28. Theatre of the heavens

MASANE:

Rihoko...little Rihoko...how could I let this happen to my daughter?

"Hello mother." Rihoko speaks in a demonic voice. Her eyes are red with a bloodlust. Her body has transformed as black armour wraps around her arms and legs. Her hair twists and strikes out like a blade. She is almost unrecognisable.

"Rihoko...please..." I can't come up with the words as tears drown my voice.

"Thank you mother."

"What?" I gasp.

Before I can even blink she hovers around me with her blade aimed at my heart. "Thank you for this awesome power."

A part of me tells me to dodge but my heart keeps me nailed to the ground. This was my fault and I must suffer as a result.

"UNGH." But she doesn't reach me. Reina has come to my aid. "Masane are you alright?"

I shake my head. Knowing my daughter has inherited the blade was worse than the approaching death.

"We can still save her, but you have to help me."

I nod instantly, to save her from the Witchblade would be a godsend.

Reina transforms into her Witchblade form and so do I. My powers have decreased but I can still fight – especially if its for Rihoko's sake.

"HYAAHHH!!!" Rihoko comes at us with her claws. I block her while Reina attacks from behind. She slashes her black, spraying blood in the air. My motherly instinct kicks in and I'm now given the impulse to attack Reina.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

She stares daggers at me. "I could say the same...I told you we're saving Rihoko."

"Saving her but not killing." I dodge Rihoko's strike as I argue with Reina.

"It's the only way." She stipulates.

"No we'll find another way." Again dodging Rihoko.

"There is no other way." Reina now dodges.

"How can you just decide to kill her?"

"Believe me it's not easy...but if we don't stop her then Maria will get to her."

"Maria?" I leap in the air as Rihoko becomes more berserk.

"Have you forgotten about Maria? Her one goal was to obtain the Witchblade..." Reina explains whilst blocking Rihoko's blade. The grinding makes it hard to hear. "That's why she wanted to fight you Masane..." She struggles as Rihoko attacks with her other arm. "Now that Rihoko has the Witchblade she will fight her for it..." Rihoko uses her hair to stab Reina in the shoulder. She grunts in pain but continues to explain the situation to me. "What do you think will be better for her in the end? To die at our hands or Maria's?"

I walk over and whisk Rihoko's sharp hair. Then I look over at Orihime who is healing her friends.

That's it.

"Rihoko won't need to die, because Orihime will reject the blade from her."

Reina looks over at Orihime. "But her powers may not even be enough to stop this, but if we can incapacitate Rihoko then we should be able to give it a shot."

I pull Rihoko away from Reina. "Sorry Rihoko, but this will hurt a little."

She roars like a beast. "GRAAAHH!"

I rake my face and call upon my hollow powers. Now with increased agility and speed I can try and subdue my daughter. I somersault over her as she runs past me. Reina takes the right side and I take the left. But Rihoko has at least four weapons to use. Combined, Reina and myself have only two.

"Looks like you girls need some help." An injured Shunsui blocks her two pigtail blades. With the three of us we can't possibly lose.

"Don't worry Rihoko we'll free you from this torment soon." We each run around her so she can't target one of us. She begins to strike wildly in the hope she'll hit something, or someone.

"Oh no! Orihime!" I shout out to her but she produces an orange shield which takes the full force of her blades. I sigh in relief before entering battle mode again.

*****

MEANWHILE IN TOKYO...

TATSUKE:

The captain-commander has sacrificed himself to stop the menace, Maria. I wait in suspense to find out if it was successful...or if his death was all in vain.

Yamamoto must be very powerful. He killed three Espada in one go, but if Maria is still alive then I would strongly fear her as the biggest threat since Sosuke Aizen.

"AAAGGGGHHHHH UNFORGIVABLE! UNFORGIVABLE! UNFORGIVABLE!!!"

No way! How did she survive that?

Her body is severely burned. As she moves flesh appears to fall away like a leper. However her eyes indicate fury, and an even stronger intent to kill and plunder for power.

"UNFORGIVABLE!!!" She sways her limps arms, firing cero in all directions. This is bad...more deaths could arise.

"I'm afraid we're too late Isane." I look over my shoulder and see the two healing squad captains have arrived from a senkai gate.

"Please Unohana Taicho and Isane Fukutaicho, you have to-"

She hushes me. "It's alright dear Tatsuke, we are about to take away the injured for healing, you and the others just focus on her."

"Oh thank you." She strolls away with her vice captain on a giant manta ray. It's the first time I've seen her zanpakuto but it is astounding, it carries away the injured Shinigami but now that I look I can see that only Ishida and myself are left to fight three enemies – one of which is immensely powerful.

