A.N.: This is written in collaboration with BlueShard20.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Squad Twelve; R&D Dept.
Quiet as a mouse, Kisuke made his way to the back entrance of his old squad's lab, though not before having to disable several traps along the way. The first Director of the R&D department shook his head. "Mayuri, Mayuri," he playfully chastised out loud. "I know you too well that it scares even me with the kind of traps you set up. You must have been prepared this whole time for me to come back, eh?"
Walking to the locked door, Kisuke looked at the security pad next to the doorknob and entered a certain passcode. The pad blipped green and the door opened without pause. He took one step into the doorway and paused for a second. Then he heard his voice on a small speaker above the door. "Welcome back to your lab, O mighty Kisuke, the man with a thousand plans and the most brilliant style."
Kisuke couldn't help the grin on his face. It pleased him that his old greeting recording was still functional after all these years. He pictured in his head Mayuri doing everything he could to disable the recording but to no avail.
But now was not the time for this. He had to get a move on before things got even worse. Closing the door behind him, Kisuke pulled out a small device and turned it on. The device made Kisuke's appearance invisible to the cameras set up along the hallway, leaving Kisuke to make his way down unhindered. Carefully he pulled out his black robe and wrapped it around him, keeping his spiritual pressure undetectable to the scientists inside the labs. Within a few minutes he reached his destination: the surveillance room.
As much as Kisuke was glad he was able to enter his old squad with no trouble at all, as the former head of the department he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. "Senjumaru was right. The lab does need a few upgrades to its security. Oh well. Maybe when this is over…" he pondered.
Opening the door by a hair, he peeked inside to see if anyone was using the room. To his surprise, only his old sidekick was inside typing away furiously on a computer.
"Those unintelligent corpses! Make a mockery of me, will you?! When I find my escaped prizes they'll lead me to the last addition to my collection!" When the oversized screen showed an image of five girls his enraged face twisted to mad happiness and he cackled with glee. "Found you!"
"Oh? So what show are we watching?"
The sound of that familiar voice filled Mayuri with horror. Spinning around in his chair, his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets at the sight of his most hated foe standing in his lab, having made it past his alarms. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Shrugging out of his cloak, Kisuke merely smiled. "Come now, Mayuri. Don't you know I always keep a "get out of security free" card on me?" he said playfully.
"Grrrr!" Mayuri glared at him, showing all the displeasure he had for the man. "I made sure I added more tightened security! You being here this far in my squad so close to me without my knowing is inconceivable!"
Kisuke never lost the smirk on his face. "I love being the inconceivable guy in the room. It reflects my personality."
Mayuri's jaw clenched so hard he threatened to grind his teeth into dust. He didn't have time dealing with this nonsensical man. "I won't exchange further words of idiocy with the likes of you, Kisuke Urahara! Especially when I have my right to reobtain my property. As you can so clearly see on the monitor." The anger in his face melted and switched to twisted glee. "You might have been able to sneak in here, but you're too late. I found Ichigo Kurosaki's little friend and he's too busy dealing with that ruffian to notice once I've procured her. I'm afraid you've lost, Kisuke Urahara. This is checkmate."
"Oh? Could my old assistant tell this humble shopkeeper how I lost when the board hasn't even been set up yet?"
Dismissing his old superiors foolery, Mayuri turned around and went back to typing on the computer. "The numbers don't lie, Kisuke. You of all people can't fight mathematics. I calculate that even if your so-called rescue operation succeeds, which by the way I estimate to be below twenty percent, you and the other fools have come all the way to the Soul Society to be marked as traitors and criminals. I see two hundred and forty seven ways this can end. None of them end well for you or Ichigo Kurosaki."
Kisuke's smirk didn't fade. "That's true. By all measures, Ichigo doesn't have a prayer. But haven't you figured out by now? Ichigo does the impossible. And you've already given me what I want."
Mayuri's eyes widened, realizing that with the images of Bambietta on the screen, Kisuke knew exactly where the Sternritter was. "Damn you! Playing me for a fool!" He reached down and grabbed his sword. "You aren't walking out of this lab alive!" He released his Shikai and moved to stab Kisuke.
The scientist wasn't even out of his chair before Kisuke pulled his sword from his cane. Clashing steel filled the quiet surveillance room as Mayuri tried to kill his former captain. Kisuke did his best to fend off Mayuri's stabs and slashes, careful not to let even the smallest nick wound him. He knew better than anyone what Mayuri's Ashisogi Jizo was capable of.
"You…are not…making it out…of here…alive!" Mayuri huffed in between stabs.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Mayuri," Kisuke smiled even as his back was to a wall. "But I've two lovebirds to reunite."
Mayuri leered as his next stab made it past Kisuke's guard and stabbed him in the chest. "Hah! I've got you this time, you-"
Pop!
Kisuke suddenly exploded in front of Mayuri. The scientist blinked in confusion when he realized that Kisuke had fooled him with one of his pop-up Gigais. "DAMN YOU!" he roared, realizing that Kisuke had never actually been in the room, simply using his Gigai to get information. "KISUKEEEEEEE!"
