Author's notes: I finally got this one done. Not a particularly long chapter, it's the first time I've done one that was less than 20 MS word pages in length but it's definitely one of this story's highlights.
I still don't own Bleach or Devil May Cry
Warning: this chapter may be quite the mind job for some people
Please enjoy and don't forget to leave a nice juicy review
Ch. 25 His Hell
"Because of his shrewdness and your lack of perception, my master had you all fooled for years" Shinsou began as the scenery changed from the wreckage of the fake Karakura town to a large gathering of tents around camp fires "he fooled you all into thinking that he was a despicable villain who sought to sew pain and suffering upon everyone he crossed" there were dozens of men gathered dressed in ragged clothes and holding blood stained weapons "but that was far from the truth…"
"Hey boss that was a hell of good time raiding that village" one of the men said to his leader.
"Trust me there will be more to come kid" the man declared in amusement before some movement in the bushes caught his eye "what the hell?" he asked in confusion.
Those were his last words as the tip of a blade quickly shot out from the bushes, he couldn't dodge, he couldn't do anything to save himself, he could only open his eyes in shock and fear a moment before the sword shot through his forehead killing him in an instant.
"What's going on, who did that?!" one of the men demanded as the blade began to retract and their leader's body fell to the ground with a sickening thud, the men gulped in fear as they readied their weapons and the assailant emerged from the cover holding a katana with a short blade which was covered in their chief's blood; he was a young boy with short purplish silver hair which he wore in a bowl cut, his eyes were closed tightly in a disturbing expression which was matched only by his smile and his unusually thing body "get him!!!"
"…the truth of the matter is that he was what all those who are evil fear most…" Shinsou continued as the men rushed towards their master's assassin only to be struck down one by one with a few simple sword swings from the young Gin, they were all dead before they even hit the ground "…he was a vigilante capable of striking down any evil he set his eyes on without warning and without hesitation" Gin proceeded to slaughter the rest of the bandits, those who fought were cut down in an instant, and those who ran were pierced through their backs.
"Sorry" the young Gin said calmly as he swung his sword to rid it of blood before sheathing it "but there's no place for you here in the Soul Society" he then walked off as if it were a normal occurrence for him.
The scene shifted and Gin was standing in a small village full of excited chattering.
"Did you hear? Those bandits that were raiding villages throughout the region were all slaughtered last night" a villager said in relief.
"Sounds like we've got a real guardian angel watching our asses" another villager chuckled happily.
"I doubt it was anything of the sort" Gin stated in mild amusement scaring both men at his sudden appearance "if I had to guess it was just someone with a sword acting out of boredom."
"Who the hell are you kid?! I've never seen you around before!" the first villager asked in shock.
"Sorry if I startled you, my name is Gin Ichimaru, I'm no one worth mentioning" Gin answered before walking off.
"Such a creepy child" the second villager stated and his friend noted "what is up with that unnatural hair color and did you see how he had his eyes closed the whole time?!"
"Yeah and then there's just how thin he is…" the second man added "…such a terrifying child…"
"It's not my fault I look this way…" Gin thought before he overheard a couple of women talking to his side.
"It's great that those bandits who were getting close to us have been exterminated" one woman gave a sigh of relief "it's just a shame that no one can handle those rogue mercenaries to the West…"
Gin felt his right hand begin to twitch "…but then again…I guess it's impossible for someone to love a killing machine like me…"
"Ever since my master was a child my master has been cursed with the ability to look into people's hearts…" Shinsou began as a number of violent scenes flashed in front of his observers, all of which involved him killing someone with his sword "…as a result he felt compelled to exterminate evil wherever he found it. And yet, no matter how many bandits or warlords he killed, he was unable to find anyone who accepted him…" the scene changed to a large number of people shrinking in fear at the sight of him "…and so he continued to fight, without reason and without love, no matter where he went no one would give him the time of day, he never found anywhere he could belong, until that day…"
"Here are your dried persimmons" a stall vender said with a hint of nervousness in her voice as she handed Gin a small bag of his favorite food.
