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


Chapter 31: The Starcross Rebellion

Somewhere in the Royal Realm

While Ichigo and his group had used the Garganta to find their way back, the Shinigamis in the Squad 12 base had managed to create a large door that connected them directly to the Royal Realm. The moment they entered into this familiar world, the Shinigamis and the Sternritter-rebels went separate ways, considering that they would deal with this problem by themselves. But before entering the door, those in the base had been surprised by feeling an earthquake in the Sereitei. At first, they wondered if he Soul King had somewhat died, but that was not really the case. Nevrtheless, the members of the 13 Court Guard Squads were in for a shock as they entered the Royal Realm.

"What the hell…" Captain Shinji Hirako of Squad 5 asked as he got to see where they currently were standing in. The Shinigamis had arrived in a street with icy European-style architecture, awfully similar to the transformation that had happened to the Sereitei. "I thought you said we should've entered the Royal Realm by now, but why are we in a the Quincies' streets?" he asked in disbelief as he and the other Shinigamis were confused and lost about this. "Hey Kisuke! Care to explain what went wrong!? This sure as hell ain't the Royal Realm!" the blonde-haired man demanded an answer from Urahara, who only sweated in return.

"But the coordinates are correct. We're now high above the Sereitei. Therefore, this should be the Royal Realm" Urahara responded.

"Then why does this place look so awfully similar to those white streets in the Sereitei?" Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of Squad 6 asked as he took notice of the surroundings.

"I think I've an answer to that" Byakuya, Urahara and Shinji were suddenly approached by Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku. "If what Urahara says the coordinates are affirmative, then it means that the streets that were lifted from the Sereitei just now, have destroyed the Royal Realm and the Soul King's Palace and rebuilt themselves on top of them" the pink-clad Shinigami.

Shinji snapped out in disbelief when he heard that hypothesis. "Yeah right! Like something like that could've possibly happened!" Shinji blurted out in disbelief.

"That may be the case here" Shunsui told him in return. "Obviously Yhwach has become so powerful that he is now able to move up an entire cityscape to the air. That's my hypothesis" he added to his explanation.

Shinji and the other Shinigamis snapped in outrage, as they heard his statement. For them, it was impossible to believe that someone was even capable of performing such tricks. It only convinced them that Yhwach and his Wandenreich was their most dangerous foe they had yet faced.

"Look over here!" Captain Sui-Feng of Squad 2 called out to her fellow captains as she stood over the edge of the platform, gazing downwards towards the endless clouds and skies. The other Shinigamis joined her. "The streets seem to go around something. And if I remember correctly, this is the place where the Royal Guard's headquarters once was, below the Soul King's Palace" she said as she looked up towards the sky. "But if we look above, there is nothing there, which can only mean one thing….." she spoke up grimly.

Her lieutenant: Marechiyo Omeada was gasping in disbelief. "Hold on, captain. You're not suggesting that…." The chubby man was stopped by his captain speaking.

"Yes, Omaeda. I am serious" she told him. "The Soul King's Palace has fallen and the enemy now has everything in their hands!" Sui-Feng then revealed to everyone grimly.

Many of the Shinigami lieutenants were filled with disbelief over hearing this. "No…...that's not possible!" Rukia Kuchiki of Squad 13 uttered those words in disbelief. The young woman then looked around in the icy cityscape. "It means we're too late! The Quincies were once again a step ahead of us!" she then gritted in irritation.

And it was true. Before the Shinigamis entered it, the Royal Realm had undergone some dramatic changes. Yhwach, having just absorbed the Soul King, began creating a new home for his followers and empire. Moving all the icy buildings from the Sereitei to the Royal Realm, Yhwach had created a new city and capital for the Wandenreich, so high in the sky. He named it Wahrwelt, as it was to be the cornerstone of his new world. The five platforms that once floated distantly between each other, were all now connected as one. In fact, whenever you looked up towards it, it seemed like a giant Quincy Cross with five spots at each end. And as Rukia just stated, the Quincies were once again one step ahead of the Shinigamis

"I knew there was something bad about this!" Shuhei Hisagi of Squad 9 noticed his head while feeling insecure. "We've only walked right into a trap!" he then added to his thoughts, signaling his doubts about this mission.

"But there's no way going back now" Momo Hinamori of Squad 5 noted warily, the young girl also taking notice of their surroundings. "At this rate, we're now stuck in the Royal Realm" she then added to her words.

"Tch…what a giant pain in the ass!" Hiyori Sarugaki exclaimed as she also sweated. But the young Vizard with the pigtails could not help but to worry about someone very dear to her, namely her former captain: Kirio Hikifune. "Captain Hikifune…..where are you? Did you really lose this battle?" she then wondered, realizing that she could no longer feel her Spiritual Pressure.

While everyone was struggling with coming to terms with this unexpected change, Yushiro Shihoin snapped in realization as he could feel a very familiar Spiritual Pressure from a different direction. "That Spiritual Pressure…it belongs to my big sister!" he exclaimed in surprise and without delay jumped from the edge, intending on creating footholds of Reishi to reach Yoruichi. "I'm coming to you, Yoruichi! Just you wait!" the young boy exclaimed, but he soon noticed that he couldn't create footholds. With that, he fell down, only for Lieutenant Renji Abarai of Squad 6 to grab his right hand in the nick of time, thus saving him.

"Idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Renji asked in outrage. "Are you suicidal or something!?" he then added, not understanding why the black-haired man would so something as stupid as this.

Yushiro only chuckled nervously when he heard that. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's happened with the atmosphere around here" he said as Renji pulled him up. "Thanks for saving me, anyways" he then thanked him.

"It seems to me that it will be a difficult task for us to create footholds out of Reishi here" Byakuya spoke up while he glanced around to notice the atmosphere.

Renji turned around to face his captain. "What do you mean?" the red-haired man asked.

Byakuya's eyes narrowed, as he could feel the density around them. "I believe you feel it too, but the concentration of the Reishi that is here right now is a lot higher than before. Therefore, it would be impossible to create footholds out of this concentration" the black-haired man said before he turned around to watch the cityscape before him. "And that only leads us to one conclusion: the one who controls the Reishi in this area, is no longer one of our own. Yes, it is a fact, given that they would create a field that favors them, not to mention that the Quincies' attacks Reishi-related" the captain said while looking up in the skies. "And of course, Yhwach would do something like this, considering that he is their leader. But the fact that he has become powerful enough to kill someone like the Soul King is a good reason for us to worry" he then said lowly.

Sui-Feng knew what her fellow captain was talking about and uneasiness began to take hold on her mind. "You are correct. Even if we managed to reach the Soul King's Palace, I doubt that we would be able to even see him" the young Commander of the Stealth Force said while feeling more insecure. "So the Soul King has died..…..but if that has really happened, then that means…." Sui-Feng was interrupted in her thoughts by the head-captain.

