Takashita Azumi
This had be the greatest, yet worst idea that I had ever had.
This new form that I'd learned how to access from Imuza was absolutely magnificent, except for one major flaw...
I had no idea how to control it.
I only had two thoughts in my head before I let myself transform: kill Hajime, then kill Aizen.
As soon as I transformed, those two thoughts became the only thing that mattered. They turned into objectives that I had no choice but to follow. I felt like I was a robot given the command to do this or be deactivated.
In all honesty, this form scared me.
I thought Imuza's persona and losing control were bad enough as it was, but this—this just felt sadistic. In this form, all of the souls that were consumed by the Hollows I'd previously consumed came to life within me. Angry, panicked, relentless, depressed, sexual, psychotic—you name it—souls all surfaced to do my bidding and taint my thoughts. I felt like the most possessed being in the universe with all the thoughts and emotions of these souls.
However, beside the obvious torture and fear I went through mentally, these souls gave me power I never thought I could possess. I felt unstoppable—like I could do it anything I ever wanted in this form. The only problem was my lack of control.
If I could master this form, the possibilities would be endless.
'Didn't I tell you? This is my true power; you don't stand a chance without me.' Imuza commented.
It was weird; it wasn't like we were in Imuza's domain, but it also wasn't like I was in my body. I could see and feel everything, but this body of mine made all the movements. It wasn't like it was another entity within me; there was no consulting with her like there was with Imuza and Yoru. It was just like I was a puppet; my motives pulling the strings.
"You and I are of the same soul; without me you wouldn't even exist. Its not like you're some demon that possessed me—even though it feels like it. You are me. So, let me rephrase what you just said: this is our true power. Once we can master this, we'll be quite the force to reckon with." I replied.
Imuza scoffed as she replied. 'You're such a team-player—disgusting.'
I let her comment slide and focused back in on what was actually going on.
I was definitely giving Hajime a run for his money—that was for sure—but I wasn't quite at the finish line yet. Hajime kept up with me, and was able to cause some damage back to me as well. All that my body could do was focus on the task at hand. I couldn't focus on anything other than killing Hajime as violently as I could muster.
He attempted trying to talk to me a few times, but I didn't give him enough leeway to get more than a few words out. Hajime in this form was powerful; he and I almost equal. If I didn't play this correctly, he'd use the opportunity to really get the jump on me.
I slashed my scythe at him again from my left while the dark mass of souls I controlled came at him violently from the right. He tried to dodge by jumping back diagonally, but still ended up taking damage from my scythe. He took the damage on his left side, just underneath his arm near his ribcage.
Before he could even land, I curled my wings forward and pointed the sharp bone sticking out of my joints straight at him. With the darkness on the way to him—keeping him at bay momentarily—I conjured up a Cero at the center focal point my pointed wings created. I let out a monstrous scream that scared even myself, and the purple Cero immediately formed and shot out at him in a large beam of energy.
Hajime quickly crossed his arms over himself as a guard, but still took the hit head-on. With my new speed, I was able to accomplish the attack in less than 6 seconds—there was literally no way he could've dodged it.
The darkness came back and swiveled around me. I waited to see the result of the attack before continuing. It was strange because with this body, it was hard to just stand still. I had such a drive for carnage it was unreal. It was like an itch that I couldn't find and scratch on my body, but it was there—bothering me and driving me insane with its presence. My collected and rational mind was completely terrified by this feeling, yet there was a sick, twisted pleasure I got out of it.
Wow. I really am a monster; aren't I?
"You must think you're so clever,"
My body froze again; Hajime's blood manipulation completely immobilizing me where I stood.
"Don't you, Eve?" Hajime grunted, standing up and wiping the dirt off his clothes.
I could feel myself trying to move, but to no avail.
"You should know better by now,"
He rose his hand up, and I levitated up along with it.
"You're nothing."
He slammed me against the building to my right.
He flashed over to me; looking at my body stuck in the concrete wall. He crept up to my face and stared me straight in the eye.
"You are nothing but a meat sack made for my bidding,"
My arms and legs felt like they instantly exploded into a million pieces.
I screamed and roared in pain along with the troubled souls lingering around me. My scythe fell down onto the ground, but through all my screaming, I couldn't even hear it clank. All the blood in each of my limbs sprayed out of me like a gust of air. The pain was so unreal that I can't find any words to describe it. I couldn't feel any of my limbs—what was I supposed to do now?
