AN: the other fanfic I recent wrote can be considered as canon to the storyline of this. So reading this might help explain a certain appearance in this chapter.
s/8625644/1/End-of-the-Loneliness
As Nodt stood triumphantly over the trembling form of Kurotsuchi Mayuri. "How does it feel, Shinigami? For one such as you who is accustomed to spreading fear wherever he goes to be surrounded with your deepest phobias? Or…" The Quincy kicked the Captain in the side, hard enough to send him rolling several feet away. "Has your mind already shattered? I have given you far larger a dosage of my power than it usually takes to drive a sane being utterly mad. A pity. At least the last one of your rank I slew put up a token amount of resistance." One of As Nodt's glowing thorns moved to hover just above Mayuri's head. "I expected more, especially considered the bravado you spouted before our battle. It seems that not even the honed mind of a man of science can truly escape the raw instinct of terror. Perish." The thorn came down, but pierced only the ground. Mayuri had moved out of the way at the last moment, a deranged expression of delight on his face as he rose to his feet. "Whaaat? Is the experiment over already? It was just starting to get interesting! All that sensory manipulation…How exactly do you do that? It must be some sort of chemical that puts the victim into a state where their latent fears emerge. Am I correct? Ah, forgive me for becoming so overly excited. I will learn the answer myself soon enough when I dissect you." As Nodt frowned, taking a step backward as Mayuri dusted himself off and raised his weapon once more, already with its Shikai activated. "How is this possible? You should not be able to do a thing besides scream in terror."
"I suppose such feeble-minded fools as you are accustomed to facing would be unable to handle the effects of this ability. I on the other hand…I am not a child to be frightened by a few scary images. Though I must admit that some of them were quite interesting. A unique experience for certain. Perhaps I can replicate the effect when I have studied you, and subject myself to it again. I am sure it would be quite enlightening. However, I suppose I cannot indulge myself yet." Mayuri licked his lips, raising his free palm towards the Quincy. "First comes killing you. Slowly. Deliciously slowly."
Komamura dashed across Seireitei once more after departing Muken, heading back towards the 4th Division. As he approached the barracks once more, something flew from the building towards him. The Captain raised his sword to defend himself, before recognizing the figure and giving a calm nod to the former Stern Ritter as she landed on his shoulder once more. "Good to see that you seem to have recovered somewhat, Bambietta." He felt the impact of her boot against the side of his head a moment later, though not hard enough to do him any real damage. "Obviously, it's not like you could have done much to me! Winning at all was dumb luck and you know it! And who said you could talk to me so informally?!" Komamura gave an amused shake of his head as he approached the barracks. "Hey, hold up." The Captain came to a halt, glancing to his shoulder questioningly. The Quincy gestured, and a shadowy image formed in the air in front of him. The shadow seemed to take the exact shape of Komamura, complete with an outline of Bambietta on his shoulder. "I'm getting out of here, don't want to stick around when the others finish up their fights. Guess I still owe you one, so you can escape too if you want. Quincy pride demands it, that's all." She turned away, hiding her reddening face. "By now, the others will have blocked off all Senkeimon leading out of here. Only way to get out of Soul Society now is like this or with a Garganta. Now get in there before I change my mind!" Komamura gave a small shake of his head, smiling sadly. "I appreciate your offer, I am truly thankful that you would extend such a favor. But I cannot abandon the Gotei now, nor my debt to Genryuusai-sama. But I wish you good luck, I hope the Vandenreich does not attempt to eliminate you once more." The shadow faded away. "Y-you really are a stupid dog, you know that? I might as well stick around a bit for a show then. I can just get out of here whenever I feel like." Komamura nodded, approaching a crowd of gathered Shinigami. Bambietta jumped off of his shoulder as a white haired man approached, greeting Komamura with a short nod. "You won your fight, I heard. Nice work." The other Captain nodded back. "It's good to see you safe as well, Kensei-san."
