Chapter 25. Confrontation ( part 1 ): Orders from the dark lord

LATER IN THAT EVENING.....

" He. WHAT?!" Kazumi ranted. Her furious voice echoed all the way from the garden to her glamorous white castle home as one of the messengers of the fortress had recently received an ` unexpected ` news regarding on Ichitaro and him dying - he was still alive and someone must've saved him.

" T... that's all, my lady___ I mean, Your Majesty!" One messenger, plumped in size, trembled. The woman was afraid if she would be attacked by Kazumi's wrath like the rest of the messengers, who died before her. Yet, she saw Kazumi calmed herself down and sighed :

" Where is he anyway? The spirit demon."

" Apparently at the soul society. Besides, I doubt they will allow any visitors after the attack. "

" I own this Soul society after the first generation of the 13 divisions died one by one like pathetic fucking flies. No one tells me what to do, not even this old prick. Don't even worry about my brother's mess. For first thing in the morning, I'll go in there and beg for forgiveness and apology in his behalf. Make sure you take care of him and the others. Should I found out this child is indeed alive, I swear to you I ____." she ordered, but came to a hault when she spotted a shadowy figure on her medieval cone heels.

She stood back and Jupiter appeared with scars and blue blood all over him. Yet his face remained hidden from darkness.

" Took you long enough. " she greeted him coldly.

" Indeed, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid I have some bittersweet news. This morning, I saw the boy and his siblings and they're in the Soul society. Apparently, they were guarded by Soul reapers. Denki and I tried our best to take one of them down, yet this boy's spirit energy is unbelievably incredible. Not even I can defeat him. This could mean that Phantom had awakened. "

" It's not Phantom! He's dead and now sealed for all eternity. He doesn't even exists .However; if he's awakened, that means.... " Kazumi stated, then she remembered she learned via grapevine that Kisūkē and Ichigo defeated Aizen and the hogyōkū returned to its original form, not recognizing him at all.

" ....We have to move quickly. But I know someone who can end Kisūkē, this substitute Soul reaper and the others once and for all. That way we'll have enough time to assassinate him and it's a good thing Neji's other kids are here. Just rest for now, Jupiter. Soon, everything will come in place. The more heads rolling, the merrier. " she smirked in a wicked manner, while Jupiter grinned except for the messenger, as anxious as she was.

However, what they don't know, that there's someone behind these walls, listening to every words she had `confessed `. A musculine figure swiftly dashed towards the castle, whilst moving underneath the shadows undetectably. He simply followed the two guards before forcingly collided their heads against each other, releasing a small grunt and ended with an unconsciousness. As their body collapsed to the ground, the figure simply walked over them, like it never happened.

He once again, sprinted throughout the hallway until he'd reached towards a prison like dungeon where he spotted a stocky guardsman standing next to the prison cell, wearing a silvery white armor. He simply pointed his finger, like he was pointing a gun and activated a blue beam, shooting the guard's leg strong enough to pierce through metal. The guardsman fell down on his knees and writhed in agony, but the figure briskly went towards him and covered his mouth and placed a gun next to his jawline.

" If you want to live, just give me the keys to open this gate and no one gets hurt, got it?" He ordered with a husky tone. The guardsman nervously nodded. His hand shook in terror as he pointed out the located, in which it was hanged among a single nail against the wall with a key holder. The figure smirked and grabbed the it from the wall and attempted to opened it.

" She'll find out after you release this prisoner, you know. " said the guardsman , still laying on the floor, whilst holding his leg from bleeding.

" I don't work for anyone but the dark lord himself. ",he answered as he finally unlocked the gate, but turned around and faced him. " And it's my job to leave no witness ."

{ DOOF }

Before the guardsman could do anything, the figure landed a single blow on his head, only used the end of the gun, knocked him out cold. He did so without pulling any trigger.

Once he opened the gate, Akamaru quickly got up from her nap and noticed the figure wasn't part of Kazumi's guards, but was a former elite of the Espadas.

" Umm, you're not supposed to attack me by Kazumi's order, right?" She yawned.

Yet the figure gave her half of the answer.

" Not really. The dark lord wants to see you."

