Hitsugaya Toushirou
It wasn't very long before we reached the walls of the Seireitei.
I knew of a place in the Rukongai that would be out of the way of any people and the perfect place to hide Azumi for the time being. It was a cave that had plenty of space and the outside was covered by the mountain range.
If Imuza turned into a Hollow completely, then at the very least there wouldn't be others around to get hurt. I had explained to Matsumoto that Azumi had escaped on her own and randomly appeared in my room. I had no idea whether or not she killed anyone—or how she even got out for that matter—but for the time being we just had to execute the plan.
We were almost to the spot, and a chuckle surprised me and almost made me lose my balance.
I looked down to see Imuza grinning at me. She looked at Matsumoto and chortled.
"Oh so big tits is here? And here I thought I was enough for you, Toushirou! Well hey, I suppose I could feast on her as my main course and save you for dessert." Imuza said with a wink.
"What the—" Matsumoto stared at her intensely.
"Taichou?" She asked me with a disgruntled look on her face.
"Meet Imuza." I replied.
"Imuza?" She asked.
"This is Azumi's Hollow persona, code-named: Imuza." I explained.
"The words you were looking for were Azumi's true form," Imuza tried to correct.
"Azumi's just a freak side show; I'm the main event, babe. Don't you forget it!" She continued without missing a beat.
"No you aren't, Imuza. Azumi's the one who's been in control for 17 years; you're the side show." I replied coldly.
"Nope. She's gone now." Imuza chuckled.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Matsumoto looked at her harshly.
"I stabbed the shit out of her. It was great! She didn't even see it coming! She blacked out after coughing up her disgusting blood all over me. There's no way she's coming back from that. And if somehow she does manage to try and come back, I'll just drown her. I can just hear her screaming under the water now; it's like sweet, sweet music to my ears." She grinned.
We were still on the outskirts of civilization, and Matsumoto stopped me so she could slap Imuza in the face.
"You shut your mouth! You'll never take Azumi-chan's place!" She shouted at her.
"Hah! What the Hell was that? You're such a weakling! It felt like the breeze just hit me!" Imuza smirked.
"It's still Azumi-chan's body; of course I'm not going to hit you hard!" Matsumoto shot back.
"Are you deaf? She's not coming back; I already told you! Tough shit, sweet-tits, you're lookin' at the real deal here. It's my time now!"
Could Imuza really be telling the truth?
It's obvious that Azumi was caught off guard and Imuza utilized the opportunity to take over, however, the part about her not being able to come back was concerning. What the Hell were we supposed to do if she couldn't come back? What would I do?
"Speaking of which,"
Suddenly Imuza completely broke free of the Bakudo in an instant and pushed herself off me.
"I was gonna wait to see if there might've been a sexy threesome in my future; but this has taken far too long!" She grinned.
"See? What did I tell you, Toushirou? You're so naïve to think you could actually restrain me! Although if you would've played with me, then maybe I would've allowed it," she winked and blew a kiss at me, and it took all I had to keep a straight face.
"Tell you what—let me deal with tig 'ol bitties over here first, and then I'll play with you,"
She waved a hand at me, and without another second passing, attacked Matsumoto.
Luckily Matsumoto dodged.
Imuza went in for a second attack on her, but I didn't give her the chance. I parried her attack with my sheathed Hyourinmaru and shoved her off.
Imuza rose her hand up and formed a purple Cero at us.
I flash stepped behind her before she could launch it, and Matsumoto kicked her arm upward as she launched it.
As the light of the Cero lit the sky; I struck the back of her neck again; just hard enough to cause temporary vulnerability.
"Horin!" Matsumoto finished her attack, shooting the Bakudo at her.
The orange tendrils immediately wrapped around her and restricted her movement. Imuza fell over and immediately rolled over on her back.
"Didn't I just finish telling you?"
She opened her mouth, and in less than two seconds, her Hollow mask completely developed over her face.
"Since you both teased me without pleasing me; play time's over!" She growled.
She broke free of the Bakudo, rose to her feet, and tried for Matsumoto again. I promptly cut her off and waved Matsumoto to stay out of the way—she flash-stepped to a safer distance.
I wasn't planning on letting Matsumoto fight Imuza; I only called Matsumoto to help execute the escape, not to battle against her close friend. I'd have to just hold Imuza off for the time being; there was no other alternative.
I pushed her back, and she immediately came at me again. I had to take the offense, as much as I didn't want to.