"The sooner you accept your fate, the less pain you'll endure," Hajime continued, as he backed away slowly.
My blood that floated in the air above us, gathered together and split into spikes that pointed directly at me.
"Understand?" Hajime smirked.
My screaming finally ceased; grunting and snarling at Hajime taking its place in my throat. I was so overwhelmed with that sense of carnage; the pain from my wounds mixed with adrenaline completely pushed away any rational thoughts that still remained.
"Growl!"
Ash at that moment came between Hajime and I; loud clashing on the other side of the ash. A familiar face that I'd been dying to see appeared before me.
"Rangiku!" I squealed in excitement internally.
"Azumi! Come with me!" Rangiku shouted frantically as she grabbed my still, lifeless arm.
I didn't say a word; this form completely dictating my actions toward her. I looked away from her, snarling and growling like a hungry wolf in Hajime's direction. She wrapped her arm around my torso and tried to leave with me. I noticed she only used her left arm. Out of my peripheral, I saw her dead, withered right arm—did Hajime do that to her?
Hajime's technique was still in full effect, even though he was now fighting. My body hardly budged from the spot it was in; Rangiku had a hard time trying to move me. I heard her mumble something under her breath and take a quick look behind her shoulder. She turned back around and tried with all her might to try moving me again.
"Matsumoto!" Toushirou shouted.
"I'm trying!" She shouted back.
They must have come up with some type of plan; it was the only thing I could think of. If I were in full control—without Hajime controlling the leftover blood in me—I'd probably go along with it.
I felt more light-headed than I already did. Hajime really pulled a number on me with that last move—that was for sure. If I wasn't in this form, I would've already passed out by now.
Rangiku was finally able to move me. She hurriedly tried to escape with me, but the hold Hajime had on me only lessened a little. We were able to move just a few feet, and into the cover of the building that I had just been stuck in. Haineko's ash followed with us as a protective barrier for the time being.
Once we were under the cover of the building; Rangiku called back the ash, and used her kido abilities to create a barrier around us. As the ash cleared, I looked up to see Toushirou up in the sky—thrashed, beaten and wounded—still going up against Hajime. He wasn't going to last very long in the condition he was in...I had to do something.
[.x.]
Hitsugaya Toushirou
I couldn't wait any longer.
It had to be done, even with the two of them still within proximity.
Azumi weakened him just enough for this move to work, but if I gave him enough time to recuperate, we could lose this.
Quickly, I used my newfound form of water manipulation and froze Hajime down on the ground. He had one option: let Azumi go and try to control me with the same technique.
While I had him pinned, I lifted Hyourinmaru to the sky and glared down at him.
"You're through; you'll never hurt Azumi again," I breathed out.
"Hyouten Hyakkasou,"
The storm clouds that had gathered in the sky parted once again; snowflakes floated down to the entire area.
I could feel Hajime trying in a last ditch effort trying to manipulate me, but it was already too late. The snow was too close to him; he was done for. I looked down toward Azumi and Matsumoto to see they had fled further into the crumbling building—Hajime's hold on Azumi clearly gone. As the first snowflake landed on Hajime and he began roaring and grunting in frustration, my bankai began to dissipate. My ice wings began cracking and breaking off in chunks. I was spent; completely, and utterly out of adrenaline and energy.
"Hitsugaya!" Hajime spat out my name as he tried so diligently to get out of my control.
"You think this is the end? You really think you've won?" He snarled venomously at me.
When I didn't answer and the snowflakes were already expanding, he started laughing manically.
"You're such a fool!" He shouted.
"I have no end! Before you know it, I'll be out of this and back at you with everything I've got! You're dead wro—"
The building Azumi and Matsumoto were barricaded inside of burst open from the rooftop. Black tendrils that slithered around like octopus tentacles emerged with the initial explosion. The screaming from Azumi's dark mass intensified so dramatically that I had to cover my ears; losing focus on the hold I had on Hajime.
Azumi surfaced from inside the building; the dark tentacles protecting her against the snow falling in the air. Her arms and legs that Hajime had taken out with his control now had that dark aura of hers around them. Her body glowed like a dimly lit candle, as pieces of the dark mass around her entered into her limbs; no doubt providing her mobility.
