Bleach 531: The Lines Drawn

Scene Opens up in outer Hueco Mundo

As far as the eye can see all you can see are hollows, menos , arrancar and Quincy foot soldiers. The army is so huge and are so thickly pressed together that it is difficult to see the ground between them even as they move. You view them from high above in the air, looking down on them and you see thousands upon thousands of them as you pan around. They are all focused and heading in one direction, directly beneath you.

As you look down you see, close to one side of the immense palace, most of the captains fighting. They're all roughly in one large area fending off against the onslaught of the army. They seem to be pushed, having to dodge and counter multiple attacks but though some seemed to be fatigued and have a few scratches none seem seriously hurt. You see Nemu, carrying Kurotsuchi Mayuri's released sword, flitting between captains and enemies slashing at them and then disappearing, her victims collapsing or standing paralysed until they are cut down by the captains or mowed down by the troops rushing in from behind them. As you look even closer you see that the oncoming army seem to be slashing thin air or their own troops a lot more than striking at the captains. As you look back up into the air you see Shinji and Kurotsuchi Mayuri hovering high in the sky above them. Shinji has his sword released and is spinning it around with his hand. Kurotsuchi Mayuri seems to just be standing there next to him doing nothing. Flash stepping around them are the other Vaizard captains in their hollow forms taking out all enemies that attack them.

Shinji (smiling): Doesn't this seem a little too easy Mayuri? I mean where are those guys that took our Bankai's?

Mayuri:…

Shinji: We're not even being pushed here, what is Bach trying to do, wear us out?

Mayuri:…

Shinji:…?! Hey 2nd place! You're taking it a little too easy aren't you? Letting your vice captain do all the work whilst you just watch the show, you could at least make some conversation?!

A vein on Mayuri's forehead throbs as he turns to look at him.

Mayuri: 2nd place?

Shinji (Grinning): Well you'd never beat Kisuke in a beauty contest now would you heh.

Mayuri's expression sours even further, he looks down towards the ground.

Mayuri: Nemu, get up here!

A moment later Nemu appears beside them panting and sweating all over. Mayuri takes back his sword and hands her two bottles.

Mayuri: Use these now and don't get injured, I don't have time to waste healing you.

Namu: yes Mayuri sama

Nemu disappears heading back towards the battle, Shinji whistles a low shrill whistle.

Shinji: You are a slave driver aren't you or is it that you just like seeing her glistening like that.

Mayuri: Huh, do you really wish to have your life taken by me?

Shinji: fine fine, but can you explain what the hell is going on here because something doesn't seem right.

Mayuri: In fact everything would seem perfectly normal if you had a little more brain cells to use.

Shinji: What?! We're bloody wiping them out down there and we're not even trying! How is that normal in this situation?!

Mayuri: (sighs) we have been unable to leave Hueco Mundo since the moment we arrived.

Shinji:…

Mayuri: when the portal we came through closed, that wasn't by my action, the connection was somehow cut off. Since then I have been trying to connect a portal to Soul Society continuously but have been unable to do so.

Shinji:….

Mayuri: Something or someone is destroying the connections I am trying to make to form a portal which means we are stuck here indefinitely. Therefore if you presume that Bach's plan was to wear us down before he killed us or to trap us here whilst he destroyed soul society-

Shinji:!

Mayuri: then you could say everything is going exactly as he planned.

Scene change to Ichigo

Ichigo stands hovering in the air as the mist clears. His eyes are focused on Halibel as she stands in front of Bach protecting him. Around them, inside what is left of the torn up palace, numerous hollows and arrancar appear.

Ichigo: what are you doing?

Halibel:…

Ichigo: I said what are you doing standing there?

Halibel:...

Ichigo: Why the hell are you helping him?!

Ichigo's shout rings out echoing across the room. Halibel finally looks up and meets his eyes.

Ichigo: Have you not seen what he has done here, what they do to hollows.

Halibel:…

Bach: Precisely Kursoaki Ichigo, precisely! It is for that very reason she stands there between you and me.

