Author's note: This chapter will start with what Ichigo and his friends were doing while all this kafuffle in Silbern took place. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.


Chapter 37: Hooded Enigma

In an icy cityscape, Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society

Ichigo Kurosaki and his group of friends had managed to find a way back to the Soul King's Palace, only to find the entire place drastically different as they had exited the Garganta. The entirety of the Royal Realm had been shaped, as had the Soul King's Palace. Yhwach, having become the new Soul King by absorbing it, used his newfound power to create a new home for his followers and moved the icy cityscape from the Sereitei up to the Royal Realm. Therefore, Wahrwelt, the "true world" and the cornerstone of his ever-expanding empire, was created.

As Ichigo and his group had been confused and lost by this sudden transformation, they were interrupted when a group of enemies began attacking them. But these were not just Quincies. Some of the Spiritual Pressures belonged to Shinigamis as well, which shocked Yoruichi and Tessai.

Having just managed to defeat those soldiers, who also called themselves Bewachen, Ichigo and his group were on their way through the icy streets. As they were wandering through them, Yoruichi and Tessai had been holding onto a helmet that belonged to one of the enemies they fought against. The atmosphere around them was misty, and it was impossible for them to even detect Spiritual Pressures.

"How…how can those Divine Soldiers abandon the Soul King for Yhwach?" Yoruichi wondered as she looked at the white helmet. Tessai was walking beside her. "Nothing makes any sense here" she added warily.

Tessai adjusted his glasses. "I too have many questions. However, we best not let it consume us. Right now, we need to concentrate on finding the right way to Yhwach and his servants. Be on your guard for ambushers" he then told her while making sure the others listened as well.

"Tch, easier said than done. I can't sense a damn thing with all this Reishi in the air" Ganju Shiba said in return as he looked up in the sky. He then took a glance at Nelliel Tu Odelschwank and Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez. "Hey you two. Do you sense anything?" he then asked them.

Before Nelliel could politely respond, Grimmjow opened his mouth quickly before hers. "What kind of question is that? You expect me to answer a weakling like you on what I can sense?" he then asked with his usual rude tone, which only infuriated Ganju in return.

"Grimmjow, behave" Nelliel told him with disdain in her voice, yet Grimmjow didn't seem to care.

"I bet those Quincies has made sure that the Reishi in the air is fully under their control" Chad noted while glancing at a reflection of himself in a window. "Whatever it is, they seem to have complete control of the amount of Reishi in the Royal Realm" the Fullbringer added to his statement.

Ichigo nodded his head at him in return. "Yeah, I can feel it too. But we best stay strong and do our best to find out wherever Yhwach has run off to. He can't be far" the orange-haired man said, his eyes narrowed and focused on the path ahead of him and the group.

The group suddenly stumbled upon an open area in the streets. Hopefully they could be getting a better perspective at their current location. However, the group treaded lightly, wary of any sort of ambush by the enemy soldiers.

"It's too quiet in here" Orihime noted warily. "I can't sense any Spiritual Pressure around us, but we best not let our guard down so easily" the young woman told her friends.

"Well said, Orihime" Yoruichi noted, her yellow eyes scanning the area they had entered. Everything around the group was silent. As she surveyed the cityscape, Yoruichi suddenly felt herself snap as she could finally detect something. Her friends took notice of it as well.

"What is it, Yoruichi?" Ururu asked in curiosity.

"Are there enemies nearby?" Nelliel asked while clutching onto the hilt of her Zanpakutou.

The purple-haired woman shook her head as a no, thus easing their suspicions. In fact, she remained stunned for an apparent reason and it confused her friends. "I don't believe it….Yushiro?" she then uttered out the name in slight disbelief and wonder.

Ichigo and his group were curious, yet Tessai immediately understood what she was talking about. "What…...are you saying you just felt the Spiritual Pressure of…" the tanned-skinned man stopped as Yoruichi simply nodded her head in return. Tessai couldn't help but to smirk underneath his moustache as he watched the direction Yoruchi was glancing at. "Yushiro…...it's been ages since we last saw him" Tessai remarked by what he was hearing.

"Who is Yushiro?" Jinta asked while resting his kanabo on his shoulder.

Yoruichi sighed deeply before answering. "The Spiritual Pressure I just felt belonged to Yushiro Shihoin, my younger brother. He's the current head of the Shihoin clan due to my exile" she explained, much to the surprise of the Humans.

"You have a brother?" Ichigo asked bewildered, before fixing a smug smile on his face. "Strange. I wonder how he looks like in terms of appearance" he then said teasingly.

"Maybe he's a tall, humanoid cat. Think about it. Yoruichi can transform herself into a cat, so maybe he can as well" Orihime then suggested to Ichigo, who could not help but to chuckle lightly by hearing this.

Chad, Jinta and Ururu also joined in on the conversation. "You know it could be true what you say, Orihime. He must be a big cat, similar to Captain Komamura's appearance" the tall man then suggested, forcing Jinta and Ururu to laugh.

Yoruichi's face slumped as she heard what Ichigo and his friends were talking about. She could even hear both Tessai and Ganju snicker to themselves and it irritated her. "Quit laughing, dipsticks. And for the record, none of that is true. My brother is not some giant, humanoid cat" she then told the group.

"Yeah. Believe me, you're gonna get shocked once you get to see who he really is" Ganju said while trying to hold his laughter, only for Yoruichi to glare at him threateningly. This forced the young man to swallow his laughter and compose himself. "Alright. I won't laugh. Promise" he insisted to her.

"Look over there!" the entire group turned their attention to Nelliel, as she and Grimmjow where getting a glimpse of something tall appearing behind the mists. All of them were stunned by what they were seeing, as the enormous and imposing palace of Silbern was exposed for the group to see. All of them were stunned. "That tower…I never took notice of it until the mists began clearing. But what is it? It reminds me of Esperanza back in El Dorado" the sea green-haired Arrancar asked in wonder.

"My god…." Ganju uttered out lowly by studying the structure. "How the hell can someone build a tower like this on such a short notice!?" he then asked out loud in disbelief.

"This must be the work of Yhwach" Tessai noted warily by what he was seeing. "And I now begin to see a more clearer picture of the situation. That tower is standing on the exact same spot where the Soul King's Palace previously floated. But somehow, Yhwach must have removed the old palace and replaced it with something new" the tall man added to his explanation.

"Then there is no question about it" Orihime noted lowly while watching the structure. "This must be the Wandenreich's new HQ. Obviously, they are now dwelling inside it" she added to her statement.

Grimmjow only shrugged his shoulders by what he was hearing. "Tch, well I'm not impressed at all. But it seems to me that those bastards want us to come at them in full force" the teal-haired man noted before fixing a grin with his feral teeth. "I say we do as they want us to and bust their place up" he then added.

