Rukia was staring down a very powerful LeBlanc as he stood holding two sharpened bone shaped swords in his hands.
"So then Soul Reaper…what sort of tricks do you have up your sleeves?" the LeBlanc asked as Rukia glared at the LeBlanc with Sode no Shirayuki ready for action.
"You're going to stay right where you are." Rukia said as she held her sword horizontally in front of her then turned it clockwise so that the blade was at three-o-clock from her point of view.
"Dance Sode no Shirayuki." She said as she turned the blade counterclockwise till it was at six-o-clock. As she turned the blade, the entire sword turned a stark white and a long white ribbon of cloth appeared and drifted into the form of a circle as small chunks of ice appeared in the air.
"Some no mai, Tsukishiro." Rukia said as she flash stepped behind the LeBlanc and made a slashing motion with her Zanpakuto causing a large white circle of ice to appear beneath their feet.
"What is this?" the LeBlanc asked curiously before he noticed his feet starting to freeze over. He quickly leapt straight up into the air, breaking free of the ice and staring down at Rukia.
"A valiant effort Soul Reaper, but ultimately-…huh?" the LeBlanc asked as he saw a white beam suddenly appear from the edges of the circle, which he was still within the boundaries of, and was quickly frozen over along with everything within the circle.
"You underestimated Some no mai, Tsukishiro…it freezes everything in the air above the circle, not just what's standing on it." Rukia said as the large pillar of ice suddenly shattered, sending the LeBlanc crashing to the ground.
She stood staring at the crater where the LeBlanc had crashed as she waited patiently for it to climb back up. She could tell by its spiritual pressure that she had only softened it up, and that it would take more than Some no mai, Tsukishiro to defeat it. Sure enough the LeBlanc slowly climbed to its feet.
"I'm surprised Soul Reaper…I did not expect such a beautiful blade to be capable of such power…however…looks aren't everything. Now that you've shown me your power, let me show you mine." The LeBlanc said as his glowing blue eyes narrowed. Suddenly a noise sounding like breaking and creaking bones was heard and suddenly the armor around the LeBlanc's stomach and middle back shattered, revealing an extra pair of arms, both with the sharpened bone swords in its hands.
"Weep and despair Soul Reaper, for your doom has come." The LeBlanc said as his upper arms extended forward with the blades raised in the air parallel to each other. Suddenly its hands started spinning rapidly in full three sixty spins in opposite directions as the LeBlanc started to walk slowly towards her. The lower arms were pulled back with the blades ready to lunge forwards at a moment's notice.
Rukia started backing away nervously as the spinning blades got closer.
"What's the matter Soul Reaper? Afraid?" the LeBlanc asked as Rukia's eyes narrowed and she flash stepped a fair distance behind the LeBlanc. The spinning stopped as Rukia held her Zanpakuto aiming straight towards the ground.
"Oh are you going to try and freeze me again Soul Reaper?" the LeBlanc asked tauntingly.
"As a matter of fact, I am." Rukia replied with narrowed eyes.
"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" Rukia said as she proceeded to stab the ground four times in a line across her front. She then held Sode no Shirayuki with the blade aiming straight at the LeBlanc but with the edge aimed up towards the sky as ice particles started floating up from the four glowing protrusions.
She then thrust her sword forward, causing a massive beam of white and light blue energy to fire from the edge and hit the LeBlanc head on.
As the icy mist settled, she saw the LeBlanc encased within a long wall of ice, with the wall starting at him and ending several meters away behind him. She stood patiently as she waited for him to break free. She knew it was only a matter of time, and she was silently hoping back up would arrive by then.
Unfortunately that hope was dashed as she heard the ice cracking and she quickly raised her Zanpakuto. Suddenly the entire ice wall shattered in a brilliant explosion of ice, revealing the LeBlanc still standing in his place but panting slightly.
"I see…you're more formidable than I had first suspected. But you are also a pain in my backside. Now if you'll kindly stand still and not fight, then at least you will have a quick and painless death." The LeBlanc said as he charged forward with all four of his swords raised. Rukia quickly rolled out of the way and took a swing to his side but her attack missed.
The LeBlanc turned and swung at her again with his right arms but she blocked both swords. She then quickly performed Hado number 1, Sho, and launched the LeBlanc away a short distance before he used Blue Sauter and reappeared a several feet directly over her head. Rukia quickly swung her blade to parry the blow.
