Arc 2: Canon 15: Vergangenheitsbewältigung [Complete]

[Kento Waffles]

OOC: Takashi AND Rose post now, then I'll reply to all three of you.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

OOC: Bump!

[Takashi Kuchiki]

(Sorry! Life factors got in the way! I'll be posting on a regular basis now.)

i'm indestructible! ♕ take a last look around while you're alive. ▼ Diamond blue eyes gazed upon the sight which seemed so unreal. He blinked as his eyes gazed upon the strange cross which emitted so much power. Even where he stood, he could feel the power rushing through it; the energy pulsating. His eyes slowly fell towards Sozen-taicho, whom began to speak readily. As he spoke, Takashi's eyes fell back upon the Soul Cross. He blinked, noting its power as he fixated upon it. He seemed all too nonchalant, but this was the demeanor of this man. Takashi. The man continued to fixate upon the Soul Cross itself; it really was magnificent in its nature. He could only imagine the power it would produce. However, Takashi wasn't one to care about these things. His soldier like attitude however, had been shifted and his mind was turning far more than it previously had. He simply listened carefully as Sozen spoke about the nature of this artifact. Truly, it was something powerful to behold. The white hair simply would gaze upon it as the two stood side by side, speaking as though things were nonchalant. He turned to look at the man as he spoke to him about what he wished for finally. Takashi's deep blue eyes met the man's sapphire colored ones as they exchanged a glance. The way Sozen spoke was so calm and calculative. Takashi himself made sure to keep his eyes fixated upon this man; watching for any tell tale signs. It was then that he asked of Takashi to face the emperor. Truly, with this artifact, he would be able to power the allies if he focused hard enough; it was truly a well thought out plan. It was the second words which struck Takashi. Not as odd, but as something he was half expecting. This was the rule of business though, there was always an offer to be had. "Ah, you wish that of me Sozen-taicho, I see.". The man was quiet for a moment before he turned around, now standing behind Sozen; their backs facing one another. "I will take care of it then". It seemed Takashi knew what Sozen was going to ask. Was there some reason he knew? What exactly was this plan of theirs? Takashi began to walk forward, his foot steps echoing as he did so; exiting the room. It seemed it was time to enact something quite drastic for the time being. Takashi himself wished for something, but just what was it that he seemed to be doing? There was so many elements of surprise during this dangerous game; just what would happen now? ♕ profile | notes: put ooc shit here. STATS & ABILITIES: strength - 700 points (1400) speed - 600 points (1200) spiritual pressure - 750 Points reiatsu strength - 900 Points light aura - 65 points dark aura - 35 points instinct - 450 points senses - 100 points energy sensory - 50 points healing expertise - 0 points total SP: 2400 current skills: (15/15 SKP spent) - martial arts: [hakuda] (3) -strength of will: (3) -battle analysis: (3) -weapon [sword]: (4) - battle focus: (2)

[Rose✿]

[/font] She said, taking in the rush of tobacco as she took a drag off of her cigarette. "The Emperor is gonna be a bastard. The old ass has some crazy spiritual pressure, even made me feel like a had a grip on my lungs. Takehiko tried to take him on but... That didn't go so well. The Emperor fled, said to go to the tallest tower in the final room." Taking another puff and ashing her cigarette Rose turned her gaze to the tower in the distance that stood strong. "He's waiting for us. Allllll the way up there." She commented, turning back to look over at Kenryoku.

"There's more strong Quincy lurking around, confronted some of them, pierced one in the pooper; all that jazz. Though they took off so they might be regrouping to protect the Emperor." Her thoughts switched over to the well being of her allies that didn't jizz lava everywhere. "See anyone else from our side around? We're going to need a team at full force, like at 120%." Though it was probably obvious they had to form some sort of assassination team. "I saw Azumi a while back, though I'm not sure where she is now; I can tend to any wounds while we think of something." With her abilities still released, the idle time only allowed her to create more fuel to manipulate later.

"Oh, and that Arrancar is a pain in the ass, from the looks of things, and the stick in his butt keeping him from cooperating; he's trying to go one on one with the Emperor. I'm sure he's underestimating the old man so he's probably gonna get butt touched."  A small smile crept up on her face, this woman was far from professional, if anything she was more on the comical side. [/ul]

[Kento Waffles]

The doors opened up to permit entry to Sargon. But inside, he wouldn't find what he was expecting. A blood covered room, wherein two Quincy resided... O and P. Stern Ritters. Generals, even. And both of them were dead. Actually, they weren't even really recognizable as O or P. Their reiatsu was what identified them. Their actual bodies were nothing but piles of mush, and their blood was nothing but smears, stains, and puddles all over the walls of a small white dining room. Their bodies were literally not even recognizable as human. Who could possibly have done this to them? The dinner table and its arrangements weren't even damaged. Nothing in the room had so much as shifted. They were just dead, their mush piles in chairs.

Sitting at the other end of the table was a slender figure covered in black mummifying tape from head to toe, but for a single amber eye which gazed at and devoured all in its wake. An eye more intimidating than anything Sargon would ever have laid his eyes on. Even the reiatsu of B, The Boss, Baal paled in comparison to what Sargon had just encountered in that room. A monster in black table with a single amber eye uncovered by that tape. It wore a white shihakusho as well, and a black Haori not unlike that worn by Captains. However, with the colors inverted like that, the monster surely couldn't just be some Soul Reaper. If it was, it wasn't part of the invasion team.

"Tercera Espada," the monster said in a female's voice, full of authority and also regal tones. Cold like ice, subtle like a knife slipping through Sargon's rib cage, the voice was indicative of someone whose power level was comparable to that of the Emperor of the Vandenreich himself. Was this why Sargon had had trouble sensing anything since he got in here? It wasn't just the Emperor's reiatsu that was in the tower. It was this female devil as well. A monster unlike anything Sargon had ever seen before. But it didn't appear hostile. No, it didn't even seem like it was there to fight him. Well, maybe it was just so powerful that it didn't need to assume a stance.

The female devil's eye focused on Sargon with such intensity that it was as if he was stripped naked and pelted by a perilous, icy rain. "I'm not here to fight you, if that's what you're thinking about," the monster informed the Tercera Espada. "Only to tell you that you are no match for the Emperor. If you face him with your current level, he will kill you without even reaching a tenth of his full power. It will be over in half a second. ...Unless you get stronger. Achieve a tactical advantage. And that is why I am here. To offer you a way to become even more powerful, and gain a tactical advantage over the Emperor. This, I can offer to you, in exchange for a pledge of allegiance. Are you interested?"

---

"Azumi will be joining us soon," a voice said to Kenryoku and Rose not long later. And there was Sozen Kuchiki, the Squad 6 Captain, arriving onto the battlefield. Much had happened in the last few minutes, with now yet another combatant arriving. And, in turn, Sozen had brought with him one more. Takashi Kuchiki. After having established what Sozen wanted Takashi to do, they had come together to greet Rose and Kenryoku. There were now four of them in total in this party, and they weren't alone either, apparently, for according to Sozen, Azumi would soon be coming as well. Clearly, this meant she had some form of business to take care of.

"We're going to march on the palace now," Sozen Kuchiki said. "We're going to go kill the Emperor." He said it so simply that it almost seemed too good to be true. What? Kill the Emperor? How could that be? The Emperor, whom they had encountered earlier, was immeasurably powerful. Too powerful to conceivably defeat even if it was three or four Captains and a Kuchiki traitor. But, Sozen seemed incredibly confident. Lowkey kill the Emperor. No big deal, right? Wrong. This guy was the most powerful single adversary that they had ever faced. Before his invasion, never before had the Thirteen Court Guard Squads encountered an opposing army so strong as to completely annihilate their forces like that, and require aid from the Zero Division.

And yet Sozen was confident now in that they could defeat the Emperor. He was even saying that they were going to do it. In fact, taking no time at all, he soon led them into the white tower, and in a different direction from where Sargon had taken himself. Soon, they would find themselves ascending the stairs, where Sozen would debrief them. But, before he could debrief them, Sozen looked right at Rose, and his eyes narrowed upon her. "I need to ask you now, Rose, if you would like to aid in a combative role or as a healer. Your answer will heavily determine how we approach this fight. In fact, I'd say that the crux of our entire strategy is reliant on your answer, as you are the lynchpin of our assault."

Rose was the lynchpin of their strategy? What she decided to do was up to her, however, and it was noteworthy that Sozen hadn't given her any orders. Well, actually, the team right now was being led by Kenryoku, who should be giving the orders. Had Sozen taken charge? No, Kenryoku was soon speaking as well. "Captain Kuchiki and I discussed the strategies we thought were best fit for fighting the Emperor, after debriefing the Captain Commander," Kenryoku said. "We decided that with you on our invasion team, we had a very good chance of victory. But for any of our plans to work, you need autonomy. This is why we must know in advance what your plans for tackling the Emperor of, so that we may work around and with you."

[Sargon Denumic]

Sargon made his way into the room taking in the blood soaked walls and the shattered remains of certain body parts. It was quite interesting actually to see something like this at the moment. Sargon hadn't thought he would be able to see something so familiar while on this assault against the Vandenreich. He could see the black mummy across the room on the other side of a black table that seemed to rival his actual body for the favor of the void. As he continued to step forwards his hooves clobbered on the floor something that Sargon still wasn't used to due to the fact that it had never been prevented from burning whatever he was standing on.

Sargon stood gazing towards the black mummy as she did the same to him. This was no different for him it wasn't like he hadn't scared possible death in the face prior in his life. This black mummy he could tell meant business and although he hated to even admit that some human could possibly possess power above his own for the time being it was most likely true. Either she was a fool or she had some type of strange ability that made his own something she wouldn't fear. . a fool. Sargon made the conclusion and estimated that this black mummy was comparable to that of Sonken Kouhai. The arrogant shinigami that currently held his throne over Hueco Mundo.

So as the black mummy spoke Sargon for once was content to simply listen yet it was for more then one reason. This mummy was wearing clothing similar to that of the annoying blonde that had been in his way a few minutes ago. Yet the coloration of the clothes was inverted so Sargon wasn't sure if it was a statement against the pathetic shinigami or if this mummy just liked that uniform. It didn't matter what truly peaked his curiosity was the fact that this mummy had killed at least two Quincy in this room and done so in a manner that Sargon found delicious. It was just a shame he hadn't gotten the chance to end one of these fools; he just simply refused to drink the blood of something that was not killed by himself.

So now as the black mummy finished her speaking Sargon began to think over the idea. First off he was rather pissed off at this black mummy for simply stating his power to be dwarfed by that of their puny god. He also hated the idea of needing to team up with anyone at all. Team work is for the weak that was how he always looked at that. Only pussies would work alongside someone else to take down a single person. Yet Sargon wasn't going to be fighting a single person he figured that much and hadn't stopped to consider it. That Emperor was a pussy he had run before and now was most likely going to be guarded by additional Quincy.

Sargon's eyes slanted in irritation however towards the black mummy when she stated she would aid him if he plagued allegiance to her. The Tercera had been considering everything else yet serving someone was no longer something that Sargon would allow himself to do. He had been a puppet in life that had eventually broken the control of his master and ultimately killed the fool. Even now he truly didn't serve Kouhai he only was enlisted in the Espada for his power and had made it very clear that the time would come when he would commit Regicide against that shinigami scum.

Step after step Sargon began to move through the room his body on the left side of the black table as he moved closer to the Quincy. He lifted his claymore and began to drag it across the surface of the table finding it irritating that even the abyss of the table wasn't reduced to molten beauty. He stopped about four feet from the black mummy and starred down at her eyes. "Let me make this clear here Quincy. I serve no individual. I have no allegiance to anything. Your proposition is irritating as are your words yet. Your handy work is delicious and you seem to have an ocean of pride within you that has yet to reclaim the entire world. I hate to do such a thing for it goes against my own views yet I will aid your Regicide if you do the same for me." Sargon continued to stare down at the black mummy ash escaping from behind his armored face as he breathed the clear air that he hated so much.

[Kento Waffles]

"You won't regret this opportunity..." the female devil told Sargon. It wasn't just that her aura seemed old, though. It was something to do with how royal it seemed. The Emperor's aura showed eons of wisdom and power. The female devil was younger than the Emperor, but her aura seemed more heavy with some kind of separation from the common being. She was in a different class than most of the others. Anyway, she was stronger than that Quincy that had given Sargon trouble earlier. So much stronger that, if she fought that Quincy, it would be a landslide victory. It wasn't just a small difference. It was a big one.

