Chapter 38: Marching Out The Zombies
Black shoes clacked against the floor, stark against the snow that now littered the ground. Long brown hair flared up behind the man's head. Tapping against his chest was a fragment of jawbone-like mask. Numerous scars and stitches extended out of hole that glared out from his chest.
The Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk, glanced sidelong at Mayuri and squinted his greying blue eyes.
The second man swept one hand back through his well-oiled black hair, momentarily touching the horned enamel plate that was fixed to his forehead. His lips twisted into a grin, distorting the stylised van dyke beard that adorned his chin.
Privaron Espada #103, Dordoni Alessandro Del Soccacio, began to chuckle under his breath and eyed the Sternritter with amusement.
Long purple hair billowed around the final man's muscular form, his fringe catching the white tiara atop his head. Almost ludicrously huge lips pursed out into a pout and long eyelashes began to flicker.
"Hohohoho... Behold, I have returned from beyond the grave! The most beautiful being in all creation! Princess Charlotte Chuhlhourne!" he cried out, striking a flamboyant pose before pointing at the group of Sternritter. "Prepare yourselves, for even if you capture my heart, you shall not be leaving here alive!" He winked one icy blue eye.
Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) took a step back, stunned by the sheer ridiculousness of what had just occurred. Her deep purple eyes blinked several times in confusion.
"Hey!" Dordoni shouted, striding up behind Mayuri's bloody naked form. He held one hand up to his forehead, peering into the distance. "Where is the orange haired Niño? You told me that I would be able to fight him, yet I don't see him anywhere!"
"He hasn't arrived yet," Mayuri muttered. "However that is besides the point. You three are to keep those," he pointed at the four Quincy soldiers, "busy."
"No no no no no no no!" Dordoni began to wag his finger frantically. "I am not some attack dog that you can- AAAHHHH!"
The Arrancar's form began to spasm as he screamed in pain. Mayuri's thumb had depressed the button of a small switch that he held in his hand. "You will do as I say."
Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) suddenly appeared behind the Primera Espada, almost as if he had been painted onto the floor. After a brief mutter of "San", his form suddenly swung up, filling out into three dimensions. His left arm was raised and held a short knife formed from reishi. Striking out, he attempted to stab Starrk in the back.
A deep blue flash seared out from between Starrk's shoulder blades. It occurred without warning and was so fast, Basilisk had no time to react. The cero eclipsed the Sternritter's form in spirit energy before exploding violently.
Basilisk stumbled from the smoke, holding up two fingers. His clothes were burnt and his skin seared. "Nii." Once more his body flattened into the ground.
"I got one," Starrk sighed apathetically. Scratching the side of his head, he began to yawn. "Can I go back to the lab now?"
"Starrk, what are you saying!" a small girl with green hair began to shout, seemingly appearing from nowhere and tackling him. "You can't just act like you're giving up! You're the strongest! And if we don't do what he says, then-!"
Mayuri depressed the switch in his hand again, electrocuting the pair.
"See what you've done Lilynette..." Starrk groaned, all but ignoring the shock and averting his eyes lazily.
"What I've done?!" she screamed, thrashing atop him as the current rippled through her muscles. "This is clearly your fault!"
"Enough of this!" Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) snapped, stomping down on the ground. Spikes rose up from the grounf and shot towards Mayuri and his Arrancar zombies.
Leaping backwards, the group avoided the attack.
"So rude!" Charlotte cried, pointing at the enemy commander. "An ugly face and an even uglier personality! You vile woman!"
Lenora's face twitched. A prominent vein began to bulge atop her temple. She glanced around at her three comrades.
"Kill them all."
Clarlonde raised both of her hands and began to fire her light cannons at her opponents. The brunt of the attack was directed at Charlotte.
Ducking and dodging the blasts, the muscular Arrancar retreated backwards. The Sternritter woman continued to advance upon him.
Snow (The Yuki-Oni) kicked off from the ground and raised one hand in an attempt to throw a punch. Starrk grabbed hold of his arm around the wrist and stared lazily into the effeminate Quincy's eyes.
"I'd really rather not do this," Snow muttered, half-heartedly.
The First Espada returned his opponent's apathetic stare and spoke, their words overlapping. "But orders are orders."
Dordoni leapt across the ground, chasing the shadow-like form of Basilisk into the distance as the Sternritter attempted to flee.
Mayuri had already vanished, retreating from the battlefield.
Lenora surveyed the numerous fights occurring within her circular wall. Her lips twisted into a smile. "This situation is less than ideal... But I can at least give us the home field advantage."
The entire area began to shake. Rock leapt into the air as more walls shot up into the sky, sealing off the fights into their own seperate locations. Riding one of them up into the sky, Lenora began to chuckle and looked down into the different arenas that she had created.
"I just need to alter the battlefields to benefit my men."
Shuhei Hisagi and Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) clashed against each other. Bright orange sparks flickered through the air.
