Escape
"It's a thing of beauty, isn't it?"
Kokutō grinned as he waited for an answer to his query, watching the chaos play out down below from his perch on a forsaken cliff. As far as they eye could see, millions of misguided souls threw themselves at the massive skull-faced Kushanāda in an attempt to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. He watched as one of the great beasts fell, succumbing to the thousands of blades, stones, and bare fists that were relentlessly pummeling it. Even as it took its last breath, a replacement guardian burst forth from a nearby molten pit, showering dozens of the rebels with lava that burned away their flesh and fried their bones.
"Impressive," Cain answered evenly, "but it won't take long for it to end."
"Oh, I think it'll take a bit longer than you expect," Kokutō said. "The hopeless masses believe that they finally have hope now in the form of Baraggan and that stupid, futile belief will keep them fighting well past the point of good sense."
As if emphasizing his point, the rebels turned and piled on the newly-born guardian with all their fury as it finished crawling out of the magma, ignoring the fact that a new one would take its place if it fell, and another one after that one fell… It would repeat ad infinitum if allowed; there was no permanent way to stop the Kushanāda.
But neither the rebels or King Baraggan himself were willing to accept that fact just yet.
It hadn't taken long for the violence to erupt all over Hell once the call had gone out; so many countless millions of souls were so bitter and angry that they had been all too eager to take up arms against their jailors. When the call had reached Kokutō and he had relayed the news to Baraggan, the self-proclaimed God-King had picked himself up from his throne and exited his cave, boldly declaring to his loyal followers waiting outside that it was time.
And that was all it had taken.
News spread quickly and now, now Kokutō could begin to appreciate the fruits of his labor.
It was magnificent.
"How long can we afford to wait?" Cain asked. "If we spent too much time appreciating your handiwork, we'll miss our window."
"I think we have a few hours at least…" Kokutō mused. "We want to ensure that the Kushanāda are completely focused on putting down Baraggan and the rebellion instead of trivial details like guarding the gates."
"The others are near the gate waiting, I'm guessing?"
"Most are; hiding in caves and in shadows, keeping an eye on the guardians posted there as they wait for me, but a few…" Kokutō said, raising an arm and pointing down on the battlefield at an ax-wielding berserker who was savagely attacking one of the massive Hell beasts by his lonesome, "…just couldn't help themselves, apparently."
"Maniac," said Cain, shaking his head as Wolf the Quarrelsome cleaved the Kushanāda's bony face in two, causing a bloody spray that covered him head to toe.
"True, but you can see why I chose him to join us, can't you?"
"Surely the others have better sense than to get caught up in this carnage…"
"Cao Cao is taking a more strategic role to ensure that the battle lasts for a long while…" Kokutō said, chuckling as Wolf recklessly charged at another Kushanāda, bowling over nearly a dozen unfortunate rebels who got between him and his prey. "I believe Nobunaga is taking a more front-line leadership role somewhere as well."
"Is that wise?" grunted Cain. "How will they know when it's time for us to go?"
"That would be my job," answered another voice and The Old One turned to face the short man sitting behind them, taking in his messy black hair and the bony, wolf-looking muzzle on his forehead.
"Aren't you going to come appreciate the view with us, Linn?" asked Kokutō conversationally. "It really is spectacular….the culmination of years of hard work and planning… It's like a piece of fine art."
"I'm fine right where I am," said Linndal Cuchullan from his seat on a rock further back from the cliff's edge. "Just tell me when and I'll sound the call."
"Cain, meet Linn, the former septima Espada in Aizen's grand army until he was…dismissed from service," said Kokutō without turning around.
"Dismissed?" laughed Linn humorlessly. "I was falsely accused of treason and executed."
"A tragedy, that…" Kokutō said, "but today you get to have the last laugh over Aizen. Today, Linn, you will become a free man."
"And just how are you going to let everyone know when it's time to go?" asked Cain dubiously.
"They called me the 'Mad Hound' back in Hueco Mundo," Linn said. "Lot of reasons for that, but the only one that matters is my howl."
