07:04 a.m. JST, 2 minutes after Winter War Declaration

He would never admit it, of course, but Ulquiorra half expected to come face-to-face with the orange-haired Shinigami again. Descending from the Garganta and making landfall on Karakura's rooftops, he couldn't help but feel disappointment as his eyes met the shocked form of Rukia Kuchiki. Perhaps he had been expecting too much. Perhaps he had scared off Ichigo Kurosaki.

It didn't really matter at that point, he supposed. The Shinigami would die just the same.

"Are you afraid, Shinigami?" Ulquiorra asked, his quiet voice carrying across the void between himself and Rukia.

Trying to get ahold of herself, Rukia opened her mouth, trying to form the words. "No," she replied. "More surprised to see you so early."

"Surprised, you say?"

The booming voice of the Segunda Espada overpowered the exchange, capturing the attention of both Ulquiorra and Rukia. Ulquiorra watched with side glance as Barragan descended, his Fracćion carrying his throne with relative ease. "If our enemy is so unprepared that they are surprised to see us," Barragan proclaimed, "how much of a threat do you pose to us then?" He lifted his head from his hand, sitting upright. "Perhaps this invasion will not last long at all."

"Do not be so complacent, Barragan," said the calm voice of Tier Harribel, making land fall rather quickly with her three Fracćion in tow. "Just because we only see one Shinigami in our vicinity does not mean more aren't on their way." The Tres Bestias glared at the Segunda, but miraculously remained silent, staying close to Harribel's side.

Ulquiorra, mildly annoyed by his peers, returned his attentions to Rukia. She hadn't moved much, but her eyes were darting between each emerging Espada and Arrancar that stepped out of the Garganta. "What is your name, Shinigami?" he called out to her again.

Locking eyes again, Rukia hesitated for a moment, sizing him up for a moment. She looked skeptical, as if telling him her name damned her in some way. "My name is Rukia Kuchiki," she replied at last, "Lieutenant of the 13th Division. And you are?"

"I am the Cuatro Espada of Lord Aizen's army, Ulquiorra Cifer."

He observed the series of emotions that washed over her. Her violet eyes darted once again before she said, "So Aizen sent the higher ranked Espada this time. This must be the final invasion, then."

A light, arrogant peal of laughter filled the air, cutting Ulquiorra off before he could open his mouth. "Oh, and just where are the rest of the Shinigami?" A small, slim man with short dark hair and lavender eyes stared down at Rukia, condescension oozing from his very being. He held his hand up to his mouth, his oversized sleeve dangling near his chest. He chuckled again, feigning concern just barely. "Did they send only you out to greet us?" he asked. "How pathetic!"

"Silence, Luppi," Barragan said, his voice harsh. "New additions should learn their place and stay quiet."

Luppi glared at the Segunda, but said nothing, aiming his contempt-filled gaze towards Rukia.

As the last Arrancar crawled out of the Garganta, it flickered shut, the distorted blue sky returning to normal. Ulquiorra knew their numbers were smaller than anticipated, but Lord Aizen had seemed relatively unaffected by his dwindling army.

"So, tell us," Ulquiorra asked, "where are the rest of the Shinigami, Lieutenant Kuchiki? We received reports that they had also made landfall here in the World of the Living."

A sound akin to a roaring gale answered him, the spiritual pressure increasing drastically. His green eyes snapped away from Rukia, who looked mildly confused, to face a sea of black and white-clad figures, stoic and zanpakutos drawn.

"Welcome to the World of the Living," one of the Shinigami called, his hand on the brim of his straw hat. A bright pink floral kimono rustled over his uniform, separating him from his peers. With a mischievous look in his eye, the Shinigami asked, "To what do we owe this pleasure, Espada?"

It was Barragan who answered, his booming voice echoing across the town. "It's about time you showed up," he chastised. "You should know why we are here, Shinigami. We are not here to engage in pleasantries, that is for sure."

"This is our declaration of war," Ulquiorra added.

The Shinigami laughed lightly, but his eyes betrayed him. "Oh, wonderful," he replied. "We apologize for our tardiness, we were making sure we were still prepared." He tipped his hat a little, the wind rustling against his wavy hair, bound by ribbon and two pin wheel hairpins. "Let me introduce myself," he said. "I am Shunsui Kyōraku, Captain of the 8th Division." He nodded towards Rukia, flashing her a small, comforting smile. "I see you've already had the pleasure of meeting Lieutenant Kuchiki."

