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Arisawa Tatsuki flinched backwards, somehow managing to dodge the wicked slash from her opponent. Swearing violently, she tried to lunge forward and stab at the woman, but once again her every instinct screamed at her to pull away.

"You have talent." Unohana Retsu stated as the Arrancar once again managed to twist herself away from her Zanpakutō's swift movements. "It disappoints me that you are an abomination."

"Speak for yourself, you crazy bitch." Tatsuki panted heavily as she once more came to a stop several paces away. "Just who in the hell are you? Every bit of info that we had says that Unohana Retsu was just a healer. Not some kind of fucking monster."

The Shinigami simply smiled, however it was a cold, dispassionate expression. "I have no obligation to explain myself to you Arrancar." She said as she once again raised her weapon, "After all, you are going to die here."

Unohana lunged forward, stabbing towards Tatsuki's eyes. However just before the attack reached her, the world seemed to suddenly blur, and Tatsuki found herself standing several dozen paces away from the dangerous woman. Unohana bore a look of mild surprise and gazed over Tatsuki's shoulder.

"You have done well to survive till now, Arisawa." The cold, emotionless voice of Ulquiorra Cifer surprised her as the Cero Espada stepped in front of her. "But I doubt that you will be able to defeat her with your present condition." He had resealed his Zanpakutō since his previous battle, and his uniform was surprisingly undamaged.

"Thanks Ulquiorra." Tatsuki smiled sheepishly, "I don't actually think I could have avoided that stab on my own..."

Unohana gazed steadily back at them from where she stood, clearly wary of the arival of a seemingly unharmed warrior. "I recognize you." She said after a few moments, drawing the gazes of the two Arrancar back to her. "You are the one who helped Shiro get to Karakura the day he first manifested."

"That is correct, Captain Unohana Retsu." He turned to fully face her, his Zanpakutō drawn and ready, "I am Ulquiorra Cifer, the Cero Espada, and I shall be your opponent from now on."

Unohana's smile was cold and murderous. "You expect me to just let that child go?"

"She is unable to fight at full strength, and has been battling you while defending her subordinate. Had you truly planned to kill her, you have had plenty of chances." He took several measured steps forward, "And more importantly, I believe that you will be far more intent on fighting me."

"And why is that?" As she spoke, Unohana realized that during the course of the conversation, the Cero Espada's free hand had been behind his back. However, at her question, he pulled it forth, and the item held in that hand caused her heart to stop beating.

It was tattered, damaged, and burnt. But the form of Kyouraku Shunsui's flamboyant pink floral haori was unmistakable. As it fluttered in a light breeze that picked up, Ulquiorra dropped it, waiting until it hit the ground before taking one final step forward, his shoe easily grinding into the fabric. "I trust that I have your attention now." His eyes bored into her, no emotion showing, but still somehow mocking her.

Unohana let loose a fury filled shriek, lunging forward. Just as she reached him, Ulquiorra vanished in a swift Sonido, reappearing several dozen meters behind her, his Zanpakutō releasing once again. Turning on her heel, Unohana charged again, her blade clashing with the lance of reiatsu that he now wielded, "You have just signed your own death Arrancar!" She snarled angrily, pushing against him with a shocking amount of strength, actually throwing him back.

Several yards later his wings flared out, raising him up into the air. "I doubt that, Shinigami." He said, still seeming to be almost bored. He slowly returned to the ground, preparing to clash once more with his opponent. "However, for an enemy such as you, it would be disrespectful of me to not face you at full power." He once again unleashed his true form, "Ressurecion: Segunda Etapa."

"So this is the power that defeated young Shunsui..." Unohana's eyes were dark and murderous. "I expected something more. I suppose that I shall just have to take my frustrations out on you." Holding her blade forth, she locked eyes witht he Cero Espada. "Bankai."

