It's a bit of a shorter chapter this time around. However, this will be the last of our "build up" chapters. Why is that now? Well, you'll just have to read to find out!
I dont own Bleach of fairy tail. Those belong respecitvly too Tite Kubo and Shounen jump and Hiro Mashima and Weekly shounen magizine. This is just for fun!
Erza was chewing through her breakfast alongside Orihime. She treasured these moments more than ever now. The meeting from last night had upset her, even shaken her, and some semblance of normalcy was relieving. Necessary, even. Jellal Fernandes… still alive. Still her enemy. Somehow, a better person than before. It had been much easier when she had been resolute in the simplicity of her hatred for him, when he had just been a villain, a wicked ghost from her past that could be put out with a swift hammer's blow to the skull.
Now… she wasn't so sure. She didn't believe him completely. Not yet, not so easily. But, there had been a sincerity about him that she found hard to dismiss. A very old part of her, one that had refused to die even in the face of all the horrors she had seen since her death, wanted to think he could be a better man. The part of her that had been uplifted into Fairy Tail, the one that had come to believe in family, camaraderie, in a better way. In forgiveness. In second chances.
She had found it hard to square that part with reality sometimes, but it had refused to go away, something she was grateful for.
Most of the time.
"Erza?" Orihime's voice drew her back to reality. "Erza, are you even listening?"
"Er, yes. Of course," said Erza sheepishly. Then, realizing she had just lied, she quickly said, "Well um, I sort of drifted off. Sorry."
"Honestly, Erza," Orihime huffed. "This is sort of a big deal, and now you're daydreaming?"
"I… didn't sleep very well," said Erza. At least that wasn't a lie. She was tired, having spent most of the night sleeplessly staring into the wall before finally drifting off, well into the wee hours of the morning. "What's the big deal?"
"Ichigo," said Orihime.
Erza blinked. "Did something happen? Is he okay?"
"It's not bad," said Orihime dismissively. "You'd know that if you listened."
"I'm sorry," said Erza, sighing. "From the top? I'll listen this time."
"Yesterday, I talked to Ichigo."
"That's not unusual."
"I asked him out."
Erza blinked.
"Huh."
"Did you actually hear what I just said?" Orihime said insistently.
"You just asked Ichigo out," Erza repeated. The statement seemed to appease Orihime.
"Well?"
"I… well, I guess I'm not too surprised," said Erza, although that wasn't quite true; she hadn't seen it coming, but it made a fair amount of sense now that she heard it. "You've been friends since forever. You're the same age. You're both at that age when you start noticing other people in that way. It's, um… well, you could do a lot worse than Ichigo."
"Not even a gasp?" said Orihime, frowning.
"Oh… my… god," Erza said dramatically, grinning. "You and Ichigo? No freaking way!"
"That's more like it!" Orihime said cheerily. "You see, I just calmly walked over there, frankly told him how I felt, and he agreed to go out with me!"
"Well, way to go," said Erza with a chuckle.
"Well, that's sort of a total lie," Orihime confessed. "I barely got the words out, and it was only because he was too dumbstruck to say anything himself. I felt like I was… going to ruin everything. Like my insides turned into jelly."
"Well, at least you got that part out of the way while you're still young," Erza said, recalling the absolute mess that had been her and Momo's first kiss.
"What if I do mess it up, though?" said Orihime, frowning.
"Firstly," said Erza firmly, "do not, under any circumstances, ask me about relationships. I don't know the first thing about men, and I'm just barely managing my first real relationship. Secondly… you're kids, the both of you. Everything seems real important, but at the end of the day, it really won't be the end of the world if it doesn't work out. It might hurt, but you'd learn from it, and you'd still be friends. You'd still be the people who went through hell and back together. So, just… take it easy, see where it goes, and don't overthink it."
"Didn't you say I wasn't supposed to take relationship advice from you?" said Orihime cheekily.
"Very funny, young lady," said Erza, rolling her eyes. "Finish your cinnamon-and-tuna toast. You've got school soon."
"Yes, sir!" said Orihime, giving Erza a mock salute.
"Erza!"
Speak of the devil, thought Erza. It was Momo, barging into the kitchen in full uniform.
"What's going on?" said Erza sharply, mentally preparing herself for bad news.
"I just got an urgent message," said Momo. "The captain-commander is calling for an official meeting at nine-hundred hours. All captains, including those on a mission, are expected to be ready by then."
"Here or in the Gotei?"
"Mr. Urahara has set up something at HQ," explained Momo. "I don't know any more than that."
"I'll be right there, then," said Erza. What was going on now? It couldn't be an invasion; she'd be the first to know. Tactics, maybe? More logistics? No reason to speculate; she'd know soon enough.
"Lord Aizen, I answer your call."
Jellal stood calm and composed at the entrance, arms tucked in behind his back. He had received a summons only hours after his return to Las Noches. Despite knowing that he had probably been found out, despite knowing he might have ruined himself, there was a strange calm about him. Having seen Erza's anger, having spilled his guts and begged her forgiveness, it had given him more peace of mind than he had ever expected. He felt like a load had been lifted off his shoulders. He did not feel absolved of his crimes against her, but he felt as if he had at least taken a strong step in the right direction. His conscience was lighter, and his mind was focused in a way it hadn't been since he had first joined Lord Aizen.
"Lanza. You may approach," said Aizen, from behind the desk of his office.
"Begging your pardon, sir," said Jellal, "but I no longer answer to that name."