"So, you are not the head of the Gotei 13, then?" Harribel asked. Her sea green eyes scrutinized Kyōraku.

With a shake of his head, Kyōraku replied, "Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not."

"Then where is your leader, Shinigami?!" Barragan roared, gripping his throne in frustration. "Do not play games with us!"

From behind Kyōraku, a long, white-haired Shinigami took a step forward, hand held upwards. "Our apologies," he said, his voice firm. "Head Captain Yamamoto will join us shortly."

"You must not take us that seriously if your leader can't even bother to show up," Luppi called out, arms folded across his chest. "For shame." A creepy smile stretched across his face, lids lilting as he stared them down.

"Rest assured, this is a matter that the Head Captain takes very seriously," the white-haired Shinigami replied.

All this useless talk was starting to annoy Ulquiorra, silently resting his hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto. "Enough," he called out at last, staring down Kyōraku with cold eyes. "It matters not who is here and who is not. Our declaration has been made, so I hope you are prepared to take us on, Shinigami."

"We certainly-!" Kyōraku's reply was cut off suddenly by the sudden arrival of a small group below.

Glaring down, Ulquiorra saw a small, out-of-breath group of human children, lagging behind three silent figures. "Well, I guess this means I need to do track when this is all over," said one of the children, running his hands through his short dark hair. "Didn't realize I was this out of shape!"

"Tell me about it, Mizuiro," the purple-haired girl next to him panted. "I'm dying already!"

"Bunch of losers!" screamed the red-haired child. "Out of breath from a little bit of running!"

"Jinta," Mizuiro said, straightening himself, "we ran at least five miles to get here."

"PATHETIC!" Jinta shouted, nearly spitting as he mocked Mizuiro.

One of the adults sighed. "Jinta, now is definitely not the time for this," he said, his glasses reflecting the morning sky. "Be quiet."

Jinta's face turned bright red, but he kept his mouth shut. The girl standing next to him stared up at the Espada, ignoring the commotion.

"Urahara," the white-haired Shinigami called down, his eyes narrowed, "I thought you were going to keep the children at your shop like we discussed." A few Shinigami seemed visibly annoyed by the humans' arrival.

"Great," a female Shinigami muttered. Her dark eyes flashed with annoyance. "Now we need to keep an eye on the children."

"They'll be fine!" the blond man in the striped hat called back. "They are fairly useful, after all!"

For some reason, this seemed to greatly upset Barragan, his large form leaning out of the chair, eyes bulging in rage. "You must really not take us seriously!" he shouted. "You have brought HUMANS in this fight? HUMANS?!"

"Please contain yourself, Lord Barragan," Ulquiorra said, raising his voice only a little. It was more than obvious to the Arrancar and Espada alike that the Cuatro Espada was beginning to lose his patience, but many were still surprised he would raise his voice to a superior. Normally, Ulquiorra deferred to those above him, but it was clear that Lord Barragan had crossed a line in one way or another.

Barragan, snapping his attention to Ulquiorra, snarled, "You dare command me in such a tone, you ant?!" But he did nothing more than bare his gritted teeth. He also understood what it would mean to deviate from Lord Aizen's plan.

Unaffected by Barragan's taunting, Ulquiorra drew his sword. "Humans or not," he called out, "we will commence. No more distractions, no more interruptions."


From the side, Rukia watched, prepared for battle. Her hand gripped the hilt of Sode no Shirayuki, feeling her adrenaline mix with her pure exhaustion. But she nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a large but gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Bet you wish you'd had someone come with you now, huh?"

Staring back at Renji, she could see the clear I told you so look painted all over his tattooed face. Part of her wanted to punch him in the face, rolling her eyes and scoffing as he grinned at her smugly. But the other part noted the extreme worry in his eyes, realizing he must have flipped out when he realized she was facing the Espada by herself.

With a sigh, Rukia simply said, "Good to see you too, Renji." She shook her head, returning her attentions to the Espada.

"It looked like you had this situation all under control," Renji teased, releasing his zanpakuto from his sheath. "I'm just glad you're alright, though."