"Well, I don't know what you folks think, but we can at least feel the presence of Ichigo and his friends, despite them being many blocks away from us. And its good news that they're still alive" the man with the eyepatch said, trying to raise the morale among his fellow Shinigamis. "And besides, if the Soul King is really dead, then all we have to do is defeat Yhwach and find a new one. If Ukitake was with us right now, he would've probably said the same thing" Shunsui added, causing Rukia to snap, as did her fellow members of Squad 13 Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu. The flamboyant man looked over his shoulder to face his subordinates. "Well, isn't it time that we of the 13 Court Guard Squads start acting like…" Shunsui was interrupted in his words, when he could feel two people drawing their Zanpakutous near him.

To most of the Shinigamis' shock, Sui-Feng and Shuhei were now pulling their blades close to their head-captain, yet Shunsui only seemed to be slightly surprised by this.

Shuhei narrowed his eyes at his superior. "Don't even think about moving" he told him in a surprisingly cold manner.

Momo, Renji and Rukia were concerned about seeing their fellow lieutenant acting so rash against their superior. "Shuhei…what the hell are you…." Renji asked lowly.

"Stay out of this!" Shuhei snapped at them in return. He then refocused his glance on the head-captain. "We have a right to question our superiors" he then added to his statement.

Marechiyo was astounded by seeing her captain's actions. "Captain, what are you…." He was quickly silenced by Sui-Feng.

"Shut it, Omaeda! I don't have time dealing with your bullshit!" she snapped at him with vulgarity before fixing her stern eyes upon Shunsui. "Now as for you, what are you hiding from us?" the young woman sternly requested him.

Hearing this made Shunsui furrow brows, as he couldn't believe what she just asked of him. Eventually, he let out a chuckle, not finding this situation to be any dangerous or shocking at all.

"Hide from you? Maybe you can rephrase that, Sui-Feng" he told her in his usual laidback manner in return. "Now, I know why you're doing this. As you say, you suspect me of hiding something from you. Well, I did in fact neglect to tell you that I would be taking Aizen out on a trip to assist us. I knew that I should've conferred with you first before releasing him. But trust me, I did that out of good faith" he then told them.

Shuhei narrowed his eyes. "That's not what we mean!" he told him sternly, even gripping on his Zanpakutou firmly. "We believe that you know everything. Where Ukitake, Hitsugauya, Komamura, Mugurama and Otorbashi really are?" the black-haired man then revealed to him.

This caused stunning reactions among the Shinigamis, including among the Vizards. Even Shinji was feeling that Sui-Feng and Shuhei took this too far, as did Urahara.

"Look Sui-Feng, Hisagi. I know that you're both still miserable after being humiliated in battle. But taking out your anger on him won't help you find Kensei and the others' whereabouts" Shinji pointed out to them both.

"You heard him!" co-lieutenant of Squad 1: Nanao Ise joined in. "None of you are helping this situation by trying to divide us!" the four-eyed woman insisted to them.

Sui-Feng gritted her teeth in anger. "HE has already divided us!" she spat back at Nanao before facing Shunsui with her cold glare. "At this rate, there is so many things that I would like to do to you right now. To hell with your promotion as head-captain. You're not…" before Sui-Feng could continue, all the Shinigamis could feel the area shake and it came from the only way before them. Sui-Feng and Shuhei thus stopped focusing on their superior and watched as something rose up high from the pile of buildings.

The group stood in awe as a giant and imposing tower of ice rose up from the piles of boulder and right into the air, shining like a beacon of superiority. In fact, on top of this tower lied the icy palace of Silbern. It was something the Shinigamis never had seen before.

"Would you look at that?" Urahara noted while standing beside Shunsui. "That's one hell of a building right there. It looks like the enemy wants us to come at them" the blonde-haired man noted while seeing as how imposing and revealing the tower was.

Shunsui only shrugged his shoulders. "I think that's what they want. And If they want us to come, then we're more than happy to oblige" the flamboyant man noted to Urahara before looking over his shoulders to face his fellow Shinigamis. "Alright, everyone! This is it! There is bound to be some hindrances on our way, but that tower is our destination and target. Ichigo and his group must also be headed towards that place even as we speak. So for now, let's put petty grudges aside and deal with the enemy like true members of the Court Guard!" he then rallied the Shinigamis and they all followed him towards the imposing palace.

The group that was currently headed towards it was composed of Shinigamis of the Court Guard, Urahara and a group of Vizards. This would allow them to oppose any that stood in their way, as everyone knew that Yhwach would take notice of their arrival and launch his forces upon them. However, Urahara was running beside Shunsui, and he looked at the pink-clad Shinigami questionably. The head-captain took notice of this and only raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, Kyoraku" Urahara said to him in a serious manner. "Before Sui-Feng and Lieutenant Hisagi interrupted you, I noticed a hint of deception in your eyes. Those two may be right. You are hiding something from us" the blonde-haired man pointed out.

Shunsui only sighed deeply when he heard this. "Even you are suspicious of me? Good grief" he said out of annoyance before glancing at Urahara with a smug-looking glance. "If you're so that invested in the Soul Society's welfare then why didn't you accept Old man Yama's amnesty?" he then added to his statement.

Urahara only narrowed his eyes, and the shadows of his hat could reveal that they were formed out of suspicion. "Whatever methods you plan on using to save the Soul Society with a new Soul King…don't involve Ichigo in this" the blonde-haired man pointed out to him. Shunsui was surprised to hear what Urahara said, yet he remained calm in face of this confrontation. "Don't think I haven't heard about the messages you've passed onto his family and friends. I know what you and the Royal Guard had secretly been planning. And I say to you this now. If you touch Ichigo, then I'll make sure you regret it" Urahara surprisingly warned his fellow Shinigami in a slightly threatening way

Shunsui only chuckled when he heard this in return. "You're pulling my leg here, Urahara. Rushing to conclusions won't solve anything" he said in return before looking ahead on the way before them. "Besides, I've got more things to worry about. And let me tell you, I have a feeling that there will be more then Quincies in this battle, that I am sure of" the pink-clad man added to his statement.

Urahara didn't seem convinced by that answer, yet a part of him understood the merits in the head-captain's word. "We'll see about that, Kyoraku" he replied.


In the icy palace of Silbern, Wahrwelt, Royal Realm

Inside Silbern's throne room, a large gathering had commenced, where soldiers, officers and researchers of the Wandenreich stood before their emperor while kneeling before him. Among them included Jugram Haschwalth, Uryu Ishida, Shaz Domino, the five Schutzstaffel and many of the Wandenreich's scientists, including Reinhardt Hasselkampf, Arthur McQueen, Hugo Alvarez and Leopold Von Strache. Other well-renowned scientists included the blonde-haired woman with glasses named Kana Kido and the shaven-haired boy named Rudolph Rothenberg. These two were also part of the group of scientists that had secretly aided Uryu with his projects, even though no one else besides them knew what it was.

