AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry for the delay. I was ill again...and i also had to go into a job interview today with Laryngitis...suffice to say it went awfully. Hopefully you guys enjoy this chap more than i enjoyed the interview!

Bleach 538: Reinforcements?!

Scene opens up where it left off,

The Quincy stare down onto the battlefield they have just left.
Mashida has clean cuts across most of his clothes head to foot, a few of the cuts are spattered with blood where the cut had reached though to the skin but for the most part he seems completely uninjured.

Mashida: Well that wasn't nearly as much fun as I'd have hoped. They seemed to know too much about us to enjoy it to its fullest.

Manden stands next to him his clothes and face looking quite singed.

Manden: Their teamwork was impressive too. To execute so well with so little time. I feel no embarrassment in admitting that if that lightning had struck me directly rather than through the ground I would have sustained much worse injuries.

Kensei: indeed, their misdirection was flawless.

Kensei seems to have suffered the worst injuries apart from Manden. His clothes around his arms and chest are all torn up and blood is caked all over them.

Kensei: That old fool made me think he was attacking me with that giant samurai and then runs lightning through his bloody tree roots. He almost had me incapacitated.

The female Quincy laughs, she looks completely unharmed.

Riifa: if he's the fool Kensei then what does that make you?

Kensei: Shut it Riifa.

Riifa: anyway, that's not the most curious thing if you had the chance to notice.

Freidrich: Kurosaki Ichigo, Zaraki Kenpachi, Urahara Kisuke, Ishida Ryuken and Aizen Souske. The five people with the greatest potential to either aid or hinder this war.

Mazrim walks over to join them and stands beside Freidrich, his arms soaked red with blood.

Mazrim: this being primarily because they were incalculable equations due to either the lack of information on their abilities and strength or because their growth hadn't reached its peak.

Riifa: And yet Kuraski Ichigo's father was able to dispel all my attacks with minimum effort. I may only have been having fun but I can tell-

Freidrich: We overlooked him since there were no records of him ever showing any particular talent or ability. We should have expected much more from Kurosaki Ichigo's father, it would seem he has been hiding his true potential even whilst he was a captain in the Gotei 13.

Mazrim: He's also the best friend of Ishida Ryuken, he probably knows better than anyone down there on how to fight a Quincy.

Manden: it was to be expected of the Zero squad, but for the captains and the young prince to be able to fight at such a level-

A loud bellowing laugh interrupts their conversation as they turn around to look at Juha Bach laughing out loud.

Bach: Did I not say patience would have its rewards. Look at the splendid calibre of your opponents.

He looks high above into the sky over the battlefield.

Bach: Now is the time to cut loose. Be free of any bonds or restrictions I have placed on you. The final hour is approaching, the time to show your pride as Quincy has come.

High in the sky above the battlefield a portal opens, streaking rockets of smoke shoot down and crash into the ground all over soul society far away from the sokyou hill.

Bach: And here come your final challengers.

As the smoke and dust begins to clear you see the silhouettes of many figures.
Before the smoke fully clears you see the silhouettes of some disappearing until finally the air clears and standing there, clearly visible from the top of the hill, are Kurosaki Ichigo, Kyoraku Shunsui, Zaraki Kenpachi, Unohona Retsu, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, and Urahara Kisuke.

Bach turns to look at the Urahara Kisuke with a knowing smile on his face.

Bach: so you weren't the original after all.

Kisuke shrugs and smiles back.

Kisuke: surely you didn't expect me to do something so risky this soon?! After all, there's still some way to go.

Bach: Indeed, I wonder-

Behind Bach another portal appears interrupting what he was going to say. Out of it appear Jugo and 2 other Quincy. Jugo is holding an unconscious Zenmaru over his shoulder. As they step through and the portal closes, Urahara turns and flash steps instantly behind Jugo. A surprised look appears on Jugo's face and as you look behind him you see an equally surprised look mirrored on Kisukes face as well.
As the view pans out a little you see a sword sticking out of Kisukes midriff and Bach standing behind him grinning.
Bach pulls out the sword and plants it into the ground.

Bach: Surely you didn't think that I wouldn't deduce what you were up to?

Kisuke: : (cough, splutter) well...one could hope...

Bach: You'd managed to figure out my plans and so there must have been a reason why you chose to come and then stay here. If it wasn't to strike at me directly in some futile hope to stop me then the only other reason could have been to thwart the next step of my plan, opening the gate to the soul kings realm.

Kisuke: I suppose it was too much to expect of you not to figure it out (cough, cough)...but...

Bach: Disperse!

