Bleach 535: Resolve 2

Scene opens up in soul society.

Bach sits on top of Soukyoku hill looking out on soul society. He sits on a tall backed chair lounging comfortably with a big smile on his face. Behind him lined up in single file standing to attention are the six Quincy.

Bach: it seems the ants have finally stopped moving, though they seem spread out a little thin don't they Freidrich?

The Quincy at the end of the line takes a few steps forward to come stand next to the left side of Bach's chair.

Freidrich: It would seem that they wish to tackle us one on one Bach sama.

Bach: Indeed, Indeed. I wonder if this is the idea of Ishida Ryuken? Does he have some tricks up his sleeve or is it maybe that the Zero squad members are over estimating themselves?

Freidrich: If Bach sama commands we can show them where their place truly lies.

Bach: Calm Freidrich, ever does pride come before the fall and why should we concern ourselves with the pride of ants.

Freidrich: Yes Bach sama.

Bach: Hmmmm, Mazrim hasn't returned yet though. There are six of them and six of you, I suppose you may as well go and get some of the rust off since I've not given you the chance recently. Go and have fun there's no need to rush, it seems we have a little bit of a wait ahead of us.

All six of the Quincies bow and disappear. Bach rests his elbow on the armchair propping his chin against his hand and grins.

Bach: Now let's see which fireworks are the brightest.


Scene change to outer Hueco Mundo.

Everything is still and quiet. Hundreds of hollows still remain but not a single one of them is moving, they all stand staring towards the palace. The captains in the ground have stopped fighting them too and are now staring at them in confusion. High up in the air Shinji seems to be shouting at Mayuri.

Shinji: Hey are you listening to me?! What do you mean by 'as expected'?! Don't go spouting stuff out without explaining it!

Mayuri: ...I assumed it would have been obvious, but I suppose with intellect at your level it would require some explanation.

Shinji: tch.

Mayuri: it should have been obvious that being such polar opposites, for the Quincy and Hollows to work together was never going to be a possibility.

Shinji: Then what-

Mayuri: This was quite obviously subjugation. They aren't working together, more to the fact the Hollows are serving the Quincy.

Shinji: Subjugation...

Mayuri: Indeed. And from within the palace recently I sensed six presences disappear along with Juha Bach.

Shinji:...are you trying to say-

Mayuri: From my extensive studies on them in the past I could easily deduce that these six were indeed Quincies even if they were masking their reiatsu.

It would seem that Juha Bach and his real disciples have now left Hueco Mundo and since we've taken out any presence of their underlings that there was out here it would explain why the hollows remaining have now stopped.

Shinji:...

Mayuri: they are awaiting the current outcome of the battle going on within.


Scene change to inside the Palace.

Ichigo is still fighting against Halibel, he is still letting her do most of the attacking whilst he just deflects her attacks. Further away from them Grimmjow is still standing off against Joushiro. He is breathing a little heavily whilst Joushiro still seems composed and unhurt. Behind Joushiro all nine of his talismans have been lit up.

Joushiro: it seems like I have the full set.

Grimmjows: huh, yeh but they were all physical attacks! Which means you'll have to hit me to use them.

Joushiro: Wasn't it you that was attacking me? I'm happy to sit back.

Grimmjow slashes his palm and holds it out in front of him.

Grimmjow: more importantly now that all your talismans have filled up you can no longer absorb my attacks, which means I can now do this!

Grimmjow releases his gran ray cero once more, it flies straight towards Joushiro who strikes at it just as it is about to hit. The gran ray cero splits into two and flies off in different directions before exploding off in the distance.

Grimmjow: That was my gran rey cero, how could-

Joushiro: I did have a little help.

Joushiro points back at his talismans, two of which are now no longer lit up.

Grimmjow: grrr, so you used my attacks to increase the force of your strike and cutting power.

Joushiro: Seems like we're back to square one aren't we? Any more ideas ?

Grimmjow: I'm gonna-

A blaze of energy lights up the whole palace for a moment startling the both of them. Grimmjow turns around to see Ichigo standing a few feet away from Halibel, she is standing still her arms lowered, blood sprays out from her chest as she begins to fall towards the ground below.

Grimmjow: Noooo!

Grimmjow flies towards the falling Halibel and catches her just before she crashes to the ground, he comes skidding to a halt in the rubble as he places her down gently.

Grimmjow: What have you done?! Why take it so far?!

Halibel:...

Halibel coughs in pain as Ichigo comes down and stands next to them.

Ichigo: I'm sorry Halibel, I wish it didn't have to come to this but I can no longer waste anytime here.

Halibel: There is nothing to apologise for, this is how it had to be...

Ichigo: If only you had trusted me, if only you had helped us instead it-

Halibel: Who says I'm not going to help you?

Ichigo:?!

Halibel: You defeated Aizen when that should have been impossible, you (cough, cough), in fact ever since you became a shinigami you've done one impossible thing after another.

Ichigo:…

Halibel: If there is one person I would entrust to overcome these odds it would be you Kurosaki Ichigo... But I cannot risk my people's future on just those odds. My death by your hand is the only thing I can do to at least ensure the possibility of their survival and so I have, I entrust you to ensure my death doesn't go in vain.

Ichigo:...

