Chapter 7: Requiem for a Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its relating material. All rights go to Tite Kubo and other official holders.

Just two steps from Hell

Looking down at the wormhole

Spilling out demons

The entire field was completely different from what it was a few hours ago. Before it was a serene environment where paved roads, stylized architecture, and orderly citizens dominated this land with little to no issues. It was paradise, knowing that lives were abundant and the economy had nothing to worry about. It was literally the closest thing to the realization of Heaven itself.

But it all gone now.

All the pavements and dirt underneath were now covered in fire and spilled blood, staining the entire area reddish-brown from the sheer chaos of it all. Nearly all buildings were either blown down or completely riddled with holes made from explosions. The area was eerily quiet, only disturbed from the constant crackling of fire and a building collapsing from it own weight. There was no wind, making the entire area look like a still frame from a painting that seemed to never steer away from this level of desolation. It was the epitome of madness, loss, and hopelessness in a world that now the furthest thing from Heaven.

It was now Hell.

In a crater that was deeper than all the others, two perfectly white spheres that had red cracks within them slowly leaked out blood. Streaming down a face, over time they made a small pool of blood that could be seen as the representation of defeat to the warriors killed today.

Boom!

A mighty explosion occurred in the distance, manifesting in the form of a pillar of fire that burned with the strength of ten billion suns. The power was so unreal that a mighty gust wind raced across all throughout Seireitei, blowing down weak structures as everyone felt this power with either a sense of fear or reverence. And when said wind raced over the crater that was deeper than any hole, those same two white spheres shook from the sheer sensations. Instinct then kicked in, allowing the reflexes to make those spheres roll back to reveal two pupils that were the color of purple. Blinking, the spilled blood dripping from said eyes got on the eyebrows that quickly hardened like it was face paint.

Nothing responded no matter how hard the will to move the body was. But the power washing over him reminded him that he was still alive, and that alone stirred his consciousness back into the forefront.

He was Rojuro Otoribashi, the captain of the third division.

Blessed to at least be disabled on his back than on his stomach, Rose stared at the blue sky above as a tint of red colored it from the direction of the explosion. Even in his unconscious state, three great powers were snuffed out of existence against the might of Yamamoto. Despite his cracked and fragmented mindset that was riddled with headaches, it was obvious it was the three quincies that had left him for dead.

For all intents and purposes, they seemed to have died themselves.

Rose felt both happy and shameful at their quick deaths. Happy that his entire division was avenged, but shameful that he could not do it himself and needed the captain-commander to pick up his slack. He truly was a pathetic captain. He fought with everything he had, even using techniques that were forbidden to try to gain a decisive edge in the match.

But it just was not enough.

It true after all. No matter how much he does, he loses every single battle when it most crucial. This was the epitome of all his losses, culminating into the pitiful state he is currently in. He could barely feel anything, every breath he took hurt since he was just absorbing smoke from this burning environment. His heart was pounding, daring to bust out of his chest just from sheer exhilaration and how intense it was working to keep Rose alive.

Eyes suddenly widening, Rose hacked up blood that made his eyes appear more grayish than purple. Trying to regain his wits, Rose could feel the captain-commander's power skyrocketing as a new intense battle took place. It was mind-boggling for Rose to believe that someone could be so strong, but was grateful that a force of nature that was Yamamoto was on their side. Even macho and powerful comrades such as Kensei Muguruma and Kenpachi Zaraki paled in comparison to the captain-commander. He was on an entirely different level that transcends reason. There a reason he led the Gotei 13 since its foundation.

Why couldn't he be the same?

Rose just like many others started out in the same academy that Yamamoto himself founded. Rose was blessed to come from a lower income aristocrat family that had some power in the judiciary side of the government. His grandfather is a retired Central 46 judge, serving for most of his life to sentence criminals to the worst of prisons for the atrocities they have committed. Rose liked the luxuries that he was afforded, but was always denied to seek a path for himself to maintain the families face in front of the public. Rose, from the bottom of his heart wished he could have been a musician. That was always his passion and wanted to emulate the greats he loved to hear such as Ludwig Van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johannas Brahms. The styles of classical symphonies, rock 'n' roll, punk rock, and even emocore has always fascinated and grabbed his attention. But he was denied to pursue this passion and was pushed to become a judge just like all the men in his family.

