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No one ever said managing an army was easy. As "The art of war" stated thousands of years ago, to effectively control an army you need first a strong, pure leader, with discipline and control, with virtues and intelligence.
You may add to that a lack of mercy.
A lack of heart.
ーYour Majesty, we must move.
The smooth voice of the Overlord's counselor cut his train of thought to a sudden halt. He didn't even budge from his strategy map as his left-hand man walked closer to him, perhaps too close for comfort.
ーWe're not done yet, Jeagerjaquez.ー Shirosaki's voice growled in annoyance at Grimmjow. ーI'm not going into the battlefield without a plan... or at least a sketch of a plan.
ーYour Majesty, the enemy is drawing near faster than expected. We either move, or we fight. And we need you for both options.
ーThe Overlord told you to wait.
The third voice that interrupted both males brought divided reactions. Shirosaki smiled tenderly and softened his frown, while Grimmjow snarled under his breath and looked away. Great, here comes the lap dog.
ーNo one asked for your opinion, Ichigo.
ーIt's Commander Ichigo for you, Jeagerjaquez.ー Shirosaki spoke up in defense of his right hand man and most trustworthy soldier. ーI suggest you watch your mouth around me. Never disrespect him.
ーIt's fine, My Overlord. I know my reputation isn't all that nice.
"There he goes again..." the counselor thought bitterly.
Shirosaki extended his hand in eager invitation and Ichigo accepted it gladly. Holding him close by the waist, the Overlord continued to scan the map he had arranged on the large table with small, colorful figures on it.
ーHelp me over here, will you? What should we do with Ggio's platoon over there?
Ichigo frowned deep in thought, putting his hand under his chin. Grimmjow sighed again. Aside from being a lap dog, he was also slow and incompetent. He tried to interject in the conversation before Ichigo had the chance to.
ーMay I suggest a move, My Overlord-?
ーTake those words back right now, soldier.
The bluenette snapped his mouth shut in surprise.
ーOnly my Commander has the right to call me that. I'm still "Your Majesty" for you. Don't forget your place, counselor .
Low blow.
ー...my apologies, Your Majestyー he repressed the urge to spit those words and continued his talk normally ー, I simply believed I could offer a solution to your... problem here.
He pointed towards the tiger figurine in the map, then moved it to the left, towards a tiny skull apparently hidden in a forest.
ーI suggest Ggio's platoon regroups with Barragan's squad, and together, attack the enemy's right flank, since it's not protected with cannons like the front or the left. The forest is a tactical point for this.
Careful of not slicing his own face, the Overlord brought his sharp gauntlet hand up to his chin and stared thoughtfully. Grimmjow tapped the floor with his foot impatiently: time was of essence now and they had to be quick.
ーWhat do you think, Commander?
" You gotta be kidding me. "
ーI see Grimmjow's point, My Overlord. It's a good move for now. Let's go for it. I may oversee the attack myself if necessary.
ーWe're going for it.ー repeated the albino as he turned his head to address the bluenette properly. ーTell Ggio's troops to regroup with Barragan's. Effective immediately.
Oh, how he loved to hear those two last words. They meant action. They meant a battle Grimmjow was willing to fight.
ーYes, Your Highness. I'll let them know.
They meant his damn Overlord had finally made a decision and now they were talking.
As Grimmjow walked out of the King's lair, he intently ignored the soft murmurs that were being exchanged between Commander Ichigo and Shirosaki. He put the lower side of his mask on to cover his mouth and growled, his eyes fixed on the floor as he walked towards the communication's room.
Ever since that bastard Ichigo had showed up, things had been going downhill for the Overlord's empire. They weren't conquering as many lands as before, and the ones which were already under their control were starting revolts, wanting their freedom back. Old Shirosaki would've obliterated those with a simple snap from his fingers and a shot from the Fortress' core, leaving an example of authority permanently ingrained in everyone's memory. This Shirosaki? Oh, no, he had to ask Ichigo first and discuss it with him, then decided to send him as a diplomat to fix the problem with bargains. He gave up territory ! Their soldiers' efforts, lost with a few words! Who cared about "false hopes of protecting the citizens" and "calculated lies"? What they needed was power, and the Overlord everyone worshipped was losing it against a ginger head who came to join their army from some mysterious lands no one knew.