But then again she is injured...perhaps this is the chance to end this.

I fly up with my sword ready to deal the fatal blow, but one of the other Espada gets in my way.

"Don't take it personally chick but I gotta protect my master."

"But she's almost dead. I am trying to minimise her destruction." I plead.

He yawns to my pleas. "While she's still alive I gotta protect her."

"Dammit move already." I shove past him but he sonidoes in front of me and slashes down with his sword. I block but am getting frustrated at this man's blind loyalty.

I tense n anger as he keeps his cool. Suddenly...

"Look out!"

*****

ISHIDA:

"You haven't really improved since we last fought." I say as I pant from our battle.

"Yeah I have focused so much on my experiments I haven't really trained too much." He checks his fingernails.

I notice the commotion going on with Yamamoto's battle. He appears to have used a high level kido but Maria is still alive.

The mad scientist rushes to her aid. "Oh no! She may die! I must collect one last sample before her body melts completely."

"Wait your battle is with me." I chase after him but he's edging closer to her position. It is a hostile area as she is firing cero in many directions. It's a wonder I'm not hit.

"Let me extract from you...dear Maria." He pulls out his zanpakuto. I notice Maria stares at her subordinate with flickering eyes. Her face (whatever's left of it) shows some kind of strange eroticism I can't quite describe. Before I can interpret anything she has struck Szayel with her tentacles.

What the hell!? She just killed Szayel!

*****

TATSUKE:

"Watch out!"

"Huh!?"

It's too late. The Espada has been impaled by the walking flesh of Maria. I'm not sure what's more shocking...the fact she's still alive, or the fact that she killed her own Espada.

Her tentacles seems to pulsate as fluid drains from his body. It is like the proboscis of a mosquito, sucking life fluid for sustenance.

I'm horrified to see scraps of her flesh piece back together as she slowly heals herself.

Such a scary power...to be able to absorb one's own powers and kill them as a result. She really is the ultimate parasite.

"I must stop her before she completely heals." I say to myself as I cut away her tentacles. Purple blood gushes out and she screams demonically in pain.

"Ishida stop her from draining the powers!" Ishida responds by cutting her tentacles with his Shikai.

He twirls his Seele Schneider. "I'll use this to snatch her reiatsu." He charges at her but she swipes him away with tremendous force even I can't comprehend.

"ISHIDA!" He seems to descend slowly to the ground. Should I save him from falling or kill Maria while she has an opening?

"Thanks for the warm up, I feel a lot better now..." Maria is touching my body. I did not sense her speed. "...Shame you never showed me your zanpakuto."

"GRRR." I push her back. I watch Ishida reach close to the ground but thankfully Unohana catches him. With that problem out of the way I can focus on her. "So you wanna see my zanpakuto eh? I hope you ain't gonna steal it like the others."

She shrugs her shoulders. "Depends on how good it is. I really wanted the old dude's."

"So you like fire zanpakuto's then...well you're in luck..." I call forth my zanpakuto. "COME OUT...DANSUHOTARU!" My katana splits and transforms to take the shape of two chakrams. Fire spews from the dragon crested sides. "Though my fire zanpakuto is not as hot it is much faster then Yamamoto's so see if you can keep up."

"Sure, let's finish this for real." She attacks first. Her arm stretched out, I easily singe her extended limb and she retracts in response. She lifts her leg to kick but I dodge and counter by wrapping my leg around her's. She throws her other leg and I trap her. Now I can find an opening and finish this.

"You're finished now..." I have to admit I'm feeling confident at this point but her expression indicates anything but fear. "Why do you not fear death?"

She laughs in a creepy manner. "I have the power to obtain anything I want...NOW'S THE TIME!"

The sky turns black and lightning strikes the ground creating fireballs of death. If 100,000 souls were required for the Oken then surely you could make about 10 by now.

"I know what you're thinking...I've killed enough people so why haven't I made the Oken...Truth is, I never really cared about some key. This was all an elaborate ruse to set up the perfect chance for me to obtain the one thing I truly and always have desired." She looks over and smiles at the distance. A huge tear appears in the sky. It is unstable but some familiar people appear on the other side.

"I'm glad you could join us...Masane and the brat...now if you could hand me the Witchblade we'll end this childish fight."

The stage has been set for the final showdown. How will it result? Will Maria obtain the Witchblade? Will Rihoko be saved from the fate of many others before her - including her mother? I'm confident this story will end soon but even I'm not sure what will happen next so you mustn't miss the next dramatic chapter!!!