Everyone instantly disappears as Kisuke, in a torrent of blood, explodes everywhere. Manden who is still lying semi-conscious close by gets drenched as the blood falls on him. As soon as it touches his skin he begins to scream and writhe in agony. His body begins to sizzles as it slowly breaks down and disintegrate until there's nothing left part from a pool of blood and a lingering scream in the air.

Mazrim: Manden!

Bach appears behind him and places a hand on his shoulder.

Bach: He is gone my friend, but do not worry, he fought bravely and shall return soon to our side.

Mazrim: (through gritted teeth) Yes, Bach sama.

Bach: To think he laid such a trap that would bypass our Blut so easily. Jugo! Open the portal immediately, there is no need to prolong this any further.

Jugo: Yes Bach sama.

Scene change to Ichigo.

Ichigo stares high up towards the cliff top where the Quincy are standing. Kisuke stands next to him.

Ichigo: What just happened up there? What was that scream? I could hear it all the way over here?!

Kisuke: A back up plan I created in advance to see if we could avoid any further bloodshed unfortunately it seems to have failed.

Unohona steps forward from behind Zaraki and joins them.

Unohona: Kurosaki san, my reiatsu has all but gone, I've done as much as I can for Zaraki Kenpachi. I'll retreat now with the others to the rear guard and assist as best I can.

Zaraki: hmph, I told you there was nothing wrong with me woman! I only had a few broken bones and a punctured lung, I barely had to use any reiatsu fighting over there, you should have wasted your time on the others!

Kurosaki: ...Thank you Unohona san, please look after yourself as well, we'll require your knowledge and skills after this battle whatever the outcome.

Unohona nods in Ichigo's direction and flash steps away.

Shunsui: Even though we've managed to get back here, still, what a perfectly laid plan. Our forces are depleted from fighting in Hueco Mundo to the point where most are having to step back to recover. What's left remaining-

Suddenly Wairudo, Ginrei, Byakuya, Ryuken, Uryuu and Isshin appear in front of them.

Shunsui:- will have a tough time with it.

On top of the cliff a massive portal opens. It's so big that it can be seen by Ichigo and the others.

Urahara: It's much worse! He's already opened the portal! We need to stop him going through before it's too late!

In unison they all jump towards the cliff.

On top of the cliff Bach is walking towards the portal by himself, the rest of the Quincy are all lined up towards the edge of the cliff.

Bach: one way or another we shall see each other soon, now how about some fireworks to send me off in style.

Down on the battlefield you see Ichigo and the others speeding towards the cliff top. They all stop suddenly as millions of arrows shoot out into the sky and down towards them. The arrows are so numerous that the air cannot be seen between them clearly and they look like giant block of solid light descending upon them.

Shunsui: (it's too big, we can't dodge!)

They cover their eyes as the light getting closer blinds them and then engulfs them all.

High up on the cliff Bach walks through the portal, it immediately closing behind him.

Jugo: Now, let's go thank our friends for the entertainment they've provided.

As one, all the Quincy disappear.

Somewhere out in soul society

A large pile of broken earth has built up on the ground and has leaned over creating an overhang. Kisuke and Ichigo appear beneath this.

Ichigo: what are you doing Urahara san? Why did you pull me away?

Kisuke: Because I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. Bach getting to the soul kings realm makes this a lot more complicated.

Ichigo: ...anyone we send after him means we reduce our forces here.

Kisuke: Yes, they're pretty sparse as they are and there is the other problem of getting to the Soul Kings realm ourselves. Only the Zero squad have the capability to open up a portal to the Kings realm and once an official portal has been opened another one cannot be opened for a while. Unfortunately we cannot wait that long.

Ichigo: ...No, not ourselves Urahara san, just me. I'll face Bach in this alone.

Kisuke:... Do you think you can defeat him alone?

Ichigo: I don't know. He's strong as it is along with the fact that he has the captain commanders Bankai as well. I've built up some resistance to it thanks to my training and to Ryujin Jakka but that will only help me so far. The odds of anyone else being helpful are low and if I go alone there's a chance he'll provide more openings against just one attacker.

Kisuke: ...You truly have grown haven't you Kurosaki san? You've thought this out very well.

Ichigo:...

Kisuke: Well then, it's good that I've actually got another way for us to get to the soul kings realm. The only problem is distracting those guys out there long enough for us do it. As soon as they realise that we've opened up a portal they'll converge on is in an instant.

Ichigo: I'm sure you've already got a plan, you always do.

Urahara pulls out his sword smiling at Ichigo.

Kisuke: of course you are right Kurosaki Ichigo, I always do.

As he says that he stabs his sword into ichigo's stomach. A look of shock and surprise cross Ichigo's face as a trickle of blood flows from his lips.

Next week: Bankai: roiyaruti no taisho (subjects of royalty)