Oppression and bloodshed, strong soldiers and firepower, go all out and forget about the concept of overkill. That's what Shirosaki had first taught everyone in his army. No one would be forgiven for standing in his way. You either fight and win, or you die, no in between... a teaching the current Overlord would look at with uncertainty. You could take prisoners now. Use only the necessary means to win as to not waste resources uselessly. If there's a chance to negotiate and avoid the bloodbath, take it. If you can avoid being mindlessly violent, do it.
All thanks to that damned foreigner.
Ichigo rose from being just another soldier under Ulquiorra's command to the highest possible rank in no time flat. He didn't even pass through the Lieutenant phase, he was put straight into the Captain position, and then skipped being a counselor, turning instantly into the Overlord's closest and most trustworthy man: Commander Ichigo Kurosaki.
What kind of sick joke was that? How long had it taken Grimmjow to become the counselor, only to be put aside from one second to another?
What was even more troublesome was the general anger and envy running through the army. It wasn't just Grimm. Everyone looked at Ichigo with hateful eyes for what he had done to their leader. They all wanted him gone. They wanted their wild war back.
They wanted their Tyrant Overlord back.
ーGrimmjow, sir.
ーPut me in line with Captain Vega.
ーYessir.
Crossing his arms, the blue haired counselor pushed those stressful thoughts to the back of his mind and stared at the explosion of purple mist that surrounded him. It didn't take more than a few minutes for a kneeling form to appear, thought the image was slightly distorted.
ーCaptain Ggio Vega reporting in, Grimmjow, sir.
ーOn your feet.
The younger male complied and stood up instantly.
ーAwaiting for orders, sir.ー he said, determinedly.
ーGo to the west forest and regroup with Captain Barragan, effective immediately. Overlord's direct orders.
ーCopy that, sir.
For a moment, Ggio turned to the side and spoke to someone out of the mist's range, giving away the word to start mobilizing the troops and get them ready to depart. Then he came back to the conversation with a quick confirmation of Grimm's presence.
ーHow else may I be of use, counselor?
ーAre you ready?
Ggio blinked.
ーI beg your pardon?
ーThe Commander is going to the front lines today.
The Captain narrowed his eyes and smiled, making sure to not exaggerate his glee.
ーWe'll be ready to receive him, sir.
ーYou better be, Captain Vega. Dismissed.
ーSir.
With a quick last hand gesture, both men disappeared from each other's line of sight, Grimmjow flopping his shoulders down and bringing a hand up to scratch his ear.
ー...we better be.ー he muttered, before leaving the room and going towards his chambers. He had a lot of work ahead.
ーI'm telling you, Shiro, something's not right. I can feel it.
ーHow can you feel it, huh? Are you a magician now?
ー...you don't need to be so rude.
Ichigo nuzzled his nose against Shirosaki's fluffy coat, a small pout on his mouth as he spoke with his Overlord. It felt comfy and warm, something he needed more than anything to finally feel safe inside that damned Fortress.
ーI ain't rude, Ichi. I just like things to be straightforward.
Soft lips crashed against his one second later, taking him by surprise. Pulling away, the Commander stared at his Overlord with a playful grin on his face.
ーIs that enough straightforward for you, sir?
ーYeah, I guess it is.ー he answered, keeping his cool intact. ーI still don't get what you mean by "not right", though. You know nothing will happen to you in the Fortress. I have eyes everywhere.
ーI'm not so sure myself.ー admitted the Commander. ーI just feel like something big will happen to you and I'm afraid of what it could be.
ーDid you dream with a premonition again?
ーNot exactly...?
ーThen it's nothing to worry about, Ichi.
Shirosaki scanned Ichigo's face for a reaction, and only found doubt plastered on it. His beautiful brown eyes went down and stared at his shoes, as if ashamed of even speaking about his gut feeling at all.
ーHey. Hey, look at me.
With utmost delicacy as to not hurt him, the Overlord lifted his Commander's head with a lone finger. Ichigo stared at him and suddenly bit his lip, trying to look away again.
ーWhat's up with you today? You seem different.
ーIt's just... I...
ーStraightforward, Commander.
ーDon't ask me to be straightforward when I'm not even straight.
The Overlord was stunned for a minute, before chuckling and kissing Ichigo's forehead gently.