"Oh?" said Aizen bemusedly. "What, pray tell, do you answer to, then?"
"My name is Jellal Fernandes, formerly of Fiore, now of Hueco Mundo. Once a mage, now an arrancar."
"Jellal… Fernandes," said Aizen curiously. "Very well, Jellal. Approach."
Jellal obeyed, marching forward until he stood right in front of Aizen's desk.
"Tell me," said Aizen calmly, "did you seriously expect to hide your little excursion from me?"
"Not seriously, lord."
"You are a strange person, Jellal," said Aizen inscrutably. "I cannot think of one subordinate who would not quiver in fear after being found out doing something as obviously subversive and treasonous as that. Yet here you stand, and I sense not an ounce of fear about you."
"Because I have none, lord. Because my conscience is, if not clean, then at least cleaner than ever before."
"You reject the charge of treason, then?"
"I do, lord."
"You were found to have met one of our greatest enemies in secret. Szayel was unable to get a reading on what you said, but he detected Erza Scarlet's signature about you. Leftover particles, you see. Like a fingerprint. You expect me to believe you did not go behind my back to betray me after this?"
"I will try my best to convince you, sir."
"Alright," said Aizen with a shrug. "Convince me, then. Why did you go in secrecy, if not to betray me?"
"It was a deeply personal errand, lord. I went in secrecy because I had to do it alone. Because you might have said no if I had asked permission- or worse, used it against her."
"Hardly a point in your favour, Lan- Jellal," said Aizen, but his tone betrayed no anger.
"Erza Scarlet was… was once, a very long time ago, dear to me. I will not bother you with the full details, but she was a childhood friend to me- and I wronged her. Caused her death. She had a personal hatred for me, and I had a great regret for that. I knew in my heart that I could not go into battle fully committed if I had not resolved that. So, I spoke to her, in secret. She, just like me, went in secret without letting her allies know. We both needed the closure. She was my comrade, once. My sister, not by blood but by any other metric. I would have died for her, then."
"Jellal, I asked for you to make your case to me, not dig your own grave. Not only did you go behind my back, but you admit to a bias in favour of one of our greatest enemies?"
"I had a bias, lord," said Jellal, choosing his words carefully, "and truthfully, it is still there. But, I know now, better than ever, what I must do. We both died young, she and I. Fate took us to opposite sides. I've seen too much cruelty to pass up on your vision, Lord Aizen, and I am committed to fulfilling it now more than ever. I just had to set right, or at least try to set right, the wrongs I had committed in the past."
"And if I find this story unconvincing?"
"Then there is nothing I can do, Lord Aizen. My life is in your hands. But, ask yourself- if I had been a traitor like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, would I have come back? Knowing your skills, your complete control over your agents? Would I not have taken amnesty there and then, like he did? Would I not, like you said, quiver in fear as if I knew I had done something wrong?"
Aizen gave him a long, inquisitive stare. "You say you came from the same world as she did."
"So I did, lord."
"You will have to tell me about that some time," said the lord curiously, "and obviously, you could not do that if I killed you."
"Sir," said Jellal, not having much to add to it. Even now, even under the threat of death, the calm would not leave him.
"You do seem different," said Lord Aizen, "confident. You always struck me as the sort to defer to authority, to seniority, but here you are doing anything but. I think I like it."
"Thank you, lord," said Jellal.
"For now," said Aizen, "I will choose to believe you. But, I warn you, Jellal: do not disappoint me. If you come face to face with her again, will you hesitate?"
"I doubt if I could overcome her," said Jellal, "but if I had to? If I could? If that was what was required of me, lord, I would do it. It would aggrieve me, but I would. The world you've promised us is worth it."
"I will see you in a few hours for another consejo meeting," said Lord Aizen. "Unless I instruct you otherwise, speak nothing of this to anybody.
"Yes, lord," said Jellal firmly. Although the calm had not left him, he was relieved- no, just glad- to have been spared. He had been given a chance. No matter what, even if it cost him his life, he would take it.
Aizen would lead them into a bright future. There was no way he wouldn't. He was a kind and understanding lord. Was this meeting not evidence of that?
Erza was wrong. She had to be. Aizen was not a snake. He was the man who would finally end the cycle of violence. If not…
There was no if. His path had been set, and his faith had never been stronger.
Erza arrived at headquarters without thinking too much on what the captain-commander might have to say. She would find out soon enough, and the fact that there was no imminent disaster to deal with left her feeling less than agitated. Calmly, she changed the orders of the day as necessary. Patrols still had to be manned, and with Byakuya and Soifon tied to HQ, that meant some reorganizing. Erza spent about half an hour grunting to herself as she sorted it out, eventually managing to find an appropriate re-arrangement.
With the logistics of this sudden change worked out, Erza took a moment to sit back and think.
What she had done last night was, to put it mildly, highly irregular and suspicious as far as any of her superiors would be concerned. She had had her reasons, but she doubted they would see it that way. She could try to keep it secret, but the longer that went buried, the worse it would look when- if- it was unearthed. If she came clean now…
…then she might be put under investigation and lose her position.
Briefly, Erza considered keeping it secret. She knew she was loyal, and had given away nothing relating to the Gotei's military readiness. What harm would it do?
What harm would it do?
That, Erza decided, was the sort of first step that led to a slippery slope. No lies, no deceit, no skeletons in the closet. That was not her way.
"Soifon!" she called, knowing the Stealth Corps commander's office was just down the hall.
