Chapter 33 – Break The Limit
Kenpachi took a step through the garganta and into a large stone room, topped off with a large domed ceiling. Maya let go of his hand and ran over to the opposite end of the room, giggling.
"Yay, Maya found you and now we can fight!" she cheered. "Maya wants a rematch from the last two times! This time Maya is going to beat you for sure, Mr. Captain!" Kenpachi smirked in response.
"Alright then, mod soul," he laughed. "You're on! A sort of rubber match, you could say, right? Definitely!" Maya shook her head and giggled. "No, nothing like that!" she smiled back. "You haven't won a single one, so you can't call this a rubber match, Mr. Captain!"
Kenpachi smirked and then glared at her. "Fair enough," he growled. "Let me change that then, huh?" Maya nodded and gestured with her arms, her tanto falling from them into her hands.
"Maya's ready!" she yelled, raising her blades. Kenpachi laughed and rushed forward, slashing at Maya's abdomen, but she instantly disappeared. She reappeared just above him, smiling, and slashed down with both of her blades, cutting deep into his flesh, blood erupting from the dual wounds.
Maya jumped back into an aggressive stance whilst Kenpachi staggered and smirked slightly. "Not bad, mod soul, not bad at all," he complimented. "I see you haven't lost your touch at all! Well, that's good, as I want the best fight I've ever had! Can you give that to me?"
Maya smiled and nodded. "Whatever Mr. Captain wants, Maya will give, alright?" she replied, her eyes full of dark intent. She exhaled deeply, two more 'Mayas' appearing next to her. They too giggled and all three disappeared swiftly.
Kenpachi concentrated around him, searching for where she was appearing, but started to get impatient. 'Aw come on, stop hiding kid!' he thought. 'This isn't funny or interesting!'
As if to answer his remark, Maya appeared underneath him, delivering a stern kick to his jaw, sending him airborne. Another 'Maya' appeared to meet him in the air, placing her palm on his chest. "Dimensional Wall 4: Repulsion!" she yelled, a large blast of energy separating the two, sending Kenpachi back into the stone wall.
A large crater was created in the impact, and Kenpachi started to fall to the ground, but not before the third 'Maya' appeared in front of him and smiled. "Dimensional Blast 1: Eruption..." she whispered, sweetly. Her outstretched palm glowed with red energy and as large explosion of the red energy suddenly sparked, burning into Kenpachi's chest.
He roared in surprise as the energy died down, falling to the ground in a heap. Maya appeared, flanked by the other two 'Mayas' and all three giggled before her future selves disappeared. She stepped forward and crouched down to check if Kenpachi was still breathing, and was surprised as his fist suddenly clenched around his sword.
He quickly stood up and slashed, Maya being taken off-guard and receiving a large gash on her chest for her troubles. She fell backwards in surprise and yelled out in pain. She felt the wound that had appeared and flinched as it stung – she could feel it.
'No, no, no!' she thought, panicked. 'Maya can only hurt if Maya is cut really deep. How can he do that with such a blind attack?' Kenpachi chuckled slightly, catching her attention back.
"Heh, well it was a shot in the dark, I admit," he laughed. "I was aiming for your soul candy in that body of yours... I figured that if you're finishing it quick, I might as well too, but it seems I missed a bit, huh?"
Maya was shocked, but regained her composure, standing tall. Her wound started to heal rapidly, although it was still visible – the depth of the cut hindering her regeneration slightly.
"I think I might take this fight seriously now actually," he continued, "As that combo of yours really got me worried. I mean, what good am I in a fight if I'm dead, right?" Maya smirked back. "You're right, Mr. Captain," she giggled. "You'd be useless, so why doesn't Maya make sure that happens?"
She disappeared again, but Kenpachi sighed. "A hiding game again? Alright..." he moaned. He closed his eyes, and as Maya scratched her shoe on the stone slightly, he slashed immediately, taking her by surprise. His sword was now in a deadlock with both of Maya's tanto, which she held with all of her energy to stop his strike.
"You felt Maya's presence?" Maya asked, shocked. Kenpachi smirked. "Of course not, girl," he answered. "I was never good at that crap. Instead, I listened out for your movements and slashed where I heard you. Simple, right?"
Maya growled and backed off, raising her tanto again. 'Maya really needs to end this...' she thought. 'Maya has a limited amount of energy for Maya's powers, and if Mr. Captain says he's going to finish this quick and Maya wastes too much energy defending Maya, Maya'll be in trouble.'
Kenpachi grasped his hilt even tighter to block out the pain from the wounds and burns, smiling even wider at Maya, who glared back. She raised both of her palms and smiled, large balls of energy forming around them both in a large circle. Beams of energy erupted from them and connected one to the next, forming a large circular chain around them.
