Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners.

Beta Tester: ekaterina016

A.N- Well sorry to make you all wait so long for this chapter, as I said in the notice before I had exams last month and then I took a week's rest after that, you guys understand right when you want to do nothing more than laze in the bed after the exams, now about the poll.

Here are the results are…

Yes – 98

Not – 83

Doesn't matter – 106

I am honestly shocked at this result; I had honestly thought that yes will win. Well, since the third choice has won, I will decide it and the decision is no. I talked to some of my fellow writers and nearly all of them said that adding a lemon at this point isn't a good choice and I took their opinion in consideration. So, sorry to the guys who wanted action in this chapter. Now on with the story.

Chapter 14: Going Back and Fighting Back

Ichigo woke up with a grunt as the first rays of the rising sun fell on his face. He shivered slightly when the morning chill met his bare torso, momentarily confusing him until he remembered the deeds he committed last night before sleep claimed him.

He looked down and smiled warmly when he found the twins, fast asleep, the sunlight making their milky white skin, just barely visible beneath the blanket, glisten. Their bodies were melded to his, with one of their arms draped over his chest and their head buried in the crook of his neck.

He could feel their heartbeat. He could feel the connection they had, stronger than it ever had been before. Power flowed freely between them like two intersecting, rushing rivers, clear as day. From the moment they made love until they were finished, not many words were spoken. They weren't necessary to begin with. Their thoughts were conveyed only through touch and actions.

He reached down to gently brush a stray lock of their blonde hair out of their face, if only so he could admire their impossibly perfect features better. He had always wondered, from the moment he saw them, just how could anyone be this beautiful and elegant. Unfortunately, that small act had the unintentional side effect of waking the twins up.

He watched patiently as emerald and golden eyes slowly opened, and a delicate hand shifted to rub the sleep out of them. Then their eyes turned to look at him, and their lips curled upwards into a radiant smile.

"Morning, handsome."

"Good morning, Ichigo."

"Good morning to you too, Artoria, Altria."

None of them moved to get up. They didn't want to. Of course, they had to eventually, but in that moment, nothing else mattered. Ichigo could feel their breath on his skin, and the girls could feel his hands on theirs. So, for a few sweet moments, the rest of the world faded away, leaving only them. No responsibilities. No enemies. No war. Just the three of them.

"I love you, Artoria, Altria," Ichigo said.

It wasn't anything he had said for the first time, and it wasn't certainly not the last time, but nonetheless those words didn't seem to fail to bring a pair of lovely smiles from their faces.

""And we love you, Ichigo,"" they replied together, bringing a smile on his face as well.

Then, without warning, the world came back, and with it came all of the problems they would have to face. Those which once threatened to break the bond they have. Those which were new to them, despite having knowledge of what could happen. But now, there were no more secrets being withheld.

The morning sunlight crested over the horizon, slowly illuminating the room. It was a new day, and the enemies wouldn't wait for them.

"We should get up," Ichigo suggested,

"You are right."

"Hmm."

Anyone could notice the disappointment in their tone.

Soul Society

The Gotei Thirteen were busy preparing for the next inevitable battle with the Quincy army. Numerous soldiers bustled in an attempt to rebuild the numerous damaged buildings and streets. As this occurred, those not tasked with repair trained and honed their skills.

Akon, and the remaining members of the Research and Development Division, were busying themselves at various work stations and machines. Though their faces or work ethic didn't suggest it, they were feeling worried. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi hadn't left his private lab in over a week. Even more worryingly, the Captain had shut off all of the surveillance devices. It was almost as if he was trying to hide something.

From their labs, in the basement of the destroyed institute, Akon and his fellows had observed their comrades progress.

Almost two weeks had passed since the initial attack and they were just about getting back on their feet. The truth of the matter was the Shinigami were doing far better than expected.

Byakuya and Rukia Kuchiki had been training almost non-stop since the end of the last attack. Honing their skills and supporting each other, through their own inner turmoil. Not a single person had seen Sajin Komamura or Suì-Fēng, following the departure of the Zero Division. Theories were exchanged among the few remaining unseated officers, suggesting they were outside Seireitei, preparing themselves.

Retsu Uonhana, or 'Yachiru', was taken away from Seireitei to a safe place where other civilians and injured Shinigamis were. She was alive, but in a coma. Kenpachi had not visited her even once, but knowing his personality, it wasn't really a surprise.

Shunsui Kyoraku was often seen prowling around the Seireitei as acting Head Captain. It appeared he was setting traps for the Quincy, should they make their return.

No one knew when the Vandenreich would attack next; however, with the preparations they had put it place, they wouldn't be going down without a fight.

However, in spite of all their preparing and planning, there was one thing the Shinigami did not account for. Something moving beneath their very feet.

The shadows.

Squad 8

Shunsui Kyoraku watched the Seireitei from the open wall of his office. The deep red sun was sinking below the horizon, throwing orange light across the rooftops below him.

Birds flew through the sky, circling the buildings. Visible, through pink clouds, the full moon had already risen.

The brown haired man took a deep breath and sighed deeply. He knew they were prepared, but there were times he was worried that even being prepared may not have been enough.

As if taking a cue from this feeling, a strange sensation began to spread up his legs; starting from his feet. In one swift move, his shadow spread out across the floor of the office and shot up the walls.

Following behind the ripple of darkness, the floor and walls began to change. Instead of wood, white marble and ice was left in the wake of the change.

From the open wall, Shunsui could see the same thing happening all across the Seireitei. Buildings were eclipsed in darkness, leaving new constructs behind.

Where the Seireitei once stood, the Silbern remained.

"Shit..." Shunsui muttered under his breath. "And just like that, all the traps I've set are useless... Talk about taking us by surprise."

"That was the plan," a voice arose from behind him. "We didn't break through the Shakonmaku to invade... Rather, we had been here from the beginning, hiding in the shadows."

