Another emergency Captain's Meeting was taking place. "Has their location been discovered yet?" Questioned Captain-Commander Yamamoto.

"Yes, Captain-Commander." Answered Mayuri Kurotsuchi. "We have located them in a mountain cave three point six kilometers North North-West of Kusajishi, at an altitude of one hundred ninety-six meters."

Yamamoto had something on his mind that he wanted to confirm. "Is the name of her zanpakuto in the database?"

Captain Kyoraku shook his head. "No, Yama-jii. I checked the register of all the currently used zanpakuto, and couldn't find it; Nanao even went through some of the retired zanpakuto database and couldn't find anything similar."

Hmm, one step closer... "Captain Kira, relate to us the information you gathered during the battle."

"Ahem. I was not able to approach very close, but it looked like a bone handled war scythe. By all accounts it seems to be a melee type zanpakuto, and... I'm not sure on this, but either Kuraka or her zanpakuto has the ability to animate corpses." Captain Unohana almost imperceptibly frowned at this, and the other Captains looked at Izuru, disbelieving him. "Another thing of note is the black-haired Arrancar has particularly strong Hierro in his Resurreccion form."

Captin Komamura asked, "Were you able to observe the female's Resurreccion form?"

Izuru involuntarily shivered. "No, but from what I sensed Kuraka was right to call her the strongest. The female might even be more powerful than some of the Espada were."

Though a few of the Captains looked doubtful of this Captain-Commander Yamamoto nodded. Izuru's information had indeed confirmed his suspicions. "Now, we must proceed carefully from here. As we have seen the female Arrancar is very protective of Kuraka; if possible we must separate them. The other two Arrancar should also be singled out, as we cannot afford to have the four of them fighting side by side." Yamamoto paused for a moment as he brought up ancient memories. "...And this is critically important: if Kuraka activates her Bankai, you are to immediately retreat from battle! There will be no exceptions to that order.

We will also stagger the entries of our Squads into battle, to reduce any collateral damage from the use of Kuraka's Bankai. Captains Zaraki, Komamura, Soifon and myself will be heading this effort, but I ask the rest of you to stay prepared in case your assistance is needed. Lastly, if at all possible, Kuraka is to be taken alive. She also has some skill with spells, but it is mainly her zanpakuto we should be concerned with. This emergency meeting is now adjourned." Yamamoto took a deep breath and exhaled. Jiguro...

Kari sat in the small clearing out of the wind, facing towards Rukongai. "What should be our next move?" Leo asked her.

"I'm not leaving these mountains... and if Aizen is anything to go by Seiretei doesn't like rogue Captains. They'll probably be coming to us."

"Hehehe, you think they would've seen the truth by now."

"...No, that's often the last thing they see."

Far away, Kari could see a caravan moving out from the edge of Kusajishi. A traveling performance group? Who else would it- The group was moving fast, and Kari saw that one of the members was wearing a white jacket. "They're coming..."

"Heh, already?"

"Yes." Kari reached up and drew Slayer. "I'll see if I can scare them off." She motioned for the Vasto Lordes to move aside, then cut her thumb with Slayer and slowly drew a circle in the air with the blood. "Ye lords! Mask of sanity and grace, crippled healing hands, crying blood, sweat and tears. Show your scars, riding forth in sacrifice." As Kari finished drawing the circle of blood in the air, Anton raised an eyebrow- this was the same spell Kari told him she'd used to bring down Las Noches. "A strike from the heavens to reprieve, shouting your name in earth, sky, and blood! Way of Destruction Number Ninety-four: Flying Lotus, Heavenly Fire Crash Down!" The spell erupted from the circle of blood-

-and the immensely destructive flare of white-hot fire energy arced down towards the shinigami. Though they saw it when it was half way towards them, that would be nearly too little time to escape the blast radius. Their Captain split them up in two groups: one veered to the right, the other to the left. As the seconds crawled by they felt the heat from the spell approaching, even though the spell was hundreds of feet away. While they were still running away Flying Lotus, Heavenly Fire Crash Down slammed into the ground, the golden white explosion sending large rocks and vegetation high into the air with a deafening roar. A few of the slower shinigami got singed and knocked off their feet by the shockwave, but the Squad as a whole had evaded the attack.

