Author's note: While Lille may have died, there may be a chance that we will play a part in this story. But for now, he's out of the picture. This chapter however will tell us about Gerard. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 43: A Miraculous Twist
In the icy cityscape of Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society
While the main group of Shinigamis and Vizards had left Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku to deal with Lille Barro and his sniping, they had proceeded towards the towering palace of Silbern, knowing better than to waste time waiting for their superior. And as expected, they reached the towering palace, yet they could notice a pack of soldiers standing and waiting for them. At first, the Shinigamis thought this would be easy, but they were wrong.
Before they could even attack the soldiers, someone crash-landed before them, thus preventing them from laying siege. It was one of Yhwach's appointed Schutzstaffel, Sternritter M – The Miracle: Gerard Valkyrie. The Quincy with the winged helmet was impressed over the Shinigamis to have reached so far, yet insisted that he would not let them pass. He even boasted proudly that he could take on everyone in the group and would not let anyone else go past him.
The group of Shinigamis, seeing how stubborn and determined Gerard was, decided to give what he wanted and began attacking him in full force. And he was now currently sitting by a pile of boulders glancing smugly at the group of Shinigamis before him. At this point, Gerard was overmatched by the combined powers of the captains, lieutenants and Vizards that stood against him. Yet despite this, he was grinning towards them in defiance.
As Gerard kept explaining to them about what a miracle was, none of the Shinigamis took his words seriously. In fact, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of Squad 6 unleashed his Shikai: Senbonzakura and silenced Gerard by covering his face with the thousands of cherry blossoms. Most of the Shinigamis were happy, given that they grew tired of Gerard and the diarrhea in his mouth. Gerard's body was made headless and his winged helmet fell off with blood on it.
"That should silence him" Byakuya stated, having no remorse for his actions.
Some Shinigamis like Lieutenant Momo Hinamori of Squad 5 were slightly stunned to see how Gerard was executed like this, despite being beaten so badly. The young girl was shocked as she saw the winged helmet rolling by her.
"Did we really need to go this far? He looked like he could've died from his own wounds" Momo asked those around them. But the young girl felt her captain put a hand on her left shoulder.
"Don't be naïve, Momo. That Quincy was clearly hiding some trump card up his sleeve" Captain Shinji Hirako of Squad 5 told her before glancing over at Gerard's headless body. "Besides, the way he was talking, he's obviously the kind of guy that would be able to turn the entire situation around with a single attack as soon as he figured out the extent of our abilities" the blonde-haired man noted from what he was seeing. He then began looking at Byakuya. "If we didn't go at least this far in killing him, there's no telling what he would have been capable of. Wouldn't you agree, Captain Kuchiki?" he asked the calm-mannered man.
Byakuya proceeded to completely destroy Gerard's body with his Shikai, much to the surprise to some of his fellow Shinigamis. But this was all done to make sure that Gerard was died and remained put on the ground. Realizing that it was done, the black-haired man turned his attention towards the streets that lead them to the towering palace of Silbern.
"We should move soon" Byakuya said while glancing at the street. "But let us make sure that everyone is here with us" he then suggested to his fellow Shinigamis.
"Any job worth doing is worth doing right…twice for good measure" Shinji remarked with sarcasm in his voice.
"Something doesn't feel right here" Rukia said as she got suspicious. "The soldiers that used to stand here…where are they?" she wondered while noticing how empty the streets was right now.
"Beats me" Renji said before forming a smug smile. "I bet they probably ran back into the palace the minute they saw us owning that loudmouth's ass. Some soldiers they are" he said while musing over the fact that there was no one else to meet them.
All the Shinigamis were having a quick gathering, now that the way to Silbern was free. But at the same time, they had to reflect on whether they should go on ahead without waiting for the others. So far, none of them had taken notice of the Spiritual Pressures belonging to Shunsui, Ichigo or Kenpachi. Should they just charge straight ahead without waiting for the others?
"Alright, buttheads! Now what?" Hiyori Sarugaki asked foulmouthed as usual. "Are we gonna wait for the others or shall we just head straight to the palace?" she then asked impatiently.
Shinji dropped a sweat as he heard this. "Do you always have to be this miserable?" he annoyingly asked the young girl before deciding to focus on something else. "But there's one thing I agree with her, though. Either we can sit ducks and wait for the others, or we can head into the palace and kick the Quincy Emperor's ass" the laidback captain then came up with two alternatives.
"What do you suggest, Captain Hirako?" 3rd seat Matsuri Kudo of Squad 5 asked him.
"Tch, what I always suggest in a situation like this. Screw waiting for the others! We just go on ahead and cause ruckus already" the blonde-haired man responded to her question.
Byakuya calmly nodded his head in agreement. "My sentiments, exactly" he said, meaning that he agreed with Shinji's suggestion.
"Then that settles it" Fujimaru Kudo of Squad 5 remarked with cockiness in his expression. "Let us bust the doors of that palace and then find our way up" he then said as he glanced up to the palace.
All the Shinigamis did that, but they all couldn't help but to notice how tall this palace really was, especially since they were standing very close to it. "Man…so…high" Lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda of Squad 2 spoke up lowly, feeling somewhat tired as he looked up at Silbern. "How many stairs must we go up to reach wherever the enemy is!? It will probably take us days before we're there!" he then asked in frustration.
"Tch, that's your big issue?" Renji asked him while raising an eyebrow. "Get real, Omadea. I would rather walk upstairs than be standing here listening to you whining" the red-haired Lieutenant of Squad 6 told him before taking small steps towards the street.
Marechiyo was filled with anger over hearing this and he was about to say something back to Renji, only to stop when he could feel a shadow cover him and his comrades. The other Shinigamis soon took notice of this shadow as well, and it was as if something tall was standing behind them. All their eyes widened in shock.
Standing behind them was Gerard Valkyrie, although in a very much different size. Everything on him had grown in size, including his Spirit Weapon. Since his winged helmet was now destroyed, it showed them Gerard's bright eyes and the m-like markings running across his eyes. Needless to say, the Sternritter was gigantic, though not as tall as Silbern itself.
"TAKE COVER!" Rukia yelled as Gerard almost was on the verge of stomping on them with only one feet, yet they were fast enough to avoid it. But the stomping was so powerful that it sent shockwaves through the urban environment.
All the Shinigamis could only stand and watch as Gerard grew taller and taller. It was a sight they had never expected to see.
"Holy fucking asscrackers!" Shinji cursed from what he was seeing.
"What the hell happened!?" Byakuya asked as even he was feeling stunned to see this take place. "I thought I had disposed of him!" he then added to his distress.
"Call me crazy but that Quincy is…FUCKING GIGANTIC!" Renji said while yelling at the end of his sentence.
Gerard soon took notice of the group of Shinigamis underneath him, who only seemed like a pack of ants from his viewpoint. He felt so high and mighty when seeing the reactions of the Shinigamis. "YOU WILL ADRESS ME AS GERARD VALKYRIE!" the Quincy loudly exclaimed as he demonstrated what his power was. "My Schrift is the letter M – The Miracle. It gives me the power to turn the damage I have taken and convert it into what you see standing before you…..this godly size!" Gerard told them about his ability.
The Shinigamis were now beginning to notice something. Despite the fact that Gerard was gigantic, he was not necessarily slow. The Sternritter was still as fast as he was in his previous size. They could see this by the way Gerard took his steps, let alone grab a nearby tower from one of the icy buildings.
"I must admit, you have left quite the impression on me. To think that the captains and lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads were capable of inflicting this amount of damage on my body" Gerard suddenly commended the Shinigamis for the efforts as he held the icy tower with his tall fingers on his right hand. "Using my "conversion", this is the first time I have ever been able to become…." Gerard said as he picked up the tower from the building with ease. "THIS GIGANTIC!" he then proudly boasted before throwing the tower towards the group of Shinigamis like a spear.
