Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. This chapter will be in two parts. The name I got for them was inspired by the a song from Coldplay. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 6: Viva La Vida 1
Outside the Negal Ruins, Eastern Hueco Mundo
Since arriving outside the Negal Ruins, Orihime had rested to catch her breath. She had done quite a journey across the desert. Pero was also with her, yet the peculiar thing had decided to take off in hopes of finding Urahara. Orihime continued to wait until a familiar voice called to her from behind.
"You are late, Orihime" Chad called out to his friend as she sat by the stairs eating a potato she had received from the Hoplitas.
The young woman turned around with a bright smile. "Chad! I'm so glad that you got here first!" she responded to him. She could see the tall man wearing a hooded cape, similar to her own.
"Everyone has already arrived" Chad then spoke up, much to her confusion and curiosity.
Orihime soon realized that Chad was not the only one to have arrived at the ruins first. She was surprised to also see not just Jinta and Ururu, but even Ganju and Hanataro appearing out of the cavern in the mountain as well. They appeared beside the tall man as they greeted the orange-haired woman. Afterwards, they each began telling their stories, including how they found their way to the Negal Ruins.
"So, you two were sent out here to assist Urahara?" Orihime asked both Ganju and Hanataro.
Hanataro nodded his head timidly. "Certainly. The new Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads had requested that we accompany Urahara's team as observers. And of course, I was chosen to represent the Shinigamis" he answered and fixed his eyes on Ganju. "And of course, Ganju was chosen to join me as representing the Souls that dwelled outside the Sereitei" Hanataro added to his statement.
Ganju merely crossed his arms while shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah, but I pretty much got sucked into it after big sis busted my ass. I don't know how to tell you this, but she's been really hellbent on toughen me up, lately" he replied while grumbling over the fact. "But I agree with Kukaku on one thing though, I can't sit on the sidelines anymore. I promised her and my uncle that I wouldn't puss out!" he suddenly said with confidence in his voice.
Most of those around him sweated and they didn't seem to take Ganju's words for real. However, Orihime decided to change the subject by asking Jinta and Ururu about their journey.
"How did you two manage to get here?" she asked them cheerfully.
Before either of them could answer, Orihime and her friends snapped by hearing a familiar voice coming from the entrance. It almost sounded like a roar. She looked beyond the teenagers to see who it was in the opening, and a chill was sent running down her spine. Eventually both Jinta and Ururu did the exact same thing, as they knew who that voice belonged to.
"Hey brats!" the booming voice came from Yammy Llargo, as he stormed out of the entrance and faced the two teenagers with an angered expression. "I don't see Ichigo Kurosaki snooping around here! And I sure as hell don't sense his Spiritual Pressure nearby!" he erupted in rage while fixing his eyes upon Jinta and Urure. But not long after Yammy emerged, Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez appeared beside him and only crossed his arms, not knowing what was going on.
Both Jinta and Ururu faced Yammy nervously, as they knew that the giant Arrancar must have found out about the lie they had told him, given how Grimmjow had suddenly showed himself. Meanwhile, Hanataro had begun hiding behind Chad and Ganju, while Orihime slightly stood beside her friends. She knew very well who Yammy was. In fact, she and Chad were the first Human to confront him when he had "visited" the Human World.
"First Grimmjow, now Yammy!?" Orihime wondered in her thoughts. "Some Espadas did manage to survive after all" she added to her thoughts while staring at Yammy with concerned eyes.
The giant Arracnar with the ponytail was too focused on Jinta and Ururu to even notice Orihime's presence. "Argh! Little punks! You dare take advantage of me!? You're both gonna pay for that!" Yammy barked and slowly began taking steps towards the teenagers, who were not sure about what to do now. The former Espada even began cracking his knuckles with a sadistic grin.
"Damn it, Ururu! Your idea got us into trouble later!" Jinta said to his partner with gritted teeth.
Ururu stared at him nonchalantly. "I don't recall asking you to lie to him. That was your idea" the meek-looking girl pointed out to Jinta.
Grimmjow only poked his ear in boredom, not finding this scene any interesting. "Tch, you let two Humans take advantage of you? That explains how dumb you really are" he commented with an insult directed at his comrade, as he knew all about Yammy's stupidity.
Yammy stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Grimmjow with an offended look. "What did you just say to me!?" he asked while beginning to focus his rage upon the blue-haired Arrancar.
Grimmjaw only raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you seriously retarded? I just said that you're dumb if you let punks like them take advantage of you!" Grimmjow responded, only to be shot by a quick Bala by the giant Arrancar in return. However, Grimmjow got quickly up on his feet and faced Yammy with a psychotic grin. "You call that a Bala!? Hah! That didn't even tickle me in the slightest! And you know why!? Because yours are nothing but bullshit!" he said, a growing lust for battle slowly taking hold on him.
