Chapter 35: Fighting the Death I

It was all covered up so neatly that no one ever really knew the truth of what had happened . . . aside from the captains, of course, who were privy to most of the finer details of each and every event, as they usually were.

And although the real origin of his hatred stemmed from the circumstances surrounding his 'death' as a shinigami, everything had been ever so slowly building up from the moment he was born, really . . . or maybe it was the first time he'd died. Hard to tell . . . but the facts of the present still stood. Looking right back to the very beginning . . .

One day he'd been in the Human World alive, living as the living should, and then, without prior notice, he'd been dead, and not properly dead. Wandering around as a plus soul had filled the next few years of his existence, and then some dark-clad shinigami had popped up out of nowhere and, just like that, as abruptly as everything else, he was off on his way to the Soul Society, with no explanation of what was going on. And then he'd done some more wandering, still lost and confused, until someone had directed him to the Shino Academy.

Eventually, after much hard work and determined studying, driven always by something he couldn't quite remember, he joined the Gotei 13 and was placed in a Division which, at that time, had been requiring more members.

The Fifth Division which was, on the surface, a model for all the other Divisions. Led by Hirako Shinji, and with the quiet and cultured Aizen Sosuke as its Lieutenant.

Then, just as his life was getting back on track, just as things were slowing down and taking on a semblance of normality . . . and just as he'd gained a feeling of proudness in what he was learning to do – that being the ability to protect people – someone turned against the Soul Society and caused the Hollowfication of eight shinigami captains and Lieutenants.

There wouldn't have been any real issue if one of the captains which had been Hollowfied wasn't Shinji. Or even if he was, it wouldn't have affected him, Nanashi, if he hadn't been a trusted subordinate of a certain Lieutenant. Because he'd realised the truth – just as Urahara Kisuke and Tsukabishi Tessai found out the truth – and that had put Aizen in danger of being discovered.

So when the investigation had come to a halt, that certain treacherous someone had mentioned that they'd seen him doing 'suspicious' things around the Twelfth Division's grounds.

And, just like that, he became a suspect in the whole case, and they'd arrested him on suspicion of treason, as they thought he'd plot to conduct more experiments which would endanger everyone.

So, in another jerky and abrupt movement, he'd found himself branded as a traitor, accused of betraying the Soul Society with no one listening to his words and no way of proving his innocence.

In front of all the shinigami captains, he had spoken and tried to make them understand that it was all a big, dangerous misunderstanding. But they'd just passed the matter on to Central 46. And so, before Central 46 he had pleaded innocent, and given all the evidence they should have needed to acquit him of the charges pressed against him. But they had declared that he should be given the choice between eternal confinement in the underground prison, or immediate execution, by method of which they kept to themselves.

In his bitterness at realising Aizen's true nature too late, and hopeless anger at what was happening to him, what was happening to Urahara and Tessai, at what must have happened to others before him, and what would probably happen again in the future, he had blamed them for every unfortunate thing that had ever happened in his cursed life in death.

He decided that this system, Central 46, was the opposite of just. That being sealed down in their darkened chambers had caused each and every member to lose their true reason. That whenever someone was sent to stand before them, they were blind to justice and only wanted to see blood, to see an execution.

With the pressure of false accusation and hopelessness, he'd fallen into despair. Since no one would listen when he said it wasn't true, and nothing could possibly save him . . . he snapped and tried to kill the Head Captain, his rage overriding his desire to be acquitted from charges.

And, in that action, he had stopped being completely innocent, and had become a man who had truly betrayed the Soul Society by breaking one of its fundamental laws.

However, Yamamoto had killed him, efficient and brutal as he believed he had to be, and so everyone believed he, Shuuhaya Nanashi, had died and was no longer a threat.

He could only remember a little from the time directly following his disappearance from the Soul Society, but every slight recollection was filled with a chilling loneliness, pain, and dark despair. And all of those emotions were overridden by festering rage and smouldering hatred, corrupting him to the very depths of his soul.

It was some time during the Winter War when, as if on the whim of some unseen force, he had suddenly opened his eyes and found himself in a place much like what he imagined Hueco Mundo would be like. Barren, colourless, loveless . . .

