SailorStar9: This is Chapter 3 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, will it kill you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.
Chapter 3: Temporary Reunion
"Next is Cancer Temple." Kiganjō remarked.
"Since Amagai is no longer here, this Temple is uninhabited." Tōsen added.
"Let's hurry up and reach Tula's Temple." Ichimaru urged.
"What on earth is this Spirit Pressure emanating from the Cancer Temple?" Kiganjō mused.
"No, more than a Spirit Pressure." Ichimaru corrected. "This is like death's presence itself we feel."
"As if it was the entrance to the World of the Dead." Tōsen added.
"Impossible." Kiganjō noted and stepped into the Temple.
"Kiganjō!" Tōsen shouted and the other two followed.
"This is..." Ichimaru trailed, upon entering the Temple and finding themselves on the Yomotsu Hirasaka; the Hill to the Land of Spirits.
"Yomotsu Hirasaka." Kiganjō finished. "Cancer Temple's entrance has seemingly become the Hill to the World of the Dead."
"If we try to cross this Cancer Temple, we'll fall down into this pit." Tōsen realized. "Does this mean that they want us to return to the World of the Dead?"
"Impossible." Ichimaru objected. "This is obviously an illusion that someone created."
"Evidently so." Kiganjō agreed. "But who on earth could create such an illusion?"
"Kiganjō!" Ichimaru warned as ghastly hands reached out from the ground to grab their ankles.
"But these...!" Tōsen gaped, backing off.
"These would be dead humans who somehow still journey between the World of the Dead and the World of the Living?" Kiganjō questioned as the figures grabbed onto him. "Disappear!" he blasted the skeletons off. "I don't understand. Who could have created this illusion?"
"Kiganjō, you did feel Zaraki's presence even though he was in Tula's Temple." Tōsen stated.
"A man capable of completely hiding his presence while using such a Spirit Pressure and capable of holding us back..." Ichimaru added. "What a terrible opponent. Damn." he cursed as he fought his way through the next wave of corpses. "Won't these illusions ever end?"
"I don't know who created this illusion, but showing the World of the Dead to us, after we've just come from there, makes me want to laugh!" Kiganjō retorted. "Take this!" he crushed a corpse in his hand. "Galaxian Explosion!" and blasted through the Yomotsu Hirasaka illusion, dispelling it.
"The illusion has disappeared." Ichimaru remarked.
"We can't allow ourselves to be stuck here forever." Kiganjō reminded. "By the way, are the others still following us?"
"Yes, they're right behind us." Tōsen confirmed. "Komamura's Spirit Pressure has disappeared, even though he should be unwounded. One of them must have stayed behind to kill him."
"Wouldn't be a good idea to get rid of them?" Ichimaru snorted.
"No, this wouldn't be a good idea." Kiganjō objected. "We will have anytime we want to do this. Our main goal is to get to Tula's side as soon as possible. To Tula's side!"
"To Tula's side!" the other two chorused in agreement and the trio hurried forward.
"Aries and Taurus' flames have already been extinguished." Shion looked at the clock. "And Gemini Temple's flames will soon extinguish itself. Kiganjō, Ichimaru, Tōsen, why aren't you quickly passing through Cancer Temple?"
"Perhaps they've found the entrance to the World of the Dead." Yamamoto chuckled. "I'm only saying that even though the dead can wander and come back to this world, in the end, they will still return to the World of the Dead."
"Do you alone have the right to say so, Genryūsai?" Shion chided. "For you will soon become inhabitants of this world as well. During the last Holy War, of all the Shinigami that fought at Tula's side, you and I were the only survivors. And this War will be much worse. Most likely, no one will survive. Every single Shinigami will die. And Gotei 13 Captains, protectors of the Twelve Temples shall be the first ones to die."
"If such is God's will, once again, it will not come to pass." Yamamoto gripped his walking stick.
"What's going on?" Ichimaru voiced, stopping. "It feels like we've been running for hours and hours in this Temple."
"Yes, and yet it feels it's been only a few minutes." Tōsen agreed.