He refused.

Rose did the unthinkable and instead joined Yamamoto's academy so that he could become strong enough to one day leave the future chosen for him and become a great musician down the road. Maybe even become a famous portrait artist or book author as side hobbies. Anything that can express his creativity in one outlet or the next.

Rose busted his ass day in and out in the militarized school for six years. His intellect and usage of kido was above average but was average in everything else. Some tested his spirits since he came from nobility, but his ambition to succeed and minor popularity, largely for being cute by girls helped him to get through that rough environment.

And unlike most shinigami who jump from division to division, Rose always been part of the third division since his acceptance to the Gotei 13. And Rose wanted to prove himself, climbing through the ranks from 20th seat all the way to lieutenant. And when the day came when he achieved bankai and his captain he always served since he was a grunt wanted to retire, he was selected to be the next captain. He was the first in his family to achieve this rare honor and made the Otoribashi household reach new heights. Rose was one of the strongest shinigami in existence and had men who were willing to die for his sake. That was the happiest point in his life and was closer than ever to achieving his long held passion of becoming a musician when the time was ripe.

But in just one night, all his hard work and ambitions came crashing down thanks to Aizen's sickening Hogyoku research. His reputation was ruined by being known as an criminal who sought hollow powers for ill gains. He was banished or would have been executed if it were not for Urahara, Yoruichi, and Tessai saving him and the others. He thanks the stars to this day for their intervention or dreads the thought he would have undergone Soul Suicide and no longer exist at any capacity. Not even the cycle of transmigration would have been offered to him during such a horrific death. A tragic and cruel end that he could have never prepared for.

And how does he repay Urahara for saving his life? By losing in all of his subsequent battles. When fighting against Coyote Starrk, his overall performance to this day is shameful. He allowed his best friend and partner, Love Aikawa to fight against the Primera Espada by himself for the vast majority of the match. It was obvious that arrancar was a former Vasto Lorde who held so much power than when in his released form managed to defeat Shunsui Kyoraku in mortal combat. But instead of taking the fight seriously initially, he allowed rubble from Soifon's battle against the Segunda Espada to cover him up as like it all was a joke or an artful thing to do. He was foolish. Both Love and Kyoraku could dodge Starrk's Cero Metralleta with ease, yet he got shot down at the first opportunity. And not once had he ever managed to hit the arrancar, only attacking his wolves where his highest level sonata failed to do anything significant. And before he knew it, took a powerful explosion that brought him to his knees despite using both hollow mask and shikai. It was humiliating.

So why didn't he used bankai?

Rose questions this all the time, but he knows the answer deep within his heart though he would never admit it. His bankai is very special and has a few drawbacks when in use. One of them being that since it affects sound, even allies can be affected if within hearing range and conscious enough to interpret the sounds within their brains. This was a big issue when he was first using his then-achieved bankai, but no longer a problem after mastering it. But still, if he ever loses control of his Dancers of Death, they could always attack his comrades. Something he could never forgive himself if it ever happened. And Love Aikawa would have been endangered if he used his bankai, so that why he opt out. And the same reasoning was used against Aizen. It just was not worth it.

But here he had no friendly restrictions against those three, but the fact they could steal the ultimate form of Kinshara while in bankai state forced him to not use it. Rose knew from the bottom of his heart that if he could have unleashed Kinshara Butōdan at any point in that match, all three of those quincies would have surely perished. His shikai state alone knows eleven techniques, but the number for his bankai was far greater. He has sixteen standard moves in that form, including forbidden techniques that he never used at any capacity.

Rose clenched dirt within his palms that this match could have been vastly different if he could have used it.

Rose should be grateful he even got this far at all. His mind, body, and spirit were strong enough to achieve captain-class standard and was given a second chance at life thanks to Urahara's efforts. And in actuality he has won some fights here and there, though often overlooked. He managed to defeat his inner hollow, prevent Ichigo Kurosaki from killing Hiyori during their exhibition match, fight against Ichigo Kurosaki for ten minutes while severely hollowfied, and kill several Menos Grande during the Winter War. Small achievements he should be proud of, though they are just that, small.

