Here we are everyone. Its the beginning of the Hueco Mundo invasion arc! I've been really excited for us to get to this point. It's going to be very, VERY different from its cannon version was I can garuntee you that. Please, let me know what you all thought with a review, It really would mean a lot.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun!
The Sun had just gone down, and Orihime was approaching the same spot, the same alley. She had a determined look on her face, her fists balled, but on the inside she was anything but confident. The fear of last night's encounter was still fresh in her memory, and as she approached the dark alley, it came to life again. The fear of Ulquiorra Cipher. The fear of what he might do to her friends and family. The fear of what awaited her.
It was unfair, but it was life. She had no choice but to move forward, no matter how poorly this might go. She took a bold step forward into the alley, hoping she could somehow ease into the same kind of confidence she tried to project.
He was waiting for her there. The alley turned darker still as he came into view; the summer night around her turned into a deep shade of midnight, and the air seemed to chill. It was the same kind of space he had projected before. Whether it was shinigami magic or some hollow ability, Orihime didn't know. It didn't matter, either.
"You have made your decision?" asked the deathly pale espada.
Orihime nodded. "You swear my friends will be left out of this?"
"So Lord Aizen has promised."
Orihime, her courage already faltering, hugged her chest to try to stop herself from quivering.
"I made my choice," she said. "I'll… go with you."
Ulquiorra nodded, and extended a pale, cold hand. "Come," he commanded.
Orihime slowly extended a hand. A second from now, she would be in his icy cold grip, lost, a prisoner of one of the worst people in all of the worlds…
Then, behind Ulquiorra, it was as if a sheet of the darkened wall behind him dropped, revealing a familiar figure in gleaming armour, a warhammer with a spiked head in her raised arm. Orihime smiled.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Erza roared as she charged, blaring with power the moment she started to move. Her bankai already activated, Erza- captain, soldier, and infuriated mother- was sparing nothing. To Ulquiorra's credit as a warrior, he was already making to draw his blade, but Erza had come out of nowhere, hitting like a locomotive. Her warhammer arced round in a vicious blow, the head shattering Ulquiorra's sword arm with one mighty blow. The appendage now dangled at his side, twisted and limp.
"YOU ABSOLUTE BASTARD!" Snarling, Erza surged forward before the espada could retaliate, grabbed him by the head, and slammed it into the building wall next to her. Roaring out her fury, she dragged him out of the alley, leaving a ruined section of wall as she ground the espada's face into the brick and mortar. Erza threw him out onto the street like a rag-doll and charged after him, hammer raised high.
Ulquiorra, caught by surprise until now, managed to rise to one knee and raise his good arm in time to catch the hammer just under its vicious head.
"You bastard," Erza cried with the fiery anger only a mother bear could produce. "You think you get to scare my daughter?!"
Ulquiorra gave no reply, quietly pushing back against the overwhelming, rage-fuelled force she exerted.
At a point in time some twenty or so hours before the confrontation, Inoue Orihime was marching not toward home, not to collect her belongings and accept her fate, but to stake her trust in the person she trusted the most. Her steps, which broke into a run, took her not toward home, but toward Urahara Kisuke's shop. Toward the shinigami headquarters. Toward where Erza was working late.
Erza blinked. She had sensed Orihime coming through the front door, but hadn't thought much of it. Whatever it was, she figured, she'd know soon enough. She was buried in work at the moment, and her focus had been on administration- her division was suffering a little without its captain, and Erza felt a little guilty for it.
So, when Orihime burst into her office, nearly breaking the door when she slid it open, it made Erza pause. Her daughter looked harrowed, raw emotion on her face. Anxiety. Worry. Fear.
"Orihime-" she started, concern in her voice, but her daughter did not let her finish.
"Erza, listen," she said. She placed both hands on the desk and leaned in, a keen, wide-eyed look on her face. "I need you to get Tatsuki, Chad, Uryu, and Ichigo, now."
"What?" Erza said, perplexed. "Orihime, what's wrong?"
"Get them to safety, now!" She was shouting. Orihime never shouted. There was a mad look to her face. Whatever concerns and questions Erza had, enough gears snapped into place for her to realize the severity of the situation. She took a deep breath, and nodded.
"Soifon!" Erza called loudly. "Quick, get in here!"
The little captain showed up with all due haste, saluting as she appeared in the doorway.
"Soifon, I need you to secure our human auxiliary allies immediately," Erza commanded.
Soifon nodded. "Of course. I'll dispatch my team immediately. What is going on?"
"It's a matter of life and death," Orihime insisted.
"I believe her," said Erza.
"…I'll go, myself," said Soifon. "We'll have them here within half an hour at the most."
"Take Byakuya, too," said Erza.
"Understood," said Soifon sharply. "Executing immediately, commander."
As Soifon exited, Erza turned to Orihime. Erza gestured for her to sit down, which she did. She had gone quiet. The anxiety on her face seemed to have eased down a little.
"Well," began Erza, "I just sent out two captains to fetch all of your friends. I hope there is a good reason for this?"
Orihime nodded. "He'll kill them," she whispered.
"Who?" Erza demanded. "Orihime, what happened?"
Orihime took a deep breath, and with tears in the corners of her eyes, she told the story. She told of how the fourth espada had ambushed her, threatened her life, and threatened to kill her friends, all on Aizen's orders. Erza's expression went from one of anxious concern to one of complete outrage, her face twisting with anger by the time Orihime had finished her story.
"I was so scared," Orihime whispered, and Erza stood up from her seat, embracing her daughter.
"You're safe now," she assured her. "I won't let him hurt you, or any of your friends. You did the right thing, you understand?"
Orihime nodded weakly, leaning into Erza.
"I- I wasn't sure what to do," she said weakly. "I thought I'd have to do what he said. I'm not like you. I'm not as strong. Just looking at him… I felt so sure there was nothing anyone could do."
"No, no," Erza murmured. "You're strong, Orihime. It's just that he is…"
"Terrifying."
Erza nodded.
"You'll keep them safe, won't you?" said Orihime, looking her in the eye. "You won't let him get to them? Erza, he's strong!"
"I swear on my life," Erza said passionately, "I'll keep all of you safe. He won't lay a finger on any of you."
Orihime nodded, smiling weakly. Inwardly, Erza felt a wrathful storm building; her heart was aflame with anger. Aizen had threatened her. He had threatened Orihime. He had scared her little girl. He would pay for this.
At the same time, despite her anger, her heart swelled with pride. Her daughter had come face-to-face with one of the most terrifying enemies Aizen had to offer, and she had not let herself become somebody else's pawn. She had refused to obey. She had been threatened, and she had not given in. That was strength. Holding Orihime tightly, Erza grit her teeth. There would be hell to pay for this, but for now, she had to take care of her daughter.
"I want to know," Erza said darkly, "just how this happened."
They had assembled in a quiet little room in the back, a far cry from the formal, pompous airs of an official meeting. Present were Soifon, Byakuya and Urahara, all huddled around a small table.
"Scanners suggest no anomalous spiritual activity," said Soifon. "It's as if he was never there."
