Eyes of the Soul

by operation meteor

Passing beyond the veil, Itachi finds himself in an afterlife that is far from the hellfire he'd steeled himself for. With a chance encounter involving a pervy sage, a Flash Goddess and a healer whose angelic appearance hides more than a hint of steel, the bane of the Uchiha Clan finds a chance at a second life... and perhaps redemption. Slow burn. M for language and violence.

34. Chapter 34

Author's Notes: Hello there! Sorry this one took so long. Between work, stress, and spending the past several weeks being sick (still stuck with a damn cough that just refuses to go away), it's been a bit of a rough patch lately. Plus, I wanted to take some extra time with this chapter to make sure I got things right. Kicking off a war isn't as easy as you might think.

Enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-One: Alea Iacta Est

Early the next morning…

His eyelids fluttering open, Shisui's nose was tickled by the strands of silver-blonde running across his face. Their source had her head resting against his right shoulder, the blanket they shared having slipped just enough to expose her pale bare shoulders. The room was mostly dark, with the candle having been put out long ago, yet through the tiny windows along where the wall met the ceiling a very faint light was beginning to filter in.

"Ah, shit…" Shisui whispered before gently nudging his lover, "Hey, Visaelya… it's almost time."

She softly moaned, adjusting position so that her cheek was now pressed to his. "Five more minutes…"

Shisui gently reached up to place a hand behind her head, softly running his fingers through her hair. "Alright."

He allowed himself a small yet satisfied smile as he relished the feeling of her body against his. Images of the incredible night they'd shared flashed through his head, forever seared into his mind's eye. Nothing he'd ever experience before could've prepared him for it, and he was just as reluctant as Visaelya to get up and greet the pre-dawn day. What he would have given to stay in this room with her for the rest of his afterlife…

"Ugh," his partner groaned a moment later, "my head… we didn't drink that much, right?"

Shisui vaguely recalled them hitting the bottle again at some point in the night before they'd gone right back into another bout of passionate frenzy. "Maybe…"

Visaelya then chuckled as she looped her arms around Shisui's shoulders and behind his neck, which she then began tracing a path of soft kisses along before working up to his jawline. "Fuck… whatever. Totally worth it."

"Got that right," Shisui whispered as he redirected Visaelya towards his face, and their lips met in a lingering kiss.

When it eventually broke, Visaelya then repositioned himself atop of him and reached up to playfully mess with Shisui's hair. "If I asked you to… would you use your eyes to trap me in a genjutsu?"

"What kind?" he inquired as he caressed her cheek.

"The kind where I stay like this with you and forget about everything else," she murmured, fixing him with a longing gaze.

"Tempting," he admitted, idly pondering the notion, "I'd want a way to ensnare both of us in it. Maybe get a mirror… never actually tried to genjutsu myself and someone else at the same time. Might be fun to experiment with one day."

"When that day comes, I better be the girl you do it with," Visaelya purred.

Shisui pulled her down for another kiss. "I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else."

Visaelya laid her head on his chest, resting the left side of her face over his beating heart. "I… I don't want to leave this place. I… I don't know if I can face what's coming."

Shisui put his arms around her and leaned down to tenderly kiss her brow. "You won't face it alone."

She looked up at him, offering a weak smile. "I know."

They laid together for a few more minutes before finally willing themselves out of bed. Despite the need to depart quite soon, both couldn't help but take their time in dressing and cleaning themselves up. Eventually throwing cloaks over robes, the couple headed for the door.

Before Shisui could slide it open, though, his partner grabbed his arm. "Wait."

He stopped, only for her to reach up, cup his face in both hands, and pull him in for one last gentle and lingering kiss. "Shisui… I love you."

He smiled as he gazed longingly into her beautiful violet eyes. "And I love you, Visaelya. No matter what happens, I'll stay with you to the very end."

They held that gaze for a moment before pulling up the cowls of their cloaks and stepping outside. It only took moments for them to get downstairs and check out. Then they were out on the street, where they could see the eastern skyline faintly beginning to light up; sunrise was almost upon them. They paused together, holding each other's hands as their gazes drifted over the Seireitei, both silently dreading what they would inevitably face there.

Then they Flash Stepped in unison, and became nothing more than blurs on the morning wind.

….

Lost in her thoughts, Mikoto nearly jumped out of her robes when her son's voice sounded from behind her. "Soi-Fon said I could find you here."

'Here' in this case was a clearing in the wooded training grounds of the Stealth Force. It was a place that Mikoto had grown quite fond of, not only because Soi-Fon often invited her there to spar, but also because she found it to be a very tranquil place when not in use. It was just the sort of spot she desired when she sought a sense of peace, and she'd been seeking it quite regularly as of late.

Especially since Itachi had given her news of his encounter with Fugaku.

She turned around to face her eldest son. The haunted look in his onyx eyes was one she'd seen far too often these past few days, and not just on Itachi's face; it greeted Mikoto now whenever she saw her reflection. Without words, she and her son came together in a somber embrace, as if they were attending a funeral.

How fitting, she thought numbly, considering we're already dead…

…and that we may soon find ourselves fighting his father… my husband… to the death.

Getting a bit ahead of ourselves, Shisha no Miko interjected, aren't we? I know things are bad right now, but events are hardly guaranteed to come to such a grim point.

No, but… I'm unfortunately accustomed to experiencing the worst-case scenario.

Mother and son released each other a few moments later, with the latter being the first to speak. "How are you holding up?"

Mikoto took a deep breath, torn between not wanting to worry Itachi and not wishing to lie. "I… well… I don't know."

Itachi nodded in understanding. "Same for me, I think."

There was a fallen tree at the edge of the clearing, and the two of them went over to sit atop it. Neither spoke for several minutes, so it was left to the birds that called the wooded training ground home to fill the silence with their assorted calls and chirps. Mikoto had heard them enough by now that she could identify several of the species. Their songs had been comforting to listen to in the past, but at present, they were little more than background noise.

Eventually, Itachi broke the silence. "The meeting's tonight."

"I know," Mikoto answered.

"And Yoruichi will deliver Visaelya's report tomorrow night," he added.

"I know," Mikoto repeated, her voice softening slightly.

"Assuming the Central Forty-Six works expeditiously… the arrests will probably be that same night or early the following morning," Itachi estimated.

"I know," Mikoto reiterated, now speaking in barely more than a whisper.

Itachi let out an exhausted, almost mournful exhalation. "I… don't know if I'm ready."

Mikoto reached over to take her eldest son's hand. "Neither do I."

Itachi looked down. "It's the mission… I have to be. I promised Yoruichi that I would be."

"And I told Soi-Fon that I could handle it," Mikoto said, shaking her head, "I don't know who I was trying to convince more; her, or myself."

Itachi closed his eyes for several seconds. "We know our duty… but can we carry it out?"

"What choice do we have?" Mikoto murmured, "We've chosen our side… and your Father, his."

Itachi opened his eyes and turned to her. "Is it that simple?"

Mikoto sighed in despair. "Of course, not. It never is with our family."

She saw Itachi open his mouth, then he paused, brow furrowing before shaking his head. "I was about to say that I wished Sasuke was here, but given what that would mean… better that he remains in the Shinobi Realm of the Living for as long as life and fortune allows."

Mikoto couldn't help smiling as she recalled meeting Sasuke and his new family alongside Itachi and their friends years ago. "I hope that's for a very long time to come."

"If he was here… would Father listen to him?" Itachi asked.

Mikoto's shoulders slumped. "I don't know. Fugaku… he loved you both dearly. I know he still does. Even so, whenever he made up his mind about something, he always committed to it… for good or ill."

Itachi shook his head. "It didn't have to be that way. Back then… if I'd come clean with him before the final hour, told him what my role with the village truly was… could I have convinced him to talk the clan out of their plan?"

"Maybe… maybe not," Mikoto replied after a moment, "Going along with Yashiro and the others… it wasn't a decision that Fugaku made lightly. He detested being put in that position, feeling like he had no choice but to go along for the sake of the clan. Perhaps he would've been open to a change of heart… but even if that had happened, who can say how the rest of the clan would've reacted? We could've just wound up trading the coup plot and war with the village for an Uchiha Clan civil war."

Itachi let out a ragged and mournful exhalation. "Still… I should've tried. Even when I was trying to clue Father in on my opposition to the clan's plot, I didn't come out and say anything openly. My true feelings were always couched in hints that I hoped he'd pick up on."

"You couldn't be honest because it could've jeopardized your mission," Mikoto pointed out, squeezing his hand, "Don't forget, Itachi; before I was yours and Sasuke's mother, I was a Shinobi. I pulled more than my share of undercover operations. I know what it means to maintain a cover… even a painful one. You did your duty for the village, as you always did… and Fugaku and I were proud of you for it. Even at the very end… and beyond."

"Duty…" Itachi murmured, "That word's defined so much of our lives. Even our afterlife, now. When I became a Soul Reaper, I knew it meant subordinating myself before a higher purpose, just as I had done in the past as a Shinobi. However, I'd hoped that it wouldn't become the same weight as it was before. When I found you out in the Rukon District… I dared to believe that I had a chance to make things right. That I could start with you… then Father… and more of the clan in time. Now, though…"

Mikoto leaned over to pull her son into a hug. "Itachi, I never felt like you had to make things 'right' with me, and you know that. I could see how dearly it mattered to you, though, so if it made you feel better, I was more than willing to let you do what you believed you needed to. Just being with you again, rebuilding our family together in Squad Two, has been more than enough for me."

When she eventually released him, Itachi's gaze turned towards the sky. "Would it be enough for Father? If we gave him that chance, would he take it?"

Mikoto considered it for a moment. "I want to say that he would. I'd love nothing more than for him to abandon whatever faction of the clan's now with the Drakken family and to come back to us. However… if he's been there all this time… then he must know about you. At least since you bumped into Yashiro at that party. Yet all this time… he's never reached out to you… or to me. Of course, there's so much we don't know about Fugaku's current situation. In our time, he was head of the clan, but who's to say he's running the show now? He could be answering to one of our ancestors… one too powerful for him to disobey."

Itachi nodded. "We need to find out what's really going on. If we can isolate him during the arrests, we may get the chance to. He didn't fight me before… he might lay down his arms if he sees both of us. If we can just talk to him, it might be enough."

"I hope it is," Mikoto murmured, taking her son's hand again.

Fugaku, please…

…don't go where your family can't follow.

Please…

…come back to me.

….

The following day…

Having served as Captain of Squad Two for many years now, Yoruichi was no stranger to one-on-one meetings with Head Captain Yamamoto. She had them more often than her fellow Captains by virtue of her simultaneously holding that rank and being Commander-in-Chief of the Stealth Force, meaning her range of responsibilities was significantly greater than many of her colleagues. While she couldn't honestly claim to enjoy these meetings, she understood their necessity and had made the most of them to learn as much about the Head Captain as possible. As a result, she'd grown quite adept over the years at reading his normally-inscrutable face, being able to pick out the slight cues that indicated his current mood.

Going by the tightening of the wrinkles in his face, the slight furrowing of his brow, and the subtle tension in his jawline, that current mood was one of barely contained fury.

And whenever Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto entered this state, it meant the targets of that fury had royally screwed up.

After Yoruichi finished relaying Visaelya's testimony to her superior, she watched and waited, her neutral expression masking anxiety. She'd spent the previous evening with her circle of conspirators going over every word that Visaelya would provide with a fine-toothed comb, working overtime to make sure that the true extent of their off-the-books investigation remained concealed. As far as the official record would show, Visaelya had found the Nalatarin only by sheer luck, by her family's arrogance convincing them that she would be just as willing to partake in their treason as they had been by virtue of her being the Drakken Clan's heiress. However, in order for the official record to follow that account, Yoruichi needed Head Captain Yamamoto to buy into it. His coming response would show whether her hard work and lies of omission had paid off.

The eventual heavy exhalation from Yamamoto, the slight relaxation of his facial features into an expression of grim resignation, was all Yoruichi needed to know that her efforts would be rewarded. "You did well in bringing this to my attention so quickly and discreetly, Captain Shihōin. To think that one of our Great Noble Houses was at the heart of this crime… and that another sought to collaborate with them… this is truly a black day for the Soul Society."

Yoruichi resisted the urge to let out a sigh of relief, instead limiting her response to a simple nod. "Agreed, sir. We were lucky that Visaelya Drakken remembered her duty to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and the wider Soul Society, and that she chose it over her family. While we still do not know the identity of the individual agent who stole the Nalatarin and attacked the Squad Twelve guard, we at least now know beyond a shadow of a doubt who ordered the theft and where the artifact has since been kept. Without her quick thinking and unswerving loyalty to the Soul Society, we would have none of this knowledge. We owe her a debt of gratitude; it's thanks to her that we can still salvage the situation and head off the wider plot of the Drakken and Starmont Clans."

The Head Captain was silent for a moment. "A difficult choice for someone so young to make. Had she gone to Squad Ten straight from graduation, she might not have found the courage to stand apart from her family. Her time under your command, Captain Shihōin, seems to have been fruitful in more ways than one. You should be proud of her."

"I am," Yoruichi declared.

More than I could ever hope to put into words, she silently added, and certainly more than I would dare to tell you, sir. You have no idea what she's endured to get us to this point…

…and, fate willing, you'll never find out.

She leaned forward slightly, knowing that now was the time to press the matter. "With what she's done, sir, you must know that she can't remain in Squad Ten. Her family will ostracize her once they learn of her involvement, and she could be in grave danger. I ask that you approve her transfer back to Squad Two so I can protect her and preserve her as an asset to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads going forward."

The Head Captain grunted. "Consider it done."

Now Yoruichi would allow herself a sigh of relief, albeit a small and very measured one. "Thank you, sir. If it's not too bold, I would also ask that you impress upon the Central Forty-Six Visaelya Drakken's crucial contributions in this matter. She does not deserve to be punished for the actions of her clan's leadership. If it weren't for her, we never would've found the artifact. She deserves recognition and reward for her invaluable service."

Yamamoto inclined his head. "I will relay your sentiments to the council, and offer my own commendations with them."

It wasn't a guarantee that the Central Forty-Six would leave Visaelya alone, but Yoruichi knew that the Head Captain lacked the power to force such a promise from the council; what he was pledging to her now was the best he could offer in good faith, and she would take it. "I appreciate that, sir. I'm in your debt."

Yamamoto shook his head. "I am in yours, Captain Shihōin, as is the rest of the Soul Society. Through your judicious work and the loyalty of your soon-to-be returning subordinate, we can finally bring this matter to a close. It has festered like an open wound for far too long already."

Yoruichi considered her next words carefully. "Going by what Visaelya saw in her family's estate, it's not just the Drakken Clan that we're contending with here. She confirmed the presence of not only Captain Starmont at that meeting, but also Lady Sigrún. We must consider the possibility that the conspiracy extends well into the Starmont Clan, and that there may be other Valkyries hiding within either family's estate, or concealed in other parts of the Seireitei."

"Prudent," Yamamoto concurred, "The Drakken Clan's dragons are much easier to account for than the North's elite warriors. Our arresting force will have to include multiple Captains and Lieutenants as a precaution. Enlisting the Kidō Corps in this effort would be wise, too. Corps Commander Tsukabishi for sure, along with Vice-Kidō Chief Ushōda."

"I'm sure their talents will prove most useful should the worst come to pass," Yoruichi remarked, "In addition to myself, my Lieutenant, and Squad Two's best officers, I'll also mobilize the Executive Militia to bolster our ranks."

Yamamoto tapped his desk in thought. "That will be useful. There is the concern of disposition, though. The Drakken Clan's leadership may be the chief culprits here, but Visaelya's report confirming Captain Starmont and Lady Sigrún being involved in the wider conspiracy against the Soul Society means that we will have to split our forces between both Great Noble Houses. There is also the matter of the units under Captains Drakken and Starmont to consider."

Yoruichi took a deep breath. "That's true. At this point, it's impossible to say for certain to what extent Squads Ten and Eleven have been compromised. That being said… I can think of at least one among them that I'd be willing to vouch for; Squad Ten's Third Seat Isshin Shiba."

Yamamoto regarded her with keen interest. "Your reasoning?"

"Going by what I've heard from my mother and Captain Kuchiki," Yoruichi explained, "the Shiba Clan's remained broadly aligned with our respective houses in the political arena. Third Seat Shiba has a long and well-established record of distinguished, loyal service to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. I can't see him signing off on anything that could destabilize the Soul Society, which this plot has already begun to do. With your permission, sir, I'd like to approach him in secret while you're presenting our findings to the Central Forty-Six to ascertain if my judgements concerning him are correct."

"I have something else in mind," the Head Captain replied, "I believe Third Seat Shiba returned earlier today from a Hollow hunt in the Terran Realm of the Living, one that involved at least one Menos Grande. I'll have him summoned here for debriefing with Lieutenant Sasakibe; that pretext shouldn't arouse any suspicion from Captain Drakken or whatever Drakken Clan loyalists may be in Squad Ten. Once he arrives, you and the Lieutenant can fill him in on the recent developments and assess where his loyalty truly lies."

Yoruichi clasped her hands together. "Meaning the Lieutenant and I can take him on together should he prove disloyal."

Yamamoto grunted. "I hope it does not come to that, but it's better to take precautions. Third Seat Shiba is quite a gifted and powerful Soul Reaper; it would not do to take him lightly."

Yoruichi nodded. "Agreed. I've seen him in action. His Shikai's formidable. Even without it, his skills are top notch, well above what you'd expect for a Third Seat."

"You would know a thing or two about officers who are more powerful than their rank might suggest," Yamamoto remarked.

Yoruichi resisted the urge to smile proudly as images of Kisuke, Itachi, Soi-Fon, and several of her other subordinates came to mind. "I would."

Yamamoto cleared his throat before rising, taking Yoruichi's written report and tucking it away in his robes. "I'll inform Lieutenant Sasakibe about what you have uncovered, and then send him here to confer with you, so please remain until he arrives. After that and putting out the summons for Third Seat Shiba, I'll be off to the Central Forty-Six. Knowing you, I presume you've already prepared your subordinates in Squad Two and the Stealth Force."

"Yes, sir," Yoruichi confirmed as she stood up, "My top officers are standing by. When the announcement goes out from you and the Central Forty-Six, they'll mobilize immediately."

"Good," said Yamamoto, "The endgame will soon be set in motion. Soul King willing, this will all be over quickly."

That's what I'm hoping, Yoruichi thought with trepidation, however…

…I can't help but feel like it's not going to be that easy.

….

It was a good thing Lieutenant Sasakibe had instructed Isshin to sit down before he and Yoruichi had dropped the pretense and revealed the true reason for him being summoned to the Squad One barracks, because the Third Seat was certain he'd have fallen flat on his ass out of sheer shock from what he'd just heard. He'd hardly been blind to the growing tensions between his commanding officer's Great Noble House and the wider Soul Society aristocracy; while Isshin tried to avoid noble politics, the Shiba Clan was quite keen on keeping in touch with their family's most prominent Soul Reaper, which meant he got his fill of gossip and hints of intrigue whether he liked it or not. He knew things had been getting bad, but Isshin had figured that matters would get settled in time through negotiation, with each party grumbling but acquiescing to a compromise that left no one happy yet still managed to calm the troubled waters. After all, that was how similar disputes had played out countless times in the past; there was no reason to believe that this one wouldn't eventually blow over in a similar manner.

Boy, how wrong he'd been.

Captain…

…what have you done?!

Lieutenant Sasakibe cleared his throat after several silent seconds had gone by. "Third Seat Shiba…"

Being perhaps a bit too stiff for his own good, hardly surprising given his prestigious position, Squad One's second-in-command wasn't the most intuitive of individuals when it came to the feelings of others. While the Lieutenant was clearly expecting a prompt response, that wasn't something Isshin was in any shape to give at the moment. Quite justifiably, his mind was still processing the fact that his commanding officer was involved in a plot that could only be described as treason, which meant Isshin was now sitting in the middle of the biggest political shitstorm of his life.

Fortunately for him, Yoruichi was much more understanding, bowing and offering a sympathetic sigh. "It's a lot to take in, I know. Wasn't much easier for me to come to grips with it. I get if you're having a hard time believing it, Third Seat Shiba… but like it or not, it's the truth."

Isshin closed his eye and slumped over, running his fingers through his spiky black hair. "You said… it was Ninth Seat Visaelya Drakken who reported this, right?"

When he looked up, he saw Yoruichi slowly nod, a guarded look in her eyes. "It's not a report that she gave lightly, Third Seat Shiba. I can't begin to express her distress when she shared this revelation with me. Do you doubt the validity of her accusations and eyewitness testimony?"

Isshin took a deep breath before shaking his head. "No… I don't. Ninth Seat Visaelya… she's always had a good head on her shoulders. Hard working, intelligent, loyal… she's a model officer. She's…. she's not the type who would lie about something like this. Especially seeing as it involves her family."

In a way, Visaelya being the witness made it all the more painful for Isshin. He'd been in Squad Ten for a long time, and he'd attended more than a few Drakken Clan family parties as a result. He'd met Visaelya long before she'd even become an Academy student, let alone a proper Soul Reaper. Sure, she had the same stick up her ass as many aristocrats, but she'd steadily learned to ease up over the years. Even then, she had always been a sweet girl at heart, wanting to help others and make her family proud. That hadn't changed a bit when she'd joined Squad Ten, and Isshin had found her a joy to work with, even indulging in some playful teasing of her whenever he thought she could use a good ribbing. For her to be the one taking upon herself the heavy burden of confessing her family's crimes just served to emphasize for Isshin how dire the situation truly was.

"Ninth Seat Drakken is now under Squad Two's protection," Yoruichi explained, "She won't be returning to Squad Ten after this. I'm sure you can understand why."

Isshin nodded numbly. "Right."

"It's for the best," Lieutenant Sasakibe noted, "Now, that just leaves the matter of you and your subordinates, Third Seat Shiba."

Isshin had a good idea where this was going. "You want to know who in Squad Ten's loyal to the Soul Society and how many will follow our Captain, right?"

"Exactly," Yoruichi confirmed, folding her arms, "Given the nature of the Drakken Clan's conspiracy, I'll wager that very few people within Squad Ten know about it. The Captain's a given, and I'm willing to bet Lieutenant Dorel's onboard given his sister is Captain Drakken's wife. Given what Ninth Seat Drakken reported regarding her own circumstances for using the Nalatarin, it's possible that there was a measure of family pressure behind her siblings attempting to use the artifact, but whether or not their participation in this conspiracy was compelled doesn't change the fact that they're caught up in it now. Since Visaelya was the only one who came forward to report the truth, we must labor under the assumption that Gaerion and Vaemera are now all-in on their family's plot."

"What about the Captain's daughter?" Isshin asked.

Yoruichi's brow furrowed. "Hard to say. She hasn't been reported as suffering the 'illness' that we now know results from attempting to use the artifact, so it's possible that the clan's kept her in the dark. What's your read on her?"

Isshin scratched his chin. "Saenenya… I honestly don't know. She's a sweet and quiet thing; hard to picture her as a traitor. The Captain's gone out of his way in the past to protect her, so it's difficult to imagine him pulling her into something like this. Difficult… but not impossible."

"Then we can't treat her as a loyalist," Lieutenant Sasakibe remarked, "At best, she'd need to be isolated and detained until her true sentiments can be determined."

Isshin winced, but he couldn't fault the Lieutenant's logic. "I guess so."

"What about the wider officer corps and the rank and file?" Yoruichi pressed, "Word's going to get out the moment the Head Captain's meeting with the Central Forty-Six is completed, so we need to know which way they'll fall."

Isshin rubbed his forehead as he tried desperately to figure out the inevitable split. "I… I'm not sure. The Captain… he's popular for a reason. He's never been afraid to share the same dangers as the rest of us out in the field, and that's won him a lot of goodwill over the years. I can think of a few officers at least who would follow him into any madness… including this. There are those who would draw the line before treason. As for the rank and file… could be fifty-fifty. I honestly can't give you better than that, Captain Shihōin."

"It's enough for now," Yoruichi replied, "As soon as we wrap up here, I want you to return to barracks and begin quietly rounding up those officers you trust most. I'll have members of the Stealth Force positioned in hiding along Squad Ten's perimeter; if you meet resistance, they can intervene with the element of surprise."

Isshin blinked. "Just like that, you're trusting me with something so sensitive?"

"Your reaction to my report was all I needed to know that you're not part of Captain Drakken's conspiracy," Yoruichi answered, "Given that your family's been supportive of mine and the Kuchiki Clan in the political arena, I figured the likelihood of your Captain confiding in you about this matter was low, but I couldn't be certain until now."

Isshin's eyes narrowed. "And if I was involved, or betrayed your trust afterwards?"

Yoruichi gestured at Lieutenant Sasakibe. "Why do you think I'm here with the Head Captain's Number Two?"

"Insurance," Isshin surmised, "A Captain and a Lieutenant versus a Third Seat… you've had the deck stacked from the start."

"Squad Two and the Stealth Force don't play fair," Yoruichi pointed out, her golden eyes giving him a piercing look, "Everyone knows that."

Isshin nodded. "Yeah, that's true."

Her expression then softened. "Your family and mine have long worked together, and you and I are no strangers to joint missions. You're a fine Soul Reaper, Third Seat Shiba, one that I'd much rather have as an ally than an enemy. You've served the Thirteen Court Guard Squads capably and loyally over the years, and now's an hour of great need. We're counting on you to preserve Squad Ten as part of the Soul Society's fighting strength, and that means gathering up those you know are loyalists and convincing any waverers that they can't win if they throw their lot in with Captain Drakken. As for anyone who sides with your Captain, I'm hoping that your strength combined with my forces' aid can keep any potential conflict within Squad Ten a short one."

Isshin sighed. "That makes two of us. Soul Reaper on Soul Reaper combat… no one wants that."