Squad 12

The machines and sensors of the Research and Development Division were all going haywire. The barely-restored laboratory was in absolute pandemonium as the various scientists and Shinigami hurried to figure out exactly what was going on.

"Shit! Nothing's coming up!" Hiyosu screamed, frantically slamming his fingers into the various buttons in front of him. "This isn't possible! How could the Seireitei just vanish?! It doesn't make any sense!"

"Calm down, Hiyosu!" Akon shouted back. "Are you really doubting all of our machines?!"

"That's my point!" The portly creature retorted. "If the Seireitei is really gone, why are all our machines still here?!"

Almost occurring on-cue, shadows leapt from the ground and eclipsed the various machines and computers. The individuals of the division now found themselves in a cavernous hall, formed from white marble and ice. Pillars of various shapes and sizes surrounded them all.

"What the hell is happening?!" Hiyosu screamed.

"I see you're confused..." The man in the middle of the room said.

Until he spoke, none of the Research and Development Institute members had even noticed him.

"Who the...?" Akon gasped.

Askin Nakk Le Vaar – 'Sternritter D' – ignored the statement, instead choosing to continue his explanation. "One thousand years ago, when the Shinigami all but exterminated our people, we fled… to a location so obvious you overlooked it. We took refuge in the Seireitei." He placed his hands into his pockets and began to pace. "Once inside, we found something which would give us near-limitless power: Reishi. Unlike in the human world, Reishi is abundant in the Soul Society. In fact, the whole world is formed from it. By using this free-flowing Reishi, my ancestors were able to create a space within the shadows of the Seireitei. And thus, we named it the 'Vandenreich' – the Invisible Empire."

"Where the hell did you come from?!" Hiyosu screamed at the man.

"Were you not listening?" Askin asked, emotionless. "I did not come from anywhere. I've been here since the beginning." Forming a short knife from Reishi, the Sternritter leapt forwards and cut through the throats of the two Shinigami who stood closest to him. "I expected you to be more astute than this..."

"Well, you can't blame them," a voice chuckled from thin air. "I mean… creating a pocket dimension inside the shadows? The very notion defies logic!"

In the middle of the cavernous hall, a door began to open. Blinding light seared from the doorway, and into the open air.

"But, then again..." Mayuri Kurotsuchi laughed, stepping out of the invisible room. "I quite enjoy defying logic myself!"

The crazed Captain was clad, head-to-toe in an outfit which could most closely be described as… the sun. White light spewed from his form, in a similar manner to the invisible room behind him.

"I had guessed, during your last invasion, that shadows played a part in your abilities," Mayuri explained, grinning. "And so, I remodelled the entire inside of my laboratory to cast no shadows whatsoever."

Askin raised one eyebrow. "Very impressive."

Without another word, he leapt at the Captain, so quickly that many of the gathered men weren't even able to register him. Lifting his Reishi knife, he attempted to slash at Mayuri's face, but the captain's sword shot up and parried the blow.

"Unluckily for you," Mayuri said, grinning. "I've programmed my sword to automatically parry any strike heading towards me around a three-foot radius of my body."

Mayuri swung his Zanpakuto up at the Sternritter. Askin hurriedly jumped back to dodge and threw the knife at the Captain. He watched on as that, too, was knocked aside. "It may not work against projectiles, but if you insist on throwing the knife that slowly, it's child's play to block," he said, half-bored.

Askin formed a bow from Reishi and began to launch arrows at Mayuri, which of course were much faster than his knife. Blue flashes lanced through the air.

Hurriedly dodging, Mayuri gritted his teeth. 'He's good at adapting...' he thought. 'No emotions clouding his judgement, either... Impressive.'

Still launching arrows, Askin suddenly directed his aim away from Mayuri, and retreated towards the disembodied door.

"Don't give them an inch!"

"Hold your ground! Hold your ground!"

A flame ripped through the air, lifting at least a dozen unseated Shinigami off of their feet, and charring another four to death. Bazz-B pulled an exasperated expression and scratched the side of his head. "What's the point of holding your ground?" He sighed, lifting one eyebrow. "The Seireitei is gone. It doesn't matter if you let me through or not."

The Quincy snapped his fingers. Another flame sparked through the air, before a second explosion detonated, killing six more Shinigami.

"What's he doing?!"

"Is his ability controlling fire?!"

Bazz-B began to chuckle. His eyes flicked over the Shinigami surrounding him. "Fire?" He began to chuckle, sarcastically. "Do me a favour. You really think my power is something as simple as that?"

His fingers snapped again and flame went towards the Shinigamis, ready to burn them to a crisp, but at that moment, a wall of Ice fell on that flame, vanquishing it. When the flame died, it revealed a short white-haired captain and his lieutenant.

"You are right; it might not matter anyone passes or not. However, your flames won't be getting through anytime soon," Tōshirō declared.

"Is that so…?" Bazz-B narrowed his eyes.

As the battles began below, Yhwach looked down upon the Silbern from the roof of the ice palace. Beside him, Uryū Ishida stood. Turning towards the boy, a smile playing on his lips, Yhwach asked him, "Are you familiar with the Kaiser Gesang?"

Uryū glanced over at Yhwach. "Yes, Your Majesty. After nine hundred years, the sealed King will regain his pulse; after ninety, his mind; and after nine years, he will regain the power he had lost."

"I see you are lacking knowledge of the final line," Yhwach said, sweeping his gaze over the battlefields. "That the sealed King will regain the world, his to rule, after nine days."

He stepped forwards and broke into a wide grin. "Prepare yourself for the sights you will behold... Thus begin the last nine days."

Marechiyo Omaeda, Lieutenant of Squad Two, moved slowly. He was in his family home when the Silbern had overtaken the Seireitei. After making sure his sister was safe, he had ventured forth into the maze of snowy white streets. It was good Ichigo had ordered all the civilians to get away from Seireitei, or she would have been caught in all this.