ーYou made a joke! You're fine.
The Commander simply nodded and showed a small smile. He let go of the white coat and hurriedly made his way to the exit.
ーI have to go now. Someone has to watch over Barragan and Ggio, right?
ーHey.
Before Ichigo could walk out the room, Shirosaki spoke up one last time. The Commander turned around slowly, and stared at his Overlord with a single eye, the other one hidden with the shadows that formed behind him.
ーDon't overthink this. Just go and do your best, Ichi. I love you.
There was a moment of awkward silence, finally broken when Ichigo gave up a smile and replied.
ーI love you too, My Lord. Never forget that.
Shirosaki chuckled under his breath.
ーLike I'll forget.
And the door closed behind the Commander's darkened silhouette.
ーCommander Ichigo, sir!
ーAt ease!
The foggy forest felt humid and unpleasant, muddy grounds being unsteady to walk on and black trees surrounding the camp menacingly. All soldiers were standing in line, saluting their Commander diligently as he put one foot on the zone.
Captain Ggio took a step forward and bowed down, soon followed by the newly arrived Captain Barragan. The Commander frowned, inspecting everything with a quick scan, then nodded firmly and waved his hand to salute them back.
ーAt ease, Captains.
The first one to stand up was Captain Ggio, who tensely spoke up to the Overlord's representative.
ーCommander Ichigo, sir! 26th Main Platoon, 2nd Professional Squad, at your service and awaiting orders!
ーReport status of the 26th Main Platoon.
ーAll soldiers ready to comply, cannons are now going under maintenance and will all be ready in two hours.
ーReport status of the 2nd Professional Squad.
Now it was Barragan's turn to speak up.
ーAll soldiers ready to comply, Commander.
ーExcellent. Dismissed. I wish to have a short word with you, Captain Barragan, before the assassins get ready to depart.
With a nod, the forces began to scatter around the camp, only a reduced group staying and walking closer to the Commander. Barragan lifted his heavy axe slowly, grunting as he put it on his shoulder, then made his way towards Ichigo with his usual air of superiority surrounding him.
The orangette scanned the members of the professional squad with his usual scowl never leaving his eyes. The only one who didn't flinch at his voice was the old Captain. Apparently he believed himself to be too powerful to be intimidated by the Overlord's right-hand man.
ーThere's someone in particular from the other army that the Overlord wants gone. He believes you to be the best suited for her elimination.
ーWho may it be? We shall dispose of her the moment she steps on the battlefield.
ーShe already is on it. Royal Knight Shihouin Yoruichi. She has killed several of our men and her skill is to be feared, as she's said to have cut a bullet in half without even seeing it.
ーA magical bullet, cut in half? If this turns out to be a rumor and she turns out to be weak...
ーIt is true. Grimmjow was the one who saw it. He would never lie.
Barragan narrowed his eyes at the mention of Grimmjow in such a way from the Commander.
ーI thought you didn't trust him. Only the Overlord did.
ーI would trust him with my life. If the Overlord saw him as worthy of being his counselor, then there's no reason for me to doubt.
The old man grunted, then motioned for his assassins to disperse.
ーOrder understood. We will kill that woman ourselves.
Ichigo nodded, convinced of the fact they could do it without his help, and stayed still as Barragan disappeared in a flash of speed alongside his subordinates. He sighed before walking away and going to the place he believed was his assigned tent. Entering the cramped space, he found an improvised strategy table waiting for him and a small crystal laying on top of it. It was probably a direct channel to contact the Overlord in case of an emergency. Careful, as to not activate it without intention, he moved it away and placed it on his bed, as a reminder to take it with him when he left.
He squinted at the strategy map for a few minutes, then decided to scatter the figurines around it. With a thoughtful gaze, he began to scramble the pieces around, a small skull and a tiger on the forest, a rose on the valley, a square close to the canyon and a bigger square beyond the mountains. By logic, it seemed like the Fortress would take 5 minutes to be into firing range in case of an emergency, so that was fine for now. No need to move it from the canyon, it was well protected there. On the other hand, Cacao Kingdom's castle was extremely far from them, meaning reinforcements for their army were a big no. The Queen wouldn't risk it, though, so Ichigo knew the enemy must've had a trump card prepared just in case.