"Don't rush into conclusions, Grimmjow. Here, we need to think" Nelliel insisted to him, before she could notice Ichigo taking small steps towards the distance of the palace. "Ichigo…what are you…" the young woman asked lowly by what she was seeing.

The Substitute Shinigami had his eyes solely focused on the palace like a hawk spotting its prey. So many thoughts swirled within him, yet most of them had one thing in common: Yhwach and revenge. Even now, he began gritting his teeth in anger as he began recalling the words he had heard from the emperor, during the Wandenreich's first invasion and their recent clash at the Soul King's Palace.

"Yhwach…" he thought the name of the man he hated so much. But it didn't take long before Ichigo was reminded about Uryu and the words he had said to him during their clash. It began to boil him and Ichigo was filled with anger. "Uryu…you will regret the day you sided with that son of a bitch! That I swear!" he added to his thoughts angrily.

As he stood there, Ichigo could also begin to hear voices whisper in his head and it made him widen his eyes. This voice was very unfamiliar to him, since Ichigo could tell that neither his Inner Hollow nor Zangetsu were the once telling him this. His mind started to lose control as he heard those voices.

"Your rage cannot be locked forever. Unleash it." the deep and evil voice called out to him and Ichigo began holding onto his head. Somehow, he could feel pain and agony on the inside. "Your loved ones must be avenged. Let your rage and anger consume you. It will grant you strength" the voice began to whisper inside of him.

Orihime was feeling concerned about Ichigo's behavior, so she approached beside him and asked if he was okay. "Ichigo…..are you feeling okay?" she then asked him. She could see how Ichigo felt somewhat agony in his head and it made her worried.

Before she even knew it, Ichigo quickly sprinted towards the palace. His speed was fast and neither Yoruichi nor Tessai could predict how fast he was. The orange-haired man could see the edge of the platform, yet he didn't care. His mind was solely focused on reaching the place right now. He wanted to end it. He wanted to end this nightmare and avenge his mother by eliminating Yhwach once and for all. The young man had planned on making footholds of Reishi in the air, which would give him clear way to Silbern. He did not care how high it was. Nothing would stand in his way of avenging his mother.

"YHWACH!" Ichigo yelled out in anger as he jumped off the edge and proceeded to use his footholds as planned. He was up in the air, beginning to move his feet while being concentrated on reaching the palace. "YOU WON'T ESCAPE FROM ME THIS TIME! I WILL LIVE TO SEE YOU SUFFER FOR ETERNITY!" the young man added in his head while moving. However, as he tried to move, he couldn't feel anything underneath his sandals. All that was left was thin air. The orange-haired man was stunned as he could not believe that he felt himself fall downwards. He was high above the Sereitei and ground level and falling down so high would only result in his death. Ichigo's conscience had come back, just as his mind had been taken over by anger.

"BAKUDO 99 PART 2: BANKIN!" the loud exclamation came from Tessai as he was now using a Kido-spell. The tall man slammed his fingers into the ground and released white spiritual energy, which coalesced into a white fabric. The fabric stretched so long and it managed to catch Ichigo and wrap around him. It made it just in time and both him and the rest of the group were relieved by seeing that Ichigo was saved. Tessai sighed deeply. "I almost lost him…damn that boy!" the tall man cursed as the fabric carrying Ichigo returned to Tessai and the group

As the fabric vanished, Ichigo was stunned and realized that he was no longer falling. He could see his friends approach him with different reactions on their faces.

"Ichigo…..you're alive" Orihime exclaimed while breathing out a sigh of relief. "He does not seem to require my healing powers now" she then noted in her head.

"Are you alright?" Nelliel asked him, her voice bearing a hint of concern.

Before Ichigo could even respond to her question, he suddenly felt a hard slap on his right cheek. It was powerful and was done by Yoruichi. The purple-haired woman glared at him with a furious expression on her face while crossing her arms. She looked at him as Ichigo began rubbing his sore cheek while watching her.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?" Yoruichi asked out angrily at him. "WHY DID YOU RUSH OFF WITHOUT NOTEFYING US!? IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR TESSAI, YOU WOULD'VE FALLEN TO YOUR DEATH!" she then added out to her frustration.

The orange-haired man started to glance down at the floor with a somewhat neutral expression on his face. Somehow, Ichigo did not feel good at the moment, as he had almost committed himself suicide by walking straight off the edge. He could feel that his mind was no longer in pain.

"A voice…...it called to me. Filled my entire mind with vengeance. I couldn't control my own actions" the young man then told Yoruichi and the others lowly.

"You couldn't control your own actions. Like when you involuntarily cut the Soul King in half?" Chad asked while starting to get a picture of what the situation was.

Ichigo nodded his head. "Exactly. But this had nothing to do with Yhwach controlling me with his Spiritual Pressure. Truth be told, this voice I heard inside my head was something so foreign to me. I've never heard it before" the orange-haired man added while rubbing his forehead.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Jinta wondered in his head while watching Ichigo. "I swear, something's happened to Ichigo since the last time I saw him. Is he even emotionally stable?" the red-haired teenager then wondered.

Yoruichi sighed deeply before speaking up. "Whatever it was, it nearly cost you your life" the purple-haired woman reminded him grimly while glancing towards the palace, as well as the open space before them. Tessai eventually joined her. "It's just as I suspected. The Quincies have taken full control of the Reishi in the air as well" she then noted warily.

"Yes. I believe you can sense the high concentration of Reishi" Tessai noted while adjusting his glasses. "That explains why Ichigo was unable to create footholds out of Reishi. It also means that high-level Shinigamis like us are also unable to do that" the man with the moustache noted.

Nelliel and Grimmjow were also taking notice of this. "I think this also applies to us Arrancars as well" Nelliel noted while feeling the Reishi. "At this rate, the high concentration of Reishi up here gives the advantage to the Quincies. They are the only ones capable of benefiting from it" the Dechado then concluded.

Grimmjow scoffed while listening to what was being said. "You gotta be fucking kidding me" he rudely said while poking in one of his ears. "Does that mean we're stuck with walking on our feet to that damn place!?" the Legionario then asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. I don't see any other alternatives" Yoruichi then said to him before looking over her shoulder to see Jinta, Ururu, Ganju, Chad and Orihime. "It seems that we must reach the palace on foot. Therefore, we will have to continue wandering through the streets until we reach it" she then told them.

"Right" Ururu said while saluting in return.

Ichigo had gotten up on his feet and was about to speak, only for Yoruichi to catch his attention by grabbing his right shoulder. The orange-haired man was surprised, as Yoruichi stared at him firmly.

