Author's note: This chapter was inspired by a song from Dream Theatre with the same name. I'm sure you have heard it. It's a long, but fantastic song. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 14: Ministry of Lost Souls
Inside Urahara's tent, El Dorado, Hueco Mundo
"Are you sure you're ready, boss?" Tessai asked his longtime friend, as Urahara was now carrying a basket with him as if he was going somewhere.
Urahara faced his longtime friend with a reassuring smile. "I sure am, Tessai! My time here in El Dorado has given me an answer on how to return the stolen Bankais" the laid-back ex-Shinigami said and reached something for his pockets. He then held small black pills in his palm for Tessai and the others to see. "These pills allow Hollow Spiritual Pressure to infuse with the soul it comes into contact with. I call them Shin'eiyaku. When the captains take those, their Bankais will be Hollowfied, albeit temporarily. I have been careful not to put in too much Hollow Spritual Pressure i in these pills. I don't wanna turn them into complete Hollows" he then explained.
While Tessai was stunned to hear it at first, he eventually came to a realization and faced his friend with a slight smile underneath his moustache. "I now see the what you've planned. It all makes sense. If these Quincies are able to steal a Shinigami's Bankai…." he then spoke up cunningly.
Urahara nodded at him in return. "Then they should be able to steal an Arrancar's Resurrecciòn as well. But from what I have discovered from seeing those in service of the Wandenreich, none of them have had their Resurrecciòns taken away. I believe you know what that means" he told Tessai who seemed to understand it all.
"Of course. No need to tell me the rest of the details" Tessai said while adjusting his glasses. "If you have decided to go then it is best I stay here with Jinta, Ururu, Orihime and Chad and wait for your call" he then told him.
The shop owner smiled and then fixed his eyes upon Riruka Dokugamine and Yukio Hans Voralberna, who rose from their seats to join up with him. "Okay, you two. We'll leave Hueco Mundo shortly. But once we're inside the Garganta, you'll do what we agreed upon, yes?" he informed the two Fullbringers about their plans and what they would do as part of them.
Riruka only huffed in anger and crossed her arms. "Fine. But remember, I'm only doing this out of self-preservation, not to help the Soul Society!" the magenta-haired girl said in return.
"Same here. Plus that I simply wish do not wish to fight" Yukio chimed in, grabbing his suitcase. "Now, are we going or what?" he then asked, feeling a little impatient.
Urahara responded by tapping on some buttons on his computer, which resulted in a Garganta appearing inside the tent. Still, it was relatively small when compared to the averege Garganta.
"This Garganta should be able to take us all in" Urahara told the two Fulbringers and then looked at Tessai and the two teenagers. "You three take good care while I'm gone. And remember, don't do anything stupid here in El Dorado. We all know that we'd prefer dealing with Yamamoto instead of Allowin" he reminded them.
Ururu saluted in return. "We will do our best! Be careful out there, boss!" the meek girl said.
"Yeah, whatever" Jinta replied with little enthusiasm and his arms crossed. But Tessai did not welcome his tone and proceeded to bang the red-haired boy's head with his fist. "EYOUCH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, BUTTHOLE!?" he angrily asked Tessai.
Urahara only mused by seeing his group's antics and he decided to enter the small Garganta. "Farewell, friends. Until we meet again" he told them, and he, Riruka and Yukio disappeared through the Garganta. The Garganta itself eventually shut.
This left Tessai alone with the two teenagers inside the tent. He already noticed Ururu's concerned expression.
"You think the boss will be okay?" she asked him.
Tessai faced her with his fancy glasses. "I am confident that he will, Ururu. There are no Quincies lurking inside these Gargantas, and the boss has just the perfect methods of entering the Soul Society while being inside this interdimensional space" he assured her.
As Tessai was offering encouragment to Ururu, Jinta was rubbing the bump on his head, having been given that thanks to Tessai. At the same time, he watched Tessai's reassurance with boredom. Yet despite feeling that way towards them, he still couldn't help but to worry about what his boss' plans were, especially since he had decided to head back to the Soul Society. He had also wondered about what he and Ururu could do, since they had both found out that they were Interminables.
"Just don't screw up with whatever plans you have, boss! I still have something I wanna enjoy in my own lifetime" he thought about Urahara.
But Tessai and the two teenagers suddenly heard someone entering the tent. It was Orihime and Chad, having returned from their training. The three seemed happy to see them again.
"I'm so glad that you are back" Tessai told them with a smile underneath his moustache. "The boss just left along with the two Fullbringers" he then revealed to them, much to their surprise.
But Chad eventually showed understanding with a nod. "So that means Urahara is already headed for the Soul Society? Good. The Court Guard will have great need of his assistance" the tall man said in return.
"Yes. However, as soon as the boss gives me a call, we fice are to head to the Soul Society without delay. Who knows, when we arrive, Ichigo may be on the battlefield as well" Tessai revealed to them while hinting to Ichigo.
Orihime smiled lightly by hearing this, as she really wanted to see him again. True, she had missed the young hotheaded but good-natured man, who had previously rescued her from Aizen's clutches. "Yes…I hope we get to see Ichigo" the orange-haired woman admitted to those around her.
But all of a sudden, a whistle of amazement could be heard from outside the tent. They realized that somebody was standing outside the tent. But that was not all. "Wow, you Asian folks sure hold this "Ichigo-fella" in high regard, don'tcha?" that voice belonged to the paragon named Tiradoor Webster, as he entered the tent like he owned it. The gang before him only glanced at the Arrancar with dumbfounded looks. "What? Oh, I get it! Konnichiwa! Konbanwa! Whatever you guys say when somebody enters. Or is it okaerinasai? Man, I'm confused" the young paragon quizzed while speaking some words in Japanese.