The shopkeeper heard Mayuri's raging shriek as he slipped through the backdoor and smiled. "Works every time…"
Meanwhile…
Ichigo vs. Kenpachi
The geyser that erupted underneath the bridge finally subsided with the two warriors remained locked in combat, their swords pressing against each other while glaring at each other. Ichigo could still remember the last time he fought the bloodthirsty maniac. He still had the scar from where the man almost cut him in half. Had his Zanpakuto spirits not intervened he would have died right then and there.
Gripping his dual swords tightly, Ichigo put more strength into them and pushed the large man back. The bridge was wide enough to give him enough elbow room to maneuver his blades, crossing them and started to inch Kenapchi backwards, forcing him towards the entrance that lead back to the Seireitei. His senses sharper thanks to Osho's training, he detected someone behind him that was about to attack him. But before Ichigo could focus attention on his new attacker, Uryu's arrows stopped her and kept her in check, leaving Ichigo to face the man in front of him.
But now that his senses were focused only on Kenpachi, he felt the man's spiritual pressure rising, the blood inside the giant man heating up with delight.
Rising out of Kenpachi's large chest came a loud laugh of pure job and unbridled bloodlust. Ending the stalemate, Kenpachi caught Ichigo off guard by jumping into the air. With a mad grin, Kenpachi swung his sword down to bifurcate Ichigo.
Ichigo's sharp reflexes helped him dodged the deadly strike, avoiding the man as he crashed onto the bridge, his slash cutting the bridge in two. The Substitute felt a cold shudder at the man's brutal pressure, seeing the lake underneath the bridge split in two from the fearsome shockwave of the attack. Landing on the ground on the other side of the bridge, Ichigo merely stared in astonishment.
"Damn! His pressure is ferocious!" As the swordsman landed on the ground ten feet away, Ichigo took a closer look at Kenpachi's face and noticed that the man's eyepatch was still on.
Hefting his sword onto his shoulder, Kenpachi cocked his head and grinned. "Lose your nerve, Ichigo? What's the matter?" he taunted, knowing that Ichigo was using yesterday's experience for today's battle.
Ichigo glared back. He could tell that he wasn't the only one who went stronger in preparation for the Vandenreich's second invasion. "No. It's just you're as strong as you were without your eyepatch back when we fought last time. You seem different than when we first met."
"Well, I guess you wouldn't have been able to guess something's changed from the last time we met," Kenpachi chuckled, remembering when Ichigo saved him from Candice and the other Femritters. "Let's just say I…" his face soured for a moment when the words came to him. "I settled an old score with a friend of mine. I learned what real battle was. And now I'm ready to have a real battle with you."
Hearing Kenpachi made Ichigo confused. "A real battle?" The last time they'd thought, they'd almost killed each other. How was that not a real battle? Having no clue of what happened between Kenpachi and Captain Unohana, Ichigo had no idea the depths of Kenpachi's true strength.
Bored of talking, Kenpachi reached for the eyepatch and gripped it between his large fingers. "Enough talking. I remember how strong you were when you faced those chicks who took me by surprised. And I felt just how powerful you were when you and Yhwach tried to kill each other. You aren't taking me seriously yet. Maybe this will get you in a killing mood." As soon as he finished speaking Kenpachi ripped the eyepatch off, releasing his full power. His body pulsed with yellow light from the unleashed energy. The lake behind him once again churned and bubbled in response to the intensity of his pressure.
Yellow death was met by blue conviction. Ichigo countered the powerful wave of pressure emanating from Kenpachi with his own pressure. His spiritual pressure swirled around him like a cloak, keeping him protected from the captain's vicious energy.
Amidst the flaming yellow mountain in front of Ichigo came a deep laughter. Kenpachi emerged with a wide grin on his face. Ichigo was now showing him his full power and he was thrilled beyond measure. "This is it! This is what I've wanted since we've first met, Ichigo! Now, let's fight!" He held his sword out in front of him and said two words Ichigo didn't think he was capable of.
"Drink: Nozarashi."
The raw power coming from Kenpachi's chipped sword swirled around the blade. Its form changed into the shape of a massive battle axe.
Ichigo felt a twinge of terror hit his heart. He didn't know that Kenpachi had gained his Shikai! Yet despite the fear permeating into him, he gripped his swords and refused to back down from the intimidating sight of Kenpachi in all his fury. Bambi needed him. And the only way to get to Bambietta was through Kenpachi.
Faster than anyone could blink, Ichigo Flashstepped in front of Kenpachi and slashed his side with his short sword. His small Zangetsu blade carved through the man's broad side, blood spraying from the wound. After hitting his target, Ichigo jumped back to put distance between them.
A frown graced Kenpachi's face from Ichigo's tactic. "Come on, now. All that training and power and you just tickle me?" he said with a tone of disapproval. "Seems you still aren't serous about fighting me. I thought I said to come at me like you meant it!" He took a step forward and raised his awe before noticing Ichigo making a weak slashing motion with his short sword.
"You mean like this?" Ichigo taunted. "Getsuga Tensho." His blue blast erupted from the sword and hit Kenpachi dead on. He kept his guard up for a few seconds before the man emerged from the plume of dust and smoke.
