Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 2: Cheaters Never Win
In the endless deserts of Hueco Mundo
Leaving Diablo Gallante, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Gantenbainne Mosqueda in charge of making sure that Kisuke Urahara and his gang did their end of the bargain, the Dechados were off to hunt down the remaining Quincies still lurking around the ruins of Hueco Mundo. With the leader of the Jagdarmee dead, they were leaderless and spread themselves across the desolate wastes. This only made this easier for them to track down.
But they also had plans to save those Arrancars the Jagdarmee were trying to saved, they would be given an ultimatum: swear loyalty to the Imperio de Hierro or die in vain. The paragons were known for their intolerance towards Arrancars who once served Sosuke Aizen, and they had no qualms with killing them, unless they could be of service to the Imperio de Hierro.
Urahara had set up a tent under the watchful eyes of the Legionarios and a pack of Hoplitas. The soldiers made sure that all directions around the tent were secured, as none were let in or out.
But amidst this situation, Urahara along with his best pals: Yoruichi Shihoin and Tessai Tsukabishi were having a discussion on what to do next in the tent. The laid-back Shinigami was had also placed his computer inside the tent and was now activating it.
"The first thing we should do is to find a way to contact the Court Guards from here. With the enemy's invasion of the Sereitei, there is no doubt that they have infiltrated the Department of Research and Development, leaving the Court Guards cut off from communication" Urahara explained while searching on his computer. "Luckily I have just the right instrument for the job, but it's stuck back in the shop in Karakura Town" he revealed to them smugly.
Yoruichi smiled lightly by hearing this. "Glad to know that you have a backup plan, Kisuke" she remarked.
"But about your idea" Tessai suddenly spoke up sternly. "Are you sure their abilities will prove beneficial?" he asked his long-time friend.
"They sure will, Tessai" Urahara assured him with a smug grin. "But listen, we will need to send someone back to the Human World and do three things. And whoever we are sending back must do the following things:
They must find the key to help us communicate from here to the Soul Society, which can be found in my shop.
Enlist the aid of my important associates?
Seek out current information about the Soul Society's condition from the Vizards.
That will be the only things they have to do" Urahara explained while showing them a list with the three objectives written on it.
Both Yoruichi and Tessai only sweated by seeing this list, but they accepted what was written on it, regardless. But they could see their friend holding a medallion in his hand. It was the medallion that Quilge Opie attempted to steal Ichigo's Bankai with.
"You already know that these Sternritters are somehow able to steal a Shinigami's Bankai. However, Ichigo is the only exception" Urahara told them while holding the medallion with the cross symbol on it. "I will have to examine it later. I've already got my hands full with the paragons and their vendetta" he added with his intentions.
Outside the tent, Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue were sitting close to the entrance alongside Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsmugiya under the watchful eyes of the Hoplitas. But Grimmjow was also nearby, leaning against a tree feeling bored. Gantenbainne was pacing around the area, making sure there were no one sneaking around. For some reason, the four felt as if they had been captured and were now held prisoners in a military boot camp. Hollow-wolves also patrolled.
"It's too quiet in here, I wonder how long we'll be stuck in Hueco Mundo" Chad wondered in his head while looking around. "But even if we do get back to the Human World, nothing will feel safe. With both the Wandenreich and the Imperio de Hierro now on the move, the Soul Society might face its biggest challenge since the Winer War" he added to his thoughts.
"Hey! Stop that kid!" the four Humans were interrupted by one of the Hoplitas shouting something towards a young girl with sea green hair and dressed in green cloth running towards them with some of the Hoplitas in tow.
Orihime and Chad immediately recognized her. "Nel! Where have you been?" Orihime wondered as she leaned down to hold her.
The small Arrancar faced them with her cute eyes. "You were separated from Nel when that mean Quincy attacked us" she answered sweetly. "But luckily, Nel found you with the help of her brothers" she added and suddenly looked back to see two clumsy Arrancars who looked like Adhujas-class Hollows. They were Nel's best friends: Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Bistanne.
