Monthly updates seem to be cutting it... Less pressure on me, so I can work on 'em longer. 'Course, the quality's still going downhill in my book... Gah. I don't know why, but i just can't seem to be able to sit down and write properly. This time last year the updates were coming weekly. Bleh, gah and meh. I've got the IDEAS, just no the MOTIVATION. This sucks. Still, I ain't giving up.

To my reviewers
RockCityRockStar: How are you confused? Elaborate. Or better yet, post in my forum. It's getting lonely. xD
Caged Bird in Demon Arms: Oh, we love a good cliffy. Not as much as we'd like to throttle the author, but we DO like 'em. :Grin: The reason's pretty trivial though. You'll see.
Taeniaea: Thanks!
Scorch406: You should catch up in Bleach! T.T You're missing out on a lot of the depth of the series, which I used to my advantage in the fic...
Pseudo-daemonum: Now why couldn't you have come in the earlier parts of the story? I needed a good critic. My answer's below:

Well, the main reason I chose Oathgiver was because it contrasts with Oathkeeper. One gives an oath to the other to keep. I was hoping to keep Oath at any case, for the two Oaths. Maybe if you can give me another word for 'Giver'?

Kurai... Well, yes, he's incredibly powerful. But the main reason he hasn't made a solo move before was because of the dragon within him. It could go free at any moment, and if it did, and Kurai didn't manage to get control over it in time, it can wreck enough havoc that the worlds won't be the same again. Put it this way: Supressing the dragon with around 30 percent power, using 3 percent power to ward off Yamamoto's flames of Ryuujin Jakka, Kurai can still beat the old Captain-Commander of the Shinigami with less than 30 percent power. That leaves him at more than 30 percent power to take on anyone else who would be fighting him, WHILE they have to hold back Yamamoto's flames as well if they're fighting in the same area. The comparism there is huge: Roughly 3 percent is needed to hold back the flames of the strongest zanpakutou in Soul Society, while 30 percent is needed to hold back the dragon in his head. The 30 percent needed to beat off Yamamoto is the old guy's experience and kidou usage, which Kurai has to counter. Of course, those are just estimates: On a good day, it can be all over so fast Yamamoto can't blink, while on a bad day, the old guy can still whip Kurai's behind.

There's also another major reason Kurai doesn't act, which will also be explained. If you want to know beforehand, I can PM it to you.

Now, last of your issues. Yes, they have number superiority, but there's one issue about the keblade spirits I'll be detailing later, plus, look at the bad guys of other shiz. Number superiority usually gets you dead. xD Not that that'll be happening to our heroes (and heroines), but still, what they're going up against is SO bad that you'll have to read it to believe it. xD

Hope that was a good enough counter-argument. As for the enemy, you can see a small sample of what they'll be going up against this chappie. Oh, and to avoid lengthening my chapters with these kind of things in the future, I'll be posting them in the forum I have for KB. Just go to my profile, and click the MyForums link. You'll see it, it's the only forum I've got. xD

I'm sure some of you had the same questions as Pseudo-dono, and I hope I managed to answer them for you as well. So with that done, on with the chappie!

"TENSHI!"

Kurai's mouth curled upwards. "Yo, Hiyori."

A sandal flew at high speed at his head, which he caught easily. "Woah there, calm down you little monkey. I can see why you're called Saru." (A/N: Saru is Japanese for Monkey)

A huge blast of reiatsu hammered the people still next to the cliff face, which Kurai countered by snapping his fingers. His own aura blasted outwards, his black wings sprouting again, spreading wide. "Nuh-uh. Not here."

As the pillar of black reiatsu surrounding Hiyori faded away, it revealed the mask she wore on her face. Although it wasn't the same as Ichigo's Vizard mask, it bore the same white background, was made out of the same materials, and the gold eyes that glared at the Fallen Angel were strikingly similar to Ichigo's own when he summoned his mask. A horn-like protrusion extended over her forehead, and a small spike popped out under her chin, almost like a solid goatee of sorts. Black markings formed a crown on her head just under the horn, completing the Vizard mask. The sound of a growl filled the mountain top, as her narrow golden eyes focused on the angel, her zanpakutou drawn, feet and calves tensed to pounce.