"Agreed," Yoruichi said, a shadow in her gaze, "Even so, we must be prepared for the worst. What are the current whereabouts of your Captain and Lieutenant, Third Seat Shiba?"

Isshin took a deep breath. "I saw the Lieutenant in the training yard while I was on the way out. As for the Captain… he was in his office when I left, but I don't know if he's still there. Lately, he's been rushing to wrap up his admin duties each evening so he can get over to the family estate for business. Now I know what that 'business' really is."

"With your help, we can put an end to that 'business' before it goes too far," Yoruichi remarked.

"It's gone far enough already," Sasakibe muttered.

Isshin grimaced. "If it comes down to a fight at the barracks… I can hold my own against Lieutenant Dorel, maybe even beat him. The Captain's another matter, though. If he's there rather than the estate, then I wouldn't have a chance no matter how many of my subordinates I had backing me up."

Yoruichi shook her head. "That's fine; we don't want you to engage him anyway. All I want is for you to consolidate those you trust to oppose Captain Drakken's plot around you. At this point, simply getting an accurate count on loyalists and potential traitors is a win. If Captain Drakken is still at barracks, you can send one of your subordinates to warn us, and we'll deploy accordingly. Worst case scenario, pull out completely. We can always cordon off the Squad Ten barracks if needed... though holding a siege against someone like him would be difficult."

"Hopefully, Captain Drakken's at the estate," Sasakibe said, "It would make things easier if we could sweep him up there along with the rest of his inner circle."

"That'd be ideal," Yoruichi concurred, "but nothing about this situation has been 'ideal' from the get-go. We need to have all contingencies covered."

Isshin felt as though an incredible weight had fallen upon his chest. "I still can't believe it's coming to this…"

"None of us want to, but there's no escaping reality," Yoruichi grimly stated, already heading for the door, "I'll make sure those Stealth Force units are in position for if or when you need them. Move quickly and quietly, Third Seat Shiba. One wrong step, and this whole situation can get a lot worse."

….

Time is short.

That was the overriding thought of the cloaked Rinnegan user as he raced through the Seireitei, rushing between cover while keeping both keen eyes peeled for Soul Reapers and Stealth Force members, the latter of whom were by far the larger concern now. If the latest word from his eyes and ears within the Soul Society's administrative heart was true, and he had no reason to believe that it wasn't, then the hammer was about to fall on his patrons. With his rival having goaded them into reckless action over the past years, he'd been forced to write off their cause as hopeless; they'd moved too early, and had thus drawn scrutiny before they were strong enough for the open challenge they now sought. It pained him deeply to hold such defeatist sentiments now, given how he'd previously had such high hopes for his benefactors, but their impatience and pride had proven to be their undoing. They simply did not realize it yet. Now, the man who had sought to elevate the Drakken Clan in repayment for their Captain having saved his life, or afterlife, years ago could only scramble frantically to salvage what he knew would be the most important pieces of the family in the long rebuilding effort to come. His past words to the young woman he was now desperate to find echoed in his mind, and the knowledge of what he would soon do weighed heavily upon him.

"If the worse comes to pass, I may take… measures to ensure your survival. Measures that you may not appreciate. Should that happen, I will not apologize for taking them… only for taking a choice away from you."

Saenenya hadn't grasped the full meaning and weight of those words when her father's disfavored advisor had spoken them. Had she come to such comprehension since? The advisor hoped she had, but whether she had or not would make no difference here. For reasons altruistic, pragmatic, and even selfish, he would not allow her to be consumed by the inferno that was now advancing upon the Drakken Clan from just beyond the horizon. Tonight, he would do what needed to be done, and bear whatever consequences sprang forth from it.

Time was short.

Perilously short.

….

Although Saenenya had not been given a field mission today, her assigned duties had kept her quite busy. Between Zanjutsu and Kidō practice, supply inventory checks, and an extensive ongoing cleaning of the barracks, the Nineteenth Seat of Squad Ten had been run sufficiently ragged. Having already taken a quick dinner, she was more than ready to call it a day, and had in fact already retired to her quarters. A single candle illuminated her room, and Saenenya intended to douse it the moment she had changed out of her Soul Reaper robes and into something more comfortable for the night.

She had not even started that, though, when Saenenya heard a somewhat subdued knock at the door. Hastily tying her currently-messy silver-blonde hair back into a simple ponytail, she went to the door and slid it open, only to be greeted by the sight of someone she had not expected to see outside the Drakken Clan estate; her mysterious purple eyed friend. Excitement and delight swelled up within her, drowning out the quiet voice in the back of her mind that wondered why a man who had seemed determined for all the years Saenenya had known him to keep within the shadows of her family's mansion was now standing at her threshold.

Saenenya was about to speak when the man's strange rippled eyes suddenly glowed, and a heavy sensation quickly overtook her. It was as if her body had turned into lead, and she felt her legs give out beneath her. As she collapsed forward, the cloaked man caught her in his arms, and she heard his deep yet hushed voice.

"There's no time to explain now. I will one day. For now, I ask only that you trust me."

Then darkness claimed her.

….

To casual observers, the dragons and lesser drakes that gave the Drakken Clan their prominence within the Soul Society seemed like beasts of burden. Incredibly dangerous beasts to be sure, but ultimately still creatures that were fully subordinated to their human masters, obeying their every command without protest. This notion had come about from common people seeing experienced riders and their mounts together, but the reality was much more nuanced. One of the Drakken Clan's forebears in a bygone age had put it best, his words having long survived his name in the family's historical records; "The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion."

Those who had long experience with the family, either as allies or rivals, had some inkling as to the truth of those words. The Shihōin Clan, for example, had put great stock in studying the dragon lords of the east over the millennia, and through their web of informants and spies had gleaned invaluable hints as to the deeper nature of the relationship between rider and mount. To think of it in the dynamic of master and servant, they had learned, was folly. Instead, to put it in the context of a partnership granted a more accurate understanding, though even the cunning rulers of the Soul Society's southwest could only make inferences and speculate upon the true depth of comprehension and communication between a member of the Drakken Clan and their prized dragon.

No, these were not mindless beasts, as keen-eyed onlookers had long since come to realize. They were intelligent social creatures. Very proud ones at that, understandably so given their positions as apex predators before the Drakken Clan had managed to instill at least the outer appearance of domestication upon them. That pride often resulted in a tendency for the creatures to ignore the humans scurrying about beneath them, at least those who were not their bonded riders or close companions of them, but even a dragon's vanity had limits.

As a very young dragon, Verdaegon did not possess anywhere near the same level of pride as a fully grown specimen would. This was part of a dragon's lifecycle; juveniles, being by their very nature smaller and thus more vulnerable, had to pay much closer attention to their surroundings if they wanted to survive. While their lack of experience meant they often could not properly comprehend just what they were seeing, hearing, smelling, or tasting in the air, they had a powerful incentive to learn quickly. In Verdaegon's case, the frantic shouts he could hear echoing through the Dragon Lair combined with the servants running everywhere were all the dragon needed to know that something was amiss, and his behavior reflected that. A sense of apprehension had taken the beast, causing him to snarl and bare his fangs at anyone who came remotely close or even so much as twitched in his general direction, even occasionally loosing little streams of fire into the air. They were all juvenile threat displays meant to mask the creature's growing confusion and fear.

Something was clearly happening, but the young beast lacked the means to understand precisely what that was and therefore what he should be doing about it. In his reptilian heart, he longed for the presence of his rider, to hear her gentle voice and the soothing tones of her flute, to feel her hands brushing along his scales, to inhale her comfortingly familiar scent, to sense the soothing waves that made up her spiritual pressure. Lacking these, he could only fidget and whine, gnashing teeth and clawing at the ground in ever-increasing agitation.

His nervous jitters suddenly came to a halt when he caught the scent he'd been seeking; Saenenya was close. Focusing purely on his sense of smell, he could detect another scent with her, one that was strange yet somehow familiar. It took the fire-breathing reptile a moment to place it as belonging to the cloaked figure who would occasionally visit her in the Dragon Lair. That scent combined with Saenenya's prompted a sense of cautious optimism in the young dragon. He would've preferred it just being Saenenya coming to see him, but she always seemed happy while in the cloaked man's presence, so Verdaegon would take him being in her company as a good thing in light of the distress that he'd been picking up from everyone else, his fellow dragons included.

His guard was immediately raised again when the pair entered visual range, the cloaked man hauling Saenenya over his shoulder like a sack. Verdaegon once more bared his fangs and loosed a menacing his as the cloaked man came into his chamber. Were it not for the potential risk to his beloved rider, Verdaegon would've been sorely tempted to unleash a jet of flame just to frighten his visitor and let off some pent-up stress. Instead, he settled for glaring daggers at the man holding Saenenya, making sure the cloaked figure got a good look at the saliva dripping from his fangs while positioning his clawed forward limbs for an opening to strike.

"I mean no harm to her or yourself," the cloaked figure declared, "I wish I had time for gentle persuasion, but that's not a luxury we can afford."

Verdaegon then found himself flinching before a wave of powerful spiritual pressure, and the strange violet rippled eyes beneath the figure's cowl glowed as the man spoke again. "I know that you suffer few beyond Saenenya. Tonight, for her sake, you will suffer me."

….

It was fortunate that the cloaked advisor had paid careful attention when he'd seen Saenenya saddle up Verdaegon during previous visits to the Dragon Lair, because the various straps were much harder to properly secure than the diagrams that he'd seen in books would've indicated. Verdaegon presently being under the calming influence of the advisor's genjutsu also helped; he didn't want to imagine the struggle he'd be dealing with if the green-scaled beast was aware that it wasn't his bonded rider currently saddling him up.

"About time," he muttered under his breath as he confirmed the last bit of the harness was tightly in place, "We have far too little of it left."

Picking up the unconscious Soul Reaper, he mounted up, making sure that Saenenya was strapped securely in front of him before nudging the juvenile dragon. "Forward."

In his mind, Verdaegon would have heard the word in Saenenya's voice, and he chirped in acknowledgement before taking both riders out of his resting area. He set a quick pace towards the center of the Dragon Lair, nearly bowling over more than a few servants who frantically scrambled to get out of his way. Some of them shouted in alarm as they realized that Saenenya wasn't the one controlling the beast, but the Rinnegan user paid them no heed. He had his task before him, and no one would stop him.

I'm sorry, Rhaegon, he thought, I'm sure you'll hate me when you realize what I've done. I will accept that as the price to pay for ensuring your daughter isn't consumed by the calamity you've brought down upon the clan.

He then shook his head; no, this was not Rhaegon's fault. Not completely. The cloaked advisor knew who was really to blame here.

You've won this time, he silently conceded as an image of his white-cloaked rival floated up in his mind while Verdaegon reached the center of the Dragon Lair, I don't know why you're pursuing this end, but you played your game well. I'll withdraw for now and start over. Rest assured, when I eventually return, I'll settle my account with you. For my friend's sake…

…and my own.

Then he barked a command, and Verdaegon took flight into the night.

….

Just because Saenenya's cloaked savior had gotten her dragon airborne did not mean that the unconscious Soul Reaper's plight was over. There was still the matter of escaping the Seireitei, and the great Seireiheki walls which normally protected the Soul King's Palace had descended mere moments ago. No official announcement had been given for the Seireiheki's sudden deployment, leaving any inhabitants of the Seireitei or Rukon District who were up this late and witnessed the sight to ponder the mystery, unaware that the great walls had come down by secret order from the Head Captain himself while the Central Forty-Six was amid deliberations. No dragon's fire, not even that of the Drakken Clan's mightiest beasts, could penetrate the Shakonmaku barrier generated by the Seireiheki, which meant that the young Verdaegon's flames had absolutely no chance.

This had all been accounted for by the cloaked advisor, though, which was why another black-cloaked figure had taken up position at the Eastern Blue Stream Gate. The advisor's closest confidant, only he had been entrusted with the knowledge of Saenenya's unwilling extraction, and he had a critical role to play.

"Should be just about time," the man muttered from his position in the shadow of a nearby storehouse, his gaze alternating between the gatekeeper and the sky, "Come on, where are you?"

He knew better than most just how narrow a window they truly had. Their mole within the Central Forty-Six had passed along a message during the council's deliberations, but while the arrest warrant hadn't been issued at the time, the spy's note made it very clear which way the wind was blowing. It was a race to get the girl out before word came down and the Seireitei was completely sealed. The gatekeeper's guard was already heightened as the walls had come down, and while the gatekeeper himself wasn't an insurmountable obstacle, dealing with him in a state of alert could be tricky.

He's a brute, the cloaked figure thought, but not a dumb one. The window for ensnaring him in genjutsu will be small.

The gatekeeper in question was the hulking giant Kaiwan. Like his fellow gatekeepers, he towered well beyond the average soul. His long black hair flowed in the evening breeze, while his facial hair was styled in two thick and bushy strips that sharply contrasted with how clean-shaven the rest of his face was. The finely sculpted chest of this goliath was completely bare, with Kaiwan's only clothing being a black hakama and white obi sash. Every gatekeeper had a favored weapon, and in Kaiwan's case it was a thick spiked club almost as long as the giant was tall. The giant's gaze swept across the Seireitei's interior, vigilantly searching for anyone trying to leave.

The cloaked figure began tapping his foot impatiently. How much longer would this take? Each second that passed gave the Stealth Force more time to position members to monitor avenues of escape, and he'd already spotted several of them; for a seasoned Uchiha like himself, finding people trying to conceal themselves was simply routine. It was clear that the Soul Society was already maneuvering to have their enforcers ready to pounce the second the Central Forty-Six's authorization came down the line, and every minute lost was one where the net tightened that much more.

His teeth were clenched in mounting apprehension until he finally saw a winged silhouette on the horizon, and he sighed with relief. "Finally."

Confident now that the plan was proceeding as designed, he waited until the young dragon drew close enough to make out two distinct riders before stepping out of the shadows, his obsidian eyes transforming into scarlet wheels with three tomoe each. "Gatekeeper Kaiwan!"

The giant whirled around to face the cloaked Uchiha, and in doing so fell right into the trap. Genjutsu clouded his mind, replacing the cloaked man before him with a nondescript Soul Reaper. The dragon and its riders also vanished from his sight. As far as the giant was concerned, there were no creatures in the sky at all, and instead the nondescript Soul Reaper in his vision was at the head of a sizeable contingent.

Dutifully, the gatekeeper took up a new position on the borderline, raising the gate. The Seireitei's barrier would recognize his spiritual pressure, and while he stood in that position it served as an authorization for anyone else to pass by him and through the barrier without challenge. Thanks to the genjutsu, he would be standing their until someone came along to snap him out of it, which would most likely be accomplished through force. By then, of course, the one who had placed him under it would be long gone.

"Fly fast," the cloaked Uchiha murmured with a smile as Verdaegon soared out into the eastern Rukon, "I'll catch up soon, brother."

….

The day Yoruichi had assumed the mantle of both Squad Two's Captain and Commander-in-Chief of the Stealth Force, her grandmother had offered both sincere congratulations and a grave warning. Her warm praise of Yoruichi's achievements and skill were tempered with the imparting of a harsh truth; her service to the Soul Society would take her to dark places that even her wildest imagination could not begin to contemplate.

"Every Captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads faces unique challenges in their tenure," she had advised, "but as the leader of both Squad Two and the Stealth Force, your trials and tribulations will include tasks of the most unsavory sort. Consider all you have experienced under my command to be mere prelude. Hollows are dangerous, but once you've truly become accustomed to your new duties, you will find dealing with them to be refreshingly straightforward in comparison to the threats you'll face within the Seireitei. You enter a position that I am glad to be leaving, and I do not think it will take you long to understand why."

Of course, Yoruichi knew that her grandmother had been happy to leave her position due to reasons apart from the inherently ugly nature of the duties assigned to Squad Two and the Stealth Force; her political disagreements with the Head Captain and Central Forty-Six were a much more prominent factor. However, that didn't invalidate her words regarding the unsavory work that Soul Reapers of the Shihōin clan were charged with carrying out. Even before taking up command, Yoruichi had been involved in plenty of assignments which dealt with lawbreaking Soul Reapers, civil servants, and even nobles; her grandmother had insisted on her taking part in such duties so that she could come to grips with the reality of her work, and that experience had served Yoruichi well. Still, overseeing such work from a command position had proven to be a heavy burden, and even more so ever since this nasty business with the Drakken Clan and the Nalatarin had commenced.

It was times like this that Yoruichi wished her grandmother hadn't chosen to withdraw all the way out to the Shihōin Clan Principality following her parting with the Soul Society. Yoruichi wanted nothing more than her counsel now. Her grandmother had never felt the need to mince words; she told everyone exactly what she thought, and she didn't give two shits as to whether they liked it or not. While that trait had contributed in no small part to the friction between her and her superiors, it also made her invaluable as a source of advice. Yoruichi liked to think that her friends and subordinates understood they could be honest with her, and she did everything in her power to encourage that, but they always kept a sense of deference and tact about themselves that the likes of Yoko Shihōin had considered annoyingly superfluous at best and an obstacle for hard truths at worse.

The hard truth at this point is one that you've already grasped, Inazuma On'na interjected, I know we're all hoping that the Drakken Clan's leadership comes quietly, but let's be honest; a fight is all but guaranteed. The only real question is the level of resistance.

Pretty much. Not just from the Drakken Clan, either.

Even before the official warrant had come from the Central Forty-Six, Yoruichi had been preparing for such resistance as thoroughly as possible. Not only did she have Squad Two and the Stealth Force mobilized and already moving into position, but she'd used the Inner Court Troop to quietly send messages to those of her fellow Captains that she was certain were not part of the Drakken and Starmont Clan's conspiracy. Those messages had only advised them to be prepared for rapid mobilization; as the Central Forty-Six's warrant had not officially been issued at the time, Yoruichi had been forced to couch her warnings in somewhat vague terms. She could only trust that her fellow Captains were smart enough to understand that she wouldn't issue such warnings without cause, and that they'd put two and two together once the word came out from above. It was something a risk in that a heightened sense of alert from the other units could clue Squads Ten and Eleven into something being up, but Yoruichi was banking on the value of having her allies prepared for rapid response outweighing the danger of potentially tipping off her opponents. She had included mentions of fire and lightning as dangers to be prepared for, which Yoruichi hoped would serve as perhaps less than subtle hints for her fellow Captains as to what they'd really be facing should the situation spiral out of control.

In addition to her fellow Captains, Yoruichi had dispatched Itachi to deliver a message to Tessai. The contents of that message had been much more explicit, which was why she'd wanted someone she trusted completely to carry it. With Soi-Fon helping her organize and deploy the various Stealth Force units while Kisuke was taking similar measures with Squad Two's Soul Reapers, Itachi had been the ideal candidate, especially since he had experience with this kind of tinderbox situation that even most veteran officers lacked. Given that there was the potential to clash with not only dragons but Valkyries as well, Yoruichi knew that having the Kidō Corps prepared for rapid mobilization would be essential. With his power and mastery of spells, Tessai was worth a dragon by himself, and Vice Kidō Chief Hachigen Ushōda's incredible proficiency with barriers would make him and his direct subordinates invaluable for defending against both the fire of dragons and the lightning of Valkyries.

You've never let me down before, Tessai, Yoruichi thought, I know you won't now… though I've never asked you to challenge dragons and Valkyries before. Sorry to put you on the spot like this, but you're the Soul Society's Grand Kidō Chief for a reason. I'll owe you big time once this is all over, old friend.

It was fortunate that Yoruichi had been proactive in getting her old friends and trusted subordinates ready, for the reports she'd been getting from her covertly mobilized Stealth Force units were already giving her cause for concern. One dragon, a very young one according to the description, had already fled the Seireitei before the Central Forty-Six's announcement. That it had done so despite no official word from the council all but confirmed leaks were already going out from the governing body. Yoruichi had accounted for this possibility, but the frustrating truth was that her subordinates couldn't act openly to intervene until the actual warrant had been signed. That had now been done, but it was too late; not only were the young dragon and its riders now long gone, but her scouts had reported multiple groups of cloaked figures likewise slipping out the Eastern Blue Stream Gate, all without challenge from Gatekeeper Kaiwan. In fact, her subordinates had made note of the Gatekeeper's unusual behavior; he seemed to be in some strange sort of trance, keeping the gate open but not reacting to any verbal commands by the Stealth Force members to shut it.

You know what that means, or at least what it suggests.

Genjutsu.

Exactly.

Not confirmed; we'd need Itachi, Mikoto, or Shisui to give us that, and I can't redeploy any of them to the gate right now. Still, given who we know has been sheltering in the Drakken Clan's estate, what else could it be?

There was no answer from the spirit of her Zanpakutō, nor did Yoruichi expect one. She would keep her mind open to all possibilities, yet given what she and her inner circle knew so far, Sharingan Genjutsu seemed to be the most likely culprit for Kaiwan's odd behavior. Yoruichi silently prayed that whatever Uchiha had been lurking within the Drakken Clan estate had followed the lead of that young dragon and fled. Not only did she dread the possibility of having to face them along with the dragons and Valkyries, but Yoruichi could only imagine how Itachi would feel if he and his comrades had to clash with his kin. The brief skirmish outside the estate and revelation of his father being among the Uchiha faction operating with the Drakken Clan had shaken Itachi badly, and while Yoruichi had full faith in his resolve going forward, she still dearly wished to avoid reopening his old wounds any more than they'd already been.

Whether or not that could be avoided now, though, was beyond her control. Stepping out of the Squad Two barracks and into the courtyard, she saw her subordinates assembled and waiting for her. Yoruichi had left her haori behind this time; while Head Captain Yamamoto would no doubt disapprove, given who they could end up fighting here if things went badly, the last thing she needed was a giant fire hazard draped over her shoulders.

She looked on with pride as the men and women under her command snapped to attention. No matter what ugly surprises tonight had in store, Yoruichi knew one thing for certain; she wouldn't want to face them with anyone other than who she saw before her now. Itachi, Kisuke, Soi-Fon, Shisui, Visaelya, Mikoto, Neji, and the rest of her officers and subordinates; none would let her down. Even Lieutenant Marenoshin Ōmaeda had dropped his typical swagger, and instead he wore a grave yet determined expression that perfectly fit the situation. Everyone knew what their roles were, and everyone understood what would be required of them should the worst come to pass.

They had their mission, and it was time to carry it out.

….

Breathe, Jigoku no Joō whispered in Itachi's mind, her tone much gentler than normal, Itachi, just breathe. Slowly.

He took a moment to focus on just that, belatedly realizing that he'd been doing so before only in delayed, shallow, and almost ragged gasps. For all of Itachi's efforts to steel himself, for all that he projected his usual air of calm and collected confidence to those around him, now that the hour had come, he was no less a tension-filled-mess than he'd been before. Ever since Yoruichi had given the order to move out, it had been instinct carrying him forward rather than conscious thought, a necessity given that his mind was constantly generating and playing out one worst-case-scenario after another. The spirit of his Zanpakutō, of course, had recognized that, and her soothing words were just what Itachi needed to take a step back and impose some semblance of order upon his deeply anxious and troubled mind.

That's it. Center yourself. Remember, you're not alone in facing this. Your friends are here. Your mother's here. I am here. I will always be here.

I know… and thank you.

He then felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see his mother looking at him. While she was maintaining her composure, Itachi knew Mikoto well enough to understand that she was fighting just as hard as him to keep it together. Neither of them truly felt like they were ready for this, but they could at least take small comfort in knowing that they'd be side-by-side in facing it, and for more than just moral support; they were banking on the sight them both shaking Fugaku and getting him to reconsider the side he was backing.

Of course, that would only matter if he was still in the estate. Itachi had heard the Stealth Force status updates regarding Kaiwan letting people through the Eastern Blue Stream Gate while appearing to be under some sort of spell, and he had already jumped to the conclusion that the gatekeeper had been ensnared in Sharingan genjutsu. Was it his father that had the gatekeeper trapped in an illusion, or another Uchiha?

Just let him be far away from here by now, Itachi thought, I won't ask for anything more than that. Father, please…

…get out of the Seireitei while you still can.

As a precaution, Itachi and Mikoto had both loaded up on extra armaments from the Stealth Force's stockpiles. In addition to their Zanpakutōs and Anken knives, the two of them had also taken several sets of shuriken and kunai, and those were now concealed in belt pouches and within their robes. If it came down to a battle between Shinobi, the two Soul Reapers would be more than ready.

He and Mikoto had taken up position atop one of the watchtowers overlooking the aristocratic quarter; they could be within the grounds of the Drakken Clan estate in a single Flash Step if need be. Shisui and Visaelya were occupying a similar position, though on the opposite side of the estate, while Neji had gone to the spot where he and Itachi had spied on the mansion from before. Accompanying Neji was a member of the Stealth Force that Yoruichi had entrusted with knowledge of the Byakugan, and that subordinate would be relaying whatever Neji found with his clan's keen eyes to their comrades via Tenteikūra. Yoruichi herself, along with Soi-Fon and Kisuke, were heading up a contingent outside the estate's front gate, representing Squad Two alongside a large contingent from Squad One which was headed up by none other than Head Captain Yamamoto himself.

Perhaps the sight of the old man delivering Central Forty-Six's warrant will prompt surrender. If nothing else, sensing his spiritual pressure should make them think twice before doing something dumber than they already have.

You don't think it'll be that easy, do you?

No, but I'm hoping, and by extension, so are you. Remember what I am.

Trust me, I hadn't forgotten.

Good. If seeing the Head Captain isn't enough, then I would hope that sensing all the other Captains involved here would give the dragon lords and their northern allies pause.

Not to mention their top officers and best of their rank and file.

Indeed.