"So pricey…" Gin thought as he looked at the run down little town "…must be due to the poor infrastructure…" suddenly he felt a faint presence that caught his attention causing him to run off in pursuit of it "…this feeling, it has to be someone like me, but it's fading quickly..." he froze when he found himself in the middle of a clearing, in the middle was a girl the same age as him with shoulder length ginger hair lying on the ground, as he approached he noticed she was incredibly thin "…she's dying of starvation!!!" he realized as he reached into his bag and put one of his precious dried persimmons to her mouth, the girl blinked before looking up towards Gin "eat…" he commanded and the girl took a bit "…if you can faint from hunger then you must have it too, the power."
"You too?" she asked weakly.
"Yes, my name is Gin, it's very nice to meet you" Gin answered "I can't just leave her, she'll die."
"And so Gin began to travel with Rangiku, they traveled throughout Rukongai until eventually taking up refuge in an abandoned house in one of Rukongai's many slums and they played every day they were together, for the first time in his life, my master was happy" Shinsou narrated as several images of the young Rangiku and Gin playing together flashed by, Rangiku was smiling happily and she now appeared to have gained a much healthier weight, as for Gin it appeared that Shinsou's statement was spot on; his grin had been replaced with a genuine smile and his eyes were actually open and had a soft expression the likes of which only Rangiku had ever seen "however word of various bands of murderous men still reached his ears and every time he learned of them he felt compelled, not wanting to drag Rangiku into danger and yet being unable to resist his urge, he had no choice but to leave her behind for days, weeks, and even months at a time to fight…" more images of Gin brutally killing bandits one by one "…naturally he told her nothing of what he was doing, though he succeeded in protecting her from harm…" the scene cleared to show Gin and Rangiku standing in their one room home, the latter wore an incredibly distressed expression.
"Where did you go this time Gin?!" Rangiku demanded desperately.
"It doesn't matter anymore" Gin answered "I can't let you in on this part of my life because…"
"I'm so infuriated with you!!!" Rangiku declared angrily before she ran out of the house leaving behind a faint trail of tears in the air.
"…because I love you, and I don't want you to get hurt…" Gin thought as a tear slowly creped down his face as the scene shifted once again.
"And that is how it continued for several more years until eventually he discovered the greatest evil he would ever face…" Shinsou stated as the scene shifted showing Gin dressed in a familiar black Kimono standing next to the body of a slain shinigami.
"Impressive…" a soft voice called out as a younger Sousuke Aizen wearing his squad's lieutenant's badge over his left arm "…you're even better than the rumors suggested. Could I perhaps here your name one more time?"
Gin quickly regained his composure and his smile before Aizen noticed, covered in blood from the dead man before him, he turned towards Aizen and answered "Gin, Gin Ichimaru."
"So how was he?" Aizen asked "our squad's third seat."
"Nothing worth mentioning" Gin answered "I'm sorry, but I have to get as close to this one as possible or I won't stand a chance."
"Is that so? That's good to hear" Aizen replied as an evil grin of own crept across his face "allow me to introduce another dear friend of mine, come on out Kaname" at his words a younger Kaname Tousen wearing a white haori and a mask appeared at his leader's command.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance" Kaname stated politely as he walked up to the younger shinigami.
"Same to ya" Gin replied "This man has the ability to do it, but he's been enslaved by Aizen's words and is unable to break free, he can't do it…" he turned his gaze back towards Aizen as he followed the two older men.
The scene shifted once again to the fifth squad's administrative building with Aizen sitting at the Captain's desk wearing a white haori and a murderous grin.