"Ichigo. Remember what I've told you. Don't let your anger overcome you. It is just a liability to your conscience" she said to him, but she was not finished. "And don't you ever run off from us like that again. Otherwise, you'll regret it" she then told him.

After hearing this, Ichigo's eyes suddenly began narrowing at the dark-skinned woman in return. Despite this glance however, Ichigo remained calm. It didn't take long before he gave her a weak nod in reply, thus confirming his intention of listening to Yoruichi's advice.

"It's easier said than done…but I'll try" the orange-haired man finally answered. Seeing this forced Yoruichi to smirk and she let go of his shoulders. Ichigo let out a deep sigh before continuing. "Alright, we best head back into the street. Any words from Urahara and the others?" he said while glancing at both Yoruichi and Tessai.

"Based upon the presence of Yushiro Shihoin, there is no question in our minds that the boss and the 13 Court Guard Squads have arrived here as well. They may be on the move as we speak. I suggest we do the same thing right now" Tessai then said.

Nodding in agreement, Ichigo and the others headed back into the street, hoping to reach the palace and stop Yhwach from doing whatever mad goals he had. But the only question was whether they could make it in time or not.


In another district of Wahrwelt

Upon seeing the imposing palace of Silbern taking root, the combined forces of the 13 Court Guard Squads and the Vizards quickly headed towards their destination. Shunsui Kyoraku and Kisuke Urahara were the ones leading the entire crowd of Shinigamis. But they had stopped briefly when they realized neither Kenpachi Zaraki or Mayuri Kurotsuchi were with them. Instead, they could feel their Spiritual Pressures being somewhere else in the cityscape. Knowing that those two captains could manage themselves, the group proceeded towards Silbern as fast as they could.

"Do you think Captain Zaraki and Captain Kurotsuchi will manage?" Urahara then asked Shunsui, who only shrugged his shoulders in return.

"Of course, they will. Even though they're not the best of friends, they know when to cooperate to ensure their survival. Maybe it's a good thing they didn't join our group. The enemy will have to contend with attacks coming from three directions now" Shunsui remarked smugly, while concentrating on leading the group through the streets.

But as they group were on the move, Shunsui's only eye caught glimpse of something small and white flying in the skies. But as he got a closer look, his eye snapped. Those were Heilig Pfiels flying up in the skies and were headed straight towards the group like a rain. The arrows fell down fast and Shunsui quickly turned around to make sure everyone stopped.

"EVERYONE! DEFEND YOURSELVES! A RAIN OF ARROWS IS UPON US!" the head-captain yelled out and all the Shinigamis gathered close to one another.

Urahara's eyes snapped as he got closer to Shunsui and his lieutenant Nanao Ise. "Those arrows will rain upon the entire street! It's too late to find cover in the buildings!" the blonde-haired man said.

"Exactly, which is why we need to improvise!" Shunsui said in return before facing the group once again. "EVERYONE! USE A KIDO-SPELL AS A SHIELD! STAND BESIDE A MASTER IN KIDO AND HOLD YOUR GROUND!" he then called out to them while he, Lisa Yadomaru stood beside Nanao, who readied herself.

Many of the Shinigamis had taken the liberty to find partners who were Kido-users with hopes of getting shielded from the arrows. Renji Abarai and Shuhei Hisagi stood with Rukia Kuchiki, Shinji Hirako and the Kudo-twins stood with Momo Hinamori, Hiyori Sarugaki, Yushiro Shihoin and Love Aikawa stood with Kisuke Urahara and Marechiyo Omaeda, Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu stood with Isane Kotetsu. Kido-experts like Hachigen Ushoda, Byakuya Kuchiki and Sui-Feng also took the liberty to hold shield for those who were defenseless. As the rain of arrows approached, all the Shinigamis with Kido-talent yelled out a spell.

"BAKUDO 39: ENKOSEN!" they all exclaimed and together they formed yellow energy that acted as shields for them to use. They held them up while sticking close together. In a way, it closely resembled the kind of method the Romans used when it came to their "testudo formation". The arrows rained down upon them in a fast pace, yet the shields managed to hold them off.

However, small cracks began to appear on the shields of Nanao, Momo, Isane and Rukia and it made some of them worried. The arrows kept raining upon them and the more they did, thus faster the cracks appeared.

"No! The shield!" Momo exclaimed in shock, yet she tried her best to hold onto it. "I won't go down like this!" she then said with determination.

"The arrows keep raining upon us!" Isane said in despair. "I can't hold out much longer!" she then added while feeling distressed.

"Don't give up yet, Isane! This is not the end for us!" Rukia, who stood close to Isane encouraged her.

"Damn it! Why can't that shield last longer!?" Nanao shouted in despair over seeing this. She sweated intensively and looked at her superior. "Captain, we can't stay here much longer! We need to move to safety!" the four-eyed girl told her superior as he listened.

Shunsui was mostly concentrated upon the endless arrows that fell on them, but he could hear something take place somewhere behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he could see Hachi making some preparation. It didn't take long before the other Shinigamis took notice of this.

"Hachi, what are you doing!?" Lisa asked out loud while seeing the tall man preforming something.

"I am trying to find us a better shield and cover! And I know just the right one! Hold on tight, everyone!" he exclaimed as barriers began forming around the Shinigamis. "KIGAI NO JOMON!" he then called out as the barriers surrounding them were transformed into a large honeycomb-like structure being formed in the street. The structure's wall was solid as rock and the rains of Reishi Arrows didn't so much as land marks on it.

As soon as the structure was completed, the rain of arrows stopped. Apparently, the Quincies who stood on the nearby rooftops were now beginning to realize how fruitless it was for them to fire at the structure. From a rooftop overlooking the icy cityscape, a line of Quincies were standing there with Heilig Bogen in their hands. All of them had been intrigued by the appearance of this big structure in the street.

"What trickery is this?" one of the commanding archers wondered as he was stunned that their arrows didn't damage it. "Is this some kind of high-level of Kido-spell?" he then added to his question.

"What else do you suppose it is?" the commanding voice came from Sternritter X – The X-Axis: Lille Barro, as he approached the line of archers while carrying his Spirit Weapon on his shoulder. The black-skinned man had been the one observing and commanding the archers to fire the rain of arrows at the enemy. He was not impressed by what he saw before him. "Tch, cowardly rats. Have these Shinigamis lost their dignity to fight till their last breaths?" he then wondered.

The commanding archer stepped forward to speak with him. "Sir, this was unexpected. It appears we underestimated their mastery in Kido" he said with humility in his voice.

Lille only glanced at him with an unimpressed expression. "And what does that matter? His Majesty has commanded us to eliminate these wretched fiends. Nothing, not even a mere Kido-spell will stand between our orders" he then said with a commanding voice.

