This time on TWiBaW: Epic Fight #1 (Catharsis)
A/N: 1/?
Due to an error on the author's part (being stupid and not reading the small print), this chapter got a bit delayed. On the bright side, I now know that my DocX outbox doesn't clear itself automatically, and that yes there is a limit on how many files you can have in it. The next chapter is already partly started, so there shouldn't be delays... she says...
Also, apparently I can now have a cover for my story. Hoo yay. Even more ways to exert my nonexistent computer graphics skills! (I should really work on that.)
As an additional note, I am not Robert Frost.
Anyway, I won't keep you any longer...
Some say the world will end in ice
some say in fire.
From what I've known of my despair
I'd think that life would wither there
upon a dying sphere of hate and hoar
(but if I were to die once more
this frozen world to melt and thaw
instinct spread its wings and soar
then passion would consume us in its ire)
What kind of man willingly kills his own subordinates? They barely had a chance to catch us! No matter what else they did... I'm pretty sure nobody deserves to die like that.
The golden shield dissipated as the three small fairies holding it up separated, returning to Orihime's hairpins once more. Tatsuki prised herself up off the pavement; her armour had appeared instinctively on top of the shinigami uniform, although she hadn't reacted to the explosion in time to cover everyone.
It's just as well Orihime was paying attention. That could've been pretty bad.
Uryuu glanced sideways at Orihime. "Thanks for that… it would have been painful if that had reached us."
She smiled nervously at him. "No problem… but it's still…" Her expression became downcast. "I couldn't help the rest of them."
"Hmm. Some kind of defensive shield, but not a standard kido. How unusual… I suppose that will partially make up for the fact that you wrecked the entire security system." The masked man bared his teeth in what might, on anyone else, have been a smile.
Tatsuki blinked. "Wait, what?" We didn't do any of that stuff… although admittedly Mizuiro's phone thing might be able to do something like that. Come to think of it, it's a good thing if he did shut the security system down, or we'd have been spotted that much sooner.
"Arisawa-san? I want you to take Inoue-san with you and run." Uryuu's gaze was completely focused on the masked man now. "Go. If you stay here, I can't guarantee that you'll be safe."
"Hey, you're… you're going to take on the taichou of Twelfth Division?" stuttered the recumbent 11th Division member. "But… he's really scary, there's no way you can just beat him!"
Tatsuki almost opened her mouth to argue, just before she noticed the expression on Uryuu's face. It wasn't one that people saw often, and most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this and his standard scowl, but the last time she'd seen it had been when Grand Fisher had shown up.
It meant someone was going to die.
Given the amount of training Uryuu had been doing, she was willing to bet a considerable amount that this time, it wasn't going to be him. Tatsuki had no idea what Uryuu was actually capable of, but…
Damn, she realised. He knows me too well… I wouldn't want Orihime to see this, but she isn't going to leave by herself, and I doubt this 11th Division guy is trustworthy enough to take her to safety.
"Ishida? If you die, I'm finding you in the afterlife just so I can beat you up for making Orihime upset."
Uryuu didn't take his eyes off his opponent. "Fine."
…that's probably the closest I'll get to a promise from him to stay alive. I guess it'll have to do.
"Tats-chan," Orihime began, presumably to object, just before the demure-looking girl standing behind the taichou blurred and vanished, reappearing in front of them.
Tatsuki's metallic sleeves extended, wrapping around the girl before whipping backwards. The ends uncurled for a brief second, sending her flying down the street.
Makizou stared. "How'd you-"
One metal sleeve clamped over his mouth, before winding around his body. The other secured itself around Orihime as Tatsuki took off down the street.