However, Tessai was not impressed. "How long have you been listening to us?" he asked him sternly.
But Tiradoor only waved a hand at him whimsically. "Easy there, big man. I just happened to spot this tall Mexican-dude and that…" he suddenly stopped when noticing how busty Orihime's appearance was up close. This caused Tiradoor to whistle in amazement once again. "Damn…besides from wearing those backstreet hoe clothes, you look hot as shit! I mean, are those tits even real!?" he suddenly exclaimed out of the blue, much to everyone's outrage.
Orihime did not know whether she should've laughed or slapped at Tiradoor for his comment, but it made her feel very uncomfortable. Jinta suddenly confronted Tiradoor, his expression that of anger.
"I don't care who you are, but you have no right to speak to Orihime like that you arrogant….." the red-haired teenager suddenly stopped moving and snapped, as he could almost feel a dagger near his throat. The young Arrancar smirked while holding another dagger in his right hand. Clearly, the two daggers functioned as his Zanpakutous.
"Uh-uh, no need to be all aggressive, kiddo! Doing that against someone like me might cost ya" Tiradoor pointed out while Jinta slightly twitched by hearing his taunting. But the black-skinned Arrancar eventually lowered his dagger by Jinta's throat and the young boy breathed out a sigh in relief. However, Tiradoor was finding entertainment in this. "Don't act as if this traumatized you. I'm under no authority to kill you. The same goes for everyone else in this stinky tent" he insisted and was about to exit, only for him to stop and quickly turn around and point a finger at the group. "But that doesn't mean that I have to like you bunch of ass-sniffers! See ya!" he called out and then left.
The whole group could not understand what his deal was, as they had never expected a member of the infamous Dechados to be THIS overly immature, sarcastic and racist. But they tried their best to brush off what he had told them, given that he seemed to be more of a prankster than a paragon.
Tiradoor was on his way to the markets, until he could sense a very familiar Spiritual Pressure lurk behind him. Sighing deeply, he turned around and faced Zeppelin Webster, a cousin of his, as well as one of the captains in the Ojos. The Arrancar with twisted long hair and shades only did a pistol hand gesture at him in return.
"Hey there, cuz! How's it goin'?" he asked in a laidback manner, although Tiradoor seemed less than pleased to see him. Even so, Zeppelin let out a cocky chuckle in return. "Always so smug. What were you doing inside that tent, anyway?" he suddenly quizzed his cousin.
"I dropped one of my daggers near Conociomento, so I went over there to pick it up" Tiradoor answered as simple. But he could still see Zeppelin forming a smug smile, much to his annoyance. "Fine, I just wanted to get a closer look on those outsiders. I don't get why Nelliel and Harribel speak so fondly about them" he then admitted to the truth.
Zeppelin whistled in amazement. "Wow, it sure is weird for someone like you to be curious about Humans like them, especially since you basically dislike anything that is…Asian" he remarked while pointing it out to Tiradoor.
Tiradoor sighed once again. "You're just beginning to sound just like Ozzy and Violetta. And by that, I mean it" he noted with slight distaste. But the afro-haired Arrancar decided to change the subject. "Anyway, aren't you supposed to be on guard duty or something?" he suddenly asked Zeppelin.
"I am. But since Rudbornn is away on an important errand, I've been charged with patrolling this district. You know, until he gets back" the young Arrancar told him in return and adjusted his shades. "I don't know the reason, but from what Commander Borddum told me, all citizens who were once loyal to that Aizen-dude have been asked for an important meeting with His Highness himself. That's the only thing I've heard" he went on explaining the reason.
Hearing all this made Tiradoor shrug his shoulders and he gave his cousin a respective nod. "Well, I better go see what Ozzy and Violetta are up to. See you around, Zeppelin" the afro-haired Arrancar proceeded walking before vanishing before Zeppelin's sight using Sonido.
Seeing his cousin disappearing, Zeppelin only lifted up his shades and raised an eyebrow. However, he soon let out a chuckle. "Even though he's a Dechado, he still has a long way to go before acting like one. On a physiological basis, that is" Zeppelin noted to himself.
In the icy cityscape, inside the transformed Sereitei, Soul Society
Toshiro Hitsugaya, the wise and bold captain of Squad 10 was now on his deathbed. When the Sternritter H – The Heat: Bazz-B began burning loyal Shinigamis to a crisp, both him and Rangiku rose up to challenge him by using a new form for tactics. By creating ice in vacuums thanks to the combined efforts of his Zanpakutou Hyorinmaru and Rangiku's Zanpakutou Haineko, they were surprisingly able to stand against the aggressive Sternritter, but not for long.
As impressive as his newfound tactics was, it was still no match against the destructive Reishi-fire belonging to Bazz-B. But before the punkish Quincy could continue to torture him, Sternritter I – The Iron: Cang Du, interrupted his fight and asked that he's be the one to deliver the final blow. Bazz-B stubbornly refused at first, but when Cang reminded him of Yhwach's orders, that only those Sternritters who had stolen Bankais could execute the Shinigami captains, the Quincy with Mohawk reluctantly agreed to step aside. Cang then began confronting Toshiro, even demonstrating his intent on finishing him off by throwing Rangiku to the ground beside him. The strawberry-haired woman had somehow been badly injured by Cang while she was floating up in air.