Pesche, the one with the scarf under his left eye and blonde hair on the back of his head waved his hand at the four in a goofy way, expressing his cheerful mood. "Howdy, kids! So this is where you are hanging out, huh?" he asked. "Me and Nel here managed to bust out Dondochakka, but those mean Quincies noticed us and tried to hunt us down! Fortunately, we managed to lose those pricks! Showed them!" he added with confidence in his voice.
"Being captured was horrible!" Dondochakka, the one with the large mask and yellow bodysuit with spots said while breaking out into tears. "They tortured me in various ways but the most must awful of them all was when they tried to stick canes into my butt!" he explained while crying hysterically, although some around him were disgusted by hearing what he just told them.
While Orihime only chuckled nervously, Chad, Jinta and Ururu only dropped a sweat by seeing how babyish and goofy Nel and her friend were acting. "Those three doofuses are Arrancars?" Jinta asked while not believing what he was seeing.
"They sure seem weird" Ururu remarked, the expression on her face still the same as usual.
The four Humand and the Hoplitas were not the only ones to notice Nel and her so-called brothers' arrival. The moment Grimmjow witnessed the scene, he landed his face in a hand palm, groaning with irritation.
"You gotta be shitting me!" Grimmjow exclaimed. "How the hell are you three even alive!?" he asked out loud as he walked towards them.
Ganteinbainne had also taken notice and he was filled with surprise. "The former Tres Espada: Nelliel Tu Odelschwank as well as her Fracciòn. Why am I not surprised" the afro-haired Arrancar noted while seeing the scene.
Hoplitas began surrounding the group of four and aimed their spears at Nel and her group. They all got cautious, wondering why they were doing this. Eventually Grimmjow and Gantenbainne stepped into the ring and stood before the group of four.
"Why are you doing this to us!?" Orihime demanded an answer but none of them replied. Gantenbainne stepped forward, as did a couple of Hoplitas.
"Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Bistanne. Quite a surprise that you managed to avoid being caught by the invaders" Gantenbainne remarked while facing them.
Nel suddenly pointed her tiny finger at them. "Nel know you two! You were former servants of Lord Aizen" she exclaimed.
Grimmjow felt anger boil inside of him by hearing the child saying that to his face. "What did you just say?" Grimmjow said lowly and threateningly. "Did you just call me a servant, you little brat!?" he angrily asked Nel, who hid behind Orihime.
"That was not a nice thing to say!" Orihime surprisingly said to the blue-haired Arrancar. "You should apologize to Nel!" she told him.
"Why!? As far as I know, she and her Fracciòn were just as much of servants to Aizen as we were!" he hit back.
Gantenbainne stepped forward and pushed Grimmjow gently aside. "As much as I hate to agree with him, Grimmjow speaks the truth" the afro-haired Arrancar told Orihime and then looked at the young child. "But nevertheless, you and your Fracciòn are not welcome here. Therefore, I must ask you three to leave this camp" he added while facing Nel.
The little child ran towards the Legionario. "But you can't throw Nel and her brothers out in the desert, those mean Quincies are still out there!" she expressed her defiance and faced Orihime and Chad. "And by the way, have any of you seen Itsygo?" she asked them.
"Did she just say…carrot top's name?" Jinta asked and began laughing his ass off. "Hah, Itsygo! Woah, knew that the carrot top had fans amongst the babies!" he added while continuing laughing.
"Just what is all this noise about!?" all the Hoplitas saluted and made two lines for Gallante as he approached the group of four and Nel's team. Both Grimmjow and Gantenbainne only stood on the sidelines, pretending that they were not interested. The red-skinned Arrancar scanned his eyes and spotted Nel and her Fracciòn trying to hide. His only eye widened in surprise. "I see, more Esclavos. But these seem different" he remarked.
Suddenly, one of the Hoplitas stepped beside Gallante and spoke up. "Lord Grimmjow and Lord Gantenbainne said she was a former Espada in Aizen's Army: Nelliel Tu Odelschwank" he confirmed.
