but we do have several objectives to complete whilst we're here."
From somewhere, Obito produced a broad roll of parchment, that he proceeded to unroll before the other two.
"This is..."
They were looking down upon a large map of Seireitei, cunningly made with intricate detail, upon which much supplementary information of dubious content had been marked.
"An arrival present from the Orochimei; a gesture of good will, to use her own words."
4.
"Harribel-sama!" The voice rang with terrible urgency.
"Harribel-sama!" An echo of the first, Harribel's name was repeated, but the Tercera Espada did not respond from where she hung between Emilou Apacci and Francesca Mila Rose, her loyal fracción. Ahead of them, Cyan Sung-Sun led the way, maintaining her muda over them to divert sight from without and conceal their reiatsu from within. Despite being the personal chosen of Aegir's Espada, their movement and progress was slow. All three of them were bruised and battered and missing their left arms, having had to tear them off just to provide a distraction in order to snatch up their mistress. Little good that did, thought Apacci bitterly, though Mila Rose would have liked to think it had bought enough time to save their mistress.
"Was that... was that really Ulquiorra?" asked Sung-sun uncertainly.
"That bastard!" snarled Appaci. "That bastard! When the hell did he get so powerful? Was he hiding something like that from all of us? How dare he do this! I'll kill the son-of-a-bitch for this!"
"As if you could," grated Mila Rose. "Concentrate of getting her ladyship to safety before you think about going off to commit suicide!"
"Go and get f–" Harribel gave a pained moan and Appaci immediately looked to her with bright eyes, only to realise her mistress had not regained consciousness. She almost wanted to cry. The beating Harribel had taken was appalling, though fortunately no single injury had been instantly fatal, but together... the possibility that she might die yet existed.
Under normal circumstances, Sung-sun would have enjoyed acerbating the tension between the two of them, but the situation was too dire and her strength to maintain the muda was running low. In hindsight, they should have remained cool and stayed out of the fight so that they could conserve their strength to escape with her Ladyship when there was a lull in the battle, but then, there had been no way to know that Ulquiorra would be so powerful... If only her ladyship hadn't held back to try and preserve the city, then maybe, just maybe... It was all wishful thinking on her part, and she knew it. The difference in power had simply been too great.
Looking back at Aegir in the distance, the once-proud city had been reduced almost to smouldering rubble against the starry night sky in the battle between the two Espada, its ruin no more complete than if it had been caught in the path of a rampaging bijū, as the shinobi clans called the tailed beasts. Whatever it took, they had to leave quickly. Though her barrier concealed reiatsu, if someone as powerful as Ulquiorra came too close, it would be impossible for him to miss them.
Sung-sun's eyes went wide as she felt her reiryoku waver, realising too late that she had been working purely on desperation, using reserves of energy she did not have. Falling to her knees, the shell of her muda burst open, leaving the trio and their mistress terribly exposed. Appaci flinched and looked skyward whilst Mila Rose rose ground her teeth, looking desperately at the fallen Sung-sun, silently willing her to stand up and resume her concealment technique. She wanted to run over and shake the other woman violently, but she and Apacci together were the only things keeping Harribel upright, without which she would have slumped to the ground.
Appaci and Mila Rose gaped, and even Sung-sun was galvanised into raising her head. Neither of them had seen him come, but he stood there before them. It was miraculous, incredible, impossible, yet it was true. Sung-sun slipped her sai-shaped zampaktō free of her voluminous sleeves, cursing inwardly that she didn't even have strength to release it and utilise her Resurrección.
"Who the hell are you?" Apacci demanded.
The man did not answer. In the moonlight, they could see that he was garbed in a ragged brown cloak, much like the ones the nomadic desert dwellers wore, though beneath, his clothes were of infinitely greater quality. An unruly shock of long midnight hair framed strong aquiline features that were almost delicate in their aspect, but they noticed his eyes were fixed on them, crimson-hued and of a peculiar luminous quality. And those eyes held theirs like a magnet.
Recognition came so suddenly that the shock to their bewildered senses was like a physical blow to the stomach. Appaci and Mila Rose accused him with the truth, their words tumbling over each other as they gasped.
"Uchiha Ryūjin!"
The other did not answer or deny, his gaze only fixed on the dying Espada they cradled between them, his expression unreadable. They knew instantly she was the reason he had come all the way out here. "Damn you Ryūjin! Are you in league with Ulquiorra?" shouted Appaci in anger and frustration and grief, but again, silence was her only answer.
Then the Uchiha advanced. Sung-sun raised her weapon to attack, but her movements were sluggish from exhaustion, and her stab was more a resigned gesture than the killing stroke she intended. Unsurprisingly, the Uchiha scion flicked it aside almost as an afterthought. The wind blew aside his cloak, revealing a short blade sheathed on the back of his waist. Appaci bristled and Mila Rose snarled, but he paid them no heed as he came to stand before the unconscious Harribel. Sung-sun wondered how anybody with such a gentle face could have possibly killed anyone at all in his life.
