It has been waaaaaaay too long since I posted on here. I promise that I am going to finish this story! It will be done! Life gets in the way a lot these days but I think Sayuri has been fighting for so long that I owe it to her to finish her tale. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of its characters/locations/etc. I only own this plot line and the OCs.
~Avery
Chapter 25:
I held up a hand to shield my eyes from the midday sun. The weather was beginning to warm up as spring dug in its claws, and the world around me was beginning to come back to life. The trees were starting to bud and fill out, the grass was looking a healthier shade of green each day, and I had even seen a few flowers poking out of the gravelly dirt at the Urahara Shop. The sun seemed eager to let us all know it was still hanging there in the sky and shone down on our congregation with as much heat as it could for this time of year.
We were all gathered in a clearing in the park to say goodbye to the reinforcements that had come from the Soul Society. Most of the members of Squad 4 had left earlier in the week, but Captain Hitsugaya and a few members of his own squad were still present, keeping an eye on Renji's recovery. I looked over at the young captain chatting with Ichigo and Rukia. Part of me was pretty sure he was sticking around to make sure I didn't have another meltdown. He seemed to be one of the spies the Soul Society had assigned to me, besides Renji.
"Almost finished, Mr. Kisuke," Tessai rumbled. He was nailing four large spikes into the ground in a square formation nearby. They were called Wards, tall wooden spikes that tapered at the top with symbols of protection carved into them. Thick red ropes were tied around them at the top with talismans of white paper attached as well. When activated, they were supposed to create some kind of barrier that would make the passage back into the Soul Society safer, preventing any non-Soul Reapers from passing through. They would be particularly useful since we had no idea where Katsu was currently lurking. Having an open door to the one place he wanted to get to more than anything was a risky decision, but it was the only way for Captain Hitsugaya and his men to return home.
"A little more to the left," Kisuke ordered as Tessai was positioning the last ward. He stood off to one side, his hat pulled low over his face. The kids had remained back at the shop, much to their displeasure. But I had to agree with Urahara: if something went wrong, it would be much better knowing Jinta and Ururu were far away and safe.
A breeze ruffled my hair and as I reached to smooth it out, I caught sight of something red out of the corner of my eye. Renji's hair was loose too and he was trying to pull it all back up into its usual spiky ponytail. But the wind had grabbed hold of a few feisty strands that now swirled around his face. Had I really never noticed how long it was until now? Once he gathered it all, he twisted it a few times and then wrapped it with a rubber band. He must have felt me watching him, because his eyes suddenly slid over and met mine.
I felt my cheeks heat up and looked away quickly. Yes, let him catch you staring at him. Again. Ever since Renji's fight with Mikio it felt like I had never really taken a good look at him before. I would catch myself staring at him for long moments until he would realize and stare back, which usually sent me into early cardiac arrest. I placed a hand to my cheek, wishing my heart would slow down a bit as well.
Over the last few days my relationship with Renji had been more awkward than ever. I could not remember a single moment in my life when I had ever been as vulnerable as I was that night in the rain. I had cried my heart out in Renji's arms until my throat felt like it was burning and I had almost no voice. And he had just stayed there, holding me against him until I was finished. He never once told me to stop or get a hold of myself, almost like he knew I had been holding it in all these years. It was embarrassing, though. I must have seemed like such a child sobbing the way I did. And I had told him…that I couldn't lose him?
My cheeks heated up again and I mentally face palmed. What the hell was wrong with me? How was it possible I said that so easily to him, when now I could barely look him in the eyes without panicking? It wasn't really a confession per say, but surely Renji had to understand how I felt by now. I covertly glanced at him from behind my hair and saw him twisting a finger around inside his ear and staring blankly at the Wards, all traces of attractive manliness gone.
Nevermind. He was as dumb as those posts.
"Oh, I think they're just about done!" Orihime said from nearby. She walked over to me and stood at my side.
"Hey guys," I waved as Chad and Uryuu came up behind her. "Yeah, that should be about it." We watched as Tessai backed away from the Wards. It was oddly calm in the clearing and I couldn't tell if it was because of the Wards or if, for once, things were actually going smoothly. But apparently not everyone felt the same.
"Let's hope those things hold up," Uryuu said in a quiet voice, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. I looked from him back to the Wards. Urahara was now speaking to Captain Hitsugaya, but there was a strained look on his face I only just noticed. My stomach clenched a bit in nervousness.
"Do you really think something could go wrong?" Orihime asked, her face an open book of fear and worry.
