Bleached: Ep. 38

Disclaimer: We don't own Bleach, just Airi and Zezuri.

Note: Fourth division ftw!! Sorry, I feel they are SO under appreciated. -Airi

Airi, Shinji, Grimmjow, and Renji were going through minor introductions as they ran for ninth division. The buildings were getting further spaced out and an increase in shrubbery was apparent.

"Hirako…" said Renji wishing he could remember where he'd heard that name before. Just then, Airi spotted Aizen, Gin, Syazel, Ulquiorra, and Zezuri.

"Zezuri!" yelled Airi, the first to charge in.

"Looks like it's time…" with that Aizen ran his hand through Zezuri's chest using the same meathod he used to get the hyogoku from Rukia.

"Uhg…" Zezuri was stunned and unable to move. Aizen pulled out his hand along with the last shard. Zezuri dropped to the ground, a lifeless form.

"ZEZURI!" The three tried to rush to her but Gin stood in the way.

"I don't think so," he grinned.

"May I ask, what is the 4th shard?" Syazel asked with fascination.

"It is… her heart. Only one so pure could be so powerful; the Hado 99 she attacked you with was, until now, beyond my power," Aizen replied, "And without her heart she is a lifeless doll. But now I have all of the shards in my possession," Aizen chuckled slightly as the four shards hovered in the palm of his hand.

"Why did we take both of the humans, then?" asked Syazel, full of questions.

"I wasn't sure which one contained the shard, so I just took both. Airi didn't have it so she became a pawn in my game. But in Zezuri's case, as the saying goes; the flower that blooms late is the most beautiful," he said gazing down at Zezuri's lifeless form.

"I don't get one thing, Aizen-sama, why is it that only one of the shards was located inside a person while the other three were in plain sight?"

"When Uahara created this, he accidentally made it too powerful and broke it into four pieces. He hid them shortly after his banishment. Three he hid where he could check on them. The fourth, and largest part, he sent far away, but as to how it came to be in that girl, I don't think even Uahara himself would know," Aizen explained.

"Now, the moment this has all led up to." The four shards glowed a soft purple color and fused into one piece. Aizen lifted his hand and power stronger than anyone had ever felt before surged from the ex-captain.

Even Ulquiorra had a shocked expression on his face.

Without an incantation or any warning Aizen summoned a large amount of power which materialized into a large fireball. He pointed over a neighboring building straight at 12th division. The fireball transformed into a flaming dragon and flew off towards the research department. Moments later a torrent of fire sprouted up, proving its target had been incinerated.

"No!" shouted Renji, 'that's where the controls of the senkai gates were!"

"Precisely why I destroyed it, now the captains are stuck in the real world," a slight smile crossed his face, "And now they can see that I truly stand atop the heavens."

"We've got to get past Gin!" shouted Grimmjow, the first to recover from the shock.

"Leave him to me," Rangiku Matsumoto flash-stepped in.

"Rangiku, nice to see you again, and so soon," mused the silver-haired captain.

Matsumoto glared at her former friend and charged at him with no mercy.

Airi, Renji, and Grimmjow charged in while Matsumoto fought Gin. "Not so fast, you won't lay a hand on Aizen-sama," Syazel blocked their way.

"We've got this one!" called Izuru as he and Hitsugaya charged in at the eighth espada.

Airi looked around for Ulquiorra. Where had he gone? He was no longer at Aizen's side. She glanced ahead of her in time to see Shinji flash-step backwards. A loud clang broke out behind her as Shinji and Ulquiorra crossed swords.

"Keep going!" yelled Shinji pushing back his opponent's sword. Airi hesitated for a moment stuck between helping Shinji or Zezuri, but the moment didn't last long as Airi remembered the last opponent; Aizen.

--

Back in the world of the living, the captains had managed to open the gates mere seconds before Aizen's rampage of destruction had begun. All the shinigami that had come through were now taking the four-minute run to soul society, hoping they weren't too late.

--

Isane had finished contacting all the shinigami within the seireitei and was now making her way to ninth division. She sensed her captain was at the thirteenth division healing the injured. The lieutenant of 4th division arrived at the main battle scene in time to see Tosen also arrive. The ex-ninth captain was about to stop Airi, Renji, and Grimmjow, but she wasn't about to allow that. Flash stepping and drawing her sword in the same moment, she placed herself between Tosen and her comrades.

"Fighting me by yourself? That is rather unwise," stated Tosen in his monotone, "But mine is the path of justice and you are in the way; move."

"N-no!" Isane knew she couldn't take this captain by herself.

"So be it," He drew his sword.

"S-s-she's not a-alone!" called a very scared voice from behind Tosen.

"Hanataro! Get out of here!" yelled Isane.

"N-no! I-I'm going to, I'm going to help!" the seventh seat of fourth division yelled. Isane had never seen the timid shinigami so determine; she'd always assumed he would simply faint if he was ever caught in a battle.

"Very well, then I shall end both of your existences here," Tosen readied an attack.

--

"We have an opening!" Renji said getting his hopes up. Grimmjow flash stepped in to grab Zezuri only to get knocked back by one of Aizen's spells.

"She can't be moved," stated Aizen. "Currently she still holds some of the power of the shard. If you move her my power will become unstable."

"So if we move her out of there, the power of the shard might weaken enough for us," Airi thought.

"But if we don't hurry," Renji started.

"She'll be a lifeless shell until her body withers away…" finished Aizen.

"You bastard!" Grimmjow charged in.

"Pathetic," Aizen drew his own zanpakto. Halfway through his strike, Aizen's sword collided with a twin pair of large zanpakto, wielded by a man with a hat and pink robe.

"Go save your woman, leave him to us," Shunsui turned and grinned. Suddenly, ninth division's courtyard became full of returning troops.

"I don't need the shard's power to destroy you, just to destroy soul society," Aizen glared at the eighth captain.

Grimmjow and Airi rushed for Zezuri only to be blocked by Luppi. "Surprised to see me?" he teased Grimmjow.

"You don't have time for this! Get Zezuri!" yelled Airi, "Leave him to me!"

Grimmjow ran on to Zezuri, leaving Renji fighting Aizen with Shunsui and Airi fighting Luppi.

"So," scowled Luppi, "You chose soul society over us?"

"Not exactly," Airi swung at the feminine arrancar, "They don't like me here either. My place is by Shinji!"

"Feh, let me show you just how big of a mistake you just made!" Luppi lunged at Airi and summoned his released form at once.

--

Meanwhile Shinji and Ulquiorra had moved away from the larger battle, but theirs was no less intense. Ulquiorra and Shinji were, despite the fourth espada's previous guess, almost evenly matched. The fourth espada pulled back from the fight, to Shinji's surprise, his sword glowed an intense green color. Shinji didn't need to be told what was coming next. The air around the espada exploded and where the black-haired arrancar had stood mere seconds before, a huge dragon towered above the Vizard.

"Well… No wonder you're the fourth," muttered Shinji, pulling on his mask.

--

Grimmjow finally reached Zezuri and took her in his arms, flashing a few meters away. "Wake up! Wake up, Zezuri!" he pleaded, but it was useless, she remained non-responsive. Grimmjow glared at Aizen.

"If we don't do something, she'll disappear…" Unohana said as she came up to them.

"How?!" he asked frustrated.

"Get back her heart, it's the only way to save her and soul society and destroy Aizen once and for all…" Toshiro said also flashing in.

Thanks for reading!! Please comment or review!! Thanks!