"The vengeful transformed Queen Hisui has landed upon the recovered Kenpachi Zaraki, aiming to enact her reckoning upon the berserker warrior. Despite being less than enthused to do battle her, the powerful Shinigami draws his weapon and begins his conflict with her."

"Meanwhile, in the World of the Living, Saitama Prefecture endures a hellish conflict of its own simultaneous to the combat taking place within the Soul Society's Seireitei."

"The Crime Sorciere Wizards endured a trying battle against children of Jadow, the Darkness Dragon Slayers. While Fabio and some were dispatched, others escaped, leaving Sado Yasutora, Morgan and the other Wizards quickly captured by Mayuri's Zombie Squad I. However, before he could make off with potential specimens, Ichigo Kurosaki confronts them…!"

A Kenpachi Field Trip!

Demod20

Chapter 13 - Black Rock Roll

"...and that is, more or less, what is happening," Mayuri finished with an exasperated sigh.

Ichigo couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose. As he listened, patiently, to the mad scientist's detached explanations of why he was here, who the enemies were, and what his assignment here was he felt utterly frustrated. He was hoping to spend the weekend with his family since it was a nice relief from his day job, but that seemed impossible due to the ensuing disaster that no one seemed capable of handling.

Good thing Kazui isn't anywhere near this fiasco right now. Unfortunately, I might need Orihime's help if half of what I've been told is true…

"Do you have a headache, berry man?" Nemuri asked very blatantly.

"Yes, mini-Nemu, I am," The older substitute Shinigami spoke with a gruff tone. Releasing his nose and looking at the incapacitated bodies slung over the 'Zombie' Arrancars' shoulders, he pointed at them with a dry voice. "Those guys are coming with me. Do me a solid and wake them up so I don't have to carry them."

"Are you giving me orders?" Mayuri raised a brow incredulously. "Presumptuous of you to think I would listen to anything you say. Hero or no, you are still a human - a Ryoka boy, who has no business meddling with-"

A strong hand grasped his uniform collar and yanked him off his feet towards the taller man so his eyes were staring into golden ringed black orbs of fury.

"You could have stopped this mess but instead, you waited for more people to die!" He snarled, his voice low and menacing but controlled. "Now, I could just take them from you and explain to your boss how you fucked up because of being a complete douchebag to people for the Hell of it! Or, you can listen to me. So which is it going to be?!"

The audible clicks of weapons primed on either side of the Strawberry's head didn't even faze him. Even with #1 pointing a pistol at his head and #2 holding a sword to his neck, the Substitute Shinigami didn't back down. While the Head of the Scientific R&D Department saw no true advantage of starting a fight now, he rolled his eyes and gestured dismissively; causing the Zombies to withdraw aim at the man.

"My-my, always with the cavalier strutting of pushing your will on others. You truly have no sense of courtesy," The Captain remarked as he adjusted his collar away from his neck.

"I don't give a damn. You ruined my weekend with your bullshit; it's time you actually helped fix things for a change," He spat, stepping back and awaiting the distribution of vials to help stir the unconscious figures up.

As Erik's eyes opened, he jerked back and forth, bolting upright only to nurse his head.

"W-What the Hell?!" He coughed out, seeing his comrades that were laid out on the street stir awake.

Even the scary big latino man and the pale girl roused from their injury induced stupor.

"Ouch, I'm going to feel that for awhile," Trigger intoned as she ran her fingers through her curly blonde hair.

"I wish death would claim me already-"

"Shut up, Rick!" Trigger quickly rebuked the black bandaged mummy mage.

"But, I thought we were captured?" Balmunk inquired, adjusting his monocle and redonning his top hat.

"It seems," Erik spoke, sniffing the air, looking at the Zombie pair, Mayuri and his 'daughter' and an orange haired man with civilian garb of a black hoodie over a red shirt with black zigzags of letters captioned Maximum Overdrive. "We're exchanging one captor for another."

"That's better than whatever that creep had planned for us," Race chimed in as he slowly stood back up next to the 2nd Gen Slayer. Looking over at Ichigo, he grimly nodded and gestured around. "I don't know who you are, but I think I speak on behalf of all of us for keeping us from being experimented on."

"You can thank me by filling me in on what's been going on-" He began to ask, only to see Chad stand up, and his eyes averted with him covering his own eyes. "God's sake, Chad, what happened to your clothes?!"

"I don't know, I woke up like this," The big latino stated matter of fact, looking around grimly. "I don't suppose anyone saw my bag of groceries?"