As the tower headed straight towards them, all the Shiniamis knew that they needed to move. "EVERYONE MOVE YOUR ASSES!" Shinji screamed before the tower landed on the ground, thus separating the fleeing Shinigamis from one another. But Shinji could suddenly notice his lieutenant falling off from the ground, yet Momo was quickly saved by Shinji. "HOLD MY HAND, MOMO! DON'T LET GO OF IT!" he urged her to never let go of his hand.
Momo smiled as she looked at her captain, yet she became shocked once she saw something behind him. "CAPTAIN HIRAKO, BEHIND YOU!" she yelled.
It was too late for Shinji. The giant hand belonging to Gerard plunged upon him and Momo. Gerard was overwhelming the Squad 5 duo and he seemed to take pleasure in seeing this. But it stunned the rest of the Shinigamis who were able to witness this chaos.
"No…he just…" Rukia spoke while being shocked in seeing this
"MOMO! CAPTAIN HIRAKO!" Renji yelled, upset over seeing his classmate and a captain getting squashed so easily. But both him and Rukia could soon notice Byakuya unleashing his Shikai. The Captain of Squad 6 was standing on a nearby building. Despite the endless amount of cherry blossom blades, it was not enough to overpower Gerard. The Quincy easily swatted away the many cherry blossom blades with his shield, which had also grown in size along with his Spirit Weapon. Using his shield, Gerard laid waste to the building Byakuya was standing on, thus swatting the Shinigami away was well. "CAPTAIN KUCHIKI!" Renji yelled in despair.
"BROTHER!" Rukia yelled before fixing her eyes upon the giant Quincy. "YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS PIECE OF SHIT!" she cursed at him in all her anger. Rukia could not stand when someone injured Byakuya.
But Gerard didn't seem to have forgotten the Shinigamis on the ground before him as well. Surprisingly, he began sucking in air, thus bloating his cheeks. He then proceeded to blow out air towards the Shinigamis, yet it came out as a hurricane. Rukia and Renji were blown away by it and they crashed onto the nearby pile of rubbles. The gigantic Sternritter was laughing so loud over what he was seeing. The Shinigamis he now saw before him had been defeated.
"POWERLESS! UTTERLY POWERLESS! WALLOW IN THE TERROR OF YOUR OWN HELPLESSNESS!" Gerard boasted cockily, feeling so much satisfaction over seeing him standing as the winner. "BUT DO NOT BOTHER LAMENTING IT. BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LAMENT OR PRAY….NO MIRACLE WILL BE COMING FOR YOU!" he then told the Shinigamis lying among the rubbles in defeat.
But fortunately, not all Shinigamis had been defeated. Hiding underneath the pile of rubbles and boulders were several Shinigamis: the Kudo-twins of Squad 5, Marechiyo Omadea of Squad 2, Isane Kotetsu of Squad 4 and Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentaro Kotsubaki of Squad 13. These Shinigamis had managed to grab the unconscious bodies of Momo and Shinji and take them to safety. Hopefully, they would be treated for any injuries.
"So far, so good. That Quincy is too busy boasting that he's failed to notice us" Matsuri remarked as she watched Momo and Shinji lying on the ground. "This should be a perfect opportunity for us to hide and see to them being safe" she then told them.
"Tch, why are we hiding? Our comrades just busted their asses confronting this Quincy and we hide beneath boulders like a bunch of homeless people?" Fujimaru asked her twin sister, while making sure those around them were listening as well.
But Isane suddenly hushed him. "Keep it down! He will hear us!" the woman lowly demanded that he be silent and thus Fujimaru did as she requested, The Lieutenant of Squad 4 proceeded to check on the conditions of Shinji and Momo. "Okay, now let me do the job here. The rest of you guys better watch outside to monitor his movements" Isane told them before starting her treatment.
Both Kiyone and Sentaro tried to watch for Gerard. Surprisingly, they did a good job working together, especially since they didn't make noises by starting their usual arguments.
"He's still standing there acting all high and mighty" Sentaro remarked while looking at Gerard.
"Yeah, he hasn't made a move. But wait a minute, did he catch every one of us? Now that I think about it, he has yet to find out where the Vizards ran off to" Kiyone then told her friends while starting to remember something.
"Damn it! This totally sucks! We were almost at their doorstep, until that smug bastard had to show up! Now our siege of the palace has been delayed!" Marechiyo cursed while folding his arms in dispassion. "I swear, things can't possibly get any worse…." Marechiyo was interrupted when he along with the other hiding Shinigamis could feel the effects of Gerard taking some steps near them. His gigantic feet caused the ground to shake, yet they only made sure that he wouldn't spot them.
Gerard was now surveying the landscape and noticed how much destruction he had caused in the cityscape. But that didn't matter. Everything in Wahrwelt would be fixed once the invaders were taken care off. But there was something else on his mind right now. It revolved around his fellow members of the Schutzstaffel.
"Hmmm….it seems to me that Pernida and Lille is out of the game…heh but not completely killed, I see. But I can see that Lille has is critically injured. Arrogant fool. But I can feel that Nakk Le Vaar is still in the game. Hopefully, he will get the job done. Otherwise, I will personally end his miserable life" Gerard thought as he glanced up in the air to feel the Spiritual Pressures throughout the Wahrwelt. "But Nianzol is also still in the game, yet I can't sense him fighting any opponents. Obviously, he must be slacking off, as usual. But what this other Spiritual Pressure I sense nearby? Ah yes, the newcomer: Uryu Ishida. It looks like he has now entered the battlefield as well. Then this means the Sternritter rebels have been taken care off. Good riddance. But I have to say, I'm curious to know what he is doing right now" the Sternritter continued pondering over what he could sense in the Wahrwelt, given his huge size.
While Gerard was standing there to ponder over the current situation in the Royal Realm, someone had snuck up near to him. It was the group of Vizards, who had been hiding in one of the nearby towers. Ever since Gerard unleashed his true power upon the Shinigamis, the Vizards had used this commotion to hide from the gigantic Quincy. Gerard had been too distracted to even notice the Vizards enter the tower, on which half of the top was damaged. They spied on Gerard from the broken windows, seeing how he was passing by the tower without noticing them in it.
"What the hell is with that monster? This probably means everyone had their asses handed to them! Damn!" Hiyori cursed while noticing how Gerard was not fighting anyone right now. The young girl grumbled in anger. "Must you always approach things with a cup-half-empty attitude?" she then wondered.
"It couldn't be helped, Hiyori. Apparently, we all underestimated that Quincy and his abilities" Hachi replied to her lowly, trying to not make much noise with Gerard near them.
"You could say that right. Speaking of which, I don't see Shinji lying among the rubbles anymore" Love suddenly told his friends with a smile forming on his face. "That means he's still alive and kicking" the man with glasses added to his statement.
Hiyori simply shrugged her shoulders while listening to this. "So what? We've got bigger fish to fry than go looking for him" she told Love.
The Vizards attention were on Gerard as they could hear him closer to their location. The gigantic Sternritter was resting his left elbow and shield upon a nearby building. From the looks of it, Gerard was starting to feel bored, especially since he had just managed to eliminate the opposition and that there was no one left for him to take care off. The tall Quincy sighed deeply as he leaned onto the building.
"Talk about a waste of my time! For the captains and lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads to be reduced to this pathetic showing before the might of my Miracle" Gerard expressed his boredom, as well as dissatisfaction over how the Shinigamis weren't as much challenging as he first thought. "Even your Spiritual Pressures has grown so small, it's barley registering on my radar" he then continued lamenting his defeated opponents.
As Gerard kept doing that, Hiyori and her fellow Vizards secretly peeked out of their hiding place in the ruined tower, hoping to get a clue of what the Sternritter was doing. They noticed how he had constantly been talking to himself since defeating the group of Shinigamis. Something was not right, yet the Vizards kept listening to what Gerard was saying.