"He planned it all out…" Gin thought in disbelief "…the Hollowification experiments, the betrayal of his Captain and over half a dozen other Captains and Lieutenants, turning Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi into his scapegoats, and then to take the Captain's seat for himself…" Gin looked towards Aizen, though he didn't show it, for the first time in his life Gin was afraid "…I don't know if I can stop him…I'm sorry Rangiku, but I may not be coming back from this one…"
"During the years that followed Aizen's betrayal of Shinji Hirako, Gin began to train every day in order to obtain his full potential" Shinsou explained as images of a young Gin crossing blades with Shinsou in an attempt to obtain the Bankai release "shortly after Kisuke Urahara's banishment he succeeded in getting closer to Aizen and eventually became his Lieutenant, however…" several scenes of a slightly older Gin wearing the same Lieutenant's badge that Aizen had worn, upon closer inspection the shinigami and Vaizards noticed that Gin's right hand seemed to indicate that he was about to draw his sword and strike down his Captain "…he could tell that Aizen's guard was too through for him to pierce through with a surprise attack and that in a one on one fight he would never stand a chance due to Aizen's Kyouka Suigetsu and his monstrous abilities; and so his plans changed. Instead of killing Aizen himself he decided to seek out people he felt could do what he could not…" an image of Alexander, Elaina, and Esther at their graduation appeared with Gin observing from the shadows with a hopeful smile etched across his "…about a decade later he discovered a man he could tell would be able to create a way around Aizen's Kyouka Suigetsu, Gin was content to wait out the rest of eternity to find someone with the potential to surpass Aizen, but then something happened that threw a wrench into his plans…" the scene cleared showing Gin standing next to an older Rangiku who was now wearing the same black kimono as him except she kept the top open and in addition she wore a pink scarf around her neck along with a chain necklace.
"You've really grown Rangiku" Gin stated in astonishment at her beauty.
"Is that all you have to say Gin?" Rangiku asked clearly annoyed "it's been nearly forty years since you left."
"Why did you become a shinigami?" Gin replied "the whole idea of leaving you was to protect you; now that you're here you'll be in danger from the hollows…and from Aizen…"
"Gin have you even been to our old district recently" Rangiku inquired though she could tell that his answer was no "food prices have gone through the roof, speaking of which ours collapsed several years ago, my options were either to starve to death on the streets or become a shinigami" she looked at him darkly "need I say more?"
"No" Gin answered "I'm sorry Rangiku."
"Then why did you leave me?" Rangiku demanded "do you have any idea how much it hurt me every time you walked out without telling me a damn thing?!"
"I'm sorry" was the only reply Gin could give.
"Forget it" Rangiku sighed sadly "take care of yourself…" she walked off with tears in her eyes.
"Now that Rangiku's joined the Thirteen Squads she'll be in danger for every day that Aizen still breathes, I need to find someone who can stop Aizen quickly" Gin thought to himself "I won't allow Aizen to hurt her…" his expression became much more solemn "…any more than I already have…"
"About twenty years later he finally found what he had been seeking" Shinsou stated "and for the first time in the past two decades Gin's shame was outshined by the hope he felt towards this new prospect."
"Show me what you've got you damn little" an angry student yelled out as the clouds began to blacken, a fierce wind began to lash out at his flash, and the temperature plummeted.
"Reign over the frosted frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!!!" another voice commanded forcefully just before an ice dragon slammed the student into a nearby wall and froze him to it, moments later a younger Toushirou landed softly with a faint smile across his face "you should grateful, I restrained so you didn't take the full blast."
"So this is the genius I've heard so much about" Gin thought as he watched the young man's sparring match from the shadows, he was now considerably taller and wearing the Captain's haori of the Third Squad "he's better than the rumors indicated and his spiritual pressure is unreal, I can't believe he's only a student…" Gin smiled to himself "…he still hasn't mastered his powers, but with the proper training he could very well be just what I'm looking for…" he immediately set off to return to Aizen "…I need to get Aizen to assign him to Squad Three so I can train him, then once Aizen obtains the Hogyoku he and the Warlock can finally destroy him…" for the first time in twenty years Gin felt hope fill his heart "…then I can return to Rangiku…"
*Squad Five Office Building*
"So how was he Gin?" Aizen asked curiously.
"The stories don't do him justice" Gin answered "in time he'll be stronger than me" Aizen smirked at his statement "more importantly, he'll be stronger than you!" he took a seat next to Aizen's desk before adding "though he's bit of a free minded individual, maybe even more so then that Renji guy, it would probably be best if you didn't assign him to your Squad Captain Aizen."
"You make a good point" Aizen replied before his eyes turned slightly "how about it Kaname, can I count on you to investigate this new prospect for me?"
"Of course" Kaname replied as he emerged from the shadows and though he didn't show it, Gin was shocked by the blind man's presence.
"Very well then, I'll have him assigned to the Ninth Squad" Aizen stated "you two are dismissed."
