Chapter 5: Turn Down the Virulence

"How pitiful. To think that you would go down this easily."

A long haired Captain slumped against a wall and slid down into a sitting position, exasperated. Blood smeared the surface as his back scraped it. Multiple lacerations covered his body, the very air stinging the clean cuts. As he looked up through strained eyes, he could feel an all too familiar sensation attacking his lungs. The man standing in front of him watched the injured Captain's chest heave as he fought for breath.

"Your condition...it's worsened to an almost irreparable state. The only thing keeping you alive is your contract with that creature's organ. Am I wrong?"

The Captain gave him a weary smile, sweat running down his face. "I...have no idea what you're talking about. You seem pretty concerned about my insides, Mr. Quincy. That makes for a strange first impression."

"You of all people should know better than to play dumb in the situation you're in. Our army has taken over. There is nowhere to run now. I suggest you comply within the next minute."

Jushiro Ukitake picked himself off the floor, gripping his dual zanpakuto with wavering hands.

"I'm afraid to say that I won't be giving in anytime soon." His Reiatsu peaked as he prepared for a final effort to fight. "You'll have to kill me first."

The Quincy pulled out a cylindrical tool from under his mantle and brought forth a stream of white light in the form of a blade. "How unfortunate. I did not anticipate that today would be the time of your death."

Maximilian Steiner (Sternritter 'R') rushed out of his quarters, panic set into his mind.

'To think they would strike this early. I must find His Majesty and inform him of this!'

Byakuya observed his opponents carefully, paying close attention to their conversation. Lars Baumann (Gottesengel 'U') was arguing with a woman who had been very similar in appearance to him, though her hair was mostly white with black streaks while his was mostly black with white streaks. Her height was made her out as his older sister.

"I just wanted to help!" Diana Baumann (Gottesengel 'R') yelled. "What's wrong with looking out for my little brother?"

"What's wrong is that you always interrupt my fights!" Lars shot back. "I'm not some child you need to protect anymore!"

"Quit acting like you're a man! If I hadn't stepped in just now, your insides would be on the floor!"

That shut him up. Lars' hand involuntarily touched his stomach, where Byakuya's zanpakuto ripped through his shirt. "Sorry..."

Diana sighed. "It's fine... but I'd be less worried it you weren't such a hot head." She turned her attention to Byakuya, who stood tending to his shoulder wounds. Drawing the broadsword at her hip, she quickly apologized to him. "Sorry about that. This brat's stubborn, so we usually end up fighting a lot."

"This boy seemed to be surprised when Senbonzakura failed to kill him. Am I right to assume that your power were involved?"

Diana readied herself. "Right on the mark..."

Lars summoned dual pistols and fired two shots into Byakuya's stomach. The Captain stumbled back, completely caught off guard. Senbonzakura rushed in front of him, too late to shield his body. 'Senbonzakura sound have been able to block that!' What is going on?'

Diana closed in on him, clashing against the pink wave. It split into two directions, one for each sibling. Byakuya could only watch, unable to use his arms to guide them. Lars threw a chakram straight into the torrent and then a second one to his right. After devouring the first one, Senbonzakura twisted around and followed the path of the other as if it were a magnet. The blades in front of Diana did the same, curving over her body. Byakuya was left completely exposed.

'I have to dodge!' Byakuya's body was too weary to use Shunpo as Diana's sword split apart the muscle of his left breast. Byakuya expected a successive blow and braced himself. Nothing happened. Looking up he found that he was alone, the Quincies nowhere to be seen. He wasn't even in the Seireitei anymore. The Captain of Squad Six stood on a rock face overlooking a steep precipice. At its base, waves of blue and white crashed and lapped; he was by a sea.

"What is this place?" Byakuya questioned. He no longer wore his Captain's haori and shihakusho but a white, sleeveless kimono. Senbonzakura was sheathed and held in his hand, a habit he'd long since stopped doing. Behind him, his pinned up hair fluttered slightly in the wind. At his feet, a large puddle reflected his features. What he saw was not the Captain of the Sixth Division, but a much younger Byakuya.

