-53-
Not a Pacifist Retreat
Ukitake Jūshirō
Captain of the 13th division
Best friend of Kyouraku Shunsui
He once told Kisuke Urahara, "All of us have the same pride in our hearts. The pride of shouldering the weight of the Gotei 13." Even on days when he felt on the verge of dropping the ball, for any reason, he straightens up and carries on because such was the price to pay for those who choose this life.
The cloudy sky was dark with sepia undertones. Ukitake woke up under the ruins of a collapsed wall. He coughed and sneezed. How embarrassing! He remembered he was fighting, pushing back a giant tentacular hollow when a violent cough took him by surprise. The rest was unoriginal as heck. He wiped the blood on his mouth as he dusted his haori with the other hands. He surveyed his surroundings warily. Fortunately, he probably managed to kill the hollow before the wall fell on him. As good news went, that was it.
A shudder. The earth was shaking every time Ichinose's bankai and that monster moved. The creatures were charging each other with a renewed ferocity, their grunts, and moans filling the atmosphere. He stood back up again, shifting legs. Ukitake could not help staring at the fight with a morbid fascination. He had never seen such a manifestation of a bankai—the scale of this thing. Not only were those beasts currently destroying the Seireitei, but their fight was also now even spilling in the newly evacuated East Rukon-district. He noticed a piece of Byakuya's blue scarf shred and torn away, floating in the wind. He followed its flight absentmindedly.
An object crossed the sky like a fallen meteorite and slammed the ground at an honorable distance behind Jūshirō. Madarame Ikkaku. Looking equally like crap, like something spluttered out the wrong way after a game of pachinko turned wrong, Yumichika Ayasegawa was hovering over him in panic. Before Jūshirō could get to them, Yumichika lifted his companion over his shoulders and disappeared, presumably to go seek help. Soon, more "meteorites" crashed. It was raining officers on the Seireitei. Soldiers were lying unconscious on his path as he made his way through the carnage. Everywhere he looked, it was just despair and agony, his ears filled with screams.
"No one died. "
"Yet…No one died yet."
He remembered Unohana's comforting words. Ukitake froze and turned again toward the Titans fight. He swallowed hard as he watched Rigor sliced Persephone's left flank from his neck to his leg. His blood froze in his veins as a geyser of black liquid sprayed the place, staining his cheek and his collar from where he stood. He closed his eyes in silent concentration. Dust and rocks were floating enticed by a sudden shift in the gravity.
2WEI feat. Edda Hayes - Warriors (Official Imagine Dragons cover from League of Legends trailer)
His hair floating behind him, Jūshirō watched an innocent girl being slain ruthlessly right before his eyes. Yet, it just felt oddly like the usual Monday morning at work. Rigor opened his trap and prepared to unleash his poison one more time. Jūshirō pursed his lips. His usually amiable features were gone, so was his earlier cheery mood. He sobered up quickly. His eyes became hollow. He let go of all restraints. It was time to get serious. A tornado of spiritual pressure rooting from his feet pushed further and further.
"You are too hard on yourself as usual."
"I am tired. I am really tired of this life, Retsu."
"Some days…"
"Are you always going to finish my sentence?"
His doubts silently sealed away by her greedy kisses.
Double uppercut and Persephone slammed a range of columns. Jūshirō's spiritual pressure swept the place away. All of this must have a meaning. If not, it meant his sacrifices didn't mean anything. He heard noises behind him as Archer Scaryscrow landed on the ground, positively ecstatic and relieved he managed to own that bald officer.
Archer tried to catch his breath. The ground was shaking, but he didn't really pay attention to it. Thunder was rolling dangerously outside the crackling dome. Archer shrugged it off. His surroundings were slowly concealed by a curtain of dust. Yet, he was trying hard to open a Garganta back to the Hueco Mundo. This had become too much of a mess for him to deal with. Screw all of them! He wasn't going to die here! Only when he sensed something moving behind him, Archer froze.
Jūshirō and Archer curiously turned to face each other at the same time. Jūshirō slowly unsheathed his swords and separated them. He wasn't even trying to be discreet and stealthy about it. The Primeros jumped away. Archer frowned.
