Rally the Troops: The Overlord Appears

America, or rather, the United States specifically.

Once, the epicenter of economic stability. Once, a great nation built on the foundations of freedom and stability.

It was once believed that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these were Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.... That to secure those rights, governments were needed, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. It was believed that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it was the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

Such obligations.. such political rules.. such freedoms that were believed to be god-given.. now seemed like a joke to all. It was, quite simply, the current state of the nation. Freedom was now worthless. Life was more than rare, Liberty was nonexistant.. and Happiness? Yeah, right.

There was a new power in America. It was no god. It was no benevolent force. It was neither a government, nor a democratic system. The new power in the United States was a tyrant, a demon of the night who swooped in un-announced and caused mass havoc and destruction.

Destruction, however, might not be the right word for exactly the kind of carnage that was caused. The entirety of the country, from Michigan westward, was leveled like a nuclear wasteland. Barren, deserted plane littered every square inch. Buildings were either completely blown away, barely standing, or broken in half. Life? That's a joke. Every creature from the mice to the men had been wiped out. The only remaining creatures were cockroaches. And really, who's surprised about that? Hawaii hadn't been touched, as Haseo hadn't seen it necessary to extend his reach that far as of yet. As for Alaska? Haseo had made personally sure that he sent it into the ocean, blown off the continent. At this point, it was probably just a mass of rock at the bottom of the ocean.

While the west may be leveled, east of the Michigan area was much better off, though that wasn't really saying much.

The main attraction buildings had been saved, for the most part. Besides a few large holes in the Pentagon, and.. well, the Empire State building had been split in half. The top half was somewhere in the Mariana Trench. Oddly enough, the Washington Monument has been saved... apart from a few alterations.

Down the northern side of it, four letters, formerly in the "Hollywood" sign, were attached permanently. From the top down, said letters are H, O, L, and Y. A testament to the arrogant mental state of the chaotic force that dominated said country.

It is probably fair, then, to wonder what possible force could have possibly done all this. How many armies did it take to disable a major world superpower?

The answer.... was just one.

ONE army, led by one of the oldest beings known. Haseo Karkata. Out of all countries, Haseo had chosen America for the challenge of taking it for himself, disabling one of the center military forces and murdering most of the population with little to no trouble, resistance-wise. Despite all his rebellion crushing, there was a small group of resisting forces in Maine. However, the group was too small for him to care or waste time on.

The Washington Monument, to Haseo, had more value than just a dedication to his arrogance. It was also the area he had set his HQ up on. From atop the monument, Haseo watched for miles in all directions, reveling in the power he held over this pathetic wasteland.

He was atop there today as well. However... for a different reason.

He had been preparing and amassing his forces for years. Six long, arduous years of constant preparation and strategy. It... was time.

Haseo shook a strand of white hair out of his face, digging his bare feet into the graphite of the monument with ease as he raised his hands. From said hands, dark energy spiraled, pouring into the soil beneath the monument on all sides. The lush garden turned over, soil rooting up and turning over as, from the dirt, an army rose. Creatures pulled from the apparent depths of hell, by appearance. Monsters, elvish beings, and a few dragons at that. The army Haseo razed america with, re-realized as he prepared for his next strike.

The bane of fate grinned, raising his arms out to the sides, immediately calling the attention of all below as his army turned to face him, hypnotized by his command.

Haseo took in a deep breath, his voice booming as he spoke out.

"My friends, it has often been said that I like war...."

Haseo kneeled, pushing off his legs and springing into a backflip, landing on a platform of his own reiatsu above the monument.

"My friends, I like war... No, friends, I love war!" Haseo shouted, a huge grin on his face as he looked over his army. "I love holocausts. I love blitzkriegs. I love defensive lines. I love sieges, charges, I love mop-up operations, and retreats.."

Haseo's smile dropped a bit as he looked out over the horizon. "Wars across prairies, in streets, in trenches, in grasslands, in frozen tundras, through deserts, on the sea, in the air, I love every act of war that can occur upon this earth. I love blasting the enemy to smithereens with energy that thunders across the lines of battle. My heart leaps with joy whenever a soldier is tossed high into the air and cut to pieces by well placed bala... And there is nothing like a shinigami using a Hadō 88 to destroy enemy forces. And the feeling that comes when a soldier runs screaming from his blazing defense, only to be sliced down by a stray attack, is such an exquisite feeling..."

