Requiem for the Hollow Rose

by sreshtiyer

After witnessing the death of Pyrrha, white fills her vision and the Rose huntress finds herself in a desolate and bleak place. Confused, lost and still grieving the loss of her friend and her own helplessness, little does Ruby realize that was just the beginning of her arduous journey. Innocent to Mature Ruby. Rated M for psychologically disturbing themes (non-sexual).

55. Chapter 55: Thousand year war part 1

Chapter 55: Thousand year war part 1

"Welp, now that Tia is here, I think I'll make myself scarce. I'll leave her in your hands. You wanna come along sweetie?" called Summer, signaling at Crescent. The hooded girl nodded, leaping up into the air and landing at Summer's shoulders. The now corrupted duo turned away from the battlefield, with Summer fishing out her Zanpakuto and opening what appeared to be a Senkaimon. But it's shape was vastly different. Instead of the usual Japanese-styled sliding door, what appeared instead was a very Victorian-styled swinging stone door with ornate symbols carved onto it, and elaborate designs consisting of roses, thorns and skulls.

"Where are you going?" asked Salem. She touched the doors, which then stopped midway as they were opening. "I do not recall asking you to leave"

"What's the meaning of this?" asked Tier, raising her eyes. "Why do you and the little one look like that? What transpired here?"

"Oh don't worry about all that, just take care of my Ruby for now, Tia" suggested Summer. "I'm sure you can ask them after you're done taking care of Salem here as well as those cronies of hers. Trust me, you don't want me here. As for you.." replied Summer, leaning in close to Salem. She seemed to whisper something in her ears.

"Surely you don't have a problem with that, now do you? I wont be breaking any rules that way and you get what you want as well"

Salem seemed to think for a while, before letting go of the door, which then resumed opening. "Very well. Do as you wish"

With a satisfied smile, the grandmother and granddaughter duo walked towards the portal the former had created.

"Hey wait..! Mom...!" called out Yang, but to no avail. The two were gone, and all that remained was an uncomfortable silence.

---

"I never imagined the Wandenreich would be so technologically advanced.." remarked Uryu, looking around. "I did hear stories about the realm of the Quincy from my grandfather. He always spoke of the high importance given to development and technological advancement. Even so, looking at this in person gives off a completely different perspective.."

"Whoa…! Karin-chan, look! Those trains are so fast!" cooed Yuzu, pulling her sister aside, who was completely taken in by something else entirely.

"There's a lot more greenery than I thought there would be. For a metropolis like this, it's not just metal and concrete" she said, raising her eyes.

"I find it difficult to believe mom lived in a place like this. The way she described it made it seem as if it was more of a rural countryside" commented Ichigo.

The orange haired soul reaper had never been one to be overly enthusiastic about sophisticated technological marvels and the like, unlike Karin. But even he had to admit the marvels of the Wandenreich and the capital city, Heusburg, were things to appreciate. The city had a good mix of technology and culture, with houses ranging from modern day concrete and wood architectural wonders to efficient and mechanized structures specifically designed for a niche purpose. And all of this, within a maze of green.

"Not even Tokyo city is this…advanced" added Tatsuki, for a lack of a better word. She was admiring their journey through Heusburg City much more than she wanted to admit, despite her initial aversion and bitterness about the entire situation. Even the Quincy ladies were happily chatting away with the Kurosaki siblings and the two of them, more than eager to explain everything they could about their hometown.

It was certainly surprising for Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu to learn just how normal Candice Catnipp and the other girls were, despite being born and raised in an environment completely different to their own. Neither of them had ever been outside the Wandenreich until they had already grown up, they had no real exposure to the cultures, languages and mannerisms of those who lived outside, and heck, they were not even human, despite their obvious resemblance. And yet, out of context, the Quincy girls were no different to them in most ways.

To compliment that, just as the group had this image of a perfect metropolis that Heusburg City was, the girls then took them to the other parts of the city, showing a clear demarcation between the elite and those who were just mere citizens. It was as if they took pride in the fact that those that were useful to the Reich were rewarded and commemorated, while those who were not so fortunate were not give the same honor. While it was by no means dystopian, it certainly showed that those in the other parts of the city were not given certain privileges that were clearly available for others to access.

It was perhaps this honesty about their own land that drew in the group, who had initially been hesitant to trust. Considering just how proud the Quincy were, it made them rethink their opinion about the girls. Ichigo did have his doubts about them, as did Tatsuki and Uryu. However, it was certainly not as much as it had been before they arrived here. Over time, it appeared as if the group had eased up around them, if only a little. And this feeling would only increase much more when they went around shopping, hopping restaurants and sightseeing all around Heusburg City. Some of which included the planetarium (for Karin), the wild life bird sanctuary (for Yuzu), the Quincy Historie museum (for Uryu and to some extent, the Kurosaki siblings as well) and finally the lookout point overlooking the entire city, which enraptured both Ichigo and Tatsuki. It was at this point the tomboy wished she had Orihime with her as well to enjoy the sights she knew the orange haired girl would like.

"Here are your tickets for tomorrow" said Bambeitta, handing them 5 rectangular paper cards with their destination, source time and ticket price all printed on to it in white and teal. "You 5 and probably some old, countryside crones are probably the only ones who have those. We stopped using paper for a lot of things a long time ago after digitization. It cant be helped, since you don't have a travel card or a Quincy social security number. That also means you don't have any Reichemarks to pay for this stuff. But it's all on us. You have time until tomorrow morning to get to Blumenkranzdorf, which is where your mom used to live"

"Uff, that's a long way away. Even with our Reichbahn, it takes 5 hours one way. I would never make such an annoyingly long trip" sighed Meninas, appearing rather grumpy.

"Tell me about it" added Karin. "Why couldn't you have just taken us there directly?"

"I'm not sure about you guys, but we can't just be out here on our own wandering into other cities while we have school coming up soon" added Ichigo.

"We would've loved to, but as we mentioned, the only entrance to the World of the Living we have is here in Heusburg city. We did plan to get you guys up and going right away, but trains to Blumenkranzdorf are scarce and the only tickets we could find were for tomorrow" explained Liltotto. "Trust me, that place may be something special to you guys, but I doubt you'll spend more than an hour there. There really is nothing left there. You'll be back before you know it. Which reminds me, you guys DO need a place to sleep until then. We could book you guys a hotel, but personally, I think you could simply just stay at one of our places"

"Yeah sure, but whose place though? I'd certainly stay away from that dump you call a room. You sure it can even fit 5 people in there?" cut in Candice dryly.

"You're talking as if your place is any better. I bet the stench of perfume and makeup would drive most of them away" responded Liltotto. "And let's not even ask about Giselle's place. I still have nightmares staying there. I bet Bambi hasn't even patched up all of those holes in the wall and ceiling after one of her temper tantrums"

After some initial deliberation and arguments, it didn't take long for the group to decide staying with Candice, Liltotto, Meninas with Bambeitta and Giselle being rather disappointed that they didn't get to have someone stay over at her place. Ichigo and Tatsuki stayed with Candice, Karin and Yuzu stayed with Liltotto while Uryu stayed with Meninas. Rather than one that everyone agreed with, it was simply the one option everyone was least disappointed with.

Fatigue and anticipation meant that Karin and Yuzu didn't even have the energy to comprehend being in a stranger's house, causing them to fall asleep the moment they got to Liltotto's house. Uryu on the other hand, was having trouble falling asleep whilst in the company of a healthy, attractive female who made no efforts to hide all of her attempts to flirt at the bespectacled Quincy.

Ichigo on the other hand, was also unable to sleep, but for completely different reasons. Though he too wanted nothing more than to give in to the exhaustion from all of the social activities he took part in, it was as if something was keeping him awake.

Was it the fact that his sisters were away from where he could see them at a stranger's place? Or maybe it was the fact that he found himself all alone in the company of two girls.

The orange haired soul reaper shook his head over the thought. The number of times Rukia or Ruby had had their way teasing, babying and toying with him while he tried to sleep had made him privy to such frivolous things.

Or perhaps it was the fact that they were all here, in a place completely isolated from the outside world if not for the girls showing them the way to the World of the Living. It was anxiety inducing in its own way. If anyone became lost here, they would truly have no way back unless someone found them and showed them the way. Unlike their elder sister, none of them had abilities such as opening Gargantas or Senkaimons to the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo or the World of the Living.

"Today was fun. I've lived here all my life, and yet, I think I enjoyed Heusburg City in a new way today" thanked Candice, looking up at the ceiling. For all of the precaution Liltotto, Meninas, Bambi and Giselle had warned them about Candice's short fuse, the girl had actually been rather level headed. Sure, she did have her short spurs of arguments with Tatsuki or with one of the other girls at times, but for the most part, she had been pleasant company for the group. To Ichigo and Tatsuki, it was like looking at a Quincy version of Mila-Rose.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be dating anyone, would you?" asked Candice in a completely nonchalant manner, without flustering even a little. The question took both Tatsuki and Ichigo aback, with both having opposite and yet similarly shocked reactions.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean? Who in the world brings something like that up in a casual conversation?!" demanded Tatsuki. But Candice merely raised her eyes curiously.

"I mean, I don't see why it's such a huge deal. Isn't it normal to want to date someone that catches your fancy? Especially at our age. We aren't kids anymore. I'll admit, I did have my own image of Ichigo before I first saw him and the girls. All that we knew was that they were lady Hilda's kids and so, we expected them to be just as powerful and proud as her. Maybe a bit arrogant and condescending even. It wouldn't be wrong to say that I might have been a bit intimidated too. But after talking and spending time with him and everyone else, I could see that he was so much more than that. You're powerful, much more so than any of us. And yet, you don't have a sick twisted sense of pride or arrogance. You instead care for those around you, despite what logic or common sense would indicate. You're a genuinely nice guy, to a stupid extent even. It's really not that bad. And you're pretty cute" she chuckled, poking the orange haired soul reaper in the cheek.

Though Ichigo was just as confused as before, Tatsuki on the other hand wasn't having it. She swiftly pushed away Candice's hand, almost instinctively wrapping her hand around Ichigo while glaring at the Quincy. "I think we'll pass, thank you very much" The girl however, continued to have the same curious look on her face unabated.

"Getting rather defensive for a guy who's not even your boyfriend, aren't you? Still, I'm not sure why you think this is strange. After all, if not me, almost every girl in Wandenreich would be dying to be with you. Beyond looks, character and personality, you have strength and you're THE lady Hilda's son. Both of which are things that are respected here. No girl would turn down to woo you and bear your child" she said, continuing in the same 'matter-of-fact' tone.

This time however, unease took over Ichigo and Tatsuki over embarrassment. There was something off in the way the Quincy worded her sentence.

"That's…not the sort of thing I imagine someone just saying out aloud" remarked Ichigo, sounding rather repulsed.