Before the other man could respond, however, an explosion seemed to rock the entire Seireitei. All eyes were drawn to the wreckage of the 13th Division as the barracks and surrounding buildings were consumed in a vast pillar of light. In the same instant, the already weakening reiatsu of the Gotei 13's leader all but vanished. "Genryuusai-sama!" Komamura gasped, going absolutely still with shock and disbelief. "No…This…It isn't possible." Anything he intended to say further was interrupted, however, by a booming voice. "Greetings, fools of the Gotei 13. Allow me to congratulate you for managing to survive this long. By my calculations, more than eighty percent of your number have already been annihilated." An image of Juha Bach seemed to float in the air above the 4th Division, surrounded by a shining box as if the Shinigami were viewing him on a giant television. The Quincy appeared to be standing in the sky, an enormous claymore in his hand that appeared to consist of pure reishi. Hashvald stood beside him as usual, wearing a cold smirk as he listened to his leader's speech. "You will not last long either. But before you join your brethren, I will reward you for your attempts at resistance by allowing you to witness a historic event. The death of Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai." Juha motioned with his free hand, and something drifted forward from "off screen" for the observers to see. Gasps could be heard from almost every Shinigami present. Komamura merely stared. His mouth fell open as he stared wide eyed up at the image, horrified but unable to avert his gaze. The battered body of Yamamoto floated alongside Bach, supported by rings of reishi around his ankles and remaining wrist. The ancient Shinigami's torso body was covered with numerous deep gashes and stab wounds, made apparent by his lack of any clothing above the waist. His head was bowed, making it impossible for the shocked viewers to even determine if he was still living despite the Vandenreich emperor's claim.
"Behold, Shinigami. Your great leader in all his glory. Look how pathetic he has become. But of course, you are even more pathetic than he. So unsightly. In his prime, he would have never tolerated such weakness among his followers. You all would have been slain out of principle in the Gotei of old. Wouldn't they, old friend?" Bach reached out, cupping Yamamoto's chin and lifting his head to face the observers. Another shocked gasp went through the crowd at the 4th Division. The old man's eyes had been slashed out, an enormous bloody gash across his face from the attack that had blinded him. "…No." After what seemed like an eternity, Yamamoto's bloodstained lips twitched and began to move. "Do not…Fall for his…Attempts to…Demoralize you…You are of the Go-" His words were cut off in a spasm of coughing as Juha calmly ran the glowing weapon through the half dead Shinigami's stomach. "You liar." Bach replied in an amused tone. "Still clinging to maintain your appearance to them even in death? The old you never cared that the Rukongai feared him and called him a demon. You have declined so, Yamamoto Genryuusai. It is almost mercy for me to slay you." The Quincy yanked the broadsword free of Yamamoto's stomach, chuckling as Yamamoto gave no reaction despite the obvious pain.
"No." Few of the Shinigami even noticed the voice that came from among them. "No. NO! HE MUST BE STOPPED!" Komamura shook with barely repressed anger, desperately attempting to concentrate on the few remaining large reiatsu sources in the Seireitei as he located the exact position of the Vandenreich's leader. "I'M COMING, GENRYUUSAI-SAMA!" The Captain hurled himself into the air in the direction of the gruesome scene, bent on saving his teacher's life despite the hopelessness of the situation, howling in blind rage. "No!" Unohana cried, the first to react to Komamura's charge. "Bakudou 63, Sajou Sabaku!" Glowing chains materialized around Komamura, binding his arms to his sides and bringing him crashing to the ground. "GENRYUUSAI-SAMA!" Exerting his monstrous strength, the Captain strained against the binding spell as he let out another bellow. The Kido snapped abruptly, and Komamura gathered himself for a second leap. "Muguruma-san!" Kensei nodded at the woman. Before Komamura could continue towards the 13th Division, his fellow Captain tackled him around the midsection and brought him down once more. "Guh! Snap out of it, you idiot! You'll just get killed too!" The silver haired man yelled as he struggled to hold back Komamura's strength. "My life is insignificant compared to his! UNHAND ME!" The bestial Captain roared, hurling Kensei off of him with a surge of strength. Before he could leave again, however, Unohana completed the lengthy chant she had been reciting as the two struggled. "Bakudou 99, Part One: Kin!" Bands of fabric appeared in the air around Komamura, constricting around him and binding his arms behind his back as well as pinning him down by nailing the fabric to the ground with iron bolts. "RELEASE ME! GENRYUUSAI-SAMA REQUIRES MY AID!" The bound Captain strained against the Kido, which seemed to hold against his efforts. Kensei appeared above him in a flash, ready to interfere if he broke free once more. "…Sorry, man. It's for your own good." His only reply was a primal growl.