"Fortunately for us," Rangiku chimed in, Haineko in her hand, "Urahara is about as tech crazy as Captain Kurotsuchi. He somehow always knows where people are in Karakura Town." A small smile crossed her face, but Rukia could see her eyes scanning the crowd looking for someone… Rukia felt a tug at her heart, knowing full well that this fight could be more difficult for Rangiku than for most.

"How's it feel being a first responder, Lieutenant Kuchiki?" Shuhei asked, only half-joking. His zanpakuto rested by his side, his dark eyes also scanning the enemy forces.

Rukia's small smile faded, realizing that no matter who won, nothing could ever be the same again.

"Wait a second," Rukia said, looking around, "where's Ichigo?"

Renji sighed, not surprised she would ask. "We sent someone to go find Ichigo and the Visoreds," he replied. "They should be here shortly."

"I think the better question here," Rangiku asked, her voice quavering, "is where the rescue party is, if the Espada are already here?"

Worried glances were exchanged, but none of them said a word after that. The more they focused on that small gnawing fear, the more likely they were to get distracted in battle.

Rukia caught sight of her captain as he addressed Ulquiorra. He seemed better than when she last left him, but she wondered if his health would crumbled during this fight. In the past, he was always able to portray himself as unstoppable and sturdy during a fight, but in the past decade or so, his health was starting to crumble. It was a slow burn, but the effects were slowly becoming more and more noticeable.

She couldn't help but feel that small, gnawing fear take another large bite, a shiver going down her spine.


A terrible, predatory grin was plastered over Kenpachi Zaraki's face, his eye focusing solely on Barragan. He could practically taste the large reservoirs of spiritual energy that radiated off of him, and Kenpachi was practically starved for a good fight. The Soul Society those days felt bland and boring since Ichigo's arrival several months ago. He had almost become stir crazy.

"Captain," Yumichika said, glancing towards Zaraki, "you seem very excited for this fight."

"Anyone you wanna call dibs on, Captain?" Ikkaku asked, glancing at Zaraki as well.

"Pretty sure I could take on that old man in the throne," Zaraki drawled, the small bells on his head jingling as he tilted his head. "He seems like a worthy opponent."

Yumichika laughed a little. "Why am I not surprised," he said, looking down at his nails, checking for any dirt that had gotten under his perfect nails.

Ignoring Yumichika's comment, Zaraki locked eyes with Yachiru, who greeted him with her normal smile. "What'dya think, Yachiru?" he asked her. "Ya think he'd be a fun playmate?"

"Yeah, Kenny!" she shouted, giggling a little. "Let's do it!"

Zaraki laughed, staring at Barragan again with greedy eyes. "That's my girl."


"There are far fewer Espada and Arrancar here than I was expecting," Toshiro said aloud, quickly scanning the enemy line. Altogether, the enemy was definitely a force to be reckoned with, but he had been under the impression there would be more Espada. Hell, he was surprised that Aizen hadn't shown his face yet. The bastard would surely want to bask in his declaration of war.

Confused, Soifon turned her attention to Toshiro. "Are you really complaining there aren't more opponents, Captain Hitsugaya?" she asked tersely, raising a thin eyebrow.

Toshiro shook his head, paying no attention to Soifon's testy tone. "No," he replied, "more surprised than anything else."

"Less opponents means we are closer to victory than we thought!" cried Marechiyo Ōmaeda, grinning a terrible, cocky grin. "The sooner we win, the better. The lieutenants have a game night coming up and I wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to wipe Lieutenant Hisagi's savings out clean."

"Lieutenant Ōmaeda!" Soifon snapped, glaring at him. "This is not an appropriate time to be thinking about leisurely activities! Focus yourself, or head back to Urahara's shop and keep watch! That's an order!"

Ōmaeda's face turned bright red as he fumbled with his zanpakuto. "Y-yes Captain Soifon!" he exclaimed. "I apologize, ma'am!"

Ignoring the yelling duo, Toshiro searched for Rangiku, spotting her near Rukia, Renji and Shuhei. He could just tell she was searching for Gin, and he felt a small pang in his heart. Despite being a fairly lazy, light-hearted and over-the-top person, he knew Rangiku was a little bit afraid. Not for herself, of course. She was fairly adept in sword fights. He would try to keep an eye on her.

