Chapter XXIII

Well, it is that time again, a new chapter of Chaos Pawn of the Gremory. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the last chapter. And here's to hoping you all enjoy this chapter. As usual I would like to thank my coauthor TheLastNanaya and my secondary author Bakuto Masaki for all their help with this story. Not really all that much to say, so might as well move on to the reviewer responses.

7: Cool, glad you like it. I intend to continue it until it is done. Thanks for the compliments.

Bakuto Masaki: That about sums it up. Nice Dragon Ball Z reference.

And that is the end of that. So on to the main event.

In Shinto Teito, a woman with long orange hair tied up in a bun, with a few stray bangs hanging down the sides of her face, and red eyes wearing a pair of oval-shaped, frameless glasses, a black sweater with a yellow, button-down blouse overtop, a mid-thigh length brown skirt, ankle-length white socks, and brown shoes sighed as she put a sign on the window of the door leading into the building in front of her.

The woman sighed as she looked at the sign, which read "Closed". "Who'd have thought I'd have to close shop by this point?" she lamented. She turned to the side angrily. Just down the street from the building she stood in front of was a large, expansive restaurant, with a sign on the front reading "Gilded Dove."

The woman clenched a fist in frustration. "That little brat…to think he could push me out so swiftly. All because he hires professional chefs and pays for first-class cuisine." After a moment she sighed heavily before heading inside the building.

She walked into a large room with the door in the middle of the back wall, the kitchen to the right with an L-shaped counter across from a storage counter, sink, oven, and fridge, a large entryway in the middle of the adjacent wall, a corner table with a plant on it in the corner of the wall, a large entertainment center with a flat screen television in the middle of the wall opposite the door, the entertainment center was flanked by two tall windows, a series of windows on the next wall, a blue couch set across from the television, and a dining table with six chairs in the center of the room. "Great, now what am I supposed to do?" she growled as she sat down on the dining table.

After a moment she noticed a newspaper on the table. She picked it up and looked at one of the ads curiously. "Macaron, in need of new chef." She sighed and then scratched her head in thought. "Well…guess it's a place to start."

Some time later, a girl with long, waist-length orange hair, several bangs hanging over her forehead and two parts hanging down over the sides of her face with orange eyes and a moderate bust wearing the female Kuoh uniform along with a pair of square, half-frame glasses walked into the building the woman before had left. She looked around curiously. She then walked down the nearby hallway.

Ayame was sweeping the dining room to her restaurant as several customers left. After a moment she wiped her brow and sighed. "Good grief, where have they all gone? Kazuma and the others just up and vanished. At this rate I'm going to have to ask Ryouko to come and help me." She turned with a smile as the door opened. "Hello and welcome to Macaron," she greeted cheerfully as the orange-haired woman walked through the door.

The woman sighed uneasily and said, "I was actually hoping to apply for a job here."

Ayame's eyes sparked enthusiastically. "Really?!"

The woman sweat-dropped lightly. "Ah, y-yes…"

"Oh wonderful! Let's get you in the kitchen and see how you can do!" Ayame then raised both eyebrows in realization. She knocked herself on the head lightly. "Silly me. I didn't even get your name."

The woman nodded in response. "Mari Katsuragi."

Kazuma, Lisanna, Rangiku, Palutena, Ichigo, Ganju, and Cera made their way through the underground waterways that snaked throughout the Seireitei.

As they rounded a corner, Kazuma widened his eyes as he saw a large sword wrapped in flames being held by chains.

"Kazuma, what is that sword?" Rangiku asked.

Kazuma narrowed his eyes as he approached it. "Twilight. But why is it here?"

"Twilight? I've never heard that before," Ichigo muttered.

"I got it after I defeated Surtur, king of the Fire Demons," Kazuma said plainly.

Ganju and Ichigo looked at him in shock.

"He says that so blandly," Ganju remarked.

Cera shrugged. "If you spend your energy getting surprised at every time Ul-er, Kazuma looks at something amazing with boredom you'll be exhausted before the day is out."

Kazuma stepped up to the blade and reached out a hand towards the blade. Her frowned as flames began to surge from the blade but swiftly died down. He gripped the hilt tightly and then pulled the sword from its enclosure, shattering the chains as he freed it.

The flames surged from the sword and coiled and wrapped around Kazuma's body, twisting and writhing.

"Wh-what the hell?!" Ganju exclaimed.

Cera extended a hand. "Stay back, he's trying to calm the spirit inside the blade. If you step close now you'll get turned to ash."

"Eek!" Ganju shrieked as he jumped back.

Cera sighed. "I didn't mean that far back."

After a few moments the flames around Kazuma died down until it was reduced to small light surrounding the sword. Kazuma smiled as he looked at the blade. "It's been a while, old friend."

A golden magic circle appeared next to Kazuma which he then dropped the sword into.

He turned around to the others with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for that little delay, something came up."

Cera shrugged. "I've experienced worse."

"We should get moving," Rangiku remarked.

Kazuma nodded as did the others before they continued following Lisanna through the tunnels.

As they walked, Lisanna glanced back at Kazuma repeatedly.

After a while Kazuma sighed and asked, "What is it?"

"Eh, wh-what…?" Lisanna responded, surprised.

"You keep looking at me. I assume there's some reason?"

Lisanna frowned and then said, "You're rather strange, you know that?"

Kazuma folded his arms in confusion. "You're only now realizing that?"

Lisanna shook her head. "That's…not quite what I mean. It's just that…back there. That magic you used…it was Fire Dragon Slayer Magic."

Kazuma nodded. "It was."

"How did…how did you learn it…?"

Kazuma narrowed his eyes in thought.

Ddraig interjected, 'You can tell her. We used to…well…'

Kazuma smirked in amusement. 'You two were together, weren't you?'

'Ah, well…it's a little…more complicated than that…'

Kazuma chuckled lightly. He then turned to Lisanna. "Let's just say I learned it from a friend."

Lisanna sighed in exasperation. "Fine, if you don't want to tell me." She then asked, "Are you…are you the one Erza gave her powers to?"

Kazuma looked at her surprised. "That was a rather blunt question. But, to cut to the chase, yes. I am. And I don't think I can quite thank her enough for it."

Lisanna turned to him shocked, as did the others.

"I want to keep some things to myself, but to keep it simple, I used to have powers of my own, but after a certain event I lost almost all of them. When Erza gave me her powers though, granted me the powers of a Soul Reaper, many of those abilities returned to me. If not for her I don't know how long it would have taken for those powers to return."

Ganju scratched his head and remarked, "This Erza woman's gotta be another weird Soul Reaper from what you're saying."

Kazuma chuckled lightly. "Yeah, she's definitely a little odd. But, I also owe her quite a lot. That's why I'm doing all this."

Ganju frowned in thought and then sighed. "I'll never understand that kind of blind heroism."

After a while, the group was walking when Kazuma stopped again.

"What's wrong?" Rangiku asked.

Kazuma narrowed his eyes as he put a hand on Zangetsu. "Can't you feel it? Someone's coming."

Rangiku narrowed her eyes and concentrated. "You're right. But with how the stone in these waterways distorts everything I can't tell who it is."

"Be ready."

The others nodded as they tensed and prepared for a confrontation.

Soon a figure walked around the corner and Kazuma commanded, "Now!" and everyone readied their weapons and prepared to attack, also causing the one who appeared to scream.

However, after the commotion calmed and they all looked at who had appeared, they saw a confused and frightened Rukia looking at them perplexed.

Lisanna widened her eyes in surprise. "R-Rukia!?"

"What the hell is wrong with you people!?" Rukia snapped. "You could've given me a heart attack!" She then raised an eyebrow as she noticed Kazuma, Ichigo, and the others behind Lisanna. "Wait a second…what's going on here?"

Lisanna paled slightly. "Uhh…that's…a little complicated."

Rukia then took a step back as her eyes widened. "No way…you guys are…the Ryoka that've been causing trouble? You?!"