It wasn't just Squads One, Two, and the Stealth Force who had come to deliver and enforce the Central Forty-Six's warrant. Squad Six, including both Captain and Lieutenant Kuchiki, was present in force, as was Squad Thirteen headed up by Captain Ukitake. Itachi had his concerns about the often-sickly Ukitake being present, but the pale faced, white-haired Soul Reaper appeared to be in good health this evening.

His Shikai may prove useful should things go south.

Against Valkyries or spells, sure. Dragon fire, though? I thought his Shikai's ability only applied to energy attacks.

While it's questionable, I do have a theory on that. Dragons are not just creatures of flesh and blood; you've sensed their spirit energy just as much as I have. If their fire is imbued with that spirit energy, then it's possible that Captain Ukitake's Shikai could be effective.

Maybe, but there's no guarantee.

When is there ever in a battle?

True enough.

If Ukitake's Shikai could not counter dragon fire, Itachi could at least take comfort in another soul's presence who likely could deal with such a threat; Tessai. The Kidō Corps Commander had brought with him a sizeable contingent which was spread out around the estate, with Tessai himself standing with the Head Captain to emphasize just how much of the Soul Society had united against the Drakken Clan and their allies. Itachi would've felt a bit better if Vice Kidō Chief Ushōda had also been present, but from what he understood Tessai's second-in-command had been assigned to the Kidō Corps contingent which was positioned outside the Starmont Clan's estate. That group was reinforcing Soul Reapers from Squads Three and Eight, with the Captains and Lieutenants of both being present. Lieutenant Sasakibe of Squad One also had a contingent working alongside them, with the presence of Yamamoto's second-in-command hopefully sending a message to the Starmont Clan underlying the severity of the situation and encouraging their cooperation. Members of Squad Two and the Stealth Force were also present there in a support role, primarily to mind the perimeter and watch for either reinforcements or would-be escapees.

Yoruichi said that Captain Kyōraku is commanding the force surrounding the Starmont Clan estate. Jiraiya's certainly with them; his experience with the north makes him an invaluable asset.

A wise deployment, but one that won't be easy for Jiraiya given the personal connections he's forged in the north.

You're right. I just hope Gunnr's not among the Valkyries who've come south. For Jiraiya's sake.

For his sake and the rest of ours. I can't say I'm too keen on the idea of having the Order's Mistress of War as an opponent.

That makes two of us.

Valkyries, dragons, and the noble families who employed them were not the only points of concern. While Itachi was aware that Yoruichi had contacted Squad Ten's Third Seat Shiba and that an effort was underway to solidify support around him from Soul Society loyalists, now that the warrant was out there was a need to isolate the Squad Ten barracks in case any Soul Reapers who decided to follow their Captain attempted to intervene at the Drakken Clan estate. Squad Seven had been given that assignment, while Squad Five was doing the same at the Squad Eleven barracks. Itachi understood the need for such deployments, but they left him concerned; the only reserves that the Soul Society now had were Squads Nine and Twelve, and the latter was less than ideal when it came to combat. Captain Hikifune and Lieutenant Sarugaki were formidable, yet the same couldn't be said for the bulk of their subordinates.

Then there's Squad Four, and apart from Captain Unohana, I'll wager that they have very few members suited for any sort of combat.

If any aid is required from them apart from medical treatment, then it means the situation has gone irretrievably sideways.

Bad enough that they might be needed for medical treatment in this situation at all. This should just be an arrest.

Should, and may yet wind up being just that, but… well, you can feel the tension in the air just as much as I can.

Itachi very well could. It felt as if they were standing atop a mountain of Paper Bombs, and it would only take one spark to set the whole thing off.

….

Lying prone atop the tower, Neji strained to make out individual presences against the mass of spirit energy that both radiated from and surrounded the Drakken Clan estate. Finding the Nalatarin had been easy compared to his present task, for not only was the mansion now teeming with powerful people whose spirit energy was now intertwined with that of the Spirit Weapons and Spirit Armor that many of them were wearing, but the presence of so many powerful souls outside the estate added another obstacle.

Especially the Head Captain, Neji thought, I could sense and see his power during the Academy graduation ceremony, but that was just a trace compared to what he's projecting now… and he's still suppressing the vast majority of his strength. He must be very angry if he's letting this much energy slip out.

The Head Captain's spiritual pressure was oppressive even given Neji's relative distance from the source. It felt like the very air was heating up due to Yamamoto's simmering fury, to the point that Neji found himself periodically wiping sweat from his brow, something that his companion had taken notice of.

"Hits like the glare of the summer sun, doesn't it?" Kameko Koyanagi remarked, "You'll get used to it in time."

One of the most senior members of the Stealth Force, having joined all the way back when Yoko Shihōin was still running the show, Kameko was quite fit despite her advancing years. A few strands of her grey hair peeked out from beneath the black headpiece of her uniform, but for the most part Neji could only make out her sharp brown eyes and the wrinkles surrounding them. Instead of a Zanpakutō, she was armed with several Anken along with kunai strapped at her belt.

"Is it always this bad?" Neji asked.

Kameko chuckled. "This is nothing. Just wait until he unleashes his Shikai."

"Shouldn't we be hoping that things don't escalate so severely?" Neji quipped.

Kameko shrugged. "We all are, but I'm a realist. In my experience, plans go wrong more often than not. All the hope in the world won't do any good."

Neji knew full-well that she spoke the truth, but with the show of force that was being put on, he still found it hard to believe that those on the other side would dare push the envelope any further. "The Drakken Clan must sense the might arrayed against them here. They can't seriously think that they'd come out on top in a fight."

Kameko let out a world-weary sigh. "If they'd been thinking 'seriously', then they wouldn't have stolen that artifact from Squad Twelve and kicked off this whole mess in the first place. Believe me, I'd love nothing more if they came to their senses and stood down. Maybe they still will. I won't complain if they do. I'm just not willing to bet on it."

"Why not?" Neji asked.

"Same thing that got them into this situation; pride," Kameko explained, "Submitting to the warrants may be the rational course of action, but that submission and the coming trial would result in a major loss of face for the family. Their position within the Soul Society's hierarchy will be seriously diminished. They may even face new restrictions on their dragons, perhaps barring them from the Seireitei altogether."

"But the family could still recover," Neji countered, "Not right away, but after the leadership responsible for this mess faces punishment, then whoever takes charge going forward can guide the clan and take steps to make things right. They'd be disgraced for a long time, but don't souls from the Great Noble Houses live much longer than others? There would be plenty of time to regroup, to regain the trust of their peers."

Kameko nodded. "Nothing you said there is wrong. If cool heads prevail, then things would probably play out along those lines. The thing is, cool heads and the Drakken Clan have rarely gone together. It tends to be the opposite. Rather fitting, given the beasts that brought the clan to their place of prominence."

"Right," Neji muttered.

"Speaking of those beasts," Kameko remarked, gesturing at the Dragon Lair, "are you sure about that count earlier?"

Neji was, but he focused his Byakugan on the structure again to double check. "Yeah. Three large dragons, and two small. What did you say their names were, again?"

"Rhygaron, Daeloron, and Rayala would be the big ones," Kameko replied, "Belonging to the clan patriarch, Captain Drakken, and Visaelya's father, respectively. The scouts reported that the dragon which fled to the east earlier was green, so that'd be Verdaegon, who belongs to the Captain's daughter. That leaves Sylgar and Vaeloron, which if memory serves are the mounts of Gaerion and Vaemera, respectively."

"Visaelya Drakken's siblings, right?" Neji asked.

Kameko nodded. "Yes. Any sign of their riders?"

"Possibly," Neji said as he sharpened his gaze, "The dragons are making it difficult to figure out who's who, but I am seeing several powerful spirit energy signatures in the Dragon Lair that belong to humans. Captain Drakken at least, possibly the clan patriarch and Visaelya's father, too. There's at least one more in there that looks like they possess Captain-level spirit energy."

"Could be Sigrún or another Valkyrie," Kameko noted, "What about the artifact?"

Neji shook his head. "I can't tell. All I know is that I'm not seeing it in the study or anywhere else in the mansion itself. It either got smuggled out already, or one of the people in the Dragon Lair has it and I can't make it out from the rest of the energy signatures in there."

"Not good," Kameko murmured, "I'll inform the Captain."

She raised herself to a crouching position, and Neji saw Kameko pull up the sleeves of her uniform before dipping her right hand into a pouch at her belt. When she pulled her hand out, the fingers were covered in black ink, and she then repeated the process with her left hand before drawing a pair of characters on the palms of her hands and wavy lines down her arms.

"Bakudō 77: Tenteikūra," she whispered.

….

So, that's how it's going to be, Yoruichi thought after Kameko had finished her message, I figured they wouldn't keep the artifact in the patriarch's study once they realized we were moving against them. Whether or not it's still in the estate grounds at all is academic; according to Visaelya, they can't use it. Then again, I suppose if they did have it removed from the Seireitei, that'd just be one more charge the Central Forty-Six can play with at the trial.

I'm less worried about the Nalatarin than I am about those other spirit energy signatures Kameko mentioned, the spirit of her Zanpakutō chimed in, especially if they're all gathered with the dragons now. Visaelya already confirmed Lady Sigrún's presence, and she's the strongest of the Order. We don't know how many others of her kind are being masked from Neji's eyes by the dragons.

Yoruichi was keenly aware of that, which was why she went over to Tessai and whispered in his ear. "Make sure your people are ready with those barriers."

Tessai nodded before turning to one of his subordinates, while Yoruichi returned to her previous place close to the Head Captain. It was fortunate that she'd long ago grown accustomed to scorching heat, for the Head Captain's simmering spiritual pressure was as harsh as the desert of the Shihōin Clan Principality, and this was with the old man still holding the vast bulk of his power in check. Just standing nearby was an exercise in endurance, and Yoruichi was keenly aware that it would get so much worse if the Drakken Clan and their allies did anything other than come quietly.

Unfortunately, the odds of a quiet resolution were fading faster with each passing second. Upon their arrival, Yoruichi and the others had found the estate gatehouse manned not by the usual guards, but by a few unarmed and understandably terrified household servants. One of those servants had quickly gone off to deliver a copy of the warrant, while the others had immediately thrown themselves at the mercy of the assembled Soul Reapers. Yoruichi had wasted no time in having members of the Executive Militia take them into protective custody, and they were on their way to the Squad Two barracks for questioning. While it was doubtful that such low-ranking personnel would have any truly useful information to offer, Yoruichi's grandmother had always stressed in her lessons the importance of leaving no stone left unturned, and that even the most minor of figures could have something worth pursuing. That went double when it came to aristocratic households.

"We in the nobility have an insidious weakness; taking for granted those who serve us," Yoko had once said, "Growing up in the height of luxury and privilege, it can be all too easy for us to disregard the household staff. So often do those of high birth speak carelessly around those who attend to them because they consider those servants to be simply a background fixture, if they even take them into account at all. As a result, it's not uncommon for such humble figures to overhear things that a more cautious aristocrat would know to keep private. Depending on how the nobles in question treat those around them, their servants may prove willing to pass on sensitive information to an attentive listener. An aristocrat who treats their servants with dignity and respect can count on their loyalty, while one who is merely dismissive at best or cruel at worst will not have such security. It's an opening which people like you and I must be constantly on the lookout for and ready to pounce when we see it."

Members of the Drakken Clan can be many things, but cautious doesn't tend to be one of them. Of course, there's always the exception that proves the rule.

Which makes Visaelya an even rarer gem than her family realizes.

Yes, much to their detriment.

Yoruichi watched with anticipation as the servant who had taken the warrant inside now reemerged, looking even more terrified than he had before, if that was even possible. When asked what his masters' response was, he simply shook his head before dropping to his knees and raising his hands. Glancing at the Head Captain, Yoruichi saw him give her a small nod, which she took as cue to have another Executive Militia member take the servant into custody.

So much for them coming quietly.

Strictly speaking, we don't have an answer yet.

Maybe, but that servant seems pretty relieved to be restrained and taken away from here. What do you suppose that means?

That he's eager to get out of the line of fire.

There was a pulse of oppressive spiritual pressure, and Yoruichi turned to its source; the Head Captain. His scarred and wrinkled visage remained impassive, but the tightening grip on the gnarled wooden staff that was his sealed Zanpakutō was all the hint Yoruichi needed for guessing the old man's current mental state.

He was pissed.

Yoruichi was about to speak when Yamamoto held up his left hand. Holding her tongue, she and the others watched as their supreme commander suddenly leapt with a casual grace and speed that markedly contrasted his stiff and weathered exterior. Landing atop the estate gatehouse's roof, his already-punishingly hot spiritual pressure ratcheted up still further; even the dimmest of souls would've sensed it, which gave the Drakken Clan zero excuse for feigning ignorance.

Then Yamamoto's voice echoed into the night, a roar to match his mighty presence. "Captain Rhaegon Drakken! Clan patriarch Vahaegon Drakken! Clan heir Visenarr Drakken! In the name of the Soul King, the Central Forty-Six, and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, you are under arrest for charges of high treason. You and all your confederates are to come outside and surrender at once, or I will turn your mansion into your tomb!"

….

Visaelya's breath caught in her throat as she heard the Head Captain's ultimatum and felt the accompanying spike in his spiritual pressure. Intellectually, she'd long known that Yamamoto's power eclipsed that of other Soul Reapers, including Captains, but to actually feel that raw might now slammed the point home. She had to make a conscious effort to simply start breathing again, and this was still before the old man had even unleashed his Shikai.

Standing next to her on the rooftop of the nearby storehouse that they'd taken as their position, Shisui put a hand on Visaelya's shoulder. He didn't say anything, and he didn't have to; the gesture of solidarity was something Visaelya needed far more than words right now.

The silence that followed Yamamoto's words was deafening. Every second it stretched on felt like an eternity, and Visaelya swore that all the Soul Society could hear her heartbeat with how hard it was hammering away. She wanted something, anything, to happen now, just so the tension wracking her very being could finally have an outlet.

Even if it wound up being the worst kind of outlet.

I just want this done, she thought, I want my family's folly put to rest, for the Soul Society's sake… and my own.

She turned to Shisui and saw his eyes blazing with scarlet light; he had the Sharingan locked on the Dragon Lair, and Visaelya could only hope that no one else was watching him. "Can you see anything?"

"Not through those walls," he answered, "but I can feel something. You can do, right?"

Visaelya nodded. Oh, she definitely could. No one was more attuned to the spirit energy of dragons than a Drakken, even one who had been shunned from the family fold until recently. She could feel all five of the dragons within their giant nest, and those were just the most obvious presences. Her father, her uncle, her grandfather; none of them were even trying to mask their power now.

Which meant they had already made up their minds as to how they would answer the Central Forty-Six's warrant.

Her heart sank. All the generations of service that her clan had given to the Soul Society, all those centuries of hunting Hollows and guiding lost souls to the afterlife… her family was really willing to desecrate that honorable legacy over wounded pride? They'd put countless souls at risk because the political tides had turned against them, because their influence over the Soul Society wasn't as great as they believed it should be? Visaelya wasn't without sympathy for her family's grievances, but empathizing with her kind didn't change the fact that they'd picked the worst possible means of redress.

She forced such thoughts down; Visaelya had more pressing concerns. "What about any of your clan?"

Shisui's gaze swept over the estate grounds before he closed his eyes for a few seconds to stretch out and attempt detecting spirit energy without his other senses distracting him, eventually opening his eyes and shaking his head. "Nothing. Either they have their spiritual pressure as suppressed as they can make it, or they've already skipped town. I really hope it's the latter… especially for Itachi and Mikoto's sake."

"That's right." Visaelya muttered as she recalled what Itachi had relayed to them, feeling a fresh pang of sympathy for her friend and his mother, "I guess it's nice to know I'm not the only one with oppositional family. Misery loves company, right?"

"Yeah," Shisui sighed, "and there's plenty of it to go around."

With more to come soon enough, Visaelya thought as she fixed the estate with a resolute yet somber look, Farther, Uncle, Grandfather… whatever your answer is, give it now.

Let's be done with this, for good and ill.

As if her silent demand had carried over into the estate, a great roar suddenly bellowed from the Dragon Lair. The hairs on the back of Visaelya's neck stood up on end as orangish-red and white light began emanating from the great hole in the Lair's roof, and she could sense the accompanying spike in spiritual pressure. Her family's answer then came as fire and lightning spilled out into the night.

….

It's really come down to this, Jiraiya thought as he fixed his gaze on the dark and foreboding stonework that made up the Starmont Clan's Seireitei estate, I knew northerners could be prideful and stubborn, even more so when it's their nobility, but still…

One really would hope that they'd balk at their eastern ally's folly, Jinsei no Kenja's deep and rumbling voice finished for him, I would certainly have preferred that, but there's no helping it now. They can't deny having heard your Captain's voice or receiving the warrant. The silence since speaks volumes.

Yeah. They've made their choice.

And we, ours.

With the Head Captain leading up the force surrounding the Drakken Clan estate, Captain Kyōraku had been charged with commanding force backing up Squad One's Lieutenant Sasakibe as he delivered the Central Forty-Six's warrant to the Starmont Clan. For his part, Jiraiya had taken up position atop the southwestern corner of the estate's walls, watching anxiously as one of the Starmont Clan's servants had accepted the message and taken it back to his masters. That no reply had come forth since then apart from several panicked servants frantically surrendering to the surrounding force only underlined the northern nobles' intentions; if they were going to submit for trial and judgement, they'd have already done so.

Now it was just a matter of how bad the coming struggle could be. Jiraiya's hand hovered over his Zanpakutō, and he was sorely tempted to draw the blade and activate his Shikai. While his eyes continuously swept the estate grounds, he stretched out with his spirit sense, straining to determine the potential strength of their opposition. His heart fell upon detecting the presence of at least one Valkyrie, though their spiritual pressure was suppressed to the point that he couldn't identify the individual. That only made things worse.

Please, he silently begged, Gunnr…

…please don't be here!

If she is, can you do what needs to be done?

Jiraiya didn't know…

…and he dreaded having to find out.

Turning briefly away from the mansion, he saw that Captain Kyōraku had taken up position atop the estate's wall just to the right of the gatehouse. Both of his blades were already drawn, though his Zanpakutō remained sealed for now. It made sense; his Shikai did not play well in a group setting, no matter how playful its two spirits might've been.

Squad Three's Captain, Zameel el-Emani, was under no such constraints. A bead of nervous sweat might've been dripping down his light brown skin, but his brown eyes were narrowed in determination as he drew his blade, and Jiraiya could feel his spiritual pressure already spiking.

"Flow as quicksilver," he commanded, "Suigin no Hebi!"

His sword shifted, taking on a more elongated and pronounced curve that was more in line with the scimitars Jiraiya had seen in a desert region from the Terran Realm of the Living than the katana its sealed state had been. Its handle changed as well, narrowing slightly, with the guard becoming a serpent that had heads at both ends. The blade itself shimmered and rippled, looking almost as if it was liquified silver in the shape of a sword rather than a solid weapon itself. For all his trepidation, Jiraiya was rather curious to see what it could do; he'd never had the privilege of witnessing Captain el-Emani fight with his Shikai before.

Captain el-Emani wasn't the only one busting out the Shikai, with his blonde-haired Lieutenant, Rōjūrō 'Rose' Ōtoribashi likewise getting down to business. "Play, Kinshara!"

Like his Captain's weapon, Rōjūrō's Zanpakutō also stretched out, but it went much further than el-Emani's strange liquid scimitar. Instead, the Lieutenant's sword became a long golden whip, the end of which was tipped in a wicked pointed flower. From the few experimental swings Rōjūrō gave, it seemed to Jiraiya like the Lieutenant may not have used his Shikai recently, and he could only hope that Squad Three's second-in-command would get into the proper flow of things should the action heat up.

Looking around, Jiraiya saw that Lisa had already unleashed Haguro Tonbo, and she was pointing the spear's spaded blade at the mansion. Meanwhile, Squad One's Lieutenant Sasakibe had released his Shikai as well, with Gonryōmaru now taking on the form of a rapier. With the senior officers now displaying their power, Jiraiya wondered if he should join in as well, yet he still refrained from activating his Shikai. Despite all signs pointing towards a decidedly negative answer, a small part of his mind still held on to just that tiniest shred of hope that the Starmont Clan and their allies would see reason. They could surely see the power arrayed against them, and certainly could feel it. Even the Valkyrie in their mansion, whoever she might be, must've known that any battle here could only end one way.

Back down, Jiraiya silently entreated even as the logical part of his mind dismissed such a prayer as futile now, before we cross the point of no return. No one can truly want what's coming otherwise…

If that were really true, would we be in this situation now?

Jiraiya couldn't bring himself to answer. As massive spikes of spiritual pressure emanated from both the Drakken Clan estate and the Soul Reapers surrounding it, Jiraiya felt a similar surge come from the Valkyrie within the Starmont Clan's mansion. He was simultaneously apprehensive and relieved, for while he still could not identify precisely which Valkyrie the spiritual pressure belonged to, he could now feel enough of it to confidently say that it did not belong to Gunnr. Not only did it lack her unique signature, but it felt almost the exact opposite of hers; frigid cold to her electrifying warmth.

At the same time, Jiraiya could sense multiple lesser spiritual pressures within the mansion flare up and begin moving forward as a collective mass. Resigning himself to the inevitable clash, he finally activated his Shikai. Regardless of who the Valkyrie and the rest were, Jiraiya knew his duty.

….

The potential threat hadn't even cleared the Dragon Lair's roof yet, but Yoruichi would not waste time in countering it. "Spread out! Tessai, now!"

Tessai didn't need to be told twice, and in fact already had his hand raised. "Bakudō 81: Dankū!"

A broad rectangular sheet of translucent energy appeared over Tessai and those closest to him, swiftly followed by similar such barriers materializing all around the estate as he and rest of the Kidō Corps swung into action. The spell would normally form a clear vertical wall between the caster and their foe, but Tessai and his subordinates had instead cast it to form a series of slanted barriers overhead, angled inward towards the estate. Coverage was not perfect; there were sizeable gaps between each barrier, but this was by design, as it would allow Soul Reapers and Stealth Force members to either sally forth or swiftly duck back into cover as the situation demanded. Yoruichi had already moved forward, along with Captains Kuchiki and Ukitake, with the three of them taking up positions along the estate's wall much like the Head Captain had. All three immediately activated their Shikais without verbal command, and they were ready to escalate further the second that became necessary. Yoruichi had to put more space between herself and her comrades to keep Inazuma On'na's errant bolts of white lightning from harming them, with a considerable amount of her focus going towards directing those bolts skywards until any actual combat commenced. She envied Captains Kuchiki and Ukitake for their easier-to-control Shikais, and silently vowed to redouble her training in Shunkō; even its intense energy, still difficult for her to control, would be far less dangerous to her friends than that of her Shikai. Meanwhile, the assembled Soul Reapers and Stealth Force members had heeded Yoruichi's command, dispersing as widely as they could to minimize just how many a dragon or Valkyrie could potentially eliminate in a single attack.

Distinctly lacking any sort of reaction, though, was the Head Captain. As sparks of white lightning flew from Yoruichi's chained gauntlets, a dozen sparking violet flowers orbited Captain Kuchiki, and a single blade became twin swords joined by red rope in Captain Ukitake's hands, venerable Yamamoto did not move so much as a muscle. His Zanpakutō remained its sealed wooden staff, and his inscrutable gaze was fixed on the Dragon Lair.

Daring to cast her gaze further afield, if just for a second, Yoruichi took comfort when she found crimson fiery birds taking flight and spreading out around the estate. Itachi had activated his Shikai at the moment of disturbance, and every second that now passed was one more for him to build up his power. Depending on the opposition's actions, that power would serve to either cut off a retreat or provide cover and distraction. Yoruichi had given Itachi no detailed instructions beyond keeping an eye out for any Uchiha assisting the Drakken Clan, but she trusted him to read the situation and take the appropriate initiative as needed.

Her eyes locked on the Dragon Lair, Yoruichi saw two winged figures fly out. The first was human, albeit a quite large one, clad in gold and crimson and awash in powerful white energy; Lady Sigrún, leader of the Order of Valkyries. Ivory arcs of lighting flooded the sky as she spread her wings, while she brandished her mighty battle axe in just one hand. The far larger figure was obviously a dragon, in this case a crimson-scaled titan whose horned head and blazing orange-yellow eyes could've fit just as well for the devil himself. The mammoth creature needed no introduction for Yoruichi; Rhygaron, The Blood Wing more than lived up to his name, with his massive scarlet wings illuminated by Sigrún's lightning indeed looking like sheets of blood spread across the night sky.

Her eyes narrowing, Yoruichi caught sight of the rider upon his back. Lord Vahaegon Drakken, patriarch of his clan, was clad in a set of dark grey Spirit Armor, with decorative wing-like fins sprouting up from the shoulder pieces and helmet. Upon the chest piece was emblazoned a stylized dragon, with a glowing ruby set in the center. A small buckler was strapped to the patriarch's left arm, while his right held a long spear whose blade had its lower part carved into a serrated edge that gave all the appearance of a dragon's head. From the energy signatures that Yoruichi could detect, she knew that both the spear and buckler were imbued with potent power, and the fact that the Drakken Clan was breaking out treasured pieces from its armory further underlined the family's answer to the Soul Society's warrant.

Yoruichi could still sense powerful spiritual pressure within the Dragon's Lair, but no additional dragons or Valkyries took flight just yet. Instead, while Sigrún floated on high like an angel casting her baleful gaze upon the mortal realm, Vahaegon took Rhygaron into a long loop, the flowing white beard jutting out of his helmet fluttering in the wind almost like an impromptu banner. Yoruichi and her fellow Captains tensed, but a raised hand from Yamamoto precluded any action just yet.

