"Actually, I think it's quite alright if you don't lead the Executive Militia." Urahara looked at the crimson flames gradually dissipating in the sky, nudging Yoruichi's arm as he continued, "Why not think it over? I think this Bankai is pretty good."
"What's the use of all these flashy bells and whistles? If this were an assassination, would I have let him run around for so long?" Yoruichi scoffed in retort. She was still brooding over the matter of her Zanpakutō. Besides, after watching Ao's fighting style this time, she already had some ideas for a new form of Hakuda. Shedding her identity as a mere fireworks master was absolutely imperative!
Yoruichi and Urahara were slacking off and chatting idly, completely forgetting that their actual mission was to protect the Senkaimon. However, Kōe didn't need them at the moment anyway.
"Lord Rein! Lord Konrad's orders: open the Senkaimon, full evacuation!" A short while ago, a Quincy from the middle city had relayed the latest command.
Kōe didn't know who this 'Lord Konrad' was, nor did he care to know. He only knew that the plan in the middle city was proceeding smoothly.
This extermination operation was actually missing a crucial piece of intelligence: the exact number of combatants inside the Star Cross Fortress who could rival Captains and Lieutenants.
Naturally, Kōe had entered the Star Cross Fortress before, but being cautious by nature, he had at most infiltrated near the boundary between the middle and inner cities. Even the existence of the Holy King and Holy Queen was something he had merely eavesdropped on from other Quincies.
Therefore, intelligence regarding the distribution of combat power within the Star Cross Fortress was severely lacking. That was why, back in the Huaixiang Pavilion, when the old man Yamamoto asked if he could formulate a plan, Kōe instinctively asked for conditions, hoping Yamamoto would offer some input. The result exceeded his expectations: Yamamoto could actually provide up to six Captains, two more than his conservative estimate.
Nearly a thousand years ago, a massive war broke out between the Shinigami and the Quincies. Both sides suffered casualties, ultimately ending with the near-total annihilation of the Quincies in Soul Society.
Over the years, less than four new Captains had been promoted within the Seireitei, and that was even after establishing the Shin'ō Academy and opening its doors to the Rukongai. In contrast, whether in terms of resources or base population, the Quincies lagged far behind the Seireitei.
Therefore, the combatants within the Star Cross Fortress capable of rivaling Captain-level Shinigami were highly likely to just be the Holy King and Holy Queen. A conservative estimate put them on par with the newly promoted Captains in the Seireitei, meaning four in total.
Ultimately, after learning Yamamoto's overall plan, Kōe changed the number of Captains in the "Forging the Cage and Exterminating the Stars" operation to four, since the feint attack on Hueco Mundo was extremely dangerous. However, factoring in himself—having already achieved Bankai and carrying a second blade—the actual number of Captain-level fighters was still six, so it didn't make much of a difference.
Rein's appearance in the inner city was an accident, but it was still within a controllable range. That was why Kōe hadn't been anxious at all when Vohtz and the others tried to wear him down with a war of attrition earlier. If they kept dragging it out, the enemy would inevitably be the first to panic. Could they even keep that wheel turning when the time came?
And now, with the retreat order coming from the middle city, everything was firmly within his grasp.
Would they continue to drag this out, gambling that Kōe would make a mistake? Or would they go all out and race against time? The Quincies in the plaza had to make a choice!
Smiling, Kōe kicked away a nearby Quincy while releasing [Bakudō #81・Dankū] to intercept all the incoming arrows from afar. These people hadn't completely lost their cool yet; he needed to add some fuel to the fire in their hearts.
"Today is the day your clan is exterminated! Surrender, and I promise to leave your corpses intact!" Kōe announced loudly, lowering his voice to a menacing pitch.
The word 'exterminated' struck the hearts of these Quincies like a heavy hammer. They could somewhat guess why the Shinigami would seize and guard the Senkaimon, but during the previous back-and-forth skirmishes, they hadn't believed that a mere two Shinigami could actually hold it.
But now, the message from Lord Konrad in the middle city proved that the fall of the Star Cross Fortress was only a matter of time, and not a long time at that. The only path to survival was blocked by this masked, elderly-looking Shinigami before them, and they had no confidence in taking him down quickly.
