26. Battle of the immortals
TATSUKE:
I clash swords with one of the Espada. The way she talked before, I'm assuming she's the leader.
"Not bad." She snickers.
"You're not so bad either." I throw her back with a parry.
"HYAH!" She stabs with her sword but I jump on top of it and kick her in the face. "Ouch, that was quite a nudge."
"I can do better." I twirl on her sword and spin heel kick her twice. She falls back but stays in the air. I know she's only going easy but so am I.
"By the way I have plenty of time so I'm open to playing this game while the other's kill each other." She spins her sword.
"I'll go all out as soon as you do." I respond.
"All right...I could do with a warm up anyway." She stops for a moment. "By the way you forgot to introduce yourself."
I slap my head. "Oh how rude of me...I'm thirteenth squad captain Tatsuke Arisawa."
"Ah I'm glad I got a captain, you won't disappoint me then." She lifts a bang of her hair revealing the number 1 tattoo. "I'm the self-appointed Primera Espada...You can call me Maria."
Crap...so she is the strongest...AWESOME!!!
*****
MEANWHILE...
SOI FON:
Aoi is a tough opponent. Every time I attack her the wounds reflect back to me. How can I possibly win...could the only way be...?
"You lost concentration." She brings down her wrist blades to which I block. She kicks me into a building which collapses; I hear the screams of innocent civilians as they get tied up in the melee. Why didn't we anticipate this earlier so we could freeze the area?
"You disappoint me...and you're meant to be a covert leader." She flies towards me ready to inflict the killer blow.
"No I am..." I'm saved by my captain.
"Yoruichi Taicho."
"Sorry I'm late Soi Fon...are you okay...?" Her voice soothes my pain.
"I am now you're here..." I notice Aoi from the corner of my eye. "WATCH OUT!"
I gasp when I see Yoruichi slashed in the neck and chest. She has been slain.
"NOOOOO!!!"
"No what...?" Yoruichi magically shows up behind Aoi. She used the old covert ops trick where she makes a clone of herself through Shunpo. Only her Haori has been cut.
"Little tricks like that won't be enough to defeat me...I'm the Tres Espada for a reason."
Yoruichi begins a flurry of punches and kicks mid-air. Aoi grits her teeth as she blocks the oncoming blows. She should be pretty bruised after all of that.
Suddenly Yoruichi's pressure points snap and break and she cries in pain.
"Taicho! She can mirror your attacks!" I call out to her.
She wipes the blood from her mouth. "Thanks, now that I know that I know what to do..."
No she can't be serious...
"Soi Fon I need you to do something for me...*****"
"No Taicho I can't I plead with her."
"Please do it...it is the only way."
"Would one of you two hurry up and fight me."
"We both will. READY!"
It seems it can't be helped. Yoruichi takes one side and I take the other. Aoi blocks as usual but this time will be different. Once we're in the right position Yoruichi gives the signal.
"SOI FON DO IT NOW!"
"HYAH!"
-----
Nothing happens for a moment but eventually I see the effect. The butterfly mark has finally showed up on Aoi. By stabbing Yoruichi with Suzemebachi I managed to trick her powers into mirroring the same attack onto her. Aoi falls heavily to the ground as she succumbs to defeat. However Taicho has also suffered the same wounds and coughs blood. I catch her in time.
"Please don't die Yoruichi Taicho."
"It's alright Soi Fon; it worked didn't it...now you can...be leader of the Onmitsukido again..."
"NOOOO!!!!"
*****
MEANWHILE...
AOI:
Why. My powers weren't meant to fail. How could I not see that? I was so foolish...
I see Maria, fighting in a blaze of glory.
I hope you get everything you ever wanted...Miss Maria...
*****
MEANWHILE...
STARK:
I seem to have picked up the scrap. All these Vice-captains I've never seen before are up against me. Don't they realise Maria is the strongest?
Come on everyone attack." A Shinigami with purple hair yells out to the rest of the group. A chick with brown hair and a chick with green hair attack me.
"Yawn can we stop the fightin' and start the lovin' soon?"
"Why you..." The chicks become more ferocious and bash their swords against mine. They are so weak but so hot I don't want to bother hurting them. I'll just let 'em tire out.
*****
ASAGI:
What a bunch of creeps I ended up with. "Hey what's you're name"
"I'm Kira Izuru and this here is Shuhei Hisagi. We're Third and ninth squad captains."
"Oh why bother asking, you're all gonna wind up dead or wishing you were anyway."
"Wow you seem a bit emo...what gives?"
I stammer. "I'm emo you say? Look at you pair. You have the fringe and he has the scars and you have the hide to call me emo!"
"Maybe it's just her T-O-T-M." Kira whispers to Hisagi who giggles.
"What's T-O-T-M meant to mean?"
"Oh never mind...we should really be fighting right now anyway."
"NO PISS OFF I'M FIGHTING SOMEONE ELSE" Angry I Sonido away and decide to fight that weak looking captain with the bun hair.
Hisagi blocks me. "Did I say you could fight her?"
"She your girlfriend or something?"
"T-t-that's irrelevant...now fight me."
This is so annoying.
*****
MEANWHILE...
ISHIDA:
"Looks like we're the only ones left...Quincy boy." It seems I'm up against Szayel once again.
"So how did you survive anyway? I remember Mayuri gave you the superhuman drug."