A Royal Knight could be considered a trump card. But the Queen was smart, she wouldn't just send such an important soldier without a back up. Could it be another Royal Knight? Or even worse, a Royal Magician, perhaps? Whichever the scenario, he would need Ggio's platoon to ready the cannons-
ーCOMMANDER!
The sound of an explosion from outside and the outburst of a soldier into his tent told Ichigo all he needed to know. As quickly as he could, he put his claws on and let them power up with the deadly glow of his pink magic. He rushed outside, followed close by the other man, and glanced at every corner of his vision to identify the situation and the best course of action.
He only knew what to do when he looked up.
ーGet all possible cannons ready! All fire on that Magician!!
Floating above the camp, several magic circles with complicated readings around them powered up once again to rain hell on the camp a second time. The Commander could recognize the silhouette of someone behind them, further up into the sky. The caster. He snarled at the dirty approach the enemy had decided to take. This was unlike the Queen; attacking when no one is ready without a single warning?
ーThat's gonna weight as a treaty violation. ーIchigo growled under his breath, then snapped his head to the side when another explosion caught his attention. Followed by several more bangings, the cannons shot their dark magic at the attacker without thinking twice, and a few hits got past their barriers. One landed a blow, and the figure screamed in pain. Raising their arm, they shot a dazzling ball of energy towards the clouds, before disappearing in a flash.
The sound of battle screams from the distance told everyone it was time to fight.
ーThey gave away our position to the main army! Recharge all cannons, 2nd assassin squad ready to move out, 26th platoon scatter and hunt on sight! Let's show them what the Overlord's army is capable of!
Their own battle scream exploded from the men behind Ichigo as he barked away orders to counterattack. Said and done, he rushed into the forest alongside everyone else, Captain Barragan disappearing from his sight a few seconds later, covered by the shadows of his Rot Magic, and Captain Ggio running to his right until he took a push of speed and dashed in front of the Commander until he was too far to see clearly.
It didn't take them three minutes to crash face to face with the first soldiers from the Cacao Army.
With a fierce roar, uncommon from the orangette, Ichigo lunged at them and began to tear away with precision at his enemies' necks. His short, burning claws weren't meant for long term brawls, they were made for quick and clean kills for the times when he willed it. At that moment, he was angered by how the Queen had taken such measures to win. Dirty war wasn't his thing, and he had managed to get that mindset into Shirosaki with a lot of effort. Seeing the other side doing it was making him furious, as the thought of Shiro following their example and reverting to the mindless tyrant he used to be invaded his vision. He didn't want that, and he would make hell rain on those who threatened his dream.
He had to stop abruptly when his claws clashed against something that didn't tear instantly. He found himself locked in the grasp of a smarter soldier with a shield, who had grabbed his arm in the second of confusion and was getting ready to cut it off him. Ichigo screamed in rage, and in the split moment of fear he created, he went straight for the head with his free hand.
Blood splattered his face as someone else got to his target first, cutting the neck abruptly and spraying hot, red liquid on Ichigo. That wasn't his job. His claws were hot and meant to cauterize wounds instantly, so as to avoid him getting that dirty while fighting.
Standing back on firm ground, he looked around trying to spot whoever had won the kill over him. A flash of blue hair was all he managed to see before another soldier tried to take him down. Blocking quickly, Ichigo screamed at the newcomer to give him some backup.
ーGrimm, tear them off!
ーAs you wish, Commander !
The tone the counselor held got the orangette confused for a second. That sounded more like a threat than a snarky come back. But his thoughts were cut short when more blood fell on his face, and he had to close his mouth instantly. The last thing he wanted was to get it on his tongue.
Ichigo finally gave himself time to recover energies, bringing air back into his lungs and deactivating his claws to let them cool down. Heavy footsteps approached him from the shadows, and Grimmjow came out of hiding to recover his swords from the corpses scattered on the ground. The Commander smirked at him, then sighed tiredly.
ーMan, that was a rush. Thanks, you saved me.
ーYou sound pretty casual to be on a bloody war zone. You feeling well, Commander?
ーMhm, yes, I'm just trying to calm my senses down is all. I should've seen the shield. Forgive my lack of focus this time.
ーAh, lack of focus?ー Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the tone of the Counselor. Again, he was sounding different than usual. ーLack of focus, I see... sounds like a good excuse to me.
ーWhat?
