It was hard to describe the next few minutes that had passed, but by the second, the battle became fiercer, each power out for blood and death and loving it, Ichigo safe between them as they wielded their swords with such skill, the Soldat clearly overwhelmed, the shinigami's fearful though somewhere in the back of their heads were thankful for the intervention...or was it?

"More! More! MORE!" Hichigo's eyes were burning with delight, weapons slashing through flesh and flesh, the blood splattering and washing him as if to christen his ruthlessness anew from the years that he had been submitted to utter humiliation and constraint.

He had starved.

They all have.

That's why they could all fight with such aggressiveness, all those who see, feel or hear them stunned by their collective ferocity…

Elsewhere, Tensa had stopped, assessing from where he'd landed on the iconic mesa of Sōkyoku Hill the entire area. So this was Soul Society? They were in the Severed String? No wonder there was not an inkling of the gods here, likewise any trace of the portal by which their King had come through.

Nothing but battle, shattered delusions, and those white-clad morons who kept trying to stop him but he had immediately cut down.

Where do we go now? the Alpha thought to himself with nary an honest clue…

The weather in the Citadel had become rather erratic, or was it because the silver had been sulking, that even the eternally bright day which marked the gods' solidarity had given way to cold wind and darker clouds as if a storm was going to blow in, the weather threatening towards a diluvium of sorts. The Life Rivers were tumultuous, tossing and churning...

Aizen-sama sat alone on his throne as he looked over the Realm, not even caring to stop Gin from letting his reactions manifest, feeling the same way though simply diverting, contemplating instead on the various things pertaining to their strawberry's disappearance. He had already exchanged his voluminous golden robes for the white leather and fur of the army, preparing to head out into the dimensions to get Ichigo back despite the Legion's incredulousness, doubtful as to whether or not the War God was even alive.

But the Lord was certain. He knew for fact that Ichigo was alive, the evidence of which left in the form of the smallest trace of his power the High God discovered on the plateau…

When they had gone to the centre of the island, the entire space around the Sacred Maelstrom had already healed, and if not for his own Alpha-Omega, Kyōka Suigetsu, interfering with the process, he wouldn't have been able to read from that small, insignificant crack he'd found near the edge what had happened.

But it was faint, very faint, just barely enough to determine that the youth had struggled, was in a confrontation in fact and that Hichigo was activated before they both disappeared, the leaking trail of the strawberry's power fading into the whirlpool alongside that of a released god-hollow's. And then there's that, the familiar trace of something or someone that he first needed to confirm.

"My liege," Barragan gave a deep bow as he entered the throne room, seeing that the Lord of the Realm had already geared himself for travel though not before calling him to his audience.

This perhaps was the better time to tell him of his dear Arcana Nwebe's ploy although the look on Aizen-sama's face told him there would be no further need…

"Lord Aizen…"

"Barragan," the High God was clearly in a foul mood that did not even take the show of temperamental weather to confirm. "I believe you have information that I need?"

The Arcana had assembled, their God Shield and General already standing in their midst, glancing every now and then at his beloved's worried face though Grimmjow belied that with a certain fervour, just like everyone, assuming the worst and preparing for it.

If ever the God of War did fall into the hostile dimension of Rozen, they were going to do battle with its denizens immediately. If Ichigo-sama was now the dimension's hostage, they'll most certainly need to do whatever it will take to get him back.

A tense silence fell upon the members of the Legion, the members on edge. Even their Uno appeared to reflect upon the weight of this unwelcomed possibility.

Besides the obvious however, the Blue Zero was likewise vexed with the thought of how this might once again put their marriage preparations on hold, having been delayed long enough with prior concerns before.

Don't worry your little head, Kaname had told him earlier. We'll be done before even the day is through.

But then how can his General be so definite? What if it didn't end as quickly or worst?

"Aizen-sama!"

