Chapter 8: The Beginning of the End (I)
"Sir!" a black-robed shinigami called out, kneeling out of respect for the leaders in the command tent. "The Death Eaters are on the move! Our scouts have observed large-scaled activity in most of the Death Eater bases across England. They seem to have been reinforced as well; there are reports that Riddle's followers are for the most part leaving the occupied European countries to bolster their forces here in England. They've assembled a large force, numbering about two hundred, and are making their way here from London."
"They're gearing up for war then," Toushiro said, lacing his fingers together in front of his face. "What is the situation of our own forces?"
"Full standby, Captain," the shinigami reported. "Our troops here in the FOB will be ready for battle in a matter of minutes, and the troops back in Japan can arrive in a battlefield in England in just as little time, if they double-time through the pocket dimension.
"Excellent," Toushiro nodded. "Then all preparations are finished. Now it is just a matter of picking the place and time for this battle, and to see who makes the first move." The white-haired Captain dismissed the shinigami and turned to the others. "What places between the Death Eaters' positions and our own would be suitable for a pitched battle? It seems that this fight is unavoidable and I would prefer that we choose the battlefield."
The British commanders shared a thoughtful look. "A few locations come to mind," Ron, his tactical mind thinking furiously, murmured. "How confident are you in your troops' defensive abilities, Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Kurosaki? Since your men would bear the brunt of the attack as the melee fighters, with the rest of us providing support…"
"You're thinking of an open area," Ichigo said. "A wide open area where we shinigami can fight and the enemy would make easy targets for your ranged attacks."
"Right," Hermione replied with a nod. "There's an area near here that's like that. In fact, it's not so much a plain as a giant crater. Nobody really knows where it came from. There was no meteor or anything, and no human device, short of a nuclear weapon, could have blown a hole that big. We measured it when we came across it a few years ago. Its diameter is almost a mile wide!"
Ichigo and Toushiro shared a look. "You say that this crater only recently appeared. About when was this?"
"Four years ago, give or take," Harry said. "It was a few weeks after Riddle took over."
"The time frame matches," Toushiro murmured, looking at Ichigo. "You think it could have been…?"
"You know something about this crater?" Mustang questioned.
"We won't know for certain until we get there," Toushiro said, "but we suspect that the crater was caused by one of our Captains before the Soul Society fell. She had been sent on a mission to assassinate Riddle to try and stem the creation of Hollows, but she and her squad were overwhelm before she was able to do so. Before she fell, the Captain activated the final level of her power in an attempt to destroy as many Hollows as she could, in order to ease the brunt of the invasion on Soul Society."
"Merlin," Harry whispered. "You mean she made that crater on her own?" His eyes were wide, awed by the raw power that this Captain had to change the landscape so drastically.
"Jahukou Raikoben was known to be the zanpakutou with the most raw, destructive power, second only to that of our Captain-Commander," Toushiro said. "The battle in which the Captain fell was only the second time Captain Soi Fon of the Second Division and Commander of the Onmitsukidou used her bankai in battle."
"Bloody hell," Ron murmured. "And the men sent on that mission…?"
"None returned to Soul Society," Toushiro replied stiffly. "It was a failed attempt to eliminate the world of Riddle, a failure that we will correct. To answer your original question, Mister Weasley, against the scum that call themselves Death Eaters, our troops will more than hold their own."
"Excellent," Ron said, spreading out a map of the area on the table and conjuring up small figures to represent the factions involved in the battle. "Here's the situation then."
A cluster of black-clad figurines settled onto the map, a few miles from the designated area. "The Death Eaters are still a few miles out, according to our intel. We're closer position-wise. I estimate that we'll have about four hours to set up in and around the area."