"Someone, get him clothes, I'll buy your groceries you lost!" Ichigo exclaimed exasperatedly.

"I can assist!" Balmunk spoke up.

All eyes turned to the magician, watching him pull a cube out of his coat and flick it into the air. Out of it came a box, expanding up and out till it looked to be large enough for Sado to step in. Blinking, the man looked at the magician who gestured for him to step in.

Sighing, Chad opened the door and stepped into what looked like pitch darkness. He heard a rapping of the knuckles three times behind him, a series of spinning gears heard and a door opening in front of him. He stepped out, and everyone gasped.

"Ta-daaaaaaa!" The performer spoke in grand fashion, his hands splaying towards a fully clothed Sado Yasutora. A purple vest wrapped around his bare chest, his muscles bulging outward, as a black belted pair of baggy pants with slip-on shoes. He felt oddly comfortable in them, despite its quirky design.

"I guess this works, thanks," He softly accepted with a thumb's up and smile.

Clearing his throat, Ichigo brought attention back to him.

"Listen, you guys owe me an explanation. What exactly are you people and why are you here?"

"We are part of an organization of mages known as Crime Sorciere," Racer explained, gesturing to his colleagues as he spoke on their behalf. "Recently, a monster named Kenpachi Zaraki appeared in our world, killing our nation's king and has been on a rampage that has led to deaths of hundreds of not more from collateral damage. Not to mention injured and battled a number of revered mages, he's become a public enemy and a focus of the heiress of the country. As for why we are here-"

"We followed a hole through a hole in the sky and we went one way, our comrades went the other way," Erik cut in, pocketing his hands in his coat while Race fixed him a glare. "They're somewhere else, can't say where. But by the time we got here, that guy," he gestured to Chad, hovering protectively near a young woman Ichigo didn't recognize. "Was fighting some freakish Slayers we never met before, trying to get to her. He was badly hurt, until he wasn't and had transformed into something I never saw before. Then that guy-"

"Showed his face to capture you guys, I heard his story," Ichigo interceded with a nod. Looking to Chad, then the woman, he narrowed his eyes at her. She looked young, perhaps in her mid to upper teens. A little body with chalk white skin with deep black hair that trailed down her back, covered by a hooded long coat. A black sports bra covered her chest and short shorts covered her hindquarters while big platform shoes of blackish blue. "You, I know why Chad stepped in. He's a good guy, I would've done the same in his shoes. However, my question for you is why did you come here?"

She grimaced, looking defensively at the orange haired man. She could smell something odd about him. His magic must be strong for him to command such respect, or at least, fear from such powerful individuals. Looking to Chad, he placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her wordlessly.

Sighing, she turned her black-ringed blue eyes to the Strawberry.

"My name is Morgan. I am what some people could call, a Dragon Slayer," she stopped, noticing Ichigo's look of confusion, waving her hands to emphasize her explanation. "Normally, mages use magic from within their bodies or from artifacts and tools to bring out that energy, called ethernano. However, dragons who teach humans magic give a piece of them called a dragon seed that is put inside of us. This makes any Dragon Slayer able to use the magic of their teacher or parent, essentially binding us to them and making us inevitably turn into a dragon someday."

"Then there are exceptions," Erik cut in, raising a hand that transformed in a swathe of poisonous red scales and claws. "Lacrima, magic batteries, can be made out of a Dragon's heart. This in turn gives us our dragon power without a seed slowly turning us into a dragon. We know there were some convenient cases as well, but these Slayers felt different."

"In what way?" Ichigo inquired.

"They fed off the energy off the land, twisting the area in a hellish black and white area. And for some reason just being near them agitated me, like I couldn't control my temper around them," Cobra explained with a visible grimace, turning his stare to Morgan. "If she wasn't so weak right now, I'd feel like I have to kill her. And I don't know why!"

"It's because we're children of Jadow, we feed off the darkness he does off living things," She confessed, her body shuddering as she hugged herself with visible distress painted on her face. "The Beast of Ragnarok, he's an old and terrifying dragon. He ruled the evil beasts for centuries after the fall of the gods. It wasn't until the Black Winged Apocalypse came to be that he fell into shadow, and was thought dead. But he didn't die."

She looked up at Ichigo, then to Erik and Racer, finally starting at Chad's stunned face.

"Don't you see? I didn't want any part of the carnage he's about to have wrought. When he emerges he will stop at nothing to bring ruin to our world. I had to escape, flee to somewhere, anywhere! And yet, he still knew where I was-"

"And that's why those creeps came after you," Chad finished, watching Morgan bite her lip and nod shakily.

