No further action was taken until the group could assess their losses and recover. If what Ichigo had heard from Firiat was true, then other than some stray demons they would not have to worry about fighting one of the other three sisters just yet, so they took a moment to just breathe and process their brief victory.
"There were so many Captains in this fight, and even the Soul King helped, yet they nearly destroyed us." Sestiva sighed, not feeling victorious at all. She had done her best alongside Rangiku against the Demon Lords, but she had taken heavy hits from just the grunts summoned by the pair, let alone the Lords themselves. She felt hopelessly outmatched, and it didn't help that even the strongest members present looked beaten up.
"We still have the main force ready to join up and take front, we still have a chance." A soldier responded, doing their best to be hopeful.
"Where are they anyway, weren't they already called?" Shuhei wondered.
"Firiat put up a barrier so she wouldn't have to deal with more of us." Ruala explained to them as she finished healing Kenpachi, the fight-crazed Captain oddly silent for now. "It should be gone now… I will need the help of the other healers."
She turned to where those who had been lost were carefully placed to rest, those who knew them standing solemnly to the side in silent grief. They wouldn't have time for anything more, such was the way of battle. Among the fallen were the two that Firiat had ambushed when she first appeared, Ikkaku and Yumichika. For a while it had seemed they might get off with just paralysis to their legs, but Firiat's poison had gone unchecked and the damage too great, and now it was too late for even Orihime's powers to be any good once she arrived.
"Those demons play dirty, striking from behind like that." Renji could only scowl, fuming at how many were lost to the Demon Lords, including his close friends. Rangiku and Rukia stood quietly to the side with solemn expressions, Ichigo just as upset as his red headed friend.
"At least we got her back." The newest Royal Guard responded. "She might have played dirty, but they still went down fighting and took out a Demon Lord on their own. We'll never forget that."
"Yeah…"
They quietly paid their respects and returned to the others, Ichigo approaching Karin as he noticed his sister looking over the fallen bodies with wide eyes. This was her first true war, the battles in the Soul Society paling compared to this, even if they lost important people before… it had hit him just as hard when he was her age. He put a hand on her shoulder in support.
"Don't let it get to you… we still have to pay the rest of those brats back for this. A hit for everyone they took."
"R-right." Karin crossed her arms in a nervous stance, pulling her gaze to the ground and away from her friends among the lost. "I just… I thought… we would all make it… and laugh about this crazy fight in the future."
Ichigo frowned, understanding how she felt. Crazy as they could be, Ikkaku and Yumichika always seemed to get through the worst, and were respected warriors. Knowing he'd never get to spar with them again left a bitter taste in his mouth. He noticed a splash of pink and spotted Yachiru kneeling next to the pair of fighters, out of her hiding place with the fighting at a pause. It was the first time he'd seen her look so sad, her normal cheer completely gone and the quiet sounds of sniffling heard in place of her usual laughter. Rukia stepped up next to the tiny girl and offered a shoulder to cry on.
"Maybe go check on Toshiro?" Ichigo offered an idea to his sister when he noticed her looking at the bodies again. Their king was currently standing near the hill with Senjumaru and Tenjiro.
"Uh, yeah, sure." Accepting the distraction for what it was, Karin turned away and trudged towards the hill as well, soldiers offering her empathetic glances as she passed but not speaking out of line. She was young, too young some of them thought, but she was still a warrior and this was just something one had to get used to. Words from strangers rarely helped.
The two Royal Guards glanced back at her as she approached. Most people would be stopped right there, but her presence was never questioned at the king's side.
"You don't look too good." Toshiro commented as he turned to her as well.
"Really? I got all healed up." Karin replied, checking over herself again for wounds she might have missed.
"I believe he's referring to your emotional state, Miss Karin." Senjumaru pointed out. "You were close friends with the two taken by Firiat Tavain, were you not? This is unfortunately your first time losing companions, isn't it?"
"Well… I was there to hear when Captain Ukitake and the others died… but I didn't SEE it…" Gaze turning to the ground, Karin spoke quietly.
"It won't get any easier." Toshiro admitted. "The best thing we can do is keep going. They died as warriors, and for them that's something to celebrate."
"Yeah…"
Toshiro held his hand out to her and she took it silently, allowing him to pull her closer and offer a small kiss on her forehead.
"Stay strong, Karin, we just need to finish this fight for them. Your brother has been through the same situations, and I'm sure he's beating himself up about it even now. Let them stay in your memories, but don't trap yourself there as well."
"He's right, if we don't focus on what's ahead then we'll fall behind and lose." Tenjiro agreed.
Karin nodded, perking up a bit and standing straight again.
"Are you trying to figure out how to open the door?" She asked instead to change the subject.
"I need to wait for Myndrӕl regardless, but yes, I need to see what it reacts to." The Soul King nodded, turning back to the sheer wall of rock, giving the hill the appearance that it had been cut in half. "I have no idea what seal was used, and the King of Hell wiped his memory of it so he could never open it against his will, so he couldn't help either."