But many of the Wandenreich's "newly acquired" soldiers were also present in the throne room, including the Bewachen, formed by members of the Divine Soldiers. Furthermore, many of the upper nobles and citizens who lived in the Royal Realm before the invasion were also standing, kneeling before Yhwach. Why would these Shinigamis and Souls ally themselves with him? Apparently, these people had already given up on the 13 Court Guard Squads. Furthermore, they were also inspired by the promise of a stronger Soul Society under Yhwach, whom they had begun to view and worship as the true Soul King. This only indicated that the Wandenreich was now inhabited by Quincies and Shinigamis, as well as some Arrancar slaves and mercenaries.

Yhwach sat on his throne, but the black ooziness that could once bee seen all around him gradually began creeping back into the long-haired man's closed eyes. His eyes were shut, but he soon opened them, thus revealing something astonishing to all his subjects. They were now oval with black sclera and unusual pupils, just as those of the Soul King! There was no question about it. Yhwach had in fact become the new Soul King!

"Rise up, my sons and daughters! This is the start of a new and glorious Soul Society! From our Wahrwelt, the Wandenreich shall start remaking this realm into a paradise, where no fear and agony exists!" Yhwach declared while sitting on his throne, with the hordes of his followers chanting his name in return. The emperor took great pleasure in doing this and gladly accepted their greetings and gratitude to him

Having heard Haschwalth's report of intruders lurking in Wahrwelt, Yhwach had commanded him, Uryu and the Schutzstaffel to dispose of them, also knowing that Ichigo was among those intruders. In fact, Yhwach had decided to be alone with only those two men and the Schutzstaffel and discuss their next move. Once the majority of the attendants had gone off, the emperor was speaking to his most trusted allies by himself.

"We shall dispose of these invaders before you even set eyes upon them" Haschwalth said in return, signalizing his desire to carry out the order of his liege.

Yhwach mused by seeing this. "Schutzstaffel, I want every one of you to go into each of Wahrwelt's district on your own. Find whatever enemies you can. And more importantly, take Uryu with you" he then ordered them.

Uryu widened his eyes in surprise after hearing this, but he was not the only one. In fact, Sternritter X: Lille Barro took an issue with this and faced Yhwach with a slightly defiant expression on his face. But after seeing how firm his emperor was glancing upon him, Lille had no choice but to accept his command. He and the Schutzstaffel rose up, as did Uryu and Haschwalth.

"As you wish, Your Majesty" Lille said while bowing his head, He then glanced at the four-eyed crown prince sternly. "Come along, "Prince" Uryu" he then said to him.

The entire group then exited the throne room and set their course towards Silbern's courtyard. Haschwalth was to stay back and be in charge of Silbern's defenses, especially since the day was about to end and the night would come. This only meant that Yhwach would be going to sleep.

But as they were currently walking in the halls, Uryu suddenly stopped in the middle, thus surprising his fellow Quincies. Uryu looked up at them and adjusted his glasses. In fact, he even faced a somewhat shameful look on his face, which was a very odd thing of him to do.

"What's the matter, newcomer?" Sternritter M: Gerards Valkyrie asked in his compassionate manner as usual. "Aren't you pleased that you get to come with us?" he then asked the young man.

Uryu sighed when he heard this. "I know that some of you still distrust me. And I can fully sympathize with you on that fact" he said, specifically facing both Haschwalth and Lille. "Therefore, I kindly ask of you that I remain by His Majesty's side inside the Silbern" he then said with a slight smile.

The Sternritters furrowed brows when they heard his request, especially Sternritter D: Askin Nakk Le Vaar. "You're joking, right?" he asked the young man while stroking his hair, even forming a chuckle in the process. "Not to burst your bubble, but what makes you think that we will simply let you stay back in Silbern?" he then asked while crossing his arms.

Surprisingly, Uryu formed a smirk with his mouth. "Isn't it obvious? His Majesty is going to sleep soon. And while he does that, it will be a perfect opportunity for assassins to strike him down. And I am not necessarily talking about Shinigamis" he said and adjusted his glasses, glancing over at them smugly. "I am talking about…other Sternritters" he cunningly told them.

The group of Quincies snapped in surprise when hearing this, even the usually stoic Haschwalth. Apparently, they did not expect the newcomer to be saying stuff like this.

"Sternritters…..invading Wahrwelt…..reaching Silbern?" Sternritter W: Nianzol Weizol asked, his head clouding with so many thoughts. "Are you sure it will happen?" he then added another question.

Uryu nodded his head in return. "Yes. And since you Schutzstaffel are now being sent out to the frontlines, you're only leaving Silbern exposed to the invaders. Obviously, you must've realized that by…." Uryu was interrupted by Haschwalth's strict voice.

"What kind of nonsense are you spewing on us now!?" the blonde-haired man demanded, even going as far as to hold the grip of his sword. "Have you gone insane?!" he then asked.

Lille also aimed his Reishi rifle at the young man. "I knew that we couldn't trust you! You're nothing but an entitled brat who has not a single spec of loyalty towards His Majesty!" the black-skinned man snapped in return.

"Halt, you two! Let us hear him speak!" Gerard urged both Haschwalth and Lille to ease their anger.

"Yeah, I think we may actually learn something from the crown prince" Askin joined in, before glancing smugly at the raven-haired boy. "Go on, tell us more" he encouraged him.

Uryu cleared his throat before continuing. "What I am trying to say, is that when His Majesty unleashed his Auswählen upon the Sternritter in the Sereitei below us, he made a mistake. By declaring their uselessness, those Sternritters found a way to survive, yet their powers were taken away. And those powers were given to resurrect you five" the young man explained while pointing his finger at each of the Schutzstaffel. "And when His Majesty abandoned those Sternritters, they simply regained their powers by using the most horrid and malicious method" he then added.

"Wait…are you talking about….." Nianzol spoke up lowly.

"Stealing the source of life from other Quincies…...like the Soldats" Askin uttered out lowly in shock, even sweating in the process. "Damn…...that means they're alive!" he then added with a gulp.

"Hold on just a damn minute!" Lille's voice interrupted them all and glanced at Uryu suspiciously. "So what if those Sternritters survived? Big deal! They're nothing but incompetent fools!" he spoke up with nothing but dispassion in his voice.

"And how do you expect them to even reach the Royal Realm, when they don't have The Key to rely upon?" Haschwalth then asked sternly.

Uryu formed a smug smile. "Well that's simple: entering a partnership of convenience with the enemy, because they share a common enemy in His Majesty. And to put it another way, the Sternritters would agree to help the Shinigamis with their doors, while in return, the Shinigamis would take the rebel Sternitters to the Royal Realm with them." he answered plainly. The crown prince then reached for something in between his coat and held out an amulet for them to see. "And of course, the Shinigamis may take some while to reach Silbern…but what about the rebel Sternritters?" he then cunningly asked.

