The three espadas surveyed the scene with smirks plastered across their cruel faces. For a moment, the students of Kakura High School gazed up at the strange spectacle in a medley awe and surprise. Then the first scream erupted from a girl dressed in a rippling flow dress.
Though they couldn't see the espadas standing in the air above them, the student were thrown into chaos, once triggered by the scream.
Hitsugaya and his comrades popped the soul candy into their mouths, and within a matter of moments, the shinigami burst from their gigais. Hand wrapped upon Hyourinmaru's hilt Hitsugaya prepared himself for battle.
But as he heard the metal making its familiar sshhhhhk sound as it unsheathed, a thought came to him. Hiromi's not strong enough, he realized. I'm up for the battle, but she isn't. She's not powerful enough. She could get hurt, or… or… killed!
The thoughts pounded in his head. Making up his mind, Hitsugaya grabbed Hiromi's thin wrist and slipped Kasumi no Shoushitsu back in its sheath for her.
"Wha-?" Hiromi protested, but with one hand till laced around Hyourinmaru and with the other grasping Hiromi's hand through the closely-knit crowd, Hitsugaya flashed-stepped. He dashed all the way across the gym… out the doors… Then he screeched to a stop at the lawn. He gazed at the bobbing, glowing lanterns strung merrily across the trees and felt a pang of sadness. Today was supposed to be the best day of his life… and…
"Where are we going?" Hiromi demanded.
Hitsugaya wondered where he could go. No… not Ichigo's house… or Inoue's or Sado's… But… He could go to Kisuke's place! The former captain would keep Hiromi safe! Yes!
"I said, where are we going?" Hiromi demanded again persistently.
"Somewhere safe," Hitsugaya replied absentmindedly.
"But I can fight!"
"You are strong, but not strong enough. Now, we have to go to Ki-''
A loud thump in front of them interrupted Hitsugaya's words. He glanced up and his face fell. Standing in front of them was Tia Harribel, flashing the number three tattooed onto her skin.
"Going somewhere?" she drawled in an annoyingly casual voice.
Hitsugaya gritted his teeth. He was too late. He unsheathed Hyourinmaru at arms length, pointing it at Harribel.
"Get out of our way." He struggled to keep his voice controlled. "Get out of our way, or I will kill you."
"My, my little captain. Harribel cocked her head, and Hitsugaya imagined a smug smile painted across her lips underneath her mask. "You say it like it's something easy and simple to do." Then her imaged flashed and disappeared.
Hitsugaya tensed. Sonido! His grip upon Hiromi's now slightly sweaty wrist slackened as he released Hyourinmaru, watching pillars of ice rain down upon them. He felt Hiromi wriggled out of his hands, heard her zanpakutou's metallic screech as it was unsheathed, and her loud, clear and commanding voice as she vanished.
He saw Tia Harribel up in the air, standing between two ice pillars, fending Hiromi's attacks rather easily. Then the two pillars suddenly gave way, Hitsugaya suspected, with Hiromi's hacks.
He hurtled up from the ground, feeling the chain of his zanpakutou whistled as it shot through the air and latched upon Harribel's leg, which immediately froze.
"Stupid boy," she muttered, then flexed her leg twice. The ice broke, shards raining down on the suburbs below.
Hitsugaya hacked at her head as she did so, but she merely held up her arm, letting the thick white armor that covered it take the damage. However, there was now a chip in it from the ferocity of the attack. Harribel gazed at it with interest as she held up her other arm and blocked invisible attacks from Hiromi.
They fought with no goal in mind for the next half hour. Hiromi appeared then disappeared again, being careful not to stay in the other dimension for too long.
"This is boring," noted Harribel after awhile. "I suspect I can't beat you two in this form, so I'll just release, kill you two, and be done with it."
"Hiromi, away!" Hitsugaya cried as blue light enveloped Harribel's body. He felt her grab at his chest and he pulled her into a protective hug.
The light faded, and Hitsugaya observed Harribel's release form with a grim face. Her hair whipped majestically around her ankles, and her features resembled that of a cat's. She dove at them, and he parried.
"Guess I'll go all out too, huh?" Hitsugaya let go of Hiromi. "Bankai!" He felt the icy wings sprout behind him, the dragon' long roar, the whipping tail, icy wind… "Daiguren Hyourinmaru."
Hitsugaya and Harribel charged at each other, while Hiromi closed in from behind. A gash appeared on Harribel's leg, and she made a swipe at Hitsugaya. Pain erupted in one shoulder, and he was momentarily stopped as the pain seared throughout his entire arm. And then he saw the tip of Harribel's sword shoot through the air towards him, knew this was the end. He prayed silently that all his comrades, especially Hiromi, would be safe, and he apologized silently for dying so easily, his head bowed in shame.
He closed his eyes, waiting for the pain, but it never came. A gust of sudden, sharp wind bit through the air toward him, and he felt the swish of fabric at his feet. A sharp cry pierced the night, and there was a loud thk. Something wet was dripping down his robes, and a figure slumped lifelessly at his feet. The sword had impaled something.
His eyes glassy with horror, Hitsugaya slowly gazed down at his feet. Hiromi's bleeding form was lying before him.