Summary: It's a long way back to the surface.

Tezcatlipoca shouted over his shoulder to the people following behind.

"I don't know what what's going on up there, but the tunnel won't take much more of this!"

As if in response, the floor shook and debris rained down from the ceiling. Everyone had to clutch at the walls to keep from falling down.

Somehow Uryuu was sure Kurosaki was involved. Using enough force to shake an entire mountain was definitely his style.

Another shockwave rippled through the ground, sending Nemu crashing into his back. He managed to find a hand hold just in time to keep from falling. He pulled her around to his front and held on until the tremors stopped.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied. It's just this skirt. It's restricting my movement. "

That was understandable. With the floor covered with rocks fallen from the ceiling, everyone had to step on or over an obstacle every few feet. The native dress Nemu wore had a narrow skirt that came down to mid calf. She stepped away from him and gestured towards the offending garment.

"It needs to be shorter." She said.

Uryuu immediately swelled with pride. He reached into a hidden pocket of his uniform for his customized personal sewing kit. "Well I think I can help you there."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he heard the sound of ripping cloth. Nemu had torn a slit up one side of the skirt to mid-thigh and was now tearing it across to make it shorter.

Uryuu stared in horror as the thickly embroidered material, no doubt costing hundreds of hours of intense manual labor, was callously shredded. It made for a ragged, uneven hem with dangling threads that even as he watched, began to unravel. It was like a car wreck. He couldn't look away.

Nemu swayed her hips from side to side as she tested her new mobility. She noticed Uryuu staring at her with his mouth open.

"Is something wrong Uryuu-kun?" She asked.

Was something wrong? Did she have no idea what she had just done? Could she really have been satisfied with the fraying results? Five minutes and he could have made a proper hem as well as making a shawl out of the extra material, all while preserving the pattern.

"It's nothing." He croaked past a dry throat.

Ixtlilton, the younger of their two captives-slash-guides approached from the front.

"What's taking you so long?" He complained. "We lost sight of you up there."

He stopped to take a good look at Nemu's handiwork. Her legs were now very exposed. He didn't seem to care about the ragged hemline. This went on for several long seconds.

Uryuu began to be annoyed. "Ahem!" he said.

Ixtlilton broke free from his trance. "Huh? Oh, yes. Tezcatlipoca sent me back to get you. You'd better get moving. We have a problem up ahead."

"What kind of problem?" Uryuu asked.

"You'll see." Ixtlilton replied.

Tezcatlipoca saw Nemu's new look and frowned at Uryuu.

"Just what were you doing back there?" He asked. "She's the Emperor's property you know."

"I am no one's property." Nemu asserted.

Tezcatlipoca sniffed. "We'll see about that."

He muttered under his breath. He had not forgotten the rough treatment she'd shown him. Sooner or later, he was going to get some payback. Now was not the time. He gestured at the ground in front of him.

"We might have to turn back."

Uryuu saw before them a long, deep, spike-lined pit that had been exposed when its trapdoor apparently caved in during the tremors. A first class broad jumper would probably land somewhere in the middle, even with a good running start. There was no way to walk around it as it was slightly wider than the tunnel floor.

"I thought you were leading us the safe way out?" He said with a frown.

" I am." Tezcatlipoca protested. "This is the safest way. Every tunnel has traps all through it. I've been deactivating them as we go." He gestured to a small mosaic of what looked like an armadillo located a few feet away from the trap. It was similar to the ones used to open and close the vault doors.

"People coming in would set off the traps by stepping on pressure switches. These controls allow people on the way out to exit safely."

He knelt down to take a closer look at the pit.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. With all the pounding the tunnel is taking, I should have expected some of them would break like this."

Uryuu adjusted his glasses. "Can we try another route? The tunnel branched out a couple of times back there."

The priest shook his head. 'One was a dead end and the other just looped back to this tunnel. No, if we can't get past this, we'd be better off going back to the vault and waiting it out."

"How are we going to get past this?" Hanataro asked.

"I have an idea." Nemu said.

She grabbed Hanataro by his collar and belt, then casually threw him head first towards the other side. He seemed to scream for a long time before landing on the other side with a thud. He got to his feet and waved at them.

"I'm all right!" He shouted. Then he fell down backwards.

"Impressive." Ixtlilton said.

