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The Light of Destruction

Chapter 1

The Gotei 13 was assembled in full parade formation within the Seireitei, an honor guard to commemorate the untimely passing of First Division Lieutenant Choujiro Sasakibe. Every Shinigami not on urgent field duty was present, solemn and silent behind their officers as Sixth Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki gave the eulogy on a raised podium beside the pyre of the fallen Shinigami.

On the other side of the pyre stood the Captain-Commander, aged and worn like never before it seemed.

As Byakuya droned on, Eleventh Division Third Seated Officer Ikkaku Madarame gave a sigh and drew the attention of the Eleventh Division's Fifth Seated Officer Yumichika Ayasegawa.

"What's wrong Ikkaku?" the effeminate Shinigami asked. "Are you bored or something?"

"Nah, it's not that." The bald man said. "It's just that…I really feel a sense of kinship with Sasakibe. Funny that we never really got along before then…after all he was among the older Shinigami and had something of an upper class note to him but…"

"But…?"

"...he could have been a captain if he wanted to, and had many opportunities to become one long before now…" Ikkaku continued, and Yumichika nodded slowly in understanding. "…but he remained a 'mere' subordinate all out of loyalty to the old man. It makes you think, you know what I mean?"

"Yes it does." Yumichika said. "He's just like you in that regard."

Ikkaku nodded and fell silent, even as Byakuya concluded his speech. "…light the pyre." The Captain-Commander ordered mere moments after the other captain had stepped down. The members of the Kidou Corps flanking the pyre with blazing torches in their hands stepped forwards, and put their flames to the pyre.

As flames reduced the pyre and the fallen alike to ash, Yamamoto looked on in silence, the flames of wrath burning cold within him. It was just as that Quincy said: it was quite obvious who and what they were, and there was no need to verbalize it. It was also quite obvious as to the reasoning behind their recent actions.

If it's a war that man wants, then it's a war he'll get.

As the pyre burned down to ashes and cinders, Yamamoto walked away in silence, to brood on his grief and rage alone for a time before the scheduled emergency meeting among the captains.

I won't say farewell Choujiro…not yet, not until your murderer falls by my hand.


Ichigo lay on the couch in his quarters within the Vandenreich, asleep but with his senses spread out over his quarters. One of the things that had come out of having his Quincy heritage brought to the fore was having improved his spiritual awareness to a degree like never before. As it was, he found himself stirring as he sensed the arrival of several familiar Quincy.

What are they doing here?

He cracked open an eye and stared up at the smiling face of the Stern Ritter 'Z' the Zombie Giselle Gewelle, who was slumped over the back of his couch. "Morning, Ichi-chan…!" she gushed.

"Giselle…" he said. "…what do you want?"

"Oh you're so cold." The girl pouted while playing with her hair. "I came to visit since you won't visit me."

"I would visit if it weren't for those creepy dolls all over your place."

The girls giggled – except for Bambietta who just looked annoyed at the reminder of her friend's hobby (not that she could really talk) while sitting down on a nearby armchair – at his words. "Ichigo you moron…" the Stern Ritter 'G' the Glutton Liltotto Lamperd remarked. "…those aren't dolls…"

"I know…I know…!" Ichigo interrupted while sitting up with a scandalized expression on his face. "I know those aren't dolls, but can we please not talk about it?" The girls giggled again, and this time Bambietta actually gave an amused smile at his predicament. "Going back to my earlier question, what are you people doing here?"

"We got bored." Bambietta answered. "And then Candice got an idea to hang out with you, and dragged everyone along with her."

The woman in question grinned while sitting down on the couch (keeping a safe distance away from Ichigo lest Bambietta get jealous) before giving her own two cents. "So Ichigo…" she began. "…what do you plan to do after this war is over?"

Ichigo snorted derisively. "Just because the war ends it doesn't mean our duty will end with it." He said.

"Huh?"

