Blades of Resolve

Written by Scarredbyshallowness

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Devil May Cry or anything else that I use in my story.

Author's Notes: Over 5000 hits. Not a bad number in the least! Thank you all for taking time to read! I would love to tell you all what I have planned over the next couple of chapters, but I really REALLY don't want to give away any surprises. Enjoy!

Note: This story takes place after the Bounto Arc.

Chapter 10

Preparations

-Bleach World -

2 days until Armageddon

Karakura High School

"RUKIA! You're back!" Keigo Asano needlessly screamed at the site of the little brunette cutie. "Did you miss me?"

"Uh…sure." Rukia lied through a forced smile with her happy-sunshine act. There were little who pressed her buttons quite like this loud mouth. At least when Ichigo yelled it was fun…

"And you are looking beautiful as always, Orihime." Keigo complimented the oddly silent girl beside Rukia.

"Oh…thank you, Keigo." Inoue replied, her eyes scanning the room for a certain someone.

"I don't see him either." Rukia whispered to Orihime just a hint below a whisper so no one else could hear. "And thanks again for giving me a place to stay."

"Oh, it's not a problem at all, Rukia! I'm going to go out after school and buy us some really yummy things to eat tonight! It'll be so much fun!" Orihime squealed with joy. Tatsuki wasn't always so open to trying new things. Maybe Rukia would like to try some of her patent chocolate sushi ice cream! "Hey…Where is Tatsuki?"

"And Ichigo, Uryuu, and Chad! What is it with those guys? Always hanging out together in secret… I wonder if they started a new gang?" Keigo verbally threw up. Seriously. The guy never knew when to shut up. (A/N: Sorry, but I just don't like Keigo.)

BRRRIIINNGGG!

"Alright, students! Enough of the teen babble. Open your textbooks to page 30 and follow along." the strict teacher snapped with a whip of a ruler upon her desk. "Well isn't that just great. Kurosaki is absent. Again. Does he even care about his academic future!?"

The short answer: No.

Karakura Clinic, Kurosaki Household

"So, Ichigo. Tell me again why you decided to skip school to hang out at home?" Issen questioned his son with a very perplexed look. "Teenagers shouldn't want to hang out with their families! What's wrong with you?"

BAM!

"Why do you have to be such a jerk about this, Dad!" Karin screamed with a foot upon her father's face. "You should be happy to see Ichigo! It's been a good couple months since we've really had time just to be a family, you idiot!"

"It's good to have you home, big brother!" Yuzu gleefully squealed, tightly hugging her sibling's belly.

"It's good to see you too, Yuzu. Karin, you shouldn't have to defend my actions." Ichigo spoke happily, wearing a rare grin as he placed a supportive hand upon his sister's shoulder. "Dad, can I talk to you in private?"

Another shock to the already confused Kurosaki family. Since when did he smile? This wasn't the Ichigo they were used to. He was too, well, nice.

"Uh…sure, Ichigo."

Moving themselves into Issen's office, Ichigo made sure to lock the door behind them. With the click of the key Ichigo's face finally relaxed. His normal light frown returned on the spot.

"I knew it! You've been playing goody-goody!" Isshin called uproariously, pointing a stern finger to his unwavering son.

"It's for the girls. Why aren't they in school again?" Ichigo asked, placing his hands in his pockets confidently.

"I needed more help around the office. We're running behind on some patients' paperwork. I'll just write them sick notes for tomorrow." Isshin explained airily.

"You jerk! Your using them as free labor!" Ichigo yelled in disgust with a kick to his dad's head. "What kind of a father are you!?

"Hey! HEY! I'm not using them! They volunteered! There is a HUGE difference!" Isshin defended, placing his sneering, and foot-printed, face inches from his son's.

Taking in a deep breath, the two usual combantants subsided their anger; sitting down simultaneously in the two chairs before them. There was meaning to this meeting.

"Have…have you ever heard of something called 'Geostigma'?" Ichigo asked lightly, his eyes directed to the floor.

Something sparked, for but a moment, in Isshin's eyes. Placing a hand upon his jaw it was obvious that hard thought was required to answer the seemingly simple question.