Ichigo:…

Bach begins to move away from Halibel coming into direct line of sight with Ichigo.

Bach: What else would you expect a monarch to do when being faced with extinction.

Joushiro: Extinction? Is that really a possibility for you to suggest this early on.

Bach glances towards Joushirou and Shunsui and chuckles.

Bach: That is only because you are being naïve enough to think you understand the current situation.

Joushiro:…?

Bach: Let me ask you, how is it that you came to know of our existence.

Joushiro:…

Bach: Because we chose to reveal ourselves. We revealed ourselves to Kurosaki Ichigo and to Yamamoto. You may have also noticed the loss of all the hollows killed in Hueco Mundo and even guessed who might have been responsible but you would not have been sure. If we had wanted we could have exterminated every single Hollow in Hueco Mundo before you even realised.

Joushiro:?!

Bach: Even if you had acted fast, if we had so wished, we could have stopped you from coming into Hueco Mundo the same way that we are now stopping you from leaving it.

Joushiro/Shunsui: ?!

Ichigo:…so why haven't you

Bach turns to look at ichigo once more as Ichigo speaks.

Ichigo: That has been your plan all along hasn't it, to merge all 3 worlds into one? So why didn't you just do that straight away or was it that you first wished to take revenge on the shinigami.

Bach: Things change over time and 1000 years of thinking changes a lot of things. It will surprise you to know I don't hate the shinigami, though I was disappointed with them, nor do I wish revenge on them.

Ichigo:…

Bach: After all who wishes revenge on the sword, revenge is for the hand that wields it! Yamamoto and the shinigami stopped being warriors once they began listening to the soul king. I was disappointed that they changed from honourable warriors to mindless tools but I did not hate them. They are only being eradicated now because they are an obstacle to my final objective.

Ichigo: ...You mean the soul king.

Bach: Yes! It is he who I will have revenge on for what he has done to the Quincy and it is his mantle I will take and use to rule the new world.

Joushiro:!

Bach walks back over to the side of Halibel and places his hand on her shoulder.

Bach: So you see Kurosaki Ichigo, under such circumstances is it not understandable for them to admit defeat and beg for mercy?

He doesn't seem to make any move or apply any pressure but Halibel seems to jerk down to kneel by his side on one knee.

Bach: After all, as the shinigami can attest to, a life of service is not a life wasted.

Bach turns around and begins to walk away whilst at the same time Halibel rises to stand back up. As bach walks a few dozen yards away, 6 people appear lined up before him. They wear long white cloaks that completely cover them, the collars of which are high enough to hide most of their faces. They are quite distinctly Quincies and all give of an air of being strong.

Bach turns around in front of them to look back at Ichigo and grins widely.

Bach: I'm afraid I shall have to leave you hear to play for now, have as much fun as you can until I return.

Behind the 6 Quincy, the shadows split creating a portal and slowly stretch forward to envelop them.

Zaraki: Where the hell do you think you're going!

Off to left side you see Zaraki flying towards the last Quincy in the line, his sword raised to strike. The Quincie's eyes move to watch Zaraki but he makes no other movements. Just as Zaraki reaches him and is about to slash down a massive arrow shoots down from above and strikes him taking him crashing down into the ground where it explodes. Bach grins but says nothing as the shadows envelop him and the other Quincies until they finally disappear.

Scene changes to somewhere in Soul Society

You see the Sternritter Mazrim, who stole Hitsugaya's bankai standing in a wide open area. Zenmaru appears a little distance away with his sword already drawn. He looks angry as he approaches Mazrim.

Zenmaru: I finally get to take out you scum, you should have just remained hidden in the shadows.

Mazrim gazes at him dispassionately but makes no moves.

Mazrim: All things eventually crave the light…even the shadows.

Scene change to elsewhere in Soul Society.

The area is littered with the rubble of destroyed buildings but is mostly clear. Isshin and Voldo are battling together. Voldo seems to have excessively long and narrow fingers which is he is using as blades to attack. Isshin is grinning and laughing whilst Voldo is silent. Neither seems to be excessively pushing the other or being pushed themselves.

