Title: Covenant
Series: Amaranthine (third in series; sequel to Nexus and Apotheosis)
Author: Akuni
Universe: Bleach
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: M for 'Much Smut' (NC-17)
Pairing: Renji/Ichigo (Note: I always write them reversible)
Spoilers: read through Soul Society, Arrancar, & Hueco Mundo Arcs
Warnings: By this point, everyone reading this story should know that this is futurefic, with all that that implies – character development, interpretations of events not yet seen in canon, etc. There's more talk of the war with Aizen, and mentions of character deaths during the war.
Word Count: you wouldn't believe me if I told you yet ;)
Summary: Three years after Ichigo began a rewarding life as a full-time shinigami captain, an unexpected challenge changes things for everyone, and Ichigo and Renji face their biggest trials yet.
More info and author's notes on chapter 1.
Chapter 21 –Cataclysm
Ichigo found the site of the disturbance without any trouble. The nauseating pulse of corrupted spirit particles that had been affecting the Hollows was emitting from a single globe of sickly green energy contained in a transparent barrier.
The barrier was a type he'd seen before. During the war, many hidden bases had been surrounded by kidou mines – invisible to the naked eye, and deadly. Their power sources had been buried underground and protected by this same type of barrier. The mines had only been detectable using specially calibrated gadgets from the Research and Development Institute, such as the one implanted in one of Renji's visors.
But this one sat boldly in the open – as if to taunt them, when they finally managed to track it down. Luckily they were fairly easy to deal with once you'd detected them; Ichigo gathered his energy and lined himself up.
"Getsuga Tenshou!"
The bright crescent smashed directly into the barrier, sending up a great fountain of blue-white sparks that lit the night – but the barrier remained intact. Ichigo frowned, and cautiously focused his senses on the thing, trying to feel the energy of the barrier itself and not the twisted energy it was exuding. Being this close to it felt like bathing in filth, the wrongness seeping over and through him.
Weakened, but only a bit. Ichigo raised Zangetsu again and prepared to fire another blast, but a nerve-scraping shriek heralded the not-unexpected appearance of another, more dangerous target. Spinning around quickly, he spotted the guardian approaching from his right, and dove away just in time to avoid its first crushing attack and the burst of energy it threw at him right away.
Springing to his feet, Ichigo leaped straight into the air and bought himself time to assess the situation and concentrate enough to reach for more of his power.
"BANKAI!" He watched with satisfaction as the force of his reiatsu staggered the enormous Hollow. "Tensa Zangetsu."
The enhanced speed was a welcome advantage against the swift-moving guardian. With no further need to hold back, and a very real need to end this fight and destroy the trap as soon as possible, Ichigo sped off to the side and launched another attack before it could gather itself to release another disorienting wave. As the black and red crescent streaked toward the creature, he flashed to the opposite side and fired another. The two energy blasts slammed into the Hollow, the force crushing it between them and colliding with a brilliant flash.
When the light dissipated, Ichigo saw he'd managed to slice off one of its arms. But instead of falling, the guardian charged with an enraged bellow, its one remaining fist catching Ichigo on the shoulder and sending him crashing to the ground.
He didn't have time to be stunned; Ichigo rolled with the blow, not bothering to stifle the cry of pain as his shoulder smacked into the ground over and over. As soon as he was able, he scrambled to his feet and flashed back far enough to encourage the Hollow to make another charging attack.
"All right, c'mon," Ichigo muttered under his breath, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead as he waited for the one-armed guardian to take another swipe at him. It did so immediately, and Ichigo yelled his triumph as he took advantage of the weakness he'd created. He ducked under the descending limb and rushed forward, slipping in under its guard and carving it right in half from crotch to crown.
The two halves of the guardian wobbled weirdly, then peeled away from each other as it slowly disintegrated.
Ichigo allowed himself a few precious seconds to take in deep breaths and refocus his efforts.
"Getsuga Tenshou!"
Another shower of sparks, and the energy of the barrier was reduced a little more. It was going to be a difficult task, but not an impossible one. As soon as Renji and the others arrived, it would be over.