"Dimensional Blast 4: Chain Detonation!" she yelled, smirking. Kenpachi looked around at the new energy-made contraption and shrugged it off. "Nothing special," he mumbled. "I'm still going to win this..."
'If you only knew, Mr. Captain," she thought, menacingly. 'If you only knew...' She then started to giggle wildly as the energy spheres started to hum with power.
Ai scowled as Naomi introduced herself. "I am Naomi Ruhodesu, Lieutenant of Squad 5," she said, politely. She then gestured to Zeo. "This is Zeo Oseomartir, 3rd Seat of Squad 3."
Ai looked at Zeo and was unimpressed. "Oh yes, an arrancar from the previous generation, how disappointing," she sighed. "Why does life always lead me to annoying situations like this?"
Naomi glared slightly, irritated. "Come on, let's fight!" she yelled. "That's what you're here for right?" Ai looked at her, slightly surprised at her outburst, but sighed again.
"I guess..." she muttered, drawing her sword. "Oh yeah, the rest of you can come out too..."she called out, Renji, Shuhei, Rangiku and Rukia stepping out from behind the rocks, glaring at her.
"Alright, so get on with it!" Renji yelled, impatient. Ai sighed, growling slightly. "Stop rushing me, soul reaper scum!" she snapped back. Renji stood back slightly at the comment, Ai turning back to Naomi and Zeo.
"I want to face you two, if that's alright with everyone," she began. "Facing more than two people means more work, and that's just a waste of energy..." She raised her sword and sighed. "Alright then... Breathe, Renacimiento..." she said, her voice devoid of emotion.
She pointed her sword at her own chest – where her heart would be – and plunged it in deep, her sword then erupting in a blast of spiritual energy. Her form changed, her normal arrancar garb was shredded as a dress made of bone replaced it, jutting out from her skin. Blood red wings of bone jutted out from the back of her dress, making her seem demonic in a way.
She took her sword out of her chest and swiped it, removing her blood from the blade. However, the blade now seemed to be made out of blood. Her bone necklace had now lengthened and impaled itself into her back and chest, drawing blood. Her earrings were the same, but now regularly dripped blood.
"Do you see my resurrection?" she asked, bored. "This shows that life is meaningless... we all die in the end, so why bother do anything of worth? I imitated killing myself just to attain more power, and at what cost? There's not much that I actually want to do in this form, but I have orders..."
"Are you serious?" Naomi snapped. "Life is the most important thing in the world! My zanpakuto's name should say it all: Kozumikkikouken Seireitenshi. It is a guardian of life and everything that lives!"
Ai sighed again, her eyes still dull and lifeless. "Let's just get this over with alright?" she said, irritated. She slashed her sword down, blood splattering on the sand and being absorbed into it.
"My resurrection's power..." she said, flatly. "This blood can absorbed into any material, and then find a genetic signature. My powers can then bring life back to that genetic code, allowing that organism to fight for me... and it appears I have found someone who was killed recently..."
A large clawed hand rose up from the sand, grasping at the air. "I'm sure you remember Yuki, right?" Ai asked, gesturing at the now-emerging arrancar. He looked like he did when alive, except now he had blank eyes and a snarl over his face. His hair was now dyed, or rather stained, blood red, giving him a demonic appearance.
"Do it for me, Yuki," Ai ordered. "You always did follow orders like a good little lab rat..." Yuki growled and lunged forward, Naomi blocking with ease with her blade. "Come on, that the best you've got?" she asked him, but no reply came out.
Ai sighed. "I did say I can bring them back to life..." she began. "But I didn't say I could return their souls... he's just an empty cadaver." She gestured, and Yuki smirked, clapping his hands together. A large charge of energy blasted from the clap, sending Naomi flying back.
This made Renji angry. "What kind of sick power is this?" he yelled. "Can't you let him rest? He may have been an arrancar but even they deserve peace in death!" Ai scoffed at his comment.
"No, you don't understand see..." she started. "Life is all about dying. That's what it all leads up to. So what's the point in living if you're just going to die, and what's the point in dying if I just bring them back to work for me?"
Renji growled. "Bankai, Hihio Zabimaru!" he yelled, his sword lengthening out into the giant bone snake, which roared behind him. It lunged forward at Yuki, who smirked as it did. Shuhei's eyes widened.
"Renji, don't you remember what happened last time?" he yelled, Renji realising what he meant a second too late. Yuki raised his palm, blocking Hihio Zabimaru's charge. Suddenly, the snake disappeared after shaking for a second, and Renji looked on bewildered.
"Not again, damn!" he cursed. Ai nodded and Yuki used sonido to appear behind Renji, slashing at him with his claws, driving him to his knees. Shuhei then came in with a swift roundhouse kick, but was caught easily by Yuki's large claws. Yuki then raised his claw, Shuhei with it, and tossed him away like a ragdoll.