'Why did this have to happen when Captain Suì-Fēng was away training... I'm not suited to this kind of situation!'

The rotund Lieutenant took a deep breath and calmed himself. He remembered the last invasion. Other than the Head Captain, his captain was the only one who managed to kill an enemy soldier.

'That means I must be able to win... I mean, I've had the same training...'

The soles of his shoes crunched against the snow, sinking down. Omaeda made as little noise as was humanly possible. Despite his size, his training in the Stealth Force showed evidently.

It was a shame his enemy was more than perceptive enough to discover him.

BG9 – 'Sternritter K' – was laying atop a building several streets over. Extending over the edge of the roof was the barrel of a gun, with a large scope mounted on top. He held the white Reishi weapon and aimed slowly at the Lieutenant.

The Sternritter's small shot of Reishi tore through the air and ripped through Omaeda's left leg. Blood flew into the air and spattered into the snow.

Omaeda's hand lurched upwards and clasped his wound. Blood pooled in his palm and began to seep through his fingers, as he let out a hoarse cry of pain.

Another electric blue shot of Reishi cut through the air again, making another hole in Lieutenant's hand.

As Omaeda clasped his injured hand, a third projectile of spirit energy hit him in the left leg. His large form crashed to the floor, his leg giving way under his own weight.

BG9 appeared in front of the downed Lieutenant.

Realising that, in his pain, he had forgotten to mind his surroundings, Omaeda attempted to run. BG9, however, had other plans. Stomping down, he trapped Omaeda's injured leg beneath his large military boot.

He glared up at the Quincy, peering through the blood spatter across the side of his face. The Lieutenant gritted his teeth, his hand nervously moving over the floor in an attempt to locate his dropped Zanpakuto.

"Tell me where your Captain is, and I'll make it quick," BG9 asked.

"You think I'm the kind of person who would sell out my Captain?" Omaeda said forcefully.

BG9 shot him through the foot. "Last chance." He cocked his head to the side and scratched at his goatee beard. "I expect an answer."

"Never... I will never tell you..." Omaeda ground out from between his teeth.

As BG9 attacked the lieutenant, a white light shot past him. He looked at the gun and saw half of the barrel was missing. Together, he and Omaeda saw Squad 2's Captain was holding on to it on one hand, and dropped the bullets from another hand.

"My sensors did not detect anything," BG9 said.

"I would be a laughing stock if I can't conceal my Reiatsu when I am the head of Omnitsukidou," she replied.

"What is that...?" BG9 muttered. "It's not her Bankai, as I have it..."

"I see you're confused," Suì-Fēng laughed, continuing to dart through the sky. "Haven't you heard of Shunko?"

"Mixing Kido with Hakuda?" BG9 said. "But yours is incomplete."

"Was incomplete," she corrected. "Since the battle with Aizen, I've been perfecting it. Your last invasion was just the push I needed!" Rocketing towards BG9, the whirlwind behind her whipped up a storm. "My Shunko is wind-based! Once it's activated, it rotates infinitely, expending next to none of my Reiatsu. My thanks to you, because without you stealing my Bankai, I wouldn't have been able to master it to this extent."

Suì-Fēng closed the distance between the two of them in less than half a second. Rearing up her right shoulder, she lifted her fist. "Eternal Shunko!"

BG9 dissipated his machine guns and crossed his arms to block. The Captain's fist slammed into his forearm and flung him backwards by sheer force. Tumbling head over heels, he ploughed through several buildings before being shrouded in a cloud of dust.

Suì-Fēng touched down on the ground, her Shunko still active atop the back of her shoulders. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, at her subordinate, she began to walk towards Omaeda.

"Pick yourself up..." she said slowly. "You need to find a member of the Fourth Division and heal yourself. You're going to be needed in the battles ahead."

"Y-Yes, Captain..." Omaeda said, attempting to shift his position so he could return to his feet.

'She's amazing...' he thought, watching his Captain's graceful, yet strong movements. 'She's killed two Sternritter already. And she's perfected her Shunko...'

Three missiles suddenly appearing in the sky of the Silbern, screaming towards the Captain. The smell of burning fuel filled the air and smoke shot from the tail ends of the artillery. Suì-Fēng kicked off from the ground a split second before they landed. Colliding with the ground, they detonated violently, levelling several buildings and tearing up the street.

Two more rockets blasted through the skies of the Silbern at the airborne Captain. Ducking and dodging, the whirlwind of Suì-Fēng's Shunko propelled her away from the fire of the previous explosions and out of the path of the new rockets.

"Still alive even after that, you monster!?" Suì-Fēng taunted.

BG9 came out of the rubble, as she saw his real appearance was made of machine.

"Alive? I have never taken a breath in my life," BG9 said.

Squad 12

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was staring intently at one of the numerous monitors which inhabited his glowing beacon of science. The spy bacteria he had infected all of the members of the Gotei Thirteen with were practically paying for themselves. Over the course of the invasion, he had gathered data of immeasurable worth.

After the fight between him and Askin, he was watching all the captains' fights. "Now, that is interesting..." he chuckled, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"And what might that be?" A disembodied voice asked.

"The Sternritters," Mayuri replied. "It may hold a clue as to how the Bankais could be re-" He stopped short, when he realised just whose voice he was talking to.

"Splendid!" Kisuke Urahara's voice exclaimed. "If not a bit slow. After analysing the medallions I retrieved following Ichigo's battle, and experimenting on that Sternritter's corpse, I've already come up with a method to regain the Bankai!" His voice was musical and light-hearted.

"Wow, Kisuke Urahara is really amazing..." A nearby member of the Research and Development institute whispered, as he overheard the conversation. He was soon hurriedly shushed by his comrades, in hopes the Captain had not heard him.

Mayuri ignored his statement. "How are you doing that?" He asked, his yellow eyes moving curiously.

"Oh! I implanted a communications device in your ear a while back! I forget when or how, but regardless, it's pretty useful, isn't it?"