"Use your head Thunderbolt." Ichigo said. "We burn the Seireitei down and crush both the thirteen divisions and the Royal Guard, while His Majesty supplants their king…and then we have to expand and consolidate the Vandenreich over what was once the Soul Society."

"Eh…?" the Stern Ritter 'T' the Thunderbolt Candice Catnipp said blankly. "We have to do that too? Don't we have Soldat for such boring things?"

"And who do you think leads the Soldat, Candice?" Bambietta asked, and the blonde gave a sound of defeat and looked away. "The Soldat will do fine hunting down survivors from the thirteen divisions and maintaining order within the so-called Rukongai but ultimately it will be us, the Stern Ritter, who will rebuild the world in His Majesty's image."

"Only after that can we settle down." Ichigo concluded. "Victory has a price after all, but I imagine that the rewards will be sweet. Huh…come to think of it, service to His Majesty has its perks. I never did get a reward for saving the Shinigami from Aizen…just don't tell Gremmy that. I'll never hear the end of it…that little brat will be going 'I told you so' if he hears of it."

The gathered Stern Ritter fell silent, as the idea of 'reeducation' was an open secret among their people but was nevertheless not something to be discussed in public. It was a credit to Ichigo's loyalty to the Emperor that he like all Quincy ultimately considered the process a necessity in war. Giselle had asked about it once before, and had merely been told that getting angry about it would serve no purpose and that for better or for worse, his sword and power now served the Emperor.

As should be expected from a fellow Quincy and a Special War Power…

"So…" Giselle began anew, still twirling a lock of hair with a finger. "…is your 'relationship' with Bambi-chan going anywhere?"

"Shut up."


"Sorry…" Uryuu Ishida said. "…but I can't go with you. I have other business to attend to."

"Ishida-kun…" Orihime Inoue began, only to be preempted by Kisuke Urahara who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure about this?" Urahara asked with his eyes fixed on Uryuu's own. "Things are going to be dangerous."

Uryuu nodded, deducing that Urahara had already seen through him and his plans. "I know…" he said. "…take care of them Urahara-san, in mine and Kurosaki's place…and take care of yourself as well."

Urahara smiled as Uryuu's eyes narrowed; apparently while the Quincy was confident that his friends were relatively safe, the same could not be said for him. "I will…" he said before turning to the little Arrancar who'd recruited them into heading for Hueco Mundo on a rescue mission. "…now then, shall we get going?"

Orihime and Chad nodded, and Nel nodded as well. Uryuu just watched as they headed into the Garganta, and once they were gone he turned to leave only to be brought up short by a dark-skinned woman in very revealing attire seated on a nearby rock. "You're playing a dangerous game kid." She said. "Do you really think Yhwach won't see through you?"

"He probably will…" he admitted. "…but then again nothing can be achieved without a significant degree of risk."

Yoruichi Shihoin sighed and shook her head. "I never thought that I'd ever hear a Quincy say that." She said. "Normally you people are more pragmatic than that: seeking victory at minimum risk. But then again we could really use someone on the inside. Watch your back Ishida, Yhwach and the other Quincy are dangerous."

Uryuu nodded, eerily reminded of his own parting words with Urahara. "I will." He said, and Yoruichi smiled.

"And if Ichigo is with them…" she said and Uryuu's eyes narrowed. "…bring him back to us."


"Judging from the resonance in the ambient reishi levels within the areas the enemy attacked…" Twelfth Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi was saying to his fellow captains. "…as well as the fact that the large numbers of Hollows were destroyed as opposed to being purified, it's clear that we're dealing with a group of Quincy that somehow managed to avoid being killed centuries ago."

"Quincy…?" Eighth Division Captain Shunsui Kyouraku echoed before thoughtfully tugging on his hat's brim. "Bad business it seems to me…is it for revenge?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Eleventh Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki commented. "It's only natural, right?"