"You're… a captain."
Jūshirō tilted his head. He nodded, seemingly apologetically.
"Man, I don't wanna fight you. I'm just… I'm just passing by."
Jūshirō smiled brightly. Sure, he was.
"Is that something you told Madarame?"
Archer shrugged, caught in a lie. He blinked.
"I tried to tell him I had absolutely no bones to pick here, but he insisted we fight and said something about being unable to use his zanpakutō to its full ability because there were too many witnesses. That was a bunch of nonsense. I don't wanna be here."
"Well, we certainly didn't invite you."
Archer frowned.
"Come on, man, you know how it is. I did what I was told to do. We studied all of you guys. In Aizen's files, you're the one with the big heart, Ukitake Jūshirō, Captain of the 13th division. Look, I'm not a bad guy. I… I just got caught in a bad situation. You understand that. Come on, as soon as I find my way home, you will never hear about me again."
Another terrible grumble as Persephone was crushed against the Outerwall, and the glass dome shattered at once. Jūshirō remained indifferent to all the chaos surrounding him. He knew a little girl who likes cooking for her friends was being slain on that battlefield.
"I see… That's quite a reputation I was given. I'm flattered. Still, I cannot let you go, I'm really sorry."
"I don't wanna fight… "Archer said.
Archer blinked twice. Jūshirō was no longer in front of him. He hadn't finished his sentence that the Shinigami disappeared from his field of vision. Archer turned slowly to realize the captain sidestepped him. He was standing behind him, wiping his blades in the air to clean the blood off them. Archer frowned as he watched Ukitake sheathed his zanpakutō back. The pain hadn't registered yet. He was still gawking, waiting for Jūshirō's response.
"Well, let's not fight then," Jūshirō said with a shrug and a gentle smile.
Archer staggered, leaving droplets of blood on the ground. When? He was standing there one second and the next… The moment he realized what had happened, his eyes widened.
"Do you want me to stay?" Jūshirō asked, concerned.
Archer nodded very slowly, his eyes glazing over, his mouth agape. He looked at Jūshirō again, pain clouding his features all of a sudden. He didn't want to die alone. Was he going to die? Really?
"It won't be long. Don't worry."
On cue, Archer's body split in two, spraying blood and guts everywhere. Jūshirō watched the Primeros disintegrate before his eyes.
"You're right. I am probably the most tender-hearted guy you will ever meet."
He faded and joined Shunsui with Shunpo just in time to lend him a hand against Menoly and Lolly.
"Or the unluckiest..." He finished as he leaned against Shunsui's back heavily. They were back to back defending their positions.
"Hey, Ju-chan. Still busy slacking off?" Shunsui said as he dodged Lolly's Cero attack.
"Can you take care of them alone? I don't like fighting women." Jūshirō said.
"Nope can do. Get an application. Join the club. But for today, we're doing this, Jū-chan!"
Jūshirō grimaced.
"I'm not having a good day at all, Shunsui. I think I got a hangover. Ichinose's bankai is declining quickly. I'm not sure she will be holding on much longer. Byakuya is M.I.A. Madarame… Sasakibe… Komamura are all severely wounded as far as I could tell. It's not a good day at all. Down there, there's a lot of casualties."
"Yup and these two beauties just brought back the Key to open a royal dimension. Let me just say, it's not going to get better. You still want to be merciful and romantic?"
Jū-chan pursed his lips in utter annoyance, his eyes blank. Just once, he'd like the universe to cut him a break as he was nursing a headache.
"Girls were naughty. A spanking never hurt anyone. You're good at that! I'm the funny uncle!"
"You're not the funny uncle."
"I am. I am the one they usually confide in when they got their first heartbreak." Jūshirō said wittily.
Menoly and Lolly were sending Cero blast after Cero blast at the two captains.
"Bakudō #73. Tozanshō." Shunsui said with authority, suddenly tired of dodging. He wasn't getting any younger.