Yammy felt anger boil the inside and he suddenly reached for his Zanpakutou. "You talk to me like that again I'm seriously gonna release my Resurrecciòn! I've had enough of your stuck-up attitude!" he angrily threatened while unleashing his red Spiritual Pressure.
Grimmjow did not back down and even unleashed his own blue Spiritual Pressure in return. He went as far as to load a blue Cero in his left hand while holding his Zanpakutou in his right hand. "Just go ahead and do it then, asswipe! I can easily beat you up without resorting to my Resurrecciòn!" Grimmjow responded, not intending on backing down from this fight.
The group around them grew increasingly concerned and ran far away from the two as possible. They knew how powerful these two Arrancars were, as they were former Espadas. However, both Jinta and Ururu could not help but to feel satisfied by seeing Grimmjow stealing Yammy's attention, thus making him forget the two teenagers' trick on him.
"Heh! That guy really saved us this time" Jinta mused to himself.
His other friends were not as amused. They knew that things were about to get ugly between Grimmjow and Yammy.
The fight between the two Legionarios was about to commence, until a large scale of Spiritual Pressure forced everyone almost suffocated to the dusty ground, even the two Arrancars. As they felt it, lighting and thunder fell from the clouds. In addition to that, the entire ground began shaking and it almost felt like an earthquake.
"This feeling…I can't stand up!" Chad noted while struggling intensively.
"Shit! This Spiritual Pressure…" Ganju cursed while falling down to his knees. "It's stronger than that of Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki…let alone the Arrancars for that matter!" he added with a hint of shock in his voice.
"Oh no! Hanataro! He's…." Orihime became shocked by seeing Hanataro collapsing, completely knocked out by the immense Spiritual Pressure.
"Damn it, not again!" Ganju cursed while struggling to get over to his friend's side.
But it didn't take long before the Spiritual Pressure ebbed out and everything around them went back to normal, even the clouds above them. But the entire group struggled to catch their breaths, as they desperately gasped for air. All of them had been unable to breathe amidst the commotion.
"Man…...I almost thought we were goners just now!" Jinta remarked, but suddenly noticed Ururu, who was on the verge of collapsing. Still, she was not as vulnerable as Hanataro was. Jinta noticed this and became worried. "Hey Ururu…..you okay?" he asked while getting close to her.
The meek girl was in deep thought at the moment, as she was beginning to calculate something with regards to Spiritual Pressures. "This one…felt incredibly different. It's stronger than the boss' and Ichigo's" she said and suddenly felt more thoughts to conclude. "But it's one the same level as those if Sosuke Aizen and Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto…...if not stronger!" she added with fear in her eyes.
Chad and Orihime both went to the two Arrancars, who had just been able to stand up to their feet. The two Humans wanted answers from them and very fast. "Hey! What was that?" Chad asked them while demanding an answer lowly. "Who could possibly possess that level of Spiritual Pressure!?" he asked again, thus time sounding more frustrated in his voice.
Grimmjow was the only one to take notice of him asking, but he already seemed back to his normal self. "That's none of your damn business" Grimmjow replied with a low voice and foul language at the same time. "Now do us a favor and shut up before you get us all killed!" he requested from him, this time with a more angered tone.
"Well, well, well" everyone could hear a voice calling to them from the entrance. The entire group turned around to see Killaman Khan as well as another Arrancar who had a similar head and face as Dondochakka's, only that his had two serious empty eyes with azure dots in them. It was a skull. This Arrancar also wore black cloth all around him and it seemed to be a hooded robe. He even wore a golden belt with the omega symbol hanging around his waist. He stood beside the oracle as he surveyed the situation. "Now this explains why His Highness himself felt so…..agitated" the oracle added while fixing his glowing eyes upon both Grimmjow and Yammy.
The two Arrancars only snorted as they saw Killaman and the skull-faced Arrancar arrive at them, indicating that they had been awaiting their arrival. But the skull-faced Arrancar faced them both angrily, causing Grimmjow to form a slight smirk with his mouth.
"Took you long enough, Killaman Khan and Borddum Chelute" he spoke up, only for the skull-faced Arrancar to show everyone his angered eyes.
"You damned idiots! Have you completely forgotten the number one rule of the Legionarios!?" Borddum asked them with a low and an angry voice at the same time. "Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves!" he added with dispassion in his voice.