"This cannot be…"

The air suddenly took on a sickly sweet smell which mixed in with the scent of seawater. Roses. In front of him, white and luminescent petals floated through the breeze.

"Byakuya...why did you come here?" a stranger's voice asked from behind. Except it was all too familiar.

'It can't be…'

As Byakuya turned around, a heavy sense of dread took over his body. Stood in a Captain's attire was his predecessor and mentor after Ginrei Kuchiki's passing. Byakuya's father, Sojun Kuchiki.

The Captain finally understood where he was. This had been the place where he had his last breath. The place he was killed by the hands of his own son.

The man had a deeply melancholy look in his eyes, eyes full of regret. "Please, Byakuya…..don't make me do this."

"Hihio!" The cowl of Renji Abarai's Bankai morphed into a skeletal baboon arm over his left shoulder, following the movement of his outstretched arm. August Oldenburg (Gottesengel 'J') crossed his arms as the massive fist collided into them.

"Gorilla Beringei!" August's arms and legs bulked up, the muscles within them enlarging at an abnormal rate. Heaving with both hands, he grabbed the fist and flung it away, carrying Renji with it. Using his bicep as a weapon, he hit the incoming red head and pummeled him into the ground. He shrunk his limbs back to normal size and raised his foot above Renji's chest. "Loxonta Africana."

Renji rolled to the side and jumped to his feet. Looking on, he saw that August's foot had caved through the flooring and left a small crater. If he hadn't moved, his ribs probably would have been shattered. August reformed his rifle and fired a barrage of Heilig Pfeil. Renji swiped his arm, Hihio following suit. The bullets of Reishi collided against it, unable to pierce its hide. Renji charged August, who abandoned his rifle for his fists.

"Cilucidae!" Renji was smacked across his face, careening back. August became a blur, beseiging his torso with punches. Renji did his best to dodge them, but more were being received than avoided. 'What the hell is this guy, an animal?' he wondered. Every time he calls out a name, his abilities change." August clenched his fist. Part of his ulna protruded out from his wrist as he threw a left hook, plunging it into Renji's neck. His face went pale as blood was sucked through the new appendage.

"Haah!" Renji slashed upwards, slicing off August's forearm. His blade became serrated as he stabbed the man, the weapon stopping within only inches of the flesh due to Blut Vene. Red Reiatsu burst from the bone head hilt on Renji's wrist, forming an enormous set of jaws.

"Sou'ou Zabimaru: Zaga Teppo!"

"Dasypodidae!"

Just before the jaws clamped down over him, August's skin became gray and transformed into banded plates, protecting him from the them. He slammed into Renji, knocking him into the ground. The armored man raised an equally armored fist and descended to strike him.

Clumps of Earth hovered off the ground and were sent against August's chest. Yumichika Ayasegawa stood a few feet away, bruised arms raised towards him. Ikkaku sat upon rubble beside him, caring to his wounded calf. "Renji, now's your chance!"

The arm of Hihio grabbed him around his body and squeezed, crushing the plates into him. His eyes strained as the pressure almost killed him, rupturing a few organs. August yelled out, blood spitting from his infuriated lips. "...o..Odonto..machus!" The skeletal hand cracked and was forced open, August dashing away with Hirenkyaku. Crashing into the building of a window, he slumped onto the nearest wall, clutching his stomach. The ruptured kidney inside him slightly moved, causing him to wince in pain.

"Shit… I can't keep up while being attacked on multiple fronts. I figured my pets would have taken care of them. Turns out these guys are sturdier than they look…"

A raven sat perched on the window sill he entered through, staring at him with beady green eyes. 'Wait… a raven's eyes aren't green.'

"What do you want?" he questioned.

The bird bowed its head and started to grow in size. The room filled with spine chilling cracks as its bones moved and reshaped themselves. As its transformation ended, Yosiah Grimmlocke (Gottesengel 'N') was revealed, eyes returning to their normal brown. "Ah…" he let out in relief, rubbing his neck. "I never quite get used to that."