"I suppose you could say that." Ninth Division Captain Kensei Muguruma agreed. "But we had reasons for doing what we did back then…"

"Whether we had a reason or not is meaningless…" Kyouraku interjected. "…we did what we did, and it's as Captain Zaraki said: it's a perfectly natural reaction. Of course…"

"…it's also a perfectly natural reaction for us to defend ourselves…" Tenth Division Captain Toushirou Hitsugaya finished, and Kyouraku nodded in agreement. "…to say nothing of protecting the balance of souls."

"The reasons are immaterial…" Yamamoto said sternly and preempting any further discussion. "…the enemy has declared war on us, and have drawn blood. Has the SRDI anything of importance to further report, in particular how the enemy was able to penetrate the Seireitei so deeply with ease without being detected?"

Mayuri was silent, and after a moment Yamamoto gripped his cane tightly. "Very well…" he continued, every word radiating serene fury. "…if that is the case, then we must assume the enemy is already upon us! The declaration implies that they will attack within five days therefore we must also assume that they will attack at any given time! As such I order all our forces to be on maximum alert, and all Shinigami are to return to the Seireitei for an impending enemy attack! Am I clear?"

"Yes sir!"


The Stern Ritter 'J' the Jail Quilge Opie, Hunt Captain of the Jagd Armee, looked up from the broken and defeated bodies of the three Arrancar females at the arrival of a powerful source of reiatsu. And to be honest, the sight wasn't very impressive: a whimsical-looking blonde man dressed in casual Japanese attire and a ridiculous hat. But the Quincy knew better than to be deceived by appearances.

The Shinigami after all was the one who succeeded in sealing the Special War Power Sousuke Aizen: former Twelfth Division Captain Kisuke Urahara. "A Shinigami…?" he began. "And not just any Shinigami…I must say that I am surprised to see the exiled Kisuke Urahara here of all places."

"What can I say?" Urahara returned jovially while swinging that cane of his around. "I tend to get around."

"Indeed…" Quilge conceded with a chuckle. He looked behind Urahara and confirmed what he had already sensed: the Inoue girl and Yasutora boy were here as well.

Well that was troublesome. The Daten stated that they were not to be killed without explicit permission from the Emperor.

But this was the battlefield, and while the two were not to be killed His Majesty had not said anything about them not getting hurt. The Vandenreich had doctors of their own, and Quilge decided that if they got hurt in the fighting then so long as they could be healed then the situation would be understandable.

"…I wonder though…" he continued as five members of the Jagd Armee walked up alongside him. "…if you understood what it meant walking into this land…"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Urahara quipped, his eyes serious as he brought up his cane and drew his sword. Quilge smiled and made a gesture, and the five Jagd Armee members charged forward and surrounded the Shinigami as silvered spears appeared in their hands.

Another gesture and another Quincy ran up to the Hunt Captain. "...inform headquarters of the situation immediately." He ordered, and the man gave a salute.

"Yes sir, right away!"

Quilge directed his attentions back to the battle, and quickly found Urahara to be worthy of his place in the Daten. Even with his zanpakutou sealed, he quickly made short work of the three Quincy who attacked from the front, and while blocking the attack from the left shot his enemy on the right dead through the forehead with a Kidou.

Most likely Hadou number four: Byakurai.

Quilge chuckled as he palmed his Quincy Cross and summoned his own spirit weapon – a sabre – and pointing it at Urahara created six heilig pfeil. Urahara cut down the fifth Quincy and noticed the arrows as they were loosed against him.

"Awaken Benihime…!" he said softly, and swung his unsealed sword to generate a hexagonal, crimson shield before him that blocked all of the Quincy's arrows. Warned by instinct he dodged, and avoided a decapitating blow from the side by the enemy leader. Quilge pressed the offensive, hammering away at Urahara's guard with whirlwind-like strikes from his sabre.

Urahara tripped, and the Quincy dove in for the kill…and was surprised when Urahara blurred and appeared behind him. Surprised, but not off-guard – the moment he saw the tell-tale blur of Shunpo, he switched from Blut Arterie to Blut Vene, and barely succeeded in blocking the blade swung at his neck.