But it wasn't Hueco Mundo. It was, in fact, a facet of inhabitable empty dimension. And he, empowered by that overwhelming hatred and rage, had been revived right there in that pocket of almost-life. Driven by all of his vicious emotions, and the unstoppable desire for revenge, and with the scar on his arm a constant reminder of all the injustices which had happened to him, he had stood, even as his weakened body protested, and declared his will to live.

So then he spent what seemed like years building up his strength, bringing his emaciated body back into its former strong condition. He'd learned how to use the lightning, and eventually, after he was almost completely satisfied with his training, he had begun venturing away from the small dimension and into the empty dimension. The first time the dark, empty vastness had almost swallowed him whole, and it was only his resolve to live and keep fighting which had kept his life from ending right then.

However, once he had learned the way to move through the dimension, he had travelled to Hueco Mundo, confident both in his ability to reach it, and also to survive once in the land of the Hollows. It was perfect timing too, because all of the more powerful Hollows were off fighting the shinigami, having either foolishly trusted Aizen, or been manipulated by him.

And while Nanashi had wanted to go and confront Aizen himself, to wipe that smug smile off of the man's lips, while he had wanted to go and end the life of the man who had sealed his fate in the Soul Society, however many years ago that was, he hadn't.

Instead, he had traversed the deserts until he had met Mika and Miku. Or, more accurately, he had unknowingly walked into their territory and they had tried to kill him. 'Tried' being the key word. Still, when he'd defeated them, and not after breaking a light sweat – as a pair they really were formidable – he hadn't killed them, although admittedly he had been ready to.

He'd told them about his goals to kill the Head Captain of Soul Society, and his personal hatred of Aizen. They had, as if glad to have something to plan for, vowed to serve him.

After that, they'd all gone to where Raku had hidden himself away, the Realm of Truth, and asked him to aid them, believing him to harbour a strong hatred of Soul Society also. He had said their ideas and aims were fascinating, but he wasn't able to venture back into Soul Society, especially as an enemy, because there was someone who might be there who he had abandoned, after thinking she was lost forever. Consequently, he wasn't able to help them.

Although never having previously considered such a thing, Nanashi then decided to go through the Rukongai and the Seireitei to locate certain powerful individuals who could become great allies to him. And one young woman who would undoubtedly solve a couple of issues regarding the depressed Master of the Realm.

So Mika and Miku went around Soul Society forming alliances with unsatisfied shinigami – Midori and Chidori, and one woman which they'd searched for purposefully, who had often considered defecting, although she'd decided it was a suicide mission every time. Yumeka had been suffering from depression when they first met her, and when she'd caught sight of Mika and Miku, she had drawn her zanpakutō against them, even though she had no idea how to fight, because she believed that, as Hollows, they would kills her without hesitation or mercy.

Those four had been quick to agree to travel to the Realm of Truth.

Yumi, who had been told of who waited there, lost in his own guilt, had cried with relief and happiness. Her gloomy demeanour had vanished, only to be replaced by an insatiably cheerful and bubbly one, and they'd all easily realised how much she cared.

Once they were all in the Realm again, and Raku and Yumi had been reunited, they had one more person to convince to join them. But before that . . . well, Raku and Yumi's first meeting in many years wasn't actually that peaceful or instantly joyous. That being because Raku had thought it was some kind of brutally cruel joke and had actually tried to choke Yumi with shadows which Mika reckoned had appeared because of the dark cloud of depression hanging around the crimson haired man. Yumi had gotten really angry, surprising everyone, including Raku, and she'd hit him on the shoulder and yelled at him for a good five minutes until he'd finally allowed himself to believe she was really still alive. Then, maybe to shut her up or maybe because he was just so glad to see her, he'd kissed her and, unsurprisingly, she'd melted straight away and kissed him right back.

Then, while Yumeka – having come out of her apathetic state slightly – had tutted and turned the heads of all present who resembled teenagers, and while said four protested, Nanashi had explained that the next part of the plan was to recruit Hana, a fiery Arrancar who the white haired twins had met a couple of times.

They'd said she was mighty powerful but with a slightly . . . thorny personality.