"Azumi! No! Get away from here!" I shouted at her in complete panic.
She didn't even look my way; all of her focus was on Hajime.
She rose up her right hand and within seconds, her scythe left on the ground below rose up and retreated back to her hand. The darkness reveled around her, and in an instant, it blew all my snowflakes away from her.
She rose up high in the sky; her wings spread out magnificently and her scythe now held with both hands. The dwelling tendrils of darkness bunched together into one solid mass, then spread out evenly across the entire sky. The entire vicinity was now pitch black, her attack with Yoru no Shedo instantly coming to mind.
Amidst the darkness, a bright, florescent white light illuminated the area from up above. Immediately I squinted from the harshness of the light. After my eyes lightly adjusted, I looked up toward the light; vision blurred but slowly focusing.
An enormous full moon hung ominously above us; Azumi at the very center of it. Her wings completely spread out behind her, and her form poised, elegant, and confident.
She…she looked like…
"Let's hope the angel you've come here for…can save your soul…"
An angel…
Tokiwa's words...
As the seconds passed and I stared at her, I had a realization about her and Tokiwa's words. The confidence, the aura surrounding her, the blood-curdling sounds that emitted from her; she wasn't just an ordinary angel. It all finally clicked in my mind—Azumi's true form didn't save souls; it took them.
Azumi was…
…an Angel of Death.
And not just any death; death that one cannot reincarnate from. She wasn't like a Shinigami; she wiped out souls completely, if not absorbing them for her bidding. Aside from myself and the ones she truly cared about; that was what it came down to.
But strangely…
…none of that even matter to me.
It was because she…she was...
…my angel.
At that moment with her appearance, it couldn't have been more apparent. I loved her more than I ever had for anyone else. It didn't matter what she was—she was my everything.
Azumi flapped her wings, breaking my train of thought as she dove down at Hajime.
Before I could even blink, she swung down her scythe at Hajime; a blinding light erupting from the contact. I closed my eyes from it out of reaction, and when I opened them, the surrounding darkness was gone; Azumi standing there motionlessly with her wings in a dormant position the first thing my eyes focused on. Immediately I flashed down toward her.
Hajime was completely sliced in half.
My ice covered almost all of him; his face was the only part of him that remained. His mask shattered off his face; his dead, lifeless eyes open and staring skyward.
Within a few more seconds, his face entirely turned to ash; sinking into the—now hollowed—ice remnants that once covered him.
Matsumoto arrived at that moment behind the two of us; panting and dragging toward us. I turned to look at Azumi. She still stared straight at the spot where Hajime was; motionless, and eerily silent amidst the grunting of the dark tendrils around her.
"Azumi,"
She didn't even look at me.
"Azumi, are you—"
As I reached toward her, she swatted my hand away from her with one of the tendrils behind her; the action cutting off my sentence completely.
She turned to look at me for a moment.
Her eyes were darker than I'd seen them before, and gave me the feeling that she could see directly into my soul.
"It's over now," I began cautiously.
She didn't reply.
"Azumi," I continued, "you're injured; we need to leave."
She looked back at the spot Hajime last inhabited, then fluidly turned her head to her left, and up toward the sky.
Before I could say another word, her wings unfurled—making Matsumoto and I jump back to avoid getting hit. Once they finished stretching out, she flapped them once briefly, then flapped so hard that she took off into the sky.
"Azumi! What are you—"
She took off quickly in the direction she previous stared toward.
"Where is she—" Matsumoto began, before cutting herself off with our realization.
"She's going after Aizen!" The two of us shouted.
"Taichou, she's running off that mass of energy she controls; when we were in the building, she absorbed part of it into her limbs to give her mobility so she could get back to the fight. Whatever this new form is, it isn't our rational Azumi-chan! We have to do something!" Matsumoto exclaimed.
She was right.
The only problem was that both of us were severely injured.
"Damn it!" I cursed.
I took off after her, Matsumoto right behind me.
-[×]-
Takashita Azumi
Although I didn't control my actual action, my body and I had the same idea: Take down Aizen.
It was risky because of how injured I was, but in this form, I was far more powerful than I had ever been before. Even though I had some serious doubt, I had to give it a shot at the very least. But hey, even if I couldn't take Aizen out, at least Hajime was officially out of the picture.
