Zomari hid in his armored shell, and yet he was leaking blood profusely. Captain Byakuya's attack was effective in neutralizing the fifty eyes Zomari possessed. Still, the Espada had survived. He emerged from his shell a bloody mess; all of his eyes bled.
"This act is unforgivable!" Zomari raged.
Zomari immediately targeted Byakuya's body with his remaining eyes. "Danku," Byakuya said, as he created a barrier. Zomari's mark slammed up against the barrier, but couldn't go beyond it.
"I figured your ability is similar to kidu. It seems my hypothesis was spot on," Byakuya predicted.
"You son of a bitch!" Zomari screamed, while he futilely tried to break the barrier.
Rukia suddenly phased onto the scene behind Zomari. The Espada smiled believing Rukia to be his savior. "Aizen has sent you to save me," Zomari said happily.
Byakuya considered Rukia, and her new form; she was radically different from before. He continued to ready himself for anything that may occur. Rukia whirled her Shikai in an intimidating fashion, and then slashed through Zomari like butter.
"You tried to control us like we were a doll," Rukia said coldly.
Zomari felt his life force leave him, as blood sprayed from his chest. "Long live Aizen. Live long and prosper, live long and…," Zomari shouted his praises.
Rukia suddenly sliced off his head ending his speech; his body began to evaporate into nothingness. Rukia then turned to Byakuya. "Thank you," Byakuya said for ending the Arrancar's babbling.
"Why are you here?" Rukia asked Byakuya, as they walked side by side.
"I received orders from the Commander to retrieve you, Renji, and the Ryoku," Byakuya began.
Rukia said nothing after a while. "Your skills have improved greatly," Byakuya remarked; he could not help but notice her new appearance.
"We now have control over our power," Rukia said.
Byakuya didn't think much of Rukia's use of "we," it was a common noble trait. "I sympathize with your plight, but I cannot defy the Commander. Not in these times," Byakuya told her.
"Though it seems you are now in control of your reiatsu. You should be able to hide from Soul Society's sensors," Byakuya said.
"We no longer need to hide," Rukia corrected.
Byakuya gave Rukia a concerned look. "What do you intend to do now?" Byakuya asked.
"We plan to kill Captain Mayuri and Captain Unohana," Rukia said simply.
Byakuya froze in his tracks and he reached for his sword. "You act surprised," Rukia noted.
"I cannot allow you to kill seated officers of the Gotei 13," Byakuya said sternly.
"They wanted to kill us, experiment on us. They deserve to die," Rukia told him.
"That, I cannot say. But the order must be preserved," Byakuya said softly.
"You are either with us or against us Brother," Rukia said.
"I will fulfill my obligation. I will not kill you, but I will not allow you to pass," Byakuya told her.
Within a few moments, Byakuya lay on the ground devastated, and bleeding profusely. Scattered metal fragments were spread out on the ground. "Impossible," he grunted.
Rukia lifted her scythe blade, as if to slay him but stopped herself. "We won't kill you Brother, but you are still dangerous," Rukia said.
She pointed her scythe blade's tip at Byakuya, and froze him in a giant piece of ice. Hanatarou suddenly showed up, and met up with Rukia. "Rukia!" he said excitedly.
Rukia gave Hanatarou a confused glance. "You look a little different, but you seem okay," Hanatarou said joyfully.
Rukia smiled at the 4th Division member. "Can you tell me where Captain Unohana is?" Rukia asked.
Hanatarou led Rukia to Captain Unohana and Vice Captain Isane, and was seemingly oblivious to Captain Byakuya's condition. Rukia was now on a large sandy plane; the bodies of Chad and his Arrancar opponent were nearby.
"There she is," Hanatarou pointed out.
"Thank you," Rukia said, and then knocked out the boy with a quick stroke of her left hand.
Captain Unohana gave a look of concern and shock as Hanatarou fell to the ground with a thud. "What have you done?" Isane asked angrily.
Captain Unohana simply stared, as Isane activated her Shikai and charged Rukia. Rukia readied her staff, and pointed the tip at Isane. The staff suddenly blasted a hole through Isane's chest dropping her.
"We won't let you destroy us," Rukia told the Captain.
"This is your answer: violence?" Captain Unohana asked.
"You lied to us," Rukia accused.
Captain Unohana nodded. "I'm sorry Rukia. I had my duty to perform."
"It's not forgivable," Rukia said angrily.
"We can discuss this later. There are wounded to care for," Captain Unohana said referring to her Vice Captain and Hanatarou.
Rukia considered the suggestion, and then looked over the bodies of the Arrancar and Chad. Captain Unohana sighed, as she realized what she would find. Rukia looked over the body of Chad; there was a sword wound through his chest; he was dead.
Gantenbainne was still alive, but barely. Rukia knelt down next to him. "What happened here?" Rukia asked.
"He fought Nnoitro, the fifth Espada. Telsa, his Fraccion, stabbed him through. I tried to warn him," Gantenbainne said weakly.
"Did the Shinigami Captain try to heal him?" Rukia asked softly.
The Arrancar shook his head. "He was an honorable fighter. It was a pleasure to be his opponent," Gantenbainne said.
Rukia nodded. "I will end your suffering," Rukia said.
Gantenbainne gave her a grateful look until Rukia raised her index finger to his forehead. A sudden shot went through his head killing him. Rukia stood up, and stirred up the wind. Captain Unohana and an injured Vice Captain Isane watched, as the wind pushed the sand over Chad's body.
"He was a Ryoku," Captain Unohana said softly.
Rukia continued to have her back turned to the Captain, and stared at the sand as it completely covered Chad's body. "Let them die," Rukia muttered.