All she and her comrades could do was watch as the Head Captain raised his head to lock eyes with The Blood Wing and his venerable rider. "It is not too late, Lord Drakken. Stand down and surrender! Your family and their magnificent beasts can yet be spared."

Bitter laughter rang out from the old man overhead. "Spared for what, Head Captain? For continued service as the Central Forty-Six's obedient lapdogs, as you lowered yourself to be long ago? How long have we loyally abided by and enforced their decrees, only to have our concerns ignored and ridiculed? The pride behind your flames may have been tamed by those bureaucrats and the stagnant husk of the Soul King they represent, but ours will be denied their freedom no longer!"

A blazing hot pulse of spiritual pressure flared out from Yamamoto in all directions, buffeting even Yoruichi and her fellow Captains as his voice became a furious bellow. "Has your pride eclipsed your sworn oaths to the Soul Society? Is your vanity and prestige worth the risk that your reckless actions now pose not only to the souls you swore to protect, but to your very family? Persist in this folly, Lord Drakken, and there will be only one outcome! Step back from the brink, or you and all who follow your banner will be condemned to the abyss!"

Vahaegon's response was a rueful chuckle. "We are already condemned! That the Soul Society sent you here with an army to deliver their warrant is proof enough of that. If they think their old dog can cow us into submission, then those fools are a special kind of deluded. No longer will we bow to that council of corrupt cowards!"

Fresh roars rang out from the Dragon's Lair, and four more beasts took to flight. The black titan that led them, almost as large as The Blood Wing, Yoruichi immediately recognized as Daeloron The Infernal, and sure enough, she spotted Captain Drakken atop his back. Squad Ten's leader had forgone his Soul Reaper robes and the haori that signified his rank, instead cladding himself in gleaming metallic grey scale armor that resonated with its own spirt energy, including a helmet whose opening was styled like a dragon's head with its mouth wide open, teeth curving around the wearer's face. The blue serpent-like specimen spreading her wings behind The Infernal was Rayala The Sapphire, and Yoruichi found Visaelya's father strapped into the harness situated just behind her neck. Like his brother and the clan patriarch, Lord Visenarr Drakken had donned a set of Spirit Armor, a dark grey ensemble similar to that of his father, save that the chest piece had a stylized image of a slender dragon much like Rayala curled up in a circle. In his right hand, Visenarr clutched a lance-like weapon, the end of which was carved in the shape of a dragon's open mouth, with the beast's 'tongue' jutting out in a pointed tip while flames flowed out from the angry maw and danced along the blade. On his left arm was strapped a circular grey shield, its rounded surface glowing with bright red runes.

She didn't recognize the two much smaller dragons which were flapping their wings frantically to climb above the larger ones, but Yoruichi did know their riders; Visaelya's siblings, which in turn allowed her to identify the beasts they sat upon. Gaerion, Visaelya's brother, rode a slender silver beast with bright green eyes, which reports had identified as Sylgar. Visaelya's sister Vaemera was straddling the back of an ashen grey dragon with brilliant amber eyes which struck Yoruichi as being almost a miniature version of Captain Drakken's prized mount, and according to Visaelya, it went by the name Vaeloron as homage to her uncle's formidable beast.

It wasn't just dragons flying forth from the Lair, though; two more Valkyries had likewise emerged. One wore leather and bronze armor, with her pale and muscular arms bared for all to see, and from what Yoruichi had learned of the Order's members over the years she presumed it was Geirdriful, with the orange sparks dancing along her wings reinforcing that notion. The second wore a set of gold and scarlet armor that reminded her of Sigrún's, though the woman in question was on the slender side when compared to the Order's much-more muscular leader. That alone was enough for Yoruichi to identify her as Gondul based on descriptions she'd read in Stealth Force dossiers, with the tongues of flame licking up and down her wings distinguishing her from her sisters-in-arms.

Yoruichi's gaze sharpened as she saw something odd. While Geirdriful had her signature scythe at the ready, Gondul had her mace in her left hand as her right clutched a set of four strange silver rods with pointed tips. They might've been javelins, but Yoruichi wasn't so sure. Even if they were, from what Itachi had told Yoruichi after he and Jiraiya had returned from their northern adventure to find Kurama years ago, Gondul typically favored her mace and fireballs. Of course, it was always possible that she'd added new weaponry to her arsenal since then, yet Yoruichi wasn't certain that was the answer. She could detect spirit energy coming from the rods, so whatever they were, they weren't something to take lightly.

She then felt another spike in the Head Captain's spiritual pressure, and Yoruichi knew that the gloves were finally coming off. The Drakken Clan's leader had made their intentions abundantly clear; they would not comply the Central Forty-Six's warrant. There was only one path forward now.

"Then you have dug your grave," Yamamoto growled, "and I will do you the courtesy of pushing you into it."

The old man raised the staff, and its wooden façade peeled away, revealing the Zanpakutō within from purple hilt wrapping to circular bronze handguard to brown sheath. He then drew the blade and spoke the words Yoruichi had long been both anticipating and dreading, his deep voice for all intents and purposes a declaration of war.

"All things in the universe, turn to ashes…"

"… Ryūjin Jakka!"

….

The glaring light and blazing heat that suddenly poured forth from the Head Captain was so intense that Itachi was briefly forced to shield his eyes. He'd been warned by both Yoruichi and Kisuke, but even with the advance notice, Itachi was still awed by what he now felt and saw. The night was now hotter than the Shihōin Principality's desert, and the brilliant flames emanating from Yamamoto's Zanpakutō were bright enough to illuminate almost the entire area.

Then there was the sheer power Itachi could sense emanating from both the blade and its wielder. It was immense, as if a Jinchūriki had joined the fray and allowed the Tailed Beast within to run rampant with its might. Indeed, now that Itachi could feel Yamamoto cutting loose, he had to wonder if even an unrestrained Tailed Beast at the height of its power could match him.

Glad he's on our side tonight, Jigoku no Joō quipped.

I pity the opposition.

When they have dragons and Valkyries? I think not.

Fair enough.

How do you want to handle this? Compared to the Ryūjin Jakka, my flames seem almost superfluous.

They'll have their use.

That being?

It was a good question, and one that Itachi needed a moment to find an answer for. The position he and his mother had taken up gave a clear overview of the battlefield, which was ideal for organizing the deployment of his Shikai's ability. Surveying the unfolding clash, Itachi saw Head Captain Yamamoto leap into the air. The old man made a wide swing with his sword, and a massive wall of flames spread out in the night sky, flying forward in a giant infernal crescent. Itachi only briefly wondered what the target was until he saw the fiery barrier intercept a concentrated salvo of white lightning from Sigrún herself, with the result being a huge blast of heat and light nearly as blinding as the sun. Meanwhile, Rhygaron and the patriarch had circled about and were now entering a dive. With a thunderous roar, The Blood Wing let loose a column of orangish-red flame upon the Soul Reapers below. Much of it splashed against the barriers raised by the Kidō Corps and dissipated, but some of it flowed in through gaps in the protection, and a nightmarish chorus of screams rang out in the night.

Rhygaron's opening assault was quickly answered by a blast of ivory lightning, and Itachi instantly knew the source. Sure enough, Yoruichi had followed the Head Captain's lead, leaping high into the sky to get herself well clear of the enemy's initial salvo. She had wasted no time with her counterattack, and while her Shikai's lighting seemed to arc and course over Rhygaron's formidable hide without doing any obvious damage, the dragon's enraged bellows suggested it was clearly taking exception to Yoruichi's strike.

Itachi was tempted to aid his Captain, but he saw that another was already doing so; Ukitake. As Rhygaron unleashed another blast of fire, Itachi saw the normally-sickly leader of Squad Thirteen jump in front of the flames and aim the point of his left sword directly at them. Itachi's breath momentarily caught in his throat as he realized the gamble that Ukitake was making; was there enough spirit energy within a dragon's flames for Sōgyo no Kotowari's special ability to have effect?

Itachi got his answer a second later as the wide column of fire suddenly condensed and was drawn towards the tip of Ukitake's left sword. The blade glowed a bright orange-red as the energy within the dragon's flames was drawn through the weapon, swiftly cycling through the string and talismans between before rushing through the right sword, which Ukitake was already tracking his target with. The energy shot back out in a condensed beam, zipping across the sky and hammering the scarlet beast's neck. While the blow did not pierce the dragon's formidable hide, the impact's strength was so great that the mighty creature found himself pushed back through the air, with only the flapping of his massive wings halting the forced retreat and keeping the behemoth airborne.

However, the assault on The Blood Wing had only just begun, and now a third party was entering the fray. Sensing a huge buildup in spirit energy, Itachi quickly turned and found its source; Tessai. Having taken up position along a section of wall beneath where the clash with the patriarch's dragon was taking place, the Kidō Corps Commander had the open palm of his left hand facing Rhygaron, while his right hand was bracing his left arm by the elbow.

"Hadō 88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!" Tessai shouted.

Blue-white energy crackled along his palm and fingers before it was released in a thunderous blast. It was fortunate that Tessai's target was airborne, otherwise the rapidly expanding column of energy would have carved a giant gash through the Seireitei, obliterating any structure within its path. As it was, when the spell hit The Blood Wing, the crimson giant was engulfed in a titanic detonation, the shockwave of which buffeted even Itachi in his relatively distant position.

His eyes narrowing, Itachi realized that he could still sense the combined spiritual pressure of both Rhygaron and his rider through the dense smoke left behind by Tessai's attack. Yoruichi, Ukitake, and Tessai himself could clearly detect it as well, for they were already scattering again. It wasn't a moment too soon, for a bellowing roar sounded before a column of fire spewed forth, not hitting any of the trio but igniting rooftops across the Seireitei and splashing against the barriers previously set up by the Kidō Corps. When the smoke cleared, Rhygaron was revealed. The fine crimson scales of his torse were cracked and marred by Tessai's attack, but Itachi could detect no signs of bleeding. Furthermore, The Blood Wing was spiting Tessai with a smoldering glare, as was the patriarch; they were not about to go down so easily.

Confident that the trio had Rhygaron in hand for the time being, Itachi turned his attention skywards, which was rapidly filling with white lightning courtesy of Lady Sigrún. A storm of ivory bolts rained down from on high like divine judgement, only to be stopped in their tracks by a vast curtain of fire that flowed forth from Head Captain Yamamoto's Shikai, a sheet of flame that nearly blotted out the night sky itself. Yamamoto himself was now fighting from the estate's apex, leaping into the air and swinging hard at his foe, who to her immense credit was actually blocking the old man's strikes head-on with her wings and giant battle axe. Itachi thought he'd gotten a good measure of Sigrún's power during the mission with Jiraiya to protect Kurama from the Hollow horde, but as the air of the Seireitei crackled and hissed with her spirit energy clashing with that of the Head Captain's, the former Shinobi now understood the truth.

She'd been holding back before.

Now she was cutting loose, and the display was as awe-inspiring as it was terrifying to behold. Her golden-armored wings were glowing radiantly white as she called upon their fearsome power, with ivory lightning spreading out across the sky almost like a spider's web, save that the strands of that web moved far faster than any arachnid could ever hope and immediately arced down to strike at their target from multiple angles simultaneously. For his part, Yamamoto did not seem even the slightest bit alarmed, confident in his vast reserves of experience and sheer power to handle the onslaught. As fresh walls of flame spread out all around him to intercept the bolts while the old man himself crossed blades with the Valkyrie leader again and again, it was clear that his confidence was well-warranted.

Good thing we can count on him to deal with the threat she poses.

Quite so.

The incredible power of Sigrún clashing with the Head Captain's might was such that one could be forgive for forgetting that the fearsome Lady was not the only Valkyrie on this battlefield. Fortunately for Itachi, his position let him take in the entire engagement zone, and thus could he see another one of the Valkyries squaring off with Squad Six's Captain; Geirdriful. Bolts of orange lightning flew from both her wings and her broad scythe, but she wasn't the only one in this contest who could deliver a serious jolt to their foe. Ginrei Kuchiki had already spread out the dozen whirling flower-like blades of Inazuma no Hana, deploying eight on offense while keeping the remaining four close to him in reserve, orbiting just over his head. Arcs of amethyst lightning flew from the little blossoms to meet the Valkyrie's orange bolts, creating a web of multicolored lightning around the combatants. Geirdriful batted several of the sparking blossoms aside with her armored wings and lunged towards Captain Kuchiki, but her scythe was caught by his twelve-branched sword, and the Valkyrie swiftly pulled her weapon back before the veteran Soul Reaper could employ his unique blade to twist her signature armament out of her grasp.

A roar from the estate's main entrance caused Itachi to shift his gaze, and he saw a column of armored soldiers suddenly pour out and charge towards the assembled Soul Reapers. They were all well-equipped, clad in dark grey scale-like armor, with the front element of the formation sporting broad circular shields on their left arms while wielding long glaives. As the column fanned out and advanced, Itachi saw the force split, with the soldiers in the rear element wearing lighter chainmail armor and having forgone the forward element's heavy shields and polearms. In fact, while their were swords sheathed at their hips, the soldiers at the rear weren't actually holding weapons in either of their hands. Instead, they assumed stances with their palms angled towards the Soul Society's forces and slightly upwards, and Itachi could sense them gathering spirit energy.

Spell casters… their answer to the Kidō Corps.

As the Soul Reapers were not armored, they did not meet the charge head-on. Instead, they further fanned out across the estate, forcing the Drakken Clan's troops to shift their deployment in to a diamond formation, with the heavier troops on in the outermost lines while the supporting spell casters were in the center. Soul Reapers and Executive Militia members Flash Stepped around while those of the Kidō Corps not charged with maintaining barriers were taking up positions along the estate's outer wall and gathering their power for what Itachi assumed would be a concentrated barrage before their more melee-focused comrades moved in for close quarters combat. As the engagement unfolded, additional Drakken Clan soldiers began popping up from the ground, having concealed themselves in the service tunnels and sewers running beneath the estate for this exact purpose. Still more came rushing out of storehouses and servants' quarters scattered across the ground, prompting additional Soul Reapers and Executive Militia members to enter the fray as counterbalance.

Something's wrong, Itachi realized as he tore his focus away from the estate grounds and back towards the sky, They've only engaged us with one dragon, two Valkyries, and ground forces. What are they doing with the rest?

He found his answer a moment later. High above the unfolding battle, the last Valkyrie and the rest of the dragons had ascended almost as far as they could without hitting the invisible barrier that surrounded the Seireitei. Itachi was flummoxed by what they hoped to accomplish; it would've made more sense to throw everything they had at the Head Captain in the hopes of taking him down quickly rather than having a single Valkyrie duel him. Sigrún's power was formidable, but against a foe like Yamamoto, the enemy would be idiotic to only have her taking him on. If they really were bold enough to launch this rebellion, then surely they understood the need to eliminate Yamamoto right off the bat, so why had they pulled back so much of their strength?

That was when he grasped the truth. The clash unfolding in and around the estate grounds, for all its ferocity, was nothing more than a rearguard action. This wasn't a battle to take over the Seireitei; the Drakken Clan simply wasn't prepared for that. Their plot had been uncovered too early, before all the resources they required to pull it off were ready. As a result, they had already concluded that such a battle was lost before it could even be fought, and they were moving to retreat.

How, though? Dragon fire's powerful, but not even the combined breath of every beast they have in the Seireitei would be able to pierce the barrier.

Yet going up is clearly their intended escape vector. Otherwise, they would've made for the gates already.

Fair point. What's their plan, then?

Itachi's mind raced as he tried to figure that out. None of the four dragons circling overhead were making any moves towards attacking the barrier, instead seeming intent for now on observing the battle below and watching to see if anyone made a move in their direction. If the dragons weren't the means for piercing the barrier, then that only left one option; the remaining Valkyrie.

"Contact Neji," Itachi instructed his mother, "and see if he has eyes on any Uchiha down there."

Mikoto nodded. "Understood."

As she cast the Tenteikūra spell, Itachi focused his Sharingan on Gondul. He doubted a single Valkyrie could pierce the barrier, but it wasn't the Valkyrie's power itself that Itachi was concerned with now; it was the quartet of pointed silver rods she had clutched in her right hand. Thanks to the Sharingan, Itachi could perceive a noted difference between the energy emanating from those rods and that of the woman who held them. Were they Spirit Weapons, perhaps enchanted devices of some sort? He leaned towards the latter, especially as he saw Gondul's gaze turn skywards and she pulled her right arm back over her shoulder, aiming the four strange rods at the apex of the Seireitei's invisible shell.

"Neji says all the spirit energy clashing is making things difficult, but he doesn't think any of our kin are in the mix," Mikoto reported as Itachi observed Gondul, "We can't be certain, but I don't think Fugaku's down there."

Some good news, at least.

I hope it stays that way. In the meantime, we have a bigger problem.

That problem came in the form of the sudden spike in energy Itachi felt from the four rods Gondul held as she poured her own power into them. They began to glow white-hot as sparks flew up and down their lengths, and the Valkyrie flung them skywards a moment later. The quartet of rods spread out, connected by strands of blue-white energy that formed a rough square. That square swiftly widened, with the gap growing so large that Itachi estimated even the likes of Rhygaron The Blood Wing could fly comfortably through the center with his wings spread to their full width.

Then the rods hit the invisible barrier, and there was a blinding flash followed by a booming sound akin to a thunderclap. His Sharingan fixated on the point of impact, Itachi could perceive the energies of the strange rods and the Seireitei's barrier clashing, with openings appearing around the tips of the rods and then gradually spreading.

That's their exit.

It's not wide enough yet. At the gaps' rate of growth, it'll be a few minutes at least before they converge and become wide enough for the dragons to slip out of.

Then there's still time to head them off.

I know what you're thinking, but our firebirds won't give a dragon much pause, even the juveniles.

It's not the dragons I need to threaten; it's their riders. Give me everything you've got.

With pleasure.

Itachi already had several thousand of his Shikai's crimson firebirds airborne, and he immediately sent them racing upwards. At the same time, he poured spirit energy into his Zanpakutō, and the already-steady flow became a roaring river as countless more of the scarlet flaming crows took flight from his black blade and soared towards the dragons and Valkyrie floating high above the Seireitei. It wouldn't be enough to keep them from escaping once the gaps in the barrier became large enough to converge, but if he could harass and stall them until the more powerful Soul Reapers were able to defeat their foes and lend aid, Itachi would consider it mission accomplished.

….

As the Drakken Clan estate erupted into battle, Jiraiya had kept his focus squarely on the Starmont Clan mansion. He'd already entered Sage Mode, the process accelerated by all the energy being drawn in by his Shikai, and he had the spiked club raised and ready for action. It was a good thing he did, too, for those spiritual pressures he'd sensed within the Starmont Clan's foreboding Seireitei estate picked that moment to finally reveal themselves, starting with the armored winged warrior who flew forth from the mansion's top floor balcony. The air surrounding the estate suddenly took on a downright arctic chill as the Valkyrie sent out a wide pulse of her spirit energy, and to Jiraiya felt for a moment like he was back up north instead of inside the Seireitei on a summer night.

Now that she was out in the open, Jiraiya could finally get a good look at what promised to be a formidable foe. Like the Order of the Valkyries' leader, this warrior was donned in golden armor, though in her case it also sported blue markings along the chest and helmet, while azure feathers peaked out from the gold plate shielding her wings. Her helmet had four horns sprouting out, two from the top of the head and two from the jawline, all curving forward. Like Geirdriful, her main weapon was a scythe, in this case one with a longer and thinner blade that glowed bright blue and had what to Jiraiya looked like wisps of frost emanating from it. Sheathed at her hip were two straight short swords as reserve weapons.

"I am Hildr," she proclaimed to the assembled forces of the Soul Society as she floated over the mansion, her spread wings glowing bright blue in the night, "Mistress of Battle, and the Order's Frozen Blade!"

Another pulse of frigid spiritual pressure flowed out from her, but the men and women surrounding the Starmont Clan estate were undaunted, with Squad One's second-in-command shouting his response. "I am Lieutenant Sasakibe! Standing with me are Captains el-Emani and Kyōraku, their Lieutenants and subordinates, along with Kidō Corps Vice-Chief Ushōda and his subordinates. Your estate is surrounded, and whatever force you possess inside cannot hope to prevail in confrontation. Surrender now, and both you and those serving you will be treated honorably. Our warrant is for Captain Starmont, his father, and any other chief leadership members of the Starmont Clan currently here. Once they have entered custody, the rest of you will be released, and you, Lady Hildr, will be allowed to return to your homeland per our established treaty with your Order."

Cruel laughter as chilling as her spiritual pressure was Hildr's answer. "Oh, Lieutenant, surely you must've grasped it by now; the hour is already too late! You will not find my masters in the Seireitei. Your corrupt judges and wisemen on the Central Forty-Six have undermined you. We received word of the council's judgement before it was even officially announced! My lords are well beyond your reach by now."

"We will be the judge of that!" Sasakibe declared, "Stand down and allow us to search the premises, and your defiance may yet be overlooked."

Hildr coldly shot him down. "I think not. For too long, the North has submitted to the decrees of a Soul Society that has only ever been interested in consolidating its own power and placing all others beneath it. No longer. Besides, I am the Mistress of Battle, and I will not stand down when warriors I have longed to test myself against are finally before me."

Sasakibe raised the saber that was his Shikai in solute. "That is your answer, then?"

Hildr raised her scythe in response. "It is."

As I feared.

What else would you expect, Jinsei no Kenja quipped, from a Valkyrie? The word 'surrender' is not in their vocabulary.

Yeah… I know.

As the blue-white glow of the Valkyrie's wings intensified, corresponding to the ramping up of her spiritual pressure, Sasakibe looked over his shoulder. "Ushōda, now!"

The giant pink-haired Vice-Chief of the Kidō Corps was already springing into action. "Ryūbi no Jōmon!"

The same words rang out from the other Kidō Corps members surrounding the Starmont Clan mansion, and dozens of white pillars materialized before coming together to form wide and thick barriers topped by blue panels and reinforced by blue crossbars. Like their colleagues over at the Drakken Clan estate, Hachigen and his subordinates had their barriers angled diagonally, creating an almost bowl-like segmented ring around the mansion with gaps through which their allies could advance or retreat and take cover as needed.

It was a good thing that the Kidō Corps had been prepared to set up defenses, for those barriers were immediately put to the test by the winged warrior floating over the mansion. A cutting chill spread through the air as razor-sharp shards of ice suddenly flew forth from Hildr's wings. Jiraiya dived behind one of the barriers, and not a moment too soon; he saw scattered Soul Reapers who failed to take cover in time cut to ribbons by the shards, and even the survivors were badly wounded. As calls went out for the Squad Four emergency response teams standing by outside the engagement zone, Lieutenants Sasakibe, Ōtoribashi, and Yadōmaru led the rank-and-file Soul Reapers into the estate grounds while the Captains of Squads Three and Eight leapt to engage Hildr.

Jiraiya moved to join his comrades charging into the estate grounds when he was stopped by Lisa. "Jiraiya, join the Captains! We've got things handled down here."

Jiraiya nodded, immediately understanding her reasoning; his experience with the North's famed warriors, combined with the fact that she knew he was far more powerful than his humble rank of Seventh Seat suggested, meant he was far better employed against the Valkyries than whatever force the Starmont Clan had waiting inside their mansion. "Understood. Be careful!"

Lisa smirked. "Look who's talking."

Jiraiya allowed himself a small chuckle, savoring the bit of bravado and banter between them before leaping high into the air. He landed atop the mansion just behind Captains el-Emani and Kyōraku, the two of the acknowledging his presence with brief nods while keeping their focus on the foe overhead. Jiraiya was surprised to find himself joined by another; Kidō Corps Vice-Chief Ushōda.

"You sure about this?" Jiraiya asked the friendly giant of a man as the two Captains leapt into the air to engage Hildr, "This girl looks like she's got a real mean streak!"

Hachigen's thick pink mustache rippled as he quirked a wryly amused smile. "You forget, Seventh Seat Jiraiya, that I was part of your first northern expedition. I know what I'm getting into. My subordinates have matters well in hand below, and I am needed here."

Jiraiya nodded. "Well, I'm not about to turn down the backup."

Readying himself for a leap, he paused briefly to assess the situation. Captain el-Emani had taken the lead in engaging Hildr, and Jiraiya could see why; his Shikai seemed almost tailor-made for dealing with a foe that could dance elusively through the air. The strange silver fluid-like substance that composed his blade was weaving through the sky like a flying serpent, lengthening or shortening as was needed. Captain el-Emani looked almost like a conductor as he wielded it, his arms gesturing elegantly to a silent tune that only he could hear. His weapon could do more than simply grow longer or shorter, harden or bend; as its rippling edge missed the Valkyrie, dozens of spikes suddenly sprouted outwards, and only Hildr quickly folding in her left wing kept them from punching into her armor. Then those spikes withdrew, and the blade itself transformed, becoming a whip-like weapon with a weighted ball at the end. Now a blunt instrument instead of a snaking sword, that ball bashed repeatedly against the Valkyrie's wings, and drove her down towards Captain Kyōraku, who wasted no time in pouncing. He might not have been using his Shikai, but the wily leader of Squad Eight was not one to take lightly even when only utilizing his sealed Zanpakutō. His twin blades flashed, a dozen strikes unleashed in the blink of an eye, with Hildr having to spin her scythe to sufficiently protect herself.

She's good.

You expect anything less from her kind?

Of course not. Shall we?

By all means. Take heed, though; she called herself the Mistress of Battle. In her Order, she would not claim that title lightly. Don't bite off more than you can chew.

You know me; when it comes to the ladies, I live dangerously!