"Nah, I don't think so," Ichigo reassured us as he walked over too. "Urahara and Tessai have those things locked in with some kind of super spirit energy. And they were made in the Soul Society. Katsu's gotta' be made of some serious stuff to crack through them." A soft wind blew and its combination with the eerie silence around us made me shiver.
"Do you feel anything?" Rukia asked, her violet eyes serious and locked onto mine. Her brow was furrowed and the lines in her face showed none of the easy optimism Ichigo had voiced. She's worried too, I thought, glad I wasn't alone.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," I answered, crossing my arms over my chest. Some of the bodies surrounding me visibly relaxed for a moment before I continued, "For now." Rukia's eyes narrowed the slightest bit, and I looked away. I didn't want her to see the nervousness coursing through me at the moment.
Everything had been so crazy over the last few weeks that at first I had not really noticed a change in my sensitivity to the presence of reiatsu around me. It must have had something to do with discovering I could suck the life essence out of other beings, but I was suddenly hyper tuned in to the spiritual energy frequencies. Every so often I could feel Katsu moving around, just beyond the reach of my own spiritual vision. I could not pinpoint his location exactly but he was always there, waiting and watching for his opportunity to strike. Would this be it? Would he show up here today and try to get into the Soul Society? Most likely, a small voice inside me said.
Someone gripped my arm tightly. I looked over in slight surprise to see Orihime's face rather close to mine. Her expression of fear was gone, replaced by one of stone hard seriousness. It was a look I had so rarely ever seen her give me that I knew she meant business.
"If he tries anything, we've got your back, Sayuri." She gave me a little squeeze, and the others nodded in agreement.
"We should all keep an eye out," Rukia agreed. "Keep your senses open to anything that feels off. Let's make sure this goes smoothly." Urahara called to us that things were about to start and everyone moved off to say their goodbyes to Captain Hitsugaya. I remained behind, gazing at the area marked off by the Wards. They looked like tiki torches at a crappy luau party, but without the faces. How were those toothpicks supposed to stop Katsu from getting what he wanted?
Movement beside me startled me out of my own musings. Renji had walked over and stood silently next to me. He didn't look at me when he spoke, but at the Wards instead.
"They're right. If he tries anything, we'll protect you." While I appreciated his reassurance, I couldn't help but voice what I was really thinking.
"It's not me I'm worried about," I said, zipping up the jacket I had borrowed from Orihime. It was a little roomy, but fit quite nicely considering the huge difference in our body dimensions.
"Captain Hitsugaya is a captain of the 13 court guard squads. He may not look it, but he's pretty tough," Renji spoke with a hint of respect in his voice. I shook my head. "What then?" Renji looked around, and then back at me. I was still staring straight ahead. "You heard Ichigo. Urahara and Tessai used really high level incantations to lock the Wards in. Do you really think Katsu could break through?"
"Absolutely." I answered so quickly and with such assuredness that Renji turned his whole body to face me, shocked and confused. "All that stands between him and an unlimited supply of reiatsu are some twigs stuck in the ground and laced together with some fancy kidō."
"It's not ki-"
"Whatever it is," I interrupted, annoyed. "It doesn't matter, really. It's the one place he's been trying to get to for as long as he's been a Shadow. And here we are, just opening up a doorway to it. If those Wards fall or break in any way, he's got a straight shot right through to the Soul Society." I looked up at Renji, whose face had changed to one of contemplation.
"Well, I can't blame you for preparing for the worst. But, chin up. Even you said you can't feel anything going on, right?" He moved as if he was going to clap me on the shoulder, but then stopped an inch from me and jerkily pulled his arm back. Awkwardly he turned away. "We should go pay our respects," he mumbled, and walked towards the others.
"Not feeling anything is exactly why I'm worried," I whispered, but another breeze carried my voice away.
It was quiet, yes. But too quiet. Like the calm before the storm, when the air slowly becomes heavier and electrified before exploding into complete chaos. I couldn't stop my stomach from churning in anxiousness, or my heart from hammering nervously in my chest. I started to take a step towards my friends when the air suddenly thickened a bit and pressed on every inch of my body. The carvings on the Wards began to glow, and you could almost make out sheer thin walls that spread between each of the four corners creating a slightly hazy penned in space.