Unfortunately there were too many swords and one of them left a long nasty cut down her back near her left side while sheer force of the others caused her blade to shatter, and stab her right foot. The LeBlanc laughed as he left the bone sword in her foot and leapt back a short distance.
"Your Zanpakuto is broken Soul Reaper. Surrender now and prepare yourself for a slow and painful death." The LeBlanc jeered as Rukia panted. She was losing blood from both her back and her foot, but she still drew breath and thus didn't give a damn how bad off she was. She was going to fight till the very end.
"That's (wince) what you think." Rukia said as she held her broken Katana, aimed straight at the LeBlanc in defiance.
"Oh and what do you think you can do with a broken blade? Bludgeon me to death with the hilt?" the LeBlanc laughed.
Rukia angrily looked down at the bone sword, pinning her foot to the ground and sheathed the remains of her sword before grabbing the hilt of the bone sword and started pulling with all her might.
"Na-ah-ah, we can't have that now can we?" the LeBlanc asked as he used Blue Sauter again and appeared over her head, just as she ripped the sword from her foot, turned it upwards and rammed it into the LeBlanc's chest in the gap between the neck and chest plate. She then quickly leapt forward slightly, out of the monster's way as it crashed down on the ground where she once stood.
She slowly turned back around towards him, gritting her teeth in pain as she did. She then drew her bladeless Zanpakuto and pressed the broken edge against the monster's back.
"San no mai, Shirafune." She said as the LeBlanc raised its head slightly with a curious expression peering through its helmet. Suddenly he felt a sharp cold pain running through his back and out his chest. Rukia's Zanpakuto had repaired itself inside of him.
She pulled the Zanpakuto out of its back as she staggered backwards a few steps before stumbling and landing flat on her back, aggravating her wound.
The LeBlanc could be heard panting and his bone armor could be heard rattling.
Rukia remained on her back as things started getting blurry. She then heard what sounded like a raspy laugh coming from in front of her.
With all her strength she pushed herself off the ground to see the LeBlanc pushing himself off the ground and pulling the bone sword from his body.
"I've got to admit…you are indeed a worthy adversary. I actually had some fun but alas all things, both good and bad, must come to an end." The LeBlanc said as Rukia watched in horror as the hole in his chest and back healed itself.
It was like watching a hollow mask grow around a person's head with the strange white liquid pouring into the wound.
The LeBlanc approached with his swords in each of his hands. He came to a stop next to her before kicking her Zanpakuto away out of her reach.
"Now then Soul Reaper, I'm going to tell you a little story before I finish you off." The LeBlanc said as he pressed his foot down on her chest, pinning her to the ground.
"You might be wondering, how did he end up this way? Well the truth is that I remember back when I was fighting the British during the American Revolution back in the late seventeen hundreds…yeah I'm that old. Then one day, the day before the battle of Saratoga, I'm on patrol in the woods and I see this young woman holding this marvelous glowing blue bow and arrow with a cross hanging from her wrist. I approach her but the lousy bitch spotted me and shot me with the arrow, right here in the shoulder." The LeBlanc said pointing to the glowing blue hole in his right shoulder.
"The next thing I know, I wake up in this world surrounded by creatures that look exactly like I do now. After centuries of training, I am chosen by my superiors to serve as one of the Sept Gardeur. Then I get sent through the nearest hole with my other two companions here to this world and wait for the right time to enter the Seireitei and grab that key. Unfortunately my luck wasn't so good because you ran into me and now I, Roodnmad, am now forced to take your life when this could have been handled so peacefully." Roodnmad said before he finally stepped off her chest but raised the swords on his right side and aimed them straight at her helpless form.
"Oh and there is one more thing Soul Reaper. Here's a little secret that you can take to your grave. When you want to kill a LeBlanc quickly, all you have to do is either cut through or stab the core…it's the hole where the Quincy's arrow delivered the killing blow…like this hole right here on my shoulder. This is my core." Roodnmad said as Rukia gritted her teeth angrily.
That was all she had the strength to do at the moment.
Roodnmad raised his swords once again.
"And now Mon Cher…I bid you adieu and thank you for such a lovely fight." Roodnmad said before he thrust his swords forward and Rukia clinched her eyes shut in fear.
