Chapter Twenty-Five: One Step Forward
Karin swore under her breath. Pinned to the ground by the Espada, she could hear the sounds of a nearby fight – Kazu and Jiro battling the rest of the Arrancar. She took it as a good sign. They were still alive and fighting.
"Drop your weapon," said the Espada, pressing the tip of her zanpakuto to Karin's chest. The point of the weapon cut through the fabric of her uniform and Karin could feel the cold blade against her skin. Karin laid Masumi gently on the ground.
"Now stand up," ordered the Espada, picking up Masumi with her free hand and handing it to her companion. The Espada's companion looked at the zanpakuto, clearly relieved to have a replacement for the weapon Karin had destroyed.
Karin stood up slowly, looking for an opportunity to escape. With the tip of her blade now at Karin's back, the Espada led Karin towards the entrance to the Academy. Up ahead, Karin could see a large grouping of trees, past which there was a small clearing. The sun lit the grass through the trees. There would be room to maneuver there.
As they walked past the trees onto the grass, Karin fell to the ground, rolling quickly behind the Espada. "Masumi!" called Karin, momentarily out of reach of the point of the Espada's zanpakuto.
The Espada turned quickly and pointed her zanpakuto directly at Karin, who jumped up as Masumi materialized in her hand. There was a loud clank of metal against metal as the two zanpakutos met. At the same time, the now unarmed Arrancar came at Karin from behind, grabbing her around her throat. Karin redoubled her hold on Masumi and struggled to free herself from the Arrancar's grip.
"Do you wish to die, shinigami?" laughed the Espada, as Karin began to lose consciousness. "One way or another, I will bring you to Xiomara."
"I don't think so," came a familiar voice from behind the Espada.
"Renji," whispered Karin.
There was a flash of steel, and the Arrancar who held Karin released his grip on her and fell to the ground. Karin fell to her knees, gasping for air. In another flash, Renji had grabbed Karin around the waist and moved her out of reach of the Espada.
"Are you okay?" asked Renji, one eye on Karin and the other on the Espada.
"Been better," said Karin, gasping for breath. "Took you long enough."
"A certain orange-haired shinigami captain was worried about you. Told Byakuya he needed a favor," replied Renji with a grin.
"Thanks," said Karin, looking up at him, as her voice returned.
"Any thoughts about this one?" asked Renji, eyeing the Espada who now stood fifteen yards from them, zanpakuto aimed in their direction.
Karin stood up, her strength returning quickly. "I think a little teamwork is in order, teacher," she said, grinning. Renji nodded and, in a flash step, was on the other side of the clearing.
"Howl, Zabimaru!" he yelled and swung his zanpakuto towards the spot where the Espada stood.
"Hado thirty-one, Shakkahou!" shouted Karin, her voice slightly hoarse but strong.
The Espada growled in anger and dodged both attacks with ease. "Do not underestimate me, shinigami!" she yelled as she flew into the air above them.
Karin felt a gust of cold wind as the Espada lifted her zanpakuto in the air. Gusts of air streaked with gold and black lit the sky over where they stood. Then, just as quickly, the wind died completely and Karin could see the outline of the Espada against the sunny sky. Like a griffin, her body resembled a lion, while her head had taken on a birdlike quality. She sported sharp claws and a gold tail that ended in a barbed point. Her zanpakuto, now doubled in size, gave off wisps of gold which looked like steam rising in the sunlight.
Karin glanced at Renji. "Soar, Masumi!" she shouted, releasing her shikai. The Arrancar aimed her zanpakuto at Karin. Gold haze shot from the weapon, the force of which nearly knocked Karin off her feet.
"Hado Seventy-three, Tozansho!" Karin yelled, blocking the unknown attack. The barrier held briefly, then disintegrated.
Renji swung Zabimaru over his head several times, the many-sectioned blade extended to its fullest. With a quick turn of his wrist, the snaking links flew skywards, encircling the Espada like a net. Again, Renji moved his wrist quickly about, and the zanpakuto began to close around the place where the Espada stood. There was a flash of gold light from the spot where the Espada had once been, and then the crashing sounds of metal hitting metal.
"Shit," cursed Renji, under his breath as he reeled in the sections of metal.
Karin turned to find herself face to face with the Espada. Their two zanpakutos met. The power of the Espada's blade was immense, and Karin struggled to remain standing under the weight of it.
Karin called upon the river of souls, gathering their strength to her. As she did so, Masumi's blade was illuminated, glowing with the light of a thousand mirrors. The surface of the blade was brighter than it had ever been, and Karin could feel heat emanating from it. She could feel the power of the river flow through her body into the weapon.
With her redoubled power, Karin began to push back on the Espada's blade, until they stood, face to face again, looking each other in the eyes. Karin saw the image of the Espada's face flicker briefly, and the vague outlines of faces began to take form. The souls of men, women, children, looking at her, pleading silently.
Karin felt a surge of power pass through her body and into her zanpakuto. The energy traveled from her weapon into the Espada's. Although Karin had not consciously willed an attack, the Espada flew backwards, momentarily stunned.
"What just happened?" thought Karin, trying to locate the source of the incredible power she had felt. There was little time to think, however, because at that moment she heard Renji yell, "Hihiou Zabimaru!" Karin shunpoed out of the way just in time to see an enormous burst of dense reiatsu fly past her, directly at the Espada.