"He probably knew this rift existed, and if that's the case," Cobra added, looking at Racer then at Ichigo. "This world might be in danger as well."

The Substitute Shinigami closed his eyes, steeling himself for what he knew is coming. This thing that happened is bigger than simply him butting in. Whatever Kenpachi started, likely stirred something else up bigger than a conflict between two factions. He didn't think it good he stumbled into that place, but at least now he knew he can do something before other stuff got out of hand.

Taking charge, he looked to Erik and asked pointedly, "Where are your comrades? Can you contact them from here?"

"With what, telepathy?" Cobra inquired with a snort. "Even if I could, it's too far from here. No magic we have can connect across dimensions."

"Then we're going back through the hole to get them. We'll need all hands on deck for this," Ichigo affirmed, turning around to address the surprisingly quiet Mayuri.

That is, because he wasn't there anymore.

"Sonofa-!" He began to swear, instantly angry that the Shinigami left when he wasn't paying attention.

"We can get out the way we came," Racer explained, gesturing to Balmunk who produced yet another miniature contraption. This one unfolded into a massive winged bird, with an interior cabin spacious enough for all to enter. As the magician ferreted everyone inside, the speedster and Slayer looked once more to Ichigo. "You're coming with?"

Retrieving a badge from his hoodie, Ichigo nodded to them, "You guys go ahead. I'll follow your spiritual energy."

Shaking his head, the crouching racer and sharp features Slayer walked into the aircraft. As it began to take off, Ichigo approached Chad, speaking to him informally.

"Chad, this could be risky. Like, Aizen or Yhwach kind of dangerous if this Jadow guy is half as crazy as they are. If you want to opt out-"

"I'm not staying out of this," Sado spoke with determination, looking to Morgan with seriousness. "I have someone who is depending on me. And I might be one of the only ones who can face these monsters."

"You'll die," Morgan hoarsely pleaded, her hands raised up to them. "If you face him, he won't spare you. He'll toy with you long enough for you to despair. And then, he'll kill you slowly. I've seen him do it countless times. Stay here, Sado, where its safe."

"You can hide here, Morgan, but I'm a man," He declared with his arm flexing upward. "I'll be Damned if I ever run from a fight, lose or win."

"It's good to see you haven't lost your fighting spirit, Chad," Ichigo spoke with a wistful smile. Turning to Morgan, he raised up a phone and dialed it. "I know a guy who can do his best to protect you. He can be annoying, but he'll look out for you."

Lowering her head, she sighed and shook her head.

"Nowhere is safe from him."

Faer couldn't believe his eyes.

The Queen, Hisui, had been transformed into a Darkness Dragon Slayer. Even worse, she lied on the precipice of being under Jadow's complete control. And with the fear she felt facing Kenpachi, she is at her conceivably strongest.

And yet.

A howling torrent of force rocked the forest. A body flung from the place the Shinigami stood. Bowling head over heel, spewing blood of blackish red color, the crimson haired woman clawed at the ground to slow her momentum.

Grimacing she looked up, seeing the long maned reaper, having not moved from his spot. She lost count how many times she had thrown herself at the fiend. A dozen? Two dozen? Time seemed to blur when her vision hazed and her breath rasped in her lungs.

Both spectator and combatant couldn't believe that barely anytime passed since Kenpachi had been close to death. Yet, now he fought as if he rested a week. Nothing about this monster fazed him, due to his own freakish power.

"This is getting boring," Kenpachi started, shaking the ichor off his weapon's serrated teeth. "Hurry up and die, will you?"

"Never!" Hisui screamed, her body standing as waves of darkness spouted from her pores like smog. "My father's killer must die! I cannot and will not spare you! It must be me, who brings you down!"

"That so?" The 11th Division Captain stated with a thin lipped sneer. "Revenge is such a weak motive. I had thought you could bring me strong fighters to face me for your revenge. But I never expected anything from you," He sighed, closing his eyes before reopening them to glare hard at her. "Giving yourself over to revenge so completely makes you the weakest warrior I've ever faced."

"You-!"

Just as she tried to retort, Kenpachi's image vanished like static. Before she could blink, she saw towering cleaver replace his blade, swinging down like a guillotine. She didn't even feel her skull crushed, nor the entirety of her body bifurcated in a messy goring of shearing motion. By the time the edge of the blade finished its movement, her body splintered apart from the shockwave that erupted from his spiritual pressure.

Kenpachi clicked his tongue, eyeing the smear of blood within the sizable crater his sword made with disdain. Hefting the monstrous blade up to rest on one shoulder, he turned to walk away from the decimated remains of the Queen.