As the spell ignited at a single point, blue energy extended upward to four points and formed an inverted pyramid quickly solidified into a barrier around both Shunsui and Jūshirō. The girls could continue to shoot all the ceros they like, these two would be out of reach. For a little while. At least.
"Shunsui…"
Shunsui turned, suddenly serious.
"They really did a number on Karakura… Didn't you get the hell butterfly?"
"I was busy being knocked unconscious on my own. You're serious?"
"How else would they get an interdimensional Key?!"
"What a pain! I just killed one of them!"
"That's my boy! Keep at it with this spirit! We may come out of this alive!"
"What a comforting thought! I'm tired, Shunsui. Help."
"I love it when you're cranky. You're so cute. I want to kiss you."
Jūshirō became red.
"I hate you."
"You're blushing. I love you too."
"Shunsui, What's the strategy here?"
"Point. Kill. Do it Again."
"If Geren managed to actually open the door…"
"Point. Kill. We're not there yet."
"Those girls are annoying, and they looked barely of age. What are we doing?"
"Like that ever stopped you before…"
"It always did. Stop me, I mean. You're the perv. Not me."
"I forgot you like older women. We all have our fetish." Shunsui said candidly.
"You're still peeved about Yachiru-chan, aren't you?"
"I didn't get to enjoy my night like you and Byakuya, and every fucking guy out there…"
"I'm going to tell Nanao you said that."
"You're too chicken for that."
"What say Byakuya did anyway?"
"Remember that time we all got stuck in a blizzard with Yoruichi and Unohana… Well, Senpai and Kouhai were gone for an awfully long time searching for woods, and the forest still stood intact long after they're gone. I'm just saying it looked suspicious to me. You know how the Kuchikis are known to have a weakness for Shihouin girls."
"You really wanna discuss right now that blizzard where you guys were stranded for three days? I wasn't there. It was just the four of you. And you sure all seemed afterward like the cold didn't get to you. Especially you."
Shunsui grinned. Good memories, indeed.
"Really, you weren't there? Yes, it didn't. We had such a blast." He said wistfully.
Ju-chan snickered.
"I did remember there was a time where he couldn't look in Yoruichi's eyes. That was awesome. That was hilarious!"
"I hope he lives today so we can ask him tomorrow."
"Oh! The joys of being old men, I almost forgot. Shame on me!" Jūshirō burst out laughing.
"I'm telling you this is what I live for. Having wild parties and shaming people over the consequences of these parties years later…"
"Shunsui… you're evil."
"Come on, help a friend, take care of these two for me, will you?! I will go help Soi Fon take that guy down before he does something else, we are all going to regret later." Shunsui said, scratching his back like an old man.
Jūshirō nodded at last.
"I already regret a lot of things. Like waking up this morning. What's one more gotta do?"
"I bet you do, old man. I bet you do. That fifth bottle was definitely worth it, though." Shunsui grinned before he dove in the direction of the Senzaikyū.
"Well, yeah… It was."
Jūshirō shrugged as he shifted in a defensive stance, getting ready to face the Arrancar menace.
"Girls, how about we have a chat you and me? Let's call truce…"
Their answers were a volley of red Cero. Jūshirō grimaced. Another day at work.
Byakuya Kuchiki
Definitely widowed
Sixth Division Captain
Brother of Kuchiki Rukia
Senbonzakura was linked to him by much more than a master-servant contract. But really, he was convinced that a Zanpakutō, like any living being, must know its place in the world.
Shane was counting in his head each compression while Momo was breathing in Kuchiki-sama's mouth. He was giving it his fucking all. He thought he may have even cracked a rib earlier. But in vain, Byakuya's complexion remained strangely violet. He wasn't breathing. He wasn't healing. He wasn't doing anything he was supposed to do, and Shane was getting desperate. He was already imagining having to tell Rukia. Or the ultimate nightmare, having to tell his grandfather Ginrei that his favorite golden grandchild, his treasure died. This would suck.
"Maybe we can't help. Maybe he will feel better on his own." Momo said, unsure.