Flash Stepping into the air, Jiraiya got behind Hildr and made a mighty swing with the spiked club of his Shikai. The blow was aimed squarely at her back, but the Valkyrie simply flapped her right wing backwards and slapped Jiraiya out of the sky. Taking the blow on his club, Jiraiya found himself flung through the air wildly, though he managed to right himself and land on his feet a few rooftops away. As Hildr blocked Kyōraku's blades with her left wing while fending off the whipping club that el-Emani's Shikai had become with her scythe, Jiraiya wasted no time in leaping back into the fray. Once again, Hildr was ready for him, this time letting fly with a barrage of ice shards from her glowing wings.

Jiraiya was ready, shifting his club to just his right hand while holding up his left in a blocking motion. "Bakudō 39: Enkōsen!"

Dull yellow energy materialized in front of him, quickly forming itself into a disk which rapidly began spinning. It wasn't a moment too soon, saving him from taking multiple shards to the face and torso. Even with the spell's protection, though, Jiraiya wasn't completely shielded. Several shards sliced into his arms and legs, and while the cuts were shallow, they definitely stung.

For her part, the woman who had sent the barrage his way seemed mildly impressed, addressing him as he closed the distance and took another swing with his club, which this time she blocked with her scythe. "You must be Jiraiya. I always wondered why Lady Gunnr spoke so highly of you. I'm starting to understand now."

Jiraiya smirked as he tried pushing against her, only to feel as though he was trying to move a mountain and failing miserably. "She still talks about me, eh? Aw, I'm touched!"

"You shouldn't be," Hildr replied as her spirit energy spiked, the glowing of her wings intensifying accordingly, "That she holds you in such esteem only tells the rest of us that you are a threat, and to treat you accordingly."

There was a brilliant flash, and the Valkyrie suddenly disappeared. Acting on instinct alone, Jiraiya whirled around. The move saved his life, for Hildr was already swinging with her scythe at his back, and Jiraiya's club caught the curved blade by the slimmest of margins. That wasn't the end of her attack, though, for Hildr suddenly flipped the weapon around and thrust out with its handle, catching Jiraiya right in the gut. Winded by the vicious power behind the blow, Jiraiya knew he was open to a follow-up attack from her blade, but before Hildr could make that strike, Captain Kyōraku interceded to catch her scythe on his two swords.

Squad Eight's leader smirked over his shoulder at Jiraiya. "Just had to go pushing her buttons, didn't you?"

Jiraiya chuckled as he saw Hildr suddenly pull back to avoid a potentially punishing impact from the heavy ball-end of Captain el-Emani's flowing liquid whip-like weapon. "Yup."

His bravado masked the pain in his abdomen. The blow had hardly been fatal, but it definitely hurt. Had it been a bit higher, Jiraiya probably would've been dealing with cracked or broken ribs, possibly even a punctured lung. As things stood, his breathing was labored, and he could already picture the bruising beneath his robes.

She said it herself; you're a threat in the eyes of her Order. She's not toying with you here.

Yeah… I noticed. Ouch…

From below came Hachigen's voice. "Bakudō 61: Rikujōkōrō!"

Six wide beams of yellow energy materialized and hammered Hildr from all sides. She was frozen in mid-air, prompting both Captains and Jiraiya to move against her in unison. Unfortunately, the binding spell did not disable her wings, and a sudden chill gripped the air before a series of ice rings shot out from them, their edges as sharp as swords. Deft bladework from Captain Kyōraku tore the rings threating him to pieces, but several of the resulting fragments carved small cuts into his cheeks and shoulders. Captain el-Emani had it somewhat better, mostly able to dodge above or below as needed, but he still had to use his shifting sword to intercept one ring that threatened to cut him in half, and the fragments his liquid-like blade created peppered his legs and torso. Jiraiya's defenses were the crudest of the three, with him simply bashing through each ring with his club. It saved his life and kept him from suffering serious injuries, but Jiraiya still hissed as pieces of the rings sliced along his legs.

Jiraiya saw the Valkyrie's helmeted gaze flicker briefly in Hachigen's direction before there was another pulse of chilling spiritual pressure. A rain of icy spears flew forth from the Hildr's wings, and while Jiraiya, Kyōraku, and el-Emani all had to defend themselves, none of them were the primary target; Hachigen was. Fortunately, the Vice-Kidō Chief's reputation as a barrier master was not unwarranted, and he was already acting to ward off the barrage, his hands weaving gestures that Jiraiya found to be vaguely reminiscent of ninjutsu hand signs.

"Kokō no Jōmon!" Hachigen called out.

A white spoked circle appeared directly overhead, and sprouting from that circle was a ring of black fangs that swiftly sealed shut, forming a dark barrier that the ice spears shattered themselves against. Jiraiya could sense a spike in spiritual pressure behind the barrier, and he realized that Hachigen had far more than simple defense planned. As the black jaws of the barrier opened, Jiraiya heard the Kidō master speak an incantation.

"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring," Hachigen changed, "Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hadō 63: Raikōhō!"

The orb of yellow lightning floating over his open palm quickly swelled before all the energy was released up through the opening of the barrier in a powerful blast. Hildr was able to evade, her movements barely more than a blur of pale blue-white light courtesy of her glowing wings, but her path went straight towards the liquid serpentine blade of Captain el-Emani, who had once again transformed his weapon from weighted-ball whip to long and flowing sword. Hildr swatted aside the blade with her scythe, but she then found both Captain Kyōraku and Jiraiya falling upon her, and she shifted her scythe over to just her right hand while her left drew one of the straight short swords sheathed at her hips.

"Impressive," the Mistress of Battle remarked as she blocked and countered with such strength that the Soul Reapers were forced back, "I haven't had to use one of these blades in quite some time. You should be honored."

"Thanks," Jiraiya quipped.

Kyōraku sighed. "Couldn't you honor us by sharing drinks instead? Much less work than this."

"I will pour an ale out for your memory," Hildr replied, "or perhaps you'll pour out sake for mine."

"A drink for one's awfully lonely," Kyōraku said.

Hildr made a wide swing with her scythe, and while Jiraiya blocked it, the power behind the blow felt no less now than when she'd been wielding the weapon in both hands. Kyōraku moved in while Jiraiya held the larger weapon at bay, but the Mistress of Battle was as deft with her short sword as she was with her scythe, fending off the Captain's twin blades with a series of close-in blocks and deflections which minimized any potential openings.

"A drink over a foe's grave is the only kind we can share now," Hildr declared, "and only one of us will have that luxury when this is over."

"That is a pity," Kyōraku said, a heaviness in his voice.

With Kyōraku and el-Emani immediately moving in to engage the Valkyrie again, Jiraiya hung back for a moment to plot his next move. It was only now that he became aware of a roaring chorus of voices and clashing steel coming from below. Looking down, he saw that a fierce melee had erupted in the Starmont Clan estate's courtyard. Soul Reapers led by Lieutenants Sasakibe, Ōtoribashi, and Yadōmaru were engaging in brutal close-quarters-combat with a sizeable force which had come forth from the mansion, while smaller groups emerged from several of the estate's auxiliary structures. From what Jiraiya could see, the Northerners were clad in simple chainmail armor, and they wielded a mix of axes, swords, and circular wooden shields. They struck him as incredibly fierce, throwing themselves against the Soul Reapers without a hint of hesitation. Members of the Kidō Corps had arrayed themselves atop the estate's outer wall, raining down spells upon reinforcements which were pouring out of the mansion, yet the Northerners continued their relentless push against the Soul Reapers.

We've all gone off the deep end now, Jiraiya thought grimly as he returned his focus to the Valkyrie overhead, leaping to join the fray, and all we can do is fight.

….

It had been quite some time since Head Captain Yamamoto had last personally taken part in a battle. Though the venerable leader of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had accumulated millennia worth of experience, the same questions plagued him as anyone else who hadn't been engaged in combat for a prolonged period of time. Had he lost a step? Two steps? Were the lessons he'd learned over the course of his career still valid, or had new battlefield innovations and enemy techniques rendered them obsolete? One could wield incredible power and yet still find themselves flailing about ineffectively if they did not properly grasp the nature of their arena. Yes, the Head Captain was vigilant in his training, taking time out of his demanding schedule every day to practice and keep himself in good condition, but going through drills in his private training ground was one thing; stepping back into live combat was another.

As his sword clashed again and again with the mighty axe of Lady Sigrún while fire and lightning filled the sky around them, Yamamoto found reassurance that he did indeed still belong in this arena. Yes, he was older than his foe by a considerable margin and wasn't getting any younger, but his mind and body alike remained sharp, with experience and deeply ingrained reflexes more than compensating for a lack of youthful vigor. Beneath the loose-fitting robes and haori, his scarred and weathered form was still a mass of powerful muscle, while the bushy and long eyebrows concealed eyes that were as sharp as ever. His sword strikes possessed that perfect mix of accuracy, efficiency, power, and speed, while the combined spirit energy of himself and Ryūjin Jakka flowed like superheated water pumping forth from a raging geyser. 'Old Man' Yamma, as his mischievous former pupil and now Captain of Squad Eight Shunsui Kyōraku would teasingly call him whenever he thought the Head Captain was out of earshot, definitely still had the moves. If someone wanted to topple him from his perch, they would have to work for it.

Yamamoto would give credit where it was due; his current foe was most certainly putting that work in. Few adversaries could truly be considered formidable for the venerable Head Captain, but the Order of the Valkyries' legendary leader fit the bill. Normally, it was the searing flames of Ryūjin Jakka that dominated whatever battlefield Yamamoto deemed fit to unleash them on, but the grand web of ivory lightning being generated by Lady Sigrún's wings was, incredibly, giving his Shikai competition. Her wings were glowing white-hot as she pumped out a truly staggering amount of power, and not even the constant walls of mighty flame that Yamamoto was surrounding himself with could completely keep her assault at bay. Forks of lightning punched through like mighty spears, with only finely-honed instincts and mastery of Flash Step rivaled only by Squad Two's current Captain had kept Yamamoto from taking a serious hit so far. Fresh bolts poured forth not only from Sigrún's wings, but were channeled down her arms and through her mighty battleaxe as well, and Yamamoto could feel what hair he still possessed stand on end as he secondary sparks of that energy danced along his sword and arms with each strike he deflected. Yet he remained undaunted by the formidable abilities and strength of his opponent. In fact, Yamamoto found her might to be invigorating. Of all the foes that he could've faced in stepping back onto the battlefield after a considerable absence, he had the privilege of going against one that could hold her own against him.

"It's a pity that our first meeting in centuries must be like this," he remarked while making a wide swing that sent a curtain of flames pouring over the Valkyrie, only for her to shrug them off through folding her wings before rapidly unfurling them and countering with a barrage of lightning, "I have fond memories of our last encounter."

"As do I," Sigrún confessed even as she brought her axe down upon the Head Captain in a swift and powerful swing that he was forced to deflect, "All those Menos Grande that we laid to waste that night… my Order even composed a ballad in the aftermath, though I told them it wasn't necessary."

Yamamoto grunted as he ducked her follow-up attack before countering with a thrust that scraped along her chest armor and drove her back, "Did they, now? I would've liked to hear it, were our circumstances otherwise."

A bittersweet chuckle echoed from beneath Sigrún's helmet as the two combatants traded columns of flame and barrages of lightning. "Ah… I think you'd enjoy it. Alas, I do not have enough women here for a choir to do it justice. Nor will we ever get the chance, now."

"You surely knew that this could only end one way," Yamamoto said as he pressed the attack, driving at her hard with a series of brutal swings that unleashed sheets of flame as his blade clashed with hers, "So, why did you allow your Order to be drawn into this affair? I recall you being a prudent commander, and I doubt you've taken leave of your senses."

"On the honor of my Order," Sigrún declared as she fended off Yamamoto's assault before responding in kind with a withering sequence of axe strikes while forks of lightning from her web shot at him from all directions, "I swear to you that I did not want to go down this road. However, I was not given a choice in the matter."

Yamamoto nodded in understanding. "Compelled by duty and oath, then. The Starmont Clan is unworthy of your fealty."

"These latest generations, perhaps," Sigrún conceded as their blades met yet again while fire and lightning poured out from both combatants in all directions, "but my vows stand regardless."

Yamamoto sighed, allowing the barest hint of genuine regret to seep out. "As do mine."

The pair redoubled their efforts, sword and axe meeting again and again with ever-growing ferocity. Yamamoto poured a continuous tide of flame at his foe, but the combination of her armor and potent spiritual pressure kept the fires of Ryūjin Jakka from doing any meaningful damage. Likewise, Sigrún's white lightning kept pouring towards Yamamoto from multiple fronts, with some even landing hits, yet the Head Captain's incredible durability meant that none of those isolated impacts were capable of inflicting real harm. Concentrated overwhelming power from each combatant would be required to take down the other, and neither were at the point where they could unleash such an attack yet. They were both still feeling each other out, taking the measure of their foe's fighting style and probing for vulnerabilities, and it would be some time yet before either felt confident enough to commit to an all-or-nothing strike.

If there was an issue Yamamoto had with his Shikai, it was that the sheer volume of flame it put out could sometimes obscure the wider battlefield and make it difficult for him to accurately appraise the overall tactical and strategic situation. His sharp sense for spirit energy somewhat compensated for this; he could feel his subordinates fighting hard and containing the likes of Geirdriful, Lord Vahaegon, and The Blood Wing, and he was dimly aware of the general clash unfolding in the estate grounds. However, with his main senses focused on the clash with Sigrún, Yamamoto felt as though he was missing something important. After another fierce exchange of blows with the Order's fearsome leader, he realized what that was; he could not sense any of the other dragons or their riders taking part in the battle.

After deflecting the last blow in a sequence of brutal axe strikes, Yamamoto took a short Flash Step back and chanced a quick glance skywards. Sure enough, he saw the four dragons circling overhead, while the Valkyrie Gondul was channeling power into the cluster of four rods that the Head Captain had seen her clutching earlier. His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as he detected widening gaps in the Seireitei's great barrier, and Yamamoto immediately realized what was going on. He would've intervened if he could, trapped them within the prison of flames that was his Shikai's Jōkauku Enjō technique but Sigrún was already launching a fresh barrage of lightning at him, and simply surviving that alone demanded his concentration. The power of Ryūjin Jakka might have been well-suited for trapping enemies and cutting off an escape route, but only if Yamamoto could employ it thus, and Sigrún had made sure to not leave him any openings for it. She swiftly launched into a new withering offensive that forced the Head Captain to use his Shikai's strength against her rather than the fleeing traitors. It irked him fiercely, knowing that he was playing directly into the enemy's rearguard action, but what could be done to counter it?

That was when Yamamoto suddenly saw two giant waves of fire closing in on the dragons and Valkyrie from the east and west, like a massive set of jaws. Not sheets of flame like what Ryūjin Jakka produced, though.

These were massive flocks of scarlet firebirds.

As he deflected a sequence of harsh and powerful axe strikes from Sigrún while continuing to evade bolts of white lightning, Yamamoto followed the firebirds' spirit energy back to their source and found Squad Two's Eighth Seat Itachi Uchiha, his gaze fixed on what was happening high above the fray while his mother surveyed the area around him and watched for any threats that might be closing on their position. The Head Captain could not help but be impressed; while everyone else, himself included, had been caught up with the immediate clash, Itachi had taken a step back to grasp the bigger picture. He had recognized what was really happening before Yamamoto himself, and Itachi was employing his Shikai to harass and interfere with the enemy's attempt at retreat, buying time while his comrades dealt with the immediate threat.

Captain Shihōin was right about him, Yamamoto mused even as he defended himself from Sigrún's vicious onslaught, Itachi Uchiha… you really are gifted. Survive this trial and those to come, and you will have a very bright future ahead.

….

That was a bit close, Inazuma On'na remarked as Yoruichi's Flash Step narrowly took her past a giant column of flame being belched out by Rhygaron, I don't suppose you have a plan for putting this beast in the dirt, do you?

I'm working on it.

Landing atop the roof of a nearby tower, Yoruichi immediately sprang back into the air. Her next Flash Step took her so high that she wound up above The Blood Wing and his rider, and Yoruichi took full advantage of her temporary altitude advantage to let fly with blasts of ivory lightning from both of her silver chained gauntlets. However, the Drakken Clan's patriarch already had his left arm raised, and a translucent pulse of energy rippled out from the buckler he wore on it. That pulse became a hemispherical barrier over dragon and rider, and the lightning of Yoruichi's Shikai bounced harmlessly off it.

"Damn it!" she hissed as she twisted mid-air to evade Lord Vahaegon Drakken's counterattack, a beam of red energy that flew forth from the tip of the patriarch's spear, "Thought I had the bastard that time…"

As Yoruichi descended, The Blood Wing turned his head and let fly with another blast of fire in her direction. Yoruichi already had her gauntlets raised and was about to fire of lightning in response, hoping her own power would cancel out that of the mighty beast, but Captain Ukitake had already interposed himself between her and the dragon. In the blink of an eye, Rhygaron's flames were absorbed by one of Ukitake's blades, the spirit energy within them becoming a brilliant orange-red beam that shot right out of the other and hit the dragon in his neck. Yoruichi saw the beast grimace and heard it groan in pain, and she dared hope that Ukitake's attack had inflicted meaningful damage. Alas, it was not to be; her narrowed golden eyes saw some cracking in the magnificent creature's crimson scales, but not an outright breach.

"Thanks for the save," Yoruichi said as she and Ukitake touched down side-by-side on a nearby rooftop.

"Anytime," Ukitake replied, looking a little bit winded.

Yoruichi eyed him with concern. "You holding up okay?"

Ukitake nodded, though his breathing seemed a bit shallow to Yoruichi. "I can keep going, don't worry."

Overhead, Lord Vahaegon had wheeled his mount around, and now the great scarlet beast was aiming straight for the two Captains. They were about to scatter via Flash Step when both suddenly felt a massive spike in spiritual pressure coming from the Kidō Corps Commander.

"Gaki Rekkō!" Tessai shouted.

Yoruichi turned to see her old friend holding out his right hand, palm aimed at the enemy. A wide circle of translucent green energy materialized above Tessai's hand, and a massive barrage of emerald beams shot out in a broad cage-like formation. It wasn't a single volley of beams either, but a sustained barrage, which served to distract Lord Vahaegon and provide a crucial window for the leaders of Squads Two and Thirteen.

"We're in stalemate," Yoruichi remarked.

"Indeed," Ukitake concurred with a sigh, "and that's doing us no favors. A prolonged engagement only favors our enemy."

"I know," Yoruichi said as her eyes furtively darted about, narrowing a moment later as she found what she'd been looking for, "but I have a way we can end this quickly. We just need to keep the big guy at low altitude over the estate and focused on us."

Ukitake allowed himself a small smirk as he looked at her. "Simple enough. What do you have in mind?"

Not wanting to risk openly giving away her ace in the hole to the enemy, Yoruichi settled for a slight nod in a certain direction. She saw Ukitake follow her gaze, and together their eyes landed upon a balcony in the upper half of the Drakken Clan mansion. Lurking in shadows of the balcony's overhang was a silhouette that Yoruichi had immediately recognized; Soi-Fon.

Ukitake's eyes widened slightly when he saw her. "When did she…?"

"While everyone else was distracted with fighting each other," Yoruichi answered with a mischievous smirk, "She's good at that."

Ukitake chuckled. "You taught her well."

Yoruichi smiled proudly. "I like to think so."

"Let's make sure she gets her opening, then," Ukitake said as he nodded at Rhygaron, who was futilely expending his flame against a barrier Tessa had put up, "Shall we?"

Yoruichi licked her lips. "Let's go."

With that, the two of them Flash Stepped right back into the fray.

….

When the fighting had first broken out in and above the Drakken Clan estate grounds, Visaelya didn't know what she should do. Initially, she had remained by Shisui's side, ostensibly to watch his back while he searched the battlefield with his Sharingan for signs of any Uchiha amongst the opposition. In reality, Visaelya had kept her position more because she was simply frozen in place, overcome with a sort of numb horror as she watched her family's forces clash with those of the Soul Society. She couldn't stay still forever, though; a choice had to be made.

Her first thought had been to aid Captain Kuchiki against Geirdriful, but when she'd made her first step in that direction, Shisui had immediately halted her. No doubt, Shisui knew why Visaelya had gravitated towards that fight first; as powerful a foe as the Valkyrie would be, emotionally it would be far less taxing for Visaelya to engage her. However, Visaelya understood why Shisui was stopping her. No matter how strong she'd grown over years of mission and training, no matter how much latent power her bloodline granted her, Visaelya simply was not ready to take on a foe like Geirdriful. Hollows, even Gillian-level Menos Grande, were one thing, but a Valkyrie? There was a reason why the two which had been hidden within the Drakken Clan estate were being engaged by Head Captain Yamamoto and Captain Kuchiki without the aid of their subordinates. Against such mighty foes, the two senior Soul Reapers needed to be completely focused; having to worry about protecting weaker allies would only hinder them against the Valkyries.

So, it was with heavy hearts that Visaelya and Shisui had abandoned their position on the storehouse rooftop and leapt into the brawl that had spread out across the Drakken Clan estate grounds. Though Visaelya might've wished otherwise, she knew it was the place where her abilities could be put to the most effective use. After all, the heavy shields wielded by the forward ranks of Drakken Clan soldiers were already proving themselves effective at fending off the strikes of Soul Reapers and Stealth Force members, not to mention blunting the power of the spells which were being thrown at them by the Kidō Corps, but against a Shikai whose ability was literally to cut through barriers? That was a different matter entirely.

The twin silver blades of Visaelya's double-ended glaive spun like a buzzsaw as she plunged into the thick of the fighting. The concentrated energy along the edges of those blades cut through the defensive spells of the soldiers' shields with practically no resistance, as if she were cutting tall grass. The physical shields themselves did slow her swings somewhat, but not enough to save any of her victims. Soon, Visaelya had carved a breach into the front line of her family's soldiers, and her comrades wasted no time in exploiting it.

The screams of the wounded and dying tore at her heart, all the more so as she recognized some of them. These weren't Hollows being cut down by her blades, nor were they brigands or other such scum. No, these were men and women who faithfully served the Drakken Clan, who were now laying down their lives in the name of oaths they'd taken long ago…

…oaths that her family now exploited to buy time for their escape.

In between flashes of steel and spraying blood, Visaelya occasionally saw angry or frightened eyes peering out from helmeted faces. While she could hear some familiar voices, the soldiers could see her face plain as day. It wasn't just Soul Reapers, Stealth Force members, and Kidō Corps casters that were assailing them; it was an heiress of the very family that they'd vowed to serve. In Visaelya's eyes, her family had betrayed the Soul Society, but in the eyes of those soldiers, she had betrayed her kin. It brought to mind the bitter fruits of wisdom Itachi had imparted upon her several weeks ago.

"No matter what course of action you commit yourself to, from one perspective or another, itwillbe wrong. Either from your family's, or the Soul Society's… or perhaps even yourself."

Oh, how right he had been. She was a traitor to her family, and her family were traitors to the Soul Society. In this tragic battle that had spawned from mounting grievances, festering suspicions, ambitious vanity, and obsessive paranoia, was anyone in the right here? Maybe someone looking on with clinical detachment could say, but Visaelya did not have that luxury. She had made her choice…

…and now, as Itachi had warned her, she would have to carry the costs.

If there was any comfort that Visaelya could take from this bloody affair, it was that she didn't have to endure it alone. Fighting by her side, all around her, were her comrades, and one was closer than all the others, his phantom form and those of his doppelgangers flickering about like a shadowy ghost; Shisui. The Drakken Clan's soldiers were well-trained, but none of them had ever encountered the lethal combination of the Shinobi who had been known in life as The Teleporter and the clones that Kage no Kodomo put at his command. They might've been on guard for Flash Steps from Soul Reapers and Stealth Force members, but the Body Flicker Technique mixed with Flash Steps and being utilized by five beings at once was far beyond anything the foot soldiers could ever have been prepared for.

Visaelya had seen it countless times out in the field, but that had been against Hollows, or wights during the wraith hunts of her early Soul Reaper career. It had been awe-inspiring and eerie to witness, but now that mixture of admiration and unease was transformed into dread and regret as Visaelya watched Shisui and his four clones seemingly vanish into thin air, only to materialize at a foe's flank or behind them and swiftly drive a blade into the enemy's neck. For Shisui's victims, this wasn't a battle. The word 'battle' implied that they stood at least a chance of fighting back.

This was an execution.

Having already slipped through the front ranks, Shisui and two of the clones from his Shikai went straight for the spell casters further back, while the other two doppelgangers flanked Visaelya as she and her fellow Soul Reapers continued engaging the more heavily-armored forward soldiers. The former Shinobi and his pair of clones might as well have been wolves unleashed among sheep, for they tore into the casters with a frightening predatory efficiency. Several soldiers from the rearward reserves came forward to support, but in the crucial seconds before they could join the fray, The Teleporter and his doppelgangers had already generated a pile of bodies.

Visaelya's double-ended glaive carved out a circle of death around her as she continued her grim offensive, and her comrades from Squad Two joined her in the vanguard. The elegantly curved blade of Rija Usorba's Sutōmudansā sent arcs of greenish-yellow lightning through groups of soldiers, while those who attempted to striker her down found their weapons glancing off the rounded shield of the red-haired Amazon's Shikai. Meanwhile, the dark-brown ponytail of Katya Sokolova whipped about as she practically danced through the fray, twirling and thrusting the silver spear of Shimo no Hebi in an elegant offensive that coated any of her surviving victims in layers of frost which sapped their strength and left them vulnerable to follow-up strikes from her comrades. At the same time, a sphere of green-orange energy flew forth from the rear and exploded amidst a group of soldiers, sending the armored figures flying in all directions. Chancing a brief glance over her shoulder, Visaelya found the source; the dark-skinned, muscular giant that was Mindiwo Opolo, with the obsidian skull-headed staff that was Gyakusatsu no Akuma drifting back and forth as he searched for another inviting cluster of targets.

