(A/N: Asch has declared his will to fight Aizen with everything he's got. How will he fare against the overpowered Shinigami? Let us find out)
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Tales of the Abyss
3rd Person pov
Sokyoku Hill
Aizen struck towards Asch who blocked with his sword, "I'm impressed you could block me without your sword snapping in half. Very good." Asch flung Aizen off and the man disappeared and made to attack Asch from behind. Asch swung down and deflected Aizen's strike and parried. "You can even parry me, most impressive." Aizen said as he dodged away from Asch.
"Of course I can," Asch said. "You see all the time I've been here in Soul Society people have always asked me, why did I become a Soul Reaper, I always knew it was to surpass someone. That's why I joined, but along the way the person I wanted to surpass changed and even now I aim to surpass that same person. Former Captain Aizen Sosuke the person I wish to surpass," Asch said and spun his sword above his head and thrust his sword into the ground the tip digging into the earth, "is you. BANKAI!"
Bankai eh? Aizen thought as he watched Asch's reiatsu increase exponentially, this is an unexpected development, but certainly not one that I can't match.
Asch emerged in his Bankai form. The pauldrons normally visible on his shoulders were now black with gold spikes. A cape ran down behind Asch. Unlike Ichigo's it wasn't frayed at the ends and Asch's was crimson in color. The cape had three black colored symbols on it forming a triangle. At the top of the triangle was the Fon Fabre Family crest. On the lower left side was the Soul Reaper skull emblem and on the right side was the symbol of the Six God Generals. On Asch's arms were crimson colored gauntlets sparking with lightning. The gauntlets ran up his arm to his elbows. They terminated there in two fang -like protrusions. Asch's blade resembled that of his Shikai, but now lightning could be seen running up and down the blade. Asch was also no longer wearing the traditional Shinigami footwear either. Replaced with his straw sandals and shinobi tabi were two tall, armored, crimson boots. Lightning sparked around the soles of Asch's feet. Asch bent his knees and tilted his sword at Aizen at a 45-degree angle, both hands on the blade. He took a right lead stance and said, "Juden Chikaminari Saberu." (Charged Bloody Lightning Saber)
"That's quite an impressive stance Asch Fon Fabre. Now then shall we begin?" Aizen asked. With a battle cry Asch leapt at Aizen creating powerful, weighted strikes. Numerous amounts of sparks were generated from Asch's sword each time he came in contact with Aizen's blade.
"Shadow Fury!" Asch went after Aizen with five hard to see movements. Even Gin and Tosen found him hard to track. Aizen however, god mod that he is, managed to dodge and block each strike, but even he had to admit that Asch's strikes forced him to be quite defensive. Aizen struck towards Asch who leapt out of the way, "Hado 33 Sokatsui!" Aizen deflected the Kido with one hand. "You're open!" Asch came striking down behind Aizen from above, "Slag Assault!" Aizen turned and dodged and struck Asch away with his sword. Asch went tumbling through the air, but used the cape to steady himself as he skidded across the ground. Aizen struck down at Asch again who blocked with his sword.
"How interesting you can block my sword without yours snapping in half. Your strength is certainly to be admired Asch," Aizen commented. Asch struggled to push Aizen's blade away. "However it seems that my strength still far outclasses yours if you can't fend me off."
"Fr…" Asch grunted.
"Hmm,"
"Fr-Frigid Blast!" Asch shouted. Aizen jumped away as the icy blast of energy charged towards him. Having ample distance he then deflected the shot.
"I see, your Bankai is truly interesting that you are pulling off all this interesting skills I've not yet heard of," Aizen noted.
"It's not like that," Asch said, "Long before I became a Shinigami I was a soldier in the military and I learned a lot of techniques when I was alive. Now that I've achieved Bankai," Asch held up his sword. "I can use those techniques all over again. Of course that's not all I can do."
"It would be a waste of a Bankai if it was," Aizen taunted and beckoned Asch with his finger, "Come!"
"Do you really think I'm that gullible to let you sucker me in? I wasn't born yesterday!" Asch shouted.
"Yes of course," Aizen got right in Asch's space, "I suppose I'll have to be more direct." Aizen struck at Asch from the side. The Bankai user blocked the attack with his left gauntlet. Aizen's sword cut into the gauntlet, but could not pierce Asch's skin. Aizen backed away as Asch tried to strike at him with his sword.