"Urahara?" said Erza, turning to the scientist.
"Working on it," he mumbled. "Give me a minute to think."
Erza had an urge to snap at him, but restrained herself. "Soifon," she said, turning to the stealth corps commander, "you have secured our auxiliaries?"
"All secure, commander," Soifon assured her. "They are being kept in the basement, warded by spells cast by your vice-captain. Yoruichi is watching over them. They objected, but complied once the severity of the situation was explained to them."
"Good. Good," Erza said with a nod. It did a little to ease her nerves, at least.
"Forgive me, commander," said Byakuya, "but given the severity of the claims… is it possible your daughter may be mistaken?"
Erza turned to look at him, anger still burning in her eyes. "I know Orihime. She has an active imagination, but she would never lie about something like this."
"I make no such accusation," Byakuya replied, "but is it possible she imagined it? The stress of the situation will have been considerable for a girl her age. It would not be the first time a soldier to the cause broke down."
"As comfortable an explanation as that would be," said Soifon, before Erza could fire off a remark that would most certainly have been unprofessional, "the possibility of a security breach cannot be ignored, especially in light of recent incursions. Readings are all normal, but we all know there are ways to conceal oneself from detection."
She shot Urahara a look. The scientist looked to be deep in thought.
"He couldn't have done it easily," he muttered, sounding as if he was talking to himself. "Why would he? If he could do it to more than one person at a time, why would he bother with open warfare?"
"He had every opportunity to murder all of you before he revealed himself, and he chose not to, just to make a point," Erza shot back.
"Which is somewhat reassuring," Soifon muttered, "but doesn't rule much out."
"No, it can't be done easily," Urahara muttered. "If it could, I would know. Do you know the effort that goes into creating a suppressant cloak that hides your energy? If you asked me to mass produce that, I'd laugh in your face. And, if I can't do it, he most certainly cannot. Kuchiki," he said, turning suddenly to the captain, "you would be more up to date with modern kido theory. Has there been advancements allowing for this kind of thing in the time I was away?"
"Not to my knowledge," said Byakuya, "and I do keep myself informed."
"So, it's probably a one-off," Erza said. "Probably. Nevertheless, we're upping security. Soifon, when we're done here, I want some ideas on just how we do that."
"Understood," Soifon said with a nod.
Erza shook her head. "So, how?"
"My best guess," said Urahara, "would probably be some sort of space-time distortion matrix coupled with a reiatsu suppressant. A complex spell, but not beyond the likes of Aizen. It wouldn't be very stable or last very long, but it would be able to let an espada do what you described."
Erza made a fist. "That bastard," she growled. "He had to go and make it personal…"
"What is his aim?" Byakuya asked. "What does he gain from kidnapping a human auxiliary?"
"Aizen wouldn't do something like this for no reason," Erza muttered. "There has to be some strategy to it."
"Quite possibly it's meant to destabilize our leadership. Meaning you, commander," said Soifon.
"A psychological attack?" said Urahara. "Sure. Makes enough sense."
"The real question," said Byakuya, "with respect, commander, is: What do we do next? Do we keep the auxiliaries under lock and key indefinitely? Do we take the threat fully seriously, or do we assume it was a scare tactic?"
"Of course we take it seriously," Erza growled. "I am not gambling with any of their lives."
"This was… Ulquiorra Cifer," said Byakuya thoughtfully, "the same espada I was unable to defeat earlier. One of Aizen's very strongest, correct?"
"Fourth-strongest, yes," Erza said with a nod. "A vasto lorde, without doubt."
"Imagine," said Byakuya, "if we could use this as an opportunity to capture or eliminate him. A singular espada, even a high-ranking one, would find himself in dire straits against the four of us."
"Now, there's an idea," said Soifon keenly. "Imagine robbing Aizen of one of his strongest pieces before the war has even begun."
"How would you see that done, hmm?" said Erza sharply. "He came for Orihime. Do you think he'll not sense you coming? You heard Urahara- concealment is no easy feat. Besides, why would he even come if Orihime wasn't there?"
"I'll be there."
The words were uncertain and hesitant, spoken with the quickness of somebody eager to get them out before they changed their mind. It was Orihime, standing there with her fists balled. Erza sat up straight, staring at her. She hadn't even noticed her coming.
"Orihime!" she said sharply. "You're supposed to be down in the basement. Leave this to us, and get back to Yoruichi!"
"No," Orihime said meekly, shaking her head. "You said you could get him, right?"
"That is entirely beside the point!" Erza said angrily.
"Please answer the question."
The quiet, reserved way she said it made it all the harder. If Orihime had been defiant, it would have been easy enough for Erza to put her foot down, but it was impossible to do it to somebody as fearful and restrained as this. Soifon gave Erza a look; the commander sighed and gave her a nod in return.
"I certainly believe we would be at a strong advantage if we set up the right conditions," she said cautiously.
"I would relish the opportunity," said Byakuya.
"I can't say it wouldn't be interesting," said Urahara with a shrug.
"How would we even do it?" snarled Erza. "You told me, it's hard to conceal yourself. He would grab her and leave, and I'd be one daughter short- hell, I can't believe we're even discussing this!"
"It's hard to disguise more than one person," Urahara said slyly, "but just the one person? I have just the item. He would never see you coming. He would never even expect it."
"If one of us could attack him from behind," said Soifon slowly, constructing a theory as she spoke, "and the rest of us were hidden far away enough, manually suppressing our reiatsu, then charged in as we sensed combat ensuing… all we'd need to do is keep him occupied until we could surround him."
"Do it," Orihime said, her voice somehow firm despite its faintness. "Use me as bait. I don't mind."
"Orihime!" Erza said angrily. "Listen here, under no circumstances will I allow you to do something this dangerous and reckless!"
"I'll do it. I don't care how dangerous or scary it is," said Orihime.
"Orihime, I forbid you!" Erza said, her choler rising even further.
"Erza, listen to me!" Orihime pleaded. "He came out of nowhere and- and threatened me and everyone I love, and I couldn't do anything about it. I can't fight him; I'm not strong enough, but I can do this. This is the one thing I can do to hurt him, to get back at him, to stop being afraid all the time, so please let me do it!"
Erza balled a fist, and realized, to her horror, that she was considering it.
"It's too dangerous," she said, refusing to yield so easily. "We don't know what he's capable of. He might just kill you there and then."
"Does that sound like Aizen?" asked Urahara. "To go to the trouble of pretending to kidnap, when he might just have killed her there and then?"
"I wouldn't put it past him!" Erza blurted. "He's an over-complicated madman with no regard for human life!"
"Erza, please," said Orihime. "It's the only way I can take something back."
Erza grit her teeth. "Orihime, do you even realize the danger you'd be in?"
"I looked into his eyes," Orihime whispered. "It was like seeing my own death. Yes, I do."
"The girl shows commendable bravery," said Byakuya, nodding with approval. "If she is willing to play her part as an auxiliary, commander, why not let her?"
"You shut up!" Erza snarled. "You just want a rematch because you're sore about last time!"
