Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.


Chapter 29: Against the Judgement

Somewhere, inside a cave high in the mountains, La Escarcha, Hueco Mundo

While the entire world had been embracing its end, the Imperio de Hierro had strived to protect its civilization and people. But now that the earthquake had ceased and El Dorado was no longer under threat any longer, the authorities knew that something had to be done in order to prepare themselves for what was happening next. Not only was the Arrancars thinking about the destruction of their world, but also the threats that both Quincies and Togabitos was becoming, especially with the Togabitos. The Emperor of the Imperio de Hierro: Augustus Zod Allowin, had decided to make preparations for his people, as he knew that the biggest threat to El Dorado was around the corner.

In this frozen and snowy vale above El Dorado, which could only be accessed via a secret doorway behind the throne room in Esperanza, Augustus Zod Allowin and two of the Dechados: Durann Lupinus and Killaman Khan, were now inside a cave in the mountains alongside all Arrancars who were former servants of Sosuke Aizen. Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez, Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, Tier Harribel, Yammy Llargo and Gantenbainne Mosqueda were now with their emperor in this cave, but they had brought with them two newcomers as well.

When Pieddot Picasso and the Sombre came back from their mission, the people of El Dorado got introduced to the five newcomers of El Dorado. Di Roy Rinker was filled with overjoy over seeing Grimmjow again, although the former Sexta Espada immediately showed disgust when seeing his former Fracciòn. But he was even more disgusted by seeing Luppi Antenor still being alive as well, as he could not believe how he had survived despite all these years. But the majority of the Dechados and the Legionarios were mostly dissatisfied by both Luppi and Di Roy (especially based upon their personalities and attitudes), and those two were sent to the dungeons of the Coliseo.

The only three who were granted amnesty on the other hand, were Charlotte Chuhlhourne, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio and Cirucci Sanderwicci. The reason why Charlotte was given amnesty was because of the Luisenbarn-sisters: Annabelle and Belladonna. They knew that the flamboyant Arrancar had previously served their brother Barragan as his Fracciòn, so they desired to make him a servant of the House of Luisenbarn. Charlotte was grateful, although he only considered Belladonna to be beautiful and not Annabelle. When it came to Dordoni and Cirucci, their fellow ex-Privaron Espada, Gantenbainne, had vouched for them. He insisted that they were not beyond redemption. However, those three first needed to earn El Dorado's respect and they did so by aiding the Ojos in bringing scared citizens to safety at Esperanza. This only convinced the emperor and his allies that they were redeemable, and that they could be useful to the Imperio de Hierro, due to their former statuses as both Espadas and Privaron Espadas in Sosuke Aizen's army.

Therefore, Allowin had decided to take those two with him, agreeing with Gantenbainne's vouching. The group were now following the emperor into a cave in one of those mountains, and they could eventually see that it resembled more of a crypt or a catacomb. They were especially intrigued by the ways and walls that was built inside.

"Dios mio….I have never seen anything like this" Dordoni remarked, before glancing at Gantenbainne with a smug look. "Hey, Gantenbainne. I hear you have been improving your skills, Gantenbainne. Is that true? If so, I demand to see some proof in the form of combat" the Arrancar asked him in his usual Spanish accent.

Gantenbainne only crossed his arms while hearing that question. "After standing up for you, this is what you wanna do with me?" the orange afro-haired Legionario asked out of annoyance. "Don't even try, Dordoni. You have idea how much I have improved" he added while glancing at him.

Dordoni was not amused in hearing this and even slumped in defeat. "Just how long was I gone?! I missed so much time to get stronger!" he asked while tears slowly streamed from his eyes, much to the annoyance of both Gantenbainne and Cirucci.

"For crying out loud! Stop pouting like a baby, Dordoni!" Cirucci snapped, as she was getting tired of her fellow ex-Privaron Espada's goofy antics. But she was rather curious about this place they were currently entering. "What kind of place is this anyway?" she wondered while even glancing at both Nelliel and Harribel.

Nelliel simply smiled in return. "Honestly, we have no idea. This is the first time that His Highness enters this place with us. But we have been into La Escarcha before" the sea green-haired woman politely replied.

"Tch, that's pretty rich coming from a Dechado" the sarcastic voice came from Grimmjow, as he was merely walking while putting his arms in his pockets. The blue-haired Arrancar with his feline eyes then glanced at both Cirucci and Dordoni. "Honestly, I can't believe that some fucked up-ass scientist of the Soul Society even felt the need to resurrect you weaklings alongside Di Roy and Luppi. I mean, come on. Neither you nor them ever contributed to Las Noches' defenses" he then added, explaining his distaste for them.

Dordoni snapped in anger. "What did you just say!?" he said and pointed a finger at him. "I contributed greatly to the defense. Do not forget, I was the one to first challenge the niño Ichigo Kurosaki!" the goofy man exclaimed, trying to prove himself before Grimmjow.

"I also contributed!" Cirucci snapped. The young woman then glared angrily at Grimmjow. "And who the hell are you to judge us!? You were just much of a lapdog to Aizen as we were!" she pointed out to him in anger.

Grimmjow was taken aback when he heard this, only to form a sadistic grin in return. "Heh. At least I didn't allow myself to get raped by him, unlike you!" he then spat back. Cirucci's eyes widened in shock when hearing that, as she could not believe what Grimmjow had just said. Seeing this made Grimmjow muse. "That's right! You think I still haven't forgotten about you, Cirucci Sanderwicci!? I still know of the symbol you carry on your back!" he added.

"Grimmjow! Enough!" Nelliel scolded him and glanced at the Legionario dispassionately. "There is no point in bringing that subject up! Cirucci told His Highness about it, yet she was given amnesty!" the sea green-haired woman continued criticizing his behavior.

Dordoni could see that Cirucci was facing the ground in slight shame. It was true. When asked by Allowin to be honest before him, she was forced to admit one, harsh truth. The former Privaron Espada was also one of the many victims of Aizen's sexual experiments. Even now, she began rubbing her back, which was covered by her white dress. But it was on her back where the kanji 隷 was written on her. Having that symbol attached to her didn't even wanna make her take of her white dress.

Gantenbainne could not stand and let his fellow Legionario badmouth his former comrades like that. He approached Grimmjow, who was done discussing with Nelliel. "There is no need for such rude language, Grimmjow" the afro-haired man said while glancing at him with dispassion. "Remember, when Ichigo Kurosaki broke into Las Noches to save Orihime Inoue…none of us could stop him…...not even you, an Espada" he then pointed out.

When he was reminded about his defeat to Ichigo, Grimmjow's blue eyes narrowed with anger, and he made his move towards Gantenbainne with bestial rage. "You better take back what you just said before I stomp my foot in your goddamn face!" he said while slowly growling with anger.

Gantenbainne only remained calm while seeing Grimmjow's aggressiveness. But it didn't take long before Yammy decided to join in on the fun, by making fun of Grimmjow's loss, of course.

"Hah! Clearly you lost to that chump because you ran out of suerte!" Yammy spoke up and grinned cockily at Grimmjow, who turned around and glared at him in return. The tall man was beginning to like this. "You heard me! And just face it! You're still embarrassed over the fact that he defeated you, little pussy!" he added with a taunt, much to Grimmjow's anger.

But suddenly, both former Espadas felt themselves losing control over their bodies, as they couldn't move an inch. This was thanks to Killaman, who were using his hands to simply make those two submit to their knees. The hooded man's lime green Spiritual Pressure could be felt, and his hands were covered in lime green aura. Somehow, the Dechado was using physic power to manipulate the two Legionaros.

Killaman mused to himself while seeing them onto their knees. "Your Highness, I decided to step in and discipline those two dimwits" the long-bearded man told his liege while bowing to them with respect. "Please forgive me if my action was unwarranted" he then apologized.

Allowin simply stood and listened closely, even forming a slight smile underneath his beard. "You did a wise thing to help them realize their foolishness. I am impressed" the emperor said, before he stopped walking.

"Do you all understand the consequences now? Good. Now cease this idiocy before you force my hand" Durann rebuked the Legionarios before joining their superior.

The rest of the Arrancars could see that they were now standing before a large wall made of dark blue bricks. They all thought that they had now arrived at dead end, considering that they saw no other way to choose. But the emperor suddenly approached the wall of bricks and pushed one, revealing that it was actually a secret lever. As he did that, the large wall began separating itself, like it was actually a giant door.

"What is this?" Harribel asked, as she was stunned to see this.

Durann looked at both her and Nelliel with a smile. "You will know that soon enough" he explained.