"Commander?" said Soifon, promptly appearing in the doorway of Erza's office within seconds of Erza's command.
"Come inside, and close the door behind you, please," said Erza.
Soifon obeyed, and took a seat in front of Erza's desk.
"What is the matter, commander?" she asked.
Erza took a deep breath.
"Around midnight last night I met up with the arrancar designated as Lanza Valiente after having been contacted by one of his associates earlier the same morning. I lied- his servant didn't just run away; he left a message for his lord, where he wished to meet me in person, privately."
"…Commander, have you taken leave of your senses?" said Soifon, baffled.
"There's more," said Erza.
"Of course there is. Keep going," said Soifon, sighing.
"Lanza Valiente's real name is Jellal Fernandes. He's an old associate- and old friend of mine. The man who killed me. We spoke in secrecy to resolve our past differences."
"For pity's sake, Erza," said Soifon irritably. "After the way you handled the fullbringer crisis, I was starting to really respect your leadership abilities, and now you pull this? This could have been a trap. You could have been captured. Or killed!"
"I'm sorry," said Erza with a sigh.
"First things first," said Soifon sharply. "Did you go there with the intention of deceiving or betraying the Gotei Thirteen?"
"No."
"Did you reveal any sensitive information regarding the upcoming war, or the Gotei in general?"
"No. We spoke about the war, but no such details came up."
"What did you speak about?"
"Our past differences. He proclaimed to have become a better person since last we spoke. I… think I believe him. But, at the end of the day, all it meant was that we both had a chance to move forward freely."
Soifon sat back, rubbing her temples.
"Erza Scarlet," she muttered angrily, "you are a massive pain in my rear, do you know that?"
"I seem to have that effect on people."
"With your past, and the fact that one of these enemies is apparently an old ally-"
"Mostly an enemy. He killed me, remember?" Erza corrected her.
"Whatever. My point is, this is not a good look for you."
"I'm aware. But Soifon… what do you think? As the Gotei's chief intelligence officer and investigator."
"My judgment is not impartial," Soifon muttered. "We're… friends. I think."
"We are," Erza assured her.
"Even so," said Soifon thoughtfully, "this does sound exactly like the sort of foolish thing you would do. You do not have the guile to keep this sort of thing hidden. The fact that you came to me speaks in your favour, too. Of course, the captain-commander might not care…"
"My fate is in your hands," said Erza with a shrug. "Come what may, I trust you'll make the right decision."
"You are a pain in the rear," Soifon growled. "Look- alright, listen…"
"Yes?"
Soifon leaned her chair back, tilting it back and forth, putting a hand over her mouth, appearing to think. Erza did not pressure her, letting the little captain work things out by herself.
"Yes, yes… no…" Soifon muttered, "but maybe…"
She trailed off. After perhaps a minute, she looked Erza in the eye.
"This is what we'll say," said Soifon sharply. "You were contacted by this… Jellal character. You spoke to me about this as an opportunity to glean information from our enemy, and on my advice you went there in secrecy. However, you were unable to draw anything of substance from the arrancar, and he escaped before you could make an attempt at arresting or eliminating him. This was a Stealth Corps operation, and as such classified, which is why this was not told to anyone."
"…Covering up my mistake with a lie?" said Erza.
"It's either that or taking it right to the captain-commander and risking your position, your freedom, and your life," snapped Soifon. "You're on the edge of a knife, Erza. You used to work for Aizen. You've openly decried the Gotei for corruption. You think Yamamoto promoted you just because he was impressed with your swordplay? You're being kept close, and if he thinks you're a risk, you will be eliminated one way or another."
"Fair point," Erza muttered.
"You've been honest once," said Soifon bluntly, "and that's enough. You had your reasons. They were stupid reasons, but I don't think you're a traitor. I'll put something together in case this comes up, but for now, act as if nothing happened. Understood?"
"Understood," Erza said with a nod.
The clock was approaching nine, and Erza had rallied the relevant parties at headquarters. Urahara, who was apparently supposed to be present as well- as science and defence advisor, Erza guessed- was still putting the finishing touches to the device that would project the other half of the meeting. Rather than by screen, every participant would be represented by holographic projection. Although, looking at the way Urahara muttered to himself, closely assisted by Nozomi, made her doubt whether this technological transition was a good idea.
The rogue scientist had gotten pretty close to Nozomi, she noted. It made her a little apprehensive. At heart, Urahara Kisuke wasn't a very good person, whereas the artificial girl was.
Her attention was torn from the pair, though, as Grimmjow marched into the makeshift briefing room, escorted by Soifon.
"What the hell are you doing out of your cage?" Erza demanded.
"Tell her, tiny," said Grimmjow with a grin.
"Captain-commander's orders," said Soifon, glaring at the arrancar. She had at least chained him, Erza noticed, his arms restrained well along with his legs. Of course, it was more symbolic than anything else- those chains were nothing compared to the seal still holding his power back.
"You," said Soifon, "are to speak only when spoken to. No rude or 'clever' remarks. You are here to give direct advice regarding the layout of Las Noches only. No personal interjections. No insults. No disrespect. If any of these bounds are overstepped, I will activate the seal, and you will be humiliated in front of every captain of the Gotei. Is this understood?"
"Hell, you're fierce," said Grimmjow cheerily. "I got it, boss. I'll keep my yap shut like a good boy."
Erza frowned. She hadn't heard of this request before- it seemed rather last minute. She checked the clock.
"Almost nine," she said, making sure to speak loudly and authoritatively. "Are we all present?"