"Damn…he speaks the truth" Gerard noted lowly. "How could we have been so blind? With us out in the frontline to assist our armies with the interlopers…...they will use the Gate of the Sun….to reach Silbern" the blonde-haired man remarked, starting to get the picture.

Askin looked at Haschwalth with a serious expression. "My, who would've thought that our own crown prince was THIS perceptive" he then asked before forming a smirk with his mouth. "Come now, "Grandmaster". Why the long face?" he mockingly asked the blonde-haired man.

"Hold your tongue, Nakk Le Vaar!" Haschwalth blurted out before fixing his eyes on Uryu. "I will be in these halls and so will you!" he commanded Uryu.

"Hold on! But what about the courtyard? Are you just gonna leave the defenses there to our soldiers?" Nianzol asked him. "You're only shooting yourself in the foot!"

"I have a solution to your problems" Uryu revealed and suddenly stretched out his arms in each direction. Before everyone knew it, a pool of shadows was now formed and from it, five silhouettes rose up from it, standing by Uryu's side. The group before him widened in surprise, watching as Uryu seemed confident in himself. "I am the Prinz von Lichts and the Wandenreich's future emperor. If His Majesty can have his own cadre of Sternritters at his side, so can I. I hereby present to you, my own Schutzstaffel!" he then declared.

Haschwalth was awed by what he saw, and he even recognized the Spiritual Pressures belonging to each of these Quincies in hooded coats. "What in the name of….." he asked lowly as he watched each of them remove their hoods.

The first one to take off his hood was a young, stoic man with black hair, as well as a scar running across his lips. "I am Sternritter I – The Iron: Cang Du. I am also known as the captain of Prince Uryu's Schutzstaffel" the calm-mannered man said.

The second one to take off his coat was a peculiar individual wearing a helmet. "I am Sternritter K – The Knowledge: BG9. From this day forward, I hereby serve Prince Uryu" the android-like Quincy responded.

The third one to take off his coat was a very tall, black-bearded man, as he towered Gerard. He then fixed a grin on his face. "Heh! Sternritter O – The Overkill: Driscoll Berci. Now I'm a proud member of Prince Uryu's Schutzstaffel" he then exclaimed deeply, even feeling confident about himself.

The fourth one to take off his coat was also a tall man, although Driscoll still dwarfed him. He was noticeable for wearing dreadlocks, as well as having large fangs in his mouth. "Sternritter R – The Roar: Jerome Guizbatt. I owe my life to Prince Uryu" he said before bowing to the young man with respect.

And the fifth and final one to take off the coat was a woman with pink hair, although her bangs on the right were longer and purple. She smiled cunningly at the group before her. "Sternritter Q – The Question: Berenice Gabrielli. Nice to see you guys again" she then said with sarcasm in her voice.

Askin rubbed his eyes before he looked at them once again. "Hold on! All of you…you we're supposed to be dead" the flamboyant man uttered out lowly in return.

"How were these Sternritters brought back to life?" Lille wondered in disbelief.

Haschwalth pierced his blue eyes on Uryu, who was standing there with a smirk. Seeing this made the blonde-haired man filled with anger on the inside, and he simply wanted to physically assault him for never letting him know about this. Thus, he began taking steps towards him quickly. But before he could even reach Uryu, Cang stood before him, armed with his Reishi claws. Seeing the same man he had executed before caused Haschwalth to widen in surprise once again.

"Cang Du…" he uttered out that name lowly.

The young man's eyes narrowed at Haschwalth in return. "You thought you could kill me?" he coldly asked him. "Don't force me into murdering you by accident, Haschwalth" Cang added.

Haschwalth remained unfazed. "Step aside, criminal" he sternly commanded him.

"Heh! You call us criminals? How rich!" the voice came from Driscoll as he glanced down upon the blonde-haired man with distaste. "Now rude tone aside, we won't let you harm Prince Uryu" he then warned him.

Berenice smiled smugly when hearing this and glanced at Haschwalth in a teasing manner. "So how have you been, Jumpy Jugo? Are you still cleaning His Majesty's boots with your tongue as usual?" she asked him while addressing Haschwalth by a nickname, similar to what Bazz-B did.

"I told you not to call me that anymore, Berenice Gabrielli" Haschwalth muttered out to her in return.

Berenice only stroked her bangs. "Heh, you're still as egoistical as ever" she noted smugly in return.

Lille suddenly motioned for his Schutzstaffel to come at his side. "Alright men, let's move out!" he said before taking one last glance at Uryu. Lille nodded his head at him. "Very well, you'll get your request. However, we trust that you uphold your word and defend Silbern!" he said and proceeded to run towards the exit.

This left Haschwalth alone with Uryu and his own Schutzstaffel. The four-eyed man adjusted his glasses while glancing at the Sternritter Grandmaster. "Well, we may as well begin organizing our defenses in the courtyard" he said before facing his trusted vanguard. "Cang, BG9, Driscoll, Jerome, Berenice, head out to the courtyard and rally the Soldats that are stationed there. And when you see the rebels, do with them as you please" Uryu then commanded them and each of the Sternritters had different reactions to be given this order. They then used Hirenkiyaku to vanish.

As they were alone, Haschwalth decided to head somewhere else, although he stopped when he stood side by side with Uryu. "I don't know how in the world you managed to do this. But because of the situation we're in, I will let you stay here in Silbern" the blonde-haired man told him, before his blue eyes narrowed further. "But mark my words, Uryu Ishida. I have my eyes on you. Should you cross us, you'll find yourself crucified before His Majesty" he coldly warned him without remorse. The Sternritter Grandmaster then proceeded walking, thus leaving Uryu alone in the hall.

The four-eyed man even forced a smug smile as he was left alone. "Hmmm…...I better tread carefully from now on" Uryu noted, realizing that Haschwalth would not hesitate to attack him, despite Uryu being Yhwach's successor to the throne. But suddenly, he could hear someone approach him. Turning around, Uryu spotted Kana. She bowed to him formally as she approached him. "Kana, so nice to see you again" Uryu her with a slight smile.

The blonde-haired woman adjusted her glasses while facing the crown prince. "All goes according to the plan" she said seriously. "Are you still determined about going with this, Prince Uryu?" Kana then asked the young man.

Uryu nodded his head at her in return. While doing that, someone had appeared out from the nearby wall with the help pf Reishi. It was the mysterious and reclusive member of the Sternritters: Shaz Domino. He only stood there and leaned against the wall while having his arms crossed. For some reason, Shaz fixed a grim frown on his mouth.

"You better watch yourself from now on, prince. Haschwalth and Lille almost attacked you" Shaz told him while playing with his Reishi knives. The man with the weird glasses then glanced over at Uryu. "But just as you know, this rebellion will be put down easily, even without the Schutzstaffel at his side" he then told him.

