OMG!!! Thanks so much for all the reviews! I didn't expect so many, but I'm almost to forty now… happy me! . (Also very stupid… cuz I lost the first set of twenty by accidentally deleting the story…anyway)

Chapter 14

Deaths: Shinigamis: 0

Hallows: 1

Vizards: 0 (currently not on battlefield)

Rain began to pour with no hint of stopping. It was the beginning of a storm. A storm that would either end up being disastrous or finally calming down to let the sun shine again. This is the beginning of the changing. This would be the turning point.

To Rika's horror, she noticed that it wasn't rain dripping down on her, but blood. Who had died? She looked up, only to see a figure clad in white, floating with his sword drawn. Although, all Rika's eyes registered was the small zero placed upon his chest.

Hitsugaya, meanwhile, was shocked at a different thing. It was not that he had seen the zero, which he hadn't, but of what that dark figure did. He had killed his own kind. Standing only a few feet next to the two was Espada 2.

He took Rika by the arm, and forced her back away from him, all the meanwhile stepping back.

By now, almost all the Shinigamis and Hallows alike had noticed his presence. Their swords hung in the air, the fight temporarily ceased.

"A flashy entrance, just how I like it," the figure said. His voice had an eerie edge to it, as if it was a warning of some unspeakable horrors that were to come to any who listened and did not run.

In the distance, Yamamoto froze. It couldn't be… could it? It just wasn't possible. No way, no how. But there he was, standing right in front of him with his smile that he remembered so well.

It had been so long ago, him still being new to Hollows and such. He had put together a small group, only working as one to stop him. It had worked… or so it had seemed. He was the only one who remembered. He was the only one who still remembered the pain he went through. But there he was, holding the thing that had caused him such pain. His zanpakutou.

Keiji didn't waste any more time after that. He scanned the crowd, looking for the strongest, then eliminating one by one, depending on how close they were; Ikkaku was the closest. He was in the zone, bloodthirsty and ready to kill without any regrets.

Ikkaku managed to duck just in time, but he had not been able to avoid the attack completely. Blood tickled out of his forearm…what was this power? Ikkaku let out a toothy grin.

"Hm… I'm first aren't I? Luuccccky! Let's see how strong you are!" Ikkaku taunted. This was his thing.

Simultaneously, the barley visible red dragon and Ikkaku sprang into action; they had become one, and they were attacking as one.

Keiji was ready, just as a blinding flash of red came from Ikkaku, the beam blinding and even hurting those who weren't fast enough to dodge. The beam echoed off far into the distance, destroying any who were in its pathway.

Miraculously, he had escaped with a tiny scrape on his cheeck that was being wiped away this very second with the back of his fist. Then, before anyone could blink, Espada 0 was standing face to face against Ikkaku, whom gasped in surprise. Even he had not been able to follow him with his incredible heightened senses.

The Espada had not even any need to shed his sword; Ikkaku was falling just inches away from the second Espada.

On impulse, Hitsugaya moved in to catch the falling shinigami. Yumichika reacted similarly, falling gently on his toes, doing his best to aid his dying friend.

Hitsugaya, helping Yumichika and others who had bothered to come, or those less shocked about the Espada, had not noticed Rika shaking violently in the background.

She walked up to him, tugging on his sleeves, she whispered into his ears, "There's nothing we can do! He hadn't even used half of his power…what…impossible…"

Hitsugaya didn't reply. She was right; there was barley anything that they could do at this point, except, he whispered, "Third Release!"

Rika followed his suit.

"Shiniji, we can't wait any longer. That Espada – he's killing everyone!" Lisa commented.

"Aww," Hiyori sighed. "Can't we wait a little longer?"

Lisa gave her a glare.

"Alright, alright!" she mumbled, avoiding her glare.

Shinji got up silently and jumped from the view of the roof, and by the time he was on the ground, his hollow mask was upon his face. The rest followed, their hollow masks already donned upon their face.

"Let's go help them out, shall we?"

Rika was the first to notice. She pointed wordlessly, and Yamamoto, even form their great distance, saw her. He looked towards the direction of her fingers and nodded. He and the rest would need all the help they could get. This was a battle that would be remembered for centuries.

Keiji, meanwhile, was sighing, upset that his opponent could not have been stronger. His eyes gleamed as he saw, hopefully, what was to be a worthy opponent. Byakuya.