"To you perhaps. But to us, it's how things have always been. The strong and useful get respected, given honor beyond words in all of Wandenreich. And the others are simply there to support those above. You've seen it yourself. Almost all Quincy go through this when they come of age. The times when people stay with each other out of love is a long gone one. All that matters is furthering your family bloodline in the hopes that the next generation can live a better life than your own. And that's why all that people look for in others is strength. Power, connections. Intelligence. Whatever you want to call it. It's not about desires anymore, it's vital if we want our families to have a better life" she responded. "So when the time comes, whether we like it or not, we'll all be married off to some guy we don't even know, someone who probably has a stick so far up his ass that to him, we'd be nothing but tools to expand his influence and further his 'noble bloodline' or whatever. Or it would have been if we weren't…never mind. You get the picture anyways. And none of us feel any worse about it. Because that's how my parents did it, that's how their parents did things and so on. In my case though, I'm strong enough that I don't have to think about such things. And neither do you. But I promise, unlike some others, I don't have a stick up my ass"

The frowns on both of their faces only grew graver. The duo found themselves staring away in silence.

"Th-that's not right" mouthed Ichigo, unsure of how else to voice his thoughts. "People aren't just numbers and statistics. No one should have to live like that"

"Don't bother" she replied instantly, but in an understanding way. "You were lucky to grow up outside, where you're free to do what you want. And we're lucky to have remained ignorant about the way things are done outside. Because if we lived here knowing the kind of freedom we couldn't have, I doubt we could've stayed sane for much long. That's why I'm thankful to you for giving me company and not giving me the cold shoulder just because I'm a Quincy. When I heard you were around Soul Reapers for so long, I wasn't sure you'd even have a positive impression of us. But I'm glad you disappointed my expectations in that sense. I'm sure Bambeitta and the rest are the same" she then gently grabbed his hand while offering a small smile.

Ichigo could help but gasp at the look of genuine gratitude and happiness on the lime haired girl's face.

"Geez, you're really something you know" she chuckled, seemingly embarrassed herself. Letting go of his hand, she turned in her bed, looking away. "Don't worry, I won't push you to date me or anything. I just felt like I should say it once when I had the chance. Also, I couldn't stand those four taking the lead before I did. We have a long day tomorrow. And I'm sure you want to check lady Hilda's place without such thoughts. Better get some sleep" she suggested, before covering herself with her blanket and going silent.

The night grew darker and day break came, but Tatsuki and Ichigo couldn't get any sleep that night. The mood had simply soured too deeply for them to get any decent sleep. Lingering thoughts kept them thinking about the kind of life people just like themselves had to experience growing up. Candice herself wouldn't speak of their conversation from the previous night, something that Ichigo and Tatsuki were glad for. And meeting up with the others had made them forget the whole thing for the moment. It didn't appear that Karin, Yuzu or Uryu had the same kind of distressed night they did, and the relief of seeing them excited and well rested for the upcoming trip uplifted their spirits as well. Uryu did however look a little restless himself, especially when Meninas wouldn't stop chuckling and giggling around the Quincy.

Onward they went, enjoying the different landscapes that passed them by on their 5 hour long train journey. The group had to admit that despite seeing similar scenery while in Japan, it still hit differently. Any apprehensions and worries they had before they accompanied the Quincy girls before they entered the Wandenreich was completely gone as they simply allowed themselves to be immersed in their current journey, chatting and generally having a fun time with them.

Before long, the far reaches of Blumenkranzdorf village caught up to them, with vast fields of green and lush forests in the distance acting as a sort of natural boarder filled their eyes. The houses here were simpler but still gave off a rustic and homely feel, designed to be like summer cottages. Even as they walked from the railway station to the grassy path towards a cottage at the far side of the village, not many people passed them by. But those that did smiled and waved at them. Soon, the cottage that was their final destination was there right in front of them.

Bambeitta fished out a set of old, rusted keys, jamming them inside the rusted keyhole of the gate to the cottage. The gate was connected to a wooden fence that surrounded the entire cottage, with a garden that was now overgrown with various kinds of plants over garden equipment that was strewn about. It wasn't so dilapidated that nature had completely overtaken it, but it was very evident that whoever was around the village made sure to atleast give the minimum amount of care they could to keep the place from falling apart. A lot of places the white paint was flaking away, and in many others signs of weathering and rust could be seen.

The group walked around the garden, taking some time to take in the kind of place this had been at some point, before Bambeitta opened the main door to the cottage.

The group then carefully stepped inside the decrepit house, not missing the thick layer of dust that was coating almost everything in their sight. A dusty beam of sunlight penetrated through the open window sill on the opposite end of the wall. The Kurosaki siblings could see that their mother's old home was very similar to the one their mom currently lived in withing the Rukon district in the Soul Society, save for its current decrepit state. While there were some interesting things such as some old children's books, magazines dated more than 20 years ago, utensils, training equipment and the like, the house was mostly empty.

"It's a lot more….normal than I thought" remarked Karin, sifting through a dusty shelf with some books. She pocketed one that looked like a catalog of sorts.

"I thought it would be more girly.." said Yuzu, thinking about what she knew of her mom. "Ohh Onii-chan! Look! Isn't this cute..?!" She chimed, picking up what looked like an old soldier's uniform with the medals and badges still intact. She had half a mind to take it back with her, but decided otherwise.

Uryu was focused on another shelf that house some dusty, unopened cans of food, while Tatsuki was still busy checking out the room at the further end which appeared to be a rudimentary kitchen.

It was at this moment that Ichigo came across a little framed photograph, blending in with the surrounding bricks making up the fireplace. It was so caked with dust that he couldn't even tell if the photograph was even there within the frame. He'd hoped to find some pictures of his mother's younger days, but had quickly given up after searching for a while, thinking that his dad had likely collected most of them.

Wiping the dust with a spare rag he found lying by the side, Ichigo's eyes squinted at the old photograph in confusion, rather than satisfaction.

Certainly the young, bubbly looking woman with soft brown hair did catch his attention, the one who looked so very similar to Yuzu with her soft looks as well as Karin, with her confident posture and demeanor. There was no doubt that this was a picture of his mother, their mother, from her younger days. But what really distracted him was the picture of a man kneeling down right beside her. He was tall, imposing, and instantly, Ichigo could tell that it was someone of high importance. His form was mostly covered by a dark cloak and he sported long black hair, a broad chin, browless eyes and well-kept mutton chops that connected to his bushy mustache.

A foreboding feeling shot through the orange haired teen. It was as if there was this sense of urgency in his chest the moment he saw the picture of the man beside his mother. And more than anything, for an inexplicable reason, he got the feeling the he knew much more than he thought he did about the man.

"Hey, Candice, you wouldn't happen to know who this is, would you..?" asked Ichigo, turning around. And it was when it struck him.

Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Candice or any of the other girls inside…

Before he could go look for them, a bright light erupted from the ground. In fact, it seemed to envelop the entire house itself. It washed out any visible form of color or shape in front of his eyes, despite firmly closing his eyes.

"What the..?!"

And then, it was silent. The flash of light disappeared as soon as it had come. The dilapidated house returned to the way it was before, without anyone withing its hallowed rooms. Any object that the occupants of the house had been holding fell down with a dull thud onto the floor.

From the outside, a group of five girls were watching the entire scene hardened looks on their faces. Guilt, determination, regret and shame.

"This fucking sucks…" said Candice slowly, still staring at the spot where the Kurosaki siblings had just been.

"What? You're not having second thoughts, are you?" inquired Liltotto, stone faced.

"Course not. It was His Majesty's order after all. There's no way I would even dream of regretting following his orders. It's just that….it leaves a bad taste in my mouth doing this to them.." she replied.

"Heh, looks like someone got way too attached" cut in Giselle. "You're talking as if we killed them or something, when in reality they're probably better off there than where we're going"

"I know, I know alright?! It's just…they trusted me. Us"

Bambeitta sighed. "I get what you mean. I don't feel any better deceiving Lady Hilda's kids either. They're really good kids. But you gotta admit, they're really naïve. Being so damn pure doesn't mean a damn thing when it concerns the real world. At one point, someone or the other was bound to teach them that. Better us than anyone else"

"And besides…I doubt they'd want to see what we're about to do to some of their friends. I don't think it'd be a pretty sight" commented Meninas. "But I feel you too. Even if His Majesty hadn't ordered it, I wouldn't have minded being in their company for a while longer. It's been a while since we're seen other Quincy who were even half as nice as they were"

This time, it was Liltotto's turn to sigh.

"You don't need to tell me that much. It may not look like it, but I feel just as bad for them. But you're right. In the end, they should know better than to trust people they just met a week ago, even if they happen to be people whom your mom used to know. This is really the best possible outcome for them. Enough about that. We're running out of time, and we still have a lot to do. So how about we go and relieve our stress a little bit over at the Soul Society? I'm sure our other comrades have started, so I'd be a little annoyed if all of this was for nothing" she suggested, and the rest nodded in agreement.

---

Kisuke Urahara was enjoying a well deserved nap just by the windowsill of his candy shop, following his latest research into worlds that existed beyond the one he was in. It was hard work, and he had very little to no leads to go on with, not to mention the fact that it wasn't even his idea. While he had help with things such as acquiring material and procuring equipment from the Soul Society, none could really help him intellectually.

It hadn't even been his idea to start his next big project in this field. For some peculiar reason, his Zanpakuto, Benihime, had been very adamant that she be allowed to pick what they both worked on. This was nothing weird however, considering that she was just as eccentric as the candy store owner or perhaps more. But she had never been this insistent before. Putting aside such matters, he did get into it once his work actually began, with her helping out wherever she could. And strangely enough, this time, it appeared as if she was able to put together pieces of the puzzle that she couldn't have by herself, and Kisuke began to suspect that his Zanpakuto was, in some inexplicable way, receiving help from sources he could not ascertain. The eccentric Zanpakuto herself wouldn't say a word, merely teasing him and brushing him off playfully when he did prod her. In a way, he was reminded of the times he had fun doing the same things to Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu or anyone else, as ironic as it was.

"Nice weather, isnt it Urahara-san?" questioned Gin Ichimaru, walking up to the window and observing the light drizzle and overcast sky.

"Most would disagree, preferring a sunnier sky. But luckily, folks like us aren't like most others, so you have someone to share your sentiments with" he replied lazily, indicating that he was awake. "Rare of you to bring in tea, Ichimaru-san"

"Well, Tessai is away and so are the kids. I haven't seen Yoruichi either. I suspect she's off prowling some corner of Karakura street as usual. And I haven't heard from Rangiku-san or in a while, so I figured I might give you some company today" answered Gin.

"It's only been a little more than a week since she's left for her home and it already feels a little silent. I wonder if it's Summer-san's absence" pondered the candy store owner, still lying down. "I thought young Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu would visit everyday just to check if their elder sister were back home, but I suppose it can't be helped if they're lost in the company of our Quincy friends, can they?"

Gin raised his eyes.