I slashed at her and she dodged. She tried to come at me again, and I parried her attack. At my parry, she used her right claws to try and slash me. I flash-stepped and decided to try Hado.
"Hado 33: Sokatsui!"
The blue lightening erupted from my hand and crackled toward Imuza.
She laughed at it, and lifted her hand in front of it. The purple glow of her Cero completely engulfed my Sokatsui and blew a hole into the back of someone's house.
"A much needed improvement! Things that resemble cages piss me off!" Imuza commented, looking at the building.
"That stupid prison Azumi had me sitting in these past days was absolute torture!" She shook her head angrily and shivered.
"Never again!"
I needed to lure her out of the area; people were going to get hurt. I tried to think of a clever way to distract her enough to follow me.
"Quit daydreaming!"
Imuza flashed-stepped toward me with a tackle. She was definitely a lot faster than I suspected; she got the better of me and I flew back from the impact.
I caught myself, and just as soon as I stopped, Imuza was already above me.
"You keep holding back and you'll die!" She cackled.
She downward swiped at me, and I narrowly blocked it. She swirled around in another attack, and as I dodged, she stopped and faced me with her palm up.
She shot a Cero at me, and after I dodged it, she kept shooting it where I would land. She cackled throughout the entire time she shot them at me, along with trying to taunt me throughout.
Suddenly the Cero shooting stopped and she appeared in front of me. She side-kicked me, and I took the hit and flew back against a tree.
Before I could even get up, Imuza was already in front of me, purple Cero formed in her hand.
"And you're supposed to be a Taichou? This place is full of weaklings. You all don't deserve to live; I'll gladly take your lives one by one!" She smiled.
I flashed out of the spot I was in and, grabbed her outstretched wrist. I held her arm up above her, and she took the opportunity to swipe at me with her other arm. I countered it with Hyourinmaru, and she twisted free of my grip.
Suddenly, a light, metal sound clinked on the ground between the two of us.
I took a leap back in precaution, looking around to see who this new entity was. Imuza surprisingly did the same as we took a moment to assess what fell between us.
Without the moonlight it was hard to see anything, but immediately Imuza started laughing.
"Ohoho, man! This is too good!" She belly laughed.
"And who'd a thought that you of all people would help me? I like your style, you psychopath!" Imuza grinned.
Immediately Imuza leapt to where the object landed and grabbed it. She held it in her hand and blew the dirt off it before reaching up toward her ears.
It was…
She lifted her hand and slowly waved it over her face; her mask changrd into Yoru no Shedo's mask.
"Revert the soul to darkness!" she announced, laughing as the mask's transformation completed.
Everything around me changed to complete darkness; like someone flipped the light switch off.
I heard the clanking of metal hitting metal.
"Taichou!" Matsumoto called.
"On your guard, Matsumoto!" I shouted back at her.
I'd almost forgotten about Matsumoto; of course Imuza would use the opportunity to try to take her out. Luckily, Matsumoto wouldn't go down without a fight.
"Haineko!" Matsumoto called out.
I could sense Imuza's reiatsu closing in on Matsumoto.
I felt a gust of wind coming from Matsumoto's direction, and a sound similar to shifting sand.
If I had to guess; I'd say that Matsumoto formed a barrier around herself. With Haineko's ash shikai form constantly moving around her that way, wherever Imuza tried to attack Matsumoto would be able to detect it and have some defense.
Suddenly, there was a slight difference in the noise, as if there was a direct contact disturbing the flow of the ash. There was a loud crash against the ground.
"Haineko!" Matsumoto shouted again.
Within seconds, Matsumoto gasped loudly and hit the ground.
"Matsumoto!" I shouted at her and flashed toward her reiatsu.
I could hear metal clanking together again, and immediately after Matsumoto started screaming.
The darkness was gone suddenly, and once my vision was restored, I spotted them.
Imuza had Matsumoto on the ground with her face against Matsumoto's shoulder—she was sucking out her blood.
It couldn't be avoided any longer.
"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"
I released my shikai and immediately flashed toward Imuza; she countered my approach by using just one of her hands to shoot a Cero my way. I dodged and quickly ripped her off Matsumoto; throwing her so roughly that she created a small crater in the ground where she hit.
I picked up Matsumoto and flash-stepped with her away from Imuza.
"Taichou, I'm sorry I couldn't stop her," Matsumoto said with strain.
I found an alley and set her down on the ground gently. I quickly inspected her wound.
The bite was fairly deep, and bits of her flesh were missing. There was a large set of gashes along her torso from Imuza's tonfa as well. She was bleeding a lot, but luckily it didn't seem like that deep of a gash.