Allowin turned around to glance at all of his subordinates, including Dordoni and Cirucci. He had now fixed a humble look on his face. "Listen well, my sons and daughters. All of you know very well what has just transpired in the Soul Society, as the Soul King was cut in half. Many of your probably believed that the end of the world had arrived, but there is a slight misconception here. The end of the world has only begun" he told them.

Nelliel was filled with slight worry inside of her, considering that she had been told that it was Ichigo who killed the Soul King, although he did that involuntarily. Since finding out about it, the young woman had felt worried about Ichigo's current condition, as she hoped that he was still alive.

"What do you mean by that?" Gantenbainne asked while bowing his head in respect. "Are you saying that this is only the beginning of the end?" the afro-haired Arrancar asked while feeling uneasy.

Killaman stepped in to answer. "It is" he answered plainly. "As it stands now, the 13 Court Guard Squads is now crippled and it won't be long before the majority of the inhabitants of the Soul Society will start accepting Yhwach as their ruler. Even now, he has begun his path he was destined for: becoming the next Soul King and Ruler of the Soul Society" he revealed grimly.

The Arrancars were shocked by hearing this reaction. "But how…...how can someone like him achieve a title such as that!?" Harribel asked in disbelief, but her eyes also snapped in realization. "No…...if Yhwach becomes the next Soul King…then that means…" she was now thinking about the entire picture and puzzle it together.

Durann nodded his head weakly. "Indeed. Not only does this endanger the Soul Society. Yhwach's plans threaten Hueco Mundo as well. Yet he has not made a move against us so far" the Dechado spoke up.

"I will explain anything to you later" Allowin told them before gesturing for them to enter first. As they entered, he told them about something. "With the recent transgressions of Quincies and Togabitos, it is no question that a great war is looming beyond the horizon. It has only just begun. Therefore, we will have to gather all strong Arrancars to our side. Now enter" he told them.

The group of Arrancars were stunned in what they were seeing. They were now exiting the cave, only to find themselves walking on a road in the middle of a small valley. This way led them to a stairway between the mountains, with two giant statues of hooded beings standing on each side. What was also noticeable was that other than the way, there was water on each side. In those waters, naked trees sprouted up and they looked like those that existed in Hueco Mundo's endless deserts.

"What kind of place is this?" Nelliel asked as she was filled with curiosity.

"Never knew that this kind of place would exists in Hueco Mundo" Grimmjow noted and even watched the waters that floated around the way from each side. "Hell, there's even water here. But that shouldn't really surprise me for that matter" he added with a realization.

Killaman and Durann followed their emperor and the others did so eventually. As they were walking towards the stairway, the hulking Arrancar with the horns sprouting out from his back decided to fill in on where they were. "This is the place where all fallen heroes can be given a second chance of redemption if they are worthy of being granted as such" Killaman told them as they walked up the stairway. "However, whether they are worthy of being given that, is up to the great rulers of old to decide. The spirits of the great rulers rest here, in Pacífico Pasar" the long-bearded man added to his explanation.

Nelliel awed by what she was hearing. "So you are saying that those Arrancars who has died can be brought back to life?" the young woman asked as she was listening carefully. "Well this explains how…" she uttered out words in surprise.

Allowin looked over his shoulders to face his fellow Arrancars, but wanting to answer Nelliel first. "Yes, little Nelliel. It explains everything. However, those who can be revived and are worthy of serving our people must have at least one good reason to be able to come back. And I am telling you this now, young ones" the old man spoke up before narrowing his weary eyes. "We have watched how you as former Espadas served under Sosuke Aizen. And while you were in fact slaves to him, there is more to that than meets the eye" he revealed.

Harribel's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?" the blonde-haired woman asked.

Allowin closed his eyes. "Among those Espadas…there are two of them I have had dealings with in the past, long before they went on to become servants of Aizen" he then revealed.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" Yammy barked out in anger. "Are you saying that there was more than just him!?" the man with the long ponytail wanted an answer.

Durann narrowed his eyes at the oafish Arrancar. "Hold your tongue, Legionnaire Yammy Llargo! Remember, you are under no authority to bark demands at His Highness" he reprimanded him.

But Yammy didn't seem to care much. "You ain't giving me orders here!" he replied, crossing his arms and pretending he was not listening.

Both Dordoni and Cirucci were puzzled by all this talk and wondered what the big deal was. "Excuse me, but who in the world are those two Espadas? I mean, would any of you care to fill us in?" the Dordoni spoke up in his goofy manner.

Gantenbainne suddenly pointed his finger towards the right direction and both Dordoni and Cirucci could so somebody sitting by a cliff in the valley, gazing down upon the group that were walking up the stairways. It was someone wearing black-hooded cloth to conceal his identity.

"Who's that guy? Whatever, he dresses like some bum" Cirucci wondered while putting her hands on her hips. But soon, her eyes widened in surprise as she could feel this stranger's Spirtual Pressure. "No…...no way…is that really…." She uttered out words in disbelief.

Dordoni also felt the same way as he managed to catch and measure the Spiritual Pressure. "It cannot be…...how is he also a part of this empire?" he asked while sweating with unease slightly.

"That's not really the case" Gantenbainne said while facing both his comrades. "In fact, he was always part of this empire, long before us" the afro-haired man told them.

Both ex-Privaron Espadas were stunned to hear this, yet couldn't ask more, as Gantenbainne ran up to catch Allowin and the rest of his gang. This forced them to do the same thing.

Grimmjow faced Allowin as they reached to the top, scowling as he could notice the hooded individual stare at him. But he merely chose not to pay attention and glanced at his superior. "So, if he's the first you've had dealings with…who's the other Espada?" he asked while resting his hands in his pockets.

"Barragan Luisenbarn can't be one of them" Nelliel spoke up, only for Allowin, Durann and Killaman to glance at her questionably. This forced Nelliel to snap in embarrassment and she bowed her head in shame. "I sincerely apologize for bringing up that traitor's name, Your Highness! It was my mistake" she told him.

But Allowin merely smiled at her and urged Nelliel to calm down. "Rest easy, Nelliel. You are a Dechado. As such, you are able to speak up your mind, just like your comrades" the white-bearded man assured her in a gentle manner before sighing. "Now as for your statement. Barragan could have been one of them, considering that he was with us from the beginning. But his traitorous actions during the War of the Three Souls and his submission into Aizen has made him disqualified" the emperor then told everyone.

"I have communicated with the spirits" Killaman spoke up suddenly pointed his croaked finger towards a large, shiny blue emerald that was glowing so brightly. Everyone could see that there was someone inside. "It seems that the great rulers of old has decided to give this one a second chance. However, I would like to be given your permission before we can begin" the hooded man told his superior.

Allowin fixed a smile while nodding his head and watched as the giant crystal glowed brighter than usual. "Yes, I see. I do not blame their judgement. He deserves to be walking in this world once more. Especially in his true form" the emperor revealed. He then turned his attention towards Durann. "Would you not agree, Durann Lupinus?" he asked the wolf-like Arrancar.

"Of course. But seeing him will be like looking back into a painful past" Durann answered as honest as he could.

The group followed Allowin, Durann and Killaman to the giant crystal and they could feel a tint of enormous Spiritual Pressue coming from it. The Arrancars became stunned, as they felt it was very similar.

"What the hell…..this can't possibly be true….." Grimmjow said lowly and suddenly glared at his superiors. "How the hell did you manage to recover his body!?" he demanded an answer from it.

Killaman merely turned around and fixed a smug look upon the aggressive Legionario. "The same thing we did when we discovered you, Yammy and Gantenbainne" the long-bearded man told him and suddenly fixed his glowing eyes upon the crystal. "This one was a special case, and we even needed the assistance of His Highness in order for us to bring him to this place, as well as piecing his body together" Killaman revealed.

Harribel's azure eyes was filled with disbelief, as she managed to get a better look at the one standing inside of this crystal. She could see the shape and the fact that it was an Arrancar, with an incredible amount of Spiritual Pressure.

"I see now….." Harribel noted underneath her breath as the figure revealed itself. "I thought he died during the fight against the 13 Court Guard Squads. But how is he…" the blonde-haired woman was filled with so many questions, as were her comrades.

Allowin stood beside Killaman and Durann, looking into the crystal. "All of you may know that this one was once part of a larger entity that roamed Hueco Mundo. But wherever he went, others died because they couldn't withstand his enormous power. As such, he became afraid of being lonely. This resulted in him approaching me for help in separating his power and body into three different forms and souls. The name of this Arrancar was Alpha Starrk, once a proud warrior during the prosperous and flourishing times of Hueco Mundo" he revealed to them as they listened closely.

Durran suddenly turned around to face all the other Arrancars. They watched him with confused looks at first. But they soon realized what the black-bearded man was trying to say.