More figurines appeared on the map, standing on the forest in which their base was located. "The terrain of the area will work greatly to our favor," the strategist said. "The inside of the crater itself is flat and wide-open, a good environment for your troops to fight in, Captain Hitsugaya. The walls of the crater aren't completely smooth either. There's a lot of cover around the edges and along the sides of the crater, which will make good sniper positions for your men, Colonel," he said, nodding to the blue-clad American alchemist. "Which leaves the rest us," he said, motioning to Harry and Hermione as representatives of the British wizards and witches. "We don't have nearly as long a range as the Colonel's troops, nor can we fight in close combat like Captain Hitsugaya's men. So that leaves us as close support. We'll conjure shields, blind them, anything to distract the Death Eaters while they get picked off by snipers or taken out by the Japanese."
"It's a good plan," Toushiro observed, nodding at the placements of the figures that symbolized their forces. "Do we know how much intel the enemy have on our forces?"
"They know pretty much exactly which wizards and witches are in our force, and our abilities," Harry replied. "We're pretty much the same crowd that they fought against at the beginning of the war. I don't think they know about the American alchemists. European wizarding society knows pretty much nothing about alchemy, not even Dumbledore. As for the rest of the American troops, Riddle will probably underestimate them, since they don't use magic to fight. With their pureblood obsession, he thinks that anything non-magical is lower than them," he muttered darkly.
"We'll show him not to underestimate us then," Hawkeye said softly, tapping the sniper rifle slung over her shoulder, quiet confidence in her hazel eyes.
Harry smiled thinly and continued, "I think that Riddle knows about the shinigami though," he said. Toushiro and Ichigo looked at the bespectacled British commander questioningly. Obligingly, Harry elaborated. "At the Battle of Hogwarts, Riddle said something about the afterlife. I don't remember his exact words though."
"I do," Hermione said, and Ron and Harry rolled their eyes amusedly.
"Of course you do," they said simultaneously, and the brilliant witch huffed.
"Riddle's exact words were, and I quote, 'Death had merely been the next great adventure. But now… your deaths will simply be the end of you. Dumbledore knew of the afterlife, yes. In my own findings, I discovered that it indeed existed. But not anymore. With this world devastated, it shall collapse upon itself.'"
Ichigo drew in a sharp breath, and Toushiro stiffened visibly, his hands clenching into fists. "He knew," the white-haired Captain hissed through clenched teeth. "He fucking knew." It was the most agitated anyone present had seen the usually calm and collected Captain, beside Ichigo, and he was too affected by what Hermione had said to do anything about it.
"Knew what?" Hermione asked tentatively, not wanting to irritate Toushiro more. They had seen a fraction of Toushiro's powers when Renji had been placed under the Imperius Curse, and they had no desire to experience it used on them.
Toushiro couldn't even speak, his teeth grinding together as he struggled to control himself. Ichigo looked at his fellow Captain in concern. He could count the number of times he had seen Toushiro so agitated on one hand, and these incidents were usually followed by some people suffering severe frostbite.
A cold wind blew through the command tent, and everyone but Ichigo and Toushiro shivered. Outside, soft snow began falling from the sky as the temperature dropped below freezing unexpectedly, despite it only being September.
The wind picked up, blowing tent flaps and papers awry, and the snow began accumulating on the ground, forming a blinding white layer.
Ichigo, used to the pressure and effects of Toushiro's spiritual power, let the other Captain vent for a moment before deciding it was enough. "Toushiro," he said sharply, accompanied by a sharp smack across the back of the white-haired shinigami's head. "That's enough."
In an instant, the wind died down, the snow melting and leaving the grass beneath green again. The temperature rose again, becoming the seasonal coolness of autumn rather than the biting cold of winter. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at the angry young Captain, and Mustang and Hawkeye only drew their heavy blue jackets around their bodies.
"You done?" Ichigo asked.
"Yeah," Toushiro muttered, not looking at anyone in the eyes. "Sorry about that."
"To answer your question," Ichigo said, turning to the others, "If what you said Riddle said is true, then it means that that bastard knew about the Soul Society. He called it the afterlife, so chances are that he didn't know the specifics, but that doesn't change the fact of the matter. That rotten scumbag wanted to destroy the 'afterlife'. He caused the invasion of the Soul Society intentionally."