Howling.

He heard a damning scream erupt from the ground followed by a swirling twister of blood and shadow. It touched the sky, darkening it, obscuring the Sun as an inhuman figure took shape from the malfested spiral.

Black scales flowed out from streams of onyx shadow, talons taking shape over where fingers should be and arching draconic wings stretched out of a broader back. Red hair burned with black fire, horns curled around her brow to the back with spikes jutting up in a macabre fascimile of a crown, eyes of crimson coals glared hotly at him with scales around her breasts and thighs tensing as she floats in the sky above him.

To think, Jadow had corrupted the Queen to this degree, Faer thought with gritted teeth. This new form of hers must be the Ragnarok Mantle. She is now a multitude times stronger than before. I wonder if Kenpachi will struggle against this level of a threat…?

"So, not dead yet?" Kenpachi smirked, turning on his heels to address her without baring his blade yet. Cupping his chin, he thoughtfully spoke up at the aerial creature. "I was sure you died just now. Is this that Jadow guy's doing?"

"The King of Darkness gave me power to obtain my revenge!" Hisui declared verbosely, waving her arms around in boastful proclamation. "Once I've killed you, every Shinigami attached to your wretched ways will suffer the same fate. None shall be spared. Your world will burn for what you did, Kenpa-!"

In the midst of her threats, Kenpachi displaced the air in a shunt of swift motion. Her eyes dilated, her winged from turning around to swing an arm to block an incoming strike with a swathe of darkness magic.

To her shock, her arm severed before her eyes followed by an impact of the blade slamming into her chest down to her thigh and up her shoulder. The meaty crunch came with a viscous slide of tendons and bones separated by her body's collapse and throttling into the ground with a powerful explosion.

"Gaulk!" She choked out, her eyes bulging wide from the pain flowing through her. Even as tissue reformed and her body regenerated, she grimaced, clenching at the healing wound while wrenching herself out of the ground.

"I can't believe it. Even now, with all this power, and I cannot even touch him," Hisui growled out, looking up at the Shinigami that descended to the ground with a bored look on his face.

"That all you got? I didn't even feel your Reiatsu resist mine," Kenpachi graveled out, his eyes meeting hers unfazed by her burning anger. "Take this seriously, or I'll end this too quickly."

Baring her teeth, the Queen leaped forth in a streak of darkness, barreling into the Shinigami. Both claws clashing against his blade, ebbing black flames as she pushed him back on his heels. Sparks flew around their heads, lightning crackled into and out of the earth.

Grinning at him wickedly, she cracked open her mouth at the Shinigami-

DARKNESS DRAGON'S ROAR

-and unleashed a massive black wave of energy, blowing back the barrier behind and shooting into the forest, shredding the trees, tearing up the soil and cooking the air.

"Kenpachi!" Faer cried out, watching this all unfold before his gaze in shock.

Hisui began to laugh last her regurgitation of vile energy. She did it. She got her hit in, and there was no defense against it at point blank. Hysterically she giggled out even as she hurled more darkness onto the space she knew was his face.

A hand clasped over her own visage, suddenly halting her spell. Eyes wide, feeling her midsection split open from the point of her palms past her arms out her back. Vomiting blood past his fingers, she felt herself thrown backwards, her spine spasming upon striking the far side of the campsite enclosed barrier site.

Sliding to the ground as new legs formed as the old disintegrated away from her, she staggered to keep her footing. Rasping out breath, she looked up, agape at the sight the Shinigami beheld to her.

"That stung," Kenpachi grinned, smoke coming out of his nostrils and mouth with the faintest of scorch marks around his lips. "Didn't have a way to stop that screaming of yours so I just ate that wave of yours. Didn't taste all that great, but it didn't hurt much."

"No way," She gasped, frozen stiff at the terrifying sight. One foot trembled backwards, her head shaking back and forth in denial as tears welled up in her eyes. "I…can't beat this. What can I do? I'm not a mage. Why am I here?"

"Child, are you unable to keep fighting?"

"Lord Jadow?" She whispered, suddenly aware of the ominous voice in her mind.

"If you lost the will to fight, then surrender your power back to me. I have no use for weakness in my hold."

"N-No!" She stuttered out, her hands clenching her head as she cried aloud in distress. "I need this power! If I don't get vengeance for my father, who will? Outsiders? Foreigners? Saints? It has to be me…but…he's…so strong!"

"Yes, his power is truly breathtaking. Perhaps I can lend you power, but this will have a cost."

