The banquet went long into the night with Soifon and Kei never moving from their places. They each were watching people specifically and going over the options. Kei was trying to figure out the royal guard. On parts of their uniform there were flaps most likely were there were concealed weapons, but Soifon also figured they were like the Special Forces and were skilled in both hand to hand combat and kido. She highly doubted they carried swords. Daggers would be the biggest item they carried.
Soifon grinned widely and Kei shot her a side glance, "What is it?"
"We're about to receive some company," she chuckled.
"General Yamamoto doesn't waste anytime," she smiled. The two women flexed their hands and wrists, "This party needs to be crashed," laughed Kei.
"Wait for it. 5…4…3…2…1…" Through every window came Soifon's Special Forces. They crashed through on ropes and quickly cut off all escape routes and surrounded the banquet. People were screaming, others froze in place as the masked men stepped forward.
"Get Hana!" Soifon commanded, but Kei had already disappeared when people were distracted the sudden entrance of the Special Forces. Metsuki and Yakunan had jumped from their places on the platform both men had their swords drawn. Kei appeared behind Hana and the queen.
"Ladies if you'll kindly follow me. We're leaving."
"Kei!" jumped Hana, "Shh…" Kei put a finger to her lips and escorted the women around the outer rim of the crowd. Soifon had ducked back and met up with them. One of her commanders was waiting near a broken window.
"Commander take these two women back to the Soul Society. Guard them with your life…am I understood?"
The commander quickly nodded and called three other men over with him. They lifted the queen who seemed slightly embarrassed and flustered at the sudden grabbing, but understood. The commander grabbed Hana throwing her over his shoulder. Hana grunted at being man handled.
"You be careful, Kei!" she shouted at her as the commander leapt into the open window.
Kei unsheathed her sword, "What's the fun in that?!" she laughed. Soifon and Kei stepped into the open area before the thrones.
"What is the meaning of this?!" demanded Yakunan.
"We know of your treachery, Yakunan," spat Kei. Their sword at their sides, but the spirit energy was flowing.
"What are you talking about?!" demanded Metsuki.
In the blink of an eye Kei had flashed stepped and sliced the jacket and shirt right from Metsuki's body. She also sliced through the beast's bandages revealing the gaping hole in his gut, "That you idiot."
The crowd gasped at the sight of realizing what had been in their presence this entire time.
Yakunan smiled, "So the little brat told you. I figured she had over heard. The only one who thought something was up, and Naibun informed me that General Yamamoto thought something was up. No wonder he sent Captain Soifon. Can never underestimate the elderly."
Metsuki unsheathed a concealed sword, "You aren't leaving here alive."
Kei smiled, "Like I said before…feel free to impale yourself on my sword."
Their swords met and the two were locked in battle. They fought in flash steps, but Kei had better knowledge of it and was able to easily get the upper hand without releasing her shikai. Metsuki's blade came slicing at her head, but Kei leaned back ducked down at sliced open the arrancar's leg bringing him to the ground. Yakunan dragged him away and up onto the platform.
"That should keep you out of the way for right now."
"Kei we've got other things to worry about," Soifon looked around as the Royal Guard came sprinting into the hall surrounding the two shingami and the Special Forces who created a protective circle around their commander and Kei.
"Listen!" shouted Soifon, "Kei is now your acting Lieutenant you do as she says!"
"What about me?!" cried Marechiyo from the circle of men dressed in black.
"You're an incompetent idiot; you'll only fuck things up. Just fight and make sure no one, but the Royal Guard is harmed."
He went to complain, but then nodded realizing the situation.
Kei took a deep breath, "Once we break I want a you five," she pointed to the ones in front of her, "To find the King and bring him back to the Soul Society immediately. Be careful he's very ill. And once there make sure he sees Captain Retsu."
The men nodded and Soifon gave the command. It was as if the circle of Special Forces exploded because the leapt forward at such speed and attacked the Royal Guardsmen immediately who were completely taken off guard. Some were tackled to the ground while the others rushed to throw weapons at the men, but it did little effect. Soifon took off to fight the Royal Guard, but Kei was cut off by Naibun.
"You're not going anywhere!" he shouted at her drawing his sword.
"I didn't like you from the beginning."
Naibun slashed at her head. Kei did a back flip in order to avoid the deadly blade the Royal Guard commander came at her wildly swinging his blade hoping to land a blow.
---
"Will you guys hurry up!" shouted Yachiru. She was far out ahead of them as they came barreling through the barrier into the dimension, "We have to help Kei-Kei!"
"Right!" the men behind her shouted.
Kei had wound up on the platform behind the stone throne. She thought she was safe for a moment when Naibun's blade pierced right through the stone.
"Damn! That would have sucked…" she shouted flipping over the throne and slicing Naibun's back open, but the commander kept coming at her.
"I will kill you!" he shouted, "I refuse to be beaten by some women!"
"Well prepare to have your ass handed to you by me."
---
Kenpachi, Yachiru, Ikkaku and Yumichika quickly dispatched the oncoming Royal Guards as they entered the dimension. Yachiru was leading them. She neared and neared the castle heading straight for the front door. Kenpachi's spirit pressure alone tore the door from its hinges. The hall had cleared of any civilians leaving just the Special Forces, the Royal Guard, Kei, Naibun, Yakunan, Metsuki, and part of Squad 11.