But as Cang used Toshiro's Bankai: Daiguren Hyorinmaru before the white-haired boy's eyes, he thought all was lost, until he managed to grab one of Urahara's handmade Shin'eiyaku, which enabled him reclaim his Bankai. The reason for that was because since the Bankai had become affected with Hollows, it would be nothing but poison to Cang, because everything that was composed of a Hollow, was nothing but poison to Quincies, as they could never Hollowfy like Shinigamis could.
Cang was caught in surprise by this and he stood up to confront the young captain, who had been given back his strength thanks to Daiguren Hyorinmaru. Using what he had learned during the intense training, Toshiro created a giant frozen cross, with Cang being stuck in the middle. Toshiro lied beside his lieutenant, as he believed that he had defeated the Sternriter, but he was all wrong.
A pale light began glowing inside the frozen cross and to Toshiro's own despair, Cang was still alive and he was furious over being humiliated like this.
"Insolent whelp! Did you think that you could best me because of you re-gaining your Bankai!?" Cang yelled and noticed that both Toshiro and Rangiku no longer had strength to resist his attacks. The black-haired man saw this as an opportunity for retribution. "I will have your head, Toshiro Hitsugaya!" Cang shouted as he flew towards the pair in all his furiousness.
Toshiro watched this with great despair as he knew that this was the end of both him and Rangiku. But as the young white-haired boy shut his azure eyes, a great shadow began enveloping all over him. He could feel an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure, and it did not come from Cang.
Slowly opening his eyes, the fatally weakened Captain of Squad 10 was in shock at seeing Yhwach standing before him and Rangiku while blocking Cang's attack. The young captain was at loss for words, but he was not the only one to feel this way.
The moment Cang saw his liege block his attack, his heart froze. "Your M-Majesty…." Those were the only words the Sternritter could come up with as he faced his superior with widened eyes. "W-why are you…" he once again spoke up lowly.
Yhwach glanced at his underling with dispassion. "Lower your weapons, Cang Du" he slowly but firmly commanded him and Cang did so without hesitation. The black-haired man was still feeling uneasy about what Yhwach was up too, yet he only stared at him as if the Sternritter had done something wrong. "Allowing your emotions to get the best of you? I must say that I am rather disappointed, considering that you are always calm, even in the midst of a battle" he then went on scolding the Sternritter, who only stood and listened carefully. "Now, then. You may leave us alone and return to Silbern. I will deal with you once I get back there" the emperor strictly told him.
"But Your Majesty, you are in a warzone! Standing alone with these Shinigamis is too risky for you! Allow me to…." Cang's words fell on deaf ears as Yhwach angrily lashed out at his underling.
"Do not question my decisions, fool! Return to Silbern and await your punishment!" Yhwach barked and Cang quickly did as requested, using Hirenkyaku to disappear from the rooftop they were all standing on. With him gone, Yhwach slowly turned around and looked at the white-haired captain and the dying lieutenant with a surprisingly pleased expression. "I know all about you, Toshiro Hitsugaya" the emperor told him.
Toshiro was very uncertain about what to do. This was the same man who had almost decimated the Sereitei, as well as murdered Yamamoto in cold blood. And yet, he was now standing before him and Rangiku, having just saved them from certain death. But why? Confusion consumed the young boy's thoughts, as he began facing the ground
"I…...I hate to say this…...but I must thank you" Toshiro said lowly, yet bitterly. He then lifted up his head to face Yhwach with resentment. "Just stop this torture and kill us already!" he angrily commanded him, his eyes slowly streaming with tears of despair.
Yhwach only glanced at him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "You wish to die in such a shameful manner?" he asked the Captain of Squad 10, crossing his arms to demonstrate his disapproval of such notion. "I am afraid that I have to refuse your request" the emperor then answered plainly.
Toshiro could not help but to feel anger boil inside of him, as he felt tired of being tortured like this, let alone treated like an injured animal. "Quit bullshitting with me…" Toshiro spoke lowly, tears still streaming from his eyes. "Why do you treat me as we're dead animals!?" he then angrily demanded.
"Treating you like dead animals? Preposterous!" Yhwach spoke up and faced the young captain with a mild-mannered smile. "I could never forgive myself if I killed a heavenly guardian such you you, Toshiro Hitsugaya" he then revealed, much to Toshiro's surprise, as the young boy felt stunned by what he just heard.
"A heavenly…guardian?" Toshiro lowly uttered, as his thoughts drifted to the past, when he had once clashed blades with the former Captain of Squad 3: Gin Ichimaru. He then recalled what he told fellow captains at numerous times. The azure-eyed boy faced Yhwach with slight curiosity. "What do you mean by…...heavenly guardian?" he then asked the emperor.
"Yes, young one. You are the true reincarnation of the heavenly guardian that has existed since the birth of all living things in this world, since the age of the Soul King" Yhwach revealed to him, going as far as to sit down to Toshiro's level. Even though the young boy felt the urge to swing his Zanpakutou, his arms could not obey, as his mind was completely focused on what the Emperor of the Wandenreich was telling him. "You have always desired to become the embodiment of the heavenly guardian in it's true form and I see that you carry great potential. Therefore, I will bestow a part of my soul to both you and your lieutenant. Even she shows promise" the emperor then told him
As much as Toshiro wanted to open his mouth to protest, he remained silent, and did that as Yhwach reached out his fingers across his face. Once he did that, the young captain managed to open his mouth, only to ask a question lowly. "What will you do to me?" he then wondered, feeling himself calmer in the process.