"Why do you ask, Ichigo?" Isshin responded in a completely odd serious tone. Well, to Ichigo anyway.

"N-no reason. I was just wondering if had ever heard of it before." Ichigo hesitantly responded, gripping the handle of his chair tightly. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Hmm?"

"Take Karin and Yuzu and get out of town tonight. Call it a vacation or a business call or whatever you need. You three just have to get out of here as soon as possible."

"What kind of a son asks a favor like that?" Isshin replied with a rather dimwitted expression to the heinous request.

"The kind that loves his family enough to want them to be out of harm's way."

"Ichigo, I -"

"Don't ask questions. I wouldn't really know how to answer them. Just know that what is going to happen to this place in the following week will forever change Karakura Town. Please, dad. If my words mean anything to you then please take the girls out of town with you."

That look of fearful concern in his eyes. Eyes on the brink of tears held back by such a strong will that it prevented the drop of a single one. It reminded Isshin so much of his beloved Masaki (Ichigo's mommy). Maybe it was time to tell his son the truth of his unfortunate exile from Soul Society. The truth about his mother…

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Ichigo! There's a girl outside that needs to talk to you!" Karin relayed through the sturdy metal door. Did everyone decide to talk today off from school? "I think it's Tatsuki!"

Getting out of his seat before his father could speak otherwise, Ichigo spoke just under his breath; "Don't forget."

"Yeah, I won't." Isshin answered simply.

Rushing through his dashing sisters, whose hands were simply packed with incomplete piles of files, to the open door; questions began to arise in his mind. The most relevant one being why, of all people, is Tatsuki here?

"Hey, Ichigo." Tatsuki greeted with carefully spoken words. "Would you mind if we took a walk?"

-Final Fantasy-

Aboard the Ragnarok, Sick Bay

"What the blazes happened to Leon?" Cid twitched as he read aloud the report from the body scanner he built himself. " Five broken ribs, both ulna and radius in each of his arms are fractured in multiple areas, a 3rd degree burn over his right eye, and massive blood lost from the 125 cuts he has all over his body. We need to get him into the healing tank! Now, people!"

The scanner was built by Cid with his own hands. It was one of his pride and joy's since he didn't know jack about medicine. However, the healing tanks (which were giant, vial shaped, clear tanks filled with thick green liquid that slowly heals wounds by entering the body) actually came with the Ragnarok. Along with the rip drive, a powerful engine combined of metal and gummi ship parts that MADE travel to separate universes possible, whoever created this ship was a genius of more than one science.

Lifting his body with care, the group slowly submerged Squall's wreck of a body into the fluid. Perhaps the oddest part of the healing tank was that the liquid somehow compensated for oxygen. In other words, you could use it to breathe.

"You sure you're ok, Cloud? You were out for like an hour!" Yuffie questioned with honest concern. To be up again so soon after collapsing just isn't natural!

"Yeah. I'll be fine. It's a shame this thing doesn't work on Geostigma." Cloud clenched, bareing another surge of pain from his worsening left arm.

"You do look pretty torn up, Cloud. Ever think about a change of clothes? You look like a beaten bum." Cid rolled his eyes as a streamline of smoke rose to the ceiling from his lit cigarette.

"What about her?" Yuffie asked, her voice laden with concern for the unconscious girl to her right.

"Let me take a quick look at her." the very flustered Cid sighed, locking the latch atop the valve above the submerged Squall. Scanning Rinoa's body with the scanner, only a couple od bumps across her back and a severed calve muscle registered. "She'll be fine. If we place her in the tank next to Leon she'll be healed up in half an hour easy."

"What about Leon?" Yuffie whimpered as a hint of concern in her voice cracked.

"Well…" Cid analyzed the computer thoroughly. He took a moment to think about how to present the not-so-encouraging news." He's going to be out of commission for at least a month. Maybe longer…"

"You should really ligthen up, Yuffie. Things aren't all bad." Cloud spoke softly, lips tempered on the edge of a grin. Though his eyes told a different story. Hiding his weakened condition was proving more tiresome than once thought.

"WHY? Leon was almost killed! YOU ruined the only chance for a fight I've had in ages! And I am still freakin' HOMESICK!"

