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).

57. Chapter 57: Thousand year war part 2

Chapter 57: Thousand year blood war part 2

It was hot. So very hot. Her body felt as if the air itself was exerting a suffocating, clamping pressure on her, like she was in the midst of a packed sauna. She could feel the weight of the hot, humid air itself. But there was hardly any wind.

Indeed, this weight, this pressure, was no doubt from the sheer temperature of her surroundings. In a split second, the weather within the Soul Society itself had changed. And every single Soul Reaper knew there was only one person capable of such a feat, and the consequences of his rage.

Sparks flew carrying naught searing heat with an icy touch. They were slivers, fragments of their blades as they bounced off each other with each strike. And with each strike would follow flying shards of glass like glowing embers, heated bright orange by the woman's abilities. But her blade was barely holding up its shape. The weather was doing absolutely no good for her weaker, icy sword. Not only was the temperature getting worse, she knew that if she didn't finish things sooner, it wouldn't just be her blade that would risk evaporating from the sheer heat and reiatsu.

Rukia Kuchiki clicked her tongue with annoyance, a sentiment that she never thought she would bolster in the midst of such a battle. For she was of a far humbler persuasion, and annoyance was but a child resulting from pride and arrogance. Or so she told herself. It wasn't annoyance at the two ganging up on her at once, but rather the situation as a whole. Her opponents were hardly weak enough for her to finish them off both at once with ease, nor were they so overwhelmingly mighty that her annoyance at the unfairness of the situation would be replaced by other sentiments such as fear, apprehension and tension. Nay, this battle was right in the middle, and that was what made it so difficult for her to contain her inner vexation.

By themselves, Rukia was certain she could restrain them with some ease, as she did with the long-haired woman brandishing a red katana. And judging from the skill shown by the sultry looking woman with shoulder length hair, she was inferior to her partner. But together, they proved to be just the right amount of nuisance that she couldn't restrain them without killing them. And that was an outcome she really wanted to avoid.

Why WAS she so perplexed about the thought of killing them? Most of her comrades wouldn't have thought twice about it. After Aizen, the Head Captain demanded it. And she herself knew it.

The Soul Society was a mere shadow of its former self after the events of the Winter battle. More than half of their captains and lieutenants were either dead or defected. Morale was at an all-time low. The losses caused by a single man was simply too much for many to move past, even after two years. Though Soul Reapers trained harder than before, rules became stricter than before, it was all for naught.

She knew it, but her reasons were far simpler than one might think. Yes, there was a small part of her that wanted to avoid killing them. After all, they were not Hollows or Arrancars or anything that they were tasked with killing. They were, from their reiatsu, human. Human. Beings she was meant to protect. And even if they were evil, it was not her place to judge them. Only damnation awaited those that undertook the arbiter's work as their own. This Ruby herself confirmed to her. Though the head captain had his orders, it was neither his right nor anyone else's to take their lives. That was a belief she believed to be right herself, despite what her other peers believed, save for the circumstances wherein she had no other choice but to take her opponent's life. But that was not the issue at hand.

Soul Society had already suffered defeat miserably at the hands of an opponent they had underestimated. Their opponent was able to turn them against each other simply because they had focused too much on exterminating their enemy rather than understanding them. And she merely felt that outright killing them would not help with such a task.

However, with the increasing heat, reishi in the air, and having to deal with two opponents that were growing stronger each time she crossed blades with them, she had limited options. She was certain that it wouldn't be soon before her Zanpakuto was completely useless.

But she had other ways of countering her opponents. For one, her opponents were not in sync. In fact, if not for a common enemy, one would be hard pressed to call the two of them allies. Whenever either one of them attacked, they didn't bother to check if the other was out of harm's way. On the contrary, it even seemed as if both women were determined to drive the other away from the battle. There was also the spiritual pressure coming from the head captain, for she was not the only one staggering under the immense spiritual pressure.

"Bakudo #62, Hyopporankan!" she chanted, throwing a barrage of glowing rods of reishi that immobilized her opponents. The long haired one barely escaped, while deflecting one of them with her red katana. The spell punched straight through her sword, shattering it. Her brows twitched in annoyance, and she kicked the broken remains of her blade after detaching it from the hilt, before holstering it and drawing a new one, this time colored a bright, crackling yellow.

Rukia fired up a crimson, sphere shaped hado spell, that made contact with the flying blade shard and exploded on impact, kicking up dust and debris. She then turned to face her second opponent, who had an equally irate expression on her face. And a glowing rod firmly embedded into her right leg.

"Two can play that game, darling~" she called out with spite, throwing a barrage of superheated glass, along with gusting, fiery winds as wide as a city block. She then shattered the single glowing bakudo spell binding her to the spot.

"Hado #58, Tenran!" came Rukia's counter spell, generating a tornado of her own from her palms. The two wind blasts collided, sending stray gusts of air everywhere. The raven haired soul reaper barely got the chance to catch her breath before having to flash step away from Raven, who came in with a strike aimed at her neck. The air around the blade crackled with electricity.

"Fast!" thought Rukia to herself, shocked by Raven's speed. Now, she was sure. At first, she assumed that her eyes were merely playing tricks on her. But now, she was definitely sure that Raven had just upped her speed yet again. She could not understand the reasons for which this was happening, but she knew she would have to fight with the assumption that if she let the fight drag on, at some point, they were going to surpass her current strength.

When Rukia tried parrying Raven's thrust, she felt a fiery, burning pain shoot up her nerves, as the muscles in her body struggled to relax. Clearly the electricity she saw earlier was no coincidence, and the nature of her blade itself had changed. Which meant she couldn't afford to let her sword touch Raven's.

Rukia flash stepped away again to avoid yet another fiery tornado, only to be on the receiving end of another tornado, this time created by Raven.

"Damn, I can't get out in time..!" she cursed internally, putting up her hands across her face and chest instinctively. She expected the gusting winds to carry her away from her opponent, but not the stinging pain that came along with it. It was the same sensation when Raven struck her with her yellow, crackling sword. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see various aperiodic flashes of light, and streaks of blueish sparks, and in a small corner, a yellow, crackling blade. Her body instantly went limp, as her muscles stiffened, refusing to relax and make any attempt in trying to get away from the attack she was caught up in.

From behind, Cinder Fall's mouth curved into a smile, while she prepared a particularly sharp piece of burning glass, and then broke it apart to create minuscule pieces of deadly shrapnel. Charging it up with a bit of electricity like Raven did, she sent it speeding towards Rukia, with boosts from a gust of wind and some gravity magic.

It would have shredded its target, if not for the equally deadly wave of metallic sakura that washed over Cinder's attack, rendering it useless. The sound of a thousand pieces of glass striking against metal could be heard rain pouring down on the Earth, until the fierce fiery tempest died down. With a gentle motion, a figure draped in a white coat lowered Rukia to the ground.

"How severe are your injuries?" asked Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of Squad 6. With one glance at the two women and the bodies of Soul Reapers strewn about, he could tell that his opponents were not pushovers, even if their reishi appeared to be human.

"Brother..!" exclaimed the younger of the Kuchiki siblings, "...I'll live. I'm sorry to have worried you. I dont have any serious injuries, save for some stiffness in my muscles and some burns from lightning damage. This only happened because I was so focused on capturing them. Please be careful, nii-san! They're much stronger than they appear"

"So it would seem" he acknowledged. "And you have no need to apologize, Rukia. Your decision to restrain them was the correct one. Although normal protocol demands that we execute any who dares to intrude our grounds, Captain Kyoraku is also right to learn from our past mistakes. Anyone would be hard pressed to restrain two captain-level, especially for a lieutenant like yourself. But now that I am here, I can handle the rest" he said, facing his two opponents. Raven merely raised her eye with a curious expression, while Cinder was clearly not pleased.

"I'll help you, nii-san!" offered Rukia, but Byakuya silenced her.

"No" he ordered. "I shall take care of these intruders. Go and support the other lieutenants"

"But..!" she protested, but Byakuya's expression remained stone cold. He however, would not get further chances to refute his sister. His sword automatically met Raven's sparkling yellow sword as Raven rushed forward with a sweeping horizontal swing. Byakuya winced when he felt the electricity from her blade pass through his blade, but unlike Rukia, the 6th division captain held his stance.

"Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro" he chanted, creating 6 rectangular bars of light that pinned Raven where she stood. Byakuya then moved in to cut her down, with a thrust from behind that was aimed at her soul sleep, re-materializing his sakura-like shikai back into the form of a sword.

His eyes went wide when he felt a repulsive force coming from his blade as his thrust was pushed by something invisible, along with the 6 rods of light pinning Raven. It was as if they were propelled away by a force of repulsion emanating from the center of Raven who had a purple veil or sorts around her. With a swift move, Raven sheathed her yellow like blade, and the scabbard began crackling with electricity.

Byakuya matched her movements, getting ready to anticipate her sword draw attack. He was confident in his speed, and didn't believe a human could ever match his own speed. After all, he was just a step short of the flash goddess herself. No, in fact, he could match her speed. But it was also true that he had made this exact mistake before. And while his previous battle with such a human was a bountiful one, he doubted the same could be said of the woman in front of him.

Byakuya was ready to parry her blade, but when Raven drew her sword, propelled by electromagnetic repulsion generated by her scabbard and her blade's lightning dust, combined with her own speed, it proved much too fast for even the 6th division captain to completely intercept, leaving him with a sizable cut across his face. Strands of his bangs fell away like feathers cut off from a bird. And the shock on his face even more dramatic.