"What if we put you there," Urahara cut in, "hidden. The one person you could trust to care for her well-being more than anyone else. Imagine it: letting loose against the bastard who threatened her…"
"Don't tempt me with revenge," Erza growled. "It's a base, pitiful emotion with no regard for justice!"
"But it is tempting, no?" said Urahara, a smile on his face.
It was. That was what scared her. Not as much as the idea of Orihime being hurt, or worse, but it scared her still. Acting in anger was not her way.
But, if she considered it objectively for a second… Ulquiorra Cifer. Dead. A vasto lorde gone from Aizen's service. And, for Orihime, some sense of closure.
It was madness! How could she put her daughter in danger like this?
How could she deny her this chance?
Her instinct was to protect. But, her values told her the girl needed a chance to stand on her own, even if it was dangerous. Even if it was a little mad.
"…How close could you all be?" she asked.
"Yes!" Orihime cheered.
"Hypothetically,"said Erza sharply. "I am not convinced just yet. But, let's say I go along with your plan. Just how would we do this?"
"I believe Captain Soifon has a sound theory already," said Urahara, crossing his fingers as he leaned in over the table. "All we'd need is a map of the area and a specific idea of how to engage. Concealment is easy enough. I have a cloak just for that purpose. You don it, stand in the right space, wait for him to show up…"
Erza let the hammer blows rain down liberally, her arm rising and lowering again like a piston. Ulquiorra had managed to regain his feet, even reaching for his sword, but Erza was having none of it. The shield summoned to her left arm, she bashed it against his head. The arrancar went tumbling back, nearly losing his footing, and Erza exploited the opening to the fullest. As he could only shield himself with his left arm, the right still twisted and broken from her first attack, she could strike again and again without fear. His skin was as tough as she would expect, but against the concentrated strikes of her bankai, from a weapon designed to crack armour, she drew blood over and over, leaving one nasty, reddened area after another. His arm was fracturing, bleeding internally. She had the momentum, and she had no intention of giving it up.
Ulquiorra, expressionlessly deflecting blow after blow, thought very hard on what to do. It was safe to say, at this point, that things had not gone to plan, not in the slightest. It was surprising to say the least that the girl had had the courage to defy him- he had been sure her will had been broken, that she had been suitably terrified when he had left. She was supposed to be the frailest member of the group of rookies that, under Urahara's machinations, had invaded the Soul Society. Yet here he was, battling her furious mother, a shinigami captain with murder in her eyes.
Under normal circumstances, Ulquiorra would never have been concerned. Erza Scarlet was powerful, strong enough to merit going all out in a drawn-out battle even, but his strength was considerable and his experience long-reaching. Erza Scarlet, along with most captains, were not opponents he feared- no, feared was the wrong word, because fear was an emotion Ulquiorra had long since forgotten. Concern was more accurate. He would not have been concerned with her, if not for the fact that he had been caught under the worst possible circumstances: ambushed, fully caught by surprise, no doubt from some devious device of Urahara Kisuke's making; instantly wounded in the worst place, reduced to playing defense; disarmed, fighting an opponent carrying a weapon optimized against his natural defenses, a blunt weapon that didn't care that it couldn't easily pierce his hierro, because where it struck, bones would snap.
It would be a moment's work to draw his blade, which would increase his odds even while using his off hand, but he didn't have a moment, not even the blink of an eye. She continuously struck with furious speed, her movements a blur, and only instinctive movements kept him from losing the use of his other arm. He continued striking just under the hammer's head, catching it on his forearm and avoiding the worst of the damage. Another solid hit, he knew, might ruin his arm, and then he'd be quite defenseless.
His right arm was already healing, but it might take a minute before it could even move, and a minute could be an eternity in a fight like this.
Ulquiorra Cifer was a dispassionate, unemotional figure, and although he was not prone to swearing, a sense of frustration was building inside him. It had been ages since he had been caught unawares like this, forced into a near-desperate situation. It simply didn't happen to him.
Worse, he was sure she wasn't alone. The commotion alone would draw the attention of the other captains, even if this wasn't a prepared ambush. His time was short, perhaps shorter than the minute he needed to recover his broken arm.
Bambi stood on a rooftop, leaned on her elbows against the railing, staring out into the approaching twilight. She was not here to enjoy the scenery, though; she was drinking in the wealth of information the shinigami and the arrancar were blasting out. She had gone as close as she dared, and occasionally, as the two fighters clashed, she could see them with the naked eye. She didn't need to, of course. Even somebody as lazy as Bambietta knew how to read spiritual energy like an open book, and in her mind's eye she saw everything with perfect clarity: every strike and hit, every parry, and every dodge. A smile tracing across her face became a grin as she stared, almost entranced. She almost missed the presence quietly making its way up to the rooftop next to her.
"Aren't you getting a bit close?" warned Haschwalth. The slight clink with every step told Bambietta that, as per usual, the grand master wore his armour. She didn't care to look. She didn't want to spare any more focus than necessary.
"Was feeling restless," she said with a shrug. "Went for a walk. Sensed this. Had to take a closer look. Don't worry, old man- not one of them is looking our way. I'm keeping a low profile, just like you said."
"You should count yourself lucky that His Majesty is not here to see you testing the limits of his command, paladin," said Haschwalth severely.
"You gonna tell?"
"…No," said Haschwalth with a sigh, "I suppose I won't."
"You're into it, too, aren't ya?" Bambi said cheerily, as the grand master walked up to stand beside her. "Can't help it, can ya? Fucker," Bambi said, nudging him with a chuckle.
"You are most insubordinate."
"Yeah, but you love me," said Bambi dismissively. "Besides, I ain't wrong, am I? Ain't this something?"
"I will admit," said Haschwalth, his stare becoming as intensely focused as Bambi's, "it's… rather impressive."
"The arrancar or the shinigami?"
"Both," said Haschwalth. "Her skill is immaculate, even when it is clouded with anger. But, the arrancar… I must confess, I have never seen such restraint and focus in a hollow. Even on the back foot, every decision he makes is correct. He mitigates the worst of his circumstances as if it's second nature. I am certain he would be a match for the best of our warriors under normal circumstances."
"Forget him," said Bambi with a shrug. "Erza Scarlet, though. I thought she was a stiff goody-two-shoes, but look at her raising hell. Erza Hammerhand, more like!"
"You sound like you like her," said Haschwalth curiously.
"Well, I do," admitted Bambi casually. "She seems cool. Nice in person. Hella strong. Got an idea about right and wrong without being an unbearable stiff. Not to mention she has a great rack."
"You know," said Haschwalth dryly, "I can't tell whether you'd rather fight her or sleep with her."
"Who's to say I can't do both?" said Bambi with a wink.
"Joking aside, it's been some time since I have seen you this… sincerely excited."
"Yeah, well," Bambi said, "I kinda do want to fight her. Except… I kinda don't. It's weird."
"Do remember that she is an enemy," Haschwalth chided her. "You cannot afford to let respect for a worthy foe distract you from your duty."