"Seems like I came a bit late," he said at last. The fracción's knees gave out from the incredulous realisation that he wasn't going to kill them, collapsing on the ground together. Leaning forward, he caught the unconscious Espada before she could collapse with them, lowering her gently into the arms of her followers.
"Well then." His hand went for his sword and they all froze in shock and horror. They gasped suddenly as the world around them suddenly seemed to distort in a seething haze and the almost unbearable weight of an Espada's reiatsu bore down on them. The fear that they had felt earlier that night was renewed again as they looked back in time to see the Cuatro Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer descend from the sky on great, black, bat-like wings spread behind him in stark contrast to his bleached-white clothes. So terrified of his presence were they now, that the fact that he was no longer in that form did not even bring the smallest pang of relief. Their minds raced for some way, some clue to get them out of this predicament, but finding none, they could only look towards the Uchiha, an S-Ranked criminal in the shinobi bingo books, guilty of patricide, who's present intentions were unknown.
"Uchiha Ryūjin," said Ulquiorra flatly. "This is unexpected. Why are you here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" replied the other, almost cheerfully. Ulquiorra's eyes went over the Uchiha's shoulder to look at his unconscious quarry.
"Step aside, Uchiha Ryūjin," commanded Ulquiorra.
"And what if I said 'no'?" replied the other after a moment's pause.
The Espada raised an index finger, pointing it squarely at the Uchiha in a strangely menacing gesture. "It might pique my interest, however slightly, to kill the man who slew Senju Hashirama. Tell me, Uchiha Ryūjin – you may have slain a man, but can you kill an Espada?"
"I can," smiled Ryūjin, and for the first time that night, his smile was not pleasant to see. Relinquishing his grip on his sword, he brought his hands together, pressing them flatly before him as though in prayer. "I can do it, and I can do it even now you're in your released state, even if you use that other form of yours."
Ulquiorra's flat expression was everything that was disbelief in the world, though his eyes were cautious. The Uchiha spread his hands suddenly, laughing gently as though he had made a joke.
"At least, that's what I'd like to say," he chuckled, before his good humour faded. "But you know, I think it would impossible for me to do that. Well, at least whilst I'm protecting four people at the same time I should say."
Ulquiorra considered him a moment longer, looking to the Uchiha; the exhausted arrancar and unconscious Harribel; the desert around them and returning his implacable gaze to the human again. And he lowered his hand. Turning, he began to walk away at an angle, back towards the burning Aegir in the distance.
"Weren't you going to fight?" called Ryūjin. "My, my; that's kind of disappointing, but your generosity in letting us go is much appreciated, Espada-san. I suppose the saying that there is some good in everyone is true after all."
Ulquiorra stopped, looking back balefully over his shoulder. "You must think me a fool to face you head on at this point, whilst you're aware of me, Uchiha Ryūjin – an enemy who's abilities are unknown to me, on a battlefield you have obviously prepared beforehand. By your own admission, you have observed at least part of, if not all of my battle with Aegir's Espada."
"So it seems you did notice after all," sighed Ryūjin. Ulquiorra turned to leave. "Let's meet again in the future, Espada-san. I think that you and I are fated to fight one another at some point. It might pique my interest, however slightly, to kill the only Espada to have achieved the highest form of Resurrección an arrancar can aspire to."
As the Cuatro continued to walk away, Ryūjin turned and went for the Tres Bestias and their fallen mistress, and at that moment, Ulquiorra turned back. Calmly and without reserve, he took aim, a black sphere coalescing at the tip of his finger with a static hiss. Cero Oscuras.
Ryūjin had enough time to turn and see the seething black lance bearing down on him. There was not enough time to dodge, and even if he could... directly behind him, the fracción flung themselves to cover the unconscious Harribel with their own bodies; the only way to defend their mistress left to them now.
Know your place, human.
In an instant, the black cero was gone with the suddenness of an exposed candle in a gale. Ulquiorra had but time for his eyes to widen in surprise before the counterstroke of his opponent took him. The wide-eyed Appaci, Mila Rose, and Sung-sun saw him vanish amidst the seething black torrent of energy that washed over him from his blind flank. Caught dazed and flat-footed, he was lifted off his feet and carried away by the momentum of the cero.
The silence of the desert was rocked by an explosion of terrifying proportions as thousands of tons of sand were cast high into the sky and over a mile away, the few last standing structures in Aegir were flattened by the sheer fury of the blast.
Ulquiorra slowly picked himself up in the aftermath a few moments later, his clothes ragged, though he himself was almost unharmed. Looking around, only the empty desert met his eyes; Harribel, her fracción, and the Uchiha were gone. He knew that they were beyond his grasp.
For now.