"Name your price! I'll do any-"

A hand suddenly touched her. She has been distracted, and let her enhanced senses slip. Looking up, she Faer Pleigh's blue eyes glare into hers with a pleading and harshness of experience.

"Queen Hisui!" Faer yelled out, her body recoiling at his tone. "Jadow is a liar and a cunning master. You've already bound yourself in servitude to an unforgiving demon, but if you throw away your soul, what will be left of you afterwards? Will you even be Hisui E. Fire?"

"My father is dead-!"

"But you are NOT!" Faer exclaimed, both hands on her shoulders as his words passionately spoke. "There is always something the living can do!"

It was such a simple thing. He spoke truth. She had been so reckless, to grasp at any chance to destroy the being that killed his father. Yet, there had been council and options she ignored for fear of losing her chance at justice.

A selfish pursuit, that assuredly lead the nation into destruction.

"You never have to be alone," Faer continued, seeing Hisui's countenance waver. "You have an entire nation able to support you. Your grief isn't yours alone. Do you think yourself so selfish to think no one else mourns the loss of such a benevolent king such as Toma?!"

"I just…miss him so much," Hisui choked out, her twisted face showing her old visage with a saddened expression upon it. "Why did he have to die? He didn't deserve it!"

"I know," Faer solemnly nodded, pulling her into an embrace he knew she needed desperately. "It's okay. You can let it out. No one around will judge you."

Hisui clung to Faer, wailing aloud. It had been the first time she could finally process her own anguish. Days without rest, obsession peaking in desperation. She was no fighter, and Kenpachi himself proved it by casting any lunge she made at him.

Regardless of his fate, she finally relinquished her yearning to take revenge.

"Pathetic."

A sudden lurching motion was felt within Hisui. Her mouth opened wide, siphoning a hew of darkness off the land and tearing away the last of the barrier. For miles about it could be seen a greyscale vistage as the shadows enveloped a sea of lifeless, colorless nature. The sky blackened beyond its earlier shadow, and plunged the forest in a bleak overcast of darkness.

Faer pulled back, only to feel a cold metal hand grasp his neck and yank him upwards of his feet. Kicking, he looked down with alarm, seeing smog envelop Hisui, a red glare behind the fog that stared hatefully at him.

"Jadow," He hoarsely croaked, finding the breath being literally choked out of him.

"To think your words actually reached the Queen's heart," The effigy of darkness spoke with venomous anger. "I will not lose a prize such as the heir to Fiore to a simpering loser like you, Faer Pleigh. I will crush you, and her anger at Kenpachi Zaraki shall return seven fold."

"N-No!" Faer cried out, doing his best to wrench free. He couldn't lose again. Not when so much more was at stake!

Darkness clung to the corners of his vision. His throat felt on fire.

Was he about to die?

I'm sorry, Morgan. I couldn't fulfill my promise!

A sudden shing! followed by the arm detaching from the shadowy manifestation of the Darkness. He fell on his back, pulling the hand off and inhaling with stifling coughs. Rubbing his neck, he turned to see Kenpachi standing there, staring at Jadow's avatar with a stoic glare.

"You watched this whole time?!" Faer yelled angrily. "I almost died!"

"I thought I lost my fight when you stepped in," He replied simply, a smile working its way back up on his face. "But it seems she's up for another round, thanks to this Jadow of yours."

"She's not herself, that's Jadow standing in front of you!" Faer implored, staggering himself to his feet as he observed the surrounding environment. "He's siphoning the land's anguish and anger. At this rate, he might fully manifest and Hisui will cease to be."

"Good," Kenpachi hefted his blade towards Jadow's avatar. "I might get that fight you promised."

"Even if you destroyed this shadow, he won't be defeated. His true body lies elsewhere, gaining strength from all his followers spreading his darkness," Faer tried to dissuade, walking up to block the monstrous berserker, staring up at him. "Hisui is still alive! We need to-"

"Out of the way."

Before Faer could protest, a hand slapped him. His frame throttled away, smashing through a tree and rolled in a heap past its collapsing sylvan shape. The breath knocked out of him, he strained to look up and saw Kenpachi swing his blade at the one-armed vestige of the Ragnarok Beast.

And an explosion of yellowish black filled his gaze.

The remains of the campsite rippled with fiery force, the shockwave ripped trees off their roots and splintered the rest into dust.

A fearsome sight bore its way into Faer as the dust cleared. The shadowy form of Hisui had used its remaining hand to halt the massive cleaver weapon with a single palm. Blood seeped from the shroud covered appendage, dripping to the ground as darkness flowed off the woman's image.