Yammy however pointed his finger at Grimmjow. "It was he who started it, not me! He goaded me into fighting him!" he spoke up while trying to pin the blame on the blue-haired Arracnar, much to Grimmjow's irritation.
Borddum sighed deeply at seeing this. "I am too old for this nonsense" he noted and then fixed his eyes upon the visitors. Killaman did the exact same thing. "Those must be the outsiders, Master Gallante told us about" he remarked while facing them.
"Indeed. However, I sense something…elusive from those four Humans" the oracle suddenly spoke up with curiosity. But he could notice how they seemed suspicious of him, so he decided to introduce himself. "Welcome to the Negal Ruins, allies of the empire! I am called Killaman Khan. I am a member of the Dechados, as well as an oracle and an overseer" he began introducing himself with a gentle yet cunning voice.
The skull-faced Arrancar then proceeded to introduce himself with a slight respective nod. "You may address me as Borddum Chelute, Commander of El Dorado's Ojos, as well as a member of the Legionarios" he spoke up, as if he was of the higher-ups in the hierarchy. "I have dedicated my lifetime in service of the mighty ruler of the empire himself" he added while fixing his eyes at them.
However, Chad and his friends got confused as the oracle and his companion both faced him, Orihime, Jinta and Ururu with peculiar glances. The four Humans were already curious by these new Arrancars, as they had never seen them before, specially Killaman and his long, white beard and staff of bones.
"How fascinating" Killaman spoke up lowly, as his glowing eyes were filled with intrigue. "This man here is another Fullbringer, just like those that were accompanying Urahara and his associates. Tell us your name, young one" he said while explaining what Chad really was.
The brown-haired man was stunned to discover that this elderly Arrancar seemed to possess knowledge about Fullbringers. "My name is Yasutora Sado" he answered, albeit slowly and filled with suspicion.
Killaman smiled by hearing his answer and proceeded to study Orihime, Jinta and Ururu. For some reason, the oracle felt a hidden spirit resting inside of them. The elderly Arrancar reached out his hand and began to feel their Spiritual Pressures while closing his glowing eyes. The young woman and the two teenagers only watched him with raised eyebrows, as they did not get what he was trying to do.
All of a sudden, the oracle opened his eyes in surprise. He had been entering a trance and was now panting to catch his breath. Once finished, he looked to the three people with very surprised eyes.
"I…I don't believe it…..." he stammered.
Borddum walked to his side and faced the three with similar eyes to Killaman's. "Are they what I think it is?" he asked lowly. "They must be more than just common high-spec Humans" the skull-faced Arrancar added to his explanation.
Orihime and the teenagers were all confused by what they were talking about. Did these Arrancars somehow possess information about them as well? All they could do was to stand and listen to what the elderly Arrancar was saying.
"Yes, Borddum. They are more than that. However, they are neither Quincies nor Fullbringers" Killaman commented while facing the three with a surprised glance. "These three Humans are in fact…Interminables" he spoke up.
Orihime was lost in thoughts after being told of this. "What? Since when am I a…Interminable…wait…does that mean I haven't been a normal Human after all?" she thought while feeling lost.
Even Chad and Ganju was surprised by what they heard. "An Interminable…what is that?" Chad wondered while facing Orihime and the two teenagers. "So, if Orihime is one of them…then that means Jinta and Ururu are such as well" he added while noticing how the teens were struggling with coming to terms with this.
"What are your names, children?" Killaman suddenly asked them gently.
"Orihime Inoue" Orihime answered.
"Ururu Tsmugiya" the meek girl replied with a quick nod.
"Jinta Hanakari" the young boy said with slight suspicion.
"Interesting names you have. Unfortunately, we know little about your kind. You will have to ask our empire's most gifted researcher: Pieddot Picasso. He will perhaps be of much better use to you if you want to understand your origins" Killaman remarked and then set his course for the entrance. "Come, let us show you all the true home to all Hollows and Arrancars alike. And be grateful, because you are among the few outsiders to be granted entry into our home" he reminded them as we walked, followed by Borddum, Grimmjow and Yammy.
The entire group followed them into the entrance and noticed that there was a long way down, and they even had to go down a spiraled stairway made of stones. Furthermore, they noticed how deeper and deeper they were getting.
10 minutes later, outside the gate called Puerta de La Luna
After crossing over a bridge made of stone, the entire group were stunned to see a large gate made by iron opening for them. However, there were Hoplitas standing guard outside, and the moment they took notice of the Arrancars, they stood and saluted for them.
"Welcome back, Dechados! We have been expecting you!" one of them said with formality in his voice.
"The gate is opened. You may pass" the other Hoplita informed the group before letting them entry.