Honestly, Shane wasn't listening. He would fucking give his own heart right now for Byakuya not to die on his watch. He'd give anything. He doubled down on the compression. Come on, Byakuya! Breathe! He was about to abandon in defeat when…
Byakuya woke up with a start. Gasping for air, he clung to the first thing he found. Shane's collar. Being face to face with his vice-captain only increased his anger tenfold. What was he doing there instead of killing this damn creature? He pushed Shane away with a groan. He pushed them all and stood on wobbly legs. He stared haggardly at two Momo Hinamori. Why were they staring at him like they'd just seen a ghost?! Didn't they have work to do? Byakuya grunted, feeling sick like a dog.
"Kuchiki-Taicho?"
"Kisama! Kss ... Kisama ... Kuso ...Che…"
Shane and Hinamori both remained petrified by the tide of profanity coming out of Byakuya's mouth. Then he fell silent again, staring at the ground, breathing hard. Eyes round, both lieutenants gaped at the captain of the sixth division almost comically.
"Kuchiki-Taicho…"
"Byakuya…"
Byakuya turned to Shane with a glare. Shane nodded. He got the message. Well, that guy was back. No one could call Lord Kuchiki by his name. 100% received.
Tilting his head, cracking his neck, the captain paced to calm down. His fist tightened on Senbonzakura. He took a deep breath. Byakuya assessed his internal injuries at 55-65% of his vital organs. His Shihakusho remained glued to his chest, drawing darker areolas near his stomach. Kuso ... He felt sweaty and just plain filthy in his clothes. He concentrated on gathering his ki to the point it brought to the surface the midnight blue glue he had at the back of his throat. He leaned forward and regurgitated a flask of mucus on the ground. He retched unceremoniously for a couple of strange minutes.
The legendary Captain Kuchiki could swear. Momo was quite taken aback by what she saw. The legendary Captain Kuchiki could vomit.
Byakuya spat again just inches from Momo. She winced. That was disgusting. He just finished shattering her girly world like Aizen. Men were all crude and vulgar beasts. Soldiers were the worst. Shane was crossing his arms knowingly. There was no trace of his earlier outbursts and panic. He looked again, cool, and collected. As for Byakuya, he was standing tall in front of them as if his chest wasn't seeping blood. The Kuchiki Boys! Momo thought. What a strange family!
"Where are the men?"
"I ordered their withdrawals."
"Good."
"Kuchiki-Taicho?" Hinamori interrupted gently. He glared at the young woman before spitting out a bottom of bile, again not very elegantly. He raised an eyebrow peeved.
"Will you be okay?"
He snickered at that. Odd. Coming from him. Was he going to be okay? Did she really have to ask? Did he look like someone getting halfway on the road of being okay? There was no fucking way he was going to be okay! By just looking at the poor girl, Byakuya Kuchiki made sure to convey just that. Until he was actually getting there, no one should fucking ask him if he was going to be okay! Because he was not as of now! Okay, that is!
Persephone had dared to play with his memories. Of all the people present here ... of all the captains. Touching the memory of Hisana. Unforgivable. Use the influence of Rukia. Inexcusable. Pretending to be Keikosuki. Intolerable. This zanpakutō did not know his place in the universe at all. To believe that his master couldn't find it in her to lecture him about Zanpakutō etiquette when she could spend nights in her kitchen, making the best desserts out there. It was inconceivable a thought. That was just basic knowledge. Things people learned the first year of owning a zanpakutō. Byakuya furiously scanned the battlefield below. Kenpachi was fighting with Weavorpine. Ukitake faced a mid-range Primeros. The behemoth held Persephone by his neck. His blood turned cold at once. Fuck. Fuck, that beast was annoying. To lose. To lose above it all. To be losing ground against that Rigor Mortis. Fucking Ridiculous. Unspeakable. Abject.
Byakuya spat again, hands on his hips. His eyes staring at the epicenter of the disaster with pure contempt. Pure hatred.
"Taicho, what shall we do now?" Shane smirked.
The dome above them exploded like a crystal ball. Momo screamed.
"Where did the dome go?!" Momo muttered before she realized it only meant one thing. Ichinose's bankai was declining.