"Kuchiki Byakuya, present," said Byakuya.
"Soifon, present," said Soifon.
"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, present," said Grimmjow. "I get to say that, right?" he said, giving Soifon a cheeky look. She stared back, glaring daggers at him, but said nothing.
"And, Erza Scarlet, present," said Erza. "Urahara, how are we coming along?"
"Almost- yes, oh, there we go," he said, standing up. "Urahara Kisuke, present and ready!"
Erza nodded to Nozomi, who discreetly exited.
"We're ready to receive the other side?"
"Ready and able," said Urahara. There were ten little pads spread around on the floor, which, along with the positions they stood in, made an oval in the backroom they had chosen. The light was dim, but she had been assured that would not be an issue. On the other end, Urahara had explained, their image would likewise be projected. It would make it easier to communicate… if it stayed stable.
The clock struck nine, and Urahara threw a switch on a remote controller. There was a brief pause, then the ten little pads begun to glow, revealing circuitry Erza hadn't been able to see before. They lit up the room in a pale blue shimmer, and momentarily they stood as empty pillars of light. Then, almost as one, the image of ten captains stepped into view. At the far end of the oval stood Yamamoto himself, flanked by his other captains, Erza's group at the very end. The images were surprisingly good- rather lacking in colour, mostly a blend of white and blue, but instantly recognizable as the captains of the Gotei. Erza looked over them briefly. Renji and Lisanna were among them, and it was still odd to see them wearing the haori. They both seemed to have matured quickly. Renji wore a stern, austere expression that reminded Erza eerily of Byakuya, whereas Lisanna was the very image of professionalism, standing to attention.
"My captains," said Yamamoto, leaning on his cane. Even as a hologram, his presence was commanding.
"This meeting is hereby in session. Commander Scarlet, I trust your operation is not jeopardized?"
"Yes, sir," said Erza firmly, standing up straight. "Patrols are still in place, and we are on high alert, ready and able to respond to any threat within minutes of its emergence."
"Then let us hope no threat will disrupt us," said the captain-commander. Erza nodded in response. "I have called this meeting," said the captain-commander firmly, "to announce to you the next step of our military response to Aizen Sousuke's treasonous ambitions. Within a week at the most, it is my intention to launch a full scale invasion into Hueco Mundo, specifically the night palace of Las Noches."
Erza reeled as if struck, and it surprised her to realize she was still standing up. Her mouth was wide open in an undignified gape, the enormity of this plan hitting home deeply. She looked around to see if she was the only one. Most seemed stoic, able to keep their composure; she saw no reaction from Renji, Byakuya, Komamura, Kyouraku or Ukitake. Kenpachi grinned wide, as did Kurotsuchi Mayuri, undoubtedly for very different reasons. She thought she saw something in Soifon; surprise, maybe even shock? Regardless, the little captain recovered quickly.
"With this attack, we will strike at multiple locations and eliminate Aizen Sousuke's most powerful warriors, and thus put his command structure in ruin. From there on, we will establish control of the palace and, on a united front, chase down and assault the three traitors and kill them. It will be a concentrated effort dependent on good teamwork, but when this strike has been delivered, we will have severed the head of the snake before it can even raise its head to strike. Aizen Sousuke will face justice, not from one of our blades but from all of them.
"I have summoned you here to discuss this issue," said Yamamoto. "I will not have it said that I do not listen to my captains' views on such a major decision. Argue your case, if you would, for or against."
"Sir!" said Erza, still reeling in shock. She realized she was anything but calm and composed, realized emotion was getting the better of her, but she couldn't find it in her to be less than passionate about what she had to say.
"This, captain-commander… it's madness!" she blurted out, shaking her head. "Aizen Sousuke would be a challenge on the open field even if we picked our battle site, but in his own home? His fortress? Nobody here knows him better than me- and trust me, this course of action will be a gift to him, a boon greater than he could have asked for. Aizen is a shrewd, calculating, and absolutely ruthless opponent, one who knows us all inside out, and this… this? We would be throwing lives away, and for what? Glory? Pride? Being able to tell ourselves we took the fight to him? If you do this, we'll lose!"
"Commander," Yamamoto rumbled, having tolerated enough of her insubordinate speech, "Aizen Sousuke has failed every attempt he has made so far. He has lost numerous valuable assets, whereas we have lost none. He shows every mark of complete overconfidence. Meanwhile, we have gathered considerable data, in no small part thanks to your captive. He may know us inside out, but his forces are not a mystery to us. We are not ignorant children, commander Scarlet, not lambs for the slaughter, and your lack of faith disturbs me!"
"Sir-" Erza protested, but Yamamoto turned away from her.
"Captain Kuchiki," he said stubbornly, "what say you?"
"Whatever my duty, I will always follow it to the letter. If it is declared that my duty is to go into Hueco Mundo, to the heart of our enemies, then so be it," said Byakuya. "Although the risk is considerable, it is true that much information has been gathered. A surprise strike at a critical location could cripple our enemies. It is the last thing they would expect."
"Because nobody expects your enemy to shoot themselves in the foot!" Erza snapped.
"Captain Komamura?" said Yamamoto, ignoring her.
"Where you lead, captain-commander, I will follow," said the wolf-man firmly. "You have not led us astray yet."
I could think of a few times, thought Erza, although she knew better than to say it out loud.
"Captain Kyouraku?" said Yamamoto.