"If you'd just shut up and turn around you would see what Cloud means, ya brat." Cid ground. Yuffie has a way of testing one's nerves. And the poor girl never even realizes it.

"Huh? WHAT!?!?!" the ninja suddenly screamed as a perfect view fell into her sight.

They finally made it. It was really right there in front of them.

Home.

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! EEEEEEH!"Yuffie squealed and leaped with replenished joy as nostalgic landscapes sped before her.

-Final Fantasy VII World-

Landing on the rough terrain that surrounded the wreakage once known as Midgar, Cloud and Yuffie bolted for the to-be opened hatch as Cid milked his perfect landing.

"Hey, Cloud! Wanna arrive in a little style?" Cid slyly persuaded over the intercom. "Crack open the big ol' crate next to the cargo hatch. But DON'T CUT THROUGH IT!"

Cloud obeyed the request without question as he strained himself to strike the corners of the box with his surprisingly-still-sharp bandaged buster blade. Watching the wood give way to the treat inside brought a very, VERY rejuvenated look upon his face.

"You like her? I call her 'Fenrir'. You can still ride these, right Cloud?" Cid lightly mocked as he imagined Cloud's face upon seeing the suped up midnight black motorcycle. "She even comes with her own set of blades."

With a flick of the switch, Fenrir's sides jettisoned open with a hiss of hydraulics. In each side of the bike's hidden compartment were three shiny, chromo-laden, new swords.

"Whoa…" Cloud gasped in awe, immediately grasping the sword closest to him. Holding it up to the sunlight that came from the once guarded window, the blade shimmered in all of it's newly produced glory. The light weight came as quite a surprise.

"You haven't even seen the best part yet. I know you have a thing for honking big blades so I customized this set to combine together. It's full weight should be about three times the one you use now so some side training might be needed." Cid continued over the clear intercom. You could hear his smile of pride for his workmanship through his vibrant words.

"No FAIR! WEAPONS?! A MOTORCYCLE?!?! What about me, Cid?! Did you make me anything?" Yuffie verbally protested the favoritism. What about all the good she had done?

"Kid, if had shut the hell up for more than five minutes and mind your own d-mn business I would have. Think about it next time your aboard the ship!" Cid yelled over the mike as he mentally chuckled to himself. That'll shut her up for the next five trips. Easy.

"Alright, Cid. What do I owe you?" Cloud questioned hesitantly; knowing the price wouldn't be cheap. Especially for this level of craftsmanship. Though he had to admit he was way over due for an upgrade.

"Nothing. I got bored from being on the ship by my freakin' self so I took up this little side project to help ya'll out. But I would appreicate it if you could do me one favor…" Cid asked in a slightly higher tone, drawing out his last syllable.

"…What…?" Cloud responded with a deep sigh. It figures. Nothing comes for free…

"Go to Rocket Town with your new wheels and pick up Shera (A/N: Remember her from FFVII? No? Shera is the bumbling scientist that 'ruined' Cid's dream of space travel ... then became his love interest.) for me. It's pretty lonely and f-cking sad when all I have to look at is a pair of d-mn guys and an underage pain-in-the-a-s all day long." Cid humbly requested.

"Sure. But I need to do something else first." Cloud explained with an almost monotone voice. Taking a quick look at his left arm, he flinched. It was becoming unsightly. Some cover might be in order. "A change of attire might do me some good."

With a leap onto his new toy he calmly turned the key as he struck the foot shift lever with a swift kick. Revving the engine to life with several turns of the handle, Cloud squealed Fenrir out of the open cargo hatch like a bat out of hell; hitting 80mph in just under four seconds.

Yuffie looked on, scoffing in disbelief as she watched Cloud continue to speed away toward the broken city. How could he forget to TAKE HER!

"What about me, Cid? I still need a ride!" the little ninja pleaded. Her hopes of a gift were still pretty high.

"You need a ride to Wutai, right? How do you feel about skydiving?" Cid notoriously grinned with his cigarrette still in place.

"Y-your joking! Right, Cid? Cid?" Yuffie sheepishly replied. Adrenaline and queasiness rose from mere mention of the idea. (A/N: For those lost Yuffie has severe motion sickness. In fact, whenever she is on an airship she immediately gets sick to her stomach.)