"Thank you." Nemu replied as she seized him by the arm. As she had stripped him down to a loincloth, she swung him around by the arm in a circle before launching him towards Hanataro. The young medic had only just gotten to his feet when Ixtlilton landed on him.

Tezcatlipoca glared at Nemu. "You'd better not be planning to do that to me."

"I have to get you across somehow." She said.

While this was true, the old priest didn't have to be happy about it.

"Just a minute." He said.

He called out across the pit. "Ixtlilton. I'm going to let the lieutenant throw me CAREFULLY across the pit. You and that foreigner be prepared to catch me. You got it?"

"Of course your holiness." Ixtlilton replied.

Tezcatlipoca felt the need to reinforce his point. "You'd better not miss. You know what I'll do to you if you do."

He checked the straps holding his wooden foot in place to make sure it was secure, then squatted down making his body into a ball wrapped around his walking stick.

"Alright." He said. "Let's get this nonsense over with."

Picking him up by the waist, Nemu tossed him very much like a basketball towards the other side. He did not tumble as he flew across, staying upright as he landed into the waiting arms of Hanataro and Ixtlilton. They all three fell down, the two young men cushioning the landing for the older one.

"It's your turn now, Uryuu-kun." Nemu said.

"That won't be necessary." He replied. He felt for the obsidian mirror in his uniform. He wished he'd had it earlier. Carrying it, he was able to draw as much power as if he were in Soul Society. Gathering spritrons under his feet, he dashed towards the edge and leapt across the pit. With the aid of his powers, he landed lightly on his feet. Perhaps his grin was a bit cocky, but he felt he had earned it. He held his arms out to Nemu.

"OK, you're the last one." He said.

Nemu walked back a few meters, got a running start towards the edge, then launched herself over the pit. Her hair streamed out behind her as she arced through the air to land in front of Ishida. He caught her about the waist to keep her from falling.

"Thank you, Uryuu-kun. That really wasn't necessary." She said as she removed herself from his grasp.

"Well, better safe than sorry you know." He said as he adjusted his glasses.

Tezcatlipoca cleared his throat. "If we're all finished, we don't have much farther to go. I'd like to see daylight before we get any more tremors."

Turning around, he set out a deliberate pace in obvious bad humor.

Uryuu caught up to him. Something about their current situation was bothering him.

"I have to say for an enemy, you're taking awfully good care of us. I know you said protecting Nemu is a priority for you, but I can't help thinking you're being a little too helpful."

The priest looked at him from the corner of his eye.

"Oh? In what way?" He asked.

Uryuu tried to keep Tezcatlipoca face in view as he asked his questions. He wanted to see the reactions.

"When we started traveling, I expected you to put up some kind of resistance. Lead us in the wrong directions. Maybe use the traps to stop us. Everything I've seen shows me you're playing totally straight. Why? Why are you helping us get free?"

Tezcatlipoca snorted. "You think you're going to get free? You're just as trapped now as if we were still in that vault. Where do you think this tunnel leads, boy? When we exit the tunnel, there's a path to the foot of the mountain. After five hundred paces, there's a hidden door, disguised to look like a part of the mountain. Past that, it's only another thousand paces until we reach the campgrounds. Normally, nobody's there, but now it's full of warriors here for the ceremony. You'll be surrounded by enemy forces. You'll have to give up. Helping you? Ha! I'm just leading you to slaughter."

"I might have a few tricks up my sleeve." Uryuu replied.

"Tricks aren't going to help you." Tezcatlipoca said. "I admit, you are a capable warrior for someone so young, but you can't think or fight your way out of this one. You have no room to move once we get out there. You will be captured, the Emperor will have his bride and I will personally perform your sacrifice to their union."

Uryuu ignore the jab. "You have an entire empire to choose from, why are you people so fixated on Nemu?"

The older man stopped walking.

"You have no idea what you are talking about. Don't you think we've searched from one end of the empire to another? Do you have any idea of the chaos that will fall upon us if the Emperor dies without an heir? There'll be civil war. Alliances will crumble. Thousands will die. We need her to ensure our future!"

For the moment, Uryuu was hard pressed to feel any sympathy. "And her wishes on the subject don't count?"

The priest looked at him as if he'd suddenly grown a second nose. "She is a captive. Her wishes are irrelevant."