Some began to waver. Two hot-tempered Quincies, without waiting for covering fire from the distant archers, launched a direct assault on Kōe atop the bell from the left and right.
A slight fracture appeared in the previously well-coordinated and disciplined team. How could Kōe let such an opportunity slip by? His right hand gripped the hilt of the Zanpakutō at his left waist, while his left hand made a grasping motion in the empty air. "[Bakudō #62・Hyapporankan]!"
A long rod glowing with silver-white light materialized out of thin air in Kōe's loosely clenched left hand. With a flick of his wrist, the afterimages left by the long rod in the air all solidified into physical forms, flying toward the Quincy on the left.
At the same time, his right hand wasn't idle. The pristine white blade left its sheath, leaving a swath of white snow in the air. The bald Quincy on the right seemed to crash right into it on his own.
The Quincy's arm had already swung out, but the hand gripping his spirit bow remained in place. A crimson tide surged from his chest, crashing against the snow-covered beach, never to recede.
This beautiful scenery didn't even last a single second. The silver rod spun in Kōe's left hand and was thrust straight into the chest of the other Quincy, piercing directly through his spine and pinning him to the ground at Kōe's feet.
In an instant, the two impulsive Quincies were respectively trapped and wounded. Their agonized, trembling wails rang out. It should have been a sound that snapped people awake, yet the remaining Quincies present felt even more disoriented.
Except for one person: Knott Vohtz. With Rein gone, he was the highest-ranking leader of the Holy Son's Escort Guard. The retreat order had been given, and the situation was incredibly dire. He had to make a choice.
"Regardless of life or death! Fight for the dignity of the Quincies!"
Vohtz's furious roar pulled the rest of the Quincies back to their senses. They glared at Kōe atop the bell, their fading fighting spirit now re-condensing like a roaring, blazing inferno.
"Fight for the dignity of the Quincies!"
Kōe looked at the remaining eighteen—no, nineteen Quincies who had regained their confidence. Were they going to launch an all-out assault? He just didn't know if their target was him or the bell prison beneath his feet.
However, in the next moment, Kōe understood. The ten distant Quincies nocked their arrows, while the nine nearby charged the top of the bell in unison. Judging by their expressions, they were ready to fight him to the bitter end.
On this point, Kōe was actually mistaken. The so-called 'regardless of life or death' was meant for the archers in the distance to hear, and the target wasn't Kōe, but rather their own lives! Vohtz's mindset wasn't about fighting to the death to win; even if he had to tear into Kōe with his teeth, he was going to drag the Shinigami down to hell with him!
But did that matter? To Kōe, it wasn't crucial at all. The only reason he hadn't dealt with them one by one earlier was out of fear of startling these birds, which would have caused trouble for Yoruichi or even the people in the middle city. Now that Vohtz and the close-range attackers were swarming him all at once, his goal had already been achieved. As for mutual destruction? That depended on whether the other party was actually willing to fight to the death with you.
It was indeed a fact that the Shinigami atop the bell couldn't move, but it was also a misconception.
Kōe couldn't leave the bell prison, but that came with a prerequisite: there had to be a bell prison for him to guard. If there were no enemies, the bell prison naturally had no reason to exist, and he wouldn't have to stand there foolishly taking hits!
Vohtz and the others, trapped in this misconception, had just converged on the top of the bell when the massive brass bell beneath their feet let out a deafening hum, vanishing into thin air along with the Shinigami who hadn't taken a single step from that spot.
Just as they thought they had victoriously forced the Shinigami off the bell and were preparing to call their comrades to evacuate, black lines abruptly appeared. They began spreading from beneath their feet, quickly forming a solid barrier that completely encased them.
"[Hadō #90・Kurohitsugi]!" This time, he unleashed a level 90 Hadō right off the bat. Kōe looked at the fully formed black coffin beneath his feet, his eyes filled with absolute resolve.
The nine up close were finished, but he couldn't let the ten in the distance go either!
"[Hadō #91・Senjū Kōtentaihō]!"
Just as the distant Quincies released their arrows to strike the black coffin, clusters of pale pink light appeared above it. Immediately after, the light clusters transformed into beams, cascading down like a waterfall of cherry blossoms and instantly engulfing the ten distant Quincies.
Buried in a black coffin amidst a sea of flowers. Gentlemen Quincies, take your dignity and have a safe trip!
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