As they continued through the caverns, the group would be treated to a view they never knew they would in a desolate place like Hueco Mundo. When they were finished walking, they were treated to a grand view of an entire subterranean civilization of Hollows and Arrancars alike.
"This is it…." Orihime uttered out words in astonishment.
"El Dorado…." Chad said the word as they walked to the edge and surveyed the cityscape.
Killaman mused by seeing their reactions. "Welcome, allies of the empire. Welcome to El Dorado" he told them with enthusiasm in his voice.
It was amazing. The group of friends could see both tall and large buildings made out of rock. But that was not just it. To their surprises, they discovered the fact that there was water in this city! Yes, there were many canals and waterways that dotted the cityscape alongside the streets, similar to those seen in Venice. In fact, the entire city was surrounded by water, and it closely resembled the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. They could even see a large golden fountain at the center of the city. They even found statues in both white and golden and they seemed tall and majestic. Other buildings they managed to not take their eyes off was a golden colosseum inspired by Roman architecture, a giant observatory inspired by Arabic architecture, a giant golden ziggurat inspired by Sumerian architecture and a white temple inspired by Greek architecture.
"Woah….and I thought the Sereitei was a paradise…" Ganju said, not believing his eyes. "We don't have places like this back in the Soul Soiety!" he added with a statement.
"You're right, Ganju" Hanataro agreed, his eyes never leaving the sight he was given. "And I can't believe it! There actually exists water…here in a remote place in Hueco Mundo!" the Shinigami added with surprise in his voice.
"This must the only place in Hueco Mundo where it exists" Ururu noted, her meekly expression also filled with astonishment.
However, the most impressive building they could all agree on was he giant golden tower that almost resembled the Tower of Babel. But its construction was 100 % complete. It rose up from the city like a majestic pillar.
"Woah…...just look that tall structure!" Jinta exclaimed with excitement in his voice.
Borddum chuckled by hearing this. "Surprised by what you see here, children? Well, you should be. That building over there is the crown jewel of El Dorado. We call it Esperanza. It is also the imperial palace, where His Highness himself resides that is" the skull-faced Arrancar explained. But he then began moving on. "But that is enough watching for now. Kisuke Urahara and his associates have set up a tent near the observatory and the academy, or the Conocimiento as we call it. It is there you will meet up with him" he told them and began walking down towards the city itself with the other Arrancars tagging along.
The group, knowing it was the right thing to do, followed the Arrancars and set their course for the subterranean city.
Outside Conocimiento, Urahara and his team had put up a tent for them to camp while being in El Dorado. The observatory was not far from the palace and thus the authorities could keep an eye on him as a whole. Right now, the blonde-haired Shinigami was currently examining the medallion used by the Quincies. Pero had arrived to inform him about the arrival of Chad and the others. To hear such made Urahara feel proud of how they had managed themselves without him.
"Yoruichi. Tessai. Go outside and make sure that they find this tent. I'll stay here" he told them and they immediately obliged as they had nothing else to do anyway.
With his close friends taking care of receiving the group, Urahara continued his research, trying to figure out why in the world the Sternritters was able to steal the captains' Bankai, but not Ichigo's. However, as he was working on it, troubled thoughts began invading his head. It was related to something involving himself.
"You will stay here and do your research" he recalled Xerxxes saying this to him a day ago. "But remember, when you will be summoned to Esperanza for an audience, you better show up. His Highness has been keen on meeting you, Kisuke Urahara" the black-skinned paragon had told him.
Thinking about this kind of made Urahara fearing for his life, as he knew that the one who wished to see him was now furious over him as a whole. Briefly closing his eyes, the blonde-haired man began to pray to himself.
"Master Bansui…...I know that you must be disappointed in me for failing to take action against Aizen at an earlier point…...but I led myself to believe that all of your stories…were just fake" he thought while thinking about his late mentor: Bansui Amatsuki.
Inside the Squad 13 Barracks, Sereitei, the Soul Society
Captain Jushiro Ukitake was meditating once again, as he had done so for the last couple of days. Ever since the fiasco at the summit between the Royal Guard and the 13 Court Guard Squads, Ukitake had tried to use mediation to seek harmony within himself. Sometimes, it helped. But other times, it did not. What had also helped was having a sit-down with other captains, and share with them his thoughts and opinions of this war and other troubles plaguing the Soul Society. The white-haired man had really appreciated such company of his fellow captains.
"Lord Mimihagi" he began thinking about the mysterious entity he had once told some of the other captains about. "I know you and I have different standpoints, but what did you show me just now?" he wondered as if he was asking Mimihagi.