Yhwach was still smiling by seeing him finding his inner peace. "You have no reason to fight me or a reason to doubt me. All that you deserve is a deep sleep. You will sleep for eternity, but when the time comes, you will awaken, this time as a new warrior…a new fighter…...a new knight. So close your eyes and sleep, because when you wake up…...all that you will see is peace" he explained and all of a sudden, the young boy fell into eternal sleep, his eyes shut completely.
Standing up on his two feet, Yhwach eventually looked over to Rangiku's body, which he could notice was on the verge of death. However, he had other plans for her and was now facing both lying bodies. "I will make you the better fighter than you ever were as Yamamoto's servant. Even you have potential to become something great, Rangiku Matsumoto. You managed to stand against starvation. For that I will be honored to let you become one of my knights! Sankt Traum!" Yhwach declared and both bodies were transported away.
Seeing how the battlefield was ongoing, Yhwach looked upon the horizon and could see fires and ashes rising up towards the skies. All of this made him amused, and he even took a glance at the sky, realizing that night had not arrived yet. But Yhwach's thoughts was interrupted by a giant figure made of Reishi standing amidst the icy cityscape. By seeing this, Yhwach was filled with satisfaction.
"Nightfall has not arrived yet. Therefore, I still have enough time to open one's eyes to the truth before going to sleep" he said to himself and vanished with the help of his Hirenkyaku.
But not far from the spot, Bazz-B had been watching Yhwach's actions and he was leaning against a tower with his arms crossed. While being a member of the Sternritters, Bazz-B was not necessarily blindly loyal to Yhwach. The punkish Quincy then proceeded to move out, searching for opponents to kill.
"Tch, what a giant pain in my ass" Bazz-B muttered angrily to himself. "Always thinking he's such a bigshot, the "so-called" almighty Yhwach. Pfft…..dipshit!" he added to his opinion of Yhwach.
Not far from the walls of Silbern
Bambietta Basterbine had been wreaking havoc for the Shinigamis, and Captains Shinji Ikari and Sajin Komamura had stepped up to end her rampage. But with Komamura repossessing his Bankai, Bambietta had lost Kokujo Tengen Myo'o, but this did not mean she was giving up so easily.
In fact, when a Sternritter possessed a Bankai, they were unable to perform a Quincy: Vollständig, their equivalent to a Shinigami's Bankai. With the stolen Bankais returned to their former owners, the Sternritters were then able to perform a Quincy: Vollständig as they pleased. And that happened with Bambietta.
Bambiette had now unleashed her own Quincy: Vollständig called Syrisen, which to the Quincies' own language meant Bomb of God. She then proceeded to toy with her opponents, until Komamura bravely stood his ground and allowed Shinji and Momo to recover from their injuries. One of Bambietta's Reishi Bombs had managed to hit Komamura's helmet and when it exploded, the young girl had hoped to see the captain's infamous lupine face once again. But that didn't happen.
Instead, she was treated to view Komamura's humanoid form, but that was not just it. The there was a hole inside his chest and it looked as if his own heart was gone. But even though Komamura resembled a Human, he still possessed some tints of his original form, like his furry ears.
Bambietta was disappointed in seeing Komamura's new look and she decided to attack him, only for the newly-transformed captain to use his Bankai, although it was a slightly different Bankai. This was the type of Bankai he could only use while using Humanification: Kokujo Tengen Myo'o Dangai Joe.
As Bambietta attacked the giant with her bombs, considering that she knew how Komamura's Bankai functioned, she could see that none of them inflicted injuries upon the giant, let alone Komamura, considering that those two were moving as one. She even tried to attack the hole in the giant's chest, but even so, Komamura was still unfazed.
"You cannot harm me with those bombs. My Bankai is now completely composed of Reishi" Komamura told her sternly and looked up to face the young Quincy girl. "As long as I am in this Humanification, I am immortal and cannot be killed" he then added to his explanation.
Hearing this only made Bambietta frustrated. "You're not talking any sense! What's the point of throwing your life away when you're already dead!? You're also throwing away your only chance of winning!" the young Sternritter told the captain, who was still glaring up at her with his stern eyes.
"Apparently, you misunderstand!" Komamura suddenly stated and readied his fighting stance, with his giant doing the same thing. "I did not throw away my life, I put it at stake, just as Yamamoto did it before me. Furthermore, the moment I entered this battlefield…..." Komamura suddenly jumped up, with the giant following suit. "I ALREADY LEFT MY LIFE BEHIND!" he exclaimed with anger as he then proceeded to charge at Bambietta.
The young Sternritter was now wielding fear in her eyes over seeing her opponent gaining up close to her. However, there was something in her expression that seemed very unusual to her. When she saw Komamura come towards her, she suddenly revealed something over her halo called Heiligenschein. It was something that was enslaving all Reishi around her.
Bambiette fixed an evil grin as she faced Komamura. "You left your life behind, you say? What a load of bullshit!" she asked her before revealing him the Sklaverei. "IF SO, THEN ALLOW ME TO MAKE YOUR PATHETIC SACRIFICE GO IN VAIN!" she yelled as she let the Sklaverei face Komamura and his giant.
"What is that ability!?" Komamura wondered while he was up in the air. But he suddenly felt pain inside his arms and looked up, only to see that the giant was gradually losing parts of his skin to Bambietta's ability. "No….it cannot be! My body! How is this possible!?" he wondered in outrage.