Asch held up his gauntlet as the damage regenerated. "Reinforced, regenerative crimson colored adamantium gauntlets and greaves. Quite a decent augmentation I'd say," Asch explained.
"Your Bankai covers many holes in your defense quite impressive, but not impressive enough. You won't be able to beat me with a couple of cheap Kendo tricks, some Kido and highly dense armor, you of all people should be able to know that much," Aizen taunted.
Asch was behind him, "I know that full well!" he shouted as he made to strike Aizen with his free hand. He sent a blast of lightning off his sword where Aizen reappeared but the brown haired Shinigami dodged that as well. Let's see how well this works on Aizen, Asch said and didn't budge as Aizen came at him from behind with a sword strike only to collide against a crimson barrier. There was an explosion and Aizen jumped out of the way. Asch turned and smirked, "Well now, I'd call that a hit wouldn't you agree? Aizen Sosuke?"
It was true Aizen had a small burn on the front of his hand. It was a graze, but Asch had managed to deliver minute visible damage to the man, "Quite impressive what was that just now?"
"Who knows, maybe if you try again it might happen again," Asch taunted.
"I might just take you up on that offer," Aizen attacked Asch again. The red head turned block and took a step. Aizen jumped back when he saw the spark from Asch's front foot. His instincts were spot on as a blast of lightning energy blasted up from the ground. "Channeling your spirit energy in the form of lightning through the ground. Now that is an impressive ability for something that's normally impossible." Asch stood stoically in place and waited for Aizen to attack him. He came at him from the side again. Asch made to block but Aizen vanished and then came at Asch from the right.
"Nice try," Asch commented and fired lightning from his gauntlet at Aizen, which the man dodged. Aizen disappeared and came at Asch from the front. Instead of leaping back. Asch moved to the side of Aizen and struck down with both hands on the sword. Both men just barely missed each other. Asch and Aizen turned and swung at each other with a backhand strike each individual pressing against the other's blade. Asch turned his body and brought his fist with momentum at Aizen. Rather than block Aizen used Shunpo to escape the strike and made to attack Asch from behind. Asch stabbed forward, but Aizen jumped on his sword and struck down to cut Asch down the middle. Asch brought up his gauntlet to block and the same crimson barrier from before appeared. Aizen through his sword behind him shunpoed to another location and then made to recover his sword before strike Asch from the right again Asch blocked with both hands on his sword.
"I see now," Aizen said, "That barrier of your reflects reiatsu and reiryoku and adds your own on top of it. If an opponent strikes with a powerful attack you are always prepared to stop it. However, as I just saw, you need time to prepare it don't you. You can't use it all the time." Asch scowled in disgust, "What's the name of that shield of yours, hmm?"
"Shokkurei Hanshakyo," (Shock Ray Reflector)
"Its name is well suited for its effect," Aizen commented and pushed Asch's sword out of the way and attacked. Asch dodged by leaping back.
"Hado 55 Budosen!" Aizen used Shunpo to dodge Asch's attack and struck towards Asch in a frontal assault. Asch dodged as Aizen tried to strike at him again and again. Asch either dodged or parried each attack. The two stood apart from each other after the exchange.
"Impressive," Aizen said, holding up his sword, "Have you studied my style of fighting?"
"What would be the point? Your style of fighting isn't the same in the records as the real you is it?" Asch asked. Aizen smirked indicating Asch was right, "I knew it. Just what else did you lie about Sosuke Aizen?" Asch asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Aizen responded, a gleam reflecting off his glasses, "To be honest I'm glad you didn't study me it makes your ability to keep up with me that much more impressive."
"I don't need compliments from you and I won't be happy until I surpass you!" Asch charged towards Aizen.
A frontal assault, I've got you now Asch Fon Fabre. Aizen prepared his defense only for Asch to disappear, that's not totally unexpected. Aizen turned behind him to block, but Asch wasn't there. Immediately his eyes went to the sky.