The ghosts disappeared at once.
"Taicho? Taicho? Get up now! Ichinose-Taicho! Please!"
A few hundred yards to their left, Persephone was still fighting a lost, desperate battle against Rigor. Attacked by the Primeros's ashes, the reptile uttered a loud groan of pain before planting its fangs in Rigor Mortis tearing off part of its neck. However, the other monster regenerated immediately, and the bite mark immediately disappeared. With a mean left hook, Rigor broke free from the lizard's grip. The monitor lizard whined on the ground, waving its three tails in the air. The scorpion's tail wrapped Rigor's ankle between its pliers. Rigor staggered, forced to put on one knee on the ground. With force, he tore off the tail with one hand. Persephone stirred on the ground, grunting and moaning in pain. The earth rumbled. With his mouth ajar, the Primeros prepared to release a new cloud of deadly ash over his enemy.
Clash of the Titans - Immediate music
Hands covering her mouth in horror, Momo watched helplessly as her captain was defeated.
Byakuya disappeared to materialize just between the two colossi. Bankai. Senbozakura Kageyoshi. He summoned, unleashing all he had. A huge pink sphere twirling in the air, Senbonzakura formed a temporary barrier against the unleashed poisonous dust.
"Captain Kuchiki!" Shane yelled while holding Momo by the arm.
Byakuya winced in pain. Wrinkles accumulated on his face. Unable to think coherently, he tried to keep his bankai in place. He felt his reishi, the essence of what linked him to this earth, suck in the ash cloud. His soul was literally splitting apart ... and disintegrating ... The interference caused by the ash particles was as painful as a thousand needles tickling his nerve endings. His eyes shone bright and translucent as he displayed resources and skills; he did not even know he had. Senbonzakura's petals soared toward the sky, rising like a tide.
Keikosuki...
Forget the pain. He gradually stood taller, fighting the crush of gravity. Remembering blindly how she fed him earlier, just a teaspoon of her reiatsu, and it satiated him for life. Keikosuki. Forget everything that was not Keikosuki. Forget everything that was not about her smile. About the fact, she didn't belong there. Two unidentified objects crossed the sky at high speed. Byakuya felt his soul dissociating with his spirit envelope. Hold. Hold. Empty yourself of the pain. Empty yourself of everything. He wobbled forward to better secure his position. Fighting the need to close his eyes and yield, he rose his hand slowly and tentatively. He would not fall. He couldn't. Pupils rolled back, hand trembling, Byakuya concentrated all his energy in his fist. Struggling against the flow of energy, he steadily raised his hand toward the sky, ordering Senbonzakura to raise his head one last time. Even if he already fell for her, Kuchiki Byakuya could not fall before her. If his hand was trembling, his will remained flawless. The petals formed an almost solid pinkish wall matching the grotesque size of the bankai of Keikosuki Ichinose, climbing to impossible heights. In a tornado of opposite winds, Senbonzakura rose to the level of the Seireitei turrets, raising the rocks and rubble in its path, destroying whatever was on its path. His feet anchored in the ground, Byakuya did not even have the strength or the presence of mind to withdraw before the two missiles exploded simultaneously on Rigor Mortis propelling him through the Senkaimon. Everything turned white. The power of the explosion was such that it seemed to shake the universe itself. Senbonzakura danced proudly around his master, protecting him and Persephone even from the aftershock, before disappearing one petal after another. Byakuya's face slowly returned to normal. He staggered out of breath. His face was sweaty beyond belief. Darkness covered the Dangai for a few seconds. Then the smoke cleared, giving way to the ethereal glow of the interdimensional window.
Perched on the ramparts, about a dozen kilometers away from Momo and Shane, Kukkaku, the fireworks engineer, Yoruichi, the goddess of Shunpo, and Urahara Kisuke, the Genius burst out laughing.
"This is what I call a cool firework! That was absolutely awesome!" Kukkaku exclaimed, cackling happily. "I had my doubts concerning this half-assed plan! But you did prove me wrong! Like promised, all drinks are on me!"