"Nee-Sama!" Rika heard Rukia shouting to her elder brother.

Byakuya had already seen this coming, dodging only seconds before the attack, he slid to his right. All this happened as he realized that Gin was behind him, unaware that he was to dodge.

Truth behold, Gin was hit square within his chest with the blow of the white beam, a beam coming from the hand of the strongest Espada.

The second fighter fell to the ground, many relieved it wasn't Byakuya, and many gaping in surprise. The rest, stoic – it was war and there was nothing they could do. What would happen would happen.

"This is too easy!" he growled. Too ignorant, he had not noticed Ikkaku, up and ready to fight again.

"You don't think that you could beat me without even using your sword!" Ikkaku wheezed. His shoulders were hunched, doubled over from trying to grasp all the air he could. The right side of his face was bloody, no one being able to tell the source of all the redness.

Ikkaku pointed his fan-shaped zanpakutou straight at him. A fierce wind blew through, swirling around his zanpakutou, then finally he pointed his sword at Keiji, and the winds knocked him out. "Demon dragon wind," was uttered as he let go.

Keiji hit the nearest building, the impact loud and sound, but he seemed as if he had suffered only a mere bruise. About to comment on his 'weak and foolish' attack, he looked up to see Yamamoto for the first time. He had been too 'busy' to notice.

He stuttered and gasped. "You! You're the one who… who… locked me it there. You took my sword!"

His rage was shown clearly on his face, his spiritual energy pouring out, it blowing those to weak to handle it away, and it covering half the battlefield.

"Yes, it was me," was all Yamamoto could say. He had known that this time would come, and the best he could do was weaken him so the rest could defeat him after his death. It was inevitable.

"Wait… you know each other?" Ikkaku asked, him breathing hard after using up most of his energy on that attack. "Oh, well, it's not like it matters!"

To much of Yamamoto's surprise, he slowly and painstakingly moved up to the left side of him, then spread his arms out weakly.

"Such a shame. If you want the commander, you'll have to go through me first!" he said proudly. He would go down fighting, the thing he loved most in the world.

Yumichika huffed as Renji snorted. "Like you could do anything in that state! Captain's probably even more worried now!" Renji retorted.

Both him and Yumichika moved up to the right side of the captain and when they looked up, they both held such a fierce look to their face, the Espada backed off an inch, though they didn't even faze Keiji.

Byakuya sighed, his face expressionless, joined the other three onto Renji's right.

"Like I have a choice!" Ichigo grinned, Rukia copying him identically.

They both stepped up above Ikkaku, Yumichika, Renji, and Byakuya, annoying everyone other than Byakuya immensely. Now, a protective wall stood against Keiji and Yamamoto.

"Like that's gonna do much," Keiji said, bursting with excitement. It had been so long since he had tasted the blood of the enemy, smelled the enemy's fear, or hearing their last cry of battle, just seconds away from death.

"Then this would help," Ichigo commented as he saw Hitsugaya and Rika, both in their final release forms, heading up in front of him and Rukia.

Rika nodded fiercely; those seven hadn't been the only ones who had been training. She had worked immensely hard to build her endurance, and she knew she could at least for the first few minutes of the battle.

"Shall we begin?" Keiji purred.

"Patience!" someone yelled from below. It was the vizards.

They began to crowd on the right and left side of those who held the final release, and slowly, following their examples, the other shinigamis, captains and lieutenants alike, shuffled behind the vizards.

"Nice of you to join us," Ichigo commented. Shinji didn't reply.

Yamamoto was shocked. Here was everyone, ready to fight to death. Then again, no, he wasn't surprise. It was what they were meant to do.

"We won't loose," Rika said to herself, but the ones closest to her heard her as well, all thinking the same things.

From this moment, it was the final battle, the winner winning everything. Everything.

Keiji grinned, "Perfect."

Okay, I think that was like the most I have written… ever! I am soooo sorry for not updating for like, a month! My bad… And I'm also sorry cuz I haven't been reading any fanfiction stories, which I must catch up on badly. I'll try to do it this weekend if I can! I'm really sorry for not updating… but nevertheless,

PLEASE REVIEW!!
We're nearing the end of the story, so bare with me peoples!

Im reaaaaaaaaallly sorry....

I'll try not to take as long nxt time!