"Sir" the Captain of Squad Nine replied before leaving the office.
"Damn you Aizen" Gin swore angrily in his mind as he walked through the streets of the Seireitei he took a deep breath before thinking "okay if he's going to be in Squad Nine then it's likely that Dark-Heart will take him under his wing considering what happened to him during the last World War so he can handle training the boy…" he put his hand up to his chin "…I'll just have to do what I can for him while keeping an eye on Aizen."
"From that day forward he dedicated himself to finding ways to help Toushirou Hitsugaya grow stronger, primarily by recommending Aizen and Tousen assign him to as many advanced missions as possible followed by extended breaks giving him the chance to train with Alexander Dark-Heart and his Zanpakutou, Hyourinmaru" Shinsou explained as several scenes of Toushirou doing battle with various hollows most of which were at least the size of small buildings "however Aizen eventually learned that the boy was the reincarnation of the Frozen Devil which nearly destroyed Head Captain Yamamoto and so…" the scene cleared to reveal Aizen and Kaname standing over an unconscious Toushirou and Alexander who both had white masks beginning to form over their faces.
"What do you think?" Kaname asked "the others all died and disappeared a few minutes after the introduction of the virus…do you think they could be a break through?"
"Hard to say" Aizen replied "they're both clearly resisting but it looks like it's only a matter of time before they're gone like the others, and if they do survive it's not likely to have the effects that I had hoped for."
"So we leave them?" Kaname asked solemnly.
"Yes, we really must return" Aizen answered as he began to walk off "my Kyouka Suigetsu will have provided us with the necessary cover for last night, but it's best for us to return to our squads before we make our next move."
"I see" Kaname replied as he followed him "what a shame."
"About time they cleared out" Gin thought as he approached the two men lying on the ground currently locked in mortal combat with themselves for their own sanity "they won't last long, without help they'll die" he reached out and placed his hands over their faces and they began to glow causing them to stop kicking around "that should by them some time, now I need to get them some help; I hope I'm right about them being close by" he let his spiritual pressure sky rocket so that all spiritually aware beings in the area would sense his presence.
About twenty minutes later the five men and three women who made up the Vaizards arrived on scene and surrounded the two shinigami laying on the ground.
"Shinji…this is" Kensei began but was cut off when Shinji spoke.
"Yeah…my Lieutenant has been busy it would seem…" Shinji said in annoyance "…damn him…"
"You sure it was him?" Mashiro asked curiously.
"Idiot!!! Who else could it have been?!" Kensei hissed in clear annoyance.
"More importantly" Lisa replied "What do we do with them?"
"Isn't it obvious, we leave them" Hiyori answered crudely "we only came here because we sensed that Ichimaru brat" her expression changed to rage as Love shoved his fist into the top of her head.
"Big words coming from a brat who had to be saved when she was in the same situation" Love stated.
"Still though" Rose began "this could be a trap, I mean we were lured here by that Gin kid's spiritual pressure, and by the looks of it he's become a Captain Class."
"This is an odd predicament" Shinji sighed as the two shinigami stood up "it may be too late for us to do anything…" Alexander took a step towards the former fifth squad Captain as his mask began to take shape "…too bad pal…." His eyes shot open in shock as his hands snapped the horns clean off before beginning to tear at the face "…what the Hell?!"
"I…I…don't know who or what in Hell's name you are…" Alexander hissed as he ripped off the right half of his mask revealing one of his blood red eyes "…but I refuse…I refuse to be enslaved again!!!"
"He's resisting the Hollowification, at this stage?!" Shinji asked in disbelief as he remembered his own struggle from the night Aizen had betrayed him.
"Shinji the boy!" Lisa stated in disbelief as Toushirou stood up next to his teacher, his mask was beginning to take the shape of a dragon's face.
"I won't…I won't let you do as you please!!!" Toushirou declared as his right hand grasped Hyourinmaru and the Vaizards all grabbed the handles of their Zanpakutou, they gasped in shock as he sliced off the snout of his mask with a single swing before stabbing the blade into the ground "…you won't…" he slammed his head into the bottom of his sword causing fragments of it to fall to the ground next to the snout "…you won't…" he slammed his face once again causing the left side to collapse revealing the left half of his face and his mouth "…use my powers for…mass murder…"
"I've seen enough" Shinji stated calmly as he appeared in front of both shinigami and put his hands over their faces causing them to collapse "we're taking them with us, get ready Hachi."