"Like I said Rukia, it's complicated…"

Rukia put a hand on her blade in response. "I don't know what's going on here but…" Her attention then turned to Ganju who was looking at her with a shocked expression.

"You…you're…" Ganju muttered before scowling in rage and grabbing his blade. "You're the one!" he then began to charge at Rukia.

However, before he could move more than a single step, he was struck on the back of the head and slumped to the ground unconscious.

Kazuma and the others looked at Ichigo, who had a fist raised and a perturbed expression, the orange-haired teen having just knocked Ganju to the floor.

Ichigo looked at the others and shrugged. "What? Don't look at me. I just did what Kazuma would have done. Blame him for teaching me."

After a moment of thought the girls nodded.

"Fair enough," Rangiku remarked.

"Hey! Don't blame me dammit!" Kazuma snarled.

"Well since it's your fault you should carry him," Ichigo remarked.

Kazuma twitched an eyebrow and sighed, grabbing the unconscious oaf by the leg.

Rukia frowned in thought and then turned to Lisanna. "What's going on here, seriously?"

Lisanna sighed before turning to Kazuma.

Kazuma scratched his head and began to explain the situation to Rukia.

After Kazuma finished his explanation Rukia folded her arms and clenched her fingers lightly. "So…you're all here to help rescue Erza and stop her execution?"

Kazuma nodded. "Yeah. Besides, it's bullshit."

Rangiku nodded as well. "I'm sure you can trust Kazuma's judgment on this."

"Yeah, I get the feeling they're telling the truth too," Lisanna added.

Rukia sighed in thought. "Okay."

"Okay, what?" Kazuma asked.

"I want to help you guys."

Kazuma put up a hand. "Hold on a minute. You should realize what you're risking with this first."

Rukia nodded. "I already know that. Besides…that's why I'm down here in the first place."

Kazuma narrowed his eyes and then turned to Ichigo. "She's your responsibility."

"Huh?! Mine?! Why?!" Ichigo growled. He then sighed in frustration. "Whatever."

As the group made their way through the tunnels, Ichigo put his arms behind his head and asked, "Why?"

Rukia turned to him curiously. "Why what?"

"Why do you want to help us save Erza?"

Rukia looked at him surprised and then sighed. "It's…complicated. But, put simply, I owe her my life. When I was little she protected me and several friends. I also admire and respect her, I don't believe that she could've done something worth getting executed."

"That so…?" Ichigo responded disinterestedly. After another period of silence he asked, "Hey, mind if I ask you something else?"

Rukia turned to him mildly annoyed. "Yeah, sure."

"Back when you were in the human world with the rest of us, how come you hung around me so much?"

Rukia gasped in surprise. "Er, eh, wh-what…?"

"You know, you started living in my closet and you were pretty much around me all the time. Why?"

Rukia's face turned red as she mumbled incoherently before sputtering, "T-to ensure that you always knew whenever there was an incoming Hollow."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Really? Kazuma seems pretty good at sensing them so I think that should've been enough."

"A-also to keep an eye on your Fullbringer powers. I wanted to make sure you were using them properly."

Ichigo remained silent for a few moments.

"What? Do you think I'm lying?"

Ichigo remained silent in thought before shrugging. "Not really."

Rukia sighed in relief.

A short time later, in a foggy location, a tile on the floor tilted up as Lisanna peeked out before pushing it out of the way and jumping out of the hole. "Okay, it's all clear out here," she reported down.

After a moment Ichigo and Ganju flew up swiftly before landing on the ground hard.

"Why the hell'd you throw us you bastard?!" Ganju snarled.

"I don't need you perving on Rangiku, Cera, and Palutena," Kazuma responded.

Palutena looked at him happily.

"That's my job."

Palutena slumped her shoulders in defeat.

As the group got out of the hole and looked around, Lisanna remarked, "The exit to the tower is right over there."

Ganju stretched lightly. "Man, it's been a while since I've actually breathed fresh air like this."

Lisanna pointed ahead as the fog started to clear, towards the tall white tower that sat atop a very tall and large hill. "There, that's the Repentance Cell."

Rangiku narrowed her eyes and added, "Even though we've come this far, this where the hard part begins."

Ahead of them was a very wide set of stairs lead up towards the Repentance Cell, Ichigo pointed to them and suggested, "We should get going now."

As Ichigo began to walk Kazuma outstretched a hand. "Hold on."

The others looked ahead curiously as the fog cleared, seeing a figure walking down the stairs towards them.

As the figure approached, Kazuma narrowed his eyes. "Quite a greeting party."

Renji came into view as the fog fully cleared.

Rukia widened her eyes in shock. "Renji…"

Renji narrowed his eyes as he saw Rangiku and Lisanna with Kazuma and the others. He then noticed Rukia and clenched his fist. He then turned to Kazuma. "I suppose you don't remember me, do you?"

"Considering Erza had knocked you on your ass and you were unconscious in a pile of your own failure, no, I don't," Kazuma deadpanned.

Renji twitched an eyebrow and glowered at Kazuma. "You know, you've got a pretty big head on your shoulders for someone who got his ass beat!"

"Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

"You're really pissing me off! I was planning on a really cool entry and you had to go and ruin it! You jackass!"

Kazuma shrugged. "I'll be here whenever you need me."

"You can very well leave!"

Kazuma's expression swiftly turned serious. "I think you and I both know that won't happen."

Renji snarled and then turned to Rukia. "Rukia…what the hell's going on? Why are you with these Ryoka?!"

Rukia tightened her fists in response. "It's…hard to explain. All I can say is I have my own reasons."

Renji huffed angrily. "Whatever. I don't know what you've done to them you bastard, but I'll be sure to kill you."

Ganju poked Ichigo in the shoulder. "Who the heck is this crazy guy with the goggles? His spiritual pressure is on a totally different level from the other guys we've encountered."

Ichigo shook his head in response. "No clue."

Rangiku answered, "Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad Six."

Ganju paled. "Y-you mean…this guy's a Lieutenant…?"

Rangiku frowned in annoyance. "So am I."

Ganju remained silent.

Rangiku twitched an eyebrow.

Renji narrowed his eyes as he looked at Kazuma. "I figured that Captain Kuchiki's attack would've killed you."

Kazuma huffed in annoyance. "No mere Soul Reaper can kill me. Not for long at least."

Renji furrowed his brow in confusion. "Whatever. That doesn't matter. While it's impressive that you survived, this is the end. I'm going to personally kill the one that stole Mo…Erza's powers."

Kazuma narrowed his eyes in thought before putting his hand on Zangetsu's hilt.

"As long as you're still alive, she'll never get her powers back."

"You don't even realize that the reason they brought her back here was just to kill her, do you?"

Renji clenched his teeth in response. "Believe me…I know…"

Kazuma raised an eyebrow in thought. "I'm not going to let them do that however, so you should just let me pass." Kazuma then pulled Zangetsu from its sheath and lowered the sword in front of him, setting his legs apart and angling his body in a combat stance.

Renji withdrew his own sword and then placed his hand at the base of the blade and swept it up, the blade transforming to its segmented form in a flash of light. "Roar, Zabimaru!"

Kazuma narrowed his eyes before he charged at Renji swiftly, swinging his sword in a low, horizontal strike.

Renji swung his blade down and tried to catch Kazuma's sword on one of the prongs but Kazuma pulled his blade out from under Renji's in a swift motion, causing Renji to trip.

Kazuma turned his blade and swung up from the opposite side.

Renji snarled as he swung Zabimaru out to the side to block the strike before jumping back to put space between himself and Kazuma. He then growled angrily. "You pompous little punk. You actually plan on fighting me without knowing Shikai?"

Kazuma kept his calm expression in place. "No. I just don't know why I should bother using it on you."

Renji's eyes widened before narrowing in anger. "You're gonna pay for that!" He then swung his sword out to the side, causing it to extend swiftly towards Kazuma.