" What does he want from me, this time?"

" I don't have much time for chitchat, I'll spare you the details later. Now come on. "

" Wait before we can escape, there are two things you must do. One; my babies are locked somewhere and I can't leave them alone with this lunatic woman and his dad torturing them and two, they're guards everywhere. Even that shadow figure is here. "

Without a single words to either accept or reject her request, he grabbed her hand dragged her towards the shadows. As they ran through the hallway, they spotted two guards investigating the others- unconscious.

" This is going to be a problem. " she whispered, trying her best not to get caught.

" Not for long. " he whispered as well.

He got out of the shadow and pointed the gun right at them. Two of them stopped at what they're doing and glanced at the figure whom stood right in front of them.

" Well, well, well. If it isn't the former number one Espada. " said the first guard

" Wait, I thought he was killed by a certain Soul reaper Captain during the battle. " the second commented.

" I was. But now, I am a dead man with no memories of my past." He explained .

" How about we'll send you where you belong, by killing you. That won't be a trouble, right?"

" Sorry, I had work to do. Dark lord's orders."

" Who's this dark lord, anyway? I haven't seen him nor his present. You're crazy, Espada."

" But not as crazy as your leader, Kazumi." He remarked.

One of the guards gnashed his teeth and was furious at him for mocking Kazumi.

" DAMN YOU, ESPADA!!!!! " One of them thundered as he took charge towards him.

He pulled out his sword and first to strike him.

The Espada, quickly dodged and tilted his own body and pulled a trigger on his head, whilst activating a blue -like beam on the tip of his gun.

[ CERO ]

[ * Silent gun sound*]

He aimed the gun on his head and shot him, creating an explosion of his head, turning it into a bloody splattered from the white wall, towards his face and his black fur coat; spraying dead pieces of brains, tongue, teeths, eyes and skulls along with it whilst the guard's headless body laid back towards the ground. The second guard clenched his own fists and was aiming at the Espada.

The Espada was very agile as he blocked and tilted his own body from many attacks received by the second guard. Then he grabbed his fist and twisted his arm and side slapped his neck right before he push kicked him on his stomach. The second guard landed towards the ground and crawled with his backside, trying to get away from him. But the Espada was a meter ahead of him as he grabbed his metal suit of armour and pulled him closer. Cowardly the guard stammered:

" P... please,man. I was joking. I... I have a wife and... and four kids to feed and th... they need me...I...I will do anything y...you ask. Anything!!"

" Alright,we will spare you if you tell me where my son is. "

" You mean that ochre haired kid with his friends? Don't worry, I know where they are. But please protect me and my family from her ____."

" Don't fear. The dark lord will surely have mercy on you." Said the Espada before they all took off.

Leaving the the other three guard lying on the floor, one male figure, lurking from the shadows, gazed over the incident and worried about outcome of this mission.

' The Espada number 1 had rose from the dead and allied with the queen's traitor. I must inform the queen and stop them immediately before they can escape. I can't let Yumikō win this. Not today! '

He gulped. By then, he'd disappeared from darkness.

~~~~~~~~

They began searching and sensing anyone of the boys' spirit energy while darted their way through the hallway. The second guard was pointing on direction to the room, until he pointed out a certain elegant door where only guests could stay. Only to had sensed three anonymous spirit energy inside this room, yet Akamaru noticed only three identifiable spirit energy.

When she forcefully budged the door open; she found Kenny, Haēn and Yuma still okay and unharmed, except when they fought both Denki and Kakazu. Akamaru was so shocked, but at the same time, butterflies in her stomach were bursting with joy as she and Kenny were reunited once again. Haēn and Yuma joined too as indistinct chatter begins.

The Espada dropped the second guard and said:

" You can leave here immediately. Otherwise, she might find you here and that moment, she won't be as merciful as I was earlier. "

Without any words left from his breath, he took off towards the window before spreading his charcoal black wings from his back and took flight under the moonlight. He, then turned towards Akamaru and insisted:

" We should get going. The other guards in this castle might pinpoint all the way here. "

" Why on earth would anyone allow to locked my babies up in here, when I know Katsuya's wife is a crazy woman with no morals what-so-ever? Come on, boys. We're going to see the dark lord himself. " she said,in a confident orotund tone.

" What dark lord? " the three of them asked in unison.

" I don't know, let's get out of here. " she answered. The Espada wasted no time as he left four of them, but they quickly catched up with him. In a meantime, two other figures emerged from the shadow and saw them walking away.

' Send more troops and stop them as soon as possible. I think they'll go back to that traitor again ' he ordered. Once he stepped closer to the moonlight, a partial bald man in his mid 50s stood in a corner of the wall and disappeared once again.