"This changes things," Toushiro said, and heads turned to look at the Tenth Division Captain. "Before, we thought that the destruction of the Soul Society was merely a side-effect of Riddle's genocide in the world of the living. But now we know differently. He did it intentionally. He caused the destruction of millions of souls on purpose."
"But why?" Mustang asked, his hands too clenching as he thought of the implications of what Toushiro had just said. "Why would he go to such lengths?"
"Immortality," Harry, Ron, and Hermione said simultaneously. "That's why his followers are called Death Eaters," Harry added. "Because they fear death, and so they try to conquer it."
Dark looks appeared on Ichigo and Toushiro's face. "Unforgivable," Toushiro said sharply. "Nobody can escape death. He's no exception. We'll make sure of that."
Ichigo nodded. "Let's go," he said to nobody in particular. "We've wasted enough time talking here. We have an ambush to set up, a battle to fight, and a dark lord to send to the depths of Hell."
"Right," the others nodded, standing from the table that they were seated at. Turning, each commander strode out of the tent to their respective commands and began issuing orders. In a matter of minutes, the camp was a bustle of activity.
"What's the situation, Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Kurosaki?" the long-range radio crackled, the calm and collected voice of Kuchiki Byakuya emanating from the speakers.
"Battle commences in approximately three hours," Toushiro said into the microphone. "We've decided on a battlefield. Grid coordinates for the Senkai gate are L1643-D4285."
"Received and acknowledged," Byakuya said. "Are reinforcements required?"
"Negative for now," Toushiro said. "We are fairly evenly matched with the enemy forces. If necessary we will request for backup. Maintain communications connections throughout the battle. I make regular updates of the course of the battle."
"Confirmed," Byakuya said. "Is that all?"
"Not quite. We have received new intel that suggests that Riddle knew of the Soul Society and intended for its destruction."
Silence. It stretched on until…
"Acknowledged. Bankai is authorized. HQ out."
The radio went silent, and Toushiro looked at Ichigo. "It's been a while since I went all-out," the orange-haired Captain grinned. "It'll be a good release of pent-up energy, eh?"
"Yes," Toushiro nodded. "It will."
#
"Report," Toushiro said into the microphone of his radio, his hand wrapped around the hit of his blade sheathed on his back.
"Overwatch 1 in position," Hawkeye's voice cracked.
"Overwatch 2 in position."
"Overwatch 3 in position."
"Mustang Squad in position."
"Elric Squad in position."
"Armstrong Squad in position."
"Miles Squad in position."
"Union Jack in position," Harry said.
"Reaper 1 in position," came the voice of Ichigo.
"Reaper 2 in position." Kuchiki Rukia.
"Reaper 3 in position." Hinamori Momo.
"Reaper 4 in position." Kawamura Tomoe.
"Roger that," Toushiro radioed back as the sound off finished. "Reaper Command acknowledges all. Overwatch 1, what's the status of the enemy, over?"
"Reaper Command, Overwatch 1. I have visual confirmation of plus three hundred enemies. Range seven hundred meters due southwest and closing. Entering optimal sniper range in three minutes, over."
"Reaper Command copies. All Overwatch teams, wait for my mark to fire, over."
"Overwatch 1 copies, over."
"Overwatch 2 copies, over."
"Overwatch 3 copies, over."
"Reaper Command, Overwatch 1. Enemy is thirty seconds out, over."
"Roger. Hold your fire," Toushiro ordered. Silently, the white-haired Captain counted off thirty seconds in his head.
"Enemy is now within optimal sniper range. Orders, over?"
"Hold," Toushiro said. Wait for it… Another twenty seconds ticked past. "All Overwatch teams, this is Reaper Actual. You are authorized to engage enemy, over."
"Overwatch 1 confirms. Engaging." The radio crackled, and shots ripped through the evening air. Soon, the sound of gunfire rattled a steady beat as the snipers of the Overwatch teams went about their deadly business.
"Reaper Command, Overwatch 1," Hawkeye said again, another shot ringing out. "Enemy has broken rank and is rushing towards the crater. Distance approximately two hundred meters, over. I count thirteen confirmed kills."