Ichigo smiled at that thought, but he grew grim when he felt the pressure change again and heard the deep, echoing cry of another guardian manifesting behind him.
§
These guardians are a real pain in the ass! Whipping his arm forward, Renji launched Zabimaru in a wide circle behind the oversized Hollow. The guardian let out a spine-shivering screech and flung its thick arms out, reaching for the nearest tail segment as the skeletal snake spiralled high into the sky. It connected with a loud crack, and Renji quickly disconnected the broken joint as the rest of the Zabimaru's tail swerved out of range.
Massive footsteps shook the ground under his feet as the guardian ran toward him with another of those unnerving, roaring screams. Renji stood his ground, signalling for Zabimaru to swing back around from behind it with an unnoticeable flick of his wrist. He'd drawn the fight as far away from the others as he could – now it was time to finish it.
Sharp fangs tore into the wide back, ripping out an enormous chunk of muscle and bone. Hihiou Zabimaru's triumphant call reverberated, and Renji added his own battle cry to the din as the wounded creature shrieked and careened away.
"Seems pretty pissed," Renji said aloud, bringing Zabimaru around for another pass. This time the guardian was ready for them, lurching out of the way and sending out one of those devastating energy pulses. With a curse, Renji pulled in his reiatsu and flashed high overhead, letting Zabimaru's disconnected pieces crash heavily to the ground. He managed to avoid the reiatsu-scrambling blast entirely, and a quick mental check confirmed that Zabimaru was unharmed and ready to go.
Muttering quickly under his breath, Renji brought both hands forward. "Shakkahou!" he shouted at last, sending the unstable burst of red fire straight for the Hollow's face. It flinched at the bright explosion, and Renji took the opportunity to prepare his next move.
He landed some distance away from the guardian; the cloud of dust raised by Zabimaru's landing hid both him and the rapidly reforming the bone serpent. The sight of the monstrous Hollow staggering dazedly would have been comical, had the situation not been so dire.
Gotta finish this soon… Ichigo's countin' on us! In response, Zabimaru reared back, coiling around him defensively, eagerness radiating all around. Renji ducked his head, chuckling to himself.
Ya ready to do this? The answering roar shook his bones. Teeth bared in a wide grin, Renji launched his enthusiastic bankai directly toward the weakened guardian.
Hihiou Zabimaru sped forward, twirling madly.
"Hikou Taihou!"Red energy blasted out of the great fanged mouth, smashing into the guardian at fatally close range. An instant later, the enormous jaws closed on the already crumbling Hollow, just for good measure.
As soon as the guardian went down, Renji returned Zabimaru to his extended state and flashed back to the last gate where the others were fighting furiously to guard their exit. The large form of the 7th Division captain was nowhere to be seen, but Renji's sharp eyes easily picked out the smaller 9th Division captain directing the battle.
"Shuuhei!" Renji landed next to his friend. "It's too much, we gotta finish this now!"
Shuuhei issued one last command to a hard-eyed aide before turning to give him a strange look. "What happened, where's Ichigo?"
Renji sucked in a huge breath, letting his tired muscles relax for just a few moments as he gave Shuuhei the thirty second version of events. Shuuhei listened carefully and gave him a sharp nod at the end.
"Ok, go, we'll draw as many as we can." Shuuhei shook his head. "Komamura-taichou took a bad hit and had to go back, so they're sending the 11th Division to back us up." He offered Renji a tight smile. "Once Zaraki-taichou gets here, we'll be making a lot of noise."
Renji took off at top speed.
§
A thousand blades spun through the air, resembling a blizzard of cherry blossoms. The storm cut a swath through the ranks of Hollows advancing on the kidou team who'd just closed the old gate. Nearly half a kilometre away, Ukitake was directing squads from the 13th and 6th Divisions to keep clear the way ahead to the final gate, the fighting so fierce the Kuchiki could still feel the edges of it without straining his senses.
"Kuchiki-taichou, we're ready!" The leader of the team from the Kidoushuu staggered up beside him, breaking a handful of rules regarding proximity to a noble or a captain engaged in battle. Not that that sort of thing had any meaning right now, not when they were fighting for their lives, and the lives of the rest of their comrades, and everyone else who would be affected if Aizen's twisted legacy wasn't overcome.