Uryuu was disgusted. "We're obviously not going to agree on anything anytime soon. We may as well keep going."

He gestured for the man to go on ahead. In an even worse mood than before. the priest hobbled forward leaning on his walking stick. Uryuu dropped back to the rear to walk besides Nemu.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

"I was trying to get a feel for what's coming up." Uryuu replied. "Our tour guide seems to feel he has nothing to lose by leading us outside. I think he doesn't know us as well as he believes."

Hanataro pointed to another small mosaic with his Zampakuto. "Hey is that another trap?"

Ixtlilton sneered. "Go on ahead and find out."

Hanataro did his best to look fierce. "Hey! Don't give me no back-talk you."

Ixtlilton rolled his eyes. He picked up a rock.

"Watch." He said. He threw the rock a couple meters away. When it landed, a spiked log swept down to crash against the wall.

"No need to lock that one now." He said.

"You guys sure do set a lot of traps." Hanataro said.

"Yes." Ixtlilton replied. "Every year, we have a contest to select the finest architect in the empire. The winner is given titles and riches and allowed to look at our secret plans for the entire compound. They are given an opportunity to make changes and suggest improvements."

Hanataro scratched his head. "But if you give these guys access to all your secrets, how can you keep outsiders from finding out?"

Ixtlilton gave him a pitying glance. "The architects can't tell anybody anything. At the end of their year, they are honored by sacrificing their life and spirit energy to the priesthood.

Hanataro was shocked. "You mean to tell me after all their hard work, you kill them?"

Ixtlilton was offended. "It is considered a great honor to be sacrificed for the good of the empire."

Hanataro decided not to ask any more questions. He was beginning to feel nauseous.

They all took a deep breath of the cool air that rushed into the tunnel when the door opened.

"Just as promised," Tezcatlipoca said. "the fastest, straightest, safest way out."

As they exited the tunnel, they quickly saw that 'out' was a relative term. They were in a small canyon or fissure on the side of the mountain. The floor was several meters wide, but the walls tapered in as they rose far above their heads. The sky was just a narrow ribbon above them. The edge of the canyon had trees hanging over and vines grew randomly along the walls.

"Well boy." Tezcatlipoca said with a grin. "I'd like to see those tricks you were talking about. How do you plan to get away now? You can't climb these walls. The only way out leads straight to enemy forces. You're friends are on the opposite side from where we are. You're trapped. Why don't you just make it easy for everyone and give up now."

Uryuu met the priest's wicked smile with one of his own.

"You underestimate me." He said.

He pulled out the obsidian mirror he had tucked in his uniform. "I don't know what this is to you, but I can tell it's very powerful. In fact, there's enough power stored here to allow me to do this."

Holding the mirror between his palms, Uryuu concentrated on tapping its potential, channeling its energy throughout his body. A halo formed around him as he concentrated on the power. Slowly at first, a disk of pure white energy formed beneath his feet. It grew and stretched out to an oblong shape. To Tezcatlipoca's amazement, the young man began to levitate. He was soon head and shoulders above them. Opening his eyes, Uryuu put the disk shaped piece of glass back into his uniform. His grin was downright cocky.

"You say our friends are in that direction?" He said. "then that's where we'll go."

He held out his hands. "Nemu-san, Yamada-san. Step up on the board. We're going home."

With smiles on their faces Nemu and Hanataro reached out to take Uryuu's hand.

Tezcatlipoca and Ixtlilton stared at this latest manifestation of a unique power. Neither had ever heard or seen anything like it. Nothing the foreigners had done up to this point had indicated such an ability existed. They were totally caught off guard. However, that didn't mean they were finished. Tezcatlipoca looked over to Ixtlilton. They needed to act. Ixtlilton needed to understand what he was about to do. Years of familiarity allowed the younger man to read his mentor well. He could see the older man had something planned. A few covert gestures were all it took for him to understand his role.