Kenpachi's frown slowly gave way to its usual smirk, a thin line of blood running down the side of his face. "Now that's more like it…"
Meanwhile…
Rukia vs. Toshiro
The battle between captain and lieutenant was going horizontal. Flashstepping from wall to wall, building to building, Rukia dodged Captain Hitsugaya's ice shards as fast as she could. On occasion she threw up a wall of ice to keep his attacks at bay. She would have used Kidō but Toshiro wasn't giving her an opening.
'He's weakened but he's still a captain. I can't use Hainawa or Riku Jokoro on him. He's keeping a distance and I can't waste energy trying to restrain him.' Seeing an ice dragon heading straight for her, Rukia swung her sword to use her Tsukishiro. A pillar of ice erupted as the ice dragon was passing through, stopping the dragon cold.
The pair were doing their best to keep the fight up in the air and away from any bystanders. The sheer cold from their spirit energies was causing the ground beneath them to be covered in ice and snow. The rank-and-file Soul Reapers who were close by were utterly confused at the turn of events. They couldn't understand why their superiors were trying to kill each other. They could only flee from the battleground as fast as they could, not wanting to end up as ice sculptures.
The cold didn't effect Rukia at all. Mastering Sode no Shirayuki had given her resistance to the freezing temperatures around her. And she knew that same resistance was given to Toshiro by his Hyorinmaru.
Toshiro was having just as hard a time fighting her. Rukia moved around the battlefield too quickly, grace marking her offense and defense. It was starting to appear that the Squad Ten captain could not box her in and finish the fight. They were going nowhere with this and Toshiro knew that was Rukia's intent. She was not actually fighting him. She was just stalling for Ichigo to find Bambietta.
Tired of this chilly dance, Toshiro felt it was time to bring this fight to an end now before it dragged on. He gripped the chain at the end of Hyorinmaru and swung the small blade attached at the end towards the pillar of ice Rukia just made. The half-moon blade smashed into the ice, letting the pillar collapse and fall on top of Rukia.
The rebellious lieutenant jumped away from the fallen pillar before she could be crushed, landing on top of another ice pillar that Toshiro had knocked over. This gave the captain the opportunity to Flashstep down to Rukia's pillar to close the gap between them and make the fight more personal. The first signs of heat began to return to the fight when their swords clashed, sparks flying as they dueled.
Toshiro cleverly summoned a thick wall of ice at the end of the fallen pillar and gradually began to force Rukia back towards it, using the slippery ice at their feet to his advantage. The moment Rukia's back touched the wall, it started to freeze Rukia around it.
"Damn it!" Rukia cursed, struggling to get out of the trap. But her body was freezing by the second. Sode no Shirayuki's resistance to cold didn't pertain to being frozen.
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. But this has to come to an end. Surrender now, Lieutenant," he said, almost pleadingly.
A chilling silence filled the frigid air. Rukia remained silent after Toshiro made his claim, hanging her head. It was clear to Toshiro that the girl had accepted her defeat.
A deep sigh left Rukia's lips. She lifted her head up, her body almost entirely frozen over save for her head and arms. "I didn't want to use this unless I had to. But since you think so little of me, Captain Hitsugaya, I'll introduce you to a new level of cold."
The ice that was slowly encroaching Rukia's form suddenly stopped. Toshiro was bewildered by this sudden trick of Rukia's. He raised a hand to use a spell to further restrain the lieutenant when he discovered something he'd never experience before. His hand was covered in snow.
Then he heard that sharp, familiar sound of ice cracking.
On pure instinct the captain jumped back before Rukia could spring whatever surprise she had in store for him. Upon further inspection of Rukia's trapped appearance, he found that the ice she was frozen in was covered in white snow. The wall of ice was starting to become covered in snow, seeping into the cracks that were forming in the ice.
"Captain Hitsugaya," Rukia started, her face somber. She'd long since known of the comparisons some of the other Soul Reapers made between her and the Squad Ten captain. Now, in the shadow of their battle, she could finally speak her mind. "The Soul Society gave you a lot of names because of your zanpakuto and its power. The one that always stood out the most to me was The Frost Dragon." As if shrugging off a snagging tree branch, Rukia broke free of the ice and slowly walked towards the captain.
"I never really had a name. Since I became a Soul Reaper most people tried their best to avoid me because of my association with the Kuchiki Clan. It wasn't until I became a lieutenant that people started opening up to me. During the Vandenreich's invasion, Lady Yoruichi kept asking what title I should bear because of my techniques. When I told her I wasn't interested in fancy titles, she gave me one that stuck to me. She called me the Dancer of the Tundra."
Having never seen this boastful side of Rukia Kuchiki before, Toshiro raised an eyebrow at that statement while keeping his guard up. "And what are you getting at?" he asked.
"It's just like I told you. I'm going to show you a new level of cold with temperatures that will be too much, even for your ice," she said with a frosty gleam in her eyes.
Toshiro became uneasy as the seconds ticked by. He didn't know what Rukia was planning but he wasn't foolish enough to just stand there and take it. His chest throbbed from where Buzz-B blasted his insides but he fought down the pain and readied himself. "Bankai: Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"
The chill that he'd been feeling from Rukia's icy powers faded from the power of his Bankai as it took hold of him. He flapped his icy wings and glared angrily at the rebelling lieutenant. "I thought your purpose was to delay me, not kill me, Lieutenant Kuchiki?!" he raged. "If you intend to fight to kill, I promise you that I will respond in kind."