When they'd returned with her, having won her interest by advertising all of the shinigami that they'd get to beat up or kill, everyone had been mildly surprised to see that she had the brightest orange hair.

Of course, Raku had immediately made up some joke about it, and when she'd retorted – a perfect example of that 'thorny' part of her personality, or more accurately, the major part of her personality – he'd completed the double pun and had her fuming rather literally.

She never said outright that she'd join, but she didn't demand to go back to Hueco Mundo either. What she did immediately request was two bottles of hair dye. One black, and one red.

Once she'd dyed her hair and made sure it was very permanent, they'd all loudly stated that she looked much better that way anyway. Orange just hadn't suited her properly.

And it was too bright compared to her personality which was, to be brief, unusual.

Much like the temperaments of all those that had suddenly become his allies.

That was, really, all of his past that was important. Summarising everything down into some compact thoughts, he knew he hated Soul Society, he knew he wanted revenge, he knew he could be putting his friends' lives at risk, but he wasn't ever going to go down without a fight.

If he ignored the aggravating sensation tickling his head from inside out, everything was going much to plan.

So far, that was.

But in every chain, even those which are strong, there's always some thinner links.

Links that might only have the tiniest of faults.

Those are the ones that break first.

And then what's left?

Midori laughed cheerfully as she hacked out at Hisagi again. The Lieutenant was having trouble keeping up with her because she kept flitting around him, much like the butterfly which was forever marked on her back.

Her bright laughter was more than slightly out of place in the circumstances, but she couldn't bring herself to feel guilty, even as her blue eyes lit up at the blood welling up in the cuts she managed to land on Hisagi. She had waited forever for this fight, so she was going to savour every last moment of it.

Still, it wasn't like she was uninjured either. The shinigami still hadn't released his zanpakutō, but even so he was still so talented with his unreleased katana that she was thinking nonstop. Since she was given no room to slack, she was more precise, but it irritated her not to be able to fight at her own pace and take time to think things through more.

That's what had always annoyed her about Soul Society. There were too many rules and, when no one was getting drunk or just dozing, they were all being rigid and by-the-book.

Well, that was a very broad stereotype, and the number of people who put absolutely no effort into their work equaled the number who did, and then there was the group who either just stood around, got drunk, or somehow disappeared off of the radar for a while.

Glancing over at her sister, Midori was pleased to see the look of grim concentration on the blonde Lieutenant's face. It was always a boost to her own confidence when Chidori did well. They had always been together, always aided each other . . . much like Mika and Miku really.

'I didn't want to have to do this,' knowing that Komamura, who wasn't his captain but was his friend, was working to fortify the rest of the Seireitei and the Rukongai too, Hisagi wanted to end his fight quickly so that he could go and aid the captain. Consequently, although he had avoided it as best he could, he had decided he had to release his zanpakutō.

The green haired girl might look slight, and her personality was enthusiastic and unconcerned by much at all, but she was most certainly a decent fighter. He could feel the wounds on his body stinging slightly, and he could also see the bend in Kazeshini where she'd used her own zanpakutō's power to twist the blade. He hoped releasing his Shikai would mean that, when he sealed it again, the katana would be back to its usual shape.

'Didn't want to have to do what?' although she had a pretty good idea, Midori still asked, her expression innocent and curious, the perfect mask really, 'I hope it's not rude . . . or naughty,'

And although that last statement kind of ruined the 'innocent' thing, Midori had to try hard not to burst into hysterics as the tattooed Lieutenant blushed bright red and looked at her strangely. He was probably very, very worried about being labeled a pervert, or something.

Cause despite his appearance, he didn't seem to be a complete tough guy.

Before he could be teased any more, Hisagi spoke his Shikai release, slightly slower than what would have been normal, but he was still uncomfortably with his zanpakutō's appearance, 'Reap . . . Kazeshini,'

Midori's eyes widened as she first saw her opponent's Shikai. It was mighty dangerous looking and, in turn, made the shinigami holding onto it look scarier. Metalicania, however, didn't seem bothered by the sudden change in shape, because the spirit seemed certain they could still win the fight.

Her ability was to bent metal, his, now, looked to be something along the lines of long-range slashing and cutting. How lovely.