As the walls sealed them off from the other fights, they broke away from each other and broke into bemused expressions. Beneath their feet, the rubble and buildings all sunk down, until the ground was completely flat.
"Damn that Lenora..." Eric muttered. "Stop interfering like this, I had this under control."
Kazeshini ripped through the air, spinning towards Eric. Ducking his head, he allowed the Zanpakuto to sail over him before lunging forwards and striking out with his scythe.
Shuhei pulled his hands along the chain of his Zanpakuto, stretching it taut to block the slash. Twising his hands and rotating his arms, Shuhei wrapped the chain around the blade and pulled it from Eric's hands.
As opposed to diving for his weapon, Eric remained calm. Without missing a beat, he lifted his right arm and struck Shuhei around the face.
Stunned by the sudden hit, Shuhei's head rocked backwards. This allowed the Quincy to make a dive for his weapon. Snatching it up, he swung it sideways and slashed the Lieutenant across the stomach.
The cut was shallow.
A habit born from his time as Tōsen's Lieutenant saved him. The former Captain had always told him that fear was a natural part of battle; that he should embrace it. As a result, whenever he released his Shikai, he would restrain himself by half a step; never advancing forward too far and always retreating in excess.
Tugging on the chain of his blade, Shuhei pulled his weapon back towards him and jumped back.
Eric avoided the attack by sidestepping.
Catching his weapon, the Lieutenant took up a combat stance.
Thank you, Captain T-... His mind stopped short. Wait... Who am I thanking? And why?
Slinging the scythe up onto his shoulder, Eric tilted his head to the side and peered through the eyeholes in his mask. "That's one."
Shuhei pulled a confused face. "What do you...?"
"That's one memory gone," Eric responded. "I'm sorry for taking it, but it's not something that I can control."
"What are you talking about? Taking memories?"
"That's what my Schrift is," the man in the skull mask replied. "I am Sternritter R: The Reaper. Every time you're cut by my scythe, I reap one of your memories. It's a horrible power; it leaves you a shell of a man. An empty husk." The glow of his blue eyes began to slightly fade. "It was born from my desire to erase my own horrible memories... But it doesn't work on myself. And even if I wanted to remove memories that others didn't want, I can't choose which." He gritted his teeth tightly. "It's far too cruel."
Shuhei swallowed hard and gripped the poles of Kazeshini tightly.
Eric removed the scythe from across his shoulders and took up a combat stance. "I could make this easier on you and kill you with one attack, if you'd like... I'd rather you not suffer."
"Whirl! Giralda!"
Twin typhoons roared through the air, repeatedly slamming into the ground. Dust and rubble blasted out, in the wake of every attack.
Lenora had altered their battlefield to create numerous different flat surfaces, at varying angles and locations. Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) was using this to his advantage, moving almost exclusively in his two dimensional form and slipping in and out of sight.
"Why do you flee, Jovenzuelo?" Dordoni shouted over the roar of his attacks. "You run and hide in the cracks!" Another one of his attacks obliterated the flat surface of a wall. "Like a rat!"
Basilisk ignored the Arrancar's chiding, continuing his course of action. Maintaining his flat form, he moved fast from surface to surface. His goal was to move out of Dordoni's line of sight long enough to hide and sneak up on him.
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. The Privaron Espada's Resurrección was extremely destructive. The cyclones that were spewing from his legs carried so much force that everything in their path was instantly crushed.
Fragments of rock and concrete blasted through the surroundings. The sounds of destruction perforated the air, accompanied by the roar of the whirlwinds.
"Is this the power that has decimated the Soul Society?" Dordoni screamed. "You disappoint me!"
"San."
Basilisk sprang up and formed a large bow in his hands. He began to launch arrows at the Arrancar.
Tearing through the winds, the shots began to explode around Dordoni, sending shockwaves ripping through the area.
"Yes!" he cried, his eyes opening wide and his lips parting to reveal a wide toothy grin. "This is more like it!"
One of the typhoons charged towards the Quincy, as Dordoni launched a kick. Basilisk ducked to the side and fired another series of arrows at the Arrancar.
Raising his arm, to defend himself, Dordoni's vision was obscured as one of the shots detonated against his Hierro-enhanced wrist. Swinging his hand to the side, his hissed between his teeth and swatted the resulting smoke aside.
His stylised eyebrows arched high on his forehead. The Sternritter was gone. Basilisk had used the distraction of the explosion to escape from sight.
"Tch!" he tutted between his teeth. "Cheap tricks, my friend!"
Around him, every surface that he had destroyed was repaired and returned to its original pristine, flat state. Lenora had obviously repaired them, using her strange ability to alter the environment.
Turning his body, as the cyclones erupting from the exhaust spouts on his legs kept him hovering midair, he scanned the area with his eyes. His eyebrows lowered and the beard on his chin distorted as he pulled an expression of distaste.
"You are underestimating me, Jovenzuelo!"
The twin tornados increased in intensity. The two cyclones emerging from them, adorned with bone-like bird heads, began to thrash violently.