Still reeling from the shock of Karin's attack, the Espada was no match for the tremendous energy of Renji's bankai. She staggered and fell, panting, onto the ground. Karin ran over to the place where the Arrancar had fallen and pointed her zanpakuto at the woman's head.
"Don't move," Karin said, breathing heavily.
"You will not win, Kurosaki Karin," said the Espada as she looked into Karin's eyes.
Karin could see the faces of the souls again, clearer than before. She heard them call to her. Instinctively, she reached out to touch the face of the Espada with her free hand. It was as if an invisible force beckoned to her, drawing her towards the injured hollow.
"Karin, no!" shouted Renji, fearing for her safety.
Karin's hands met cold skin, and she felt the pain and horror of the souls trapped within the Arrancar as she had never experienced it before. She did not fight the feeling, even as it threatened to overwhelm her.
The Espada could not move, transfixed by Karin's touch, frozen. "There is no victory to be found in the pain of others," said Karin, still looking into the Espada's eyes. And, with her other hand, she turned Masumi's hilt and touched it to the Espada's head. Without a sound, the body of the Arrancar dissolved into thousands of tiny bits of reflected light, and Karin could see the faces of souls within, smiling and at peace. And then they were gone, leaving behind no trace of the Arrancar.
"Karin, you okay?" asked Renji, his voice full of wonder.
"I…I'm fine," she said, turning around to face him. She was smiling
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"You have no idea how you did that?" said Renji for the tenth time since they had defeated the Espada. He and Karin were running back to the spot where Jiro and Kazu had been last seen fighting the Arrancar.
"No," replied Karin, patiently, "it was just…instinct, I guess."
"But you held her there with your bare hand," he marveled.
"Yes," replied Karin, patiently. Renji shook his head in disbelief.
"Hey, Renji," said Karin, after a moment.
"Hmm?"
"Thanks for saving my skin back there," she said.
"My pleasure," he replied, smiling broadly.
"And thanks for helping me put things right with Toushirou." Renji blushed.
"This is the place," said Karin, saving Renji the discomfort of having to respond. "Past these trees."
Jiro and Kazu sat on the ground in the clearing. All around them were signs of battle. Three Arrancar lay, unmoving, dead or badly injured. Tree limbs and leaves littered the grass. Every few feet, there were small craters that pockmarked the ground.
"Karin!" yelled Jiro, standing up gingerly on what looked like a broken leg, "you're okay!" His face was covered in dirt and blood, but he did not appear to have any serious injuries. Kazu didn't look as good.
"Kazu," cried Karin, kneeling down next the other boy. He looked at her and smiled weakly. The front of his uniform was covered in blood. "You're hurt!"
"S'okay," said Kazu, his eyes slightly unfocused. "It's just my shoulder."
"He's lost a lot of blood. We need to get him to the Fourth," said Renji quietly to Karin. She nodded.
Jiro started to wobble slightly on his good leg, and Karin put her arm around him to support his weight. "We need to get you guys patched up," she said, doing her best to smile.
Renji gently scooped Kazu up. The boy looked small in his arms. Karin's heart hurt to see them both injured. "This is my fault," she thought, guilt weighing heavily on her.
The four of them started back towards the main campus. "You guys were awesome," said Karin as they walked.
"We beat them," said Jiro, wincing slightly as he put weight on his injured leg. "Kazu was incredible. The biggest one was about to hit me with his zanpakuto, and Kazu used Kido to distract him." Jiro glanced at Kazu, now unconscious, in Renji's arms.
"The Arrancar hit Kazu instead of me, though," he said, his eyes full of worry. "He's going to be okay, right?"
"He'll be fine," said Renji, looking at Karin with concern. "We just need to get him some help."
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It was slow going, but they made it back to the main courtyard in about an hour. There were a half dozen teachers and students sitting on the benches near the entrance, some nursing minor cuts and scrapes. One of the teachers recognized Karin and ran over to them.
"We need to get these two to the Fourth as soon as possible," said Karin.
"The Arrancar have blocked the entrance to the Seireitei," said the teacher, looking at Kazu. "Word is that they've engaged a Division of shinigami outside the gates. No one can enter or leave. Rumor has it the Arrancar are looking for you."
A second teacher joined them as Renji gently laid Kazu down on an empty bench. "I have some experience treating injuries," said the teacher, bending down over Kazu.
"Please do what you can for him," said Karin. She helped Jiro sit down with his back propped up against the wall of the courtyard.
"You okay, Jiro?" Jiro nodded, his eyes on the place where Kazu lay. "We'll get Kazu some help, I promise." Karin turned to head out of the courtyard.
"Where do you think you're going?" demanded Renji.
"It's me they want, Renji."
"You can't just give yourself up to them," said Renji, astounded.
"I don't intend to give up," Karin said with determination, "but I need to end this, now." She started walking in the direction of the front gate.
"Stubborn like your brother," grumbled Renji under his breath as he followed behind her. She ignored him.
They reached the edge of the courtyard's outer wall and turned the corner onto the path to the front gate. A group of fifty Arrancar and Vasto Lordes stood in front of Renji and Karin. At the center of the group, stood Xiomara, her eyes cold, hard and fixed on Karin.
"Kurosaki Karin." The voice sent shivers down Karin's spine, but Karin showed no fear. "How convenient of you to come to us."