"How dare you!" Mayuri yelled in response. "Implanting something of this nature without my permission." Lifting his finger, he placed it over the side of his luminescent headdress.

"Wait, don't cut it off!" Urahara's voice cried. "I've got important information about the enemy!"

"Goodbye." Mayuri pulled a disinterested expression as he plunged his finger through his headdress and into his ear.

"No! Wait! St-!"

"Got youuuu~!" Urahara popped out of a small Senkaimon behind the Twelfth Division Captain. "I was waiting in the Dangai for the perfect moment to pop out!"

Mayuri was so outraged his expression looped right back around to completely dumbfounded.

Urahara stepped out of the Dangai portal and snapped the cell phone he held in his hand closed. Beneath the shadow cast by his hat, he broke into a serious expression. "But back to more urgent matters... I know how we can prevent the theft of Bankais, and how to return those which were stolen."

"Pinpoint the locations of all Captains and Vice Captains!" Akon shouted over his shoulder at the other members of the Research and Development Division. "Hiyosu, set up a Tenteikura!" He was tapping hurriedly against the glowing white keyboard in front of him.

"On it!" Hiyosu replied, beginning to cast the Kido.

"Everyone else!" Akon continued. "Work on releasing all of the remaining modified bugs! Map out the environment!"

Behind them all, Urahara was busy explaining his new invention to Mayuri.

"Shineiyaku," he said, opening a leather bag he had withdrawn from his cloak. Inside the pouch were at least two dozen black pills, resembling hard candies. "With these, we can completely prevent the theft of Bankais, as well as return the Bankais which have already been stolen."

"So what, pray tell, is your hypothesis?" Mayuri asked, attempting to conceal his disgust for the man in front of him.

"I had an inkling about the method of prevention when I first began my experiment," Urahara explained. "I learned our enemy had already invaded and overtaken Hueco Mundo. And yet, when I ventured there to confirm this news, I discovered a very strange thing. Not a single one of the Arrancar had their Resurrección stolen." His eyes narrowed. "As I'm sure you're aware, the nature of the Resurrección makes it essentially the same as a Bankai. So why hadn't they been taken? It wasn't that they had no interest in Arrancar – rather, the opposite: they drafted many of them into their army to use as soldiers... So, that leaves two reasons open as to why the Resurrección weren't stolen."

"Either they couldn't steal them, or it would be detrimental to do so," Mayuri said, completing Urahara's train of thought.

"Precisely." Urahara broke into a grin. "And thanks to Captain Ōtoribashi, we have the final piece of the puzzle."

"All soldiers of lieutenant rank and up have been pinpointed inside and outside of the Seireitei!" Akon called over his shoulder.

"Excellent," Urahara said, eyeing the bag of pills in his hand.

With Suì-Fēng…

Suì-Fēng cried out in pain as an explosion to her left shattered her elbow.

Most of her Shihakusho had been burnt from her body, and the blood which spewed from her open wounds was dried into her skin, superheated by the numerous blasts which assaulted her. The left side of her face was so swollen and charred that her eye was closed. The skin of her back was mottled and scorched, as was her exposed right leg.

BG9 maintained his distance, continuously launching her own Bankai missiles at the Captain. Light danced across his dark skin, thrown forth by the great blaze his weaponry had set upon the buildings.

'I need to get a clean hit on him!' Suì-Fēng thought, as she was flung around like a rag doll by the explosions. 'I'm getting blown to death here... If only I could use my Bankai!'

"Ahem..." A voice suddenly echoed inside her head. "Greetings to all captains of the Gotei Thirteen, and hello to all you lieutenants out there, as well! My name is Kisuke Urahara! There are probably some of you out there who don't know me, but fear not, I'll make the introductions once things have... calmed down a bit."

Distracted by the sudden appearance of Urahara's voice, Suì-Fēng felt a blow against her stomach. A Reishi missile had caught her full on in the gut. Exploding violently, the projectile sent her hurtling through the air, and crashing into the ground below.

The Captain lifted her head, her eyes losing focus and a haze gripping her mind. Everything was beginning to grow muffled and fuzzy. 'That stupid idiot... Why would he... Interrupt everyone's battles like this?'

"This is a very exciting time!" The voice continued. I've managed to develop a method of regaining lost Bankais! And to top it off, it can also be used to prevent the theft of Bankais as well. Aren't I just the most resourceful little genius?"

"W-what...?" Suì-Fēng gasped, through bloodied and burnt lips.

"Along with this transmission, I've sent you all a little black pill. All you need to do is touch it, and it will take effect. You can use anything you want; your hand, your foot, your sword, even your private par-!"

"Stop that right now!" Akon shouted, over the Tenteikura.

Suì-Fēng ignored the rest of the comical arguing which was filling her head. Her entire attention, half-conscious as it was, was focussed on a small black object which had just appeared next to her.

Reaching out, her arm trembled, dripping blood onto the ground around her. Just as the strength left her shoulder, her hand dropped and touched the pill. Immediately, the medication was drawn into her body, invading her system. She could feel it grafting onto her soul.

"What is that?!" BG9 asked, when he felt something off and his stolen Bankai disappearing.

"An old trick I've dug out just for you... Bankai: Jakuhō Raikōben!" Suì-Fēng declared weakly.

Squad 12

"The method is very simple..." Urahara explained, directing his attention towards Mayuri and Akon. "Quincies have no natural defences against Hollows. It's for that reason they mercilessly hunt them like they do... One bite is enough to infect a Quincy, and begin to break down their cells. So if we insert a minuscule fragment of Hollow Reiatsu into the Captain's Bankais, no matter how small, the very nature of it will become like poison to the Quincies."

