Afire Love (Bleach: Ichiruki)

IV

Asami Sōsuke

I glanced at Ichigo. At Byakuya. At Shunsui. At every shinigami, human, arrancar that stood before me. And for those who sacrificed their lives for the Soul King.

I released Yhwach, throwing him into the throne. I pulled out my zanpakuto, facing the Quincies.

Even Aizen stopped and looked at me in surprise.

No one, not one living soul, has seen my bankai.

"Asami?" Aizen said.

"Bankai."

Time froze around me, along with every single soul. I took a deep breath, reading the soul of every child of mine before me.

"Shi kara shōjimasu."

Time resumed around me as every single one of their eyes widened.

I shut my eyes, smiling, as they looked at me petrified.

They only heard the single word "bankai" escaping from my lips, but not the actual words.

"What just happened?" Aizen appeared next to me, his hand placed on the small of my back.

"You will see soon." I grinned up at him.

A Queen's job is to protect her King and her people.

And that is what I just did.

Yhwach's presence drew closer as I walked from the center of the battle field.

With a flick of my finger, I placed a protective seal around me as I left the Quinces and the Shinigami, repelling Yhwach's advance, keeping my reiatsu sealed.

I would watch from afar until my children arose to me.

••••

Third Person

They watched as the Soul Queen disappeared from their sight.

They were speechless.

She had just performed her bankai, and nothing had happened.

Nothing our of the ordinary changed.

But they didn't hear the name of their bankai.

It was as if they were frozen in place when the Queen performed it.

And she was smiling. Grinning. As if she had just won this war.

And she had.

Because no one, not one shinigami, arrancar, quincy, or human, knows what was about to happen.

The battle erupted between the Quincies and Shinigami.

With Jugram Haschwalth, the Quincies flawless and brutal second in command, killed by the hands of the Soul Queen, the Quincies were more hesitant. But they still gladly fought for Yhwach, the new King, as he stood back in rage, trying to read the future.

But he couldn't see anything. He hadn't been able to see anything in the future anymore ever since she performed her bankai, confusing the hell out of everyone, and causing this chaos.