"Durran….are you….." Nelliel stammered.

The calm-mannered Arrancar nodded his head as a yes. "It is. I was one of three entities created from this separation of power. While I do look different from Alpha Starrk, I alone was the one created from his heart and his essence" Durann revealed, sighing before continuing his story. "Alpha Starrk was a hero…..yet he desired more than power….he wanted friends. But everyone feared his Spiritual Pressure. That is why Starrk went to His Highness for this request" the Dechado continued.

"Indeed. I granted his request and separated him into three different beings, with none of them having any memories of their past, as well as their knowledge of me. Durann here stayed by my side. But the two other parts strayed away and were left to their own devices. The third entity, a little child, came to be known as Lilynette Gingerbuck. While the second entity became…" Allowin suddenly stepped aside, allowing all the Arrancars to get a good look of who was inside the crystal.

"Dios mio…..if this is who I think it is, then that means" Dordoni was in disbelief over seeing this, as were the others.

"Impossible….." Harribel uttered out lowly.

Allowin realized how they recognized this induvidual. "Yes. The second entity became what you knew as the Primera Espada in Aizen's army: Coyote Starrk" he said.

It was true. Coyote Starrk was in fact standing inside this crystal, completely naked, with him still retaining his shoulder-length hair and a faded goatee. He still possessed his Hollow-shell, which was that of a fanged bottom jaw along his neck. Right now, the young man's eyes were closed. But they slowly began opening, this revealing glowing blue eyes.

Killaman took a good look at Starrk as his powers grew stronger. "It is just as you say, Your Highness. Now that he has finally been reunited with his other half, Coyote Starrk has regained half of the the powers he once possessed eons ago. What he wants to call himself is up to him, but he is now a different Arrancar in terms of strength" the hooded seer remarked while commenting Starrk's powers.

"That may be about to change" Allowin said, looking at Durann. "Are you sure about this, Durann? Is this what you have decided?" the emperor asked the paragon.

"I have made up my mind. For generations, I longed for the day when I would one day be whole again. No matter what power exists within me, it can't replace what I truly desire. I will reunite with my other halves. And I know that he shares the same desire to become whole again" Durann answered.

A weak smile formed underneath the emperor's beard. "Very well. Then we will start the ritual soon" he informed the paragon.

However, Grimmjow remained indifferent to hear all this talk about merging into a single being. In other words, he was not impressed.

"Tch…..I don't care what he was before and what he is now!" Grimmjow spoke up and fixed a confidential grin. "While Starrk has remained stuck inside that crystal, I have grown stronger and improved my skills! My power surpasses that of the previous Espadas!" he exclaimed with pride, failing to see how others around him were not amused.

Yammy only crossed his arms and huffed. "That's some talk, seeing as You were the Sexta Espada while he was the Primera Espada. There's a huge gap between your powers, just to be clear!" the tall Arrancar told him, before fixing a smug look. "But I was the Cero Espada, and that made me the strongest of you all!" he then taunted his fellow Legionario.

Grimmjow only shrugged his shoulders and flipped his middle finger at Yammy. "Screw off, Yammy!" he spoke with rudeness in his voice.

"Fools!" all Arrancars snapped when they heard Allowin's voice interrupt them. He was standing there with his arms crossed in dispassion. "Have you forgotten what I have told you when I took each of you in my empire!?" he strictly reminded them. "There is a reason why those who were once Esclavos wear the symbol of our empire where their former numbers stood. It is a symbol and confirmation of your liberty and freedom" he told them.

Both Dordoni and Cirucci were confused, considering that they never knew so much about Allowin and the intelligence he possessed. They both glanced at Killaman.

"Care to fill us in on what this geezer's talking about?" Cirucci asked while stroking her purplish hair.

"Hey, don't refer to the one who just gave you amnesty as something like that!" Nelliel scolded her, forcing Cirucci to immediately apologize for her choice of words. "She really didn't mean it, Your Highness" the Dechado then insisted to him.

But Dordoni faced Allowin once again and even removed his shirt, thus exposing his entire torso, as well as number 103 on his stomach. The usually goofy Arrancar glanced at the emperor with a hint of realization in his eyes.

"I understand what you are trying to tell us" Dordoni revealed with a gentle voice. "How could I have failed to notice it? We who were enslaved by Aizen were given numbers not just for the sake of ranking our powers. No, he also did that…to restrain them…and restraining us!" he said.

Cirucci was filled with disbelief by what she was hearing. "Restraining us! For what reason!?" she asked in disbelief while huffing.

Durann glanced over at Killaman. "Perhaps they need some persuasion. Show them what we mean, Killaman" he requested his fellow paragon.

Killaman smiled smugly and moved straight towards Dordoni, eventually reaching out a croaked finger that was glowing green. With it, he rewrote what was previously written on Dordoni's stomach and gave him the omega symbol. "You are much more perpective than I thought. You managed to understand what the numbers are. I can see the reason why Legionario Gantenbainne vouched for you" the Dechado admitted in amusement.

Dordoni was feeling a new type of power dwelling inside of him. It felt like the shackles had finally vanished and that he was free to fly like a bird coming out of its cage. The Arrancar looked at his hands.

"I feel…free" Dordoni said lowly and watched to see Nelliel, Harribel and the others gather around him and show off their symbols as well.

"Welcome to our true home, Dordoni. You are now one of us" Gantenbainne said and revealed his symbol.

Nelliel showed hers on her back. "I look forward to work with you, Dordoni. You may be a nice person after all" the sea green-haired woman said, recalling the time Ichigo had fought him in Las Noches, and that Nelliel were dragged along into their battle.

Harribel narrowed her eyes. "Together, we will make Aizen pay for all the hardships he has put on us and eliminate the Imperio de Hierro's enemies" she said seriously while showing her symbol on her right breast.

Yammy and Grimmjow were not so enthusiastic in seeing this and could care less about it. But while Dordoni was busy enjoying this feeling of freedom, Cirucci was left on the sidelines, although she did in fact wanna know if she could also get her numbers removed. Her thoughts were interrupted by a kind voice exchanged to her from Killaman.

"You there, why don't you let me remove the number on you?" the seer asked him kindly. "Once you get to wear that symbol, you will become less reclusive and more desiring about freedom" he added to his voice.

This made Cirucci snap. "Eh, I think I should…" she was suddenly approached by Nelliel.

"It's okay, you can do it. It won't take long" Nelliel insisted to her in a friendly manner. "We know that you still feel sensitive about the symbol on your…." She was interrupted by the purplish-haired woman.

But Cirucci's cheeks blushed with embarrassment. "It's not that!" she snapped before calming herself. "I do wanna get rid of my number but the problem is…" she clung to herself. "The number is located on my….ummmm…my right butt cheek" she then revealed another embarrassing thing about herself.

Grimmjow and Yammy laughed out loud after hearing this, while the others remained stunned. However, the others did not welcome the behavior the two Legionarios were expressing towards Cirucci.

"Your number's stuck on your ass!?" Grimmjow asked before laughing out loud once again. "Well that explains the kind of slut you really are!" he added insultingly.

"Yeah! No wonder why Aizen "tapped your ass" as they say!" Yammy spoke up. "I mean, what kind of bimbo allows herself to be…." Before he could continue, something hit him on his chin.

Both Yammy and Grimmjow were angrily beaten by both Nelliel and Harribel, who seemed very furious over hearing the Legionarios' disrespectful comments with regard to the female gender. The two female Dechados fumed with anger over their fellow ex-Espadas.

"You disgusting pigs!" Nelliel spat in anger. "You think it's appropriate to make a mockery of such things!?" she demanded an answer from them, as they were rubbing their faces.

Grimmjow growled at the two women. "Snotty bitches! What the hell was that for!?" he angrily demanded an answer from them.

Harribel crossed her arms and narrowed her azure eyes. "Call us that again, and we'll make you regret it!" she sternly warned him.

"You're so gonna die when I….." Yammy was about to go into rage, until he and the others felt an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure interrupt them.

All attentions were focused on Allowin, as he was currently standing right before the crystal containing Starrk. The emperor put his hands on the crystal and glanced firmly at the Arrancar inside. Despite the enormous amount of power, Allowin was still able to stand still, considering that he himself was powerful.

"The time has come! Now that all dwellers in Hueco Mundo is at a risk, it is time for you to walk among us once again to safeguard our people!" Allowin spoke up and cracks suddenly appeared on the crystal. "Awaken…Coyote Starrk!" the tall Arrancar commanded and the crystal cracked into an explosion. At first, the explosion was so bright, but the brightness only lasted for a short moment. Once it was gone, they could see what was happening.