"I believe I have given you all enough time to come to terms with reality." Bach's voice caught their attention once more. "Would you care to say any last words to this shadow of the true Gotei 13?" Yamamoto remained still. The claymore pierced him again, this time through the center of his chest. "Well then. I suppose this is the end, isn't it? I do believe it is true what they say. Revenge is a dish best served cold indeed." Juha pulled his weapon free once more, gripping it with both hands and drawing it back over his shoulder as he prepared the final blow. "Farewell, Yamamoto Genryuusai." The elder Shinigami's mouth seemed to twitch once more. Too injured to even speak, his lips slowly formed two words that were obviously directed towards the remaining members of the Gotei.
"Fight on."
Juha Bach swung. The glowing blade cut into Yamamoto's neck easily, severing his head from his shoulders with one blow. Before the decapitated head could even begin to fall, however, Bach released his sword with one hand to point his left index finger at what remained of his enemy. The corpse was consumed in a blazing volley of energy blasts taking the form of the Vandenreich's symbol, wiping every trace of the Shinigami from existence. Not even ash remained as Bach let up on the barrage and gave a small smile at his handiwork. With that, the image in the sky abruptly vanished. The observers stood in stunned silence. Despite the chaos in the Seireitei and the clear advantage of the invaders, they had all believed they could depend on their leader in any situation. That no matter the odds, he would turn the tide of the war singlehandedly and rout the Quincy. Now they remained still, as if completely unsure of what to do with their seemingly invincible leader slain before their eyes. Once more, Komamura was the only one to break the silence. "NOOOOOOOO!" The Captain howled with a mixture of grief and rage like he had never felt before, exerting every ounce of strength in his body as he attempted to move once more. Tears shone in his golden eyes as he stared desperately into the sky as if praying that what they had been shown was a trick, that his mentor was still alive and well. "A LIE! A TRICK! I WILL KILL HIM!" The fabric pinning to the ground began to rip under the force of his emotionally driven strength. Unohana's eyes closed in sorrow as she made a new hand gesture. "Bakudou 99, Part Two: Bankin." Pure white energy flowed from her to surround Komamura, forming into white fabric as it covered him entirely up to his neck. His movements finally disabled, the Captain could do nothing but scream his dismay to everyone nearby. Kensei approached, sticking his palm in front of Komamura's eyes, an expression of anger and grief plain on his face as well. An instant later, the bound Shinigami went limp. His eyes remained open, staring blankly into space. Unohana gave her colleague a questioning glance. "Technique we developed to force somebody into their inner world…I thought it would be the best thing we could do for him now." The older Captain nodded in reply. "…Hey. I-is he going to be alright?" Unohana turned. Bambietta was staring at the unconscious Komamura with a concerned expression, looking as if she wanted to approach. When she caught Unohana noticing her, she abruptly looked away and blushed slightly as she tried and failed to look uninterested. "I can't say, Quincy-san. I am sorry."