While backing way towards the wall, Tezcatlipoca watched as Uryuu leaned towards his companions and the strange energy board inched forward. He knew he had only one shot at this. It had to be perfect. He waited until Uryuu's attention was totally distracted and his position off balance. When he determined the target was in exactly the right spot over a pre-set marker on the ground, he reached out and pulled a 'vine' that looked no different from any other. It was a simple trap compared to the rest. It released a prop that held a large rock up on the edge of the canyon. Elegant in its simplicity, it struck without sound or warning. With a sickening crunch, it swatted the Quincy down. It didn't land just right, missing Uryuu's head and striking him a glancing blow in the back of the neck instead. It didn't need to be accurate. The board winked out of existence immediately and the young man tumbled bonelessly to the floor. Ixtlilton immediately started running to the campgrounds for help. With his bad foot, Tezcatlipoca hobbled as fast as he could towards his fallen enemy. He threw himself on the body, rolled it over and worked his mirror out from the boy's uniform. It was over now.

Nemu didn't understand what she was seeing. One second, she was reaching up to a smiling and triumphant Uryuu. He had saved her once again. He was going to sweep her into the sky and take her safely home. She was happy and proud of him. Suddenly, his glasses seemed to float past her face. They shattered on the rocks behind her. There was something wet on her face as well. Where was Uryuu? What happened? Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she looked down to see him lying there, blood seeming to pour out of the back of his skull. He wasn't moving. She couldn't move. She was screaming. She knew she should do something but she couldn't move. Then he came into her view. The high priest. He tore away at Uryuu's clothes and pulled out that damned mirror. Nemu's vision turned red. She knew what to do now.

As Tezcatlipoca held up his mirror, he focused quickly on a restraint spell. It would only take a split second to restrain the remaining foreigners. He didn't get that split second. He was bowled over by Nemu's attack. He defended himself as best he could, a lifetime of dirty tricks and desperate holds counteracting the grieving woman's strength and speed. He still absorbed a lot of punishment as Nemu drove fists and elbows into his body punctuating each blow crying

"How could you! How could you!"

Throughout it all, she tried to take the mirror from him. He knew the second he let it go, he was finished. Retention of the mirror was the only way he was going to win. They rolled over and over in the dust in their life and death struggle. Finally, with a savage wrench, Nemu pulled the disk from his grasp.

Straddling his body, Nemu raised it up and prepared to smash it into his face. She wanted to do more than kill him. She wanted to pound the stone against his skull over and over until he was a bloody paste. She wanted to pour all her anger and rage into punishing this man who had harmed the only man she had ever truly cared about. She stared down at him, preparing to relish the sight of the stone smashing him like an insect.

Then she stopped.

The look on his face made her stop. She'd seen it before. He knew he was going to die. He knew she was going to kill him. She's seen it a thousand times before on other faces. Sometimes the faces were resigned or defiant. Mostly there were afraid. So many live she'd already taken. Men, woman, oh have mercy, even children. She could see them. All of them. Could she really add even one more? With a cry, she threw the mirror as hard as she could against the canyon walls. It shattered with a blast of energy, smoke pouring out of it. She stood up over her battered foe.

"Go." She said. "Go now. Don't ever let me see you again."

Without a backward glance, she left.

Tezcatlipoca gingerly picked himself up. He limped over to his walking stick, then to the shattered remains of his mirror. Picking up a few shards, he stared at them, hands shaking as he tried to absorb the loss. She had no idea what she'd just done. She'd destroyed what amounted to a good portion of his life. Dropping the now worthless bits of glass, he made his way towards the exit. He shuffled slowly, his head hung low, seeming to have aged centuries in a matter of seconds.

Nemu rushed over to where Hanataro was already working to save Uryuu's life. She fell to her knees beside him. "Is he alright?"

Hanataro didn't even look up. Gone was the awkward gangly youth. He was totally focused on the task at hand. Healing, saving lives, this was the area that made him truly feel alive. The glow around his hands was intense as he stopped Uryuu's bleeding. His patient's head was actually floating a few centimeters off the ground, cushioned by the healing field.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi," Hanataro said, "I want you to listen to me carefully. Our actions in the next few seconds will decide if he lives or dies. He has experienced considerable trauma. I will need to stabilize him immediately. I need you to take over here. Can you do that?"

She stared at Uryuu's still form. Blood had soaked his white uniform a dark red around his shoulders. Touching her face, she felt his blood where it had splashed against her cheek.

"Lieutenant!" Hanataro shouted.

Nemu snapped out of it. This was no time to fall to pieces. "Yes, I can assist you."

"Alright." He said. "I want you to slowly take over the healing field. As I withdraw, you take charge. Are you ready?" Nemu nodded. "On three. One,two, three."