"Your sword has an impressive aura, Shinigami. Hunger for blood fills its very being," Jadow spoke through Hisui, an unseen mouth twisting into a sickening grin behind the faceless mask of shadow covering the Queen. "A feeling I can relate!"

Kenpachi felt himself hauled in-

WHAM!

-and immediately knocked back by a blurring kick by the dragon effigy, throttling him across the color drained forest, cleaving through dozens to a hundred trees in an instant before smashing into a distant hilltop.

Lowering its foot down, the possessed Hisui snaked a tendril of shadow from the stump towards the lopped off arm. Hauling it back with a wet crunch, it twisted itself back on and raised itself to clench experimentally.

As if expecting it, the avatar of Jadow stepped back from an incoming slashing fissure, having cut all the way from the spot he sent his adversary. Ducking, a materializing Kenpachi swung his blade around in a powerful stroke yet missed completely. Raising the sword up to swing down, an arc of darkness swung with another foot.

Connecting with his chin, blasting him up high into the sky. As the Shinigami pierced the veil of clouds, Jadow shimmered into view above him, throwing a fist into his face. A brutal crack filled the air, followed with a thuum! Streaking to the ground like a meteor, Kenpachi burrowed deep into the earth while cracking the land surrounding it.

"That won't be nearly enough to put you down," Jadow spoke through the Queen, raising a clawed hand overhead. "A little bit of power is necessary."

A sphere of light formed within the shroud covered palm, shadow wreathing around it as it gained momentum in rotation. Swelling in size, the construct of magical energy dwarfed the winged silhouette, soon becoming larger than a house, then a castle's keep. The enormous rotating ball twisted the skyline, forming a spiraling storm across the landscape and being its dark eye glaring down at the downed Shinigami.

"Darkness Dragon Magic," He uttered, descending in a black streak towards the hole. Right as he reached it within an instant, Kenpachi rose up with sword swinging up at him; colliding into the rotating mass of shadow wrapped light. "Drilling Meteor!"

Nozarashi met the fierce spiraling sphere. Sparks flew with massive tendrils of gold lightning at contact against the immense concentration of magical energy. Even as his sword ground against its fierce spiraling currents, one could tell he wasn't cutting easily through this dense force of mystic might.

Kenpachi grinned past the looming darkness, watching it grow further in size, casting a colossal breadth of distance between him and his foe. He felt his body drive towards the hole, his arm shaking to hold the meteor of darkness aiming to envelop him in its dangerous grasp.

So, he decided to grab hold of his Zanpakutō with both hands.

And push, hard.

In a flash, a yellow arc, Jadow's red eyes widened into saucers as the spell ripped in half, followed by a blur of gold hitting him. Space warped, his very being twisting unnaturally, and he let out an instinctive shriek as he felt his body of shadow and flesh shatter and split apart.

Shadow and gore sprayed over Kenpachi, his grin intact at seeing him land a devastating cut to the creature. Shadows bled off Hisui, her red hair glistening back to emerald, and her human shape returned as she fell to the hole past Kenpachi. Making no motion to catch her, the Shinigami sealed his Zanpakutō with a flourish of his blade, sheathing it back to his side.

Down below, a large hand made of ink cushioned her fall. Hovering beside her on a platform of similar substance, Faer knelt beside her, and observed her wounds. A deep laceration could be seen in her midsection, having only middling healing applied before the Ragnarok Beast left her. Without even hesitation he doused the wound with his Ink Magic, using Living Art to fill the gaps of her flesh, tissue and organs.

Seeing her weakly open her eyes, he breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Faer?" She croaked, feeling returning to her as she craned her neck over his way.

"I am here," He said, grasping her nearest hand in his own. "Kenpachi dealt a blow to Jadow's shadow, banishing it for the moment. You're safe from him, for now."

"Good," She hoarsely whispered, her eyes staring up, seeing color return to the clearing sky above. "I'm tired and in pain. I need to rest, truly, before I can regain command."

"I understand," Faer nodded.

"That being said, the Council needs to know of this evil that awakened," Hisui weakly turned to look at him. "We must go and speak with them, quickly. You are already in danger by making an enemy of these Shinigami and the Council, but if Jadow is left unchecked, we will be in more peril than Kenpachi could ever wreak."

Faer knew what she said is true. Kenpachi is like a wild animal compared to the Ragnarok Beast. Evil incarnate will destroy all, leaving nothing left. He had to take action less this world and any other connected be affected.