"That's why the Sternritter who stole Captain Rose's Bankai reacted to its activation the way he did," Mayuri continued. "Because Urahara's pills are providing a sudden jolt of Hollow Reiatsu, it disrupts the connection to the Quincies' medallion. However, in Rose's case, the Hollow Reiatsu was already a part of his Bankai... That is why it was slowly poisoning the Quincy who stole it. And it all came to a head when he activated the stolen Bankai."

"And now that they know the Bankais contain a little bit of Hollow-seasoning," Urahara grinned. "They won't be stealing them anymore."

Royal Palace

All of the Royal Guards were in front of the entrance of the palace, ready to bid farewell to their guests.

"You three are good to go now!" Tenjirō yelled as Ichigo, Artoria and Altria were walking towards him.

They were wearing a white robe and white turban, holding up their hair. "Yeah," Ichigo said, but the three of them stopped and noticed something missing.

"What is it?" Tenjirō asked.

"Uh… where is the machine we came in with?" Artoria asked Tenjirō, who blinked in surprise.

"You're takin' the scenic route back," Tenjirō said, as they gave him a blank stare.

"What?" Altria asked, deadpanning.

"Sorry, we can't use that method again for some time," Ichibe apologized in somewhat of a jolly tone.

"You don't really look sorry." Ichigo muttered.

"So, how will we go back?" Artoria asked.

"By the stairs! Senjumaru, the stairs!" Tenjirō asked, as she taps her staff causing a very long stair case to appear.

"A week at normal speed, a day if you hurry," Ichibe said. "Though you might want to hurry; the Quincy have already started their attack."

"You should have told us that before…" Altria muttered.

The three of them walked over to the steps and then turned towards them. "Thank you for everything you have done for us." Ichigo said.

"We will always be thankful to you," Artoria mimicked.

"Thanks," Altria repeated.

"No problemo, Ichigo-chan and Honey-chans!" Nimaiya said.

"It was a good experience, having disciples such as you three," Ichibe replied with a big smile.

"Here, when you get hungry halfway." A fattened Kirio passed Ichigo a big bag filled with food.

Ichigo and the twins waved their hand and jumped, making their descent back to the Seireitei.

"That kid's going to single-handedly win this war, isn't he?" Kirinji wondered aloud.

"Most likely. I actually feel a tad bit sorry for those Quincies," Ichibe chuckled.

"They have come up a long way, haven't they?" Kirio asked.

"Indeed, they have." Shutara agreed.

"They have matured," Ichibe said.

"They have become real Shinigamis now," Tenjirō commented.

"I think the term 'knights' will be better suited to them." Nimaiya said, to which others nodded in agreement.

The Next Day…
Soul Society

"So, which one of us gets the killing blow?" Liltotto Lamperd – 'Sternritter G', the Glutton – asked her allies while eating a banana. They all surrounded the burned-up body of Kenpachi Zaraki. She and the other girls took advantage of his weakened state after his fight with Gremmy and attacked him.

"Let's just make it quick so we don't make a mess," Meninas McAllon – 'Sternritter P', the Power – said.

"Screw that! I'm not taking any chances with this monster; I say we all attack him at once and destroy him!" Candice Catnipp – 'Sternritter T', the Thunderbolt – shouted.

"Can't we play with him for a bit longer?" Giselle Gewell – 'Sternritter Z', the Zombie – asked with a hopeful look in her eyes. Their bickering was interrupted when they sensed three powerful Reiatsu in the sky above them.

"Finally... they returned...," Rukia said with a big smile on her face, standing next to Byakuya. "Can't you feel it, Big Brother? To whom these Reiatsus belong!?" She asked excitedly, as the clouds suddenly disappear at the middle, showing them the answer.

Artoria and Altria were in their adult forms, and Ichigo was in what looked like a mix of Resurrección and Vollständig. His hair was white blond like Altria, but with emerald eyes like Artoria. His upper armor was in his Vollständig form, but the lower armor took on his Resurrección form. The wings on his back was also different now – the left side was white, while the right side was black. The crown on his head was made of golden light like in his Vollständig, but it now had black outline.

But what struck them odd was he didn't had Excalibur, Morgan or Rhongomyniad on him. Instead he was carrying a large red flag on a black pole with sharp ends on both sides. It had a white shield painted on it with Avalon and Vortigern's design. A golden lion and black dragon was painted on the shield's left and right side respectively, representing Artoria and Altria. (1)

And… they were also followed by an army of knights in silver armors!?

"What is that form… and who are those knights..." Byakuya asked with widened eyes.

"Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Zero. Take out all the Quincies!" Ichigo ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The knights yelled as they all shot towards their targets.

"This is insane!" Ikkaku yelled while the knights took down Quincies around them, with Yumichika and Captain Shinji behind him. They were stopped by a group of Quincy soldiers blocking their path, only for them to killed by the knights as they cleared a path for them.

"Good thing he's on our side," Shinji smirked, noticing none of the knights were attacking any Shinigami.

"Ichigo!" Rukia sounded relieved while she watched the carnage along with her older brother.

"It seems Ichigo Kurosaki came with a plan," Byakuya said, not even bothering to hide his small smirk. He made a mental note to talk about this with him on a tea ceremony.

"That's Ichigo," Urahara stated, seeing the whole thing through the video feed. "And he even brought some reinforcements?"

"How did he even bring that many people into the Seireitei?" Mayuri asked aloud.

"I think it has something to do with his powers," he said, while Mayuri made notes on the subject.

"That boy…!" Yhwach gritted his teeth, as he and Haschwald watched their army get decimated. They heard Uryū chuckling lightly behind them, watching the chaos with amusement.

"Something funny, Uryū Ishida?" Haschwald turned his icy glare on the boy.

"Just that… you should have brought a bigger army." Uryū did nothing to hide his enjoyment of the show Ichigo's reinforcement were putting on.

"How would more soldiers stop him?" The blonde Quincy asked.