Bambietta formed a cunning glance upon her shocked opponent. "Our experimentation in Hueco Mundo was a success" Bambietta noted while watching Komamura's reaction. "As all of you may know, we Quincies do rely on Reishi in combat. However, we will need to gather the Reishi in order for us to use it properly! The Sklaverei allows its user to enslave whatever Reishi it can come across, even living beings like you and that ugly giant thingy!" she added to her explanation while enjoying seeing Komamura in distress.
"Damn you!" Komamura cursed while trying to avoid fully engaging her. "She is not just absorbing the environment around us! She's even absorbing…ME!" he noted in his thoughts.
"I must thank you for informing me about this intriguing form of your giant, Sajin Komamura!" Bambietta spoke up, finally addressing the captain by his name instead of doggie. She then fixed a maddened look on her formerly cute face. "To think that someone as mighty as you would willingly give away his life for the sake of some selfish weakling like Yamamoto! But who am I kidding!? You're nothing but a dog loyal to his master. So stand still let me enslave your flesh! And once there's nothing but bones left of you, I will spit upon them!" she then added with hateful remarks directed at Komamura.
The proud captain of Squad 7 could no longer bare to stand and hear all this hatred. So in his anger, he headed straight towards Bambietta, who was shocked by his resolve and tried to launch an explosion at him. But Komamura's Bankai hit her directly and it forced the bomb back into her, thus sending her flying far away from him. No matter how much wounded he was, Komamura refused to yield.
Eventually Komamura landed onto the ground and so did the giant behind him. Suddenly, he could see something lying straight ahead of him: Silbern! In his anger, Komamura slowly walked directly towards the icy palace, while feeling the entire body taking a toll on him as he moved.
"Humanification! Please last as little longer!" Komamura pleaded as he could feel his power expire. "I must defeat him! I must defeat Yhwach!" he said to himself with determination.
But as he continued moving on, he could feel his entire body slowly returning to his original werewolf form. As he stood and watched himself reverting back, familiar voices invaded his thoughts. "Your time is up, Sajin" the voice belonging to his estranged great-grandfather said.
Komamura only stood and listened. "So this is it? This is the price for revenge?" he asked to himself.
"Yes, Sajin. Revenge is what our clan stands for and you finally came back" the voice of his great-grandfather invaded his thoughts once again, this time sounding more cunning. "You once told a fellow captain that revenge is nothing but an addiction that satisfies nothing. Isn't that what you're feeling right now?" he then added.
Komamura then recalled what his former friend Kaname Tousen had done, as he too had been consumed by revenge. Was he and Tousen beginning to look similar to one another? He began thinking while lying onto the ground in his lupine form.
The voice of his great-grandfather chuckled. "Your life as a Human will end, and you will only end up becoming nothing more than a vengeful beast. Until the moment that happens, wallow in rage. Curse the world. Writhe in the throes of your vengeful heart. I will drink of your deep black hatred and it will sustain me once more. Ah, Sajin. Little Sajin. I must thank you for doing this for me. Thank you for struggling until you become a dumb beast all for my sake" he then thanked him as his voice finally left his thoughts.
As he was lying onto the ground, completely emotionless, Komamura could only reflect on all his decisions that he had made as a captain. He could not help but to compare himself to Tousen as he was drifting into thoughts. "Is this the same feeling I had told Kaname not to embrace when he was lost?" he began wondering. "What was my intention for revenge?" he then wondered.
But all of a sudden, his lieutenant: Tetsuzaemon Iba approached his superior and picked up his body. "No captain. You are not wrong to feel this way. Now let's go beat that bastard Yhwach…for Genryusai….." the lieutenant stopped speaking as both he and his captain could feel an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure approach them. This eventually made Tetsuzaemon fall onto his knees and Komamura was dropped beside him. "Shit! I can't…move!" the man with sunglasses cursed while sweating.
Eventually, the two comrades could raise their heads and see whose Spiritual Pressure it belonged to. They were all stunned as they could see Yhwach slowly approach them with small steps. He only glanced at them with an empty expression.
"IT'S…..." Tetsuzaemon angrily gritted his teeth and reached for his Zanpakutou, eventually standing on his feet and charged at the Father of the Quincies. "YOU WILL DIE, BASTARD!" the man with moustache shouted and was about swing Haken, only for him to stop.
"No…...Tetsuzaemon!" Komamura said with shock as he watched Yhwach's Reishi Broadsword piece through the lieutenant's stomach. The long-haired man pulled out his sword and proceeded to walk towards Komamura, who growled in return. "Why have you come here!? Do you wish to finish me off, personally!?" the captain demanded from Yhwach.
"Is that all that you have to say?" Yhwach asked the captain. "Look at you now. Sajin Komamura, once a proud captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads, only to be reduced to…...this" he then spoke up.
Komamura growled at him. "Don't speak as if you know me! I curse your name until my dying breath!" he hit back at the emperor.
"You would throw away your potential for the sake of an irredeemable man, only to be deceived by your own kind?" Yhwach asked him while crossing his arms. "I suppose this is what has become of the great-grandson of the once-mighty Inugami Komamura. You are just like him" the Quincy then remarked.
The wolfman's eyes widened in shock. "You know….my great-grandfather's name!? But how!?" he asked in disbelief.
Yhwach only smiled smugly at him in return. "Why, yes. How can I possibly forget one of the captains from the Court Guard's First Generation?" he asked, but could see how Komamura was only stunned to hear this. "You never knew, did you? You never realized that Inugami Komamura was the first captain of what would later become Squad 7, just like what you became generations later. You were not the only wolfman in the Soul Society's history to become a captain" the long-haired man then went on explaining.