I'm not waiting for her to get back up. Hopefully she'll chase us, and that'll be one less person for Uryuu to deal with…
(your nightmares are awake, they say hello)
You run blindly. Sensei told you to leave a while ago; you know you were distracting him, and he was trying to restrain the hollows, not kill
(destruction of souls, he tells you, is the worst fate possible, and you should leave hollows to the shinigami)
except he's struggling, you can feel him struggling, and they're much stronger than normal. There are five of them, and even with his abilities he can only hold them in place so long until they break free. You were going to call for help, except that the only help would be Ryuuken, and he isn't a Quincy, he doesn't use the powers.
Not ever.
You know far better than to disobey sensei. The one time you did, you were feeling rebellious and decided to practise on your own. (Ryuuken found you with bloody hands the next day, from where the bow wrecked your fingers because you didn't let go in time.) He told you to always listen to him, no matter what.
Ichigo gave you a look when you told him this, not quite able to meet his gaze.
"You're not even gonna break his rules if it saves his life?"
(sometimes what's right isn't always what should be done, Sensei said, and you wondered what he meant at the time)
"…no... I mean, yes..."
"Well then. What're we waiting for?"
You're still unsure about whether or not you can do this, but despite what Ryuuken always says, you do have talent. And you're going to prove it.
You both slow down. It's no use if you alert the hollows to your presence; Ichigo is more attractive to them than you are. Sensei taught him enough to hide his presence a little... although you're not sure whether it might be better to draw some of the hollows off with his help-
No. You won't ask. He'd accept in a heartbeat (and then he wouldn't be able to escape in time).
You need a better vantage point. You can't shoot from this angle, but there are plenty of trees and the chain rattles as you shin up one of them -
"Uryuu, we gotta move quicker-"
Sensei's reiatsu flickers like a candle in the wind as you swing yourself onto a branch, then it dies completely.
The hollows are still there, all five of them, crouching over something crumpled on the ground as Ichigo struggles to regain his balance.
"Sensei?"
"Oyaji!"
your voice shakes (please don't be dead)
and the air splits open.
You stare, wide-eyed, still perched on the branch, as people step out. They are black-clad, mainly, and all have swords. The hollows turn towards them, only to be cut down in a heartbeat.
These are the shinigami your grandfather told you about, the ones he had wished to build a new future with, the ones responsible for governing the passage of souls.
They, and you, are the ones who have failed him (and Ichigo).
One man has a strange mask, black-and-white. He is different; he sweeps through the others in his white coat with barely a glance at them as they scurry around him, picking up the pieces and struggling with odd devices in their hands. He bends over your grandfather, analytical, cold.
"This is the last one, then... Just an old man? It's a wonder he didn't die sooner. I suppose he will probably turn out to be the weakest of the lot."
The man sighs. You burn with righteous fury at the insult to Sensei - he was strong, he just didn't want to destroy them - before the leader shinigami turns in your direction.
Ichigo looks about to scream. You clamp a hand over his mouth. He's not going with these people, not after today -
(if you lose him now, there'll be nothing left)
You press yourself against the tree's trunk, willing yourself to go invisible as you lower your reiatsu as far as you can. Sensei taught you to hide yourself from other hollows as well, even if you couldn't fight them. You don't know if it'll be enough against the shinigami. They might have other things to find you, like special sensors to pick up Ichigo's presence, and your heartbeat is unnaturally loud in your ears so you feel as if they might hear if they come any closer -
And then the masked shinigami turns to leave, as the others pack up. You can make out two of them pick up Sensei's body, although it's blurred now. For an instant you wonder if your glasses fell off, too, before realising that it's your tears rather than short-sightedness. Ichigo is still there, clinging onto you as if his soul depends on it.
The moment that door closed shut behind them was the first time you realised what it felt like to hate someone.
Uryuu stared his enemy down.
It's odd, he thought in a detached fashion. I thought he was taller. Or was that just because I was younger then... he's about the same height as me.
Uryuu? came his friend's voice, quietly.
Ichigo... no matter what happens, don't intervene. This is something I need to finish for myself.
"You just lost me two new subjects..." Mayuri turned to snarl at his fukutaichou. "Nemu! Get up, you incompetent fool!"