"Acknowledged," Toushiro radioed. "Good job, Overwatch 1. All teams prepare for battle, over. Engage on my mark, over." Crackles of confirmation from every waiting team came over the radio, and Toushiro drew his blade, the cold steel glinting menacingly in the light of the setting sun. Soon, the first black-clad figures of the enemy crested the edge of the crater that the allied forces were situated in.
"Reaper Command to all units: enemy has entered the crater. Repeat, enemy has entered the crater. Hold your positions until Reaper Command initiates engagement, over."
The wave of Death Eaters flooded into the crater, fanning out as several more fell to sniper fire. Toushiro counted them with a sharp eye, and as soon as the count reached a little over two hundred, he moved.
With a blindingly fast flash step, the young Captain was in front of the enemy forces, sword in hand. In an instant the blade was coated in blood and the leading Death Eater was on the ground, writhing and gurgling as crimson flowed from a neat slice on the side of his neck.
"Reaper Command to all units," Toushiro said, seeing his fellow Captain leap into the fray, Ichigo's katana flashing its deadly dance through the black-clad Death Eaters. "Permission to engage enemy forces granted. Reaper Command out."
Apart from the sounds of gunfire, incantations, and the whistle of steel through air, the battle was silent. Neither side spoke as they clashed in a deadly struggle of flying lead, steel, and energy.
Ichigo slashed his way through a pair of Death Eaters, his blade dancing its way methodically through wands, cloth, flesh, and bone. The two Death Eaters dropped like rocks, their wand hands dropping to the ground beside their rolling heads as their decapitated bodies collapsed in a heap. Straightening from the crouch that he had ended his attack in, he whipped his katana through the air, slashing a flying bolt of energy and causing it to burst into sparks. Turning to face the new threat, the orange-haired Captain prepared his blade, the cold, bloodstained steel glinting in the light.
Backpedaling furiously, the Death Eater threw spell after spell at Ichigo, who easily dodged or blocked them with his zanpakutou. As Ichigo approached the retreating Death Eater, a shot rang out, and the black-cloaked wizards screamed in agony, clutching the stump of his now-nonexistent wand arm, which had been blown apart at the elbow. Ichigo ended the man's suffering with a quick and clean slash to the chest, turning so that the arcing, spurting blood didn't splatter on his face.
Nodding in thanks to the Overwatch team whom he couldn't see, Ichigo turned back to battle, only to find himself surrounded by almost a dozen Death Eaters. He raised an eyebrow, his muscles tensing. It seemed like they were wising up and focusing their attention on the powerful shinigami Captains.
A sudden chill filled the air, and Ichigo chanced a quick glance to where Toushiro was fighting. A cluster of human-sized ice sculptures confirmed that the white-haired Captain had indeed released his shikai. Ichigo smiled at the Death Eaters, and several flinched at the sight of the Captain's bared teeth. "Let's dance," he growled, pulsing his reiatsu into his zanpakutou.
The Death Eaters stared in awe and horror as Ichigo's slim katana glowed, morphing into a giant cleaver-like blade. The black-wrapped handle was capped with a bronze ball, and the broad blade curved inward near the top and the handle, giving the sword a combat knife-like appearance, albeit one that was almost as long as Ichigo was tall.
The Death Eaters began casting spells at the Captain furiously, but they were all dodged or deflected. The blade began to glow as Ichigo channeled his reiatsu into the zanpakutou. With a shout, he slashed, sending a crescent of glowing energy towards the circle of Death Eaters. "Getsuga Tenshou!"
The top halves of two Death Eaters vanished in a spray of red mist, and the two adjacent Death Eaters lost their arms. Spells began flying even heavier through the air, and Ichigo began flash-stepping around the battlefield. Despite the fact that the speed of his movements was nowhere near the level he had been capable of while the Soul Society had still existed, it was still considerably faster than anything a normal human could achieve. To some of the slower-witted Death Eaters, their comrades seemed to simply fall to pieces before their very eyes, before their own existences were ended by a vengeful god of death.