But the power bestowed by the female devil was unique, that was for sure. Elsewhere, Sozen would be taking the Soul Reapers up to the Emperor, but beforehand they would encounter Azumi Kasumi'Oji, who, it turned out, had been building tactical advantages for each of them. The strategy that would become that of not only Sargon of Las Noches, but all of the Soul Reapers of Seireitei, was to have built in advantages. If they were to fight the Emperor, it wasn't going to be based on power, but on strategy and on teamwork. That was the only way to compensate for his overwhelming advantage. And so...

Five minutes later

Sargon, Takashi, and Rose would arrive at the same time to the entrance to the doors of the Emperor's final room of combat. Along with them would be Sozen Kuchiki, Kenryoku Kawada, and Azumi Kasumi'Oji. In this gathering, there were four Captains, one Espada, and one Captain equivalent. Some of the greatest warriors from the three worlds had appeared to bring down the single most powerful enemy that they had ever encountered. Or, at least, that was what they had been told by the Captain Commander. Who knew? Maybe elsewhere, Sonken Kouhai was laughing about their belief in the Emperor's absolute strength.

"Let's go," Sozen said with the double doors to the room opening up. By now, Rose would have made her decision about what tactical advantage to go with, and the party would march on. But what they found at first wasn't the large room with the Emperor in it. It was two hallways, neither too deep, with a door in the middle of them both, small. That door was the door to the Emperor. And standing at the entrance to either of the two hallways were enemies that the party didn't want to deal with... On the left was a young man with buzzed hair, who wore an identical outfit to any Stern Ritter General... Meaning he was equivalent to the man on the right... B, The Boss, Baal.

"I do not think that I would be overstepping my boundaries if I were to suggest that you must defeat us before you can continue," Baal said. His companion remained silent, and his eyes stayed narrow. He was in some kind of state of extreme focus. That was the situation that they all found themselves in. But, they were a large group. It was inevitable that before getting to the Emperor, they would lose some people to further distractions. This was a good opportunity. Take out the Emperor and his strongest servants. The Vandenreich, at this point, would surely crumble away if that happened...

---

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SPOILER: Click to show

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SPOILER: Click to show

"I do not think that I would be overstepping my boundaries if I were to suggest that you must defeat us before you can continue," Baal said. (バアル憲によって作ら) THE ATMOSPHERE IS TENSE! EVERYTHING HAD BEEN BUILDING UP TO THIS MOMENT. JUST SECONDS AWAY FROM THE EMPEROR, THE PARTY IS HALTED BY HIS MAJESTY'S GREATEST SERVANTS. Before anyone even knew it, there was a blur, and a clashing sound, and then a sound like rolling thunder followed it. Before they had even known it, Sozen had taken off at top speed, and his Zanpakuto had clashed with a brilliant burning white light in Baal's hand that blocked the strike. The white light could only be Baal's side bow.

(憲によって作らSozen) Sozen backed off, and then proceeded to move back into position and stab toward Baal, who side stepped to dodge it. As Baal side stepped, however, his eyes widened just a smidgen as a shadow appeared behind him, and a shorter, darker blade came for his neck. Baal vanished immediately using Hirenkyaku, re appearing behind his second assailant--Kenryoku Kawada. (Kenryoku憲によって作ら) The Squad 2 Captain turned around just in time to punch toward Baal, using immense physical strength to deflect an incoming arrow. Baal also side stepped, dodging a vicious blast of air dragged up by Kenryoku's attack.

And just as surely, another attack appeared, this one from Azumi. (安積はナガによって作ら) The other figure, with the buzz cut, would find that an attacker with a sword appeared before him, blade headed for his forehead. He side stepped, and held up a hand, which glowed hot with burning reiatsu. Fire appeared beneath Azumi, who jumped into a flip over her new enemy and landed behind him, dodging what turned out to be a horrifying geyser of fire that burned through the roof, destroying what even Sargon's lava hadn't been able to even touch. The two new enemies stared at each other, and Azumi called out to those remaining.

"GO! THROUGH THE DOORS! WE'LL DEAL WITH THESE TWO!" And so, through the doors they went.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

And there he was, this time standing in the middle of a huge ballroom, watching them as they entered through the small door to get to him. Sargon, Takashi, and Rose. They were the final team that would come to fight against the Emperor of the Vandenreich. The Emperor of the Vandenreich, His Majesty, looked at the three attackers, counting them off. He seemed almost disappointed, but there was something else about his feelings too. He could tell that they were different from earlier, and that was good enough reason for him to take them more seriously. So he spoke, facing them that way.

"You have done well to make is this far," The Emperor said to them at last. Because of some of the upgrades they had received, his presence and his voice were no longer enough to cripple the attacking party. Just because he wasn't enough to destroy them with his voice, didn't mean they couldn't feel and be terrified by his aura. It was massive. It was likely the most powerful thing that they had ever experienced, and that was saying something. The Emperor of the Vandenreich, at long last, was here before them. If they were going to fight him, now was going to be their chance.

"If you were planning on attacking me, then make every decision count," the Emperor said to them, almost like a patronizing teacher. "Whether your power is healing with blood, scalding with magma, or physical exceptionalism with a sword, you can find strategies that will give you an advantage." He already knew all of their powers. So, this was their enemy. The mighty Emperor of the Vandenreich. His Majesty. Der Kaiser. Well, what were they waiting for? Now was the time to attack him! The Emperor, in the same outfit from earlier, hood and all, raised up his left arm, and a brilliant white light appeared, likely an arrow, aiming right at Takashi. Could he defend it?

SPOILER: Click to show

All three of you have been given a distinct advantage condition in order to better deal with the Emperor.

Takashi was given two things. First, his sword is now capable of using the Shikai power he had lost to become a Kenpachi Type, while maintaining his Kenpachi boosts. Second, he has infinite step techniques. His steps cost no reiatsu, and he has no stamina limit for step techniques.

Sargon was given two things. First, his lava no longer works on allies. For the time being, Rose and Takashi are effectively immune to Sargon's lava. Second, Sargon can now turn released lava into a magma mist at will, for no reiatsu cost. The magma mist can be used once per post, and it makes the surrounding air very very hot. As hot as his magma. Anyone trying to breathe within it, immunity or not, should be careful.

Rose was given two things. First, her healing based techniques now use 0 reiatsu. Second, she has a super Hierro on her body equivalent to her reiatsu strength combined with Sargon's reiatsu strength combined with Takashi's strength.

These advantages will last until the end of Canon 15.

[Rose✿]

[/font] It wasn't a secret that Rose was a good healer, after all she was the captain for a reason. However there was more to her then just healing, a woman like Rose liked to protect her people and become a force not to be taken lightly like many of the 4th division members in the soul society were looked upon. With that it seemed the group of shinigami had left.

Rose followed the group, the tension was obvious and slowly built as they dwelled closer and closer to the emperors home. It wasn't long until the group met up with Azumi and there was more talk about tactics. In all honesty how were they suppose to cooperate with the arrancar that didn't bat an eye when it came to putting those on his side in danger while recklessly spurting lava everywhere. In the depths of Rose's mind she didn't think everything was going to go as smooth. With her blade sealed and her powers conserved, Rose and Takashi were at the doors to the Emperors final room. At least that was what they believed.

With Takashi standing on her right Rose popped out a small square bag no bigger then her thumb filled with white powder. A crimson gaze was locked on Takashi as her eye scarred with three distinguished claw marks was slightly hidden behind strands of wispy blonde hair. Powder was tapped out onto the back of Rose's thumb, which she brought up to her nose and inhaled to let the drug flow through her system. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lip as she spoke to Takashi,
"Good luck out there."

Right after Sozen gave the word to go. With doors opening to reveal that once again they weren't quite at the emperors final room, Rose's gaze came to shift. There were presences lurking around, stinking the air. Enlarged pupils locked onto the Emperors bitches. Of course they would't be able to go after the Emperor without some of his butt buddies showing up to provide yet more distractions. Here they were assuming the position for their almighty 'God'.

There was little hesitation as the captains sprung into action. Sozen dashed off to keep Baal at bay, now having Kenryoku step in. Unsheathing her blade Rose was prepared to either join to dash ahead strait to the emperors room. With another attack now coming towards Azumi she gave the order. Rose had enough knowledge and faith in these captains to know that they would be find and sooner or later they would join the final battle of this assassination.

with her blade in her left hand Rose dashed ahead knowing the other two were on the same path. The chaos was just beginning as she avoided any cross fire on her way to the doors. It seemed like the reality of things had hit Rose at once despite her impaired state. Standing in a ball room the trio was faced with one of the biggest pains in the ass the soul society had seen. An eerie aura filled the room but the fear in Rose didn't seem to show, it was as if the drugs didn't allow for that fear to manifest. However there were times that fear was good, and maybe this was one of those time. So would Rose end up reckless?

His voice didn't make her ears ring, her heart didn't feel like there was a grip around it. However there was a moment where her heart skipped a beat. It was the moment the Emperor spoke
"Whether your power is healing with blood, scalding with magma, or physical exceptionalism with a sword, you can find strategies that will give you an advantage." With that plain and simple, it seemed the emperor knew of all their powers. This battle would sure to be interesting. Her blade was raised, her body ready, the fight was about to begin. Rose simply waited for Takashi's move.[/ul]

[Kento Waffles]

OOC: It is Takashi's post. Mostly cause otherwise I'll just be posting cinematic combat.

[Kento Waffles]

Cinematic 1

OOC: Alright, well, in the interest of tying up this canon, here... Here's the first of three cinematics related to the end of the thread.

---

IC:

Music

"I must admit to the both of you that I find myself humbled, and... puzzled that you have chosen to challenge me," Kohler said. Wilhelm Kohler. B, The Boss, Baal. The Vandenreich's #2 man. A Stern Ritter General of enormous power, who during the first invasion of the Soul Society had defeated Captains Sozen, Enma, and Okusa all at once. 6, 7, and 10 had all fallen to a single man simultaneously. He was just that strong. And here now were less opponents, fighting against him. Kenryoku Kawada and Sozen Kuchiki. 2 and 6. Merely two adversaries. It was strange to refer to two Captains as mere, but... This was a Stern Ritter, after all.

"Did you think we were incapable of growing in strength?" Sozen asked. "Or perhaps of researching you?" The Squad 6 Captain found a cool smile on his face. "We have been watching you, Baal," Kenryoku said. "The footage our butterflies captured from your fights... We know what you can do, now. How you can teleport instantaneously to your arrows, which themselves can appear anywhere that you have marked previously. And we know that your arrows can erase the memories of those that they hit, and are extremely aerodynamic because each one is not one, but three... We know everything... But you don't know everything that we can do. Even if you are more powerful, the playing field is now even."

Kohler smiled at them. "How silly, thinking because you know what my bow release can do that you know everything about my powers..." A glowing bow of reiatsu, some kind of web style bow, appeared in his right hand, and he took aim at both Sozen and Kenryoku. Sozen, drawing his Zanpakuto, smiled at Kohler. "Raze, Akai Birido..." he murmured, and his sheathe and his sword both turned red. "Enslave, Sora..." Kenryoku whispered into the air, and his sword became replaced by twin handcuffs which were spiked, and which he wrapped around his knuckles. Two powerful Captains, one Stern Ritter. One fight to rule them all.

Music 2

Kenryoku was the first to disappear, utilizing his immensely fast flash step to appear in front of Kohler. Those handcuffs were already enlarging, trying to wrap around the Stern Ritter, but Kohler was too fast. He could use Hirenkyaku Constant, and because of it, he was able to move with a constant Hirenkyaku speed, and jump into the air, out of the way of Kenryoku's handcuff attacks. A glow on the bottom of his foot appeared in the air, and that was the sign that his arrow location had been tagged. It was just something he did willingly. Moving into the air, he turned into a flip, and the place where his foot had been turned into a black orb.

The orb flew at Kenryoku, but a different sword appeared and cut into it, destroying it. That was the intervention of Sozen Kuchiki, who, with a confident smile, defended his comrade Kenryoku. Kenryoku looked up and then behind himself as Kohler landed, and fired three more arrows at him. This time, Kenryoku enlarged one of his handcuffs in front of himself, and as the orbs passed through it, they dissipated into a fine mist. "Take point," Kenryoku said, and charged forward at Kohler. Kohler fired an orb, but Kenryoku ducked into a slide under it, coming up in front of Kohler, punching.