CLANG-CLANG-GLANG-CLANG
"What the-?!" she heard the LeBlanc ask before she heard it grunt in pain and then heard and felt something heavy hit the ground nearby. She could hear the rattle of the LeBlanc's armor as it rolled along the ground away from her. She opened her eyes slowly to see something she never expected.
It was Ichigo and Byakuya standing on either side of her with their Zanpakuto's ready. (Music Cue: Number one)
"Hey ugly!" Ichigo shouted at the disoriented Roodnmad, "You should stop and think who you're dealing with before fighting them."
"And who might you two be?!" Roodnmad spat angrily.
"Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, squad six." Byakuya introduced.
"And Deputy Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo added as Roodnmad climbed up onto his feet.
"You two are pathetic. I've been trained to deal with Captain Level Soul Reapers. You two won't even make me break a sweat." Roodnmad said as Ichigo and Byakuya turned gave each other a curious glare.
"Do you want him?" Ichigo asked casually.
"Not unless you don't." Byakuya asked as Ichigo smirked.
"Then by all means Byakuya, after you." Ichigo said as he placed Zangetsu on his back and carefully scooped up the injured Rukia before flash stepping away to the rooftop of a nearby building.
"Now then…you say that your weakness is the hole where the Reishi arrow delivered its fatal wound? Very well." Byakuya said as Roodnmad's eyes widened. They had heard the entire explanation.
Byakuya raised Senbonzakura but paused before uttering the release command.
"Before I show you my Zanpakuto's Shikai, I want you to know that you've wounded my pride by harming Rukia…those that injure Rukia, injure my pride…and those that injure my pride…die." Byakuya said as Roodnmad raised his swords and charged at Byakuya who flash stepped out of the way and reappeared a few feet behind him.
"Scatter Senbonzakura." Byakuya said as his blade disintegrated into glowing pink cherry blossoms which surged straight towards Roodnmad.
Roodnmad looked at the petals curiously as they floated around him. Suddenly a multitude of lacerations appeared across his body as the petals cut deep into his bone armor.
"What (Grunt) is this?!" Roodnmad grunted as Byakuya turned towards where Ichigo stood with Rukia in his arms.
"Care to deal the finishing blow?" Byakuya asked as Ichigo smirked and they quickly traded places with a couple of flash steps. Now Byakuya was holding Rukia as she watched Ichigo standing where Byakuya was a mere millisecond ago.
Ichigo started glowing with light blue Spirit Energy with a cross look on his face.
"Getsuga TENSHOU!!!" he shouted as he swung Zangetsu down diagonally, sending the light blue wave of energy streaking towards the helpless Roodnmad. When the energy wave hit, it split Roodnmad in a diagonal cut, leading down from the core to just above his waist on his left side.
"Im-poss-ible." Roodnmad winced as his severed body floated slowly towards the ground but dissipated like a dead hollow would before his upper half hit the ground. (End music.)
"That's for injuring my pride as well." Ichigo said quietly as Byakuya flash stepped down to where Ichigo was standing with Rukia in his arms.
"Ichigo? Brother?" Rukia asked weakly.
"We're here Rukia." Ichigo said as Byakuya slowly lowered her to the ground. They heard the shouting of the approaching squad four members in the distance.
"Ichigo?" Rukia repeated.
"I'm here Rukia, I'm here." Ichigo said as Rukia weakly grasped his hand.
"There's something I need…to tell you." Rukia whispered.
"No, save your strength. You'll be okay. You can tell me later." Ichigo said softly with a smile as Rukia smiled too with a tear running down her cheek. Finally Hanataro Yamada arrived with a relief squad.
Using his Zanpakuto's special ability to absorb wounds, Hanataro quickly healed Rukia's wounds before helping the other squad members load her onto a stretcher.
Ichigo and Byakuya wasted no time in following them back towards the fourth division med center.
Meanwhile…
Kaichou, Toshiro, Rangiku, and Momo skid to a halt just as they cleared the gate to Rukongai.
"Odd…the spiritual pressure just died down. Seems like the battle is over." Kaichou said as Toshiro and the others looked worried.
"Yes but in whose favor?" Toshiro asked worriedly as Kaichou nodded and continued on towards where they had sensed the Spiritual Pressure.
When they finally arrived, they found Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and his Lieutenant standing in the middle of the street. Mayuri had a disappointed look on his face as he looked away from the approaching group.
