Bleached: Ep. 37
Disclaimer: We don't own Bleach, just Airi and Zezuri.
Note: Beware of the Tales of Symphonia reference coming up!! -Airi
Renji and Grimmjow's battle continued and Renji was running out energy, fast. "Heh. I've gotten stronger since you shingami last fought me. Not even a captain can defeat me!" Grimmjow exclaimed. They both had several wounds already.
"I'm not going down easily… I've got to protect her…" Renji panted. "Go Zabimaru!" Zabimaru attacked so fast that Grimmjow barely had time to dodge it. Renji cast a kido spell causing a huge explosion of fire. He watched, waiting for Grimmjow to emerge from the smoke. Grimmjow was barely standing. "What's the matter? I thought you'd gotten stronger," Renji commented.
"Tch. It's not over yet… shinigami," Grimmjow unsheathed his sword.
"He's just been fighting me with his bare hands and cero blasts? Has he been holding back?" Renji barley had any time to think.
"Grind… panthera!" Suddenly Grimmjow transformed into his released form.
"He's a… creature…?" Renji was confused by the frantically looked around as Grimmjow disappeared and reappeared behind the shinigami.
"I'm going to protect her and you aren't getting in my way!" Grimmjow slashed at Renji, making a deep wound in the shinigami's side. Grimmjow's ears perked up as he paused for a moment.
"What's wrong? Are you-" Renji was interrupted.
"She's in trouble!"
--
Syazel made his first move and swung his zanpakto at Zezuri, but she managed to dodge it, but he swung it again and hit her in the stomach with the hilt of his sword. Zezuri fell to her knees, coughing. "Do you want to keep doing this?" he put his sword away thinking the fight was finished.
"I… haven't… started yet…" Zezuri managed to stand up. "The sun and moon, turn away! The earth is the target to strike! Shadows hide away in darkness! May the heavens come crashing down! Hado 99! Judgment!" Zezuri chanted and a bright light came from the sky and a large spear crashed into Syazel. The spell took lots of energy from Zezuri, causing her to almost collapse. The smoke cleared and Zezuri's heart almost dropped.
Syazel was still standing as if nothing had happened. "You missed, failure," he grinned.
Zezuri screamed out in frustration. She couldn't believe she missed; she had used up too much energy to attempt it again. In short, she had failed.
"Now…" Syazel walked over slowly, "I'm going to take you to Aizen." He kicked her over just for fun and pulled her up by her hair. "Remember this?" he pulled out a needle. Zezuri stared terrified. Before she could do anything, he stuck the needle right into her neck. "Aizen-sama needs you in your most powerful state. This serum will reboot your kido and spiritual pressure." He let go of her and she fell to the ground as he put his needle away. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, Syazel saw Grimmjow, in his released form, charging at him, claws at the ready. But Syazel swiftly dodged him. "What's this? Attacking your own comrade?"
Grimmjow ignored him and rushed over to Zezuri. "Zezuri! What…" he noticed the puncture mark in her neck.
"Grimmjow…?" Zezuri could barely recognize him. Zezuri looked at him in fear.
"Look… she thinks you're a monster," Syazel teased. Grimmjow looked away depressed but Zezuri soon recognized him.
"It is… you… eh…" the serum was taking effect. She touched his face softly before passing out.
Syazel took the chance to strike Grimmjow, but Syazel's blade met another's.
"I won't let you get away with this…" Renji panted, wounds still bleed, but not enough to stop him.
--
"What's the matter, Captain Hitsugaya? Can't take it?" Gin teased. Toshiro looked briefly over his shoulder at the collapsed forms of Rangiku and Momo.
"Gin… you bastard…"
"Hmph, that's not nice. But it looks like you've reached your limits, not even your bankai can take me. So I think I'll leave, there's something else I should be doing." Gin increased his spiritual pressure, making Toshiro pass out. "Hm… now, I think I felt it over there…" Gin disappeared.