"This is it! Aizen!" Asch shouted. He came striking down from above. He threw his sword to the ground. Aizen dodged as lightning exploded from where Asch's sword had landed. He was surprised when Asch appeared behind him unarmed completely. "Take this!" Asch shouted. Asch output a large pulsation of reiatsu and lightning imbued reiryoku tingling Aizen with energy all over and trapping him in place. Asch held his hands together and raised them to the sky. Lightning energy flowed out from him and smashed through Aizen. "This is my ultimate attack," Asch said as he stared at Aizen straight in the face. His eyes glinted with a shade of blue. He shot out a beam of energy, which created a circle of energy beneath his and Aizen's feet allowing for a solid plaform. Telekinetically Asch called for his blade and raised it to the sky. "Annihilation!" He slammed the blade into the circle, "RENDING SABER!" There was a powerful explosion. Aizen was sent spiraling down from the air and crashed into the ground. Asch shunpoed and stood, still in Bankai, along the ground holding his sword. "I know that didn't finish you!" he shouted. "Get up!"
Aizen stood panting. Asch had inflicted rather serious damage. Aizen bled from the top of his head and down the right side of his face. All the cloth on the right side of his arm had been blown away. Aizen was also bleeding from the elbow down and parts of his Shihakusho were frayed. Aizen griped his sword. He grit his teeth in hate.
"Is that, the best you've got?" Asch asked.
Aizen showed a scowl for a millisecond before disappearing. In the next half an instant blood splurged from Asch's shoulder as his pauldron disintegrated. Asch planted his sword forward to balance himself as blood and fluid splurged from his mouth. He panted. When did he…I didn't even see him move.
"I commemorate you for managing to wound me Asch Fon Fabre," Aizen's voice came from behind the 3rd seat. Asch turned his head to look at him. "I told you that I would humor you by fighting you. You never had the slightest chance of defeating me. I fought casually against you all this time, now I'm fighting serious and it seems that you can't stand up to me on this level of ability. You put up quite a fight, but now it's over. I congratulate you on getting this far, but now it is time to say farewell." Aizen held up his sword, "Goodbye Asch Fon Fabre!"
The swing came down Asch turned wide eye with terror in fear for his life, but just as Ichigo had saved Renji, someone had saved Asch. Clad in a white lab coat and an orange Shihakusho, was Nebilim. She was holding a sword made from her Shikai and she had just barely stopped Aizen's sword as hers was on the verge of breaking. "Looks like I arrived just in time." She stated.
"Head Researcher Assistant Gelda Nebilim, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by your arrival, but you are either foolish or naïve to think of challenging me to a fight," Aizen told her. He leapt away from her and she did the same to prepare to face off against him. "Do you seriously plan to fight me? You're out of your league. Asch Fon Fabre used Bankai and I cut him down without much effort at all. Do you really think you can defeat me using only your Shikai?"
"Of course not," Nebilim stated. She desummoned her sword and stood with her hands in her pockets. "But of course," she flung her arms out at her sides and they began to glow creating two tall barriers, "I have no intention of fighting you using my Shikai. You should be honored Sosuke Aizen you will be the first to witness this form. Ban…kai." The two barriers she created went and created a cube all around her. The cube completely encased Nebilim in a box of her own reiatsu and then shrunk around her down to about a third of the barrier's original size so that it stood only about as tall as the fallen Sajin Komamura if he were standing up. Light began to give off from within the box and several beams of light burst through it breaking it like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. The beams of light increased in number and rate until the box exploded. Dust kicked up and Nebilim's form was revealed. She wore a skintight body suit. The right side of the suit was white. An angel feather stuck out near her leg. The left side of the suit was black a demonic bat-like skeletal wing sticking out parallel to the angelic one. Nebilim wore bladed high-heeled, crystalline shoes and floated about an inch off the ground. Coming out of her latissamus dorsi were two small wings. Both were like those of bird, but devoid of all feathers and just the skeleton. The one on the right was white. The one on the left was black. She wore several rings around the middle and ring fingers of both her hands. A golden hairband was in her hair and two diamond earrings could be seen in her ears. Her attire did not cover her shoulders and she showed quite a bit of cleavage as well. The center of her midriff was also bare. The black part of her suit was outlined in gold. The white part outlined in purple. Nebilim held up her left hand and summoned an axe-blade. On one side the blade was red and black on the other it was gold and sapphire. Near the guard an eye shone in the center with red sclera and a black iris on one side and on the other it had golden sclera and a blue iris. She swung the sword out at her side, "Ochitamegami no Shinjitsu." (Fallen Goddess of truth)
"That's certainly a unique form. You have neither a weapon nor an external additive, merely a wardrobe change. For something so condensed it must've certainly taken a long time to master," Aizen observed and commented.