Speaking of keeping an eye on Rangiku, he noticed how the smaller of the Espada was eyeing her in a disgusting way, leering at her as he tilted his head to the side. Lavender eyes were filled with a mixture of lust and derision.

"This can't be good," he muttered to himself.


In the instant that Ulquiorra took his first step forward, he knew something was off. The air around him had suddenly changed. It was as if the thin veil between this world and Hueco Mundo was struggling to tear apart at any moment, like someone struggling violently to escape. There was no way that could be, of course. Lord Aizen had to authorize the opening and closing of Garganta, and he had proclaimed that after their forces entered the World of the Living, the next Garganta opening would be by Lord Aizen's hand alone.

It was far too early for Lord Aizen to make landfall, so who could this be…?

"Do you feel that, Lady Harribel?" one of the Tres Espada's Fracćion said, her heterochromatic eyes searching for the source of chaotic energy that threatened for burst forth.

The taller of the three Tres Bestias looked to Harribel, asking, "What are your orders, my lady?"

"Stay where you are," Harribel commanded gently. "We do not yet know who is coming to greet us." In her sea green eyes, it was clear she had an idea who was tearing at the veil. She recognized the energy – or, rather, many energies – that threatened to enter the battlefield.

With dead green eyes, Ulquiorra watched the air start to split, the inky blackness of a Garganta rip through the air. The gasps and frightened sounds of both Arrancar and Shinigami filled the air, all asking the same questions.

The Garganta opened, the darkness motionless for a few agonizing seconds. The battlefield went silent, like they had all collectively held their breath.

It wasn't till a shock of long blue hair peaked out from the opening that Ulquiorra understood what was happening. The rescue party had finally accomplished their mission and had returned to the World of the Living, ready to join up with the Shinigami.

"Of course, it's them," Ulquiorra said to himself. "At this point, I should not be surprised at how horribly stubborn humans – and Grimmjow – truly are."


Staring down defiantly at Karakura Town and the gathering of opposing sides, Grimmjow revealed his teeth with a wide grin. "Looks like we arrived just in time," he proclaimed to the rest of the party. "This should be fun, eh?"

Uryu caught up with the Espada, staring down as well. "I was afraid they'd get to Karakura Town first," he said, noticing as all eyes were glued to the crudely opened Garganta. "It also seemed nearly impossible for you to open this gateway as well."

Grimmjow scoffed, glaring at the Quincy. "Aizen probably put a lock down on the unauthorized openin' of Garganta," he said. "He usually does that in times of battle."

"I'm still surprised you were able to get it open," Starrk called to Grimmjow, rubbing his eyes as the sharp, winter morning light hit him in the face. "I was sure we were gonna be running in the Dangai for a little while longer."

"Ya callin' me weak, Starrk?" Grimmjow challenged.

"Would you knock it off, ya blueberry muffin reject!" Lilynette snapped, glaring up at Grimmjow. "It was just a statement!"

"Please, no arguing now," Uryu begged. "My last headache finally went away a few minutes ago."

The final sounds of footsteps skidded to halt behind them, several pairs of eager eyes peered out at the bright and welcoming World of the Living. "W-we made it," Amelia said, her green eyes slightly shocked at seeing the world she'd been taken from. "We actually made it!" Her tired face brightened up a little, feeling a flutter of hope fill her heart again.

Dordoni smiled a little, patting her on the shoulder. "I bet you are excited to be back, niña," he said gently. "You probably felt like you would never see this place again."

"Oh, don't go getting all sappy now, Amelia," Cirucci said, though the normal edge to her voice was slightly dulled. "Save your excitement for after the fight."

Ash stood by Amelia's side, also fairly relieved to see the sun in the horizon. The terrible moon that had hung over Hueco Mundo made her appreciate the beauty of the World of the Living. Of course, she knew that Amelia probably felt more relief than she did, since she had been gone for much longer, and held prisoner. "It'll be fine, Amelia," she said soothingly. "Once we're done here, we can go home!"

The words stung Amelia, her eyes twitching a little. Home, she thought. Home for us means two different things now… She kept silent, feeling Nel tug at her pant leg. "Lift me up, Amewia!" she said, her eyes bright and excited. Mindlessly, Amelia did so, letting the small Espada sit on her shoulders.