"Of course" Hachigen replied.
"And Hiyori" Shinji continued with a serious expression draped across his face "grab their swords."
"I knew they were alive, that Kisuke Urahara truly is amazing" Gin thought with a hint of amusement as silently observed "take good care of them" he stealth fully made his exit as Shinji and Hiyori began to bicker "just make sure to come back you two, without you, Soul Society maybe forever lost…"
The scene changed to Gin walking down the streets of Seireitei
"It's been a few years since Toushirou Hitsugaya was made Lieutenant of Squad Six, his powers are advancing well…" Gin thought as he placed his hand over his chin in contemplation "…however Dark-Heart's grown suspicious of Kaname and they're trying to get him transferred out of Squad Nine…" he looked up into the air in concern "…however Ikari's gone insane and Rangiku's in danger for every moment that he's still breathing…since I can't take any direct action against him, I'll have to convince Aizen to use him as a scapegoat…after that I should try to see that he's replaced with Toushirou…" he thought of all the times he had seen his fellow prodigy around Rangiku, just how close they had grown, it reminded him of how his relationship with her used to be "…there's no doubt, he can protect her…" he sighed as he headed for a nearby training grounds.
"Good afternoon, Captain Ichimaru" Izuru greeted politely "my name is Izuru Kira sir…"
"Nice ta meet ya" Gin replied his grin and mannerisms were flawless "naw show me what ya can do…"
Izuru demonstrated his skills in shunpo, kidou, and his swordsmanship on a large number of training dummies which were set up to pop out of the ground when he approached. Gin was impressed at how well rounded he was and found his Zanpakutou's special ability to be quite interesting.
"Kay I'll admit I'm impressed" Gin stated calmly before looking Izuru calmly in the eyes "so tell me, why do ya think ya should be my Lieutenant?"
"To be perfectly honest…" Izuru began nervously "…I don't think I should be…"
"Why's that?" Gin asked curiously.
"Because…because I really hate fighting" Izuru answered and he bowed his head in shame "when I was a kid I lost my parents when they were killed out on mission…ever since then I've been afraid and disgusted with the prospect of fighting…I know I must sound pathetic…" Gin couldn't help but be surprised by the blonde man's response.
"You're wrong" Gin finally replied as he walked up to Izuru "allow me to show you something…" he pulled out a remote with his left hand and the two men found themselves surrounded by dozens of practice dummies before Gin pulled out his sword "…watch closely…" the clouds began to darken before Gin chanted "…Bankai Amatsuame Shinsou!!!" moments later a flash of light nearly blinded the two shinigami, when Izuru's vision came back into focus he was amazed to see that each dummy had at least three blades stabbing through them cleanly.
"Awesome…" Izuru stated in disbelief "…that's amazing…" Gin detected a hint of fear in his voice.
"Terrifying isn't it?" Gin asked speaking properly "just think if these had been people, they all would have been killed" both men took on a more solemn expression "the emblem of Squad Three is the Marigold, it symbolizes despair, and it represents in essence our world view…" Gin's eyes drifted towards Shinsou in his hand as his he began speaking in a very soft and solemn tone "…fights are not supposed to be heroic, fights are not supposed to be enjoyable. Fights must be filled with despair; they are dark, terrifying, ghastly. That way people will fear fighting and do their upmost to avoid war…" he held his sword in front of Izuru "…I believe that our swords adhere to that philosophy better than any other Zanpakutou out their; yours doubles the weight of the victim until they are unable to move, with their head bowed down as if in penance, while mine appears out of nowhere and strikes without mercy or sound robbing the target of their life in an instant leaving behind nothing but fear and corpses as if stricken by an angry deity…hence the name Shinsou (Divine Spear in case anyone forgot)"
"Captain Ichimaru" Izuru stated solemnly.
