~~~
“Well, well.” Noza lowered his binoculars. “It looks like that didn’t work quite as well as I’d hoped.” He smiled. “It was a good first step, though.”
He stood on top of a nearby mountain, less than a mile from the Soul Society. The wind was blowing, his tan trenchcoat blowing in the wind. In his left hand was his mask.
Takai slowly walked to the top. “It…it’s done.” He seemed thoroughly exhausted.
A truly demonic smile appeared on Noza’s face. “Oh, how I wish I could see the Soul Society’s reaction…” The smile disappeared. “But, alas. I must be off.” He turned to face the Soul Society once more, lifting his mask. “Bars and Phasma should be there by now, shouldn’t they?”
”Yes.”
”Good.” He secured the mask on his face. “Dewa Mata, Takai.”
~~~
Golde was heartbroken. He was on one knee, looking at the body of Alex.
“Dammit!” He said, "This...”
”Um…Golde-sama?” Ikioi, the always helpful assistant, stood behind him. “I’m sorry, but…there’s someone else…”
Golde stood, and walked over to the clearing with her. His mouth drop instantly, how could…
How could San be dead?
Golde turned, and started to walk away, tears forming in his eyes for his friends. “Ikioi, gather the someone to handle the dead. And make sure that San’s…Make sure his wishes are fulfilled.”
~~~
Two men were walking through the woods toward the North Gate.
One was Phasma Animus, the man who spoke up against Noza. He was in the same dark, thick trench coat, with straps hanging off the sleeves. He had incredibly wide pant legs.
On his back was a large, black scythe, at least 8 feet in length. Although it was almost entirely black, including the blade, the blade itself seemed to have something else to it, a small bit of light in the darkness. He wore a grey mask, with a large white X crisscrossing the front.
The second man was a shorter, black man, named Bars Gees. He has a mask that was white on one side, black on the other. A small sliver of the opposite color was coming out from under each eye. He had long, black pants, with a silver trenchcoat, with black orbs on the collar and bottom. He had his hands in his pocket, and seemed to be a calm and collected guy.
Around his waist and over his trench coat was a bandage, and, also wrapped in the bandage, was a tiny schmitar, hanging from the bandages on his waist.
They approached the main gate. They had their orders. Phasma was to annihilate as many civilians as possible, while Bars rescued the three captured members.
It's gonna be fun, all right, thought Bars, with a smile.
~~~
“Dammit!” Luppi stood toward the center of the Soul Society. All lower ranked shinigami had orders to be on guard duty towards the center. Boring, nothing fun....grumble.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” said Madison Cardigan, leaning against a wall. “We’re having a bad day, all right.”
“Hey!” A tall black man ran up to the duo; Dre Inase. “Any news?”
”Nope, nothing new…” Luppi looked in the direction of the battle. “But it sounds better, at least. I don’t hear anything anymore…”
”Yeah, you’re right…” He listened as well. “But, still, we’re just supposed to stay here?”
”Yep.” Madison said. “Might as well stay here, Dre. United front and all that jazz.”
”Ok,” he said, sitting against a wall.
~~~
Back at the front walls, there were at least 20 deaths, the most significant the 6th and 13th Captains. Golde was a wreck, but consoling him at this point was impossible. Of course, he wasn't useless...he was ready to kill.
Ikioi was talking to him, but Golde seemed distant. It was understandable; San and Golde were lifelong friends, and his death hit Golde hard.
Golde slowly walked over to a wall, Ikioi following suit. She tried to console him, but Golde just punched a wall, sending the whole thing crumpling down.
"I'm going back to my office to make some sense of this." He said, in a small voice. "And...and make sure San's wishes are fulfilled."
With that, he was off.
~~~
“This way guys…” Kiyoko Okami, 3rd Squads’ 3rd Seat was leading some of her former classmates to a meeting place within the Seretei. “We need to hurry!”
Kiyoko was ordered to find those low-ranking shinigami who had been ordered to stand guard to safety, now that the Sotaicho had more time to regroup and rethink.
She had assembled Rotrum, Jordan Inferno, and Jinchuuriki, and was leading them safely to the Squad 11 barracks.
“C’mon, Kiyoko!” Jordan yelled, “Isn’t there something we can do on the frontlines, y’know, to actually help?”
”You guys are low ranking officers, and I’m just following orders.” She said. “Now, come ON!”
Just then, a huge explosion on the North Gate.
“What the…” Kiyoko jumped up to get a better look…Some large, black…energy?
What was this?
”All right!” As Jordan scrambled up there with Kiyoko, Jinchuuriki dragged him back down from the wall.
”No.” he said, as Jordan collapsed on the ground next to him. “Bad.”
”The hell!?” Jordan got up, and it looked as if they were going to throw down right there.
“Shut the hell up, the both of you!” Kiyoko was getting angry, but, for a good reason. This wall wasn’t attacked, it was utterly demolished. “Let’s hurry, now!”
Kiyoko was about to dash off, when she heard a gruff voice from behind.
”Not so fast now, you have new orders.”
~~~
Luppi, Dre, and Madison, being near the North Gate at the time of the explosion, felt the full force of the shockwaves.
”What the…?” Dre fell over, and both Luppi and Madison, who were standing, had to use the wall for balance.
“What was that, an earthquake?”
”There aren’t earthquakes in the Seretei, are there?”
”I don’t know!”
Just as they were about to head off for safety, they heard a voice from behind.
”Wait up kiddies!”
~~~