Halibel: Bach has four additional Quiincy who he has left within the void between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society. Their purpose is to destroy any connections made attempting to bridge the two worlds, whilst they are there it is impossible for you to create a portal and go after him.

Ichigo:...so you can-

Halibel: no, even I don't have permission to go there and any attempt I make will also fail. However, their primary focus is on terminating any portals connecting to soul society but not the human world.

Ichigo:!

Halibel: Hollows frequently make portals towards there and there are a vast number open to there at any one time and more constantly being opened and closed.

Grimmjow: Which is why they've left them alone, there's no reason to go there and terminating them would be a full time job.

Halibel: Grimmjow will help you get to the real world through one of these, from there you will have to work out your own way to get to soul society. However it won't be easy. I'm certain he'll have destroyed the usual channels Shinigami have to the human world.

Grimmjow: I'm not-

Halibel: My price for helping you is for you to bring balance to our two worlds if you manage to defeat the Quincy and help guide the new ruler of Hueco Mundo.

Grimmjow:...New ruler?!

Halibel: Yes...you.

Halibel strikes out and pireces Grimmjow through the chest with her hand.

Grimmjow:?! Aargh

Halibel: ...to help you rule well.

Grimmjow: Argh...no...don't!

Halibel's whole body begins to glow, the glow increases as she slowly begins to dematerialise and she merges with Grimmjow.

Grimmjow: Nooooooooo!

A massive tower of reiatsu shoots out of Grimmjow rising high into the sky, his scream can still be heard over the roar as he begins to glow and then suddenly explodes.


Scene change to Soul Society

You observe the ground from very high up in the sky. Down below you can see Ryuken, Uryuu, Isshin, Ginrei, Wairudo and Byakuya spread out far and wide. They have given themselves enough space to battle in however they are still also able to see everyone else. They are spread out in what looks like a semi circle with Wairudo at one end and Ryuken at the other. Ryuken looks at the others lined up, Wairudo looking like a small speck on the far side. Almost simultaneously in front of all of them a Quincy appears standing off about fifty feet away. Ryuken turns back to look ahead of him and see's a Quincy standing there as well.

Freidrich: It has been a while Ryuken.

Ryuken: ...Freidrich?!

Freidrich: So you still remember me. I'm honoured Last Quincy.

Ryuken: ...You trained me even harder than my father did, how could I ever forget you. I thought you'd died a long time ago...

Freidrich: I did.

Ryuken:?! Freidrich, you of all people, how could you join with him?! Your pride and resolve, you and father...how could you?!

Freidrich: (sighs) I understand. I understand because I remember. Before I died, I remember the way I felt, I remember my immovable resolve.

Ryuken: ...

Freidrich: I remember the offer being made to me... I remember my family being murdered when I refused. I remember it all.

Ryuken:!

Freidrich: And yet I still joined him... do you think that was without reason?

Ryuken stares at him with an expression of grim sadness on his face.

Ryuken: Tell me.

Freidrich: Bach is able to track the souls of the Quincy he kills. After he killed my family and me, he tracked my soul before it was found by a shinigami and-

Ryuken: A Quincy's powers do not pass over when they die, it's not like how it is with the Shinigami, so how can you still...

Freidrich: As much as our abilities have to do with our body they also equally are a part of our soul as well. They can be awakened if you know how.

Ryuken: and Bach does.

Freidrich: Yes, he filled his power into me causing my own to be re-awakened. I may not have the same strength as when I was alive…however the additional abilities his majesty has provided more than make up for it.

Ryuken:….

Freidrich: He shared his memories with me at the same time and I finally understood. Understood why this is the just cause.

Ryuken: so he brainwashed you.

Freidrich: No!

The echo of that one word reverberates out over battlefield.

Freidrich: He has promised that once we achieve victory and he takes the place of the soul king he will reunite our families to us but I tell you now that even if that was not the case I would still follow him.

Ryuken: ...

Freidrich: Do you not see Ryuken, what justice is there now?! The real world is corrupt in itself that requires little explanation, the hollows, they still continually kill people without the Shinigami being able to stop them in time. The shinigami themselves are no more naturally noble as we are naturally evil and they cannot stop infighting even amongst themselves.

Ryuken: ...

Freidrich: inequality, suffering, pain. Chaos wrapped up in the cloak of normality.

Ryuken: and he aims to resolve all that?

Freidrich: Yes. What has the soul king ever done to remedy it. Rather than change anything himself the only action he's ever taken is to stop us changing anything when we tried.

Ryuken: And once he's seized power, he decides what's right and wrong...who lives and dies?

Freidrich:...

Ryuken:... It was you who once told me that you were glad that he had lost. The world needed the freedom to choose. To choose whether to be good or bad, to strive for it, achieve it, so that we could learn and grow as individuals AND as a people...where will that choice go once he takes control.

Freidrich: (sighs)

Suddenly across the whole battlefield towers of energy shoot up into the sky one after the other as all of the other Quincy activate their Vollstandig.

Freidrich: I knew you wouldn't understand yet, but I wished you to remember this conversation after you died.

Ryuken:...

Freidrich: choice is an illusion, it is the indulgence of the strong nothing more.

Ryuken:...

Freidrich: for example, what choice do you think any of you now have in leaving here alive?!

Next week: 536 Knowing Your Enemy