"I wasn't trying to!" Rukia defended. "I'm merely bring down the temperatures to immobilize you." She bridged the gap between them with a Flashstep and crouched down in front of him. "Some no Mai: Tsukishiro!"
The ground beneath their feet lit up in a circle. But Toshiro saw the attack coming and flew away from its trajectory before he could get caught. "I'm already familiar with that attack. I won't fall for such a move, Lieutenant Kuchiki!"
The wind whipped above him. He up to see Rukia leaping from the top of the newly formed ice pillar and speed towards him. In an instant he realized her aim. 'She wasn't trying to freeze me. She was creating a distraction and make a foothold to reach me in the air!'
"You won't beat me so easily, Captain Hitsugaya!" Rukia declared. "I'm here to help Ichigo! And it's time I find out how I stack up against you!"
Meanwhile…
Uryu vs. Soi-Fon
The assassin dodged death by inches with each passing arrow. Uryu's marksmanship would have scored him an instant kill were she any slower. She dodged about on the rooftop while trying to come up with a strategy. Sensing what was happening nearby she chanced a glance over at the bridge and saw that it had been cleaved in half by Kenpachi's zanpakuto, the renegade Substitute fighting him on the other side of the lake. 'Brat. How dare you dishonor Lady Yoruichi?!' she thought before turning her attention back to Uryu. "You should have never come back, Quincy."
"You know, for an assassin, you're quite chatty," Uryu teased, firing another arrow from his silver bow.
"Hmph! I'll dispose of you quickly. Then I'll deal with that traitor and his girlfriend." She put her hand on the flat of her zanpakuto. "Sting all enemies to death: Suzumebachi!"
A shudder ran down Uryu's spine as the sight of Soi-Fon's venomous zanpakuto. He was fully aware of what Soi-Fon's zanpakuto was capable of. "And what makes you think you'll sting me twice?" he barked before firing more arrows. He was taken by surprise when Soi-Fon sped up and ducked beneath his volley of arrows. 'She's been hiding her full speed to catch me off guard!'
"What makes you think you ever had a prayer, Quincy?" Soi-Fon mocked. She got too close for Uryu to fire another arrow and readied for the kill. "Now die!" She lunged forward, her needle aimed right at the boy's heart. Even if she couldn't get a second stab in, Soi-Fon would still make sure that she'd puncture his most vital organ.
Her needle pierced the fabric of Uryu's Quincy garb. But Soi-Fon realized that she couldn't sting his body as it failed to pierce his skin.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Uryu mocked. "A Quincy's Blut will block a zanpakuto easily."
Soi-Fon went back on the defensive when Uryu disappeared in a flash of Hirenkyaku. She dodged the next arrow, grimacing as it grazed her cheek, Uryu drawing first blood. "Don't be too cocky," she spat, wiping the blood off her cheek. "Your Blut didn't save the Vandenreich and it won't save you."
This time when Soi-Fon charged, Uryu already had his Blut activated. But he soon started seeing Soi-Fon…multiplying?
"Clones, eh?" Uryu smiled, knowing the obvious trick. "Sorry, but that's not going to work." He pulled his bowstring back further and pooled Reishi into the arrowhead. "Licht Regan." He fired multiple arrow shots at once, destroying all of Soi-Fon doubles. However he noticed that he hasn't hit his true target yet. When he glanced around and saw no sign of her, he realized who her true target was.
Ichigo.
Seeing her jump across the lake, Uryu cursed. "Damn! She's stubborn!"
Flying across the lake, Soi-Fon headed straight for the battling Ichigo and Kenpachi. Her golden stinger glinted in the sunlight as she drew her arm back. "Ichigo, you'll pay for disrespecting Lady Yoruichi with your life!"
"I don't think so!"
Soi-Fon was not prepared when she sensed the next volley of Uryu's Licht Regan. She turned around and saw Uryu following her on a platform made from his Hirenkyaku technique. The air boomed around her as she skidded to a stop, glaring at the Quincy.
His bowstring already drawn, Uryu glared at the woman. "Your opponent is me. I won't let you go after Ichigo."
"You'll die trying, Quincy." As she spoke, her body glowed white. "I'll bury all of you. First you, then Ichigo, and then Bambietta. I'm going to enjoy watching the life fade from her eyes after what she did." The air crackled with power. Soi-Fon's body became enraptured with white wind. "Shunko!"
Meanwhile…
Orihime vs. Lieutenants
"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku!" Rangiku held her hands out and unleashed a stream of chains made of light. "Sorry, Orihime, but you brought this on yourself!"
Orihime gasped as the chains wrapped around her, keeping her immobilized. "Hey!" she squealed, trying her hardest not to lose her footing and falling over.
Rangiku turned to Shuhei, Izuru and Momo. "Go and stop Ichigo. I'll stay with Orihime. She's in need of a good scolding."
But Orihime had no intention of letting the lieutenants get past her. "Tsubaki!" Her hairpins glowed and her spirit appeared. "Cut the chains!"