August's eyes narrowed. "How long were you watching me?"

"Right after the Abarai boy released his Bankai." Yosiah answered.

"And you didn't even consider helping?"

Yosiah looked hurt. "You make it sound like I came just to see you struggle. Besides, I thought you were handling it well. Now do you want to be healed or not?"

"Whatever. Just get it over with." Yosiah walked over to him, eyes becoming green again. Jabbing quickly, he struck two fingers into August's abdomen. The movement was so fast that the injured man hadn't even registered any pain.

"Blutübertragung." Gradually, blood was flushed out of the wounded kidney and new blood entered. Now with Yosiah's blood transferred into him, August's body was able to heal the organ on its own. At the same time, the area where his arm was lopped off closed immediately.

"I'll never understand how you heal people this way," August muttered while he rubbed his stomach.

Yosiah looked at him with a little annoyed. "I told you countless times already. I guess nothing gets into that thick skull….aside from a lack of good taste in fashion."

August clicked his teeth disdainfully. "Whatever. Where's that little girlfriend of yours anyway?"

"If you're talking about Nicolle, she's busy trying to get our troops in through one of the Gates."

"Alright boys!" Nicolle Dassler (The Manipulation) addressed the Kallaverist rushing into the Black Ridge Gate of the Seireitei. "We're the first wave to get through here, so don't disappoint me now!" The first line of soldiers advanced forward and stopped dead in their tracks as they saw a white mist.

"Sir!" An officer called back. "The enemy's engaged our scouts.."

Nicolle pushed her way to the front and saw what they were talking about. A wall of ice towered in front of them like a wintry barricade. Inside were the frozen bodies of the scouts they'd sent out. On top of the wall stood Toshiro Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto.

"Sorry," Hitsugaya apologized with a cool expression. "We can't let you get past us."

"Look at this, boys. The cute little Captain wants to take me on. "

A few of the Kallaverist laughed, finding it humorous.

"This midget's good as dead."

"This fodder thinks he can keep up with Ms. Dassler?"

Rangiku gripped her sword, hands quivering in anger. "Who do they think they are talking like that?"

Hitsugaya lifted his zanpakuto and pointed it at their enemies. "You seem to think I've stayed like my old self these past years. So how about you stand there and tell me if I'm still as weak as you say." A massive tsunami of ice erupted towards the Quincies, freezing a good many of them in place. Nicolle jumped over the frozen wave, releasing arrows from her dual crossbow.

"Growl, Haineko." The blade of Rangiku's sword dispersed into a sizable cloud of ash, shielding the two Captain class fighters. Hitsugaya fired a column of ice-water which broke through the ash towards Nicolle. The woman landed onto a nearby building steeped out of the attack's trajectory. Kallaverist shot at the Shinigami with a range of firearms in an attempt to force them off their perch. Rangiku swiped left, cleaing through a line of them but failing to notice the arrows flying down at great speed.

Hitsugaya reared back swung upwards, turning the projectiles to icicles that shattered against the ground. "It's dangerous to even let her arrows graze you," he warned. "Urahara had told us she controls whatever they touch." Hitsugaya gripped his weapon and pointed it at Nicolle.

"Sit upon the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Small wings of a dragon grew from Hitsugaya's shoulder blades whilst ice covered both his arms and legs, stopping the intruding frost. Ice and water burst from the tip of his sword and formed a chinese dragon which collided with Nicolle's body, pinning her against a wall with it's ice.

"I haven't shown this to anyone except the Captain Commander," Hitsugaya stated. "For months I've trained with him to let my powers mature and fully develop. This is my Shikai's true form."

Nicolle looked at him sweetly and tried to sound like a proud parent. "Oh, honey~! You've grown so much since your previous battles. But it looks like you made a mistake. If you know about my arrows, then why did you let your ice touch my sword?"

The ice melted off Nicolle and dripped down into a pool of water. Frozen spikes grew from the puddle and traveled into Hitsugaya's wall, traveling up its length.