"I see, how interesting" he remarked and suddenly decided to observe Nel, who had come out of hiding. The young child slowly approached the Dechado, who was now sitting squat. He even reached out a hand to her, which surprised everyone standing around them. "Come child, I will not harm you" he said and Nel slowly approached the caped paragon with only one eye. She even grabbed hold of his hand
"Nel thinks you are a gentle Arrancar" she suddenly said. "You wanna be Nel's friend?" she asked out in the open, causing many Hoplitas to even drop their jaws.
Gallante chuckled lightly by hearing this and he carried the little girl on his shoulder and spoke to her in a surprisingly gentle voice. While Nel was surprised, she did like being carried. "How about you and me go for a little walk? Maybe then I will become your friend" he suggested and Nel cheered happily in return.
Both Pesche and Dondochakka were concerned for their sister's well-being, but she waved at them in a cheerful mood. "Don't worry! Nel will come back, just let us have fun first!" she said as she and Gallante walked towards the nearby dunes.
"Damn…when was the last time I saw Gallante act so…...normal!?" Gantenbainne wondered as he watched them go.
"Tch, as if I give a rat's ass!" Grimmjow remarked impatiently.
"So I see that Gallante has taken Nel with her" the voice came from Urahara, who was watching the scene by the entrance to his tent. He was accompanied by Tessai and Yoruichi. "Oh, and Pesche and Dondochakka are here a well, excellent" he remarked while seeing the two goofy Arrancars.
Gantenbainne faced him with his arms crossed. "Just what do you want now, Shinigami?" he asked him. "We already allowed you to build a mini-lab here, you won't be getting any more requests fulfilled" he added strictly.
Urahara only moped by seeing his reaction. "Not even those that would be beneficial to the Imperio de Hierro?" he asked, earning him all Arrancars' attention. "Come on, you remember hearing me saying that I needed something back in the World of the Living, yes? I need someone to bring them over here to Hueco Mundo" he went on explaining.
"Just get to the point!" Grimmjow snapped. "Whatever it is, I sure as hell won't be doing any dirty works for you" he added.
"Relax, I never said that any of you would have to do it" Urahara assured him. "I'm planning on sending Tessai, Jinta and Ururu back to the World of the Living to bring me the stuff, as well as the people I need. But I was hoping that at least one of you Arrancars could accompany them. You know, making sure that they're safe from any harm" he said while trying to be nicely.
Jinta fixed an angered look upon his boss. "Hey, we don't need someone babysitting us!" he said, only to be banged on his head by Tessai. "Ouch….I ALREADY HAVE THREE BUMBS IN MY HEAD, SO JUST STOP IT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" he angrily attacked Tessai, who only lifted the boy by his head.
"Anyways, which one of you intelligent Arrancars would like to accompany them?" Urahara asked, but could see that both Grimmjow and Gantenbainne seemed uninterested, as were most Hoplitas. "Come on, you are the only ones I have left! Don't be so dicky!" he said while feeling downed.
Suddenly, both Legionarios came up with a solution and they felt that it would be just right. To everyone's surprise, they pointed their fingers at Pesche and Dondochakka, who was already confused by what was going on. Eventually some Hoplitas even began pointing their fingers at the two goofballs.
"Ummmm why are everyone looking at us like that?" Pesche asked as he was feeling somewhat uncomfortable with all those stares.
"Hey you two! You do wanna getimmunity from the Imperio de Hierro, right?" Grimmjow asked them cunningly. Not knowing how to answer, the two Arrancars only nodded their heads. "Well, here's your chance to earn it! Accompany them to whatever the hell it is and come back alive! Then you are spared from us. You might as well be welcomed as new citizens of the empire" he said to them, trying to encourage them at the same time.
Chad and Orihime only watched this dumbfounded. "Why in the world would they leave this to Pesche and Dondochakka?" Orihime wondered.
But Pesche suddenly stood right up and saluted in return. "Aye, aye, sir! We will help these people across the border and give them freedom!" he said ridiculously.