"You got it!" The winged spirit whirled around in the air, turning into a powerful buzz saw and cut through the Kidō chains. Orihime breathed a sigh of relief as she was freed before putting her hands to her hairpins. "Santen Kesshun!" Three more of her spirits appeared and formed her signature barrier in front of her.
The lieutenants found themselves blocked by Orihime's shield. During her time training while Ichigo was powerless and when she was training with Chad in Hueco Mundo, she learned to stretch out the shield to become a powerful wall to keep enemies from fleeing.
"I'm sorry. But I'm not letting you through!" she declared, putting on a brave face.
Rangiku sighed. "Orihime, if you won't back down quietly, we're going to have to get serious," she warned. She really didn't want to fight Orihime. The girl was like a little sister to her and she couldn't believe she'd chosen to throw her lot in with Bambietta.
"Bambietta has suffered enough!" Orihime insisted from behind her barrier. "She was killed by her own friends. Twice!"
Izuru frowned. "Be that as it may, that doesn't preclude her from what she's done. She's killed our friends."
"She almost killed my captain!" Momo exclaimed.
"And she helped Yhwach almost destroy the Soul Society," finished Rangiku. "Last chance, Orihime. Get out of our way."
"No!" shouted a defiant Orihime.
Izuru drew her sword. "Leave this to us. Shuhei?" He turned to see why his best friend was so silent. The black-haired lieutenant was too busy staring at Orihime's cleavage. "Shuhei!"
Snapping out of his stupor, Shuhei blushed in embarrassment, his weakness to big boobs obvious to this comrades. "Sorry…" he mumbled before drawing his sword. "Since you won't listen to reason, we have no choice, Orihime. Reap: Kazeshini!"
"Raise your head: Wabisuke!"
"Snap: Tobiume!"
Rangiku was the last to release her Shikai. Sighing in exasperation, the lieutenant drew her sword and readied herself. If Orihime wanted to do this the hard way, then so be it. "Growl: Haineko!"
Orihime found her barrier assaulted by the lieutenants' attacks. She struggled to maintain the shield but stretching it out weakened its integrity. Cracks soon began to form. "Kyaaa!" she screamed as it suddenly shattered. When the cascade of golden-yellow pieces ended, she found herself surrounded by a storm of dark ash.
"Stay still, Orihime," Rangiku warned, using the same tornado trick she used on the Tres Bestia. "Move and you'll be shredded."
Izuru turned to his friends. "Momo, you and Rangiku restrain her with Kidō. Shuhei and I will go link up with our captains and go after Ichigo. Make sure to use one she can't cut free and-"
"Sōten Kisshun!"
The four lieutenants were confused when Orihime summoned her healing barrier, surrounding herself with it to keep herself from being attacked by the ash tornado. "What is she doing?" Momo wondered aloud.
"Wait…" Rangiku blinked when the golden-yellow ball grew inside the black tornado. "Her barrier is-" Her eyes widened and she yelled at her friends. "Guys! Get away from there!"
Inside the barrier, Orihime shut her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could. She expanded her healing barrier as big as she could and as fast as she could. The tornado of ash dissipated as it was repelled by the barrier. The three lieutenants standing in front of it were blown backwards, sent flying as they came into contact with the barrier. Rangiku quickly caught Momo while Shuhei used a spell to put a safetly net on a wall, letting him avoid crashing and hurting himself. Izuru landed hard on the ground, groaning before picking himself up.
"She's quite determined…" Momo noted.
"Yeah. She can be like that." Rangiku helped Momo up before housing her ash back into her blade. "I'll give you credit, Orihime. You're stronger than I remember. But you can't keep this up."
"I know," Orihime panted. "But that's why…I'm going to attack." Tsubaki appeared in front of her again. "Tsubaki! I Reject!" The sprite buzzed through the air, aiming at the lieutenants.
"Snap!" Momo shouted, shooting a fireball at the attacking spirit. Her attack was useless when Tsubaki cut right through it. "Oh!" She ducked before Tsubaki hit her.
Seeing Tsubaki head straight for her, Rangiku held her sword out. "Bakudo #39: Enkōsen!" A circular shield appeared in front of her to protect herself. Tsubaki slammed into the shield and for a moment it looked like Rangiku was successful in deflecting Orihime's attack. However, her shield shattered and Rangiku gasped as Tsubaki made it past her defense. She moved at the last second before Tsubaki could hurt her, the attack only damaging part of her top. "That was too close!"
"I'm so sorry!" Orihime felt guilty. Not only was she having to fight her friends but she'd almost hurt Rangiku. She hoped that when this was all over the lieutenants would forgive her after this.
"If you're so sorry, then get out of our way!" yelled Rangiku, getting angrier by the second. Orihime's defiance was bad enough but now she'd ruined her top.
Izuru and Momo turned to Shuhei to see if he had an idea. "Shuhei, do you think you can…Shuhei?"
The lieutenant's eyes were fixed on Rangiku's chest. Orihime's attack had torn through the side of Rangiku's top, causing her breasts to spill out. Shuhei, having always dreamed of seeing Rangiku's breasts, couldn't help but feel the blood rushing to his face.
"Shuhei!" Momo shouted when blood spurted from Shuhei's nose, the lieutenant fainting from the sight.