Haseo's tongue stuck out from his lips, sliding over them in an almost seductive caress as he preached his love of battle to his soldiers. Far below, the armies rallied, muscles tensing and weapons readying. His armies were preparing for battle. Even his lowest grunts, with their limited brain function, could understand that something huge was going to go down.. and soon. The zombies, a few of his lowest grunts, started a rumble of noise across the field that carried into the upper grunts. Haseo snarled as he lost their attention, channeling reiatsu into his throat as he roared, the sound turning into that of a lion's as it boomed across the field. Haseo's army quieted instantly as the pseudo-sugiura smiled evilly, continuing his tirade.

"Like when ranks of infantry brandish their Zanpakutō rushing into the enemy line. It moves me deep within my heart to watch a fresh recruit stabbing over and over into the bloated chest of a long-dead enemy..

The sight of deserters being strung up is an irresistible pleasure. And there is nothing more arousing, than the sounds made by prisoners of war dropping like flies, screaming in agony as they're mowed down by ear piercing cero!

When a band of pitiful resistance fighters makes their final stand with nothing but small arms, only to have their city smashed to atoms block by block by almost nuclear-levels of energy.. I'm in ecstasy."

Haseo took a deep breath, composing himself and slowing his heart, which had begun to beat rapidly from the pleasure he was recieving. His mental images of war had his soul aflutter in ecstacy.. After taking a moment... Haseo continued.

"I love it when my forces are ravaged by a division of the Gotei.. It's so sad to see towns and villages that were supposed to be defended at all costs, being laid to waste, their women and children being raped, and killed..

I love to be squashed under the heel of the Arrancar and Sugiura. The humiliation, as my men crawl around like vermin, ducking the blasts and energy flying overhead.."

Haseo grinned wide, extending his arms once more to make his final point as he raised his voice back up to the boom.

"Gentlemen... All I ask for is war, a war so grand as to make Hell itself tremble. Gentlemen, I ask you as fellow brothers in arms, what is it that you really want? Do you wish for further war as I do? Do you wish for a merciless, bloody war? A war whose fury is built with iron, and lightning, and fire? Do you ask for war to sweep in like a tempest, leaving not even ravens to scavenge, from this Earth!?"

Haseo's arms lowered slowly, the pseudo-sugiura walking forward through the air, standing at parade-rest over his army as he looked down upon them. They answered his call. With loud cries of war, battle, and bloodthirst, the answer to his question was clear. Haseo's eyes fluttered closed as he breathed in, taking in the aura of it all... before responding in turn.

"Very well. Then war is what you shall have. We are a clenched fist, ready to strike down all who oppose us, with our might. But... After enduring over half a century wallowing in the darkness, for us, a simple "ordinary" war will no longer be sufficient. We need a MASSIVE war! A war beyond any other that man's history has ever known! We are but a single battalion... The remnants of a defeated army numbering just over two thousand strong. However, I believe that each of you old warriors is equal to a thousand of their sickly soft children! We represent a force that could easily defeat an army of a million and one men! It is time for them to awake the ones who sent us screaming into oblivion, and who now lie sleeping. Let's drag them out of bed by the hair, and remind them of what we are! We will remind them of what it feels like to live in fear. We will remind them of the sound our jackboots make against their throats. We will remind them, that there are more things between Heaven and Hell than are dreamt of in their philosophy!!"

As the Army below Haseo cheered in triumph, Haseo cackled loudly, raising his voice to the sky as it spread like a dome, blanketing the area.

"Our Army of two thousand is going to burn this world down to ash! Yes, my friends! Soon, the world's charred remains will illuminate the night sky! I have brought you all back just as I promised I would. Back to our favorite battlefield. Back to our beloved war! At last the sea lion has crossed the ocean and is heading up the hill. Attention all soldiers of the Glorious Battalion... this is a message from your commander!"

Haseo's sacreds appeared in his hands, the bladed guns firing three shots into the air as Haseo roared out to the heavens.

"Friends... let’s bring them hell!"