"You're going to howl?" asked Cain. "And you really think they'll hear you over the sounds of battle down there?"
"You'll see, laddy, you'll see," answered the Irishman with an insufferable smirk.
"Yes, you'll see," agreed Kokutō, chuckling. "But later; for now, let's just sit back and enjoy the show…"
It had taken some time, but Captain Sui-Feng had finally managed to drill it into her lieutenant's head that she didn't want to see him in the office before 5:30 at the very earliest, even if she personally came in at five sharp every morning. That all too brief period in the pre-dawn hours was her time, damn it, and hers alone; she did not want to share it with another person, did not want to see another soul, and damn sure didn't want to speak to anyone.
The petite captain allowed herself a smug grin as she walked to the office, savoring the early-morning silence and the light fog that was hugging the ground. There was a certain beauty in the serenity of it all and that more than anything else was why she wanted to be alone in the mornings; no one, not even Lady Yoruichi, appreciated just how utterly perfect the last few minutes before dawn truly were.
And today, more than any other day of the year, it was even more perfect.
The Seireitei was virtually empty, with well over half the Soul Reapers having been sent out to the world of the living for All Hollow's Eve, and that meant the entire city was perfectly, blissfully silent. In just over twenty-six hours now, at seven sharp on the morning of November first, All Hollow's Eve would come to an end and with it the wonderful peace that she was able to enjoy currently.
She dreaded that loss but for today and tomorrow morning both, she certainly intended to enjoy it to the best of her ability.
Sui-Feng reached the office door and retrieved the paper waiting on the ground before pulling out her key, inserting it in the lock and turning it, listening for the faint sound of the door unlocking. There was an almost-imperceptible 'click' and Sui-Feng pulled the key back out and pocketed it before sliding the door open.
And then she gritted her teeth and made a tight fist, growling in irritation as her good mood shattered around her like fine crystal meeting a sledgehammer.
The office was dark, nearly pitch black with all the lights out, but on her desk, her desk, was a brightly-lit jack-o'-lantern facing the door.
The door had been locked and no one save for herself and the lieutenant had a key, though she knew full well that keys made little difference to anyone who was a trained lock pick; after all, lock picking was a required skill for everyone in Squad 2 and anyone who had ever served in its ranks knew it quite well.
As if that little sliver of knowledge wasn't enough to help her finger a suspect, the jack-o'-lantern itself was by far the biggest clue.
The candle inside the pumpkin danced about wildly, the flickering light illuminating the meticulously-carved image in the vegetable, an image that was a rather unusual choice to decorate a pumpkin with, but the chosen image spoke volumes about its creator.
It was a mosquito, hand-carved with all the skill and grace of a master surgeon.
Or a master assassin.
"God damn that harpy," hissed Sui-Feng vehemently as she reached off to her right and hit the light switch for the room.
Now more than ever she was glad that she had instructed Tatter not to come in early; already she could hear his laughter and the thought served only make her blood boil hotter, her cheeks turning a dangerous shade of red.
She swiftly stalked over to her desk, blew the candle out as she sat her paper down, and snatched the pumpkin up, intent on hurling the thing into the nearest garbage pit immediately, before anyone could see it and make a comment. It took only ten flash steps to reach the nearest garbage pit and Sui-Feng hefted the offending vegetable above her head and hurled it into the smelly abyss with all of her might. She couldn't quite see the bottom given that the sun hadn't risen yet, but she could easily hear the satisfying sound of the pumpkin splattering against something solid and it brought a malicious grin to her face.
"If only I could take care of that silver-haired bitch so easily…" she muttered, imagining her hands around the other woman's throat.
Well, maybe one day… She was bound to cross the line sooner or later and then no one would bat an eye when Sui-Feng took her out permanently.
The malicious grin devolved into something that was pure evil at the thought.
The pumpkin disposed of, Sui-Feng hurried back to the office to try and salvage what was left of the morning; a little tea, reading the paper in peace and quiet as the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon and began filtering through the window…
Yes, that would certainly bring her good mood back from the dead.
