Chapter 37: The Predator Descends
Soul Society — Outskirts
“Captain! We have an emergency!”
A petite girl with dark blonde hair and gray eyes exclaimed in panic as she stared into the distance at the Seireitei, now completely surrounded by a massive dome of darkness.
“The Seireitei is...!”
“Captain Ukitake!” A man with dark hair and a short goatee arrived moments later looking just as panicked.
Both Shinigami hurried back toward a secluded shrine where their captain was currently occupied.
Inside, Jūshirō Ukitake sat before a strange statue depicting a giant right hand. His eyes were closed as he repeatedly chanted a prayer beneath his breath while sweat ran freely down his exposed back, a clear sign that he had been at this for quite some time.
Behind him, wisps of black smoke steadily rose from his body, gathering into the rough outline of a hand resembling the very figure he was praying to.
Several minutes later, Ukitake finally let out a shaky breath and opened his eyes.
“It’s done. Now let’s hope I never have to use your power, Mimihagi-sama.”
Muttering those words to the empty shrine, he slowly rose to his feet and headed outside.
“Kiyone! Sentarō! We’re moving out at once!”
As he stepped outside, Ukitake frowned when no response came.
Several seconds passed in silence.
Immediately sensing something was wrong, his gaze swept across the area and quickly landed on the unconscious forms of his subordinates lying on the ground.
His expression hardened.
Silence lingered for several moments before the sound of a long whistle suddenly echoed through the area.
The casual sound sent a chill down Ukitake’s spine.
More alarming than the whistle itself was the fact that he hadn’t sensed anyone approaching.
“That’s quite the statue. Although I have to admit it’s rather ugly.” A male voice spoke in amusement before footsteps finally followed. “Then again, I suppose only Shinigami would pray to the severed right hand of the Soul King.”
Ukitake slowly turned around, his Zanpakutō already drawn and released into Shikai. The single blade had split into two identical swords connected by a thick red rope-like chain adorned with silver charms.
Standing there with a relaxed posture and a smile on his face was a handsome young man with short, wavy white hair and glowing golden eyes.
“…Caius Aurelius. What are you doing here?” Ukitake asked warily as he narrowed his eyes.
The young man's smile widened slightly as Ukitake immediately began considering ways to survive this encounter.
There was still something he needed to accomplish before he died.
“Relax. I’m not here to take your life unless you attack me with deadly intent first,” Caius said with a casual shrug before pulling one hand from his pocket and pointing toward him.
“As for what I’m doing here...” His smile widened. “I’m here for the right hand of the Soul King housed within your soul, of course. So please relax and let this happen peacefully. I’ll even throw in a bonus and give you a new pair of lungs afterward.”
He spoke as though discussing something completely ordinary.
“I won’t even need to kill you either.”
Then he waited calmly for an answer.
Ukitake stared at him for several moments before letting out a quiet sigh and settling into a battle stance.
The smile on Caius’s face faded slightly before he sighed as well, as though he had expected that response from the beginning.
“I’m sorry, but that is not something I can allow,” Ukitake declared firmly. “There is something I must accomplish with Mimihagi-sama’s power should the worst come to pass.”
“Well, at least I tried...” Caius shrugged.
The easygoing atmosphere vanished instantly.
The friendly smile disappeared from his face and was replaced by a blank expression.
Then he vanished.
Not just from sight.
But from Ukitake’s senses entirely.
A literal instant later, Caius’s voice spoke from directly behind him.
“But I wasn’t really asking.”
Those were the last words Jūshirō Ukitake heard before darkness consumed his vision.
Hours later, he would awaken in the exact same spot.
His body would feel lighter than it had in centuries.
His lungs would be healthy and whole again.
His sickly body that had plagued him for most of his life would be gone.
Yet despite all of that, something was missing.
For the first time since childhood, the constant presence of Mimihagi within his soul had vanished.
=====
Back With Caius
“So this is what this world's Divinity feels like,” I muttered as I looked down at my arm, feeling the new power coursing through me.
I had acquired Divinity at the same time I evolved into a True Demon Lord, but I had never really had a chance to make proper use of it. The truth was that I simply hadn't needed to.
None of the enemies I had faced after my evolution had been strong enough to force me to rely on Divine Aura. My Ultimate Skills and Demon Lord's Haki had always been more than enough to deal with whatever stood in my way.
Divine Aura functioned as a kind of strength multiplier, similar to Haki from One Piece, enhancing both offense and defense. In many ways, it resembled Demon Lord's Haki, albeit on a generally higher level.