"KEI-KEI!" shouted Yachiru. Kei spun around and spotted her pink haired Lieutenant.
"Yachiru?!" she smiled as she spotted the rest of the usual crew. But ducked when she felt the blade coming by her head, she twisted her body around beneath the blade and brought her blade right before Naibun's nether regions.
Ikkaku, Yumichika and Kenpachi cringed for the man, but not when Kei stabbed him right through the shoulder spraying blood everywhere. Naibun fell black clutching his destroyed shoulder as his Royal Guard surrounded Kei and removing hidden weapons. Kei held her sword ready. They released their weapons. She squatted down creating a shield of water around her, but it wasn't needed as Yachiru stepped in. Her spirit pressure taking form of a large angry cat face then Kenpachi came in followed by Ikkaku and Yumichika.
"You will not harm, Kei-Kei!" roared Yachiru. Kei looked down at her Lieutenant amazed at such strength and anger inside the little woman.
"We got you covered Kei," laughed Ikkaku.
"Can't let another beautiful face be ruined," smiled Yumichika.
"You've fought well Kei. Let us take over from here."
Kei smiled at her squad mates and backed out of the fight as they went wild on the Royal Guards who had no time to respond and their weapons did nothing. Soifon was calling her men back. Kei stayed behind and went in search of Metsuki. He was limping down a back corridor.
"Metsuki!" she shouted. He stopped and turned around, "You haven't impaled yourself yet!"
The arrancar unsheathed his sword, and as soon as he did Kei was nearly overcome by spiritual pressure, but she managed to stay on her feet.
"I made the mistake of underestimating you last time. I won't this time. You're going to die!" he shouted and came after her. Kei brought her sword before her, "Tsunami!"
"You don't have great enough spirit energy to defeat me. I can barely feel it!" he laughed.
"That's because I haven't released it yet, idiot," her sword shot out to the side. The corridor began shaking. There was water swirling around Kei's blade. Then Metsuki began feeling the spirit energy. This is unnatural. She's too low of a seat to have this much spirit energy! Kei struck the arrancar at blinding speed slicing open his shoulder. But she didn't underestimate the arrancar because he came back and sliced her upper arm, but that didn't stop the shingami. Their swords grazed stone creating sparks, and when the clashed they shook the castle.
"Where's Kei?!" shouted Ikkaku as they fell back to the windows on the commands of Captain Zaraki.
"She disappeared down one of the corridors!" answered Yumichika.
"Go get her!" shouted Yachiru.
"Right!" the two men took off and disappeared down the back corridor. Kei saw Metsuki's blade come slicing at her face, but as she went to avoid it she was pulled back by Ikkaku and Yumichika. Their arms hooked under hers. They pulled her down the corridor.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" she shouted.
"We gotta go!" shouted Ikkaku.
"But I haven't killed Metsuki yet!" she spat.
"You'll have time to kill him later. We have to go!"
"Let me go!" she demanded.
"No can do!" answered Ikkaku.
"You're both in for a world of hurt when we get back to the Soul Society!"
"We've already comes to terms with that…" both men swallowed. The leapt into the open window and dragged her into the gateway and through it. She was still fighting. They let her go once safely on the other side and the gateway was closed.
Kei immediately kicked them hard in the balls. Both men sank to their knees tears streaming down their faces. Her eyebrow twitched as she stared down at them, "I could have killed him!" she shouted at him.
"We had direct orders to retrieve you!" cried Ikkaku.
"You could have left me! I needed to kill him!" she continued to shout. She was completely unaffected by the wound to her arm.
"Calm down, Kei," said General Yamamoto. The shingami spun around.
"General Yamamoto if I was just given a few more moments the arrancar would have been dead."
He held up his hand, "There will be time for that later, but now we must prepare. Within a matter of days Yakunan will have amassed a force and will come to the Soul Society seeking revenge. We need you to be healthy for that."
She nodded, "How is the royal family?"
"Just fine. The King is being treated wonderfully by Captain Retsu. He had been severely poisoned, but will make a full recovery thanks to her skills."
"General Yamamoto wasn't the one who gave the order to bring you back immediately," Kenpachi came forward.
"Who was it?"
"Princess Hana," smiled Yachiru appearing over his shoulder.
"She didn't want you harmed, and asked us to retrieve you."
Kei looked up at Captain Zaraki, "Thank you."
"KEI!" Hana jumped on her wrapping her arms around her neck and kissing her on the cheek. Kei turned bright red.
Ikkaku and Yumichika did a sly high five with grins.
"Please forgive me for pulling you out of the fight, but you'll be able to fight Metsuki another time. Eventually it would have been too much with the Royal Guard there."
"It's ok," she smiled, "I'm just glad you're ok."
The Queen walked over and at first Kei bowed and then held out her hand to shake the Queen's, but was brought into a bear hug by the woman who was surprisingly strong because it nearly took all the air out of Kei's lungs.
"Thank you so much for saving me and my daughter! You've made her so happy! Thank you again!" she cried.
"No…problem…" choked Kei gasping for air.