"I know where I stand, old man," said Bambi, some edge to her voice. "Don't ever go thinking I'd turn my back on you guys. You're family. I'd die for you if you asked for it."
"My apologies," said Haschwalth, his tone conciliatory, "but I have to remind you. It is my place as-"
"As our great leader, yada yada yada," said Bambi with a snigger. "Yeah, I know. You got it wrong, anyhow. It's not… like that. She's nice and all, but I'd put a sword through her heart without a second thought if I really had to. It's more like…"
"Like what, paladin?"
"I'd like to see that happen, you know. Would be a hell of a fight. Sometimes you look at somebody and you ask yourself, 'Could I take 'em? I could take 'em, right?' and you're not quite sure. I think I could. It'd be a hell of a fight…"
"But?"
"But it'd be a hell of a fight," Bambi said with a grin. "Been a while since I saw somebody I reckoned had a shot of killing me back."
"Savour it," said Haschwalth sagely. "Remind yourself that none of us are invincible. In time, we may well come to blows with the Gotei. Watch and learn, and remember that it would be mortal combat. Remind yourself that many of them could kill you."
"Yeah," said Bambi, sounding a little distant as she envisioned the ongoing battle. Sounding uncharacteristically sombre, she said, "Yeah, it's true. I… I hope we're not gonna die, Haschwalth. You are family."
"I cannot make such a promise," said Haschwalth. "It is the nature of war."
Bambi sighed. "You know," she muttered, "sometimes I really wish we didn't have to. There's good people with them, ain't there?"
"I wish that, too," Haschwalth said, nodding, "but honour has its demands. There are good men and women among them, but… not many enough."
"Fuck it," Bambi muttered. "This is killing my buzz. Let's keep our yaps shut and just see how it goes, yeah?"
"As you please," Haschwalth replied. The two quincies watched in silence as the battle continued to unfold.
Ulquiorra jumped back a few paces as he charged energy into his fist. His ceros were quite potent, and more importantly, built up almost instantaneously if he need be. To hide his intention, to buy the second or two he needed, he lashed out with a powerful kick aimed at the captain's midsection. She caught it with her shield, her stride momentarily halted. It did nothing to hurt her, but it didn't need to. As she let out an infuriated snarl, surging forward for another hammer blow, he raised his hand, cero fully charged. The beam of raw power surged forward, striking the captain squarely in the chest-
Ulquiorra's world went black for a second, and a moment later he woke up on the pavement, his eyes level with the asphalt underneath his head. His head was ringing, his vision spun, and he saw chips of bone clattering to the street. She had come in behind him, he realized as events were catching up to him. She had struck him in the head from behind, evading his cero completely. It was only lucky the blow had struck the masked part of his skull.
Instinctively, he rolled to the side, letting the savage part of him take over. A moment later, shattered pieces of asphalt showered over him as the hammer connected where his head had been a second ago.
This was a hard fight, but Ulquiorra was the cuarto espada, one of Lord Aizen's very strongest. He had earned that rank, the hard way. He had fought innumerable monsters on his way there. He had been through desperate times that had nearly killed him, time and time again. He was not only powerful, but skilled to match it. Down on the ground, one arm broken? He had been in worse situations.
This, crucially, was not a boast, because Ulquiorra did not engage in such childish expressions of force. He knew his strength, its limits and its capacities, and he knew he would get out of this. Because, Lord Aizen had commanded it. Because, he had a purpose beyond just existing. That alone, the other members of the Consejo de la Sombra understood correctly. That was what Lord Aizen had given him. That was why he could not, would not fail.
He rolled over again, evading a second and third blow from the hammer, and launched a series of bala from his functioning hand. Hot spikes of pain shot from his still-mending broken arm as he rolled over it, but he disregarded this.
A few of the projectiles found their mark; the captain was enraged enough that she either had become careless or simply didn't care. She staggered back for a second, and Ulquiorra got to his feet. She came at him again, but Ulquiorra surprised her, surging forward to meet her. He caught the hammer by the handle and forced it down, keeping it in an iron grip. She growled, straining against him, and the moment she realized he was stuck, she bashed her shield into his face once, twice, thrice, and over and over. It hurt, but Ulquiorra knew he could endure it. It was only a matter of seconds now. He could feel the fractures in his wrecked arm closing, the bone resetting …
His head reeled back, again and again, from each consecutive blow, but he still calmly raised his mending arm. He held up his hand, the limb finally responding to his command, and fixed it pointing forward. Then, he thrust it like a spear. It went in under her shield arm, striking just below the armpit, where her armour left her exposed. He felt a rib crack, and warm blood on his fingers, as the captain cried out and staggered back.
Erza cursed, her shield almost hanging from her arm. Damn it! She had underestimated her opponent in her anger, forgotten that he could regenerate, stubbornly bashing him over and over when she should have just switched weapons.
Calmly the espada reached for his belt and drew his blade. Erza took a couple of deep breaths. She was in pain, but not nearly enough to consider quitting. Instead, she let her shield dissipate along with the hammer, and held out a hand.
"Render," she called, hate in her voice, and at her call the black greatsword came into being. Not a moment later she charged, Ulquiorra meeting her halfway. His blade clutched in both hands, he met her blow with complete confidence. She stared into his face, the pale white marred by fresh bruises, and saw his eyes, two dark wells of determination- and from his arms, the strength to back it up.
"I'll kill you," she hissed, gritting her teeth.
"That remains to be seen," said Ulquiorra, and hearing his emotionless voice made Erza miss Byakuya; stiff though the captain was, there was something wrong about the cuarto espada, as if something fundamentally human was just missing.
Ulquiorra shoved her back and launched an attack of his own, a series of slashes that Erza deftly parried before getting in her own overhead attack. Ulquiorra parried it just as easily as she had, and if he was impressed or bored, it was impossible to tell.
Then, suddenly, there was a flash of black, and in an instant Ichigo came into view behind him, bankai activated. Without blinking Ulquiorra raised an arm to parry his attack, catching the blow while still managing to hold back against Erza with one arm. Even barehanded, he still parried Ichigo's attack, although blood trailed down his arm from where the blow had struck.
Ichigo. Erza had been able to talk Tatsuki and Chad out of coming, and Uryu hadn't been interested to begin with, but Ichigo had insisted. She had said no at first, but when he had argued he was strong enough, and officially an auxiliary, and if Orihime could come then so should he, she had at last relented. Let him, if he wanted to so badly. He wasn't wrong, and he, too, had to stand on his own feet.
"Do it, Ichigo," Erza hissed. "Hit him with all you got. Now. I don't care if I get caught up in it."
"Yes, ma'am!" Ichigo said spiritedly, his reiatsu rising. "Getsuga…"
Ulquiorra still didn't flinch, but something about him changed. He was apparently unwilling to catch the blast head on, because he flung himself to the side, ignoring the cut Erza got in when he jumped away. He leaped into the air, seeming intent to escape. Erza smiled.
"TENSHOU!"Ichigo roared, reappearing over Ulquiorra, almost on top of him. The blast hit almost point blank, sending the espada in a swift fall to the street, where he impacted with enough force to create a small crater. Ichigo and Erza were both moving before the dust had even settled, eyes on the prize, but somebody else had already beaten them to it. As Ulquiorra stood up, he found the edge of a blade resting against his neck.