"Sir, where are the other Schutzstaffel? Together, you could've dealt with this easily" the archer then asked, only for Lille to simply scoff at him.

"Spare me your nervous breakdowns, simpleton. The other Schutzstaffel have entered the other districts to make sure the enemy doesn't spread their cancer further" Lille told him before brandishing his weapon and aiming it at the structure. "And why do I need to have them at my side when I already know how to divide them? Barricade the other ways leading to the main street. I just got the perfect idea to separate the weak ones from the stronger ones" he then commanded them, even forming a slight smile as he spoke of this plan.

The one-eyed Sternritter was glancing down at a large wall fountain that was running down at the end of the street. But the holes were the only place where the water was coming from. Hanging on the wall was giant head of a long-haired man with beard. Water ran through its mouth and eyes. The Wandenreich's symbol was depicted underneath the figurehead. Whether this man was Yhwach or not remains a mystery. Nevertheless, the figurehead was very imposing and had a unique style of architecture.

Lille landed on the top of the figurehead and aimed the structure with his Spirit Weapon. "It's time these invaders get a glimpse of what the Wassermann is capable of" he said smugly.


Inside the Kigai no Jomon

The moment the Shinigamis were given a roof over their heads, it became very dark inside. None of them could see a thing. After 5 seconds spent being confused in their darkness, the words of the strongest Shinigamis could be heard. They all chanted a Kido-spell together.

"Bakudo 8: Seki" most Shinigamis said and small orbs of light blue energy could be seen floating beside their hands. They were small, but they combined gave light inside the structure. It made it possible for the Shinigamis to see where they were going.

Shunsui smiled as he saw everyone. "It's finally good to be able to see again. Now careful that you don't touch each other with those orbs. Seki is actually a Kido-spell made for self-defense. However, the light is beneficial when you're walking in dark places" the head-captain told everyone inside while fixing his gaze upon Hachi. "I have to hand it to you, Hachi. You really saved our asses right now. While this structure may not last forever, it gives us at least some form of breathing space" the pink-clad Shinigami commended Hachi's efforts.

The tall, but gentle man simply bowed his head formally in appreciation. "I am humbled, Kyoraku" he said in return.

"This is no time for chatting" the stern voice of Sui-Feng could be heard as she caught everyone's attention. "We blindly ran towards our destination like a pack of lemmings crossing a river. It was a disastrous and foolish move, Kyoraku" the young woman told the man with the eyepatch, her voice filled with dispassion.

Nanao frowned and glanced at the Captain of Squad 2 with dispassionate eyes. "Enough of this judging! Captain Kyoraku couldn't predict that Quincy archers were preparing to attack us with a rain of arrows!" the four-eyed woman told her.

Sui-Feng only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "How would you know about tactics? You don't even have a Zanpakutou!" she pointed out to her, thus making Nanao snap in both embarrassment and anger at the same time. She felt like she was thrown under the bus with this kind of comment.

But Momo suddenly stepped in front of Sui-Feng, accompanied by Renji and Isane. They could not stand on the sidelines and watch a captain badger a fellow lieutenant like this.

"Hey! What's with your attitude?" Momo asked while glaring at Sui-Feng with dispassion. "Nanao is the Lieutenant of Squad 1! Show some respect to her!" the young girl pointed out to the hawkish captain, who only narrowed her eyes by seeing this kind of behavior.

"Momo's right!" Renji boasted. "Show her the same amount of respect to her as you did with Lieutenant Sasakibe!" the red-haired man then said to her.

Sui-Feng remained unfazed when hearing this. "You lieutenants lack the ability to understand the importance about warfare. None of you even realize how serious this situation even is!" she then berated them.

This time, usually timid Isane had enough guts to reply to her words. "How can you be so judgmental and cold to your own comrades!?" the tall woman asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Captain Sui-Feng has a point" the serious voice came from none other than Shuhei, as he stood beside the captain and glared at his fellow lieutenants with his stern eyes. "It's true. Shinigamis must be willing to sacrifice for the greater cause. Both Yamamoto and Sasakibe did that. Therefore, we can't have weaklings in our ranks" he then stated coldly and seriously, which actually astounded the lieutenants.

"What? You're not making any sense!" Isane spoke up, not believing what she heard from him. "Just what are you implying here?" she then asked him.

Shuhei's eyed narrowed further. "You should already know the answer. Didn't Captain Unohana sacrifice herself so that we could unleash Captain Zaraki's true potential?" he then questioned her.

After being asked this, Isane's eyed widened in shock, her memories still recalling the last time she saw her captain. However, being reminded about this quickly set alight the slender woman's anger. "You take that back! You don't know a damn thing what happened!" Isane spat at him while pointing a finger.

"Hisagi…...what the hell has gotten into you….." Renji was beginning to ask his fellow lieutenant lowly, only to have his collar grabbed by Shuhei in anger and pulled up close to him.

"You ask what has gotten into me!? Fine! I'll tell you!" Shuhei spat into Renji's face, while the Lieutenant of Squad 6 only held onto Shuhei's hands. They both glared at each other angrily. "Why the hell did the Royal Guard take you with them to train and not me!? Because of my weakness, I wasn't able to protect myself or even assist Captain Mugurama! And know he's gone, and worse dead!" he said while lowering his head in shame.

Renji only stared at him bewildered as he heard those words. Eventually, Shuhei let go of him and started to face the ground with a somewhat ashamed look in his eyes. He could tell that Shuhei was still feeling himself weak and lacked confidence in battle. Seeing his fellow lieutenant in such a downed mood, Renji tried to encourage him by reaching out a hand to him.

"Look, I get that you're distressed from losing. I tell it by being reminded about Kanisawa's…" Renji's hand was suddenly swatted away by Shuhei, who glared at him with angry eyes. This surprised the red-haired man.

"Don't you pull that shit on me, Abarai! You don't know anything about how losing someone really hurts!" the black-haired man told him angrily, even hinting at a tone of sadness in his voice.

"Everyone, just calm down, okay?" the loud voice came from Marechiyo as he and Rukia approached the scene, along with Hiyori, Byakuya and Shinji. It was surprising that the obese man would even take the initiative to calm things down. "Look, I know we're all stressed and worn out from this fight but we gotta hold on, ya know" he then said in a more relaxed tone. He then took a glance at his captain. "Captain…..I think you may was well wanna start learning something from us lieutenants" he then told her, much to Sui-Feng's own surprise.

"Omaeda…what are you saying?" she wondered in her head.

Shinji smirked by seeing this and glanced at Marechiyo. "Ya know, for a big, selfish prick, you sure have a heart of gold" the Captain of Squad 5 remarked in amusement by what he heard from him.