She re-entered the office and shut the door behind her, heading straight to the counter in the corner to put on a pot of tea.
It would be a few minutes before her tea was ready, so she made her way over to her desk, pulled out her chair, picked up her paper, and sat down…and promptly realized there was something in her seat.
Rage boiling again, she dropped the paper and plunged a hand downward, underneath her rear to grab the offending object. She pulled the unwelcome object out and examined it, gritting her teeth so hard she almost swore she could hear them cracking.
It was a calling card, letting her know just who had been in her office in case there were still any lingering doubts.
Sui-Feng cursed and hurled the rubber spider across the room, watching it smack against the wall and fall to the floor behind Tatter's desk. She clenched and unclenched her fists as she breathed in and out angrily, trying to reign in her temper.
Hatred, thy name was Haname Shiba.
It was a rare sight to see the Grand Mess so empty and peaceful; of the nearly one thousand seats available, less than a quarter of them were occupied. The noise level, which was traditionally a roar that required a trained ear to maintain a conversation with the person sitting across from you, was but a quiet whisper today. It was peaceful, but also somewhat eerie all at the same time; to see the massive commissary looking so deserted at lunch time was utterly surreal. In some ways, the sight almost felt like an omen, but Captain Ushii pushed the ridiculous notion out of his head just as quickly as it had appeared.
I don't mind the emptiness, admitted Kagi as Anrak ate his meal slowly. I hate it when it's crowded. So damn loud most of the time that I can't even hear myself think, much less speak.
"You say that as if it's a bad thing…" said Anrak dryly. "Besides, I thought you liked excitement and crowds."
In battle. For mindless socializing and chatter? Not so much.
Anrak just shook his head before taking another bite of rice, chewing slowly and thoughtfully as he watched his lieutenant meander over to the table and sit down across from him with a broad grin.
"We're about to have some company soon," she told him, pausing to look at her meal as she considered where to start. "Renji was in line behind me, with Takk and Satsu behind him. Saw Jean and Rukia further back there, too."
Oh, god damn it, hissed Kagi. There goes my peace and quiet.
"I saw Rangiku earlier, too, but I don't know where she—" Neliel tried to add, only to be cut off by the strawberry-blonde in question sitting down beside her.
"Hi, guys!" sang the busty woman cheerfully. "Isn't this great? You don't have to fight for a seat today!"
"Like you've ever had trouble finding a seat," scoffed Anrak. "You just bat those eyelashes of yours and entire tables clear out as every single male eagerly offers you his chair, a foot rub, and their undying devotion."
"You should know, Annie; after all, you used to be one of those guys," teased Rangiku. "You're not as quick to do favors for a girl now that you're married."
"You mean I'm not as easy to con," corrected the captain wryly. "There's a difference."
"Oh, I still find you pretty easy to con…" said Neliel in-between bites of her lunch. "Sometimes too easy."
"Thanks, koibito," replied the captain sarcastically as Renji came over and joined them.
"You're welcome," said Renji with a teasing grin. "But don't call me sweetheart, sweetheart."
"Not you, you ass," said Anrak sourly as the two women giggled. "Shouldn't you be busy repairing your division's mess hall? I heard about what happened at your party."
"That wasn't my fault!" Renji exclaimed, face turning as red as his hair.
"Oh, please, Renji; you would have burnt the entire building down if my captain hadn't been there trying to drag me back to Division 10," said Rangiku, resting her elbow on the table and lazily leaning against it. "Really, what in the world possessed you to try fire breathing like that?"
"Alcohol, candles, and having a tiny brain," quipped Anrak in place of the other captain. "Terrible combination."
"On the plus side," Neliel began with a grin, "I heard yours was the hottest party in the entire Seireitei."
"Can't a guy catch a break?" growled Renji. "So I made one tiny mistake; let it go!"
"I heard Ashido had to knock you out just to keep you from trying it a second time…" said Anrak.
