In the bleak expanse of Hueco Mundo, a sky of endless white hung over the black sands as Ayame Tokinaga stood at the head of her doomed expedition. She knew before setting foot into this graveyard of souls that the mission was a ploy—a carefully crafted trap by the noble families desperate to maintain their grip on power. And yet, she stepped forward, dragging their fate with her.
Behind her, the vice-captains of Squads 3, 8, and 11 moved in formation—capable but unaware of what truly awaited. As they ventured deeper into the desolate realm, Ayame's senses flickered. She halted. A sound—too rhythmic to be wind, too cold to be coincidence
Without warning, the sky cracked open with a cacophony of howls. A wave of Adjuchas-class Hollows surged forward, led by two monsters: a panther-like creature with a jagged mask and piercing cyan eyes—Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in his primal Adjuchas form—and a statuesque female Adjuchas with golden hair and oceanic eyes—Tier Harribel, blade drawn and aura rippling.
Ayame's eyes narrowed. "So, they sent monsters to kill us… Let's show them what monsters we are."
Lightning surged across her frame.
"Zanka, Kurogane Inazuma!"
A storm exploded to life. Her twin pistols gleamed with black steel light as she fired bolt after bolt—Raijin Barrage ricocheting off dunes and Hollows alike, locking onto their spiritual pressure and tearing through the horde. Inazuma Stride let her move in bursts of electrical afterimages, leaving the enemies striking at illusions while she landed fatal shots.
Still, the tide was overwhelming. The vice-captains fought bravely, but one by one they fell—limbs torn, throats slashed. Their screams joined the desert winds.
Ayame's jaw clenched. Her Bankai ignited.
"Kōkō Raijin Kurogane!"
A vortex of thunder crashed outward. Storm Circuit electrified the battlefield—every grain of sand became a conduit for her wrath. She zipped between charged points in arcs of blinding lightning, disorienting the attackers. Grimmjow pounced, claws flashing. Ayame twisted midair, drawing fire from her six Split Tempest drones, which locked him in a burning ring of energy. He tore free—but not unscarred. A deep, jagged burn scar now split across his side, forever marking this encounter
Then came Harribel. Her blade met Ayame's in a high-speed clash of storm and water. Ayame activated Thunder Reversal, absorbing Harribel's pressurized strikes and firing them back tenfold in electric bursts. Though Harribel endured, her left shoulder was shredded by redirected lightning—crippled, the scar gleaming with cauterized heat.
Ayame floated above the wreckage, her guns aimed at the last remnants.
"Deadshot Heaven," she whispered.
Reiatsu surged from her body, marking Grimmjow. Each shot bent around terrain and time itself to track him. The panther-king dodged, barely, but the Execution Mode beam still caught him across the chest, blasting fur and flesh into the sands. He roared and vanished with a Sonído, vowing revenge.
As the storm peaked, Ayame invoked her final storm.
"Ragnarok Waltz!"
A spiraling beam of annihilation screamed from her body as she twirled in midair, lightning cannons synchronizing in symphonic destruction. Within the chaos, she danced—appearing in flashes, slashing, shooting, vanishing.
When it ended, only two remained standing in the storm-churned sands: Ayame, barely breathing, and the scarred Grimmjow and Harribel—fleeing back into the depths of Hueco Mundo.
Ayame knelt beside the fallen vice-captains. Her fists clenched.They sent you to die… but your deaths won't be in vain."The thunder still echoed as she began her return—bloodied, but unbowed—dragging with her the spark that would burn the nobility's lies to ash.
The corridors of the Seireitei were unnaturally silent. Rumors spread like wildfire, carried not by word of mouth but by the dread in every soul's heart.
Three noble heads… gone.
Two captains… poisoned.And now, whispers of rebellion and betrayal crawled through every crack in the marble floors of the Gotei 13.
Inside Squad 8 barracks, Shunsui slammed his sake bottle down, shattering it.
Those fuckers… they think they can do anything? Sit in their high towers and decide who dies?" His spiritual pressure leaked slightly, crackling like thunder. "If it's the last thing I do—I'll cut them down myself."Just then, Ukitake placed a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. His calm eyes met Shunsui's rage-filled ones."Don't be a child, Shunsui. You act out now and everything Ayame worked for—all her sacrifices—will be for nothing."