“Indeed. While it is nowhere near as potent as Caius-sama's own Divinity, it is still useful to have as a comparison,” Astra said smugly. She was no doubt already dedicating an absurd amount of processing power toward finding ways to make me even stronger. “And the abilities it grants are nothing to scoff at either.”
“Hehe~”
The giggle that followed only confirmed my suspicions.
‘Though now that I think about it, doesn't Mimihagi's Stagnation Governance sound awfully similar to Velzard's Cessation Lost?’ I asked curiously.
“Indeed it does!” Astra replied excitedly. “I'm already examining the similarities and potential applications. However, based on my initial analysis, while the two share certain aspects, Mimihagi's authority is nowhere near the complete dominion over cessation that the Frost Dragon possesses. At least not from what I was able to observe through your memories.”
‘Well, we are talking about a True Dragon after all,’ I thought calmly. ‘And the eldest of her kind besides her brother.’
“If that's the case, then it stands to reason that the left arm, or Pernida, should share similarities with Velgrynd's Acceleration.”
“Correct!” Astra chirped enthusiastically. “Which is why, even if you choose not to devour any more Quincy, I strongly recommend prioritizing the remaining fragments of the Soul King. Specifically the left arm and the heart, Gerard Valkyrie.”
‘Anything for my lovely wife~’ I teased.
Immediately, I felt Astra sputter in embarrassment within our shared soul, causing my smile to widen.
Even after openly declaring herself my wife and everything we had experienced together over the past week, which most amounted to time under the sheets, it was still adorable how easily she became flustered whenever I casually complimented her.
‘Now that I think about it, wasn’t there a Fullbringer woman who also housed a fragment of the Soul King? I vaguely remember reading something about that.’ I wondered to myself.
“…Ahem, there was. I believe her name was Aura Michibane.” Astra coughed lightly, having finally recovered from her embarrassment. “Though we can always seek her out before we leave this world, Caius-sama. Tracking her down in the Human World shouldn't prove too difficult.”
“Meh, I suppose you're right. As usual.” I shrugged before turning my attention toward the massive dome of darkness that had enveloped the Seireitei.
“I wonder how the Shinigami are handling the advanced warning. I doubt they know the Quincy can steal Bankai. Since the initial attack never happened, Kisuke probably never got the opportunity to develop a countermeasure.” I mused aloud as I floated lazily through the air.
A moment later, I shrugged again.
“Oh well. At least Ichigo is there this time. That alone should keep the casualties much lower than in the original timeline, where he arrived late after spending most of the invasion trapped inside Quilge Opie's Jail.”
Turning my focus inward, I reached out mentally to the three people waiting inside my Imaginary Space.
‘Get ready, you three. We'll be joining the fight soon. Remember the plan.’
The trio had insisted on participating in the war, and I hadn't seen any reason to stop them. There would be more than enough Quincy to go around, especially considering they outnumbered the Shinigami by nearly two to one.
Besides, it would serve as an excellent opportunity for them to test their new abilities against genuinely dangerous opponents.
With Astra's assistance, they could see everything I saw, so at least they weren't stuck waiting around in boredom.
“You can count on us, Caius~” Nelliel replied cheerfully.
“We won't fail you this time, Caius-sama,” Tier declared in a firm and determined tone.
“Troublesome. I just hope the day doesn't drag on,” Starrk commented lazily.
Their responses brought a smile to my face.
Without another word, I spread my wings and shot toward the Seireitei.
The time had finally arrived.
Ever since I first awakened in this world and learned where I was, this had been one of the moments I had envisioned.
Now, at long last, it was here.
=====
With Ichigo
As Ichigo fought four Quincy at once, his irritation steadily grew.
None of them were truly trying to defeat him.
Instead, they relied on hit-and-run tactics, constantly attacking from different directions before retreating whenever he attempted to engage them directly. It was obvious they had been ordered to stall him for as long as possible.
Unfortunately, the strategy was working.
As he batted away another volley of bullets and narrowly avoided a blast of Reishi from his flank, Ichigo couldn't help but frown at the situation Soul Society found itself in.
Things weren't looking good at all.
By the time he and his friends had arrived, the battle had already turned into a massacre.
From what he had learned, several Lieutenants and high-ranking officers had been killed almost immediately after the invasion began, caught completely off guard by the Quincy attack.
To make matters worse, the white-clad bastards possessed the ability to steal a Shinigami's Bankai.
The revelation had shaken the entire Gotei 13.
From what Ichigo knew, several Captains had already lost theirs, including Soi Fon, Byakuya Kuchiki, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and Sajin Komamura. Even Chōjirō Sasakibe, the old Lieutenant from the First Division, had reportedly had his stolen before being killed.