"I know that" Uryu responded flatly while starting to take small steps forwards, with Kana following him suit. "If His Majesty or Haschwalth demands my presence, tell them that I will be in my own personal quarters. I can still have some rest amidst this bloodshed on Wahrwelt" the raven-haired man then told Shaz, before vanishing by using his Hirenkiyaku. Kana did the same thing.

This only left Shaz alone in the hall, but he only chuckled to himself while leaning against the wall. Apparently, the cunning Sternritter knew that there was something going on. "Hmmm…..the battle…..has only begun" he noted lowly to himself when reflecting about the conflict that had happened so far in the Soul Society.


Somewhere in the streets of Wahrwelt, the Royal Realm

While Shunsui was leading the main group of Shinigamis towards the imposing palace, another group had arrived in Wahrwelt by using the doors empowered by Spiritual Pressure. It was Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Squad 12, and his lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi. They had allowed Shunsui and his group to go first, so that they would concentrate on doing their research while staying in the Royal Realm. Mayuri was delighted by the fact that he would do this alone…...or so he thought.

The scientist was joined by another group of Shinigamis: Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11, accompanied by subordinates Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa and the co-3rd seat of Squad 4: Hanataro Yamada. Apparently, Kenpachi and the others had been taking a visit to the bathroom while the majority were passing through the door and he was arriving late. But they saw Mayuri and Nemu opening the doors, thus making the group of four follow the Squad 12 duo.

Even though they were separated from the majority of the group, Kenpachi didn't mind it, as it made him stop thinking about injuring allies with his immense fighting skills. Mayuri also agreed to this, although he got into a intimidation contest with Zaraki. They then started to argue, causing Ikkaku and Yumichika to begin walking without them. Hanataro followed, yet Nemu only waited for her superior. But the timid medic was trying to speak with her about what she thought about the captains clashing. She simply replied that she had no comment.

"Hanataro, move your ass" the voice of Ikkaku blurted out and the young boy quickly followed the baldheaded Shinigami and his flamboyant comrade. Ikkaku took a brief glance at Kenpachi and Mayuri and sighed in annoyance. "Let's just go on ahead without them. They'll catch up to us eventually" he said and three Shinigamis then walked.

As they wandered through the icy streets, Hanataro was beginning to become puzzled by what he was seeing. "Strange, I didn't expect the Royal Realm to be infested with so many Quincy buildings" the young medic remarked while looking to both sides. "What happened?" he then wondered.

"It's probably the enemy's doing" Yumichika noted and took a look at his own reflection in one of the buildings' windows. While admiring his glance for a second or two, he quickly ceased his admiration and continued on the way. "But yes, the Quincies were somehow able to move the streets of the Sereitei and rebuild them upon the Royal Realm. Quite fascinating I must admit" he then added to his statement.

"Tch, well I'm not impressed by anything I see here. It's only a town of ice" Ikkaku said in return, his voice filled with both boredom and displeasure.

But the trio stopped in the middle of the street, as they could see the imposing tower and the palace of Silbern lying on the top of it. The Shinigamis were awed as they witnessed how far it was from their viewpoint and how high the palace was. And they had barely begun wandering through the streets.

"Goddamn…" Ikkaku noted while looking up at the building. This had really caught his interest. "I don't know what, but that is without a doubt the Quincies' HQ. But how the hell did they manage place it up so high!?" he then asked while sweating a little.

"Obviously, the place where that tower and palace stands on is the same place the Soul King's Palace once stood. This means that the enemy has taken control of the entire Royal Realm! Did we arrive too late?" Yumichika wondered uneasily. But all of a sudden, he heard the sounds of marching. Yumichika got cautious. "Wait! Do you hear that!?" the flamboyant man asked as he drew out his Zanpakutou.

Ikkaku did the same and pulled out his blade as well. "Yeah! This is without a doubt the work of the….." the baldheaded man suddenly snapped, as he could hear something come from the air above them. As he looked up, he could see several Reishi arrows headed straight towards them. "TAKE COVER!" Ikkaku yelled as he grabbed Hanataro and pushed Yumichika. This resulted in them avoiding getting hit by the arrow, and they stood by a wall.

"WHAT HAPPANED!?" Hanataro yelled out in discomfort.

Yumichika got in front of Ikkaku to see something troubling. "Enemy spotted! There are three Quincies over there armed with Reishi bows!" he exclaimed in surprise.

Ikkaku and Hanataro looked to where Yumichika was looking at, and they could see a trio of Quincies stand in the street that was to the left side of the Shinigamis. Apparently, they had been trying to use the distraction to eliminate them with the Reishi arrows. But since they now saw their targets avoiding the shots, they began to aim their bows at the Shinigamis once again. Hanataro got extremely uncomfortable when he saw this.

"UAAAAAHHHH! THEY'RE GONNA SHOOT ME…" the young boy was suddenly slapped in the face by Ikkaku to make him calm down.

"WILL YOU SHUT UP!? JUST GO SOMEPLACE SAFE AND HIDE WHILE WE HANDLE THOSE SNEAKY BASTRADS!" the baldheaded man explained to him strictly while activating his Shikai. "EXTEND. HOZUKIMARU!" he exclaimed, being ready for battle.

But before the Quincies and the Shinigamis could even begin the attack, something was approaching their location and it made small quakes in the wake. The three Quincies stopped aiming their arrows and flee from their location as something wanted to steal their pleasure in eliminating the interlopers. The three Shinigamis were stunned as something big and armored appeared in the street.

"What the hell…." Yumichika asked lowly, as he looked up to the thing. "What kind of construct is this!?" he demanded an answer while being uncomfortable with this.

Approaching the Shinigamis was a giant golem clad in white armor. It had horns on the helmet while having the Wandenreich's symbol attached to its torso. Moreover, the helmet contained a cross-shaped opening which glowed with blue light. Whatever that thing was, it was without a doubt a giant construct, and not a living creature. It looked like a golem in armor and made out of Reishi.

"How fascinating!" the voice came from Mayuri, as he along with Nemu and Kenpachi had arrived on the scene. "From what I can tell by looking at this construct, is that it is empowered by Reishi on the inside. Must be one of the many constructs that the Quincies was known to have created" the man cladded in white clothing remarked by what he was observing.

"Would you like to study it, Master Mayuri?" the woman dressed in similar white clothes asked the captain, who only waved his right hand dismissively.

"That won't be necessary, Nemu. I have no interest in petty toys made by Quincies" the Captain of Squad 12 said to her in return before reaching for his Zanpakutou. "However, since that thing is standing in our way, it would seem we have no choice but to…" Mayuri's explanation was interrupted by both Kenpachi rushing towards the golem, and the golem rushing towards the group, ready to smash him.