All Izuru could do was facepalm at the sight of his friend's shameless display. "Good grief. When this is over, Shuhei, we need to have a talk…"
Orihime watched all of this in confusion. "What just happened?"
Meanwhile…
Neliel vs. Kensei, Rose and Ikkaku
The two standing Soul Reapers were shocked at the brutal force the woman showed. Rose had known a lot of fighters but few had the privilege of saying they could put Kensei through the wall. He looked over at Kensei, who was slowly pulling himself up and frowned.
Ikkaku, on the other hand, grinned. He'd always wanted to fight one of the Espadas. His chance had come and gone during the Winter War when he'd lost to Po over the battle for the pillar. He wasn't going to waste the opportunity when it presented itself. "Extend: Hozukimaru!" As his spear formed in his hands he charged at the woman, eager to make the first strike.
Nel blocked Ikkaku's thrust with ease. Ikkaku didn't even make her budge an inch from his attack.
Stepping backwards, Ikkaku continued to grin while he whirled Hozukimaru in the air. The new Squad Eleven lieutenant didn't put much force into the strike but Nel didn't even flinch. It made him excited. He had to give Ichigo credit. He was never short on powerful allies.
Nel blocked his barrage of strikes as he charged. "You're pretty damn powerful, sending Captain Muguruma through the wall like you did." He made a vertical slash and watched Nel block it with her sword. "My name's Ikkaku Madarame, the lieutenant of Squad Eleven. What's your name, Arrancar?"
Not losing her calm expression, Nel replied, "Neliel tu Odelschwanck, the former Third Espada. She pushed back and sent Ikkaku flying off his feet. The man back flipped and landed next to Rose. When he looked up, Nel saw that the smirk hadn't faded. She frowned at the man's lust for battle. Ikkaku reminded her so much of Nnoitora.
As if to prove her point, Ikkaku took another fighting stance. "Well, Neliel…I hope you're ready…for a fight to the death!" This time when he thrust forward he put all his strength into it. But before he could impale the woman with his spear, Nel disappeared from view. "Huh? What the hell-Arghh!"
Rose winced, watching Nel use her Sonido to get close to Ikkaku and punch him in the gut with her fist. "I'm sorry, but I'm not here to enjoy a fight. I came to stop anyone who will try to interfere with Ichigo and his mission," she told Ikkaku as he crumpled to the ground, the man coughing up blood. Rose shook his head. And he thought Kensei was strong.
"I'm sorry too." Rose turned to see Kensei walking up to the fighters while rubbing his aching side, having climbed out of the hole in the wall Nel threw him in. "I guess I'm not mature enough to hold back from getting rough with a woman, even if I do understand why she's fighting." Not wasting anymore words on the conversation, Kensei brought a hand to his face and dawned his Hollow mask.
"I suppose we'll have to, Kensei," lamented Rose. "Truly vulgar indeed. Play: Kinshara!" Rose's sword transformed into a golden whip, a lotus flower at the tip. Understanding of an Arrancar's power, especially after he was almost killed by Starrk, Rose decided to Hollowfy as well.
Nel frowned. "So they can use masks like Ichigo? Well then…" Nel held out her sword. She wasn't about to give the men an opening. "Praise-"
"I don't think so!" Kensei was a blur as he dashed forward. He knew what was about to happen and had to stop her fast. It hadn't been that long when he'd gotten his ass kicked by the blonde, dopey Arrancar when he'd unleashed his Resurección and the memory was still fresh in his mind. Unfortunately, he didn't make it in time to stop her.
"-Gamuza!" Nel's sword release unleashed a powerful force of pink energy. Kensei and Rose were stopped in their tracks by the powerful shockwave. Nearby buildings shook and the ground cracked at their feet. Stepping out of the dust cloud, Nel showed off her new form. She was now a mighty Centaur wielding a massive green lance.
Before either captains could blink, Nel's enhanced speed caught them off guard. Both men barely had enough time to counter her strikes. They Flashstepped away and took in her new sword release.
"Damn!" Kensei grunted. "This isn't going to be a cakewalk, that's for sure." This woman was formidable indeed, for the two captains to have to go on the offensive when they were Hollowfied.
Rose nodded in agreement. "Her speed and strength have improved tremendously. She's called Neliel, correct? She's certainly a different caliber of fighter from the one Love and I fought."
"We can't stand here talking about the past, Rose. We're here to deal with the present. So let's rock this woman!" Still using his Hollowfication, Kensei unleashed another wind blast at Nel and prepared to get up close. He planned on distracting her with close-quarters combat while giving Rose the opportunity to strike and finish her off.
After Kensei fired off his attack, Rose rolled his eyes. "Let's rock this woman?" he repeated and shook his head. "Truly, you're the heavy metal kind of person to say something that screeching." He whipped up his golden whip and prepared to strike. "As someone with a proper sense of music, let's play something more tasteful for a beautiful young lady."
Nel ignored the two's banter while deflecting the wind blast with her lance, seeing Kensei coming directly behind it. What Kensei didn't know was that she'd anticipated such an attack and knew he was trying to bait her into fighting him directly. "Lanzador Verde!" She threw her lance at such a speed that Kensei almost didn't see it coming. Had it not been for the golden whip's head knocking it off course and causing it only graze the outside of Kensei's thigh, she would have taken his leg clean off. The lance continued to travel towards Rose. Not having any time to use a spell, Rose opted to Flashstep out of the way before he was perforated.