Komamura could not move his body, seeing as he was too frozen by this revelation. On the other hand, he knew that there was something more to his great-grandfather than he never realized.
The Quincy Emperor smirked. "I still remember the days when Inugami Komamura's bestial rage brought fear throughout the Soul Society. He was known to treat friends and foes alike as enemies needed to be slashed. And his lieutenant, Nobutsuna Shigyō, was just as brutal" Yhwach recalled back to the years he had encountered Inugami. "That said, your great-grandfather became one of the few survivors of the Court Guard's First Generation. However, the Komamura clan became utterly despised and hated because of his actions. Doesn't that explain to you why the wolfmen never ventured outside their precious caves?" he went on filling in more details.
Komamura began thinking to the time he had spent with his great-grandfather and the things he had just said to him when he was reverting back to his wolfman form. He had known his great-grandfather to be a stubborn fool, but never to be a former member of the 13 Court Guard Squads. Even so, to hear someone like Yhwach tell him that filled him with doubts.
"You are a liar! I don't believe it" Komamura lowly spoke up, before facing Yhwach with a glance of defiance. "I don't believe a word you say! Why should I ever trust words coming out from a man who wants to destroy anything!?" he added to his rejection.
But Yhwach was only left unfazed by Komamura's rejection. "I see that you still refuse to see the truth. Therefore, I shall make you see it!" Yhwah declared with a smile and suddenly aimed both hand palms at Komamura. "Sankt Wahrheit!" he exclaimed and all of a sudden, the Quincy Cross began drawing itself underneath Komamura and eventually it began glowing and the captain was unable to make a move as his body disappeared.
"Damn you…" Yhwach suddenly turned around to face Tetsuzaemon brandishing his Zanpakutou, even though he was seriously injured. "What the hell did you do to Captain Komamura!?" he angrily demanded, coughing out chunks of blood.
Yhwach glanced at him with less than enthusiasm. "Your stubbornness have so far proven to me that you are a nuisance, Tetsuzaemon Iba" the emperor noted before forming a slight smirk underneath his mustache. "Nevertheless, I have a feeling that your stubbornness has a potential" he remarked smugly.
Tetsuzaemon angrily charged at Yhwach. "Shut up and die, you cocksucker!" he shouted, only for Yhwach to point his palms at him as well.
"Sankt Wahrheit!"" Yhwach shouted once again, and the Quincy Cross appeared underneath the machoistic Shinigami, who was not fast enough to avoid the spell he was casting. But as Tetsuzaemon stood still, Yhwach only glanced at him with a cunning smile. "Since you and your captain refuses to grasp the truth, I have no choice but to force it through you. Once you have learned the it, your minds will finally be at peace!" the emperor explained as he watched the lieutenant disappear from his view.
Feeling satisfied, Yhwach headed straight back to Silbern, feeling that the night would soon be arriving in the Soul Society. That would be the perfect opportunity for him to return home to his palace.
High above El Dorado, inside the majestic palace of Esperanza, Hueco Mundo
Augustus Zod Allowin, Annabelle Luisenbarn and Xerxxes Reraux had brought with them a group of Arrancars formerly in service of Aizen to the highest point of Esperanza. That group included Nelliel, Harribel, Grimmjow, Yammy, Ganteinbanne, Rudbornn and some members of their Fracciòn. They were now standing before a giant door which was covered in many locks, thus making it impossible for them to enter. How they had managed to get there was simple. Apparently, there was a secret passageway behind Allowin's throne. It led them to a corridor and they had to go up some stairs. Finally, they reached this peculiar door so tall, yet so old.
Allowin faced the group he had gathered with a slight smile, although he looked kind of sad with that expression of his. "Listen here, former servants of Sosuke Aizen. All of you have done the Imperio de Hierro a great service by renouncing your previous allegiances, as well was worked to gain my trust. For that, I am willing to show you…...the most peaceful place in all of Hueco Mundo" the ancient Arrancar revealed with his booming voice.
Everyone in the group stood and listened closely with surprised glances. The emperor then proceeded to use his hand palms to open the giant door that was tightly secured. Everybody watched as the many locks on the door quickly disappeared, thanks to Allowin's power.
"It is finally time, brothers and sisters" Annabelle said while facing the group with a gentle smile of her own. "Behind this door lies the answer to the existence of us Arrancars and how we were able to attain the powers we have now" the elderly woman revealed to them all.
As soon as the locks had disappeared, the giant door opened and bright light emerged from the opened doorway. The Arrancars had never expected such bright light, and they covered their eyes for a brief moment. But as soon as they became used to the light, the group of Arrancars followed the emperor and the two paragons out and they were all stunned to see what they had entered.
"What is…this?" Harribel asked lowly as she and her fellow Arrancars could feel that they were walking on snow.
The entire group had entered a place in Hueco Mundo, where there were actually snowing! They even realized that they had entered a valley, and they could see fields of snow, as well as mountains surrounding it all. The weather was cloudy and it was snow everywhere. But that was not all. They could see naked trees, both large and small ones. These trees resembled those that existed in the endless dunes of Hueco Mundo, but these on the other hand were pristine white, as the ice itself.
Nelliel suddenly felt a snowflake land on her noose and she began sticking her tongue out to feel them. It was nothing like she had ever experienced before. She tried her best to catch a snowflake with her tongue, although they melted quickly.
"They taste like water" she noted in her thoughts.
"Hey Dondochakka, check this out!" Pesche suddenly asked his partner, as he had made a snowball. The goofy Arrancar decided to do something mischievously, so he threw his snowball at Apacci, thus hitting her on her forehead.