Marechiyo only crossed his arms and huffed at him. "Those words were uncalled for. You could've left them out" he then said to him.

Rukia decided to speak up her mind. "Anyway, think about what Omaeda just said. We all need to stick together if we are to prevail in this fight" Rukia then pointed out to them. "We all should calm down and try to think of a new strategy to our problem. And let's do this know that the majority of those serving the Court Guard is here" the young woman then added to her statement.

"Well said, Rukia. I bet Jushiro would be proud if he was here with us" Shunsui commended the Lieutenant of Squad 13 while clapping his hands. He then fixed his focus on the majority of the Shinigamis. "You heard her, folks. Instead of arguing and badgering each other, how about we plan on counterattacking?" the head-captain then suggested to them all.

Urahara adjusted his hat while listening to this. "We better come up with a good plan. Who knows what kind of tricks the Quincies have in store for us" the blonde-haired man suggested to everyone. He then took a glance at Hachi. "Hachi, you're the only one who can deactivate the spell at your will, correct?" he asked the gentle man.

Hachi nodded his head as a yes. "Correct. However, based upon this tactic they just showed us, it would be unwise to doubt their abilities in finding a way inside here. This barrier is impregnatable, yet there may be some Quincies who will discover its weaknesses. We best stand our guard while we are inside here" the Kido-expert replied while making sure those around him were notified about this as well.

Urahara fixed himself a smile on his face and nodded at him. He then gathered Shunsui, the captains, the lieutenants, the Vizards and Yushiro around to discuss their next move. They were standing in a circle while managing to draw a map of the street thanks to Hachi's Kido.

"Alright, we may have made some miscalculations by heading straight towards the enemy's HQ. However, there is no other way from our standpoint" Shunsui explained while everyone was listening. "And let's not forget about Ichigo and his friends, as well as Captain Zaraki and Captain Kurotsuchi. I take it Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, Madarame and Ayasegawa is with the captains" he then added.

After hearing this, Isane suddenly snapped as she began recalling something. The other Shinigamis looked at her with questionable glances. "I think I also know someone who's with those captains. Hanataro" the slender woman said while gulping.

"You left Hanataro Yamada with Kenpachi Zaraki and Mayuri Kurotsuchi?" Byakuya asked, his voice filled with curiosity rather than displeasure.

"It's not like that! The moment the gates were complete, Hanataro was in the bathroom alongside Captain Zaraki and his men" Isane insisted to him, before letting out a deep sigh. "But I don't have time to worry about him. I'm entrusting his safety to Zaraki and his men" she then noted.

Some of the Shinigamis smiled at her words, including Rukia. "A wise decision, Isane. I assure you, Hanataro is braver than what you actually think, especially since he was willing to stand for me during my darkest time" the black-haired woman remarked, recalling back when she was sentenced to death and that Hanataro was one of the few Shinigamis brave enough to oppose it. Rukia suddenly turned her attention to her adoptive brother. "Brother, you also believe in Hanataro's ability to survive, don't you?" she then asked him.

A frown could be seen on the captain's face, yet Byakuya did close his eyes while nodding weakly at her in return. "Yes. He has my support" he said simply.

"Who the hell gives a rat's ass about a timid medic!?" the angry voice came from Sui-Feng and she was met with mostly frowns as she said it. "Our survival should be our top priority, not the survival of Zaraki, Kurotsuchi or Kurosaki! We all know that!" the stern captain added stubbornly.

"Don't love your tone, but I agree with what you say" Urahara pointed out, while Sui-Feng only shrugged her shoulders in return. "Anyway, those Quincies may plan on using their rain of arrows to stop us once we're outside. But I suggest that they may not be using the same tactics as before" the blonde-haired man then said.

Shunsui smiled smugly. "Very observant. Perhaps we should also use a new form for strategy as well once we're out of this structure" the man with the eyepatch noted before glancing over to his fellow Shinigamis. "Well then, friends and members of the Court Guard. Do any of you have something to contribute to our plans?" he then asked them.

The moment he asked, most of the Shinigamis were uncertain about what to come up with. While they were thinking about a good answer, a sound could be heard coming from behind. Every Shinigami turned around and could see someone trying to open up the other end of the structure by using some type of laser, which seemed to actually be Reishi. The Shinigamis became cautious when seeing this.

"What the hell's going on!?" Renji asked as he saw the laser starting to go up like a bow.

"The Quincies…they are trying to open the structure!" Hachi remarked grimly by what he was seeing. "And it seems they chosen to open a way on the other side. If they manage, they will attack us inside this structure" he then added to his worries.

"But you said those walls of yours were impregnable!" Hiyori snapped at him, only to glare at both Urahara and Shunsui with her usual stern glance. "Now what, smartasses!?" she then asked them while having her arms crossed.

The bow only seemed to go faster and Urahara and the other captains new that the Quincies would without a doubt seek to attack them inside this structure if necessary. He and Shunsui turned their focus on the other side before facing one another with a smirk on their looks.

Love and some of the Shinigamis were confused as they saw this. "Just what are you guys thinking?" he asked while poking one of his earholes.

But Shinji seemed to get the picture and motioned for his subordinates to stay close to him. He then made sure that the other Shinigamis listened as well. "Listen up all of ya! How about instead of us being stuck inside this piece of crap, we let the enemy soldiers be?" he then asked everyone smugly and loudly.

"What? Are you saying that we should trick them?" Byakuya asked him, as well as Urahara and Shunsui.

Right now, the majority of the Shinigamis were now standing on the opposite side of where the Quincies were trying to enter the structure. The lieutenants watched it unfold, while the captains, the Vizards and Urahara readied their Zanpakutous.

"Are you sure about this, head-captain?" Hachi asked the pink-clad Shinigami.

"Damn right I am. These Quincies think they can trap us inside here. But we're be doing that" he then told him with his usual confident smile. Shunsui then took a glance at the wall before them. "However, there is without a question in my mind that there are enemies on the other side as well. But we'll take them out" he then said while holding onto his Zanpakutous.

"So we are to open this wall, deal with the enemy that stands there, and then wait for the Quincies to enter on the other side before we shatter this structure completely?" Nanao asked her superior, feeling very sweaty as she thought about this. "Do you know how crazy that really sounds?" she then snapped at her.

But Lisa simply narrowed her eyes at Nanao. "Haven't you forgotten? Desperate times calls for desperate measures. We don't wanna waste our time dealing with those soldiers" the four-eyed woman pointed it out sternly.

Shunsui chuckled as he heard this. "Well said, Lisa. I must admit that I have missed your dry humor sometimes" he then remarked.