In another area of the Seireitei, three Soul Reapers grouped up and one asked the other two, "Have you found anything?"

"Not a thing," the second answered.

The third added, "It's been a while since the intrusion, and the casualties keep going up. Even the Captains and Lieutenants keep dropping."

Suddenly, a new voice called from the end of the alley they were in. "Hey, someone's found Jirobo and he's unconscious!"

"What?!" all three shouted in surprise before running to check on the situation.

Nearby, behind one of the walls, Uryu, Orihime, and Aika had been hiding, listening.

"Kazuma and the others must really be giving the Soul Reapers hell," Uryu commented. "Surveillance has gotten a lot tighter."

Orihime patted Aika on the head. "We should be okay if whoever we run into is on the same level as that guy. Aika can take'em down easy."

"R-right…" Aika responded weakly. She frowned in annoyance. 'Dammit, that was a big mistake back there.'

Uryu looked at Aika momentarily before looking back into the alleyway. 'That's not the part that worries me though. I can sense both Kazuma and Renji's spiritual pressure…Kazuma's found himself a tough opponent.'

Suddenly two of Orihime's Shun-Shun Rikka, Ayame and Shun'o, appeared in Uryu's face and interrupted his thoughts.

"Are you alright?" Shun'o asked, startling the bespectacled teen at their sudden appearance.

"Ah, y-yeah…I'm fine…" Uryu muttered, surprised at the intrusion.

"That's good," Orihime remarked. "There are times where you space out and it makes me worried."

Ayame and Shun'o then returned to Orihime.

"We should get going," Aika suggested.

The other two nodded in agreement.

Elsewhere, Sado, Yuuto, and Toyotama were running through more of the Seireitei's streets when Toyotama suddenly stopped.

Sado and Yuuto stopped as well and noticed she was looking off into the distance.

"Something wrong?" Sado asked.

Yuuto walked up to her and said with a smile, "I think he'll be alright."

Toyotama turned to him surprised. "Uh…what?"

"You're worried about Soryu right? I can sense the mana of the person he's fighting too and it's strong. But Soryu won't go down that easily." Yuuto smiled warmly and added, "So let's leave that to him and keep moving."

Toyotama stood for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry for holding everyone up."

Sado shook his head in response and the three then continued on their path.

Renji's sword extended swiftly towards Kazuma.

Kazuma lazily swung his sword to the side, stopping Zabimaru from reaching him.

Renji pulled his arm back and then swung another strike which Kazuma easily blocked and then sent one last strike, that angled in to Kazuma from behind.

Kazuma waved his hand behind him, causing a gust of wind to knock Zabimaru off course, crashing into the ground harmlessly next to him.

Renji smirked in response. "Don't think you're free yet!" He then retracted Zabimaru, causing the blade to begin to coil around Kazuma, but Kazuma easily jumped out of its snare as the blade fully retracted. "You bastard!" Renji shouted as he charged at Kazuma.

Ganju then remarked, "This Kazuma guy's strong but Renji is a Lieutenant, there's no way Kazuma can win."

"That's not quite accurate," Lisanna argued. "He's completely overwhelmingly Renji."

At that moment, Kazuma swung at Renji, forcing the redhead to raise his blade in defense, and then Kazuma kept up the attack, launching swing after swing, slowly pushing Renji back towards the wall.

Ganju widened his eyes as Kazuma pinned Renji against the wall with a constant flurry of strikes.

"Just…just what kind of a human is he?" Lisanna asked in awe.

"That's the thing," Palutena answered. "He isn't a human. He's a Campione, a god slayer."

Ganju and Lisanna widened their eyes in surprise.

"You gotta be kiddin' me," Ganju gaped.

"Not quite," Rangiku corrected. "Unfortunately Kazuma's severely weakened from normal right now."

"Oh?" Palutena asked.

"If Kazuma were at full power…he would've beaten Renji in a single blow. But as it stands his powers have been severely hampered."

"Then…if you had to guess. How much power do you think he has right now?"

Cera folded her arms in thought. "I'd say he's probably got about thirty percent of his power right now."

"Thirty…holy crap…" Ganju muttered, surprised.

"Oh? That's only how much he has. You're probably more interested in how much he's using against Renji, right?"

Palutena blinked curiously. "Isn't he using all thirty percent?"

Cera chuckled lightly. "No. He's using about ten percent right now."

Palutena's eyes widened in shock. 'Wait…Boosted Gear…and so much overwhelming power…is he…is he the one who defeated Zeus…?'

Renji snarled as he was kept pinned by Kazuma's assault before lashing out with one of his feet, hoping to knock Kazuma off balance, however the brunette jumped back before Renji could hit him. Renji took a step forward and stumbled. 'D-dammit…he had me pinned for so long…I'm feeling numb…'

Kazuma lazily flexed his neck as he waited for Renji to move.

"You bastard…you really think you can beat me so easily!?" Renji howled as he sent Zabimaru surging forward once more.

Kazuma vanished as the blade reached him.

Renji turned to the side and saw Kazuma, redirecting the blade to attack him.

Kazuma disappeared right before the blade smashed into the ground.

Renji swiftly turned and sent another strike towards Kazuma, who had appeared behind him. Renji growled as his strike missed and began to retract Zabimaru.

However, as he retracted Zabimaru, Kazuma appeared behind him and swung.

Renji snarled as he rolled forward, a shallow gash having been carved in his back before turning and launching another strike at Kazuma.

Kazuma smacked the extending blade aside with Zangetsu and then dashed forward at blinding speed, only to reappear behind Renji.

Renji's eyes widened as the brunette moved. 'No…' At that moment multiple deep gashes appeared on Renji's body, causing blood to splash on the ground around him. Renji turned as he sent another slash out at Kazuma. 'I can't…'

Kazuma deflected the strike and dashed towards Renji.

Renji jumped out of the way right as Kazuma passed, getting a large gash in his left side, he slid to a stop, stabbing Zabimaru into the ground to halt his movement. 'I can't let it…' Renji swung with a straight shot, towards Kazuma.

Kazuma vanished right before the blade reached him but Renji instantly angled the blade towards him. Kazuma slammed a foot onto the ground and raised his blade, broadside forward, as the end of Zabimaru slammed into Zangetsu.

After a moment Renji's blade retracted.

Kazuma narrowed his eyes as he lowered Zangetsu. 'Guess he earned that Lieutenant badge. He's starting to predict my movements.' Kazuma then smirked in amusement. 'This should be a little more fun than I expected.'

Renji snarled and charged towards Kazuma, sending Zabimaru hurtling out ahead of him.

Kazuma easily blocked the blade but raised an eyebrow when he noticed one of the prongs catch on Zangetsu.

Renji began retracting Zabimaru, hoping to trip Kazuma.

However, Kazuma pulled back on Zangetsu, causing Renji to stumble forward and lose his balance. At that exact moment Kazuma then surged forward, vanishing from sight momentarily only to reappear behind Renji.

Two large, deep gashes appeared on Renji's torso as blood splashed to the ground. Renji snarled and turned to Kazuma. "You…bastaaard…!" Renji charged at Kazuma. 'No…I won't let it end this way…!'

However, as Renji approached Kazuma, the brunette swung his sword at Renji, the broadside slamming hard into the side of Renji's head, shattering his goggles before he was sent tumbling to the side, crashing into the wall so hard that dust and chunks of stone were sent flying.

The others gaped in shock.

Kazuma sighed as he sheathed Zangetsu. "This battle is over."

Renji stood up shakily and took a few uneasy steps towards Kazuma before collapsing. Zabimaru faded back into its normal form as he fell. Renji sighed in defeat. "So…you're done too…Zabimaru…?" Renji clenched a fist on the dirt around him before clenching his teeth.

Kazuma walked up to Renji as the redhead slowly attempted to stand. "Do yourself a favor and stay down." Accentuating his point, Kazuma slammed a foot on his head, effectively knocking the Lieutenant unconscious.