"A very long time," Nebilim responded.
"Shall we?" Aizen asked.
"Are you sure you can fight me with you injured like that?" she asked.
"This is merely a paper cut I can fight you just fine," Aizen answered calmly.
"Very well then…let's begin." With that both combatants took off and engaged each other in combat. They took to the skies. Aizen struck towards Nebilim with his sword. She blocked with her weapon only for it to be shattered in half. Nebilim desummoned the broken weapon and created a spear looking similar in composition to the weapons she used in her Shikai form and made to run Aizen through. Aizen dodged and cut it in half. Nebilim came at him from behind with her hand outstretched "Hado number 88, Hiryugekizo Kushintenraiho!" Aizen dodged out of the way of the forceful blast of lighting prana. Nebilim followed. She created two swords and attacked. Aizen blocked the first swing and dodged the second. Nebilim threw an energy blast at Aizen. He dodged. She threw another he dodged. She continued to fire blast after blast endlessly, but Aizen dodged each one. It was then he realized that Nebilim had fired two neat little rows of energy blasts that were now hovering in midair. Nebilim held out her palm upside down in front of her her fingertips perpendicular to the ground below. "Yon Mentei Hakai!" (Tetrahedron Destruction) The blasts of energy created a box of light energy and then converged and formed a tetrahedron. Aizen was caught in the middle.
"That should hold him," Nebilim said. Only to watch as her attack shattered into tiny fragments as Aizen broke out of her attack.
"Is that the best you've got?" he asked and struck Nebilim wide across the abdomen. "You're Bankai is truly something to be feared Gelda Nebilim, but if that was the best you could manage, a powerful Kido attack, you'd had best give up."
Clutching her wound Nebilim smirked, "Whoever, said that was my best shot?" She retreated back from Aizen. "Up until now I'd just been using my Shikai powers in Bankai form…well except for that last attack, "Allow me to show you a true augmentation of my Bankai," She held her arm up straight out, fingers bent in a disorganized fashion. She snapped her wrist and turned her palm towards her. Against his own will Aizen's left hand struck out at his side floating freely on its own. Nebilim created an energy blast with her hand and blasted Aizen with it striking him in the chest. She pushed him back a few feet, but Aizen regained his footing. No blood had been drawn.
"Motor cortex control now that is quite impressive, but is that all your Bankai allows you do?" Aizen asked.
"It would be a waste if it did," Nebilim said and snapped her fingers. Instantly the background around her and Aizen began to fade. Starry space formed around them and everything spun around disrupting the vision of both individuals as though they were drunk. "Welcome to Tentai Rei," (Celestial Zero) Nebilim's voice echoed, "It's a distortive dimension I can create around myself and all trapped within my reiatsu. It is made of highly dense reiryoku of my own signature. It crushes those inside it like a mass of super dense space. My enemies can do nothing, but be crushed inside of it. Right about now you should feel yourself feeling short of breath.
"Funny," Aizen said appearing behind Nebilim, "I feel just fine." He attacked the white haired researcher, but she jumped back and up to avoid. Aizen came behind her and swung. Nebilim summoned a knight's shield to block Aizen's strike. It shattered on contact with his weapon, but it gave her enough time to avoid being attacked. "Using super dense reiatsu is impressive," Aizen said as he and Nebilim stood apart again, "But even you should know that a higher reiatsu will always overturn a lower one. My reiatsu is superior to yours therefore your Tentai Rei dimension has no effect on me. Are we quite finished with these smoke-and-mirror games Nebilim Gelda? I'm finding them quite tiresome."
"Good, because that's my aim," she said resummoning her original weapon into her right hand, "To tire you out!" She flicked her wrist 180 degrees, "Explode! Tentai Rei!" There was a powerful blast of reiatsu and the dimension Nebilim created ceased to appear.