Fortunately for him, his surprise and shock were short lived, for he was not completely taken off guard. And he wasn't the only one injured. There was a cut in Raven's arm as well, though it was rather superficial. Putting some distance with his flash step, he changed his blade to its dispersed form again, sending a shower of petals towards him.

Raven was unperturbed, opting to use her maiden powers to counter the deadly pink stained winds of shrapnel. It was quite simple enough for her using her own gusting winds to counter Byakuya's shikai, followed by her own elemental follow up attacks as well as hypersonic melee sword attacks. Byakuya then countered with a slew of Kido spells, not excluding bolts of white lightning fired off from his finger tips, an AOE blast of blue flares, a large concussive force fired off from his palms and so on. But Raven seemed to possess a counter attack for any kind of attack he threw at her, for her abilities, it would seem, were just as versatile as his own.

"It would appear that yet again, a human dares to spit on those things that we hold sacred. The last time it happened, they were but trying to defend their own from our ignorant injustice. This time however, you, of your own accord, decided to provoke those that have done nothing against you or your allies. I admit, for a human, you are skilled, more so than the one I have fought before. However, your circumstances are hardly similar to those times. And because of that, you shall answer for your crimes, here and now" he declared, wiping off the blood from his forehead with his sleeves. He then held his sword with a reverse grip, with the blade facing down.

"Ban-!"

*KLAAAANG*

The blade that should have disappeared into the ground to signal the activation of his bankai was instead stopped dead short by Raven's blade, which was now deep black. What was more, Byakuya couldn't budge his sword an inch no matter how much he tried.

"Do all of you Soul Reapers talk this much in a fight, to the point of giving such obvious openings?" she asked. Detaching her obsidian black gravity dust blade hold Byakuya's zanpakuto in place, she re-sheathed her sword with inhuman speed, and then thrust a deep red blade directly into Byakuya's neck. But the 6th division captain moved his head just in time, embedding the blade into his shoulder blade instead. A searing hot pain shot out from that spot throughout his entire body, and he could hear his flesh being seared by the intense heat, as well as smell the stench of burning flesh, fabric and bone. He was a resilient man, but the pain transcended anything he'd ever experienced.

"Gaaah!"

The mercenary leader then kicked the Kuchiki clan leader, her kick boosted by an additional gravitational force generated by her spring maiden powers. The latter felt as if she was hit in the chest by a battering ram as the wind was knocked out of him.

"You make me sick" she growled, advancing towards him "Hypocrite" she spat once more, "I know what you've done. It's people like you that I absolutely despise. People that hide behind the word 'family' when it suits them, even if it concerns said family itself. People like you who can't make up your damn mind" she continued, kicking him all the way. Byakuya, who was already in a state of shock from having a complete stranger, a human at that stop his Bankai, was now doubling over from the incredibly dense and heavy blows to his midriff and chest. He coughed out blood, struggling to gain some stable ground to regain his posture and retaliate.

"Even my daughter, for all of her faults, is more fit to be in the battlefield than a stuck up noble like you. She is decades younger and has lived a very comfortable, mundane life so far. And yet, even she knows better than to hold back against an enemy regardless of their form and shape. You're nothing more than a dirty hypocrite unfit to stand at the battlefield" she glared, pointing her sword at his neck. "You would cajole your sister, preventing her from growing in the name of protecting her, and then you sentence her to execution yourself when she finally thinks for herself and tries to live for herself outside the bonds of 'family'. And then, at your whim, you decide you want to atone for your family? You don't deserve to be here, nor do you deserve to save her. I didn't go through all that to be here fighting the likes of you"

"Silence!" he snapped, his voice pained but dangerously low. With a burst of anger, Byakuya sent another huge red kido blast at her, which Raven narrowly avoided. She then kicked Byakuya once more, making him double over. "Take care not to overstep your bounds, human. You are nothing more than a mere invader, one whose fate is execution for the crime of participating in an unprovoked attack on the Soul Society, whose denizens have done nothing to your kin. It is YOU who does not possess the right to judge others whom you have just met. And I shall make sure you don't ever have the chance to spread your insolence any further"

While his pride wouldn't allow him to falter to her, he had to admit that in his thoughts, this human was good. Way too good. Better than Ichigo had been when he fought him all those years back. Not her raw power per se, in that regard, Byakuya was stronger, but she was a beast. That was the best way he could describe her. A feral beast not unlike those from squad 11. Those who were always out there amongst the worst of the worst places, who were always teetering between life and death and those who only know the nomadic, frugal life of life and death. These were the kind of warriors who would fight until their dying breath and whose experience in skirting death and avoiding it were usually unmatched. A far cry from the kind of comfortable life nobles such as himself lived. There was a kind of bloodlust and willingness to put oneself at risk that only people like her and Kenpachi could possess.

At first, he had never intended to let a part of his attention waver from Rukia. But this woman had been skillful enough to force him to keep all of his focus on her. He simply never got an opening to worry about his sister, so he could only judge that she was faring well against her opponent. But she was only a mere lieutenant, and if her opponent was anywhere near as good as his own, then he knew that without something as reliable as a Bankai, Rukia was fated to fall, sooner or later.

Even so, he had his own duties and his own pride. And she had made the critical mistake of attacking the latter. Clearly this woman knew more about him than he initially suspected. How, he did not care. Because from all those kicks, the woman had given him the opening he needed. His sword was much closer to him, lying on the ground. A place from where he could use his Bankai without her stopping his sword.

But the 6th division captain would never get the chance to use it.

Because as he reached out for his fallen Zanpakuto in order to release its final state, he realized something was blocking his view out of the corner of his eyes. Something that wasn't supposed to be there, something that wasn't supposed to hurt.

Sticking out of his throat was a rather large piece of burning glass.

And then another came. And another, piercing his chest and abdomen.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see the triumphant expression of the other woman, alongside the horrified expression of his sister, a sight that pained him more than the shard of burning glass piercing his neck.

---

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battle field, Rukia was clearly hard pressed, evident from her snow white Zanpakuto leaving wisps of water vapor as it evaporated from the intense heat of the Head Captain's reiatsu. It had already been difficult to use any of her ice attacks at full power ever since the Head Captain's power washed over the Soul Society. But now, she knew she had barely a minute before her Shikai was completely useless.

"You look troubled" cooed the woman in front of her, with a confident smirk. "Worried for your brother are we? I know. I worry too, for anyone who manages to get on her wrong side. I pray for your brother's safety"

"How do you know my brother?!" demanded Rukia, deflecting another superheated shard of glass the woman threw at her. At this point, it was clearly better to revert her Zanpakuto to its sealed state so she could atleast use it as a regular metal katana. "Who ARE you people?!"

"Shhh, don't assume your enemy will just give you what you want just because you throw a temper tantrum" she hissed in a deadly manner. "In all this time, have you seen me demand anything from you or that man? Have you never fought in a war, little princess? We're trying to kill each other here, surely even your dull mind can see that?"

She then threw a few more shards of broken glass at blinding speeds, and Rukia instinctively brought up her Zanpakuto to deflect them. That however, was the wrong move for her ice blade that was already flimsy and wispy from the overbearing heat and reiatsu of the head captain. And so, it shattered.

"Kuh!" gasped the 13th division lieutenant, as she realized that her prime weapon was now useless. She felt crippled without her partner in arms supporting her, but she was hardly done fighting. Perhaps it was her life at the Kuchiki manner, but she felt more wounded about the fact that she had to be protected by her brother yet again while not being able to fend for herself when it counted. She was hardly a prideful person. But as a Kuchiki, she needed to be, atleast a little. And this had certainly touched a rather sensitive part of her.

"You're right, in the end, it doesn't matter how you know about my brother or me. It doesn't change the fact that we need to stop you here!"

Rukia chose to switch to a purely kido-based fighting style, given that she had no other options. But it was an act of desperation and she knew it. Unlike her brother, she was not naturally gifted with the reishi of the Kuchiki clan to use powerful spells at her disposal. Each one required her to chant the full incantation if she needed to do serious damage and her opponent was not so merciful as to allow her that chance. Plus, any water or ice based spells were off limits, considering that the head captain's reishi rendered them useless.

Bakudo and a handful of hado spells were all that she had. But even so, she was trained by one of the best, and had the opportunity to learn from them. Plus, unlike her partner, the woman in front of her was definitely not a familiar with combat in a battlefield. Yes, she had fighting experience and was holding out well against Rukia. But there were obvious flaws and inconsistencies in her attacks that showed.

Most of her Hado spells were repelled by using overwhelming force rather than using a more graceful way of avoiding or repelling her attacks. Cinder also never made use of obvious openings Rukia gave her and was rather direct in her approach. It did instill some confidence in Rukia about her chances, so she was definitely not complaining. Cinder was no amateur, but she was hardly a master of her craft.

"Little rabbit that only knows how to jump around" cooed Cinder with her signature smirk. "Always saved by her brother, always letting others save her skin. Oh how unfortunate indeed, to be born so powerless and yet cling on desperately to any little bit of power you can get. Must be nice being the stuck up little princess with the strong, handsome brother knight's protection, isn't it?"

"You're wrong" retorted Rukia, calmly for the most part but with a bit of ice in her tone. "That might have been true in some instances. But that hardly means I've let myself become comfortable under the shadow of others!"