This time it was Urahara's turn to be surprised, as a faint, ink-like pattern manifested under the Quincy's skin and blocked his attack. And like Quilge he was surprised, but not caught off-guard as he jumped back several meters and avoided the Quincy's counterattack.

"What was that?" he silently wondered. "Was that hierro? No, it's not…it looks similar, but the pattern was beneath the skin. It's something else!" Even as his scientist's mind worked on this new puzzle, an arm was rising and pointed palm-outwards at the Quincy. "Hadou number sixty-three…" he said. "...Raikouhou!"

An orb of yellow energy formed crackling in his outstretched palm and fired at the Quincy, who briefly had time to grimace before taking the beam at full strength. Urahara smiled…and then his eyes went wide as Quilge dove through the dust cloud, his sleeves shredded and burnt but otherwise unharmed. The Quincy's sabre swung at him and the former captain grimaced at the force of the strike, steadily being hammered back by the enemy's fierce counterattack.

"Is something wrong, Kisuke Urahara?" Quilge taunted. "Are you still surprised at the extent the Quincy have evolved in the centuries since you attempted to wipe us out? Don't be; as a scientist you should be well aware of the advantages of research and innovation. And unlike you Shinigami, we Quincy are more capable of change and adaptation."

"Tradition exists for a reason you know." Urahara said while locking blades with Quilge, his reiatsu flaring as he fought the Quincy to a standstill. "Cry, Benihime…!"

Bright red reiryoku flared and exploded, sending the Hunt Captain flying back. "Those same traditions will guarantee your defeat Shinigami." Quilge sneered as he landed hard but on his feet. Urahara cautiously closed to attack as reishi glowed and flared while gathering around the relatively unharmed Quincy…but both of them came to a standstill at the massive surge of reiatsu from nearby.

"What the…?" Urahara said in surprise, while Quilge could only swear at the familiar signatures.

"Damn…"

"Did you forget about us?" Franceska Mila Rose asked as she emerged in her Resurreccion form.

"Because we sure as hell haven't forgotten you…!" Emilou Apacci spat as she too appeared in her Resurreccion form.

"We underestimated you once." Cyan Sung-sun finished. "It won't happen again."

The three Arrancar grabbed their left arms, and as one tore them from their bodies before throwing them into the air. "Go Ayon!"

Quilge ground his teeth at the second and even more powerful surge of reiatsu.

This could be troublesome.


A Soldat ran down the aisle and knelt down before the Emperor's throne. "Your Majesty…" he reported. "…we have received an emergency communication from the Jagd Armee in Hueco Mundo. The former Twelfth Division Captain Kisuke Urahara has entered Hueco Mundo and has engaged in combat Hunt Captain Quilge Opie. Furthermore Daten entries Orihime Inoue and Sado Yasutora have both been confirmed to have been in accompaniment."

The Emperor nodded in acknowledgement before sitting back on his throne. "The enemy has taken the initiative I see…" he wondered aloud. "…has any mention been made of one Uryuu Ishida?"

The Soldat blinked blankly before giving a reply. "No sir." The man said. "No mention of such a person has been made. Should we transmit an inquiry?"

"No, there's no need for that." The Emperor said before coming to another decision. "Issue a priority order to Quilge however: tie the enemy down in Hueco Mundo at all costs, but follow the general orders in the Daten."

"Yes Your Majesty!"

"Furthermore…" the Emperor continued. "…issue new orders across the Vandenreich: the invasion of the Soul Society is to begin immediately."


"Attention! Attention! This is a combat alert! All Stern Ritter are immediately ordered to assemble at the Gate of the Sun!"


A/N

I'm sure you people can read between the lines with the mention of Gremmy and reeducation in the same section. More on that and on Ichigo's loyalty to the Emperor will be given in the future.

Oh and Giselle will be a girl in this story. Kubo you bastard...

And I don't intend to follow canon with the Emperor apparently just in it for the evulz. Sure he'll still be something of a heartless bastard, but he has a goal in mind here, as evidenced by Ichigo's conversation with the Quincy girls.