A blast of gunfire above them caused the reiatsu flare to dim a bit as Hiyori looked up in surprise, the rest of the group mirroring her. Their eyes widened as they saw Leo spinning through the air in Loaded Form, slamming into the cliff face with enough force to dislodge a miniature avalanche which Kurai, raising a hand, stopped in mid-fall.

"Gangway!"

Leo came skidding down the mountain, blasting off shots that countered red beams of energy that streaked across the early morning sky, some missing him completely. Just before he hit the ground, which was conveniently cleared for him by the group, he pointed all his guns downwards, blasting them off in a volley that slowed his descent enough for it to not break bones.

Riku sighed, smacking a hand to his forehead. "Typical." He snapped his fingers, and a beam of darkness shot out from his outstretched hand, flying through the air to slam into the cliff face. Leo grabbed the beam, using it as a pivot to spin back up, landing neatly on it.

"Thanks, Riku!" he shouted. Then he turned and leapt off, bullets burning the air around him as he fired off his guns. "Two Privarion on my tail! I dunno where the last one went though…"

Kurai grinned. "Two? Nice… I'll take one. The rest of you, take the other." He pushed down with his wings, a mighty draft pushing him off the ground smoothly. Betrayal flashed, and a howling black arc pushed off, blaring through the sky to slice neatly through another red beam.

"So those beams were Cero beams…?" Sora ventured.

Orihime nodded, summoning the Shun Shun Rika back to her. "You're Sora-kun? Rukia-san has been telling us about you dwellers of another world." She cocked her head to one side, smiling softly. "Nice to meet you!"

Ishida coughed once, pushing his glasses up the brink of his nose. "Inuoe-san! We don't have time! There's still one more Privarion Espada left! Speaking of which, was that Cirucci you were fighting just now, Sora-kun? And where did those five people go?"

Chad remained silent, while Renji and Rukia were staring at the

Ichigo grinned. "Leave the talking for later. Right now, we have some fish to fry."

"Ichigo."

The orange-haired shinigami turned around in surprise as he heard Hiyori call his name. "Yeah?" A geta (A/N: Traditional Japanese wooden sandals) smashed his face in, as the enraged Vizard leapt on him, the mask still on her face as her golden eyes bore into his.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU KNEW TENSHI?!" she yelled at him, making the other Vizard sweat-drop. "YOU BASTARD, ICHIGO!"

"I doubt Ichigo-kun would've told you, since we never asked." Rose stepped between them, holding Hiyori away with ease as she struggled against him, with shouts and yells of 'Lemme at him!' and the like. "Calm down now, Hiyori. Or I'll have Hachi trap you in his barrier." That shut the smallest Vizard up, but it didn't make her any less angry as she continued to fume silently.

Ichigo held his hands up in self-defence. "Hey, I didn't know you guys knew Kurai! How did you guys know him anyways?"

"Ichigo, remember the Hollow Influx? Five hundred years ago? Which Tenshi Kurai helped in driving off?" Kensei asked. "We were… part of the Gotei 13 back then. Shinigami. He was a… charming person."

"Charming as in…?" Rukia asked suspiciously.

"As in a flirt." Lisa didn't seem to care much about the proceedings, reading a book that she had somehow conjured from nowhere. But she was blunt, not beating around the bush. "Hitting on every single female member there was, including the Captains."

"Except for one." Shinji was grinning widely, but quailed as the furious Vizard turned to him. "Now now, Hiyori, just calm down…"

"SHUT UP, SHINJI!"

"Hey, if you guys are done reminiscing, could you lend a hand?" Leo's voice came from above them, and they looked up again. The teen was locking barrels with an Arrancar, released, who resembled a golem, huge and with a body that seemed to be made entirely out of the Hollow mask material. His Hollow hole was located on his head, just to the left of his mouth, which was grinning widely.

"Is that all you got, little man?!" A ball of energy appeared in the hole, while another appeared before his mouth.