"With this godlike body of mine, I have no choice but to search through this rubble for survivors. Simply preposterous. This is akin to sifting through sand to kill an ant. I sure have my work cut out for me" Gerard spoke up. But to the surprise of the Vizards, the gigantic man suddenly moved his left arm and spun around to attack something. And that "something" was the ruined tower the Vizards were currently hiding in. "WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY I WILL DRAW YOU OUT!" the Quincy loudly declared as he used his powerful hand to shatter the tower to asunder. Gerard grinned as he watched the building collapse. "DID YOU ACTUALLY THINK THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIND YOU!? HAH! HOW CLUELESS OF YOU! MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE, THAT IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF A MIRACLE!" he then told the Vizards, assuming that had destroyed them with the attack. But he was wrong.
Gerard could soon notice something appear above him in the air. He even became more surprised when he heard one of the Vizards talk. It was Hiyori.
"This little speech of yours is just going in one ear and right out of the other" Hiyori said smugly before frowning at Gerard. "So all this incessant babbling about you and your "Miracle"…..WELL YOU CAN TAKE IT AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS, BALDY!" the young girl then proceeded to verbally assault Gerard, even going as far as to give him a nickname.
The Sternritter quickly turned around and looked up to see Hiyori in the air. "I have a full head of hair thank you very much!" Gerard said, trying to correct the Vizard on her assumptions.
But Hiyori didn't seem to care what he said and right now, she had activated her Hollowfication. Her Hollow-mask then appeared on her face. "I didn't really mean that…screw it" she said while she began loading something with the help of her Hollowfication. Hiyori was now preparing a Cero to fire at Gerard. "You'd be wise to take this more seriously!" Hiyori said before unleashing her powerful Cero towards the gigantic Quincy.
But as powerful as the Cero was, it didn't inflict damage upon Gerard in the slightest. He easily withstood it and proceeded to go after Hiyori. Gerard laughed in order to mock the Vizard's flawed attempt to injure him.
"DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! SOMETHING OF THAT CALIBER WON'T EVEN PHASE ME!" Gerard boasted arrogantly.
Despite seeing how her attack failed, Hiyori remained relatively calm, even though it was possible to see that with her Hollow-mask on. "Maybe so…." Hiyori spoke up before pointing her fingers to each of Gerard's ears. "But who said the purpose of that attack was to take you out?" she then questioned him smugly.
Gerard was caught by surprise as he could notice more enemies surround him near his head. Hachi, Lisa and Love finally made their move on Gerard and he was too slow to even react to their presences. Each of the Vizards launched their own attacks upon the gigantic Sternritter. And to empower their attacks, they had also activated their Hollowfications, thus wearing Hollow-masks.
"CHOCHOLATE BAR SLIDER!" Hachi yelled before unleashing his Kido upon his target.
"HIFUKI NO KODZUCHI!" Love yelled before unleashing his attack with his Zanpakutou.
"NIJUUICHIJOU TONBOKUDARI!" Lisa yelled before unleashing her attack with her Zanpakutou.
Together, the three Vizards rained their attacks upon Gerard. These attacks combined resulted in a large explosion around the upper parts of Gerard's enormous body. A cloud of smoke appeared in wake of the attack. The Vizards remained calm and watched to see if they had been successful in their attack. But Hachi was in for a surprise as he could see the giant shield belonging to Gerard.
"What!? It can't be…." Hachi was too late, as Gerard swiftly swung his shield on his left arm, hitting all the Vizards that was near him. To their disbelief, he hadn't been injured by the combined attacks. Gerard's swinging with his shield was so powerful that it sent all the Vizards crashing towards the nearby buildings.
Gerard only rubbed his face as he had dealt with the Vizards. It didn't leave him any signs of satisfaction. "I grow weary of these games. At this rate, I might as well die from boredom" Gerard said before an idea suddenly got to his head. "Aha! I think I just got a perfect idea! Instead of wasting my time searching for these insolent Shinigamis, I will simply lay waste to this pile rubble! His Majesty can take care of reparations later!" the Sternritter suddenly said and he was about to crush the entire area with his bare fists.
But before his right fist could even hit the ground, Gerard was stunned to notice that his entire right arm had begun freezing. The reason he was doing that, he saw who was standing on the ground. The Sternritter was outraged from what he was seeing.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" he asked loudly as he watched the Shinigami who was standing on the street before him.
It was Rukia. She had managed to survive Gerard's earlier onslaught and was now in a different form. She was currently standing with her Bankai activated. "Bankai…..Hakka no Togame" the young woman said, with the area surrounding her beginning to freeze. She glanced up to Gerard, who was still stunned to see someone being capable of doing this to him. "I can't let you flatten this area. Many of my allies are still here, which is why I stopped you just now. So do me a favor and stay frozen for all eternity" Rukia then told Gerard.
But Gerard managed to break the ice, thus freeing his right arm. He looked down at Rukia with a smug grin. "Now that is one fantastic outfit you have there, young lady! Who are you?" he asked her.
The woman covered in icy clothes only narrowed her eyes in dispassion. Yet she did answer his question. "Lieutenant of Squad 13: Rukia Kuchiki. A pleasure in meeting you, enemy of the Soul Society" Rukia told Gerard with sarcasm in her voice.
"A lieutenant, huh? Well, for being one, you sure are unique. How about you and become friends?" he then asked and was about to grab Rukia with his right hand, only for it become frozen once again.
"Try it and you will get frozen once again!" Rukia sternly warned him.
Despite the warning, it didn't stop Gerard from wanting to grab her. So he used his left arm to try and grab Rukia, only for a large skeletal arm to intercept it. The skeletal arm is strong enough to even push Gerad a bit back. The Sternritter sees who it is that has sent him this arm. But Rukia immediately recognizes it and smiles.
"I hope you enjoyed meeting Hihio" the voice came from Renji, who had just activated his Bankai: Soo Zabimaru. Hihio came back to Renji's side as he walked towards the gigantic Quincy. "Just to give a fair warning. Nobody touches Rukia! And that goes for a big-ass monster like you!" he then told Gerard.
Gerard couldn't help but to grin over what he was seeing. These two Shinigamis had survived his onslaught. And now, they were back to face his up against him. Perhaps they weren't as weak as he thought they were.
"Finally! Someone who still possesses the will to stand up and face me in combat! I am only beginning to feel satisfaction grow within me!" Gerard yelled, the blonde-haired Quincy getting excited about this upcoming fight.
In another district of Wahrwelt
As Gerard was continuing his rampage in one of the districts, Sternritter D – The Deathdealing: Askin Nakk Le Vaar, was currently sitting from afar and watching his comrade having pleasure in taking on his opponents. The Sternritter had decided to take a break from his activities to observe how things were going around in Wahrwelt so far. He sitting upon a pile of boulder while observing Gerard's actions.
"Well. It appears that Gerard has finally unleashed his Schrift as well. But that's not surprising to say at least. Given that he noticed how Lille had his ass handed to him, I guess Gerard didn't have much of a choice either. Speaking of which, I don't think that big oaf has even noticed that Lille has been defeated…...or at least is out of the game" Askin spoke to himself, although it could be seen as if he was speaking to someone. "But there is a reason why some us Sternritters were appointed to join His Majesty's Schutzstaffel. Why me and Nianzol were appointed to that vanguard has no meaning, but others have reasons to be appointed. Maybe I should recall the reasons. Lille Barro is the Captain of the Schutzstaffel. He was the first Quincy to ever be bestowed a Schrift by His Majesty. So his position is unwavering and ironclad. But the two remaining members of the Schutzstaffel: Pernida Parnkgjas and Gerard Valkyrie, were Quincies that weren't bestowed any special powers by His Majesty. Their powers had long been in place. But they weren't the only ones. Gremmy Thoumeax, who wasn't even appointed to the Schutzstaffel, also had his powers all along. These three were the only ones who already possessed their own abilities. It was only a matter of time before His Majesty bestowed Schrifts to them as a recognition of their status" Askin went on explaining the details of some his fellow Sternritters, especially the reclusive ones such as Pernida, Gerard and Gremmy. "That's why those three constantly had rumors swirling around them as to their true identities. It is said that Pernida's true identity was the "Soul King's Left Hand", Gremmy's true identity was the "Soul King's Brain" and Gerard's true identity…...was the "Soul King's Heart" he then recalled what he knew about them.