"No; I'm the one that's sorry I didn't stop her sooner. Stay here and I'll end this," I told her, turning around.
"Taichou!" She called.
I turned and looked at her.
"Don't kill her, please…Azumi-chan is still in there,"
"I know, Matsumoto…I know,"
I flash-stepped back toward Imuza.
She had her mask on rather than Yoru no Shedo's and was dusting herself off from the dirt on the ground.
I wasted no time.
I threw my chained blade at her in an attempt to—at the very least—confine her temporarily. She evaded it, and came after me.
I shot an ice dragon at her and caused some damage on her right shoulder. She attempted another slash at me, and I countered with one of my own. She completely started wailing on me; her tonfa pounding on Hyourinmaru over and over again.
I pushed her off me with an outward ice wave, and she jumped back. I released more ice dragons and—as much as it pained me—went in for a close-range attack.
-[×]-
Takashita Azumi
"Master, wake up!" Yoru no Shedo called.
I opened my eyes but couldn't move. The pain in my torso was so immense; I was surprised I was able to even regain consciousness.
Yoru no Shedo was standing by my head, looking over me with those giant orbs of hers.
"Master, Imuza has gained full control." She informed me.
I wasn't surprised to hear that; I let my guard down completely—what else was I to expect?
I blinked in response.
"Y-Yoru? You're here…" I half-smiled.
It was so unbelievably relieving to see her.
"Your wound is still open. Unfortunately there isn't anything I could do for you due to it's size. If it were smaller I could close it; this one is out of the range I can work with." She informed.
I took a deep breath and immediately regretted it. My wound ripped even more at the deep breath, causing such a pain to where I began to see spots of white. I grit my teeth and tried not to scream in fear it would only irritate it more.
"Master, please be careful," Yoru no Shedo asked.
I gave her such a sarcastic look that any mentally inferior creature would have fainted.
"I'm trying," I quietly breathed out.
"What has Imuza done?" I slowly asked.
"Since my last check, she's injured Matsumoto Rangiku and is currently fighting Hitsugaya Toushirou." She informed me.
"Shit." I cursed.
"How the Hell did she get out of our confinement?" I asked.
"I'm not sure; what do you plan to do, Master?" She asked.
I took a deep, painful breath, and flipped myself over onto my stomach.
"God damn it!" I screeched.
It hurt so badly to the point where I heard a high-pitched ringing, and my vision became blurred more than it already was.
"Yoru, I need you to fly back and forth and report to me what's happening on the outside. Go!" I ordered.
"Understood." She complied and took off.
I gave myself a few seconds to compose myself; I coughed up blood in the meantime, which completely intensified everything. Once I was done coughing, I began to slowly crawl through the dead leaves toward the river. Why the Hell couldn't I have just materialized by the damn river? Why the Hell does it always have to be in the middle of the damn forest?
I shook my head, and continued toward the river—there was no time to waste.
It wasn't long before I realized crawling just wasn't working. I started trying to get up; using a tree as my support.
Rangiku…how bad was she? I had to put a stop to this and quickly; Imuza's gone too damn far! And Toushirou…if anyone could keep Imuza at bay, I'd want it to be him, but it didn't change the fact that I felt guilty as Hell about the whole situation. Hopefully he could prevent her from causing any more harm for the time being.
I took slow, even steps; each ripping the wound open even more. I grimaced at the pain and kept going. I was going to reach that damn river if it killed me. There was no way I could just lay here and try to recuperate while the people I care the most about are being injured…by me.
This whole situation was complete bullshit.
I've been injured mentally and can't just fix myself. Isn't this my mind? Don't I make the rules?
Such bullshit.
-[×]-
Hitsugaya Toushirou
The more I fought with Imuza, the more powerful she became. With every connect, I noticed her Hierro slithering further along her body—it already completely covered her neck and shoulders. Her speed increased as well, and she was able to take advantage of me a few times by slipping by some of my attacks.
She stopped for a moment, and her tonfa suddenly disappeared. Faster than a blink of an eye, she kicked me from behind; as I flew forward, she flash-stepped in front of me and kicked me again. I was able to stop myself using my reiatsu, and she was already in front of me.
"You're not fighting with your full potential!" She swiped at me, and succeeded in dragging her claws across my chest.
She then pushed me and I hit the ground with force.
I couldn't do this.