Taking comfort in the knowledge that her comrades had her back, Visaelya redoubled her assault, determined to end this tragedy tonight before it could spiral into something even worse.

….

Of all the outcomes tonight could bring, Ginrei Kuchiki thought as he caught Geirdriful's latest scythe swing on his twelve-branched sword while the sparking violet blossoms of his Shikai circled the two combatants, this was the worst. Regardless of how the battle ends tonight, this conflagration will not be confined to the Seireitei. As tremors loosen packed snow and spawn an avalanche, this clash is but a skirmish compared to what mush surely follow.

As both head of a Great Noble House and Captain of Squad Six, Ginrei knew what was to come. Assuming he survived the current engagement, the next task would be to marshal the full might of both his unit and the armies waiting back in the Soul Society's most populated Principality. The weeks ahead would consist of endless meetings, reading constant reports of readiness status and marching progress, securing supply lines, planning campaigns, and much more beside. The work would be as vital as it would be tedious, a veritable mountain of bureaucracy and politicking as he wrangled his family's various vassals into honoring their commitments and bringing their resources to bear.

Just imagining the headaches he would be suffering through was enough to elicit a bitter smirk from the venerable Soul Reaper, one mostly hidden beneath his thick mustache. Compared to the tasks that awaited him, his present duel with the Valkyrie could almost be considered an escape. A grueling battle against a powerful foe was, if nothing else, a straightforward affair compared to putting up with groaning nobles and pouring over supply inventories until his eyes felt like they were about to fall out of their sockets. Even the prospect of dying in this fight wasn't as concerning to him as it otherwise would've been; it would almost be welcome in light of the giant headache that awaited him should he survive.

Almost, but of course, Ginrei wasn't about to pass on just yet if he could help it. There was simply too much he still needed to do, both for the Soul Society and his family. If he wanted to make the sure the job got done right, the only path forward was to do it himself.

As his branched sword clashed again with Geirdriful's scythe, Ginrei heard an amused chuckle echo from beneath the Valkyrie's helmet. "As good as they say, despite your advancing years… I would expect nothing less from the head of the Kuchiki Clan."

She folded in her wings before immediately unfurling them, the sharpened edges of the armor over them nearly slashing Ginrei across the face. As he pulled back, Ginrei counterattacked with the eight sparking, whirling blossoms that he had forward deployed, siccing them on the Valkyrie from above and below. A wide swing with her scythe sent an arc of orange lightning flying that momentarily halted two of the blossoms in their path, but the remaining six continued undeterred, forcing the Valkyrie to either evade or block them with her wings. The two that had been stalled soon recovered and gave chase, all the while Ginrei cautiously hopped across rooftops to keep close so he could exploit an opening in his foe's defenses as soon as one was generated.

Geirdriful's wings then glowed with bright orange light before sending out a barrage of lightning, split between targeting the electric blossom blades and Ginrei himself. Four of the former were directly hit and dissipated in showers of violet sparks, but corresponding branches on Ginrei's sword then glowed as they worked to rapidly regenerate the blossoms and send them back out again. Deft Flash Steps kept the old man himself from getting hit, but the misses were all dangerously close. Errant bolts blasted chunks out of the walls and rooftops of nearby buildings, with a few flying into the ongoing brawl within the estate courtyard and further adding to the chaos and carnage.

In raw power, Ginrei thought grimly, she has me beat. Endurance, too. A prolonged battle only favors her. Technique and trickery are my allies, and I must bring them to bear quickly before I lose the chance altogether.

Changing tactics, Ginrei sent the four reserve blossoms forward to join the others. Maximizing his potential attack vectors would be far more effective than maintain a defensive screen. If Squad Six's Captain could not defend himself with just his blade, then this duel was already lost anyway.

As the dozen violet lightning blossoms whirled around the Valkyrie, charging her directly and launching bolts from multiple fronts, Ginrei raised his left palm and aimed it at Geirdriful. "Bakudō 63: Sajō Sabaku!"

He closed his palm into a fist as yellow energy materialized and rapidly transformed into thick rope, which Ginrei wasted no time in lashing around the Valkyrie. The rope squeezed inward, binding her wings, and causing her to plummet towards the ground, all the while Ginrei's electric blossoms zipped in to slash and shoot violet lightning at her. He heard the Valkyrie grunt in exertion as she flexed her wings against the energy rope, and Ginrei leapt up to meet her descent.

Physical might alone cannot break those bonds, he thought as he drew his sword back for a thrust, I'll end this now!

However, just before Ginrei's strike could land, he suddenly felt a massive pulse in spiritual pressure from his target. Geirdriful's wings were now glowing so brightly with gathered energy that the glare was damn near blinding, and a giant sphere of orange lightning spread out around her. Ginrei's eyes widened in shock as the binding spell he'd cast came undone, the rope of energy dissolving under the overwhelming power of the Valkyrie. As the venerable Captain was still reeling from the burst of power, his opponent wasted no time in counterattacking with a broad swing from her scythe, and despite Ginrei's attempts at evasion, the crescent blade still swept across his chest, eliciting a spray of blood.

Frantically Flash Stepping back, Ginrei landed upon a nearby rooftop and quickly checked himself over. The wound ached and his chest was covered in blood, but the wide spread of red liquid belied the cut's relatively shallow nature. It would still need to be treated, preferably sooner as opposed to later, but Ginrei could keep fighting for quite some time yet before blood loss became an issue. Still, the fact that he'd taken such a wound while his opponent remained mostly unharmed only underscored Ginrei's concerns about a prolonged fight. Even worse, the Valkyrie's lightning had gone beyond their duel and into the courtyard where Ginrei's comrades were still battling it out with the Drakken Clan's troops, only adding to the mayhem. One of the bolts even zipped past the head of Sōjun Kuchiki with less than a meter to spare, destroying several of Fuyugiku's triangular ice shards in the process. Ginrei realized that he'd have to take drastic measures if he wanted to both swing the tide in his favor and keep Geirdriful's power from causing collateral damage or outright fatalities.

Looking up to see his opponent hovering overhead, her wings glowing almost as brightly as a midday sun, Ginrei granted her a nod of respect as he raised his sword. "Your power and skill honors your Order."

"As does yours," Geirdriful responded in kind as sparks danced along her wings and scythe, "Had you been a second slower, that blow would've cut clean through your lungs and heart. You've done well to last this long, Captain Kuchiki. When I return to my homeland, I will ensure our fight is recorded in song."

Ginrei grunted as his eyes narrowed. "I would be grateful for that, but I'm afraid you will never see your homeland again."

His own spiritual pressure intensified as forks of violet lightning flew out from his branched sword, and Ginrei slowed his breathing to center himself. While Ginrei did not consider himself to be a gambling man, he knew this was an occasion where he'd have to go all in.

So it was that he met the Valkyrie's gaze, flipped his Zanpakutō around so that the tip was facing the ground, and spoke a single word.

"Bankai."

….

Geirdriful had believed herself ready for this moment. Valkyries trained for more than simply patrolling the skies of their homeland and slaying Hollows; despite their official treaties of cooperation with the Soul Reapers, the Order maintained a secret policy of wariness towards the servants of the Central Forty-Six. After all, given the council's well-documented history of siccing their obedient Head Captain and his subordinates on any perceived threat to their power, it was prudent to plan for a potential confrontation, even if the Order's hope was that such a clash never took place. That meant studying the Soul Reapers from afar, with the Starmont Clan proving more than willing to share their records on the subject with any representative from the Order that asked. After all, the North's rulers wanted their mightiest servants prepared to take on any foe.

Above all else, every Valkyrie and woman that aspired to that lofty and sacred rank had long ago learned to respect the power of the Soul Reaper Captains. Whenever a new one ascended to the rank, the Order would request information from their noble patron on that individual Soul Reaper. Every possible tidbit that could be acquired, from knowledge of their history, proficiencies, fighting styles, personality, and more was sought after, with the most valuable piece of knowledge being the nature of that Captain's Shikai and Bankai. So it was that Geirdriful knew what Ginrei was unleashing upon her as her vision became filled with a brilliant flash of violet light that forced her to shield her eyes. At least, she thought she knew. Theoretical knowledge was one thing.

Experiencing its deadly majesty in person was quite another.

The first thing she saw when the harsh glare finally faded was what had become of the dozen tiny electric blossoms which had been harassing her before. Now each was the size of a house, slowly spinning like windmills and arrayed in a rough sphere-like formation around her. The second thing Geirdriful noticed were the countless crackling strands of violet energy flowing between the giant flowers, and as the Valkyrie surveyed the new environment it became apparent that she and Captain Kuchiki were now trapped within a massive spherical cage floating over the Seireitei. Huge petals, larger than an average human and numbering in the dozens at least, floated in the energy cage, each one spinning as sparks of violet energy danced along their edges. Scattered around the sphere were circular crystalline amethyst platforms floating at varying altitudes, at least a score or more, with Ginrei standing on the largest one in the center. Speaking of the Captain, Geirdriful noticed that the twelve-branched sword he'd held before had transformed, now taking on the shape of an ōdachi with sakura blossom patterns etched along both sides, the fine lines glowing with violet light.

"Inazuma no Hanamatsuri," Ginrei said as he made a saluting gesture with his long, gently curving blade, "It's been a long time since I last had to call upon its might. A Valkyrie such as yourself is more than worth its power."

Geirdriful nodded, bracing against what she was certain would be a ferocious onslaught. "It's magnificent."

Ginrei inclined his head as a foreboding look came to his eyes. "Yes… a magnificent nightmare."

One of the giant floating petals then passed before him, obscuring him from Geirdriful's view. Instinctively, she raised her scythe into a guard position, and not a moment too soon. Against the purple and pink back drop, she caught sight of a black blur moving rapidly between the crystalline platforms, and she whirled around just in time to block a slash from Ginrei.

As scythe and sword locked, Geidriful saw the glowing flower runes along her opponent's blade begin flashing, with certain flowers growing brighter as others dimmed. It appeared to be random, but the Valkyrie immediately assumed there was some mechanism at play that she did not yet understand. Every Bankai had its own eccentricities, and grasping their finer workings quickly was crucial if one wanted to survive an encounter.

It was then that she felt several energy signatures rapidly approaching. At the periphery of her vision, which was rather limited thanks to her helmet, Geirdriful saw wide streaks of violet converging on her from multiple fronts. Pouring energy out from her wings in response, she rapidly propelled herself upwards, just in time to see several of the giant electric flower petals zip through the space she'd occupied mere moments ago. Much to her alarm, the Valkyrie realized that she'd been meant to dodge those; a second wave had already been positioned even as the first had converged on her, and now those giant petals were upon her.

Knowing that she could not evade them all this time, Geirdriful had no choice but to fold in her wings, shielding herself in an armored and feathery makeshift cocoon. It was a basic defensive position, amongst the first that all newly-minted Valkyries learned, and while it saved her life here, it didn't keep her unscathed. As each petal smashed into Geirdriful, its edges cut into her armor before exploding into a shower of violet lighting that coursed over her and caused her entire body to shake and spasm. It was bad enough when the petals hit her wings, but the edge of one found her most vulnerable point; the center of her back.

The Valkyrie nearly cried out in agony as the electric edge cut through her armor and gouged her muscled flesh. She could sense that the resulting wound was relatively shallow thanks to her armor taking the brunt of the blow, but Geirdriful knew that she could not risk another hit in that same spot. Her brow furrowing in determination, she spread her wings and, with a great burst of energy, propelled herself to the opposite side of the violet cage in an orange blur. Reorienting herself so that her back was to the electric enclosure's wall, she could at least keep most of the giant petals in her line of sight now, along with Captain Kuchiki himself, who had gracefully Flash Stepped along the crystalline platforms to follow her across the sphere and was already lunging at her with a thrust aimed at her neck.

"You were right," she admitted as she deftly redirected his strike by twisting her scythe's blade, only for Ginrei to suddenly pull back as his blade flashed again and multiple electric petals came upon her from above and below, "This cage of your Bankai is indeed a magnificent nightmare for anyone caught up in it."

As she evaded the giant spinning petals with scant centimeters to spare, Geirdriful was surprised to hear a bitter chuckle escape Ginrei's lips. "More than you know."

It was then that the Valkyrie was suddenly overcome by an agonizing shock that started from her back and spread throughout her body. Gritting her teeth, she powered through the pain and flapped her wings, swiftly soaring back across the sphere while deflecting a slash from Ginrei's sword and narrowly evading several of the giant petals. Reorienting herself, Geirdriful struggled to figure out what had just happened. None of the petals should've been able to get behind her in her previous position without her being aware of it, so what had she missed?

Her eyes narrowed as she studied the space she'd previously occupied. One of the large strands of violet lightning that made up the cage's 'bars' was now there, but that made no sense. When she'd first taken that position, she'd had plenty of room.

Wait a moment….

Another onslaught of massive, spinning electric petals combined with Ginrei Flash Stepping across the platforms to attack her himself forced the Valkyrie to go evasive once more. As she zigzagged her way between the crystal platforms and giant petals slashing through the air, Geirdriful paid closer attention to the cage's perimeter. The dozen huge flowers that made up the cages anchors seemed to have slightly diminished in size… no, not just them; the entire cage was very slowly shrinking.

"Yes… a magnificent nightmare."

As Captain Kuchiki's words echoed in her mind, Geirdriful's true peril gradually dawned upon her, along with a sensation that she hadn't genuinely felt in quite some time.

Fear.

….

Seems she's already caught on, Ginrei thought as he saw the Valkyrie adjust her flight pattern, flying more towards the center of the sphere and avoiding going too far towards one side or another, I was hoping it'd take her longer to notice so she could be trapped easier, but I should've known she'd be sharper than that.

Most Captains did not go around using their Bankai in just any fight, and Ginrei was no exception to that. Any experienced Soul Reaper who lived long enough to master Bankai understood that it was an invaluable ace in the hole and needed to be treated as such. However, when it came to his Bankai, there was another reason why Ginrei wasn't keen to use it frequently. As his opponent had no doubt figured out by now, Inazuma no Hanamatsuri wasn't simply a cage for Ginrei to trap powerful opponents in. The energy that made up the cage's 'bars' and the deadly electric petals was just as dangerous to him as it was to his enemies, with only the crystalline platforms scattered throughout the sphere being safe for Ginrei or an opponent to touch. The petals might have been at his command, but a wrong move on Ginrei's part would see them just as easily harm him as they could a foe. Their large size and lethality for anyone combined with the gradually shrinking sphere meant that Inazuma no Hanamatsuri was not a mere weapon in Ginrei's arsenal; it was a gambit.

There were only three ways a fight could end once Ginrei unleashed his Bankai; either the foe caught up in it was vanquished, the enemy slew him, or Captain Kuchiki would dispel Inazuma no Hanamatsuri before he or his opponent fell. However, that final scenario came with its own peril. Activating and maintaining his Bankai was incredibly energy intensive, and even when he'd been in his prime Ginrei had found it draining to say the least. That strain was now compounded in his advancing years, to the point that if he had to dispel his Bankai before Geirdriful was slain, Ginrei would be so weakened that the Valkyrie's victory was all but guaranteed. There were only two outcomes before him now.

Win or die.

….

Things are really heating up over there, Jiraiya thought as his gaze briefly flickered in the direction of the Drakken Clan estate and saw the giant orb of violet lightning floating over it, I've never seen Captain Kuchiki's Bankai before.

He's up against a Valkyrie, Jinsei no Kenja remarked, I would imagine he'd use nothing less against a foe like her, especially if he's taking her on by himself.

It was certainly understandable. From what Jiraiya could sense, the other Captains over at the Drakken Clan estate were either clashing with a dragon or the leader of the Valkyries herself, which meant Ginrei was stuck fighting his foe alone. Jiraiya briefly wondered what was happening within the pulsing violet spherical cage he could see floating in the distance, but he swiftly banished such thoughts to the back of his mind; he could hardly afford distraction right now.

Unlike Ginrei and his foe, Jiraiya, Kyōraku, el-Emani, and Ushōda had the luxury of going four-on-one against the Valkyrie Hildr, yet they were no closer to vanquishing their enemy than Captain Kuchiki seemed to be with his. The combined assault might've worked to split the Valkyrie's attacks, but Jiraiya knew it also meant that Kyōraku wouldn't risk bringing even his Shikai into play here. Unless it was a situation where his allies knew his Shikai's abilities inside and out, like the clash against the wraith in the north, Kyōraku was extremely reluctant to play his Zanpakutō's 'games.' While Jiraiya had developed a keen understanding of how Katen Kyōkotsu worked, Hachigen had never directly interacted with the Shikai's abilities, and neither had el-Emani. That was why Kyōraku had allowed Squad Three's Captain to take the lead with his Shikai, with the leader of Squad Eight instead focusing on using his refined Zanjutsu expertise and twin blades to make up for the lack of raw power. Between Kyōraku's skills, el-Emani's adaptable Shikai, the sheer might that Jiraiya possessed thanks to his Shikai increasing the efficacy of Sage Mode, and Hachigen providing spell casting support, the four of them had Hildr locked in a stalemate, but the Valkyrie had plenty of strength left for the fight.

In fact, unless Jiraiya was imagining things, Hildr seemed to be growing stronger as the fight went on. The arctic spiritual pressure emanating from her glowing icy-blue wings appeared to be ramping up, and this coincided with more powerful and wide-reaching ice attacks. Storms giant shuriken-like shards would fly forth from her wings one moment, and they would then be followed by frozen wings possessing edges sharper than swords radiating outwards. She still held her scythe in one hand and a short sword in the other, with both weapons moving in blurs as their wielder deflected one attack after another. On top of that, whenever she had the chance, she would immediately take the fight to her closest opponent with utterly ferocious assaults, using the scythe to dominate with its greater reach and open gaps before thrusting forward with her short sword. Jiraiya himself had suffered a very close call under that devastating combo, his chest still bleeding from where the short sword had punctured through and just barely avoided piercing one of his lungs. He'd managed to staunch the worst of the blood flow, silently thanking Captain Unohana for the years' worth of lessons, but Jiraiya wasn't confident in how long he could stand up to such assaults. All it would take was just one slip up on his part for her next combo to be fatal.

Can't let it drag on like this, Jiraiya thought, and I only have one idea for turning things around.

Going to call on that bastard? I hope you know what you're doing.

That makes two of us.

As Jiraiya dropped back to the roof, he turned to Kyōraku, who had his blades locked with Hildr's scythe while el-Emani's snaking sword tried to get past her short one. "Captain, I'm bringing in the big guy!"

He saw Kyōraku's eyes briefly widen before Squad Eight's leader let out a resigned chuckle. "That's going to be messy, but I guess it can't be helped."

"Who's 'the big guy'?" el-Emani asked as he shifted his sword into its whip-like club form before taking a swing at the Valkyrie's back, only for the spherical end to crash against her armored wings.

"A real piece of work," Kyōraku answered as he redirected Hildr's scythe with his longer blade while thrusting forward with the smaller one, with the Valkyrie pulling back so that the blade merely grazed along her chest armor, "but one that we need."

"Give me some space," Jiraiya said to Hachigen, who was standing just behind him, "In fact, you should probably find another roof to stand on."

Hachigen raised a pink eyebrow, but did not argue. "If you insist."

Leaping away with a grace belied by his bulky and rather rotund figure, the Vice-Kidō Chief landed atop one of the storehouses below before immediately raising his right hand, the palm aimed at Hildr. "Hadō 33: Sōkatsui!"

As the Valkyrie evade the spell, with Kyōraku and el-Emani immediately giving chase, Jiraiya wasted no time in unfurling the scroll on his back across the Starmont Clan mansion's rooftop, silently praying that he wasn't about to make their situation even worse. It was times like this that Jiraiya missed Gamabunta. Sure, the giant toad was a grumpy and stubborn son of a bitch even on the best of days, but Jiraiya had never had to worry about Gamabunta trying to eat him in the middle of a fight.

Really need to keep an eye out for him in the Soul Society… big guy's got to pass on at some point. I just hope he'll understand why I had to accept his rival as a substitute for now.

His left hand was a blur as they weaved the appropriate signs before Jiraiya slammed it down into the scroll. "Summoning jutsu!"

A great cloud of pale smoke appeared before the mansion itself began to shudder. Knowing full-well what was about to happen, Jiraiya leapt high into the air, and not a moment too soon; Manda's giant head wound up in the spot the Soul Reaper had occupied mere moments ago, with the rest of the massive purple serpent's body coiling around the mansion. Jiraiya touched down atop the snake's brow a moment later, his club at the ready should Manda try to devour him.

"You disturbed my slumber," Mandar hissed in low menace, "This had better be good, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya smirked, hoping he looked more confident than he felt as he gestured skywards. "Stick out your tongue, Manda, and tell me if what you taste is to your liking."

Manda did just that, and he immediately lifted his head, green eyes locking onto Hildr. "Mmm, what's this? Such spirit energy… my, my, Jiraiya… even Orochimaru never delivered me such a delicacy! She is our target, yes?"

"Yup," Jiraiya confirmed before shooting a glare at one of the serpent's big eyes, "and only her, unless any other Valkyries show up. No eating anyone else, you got that?"

"Oh, her energy will be feast enough for tonight," Manda purred with malevolent delight, slithering more of his body up the mansion until he was largely coiled around just the upper half, "I shall savor every last drop of it!"

Jiraiya felt the snake tense beneath him before Manda's upper half suddenly rocketed into the air. Using the serpent's momentum, Jiraiya Flash Stepped from Manda's head and got behind Hildr, all the while generating a sphere of swirling blue-white energy in the palm of his left hand.

"Rasengan!" he shouted as he drove the rapidly swelling sphere into the Valkyrie's back.

Occupied with deflecting strikes from Kyōraku and el-Emani, Hildr took the full brunt of Jiraiya's jutsu. The force of the spinning orb propelled her downwards, right into the path of the ascending Manda. His jaws were already stretched wide, venom dripping from his fangs. Jiraiya briefly hoped that the fight would end right here, but Hildr would not let it be so. A wave of frigid spiritual pressure pulsed outwards, and two pillars of ice flew forth from her glowing wings, lodging themselves in the serpent's mouth. The Valkyrie was about to follow-up with a swing of her scythe at Manda's head, but Jiraiya had been descending behind her and brought his club down in a powerful blow which she was forced to deflect with her wings.

"Gunnr said you were full of surprises!" Hildr remarked with a cackle as both Jiraiya and Manda fell back to the mansion, "I see she wasn't exaggerating!"

As Kyōraku and el-Emani attacked her while Hachigen let fly with another Sōkatsui from below, Jiraiya used his club to shatter the ice pillars lodged in Manda's jaws. The great serpent hissed and snarled as the smaller chunks of ice went either down his throat or fell out of his mouth, his forked tongue flicking about wildly.

"Feisty wench," Manda seethed as he glowered up at her, "She'll regret her insolence."

Wracking his mind frantically for ideas, Jiraiya's gaze went back and forth between Hildr and Manda. He had no doubt that the serpent was the key to ending this fight, but it was difficult to take advantage of his pure physical might when the enemy could simply fly right out of reach. A binding spell seemed the obvious solution, but Jiraiya had already seen Hildr break out of one without much difficulty.

Out of one… wait a second… it's worth a shot.

Briefly looking up to make sure Hildr would be occupied by the Captains for at least the next few seconds, Jiraiya then rushed to the edge of the roof and shouted at the Vice-Kidō Chief. "Hachigen!"

The pink mustachioed gentleman cast a curious gaze towards him, prompting Jiraiya to move his arms like he was pulling a rope before gesturing between himself, Hachigen, and Hildr. Hachigen gave him a confused look at first until Jiraiya repeated the series of motions, and the Soul Reaper saw his eyes light up in comprehension. Smiling, Jiraiya then held up his left hand, opening it to display all five digits before closing and opening it again two more times. Once Hachigen nodded in understanding, Jiraiya raced back towards Manda.

"Be ready, you cranky old bastard," Jiraiya goaded, "You want your food? We'll bring it right to you!"

Taking a deep breath, Jiraiya gathered as much energy as he could for the spell he was about to cast. He could sense Hachigen's slowly swelling spiritual pressure as well, and Jiraiya suspected that they'd only get one shot at pulling this off.

Really rolling the dice, hm? Your old healer friend would be pleased.

I appreciate the thought, but I'd rather not have Tsunade placing a bet on this. Not with her luck.

Ah… good point.

Raising his left hand, he aimed the open palm at Hildr. "Bakudō 63: Sajō Sabaku!"

Yellow strands of energy formed into a long rope which quickly wrapped around Hildr. At the same time, a second rope also appeared courtesy of Hachigen and entangled the Valkyrie as well. Now with two binding spells cast upon her, Hildr struggled mightily against the bonds, but this time her escape would not come so easily.

"Alright, Hachigen!" Jiraiya called out as he gripped the club between his teeth while seizing his end of the rope with both hands, "Now pull!"

Recognizing what Jiraiya and Hachigen were trying to accomplish, el-Emani and Kyōraku swiftly moved to assist. For Squad Three's Captain, that assistance came in the form of shifting more of his Shikai's strange liquid mass into the weighted sphere at the end, which he then hammered against Hildr like a kid swinging a very long and bendy bat at a ball. Meanwhile, Squad Eight's Captain aimed both of his blades at the Valkyrie, and Jiraiya could sense Kyōraku's spiritual pressure spiking.

"Hadō 78: Zangerin!" he barked.

He then swung both his blades, and an arc of powerful spiritual energy ripped forth. It slammed into the restrained Valkyrie, and while Jiraiya couldn't tell if the attack did any damage, that didn't matter as much as the fact that the spell had pushed Hildr lower. Jiraiya then felt the Valkyrie's spirit energy rapidly rising, and he knew it was now or never.

"Manda, go!" he shouted.