True, these three individuals had always been the ones to possess the most curious powers as Sternritters. They always had their powers since the beginning. Yhwach had never granted them their powers, yet he did grant them Schrifts as a recognition of their titles. But how did they come to bear such titles? Had they indeed been separated from the Soul King? While there existed some evidence that the Left and Right Hands of the Soul King did exist, the Brain and Heart of the Soul King was a mystery. If Gremmy and Gerard were those, why did their appearance seem so "humane"? This was probably due to their own powers to recreate their own images.
Askin got up on his feet. "I don't even know how the rumors began about them being the Soul King's anything, especially with those three being Quincies and all. But one look at that absurd amount of power they wield, and it's no wonder those mysterious rumors and theories began to take hold. And of course, Gremmy was sent out to test his might against Kenpachi Zaraki, yet he failed. And due to Gremmy being out of commission, me and Nianzol were appointed to the Schutzstaffel to fill in the power gap left by Gremmy" Askin said before looking over to see someone. "Was that a short enough summary for you, Ichigo? Oh…." Askin stopped explained as he could see Ichigo Kurosaki
The reason the Substitute Shinigami was doing that was because of Askin having his Deathdealing against him. The poison was now starting to take hold on Ichigo and he was lying on his stomach, unable to make a move.
Askin smirked. "I suppose it's hard to take all of that info when your face is planted on the ground. Seriously, it almost looks like as if you're kissing it" he then said before bursting into laughing.
But the Sternritter's laugh was short-lived as he could see Ichigo's friends Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado emerge from the rubbles to see their friend lying there motionless. It shocked.
"Ichigo!" Orihime said before glaring at Askin. "What have you done to him!?" she demanded an answer from Askin, who did not seem to pay attention to her. He was paying attention to Chad, who was jumping in the air, preparing an attack on the Sternritter.
"BRAZO DERECHA DE GIGANTA!" Chad yelled while readying his attack on the Sternritter.
Askin avoided his attack and in the moment Chad struck his fist on the ground, something happened to him. Orihime, who was running to catch onto Askin, also stopped, feeling her body getting sloppier by the minute. They both fell on their knees and eventually began coughing.
"Wha-what's happening!? I can't….!" Chad wondered as he realized how weakened he was beginning to feel.
Askin simply approached the couple friends, as if he was unaffected by whatever it was that was plaguing Chad and Orihime. He smirked as he glanced down at them.
"Let me finish that sentence for you. You can't stand. Not as long as you're standing on my "Gift Bad" Askin revealed to them smugly while stretching out his arms to show how Orihime and Chad were currently standing in a pool of poison. "Stepping into this pool isn't exactly lethal, but I can lower any resistance I choose of any who steps in its radius. And this time, what I have chosen is Reishi. In other words, all of you right now are being overcome by the super-dense Reishi here in Wahrwelt. In essence, you're all being "poisoned" by Reishi" the Sternritter explained his abilities to Orihime and Chad.
"Did you say poisoned…..by Reishi?" Chad lowly asked, the tall man still being paralyzed by the Gift Bad.
"Yes. A "lethal dose" of my ability. To be more precise, I kill by causing a lethal dosage of the chosen element that I manipulate. But in order to do that, I need to take a great amount of whatever it was I want to manipulate into my own body. For example, if I wanted it to be blood, then I need to drink an obscene amount of blood" Askin went on explaining the nature of his ability before he suddenly robbed his own stomach. "Unfortunately, my stomach is about to explode from drinking too many café au laits. So until my stomach settles down a bit, I'll have you all just wait here patiently" the Sternritter then said why he was unable to dispose of them fully.
As Askin kept watching Orihime and Chad getting weaker by the minute, he was filled with satisfaction. That is until he could hear someone calling to him from behind. It sounded very female.
"Now that's interesting" the smug voice came from Yoruichi Shihoin, as she was hanging from a boulder upside down. This meant she was just a few feet away from Askin, who did not react to hearing her speaking. "From what I can gather from your diarrhea in your mouth, it seems to me that if your opponents aren't able to move, then it seems rather simple to just reach out and strangle them while you can" the purple-haired woman told the Sternritter, probably as an attempt to taunt him.
Even so, Askin remained unimpressed of what he was hearing. "Did you seriously just say those words? Well, Bambi also said something quite familiar a while back. It pissed me off then….and it pisses me off now" the Sternritter said, recalling a conversation he had once with a fellow Sternritter: Bambietta Basterbine. But Askin slowly began moving his right feet a little, trying not to let Yoruichi take notice of his movement. "Honestly, would it kill to have some good-fashioned….DELICAY!?" he then asked before moving his right feet in order to kick Yoruichi. But the Shinigami was too fast for him, as Yoruichi avoided Askin's kick.
Yoruchi landed a few feet away from Askin and faced the Sternritter smugly. "Yeah, well I don't do delicacy. Do you really think your opponents are that much beneath you?" she questioned him.
Askin mused to himself when hearing that question. "Not at all. I just prefer defeating my opponents with a certain amount of…..elegance" he told her, still wearing his mask of overconfidence. "After all, controlling and manipulating lethal has such cachet. Wringing peoples' necks is more suited to women such as you and Bambi" Askin then stated drawing a comparison between Yoruichi and Bambi.
But the Sternritter could suddenly see bolts of lightning gathering around the purple-haired woman. Something was not right and Askin could feel it. Now, it was Yoruichi's turn to act all high and mighty towards him.
"I see what you're getting at" Yoruichi told him before two wings of lightning soon erupted out from her back. It became apparent to Askin that she was planning on something. "I don't know who this Bambi-person is, but the point you're trying to make is that this is "how the beautiful" do things.
"Well, you and Bambi are both beautiful, although I think you're too Amazonian while she's a little squirt. But it matters not. A woman's value isn't in her superficial qualities" Askin told her as he moved his left hand. He activated his Heilig Bogen, which functioned as an armband on his left wrist. Askin was preparing to fire a Reishi Arrow at his target. "IT'S IN HER STYLE AND PRESENTATION!" Askin exclaimed before firing two Heilig Pfiels towards Yoruichi.
The young woman ran towards the couple of arrows, determined to reach Askin without avoiding them. To the Sternritter's surprise, Yoruichi grabbed hold of one of the Reishi Arrows and proceeded to throw it back at Askin. The Quincy was stunned, yet he was slow to react. As a result, the Reishi Arrow landed on his left shoulder, thus sending him flying backwards in the air. Still, Yoruichi pursued him, like a cat chasing a mouse.
"I'm sorry. You seem like an interesting guy and all. But we're in a bit of hurry. So you'll be letting us through now" Yoruichi told Askin as lightning erupted out from her once again. It would seem that she was now activating her Shunko. From the looks of it, it seemed much more powerful than that of Sui-Feng's. "SHUNKO: RAIJIN SENKEI!" she yelled as she gathered enourmous amounts of lighting to her side. Yoruchi was unleashing a thunder strike upon Askin, and it was quite explosive. There was no way for Askin to avoid the attack and he was taken by the thunder strike. It was so powerful that it even destroyed some of the icy buildings nearby.
Once Yoruichi was done, she could see that the Gift Bad was vanishing slowly. She landed beside Orihime and helped her up to her feet. Orihime was still feeling weakened due to the poison she had received from Askin's trap.