"What did you say?" Captain Unohana asked suspiciously.
Rukia turned toward the Captain, and walked towards her. "Let them die," she said sternly.
Rukia glared at the Captain; the wind picked up around her blowing sand away from her. Rukia rushed Captain Unohana with her staff, and clashed violently with Unohana's sword. Unohana's body gave off a green aura, as she used all her strength to keep Rukia at bay.
Isane did her part; she took out a scroll, and quickly wrote a seal. Rukia eyed her suspiciously, and then kicked Unohana away. Isane worked quickly to fill in the seal, and then activated a communication to the other Captains.
Rukia punched her hard to the throat making her unable to speak. Isane clutched her throat, and vainly tried to defend herself. Rukia pointed an index finger at her, and sent an electrical shock through Isane's shoulder. Rukia whirled her blade blasting Isane with a powerful wind.
Unohana outflanked Rukia, and tried to activate the seal. Rukia blocked her with her staff, and swiped at the Captain. "We don't have to be enemies," Unohana told her.
"You tried to separate us," Rukia accused.
Unohana gave Rukia a confused look, but then expertly twirled Rukia's staff out of her hands. She grabbed a hold of Rukia's shoulders. "You are Rukia, nothing more," she told her.
Unhana powered up a green kidu in her hand, and aimed for her abdomen. "Let me help you," she requested.
Rukia flipped kicking Unohana away. Rukia shot toward Unohana, and punched her hard to cheek. Unohana fell to the ground stunned. Isane once more tried to activate the seal in the air.
Rukia activated a spell binding her hands together with electrical energy, and pulled Isane toward her. Rukia then punched Isane hard to the gut, and then kicked her hard. Isane flew through the air from the impact, and hit a red pillar, one of many in the desert sands.
Rukia's staff pulled out of the sand, and came back to her hands. Rukia aimed her staff at Isane and fired. A cold beam shot toward Isane forming ice crystals, as it went through the air. The ice crystals accelerated, and then pinned Isane to the pillar. Rukia went for another shot to finish her off, when Hanatarou pulled on her robes.
"Please stop this Rukia!" he pleaded.
Rukia smiled warmly at the boy. She affectionately patted his head with her palm. "Hanatarou, get away from her!" Unohana shouted at him.
Rukia turned on Hanatarou in an instant freezing him into an ice statue. Rukia then swiped at Hanatarou shattering his body into thousands of ice pieces. What was left of Hanatarou flew off into the wind.
Unohana charged Rukia with her sword; her wounds had healed. Rukia sliced Unohana's arm with her scythe blade. Unohana sliced Rukia's cheek open. Rukia sliced open Unohana's shoulder, but the Captain scored a hit on Rukia's leg.
The two fighters backed away; Unohana's sword glowed green, and then healed all of her injuries. Rukia's reiatsu healed all of her wounds within an instant. Unohana called out her sword's name.
"Minazuki"
Rukia watched, as a large one eyed manta ray suddenly appeared from Unohana's sword. "Swallow her whole," Unohana ordered.
The beast obeyed without hesitation devouring Rukia whole. Unohana panted in effort, and then walked over to the seal. The Minazuki suddenly exploded from a blue flame; animal guts went flying in all directions. The gore on Rukia evaporated off her clothes.
Unohana put her hands together, and fired at Rukia. The green kidu beam sliced through the air toward Rukia, but she blocked it with one hand. The sand picked up, and blew away from Rukia, as she continued to block the high intensity beam.
Rukia gave a cry of effort, and deflected the beam up. The beam shot up, and exploded a pillar nearby. "Rikujōkōrō" Rukia shouted.
Yellow beams slammed into Unohana keeping her in place. Unohana resisted with difficulty against the beams, as Rukia walked towards her. Rukia approached Unohana, and then looked over her shoulder at Isane.
Isane was still struggling with the ice crystals. Rukia raised her palm, and showered her with beams of light. Isane cried out in pain, as the beams struck her body slicing open several wounds. After an intense barrage, the pillar supporting Isane collapsed.
"You…monster," Unohana said tearfully.
"Is there anything you wish to say?" Rukia asked; the same question she was asked before her execution.
"If you respect life. If you love life, you won't do this," Unohana said, as tears fell from her eyes.
Rukia gave Unohana a blank stare, and then suddenly punched through her chest. Unohana gagged as Rukia reached her heart and froze it. Rukia withdrew her hand; the blood evaporated from her hand.
Unohana hung her head; the yellow beams disappeared allowing her to fall to the ground. An army of Arrancar troops, the Exequias appeared after the battle had finished. Captain Rudobōn cautiously approached Rukia.
"I would be honored if you led us," Rudobōn said, and knelt before Rukia.
Rukia said nothing, and then turned to the Captain. Suddenly she swiped his head off with her scythe blade. She then turned to the other Arrancar. "Run," she instructed.
Immediately they ran as fast, as they could. Rukia increased power to her staff and blasted the small army with a wave of cold frost. The army slowed down, and then became completely still. Rukia whirled her blade; the wind sliced through the Arrancar shattering them.
Rukia walked away towards Captain Mayuri.
Meanwhile, Kenpachi sliced Nnoitro nearly in half with a powerful swing of his sword. Nnoitro gurgled on his own blood, and died while still standing. He then fell to the ground, and bled out on the sand. A wounded and exhausted Kenpachi walked back to the others.
"Could you heal me?" Kenpachi asked of Orihime.
Orihime nodded, and walked towards Kenpachi, but was suddenly scooped up by Stark, an Espada. "Orihime!" Ichigo shouted, as he rushed Stark.
"Sorry, I don't have time to play," Stark apologized, and disappeared right before Kenpachi and Ichigo sliced at him.