"The Kido here is quite complex and very powerful, even I'm having a hard time understanding its nature other than it allows no entry or exit from the Precipice World it contains." Senjumaru frowned at the earthen barrier.
"But if it prevents entry and exit then how do the demons keep getting in and out?" Karin questioned.
"The King of Hell mentioned some kind of back entrance the weak ones use to get in and out without the seal noticing, which mans whatever this seal is made to contain is stronger than the Captain level monsters we've been fighting up until now." Tenjiro answered her with an irritated scowl. He didn't like the idea of Demon Lords stronger than the ones they had already fought.
"Ichigo mentioned that Firiat said something similar as well, but it's doubtful we'll find this back entrance faster than just opening the doors." Toshiro mused aloud. "Not to mention if we did we wouldn't be able to get most of our force in, at least not the ones actually capable of fighting off opponents so strong."
"So if we want to battle on even ground we HAVE to let them out?" Karin grimaced. "Feels a little too perfect for that Dark Jerk."
Toshiro resisted the urge to chuckle at her chosen nickname for Kamai.
"It does, but we've defeated two of his five warriors who stated they couldn't let us get in. Whether they actually intended to prevent us from entering or were just there to weaken us before opening the seal, I doubt he wanted them to be defeated."
"But wait, if this seal doesn't let out the strong ones, how did Kamai get out to confront me two years ago?" Karin spoke up, realizing something.
The two Guardians shared grim looks while Toshiro just clenched his jaw.
"Considering he physically came in contact with you briefly, it wasn't a projection, so he can either hide his power enough to leave unnoticed or… he's strong enough to get past it on his own without breaking it."
The Substitute paled nervously.
"Lord Myndrӕl has arrived." Senjumaru spoke up, moving away from the grim topic to their current goals. The sapphire colored dragon landed next to their small group along with his crimson partner, the two dragons eager to check up on their bonded.
"We made it out okay Dyrilӕn, don't worry." Karin reassured her fire dragon.
"Don't lie to me I saw the fallen ones and how many are still being healed, I should have been here to help." Dyrilӕn argued with a growl.
"The Demon Lord Firiat Tavain was immune to fire, I'm afraid there was likely little you could have done." Toshiro countered.
"He's right, even I had to keep out of that one." Karin further explained. Her dragon still looked unhappy but accepted their words.
"It was still infuriating that we couldn't get to you before this." Myndrӕl put in his own words. "I was worried…"
"I know."
They paused as they heard a mournful cry, looking back to see the dragon Ikkaku had just begun bonding with, Grendir, sitting solemnly next to him.
"Oh no… they only just got to know each other." Karin spoke sadly. She put a hand on Dyrilӕn's shoulder as if to make sure she was still there, the dragon giving a reassuring purr.
"This will upset the dragons… we only ever find one partner, the fear of losing them immediately in battle like this will discourage them." Myndrӕl lowered his head as he watched his fellow kin mourn.
"Then let's not lose anymore." Toshiro spoke with conviction as he turned back to the sealed door. "How far back are the rest of the force?"
"Not too far, that barrier held us back so all of us dragons got a bit worried and flew ahead." Dyrilӕn answered.
"Good. I'm going to try and start opening this seal, be ready for anything."
"I'll go help Ruala move the wounded back to wait for the rest of the healers." Tenjiro bowed his head slightly before Flash Stepping back to do just as he said.
"I'll go let Ichi and everyone else know." Karin headed back with her dragon to make sure everyone was focused and prepared.
Senjumaru stayed beside her king, her skill in Kido allowing her to fill in for the King of Hell in removing the seal on the door. A rise in Spiritual Pressure caused a reaction with the side of the hill, a symbol flaring up with a hellish res light, similar in appearance to an alchemic circle with foreign characters around its edges, their meaning unknown to him. This was the only thing holding back the deadliest of the Solar Five sisters and a being in control of Death itself. If they wanted to win and defeat Kamai Dethmaiyn for good… they would need to get through those monsters first.
"Let's get this over with." Toshiro held his blade out in front of him, the dragon within rumbling with determination, the one behind him standing tall and ready to help.
As the two dragons spread out their power, the seal reacted once more, the symbols shifting around until it formed the shape of an actual door.
"It's working, now to open it." Senjumaru held her hands up, analyzing the Kido as quick as she could to figure out the release command.
With the main group, everyone stood with weapons in hand, those least injured closer to the hill than the others, the wounded moved back to be healed. Dragons stood by their partners, Grendir stepping forward ready to take his rage out on the first demon he saw for taking his partner from him. Their reinforcements weren't too much further back, a few darting ahead as they noticed the glowing doorway, specifically healers ready to protect their patients and fully rested warriors standing by their comrades to defend them.
Ruala tensed, looking towards the doors with dread, knowing who awaited them just inside. Soon it would be her time… she had to do everything in her power to protect the king… no matter the cost. There was only one way to beat Death.
"Damn, I'm really not looking forward to this." Renji scowled as he stood with the others up front, waiting for the glowing doors to vanish and open the way for the worst of the demon army.