Without their Bankai, many of the Shinigami were struggling to keep up with the invading Quincy.
Ichigo would have loved nothing more than to help, but his opponents clearly had no intention of allowing him that freedom.
His friends were currently stationed with the Fourth Division, helping treat the wounded. Orihime's healing abilities had already proven invaluable, while Chad remained by her side to ensure no one caught her off guard.
Thanks largely to her efforts, countless injured Shinigami who would have otherwise died had already been returned to the battlefield.
As for Ichigo himself, he had already taken down two Quincy, leaving four remaining.
One of them had died entirely by accident.
The man had been an old Quincy with pink hair and glasses who possessed some sort of invisibility ability. The moment he appeared, Ichigo had reacted on instinct and blasted him in the face with a Getsuga Tenshō.
The result had not been pretty.
The second had been an annoying blond Quincy with glasses and strange markings across his face. A serious injury had been enough to remove him from the battlefield.
That still left four opponents.
The first was another blond man with glasses, this one appearing to be in his thirties or forties and wielding a pair of guns.
The second was a massive bearded man who somehow grew stronger the more people he killed.
The third was a dark-skinned Quincy with black-and-white teeth and orange glasses whose ability had already proven to be incredibly irritating.
And finally—
Ichigo ducked beneath a beam of Reishi and clicked his tongue.
The last Quincy was by far the creepiest of the group.
Not just because of the way he acted, but because of how he dressed.
The man was wearing what looked like a literal diaper.
He was an old, overweight Quincy with dark skin, a long white beard, and a pink staff decorated with wings and a giant eye. Worse still, his ability allowed him to control other people.
Ichigo had discovered that fact the hard way.
Fortunately, he had managed to dodge the first heart-shaped projectile the man launched at him. The attack had instead struck a nearby Shinigami, and Ichigo had watched in horrified disbelief as the poor man immediately became infatuated with the disgusting old Quincy.
Even now, the memory made his skin crawl.
At this rate, he was going to lose what little patience he had left.
Clicking his tongue in irritation, Ichigo dodged another heart-shaped attack and immediately put more distance between himself and the old man.
Just the thought of being controlled by someone like that was enough to make him want to vomit.
Things were bad across the battlefield as well.
Even Kenpachi Zaraki had already been taken out of the war.
The battle maniac had apparently charged straight toward Yhwach the moment the invasion began and had been defeated with ease.
The fact that he was still alive was nothing short of a miracle, thanks largely to Unohana arriving in time to retrieve him before things became even worse.
‘And to think that if it weren't for Caius, the situation would be even worse than this,’ Ichigo thought grimly.
The realization only made him more frustrated.
Part of him wanted to release his Bankai and end this fight as quickly as possible before heading straight for Yhwach himself. While he had other abilities he could use, using his Bankai would be the quickest way to end this.
Another part remembered Caius's warning.
The slime had been very clear about the fact that Ichigo currently stood no chance against the Quincy King.
More importantly, Ichigo still didn't know whether his Bankai could be stolen as well.
If it could, then using it here against opponents like these would be a massive mistake.
Luckily, Yamamoto was currently fighting Yhwach in the distance. Even from here, Ichigo could sense the terrifying clash of spiritual pressure between the two monsters.
“Getting distracted in the middle of a fight. Are you looking down on us, Kurosaki Ichigo!?”
The shout broke him out of his thoughts.
The Quincy with the pistols glared at him while firing another barrage of shots.
At the same time, the giant bearded Quincy launched another Reishi attack from the side, forcing Ichigo to deflect it with one of his blades.
Every single one of his opponents had activated Quincy: Vollständig, each displaying a different set of wings behind their backs.
For perhaps the hundredth time since arriving, Ichigo silently thanked Caius for his training.
If not for that, he had no doubt he would have already been defeated.
There were simply too many Quincy.
And they were far stronger than he had anticipated.
Screw it.
Ichigo tightened his grip on his swords.
‘I can't afford to hold back anymore when everyone else is fighting their hardest.’
Having finally made his decision, he prepared to release his Bankai.
Before he could, however, three blurs suddenly crashed into the Quincy with the pistols, the giant bearded man, and the Quincy with the black-and-white teeth.
The impacts sent all three flying.
Ichigo paused and blinked.
The only Quincy left untouched was the disgusting old man with the pink staff, who now looked just as confused as he was.
Was that Nelliel, Harribel, and Starrk?
Before he could think about it further, he felt someone slap him lightly on the back.
