53 Merry Christmas

Orihime sighed and reverted back to her usual form. Fortunately, she could overpower BG8 without having to resort to Senbazuru. She called to confirm an all clear and the space was unlocked. All the damage that was caused reverted back to normal. Orihime had to return to Soul Society since she was now without a limiter and her Reiatsu could be dangerous to the living.

She checked the date and time and realized it was a few hours before Christmas. That means in Karakura town it would already be the next day. Many events had been fast forwarded but she hadn't received any infiltrations from the Soul King. Therefore, either none of what she did changed events, or he could not put power over her again.

Orihime wished she could stick around a bit longer, but it simply wasn't safe. She could fashion her own limiter, but Soul Society was aware of her releasing it and expected her back soon. At the very least, she had enough evidence now. She pulled out the blood orb from BG8 and fused it with her Quincy bloodline. It was a significant improvement. She could already call forth blut vene to enhance her defences further.

Typically, Quincy and Soul Reaper powers would cancel out except for specific situations. In Ichigo's case, being a human and having three powers created a strange equilibrium. For Orihime, the mystical power of the hogyoku kept the opposite powers from clashing. This battle against BG8 was easy, but she was scared of five particular Quincy.

First was Gerard Valkyrie. This man was literally the heart of the Soul King. His powers are as you would expect, unbalanced. He is designated M for "The Miracle" and can essentially negate anything by pure luck. Also, he can convert damage into strength. The more you hurt him, the bigger he gets. In the end, Yhwach was the one to kill him for the sake of getting stronger.

Next was Gremmy Thoumeaux. His designation is V for "The Visionary" and he can imagine anything into existence. His control over reality is only limited by his imagination and limits of his body. The reason he isn't as scary as Gerard is because he ends up losing to Kenpachi because of his own arrogance. He imagines himself into a being stronger than Kenpachi and explodes from being unable to withstand it.

The next two are Loyd and Royd Lloyd for the same reason. They were twins with the ability to become someone else. They could duplicate their appearance perfect, while Loyd could copy their powers and Royd could copy their personality and memories. This was very dangerous because both of her memories and powers, if copied, would mean disaster for Soul Society.

And finally, Askin Nakk Le Vaar. His ability is far too esoteric and he is extremely intelligent. He knows the precise doses of every substance that would push them over to the edge of lethality. Hs is designated D for "The Deathdealing" because he can essentially make anything lethal. Orihime didn't know how to beat him except for utilizing Senbazuru and deleting him from existence.

Truthfully, she expected to use that approach against as many Sternritter as possible. Most of them don't actually get defeated, but are instead killed by Yhwach himself. The man is insane and sees everyone around him as a potential enemy. The only reason he gave so many people powers is as temporary carriers. If Orihime can steal them, she would be able to develop her own bloodline completely. Her powers would naturally evolve to a new realm with that.

She drew her Zanpakuto and twisted it in the air in front of her. She wasn't worried about Grimmjow and would leave him on earth. She already tested it and the sub-body of the hogyoku she implanted into him is able to satiate his hunger. He can also kill and devour other hollows if he's bored. The Japanese style doors appeared and opened. She released a hell butterfly and stepped through the Senkaimon back to Soul Society.

Under Orihime's arm was the remains of BG8. She immediately made her way to the twelfth division to drop off the body and proceeded to the first squad barracks to do a debriefing. Naturally, she wouldn't be seeing captain-commander Yamamoto and would simply relay her findings to a secretary of the Lieutenant. She dictated the events in Hueco Mundo with corroborated with Shinji and Hiyori and then explained what happened in the world of the living.

Once she explained everything, she deemed important, Orihime returned to the fifth division barracks. As she stepped into the common area, the lights suddenly came on and various party paraphernalia exploded out at her. Covered in confetti, she looked around and saw several division five members sitting around with various foods and drinks, and a seat at the highest position left for her.

"Welcome back, Captain. We prepared as soon as we heard you came back through the Senkaimon."

Orihime cleared her throat and kept a blank expression. She walked over to her seat with her back to everyone. Her eyes were glazed and her nose felt sour. She was on the verge of tears. Never did she expect to receive such a welcome from her subordinates. The feeling of acceptance was heartwarming. In a place where she had no family, this meant more to her than they probably knew.

"Captain… Sorry for disturbing you… we'll clean up immediately."

Orihime had been silent with her back facing them the whole time so they must have misunderstood. During her takeover of the fifth division, she was often in her office and was very stern towards her subordinates. Other than Momo, which people assumed she was nice to because of Captain Hitsugaya, she never treated anyone closely. After calming herself down she turned around and sat down.

"Nonsense, since we're already set up, lets enjoy—"

She noticed some people were trying to hold back their laughter.

"What is it? Is there something on my face?"

She reached out and found a piece of confetti that had stuck to her forehead.

"Who was it that brought these things in? Don't worry, your punishment will be light!"

"C-captain, it was Lieutenant Matsumoto…"

After considering it for a moment and confirming to herself that it made sense, she started laughing. This caused others to start laughing too. They ate the various dishes together and enjoyed this auspicious day. To most of the Soul Reapers, Christmas wasn't something they celebrated, however to Orihime it was an important day. She reminisced on her past… except she couldn't remember ever celebrating it with anyone.

…

"So, that weirdo was defeated here. They even took his body."

"That's right. We weren't even aware of the situation until he had already fallen. His Majesty attempted to retrieve his power, but he couldn't sense it. Somebody is making a move against us and has the ability to seal His Majesty's powers."

"Do you think it's that special war power, Urahara Kisuke? He would most likely have the means to seal away His Majesty's blood."

"Our spies reported that Kisuke hasn't made any moved except for greeting a pair of high Reiatsu targets a day ago. The traces of the battle and the known strength of BG8 would lead me to believe this was the work of a Captain-level strength. The main issue is, the distance between Karakura Town and here is too far for the time frame of his defeat.

My opinion is that the targets in Karakura Town were used as distractions while a captain came directly here through the Senkaimon. There is nothing else we can learn from this, since the area was restored by the Soul Society. All there is to go off of is the initial attack. It seems they were unaware of BG8 being here as the only damage was from his canon fire and a high-level Kido. For now, I want you to stay here and guard the Gate of the World."

"Ah, come on, it's the holidays. At least let me come back after the new year—"

"You wish to defy my orders? While His Majesty is asleep, I am the highest authority in the Wandenreich. I can execute you right now for insubordination."

"I… I was only kidding, Jugo! I'll do it no worries. What should I do if the assailant returns?"

"Don't engage for now, see what they are trying to do. Hey Bazz, don't do anything reckless. I'm trusting you to take care of things here for me."

"Yeah yeah. Make sure to put in a good word in for me. I want to be part of the vanguard force against the Soul Reapers when the day comes."

"Everything will be according to His Majesty's will. Don't slack off. In the worst-case scenario, destroy the Gate of the World."

"What's the worst-case scenario?"

"War."

After finishing their conversation, the blond haired Quincy stepped back through the shimmering gate, leaving a red haired Quincy with a mohawk to protect the area.

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

(A/N: I've been writing this for a month and a half now and honestly, I expected to drop this after a few dozen chapters. I originally just wrote it for a bit of fun on an idea I had, but people began reading it in droves. It was really surprising and motivating. I want to thank all of my readers for their support and hope you guys continue reading until the end. As some of you may have picked up from discord or comment section, there will be a sequel. If there are any artists who like this story that would be willing to make us a cover for book 2, hit me up!

Take care and see you tomorrow!)