The visual of the final blow I gave him repeated in my head as I sped toward Aizen. I always imagined killing someone differently—I imagined that I'd be crying like a child, and not looking directly at them when I dealt the final blow.
Looking at Hajime's eyes as they lost all signs of life definitely internally scarred me, but at this point, what's another scar?
I almost feel bad for Toushirou and Rangiku; they tried so hard to protect me from things like this, but here I am, putting myself in harm's way and doing it anyway. But regardless, whether I had control over myself or not, I still would've done this either way. We were in the middle of a war; Aizen's defense could let up because of that, and I might get a chance.
Before I knew it, I was already there. Aizen wasn't 30 feet from me.
Ichigo was failing hard.
I didn't have to look twice to see that Aizen really did a number on him. Ichigo was hanging in there, but not by very much. I had no idea where Tousen and Gin were, but I assumed they were elsewhere fighting.
Aizen looked so different; he had a mask over his entire head, seemingly as if it were skin. Just what the Hell was this? Was he part Hollow? He was a Shinigami previously; when the Hell did this even happen? Then again, I shouldn't have been surprised—I mean, look at me.
In one hit, Aizen sent Kurosaki flying down toward the pavement. It was like he just swatted a fly—which was scarier than I thought it'd be. He looked over at me, resting his hand back down at his side.
"Ah, my precious experiment; what an interesting form," He began.
He waited for a reply, to which I gave none.
"Eve, what was the command I gave to you before I left?" He asked.
Silence again.
"I see; how unfortunate." He replied.
He rose his Zanpakuto up toward me, and without another moment passing, I attacked.
I went in with a direct frontal assault that took little effort for Aizen to block. I swung at him again with my scythe, much more rhythmically and several times. He blocked each and every one—this was bad. Finally, he pushed me back and I flew with tremendous speed into the nearby building. I coughed up from the blow inside my mask; my own blood back-splashing up against my face before finally dripping down my chin. I picked myself up, and used my agility to launch myself back at him.
Evidently I opted for another frontal attack, to no avail. The darkness around me whipped at him as I continued to try frontal, speed attacks. The ones that actually connected literally induced no harm—just what the Hell was Aizen?
Aizen struck me fiercely across my chest; the sheer force of the blow alone enough to knock the wind out of me, and the actual slice so painful I almost lost consciousness. As I flew down toward the ground, a familiar presence caught my attention. Somehow—even though I could hardly control anything—I was able to turn my head to see them.
Toushirou and Rangiku arrived on the scene.
As soon as my wings and body hit the ground, they both were already at my side.
"Azumi!" Toushirou shouted.
"Azumi-chan!" Rangiku echoed.
Rangiku bent down to me and tried to help me up with her one good arm, while Toushirou already had his Zanpakuto drawn and pointed at Aizen.
"Aizen…" Toushirou trailed off, anger seeping through his gritted teeth.
Aizen said nothing, just looked down at us like he was a king looking at peasants.
"Matsumoto, get her out of here," Toushirou ordered.
"Ha—"
Before Rangiku could reply, I quickly was on my feet, my wings pushing her back before they curved inward in front of me.
"Azumi! Don't—"
But it was too late.
I had already formed a Cero and launched the beam directly at Aizen.
As he moved to evade it, I followed suit; almost getting Toushirou and Rangiku hit with the trailing Cero in the process. As the two of them flashed away, the darkness I controlled pushed me up to my feet, and I continued to chase Aizen with my huge purple Cero. It was seriously as if we were playing a game and I was trying to shoot him with a super soaker. He was not taking this seriously at all—he was just playing with me.
Seemingly out of nowhere; he appeared next to me on my right side, and completely lopped off my right wing.
The Cero stopped, and I screeched in pain.
I could hear Toushirou and Rangiku screeching my name in horror as my wing thumped on the ground. In milliseconds, Aizen with a single, delicate movement, slashed me to the ground. Toushirou was on Aizen before I even hit the ground. Aizen dodged Toushirou as I laid there coughing blood all over myself from his blow. I couldn't take it anymore; I had completely reached my limit. With all the trauma I'd endured, I'd never felt as close to the verge to death than I had in that moment.