"Izuru, your views on fighting are nothing to be ashamed of" Gin continued as he sheathed his sword and his Bankai disappeared causing the numerous dummies to fall to the ground, in Izuru's mind he saw them as if they were really people and felt disturbed at how they effortlessly fell to the ground "if everyone in the world understood fighting and war to the degree your words demonstrated to me…well both worlds would be much happier places."
"Thank you very much Captain Ichimaru" Izuru replied.
"Izuru Kira" Gin began as he reached into his robe and pulled out a badge with the Kanji for three and the imprint of a Marigold "become my Lieutenant so that more people may understand despair."
"Sir" was all he could say in response before the scene shifted to Gin watching Toushirou and Gojou Ikari going after one another.
"This is my test for you Toushirou" Gin thought as Toushirou unveiled his incomplete Bankai before delivering the final blow "you should never have so much as raised your hand against Rangiku, be grateful that the kid is kind…unlike me!!!" he smiled in satisfaction as Gojou's body iced over before shattering into nothingness.
Hours later the three future traitors were gathered together in Aizen's office, they had just gotten back from Yamamoto's debriefing over what supposedly happened with Gojou's experiments. Gin was wearing his trademark grin, Aizen had a satisfied smirk on his face due to the fact that he had once again succeeded in placing all the blame for his crimes on an unsuspecting patsy; however Kaname was visibly showing signs of distress.
"I don't understand Lord Aizen, you saw what he managed to do with a Bankai like that" Kaname began desperation was evident in his voice "if it's that powerful at such an incomplete state who knows how strong he'll become?! Given enough time he could…"
"Kaname, relax" Aizen replied causing the blind man to silence himself instantly "you're right if left on his own the boy could actually surpass me and the good Head Captain in time, but there's no need to worry; I foresaw this possibility the day he joined the Thirteen Squads, so just calm down…"
"Damn, why don't I like the sound of that" Gin thought as he tried to maintain his cool.
"My deepest apologies" Kaname said remorsefully "may I ask what we're going to do?!"
"We're not going to do anything" Aizen answered confusing both men who simply smiled and said "you're both dismissed."
"What have you done Aizen?!" Gin wondered as he used every shred of restraint in his being to keep himself from demanding an answer to his question as the scene blackened once again before showing him walking through the streets of the Seireitei.
"So Aizen's finally going to make his move for the Hogyoku" Gin thought to himself "that means I only have about a month to figure it out…"
"We're not going to do anything" Aizen's words echoed in his mind.
"That Lieutenant of Aizen's, Momo Hinamori…she's incredibly close to Toushirou, I wonder could she have?" he wondered before sighing "I'll need to observe him myself to find out…" he searched for the younger Captain's spiritual pressure, his eyes popped open when he discovered his whereabouts "…what the hell is he doing there?!" he immediately vanished with a shunpo in his direction while keeping his spiritual pressure masked in order to avoid detection.
"I want you to promise me Captain" Rangiku said calmly as they walked through the balconies "don't go endangering yourself with some power you can't control."
"You're not the boss of me" Toushirou stated bluntly as they stopped in front of her apartment door "in any case make sure your on time in the morning, we've got a lot of work to do."
"Oh Captain" Rangiku whined as Gin caught up to them but stayed hidden "can't we take it easy for just one day?"
"Don't give me that" Toushirou replied annoyance clearly in his voice "you take every day easy, so no complaining."
"Come on, you can't keep working all day everyday" Rangiku continued apparently ignoring his last comment "you have to loosen up every now and then or you'll lose your mind."
"It'll be a cold day in Hell when either of those things happen" Toushirou said through gritted teeth before Rangiku pulled him into one of her bone cracking hugs and his face was buried in her chest.
"Ah, I hear it's winter down there actually" Rangiku chuckled in amusement.
"Let go of me damn it!!!" Toushirou swore angrily as she loosened her grip on her captive Captain allowing him to move his head, he looked at her with an expression that signified that he was officially pissed off, what happened next made Gin gasp lightly as Rangiku gave him a gentle kiss on the lips calming him down though he was still looking at her with a hint of annoyance.
"Come on, at least one night of fun" Rangiku said seductively as she opened her apartment door, Toushirou rolled his eyes in annoyance at her antics causing her to chuckle as she pulled him inside "trust me, you're going to enjoy this."