And after that thought, suddenly the air became very stiff as sweat started to pour out from Rose. His broken flesh cracked even more, losing moisture as his throat became dry. The impression of a shimmering heatwave danced at the top of the crater, making Rose uncomfortable as a supreme thirst came over him. Swallowing the spilled blood hanging in his mouth only to spit it out from how disgusting the iron was, Rose decided that it was time to make his move. Using every fiber of energy in his body, Rose forced himself to rollover on his stomach. Panting, Rose forced himself to his elbows and knees, leaking blood like he was an open faucet turned on full volume. Feeling his bones shake from the sheer strain, Rose lost his position after attempting to stand up. He fell right on his back, nearly blacking out from it.

Greedily soaking in any oxygen that he could, Rose felt more worthless than he ever has in his entire life. He truly was finished, not even able to stand up anymore. But upon seeing something from the corner of his eye, Rose slowly looked until he realized that it was his very own zanpakuto several feet away from him. He could not feel Kinshara in his inner world and lacked the strength to go inside. Was he okay? Futilely reaching for his blade, knowing he could not grab it, Rose lowered his hand into the ground in defeat. His life partner likely needed him but was too pathetic to even grab his own sword. Freaking pitiful.

Fresh tears not dyed in blood came out from Rose's eyes, quickly evaporating from the supreme heat made by Yamamoto's bankai. Kinshara made Rose promise to never degrade his own self-worth, but the emotions of defeat ran too strong within him. Goddamn was he weak.

Allowing his pains to run their course throughout his body, suddenly the immense heat disappeared before a powerful rainstorm quickly manifested practically instantaneously. Allowing his body to be drenched in the downpour, Rose did not even bother to close his eyes even when raindrops hit them.

Reaching new lows in this coffin he was resting in, Rose could hear the distant thunder dancing in the skies as holy flashes appeared in the skies. Rose felt numb to it all, not even caring if he drowned if he was being perfectly honest with himself. His lieutenant and all seated warriors in his division are dead, heck probably most of his unseated ones too at this point. He has nothing to return to and could tell even in his poor state that most of the other captains are struggling to remain alive. Byakuya Kuchiki was killed, and the likes of Kenpachi Zaraki could no longer be sensed. Plus the others such as Shunsui Kyoraku, Jushiro Ukitake, Kensei Muguruma, Shinji Hirako, Sajin Komamura, and the other captains were in difficult battles based on their slowly depleting reiatsu levels.

They were doomed.

Doing his best to find any hope in this deplorable situation, Rose focused on Yamamoto's power before sensing an unholy level of strength equivalent to the captain-commander himself. It was a beacon of despair that the Devil was just getting started.

It started to rain harder.

Focusing on the battle with all his remaining strength, a mighty bang was heard like something heavy fell to the Earth. And upon hearing the worst noise in all of history, Rose's heart sank as he felt a dip that should have never occurred.

The captain-commander was slain.

Feeling his vast life force practically going to zero, Rose felt frozen in place as the will of fire that kept him going was about to be snuffed out. And after several agonizing minutes passed by, Rose felt like he died himself when he felt it.

The Devil killed the captain-commander, allowing even the explosion's echos to race across all of Seireitei.

Believing he was hearing trumpets as angels cried in Latin while demons laughed, all color drained from the world as Rose's eyes became true gray orbs of despair. They were officially powerless to stop the enemy now.

Feeling like he was lesser than an ant, Rose believed his heart was beating less when he heard a new mighty roar. Upon when Shunsui Kyoraku's energy levels also seemingly vanished, many vile powers ranking in the thousands could be sensed, razing down everything before them. Shinigami and civilians alike were being killed in droves, having no chance against the quincy dynasty that wanted them to be extinct. It felt like that all of Rose's depression suddenly became animated, poisoning the world even further until it fell into true peaks of desolation. The whole world was burning, coloring the sky black as screams from all walks perished one after the another. It was disheartening to the captain where not even his inner hollow would appreciate such depravity.

Their end was at hand. They lost. And they won. It was pointless to resist any further.