"Completely true!" said Rangiku. "I saw it all. Pretty funny, if you ask me."
"What was funny?" asked Satsu as he and his brother sat down beside their captain. "Did we miss something?"
"Your genius captain setting fire to the mess hall the other night," Anrak explained.
"No, we saw that pretty clearly," Satsu said, nodding earnestly. "It was awesome; you should totally do that again sometime, Captain!"
Renji just groaned and pushed his tray out of the way before putting his forehead on the table to hide his face. "I hate all of you right now," was his muffled reply.
"It made the party memorable, at least," Takk offered. "First time you tried to burn down the mess hall and the first time Don Juan Dumbass over here didn't get the crap punched out of him by a woman."
"Actually, I saw someone slap him while you were away getting some sake," Rangiku said. "So only one first, not two."
"Damn it, I was hoping nobody saw that," sighed Satsu dejectedly.
"Even if I hadn't seen it, I'd definitely have heard it," Rangiku continued. "Surprised she didn't leave a handprint on there with as hard as she popped you. I did last time I had to smack you."
"I don't believe I saw that one, either…" Takk mused. "Do it again, please."
"Please don't," objected his twin. "Can't we all go back to abusing the captain?"
"I'm right here, you know…" growled Renji, finally sitting back up. "You're really going to try and direct people to harass your captain?"
"C'mon now, ain't no call ta be harassin' nobody," drawled Jean Rawlings as he pulled up a seat on the other side of Anrak. "We all friends, right? Ain't no reason ta be pickin' on each other."
"It's all in good fun, Jean," Neliel explained. "No one really means anything by it."
"Well, I jes don't have it in me to be a'pickin' on other people, even if'n it be in jest. Guess I'm jes weird like that. Don't mean to be ruinin' things for y'all," apologized the Cajun.
"You're not ruining anything," Satsu said. "You're saving me from them."
"And me," added Renji.
"Like you've never picked on any of us before," snorted Anrak.
"That was then; this is now," said Renji smoothly.
"How very convenient…" said Anrak dryly. "Sounds like you're saying it's okay for you to give others grief, but it's not okay them to return the favor."
"That's exactly what I'm saying," answered the tattooed man smugly. "Seems pretty fair to me."
"Your definition of fair is pretty warped; you learn it from Captain Kuchiki?"
"Hey now, my Cap'n is a good fella," said Jean, jumping in. "Why you gotta drag him into this?"
"Because he has no sense of humor?" guessed Rangiku.
"…I don' really think I can be argue'n wit that," said Jean with a shrug. "Carry on, then."
"You guys are terrible," giggled Neliel, "but I love you all, anyway."
"Not that kind of love, before you get the wrong idea," Takk told his brother. "Don't want Captain Ushii to have to kill you just yet."
"Yeah, laugh it up, guys," said Satsu sourly as the table shared a good chuckle. "We'll see who's laughing when I land someone super-hot, like that curvaceous blonde babe we saw last Halloween."
"What blonde?" asked Renji as Neliel stood up briefly to wave to Ichigo and Rukia, inviting them over to the table. "I don't remember hearing anything about this."
"Well, it was really weird beca—" Satsu began, only to have his brother grab him roughly and clamp a hand over his mouth.
"It was nothing!" exclaimed Takk quickly. "Just some random girl, nothing more; no need to go into details over something so trivial, right?"
"Right…" said Renji suspiciously. "You guys are acting even weirder than normal over this; should I be concerned?"
"Concerned over what?" asked Ichigo Kurosaki as he joined the group, Rukia Kuchiki alongside him. "What did they do now?"
"Nothing!" Takk declared, still keeping a hand tightly clasped over his brother's big mouth. "Captain Abarai, on the other hand, tried to burn down the mess hall the other night."
"Renji did what now?" asked Ichigo, turning his attention over to the redhead in question who simply groaned and put his head back on the table as Rukia began to mock him.