Nemu pried herself out of the wall, causing a few lumps of masonry to fall down. "Hai, Mayuri-sama."
"You know, I was going to offer you preferential treatment. It's not an offer I make lightly, you know, and even with the damage you did to the security system I was prepared to be somewhat lenient... given their abilities..." The shinigami's eyes narrowed. "But since you seem to insist on being such an interfering brat, I won't bother."
The silver bow was in his hand the moment Mayuri drew his zanpakuto.
"A Quincy, hmm... I'm afraid your experimental value just dropped even further."
"What?" Uryuu managed, thrown off by the unexpected comment.
Mayuri gave him a disdainful glance. "As the second leader of the Scientific Research Bureau, I've already completed all my research on the Quincy. Their abilities, their physical tolerances to pain, the reaction to mental and physical stimulation... although they always had that irritating pride getting in the way." The shinigami's voice shifted into a higher, singsong tone. "Upon the pride of the Quincy, I will never do such a thing! I swear on the pride of the Quincy, I will not let that happen!" His voice dropped back into its normal register. "Pathetic. Not to mention the last one was this dirty old man I had to use, since the number of test subjects was running out..."
Uryuu didn't hear the next few words of the shinigami; a low-pitched humming noise seemed to be filling his ears, blocking out the other man's voice.
This man...
Mayuri produced a piece of paper, dropping it carelessly. It fluttered to the ground, landing blank side down. Printed on it was a photograph; its subject matter was barely recognisable as a human being.
Calm yourself. You need to control your emotions, in order to use the bow. It was something Sensei had told to him before. Never draw in anger, or it will turn on you.
His hand fell to the asauchi at his hip.
I'm not angry at him.
Mayuri's head tilted slightly to one side.
"Hmm? A sword... I was under the impression that the pride of the Quincy-" this last was said with some derision "-only let you use a bow and arrow. I suppose that will make this marginally more interesting, but nonetheless, the end result will still be the same. Engaging in a zanjutsu contest with a taichou is pure foolishness."
All I feel for him is overwhelming hatred.
The shinigami lifted the zanpakuto. "Rip, Ashogi Jizou."
In front of his eyes, the blade split, separating into several curves as the hilt took on the form of a baby's head.
Despite himself, Uryuu was apprehensive; he'd learned the hard way not to underestimate the shape of a shinigami's zanpakuto when it was released. That run-in with Benehime taught me that, if nothing else. And besides, they usually have some other ability than just cutting-
And then Nemu was before him, her hand coming up towards his abdomen.
He moved reflexively, landing on a nearby rooftop with a burst of hirenkyaku to get out of the way as he levelled the bow -
"So you can use that technique, as well?"
Uryuu cursed mentally as he ducked under Ashogi Jizou's blades, backstepping once more. His volley of arrows went wide of the mark, thudding uselessly into the wall before he could adjust the trajectory.
"Against a hollow, perhaps, that might work but really, did you expect that a shinigami taichou wouldn't be capable of using shunpou to keep up?" Mayuri's arm extended, flying towards him.
What?! His arm -
He slashed out at it, slicing it in half. There was a moment's respite before the detached limb started to bubble ominously.
Uryuu leapt back in time to avoid the explosion. Unfortunately, he was already falling down by the time his brain helpfully registered the fact he had run out of roof.
Before he could use hirenkyaku to control his fall, he landed on something soft. The assistant, Nemu, wrapped her arms around him tightly, pinning him in place just before they hit the ground.
Wha-
He twisted sideways just in time for Ashogi Jizou to run him through.
"Nemu... did I not explicitly tell you that the target is not supposed to be able to move?"
Being burned alive was worse than this. I'm not going to show any weakness.
Mayuri let go of the blade, leaving Uryuu impaled against the wall. The taichou jabbed a needle into the remaining stump of his other arm, causing the flesh to bubble and regrow itself into a new appendage.