Huge blasts of air ruptured from Kenryoku's fists, but Kohler once again dodged, this time stepping away and to the side. But, bad luck. He had stepped into a trap left for him earlier by Sozen. He looked down to see that a red line had been traced across the floor earlier by the Squad 6 Captain. Blades ejected out of it and into Kohler's shoes. These destabilized his footing and pushed him offbalance, allowing the immense speed possessed by Kenryoku Kawada to bring the Squad 2 Captain before his adversary and punch at him. Kohler, to his credit, was able to spin, but it didn't do him enough good.

The spikes on Kenryoku's handcuffs were just long enough to cut into Kohler's chest slightly, doing no damage because of Blut Vene. It didn't matter, though. Sozen had used a flash step to appear behind where Kohler was headed, and he was reaching toward Kohler. Kohler, noting that he was nearly out of options, allowed himself to fall to the floor, into a roll, and then sprung back up and fired off ten more orbs, both of which were defended easily. Kenryoku enlarged his handcuff once more so that any passing through dissipated, and Sozen used a flash step to dodge them all.

Kohler, regaining his feet, suddenly found that Kenryoku had appeared right next to him, and a handcuff was about to enclose over his left arm. Above, Sozen was coming down, left hand outstretched toward Kohler's head. Whatever trick Sozen had, it might do some serious damage, especially if Kenryoku's handcuff, which with its power could essentially lock down Kohler's arm and drain his reiatsu, took hold. And so that was why Kohler made a fateful decision, and suddenly his arm glowed bright, and then black reiatsu surrounded it, and it started to rot away the flesh. Sozen noticed the danger first, and pulled back, touching on the floor and disappearing, whilst screaming at Kenryoku, "GET AWAY!"

Kenryoku was too slow, surprisingly. More accurately, he was too aggressive. His handcuffs both dissolved away and were consumed by Kohler's arm, transfigured into raw reishi. Then, Kenryoku's outstretched right hand was ripped from his body, also turned to reishi, and a bloody stump was left by the time Kenryoku realized to pull away, and vanished with a flash step to gain distance on Kohler. Sozen and the now wounded Kenryoku faced down Kohler, looking at him and watching his now black arm as it ate the reiatsu that it had created from Kenryoku's handcuffs and right hand. Kohler smiled.

Stop music

"Of all the Quincy in the world, I alone am capable of controlling the Quincy techniques to this extent..." Kohler told them. "This is what made me a Stern Ritter. My ability to use not only a partial Vollstandig, but a partial Sklaverei. Without sacrificing a huge portion of my body to the drawbacks of these skills, I can still hold their effects in one of my arms." Kenryoku and Sozen said nothing, but this only led Kohler to smile as he gazed at them contemptuously, with the smile of a winner. "I told you that you did not know everything that I could do..." Somehow, this just seemed to upset Kenryoku all too much.

"Tch..." Kenryoku spat on the floor. "Don't be full of yourself, scum..." The Squad 2 Captain's huge reiatsu started to boil around his body, making even Sozen recoil a bit at the sheer power contained behind Kenryoku's aura. To his credit, Kenryoku was probably one of the strongest heads that the Kawada family had ever had. Not as strong, maybe, as Jinbei Kawada, his grandfather, but definitely stronger than both Shade Kawada, his late brother, and Kochikochi Kawada, the head preceding Shade. The Iron Warden was not to be trifled with by any normal adversaries. But, Kohler was not mere, was he?

Music 3

"Bankai..." Kenryoku said. And his handcuffs disappeared, replaced all of a sudden by ten thousand needles everywhere at once. Black, pointed and sharp, these floating needles were telepathically controlled, and gave Kenryoku a huge advantage over most of his opponents by allowing him to attack from everywhere at once. "No Prisoner May Escape..." Kenryoku said. And suddenly, those needles disappeared. They were so fast that even Sozen was surprised. So surprised that he spoke aloud. "Was that a...flash step by his Bankai..?" Sozen asked. But it wasn't. Those needles were just incredibly fast.

They were so fast that Kohler was surrounded before he even knew it. And those he could move his body around and his bow could deflect incoming needles here and there because of his speed, there were too many. His Sklaverei absorbed some of them, but still, they began trying to press into him. His Blut was impenetrable, and it wouldn't just give way to the needles trying to push into him, but that didn't matter. They were starting to surround him from all sides and push against his body. Soon, his mobility would be restricted. And, that wasn't the worst. Some of them started to turn into handcuffs, hoping to shackle almost all parts of his body.

They were of varying sizes, and would be well capable of shackling every part of Kohler's body and locking him down, ending the fight. All except for his Sklaverei arm, he was going to be locked down. But, if they got his neck, his powers would be negated, and even his arm would shut down. He knew it. Sozen knew it. Kenryoku especially knew it. Kohler had to act fast, or he really wouldn't survive against either Sozen or Kenryoku. The Stern Ritter had at last been completely cornered. And that wasn't even the worst of it. He escaped the needles at first, in fact, with a blast of a few arrows to knock them away with shockwaves.

He was moving toward Kenryoku, trying to take out the problem before the needles got to him. But, no good. Even as Kohler did that, the floor was turning red beneath him, and he looked back and saw and knew what was happening. "Bankai," Sozen said with a smile. "Akai Birido Seken." A wall of blae appeared in Kohler's path, blocking him off from Kenryoku. And the blades were red, and from them were extending other blades toward Kohler, who had to back away to prevent from getting stabbed by very fast blades which were going to spread like a virus soon because of how quickly they could turn things red and then produce more blades.

But, that was Kohler running directly into the needles, which then surrounded him and started to lock him down and immobilize him. They got his legs first, and then his right arm, taking away his bow. Anything trying to get near his left arm was dissolved and pulled in, but it didn't matter. He was being overcome too quickly. He had to do something, and fast, or it wouldn't work out for him in the end. That was when his next big card came out. An explosion of reiatsu all around him of such devastating force that all of Kenryoku's needles were shattered, and all of the blades that Sozen produced were also shattered.

Stop music.

There Kohler stood, undefeated, the handcuffs blown off of his body, tall and proud. "Vollstandig Detonation," Kohler said. "I focus my entire Vollstandig into a single blast of power which shuts it off, but which allows me to destroy anything in my immediate vicinity. In this case, I was able to use it on my partial Vollstandig. Though I have now lost Sklaverei, and I can still use a full Vollstandig or full Sklaverei. The setback of losing their partial forms is only minimal, and I was able to defeat a Bankai and escape a powerful forest of blades." Sozen and Kenryoku said nothing.

"Now..." Kohler said. "You have shown me your greatest levels of strength. Allow me to show you mine." A bow once again materialized in his right hand. Same shape and color as before and everything. By all accounts, it didn't look much different. He shot off several more orbs, but this time, they were white. They shot several feet away, and then exploded into... gas? Mist? Something like that. It was a very quickly proliferating mist, and soon was spreading to fill the room in no time at all. "Tell me," Kohler challenged. "Did you know that Quincy have a Bow Release level 3?"

Soon, they were trapped in the mist.

Music 3

"Kenryoku?" Sozen asked. "Yes, I am here," Kenryoku responded. "I can't remember quite who you are..." The red floor started to shrink, before reforming again so that the floor was indeed red. The color area had been shrinking, but it managed itself. "And... I nearly forgot just now what my Bankai does..." Sozen said. "As if I'd lost touch with myself. With my own soul." Could that be Kohler's greatest power? Arrows that turned into a mist... and within that mist, people became disjoint from their own souls. Memories fled. Even connection with one's powers. A truly dangerous area to be in.

"I am the Squad 2 Captain," Kenryoku reminded Sozen. "And...I belong to a family, but... I hardly remember..." They could not even locate one another in the fog. An arrow flew out of nowhere, appearing an inch from Sozen's face. The Kuchiki Head gasped, and just barely managed to escape it and dodge a hit. The same black orb rushed over Kenryoku's head, taking a few hairs with it. Both Captains started looking around. Kenryoku's needles started to reappear, and they floated around him, but... Their movements were slow. With no precision. And neither could see more than a foot in front of themselves. Neither could find where to target.

Another arrow, this one past Kenryoku, and the Squad 2 Captain only barely managed to dodge. This was Guerrilla warfare at its worst for them. An enemy so powerful that he could actually sever their connections to everything they knew. Wandering aimlessly around the mist, Kenryoku and Sozen didn't know where to go... Or what to do. And when Kohler suddenly appeared, he punched Sozen directly in the face, and Sozen fell back with a gasp. Kohler was then on top of him, punching his face in, until Sozen noted the blood on Kohler's knuckles. "Red, I've got you," Sozen said. But the blades did not form.

"You would have me, but do you remember what with?" Kohler asked. And then he kept punching. Again. And again. And again. Beating Sozen mercilessly, until Sozen at last headbutted Kohler off of himself, rolled back, and grabbed a knife from inside of his robes. He held it up, unsure of what to do with it. Unsure of how to continue fighting. Blades started to rise from the floor... And then they stopped. And they lowered again. Kenryoku suddenly appeared in front of Kohler, and cocked his arm back. Then stopped. Kohler smiled, and fired an arrow at Kenryoku, which barely missed due to Kenryoku dodging.

"You forgot how to punch, didn't you?" Kohler asked. Kenryoku punched toward Kohler, who dodged, and the air blast carried past him. Sozen looked up, saw the distorting mist, and got an idea. "KENRYOKU! THE M-" And then the air blast hit him in the left knee, popping and bursting it. Sozen's leg blew up in a fit of blood, and he screamed as he went down. And then he forgot his idea. The idea would have been good. Dissolving the mist around them with Kenryoku's air blasts. But Sozen forgot it as he went down. The mist's properties were too strong. Coherent thought was impossible under these circumstances.

"You forgot how to dodge, didn't you?" Kohler mocked. A Stern Ritter of enormous power. A mist that could literally strip them of their coherent thought. A mist that annihilated their sanity. They could do nothing of substance. They couldn't even strategize. And, as Sozen had gone down, Kohler took the opportunity. He appeared immediately in front of Sozen, and fired off fifteen orbs. But, somehow, Kenryoku had anticipated it. He appeared in between Sozen and Kohler, and held up his hands to bring up his needles to defend Sozen. But, his needles were slow. Too slow.

"You forgot how to control them, didn't you?" Kohler asked. And suddenly, Kenryoku was filled with holes and with blood. He had just been completely annihilated. Holes all over his body, and he threw up blood and went down, falling to the floor with wide eyes. He had just been taken out by Kohler. The Stern Ritter General brought down the Squad 2 Captain, destroying him completely. And Kohler would have finished off both Sozen and Kenryoku right there, too, if not for interference from another party. A huge ray of reiatsu suddenly cut through the mist, crimson red in color, and separated Kohler from the two Soul Reapers with a wall of power.

Music 4

Black hair. Black eyes. A black suit with a black tie. An Arrancar. That attack hadn't been a Kido. It had been a Cero. And it had belonged to a long time enemy of Sozen Kuchiki... The rival he had already surpassed and defeated. "How pitiful," The Arrancar said. "To think you would have such trouble against this trash. I expected more from the man who defeated me." And there he was. The savior to assist Sozen and Kenryoku. Someone who hadn't been seen in a long time, and who also hadn't been seen all mission. But now, here he was, having at last reached them too. The mighty Segunda Espada. Kuroi Naito.

Kohler backed off a few steps as Kuroi walked in. "I see that your fog doesn't apply to Arrancar..." Kuroi said to Kohler. The Quincy said nothing. The Segunda looked back at Sozen. "Get up," he said. "We're not done here. Not until B, The Boss, Baal is put in the ground." The Segunda drew his Zanpakuto, and Sozen, on his one remaining leg, pulled himself up. The Segunda Espada had come, and now Sozen had an ally. He smiled. "I suppose I should have expected to see you again, Kuroi..." Two enemies, who now were allies against an even greater opponent. Kohler looked at them blankly.

Kuroi suddenly appeared in front of Kohler, blade moving forwards. Kohler was much faster, but... He miscalculated. One wrong step, and suddenly he found a bright flash of turquoise light had appeared in front of him, and another sword came at Kohler. Normally, it shouldn't have pierced his Blut, but... It was infused with Kuroi's reiatsu. The sword cut into Kohler's chest, and instead of cutting, left a huge black mark which started steaming immediately. Kohler gasped, and Kuroi whirled into a mighty kick to Kohler's jaw, knocking him back. Kohler stumbled back, and the Segunda relented.

"Were you always that skilled?" Sozen asked the Segunda. "It's a miracle that I defeated you." Kuroi glanced back at Sozen, and smiled. "I've gotten stronger," Kuroi told the Kuchiki Head. There they were. Preparing for the start of the next battle. Kenryoku had been incapacitated, but for now would live. It would now be a new battle. Kuroi and Sozen vs Baal. Kuroi and Sozen had been enemies for a while now, and had had two major fights, with a one to one score. But now they were a team, fighting someone more powerful than either of them was individually. But together? They were the strongest of teams.