"They wouldn't, but it would have kept him busy for a little longer," Uryū said without missing a beat pushing his glasses up, kind of wishing he was fighting alongside Ichigo right now. Yhwach said nothing, merely waving his hand and silently ordering Haschwald to prepare the 'key'. Near the base of the tower, 'Sternritter D', Askin Nekk Le Vaar watched the fire fight with binoculars.

Just in seconds, many of the low-level Quincies were wiped away as Ichigo and the girls went to the Squad 11's Captain.

With Kenpachi…

Kenpachi was just about to doze off when he heard a voice.

"I see you had a fun time with these tramps," Altria said.

The women turned around, wide eyed, to see Ichigo and twins standing there.

"Huh? What are you all doing?" Kenpachi grinned despite his battered appearance.

"Saving you. What's it look like?" Ichigo frowned.

"Me…? Worry about yourself first." Kenpachi's eye travelled to the thunderbolt-wielding Sternritter who was charging up to punch Ichigo in the back of the head with an electrified fist. Ichigo merely tilted his head to the side as Altria grabbed the woman's wrist.

"Good attack. Even had the power to kill," Altria complimented, looking at Candice while still keeping a tight hold on her wrist.

"T-Thank you?" Candice was confused by the compliment.

"But it wasn't enough," Altria grinned, throwing her from over Ichigo's shoulder across the city and straight into a building which crumbled on top of her.

Of course, as expected, they were surrounded by the rest of the girls.

"We should end this soon," Ichigo said, dodging the big wriggling set of sharp dentures from the smaller Sternritter girl.

"Hmm, we don't have time for the foot soldiers," Altria dodged a punch which was aimed for his back from the pink haired girl, and delivering a kick to her chest which sent her flying.

"They aren't foot soldiers." Artoria corrected, dodging Litotto's attacks and punched her in the face, sending her straight into the building behind her.

"Guh!" Liltotto pulled herself out of the rubble, setting her jaw back in place.

"They are good!" Meninas said, getting back on her feet.

"What did you expect?" Liltotto replied, wiping the blood from her nose. "This is Ichigo Kurosaki, and his Zanpakutō spirits – head of the list of 'special threats'."

"WHO CARES!?" The place where Candice was buried exploded with lightning. "I don't give a shit if they are special threats or not! I won't forgive her for covering me in dirt!" She yelled, glaring at Altria. Her hair was a mess, skin and uniform covered in dust from the rubble which crashed on top of her a few moments ago.

"She's getting mad~" Giselle said in a sing-song voice.

"Doesn't she know that, unlike her, I get up early every morning to do my hair!?" Candice screamed.

"I don't think any amount of primping will make you look less like a tramp!" Altria said honestly, angering the girl even more.

"You BITCH!" Punching her heart shaped belt buckle and summoning her bow, a heart shape with two lightning bolts attached to it formed. Candice aimed at the still-smugly smirking Altria.

"Touch a nerve, did I?" She remarked, not even flinching with the weapon pointed at her.

"Galvano Blast!" She shouted firing an electrified arrow at her. The impact caused a small lightning explosion where she struck her along with her twin and master, leaving a cloud of smoke when the light died down. "Take that! Five gigajoules should turn you to ashes!" Candice spat, looking at the destruction.

"Idiot! that won't be enough to kill any of them!" Liltotto stated.

"She's right, you know," Altria said from within the smoke. Whipping her hand out, she blew the smouldering dust away, revealing no damage to any of them. "Then again, we are the head of the list of 'special threats', as you said. So what hope do any of you have against us?"

"She's got a point," Liltotto agreed with her, pressing her heart-shaped pack on her side summoning her own Quincy bow shaped like a bear trap. Meninas and Giselle did the same, as all four women pointed their weapons at her.

Altria smirked. "Sister, Ichigo, leave them to me."

"Very well," Artoria said, as she and Ichigo backed away.

Altria grinned, watching the incoming barrage. Removing Morgan from its scabbard, she didn't bother unleashing her Shikai, since it wasn't even necessary. With a single Reiatsu Burst of her sword, the arrows were all vaporised, also creating a concussive blast which sent the female Sternritters flying. They tried getting back up, only to be hit by an energy beam which forced them all into the side of a building. Candice was the first to get slammed into the wall, followed by the rest of her allies on top of her.

"DAMMIT!"

They quickly scrambled off of her, as she threw a little lightning tantrum.

"She's strong," Liltotto said, holding her aching stomach.

"She's starting to annoy me," Meninas brushed some of the dust off her skirt.

"I wish she was dead," Giselle drooled.

"I guess we're in agreement then," Candice smirked, activating her Vollständig. "She's got to be executed!" Her wings took the form of thunderbolts as she stood arrogantly.

"I still think we're in over our heads here. Not to mention the two of them behind her!" Liltotto tried to reason with her.

"Screw you all! I'll get the glory of killing the biggest threats, and his majesty will grant me whatever I wish!" She shouted, before taking off to fight.

"You know, since you don't have any brain, you should listen to her," Altria said, as she effortlessly dodged her thunderbolt blades.

"YOU BITCH!" She tried shooting everything at once in one big thunderbolt. Altria smirked and stopped it with her bare hand. "IMPOSSIBLE!"

With a Sonido, Altria was already behind her, and Candice was suddenly looking at bloody stumps where her hands used to be. She spun around to try and retaliate in some way, but paused when a sharp point was pressed on the back of her neck.

"You lose here, and that's because you didn't listen to that girl when she said I was out of your league." Those were the last words Candice heard when Altria removed her head from the body in a single swing, her Vollständig dissipating as the two halves her body fell back down to the earth.

"S-She took out Candice!" Meninas actually seemed a little scared now.

"Like it was nothing…" Liltotto carefully tried to analyse the situation and come up with a plan.

Unfortunately, Altria had already moved first, appearing next to them. Without warning, she drove her heel in the pink haired girl's face, while knocking Giselle away with a punch.

"Wait a second, don't you want information on what we're planning?!" Liltotto tried to stall for time.