Kenpachi grinned by what he was seeing. "All that encyclopedic bullshit of yours is making my ears bleed, pedo clown! You should get a real hobby!" the aggressive captain told Mayuri, as it was meant to poke fun on him. The Captain of Squad 12 got angry by hearing his fellow captain's rude comment. But Kenpachi ignored Mayuri and concentrated slowly on the raging golem before him. It had now begun to raise its fists of metal at him, only for Kenpachi to pull out his blade. "Heh! Looks like I won't be needing the help of my Shikai with this armored bastard!" he noted smugly and drew his Zanpakutou: Nozarashi without releasing his Shikai.

As Kenpachi swung his blade, the armored golem stopped reaching out his fist towards him. In fact, after ten seconds, a cut could be seen on the construct. It ran from its right arm and across its torso. As it became exposed, the golem fell apart and Kenpachi stood and glanced at his handy work in delight.

While his subordinates and Hanataro were amazed by seeing how strong and talented Kenpachi really was, Mayuri and Nemu only watched his unfazed, especially Mayuri. Seeing his fellow captain tear down the golem did not make him impressed at all.

"I am not amused" the Captain of Squad 12 said while crossing his arms. "Besides, you only took down a mere construct. Even the average Shinigami could've defeated it" Mayuri went on explaining.

Kenpachi heard what was being said and only shrugged off those words in return. "Heh, whatever you say, Mr. Calculatorpants" the aggressive Captain of Squad 11 rudely replied, although Mayuri didn't necessarily seem to care at all. But the long-haired man glanced over to his subordinates and Hanataro. "Alright you three, shall we get moving?" he asked them with his smug grin.

"YES, CAPTAIN ZARAKI!" all three Shinigamis said at once. Even Hanataro possessed enough guts to say something like that, despite Kenpachi not being his captain. But due to this unlikely situation, Hanataro would have to put his trust in both Kenpachi and Mayuri to find his way back to Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu of Squad 4, or perhaps putting more trust in Kenpachi. Mayuri was not necessarily known to be much dependable.

The Captain of Squad 12 rolled his eyes and motioned for Nemu to come after him. "Let's just get this over with. The faster I get rid of you mindless simpletons the quicker I can start my research" he said, not caring about the fact that the Shinigamis could hear him say that.


At the Gate of the Sun, on the top of a tower in Silbern's courtyard, Wahrwelt

While the Shinigamis struggled their way to reach Silbern, the Sternritter rebels had already made it there first. This group of Quincies, having sworn revenge after they were abandoned on the battlefield in favor of his Schutzstaffel, would stop at nothing to achieve their goal. After helping the Shinigamis form the doors by lending them their Spiritual Pressures, the Sternritters were taken with them to the Royal Realm. But sensing that everything that previously existed in the Sereitei had been moved up to the Royal Realm, the rebel Sternritters decided to see if the transport system that was useable to them were still intact. Turns out they were.

Even now, Bazz-B, NaNaNa Najakhoop, Liltotto Lamperd, Gissele Gewelle, Candice Catnipp, Meninas MacAllon and the zombified Robert Accutrone and Bambietta Basterbine were standing on a couple of towers overlooking the courtyard of Silbern. They had been able to reach the palace long before the Shinigamis thanks to the Gate of the Sun. They could see how different the location of the palace was, given the fact that they were high above the ground.

"Would you look at that? It seems that the Gate of the Sun was still intact" Bazz-B remarked, as he stood on the tower, gazing upon the palace and its courtyard, which was currently empty.

NaNaNa only adjusted his weird glasses. "I can't believe dis shit, dawg. What in the hell happened while we we're down in the Sereitei busting some asses?" the lean Quincy asked, not believing what he was just seeing.

"It may have been a little hard to navigate now that the city's changed" Liltotto told the two men before looking down at the palace. "But there is no question about it. We've made it pretty close to Silbern" the young girl noted as she looked at it.

However, Candice was filled with suspicions. "Something doesn't seem right here" the blonde-haired girl said while surveying the courtyard. "Silbern and its courtyard are usually stacked with Soldats and other form of infantry. Why does it seem so…...empty?" she then asked her comrades.

"I don't know. But I could care less, honestly" Bazz-B replied before standing on the edge, his eyes narrowing. "All of you know what we must do. Because of the Shinigamis being too far away, we'll be the ones to end all of this" he said, a burning determination building inside of him.

NaNaNa couldn't help but to grin when he heard that. "Hell yeah! I can't wait to whoop some ass!" he exclaimed in return.

"We'll take them all down. Yhwach…and Jugo" Bazz-B said, mentioning the Sternritter Grandmaster, whom Bazz-B had a particular connection with. "Just you wait, old friend. I'll get you for real this time" he then said inside of him, thinking about the blonde-haired man he had both despised and respected at the same time.

"Hold on! There's something coming out of the palace!" Meninas exclaimed and pointed her finger at an army of Soldats, Quincy archers, and Bewachen marching outside, spreading all across the courtyard. But that was not all, as two armored golems joined alongside them as well. "Soldats…..but wait! Those Spiritual Pressures they feel like…" the bubblegum-haired girl said those words in utter disbelief.

"Shinigamis….." Liltotto said lowly, her eyes widening with shock. "Why would Shinigamis be allowed to serve under Yhwach!?" she asked in disbelief. But she quickly snapped out if it, remembering the reason why she and the others were outside Silbern right now. "Listen, remember what I've told you all, we must not let Yhwach know that we're here. So we will infiltrate the palace, get to his throne room and then….." the young girl was interrupted by the voice of Bazz-B

The Sternritter with the Mohawk was preparing an attack on the small army below them. He was grinning with confidence. "Infiltration!? Screw that! Those who stand in my way of getting revenge on Yhwach will be fried to crisps!" he said, forming a blade of fire with four fingers. "BURNING FINGER 4!" he yelled and fired the blade down upon the group. It caused a loud explosion amongst the ranks.

Bazz-B dived down towards the army, as did NaNaNa, who was smiling in delight over what he was seeing. "It's showtime, baby!" the lean Quincy exclaimed as he joined Bazz-B on attacking the army.

The man with the Mohawk grinned sadistically by what he was seeing. He could see that the soldiers below had been slightly in disarray, given that they didn't expect to be attacked from above. Gathering fires in his hands, Bazz-B prepared to attack his enemies when landing.

"BACK FROM THE DEAD, ASSHOLES! NOW PREPARE TO GET BURNED!" the punkish man exclaimed as he started slaughtering his opponents.

Liltotto was angered over what she was seeing her fellow Sternritter doing. "DAMN IT! WHAT DO YOU RETARDS THINK YOU'RE…" she asked in outrage, only to snap by seeing Candice and Meninas diving down to join the Sternritters in the battle as well. "I SAID WE WERE GONNA INFILTRATE, NOT LAUNCH A FULL-SCALE ATTACK!" the young girl then yelled out in anger by seeing the two girls joining the fight.