Not bothered at all by the overcast weather, and guessing it had to do with someone's power, Midori leapt forwards again, grin still in place, dodging one of Hisagi's blades as it flew past her head. She didn't think it would get any easier, fighting this guy, just because he was now in Shikai.

Logically speaking, it would probably get harder, and he was a Lieutenant after all.

But still, if it would give her an exciting time, all the way until one of them died, it wouldn't be so bad, she thought.

Chidori stared openly at the odd shape of Hisagi's zanpakutō. Looking back at her own opponent, she considered the likeliness of both her and her sister having found two Lieutenants with unusually shaped Shikai. To be reasonable, it seemed as if quite a few of the present shinigami had surprising Shikai, appearance wise, or ability wise.

But that was going off on a tangent, as Izuru reminded her by trying to cut her head off with that almost-hooked zanpakutō, Wabisuke.

It wasn't so hard for her to figure out what his abilities were, that being to double the weight of her zanpakutō whenever their blades met. But then again, it wasn't so hard to counter, either by dodging, or an abstract and elaborate but efficient variation of hakuda.

Gravitia's ability to manipulate gravity also came in handy, because it made it difficult for Kira to move, as well as making it seem she wasn't affected by Wabisuke's strikes.

Lightening gravity was a whole different story to making it denser. She could feel her reiatsu struggling to stay contained in her grasp, but she could sense that if she wasn't done soon, it would flare outwards and she'd lose all control over how much power she was releasing.

'Are you scared?' Izuru's voice was far more self-assured than ever it would usually be, and he questioned his opponent without really thinking first. He'd heard Hisagi ask Midori a while ago, and since he knew the other Lieutenant's general philosophy regarding fear, he thought he may as well ask Chidori the same question.

Sometimes, he knew that Hisagi listened to the answer, but still acted the way he believed was best. So even if someone said they weren't scared and therefore were apparently over-confident Shuuhei generally didn't just assume from that one statement.

As was the case today, because Midori had scoffed and begun a great speech on the usefulness of fearlessness, and the weakness that fear brought.

Chidori considered the question closely, and then she lowered her katana, 'Of what, exactly?'

For a moment Izuru thought she was going to reply much like her twin, but then she continued, tone surprisingly grave, 'Of dying? Hardly,' her sky blue eyes were darkened by an indistinguishable emotion, 'Of dying before Midori? Yes, because then she'd be left without me. Of her dying before me? Yes, because I couldn't live without her,' she tilted her head slightly, 'Of losing this battle? Yes, because it is everything that we have worked towards for so, so many years. Of winning? Yes, because facing the consequences of emerging victorious in such a fight will not be easy,'

Her eyes were shadowed by her fringe, and her tone dropped into an even deeper seriousness, 'But, Lieutenant Kira Izuru, do you know what scares me the most?' when he remained silent, she looked up, one eye partly visible from behind her sea green hair, her whole being seeming to emanate a chilling intensity, so different from her previous bubbliness, 'Hmph . . . well then I'll tell you,'

There was a hint of rebelliousness in her tone, but it was hollow and meaningless, 'I am terrified that if I, or any of my friends, die here on Sogyoku Hill, you,' she pointed with her katana at him, the blade perfectly straight and unwavering, 'Or any of the shinigami in Soul Society, will sit around a table with your sake and drink to celebrate our deaths,'

Her dangerous but quiet emphasis sent a shiver up Izuru's spine. He knew that it was near impossible to gauge how old a soul was, but it was still shocking to hear something so dark and somber coming from the mouth of a girl who looked to be about fourteen or so. Her cheerful personality seemed to have vanished, her bright appearance was suddenly morbid.

'Do you not find that sickening, Lieutenant Kira Izuru?' her blue eyes locked with his and the willfulness portrayed there was faultless and honest, 'I-,'

'Chidori!'

There was a moment of awkward silence, in which the teenager found herself unable to finish her sentence, and Izuru found himself unable to think of anything to say, when Midori appeared beside her sister and glomped her very efficiently.

'You are so cute!'

Hisagi, who had moved to stand beside a blank-faced Kira, raised an eyebrow at his friend, 'Did you find any part of that speech . . . cute?' he was actually curious.