"Move Matsumoto!" The pair of officers leapt away from the wall as it erupted with spikes. Behind them, the ash of Haineko condensed into spears. One impaled Rangiku straight into her back while the others hit the shoulder blades of Hitsugaya. The Lieutenant almost blacked and would have fallen if Hitsugaya hadn't caught her. Flying towards a building, he gently set her down on its roof. and turned away. "Don't worry," Hitsugaya assured her. "I'll take care of this."

In the sky above everyone, dark clouds swirled together in a mass of gray while snow descended from them. The Kallaverist watched the snowfall with intrigue. However, they soon found out that the whatever it touched burst into flowers of ice.

"What's going on?!" a distressed one cried out as he was getting frozen alive.

Hitsugaya looked at them with apathy. "Hyoten Hyakkaso. This was originally a technique of my Bankai simply because I couldn't control it very well. I only recently mastered it in order to make it more accustomed to this form."

Nicolle had used her Blut Schild ability like some type of umbrella which protected her from the precipitation. "You certainly have gotten stronger," she said. "So I'll show you my trump card."

Nicolle reached for the bandaged blade at her hip, all the while smiling confidently. As the bandages were unfurled, Hitsugaya's pupils simultaneously enlarged in shock.

"...Where...did you find that...?!"

In Nicolle's hand was the zanpakuto of Sajin Komamura, former Captain of the Seventh Division. Her scarlet eyes sparkled, mouth parted into a wide grin. "I guess you didn't know about this. The poor fellow's shrine had a lot of useful tools." Nicolle held the sword parallel to the ground whilst an aura of bright red Reiatsu illuminated her body. "Bankai: Kokujo Tengen Myo'oh!"

Rojuro "Rose" Otorobashi (Third Division Captain)'s Shikai hurled towards Mik Mon Jae (Gottesengel 'T'). At the same time, his co-vice captains, Hiyori Sarugaki and Izuru Kira, flanked Mon Jae from both sides. The woman summoned two katanas and spun about his feet like a toy top, the long braid tied at the side of her head whipping wildly. The strange bizarre method of defense had succeeded in fending off the trio's attacks several times over.

"Damn it," Hiyori hissed as she leapt away from the spinning Quincy. "This chick moves too strangely for us to even touch her." Launching herself up, she pulled her Hollow mask down over her face and opened it's mouth. "Try blocking this!" A crimson cero screamed down like a comet, lighting up the area. Mon Jae twirled her swords in a circular motion. The cero collided with them and followed the round path, curving away from his body. Hiyori let herself fall and locked weapons with her. The woman effortlessly blocked her swings, as if it were second nature.

"Raise your head, Wabisuke." Izuru's crooked zanpakuto grated against the Mon Jae's arm three times, causing it to drop with the increased weight. Down an appendage, Mon Jae fired a Heilig Pfeil into both Lieutenants in what seemed like an instant, her bow not even seen. Rose wrapped Kinshara around his feet and yanked them out from under him. As Mon Jae tripped, Izuru slashed down her chest. The Quincy's hand shot up and grabbed his wrist in a tight grip as she sunk down on one knee. Izuru's black metallic arm suddenly locked up as he noticed brownish blotches appearing on it: rust. Mon Jae cut through both of his ankles and drove one of his katanas through the Shinigami's free hand, pinning him to the ground. Before she could slice into his windpipe, Rose wrapped his golden whip around the woman's arm, attaching the flower at its tip.

"I hope you're ready. My solos tend to rock people to the bone. Kinshara Sokyoku Dai Juichiban: Izayoi Bara." The whip glowering with yellow light as a powerful shockwave rippled through the area similar to how a fault generates an earthquake. The rubble and debris on the ground shook and was pushed in all directions. Mon Jae, however, stood perfectly still.

"Is that it?" Mon Jae asked, speaking for the first time. "That move of yours seems more flashy than anything." Her voice was assertive and quite...deep.