"Come," Kuroi said to Kohler. "I'm going to burn a hole in your chest."

But, that fight would have to be postponed... For what happened next would draw the attention of all three combatants away from their own fight...

[Kento Waffles]

Cinematic 2


Music

Sozen and Kuroi were back to back, using their blades to fend off incoming arrows as Kohler circled around them, shooting at them. Sozen was still on one leg, but he was able to balance on it, and he had the support of the Segunda's back. Though Kohler moved in a circle around them, firing, it was of no avail. And, being within the vicinity of Kuroi's aura, Sozen had been granted relief, for now, from the powerful mists of the Stern Ritter. That fog which eroded even the ties which bound the memories of Soen's soul had, for now, become neutralized by Kuroi's presence, as it could not affect Arrancar.

"Watch out," Kuroi said, and suddenly his extended left hand glowed brightly. "Enma Cero..." The fog everywhere in front of Kuroi cleared up instantly. That was a massive Cero attack which was so powerful that it had blasted away all of the fog. Really, it was hundreds of invisible Cero, as Sozen knew well. Just one of Kuroi's Cero was enough to decimate, but here, it was hundreds, and they were invisible. Luckily for Kohler, the Stern Ritter had been on Sozen's side, and would not get hit by the Cero attacks. That is, until Kuroi turned them around, so now Sozen faced the non fog side, and Kuroi faced the fog side.

His left hand still out, now aimed at Kohler, Kuroi used another attack. "Nunca Acabar Cero." Others knew it as the Shoji Cero, but Kuroi, its inventor, called it by a different name. Sozen knew this technique, too. It was an infinite firing green Cero which, after firing, could become a sword of huge, maneuverable laser beam. It was this laser beam which Kuroi used to blow away the rest of the fog at least on that side. Now, though there was fog, there was a huge open space in the center where it didn't touch, leaving Sozen and Kuroi free to separate and move to attack Kohler, who was now also exposed and in plain view.

Kohler, to his credit, had used his Hirenkyaku induced speed to get to Sozen's side, but now it was Sozen's turn to attack. Kohler's primary advantage mitigated by Kuroi, Sozen was able to attack with full power... In other words... Bankai. The world, after all, was still red. As Kohler got within Sozen's view, first what happened was that bleeding hand that Kohler had from earlier, punching Sozen repeatedly. Blades exploded into that hand, severing it from Kohler's body. Next, blades emerged from the ground and began to close in on Kohler, trying to stab him. He grunted, moving around, now short a hand. The bleeding stump might soon become a target too.

Blades started to form on the inside of Kohler's arm, trying to cut into more of it. Just from that one wound, Sozen, by looking at his opponent, was able to inflict tremendous damage. It wouldn't be long before Wilhelm Kohler was short an arm. And in fact, there it happened. In mere seconds, even with Kohler dodging around, his arm was gone, leaving only a bleeding stump. And that bleeding stump, then, would soon also become a target to allow Sozen to further attack his opponent. Bankai, as it happened, could get through Kohler's Blut. And now Kohler's clothes were starting to stain with blood. Sozen, with just the one hand removed, could take Kohler's entire body.

Suddenly, however, Kohler sped up. An arrow materialized immediately next to Sozen, who slipped to the side to dodge it. Kohler appeared right where the arrow was, firing another one. Sozen ducked under it, but an arrow suddenly appeared next to his head. Sozen's eyes widened, but Kuroi appeared just in time to deflect it with a fast paced Bala. The blast's shockwave knocked Sozen and Kohler apart from each other. Kohler started to blur and move closer again. "It doesn't matter how quickly you move..." Sozen said. "Now that I can cut you with red, you're mine." Blades started to form on the blood on Kohler's body.

"No," Kohler said. "This fight is just getting started."

Music 2

A new, sinister reiatsu started to form around Kohler, who stopped moving. But, Sozen's blades on his body rotted away and dissolved too, and new ones trying to form failed, and were unable to. "What an ugly aura..." Kuroi said, which was ironic because he had a much worse reiatsu than most people did. Sozen and Kuroi stood next to one another as Kohler's reiatsu started to become more and more twisted around his body, and emitted more and more evil intent. This was what he truly was, though. Contrary to the mild mannered man they knew, he was a cannibal, and far worse too.

His body at first turned white and glowing, and enormous feathered wings crafted from the most beautiful and sparkling reiatsu, like a million hot white suns, appeared on his back. His eyes glowed a deep blue too. That was at first. Then, that reiatsu started to turn black. Kohler's skin turned black, and his eyes glowed deep violet. His reiatsu was changing. His wings turned into tentacles which flapped around on his body. "Why is the color of evil power always black, Kuroi?" Sozen asked. The Segunda did not answer, probably because his attention was on Kohler. That evil, sickening reiatsu...

"When I first learned of the Vollstandig, I had cause to wonder," Kohler said. "It was merely an expansion of the Sanrei glove, which releases all of your reiatsu's power at once. And if this power simply releases reiatsu, then how can it be said to be our final holy form? Would it not, after all, stand to reason that we have potential beyond merely our reiatsu? And, after all, would the holiest act be ascendance to angelhood, or to becoming akin to the calamity of the flood, or razing of Sodom and Gomorrah? Thus, I have a power possessed by no other Quincy in the world. A level of final release even beyond the Vollstandig. Schicksalsschlag..."

Music 3

What was this power? Suddenly, Kohler was immediately in front of Kuroi and Sozen, a meter away. But it was so much faster than Kohler's normal movement. Was that it? Just an increase in speed? That couldn't be right. No, it wasn't. The way the ground was cracked... The way the air fluctuated around them when Kohler neared them. He hadn't moved toward them. He had used his power to move them toward him by dragging the floor toward himself as a centerpoint, and by bending space to shorten the distance. As soon as they were near him, their flesh started to crack, and peel away, and move away from them rather than into Kohler. It turned to reishi and was absorbed into the environment.

And from the environment, Kohler pulled reishi onto his own body to continue to get stronger. It was yet another, stronger form of Sklaverei. Rather than dissolve them and pull them in, he dissolved them and blasted them away, and simultaneously used another technique to pull from the world around him into himself. And in this way, as he was suddenly upon them, his tendrils lashed out and Kohler took to the air. And with his movement, space distorted, and Kuroi and Sozen were pulled into the way of his slapping tentacles, which smacked them both aside with huge force.

Sozen and Kuroi equally flew opposite ways. Kuroi and Sozen slammed into parallel walls on opposite sides of the room, leaving huge indents in the walls before they fell back to the floor, and the distortion of space had them once again right next to Kohler. The Stern Ritter looked at them both and triumphantly held up his hands. His arms seemed to multiply into four for a moment, just a moment, and suddenly black spears which resembled the orbs from before appeared not next to Sozen or Kuroi, but literally inside of their backs, crippling them with powerful lightning coursing across their bodies, and stabbing into their backs to draw heavy blood.

As they fell once again to the floor, Kohler lowered himself back down from his momentary flight, and he spoke to them. "It has been many years since I was required to use this form in combat," Kohler explained to them. "That you two have brought me to it is impressive. You are truly remarkable specimens. But... You aren't a match for me. This is a form that not even my counterpart Stern Ritters can stand up to. A form so strong, that even my racial disadvantage against the Arrancar is negated completely." Kuroi and Sozen looked at one another, and smirked in unison.

Stop music

"Hm?" Kohler mused. "Is something funny?" Kuroi was the first to look up. "You assume yourself all powerful, yet you have not even seen my power...my release. Don't make me laugh. A mere Quincy could never bring me down..."

Music 4

"Engulf the world in darkness, Hora Ultimo..." An eclipsing column of black reiatsu formed around Kuroi, and overhead, the room was so large, that not even what formed touched the ceiling. The size and grandiose of the room, in this case, worked to Kuroi's advantage. A silver dome appeared over Kuroi, Sozen, and Kohler. Kohler looked around confusedly, and then saw his reiatsu begin to sputter out. Kuroi was exposed from his black reiatsu shirtless, with black wings, claws on his nails, and deep black eyes. And around them, a dome called Cesar Del Vida had formed. A dome which negated reiatsu use. Enemies who relied on reiatsu based powers found their greatest disadvantage against Kuroi's strongest power. Ressurection: Segunda Etapa.

Sozen stood up, using only his one good leg, and put his hands on the floor as he bent his knee. His Bankai too had been neutralized, and now he held his Zanpakuto. "This sure brings back memories..." he said. Kohler had just lost his greatest power, and stood with it sealed, his body normal again. And his Hirenkyaku constant gone. His speed brought down to normal. "A power that not even your Emperor can defeat," Kuroi proclaimed. And Kohler knew then that he had lost. Without his reiatsu based powers, Kuroi really was more powerful than he was. And so was Sozen, who knew some Hakuda skills...

Immediately, using a Hakuda technique called Shukuchi-Ho, Sozen appeared in front of Kohler far too fast for the Quincy to defend himself, and he stabbed Kohler through. Cesar Del Vida was Kuroi's last resort technique, which the Segunda refused to use. But here, it had seemed appropriate, given Kohler's power. And yet, there they were. Reiatsu negated. Kohler helpless. Sozen's blade running him through the chest. And Kohler coughed out blood and fell back, off of Sozen's blade, and against the wall of Cesar Del Vida. "I... I see..." Kohler admitted. "You... are truly strong. Kuchiki Head. Segunda. But... This isn't the end."

Stop music

Kohler fell to the floor and his eyes opened wide, his mouth agape. He had lost. The fight was over. Maybe Kuroi should have used Cesar Del Vida earlier, but it was his last resort. He only used it if he felt forced to use it, as was in this case. He didn't usually allow people to see it, but Sozen had already seen it, and so there was no point in further hiding it from the Kuchiki Head. After all, with this, Kohler was defeated, and there was no more to discuss between them all. Now, Kuroi and Sozen's powers faded back, leaving them in their sealed states, and Sozen crawled his way over the floor, to Kenryoku Kawada, who lay there, gasping.

Music 5

Kenryoku was even still conscious, and he coughed out blood as Sozen arrived by his side. "Kuchiki," he noted. "How wretched, that the Segunda would assist in defeating an enemy against whom I had fallen. The Segunda, who destroyed my family..." Yes, Kuroi had destroyed the Kawadas, and now, Kuroi stood next to Sozen, overlooking Kenryoku Kawada, who more than anyone in the world despised the Segunda Espada. "Mark my words, Kuroi Naito... It will be my vengeance which kills you..." Kenryoku said to the Segunda, who looked blankly down and said nothing at all. Sozen looked at Kenryoku. "Don't think about that now," Sozen said.

Kenryoku, gasping, looked Sozen in the eyes. "I hated you," Kenryoku admitted. "As a boy, I always felt as if the Kuchiki tried to belittle the broken Kawadas... And as a man, I saw your success which eclipsed even that of my brother, and I was envious, and hated how you could have it so easy... How you could smile and win, while we languished, suffered, and lost... I hated you, never once thinking of how, when Shade's father died, it was you who assisted us and kept us from collapse... And when Shade came to power, it was you who helped us rebuild... Even as Head of the Kawadas, I hated you, and thought nothing of our alliance."

"My grandfather told me to always look out for our allies," Sozen said to Kenryoku. "That was why your brother and I were friends. And why, even if you hated me, I believed in you as my friend, Kenryoku." Sozen was kneeling at Kenryoku's fallen side, and the Kawada Head, once proud, once so strong, who had brought military might to the Kawadas and even founded the squadron known as Tsunami. Kenryoku was in dire condition. But... He had sustained worse wounds than before. "His wounds aren't fatal," Kuroi noted, though Kenryoku did not hear the Segunda. "Unless he is left here for hours to bleed out, he will survive. You merely need to request basic medical assistance, and he will live."

Kenryoku, though, seemed convinced that he was dying. So he looked into Sozen's eyes, and begged for the first time in his life. "Sozen Kuchiki... Just as you did when Kochikochi died... And when Shade died... Please, I beg of you... Look out for the Kawada Family... Help us in our time of need... The Kawada Family is everything to me. Please, don't let them die. As long as they survive, my death will not have been in vain. Once, we were great... Help us, in my stead, to realize that dream once again, Sozen Kuchiki. I will be forever in your debt. So, that's why... I beg you... Watch over my beloved family..."