Lisa simply sighed in annoyance in return. "Whatever, jackass" she said.

"Well then, shall we begin?" Byakuya asked Urahara, who simply nodded his head in return.

"It's about time someone said it" Urahara mused to himself while nodding at Hachi. "Okay Hachi, this is it. You'll open this wall and we'll deal with whoever stands on the other side quickly. Once the Quincies are finished carving out their way in here, you know what to do" he then told him.

Hachi remained concerned while hearing this, yet he understood the benefit of this plan. "I only hope this will work to our advantage" he said and stood before the wall and held his hands close to one another, almost in a praying manner. He was preparing to open the wall by splitting it into two moving doors.

"Alright! This is it, everyone!" Shunsui called out to his fellow Shinigamis. "Let us show these Quincies how we do things when it comes to counterattacking!" he then rallied his subordinates.

The captains, lieutenants and Vizards held out their Zanpakutous, standing ready to charge straight into the enemy that was awaiting behind those walls. While each of them had different reactions, they all had one thing in common: preparation for combat. They would make the ultimate sacrifice.

Hachi suddenly moved his hands quickly from one another and the wall opened like two moving doors. However, they were in for a great surprise. This was not due to Quincies. It was something much more stunning and terrifying. The moment the walls opened, large water began entering the structure like a tsunami. It caught everyone by surprise. Because of Hachi standing in the front, he was the first to be taken by the water and soon were the rest of the Shinigamis.

"WHAT THE…..AAHHHHHHH!" Renji yelled as the water consumed him.

The water moved towards the other end of the structure, where the Quincies had already begun making an opening. But the Reishi-like laser stopped working as the water smashed into the other end of the room. Why was this water filling in the structure?

On a rooftop outside the structure, Lille Barro watched with a smirk as he and the other Quincies could see the entire street being filled with water. The other small ways that lead to the main street had been barricaded with some sort of dikes. This made it possible to flood the entire main street, all thanks to the Wassermann, which was sprouting out chunks of water fast. Because of Hachi opening the walls, the flood had now begun to enter the structure as well. The golems that had been trying to enter the structure from the other side were now called off and moved away for safety.

Lille even chuckled by what he was seeing. "Heh! Nothing's more fun than to see a pack of rats drowning!" he said sadistically before he held out Diagramm and aimed it at the structure. "Now that they're all confused by this commotion, it's time to thin their numbers. Now will be my next target?" he then asked seriously, preparing himself to shoot the Shinigamis being stuck in the flood.

As the water began filling the structure, Renji had managed to get himself above the water by using his Shikai. While doing that, he held Rukia around her waist. Zabimaru's spikes managed to cling itself to one of the walls, thus holding them safe, for now. They both breathed heavily while their clothes were soaking wet.

"You okay….Rukia?" Renji asked as he breathed and coughed a little. He could see Rukia cough out water from her mouth.

"I'm…...fine….." she said before coughing out another round. Her eyes suddenly widened as she could see the water that was flooding the entire room. "No! The structure is overflowed! And I don't see anyone submerge! Sentaro! Kiyone! Brother!" Rukia yelled out distressed.

It didn't take long before the two lieutenants could see Marechiyo and Hachi submerge to the surface, along with Byakuya, Sentaro and Kiyone. It appeared that Byakuya was now helping the two members of Squad 13 up to the surface. Rukia smiled brightly as she saw them, as did Renji.

"Look! There they are!" Renji exclaimed while making sure he held Rukia tight.

"Brother! Up here!" Rukia called out to Byakuya, as well as her two subordinates.

Both Sentaro and Kiyone were happy to see Rukia, while Byakuya was stunned see what his lieutenant was doing with his sister. Nevertheless, a slight smile could be seen, as he was personally glad that Renji had helped her up.

More Shinigamis submerged to the surface. Shinji was helping up Momo, the Kudo-twins held onto each other, while Hiyori, Isane, Nanao and Yushiro headed submerged before heading to either Marechiyo or Hachi to find something to float with.

"Damn it, captain, where are you!?" Marechiyo asked out loud, starting to feel worried about some of the Shinigamis still trapped in the water.

"Where the hell is Kisuke and the rest of the of the guys!?" Shinji asked while holding around Momo.

Rukia heard their concerns and reached for her Zanpakutou. Renji took notice of it and decided to ask her what she was planning on doing. "What are you doing, Rukia?" he asked her.

"This water must be stopped! Even the street outside is overflooded with water! Those bastards really got us!" she said while gritting her teeth. "Everyone stand back! I will use my Bankai to freeze this water!" Rukai called out to the Shinigamis floating in the water.

"RUKIA, NO!" the loud and strict voice came from Byakuya, who was still holding onto Sentaro and Kiyone. "DO NOT USE YOUR BANKAI! IF YOU DO THAT, IT WILL FREEZE ALL OF US STUCK IN THE WATER, INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SUBMERGED YET!" he loudly told her.

Rukia was filled with shock as she heard what her brother had said to her, only to be interrupted by Renji. "He's got a point, Rukia. Your Bankai would only lead to….." as he spoke up, he could hear cracks coming from behind. Turning around, he saw that cracks had begun to appear in the wall Zabimaru was stuck on. It made him snap, and it didn't take long before Zabimaru got lose and both he and Rukia fell down towards the water. "OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII…." Renji cursed angrily while Rukia yelled as they fell down and splashed into the water.

"RUKIA!" both Sentaro and Kiyone shouted together as they watched her fall into her water. However, Byakuya held his grip around them firm and he did not let go of them. The two members of Squad 13 looked at him and could see how serious he was on not letting them go after Rukia.

"There is no need for you to swim after Rukia! She already has Renji with her. As my lieutenant, he will bring her back to safety. That is the duty he is given" the black-haired man pointed out to them.

Deep under the surface, Renji and Rukia came back to their consciousness and realized that they were nearly at the bottom of the structure. The two lieutenants began swimming up to the surface, knowing that they would only drown by staying longer in the water. While swimming upwards, they managed to get a glimpse of the remaining Shinigamis stuck in the water, including Urahara and Shunsui.

"Urahara! Kyoraku!" Renji exclaimed in his head as he and Rukia could see them trying to make it to the surface. However, they were not the only one.

Love, Lisa, Shuhei and Sui-Feng were there as well, struggling to swim in this water. It became apparent to the Shinigamis this wasn't just ordinary water. It was actually a water filled with Reishi, which made it possible to slow the Shinigamis down. Nevertheless, they pressed and swam as fast as could.

As soon as Renji and Rukia joined up with the group, Urahara and Shunsui waved their hands at them. They then began to head up to the surface. Bubbles could be seen in the water, yet it was nothing they particular thought about. It was all about survival now.

