(Author's Note)

Enjoy chapter 25 and expect chapter 26 next week. Sorry for the long wait.

(Recap)

Urahara, who had been watching the confrontation between the leader of Soul Society and the representative for the vizards, stood up and checked the slightly snowy TV screen.

"What's going on, on that end?" Yamamoto asked.

"Just some interference of some kind, nothing that can't be fixed." Urahara explained.

"Mr. Urahara! Jinta and I have brought drinks." Ururu stated as she, along with Jinta offered drinks to the human world fighters.

"Why thank you…"

Urahara, who was rechecking the TV signal, stopped when the screen cracked up even more.

"U..Ura… Urahara…"

The screen, all of a sudden, turned completely snowy as it made loud static noises.

"Did we lose the signal?" Isshin asked.

"How odd." Urahara commented as he scratched his head. "I might be able to…"

The former captain of squad twelve suddenly stopped speaking when everyone in the room felt a crushing wave of reiatsu approach them at lightning speed.

"EVERYONE LOOK OUT!" Love roared.

"URURU! JINTA!" Urahara shouted in worry, not for himself but for the two children. Without a second thought he ran over to them and covered both kids with his arms.

Not a second later a loud explosion resonated above them and within moments the pseudo sky began cracking apart and falling down all around the occupants of the room.

"We have to get out of here!" Ryuken exclaimed as he looked for an escape route.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Jinta yelled over the loud rumbling of rocks as they hit the ground.

Urahara grew grim as he said what was on everyone's mind.

"They're here…"

(Chapter 25)

(300 meters above the Urahara Shop)

The sound of echoing, ripping, fabric filled the air as seven Garganta's tore open the dimensional fabric that separated both the human world and Hueco Mundo.

As the wind began to pick up violently; a tall, lanky, Arrancar stepped out of one of the lingering Garganta's looming over the human world.

As he looked down on the oddly quiet town, he took a deep breath before making a disgusted face.

"Damn I hate this smell." Nnoitora spat angrily as he lifted his overly large zanpakto onto his shoulder, the sound of its chains rattling companying the motion.

"What smell is that Nnoitora? Fresh air?" Neliel asked as she brushed a strand of her soft, silky, green, hair out of her face, due to the current windy condition of the weather.

"The smell of humans… such weak beings." Nnoitora snapped.

"Must you complain about everything?" Ulquiorra added as he and the remaining Espada stepped out of their own Garganta.

"Enough…" Ichigo said quietly as his eyes roamed around the earth for the first time.

"Breathing is difficult here." Ichigo stated idly as he eyes landed on something very interesting.

"The human world doesn't have the same quality of spirit particles as Hueco Mundo, we will be weaker here than back at Las Noches." Neliel explained.

Ichigo, taking into account what was just told to him, began to speak of something else.

"… It seems Szayel's cloaking device is already in effect." He finished as he motioned around his fellow Espada.

Four, extremely large Garganta like openings were strategically situated several hundred meters apart from one another and was generating a transparent, golden barrier that connected to one another and traveled all the way down to the Earth's surface.

"It feels… like Negacion"

"We must be several hundred meters above the town and we are still in the barrier. Odd… was such a large barrier needed?" Neliel asked Ichigo.

"Szayel seems to think so." Ichigo answered obviously.

"Instead of asking such useless questions, you should be asking yourselves why our target hasn't sensed this barrier or rather, why haven't they sensed us?" Zommari stated as everyone looked at the shop far below them.

"Not only are we far enough away, but we aren't exerting our reiatsu. Even if he is the legendary Urahara Kisuke, he can't sense us from here." Barragan replied idly.

"That leaves us… with the element of surprise." Aaroniero commented.

"I sense several high leveled warriors below us, which one is Urahara I wonder?" Neliel question as she turned to Ichigo for orders along with the other Espada.

"Shall we get this under way?" Ichigo asked and after a brief pause turned to right. "Ulquiorra, will you inform them of our arrival?" He asked.