- 5 minutes later -

"Good luck, kid!" Cid crackled, kicking the parachute equipped ninja out of the doorway with a swift kick to the behind several hundred feet above Wutai.

"CCCCCIIIIIIDDDDDD!!!" Yuffie screamed in revenge as she plummeted toward her hometown.

"What!? This is the SECOND TIME we've done this!" Cid replied with a cupped hand over his mouth to falling teen, remembering pushing her off on Leon's world.

This was hands down the best thing he got to do over this whole trip.

(A/N: This is an IMPORTANT NOTE! The events of 'Advent Children' take place here. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THAT MOVIE YOU ARE SEVERALLY MISSING OUT! But, as usual, I'll put up the info in my profile.)

-Bleach World-

Urahara's Shop

"Mr. Kisuke! Mr. Kisuke!" Ururu yelled lightly as she ran hurriedly throughout the tiny shop. Searching high and low around every corner of each room proved futile. "Mr. Urahara? Where are you?"

"What are you doing, Ururu?" Jinta intervined her search with callous covered words; his never-ending temper already prepared for her dimwitted response.

"T-there is a man outside. He says that he needs to talk to Mr. Kisuke…" Ururu spoke just above a whisper, hoping to not push one of Jinta's many buttons. Again.

"Phh. Yeah, right liar! Who knows about the boss beside people we know?! Let me see who this loser is." Jinta shrugged confidently. There was no way anyone else could know about Urahara. Unless…"Wait a sec, Ururu. What did this guy look like?"

"Um…he has white hair, wears a red coat, and is carrying a big sword on his back. Please believe me, Jinta! I'm not lying. Honest!" the little servant girl pleaded.

"YES! The boss DID call him!" Jinta exclaimed with a leap in the air. "Haven't you heard stories about this guy, Ururu?" He added as the shy girl shook her head lightly side to side. "WHAT? You mean you haven't heard ANY stories about the half-demon hunter? This guy has single handedly saved cities from hundreds of demons! He's the one who brought down the Temen-ni-gru! (A/N: DMC3 reference!)He's a freakin' legend!"

"Sorry, Jinta. The only half-demon I've ever heard of was in a history book about the feudal era. I think his name was Inuyasha or something like that." Ururu pondered to herself. Come to think of it, he was said to have white hair and wear red too."I need to find Mr. Kisuke."

"H-hold on a sec! The boss is in the basement getting those two guys out of the Chrono chamber. Why don't we have a little fun while we wait?" Jinta persuaded with a miscvious smirk. "We got that fresh supply of Hollow-bait in, right?"

Karakura Town, Karasu River

"Ah. I love sitting by the river. The sound of the water always calms me down. No matter how bad the day has been." Tatsuki opened up, inhaling a deep breath. "Don't you think so, Ichigo?"

"Yeah. I guess. I'm more worried about why you brought me here." Ichigo replied with a sour expression. People don't bring you to places like this for just any old visit.

"You haven't changed at all. I try to make a memorable moment and you bash it to pieces in several seconds." Tatsuki sneered to the apathic Ichigo. "Tsh. Anyway, I needed to ask you a couple of things. Things I don't want Orihime to possibly hear."

"…Which is why you skipped school today." Ichigo audibly concluded as Tatsuki nodded.

Sitting next to one another like this brought back memories they had shared just a few years back. To be honest, Ichigo had come to this exact spot with Tatsuki so often that it pained him to come here alone.

"Rukia Kuchiki…Who is she Ichigo?"

"W-what? How would I know?" he replied, a bead of sweat hung from his head in slight shock from the rather random question.

"Because you are always hanging out with her. Always. Before school, during school, and after school! I've never seen you around a girl so much! And you still suck at lying." Tatsuki prodded further, an assured look upon her face.

"Well, she is from out of town. She's from a place where our modern conviences don't exist." Ichigo worded carefully. "I was the first person she met in town. Ever since then she's clung onto me. And to be honest, I haven't minded it."

"I see. Where does she live? I wonder what her parents are like." Tatsuki wondered for a moment.

"Their both dead." Ichigo bluntly retorted. Again, this wasn't a lie. Just well twisted truth.