"If you will not show yourself, then I will make you reveal yourself!" he shouted, arching his back and throwing his arms out to his sides. "Ave Mellizos!"
The bird-like whirlwind extensions reared up into the air and began to ripple. Splitting and growing, they increased in number from two to twelve.
Thrashing and striking out, they began to obliterate the surrounding area. Chunks of rock blasted through the air and dust followed the currents of the wind, whipping up into the sky.
"Run while you can!" Dordoni shouted, continuing his path of destruction. "For I will find you!"
"Why are you running away?" Charlotte cried, leaping after Clarlonde and taking a swing with his sword. "Does my beauty intimidate you, girl?"
"Don't take it personally," the Sternritter replied, retreating back. "I'm more of a long distance fighter."
The Arrancar was clearly physically superior, however Clarlonde proved to be much more nimble. Throughout the course of their exchange, he hadn't landed so much as a glancing blow.
Clarlonde, on the other hand, had managed to land several shots on the large man, from both her photon cannon and her Heilig Pfeil. She was aiming to wear him down and chip away at his defences from a distance.
She knew that if he was able to get close to her, she would be finished. While her Reiatsu was indisputably greater, it was clear that he trumped her in terms of physical strength. Add into the equation that he was an Arrancar, and the threat of hollow poisoning from any wounds he dealt her, and she would be in more than a little trouble if he landed a clean hit.
"If you won't fight me up close, then so be it!" Charlotte cried, raising his fist. "Prepare to feel the wrath of Beautiful Charlotte Chuhlhourne's Ultimate Blazing, Amazing, Appraising, Super Sexy... BALA!"
Throwing a straight right punch, Charlotte launched a projectile of bright pink hardened spirit energy from his fist. A sonicboom cracked through the air as the projectile broke through the sound barrier.
Clarlonde's deep purple eyes shot open in surprise.
Leaping to the side, she barely avoided the attack. The blast crashed into the building behind her, obliterating the structure.
Was that really a Bala? the Female Sternritter thought, leaping from building to building. I know they're supposed to be fast... but the destructive force!
"Hoho!" Charlotte chuckled. "Trying to get away?"
Rapidly throwing a flurry of punches, the Arrancar sent a barrage of Balas screaming through the air at the Quincy.
Her mind racing as she dodged, Clarlonde began to weigh her options. He's probably memorised the patten of my Heilig Licht, and my arrows don't have enough bite to damage him much. I may need to use more of my powers... But everything past the lasers drain me too much to use consecutively.
A shot of pink spirit energy wizzed over her head, vaporising her white military cap.
Caution to the wind, it is.
Clarlonde raised one arm and pointed her hand at the Arrancar splaying her fingers.
Noting the movement, Charlotte raised one eyebrow. The motion and position of her fingers was different from anything he had seen the Quincy do before.
"Blendendes Licht!"
Light spewed from her hand. Burning, searing light. It was so intense, the feminine Arrancar could practically feel the fluid inside of his eyes boil.
Letting out a girlish shriekof pain, Charlotte clasped his face in his hands. "My eyes! What have you done to my beautiful eyes?!"
Clarlonde, breathing heavily, used the distraction to pepper the Arrancar with beams of light. Two burned through the toned muscles of his abdomen, while a third pierced cleanly through his arm.
Throwing himself to the side, still clutching his face, Charlotte broke through a wall and took refuge inside a nearby building.
"Curse that witch!" Charlotte hissed, rubbing his searing eyes in an attempt to regain his sight. "How dare she do that to me!"
Rising up from the shadows, thrown by the walls and furniture inside the building, a black figure began to advance upon the blinded Arrancar. It moved in a jerking and disjointed manner, like a marionette.
Clarlonde took several deep breaths and broke into a wide smile. It may drain a lot of my energy, but now you're as good as dead. With my power of The Twilight, I can control light, darkness and everything in-between. I hope you're ready to die... Arrancar.
Coyote Starrk and Snow locked blades and stared half-heartedly over the steel and into each other's eyes. In the background, the sounds of the numerous other battles filled the air as a cacophony of explosions and shouts.
"Sounds like all your friends are fighting," Starrk said, slowly.
"Likewise," Snow retorted.
The air between them grew heavy with tension. Their eyes began to glow, not once averting. Breaking from their sword clash, their faces tightened.
"What do you say to taking a break?" Starrk suddenly asked, loosening his guard and sighing heavily.
Snow scanned his enemy, before breaking into a smile and dispersing his sword. The womanly man dropped to the floor, to sit and pushed his hair behind his ear. "Sounds like a plan to me."
Following suit, Starrk sheathed his own blade and lay down on the floor, clasping his hands behind his head.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Lilynette shouted, running up to her other half and kicking him repeatedly in the ribs.
"Just let him nap..." Snow muttered, yawning. "I'm not in any hurry to finish this..."
Lilynette's attention snapped towards the Sternritter. She was just about to scream at him, when she heard an odd sound. Starrk had started snoring.