A roar filled Toushiro's ears, and heat washed over his body as the white-haired Captain quickly flash-stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding a burst of fire. Narrowing his eyes at the source of the flames, which had singed the hems of his captain's cloak, and smiled grimly. Time to take things up a notch.
"Bankai!" Icy reiatsu exploded over the battlefield. In an instant, stormy gray clouds had covered the crater, and a light sprinkling of snow began falling over the carnage. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru!"
Death Eaters, wizards, and soldiers alike paused momentarily, stunned at the sudden change in weather. Not so for the shinigami, who simply took advantage of the sudden lull in fighting to cut down a few more Death Eaters.
Ichigo smirked as the cold reiatsu washed over his body. Toushiro was always so quick to jump right into battle. Then again, who wouldn't, after the revelation that the Voldemort had caused the destruction of Soul Society intentionally?
Cries and screams of horror and shock filled the air as a winged figure swept through the battle, Death Eaters falling like wheat beneath the scythe. A dozen of the black-cloaked dark wizards banded together, throwing spell after spell after this new threat.
Toushiro merely folded his icy wings together, blocking each and every spell with relative ease, although the force of so many spells impacting the wings sent shards of ice ricocheting through the air. With a reiatsu-infused burst of strength, he hurled himself into the air. Hovering over the battlefield like an avenging angel, he narrowed his eyes, honing into the spots where the dark-clothed wizards were most numerous.
Focusing his reiatsu into his blade, he swung. "Hyouryu Senbi!" A massive wave of ice flowed forth, engulfing entire areas of the battlefield, encasing dozens of Death Eaters in its deadly embrace.
Unfortunately, due to the presence of allies, Toushiro couldn't use this ability too often. Instead, he used his enhanced abilities to again tear through the battlefield, cutting apart Death Eaters with ease. With each slice and stab, the unfortunate target was turned into a human popsicle, ice emerging from the fatal wound to cover the Death Eater and the ground he was standing on.
After the initial shock, chaos broke out again on the battlefield. Spells were once again exchanged, gunfire rang out, and cries and shouts of pain again filled the air. It quickly became evident that both sides had been holding back initially.
Multiple Death Eaters, in order to counter the icy attacks of Toushiro's bankai, began using Fiendfyre, the cursed flames engulfing everything they touched.
Alchemic energy crackled as the three state alchemists plied their art, massive pillars of stone and earth rising from the ground to smother the fires, more stone projectiles hurtling through the air at offending Death Eaters, and waves of fire – not cursed – bathed the battle in an eerie light.
Despite Toushiro's bankai and the full power of the alchemists, the sheer numbers of the Death Eaters, although considerably thinned, began winning over. More than once members of the allied forces found themselves cut off from their comrades and cut down by multiple Death Eaters. The balance of the battle was beginning to tip in the Death Eater's favor.
Until…
Ichigo decided that he had had enough of this battle. Although it was bound to be decisive, it would not due for the allied forces to lose too much of its strength. Although there were still shinigami in Japan, he also knew that Voldemort had hundreds of other Death Eaters stationed in other countries. It was time to end this particular battle.
"Bankai!"
#
Righty-ho! This chapter is the end of what I have already written, which means that you're going to have to wait longer than a week for the next one. School's busy, as usual, and I'm taking standardized tests (SATs and ACTs) soon, so I won't have too much time to write. I'll try to have at least a new chapter every month, but no promises…
You probably noticed that this chapter is entitled The Beginning of the End (I). The (I) at the end means that I will be writing the battle from several different perspectives, and this is only one of at least three that I have planned. It also means that this story is, plot-wise, coming to an end. Yes, this is going to be much shorter than The Reaper. After this major battle, a few major plot elements are going to happen, and then a big final battle, and then an aftermath, and that's pretty much it. Also, I may or may not have something new that I'll post soon… we'll see.
Reviews would be greatly appreciated. Fokker333 over and out!
~fokker333