Rukia made waving motions with her palms, for what she knew as a risky but rewarding move. She kept her eyes on Cinder's movements, to ensure she didnt get caught off guard while chanting.

The first of her kido spells consisted of a shining yellow rope that wrapped around Cinder, and immediately following after, the spirit energy encompassing her hand turned blue. She could make out Cinder's panicked reaction for an instant before she fired off a massive burst of blue fire-like reishi.

The blast itself seemed to be pushed back for an instant, but it pushed through eventually. Rukia could feel the massive drain on her spirit energy following the combined hado/kido spells. She doubted she could perform more than 2 or 3 hado spells. And after that, all that she would be left with would be her Zanpakuto in its sealed state.

"Did that...did that do it..?" she asked herself. It was perhaps a bit too optimistic, but she'd hoped it would've atleast damaged her enough to get a breather.

The silhouette from beyond the smoke certainly dialed down her optimism, but she wasn't completely disappointed. Her right arm was fairly burnt from the blast, and she was visibly distraught, both physically and mentally.

"You mischievous, little brat..!" she snarled, and Rukia could see a haze of wispy orange-yellow reishi shrouding Cinder. She couldn't tell how, but it was clear the raven haired woman had lessened the impact of her spell. Probably by retaliating with a fiery blast of reishi of her own, judging by everything Rukia had seen before. "You just don't know when to give up, do you? Despite the clear difference in our abilities, you're still clinging on in hopes that you'll somehow overcome this burden. At one point, it's really just irritating to watch; people like you are cockroaches that don't know when to take a loss and make themselves scarce. Why is it that it's always brats like you with misguided senses of justice that end up being the most stubborn?"

Rukia said nothing, merely giving a defiant look. Cinder continued to glare at her, until finally she simply sighed. "I give up. I'm not sure what I expected from a race of beings who govern the afterlife, but I really don't see any difference between here and there. If you were sensible at all, you wouldn't be replying to what the enemy was saying to begin with. What a waste of time"

She then readied an obsidian-like bow in her hands, from which she unleashed a barrage of small black colored arrows that were alight. Rukia deflected two of them with her Zanpakuto, while the rest she blocked. Cinder then used that opening to close the distance, changing the bow into two short swords resembling Moorish scimitars.

"Wh..wha..! Close combat...?!"

The sudden shift in fighting styles did take the 13th division lieutenant by surprise. The woman was no seasoned fighter, but she was definitely experienced in using her swords. And that agility and maneuverability! It was so distinct, acrobatic and unique that no sword style she knew ever had moves like that. But that didn't mean she hadn't seen it. It was so very similar to Raven's style of fighting and moving, but naturally adapted to fighting using two shorted-broader scimitars. And that wasn't all, it was also similar to the way Ruby fought. A way that she hadn't seen anywhere else in the Soul Society, World of the Living, Hueco Mundo or elsewhere.

"You...don't tell me, you both...you're from Ruby's world...Remnant...?!" exclaimed Rukia. Cinder raised her eyes in surprise.

"Hoh...? What's this..? So you CAN be observant in the battlefield after all. I was beginning to wonder just how this place was supposedly advanced and superior compared to back there after all that I was told, but this is the first time I haven't been disappointed. After all, all that I found here were people who were a few centuries out of fashion. Even old relics like you can learn, it would appear" she sneered. With a quick, sharp blow, she knocked away Rukia's sword. The 13th division lieutenant tried to immediately retaliate by trying to cast a kido spell, but Cinder merely stabbed one of her obsidian blades through Rukia's palm.

Rukia squealed in pain, and she could see a curious assortment of emotions on the face of her opponent whose name she did not know. Smug satisfaction, disappointment and even the slightest hint of anger. Cinder's blade burned Rukia's hand, sending even more pain and misery shooting up her arm. She was left a bumbling mess.

Cinder then crouched down to her face, with her other hand caressing it, much to her displeasure.

"Hurts, doesn't it? Your face tells me you haven't felt such pain before. I understand, you know. It was the same when I felt such pain for the first time too" she said, showing her own hand, which had a very faded, but still noticeably visible scar. "I still remember. I was but a little girl, looking no older than you do now. Although, unlike an imposter like you, I was a genuine, naïve young girl. Getting by everyday at the mercy of my so called 'saviors'. What's a girl from the streets to do? Those around me took to stealing and murder just to live. I scorned them for giving people like me a bad name. But over time, one still needs to live. And the world wasn't kind. But I held on to my convictions. To my ideals" she said, with obvious distaste in her mouth. Somehow, Rukia could picture the exact scenario herself, considering that it was identical to her own past before she joined the Soul Reapers. When she was all along with her elder sister in the world of the living AND when she was on the streets of the Rukon District after she and her sister died.

"Good little Cinder Fall, ever so pure, ever so obedient and kind. No matter who or what is responsible for your nightmares, as long as you remain behind the line, it will all be good in the end, and you will always be rewarded. Isn't that the way it is? You know how these stories go. I wont waste my time with that. However, what I was mistaken about, was that somehow the world was the one to blame when in reality, the ones at fault are the ones not willing to accept that nothing is really objectively good or bad, and that nothing is really unacceptable over another. You just do what you need to do to get what you want, survive and reach your goals" she said. "And today, just like I once did, you'll learn your lessons as well. As they say, there is no one better than your own enemy to show you where you fall short"

Raising her hand and pointing her palms at Rukia, she conjured more burning shards of glass. Rukia braced for pain, for impact, but all she felt was a slight tinge and burn as the pieces whizzed past her, almost touching her face. Not soon after, she heard the sick and familiar sounds of something sharp embedding itself onto something soft, moist and tough.

"Lesson number one, darling. Please don't do something as foolish as not killing your enemy in the middle of a war. Unlike how things are as you know it, lives can be lost in a fraction of a second before you know it. All it takes is a stray bullet and then-" she glowered, sharply tapping Rukia in her head. "You die. No heroics, no fighting to your death, nothing. No amount of pride, honor or whatever it is those girls and boys out there fight for will even matter. And it won't even be the person in front of you doing it, just some nameless wench whom you couldn't bother killing when you had the chance. Just like your dear old brother"

With a dreaded look, Rukia slowly turned to look in the direction Cinder was looking at, and sure enough, in front of her were two figures; One standing still, her expression just as surprised as her own, and then another, who was on the ground, with a confused look on his face, with three pieces of burning obsidian stuck to his throat, chest and abdomen. He gave one look at the two of them, before falling down to the ground like a marionette doll.

Her breath left her body, her chest tightened, and her vision narrowed to that lonely figure laying slack on the ground. And then, the voice of her own terror filled her ears and those around her, combined with the rush of the wind as her legs carried her towards her brother, ignoring the two enemies still well and alive.

Cinder Fall watched the scene with a satisfied look on her face, ignoring the glares she got from Raven. She slowly made her way towards Rukia, her hands still empowered with her flames. The soul reaper was calling out to her brother, holding him, frantically trying all that she could to get him to move again, but it was a waster effort.

"You!" snarled Raven, holding Cinder by her collar "I told you to stay OUT of my way! He was my opponent! You had yours! Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't gut you alive for blindsiding my opponent and interfering in my battle"

"Don't touch me" she hissed back with a low tone, "Don't be blinded, Raven. I don't care for your thoughts or your battle. All I was doing was teaching this little rabbit a lesson in life. It has nothing to do with him or you. He just happened to be what I needed for my goals. Next time, try to focus on finishing off your opponent if you're so upset about someone getting in your way. Surely you're capable of that? And at the end of the day, why should you care for some whelp in another world? You, who prioritizes your own survival over anything else?"

Raven maintained her glare, even as Cinder forced her hands off her collar. Rukia was completely oblivious to the two of them, still in tears.

"Don't leave such obvious openings in a battlefield, even when someone gave their life for you. You're insulting their sacrifice and your own life they died to save" continued Cinder, but found herself being stopped by Raven.

"That's enough. You've spoiled things enough for one day. I won't take another disgrace from the likes of you" she snarled, placing her sword against Cinder's neck. "Begone, Cinder. I'll handle her"

Cinder continued to maintain a pensive look, but ultimately shrugged. "Suit yourself. I have other, better things to be doing anyways. I can't wait to be off this miserable heap and back where I belong" she said, before taking off.

Raven turned to Rukia, with a hard look. "I despise the outcome more than you can know. But that changes little, soul reaper. In the end, this is still war, and he still died a kinder death fighting for something compared to many others who've rotted away without knowing anything. If you're not even going to honor that and live, you can just die here. After all, you're not the only one who's lost everything they cared for at the hands of something unreasonable"

She swung her sword down, but rather than the feeling of her blade cutting through flesh and bone, she felt the cold resistance of her blade being stopped. Not from the blade itself hitting anything, but from the man holding her arm tightly, to the point of it hurting and stopping blood flow.

"Isn't that enough, Raven? Look at her, she's lost all will to fight and has no way of attacking you. And she just lost someone dear to her. You've won. Is this really what you want to do? Does killing her bring you satisfaction? A defenseless, mourning, crying girl? Does this make you feel stronger? Do you feel proud that you get to kill someone that defeated? Well? Do you?!" he demanded, the angry and disappointed tone clearly not suiting his face or his voice. He wasn't shouting; his tone was just barely above his regular voice. And yet, Raven couldn't help but flinch, just a little. The blond man with his soft demeanor and looks stood in front of his wife, slightly out of breath and panting, glaring at her.