As he fell into unconsciousness, one last thought hit Renji's mind. '…Mother…'

Momo walked by an open door in one of the buildings within the Seireitei when she noticed an object lying on the table inside. Her eyes widened as she picked it up.

"Is something wrong?" a voice asked.

Momo turned around in surprise, holding the object behind her, and saw Hinata standing behind her. "C-Commander Hyuga…"

Hinata extended a hand towards Momo.

"Wh-what…?"

"Show it to me. What you have behind your back," Hinata requested.

Momo sighed as she handed the object to her, the Lieutenant badge for Squad Six.

Hinata narrowed her eyes as she tucked the object in her Shihakusho. "For now this should be kept quiet. With as much as is going on right now, this wouldn't make things any better."

Momo nodded in understanding. "Yes, ma'am."

Inside the Repentance Cell, Erza widened her eyes. 'That spiritual pressure…it vanished…'

Yoruichi hopped along more of the rooftops before stopping. "There are battles all over the place. It seems like the Seireitei's forces are faring worse than I expected. And what's this strange spiritual pressure I feel…it's so…violent."

In one of the alleyways of the Seireitei, "Arturia" looked at a Soul Reaper annoyed. "So you don't know where he is?"

The young man, frightened shook his head. "N-n-no…I don't know anything!"

"A pity." "Arturia" raised her blade and then swung it down, blood splattering on the wall in front of her before she continued walking down the street she was on.

As Renji's consciousness faded from Kazuma's last stomp, his thoughts collected. 'Why…how come I never noticed it until now…?' His thoughts then drifted to his past, when he grew up in the Seventy-Eighth Ward of South Rukon District.

A young Renji, with three friends, a boy with short, messy brown hair in a blue outfit, a boy with dark brown hair wearing a yellow outfit, and a slightly overweight boy with short black hair wearing a green outfit, looked at the food on the stall of an old man.

Renji and the yellow-clothed boy quietly and swiftly tied the man's foot to one of the legs of the table while the other two boys ran up and grabbed some of the food from the table before running off.

"Hey! Get back here you brats!" the old man shouted as he chased after them, only to trip and knock his table down due to being tied to it.

As the children ran off with their cache of food, the man quickly untied his leg and pursued them.

However, as the children ran, the man begin catching up to them. "You little-!"

He attempted to hit them but a new voice suddenly shouted, "Look out!" as a figure came sliding in and tripped the man, causing him to fall flat on his face.

The figure was a young Rukia who then proceeded to repeatedly stamp on the man's head with her small feet before running off with the four boys.

Eventually the five escaped from the pursuer and stopped in a small, secluded building

"Thanks for the help back there," Renji said to Rukia before handing her some of the food they stole before the group divided it up evenly between all five.

Rukia nodded as she accepted the food.

"Hey, give it!" the heavyset boy said crassly as he pushed the yellow-clothed boy away and took his portion of food.

The yellow-clad boy then began crying as a result.

Rukia frowned and walked over to the green-clad boy, who looked at her uneasily. "Why'd you do that?! This food is all we have for the group of us, hoarding more for yourself doesn't help anyone!"

The boy shrunk back from her scolding.

Rukia sighed and then turned to the yellow-clothed boy and extended out her hands. "Here, you can have some of mine."

He looked at her surprised. "Are…are you sure…?"

Rukia nodded with a smile. She then walked outside of the small room.

Renji blinked curiously and then followed after her.

Renji looked around outside and saw her sitting up in a tree nearby.

Rukia looked down and remarked, "Have you grown so attached to me that you just had to follow me?"

Renji's face turned as red as his hair as he looked away defiantly. "N-no…that's not it at all…" Renji argued weakly.

Some time later, Renji, Rukia, and their friends were wandering on the edge of the Rukon district scavenging for food.

The green-clad kid grumbled as he put some berries in a basket. "Man, I hate doin' this."

"Oh quit whining," Renji snarled. "We can't eat just candy all the time."

"Why not…?"

Renji just sighed. His eyes suddenly widened as he looked around.

"Somethin' wrong Renji?" the blue-clothed boy asked.

"The air just got really heavy…"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're right, it's like it's getting hotter or something," Rukia added.

The other boys looked at each confused and shrugged.

The children all froze as they heard a stomping sound getting closer.

They all huddled together, unable to figure out where the sound was coming from.

The group turned as a nearby tree collapsed to the ground and large Hollow with a green body with red fur on different spots, claws on its two hands, and a tall mask with four tusks and yellow eyes appeared through the trees, its body surrounded by a thick, purple haze of mana.

Renji trembled as he saw the huge creature.

The Hollow chuckled as it saw the group. "Ahhh…the souls of children are so tasty. And I've got two unique specimens right here."

Renji widened his eyes as he looked around him. 'Dammit. That thing is going after the others.' As the creature walked closer Renji clenched his hand before deciding to take action.

The Hollow snickered in amusement before he felt several tiny impacts on his mask. "What the hell?" He turned to the side and saw Renji standing apart from the group, throwing food at him.

"Hey, you big ugly jerk! Come and get me!" Renji shouted.

"Renji, what are you doing!?" Rukia shouted.

"Get out of here you guys!" Renji shouted.

The Hollow narrowed his eyes as he turned to Renji. "You're rather brave for a weakling. That should mean your soul is extra tasty."

The Hollow then charged at Renji.

Renji froze in fear but then dove to the side, dodging its claw swipe. As he stood up from his roll he grabbed several rocks and threw them at the Hollow, one hitting it in the eye.

"Gah! You little bastard! You'll pay for that!"

Renji attempted but failed to dodge the next strike as it slammed its hand into the ground, causing him to get sent flying into the air and slam into a tree. Renji tried to get up but the impact weakened his already frail body even more.

"Tch, just for that, I'll force you to watch as I devour your friends."

"N-no…stop…" Renji begged as the Hollow turned its attention towards Rukia and the others.

Rukia stood in front of the others and attempted to protect them.

Suddenly a voice called out, "Dominate the battlefield, Izanami!"

At that moment Erza appeared from within the trees, equipped with a large, golden halberd with a circular handguard just below the large blade that had a semicircle of rhombuses on the flat side, and a purple cloth tied just below the blade. She looked at the Hollow angrily. "Mad Eater, so you have sunk to chasing children, have you?"

The Hollow, Mad Eater, growled in annoyance. "Stupid Soul Reapers always interrupting my meals. Be gone!" He swept a clawed hand at Erza but she vanished in an instant. Mad Eat then looked up and lunged at Erza who was suspended in the air.

Erza retaliated by slamming the blade of her Zanpakuto into the Hollow's head and causing it to slam into the ground. She then surged down and slashed as she hit the ground, decapitating the Hollow in a single motion, causing it to disintegrate moments later.

Erza stood up as her Zanpakuto reverted to the shape of a standard katana before she sheathed it.

The children looked at her amazed.

Renji stood up weakly and walked over to her. He bowed and said emphatically, "Th-thank you!"

Erza looked at him curiously and then lightly punched him on the head. "What you did was very foolish. It is a miracle that you did not die."

Renji frowned and grit his teeth angrily. His eyes widened as he then felt a hand caressing his head. He looked up and saw Erza smiling warmly at him.

"But what you did was also very brave. You fought hard to protect your friends. You should grow stronger so you can continue to protect them in the future."

Renji looked at her surprised and then nodded assuredly. "Right!"

Erza stood up and nodded with a smile before turning to the others. "You should all try to grow strong as well." She then vanished in a flash.

After making their way back to their makeshift home, the group of children decided to try and summon up some of their mana.

The three boys failed to summon up any at all.

Renji struggled but managed to form a small ball of mana.

The surprise of the others, however, Rukia managed to easily form a large ball of mana, an act she was quite proud of.

Renji twitched an eyebrow in annoyance.

One of the boys then exclaimed, "You guys should totally try and become Soul Reapers!"

"Yeah!" another boy agreed.