Urahara arranged his hat on his face smugly. That was amazing teamwork. Byakuya was definitely the MVP here. Oh, and of course Ichinose Keikosuki! Respect! Them. They just happened to be nearby. He was holding in his hands the latest version of his Spirit cannon 8530 with trajectory modulator, long-range aim, and the most important emollient separator of reishi particles. While Yoruichi pointed another spirit particle cannon, also of the latest generation, the Spirit Sesshû 5000, a negationist canon. Urahara had been slow to understand what Rigor Mortis was made of. There was nothing magical about his ability to raise the dead. After analysis and several experiments, he had been able to understand that the Primeros was capable of extreme regeneration, it could accelerate, or slow down, the particles of Reishi in any host. One of the indirect symptoms had been the aging of the mollified spiritual envelope and the mummification of the subject. In other words, he had the power to assemble and disassemble the essential molecules of a soul in a process close to the powers of Orihime Inoue. Thus, by combining a negative charge of an energy bomb with a separating and emollient charge of reishi particles, they had been able to overcome the monster. And if at the end of this long explanation, people were still not convinced of the technological progress this was. It was enough to say to be short, his cannons made a splash!
Urahara sighed.
"Thank you. See, it was not such a bad idea to keep an Espada on hand. Thanks to the results of the exams on Ulquiorra, I could understand what this creature was made of. Sorry to be so late!"
"We are used to it," Yoruichi replied with a mischievous smile of her own. She crossed her arms over her chest with a smug grin.
A complaint arose between the ruins. The side of the monitor lizard was bleeding like a geyser. Persephone let out another groan trying to regain the use of his inferior legs.
"You saved us Kuchiki Byakuya."
Byakuya focused on the ground before him. He wanted to look at that thing's eyes. He really wanted to, but a drop of sweat slid down his forehead to get lost on the side of his neck. He dared not turn around. He dared not move right now… The slightest ... sudden gesture ... and ...
He stared at the gravel. Four small pools of blood lined the ruins under his feet. In a few seconds, they widened. He inhaled gently ... deeply. Everything hurts currently, even breathing.
With a seasoned wrist movement, he let his katana slide towards the ground again. He just had one last thing to do.
Chire. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.
He was not in a reasonable mood. He was in no philanthropic mood. He was furious. He was bubbling with rage. He had never been so angry in his entire life. The feeling was so raw and uneven. His white aura, marked with violence, made a vow of destruction.
Silence.
For a fraction of a second, Persephone's obsidian pupils reflected the horror of the situation, the terror.
"Learn to stay in your place, Zanpakutō." Byakuya slowly said, emphasizing each word.
Millions of petals of Senbonzakura cut into the giant's flesh in a single pass. There was nothing left of Persephone that did not fade like the illusion it was. Byakuya regained control of Senbonzakura and put it back in its sheath in the same spirit.
Lying in a fetal position on a block of stone, Suki Ichinose coughed before opening her eyes. A few seconds passed. Then she straightened up painfully, her look haggard. Byakuya sighed in relief. She looked around her. If her clothes were ragged and stained, the young woman appeared unharmed. He had done everything to balance his strength, however. He did not release his attention until he saw her chest rise regularly. She was breathing again regularly.
"Ichinose-Taicho?"
She turned slowly to him and stared at him as if she didn't recognize him. He frowned. Did she forget about him? She rubbed her eyes, seemingly trying to remove the traces of sleep. She bowed down before him.
"Subimasen! I did it again, it seems. Did I fall asleep?"
"You know where you are?"
Keikosuki slowly got back on her legs, dusting her torn kimono with a pout.
"I had the strangest dream. You were there, Kuchiki-sama."
She turned and faced Byakuya for the first time. She froze again.
"You're bloody? Why are you bloody? Where are we?"
She was picking up a torn piece of her kimono on the ground. On her left, she noticed a missing golden broach that was in her hair.
"Suki…"
Suki looked up, alarmed he would call her by her nickname. Peering suspiciously around, she backed up slowly. Everywhere she looked, there was nothing but ruins and a pile of rocks.
"What ... What happened?"
She slowly stepped toward him.