"For now, it's probably best if you heal yourself, Orihime. Once you regain your composure, tend to Ichigo and Chad. Then, you three go on ahead without me" Yoruichi told Orihime as she listened closely.
"But what will you do, Yoruichi?" Orihime asked her, only to see the purple-haired woman standing ready to face Askin in combat. Apparently, she was not keen on underesting the Sternritter.
"No need to worry. After I make sure he's good as dead, I'll be right behind you" Yoruichi said before looking her shoulder to face the auburn-haired woman. "No begin heal yourself. Let me deal with the Sternritter" she then told Orihime, who started it without hesitation.
"Yoruichi!" the purple-haired woman snapped as she could see someone appear towards her and the group. It was Tessai Tsukabishi, Ganju Shiba, Jinta Hanakari, Ururu Tsumigiya and Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. They all appeared behind the rubbles, with Tessai the one calling. "We were worried how you suddenly headed off without us. What's wrong with you?" Tessai spoke up.
"It couldn't be helped, Tessai. Ichigo, Orihime and Chad were facing a more cunning Sternritter than what they thought. So I had to rush to their rescue" Yoruichi told them before facing the smoke left by her attack. "Now make sure that they're protected. Orihime will heal herself, Ichigo and Chad. I'll deal with that smug bastard" she then told them.
Nelliel, who was already shocked to see Ichigo lying on the ground rushed to her side. "Right!" the Dechado said and she used her Sonido to appear right beside him. Ganju also appeared beside Ichigo, with Jinta and Ururu standing with Chad. The sea green-haired woman glanced at Ichigo with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Ichigo. I won't let anyone lay a hand on you" she told him.
As Yoruichi kept watching the smoke for any signs of Askin reappearing, she snapped when she could feel a familiar Spiritual Pressure lurk nearby her. It came towards her in an incredibly speed. Yet despite her feeling it, Yoruichi did not feel surprised. As a matter of fact, she felt bored. As soon as that person neared her, Yoruichi avoided getting caught by him when she swung her head sideways.
"SISTER!" the voice came from none other than her younger brother: Yushiro Shihoin. He was trying to catch her in an embrace, but missed when Yoruichi avoided him. As a result, Yushiro crashed into the pile of boulders. But that didn't stop Yushiro, as he still continued going after his older sister. Yoruichi was not impressed. As Yushiro jumped towards her, Yoruichi was about to grab him, only for the young boy to use his incredible speed to avoid her hands. He landed right behind her and and could finally embrace his sister. "GOTCHA!" he said, only for his embrace to be interrupted when Yoruichi headbutted him by leaning backwards. It lift quite a bump on his head and he landed on the ground. "I…..I'm here….." he uttered out words lowly.
Yoruichi glanced at him dispassionately while folding her arms. "What the hell did you come here for, Yushiro? Weren't you supposed to be with Kisuke!?" she questioned him sternly like any older sister would.
Yushiro quickly fixed an enthusiastic expression on his face. "Yes! But with so many captains running around over there, I figured it would be fine if I came here! I thought I could come to your rescue, so I raced over here without a second thought and leap right into the fray!" the young boy explained to his sister, as she only raised an eyebrow when hearing how Yushiro was acting so enthusiastic.
"Ohhhh, my rescue, you say? You…rescuing…me?" Yoruichi questioned him dumbfoundedly.
Yushiro responded by nodding his head repeatedly. "Yup! That's why I came here!" he replied quickly
"Yushiro, in the short amount of time I've been away, it looks you have gotten a bit stronger" Yoruichi then told her, although this compliment was rather sarcastic.
Even so, Yushiro took her words to the heart and he even shed tears over being complimented. "Yes! I'm so happy you've noticed! I've…...I've really become stronger!" he said while breaking into tears. He was actually crying!
Yoruichi sighed in irritation over seeing this. "Oh yeah…...I completely forgot. Yushiro is so dense, the concept of sarcasm is completely lost on him" she noted, realizing how naïve Yushiro really was, especially when it came to certain subjects like irony and sarcasm.
Even Tessai was facepalming over seeing Yushiro's behavior. "That boy….so many years, yet he still hasn't matured one bit.…." Tessai noted, feeling annoyed of this sort of behavior.
"Is this really Yoruichi's brother?" Ururu asked as she was filled with curiosity.
Both Jinta and Ganju were both laughing their butts off, especially since they were able to see what kind of guy the brother of the legendary Yoruichi Shihoin really was.
"Seriously? This guy cracks me up!" Jinta spoke up, not being able to contain his laughs. "No wonder why he's mostly ignored" the teenage boy said.
"Yeah! I told you that you would be surprised once you got to see him! And he's supposed to be the head of one of the Four Great Noble Families!" Ganju spoke up while also laughing. "And people say I'm an immature younger brother? Get real, sis! Here's a good example!" the long-haired man then thought about how his older sister Kukaku as well as some of the other residents of the Soul Society often saw him as more immature and reckless than her.
As Yoruichi could hear the laughers, she glared at them furiously. "All of you! Shut up and continue with what I just told you! Got it!?" the young woman told them all in her anger. She could not stand hearing them laugh about her family.
"Okay, okay, I hate to interrupt this poignant family reunion" Yoruichi snapped, as she heard the voice coming from Askin Nakk Le Vaar, who had just emerged out of the smoke. Just as she suspected, he was still alive. But he was covered in bruises from her powerful attack earlier.
Yoruichi fixed her golden eyes upon him. "Poignant? Clearly your ears aren't working so well. Just because some kid is crying, doesn't mean it's a conversation worth crying over" Yoruichi told Askin, who was still facing her smugly.
"Is that so? In that case, enough of the not-so-poignant family reunion" Askin said while stroking his slicked hair. "But then again, these guys aren't necessarily your relatives, are they?" the Sternritter then said while motioning his head towards Tessai and the others that had arrived.
Yoruichi's attention was soon focused on Ichigo, as he had finally been healed thanks to Orihime….or perhaps due to Nelliel and her salvia. She also noticed that Chad had also been healed. She watched as Ichigo rose up with both Tessai and Nelliel standing beside him. The purple-haired woman had to admit she was impressed with how fast Ichigo was with recovering from his paralyzing condition.
"Looks like you've recovered enough to stand already. Fast as always" Yoruichi remarked as she watched Ichigo get up on his feet. "You probably overheard my conversation then. Go ahead with the others and I'll follow behind after" she then told him. The purple-haired woman then glanced at both Nelliel and Tessai. "Tessai, Nelliel, you will also accompany Ichigo to Silbern. While your talents could be needed, we can't waste more time. You must help Ichigo reach the palace before it's too late. I trust the two of you to guide him through this" she told them.
Nelliel nodded her head firmly. "Right! You have my word!" the female Arrancar told her. "I don't know where Grimmjow is, but he will be helped…..I'm certain of it" she insisted to Yoruichi.
Tessai had to admit he was feeling some reservations over leaving his childhood friend. But deep down inside, he knew how Yoruichi was right in her sentiment. They were out of time and couldn't waste any more time. Smiling underneath his moustache, Tessai saluted by holding his fist close to his chest.
"It shall be done. I will assist Ichigo in any way I can" Tessai said before forming a serious frown with his mouth. "But do not let me down, Yoruichi! If you don't show up, then I will not forgive you!" the tall man told her, to which Yoruichi had to smirk when hearing it.
Ichigo was surprised when he heard what those two were saying, yet he could see how Nelliel was determined to carry on, as was Tessai. The orange-haired man had to smile when facing Yoruichi, knowing that he would have to put trust in her to hold off against the Sternritter.
"Alright. I'll leave this Sternrritter to you. And thank you, by the way" Ichigo told her before forming a slight frown with his mouth. "But watch your back, Yoruichi. This one's quite tricky" the orange-haired man advised Yoruichi, who was still feeling confident that she could take care of him.