"Let go-"

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Raven" he cut in. "Try and save what little hope I have, don't force me to stop you from doing something that low, please.."

"...What about our so called 'superiors'? I was defenseless, wasn't I? And so were my men. And yet, why is no one questioning them? When I do the same to make sure I, you, Yang or Qrow never have to go through that again, it's wrong?" She retorted, turning to him. She had her own hardened, glowering look on her face. "Despite my efforts to make sure none of them ever died like the countless others I've seen die following Ozpin, all that ever happened was my own family driving me away and blaming me being the black sheep. Even so, I still continued to look out for the rest of us. Where were all of you when I was almost getting slaughtered along with the rest of my men? Where were any of you when I was forced into subservience to that thing with no will of my own, having my mind over written with knowledge, information and a drive to fight for them? Despite all that, I still never held it against any of you. Not even those bastards that were responsible for it. After all, we all lived by the iron code that you if you die out there, that's simply what it is. You were just weak. And indeed, I am weak compared to them. Even then, after losing the men I called family, I still yearned for the safety of those that I had left, rather than blame them for my own foolishness and weakness. I am...being much more reasonable than you believe. So don't you dare hold my hand like that ever again, Tai"

"That's not fair" replied Taiyang in an equally firm manner. "You were the one who left us because we were, in your own words, 'too blind to see what Ozpin will lead us to'. And that you felt you had to return to your 'true family'. You said those words to Yang, to me and to Qrow. You never thought about how hurt any of us felt, did you? But even so, I did my best to raise Yang in a manner that wont make her hate her own mother, and in a manner that respected your wishes. And even I never hated you for everything that happened between us. As for everything that happened to you after, I do feel immense regret for not being there. I suppose we were all taken in by complete surprise by what happened" he said, heaving a heavy sigh. "However, I'm here now, arent I? I'm here the moment I am capable of being here. And what I did, was to stop you from losing what little humanity, what little part of the person I love remains, the one they didn't have the chance to take from you and me. And I won't abandon you like that ever again, even if you yourself run away from me. And I won't ever let you walk down the wrong path. And I swear that I'll relieve you from them. No matter what I have to do. I promise. So...sheath your sword...Rae-dear" he finished, a bit softly towards the end with a more sympathetic look.

The woman continued to look at her husband stone faced, but there was a softness there too, as if she couldn't help but crack just a little under the pressure that was Taiyang's presence. She turned away, almost defiantly but also in submission, sheathing her sword. And after that, she had no more words to say. However, she remained with him, waiting for his cue to leave.

Tai's mouth curved into a relaxed smile. He then walked over to Rukia, who was still obliviously clutching her brother's corpse with a blank look on her face.

"I'm...terribly, horribly sorry..." said Tai. "You may not believe me, but I don't want this any more than you do. I have nothing to offer in consolation, but, if we ever meet again, all I ask is, whatever you have against my wife, I'll take them on in her place. I'm...sorry" he apologized once more, and with that he began to leave, Raven walking alongside him.

Her expression morphed into a painful grimace. It was very clear that her husband thought her to be responsible for Byakuya Kuchiki's death, when in fact, she wasn't. She was used to it, with all of the people whom she had once trusted suddenly turning on her. Even after everything he spoke, Taiyang hadn't even hesitated to blame her for something that she was not guilty of. It pained her, more so than she thought. It did occur to her to correct him, to show him he was just as mistaken about her as he had been back then. But she simply didn't have the motivation to. It was almost as if her heart was ready to give up in any semblance of hope that her beloved or those close to her would ever see her differently, no matter what she did. No matter how much she despised it, she couldn't get rid of them and her feelings for them. It was evident in the true nature of her semblance as well as the sight of both of them leaving the battlefield together.

And so, she would walk in silence, mulling in her own bitter thoughts while her partner did the same for reasons as different as the Earth and the Moon.

At one point, the oppressive spiritual pressure in the air had vanished, like the lights were turned off in a big open room. But Rukia would stay there in her own thoughts, clutching her brother for a long while before finally picking herself up and walking aimlessly, with the deceased captain of the 6th division slung over her shoulder.

---

In the battlefield they found themselves in, that appeared out of nowhere in the middle of a peaceful day, the head captain's spiritual pressure disappearing was the last thing they needed as a source of distraction.

"Oy Matsumoto, you wont last more than a minute in that condition! Fall back, I'll deal with them!" shouted Renji angrily, swinging his gigantic Bankai across the battlefield, sweeping out another throng of enemies. In reality, his strategy was very crude and one that came about due to desperation. The buildings of the Soul Society hindered the movement of his Bankai, while the sheer number of the enemies and their mysterious abilities further hampered them.

At first, he was by himself and his own squad members. It did come as a surprise when their captain took off on his own to assist his sister, but it was an expected reaction. Luckily however, they were joined by some members of other divisions, such as Rangiku from division 10, Izuru Kira from division 3 and even captain Shinji Hirako from squad 5.

"These things are nothing, I can't be slacking off while everyone else is working their butt off" she replied confidently. "And besides, I seem to be swinging my Zanpakuto way better than you have been. I'm not sure what you mean by my 'condition'"

"Heh, and here I thought you were such a lazy ass you couldn't bother doing your duties. I'm obviously talking about that giant hole in your leg and the fact that if we dont finish up soon, we're gonna get killed by the head captain's spiritual pressure!" responded Renji frantically, before focusing back on his enemies.

Rangiku bit her lip from bursting out cackling "Quite daring to speak of a lady's hole in the middle of battle, isn't it~~? I guess the fear of death really does bring out honesty" she chuckled. "And besides, if Captain Hitsugaya had been here to fight, I'm sure he would've chewed my ears off for slacking off when enemies are attacking. What can I say? Now that he's gone, poor old me has no one else to annoy anymore. Even if he were alive, I don't imagine he'd be able to do much with the Head Captain's Bankai active. At the very least, I can atleast imagine he's right here, behind my tail about everything I haven't done or said" she sighed in a nonchalant manner.

"Banter later, fight now" cut in Kira with a curt remark, protecting Rangiku from an enemy attack. "We still need to rendezvous with the others to find out what the hell's been going on! First it was those evil creatures, then strange looking hollows, and then it was those humans that somehow possessed enough reishi to rival our own. Something is really wrong..."

And right adjacent to them, another battle was being fought, one between a smaller but fiercer group of enemies.

"These things fall hook, line and sinker for my Sakanade's inverted world. But you two on the other hand, you're playing around with visual illusions too, aren't you?" asked Shinji, as he faced off against Emerald and Mercury. "I would have been surprised about humans being this strong if I already hadn't seen some back home. And besides, we did capture some of your lot that attacked us in the first few waves" he mentioned, pointing to the pile of beaten Faunus and Atlesian warriors that accompanied the initial invasion to the Soul Society.

"Dammit, what the hell is happening...!?" cussed Emerald in a frustrated whisper. "It's like he's there but he attacks from somewhere else entirely. And then all of a sudden the entire world goes upside down and this guy then starts talking all weird.."

"Who the fuck knows? It's not like this is anything new, that ice cream chick used the same kind of power too, I wouldn't be too surprised if this guy's using some fancy gimmick like that too. Don't you dare let up!" he roared, barely blocking another swing from Shinji's sword, that once again, came from out of nowhere.

If it hadn't been for the fact that his new robotic legs, courtesy of the Quincy and the Atlesian Military tech, were much more advanced than the ones he wore before, he probably wouldn't have been standing at the moment, quite literally. The first time Shinji tried hacking away at Mercury, he hadn't expected to feel metallic resistance when striking what he thought was flesh.

"What the heck, you tellin' me you have cyborg legs from those movies or somethin'?" he asked, not knowing he was unintentionally right on mark. "Sucks to be you, huh? With the old man cracking things up a notch with his Bankai, I imagine those legs of yours have become rather toasty. Sure it's gone now, but the damage is done, huh? Well, as I said, sucks to be you. It's less work for me"

The duo chose to ignore the 5th division captain, retaliating with actions rather than words. Though they were definitely pressurized by the disorienting abilities of his Zanpakuto, so was Shinji for a variety of different reasons.

For one, Emerald's own illusions were just as disorienting, and the way the duo fought was much different to any fighting style Shinji had ever faced before. Using a combination of guns, melee weapons and acrobatic movements, along with the green haired woman's illusory techniques, they kept the 5th division captain at bay.

"It's strange.." thought Emerald to herself. "Before...I couldn't use this on more than two people at once. And even when I did, it took me everything to maintain it and so I couldn't fight when I used this on someone. But now, after what the Quincies did...not only can I use it as I want without any strain, I can also fight while using it. It's honestly more off-putting to me than the person I'm using it on. Plus...I can manipulate not just hearing and vision, but the sense of smell as well. I'm sure it's the same for this idiot as well, though there's no way he's telling me what it is. I feel...vile. Disgusted. Thinking about the fact that someone did something to my body is frustrating. If not for Cinder telling me, I would've never willingly put me through this. But even so, this is rough...we can barely hold ourselves off and this guy seems to be mostly fine. And...if the intel we got from the Quincies is right, then...he's still holding back"

"Don't you think this is a good time to stop?" questioned Shinji. "Look, I really have nothing against you personally, though I should mention that little miss's abilities definitely brings a bad taste to my mouth. Won't hold it against ya though, since I'm such a nice guy. So why don't you just put those down and come with us quietly like good little humans? Ack dammit, that sounds like the most corny line someone can say out aloud" he sighed.