Despite the pain in his leg from the graze Kensei still tried to deliver a fierce punch to the woman's face. Nel caught it with her free hand and kept a tight grip, careful to not let go. She knew how powerful a Soul Reaper was when he was Hollowfied from watching Ichigo fight Dordoni and Ulquiorra.
After catching the punch, Nel raised her other hand and her lance flew back and found its way into its owner's grip.
Kensei chuckled at the neat trick. "So that large toothpick of yours can come right back to you, huh? Wish my sword can do that."
Nel wasn't one to waste a moment with talk. She'd learned her lesson from Nnoitora to end a fight quickly. While her mask may have been healed and the threat of reverting to her child-like state was gone, this was still a two-on-one fight with captains. She stabbed her lance into the ground and formed a fist with her free hand. "This fight has to end. I won't kill you. But you are going to wake up with a massive headache." She raised her fist, about to knock Kensei out.
Even in his Hollowfied state, Kensei couldn't break free. Humiliation washed over Kensei like a wave, knowing that this woman was kicking his and Rose's asses and she wasn't even fighting all that seriously. Then he felt a familiar presence he would never say out loud he was glad to see. "Not if my second in nine has anything to say about it."
Nel hesitated and silence filled the air. Even a tumbleweed mysteriously rolled by to convey the mood. "Your what?" She brought her fist down.
Then, from out of nowhere, a blur shot out of the hole Kensei had made and knocked Nel's fist aside with a kick and wrenched the captain from her grasp. The new fighter Flashstepped a short distance and put him down.
"Kensei! That has to be the lamest joke you have ever said in your life! And if you were going to make a dumb joke like that next time, say that it's SUPER NINE that came to save you!" Mashiro pouted at her captain's nonsense.
'Shut up! The last thing I want to hear from you is your nonsense! Now help me beat this woman for crying out loud!"
Mashiro turned around and looked back at Nel while doing a fist pump. "Alrighty! Let's do some fighting!"
Nel took a deep breath and pulled her lance back up, readying herself. 'This time I'll see to it they won't have any more openings.'
Mashiro immediately Hollowfied and held out her hands. "I'll take her out in a flash!" Green energy pooled in her hands. "Mashiro…SUPER CERO!" She fired off the blast, hoping to take Nel out in one blow. Nel smirked at the attempt and reached out with her hand. Mashiro blinked from behind her mask when she saw what Nel was doing. "Kensei…is she eating my Super Cero?!"
Swallowing Mashiro's technique, Nel let it combine with her own spirit energy before letting it back out. "Rahhhh!" went the centaur before firing off her violet Cero Doble.
The three Vizards, plus Ikkaku who'd made it back to his feet, all scattered before they could be blasted away by Nel's attack. "I must say, Neliel seems to be full of surprises," Rose noted.
Mashiro merely cracked her knuckles. "Less talking! More fighting!"
Meanwhile…
Bambietta vs. Femritters
Explosions littered the wasteland. Thunder boomed from the fury of arrows flying. Unlike most of her kind, Bambietta did not opt to use a bow, preferring her sword. She blocked the arrows with ease, her senses sharp as ever.
"Grrr! Why won't you die?!" Candice roared while in midair, firing electric arrows at her former friend.
Bambietta disappeared from her sight, emerging next to her. "I've been training as hard as I can with Ichigo and Uryu these past few months. No way I'm going to lose to you if all you've done is sit in a vat this whole time." She kicked Candice in the face, sending her sprawling to the ground.
"You're certainly stronger than when you lost to that furball, but you forgot something." Meninas appeared behind Bambietta. "Thanks to that freak, we still have our Schrifts. We're real Sternritters. You aren't." She punched Bambietta, hitting her right in the stomach. Bambi coughed up blood as she fell towards the earth, recovering at the last second and landing on her feet.
Bambi's body ached with pain. Soi-Fon's abuse had been brutal and the fours' attacks were doing her any favors. She looked over at the crater where Ichigo had defeated Aizen. 'Ichigo…you wouldn't give up. Even when beaten senseless you never gave in.'
Liltotto appeared in front of her, her mouth already stretching to devour her. "Just give up," she said with blank, emotionless eyes. "You're already beaten black and blue. You might be a little stronger, but you're still weaker than the four of us combined."
The girl's giant jaw snapped at Bambi. Bambi dodged the cavernous maw and backed away from her old comrade. "You-AHHHH!" Bambietta screamed when one of Candice's arrows hit her in the shoulder, piercing her Blut and shocking her. She dropped to one knee, her body starting to go numb.
Giselle casually walked up to Bambi. "Aww, does it hurt, Bambi? I promise it'll hurt a little worse in a bit." She pulled out a small knife and her smile grew. "Remember this?"
"You…bitch!" Bambietta snapped. "How could you do this to me?! I thought we were friends! We were comrades!"
Liltotto walked up next to Gigi. "That's just something you deluded yourself into thinking. We always hated your guts. The way you thought you were our leader sickened me."