Giselle stood on the edge with her arms spread out, thus motioning for both Bambietta and Robert to attack as well. However, the black-haired girl remained at Liltotto's side. As she looked on, a goofy smile was formed on her face. She had even pulled out her Reishi bow.

"Well, I guess we'll have to improvise" Giselle said and then looked at Liltotto. "By the hey, if you still wanna infiltrate the palace on your own, now's the chance" she then said. "While we're dealing with those Quncies out here, you can just go on ahead into Silbern without us" the black-haired girl then told her.

Liltotto only glanced at her with dispassion. "Are you kidding me!? Infiltration is when we make sure that no one knows we're here! How do you expect that work now that everyone knows we're…." Liltotto and Giselle suddenly found themselves shot by a lance made out of Reishi and it forced the two girls to fall down towards the courtyard. "SON OF A BITCH! WHO THE HELL DID THIS!?" she yelled as she and Giselle dived down towards the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Bazz-B and the others had enjoyed in taking care of the soldiers, and they were easily defeated, given that the Sternritters' power surpasses them. They even managed to take care of the golems. However, they were stunned when they felt Spiritual Pressures, that seemed very familiar. To their shock, the soldiers had called out for reinforcements. They came in the form of Uryu's Schutzstaffel, consisting of Cang, BG9, Berenice, Driscoll and Jerome.

"No…fucking…way!" Bazz-B snapped by what he was seeing. "THIS HAS TO BE A SOME KINDA DREAM!" he then shouted out loud.

Driscoll held a Reishi lance in his right hand. He laughed out loud by what he was seeing. "So, these are the rebels whom the four-eyed kid warned us about. Heh, taking them out should be a piece of cake!" Driscoll remarked smugly by what he was seeing. But when his eyes caught the glimpse of Bazz-B, he exclaimed out in laughter. "Bazz-B! Hah! You're finally doing it? Trying to kill His Majesty after going on pouting about not being strong enough for so long! Took you long enough!" the tall man then added.

But Bazz-B was not amused. "Shut up, Driscoll" he muttered towards him.

Berenice fixed a sweet smile by seeing the man with the Mohawk. "Hey there, handsome! Lookin' good as always, I see" she said, while even throwing a wink at Bazz-B in the process.

Bazz-B only stood and glanced at them angrily. "Driscoll, Berenice, Cang, Jerome…..and even BG9" he said with contempt as he stared at them. "I never expected to be stumbling upon you like this. Weren't you all dead or something?" the hotheaded Sternritter asked.

Berenice fixed a scowl by hearing this. "It's been so many weeks since we last spoke and this what you ask of us?" she asked with distaste in her voice. "You're such an ass, Bratty Bazz!" she then added, with a nickname to Bazz-B.

"That doesn't answer his question!" Candice suddenly stepped in and glared at Berenice angrily. "Now answer us! How the hell are you still alive!?" she then snapped while aiming her Reishi bow at the group of Sternritters.

"Like, that's so none of your business, Cunty Candi" Berenice vulgarly replied to the blondie's demands.

Cang suddenly stepped forward, his eyes glancing at the rebels dispassionately. "How we reincarnated is not for you to learn, worm. We have sworn to protect Silbern from any intruders, as Schutzstaffel of Crown Prince Uryu" the black-haired man declared while brandishing his Reishi claws.

The eyes of the rebel Sternritters widened in surprise and astonishment, especially Bazz-B. "Schutzstaffel.…...to that four-eyed dimwit?" he asked in disbelief.

Candice couldn't help but to laugh out loud. "You gotta be kidding me! Is that gloomy jackass too much of a weakling to handle security on this own!? That's just lame!" she continued ridiculing Uryu.

BG9 aimed one of his Reishi miniguns at the young blondie "Mind your tongue, deranged one. Prince Uryu saved us when we were all on the verge of our deathbeds" the android said, his robotic voice coming through his helmet. A small circle of light could also be seen through it. "Therefore, we are more than obliged to serve as his personal vanguard!" he added to his statement.

"But that doesen't make any sense. Why would you become underlings to a person you barley even….." Meninas was interrupted by an angry voice.

"Enough talk!" the stoic voice came from Jerome Guizbatt as he was cracking his knuckles. He glanced at the rebel Sternritters with serious eyes as he readied his fists. "By the high authority of His Majesty, we are not to allow any intruder near the palace. That includes traitorous fiends like you as well!" Jerome added strictly.

Liltotto held out her Reishi bow. "You're one to talk. All of us suffered at the hands of that selfish creep Yhwach! He abandoned us on the frontlines by raining Auswählen upon us! Doesn't that qualifies for being a traitorous fiend!?" she then pointed explained.

Jerome narrowed his eyes when hearing this. "I grow tired of you listening to this blathering! It is time to end this insurrection!" the muscular man said and took a deep breath.

"Dayum! Dat nigga's about to release his sound wave!" NaNaNa exclaimed in shock and quickly sidestepped, only for Driscoll to appear right before him. The lean Quincy gulped. "Ah hell naw!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Driscoll only grinned and firmly grabbed NaNaNa by his throat, thereby choking him. "Heh! Still alive and breathing, NaNaNa? I'll admit that I'm impressed by seeing you making this far. You've got more balls than that faggot PePe ever had!" he said before exclaiming out in laughter. He was mentioning their fellow Sternritter: PePe Waccabrada.

While struggling to free himself from Driscoll's tight grip, NaNaNa formed a smug grin to himself. "Oh, you said balls, eh?" the lean man said, before doing the unthinkingly to Driscoll. Moving his right foot, NaNaNa landed it straight in Driscoll's pelvis area.

The muscular Quincy yelled, as he felt like his world had cracked, or maybe it had in his mind. Driscoll lost his grip on NaNaNa and fell down on his knees while holding onto his pelvis area. NaNaNa backed away from his opponent, who was still on his knees with tears streaming from his eyes.

"My balls…my dick…..." Driscoll said while sniffing before angrily glance at NaNaNa. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ALL ABOUT, YOU LITTLE CUNT!?" he then angrily asked NaNaNa.

The lean Quincy only shrugged his shoulders in return. "You know what dem homies say. Stomp'em in the nuts!" he said out of randomness, much to Driscoll's own anger.

The muscular Quincy had already formed a Reishi lance in his right hand and was really bent on killing NaNaNa. "I'm gonna kill you! Then I'm gonna pile your corpse on my lance and use it as a kebab!" he angrily exclaimed at his fellow Sternritter.

Meanwhile, Jerome had unleashed his supersonic roar and blew it towards the rebel Sternritters. However, as he tried to hit them with this attack, he accidentally managed to hit soldiers of Silbern. At the same time, his attack was loud and Jerome's comrades needed to cover their ears. But on the other hand, some of the rebel Sternritters had taken this as an opportunity to move past their enemies and enter Silbern. Among them was off course Bazz-B.