Byakuya brought both hands around, weaving Senbonzakura's blades in a wide circle, fanning out and obliterating dozens of foes. "Begin the advance," he instructed. The man nodded, and ran to gather his weary team.
Byakuya's communicator beeped, and he spared a hand to withdraw it from the folds of his uniform, calmly holding it to his ear even as he directed the shimmering blades to cover the kidou team's movement.
"Byakuya!" Ukitake's voice crackled over the tiny speaker. "We need to bring the army back together as soon as possible. The 5th Division 4th seat just reported that his captain and Ichigo-kun have defeated some kind of guardian and have gone ahead before they get ambushed again." He recited a brief description of the guardian and its abilities.
"Understood." Byakuya assessed the situation; now that the gate was closed, the swarm of Hollows had lessened considerably. They'd nearly defeated all the remaining opponents, and there was nothing left to defend. "Hold your current position. We're on our way to you now, and we'll move together to join Hisagi's group at the final gate."
"Should we send anyone ahead to assist them with the trap? We're hard-pressed here, but their task is the priority on this mission…" Ukitake sounded concerned, and Byakuya really couldn't fault the experienced captain for the inquiry.
"Whether their mission succeeds or fails, it makes no difference if we lose two-thirds of the Gotei 13 in the process," Byakuya replied. "Once we've rejoined the army, Ukitake, you will take command and I will go assist them myself."
§
Ukitake was relieved when he saw the swirl of glowing pink closing on the position he was working hard to maintain. Splitting the army was necessary to protect the way out without drawing too much attention to each group, but now the final push was on. Hisagi Shuuhei was the only senior officer at the final gate, unless Zaraki Kenpachi had managed to find his way there by now. The 8th Division captain had wanted to take his squads and reinforce the 9th, but without the forces still with Kuchiki Byakuya, there was no way Ukitake could hold his ground without them.
"Byakuya's here!" Ukitake called unnecessarily. Kyouraku's lazy smile seemed out of place on the battlefield, but it reassured and encouraged their people.
The meeting of the two sections of the army was cause for a great deal of yelling and enthusiasm among the weary fighters. Confidence fairly oozed from all sides, and Ukitake tried not to think about how far the burst could take them before it faded.
Ukitake had been a shinigami for a long, long time; he was not unfamiliar with the realities of the battlefield, and he was certainly no stranger to the sight of blood, but the carnage he'd seen over the past couple days turned his stomach. Ears rang from the endless clash of weapons, and the stench of death clung to everything; he knew those who survived would find it lingered in the nostrils for days after.
If he lived through this, he knew it would provide inspiration for his nightmares for years.
He was relieved when the slim form of the 6th Division captain appeared at his side. "Byakuya!"
"Ukitake." Byakuya nodded briefly as he resealed his zanpakutou. "Is your group ready to move once we clear these away?" One gloved hand, still pristine, waved out at the melee.
"Yes, we were just waiting for your group. As soon as we lock this down, we can—" He broke off as a wave of force rolled over the battlefield, twisting the ground under their feet. A loud roar rumbled over the noise of battle, and an enormous reddish-brown Hollow stomped onto the field out of nowhere. The screams of shinigami too slow to move out of the way were cut off as the giant feet descended with deadly intent, blood and worse spurting out from underneath.
"Clear everyone out of the way, Kyouraku!" Turning to Byakuya, Ukitake dropped his tone urgently. "That has to be one of those guardians, it matches the description perfectly."
"Stay back," was all Byakuya said before unsheathing his zanpakutou and raising it high. The fine-boned hand opened, and Senbonzakura sank slowly, gracefully into the ground.
Ukitake stepped well back.
"Bankai." The atmosphere darkened, and the enormous blades rose up. "Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
Ukitake watched closely from the side, prepared to join the fight should his assistance be required. The disruption as Byakuya released his bankai drew the guardian's attention immediately. It let out another bellow in challenge and turned toward the 6th Division captain. Byakuya faced the charge impassively, protected from the first thunderous blow by the cherry blossom blades that swarmed to his motionless command.
