Night's End

Kurohitsugi faded away, and Hongjiang dropped back onto the crossbeam. The ten Quincies in the distance were nowhere to be seen. They were well and truly dead.

As for the nine Nodt Futz and the others nearby, they were covered in wounds deep enough to expose bone, reduced to nine blood-soaked figures. But their chests still rose and fell, proof they were alive.

Hongjiang had just released the full power of Senju Kōten Taihō, so the Kurohitsugi he cast had only half the power it would have had with its incantation. There had also been too many people inside it, and the arrows from outside had further weakened it. That Futz and the others had survived at all was lucky.

"Bakudō #63, Chain Restraint!"

Enormous snake-shaped chains sprang from Hongjiang's palm, binding the wounded Futz and the other eight, along with the two pinned to the ground by Hyapporankan, into one bundle. He pulled them over to his side.

These people were his spoils of war. Capturing ten fewer than he'd hoped was less than perfect, but they were only mid- to high-ranking Quincies. The real big fish were still Hirako, Yoruichi, and the others.

After releasing Clock Prison again, Hongjiang sat cross-legged atop the bell and waited. A dozen or twenty more wounded Quincies trickled in along the way, and he casually bound them in place with Bakudō.

A little over an hour later, four captains, led by Hirako Shinji, finally arrived before him, with eight vice-captains who had led the main forces following behind.

"Reporting, Ao! The Star-Extermination Force has pacified the outer and middle districts. We're all standing by in the middle district. Please give us your orders!"

Hongjiang raised a hand to signal the 2nd Division vice-captain, who was kneeling on one knee, to wait. At that moment, Hachigen Ushoda outside was sending him a message through Kido. "Fourth Division Captain Unohana Retsu has arrived with her squad. Please give your orders, Ao!"

"Let them in. The Star-Extermination Force is in the middle district and needs treatment. As for Captain Unohana, have her come straight to the plaza in the inner district!"

After arranging things with Unohana through Kido, Hongjiang addressed the 2nd Division vice-captain below. "Captain Unohana's here. First, gather all the wounded, including the Quincies, so the 4th Division can treat them. The other captains will relay any further orders!"

"Yes, sir!"

The eight vice-captains received their orders and left the plaza for the middle district. Hongjiang, atop the bell, turned his gaze to Hirako and the others and continued, "Tell me about these two people in front of you."

The surroundings fell silent. Hirako Shinji, standing in the middle, looked left and right. When no one spoke, he reluctantly replied, "The man's called Connor. The woman's called... What was her name again?"

"Yuuki Mie!" Aikawa Love quietly reminded him from the side.

"Right, Yuuki! From what those Quincies were babbling about, I think they're their Holy King and Holy Queen!"

"I didn't ask who they were!" Hongjiang pointed at the man and woman on the ground and snapped, "I want to know why they ended up like this!"

The two people at Hirako's feet were barely breathing. They were still alive, but probably not for much longer.

Hongjiang had a very good reason for keeping these Quincies alive. And now, the big fish he'd waited so long for were about to become dead fish. How could he accept that?!

Faced with Hongjiang's question, Hirako rubbed his forehead, unsure how to explain. At the far end, Yoruichi had lowered her head almost to her chest, silently repeating to herself, Don't ask me. Don't ask me!

Seeing their faces, Hongjiang decided there was no point pressing them now that things had come to this. At least Unohana would be here soon. He could only hope Captain Unohana could work a miracle and save as many as possible.

"Forget it. You four, take your people and clean up the battlefield." Hongjiang sighed softly as he gave the order to Hirako and the others. "Each of you take one direction and search every corner, moving outward from the middle district. I won't allow a single one to escape!"

The four captains nodded slightly, then stepped back and vanished from the plaza with Flash Step, leaving only Yoruichi and Urahara standing by.

"You two can stop hanging your heads. I'm leaving the inner district to you. Consider it your punishment!" Yoruichi heard this and looked relieved. She immediately grabbed Urahara and slipped away.

Watching the two of them run off, Hongjiang thought, If I can even scare Yoruichi, I must be playing Ao very convincingly! Too bad the timing was wrong. Otherwise, teasing Yoruichi as Ao would have been fun to imagine!

Just as Hongjiang tilted his head, thinking about how he might tease Yoruichi next time, a gentle voice suddenly sounded beside him. "Ao? Ao!"

"Hm? Hana—! Captain!" Hongjiang turned and saw Unohana's familiar face, nearly letting the name slip.

Unohana's brows knit slightly. Her name was Unohana, but this man had shortened it to "Hana." To be honest, he was rather shameless!

"May I ask why you summoned me, Ao?"

Hongjiang could hear the displeasure in Unohana's voice. Suppressing the urge to explain, he pointed to Connor and Yuuki below. "Could you see if those two can still be saved?"

"And these people, too." As he spoke, Hongjiang tossed the bundle of Futz and the others down from behind him. "Save whoever you can."

"Come forth, Minazuki~" At Unohana's soft chant, the Zanpakuto at her waist swelled like an inflating balloon, then transformed into a green, one-eyed creature resembling a manta ray. This was Unohana Retsu's Shikai, Minazuki. As long as you still had one breath left, it could swallow you and heal you.

Minazuki first went over to Futz and the others. After sniffing them, it swallowed all eleven in one gulp. Then it went to Connor and Yuuki. Its tongue curled around Connor and placed him in its mouth, leaving Yuuki alone outside.

"The woman can't be saved. Once the others return to Seireitei and recuperate in the 4th Division for a while, they'll recover." Unohana stroked Minazuki's smooth forehead and continued, "Do you have any further orders, Ao? If not, I'll head back to Seireitei."

"Has Jianzhu Zhiwang been completed yet?"

"Not yet. The Head Captain sent me here, so it seems the Star-Extermination Siege is going very smoothly~" Unohana knew there was nothing else for her to do here, and gently leapt onto Minazuki's back. "Still, Ao, keep an eye on the time. It's already evening outside, and Captain Kuruyashiki and the others will be back in a day~"

With that, Minazuki pushed off with its three short legs, beat its fin-like wings, and carried Unohana away from the Sternritter Fortress.

After Unohana left, the Sternritter Fortress grew noisy again. The Soul Reapers who were still able to move began searching the middle and outer districts under the four captains' command. The search took even longer than conquering the Sternritter Fortress.

The final result proved that the Quincies had indeed kept their dignity. There were living Quincies and dead Quincies throughout the Sternritter Fortress, but not one of them was free!

"So they really aren't here?" Hongjiang murmured as he listened to the four captains' reports.

In that case, there was no need to stay any longer. Hongjiang waved his right hand, and the huge silver lock in the sky came undone first. Hachigen Ushoda and Ushoda Hachigen, sensing the signal, also dispelled their Kido.

The black coffin that had completely enclosed the Sternritter Fortress finally vanished. Sunlight poured in from the east, almost painfully bright.

They had arrived beneath a star-scattered night sky; they left beneath a blazing dawn. At last, the long night had passed.