Everyone watched as Starrk was on his knees catching his breath. His Spiritual Pressure was no longer out of control. The young man sat as there naked. There were small tints of crystal and smoke lying beside him. But it didn't take long before he finally lifted up his head to look at Allowin and Durann, his eyes calm as ever.

"Welcome back, Coyote Starrk. You may have so many questions about how you are still alive. But at the same time, you also seem to know the answer yourself" Allowin told him, while he only sat and listened. "See for yourself, young one. Despite you having enormous power, I am still standing before you. As those these Arrancars. You know what has happened throughout the time you were sleeping, right?" the emperor asked while looking down at him.

After catching enough breath, Starrk was finally able to say some words. "I…serve you…Your Highness…for the Imperio de Hierro" he said lowly. Starrk then managed to look at Durann. Their eyes met and it was nothing but silence between them. "You…...I recognize you…" he then stammered.

"Indeed, friend. Like you, I once desired to be around someone. Still, none of that could replace being one with you and Lilynette. Even now, she's already residing within your Zanpakutou" Durann replied, much to the surprise of Starrk.

Allowin smiled when seeing this and then watched as Starrk was feeling surprised over seeing that his arm no longer bore a number, but the omega symbol instead. He was curious and then looked beside him to find his Zanpakutou lying beside him, as it was formed like a katana. The young man looked at it with realization, as he felt something similar to that weapon.

"Lilynette….." Starrk said lowly and grabbed hold on the Zanpakutou. The former Espada looked at it and began moving his blade, eventually swinging it by little. "You are…inside the blade…no longer outside it" he noted in slight curiosity.

Durann sighed deeply. "Yes, she has now returned to being a part of you, Starrk. Even now, you can feel her rest within your Almacenamiento" he told them before making sure that every Arrancars around were listening, considering that they had been following what he had just said. "It is true for all of us. The weapon that we carry with us may be called a Zanpakutou in some cases. But we Arrancars has actually our own name for that. The weapons that we use to store and release our full power, is called an Almacenamiento. That is what most of us call our weapons. But all of you may refer to it as whatever you desire" he then told them, revealing the fact that Arrancars had their own name for a Zanpakutou.

So far, Starrk had only been sitting on his knees listening to what was being said. The brown-haired man had for some reason been given back the memories he once possessed when he was a single entity. Clutching his Zanpakutou tightly, Starrk slowly rose up to his feet and glanced up at Allowin, whom he could tell possessed an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure. As he looked at him for a brief moment, Starrk suddenly bowed his head before the emperor in shame. However, Allowin remained unfazed, as he was still observing former Espada.

"Please…...please forgive me for the choices I've made" Starrk suddenly said before raising up his head. "All that I ever wanted…..was to be with someone…..someone whom I could trust…but somehow…I always ended up regretting my decisions!" the brown-haired man said. To everyone' surprise, he even knelt down before Allowin. "So I ask you this now, Augustus Zod Allowin. Please forgive me for wasting your resources in this foolish quest of mine!" he suddenly begged before the emperor.

Allowin only stood and listened closely, his weary eyes never changing. However, he suddenly reached out one of his strong hands to the Arrancar, who had begun sobbing. Why was someone like Coyote Starrk doing that? The answer was now pretty simple. Starrk had for the first time realized what solitude and loneliness really meant. He really feared it now. He feared about once again wandering through the endless steppes of Hueco Mundo. But what was Allowin doing in reaching out his hand to Starrk?

"Rise up, Coyote Starrk" Allowin spoke up softly, forcing the brown-haired man to stand up on his feet and grab hold of the emperor's reaching hand. The moment Starrk felt the touch of Allowin, he could see that by touching him, no one died. He looked up to see the emperor fixing a slight smile underneath his beard. "Everyone makes mistakes, young one. Even I, the true Ruler of Hueco Mundo has done that as well. And remember this: not all who wander are lost. In fact, some of them carry a hidden destiny within themselves and it is this that distinguishes them form those living in despair. Now come with us, Starrk. Come with us to your home, the true home" Allowin then told the former Espada, who only stood and listened with tears streaming slowly from his eyes.

Starrk was still crying, only to feel a hand on his shoulder. It was Durann. For some reason, he managed to ease the former Espada's sadness. That was probably due to the fact that these Arrancars were in some way connected to each other.

"You can rest easy now, friend. Your journey is over" Durann assured Starrk. "That being said, I think it is time that we become whole again. Are you prepared?" the Dechado asked him.

The tears on Starrk's face had washed away completely. He had never before felt so warm on the inside. The fear of solitude was now gone.

"I am" Starrk replied back.

Durann warmly smiled at him. "Then let us all go home, together. You, me and Lilynette. We will no longer be apart from one another" he then answered.


In the icy cityscape, the Sereitei, Soul Society

Things had gotten more silent in the Sereitei, especially since the earthquake stopped. Both Shinigamis and Quincies alike were stunned and confused at the same time. They wondered what was really happening, and why the world's downfall suddenly stopped. But without a common threat to focus on, they returned to fighting one another in the streets and amongst the rubbles.

However, the Sternritters who had been abandoned by Yhwach had now gathered around in a ring inside one of the many broken apartment complexes in this transformed cityscape. What was noticeable was the fact that there were dead Soldats lying near their ring. Why were they having this meeting in secrecy? The Sternritters composed of Bazz-B, NaNaNa Najakhoop, Liltotto Lamperd, Candice Catnipp, Meninas McAllon and Giselle Gewelle were having a planning or some sort.

"Alright, all of us are here" Bazz-B said and looked at each of his fellow Sternritter. "I guess each of you girls managed to get your Quincy: Vollständig back" he then said.

Liltotto sat on a dead Soldat's corpse and she simply shrugged while hearing this. "We sure did. Stealing the life-source from the Soldats were not a big deal" the young girl responded.

"But are you sure it was the right thing to do?" Meninas suddenly asked everyone and they all glanced at her questionably. The bubblegum-haired girl only snapped herself. "Not that I have anything against it. It's just that..…..was killing them really necessary? They were our allies after all" she then asked while pointing out her reservations.

Bazz-B gritted his teeth in dispassion when hearing this. "You gotta be kidding me! Why the hell are you feeling sympathetic towards Yhwach's dolls all of a sudden!?" he angrily asked her.

"Yeah, what's the big idea, babe?" NaNaNa asked in his laidback manner. "After what dat mustached mothafucka did to us, you still think we should stick by his rules? Hell to da naw! We'll do anything to survive in this shithole!" the lean man pointed out.

Meninas immediately bowed her head in shame before her comrades. "Right….my apologies" she told them.

"Well, I'm glad that we regained our powers back by stealing the life sources. Plus, I was able to bring another Sternritter back from the dead" Giselle suddenly pointed out and her fellow Sternritters could see that Sternritter N – The Narrower: Robert Accutrone was sitting beside Sternritter E – The Explode: Bambietta Basterbine. Giselle only giggled with pride. "I used the corpses of the Soldats and the Shinigamis to recreate the flesh on Accutrone's body. At least, we have now enough manpower to take the fight to Yhwach" she told them.

Liltotto scoffed at her friend's work. "Hmmm…...nice job, Gigi" the little girl commended her sarcastically. "I take it that you couldn't find any body parts belonging to PePe. Well, I ate half of his body to make him pay. But the rest of it probably vanished by the Auswählen" Liltotto suddenly revealed

Meninas sighed in relief when hearing this. "Thank goodness. That man always gave me the creeps" she admitted to her fellow Sternritters.

"You sayin' you ate dat fatass bitch!? Dayum gurl!" NaNaNa asked Liltotto in open disgust. "Dat's just fucked up, dawg! I bet dat nigga tasted nasty!" he said of PePe, considering that PePe was among the Sternritters NaNaNa disliked the most.

Bazz-B shrugged his shoulders. "Tch, who the hell cares about him, anyway? That fat-headed fudge-packer is gone now. We don't need him" the man with the Mohawk pointed out to his comrades.

"But even if we have both Accutrone and Bambi with us, is that enough to take on Yhwach?" the one who asked this was Candice, as she demanded an answer from those around her. "Don't forget that he has his Schutzstaffel with him, not to mention Haschwalth and that four-eyed successor of his" the blonde-haired woman pointed out while describing Uryu.

"The Schutzstaffel?" Liltotto said as her eyes snapped in realization. "Wait, those who were appointed as Schutzstaffel…...were they deemed…..." before she could say any further, Bazz-B slammed a fist onto the floor.

"That son of a bitch!" the aggressive Quincy cursed. "Those who were appointed as Schutzstaffel were deemed useful to him instead of us! That is why we were treated like disposable cannon fodder!" Bazz-B spat out.

