Episode 36: Fear

Adophele's lips rise to form an awkward smile, something I had not seen him do before. He jokingly comments "I'm glad at least one of us survived." He grins before blood splutters from his mouth.

"Adopheles what happened to you?" I rush over and discover large gaping wounds lacing his body.

"Watch out for...the Kenpachi..." He spews more blood before collapsing to the ground.

"Watch out for...the Kenpachi."

The sound of bells erupts in the courtyard. Suddenly Sado falls as a large blur slashes across his body. "That's one Ryoka down...oh...you have already started killing each other...Oh well looks like you're next boy."

I manage to lift my claws in time to block a jagged sword. A grotesque Shinigami with tattered clothing and a battle scarred face smirks in delight. "I hope you'll prove to be a better challenge than your friend..." He grind his sword across my claws leaving large cracks in my blades. His sword has immense cutting capacity – no the sword is normal, it is the wielder who possesses sheer force behind the blade.

I pull back and try to gauge his reatsu. A vein burst in my head trying to measure the erratic flow of spiritual energy. The pressure restricts my body, I'm struggling to breathe.

"What...are...you?" I ask with raspy breaths.

He brings his blade to his shoulders. "I'm the strongest fighter in Soul Society...Zaraki Kenpachi."

Shit...now I now what Adopheles meant.

My brief thought process was a minute but almost fatal distraction. He returns with his sword in a horizontal arc. My feet are buried in rubble as he pushes me into the ground. I roll to the side as his sword crashes down into the ground forming a huge crater. He disappears into the rising debris. I can make out the outline of his spiky hair. I would prefer to keep my distance with this barbarian.

"Cero." I shoot a small cero but it dissipates before reaching his spiritually enhanced body. His reatsu literally gobbled up my cero. I must try a more powerful one to be sure.

"Cero." This time I'm confident it will hit him. However he walks out of the dust unharmed.

"Dammit." I curse under my breath and form eight balls of cero simultaneously. Surely he cannot survive my ultimate move.

"Jucio Cero" The eight beams of judgement all hit my opponent. Terrifying destruction surrounds the area. Not even his body could withstand that.

However I'm blocking another one of his strikes. He laughs mockingly at me. "Are we done with playing games LET'S FIGHT!" I dart to the side. I found an opening! I claw his side only to find my claws breaking off. I can't even cut his body.

"Hah! Come on I gave you that one boy!" He boasts before producing another wild swing with his blade. I leap out of the way as it strikes a wall, smashing it to pieces.

I fear this man and so opt to dodge instead of trying to block. I can't even regenerate at the moment as his reatsu smothers me and fills my mind with anxiety.

"I'm fed up with chasing you, stop running away and FIGHT!" He cackles manically as he bashes the ground with his sword. Soon the entire courtyard has been carved up into something unrecognisable. This man has created a war-zone.

I cannot do it...I cannot amount the courage to fight this man...I cannot cut him, nor can I even block his sword...This is my limit as an Arrancar and as a hollow...I will never win...

"Gurgh." Blood gurgles from my mouth as I collapse to my knees. I didn't even see him cut me...Did he even cut me? Or have I finally been overwhelmed by his reatsu? No I think my body is just eroding from anxiety. Whatever it is I can no longer move, I must await my execution.

My vision is foggy. My head is spinning as the man slowly walks over with his sword in hand. The bells ring louder and louder as he approaches. "You were most disappointing, the weakest of them all, couldn't even handle my reatsu...I won't savour your demise...lowly hollow."

That's all I am...a lowly hollow...I was kidding myself to think Shinigamification would change things. I can't become any more powerful...My brother has potential to become much stronger...I feel Mitzuki will also become Captain class one day, however have reached my peak of evolution...Death will come as a relief for my hellish life.

The jagged sword is raised high over my head as a guillotine. Gale force wind is produced as his sword descends with tremendous force. However The cold steel does not touch the nape of my neck. Instead a dark-skinned man blocks Kenpachi's sword whilst another familiar face carries me away.

"Gee they sure cut you up bad Banzai." The fox-eyed Shinigami has returned.

"We're leaving..." A voice rumbles through the battleground. Lord Aizen appears through flash step. He throws a small girl in white to the ground. It's Rukia Kuchiki!

"Rukia!" Orihime rushes over to heal her Shinigami friend but is faced with Aizen's blade, but he soon smirks and sheaths his blade.

"No...you can tend to your friend...she was useless in the end..." He addressees his fox-eyed counterpart. "I was only able to retrieve part of the Hogyoku, we have failed our reconnaissance mission to Soul Society."

"Sorry Aizen-sama, maybe we'll find it next time." The fox-eyed Shinigami casually reassures his master.

"I always knew you guys were a bit suspicious." Kenpachi says whilst locking blades with the dark-skinned Shinigami.

"It is you who needs the most scrutiny Kenpachi..." The dark-skinned Shinigami responds. "The fact that Soul Society promoted an oafish man who cannot even reach Bankai to captain highlights the folly of this place...That is why I serve Lord Aizen." He parries Kenpachi, sending his back a few metres. I am amazed at his composure and ability to withstand his reatsu. I may have a lot to learn from that man.

"Come Tousen, leave Kenpachi for now..." Aizen calls over to his subordinate. "We will regroup our forces and fight another day." He looks up to the heavens. Several large tears appear ripping apart the heavens. Hordes of Gillians peer from the holes in the sky. A large eye shines in the background.

I'm enveloped in a beam of light. I feel lighter as my body begins to slowly rise to the heavens.

"NOOOOO!" A young Shinigami emerges from the ruins. My brother tries to stop me from leaving however he's held back by Mitzuki.

I overhear him say to Michael. "It's no use, once the Negacion reaches them they're in another dimension to ours. We cannot reach them until they show themselves again."

He grits his teeth and roars to me. "I swear next time we meet I will become stronger..." As I approach the heavens his voice fades to a whisper. "I won't let your soul be corrupted any longer..."

I wave down at my brother mockingly, from this view I can see most of the once beautiful city in ruins. Smoke and fireballs scorch the plains. There forces have been decimated by only a small contingent of Arrancar and rogue Shinigami. They have no idea the despair that will follow. The fact that Aizen regards this a failure only seems to add irony to the apocalyptic scenario.

We will one day meet again brother...when we do...I will become stronger...I will not let your soul be corrupted by these ignorant fools any longer...you will find the path to true desire through my blade...

And so ends the Soul Society arc of this story...We will enter the equivalent of the Bounto (filler) Arc so I can show more interaction between myself and the Arrancar and portray the events in Las Noches prior to the Arrancar arc. For now it seems I can lick my wounds and try to amount the strength to defy the Shingami in another battle. I hope to update soon so stay alerted!