*

Kuchiki Rukia ran through the streets of the Seiretei, her entire frame numb with shock. How could Ichigo do this to us...? She couldn't comprehend any of it. So much death, so many lives wasted. "Why..." Her voice choked out as she slowed, her eyes tracking up to the telltale flames of Commander Yammamoto's Zanpakutō that marked where the Hollow King currently fought. "Why are you doing this?! ICHIGO?!"

"Oh~? I thought I recognized this reiatsu..." The musical voice voice was Rukia's only warning as a blade scythed in, almost cleaving her in half as she threw herself backwards. "Good to see you, Rukia."

Rukia's eyes widened at the figure that stood before her. The woman was tall and beautiful, her long green hair billowed behind her as she repositioned her blade. "Who the..." Then her gaze fell on the skull mask atop the woman's head, and the red scar across her face, "Little Nel...?"

"You do recognize me! Oh I'm glad." Nel giggled lightly, clapping happily. "I would have hated to kill you without you realizing just who it was."

"W-wha...? Wait Nel. What are you talking about? We were comrades! Allies! Why do you suddenly want to kill me?" Rukia couldn't believe that the monsterously powerful reiatsu before her was the same strange little hollow child she had met several months ago.

"What do you mean 'why'?" Nel asked, seeming genuinely confused. "You know that the only reason I helped you last time was because of Ichigo. And this time, that same man has ordered all of your deaths. That's really all there is to it."

Rukia felt her strength leave her as Nel's words reached her. She slumped forward, tears already streaming from her eyes. "So... he... he really has left us..."

Nel scowled, "Oh come on lil' Ruki-chan." She teased. "You had to know that this was a possibility." Walking forward, she knelt down in front of the diminuitive shinigami, "After all, you knew about the Hollow in his soul." She let her lips raise in a small smile as she cupped Rukia's chin in her delicate fingers and lifted the girl's gaze up to meet hers. "You really thought that leaving that all alone would just 'work itself out'?"

"B-but... Ichigo said..."

"I know." Nel's smile softened, "I know that he promised he would be alright. And he is! Just... maybe not in the way that you expected." She gently wiped away Rukia's tears, "You know Ruki-chan... you don't have to fight us. You could always-"

She never got to finish her thought however, as another voice cut in. "HOWL ZABIMARU!" Nel leaped backwards, as the long serpentine form of Zabimaru wrapped defensively around Rukia's sobbing form. "You stay the fuck away from her." Snarled Abarai Renji as he landed between the two women, "Touch her again an- Nel...?"

"Well, well... If it isn't the only other Shinigami that I can actually stand." Nel chuckled happily, smiling charmingly, "Hello there big guy."

"Well this sucks..." He said as his Zanpakutō retracted to it's sword form, "And here I was thinking that we were friends."

"Aww, that's cute." Nel giggled, "Wrong. But cute." She tapped her chin in thought for a few moments. "But~... I suppose that for old times sake, I could just let you two go for a little bit. You know... as a way of saying thanks for all the help you've both given to Shiro-sama."

Renji let loose a snarl, "You think we're going to take your pity after what you've done?!"

"You really think you're able to fight me?" Nel asked sweetly from where she suddenly stood to Renji's left, her Zanpakutō blade resting easily against his neck.

Renji's eyes widened in horror, I didn't even see her move!

A small tug at his sleeve pulled his attention down, to where Rukia grasped at his arm. "W-we'll go..." She choked, her voice barely able to make it through her sobs. "We'll go..."

"Rukia..." Renji felt something in himself dangerously close to breaking at the sight of his oldest friend in this state. Finally, he sealed his Zanpakutō back into it's unreleased form, sheathing it. "Fine Nel. You win." Nel smiled, removing her blade from his throat. "But, tell 'Shiro' something for me. One day, I am going to kill him for this."

For a couple of seconds, Nel seemed shocked, then she began to laugh. Her beautifully musical voice echoing across the destroyed street. "Oh that's a good one Renji-kun. Shiro-sama will probably laugh himself half to death at that... Haaah... I'll be sure to pass it along." She grinned brightly. "But anyways, I suggest that you two get moving. I'm not going to kill you, but any of the other Espada that find you probably won't be so nice. Except maybe Starrk-san, but he's weird."