And Sozen took Kenryoku's hands in his own, and gazed into the eyes of his fallen comrade, seemingly a brother. "My grandfather told me to always look out for our allies," Sozen said. And Kenryoku smiled for the first time in his life, and closed his eyes. "Thank you..." he said. And by closing his eyes, he closed his eyes to Sozen's sheathe changing colors to red. Suddenly, in all of Kenryoku's wounds, stained by blood, blades erupted out and penetrated his body from all over, stabbing into all of his vital organs, and brutalizing him and terminating any hope that he had ever had of living.

Final music

"And right now, your existence is hurting our allies, the Shihoin family..." Sozen said. Kenryoku's eyes flew open wide, and he gasped and coughed out blood, which struck a face droplets onto Sozen's face. In turn, Sozen glanced down, and blades from the blood on his face emerged out and stabbed further into Kenryoku's chest, before retracting back in again. "S...Sozen... You bastard...!" Kenryoku cursed. The Kuchiki Head, with his beautiful scarlet eyes, smiled at Kenryoku Kawada as he looked at the comrade he had killed right in the eyes and spoke to him with malicious intent.

"After you took Head of the Kawada family, I realized that working with you would be impossible..." Sozen said. "You were too set in your ways. In your hatred. Your alliance with us was crumbling, and your stubborn ways prevented us from securing the family lineage of our other allies, the Shihoin, and delivering it back to them. By insisting on maintaining the Omnitsukido, you paralyzed the Shihoin's recovery, and by damaging your alliance with us and with other nobilities, you damaged your own growth. Your life, Kenryoku, was and still is counterproductive. That's why... I'm ending it here. Perhaps, Kenryoku, your successor will be easier to work with..."

Kenryoku grabbed Sozen's collar with enormous strength. For a man dying, Kenryoku had insane stamina. And he pulled Sozen close to him, and tried, with his head, to headbutt Sozen with enough strength to shatter the latter's skull. But as soon as he tried, blades flew from Sozen's face, because of the blood, into Kenryoku's face, stabbing the Kawada's skull, Kenryoku fell back, his breathing shallow, his life at its end. "Goodbye, Iron Warden." Sozen said with finality. And he drew his sword, and slit Kenryoku's throat. Sozen then cleaned his blade on Kenryoku's clothes, and sheathed his blade.

Sozen stood. Come on," he said to Kuroi with a cold smile, who looked blankly at Sozen without much care, and did not acknowledge or comment on the Kuchiki Head's newfound darkness. "Let's go. The others may need our assistance against the Emperor."

End of scene: Sozen/Kenryoku vs Baal

[Kento Waffles]

Music

"Sozen was right..." Azumi breathed. "It really was a good time to return to Soul Society... To think that in our counterattack, I might get a chance to pick apart such a unique specimen as you." Azumi and the Quincy monster had already traded a few preliminary blows. In a room which was quite large and spacious, and otherwise empty, and indestructible even to the powers of both, Azumi and her opponent had had a few preliminary encounters, during which time they had both gauged and evaluated one another. They were now getting to a point where the fight was going to get very serious, very quickly.

"A Quincy who can't even use a bow... Yet you're so powerful. I am impressed." Yes, a Quincy whose reiatsu was so powerful that it could not be controlled. It had suppressed even his ability to form it into a bow with unique powers. But that did not mean that he was weak. By any means. Along with Wilhelm Kohler, or in other words B, The Boss, Baal, this man was the strongest Quincy in the entire Vandenreich. Rumors and whispers said that he was the secret apprentice of the Emperor himself, raised from birth to be an aberration. The most cold blooded of all killers. A, The Apprentice, Akiyama.

Azumi was average paced for a Captain, but when she appeared in front of Akiyama, her movements were crisp. They were fresh. Akiyama seemed surprised when Azumi appeared in front of him. Considering how long she had already been fighting in this invasion, she sould be exhausted, but remarkably, she still seemed crisp. Her sword was quick fluid as it drove toward Akiyama's face, and her footwork was excellent. Her eyes were focused, and she seemed to be a serpent. That was why she was one of the most powerful Captains. "I look forward to dissecting you.." Along with Sozen, she had been one of those called "Blood Bonded" in her youth. The Head of the biggest crime family in history, Azumi Kasumi'Oji.

But Akiyama was not to be taken lightly either. His arm flew up to guard against Azumi's sword strike. Though Azumi had blurred, enhancing her sword strike with Shunpo Karin, Akiyama had activated Hirenkyaku constant, and blocked at a similarly devastating speed. Slightly faster than Azumi, but they were basically equal blurs. Upon Azumi's blade meeting with Akiyama's arm, it would be found that he was able to block her using his Blut, and reiatsu burst forth from the point of contact between blade and arm, a milky white in color, and toward Azumi like blood. The Kasumi'Oji Head was quick to disappear to avoid the reiatsu.

Akiyama was quick to follow Azumi as she escaped, and started a barrage of punches toward her. Azumi's eyes darted around, trying to keep up, but to any skilled observer, it would appear she lost track of Akiyama's movements frequently. This wasn't by virtue of speed, but the unorthodox. Akiyama's combat style utilized very odd attacks and angles... Street fighting combined with numerous other things. And, as Azumi managed to dodge one punch, Akiyama suddenly reverted into her footwork, and his other hand charged like a spear, using Hirenkyaku constant to enhance his movement. He had just copied Azumi's attack, but done the entire motion more quickly.

Azumi, barely able to keep up, was only barely able to escape using a flash step to get behind Akiyama, but she lost a few hairs on the way. Akiyama whirled around, but Azumi was too skilled, herself, and a quick motion wherein she spun her blade in the smallest circle around and to the other side of Akiyama's outstretched guarding arm allowed a deep strike on his chest, which produced more reiatsu, like a spurt of blood. Akiyama obviously took no damage, but Azumi did not seem perturbed. Rather, it might be that she was analyzing whether or not she could hit Akiyama. Which she could.

"High defense... Mimicry... Quick adaptability," Azumi said. "But you aren't very talkative. Is that just efficiency?" Suddenly, Akiyama was in front of Azumi again, still using Hirenkyaku constant. Azumi was quick to dodge with another flash step, but Akiyama pursued, coming up with a high kick. Azumi was about to duck, but suddenly Akiyama was able to accelerate and speed up into bringing his leg down for a low kick. He had just adapted to her defense. He was getting faster and faster at learning. But, Azumi was not to be taken lightly. She was quick to be able to use Shunpo Karin to enhance her leg's jump, and jump to dodge his strike. Following, Azumi spun toward Akiyama's face.

Stop music.

Though Azumi went over Akiyama's head, her blade dug into his eye, allowing another spurt of reiatsu as she landed behind him and skidded back and away. But, Akiyama was undamaged as reiatsu exploded further out of his face like blood. "Hm... To be honest, today is my first time encountering Blut," Azumi said. "Even the weak spots of a Hierro are covered... That is surprising. You are a worthy specimen." Akiyama turned around as Azumi spoke, wearily facing her. She was strong. She had landed many preliminary blows, though Akiyama didn't seem particularly frustrated or bothered. "I'm coming for you, now..." Akiyama said quietly, with a highly stoic face. "No," Azumi replied with a smile. "You may think you were evaluating me and now you're going to start taking me seriously, but it's the opposite. Now, I get serious..."

Now play this too

Azumi's sword blade started to turn black, and a mist started to form around Akiyama and Azumi, enclosing around them. The Quincy showed some surprise, but not much. Azumi, however, only smiled as the mist continued to form. She also waved her free hand around, and by combining her Anima powers with the power of a very special Kido called Soukahou, began to materialize several fireballs of blue hue in the room. Six, seven, eight... Floating blue fireballs. Floating, living Soukahou. And at once, they started darting around, and unleashing barrages of fire at Akiyama.

The Stern Ritter's eyes began dancing around as he analyzed their trajectory, and his fast paced Hirenkyaku constant movement allowed him to continue to weave and dodge the Soukahou. But, he was dodging, now. Why? Because Azumi's Soukahou seemed to possess some property that meant getting hit would be very dangerous. But those Soukahou were smart, and were adapting to Akiyama's doges too, weaving around and changing trajectories. In response, Akiyama was constantly adapting his dodges. It was a chess game. One that Azumi wasn't yet participating in, until she appeared above Akiyama, slashing.

At once, dozens of black needles rained down on him, and Azumi spun in mid air, sending her blade into a slashing motion around her body, causing needles to spray everywhere in the room. They weren't just regular needles, either. They were Void Needles. And if they struck Akiyama, he would find parts of his body pulled into Azumi's void. Even with Blut, he would take damage from her Shikai and her Soukahou. So, here he was, forced to roll away, then maneuver to dodge Soukahou. Meanwhile, a shiver from his body indicated that the mist was making the room colder... And cold was one of his weaknesses...

But, then, palms flashed up, and huge blasts of reiatsu emitted from his hands at Azumi, who drew her void blade in a circle around herself, constantly constantly constantly, until layers of void weakened the reiatsu blasts so much that they had no power at all, and dissipated. And suddenly, Akiyama's blasts of reiatsu were useless to Azumi. That is, until her eyes widened. She had intense energy sensory, and suddenly sensed something amiss. A piece of cloth behind her, taken when she had slashed Akiyama, and damaged his clothes. Even his clothes were imbued with reiatsu, and so he could just release blasts from pieces lost.

Azumi, at the last second, was able to trip, take her hand onto the floor, and use flash step to disappear as an explosion of white reiatsu appeared behind her, just barely missing her. She landed several yards away in a stumble, having been surprised. And suddenly, Akiyama was in front of Azumi, launching a devastating kick. Strings shot out from his back into all the incoming and mobile Soukahou orbs at the same time, and suddenly the Soukahou dissipated. Azumi, analyzing, noted what was happening. "You absorbed them? Smart.." But her snark was premature. Akiyama's kick, which she barely managed to evade with a swerve to the side, launched off his shoe, which was spinning in front of her face.

Obviously, with her great energy sensory, she was able to anticipate a coming attack, and drew her blade in front of herself. Needles shot out at Akiyama to get him to back off, and at the same time, she drew out a barrier to defend against the incoming blast, negating quickly the strength of the blast of reiatsu in front of her, and making it dissipate before her Void defenses. But, even though Akiyama's attack failed, his defense did not. Despite the white array of needles, Akiyama... Adapted. His movements were crisp, fast, and his body movements fluid, acrobatic. And somehow, he dodged all of the needles, and came down on one foot, and followed Azumi's attempt to escape.

Final song of the post

Adaptability. Aggression. Akiyama was a monster. Azumi may have seemed to have the upper hand, but Akiyama was slowly pressuring her back. Azumi's skin started to turn black, signifying void skin, a technique that allowed her to defend herself more directly... Like a superior Hierro. Akiyama, gaining on her, reached out toward Azumi, as if to grab her... Then suddenly he accelerated even more. Had he just planned this intricately? Slowed down, and waited until she was used to the rhythm, and then gone full speed? Something like that, clearly, because Akiyama managed to punch Azumi in the face.

By pure luck, she managed to bring her blade into the way, creating a small void in front of herself, which Akiyama punched through with raw reiatsu, snapping her sword in half, and then driving into her face, the reiatsu pouring out of his body, and even through void skin. Her void skin completely shattered as reiatsu burst across her body, and Azumi was blown backwards, not even able to cry out as blood left her mouth and nose in shock, and Azumi slammed against the wall on the other side of the room, coming down on all fours with two teeth knocked out and her nose shattered... And her body covered in third and fourth degree burns. She was gagging.

Huge white wings of reiatsu burst forth from Akiyama's back, another technique of his as he approached Azumi triumphantly. "You're finished, now..." Akiyama told her. And Azumi, struggling to stand up, would see her Shikai shut off, and feel her power disappearing. "Just from my reiatsu, I possess a poison that erodes your store of reiatsu," Akiyama told her. "As long as I give up an equal amount to what you lose, I can take anything. And for me... Reiatsu is such a trivial thing. You don't even have a fraction of my resources." And Azumi realized that Akiyama was right. It was over.

Just one hit. And it had ended. Azumi was about to be killed mercilessly. She had landed hit after hit, and it had all been so useless... Once they had both gotten serious, Azumi had been trying to wear him down, but instead he had gradually overpowered her with aggression. Her mist now was fading. Her Shikai was already gone. Her reiatsu had diminished. Azumi had nothing left in her arsenal but swords, and with her physical body in such disarray, she could do nothing with that. Struggling up, Azumi looked at Akiyama, who had her number. Who had beaten her. Fair and square. Azumi closed her eyes. "Well... I guess it isn't so bad, then. Being saved by an ally is okay too."