The Lord of the Realm made his way from within the hallowed halls of the Palace, the great doors opening to allow his exit followed by the Sentient Barragan whose void-like robes were the complete opposite of the god. The Higher Arcana immediately fell on their knees, honouring their Lord and awaiting his orders, even as the latter stopped to assess the surroundings, finding their lovely gardens in a grim, near-monochromatic state, the gloom reflected by the Citadel instead of the typical sunshine. His silver was truly upset. Aizen-sama sighed. But there was even more pressing concerns at hand…

"We're heading to the Severed String," the High God spoke to which the Legion both breathed out in relief but immediately wondering as to why.

It was his General who'd given voice to the questions.

"But why My Lord?"

Earlier, the God Spear had traced Ichigo's faint presence through about sixty dimensions in a straight line, meaning the strawberry had actually fallen through at least this number of worlds before his presence faded, and before the gods had lost track of him despite turning the Universe inside out and feeling through the rest of the other Strings of worlds where he might have finally ended. Then, Aizen noticed something, instantly calling Barragan in to confirm his doubts before he told Gin what he had in mind.

Yes. Quincy souls have likewise progressed through the Gates now, though just enough to somehow balance out with that of the shinigamis, the ancient Sentient had reported. It appears the latter have found a means to rebound…

They actually haven't. It was in fact much better attributed to the verity of the Universe itself being the one that had found a way to bring an actual means to balance the war, the responsibility of whom falling automatically on none other than their strawberry's shoulders, which might as well mean that their missing prince was now becoming involved in the Blood War even without meaning to.

The reason why we can no longer sense him in the dimensions is that he might have fallen into one where this is impossible, he'd told Gin. And where else was this? The Severed String was the only logical place, where both older gods had no link to, and where Aizen's power had not reached from the Citadel for a long time now.

"But where in that String, Aizen-sama?" Kaname followed.

In truth, the High God did not know. From their lustrous kingdom, there was no means by which he could find this out unlike the rest of the Universe's dimensions of whose Strings pooled and interconnected to make a smooth, single network. They may need to dissect those worlds and look inside them one by one to determine where Ichigo might have plunged into.

The strawberry might be lost in the sinister coldness of Hueco Mundo, might be alone in Soul Society or even in the Soul King's dimension as far as they were concerned. Or he could be back in the Human World - there was likewise that probability – the world from where Aizen had so viciously ripped him out of years before. The memories flashed in vain snippets. This never really haunted him per se, but at times they were as pestering dreams.

"Sousuke…"

The doors slid open a second time and from within came the silver, now dressed in his own princely version of the Arcana leather, gloves and strapped boots, his own Armas, Shinsō, currently in the plainest of views. His rather lengthy and hooded fur coat the same colour as his hair was carried along by a couple of servants tasked to get him ready for the journey.

Aizen-sama gestured for the coat, and was the one who threw the garb over Gin's shoulders, running his palms to smoothen the front of it before lovingly clasping just the top of its fastenings for the sake of providing his lover easier access to his concealed weaponry.

Shinsō was the smallest in terms of length in the line of 'God Blades', but he was the equipped personification of the God Spear's Alpha and Omega merged into one, and easily outclassed most other Armas by sheer strength and power alone. Not to mention it was the Infinite Key, Gin's extension of power, by which the Citadel's silvered head could undo all the divides of all the dimensions, mend them or lock them away for good to rot…

"What if we don't find him there?" the silver had asked lowly, Aizen looking up to find his beloved's worried and, yes, his quite exhausted face. There had been no rest for them since they'd established that Ichigo was missing.

"We will find him," said the High God. "I have no doubts."

For truth they didn't need these now, there was no room for it, the High God not at all afraid to make a mistake with his already well-calculated assumptions. If they didn't find Ichigo in those worlds, they'll simply move on until they do, be he alive...or a cold, hard corpse.

That macabre leeway was something they cannot neglect.

With that, Aizen-sama pulled his God Spear near, an arm snaked around the smaller waist as he addressed the army who would be leaving with them to the severed realms for the search.

"We go now, my dearest Arcana."

Yylfordt had the face of calm waters though inside he was seething. Ichigo was alive and Aizen had confirmed it, worse, they were going after him. Even worst was that he had uncertainties...Aizen didn't give the impression that he knew anything, but he could be playing all of them for fools, vile as the High God was. The Arcana Nwebe needed to keep a vigilant eye therefore.