Leo swore. "Ah hell no." Pushing away with his guns, he fired a point blank blast at the Privarion Espada's stomach, which glanced off without a mark. "Dammit!"

As Sora summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion to his hands, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he looked up at the face of the Captain of the Fifth Division, grinning down at him. "Where d'you think you're going, Sora?"

"I'm gonna go help Leo, what else?" he replied. He pointed up at where Leo was firing a salvo of bullets, then his jaw dropped as the Privarion Espada was diced into bite-sized pieces by a midget. "…Ichigo, what just happened?"

Ichigo laughed, but the reply didn't come from him, rather, it came from the group of Vizard standing to one side. "This is the power of the Vizard." As Sora turned to look at them, Hiroyi landed, spitting on the ground next to her. "Is that all?! I'm not done venting yet!"

As she turned to return his gaze, he felt the massive blast of reiatsu emanating from her as her golden eyes narrowed. "Whatcha looking at?!" Sora backed off quickly, shaking his head. "Nothing."

Leo floated down gently, the clink of metal on stone sounding as he landed. Seconds later, a huge explosion rocked the islands as Kurai appeared out of nowhere next to them, grinning. "Still got it." He laughed as he gazed at the sun as it shone tiredly over the seas. "And just in time for breakfast."

"What about the other one?" Leo asked.

"I can't feel his reiatsu. Chances are he's in Hueco Mundo already, telling Aizen about the situation here. He won't dare attack again though, that's for sure. But he's getting incredibly powerful. A little lost bird told me he's got more than a thousand Arrancar now, and the former Espada you guys fought have been demoted, with new Espada, stronger than them, taking their place. All of Vasto Lorde level or above."

The assembled people all gasped, and a low oath sounded in the back of Sora's mind. "Y'telling me that those guys we fought in Soul Society weren't the best of them?"

Kurai nodded. "Yeah. With the possible exception of Ulquiorra, those Espada you fought were made from Adjuchas level Hollows. They're the mid-level Hollows, who are stronger than Menos Grande, but are weaker than Vasto Lorde. You saw that thing we fought back in Soul Society? Adjuchas are nothing compared to them. If Aizen had sic'ed ten of 'em on us, it'd be over."

Kairi shuddered slightly, and Sora unconsciously placed an arm comfortingly around her, while she just as unconsciously leant into him, sighing slightly, her eyes wide as they gazed at Kurai. Riku grinned from the shade of the cliff where he was still watching them. "Finally."

Rukia and Ichigo were very determinedly not looking at the two, while Orihime was sneaking glances at Ichigo, unaware of Ishida doing the same to her. Kurai grinned in his head as he watched the group before him, the Vizard standing bored to one side. "Couples." He winked at Shinji, who grinned back.

"Right!" he clapped his hands. "C'mon, quit the gooey mushy stuff for now. We need a mission debrief. Leo, scout. The rest of you, come in closer, except for you, Hiyori. Stay within earshot, but as far away from me as you can." The evil smile on Kurai's grin never faltered as he caught yet another of the seemingly endless supply of geta that Hiyori had.

"TENSHI!"

"So Aizen's army is getting bigger, eh?" Ichigo muttered. He fingered his chin. "That's never good."

Rukia was busy jotting down notes in her notebook. "How many was it again, Kurai? As close as you can get?" Her blue eyes flashed at him as he replied, "Around a thousand, give or take a hundred." Writing down the figures in her book, she looked up at him again. "How did you find out?"

Kurai shrugged. "Simple interrogation. That guy just now? The one I killed? Yeah. He was Aaroniero." He glanced at Rukia, who had stiffened.

"I… I killed him! I swear I kill him when I was in Hueco Mundo!" Her hand, clutching her pencil, was gripping it so hard the wood was straining, nearly breaking. "I swear I killed him!"

Ichigo gripped her shoulder. "Calm down, Rukia." He turned to look at the angel. "I thought it was strange Nnoitra appeared in Soul Society, when I thought Zaraki killed him. I thought it was just a co-incidence; he was never killed, hard to believe though it is." His hazel eyes narrowed. "And you say he was an Espada, but the reiatsu I felt was that of a Privarion, the signature at least."

