The penultimate Chapter. Hope you guys enjoy!
Chapter 26: The Final Rumble
It was good to be back. No longer trapped, I was able ti fight freely and with all my might. When Toshirou had stabbed my hollow earlier, he had actually had shared his Shinigami powers with me, similar to like what Kuchiki Rukia had done for Kurosaki Ichigo. The feelings, the memories and thoughts all came back…increasing my powers exponentially. And now, it was time to end it.
"What are you doing my dear?" said my Hollow as she approached.
I looked around as Toshirou, Soi Fon and Byakuya lay on the ground, having been easily trampled over by my hollow. Truth be told, I didn't help them one bit, but I had to first make sure of something.
"Hahaha," I laughed a little. "I just had to make sure of something. And what you've just said, and the way you said it, confirms it for me."
"What is it that you're trying to analyse?"
"To confirm that you and I, the way we think, the way we move and the way we talk, it's a perfect match."
"Hmmm?"
"The way you tilted to your left to get a slight edge before Soi Fon attacked, since she prefers to attack from the right. How you were on your heels to dodge and counter Byakuya's vintage sneak attack from the back. And the way you positioned yourself so that you could avoid Ryuusenka from Toshirou….I would have done exactly all those things."
"I thought that would be obvious, since you and I are one."
"Give me a break, its been a while."
I stared ever intensely at my hollow as she approached even nearer to me. The similarity between us was uncanny…But there was one issue. I couldn't match her for brute power. Though the way we fought and thought processes were the same, the hollow, like Kurosaki's hollow, had powers that were far beyond that even of the original….perhaps 3 or more folds greater….Though I believed that I could keep up for a while, I would get worn out by the great depth of raw power between myself and my hollow.
"Let's do this."
"Much obliged."
We charged for each other. My hollow led first, leading in with a left cross. I raised my right arm to deflect the strike, before twisting my body to deliver a roundhouse. My hollow gracefully nudged away my oncoming leg, before finding a gap to grab my collar and threw me right over the top of her head. I managed to position myself so that I would land safely, but I felt that something wasn't quite right. Looking at the part of my arm which had blocked my hollow's strike, it was bruised and it seemed like blood had stopped flowing into that part of my arm.
"Don't be so surprised my dear. You can't beat me for pure strength."
"You're right…." I replied as I shook my arm to try and get some circulation back. Knowing that I couldn't outlast my hollow in hand to hand combat, I had to try something else.
"Bankai eh?" my hollow said as she read my mind.
"You're right…..Ban…kai…"
As my reitasu swirled around me, a dust storm began to brew and as the lightning struck the ground, Sharpshooter and transformed into his bankai state, a large golden sniper rifle, along with the cape and mask that formed on and around my body.
"Herakuresu Ite…"
"My turn…..bankai….."
My hollow mirrored my move. Her reiatsu was immense and her bankai caused much more of a ruckus than mine as it formed. The ground shook violently and a larger dust storm brewed, and as it cleared, there she stood with her bankai. The corrupted form of Sharpshooter…..disgusting….I wasted no time. I charged for my hollow, transforming Sharpshooter into ganburedo mode, and aimed to finish her off in one strike. My hollow did the same thing to counter. Using ganburedo, she raised her rifle blade up to block my advance. Raising her arm up, she tossed me into the air and leapt up as well. Swinging her weapon 360 degrees to generate even greater force, she aimed to strike and kill me with more force than necessary. This time, I mirrored her move. Swinging Sharpshooter 360 degrees as well, I used Sharpshooter's blade to deflect the hit and sparks flew as the blades clashed. After the massive recoil which sent the both of us flying backwards, I saw a gap and rushed in to strike my hollow with my palm. She saw the move coming, and nudged my stomach using the butt of her rifle. Though just a nudge, my hollow's brute strength made the hit harder than it was supposed to be. I heard my ribs crack upon impact, and I literally, coughed out pools of blood. I fell from the air and quickly, my hollow pounced. Somehow, I had the intuition to raise my heel over the top of my head, and kicked her right in the jaw, knocking a few of her teeth out. we landed, with me looking the worst for wear. My hollow, on the other hand, except for a bloodied mouth, looked perfectly fine. She looked at me with a sickening smile, as the blood dripped from her mouth. To be honest, I had no idea how I was still conscious. By all accounts, that blow should have knocked me out….perhaps…..something within me spurred me to go on….
"Don't tell me you're finished already? That's all you can do? How pathetic," my hollow said as she turned around to face me, realising that I had utilised my shunpo clone once more to try and create some distance between us.
"That's…..that's…" I struggled to say after realising my attempts to avert her attention had failed. "I haven't given you everything yet."
"Oh really? Pray tell, what haven't you given me."
The ace up my sleeve. The real reason any of this even began….It was time…
"I sealed this power up…..before you took control….which means you shouldn't have it…"
"Oh?" my hollow said.
"Now that you and I are different entities, what powers either of us might gain will not pass on to the other…."
"That is true. But what power might you have that could possibly defeat me?" my hollow began to laugh hysterically.
"THIS! SOI FON NOW!"
Just then, my sister threw a stone in the air, and using Sharpshooter, I cut it open. The reiatsu it released reinvigorated me, and I felt totally re-energised. I was ready for another 12 rounds.
"Oh?" my hollow said. "When were you still around?" it asked Soi Fon.
"Give it up," I said. "You already lost this fight when you didn't finish the other three off."
"You've got to be kid…"
"Toshirou! Byakuya!"
"BAKUDO 61! RIKUJOKORO!"