Yoruichi scoffed at him. "Who do you think you're talking to? It'll take a lot more than this creep to slow me down. I'll handle him easily" she told Ichigo before facing all the others she could see. "Now go! All of you! Me and Kisuke are counting on you reaching to the palace in time!" she then told the entire group, who immediately responded without hesitation.
Askin watched as Ichigo and his friends were on the move towards Silbern, leaving him alone with both Yoruichi and Yushiro. Neither of them had any intentions of letting him go after the group. The Sternritter sighed in annoyance once he realized that he was at an impasse.
"They're getting away….damn" Askin said while stroking his slick hair. "His Majesty is going to give me an earful when I get back to Silbern" Askin then lamented what would happen to him later.
"Relax….he won't even get an opportunity to scold you. Because we're gonna put both you and Yhwach out of your misery" Yoruichi told him smugly.
Hearing this only caused Askin to glance at her with a raised eyebrow. "Put us out of misery, you say?" he asked before forming a smug expression. "Excuse my insolence for asking you this, but how exactly do you plan on defeating His Majesty? By sending him and his groupies straight towards their demise? It seems to me that you have false confidence, my dear" he told her.
Yoruichi remained unmoved by that statement. "It's too soon to get cocky with me, Sternritter. Yhwach will be defeated, and Ichigo will see to that" she told him.
"You expect him to best His Majesty, the same man you wanted to make him your Soul King?" Askin asked her while forming a cunning grin underneath his lips.
The woman's golden eyes snapped in shock as she heard that, yet she quickly narrowed them. "You shut your trap! As if we would ever let Ichigo live with such fate, given what he has done for us in the past!" she spat at him, finding that assumption to be ridiculous.
"Your fellow Shinigamis would disagree, Yoruichi Shihoin. It's not hard to see why not only the Wandenreich and the Court Guard, but also the Royal Guard took a great interest in Ichigo Kurosaki" Askin spoke up. "Surely, you must have already realized that by now" he then tried to taunt Yoruichi, who decided not to mince her words.
"I grow tired of you and your arrogant attitude. How about we let our mouths have some rest and let our fists do the talking?" Yoruichi suggested while cracking her knuckles. She glared at Askin with a cunning smirk of her own. "I talking is part of your delicacy in fighting, then you're a huge letdown. Time I whipped you into getting tougher!" she added to her suggestion.
"With that "Wonder Dog" attack you used earlier? Well, I can't have that now can I….." Askin used his mouth to once again verbally assault Yoruichi.
But Yuhsiro did not take kindly to the Sternritter's rude remarks about his sister's ability. "IT'S CALLED "THUNDER GOD! DON'T DARE MAKE FUN OF MY SISTER, UNLESS YOU WANT TO INCUR MY WRATH!" the young black-haired boy spoke up while his older sister only watched him with a raised eyebrow.
Askin had to muse himself over hearing how someone like Yushiro had quickly fallen trap to his insults. "Oh? You wanna have a go, little missy? I'll warn you though, I won't hold back just because you're coming at me bare-fisted" Askin told Yushiro while activating his Heilig Bogen. He then proceeded to prepare a Reishi Arrow for his target. "I suppose my Reishi Bow alone is more than capable of handling someone as dimwitted and whimsical as you. What do you say, girly?" he tauntingly asked Yushiro, yet he could see the young boy feeling somewhat angered and embarrassed over the things the Sternritter just told him.
Yushiro faced the ground. "I….I….." he said before suddenly charging towards the Sternritter in full speed, which slightly surprised Askin. "I'M A BOY!" Yushiro yelled towards his opponent, still feeling embarrassed over being mistaken for a girl.
While stunned at first, Askin had to muse to himself over seeing how his taunting worked. "Oh, really? Then I guess I owe an apology, Mr. Girly Boy…" when Askin just said the last sentence, he was getting punched right in the middle of his face by Yushiro, who had just arrived before him. Blood sprouted out from Askin's nose and mouth. But Yushiro was not finished just yet. He began punching the Sternritter repeatedly, forcing Askin to back off with the help of his Hirenkiyaku. He was in disbelief over the strength this boy possessed. "HOLD ON! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY BE THAT STRONG! YOU AREN'T EVEN A CAPTAIN OR A LIEUTENANT!" Askin said, rubbing his bruised face.
"OF COURSE I CAN! I AM THE 23RD HEAD OF THE SHIHOIN CLAN: YUSHIRO SAKIMUNE SHIHOIN! THERE'S NO WAY I COULD LOSE TO THE LIKES OF A MERE QUINCY!" Yushiro exclaimed loudly, a burning determination being born within him. Some of his clothes vanished and it was clear that Yushiro was planning on attacking the Quincy. Only this time, he would give it all out. "SHUNKO! BAKUEN MISOU!" Yushiro activated his own Shunko, a large explosion of fire suddenly appearing.
Whereas Yoruichi's and Sui-Feng's Shunko had elements in lightning and wind respectively, Yushiro's Shunko had fire as its main element. It was quite destructive and Yoruichi herself had to admit that she was amazed with how powerful Yushiro's Shunko had grown. But at the same time, she was also displeased with her younger brother having a short fuse, in a same manner as Sui-Feng. But all things considered, Yushiro had dealt quite a blow to Askin.
"Geez, way to think before charging in. If I hadn't gotten to him first, how do you even know that type of attack would have been effective against him?" Yoruichi asked her younger brother while folding her arms.
Yushiro felt slightly embarrassed as he heard his older sister criticizing his methods. "I'm sorry. I really didn't think it that way" the young boy told her, yet he could see she was still not pleased.
"That said, I taught you the Shunko fairly recently. I suppose it's commendable that you were able to develop it this far in such a short amount of time" Yoruichi remarked before she glanced at her younger brother once again, this time forming a slight smile at him. "But I can see that you have potential to be something greater, Yushiro. Never let your emotions get the best of you. If not…..you'll end up becoming the same as Sui-Feng" the purple-haired woman told him.
Yushiro gushed when hearing this. Yoruichi was actually speaking positively about him, even going as far as to consider him slightly better than Sui-Feng. The young boy was filled with so many thoughts, and he didn't know what to say in return.
"Heh! You just taught it to him and he's already mastered it to his extent?" both Yoruichi and Yushiro snapped once they could hear a familiar voice coming from the smoke as it was disappearing. Turning around, both siblings became shocked as they could see Askin still standing and breathing, yet he did sustain some bruises on his body. But then again, he was still alive as they had hoped he would be. "Come now, don't look at me with those faces. I told you, didn't I? I can control the lethal doses of anything that I take in a massive amount of" Askin said while rubbing his face and hair. "But enough of that. I truly must thank you both for bringing upon me a near fatal amount of Spiritual Pressure. Now, your Spiritual Pressures…...will no longer be able to kill me" Askin told them, still feeling overconfident.
As the smoke completely vanished, Yoruichi felt something odd about Askin. "Your wounds…..have they already healed?" she asked, her voice filled with supsicions. Something was not right about this man.
Askin smirked. "Of course. By raising the lethal dosage, I've become immune. Honestly, I don't think you have the luxury to be shocked" he told Yoruichi. "After all, if you don't hurry now, you'll all be killed….without having left so much as a single scratch on me" the Sternritter taunted the Shihoin-siblings.
While Yoruichi remained calm, Yushiro was still furious over listening Askin's insults. He simply responded by charging towards the Quincy, activating his Shunko in the process.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR ABILITIES ARE, BUT THIS ENDS NOW! SHUNKO!" Yushiro yelled as he activated his flames. Askin remained unfazed and proceeded to walk towards the young boy as if he wasn't scared.
"WAIT, YUSHIRO!" Yoruichi yelled at her brother to make him stop, but it was too late. He was already on the offensive and launched an attack on Askin by punching his stomach. But once his fist connected to the Quincy's stomach, it didn't budge.