Within that space the air began to ripple and before my eyes, as if out of nothing, a round shoji appeared. It was glowing and as I watched, the center split and began to slide open to reveal another shoji behind it. That door too began to split open and a bright white light poured out as well as several black butterflies. An overwhelming rush of reiatsu hit me and I saw a few of my friends stagger a bit under its presence. I reached up to cover my eyes as the light intensified, and for a terrifying second I thought I felt something ripple through my consciousness as well as the tree line behind me.
I spun around, my eyes frantically scanning the area. But the light pouring out from the shoji was so bright; it was distorting everything around me. The trees were casting long spindly shadows that quivered and danced across the ground. I felt a jolt to my right, as if someone had poked me and turned to look. I still couldn't see much farther than where I was standing, but I really sensed something now. We were not alone in that clearing.
Time seemed to slow down, and my senses heightened. I reached out with my mind and could feel something skimming along just under the surface of what we were able to see. It picked up speed and shot past me, too quick to grab. A split second before it emerged I realized what was happening, I turned the other way and shouted as loudly as I could over the pressure of the reiatsu.
"Look out! Below you!" Rukia looked down at the grass beneath her feet, across which her shadow had become long and stretched, like some terrifying character from a horror movie. It twitched and bubbled, as if the blackness itself was coming alive. Just as it exploded outward, she leapt out of the way. The light from the shoji finally subsided, and every face turned upward.
Katsu had erupted from the ground and was hovering above us, a mad glint in his eyes. His gaze swept across us all, lingering on me before switching to the shoji encased in the Ward barrier. Voices were shouting out around the clearing now as everyone realized what was happening.
"No way!"
"Where'd he come from!?"
"I didn't feel him at all, did you?"
I did not speak. I could not. I had known he would show up. He was nothing if not predictable in his mad hunt for entry in to the Soul Society. And now here was his perfect chance. We had practically served it up for him on a silver platter! Before any of us could move, Katsu shot like a missile towards the barriers the Wards had created. He flipped in midair and hit the solid walls with both feet. Everyone watched in horror as he stayed there, suspended in time it seemed, pouring all his energy into that impact. Like a bad car wreck, none of us could look away even as the walls began to spider web with thin cracks stemming from under Katsu's feet.
I seemed to break out of the trance before anyone else and flung myself towards Katsu with all the speed I could muster. We could not let him get through. If he did…I shook my head, trying not to think of the worst case scenario for the moment. Letting all the anger and hatred I felt towards this man well up inside me, I concentrated it into a ball of pure lightning held blazingly in my palm. Punching out, I aimed right for his determined face. At the last second, he glanced over at me and realized what was happening. He had clearly hoped his surprise entrance would leave us all reeling long enough to break through the Wards without any interference. Maybe they were stronger than they looked after all…
He dodged my punch at the last moment and landed opposite us in the clearing. The lightning shot out of my hand and hit a tree, shattering it like glass. I could hear the sounds of the others close behind me powering up for a fight.
Reaching inside with my mind, I allowed my Shadow and Soul Reaper powers to mesh together and become one. A slight breeze rustled my clothes and in a flash of light, they were replaced by my shihakushō. I felt the weight of Raiu at my waist and reassurance coursed through me. Placing my hand on her hilt, I glared across the clearing at my father.
"It's about time you showed up," Renji growled coming to stand beside me.
"We were beginning to think you wouldn't come," Captain Hitsugaya spoke in a much calmer voice than I expected. Either he really is stronger than he looks or completely stupid, I thought. Katsu laughed derisively.
"And miss this going away party? Never!" He took a few steps closer and everyone tensed up. "Although, you're wrong, captain. Not everyone doubted my dedication. My darling daughter knew I wouldn't miss this chance for the world. Didn't you, Sayuri?" I hated the way he was smiling at me; it made me want to wipe the smirk right off his face. Then do it, Raiu hissed in my head. Fry him!
I clearly was not the only one with this intention. Urahara and Captain Hitsugaya immediately shot forward with their zanpakutōs pointed straight at Katsu. He dissolved once more into the ground, and reappeared behind some nearby Soul Reapers who were not prepared. Lashing out, he grabbed one by the robes and threw him into the others, knocking them all to the ground. A few more rushed toward him with their zanpakutō swinging, but he merely caught the blades in his hands.
"Do you really think these little scraps of metal can harm me?" he laughed, a twinge of mania to his words.
"Then how about this!?" Ichigo shouted. He leapt into the air above Katsu and swung his zanpakutō as well. "Getsuga Tenshou!" he bellowed and I watched in awe as an arc of black energy erupted from his blade. Katsu did not move or panic in any way. In fact, just before impact I could have sworn I saw him grin. As Ichigo's attack hit him, we all threw up our hands to block the wave of power that exploded outward. Looking around through the flying bits of grass and dirt, I saw Katsu still standing albeit having been pushed back a few feet. His arms were crossed over his face and he was laughing again.