"Hmph. He's too stubborn not to recover." The former Stern Ritter did her best to sound confident as she shot the limp figure another concerned glance when Unohana turned away. "Be that as it may, I'm not sure if making him sleep was the best decision." Kensei frowned. "Why not?" The woman stared into the distance. "They are coming here. At least six of the most powerful ones. It seems large numbers of weaker Quincy have joined the attack as well." Kensei drew his sword, gritting his teeth as he released his Shikai. "We won't go out without a fight."
Shunsui and Shinji stared as the image in the sky over their location faded away as well. "YAMA-JII!" Shunsui screamed, his remaining eye going wide in horror at the sight of his teacher killed before him. In that instant, a burst of reishi streaked out of the smoking crater the explosive trap set for their Quincy opponent had produced, piercing Shunsui through the chest. "Goddamn, he's still-" Shinji doubled over as a second shot caught him through the stomach. The two Captains fell to the ground in unison, blood staining the cracked tile beneath them. "…That was a good attack." The Stern Ritter emerged from the smokescreen, his weapon still smoking itself. His glasses were cracked, clothing burnt and torn. "If I had not used my Blut Vene, I highly doubt even I would be in any condition to fight." The elderly Quincy smirked. "But you forgot the most important rule of battle. Never let your guard down." He aimed his gun at Shinji's head, ensuring the aim was perfect. "S-stop!" A new voice came from his side. Hinamori Momo charged from the rubble she had hidden in on Shinji's orders since the fight had begun, her Shikai activated at she ran towards the Stern Ritter. "GET YER ASS OUTTA HERE, YA IDIOT!" Shinji yelled, gesturing wildly at the girl to stop, eyes wide as he swept his hand across his face. His mask began to form, but not quickly enough. Almost lazily, the Quincy aimed his weapon at Momo instead. As his finger pulled the trigger however, the Stern Ritter felt something pressed against his back.
"Cero Metrelleta." The Quincy was blasted forward by a blast of blue light before he could fire, which was almost instantly followed by countless more. The volley of Ceros continued to blast away at the man, enveloping him in flash after flash of blue energy as he was propelled flying into a heap of rubble a distance away with a crash. "Looks like I made it just in time, huh?" Shunsui's eye widened in recognition. "You…You're the Primera Espada!" Coyote Starrk stood in his released state where the Quincy had been a moment before, his left pistol aimed at the wreckage the Stern Ritter had vanished into as he carefully watched for any signs of movement. The gray and white clad figure gave him a nod once he was satisfied, reaching down to help Shinji to his feet before doing the same for Shunsui. "Former. Guess I made up for shooting you in the back, huh?" Shinji frowned, allowing his mask to vanish as he approached his Vice Captain. "Ya dumbass. Didn't I tell ya not to get anywhere near that guy?! If the cowboy here hadn't shown up, ya would have died. Next time, stick ta the orders. Got it? Don't they teach ya that crap about letting yer ally die in the academy anymore?" Momo hung her head. "…Y-yes, Hirako-taichou." Shinji grimaced, giving her a quick pat on the shoulder. "No time for moping around…And that was one hell of a Kidou you pulled off."
"It's time to go." Their rescuer flicked his right pistol, a Garganta tearing itself into existence behind him. "Go?" Shunsui glanced from the gateway and the Arrancar. "We can't just leave the others behind." Starrk grinned. "I don't think that'll be a problem. I just got here first." As he spoke, several new reiatsus began to appear across the Seireitei. "Now get in there. I'd rather not stick around to fight the guy I saved you lot from." The four stepped into the Garganta, a path of reishi forming below their feet, Shunsui being helped along by the Arrancar.