About to close his eyes and accept his ultimate fate of death, from the sky a lone flower flew in the wind before slowly flying down in the crater he was in.

It was an orange marigold flower, fully mature that softly landed on his chest.

Limply looking at it as his eyes begged to close for good, mixed emotions came across Rose at the coincidence of it all. The marigold represents despair in his division, a philosophy both he and Izuru Kira deeply share. It was the end of things regardless of positions and something that nobody could avoid. Rose usually saw this as a good thing since not even the worst of times could go on forever. But it also means that the good cannot last either. It was a hard pill to swallow, but the truth nonetheless. And now during his final moments of life, the marigold has sought him out to give him notice that his time was up.

Accepting it as the impression of a skeletal Grim Reaper appeared in his peripheral vision to reap his own life, a new explosion took place in the Heavens that grabbed Rose's attention.

It was without a doubt the power of a visored that has ascended above all obstacles; Ichigo Kurosaki. His power was unreal, stronger than ever as it demanded all to look at his direction. He was the Angel that came into Hell to defeat the Devil at his own game. The last true hope of salvation.

And when Kurosaki appeared, a sinister power comparable to the other three sternritter he faced was instantly eradicated. Killed before he could do anything against the Hero of Karakura. And watching the hero leave to likely face the Devil whom killed the captain-commander, a small smile formed on Rose before closing his eyes.

He could now die in peace, leaving all of his hopes on Ichigo Kurosaki to save the day. And with that, a lone hair bang graced his face as the blade of Kinshara suddenly had a crack running through it. And the marigold on Rose's chest shed a single petal, getting captured by the wind and flying into the great heavens to deliver Rose's very last wish.

It was both humiliating and incomprehensible on how he got into this state so easily. Both his mind and body were oozing with supreme might, feeling unstoppable upon any threat he faces. But in just one attack from the captain-commander he fell like a burnt comet that had no more fuel left. He did not even do anything, just get hit by flames and land in some crater. Was Yamamoto seriously that broken in power?

Slowly crawling out from his hole, Najahkoop kicked a boulder off from him before managing to step on his two feet. He was fucked up more than he could ever imagine. He was completely shirtless, dreads about to fall off from their roots, possess numerous holes on his pants, and countless cracks snaked across his mask that even a piece fell off that shielded his left eye. And the fact he had third degree burns and bleeding profusely did not help in the looks department.

It was heavily raining, causing his wounds to sting.

Clenching his teeth, Najahkoop knew he barely possessed any strength left to do anymore fighting. If he had to battle somebody else, death would be guaranteed for him. It was a shitty realization to swallow, but the truth nonetheless.

But despite all of that, Najahkoop made a large grin. His majesty came out on top, managing to kill Yamamoto with a strategy likely nobody but Sternritter Grandmaster Haschwalth was aware of. It appears that Sternritter Y, Royd Lloyd, used his 'Yourself' powers to mimic Lord Yhwach in an attempt to waste Yamamoto's capabilities. And it worked. Now their greatest obstacle is now gone and could feel it within his blood that it was time to truly raze this motherfucker to the ground.

With that thought Najahkoop placed a hand to the ground and swiped, creating a large shadow portal that twinkled. Immediately dozens of soldat warriors flew out, marching forward to destroy any infrastructure or shinigami they find. It was a beautiful sight, seeing the level of destruction as rain and lightning danced in the Heavens to create the perfect backdrop for such carnage.

"Ahhhh."

"The Hell?"

Hearing the moaning, Najahkoop walked to an area covered in small rocks and pulled them back. To his surprise he found no other than As Nodt, being in worse condition than he was in. Even his entire face mask was destroyed, revealing his exposed gums and teeth since he has no lips. And both eyes were completely rolled back, even appearing that steam was emitting from them. It was a sight to behold.

Knowing his comrade was incapable of speaking, Najahkoop wordlessly picked him up and swung him over his shoulder. Glad he was still breathing, Najahkoop heard a mighty explosion in the distance. Looking at the general location, a powerful reiatsu was sensed before snuffing out Shaz Domino in one attack. This instantly made Najahkoop gasp, surprised that a sternritter could be bested so easily like he was fodder.