Anrak chuckled as he resumed eating his lunch, listening to Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia banter back and forth with the others. The Grand Mess had suddenly become a lot louder than it had been earlier, but he didn't mind in the slightest; this was happiness, pure enjoyment, and he wished he could spend more peaceful days relaxing with his friends like this
Still, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, something other than Kagi for a change, something that filled him with a nameless sense of dread…
He briefly wondered if he should tell someone, if he should tell his friends or his wife, or perhaps even go straight to Shunsui, but what was there to tell? That he simply had a bad feeling? It was All Hollow's Eve; everyone probably had a small hint of dread resting in the pit of their stomach, but that's all it was; a baseless feeling and nothing more. Bad feelings without some kind of evidence to support them, no matter how trivial, were usually just empty worries and he could not, would not, let senseless paranoia upset him or his friends.
The calm before the storm, Kagi said softly. I feel it, too.
But there's no justifiable reason for it! What are we supposed to do?
The only thing we can; we wait.
As much as Kokutō would have enjoyed watching the carnage down below continue until it finally reached its inevitable and bloody end, he could not delay any longer if he wanted to escape Hell. The tide had begun to turn against the rebels, as he knew it would, and many were on the run now as the titanic Kushanāda chased them down relentlessly.
On the far side of the pit, dozens of Kushanāda had gathered around a single target who was adamantly refusing to give up, fighting to his last breath even as more and more guardians surrounded him.
Alas, poor King Baraggan; his perceived kingdom was collapsing all around him and still he fought for control…
The former ruler of Hueco Mundo had released his zanpaktou some time ago, taking on a skeletal form that reminded Kokutō of the classical portrayals of Death himself, the Grim Reaper. His massive ax was his lone weapon against the approaching Hell beasts; despite the dark cloud that surrounded Baraggan, his respira, the Kushanāda remained unfazed by the prospect of reaching for him.
The "breath of death" caused rapid aging to the massive hands that dared grab at the king, with skin decaying and bones disintegrating quickly, and regardless of the fact that the condition would spread to their entire body, the Kushanāda kept coming.
And they would keep coming, relentlessly, for as long as it took to destroy the so-called King of Hueco Mundo.
Another Kushanāda fell to Baraggan's respira, but a replacement immediately erupted from the nearest molten pit and with an ear-splitting roar, it headed over to join the battle against the arrancar.
Many of the lesser souls in Hell had finally given up and were fleeing for safety, though a few die-hard believers continued fighting down to the last man, just like their beloved leader. With Baraggan's strength, he could keep the Kushanāda busy for a few more hours, but enough was enough.
"Sound the call, Linn," Kokutō instructed, stepping away from the cliff's edge. "It's time."
"Finally…" muttered the arrancar as he stood from his seat and stepped forward. He spared a quick glance back at Kokutō and Cain, "You might want to cover your ears."
Kokutō didn't need to be told as he turned away and clasped his hands over his ears protectively, and Cain just ignored the advice entirely. With a shrug, Linn turned back to face the battle waging down below and took a deep breath before letting loose a long, sorrowful-sounding howl that reverberated across the great pit. Even with his fingers in his ears, it wasn't quite enough when standing this close to the Mad Hound as Kokutō winced, falling to a knee underneath the intense pain in his skull.
Combatants all across the pit ceased their battle momentarily, hands going to cover their ears as the howl finally began to wind down. Thousands had been momentarily stunned by the deafening noise, including the great Kushanāda, and Baraggan had seized the opportunity by ignoring the pain in favor of pressing the attack against his foes.
Three more Kushanāda fell before the howl came to an end and while it still wasn't enough to help Baraggan win, it would be enough to keep him as number one on the guardian's shitlist.
All according to plan.
Kokutō pushed himself back up and noticed that Linndal was on his knees, clutching his skull as blood could be seen pouring from his ears. The togabito spared a quick glance over at Cain, only to see that The Old One seemed completely unharmed by the sonic blast.