"Oh. That sucks." Tatsuki lightly sneered. She never was much of a girly girl. "I heard she is living with Orihime now. Hopefully those two will hit it off."

"I think they'll do just fine." Ichigo happily thought to himself upon remembering his room was his room once more. "Yeah."

"Tell me, Ichigo. What do you think of Orihime?"

"What about her? She's kind, caring, and cute. But anyone could tell you that. She's going to make some guy very happy." Ichigo stated with an unreserved expression.

"Huh. Well, call it women's tuition but I think Ms. Kuchiki's got a thing for you." the athletic teen advised, seeing a spark rise from within his eye. Raising off of the ground slowly, she brushed the loose grass from her jeans. "Poor Orihime."

"Since when have you had a 'woman's tuition'?" Ichigo laughed lightly. She was always more of a 'Butch' than a 'Brittany'. Though, he had to admit, to hear such encouraging words from a major tomboy was refreshing.

"Since the day I was born, you dick." Tatsuki bit back, giving a grin of her own.

"It's great talking you and all, Tatsuki. But who are you asking me about Rukia for? I know it's not for you." Ichigo sternly questioned. Maybe he'd get lucky and get a straight answer for once.

"Eh. I'd rather not go into details. Just know that some girls are after you. Later, Ichigo." Tatsuki nonchalantly warned before walking away toward the center of town.

"Well …that was weird." Ichigo scoffed, scatching his head in confusion. Laying down to observe the sky his mind reluctantly fell into deep thought. "Tomorrow is it. Tomorrow is my last day. D-mn that Sephiroth! Having me die a day before Armageddon …" he gritted to himself as the thought of his friend's fighting against a horde of demons sickened him to his gut. Glancing at the slow dance of the placid puffs of white in the sky, a feeling of regret began to form. "It's all up to you, Cloud."

Urahara's Shop

"So YOU'RE the great 'Dante', huh?" Jinta laughed before a silently perplexed man. "You have to pass a test of skill before I let you see the boss!"

"Ugh. -Sigh- What do I have to do?" Dante dryly replied. A migraine was heading his way from the constant repeat of those words. Everyone wanted a demonstration nowadays. And since when was he a 'great'?

"Oh, nothing much. Just kill all of the hollows that appear in less than 50 seconds!" Jinta shouted with a twist of manical flavor in his words. Snapping apart two fresh hollow-baits with a clench of his tiny fist a giant oval portal to rip open above the group as the familiar roars from tormented souls screeched across the sky. Within an instant a Menos Grande accompanied by 13 muscular hollows surrounded the yawning demon hunter. "Your time starts no-!"

BANG!

With a shot from his instantly drawn handgun a singular bullet tore though the face of a hollow directly in front of Dante. The bullet then continued it's flight as it ricocheted off of a metal post, a well-placed frying pan, and a metal trashcan; killing an unwitted 7 more hollows before finally getting wedged into the sidewalk. Snatching the legs of a nearby enemy, Dante swung the outmatched hollow like a giant baseball bat. A laugh escaped from him as he slugged 2 more out of existence with mask-crushing swings to the face before finally smashing his weapon's face head-first into concrete. Pulling his handgun handle-up with a tiny flip he nonchalantly pistol-whipped the final two regular hollows across their fragile masks with a CRACK and scream.

"Ha! You forgot about the Menos Grande!" Jinta hurriedly mocked with an accusing finger pointing toward the roaring beast. …Before seeing Dante shift violently.

With a heavy grunt, Dante spun his blade from his back like a boomerang at a speed so deadly air enveloped the weapon in a mini tornado moments before it cleaved the head of the Menos Grande. Placing his gun away with several turns around his trigger finger, Dante moved not an inch as his sword masterfully spun back to him; sheathing itself on his back perfectly.

"Whoa. U-uh, what's the time Ururu! That must have been over the limit!" Jinta sweated, turning toward the stunned little girl.

"Um...ah uh." She softly disagreed, placing the stopwatch into the little boy's hand.

"WHAT!?!? 10.6 SECONDS?! Not even Ichigo is that good!" Jinta screamed with excitement, extremely satisfied with his test results. "You are SO the real deal!"