"I told you it was useless," Aizen came from behind Nebilim and struck her down the right side of her back. Nebilim turned and clutched her wound. "I don't see what this is going to gain you," Aizen said, "Surely you realize that you have no chance of defeating me. However, I see your potential Gelda Nebilim. Instead of fighting me why don't you join me?" Aizen offered, "Surely a woman of your talents could see so much better for the world than it is right now. I aspire to reach high into the sky to step into the territory of god himself. Join me Gelda Nebilim. Together we'll make your fallen Goddess rise again."
"It is true," Nebilim said hanging her head, "I do have a vision." She walked towards Aizen.
"I see even you are able to understand reason Nebilim-san," Aizen said.
Nebilim ignored his statement and powerful energy began to surge around her, "However," her tone became exceedingly more serious and deep. She then picked her head and shouted, "My vision does not include hurting my friends!" Several spheres of light blast out from her center and then formed a translucent dais behind her. Nebilim turned her body sideways and the spheres of light she had created shone with the utmost radiance. "Prepare yourself for oblivion," Nebilim cast her hand forward, but before she could unleash her attack she was washed over with her own blood, having been cut deeply up her front from the abdomen up to her good shoulder. The dais disappeared and Nebilim fell from the sky towards the ground. She hit it quite hard.
"I told you earlier, I was growing tired of your parlor tricks." Aizen said as he reached the ground. He moved next to Tosen and picked up the Hogyoku from him, "I had hoped you were better than that Gelda Nebilim. It's such a shame that talent such as yours would be wasted." He shook Nebilim's blood off his sword and sheathed it. He was about to do something else when he sensed a presence coming at him from above.
"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring, Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hado number 63 Raikoho!" Kukaku, along with Jidanbo, attacked Aizen from above
"Jidanbo!" Asch shouted glad that the big guy was ok.
Aizen dodged, but within the next instant was surrounded in close range by both Soifon and Yoruichi, "This is quite a nostalgic face."
"Don't move," Yoruichi told him, "If you move so much as a muscle…"
"…then we're going to cut off your head," Soifon finished her mentor's sentence.
"Yes I can see that," Aizen said plainly.
"Well that sure was flashy," Gin said to himself, "What should I do?" Rangiku suddenly appeared behind him and grabbed his hand putting her blade down his front ready to cut him at a moment's notice.
"You shouldn't even move," she told him.
"Sorry Captain Aizen I got caught," Gin said plainly.
"This is the end," Yoruichi told Aizen.
"Hmm, did you say something?" Aizen asked pretending not to hear her.
"Don't you understand Aizen, there is no place left for you to run. No place left for you. No place you can escape to." As Yoruichi said this captains and lieutenants that were still standing appeared onto the Sokyoku hill. "It's over Aizen." Aizen smiled. "And just what's so amusing?"
"I'm sorry to do this, but the time has come."
"Soifon get away from him!" Yoruichi shouted. Both women leapt away from the rogue captain as a beam of light shined down upon each of them.
At this time Nebilim found the strength to stand, "That's negacion," she blinked looking up as Aizen, Tosen and Gin went up to the sky, "You've joined with menos?"
"Have you become that corrupt?" Ukitake asked Aizen.
"I need to keep climbing higher," Aizen said, "You all are blinded by your self righteousness. From the beginning no one has ever stood at the top, neither you nor me nor the gods. But soon," Aizen removed his glasses, "That unattainable vacancy will be filled." He ran his hand through his hair and his glasses shattered. "From now on. I alone will stand at the top. Good-bye Shinigami. Good-bye, Ryoka boy. For a human you were quite amusing. And good-bye…Asch Fon Fabre, I commend you on being able to wound me to the extent that you did. I was right about you. You are, a threat to be recognized." With that Gin, Aizen and Tosen disappeared into the Garganta.
(A/N: End chapter. So yeah, Aizen god mods more than anyone but HOLY HELL ASCH MANAGED TO WOUND HIM! And yet Aizen managed to curbstomp Nebilim without so much as a scratch. What does that tell you? Well anyway the Soul Society arc is slowly having its curtain drawn on the Noble Flames saga. Next chapter ought to wrap it up. I should have that out either later today or sometime tomorrow. See you everyone. Don't forget to review).