Urahara smiled with satisfaction. "Excellent! I admire your enthusiasm!" the laid-back Shinigami said by seeing this and then faced the two Legionarios. "One of you will have to open a Garganta" he told them
Gantenbainne nodded and then used Descorrer to open a Garganta while Tessai and his team made preparations for the departure. And Pesche and Dondochakka drew out their Zanpakutous to get ready for the journey.
As the Garganta grew large enough to take them in, the Tessai, the two teenagers and the two Arrancars stepped into it. "Now remember, your orders are to get whatever Urahara wants and bring it back here, safe and sound!" Gantenbainne told them strictly. "Don't let the Quincies know you're there, they might even have eyes and ears throughout the Human World as we speak!" he added.
Urahara also wanted to say something before they left. "You heard what he said. Take care and make sure that you have those two with you! I've even called them to let them know of you coming" he said and waved his hand at the group. The Garganta closed and the two Legionarios wanted to know more from Urahara.
"You can quit dicking with us! We know that you plan on recruiting Shinigamis!" Grimmjow said.
"I would not be so sure on that, Grimmjow" Urahara said. "When I told your superiors of the people that would assist me, they were more than happy to comply with it, considering that they have Hollow-inspired powers locked within them" he revealed causing both Legionarios to be surprised.
The town of Karakura, Japan
While battle and conflicts took hold on Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society, the Human World was unusually free from such. But what had changed was the fact that many Hollows had been completely erased instead of purified. The Quincies showed no mercy towards the lost souls, but the question was if the Shinigami felt something similar as well. Nevertheless, breaking the cycle would only lead to the destruction of all worlds, including the Human World.
Standing not far from the alley where Urahara's shop was located at were two former members of the organization called Xcution. They were the Fullbringers: Yukio Hans Voralberna and Riruka Dokugamine. Ever since the death of Kugo Ginjo, the former leader of Xcution, the two had gone separate ways.
But both were surprised to receive a message from Urahara, as they had previously decided to sever any contact with the former Shinigami Captain, as well as Ichigo and his friends. They had only agreed to show up, due to their shared common enemy in the Wandenreich and its merciless leader: Yhwach.
"Come on, where is that cocky son of a bitch!?" Riruka asked angrily as she slammed her feet on the sidewalk. "We didn't come all this way from Naruki just to watch an empty shack!" she added while crossing her arms.
"Apparently, you misunderstand" Yukio said as he took his face away from his PSP to look at Riruka. "He said to us that he would send someone to pick us up in his stead. It sounds like he was in a hurry, considering that he's in Hueco Mundo" he added while pointing it out.
Hearing this only made Riruka huff in a girly manner. "Whatever" she simply said. Yukio then resumed to playing his PSP, knowing how hopeless it was to talk sense into Riruka, unless you were either Ichigo or Orihime.
But they both snapped in surprise by hearing a screams coming from the alley and they knew it was by Urahara's shop. Both Fullbringers ran to the place, only to find Tessai and his team being stuck under Dondochakka's enormous form, especially his butt.
"Argh…I think I just broke my back" Jinta said while feeling the pain.
"Dondochakka, you idiot! Why did you push us out of the Garganta when it is clear that we are high above ground!?" Pesche asked while struggling against his friend's giant butt.
"But it wasn't my fault, Pesche!" Dondochakka claimed. "That shiny ball in the sky was so pretty and I just had to touch it!" he went on, continuing to wiggle his butt.
"Hgnnn…get off!" Ururu said while slowly wincing in pain.
But Dondochakka accidentally managed to land his butt cheeks on Pesche's horns and he rose up and screamed in pain and run against the door to Urahara's shop. Given how hard the door really was, he crashed and eventually landed on the ground, rubbing his sore face.
Tessai quickly got up on his feet and brushed off the dust on his clothes and apron. He then looked around cunningly to see if there were anybody watching them. "Hmmm…...the coast seems clear. And I see no spies along the streets" he noted.
"Umm…excuse me" Riruka was asking Tessai, who immediately hushed her in return, even going as far as to shut her mouth with his hand "Wads de big idea, affhole!?" Riruka sked while being muffled by Tessai's hand.