If it were anyone else, it wouldn't be a problem for me to put them in their place. I couldn't fight at full force with her without killing her in the process, but if I didn't actually start fighting her with attacks that would inflict damage, then she could actually take me down. Imuza was strong, and I could tell that she could even square up to a Taichou's level if she was serious enough.
But Azumi's life hung in the balance of this battle; the more I fought back, the more I injured her. It stabbed at my heart just at the thought.
Imuza stood above me, and came down with a stab into my right shoulder with her claws. I inhaled sharply at the pain as she cackled insanely.
"I bet you're holding back because of that stupid Azumi, aren't you? This is why emotions are for the weak! They'll only end up getting you killed!"
She slammed her palm over my other shoulder and ripped out her hand she stabbed me with.
"Now, it's about time I finished up here, I'm starving! Let's hope your soul tastes as good as your blood!"
She grinned and roared, then proceeded to bite as hard as she could at my neck.
I shrieked at the pain and ripped her off me by her throat.
"You're not going to eat my soul; you're going to give Azumi back to me!" I snarled at her and kicked her off me.
I hopped to my feet and aimed my hand at her.
"Shakkaho!" I shouted, launching the red ball of reiatsu at her.
She dodged it, but took some damage on the movement. I kept firing multiple ones at her just as she had done to me with her Ceros from earlier.
I flash-stepped in front of her and swung Hyourinmaru at her; connecting with her shoulder. She smirked and pushed me back, and I went in again with multiple slash attacks.
She blocked all of them with her Hierro, and a few times it took chunks of it off. She started laughing at me—like she was some malicious child torturing a wounded animal.
She grabbed me and head-butted me; sending me flying back with the force of it. I skid across the ground like I was a stone being skipped across water, and finally stopped several feet away from her.
I shook my head, blood coming from my hairline and dripping down toward my face. I took a quick breath to help my vision come back to normal, and she was already back in front of me.
She side-swiped me with her claws, and sliced part of my side open with ease.
I winced and used the small moment after the blow to throw my chained blade at her again.
It wrapped around her, and I pulled her down to the ground.
"Oh Toushirou; why don't you just give up? You're not going to win—I promise you that. If you think that this is the extent of my power, then you're sadly mistaken!" She quickly rolled out of the chain, and was on her feet.
"Hyourinmaru!" I sent a roaring ice dragon at her, and it crashed right into her.
It bit down on her, and she shrieked in pain as it's teeth sank into her. Ice began to envelope her, and she roared in anger.
She broke out of it, and the ice dragon shattered onto the ground. She grit her teeth as her blood seeped down her left arm.
As she took an offensive stance, a shard of Hyourinmaru's ice began expanding on her arm—encasing her with ice.
"Well isn't this fancy?" She chuckled, looking at her arm.
I used the brief moment her guard was down and punched her in the stomach; sending her flying back toward the ground.
She coughed up blood, and smirked up at me as she wiped her mouth.
"All right, it's been fun playing with you, but now I'm really h-angry. It's time—"
She stopped mid-sentence and sharply inhaled.
"N-No way!" She grabbed her head and dug her claws against it as sheet snarled.
"You little bitch! Y-You weren't supposed to come back from that!" She roared, shaking her head violently.
Did she mean Azumi? Was Azumi finally taking back control?
"N-No! S-Stop it!" She roared again.
Hyourinmaru's ice completely covered her torso at this point; I didn't want to make it stop until I knew for sure it was Azumi.
Suddenly, her Hollow mask disappeared, and Azumi's brown orbs stared up at me as she panted.
"T-Toushirou!" She shouted, trying to move.
It was her…
…she was finally back.
A wave of relief and happiness overwhelmed me at that moment, and I immediately sheathed Hyourinmaru and stopped the ice from spreading.
"W-What happened to you? You're hurt! Did I do that? I-I'm so—"
"Azumi, you're back," I smiled, taking a step toward her.
I didn't care how injured I was or the fact that she did it to me; Azumi was back, and that's all that mattered to me.
"Toushirou!" Azumi suddenly screamed.
A blade tapped at my throat, and I froze.
Azumi struggled to stand up.
"Y-You!" Azumi snarled.
I heard a chuckle in my captor's throat, a female sounding one at that.
I slightly turned my head, slicing my throat in the process. The person I saw immediately caused sadness to well up in my throat.
"Hinamori," I breathed.
The laugh turned loud and maniacal, as she turned her head toward me.
"Hi there, Shirou-chan," she smirked.
"What the Hell are you doing, Hinamori? That's you're best god-damn friend! Let him go!" Azumi shouted at her.