Kurai nodded. "Like I said, they've all been demoted. The guys you fought with were most likely the previous Privarion Espada, the first generation, I guess you can say. The guys you're familiar with, Ulquiorra, Grimmyjow, Aaroniero, these are the second generation. Now, Aizen's got his hands on a third. I wonder how he got the Hougyouku back to full power again though."

Ichigo's eyes widened at the news, as did Rukia's and Orihime's. The Vizard fidgeted restlessly. "What do you mean, Kurai-kun?" Hachigen asked.

"I mean exactly what I said. Remember? Ten Vasto Lorde can destroy Soul Society. Now, he has ten Espada, Arrancar, all made from Vasto Lorde." Kurai's eyes were dark as he finally divulged his information.

Everyone was still, even Sora, Riku and Kairi, who had only seen a Vasto Lorde once, and who had not been around to witness Aizen's power. Riku slammed his fist into the cliff wall. "Whatever it is, we can't let him go unchecked. But Kurai, we have a mission, from the King! We can't very well go careening off to help Soul Society now, who knows what kind of trouble the Queen may be in…"

Kurai nodded curtly. "I thought you might say that. But the King's received a ransom letter from the kidnapper." His eyes narrowed slightly. "A fortnight. That's all we have."

Riku noticed that he didn't state the terms of ransom, but kept silent. 'Dawn, d'you know what he got?' There was a silence, then, 'Maybe.' Riku dropped it.

Sora scratched his head slightly. "So… we have a fortnight to beat someone who has complete hypnosis over anyone who sees him release his zanpakutou, who has ten incredibly powerful warriors under his control and who is hell bent on destroying Soul Society. Piece of cake, right?"

Kairi giggled slightly, then both their eyes widened as they noticed how close they were to each other. Sora removed his hand as though he had laid it on a hot piece of metal, missing the slight glint of tears in Kairi's eyes as he did so.

'He hates me… he really hates me…' Kairi thought as she continued to look in Sora's direction, while he steadfastly looked in the other direction.

'I can't… I can't let her get hurt… I love her; I can't let her walk straight into danger!' Dimly, he registered in his mind that he had said he loved her, and a small pang in his heart reminded him that she had said that she loved him back in the Secret Place.

In the privacy of their heads, locked in their own world, Roxas and Namine's faces were clouded with worry.

"Sora…"

"Kairi…"

Kurai frowned. 'This is bad. I wonder what the hell the blockhead said…?'

"You mean Soul Society has a keyhole as well?" Sora asked. The group had returned to their respective resting places: The Vizard had set up camp on the mountaintop while Ichigo and the team had returned to Soul Society, the Karakura teens visiting the islands while Sora and his sister were bunked down at Riku's. The excitement of the day had made him forget about the death of his mother, but it came back to him full force as he lay on the floor next to Riku's hammock, crying silent tears as he hugged his sister tight.

"Every world has a keyhole. But I think in this case, the keyhole isn't in Soul Society, but down in Hueco Mundo. Which means that to lock the world, we'll have to beat Aizen. And the Espada, naturally." Kurai had spent the night scouring the island, Leo at his side, the teen using his unique skill of darkness manipulation to make people think that all last night was a nightmare. It involved playing around with feathers on Kurai's part too, as though an angel had driven the darkness away, and it worked, somewhat. Ichigo had promised that when they woke up the next day, all the damage would be restored, courtesy of Soul Society.

Sora gritted his teeth. "This Aizen guy, can't you take him on yourself? I'm pretty sure you're powerful enough."

Kurai shrugged. "I might be able to. Chances are I'd win. But the road to becoming a true Wielder is hard and long. I'm not here as your bodyguard, more as a teacher of sorts." He grinned. "Besides, it wouldn't be fun if I hogged all the action now will it?"

Riku muttered something about Kurai already hogging a lot of limelight, and the angel laughed. "If it'll make you happy, I'll let you guys take on a Vasto Lorde?"