Izuru managed to turn his head, fingers twitching around Wabisuke's hilt, and eyed the tattooed face of the other Lieutenant, 'Not exactly, no,'

'Me neither,'

As the pair returned their attention to Midori and Chidori, the former of the two having apparently calmed down enough to stop clinging to her twin, Hisagi suddenly – or finally – noticed that the weather had gotten rather cloudy.

Izuru, in a stroke of sudden genius, then noticed that it was raining. And not lightly either, because he was drenched.

'Ah . . . the weather's quite wet,' Hisagi, Kazeshini's blades arcing gently through the air as his hands shifted on the chains, motioned to the sky by tilting his head upwards.

The silence continued, with the two Lieutenants watching the former shinigami chattering on enthusiastically, and then Midori finally looked back over to where they were waiting.

'Don't worry,' she winked, 'We didn't forget about you,'

'On the contrary,' Chidori seamlessly continued, mirroring her twin's movement and placing a hand on her shoulder, 'We just thought of another battle plan,'

'I can't say I'm glad to hear it,' Izuru didn't sigh, which was surprising, and his expression became a bit more focused, like it had been when fighting that Fracción during the Winter War.

'Let's finish this up,' peering through the rain, which seemed to be getting steadily denser, Hisagi fixed a glare on Midori, who smirked at him confidently.

'Whatever you say,' raising her blade, she shouted out loudly, 'Chidori! Let's go!'

Renji was having trouble putting things in perspective, although he had become a lot more serious since Soifon had joined in the fight. Still, thinking logically, the rain should have stopped that woman from using her abilities.

Water did generally extinguish fire, right?

But no, of course something as convenient as that couldn't have happened. Instead, the air around them was devoid of all falling water droplets. He could see where the raindrops vanished into faint steam, somewhere above his head.

It was like they were in a big, waterproof bubble, filled with heat that kept the water away.

'Hikotsu Taihō!' seeing as Soifon had retreated, glancing at a smoldering sleeve dismissively, the Lieutenant took the opportunity to send Zabimaru shooting through the air towards Hana, the massive jaws of the snake head opening to release the scarlet energy.

Hana looked up, and since she was no longer playing with Renji and his adorable Bankai – she was suppressing all obsession regarding cute things – she smirked sadistically and raised a hand casually, the flames around her dying down to simmer at her feet. She was still preventing her wings from forming, only because it was more fun needing to use sonidō to dodge rather than simply flying, although that would have been fun too . . .

'Cero,'

Renji's eyes widened when the fiery coloured blast of energy shot from the former Arrancar's palm and collided directly with Hikotsu Taihō, forcing the canon's energy back towards him. Frowning ferociously, the red headed Lieutenant shifted his grip on Zabimaru's hilt, making the snake-like body writhe forwards, pressing against the cero.

Soifon, on the other side of Hana, narrowed her sharp eyes and raised her arm, light caused from the colliding energy blasts glinting off the gold and black gauntlet of her Shikai. As the pair battled onwards, each trying to apply more pressure to their respective attacks, the captain took the opportunity to better analyse their opponent.

Hana's fighting style was varied and the former Arrancar didn't seem to have a set group of attacks. However, her techniques, while unusual, were each reminiscent of each other, and that was where a weakness could potentially be found.

From the looks of it, Hana could fire her cero for an astonishing amount of time, while still maintaining a high level of force. She was quick, flexible, and seemingly fearless, and some part of her attitude reminded Soifon uncomfortably of Yoruichi-sama.

Fist clenching, the captain readied herself to move forwards again. If she could get even one hit with Suzumebachi, then things would get a lot easier. Even if it was simply to prove she could wound her.

Hana sensed a shift in the reiatsu behind her and her smirk grew. Movement directly beside her head caused her to whip around, the cero from her palm vanishing before she slammed a fist into Soifon's stomach, causing a sharp exhalation from the captain, who was mildly shocked at being taken unawares like that.

Renji raced forwards, swinging Hihiō Zabimaru and aiming for the Arrancar woman, who was currently engaged in a hakuda dominant fight with Soifon. His mind was only half focused though, and, even as she dodged another one of the captain's strikes, Hana pivoted and kicked the Lieutenant away.