But as they were swimming, a beam of Reishi suddenly pierced through the wall and even managed to run through the water itself. The Shinigamis could only take notice of it due to the brightness it made in the water. To their horror, this beam of Reishi managed to hit Shuhei on his left hip and he screamed in agony as blood sprouted from him.

"HISAGI!" Renji, Rukia and Shunsui said together in shock as they saw their comrade being shot, with blood covering him in the water. The black-haired man then stopped swimming and fell downwards towards the water.

Even Sui-Feng was outraged by what she was seeing. Yet instead of directing her anger at the enemy, she did it towards Shunsui. "KYORAKU! YOU INCOMPETENT AND WORTHLESS MOTHERFU…" Sui-Feng felt herself stunned and she could no longer speak. The reason for that was very horrendous to watch for her fellow Shinigamis.

"SUI-FENG!" Urahara yelled as a whole could be seen on her stomach. She had also managed to be hit by another bream of Reishi and it her injury was very serious. Even now, blood sprouted out from her opening and the young woman also started to drift down towards the bottom.

The Shinigamis were filled with fear, as they were now being targeted by the Quincies outside the structure. However, they had also begun to notice something. The beams of Reishi created holes in the walls. The water that had filled the structure was gradually beginning to disappear as a result and they could even see the water starting to go down. But that was not all.

Large pieces of the structure's ceiling began to drop into the water and the Shinigamis having previously been holding up on the surface were now being dragged down to the bottom as well. The water was vanishing quickly, but so did the structure's ceiling. Large pieces of boulder collapsed and it was only a matter of time before the entire structure itself would do that was well. Urahara and the other Shinigamis headed straight towards the bottom as soon as a rain of boulders began falling in the water.

Outside the structure, Lille watched unfazed as the structure before him and his men collapsed in shambles. Smoke was coming out from Diagramm and Lille had been the one to fire those beams of Reishi on the structure, both on the walls and on the ceiling. This would make the entire thing collapse and Lille was hoping to at least see someone who would survive this destruction. But then again, he had made sure that the weakest would die from the structure's collapse.

The Stenritter and the Quincies stood and watched as what was once the structure was now nothing but a pile of giant rubbles. The pile of rubbles managed to prevent the flood from continuing, albeit lightly, as small rivers of water could be seen spilling into the street. Lille glanced at his work with a cold glare, indicating he had no regrets doing this kind of action.

"There. That should take care of those meddling vermin. Should there be survivors, we'll be ready for them" the black-skinned man with just one eye noted coldly and looked over his shoulder to face his subordinates. "Alright. We have secured this district. It's time we head back to Silbern and notify His Majesty. And in the meantime, you may as well deactivate the Wassermann. It's done us a great favor for now" Lille told them strictly before vanishing thanks to his Hirenkiyaku. The other Quincies followed suit.

With the Quincies now out of the street, the Shinigamis could not come out of hiding, having used Kido to hide underneath the boulders in hopes of letting them think they're dead. Urahara had been the one responsible for this. Right now, the blonde-haired man coughed out a little before moving out and proceeded to jump to the top of the pile to see the flooded street before him. He also got a glimpse of the Wassermann, who no longer sprouted out large amounts of water from its eyes and mouth.

Urahara took off his hat, only to have water fall on him. But he didn't mind that, as his eyes were focused on the Wassermann. "Those cheeky bastards. They almost had us now" he remarked lowly by what they were seeing.

"I can't believe they would actually resort to a tactic like this" the voice came from Yushiro, who was now standing beside Urahara. His clothes and black hair had also become wet, yet he didn't seem to mind. The young boy even let out a sigh of frustration as he tried to find composure. He then glanced at the young man with narrowed eyes. "You were the one insisting that we come here. Do you think it would be wise to enter enemy territory so early? We almost got drowned here for god's sake!" he then exclaimed in frustration.

So far, Urahara had not responded, as he merely stood there while having his eyes shut. Seeing this kind of reaction irritated Yushiro and he could not stand being ignored like this.

"Are you really that delusional!? I say we made a terrible mistake coming to this forsaken…." the head of the Shihoin clan was stopped when he felt someone touch his right shoulder gently, it was Shunsui, who had now appeared alongside Shinji and Byakuya. "Head-Captain Kyoraku….." the young boy noted lowly, being surprised as he saw him stand there in the first place.

"You are right to take out your anger on him. However, it would be best if you saved that for later" Shunsui encouraged the young man before glancing over at Urahara. "We haven't found Sui-Feng or Hisagi yet. But they will make it out. You don't need to put the blame on yourself, Urahara. We all made mistakes here, even me" Shunsui admitted while taking off his hat.

Urahara opened his eyes, this time filled with determination. He put his hat on his head. To the Shinigamis' surprise, Urahara unleashed his Shikai and began jumping to another boulder before speaking. "You guys stay here and recuperate. I'm going on ahead without you" he simply said, his voice not filled with any emotion.

His friends were surprised by hearing him like this. "Ahead? Ahead where?" Shinji asked while throwing his hands in the air. The blonde-haired man suddenly snapped in realization. "Hold your horses! Are you planning on heading to the enemy's HQ on your own!? You're insane, Kisuke!" the Captain of Squad 5 exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's not what I have in mind" Urahara said, his voice more serious than usual. "Ichigo must reach Yhwach before it's too late. And I can tell that these Sternritters are cleverer than those we have fought before. Therefore, I will go on ahead to them and make sure they are alright. Take care for now" he said and vanished thanks to his Shunpo.

"WAIT! KISUKE!" Shinji called out to him, yet Urahara proceeded to move towards the nearby rooftops. "Damn it! What a stubborn fool!" he remarked while seeing Urahara vanish from the scene.

Yushiro only stood and watched and felt so unsure about what to do. However, he snapped as he could hear the voice coming from Shunsui. "You should join him as well" the pink-clad Shinigami said in his gentle voice as usual. Yushiro turned around and stared at him bewildered. Shunsui nodded at him. "I understand you want to meet Yoruichi, yes? Well, here's your chance. I think you and her will give those Quincies a run for their money, if you know what I mean" he then pointed out to them.

The young boy couldn't help but to make a smile, and he nodded his head at him in appreciation before disappearing with his Shunpo, which was incredibly fast. The remaining captains watched this with bemused glances, not realizing how fast Yushiro really was with this technique.

"This was a wise decision, Kyoraku" the voice of Byakuya could be heard. "Apparently, us rushing towards the enemy with a group as big as this only made it easy for the enemy to take advantage of. The Quincies have more knowledge about this place than what we do. Obviously, we underestimated their brilliant use of traps like this flood right before us" the black-haired man pointed out while seeing the Wasserman and the flooded street.