"That's more like it!" he yelled. Reaching down, he placed his hand around the hilt of the sword at his waist. Everyone braced themselves as he pulled it from its sheath, but then began to murmur in confusion. There was no blade.
"What the…?" I could hear Rukia whisper. Not taking my eyes from him, I could only imagine what Katsu was about to do. But it seemed like Renji was tired of his games. Growling, he rushed towards Katsu next, his Zabimaru separating into segments as it had the first day I watched him fight the Hollow. Time almost seemed to slow as we all watched its gleaming blades slice through the air towards our enemy. But at the last second, Katsu's dragon tattoos that ran up his body and down his arms began to glow fiery red. As the heads on his hands lit up, so did the hilt of his sword. A huge blast of flame erupted from it, forming the shape of a blade. He brought the weapon up just as Renji's zanpakutō reached him, and the air rent apart.
Again we all threw up our arms, but this time many people were thrown back by the impact. Realizing the light from the collision had formed a shadow beneath me, I let my feet sink into it and I crouched to the ground, hoping I could stay anchored to the spot. Peeking through my fingers I saw Renji still standing face to face with Katsu, his black robes singed and smoking and completely burnt away in some spots. He looked, for the most part, unhurt.
"Renji!" I shouted as I pulled myself out of the ground and started to run towards him.
"Stay back!" he ordered. Katsu laughed.
"Oh please, boy! As if you could really ever match me!" Pushing against his sword, Katsu's body glowed red again and his sword grew larger. Renji flung himself away as the flames came swooping down to smite the ground where he had been standing. Laughing hysterically, Katsu turned to the rest of us.
"None of you stand a chance against me!" His eyes were wide and his grin bared all of his teeth. He looked insane and I realized with a drop in my stomach that we really were going to have to fight him this time. He was not just going to disappear and let someone else do his dirty work. All of his generals were dead. He was going to fight us himself.
As if coming to the same conclusion as me, Hitsugaya and Urahara sprang back into action, each brandishing their own weapons. Katsu parried their blows as easily as if he were swatting away a few pesky flies.
"Let's rush him!" Uryuu called as his blue Quincy bow materialized in his hands. I looked around and saw that Chad and Orihime had their weapons ready to go as well. I nodded, and we all took off. Perhaps if we combined our powers, we could stop him.
Sensing the incoming reinforcements, Katsu stopped fighting and threw himself sideways into the tree line. He was immediately lost in the shadows but I could feel him heading away from us back towards the….
"The Wards!" I screamed, hoping someone would hear me and stop him. I spun around and watched in horror as Katsu calmly stepped out from behind a tree. There was no one there to stop him; we were all on the other side of the clearing. His sword increased in size again and he ran full speed at the barriers. I was running as fast as my legs could carry me back towards him, but it was not fast enough. Katsu's blade came down hard on the nearest Ward and there was a blast of light as well as a splintering sound that made my heart stop.
The sheer walls shattered instantly, shards of light spinning through the air. The other three Wards cracked and exploded with a wave of reiatsu. He was going to get through. I realized this and felt ice cold dread envelop my insides. And then he turned and smiled at me. His eyes locked onto mine and suddenly I was in my old house again. My mother was staring at me with out-of-focused eyes and her blood covered my arms and the floor. The stench of it was everywhere and my own agonized screams filled my head. In that moment, the fear inside me instantly melted and was replaced by pure rage.
My blade glowed momentarily as well with a white hot heat identical to my lightning. Swinging it up, I brought it down hard as I finally reached Katsu and he held up his sword to parry the blow. The biggest explosion yet rocked the clearing, but I felt firm and rooted to where I stood. I would not let him throw me.
I felt him pull back a bit in preparation for another swing, and I took one hand off of my zanpakutō. Letting the fury I felt course through my body, I shot a ferocious bolt of lightning from the side right at Katsu's stomach. It hit him and he was tossed off his feet. He rolled a bit when he hit the ground but still managed to catch himself on his knees. Jumping back up quickly, he looked at me in confusion for a split second before his face twisted back into a nasty grin.
"Well, well, well. I see you've been working on some technique, Sayuri," he spat at me.
"So have you," I said, my voice a lot steadier than I thought it would be but filled with venom. "You know, for such an old man you move pretty well." Katsu laughed.