As he landed, winded but otherwise unharmed, Renji cast a quick glance to where Rukia and the other woman, Yumi, were fighting. They were surprisingly evenly matched, and it looked like it would be one of those fights when the person who could hold out the longest would win. Ice and water, made hazy by the rainfall, seemed to appear and disappear around them in the span of a few breaths.

The Lieutenant had no doubt his captain was keeping one eye on the progress of Rukia, but he still felt mildly anxious about his old friend. Sure she was pretty violent sometimes, but they were friends, and besides . . . he was certain Ichigo would kill him very, very slowly if Rukia was killed. Or maybe even badly wounded, for that matter.

Deciding not to go to Karakura Town for a while, even if nothing did happen to the violet eyed Kuchiki, Renji got ready to continue his fight.

Turning back, he was just in time to see Soifon drive Suzumebachi's sharpened blade into Hana's chest. As the short captain moved back with some impressive shunpo, a Hōmonka appeared on the former Arrancar's front.

Contrary to being scared – even though Soifon had explained the dynamics of the attack as she completed the first strike – Hana simply frowned, 'You rude, undersized idiot,'

Renji saw Soifon's eye twitch visibly at the insult, but the captain restrained herself from saying anything, or making any other such rash decisions.

'This. Was. My,' flames were rippling across the ground towards the two shinigami, radiating heat and pure irritation, 'Best. Shirt!'

Wings spreading from her back, and eyes reflecting the glow of the flames around her, Hana looked most intimidating, 'And now look,' she glared at Soifon and indicated the mark on her chest, 'This incredibly unrefined and unsightly mark has completely ruined it,' advancing slowly, and with a cat-like grace, the woman continued, her wide grin only making her look all the most ferocious, 'I'm gonna make you get rid of it, cause I know you can. Does it disappear when you die? Would you make it go away if I ripped you to shreds?'

If it wasn't already very clear, Hana was incredibly angry. She couldn't have cared less if it was a blood stain on her shirt, or even if it was a tear. But a mark which wasn't going to disappear unless she got hit again and then apparently died, or if Captain Soifon willed it . . . that was something she just couldn't stand.

'Abarai,' Soifon's mind was already working out the best way to dispose of the Arrancar, and also the best way to remain impervious to Hana's verbal barbs, 'Leave this fight to me. Go help somewhere else,'

'Yes sir,' casting one last look at the woman surrounded by flames, Renji nodded before disappearing. It then took him a moment to adjust to the stormy gloom and rain soaked air outside the heat filled bubble.

'Brilliant. I get away from one extreme and walk right into another,' noticing that, although the clouds blotted out the blue sky, his surroundings still seemed to be illuminated somehow, which meant it wasn't actually as dark as it should have been, Renji began to move towards where Rukia was yelling at Yumi, 'I know I should be walking the other way . . .'

Likara winced slightly as she felt the edge of the scythe catch and rip into her skin. Ignoring the blood soaking her sleeve, she slashed out with MitsuRyu, cutting a thin gash into Mika's side. Neither of them was affected by the rainy weather, which was both good and bad, but still . . . she wasn't yet in the position where she could begin using her more advanced techniques.

And she needed to be, so that she and Tōshirō could stop the rain and lighten the air further. She didn't want to be held responsible for any casualties caused by people being unable to fight effectively in the wet.

Glancing at the clouds again, and silently willing the rain to pour down harder, Likara released more reiatsu, hoping to both chill the air and affect the weather. Shifting the focus of her turquoise gaze, she watched as Tōshirō freed his katana from Miku's whip, earning him a gash on his hand as the end of the lash flicked outwards.

'Stay focused on your opponent, girl-captain,' Mika had quickly found out that referring to Kuroiyami as 'girl-captain' annoyed her a lot, 'What if I cut off your head while you were staring at your boy-captain boyfriend?'

Somehow, irritating nicknames and using the word 'boyfriend' when talking about Hitsugaya made his opponent twitch in the most amusing way. And since Mika liked things which were amusing, he did it as often as possible, all while thinking up new nicknames so that when the current ones became ineffective, he'd have more verbal ammunition.