ーHey, Ichigo, may I have a word with the Overlord? You got his crystal, yes?
The Commander went pale.
ーN-no, I left it at the camp. I came to fight in a rush and forgot-
ーTch, careless, careless Commander...
More footsteps made themselves known to Ichigo's ears. He glanced around and extended his senses. The danger was immediate.
ーCareless and weak, soft and a slow-thinker, merciful yet stupid. Thank you for your efforts, Ichigo, but you're not suited for your position anymore. Or, you never were.
ーSays who?
ーEveryone.
The Commander turned around, ready to block whatever attack was coming from behind. His claws lit up in dangerous magic, and he slashed out at the assassin that had tried to stab him from behind.
It took him a fatal millisecond to remember who he had lost from view with the action.
A fast hand covered his mouth as Grimmjow's deadly swords pierced through his abdomen, destroying his intestines in the process but leaving his spine intact, as to make him suffer more. Ichigo tried to scream in pain, or call for help, but the Counselor was not stupid and had already prevented him from doing so.
ーThe Overlord sent me to take care of you. I'm doing exactly that. Poor thing, you didn't see this shit coming, did you, oh, master strategist?
The Commander fell to the ground with a hard thud, and without wasting his chances, Grimmjow snapped his fingers as he stepped on the fallen man's chest, keeping him in place. From the corner of his eyes, Ichigo watched as both Captains Ggio and Barragan appeared near the bluenette.
ーLeave him as useless as you can. I'll call the Overlord.
He widened his eyes. Ggio smirked in anticipation, while Barragan slowly lifted his axe. This would be extremely fun for them, and extremely painful for him.
Not like anyone cared.
By the time Shirosaki received Grimmjow's message, he was already moving the Fortress closer to the battlefield, while he rushed out to see what was going on with his own eyes.
Ichigo didn't report himself at the established time. So he would go look for him and kick his ass in person. That was the intended thought at first.
"Your Majesty, the Commander, he- he was taken down in battle! The enemy is too strong this time, we need you here! He needs medical treatment urgently, and we need the Fortress' cannon to defeat them!", so Grimmjow had said. He didn't need any more information.
His Commander was dying.
He knew Ichigo would kill him for going overboard, but he couldn't care less. His life was on the line. The Empire too, of course, but Ichigo... his Ichigo, he was above that. Shirosaki was going to save him first, whatever the cost.
He ran as fast as his legs allowed him to go through the forest, blasting away fallen trees that dared to get on his way without mercy. When he began to spot corpses around him, he sped up. His body hurt from such an effort, which was going beyond possible human standards, but he couldn't care less.
When he felt like the Fortress was within firing range, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers immediately. A minute later, the terrible earthquake proved him the shot had landed on solid ground, hopefully tearing apart the enemy army, or at least a chunk of it. With a quick motion from his gauntlet, he sent the signal to the Core to begin a second power up. Whatever was left of Cacao Kingdom would be obliterated next.
A flash of orange broke his murderous thoughts into instant panic. He found him.
ーOverlord! Your Majesty, we won't be able to save him in-!
ーICHIGO!
The pale man collapsed near the body of his beloved Commander, whose breath was barely there. His stomach had become a miserable hole with blood gushing out of it, and both his arms and his legs had been almost mangled off. One of his hands was already missing, he noticed. The Overlord was speechless at the scene, doubting Ichigo would ever be able to move again on his own. The surge of rage that came to him made him want to kill the Queen at once, doing exactly the same thing her soldiers did to Ichigo, to her.
ーYour Majesty, we have to leave him. We must regroup and counterattack-
ーI'M NOT LEAVING HIM!
ーYour Majesty!
Grimmjow's fake worry and urgency wavered at seeing the position Shirosaki was taking. No, this wasn't in the plan, he couldn't be serious about trying to save the Commander! Barragan and Ggio had made sure he was completely destroyed, unusable, defeated. The Overlord wouldn't even want to rescue such a poor thing. It would've been a mercy to let him die.
ーThe wound is too deep, we'd need to cauterize it then get him to treatment! We can't save him in time!
ーCauterize?
Shirosaki stared at Grimm's tense expression, confusion plastered on him. Yes, cauterize, what was he thinking?
The Overlord raised his gauntlet, then stared.