"Hmph, atleast the fishbowl is self-aware" retorted Emerald.

"Now that was uncalled for, especially when I was being so nice, don't you think?" he replied, slightly annoyed.

Their exchanges continued, with Emerald and Mercury more or less being in perfect sync, save for the occasional rant or the other. For one, their fight and battles here with some of the other soul reapers and then with Shinji had been very different for the basic fact that they couldn't rely on their aura for protection. A lot of attacks that would have normally been lethal back in Remnant actually promised death where they stood. The level of cautiousness that Emerald needed to exercise stalled her. The first time she made the lethal mistake of not being cautious enough came when she faced off against a group of soul reapers and intended to tank a hit from one to gain an opening, only to be left standing with a rather nasty stab wound on her left arm.

Mercury however, found no reason to change his tactics. After all, he HAD been through a lot of life and death situations because of his position and job back in Remnant, as well as his father. A lot of times he was made to face off against adversaries that could finish off regular huntsmen in a hit or two, or Grimm that did the same. So for this mercenary, their current battle was just another Tuesday, with more oumph.

Having said that however, it was very clear that at their current level, they had indeed hit a ceiling. In no time at all, Shinji had disarmed Emerald's dual wield weapon, Thief's Respite, and had damaged Mercury's legs to the point that he couldn't move anymore.

"Dammit!" cursed the green haired woman. The battle was lost, and she needed to retreat. She had half a mind to leave Mercury behind to clean up after himself, but she had a vague idea that Cinder probably wouldn't approve of such a thing. And so, she eyed her fallen weapon, while observing Shinji's almost casual posture at the same time. Having disarmed both of them, he likely hadn't expected any resistance from her or from Mercury, thought the former.

She quickly dashed for her weapons, and as she predicted, Shinji followed after her. As she tried reaching out for Thief's Respite, she could see a flash before the steel blade passed right through her leg. The girl let out a shriek of pain, clutching her leg.

"See? This is why I told you to stay put" sighed Shinji. "Anyway, I think we're done here-"

"Oy! Captain! Where the hell are you looking at?! Actually...aren't you guys acting weird..?" cut in Renji. And once he did, the girl in front of her vanished, leaving nothing but empty ground where an indent left behind by his Zanpakuto was present.

The battle on the other side, it appeared, had concluded, with the lieutenants from the various divisions left tired but still victorious over their enemies, which mostly consisted of the beings from Hell and Hollows that appeared during the initial phase. Kira and Rangiku appeared to be just as confused as Shinji, while Renji was confused for an entirely different reason.

"If I hadn't caught these two, they would've escaped" he added. His colossal Bankai was coiled around Emerald and Mercury as they struggled to break free. The former glared at Renji, who could only manage an awkward expression looking at their helplessness.

"Tch, that ability is really annoying" remarked Shinji with a soul look.

"You don't think...they're related to that bastard Aizen, do you? Is this invasion his plan?" asked Renji cautiously.

"Who knows. Maybe, maybe not. I still haven't heard anything from Kisuke, and if it WAS Aizen, it's surprising that guy hasn't said anything. But in any case, we should take those guys to squad 2 for questioning" advised the 5th division captain, and Renji, being the one who capture them, opted to do so. He felt he needed to go check in on Rukia and his own captain, and thus, after Kira cast binding kido on both of them, the red haired soul reaper disappeared from the scene.

"So...I suppose we're done here?" asked Kira. "Should we go and help the others?"

"I still need to check my division" answered Rangiku. "Not only attending to those that died, but also taking the injured to captain Unohana and the damage reports and the like. Jeez, it's times like these I really wish Toshiro was here. Tell me captain Hirako, were these enemies really just humans? They were able to hold out against a Vizard like you and did quite well against us as well. I've seen people like Orihime and Tatsuki, but, those two on the other hand, were even stronger than they are..."

"The spiritual energy I felt from them certainly felt like it. That was definitely human spiritual energy" he confirmed. "Well, it doesn't matter. Squad 2 will get more info. Still, I wouldn't put them at my level. I didn't really use my mask after all. Not only would my pride be hurt, but using a hollow mask to subdue a couple of humans would definitely trump any nasty sight here"

"I agree. But more than that, we still don't know about why this is happening, and who's watching. I don't think our enemies need to know what we're capable of if we can avoid it" added Kira. "If the head captain is really using his Bankai...then, we need every edge we can get"

"Oh? You needn't worry about that. We already know what you Soul Reapers are capable of. After all, what kind of heroes would be we if we didn't even bother to learn about the villains we're going to fight?" came a new, masculine voice, startling them all.

Behind them was a masculine man with a large build. He wore a white military styled uniform along with a yellow and red-orange luchador mask, leaving only the chin and nose exposed. It also had a star pattern on the forehead and thick markings around the eyes, nose and cheeks. He also had red boots and gloves, brown eyes and a blonde mustache. In addition to that, he also sported a wrestler's champion belt with a large round buckle, which had a rather unique insignia engraved on it. And standing by his side was a short, chubby, bespectacled bald child with a small bell.

"Th-the hell? Who the hell are you?!" demanded Shinji, immediately going to the defensive. Kira and Rangiku joined the 5th division captain.

"What's this? You're not going to take me on two-on-one? You're a captain and yet you can't face a single soldier by himself? What dirty cowards! But villains are dirty and underhanded by nature, so I will not hold it against you if you follow their example" he smirked rather confidently.

"Do your best to vanquish His Majesty's enemies, mister!" cheered the chubby child next to him, and the man's vigor seemed to sky rocket in response, along with his reishi.

"Wh-what the hell is with that spiritual pressure?! It was that low before and now, it's even stronger than our spiritual pressures combined..?" exclaimed the Vizard, preparing for the worst. He had the most fearful urge to ask the two behind to retreat. The two had sensed it as well, and Rangiku had already started backing away.

With heightened fervor, the man pointed his index and middle finger at the star on his mask, and from there, a bright flash of light burst forth. It was helpful that Rangiku was already leaving to take care of things in her squad and was the furthest away from her enemy, because out of the three, she was the only one without a large, macabre looking hole in the shape of a star on her body, that looked as if someone had carved out a chunk of their bodies using a cookie cutter. Shinji and Kira looked absolutely baffled, their minds still catching up to what had happened to them. And then, with a weak shudder, the two of them fell down to the ground.

As if driver by pure fright and the desire to live, the orange haired beauty hadn't even bothered to check in on the condition of her allies before rushing as far away as her flash step could carry her from the horrible sight. Her expression was one of absolute shock, shaped by her traumatic flashbacks of the scenes from their battle with Aizen. She was nearly on the verge of tears, and she was hardly even looking where she was going. It was almost as if her body couldn't comprehend any sort of logic beyond fear and the will to live.

"Dirty cowards indeed, she didn't even hesitate to run away while leaving her allies behind" scoffed the masked man. "But, it would be unbecoming of heroes to chase after a damsel in distress. She is hardly a threat and our main objective is to thin out their main forces anyways. Which means, it's best I join the others for our actual mission objective" he said to his companion next to him, before taking off with him.

---

"Oy oy, that all ya go?" smirked Kenpachi confidently. "Yer all beat up. And yer still egging to go, aren'tcha?"

In all honesty, this fight would've normally been too boring. Or so he thought. When the creatures first came invading, he was the first to rush out to meet them in battle. But they quickly fell after just a few swings from his sword. And then there were the humans in strange uniforms, blurting out all different kinds of things. Things he didn't pay any attention to whatsoever as he cut them apart all the same. In fact, he was getting annoyed too, considering that a couple of them didn't quite die with a single hit and came crawling back for more. Had they simply run away, the 11th division captain wouldn't have batted an eye chasing after weaklings.

But the two in front of him now were clearly different. A short lady with long braided hair wearing a rustic, ornamental dress that seemed to glow and sparkle with reishi and another, who fought using a red glove embedded with gems of sorts. More importantly, the man, though initially cautious about fighting Kenpachi, had now done a complete 180 and started getting into the fight, with an enthusiasm he hadn't displayed before. And Kenpachi was more than happy to indulge.

Unlike those that came before, these two didn't die so quickly. However, they were only clinging on to their lives somehow and not really fighting. They used combination attacks with the woman using her spinning wheel to cover range while the man used hand to hand combat to handle short range melee combat delivering powerful blows enhanced by his gloves. And the woman had a very strange ability too; anything she touched turned metallic and golden. Rocks, swords, clothes, the ground and even his Zanpakuto, tho Kenpachi broke off the bit that started turning golden before the rest of his sword did.

"Heh, the two of you fighting together, and still nothing, apart from a few flashy tricks. Well, if it makes you feel any better, yer still doing a lot better than most of the lot here" Zaraki encouraged. "So don't give up and make it worth my time..!"

"Urgh...as exhilarating as this battle has been..." groaned Theodore. "This just feels like I've been made to skip several steps"

"Switch out Theo, let me handle that brute while you recover your stamina" offered Xanthe, but Theodore let out an incredulous chuckled.

"What, and let you be killed? We couldn't put so much as a scratch on him even WITH our new enhancements. What makes you think you alone can do anything much to him?" he joked.