Shunsui looked away, biting his lip. "You think I don't know that?"The room grew tense as another presence entered.Kuruyashiki stepped in, his long coat fluttering behind him, eyes blazing with fury. In his hand, his sword was half-drawn."I say we kill every last noble who lifts a hand against us. End this in blood."Before anyone could respond, a voice echoed from the hallway.
Mohit, blindfolded and calm as ever, stepped inside the war room."You'll have to move faster than that," he said coldly yuroichi taicho picked up chatter from Central 46—they're holding an emergency session. All five of you are under investigation for treason. They're preparing a formal arrest order."
Shunsui's jaw clenched. "They want to put chains on us for fighting corruption?"
Ukitake muttered, "It was only a matter of time…"
Mohit walked further in, pulling a message scroll from his robes. "And that's not all. This is from Captain Hikifune. She and Yoruichi are waiting for you three at her hidden base. They've already anticipated this."
He handed it to Kuruyashiki, who read it aloud:
The time to stay quiet is over. If they wish to erase Ayame's legacy, we will remind them who lit the first spark.
Come now.
The rebellion must survive."Mohit added, "Yoruichi says bring your blades… and your resolve."Shunsui finally smiled—but it wasn't his usual lazy grin. It was the smile of a man who was done waiting."Alright then. Let's go light the fire."
The underground chamber was dimly lit, torches flickering against stone walls etched with the history of the Onmitsukidō. It was a sacred place — one used for silent operations, never for rebellion. Yet here they stood, rebels in everything but name.
At the center of the room stood Yoruichi Shihōin, her arms folded, her long dark hair swaying with the faint breeze. In her hand was a sealed scroll, wrapped in crimson silk — the final draft of Ayame Tokinaga's bill.
She looked at the three captains standing before her: Shunsui Kyōraku, coat draped lazily as always but with fury in his eyes; Jūshirō Ukitake, solemn and composed, but carrying the weight of his conscience; and Kuruyashiki, whose sword was already unsheathed slightly, his bloodlust barely contained.
Yoruichi's voice echoed with weight.
"This," she said, raising the scroll slightly, "is her final wish. Ayame risked everything — her name, her bloodline, her life — to tear down the poisonous chains the noble families wrapped around the Gotei 13."
She unwrapped the silk and laid the draft on the table.
"Now it falls to us to fulfill what she started. I ask all of you, not as a captain… but as her friend. Will you stand with her? With me?"
There was a silence, deep and pressing.Shunsui stepped forward first. He sighed deeply, placing his hat down on the table — a rare sign of seriousness from him."You know, Yoruichi… Ayame reminded me a lot of you. Reckless. Brilliant. Stubborn as hell." He chuckled, but there was no humor in his eyes. "When she came to me, I thought she was mad to challenge the nobles. But seeing what she did… the way she fought, the way she died—" He stopped, then continued, voice low. "She was the only one brave enough to do what we've all wanted to do for decades."He leaned forward, looking at the scroll. "You have my sword, and my soul, Yoruichi. Let's make those bastards choke on their titles."Yoruichi gave a small nod of appreciation.Next came Ukitake, who stepped forward slowly. His white hair shimmered under the torchlight."When Ayame told me of her plan, I was hesitant." His voice was quiet but unwavering. "I've always believed in diplomacy… tradition. But tradition has turned into tyranny. And diplomacy has become silence."
He looked toward the ceiling, as if seeing beyond the stone.She changed my mind. She showed me that the system we serve isn't worth saving unless it serves everyone — not just the ones born into power."He placed a white cloth over the scroll, a symbolic gesture."I will support this. Not just for her. But for the soul of the Gotei 13."
Yoruichi met his eyes. There was understanding there, and quiet solidarity.
Then, Kuruyashiki stepped forward. The only one who had drawn his blade.
I don't give speeches." His voice was sharp. "I don't pretend to care about politics. But Ayame was the only noble I ever met who wasn't rotten to the bone."
He looked around the room with cold eyes.
"She fought like a warrior. She bled for the truth. She killed for justice."
He raised his blade, pointing it toward the ceiling.So I'll burn their legacy to the ground with her name carved on the fire."He then stabbed the blade into the ground beside the scroll, a warrior's oath.Yoruichi exhaled slowly.
Good. Then tomorrow we move. With the support of Squad 2, Squad 8, Squad 13, Squad 11, Squad 12… and Ayame's last will — we will present this bill before Central 46."
She raised the scroll high.And this time… they won't have a choice."