"...They dodged... you three stay here. I'll go see what they want." Kari flash stepped down the mountainside until she arrived at the crater's edge. "I would like an explanation of why you're here," She said to the shinigami on her right. They didn't answer, and Kari saw that although they were putting on a brave face none of them moved forwards. "Well?" They still remained silent, and Kari sighed. "I won't force you to leave, but the Arrancar behind me might have something to say about-" Kari stopped when she heard a bell faintly tinkle behind her as their Captain stepped up.

Kari could hear the smile in his voice. "Why so serious, Kuraka? It's almost like you're not happy to see me." Kari turned around and looked up into Kenpachi Zaraki's eye.

"At this point, I wouldn't be too pleased to see anyone... and you still haven't answered my question."

Kenpachi grinned. "Ah, Yamamoto sent us here; said something about trying to take you back alive."

"I am not leaving these mountains."

Kenpachi shrugged. "The fun way works for me too. I can think of a few ways for you to never leave here." Kari almost took up a fighting stance, then paused.

She took off her mother's blue scarf and handed it to Yumichika Ayasegawa. "I need that back after this is over..."

Ah, that's the same one she was wearing when I took Yachiru by the candy shop. Bad move giving it to Ayasegawa, though. He'd probably keep it. "Well, then. Guess you're serious after all." Kenpachi drew his zanpakuto. A split second after he did so Kari came at him. Heh? That's an odd style she's using... Kenpachi kept up with Kari's furious pace, enjoying the slight surprise of Slayer's style.

But Kenpachi was much physically stronger than Kari, and he hammered in his strikes, driving her back towards the edge of the blast crater. Kari felt the residual heat of her spell rising up behind her. She held her ground for a few seconds, but Kenpachi swung with tremendous force and though she blocked it Kari was knocked backwards over the crater. Like the rock... Thought Kari, remembering her flash step exercise in Las Noches. Using all her speed Kari zoomed around Kenpachi, but frustratingly he still avoided and blocked her attacks. She slowed down, and Kenpachi had anticipated the attack. He parried and got in a shallow cut below Kari's collarbone- right where her mother's scarf would have been.

Ah! ...time for a different tactic. Kari began using the circular approach of Slayer's style, but then instead of using an evasive step and slash she exploded forwards: spiraling into a thrust parrallel with the ground and ending with an upwards stab. Kenpachi countered with a series of thrusts, coming within a hair's breadth of Kari each time. Suddenly Kari stopped gathering spirit particles in the air under her feet, and fell down. Just as suddenly she flash stepped past Kenpachi, striking him under his ribcage.

"Hahahaha! Not bad, not bad at all! Yamamoto was talking about your zanpakuto today, so let's see it!"

A- that's actually not a bad idea... "Cut both ways, Slayer!" A shadow passed over Slayer, and the bone-handled falx of its Shikai was revealed. Kari didn't wait for Kenpachi to move, and began her offensive again. She used sweeping cuts to try to get around Kenpachi's defenses, but he laughed them off and turned the battle into a test of counter-attacking skills. Kari stuck to Slayer's style during this phase, but found Kenpachi was still in control of the fight.

As Kenpachi swung at Kari, she caught it in the curve of Slayer's blade, and swung the block down. Then she stepped on his zanpakuto, and sprang up and landed a stiff knee strike to his jaw. The blow sent him back several feet, but Kenpachi recovered in time to deflect Kari's next slice. He laughed, and they locked blades.

This time, Kari smirked. She moved her hand along her blade and called, "Reap, Slayer!" The ranged cutting effect sliced Kenpachi from his navel to his head, and forced him back dozens of feet. Wh- why is he laughing? Kari looked along the line of the cut, and when she came to his head she knew why. Dammit... the eye patch...