Naomi had now stood back up again, with Zeo's help, and growled as she saw Ai ignoring the fighting that was occurring. She smirked. "Well, if they fight for you, you're going to be in a bad physical state, right?" she mused.
She flash-stepped swiftly to Ai's side and stabbed forward, but Ai retaliated, blocking with her blade. "You appear to jump to conclusions too much, soul reapers..." Ai muttered. "Just because I didn't say I fought myself, doesn't mean it's not true..."
Naomi growled. "Lying bitch..." she muttered darkly. Ai cracked a slight smile. "I didn't lie, idiot," she answered. "I just didn't tell you the whole truth." Suddenly Zeo appeared behind her and slashed down with his sword, forcing Ai to break her deadlock and flip back to a safe distance.
"Huh..." she started. "If I'm going to be outnumbered, then I'll need to do something drastic..." She gestured to Yuki, who nodded and walked up to her. They each outstretched a hand and started to then walk into each other, their bodies melding with each other's.
After a light had come and gone, a new form stood before them. This was Yuki, except he now had black eyes. His hair was longer and black, and blood red wings of bone jutted out of his back. He also held Ai's sword, which still dripped blood.
"I have fused with my warrior, surprised?" came Ai's voice, distorted as it came out of Yuki's mouth. "And please, do not bother referring to me as a pronoun in this form, as even I don't know. Although, now my power has nearly doubled, so I think I can end all of your miserable lives before you find out how useless you really are..."
Maya vanished, appearing swiftly at Kenpachi's side with both tanto ready to strike. Kenpachi quickly counterattacked, raising his sword to block both blades before twisting it around to parry, knocking Maya off-balance. As she staggered in midair, Kenpachi stabbed forward, skewering Maya's abdomen and sending her into the stone wall, missing the energy chain by an inch, falling to the floor in pain.
She gritted her teeth and stood up, flinching. She then vanished yet again, before four of her appeared on either side of Kenpachi, tanto ready. They all stabbed at once, Kenpachi only having enough time to block the attacks of two of them, both disappearing as the other two dug their blades deep into his flesh.
Then Maya appeared before him and smiled, placing her forefingers on his forehead. As she was ready to speak, Kenpachi swung wildly, forcing her away. "I remember what that move does, kid," he spoke. "There's no way I'm letting you do it again!"
Maya giggled. "Looks like you're smarter than you look, Mr. Captain," she smiled. "Maya is beginning to like you. Too bad it's too late." She disappeared yet again, reappearing above Kenpachi, blades in hand.
"Vacuum Blade!" she yelled, crossing her tanto in an X-formation and slicing down, an X-shaped beam of energy being created. It flew down at speed to meet Kenpachi, who raised his sword to block, but the wave of energy still rippled past it, shredding into his skin and clothing.
"Now you've done it..." Kenpachi said, slightly humoured. Maya was shocked. "What?" she asked. "What did Maya do?" she pouted, now facing Kenpachi's back. Kenpachi turned around quickly, showing that his eye-patch was now missing.
"You just made my eye-patch's strap break!" he yelled, amused. "Now there's no way I can hold back, even if I wanted to!" He quickly moved, blurring out of sight. As he slashed, Maya felt a wave of pain pass through her body before she flew headfirst to the ground in a heap.
"See?" Kenpachi roared. "What did I tell you? I can't hold back now, I have nothing to stop me from killing you!" Maya panted as she stood up, her wounds healing much slower than usual.
'No!' she yelled in her head. 'No more energy for healing! Need energy for attacking! Mr. Captain is getting really strong now, Maya needs to relocate all energy for Dimensional Blasts and Dimension Eruptions!'
She exhaled deeply, three 'Mayas' appearing next to her. "Alright, this one is for you Mat..." she whispered, all four vanishing. Kenpachi smirked as he waited, lowering his sword to his side. As Maya came to attack him from each side, Kenpachi smiled and took a stance.
He fuelled all of his spiritual energy into one blast, and it erupted around him like a hurricane. All four Mayas were taken in by the blast and shredded by its ferociousness, all falling back to the edge of the allotted area.
Three disappeared on contact with the ground, whilst Maya was merely overwhelmed as hundreds of cuts erupted on her flesh, as a link to her other selves who had also been cut. She screamed in pain and keeled over, writhing in agony. "Maya hurts!" she screamed. "How can Maya hurt? Maya is a mod soul! Mat, come and help Maya! Please!" she begged, Kenpachi walking up to her fallen form.
"What a sad sight..." he muttered, "An opponent begging for their lives. Although I guess she is just a kid. It still angers me that I have to do this though..." He raised his sword and attempted to finish it, but Maya's eyes suddenly opened and her palm rose up and pointed at the ceiling.