"In the name of the Gotei Thirteen," came the voice of Kuchiki Byakuya, dignity and stoicism personified, "you are commanded to surrender, arrancar. Lower your weapon immediately, or suffer the consequences."
"I'd take his advice," came Soifon's voice. The little captain stood in front of Ulquiorra, her haori already shed, the stinger form of her shikai activated. "Rest assured that we're perfectly happy to just kill you."
Ulquiorra gave her a dispassionate glare, but before he could respond, he was surrounded. Next to Byakuya, blade aimed high, there stood Ichigo, and next to Soifon stood Erza, greatsword in hand.
"Well, well, well, well," came the carefree voice of Urahara Kisuke, marching down the street, cane in hand. "It looks like you may be in a bit of a bind, Mr. Cifer."
Ulquiorra stared them all down coldly, refusing to lower his weapon.
"I don't know what Aizen's game is here," said Erza, her voice raw with emotion, "and I don't expect you to give it up. Frankly, I don't care. But, what I do know is that I'll happily make an exception to my rule about killing for you, here and now, espada. This is your last warning: throw down your weapon, or die!"
Ulquiorra stared them all down, weighing his options. Any one of these people, he would feel confident facing normally. He had already all but defeated Kuchiki Byakuya once. Soifon? She lacked the strength. The pup, Kurosaki Ichigo? Too inexperienced to properly harness his monstrous power. Erza Scarlet? A hassle, but he could easily outlast her. Urahara Kisuke was… an unknown quantity, but he did not lack confidence there.
But, all five of them, at once? Even if he released his blade- which was forbidden, and required a few precious seconds to activate, seconds his enemies would use to kill him- that was not a likely victory.
He couldn't release. He couldn't disobey Lord Aizen's command even to save his life. He could not, he was fairly sure, defeat them on his own. That left only one option: retreat. That would require opening a portal, which would take a few seconds- seconds, of course, that he didn't have.
This was a strange situation. It was long since he had last been so disadvantaged in battle, and even longer since he had actually been cornered. But, for as long as there was a chance, one tried.
Ulquiorra twisted himself to the side, away from the blade that the Kuchiki held against his neck, knowing every moment mattered. He leapt forward, past Captain Scarlet, dodging under her swing. The immense speed of his step took him well down the street. His mind raced, filled with the desperate determination of a hunted animal.
"Getsuga Tenshou!"
He twisted aside, evading the projectile hurled at him by the Kurosaki; his considerable speed had let him catch up with some ease. The movement broke Ulquiorra's balance, and he landed on the street, nimbly turning a fall into a landing with the twist of a hand- but before he could land on his feet, he felt a kick slam into his midsection, sending him flying into a wall. Captain Soifon, the one thing here faster than Kurosaki Ichigo, had already caught up. Ulquiorra, twisting with manic movements, got to his feet and halfway into another leap when a cloud of pink wrapped around his leg, restraining him. A second kick hit him in the back, sending him to the street again. He charged a cero. The beam went wild, forcing one of his opponents back. He wrenched himself free, trying again to get away. No sooner had he halfway stood up than Captain Scarlet's infuriated roar was heard and the head of a great axe grazed Ulquiorra's chest, sending him staggering back.
"I don't mean to sound dramatic," came the voice of Urahara Kisuke, from behind, "but there is no escape. There are some very fast, very angry, very determined people here. This is the end of the road for you, Mr. Cifer."
Ulquiorra stood up, his chest heaving, blood soiling the white of his clothes. He was surrounded again.
"Let us kill him," said Captain Kuchiki. "There is no time to waste, and he deserves no mercy."
"I agree," said captain Scarlet. "On my mark, together."
"My lord!" called Ulquiorra sharply, hoping he was listening. "The situation is dire. I will not be able to continue serving you if this goes on. I require a means of escape."
"Ichigo, with me," Erza said sharply. "Soifon, hit any weak point you find. Captain Kuchiki, kido backup. Pin him down. This is where he dies. Ichigo, now!"
"You got it!" cried Ichigo spiritedly. As one, he and Erza charged from either direction. Ulquiorra raised his blade. There was no fear still, only disappointment- disappointment that he would end his life having failed Lord Aizen like this.
Then he felt it, and had Ulquiorra had any space left for joy in his heart, he would have smiled.
"Erza, Ichigo, get back!" Urahara barked. Erza seemed to heed the tone of his voice and broke her charge; Ichigo was not quite as fast, nearly slamming into the pillar of yellow light. From the sky, a portal had opened, and from it the familiar light of negación emanated, a ghostly yellow enveloping Ulquiorra's frame. He stared them down now, as stoic as ever, despite the bruising and blood seeping through his torn, tattered clothes. Slowly, he began to lift from ground level toward the sky.
"Son of a bitch!" Ichigo swore. Byakuya and Soifon said nothing, although the Kuchiki's grip on the hilt of his blade tightened.
"Damn, forgot about that…" Urahara muttered.
"I guess you get out now, huh?" said Erza, staring him down.
"We will meet again," said Ulquiorra neutrally.
"Yeah, well, while you can still hear me, take this message to your precious Lord Aizen," Erza said bitterly. "Take it word for word, and don't forget a single god-damned syllable!
"You made it personal, you son of a bitch. You went after my family. You are beyond redemption. When you come here, I'll kill you myself. I won't allow you to live, not while you threaten me, my kin, and all I hold dear!"
If Ulquiorra had an opinion, he did not share it. He stared in silence as he slowly ascended into the sky, where he was eventually swallowed up by the portal. It closed behind him, leaving only the night sky.
Aizen watched as Ulquiorra walked into the private council room. He kept his face entirely devoid of sentiment, almost as dispassionate as his ragged subordinate's.
Ulquiorra Cifer, normally such an immaculate, tidy sight, looked a mess. His clothes were torn in several places. His mask fragment was visibly chipped, missing pieces of bone. One sleeve dangled from his shirt by a few threads. His clothes were stained by dark red blood, the espada's own. Although his flesh had already knitted shut and his extraordinary body had already healed, it was obvious where he had been wounded- and how many times, at that.
"I have failed you."
Aizen took his time to answer. He had asked for his subordinate to report as soon as the mission was over, in private; the only person by the table besides he was Tousen Kaname. It was no wonder, then, that the espada had not bothered to change his clothes. They punctuated the statement quite firmly.
There was no shame in his voice, just as there was never any pride. Ulquiorra Cifer was beyond such human concepts, which was one of the reasons Aizen favoured him above all of his other servants. With Ulquiorra, there was never emotional conflict, never an irrational decision brought about by the need to live up to some personal ideal. There was only ever the fundamental need for purpose beyond just sustaining his existence, a need that had chained the arrancar to Aizen more firmly than any threat or force ever could.
"So you have," said Aizen. "What happened?"