Kenpachi's spiritual energy burst out, and Kari saw a skull shape in the golden yellow energy. He didn't use a flash step, but he closed the distance between them almost as fast; and blocking his swing sent a shock through Kari's entire body. Kari stayed strong, as she was confident in her skills, but all the same she avoided directly blocking his strikes again.

"Ha! Come on, Kuraka! I can tell you're still holding something back! Where's the you that faced Segato Sanjiro?"

The taunt rattled Kari. The me that- what? "Don't pretend to know me, Zaraki! Worry about the Kuraka you're facing now!" Kari kicked up the intensity of her attack a notch, and even managed to cut Kenpachi a few times on his torso.

"Haha! Getting closer! I might tell you to give in to the dark side and release your anger, but it seems you've already done that!"

Kari screamed, but it came out as an especially strong casting of the destructive spell Thrust. Venting the full weight of her spiritual pressure, Kari yelled "Bankai!" The shadowy fanged maw swallowed Kari, and the darkness swirled around Kari before vanishing to reveal Slayer's Bankai. The ragged black cloak fluttered in the breeze for a moment, and then Kari pulled the skull mask over her face. She lifted up the bottom of Man-Slayer to face Kenpachi, and a dagger extended from the end. "Reap, Man-Slayer!" Kari stabbed at Kenpachi with Man-Slayer, and the ranged attack pierced him through his shoulder, and through two unfortunate members of Eleventh Squad who were in line with the attack.

Kenpachi Zaraki had the urge to stay and continue his fight, but he remembered Yamamoto's orders to retreat immediately if Kuraka activated her Bankai. "Hey guys!" He called, as he parried and counterattacked Kari's thrusts. "Start heading back, I'll be along in a few minutes-" He was literally cut short by Kari, who had flash stepped past him and thrust clean through his right side. As fast as she could, Kari began the forbidden spell Spatial Distortion, and teleported Kenpachi to Fourth Squad's infirmary.

Yumichika Ayasegawa had dropped Kari's mother's scarf as he flash stepped away, and Kari gently picked it up and shook the dirt off it. Kari flash stepped back up to the small clearing, where the three Vasto Lordes were waiting.

Anton was looking at her. "You should have finished him off! He's too strong to simply teleport away!"

Kari sighed. "Anton, shut up."

"Oh? Does that tone mean you object to my words?" Kari walked up and punched Anton in the face; something cracked.

"Hehehe, thanks Kari. I've been wanting to do that for a while myself." Mai chuckled.

Kari looked at Anton, who was rubbing his jaw where he'd been hit. I won't take out any shinigami, but Anton... him I could do without. "Crawling Rope!" The Binding Spell caught Anton off guard but he didn't appear too concerned to be stuck in it. Preparing herself for the next spell, Kari slipped into a deep focus.

"If you think a petty trick like this will hold me, you're sorely mistaken."

Kari opened her eyes for a second. "My knowledge of forbidden spells isn't just limited to offense, Anton." The Arrancar's eyebrows went up, and Kari began the incantation. "Sword of truth, heart of stone. Pure laughter that cannot reach the heavens, innocent hands that cannot grasp the butterfly, build up the wall of a sinless dream and open the doorway! Way of Binding Number Ninety-eight: Fourth Wall Imprisonment!" Anton shimmered, then with a pop he shrank and folded in on himself and disappeared. Kari took a few big breaths, and sat down. I almost lost control of that at the end there... Kari exhaled, and shuddered as she wondered about the consequences of the spell's failure.

Mai spoke up. "Fourth Wall?"

"I don't know either, but I've never heard of anyone recovering from having their consciousness inverted. And who are you looking at? There's no one over there."

"No," Said Leo, "but I'm sensing that there are more shinigami coming this way from the city."

Mai looked longingly at Kari. "Are you sure you won't come back to Hueco Mundo?"

Kari used Man-Slayer to stand up. "Yes..." Kari walked over to the clearing's edge and saw two Squads advancing. This is going to be a long day...