Sora and Riku look at each other for a moment, then looked back at him. "We'll pass." They gave each other high fives.

Kairi smiled from the side where she was watching them, but her eyes never strayed far from Sora. The two had been awkward around each other, despite what they knew. Namine and Roxas had been pestering their others since they woke up, but Sora was adamant that even if he should die, he wouldn't drag Kairi into danger, and Kairi was too scared of trying again.

'Dammit Nam, this is SO frustrating!' Roxas cried out telepathically, knowing Namine could hear him. 'You'd think they're FIGURE it out! ARGH!' Namine remained silent, but Roxas could sense her agreement.

"So do we fight in this Hueco Mundo place, or in Soul Society?" Riku asked.

"It would depend." Kurai's eyes gazed up at the blue sky. "If Aizen decides to bring the war to us, then it'll most probably be in Soul Society. But if the Gotei 13 decide to forsake home ground and instead press the initiative, it'd be in Hueco Mundo. Finally, if what I suspect is true, the battle will be held in Karakura City."

"Where's that?" Kairi asked.

"It's our home." The three of them turned around to see Orihime, Ishida and Chad walking towards them where they lay on the beach. The orange haired woman smiled sadly. "Or was, until we all died."

"Orihime! I forgot to thank you for, y'know, last night. Healing me." Sora scratched the back of his head as he did so, grinning goofily. "Thanks!"

"Oh, no problem, Sora-kun. It was my pleasure. And I've been hearing tales of your powers and abilities from Abarai-kun and Kuchiki-san, so it's really no problem." The orange haired girl bowed at him slightly, which he awkwardly returned.

Ishida nodded. "I'm interested to see the Bankai of two non-shinigami. As a Quincy, to know that such a thing exists would be beneficial."

Chad said nothing for a while, then spoke. "Ichigo's friends…? You three fight well, he says. I'd like to see it one day."

Sora nodded. "One day, you just might be able to. You too… Ishida… was it?

Ishida nodded. "My name is Ishida Uryuu, as Ichigo told you last night. Ishida is my last name, just as Yasutora and Orihime are the last names of my companions."

Kurai laughed. "Enough with the introductions. Leo's about to drop in. Incoming in one… two… three."

Right on cue, Leo smashed into the ground next to them, creating a crater in the soft sand. The teen wasn't in a Form, so he was dressed in his normal black clothing, but the keyblade in his right hand glowed with an unearthly black light. "Guys, I found something on the fringe of the Islands!" He held out his hand, and the group clustered around to see what he found. Kurai's eyes widened as he saw the feather of stone.

"Wyvern!"

"Dragon-like creatures, with only one pair of wings and no forearms. You can say that their forearms ARE their wings and vice-versa though. They're very powerful, able to fight on the level of a dragon. Pretty much the same thing as an anti-thesis to us dragons." Kurai passed his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. "Since it's come to wyverns on the Destiny Islands, I suppose I'd better tell you."

Sora was immediately on his guard. "Tell us… what…?"

Kurai shrugged. "I've found where they're holding the Queen. Already have for a while now."

"YOU WHAT?! WHERE?!" Sora, Riku and Kairi yelled together. Sora continued, "Then what're we doing here?! Let's go!"

Kurai held up a hand. "Hold your horses, Sora. We can't leave things unfinished. And like I said, we have a fortnight. We'll clean up this mess, then we're saving Minnie." His face darkened. "Plus, that place they've got her, it ain't a good place. At all. As in, completely bad."

Riku nodded. "I think that's the best way too. I don't like the sound of the wyverns." He looked over at the group of teens who had been listening to them silently. "If we beat this Aizen guy for you, will you and Soul Society help us?"

Orihime, Ishida and Chad exchanged looks. "We can't say for Soul Society, but if you don't think we'd hinder you, then we'd be glad to help." Orihime smiled. "Besides, it's the least we can do after hearing of what you've done for Soul Society." Ishida nodded. "The Fallen Angel has been heard of even among the Quincy legends. It would be an honour to fight beside you." Chad said nothing, but he nodded, once.