"We better get down there and see how the others are doing. But I bet we should take some rest before we move on" Shinji suggested to his comrades before jumping down to the Shinigamis recuperating from their injuries. Byakuya joined him soon after.

This left Shunsui alone on the top of the pile, as he surveyed the cityscape before him. His only eye was facing forwards, beyond the Wassermann and the building it hanged by. It looked like he was more concentrated on facing the one who had trapped them in this situation. "Whoever you are, I'll be sure to fight you, bastard" he said while thinking about the Sternritter who did this.


Not far from where the incident took place

While the group had recuperated, a trail of blood could be seen from the pile of rubbles and it continued much further into the district. Two Shinigamis were now walking down a stairway while clutching onto their serious injuries. It was Sui-Feng and Shuhei and they still had some breath left despite being mortally wounded by Lille's shooting. As they walked down step for step, the two Shinigamis almost fell down, yet they managed to stay put by leaning onto the wall. Whenever they walked, a trail of blood was left behind them. They were nearing the end of the stairway

"Fuck…FUUUUUU…." Sui-Feng cursed angrily before she began coughing out a pool of blood on the stairs and she fell down to the ground. However, she stubbornly got up with her hands and tried to crawl forward. "How can I live with such…shame?" she asked bitterly while coughing lightly.

Shuhei didn't have enough strength to even help Sui-Feng up on her feet, yet he walked with her in the same pace. He was gradually beginning to lose balance and he almost tripped. The punkish man was clutching to his injury on his hip. "Why are we walking away? We could've stayed with…Kotetsu" he then asked her lowly.

Sui-Feng managed to see an alley which was empty, and she turned left. Shuhei followed him as a result. The young woman barely had enough strength to even speak, yet she did respond to the lieutenant's question. "To hell with them! I'm through being manipulated by Kyoraku, Urahara or any of those cocksuckers!" she responded bitterly and lied sideways, leaning onto the wall behind her. With the wall's help, she could sit on her behind, yet she held around her injury. "I don't have much time left. Instead of dying being surrounded by idiots, I'd rather die here peacefully, she then said to him.

Shuhei sat on the opposite side of her and leaned against the wall. He tried to breath, yet he felt himself so sick that he threw up blood not far from where they sat. Even he was beginning to feel how weaker he was becoming. "Maybe this is the end for us" he then said lowly, his eyes fixed onto the ground before him.

Sui-Feng also did the same thing, and she felt her sight gradually weaken. However, before they could even close their eyes, they saw someone standing not far from them, due to it's shadow. Both Shinigamis weakly turned to see who it was, and their formerly weak eyes, were starting to widen intensively.

At the entrance of the alley stood someone in short size while wearing a white-hooded cape. It began taking small steps towards the two dying Shinigamis, who were powerless to do anything.

"Another Sternritter?" Sui-Feng asked weakly before noticing something more drastic with this individual. She gasped. "No….this Spiritual Pressure….you're no Quincy!" she then noted grimly.

Shuhei was also surprised, yet he seemed to actually recognize that individual's power. His eyes never left the sight of it. "You…..how…no, why are you even here!?" he asked lowly, his voice filled with both discomfort and surprise.

The hooded individual suddenly began giggling girly by what it saw, thus indicating to them that she was in fact a girl. "Seriously? It's been a long time since we last talked and this is what you ask me?" she then asked before removing her white hood, thus exposing her identity to the two Shinigamis. This time, Sui-Feng was given a shock by what she saw, not just Shuhei. It was a young woman with hazel eyes, lime-green wavier hair and an orange scarf around her neck. In addition, she even wore a set of goggles in her hair. "You're really starting to get old, Hisagi" the co-Lieutenant of Squad 9 Mashiro Kuna said, her voice sounding normal as usual.

"Am I seeing things because I'm dead?" Sui-Feng asked as she felt disturbed by seeing Mashiro dressed in Quincy clothes. "Why are you dressed like a Sternritter!?" she then asked while sounding very confused by what she was seeing.

Mashiro only took her time to think about that question. "Why I'm wearing this? Well, I think it's because that I have decided to change my loyalty to someone else" she then answered, despite being her usual naïve self.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Shuhei then asked while not getting Mashiro's explanation.

"She means we're changing sides in this war" a stern and calm voice could be heard and it came from behind Mashiro. Shuhei and Sui-Feng were stunned as they could see none other than Kensei Mugurama standing there dressed like a Sternritter. Shuhei couldn't believe his eyes, as his superior was standing there, alive.

"Captain Mugurama…you're alive!" Shuhei said with a hint of relief in his voice.

Kensei only narrowed his eyes in return. "Spare me your worries, cub! I thought I told you to man up and grow a spine" he said to him, thus shutting him up completely. He then glanced at Mashiro. "Mashiro, call on the guards and ask them to help us carry these two. They will be brought to Silbern for treatment" the grey-haired man commanded the young woman, who saluted in return.

"Your wish is my command, sir!" she said before vanishing thanks to her Shunpo.

Both Shuhei and Sui-Feng were stunned, as they could not believe what he just told Mashiro. "Silbern…..captain…..what are you….." Shuhei's question were quickly silenced by Kensei's strict voice.

"Have you heard nothing what I just said!? We no longer answer to Central 46 or any corrupt noble in the Soul Society! From now on, we only answer to one, true master: Yhwach, the new Soul King. Under his rule, the Soul Society will rise again!" Kensei berated him while those before him only listened silently.

To be continued…


Author's note: That was chapter 37. We got to see how Ichigo and his friends were doing while also seeing the main force heading towards Silbern. Since Ichigo had fallen off once "accidentally" in the canon story, I wanted to tone down the humor and make it more about Ichigo's growing resentment towards Yhwach. When it comes to Urahara and his group, I wanted them to have some challenge on their way and the flooding in the Kigai no Jomon was a perfect idea. And of course, Lille was the one responsible for nearly killing both Shuhei and Sui-Feng. Speaking of those two, they were on their deathbed, only to be met by Kensei and Mashiro! Now things are starting to get interesting. In the next chapter, I will write on Ichigo and his gang, while telling you briefly about Kenpachi and his group. I have also expressed interest in writing about Uryu and what he's doing during the commotion taking place in Silbern. Then again, this and the next chapter will tell us what happened to the others while the rebel Sternritters were making their move. See you next time.

And here is the new term we learned today.

Wasserman – German for "Waterman": This is a large monument which can act as a fountain and as an instrument of causing floods. Works more than just as a monument. (Fun fact: When imagining its face, I was inspired by the face statue in the Chamber of Secrets from the Harry Potter books. There is a statue of the head of a man with long hair and beard. It's where the dangerous basilisk lives).