"You got hurt? Where did you get hurt? Who did this to you?"
She frowned, trying to piece back her memories together. She fell asleep… Why? What an odd time to fall asleep? She turned and turned. Weren't they having a meeting? What was that old man saying back in that meeting? Oh! That she will be… You will be leading the assault, Ichinose-Taicho.
She blinked, her eyes widening at the realization. She inhaled sharply and let out a hoarse sob in front of the ruins of the battlefield. Her gaze froze at the horror. At a close distance, there were a hundred bodies still buried in the rubble where soldiers of the Gotei 13 had fallen under the combined assaults of the enemy and Persephone. Byakuya remained silent, swallowing hard. She put her hands in front of her mouth.
"Oh, no! Oh, no! No! Oh, please! Kuchiki-sama? Tell me. Did I sleep? Did I fall asleep?"
He said nothing.
"I did this. I did this. Did I really fall asleep?! Did I?"
He looked down to avoid having to face her. His day wasn't getting any better. He sighed, feeling exhausted beyond beliefs. He closed his eyes because this was… Keikosuki wandered through the battlefield aimlessly, holding her torn kimono in her clenched fist. She crouched in front of a deceased and watched his soul fade. She didn't have time to touch him. Was this real? She almost let out a piercing scream before she covered her mouth.
"Ah… Ah…I'm sorry! I fell asleep, and he was there trying to help Suki. Persephone."
She stared at her trembling, bloodied hands.
"I swallowed all of them… Not me… He did… I fell asleep. I'm so sorry… I did…I did this? Right? It was me? Again? I did this."
Byakuya tried to help her back to her feet. She could barely stand as it is, shivering like a leaf. She became agitated every time he tried to touch her. He couldn't find the right words. This was so difficult for him. She pulled back again.
"Did I do that to you?"
She brushed the front of Byakuya's Shihakusho.
"Suki…"
"Tell me. Did I hurt you? Did I?"
She sobbed.
"Suki… This was necessary."
"Don't you dare?! Don't you dare call me Suki! Don't you dare lie to my face! Not you!"
Byakuya swallowed hard and nodded. He was wrong to even think like that. He leaned toward her.
"Keikosuki, you did this."
She started to scream and sobbed harder.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I hurt you."
Before she steps back again, he grabbed her trembling wrist firmly. Her olive eyes widened as she remembered what happened. She really hurt him. She whispered between sobs as she remembered all those unforgivable things she did to him.
"He used your wife…"
"Keikosuki…"
"You should have killed me. Why didn't you kill me? He is inside me. He is the ugly side of Suki. I don't know what to do. He will do it again. To help Suki. People will get hurt. Suki will cry. Tell Daddy he should have killed, Suki. I'm no good. I will never be good."
These eyelashes wriggled furiously, trying to trap their sadness and failing. She wiped her tears quickly and let out another dreadful cry at the realization that her face was stained with blood.
"This must stop… I want it to stop. Please make it stop. Tell Daddy, I'm sorry. I won't do it again. He must let me go… I am not good enough. I am a monster. I can't help being hungry all the time. I can't help doing these things. Please make it stop, I beg you."
Byakuya said nothing. Persephone was Suki's zanpakutō. Yet, like Senbonzakura with him, he knew a zanpakutō tended to embrace the personality of his carrier. So, it's not like he didn't realize there were some ugly truths in what she said. She really couldn't help it. She really could do it again.
"You did good, Keikosuki."
"No. No. No." She shook her head frantically, taking several steps back.
Byakuya limped closer to her, leaving stains of blood on his path. He held her arm firmly as if he was afraid, she would disappear from his sight.
"Don't ever say that again…Never. Don't ever ask me to take your life again."
"But it's the only way…"
"Don't ever hurt me like that…"
Instinctively, his hands naturally found their way to her obi. He spread the sides of her kimono open and pulled the haori of the fifth division off her shoulders for one minute. It was far too big for her, anyway. He threw it on the ground. Terrorized and petrified as she was, she offered no resistance as he undressed her in the middle of the battlefield. Seeing a bloodstain on his collar, Suki sobbed only harder.