Bambietta felt rage burn at her heart. After all she'd done to bring them together, the cold truth stared her right in the face. She opened her mouth to retort but paused when she felt Ichigo's spirit energy over in the Seireitei. "Ichigo!" she gasped.
Candice smirked, landing next to the two Sternritter alongside Meninas. "You talked a big game before but look at you. Turns our you're a damsel in distress after all. Don't worry, we're going to get our revenge on Ichigo Kurosaki after we're done with you."
"And then…" Gigi finished, "we'll take our time torturing your mommy and baby brother."
The injured Sternritter froze. "What did you just say?"
"We heard all about you while we were imprisoned. You've been living it up with your human family this whole time. So we thought we'll reunite you with your family…by having you kill them and making them zombies," Candice sneered.
"Like hell I'm letting you do that to my family! You bitches are lower than even Yhwach! Stay away from them or I'll-" Bambietta was cut off when the giant jaw from Liltotto attacked her again. She jumped back and watched as it carved up the ground next to her feet.
"How many times are we going to say this, bitch?" The small girl spit out the dirt while her mouth went back to normal. "Give up already. I don't really see a point of you fighting anymore when you're obviously going to die."
"This won't even be a real fight since your already half dead. But that's fine with me! Guess we'll just drag this out a bit." Candice's hand spark of electricity while she smirked.
As the four stitched Sternritters cornered Bambi, forcing her back to the crater, Bambi spoke. "Boring?" She chuckled and coughed a bit of blood, Candice's short sightedness comical to her. "Guess I'll just make things more interesting for you idiots."
Bambietta backfliped into the large crater, surprising her former comrades. They couldn't understand why their beaten, insane, ex-leader just throw herself into the crater.
"Well, guess she killed herself? That's a shame." Gigi pouted while hugging herself. "I was really looking forward to turning her into my zombie girl again. We would have been going at it to the max till morning." She drooled at the thought, which disturbed the others.
Candice snapped her fingers with a bit of spark to get the girls' attention. "Enough already! It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth that we didn't kill her ourselves. But we can still use her corpse to get back at her family and that halfblood brat. After that, we're home free!"
Just as she finished talking, a sudden cut appeared on her cheek, blood spilling down her pretty face.
The girls noticed the deep crater was suddenly glowing blue, with Bambietta slowly flying out of it being enveloped with high density Reishi.
"What the hell?!" Candice yells out shielding her eyes from the light. It was bright but they could still see Bambi's glowing figure.
The injuries Bambietta had gotten earlier and during the fight were healing at a rapid pace. Taking advantage of their stupor while recovering, Bambietta decided to gain a bit more time by talking. "Did you morons forget? This was the place where Ichigo and Aizen unleashed humongous amounts of Reishi from their battle a few years back? Taking us here actually did me a favor you dumbasses. So I guess I should thank your egos for giving me an edge." She landed back on the ground, looking pumped up from the boost in Reishi.
Liltotto could hardly believe this. Just when they had her, alone and already half-dead, Bambietta somehow injected herself with powerful Reishi. What was embarrassing was that coming here to this spot was her idea.
Meninas jumped at her with a fist reeled back while Candice was behind her, lighting sparking around her body. Bambietta activated her Blut Arterie in response for Meninas's strength and matched her punch with her own.
The ladies' fists collided and the air shook from the power on display. Bambi surprisingly pushed her back. Candice's unleashed her lightning after Meninas was knocked out of the way. She moved as fast as lightning, aiming to shove a lightning bolt into Bambietta's heart. Her mind was blown when her former friend dodged her attack and maimed her shoulder with her sword. Slamming the hilt of her sword into Candice's face, Bambi watched as the lime-greenette plummeted towards the crater.
Meninas landed on her feet and stared up at the spectacle with bewildered eyes. "How did she do that?!"
From out of nowhere Bambietta suddenly kicked her in the gut and sent her flying. Then looked back at the other two with a glare. "Still think I'm a damsel in distress?"
Candice climbed out of the crater and glared back, gaining a tick mark in her head. She activated her Thunderbolt and let lightning fly. "Don't mock us!" The force of it caused Liltotto and Giselle to step back a bit. "We still have our Schrifts! You have nothing left other than a little boost you just got from your boyfriend's old Reishi. How do think you can still win against us?!" She smirks as Manias returned, brushing herself off from the hit in the gut.
The long raven-haired Quincy returned Candice's smirk with hers, "Well, I'll give you that. But, I guess it's a good thing I got some insurance from my protector." She pulls out something from her neck. It was a necklace, but with something in Bambi's fingertips that could be seen by stitched Sternritters, a Quincy cross. Seeing that made the foursome wide eyed in shock.
"You like?" Bambi smirked. "My mother held on to this after my father left it in his rush. She gave it back to me after I confessed everything. After all…" Her hand balled around the cross and she squeezed it tightly. "What self-respecting Quincy wouldn't be without her cross. And while Yhwach took my Schrift away after Gigi broke my neck, there's one power I still have."
"Vollständig."
A tower of light erupted from around Bambietta, a cross appearing at its top. The four girls gulped when they saw Bambietta emerge in her most powerful form, angelic wings on her back and a halo over her head.
"Get ready, bitches! The Explode is back!"
To be continued