"You have a lot of faith in them I see" he said dryly. "Despite knowing the danger they are in, you'd rather let them face the consequences first. Almost reminds me of Captain Aizen"

"They'll never grow if we always keep going to their rescue. Their elder sister might have spoilt them a bit too much. She would likely be on my case if she knew about it too. In a way, I'm happy she isn't around" answered Urahara with a mischievous smile. "They're strong, much more than we realize. After all, they ARE the ones who defeated Aizen. Learning of the consequences that comes along with having such power is something they should know. And, I doubt our Quincy friends would actually kill young Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu. And I'd know if they came anywhere close to that"

"You really are pushing your luck just because Ruby-san isn't here, aren't you?" questioned the ex-captain of squad 3 with a sigh. "But, that's just like you. I've learnt in matters like these, it's better if people like me don't meddle too much. And you may be right. It's better for the kids to learn that being over-confident in themselves can lead to some really bad stuff later on, just like it did for captain Aizen"

"Now that's a bit harsh, isnt it Gin-san?" questioned Urahara with the same enigmatic smile. "Unlike Aizen, I didn't commit genocide just so that I can groom three young kids to grow up the way I wanted them to. Although, I will admit it IS interesting watching young Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu grow up as they learn and experience many things in life, but in their own way rather than under the guidance of someone else. If you ask me, it's not them that I'm worried about but our Espada friends. For them to not come and collect their Gigai for their work here in the World of the Living is rather puzzling, wouldn't you say? It's been a week after all"

"That is true, it IS definitely strange" agreed Gin. "Although, this is them we're talking about. Even during my time in Hueco Mundo, there would be periods wherein Ulquiorra-san and Grimmjow-san liked breaking protocol set by Captain Aizen because they felt like it. Even more compliant ones like Tier-san and Nelliel-san fell into that pattern, especially when Ruby-san was concerned. I'm not surprised that they felt like they needed to stay in Hueco Mundo for a while"

"Hmm…well, if you say so. And unlike our young friends, the Espada aren't children that need monitoring. I suppose this is just one of their whims" he wondered to himself.

And that was that. The two quietly drank their tea, whilst watching a lazy rainy sky.

In the past two years since Aizen Sosuke's downfall, Gin Ichimaru had gotten accustomed to his new way of life at Urahara's candy store. It was a very different kind of experience staying in what was effectively the World of the Living compared to his time in Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society. The clothes he wore were different, the people he met and interacted with were different, and the overall vibe he got from the candy store was unique and alien, but in a good way. Even so, he couldn't help but notice certain similarities between Kisuke Urahara and Aizen Sosuke, especially when the lazy shopkeeper would get engrossed in his studies. But unlike with Aizen, despite the questionable things that Urahara would touch upon, Gin never felt a knot tightening in his stomach as it did at times when he was with Aizen.

The occasional visits from Rangiku were a welcome change too, though it had been a while since he had last seen her. To Gin, she was pretty much the only point of contact with the Soul Society. To most others he was still the same traitor responsible for the massive damage incurred by the Soul Society during the Winter battle. The result of which was the death of many captains and lieutenants, alongside other soul reapers, that left the current condition of the Soul Society weak. And Rangiku herself had mixed feelings about Gin. She understood the reasons for which he did the things he did, and yet, despised the fact that he never once thought about consulting her during his troubled times, even if it was to protect her. But with all being said, her feelings were still on the positive side and their interactions were one of the few things he was deeply grateful for.

For what it was worth, life was good, even if it was a bit dull.

Not too far away from where they were currently, just beneath the large underground training chamber of Kisuke Urahara's candy store, was another chamber that only the man himself knew about. And contained in it, was one of the most dangerous things in existence, one that had the potential to re-shape the world as they knew it.

The chamber that had once been silent for nearly 2 years began to stir for the first time. It was a pitch black chamber with no light, no air and with a high concentration of spirit particles that spelled death for any soul that dared to venture inside. And even that was just one of the many fail-safe mechanisms Kisuke Urahara had set up in that intrinsic chamber.

Black, leathery ribbons of fabric shifted ever so slightly before the visage of a humanoid figure covered in the fabric made itself known in the room. Without any light however, one could not have made out anything, including the soul that materialized in the chamber.

It took just over a second for the soul to recognize the situation it was in. However, rather than suffer in agony from a lack of air, heat and the high concentration of dense reishi, the soul simply smiled to itself in amusement. It realized that it was probably the only being in the 5 realms that would enjoy being in the precarious situation it was in now.

Back at the surface, warning signs went off within Urahara, and it was coming from one of the very select few ones he'd engraved deep in his own soul. And it was the one he hoped he would never detect. It took the candy store owner just an instant to spring back up, going from being lazy and zoned out to alert and tense. Without even waiting for Gin, he grabbed his trusty walking cane and dashed towards the underground chamber. And at his fastest speed, it took him only a fraction of a second to arrive at the scene.

His eyes blinked in confusion when nothing looked out of the ordinary. There were no obvious signs that anything had changed or stirred in the underground chamber, or that anyone had walked from within the internal chamber. Upon closer examination, he found that nothing had changed, atleast from the outside. And all of the sensors and markers he'd left at the entrance of the chamber and on the other side hadn't gone off, which meant that no one had exited from the one opening that was present for this chamber. Whatever was inside, couldn't have left the chamber. And sure enough, when he looked via the heat monitoring device, he could still see the cross shaped seal resting at its place surrounded by cold nothingness.

"Is something wrong?" asked Gin, having followed Urahara downstairs. Quickly covering up everything the way it was, the candy store owner rendezvoused with the ex-captain of squad 3.

"It appears to be a false alarm" he said, before heading back up the ladder. Though Gin was a bit surprised and curious, he shrugged it off, thinking it to be nothing more than one more of Urahara's eccentric antics. The two then returned to the room inside the store.

"You seem to be doing rather well, Urahara Kisuke, Gin" greeted Aizen Sosuke, whilst sitting on the tatami mat with a cup of steaming tea. He had a curt smile on his face that portrayed an expression of amusement. His appearance was that of a mild featured man with brown, scholarly hair that was swept back with a single strand of hair hanging over his face. He had a traditional Japanese hakama that was colored dull yellow, with a dull brown striped haori worn on top. He seemed to blend in with the Japanese styled room he sat in.

"Rikujōkōrō!"

6 rectangular shaped bars of light materialized out of Kisuke Urahara's cane, seemingly immobilizing Aizen in place. While Gin Ichimaru had been frozen in place, the candy store owner had wasted no time in taking the most appropriate action for the situation he found himself in.

"Now that was a bit rude, wasn't it? You would attack a defenseless soul that has been nothing but courteous? We may be on opposite terms, but even you can admit that the likes of us have certain ethics that follows a mutual understanding, don't you? Do you truly think that I would take the trouble of doing this if my intention was to attack?" he asked simply, his smile ever present.

"Captain Aizen….." muttered Gin, with a tone of extreme caution. His hands were reflexively reaching out for his Zanpakuto tucked away inside his haori.

"I don't know Aizen-san. If anything, entering someone's home without permission isnt being polite yourself, wouldn't you say?" retorted Urahara casually, with his cane still pointed at Aizen. "And it seems you've gotten a sense of humor. Calling yourself defenseless is in rather poor taste, don't you think?"

Aizen chuckled to himself. "You never fail to amuse me, Urahara Kisuke. However, don't you think you're a little off in your aim? After all, you haven't forgotten I presume? As many times as I have repeated myself, it never becomes tiresome doing it once more. Surely you remember the abilities of my Kyouka Suigetsu to perfectly replicate all five senses?"

Following that, his visage shattered like glass, leaving nothing but 6 glowing rods of reishi clamped together in air. With a sudden flash of realization, Urahara rushed back towards the underground chamber, with Gin following along.

Standing in front of him, right at the entrance of the inner chamber where the ex-captain of the 5th squad of the Soul Society was supposed to be held was Aizen, his appearance a stark contrast to the one from before.

Now, he was covered almost entirely in black, leathery ribbon like fabric, save for his face. He also had a tattered white rag wrapped around his shoulder. And clutched in his hand was his Zanpakuto.

"You are a most unkind and unforgiving man, Kisuke Urahara. Even for me it took this long to break out of all of the seals and enchantments you've sent up in this place. And I have you to thank to show me earlier exactly where to look for said enchantments so that I could disable them. And this reishi sealing cloth would have nullified any other of their ability to use reishi or their Zanpakuto. Any other soul…..no. Even I would have perished and lost my mind trapped in black nothingness with no sound, heat or light if I wasn't who I am now" smirked Aizen nonchalantly.

"That still doesn't explain the fundamental issue of how you were able to escape the seal that I and Summer-san used on you. Unlike these spells, that one was one of a kind, if I say so myself. It took the efforts of someone who could be considered a master of the sealing arts and my own research to create it. And it did keep you in there for two whole years, thus proving its efficiency. I highly doubt Summer-san told you how to break it and I'm pretty sure I haven't grown senile enough to do that either" remarked Urahara, returning a similarly casual response. However, a tiny bead of sweat was running down his neck. Despite how composed he tried to be, there was no denying that the situation was grave.

He didn't know exactly how much of his abilities Aizen retained, or if they had even deteriorated at all. Or worse yet, increased. Even in his chrysalis, Aizen had been far stronger than any of them could handle. And right now, neither Ruby nor Ichigo were there to handle the worst. Sure, Kisuke was confident that his own bankai, Isshin's bankai, Gin's bankai and Yoruichi's full extent of abilities could handle things for a while. But that would come at the cost of Karakura Town.

"Now, don't I wonder about that as well? I wish I could tell you just how I was able to break that seal of yours, but unfortunately, it would appear that both of us are at an impasse. If you will, you could just chalk it up to the abilities of the Hogyoku. In a way, I suppose that isn't entirely inaccurate. However, that isn't what you're interested to know at the moment, is it? What's the matter, Gin? You look rather forlorn. I see that you've settled in rather well here, even more so than when you were by my side. How fortunate for you" he continued, narrowing his eyes at Gin. The latter had already drawn his dagger-like Zanpakuto, ready to impale the sealed Shinigami at a moment's notice, like a snake poised to strike. However, unlike his body, his face belied any dangerous emotions or intent to kill.

"You're right. I'll save my questions for later, Aizen-san. It may be a little rough, but I suppose there could be worse circumstances. I'll just have to ask the Soul Society to compensate and cut down on my research for a while" said Urahara, pointing his own Zanpakuto. Just then, he could feel a pair of mannequin-like arms wrap around him, gripping and embracing him from behind rather tightly. It was a feeling he knew very well, as well as the identity of the woman embracing him from behind. The question was why. He could feel her chin resting against his shoulder as she poked her head from behind, eyeing the man in front of her while protectively holding back her master.

The woman had long black hair, part of which was loosely tied in a loop. She wore a loose, revealing red robe. She had mannequin-like arms, while her body itself appeared to be made of flesh and blood. She had sharp eyes and a mischievous smile which was highlighted further by her red lipstick.

The man too, wasn't exactly alone either. Standing beside him, with a shrewd look on her face, was a woman with long black hair in what appeared to be a very ethereal, ceremonial outfit, like that of a temple priestess or a miko. She had star shaped pupils and held in her right hand was Kyouka Suigetsu, giving Urahara and idea as to who she was.

The star eyed woman almost seemed to beam at Urahara, and the latter could feel the mannequin arms wrapped around him tighten even more.

"Oh dear…" thought Kisuke to himself. Nobody knew his Zanpakuto better than himself, and after centuries of living with her, it wasn't too difficult for him to gauge her intent and emotions.