Renji threw her a glare of pure venom, before turning to Rukia and lifting her gently off the stones. "You'll regret attacking Soul Society like this Nel. Someday, it's going to come back and bite you in the ass." With that, he turned to the west and leaped, carrying his sobbing cargo away from the battleground.

Nel watched the two of them for a little while as they faded into the distance. Finally she shrugged and turned back towards the remaining battles. "Maybe." She said to herself quietly, "But I'll never regret anything that I do for Shiro-sama."

*

Hallibel felt the wave of terrible power long before she saw it's epicenter. The first reiatsu was clearly Ulquiorra's. His true power had shocked her to her very core when she had first felt it earlier, and even now it terrified her that the Arrancar had held such might in secret. However, the second reiatsu was equally as terrifying. Where Ulquiorra's radiated cold emptiness, this one seemed to ooze pure bloodlust and hatred.

"This is bad... it may even be stronger than him..." She launched herself into the air, hurtling towards where she sensed the two were preparing to clash. As she fell through the air towards the reiatsu, she saw a disturbing black liquid washing through the streets of the Seireitei, as she watched, it coalesced towards a single point, where a woman was standing. Whatever the liquid was, it now resided all within the single form of a short but deadly looking pitch black katana. "Shit." Hallibel swore, something about this woman terrified her to her core.

Hallibel came to land just beside Tatsuki, the younger arrancar staring transfixed at the face off before them both. Where Unohana radiated cold dispassionate fury and hatred, Ulquiorra's second Ressurecion seemed to be a yawning pit of cold empty sadness. After a few moments, Hallibel realized that she and Tatsuki were not the only other Arrancar here, "You, you are Arisawa's Fraccion yes?"

Giri jumped at her words, clearly terrified, and the unexpected appearence of the Quinto Espada only making her more nervous. "Y-yes ma'am..."

"What are you even doing here? You're lucky that you haven't died from the reiatsu yet."

Giri bowed, gesturing to the prone form of Grimmjow on the ground behind her, "Mistress Arisawa ordered me to get Lord Grimmjow home to Las Noches... However the appearance of the Shinigami has kept me from opening a Garganta."

Hallibel scowled, turning back towards the others, she drew her Zanpakutō, "Then go, now. I will cover you as you get Grimmjow through the way." Giri bowed once more, turning and opening a Garganta while Hallibel stepped up beside Tatsuki, "You're injured." She said, noting the shinigami kimonos used as bandages.

"Yeah..." Tatsuki nodded, her two remaining arms held in a defensive stance. "Hurts like a fucking bitch. But I can fight."

Hallibel sighed, placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder, "Go with your Fraccion. We'll need an Espada on the other side of the Garganta to coordinate our recovery efforts. I have a feeling that this fight is going to end soon."

Tatsuki oppened her mouth to argue, but Ulquiorra's voice interupted her, "Go Arisawa Tatsuki. Shiro-sama still has a need of you. You are not allowed to perish yet."

For a few moments Tatsuki was silent. Then, finally, she let loose a sigh and leaped backwards into the closing Garganta. "You two had better not die on me." She said as the way closed over her, "I'll never forgive you."

"I never realized how sentimental you Arrancar could be." Unohana's voice sounded from across the small crater in which they all stood. "It's almost human, which is disturbing."

"And yet you allowed us a moment to evacuate our wounded." Hallibel said, leveling her blade towards the woman. "I suppose I should thank you."

"Spare me." The Shinigami rolled her eyes. "There is no more that needs be said. Prepare to die Arrancar."

The three of them all tensed, preparing to clash, however before any of them could move, something akin to a meteor smashed into the center of the crater, throwing all of them back.

"Fucking hell old man..." An angry voice snarled through the smoke. "That fucking sword of yours is like the swiss army knife from Hell."