ーI have to save him. I have to. I HAVE TO!ー he screamed, before lighting up his hand with his wild magic. It was the same as Ichigo's claws, now he just needed to control it enough to make it effective. He was so desperate, he had to try.
Ichigo couldn't die. Ichigo could not die.
(Grimmjow had to hide his glee.)
ーICHIGO!
The scream of his name brought Ichigo's consciousness back to him for less than a minute, but it was there. He opened one eye, trying to focus on whatever was going on around him and doing his best to ignore the pain.
White.
He saw his Overlord near him. Shiro. Blue was on the other side. Grimmjow, that bastard.
No, his Shiro was in danger. He had to warn him, if he was going to die, he had to at least protect him.
"You have to run. Grimmjow is..."
ーShi-
A flash of pink was all he saw before searing, burning pain invaded all his senses. His throat too raw already to scream more, he could only gasp as he felt the magic destroying what was left of his lower side. He stared, his only eye left never leaving his Overlord's hand, hot and hurting and inside him carelessly.
Grimmjow didn't betray the Overlord. He had actually ordered them to...
"So it was true."
He closed his eye, too exhausted to process anything else, and he couldn't even sob a goodbye before unconsciousness claimed him one last time.
His lover had killed him. He would die with that image ingrained in his brain.
ーDid I do it?
Shirosaki hoped he had done it well. He had never cauterized a wound before, and he hoped this was enough to keep his Ichigo alive. With the utmost care, he tried to lift his Commander up, and his anxiety went down slightly at seeing him not bleeding anymore.
ーGrimmjow, I closed the wound! We have to take him back now! Move it! We can still save Ichigo!
The counselor nodded firmly, then sprinted behind the Overlord as they hurried back to the camp. His wild grin was finally revealed once he was safely out of Shiro's range of sight. To prevent any suspicions, he put his mask on and smartly hid his joy with it.
"Congratulations on killing your Commander, Your Majesty! If not for your lack of mercy and control... maybe he would have survived!"
Shirosaki never truly learned how to restrain his magic, after all.
ーYour Majesty... what is...?
ーHEAL HIM!
It had gone over for several minutes already. The medics were too stunned to move, not exactly understanding what their Overlord expected from them.
Ichigo laid down on the improvised bed for the injured, and Shirosaki was roaring at everyone to find a way to help him. He didn't understand what all the medics, Magicians, and actually, everyone else in the camp, were trying to tell him.
ーYour Majesty, please listen to us-
ーUse whatever means necessary, you hear me?! Heal him, now! He's not bleeding, you can still save him!
ーYour Majesty, he's far gone already! That man has been dead since before you even reached the camp!
ーHE'S NOT DEAD!ー Shirosaki's roar was so terrible the ground under him broke with the pressure. His energy and emotions getting out of control, the people surrounding him took several steps back in fear. ーHe can't be dead! HE CAN'T BE! HEAL HIM! THAT'S AN ORDER!
ーWe can't heal a dead person! Our magic doesn't work! Please understand, Your Majesty! The Commander is gone!
The Overlord breathed harshly, his mind revolving in shocked confusion. Dead. Dead? Ichigo? Gone? That was impossible, he had helped him, he had saved him, he had reached him in time. Why? Why wasn't he there?
ーHe... can't be...?
A Magician had the boldness to approach him, having the need to deliver the worst news yet. Looking around and getting a reassuring nod from the other members, he spoke up.
ーOverlord, this man was already dead when he got here. We have no way to bring him back.
Shirosaki narrowed his eyes in despair, then violently grabbed the man's cape by the collar. He shook him as he yelled.
ーHis soul, you can recover his soul, right? Can't you?! A Necromancer, that will-!
ーYour Majesty, listen carefully, please. The Commander was too far from the Core when he died. His soul is gone. We can't recover it. He can't even remain in the Fortress. We're sorry.
The albino's hand trembled, and he let go of the clothes in a defeated motion. His expression could only reflect his shock. There was nothing else he could do.
Ichigo was dead.
Absolute silence followed in the forest for several minutes. The army stared at their leader, afraid of the possible outburst that could kill them all.
A reddish aura began to surround him. It was a good moment to take distance.