"I think I will be able to speak both for myself and Ukitake, as we're both your former students," said the captain. His usually lackadaisical attitude seemed gone, replaced by an uncharacteristic seriousness.
"Please do," said Ukitake.
"We know the old man better than any of you," said Kyouraku, "and we've seen what he is capable of. I know the idea is shocking to some of you, but our sensei is not only a fighter of unparalleled ability, but an accomplished general- one that has centuries of experience, one that has never seen defeat. Furthermore, this war… there can be no disunion, no two factions tearing us in different directions. Whatever your personal opinions on the matter, when this meeting is concluded, we must all be completely committed to our course of action. Nothing less will be sufficient. This is a dangerous plan, and it requires us all to work together like never before. I put my trust in the old man. You should, too. I've seen enough to know that there is nobody else who can see us through this."
"As Kyouraku put it," said Ukitake, "whether it's there or in Karakura, we will have war. People will die. If this succeeds, we will at least spare the human population of collateral damage."
"And if it fails," Erza growled, "they'll be helpless!"
"Commander Scarlet," said Yamamoto sternly, "you have had your say. It has been noted. Now, be silent."
Erza grit her teeth, biting her tongue, holding back the words. This was abject madness- utter insanity! Had he lost his mind?
"Captain Abarai?" said Yamamoto.
Renji shot Erza a glance.
"It's true as Captain Scarlet says," he said cautiously, "that it's very dangerous. But… that's war. If we must spill our blood, we might as well do it where we choose to."
He had spoken dispassionately, with professional distance in his tone.
Damn you, Renji, thought Erza, just how badly do you want to be like Byakuya? Do you know what a mess he is?
"Captain Strauss?" said the old man.
"I may be in the minority," said Lisanna firmly, "but we ought to listen to Captain Scarlet. No matter how personal her involvement is, nobody knows better how our enemy thinks. If she thinks this would end poorly, then I stand with her. I am opposed."
Erza's heart soared, just a little.
"Captain Unohana?"
"I recuse myself," said Unohana, shaking her head ruefully. "Tactics and strategy is not within my purview, and I will not make a definitive statement on an issue I am uneducated in."
"Wise enough," said Yamamoto. "Captain Zaraki?"
"Ya need to fuckin' ask?" said Zaraki, a shark-like grin wide across his face. "Let's jump right in there and fuck 'em up. I call dibs on the strongest one."
"Not to mention," said Kurotsuchi, "the unparalleled wealth of data. The knowledge to be found and explored… the possibilities are endless."
"Captain Hitsugaya?" said the old man.
"Aizen planned this for god knows how long," said the young captain with a frown. "We're risking too much, captain-commander. We have a strong plan of defence. Let him come to us, on our terms."
Yamamoto nodded. "Captain Soifon? As our head of intelligence, I will take your words into particular consideration."
Soifon perked up, and Erza looked at her. Support for her own point of view had been scarce, maddeningly scarce, and Soifon had never been one to reason with her heart. She looked surprisingly apprehensive as she started speaking, though.
"While it's true that we do have a fairly comprehensive understanding of Aizen's forces, this is less the case of Las Noches itself. It is based primarily off of old data from Commander Scarlet, herself, and second-hand accounts from the prisoner Jaegerjaquez. The layout is still largely hypothetical to us in many cases. It's a massive place, and there's only so much we've been able to piece together. Let me address the potential gain of the attack- if we are able to strike at the right place and eliminate Aizen's strongest warriors, we would be in a strong position even if we were forced to retreat. It could swing the tide of war completely in our favour. However, I cannot overstate the danger of operating in enemy territory. If we advanced too quickly, we could easily be cut off from reinforcements, from vital supplies, and if we advanced too slowly, we would allow the enemy to turn the terrain against us.
"If this were a simple operation for the sake of intelligence, sabotage, or the assassination of a priority target, I would send in a team even if the risk of failure and death was high, but this is not a single team. We are talking about staking the Gotei's primary military might on one attack. Is that worth it? Aizen Sousuke is arrogant, and likely will not expect it, but can we stake all of that on a likely? If he is prepared, or if he adapts quickly, it could be disastrous. Nobody understands better than I the value of a calculated, high-risk precision strike, but… we're facing an unprecedented threat. We still lack data regarding his strongest espada. We do not know what we will be walking into, and that- that is too dangerous, in my opinion. I dissent. This is a risk we should not take. I will not hesitate to do as ordered, but in my view, the risk weighed against the gain is not sufficient to justify this action."
Erza's heart truly soared this time. Soifon had spoken in her favour- no, in the favour of common sense, and surely her opinion should weigh more heavily than the yes-men the captain-commander surrounded himself with?
Yamamoto looked at her in silence, appearing to weigh her words. Finally he nodded sagely.
"Very well, captain Soifon. Your counsel has been taken into consideration."
"May I, captain-commander?"
It took Erza a second to recognize the voice, because it lacked all the false joviality and sarcasm she had come to associate with it. Urahara Kisuke had spoken up. He reached up and removed his bucket hat, staring down the old man.
"You are no captain," said the old man sternly. "You surrendered that title long ago. You may have been exonerated, but your status is not as one of us."
"Captain-commander," said Soifon, to Erza's- and Urahara's- surprise, "not only does he have experience as a senior operative of the Stealth Force, but he is also our scientific advisor and deeply involved with the planned defence. I would recommend we at least allow him to speak."
If Yamamoto was surprised, he didn't let it show. Instead, he grunted, gave what looked like a shrug, and said, "So be it. Speak, then."