A burst of reiatsu blasted the smoke away, revealing Shiro and Yamamoto locked in a clash, reiatsu shrouded claws locked against dull red blade. The temperature skyrocketed almost immediately to the point where stones around them began to melt.

"I suppose that I'm supposed to thank you for that backhanded compliment brat?" The ancient Shinigami spat back, pushing the Hollow King away with a burst of reiatsu. "Zanka no Tachi Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin!" He stabbed his blade into the ground, causing the stone and dirt around him to writhe and split open as skeletal forms clawed their way up to the surface. "The angry dead. Those whom I have slain over my two thousand years. Rise and destroy my enemy!"

Shiro snarled angrilly. Just when I found the density of reiatsu that would keep those fucking flames at bay long enough to murder him... now he's suddenly a fucking necromancer too?! "Like I said old man... 'Swiss Army Knife from Hell'. Fine then." He said leaping high into the air. "Let's see if we can't put a fucking end to this shall we?"

The skeletal warriors beneath him all struggled to reach the Hollow King for a few moments, before turning their empty gazes towards the two Espada who stood nearby, unsure of how best to assist their lord. Ulquiorra and Hallibel suddenly found themselves struggling as seemingly endless waves of skeletons threw themselves at them, clawing and shrieking as they attempted to kill the hollows before them.

Up above, Shiro barely noticed his subordinates, his whole focus solely on the form of the ancient Shinigami below him. Once more he began to gather reiatsu in the tips of his claws, however this time, he also raised his hand up and drew it along the length of his horn, opening a small cut and smearing the blood along the horn. "Let's see if this'll fix my problems... Mugen no Yoru!"

The attack consisted of ten Getsugas, each fired from a different claw, and a full powered Gran Rey Cero, all combined into a single massive blast. The result, was devastation unlike anything Soul Society had ever witnessed. Near the destroyed gate, every hollow that remained, save for those who had become Arrancar, was instantaneously disintegrated by the unleashed reiatsu. Several of the surviving Shinigami also died from the pressure alone.

Nel struggled to stay on her feet as the blast pressure smashed into her, nearly bowling her over. Baraggan smashed his axe into the ground, using the massive weapon as an anchor to keep from being blown away. Lisa and Mashiro stood, arms splayed out attempting to protect their new master from the oncoming blast, while Luraunt himself struggled to open a Garganta to allow him to escape.

Starrk stood, holding tightly to the white cloth of his now unconscious foe, while his other hand dug deeply into the side of a building, keeping them both in one spot. "This friggin' sucks!" He shouted over the wind, "What the hell is Shiro-sama fighting!?"

"Who fucking cares?!" Lilinette screamed from his pistol holster. "Just don't you fucking dare let go!"

At the blast's epicenter, two figures moved, there was one more immense burst of reiatsu, and the world was suddenly still.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ulquiorra slowly opened his eyes. Looking around, he found himself strewn in the ruined rubble of a building. His Ressurecion had sealed itself once more, probably due to the overwhelming assault of reiatsu that Lord Shiro's attack had created. Slowly, the Cero Espada pushed himself up, first to sitting, and then to his feet and began to look around.
To his mild surprise, he found himself near the Seireitei border wall, meaning he had been thrown at least two kilometers from where he and Hallibel had been fighting. Looking towards the direction he had come from, he beheld a massive cloud of smoke and ash. Looking around once more, his Pesquisa detected Hallibel's reiatsu in the ruins of another building not far from him. Travelling with a swift series of Sonidos, he quickly arrived at the location in question.

Pushing aside various pieces of rubble, Ulquiorra dug through the ruin, until he finally found the Quinto Espada. "Are you alive, Tia Hallibel?" He asked, surprised by his own concern for her safety.

A small groan reached his ears, "If I'm not, and this is Hell... can I finally sleep?"

"No. We must make sure that Shiro-sama is alive and unharmed."