Levitating the platforms of ink away from the hole, he kept the one keeping the injured Queen afloat while landing on his feet. Kenpachi stood with an expecting look, arms crossed and stoically examining them.

"So, where to?" The Captain asked.

"Back to the Council headquarters," Faer spoke, gesturing to the woman in his care. "She needs more than first aid treatment. That and she's our only witness to clear our names, redirecting our attention to Jadow."

"Sounds like more talking," Kenpachi sighed, arms unfolding. "I'm going to pass. I'm sure someone is going to come find me with all the noise I made."

"You're right," A voice spoke, bringing a look of alarm on Faer as a tall, bandaged man in loose black pants and a white Saints coat lounging over him. "Thanks to my better judgement, I've decided not to start a fight without hearing out what's being said. We've seen enough."

"We?" Faer inquired.

A shifting of space like ghosts brushing the wind is heard, following the arrival of the Shinigami Task Force sent to capture the renegade Captain. Byakuya at the head, with Renji to his right, similarly Kensei to his left who had Shuhei and Mashiro to his own right.

"You're terrible at concealing your Reiatsu when combat is happening, Zaraki," The 6th Division Leader intoned lowly. "Your rescuer also revealed much of what is to transpire. Your time here is at an end. Come with us, or face us in your weary condition."

"I ain't leaving," Kenpachi grinned in denial, eyes bearing at the five Shinigami without budging. "Not until I get a whack at the real Jadow."

"Do you really want to have another go?" Renji asked with a raised tattooed brow. "You got your ass handed to us when we arrived. What's a day or two's rest going to change?"

"I'll take my chances," The long maned reaper sneered, grabbing the hilt of his sword and unsheathing it in a fluid motion. "I'm sick of all this talking. Get to cutting me if you can!"

"Wait!" Laxus raised his hand, surprising all - especially Faer - as he stepped between the two groups of Shinigami. "I need his help. And yours."

"You're asking for our help?" Renji asked incredulously.

"I've seen your strength firsthand," The Saint admitted, looking across them before settling on their appointed leader in this Byakuya. "If this Jadow is as impressive as I felt earlier, the only ones who can defeat him may only be a Shinigami. Dragons are notoriously resistant to magic, even Slayers have a hard time piercing their scales. But your swords seem to bypass magic and cut straight through."

"Zanpakutō are meant to ferry lost souls or cut hollows so they may return to the cycle of reincarnation," Shuhei explained, much to the displeasure of Kensei. Unbothered by his colleagues, he drew his own sword and held it horizontal for emphasis. "It can cut the living and the spirit. This probably why your dragon seems to intent on stopping Kenpachi from finding his location."

"Then you understand why I think you should-"

"Do not dictate our objectives to us, Ryoka," Byakuya dispassionately rebuked, causing Laxus to grimace as his eyes coldly glared back. "Unless we are ordered to, we are under no obligation to do anything other than being Kenpachi Zaraki back to the Seireitei. Anything more is insubordination."

"You're already involved!" Faer cried out suddenly, staff returned in hand as he clacked it angrily. His normally painted visage turned to rage at the five Shinigami. Pointing a hand to Kenpachi, he fixated a glare at Byakuya. "It's because of your carelessness that enabled your fellow Shinigami to cause the deaths of so many. It's created a rift in our world into yours. Who knows? Perhaps Jadow has already moved into your realm without us even knowing it?!"

"I will not speak of eventuality and presumption," Byakuya dismissed, grasping the hilt of his own sword. "The time for talk is over. We will take Kenpachi by force."

"Captain!" Shuhei piped up, stepping out of line from Kensei and the others. "Let's hold a moment. Before we go at it, how about we contact Soul Society. We don't know for sure if the Captain Commander would have us change course, what with a potential incursion by a dragon being completely possible."

Byakuya relaxed his posture. He turned to look at Kensei who sighed and shrugged. Releasing his hold of his weapon, he reached into the folds of his kosode and withdrew his Soul Phone. Placing it up to his ear, he patched into the communications of Soul Society.

"Captain Kuchiki, this is Akon standing in for the Captain. What's your status on your current mission?"

"Ongoing," He replied simply. "There have been some new developments."

"Hopefully good news, we could use some," The horned lieutenant of the R&D Department spoke brusquely. "We've our own problem at the moment."

"What do you mean?"

"A host group of ryoka mages have infiltrated Soul Society," Akon grimly stated, despite the noise of rushed communications and orders made in the background. "It seems in our haste of stabilizing the rift, we made it accessible to outside forces. They're currently fighting the Hotel 13 in the Seireitei. Even the Captain Commander is having difficulty with the enemy's leader."