The blue-haired Arrancar got pissed. "Hey, what the hell did you do that for!?" she angrily demanded while her fellow Fracciòn stood at her side.
"As for calling Mila Rose a shemale without a manhood, you ugly fatass!" Pesche hit back, causing Apacci to fume with anger, while Mila Rose felt her cheeks blush.
Sung-Sun had to admit that it was funny, as she tried to cover her laughing by her sleeves, but it was impossible and her laugh could be heard. Apacci noticed this and angrily lashed at her. "Quit laughing!" she commanded her, but suddenly felt another snowball, only this time, it hit her butt.
The one who had thrown it was Dondochakka, who erupted out into laughter along with Pesche. "You're right, Pesche. She really does have a fat ass. It makes for good target practice" he remarked and both goofy Arrancars laughed once again.
But Grimmjow did not find their antics hilarious, as he scoffed by seeing this. "Tch…idiots. I'm glad that my Fracciòn are all gone" he lowly muttered underneath his breath and proceeded to join up with Annabelle and Xerxxes. "Is this what you wanted to show us? Because I'm not impressed so far" he asked them with a slight disappointed tone.
Xerxxes glanced at him sternly. "Have a care, Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez! This place is valuable to El Dorado more than anything else in Hueco Mundo!" he firmly told him.
But Allowin suddenly approached the Dechados and looked down at the blue-haired Legionario, who seemed rather impatient. "There is no reason for you to act so impatiently, young one. We are now standing on the top of the cloudy mountaintops we see in the Valle de La Salvaciòn" he told Grimmjow, as the other Arrancars began gathering behind the hotheaded Legionario to listen. "This is the place where it all started…...where we Arrancars began to take shape…...this is…Nevado Cielo" the ancient Arrancar said as he slowly began taking steps towards the other end of the vale.
Gantenbainne was intrigued with what he was seeing. "This place is where we first began?" the afro-haired Arrancar pondered as he looked around.
Nelliel was having similar thoughts. "Then that means Hollows were not always beasts" she remarked.
The group of Arrancars followed Allowin, until they reached a frozen crater lying at the end of the mountain. But before the crater stood an altar with two obelisks on each side could be spotted and Allowin slowly began walking up the steps, with his followers tagging along. Once they reached the top of the altar, they could look down to the empty crater.
"That giant crater is…empty" Harribel noted.
"You are correct" Annabelle suddenly said and faced the rest of the group. "The reason this crater is empty is because it was once filled with something" she told them.
Nelliel's eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Wait…...was there once water flowing inside that crater?" she suddenly asked both her and Xerxes.
The black-skinned Arrancar nodded his head at her answer and faced the mountain that was standing right before the crater, eventually lifting his gaze. "It was more than just water, Nelliel. Eons ago, a wondrous waterfall ran down right down upon this spot. It was wonderful, as its water was pristine and clean" the paragon went on explaining.
Suddenly, Allowin sighed deeply as he fell onto his knees, much to everyone's confusion. Both Annabelle and Xercxes rushed to his side, wondering if there was something wrong. "I am fine…...I just need time to reflect" the ancient Arrancar spoke up as he faced the curious group of Arrancars. He actually fixed a slight smile at them. "This is the place, young ones. This is the true birthplace of Arrancars. They became born when Hollows like us drank from the water that came from this waterfall. This water was not just any ordinary water. It was clean, and filled with comfort and happy tones" he went on explaining to them and once again fixed his gaze at the mountain before them. "Because of what the water did to us…we came to call it…the Vida" he revealed to them.
All the Arrancars once in service of Aizen could only stare down and face the crater that had once been filled with water, as well as life. But something did not make sense. If the Vida had been the one to create the Arrancars, then how was Aizen able to do the same? There had to be an answer to that particular question.
Yammy was only scratching the top of his head, as he was sort of getting confused by seeing this. "If this used to be a waterfall, then how come it suddenly dried up?" he suddenly asked the emperor.
But as the oafish Arrancar just asked him, a sad melodic tune could be heard and it came as the winds blew through the mountains. In fact, the emperor, along with Annabelle and Xerxxes stood up, closing their eyes as they felt the winds. Eventually, Allowin's shut eyes had tears streaming down to this elderly cheek. And to the group of Arrancar's surprise, a female singing voice could be heard, as it was the winds that were singing. They almost sounded like nymphs.
"The Vida was defiled…by one man and one man alone. Someone who had the nerve to strike at the sanctuary of the lost and misguided souls" Allowin said and wiped off his tears. "The one who had corrupted the Vida…...was Yhwach!" he replied, his voice sounding that of anger.
And as he just answered, thunder began rumbling in the cloudy skies. The ancient Arrancar then faced the rumbling skies, his eyes filled with anger.
"I have never forgotten my duty to avenge our fallen brothers and sisters who perished during the War of the Three Souls. And when the time is right…...we shall battle the Wandenreich and I shall personally combat Yhwach and make him suffer for what he did! He shall feel the fury of the lost ones!" Allowin declared angrily, his Spiritual Pressure gradually rising.
Most of those standing around him were afraid of him releasing his power out of anger. But this time, he did not. However, they could feel that the winds blew stronger and thunder began rumbling in a faster pace, as they did that as long as Allowin was feeling angered. But eventually, the rumbling ceased and the emperor was feeling somewhat calmer, as there was no hint of his anger. The group of Arrancars watched him closely as he began taking slow steps down the stairs of the altar.