Another groan. Then, "Ugh... Fine..." Hallibel sat up, grimmacing in pain. She had several dozen cuts and bruises from her less than elegant mode of transportation to this point, but otherwise seemed unharmed. "Too think that old man was able to fight Shiro-sama on equal footing... neither of us ever stood a chance..."

"That doesn't matter now." Ulquiorra said, taking her hand and pulling her upright. "Come."

The two leaped into the air, travelling quickly towards were they had last seen their lord. As they grew closer, the extent of Shiro's last attack began to become clear. Soul Society now sported a massive crater, nearly a full kilometer across. Within it, there was nothing but dirt and rubble, beyond it's edge, chaos and devestation from the debris of the blast itself. At the edge of the crater, Ulquiorra saw the figures of the remaining Espada gathered. With a gesture to Hallibel, the two descended to join their commrades.

"So you survived..." Baraggan sneered, clearly unhappy that the Cero Espada still stood.

"What happened?" Asked Nel, trying to peer through the smoke.

"Aizen's information on Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai's strength did not properly do the Captain Commander of the Shinigami justice." Ulquiorra said as he landed, "He was fully capable of facing Shiro-sama on equal footing." The other's grew pale at the Cero's description, "Shiro-sama was forced to unleash an attack that I have never seen before. But the attack's effect seems apparent."

"No kidding..." Sighed Starrk, Lilinette once again at his side. "You think anything survived that?"

"Wait." Lilinette said suddenly, her head cocked to the side as if trying to listen to something. "You guys hear that?"

The others all went silent for a moment, straining to hear what the diminutive arrancar had. After a few heartbeats, they heard it: the sound of steel clashing, coming from the crater.

"You've got to be shitting me..." Starkk said with a look of pure shock on his face, before flashing out of sight into the smoke of the crater. The other Espada looked at each other once, and then lunged forward as well.

A few minutes of travel brought the six Arrancar to the center of the crater, where a dumbfounding sight awated them. Shiro, once again in his sealed form, clashed with Captain Commander Yamamoto, who's blade appeared to also be sealed once again. The two leaders each bled from at least a dozen cuts and wounds, but the still fought with a terrifying ferocity that defied both their physical state, and their obvious exhaustion.

"For... fucks... sake... old man..." Shiro panted, as his blade once again clashed with the ancient shinigami's, "Just... fucking... DIE already..." He withdrew his strike, and then slashed in with renewed anger, cutting a large gash across the Commander's chest.

Stumbling backwards with a ferocious snarl, Yamamoto forced himself to stop, and then lunged forward, stabbing his blade into Shiro's side. "Never!" He coughed. "I will never submit while breath remains in my lungs!"

"God... fucking... damn it." Shiro grabbed hold of the blade impaling him to keep his opponent from recovering it, and then smashed his head forward in a brutal headbutt, knocking Yamamoto away. However, the old man refused to go down, even then, and lashed out with a powerful kick as he fell back, knocking Shiro's Zanpakutō out of his grip and skidding away into the smoke. "Fuck you old man. You don't realize when you're beaten."
With a grunt of effort, Shiro ripped Ryujin Jakka out of his side and threw it in the opposite direction of his own blade. The two stood for a moment, shoulders hunched in exhaustion, eyes flicking from each other, to their weapons. Then at the same moment, they both lunged forward, fists raised, and a roar on their lips.

Just as the warriors came within reach of each other, a flash of light lit up the area, momentarily blinding everyone. Both Yamamoto and Shiro's fists suddenly collided with something seemingly impossibly solid. As his vision returned, Shiro's eyes widened in shocked surprise at what had stopped him, in between him and an equally shocked looking Yamamoto, was a large field of golden yellow energy.

"That's enough. All of you." A frail, but firm voice sounded out of the smoke. Inoue Orihime stepped uneasily into view, still dressed in the kimono she had been in when Tatsuki had brought her to Las Noches. Beside her, stood a nervous looking Tatsuki, once more in her sealed form, and her chest and stomach covered in bandages. "I won't allow any more death!"