"Quiet, girl! The enemy has eyes and ears even in Karakura Town!" Tessai told her lowly, but the young girl was not getting him. But he eventually let go of her and walked went over to Jinta and Ururu who had just recovered from the fall. "Alright, children! You know the plan. We shall split up here!" he suggested to the teenagers.
Ururu nodded her head in understanding. "But where will you be going, sir?" she asked him.
Tessai showed them a notepad and a pen. "Because of the invasion, we are unable to get information from the Soul Society's Department of Research and Development. And because of the circumstances, the only ones who can give us information are the Vizards" he told them and then proceeded to run through the alleyways. "Remember to pick the device lying on the boss' counter!" he shouted as he ran.
"Tch, butthole" Jinta muttered lowly, but then faced his partner. "Anyway, let's head inside and see what kind of junk the boss wants us to find" he suggested and Ururu followed him.
As the door opened, both Peshce and Dondochakka was filled with curiosity over seeing so many things inside the shop, considering that they never had those back in Hueco Mundo.
"Hey Pesche, this tastes yummy!" Dondochakka said while he ate a chocolate bar.
But the teenagers ignored the two Arrancars's antics and headed to the counter, where they could not believe what they were seeing.
"Are you freaking kidding me!?" Jinta asked in anger as he and Ururu saw Kon lying asleep on the counter. "Did the boss seriously put his communication device inside him!?" he added with another loud question. But it was loud enough for the Mod Soul inside a lion plush to wake up and faced the two angrily.
"What's the big idea, waking me up!? Can't ya see that I'm asleep!?" Kon asked angrily towards them.
"Holy crap! Did that thing just talk?" Pesche asked as he and Dondochakka stood behind the two teenagers. As they both stood there, Kon screamed in fear by seeing them.
"AAAAARGGHHHHHH! HOLLOWS!" Kon screamed before being punched by Jinta and Ururu out of irritation. This sent the Mod Soul flying against the wall and he landed on the floor with. The lion plush toy groaned while looking up at the teenagers. "I just hate you guys so much right now…." Kon told them.
Ururu bowed her head in in an apologetic manner. "We are sorry to wake you up, but the boss has requested that you come with us to Hueco Mundo. He says that he has a job for you" she told Kon.
Kon got up on his tiny feet and crossed his arms stubbornly. "Why do I always get to be his punching bag? You can tell your "boss" to go suck a dick! I ain't joining this circus! Not after what he did to me!" he expressed his opposition and looked away.
Jinta grinned cockily as he figured out a perfect way to lure Kon with them. "Well that's too bad. Orihime is feeling quite lonely in Hueco Mundo" he said smugly.
Kon immediately snapped and he slowly looked around to face the two teenagers with a curious look. "You're not joking, are ya?" he asked while wanting an answer. But he could see them walk out towards the main entrance.
"But if you don't wanna accompany us to Hueco Mundo, then I guess we just have to leave you here all by yourself" Jinta said and was about the close to the door, until Kon ran quickly to him and climbed.
"Wait! I was just kidding! I'll tag along!" Kon insisted while hanging on his arm, much to the red-haired boy's annoyance.
Riruka and Yukio had waited for them to be go to Hueco Mundo, and they were getting tired of waiting, especially Riruka. They could see Ururu, Jinta, Pesche and Dondochakka come out of the shop and they felt like the wait was over. The magenta-haired girl took a few steps forward.
"Are we gonna go or what!?" she asked them. "And how come you have two Hollows accompany you?" she then asked, almost completely forgetting why Pesche and Dondochakka were following them.
"Hey! We have names, ya know!" Pesche asked angrily, although the girl didn't seem to care.
Ururu faced the two Fullbringers. "I knew that the boss wanted us to bring us some valuable associates of his. But I never knew it would be Fullbringers" she noted while Kon was hanging on her shoulder.
"Uhhhh what's a Fullbringer?" Dondochakka asked her, although no one seemed interested in answering the bloated Arrancar.