"Captain Kurotsuchi! Was that your Spiritual Pressure we sensed earlier?" Toshiro asked as Mayuri sighed despairingly.
"Sadly, no. Apparently Captain Kuchiki's little adopted brat was the one doing the fighting but sustained a few injuries in the process. It took Kuchiki and that Kurosaki brat to finish off whatever it was they were YIEEE!!!" Mayuri grimaced as he became reacquainted with the Shinigami chop.
"Kurosaki brat eh?" Kaichou asked curiously.
"Captain Wrangler…how nice to see you again." Mayuri grimaced through his teeth as Kaichou retracted the chop hand.
"What are you doing out here if there's nothing to fight?" Kaichou asked curiously.
"You have to ask? I'm a scientist, I was hoping to find some sort of remains of whatever it was they were facing to take back for study." Mayuri replied as three Hell butterflies appeared and landed on the fingers of Lieutenants, Kurotsuchi, Matsumoto, and Hinamori.
"Captains we have a report from Captain Kuchiki regarding some recent Intel about the LeBlancs. One of the Ryoka LeBlancs were found and destroyed but they managed to learn that there are two other LeBlancs confirmed to be here in the Soul Society." Nemu explained.
"Really? So I may still get my research subjects!" Mayuri exclaimed with glee.
"Does the report say anything else?" Toshiro asked.
"Yes, Captain Kuchiki says that the weak spot on all LeBlancs are the glowing blue holes on their bodies. These holes are where the Quincy's Reishi arrows delivered their fatal wound and that destroying these holes will destroy the LeBlancs." Nemu added.
"What are LeBlancs?" Momo asked curiously.
"I'll try to explain on the fly Momo." Kaichou replied as she turned back towards Mayuri.
"Speaking of LeBlancs, did the data I sent you regarding the Quincy's yield anything important Captain Kurotsuchi?" Kaichou asked.
"Well nothing I can use but the Quincy boy might have found a solution to his inability to fight the LeBlancs." Mayuri replied.
"Good man. Now does the report from Captain Kuchiki say what the other two LeBlancs look like?" Kaichou asked as all three of the lieutenants shook their heads.
"No Captain, the report only mentions that there were initially three but Captain Kuchiki and the Deputy Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki killed one of them so now there are only two left." Momo replied before furrowing her brow.
"What's a Deputy Soul Reaper? And who's Ichigo Kurosaki?" Momo asked confused, causing Kaichou to smile and pull the brim of her hat down slightly.
"Momo, we've got a lot to talk about." Kaichou said.
"I don't suppose you know how to track LeBlancs do you?" Toshiro asked as Kaichou thought for a moment.
"Hollows yes…LeBlancs maybe. The reason for that is that LeBlancs have a comparatively alien type of spiritual pressure, and normal scanners cannot detect them. However Kisuke Urahara and I managed to develop an upgrade to the Soul Pagers and Ichigo's Deputy Badge that can detect LeBlancs as well." Kaichou replied.
"(Psh) Typical…that insane old coot Urahara never misses a moment to outshine me!" Mayuri grumbled with his arms crossed. Again head met Chop hand.
"You really enjoy doing that don't you Captain?" Momo asked as Kaichou shrugged.
"Only with him." Kaichou replied.
End Chapter 21.
Will the other two LeBlancs be found? Will Ichigo and Rukia confess their feelings? Find out in the Chapters to come…
LeBlanc Research Time.
Gin is standing in front of a blackboard with a drawing of a LeBlanc core on it.
"Today we're going to be looking at the LeBlanc's greatest weakness…their cores." Gin said as he pointed at the drawing.
"LeBlanc cores are the source of their power. Their bone armor functions like a mechanical exoskeleton like you would see in movies and the cores are their power source. Destroying the core destroys the armor and temporarily brings the wearer to their senses." Gin explained as a hand rises from in front of him.
"What do you mean by "brings them to their senses?" a voice asked curiously.
"Na-ah-ah that would be telling. Besides that's a secret for a later chapter." Gin said before he realized who asked the question.
"By the way, how did you get back in here Captain Kurotsuchi?" Gin asked as Mayuri walked onto the platform.
"(Psh) How indeed, I walked through the front door you simpleton." Mayuri said with his arms crossed and Gin sweat dropped.
End.