The transition went smoothly. Uryuu's head continued to float on a cushion of healing energy. In charge of maintaining the field, Nemu could feel the skull fractures, cracked vertebrae and damaged blood vessels. He was barely breathing. Hanataro went through his kit with remarkable speed, selecting a series of splints and bandages. With no hint of hesitation or indecision, he quickly wrapped Uryuu's head and neck in a brace, with splints and bandages securing the brace against his body to prevent any movement. He selected three different medicines from his limited store of pharmaceuticals and injected them into Uryuu's veins.

"OK, lieutenant." He said, "I'm taking over now. On three. One, two three."

They smoothly changed positions, the healing field never faltering. Nemu was reduced to being a spectator again.

"Can you heal him?" She asked.

Hanataro shook his head. "I can keep him alive and stable. He needs to be operated on as soon as possible. We need to get him back to Soul Society."

She almost broke out in hysterical laughter. Get him back to Soul society. Just that simple. Suddenly Hanataro looked at her with surprise in his eyes. She didn't have to wonder the cause for long. She heard it herself. A low murmuring. The sound of voices. Many people walking up the path. There was no question whose friends they were.

"Keep working on him." Nemu ordered.

"What are you going to do, lieutenant." He asked.

"Just keep working on him." She repeated.

She got up and walked towards the source of the noises. She knew what she was about to do was pointless. They were going to be captured. Possibly killed. It didn't matter. She would hold it off as long as she could. When the first arrow flew past her ear, she raised her hands.

"Hado 33, Sokatsui!" Lightning sped from her fingers to knock the archer down. She had used enough force to stun only. It was a mistake. She should be shooting to kill. She couldn't bring herself to do it. More arrows and stones flew in her direction. They knew she was there now. She couldn't let them get close enough for hand to hand. They would quickly overcome her. She settled in to fight from a distance.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

Hanataro never faltered in caring for his patient. With his constant attention, Uryuu was holding on just fine. If he could just get him back to the forth division in the next hour, he might even make a full recovery. He knew that was most likely not going to happen. Through his streaming eyes, he watched as Lieutenant Kurotsuchi fired off spell after spell to keep the enemy at bay. It was a great effort, but doomed to failure. Only the narrowness of the canyon prevented them from being surrounded. As Nemu lost strength and energy, the chants got longer and longer as she struggled to maintain their effectiveness. One warrior after another went down stunned only to be dragged back and another take his place. Nemu was not unscathed. She had an arrow sticking from one thigh. Blood was seeping from an abdominal wound. As he watched a slingstone struck her left shoulder, probably shattering it. Her hand went down immediately. Still she refused to give in. Calling out her most powerful spell, using he last of her strength, she filled the canyon with electricity that swept down the path, knocking them all backwards and causing stones to fall from the canon walls. When it was over, the enemy was either stunned on the ground or running. Nemu remained on her feet sobbing for breath. Hanataro didn't know how she was still able to stand. She tried to straighten up and promptly collapsed. Gently setting Uryuu down, Hanataro ran to the fallen officer.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi!" He cried.

She tried to raise herself up on her elbow. "Stay back. I have to keep going."

Hanataro picked her up in a fireman's carry. "You've done enough Lieutenant."

"You don't understand." She said. "They're only regrouping. They're not going to stop. They're going to come back."

He set her down next to Uryuu as gently as he could. She was right. Although he was a healer, he was also a member of the Gotei 13, a warrior. The Quincy was hanging on to life by a thread. His superior was badly wounded and combat ineffective. His options were to surrender or to continue to resist if he had the means to do so.

He pulled out his zampakuto. He didn't want to do this. He had avoided violence his entire life, dedicating himself to healing and easing the suffering of others. This was a part of the job he had always dreaded. Raising his sword above his head he brought it down on the still form of the wounded Quincy. The red gauge on Hisagomaru quickly filled up. He didn't remove the blade until it glowed a deep crimson all over. As he raised it up, he felt some pride seeing his patient breathing easier and with better color. Hisagomaru had absorbed a great deal of his wounds. He had a much better chance of survival now. Hanataro felt it was unfortunate as he gazed at his glowing blade that Hisagomaru didn't only just heal. He turned to walk down the path.

"Seventh seat Yamada. Where are you going?" Nemu asked.