Renji waved a hand. "No way. I'd rather stay here with my friends forever."

The blue-clad boy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's definitely the best choice."

Some point after that, as the group were at the edge of a river fishing for food, Renji and Rukia sat at the edge of the river with rods deployed while the other boys gathered up the fish.

Renji sighed, irritated. "Damn it, we haven't even managed to catch a single damn fish!"

After a short time some flowers floated down the river right before Renji finally pulled a fish from the river.

"Yes!" He turned to gloat when he noticed the other boys staring at Rukia, their faces slightly flushed. He twitched an eyebrow and threw his fish at one of them. "Come on you guys, quit standing around!"

After that, many years passed, and Rukia and Renji, now grown to young adults, stood on a cliff looking over the Seventy-eighth Ward of the Rukon District.

After a moment of silence, Rukia said, "Renji…we should become Soul Reapers."

Renji looked out over the city and nodded.

Behind them, three gravestones stood on top of small mounds.

Soon, the two applied for the school for Soul Reapers, Shin'o Academy, and were accepted into its ranks. In one of their many classes, the teacher asked a question to the students.

Renji excitedly shouted, "Teacher! I know the answer!"

The teacher rebutted, "It's rather impractical for you to simply shout it out randomly in class."

The other students began laughing and mocking Renji for his enthusiasm.

After the class ended, Rukia walked up to Renji. "Hey, you okay?"

Renji nodded. "Yeah, I'm just fine."

"Good, you should keep being excited and enthusiastic. I'm tired of those upper class kids always mocking you."

A period of time later, Renji ran down one of the halls, towards the room Rukia was staying in. He excitedly threw the doors open and announced, "Rukia! I passed the test!" However, his enthusiasm died down when he noticed that, gathered around Rukia, were several nobles, including Captain Byakuya Kuchiki.

The nobles then left the room, an old man leaving Rukia with a parting remark, "We expect a response from you soon."

As they left, Renji gulped as he felt their spiritual pressure around him. After a moment Renji came back to his senses and walked up to Rukia. "Hey, what was that all about?"

Rukia, with a sullen expression, responded, "They…said they wanted to adopt me…into the Kuchiki Clan."

Renji smiled brightly. "That's great! Just think of all the benefits you'll get from that!"

However, Rukia wordlessly walked out of the room, a saddened expression on her face.

Renji watched in confusion as several tears fell from her face. He nodded to himself and thought, 'I'm not going to interfere with Rukia's happiness.'

Kazuma looked over the unconscious Renji, noticing his expression of frustration.

Rukia walked up behind Kazuma. "Please, just leave him there. Don't kill him."

Kazuma glanced back Rukia and sighed before sheathing Zangetsu and removing his foot from Renji's head. "So be it. Besides, we can't wait around here any long, we need to get to the Repentance Cell."

The others nodded in agreement.

Lisanna turned in surprise. "Uh-oh, there are more Soul Reapers coming."

"Then let's not waste any more time," Kazuma urged.

The group quickly made their way up the nearby steps.

Several Soul Reapers, including Isane and Momo, arrived at the spot where Renji and Kazuma's fight had taken place. The group was shocked to see Renji collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

"Quickly, get this man to the Squad Four barracks!" Isane ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" the other Soul Reapers responded.

Shortly thereafter, Renji was lying on a gurney in the Squad Four barracks.

"What should we do?" Momo asked.

Isane was about to answer when they were interrupted by Byakuya Kuchiki. "No relief will be offered to Renji as punishment for his failure in battle."

Momo widened her eyes and was about to stand up to defend Renji.

Isane put a hand on Momo's shoulder. "You shouldn't."

"But…" Momo tried to argue before sighing in defeat.

"Put Renji in a holding cell," Byakuya ordered curtly as he left.

Isane then added, "You shouldn't try and defy a superior's orders. It can only end badly."

At that moment, Gin walked into the room. "I've no problem defying Byakuya." He turned to Isane. "Give Renji the first aid he needs."

Isane looked at Gin suspiciously but nodded. "Yes, sir."

Momo then turned to leave the room as Toshiro walked into the room. 'All the Captains…they're coming to check on Renji's condition…' She then turned to Toshiro. "Erm, Captain Hitsugaya. Why are you here?"

Toshiro said quietly, "Be wary of Gin Ichimaru."

Momo looked at him curiously as he entered the room before she left.

Sometime later, inside the main hall of the Seireitei, the remaining Captains gathered in the hall.

Yamamoto sighed heavily. "This Ryoka has gone immensely out of control. I hereby authorize the release of Zanpakuto within the court. This has changed from a mission of containment to a war against the Ryoka!"

The Captains were quite pleased with the new orders being handed down.

Sousuke momentarily glanced at Gin, whose attention was directed straight ahead.

At the Repentance Cell, Erza moved over towards the door and asked, "Would you mind telling me of the events outside?"

The two guards looked at each other and then one shrugged.

The other answered, "It seems that Lieutenant Abarai has been defeated as well as Captain Tousen, Captain Zaraki, Lieutenant Kira, and Lieutenant Hisagi."

Erza's widened in surprise. 'So many officers…just who is invading…? Is it…is it truly Kazuma…? He would not be so suicidal…would he…?'

Inside the holding cells, Renji lied on the ground unconscious, but his wounds cared for by Squad Four.

Momo looked over his unconscious form and frowned sadly.

As she looked over him, another Soul Reaper walked up to her. "Lieutenant Hinamori, Head Captain Yamamoto has decreed a new order, allowing the release of Zanpakuto."

Momo's eyes widened in realization and fear as the order came. 'This means…even more, worse battles are coming…'

As night had come to the Seireitei, Momo made her way to one of the offices in the building and knocked on the door.

The door opened to reveal Aizen.

"Ah, Momo, is something wrong?" he asked warmly.

"Is it alright if I come in, Captain?" she asked timidly.

Aizen remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes, please, come inside."

Momo nodded and stepped inside the room.

Kazuma and the others stopped near one of the large, grey-white, blocky towers surrounding them.

"This place is almost as confusing of a maze as those damn sewers," Ganju snarled.

"For now we should find a place to hide out until morning," Kazuma remarked.

"Yeah, but where?" Ichigo asked.

"How about over here?" Lisanna suggested, ducking into yet another entry hole into the waterways.

"Well…it's better than nothing," Kazuma said.

The others nodded in agreement and made their way into the waterways yet again for the night.

Rowen sat quietly sipping tea. "I do apologize for this, but as you can see, we are still enemies."

In front of him, Rias and Akeno lay unconscious, their teacups spilled.

"Tomorrow I will take you to the prison where you will likely be interrogated. But for tonight, I will let you stay here." Rowen then continued sipping his tea.

Inside his room, Aizen wrote on a long piece of paper as Momo sat behind him. "You needn't worry yourself over these matters, Momo."

"But…a ruling like that…that means the situation is getting bad, doesn't it…?" Momo asked fearfully.

"Don't worry, we've got the situation under control, you just keep focused on your job."

Momo nodded silently. "Captain Aizen…is it okay if I stay here for a while?"

Aizen stopped writing and turned to her. "Of course, Momo."

Momo nodded with a smile.

Later, Aizen turned and noticed that Momo had fallen asleep. He quietly laid a blanket over her while a figure observed him from afar.

After some time passed Momo suddenly woke up and began apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry for falling asleep! I didn't mean…to…" She trailed off as she realized Aizen was gone.

She was startled as Aizen's alarm clock suddenly starting going off.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late!" she exclaimed frantically as she hurried out the door.

As she rushed through the halls of the building to a meeting, she stopped when she heard an odd sound. She looked and saw a puddle of red liquid on the floor. She looked up to where the liquid was dripping from and her blood ran cold. Her eyes widened before she shrieked loudly in horror.

Her loud screams echoed through the halls, alerting the other gathered Soul Reapers who ran to her location and found her frozen in place, they all looked where she was staring and their eyes widened.