"You're as attached to him as ever, Beni" sighed the star eyed woman, half in amusement and half fondly. "You look ready to tear me apart just from your gaze"

"This is the first time we're really meeting face to face. What am I supposed to think when I see you in that getup? You can't fault me for being a little bit cautious, can you? I already have enough trouble fending off a certain cat woman, imagine my reaction when the daughter of God herself shows up, looking like she's ready to snatch Kisuke away. I'm just a poor, helpless woman who cares deeply for her master. Nothing strange for you to see, Kyo" replied Benihime, in a mischievous and playful tone. She twirled the Zanpakuto in her hand, pointing it at Kyouka Suigetsu.

The two women continued to stare at each other with curt smiles that challenged each other's gaze, while the men continued to watch the confrontation with confused looks.

"Umm…what's going on here…?" asked Gin, still observing the situation carefully. He didn't sense any inherent hostility from Kisuke or Aizen, and yet, the challenging gazes from the two women was definitely cutting into the atmosphere.

"Erm, Beni..? It's rare for you to come out in the presence of others, what's going on? Also, do you think you could loosen your grip a little? I can feel your fingers digging into my chest.." asked Kisuke exasperated, but his Zanpakuto continued to ignore him.

The staring contest continued as the seconds passed by, as the smiles on the faces of both women curved ever so slightly. The two then stepped away from their masters, slowly approaching each other at first, and then with quickened paces.

The two master swordsmen were ready for sparks to fly between their Zanpakuto spirits, requiring them to assist their other halves in battle if the situation went out of control. While neither party was entirely sure as to the reason for which their Zanpakuto spirits felt the need to materialize outside, it was something that could be investigated later.

For how calculating and intelligent both Shinigami were, neither expected what happened next.

Lowering their swords and almost running to each other with their arms outstretched, the two women embraced each other heartily.

"Glad to finally see you face to face, Kyouka!"

"As am I, Beni. You look rather well. Thanks for the help with the seal"

"But of course. Requests from you are rare, and for everything we've been through together, this is but a trifling issue. So? How come you wanted to break out now of all times? Did you get bored spending time with Aizen? Do you finally feel like working on the solution to the Yang-Mills and Mass Gap problem? Or maybe you want to have a second look at the solution I came up for the Riemann Hypothesis? I think I may have cracked it this time" said Benihime excited. "Or…maybe you felt like helping Kisuke with his research, which is just as interesting"

"Patience, Beni. As much as I'd love to spend time cracking impossible mathematical equations and solutions, I think we should save such brain teasers for a time when we can invest our attention and energy on them completely. I held off explaining myself back then, since I believed it would be much more efficient with everyone relevant present. And besides, what is transpiring out there right now is much more interesting than the things that we've worked on. That's why I suggested you to look into research on other worlds. There is a goldmine of potential just waiting to be cultivated and explored, as well as the possibilities of another world" she explained.

"Ooh, you always did know how to get my interest, Kyouka~" cooed the other Zanpakuto spirit, with a salivating look in her eyes. "Count me in of course. If you of all people say that, it's bound to be something, isn't it?"

"What is the meaning of this, Kyouka?" cut in Aizen, clearly not appreciative of being ignored for so long. "Explain"

"Oh? Sorry about that Sosuke, I got so caught up in our grand reunion that I forgot you were there for a moment" she chuckled, causing her master to narrow his eyes at her. "Oh, don't be such a sourpuss, you know I merely jest"

"You two know each other?" wondered Kisuke, genuinely curious "Well, whenever did you find yourself such an…interesting friend?"

"I am so confused.." admitted Gin.

"Sure we do. Managed to pull one over you, didn't I?" chirped Benihime, flashing a smile. "I don't mind telling you, but as per our bet, since I managed to do something this big behind your back without you finding out, you'd better dunk cat lady in a puddle of cold water while in cat form for me to watch"

Kisuke let out an exasperated sigh. "You really have a mischievous sense of humor, don't you? Fine, I'll fix something. Yoruichi's gonna kill me for it, and I get the feeling that's exactly what you were going for. We really are too much alike.."

"That we are, my dear Kisuke!" she chimed back, satisfied. "Anyways, the thing is.."

It took merely 10 minutes for Benihime to explain her side of things, with Kyouka joining in in between. Both as a way to fill in relevant gaps as well as to serve as a link for Aizen.

"So, to summarize, you and Kisuke Urahara's Zanpakuto have been acquaintances for several centuries and have been colluding with each other behind our backs because of your masters' difference in opinions. And you can do this because of your ability to reach out to other Zanpakuto spirits as the manifestation of the will of the right arm of the Soul King that stands for the essence of Soul Reapers" repeated Aizen. "And the reasons for which you did were so you could handle the crisis that is currently overtaking our world and the world of Ruby Rose. Things that you explained to me prior"

"That's right. Can you blame me? There are so few out there that can truly comprehend truths of the universe at a level we can. It would have been such a waste to make enemies with the one person who could see eye to eye with you and I. But, ultimately, Zanpakuto serve the will of their masters. So, if the two of you decided to be enemies, then that's what we'll do. But that didn't mean us Zanpakuto couldn't remain on friendlier terms outside of that. And so, Beni and I did just that" she responded. "And she is a very valuable ally and a dear friend of mind for what's to come. As I explained before, we have more important things to be looking forward to right now"

"You mean the attack on the Soul Society…don't you?" asked Gin. "Frankly, it's a bit hard to believe, especially coming from the Zanpakuto of someone who is as skilled as manipulating the situation to his advantage as Captain Aizen is"

"I can understand your skepticism, especially after what happened, Gin" responded Benihime. "After all, I wouldn't have undone the seal if that was about to happen. You don't need to trust Aizen or even Kyouka, even though Kyouka is a very different person compared to her master. But surely you can trust the Zanpakuto spirit of the man who saved you?"

"That's…."

"Well, I will admit that the timing of the last few events were just a little too convenient" said Kisuke. "Ruby-san leaving to her world, Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu being visited by Quincies just after she left, the absence of contact from the Espada since the past week, and now, this. So that's why you've been this adamant about your research into other worlds" questioned Urahara, looking at his Zanpakuto who returned a mischievous smile.

"Is the Soul Society really that outclassed that we need help from...?" asked Gin, looking at Aizen.

"'Outclassed' doesn't even begin to describe the perils the Head Captain and his merry band are about to face. After our little skirmish two years ago, most of the captains and lieutenants have either fallen in battle or disappeared in battle. The Soul Society couldn't be any more of a joke as it is now" smirked Aizen. "I see nothing of importance lost, however. But, if you say so, Kyouka"

"With me here, Beni and I can get to work on opening the gate to Ruby Rose's world. She and her companions are vital for our next steps. Even with both of us, it will take some time. Once that is done, Sosuke and I shall head over to retrieve Ruby Rose and her friends, while Beni can go with Kisuke and Gin to the Soul Society to support those left alive there" she then turned to Kisuke.

The eccentric shopkeeper blinked when he noticed that Kyouka's outfit had changed before he'd been able to notice it. She now wore a simple kimono with her long black hair let loose, a white lab coat and rounded, rectangular glasses. "Now this is much more appropriate clothing, wouldn't you agree? Feel free to call in Isshin Kurosaki and Yoruichi Shihouin as well. I imagine you'd need their help. You don't need me to tell you that however. I'm sure you can figure out the rest. The Soul Society is one thing, but my brother is another class altogether. Sosuke is the only chance any of them have of surviving" she explained.

Then, she turned her head towards the sky, slowly closing her eyes "As for our boya….hmm, I see…how interesting. They've moved out faster than I expected. And that one is as boisterous as usual. You're in luck, Sosuke. Something to collect alongside our trip" she remarked to herself with a faint smile. "Following all that, we rendezvous here"

"Sounds like a plan" agreed Benihime, wasting no time dragging Kyouka Suigetsu along with her. Kisuke blinked again when he noted that Kyouka had taken the courtesy to give his Zanpakuto a similar lab coat and a pair of glasses to match herself. It wasnt a look he ever imagined on his own sword, but he had to admit it looked rather appropriate on her. "We're going to be busy for a while, so make yourselves useful boys~. And try not to kill each other while you're at it" she said teasingly.

---

Along the shattered paths and burning roads of that which was once her pristine home, a young maiden dragged her pained body shouldering a lifeless corpse. The noises of death and destruction served as her auditory backdrop alongside the gruesome scenery accompanying her. If there was one word that could define the lass, it would be irony. She was, at that moment, the very picture of irony.

Garbed in black, the lass was a soldier of the realm of the departed, a place meant to be safe haven for those seeking respite from their burdened lives during their time on the land of the living. She was an arbiter of the afterlife, a soul reaper. And yet, on that day, it would be her land that would be reaped. She was nobility, or something very close to it. She was kin to the one who was. And she possessed the pride worthy of a noble. And yet, the sorrow, grief and loss that she bottled way were just a hair's breadth away from ripping into her exterior facade of pride and onto the material world.

Slouched onto her shoulders, his body lifeless and his once prideful and regal form now reduced to a macabre imitation of life was none other than her kin, the very same who once tried to end her life. The very same who would then go onto to extreme lengths to protect her from death, the very same who fulfilled that very oath, finally at the cost of his own life. His was not a shameful death. And so, the girl could not grieve. The girl would not give in after her life had been saved by the one slouched lifelessly on her shoulders. She was, despite the enormous loss and tremendous guilt she felt, still a Kuchiki. She was, despite her burning home, dead commander and dying people, still a soldier of the Gotei 13. Despite the races of the entire world assaulting her home, despite the entire world turning against her, she could not stop. Despite her bloodied, broken body of hers, despite her shattered white blade, despite the withered cherry blossoms, she needed to leave. Back to the only ones who could help her people in their time of distress.

Pride clashed against grief and sorrow.

Her shattered, pure white blade was stained black and red with soot, girt, blood and ashes. Her own body mirrored her shattered blade, with numerous burn marks, slash marks, arrow puncture holes sutured by the burning reishi of the arrows, bite, claw and fang marks and the most perilous injury of them all; a crystalline looking stone of sorts still embedded within her left leg. The one thing her brother couldn't protect her from.

And her brother's body weighed down on her body and soul, slowing her perilous journey to those that could help.

It had been a perfectly normal day.

Mundane talks of boredom. The sounds of shinai colliding with each other within the training halls of the different barracks. Sounds of chatter and murmurs as soldiers in black went about their mundane lives. Her own captain was nowhere to be seen in her barracks, for he had chosen to accompany captain Kyoraku for yet another game of cards at the barracks of Squad 8. Rukia remembered pondering if Starrk had returned as well, along with Lily.

Despite the biggest tragedy to befall the soul society in several decades, life in the afterlife kept going unabated. Many divisions were still struggling to keep up after the loss of their captain and/or vice captains. Those divisions whose vice captains still remained alive after the winter battle were doing their best to fill in the void left by their now-deceased captain. And likewise, those divisions whose captain and vice captain were dead found it impossibly harder to do the same, and would often require captains of other divisions to assist them. But even so, afterlife in the Soul Society was functioning.

And then, it happened.

Ripping into the peaceful afternoon like a rift splitting apart the membrane protecting the Soul Society, both figuratively and literally. Like throngs of bacteria invading the bloodstream, troves upon troves of creatures covered in black poured onto the unsuspecting Soul Reapers.