-[×]-
I could hear faint mumbles in the distance as my vision began to blur. It was surreal; as if I were in another world. As my senses began to fade, my train of thought began to fade along with it. Time stopped, and I was trapped in a void filled with absolute nothingness.
How was long had I really been there?
What happened to my body?
I felt like I was floating in zero gravity; I felt connected with every particle in the atmosphere as if we were one and the same. Every breath I took eased me that much more into euphoria; I had absolutely no idea what was happening to me, but I felt at absolute peace, and I never wanted the feeling to end.
The faint, constant hum that resulted from the absence of outside noise calmed me. At first it scared me, but as time went on, it soothed me and made me feel safe. The security of this completely dark world was entrancing rather than fearsome, and I felt like I could just stay there for eternity.
Within this peace that I was experiencing, a sudden feeling of melancholy struck me. My skin at that moment felt cold; the atmosphere of my environment around me changing. I opened my eyes in the darkness; my feet suddenly tapping down onto the ground beneath me.
I turned my head and looked around; confusion and panic making my heart race.
Where was I? What was I doing here?
"Hello?" I called.
No answer.
I took a step forward; the sound of the step echoing after my call.
"Anyone?" I shouted.
No answer. The temperature around me dropped. I took more cautious steps forward.
What was going on here? How did I get here? I couldn't remember anything.
My distress greatened; a sensation of need and guilt overcoming me. There was something I had to do; something I was forgetting that was more important than who I was, or where I was. I held myself; the temperature decreasing rapidly. I kept walking forward in the pitch black abyss I was stuck in.
"Somebody…anybody….please?" I called.
Nothing.
I started crying.
I knelt down to the ground; shivering and sharply inhaling choked breaths from my tears.
A light breeze hit me from my right; caressing against my face and behind my neck. After a few more seconds of sobbing, I stood up, sniffled, and tried my best to pull myself together. I turned toward the direction of the draft—eyes still flooded with tears—and began to walk. I wiped my eyes, and blinked harshly.
A light.
All tears instantly vanished; all focus on the white light ahead.
I ran.
I ran as fast as I could toward that light; the atmosphere getting colder and colder with each heavy step.
As I ran toward that light, the more it stretched out in all directions. I felt like I was directly in front of it, yet still miles away from it—like I was running to a mountain yet never at the base.
As the last bit of darkness dissipated and the white, blinding light completely covered every inch of my vision; the cold was completely unbearable. I had absolutely no cover; not a single piece of clothing on me to keep me warm.
I shivered uncontrollably, cocking my head back and forth; looking for any sign of life.
"Anyone!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.
An insane gust of wind immediately crashed against me in response.
I quickly held up a guard in turn; the wind spiraling and howling out of control. Wet particles in the wind slapped my pale skin suddenly, making me realize that it wasn't some strange hurricane I was in; it was a blizzard.
As the storm worsened, the more my mind wrapped around the prior forgotten responsibility.
There was something I was supposed to do.
There was somewhere I was supposed to be.
There was…
...someone I was supposed to...
"Azumi!"
My head snapped up at the sudden voice.
Memories rushed through my head like steam rushing out of a boiling teapot.
"Toushirou!" I shouted.
This blizzard, this feeling—it was all him.
He was the reason this was happening; Toushirou was in trouble.
A vortex ripped open in front of me; a view of the outside world displayed before me.
Toushirou and Aizen lingered in the sky; Toushirou visibly heaving and his form wavering. Aizen stood tall—completely unfazed it seemed—toying with Toushirou. I heard some type of verbal exchange between them, but couldn't make out the words. Toushirou slashed his Zanpakuto downward in what seemed like anger, and then brought it back up and held it with both hands—he was going to try to strike.
Before he could do so however, Aizen rose up his hand, and the most terrible feeling I had ever known struck me.
Aizen's next blow…
…would kill Toushirou.
"No!" I screamed.
I lunged forward toward the portal; only one thing on my mind.
-[×]-
Hitsugaya Toushirou
"Why, Aizen; why did you have to do this?" I snarled the question.
We had momentarily paused; the two of us assessing each other.
Matsumoto was taken out immediately and was near death. Azumi was passed out on the ground as well; another body part chopped off and on the ground beside her as if it were a normal occurrence.