"Good thing I only used my clone for that battle. I controlled him using my voodoo power but I still suffered a few scars afterwards. But I can assure you this is the real me."
"Great coz I'm over fighting mad Scientists anyway."
"Oh now that's a bit mean."
"Shut up and let's fight!"
"Ok let's fight...Quincy – oh wait a minute...you're a Shinigami now...oh this is rich!"
"SHUTTUP!" I cut his arm off with my blade.
"AH FUCK THAT HURT! You should really give me time to get ready that was a cheap shot." He laughs maniacally even though I sliced one of his limbs. "I'll have to thank that man later for this stuff." He takes out a syringe and injects the substance into his stump. The flesh bubble and regenerates into his arm.
"How did you...?"
"Oh had you forgotten...? Mayuri's on our side now..."
I should have known never to trust Shinigami...especially the one who killed my grandfather...
*****
BACK IN LAS NOCHES:
SHUNSUI:
Mayuri has betrayed us. As shocking as it may seem, I'm not surprised. He always was a basket-case.
"Heh-heh-heh." I begin to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Mayuri feels at unease by my laughter, even though I'm wounded.
"I think you're the perfect candidate to see my Bankai."
"What?" Mayuri stammers. "No get him Footsisters.
He throws more of his underlings at me. He retreats as I chase after him down the hall, slicing down the less than intelligent Arrancars. I don't care why he betrayed us, but I just want to see him squirm and cower.
"Get away." He drops some potions on the floor to try and halt my progress but in my current state I have nothing but a bloodlust – no I think it feels more like a game of tag.
"Please Mayuri; you'll miss the fun if you run away."
"NOOOO!!!" He's trapped now. "BANKAI" He releases his immense Bankai, it charges at me with its spikes and noxious gas. But I'm ready...this is the perfect spot.
"Bankai..."
*****
MEANWHILE:
MASANE:
My daughter has been kidnapped and held here? They can hurt me and torture me, but...
"NOONE LAYS A FINGER ON MY DAUGHTER!!!"
"MAMA!"
CRRSSHH. Another Espada appears in front of Reina. "I'm glad you made it this far, I would like to be the one who finally kills you."
"Shiori what are you doing here?" Reina calls out to her comrade. "Shouldn't you have joined the others in Tokyo?"
"Tokyo?" I but in.
Shiori looks at me and grins. "Oh you had no idea...Yeah we're just minding the castle while the big bitch gets some holy key and rules the world."
"You're going to destroy Tokyo? I WON'T LET YOU!"
Shiori stops me with her sword. "If you wanna go there you have to finish us first...or at least me."
"Tch."
"Mama what is this place? I'm scared." Rihoko cries out to me.
"Don't worry sweetheart everything will be fine...just leave this to me okay." I draw my Witchblade. "You guys are gonna wish you left that little girl alone." But the Witchblade doesn't appear to be responding as normal.
Shit could Orihime have really rejected the Witchblade?
"Pay attention gramps." Shiori knee's me in the chin. I fall to the ground and moan in pain.
"MAMA!"
Shiori holds me down with her foot. "Y'know, I have waited one hundred years to finally do this. It seems like a helpless situation. I couldn't even fight to protect my daughter.
"MAMA! MAMA! MAMA! MAMA! MAMA! MAMA!" Her continuous cries make me weep at death even more. "PLEASE STOP IT! STOP THE PAIN FOR ME MAMA!"
What is she saying?
"They're calling my name...the voices...MAMA WHY WON'T THEY STOP."
"Rihoko..." Reina approaches her as Rihoko enters a state of convulsions.
"NOOOO!"
"RIHOKO!!!"
"AAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A bright red light envelops the room and spreads to the entire palace.
Could it be...? No please don't let it be...
*****
KUROSAKI ICHIGO:
"Ahh! That light's so intense."
Ulquiorra doesn't seem bothered b y the immense light, but then again he is a hollow.
"Your battle is with me...don't worry about that."
"But what if this place falls apart." I must have spoke of the devil as tremors now run rampant throughout the palace. I dodge the falling boulders and pillars as Las Noches slowly collapses. "We have to get the hell out of here!"
Ulquiorra nearly stabs me with his hand. "We fight till the death, even if we both die as a result."
"Well I guess I wasn't chosen for the eleventh squad for nothing...okay let's resume."
*****
SHUNSUI:
Wow something trippy is going on here. I might have to cheek it out. I just hope Masane and the others are okay.
I look back at my defeated opponent. His death gaze haunts even me. His eyes are bulging and his face shows complete petrifaction. He was absolutely terrified at my Bankai and why wouldn't he? As a sign of respect, I close his eyes and allow him to rest in piece – no matter how crazy the man once was.
*****
REINA:
I'm horrified to see only the bottom half of Shiori's body still holding down Masane. I gasp in horror as I see who holds the top half.
Little Rihoko stares daggers at me as she grasps her defeated opponent. She licks Shiori's blood as it trickles down. I was dreading this would happen. If only I killed her, then I could have saved her from this fate... a fate bestowed upon by man over the centuries... a fate worse than death.
The fate of a Witchblade...
This cannot be...Rihoko seems to have inherited the Witchblade...Has Masane failed her daughter by allowing her to bestow such a fate? But most importantly which side will Rihoko choose? Don't miss the next truly truly epic chapter!!! Trust me it will be EPIC!!!