"I swear I'm going to make you pay for all this someday Rangiku" Toushirou informed her as the door to the apartment closed behind them.
"When did…how did he…" Gin thought in disbelief at what he had just witnessed, he felt his blood began to boil as his hands began to reach for his Zanpakutou
"Ever since we were kids you've been walking out on me without warning and without explanation…" Rangiku's voice echoed in his memory "…tell me Gin do you have any idea how much it hurt for you to leave unannounced leaving me on my own for months on end?!"
Gin relaxed his arms and looked to the ground in shame "I'm sorry Rangiku…" he said weakly as tears began to fall from his eyes and he left for his own quarters "…take good care of her Toushirou…"
"Rangiku Matsumoto aside it didn't change the fact that something wasn't right with Toushirou Hitsugaya" Shinsou began as the scene blackened for another transition "after he became a Captain the boy's progress had slowed considerably, in order to confirm his suspicion he acted in a manner to make Toushirou suspect him of betraying the Soul Society and trying to kill Momo Hinamori to make the boy attack him" their fight in Soul Society began to play out in front of them "after trading blows with him in Soul Society Gin confirmed that the only explanation behind his still immature powers was that Aizen had manipulated his Lieutenant into using the forbidden Fukahana spell on Toushirou, knowing full well how much the girl idolized Aizen he knew there was only one way that Toushirou would gain the strength needed to kill Aizen; Momo Hinamori had to die" the sight of Gin's blade rushing towards an unconscious Momo appeared before Rangiku intercepted it "after his first failed attempt he lied to Aizen and convinced him that she must not have used the spell, thus making the opportunity to betray and kill her himself irresistible to the twisted Sadist…" an image of Aizen stabbing Momo through the chest materialized in front of them "…unfortunately the boy and Captain Unohana arrived too soon her life was saved, thus preventing Hitsugaya from realizing his true powers and preventing Aizen from gaining the Hogyoku."
Gin looked down upon his friends and allies as the rock he was standing on floated up into the air "I'm sorry Toushirou, Izuru, Rangiku…but I have to do this…" he turned his gaze towards Aizen as he belittled the shinigami below them "…Aizen, no matter what happens, I am going to drag you down to Hell with me!!!"
Several images appeared before the Shinigami and Vaizards; first was Gin as he sliced off the lower half of Hiyori's body in order to take a shot at running Momo through the protective barrier that Izuru had erected only for it to be knocked aside by Youmei after killing Saskibe, the second was of him taking another shot towards her only to be interrupted by Toushirou, next came a series of attempts to line up a shot during his battle with Youmei only for him to be interrupted repeatedly, and the last scene was of him wearing his mask with Youmei pinned in place by his Bankai and her Bankai's special attack pointed right at him.
Realizing that this was his last chance Gin readied his sword and desperately cried "Shoot to Kill Shinsou!!!" sending the tip of his blade rushing towards Momo Hinamori.
Youmei's sword pierced his body one after the other effectively turning him into a pincushion, and yet his aim held true. A faint smile crept across his face as his sword raced past Youmei whom he had hoped to avoid killing if possible.
"Your aim is off" Youmei mocked.
"What are you talking about?" Gin asked with a chuckle as his blade neared its target "I'm right on target" his sword pierced the girl's heart just in time to save the woman he loved from being killed by his fellow traitor.
"What?!" Youmei gasped in disbelief.
"Good, now that the girl is dead…all that's left is for the shock to set in…after that his real power will awaken at last…I'll leave the last of it to you, don't let me down…" Gin thought as he drew in his sword for the last time, he coughed up a large amount of blood as he continued smiling and he turned towards Youmei "that was fun, you're very skilled; try to improve a bit and maybe you'd be as strong as me" Youmei looked at him in shock and confusion as he focused his energy for his last shunpo "no matter what, even if you hate me, I must speak with you for one last time…Rangiku…at the very least you deserve the truth I was never strong enough to give you" he disappeared with a shunpo.
