Everlasting Reflections: The Moon Underwater
Arc II: Dawn of Dreams
Chapter 38: An Uneasy Reunion
"What happened to her?" He asked while narrowing his eyes. "Aizen had gathered an army of powerful Arrancars and she is one of them. Currently, they are gathered in the Karakura town in order to have a decisive battle against the Captains of the Soul Society. Lord Orkos wants you to get her out of the battle because he can't come out in open in front of everyone," she answered him. "Hmm, I will go but not because Orkos wants me to and if this is a trap then he won't breathe again," Sesshomaru said in a strict manner before leaving along with her to the Present.
After some time in the Battle of Fake Karakura Town, World of the Living…
A fierce battle was going on between the Shinigamis of the Soul Society and the Arrancars of the Aizen's army. Suddenly a moment came in that battle which shocked everyone, a lot of blood splashed in the midair because Aizen just slashed one of his comrades. The victim was an Espada and that too none other but Harribel herself, who was fighting against Toshiro, Hiyori, and Lisa. "I am done with you. It seems you are not strong enough to fight for me," Aizen told her in his usual egoistic and calm tone. She stepped back a bit with her hand tightly wrapped around the deep wound at her belly while her eyes were wide opened with the shock of Aizen's unexpected betrayal. "I…I don't understand…" She murmured in a weak voice. "Isn't it obvious? Even if I made any more of you sacrifice yourselves, it would achieve nothing. I went through a lot of trouble to gather you Espadas but I have never expected that your gathered strengths will be inferior to that of mine." He spoke further in a serious tone.
Aizen's statement shocked her even more than she already was but it didn't take her long to realize that in whom she had put her trust, for whose sake her Fraccions died and from whose side she was fighting for this long, he was merely using her all this time for his own selfish plans. Now her anger reached its peak, she chafed her teeth while looking towards him furiously and the next moment, rushed towards him with all of her remaining strength to put into one final blow. "How troublesome," Aizen spoke normally in a calm tone just as her weapon hit him at the right side of his abdomen. For her surprise, even after receiving such a powerful hit, Aizen had no expressions of pain or disturbance on his face. While she was extremely confused and rapidly losing her strength and consciousness, suddenly Aizen's body got shattered like glass. It didn't take her long to realize that she ended up attacking an illusion and the next moment, she felt a sword slowly penetrating right through her skin at the back of her left shoulder. "Don't make me go through the effort to swing my sword twice on the likes of you," Aizen said while stabbing her from behind but before he could have slashed her completely, a turquoise colored wave of demonic energy shoved him away from her.
The scenario greatly shocked each and everyone present over there, especially Genryusai Yamamoto, because the person who just saved Harribel was none other but Sesshomaru himself. The Daiyokai moved quickly and caught the falling Harribel in his arms while Aizen had deflected the energy wave by now. "Lord Sesshomaru, long time no see. Besides, I had no idea that you will step into this battle only for the sake of a lowly Arrancar," Aizen spoke in a bit playful manner but Sesshomaru ignored his words and began to retreat from there.
Harribel, on the other hand, tried to get out of Sesshomaru's arms but he didn't allow her to do so and said, "Do not move and try to save your spirit energy." Harribel was feeling as if her strength is fading away while she was also furious and frustrated by Aizen's betrayal and also because of the way Sesshomaru was holding her in his arms since during their last meeting around 50 years ago, she refused to even recognize him. All of a sudden Genryusai Yamamoto stood in his path and stopped him. "I don't know how did you manage to come back to the Present again but how did you penetrate this barrier when my Lieutenant was guarding outside it?" Head Captain Genryusai asked him in a slightly strict manner. "Both your Lieutenant and barrier proved to be fragile against my might and now I must leave," Sesshomaru replied to him and left from there while Soifon grunted upon his rude response to the Head Captain. On the other hand, both Kyoraku and Ukitake wondered about why did he save an Espada.
"It is interesting to witness a demon so desperate to save an Arrancar, moreover Harribel who never allowed any men to even come close to her, accepted his aid with minimal resistance," Gin spoke while watching Sesshomaru fleeing with Harribel in his arms. "There is nothing to wonder, Gin… after all, both of them are merely a kind of primitive monsters," Aizen responded to Gin's words. "You are right, Captain Aizen..they are acting according to their beast-like survival instincts. It is so unfortunate that there are so few like us who hold the insights and understanding of this world along with the ability to act in a righteous manner."
Meanwhile, in the Feudal Era…
Oddly Yang hadn't reached the Present yet while Sesshomaru didn't notice it since that time he was quite occupied by the news he got from her about Harribel. She was roaming here and there throughout the lands as if she was searching for someone and suddenly she confronted an infantry unit that was heading towards her. They were looking exactly like that of shirtless human soldiers, it's just they had pale blue skin with white hairs. Yang stood still while those soldiers seized her from all sides. The next moment, she suddenly attacked all of them by releasing fire in a circular fashion that scorched almost all of them but then she deliberately allowed herself to get caught by them. "What happened bitch? Lost all of your fiery power already?" The unit captain spoke to her furiously. "Take me to your Lord you insects otherwise I will burn all of you down to the ashes right away," Yang warned them with a confident smile at her lips while they were holding her tightly. "We are already ordered to find all the powerful females regardless of any race and present them in front of our Lord so consider your wish granted," one of the soldiers replied to her. "hmm, that's better," Yang responded gladly.
The Urahara Shop, World of the Living…
Sesshomaru had managed to bring Harribel to Urahara's Shop despite all the harsh words and attempts of pushing him away by her. "Where have you brought me, you damn monster? Want to take advantage of me while I am injured?" She said to him furiously as he landed right in front of the shop's main gate. Like all this time, he chose not to respond to her and thus he immediately rushed inside the shop. "Where is Kisuke Urahara?" He asked the moment he saw Jinta and Ururu. Bewildered by the scenario, Ururu dropped the duster which she was holding while Jinta immediately rushed inside to call both Urahara and Yoruichi instead of replying to Sesshomaru.
When they heard the news of Sesshomaru's arrival they got shocked and immediately rushed to him but what shocked them more was the fact that he was holding a female Espada in his arms and moreover she seemed to be critically injured yet was struggling to get free from his hold. "Wha..What's going on?" Urahara asked with great amazement. "Who the hell is she?" Yoruichi also asked shockingly. "They are the Soul Reapers, aren't they? Wh..Why have you brought me here? Answer me now!" Harribel asked Sesshomaru abruptly in an utterly frustrating manner. "Just shut up for a moment," Sesshomaru responded to her in a strict tone. Both Urahara and Yoruichi were watching them shockingly with dumb expressions since they were utterly lacking any clue about the situation.
"Urahara, can you heal her?" He asked. "Umm… sure, just make her lie down over there," Urahara replied while pointing towards a bed with a confused face. "The very sight of you makes me sick," Harribel mumbled angrily while glaring towards Sesshomaru. "So… what the hell is happening?" Yoruichi anxiously asked Sesshomaru. "She is injured by Aizen," he replied. "Then why does she seem to be so angry at you? Who is she?" Yoruichi asked in a serious tone. "She is the same female Hollow whom I was seeking when I came here the first time, around 50 years ago." He answered.
To be continued…