"Thank you, captain-commander." He spoke in a smooth, neutral voice, as respectful as Erza had ever heard him. This had to matter to him. "I fully agree with Captain Soifon's assessment. There is nothing further to add there. But, let me remind you that Aizen has had a very long time to plan this. I very seriously doubt he hasn't made time to prepare- but that was Commander Scarlet's argument, and I won't repeat it further. But, if I am not mistaken, this new invasion would heavily depend on my own help, would it not?"
"In part, yes," said the captain-commander, "although the prisoner will establish the portals that send our battle groups through, we will need you to maintain them and secure a route for reinforcement- or escape, should it become necessary."
"I've made progress in the area of hollow portal-making," admitted Urahara, "but it is still not quite figured out. I could do it, but… I will give you this warning once, captain-commander: if I dedicate my time and energy to that matter, I will not have the defences you requested for Karakura Town ready if this backfires. They would be defenceless."
"You cannot do both?"
"If I could, I would."
"Then it is a risk we must take," said the captain-commander, and Erza's heart sunk deeper than ever before. "We are most of us in agreement. While you have brought forth genuine, serious concerns that must be accounted for, we have enough resources and data to mount this assault. To defeat him at his home turf. The invasion shall commence within a week's time."
Erza fought the urge to scream and curse at him. He had just doomed them all! This- this would be everything Aizen could have asked for. How could he be this stupid? How could he be this arrogant? How could he just ignore all their objections?
"People will die," she said bitterly.
"That, Commander Scarlet, is the nature of war," said the captain-commander, a sense of finality to his voice.
"Now," he continued, "I have already begun preparing a plan of attack based on our most recent intelligence. Captain Kurotsuchi, if you would?"
"Yes, sir," said the captain of the twelfth.
As a holographic display of Las Noches came into view, Erza turned away in bitter defeat. She couldn't watch, couldn't listen.
"We will deploy in two main forces, here and here," she heard the captain-commander say, "and from there on, we will assault the main quarters. The first squad will be led by Kyouraku Shunsui…"
Erza didn't hear the rest. She walked out, slamming the door behind her.
Madness! This was madness! This was defeat, victory given to their enemy! This was her having to come to terms with Aizen's world view winning over hers. The world was going mad, and few people were left among the sane.
"Commander."
It was Soifon who, at last, disturbed Erza in her office. She had gone to sit there in quiet fury, trying to wrap her mind about the folly their leader had committed them to.
"Commander?" Soifon repeated when Erza did not respond. She didn't even look at the little captain, opting to stare into the wall with an intense, icily furious look on her face. Her fists were clenched, and her desk had a considerable crack in it from when she had lost her patience and felt an overwhelming urge to vent some of her anger.
"Commander," Soifon said a third time, "I hope you will understand the necessity-"
"The necessity of what, Soifon?" Erza snapped, suddenly fixing her gaze on the little captain. "The necessity of throwing ourselves into a meatgrinder to satisfy the pride of that stupid, ignorant, backwards dinosaur of a man?"
"Commander, be careful in what you say-" Soifon started, but Erza had well and truly lost her patience.
"To hell with careful," she snarled. "To hell with protocol, too! We're all going to die, Soifon, for his vanity, his pride and his arrogance! What the hell is he doing? What the hell am I doing?"
She stood up and marched toward Soifon, who defiantly held her ground.
"That old bastard can go to hell, for all I care," said Erza. "I joined the Gotei to make a difference, and now… now he's decided to hand Aizen victory?"
"You don't know that!"
"Like hell I don't!" snarled Erza. "You said it, yourself; this is a fool's errand!"
"I said it was too great a risk compared to the potential benefits."
"I wanted to make a difference," said Erza coldly, "and now, I might as well not be part of this war at all."
"Commander-"
"I might as well make a run for it. I can't beat Aizen on my own. We can, but not with an idiot strategy like this. So, if this is our course, why wouldn't I just turn my back on you all?"
"Commander-"
"This is insane. You're all going to die, and it's like everyone has just decided that it's not going to happen, even though it will-"
"Erza!"
Something about Soifon's tone gave Erza pause. She had broken out of the neutral, formal speech she used normally, emotion filling up her voice for a second.
"What?" she snapped back.
"I'll ignore the fact that you technically just confessed to treasonous intent several times in a row," Soifon said stiffly. "You're angry. I get it. Whatever. You have a personal connection to this. You know Aizen better than we do. I agree this plan isn't optimal."
"There's a 'but' in there," growled Erza.
"But," said Soifon, "the situation is the way it is. Neither of us can change that. This is our course of action now, and we either fall in line or turn against it- making our chances even worse than before. Forget loyalty to the Gotei- I can tell that doesn't matter to you right now. But, loyalty to your friends? You're Erza Scarlet. There's nobody you care more about than your friends. Are you telling me you'd run away and let rookie captains like Abarai and Strauss go into battle alone, against impossible odds? Are you telling me you'd leave them behind and not fight alongside them? I know that's not true. That's not who you are!"
"…That's a low blow," said Erza, the worst of her rage blunted, her fury disappearing as if she'd just gotten a cold shower.
"It's the truth," Soifon said mercilessly. "You can't walk out of this. Not because of what will happen if you refuse to obey an order, but because of what will happen if you hear that they died fighting and you weren't there beside them."
"Soifon," Erza said pleadingly, "this is going to get us all killed. I- I can't take that. It would break me."