"The fuck?" Linn was saying. "My attack has never hurt me before…"
"Ignore it for now," Kokutō said, grabbing Linn's right arm and hoisting him back to a standing position. "We need to get going and meet up with the others. It's time to open the gates."
"Bloody hell, that hurt…" Linn continued to gripe as Kokutō dragged him towards the rendezvous point. "Why didn't anyone ever tell me how much it hurt?"
The fallen Espada finally shook off his disorientation and began running on his own, keeping pace with Kokutō and Cain as they sprinted through fields of blood and fire, cutting through a handful of battles that were still being waged against the Kushanāda. Linn ducked and slid underneath a swat from a massive hand as Kokutō simply shoved one of the rebels into the Kushanāda's crushing grasp. Cain simply plowed through the crowd, knocking rebels away if they were lucky and pushing them forward and stepping on top of them if they weren't.
There was no place for civility in Hell, least of all now.
The trio slid down a steep embankment, hitting the ground and following an ancient footpath that lead to the rendezvous, a shadowy alcove at the base of one of the mountains near the massive gates.
"You're late," Erzsébet greeted them with disdain as they arrived. "I was about to order the men to begin without you."
"Just try and give me an order, bitch…" growled Wolf the Quarrelsome, tightening his grip on his ax.
"Save it!" snarled Kokutō. "You two can kill each other later but right now, we have a job to do."
He pushed his way through the crowd of souls to get a better view of the gate and a quick count of how many guardians remained stationed around it.
"Only two…" Cain mumbled. "So far, so good."
"Only two…and they're both mine!" roared Wolf, charging out of the alcove with reckless abandon, a mad grin stretched across his rugged face.
"Fool!" spat Nobunaga. "We need—"
"It's fine," Kokutō interrupted him. "He can handle those two while we go for the gates. Let's move, people!"
Nearly two hundred souls, clad in rags and dirty from head to toe, burst forth from the shadows behind, sprinting past the Kushanāda and Wolf and swarming the gargantuan gates. The top of the gate was chained shut, but the chain wasn't quite short enough to keep the door from opening entirely; it would only permit them to open it by a hair, but that single crack was all they needed.
"Push!" commanded Kokutō as the small army positioned itself against the gates, half on the left side, half on the right, their shoulders firm against the uncomfortably-warm metal as they dug their feet into the ground and began to heave with all their might.
The gate didn't move and the second Kushanāda turned away from Wolf to go deal with the other prisoners.
"Don't turn your back on me!" bellowed the berserker, taking a flying leap that landed him on the lower back of the massive beast. He plunged his battle ax into the flesh beside the guardian's spine and began to run up the back, dragging the ax along behind him, carving flesh and bone as he went. The Kushanāda gave a great roar of pain as it collapsed just short of reaching the crew at the gate and Wolf yanked his ax free, shouldering it for a moment as he turned back to face the other Kushanāda.
"Just you and me now," he said with a grin. "Show me what you've got!"
The Irishman charged into battle once more as the rest of the group struggled to get the massive gate to move even an inch.
"It's too heavy!" someone cried. "We can't do it!"
"Don't give up, damn you!" demanded Kokutō. "Other Kushanāda will be here shortly and if you don't want to face their wrath, push!"
For himself, Kokutō thought that if he pressed himself against the gate any harder, his shoulder would break and render him useless, but still he kept pushing; he could not, would not, spend another minute in this pit!
From behind, he heard the death wail of another Kushanāda and the laugher of Wolf, followed by the Irishman's gruff voice.
"Come on, then!" he declared loudly. "I'll kill the lot of you!"
Kokutō spared a quick glance backwards to see that a half dozen Kushanāda were advancing towards them now, with only Wolf to stand in their way. Time was drawing short and the only thing still in their favor was that the massive beasts moved relatively slow.
Not slow enough, however.
"God damn you fools, push!" roared Kokutō. A loud collective grunt could be heard as the group redoubled their efforts and at last they were rewarded with the sound of the massive hinges on the gate groaning.
"Keep it up!" shouted Kokutō.