High on the wall, impaled by his own Zanpakuto, was Sousuke Aizen.

"What is all this noise?" Gin asked nonchalantly as he entered the area.

Momo turned to Gin, her eyes dilated in fury, Toshiro's words echoing in her mind, 'Be wary of Gin Ichimaru.'

Seeing Gin, Momo withdrew her blade and shouted, "Snap, Tobiume!" Her Zanpakuto then straightened, formed a double-edged blade, and two, jutte-like prongs formed on either side of the blade, before she charged at Gin.

"Momo, stop!" Toshiro shouted as he appeared and used his blade to lodge hers into the ground, preventing her from advancing.

"Please, move!" Momo pleaded.

"You know I can't do that, Momo," Toshiro rebutted. He then leaned closer to her and said quietly, "Doing anything like this now would only make things worse, seal your Zanpakuto."

Momo trembled as a tear fell from her eye but Tobiume returned to its normal state.

"My, my, are we on edge?" Gin taunted.

Toshiro turned to Gin and glared. He then sighed. "Put Lieutenant Hinamori under arrest."

Momo frowned as two other Soul Reapers walked up to her.

Toshiro then turned to Momo. "You should have dealt with Captain Aizen's body first instead of attacking your comrades."

Momo grit her teeth as the two Soul Reapers took her into custody.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, Captain Hitsugaya," Gin remarked in his usual tone.

Toshiro turned to Gin and noticed his partially withdrawn Zanpakuto. "You were planning on killing Momo."

"Oh? I assure you that is not the case."

"If she loses even a drop of blood, I will kill you," Toshiro threatened.

"Oh my, so scary."

After a moment more Soul Reapers showed up and were shocked to see Aizen's body.

"Take Captain Aizen's body down from there. I'm going to tell Captain Yamamoto about this," Toshiro ordered.

"Yes, sir!" the Soul Reapers responded as Toshiro left.

In the underground waterways, Kazuma and the others remained at their spot.

"Do you think we should get moving yet?" Ichigo asked.

Kazuma shook his head. "No. I'm not sure what it is but all of a sudden the Soul Reapers have started acting like crazed ants. They're running around like crazy."

"I wonder what happened," Rukia wondered.

"Do you guys have any form of intercommunication?" Kazuma asked.

"We use Hell Butterflies but unfortunately it's not really an option for us to use one right now," Rangiku explained.

Kazuma narrowed his eyes before he stood up and opened the entry way to their location.

"What are you doing?!" Rukia demanded.

Kazuma looked around before one of his tentacles suddenly surged out before retracting.

Rukia paled as it returned and he closed the entrance. "Wh-what the hell was that…?"

Rangiku looked at Kazuma curiously before seeing what the tentacle had captured, a large black and blue butterfly. "That's…!"

Kazuma nodded as he handed it to her. "I assume you know how to make it work?"

Rangiku nodded as she took the Hell Butterfly onto her finger.

After a moment Rangiku's eyes widened.

"What is it?" Kazuma asked.

"Sousuke Aizen, Captain of Squad Five, has been murdered," she explained, shock.

Lisanna, Rukia, and Palutena's eyes also widened.

Ganju turned to Ichigo and asked, "Who's that?"

Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

Kazuma folded his arms in thought.

"What?" Rangiku questioned.

"Something doesn't seem right. That bastard's too slippery to go down like that," Kazuma explained.

Rangiku furrowed her brow in thought. "What are you talking about? Have you ever met Captain Aizen before?"

Kazuma nodded. "I have. And I almost killed him. I'm pissed someone else got to him before I could."

Cera narrowed her eyes in thought.

"We should get going, if a Captain was just murdered then security is sure to heighten. We need to take advantage of the confusion while it lasts."

The others nodded in agreement as they left their hiding spot.

In a warehouse within the Seireitei, Sado, Yuuto, and Toyotama lay inside, fast asleep.

As he lied on the pile of hay sleeping, Sado's mind returned several years to the past.

Sado, wearing a grey uniform, stood with his usual calm expression, standing over the prone form of Ichigo and the sitting form of Kazuma.

"You're Chad?" Kazuma asked as he looked up at the tall teen.

"Close, it's Sado," the tall teen corrected.

Ichigo, blood running down his face, then asked, "Is it just me, or are you frickin' huge?"

"That's definitely our uniform," Kazuma remarked as he flexed his neck.

"Really?" Ichigo asked as he weakly angled his head to look at Kazuma before looking back up at Sado. "I've never seen you before."

"I was supposed to start classes today, in room 2-F," Sado asked.

"You're a junior!?" Ichigo asked in shock.

Kazuma blinked in thought, "I gotta agree with spiky on this one. I've never seen a junior built like a brick shithouse before."

Ichigo then strained to stand up, Kazuma extending a hand to help him stand. "I'll still don't get why you didn't hit those guys back," Ichigo remarked as he brushed some of the dirt from his shirt. "But, what the hell I guess you must have your reasons, so thanks for helping me out."

Kazuma lightly knocked him on the head. "I'll helped too jackass."

"Oh don't give me that, you were busy chasing tail while I was getting my ass beat."

Kazuma shrugged in response. "A guy's gotta have priorities."

Sado then looked at Ichigo and said, "Wait, are you sure you should be standing up?"

"Yeah, sure, why not? I feel alright," Ichigo replied.

"Well you don't look so good. You took a pretty serious beating back there."

Kazuma patted Ichigo on the back. "Atlas here is right you know."

"Eh, I've had worse," Ichigo replied. "If they didn't have rocks and bats I woulda kicked their asses." He then hit Kazuma on the back with some force. "And if you had decided to actually help me!"

"Yikes, sorry, sorry," Kazuma apologize uncommitted.

"These guys were pretty serious," Sado remarked. "What'd you do to make them so angry?"

"Nothing that I know of," Ichigo replied.

Kazuma then put a hand on Ichigo's head. "They actually dislike spiky's hair. He stands out, and they don't like that."

Ichigo swatted Kazuma's hand away. "Yeah, they don't like anyone who stands out, they're pretty close-minded that way. You know, I'm sure you get it too."

Sado's eyes widened slightly.

"As big as you are, I'm sure there are always people wanting to fight you just to prove themselves."

As the two began to leave, Kazuma turned to Sado and said, "Come on, let's go Chad."

"It's Sado, why don't you call me that?" Sado asked. He then noticed Ichigo waver as he walked. "You're obviously still wobbly."

"And you obviously don't like being called Chad, why not? I think it sounds cool, like the country," Ichigo rebutted.

"Never heard of it, where is it?"

"Central Africa if I recall correctly," Kazuma replied.

"Then how about Hanging Chad?" Ichigo asked.

"Never heard of him," Sado responded. "But I have heard of Horatio Chadstein."

The three continued speaking as they walked out of the alleyway.

Sado woke up as Yuuto shook him lightly. Sado turned to Yuuto curiously.

"Shh," Yuuto whispered as he formed a sword in his hand, Toyotama ready with her spear.

Sado stood up and activated his armor right as the door to the warehouse they were in burst open.

Kazuma and the others continued their path towards the Repentance Cell.

"Hey, do you think the others are okay?" Ganju asked as they ran.

"They'll be fine," Kazuma answered. "I don't think there's a being alive that can beat Aoko, and Arturia could kick my ass as it stands so she'll be fine. The others should be fine too. Of course, Sado is one of the ones I'm least worried about, after Aoko. I've been able to feel his mana this entire time no matter where he is. He's like a walking searchlight."

A Soul Reaper slammed into the wall unconscious after being hit by Sado.

Yuuto dodged a strike from another Soul Reaper and slashed at him, knocking him down.

A different Soul Reaper tried to attack Toyotama but her spear reached longer and allowed her to knock him down in one hit.

There was one last conscious Soul Reaper the three loomed over, who cowered at their feet.

Yuuto smiled and asked, "Would you mind telling us where the Repentance Cell is?"