Ulquiorra nodded he head as he pointed a finger at the shop below them.

"Understood." The Quinto Espada answered as he swiftly charged a bright green cero at the tip of his finger.

Within a span of a few short seconds, Ulquiorra released the devastatingly powerful cero at the Urahara shop. The cero roared to life as the concentrated beam surge from the Quinto Espada's finger, its mono directional path giving the cero the quickest route to its mark. So powerful and swift was the cero that the air around it seemed to produce a loud echoing moan and distorted the space around it.

The moment the green beam reached the shop it, which was in mere seconds; a powerful, destructive, explosion engulfed the shop along with the immediate area surrounding it.

"Do you think that was wise?" Neliel yelled to Ichigo over the sound of the explosion. "Everything could have been done a lot more discreetly!" She finished.

"Urahara isn't alone, being discreet means nothing if multiple confrontations are inevitable." Aaroniero explained.

"They have been shaken up." Nnoitora stated as the blast of the cero's detonation died down, moments later. "Looked, there they go." He finished uninterestedly.

True to his words, several figures appeared on a skyscraper a block away from the now destroyed shop.

"There too far away to be able to see them clearly." Zommari made clear.

"It doesn't matter… Look… They've spotted us." Neliel noticed.

Though it was vague, the Espada could see several of the warriors staring up at them.

"I will not be spotted from up here. Besides Aaroniero, the rest of you will confront those warriors."

"I… will not take part?"

"You will stay with me; I need you for a very important matter." Ichigo explained.

"Understood, Ichigo." Neliel whispered. "I… we, won't fail you."

"Our mission is to capture Urahara, kill anyone that assists him… Is this in any way unclear?" The Primera asked in a serious tone.

Nobody spoke.

"Here is where we reveal ourselves to our enemies… Do not let them forget the might of the new Espada." The Primera declared.

"I promise." Neliel whispered passionately.

Neliel knew that whoever she fought, she would not kill them, that was her nature… she hated battle, but, she would fight for Ichigo.

"Then go!"

Without another word five of the seven Espada used sonido and went to confront the Earths forces.

"How did you know Urahara wasn't alone?" Aaroniero suddenly asked.

"A feeling… nothing more" Ichigo answered with a shrug.

"And…what did you need me for?"

"Nothing yet, for now... simply watch." Ichigo said with a smirk as he saw the Espada appear before Urahara and his allies.

"Understood…"

(Several minutes earlier)

A loud explosion resonated above them and within moments the pseudo sky began cracking apart and falling down all around the occupants of the room.

"We have to get out of here!" Ryuken exclaimed as he looked for an escape route.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Jinta yelled over the loud rumbling of rocks as they hit the ground.

Urahara grew grim as he said what was on everyone's mind.

"They're here…"

"Kisuke! We have to get out of here!" Isshin yelled as he dodged falling debris.

Tessai ran to Urahara and picked up both Ururu and Jinta.

"I will take them."

Urahara nodded his head as he looked for an escape route.

"Everyone this way!" Urahara shouted and he sped off, seemingly towards where the debris was falling the most. The others were right behind him.

"Urahara where are we going!" Love called out. It was now getting very hard to maneuver around the collapsing room and the quaking ground was making it very difficult to balance.

"Over there!" Tessai answered.

Several meter ahead of them, an opening suddenly appeared on the ceiling.

"We'll use that." Isshin told his friends.

The moment he finished speaking everyone vanished…

(Roof of an unknown building - a block away from the Urahara shop)

All of a sudden Urahara along with his companions appeared on a building overlooking his shop.

"What the heck was that?" Love asked as Tessai put Jinta and Ururu down.

Ryuken, Love, and Isshin immediately began search for whoever attacked them while Tessai and Urahara noticed the barrier that they were incased in.

'A barrier?' Urahara wondered in confusion.

"There they are." Ryuken suddenly pointed out. Everyone there suddenly looked above and saw seven figures looming above them.

"That's why we couldn't sense them; they are too far away to see them clearly… I don't think Aizen is among them." Isshin commented.