Yukio stopped playing his PSP and began carrying his suitcase, taking few steps forwards as well. "It does not matter who we are. We didn't come all this way from Naruki City for nothing" the blonde-haired boy said to Jinta and Ururu. "We know why Urahara needs our assistance. But know this: why are only agreeing to this because of self-preservation. We Fullbringers still have resentment towards the Soul Society and their leadership" he suddenly reminded them.
"But we don't have any affiliations towards them either, even though our employers are from that place" Ururu assured them. "But we only agree to help as long as they hire us" she insisted to them.
There was awkward between the timid girl and those around her, and no one had even said anything in response. While silence was present, Pesche interrupted everyone while waving his hands in the air. "Alright, kids! We all did a wonderful job! Now let's get back to Hueco Mundo!" he declared with a confidential pose.
"We can't do that, yet!" Jinta said in return. "We still have to wait for Tessai, wherever the hell he is" he pointed out.
"Ooooh right! We must wait for Tessai. But where could he have run off to?" Dondochakka asked while scratching his head.
Inside a giant warehouse, Karakura Town
This giant and abandoned warehouse was still the home of the infamous Vizards, Shinigamis who had obtained Hollow-powers. They played a key role in the Winter War against Aizen. Following his defeat three members of the Vizards: Shinji Hirako, Kensei Mugurama and Rojuro "Rose" Otoribashi were invited by the 13 Court Guard Squads to take their former place as captains of Squads 5, 3 and 9 respectively.
With Shinji returning to the Court Guard, Hiyori Sarugaki had been considered the de facto leader of the Vizards. Despite her stubbornness and sometimes terrible temper, Hiyori did a good job in holding the group together, even though she could be bitchy at times.
Right now, the Vizards were having a visitor: Tessai Tsukabishi. Hiyori seemed very disinterested in hearing him, as she was already having a can of beer to drink.
"Now what's the big idea of busting into our hangout uninvited? How in the hell did you even managed to pass through our force field!?" she asked impatiently and looked at Hachigen Ushoda with angry eyes. "Damn it, Hachi! I told you to use a better Kido-spell!" she snapped at the big, rounded, man.
"It could not be helped, Hiyori. Captain Tsukabishi's knowledge in dispelling Kido surpasses that of my own" he answered and nodded his head in respect to Tessai. "I am glad to see you once again, captain" he addressed his former superior with respect.
The man with glasses only fixed a slight smirk underneath his mustache while facing Hiyori. "It seems to me that you underestimate the former Captain of the Kido Corp" Tessai remarked. "Have you gotten more reckless than before, former Lieutenant of Squad 12?" he then asked her.
The young woman only shrugged her shoulders in return. "Tch, Squad 12 isn't the same what it used to be, all thanks to that jackass Kisuke and that pedophile partner of his" she said while referring to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the current Captain of Squad 12.
"Let's get to more pressing matters, shall we?" Lisa Yadomaru suggested while adjusting her glasses. She then faced Tessai. "I take it that Kisuke accompanied Ichigo and his friends to Hueco Mundo, yes? Well, what did they find?" she asked him.
"Quincies" Tessai revealed grimly, causing all Vizards to stare at him in surprise. "Yes, we had always been curious about why so many Hollows had disappeared and it turns out that the Quincies were exterminating Hollows in Hueco Mundo. Even now, their so-called Wandenreich have now conquered it, leading to Arrancars becoming either subjugated or killed" he revealed to them.
"No way" Lisa remarked. "First the declaration of war and now this? Just what are their arms?" she wondered.
"Maybe the Quincies seek vengeance against the Soul Society for what it did to them eons ago. I mean, we Shinigamis basically massacred them, so why not seeking retaliation?" Rabu "Love" Arikawa suggested while poking his ear. Most of his fellow Vizards didn't take him seriously.
Hiyori only glanced at Love with dispassion in her face. "You're such a bonehead, Love" she muttered in response.
"That may only be one of the many reasons for the Quincies to invade the Sereitei" Tessai suddenly spoke up. "We all know the story between Shinigami and Quincy and how the latter group was a danger to the balance of this world. But one must never forget that there exist a…."prequel" to that story" the tanned-skinned man added to his explanation.