"Oh, my dear. You have no idea what I can do." I watched as he moved a few steps away from me, and away from the Wards. If I could get myself in between him and the shoji, maybe I could stall him or catch him off guard and then attack. I could hear others coming closer but I didn't want to take my eyes off the enemy.
"Stay back!" I shouted, "I've got him!" Katsu laughed harder.
"Do you now?" he grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, actually I'm rather pleased with how far you've come since I first saw you in this very park. You may actually be able to match me in a fair fight."
"I will match you," I said through gritted teeth. "I'll match you and win. After everything you've done you don't deserve to exist!"
"Everything I've done!?" Katsu stopped moving. "Why my dear, have you not committed the same crimes? The same sins?" I gaped at him, astounded.
"What are you talking about?" I sputtered, completely at a loss. "You're a monster! I've never hurt anyone the way you have!" He held up a hand and waggled a finger at me. The others had come closer and slowed as they heard our conversation.
"You seem to be forgetting how my dear general Sho left this world," Katsu said, his voice rising and his face one of mock sadness. "I believe it was you, my daughter, who harnessed your ability to siphon the spirit energy from another being; who robbed him of his strength and then mercilessly destroyed him." He was cackling now and I felt numb.
"How did it feel!?" he shouted at me. I felt myself go rigid as thoughts of that night flooded my mind. The feeling of immense power, of knowing if I had given into it I would have been unstoppable. "To know you held another's life in your hands!? To squash it out like the smallest of insects!?" I felt sick to my stomach as he put the feelings into words. "To know you could have razed this entire eyesore of a town off the map of existence without even lifting a finger!?" He flung out his arms and in a wave of spirit pressure, the trees completely surrounding the clearing incinerated before us. They burst into flames, popping and exploding, sending shards in all directions. The ground too lowered a bit, as if something large had smashed into it from above. I could feel Katsu's power rippling around us and a tiny urge to siphon it from him. I shook my head, trying to block out the voice that was urging me to do it, almost like a poison had gotten hold of me.
"You're lying!" a voice shouted from behind me. "Sayuri would never-" But they did not get to finish because Katsu began to laugh then, hysterically so. It was truly a frightening scene with the fire burning behind him. It was almost like watching the devil himself.
"You poor ignorant souls! She hasn't even told you! You haven't even the smallest idea of what this child is capable of! She is my flesh and blood after all, aren't you, Sayuri!?"
I was caught so unawares that Katsu had spoken of what I had done, I momentarily lost my grip on the situation. I was in mid-turn, about to try and explain to my friends that he was wrong and that it was not what it sounded like when I heard Katsu cry out in glee. From the corner of my eye I could see a red hot fireball engulfing his fist as he rushed toward me. I had no time to react as his fist engulfed in fire punched into my stomach.
Pain erupted through my middle and I stumbled back a few steps, blinking painful tears out of my eyes and trying to catch my breath. Katsu gripped the front of my robes and I watched in horror as the fire around his hand began to morph into a molten, liquidy substance. Magma. He's using magma.
"A gift from my most loyal servant," Katsu whispered to me as I wheezed in pain. I scrabbled against his hand, trying to free myself, but every movement sent shockwaves of intense pain through my body. "Mikio's power over earth is now mine!" The magma swirled around his hand until, slowly, it began to harden into solid rock. In seconds his hand was encrusted with a blackened stone which he swung towards me. It collided with my cheek and I felt my body get thrown through the air. Several people shouted below me.
I hit the ground hard and skidded several feet, kicking up grass and dirt, rolling painfully over myself until I came to a stop. Trying not to think of the ribs I had felt break now and moments ago, nor the fact that my lungs were burning trying to get air, I forced myself to get off the ground. Many bodies were running toward me but I could still see past them. Captain Histugaya and Urahara were pelting towards Katsu who nearly smiled and finally threw himself through the shoji gates.
"NO!" I screamed, throwing myself forward.
"Sayuri, stop! You're hurt!" Renji bellowed and made a grab for my arm. Somehow I managed to swerve past him, past Histugaya and Urahara, past everyone, and followed Katsu through the gates. A bright light cause me to shield my face again and the ground seemed to drop out from beneath me. After the light receded I found myself floating. As my eyes adjusted I looked around, and then made the mistake of looking down. I was miles and miles above the ground, the notorious Soul Society laid out below me. A black butterfly came flitting through the gate and landed on my shoulder. For a few seconds I stayed suspended, my arms flailing about for something to grab onto, but there was nothing.