"All the Shinigami are here," Orihime said, spotting the familiar sight of Captain Ukitake.

Chad seemed slightly confused. "Yes," he said, "but where is the Head Captain?"

Tatsuki looked around as well, a bit confused as well. "Oh yeah," she said. "You'd think he'd show up here as well."

"Well, Aizen's not there either," Orihime added. "Maybe they are both preparing themselves to join?" But that thought also made little sense to her as well.

"Wh-what are we talking about?"

Keigo's groggy voice piped up, his eyes struggling to focus. He had woken up only moments ago, his concussion mostly gone but his exhaustion still keeping hold on him.

"Kid, wake the hell up," Grimmjow growled, glaring at Keigo. "Ya need to be alert! It looks like we're gonna be fighting earlier than I thought."

"Oh," Keigo said, struggling between a yawn. "This'll be so much fun."

Turning away, Grimmjow looked back at the battlefield and took a deep breath. "Well, no point waitin' around here," he said. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Wait, Grimmjow, let's just-!"

Before Uryu could finish his sentence, Grimmjow had leapt from his perch on the edge of the Garganta, hurling down towards the rooftops. "Good god," Uryu groaned, rubbing his face. "Alright, let's go!" He hurled down after him, making sure his glasses didn't slip off his face.

One by one, the others followed, guided by Orihime's Santen Kisshun, aiding their safe descent towards the rooftops. Shouting and unintelligible words spiraled upwards, watching as they descended and finally made it to the rooftops. The orange shield evaporated from under their feet as they took their place near Grimmjow and Uryu, staring back at the Arrancar, Shinigami and Humans alike.

"Good to see you all again!" Urahara called to them, smiling and waving. "Although, you've brought far more people with you than when you left!"

Uryu looked back at the group and called back, "We picked up some unexpected allies."

Barragan rose from his throne, enraged. "Allies?!" he called out. "Coyote Starrk, the Primera Espada, would dare side with the Shinigami and Humans?! PREPOSTEROUS!" He pointed a large finger in Starrk's direction, spitting in rage. "STARRK, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

The Primera sighed, glancing at Lilynette. She looked ready to rage, but she knew that Starrk wouldn't approve of that, so she held it in. "What is there to explain, Barragan?" he called back. "I have made my choice. I will not stand with you or Lord Aizen in the path of destruction."

"YEAH, OLD MAN!" Lilynette shouted. "WE DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN OURSELVES TO YOU!"

"Lilynette…"

"S-sorry, Starrk."

"Well, I think what surprises me most," Harribel stated, "is that you would be so friendly with the humans, Grimmjow. Tell me, what about them appeals to you?"

Grimmjow snarled, his long blue hair buffeting in the breeze. "Friendly, ya say?" he called back. "Well, considerin' they didn't try to carve me in half and leave me for dead, I'd say that's good enough reason, Harribel!"

"THAT'S LADY HARRIBEL TO YOU, TRASH!" screamed the heterochromatic Fracćion, her fists balled and single horn menacing. "YOU WILL RESPECT YOUR SUPERIORS!"

"Apacci," Harribel said, "enough. Do not antagonize the enemy."

"Y-yes, Lady Harribel."

Amongst the screaming, two individuals glared at each other silently across the battlefield. Green eyes locked in a silent feud, sizing each other up. Amelia could practically feel the frigidity of Ulquiorra's stare, as if he were surprised that she was still alive. A part of her reveled in that small victory, squaring her shoulders. Her short hair brushed over her face, but it could not hide her tired but determined gaze.

They didn't need to say a word to know that they would be seeing each other on the battlefield very, very soon.

"Enough chit chat," Luppi called out, his tone filled with boredom. "Let's do this already!"


A/N: GUESS WHO'S BACK! I'm sorry I was gone for so long!

So what started out as a two week break quickly turned into a month and a half long one, but I honestly don't regret it! I was going to get back into writing as soon as I could, but several different factors came into play, like work picking up, a small bout of burnout, planning the end of this book, and ultimately rewriting this chapter so many times. It was a mess!

This chapter is not the best, I do apologize. I had to force it out of me, since it was just a lead up to battles, but hey, now that its out of the way, I can finally dig into the meat of it! I very much appreciate everyone's patience and I hope to have the next chapter up next Sunday (no promises!) See you soon!