"Not really… our current plan is to finish all the Quincies," Altria said, putting her sword down and pointing her finger at her. "Besides, did you really think I won't notice you buying time?" She fired a Cero from the palms of her hands, sending the girl flying straight through another building. Even her Blut Vene couldn't save her from her certain death.

Altria's eyes roamed around looking for her next prey, until they landed on the black-haired girl on the ground clutching her bleeding head. She began to predatorily and slowly walk towards her.

"W-Wait! I'm not good at fighting; you m-might not w-want to attack m-me!" Giselle pleaded with a stutter.

"Who said this is a fight? It's just an extermination."

Just when she was about to fire a Reiatsu Burst, someone else beat her to it. A laser beam of heat pierced Giselle through the stomach, along with the two other women while they were trying to get to their feet.

"Sorry, but I need you three to stay dead for a while."

Altria, along with Artoria and Ichigo, looked over to see a Mohawk-haired Quincy with a smoking index finger. He was forced to flee from his fight with Squad 10's Captain because of the knights assisting him, so just like that, he also decided to follow and joined his allies in here.

"What the hell… Bazz B?" Liltotto wheezed while collapsing.

"Quit your bitching; glory is something that's up for grabs. Especially for those who show up late," Bazz smirked, watching them drop. "Isn't that right, Missy?"

Altria raised an eyebrow. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"'Sternritter H', the Heat… Bazz B," the Quincy introduced himself.

"It's not just him," a new voice said. Three more Sternritters showed up on top of the buildings around them: a fat guy with sunglasses riding a floating basket, a dark-skinned man with a visor over his eyes, and an elderly gentleman with a moustache.

Ichigo and Artoria, sensing Altria might have some problem dealing with them altogether, came to her and even called back some of the knights. Just when both sides were about to attack each other, Renji came along with Byakuya, Rukia, Shuhei, Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"Renji…?"

"Leave them to us Ichigo; we will deal with them." Renji said, smirking.

"You three, go on ahead and finish that bastard!" Ikkaku declared, smirking all the same.

"Okay, the knights will help you guys fight them!" Ichigo said, as he and the twins went after Yhwach, leaving the Shinigamis and the knights to deal with the Quincies.

The three of them were nearing Ywhach's location, as he was about to disappear from the tall building.

"That light... What the hell is that...?!" Altria questioned, as Artoria's eyes narrowed, not liking it.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, Artoria, Altria…" Ywhach said, causing them too somehow hear him from a long distance as his eyes narrowed. "My voice should be reaching you. You three have guided us to the light. I am grateful."

"What are you talking about?!" Ichigo demanded, as Ywhach pointed straight up at the sky.

"Thanks to you three, I can now invade the Soul King's Palace," Ywhach said shocking them.

"The clothes you were wearing... It is called the 'King's Key'... It is knitted and sewn from the Zero Division's Royal Guards bones and hairs. To forcefully penetrate the 72 layers of barriers between the Royal Palace and Seireitei, to protect you from friction, it is produced from nothing else. It has wonderful resistance, and magnificent defensive abilities. For a Soul Reaper, there is no better clothes. However, thanks to this tremendous defensive abilities, once you pass through 72 layers of barriers... THEY CANNOT BE CLOSED OFF FOR 6000 SECONDS!" Ywhach yelled at them, causing their eyes to widen, halting their attempted attack.

"Sister, Ichigo… is that who I think is?" Altria asked as she had a serious look on her face.

"Yes... Uryū..." Artoria said as she gritted her teeth.

"Uryū! What is the reas-" Ichigo asked, to which Uryu cut him off.

"Ichigo, leave. You too, Artoria, Altria." Uryū said, as he just stared at them.

"What are you talking about, Uryu?!" Altria yelled at him.

"It is not within you three... to stop His Majesty," Uryū said. "Leave. Before you throw away your lives here."

"Just answer us, Uryū! What has made you to join him!?" Artoria asked, as a bow appears in Uryū's hands followed by an arrow.

"Licht Regen!" He spoke, unleashing a rain of arrows at them, forcing Artoria to use Avalon to stop them, until a shield appears in front of them to back it up.

"Uryū..." Orihime spoke, having arrived with Chad recently, as they stared at him.

"Uryū, let's go. Have you said your goodbyes?" Ywhach asked, as Uryu nodded.

"Yes."

"This is the last chance you will ever have," Ywhach warned him.

"I know," Uryū replied.

"Uryū!" Ichigo yelled, as the three Quincies teleported away, leaving Ichigo and the other's minds filled with unanswered questions.

30 Minutes Later…
Squad 12

Ichigo and others were in Squad 12 waiting, as Urahara was working on a method for them to go to the Royal Palace. Most of the battles were over until Yhwach had left for Soul Palace with the help of Ichigo's knights. Tōshirō was about to be turned to a zombie, but the good thing was the knights saved him along with Rose, Kensei and Rangiku. Everyone were alive, and the injured were being treated, but there was still the matter of Komamura…

"When the hell did you have the time to make this?" Altria asked, pulling a confused face as she stared up at the towering object.

An enormous cannon stood, floor to ceiling, in the middle of a ludicrously huge room, throwing a dark shadow over all of them.

"I think the real question is: How did I manage to get Mayuri's permission to build it in the basement of the 12th Division Headquarters?" Urahara chimed, breaking into a wide smile and tapping away at the control panel in front of him.

They nervously glanced towards the shop owner. "You mean, Mayuri doesn't know about this...?" Ichigo asked.

Breaking into a laugh, Urahara stopped typing for a brief moment. "I'm just kidding! He was the one who built this! After the arrival of the Royal Guard, he started working on this so he could one day collect samples from the Soul Palace. I'm just borrowing it… without his permission."

"Somehow I feel like that's worse..." Chad said hesitantly.

"Oh, it's fine," Urahara chuckled, brushing off the remark. "Though this thing is really only good for one shot so... No one tell him it was me who used it, okay?"