"I threatened the girl, as commanded. I was quite confident that she was sufficiently terrified. I was mistaken. An ambush waited for me when I came to retrieve her. Erza Scarlet struck from behind, broke my arm, and kept me on the defensive until Captains Kuchiki Byakuya and Soifon came to her aid, alongside the auxiliary, Kurosaki Ichigo, and the renegade, Urahara Kisuke."
Aizen would have whistled, if he had been disposed to such emotional displays. That was quite a combination. No wonder Ulquiorra had asked for retrieval.
"I see," he said, tapping the table with his fingers, leaning back in his chair as if deep in thought.
"The mission was a failure, lord," said Ulquiorra, "for my miscalculations."
The implication lay beneath. I have failed you. Will you punish me? And, under that implication lay the one thing Ulquiorra did fear: to be sent away from his master. To once again lack purpose. To be cast adrift in a world devoid of meaning, all power and no point.
Aizen wouldn't, of course, but it might do the arrancar some good to stew on the possibility for a few moments.
Eventually, after a minute or so, he said, "It is of no consequence."
"Lord?"
"Her capture was non-essential to the war effort. Had it succeeded, it would have sapped morale, but it would not have been enough to change the outcome of the war. Had it succeeded, it would have been good. Failed? It changes nothing."
"I understand."
He probably didn't, but then again, he didn't need to- and more importantly, he knew he didn't need to.
After a short pause, the espadaadded, "She had some choice words, lord."
"Oh?" said Aizen.
"She said she intends to kill you personally. On account of having targeted her family."
"That does sound like Erza Scarlet," said Aizen, amused under his mask of dispassionate professionalism. "You are dismissed, at any rate. Go get some new clothes."
"Yes, lord."
The espada bowed his head, turned around, and walked out. As he closed the door, Tousen turned to look at his lord.
"If I may ask a question, Lord Aizen?"
"Ask, Kaname."
"There will be voices in your court who call this a pattern of repeated failure. Voices used to forceful, direct action, unable to see the long-term wisdom of your actions."
"That's not much of a question, Kaname."
"Lord, what was this mission meant to accomplish?"
It was unusual for Kaname to be this direct. He had to have some doubts, too.
Dismissively, his voice the verbal equivalent of a shrug, Aizen said, "If Inoue Orihime were to be captured, it would demolish the morale of Erza Scarlet. In a best case scenario, she becomes liable to do something foolish."
"Surely she would be replaced as commander?"
"Of course. But, with Grimmjow in her care, and with Urahara Kisuke present… well, it would be just like her to charge into hostile territory to save somebody important to her, and she'd certainly have the means to enter Hueco Mundo. Perhaps she'd even pull the auxiliaries with her."
"…Leaving them trapped in Hueco Mundo, where we could pick them off one by one," Kaname said approvingly. "If she pulled enough forces along with her in such a mad pursuit, the Gotei might even be persuaded to send in reinforcements- further elements we could trap here, or kill one by one. It would leave the Gotei bereft of key fighters in the final battle. Truly, Lord Aizen, that is a brilliant idea."
"Hardly," said Aizen. "In theory it is a good idea, but as much as Yamamoto is an ignorant buffoon without the vision or moral clarity to do what needs to be done, he is no fool. There is no way the old man would approve a rescue mission into hostile territory with the war so close. It would be insanity. I would have settled for capturing Erza Scarlet and whomever she might have dragged along with her. Expecting more than that is not genius, but a reliance on one's enemy making an enormous mistake."
"I… see. Of course, lord," said Kaname with a nod. "A shame that Ulquiorra failed, then."
"It seems we underestimated Inoue Orihime," Aizen conceded. "It is of no consequence. The plan, Kaname, commences as expected."
"What do I tell any rabble-rousers, lord? Word will spread."
"I care not," Aizen muttered. "Let them see what happens to those who rebel. The strongest of the strongest are in the palm of my hand. They will respect that."
"Yes, lord."
"Leave me," said Aizen. "I must ponder the battles to come."
"Yes, lord."
As Kaname left, Aizen stared into space. Ulquiorra, foiled… he had never thought he'd see the day. He had hoped to bring Erza into the fold, willingly or not. Part of him still wanted to prove to her he was right, wanted her to live in his world, to show her its benefits, make her realize it was better… and he couldn't do that if she was dead.
Oh well. Let nobody say he hadn't tried.
Aizen hadn't lied when he said he needed to consider the war to come. There was much to work through, mentally. Logistics alone was something of a nightmare. Human shape or not, an arrancar was still a hollow, and most of them were too used to brutish, self-centered tactics- if the notion of tactics even entered their little minds- and setting up a plan simple enough that they could be bullied into following it was a challenge on its own. Then, of course, no plan ever survived contact with the battlefield. The unforeseen would make its ugly presence known soon enough, and he would need to have contingencies in place. This was why he spent long hours just taking mental notes, formulating hypothetical scenarios, considering potential problems and how he'd react to them. Know every possibility he could consider, and prepare accordingly: that was how he'd defeat them all.
Eventually, though, he tired of these musings. After an hour or so of running through a multitude of potential flaws and failures, and how to remedy them, he stood up from his chair and walked toward the privacy of his office. Alone with only the company of his mind, he felt as much at home as he ever had. Nowhere else could he really think, really focus, like in the space he had made his own. He did not bemoan the duties and responsibilities he had taken on as ruler of these monsters, but he did find them tedious. His own study, therefore, was an essential space to him, an oasis of calm to mentally reinvigorate himself.
He had to have been tired. There was no other explanation of why, as he opened the door to his office and shut it behind him, it took him a moment to notice it. In the dark, behind his desk, there sat a figure. Aizen's first thought was that some arrancar had arrogantly overstepped himself, and earned a swift death. Immediately after that thought he noticed the reiatsu quietly emanating like the hum of a fine-tuned engine, impossible to mistake for that of an arrancar.
That was one second. In the next, he truly saw the intruder, and realized the predicament he was in.
Behind the desk sat a figure that seemed rather tall and imposing, even though he was not standing. His face was cold, a mask of cruel and distant confidence. A black, neatly trimmed beard adorned the lower half of his face, and a simple golden band sat on his skull. Black, armoured plate mail enclosed his entire body, the white of a cloak lined with fur hanging from his shoulders. Across his lap lay Aizen's blade, his zanpakutou, Kyouka Suigetsu.
For a moment, Aizen froze. A hundred thoughts raced through his head.
How is this possible? Who dared? That is my weapon- how dare he? I'll cut his heart out! Well, not without my blade- and if he has the ability to slip into my castle undetected, he must be skilled and powerful indeed. This could be very, very bad.
Then the moment passed, and Aizen smiled calmly, taking a relaxed couple steps forward.
"I was not expecting guests," he said warmly. "Shall I have the servants bring you some refreshments?"
"Your courtesy is noted and appreciated, Lord of Hueco Mundo," said the figure sitting in his chair, "but I will decline. What I have to say needs no witnesses."