She knew. She knew from the beginning that it wasn't over. Suddenly, she was carried away as Akiyama missed his mark and failed to finish her with his spear hand, missing as someone else carried Azumi away. Someone else, who had been separated from the group earlier, and now, putting Azumi back down as quickly as he had picked her up, looked back at Akiyama. Brown eyes for which this one should be self conscious, and powerful, rippling physical ability... Yes. This was Takehiko Kuchiki. "Good timing," Takehiko, Azumi said as she stood. Takehiko pulled out two syringes, one with a blue liquid, the other with pink. "I believe these are yours," he said.

"My thanks," Azumi returned, taking the syringes to inject herself. And suddenly, her burns vanished until... She was fully healed. And, if one sensed her, they'd find her reiatsu replenishing. Ah, clever Azumi. Always a contingency. Along with Sozen, they had planned for Takehiko to silently shadow her, until she reached a critical enemy, such as Akiyama. And then, he would bring her healing and reiatsu, and the two of them would fight that enemy. Because the Quincy were strong, and a solo Captain might not necessarily win. But, now with both Azumi and Takehiko...

"We're going to crush you," Takehiko said to the stoic Akiyama.

[Kento Waffles]

OOC: Yeah, I'm typing this from the train. Which apparently won't let me access youtube. So I'm putting in fillers for where music should go. Just look up the music on youtube before you read each section. I'll replace it in soon.

The fight between Akiyama, Takehiko, and Azumi was over in an instant. Quickly, and with barely any fuss. An efficient battle.

Play Palladio by Escala

"Takehiko Kuchiki, at your service," the newcomer said. Azumi was all healed up, and Takehiko had arrived to deliver her some back up. Akiyama stared at them blankly, with cold eyes. Actually, no. Not just cold eyes. There was something a little more to them, now. Was that... a hint of a glare? Anger, maybe? He didn't show very much expression on his face, but that definitely had to be at least a little bit of anger. Well, it didn't matter too much. The fight had gone in his favor for the first round. Now, perhaps, they'd get something a little bit different. "Round two," Azumi said. "Prepare to experience something unlike anything you have ever seen before."

Twin explosions of reiatsu danced across Takehiko and Azumi, who, as if the ultimate dream team, released their powers in total synchronization. Absolute harmony. On Takehiko's body, metal chains and other parts formed, along with a savage looking mask, and blasts of white and blue lightning flared across his body. He had attempted to use this form earlier. The reiatsu would be recognizable. That was Saigo No Houmen, plus the use of Kuchiki Hana. Takehiko had augmented his physical abilities to be far above and beyond anything that even Captain level Soul Reapers could achieve in their lifetime.

Meanwhile, Azumi's skin turned a corrosive black, and her eyes a twisted, demon's red. A bit cliche, to be sure, but it shredded her clothes and left her entire body covered in a cloak made entirely from her black reiatsu, which danced around like the void. That meant she was business. Not only was her whole body now void, but she was emitting more of it. It was unusual, that she too was using Saigo No Houmen, instead of just going Bankai. It was proof that Akiyama was an enemy that they were taking seriously. "Forgive me, Sozen..." Takehiko said. "But for this battle I must risk everything." Azumi reprimanded him. "Hush, Takehiko. Reclaiming our Soul Reaper powers is not difficult after this. It's all basic science, really."

Play "I'm Not a Hero" from The Dark Knight

An explosion of white reiatsu in between them caused them to jump--at tremendous speeds, surpassing mach speeds as they scattered apart to dodge it. Akiyama, with his newfound wings, was marching toward where they had stood only seconds before, and he did not look happy at all. What had earlier been a look of apathy or at least stoicism had transformed into a savage look of barbarism. From a curled lip, Akiyama let out a thin, feral snarl. The Stern Ritter was legitimately angered. "You think something like that can stop me?" Akiyama asked incredulously. "You think that you can actually win? How dare you underestimate me. You trash."

Akiyama was insulted. He was more than insulted. He was livid with rage. Consumed. This was where things were going to get really interesting. Takehiko jumped forward, incredibly fast, and unleashed a barrage of punches toward Akiyama. The first one struck Akiyama square in the stomach, and the Stern Ritter coughed out blood as it did. The next attack, Azumi's, came from the left, a hand reaching out to grab Akiyama, who brought up his left arm to defend. Azumi's hand touched it, and it suddenly turned black, and began to evaporate there. In a second, Akiyama's entire left arm had been removed.

But, when Takehiko's second punch came, Akiyama was only grazed on the right shoulder. Following that, Azumi's next grab at him was met with an arm of blue reiatsu which emerged from the socket that had previously been occupied by a flesh and blood arm. And, as Azumi's hand lay softly on Akiyama's new blue arm, his reiatsu repulsed the blackness on her hand, revealing flesh. And, next, the rest of the black on her entire arm was repulsed, leaving an entirely bare skin left arm for Azumi, who backed off momentarily in surprise. Akiyama's wings were flashing various shades of gray, blue, and white as they changed colors constantly.

When Takehiko's third punch came, Akiyama managed only to have a single hair taken as he dodged. Azumi's followup, which crafted a sword in one hand made of her void's powers, came at his cheek, but Akiyama took no damage as he again lost only a hair. And then, with Takehiko's third punch, Akiyama dodged completely. His eyes not only glowed, but darted around violently. His iris had split into three parts, all of which darted around inside of his rolling eyeballs. He dodged Azumi's next sword strike. And then he dodged Takehiko's next punch. And the next dozen, all of which happened in a single second. All of this, after all, happened above Mach speeds.

What had started as Akiyama being completely outclassed had instead become Akiyama adjusting to Takehiko and Azumi. His skin was pulsating with white glowing veins beneath, and his reiatsu wings kept flashing colors. Yes, this was Akiyama. They called him "A, The Apprentice," but in the Vandenreich he had another nickname. "A, The Adaptable." Because of all the Vandenreich, none came even close to the apprentice in adapting to enemies. Not just his skills, but his powers themselves. He grew more powerful just to suit an enemy. And, with his feral rage, he finished dodging Takehiko and Azumi's strikes.

Akiyama then fell into a barrage on Takehiko. A barrage which was identical to the one Takehiko had just unleashed. And, if that wasn't enough, in some pauses between punches, he struck out at Azumi in the same exact ways she had struck out at him. To their credits, Takehiko and Azumi too were both successful in dodging. But that he could attack in these ways without giving them the chance to retaliate meant only one thing. IN that short exchange, Akiyama had become faster than either Takehiko or Azumi. Just by combat against them, he had adapted instantly. It wouldn't be surprising if his reiatsu overriding Azumi was just an adaptation. An evolution of his powers.

Play "Stalemate" from Naruto Shippuden.

After Akiyama's barrage started to picking up more and more speed, Takehiko grew weary. Realizing stamina would not last him forever, the Kuchiki clansman dipped into a risky dodge retaliation move. And it worked, somewhat. His punch flew into Akiyama's face, slamming it, but reiatsu burst from Akiyama's face. Though a crack formed in the Stern Ritter's cheek, even this had adapted to the force of Takehiko's punches. And, Takehiko had risked it all with that, and lost his gambit. As he connected, Akiyama too connected, and a punch straight into Takehiko's stomach created an explosion of white reiatsu which blasted across Takehiko.

When the flash disappeared, Takehiko was covered in burns, his clothing was burned into his body, and much of the metal on him had been obliterated. Even his eyes had been burned right out of his skull. Steaming, eyes burned out, and barely clinging to life, Takehiko fell to his knees and collapsed onto his stomach on the floor, absolutely broken and defeated by the might that was Akiyama. Meanwhile, however, Azumi was coming up with a strike to Akiyama's back with her void sword. This was successful in stabbing straight into Akiyama's back, and disappearing into it as white reiatsu burst out to consume the sword.

Play Sarabande by Escala

Azumi's shock was obvious, for it flashed across her face as the horror of how mighty an opponent she had discovered dawned on her. An opponent too powerful even for Azumi. None of her drugs could counter him. None of her technological inventions. Nothing she could pull out of her arsenal would be effective against Akiyama. The Stern Ritter, still filled with rage, fell upon Azumi and punched her. He grazed, missing a full connection narrowly, but it was enough. Just with that, the bones in Azumi's right arm and leg shattered, and with a cry she fell to the floor, and just barely rolled out of the way of another punch, and back onto her one good leg.

As Azumi rose, a metal cube formed in her left hand. It was an item she had brought with her as preparation. It had a sinister effect, but not one that would soon be discovered, for as Akiyama appeared in front of her with his snarl, the cube shattered, and Akiyama, full of rage, grabbed Azumi by the throat after a quick punch to her stomach forced blood out of her mouth in a violent wretching sound. Azumi, held by the throat, looked down at her conqueror. A, The Apprentice, Akiyama. The strongest opponent that Azumi had ever come across. So powerful was this Stern Ritter that nothing was effective against him.

"Beg me for mercy and forgiveness," Akiyama demanded as his reiatsu began peeling back Azumi's Saigo No Houmen from her very flesh. Azumi said nothing, only gazed longingly into the eyes of her specimen. Akiyama, whom so badly she desired to dissect...but might lack the power to. "I'm not your science project," Akiyama said. "I'm your destroyer. I beat you. I crushed you. I annihilated you. I OWN YOU. Soul Reapers think that they own the world, but I am better than all of you. I am your better, and I will hear you beg, or I will hear you squeal." Azumi shrieked as white reiatsu started pouring into her mouth, torturing her.

But still, she did not beg for mercy. And Akiyama had made a tactical error of his own, regardless. Suddenly, Azumi's black void bursted from her body, leaving her in... black scales? Black scales had already covered her entire torso, and was starting to spread to her arms, too. And as for the void, it formed an orb over Akiyama's head. Akiyama dropped Azumi and stepped back, but the orb followed him. A thin column of black, no wider than Akiyama himself, engulfed him. It was high, going upward through the roof and over six miles into the sky. And, it had consumed Akiyama, who was strong, but maybe not enough for Saigo No Houmen - Stage 2.

As the black void ate him up, Akiyama seemed lost... Until he wasn't. White reiatsu shot forth out of his body and annihilated the black, and when the void disappeared, with scales still appearing on Azumi, Akiyama was well. Black spots were visible all over his skin. He had been partially eaten by the void. But it wasn't enough. He had conquered that too, with the sheer force of his adaptability. White reiatsu was starting to gather around him, too. "If you won't beg, then Vollstandig will make you..." Akiyama said, preparing to release yet an even greater power. Until, that is, a hand grabbed his ankle. So hard that the ankle was crushed completely into dust.

Play Fairy Tail Main Theme from, you know, Fairy Tail

"You underestimated me," Takehiko told Akiyama. "YOUR. LIFE. IS FORFEIT. QUINCY." Akiyama's eyes went wide. He couldn't escape! He didn't have the time to adjust to Takehiko's physical strength. Lightning shot upward as a column into the sky, following Azumi's example, and eating up Akiyama. Again, Akiyama's reiatsu overpowered it, except... That wasn't the effect. Akiyama, upon escaping, found his wings started to grow and take on misshapen forms. Disproportionate proportions. His body was glowing, and reiatsu started escaping from his ears, mouth, eyes, and the holes that Azumi had created in him.

His reiatsu had become too powerful for him. Takehiko's ability, "Overload," was making it so that not even a genius or monster like Akiyama could control his own power. "Curse you..." Akiyama said. "Curse your insolence. I'll be back." And suddenly, his body exploded in so violent an explosion that the entire room shook, and the only thing which saved the two Soul Reapers was Azumi's quick thinking, flash stepping over to Takehiko and using a quick device she had brought along to teleport them for three seconds to an alternate dimension. When they reappeared, the room was in ruins, and Akiyama's blood was splattered on the ground under his corpse. His corpse which was a flat skin rag, no insides.

Stop music.

Rejoice. The battle was over. But not the war. "I can restore your eyes," Azumi said. And Takehiko nodded. As she was restoring his eyes, Takehiko asked her. "I feel something on your body... Like scales. What's happening to you? Shouldn't your Saigo No Houmen disappear?" Azumi gave a cold smile to Takehiko, even if the Kuchiki could not even see it. "I pre programmed it into my Saigo No Houmen. After I am finished with this, I will become encased in a chrysalis, which will appear in the human world. Then, it, and my current body, will be no more. I will shed, and be born anew. A toddler with the mind of a woman and all of my Soul Reaper powers."

