Technically the eleventh chapter but now tenth after I fused the last two together. Anyway there's still plenty more action to come in the Two Worlds Trilogy. I'm really getting the momentum to finish this one off for good now thanks to some motiviating reviews. Enjoy!

Verse 10

Old faces return...

Only what we see is nothing from our past.

The fleeting souls take a chance...

To revive old bonds.

"Byakuya Kuchiki..." Ichigo regarded the man with a devious grin. "I'm surprised you're still alive."

Byakuya closed his eyes as he explained. "What ever gave you the impression I was dead?" Byakuya continued as he reopened his eyes. "Shunsui Kyouraku's Bankai preserved the three of us from the fusing universes."

"The three of you?" Ichigo was surprised. "Who was the third person?"

"Sajin Komamura." Byakuya bluntly answered.

"So the fox-man and crossdresser are still alive?" Ichigo seemed relieved that three former Gotei 13 officers had survived the apocalypse. "Well now that we know of the good news, would you like to join forces with us against the Spades Diclonii-Arrancar army?"

Byakuya gave very little impression that he would consent to any alliance. "Why would we ever need to rely on a bunch of misfit humans and substitute Shinigami to help our fight against the Spades Army?"

"Well, doesn't it just make sense to fight them on two fronts." Ichigo seemed to have his ideal scenario planned out. "I mean, why the hell did we ever form these stupid clans in the first place?"

"You should know the answer to that boy." Byakuya spoke with a much deeper register. "It's because our final goals our ultimately different."

Ichigo hung onto that thought for a moment. Our goals are different? But don't the Diamonds wish to destroy all the Hollow-Diclonii like us Hearts. I mean the Clubs were just complete nutcases with Mayuri and that weird Man, but I always figured the Diamonds would be a lot more like us than the Spades or Clubs.

"Now I think you should return to your little camp, there is nothing further for us to discuss here." Byakuya turned away and began to walk inside when he felt the air change.

CLING. Byakuya lifted out his sword and blocked the attack that was aimed at the back of his neck. "Foolish boy, are you still trying that old move?"

"Dammit Byakuya snap out of it!" Ichigo grit his teeth as he pushed his sword down against Byakuya's. "We didn't come here to ask for an alliance nicely."

"I see..." Byakuya turned his body, parrying the sword away. "Then I guess you leave me no choice then."

"You guys flood the compound while I take care of Byakuya!" Ichigo gave his orders to the four Heartsmen. "And try not to kill anyone, we need them all!"

"Right let's go!" Tatsuki began using her old kickboxing moves on some of the guards. She weaved and slid out of their gun-sights as she knocked them down like bowling pins.

Hisagi drew out his own sword and slammed his handle into their guts. Winding them and knocking them out in one blow. "Too easy." He regarded as he batted the sheath of his sword against another oncoming soldier.

Nana used her vectors to punch and throw some of the soldiers. She lifted two by the ankle and swung them like a human flail, knocking even more out before throwing them into another group. "Take this!" She charged forward as another wave of soldiers came out, responding with her rocket punch by shooting her artificial hands at the armed men.

Nyu advanced the furthest, already making her way inside. As she came across an open corridor, more solders streamed out of a room. She noticed some large overhead lights hanging down the ceiling. She pulled out her gun and shot them, causing the heavy lights to fall and smash down onto the next dozen victims.

"Nice work Nyu!" Nana and the others had now caught up to the Ace warrior. "Let's split in two." Nana declared. "Nyu and Myself will take the top level and Hisagi and Tatsuki take the bottom."

"Roger!" Hisagi and Tatsuki quickly departed into another walkway.

"Let's go Nyu." Nana lifted herself onto the balcony of the second level using her invisible grappling line and Nyu followed suit.

"There they are stop the invaders!" Several more soldiers poured out of the upper level corridors as the two Diclonii used their extra fists to their advantage, pummelling and smashing their way through the weak humans.

"These people won't stand a chance against the Diclonii-Arrancar..." Nyu solemnly regarded as she paced her way through the fallen soldiers.

"But we mustn't harm them..." Nana said in a more peaceful tone. "They're just innocent bystanders in this war with the Hollows."

