Elemental Pride
A Note from the Author: Before you read this story know that I do not own Bleach nor am I affiliated or associated with Tite Kubo and/or Shonen Jump. This is my first story so errors are likely to be found and ends may remain loose. I do not have a set update schedule so updates may and will most likely be far and wide between nor do I have a specific plan for how this story will be written. I apologise now for the inconvenience. I am not fond of long Authors Notes before and/or after chapters so they will be an uncommon occurrence, I find they interrupt the flow of a story. I will post character profiles throughout the story but feel free to skip them for they are not vital and the information in them will be revealed and spoken about in the story. The first few chapters in Soul Society will have similar or the same happenings as in the Amagai Arc. Thank you for taking the time to read my Bleach fanfiction. May all your future endeavours be good ones and remember; Abandon your fear. Look forward. Go forward and never stand still. Retreat and you will age; hesitate and you will die.
Prologue
"Menos level hollow activity has been discovered 20 clicks east of Tokyo City. Repeat, Menos level hollow activity has been discovered 20 clicks east of Tokyo City. The 6th squad has been requested to deal with the threat to human life and has been given clearance to enter the Living World, effective immediately, by captain-commander, Yamamoto Genryuusai."
A shinigami and her captain, Ginrei Kuchiki, watched as the black and red hell-butterfly fluttered out the open window of the sixth division office. The clink of camomile and ginger filled tea-cups against their saucers was heard as polite conversation was halted. "Well that is intriguing, shall I go or would you prefer our third-seat to handle it?" The Sixth Squad vice-captain asked her commanding officer.
"Intriguing indeed. Go if you wish, but hurry back, you wouldn't want your tea to cool." She nodded and grabbed her sword, Yosoken, strapping it to her back. As she flash-stepped out of the building into the night towards the main Senkaimon gate, her haori- similar to that of a captains but in inverted colours- billowed out behind her along with her lengthy ebony hair with blue, green, yellow and red dip-dyed ends.
The gates coordinates had already been set to her destination, so she took a step into the massive archway, a hell-butterfly fluttering by her ear as she ran through the precipice world. As she saw the light that led to the world of the living and jumped through, the shinigami was shocked to feel the heavy reiatsu of what must have been multiple Gillian and at least one Adjudicas Menos, to have so many high level hollow in one place wasn't something that just happened. Someone had caused this and she was going to get to the bottom of it as soon as she was back in the Seireitei.
That being said, It was lucky they had not appeared in a heavily populated area and instead in a large forest. That didn't stop the unintentional destruction they caused with their large sizes though. A large clearing had been made from the hollows flatting a majority of the forest. Giant trees had been snapped like twigs and were strewn everywhere, splinters of wood flying through the air.
The death god observed from above, five large Menos Grande meandered around the clearing in no definite path obliterating the trees that stood in their way while two Adjudicas Menos, one, lithe and feline-shaped, the other a bulky, bear-shape, sharpened their claws on the fallen trees. As the sixth squad member gripped her swords' hilt tightly in her left hand and unsheathed it in one fluid movement, a loud metallic 'chink' echoing through the air, seven sets of animalistic eyes turned to her. She twirled her blade around in her hand, changing her grip around, before pointing it at her opponents, "Well come on then."
The hollows rushed towards her with ear-splitting roars of fury, and the Sixth Squad member prepared herself for the bombarding. She jumped as they reached her, landing on one of the Gillian Menos, her sword sliced through the mask of the Gillian and another closest to her and they disintegrated with screeches of pain. She spun out of the way of razor-sharp claws belonging to the feline Adjudicas, only to earn a shallow cut to her right upper arm from the second bear-shaped one. As she twirled out of the Adjudicas' range, she felt a sudden spike in reiatsu and narrowly missed the ceros by the remaining three Gillian. She jumped through the air mid-spin, dark hair whipping around her face, and swiped her sword in a diagonal arc downwards, right to left. Only reverberating screams of fury were left of the Gillian.
The vice-captain closed her eyes and breathed a few deep breathes before opening them with a clearer head. The two remaining hollows took opposing sides around her, one in front and another behind her. They bared their teeth at let out low growls that vibrated through her chest and circled around her, like two sharks. The three beings didn't make any notions of attacking first, waiting for another to initiate the deadly conversation.
Sick of waiting for its meal, the bear creature let out a ferocious roar and leapt into the non-existent circle that had been created. A loud 'clang' resounded as sword met and sliced into claw. The creature roared, mouth wide open, black spittle flying everywhere, as his opponent slowly cut into and through its only way of attack. The claws made their way towards the land, turning into a thick black dust as they fell, and the hollow screamed in pain as Yosoken, with no more resistance, sliced through its clawless arm. The severed limb joined the claws in a dusty embrace on the ground below. The dark haired shinigami flicked her wrist and a deep slice was made into the base of the creature neck. Black blood spurted from the wound and gurgled from the bear's mouth. The hollow fell from the sky, like a wrecked boat sinks to the ocean floor, and was reunited with its appendages.
The cat mewled at the death of its comrade and took its chance to attack while the shinigami had her back turned, making four deep claw marks across her shoulder blades. She gasped in pain and stumbled through the air, dropping a few meters in height. The hollow used its new height advantage and made a wild swipe to decapitate its enemy. A few pieces of black hair fluttered down to earth, shorn off by the claws that had just missed their mark. The sword wielder had recovered just in time to duck under the attack and leap above the still moving Adjudicas, to make a long, debilitating slash across its back, from shoulder to hip, left to right.
The shinigami followed the falling Menos through the sky and landed after the hollow impacted the ground with a solid 'thud'. She lifted her blade over the fallen creature, and pierced through its eye and into its brain, smashing its mask. Thick, black bodily fluids leaked from the wound and covered her sword as she removed it. She turned her back on the disintegrating creature and flicked her sword free of the muck.
She did not, however, notice the glowing green eyes hidden in the trees behind her, nor the perfectly concealed reiatsu belonging to the animalistic gaze.
As the death god twisted her blade through the air to unlock a Senkaimon gate, the predator struck, swiftly speeding to its prey and stabbing it through the stomach with its elongated nails. A loud squelch resounded in the vicinity as the predator removed its nails slowly, dragging out the process. Her eyes were wide with shock, pain, and questions as she placed a weak arm to her now red stained Shihakusho to try and stem the flow of blood. "Vast…e Lor…" Her speed was too slow and the hole less humanoid hollow stabbed her once more, going straight through the centre of her chest. Instead of removing the body from its clawed hand, the altered hollow lifted its arm and let her hang there, while it opened a Garganta with free hand. It stepped through, back into Hueco Mundo, punctured shinigami and all.
A black and red butterfly settled onto an old and scratched up badge with the writing "Sixth Squad lieutenant, Hanashi Nibiru" carved into it. It fluttered its wings slowly, waiting for the being it would guide safely through the precipice world. It would wait a century.
"Hollow signatures have ceased transmission."