"But before we can confront Yhwach…we will have to find and capture Sosuke Aizen….and personally punish him for everything he's done to Hollows and Arrancars alike" Allowin made a declaration and suddenly stopped in the middle of the altar, as he was standing on a space between the stairs. "A shame that he was able to fuse himself with the Hogyoku. It would have been easier if I had gotten it sooner" the emperor added.
"Your Highness. Perhaps it is time that you inform them about how you came to know each of these induviduals" Annabelle suggested to him. "Tell them about your spy at Las Noches" she revealed to him.
The majority of Arrancars were stunned. They seemed to eager to know more about this spy Allowin had placed.
"You're sayin' that you had someone to spy on Aizen for ya?" even Yammy wanted to know the truth.
Allowin scolwed as he was reminded about that induvidual. "He was more than just a spy" his voice rang hollow in the air. "As a Dechado, he was bound to fulfill his mission I had assigned him to do! Not only would he report Aizen's activities to us in El Dorado. He was also supposed to aqcuire the Hogyoku and deliver it to me personally. But that fool failed on his mission, becoming too distracted by Human emotions" the emperor expressed his displeasure.
Harribel's eyed could not help but to widen in realization. "Then that means...this spy was among the Espadas like us!" she said to Nelliel, Grimmjow and Yammy who were listening.
Even Rudbornn was surprised. "If this spy who I truly think it is, then that explains how Allowin managed to find us" he thought.
The group could eventually see someone approach them. It was two black-cloacked and long-sleeved Arrancars holding a third one in chains. Clearly, this Arrancar in the middle was their prisoner. Allowin stood in front, observing the prisoner with nothing but distaste.
"Your Highness…...who is that person?" Nelliel suddenly asked her superior respectively.
"No fucking way..." Grimmjow uttered out as both he and Yammy nearly drew their Zanpakutous. They both directed their attentions towards the prisoner in the middle. "That Spiritual Pressure…I knew I recognized it from somewhere! How the hell are you still alive!?" the aggressive Legionario demanded an answer.
"Yeah...didn't that punk Ichigo Kurosaki defeat you back at Las Noches!?" Yammy joined in and came up with a similar demand.
Gantenbainne was confused at their behavior. "What's with them all of a sudden?" he wondered. Yet even he could get a glimpse of this stranger's Spiritual Pressure. "So...it really is him!? He was the spy working for Allowing all these years!?" the Legionario was filled with so many thoughts.
Annabelle and Xerxxes only smirked by seeing their reactions to the cloaked creature, as it stood up on his feet, facing everyone that was standing before him.
"It would seem that some of you are familiar with this Spiritual Pressure" Annabelle remarked amusingly. "But that is to be expected, considering that you may know him as well" she added to her statement.
Allowin's frown was deep enough to be seen. "This is the one who was too cowardly to even obey my commands. As punishment, he has now lost any privileges as a paragon. His torture is now overseen by me personally" he told everyone, still not smiling.
Xerxxes nodded his head at the two captors holding the prisoner. "You may remove his hood now. Show us his true face" he told them they did as he was told. Xerxxes then faced the former servants of Aizen. "He is the greatest spy our empire has ever had. And he took his mission seriously…even going as far as to throw away his own life. But in the very end, he failed" the man with dreadlocks told them.
The moment the group of Arrancars were given a good look at who this stranger really was, their eyes widened, as they could not believe what they were seeing, as the creature reminded them of someone. But it soon became apparent that they did in fact know him from somewhere, perhaps more specifically Las Noches.
"No freaking way!" Pesche exclaimed out in disbelief at what he saw.
"BUT HOW…I THOUGHT HE WAS…" Sung-Sun was shocked.
"So this is how things turned out for you, huh?" Yammy wondered aloud, only to grin sadisctically. "Hahaha! Too bad you didn't ask for my help earlier!" he teased the stranger.
Nelliel held onto her Zanpakutou, still feeling very suspicious of this individual. "How do we know he is not dangerous?" she asked her comrades.
Harribel put a hand on her shoulder, encouraging Nelliel to let go of her Zanpakutou. The blonde-haired woman then faced the stranger with wary eyes. "Make no mistake. You were once one of Aizen's most loyal hounds…..but then again, so were we. Therefore, I am willing listen to what you have to say…..for now" she held back her suspicions.
To be continued…..
Author's note: That was chapter 14. We got more info about the Arrancars, as well as Yhwach's plans for some fallen Shinigamis. But apparently, he does seem to know a lot more about the Soul Society than the captains do. Some of the scenes, like repossessing the Bankais and Komamura defeating Bambietta is loyal to the canon part, as is most, although I have decided to add some flavor to them. Now who is this spy the Dechados and Allowin hold so high in regard? Stay tuned. Now let's take a look at the terms that we were introduced to.
Syrisen – meaning Bomb of God: This is the Quincy Vollständig of Sternritter E – The Explode: Bambietta Basterbine. With it, she is able to shot Reishi-bombs with the help of her wings.
Sankt Wahrheilt – German for "Saint Truth": Somehow, Yhwach has been using this on both Komamura and Tetsuzaemon, thus enabling a ritual different than Sankt Traum. But where to they get sent off to?
Nevado Cielo – Spanish for "Snow-covered Heaven": This vale is unlike many places in Hueco Mundo, mainly because of the fact that there is light, as well as snow. It is also the location of an altar, where the once beautiful waterfall named Vida ran.
Vida – Spanish for "Life": It is said that when primitive Hollows drank from the waters of Vida, their forms changed, as did their intelligence. But how Aizen was able to do that with his Arrancars remains a mystery.