"A prequel? What kind of bullshit are you spewing on, Tessai?" Hiyori asked, as she did not get the meaning of his words.
Hachi only felt uneasy by hearing what his former superior said. "From the way you speak of this. Ichigo and his group found more than Quincies in Hueco Mundo, didn't they" he asked Tessai.
The former esteemed Captain of the Kido Corps adjusted his glasses before continuing. "Ichigo did not, but Kisuke and the others did" he said grimly. "After he had sent off Ichigo to the Soul Society, he and the rest stumbled upon a new sets of enemies. One of them was an Arrancar in service of Aizen. But the other Arracnars were…" Tessai gulped while he was sweating. "Dechados…." He revealed grimly.
Once again, all the Vizards snapped by hearing this revelation. Yes, some of them knew what he was talking about.
"No.…are you meaning to say that…they have returned….or more importantly….has he returned!?" Hachi asked while feeling uneasy.
"We cannot say for sure! But all that I can confirm is that the Dechados have indeed returned after they were thought to be extinct in the terrible "War of the Three Souls". But we were wrong!" he answered his former lieutenant. "But Kisuke, Yoruichi and me were all brought to them, and forced to work under them, to repay the debt Kisuke and our mentor owned them" Tessai went on.
The mood changed as Hiyori suddenly drew her Zanpakutou and aimed it at Tessai with frustration. Her compatriots were completely taken surprise by seeing her behavior, expect for Tessai, that is.
"Hiyrori, what the hell!?" Love asked as he could not believe what he saw.
"Lay down your Zanpakurou at once!" Hachi encouraged her, but the young woman ignored him.
"You son of a bitch!" Hiyori cursed underneath her breath while facing Tessai. "Did you three just sell us to those bastards!" she angrily demanded an answer.
The tall man with glasses never responded, only kept watching her losing control. Being given this glance only made the young woman angrier by the minute.
"Answer my damn question, cocksucker!" Hiyori angrily said, now being restrained by both Love and Hachi
Feeling he could no longer be silent, Tessai spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "We have not dragged anyone of you into out dilemma yet. I only came here to ask you for information about the current situation of the Soul Society. As of now, we are unable to make communications with the Sereitei" he told the Vizards. "But right now, the 13 Court Guard Squads must take great caution. If they are somehow able to repel the Quincy invasion, then they must stand ready. They need to know that the Imperio de Hierro has returned!" he added to his explanation.
Suddenly, the laptop belonging to Lisa suddenly beeped and the four-eyed woman immediately headed towards it and opened to check out her e-mail. She was surprised by seeing who had sent it. "It's from Shinji!" she told everyone and they focused their attention on Lisa as she read through the massage. After 20 seconds, Lisa's eyes were filled with shock and her mouth opened with uncertainty. "No…NO WAY!" she exclaimed while nearly dropping her laptop.
"Why're you so stressed out, Lisa?" Love asked with a raised eyebrow.
The four-eyed woman faced her comrades while sweating. "I have both good and bad news" she revealed while trying to compose herself. "The good news is that the invasion was repelled, alt thanks to Ichigo's intervention. Thus, the Soul Society was not fully destroyed" she told them before moving on to the bad news. "But the bad news is that the invasion left heavy casualties for the Court Guard. Many Shinigami perished in the battle. However, that is not the most shocking part" she told them before gulping. "The Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads, as well as the Captain of Squad 1: Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto….is dead" she revealed, causing the entire mood to change.
It was true. The stalwart commander of the Soul Society's military force…was now dead.
To be continued…..
Author's note: Great chapter, huh? I may plan on showing you how the Soul Society is dealing with this loss, although most of it will remain loyal to the canon story. However, I am open to make some changes to certain elements within this story. And by the way, here's one more term that I forgot to introduce you:
Hoplitas – Spanish for "Hoplites": These are the infantrymen of the Imperio de Hierro, quite different from Aizen's Exequias. Who their commander is remains to be seen.