The serpent had already coiled himself up like a spring in preparation, and now he shot into the air. His jaws were stretched wide, and even as Hildr managed to overpower the twin binding spells through the raw might of her spirit energy, it was already too late for her to evade. Manda bit down, with one of his fangs piercing the Valkyrie's armor through her left shoulder and sinking in deep.

Not content to let the snake's venom do all the work, both el-Emani and Kyōraku piled on from behind. El-Emani's Shikai had reformed once again, shifting into a long and slender blade which pierced the Valkyrie's spine, while Kyōraku thrust both of his swords into her back. Jiraiya heard pained and raspy breaths escape from beneath the Valkyrie's helmet, and he could sense her spirit energy dropping off a cliff.

"Well… fought," she gasped as blood seeped from where her armor had been breached, "A worthy end… thank you."

Then Manda bit down harder, pulling her off the Captains' blades and down into his throat.

….

Damn you, Lord Vahaegon Drakken silently cursed as Captain Ukitake's Shikai once again absorbed Rhygaron's flames, only to blast the spirit energy they'd contained back at him and his loyal steed in a brilliant flash of orange-red light that hit the dragon's left leg and caused the beast to groan, I never realized that you, of all people, could be one of the greatest threats to our clan. I might be the sacrificial rearguard, but if I can take you down tonight, Ukitake, then my family will have won a great victory! I'll consider that sufficient consolation in my demise.

Going into the fight, the Drakken Clan's patriarch had originally considered Captain Shihōin to be the greatest threat. While he loathed the desert cats with a blazing fury that befitted their ancient rivalry, the last thing Vahaegon would ever do was underestimate them. Yoruichi's moniker of Flash Goddess was well-earned, as she was brilliantly demonstrating tonight. Were it not for the advantage in elevation and literal firepower that Rhygaron provided him, not to mention the protection granted him by his Spirit Armor, Vahaegon knew that Captain Shihōin's incredible speed combined with the power of her Shikai would've been more than enough to end him several times over already. As it was, she'd already proven to be a fiendishly difficult target for both him and Rhygaron to track and engage, yet it was the perpetually frail Captain Ukitake who'd shown himself to be an even greater danger. Lord Vahaegon had known about Sōgyo no Kotowari's energy redirection ability, but never had he dreamed that said ability could also be applied to dragon fire. Perhaps he should've; dragons, after all, were naturally blessed with potent spirit energy in addition to their physical gifts, and that blessing being part of their legendary fire wasn't exactly a stretch. Even so, for that blessing to be so easily weaponized against him had come as no small shock.

While Rhygaron aimed a column of fire at the damnable Kidō Corps Commander to keep him from casting another one of his infuriatingly powerful spells, Vahaegon pointed his spear at Captain Shihōin and poured his spirit energy into, synching his power with that which flowed from the weapon itself. A beam of red energy nearly equivalent to a Gillian's Cero in strength zipped across the night sky, but the Flash Goddess was already nothing more than a blur surrounded by white lightning, and the blast went through empty air before plowing through a distant tower, reducing it to rubble. That was fine as far as Vahaegon was concerned, for the attack was simply meant to keep Captain Shihōin back for a moment while he and Rhygaron went for their real target; Captain Ukitake.

The great scarlet dragon flapped his mighty wings rapidly, accelerating with a swiftness belied by his incredible size. This time, Rhygaron restrained his natural impulse to douse the white-haired Soul Reaper in flame, and instead thrust his head towards the Captain, massive jaws snapping. Ukitake was no Flash Goddess, but he was still rather nimble, and Rhygaron's sheer size meant that the dragon's moves were not difficult to read. However, with Ukitake focused on evading The Blood Wing's head, he'd unwittingly left himself vulnerable to another threat; Rhygaron's forward claws.

The beast suddenly lurched his right wing forward, sacrificing balance in the air for the chance to smite Ukitake with the great claws of that limb. Vahaegon had the satisfaction of seeing the Soul Reaper's eyes widen in panic, and he was forced to block the dragon's claws with his swords. The sheer physical might behind the blow was enough to send the Captain flying back and down, with the frail white-haired man crashing hard into the rooftop of one of the Drakken Clan estate's storehouses below.

Sensing a spike in spiritual pressure, Vahaegon raised his left arm, and the buckler he wore sent out a pulse of invisible energy. Once again, that piece of Spirit Armor proved its worth, as its barrier blocked the white lightning of Captain Shihōin's Shikai without the slightest bit of trouble. Below, Vahaegon saw Ukitake struggling to wise, his frame suddenly wracked with shudders as the perpetually-sick Captain coughed up blood. Vahaegon smirked cruelly as he saw despair and dread wash over Ukitake's face; his illness had picked the worst possible time to assail him.

"Finish him, Rhygaron!" the Drakken Clan's patriarch bellowed in triumph.

As the scarlet beast raised his right wing in preparation to plunge its claws into Ukitake's gut, that was when he heard Tessai's voice ring out over the clamor of battle. "Bakudō 99, Part 1: Kin!"

Vahaegon's head snapped back as he sought out the Kidō Corps Commander. Finding the bespectacled man standing atop a nearby section of the wall that ran along the Drakken Clan estate perimeter, Vahaegon saw that Tessai's arms were extended wide in each direction. The spell casting master then quickly brought them together while simultaneously intertwining his fingers. Twin lengths of black fabric materialized seemingly out of thin air and wrapped themselves around Rhygaron's right wing, binding it to the dragon's side and then pinning it with a series of dark iron shafts. Vahaegon could sense formidable energy behind the spell; the Kidō Corps Commander had really put his back into it, so to speak. The Blood Wing snarled in irritation as he flexed the bound limb against the spell. Vahaegon knew that Rhygaron could break it; it would take several seconds at the very most. The Drakken Clan patriarch could still envision his mount's claws gutting Ukitake and leaving his entrails strewn across the rooftop, and that vision would become reality quite shortly.

And that was when Vahaegon felt a slender metal point slip through the seams in his armor and pierce the back of his neck.

His eyes widened in horror as he shifted in his saddle to see a woman with shoulder-length raven hair, clad in the all-black uniform of the Stealth Force, crouching on the back of Rhygaron. He hadn't even sensed her approach, let alone seen it, and clearly his dragon hadn't detected her either. Vahaegon only had time to gape in astonishment at what this waif had pulled off before he saw her become a blur. Then he felt the blade once again pierce the exact same spot on the back of neck, followed by a sudden sickly sensation that spread rapidly through his veins. Darkness rapidly encroached from the edges of his vision before he was struck by searing agony coursing throughout his body.

Scarlet light enveloped him a few seconds later, and then the venerable patriarch of the Drakken Clan disintegrated. A shortly-lived black butterfly symbol took his place upon The Blood Wing's back before it too disappeared, his weapon and shield clattering to the ground while not a trace of the traitorous lord's body was left behind.

….

The head of a Great Noble House was quite the prestigious kill, but Soi-Fon did not rest on her laurels. After all, she still standing atop a very much alive and now very angry dragon; resting was the last thing she could afford. She recalled Yoruichi mentioning during one of their training sessions how the bond between dragons and their riders supposedly went deeper than factors such as familiarity and trust, how observed behavior between the two over time suggested an almost psychic form of link where human and beast could understand each other's emotions on an intuitive level. If that was indeed the case, then the potential consequences of such a link being disrupted by something as profound as the death of either dragon or rider could be very bad for the party that killed them.

As Rhygaron shook and thrashed beneath her, Soi-Fon was now much more inclined than before to believe the theory of an intuitive link between dragon and rider. The beast's roars were thunderous and wrathful, yet Soi-Fon swore she felt an almost mournful undertone in them. The Blood Wing was painfully aware of his rider's demise, and as it turned its long neck so that it could lay one of its orange-yellow eyes upon her, Soi-Fon could see the iris and slitted pupil blazing with vengeful fury.

"Soi-Fon!" Yoruichi shouted, "Get clear!"

Not needing to be told twice, Soi-Fon swiftly Flash Stepped away from the furious dragon, and not a moment too soon. Mere seconds after her feet had left the beast's back, Rhygaron let loose a deafening roar accompanied by a thick column of flame that flowed along his back and would've turned her to cinders had she moved just an instant later. At the same time, she saw the towering crimson creature flex its restrained right wing, and the black bindings of Tessai's spell were torn to shreds.

However, the Kidō Corps Commander had been preparing for such an eventuality, for Soi-Fon heard him call out another spell immediately, this time with the preceding incantation. "Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end. Bakudō 75: Gochūtekkan!"

Rhygaron had just begun to flap his wings, but before he could lift off more than a meter, five tall and thick grey pillars linked by chains fell from the sky. They slammed into the dragon's back and wings, pinning the creature to the ground. The Blood Wing thrashed manically beneath these new bounds, and Soi-Fon could already see cracks snaking up the pillars; this spell would not hold any longer than the previous one.

Yet it was long enough, for as Rhygaron was distracted by attempting to break free, not only was Yoruichi Flash Stepping upon him, but Ukitake had gotten to his feet as well. Squad Thirteen's Captain looked like he was just barely holding himself together, especially if the blood flowing from between his lips was anything to go by, but he still managed to position himself to the right of the dragon's head as Yoruichi came in from the left. The two Soul Reapers attacked in unison, aiming for one of the few weak points in a dragon's defenses; the eyes.

Befitting her status as the Flash Goddess, it was Yoruichi who struck first despite coming from further away than Ukitake. Squad Two's Captain thrust both of her gauntlets forward, sinking them deep into Rhygaron's left eye a moment before Ukitake's Shikai pierced the right. Soi-Fon felt a spike in Yoruichi's spiritual pressure as she poured the potent white lightning of her Shikai through the dragon's now-shredded left eye, down the socket, and directly into the beast's brain.

That was Soi-Fon believed to be the death blow, though Ukitake's twin swords plunging deep into the right eye socket and the skull behind made damn sure the deed was done. A final jet of fire burst forth from the dragon's mouth, but it was more of a gasp than a concentrated blast like before. The creature's spirit energy flatlined, and its massive body slumped to the ground with an earth-shaking thud.

As Soi-Fon Flash Stepped to her Captain's side, she saw Yoruichi briefly nod at the carcass before turning her attention to Ukitake, who was definitely not looking his best. "Respectfully, Ukitake, I think you're done for tonight."

Ukitake hacked up globules of blood as he sealed his Zanpakutō, dropping to one knee as he sheathed the blade while coughs wracked his body. "I suppose… I can't argue with that assessment."

"Soi-Fon, get him to the closest Squad Four relief team," Yoruichi ordered, her brow furrowing as she had to split her attention between giving orders and forcing the errant bursts of lightning from her Shikai upwards to avoid harming her comrades, "Once you've dropped him off, get back here immediately."

"Understood," Soi-Fon acknowledged as she sealed and sheathed her Zanpakutō before helping Ukitake to his feet, "What about you, Lady Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi nodded in the direction of the wider battle as white sparks flew up from her Shikai. "I'll go make myself useful. Join me when you come back. I won't be hard to find."

"Right," said Soi-Fon as she hoisted Ukitake over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes; the need for speed meant sacrificing some of the senior Soul Reaper's dignity, "Be careful, Lady Yoruichi."

"Same goes for you," Yoruichi replied before vanishing in a Flash Step, with Soi-Fon doing the same a second later.

….

Dragons fleeing fire, Jigoku no Joō quipped with clear amusement as the four beasts and their riders flying high over the battle twisted and weaved through the air to avoid the swarms of firebirds that Itachi had constantly harassing them, I must say, the irony's quite delicious.

Itachi knew that things were not quite as the spirit of his Zanpakutō made them out to be. The four dragons themselves had nothing to fear; Jigoku no Joō's flames were hardly a threat to even the juveniles, let alone the adults. However, their riders were another story. The Drakken Clan may have justifiably prided themselves on being lords of fire-breathing beasts, but they didn't share their prized mounts' resistance to the flames. That was why Itachi was keeping his attacks concentrated overhead, constantly bombarding the backs of the dragons with flocks of flaming crows as he targeted their riders. He'd yet to seriously wound any of them; the beasts were quite agile, and the larger ones had taken to sheltering the juveniles beneath them as their flight paths allowed, though Itachi was still managing to slip his firebirds into the gaps. However, despite the lack of any actual harm to the riders, Itachi's efforts were still serving their main purpose of keeping them from retreating.

How much longer that would last was another matter, though. The gaps that Gondul's rods had created in the Seireitei's barrier were now more than wide enough for one of the juvenile dragons to slip through, and soon enough those gaps would merge with each other to form an opening more than wide enough for the adults to make their exit. Itachi was pouring a considerable amount of spirit energy into his Shikai to facilitate constant replenishments for the flocks above, and he was confident that he could keep even a very wide gap covered for a time, but 'covered' wasn't the same as 'completely blocked'.

If the riders shelter against the backs of their dragons and cover their faces, he thought, then their mounts can probably power through my flames while keeping the people on them from suffering more than minor burns. When the gap's wide enough, they'll most likely line up and make a break for it. I'll have to keep the gap covered while simultaneously attacking to disrupt their exit vector. It's just a matter of time before they start getting through.

As it turned out, though, Itachi had something much more pressing to worry about than enemy's escaping. Apparently finally waking up to the fact that the Soul Reaper harassing them wasn't going to stop anytime soon, and growing seriously annoyed with Itachi's efforts, none other than Visaelya's father and Rayala The Sapphire suddenly wheeled about and went into a dive.

A dive straight towards Itachi's position.

"We need to go!" Mikoto cried out, "Now!"

Itachi didn't need to be told twice. Flash Stepping immediately, he and his mother split up, and not a moment too soon. The serpentine Rayala was incredibly swift, closing in rapidly before she doused the rooftop that Itachi and Mikoto had occupied in a wide plume of flame mere seconds after they'd left it. As Itachi landed atop a smaller nearby structure, he had no choice but to divert the stream of firebirds flowing forth from his sword away from the cordon he'd formed high over the Seireitei and instead towards this new threat. At the same time, he saw twin strands of violet flame snake forth from the tips of his mother's Shikai, and Itachi focused his Sharingan upon them as they lashed against Rayala's hide. As he'd suspected, the thick azure scales meant that the energy-draining ability of Mikoto's Zanpakutō had little effect against the dragon, with Itachi detecting only faint traces of power seeping from the beast into the violet fiery streams. Perhaps if his mother could land a hit on Rayala's rider, there might be a greater effect, but Itachi had to wonder if the Spirit Armor he could see Visaelya's father wearing would reduce or negate the ability's efficacy.

"Stay on the move!" Itachi ordered Mikoto as he Flash Stepped rapidly between rooftops, "I'll try to keep them focused on me."

Atop the beast, Itachi spotted Visenarr Drakken, his gaze going back and forth as he determined which target to track. Itachi gave Visaelya's father reason to decide on him by sending a wave of firebirds over Rayala's back and onto him, which prompted the man to raise the shield on his left arm. The glowing red runes became brighter as Itachi felt a corresponding pulse of spirit energy, and a small hemispheric barrier of the same color appeared over the man. Itachi's firebirds splashed against the barrier, having absolutely no impact on the man himself while the rest washed over Rayala's back, doing nothing more than causing the dragon to look over her shoulder in mild curiosity. Visenarr's blue eyes then settled on Itachi, and his dragon lurched in his direction.

Congratulations; you now have the undivided attention of a fully grown dragon. What's the next step of your brilliant plan?

Survive until I think of something else.

How Itachi would come up with that 'something else' while constantly Flash Stepping for his life was an open question. Rayala was incredibly swift despite her size, with the snake-like she-dragon appearing to almost slither through the sky like a black mamba. Despite being a mature adult, the target profile she created was surprisingly narrow, and her relatively slender build as far as dragons went made her quite agile and flexible. Itachi didn't just have to worry about the jets of flame that she regularly sent his way; the great length of her neck made her jaws just as much of a threat, as she would suddenly bring her head down to his level and attempt to impale him on her teeth. Her hind legs were also a serious danger, with Rayala frequently bringing them down like an eagle trying to snatch its prey.

As if avoiding the dragon's flames, teeth, and talons wasn't enough to keep Itachi on his toes, he also had to worry about the rider. He'd been wondering since first spotting it just what the lance Visenarr held in his right hand could do, and Itachi rapidly got his answer as the Spirit Weapon spat out strings of fireballs in quick succession. They would rip clean through the rooftops Itachi was Flash Stepping across, and when they hit the ground instead, they would melt clean through the Seireitei's tiles, leaving smoking impact craters behind.

He might not be a Captain, Itachi thought as he ducked beneath Rayala's claws before making another Flash Step to avoid a volley of fireballs from her rider's lance, or even a Soul Reaper for that matter, but Lord Visenarr's no slouch in combat. Even without his dragon, he would likely still be a formidable opponent.

Getting to him would be difficult. Not only was Lord Visenarr clearly a skilled dragon rider, but his shield was proving to be a considerable obstacle. It might not have been able to cover a wide area like the strange pulsing buckler that the clan patriarch had been using, but from Itachi had been able to detect so far it seemed like Visenarr's shield used much less energy than that of Lord Vahaegon. Consolidating its power over a smaller area meant Visenarr could be confident in reliable protection for himself, while Rayala could shrug off any attack either Itachi or Mikoto could throw at her.

His physical defense is formidable, so how about another form of attack? Remember who you're up against here.

Itachi hadn't forgotten in the least, and he wasn't above exploiting that knowledge as he continued to dodge fire, teeth and claws. "Lord Visenarr, you don't have to do this! Think of Visaelya. You're not just fighting against the Soul Society, but your own daughter, too! Do you have any idea what this battle's doing to her?"

Visenarr didn't respond verbally, but as Itachi Flash Stepped to evade a string of fireballs from his lance and a column of flame from Rayala, he could see Visaelya's father tense up. That was all Itachi needed for confirmation; the lord's daughter was a chink in his armor, which meant he had to keep pressing until that chink became a breach.

"Visaelya never wanted it to come to this!" Itachi shouted over the clamor of battle as he sent several flocks of flaming birds at Visenarr, only for them to either be blocked by his shield or simply hit Rayala's scales with no effect, "I can't believe that you did, either. It's not too late; stand down for her sake!"

This time, as Rayala swooped down and tried to impale Itachi on her talons, only for the Soul Reaper to Flash Step and evade with mere centimeters to spare, her rider responded verbally. "You're her friend, aren't you? Itachi Uchiha, yes?"

"That's right," Itachi replied as he sent a swarm of firebirds across the dragon's path while building up another above the magnificent beast, holding off from actually attacking, "You've met me before, though it was years ago. This was the last possible outcome that I wanted, and I know Visaelya feels the same! You don't want to stand against your daughter any more than she does against you!"

There was a period of silence as Visenarr pulled his dragon up, snaking between Itachi's firebirds before wheeling around to place the Soul Reaper in his sights. "Of course not… but we're past the point of no return now. It is too late, Itachi Uchiha… no matter how much I might wish otherwise."

Rayala's mouth opened, and Itachi could see the orange glow in the back of her throat rapidly intensify. Thinking quickly, Itachi Flash Stepped to the right and sicced several flocks of firebirds on dragon and rider while setting up the following flock of flaming crows flowing forth from his sword to surround him. Now visually obscured from his foes, at least for the moment, Itachi began rapidly weaving a series of signs with his left hand.

Crow Clone Jutsu!

Concealed by the firebirds, Visenarr and Rayala could not see two new 'Itachis' appearing by the original's side in a flurry of black feathers. Spreading out the newest firebirds to provide a screen, Itachi had the two clones break off from him before sending the flaming crows up at the dragon. As Visenarr defended himself against the firebirds, Itachi then had his clones Flash Step and leap into the air, one on each side of the dragon. Beast and rider immediately reacted, with the former dousing one clone with a plume of flame while the latter perforated the other with a string of fireballs from his lance. The clones were swiftly reduced to cinders, but they'd served their purpose, for Itachi had Flash Stepped as well, and was now above and behind The Sapphire. Gripping his sword handle in his teeth, Itachi rapidly weaved another set of signs with his left hand while thrusting the right into his robes and seizing several shurikens.

Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!

Itachi spat out a series of small fireballs, grouped together so tightly that, to the enemy, they would've initially appeared as a single large one which suddenly split into several. Guiding each one with his spirit energy, Itachi had them snake and weave through the air as they converged on Visenarr. Hidden within each fireball was a nasty surprise; the shurikens Itachi had thrown while casting the jutsu.

The divergent fireballs rapidly converged on the dragon rider from all directions, but Visenarr's defenses were simply too formidable. Raising his shield, he deflected several of them with an umbrella of scarlet energy. Moving in synch with her rider, Rayala raised and flapped her wings, swatting aside the remaining fireballs and sending the shurikens within falling towards the ground. She then swung her head towards Itachi as he descended and let loose a stream of fire, which the former Shinobi only barely managed to deflect through concentrating a swarm of freshly-generated firebirds around him as a shield.

Shifting the sword back to his right hand before hitting the ground, Itachi immediately Flash Stepped before sending out several small flocks of firebirds to distract Visenarr and Rayala. The Sapphire simply plowed right through them, with Visenarr deflecting those that posed the greatest risk to him with his shield. Itachi saw Rayala's mouth open wide, the back of her throat once again glowing bright orange as she readied another plume of flame.

Before she could unleash her next blast of fire, though, bolts of white lightning smacked into the right side of her head, causing The Sapphire to shriek as her jet of flame shot wildly off target. Itachi didn't need to look to know who the source was; he'd recognize the attacks of Yoruichi's Shikai anywhere.

"Too late, indeed," Itachi muttered grimly as the flow of firebirds from his black sword swelled, "I, too, wish it were otherwise."

He sent the birds forth in two massive waves, one from in front of the target and one from overhead. At the same time, Itachi saw Yoruichi Flash Step around to get to the dragon's left side, and he could sense his mother creeping up from behind the beast. Sure enough, the Flash Goddess let fly with another blast of white lightning which nearly caught Rayala in her left eye, while Mikoto suddenly leapt into the air and thrust her bident forward, with twin streams of violet flame going straight for Visenarr.

A lesser foe would've been overwhelmed by the simultaneous attacks, but Lord Visenarr and Rayala could hardly be considered 'lesser' in any way. White sparks arced along the dragon's skull, but her eyes had avoided any actual damage. At the same time, Lord Visenarr had his shield raised up to perfectly block Mikoto's attack, while a mighty flap of Rayala's wings dispersed the firebirds Itachi had sent from the front. That still left the swarm he had positioned above the beast, and Itachi wasted no time in sending it downwards, but Rayala had already turned directly into the flock, with Lord Visenarr flattening himself against The Sapphire's back as rider and mount together powered right through.

Itachi expected them to come about and dive in for another attack, but instead the blue dragon continued racing skywards, and the reason why quickly became apparent. As the firebird flock he'd positioned above dispersed in the dragon's wake, Itachi could see that the gaps in the Seireitei's barrier created by Gondul's strange rods had now converged, forming a single massive hole. Already, the two smaller dragons being ridden by Visaelya's siblings had braved Itachi's firebirds and slipped through, with Captain Drakken and Daeloron waiting for his brother and Rayala to catch up. Floating beneath the black dragon was Gondul, still channeling power into the rods to keep the gap open.

"We can't let them get away!" Yoruichi shouted, "Vahaegon's dead, which means those two are now in charge of the clan! We can cripple their leadership here and now!"

She was already Flash Stepping high into the air, and Itachi sent forth a swarm of firebirds to support her. He saw her aiming for Rayala, but Captain Drakken and Daeloron picked that moment to dive into the fray. The black titan's mouth opened, and Itachi could feel a massive upswelling of energy from the beast as the back of his throat glowed a hellish orange-red. At the same time, Rayala suddenly U-turned with surprising speed and grace given her size, and her throat began to glow as well. Itachi rushed to get his birds ahead of Yoruichi to form a shield, but he didn't know if there was enough of them to completely blunt Daeloron and Rayala's impending attacks.

The black and blue behemoths roared as a massive plume of hellfire ripped forth from their cavernous jaws. Even as Itachi put every last firebird he could muster between the attacks and Yoruichi, he braced himself for the worst…

…and that was when Kisuke suddenly appeared by Yoruichi's side.

"Chikasumi no Tate!" the blond Soul Reaper cried out as he positioned Benihime in a diagonal guard.

There was a flash of scarlet light, and a crimson hexagonal barrier appeared between him, Yoruichi, and the dragon. The thick plume of flames crashed into it and Itachi's firebirds with a cacophonous roar and blinding glare, forcing him to momentarily shield his eyes. When the light faded enough for Itachi to see, he let out a small sigh of relief as he saw Yoruichi and Kisuke descending towards the ground looking no worse for wear.

"That was reckless," Kisuke commented as he cast a glance at Yoruichi, "even for you."

Yoruichi exhaled in frustrated concession. "Yeah, I know. Not that I'm one to complain about rescues, but weren't you supposed to be fighting their ground troops?"

"We've already dealt them heavy losses," Kisuke replied as he turned his gaze skywards, "and Tessai joined in as soon as you killed Rhygaron. The enemy's on the backfoot, retreating into the mansion or forming smaller pockets across the estate grounds. I figured the others could keep up the pressure while I helped you out here."

"I'll trust your judgement there," Yoruichi said as she followed his gaze, clenching her gauntleted fists as white lightning arced and crackled around her, "We were so close…"

Even as Itachi sent more of his firebirds in pursuit of the two dragons, he knew that it was already too late. His earlier efforts against Rayala had led to the cordon he'd positioned overhead being depleted, and if the juveniles had managed to get through, then Itachi's flaming crows would barely qualify as an inconvenience for the adults. Soon, the blue and black titans slipped through the gap in the barrier and soared off into the eastern night sky.

Itachi's shoulders slumped in defeat as he joined the two of them. "I'm sorry, Yoruichi. I should've…"

"You did more than enough," Yoruichi cut in with a smile, "I won't hear anything else, Itachi."