Hanataro didn't turn around. "I'm going to do what I can"

Nemu watched as the young medic went off to face their enemy. Ignoring the pain, she sat up to look at Uryuu. It just wasn't fair. He had endured so much and come so far. It wasn't fair for him to lie there so still. Now there was nothing left. They were going to be captured again. She didn't doubt Uryuu was going to be killed right in front of her. She couldn't bear the thought. She reached out to take his hand. This was probably the last time they would have together. As she looked at her hand entwined in his lifeless fingers she noticed something. There was a tube hanging from Uryuu's belt. It was a signal flare. She pulled it free. Yes, it was a standard issue slap flare. Green. It was probably futile, but at least she was doing something to try for help. It was hard to get the cap off one-handed. She fumbled the firing pin onto the primer cap. You were supposed to use two hands to launch the flare, slapping upward to drive the pin into the primer. She improvised, trying to aim the flare towards the clearest patch of sky overhead and firing it by slamming it down on the ground. It hissed as is exploded out of the tube. To her relief it missed the canyon walls and the trees on the edge to explode cleanly and clearly in the blue sky above. A bright green light floated above them. Their location was now clearly marked for any friendly forces looking for them. If anyone was looking for them. If they could get here in time.

"Nemu…san?"

Uryuu! He was awake! She bit her lip and forced herself up on her good hand to lean over him.

"Don't move Uryuu-kun." She said. "You're badly hurt."

"I can't see." He whispered.

"You're glasses are broken. I'm sorry." She replied.

"No wonder everything looks so dark." he said.

His eyes were wide open. He couldn't seem to focus her. It was dim at the bottom of the canyon but far from dark. He couldn't see.

"Is it raining Nemu-san?" He asked.

His face was getting wet. When had she started crying?

"Don't worry Uryuu-kun. Help is on the way."

"I feel tired." He said.

"Try to stay awake." She said. "I need to talk to you."

"That's right." He replied. "When this was all over we were going to have a long talk together. I was looking forward to that."

"Yes." She said. " I was too."

From behind her came a booming roar. The canyon shook and rocks started to fall all around them. She threw herself over Uryuu to protect him from this latest threat.

Hanataro stood where Nemu had fought off the enemy. It offered a good view down the path. Sure enough, they had regrouped and were approaching with caution. He raised his zampakuto high overhead.

"B b b beware! Y you are now facing s s seventh seat Y Yamada Hanataro! L l leave now and I I I'll spare your , uh, lives!"

The enemy warriors paused and glanced at each other. On the one hand, they obviously faced a green stripling. On the other hand, the foreigners had surprising powers and they had just taken a beating earlier today. Also his sword glowed an lurid shade of crimson. They really had to think about it.

"He's bluffing!" A voice called out.

Hanataro could just make out the form of Ixtlilton standing behind the group.

"He's their healer. He's not a warrior. Ignore his puny threats."

"Don't you dare come closer!" Hanataro shouted. "I don't want to hurt anybody, but I do have the power to stop you!"

Ixtlilton sneered. "He's lying. Ignore his yammering and bring him to me."

Making up their minds, the warriors resumed their implacable advance.

"Stop." Hanataro commanded.

They didn't even hesitate.

"Please. I'm begging you. Stop."

A few in the front began to run. Hanataro closed his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks. What he was about to do tore at his gentle soul.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered.

With a despairing cry, he raised Akeiro Hisagomaru over his head and struck the blade along the canyon wall. A crimson blast of energy traveled in a straight line, furrowing through the rock, throwing shrapnel across the canyon and scything down the enemy forces. Dozens fell screaming. Many died, many more were wounded. Hanataro knew that would happen. That had not been his goal, just an anticipated side effect. It wouldn't be enough to wipe them all out. What followed did. As he predicted, the rock carved from the canyon wall by Hisagomaru weakened it just enough. The remaining enemy realized it a little too late. The rock caved into the trench starting a chain reaction. A landslide. In seconds, everything on the canyon floor would be buried. The enemy ran for the exit downhill. Some of them might even make it to safety. Hanataro ran in the opposite direction towards his patients.

He chanted to himself over and over again, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.

He ran up to Uryuu and Nemu and threw himself over their bodies just as the wave of rock and dirt reached them. The rumbling of the mountain falling in on itself lasted a long time.