"My apologies, Mayuri-sa-"
The sentence was cut off abruptly with a crunch, as he slammed her against the wall.
"You dolt. What if the target escaped while you were too busy worrying about a temporary inconvenience?"
The man's hurting his own subordinate... what kind of leader does something like that? No wonder Rin wasn't afraid of me.
Uryuu attempted to shift himself, to at least pull the zanpakuto out of his stomach, only to find his arms were limp. His legs weren't working properly either.
Maybe my spinal cord... but -
Mayuri turned towards him.
"I take it you've noticed my zanpakuto's ability, then. It's a rather unique toxin it produces, actually - it blocks any signals to your muscles, but at the same time, responses such as pressure, temperature, or pain-"
The shinigami took hold of the hilt, before twisting it. Violently.
"-are completely unimpeded."
This time, he didn't manage to stay quiet; a faint whimper managed to escape from his lips as he tried to stifle a scream.
"Hmm... is that all? I suppose you do have a higher pain tolerance than most of the others did, though."
Uryuu kept his eyes squeezed shut.
I have a chance with Ransoutengai... but if this keeps up- He shuddered slightly. I'll end up bleeding to death, unless I use that...
Rin was frantic.
His attempt to keep the system down had only slowed the reboot process by an hour. The surveillance system was already fully operational again, completely purged of the virus that had wiped it out. However, many of the other computers were not yet running.
As a result, the surveillance room was crammed with members of both the Scientific Research Bureau and the Twelfth Division, all avidly watching the ongoing fight.
There's no way I can do something unobserved...
"Ouch... that must've hurt." One of the official surveillance team members winced as Orion was stabbed by Mayuri Kurotsuchi. "The boss must be in a really bad mood today." He searched the paper bag perched on the desk in the vague hope it would produce more popcorn, before turning around to one of the younger shinigami. "Hey, is that machine ready yet?"
"Just a few more minutes-" The sentence was interrupted by a series of loud popping noises, as the corn exploded out of the makeshift heating device.
"You idiot! I told you to put the lid on first! Now what are we going to do? If Kurotsuchi-taichou comes back to see this mess, he's going to be furious!"
Rin crept towards the mainframe processor, an electrical disruptor in hand to attach to the device.
Just a little closer... then I can -
His head jerked up at the whimper.
"-are completely unimpeded." On the screen, Mayuri Kurotsuchi smirked. "Hmmm... is that all it takes? I suppose you do have a higher pain tolerance than most of the others did, though." He sighed. "Although it's a shame you had to be male. The noises a boy's vocal chords make aren't lustful in the same way a woman's are... rather, unbearably irritating-"
"Shut up."
"You're not in a position to be making demands right now," Mayuri snarled, wrenching the zanpakuto out.
Orion's eyes were still closed. "Really? I see no reason to worry myself." He coughed slightly. "Not when all I see in front of me is a child, always in Kisuke Urahara's shadow-"
"Mayuri-taichou-"
Several of the assembled shinigami cried out as Mayuri punched the stranger in the gut.
"Don't interrupt! You dare compare me to that man?" The taichou drew back his fist for another blow, only for Orion to catch his fist, and stand up, bluish-white tendrils of reishi wrapping around his body.
"What..." For the first time in the fight, Mayuri was left speechless as he began to back off.
Orion's eyes were open now, electric-blue-on-black as the messy hole in his abdomen began to knit itself together and white bone began to creep around the socket of his right eye in a pale crescent.
Hollow.
"You talk too much."
There was instant chaos in the surveillance room as everyone started shouting; Hiyosu upturned a table, frantically trying to search for a working computer in order to analyse the data.
"What is this?"
"If Urahara-taichou survived, then... the hollowification process was perfected?"
"Ransoutengai... there was some detail mentioned in the records, but not a single one of those specimens I obtained was capable of using the technique... and with that hollowification of yours-"
"If the next words out of your mouth are going to be some sick offer, don't even bother."