“You might want to save your Bankai for someone tougher, Strawberry~”
The familiar mocking voice instantly brought a smile to his face despite himself.
Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with a grinning Caius.
“…About time you got here, asshole.”
=====
Back With Caius
Looking at the relieved expression Ichigo was sending my way, I resisted the urge to grimace.
Part of me felt a little guilty for never telling him that the Quincy could steal a Shinigami's Bankai.
Only a little, though.
At the end of the day, it wasn't my problem. I had no obligation to help an organization that had placed a bounty on my head, so I quickly dismissed the thought.
“You were hesitating to go all out because you were worried about your monstrous Reiatsu hurting everyone around you, weren't you?” I asked knowingly.
The way Ichigo immediately winced and looked away told me I had hit the nail on the head.
I had been watching his fight for a while and quickly realized he wasn't using everything at his disposal. Most notably, he hadn't touched his Hollow powers even once.
Knowing Ichigo, it was probably a combination of not wanting to harm his allies and wanting to conserve as much strength as possible in case he had to face Yhwach himself.
Honestly, I couldn't blame him.
“Ichigo, there's no need to worry about the Quincy stealing your Bankai,” I said seriously.
The statement immediately caught his attention.
“What?”
He whipped around and stared at me with widened eyes.
“Have you already forgotten everything I taught you, idiot?” I asked before lightly punching him in the shoulder, earning another wince.
“Quincy and Hollow powers are fundamentally incompatible. They don't mix. Even if they somehow managed to steal your Bankai, they'd essentially be committing soul suicide because of the Hollow Reiatsu mixed into your power.”
Realization immediately dawned on his face.
“Then all I had to do was use my Hollow powers?”
A second later, he smacked his own forehead.
“I'm an idiot.”
“You are,” I agreed without hesitation. “But we can have that conversation later.”
I turned my gaze toward the distant clash between Yamamoto and Yhwach.
“You wanted to see how you measure up against the Quincy King, right? Then go. Their fight is almost over.”
The seriousness in my tone caused Ichigo to follow my gaze.
“You're saying the old man is going to lose?” he asked incredulously.
“That's exactly what I'm saying,” I replied with a straight face. “You'll understand why once you see it for yourself.”
My words caused him to fall silent for a moment as he considered them.
“But what about him?” he asked, glancing toward PePe Waccabrada with a visibly disgusted expression.
“Leave him to me,” I said, unable to completely hide my own grimace. “As you've probably noticed, Tier, Nelliel, and Starrk are already dealing with the others.”
Ichigo hesitated briefly before finally nodding.
“Fine. Thanks for coming, Caius.”
With that, he launched himself toward the distant battlefield where Yamamoto and Yhwach were fighting, leaving me alone with the revolting Sternritter.
I turned my attention back to PePe and began walking toward him.
“Let's make this quick. I'd rather not look at you any longer than necessary.”
My expression remained completely blank, but the man immediately began sweating bullets. News of my clash with Yhwach in Hueco Mundo must have quickly spread through their ranks.
I had barely taken a few steps before I clicked my tongue in annoyance as several new spiritual pressures entered my senses.
Turning my head, I found a small group approaching from the distance. Most of them were women, though there was one notable exception. Standing slightly apart from the others was a blond teenager with red eyes and his hood pulled low over his head.
The Bambies.
And Gremmy Thoumeaux.
In order, the women were Bambietta Basterbine, Candice Catnipp, Meninas McAllon, Liltotto Lamperd, and Giselle Gewelle.
‘Though the verdict is still open when it comes to Giselle.’ I absently thought remembering a couple of interesting lines.
Meanwhile, the boy standing slightly apart from the group was none other than the Sternritter known as The Visionary.
“You've finally shown yourself, Caius Aurelius,” Gremmy said excitedly as he stared at me like a child who had just discovered a new toy. “The Number One Special War Potential.”
The Bambies each reacted differently to my presence. Candice wore her usual arrogant smirk, Liltotto looked completely uninterested, Meninas had a curious expression, while Bambietta stared at me with the unhinged look she always seemed to have.
Then there was Giselle.
“I heard his real form is a cute slime. I definitely want him as my pet~” she said with a disturbingly eager expression.
A visible grimace crossed my face.
“And here I thought one disgusting freak was already more than enough,” I muttered before rolling my shoulders.
“Oh well.”
My expression became completely blank as I looked over the assembled Quincy.
“At least this saves me the trouble of hunting you all down later.”
Continuing forward without the slightest hesitation, I met their gazes head-on.
“Let me show you just how terrifying slimes can be.”