Grimacing slightly, Likara sent a vicious glare at the Arrancar teenager, 'Could you?' the question was loaded.

'Of course,' nodding earnestly, Mika made a sweet face and chatted on about something the captain completely ignored, before attacking her again.

Eyes glinting, Likara rose to meet his slash, and slid beneath the scythe's blade, bringing her zanpakutō up to jab viciously at Mika's neck. Crimson eyes widening, he stumbled back a few paces, the air seeming less stable beneath his feet, and placed a hand to where a wound she'd inflicted was rapidly healing.

He didn't know what had done it, but compared to how the captain had first fought when they'd first locked blades, she was a whole lot more reckless now. And despite the risks she was taking with almost every decision, every action, she was far more deadly with that katana.

For some reason, she looked and acted less like the cool and collected Captain Kuroiyami, and more like someone who was fighting for the sake of the fight. The thrill, the challenge . . . everything about fighting for the sake of killing, or winning, or simply sparring, was now clear in her bright eyes.

This was no longer a fight plainly to survive, it was a whole lot closer to being on the level he wanted. Where planning was meaningless and instinct was everything. It was more like the beginnings of the brutal, dangerous dance that would end with one of them dead and bloodied.

Grin widening until it hurt, Mika flicked a confident glance at his brother, meeting the other teenager's red gaze and laughing silently, before cutting upwards with his large bladed weapon and advancing on the captain, who blocked and counter-attacked with ease.

'You're not trying hard enough,' Likara heard herself say the words before she fully registered the fact that she'd even spoken. There was a taunting note in her voice which was both familiar and foreign at the same time.

'You want me ta try harder?' blood coloured eyes glittering with anticipation, Mika sent back his own taunt, free hand on his hip and posture flawlessly rebellious, 'I don't think ya're worth it, I'd be wasting my precious time,'

'Don't mock me,' aware that she was speaking now, Likara let all the iciness she could create leech into her tone, 'I'm sure if I bothered trying, you'd be dead on the ground already,' she smirked, 'Or writhing in agony,'

'Do you really think so?' practically radiating sarcasm, the former Arrancar used sonidō to appear behind her, feeling his blade connect with hers as she slung her arm over her shoulder and blocked without bothering to turn around.

Casting a disdainful but darkly amused look back at him, Likara's only reply was to whirl around and begin hacking and slashing with little thought at all. She once again willed the clouds to release more rain and, finally, torrents of water began to pour from the sky.

Jumping back a good five or six metres, Likara once again raised MitsuRyu, her ice wings curling slightly around her form. Turquoise eyes blazing in the half-darkness, she smirked as she spoke, 'Tensō Toran,'

And then all of the raindrops within a four metre diameter swirled inwards around her before bursting outwards, the drops sparkling like crystal.

Izuru turned and saw Hisagi pulling back on Kazeshini's chains. He eyed Midori as the former shinigami laughed confidently and taunted the other Lieutenant on his poor aim. Meeting Hisagi's glance, he nodded slightly, understanding the plan. He'd never been completely happy fighting someone who looked like a teenager, even if their words and actions frequently reminded him that they were a lot older than they seemed.

He'd never been very happy at all, but that was just his personality.

Still, watching his former captain, Ichimaru Gin, turn traitor hadn't helped matters. And now, watching his current captain, Kuroiyami Likara, starting to fight in a way that was probably related in some way, and not that distantly, to that of Zaraki Kenpachi . . . his determination was unwavering but his fragile hold on his copy of contentment was slipping slightly.

One of Kazeshini's blades whirled past, and the other arced around, aiming for the laughing girl, still talking even as she got ready to bat the first of the blades away.

A few quick, precise tugs on the chain had the angle and speed of Kazeshini's movements altered, and suddenly Midori had stopped laughing, and her sky blue eyes showed her surprise. Still, she stood with Metalicania raised and ready, even though it was clear to all four of them that at most, she would only escape one of the blades approaching her.

'Midori!'

Slamming into her twin's body, Chidori shoved the other teenager out of the way, causing her to go sprawling in the air, landing some metres away. The more serious sister then turned in an effort to shunpo away, but Kazeshini, still cutting through the air with a deadly precision, caught her as she twisted.