Ukitake could once again feel disturbances within himself, as he was picturing something inside his mind. From what he could see, he felt himself standing inside a weird but majestic building and it almost seemed like he was in the middle of the Soul King's Palace. That turned out to be true, as he could see the curtains being pulled away and a celestial being inside a diamond could be spotted. It was none other than the Soul King himself.
"Soul King…" Ukitake stammered as he felt himself slowly walking towards it.
But eventually, the barrier the Soul King was stuck in began to crack and as a whole, the entire Soul King was shattered into many pieces. Ukitake saw this with shocked eyes, yet he did not stop moving. In fact, he could see something emerge from the place where the Soul King once hung and a dark silhouette appeared from the ground. It was a shadowy being, which was covered in black, had many eyes around its body and long black hair. The long-haired being formed an evil smile and reached out his arm towards Ukitake, who tried to escape, but was only dragged towards him.
"YOU WLL SERVE ME, JUSHIRO UKITAKE!" the being revealed and revealed his face to be none other than Yhwach. "YOU WILL SERVE THE ONE, TRUE SOUL KING!" he added, causing Ukitake to scream in fear.
Snapping back into reality, Ukitake opened his eyes and panted deeply. He looked around to see if everything was okay, and it turned out to be the case. He was still in Squad 13's barracks. Feeling sweaty across his entire body, the white-haired man rested his face on his right hand. Ukitake panted deeply, unable to fathom what he had seen.
"What kind of nightmare was that…...is that what you wanted to show me, Lord Mimihagi?" he asked lowly, trying to rub his face and take a deep breath to find his inner peace while having his eyes shut once again.
But the white-haired man was interrupted in his meditation by a knock on the door and Ukitake opened his green eyes with curiosity. "Who is it?" he asked.
It was two voices that could be heard behind the door. "It's just me, Captain Ukitake! May I come in?" the first voice came from Sentaro Kotsubaki, co-3rd seat of Squad 13.
"Hey loudmouth! I'm also here, you know!" the second and girly voice came from Kiyone Kotetsu, also the co-3rd seat of Squad 13.
"Shut up, Kiyone! You're too noisy!" Sentaro said and the two Shinigamis began bickering and fighting, even destroying the door in the processes.
Ukitake sighed deeply by seeing this. These two subordinates of his never got along, even in times of war, except for when Ukitake or Rukia told them to do so. Both Sentaro and Kiyone snapped once they saw the disappointment coming from their captain's face, so they immediately stopped quarreling and sat down quietly.
"We're so sorry about the door, captain. We'll fix it later" Kiyone apologized while scratching the back of her neck.
Sentaro only scoffed at her. "We!? We my butt! You're the one who trashed it!" he said so in return.
Kiyone twitched in anger by hearing this from her colleague. "Do we really need to go through with this now!?" she asked
Before Sentaro could open his mouth to protest, Ukitake cleared his throat, thus shutting him down. Both Shinigamis focused their attentions to him with respect as he deserved.
"Was there something you two wanted to talk about?" Ukitake asked them in a friendly manner.
Sentaro gulped and nodded his head. "Well, Head-Captain Kyoraku has summoned all captains to Squad 1 Barracks for a meeting. Their lieutenants are also to join them" he told him.
The white-haired man snapped in surprise and even rose up to his feet. But he fixed a smile on his face at the two 3rd seats. "Then I best be on my way, then. However, Rukia is currently up in Royal Realm training so she…" Ukitake spoke up, only for Kiyone to interject him.
"Actually, she and Renji will be joining this particular meeting" Kiyone spoke up, much to Ukitake's surprise. "I don't know why, that's just what the messenger told us" she added with awkwardness.
"So Rukia has returned? That's great! I can't wait to hear from her!" Ukitake explained with his bright smile and proceeded to exit the barracks. Obviously, the captain was relieved to get the chance to speak with Rukia.
But as Ukitake left the barracks, both Sentaro and Kiyone could not help but to feel down, as they actually felt concerned about their captain's well-being. It could be seen by the look of their expressions.
"How many days do you suppose he has left?" Kiyone surprisingly asked Sentaro, sounding gentler than usual. She was given no answer, and it only seemed to irritate the young girl further. "Can you at least be an adult and answer my question!? You're not taking this seriously, Sentaro!" she added with frustration.
Sentaro only scoffed at her once again, although this time, not out of rudeness. "Then let me ask you this: don't you think being too worried about his health will only demotivate us?" he asked her. But he went far as too grab the young girl by her collar. "Damn it, Kiyone! Have you forgotten what happened in the last battle!? Thousands of lives were lost! The Quincies exterminated our friends and allies like they were rats trapped in a corner! Ryunosuke, Shino and even Hidetomo, they all perished!" he angrily told her, before lowering his face down. Tears began streaming from his eyes.