--
The sounds of combat rang through out the seireitei as every available soul reaper was locked in combat with members of Aizen's army.
"It's quite busy here today," remarked Shinji as he and Airi ran towards sixth division.
"I sense… Grimmjow…" remarked Airi feeling his familiar spiritual pressure. "But, he's fighting… Syazel?! Some one else is there too, but I don't know them."
"Friend or foe?"
"Friend, whoever it is happens to be fighting alongside Grimmjow."
"Assuming Grimmjow's on our side."
"He's the most likely, I can't imagine Syazel as an ally."
--
Grimmjow set Zezuri down gently. "What are you doing? Get her out of here!" Renji commanded.
"Tch, you idiot. You won't be able to take Syazel on your own…"
"Then I guess we're teaming up!" Renji grinned.
"Hmph… just don't get in my way…" Grimmjow commented as he got in position.
"Right." Renji nodded.
"Weren't you warned, Grimmjow? I'm sure Uquiorra told you what would happen if you betrayed Aizen…"
"Shut up! I'm not afraid of Uqluiorra or Aizen!"
"So you chose to make that girl your own demise? So be it, I'll liberate you from that girl and your feelings." The pink haired espada drew his sword once more and was about to attack Grimmjow when Gin flash-stepped in.
"Ichimaru," hissed Renji.
"Hello Abarai-kun!" Gin said with a small wave, he turned to Grimmjow, "My, my, what have we here? Did the kitty discover its claws?"
Grimmjow turned his attention to the ex-captain. Syazel saw the opening and took it. His sword's path was interrupted suddenly by another sword.
Airi crouched in front of the 6th espada struggling to fend off the weight of the 8th espada's attack.
Gin wasted no time, while Grimmjow and Renji's attention was drawn to Airi and Syazel, he flash stepped over to Zezuri's unconscious form, picked her up and was back at Syazel's side casting the transporting ribbon before anyone could blink. Even Shinji, who had been hiding in the shadows as back up wasn't fast enough to stop this.
"No!" yelled Renji, Grimmjow, and Airi as their enemies escaped along with Zezuri.
"Where did they go?" asked Airi, ignoring Renji and Grimmjow's stares of amazement and confusion as to who stood before them.
"They didn't leave the seireitei," remarked Shinji; he'd attempted to stop Gin, but had been a step behind him.
"Damn it!" Grimmjow clenched his fist.
--
Zezuri regained consciousness. "W-what happened?" she asked sitting up.
"Ah, you're awake," Aizen stood nearby, "Looks like the serum settled in," he helped her to her feet, then she quickly backed away. "There's no point in resisting. It won't save you."
"W-what do you want with me?" she asked.
--
"Captain Hitsugaya!" Izuru rushed over to the collapsed group.
"Izuru… I'm fine…" Toshiro managed to pull himself off the ground.
"I've alerted the other captains. They managed to keep the arrancar at bay in the real world and sent them running back to Hueco Mundo! They're on their way back!" Izuru said excited.
"It may be too late…" Rangiku regained consciousness.
"I can feel it… Aizen already has the girl…. Because of Gin…" Toshiro thought for a moment. "We need to find Captain Unohana and her squad so we can heal the wounded. We need to stop Aizen's plan!"
"There's no need to look for us, we're here," Unohana and Isane walked over to the injured captain and lieutenants and began to heal them.
Hitsugaya looked at Unohana as she healed him, "Uonohana, you don't exactly look in top condition, what happened?"
"Isane and I were battling the fourth espada, but we don't know how that ended."
"What?"
"This isn't the time," Unohana had finished healing Toshiro, "We must stop Sosuke." He nodded and stood up.
"They're in the courtyard of ninth division," reported Hitsugaya sensing a large amount of power emanating from that location. "Isane!"
"Yes sir?"
"Contact any and all shinigami that are available and direct them to ninth division."
The silver haired lieutenant nodded and began her spell as the other shinigami made for the location.
Thanks for reading!