One half of the first kusarigama-like blade pierced Chidori's back, the tip easily emerging from her front, before Hisagi jerked on the chains again and caused it to come flying back to his hand, the staff jarring his palm slightly due to his reaching out to far to grasp it.

Eyes wide, not only because of the pain, but also because of an honest surprise at being wounded, Chidori staggered sideways, balance thrown by the force contained in the weapon's movement. Even in such a state, she still managed to deflect the slash of the second scythe-blade before falling to lie crumpled in the air.

'Chidori!'

Midori's scream was piercing and filled with as much agony as her sister must have been feeling. Her eyes were fixed on the deceptively small seeming wound that spilled red onto her twin's pale shirt.

From where she was, she could only see the front of the wound, or where the scythe-like blade had pierced through from her back. To imagine what the other side of the wound must look like . . . it hurt her more even thinking about it.

'Chidori,' not screaming this time, but half-whispering in shock and worry, Midori pulled herself to her feet and she attempted to throw herself at Hisagi, hatred filling her eyes, 'I hate you! I hate all shinigami! I wish you'd all just die! I hate you so much!'

There were tears in her eyes, but she ignored them and straightened, ignoring the aches from where Chidori had shoved her aside to protect her from the blow that she in turn had received.

Raising Metalicania, the green haired teenager pooled all of her remaining energy into one strike which would both destroy Kazeshini and inflict brutal damage to the zanpakutō's wielder, the tattooed Lieutenant who held the weapon.

Lunging forwards, Midori only saw a flash of silver before she felt something wickedly sharp dig into her neck. Eyes widening further, she twisted and rolled, coming to a crouch near her sister's still body. One hand raised to her neck, she suppressed a tremble when she felt the hot blood running between her fingers, flowing out from the wound that dug deep into her neck.

How long exactly should she be able to survive with such a slash to her neck?

Surely that blonde man's oddly shaped zanpakutō would have severed arteries and veins.

But then again, the number of times she'd almost died, usually when training had gotten way out of hand, or back when she'd been a shinigami and a Hollow had almost killed her . . . if she didn't die of blood loss, or choke on her own blood, then there had to be a way for her to survive.

Hisagi and Izuru flicked blood from their blades and looked the twins, one passed out from blood loss and possibly the psychological shock of what had happened, and the other teetering on the edge of consciousness.

It wasn't like they'd enjoyed doing what they'd done.

But it wasn't as if they could allow Soul Society to be overrun by this mismatched band of souls.

Izuru pondered his zanpakutō, the flower of his Division, and how easy it would have been to follow Midori's movements as she tried to escape, clearly having been unsuspecting when he'd attacked her. If he had moved Wabisuke's blade around just a bit further, then that sea green haired head wouldn't be attached to those slight shoulders anymore.

'Urgh . . .' as she finally lost the battle to stay awake, Midori groaned, feeling the air beneath her lose its solid feel and then, just before she and her sister plummeted all the way back down to the ground, she sent an agonised glare at the two Lieutenants, 'I really-,' she struggled to force the words out, sickened by the gurgle in her throat, 'Do hate you, you know,'

As the two fell, landing with a thud on the ground below, Izuru sheathed the now sealed Wabisuke, noting that Hisagi did the same. They then turned away from the scene – that of the two former shinigami lying crumpled in an ever spreading pool of blood, their blades released from their hands and their eyes closed in unconsciousness – and moved back into the thick of the fight. Because there wasn't just those enemies to fight, there were also the beasts made of blood, some made from shadows which escaped Raku's katana, and others which were there one moment and gone the next.

Slumped on the ground, feeling the heat slowly leaving her body, Chidori stretched out a hand to touch her sister's slit throat. She knew that her twin didn't have much longer to live.

Before she slid into disorientation again, the former shinigami almost smiled as she saw a faint light.

Author's Note:

Just thought I'd say that Fighting the Death will probably have a couple of parts, hence the number I at the end of the title. Each fight happens at around the same time, if anyone was confused or wondering.

Ah . . . I think that's it. Sorry for the late update, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If there's anything majorly confusing or something like that, don't hesitate to ask me about it.

Thanks again!