"But... in that physical form, your Captaincy?" Takehiko asked, confused. "Yes, that will be impossible," Azumi mused. "For a while. But I have no desire to return right now. Now that I have learned how mighty a Quincy without a bow can become... I must replicate this in a lab. I must create more of him. And I must give my own body the kind of adaptability that he possessed..." Takehiko, as his eyes started to form back, and his burns started to heal due to Azumi's technology and techniques, gazed at the squad 12 Captain, unsure of what to do with himself. "Where will you begin yourself?" Takehiko asked her, still confused.

"Where else? I'll be infiltrating Lord Callus's operations," Azumi said in a very tacit, matter-of-fact tone. As Takehiko became healed, his spiritual powers started to vanish, too. And of course, that made sense. He had just used the greatest of his powers. Saigo No Houmen. He was losing his powers. After all, he hadn't programmed his Saigo No Houmen like Azumi had. "So, the denizens of the human world, then," Takehiko observed. "You will make use of them." Azumi smiled coldly, and as Takehiko's injuries healed completely, she replied to him. "Yes... And you will assist me, Takehiko Kuchiki..."

"Bakudo #-2: Memories of Nobody..."

Play Dexter "Blood Theme For Strings"

[Kento Waffles]

Play this

EVERYTHING IN DISARRAY. COMPLETE CHAOS. EVEN DESPITE THE METICULOUS PLANNING WHICH WENT INTO THIS INVASION, IT WAS NOT ENOUGH. IT WAS NOT ENOUGH!!!! IT WAS NOT ENOUGH!!!!!!!!! THE MIGHT OF THE EMPEROR IS ABSOLUTE, AND BEFORE HIM FELL ALL WHO CAME TO FACE HIM. TAKASHI KUCHIKI, ROSE, SARGON DENUMIC. IN THE END, THEY WERE NO MATCH FOR HIS MIGHT. ARRIVING SHORTLY AFTER THE DEFEAT OF THE THREE, SOZEN KUCHIKI AND KUROI NAITO TOO FALL TO THE MONSTROSITY WHO CALLS HIMSELF DER KAISER. BARELY ALIVE, THEY LAY IMMOBILE. INCAPACITATED. UNABLE TO FURTHER ATTACK THE EMPEROR OF THE VANDENREICH. DESPITE EARLIER SUCCESSES, THE INVASION APPEARS DOOMED.

---

Episode Opening

---

Music 3

IN FULL GLORY, HE ARRIVES. Reiatsu like fire licked the room as all who had been defeated before lay immobilized before Der Kaiser, who sat effortlessly still in his throat, gazing down at them. "It is time to finish all of you off," the Emperor said. "In the name of the righteous, I sentence you insects to die." And, just as white reiatsu was forming in his hands, it suddenly dissipated, and the Emperor stopped. Something had beckoned to his eye, then, and, curious, Der Kaiser looked toward its source, finding in it the white light of the Senkai Gate opening before him. Stepping out of it, there came a large man, over six and a half feet tall.

"You have grown shorter since last we met," the Emperor said to the newcomer. "Thirty Fifth Captain Commander of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Kyousou Ningen." The man with cropped gray hair, a gray beard, tanned skin, and tight, pristine muscular figure clenched his fists in rage, and took a powerful step in the Emperor's direction. "Don't be conceited. You do not honor me just by acknowledging my name." The Captain Commander, who had in the previous invasion been defeated by the Emperor, had grown more powerful since their last encounter. Rather, he had become far younger, and this was what would give him his newfound strength. Though his body had shrunken down, his flesh, his body, his physical self had lost in age, and now... He was more whole than he had been in centuries.

"Emperor of the Vandenreich..." the Captain Commander continued. "Or, should I say, original Captain of Squad 8? The traitor, Ousama Zansatsu." Yes, for the Captain Commander, during the last invasion, had recognized what lore had described to be the reiatsu of Ousama Zansatsu, the sinister man who had been the first Captain of Squad 8, and the first of all the Captains to betray the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Killing six Lieutenants and two thousand Soul Reapers before attempting and failing to assassinate the Captain Commander himself, Zansatsu had disappeared,never to be seen again.

"Tell me, Ousama Zansatsu. Tell me what gives you the entitlement that you have... King of all creation, you say... But to what end?" Words from the very first of all the Captain Commanders, that Zansatsu, wounded in his wheelchair, had failed to kill. "You don't know?" Zansatsu had asked. "Of all people, you truly don't? Then there is no need to tell you." And their final clash of reiatsu, from released Kido spells against one another, had led to a deafening and blinding explosion. Though the Captain Commander had been neither injured nor slain, when the light had faded, Ousama Zansatsu had been gone.

"Clever, Captain Commander Kyousou Ningen," the Emperor replied. "And since that time I have achieved immortality, and become a God, and thirty five of those who hold your rank have lived. Some were great. Some were pitiful. There were ages of peace. There were ages of strife. Only my growth was constant across the ages. How can you, with not even a fraction of my history, hope to win?" The Captain Commander cracked his neck, and aimed a hand at the Emperor of the Vandenreich. "You know..." he said. "For a fossil, you seem to talk an awful lot like a shitty young person....Do not be conceited. I will kill you today."

Music 4

"Hado #4: Byakurai." A massive blue lightning bolt fired out of the Captain Commander's finger, straight at the seated Emperor. The Emperor, in exchange, released a single arrow of blinding white light into the Byakurai. Naturally, the Emperor's reiatsu was exceptional, even more powerful than the Captain Commander's by a long shot, and obliterated the Byakurai. But, the Captain Commander was not to be trifled with, and even as the arrow came forward, the Captain Commander started to shake violently. His arms crossed, and he met the arrow head on as he released them outward. "GOKKEN!" The reiatsu was dispersed, and though burns formed on the Captain Commander, powerful blasts of air flew at the Emperor.

These had the potential to shatter Der Kaiser's body. But, not right now, for a large wall--Danku--erected up in between them, separating Captain Commander from Emperor, and blocking Gokken. Next, the Captain Commander slashed his arm outward at the Emperor, and a huge reiatsu blast shot out in the shape of a blade, crashing toward Der Kaiser, who only at the last second shot it out of the air with a mighty white arrow. The force of their clashing attacks reverberated through the room, causing some of those who already had been defeated to stir. Looking up, they saw the mightiest of the Soul Reapers taking on the mightiest of the Quincy.

Stop music.

"Sakugen without use of a sword? I am impressed by your mastery," the Emperor said. "I take it that we have had enough of pleasantries," The Captain Commander said. "Yes, indeed we have," the Emperor responded. Then, blue strings of reiatsu appeared out of the air itself, attaching to the Emperor, and bringing him upward, to rise from his seat. Though he did not have use of his legs, now with Ransotengai he could control himself like a puppet, and physically fight against the Captain Commander himself. Stepping off of his throne, and walking toward the Captain Commander, Der Kaiser graced those fallen foes with his omnipotent presence.

Music 5

They were upon each other quickly. The Captain Commander had assumed an orthodox boxing stance, and as brilliant as it was, as beautiful, as absolute, it was not unmatched by the Ransotengai of the Emperor, who could, using this technique and others from the human world, such as Willpower, keep up. Steam flew from the Emperor's skin and the reiatsu forming strings on his body, and Der Kaiser dodged a mighty punch from the Captain Commander which produced such force as to shatter the Emperor's throne. Next, the Captain Commander brought up his fists to block his face, blocking a punch from the Emperor.

The footwork was what was most impressive about the Captain Commander's boxing form. It was perfect. Beyond perfect. So meticulous, so without error, that he seemed unreadable. It was impossible to get a read on his rhythm, or predict his attacks. Adjusting to him was impossible. Fighting him was anything but easy, yet the Emperor kept up. More than kept up. Succeeded in landing more than one blow. With every blow, a huge white arrow of reiatsu blew through the Captain Commander's body, leaving a large, bloody hole, and many burns. But, the Captain Commander fought on, unperturbed.

At one instant, the Captain Commander took a step back, and then launched forward using Shukuchi-Ho, using his speed to get in close to the Emperor. A quick use of Danku separated them, but the Captain Commander could not be held back. "Daikotsu..." With that invigorating punch, he slammed the Danku and smashed it to pieces. Reiatsu in the form of glass shards splintered around before dissipating. The Emperor was strong. But so was the Captain Commander, who in a flurry of rapid boxing punches nearly overwhelmed the Emperor, and stopped after a while so as not to tire out, just barely coming up short. Their powers were equal.

But, though the Captain Commander had footwork and boxing talent that would never belong to others, that defied godhood and the rest, and which even the greats like Jinbei Kawada only ever aspired to, it was not his greatest martial skill. This became apparent as the Emperor launched a kick... and found himself grabbed by leg joint and hip, and brought down to the ground. The Captain Commander was on his back, and his legs reached up to the Emperor's shoulders as he held Der Kaiser's palms flat against his chest, gripping the wrists, arms straightened out. The double arm bar.

Grappling. The most useful of all combat skills. From Kung Fu to Jiujitsu, all of the most popular fighting styles developed a sort of grappling component, because of how quick, and how efficient it could be. How raw. It was said that Royce Gracie had encountered a man who at point blank range pointed a gun at him. Before the trigger could be pulled, the gun was out of the assailant's grasp, and the assailant's arm was broken. All of that in a single instant. And now, with the Captain Commander's unprecedented ability to grapple, the Emperor found himself in the double arm bar, a move useful only to experts.

This led to the danger of the Emperor's arms, both of them, being snapped. In response, the Emperor created a huge white bow in the sky, his bow, at its level 2 form, and a huge white arrow the size of a building collapsed onto the Captain Commander in a fiery blast of raw heat and magical power. It was quick, and merciless. Had it been any opponent other than the Captain Commander himself, then the fight would have quickly been over just from that, and the enemy would have been incinerated, for that was how fast and how brutal the Emperor's bow was. But, it was not that simple. And the Emperor had underestimated the Captain Commander.

Music 6

Fire danced out, burning away the reiatsu. The Emperor had managed to escape, but one arm, still, had been broken at the joint and dislocated. It was irrelevant due to Ransotengai, but it was still an injury. The Emperor had actually been injured. Standing up, now, there was the Captain Commander, holding a sword with fire spewing out of the hilt. "Reduce all of creating to smoldering ashes, Ryuujin Jakka." This great flaming sword was the torch passed down between all Captain Commanders. They could all use it. But, of all the Captain Commanders, only three had achieved its greatest power. And one was Kyousou Ningen.

The Emperor, with his bow high above them, reached up. The bow disappeared, and instead in his hand formed a white sword of reiatsu. Another form to his bow. The bow level 3. That was when the two went at it. The Captain Commander swung, and fire answered, becoming a roaring torrent toward Der Kaiser, whose swift response was to hold up his own sword. Immediately, the fire coming for him dissipated, for that was his property. "Absolute." The Emperor's ability maintained that he could dis-spell anything coming at him, so long as his offensive ability surpassed it. And, it did. Whether it be physical attack or reiatsu, he could stop it.

But, the Captain Commander was not disturbed by this. Instead, he appeared with Shunpo Eichi, creating a blasting shockwave that the Emperor blocked with Danku, and again slashed. Fire breathed out, and huge columns of fire and molten magma started to burst from the floor too. Ryuujin Jakka, heating up, was the most powerful Zanpakuto ever forged. Its offensive power was second to none. And, even as it came forward, and the Emperor fired an arrow out of his own sword, causing the incoming fire to dissipate, the Captain Commander was already slashing again, producing more fire. The Emperor knew to fear this fire.

This fire too vanished as the Emperor again dissipated it, but now, the Captain Commander, with a grin, came forward and grabbed Ousama Zansatsu by the wrist which held the sword, gripping it tightly. The Emperor and Captain Commander stood there, frozen in time in the middle of their battle. And they looked at one another, then. "It's irrelevant, no matter how hot your fire burns," the Emperor said. "I am the Emperor. A, The Absolute. I cannot be defeated." The Captain Commander grinned. "Who said anything about water, little boy?" he asked. "My greatest attack.... Is water."

Music 7 - Actual Bleach Music

Yes, of all thirty five Captain Commanders, three had achieved their own separate, unique versions of the greatest Zanpakuto's final power. "Bankai... Return all of creation to a blank slate and start anew, Ryuujin Rengoku..." Sozen Kuchiki, eyes wide, meanwhile, had realized that this was dangerous. Using the last of his stamina and bodily mobility, he was able to flash step to grab Takashi, and get out of the room. Kuroi, using his tenacity, was also able to get Sargon out. Rose, lucky, due to her healing, was able to get out herself. They had all known what was coming. The Captain Commander's mightiest power. Bankai.