Rin watched with a kind of horrified fascination as Mayuri levelled the sword. Orion closed in on him in a blink, only to be intercepted by Nemu. He sidestepped, flinging her against the wall before pinning her there with a multitude of threaded needles.
"Bankai... Konjiki Ashogi Jizou."
The golden baby's head twisted, expanding rapidly as it grew into the form of a monstrous caterpillar with a baby's head. Blades shot out from its neck as it breathed out a purplish gas cloud.
"Ah... it's all over now. There's no way he can survive the taichou's bankai."
"Unfortunately, it seems I'll just have to use the cold remains of your corpse." Mayuri scowled. "You may be able to move with your Ransoutengai, but the poison this gives off isn't something that can be countered so easily... as your organs shut down under the influence of my-"
Orion yawned theatrically, covering his mouth with a hand.
"Is anything meant to be happening yet? Because I really don't feel it."
"Of course, he's a hollow, the high-speed regeneration... but he's going to run out of reiryoku at this rate."
For a brief second, Mayuri's eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and fear as the giant manifestation of his zanpakuto continued to barrel down the street, carried forwards by its momentum. Orion lifted one hand, palm facing outwards towards his enemy.
The camera was flooded with blue light.
"Mayuri-sama!"
"Dear kami... he just killed Kurotsuchi-taichou-"
Rin slipped out of the back door unnoticed.
Uryuu felt numb, as if the poison in his body was chilling his blood.
Except that isn't the case... the hollowification purges the body of toxins. At least Sensei can rest easy...
"Mayuri-sama!"
He blinked, and suddenly he was on the ground.
How did I get here? But... I feel tired... it won't matter if I just... rest a little...
Nemu stared at the man - just a boy, really - now slumped on the ground.
This is my new master.
-must serve and protect the master cannot harm him killing father-
She shrugged off the threads; they had lost their strength along with the boy's consciousness.
He spared my life, but the hollowification has faded... he seems to be suffering from reiryoku exhaustion, and the toxins released by Ashogi Jizou are such that they will remain in the lungs for a long period, if they are untreated. If I leave him here like this, he will die.
Internally, she reached a decision. Bending over, she lifted the comatose Uryuu off the pavement, before slinging him over her shoulder. She glanced at the remains of her late father; the head had been completely obliterated, although the body remained relatively intact. Ashogi Jizou lay dead at his side, returned to its sealed form after the destruction of its bankai and death of its master.
"Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou... uhm, I was just-"
She stared. One of the marginally more important researchers had arrived, probably drawn by the recent fight. He seemed a little nervous, shifting slightly from foot to foot as he tried not to look at her directly.
I suppose I could use his assistance in clearing up the evidence.
"Bring the body." Her tone of voice brooked no argument.
Wordlessly, Rin hoisted Mayuri's corpse up and onto his back as they both made their way back to the Twelfth Division headquarters.
There will be trouble over this... but there has always been trouble. It will hardly be any different.
Koutetsu tsuru (鋼鉄 つる) Steel Vine. Tatsuki's metal uniform, being highly flexible, can easily have its shape manipulated by means of her reiryoku. By extending or contracting the fabric at will, it is possible to use it in the manner of a whip. It can additionally be used to pick up objects, although this takes some fine control.
Partial Hollowification: By tapping into the reserves of hollow reiatsu within his soul (and the silver ginto he carries), it is possible for Uryuu to enter a partially hollowified state, allowing him access to such standard techniques as high-speed regeneration, sonido and cero, as well as immunity to toxins and incomplete dominance over reishi. These last two appear to be an unique peculiarity of his hollow form, rather than an ability available to all hollows. Use of the hollow reiatsu in such a manner causes the Chain of Fate to corrode, although this can be healed, if treatment is given before the situation becomes dire. Blackening of the sclera occurs, but not the formation of the full mask that is seen when the Visoreds use their equivalent.