Kiyone faced his rival break into tears and she could not help but to feel her eyes burst into tears as well. Yes, it had been difficult for them to move on ever since that battle. In their opinion, they only had Ukitake and Rukia left when it came to the squad's family figures. Over the ages, Squad 13 had lost many proud members and they could not afford to lose more of them.
Inside the meeting hall, Squad 1 Barracks
Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku was sitting on the chair at the other end of the hall, with most of the captains and lieutenants of the Court Guard standing before him in two different lines. Shunsui had appointed both his former lieutenant from Squad 8: Nanao Ise to serve as one of his co-lieutenants, alongside the veteran member of Squad 1: Genshiro Okikiba. They stood at his side by the chair and faced the gathering of lieutenants and captains that had been made.
The only notable exception was Captain of Squad 12: Mayuri Kurotsuchi, as well as his lieutenant Nemu. But he had a good excuse for not attending, as he was busy figuring out the whereabouts of the Wandenreich.
And yes, both Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki was already standing at their posts, although Rukia was still waiting for her captain to arrive. Although they had been taken up to the Royal Realm to receive training, they felt like a summit like this was not something to miss. But once the summit was finished, they would return to the Royal Realm and resume their training.
Another lieutenant that had met up was Izuru Kira, having just suffered critical injuries during the Wandenreich's previous invasion. Although he narrowly managed to survive, he had lost his right arm and half of his chest. But that had been replaced by an artificial arm. While not as effective, it would at least let continue to fight, let alone using a Zanpakutou. He was leaning against the wall in a gloomy manner. Rose, his captain, only shrugged his shoulders at Izuru's behavior.
The only squads that had yet to have captains were Squad 8 and Squad 4. However, Squad 4's lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu, was currently stepping in as the acting leader. Such move was very commendable, given how the medics and the doctors needed leadership in the upcoming battle.
The door opened and Ukitake came in, immediately walking up towards Rukia to greet her. The black-haired woman smiled by seeing her captain and she saluted at him in return.
"Rukia! I am so glad that you came here!" the Ukitake said with his usual smile. "Me, Sentaro and Kiyone hope to see you back at the barracks soon. Squad 13 has not been the same without you" he remarked with humor in his voice.
Rukia nodded at him with respect and dignity in return. "I could not pass this opportunity, Captain Ukitake. That's why I decided to come here and see what this summit will be about" she said before looking over her shoulder to see Renji standing beside his captain. "And Renji seems to be pretty confident in himself once again" she noted with slight disdain in her thoughts.
Yes, Renji was really feeling confident, as the training he had received so far had helped him regain his strength. His captain could notice this and was pretty annoyed with his attitude.
"Why do you seem so happy, Renji?" Byakuya asked him sternly, as he didn't get his behavior.
"Well that's simple, Captain Kuchiki" Renji replied in return. "I happen to have regained my confidence in battle! And better yet, I I'm close to learning more about my Zanpakutou" he added to his explanation.
Byakuya did not say anything in return, as he hoped that the summit would soon commence. The giant doors were closed and all captains and lieutenants were standing in two lines. Knowing that everyone was ready to begin, Shunsui rose from his seat and proceeded to survey both lines like a true head-captain would. He had even taken off his straw-hat, and made sure that everyone could see the expression on his face clearly.
"I'm glad that almost all of you could make it. Captain Kurotsuchi is of course excused due to his research, so we will have to make it best without him" Shunsui spoke up in a friendly manner before moving on. "Anyway, what I wanted to share with each and every one of you captains, is the fact that I have plans with regard to us of the Court Guard" he went on explaining himself.
"What are those plans you speak of, Shunsui?" Uktikae spoke up with curiosity to his long-time friend.
Shunsui smiled at him. "Simple, Jushiro. As all of you may have seen, the Royal Guard does not hold a high opinion of us. That's understandable, especially since Old Man Yama is no longer with us" he spoke up while commenting their current relationship with their "upper" brothers and sisters. "However, as I said during the summit in the Royal Realm, we of the 13 Court Guard Squads are allowed to take matters into our own hands, even without the Royal Guard's approval" he added to his explanation.
"Take matters into our own hands?" Sajin Komamura wondered in his head while thinking about the head-captain's words. He then decided to speak up his mind. "But even if there is truth in your words, we still have no sway of power over Central 46. What they decide, must be carried out" the humanoid wolf reminded Shunsui.