"They were hiding their reiatsu as well." Tessai added.

"Be careful, they may be Espada." Ryuken replied.

"Whatever they are, we have to face them alone. They've trapped us in." Urahara finally said while motioning towards the barrier around them.

"What I want to know is how they were able to set up a barrier without our knowledge." Love thought aloud.

"Aizen sure has been busy." Urahara said in a casual tone. "From what I can sense, it is a barrier that can block reiatsu from coming both in and out. The only reason they would create something like that is to separate us."

"They outnumber us, what's the plan?" Isshin asked.

"Our plan, is figuring out their plan." Urahara said simply.

"We don't know what they want here, I doubt it's getting the King's Key or they wouldn't have put up such a powerful barrier." Tessai guessed as he eyed the mysterious group.

"What could they want?" Love wondered.

"… and why aren't they…"

"Here they come." Urahara whispered as five of the figures vanished.

After waiting several moments in complete silence, the sound that accompanied Arrancar when they used sonido filled the air around them.

Five Arrancar had appeared above them, close enough so that both groups could see each other clearly.

Now that they were so close, their reiatsu was unmistakable.

"Their Espada." Tessai whispered. This was the worst possible situation for them: They were trapped without the ability to call for back up, and they were outnumbered by such high leveled fighters.

"All of them are captain level, except the two children." Zommari started. "We should proceed with caution."

"Scared Zommari? I say we kill them all!" Nnoitora stated, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"We might as well…." Barragan was suddenly interrupted by Love.

"Stopping acting as if we can't hear you! What is your business here?!"

Since no other Espada tried to answer, Neliel took a step forward.

"Urahara Kisuke, by order of Aizen… you will accompany us back to Las Noches."

Urahara and his allies looked up at the green haired Arrancar in confusion.

'Me?' Urahara thought to himself.

"Oh dear, now why would Aizen want such an uninteresting shopkeeper such as myself?"

The Espada, besides Ulquiorra, immediately looked at him. They had not known which one was Urahara until now.

'So that is the man Aizen wants.' Barragan thought to himself as the other Espada thought along the same lines.

"We would prefer you come with us quietly." Neliel replied, ignoring Urahara's question.

"Perhaps you didn't hear clearly… What does Aizen want with Urahara?" Isshin asked Neliel.

"You do not expect us to answer that question, do you?" Zommari answered with another question.

"Unfortunately I have no intention of going with you." Urahara replied causing Neliel to sigh.

'I had hoped that it could be a peaceful mission, who was I kidding?' Neliel thought to herself.

"Then we have no choice." Ulquiorra whispered as he unsheathed his zanpakto.

"Just what I wanted to hear." Nnoitora commented while grinning manically.

Urahara, knowing that a confrontation was inevitable, turned too looked at Jinta and Ururu.

"Ryuken, can you please take them as far away from this place as possible?" Urahara asked since the two kids had moved closer to Ryuken during the conversation. "This place is about to become a battlefield."

Neliel's and Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed when hearing this and subtly began searching the city for something.

"Of course." Ryuken answered as he placed his hand on both kids' shoulders and vanished.

Seeing this, Zommari suddenly pulled out his zanpakto.

"I will deal with that one." He explained.

All of a sudden Tessai charged Zommari as full force.

"You won't step one foot towards those kids!" Tessai yelled as he cocked his fist back and neared Zommari.

'Such speed.' Zommari thought idly as he raised his zanpakto to block the blow.

Unfortunately, when Tessai was in the process of throwing his punch he suddenly slowed down within inches of punching Zommari…

'What's going on." Tessai wondered in confusion.

Isshin, Urahara, love's eyes widened in shock as the oldest looking Espada appeared behind Tessai.

'I didn't even see him move!" Love thought worriedly.

"Tessai!" Urahara yelled as Tessai sensed Barragan behind him.

'He stopped… my attack?' Tessai thought in confusion.

"Your reiatsu…" Barragan began as he summoned his massive zanpakto. "…is particularly powerful. I will be your opponent."