Yushiro was stunned as he saw this, yet Askin remained calm while glancing at the boy with slightly bored eyes. "You simply don't get it, do you? I've already taken that head on earlier" he told Yushiro, who was too paralyzed at the moment. The reason for that was because of three Heilig Pfiels suddenly piercing through Yushiro's body from the behind. Askin smirked as he proceeded walking. "So I've already "acquired that immunity" Askin told Yushiro, who fell onto his knees sprouting blood from his mouth, much to his older sister's distress.
"YUSHIRO!" Yoruichi screamed as she ran towards her paralyzed brother, but stopped once she could hear the voice coming from Askin once again.
"You were too late. Just as I suspected, it took you far too long to finally realize my true power" Askin said before turning around to glance at the woman smugly. "That is lethal…Yoruichi Shihoin" the Sternritter told her, finally having the upper hand against the Shinigamis.
In another district of Wahrwelt
With his comrades already focused on their own battles, Sternritter W – The Wind: Nianzol Weizol, was wandering the icy streets all by himself. Unbeknownst to him, the district he was currently in had been untouched by the ongoing conflict between Shinigamis and Quincies. At this rate, Nianzol was alone. But that didn't matter to him. All that mattered to the long-haired boy was to find the intruders and put them out of their misery.
"This sucks! How long till I find an intruder!?" Nianzol said impatiently. "Lille and the others probably sent me here because they knew I wouldn't find anyone. Those sons of bitches! This will be the last time I'm listening to them!" he lamented on how he had been foolishly told by Lille to search this district for any opponents. In Nianzol's mind, he had been tricked so that his fellow Schutzstaffel could enjoy their opponents.
So far, it didn't seem that Nianzol had taken notice of Lille being defeated, or that he was at least out of the game. But that didn't matter to him. Truth be told, Nianzol pretty much despised his fellow Sternritters, even Haschwalth. But he knew better than to challenge those who were powerful than him, especially Pernida. The only Sternritter Nianzol considered as a friend of his, was Gremmy. But then again, he thought that way because Gremmy was the only one who seemed to be talking to him.
"Man! I really miss Gremmy sometimes. Is he really dead as His Majesty say he is?" Nianzol wondered as he kept walking through the streets. "Wherever he is, I sure hope we can meet each other sometime" the Sternritter added, never stopping with his feet.
However, Nianzol did stop once he could hear voices coming from an alleyway he was passing by. The young boy stopped and turned to his left side to see what was in the alleyway. From the looks of it, this alleyway would take him through narrow passageways between the icy buildings. Hoping that he had finally stumbled upon intruders, Nianzol decided to check it out, considering that he had nothing to do anyways.
"Those voices sound familiar somehow. Who are they?" Nianzol wondered as walked through the passageway until he reached its end. He would have to make a left turn to continue walking through this alleyway. Like the one he had just passed, it also had an end, yet he could continue by turning right. Furthermore, as Nianzol got closer to it, he could now hear the voices clearly and who they belonged to. "No freaking way…..are those…." Nianzol asked while taking a brief peek from the corner to see who it was in the alleyway. His usually lazy eyes widened in surprise.
Standing at the end of the alleyway, which was a dead end, were three Sternritters. They were Sternritter P – The Power: Meninas McAllon, Sternritter U – The Underbelly: NaNaNa Najakhoop and Sternritter T – The Thunderbolt: Candice Catnipp. From what Nianzol could tell, Candice was now throwing a fit, as she was seen arguing with NaNaNa. Meninas simply stood on the sidelines and watched the fighting escalate.
"Damn it, NaNaNa! This is all your fault!" Candice snapped at the lean man with the orange glasses.
"Mah fault!? Bitch, how da hell is it mah fault!?" NaNaNa barked back at the blonde-haired woman.
Candice folded her arms dispassionately. "I told you to hold off those damn guards so that I could join Lil and Gigi with getting to the throne room! But you had to screw it up, as usual!" she reprimanded her fellow Sternritter. "And because of that, we were left with no choice but to retreat! Fuck!" she cursed.
"But Candi, we didn't follow with what Lil suggested to us" Meninas spoke up lowly, trying to immediate between Candice and NaNaNa. "She suggested that we should've infiltrated Silbern instead of launching a full-scale assault on the courtyard. I think I know begin to see why we were foolish" the bubblegum-haired girl remarked as she thought about their mistakes.
But Candice simply scoffed at her statement. "Don't give me that crap, Meni. Even if we did choose to infiltrate, it wouldn't have worked anyways. How were we supposed to know that Yhwach had created an entire new army at his behest, let alone revive more Sternritters to beat us!?" she told her in return.
"It couldn't be helped, Candi. All of us just made a serious miscalculation" Meninas tried to calm her down.
"Me making a serious miscalculation? Hell naw! The only thing dat made our assault go wrong was because of those Sternritter showing up. I mean, dat mothafucka Driscoll was there! Dayum, I hate him" NaNaNa exclaimed while remembering how their assault on Silbern failed miserably.
"But what do you think happened to Lil and Gigi, as well as the zombies that followed them? And Bazz-B…..he too was with us" Meninas spoke up.
Candice sat against the icy wall and faced the ground with a miserable expression on her face. "The last time we saw Bazz-B, he was holding up against Haschwalth. Who cares what happened to him? He was just a hotheaded dumbass anyway!" she told her friends while having a low opinion on Bazz-B. "And who knows what happened to Lil and Gigi? None of them have returned since we fled, so it's safe to assume that they're also dead" Candice added.
"Then I guess it's only us three now" NaNaNa spoke up, his spirit also feeling quite shattered. "Dayum! And I only wanted to give Yhwach some ass-whoopin'! I ain't dyin' until dat mothafucka has his white ass getting fisted!" the lean Sternritter told both girls.
Neither of the girls didn't like the words NaNaNa was using in how to make Yhwach pay, and they simply decided to ignore him, although Candice was not above in leaving some insults for him to listen.
"You really have a peanut for a brain, NaNaNa" Candice remarked.
"So this is where you guys are!" the three Sternritters all snap in shock as they can see who is standing before them. It's Nianzol, the young boy glancing at them smugly with his two tongues stuck out of his mouth. "How're you doing?" he then asked them.
"WHAT…..HOW DID HE….." Candice was furious over what she was seeing.
"It's Nianzol….how creepy" Meninas noted with a concerned voice.
"You punk-ass, bitch-ass son of a bitch! You're one of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel!" NaNaNa said before pointing a finger towards Nianzol. "I was robed off mah power in order to resurrect your ugly, white ass!" he then said, still remembering Yhwach's Auswählen.
Nianzol simply began poking his right ear. "Ummmm…..thanks….I guess" he then said in response, which only infuriated the Sternritters before him.
"YOU GOT SOME BALLS SAYING THAT TO US, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE FAR AWAY FROM YWHACH, HASCHWALTH OR ANY OTHRES!" Candice yelled while lighting sparked from her right hand. "I'M GONNA FRY YOU TO CRISPS AND THEN MAKE TROPHIES OUT OF THOSE TONGUES OF YOURS!" the blonde-haired woman yelled as she prepared to face off against him.
Meninas was feeling concerned over her friend acting so confrontational. "Wait, Candi! Perhaps we can come to an agreement…" Meninas stopped when Candice glared at her angrily.
"AN AGREEMENT!? WITH HIM!? THIS ASSHOLE WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO STOLE OUR POWERS!" she snapped at her.
Despite this, Meninas remained calm. "That was Yhwach's doing….not theirs" she then tried to shift the blame, but it was too late or that.
Nianzol only glanced at those three Sternritter with a smug expression. "I get it now. The rebellion has failed, and you seem to have fled from Silbern" he said and began taking small steps towards the trio. "All who dares defy against His Majesty shall pay! And that includes for you three" the long-haired man then said while getting confrontational with them.