'Is she a man?' Rose thought in surprise. 'His appearance is very effeminate, but that wad definetly the voice of a male.'

"The hell are you zoning out for?!" Hiyori yelled as she smacked the side of his head. "We gotta find some way to beat this woman!"

"I'm not a woman," Mon Jae informed, irritated.

"What?!" Hiyori screamed in disbelief. "You some kind of crossdresser or something?"

Rose glanced down at her with a tired look. 'For someone who calls people bald all the time, she's actually pretty slow.'

"Your screaming's pretty aggravating," Mon Jae said. "I didn't come to fight a monkey."

'He's obviously provoking her. Insulting someone is the easiest way to do so. But even Hiyori isn't dumb enough to fall for-'

"Who are you calling a monkey!" Hiyori bellowed as she charged Mon Jae head on. The effeminate man spun around to her back and swung downwards on her head. The small lieutenant flipped backwards, blocking and sending a kick at the same time. Her foot suddenly began to slow down, allowing Mon Jae to catch it. "I hope you won't be needing this."

Rose sighed as if he were exasperated. "Never mind..."

Mon Jae released Hiyori as Kinshara sailed towards him, making a quick evasion. "That's why you don't let the enemy's taunting get to your head," Rose muttered, annoyed.

"Shut up!" Hiyori barked as she freed Izuru. The feathery haired Lieutenant put an arm on her for support, one of the tendons in his legs torn. Though Hiyori was angry, she knew being pissed off wasn't going to get them anywhere. "Anyway…" her tone was much calmer. "Did you guys see what happened with my leg?"

"Yeah," Izuru confirmed. "It was exactly like what Captain Sui-Feng described after she fought that Espada back during the Winter War."

"If his powers are anything like Barragan's, then we have a big problem on our hands," Rose said with another pessimistic sigh.

Mon Jae raised his swords. "Look… I don't really like fighting that much. So if you three are going to talk, I'm going to lea-" His sentence was cut off as a large overhead object zoomed past. Left in its wake was a stream of exhaust. A fighter jet. The aircraft moved in the direction of the sound of heavy artillery and cannon fire.

"I feel bad for whoever's over there," Mon Jae said distantly. "Baader's power is a real petulance to deal with.

Sui-Feng bouncer into the open air as a homing missile leveled the ground behind her. Jets were flying by, locking in on her body and firing an array of long range explosions.

A gunshot skipped by and opened a gash in Sui-Feng's. Aiming a rifle of Reishi at her, the man who held a finger on its trigger laughed arrogantly. "You can't run forever, Soul Reaper!" Baader Batterlicht (Gottesengel 'K') was having the time of his life, conjuring up ways to kill the Captain. Rolling beside him, a Panther tank took aim on Sui-Feng.

"Fire!"

The building beside her convulse in a fiery explosion, rocketing her into another. The small Captain stood up, her body drenched with perspiration. Her breathing was ragged thanks to Baader's onslaught never letting up.

'This is bad. At the rate things are going, I'll never be able to get anywhere near him. I shouldn't be doing this alone.' Thinking back, I probably would've had more luck using Omaeda as a decoy. Well, no use dwelling on it now. I just hope that big oaf sticks to the plan.'

Outside, Marechiyo Omaeda's bulky form lay on the ground, his charred back exposed. Earlier, he was caught by one of the jets' missiles, leaving him smoldering. He lay a little ways away from Baader, who huffed on a wide cigar. 'Don't move!' he screamed inwardly. 'The Captain is counting on me right now, so I can't afford to screw up! Now if he would just turn around, I could sneak up on him and take him by surprise.'

Baader let his head fall back, removing the cigar and watching as a plume of smoke blew out of his lips. "At first I wanted to blow her sky high on the spot, but if I do it now, she might use the smoke as cover and get away. It might be better to just wait her out. On the other hand…" his eyes wandered over to Omaeda, whose heartbeat quickened its pace. "That big guy went down pretty easily. And he wasn't too fast, at least compared to his superior. Honestly, I can't tell if he's or unconscious." Baader started walking towards him, forming a grenade in his palm. "Might as well finish the job, just to make sure."