"Me neither… but if we don't do it now they'll just keep wearing us down… we have to get to them first." Ichigo replied, standing firm but having to resist the urge to gulp nervously. He was a Royal Guard now, he had to stay as calm and ready as the other Guardians were doing, the lower soldiers looking to them for help and protection.
The doors flared with more light as the two people near it began to chant under their breath. An icy blue light began to erase the red as it rose up from the bottom along with the chanting. Once it reached the top, the war was back in full swing. The warriors waited in tense silence for it to begin.
Within minutes the door was bathed in the icy glow of the Soul King's aura and the sound of a lock clicking open echoed through the air despite no physical lock to be seen. Toshiro and Senjumaru backed up a few feet, their own weapons at the ready and Myndrӕl baring his teeth as the doors began to lose their light and crumble away, revealing a tunnel into the earth itself. Despite the hill stopping short not far behind the opening, the tunnel continued straight on into a dimension of its own, a dark mist seeping through and spreading over the ground, turning it blood red and causing the trio nearby to back up further in case it was poisonous. They retreated to stand with the rest of the army, watching the opening carefully for whatever demons would charge out first with their new freedom.
Something did come out, but they weren't demons, at least not obviously. The three feminine figures walked through the mist with no concern, stopping just outside the tunnel entrance and glaring at the army preparing to fight them.
"Well this is a right mess, isn't it?" A voice heavy with a Transylvanian accent scoffed, her crimson eyes looking over the span of bodies and the torn up battlefield. Her feathery white hair framed her feminine face, flowing freely behind her in a messy side ponytail, a feathered ornament of purple color holding it up. Unlike the two they had fought, this Solar Sister wore some armor only covering her chest and shoulders, another winged ornament on her left shoulder, and the skirt around her hips, the armor all in a dark blue, the cloth underneath to cover her violet in color. Her bright teal boots had knee armor as well and went up to her thighs, matching the arm guards on both arms. A blackened sword letting off demonic energy with glowing red symbols was strapped to her back, the hilt midnight black as well with a blood red gem at the base.
"It's a bit disappointing that our sisters couldn't bring down more of you, it would seem we underestimated your tenacity." Despite the Australian drawl to this voice, the woman it came from was quite petite – not in height, she was still a good six foot at the least, but very thin – and almost had elfish features like the Greenleaf family did. Pale lavender hair back in a ponytail was allowed to rest over her shoulders and she had dark amber eyes, a pearly white hair ornament on her left and an odd tattoo over her right eye. Her armor was silver and made more of leather befitting the look of an archer as she had a shadowy bow in her hands, the armor only covering her chest and the bottom like shorts, white cloth beneath. Her boots and the leather over her lower arms were black, a tattoo on her stomach clear to see as well as on her thighs.
The last and oldest of the three chose not to speak just yet, observing the army carefully, a tall woman of muscular frame with ruby red hair up in a pair of buns on each side of her head, bangs allowed to hang down and frame her face. Her eyes were a dark brown, her left bearing a burn scar over it. Her armor was golden with a single shoulder pad on her left and crossing across her bare stomach to attach to the shorts, the cloth beneath dark blue. Her bronze colored boots touched just below her knees with thick leather and her arm guards were brown as well. Twin pistols rested upon each hip.
"A swordsman, an archer, and a gunner." Senjumaru observed the trio with narrowed eyes. "And each far more powerful than their two sisters. We know nothing about them, my king, taking them all on at once may prove fatal."
"We don't have much choice." Toshiro responded. Myndrӕl growled at the Solar Sisters, daring them to approach.
The white-haired sister with the sword growled back with just as much ferocity, wrath lighting up in her gaze as she spotted the dragons.
"I absolutely HATE dragons." She snarled, tone no longer soft and seeming to almost bristle with anger like a cat. "I will gladly slaughter every last one of you now that I can!"
"Patience, sister, you will get that chance eventually." The oldest finally spoke, her accent Italian but heavy with authority. "But they have brought reinforcements. We cannot make the same mistake our sisters did and be arrogant."
With the King's army, Ruala stepped up next to Toshiro.
"I never learned of their demon forms, but from what little I got from Firiat Tavain when she would fight with me, they are strong enough to take on all the Captains on their own individually, and likely the entire Soul Society together. The eldest, Kazara Firemar, has storm based powers, the archer, Korla Alivain, can use the shadows, and the swordswoman, Lyrah Lafianna, can get inside her opponent's head and has the raw strength of Kenpachi."
"Even just that basic information is bad news." Toshiro responded to her information with a scowl. Storm based powers would benefit off of him using his own ability, a shadow user would definitely be hard to get to, especially when fighting two others, and a manipulative Kenpachi just sounded like a nightmare waiting to be unleashed. And that was just their normal selves. Their demon forms would amplify these abilities and add on to them.
Would they be able to win?
Here's the other chapter I managed to do, I held it back to check it over and make sure it was how I wanted it. Moving into the next stage of the war, and expect some more characters to die. No I'm not killing off characters I hate, I really like Ikkaku and Yumichika and knew the only way they could get hit was a sneak attack, to show Firiat doesn't play nice and make Karin realize how bad things really were.