"Do you understand now, Rangiku Matsumoto?!" Shinsou asked coldly as the memories disappeared and she found herself lying on the ground next to Momo's and Gin's corpses and Shinsou who was standing calmly but his body appeared to be fading "he left you behind so that you would be safe, to protect you and all others from Aizen he stayed by his side to keep a close eye on him, and to save both of these worlds he willing sacrificed everything he had to give…" he walked over to the ginger haired woman "…for your sake he chose dishonor over honor, when he could've had your love he chose your hate, and despite all of that; ignoring all the emotional pain he put himself through and paying no mind to his own hemorrhaging he still died with a smile on his face, and do you know why?!" he grabbed her kimono by the collar as he looked into her grief stricken eyes "because above all else he wanted you to be safe and happy, even if that meant losing you to another man…" as soon as the words left his mouth he burst into a mist of light before slowly fading away leaving Rangiku with tears flowing from her eyes.
"Gin…" Rangiku thought as she continued to cry and she looked towards her childhood friend "…is this why did all of it?! For me?! Is this what you meant?!"
*Flashback*
"Gin" Rangiku gasped as her former childhood friend appeared before her with a large wound bleeding heavily from his chest, Rangiku was speechless for several moments until he dropped his sword and brought her back to reality, she immediately stood up and grabbed Gin by the front of his blood stained coat "what the Hell are you doing Gin?! What's the meaning of all this?!" tears began to fall from her eyes "why…WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME GIN!!!" she lowered her head as she continued to cry.
"I…I love you Rangiku" Gin stated weakly as his vision began to blur and he grabbed her wrists to get her attention, he smiled as he looked into her gentle eyes for the last time "…all these years I've done nothing but cause you pain, that was never my intention, but that's no excuse for the Hell I've reeked upon your heart. Despite all that I'm glad that I met you…" he coughed up more blood "…it was because of you that here in my final moments, I was able to do the right thing…so please listen to me this one last time…" Rangiku's grip weakened and he took several steps back before coughing up more blood.
"Gin?!" Rangiku chocked.
"…Rangiku…" Gin continued softly as he felt his legs begin to wobble "…just the sound of your name fills my heart with warmth…you truly are a kind woman…" he held his chest with his left hand as he reached out to her as if to touch her face with his right "…you may hate me in the future…it seems very likely to me that you will…however hatred will rob your heart of its freedom and destroy you from the inside…" Rangiku looked at him with a pleading expression, Gin felt his heart sink from shame as he felt his balance fading fast and he was beginning to black out from blood loss "…I can't go there…I can't stand in your way…" he began to fall backwards "…be free from the man named Gin Ichimaru…I'll take your hatred and sadness with me...you're free…" and with that Gin landed on his back with a disturbing thud, a sad yet earnest smile etched across his face.
*End Flashback*
"I don't believe it" Rangiku thought in disbelief as she crawled over to Gin tears pouring from her eyes like rain "you did all of that for me?!" she buried her face in torso causing his blood to stain the tips of her hair.
"…For your sake he chose dishonor over honor, when he could've had your love he chose your hate, and despite all of that; ignoring all the emotional pain he put himself through and paying no mind to his own hemorrhaging he still died with a smile on his face, and do you know why?!" the memory of Shinsou's words cut deeper than any blade could ever have hoped to "because above all else he wanted you to be safe and happy, even if that meant losing you to another man…"
"GIN!!!" Rangiku cried out so loudly that it filled the entire battlefield with the sound of sadness as miles away the Thirty First Head Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads got back on his feet.
"Aizen" he hissed through his teeth as the temperature throughout the entire area plummeted and his spiritual pressure began to skyrocket, he lifted his face to reveal his eyes filled with a combination of anger, self loathing, and sorrow; like Rangiku he too found himself crying tears of despair as snow began to fall blanketing the entire artificial town "I will kill you…no matter what it takes…"
Author's notes: we have officially reached the 25 chapter mark ladies and gentlemen, now if I was 21 I'd be popping out a bottle of champagne to celebrate; but since that'll have to wait until November I'll just have to hope for some interesting feedback.
Just to be honest; Gin's death scene was inspired by the manga "Fairy Tail" which I completely recommend to anyone besides small children. This particular inspiration came from their 146th chapter
Please leave a review and stay tuned for Chapter 26