"Dimension Eruption!" she yelled, a large ball of unstable energy growing above them both. It pulsated at irregular times, sending out waves of energy whenever it did. Kenpachi looked up, a slight look of intrigue on his face.
"I've seen this before..." he muttered. "This was used when Ikkaku and Yumichika lost to you, and back when Mayuri had you almost beat. I still don't like the look of it." Maya smiled.
"Well, you shouldn't Mr. Captain," she said sweetly. "It will kill you, Maya, and everyone else in a 2 mile radius, at least. And that's not all..." she smirked. Suddenly, she had vanished from under Kenpachi's blade and was now nowhere to be seen.
A voice could be heard echoing throughout the room. "Vacuum Twister!" she yelled, stabs of blade into flesh being heard rapidly one after another as Maya cut into Kenpachi. As he stood there, completely taken by surprise, he was slowly being lifted closer and closer to the sphere of energy at the top of the room.
Before Maya could land the last blow, however, she stopped. Kenpachi, unable to keep himself airborne, fell to the ground with a loud thud, blood seeping from the hundreds of wounds just made.
Maya stayed airborne, energy crackling down her limbs and across her body. "Mat!" she yelled, in complete fear. "Maya's used too much energy! Maya needs help! Mat, come and save Maya please!" Maya started to cry uncontrollably. "Maya doesn't want to die! All Maya wanted was a family, but Soul Society threw Maya out for being a mod soul! Maya knows that Mat isn't the best role model... but Mat was the closest thing Maya had to family..."
Kenpachi gazed up at the immobilised Maya in the air, unable to move himself. 'She only wanted a family?' he asked himself. 'Such a miserable story... I'm a sucker for those stories... especially when told by little girls...'
Maya started to glow wildly, the sphere above her and the spheres around them both glowing in time with her. As the glowing got more regular, the pulses of energy got stronger. In a desperate attempt, Maya pleaded with Kenpachi. "Mr. Captain, please don't let Maya die, alright?" she begged. "Just let Maya live! Maya won't even be evil anymore! Maya just doesn't want to die!"
It was too late. Maya took her last breath before the sphere above her erupted in a blast of energy, this setting off the spheres surrounding them both, detonating in a chain reaction. The room started to cave in and both Maya and Kenpachi were buried under the rocks that fell.
Ai, in Yuki's body, blocked another attack from Naomi's blade as the two continued to face off. Zeo rushed in with an attack of his own, but Ai grabbed his blade and an aura surrounded it. It suddenly vanished, before a roar could be heard from behind them.
"Ah, it seems his bankai is back," Ai said, her voice becoming even more distorted the longer she spent in Yuki's body, "Which means I'm yet again at a disadvantage..." She then flipped backwards and onto the largest rock to get some distance between her and the lieutenants.
"But have I said this?" she started. "I am limited to bringing back those who are weaker or are equal in strength to me..." Naomi growled. "Yeah, you seem to like keeping important information to yourself."
Ai ignored this and continued. "Well, when I fuse with one I control, my power increases, correct?" Naomi nodded, and Zeo looked puzzled at her. Ai sighed. "Come on, can you not get it?" she asked. "I can now bring back someone who was stronger than me, but now I am stronger than them..."
"Wait..." Shuhei started. "I felt a spiritual pressure before we arrived. It was like Captain Kurotsuchi was fighting it, and won. The thing is, it was a lot stronger than this girl's, so I wrote it off, but if she's become stronger..." he trailed off.
Rukia finished the sentence for him. "She can revive them, or just about anyone if she continues to fuse with stronger corpses! She's unbeatable!" Ai sighed and gestured to the ground, swiping her sword at it. The blood splattered on it and was absorbed into it, before a hand suddenly burst out of the desert again.
Another hand emerged, followed by another. Another three hands emerged after them, all pulling the entire torso out of the sand. It was Kiseki Kiryu, his once black eyes now lifeless and his hair now blood red. He reached down into the sands and pulled out six large cleavers, one for each of his arms.
"This," Ai started, "is Kiseki Kiryu, Cuarto Cabellero of Kenji's army, and your doom..." Kiseki smirked and took a stance with his blades, sand floating up from the desert and being absorbed into his body.
And yet another battle comes to an end. On the other hand, Ai's rebirthing power seems almost infinite, so how will anyone be able to stop her? Kenji's team now consists of only himself and Ai, and victory seems so close for Soul Society, but what tricks does Kenji have up his sleeve?
Next chapter: Ai attempts to defeat all of the lieutenants herself, with help from her zombie slaves, and with Kiseki on her side now, it may be possible for her to slay everyone in Hueco Mundo. She stands as the last line of defense before Kenji, and this all occurs in the next chapter, 'Reanimation'.