A lone thunder was all the sky could say before Shirosaki roared in absolute fury and rage. His power unleashed, a blast of his enraged magic reached the clouds in no time and lit them up in red. His army, dispersed throughout the Empire, could only stare in awe as meteors of magic rained down upon the lands of the Cacao Kingdom, a merciless display of power acting as ruthless revenge.
With an aching, unsatisfied heart, the Overlord screamed once again as he snapped his fingers, unleashing then the power of the Fortress' cannon at its maximum. Soldiers, villagers, innocents, royals, and possibly even the Queen herself: no one would be left standing after they met Shirosaki's rage.
The sound of war, despair and death filled the distance. In the utter silence of the forest, the Overlord's army contained their joy at seeing their King's show of authority. Their Tyrant leader was back with them.
ー...Hail the Overlord!
The single scream turned into a group yell.
ーHail the Overlord!!
Now everyone was cheering.
ーHAIL THE OVERLORD!
But he didn't answer to his followers.
It was already too late to recover Shiro's heart.
ーThree days of mourning. This is a ceasefire to all Kingdoms involved in the war.
Grimmjow facepalmed internally at the nonsense he was hearing. After all the damn trouble they'd gone through, the Overlord was still being a softie. Goddamn Ichigo, goddamn what he did to him... how long would it take to reverse it? The Counselor couldn't be sure himself.
Sitting on his throne, his expression devoid of anything and his yellow eyes shining menacingly, the Overlord stared at the bluenette awaiting his response. It wasn't like he cared for his words, anyway... but he wasn't in the mood to do much besides listening to the fool.
ーYour Majesty, that's... ridiculous.
ーIt is not.
ーHe was just another soldier, sir! We've lost people before, what makes him damn worthy of such treatment?! What about everyone else?! He's not worth this!
ーJeagerjaquez. Apologize at once.
The bluenette shut his mouth and widened his eyes. The dark King stood up, his jacket cape flowing swiftly behind him. He walked down a few stairs before stomping his armoured boots on solid ground. The other man flinched in fear.
ーNot worth it?
Shirosaki gritted his teeth and charged up his gauntlet. Grimmjow instinctively reached for his swords, but then realized he wasn't carrying them on his belt. He had left them at his chambers.
ーHow dare you say Ichigo is not worth it in front of me?!
ーW-what about everyone else who's died in the war?! Captain Szayel, Captain Zommari, Captain Yammy! They left with no glory, no mourning!
ーBut they're with us in the Core. What did Ichigo get?
The bluenette fell silent.
ーI've already arranged the funeral. Mourning for three days, case closed. No one shall bother me during that time.
Shirosaki turned his back to the Counselor and made his way back to his throne, his movements cold and tense. He sat down and sighed tiredly, massaging the bridge of his nose with his non-armoured hand.
ーJeagerjaquez... I didn't call you here to answer your demands, though...
ーWhat?
ーThere's something I needed to tell you.
The Counselor relaxed his body and glanced at the guards behind him. The coast seemed safe again.
ーWhat is it, Your Majesty?
ーYou were with Ichigo at the forest. Right?
ーYes?
ーYou had your weapons with you and more soldiers around. Right?
ーWhat does this mean, Your Majesty?
Shirosaki clicked his tongue in disappointment. He snapped his eyes open, glaring daggers at the man in front of him. Pure hatred and coldness what embedded in them. Cruelty, rage, madness.
ーYet you did nothing, you useless scumbag.
ーYour Majesty, I beg your pardon?
ーYou're to be executed for your incompetence to protect Commander Ichigo. Effective? Immediately .
Grimmjow stared in disbelief for a second before roaring. Strong hands grabbed him from behind and pinned his arms in place, preventing him from lunging at the Overlord to tear him apart.
ーYou can't do this to me! I'm the most suited to become your new Commander! You can't kill me!
ーThere will be no other Commander.ー Shirosaki answered, coldly. His eyes were of steel. His words were law. Everything about him screamed "danger" now.
As the blue haired man was being taken away, he lowered his head and growled under his breath. His death wasn't in the plan, but at least his soul would join the Fortress' Core and always be around from there on, unlike Ichigo, who died without glory nor honor.
Grimmjow smirked. None of that mattered anyway.
He accomplished what he and everyone else wanted.
He had created the perfect Overlord.
With that thought in mind, he stopped struggling against the guards and let himself be dragged away towards his end. He never stopped smiling.