The man shakily pointed to it in the distance.

"Thanks," Sado responded as he turned to leave.

"Wait, you're not gonna take him out?" Toyotama asked.

"No need," Sado responded.

Toyotama and Yuuto shared a glance before shrugging and following after Sado.

The Soul Reaper grinned before attacking the three from behind. A sword rose from the ground and disarmed him, Yuuto waving lazily to the man as they walked away. The man trembled in fear.

Kazuma and the others continued running as they began closing in one the Repentance Cell.

"Holy crap…how far away is that place…?" Ganju asked tiredly.

"You can't be getting tired just yet," Lisanna rebutted, "We're not even halfway there yet."

"Oh come on!"

Inside of one of the Seireitei's many buildings, a slim and youthful woman with long black hair that was pinned up, flat bangs framing the right side of her face, and blue eyes wearing round, frameless glasses, and the standard Lieutenant uniform that slightly hid her moderate bust, watched out the slatted windows as Sado, Yuuto, and Toyotama ran past on the ground below. "The Ryoka have just run past our location, it would be pertinent to pursue them," she said before she turned to the man lying behind her.

"Well I certainly wasn't expecting a fight this soon, how about you, Nanao?" a tall, light-skinned man with high cheekbones, grey eyes, and long, wavy brown hair tied in a ponytail, with several bangs framing the left side of his face, with a thin beard wearing a sakkat, a pink, flower-patterned, lady's kimono which was draped over his Captain uniform, which did not have socks to go with his sandals, asked as he laid on the floor lazily.

The woman, Nanao, turned to the man and asked, "Captain Kyoraku, these Ryoka are nothing, allow me to deal with them in your place."

Kyoraku sat up, setting his sakkat properly on his head, and shook his head. "Now, now, Nanao. You know I can't do that. Why don't we just stay here and enjoy ourselves?"

Nanao huffed in response. "We have business to take care of, Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, there is no time for that."

Shunsui sighed as he stood up. "Well, might as well get this over with then. This fight shouldn't be too hard."

Momo sat silently in her prison cell within the Squad Five barracks. She trembled as images of Aizen hanging on the wall forced their way into her mind once more.

At that moment, a petite girl with short, dark blonde hair and azure eyes wearing a standard Soul Reaper uniform with the collar of a white shirt sticking out of the top walked into the room carrying a folded piece of paper.

Momo looked at the girl surprised. "Kiyone. Why are you here?"

Kiyone smiled as she handed the piece of paper to Momo. "I found it in Aizen's office. It wasn't easy to get out of there. Fortunately most of the others just ignore me so that helped a little."

Momo looked at it unsurely as she accepted it. "What's happening outside?"

Kiyone smiled weakly. "It's a complete mess out there."

"How is the investigation going?"

Kiyone scratched her head in thought. "Well near as I can tell they're running around like crazy, what with their Captain and Lieutenant both being gone."

Momo frowned sadly as Kiyone answered.

Kiyone paled and flailed her arms wildly. "Ah, well, it's not really your fault you know…!"

Momo merely sat silently.

"Well, that letter is addressed to you, so I thought I'd try and bring it right to you. Well then, later!" Kiyone then ran out the door.

After Kiyone left, Momo pulled the string away from the folded paper and began to read the contents.

"Momo, if you're reading this letter, then it means I didn't make it back."

As she continued reading, her eyes widened. 'He knew…he knew someone was targeting him. Then last night after I feel asleep, he wrote this letter knowing he might not see me again. Oh, Captain.'

"I know that my actions lately have been the source of great worry to you. And for that I am truly sorry. Until now, I have not spoken to you about the feelings of apprehension I've been having. But you must understand Momo, that whatever I kept from you, it was only because I wanted, if at all possible, to keep you from becoming involved in all this. Sadly, I have now done just that, and you are involved. I hope that somehow you can find it in your heart to forgive me. The chain of events was unavoidable. As for me, I am probably no longer among the living. Therefore, to you, whom I trust more than any other, I leave this record of the truths I have uncovered."

As Momo continued to read the letter her eyes widened in shock.

A wall of the Seireitei exploded as Sado punched through it.

"Geez, you'd think we'd want to be a little stealthier," Toyotama complained.

Yuuto laughed lightly. "If you know anything about Sado then you'd know subtlety isn't one of his strong points."

"You don't say," Toyotama deadpanned.

"We're getting closer," Sado remarked. "We should keep moving."

"Hold it!" one of the nearby Soul Reapers shouted.

The three turned and saw a large, muscular man with bushy eyebrows and long black hair in double-braids wearing a slightly altered Soul Reaper uniform that left his left arm and the left side of his chest bare.

"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" Toyotama asked irritably.

"I am Tatsufusa Enjoji, Third Seat of Squad Eight!" the man, Tatsufusa, shouted proudly. "I will defeat all three of you Ryoka with ease!" Tatsufusa then displayed his skill by swinging his sword at blinding speeds.

Yuuto flicked a finger and a sword popped up from the ground.

Tatsufusa's motions stopped instantly as his face turned blue. "O-oh dear…" he said in a high-pitched voice before collapsing to the ground.

Toyotama paled slightly. "You really like to go for the weak spots don't you?"

Yuuto smiled in response. "It's always best to strike for vital areas."

"R-right…"

"Let's go," Sado suggested.

The other two nodded and were about to continue on when an unfamiliar voice called out.

"No why not wait just a moment?"

The three turned to the side and looked around as flower petals floated through the air.

Toyotama snatched one from the sky and looked at it puzzled.

They then watched as Shunsui landed gracefully on the ground in front of them. "It's good to meet you all. Though the situation is not as good as it could be."

The three looked at him in disbelief before raising an eyebrow at the flower petals, which seemed to just be falling from the sky.

Shunsui sighed and looked up. "Okay Nanao, thanks for the petals but I think that's enough."

The trio sweat-dropped as Nanao responded by merely dumping the entire basket on him at once.

As Shunsui brushed the petals off Sado then said calmly, "If you don't mind, I'd rather not fight you if I don't have to."

Yuuto nodded in agreement. "I am in the same camp, I don't want to fight when it's not required."

Toyotama shrugged in response. "I don't really give a damn."

Shunsui sighed as he tilted his sakkat back to see them. "Unfortunately I can't let any of you pass. It'd be best for everyone if you did us all a favor and turned back."

"That's not an option," Sado replied plainly.

Shunsui sighed once more. "How disappointing. Like you I don't want to fight unnecessary battles. But if you insist on pushing forward you'll leave me with no choice." Shunsui's smirk then dropped as he rested his left arm on his twin Zanpakuto. "So I'll ask again, turn back," he said, his playful tone replaced with a calm seriousness. "You see, all of the other Captains are on the move and this invasion will be over soon."

"If that's the case," Sado began as he raised his fists, "then that just means I have to get through you faster." He then raised a fist, which was encased in mana, before launching a powerful blast of energy straight at Shunsui.

Shunsui easily and lazily blocked the blast with one hand.

Sado's eyes widened in surprise. "He's strong."

Toyotama raised her spear to fight as Yuuto formed two swords to wield.

"No kidding," Toyotama added.

Yuuto then turned to Toyotama, "I think I've got an idea."

Toyotama turned to listen.

Shunsui narrowed his eyes in thought. 'A fist fighter, a dual-blade user, and a spear-fighter. Heh, all they're missing is a hotty with a sword and a certain suave gun-user. Although the big guy seems a little less observant than the Honors Student.'

Toyotama and Yuuto nodded in agreement and turned to Sado, who also nodded.

'Here they come.'

Toyotama and Yuuto instantly launched forward at blazing speed towards Shunsui.

Toyotama went straight for a frontal assault and jabbed with her spear.

Shunsui easily dodged to the side and jumped slightly into the air, holding onto his sakkat, as Yuuto swung at him, before kicking Yuuto in the chest. He then grabbed Toyotama's spear and flung her at Yuuto, causing the two slam into each other and then the wall. Shunsui then hopped back as Sado fired another shot at him.