"Gin, open the Infinite Gate."

It had been determined that they will split into two groups once they reach the Severed String, one team to accompany the General and search through the Human World as the other would accompany the Gods into the dark dimension of the Hueco. The special shadow Arcana Frankenstein would leave with them as well, Arcana Apat needing to remain together with the Sentient Barragan to keep the Citadel's defences up and the kingdom guarded as there would most certainly be a lack of godly presence. This in turn could pose some serious troubles for the Realm…

"So what now?"

Yylfordt's hooded accomplices had come, blending in with the rest of their Talum counterparts to see the single numbers off, but sneaking in to discuss this tiny bit under low voices. Around them the kingdom was growing paler, the petals of the flowers falling off.

Szayelaporro Granz passed them, giving the traitorous Nine that look, though the older Granz could only smirk at it with the least of considerations, So what would you do now brother? Would the Legion's Arcana Lima uphold his word? Will you really kill me for Aizen?

But then this was still dire, considering the fact that they had worked so much to lay out that trap and draw Ichigo into it, hoping to cripple the Trinity with the sudden destruction of its technically weakest link. Though apparently, the prince had not been as weak as they imagined, no matter how powerless he might have appeared to them. Because he'd survived, now considered only to be lost in the dimensions and not dead asdead.

"Hey, Yylfordt, I asked you 'what now?'"

The older Granz considered his options, and then decided there was but one if ever Ichigo did come up alive in their searching of those dimensions.

"Luppi...did you keep the thing I entrusted to you somewhere well-hidden?"

The Talum blinked, before realizing what their shadowy leader was asking about. Yes. He was referring to that object, the small trinket the size of a palm, an orb glowing with an unnamed red force trapped within. But what was it exactly, and why had the Arcana regarded it as something of such consequence?

Yylfordt has told neither of them this secret.

"If I get compromised, I will send back word. When that happens, you will need to escape from here," he meant likewise for the other silent accomplice listening to him. "But break the orb first before you do and release whatever is inside."

Get compromised? So the odds are great that discovery could happen enough that the normally fearsome Nine would use this seemingly-powerful ace?

"What would happen then...when I break the orb?" Luppi asked.

Gin extended a graceful hand and drove it through the air in front of him with one quick thrust, sinking his entire arm through the very fissures of the Realm as if his fingers had met thick, resisting waters, disappearing as the gloved hand was swallowed by the otherwise invisible rift of their dimension. He clasped something within, the proverbial tumblers of a hidden lock, which he caressed with the power of the Infinite Key so that a sudden quake was felt.

The earth shook. The God Spear's heavy power next reverberated through the land in swirls of exploding wind, the intensity of which such that was never felt, not the placid tide that drenched the sacred halls during reparation ceremonies, breaking through the gloom of the sky above, a light, which came spearing down to where the silver had unlocked the doorway to all dimensions.

Aizen watched, unruffled as the Infinite Gate revealed itself to all those present, two massive doors whose complex seals and fastenings broke with a nearly-mechanical thud, sliding to the side to reveal several other doors behind, layers of the same make, the similar process of opening repeated until the sound of breaking locks echoed from within at quite a distance.

So this would be the way by which they would go, through the very sacred gate only gods could tread? The Legion felt rather agitated, overwhelmed by the prospect. Their Lords are indeed in a state of inconceivable haste...

"Let's go," Aizen gestured for his army as the power emanating from the Gate continued to flood the surroundings with a thick, yellow glow.

They could see the golden aura within the Infinite Gates. Kaname had only seen this once. But that had been too long ago that the actuality of it again served to dim his recollections.

"Hood's up, Arcana," ordered the General as he led their army in without a second's wait, the High God having already taken Gin-sama by a hand and urged him in before them, the rest of the Legion following close behind...

Yuri: End of Una na Libro. What happens next? Let's wait for Bleach to finish and we'll see. Thank you everyone! ^_^