Giselle got curious when hearing about this. "Oh, but who were the five members then? We know that Haschwalth and this Uryu Ishida were only His Majesty's associates, so they don't count" she then asked her friends.

"One of them is definitely Nakk Le Vaar, that sleazy slimeball" Bazz-B remarked in slight anger when thinking about Askin. "From what I heard, he retreated back to Silbern during Gremmy's rampage" the man with the Mohawk explained.

NaNaNa only rested his hands behind his neck. "I think dat Lille is also among them" he noted. "Mothafucka's always trying to act so cool, given how he was da first to be given a Schrift and all. Just sayin', bruh" he thought about the one-eyed Quincy carrying a rifle.

"Then there's Pernida, Gerard and Nianzol" Liltotto suddenly told them. The young girl could not help but to grit her teeth in frustration. "Damn it. Yhwach just had to bring along the strongest of the Sternritters. How are we supposed to get to him with them being his closest vanguard?" she wondered in slight frustration.

"Who cares about what Sternritters he's got on his side!?" the angry and sparkling voice came from Candice, as she stood up on her feet. "The first thing we should concentrate on is how do we get to the Royal Realm?" she asked all of them.

Hearing this question caused uncertainty amongst the Sternritters. They knew that the first thing they needed was to reach the place Yhwach was currently in, which was high above the Sereitei.

"Shit…...I forgot about that" Bazz-B admitted lowly. "I guess that we also can't use The Key to enter it. Only Jugo possesses the power to activate and use it" he then said.

"Now dis some bullshit!" NaNaNa cursed. "I ain't gonna be stuck down here and watch homies die from crumbling buildings!" he spoke up his frustration.

But Meninas suddenly made a coughing sound and everyone focused their attentions on the bubblegum-haired girl. "Anyone of you probably haven't noticed…..but the captains and lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads has deserted us for some reason. And now, only low-ranking Shinigamis are being sent against us. Don't you think this sounds fishy?" she asked her fellow Quincies.

"Yeah, I know" Liltotto said in agreement. "In fact, I think I sense a huge amount of Spiritual Pressures gathering a few miles from here. That must be where all the captains and lieutenants are gathered" the young girl remarked.

"But why would they be doing something like that?" Candice asked while crossing her arms. "Were they making preparations for their deaths or something?" she then quizzed out of confusion.

Giselle only moved around her sleeves playfully. "Who knows? Maybe they also plan on breaking into the Royal Realm" the young girl said, only to be receiving stares from her comrades. The black-haired girl took notice of this and smiled goofily. "What? I'm only guessing. It's not that I always have the correct answer" she insisted in a silly manner.

Bazz-B suddenly got up and watched his fellow Quincies. "You know, she may be onto something" the young man revealed and they all listened closely. "I suggest that we go over there and see what kind of schemes they're doing. And we best hurry. Things doesn't appear to look good around here" the man with the Mohawk told them and was about to go outside.

But the Sternritters stopped once they could notice something strange happening in the atmosphere. The change was obvious given the darkened skies.

"Hold on! What's happening to the skies?" Candice wondered, as she witnessed that the sky above them were turned into black.

"Dayum…..dis ain't good" NaNaNa noted warily.


At the Squad 12 Base

The Shinigamis getting ready for entering the Royal Realm were all shocked when they could see something happening with Ukitake. As he had taken the Soul King's place as it's Right Hand, the white-haired man was suddenly dragged up towards the air in a fast pace, much to the shock or Rukia and the other lieutenants and captains. But that was not all. As soon as Ukitake vanished from their sight, a dark curtain descended down towards the Sereitei, eventually shrouding itself around the Shakonmaku. The entire icy cityscape was now covered by this darkness and nobody knew what was going on.

"It's so dark, almost like it's midnight" Shuhei Hisagi of Squad 9 noted while glancing up towards the base's opened ceiling. "Who's behind all of this?" he asked.

Captain Sui-Feng snorted when hearing this. "What do you mean who's behind all of this? It's those damn Quincies again" she noted warily before pointing her finger up in the air, towards a broken part of the Shakonmaku. The woman's eyes narrowed. "Look closer. A part of the Shakonmaku is missing. And just a while back, the Soul King's Right Hand escaped through that hole and headed towards the Royal Realm, as did Ukitake" she explained.

Kisuke Urahara adjusted his hat. "Yeah, I can see it clearly. That Mimihagi possessed without a doubt an enormous amount of strength, considering that it was able to break through the Shakonmaku with such ease" the blonde-haired man remarked while seeing this.

"And it means the enemy will use that hole to attack us. That we can't allow" Sui-Feng said and suddenly jumped up through the opened ceiling.

"Wait! Where are you going, captain?" Marechiyo Omaeda of Squad 2 asked his captain as she stood on the top of the base.

Sui-Feng merely glanced down at her lieutenant with dispassion in her eyes. "Where I am going, you ask? Don't tell me that you plan on sitting on your fat asses and do nothing!" she said in a surprisingly rude manner. She then glanced up at the hole in the Shakonmaku. "I don't know about you, but I am going to destroy this ugly net around us, one way or another" she said.

"I'm sorry, which one of us has a fat ass?" that voice came from Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11 as he merely grinned cockily at Sui-Feng. "I suggest you put some soap in your mouth and start showing some manners, bitch" he spoke up.

"Looks who's talking!" Sui-Feng snapped back at him.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Zaraki has a point" Sui-Feng was surprised in seeing Captain Byakuya Kuchiki standing behind her. The young man glanced at her with nothing but disappointment. "You may as well want to reconsider your attitude" he added to his statement.

"Back off, Kuchiki" the Captain of Squad 2 sternly told him.

"My, my, so much quarreling amongst us captains" Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Squad 12 remarked as he also approached them. The scientist smiled cunningly at Sui-Feng. "Truth be told, I really can't stand when someone insults my role as a captain. I do not slack off. I am a scientist, who works his ass off doing research. But you on the other hand…." Mayuri began commenting about Sui-Feng's earlier insults.

Sui-Feng merely narrowed her eyes at him. "Shut it, pedo clown! I don't need lecturing from the likes of you!" she spat at him.

Hearing this made Mayuri slowly reach out for his Zanpakutou, yet he glanced at Sui-Feng angrily. "Ungrateful whore! I shall teach you how to address colleagues in a more….." Mayuri was stopped by someone interrupting them.

"Everyone, calm the fuck down!" Captain Shinji Hirako of Squad 5 told them all while sighing in irritation. "Geez, there's no need to get so hissy here! I think Sui-Feng never meant to say our asses were fat….more like, lazy. Although Omaeda's ass is fat for sure" the blonde-haired man remarked smugly.

"Screw you, I thought you were cool!" the angry voice of Marechiyo could be heard down below them.

Shinji merely sighed when hearing this. "Whatever" he grumbled beneath his breath before looking up to the hole in the Shakonmaku. "Anyway, Sui-Feng's right about one thing: we gotta find a way to bust open this black curtain. It's the only thing that prevents us from reaching the Royal Realm" the blonde-haired man pointed out to his fellow captains.

Sui-Feng drew out her Zanpakutou and glanced up towards the hole. "That is what I'm about to do, so stand back and don't interrupt me" she told them sternly and activated her Bankai. "Bankai. Jakuho Raikoben!" she said and aimed her giant missile towards the hole. But she suddenly stopped when she could see something fall from the hole.

"What the hell….." Kenpachi asked lowly, as he and the other captains stood behind Sui-Feng.

In a matter of time, Sui-Feng was overwhelmed by hundreds of small, black creatures with only one eyes. They were endless and managed to interrupt Sui-Feng from firing her missile. She tried to shove them off, but no matter how many times she did it, they just came back.

"Crush. Gegetsuburi!" Marechyio activated his Shikai and swung his spiked ball to save his captain from those small, black things. "Are you okay, captain?" he then asked her only to be slammed on his face by Sui-Feng.

"Idiot, what took you so long?" she asked him.

Kenpachi was holding off against those creatures, but he could see that they were regenerating immensely. This made him realize that they needed to be more in order for them to drive back the things. "Ikkaku. Yumichika. Get your asses up here and help us take down those things!" he called on his two subordinates from Squad 11: Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa.

The two Shinigamis arrived on the rooftops alongside Shuhei and readied themselves for combat. "We can't let those things get to the lab! Otherwise, it's all over for us! Reap. Kazeshini" Shuhei said while activating his Shikai.

"Tch, thanks for the reminder, Captain Obvious" Ikkaku remarked with sarcasm in return before activating his Shikai. "Extend. Hozukimaru!" the bald-headed man then said.