Soul Reapers who had been leisurely snoozing and enjoying a lazy afternoon had no means of reacting to enemies that appeared without any word of caution in such big numbers. This became much more pronounced since the protective membrane covering the Seireitei usually kept intruders at bay, or at the very least, alerted those within to the intruders on the outside. This time however, their enemies seemed to have passed clean through the membrane, as if it never existed.

Enemies who, for all intents and purposes, were alien. Not human, not hollow, not Arrancars, and yet bearing resemblances to hollows and something much worse. Laced in black lacquer, bearing reishi that was darker than any of the Arrancars the visited Soul Society regularly, and also, one other very prominent being well known to those even outside the Soul Society.

The spiritual pressure coming off from the creatures was strikingly reminiscent of a little hooded girl ever present alongside the prankster of the afterlife and the girl with the horned helmet.

"Rosy….?" Called out Yachiru, arching her head upwards with an odd expression. There was a childlike anxious expression on her face. And in the next instant, she was gone, without even waiting for her captain's approval. Something that she almost never did. Kenpachi himself had a huge grin sported on his face. The entire morning had been disappointing and boring. Though screams already filled the air and sounds of conflict and chaos already filled the air, it only added to his excitement.

The divisions without captains and vice captains were even more isolated from the other divisions in the massive structure that was the Soul Society. And the creatures were strong. Stronger than any average hollow or soul reaper. And they took the forms of things unimaginable. Some almost human looking. Some almost non-human. And some that were a mixed jumble of everything.

Rukia rushed outside her division before her captain could shout out orders, along side some of her fellow division mates. And before long, she could see them as well, along with the eerie reishi coming off from them. The sounds of conflict and confused chatter and screams didn't fall on deaf ears either. She was surprised no doubt, but as the lieutenant of squad 13, she knew better than to lose her cool so quickly.

"Spread out men, and observe and engage from a distance! I'll be with you shortly!" she shouted, drawing her Zanpakuto. Somewhere deep inside, she felt an immense sense of dread. Was it the reishi coming off from the creatures? She couldn't tell. It reminded her of Ruby almost instantly.

"But that's impossible.." she shook her head, almost immediately. She couldn't be here. That wouldn't be impossible but it was definitely improbable. And Rukia saw no reason why the eldest sibling of the Kurosaki family would be back here in the Soul Society within a week of her departure. Plus, the reishi she was sensing was different to Ruby's. However, her current priority was clear. Whatever it was, they were being attacked. And she needed to act as the lieutenant of her squad, and protect them.

She could see a few of her squad mates engaged in combat with these creatures. Her men were struggling, but were managing the situation. These men were primarily trained to fight against Hollows and in certain cases, other fellow Soul reapers. These creatures however, were neither.

Her white, flowing blade danced through air, slicing off the head and limbs of two enemies and saving two of her squad mates from potential death. With a small nod to acknowledge their thanks for saving them, Rukia pressed on. A century of fighting hollows told her one thing straight away. Her regular fighting instincts ill applied to her current opponents. They were far more aggressive, seemingly numb to pain, fear and other stimulus while also being rather selective about their prey. Any new ones that appeared went after the same select squad mates in her group, but wouldn't discriminate the moment any one initiated an attack.

Kido, her Zanpakuto's skills and her experience aided in protecting most of her squad members from mortal damage, but ultimately, the sheer numbers of the enemies that completely caught them off guard, their unpredictability and lack of support from other fellow squad members meant that in the end, fatalities were inevitable. It pained her heart, seeing people, her own squad members fall in front of her. People she felt she could have saved. And yet, this was the duty of the Soul Reapers. The moment they donned their robes of black, their lives were just as liable to be reaped as the souls they reaped. It was something she witnessed and understood time and time again, and yet, it stung her everytime she witnessed another good soul right in front of her.

By the time the enemies around her were non-existent, she was left panting, a bit fatigued and confused, but otherwise just as alert and sharp as she had been before. The last few enemies had been especially tough on her, specifically the ones that had giant orb like protrusions on their 'faces' that shot out burning beams of light that promised instant death if she caught them head on. She bore slash marks that she obtained from saving an injured squad member before he was sliced to ribbons, a bite mark that she received from protecting her fellow squad mate from being chewed to death, and a couple of burn marks on her back that she received from pushing away a couple of newbie Soul Reapers from being disintegrated by the powerful reishi beams the last few enemies fired at them. None of her injuries had come from her lack of skill or compassion for her fellow squad members.

She looked around the decimated buildings of her squad barracks, tempted to rush in to one of the buildings to try to find out more of what happened. The urge to investigate with Renji or with her brother were just as strong. But she prioritized checking up on her squad mates first. Running over to the nearest of them, Rukia knelt down to check on the lacerations on the female soul reaper from squad 6.

"Are you alright?" she asked

"Yes Lieutenant, I'll be fine, but I don't think I can be of much use with these injuries" the female soul reaper replied.

"That's quite alright, you did your best. We were ambushed, there was no way we could have been prepared to fight such enemies.." responded Rukia reassuringly.

"What were they..? I've never sensed enemies with such evil reishi. They looked like contorted hollows but they didn't behave anything like the hollows we're seen here" she gasped, struggling to hold on to her Zanpakuto. "I can't reach anyone from the other squads...the communication devices aren't working.." she continued, tapping a small earpiece desperately.

Rukia nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, I know. I haven't been able to reach them either. I'm not sure why, but perhaps the communication towers are down. I have a very good idea of what they are, but I can't think of any reason for why they would be here. I will try once again and contact captain Ukitake or some of the other captains from the other squads and collect information. I will ask the others here to regroup and rest while we figure out the situation"

"Very well, I'll go ahead an-"

*SPLAT*

The girl in front of her never got to finish her sentence. Rukia witnessed helpless as the girl's final expression remained frozen on her face and her body merely slumped sideways to the ground. However, while the girl had been killed instantly and likely never found out what killed her, Rukia had no trouble mistaking the red blur that had passed cleanly through the girl's skull. Distraught screams rang out from behind her and around her, along with the sound of a blade cutting through flesh.

Turning behind, she saw the few squad members that had been left alive now lying uselessly on the ground, dead. Her body went instantly alert, her hands reaching out for her snow white Zanpakuto in a defensive stance. She was expecting another one of the creatures of Hell, but instead, the anger in her face changed to one of confusion and to some extent, shock.

Walking towards her was a woman with long, wavy jet black hair and ruby red eyes. She wore a white and black colored wrap styled top and black pleated skirt with black colored shorts. Around her waist was a white colored obi sash and a white colored tasset that held what appeared to be a sheath. But it was unlike any scabbard she'd ever seen before. It housed a rotary chamber like that of a revolver and was rather broad and was not shaped like a traditional Zanpakuto sheath. The hilt itself was shaped different as well and for one, contained no blade.

But what surprised Rukia more than her appearance was the reishi this woman was giving out. The fact that it was so strong, the fact that this woman was not even trying to hide her spiritual pressure, and, more importantly, the fact that her reishi signature was that of a human's. Not Soul Reaper, Hollow, Quincy or even the creatures of Hell that attacked their squad earlier but human. While it was far from the strongest spiritual pressures she had come across in her life, it was human, and that was a first. Not even Tatsuki, Orihime or Chad possessed such powerful spiritual energy.

"Wh-who are you?! Why is a human here?!" demanded Rukia, pointing her Zanpakuto at the approaching woman. The latter simply sheathed her bladeless hilt, and the scabbard's rotary chamber rotated until something clicked in place. When she unsheathed her weapon, the hilt now held what appeared to be a blade that was more like a Japanese odachi with its length and much less curved than a regular odachi. It reminded Rukia of Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu. And it was colored red.

The woman said nothing in response, merely opting to dash at her with blinding speed. Rukia wrenched herself up from her awkward, crouched position swinging Sode no Shirayuki sideways, parrying the woman's red blade. A strange, almost glass-like sound rang out from her blade, but the weight that Rukia felt behind the woman's attack was very real. In essence, her opponent's sword felt eerily similar to her own snow white ice blade.

Bright red and white sparks rang out from their clashes as each of their attacks chipped away at small, minuscule portions of their blades, confirming to each other that whatever material their swords were made out of, it was definitely not metal. The bright red sparks stung and burnt Rukia as they hit her and the snow white sparks made the woman tingle and squirm as they left small, chilling lacerations on her skin.

Surprise was certainly the first response Rukia had to the woman's fighting prowess. She was no doubt, just a regular human, atleast from her spiritual pressure. She made no effort to hide it, and Rukia was certain what she sensed from her was her entire spiritual pressure. Because it was as voluminous as that of a low tier captain's and was about 3/4th of her own spiritual pressure. Considering how the woman never used any sort of reishi based attack, Rukia presumed that the woman did not know how to suppress it. Even when she used flash step, the woman had no trouble keeping up with her. Granted, Rukia wasnt as fast as Ruby or the Kurosaki siblings were, or even her brother for that matter, but she was still much too fast for a regular human to keep up. And the woman's fighting style was odd, to say the least. It was rather acrobatic and did not resemble any form of Japanese sword style that she knew of. Instead, it reminded her of the way some of the Arrancars liked to used their sword, as well as the way Ruby fought at times. It was a very western style of sword fighting.

"Are you the one responsible for those beings from Hell?!" demanded Rukia once more, pointing her palm at the woman and firing off a wordless Hado 33 spell. The woman flinched at the sudden shift in offense, narrowly avoiding the bright blue ball of reishi that grazed her cheek as it exploded behind her. Staying her mouth as before, the woman merely continued to attack with increased fervor. Rukia thought she imagined it, but her ruby red eyes almost seemed to glow.

*CLICK*

When their swords locked once more, the woman backed way several paces, but Rukia noticed that her blade was now stuck to her own Zanpakuto. A small smile crept upon the woman's face.

A violent explosion rocked the location where Rukia last stood, as the woman watched the scene with a small but satisfied smile on her face. There was some distaste in her mouth as well, from the effort it took to land one solid hit at Rukia Kuchiki. She sheathed her bladeless sword, and the scabbard revolved once more, replacing her exhausted blade with another one. It confirmed to her that her weapons, or rather, dust, worked very differently in this land. It seemed to have the same attributes but seemed to be more powerful than usual, atleast here. Reishi..that was what it was called here. And she could use her own body's spiritual energy reserves for her weapons. However, it still didn't stop her from wishing she didn't have this much trouble.

Thanks to her 'informational session' with mechanized Sternritter, she knew the opponents she expected to come across in their current invasion and what to expect of them. Even if the one she fought right now was a high level lieutenant, Raven Branwen had ill expected such an even fight. It hurt her pride. She believed she was atleast at the level of a captain. She hadn't expected such resistance from a mere lieutenant. She knew she was far from done, but even landing that solid hit on her made her feel somewhat accomplished. As had been promised by the Quincy King, she was no doubt improving and becoming more in tune with her latent abilities as she fought. And she knew that she herself was far from done. It made her curse and seethe from within that she was yet again at the whims of some ancient god-like being, one who had slaughtered her entire tribe, but atleast this time, she wouldn't be powerless while that happened.