"Whatever it is, we have once again been trapped in some illusion." Kiganjō surmised. "As if some capricious God was toying with us. This Spirit Pressure..."
"This light..." Ichimaru gaped, as a golden light shone before them. "Let's go! Cross through the illusion!" he hurried forward.
"Kiganjō!" Tōsen turned when Kiganjō stopped.
"What's wrong?" Ichimaru asked.
"This is not the exit!" Kiganjō realized. "This is..! this is Buddha's palm!" he looked at at the huge golden Buddha.
"When we had thought running for hours..." the shocked Ichimaru muttered.
"For Buddha, it was the same as having run in circles in his palm?" Tōsen finished.
"Now I understand." Kiganjō noted. "There is only one man capable of doing such a thing. It can be no other. The man closest to the Gods. Virgo Constellation, Kuchiki Byakuya!"
"Virgo Byakuya." Ichimaru echoed. "That man... he created all thee illusions while in the Virgo Temple? He would be the one who's been toying with us?"
"However, now we know the opponent is Kuchiki, we can retaliate." Kiganjō declared. "Kuchiki, it won't be so easy from now on! The next Shinigami Captain to die, Kuchiki, it shall be you!" and cut through the Buddha with his attack.
"Buddha's illusion has disappeared." Ichimaru gasped. "So we'll finally be able to leave Cancer Temple!"
"No, we can't do that yet." Kiganjō corrected. "We only destroyed the illusion before us. But as long as we don't destroy the one creating these illusions, we won't be able to leave Cancer Temple."
"As long as Kuchiki won't be defeated." Tōsen echoed.
"Yes." Kiganjō agreed. "Just look." as waves of undead corpses' hands raised from the ground.
"The illusion continues still." Ichimaru growled.
"Kuchiki, no matter what happens, you won't let us through..." Tōsen hissed. "Do you really want to imprison us in Cancer Temple eternally?"
"No, even though it is Kuchiki, he can't possibly hold all three of us back." Kiganjō remarked. "He wants to buy time, even only a little, until the clock burns out. So wasting time on these illusions is exactly what Kuchiki wants. And in order to break them... you shall die, Kuchiki!" and blasted a powerful attack straight to Virgo Temple.
"Again!" Ukitake gasped in the Leo Temple. "In Cancer Temple, a Spirit Pressure just... it has the same power as the one who struck Tula's Temple. And this time it will hit Virgo Temple! No! From this distance, Virgo Temple will be completely crushed! Kuchiki!" he warned.
"So you succeeded?" Ichimaru asked when the attack hit its mark.
"No, as expected from Kuchiki." Kiganjō corrected. "He has raised a perfect defensive barrier around himself and isn't moving."
Tōsen, Ichimaru and Kiganjō, Byakuya voiced through telepathy. Even though you had become Hades' pawns you were in the past Tula's Shinigami. I would have liked, had it been possible, to simply stop you in Cancer Temple.
"This is..." Tōsen gaped, sensing the sharp spike in Byakuya's Spirit Pressure.
"Kuchiki's Spirit Pressure..." Kiganjō realized. "It's increasing to its limit."
"Tenma Kōfuku!" Byakuya powered up and sent his attack straight back.
"In a blink of an eye, Kiganjō and the others' Spirit Pressure have disappeared." Shion was stunned. "No... they would have been..."
"Maybe they simply returned to the World of the Dead." Yamamoto supplied. "Your precious friends' fate is troubling you, Shion?"
If things go on like this, everything will all be for nothing... Shion realized. No! He turned to leave.
"Where are you going, Shion?" Yamamoto questioned. "As long as I will be here, you won't cross this Temple."
"In this case, Genryūsai," Shion stated. "I have no choice than to kill you first." my old friend,he mused. Who fought by my side, I wish I could have delayed this moment, but I can't anymore. For I must take you down, no matter what.
"Then, I will also have to fight this battle, no matter what." Yamamoto accepted.
"Let's go then, Genryūsai!" Shion readied himself.
"All right, Shion!" Yamamoto stood ready.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.