"..."

"Even those guys were nothing to him" he continued, pointing to three more bodies nearby wearing the attire of the Quincy Sternritter. One of them was a fairly slim man with dark hair and pointed hair hanging between his eyes, the second was a man who reminded Theodore of Jacques Schnee, and the third was a large man and chinstrap beard whose name Theo couldn't quite remember. But he knew that they were powerful members of the Quincy faction, the Sternritters. The ones lying dead were Sternritters O the Overkill, N the Nimble and I the Iron.

The three had much more success than Theo and Xanthe did against Kenpachi. For one, the Iron had actually been able to hurt him and even tanked a couple of blows from him. But the 11th division captain simply ranted about how he 'then simply needed to cut iron' and proceeded to do just that.

The Overkill needed to kill to grow stronger, and when his opponent was but one person, his ability was for naught as well. And so, Zaraki cut him down all the same.

Robert Accutrone, anointed N the Nimble, actually did do well when he first started. He was quick on his feet as his schrift implied, and moved past Kenpachi's slower attacks with relative ease. His attacks were doing only superficial damage, but Robert's swift but steady strategy would mean that even captain level Soul Reapers could have fallen given enough time. However, with the Kenpachi, it was a very different story. And thus, ultimately, it was a long but futile battle that resulted in 3 Sternritter dead at Kenpachi's hands. All of which Theodore and Xanthe had observed before finally joining in themselves, only for them to be left barely holding on to their lives doing what they could to move away and survive. A tactic that the battle-enthusiastic Theodore absolutely despised. Was he surprised at the outcome? Not really, considering that the person in front of them was listed as 'Legend class' enemy. But had Theo expected it? Not really, atleast not for the Sternritter to fall that quickly.

"You needn't make that face, Xanthe" he assured. "You know how careful I am. I wouldn't fight to the point where it endangered my life. I mean...it certainly does now, but we're still good. We have plenty of options to retreat, as much as I would hate to take them"

"What're you two mumblin' over there?" rasped Zaraki, coming at them with a wide, powerful swing of his sword. Theo barely managed to scrape by his attack by rolling away, and immediately countered with a powerful punch powered by his spiritual pressure. But his opponent took it without flinching. When the next swing came, Xanthe placed herself before the towering Kenpachi, removing her glove and attempting to catch the Soul Reaper captain's sword. But Theodore dove towards her and pushed her and himself away frantically, but not before he sustained the brunt of Kenpachi's attack on his back. The Vacuo academy headmaster reeled with pain, and it felt as if his spine was on fire. Xanthe looked at him with concern and anger.

"What was that for?! If you hadnt stopped me, we could've rendered him useless!" she shouted.

"You would've lost your hand, don't be brash" replied Theodore sternly, taking heavy breaths. "And besides, I doubt you turning his clothes or his sword golden would do anything. In his hands, it wouldn't have mattered if he had but a wooden sword. We would've died all the same. At the moment, I suggest you think of better options that doesn't involve us running away like rabbits or us dying"

"You're...hurt..." she then replied, looking at his injury. So far, they had managed to stay alive by running, running, dodging and then attempting to attack. It had worked because Kenpachi was in no hurry to kill them, and they hadn't done anything to hurt themselves, until now. Xanthe knew that in their current situation, she and him needed to retreat and his injury was definitely a liability for that. "We're leaving, now"

"Good idea" agreed Theodore. "I'm done here as well. I'm in a bit of a sorry state, but distract him and put some distance, while I create an opening behind for us to retreat"

"That wont be necessary" came another voice behind them. The voice of Yhwach, ruler of the Quincy. "The fault lies with me to expect even multiple Sternritters to halt Kenpachi Zaraki in his path. In all honesty, I had hoped that the experience of fighting you might have given my comrades a tremendous boost to their latent abilities, with my Sternritter supporting them. I was gravely miscalculating, it would appear"

"Your...highness.." acknowledged Theodore, in obedience and in slight confusion. "You're here...? But I thought you were back at..."

"I've opened a portal back to Remnant. Have you finished your mission in taking care of squad 10's barracks?" he questioned.

"Yes...that we did. It was strangely unguarded by anyone other than the regular officers. There were numerous enemies but I and my men took care of them" answered Theodore.

"Good. You may leave. I shall take care of this nuisance here and now, as well as the biggest threat to our kind following that" he declared. Theodore and Xanthe looked at each other confused, but nodded regardless and retreated, with Xanthe supporting the Vacuoan Headmaster.

"I don't really care who the hell you are, but if you're stronger than those two and these three" stated Kenpachi, looking at the three dead Sternritter. "Then you just got my full attention"

Yhwach stared at the three corpses, and head an odd expression of pity on his face.

"Robert, Cang Du, Driscoll...your deaths were not meaningless. Now that your souls have returned to me once more, your experience of fighting one of the strongest enemies of our kind, as well as every other soul that fell here to him have told me a lot about our enemy. And thanks to your sacrifice, I have the honor of experiencing sunrise for a day longer. And because of that, our empire and our people receive a day longer to live in prosperity" he said, closing his eyes. "Now then, Kenpachi of Zaraki, have at you"

"Heh, after all that fancy, mighty talk, don't you dare disappoint me!" retorted Kenpachi, and their blades clashed.

A battle between two legendary fighters, and yet, scales and levels exists even amongst those at the top. Not always do battles between two master fighters go with a bang. Sometimes, it ends in less than a whimper, unseen and unknown by all. Neither combatant was at a level that would be completely outclassed by the other. However, there was certainly no comparison between a Soul Reaper who did not even know the name of his Zanpakuto vs one who stood at the peak of one of the four races, even if the former was a Kenpachi. And so, in no less than 5 minutes, Kenpachi Zaraki found himself found himself being held by his throat, with the Quincy King standing tall. His Zanpakuto cluttered down, chipped and snapped. Like a doll, the Quincy leader simply tossed the 11th division captain aside.

"That was easier that I foresaw. It has now shown me, without a shadow of a doubt, that this sorry state of the our enemies is the truth. All that is left now, is to cut off the source and that will be the end of our strife, once and for all, as well as vengeance for our fallen comrades" he said, before moving on.

---

"Look at this place" said Candice, with a sour look. Her tone however, was uncaring, as if she was merely making an observation "There's only death and destruction everywhere. Things are either burning, falling apart, or stained with ash or blood. And it's still going on in some places. It's not beautiful at all"

"Well duh, what do you expect?" asked Liltotto. "His 'Majesty' is the one leading this place into war after all. After the Hollow and Togabito we captured and those folks from Remnant had their way with this place, is it any surprise any of it isn't falling apart? I'd even say that seeing a lot of these places standing is the surprising part of it. I really thought this place would be razed to the ground, like it deserves to be"

"Hmm...I don't know. It would be a shame if we couldn't even salvage something from here. I know they are our enemies, but for all the things they did to us, the least they deserve is to be useful to His Majesty after their deaths" added Meninas.

"That doesn't sound like you at all. Don't tell me you actually feel bad for these guys" snickered Giselle. "Sounds dangerous. Get what I mean...?"

"Oh please" scoffed Candice. "I don't give two shits about these guys. I'd fry them to a crisp if only there were some alive"

"I know. You're still feeling bad about deceiving Ichi and the others, aren't you?" asked Bambietta teasingly. "Who knew little miss sparky would be so enraptured by a young little teenage boy? You should've done him in that night when you had the chance if you really liked him that much. You could've even asked for that creep Pepe's help or BG9 if you really wanted to-"

"Oh fuck off Bambi.." flipped off Candice with a frown. "Say anything more along those lines, and I swear the next thing I'm frying is your brain. After I'm done here of course" The Quincy girl even had sparks coming off her hand, showing how serious she was. The air tensed up a little but Bambietta maintained her calm and playful look.

"Relax. I'm just joking to get you in the mood to be serious in our mission. You know I wouldn't do anything like that to Lady Hilda's kids. I like them just as much as you do. You looked troubled by it, so I thought I'd lighten the mood. Seems like I didn't need to. So what do you say we head out to help 'His Majesty' and the others finish clean up this place? Judging from the Head Captain's reishi, he should be right in that direction" suggested Bambietta. Candice breathed out slowly, calming herself but the frown on her face was still visible.

"Fine. Let's just get it over with. I really want to be done here and get back to them to explain a few things" she said.

Bambietta gave a nod, and the five took off.

---

The root of the blazing heat wave that currently washed over the entire Soul Society was being emanated by just one elder Soul Reaper. His eyes were still alight with a determined bloodlust, one that promised to erase those that threatened the sanctity of the Soul Society. His battle-scarred body blended in so fittingly with the scenery around him, that consisted of numerous signs of conflict, burns, charred buildings, bodies, trees and the like. In his hand was just a single, charred, weathered blade that emitted wisps of smoke. A weapon that was as deceptive as the man himself. It looked like a weapon which had its days numbered after all the lives it had taken and all the battles it had taken part in, but in Yamamoto's hand was the most powerful weapon a Soul Reaper could ever wield. A weapon so powerful, that its existence alone was the reason the Soul Society currently faced imminent erasure, more so than the invaders invading it.

"You're senile, Genryusai Yamamoto" said the form of the Quincy King. "You mean to 'finish the task you set out to do 1000 years ago?'. Look around you. Out of you and me, who do you think is the one causing the downfall of the Soul Society?"