The man in pink kimono only scoffed at Komamura. "I know, I know. And I just wanna clarify that I have no intention of plotting against Central 46, Komamura. I still remember my duties" he assured the tall captain. "However, I was given the mantle of head-captain to protect the Soul Society, as well as doing what was best for it. Two empires have remerged and are gathering their strength. And at least one of them is hellbent on destroying both the Sereitei and the Royal Realm, which is the Wandenreich. Therefore, I have come up with a solution. We have to enter a non-aggression pact with the Arrancars of the Imperio de Hierro" he added with his conclusion.
Most of the captains and lieutenants were stunned to hear the head-captain's plans. There was still some of those who did not know what the Imperio de Hierro was.
"A treaty? With Arrancars!?" Rukia asked in disbelief. She turned around to face Ukitake. "I thought most of the Hollows in Hueco Mundo had been exterminated due to the Quincies' activities!" she told the white-haired man who faced her grimly in return.
"I know that it's difficult to grasp that fact" Ukitake told her and made sure that all lieutenants were listening. "When Urahara had sent Ichigo to the Soul Society to aid us against the Quincies, he happened to be confronted by Arrancars whose level of power dwarfs those of Aizen's Espadas. Apparently, there actually existed another civilization, one that even Aizen himself failed to discover" the white-haired man explained to everyone.
"A civilization…in Hueco Mundo?" Renji asked dumbfounded.
Shinji Hirako faced the head-captain with a raised eyebrow. "Hold on just a sec there, Shunsui! Do you seriously believe that these Arrancars will even agree to a treaty!?" he wondered aloud. "Like, those guys hold nothing but resentment towards the Soul Society. Hell, they might as well be embittered that we stole Sosuke away from them" he added to his explanation.
Sui-Feng did not seem impressed by this subject was worth discussing and faced the head-captain narrowly. "All this talk of negotiations is so goddamn pointless. What good is there in wasting our time babbling about such ridiculous ideas!? Those who are not Shinigami or Souls are our enemies, end of discussion!" she snapped out in anger.
Shunsui surprisingly fixed a smug look at her in return. "Oh yeah? Well currently, Urahara is being held as a hostage, alongside Tessai and Yoruichi" he revealed to her, hoping to soften Sui-Feng's heart.
The blue-haired woman snapped in return. "Lady Yoruichi…...what have those fiends done to her!?" she demanded angrily from him.
Her lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda felt worried and tried to calm her down. "Easy there, captain. I believe that Yoruichi will be…OUCH!" the fat man was punched in his stomach by his captain and boy did it hurt.
"Shut your trap, Omaeda! And you will address her as Lady Yoruichi, you dimwitted oaf!" she angrily demanded as Marechiyo wined in pain.
"Are you finished with your rants, Sui-Feng?" the young woman could hear Byakuya's dispassionate voice calling to her. She angrily turned around to see the young man closing his eyes in irritation. "If you are finished throwing your tantrum, we can proceed with this summit and be done with it" he told her sternly.
Sui-Feng narrowed her eyes at him in a deadly manner. "Back off, Kuchiki. Even without my Bankai, I can still harm you" she threatened him with a low tone.
This caused Byakuya to face her with dispassion and even held onto his Zanpakutou. "Mind your tongue" he warned her sternly, while Renji looked at this with awkwardness.
"Oh shit, Sui-Feng just managed to push the captain's buttons" Renji remarked with while sweating uneasily.
"I agree with Captain Kuchiki's statement" Toshiro Hitsugaya spoke up his opinion, while his lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto only raised an eyebrow at her captain said. He then proceeded to gain all captains' attention, more specifically Shunsui's. "Now as for your non-aggression pact. How do you plan on making it happen? Can we trust Urahara's words?" he asked.
Hearing this made Shunsui smile smugly and he knew that Toshiro always were quite perceptive. "You took the words out of my mouth, Captain Hitsugaya. Yes, we are considering in signing it down….in Karakura Town" he revealed.
Once again, stunning voices could be heard from lieutenants and captains alike. Some of them had even fixed outraged looks on their faces, as they could not believe what their superior was saying.
Surprisingly, the calmest of the captains in this summit was Kenpachi. He wasn't even paying much attention to what was going on. His lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi could notice it and she patted his shoulder.
"You've been awfully quiet since this summit started, Kenny! What's the big idea?" the pink-haired girl asked him.
The tall man closed his eyes as he did not feel like answering. However, he managed to say a few words out to the young girl. "We'll talk later, just you and me. Let's not do this out in the open, Yachiru" he answered her lowly and proceeded to look around like he was at least interested to know what was going on.
