Bleach 527: Hope

Scene opens up in the palace in Hueco Mundo. The two captains have been joined by Ukitake Joushiro and are fighting off against the horde of troops. They look as if they're getting pushed about but no one seems hurt at all.
You see the many bodies of the troops that have already been cut down littering the floor yet the room is still filled with them.
Ichigo stands within the cage of Reiatsu, standing calm and straight, watching it all.

Zaraki is surrounded fighting a mass of troops. You can see him laughing as he swings his sword each one cutting down a foe. Shunsui and Jushiro are standing back to back taking down a horde of troops that are attacking them.

Shunsui: There was no need for you to come in here, we could have handled these troops.

Jushiro: I thought it best after I felt the attack on Ichigo san, tch, all his troops are going to get massacred and he just plans to stand there smiling and watch.

Shunsui: Well they are only pawns after all, it seems their job is only to tire us out so that we'll be easy pickings later.

Jushiro: It's like Aizen all over again.

Shunsui: Hmmmm...Bushogoma!

Shunsui suddenly spins around on the spot whipping both his swords out wide. Twin blades of wind fly out encircling a dozen troops in a tornado and then blasting them away.

Shunsui: What we need to do first is somehow get Kurosaki san out of there. We will need his help to finish this, especially if we have to go up against Zanka no Tachi.

Jushiro: We've not been able to get close to Ichigo san since this battle started, however when our eyes made contact earlier he mouthed the word bankai to me whilst shaking his head and pointing to Juha Bach.

Shunsui: …So it seems Kurosaki san is aware of what your Bankai is then.

Jushiro: Yes, and also that I run the risk of it being stolen if I try to use it to free him.

Shunsui: So then, we either try to distract Bach and take the risk or we find another way of releasing Ichigo

Suddenly an arrow flies right between them and pierces the chest of one of the troops attacking them. They both look around in surprise and see Bach, about halfway across the room, smiling and looking towards them. Bach speaks and his voice is eerily clear even amongst the din of battle.

Bach: How easy do you think it will be to distract me?

Shunsui/Jushiro:!

Jushiro: He's been listening to everything we've been saying!

Bach looks at them and gives them a massive grin.

Scene Change to Ichigo

He stands in the centre of the area surrounded by the pillars of reiatsu. His sword is planted on the ground in front of him and his hands are resting on its hilt. The energy released and flowing between the pillars emits a crackling and humming sound which completely blocks out the noise of the battle going on outside.
Next to Ichigo you see Zangetsu standing, his black cloak spreads out all around him giving off black flames. A voice can be heard seemingly coming from the flames.

Ryujin Jaka: They have some skill these soldiers.

Zangetsu: But nowhere near enough to defeat the captains that are standing here.

Ryujin Jaka: That was not their purpose to begin with.

Zangetsu: There does not seem to be a single stern ritter amongst them.

Ryujin Jaka: Ichigo, what do you plan to do? We cannot continue watching as both our fronts get attacked.

Ichigo: … Soul Society will have to hold its own for the time being, as for here, we just need to wait for our distraction to arrive.

Zangetsu: …Distraction?

Ichigo: He's been watching this fight since it started, it's just a matter of when he plans on making his move.

Scene change back to Bach

The battle rages on, Zaraki Kenpachi being swallowed by wave upon wave of foot soldiers and the other two captains fighting in unison.

Juha Bach is watching the fights with a faint smile and a questioning look on his face.

Bach: Jugo, observe the two captains fighting, what do you see?

The underling that has always been with Bach takes a step forward and focuses on the two captains.

Jugo: As two of the oldest captains of the Gotei 13 they seem to be fighting as expected, effortlessly taking out all the foot soldiers.

Bach: but...?

Jugo: but their gazes are distant. They're not focused on the fight at all, their attention is on something else.

Bach: yes, which means something interesting should happen soon. Jugo, proceed with the plan.

Jugo bows and disappears. Bach transfers his gaze over Ichigo who is still standing firm with his sword planted out in the ground in front of him.

Bach: (Even confined and at a disadvantage he's oozing confidence. He stands more at ease than most people in their own homes.)

Bach grins widely as he gazes at Ichigo. A fleeting glimmer of surprise crosses his face before he grins widely once more.

Bach: Your detainment must have really had an impact on you, or did you really think you could evade my senses with such poor skill.