While Itachi privately thought otherwise, he wasn't about to argue with her now. "Understood."

"What do we do now?" Mikoto asked as she Flash Stepped over to them.

Looking up at the sky again, Itachi saw Gondul release the energy that she'd been channeling through her barrier-piercing rods. As the silver rods fell towards the Seireitei, the Valkyrie flapped her wings and surged upwards, slipping through the rapidly-closing hole in the barrier before it sealed up completely.

With the last of their overhead foes having retreated, Itachi nodded in the direction of the Drakken Clan's mansion. "Should we help the Head Captain?"

Yoruichi shook her head as the group stared at the giant storm of fire and lightning that was Yamamoto's clash with Sigrún. "Knowing him, he'd just consider us to be in the way. Besides, his opponent's the leader of the Valkyries; best he fights her without distraction."

"What about Captain Kuchiki?" asked Mikoto.

"No," Yoruichi answered as the quartet shifted to look at the gradually-shrinking sphere of amethyst lightning floating over the battlefield, "His Bankai's impervious to outside interference. If he drops it and his foe's still alive, we can then intervene, but it'll have to be quick; in that scenario, Captain Kuchiki would either be dead or close to it."

"Then at least some of us should be on standby just in case that happens," Itachi suggested.

Yoruichi nodded. "You and me for certain. Kisuke, how are we looking on casualties?"

"Last I checked, not too bad," her Third Seat answered, "Rija took a hit to the leg, and Mindiwo's out cold; one of the spell casters got a lucky shot off on him. Aika's got a broken arm and some cracked ribs. Squad Four's taking care of them now."

"What about fatalities?" Mikoto asked nervously.

Kisuke let out a grim exhalation. "None among our officers, but several of our rank-and-file are dead. I saw some Executive Militia bodies scattered around, too. We'll get a full accounting later. Squads Six and Thirteen are also bloodied, but they're still combat capable, and so are we."

"Then our work's not done," Yoruichi resolutely declared, "Kisuke, take Mikoto and get back into the fray. Itachi, you're with me. We'll take up position below Captain Kuchiki's Bankai. You keep watch on the wider engagement and help the others out with your Shikai while I monitor Kuchiki's fight. If he goes down, be ready to fight a Valkyrie."

….

Flash Stepping between the amethyst platforms of his Bankai, Ginrei knew that time was rapidly running out. The arena he and Geirdriful were fighting in was growing smaller with each passing second, to the detriment of both combatants. While the giant electric petals zipping throughout the sphere were now hitting their target with greater frequency, Ginrei was having much more trouble avoiding them himself, with one even passing so close as to cut into his robe, haori, his very expensive scarf, and even some of his long gray hair. To make matters worse, Geirdriful was taking advantage of the increasingly tight confines, having several times now nearly cornered Ginrei. He had several fresh cuts across his chest and legs as evidence of those close calls, though Ginrei had at least returned the favor, with his sword and giant lightning petals piercing the Valkyrie's armor to wound her torso and arms.

They were roughly even, but how much longer could that last? The Valkyrie's armor and helmet made it difficult for Ginrei to gauge her condition. Her spiritual pressure was no less potent than before, and her moves remained as swift as they were vicious. As he leapt off the platform to clash blades with her once more, Ginrei could still feel the sheer physical strength in her arms as she deflected his attack, seemingly not diminished in the least despite how long their battle had been raging. The whirling slash that was her counterattack likewise did not lack for power in the slightest, whereas Ginrei had to take caution with how he parried the strike to minimize his energy expenditure.

I'm slipping back into old habits, the venerable Captain realized as he launched himself into a sequence of gracefully flowing slashes, I told myself I'd be going all in with my Bankai, but ever since I trapped us both in it, I've been taking an incremental approach to the fight. Trying to wear her down with accumulated hits once she grew accustomed to this arena, waiting for her to make a mistake… and she's been doing the same with me. The difference is that she can afford such exchanges, but I cannot.

He grunted as his blade suddenly hit the Valkyrie's folded wings instead of her scythe. When he made for another swing, both wings suddenly unfurled, not only disrupting Ginrei's attack but their edges slashing him across his right shoulder. He grimaced from the fresh wound's pain even as he deflected Geirdriful's follow-up scythe swing before retreating with a Flash Step, using several of his Bankai's petals as cover. When he eventually came to a stop, he realized that the platform he'd landed upon was right up against the crackling violet bars of the cage; the arena's confines had narrowed much more than Ginrei had previously realized. There were perhaps a few minutes at most remaining before he'd either have to deactivate his Bankai or risk being killed by it along with his foe. While Ginrei was not afraid to sacrifice his life for the Soul Society if needed, he would much rather make the enemy die for it instead.

As Ginrei Flash Stepped away from the platform, he grasped that another gambit would be needed, one just as risky as activating his Bankai had been. Possibly more. After all, even if this particular trick worked, there was the very real risk that he'd still go down with his foe. He'd very much rather not use it, but given the time constraints, Ginrei could see no other option.

Once again, he'd have to roll the dice.

….

You've fought well, Captain Kuchiki, Geirdriful silently praised as one of the big electric petals hit her back while several others crashed against her folded wings in a shower of sparks, I would savor such a contest longer, if possible, but your Bankai will not permit that. Time to bring this duel to a close.

Neither combatant could move more than a few meters at most now before finding their paths blocked by either the spinning petals or the crackling cage walls, and even that narrow room for maneuver was tightening up quickly. It felt as if Geirdriful and her foe were clashing in the middle of a purple maze, where contact with the walls could result in agony and death. The Valkyrie was no fan of fighting in such an enclosed space, but the fact that she could fly still gave her a slight advantage here. While Ginrei was limiting his movements to the scattered platforms, Geirdriful was under no such constraints.

So, she gained what little altitude could still be gotten in the shrinking sphere, getting above Squad Six's Captain. From her position, she could see that he only had three possible paths from his current platform; straight ahead, slightly to the left, or a sharp right. The first would bring him towards her in a roundabout fashion, the second a bit more directly, while the third only served as an avenue of retreat. Given how little time was left in their fight, Geirdriful immediately ruled out the third. She paused just for a moment as she watched Ginrei, and when she saw his eyes dart in the direction of the second path, Geirdriful dived in that direction.

She landed upon the platform first, already bracing herself as Ginrei Flash Stepped in her direction. As his feet hit the platform and their blades clashed, the floating petals closed in around them, forming a second and much smaller sphere within the cage that was Ginrei's Bankai. There was no room for either combatant to retreat now; their duel would end here.

Ginrei struck first, feinting with a high slash before thrusting his blade low. Unable to get the crescent edge of her scythe down in time, Geirdriful instead shifted her grip and deflected with her weapon's shaft instead before raising the pole and jabbing it into Ginrei's chest. The Soul Reaper grunted at the impact but did not falter, redoubling his offensive efforts with a series of ferocious and increasingly-desperate slashes. As the walls quite literally closed in around them, it became clear that Ginrei's urgency to end the battle quickly was causing him to sacrifice technique in the name of speed and power. Gaps were becoming much more apparent now, and Geirdriful knew that all she had to do now was simply wait for the right one to exploit. That came just a few seconds later as Ginrei made a wide spinning slash, one that pushed the Valkyrie to the edge of the platform thanks to its surprising strength as she blocked it…

…before it left the Soul Reaper's back exposed.

Geirdriful immediately swung her scythe down, with the crescent blade sinking deep into Ginrei's right shoulder. Before she could extract the weapon and make her follow-up attack, though, the Valkyrie suddenly felt an explosion of agony from her chest. Looking down, she saw none other than the Soul Reaper's Zanpakutō piercing through her torso armor.

"How…?" she began, her voice trailing off as comprehension settled in.

Her gaze following along the blade, Geirdriful saw that Ginrei had shifted to a reverse left-handed grip, thrusting the sword so close to himself that it had actually cut through his robes and haori before reaching her.

"You… left yourself open… deliberately," she rasped as blood began welling up in her throat, "and used your body… to hide the grip switch."

"Indeed," Ginrei confirmed with a gravelly cough as he pulled himself free of her scythe, not even flinching as blood sprayed out from the wound.

Geirdriful felt a chill washing through her body, and darkness rapidly began encroaching on her vision. Her strength swiftly fading, she fell to one knee, propping herself up on the handle of her scythe. For his part, Ginrei was still standing, though with how severe his latest wound was, Geirdriful knew it wouldn't be for long.

It was long enough to signify his victory, though, and the Valkyrie smiled bitterly inside her helmet. "A splendid gambit… so artfully executed."

Then she collapsed forward, with darkness taking her forever.

….

His focus on aiding the battle raging inside the estate grounds with his firebirds meant that Itachi was somewhat taken aback by the sudden collapse in the clash of spiritual pressure that had been raging overhead, though he immediately knew what it meant. One way or another, Captain Kuchiki's fight with Geirdriful was over. Chancing a glance skywards, he saw that the electric violet sphere that was Ginrei's Bankai had faded, and two figures were rapidly falling towards the surface. Itachi could only feel the spiritual pressure of Ginrei, and it was wavering; he had triumphed over the Valkyrie, but she'd made him pay for it.

"Hold your position!" Yoruichi ordered as she deactivated and sheathed her Zanpakutō before Flash Stepping into the air.

Itachi did so, continuing to harass the surviving pockets of hostile resistance within the estate grounds with his flaming crows while Yoruichi caught the falling Ginrei. He almost missed Soi-Fon's quiet arrival, her own Flash Step nearly silent amidst the background clamor.

"Seems Captain Kuchiki will need treatment as well," she remarked as Yoruichi brought Ginrei down to their position, "First Ukitake, now him… it's been an ugly night."

"We're up against a Great Noble House and its allies," Itachi reminded her, "It was never going to be pretty."

"And it's not over yet," Yoruichi chimed in as her feet hit the floor, "Soi-Fon, you mind bringing Squad Four another patient?"

Soi-Fon inclined her head, swiftly moving to take Ginrei from her as the wounded Captain sheathed his blade. "As you wish, Lady Yoruichi."

Ginrei grunted and coughed as Yoruichi moved his arm over Soi-Fon's shoulders. "My apologies… for the inconvenience."

Yoruichi shook her head. "You took down a Valkyrie, Captain Kuchiki; no need to apologize for winning. You've earned your rest."

Ginrei nodded before casting a glance towards the battle in the estate grounds while hacking up globules of blood. "Then I leave this matter… in your capable hands… and those of my Lieutenant. Good luck, Captain Shihōin."

"What's our next move?" Itachi asked as Soi-Fon and Ginrei vanished in a Flash Step.

Yoruichi gestured towards the still-raging clash before them, drawing her Zanpakutō once more. "We secure the estate grounds, then get inside the mansion and find the Nalatarin."

"And if it's already gone?" Itachi inquired, nodding towards the apex of the invisible barrier that other four dragons and Gondul had already passed through.

"We quell all resistance within the mansion itself, then report back to the Head Captain," Yoruichi answered, "After that, it's in his hands and the Central Forty-Six."

Itachi nodded. "Understood."

The two of them took one last look at the storm of fire and lightning raging overhead, then Flash Stepped to join the battle on the ground.

….

Head Captain Yamamoto's entire world now consisted of an electrified inferno and clashing blades. Although his sense for spiritual pressure gave him a rough idea as to the wider battle's overall trajectory, as far as visual, audio, and everything else was concerned, the larger clash at the Drakken Clan estate and beyond simply did not exist. There was the mansion's hard marble rooftop beneath his feet, the mightiest of the Valkyries overhead, her lightning and the flames of Ryūjin Jakka surrounding them, and nothing else.

Against a foe of this caliber, that was all Yamamoto wanted.

"Taimatsu!" he called out, making a broad sweep with his blade.

A fresh wave of searing flames flashed forth from the sword, completely enveloping Sigrún. Against practically any other foe, that attack alone would've been enough to end the fight right then and there. The incredible heat and intensity of Ryūjin Jakka's fire combined with the focused power that Yamamoto could give them were utterly lethal, as countless adversaries had learned over the millennia. Indeed, Yamamoto could count the enemies who had survived just this simple strike without using all of his fingers, such was its sheer might.

Sigrún could count herself among them as of this fight. There was a booming thundercrack and brilliant flash of light as the flames surrounding the Valkyrie were parted by a wedge of white lightning. That lightning was followed swiftly by Sigrún herself, soaring forward so quickly that even the Flash Goddess would've found her worthy competition, and she brought her heavy battleaxe down in a mighty blow. Yamamoto's reflexes remained razor-sharp despite his advancing years, but even he was hard-pressed to completely deflect the attack, and the axe blade cut down along his upper right torso. Primal adrenaline surged at the sensation of warm blood trickling down his chest; it had been quite some time since the Head Captain's impressive collection of scars last gained a new addition.

It was a favor that Yamamoto would eagerly return in kind. Gripping Ryūjin Jakka in both hands, he countered with a powerful upward swing. While Sigrún managed to catch the blow on her axe, it was just the opening move in a sequence of brutal swings that drove the Valkyrie back across the rooftop and through the air, culminating in a vicious horizontal slash with enough might behind it that Yamamoto's blazing sword pierced his opponent's armor at her left shoulder despite the warrior blunting much of its strength with her signature weapon. The fiery blade further blackened Sigrún's already-scorched armor, and Yamamoto had the satisfaction of seeing blood seeping out even as the Valkyrie immediately counterattacked.

Indeed, Yamamoto could actually hear laughter echoing from behind her helmet, a haunting song of exhilaration and bloodlust that the old man recognized well from campaigns long past. There had been a time when he, too, might've indulged in such sentiments. A darker and bloodier age that he wanted to keep far behind him, yet one that her melodious chortling sang to despite himself.

"A pity that our clash must come at the start," Sigrún eventually remarked as fiery sword and electrified axe met again and again, "rather than at the climax of the war, as would be fitting."

"If this is war, then let it be over the same night it started," Yamamoto growled.

With a great flap of her wings, Sigrún soared upwards, and the Head Captain sensed a rapid swelling of spiritual pressure that accompanied the intensifying glow of her wings. "Come now, Head Captain; you surely realize that it's already too late. Pandora's Box is open now, whether we like it or not!"

Booming thundercracks sounded as countless bolts of ivory lightning flew out from her open wings, spreading outwards before suddenly arcing and curving down, coming at Yamamoto as if a shower of arrows let loose from a great host. Evasion would be pointless, and the Head Captain didn't even try. Instead, he propelled himself into the sky with a Flash Step so forceful that it left a footprint surrounded by cracks in the marble rooftop, though it was quickly destroyed outright as several of the Valkyrie's lightning bolts crashed into the surface. Still others hit Yamamoto directly, and he grit his teeth against the agonizing currents coursing through his body. Such pain was an old friend, though, one he had long ago learned how to harness for his own ends.

It was that pain he now used to further fuel his adrenaline and drive for victory, sharpening his focus still further as he powered through the barrage of lightning to meet his adversary head-on. Concentrating the raw might of Ryūjin Jakka's flames in the edge of the blade, Yamamoto made a diagonal upwards slash from right to left when he got in range. His Shikai's flames spilled out at the moment sword met axe, washing over the enemy in a blazing tsunami. Yet that was not enough, for Sigrún responded in kind, channeling the lightning generated in her wings through her axe at the same moment, resulting in a collision of power that caused a titanic roar followed by a mighty shockwave rippling across the sky.

That shockwave became the first of many as the Soul Reaper and Valkyrie's blades met repeatedly in rapid succession, the combatants pouring incredible power into every blow. From the ground, it must've looked like Armageddon itself was breaking out, with flashes of fire and lightning so bright that night might as well be day, and the thundercrack of each strike drowning out all the other nightmarish sounds of battle by orders of magnitude.

After a few minutes of such exchanges, the two combatants sprang apart, both pausing to catch their breath. The flames and bolts of lightning that had dominated the sky since the start of the battle cleared up momentarily, just enough for Yamamoto to get visual confirmation of what he'd sensed before; the four dragons and their riders who had been circling overhead were now gone, as was the Valkyrie that had breached the Seireitei's barrier.

Turning back to Sigrún, the Head Captain graced her with a short but respectful bow. "Your rearguard action's successful. My compliments; you're one of the few in all the Web of Worlds capable of stalling me like this."

"My work is not done yet," Sigrún declared, marshalling her formidable spirit energy once more, "If I can slay you here, my comrades may yet have a chance in the campaigns to come."

"And if you cannot, then you already know their fate," Yamamoto replied matter-of-factly, raising his sword in salute.

Sigrún solemnly nodded before mirroring Yamamoto's gesture with her axe; a final acknowledgement between old warriors. "I do. Now, have at you."

There was a blinding flash of white light from her wings as the Valkyrie became a veritable comet streaking towards the Head Captain. It was fortunate for Yamamoto that his blade was already up, otherwise deflecting the insanely quick strike from her axe that flowed from the charge would've been impossible. As it was, Yamamoto found himself pushed back across the cracked and cratered rooftop from the sheer force behind the blow, his feet coming to a stop mere millimeters from the edge.

Locking her blade in place with his, Yamamoto took his left hand off the handle before throwing a punch so hard that it cracked the armor over the Valkyrie's abdomen. Not to be outdone, Sigrún shifted her axe to just her right hand, but instead of punching back, she seized Yamamoto's left arm and yanked him forward. Then her helmeted head came swinging down, slamming into the bridge of the Head Captain's nose. There was a very audible crunching sound as the old man's nose broke, and Yamamoto could already taste the blood flowing from his nostrils down into his mouth. While it was hardly the worst injury he had suffered over his extensive career, he could not help but be somewhat taken aback at the novelty of it; no one had ever tried such a move against him. Were it not for the present circumstances and having a stern reputation to uphold, the venerable Soul Reaper might have laughed at sheer absurdity of it all.

Breaking free of Sigrún's grip, he made a lunging grab that forced her to pull back and up out of reach. With a Flash Step, Yamamoto gave chase, sending forth a giant wall of flame with a broad swing of his Zanpakutō. Sigrún folded her wings in response, with the fires washing around and over her. She then rapidly unfurled them and counterattacked with scores of lightning bolts, flashing through the air like javelins. Continuing his charge, Yamamoto grit his teeth against the electric spirit energy that coursed through his body with each hit, plowing through the barrage by sheer force of will. When he got within range, the Head Captain made a mighty downward swing. When the Valkyrie caught the strike on the head of her axe, Yamamoto swiftly raised his left knee, sending it plunging into Sigrún's gut and turning the cracks at that point in her armor into a gaping whole. The Valkyrie wheezed as she pulled back, covering her retreat with another flurry of white lightening.

When she came to a stop as Yamamoto landed on the badly-damaged rooftop once more, Sigrún clutched her stomach while keeping her axe in a guard position. "As fierce… as ever."

Yamamoto whipped some of the blood from his face with the left sleeve of his robe, though the steady flow of fluid from his nose made the effort futile. "Your resilience is impressive. Few would be able to breathe after that punch, let alone speak."

She returned her left hand to the grip of her axe a moment later. "We could slug at each other all night as common brawlers… but we're both better than that. We both deserve better than that."

Yamamoto concurred as he shifted back to a two-handed grip. "I would have this battle end with the dignity and honor befitting our positions."

"As would I," Sigrún replied, her power swelling once more.

Yamamoto saw the glowing of her wings intensify once more, and he braced himself for the inevitable blitz. It came a moment later, with the Valkyrie moving so quickly she actually vanished from his sight for a precious second. When she reappeared before him, her axe wasn't raised as Yamamoto had expected; the head was instead close to the ground, and Sigrún brought it up in a swing so quick that the Head Captain couldn't even block, instead jerking himself back as fast as he could. While it was enough to keep the strike from splitting him in half, the blade of her axe still carved a vertical gash along his torso; one more memorable scar for the collection.

It would be the last he took from this fight. The momentum behind her swing meant that Sigrún's axe was now too high up for a block; she'd been gambling on landing a crippling or mortal blow, and she'd failed. Even as she immediately brought the axe down, it was already too late. Yamamoto's blade lashed out in a streak of fire and steel…

…and plunged into her chest.

The very air around them fell still as a ragged gasp escaped Sigrún's lips. Her glowing wings began to dim as a final shower of white sparks flew out before they slumped, and the Valkyrie's axe slipped from her fingers, clanging as it hit the ground. She reached out with her left hand, her gauntleted fingers brushing against the Head Captain's cheek as the leader of the Valkyries spoke her final words.

"Your strength… extraordinary."

Yamamoto closed his eyes and bowed one last time. "As was yours."

Then he unleashed an overwhelming surge of flames from his Zanpakutō, and Sigrún became ashes on the wind.

….

The Battle of the Estates, as the simultaneous clashes at the Drakken and Starmont Clan mansions would eventually be named, was ultimately a mixed bag of results. Tactically, the engagement would be recognized as a Soul Society loyalist victory, with the loss of not only one of the Drakken Clan's strongest dragons and its ruling patriarch combined with no less than three Valkyries and the near-complete annihilation of the rebelling nobles' Seireitei forces weighed favorably against the casualties suffered by the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Stealth Force, and Kidō Corps. However, as both heirs of the Drakken Clan patriarch had escaped along with their offspring and their respective dragons while the Starmont Clan's leadership had quietly slipped out of the Seireitei before the battle had even begun, the engagement would also be labeled a strategic success for the renegades' rear-guard action. While the rebels had suffered gravely, the Drakken Clan's line of succession was secure, with Lord Visenarr ascending to the position of patriarch while Rhaegon became the family's chief field commander. The noble dragons and wolves would retreat to their respective homelands, free to marshal their full might for the coming campaigns.

As the dead on both sides were still being counted, messages flew from the Great Noble Houses to their vassals. In the west, southwest, southeast, east, and north, armies were mobilizing. Commoners were levied, reserves called up, outlying patrols recalled. Armories were flung open, supply stocks were counted and readied, and border crossings were heavily reinforced. Across the Soul Society, loyalist and rebel strongholds alike were set on alert, while clan leaders conferred with their generals. Within the Seireitei itself, similar scenes played out for the Soul Society's trio of armed force branches, while fearful whispers ran rampant through the Rukon District as poor souls dreaded the possibility of conscription. Soul Reapers out on field assignments were summoned home and apprised of the situation, given only moments to process the shocking news, and then rapidly reassigned. Zanpakutōs that had long been meant for Hollows or other threats to the Soul Society would now be turned upon rebels or loyalists as the Soul Reapers who owned them declared for their respective sides.

The War of the Principalities had begun.

Author's Notes: Ah, finally got the fic's first war underway, took me long enough! Up front, the war itself is actually going to be a fairly short part of the story, shooting for about 4 or 5 chapters at most, hopefully leaning towards the lower end of the things. In-story, the war will last for a few years, the chapters I'll be writing for it are primarily focused on a few key battles and events. Once the dust settles, the Soul Society will look a lot more like it does in Bleach canon, and the stage will be set for the next act. That'll also be when the time skips start getting larger, as once the war's done I'll be taking things forward to the Turn Back The Pendulum arc.

Ok, Zanpakutō names time! For Captain Zameel el-Emani's Shikai, Suigin no Hebi, I was roughly going for 'Quicksilver Serpent', but the literal translation's 'Mercury Serpent' at least according to Google, so take that for what you will. As for Captain Ginrei Kuchiki's Bankai, Inazuma no Hanamatsuri, 'Lightning Flower Festival' is what I was shooting for.

Regarding how Ukitake's Shikai was able to absorb dragon fire, I came up with the idea when I was thinking about how Ukitake and Kyōraku took on Yamamoto during the Soul Society arc. The thing is, we don't really see much of the actual battle, so I got to wondering how Ukitake, a character notable for his poor health (something I can relate to lately), was still able to remain standing for as long as he and Kyōraku did when facing the overwhelming heat and might of the Head Captain's Zanpakutō. Both used their Shikai, and Kyōraku's had a means of at least somewhat dealing with Yamamoto's flames; Bushōgoma. Granted, we never see him actually use that technique against the Head Captain, but seeing as it involves creating blades of wind with his swords, my rough working theory was him using that technique to perhaps blow away some of Yamamoto's flames, at least enough to give Kyōraku a bit of breathing room. Not a perfect theory, I know, but since the manga and anime don't really give us much to work with when it comes to that battle, guesswork's all I had.

Anyway, that takes care of Kyōraku, but what about Ukitake? His Shikai's ability is energy absorption, followed by using that same energy in an attack against his enemies. Now, we only see him use that ability against what I'd call traditional energy attacks, such as a Hollow's Cero; no other reference material to really play off of. So I decided to play a bit fast and loose with things, expanding his Shikai's power to work against any ranged attack as long as said attack has sufficient spirit energy for Ukitake's ability to work with. I figured that could be how he was able to withstand the flames of Ryūjin Jakka for so long; since those flames original from a Zanpakutō, I think it's safe to consider them an 'energy' attack in the sense that without the spirit energy of the Head Captain and his Shikai, those flames can't be generated in the first place. I took that principle and applied it dragon flame, since in this story dragons are spiritually powerful creatures. Seeing as Ukitake and Kyōraku were doing all they could to simply survive against the Head Captain, a further hypothesis I came up with is that Ukitake's Shikai probably has a limit on how much energy it can absorb, otherwise he'd just absorb all of Yamamoto's flames, and there was clearly plenty of fire to go around whenever we were given a look at their confrontation. That's my thought process, whether you agree with it or not's your call.

Alright, these end-chapter notes wound up being a bit more long-winded than I'd originally planned, sorry about that. Hope you're all doing well, I suspect my health will start looking up once one of the main sources of stress in my life right now has run its course in a few weeks' time. If not… well, as I like to say; what'll be, will be.

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to review, stay safe, and I'll see you all next time!