Then it hit him.

"This is….Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Yeah. Who else could it be?"

Turning his head back, Najahkoop saw Bazz-B approaching him, just in much bad shape as he was. Yamamoto truly did defeat them with that one blow.

"Glad to see you're still alive."

When Bazz-B finally stood next to Najahkoop, he blinked his tired green eyes while still facing the direction where the Emperor stood at. It was obvious that Kurosaki was coming to him.

"Tch, we failed. We were no match for that old fart and couldn't do a damn thing to change the outcome."

"Yeah. I hate to admit it. How we even survived is a miracle."

"I used the 'Heat' to circumvent the lethal edge from murdering us."

Najahkoop looked at Bazz-B briefly before looking back at the great distance where the Emperor was at.

"I see. Your powers at flame manipulation saved us."

"It was all I could do in that short time span. That bastard, we were no match."

"Hmm."

Najahkoop slightly lowered his head, displeased with the current events. Coming here was a major mistake and they achieved nothing from their plight. And Najahkoop grimly realized that he does not even have the strength to go back and kill Rose. He should have killed him when he had the chance.

Now it was impossible to do.

Boom!

Hearing the explosion many miles away, it was the power of Ichigo's infamous Getsuga Tensho impacting against Yhwach in their grand duel, even evaporating some of the rain clouds produced from Yamamoto's bankai effect. The power that was sensed was unreal, eclipsing each sternritter that was viewing it from afar. Najahkoop even clenched a fist, now understanding how Quilge Opie and Shaz Domino could have lost so easily.

And after several minutes passed, a strange sensation surrounded the Emperor like his power was being pulled away. And after some thought, Najahkoop figured it out.

"His majesty time out from the Schatten Bereich has expired. The invasion has come to an end."

Bazz-B spat to his side, knowing that this could hardly be considered a victory since they failed to defeat the shinigami. In the end they suffered multiple casualties and forced to retreat. It was humiliating, especially how he himself failed to do much.

"It's time."

Saying it grimly, Najahkoop created a shadow portal that will allow them to go back home. Without even waiting Bazz-B stepped in, prepared to face his destiny on the other side beyond the blackness. And Najahkoop stared at it for many great seconds before too stepping in with As Nodt still being over his shoulder. Their part has at last came to an end.

"Enjoy your reprieve of holy eradication, shinigami. We will come back to end you all, especially you Rojuro Otoribashi. Next time I shall kill you."

Upon entering the portal, it finally closed, ending the blitzkrieg in favor of another bloody invasion in due time. And that time will be soon, a period that will mark quincy ascension and shinigami extinction.

Many Hours Later

The sun finally revealed itself, showering a world in light where for so long was drenched in storms and darkness. But even still it was dark, allowing rain to continue falling that seemed it never wanted to end. It was chaos, showing a ruined world that had nothing left to offer. Thousands, if not millions were killed, accompanied by destroyed architect that will take years to rebuild. It was a living graveyard that will stain the history of Seireitei forevermore.

And in one distinctive crater out of the hundreds darting across Seireitei, it housed the body of shinigami captain barely clinging to life. His life force and internal energy was barely operational, worsened over time after falling into a small coma. But as luck will have it, destiny has other plans for him.

"Captain Otoribashi, can you hear me?"

Not getting a response, five members of the Fourth Division's second relief team immediately started to perform kaido on the captain. This was achieved by trying to restore his reiryoku levels before using that very energy to heal all his wounds. And after doing this for over thirty minutes, each one got happy when they saw the captain cough as his breathing increased. One of the members then used kido to help restore his clothing by collecting reishi to fix the holes around it. Eventually most of the clothing, including the shirts and haori was restored, though it would mean nothing if the captain does not wake up and take command over his responsibilities.

A index finger from the captain then twitched, bringing hope to the medics as they redoubled their efforts to keep him alive.

"We are here for you captain. Please come back to us."

Hearing the voice deep within the blackness that encompassed his vision, he slowly opened his eyes, making each soldier gasp from the sheer joy of such a small action. Feeling his body little by little, Rose instinctively knew that his power was returning to him. He was alive, somehow managing to survive the war and maintained his wits upon reawakening. It was a miracle, believing that he would die and go to the next dimension.