Just then, 24 pillars of light secured my hollow in place. But I didn't have time to waste…..Getting another stone from my sister, I cracked this one open, and instantly a vortex appeared and began to suck Toshirou, Byakuya and Soi Fon in.
"Keiko! What's the meaning of this!?" Toshirou questioned.
"Hitsugaya taichou!?" Byakuya yelled.
"Sis!:"
I didn't know what to say…..it was the only way to save them…..
"Goodbye….you guys….."
Meanwhile in Seireitei, Division 13 HQ
A huge burst of energy suddenly filled the room. Then, a vortex appeared, spitting out the three captains. They were dumbfounded, having no idea as to why they were back.
"Fellow captains….."
"You bastard!" Hitsugaya yelled. "What did you do?"
"I just complied with orders….and with what your dear wife said….."
"What are you talking about?" demanded the 10th Division captain.
"Do you remember the tape I handed to you?"
"What about it?"
"It wasn't the only thing Keiko passed to me that day…The two stones too, were given to me by her. And before you ask any questions why, Soutaichou has approved.
":What?"
"That's right," Yamamoto said. "The danger which you're about to witness….You'll see why….."
"Wait a minute…." Byakuya said observedly. "What's this heavy aura pulling us down?"
"Yeah, I feel it too," Soi Fon said.
"We've surrounded the whole of Seireitei and the World of the Living with a barrier, a great barrier, able to withstand a full blast of Jakuho Raikoben to a trillion fold," Kurotsuchi said.
"What for?"
"Obersve," Soutaichou said.
Then, the Head Captain turned the crowd's attention towards a giant set of monitors.
"The only way…..the most destructive power ever…..your wife Toshirou-kun….She reported this monstrous energy to Soutaichou and this was the contingency plan we had developed in case such an event were to happen….."
In Hueco Mundo
"You do know I'll break out of this in just a matter of….."
Before she got the chance to finish her sentence, I shunpoed right in front of her and cupped her mouth.
"I know…..but I just need the time to activate it….."
"Hmm?" my hollow said as I removed my palm from her lips. "Activate what?"
"This….GIGA BAZUKA!" (Giga Bazuka is the literal translation of Giga Bazooka)
This was only the 2nd time I had activated this power of mine. And…..it would be the very last power that I would activate. For I knew what was to come…This power was the reason why I got so ill during that episode with Reiko…..the reason why my hollow was standing in front of me right now…I was cursed with this monstrosity of a power that was killing me ever so slowly from the inside…..but I was going to make it a blessing…..
"What the….." my hollow said. And for the first time, she was shocked. "I remember this…..this was how I broke free…..this power was too great for your own good that it started to destroy you from the inside…HOW CAN YOU BEAR TO USE IT?:"
"I…" I tried to say as I began to cry, knowing the consequences of my actions. "Its for the greater good of the world….Since I brought the most dangerous thing ever into existence, I should very well rid it from this very world."
"You're a crazy bitch!"
"So I've been told."
Struggling, my hollow finally broke free. With an evil grin she grabbed my face with her palm and charged up a cero.
"Told you…."
"No…..impossible…" I muttered.
"You're going to die before you pull that trigger…"
"You're too slow," I whispered from behind my hollow. Then she turned around and stared at me with utter disbelief, her face widening in shock after realising that the Keiko she had grabbed earlier was my shunpo clone…
"Wh…When?" she yelled in anger and disgust as she froze in place, completely bamboozled by the trick which I had just pulled.
Sharpshooter's final form….the Giga Bazuka. Now, Sharpshooter was transformed into a weapon resembling a rocket launcher, completely golden in colour with a small scope for precision aiming. At point blank range, I spoke the last words that I'd ever speak.
"Thanks Sharpshooter….for everything….."
"You're welcome," he replied.
"NOOOOOOO!" my hollow screamed after realising that there was no escape.
With that, I fired my weapon. And for some reason, time slowed down for me as I heard the massive boom of my weapon's blast, screams and aguish of my hollow and I witnessed myself getting incinerated alive by the explosion. The misery and bliss of it all, knowing that finally, it was over. Before I knew it, I lost all consciousness…..
Meanwhile in Seireitei
"KEEIIKOOOO!" Hitsugaya screamed as he witnessed the death of his wife.
The 10th Division Captain was not phased by the shaking of Seireitei. In fact, the resulting shockwave of Giga Bazuka had caused the entirety of Soul Society to shake in a monstrous like fissure, buildings crumbling and tumbling all over the place. The barrier that was in place to protect from the aftermath of the blast was destroyed in an instant. The sirens sounded….
"Emergency relief squads to Sector 7!"
"Divison 4 medics to Sector 22!"
Orders for many Shinigami medics to mobilise were being announced via the Seireitei PA system due to the damage done as a result of Keiko's bankai.
"Nemu, how are things looking?" Mayuri asked.
"Well," she said while pulling out data sheets from a machine. "Over 95% of the whole of Soul Society's structural integrity has been compromised….."
"Wow….your wife….Hitsugaya taichou…..was a beast….."
Hitsugaya couldn't muster any words to speak. He was utterly silent. He was not able to move a muscle, lost and dumbfounded by the surrounding chaos and confusion…..
"Well Hitsugya taichou…." Yamamoto said. "When you finally find it in yourself to get up, assist your squad in its efforts. You can't leave it all to your Vice-Captain."
With that, Yamamoto, Soi Fon, and Byakuya left the room and proceeded to help their respective divisions. No matter what would happen, one thing was clear. Hitsugaya Toshirou was never, ever, going to be the same again.
That's the end of the penultimate chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Pls do continue to read right up to the end!