Kensei spun his knife around, shifting nervously as the horde of Quincy grew closer and closer in the distance. "We'll take most of 'em with us at least." His senior nodded, slowly drawing her own weapon without a word, looking almost regretful as she did so. Several of the Shinigami around them hesitantly raised their own swords. Others lay on the ground, shaking or sobbing with fear as their end approached the 4th Division. Bambietta stood in front of the bound and unconscious Komamura, gripping her newly reformed sword tightly with both hands. The Quincy lines suddenly came to a halt several dozen meters from the barracks. A Quincy emerged from the ranks, his clothing distinguishing him from the masked army behind him. He wore glasses, the right edge of his face marked by a series of spots. "Hold position and prepare to fire, Soldat." The army moved as one, making identical motions as simple bows formed in their hands. Each Quincy in the front row formed a glowing arrow, pulling back on their bowstrings as they prepared to release the attacks at the resistance before them. A sadistic smirk spread over the Stern Ritter's face. "Fire. Don't stop until it is dust." The soldiers let their arrows fly together, the deadly barrage streaking through the air towards the Shinigami on the front lines. Some of them winced, others closed their eyes entirely as they awaited their deaths. However, death did not come. They opened their eyes after several seconds had passed without arrows piercing their bodies, only to see a shimmering wall between them and the invaders. The wall was merely one side of a box that covered the entire barracks, protecting the area from all sides. Kensei glanced around wildly. "No way, this looks like…"
"It is." Two Shinigami stood atop the main building of the division, both making complicated gestures. "It looks like we got here just in time." A grin spread across Kensei's face. "Hacchi, you're a damn welcome sight. Glad you're here too, Tessai-san." The former Captain of the Kidou Corps gave the other man a brief nod as he continued a long chant under his breath to continue strengthening the barrier.
"Ugh!" Rose staggered back as his opponent's knee caught him in the stomach, barely raising his whip in time to deflect a punch aimed for his face. "What's wrong?" NaNaNa Najahkoop grinned. "You've gotten slower since the old bastard kicked the bucket. Losing your resolve? Crying for your jii-san? How cute." The Quincy lashed out with a kick, taking the Shinigami in the chest and sending him to the ground. "Guess I underestimated you a bit when I said you'd be dead in five minutes. Oh well. Better late than never, huh?" A blade of reishi formed in the Stern Ritter's hand as he raised it high into the air. "Die." Rose groaned as the blade swung down, reaching up to try and don his mask before the strike could land. Before the sword got close to him however, the Quincy was suddenly sent flying through the air. "…Heh, how's that for an entrance. That's how you do one, Rose. No artsy crap, just badass." Standing protectively over the injured Shinigami was Aikawa Love, his enormous Shikai slung over his shoulder. Rose managed to grin back. "As usual, no style." Love reached down, helping the other man to his feet before extending his fist. The other Shinigami smiled, reaching out with his own to bump lightly against Love's. "Alright, we gotta get out of here." Rose frowned. "With both of us, this one won't be a problem." His comrade shook his head. "Yeah, but the plan is settled. Retreat is first priority here." He gestured at the Senkeimon he had arrived from. "We'll pay these bastards back soon enough."
"What the hell is this?!" Shaz Domino bared his teeth with rage as the volley of arrows he had ordered all exploded uselessly against the barrier that had formed out of nowhere. "Blast it down!" The Shinigami inside watched nervously as the barrage seemed to intensify. The walls held under the assault, however, the arrows useless against the Kidou prowess of the two masters. "We can't last forever like this though." Kensei commented, gesturing at the continuous stream of arrows. "Nor will we have to." Hacchi smiled. "Tessai-senpai and I are almost prepared. We will send this entire area to a safe location in the world of the living. Others have gone to assist those of you not present here. The Gotei 13 will endure." A cheer went up from the crowd of startled Shinigami, some embracing one another in tears at the news of their salvation. "We will use forbidden Kidou for this task, so we request you plug your ears for a moment." The group willingly complied with the request of their saviors, covering their ears as the two Kidou masters recited a chant known to few as green light spread throughout the 4th Division. The entire building was enveloped in the glow, shining for a moment before vanishing in a massive pillar of light of the same color. The Quincy stared in shock as their target escaped, leaving no trace of the barracks behind. "…His majesty isn't going to like this." Shaz growled.