He turns his head to look towards his right, a few dozen feet away the air shimmers and Aizen appears standing, his sword drawn. He has a faint smile on his face as he looks at Bach.

Aizen: Evade? I'm afraid you're mistaken, I'm supposed to be the backup.

Joushiro: Bankai!

Bach:!

Scene Change to Soul Society

Five of the Stern Ritter stand together surveying Soul society. One of them, Sternritter E Bambietta Basterbine, has a sulky look on her face.

Bambietta: seems like a lot of this place managed to survive, sigh.

Sternritter F, Mazrim (the one with the hood up): Are you still sulking about the Bankai's? get over it will you.

Bambietta: Well it isn't fair, why do I have to get the slowest and most boring one?! Darius didn't even manage to capture one and yet he was still given one better than mine.

Sternritter D, Darius: Like you did much to capture yours, just coz you managed to pop out in front of a captain doesn't mean you get any extra brownie points. Anyway it's not my fault As Nodt managed to get himself killed.

The Sternritter next to Darius starts to swing the medallion around on his finger.

Sternritter J, Logain: And don't you go saying anything to me, it took a lot more effort getting hold of this after Overkill got himself handed one than you just standing around waiting for some captain to say Bankai.

Mazrim: Enough! I think it's about time we began, or would you rather explain to Bach sama why everything is still standing when he arrives and see's you lot there squabbling.

Bambietta: (Cold as bloody ever)

Mazrim: Voldo, I think you should do the introductions.

To the side the masked Sternritter steps forward and lifts up his medallion.

Sternritter V, Voldo: With pleasure, *Bankai, Jakuhourai kouben*

A pillar of Reiatsu shoots up into the air from the medallion and Voldo. You see Voldo now wearing the Bankai of Sui-Fong. The missile launcher and face shield encasing his right arm. He points the missile towards the built up area some distant away, lines up his shot and fires the missile. It storms towards the centre of the area where it explodes. The sternritters are all pushed back a little, the shockwave of the explosion catching them by surprise. The whole area is blinded by light and smoke.
As the light and smoke clear you see that no sign of the buildings or rubble that was there before remains, all that is left is massive crater in the ground.

?: Oi hoi hoi! Isn't that a little over the top or are you just having fun with your new toys?

The sternritters all turn around in surprise, not more than 100 feet away stand Uryuu, Ryuken and Isshin. Isshin has a big grin on his face.

Isshin: Not that we mind by the way

Uryuu: all the people were evacuated quite a while back.

Isshin: So if you guys want to be the clean-up crew then don't let us stop you.

Bambietta: Clean-up crew?! You idiots! You've fallen right into our trap. We were told to hunt out whoever was left to defend this place and finish them off.

Logain begins to walk forward, swinging his medallion on his finger as he does.

Logain: Though I do not believe these are the ones his majesty wished hunted, although they have saved us the time of having to hunt them down later.

As he says this Ryuken begins to walk forward as well, Logain halts observing him as he walks. Ryuken stops about 10 feet way from Logain and looks him directly in the eyes. He takes a long drag of his cigarette.

Ryuken: Hunt?...since when do rats get sent to hunt wolves?

SternRitters:!

He takes another long drag of his cigarette and then takes the cigarette and flicks at Logain. It bounces of Logains chest dropping to the ground in front of him, without looking at it Logain crushes it beneath his boot. His face is all serious now and you can see anger boiling under that hard expression.

Logain: Leave them to me, there are only 3 of them. Go and find the Zero squad and finish them before his majesty arrives.

The other Stern Ritters disappear immediately without hesitating. Ryuken turns his head sideways to see the two people behind him, he nods and both Isshin and Uryuu disappear too.

Logain: Hah, you expect to fight me on your own!

Ryuken just watches Logain with an indifferent gaze as if he was no threat at all. He takes out another cigarette and lights it up taking a long drag.

Logain:…What do you even think you can do against me?

He spreads his arms out wide indicating to the surroundings

Logain: Have you not seen the devastation we bring?!

Ryuken still watches him with the same eyes for a few moments before taking a long sigh.

Ryuken: Let me observe the niceties by first introducing myself.

Logain: ?

Ryuken: My name is Ishida Ryuken, son of Ishida Souken, Inheritor of the title, Last Quincy.

Logain:?!

Ryuken takes another long drag on his cigarette

Ryuken: and I have come to teach you children why playing Qunicy is bad for your health.

Next week 528 & 529: The Last Quincy