Barragan made to grab Tessai's shoulder, but Tessai immediately used shunpo to get away.

'He's strong… how long has it been since I've been in a serious fight?' Tessai thought worriedly.

"You're fast, but my power…" Barragan suddenly appeared behind Tessai once again. "…renders that speed useless."

Barragan swiftly grabbed Tessai by his arm and sent him crashing into a building several blocks away from the group.

"Tessai!" Isshin yelled as he made to confront Barragan, fortunately he was halted by Urahara.

"Tessai won't go down by such a weak attack. He's made of stronger stuff, you know that."

"I know." Isshin replied worriedly.

Barragan glanced at the two before turning away.

"I will leave the rest to you." He said to nobody in particular before using sonido followed closely by Zommari, who went to confront Ryuken.

Silence momentarily filled the air as both groups sized each other up.

"What are we waiting for?" Nnoitora suddenly yelled as he charged Urahara, he couldn't stand just waiting around.

To intercept him, Love moved.

Before Nnoitora could reach them, Love appeared before Nnoitora with his zanpakto drawn.

"Outta the way!" Nnoitora yelled as he brought his massive zanpakto down.

Love immediately parried the blow and swiftly followed up by kneeing Nnoitora's abdomen. Nnoitora hadn't seen it coming and was sent plummeting into the city below by the surprisingly power blow.

"I will deal with that one. I don't know what they want with you, but it can't be good. I have a bad feeling about this." Love told Urahara before using shunpo.

When Love left, Neliel stared between Ulquiorra and the remaining fighters.

"Do you have…" Neliel was suddenly interrupted when Isshin appeared before her.

"Sorry Urahara, but I'm taking the weaker of the two." Isshin called out to Urahara.

"I guess it can't be helped." Urahara replied as Neliel and Isshin locked eyes with one another.

"Shall we go somewhere less crowded then?" Neliel asked emotionlessly.

"After you." Isshin replied as Neliel turned her back to Isshin.

"Good luck." She told Ulquiorra before using sonido.

"Don't exhaust yourself." Urahara reminded Isshin.

"I know." Isshin answered before using shunpo.

Now that they were alone, Ulquiorra locked eyes with Urahara.

"So we meet again." Urahara said, referring to when he had first saw Ulquiorra with Yammy.

Ulquiorra didn't answer him and instead asked a question of his own.

"This city below us, its fake isn't it."

Urahara's eyes widened.

"Oh my, how did you figure that out?"

"Earlier you said that this place would become a battle field, but you wouldn't have said that if the humans were still present." Ulquiorra replied.

"I guess there no use fooling you. We knew Aizen might strike soon, so we created another version of a fake Karakura town… just in case. It's a good thing we were right or a lot of innocent people could have been killed."

"Those pillars, far off in the distance, they stabilize this fake town, correct?"

"Yes, but this barrier prevents even you from getting to them."

"Our mission is not the King's Key; our mission is you." Ulquiorra stated as he held up his zanpakto in front of him.

"I guess I have no choice." Urahara commented as he held up his crane and revealed its hidden blade.

"Awaken: ……. Benihime"

A bright red light suddenly engulfed Urahara's zanpakto as it began changing into its released form. The hilt grew unnaturally long for a standard zanpakto with the last three inches of it being bent at an angle. There was no crossgaurd, but first three inches of the blade was covered by a copper, U- shaped, decoration while the blade itself was straight, slim, and at the tip it was slanted like a razor's edge.

When Benihime was fully released, Urahara stared at Ulquiorra darkly.

"Shall we begin?"

(Author's Note)

Sorry for such a long break between chapters, I was with my family up north and just got back.

Please read review and enjoy chapter 25 (Sorry it isn't as long as my other chapters)

I went back to correct some spelling mistakes from earlier chapters, I made many mistakes that I over looked. I will update those chapters hopefully without grammar mistakes.

One more thing, this story has quite a way to go, but do you think it is good enough for a sequel. Review me with your thoughts.