Aizen stopped a handful of yards away, carefully analyzing the intruder. He had taken no action to attack. He was not at all tense; in fact, he was relaxed, at rest as if he was sitting in his favourite chair with no enemy in sight. It was not an assassination, then? It might still be. Perhaps he was the gloating type. But, for now, it seemed like it was… a demonstration of power, perhaps. What clearer message was there than to take Aizen's personal seat, cradling his own weapon? I am better than you. You are not safe even in your personal sanctum. It was the sort of message Aizen would have relished in sending to his enemies. To be on the receiving end of it, he had to admit, was irksome.
The intruder was powerful, on closer inspection- very powerful, although he hid it well. The meticulous way he maintained his reiatsu, even though he was clearly a mere human…
"Tell me, sir," said Aizen, maintaining the same sense of false courtesy, "would I be mistaken in assuming you are a quincy?"
"As I might have expected of the king of hollows," said the figure. "You are correct in your assessment. Forgive me- my manners are rather lacking. I am King Sigismund Abaddon Ywach, ruler of the Wandenritter, the knights of the holy order of Vanden."
"I welcome you into my keep, King of the Vanden," said Aizen calmly, briefly imagining himself skewering the man. Could he make a lunge for his blade? Kido, perhaps? No- a man such as he would not let himself be taken by surprise. Better to wait and see.
"Be at ease," said the king calmly. "I have come here to speak, not to quarrel."
"And I see you have helped yourself to my seat in the meantime," said Aizen with a smile, "and my blade, too."
"A little careless to leave your weapon unattended, I would say," said the king, raising the zanpakutou, drawing out a few inches of its length from the sheath, inspecting it, "but then again, any lord would expect himself safe in his keep."
"So I did," Aizen admitted. "Clearly, I was labouring under false assumptions."
"Forgive the impropriety of my actions," said the king, sounding sincere. "I would not normally insult the honour of a fellow warrior like so, but I am well aware of the qualities of this blade. I would rather not become enthralled to it."
"I quite understand," said Aizen calmly. Honour? Was he serious? He couldn't be, surely. How could anyone doing something like this be anything but playing pretend, just like Aizen, himself, did? But, then again… Lanza had reported that they valued honour quite considerably. "I would like to ask one thing, though."
"Please," said the king.
"How, exactly, did you enter my realm? I would have noticed a conventional portal opening this close. They cause… ripples."
"We of the Wandenritter have learned many things," said King Sigismund cryptically, "and to walk between the worlds is not beyond us. It is a rare enough talent, I admit, and not one that can be used frivolously or easily, but… Hueco Mundo is not beyond us."
"Evidently, oh king of knights."
"If Lord Aizen would not mind," said the king courteously, "I would rather like to discuss the reason I have come here."
"I thought that you would never ask."
"As it happens," said the king, shifting in Aizen's seat, leaning forward a little while still keeping a firm grip on Kyouka Suigetsu, "you recently confronted the little expedition that was sent, on my command, to Karakura Town."
"So I did," said Aizen. There was no point in denying it.
"Doubtless you must already have inferred quite a few things. You are, I know, a man of considerable intellect."
Flattery? Unperturbed, Aizen replied, "I have come to some conclusions, yes."
"If you would indulge me, just how much have you figured out?"
"That there are quincies alive and well, whose power rivals that of a captain," said Aizen slowly. Whatever the case, the more time he bought, the better. "That at least a handful exist, but that they likely represent a larger organization- how large, I cannot be sure. That the death of the great quincy clans is an exaggerated claim. That these quincies have some stake in the coming conflict- why else would they monitor it? Which in turn means they are not only powerful, but well informed, and capable of hiding from the prying eyes of the Gotei. Which means that it is less likely to be a handful of survivors, and more likely to be a force to be reckoned with. Your very presence seems to confirm my hypothesis, Your Majesty."
The king nodded approvingly. "As expected from the great deceiver, you are as cunning as we have come to expect."
"My thanks."
"I will speak frankly, if you would permit it."
"Please do."
"We know of your designs," said the king severely, "just as we do the designs of the Gotei. You intend to make war, to conquer them, and seize power for yourself. You intend then to create an item of great power. What for, I do not yet know. But, much is known to us, Aizen Sousuke of Hueco Mundo, and we do not fear either arrancar or shinigami."
"Evidently."
"You have confronted our forces. You were able to detect us, which is commendable. Undoubtedly, you must wonder where we stand in all this."
"I confess to some curiosity, yes," said Aizen, in what had to be the understatement of the year.
"We do not stand at all."
"A strange statement for a man holding my weapon hostage," said Aizen, a little sarcasm creeping into his voice. "I would have understood a grudge against the Gotei, but… you claim to have no stake in this at all?"
"We have our eyes on the Gotei, but believe it or not, we bear them no grudge. We do not hate them. We do, however, have an interest in the upcoming conflict. Perhaps you will become ruler. Perhaps- I hope- you will become a better ruler than old Yamamoto. Whatever happens, we wish to know- but we have no intention of interfering."
"It pains me to accuse my guest of being disingenuous," said Aizen, shaking his head, "but the likelier scenario, from my perspective, is that your warriors lie in wait until the battle is done, and sweep in to crush whomever is left standing for a total victory, easily won."
The king gave him a sharp look.
"You do not know us, or our ways," he said after some deliberation, "and as such I will be charitable enough not to take offense at your remark, but rest assured that I would rather die than use such cowardly tactics. If the Wandenritter wished to do battle with the Gotei Thirteen, they would hear us coming by the fanfares of our war-horns, after we sent them a formal declaration of war. Our banners would colour the battlefield black and white, and our blades would dye the ground red with the blood of their fallen. We are knights. We do not, as some others do, hide our intentions with deceit and treachery. We do not pledge fealty, only to turn our backs on our word when it is convenient. We do battle in the open, and we do so honourably, even if it means sacrificing an advantage."
His voice had remained calm, but his words had not. Aizen felt his confidence growing a little. "Have I struck a nerve? I suppose my methods would seem… unsavoury to you."
"I spoke plainly," said the king indifferently, "and to be fair, you accused me of lying only a second ago."
"Regardless, I do not see how I can trust the word of a man who comes into my castle like a thief in the night and lays hands on my weapon."
"Then consider the following," said the king icily. "I could have killed you, lord of Hueco Mundo, the moment you walked in here. You are robbed of your greatest weapon, whereas I am not. Had we so desired, we could have assassinated any one of your strongest- or the Gotei's, at that. If we desired, we could have struck you both as you prepared for war. But, we have not, because we have no stake in this conflict. Nor would we if we did, because honour forbids it. Your life, the lives of the captains you seek to kill, they are in themselves proof of our distance. You may not believe in honour, lord, but you do believe in hard logic. Do you not?"
"I do," said Aizen with a nod. "Then, what is it you have come here to tell me? I suppose an alliance against a common enemy is not on the table."
"Flippancy will earn you nothing, Lord Aizen," said the king, "but I will get to the point. Leave my group alone. Do not concern yourself with their presence. Proceed with your plans as you would have otherwise. Move against my people and it will be considered an act of war, and then you will know what it means to face a knight in combat."
"And, if I do leave you alone?"
"Then you will be left alone in turn."