Countless creatures of the realm of the damned, human invaders bearing the insignia of the Quincy, and Quincy soldiers themselves lay dead; their bodies burnt to ash or torn apart to shreds by the Captain Commander's swordplay or his immense spiritual pressure. And those were but one of the few weapons he possessed. The only one who could match the hellfire from his Shikai, his immense skills in Kido, hand to hand combat, swordplay and speed was the sole man standing before him. That was, until the captain commander unleashed his Bankai.

The bodies that remained until now simply vanished, leaving nothing but wispy remnants. Anybody or anything that got within a certain distance of the captain commander was merely toasted and evaporated. It was as if the reishi emitted by his Bankai was akin to that of the heat emitted by the sun, like a fiery cloak that destroyed those that ventured too close. And just like the sun that provided warmth and heat to objects in the solar system that extended for several hundreds of millions of kilometers, the heat and reishi was enough to affect every living and non living thing in the Soul Society and beyond.

However, his opponent was equally commendable for being much closer to the Head captain than any other thing present, and yet remain relatively unharmed. It truly showed Yamamoto just how formidable his nemesis was. Yhwach's blut vene ran all over his body, protecting him from the effects of the Bankai as well as other passive and active attacks. His sword was likely the only one that could lock blades with Zanka no Tachi, and remain in one piece. And Yhwach was the only one present, who could match the Head Commander in speed, power and skill. In just a second, Yhwach had erected an area of pure, blue reishi around them consisting of several Quincy cross like towers, called Kirchenleid: Sankt Zwinger, which was one of the strongest Quincy defensive techniques that passively dampened and suppressed the reishi of all non-Quincy within it but also stole their reisi to be used by the caster.

"We of the Gotei 13 are sworn to defend the Soul Society and the Soul King, even if it means we die in the process. That is a pact we who wear these robes of black accept when we first become Soul Reapers. Your words and taunts are meaningless and weightless. Even if it were a former comrade, or even if it was my most trusted disciple that your hellish fiends and men killed in battle, if they represent a threat to what we stand for and the Soul Society, then only death awaits them" replied Yamamoto, thrusting his sword into the ground. "You question my resolve, Yhwach, so in return, shall I question yours?".

The ground rumbled ominously, and several black, charred things made of bones, hair and burnt flesh slowly surfaced from the ground all around them.

"Zanka no Tachi, South. Great Burial Ranks of the 10 trillion fire dead"

The Quincy king watched as corpses, numbering hundreds, or perhaps thousands, rose up from their ashy graves, picking up their bony arms, armaments or anything they could get their hands on, and marched towards Yhwach, with a dull orange ember alight within their bony eyes. The sight was so macabre, that even the Quincy King stood speechless in his tracks.

"What is this..?" he asked slowly, as the skeletal corpses slowly marched towards him, undeterred by the heat and spiritual pressure of the two fighters, their glowing amber eyes set only Yhwach. "What the hell is this, Shigekuni Yamamoto?!"

"To the foes I have slain so far, my blade has given them heat and called them forth from the afterlife, to experience the joy of battle. And they shall eradicate all those that I deem my enemy, until they return to ashes once more" he proclaimed.

The Quincy king let out a haughty, incredulous laugh. "Hah! Hah ha! How utterly pitiful, my nemesis! To think you could sink so far, that you, the head of those that govern the afterlife, would dare commit the sacrilege of necromancy and spit at the face of the gods themselves! Shame on you, head of the Shinigami! You've fallen so low, that you don't ever deserve to hear your name come out of my lips of the lips of my children ever again! If you think this is enough to stop me, then you underestimate the depth of our vengeance!"

Charging forward, Yhwach let loose a volley of incredibly dense arrows, with each one clearing out scores of enemies with ease. And using his sword, he cut down body after body, making his way towards the head captain.

"Come back here, fiend! Not only do you commit sacrilege, but you would let the dead do the fighting for you while you run away?! Dead or alive, do you always trample down on those below you out of a twisted sense of justice?!" demanded Yhwach.

"Run away? I am merely putting some distance so I can watch your actions. Do make your way here, if you can. You were so occupied in using your tongue, I wondered if your eyes had failed you. That one whose skull you just crushed with your hands, that lonesome soul whose bones you vaporized with your arrows, did you take a better look at their faces?" he asked.

"What do you...?" asked the Quincy King, before he noticed that which his opponent spoke of. Beneath the black, charred remnants of the dead, he could make out features, semblances of their selves before they turned into the state they were in now.

"...! Accutrone..! Cang Du...! Zeidritz...! Yo...you devil...!"

"If you want to reach me, feel free to do so, King of the Quincy. As I asked you before, show me that you have the resolve to do so. Bring down your subordinates that you cherish so much before you do. That is how far I am willing to do, Yhwach. For all of my men and children you killed today, by allowing those foul beasts from Hell that you captured and let loose in the Soul Society. By invading this realm at a time you thought we lacked the resolve to fight, after the losses we suffered. And yet, despite the bitter war that nearly wiped out both of our races 1000 years ago, I put aside my principles to let the remainder of your kind live out their days in peace. Despite the fact that my children died just as many in number as did yours at our hands. And yet, your eyes, the ones which you pride as being 'all seeing' cannot see such a simple truth. In truth, it is you who has become blinded and corrupt in the last 1000 years. You and your people will suffer the consequences of your poor insight and selfish ambitions, Yhwach" declared Yamamoto.

For a moment, it appeared as if the corpses swallowed the lamenting Quincy King whole. But not a moment later, a howl pierced the skies, with a pillar of light bursting forth from where Yhwach was.

"Hmph...so even you can make a face like that, huh?" wondered Yamamoto, his expression dark. "You have been a lot more noisy and talkative since we last met, Yhwach. These old bones were certainly surprised when I saw you, like a phantom appearing from my worst nightmares. And even more so to see what you had done in the last few hours. However, what surprises me more than anything, is how human you have become. Back then, you were an unfathomable thing, a vile being that remained in my worst thoughts to this very day. And yet, the you I see in front of me blew those nightmares away, leaving nothing but pity and disappointment. Not only are you reduced to this state, you even lack the power and presence you possessed back then. You haven't used any of the techniques and abilities I've seen you use in the war back then. It would appear that those 1000 years you spent recovering your power happened for a reason. The mighty have indeed fallen with age, wouldn't you say?"

"Don't talk as if you understand!" roared Yhwach, charging over the corpses and bones as if they were stepping stones, and ploughing through them without batting an eye. "I told you already, something like this wont be enough to stop me!"

"And yet, I can still see your tears, Yhwach. Bitter and hateful, isnt it? Even a monster like you cant help but be reduced to a mere human at such a sight. But this is the sight that I and all of my children from back then had to witness, because of your foolish notions to declare war on us, then and now. Contemplate the consequences of your actions alongside your subordinates in Hell, Yhwach!" roared Yamamoto in response, swinging his sword.

"Zanka no Tachi, North; Heaven and Earth, to Ashes and Nothingness"

A technique that combined the collective spiritual pressure of the entirety of his Bankai into one swing, it shaved away Yhwach's body and arm, leaving nothing but a gaping hole. His upper and lower body were barely connected by a small section of his right hip that was left intact. Everything else in between had simply been cut away, without so much as a single drop of blood leaking out. The man himself fell down to the ground, his once enormous spiritual pressure disappearing almost completely. He only had a defeated look on his face. There was no doubt, that his opponent was on death bed.

Yamamoto slowly exhaled, releasing his Bankai. It wasnt that he wanted to, but that he had to. Any longer, and his own body would have succumbed to his own enormous power. It was a power he hadn't used in 1000 years. Plus, his final technique guaranteed him victory against any adversary, but the toll it extracted on him was just as grave. And his power was far stronger now than back then, while his body was far from his physical peak. Any longer, and he would have added to the body count of those that died thanks to his own power affecting the Soul Society.

"It is done" Yamamoto told himself. "With your death, this war and the bloody history that tormented both of us, is no more"

"A little presumptuous, wouldn't you say?" came another identical voice from behind. And then, a sharp pain ran right across his upper right abdomen, all the way to his left hip. Yamamoto didn't even have time to react toe the sudden presence or the appearance of a spiritual pressure 10 times stronger than the man he thought was his strongest adversary. But the spiritual pressure cutting into his abdomen was unmistakably that of a Quincy's, and that voice was without a doubt, Yhwach. The glowing broadsword cutting into and through his abdomen was also the very same that was Yhwach's preferred weapon back during the days of the war.

"Y-you...?! But...how is this possible..?!"

Blood gurgled from his mouth, as he painfully turned towards the enemy he thought he had slain. Shock and confusion overtook his mind when he noticed that where the mutilated body of Yhwach once was, lay the body of a bald man with a eye tattooed to the center of his forehead. He was wearing the uniform of the Quincy elite soldiers that Yamamoto remembered seeing in the other Quincy. His wounds mirrored the same kind of wounds 'Yhwach' had when Yamamoto delivered the killing blow. He had a serene expression on his face, even as he lay dying.

"I'm sorry...I held him off for as long as I could..." stammered the dying man, before his last breath passed.