~~~~~~

The moon once again slowly retired after a `long` night. One man standing against a carriage and the horseman sitting on top of the chair bracing the cold winter shivers. The man standing, wore a warm jet-black mediaeval male clothing that matches his short hair and eyes. He kept on staring at the castle that was once his home. But had to wait for someone to bring Akamaru safe.

When he spotted the Espada and Akamaru, he was shocked happily and waved his hands covered in gloves made from Kirin fur. The Espada looked at the figure and was rejoice that his mission was accomplished as he ran straight towards him. Akamaru was confused and followed him, whilst Kenny, Yuma and Haēn does the same.

The Espada swiftly scooped him up twirl around with him. The figure was astonished, but at the same time, was pleased that he'd succeeded a mission.

By the time he halt himself and place a figure down, a gunshot rang through the ear and echoed at the landscape. Four unicorns neighed madly and tired to leave, but the horseman calmed them down. However; no one was shot, but turned around and saw the partial bald man along with Katsuya's pretty wife carrying a pistol in her hand and the guards.

Kenny, Haēn and Yuma hide themselves from danger ahead, while Akamaru attempted to shield her children. The pretty wife pointed directly to the guards and majority of them circled around, preventing them from ever escaping. Figuring out what was the commotion, Kazumi exited the castle and was amazed with what she saw.

" Are my eyes deceiving? Yumikō Mishima, you sure have the audacity to return home. "

Yumikō scoffed and said:

" I wouldn't be here if you locked a prisoner and her children without any permission from the Soul society. "

" Oh dear sister, you sure have changed..... a lot." Kazumi commented.

Yumikō laughed in frustration and drew close, but the Espada held him because doing so prevent from a ` suicidal failure` mission.

" Do you know what's more funny, knowing that your little sister is now a man and rediscovering her...I mean himself. "

" Cut the crap, Yumikō. You're a woman and you always will be." She roared nearly breaking her own voice.

" I can't change that. I was born a woman, but everything is change now. It's not like the old days of dictating one's life, like you did to the Soul society after you send out Baltoh to kill almost every first generation of the 13 divisions, except for Yachiru and Shingekuni. I bet you still have blood in your hands of everyone you've killed especially the Yamagata heir. "

" SEIZE THEM ALL!!" She snapped and guards raced towards them, as they draw their swords and aiming at them. Akamaru took the kids to the chariot and so does the Espada and Yumikō.

" Admit it, dear sister. Accept that you'll never win this puny war. " she said with a sense of pleasure. Her devious smile appeared from her face and so does the rest

Yumikō remained silent as he was surrounded by guards. Kenny, Haēn and Yuma were frozen with terror while Akamaru tried her best to calm them down. The Espada gazed at him, not knowing what his thoughts were. Until, in slow motion, he reached a pastel rainbow colored potion from his side pocket and threw it onto one of the guards' face.

{*BOOM* }

[ *LASHING SOUND*]

The little bottle of potion had created a powerful fog-like mist that blinded all of them and gave a pastel colored lighting flashes toward them and all of them layed. This gave the horseman time to escape as he whipped the unicorns, driving them mad once again. The horses galloped from a spell and stomped few guards to death, letting them tasting freedom of their own.

' You are wining a loosing war, Kazumi. Until we meet again, you'll remember to never fuck with the dark lord himself, Yumikō Mishima. ' Yumikō pondered with a warning.

The pretty wife and the partial bald man wanted to go after them, but Kazumi stopped them.

" It'll be unwise to go after Starrk and Yumikō. We're going to the Soul society as I plan. Tell Zen to meet us here. Soon no can stop me this time. " she said.