"Focus, Ikkaku" Yumichika reminded his stubborn comrade before activating his Shikai. "Bloom. Fuji Kujaku" the flamboyant man said.

The three then dived into the pool of creatures, hoping to spread them apart. They succeeded, but the creatures still came back for more fights. These creatures really were resilient.

"Scatter. Senbonzakura" Byakuya activated his Shikai before sending his cherry blossom blades against the creatures. "Renji. Rukia. Take caution. These things won't simply go away because of one or two Zanpakutous being released" he told the lieutenants of Squad 6 and Squad 13 respectively, as they also arrived on the roof.

Renji merely grinned. "I got ya! Roar. Zabimaru!" he activates his Shikai.

"Dance. Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia activated her Shikai.

Shinji was having Momo Hinamori, and the Kudo-twins: Matsuri and Fujimaru at his side currently. They were holding off on their own against the things. But they also noticed how these things kept regenerating and coming back for more fights.

"Stay strong, Matsuri and Fujimaru! We gotta hold them off as best as we can!" Momo encouraged her fellow members of Squad 5 while holding her Zanpakutou Tobiume tightly.

"Damn it! These creatures sure are persistent! They just keep coming!" Fujimaru cursed while swinging his Zanpakutou: Ryujomaru. "Aren't there any limits to them!?" he asked in slight desperation.

"I don't know! But if this keeps going on, then we won't be able to reach that net and dispose of it!" Matsuri remarked while swinging her Zanpakutou: Kotomaru.

But while the Shinigamis were busy fending off the creature, they failed to notice the incredible amount of Spiritual Pressure that had just been unleashed. This Spiritual Pressure disposed of those things, yet the Shinigamis snapped in shock, as they actually recognized the Spiritual Pressure, and who it belonged to. But they even got more stung when they heard the familiar voice lurking from the shadows.

"How pathetic. Why are you wasting your time swinging your swords when it's easy to crush these things with only your Spiritual Pressures?" that voice came from none other than the Soul Society's greatest criminal to ever exist: Sosuke Aizen. He was now sitting on a chair, although he was still in his bindings that prevented him from even walking or to a lesser extent rise up from the chair. As the Shinigamis were shocked, Aizen merely smiled smugly. "There. Isn't this easier?" he asked them, completely disregarding their shock.

"You gotta be shitting me….." Renji uttered out those words lowly.

"You're…" Rukia was at loss of words, as she still remembered all the hardships she had been put through by him. "Sosuke Aizen!" she spat out a name she hated to even say.

"What the fuck's going on?" Ikkaku asked while sweating.

Momo on the other hand had her eyes completely widened at the sight of seeing her former captain sitting there with is usual, unsympathetic expression. Her body couldn't even move and she was on the verge of falling onto the ground, only for Shinji and the Kudo-twins to help her.

But Aizen first took notice of Rukia, as she had been the one who had first called out his name. "Oh, long time no see, Rukia Kuchiki. I never had the chance to speak to you after I left the Court Guard" he spoke up in his perceptive voice as usual. "Well, congratulations on getting your promotion. It is great they are finally acknowledging your services to the order" he then commended Rukia, although it was difficult to tell whether that was true or false.

"Spare me these fake praising, Aizen!" Rukia snapped in anger while sweating with unease. "Why are you here!? You should've been locked up in the Muken!" she asked while demanding an answer at the same time.

Aizen remained unfazed about her demand. "Simple. They let me go. And by that, I mean Central 46" he told her as honest as he could.

But Rukia remained unconvinced. "To hell with your nonsense! Who in their right mind would ever…..." Rukia stopped speaking when she and the other Shinigamis could hear a familiar voice come from behind the chair.

"It was me" the voice came from Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, as the pink-clad Shinigami approached the group of Shinigamis, who were mostly stunned to see that it was he who had released Aizen from his prison. The man with the eyepatch faced the group with a reassuring glance. "I'm certain that every one of you wants me to explain the reason. But I'll tell you this: we need his powers" he told them all.

The group of Shinigamis were outraged by that statement, as they could not believe what he was saying. Most of them believed that Shunsui had lost his mind right now.

"Are you fucking serious…" Renji uttered out words lowly.

"Head-Captain Kyoraku…what are you saying!?" Rukia asked in shock.

"You really think this is a good idea!?" Shuhei demanded an answer. "You have gone insane!" he then spat out.

"Shuhei has a point. I sure as hell don't agree asking for help from someone like him!" Ikkaku remarked.

"Yes. There is absolutely no way we can just forget about all that he has done to us" Yumichika said, agreeing with Ikkaku's statement.

Sui-Feng narrowed her eyes at Shunsui. "Have you shame!?" she asked the pink-clad Shinigami with open outrage. "I would die before I ever allowed that thing to help us!" she then spat out.

But while Sui-Feng was furious, Byakuya, Mayuri, Kenpachi and Shinji remained surprisingly calm throughout this, although they each had different reactions on the inside. But Shinji could see that Momo was feeling more uneasy by the minute and he rushed to her side, as she was being helped by both Matsuri and Fujimaru.

"Matsuri. Fujimaru. Take Momo down to the base. I'll be there shortly" Shinji told the twins and they listened and agreed with what he said. They grabbed Momo and jumped down to the lab. Once they were gone, Shinji returned his attention towards Aizen, sitting on his chair. "Sosuke…whatever your plans are…...I sure as hell will never let that happen. You won't be disgracing Captain Suzunami's legacy" the blonde-haired man thought in his head while glancing at his former lieutenant sitting in his bindings.

Shunsui adjusted his hat and felt like he had heard enough complaints so far. "Very well, let's talk about the 13 Court Guard Squads. As all of you know, pride alone won't save the world" he told the Shinigamis as they listened. "I don't necessarily think that fighting evil with evil makes me an evil person. Wouldn't you agree with me on that?" he then pointed out, convincing them to put their pride aside and fight evil with evil.

Despite hearing this, the majority of the Shinigamis felt very reluctant to agree with Shunsui's statement. However, none of them dared speaking out against this anymore. The head-captain realized that he had proved his argument.

Aizen mused to what he was seeing. "It seems to me that the discussion is over" he remarked before looking up to Shunsui beside him. "Now then, isn't it time for you to undo the seals on my hands and let me get off this chair?" he then asked the pink-clad Shinigami.

"I can't do that" Shunsui flatly replied.

"And why, if I may ask?" Aizen questioned him in return.

Shunsui scoffed at him in return. "I believe I told you this before. I'm only allowed to undo 3 of your seals: the mouth, the left eye and the ankles" he explained while showing it with three fingers. "I have no authorization to undo more seals" he then went on explaining.

Aizen sighed in irritation when he heard Shunsui's statement. "In other words, you are telling me to deal with all of this while sitting on a chair?" he asked him.

The head-captain mused to himself in return. "I'm sure you'll figure out something. You always do" he replied.

Aizen's left eye narrowed at him. "That sounds farfetched. You know very well that I don't have the power to do so" he told the pink-clad Shinigami.

Shunsui's only eye narrowed back at him as well. "This isn't about whether you have the power to do so or not" he told Aizen before looing up above them to see a new wave of small creatures descending down towards them, only to be stopped by Aizen's immense Spiritual Pressure. "I watched as these little eyeballs chewed on you while you were seated. Don't tell me you haven't done anything about it" Shunsui added to his statement.

The Shinigamis were awed by how these small creatures managed to pour down at them, only for Aizen to use his Spiritual Pressure to hold them back.

"Hmmm, you are only making things harder for me, Kyoraku" Aizen said.

Shunsui chuckled when he heard that. "You're welcome" he said and suddenly looked to his fellow Shinigamis. "Everyone, get back into the lab! This is gonna be one hell of an attack!" he told them and they all responded.

Aizen sat on the chair while uttering out a famed Kido-spell of his. "Hado 90: Kurohitsugi!" he said and a cage of darkness was formed at the top of the base. It was apparent that he was now attempting to trap the small creatures along with him in this cage.

Meanwhile, everyone had gathered in the lab watched as the black cage took shape above them through the opened ceiling. However, even as Aizen was "helping" them, the majority of the Shinigamis did not look pleased with Shunsui's decision to ask Aizen for help.

"You do understand, Kyoraku" Byakuya approached the head-captain from behind. "That you freeing Aizen, means that you have insulted us all" the Captain of Squad 6 pointed out.

Shunsui could himself see this, as there were many Shinigamis who were giving him cold stares, among them Sui-Feng, Matsuri, Fujimaru, Hiyori, Lisa and Shuhei. Some like Shinji, Love, Hachi, Renji, Rukia, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Urahara seemed to have accepted it, albeit reluctantly. Others like Isane, Hanataro, Nanao, Marechiyo and Momo were feeling incredibly insecure about having Aizen near them. But both Kenpachi and Mayuri didn't necessarily seem to care and only glanced up to see the black cage above them.