I glanced over at Azumi and saw that her eyes were red once again—the situation no doubt evoking her Hollow tendency.
Hinamori stopped laughing and looked at Azumi instead.
"Hinamori? Don't call me that,"
The blade against my throat shook for a moment—as did Hinamori—and something began to move near Hinamori's stomach.
Azumi looked at it in disgust, and I could see that the upper torso of a female began to form out of Hinamori's body. I couldn't believe what my peripheral was seeing; another human body was growing out of Hinamori?
"My name is, Tokiwa Sute," the growth said as it finalized.
Azumi gasped as her head and facial features formed.
The female that emerged from Hinamori was now able to turn and look me in the eye. She had long, black hair, and had white Hierro covering part of her face—she was an Arrancar.
"I-It's you!" Azumi shouted.
"What have you done to Hinamori?"
Tokiwa chuckled and pushed her long hair back.
"I've just used her for my bidding is all; Aizen-Sama told me she would be the easiest person in the Soul Society to inhabit, and he was right. She's such a weak-minded person; she didn't even put up a good fight." She chuckled.
"Let her and Toushirou go right now, Tokiwa!" Azumi snarled at her, stepping forward.
"I wouldn't if I were you,"
Tokiwa stabbed my torso with her hand alone, and I immediately coughed up blood.
"Toushirou!" Azumi shrieked.
My vision became hazy; unconsciousness close at hand from the blow. Tokiwa's hand stayed within me as she continued.
"Take another step, and I'll rip his kidney out of him!" She threatened.
Azumi stood there, hands balled into fists and tears streaming down her face.
"What do you want, Tokiwa?" Azumi asked venomously.
"I thought you'd never ask!" She laughed.
"In all honesty, your slow, torturous demise leading up to your death—that's what I really want. I tried to do just that while I've been inhabiting this disgusting Shinigami's body, but unfortunately Aizen-Sama caught on and before the Shinigami got around to it. He's tired of waiting around for you; I have to take you back to Las Noches." She explained.
Azumi didn't move a muscle.
"It was all you; the evidence against me, all the threats…it was all you!" she growled in disgust.
Tokiwa laughed.
"Wow; I seriously need to literally say 'yes' before you can believe it? As if my presence isn't enough proof in itself? You stupid, bloodsucking maggot."
"How long have you possessed Hinamori? What the Hell was the point?" Azumi shouted.
"Pretty much since you've been here; I had to study you to know exactly what I was dealing with. Last time you took my freaking arm! I wasn't about to storm in blindly!" She laughed.
"Plus, we wouldn't want the Soul Society to think you're on their side and come after you; your confession along with your escape really did help us—Aizen-Sama no doubt sends his thanks," she smirked.
Azumi's head dropped.
"Listen up Bounto—I'm only gonna say this once. If you don't come with me, Hinamori, and your precious Toushirou will die here, by my hand. And on top of that…guess who else's lives are on the line?" Tokiwa chuckled.
When Azumi didn't say anything, Tokiwa continued.
"Remember that red curtain in the room? Guess who's house its from? Go on, guess!" she smirked.
Azumi looked up at her, eyes cold and lethal.
"Who's?" she replied.
Tokiwa laughed again.
"Your parents!" She grinned.
Azumi's eyes widened at the answer, and I could feel her reiatsu spiking.
"Azumi, don't listen to—"
"Did I say you could speak?"
Tokiwa cut me off by shoving her hand deeper into my abdomen—I coughed up blood in response.
"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Azumi screeched at her.
"Unless you agree to come with me quietly, I'll kill him right now. I've already got the upper-hand here," she laughed.
"Plus—at this very moment—I've wrapped myself around Hinamori's heart. One good squeeze and I'll make it explode." She threatened.
Azumi stared right into my eyes, pained and full of fear.
She was actually thinking about doing this.
I shook my head at her, hoping she would get the message that she at all costs couldn't go with her. Even if it meant Hinamori and I's death, she couldn't go through with it.
Azumi choked back a sob and tried so hard to stop her shaking.
"I'll go." She said, sucking in a breath.
"But you have to let both of them go right now!" She demanded.
"No!" I shouted.
"Done!" Tokiwa grinned.
Tokiwa completely ejected herself out of Hinamori; her lower half formed immediately, and she took a casual step out of Hinamori.
Hinamori blacked out and fell to the ground with her Zanpakuto, and Tokiwa ripped her hand out of me with no remorse.
Immediately after, she punched me square in the face, and I went flying back onto the ground.
The last thing I heard was Azumi calling my name before I blacked out.