Standing above him were five fourth division soldiers, desperately trying to heal him back up. His reiatsu levels were still scrambled, but at least he could do the most basic of basics. He had to stand.

"Help me up."

Not one to say no to a captain, three of the soldiers lifted Rose up. Using their shoulders for support, Rose had his sights on a certain object in the distance.

"Please, hand me my zanpakuto over there."

"Yes sir."

Seeing one of the men retrieving his sealed zanpakuto and handing it to him, Rose inspected Kinshara and frowned at the poor state of his partner. So many cracks were inside of the blade that it appeared that it would fall off at any second. This troubled Rose, knowing he has both failed and allowed Kinshara to get this injured.

"Forgive me."

Sheathing his blade back into it holster with utmost care, Rose blinked before addressing all before him.

"Men, what the status on the battlefield?"

All soldiers in some way looked at the ground, and the ones holding Rose reflexively tightened their grip on his body as a response to the question. Rose knew from this alone that it was not good at all.

The man who picked up Kinshara decided to be the spokesperson, making sure to look at Rose dead in the face.

"Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki successfully managed to make the enemy leader retreat, forcing the whole army to withdraw. Right now, our remaining forces are collecting the injured and deceased, tallying up the numbers as we go on. And sadly-"

The soldier clenched his fists before looking at Rose's feet in great shame.

"-Captain-Commander Yamamoto is deceased. He died on the front lines against the enemy's faction leader."

Even though sunlight was on this area, the rain from nearby clouds began to rain harder, hitting each one of them on the shoulders.

Rose lowered his face, finally having confirmation from what he sensed. His purple eyes were shaking, in complete disbelief from the reality of it all.

"No."

Rose felt more useless than fecal matter sitting in a toilet. What did they achieve in the end? Everything has been destroyed, bringing their entire army to their knees. It was disheartening, making despair to creep in Rose's mind as all hope seemed impossible to attain.

"Is Captain Otoribashi still there?"

One of the soldiers took out a transmitter blade from his pocket. Knowing who it was on the other end, he handed it to Rose. Lifting his head, the captain took it and placed it near his face. He still has work to do and doesn't have time to mourn just yet.

"I am here."

"Thank goodness. Your reiatsu levels were so low that we suspected you might have perished. This is among the best of news to receive."

"I agree. Who is this that I am talking to if I may ask?"

"My apologies. I am Yasochika Lemura, third seat of the Fourth Division and leader of the first and second relief teams."

"I see now. Thank you Lemura for that."

"My pleasure."

"So, what is all of this about?"

"An emergency captain meeting has been announced by the remaining captains. They want you all to come to discuss the next set of proceedings. Are you well enough sir to venture over?"

Rose nodded to the three officers to release him, now standing unaided on his own two feet. It still hurt, but it must be done.

"Yes, I can make it."

"Wonderful. The meeting is being held at the first division headquarters. Please try to get there as soon as possible."

"Roger that."

"Excellent. Roger over."

When the transmission cut off, Rose gave the blade back to the original owner. It was time to continue his duties as a division captain. He even hardened his face, trying to look strong before the five shinigami surrounding him.

"Are you sure sir that you will be fine?"

"My body has been fixed enough to endure the journey. I thank you all for healing and bandaging me. Continue the duties Captain Unohana has assigned for you. Many others will need help only you can provide."

"Yes sir."

Turning his back to the healers, Rose briefly clenched his fists to endure the residual pain he suffering from before using shunpo to make track for his destination. It was time to regroup, think, and plan for the next set of actions to defend their home. It will not be a pleasant meeting.

Thunder was heard in the distance, which is disturbing to hear thanks to the pockets of sunlight breaking through the clouds. Rose clenched his teeth, knowing that Soul Society has been changed forever thanks to this. And all of it was not for the better.

"Rest in peace, Captain-Commander Yamamoto."

Author Notes: We are getting ever closer to the true finale of this story. Stay strong my readers because much more is yet to be seen from this. I will be seeing you all soon for the next installment.