The head-captain sighed when seeing the reactions. "I know. And I take full responsibility for my decisions" he said while adjusting his hat. "All of you are welcome to kick my ass as much as you want once this is over. But for now, let me do what is necessary to protect the Sereitei" he told them as they could see the black cage being completely formed.

After the Kurohitsugi was finished, some of the Shinigamis jumped up to the top of the base to see that there was no tint of those creatures left in the wake of Aizen's Kido-spell. The Shinigamis were stunned to see how clear it was and only Aizen and the chair remained intact.

"My God…..there isn't a speck of those monsters left around here" Shuhei remarked by what he was seeing.

Urahara was joining them and could not believe what Aizen was capable of doing with only a single Kido-spell. "This is what his power can do now? I hate to say this, but it could be possible that it has grown from the time he fought Ichigo" the blonde-haired man noted warily.

The Shinigamis around him all snapped in shock, among them Renji. "So he's gotten stronger…even while being trapped in the Muken?" he asked Urahara before glancing at Aizen, who was still sitting on his chair. "Damn monster…" he muttered underneath his breath.

Aizen eventually took notice of the group of Shinigamis approaching him. "How amazing. To think that this chair could survive a direct attack from my Kurohitsugi. If so then that means this one is made of the same stuff as the Muken. A splendid chair, indeed" the brown-haired man noted.

Renji snorted in return when hearing Aizen speak. "Fuck off, asswipe. You're not fooling me with that attitude" the red-haired man said in his rude language.

But Aizen however remained unfazed when hearing this. "I was actually talking to myself, Renji Abarai. Now do me a favor and cease this blabbering of yours" Aizen requested of him.

Hearing this made Renji grit his teeth in rage. "Why don't I let you taste a knuckle-sandwich instead, you slick-ass son of a….." Renji was held back by Rukia, who glanced at him dispassionately.

"Ignore him, Renji. He is just miserable" Rukia said before fixing her smug look at Aizen. "It's quite ironic, actually. You had helped develop Ichigo's skill only for him to defeat you in the end. Must be embarrassing to think about it. Am I right, Aizen?" she then asked him in a taunting manner.

Aizen only faced her with a frown in return. "Your humor eludes me, Lieutenant Kuchiki" he said in return.

Rukia narrowed her eyes. "Even for a traitor like you, that was low" she told him.

"STEP ASIDE!" all the Shinigamis snapped when they could hear an angry, but girly voice coming from someone they had least expected to sound pissed off. It was Momo, who had her eyes filled with anger while clutching Tobiume tightly in her right hand. The young girl was now standing a few feet before Aizen, who had so far only raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"It can't be.….is that you, Momo?" Aizen asked lowly, his voice filled with slight surprise. The brown-haired man eventually formed a slight smile. "Hmmm, I see that you are still serving the Court Guard as a lieutenant. Impressive. Tell me, how have you…." Aizen was suddenly interrupted in his talking, when Momo quickly threw a small rock at him. She threw it fast and it actually hit Aizen's left cheek.

Her fellow lieutenants were stunned when they saw this. "Momo…what are you….." Renji asked her in slight surprise, as she had actually never in his life seen Momo physically attack Aizen like this.

While the rock did not leave him any injuries, it still left a mark on Aizen's left cheek. He was slightly surprised when seeing this and glanced at Momo, her eyes filled with nothing but anger and resentment. This expression, was something he had never seen Momo had while she was his lieutenant.

"Well, that was unexpected" Aizen noted while forming a slight smile with his mouth. "That catch of yours was really quick, Momo. You threw it so fast that even I failed to detect it. I take it you have been improving on your…" Aizen was once again interrupted, but this time by Momo herself.

"Shut up…" she said lowly, thus forcing Aizen to stop speaking.

The man in bindings only chuckled in return. "Now, now, Momo. That is no way to speak to your former captain. Didn't you ever…" Aizen stopped speaking.

"I SAID SHUT UP, YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD!" Momo surprisingly yelled at the top of her lungs, her eyes slowly starting to stream some tears.

Renji and the others were stunned to hear what was being said. When was the last Momo ever became this angry? This was probably the first time they had ever seen Momo getting really upset and angry towards her former captain and idol. Aizen was the same man who had inspired her to join Squad 5, let alone becoming a Shinigami. But her idolization of him led to Momo become one of his many victims. Yes, she had been stabbed two times, with the first one being Aizen's move directly and the second being as a result of Aizen's Shikai: Kyoka Suigetsu.

The young girl felt tears drip onto the ground, her face filled with anger over what had happened. "I looked up to you…...respected you….AND EVEN MOURNED YOUR SUPPOSED DEATH!" Momo spoke up, her heart stung by the betrayals. "Even after you stabbed me and left the Soul Society…I still wanted to believe that there was some good left in you! But I…was wrong…...dead wrong…." she said with bitterness in her voice.

While Momo was telling him all these things, Aizen remained completely unsympathetic to her pain. However, he could not help but to form a slight smirk with his mouth. This only indicated that he was in secret taking pleasure in seeing his former lieutenant in pain.

"You still don't get it, do you, Momo?" Aizen suddenly spoke up. This made Momo stand still, not saying anything in return. "From the day I first laid my eyes upon you, I knew from the start that you were nothing but a misguided girl desperate to find someone to lean onto. That alone, only demonstrated your weakness. And in my opinion, having idiots and weaklings does have its benefits" the man in bindings told Momo, who was too shattered to even say anything in return.

The Kudo-twins both expressed frustration when they heard Aizen say this to their lieutenant. "You rotten bastard…how dare you…." Fujimaru said lowly, only feeling more desiring in killing Aizen, despite being told that it was impossible.

"I see what this is all about" Matsuri noted to herself while observing how Momo stood and listened. "Momo never got the answers she wanted from Aizen. And now that he's finally here, she wants to hear them, personally. The answers to why Aizen would go as far as to stab her…and to use her in order to further his own selfish ambitions" the dark blonde-haired girl noted by what she was seeing.

Momo suddenly faced the ground with her angry eyes, never looking at her former captain. "So that's it, then? To you, I was nothing but a burden…a disappointment…...a nuisance…." she said, her voice filled with no compassion towards him. But she finally lifted her head up to face Aizen directly in his left eye. "But if I really was that worthless to you….WHY WOULD YOU STILL USE ME AS A TOOL!? WHY NOT JUST DISREGARD ME FROM THE BEGINNING!?" she then angrily asked Aizen.

"Spineless girl! You still don't understand!" Aizen spat back with venom in his voice. "It doesn't matter whether a person is worthy or unworthy to me. I will use anyone to my advantage and then make then suffer! Seeing fools like you being played against that weakling Hitsugaya was entertainment for me! You, along with anything that has served under me are nothing but ants for me to exploit! When I have changed this world, you will all see" he exclaimed, thus revealing his true and sinister nature.

The Shinigamis near him were stunned to see Aizen behave in such maddened manner. They began wondering whether his time in the Muken had somehow affected his mental state. Among those most terrified was Urahara.

"I see. It's not just his powers that has changed. I can see it all over him. He may act all sane, but are several cracks starting to show themselves. And beneath those cracks…lies a deranged madman filled with nothing but hatred and sadism" Urahara thought, observing Aizen's slow, yet open descent into insanity.

While Momo had been broken, she was actually not surprised when hearing all of this coming to from Aizen's own mouth. In fact, she reached for something in her shihakusho and took it up for Aizen himself to see. This time, Aizen's left eye widened in realization, as he knew what it was. This was the same letter that he had written in order to trick Momo into killing Toshiro, as well as forcing her to believe that it was her childhood friend who had killed him. Momo held it up with her eyes glancing at him in a surprisingly cold manner.

"This is the same letter you used to make me a part of your mind games. Even after your defection, I still held onto it. I foolishly hoped that there would be some worth in remembering your supposed kindness" Momo explained before throwing it in the air. With the letter in the air, Momo used one of Tobiume's fireballs to burn it in front of Aizen. He was slightly surprised to see this. Momo glared at him before turning her back on him. She even looked over her shoulder to face him. "Consider this an official declaration of me rejecting of your existence. From now on, you will never exist in my memories. You will be nothing but distant nightmares. And truth be told…you're dead to me….and always has been. And why, you may wonder? Well that is because you didn't stop being my captain when you first stabbed me. Rather, you stopped being my captain when you first took me under your wing! That is what I believe it all began! Goodbye…Aizen…and may you rot in Hell for all the sins you have committed" those were Momo's last words to her former idol before walking back to the lab.