"Yeah, yeah, kid. Where is your boss?" Dante repeated with obvious agitation. Kids these days…

"I'm right here." Urahara announced from the open door of his shop. "Please excuse my tardiness. I was attending to some other matters at hand."

"Whatever. I'm here for my advance pay. You did say that an invasion was coming? Right, bucket hat?" Dante replied with a heavy tone. Money was at hand.

"Ah, yes. Money does make the world go round." Urahara commented with a spin of his finger.

"…and contracts kill. That'll be $12,000.00. Er…I mean 1,463,160 Yen." Dante corrected himself. Can't confuse currency on the job.

"Being a proper business man I will pay promply. However, what I offer you is more than just simple money." Urahara pitched, tossing a suitcase full of yen to the satisfied devil hunter. "As my personal thanks for joining us in our time of need I offer you something that I rarely give out."

"And what's that?" Dante replied half-heartedly. Opening and reopening the case, it was clear to see the money was legit. Although having a place to actually spend it might become bothersome.

"Training. A regiment unlike anything you have ever gone through before. I can make -"

"Pass." Dante stopped the sale mid-sentence. "I don't need training. The money alone will be just fine."

Turning away from the shop Dante made his way out casually. There was plenty of cleansing left to do in the city.

"My. My. You are mighty stubborn. Like your father."

The word halted the hunter's steps.

"What do you know, bucket hat?"

"Enough. My sources keep me a well-informed individual to say the least. In fact, a little rumor has been repeated quite often underground." Urahara grinned to himself darkly. "To think the legendary knight Sparda would be involved in the Apocalypse…"

"Where did you HEAR THAT?!" Dante roared from the courtyard, stomping his way back to the sandal clad salesman. "Do you have ANY idea what that rumor has done to my business?!?"

"I would imagine. Coincidentally, I do have the address to one who has been well endowed in the current situation." Urahara tempted with a folded piece of paper in front of the hunter's eyes. Pulling his hand back the moment Dante attempted to snatch it, an opportunity revealed itself. "Why don't we let fate decide your next step?"

"Huh?" Dante replied with puzzlement.

Pulling out a beaten old coin from his pocket, Urahara displayed the shiny piece of metal in his palm.

"If it lands tails-side up, I'll give you this address free of charge. If it lands on heads however…"

"Then?"

"You'll return half of the money in the case AND will train with some of my colleges. Understood?" Kisuke explained with a shrug.

"I haven't gotten a lead in weeks! How did this guy…grrr…!"

"Well, Dante?"

"Just flip the d-mn coin." Dante scoffed in minor defeat. Rent is due again…

With a quick flick of the thumb the coin spun in the air; twirling and shimmering in the blazing sunlight.

It's turning slowed down dramatically as it fell back to Earth.

All Dante's eyes could see was the head of the coin mocking him.

Again.

And again.

And…wait…

Horror struck Dante the moment before the coin crashed to the ground.

Fate had spoken.

- Unknown Location -

"SEPHIROTH!" Vergil gutturally roared along side the slamming of the, rather pristine, lounge doors. "You told me that you took care of that DEFECTIVE CLONE of YOURS! (A/N: Vergil is referring to Cloud.)What the HELL was he doing on my TERRITORY!?"

"Silence yourself, commander. Remember who you are addressing." Sephiroth retorted without even a turn in the direction of the outcry.

Unlike the numerous clones that had been spread amongst the universes this Sephiroth was the original. Proven with a completely different wardrobe of black reflective leather outline in red instead of silver. Though the most noticeable difference was the single, 5 foot long, black wing that protruded from his left shoulder.

There residence was an oddity. The room was built for the most royal of royalty. A feast of food from every nation was packed onto a 10 foot long table in the center of the purest of white room with gold strung along every angle. Purple velvet silk lavished the two occupied high quality black couches placed the opposing sides of a door. A door marked 'restricted' in the blood of Lucifer himself. Only a select few can enter. Violators are simply sent to suffer eternal d-mnation.

"I don't CARE if you are one of the Horsemen! You should have been able to kill that pest long ago!" Vergil persisted with teeth bared. This wasn't the first time that this self-centered egomaniac had ticked him off.