Encouraged by the sound of the creaking of the hinges and the sight of the massive door finally moving inch by inch, the group dug their heels into the dirt and pushed harder. Many in the crowd could be heard yelling from the strain as they taxed every muscle in their body to make the gate move by even the tiniest fraction.
Momentum was on their side now and the gate became somewhat easier to push, inch by inch, foot by foot, as the crowd huffed and heaved. Kokutō took another look behind them, trying to judge how much time they had before the Kushanāda would be upon them.
Not much.
"Wolf!" he cried. "Get your ass over here and help us!"
The berserker hesitated, looking from the gate to the approaching Hell beasts and back again.
"Damn it," he growled before charging over to join his comrades, slamming his shoulder against the gate with all of his considerable might.
The giant doors creaked open finally, giving the prisoners their first taste of air from the world of the living. The scent, the cool, refreshinging scent that was mercifully-free of any trace of sulfur, reinvigorated them as they bucked down.
"Just…a little…farther…" Kokutō forced out through gritted teeth. He didn't dare turn around to see how close the Kushanāda were; he didn't want to know, couldn't afford to be distracted when they were so close…
After what seemed like an eternity, the massive gate swung open by several meters before coming to a halt, held firmly in place by the great chains up top. The opening was only a few meters across, but it was just big enough as the group of prisoners began to scramble for it at all costs.
Kokutō and the stronger warriors were the first through, shoving the weaklings of the bunch out of the way and crushing others underfoot as they all vied for the right to be the first man out.
Somehow, Rondare Onsende was that man.
"Free, free!" the crazed arrancar cackled madly as he danced about in the afternoon sky, a bustling, unknown city far below. "We did it! We did it! Yes, we did, yes, we did! We're free, free!"
Kokutō was the next one out, crawling over his comrades madly to reach the outside world. He squinted his eyes against the unfamiliar glare of the bright sun hanging in the beautifully-blue sky, but he grinned against the pain.
"I'm free…" he breathed slowly.
More and more of the others were making their way out through the small opening now and Kokutō remembered that the guardians were still hot on their tails.
"Nnoitra!" he barked. "Open it up!"
"Yeah, yeah; I got it," sneered the arrancar, snapping his fingers as the sky before them began to twist and distort before opening up into an ominous black maw.
"Into the garganta, everyone!" Kokutō shouted, ushering them inside hurriedly. "Follow Nnoitra to Hueco Mundo!"
The eager prisoners didn't need to be told twice as they sprinted across the sky from the gate to the garganta, plunging into the darkness without a second thought. Kokutō waited a handful of tense seconds, partially to ensure that his heavy-hitters made it through and partially to enjoy the pleasant warmth of the sun just a little longer…
A roar bellowed out from just the other side of the gate and Kokutō knew he could dawdle no longer. He quickly hopped into the black distortion, turning to take one last look at the world of the living and the gate.
A lone soul was dragging up the rear, running as fast as he could for the garganta. The massive roar sounded again and suddenly the gates were flung open with incredible force, the chains utterly shattered as one of the Kushanāda dove forward, right arm outstretched as it made a desperate grab for the fleeing prisoner.
The last person out the door was only a few feet away from the garganta when the hand of the Kushanāda snatched him up, clutching him so tightly that Kokutō could literally hear bones breaking underneath the pressure.
The kid in the ragged red shirt, what was his name? David? Darby? Dean? Whatever his name was, he looked at Kokutō pleadingly.
"Help me, Kokutō!" he cried out. "Please! You promised we'd all leave together!"
Kokutō remained inside the garganta as the distortion began to close, a cold and unsympathetic grin on his face.
"Kokutō!" screamed the other man desperately as the Kushanāda crushed him mercilessly.
As the garganta finally closed, the last sound Kokutō heard was the young man's screaming as it devolved into an unintelligible gurgling noise. Still grinning, he turned and began to walk into the darkness, following the path of crystalline reishi that would lead him to Hueco Mundo and from there, the Soul Society.
Nothing could stop them now.