Except, that smile on her face didn't last for too long.

Because where there should've been the burnt visage of Rukia Kuchiki was a column of ice that seemed to reach to the skies themselves. And the soul reaper lieutenant was nowhere to be found.

"Sode no Shirayuki, 1st Dance, Tsukishiro" came her voice from her side, causing Raven to retaliate with a swing of her sword and an evasive step backwards. Another pillar of white ice shot up towards the sky, and while Raven had avoided most of the attack, her right foot was still caught up inside it, freezing it solid.

"Bakudo #63, Sajo Sabaku"

A glowing chain of golden reishi wrapped itself around Raven tightly, immobilizing her completely. The woman glared at Rukia, trying to free herself while her sword fell down with a dull clang. Rukia herself looked mostly alright, save for some small singes of burns here and there.

"Now, start talking. Who are you? Are you the one responsible for the beasts from Hell attacking the Soul Society?" she demanded, pointing Sode no Shirayuki at the long haired woman.

There was more struggling and twisting from Raven, but no actual words from her or even acknowledgment of Rukia's questions. It was at that time that Rukia noticed, that the woman wasn't unharmed. In the parts of her skin that were visible, Rukia could make out faint lacerations that couldn't have been more than a few days old.

"Unbelievable...you were fighting with such injuries.."

"Dont touch me!" snapped the woman, making a wide swing with her head and Rukia flinch. The glow in her eyes flashed out, like burning flames before dying down. The latter gave herself a second, before engaging the woman again.

"Speak then. Who are you? Are you responsible for these beasts that attacked us? Or is there someone else responsible for the fate of my squad?" she demanded, with Sode No Shirayuki on her throat. Raven turned her head away.

"..."

Rukia gave a final sigh. "Alright. Have it your way. Don't worry. I won't end your life. You still have to answer for what happened here, and to my squad. Regardless of who or what was responsible for the presence of these creatures here, you were no doubt the one who murdered the members of my squad. You will still answer for the lives you've taken. I'll just have to leave it to my superiors to get some answers from you and to answer for your crimes"

Just as she was about to drag the immobilized woman, Rukia sharply swerved, deflecting two incoming projectiles. They landed somewhere to her right and left, one embedding itself deep within the wall of her squad barracks while the other into a tree. She saw that they were sharp, crystalline in nature and were on fire.

Raven's expression soured even further.

"What are you still doing here? Surely a mere lieutenant is something you could've handled yourself, yes? Too afraid of showing your powers, are we?" mocked another woman with a condescending and sultry tone. It reminded Rukia of the way Rangiku spoke, but unlike her, this woman's tone radiated an alluring malice. She walked with a confident gait, that spoke of the absolute trust she had in her abilities and herself. She had fair skin, bright amber eyes like Crescent and ashen-black hair that she left parted to her left side, which also partially covered her left eye. She wore light lipstick and violet eye shadow, with a long white trench coat and black, red and yellow designs. A blue, feather like accessory adorned her right hip and a black choker on her neck. She also wore dark heels and a white hat with red trimmings, black colored peak and an insignia emblazoned on its front that Rukia did not recognize. Her entire being emanated cunning and charisma.

"Another one?!" thought the lieutenant of squad 13, preparing to face her. "Who are you?"

"Darling, I really doubt you should be worrying about that right now" suggested the second woman, and Rukia heard a loud crack from behind her. With wide eyes, Rukia watched as Raven freed herself from her Kido bonds, her eyes glowing red. In her hand was a fresh red bladed sword. In the second woman's hands were a pair of obsidian blades shaped like Moorish scimitars, very similar to Captain Kyoraku's weapons. Rukia could feel the second woman's spiritual pressure almost match up to the first woman's, telling her enough. And her eyes were glowing amber as well.

"This'll be tough..I should still be able to manage them both, but I wish Renji or Rangiku were here. Anyone. Capturing them without killing two captain level threats at my condition is going to be a challenge...I just hope things aren't the same everywhere..." she told herself, before preparing to face two opponents at once.

---

Confusion, panic and mass revolt had been the first reaction the moment Sienna and her band of White Fang fighters landed in this new world. It was understandable, given how all of their Faunus features disappeared, like they never existed. Sienna herself was rather shocked, and the feeling was no different to having one of her limbs cut off.

Their Faunus traits were things that defined who they were, and what they fought to preserve. It was their weapon, a mark of their race and part of their identities.

So, the panic and mass revolt that followed was completely understandable, atleast to Sienna.

Unfortunately, the Quincy possessed little tolerance for things they considered superficial, as the White Fang leader soon found out.

In the end, she was left with 5 squad mates who had broken arms, a cracked rib, a broken nose and a rather nasty looking swollen eye. In the end, she had no choice but to force her people to comply, lest people died while trying to defy orders. She hated it, the fact that her people and their understandable plight was being made light of, especially when they were about to go to war.

Though she was their leader, it was all for show. The real leaders were the Quincy Sternritter leading each individual squad during the invasion. They had been split into different groups, each one tasked with a specific objective. Some of them had been tasked with destroying important structures of the Sereitei, such as the communication center and the Department of Research and Development, like Cinder Fall and Theodore. Some others had been tasked with engaging enemy forces, like Raven Branwen, Winter Schnee and herself. The other smaller groups were put directly in charge of other Quincy soldiers and Sternritter who led the invasion, such as herself. All of this also took into account the initial raid carried out by the captured beasts from Hell and Hueco Mundo and the support from Quincy foot soldiers and Sternritters at scene.

And as appalled as she and many others were, Yhwach himself was the vanguard for their massive invasion forces, though Sienna could've sworn that the Quincy leader had been at the throne room at Atlas the last time she saw him before they began the invasion. She simply presumed that the Quincy King joined the fray after his own troupes left for battle.

Her thoughts returned to the battle at hand. Even she had to admit that her increased abilities and combat capabilities just about the only positive things that she got out of this. She and Adam Taurus were fighting two seated officers, and she could tell they were no pushovers by themselves. Their ranks were way off the mark to begin with, and both of them were atleast lieutenant class Soul Reapers, and from what she'd been informed, the bald one was qualified to be a low ranking captain. Her old self and Adam himself would have been bested just fighting one of them. Once again, she had to rethink her views about everything that she didn't know and knew now. Either thanks to the knowledge that was implanted in her, or through seeing it with her very eyes.

"Oy oy, what's the holdup girlie?" taunted the bald man, thrusting his spear-like Zanpakuto in a flurry of supersonic attacks, which Sienna dodged and parried with her own flurry of spinning chain attacks. Though the bald soul reaper was slightly faster than her, she was much more acrobatic, and her chain whip was much more flexible than his long spear. It had much further reach as well, which gave her the advantage. And there was no doubt that she had a rather unfair advantage right from the get go, evident from the numerous battle wounds the man had sustained. They had no doubt been inflicted by the Grimm-like creatures which instantiated the attack, thought Sienna. In fact, she was hardly pressed in this battle. But she cared naught for such things. All that mattered to her now, was to go back home to her own people, away from a fight that had nothing to do with them.

The other man, called Yumichika, was a much more graceful fighter compared the brash Ikkaku. His weapon was a large sickle like Zanpakuto with multiple blades, which had even less power and range than Ikkaku's own weapon. But it was likely thanks to that fact that the man was even able to fight toe-to-toe with Adam. His katana was a weapon that was similar in reach and weight, but their skills were another story altogether. The seated officer was experienced at best, but was otherwise outmatched in melee combat skills. On that front, it was obvious that the bull Faunus was much more familiar with using a bladed weapon. And, the major decisive factor was the numerous wounds on Yumichika present from before their fight began, as well as his fatigued self from being in battle longer than Adam had been.

All in all however, Adam was hardly going to complain. After all, he was even less inclined to stay than Sienna ever was. He was already in a bad mood after what had happened to his fellow Faunus after they lashed out against the Quincy following their arrival in this world. The disappearance of his own bull horns was equally frustrating as well. Never had he felt such contempt for himself before, and for the Quincy. Once again, his people were being made to work like slaves, oppressed and repressed for who they were and an utter lack of acknowledgement of their identities as Faunus.

Sparks rang out between Adam's red bladed chokutou and Yumichika's Fuji Kujaku, with a tense expression on both of their faces. The former was clearly surprised by the speed and weight behind Adam's attacks, despite his opponent clearly being human. Apart from Rukia, Renji, Rangiku and some other select captains, many amongst the Soul Reapers seldom saw humans, atleast living ones. So, one could understand both of their shocked expressions when two such humans start engaging them in combat and even manage to hold their ground against them.

"Why won't you just die!" snapped the bull Faunus, swinging his sword upwards and generating a flame trail along with his swing, leaving a nasty bright red slash mark across Yumichika's midriff. Though caught off guard, the seated officer continued to push forward.

"That's rather unfair, wouldn't you say? You guys were the ones who attacked us first. And if you were responsible for those disgusting things and what they did to our squad, then I should be the one saying that. Of course, neither you nor your girlfriend there will be going anywhere until you answer for what you did to Squad 11" replied Yumichika calmly, continuing his attack.

"Shut your mouth!" roared Adam, starting a barrage of flame coated slashes with his sword.

"Was I mistaken? Oh well then, do pardon me" replied the 5th seat of Squad 11, deflecting most of the incoming strikes and sustaining fewer injuries compared to their last exchange. He maintained his calm demeanor, both in his tone and in his fighting stance, which only added fuel to Adam's increasing ire. And it was exactly what Yumichika was aiming for.

"That utter fool..." thought Sienna to herself inwardly, reflexively shifting her attention from her own fight to Adam's. While her own battle was going a lot smoother than her partner's, she couldn't help but check in on him from time to time out of concern. She forced her attention back to Ikkaku, who seemed to grin wider upon her facing her increased fervor. It was around the time he surprised her by undoing the links on his staff, showing her that it was indeed a 3-part staff with a blade on it.

Sienna could feel it in her bones. If there was one thing that was certain about everything she learnt about the Quincies, at the very least, they had kept their promise about her increased abilities. Though she suffered piercing wounds from Hozukimaru on both of her thighs, she as much faster than she was before. Her body was reacting to every swing, every thrust just a little faster with each attack. Even when Ikkaku unleashed his surprise attack by undoing his staff, she hadn't been caught off guard too badly.

"Heh heh..! I don't know where you're coming from, girlie, but hell do I care. It's like there's an invasion by some lunatic every once in a while. I've given up trying to make sense of it. If that's how it's going to be while I'm here, I might as well get a good fight out of it. Atleast I'll eventually die fighting with the biggest fucking grin on my face" proclaimed Ikkaku.

"You value your life that little? There are people out there fighting for causes much more noble than themselves, so that they and their people don't have to fight again. You'd give up your life to drown in the ecstasy of battle? I fail to see the worth it gives one's life" replied Sienna, raising her eyes. She spun around her chain, parrying Hozukimaru and with a swift spin, sent the chain straight towards Ikkaku, which he could only partially avoid.

"Heh, it's the only kind of life worth living!" The 3rd seat of squad 11 winced slightly in pain as the chain embedded itself into his shoulder. With a wild grin, he used his other hand to yank on the chain, hoping to catch the Faunus leader off guard.