"You don't know that," said Soifon firmly. "It's very risky, yes, but if we plan our attack carefully, it could be incredibly effective. This is not the suicide mission you make it out to be. If you respected my opinion before, then respect it now when I tell you that we can win."
"But-"
"But, to win," Soifon continued, mercilessly hammering the point home, "every last one of us must be committed. Every last one of us must be at our very best. There must be no hesitation, only swift and decisive action. You must find a way to be that way, Erza, because if you don't, we very well might all die."
"God damn you, Soifon," Erza growled.
"Am I lying?" Soifon insisted.
Erza clenched a fist, and effortlessly let it punch a sizeable hole in the wall.
"No choice, huh?" she growled. "And, I have to do it. For them. That's good, Soifon. Even though it means following that stupid old man, I have to go for it. I just… god damn it!"
"I know," said Soifon. "I know it's hard to follow some orders sometimes, but… it's necessary. No matter how much we may hate it, when we're set on one course, we must stay with it."
"That's a lie," Erza muttered. "You've never heard an order you didn't want to follow in your life."
"You'd be surprised," said Soifon dryly. "Now, when you're finished abusing the furniture, join us outside, and put on your best leader face. It's one thing to speak as you do in private, but don't let the others know just how you feel. You're still in command of this group. We need you."
"It's a bit late for that, isn't it?" Erza said gloomily. "I don't think anyone missed it…"
"You'll do fine," said Soifon. "Now, whenever you're ready. Take your time, if you need to- I'll man the fort in the meantime. But, when you do get out…"
"Big, strong leader; got it," Erza muttered. "Get out there, then. I… I'll be with you soon."
The worst of her anger having passed, Erza took a few deep breaths as the little captain left her office. Soifon was right. Erza had no choice in this- and if she was going to do this, she had to give it her all. Still, she could not escape a gut feeling of absolute dread. Aizen was crafty enough as it was, and this? It might win him the war without even having made a move. A world where he was triumphant… that was not a world she wanted to live in.
It was with some trepidation that Jellal had answered the summons to the Consejo de la Sombra a few hours after his meeting with Lord Aizen. The unusual, almost unnatural calm that had come over him had left him some time after he spoke with his lord, and as he got to his chambers, he had begun to reflect that perhaps he had, in fact, offended his lord gravely despite his assurances. Perhaps, he had thought, he was just a security risk whether Lord Aizen believed him or not. Perhaps he might be exiled or executed. Lord Aizen was a man of vision, and that vision was vital enough that no risks could be allowed to come into play. And, if nothing could jeopardize it… where would that leave Jellal?
Still, it wasn't as if there was anything he could do about it. He certainly wasn't going to run based on what might just be paranoia. So, when the summons had come, he had taken a deep breath, strapped his sword to his belt, and gone to meet his fellow council members.
If anything was amiss, he had yet to notice it. Neliel had greeted him cheerfully as he walked in, Halibel had nodded respectfully, and Ulquiorra had more or less ignored him- all as usual. They met in the same chamber, and everything seemed very much the same as always. The only thing out of place was the fact that far in the corner, slumped over in a comfortable armchair, sat another arrancar. Even at rest, Jellal could tell he was powerful. Was that Stark? He had not seen the fabled espada up close before; he had been something like a legend out in the wastes, a hollow supposedly so powerful that one might die just from going near him. Jellal had been surprised to learn he actually existed.
After some time, Lord Aizen walked in, as collected and admirable as ever.
"My Consejo," he said warmly, "I am glad to see you all gathered here once more."
He took a seat at the head of the table. It was a much smaller thing than the imposing council table in the chamber where Lord Aizen held his official meetings, leaving all of them closer to him. It was rounded, so that there was no head of the table. There was no need to make a show of dominance here. Everyone present was committed to the cause, and fully behind Lord Aizen's vision without the need for intimidation or the threat of force.
"This may very well be the last of these meetings we all have together," said Lord Aizen, almost wistfully, "for I have summoned you here to tell you that the day is almost upon us. Within a matter of days, as time passes in the world of the living, our invasion plans will be realized. Preparations are all but finished. I brought you here to discuss the practicalities of our attack. Tell me, my council… are you ready to go to war, to unleash hell upon my enemies until they are forced to yield?"
The first to raise her voice was Halibel. "By your command, Lord Aizen," she said firmly, making a fist, "lead, and we will follow. Ask us to kill, and we will kill. This is for what you made us. That was our contract when you offered us power, and we will not fail to hold up our end of it."
"Yeah!" said Neliel cheerily. "We owe you a debt, Lord Aizen. Do you even need to ask?"
Ulquiorra said nothing, merely nodding, which seemed to be answer enough.
"How many will need to die?" said Jellal, surprising himself with his answer.
"That's a ridiculous question," said Halibel, frowning behind the high collar of her shirt. "As many as need to die, obviously."
"Of… of course," said Jellal hesitantly. "Naturally, my life is yours, Lord Aizen. We await only your command."
"I am glad you asked, still," said Lord Aizen, "for I need to discuss a detail of my plan, still. If the Gotei, in their ignorance, have found the full extent of my plans then I see no reason you should not know, too.
"As you know, my ambition is to conquer Soul Society, but in order to truly solve the problem of hegemony the Gotei exercises over the people, to solve the problem at its root… I must seek out and kill or subdue the Soul King."