The creature shrieked its outrage as the wall of pink followed its retreating fist, covering it like a sleeve of angry wasps and slicing deep gashes all along the thick arm. It took two steps backward, then charged forward again, seeming intent on flattening the 6th Division captain with its entire body.
But for all its speed, it simply could not catch the noble. Byakuya evaded the guardian's attack with deceptive ease – Ukitake knew just how much effort went into achieving such precise movements while maintaining that kind of iron control on one's bankai – and sent Senbonzakura's deadly blossoms at the creature's back with a barely noticeable flick of his hand.
Another cry of pain warbled over the battlefield, and the Hollow spun and planted itself firmly. The burst of energy it emitted bowled over everyone behind the 6th Division captain, but Byakuya remained standing, securely anchored, lips moving in a chant inaudible over the ruckus the guardian was making.
Suddenly the Kuchiki's hand shot forward, a stern finger pointing directly at the enraged Hollow preparing for another charge. "Rikujoukourou!" he intoned sharply. Six rods of light slammed into the guardian, pinning it for several seconds before it broke free with a wet snarl and gathered itself for an attack.
But it was already far too late.
Senbonzakura descended on the Hollow, the uncountable petal blades blotting out the sight of it entirely. After a long moment, the pink storm swirled away, leaving only the rapidly fading motes of the guardian in its wake.
Kuchiki Byakuya released his bankai and calmly sheathed his zanpakutou.
"Ukitake, can I leave this to you?" The noble's stoic expression hardly ever wavered, but Ukitake knew him well enough to read the tension in his features.
"Go, Byakuya, we're fine here now," Ukitake assured him. "You can feel where Hisagi-kun has the final gate, right?" Byakuya nodded, and then he was gone.
Ukitake smiled; Byakuya hadn't played all those games of tag with Shihouin Yoruichi for nothing.
§
Ichigo dodged a massive swing and bought himself time for another attack.
"Getsuga Tenshou!" His throat was sore from yelling, but each blast weakened the barrier a little more.
One more, then I can destroy the damn thing. He swerved to avoid another potentially fatal blow. If I can get this bastard off me, that is!
The guardian that plagued him was one of only two that had tracked him down. Even from this distance, Ichigo could feel the immense spirit forces back toward the gate, and he knew that the message had been delivered and that he'd soon have all the help he needed to finish this.
(Let me do it, aibou!) The Hollow begged, clawing at him desperately and throwing him off his stride. (We can win if ya let me out!)
Ichigo slapped him down mentally, struggling to maintain control as he dodged another attack. "This isn't the time!" he shouted angrily. "You're gonna get me killed!" The Hollow subsided briefly, but Ichigo could still feel him simmering just below the surface.
And then the monster made a fatal mistake; it stepped directly between Ichigo and his target. Ichigo's shout was wild as he instantly fired off another devastating blast.
The behemoth crashed into the barrier, shattering it, and Ichigo wasted no time launching one final attack.
"Getsuga Tenshou!" The raw scream tore out of him, the enormous black and red crescent smashing through the guardian and impacting the sickly green energy field.
There wasn't even time for a last startled thought before the world exploded and everything went dark.
§
Less than a kilometre away, Renji felt the surge of power a split second before the wall of force slammed into him mid-stride. He spun end over end, unconscious before he hit the ground.
§
The wave continued, rolling over the combatants at the gate, obliterating Hollows and flattening shinigami. Hisagi Shuuhei blacked out momentarily from the impact, falling to his knees and clutching his head.
Kuchiki Byakuya stumbled as he made his way to the 9th Division captain's side. "You have to go get the rescue crews," he shouted – actually shouted – over the ringing in their ears. "I'll take care of things here." He pulled Shuuhei to his feet and helped him to the gate.
§
Omake
-Chapter 21-
Akuni: Is… is anyone here?
…
Akuni: Hello?
-stampede of rescue crews races past-
Akuni: Oh my…
Music
♫ 'Live and Let Die' – Paul McCartney & Wings