A huge flood of water consumed the room. And it wasn't just any water. The water was hot. Without evaporating, due mostly to its magical properties, it was a water hotter than the Shikai's fire. Everything in the room, from columns to features to furniture turned to ash. And the walls turned to ash. As those who had also occupied it escaped, the building collapsed as the water started to form outside of it, too, consuming it and turning it to ashes. The water formed a large cube in the area, so big as to look from afar like an ocean. Inside of this ocean of hot water, the Emperor's sword dissipated, much to his surprise.

For that was the power of Ryuujin Rengoku. A hot ocean that could reduce all of physical existence to ashes, and destroy any defense. A boiling spring which burned into the soul, and erased a spirit's power. Even then, the Emperor's ability to use Quincy powers was being burned away in the waters of Ryuujin Rengoku. By magic and miracles, both the Emperor and the Captain Commander were still able to talk from this underwater Hell, but of course, the Emperor would do so from the vantage point of the disadvantaged. "It is over, Ousama Zansatsu," the Captain Commander said to the mighty Emperor of the Vandenreich.

The Emperor's very robes and crown had been burned from his body, which, surrounded by white reiatsu, was not burning. He may have lost his Quincy powers, but that meant nothing, now, as he was protected by something far greater. A wrinkled face and bald head met the Captain Commander, and the blank white eyes of a blind man. A man whose legs did not work. A man who had been this way for thirty three thousand years, and still become a God. "This is meaningless," the Emperor said. "Even with Ryuujin Jakka, I cannot be stopped." The Emperor drew from his side a katana--his own Zanpakuto.

Music 8

"Embrace in your sweet kiss, Shitsuren." It happened, then. Storm clouds started forming in the water, and flashes of electricity danced around. Then, the water started to turn black. Black, and murky. For that was Ousama Zansatsu's Zanpakuto ability. The clouds and lightning did not exist. They were illusions to fool the enemy into thinking that a lightning based ability was coming. But, really, it was a poison. The most potent soul poison ever to exist. It was released from the point of Shikai, and once it was in the world, it spread through any substance that touched it, in this case water, and turned that substance into a monster with human emotions.

Including greed. Resentment. Sadness. Anger. Disloyalty. The Captain Commander sensed a change, and knew that this Bankai had to be ended. Ousama Zansatsu had the perfect counter to it. So, the water turned into a fine mist, and then disappeared. And the Captain Commander stood holding a sealed sword, and Ousama Zansatsu stood holding a sword which was black. The Emperor of the Vandenreich at last showed his trump card. His Soul Reaper powers. The man that had experimented for centuries to create Quincy powers, and then imbue certain humans with them and create a whole new race. A genius of a Soul Reaper.

"Was that the last of your tricks?" the Emperor asked. "Not even close," the Captain Commander replied.

Music 9

"Shine brightly, Kogane Ippanteki." And he drew forth another blade--his own Zanpakuto. For most Captain Commanders had their own, even before inheriting the torch of Ryuujin Jakka. So now, it appeared. The greatest of the Captain Commander's powers. His own Zanpakuto. Kogane Ippanteki. On various objects of the battlefield, a gold or silver glow formed. On the Captain Commander himself, there was a glow too. "I am the Rook," he said. "You are the Lance." There was a glow on Ousama Zansatsu as well. Suddenly, at top speed, the Captain Commander emerged, and aimed a punch at his opponent. Ousama Zansatsu attempted to dodge. Attempted, and failed. His movement kept him in the same space.

The Captain Commander's punch was accompanied by a sword strike which slashed deeply into Ousama Zansatsu's chest with a mighty spray of blood. Then, when the punch connected, it shattered every bone in the Emperor's body, and blew him back, straight into the last standing wall of what had once been his great fortress. Even with his energy sensory, the Emperor had not sensed that this would be the ability. The Rook, which could move any distance, as long as it was orthogonal. That was the Captain Commander. But, the Emperor was the Lance, which could only move forward. Dodging, when the attack came from the front, had never been an option. And the Emperor had failed to realize that.

"These are the rules of General's Chess, Shogi," the Captain Commander said. "A sophisticated game for which you are no match." The Captain Commander approached the Emperor, who could move in another direction only by grace of physics, meaning when he was struck. Not that the Emperor could move anymore, for his body had been shattered beyond repair. Ransotengai had been obliterated, too. The Emperor was beginning to run out of reiatsu, now, especially from his defense against Ryuujin Rengoku, which had cost him more than half of his reiatsu just to defend against the constant attack.

"This will be over in a single moment more now," the Captain Commander said.

Music 10

"Bankai..." the Emperor of the Vandenreich said, then. "Shitsuren No Sayonara." A red glow started to form around him. For the Emperor's ability in Bankai, Shitsuren No Sayonara, had never been used in combat before. No one had ever seen it used before, even in his days as a Soul Reaper. That was because it would ruin what they thought of him. Shitsuren was an ability which dealt with poison. And while the Shikai form created a poison, Shitsuren No Sayonara, the Bankai, was meant to remove "poisons." It was a healing ability, which the Emperor had used to restore himself when close to dying of old age numerous times, by removing the poison of "limited age" from his physical form and from his soul. The strongest of all healing abilities, Shitsuren No Sayonara.

But, the Captain Commander mistook it for an attack, and so, coming to the end of this battle, he acted swiftly. Using a flash step to get to the Emperor's position quickly, and then a Shunpo Karin to mobilize his arm, the Captain Commander finished with the shotgun blast technique, Sandjouken, which blew reiatsu in an explosive blast into the Emperor's body, obliterating all of his organs, and destroying what was left of his insides. So might was the force of the attack that even the red glow was blown away, for its weakness was though it was the greatest healing power, it could be repelled by attacks. And, as it shut off, the sword snapped in half, and broke, and Ousama Zansatsu dropped it and it fell to the ground.

The Emperor lay there with the Captain Commander's arm shoved into his chest, and with a gasp, after throwing up a huge amount of blood, grabbed onto the Captain Commander's arm, seizing it with more strength than a dying man should have. Pupils began to form in the Emperor's eyes. Somehow, sight had returned to them in his last moments, and he spoke. "You may call me a traitor, but how could I have acted any differently?! All of you, who languished in your peace, and your militarization, and your domestic issues, and your greed... YOU DIDN'T SEE IT COMING!!! YOU ARE ALL FOOLISH. LOSERS. WEAKLINGS. HOW CAN YOU ALL BE SO MUCH MORE BLIND THAN A BLIND MAN, THAT YOU SEE NOTHING? THAT YOU DO NOTHING ABOUT IT? HOW CAN YOU NOT BE PREPARING FOR WHAT IS TO COME?!"

And the Emperor's hands glowed, for one of his final techniques was the ability to transmit all of his memories into one whom he was touching.

Music 11

Ousama Zansatsu could be seen, amid rubble, his legs shattered beyond repair, in a pool of his own blood, fire all around. Thousands of years ago, this had been his fate. His vision had been burned out by acid, his legs obliterated. But, the blood was only half his. The other half? Two kids, and a young woman. His family. Killed by the monstrosity of Cain's Hollow army. And Ousama Zansatsu, broken, was crying bitter tears from his blind eyes. He would be seen again later, in a wheelchair, with a blindfold around his blinded eyes, clenching a new Zanpakuto instead of the old broken one, and swearing revenge. Never again. Never again would he fail to protect his loved ones. His family. His Soul Society.

Ousama Zansatsu could be seen, eyes wide, after a comet descended from the sky. He could be seen at the origin of the impact, where a naked young man with black hair lay. A young man with strange eyes, who one day would come to be called Roshu Kensai...who one day would then don the name Satsujun, God of Murder. And Ousama Zansatsu could be seen arguing with the then Captain Commander, after Roshu Kensai was promoted to Lieutenant. "DO YOU NOT SEE HOW GREAT OF A THREAT HE IS?! ONE DAY, HE WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING WE HAVE BUILT!" And the Captain Commander responded to him. "I disagree. I believe he will be our savior. He will save all of us."

And Ousama Zansatsu could be seen, hardened by combat and tragedy, in the Captain Commander's office after leaving a crime scene wherein Roshu Kensai had killed six Lieutenants and two thousand Soul Reapers to use their souls in an experiment. He had expected to find Roshu Kensai there, but had not, and found the Captain Commander instead. Kinwashi, believing his old friend was responsible, was shocked, and attacked. They fought, and Ousama Zansatsu only barely managed to survive, and to escape. He could be seen, later, donning white robes, and experimenting for the first time with using reiatsu manipulation to form strings on his body.. Or a bow.

Ousama Zansatsu could be seen, with men in white kneeling before him. "I have given you tools to purge the monsters around you--Hollows they are called," Ousama Zansatsu said. "They are called your spirit bows, and your crosses. For you are Quincy from this day on." And he could be seen again later, much later, with more men in white kneeling before him. "Today, you are the Vandenreich. We form an Empire today. An Empire that will march against the oppressors of Soul Society." The man who had lost everything and wanted more than anything to get it back but couldn't... Refused to lose everything again.

For it was Ousama Zansatsu who had been the white dragon that once attacked Soul Society thousands of years ago. It had been Ousama Zansatsu who created many of Soul Society's greatest challenges, and orchestrated for thousands of years the creation of the Quincy menace, which had put the powers of even the Soul Reapers to the test, and of the Vandenreich, which had nearly wiped out the Seireitei. Those who survived this war would go on to become far more powerful than they otherwise would have been. And that was the point. To be strong. To be prepared for the coming evils of Satsujun, or of Hell, both of which would otherwise overwhelm the Seireitei.

For Ousama Zansatsu, in his own way, had tried to make them strong. Because more than anything, all that he wanted to do...


...Was protect his home.

"You...!" the Captain Commander, Kyousou Ningen, exclaimed as the flashback of Zansatsu's life ended. "Protect... the Soul Society..." Ousama Zansatsu pleaded. "You... Now that you know what is coming... You.... you must..." The Captain Commander looked Ousama Zansatsu in the eyes, and nodded to him. "You have my word." The man who once had been a God, the mighty Emperor of the Vandenreich, Der Kaiser, now lowered his head, and exhaled. He did not smile, for there was nothing to smile about. But, at long last, after thirty three thousand years, it was time to rest. And so, he was released, and died in the Captain Commander's arms as the War of Angels came to an end.

Music 12

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The arc is over. My participants didn't really finish, and were slow, but I'll be generous. +800 CTP to each of you who participated in Canon KE-1.

And, with this, the War of Angels event is over, as is the story arc of the Vandenreich. COMING SOON! A new thread type: Co-Op. (You thought adventures were co-op? Please.)

Many thanks to:

Naga - Creator of Azumi, Akiyama, partial DM Arc 2

Rudy - Moderator, owner of Takehiko, DM in Arc 3

Zou - Admin, creator of our forum, owner of Kuroi, creator of the Emperor

Z - Moderator, running the other parts of the arc, DM in Arc 3, DM in Arc 2

Asmokon - Ad mod, story contributor, DM in Arc 3

Jazz - Ad mod, story contributor

White - Moderator, DM in Arc 3

Kyomei - Moderator, DM in Arc 2, creator of Uzaki Enterprise and many other forum plots. Hope his married life is going well.

All of you who make this forum a special and fun place. The participants of the threads we run.

Thank you thank you thank you!

Well, that's it. Time to move on. TO THE NEXT GREAT STORY!

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Music 12 -- Ending

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~Epilogue~

MORE ACTUAL BLEACH MUSIC

A blood splattered corpse on the ruins of the battlefield stood up, followed by another, which also another stood up. As if mirror images of one another, both polished themselves off, and the blood began to disappear. And their wounds began to seal up and heal quickly, and their reiatsu restore. They looked blankly at one another, and smiled. "Blut Falsch is a wonderful technique. Splendid work," the first of the men said. "Now that Ousama Zansatsu is gone, we can commence with our plan, too." the second of the men replied. Their plan to rebuild and to be even greater than ever was now upon them.

"To face a lone Emperor, whose trait is God-like power is one thing, but two men of cunning... two Chancellors? Can they do it?" the first man said. "Not a chance, if 20% of our power was all that their best could handle," the second replied. And this was how the Vandenreich Empire would become the Vandenreich Military Republic, headed by the two Imperial Chancellors-- B, The Boss, Baal, and A, The Apprentice, Akiyama. The blood demons. With the start of their joint reign, never again would the human world be truly safe, nor the Soul Society itself fully secure, ever again. "Until next time, Chancellor A." "Until next time, Chancellor B."

End.