Isshin: oho, not bad not bad at all. But surely you can do better than that.

Voldo:…

Isshin: It seems like you're the strong silent type…but you don't seem all that strong to me.

Suddenly to one side another Voldo appears and strikes down towards Isshin as he's jumping back. Isshin is surprised as the blade comes down but he manages to grab Voldo's hand by the wrist and diverting the attack away from his body whilst deflecting the attack of the oncoming one with his sword. He flash steps a dozen yards away from both of them creating some space.

Isshin: phew well that was unexpected. But an extra bunshin isn't going to help if that's all you can do.

Voldo:…

The second voldo that appeared moves to flank Isshin from one side at the same time two other Bunshins appear now surrounding him from all four sides.

Isshin: hey now wait a minute, four is a little unfair don't-

All four Voldo's start shooting hundreds of arrows towards Isshin.

Scene change to elsewhere in Soul Society.

Sternritter Darius is half sitting, half lounging on the remaining foundations of a destroyed building. He is twirling his medallion on his finger in front of him. Around him the countless blades of Senbonzkura Kageyoshi sweep this way and that way, as if petals at the whim of the wind.

Ginrei appears a short distance away and observes Darius without saying anything.

Darius: Ah, finally arrived. If you wouldn't mind could we wait a little while before we start fighting? I find watching these blades very relaxing.

Ginrei stares at him for a few more moments before turning his back on Darius and walking away.

Ginrei: I'm afraid you are mistaken

Darius:?

Ginrei: it is not I that you will be facing.

Byakuya appears just behind Ginrei, he sees Senbonzakura gusting in the wind and his face immediately swells with anger. Ginrei keeps walking away without turning back.

Ginrei: And I'm afraid that he is no mood for waiting.

Scene changes back to Isshin

The area is filled with thick dust obscuring the air, almost nothing can bee seen. Isshin is lying flat on the ground, face up, as arrows shoot past or strike around him. Occasionally he shifts slightly this way or that to dodge an arrow that was about to hit him.

Isshin: (I suppose I had better finish this, no point in dragging it out any longer)

Suddenly the arrows all stop and silence fills the air. Isshin's face fills in confusion at the sudden change. A voice is heard in the silence.

Voldo: Jakuho Raikoben!

Ishhin: ?!

Outside of the smoke you see Voldo aiming the missile down his arm, he lines it up and fires. The missile shoots off disappearing into the dust, a second later an explosion covers the entire area obliterating everything from view.

Scene change to elsewhere in Soul Society

Sternritter Bambietta paces back forth in front of the ruins of a destroyed building. She looks extremely agitated as she paces. Every time she turns to pace back she stamps down on a piece of rubble smashing it to dust.

Wairudo appears a few dozen yards in front of her. Bambietta turns to look at him.

Bambietta: Well it's about bloody well time! What the hell took you so long?! Do you know how long I've been waiting?!

Wairudo:…

Bambietta: pfft, now I can't even enjoy the fight, the others have already started theirs ages ago. I've gotta finish this quick so I can go and get Logain's medallion before one of the other losers gets there first.

Wairudo:…

Bambietta pulls out her medallion and holds it out ahead of her and smiles.

Bambietta: No time left for regrets now, I'm finishing this with one strike. *Kokujo Tengen Myo*!

The giant samurai rises behind her making the ground shake as it moves.

Bambietta: Game over.

Wairudo goes from his standing pose to a low down attacking crouch in an instant, his hand holding the hilt of his sheathed sword. His sheathe glows for a moment and then goes back to normal.

Bambietta:?...!

Bambietta has a surprised look on her face as a drop of blood trickles down her forehead and onto her nose. As she notices the blood you can see the surprise turning into fear and despair as her eyes well up.
Wairudo slowly rises and goes back to his normal standing posture now blocking Bambietta from view just as Kokujo Tengen Myo splits in half and comes crashing down on either side of him.

Wairudo: Out of respect for your last request. One strike.

Next Week: Bleach 532 Kurosaki Isshin - The Man