Noble Love - Bleach (Kuchiki Byakuya x Oc x A bit of Various)

六十

Few days had passed since Asa and Ichigo left to the Soul King Palace with the Zero Division bringing Rukia, Renji, Byakuya and the once broken Tensa Zangetsu. During these few days, everyone, both in Seireitei and the Palace, worked hard for the invasion of the Quincies that would soon struck Soul Society once more. However, neither of them expected darkness to envelop the dome around Seireitei, revealing buildings covered in ice as it rose. Seireite's landscape had completely changed as the Quincies stepped out, attacking the Shinigami in sight.

Tadashi was in the Sasaki Family Manor's garden when the invasion began again, making him click his tongue before rushing inside, taking the stairs that led him to the underground center where all the servants gathered in front of a portal, each of them holding their belongings. "Eiichi, take everyone out of Seireitei and go to that place in Karakura Town I've told you before." he ordered. "I'm not sure how safe you guys will be there, but it's still better than being in their territory."

"But, Sasaki-sama...!" interjected the butler, who tried to argue but words failed him.

The said man smiled sadly at him. Approaching him, he placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "You and the others have been doing your service well throughout your service in our home. You've done your part in taking care of Asa-nee when I wasn't around. Now, it's my turn to protect you guys." He removed his hand and gave everyone a stern look as he took in their sad expressions, with some of them sobbing at the thought of leaving the place they'd called home. "I don't know if I'll make it out alive, so listen carefully. Heed this as my final order - leave Seireitei and stay in the World of the Living until I look for you."

"Yes, sir!" they responded before bowing to him one last time. They turned around and went inside the portal, with Eiichi being the last to leave.

"Be careful, Sasaki-sama." he said, earning a nod as a response, and joined the other servants.

As the portal began to close, Tadashi stared where the servants last stood before his gaze mellowed and he closed his eyes. 'May you be free from harm's way.' he prayed. Taking in a deep breath, he left the underground center and shut the door, using a Kidou spell to conceal the door's edges, making sure that no one would use it to go after them, and went into the family shrine, standing before his ancestors and his brother. After lighting up the incense sticks, he bowed, staying like that for a while before straightening himself up, then made his way to his bedroom where his Zanpakutou was leaning against the wall. He strapped it to his obi and walked out of the building, giving the family compound one last glance before it transformed into those ice-covered buildings belonging to the Quincies.

Tadashi leapt up to the top of a tall building and looked at the place that was once Seireitei. "Oh, man." he mumbled. "Thanks to Asa-nee for explaining more about the Quincies, I spent nights studying about them." He then recalled an article about the Quincies, saying inwardly, 'After losing in the war 1000 years ago, they didn't have a place to go. They escaped from the World of the Living and into Seireitei, the most unguarded place. The Quincies then used Reishi to create space in the shadows. That's what was called the Wandenreich, the Invisible Empire. So all this while, they didn't invade Seireitei by breaking the Shakonmaku. They were already inside the Shakonmaku.' His focus then shifted to the surrounding and he frowned. "I really can't feel the Reiatsu of any of the Gotei 13. Is our Shinigami army really so inferior? But then again, I can't sense the aura of anyone from the Quincy army either."

All of a sudden, he heard children giggling behind him, prompting him to turn around and meet a pair of twins; a boy and a girl. Both of them had silver hair, with the boy having spiky hair and the girl had long hair reaching her waist, and red eyes. Looking at their outfits, Tadashi noticed that they were part of the Sternritter, for they were wearing the white, ankle-length hooded-cloak that had the Wandenreich insignia on its back, each with a button that resembled the Wandenreich insignia used to fasten the cloak. But that wasn't what caught his attention. He was disturbed by their sinister smile and eyes like dead fish, wondering if he had been found by a pair of zombie twins.