And then, it was like someone had turned back on the gravity. Instantly my body began to fall, plummeting towards the solid ground below. If I was screaming, I couldn't tell; the rush of wind past my body sucked any sound away instantly. I was turning over and over and after a few seconds I no longer knew which way was up. Was this it? Was this how I was going to die? A small voice at the back of my head tried to comfort me in reminding me that Katsu had gone through a moment before me and must have fallen as well. At least it'll be quick, I thought to myself.
But, the air suddenly wasn't rushing past with such force anymore. I was starting to slow down, to float again almost. Opening my eyes, because I had apparently shut them at some point, I found myself upright again and gently dropping through the air towards a very large and open raised platform of some kind. It was round and bordered with arching columns. The closer I got, the better I was able to make out the macabre scene below. Bodies were strewn across the ground and there was a great deal of blood splashed about. Damnit! He made it! Raiu hissed in my ear. Even though I was sure I had dropped her back in the park clearing, she was once again sheathed at my waist.
As I finally landed, I took one step forward and collapsed. It was really difficult to breathe now and the pain in my stomach and chest was dizzying. I thought I was about to be sick when suddenly a pair of large hands gripped my shoulders. I spun around, lashing out, but my wrists were easily caught and held steady.
Through the haze that was beginning to cloud my vision I could make out a pair of golden eyes and bright red hair.
"Renji?" I mumbled, my speech oddly slurred. I coughed into my hands and they came back red and bloody. "Uh oh," I said as I fell sideways into Renji's chest. He lowered me down and suddenly there were more voices around us. Everyone had followed me through the gates. Some of the Soul Reapers took off across the courtyard shouting to each other and I could see Captain Histugaya taking off as well but then stopping a short ways away as if he were frozen. Several others did the same. What were they looking at?
A soft orange light was growing brighter and I shaded my eyes. It took a few minutes for me to realize this motion did not cause pain to shoot through my chest any longer, and when I opened my eyes again I saw that my vision had also cleared. Looking around I found Orihime kneeling next to me, her hands stretched towards me and a very serious look on her face. Surrounding my body was an orange shield made of light. It pulsed almost in time with my heart beat, and each time I felt a little stronger. This must be Orihime's healing abilities at work.
After a few moments I could feel something snap rather oddly back into place below my chest and chanced sitting up. Renji's arms were still gripping me tightly.
"Let me up," I said a bit gruffly, but he wasn't listening. He was staring off at whatever it was that had caught the captain's eye. Looking out past the arched columns of the courtyard a truly frightening scene was occurring below us.
I could see Katsu moving throughout the Soul Society at a frightening speed, running along the edge of a great wall. What was worse than this however, was what he left behind.
It was almost as if everything he touched simply disintegrated beneath him. Sections of the wall seemed to fall apart beneath him and morph into a bluish, sparkling powder that floated through the air only to be absorbed into Katsu's body.
"Is that…" I started to ask, but Rukia cut me off.
"That's reiatsu. Spirit energy. It's what makes up pretty much everything and everyone here." I looked up at her. As she stood beside me she had a hard expression on her face somewhere between hatred and fear. "And at the rate he's going, he could easily destroy the entire Soul Society and everyone within it." As I turned back to watch, Katsu finally come to a halt atop the wall. He was laughing and holding his arms up to the sky. My mind began to race with what-ifs. What if he went after the people that lived there? What if the Soul Reapers couldn't stop him? What if-
But my frightened thoughts were cut off by a howl that tore through the air. It sent shivers down my spine.
"No way," I whispered. Looking upwards, I felt my heart catch in my throat. There was a strange black mark in the sky and as I watched, it seemed to get bigger and bigger. It reminded me of a cloth doll I had as a child. I had caught it on something one day and it had torn right open. That is what the sky resembled now, something soft being ripped apart. Cracks spread out from the tear as the blackness of it reached across the sky. And then, suddenly, a monstrous pair of white hands gripped either side of the tear and forced it open even further.
I felt my breath catch as a gargantuan white Hollow mask pushed its way through. It looked around slowly, surveying the world beneath it. As its beady red eyes fell upon us it opened its huge mouth and let out the most awful and haunting bellow I had ever heard. I clapped my hands to my ears and watched in horror as more hands began reaching out of the tear, clawing at the world beyond and ready to rip us all to shreds. Below us, Katsu was still laughing hysterically at the chaos he had achieved. Our biggest fear had finally come true.