Riku nodded back. "Right. That'll make things easier. I trust you guys know how powerful a dragon is?"

Orihime and Chad thought for a while, then shook their heads, but Ishida nodded, a dark look on his face. "Dragons… Immensely powerful creatures of myth, and in Quincy legends, the bane of Hollows."

Kurai laughed. "You guys've heard of that? I guess things in Soul Society get leaked out from time to time then, eh?"

Ishida nodded. "The Hollow Influx… Who in the Quincy wouldn't have heard about it? You have many names, Tenshi-kun. Fallen Angel, Dragonlord, Blademaster… The tale of how the Dragonlord called upon the flames of hell in Soul Society is well known among us Quincy, not just the shinigami."

"I didn't choose for 'em you know. Of them all, the only one I take for myself is the Fallen Angel, but the dragons have submitted to me, and I haven't been beaten in swordplay yet." Kurai gave an embarrassed laugh. "It's not my fault no one else's trained enough."

Sora punched Kurai's shoulder. "Not all of us have had centuries of experience, Kurai." He laughed. "Nor do we have a dragon, angel wings, or happen to be ex-Wielders."

Kurai's eyes narrowed again as he looked at Sora. "Sora, I forgot to tell you. Somehow, the dragon's gotten outta me and into you. As I said, how, I dunno. But now that it's outta me, I think I may have a chance to beat it completely, and erase it from existence."

Sora's eyes widened. "Erase it… from existence…?" He frowned. "That sounds bad…"

"Yeah, it is." Kurai nodded. "It's not something I do often. But if I have to, I will." His face was grim, and there was no laughing tone in his voice. "It's serious, this erasing thing. Irreversible. Even if I went down to Hell, there's nothing I can do to get 'em back."

Kairi had a hand to her mouth in horror and Riku was looking discomforted, while the three new friends they had made were looking at Kurai in awe. Orihime suddenly seemed to have thought of something to ask. "Tenshi-kun… why are you called a Fallen Angel…?"

Kurai shrugged. "I guess it wouldn't matter to tell you." He glanced over at the Wielders. "You guys wanna hear as well? I don't think I told you."

The three of them came closer, and Kairi decided to ask a question that was on everybody's minds. "Is it… was it… bad…?"

The tall man shrugged. "Depends on which side you were on, plus what your definition of bad is. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But for me, it was a hell of a time, and not in a fun way." He stared up at the sky, a melancholic look on his face. "One HELL of a time…"

"It's the second day."

"Tell that to someone who doesn't know. We're all hanging on the edge of our seats."

"With the Wielder of the Gold Keybalde out of the way, all we have to worry about is that Tenshi Kurai."

"I don't get it. How is he so powerful? Surely all together, we can beat him?"

"Fallen Angel, Dragonlord, Wielder of Dawn, Bladmaster, Rift-tamer, Spirit Warrior of Blood, Gatekeeper of Five Gates, the only user of Hiton and Kageton... If YOU want to fight him, go ahead, but don't invite me to the party of death. And don't call me Shirley."

"He said 'Surely'. As in, 'Sure it's good' and '-ly'."

"It was a joke! Sheesh. Even I know that."

"Hey, you sure the rodent's gonna accept the ransom?"

"Positive. These guys, they'll do anything to get the one they love back."

"Love! Ha! Useless emotion that one. Why bother with it?"

"Don't mock it. Love can be a powerful force. But we can beat it. Easily."

"But you seem anxious, somehow."

"The wyverns. They said that they smelled a dragon near the Nest. Tenshi."

"You seem certain."

"I am. Why else would a lone dragon venture near the very breeding place of their nemesis? I say Tenshi did a little recon before the storming. In which case, I have a nice little surprise in store for him."

"You seem quiet today."

"…Is it a crime?"

"We're working together. For now. This Tenshi, we need your Espada."

"You have them." Aizen smiled. "For now."

I wonder which of those people talking are who? It'll be interesting to find out... Won't it? :Evil Grin: Ciaosu, and read and review!