"Where is the sense in all this destruction? Killing all the people that cared about you, and for what—so that you can be king?" I shouted furiously.
No response; just a blank stare back at me.
I glanced down at Azumi and Matsumoto below and grit my teeth.
"You're not getting away with what you've done to them, Aizen! Even if I die, I'm going to make sure you rot in Hell with me!" I slashed my sword downward in fury before bringing it back up.
Aizen rose his hand up; his palm facing me.
Before Aizen or I even moved, I was whipped back by something I couldn't even see.
I flew back quite a way; the sudden sound of violent screaming filling the air.
I caught myself, and snapped myself back to Aizen.
No…
"Azumi!" I shouted.
Azumi did the unthinkable.
Azumi had herself wrapped around Aizen from behind in a choke-hold; all five of those dark tendrils she controlled pierced through him…and through herself.
Azumi's mask cracked off immediately—Aizen coughing up blood at the same time.
She quickly bit into his shoulder; completely giving it her all and leaving no opportunity to slip by.
Aizen quickly retaliated by punching her directly in her face; pushing her off with such force that the left over tendrils of darkness vanished, and she flew back from the force.
"Azumi!" I shouted.
I quickly flashed over to her; catching her before she hit the ground.
"Getsuga Tensho!" Kurosaki's shouted, coming out of nowhere back at Aizen.
I landed down on the ground; Azumi choking on her own blood and jerking around from her nerves completely giving out.
"Azumi! Stay with me! Breathe!" I shouted.
I was panicking.
She was going to die if I didn't do something.
Shakily, I set her on the ground and held her with one of my arms. I literally was on the verge of passing out myself, but adrenaline from the fear of losing her possessed me, and I gathered what little reiatsu I had left to try to heal her.
She started blinking rapidly; looking up at the sky.
"Azumi, look at me!" I told her.
I'd never been more scared in my life than at that moment.
My heart felt like it was going to burst from how hard it pounded; a lump formed in my throat from how scared I was that this was the end. She slowly focused on averting her gaze to me, and when she did, I couldn't help myself; tears began to form. She slowly cracked a smile; a weak, half smile that barely turned up a corner of her lips.
Her breathing steadied and her rapid blinking stopped.
"I-It's going to be okay, Azumi," I began, voice cracking with each word.
She wasn't going to be okay.
I lied to her…
I couldn't tell her the truth; I couldn't tell her that she was in such a critical condition above my healing abilities.
I couldn't tell her that it wasn't going to be okay—that I couldn't…
…that I couldn't save her.
She slowly rose her hand up, and cradled my cheek.
Tears freely escaped my eyes at the contact; she gently and slowly caressed my cheek in an effort to wipe the tears.
"H-Hey," she breathed out.
I couldn't say anything; I couldn't do anything…
"T-T-Tou-shi-rou," She continued.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds before reopening them with every ounce of energy she had left.
She slowly pulled her hand back, and held it out in front of me.
She slowly pulled her lips back to show a small, toothy grin.
"S-S-Smi-le,"
She slowly curled her outstretched hand into a fist, and extended her pinky out to me.
I couldn't hold back an audible sob.
She knew this was it.
She knew that this was the end.
She wasn't going to survive this.
This was her way…
Shaking, I stopped the kido, and took hold of her pinky with my own.
I couldn't help but cringe in my frustration and sadness as soon as I took her hand. I broke eye contact and shut my eyes from the tears. I took a deep breath, and opened my eyes to look back at her. Her gaze hadn't faltered; she was still staring right back at me.
I took another breath, and mustered up the best smile I could in the situation. A small, forced, and cracked grin formed, and I was able to hold it for a few seconds.
Her cornered smile widened into a complete, toothy grin.
"K-Keep...s-s-mil-ing," She breathed out.
As her sentence finished, her eyes closed—that grin still dominating her features.
Her chest lifted slowly with an inhale, and upon the exhale, stayed down completely.
"A-Azumi!" I screamed.
The warm finger I desperately clung onto became cold; the rest of her body in my arms following suit.
Her pinky disintegrated in my hand; trailing up her arm.
"No! Azumi, you can't—!"
In an instant, the being that meant the most to me in mu life was gone; her very being disintegrating and blowing away with the wind.
She…
Azumi was…
…gone.