But just as he had surprised her earlier, Sienna too had one up her sleeve. When Ikkaku tried yanking on her Cerberus whip, the chain slid away from his hand but the feeling of something embedded in his shoulder was still present. As the chain retracted back to her hand, that's when the 3rd seat noticed a missing blade at the end of the chain, one that he vividly remembered having a red colored stone embedded on it.

Yumichika and Adam Taurus both stopped, turning their heads to observe the violent explosion right next to them. The shock wave and sound threw both of them off balance. Using the opening, Adam lunged forward with a swift swing from his sword, intending to cut off Yumichika's neck, only for his sword to be met with resistance.

"Hmm...? You look rather surprised. You honestly thought I'd let my guard down around an enemy?" commented Yumichika dryly.

"A rather cold bastard, arent you?" asked Adam. "You dont even have a little concern for your companion who might as well have been blown to smithereens"

"I trust him well enough to know something of that caliber is hardly enough to strike him down. You really should be focusing on yourself. From my perspective, the guy who makes his companion turn her head away from her own fight because of his inability to hold out for himself is the real cold bastard here. I pity that woman for having to put up with such a simpleton" retorted the 5th seat of squad 11.

And sure enough, true to his word, Ikkaku emerged out of the dust cloud, badly injured and yet, just as determined as before. Sienna herself looked rather surprised, more at his tenacity than the fact that he survived such an injury.

"Almost feels like the time I met those two Kurosaki runts way back then.." grinned Ikkaku, forcing a grin while clearly hiding his pain. "Tell me you name, girlie. It would be a shame to not know each other's names if either of us died, now wouldnt it?"

Sienna remained transfixed for a few more seconds, before letting out a small breath of air. "Sienna Khan"

"Sienna huh..? Doesn't sound like you're from around here. The name's Ikkaku Madarame, 3rd seat of Squad 11. Dont you dare forget it" he replied.

Sienna said nothing, but returned a slow nod with her head hung slightly low; a sign of acknowledgment that was gone as soon as it came, enough for it to be received by Ikkaku. She readied her weapon once more, with confidence in her victory. She was well aware that she could have settled things much sooner had she simply used her maiden abilities or other dust based abilities. She wondered why she hadnt done so herself. It made no sense to her. Unlike Ikkaku, she took no particular joy in fighting. On the contrary, she wanted to finish her work here and go back to her people. And yet, she felt a sort of unspoken compulsion to play along with the innate rules of their battle. Her opponent relied solely on physical attacks, and so did she. Perhaps it was also in part due to her not wanting to use assets her human opponent didnt have to prove that she was better than him. A part of being burdened with the responsibility of leading the Faunus to a better future, she thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Adam's eyes narrowing in anger, the bull Faunus swung hard at Yumichika's sickle like Zanpakuto, releasing the stored energy within his blade from all of the attacks he parried in the form of a red, crescent shaped slash. The attack cleanly shattered Yumichika's Zanpakuto, leaving nothing but a satisfied smirk on Adam's face.

"Who's the simpleton now, huh?!" snapped Adam, kicking Yumichika squarely on the chest. The latter almost fell to the ground, but managed to recover his stance. "That's what you get for attacking without thinking first. Thanks for the free energy, simpleton"

Yumichika coughed from the impact on his chest, with a strained expression on his face. But rather than dismay, there was a haughty smirk on his face.

"I see...so even when fighting your enemy, you still cant do anything by yourself. You end up relying on your opponent's attacks to do any real damage. I really pity that woman for however long she and whoever else has had to put up with you. It's very clear that you were definitely not the ones responsible for those disgusting creatures attacking us. Pardon me for putting it this way, but I just cant see someone like you spearheading this attack. In which case, I pity the guy who had to sink as low as to use such disgusting creatures and foot soldiers like you to do their dirty jobs"

Yumichika watched as his opponent's face seemed to go two deeper shades of red, his face fuming at the words directed at him. He gripped his sword tightly, getting ready to strike. And it was exactly what Yumichika was waiting for. At this point, he knew that he had gotten his opponent exactly where he wanted him. In fact, it was so obvious what Adam was about to do that Yumichika had to resist the urge to automatically anticipate the attack before Adam moved. It wasnt that Yumichika wanted to take Adam prisoner. Squad 11 was not that soft of a squad, and considering what he knew about the Head Captain, he knew well that killing Adam was the right thing to do. And he had no reservations about it. His words and reactions had indeed proven that this man had something to do with the creatures that rained down on them. Even if he was not directly responsible, they were atleast part of whatever it was that was attacking them. But without his Zanpakuto, he had limited options on how to take down such a strong opponent. And so, he needed to wait for the precise moment.

Neither however, would anticipate what would happen next. It was something that was completely beyond both of their active field of attention and view.

Sienna and Ikkaku were about to cross blades once more, with Sienna placing more emphasis on mortally wounding the latter while the bald shinigami planning to use his bankai if their current exchange ended in his loss. However, Ikkaku would never get that chance. Just as he was about to swing Hozukimaru, Ikkaku stopped, with a startled expression on his face. Sienna did as well, but because she saw three glowing blue spikes protruding from Ikkaku's chest. The latter didnt even get the time to say or do anything more, for he merely slumped to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut off. Sienna froze on the spot, unsure of how to react.

A second later, Yumichika, who was just about to counter Adam's attack, found himself in a similar state as well, with four protruding reishi spikes implanted onto his chest. Adam looked just as surprised as Sienna did.

"Man, what a bunch of incompetents" came a third voice from above them. "This long to take out a bunch of seated officers? What the hell is His Majesty thinking sending these two losers to battle for him? Now they'll end up thinking we're just as weak as these two are"

"Who the hell are you..?!" asked Adam promptly, before realizing that the man's outfit gave away his identity. Or atleast a part of it.

He had long black hair, which was arranged into five fanned-out spiraling spikes, and unusual teeth which alternated between black and white similar to the keys of a piano. The rest of his upper facial features, including his eyes, were covered by a smooth, red-orange mask with a reflective surface. His attire was a variation of the usual Sternritter uniform, including the order's signature hooded-cloak with its right side bunched atop his shoulder, that revealed a small shirt beneath which left his abdomen and thin arms bare. He wore a pair of white, high-waisted pants and boots, and had a ring on each of his fingers and a bracelet on either wrist.

"You're...one of the Sternritter..." commented Sienna, tensing up.

"Better mind your tongue when addressing a superior officer, woman. His Majesty might have been soft with you, but dont think weaklings such as yourself will get the same treatment from the rest of us. All you've done is waste time in trying to take out two completely unimportant Soul Reapers while accomplishing absolutely nothing. The best thing that's come out of this is the time you brought was enough for me to analyze their reishi distribution and rip it apart with my 'The Underbelly'" he snapped back, going over to the unconscious Ikkaku and firing a single Quincy arrow straight through his skull.

Sienna flinched when the arrow left a sizable hole in his head with a sick squelch.

"The hell was that for?! Those were our prey!" argued Adam angrily, before being slammed to the ground from Najahkoop's reishi. Sienna stumbled and nearly fell to the ground just from being in the vicinity. It showed her and Adam that despite how much their abilities had improved in just one battle, they were still and likely will be worlds apart from the strength the Quincy possessed.

"Prey that both you of failed to get rid of, especially what His Majesty told me about you" he thundered back. "Dont forget, in the end, it's His Majesty's wishes that matters over yours. And His Majesty wishes for the Soul Society to be reduced to rubble. You should be happy I didnt allow you to embarrass yourselves even more and did your jobs. Especially you" he said, looking at Adam. "That was just utterly pathetic, falling for such obvious enemy provocation like that. Lucky for you, you both arent in my squadron. Otherwise, this would've been the last time you would've embarrassed our good name like that. And you woman, should know how to keep a better leash on your underlings"

"That's...none of your buisness...sir" replied Sienna with a hardened expression. "And we were never given orders to kill Soul Reapers who had been incapacitated to the point of being completely unconscious and defeated. I fail to see the purpose of taking a life when unnecessary"

"Hah..? Are you for real, woman? Killing Soul Reapers should be a given. No damn Quincy'd be going around telling you specifically to kill them. They just know it. You've seen what these scumbags have done, havent you? His Majesty spent all that time showing you the kind of things they did before you lot got here, and you still have the capacity to feel that way? Are you mad, woman?" asked the Sternritter with an incredulous expression.

Sienna did remember. How could she not? It was, as Najahkoop put it, vile. That was the only way she could describe it. Putrid. Sickening. The torture and brutal murder of POWs who had surrendered to the Soul Reapers, as well as the other atrocities they had committed in the name of keeping peace in the after life. Like a military briefing, they had ALL seen it through BG9. It was one of the many reasons why many amongst their factions felt no hesitation in accepting their current roles. And yet, as someone who led and represented people of her group, she knew there were always two things to everything. Just as how the White Fang were regarded as bloodthirsty, peace-disrupting extremist Faunus criminals, there were also those within and outside of the White Fang who shared many of the ideas of the Faunus freedom fighters without the hatred for humans that usually came along with it. Which is why she herself, though largely still housing negative opinions about the Soul Reapers was willing to have some margins for rethinking her thoughts, unlike Adam.

"Tch. This is a waste of time. I dont even know why the hell I bothered to interfere. This place is filled with filth as well. That disgusting reishi alone makes me sick. But I'm sure even His Majesty will agree for intervening into another squad because they put down his name and dragged it through the mud" he scoffed, "I would love to deliver your punishments myself, but I should leave that task to His Majesty so that he can see the kind of mistake he's making bringing you lot under his guidance" he said before disappearing.

A gentle wind rushed past the duo, who were still left transfixed following the events that just happened. Sienna was left looking down bitterly at the entire situation and the unfairness in which two powerful individuals had just instantly lost their lives, just like that. They had absolutely no time to even register what happened to them, no time to say any final words or think about the people they would leave behind. But this was war. And in war, it only took a turn of one's head to face death and decay. It was a truth she knew very well, and she had seen it before, back in Remmant. But even she admitted to herself that the scales here and there were completely different.

As for Adam, he was only concerned about the humiliation he had faced not just from his superior officer but also from the enemy, one who lay at his feet, dead. Even in death, Adam could almost feel Yumichika's smug expression jeering at him. Even though it was he who had survived, it hardly felt like it was his victory. He slammed his blade violently against the ground, sending broken fragments scattering across the battlefield, which left mini explosions as they made contact with anything.

As if to complement everything, their current battleground was littered with a sea of corpses slain by the pair and other Soul Reapers who had given their lives defending their barracks and other fellow spiritual inhabitants of the afterlife. Despite what Sienna thought about Ikkaku and by extension Yumichika, the two had been defending their squad and squad members from a deadly invasion force before having to fight them, which technically, was no different. In the end, despite their personal interests and goals, they had died fighting and protecting their people. Shame welled up within her when she thought back to the words she spoke to the bald Shinigami.