Inside Silbern

"I see" Haschwalth was currently standing in a hall, speaking with three officers of the Wandenreich. They had just approached him to bring him good news from the Wandenreich's communications unit, also known to the Quincies as Kommunikation. "So, these are the news you had for me?" the blonde-haired man asked the officer in the front of the two others.

The three officers were all kneeling before the Sternritter Grandmaster. "Yessir. The Schutzstaffel belonging to His Majesty have already rendezvoused with our soldiers to confront the enemy forces. They have each gone into five different directions as we speak" the Quincy with the moustache said.

Before they were about to leave, they were stopped by Haschwalth once again. "Officers, a word before you go. Do you know where Uryu Ishida is? He was supposed to join me in defending Silbern from any intruders" the blonde-haired man then asked the officer.

"Oh, Prince Uryu said he wanted to go back to his personal quarters. However, the last time I saw him, he was heading towards one of our laboratories" the officer said in return.

"Follow him" Haschwalth surprisingly commanded the three Quincies, who were only stunned by what he was hearing. Haschwalth looked over his shoulder to glance at them while taking steps forward quickly. "I cannot risk leaving so far from His Majesty's location. Therefore, I want the three of you to follow him and see if he does something that is not part of his orders. If you find out what he plots then let me know right away" the blonde-haired man added to his words.

"My lord…..what are you…." The man with the moustache asked in surprise by seeing this.

Apparently, Haschwalth had just figured out something. He had apparently been played by Uryu and he thought about it carefully. "How could I have been so careless? I shouldn't have allowed him to stay here in Silbern. There are no Sternritters here on my side to watch over him. And Uryu Ishida has already gained loyalists that are already favoring him above me. None of them are interested in obeying my commands. With His Majesty's Schutzstaffel out on the frontlines, it appears that I am the only one left standing to deal with his antics" Haschwalth thought inside his head, knowing that Uryu had wanted him to be busy. The blonde-haired man still noticed that the three officers had not yet left. "Why are you still here? Go and find Uryu" Haschwalth commanded them once again.

"YESSIR!" the three men replied and rose up to their feet.

As the three officers obeyed without hesitation, each one of them died by a bullet of fire piercing through their heads. Haschwalth remained calm, even by seeing that there was an interloper inside Silbern, but not in the form of Uryu. Rather, it was the face of a Sternritter he knew from a very young age.

"Uryu Ishida is someone you should least worry about" the rowdy voice came from Bazz-B as he pushed away the officers and smiled smugly at the blonde-haired man. "I suggest you listen to what I say to you, Jugo" he then added.

Haschwalth remained unfazed by what he was seeing. "Bazz-B. What did you do that for?" he asked, feeling dissatisfied by the fact that the Sternritter had disposed of the officers whom he had just dispatched to find Uryu.

The man with the Mohawk only shrugged his shoulders. "Shouldn't you rather be saying "Why are you still alive?" he then asked before charging at him in full speed. "Well, you're mine now!" Bazz-B exclaimed out of joy as he quickly grabbed the blonde-haired man by his coat and readied his finger at his opponent. "Burning Finger!" he exclaimed.

But Haschwahlt simply grabbed Bazz-B by his wrist and then jumped in the air to avoid him. Removing his coat and letting it fall on Bazz-B, Haschwalth then proceeded to attack him with the butt of his sword. Haschwahlth then drew out his sword, only to see that Bazz-B was tearing his cape apart with his flames. Apperently, the man with the Mohawk had not fired his finger yet and he did that now. The bullet of fire almost hit Haschwalth, leaving a bleeding cheek on the young man. Taking the hit, Haschwalth backed off and stood facing his fellow Sternritter.

"I see. Your wounds were not caused by the enemy, but by His Majesty" Haschwalth then noted, realizing what he was just seeing before him. "You were not chosen as a Schutzstaffel" the blonde-haired man then remarked.

Bazz-B gritted his teeth when hearing this. "Chosen? I was never chosen. Me and the rest of us in the Sereitei had Auswählen rained upon us" he spoke out bitterly. "It was a genocide. Those that managed to avoid the light lost their Quincy: Vollständig. But for those who was hit directly by it, they lost their lives" the man went on explaining.

Despite hearing this, Haschwalth's expression remained unchanged for the most of the part. "I see. What a pity" he spoke up lowly.

Bazz-B threw his left arm in the air when he heard this. "A pity? Don't give me that bullshit!" he said in return before facing him seriously. "You knew about all this, didn't you?" he then asked.

"And why would you want to know?" Haschwalth asked the punkish man in return. "If I said I didn't know, would you still believe in me?" the blonde-haired man then asked him.

Bazz-B looked at the ground while hearing this question. "Of course, I would. We're friends, aren't we?" the young man suddenly asked Haschwalth in a soft voice. The young man still remembered something from their childhood and he lifted up his face to glance at Haschwalth once more. "Aren't we friends, Jugo!?" he suddenly asked out loud.

Despite hearing all of this, Haschwalth remained untouched by hearing Bazz-B's honest answer. "Bazz-B….." he uttered out his name lowly.

"You can call me Bazz, like you used to back then!" Bazz-B then exclaimed with a smug smile in return. He then unleashed his fires once again. "Burning Finger 2!" he exclaimed while forming a ring of fire around him.

Haschwalth swung his blade as he narrowed his blue eyes at his fellow Sternritter. "I think talking some sense into you is useless" Haschwalth noted lowly as he took small steps towards his opponent. "If you intend on challenging me, then I will have no choice but to end this charade quickly" the blonde-haired man said.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Look outside" Bazz-B pointed out while motioning this head towards the window behind him. The skies were darkening and the moon was showing itself through the clouds. "The night will come soon. I know that when Yhwach sleeps at night, you and his power are swapped. That is why I'll kill his power. TOGETHER WITH YOU, TRAITOROUS BASTARD! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THE HUMILIATION YOU'VE PUT ME THROUGH, JUGO!" he angrily exclaimed.

And thus, the fight between Bazz-B and Jugram Haschwalth was now commencing, while the Wandenreich was forced to deal with their own rebellion right at their own headquarters. What would be their fate?

To be continued…


Author's note: And that was the end of chapter 31. Yhwach has now officially taken his place as the new Soul King, and both Shinigamis and Quincies alike are now accepting him as their true ruler. We got to see how Shunsui and the rest of the Shinigamis were doing after entering Wahrwelt, with the head-captain forced to be questioned by Shuhei and Sui-Feng. Why would they do that? We saw that Uryu had managed to handpick his own Schutzstaffel, Sternritters who were previously assumed dead. They would assist with the defense of Silbern against the Sternritter rebels, whom Uryu had told they would become a threat. But maybe Uryu has some motive in dong such actions. The next chapter will most likely tell us about the friendship between Haschwalth and Bazz-B. And I want to add flavor to this flashback story, and may as well include other younger Sternritters, like Robert, Cang and Berenice, not just those two.