"You plan on having this meeting in the World of the Living?" Kensei Mugurama asked while sounding suspicious. "With Hollows and Arrancars, I don't see that being realistic" the grey-haired man added while crossing his arms.
"However, I don't plan on doing this alone" Shunsui suddenly revealed, causing mixed reactions to his words. This mused the head-captain. "That's right. We will need at least six captains and lieutenants to accompany us, as well as making sure that nothing goes wrong when it comes to sneak attacks or whatever" he added before fixing a smug smile. "Now which of you have enough balls to come with me? Any volunteers?" he asked while eyeing both lines.
Ukitake suddenly stood before him, causing Rukia to snap in surprise. "Captain…..what are you…" she stopped by seeing Ukitake look at her with a gentle smile on his face.
"Do not worry, Rukia. You and Renji may return to your training in the Royal Realm. I can handle things perfectly without you being present" he assured her and then refocused his attention on his long-time friend. "I will gladly come along with you, Shunsui. But I do this in order to make sure nothing goes wrong" the white-haired man said.
Shunsui chuckled by seeing this. "I knew you would say that, Jushiro" he remarked. But he was in for a surprise, as Shinji, Kensei, Rose, Sui-Feng, Toshiro and Byakuya, along with their lieutenants, save Renji. Shunsui whistled in amazement. "Wow, I never knew you guys were that enthusiastic about it!" he noted with sarcasm in his voice.
"Know this, Kyoraku! I am only joining you on this circus so that I can find out about Lady Yoruichi's current condition!" she spat out, much to everyone's annoyance, even Shunsui's.
"I understand. But you will have to be extra careful not to mess with these Arracnars, considering that you no longer have your Bankai. The same goes for you as well, Kuchiki and Hitsugaya" the Shinigami in pink kimono told all three captains who were currently without any Bankai.
Shinji formed a smirk with his mouth. "Me, Rose and Kensei here will tag along. It will be interesting to see how these Arrancars look like, based upon Kisuke's description" he said and suddenly faced his lieutenant: Momo Hinamori. "Watch your back while we're there, okay Momo?" he asked her.
Momo immediately saluted him in return. "Yes, Captain Hirako!" she said with loyalty.
"I'll expect the same thing for you, Shuhei!" Kensei spoke to his lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi in a very strict and tough manner. "And if I see you doing something stupid like peeing in your robes, I'll whoop your ass until it bleeds, got it!?" he made sure the black-haired Shinigami took this seriously.
Gulping, he only nodded his head as a yes. "Yes, Captain Mugurama" he said while feeling slightly embarrassed and scared at the same time.
Rose faced Izuru and put a hand on his left shoulder. "I want you stay alerted this time, Izuru. You never know when an enemy will be attacking next" the blonde-haired man told Izuru, as he slightly nodded his head in return.
"I'll try" he replied lowly.
Knowing that they were ready, Shunsui clapped his hands for them to show his appreciation. "Excellent! That's what I'm talking about, people! But because of Rukia and Renji not joining us, we have to choose replacements before we leave. But that will have to wait. I will stay in touch with Urahara and let him know that the 13 Court Guard Squads are interested in talks with the Imperio de Hierro" he told them with enthusiasm. The Shinigami in pink kimono then put on his hat and thought about something smugly. "Sorry about this, Royal Guard. But we'll take matters into our own hands" he thought cunningly.
To be continued…..
Author's note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! We were introduced to El Dorado and its unique location. We also learned something curious about Orihime, Jinta and Ururu. What is an Interminable? And what of Ukitake's vision? While I admit that we did not get to see the Wandenreich, I promise you we will next time. We would also like to dig in about El Dorado as well as these…Interminables. Stay tuned!
Ojos – Spanish for "Eyes": That is name of El Dorado's city guard. Under Borddum's command, they are entrusted with keeping the streets of the city clean and safe. Like many other aspects of the empire's military, the Ojos only answer to the ruler of the empire.
Puerta de La Luna – Spanish for "Gate of the Moon": This is the large gate that separates El Dorado from the outside world. It makes sure that no one enters the city unwelcome.
Esperanza – Spanish for "Hope": This majestic palace serves as the residence of the ruler of the Imperio de Hierro, as well as the place where both the Dechados and the Legionarios reside. But who in the world is their ruler?
Conociomento – Spanish for "Knowledge": This building serves both as an observatory and an academy for young citizens of the empire. It is hard to believe how knowledgeable the Arrancars really were.
Interminable – French for "Endless": What kind of spiritual aware Humans are those? Apparently, only a few of the handful knows the existence of these people. There are rumors to believe that they share common ancestry with the Fullbringers, but that may be inaccurate.