"You did well, Royd" said the Yhwach. "Your sacrifice has allowed us to exterminate our most hated enemy amongst the Soul Reapers. There is nothing I would not give to be in your place, brother. However, this too, is part of his Majesty's plans"

"B-brother...?! His...who...are you...?!" questioned the old Head Captain, but he could feel his feeble life draining away. The strain from his Bankai, the fatigue from fighting for so long in said Bankai, the techniques he used and the final wound when he dropped his guard. It made him feel utterly pathetic about his current self.

"You see, the one you were fighting so far was none other than my brother. Sternritter Y, the Yourself, Royd Lloyd. He can take on the personality and memories of others. I, Loyd Lloyd, on the other hand, can take on one's power and abilities but not their personalities or memories. The two of us, we are his Majesty's shadows, ever present by his side and ready to take his place for when he cannot be in all places at once. This is what you have been reduced to, devil. A being not even worth his personal attention. But we exist to take care of the evils that trouble his Majesty. And we have the authority to act for his sake" explained Loyd. "You were fighting a doppelganger whose power paled in comparison to his Majesty's. And while I can more closely match his Majesty in power than my brother, even I cannot come close to his Majesty's true power. And yet, even my brother could reduce you to this state. As he and by definition, His Majesty, stated, you no longer deserve to be called by your name anymore, fiend"

With a definite motion, Loyd pulled back the reishi sword, bifurcating the Head Captain in half. The old Soul Reaper could do nothing but fall, like a tree whose trunk had been sliced off.

'Yhwach' watched with cold, uncaring eyes as the Head Captain's upper half almost pitifully reached out for his enemy, still determined to fight. Around them, several presences arrived, with the same, cold expression as 'Yhwach'. Bambeitta, Candice, Meninas, Giselle, Liltotto, Berenice, Mask de Masculine and several other Sternritter who were present.

"My comrades, it is time for you to share in with me and get your vengeance against our most hated nemesis, once and for all" declared 'Yhwach', and as if that was their calling, all of those present manifested angelic blue wings, indicating their activation of Quincy Völlständig.

The sight that followed after, was a sight that would make even the historians who would record it for generations to come shudder with fright. Like a scene taken from the apocalypse, the Quincy almost seemed to flock to the dying Commander's body, showering a barrage of various attacks, reducing the place to a bloody, sooty rubble. To call it Overkill was insufficient by any means. The sight was gnarly and disturbing, reminiscent of angels descending and flocking to a dying grim reaper and shredding it to bits mercilessly, enacting god's revenge. But their actions were anything but angelic, and the Soul Reaper's visage was that of death itself, rather than one who brought death to others.

In reality, there was hardly any need for even a single Sternritter to participate in the onslaught. Or for them to activate their final forms. And yet, the reality of what was happening simply showed the extent of the hatred seeped into the fiber of their very beings. After what seemed like several minutes, the rain of death finally stopped. And when it did, there was nothing left but a leveled field of dirt and gravel. Not trace remained of anything that transpired.

"With this, our mission here is complete. Soul Society is in shambles and their head, along with several others are no more. With this, the Soul Reapers are as good as dead. Let us retreat, back to His Majesty, along with our comrades from Remnant" ordered 'Yhwach'. With an affirmative nod, the Quincy elite began making their ways back to their respective exit locations, fending off any stragglers if they appeared and rescuing those from Remnant that hadn't made it out during the first retreat order.

It wouldn't be until much later that Kisuke Urahara, Isshin Kurosaki, Gin Ichimaru and Yoruichi Shihouin would appear, only to realize the gravity of the situation they found themselves in.

---

Rukia had no awareness of how long she had been walking, carrying the body of her brother on her back. Her petite frame was hunched at a sickening angle, burdened by the cold, dead weight of her brother's body. Her battle-worn body struggled to keep pushing forward, while her exhausted and depleted mental state acted more like a detriment than her brother's body. Her legs were shaking, begging to simply stop functioning and give in to the sweet embrace of gravity. Her eyes wanted nothing more than to shut down, pretending that the sights in front of her were nothing more than a bad nightmare she needed to wake up from. They had no more tears to give. And yet, she still continued to press forward, to push her broken spirit and body towards a destination unknown. At first, numerous eyes fell upon her and her visage, indicating that she as a sight, did not blend in well with her surroundings. And yet, as she walked, those stares grew lower and lower in number, with her blending in more and more with the state of her surroundings, until she was no different than those around her, carrying and hauling corpses while being half dead themselves.

"Ru...Rukia..?! Is-is that you?! What are you doing all the way here in the 79th Rukon district?! And...!" gasped a soft voice that was so out of place compared to the grunts and noises she heard around her that for the first time in hours, she arched her head up to look at the source of the voice.

"What is that...is that captain Kuchiki...?! Is he dead...?! What's going on?" she asked, concerned.

Rukia's purple eyes widened weakly in shock.

The woman in front of her had dark hair tied to the side of her head in a side ponytail with a red ribbon, that reached out to her waist. She wore the standard shinigami outfit, but they were weathered to the point of being rags. Over them, she wore a shawl draped around her like a cape, giving her the appearance of a nomadic traveler. Her once-naive looking brown eyes that held softness and tenderness in them possessed a weathered and rough look, while still having a touch of tenderness in them. She looked slightly older and perhaps taller as well. However, there was no doubt to Rukia, that this was none other than Momo Hinamori.

Momo rushed forward to support Rukia, crouching down by her side and helping her support Byakuya Kuchiki's body. She gently pried the corpse from her, and placed it on the ground while keeping Rukia close to her.

"Rukia...you look terrible. You're injured and you look like you've been walking without pause with those injures. Don't tell me you carried the captain all this time without taking rest or getting yourself injured?!" she asked.

With shaky, shivering hands, she slowly reached out to Momo's face, looking up to her with a pained and desolate expression. Her purple eyes could see the contours of Momo's face furrowing in worry and concern. Like a dam that could not hold back the torrent of emotions and pain she felt, her body simply crumpled against Momo's.

"Ru-rukia!" called out the ex-lieutenant of division 5, but the petite Soul Reaper would simply not respond, no matter what she tried. She was however, alive. Something terrible and grave transpired while she was away from the Soul Society, she realized. She definitely had several questions and several things she wanted to discuss with Rukia, neither of which had been in her schedule. But knowing that she needed to tend to the ice Zanpakuto user first before anything else, Momo carried Rukia and Byakuya's bodies back to her hideout. And her thoughts ran back Summer, Ruby, Gin and Kisuke, and if fate had deemed for her to reunite with them after a long period of two years.

---

It's really been way too long since I was able to update my chapter. My deepest apologies for that. I really am trying my best to get a lot of things done. Life has been a bit hectic and tiring for a while, so it took this long to get an update. Next chapter will conclude the stuff happening at Remnant as well as the aftermath of both the Soul Society and Remnant.

---

Response to Reviews:

Monster King: Thanks a lot!

Lucian Naruto: Oh boy, that they definitely will.

Argorok: Thanks as always! This chapter didn't really go back to them but the next one will. But yeah, things are pretty bleak for both sides huh?

Xeno01: Thank you so so much! Damn, it's come a really long way huh? I never thought I'd see the day for a story of mine. Thanks for that!

Thanks! I'd say that this pretty much is a starting step for Yang and the others to truly understand Ruby as she is now. Ichi and Tatsuki is a possible ship and one that isn't often talked about. I don't want to focus too much on the shipping if possible, but if it happens, it happens. Nora and Gerald being confused for being family would be amusing indeed :D I think Grimmjow definitely does, just in his own way.

Spellflame: They're really strong against hollows and creatures from Hell, but useless against the Quincy and Soul Reapers. As for Brunhilde, yeah, she might. But it's hard to say how she would react in her current state.

Binaryrecord274: I realize I haven't written the best of stories this platform has to offer. As I mentioned in this story before, I'm still quite the novice trying to do better. This story is definitely one of the more successful ones and I agree that I have a lot of room to improve. All I can promise is that I'm doing my best I can, trying to see this story till the end regardless of how long it takes or what ups and downs I might face. And that's why reader input and suggestions are very welcome, as they might give me chances to improve. I can assure you that I do act on and consider the advice given to me by others.

RandomName3064: Haha yeah I totally get you. I feel like I should post it here as well at some point. Perhaps in the next one once things have 'calmed down'. Perhaps, perhaps not. I just felt like the idea of a 'demon going berserk' had been done and dusted to time immemorial in pop culture. So I wanted to do something more logical and different for Ruby. It seemed to have worked quite well, from what I can see. The Quincy save the day here, but the same can't be said for the other side huh? A lot of things will be interesting to see, I assure, once the dust settles after this initial battle. As for the power scaling, I have had a plan to level the playing field for a long time now, so I can assure you that it will be done. I think I also DM'ed you about it.

Guest: Thanks! I'm glad the idea worked out so well!

Fezzgator: Thank you so, so much for the review, I'm really happy you liked the story so much! All the support means so much to me, especially in terms of motivation to continue writing. I really hope I didnt keep you waiting for this chapter and promise you I'll try better despite my schedules and other priorities :X. I'm happy to know that you are writing yourself and I think that's a really wonderful thing! Keep going! I know some things are a bit out of stretch, as you have put it, but I assure you I have proper explanations for it. Or at the very least, they exist for some plot reason to help tell a tale. But yeah, writing 10k words in 2-3 weeks IS definitely quite tiring and as you could see now, I can't always promise I can do it in 2 weeks. But I will definitely keep this story going to its conclusion. Thanks a lot once more!