Even Halibel, stoic, unflinching Halibel, tensed at that. Jellal's eyes widened. The Soul King was a legendary being, as close to a god as any entity he had ever heard of. The master of the afterlife was unknown to all but a select few of the shinigami's elite, and nobody seemed to know anything about him except that he was incredibly powerful, and equally reclusive.
"This is the tyrant whose will is imposed on the Gotei. He is the core of their ignorance. For as long as he reigns, there can be no peace," continued Aizen. "There is no other way. And, to that end… I must create the king's key. His palace is beyond our reach, lest I create this one item fit to conquer Heaven itself. Therefore, when the shinigami have been defeated, we will use the energy of ten thousand spiritually enriched souls to forge it, so that my plan may be fully realized."
Now it was Jellal who made a fist, without even realizing it at first. Ten thousand souls, snuffed out in an instant. Ten thousand lives taken. Ten thousand dead- men, women and children, slain as their souls were wrenched from their bodies. He would be party to this. Ten thousand.
"It is with a heavy heart I do this," said Aizen passionately. "I have explored every other avenue in my time with the Gotei, exhausted every angle, but the key is the only way in- and it is the only known method. To alleviate the suffering of all three realms, afterlife, life and this miserable wasteland we call home, this is what I must do."
"There is nothing to say," Jellal heard himself say. It was like hearing somebody else speak, like he was in some sort of dream. "Ten thousand dead is a drop in the bucket compared to the suffering and death that happens out in the wastes every day. Compared to what has happened in all of our wretched history? It is as nothing. If that is the price we must pay, then so be it."
"Well spoken," said Halibel with a nod. "Nothing worth having comes easily. When we ask for something as monumental as peace in a world built on violence, this seems a fair enough toll."
"I wish it didn't need to be the case," said Neliel, "but… yeah, you're right."
Ulquiorra, once more, simply nodded.
"As I expected, my council have the clarity of mind that made me choose each and every one of you," Lord Aizen said appreciatively. "Still, this is no small thing to attempt. Once the shinigami are beaten, we may have to contend with a greater foe still. Are you ready to lay down your lives if need be?"
"If I have to die a hundred times," said Jellal fiercely, his knuckles whitening from clenching his fist so hard, "then that's what I'll have to do. I stand with you, Lord Aizen, no matter the cost!"
"He speaks for all of us," said Halibel. "There is no need to ask further, lord. We are ready."
Aizen nodded. "Good. If that is the case, then I will proceed with the practicalities. Coyote," called Aizen, raising his voice to the figure in the corner, "come sit with us, if you please."
After a delay that bordered on insubordination, the figure in the corner stood up from his chair, and slowly walked over to the table. Jellal finally got a good look at him, and felt awestruck. Not by his appearance- he was tall, but not very tall, and despite wearing the same pristine white uniform as the rest of them, he looked fairly scruffy with a short, unkempt beard and drooping eyelids looking as if he was in the middle of waking up from sleep. His short hair was not quite neat either, and along with the pelt of fur draped over his shoulders, there was something about him that made him look lazy, tired, worn.
What struck Jellal was the raw power he emanated even at rest. It was as if there was a well of raw force, barely contained behind a door shaking on its hinges from whatever was behind it, trying to break out. He glanced at Halibel, who shifted uncomfortably; she sensed it just as well as him. Even Ulquiorra, who never seemed to react to anything, seemed a little tense as Coyote sat down at the table.
"Coyote, here," said Aizen smoothly, "will be one of our most vital weapons in the battle to come. With a titan at the head of our opposition, I had to find one of my own."
"I'm ready, sir," said Coyote with a shrug, and normally Jellal would have been baffled by the lack of reverence in his voice. "I'm not alone anymore. This power… I'll use it when you need me to."
"You will need to go all out, I hope you understand," said Aizen. A small bead of sweat trailed down Jellal's face, and he shifted uncomfortably. He did not want to imagine what it looked like when the likes of Coyote Starrk truly let loose.
"It can't be helped, I guess," said Starrk with another shrug.
Aizen nodded. "Coyote will be our ace in the hole, so to speak. The main attack will consist of espadas ten through six in the first wave, with Tier, Ulquiorra, Barragan, and Neliel in reserve. As we enter Karakura, we can expect them to be ready to respond very rapidly, so I'll need you to be equally ready to react to their deployment…"
Jellal tensed as his lord began to explain. He'd be part of the first wave of attackers, then. But, that seemed… almost trivial, now that he thought about it. Easy, even. To fight, to die? He was used to that notion. To take lives, again?
He had spoken passionately in support of Lord Aizen, but in truth… in truth, he had been trying to convince himself. He had joined his new lord on the promise of less death, and to add to the pile… to kill so many human beings all at once? Who was he to say to their loved ones that it was necessary?
No- this was ridiculous. He had been right in what he said. A world like this, a world of peace, it would be foolish to think it wouldn't come at a cost. After all the blood he had spilled, he had no right to question his lord on this. The end goal was… it was worth it.
It had to be.
And so, the invasion of Las Noches will soon begin. I'm aware it took us a while to get here, but now that we are, I can promise you action of the highest caliber. Don't think we'll just be doing repeats of the same old cannon fights either. Far from it. With only a few exceptions, almost every fight coming up will be different than cannon in some way shape or form.
Is Erza right to be so against the invasion? Is it all just a foolish attempt to end the war soon? Or does Yammamoto have the right idea of how to move forward. Im eager to hear which side you think is more accurate, as well as any guesses to what the battles in the coming invasion will be.
That's all I have to say this time around. I eagerly await your thoughts in the reviews. Till next time!