"And, you will not interfere at all?"
"I swear so on my honour, on behalf of all the knights under my command, and may I be struck dead if I break this vow."
"Hard to trust…" said Aizen after some deliberation, "but still, what choice do I have?"
"Indeed," said the king, a sense of finality in his voice.
"Then so be it," said Aizen calmly. "I shall leave all your forces be. I will make no further efforts to confront them, and I will not interfere in any way with their operations."
"Do you so swear?"
"What does the word of a traitorous cur mean to a king of knights?"
"Even so," the king insisted, "swear it. Swear it, and we will be finished here."
"I swear it," said Aizen, his voice emphatic and genuine.
King Sigismund nodded, and stood up.
"Then our pact is sealed." He bowed courteously; Aizen nodded back in return.
Then, to Aizen's surprise, he tossed the zanpakutou back to Aizen, who nearly fumbled, nearly dropped the blade in amazement. Out of all things the king might have done, that was the last. Although he was surprised, his hand grasped the sheath, wrapping tightly around it. It took only an instant to draw the blade, and filled with triumphant glee, he cried, "Kyouka Suigetsu!" calling on the blade's power as he charged the arrogant human that had dared invade his realm.
His strike was met with a flawless parry, the zanpakutou clashing with an ornate greatsword. When had he even drawn his weapon? Aizen hadn't even seen him move.
Regardless, it was all over now. He envisioned the illusion he would put the haughty 'king' under. Powerful or not, he would be helpless against the trappings of Kyouka Suigetsu.
Then Aizen realized that the king's eyes were closed. He grit his teeth.
"Excellent form," said the king civilly. "Would that such skill were guided by honour rather than naked pragmatism."
"My thanks," Aizen hissed.
"Do not make the mistake of thinking that fighting with my eyes closed would disadvantage me in any way," warned the king. "I am the greatest quincy that ever lived, and this is a realm of the spiritual. I can see without the use of my eyes, as clear as day."
Aizen took a step back, breaking out of combat. Still keeping his guard up, he stared down the quincy king. Somehow, Aizen believed him.
"I will not hold this against you," continued King Sigismund, "but I would advise against further combat. I shall take my leave now- hold to our agreement, or there will be consequences."
"You are one arrogant bastard, oh king of the Wandenritter," said Aizen. "Very well. Take your leave. Begone from my castle- you are overstaying your hospitality."
He ached to kill this man, ached to teach him a lesson, but the logical part of Aizen warned him against it. It was an unnecessary risk against an unknown force, strong enough to contend with him. Let him, then. Let him have his moment.
"Fare thee well, lord of Hueco Mundo," said the king, grasping his sword in both hands, pointing its tip downward. Darkness began to envelop him, tendrils black as night, spreading around him like wisps of smoke. "I hope that, should you triumph, you will become a better ruler than Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai. Else we may find reason to quarrel…"
As he spoke his last word, the king disappeared, the darkness around him appearing to collapse in on itself. A second later he was gone entirely, as if he had never been there in the first place. Aizen grit his teeth, an enormous anger welling up in his chest. How dared he? This mere human?
At an impulse, he lashed out with a hand, sending kido-powered flames to consume every book on a small shelf on his wall. He watched them burn in silence, taking a few deep breaths, collecting himself.
Then he sheathed his blade, and put out the fire with a thought. He carefully fastened the blade to his side. He would not be going anywhere without it, from now on.
These quincies… speak as courteously as they might, they had made an enemy today. When he had what was his, when the Gotei kneeled to him, he would find them and kill them to the last. But, that… would have to wait. One thing at a time. First the Gotei… then the Wandenritter.
Haschwalth watched his liege lord fade into view. He kneeled in front of the throne, where he had stood patiently in wait for his king's return. The royal hall had felt so very empty without His Majesty, and seeing his lord coming back brought a great relief to Haschwalth's heart. Aizen Sousuke was one of the few people in existence who could possibly kill a man of His Majesty's calibre, even if it was unlikely. It was a rare enough event to witness his king moving such great distances with his personal magic, too; the ability to move from one space to another, from shadow to shadow, was a skill mastered only by very few of their order. It had taken some effort for Haschwalth to move from Japan to the castle for the evening. To move so easily between two planes of existence, that was a skill nobody but the king possessed.
"Rise, grand master."
Haschwalth obeyed, and saw the king open his eyes, taking a seat on the throne, placing his blade across his lap.
"Your Majesty," said Haschwalth, bowing lightly. "I trust all went well?"
"As well as could be expected, Jugram."
"Aizen Sousuke…" said Haschwalth ponderously. "What is your impression of him, my liege?"
"A megalomaniacal psychopath," said the king simply. "You should have seen him, Jugram. Ice-cold, the entire time. I never even sensed anything like discomfort or shock from him, even though I had to have offended him gravely. He is a man consumed by ego and by hubris, yet… he put that aside quite easily. I gave him back his blade toward the end, and he burst into action instantly. I have never seen such self-control outside our order. He is a viper, Jugram, a cold-blooded snake. Absolutely formidable, even without considering his powers and skill set."
"Do you expect he will honour your terms?"
"That man has no more honour than a bottom-feeding rat," said the king with some distaste, "but he will not be given a choice. He can ill afford a second enemy. As self-assured as he is, the force he faces is at least as powerful as his own."
Jugram nodded. "I will keep a close watch over Karakura, my liege."
"See that you do," said the king with a nod, "and make sure to keep a very low profile."
"Yes, sire."
"Leave me," commanded the king. "Return to Karakura immediately. I want daily updates."
"By your command, my liege," said Haschwalth, bowing again to his king before marching out.
Sigismund watched him leave. The war was not so distant anymore. Even at the side-lines, a stray arrow could strike true. They were coming close now, to the final confrontation between hollow and shinigami… and the crossfire might be immense.S
Well, safe to say Im pretty sure that we managed to take you all for a loop. Yes, the kidnapping of Orihime Inoue was a complete and total failure this time around. This was planned for a very long time, since Erza raised Orihime up very differently than she was in cannon. As we've shown time and time again, she has more of a spine, and we have more planned for her going forward.
Aizen and Yhwach's meeting was something I ALWAYS wanted to do. Cannon teased us with it, but the only interaction we got between the two of them was during the very short and brief final battle. Not nearly satisfying enough. Here however, I hope that I have made up for that disappointment.
Yhwach isn't lying either by the way. The Quincy's will NOT be interfering in the upcoming war. While Im sure we could pull off a three way war, I think its best that we don't. Simply put this way we can better develop the Quincy side who desperately need the character growth compared to the other sides. Besides, I'd rather not rush things along.
However, this is where we start the huge cannon divergence. Everything that happened in the Huecco Mundo Invasion arc? NOT going to happen. Almost all the fights from here on out will be entirely original. (with a few notable exceptions.) I do hope that you all enjoy the new direction we take it in.
But that's all I have to say for now. Im very eager to hear what all of you think of the events that transpired in this chapter, so please, leave us a review to tell us what you think. This really would mean a lot to us, more so than usual.