She picked up a wooden plank from nearby, and began digging into the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Adam.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm making a grave. They may have been our enemies, but I can't just move on when I see someone who fell protecting his people under such unfair means. It does not sit well with me. And I need time to think about a few things. So you're free to go ahead, Adam. I'll join you" she responded, going back to digging the ground. The bull Faunus merely clicked his tongue in annoyance before mouthing off a 'Fine, whatever' and walking away.

The tigress Faunus continued to dig away at the earth. The only things that interrupted her thoughts were the sounds of the wind as it passed through a lifeless battlefield, as well as the sound of wood hitting solid earth.

---

"Curses...how is a human this powerful..?!" gasped Nanao, the remnants of the last kido spell she cast still lingering on her hand. To say that her day had been full of surprises was in no way an exaggeration. First, it had been the invasion of the beasts that looked like no hollow she had seen pour out of every corner of the sky. Then, it had been their twisted reishi that sent goosebumps all over her body, and one that reminded her of Crescent, which was an impossibility all by itself. And then, it had been the attackers that followed after, who were undeniably human. And some of them, were much stronger than her, a lieutenant.

The white haired woman with her militaristic outfit and stern, cold look was unbelievable even otherwise. Not only did she not use her sword to attack, her reishi attacks could match in size and power to her own kido. And the versatility of her attacks stunned the 8th division lieutenant as well. Ice, Fire, Wind, Electricity and even something that made her feel as if she weight twice as much. Not to mention the creatures that she summoned from glyphs that appeared in thin air. Made out of blue reishi and bearing a striking resemblance to the creatures that lay dead around them.

"That's enough, Nanao. I'll take over from here" said Kyoraku, interrupting his lieutenant before she could attack. "You maybe pretty darn good at Kido, but somehow, so is she. Although, I've never heard of a kido spell that can summon hollows and creatures from Hell made out of your own spiritual energy. Or a human being able to do it, for that matter"

Nanao had a stubborn expression on her face, one that told him that she was far from giving up. She wasnt about to lose to an intruder this easily, lest of all, a human. Especially one that might very likely be responsible for the shores of monsters and beasts that attacked what appeared to be the entire Seireitei before. What concerned her more was the fact that she wasnt able to reach anyone using the communicator created by Urahara and the Department of Research and Development post the Winter War. Given the current situation, one couldnt blame her for worrying.

"You should focus on other important matters, captain. I dont need assistance dealing with a single human" she snapped back, whilst adjusting her glasses. Her stern demeanor towards her own superior definitely reminded Winter of Xanthe and Glynda. Had she not know any better, the two could've very well been siblings. A small smile escaped her.

"And just what's so funny, human?" glared Nanao, preparing another kido spell.

"My apologies, I was merely reminded of home, just for an instant. I meant no disrespect" she replied, readying her sword.

"Tch, awfully polite for an intruder, arent you?" scoffed Nanao merely narrowed her eyes further, preparing to unleash a hado 58 spell, but was promptly surprised when she felt her feet leaving the ground.

"Captain, wh-what the?! What's the meaning of this?! Let me down this instant!" she demanded, almost flailing her hands but Kyoraku continued to keep her lifted with a goofy expression on his face, like holding a child and then proceeded to put her down several feet away, right next to where Ukitake was.

"You holding up good?" asked Kyoraku, while slicing away a Hell Grimm that happened to almost attack the white haired captain. "Whew, well I'll be damned, literally. This place looks like hell"

"My apologies for not being able to help, Shunsui. I've been rather busy myself..." he replied hastily, supporting the squad members of squad 8 as they fought several other intruders, along with the occasional Hell or Hollow Grimm. Loud bangs rang out as several glowing projectiles flew at them, which the Soul Reaper captain duo momentarily blocked. With a simple wave of his swords, Kyoraku sent a pair of gusting wind blades, that pushed the enemy forces several feet back.

"Oh dont be, I get ya. Anyway, keep her out of trouble for me, will ya?" he requested, before using flash step to get away once more.

"Hey, you can't just..!" protested the bespectacled lieutenant, only to be cut off by another intruder attacking her with a gun of sorts, narrowly missing her. The projectile did however scrap her cheek, drawing a slight red line across her cheek. In a rush of anger, she used Hado 58 to create a gusting tornado to blast away the enemies in front of her.

"Much appreciated, Nanao, but try not to kill them" cautioned Ukitake, making her more frustrated. Though she saw no meaning in leaving invading intruders alive, she understood that Ukitake's word was not one she could merely brush off.

Understanding that she had no other choice, she decided to stay with the white haired captain to support him.

"Well, my lovely lady, sorry about that. I hope you'll pardon me for that little interruption. After all, it would be a shame if Nanao offed a beautiful woman like you, now wouldnt it?" Said Kyoraku, maintaining a relaxed stance.

"That's rather generous of you, captain" replied Winter in a stoic manner, keeping her fighting stance firm. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid that I can't quite go easy on you. Not that I could. You ARE the Captain Shunsui Kyoraku after all. I wish the circumstances were different. But for now, we each have our roles to play, for better or worse"

Winter's eyes began glowing blue, and she charged forward with blinding speed, using a glyph on her feet to augment her speed. The laid back captain responded in kind, though Winter knew that he was far from serious.

"You seem to know me. Or atleast, of me" he said, casually parrying her strikes. Though she was the aggressor in their battle, she still strained to keep up. "And I'm hardly the generous one here. If anything, that'd be you. If you wanted, you could have killed my lieutenant several times over. Not only did you match her kido blow to blow with your strange reishi attacks, you never once used your sword against her. Something tells me there's more to those guys lying on the ground than it seems. You dont really want to be here, do you?"

"..."

Kyoraku casually stepped aside, dodging the reishi based summons that Winter sent after him. He could tell the girl couldnt follow his movements as he sliced them with quick strokes of his sword.

"Why dont we stop?" he suggested, making Winter raise her eyes. "Clearly you dont want to be here, nor do you want to fight in this battle. I can hardly sense any bloodlust in your attacks. And unfortunately for me, I tend to have a soft spot for women. So when I know the woman in front of me is fighting me against her will, it really puts me in a tight spot. And besides, you seem to be a clever woman, so you should know that no matter how much you try, you're not going to win this fight. Not to mention, you're only human. I AM curious to know why such a powerful human like you escaped our notice, but that's one more reason as to why we should stop this here and now. You shouldnt have to involve yourself in matters that arent your responsibility. Whoever set you up to this is one nasty fellow, wouldnt you say? So help me out here will ya?"

The white haired Schnee hesitated for a second, genuinely considering the possibility.

Just then, a massive pressure weighed down on the Schnee heiress, making her fall flat to the ground. An intense heat enveloped her, and seemed to push on her from all sides, as if she was enveloped in a heavy fog. There was no air or wind passing over her, and yet, the air seemed to press on her from all sides. It was all just from the temperature.

"Oh dear" sighed Kyoraku. "Looks like Yamaji's mad again, and for good reason too this time"

It was a spiritual pressure far stronger than what Winter had sensed in Ruby, and she couldnt fathom how it would feel were she right at the source of it. In fact, it was so voluminous, that she couldnt even tell how far she was from the source. But her knowledge of the main powers of the Soul Society, combined with the heat that she felt told her enough. She could see steam coming from the remnants of ice shards left behind by her previous attacks, and she knew that any use of her ice powers were gone. A fact that Kyoraku himself seemed to notice. Winter shrugged off any useless thoughts from her mind, opting to focus on picking herself from the ground.

"Even Captain Hitsugaya would have had trouble forming ice while Yamaji used his Bankai, I don't necessarily blame you" he said, with a look of remembrance. "But surely this is enough, dont you think? You can hardly move well in this reishi. It's pretty damn impressive that you can even stand, not a lot of humans can do that, especially when there's reishi this intense being rained down on you. But unfortunately, this is it for whatever or whoever thought it was a good idea to invade the Soul Society while Yamaji was still alive and kicking. So you dont have to worry about your big boss making things difficult for you because you failed"

"I...can't. I'm sorry. I just have to" she apologized, with an uncomfortable expression. Kyoraku let out a sign.

"Well, that's a darn shame"

Winter conjured up gusting winds, hoping to deter the captain of the 8th division. And while she did that, she would send concentrated blasts of fire and electricity at Kyoraku. She hoped it would atleast slow him down, perhaps to get away, regroup and rethink her strategy. Once she saw his figure being obscured, she put some distance between herself and him, going in a direction away from the head captain's reishi.

"Sorry, I can't just let you run away either" came a voice from behind. She could feel someone's hand on her right shoulder. With a quick swerve, Winter tried retaliating, but only felt a sharp pain on the base of her head, and things seemed to black out.

"Sorry...general..." she managed to speak out before everything went black. Kyoraku managed to catch her before she fell to the ground, and let out a sigh.

"Yamaji wont be pleased with this, but that's hardly anything new, is it?" he thought to himself. Looking at her, the woman was definitely similar to Nanao in a lot of ways, and he couldnt help but imagine a scenario in which the two were constantly at his back for slacking off while sternly adjusting their glasses. A smile escaped him. Perhaps he should have Nanao watch over her after all.

He then quickly flash stepped to the squad 8 barracks and lay her down in a safe place, before binding her with a bakudo spell. "Dont worry, you wont be dying anytime soon. You can tell your general that" he said, before disappearing to help Ukitake and Nanao.

---

Damn, I've been away for a very long time. My apologies for that, I had a few family commitments that I couldn't avoid, as well as some personal issues to take care off. However, it feels good to have another chapter out finally.

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Response to reviews:

Argorok: Thanks a lot! We'll get to Ruby very soon, thought I should focus on some parallel events as well, lest they become forgotten.

Monster King: Thanks!

MaxHD2490: Oh boy, there's still a lot left on that front.

Xeno01: Haha that could very well be, but it still hits different compared to Omni-man I suppose.

Yeah, it wouldnt make sense any other way. After all despite all that, she still had Summer and Crescent to hold her back. But now..they're gone.

All three of them will have things they will go through for sure, even as they are.

We'll get to the rest soon enough.

Of course!

Thanks a lot!

Mobian: Nope, she can't. She'll need some buffs for sure, to put it lightly.

Lucian Naruto: All in due time my friend

RandomName3064: They are all very valid points, and things that I have given very serious thought as well. I'm unsure of how I can best put my thoughts, but all I can say is that I will try my best to not let RWBY become a footnote and have them be much more relevant in the events to come. It has been my intention from the beginning, but I will work harder on that narrative.

Fa L Ma: Thanks a lot, really glad you liked it! And also, sorry for the late update! I hear ya, I did feel like I might have overdone it the last chapter. I'll try to do better this time. Thanks a lot for the support once more!

PoofyOhio: Yeah, you have a point. It was also pointed out by others, and I agree that I might have overdone that. I'll kick it down a few notches. As for the etiquette thing, I wrote it more as a thing that arises out of their biology and as a means to add a little tid-bit about Faunus cultures than anything else.

Tarifullbuster: True. But in here, it was me mostly taking liberty with the fact that in the manga atleast, the SK was not given a complete backstory and that even in RWBY, the origins and true extent of the brother gods was not shown either. Since I started this fic without taking the novel into consideration, I thought it would be best if I maintained it that way. So I'm not quite including stuff from the novels.