Her fellow lieutenants were stunned as they watched Momo jump down, never turning back to face Aizen while on her way to the opening. They could not help but to feel proud about Momo's actions. For the first time, she stood up for herself as a Shinigami.

"Momo…..you have grown….." Renji remarked underneath his breath.

"It was hard, but I could tell she needed to do this" Rukia said, agreeing with Renji.

Aizen had so far only remained unfazed while watching Momo disappear from his sight. But he was approached by his longtime friend, Urahara. The blonde-haired man was only glancing at him with his arms crossed. Yet despite this, Aizen was not amused and merely stared at him with dispassion.

"You should think about the consequences of your actions, Aizen" Urahara said lowly, yet his voice was not pleasant. "In time, all the decisions you have chosen…...will come back to haunt you for the remainder of your life. And when that time comes…...you will actually for the first time beg for forgiveness" the blonde-haired man then told him.

Aizen frowned deeply while hearing Urahara, before fixing a slight smirk with his mouth. "How about we change the subject a little? As you can see, my Kurohitsugi has put a crack in this net of darkness above us and that says a lot about its density" Aizen told him while making sure everyone was listening. "All I have to do now is to use my Spiritual Pressure and it will come crumbling down" he then said before unleashing his enormous power once more.

This release was powerful and it went actually overboard as it affected the doors that the captains were trying to create in the lab beneath him. The Shinigamis took a great issue in this.

"Stop it, Aizen! The Spiritual Pressure we have collected for the doors will disperse!" Rukia said to him.

"Doors? You won't need those. There is a hole in the walls of the Royal Realm, isn't it?" Aizen asked Rukia before glancing up to the hole in the Shakonmaku. "If all of us have some business at the Soul King's Palace, then why don't I bring it all down to us?" he suggested and unleashed his strong power.

"He's actually gonna shoot down the Soul King's Palace!?" Renji asked out in disbelief. "Is that even possible!?" he wondered out loud.

Rukia gritted her teeth in anger and reached for her Zanpakutou. "That son of a bitch! He only….." Rukia suddenly found herself being held back by Shunsui, who had appeared alongside Mayuri. They then walked towards Aizen, who was concentrating his efforts on destroying the Soul King's Palace.

But all of a sudden, the gathering of enormous power ceased instantly and Aizen was stunned to see what was happening. "What the hell…why did it stop!?" he wondered in disbelief.

"It's no use" Shunsui said while facing Aizen. "You said it yourself back in the Muken. That those restraints on you couldn't cancel your Spiritual Pressure. The only thing it does is keep it around you" he added before fixing a slight smile. "But the power required to cap your Spiritual Pressure is unbelievably strong. So therefore, we have taken the liberty to test you on the Soul Society's proudest achievement. Care to explain, Captain Kurotsuchi?" he then looked over his shoulder and Mayuri stepped forward.

"What Kyoraku is trying to say is that Spiritual Pressure will keep producing as long as the heart of a Shinigami remains beating. And unless you stop the heart, there is no way one can stop the Spiritual Pressure" the scientist explained while pointing his finger at the man in bindings. "For some very particular reason, prisoners in the Muken cannot be killed. That is only because we don't have anyone that could stop their hearts from beating. It is also the reason why those restraints on you were never intended to cancel out your Spiritual Pressure to begin with" he added to his explanation. The captain of Squad 12 suddenly reached for something in his outfit and eventually held it for Aizen to see. "It's focus however, was to keep it in check. And now, whether we free you or not, is all up to me. Did you honestly think that your powers could've beaten my technology and do as you please? You are hopelessly naïve, Sosuke Aizen" Mayuri said smugly while holding a small device in his left hand.

Aizen couldn't help but to form a smirk when seeing this. "So, you have trapped me with your inventions? I expected no less from the minor version of Urahra" he said in an insulting manner to the scientist.

Although Mayuri felt angry on the inside when hearing this, he refrained from pulling out his Zanpakutou. "Anyway, about whether you could actually shoot down the Soul King's Palace, or not. It won't matter as long as you are in those restraints of mine, just to clarify the fact" Mayuri told him.

"You underestimate me, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Maybe I should try out to the maximum and see which one is the better, your technology or my power" he said, only to feel his entire body becoming paralyzed by a pattern forming around him.

The Shinigamis were stunned to see that a group of Sternritters was now standing on the pile of boulders, with NaNaNa performing his tricks on Aizen with a smirk. The lean Quincy was having fun in seeing Aizen becoming so vulnerable, expect for the fact that he had not become paralyzed.

"Man, dis some bullshit!" NaNaNa remarked in boredom. "How come dat fool on da chair ain't passing out?" he wondered in disbelief.

"Who cares? Why did you do that to him, anyway?" Liltotto asked him.

The lean man only shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just practicin'! But then again, dat fool would've destroyed the Soul King's Palace before we could reach it" he responded in return before glancing down upon the Shinigamis below them. "Anyway, what do we do about dese wide-eyed mothafuckas? I say we kill'em!" he suggested to them.

Bazz-B only shrugged his shoulders. "Nice try, but I have something else on my mind" Bazz-B said before glancing down at the group of Shinigamis. "Hey Shinigamis! Lay down your weapons! We're here to talk!" the man with the Mohawk told them loudly.

While he was listening to this, Shunsui looked down at Nanao and the others to see how things were going and he could see that the door had completely vanished. Nanao looked up at him. "It's not good, captain! The doors have disintegrated! We need to begin from the scratch!" Nanao called out to him.

"Oh dear, then we will have to deal with this quickly. But first, let's see what these fellows have in store for us" Shunsui said as he and others could see the Quincies stand before them. "Hello, Sternritters. I couldn't help but to hear you saying something about not wanting to fight. But I'm afraid I can't trust you to the…." Shunsui was interrupted by Bazz-B speaking.

"Listen, we're not here to fight you. In fact, we're gonna lend you our hands" Bazz-B insisted, much to the surprise of the Shinigamis. "The Wandenreich is something that exists in the shadows of the Sereitei. If the Sereitei were to be crushed by the palace, so would we" the punkish Sternritter explained.

"So you are saying you will help us?" Mayuri asked while sounding suspicious. "And what makes you think we should accept it? I really can't stand that zombie girl!" he said while grumbling when Giselle stuck out her tongue at him.

But NaNaNa intervened. "Shut yo yellow ass up, fool! Mah homeboy here never said anything about dat!" he said to Mayuri, who found NaNaNa's words irritating.

"He's right. And we're not doing this for free either. We want compensation" Bazz-B pointed out to the Shinigamis. "We help you guys making the doors. And in return, you take us with you to the Royal Realm. We have some unfinished business with that bastard Yhwach!" he then stated the terms.

Shunsui whistled in amazement by what he was hearing. "Ah, I see. An alliance of convenience. You help us giving enough Spiritual Pressure to make the doors and we in return take you with us to the Royal Realm. Now this sounds like a fair deal to be honest, considering that we're on tight schedule here" the pink-clad Shinigami remarked.

"I agree" Urahara stated while stepping beside Shunsui. "It seems to me that we all share a common enemy in Yhwach. And based upon his actions, we cannot blame you for feeling this way" the blonde-haired man remarked.

"Then all of you know what must be done" Liltotto said in return. "So are you guys in on this or what?" she asked them all.

"I guess we have an agreement" Shunsui responded.

Urahara suddenly held out a small ball in his hands and smiled at the Sternritters. "Come take one of these balls each and then join us in the lab. We could use the help of powerful Quincies like you" the blonde-haired man remarked in amusement.

And so, the Shinigamis made an alliance of convenience with the Sternritter rebels. Hopefully, both parts could be beneficial to the other in terms of this partnership.

To be continued…..


Author's note: This was chapter 29. We got to see how the Shinigamis were focusing on coming to terms with accepting help from Aizen, as well as Momo's struggle to deal with Aizen. Most of the part with Aizen was loyal to the canon story, although the one with Momo was my idea. We also saw the return of another favorite Espada: Coyote Starrk. What role he will play in this story remains to be seen. However, Starrk is also one of my favorite Espadas. The next chapter will tell us about how Ichigo and his gang are doing, especially since they got shot down by Uryu's arrows.

Now let us see the new terms that we become known to in this chapter.

Pacífico Pasar – Spanish for "Peaceful Pass": This is a place where the fallen Arrancar-heroes are given a second chance if they are worthy of being so. It is said that it is Hueco Mundo's old rulers that decided whether they are worthy or not.

Almacenamiento – Spanish for "Storage": This is the terms the Arrancars use when referring to their Zanpakutous. They call it an Almacenamiento, considering that it stores their powers inside.