"I see," Byakuya intoned, his eyes looking around at the others, seeing their expecting expressions of various emotions. Seeing Kenpachi tap his sword impatiently on his shoulder, he let out a sigh. "Things have become complicated. Our mission needs to be reevaluated."

"I just told you, the Captain Commander cannot dictate anything-"

"Then I shall wait until he can respond," Byakuya responded smoothly, hanging up and folding the phone to be placed back in his kosode.

"What's going on?" Fear asked.

"Tell me," Captain Kuchiki glared coldly at the Ink Magician with scrutiny. "Was there an order placed to send an attack on Soul Society?"

"What?!" Laxus barked out first, Fear looking shocked.

Turning to look over at the Queen, even Hisui looked puzzled from her prone state. The Councilor placed a hand upon his head, trying to wrack his brain on who could've mounted an operation not a part of the Saints?

"Not a soul on the Council authorized that," Laxus swore, his face angry at the thought. "How many of them are there? Any details?"

"It wasn't mentioned," Byakuya answered. Stonily staring them down, he wondered if they could be lying. An invasion now could be a rash but tactical risk some could endeavor. However, they didn't seem to be motivated by anything other than the 11th Division's capture or death. They just found out about their existence too short of a time to mobilize like this.

And if the Captain Commander is fighting, then it meant a very formidable yet mobile group is involved.

"If it isn't Jadow's forces at play, I can only think of one organization that has aided Ishgar in the past capable of this," Laxus sneered, his jaw clenching with vein throbbing fury. "Crime Sorciere! Their leader is Jellal, it has to be!"

"Are they vigilantes?" Shuhei inquired next to Laxus.

"Yeah, led by a guy who brought down the Council in his heyday," The scarred blonde mage nodded as he answered. Looking at the scarred Shinigami, then to Byakuya he continued. "The bastard has been up to trouble for awhile now. The Guild I'm a part of has had dealings with him, both I'll and fortunate. He's the only one bone headed enough to mount an assault on a completely foreign world on his own."

"Then they must be stopped!" Faer stated with initiative, clacking his stave as he looked to Byakuya and Kenpachi. "The reason he fought them may not be of his own accord. Jadow has the capacity to afflict others with delusions, nightmares and even drive you made while never being in reach."

"This could very well be his own fault," Laxus protested with disdain. "He's known for acting impulsively on his own. I'm the same, given I left without any Council authorization."

"You're also a Saint, though."

"So is he!"

"Enough," Byakuya intervened, raising his hand with his eyes closed. "I'm convinced he's not a part of your Council's plans just as much as Kenpachi was our intention. Poor judgement seems to be in stockpiles for either side."

"Then, does that mean-?"

"I won't fight yet, until I get orders to do so," The Captain huffed as his eyes opened to coolly dismiss their alleviated expressions. "This situation is nuanced. Don't expect the same mercy if I get permission to act as I already wished to."

"That's still better than what I felt was about to happen," Faer sighed aloud with relief. Turning around, he blinked with perplexity.

Kenpachi Zaraki was gone.

"W-Where-?"

"It appears he learned to suppress his Reiatsu," Byakuya noted, everyone agape at how he gave everyone the slip. "Have no fear. We can find him again, when we wish to."

"That's not going to be good if he starts another massacre," Laxus retorted.

"If he does, we'll find him before he gets carried away," Renji proffered.

"That's reassuring, coming from Shinigami," The Lightning Wizard snarked.

Hisui looked up at the sky, finally feeling too tired to partake in the hunt for Kenpachi Zaraki. Her eyes finally closed, whisked away to sleep while those around her argued of what to do next.

So, they're plotting to face me?

Amusing.

It seems this Kenpachi Zaraki is far stronger than I could ever plan that child for. Her body was too weak to withstand the strength necessary.

No matter.

They're still scattered, opposed to one another. I can use that.

Let's see how formidable this Soul Society really is.

A/N: Wow. Four years. A lot has happened since I updated this story. My life has drastically changed, and not for the better. Writing has been my only escape and I haven't been able to do much of that as of late. I apologize if my current condition further the rift of time it takes to produce these chapters, but it can't be helped. I love stories and I love even more when I can make them.

With BLEACH's Final Arc finally premiering this past month, I wanted to at least give in this time of the series' revitalization. Hope you all enjoyed it, and apologies if it isn't as funny or entertaining as it normally is.

See you all hopefully in the near future. And if not, thanks for reading regardless.