Ichigo, who was in the process of clambering into the side entrance to the cannon, froze up. "What do you mean it's only good for one shot?"

"Well, the techniques used by the Shiba Family to make cannons isn't something which can be copied at the drop of a hat," the former captain explained. "So please be gentle with it. It really is rather delicate."

"Um, are you sure this thing is safe?" Artoria asked, visibly worried.

"Oh, it's fine!" Urahara said, brushing her off in a light hearted manner. "As long as it's able to fire, all's well that ends well. The real problem is that, as things stand, we don't have enough energy to fire it."

As Ichigo and his two companions climbed into the cannon and sat on the ground, there was a knock at the door. Akon poked his head around the frame.

"Um, excuse me?"

"Yyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeesssssssss?" Urahara replied, playfully stretching out the word.

"She's arrived," Akon responded. "Do you want me to send her through?"

"Of course! Thank you, Akon!"

Stepping through the doorway, a dark-skinned woman clad in a skin-tight leotard and a long cloak entered the room.

"Welcome back, Yoruichi," Urahara said, peering from underneath the shadow thrown by the rim of his hat, breaking into an amused expression.

"Yoruichi!" Ichigo cried, sticking his head out of the hole in the side of the cannon.

"It's been so long!" Orihime shouted in an excited manner, joining him.

Waving back at them, Yoruichi continued to smile.

"I take it you've got the goods?" Urahara suddenly asked.

Yoruichi's expression grew stern. Opening her cloak, she revealed several dozen bottles filled with a clear, glowing fluid.

Chad pulled a confused face. "What's that?"

"Before the Quincies attacked the Soul Society, they invaded and overtook Hueco Mundo," he explained. He ignored the shocked expression which gripped Ichigo's face and continued. "All of the Hollows and Arrancar who resisted them were killed. It was quite a hefty number... Because of this, the balance of souls in the universe began to distort and the dimensions began to slip and overlap. Temporal anomalies appeared in the World of the Living." Urahara turned towards Yoruichi. "When they appeared, a huge amount of energy was released. I had my good friend here gather that energy to power the cannon."

"Seems legit..." Ichigo muttered, a slightly simple look passing over his face.

"Before I launch you all in the sky, Ichigo, can you tell me who those knights in shining armor were, and where did they all disappeared?" Urahara asked, as all of them looked at him.

"That was one of my most powerful techniques. I can materialize them in real world like Artoria and Altria, but it is only for a while, and during that time I myself can't use my Shikai or Bankai. The flag I was carrying is something which makes it easier for me to focus on the army, and I can also use it as a sort of lance," he explained.

"Hmm, I see…" Urahara muttered. "Am I to presume this technique is mixed of all three sides of your power?"

"You know… you are way too intelligent for your own good." Altria said in a deadpan voice, confirming his thoughts.

"Oh, it's nothing like that! I am just a handsome shopkeeper." Urahara said, hiding his face behind his fan. "So, are you all ready to go?"

Before they could reply, someone interrupted them.

"WAIT!" A voice suddenly shouted from the entrance to the lab. The doors swung open and slammed against the bordering walls, revealing a large man dressed in an extravagant green and yellow outfit. He sat astride an extremely rotund wild boar with a small pink now atop its head. "You're really tryin' to blast off without this handsome devil!?"

"Oh, dear God..." Altria groaned, sticking her head out of the side of the cannon and breaking into an unreadable deadpan expression. "I thought that voice sounded familiar. What the hell are you doing here? What, were you bored or something?"

"What the hell are you talkin' about?!" Ganju Shiba shouted in reply. "This ain't somethin' you come to when you're bored! What, you think this is some drinkin' party or somethin'?" He pointed his huge sausage of a finger at Altria in a dramatic pose. "Who do you think launches the Great Heavenly Cannon in the first place!?"

Altria's face remained devoid of all emotion. "Your sister."

Ganju was flustered for a brief second, before he resumed shouting. "W-Well, yeah... B-But that's beside the point!" He whipped out a long ornate scroll and pulled it open. "Look! I'm the one with the map through the barriers to the Royal Palace! You ain't getting anywhere without me! How's that, huh?!"

Altria glanced sidelong at Urahara. "Do we really have to take him with us...?"

"Well, he does seem very enthusiastic about it," the former head of Research and Development replied simply.

Ichigo looked at Ganju for a second before he spoke. "You do understand how serious this is, Ganju?" He stared into his cousin's eyes and broke into a serious expression. "This won't be like anything we've seen before. It goes way beyond what we went through here last time..."

"Don't you think I don't know that, dumbass?!" Ganju shouted, in reply. He pointed his thumb back towards his face. "Why do you think I decided to come in the first place?!"

Ichigo broke into a smile and shifted over. "If you say so."

Urahara climbed out of the cannon, and Ganju dismounted off from Bonnie and climbed into the giant metal structure. The hole he entered through sealed up behind him.

As Urahara began the countdown, Orihime broke into a soft smile and looked around the group. "This really takes me back..." she said, softly. "That time, when we all went to save Rukia..." She looked over at Yoruichi and laughed ever so slightly. "You were still a cat back then."

"Hey, I can still transform whenever I want!" The playful retort came.

Orihime's face grew slightly sombre. "And Uryū was still with us..." She stared down at her lap. "I wonder... If he'll ever come back to us..."

"Of course he will."

Everyone turned to stare at Ichigo.

"We're going to beat Yhwach... And while we're at it, we're going to beat him too, and drag him back with us. That's what we all agreed, didn't we?"

Orihime broke into a wide smile. "Yeah!"

Urahara pressed a large button on the control panel in front of him. The cannon erupted, launching the group into the air.

Note: 1) Artoria Lancer's Flag in Fate/Grand Order in Stage 4.

Next Time: Yesterday's Friends and Yesterday's Enemies

See You All in The Next Time