"I believe I said that I had taken care of that situation. Mind your own business." Sephiroth mockingly replied as if he were talking to a small, dumb, child.

"When he interfers with my work it BECOMES my business!" Vergil continued, placing a steady hand on the hilt of his sheathed katana. "You know. I've never understood why I have been stuck with the lowely title of 'commander' and you the feared title 'Horseman of Death'! I don't see that you are worthy. I don't believe that you can even beat me!"

"Know your PLACE, boy. You are the top of the Commanders, yes. But an outburst against a Horsemen will result in your death. You are expendable." Sephiroth attacked with venom filled words.

"Agreed!" a deep, powerful voice added from behind the scene. "Stand down, Vergil!"

"Kratos? (A/N: I did add 'God of War' for a reason.) YOU are on HIS side!?" Vergil rebuted. Of all the people to side with peace…

"Each of us have fools that oppose us. Are so weak a man that you can not defeat one of our enemies?" Kratos assaulted verbally. In nature Spartan fashion he only sported boots, an armored loin cloth, and his duel, machete-sized blades bounded by chains smoldered into his forearms. His exposed, and muscularly ripped, upper body revealed several scars upon his ash-covered skin.

This man is the essence of hardcore.

"Are you challenging me, relic! This is NOT your day and age! Your Spartans fell centuries ago! Your. People. Are. DEAD!" Vergil verbally strangled as defiance fueled his words.

A snap occurred inside Kratos' mind.

"You WASTE of FLESH and BONE! NO ONE MOCKS THE GOD OF WAR!" Kratos viciously proclaimed as he drew his weapons from his back.

"Humans. Your feeble minds resort to murder over such petty pretences. Death truly is your destiny." Sephiroth icily commented through the leers of his allies.

"Do NOT confuse me for HUMA- ACK!" Vergil hastily replied before being literally cut off by a slash to his throat from lightening fast attack from the Spartan.

"I'll show YOU who is SUPERIOR!" Kratos cried, enraged beyond all reason as he leaped for the long haired swordsman with blades drawn.

"Fall."

With that simple word Kratos, Vergil, and even Sephiroth were suddenly forced to the ground. Their bodies held in place by a force equivalent to 500 times Earth's gravity. Mobility was an impossibility.

"Such overpowering spiritual pressure…" Vergil recognized mentally as he gasped and clawed for air.

Stepping out of the restricted, flesh-covered, doorway with precise steps stood the strongest of the Horsemen. The Horseman of War.

"The Master has given us new orders." he spoke with sharp words before releasing his hold on his comrades.

"I'll take it. I need to get some frustration out." Vergil offered while rubbing his newly reconstructed throat.

"No."

"No? Who are you going to give it to then? One of those clones? Pyramid Head (A/N: From Silent Hill. He's the one with the giant butcher knife that looks like he, well, has a metal traffic cone for a head. Oh, and he is also supposedly 'invincible'.)?" The half-demon listed

"All. Each of us are going to go in a set of waves." the man continued to explain as he tapped his metallic cane on the pure white, polished floor.

"We've finally found Soul Society."

!!FREE ZONE!! (Kinda...)

Scar: Soo...tired...Yachiru...you're killing my spine...

Yachiru: And here I thought you were a strong guy...

Scar: S-shut up! You've been on my back for a week! Anyway, here is the updated Demon Ranking.

Satan

(Note: This is the order of command.)

Horseman of War

- ???????-

Horseman of Pestilence

- ????????-

Horseman of Death

- Sephiroth-

Horseman of Famine

- ???????-

Demon Commanders

Vergil

-Pyramid Head-

-???????-

Sephiroth Clones

(No Order)

Surveillance Demons

Dragon Demons

Rock Demons

-???????-

Armored Fighter Demons

Tower-tall Demons

-???????-

Scar: For those who are sharp, KRATOS is NOT listed because his title was NOT specified! Ok...I...ugh...(pulls out a tootsie roll from pocket. Chucks it.)

Yachiru: CANDY!!!!!!! (Runs after chunk of sugar.)

Scar: Oh thank God!I got to get out of here while I can! Uh, review! Love ya! Gotta go!