NaNaNa was standing his ground while preparing that ability of his. "Come any closer and I'm gonna make you sit on yo ass! And believe me, I ain't foolin' around!" the lean man warned the little boy.
Nianzol only chuckled before moving closer, even reaching out his arms towards the trio. "All of you know what happens when you go near me. And I see that you're at the end of the line here. So allow me to make you feel comfortable by blowing you off too….." Nianzol was about to take a step towards them, only to stop, as if he was getting pierced. It didn't take long before Nianzol finally fell onto the ground.
The trio of Shinigamis could then see a Reishi Arrow being stuck on the young boy's back. It made them all surpised and they both wondered who it was that could've done that. It had to be a Quincy, but who?
"That will silence him for a while. This specialized Reishi Arrow I made will get him to sleep for an hour. It's a good thing that I did that now that he back was against me. If not, it would've been impossible to pull this on him, given his ability" the voice came from around the corner. From there, three Quincies emerged. The three Sternritters were stunned to see who that person was in the middle. It was Uryu Ishida, the Prinz von Lichts. He was accompanied by two scientists: Reinhart and Kana Kido. They all approached the trio, who were still on the defensive, given that they knew him to be one of Yhwach's trusted subordinates. "Rest easy, Sternritters. We mean you now harm" Uryu insisted to them.
"Don't give us dat bullshit! We've heard the same thing from Yhwach! And look where dat got us!" NaNaNa spoke up.
Uryu still acted calm when being confronted about this. "I have my own individuality as a Quincy. Though I may carry His Majesty's blood within me, I am still me" the four-eyed man told them. "So please, lower your guards. I only wish to talk. Do not forget, I just silenced Nianzol for you right now" he then pointed out to the trio.
As much as the trio of Sternrittes wanted to attack Uryu, they some merit in his words. True, Uryu was an outsider, as well as the Crown Prince of the Wandenreich. But right now, he had "saved" them from getting picked on by Nianzol. Reluctantly, the Sternritters lowered their guards.
"Alright! We'll talk" Candice said, her eyes glaring at Uryu and his cohorts. "But know this, Prince Uryu! We're only doing this because of you silencing Nianzol. Nothing else!" she snapped.
Uryu smiled, feeling satisfied over seeing how reasonable these Quincies actually were, despite their different attitudes and appearances. "I appreciate your willingness to engage in dialogue. Believe me, it is more beneficial to you than wasting energy on fighting" the raven-haired man told them before moving on to more pressing matters. "Candice Catnipp, Meninas McAllon and NaNaNa Najakhoop. I have heard about the unfair treatment you three received from His Majesty. As crown prince, I am absolutely horrified about how he would use Auswählen on those who contributed greatly to our campaign against the 13 Court Guard Squads. And know that I don't condone his actions" Uryu revealed to them with a sympathetic expression on his face.
While Meninas was stunned to hear how Uryu was honest about feeling remorse for them, Candice and NaNaNa were still not convinced. The Auswählen had left them embittered over serving the Wandenreich.
"Just get to the point, already! I don't like to mince words!" Candice blurted out in irritation.
"Yeah, we ain't falling for your crocodile tears, dawg! Dat shit's old-school!" NaNaNa said.
"Very well, if you insist" Uryu told them, giving them his trademark cunning smile. "I know that you along with some other Sternritters had planned on breaking into Silbern and take revenge on Yhwach. But that rebellion ended in failure. However, do not give up hope yet. The door has not yet been shut" Uryu insisted to them.
"What are you talking about?" Meninas asked before Uryu suddenly snapped his fingers. Kana then began holding three small white bags of something and it made the Sternritters intrigued. "And what are these bags?" the young girl asked them.
Uryu glanced at Kana. "Kana, if you don't mind" he told her and the blonde-haired woman gave Uryu one of the bags. The four-eyed man opened it and began reaching for something, which made the Sternritters interested. "These small chips may not look like they're dangerous…..but they actually are. You get where I am going with this, right?" he asked them smugly.
"I'm not impressed" Candice told him flatly while folding her arms. "But enough of your smugness, just tell us why those things are so goddamn important!" she then snapped.
"You are a jumpy one, aren't you?" Uryu questioned her, yet he decided not to push the girl's buttons. "Very well, the reason why I just saved you from Nianzol, let alone reaching out to you instead of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel, is that I have a favor to ask of you three. Now do you wish to have revenge upon Yhwach?" he revealed to them while adding a question at the end, much to the surprise of the Sternritters. While hesitating at first, both NaNaNa and Candice weakly nodded their head at him in return. "Excellent! Then you will love what I have in store for you. I want each of three to take a bag with these chips in it and scatter them around Wahrwelt. Once all of them have been in place, I can then use them to my advantage and eliminate everyone, including Yhwach" the four-eyed man then revealed.
The Sternritters had to admit they were beyond shocked right now. Why would Uryu entrust this kind of mission to them? It appeared that he had far greater plans than what his superiors knew. Meninas, who had been calm so far, slowly reached out her right hand and grabbed one of the bags. She then nodded hear head at Uryu weakly.
"Wise decision. Let me assure you, these chips will not be any danger to you or your friends. All that I ask is that you travel around Wahrwelt and drop these chips through the main streets. Avoid getting caught by either the Shinigamis or Yhwach's forces. None of them must know of your activity, let alone these chips" Uryu said to Meninas, although he made sure that NaNaNa and Candice got this as well. "And don't worry, with the Gates of the Sun still intact, you will be done with this favor in no time" he then tried to motivate them.
It didn't take long before Candice and NaNaNa also got their bags. But both Quincies were still suspicious about Uryu's motives.
"Fine…..we'll do it" Candice spoke up lowly.
Uryu smile when hearing this. "Marvelous. Then you may begin your quest now. And because of you three doing this for me, I promise I will not reveal your locations to Haschwalth or anyone else. This conversation will be our little secret" he assured them. All those three could hear the honesty in Uryu's voice. Without hesitating, they all vanished from the dead end, leaving Uryu alone with Reinhart and Kana. "Well then, let's continue with what we were doing. We have time on our…." Uryu was about to have a talk with the scientists, until he hear someone calling to him.
"Prince Uryu! Prince Uryu! This is urgent!" Uryu snapped when he and the others could hear the voice belonging to one of the scientists named Hugo. He panted while trying to catch his breath. "I bring you some pressing news! It's about the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki" the scientist told him.
Uryu's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Son of a bitch! Where is he!?" he spoke up while demanding an answer out of Hugo.
"From what our sources can tell, he's on his way towards Silbern as we speak. Askin Nakk Le Vaar failed to slow him down as we had hoped he would" Hugo answered while kneeling before the prince. "What are your orders?" he asked only to see Uryu, Reinhart and Kana already walking fast through the alleyway. Knowing better than to be left behind, Hugo caught up to them by running.
"Damn that idiot! I can't let him die right now! He needs to be stopped! We're heading back to Silbern this instant. We will let NaNaNa, Candice and Meninas do the work for now" Uryu said while leading the scientists towards the nearest Gate of the Sun. "Ichigo…..forgive me for doing this…..but I must stop you….even if that means…..fighting you" the raven-haired man said.
To be continued…
Author's note: A very terrific chapter! We got to see how Gerard had started terrorizing the Shinigamis, as well as Askin trying to undermine his opponents. But we got a glimpse of what happened to the Sternritter-rebels that fled from the battle, as well as how Uryu was doing. And don't you worry, Nianzol is not dead. He's just taking a nap thanks to Uryu's Reishi Arrow. In the next chapters, I want to either focus on Gerard and his fight against the Shinigamis, or Askin and his fight against Yoruichi. Since Urahara will be joining in on the latter fight, I may plan on doing a flashback chapter with how those two and Tessai were as children. But how I plan on doing that, I must think about.