'Yes! He doesn't know if I'm alive! This could really work to our advantage.' It took Omaeda a few minutes to register that last part. 'Wait, he's going to do what?!'

Just before Baader pulled the grenade's pin, Omaeda shot up with his arms up. "H-hold on there a sec!"

Baader scratched his blonde goatee, mildly surprised. "So you were playing dead the whole time? You must really be stupid then. Why didn't you just attack me at the last moment?"

Omaeda's eyes widened. 'Dammit! I didn't think about that!'

"Sayonara, Soul Reaper." The grenade was slapped away from him, going off mid air. Sui-Feng made for his throat, Suzumebachi glinting in the light. Baader jerked his head to the right, her gauntlet grazing his cheek. The tattoo of a butterfly spread across the side of his head.

"Omaeda!" Sui-Feng yelled.

Omaeda appeared behind Baader, his spiked ball and chain reared above his head. The Quincy grabbed Sui-Feng's wrist and flipped over her, avoiding the heavy weapon. Twisting around, he turned his body and slammed his foot into her side, sending the small Captain flying. Omaeda hoisted up Gegetsuburi and brought it down with great force. Baader moved forward and grabbed Omaeda by the collar, pushing him back.

Omaeda ground his feet into the ground and skidded backwards only a few feet. "Hah! Looks like I'm more tough than you-" Over a dozen mines went off at once, eclipsing him in explosions. The street they were planted in was wholly destroyed, leaving behind much rubble. Omaeda lay in a crater, charred and bloody.

"It's best to be wary of your environment," Baader chastised. "An assassin should at least be aware of that fact." He lifted his rifle and turned sideways, shooting Sui-Feng's leg as she dashed to him. She grimaced in pain as she fell face first. "See?"

Baader took out a receiver from his pocket. "I'll need some air support." Several Junkers arrived and headed for the Captain, all unloading their ammunition.

"Sh-shunko!" Funnels of wind whipped from Sui-Feng's shoulder blades, propelling her forwards. Rubble and debris flew in the air as the bombers trailed her.

"You're pretty hard to kill, Soul Reaper," Baader remarked. "Taking you on alone probably wasn't a good idea if I wanted to kill you. Oh well. Even the most experienced of commander needs a unit in order to operate. Vorrücken." Manifesting behind him were a total of ten faceless figures, all wearing camouflaged gear and carrying assault rifles.

Bullets flew around Sui-Feng's body as she tried to escape. The Captain went airborne and cleaved through no less than three of the warplanes, parts flying in various directions.

The Captain landed on the roof of a building before taking off again as fulminations created a war torn landscape. More of the faceless troops materialised around the battlefield, taking aim for their singular target.

"Strife is a hellish thing," Baader stated as he relit his cigar. "It's damaged economies, torn apart families, pitted nations in years of bloodshed. Since the dawn of human civilization, there has been at least two people out for each other's throat."

Sui-Feng tumbled against a wall as the bombers continued their assault.

"Countless lives have been lost because of this. I guess you could call my power an accumulation of strife."

A flashbang was thrown by the woman's and detonated. She stumbled to the ground, her ears attacked by a deafening ring. The world swirled before her eyes, dizziness invading her head. Baader stood in front of her, rifle aimed. The soldiers surrounded them, locking their firearms on the now downed Shinigami.

"I was orphaned at an early age, my parents victims of war. This is ultimately what led me to getting this power. My name is Baader Batterlicht, Gottesengel K: 'The Krieg'. I know all about being victimized by this thing we call war. So let me ask you something." Baader brought his rifle to her head, his finger curling around the trigger. "Are you going to add to the body count?"

A/N: This chapter fell behind a bit due to school and all. But now I'm on a quick break, so I have a little more time on the next chapter. This one was very fun to write though, so I'm excited to get the next one out.

Criticism and reviews are welcomed.