Sado frowned in frustration and then charged at Shunsui. As Sado neared Shunsui and threw a flurry of punches, Shunsui easily dodged them all.

Shunsui then spun to the side as Toyotama came in with a horizontal swipe and jumped back as Yuuto dove from above.

Yuuto then charged at Shunsui as Toyotama came in from behind.

Shunsui jumped into the air to dodge the attack but Yuuto stepped on Toyotama's spear and she flung him into the air. Shunsui's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Not bad," Shunsui complimented before vanishing.

Yuuto frowned and also vanished.

Shunsui reappeared at the same time as Yuuto, deftly bending back to evade Yuuto's attack before jumping back and lazily raising arm, blocking Sado's attack.

Sado's eyes widened in shock. 'The gap between a Third Seat and a Captain must be huge…I'm completely outclassed.'

Shunsui noticed the surprise on Sado's face and said, "For a normal human, you're very strong, fast, and sturdy. But you can't even touch a Captain."

Sado put distance between himself and Shunsui.

"Now come on, give this a rest and go home," Shunsui urged once more.

Sado raised his fists in response. "I can't do that."

Shunsui sighed. "Well…guess that's that then."

At that moment both Toyotama and Yuuto vanished in a flash.

Shunsui shrugged in response. "So slow." He then vanished right as Yuuto and Toyotama reappeared. He then reappeared behind Yuuto and lightly poked him in the back, causing a burst of energy to explode on Yuuto and knock him to the ground.

"Tch, you bastard!" Toyotama snarled as she swung at him, only to get a powerful blow to the abdomen that caused her to fall to the ground.

Shunsui then turned to Sado. "Now, if you agree to give up and go away, I'll make sure you can get your friends out unharmed."

Sado narrowed his eyes in response.

After a moment of silence Shunsui sighed and scratched his head in thought. "You Ryoka sure like making things difficult. So be it."

Sado then rushed towards Shunsui and launched several more powerful punches, each of which Shunsui deftly avoided or redirected.

Sado sent a charged punch at Shunsui, however Shunsui vanished right before Sado's hit could connect.

Shunsui then reappeared right behind Sado. "You should give this a rest. If it keeps going, the toll on your body will cost you your life." Shunsui then reached back and tapped Sado's shoulder with two fingers, landing a powerful hit that sent Sado flying several feet away.

Sado slid to a stop before standing up unsteadily.

"Your determination is obvious, but why are you willing to go so far to rescue someone you've only known for a short while?"

Sado looked at Shunsui and answered, "While it's true that I don't know Erza all that well, Kazuma wants to save her. And that's all I need to know."

"He's damn right on that," Toyotama snarled as she stood up. "If my Ashikabi wants to do something, then I'll use my spear to get there."

"Well, well," Shunsui remarked. "Looks like you two didn't stay down for long."

Yuuto wiped blood from his chin as he stood before summoning two more swords. "I agree with Sado, if Kazuma wants to do it," Yuuto's smile widened slightly, "Then that's more than enough reason for me to put everything on the line."

Shunsui remained silent for a moment before sighing. "Well, guess there's nothing else to do. At this point, I can tell it'd be rude to try and convince you all to give up this goal, since you're so stuck to it." Shunsui then reached under his kimono and withdrew his Zanpakuto, which was in fact two swords. "Alright then, come at me."

OMAKE: Ryuuma's Crazy Adventures II

Ryuuma laid quietly on Kazuma's bed when a strange sound woke her. She sat up and looked around, trying to find the source of the sound.

Flapping her little wings she floated through the air for a few seconds before slamming into the ground. She groaned before shaking her head and walking around.

As the little dragon walked around the apartment curiously, she heard the sound growing louder until she reached the sliding door out to the balcony. She rubbed her tiny claws against the glass to try and get through.

Presa noticed the little Dragon-Hollow Hybrid at the door and asked, "So you want outside?" After a moment of thought she shrugged. "How much trouble can you get into?" She slid the door open and the little dragon made her way out onto the balcony and sniffed around. Presa closed the door and returned to what she was doing before, quite a lot of nothing.

Ryuuma looked around the balcony before noticing a small dividing wall between the balcony of Kazuma's apartment and the next. She then saw a small hole at the base of the dividing wall and crawled under it to investigate the strange sound.

As she walked ahead she turned to the side and saw a nearby sliding door with the curtains open and the door slightly ajar.

Ryuuma blinked curiously before walking through the door and seeing the source of the strange sound, a nude, red-haired, teenage girl sitting against the wall, her hand between her legs and stirring around, huffing and panting.

Ryuuma tilted her head curiously before sniffing the air and smelling something enticing. Ryuuma, who was invisible to the girl's sight, walked up to the girl and noticed a small pool of liquid on the floor. Ryuuma looked at the pool curiously and lapped up some with her thin tongue. She chirped happily before seeing its source. She leaned forward to drink some more but the girl suddenly shrieked before reflexively kicking, sending Ryuuma flying out the window.

The girl looked around curiously. "Wh-what was that…?"

Ryuuma shrieked as she went flying out of the window. Seeing the ground below she furiously flapped her wings floated lazily through the air. She looked around thoughtfully before flying off in a random direction.

After a period of time flying through the air, Ryuuma looked around before noticing Kuoh academy nearby.

She looked at it in thought and fluttered towards it, specifically, the old school building.

A powerful gust of wind blew through the air however and caused her to smash through a window and into one of the rooms.

Ryuuma growled lightly before standing up and looking around. Her little yellow eyes widened in shock as she saw figurines, models, books, and movies all centered on a single subject: Abraxas Bael. Ryuuma gaped at the sheer amount of memorabilia centered on this person. She tilted her head curiously as there seemed to be multiple variations of him in different books and movies.

Ryuuma noticed a small DVD player nearby and reached out with her little arm to press the play button. Ryuuma shrieked as images and scenes involving long, thin appendages not meant for her eyes began playing on the screen. She watched as the abdomen one of the women on screen began to swell and gaped in awe. Ryuuma watched for several more raptured moments before deciding to leave and fluttering out the window, leaving the video playing.

Ryuuma floated through the sky curiously, looking around in thought. After several minutes of flight she noticed an old, run-down church on the far, edge of city. Ryuuma blinked curiously before diving down to the church, landing on the ground in front of it.

As she did, a girl with blonde hair walked up to her.

The blonde-haired girl looked at her curiously for a moment.

Ryuuma chirped happily before the girl smiled and picked her up.

"Well aren't you just a cutie?" the girl asked with a smile before entering the church.

Ryuuma looked around curiously at the new scenery before the girl walked up to a blue-haired man.

The blue-haired man looked at the girl annoyed. "What the hell is that thing?"

The blonde held Ryuuma closely, causing the Dragon-Hollow Hybrid to purr lightly. "It's cute, that's what."

"Tch, you've always been rather strange but this is something else. Get rid of that thing."

Ryuuma growled at the man before opening her mouth and sending a blast of flame his way.

The man twitched an eyebrow before raising a hand to run through his hair. His eyes widened when he realized one important fact, he had no more hair left.

The blonde girl giggled before laughing loudly, causing the blue-haired man to growl.

The blonde paled before leaving the area swiftly.

The girl sighed as she crouched down and held her palm with candies in it. "Here."

Ryuuma chirped happily before grabbing up the sweets and flying away.

The blonde snickered to herself.

Ryuuma returned to the apartment and saw that the sliding door was closed. She blinked curiously and then tapped her skull against it.

Presa opened the door as she heard the tapping sound. "Well, did you enjoy yourself? Huh, what've you got in your mouth?"

And that brings an end to this chapter. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it, if you did post a review. If you did not, go ahead and post a review as well, just try to be civil about it. If anything confused you go ahead and post a review about it and I will do my best to answer it. Regardless, that is all there is to say there so see you next time.