the first battle

Ichigo had found out it was hell trying to organize a large amount of people on a good day; the issue was only compiled when it needed to be done very quickly. Latest reports from the Onmitsukido scouts said that the Rukongai army would be on them in a matter of hours. Ichigo and Uryuu had chosen a large field to meet them in and the Seireitei forces were currently working at a feverish pace to finish setting up trenches and other earthworks that were designed to slow the enemies approach to their lines and give the unit rushed out from the Kido corps a clear avenue for fire on their targets. Strictly speaking it was overkill but no one wanted to take needless risks when they had the supplies at hand and a long campaign ahead. It was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to set when an unexpected arrival showed up.

"Yama-jii!?, what the hell are you doing here?" Ichigo asked in surprise as the old man appeared beside him.

"This will be your first large scale battle that involves so many people, I thought it prudent to observe how you do and give some advice should you need it, but make no mistake, this rests on your shoulders," the ancient Shinigami looked over the field, taking in the works they had recently finished "though I doubt your enemy will be organized enough to pose a true threat it is good to see you have used what is available, however, have you considered a way to switch to a mobile battle if you should need to?"

"Well, not really, our main goal is to keep as many of us alive as we can and kill them before it gets too messy" Ichigo said as he ran a hand through his hair.

The old man glanced at him, "A common beginner's mistake. You hope to make them work their way through your impromptu obstacle course as they tire themselves out and you hit them with area effect Kido, a good plan but this in itself may not suffice. What will you do if your foe gets through your gauntlet and still has the power, whether through numbers or skill, to overcome you? What will you do if they manage to break into your flanks? After all, they outnumber you. Do you have scouts out over the battlefield and any areas that have a high chance of becoming part of it? They are your eyes and ears, you must use them effectively. You seek to keep as many of your people alive as you can, and that is not a bad thing, but you must be able to entertain the thought of attacking through losses"

"I don't like that way of thinking at all Yama-jii and you know it. It's not that far from willingly sacrificing your allies" the young man replied with a glare at his elder.

"True but there is an important difference, you must accept that in war people will die, you are therefore duty bound to both your men and your cause to take the action that saves as many of their lives as possible. The surest way to do so is to eliminate the enemy in the quickest, most efficient way possible. I'm not saying attack recklessly or with disregard for lives-"

They cut their conversation short, as the sound of numerous people approaching their position reached them; the first Rukongai army they would face had arrived. They were an unruly, disordered bunch that made no effort to conceal their approach or form any type of noticeable combat units. It was more of a mob then the trained, disciplined force the term 'army' brought to mind, but they had numbers, lots of numbers, if Ichigo had to take a guess he would say they outnumbered his troops roughly three to one but he couldn't really tell in the darkening evening.

"This is your battle, I will not interfere however I believe that we can both learn something by examining it afterwards." Yamamoto said as Ichigo stepped forward to take command.

They attacked in the same manner they had arrived, with no order or unity. Some charged in screaming for blood while others moved forward in silence. The mixture of shouts and the stomping and shuffling of feet was soon joined by screams of pain and the thumping crash of explosions as Ichigo ordered the Kido Corps to begin their lethal work. Soon enough the mob had reached the first of the three obstacles prepared for them, an embankment with sheer faces just high enough that they had to climb but not so high the Shinigami in the towers couldn't fire on the ones behind the vanguard. The small wall only slowed them for the time it took the ones behind to force the men against the wall to their knees or bellies, to form a human pile for the rest to climb over. Before long the ones on top would be killed by the boot of their so-called comrades as the ones on the bottom starved of air. The sight made Ichigo's stomach churn, his wasn't the only one, Shinigami fought to protect humanity from the hollow, from evil. As much as it needed to be done fighting humans wasn't what they existed for and it hurt to have to do so, when combined with the utter disregard for life their enemy was showing it made for a sickening spectacle. Then they hit the second fortification. The Seireitei army had dug a wide, shallow trench and filled it with modern napalm, Ichigo supposed it shouldn't be too surprising that the soul society had access to current day weapons should they choose to field it. He stood and watched as they charged in and many began to slip and slide in the thick gel. He choked, he couldn't do it, he couldn't give the order. Ichigo stood there choking on the air in his throat as he struggled with condemning his opponents to an excruciating, fiery death.

"Give the order," Yamamoto said, laying a comforting hand on his protégées shoulder, "these people have taken up arm, they are not civilians, even under the laws of the living this is allowed."

"That doesn't make it easier to do." the young man all but sobbed.

"That's good, it should never be easy," the elder said "I will do it. It's too soon for anyone to expect this of you."

Yamamoto's voice barked out over the field and a volley of fireballs flew out in response, igniting the substance. The massed Shinigami looked on in horror as their enemies burned alive, screaming as their flesh melted off their bones. The Rukongai forces recoiled at the sight as abject terror rippled throughout the ranks and shattered their morale. They fled, the whips and threats of their masters had driven them to the battle but the scene before them was a nightmare made real. Ichigo couldn't take his eyes off it, he was transfixed, then the sound of retching reached him and he followed suit. Crying as he vomited up anything he had in his stomach like many of the people around him. He didn't know how long he sat there on his hands and knees crying like a child with that sight burning before his eyes; it wouldn't go away even after the flames had died. He was roused from his traumatized state by the sound of screaming. Struggling to his feet Ichigo searched for what more could be happening. His troops had been flanked, just as the sou-taicho warned they might be. There they were cutting into his shocked and bewildered men and he could barely bring himself to respond. Then his brain kicked into motion as he began barking orders, waking the army from its mindless inactivity. Soon they had surrounded and crushed the attackers but the damage was already done.

good news people 1. this isn't dead 2. university has stopped for now so im already working on the next chapter, you can expect it in about a week