"True.,.." Nyu quietly answered as she burst open a steel door with her invisible crowbars.

The white and pink haired girls had entered what appeared to be a control room or lab. A number of rows of computers lined the room, each scrolling various green text on black screens. A number of walkways and railings zigzagged the large room as it rose upon several graded stairs.

Nyu called out to seemingly noone. "Is anyone here?"

"NYU WATCH OUT!" Nana tackled her Diclonii comrade as a number of rapid shots struck the computers sending sparks and glass shards flying across the room. "Don't shoot, we don't wish to harm any of you!" Nana pleaded to the mysterious attacker.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow you two to advance any further." A stern female voice emerged from the dark shadows which made up the other side of the room. The woman appeared much taller as she stood on the higher levels of the control room. She slung an MP7 sub-machine gun in her left arm as she paced slowly across the room. "I, Ise Nanao, will not let you reach King Shunsui Kyouraku at all costs!"

…

"Tch. There's so many of these guys packed in here." Shunsui grew frustrated as he continued using restricted attacks on the hordes of soldiers.

"HYAH!" Tatsuki landed another flying kick into some unfortunate Diamonds. "Well it ain't all bad. It's a good warm-up for the real battle."

"Your little raid ends here!" As they reached the end of the lower floors the two Hearts had come across a small group of katana wielding soldiers. "I am the Three of Diamonds and former 6th Seat of Seventh Division officer Kentauro Genjobi."

"So you guys are all ex-Shinigami too eh?" Hisagi unsheathed his sword, discarding the sheath as a smile of confidence drew across his lips. "Former Lieutenant of Ninth Division and the Fourth strongest Hearts warrior, Shuhei Hisagi." Hisagi held out his sword horizontally as he faced his opponent. "A pleasure to make your acquaintances.

"A former Lieutenant?" Genjobi smirked. "Well thankfully your Shinigami powers will no longer work in this desolate universe." He slashed across the air with his own blade. "Now we have an even playing field."

…

Byakuya and Ichigo continued locking blades as they parried each others attacks. Ichigo went down for a sweeping strike but Byakuya was still quite fast footed and able to evade each of his sneak attacks.

"I see you still uphold your false sense of pride even when the entire universe is in disrepair." Ichigo taunted the former Gotei 13 Captain. "Even though our enemies are the same, you still want to make me go through this silly game with you again."

"The very fact that you house Diclonius in your army proves that we have very different ways of dealing with our supposed 'enemies'" Byakuya explained as he darted around Ichigo's position attempting to stab through his back.

Ichigo stopped the tip of his blade with the flat of his own. "Hah, without your flower petals, you can only use cheap tactics as well."

…

"An even playing field you say?" Hisagi stepped forward as he turned his sword, the blade edge facing his opponent. "We may no longer have our Zanpakutos or the ability to use kido or flash step...but..." Hisagi trusted his blade as it connected with the Third strongest warrior of the diamonds army..."

…

"...We Shinigami still posses one advantage over you humans and Diclonii." The machine gun wielding Nanao pressed the barrel of her gun against Nana's chest.

…

"You think our battle will be decided by foolish concepts such as Shikai or Bankai?" Byakuya scoffed as he turned around on his right leg, sending the ankle of his left leg in a spinning heel kick against Ichigo's gut. "Do you have any idea why I was assigned the title of Ace of Diamonds?"

"GUAGH!" Ichigo spat out a mouthful of saliva as he flew across the battlefield, using his black katana to stop his momentum.

"The only factor which has ever mattered..." Byakuya stated as he rolled Ichigo onto his back with his leg. "And the factor which has determined our differences in power..."

…

Hisagi stood over his opponent, whom had already found his back against the wall. "This battle..."

…

"...Will be decided..."

…

"...On sheer strength..."

The collapse of both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo has also taken the combat abilities of Shinigami and Hollows. With only sheer physical strength and stamina left left to determine the extent of one's power, can Ichigo still defeat the lightning fast Byakuya? And how will Nyu and Nana fare against the gunwielding Nanao? Don't miss the next epic chapter!