"I didn't mean to hurt Kuchiki-sama. I did not want..."
"You didn't!" He snapped. "You could never hurt me. You hear me? You can't hurt me like that except when you say you don't want to live."
She stared at him, unsure.
"You can't say you don't want to live."
She just looked at him, confused. He absentmindedly hugged her waist, and she almost jumped out of his embrace. With a grimace, he removed his own haori, spared considerably by the gore of the battlefield, only stained at the ends and draped her little body in white yukata inside. There, she looked better.
"I know Keikosuki is scared. I want her to know that there is no point in being afraid when I am by her side."
She looked up, shivering like a leaf.
"Kuchiki-sama?"
"You did good, Keiko. You really did exceptionally well tonight. "
"But, I betrayed your trust."
"Can't Help Falling in Love" Cover [DARK VERSION] (feat. Brooke) / Produced by Tommee Profitt
He pulled her gently towards him while untying the remains of the blue scarf around his neck with one hand. Slowly he touched her cheek to remove the traces of gore and soot. She nodded obediently, her mouth in heart shivering in the wind, her eyes veiled in tears. He froze with the rag at the corner of her lips. He cradled her for a few seconds in his arms before whispering in her ear.
"You woke up, Keikosuki. When I call you, you woke up? This is really all that matters to me."
Suki stared at him.
"Actually, that made me very happy, and I haven't been this happy for a long time."
His gaze softened as he hugged her a little harder.
"And when you feel up to it again… Will you cook for me?"
She didn't take her eyes off him, too surprised to be able to react. She just stared with wide eyes. His eyes… Kuchiki-sama's eyes were stormy grey.
Bleach OST 3 #17 Soundscape to Ardor- Shiro Sagisu
Byakuya hit the ground hard, immobilized under his own wife's foot. Hisana twirled Senbonzakura above her head with expert hands, a cruel smile on her face.
"So Kuchiki-sama doesn't want to die for me! The "me" he claimed to love! The Poor little slut he picked up on the street!"
He tried to regain the use of his legs, but with a single kick to the face, ruthlessly opening his brow bone, she sent him crawling back on the floor. He crawled pathetically to tear himself away from Hisana's fury.
"If he really loves me, Kuchiki-sama will die for me. If he loves me, he will die neatly. Make me happy, Kuchiki Byakuya!"
Persephone shouted sadistically, stabbing him over and over.
He kicked her away, and with a jump, he regained the use of his legs. He had to review his policy of non-violence towards women. Hisana recovered quickly and struck him again with Senbonzakura's guard. She twirled the saber on the sides before targeting his neck. He dodged in time. Senbonzakura embedded itself in an old oak tree. She laughed. He quickly realized that she was just having fun with him. He was just having fun with him. Dancing all around him, dodging his attacks and crossing his defense. No matter how he thought, Hisana would never doubt his love. On the head of these ancestors, that Hisana had never fought like this! No matter how much he said to himself, he remained troubled by the vision. This thing was starting to piss him off seriously. Senbonzakura crossed his chest mercilessly. He lost his balance and fell heavily on his back. If only his brain could stop taking this for reality. Failing to wake Keikosuki up, he had to wake himself up. This illusion could not have had that much of a hold on him.
"This is for all the times when Kuchiki-Sama forbade me to go find my sister in the Rukongai. I could have found sooner if he just let go!"
Had he really forbidden her? He blinked as Senbonzakura cut through his flesh again.
"This is for almost letting Rukia die, you, sanctimonious prick!"
He collapsed. Yes, he could not forget his guilt. He could still see a young red-haired boy dismissing him from his responsibilities. With a broad smile, Hisana lifted Senbonzakura up in the air before hitting again.
"That was for letting me die! I deserved better!"
A fresh spray of blood-colored his frail wife's neck. She swirled the sword between her hands. He waited for the new impact, which never happened.
"Persephone, what are you doing?"
Hisana froze, holding the sword above her head.
"Suki…"
Senbonzakura fell to the ground with a metallic noise. Byakuya looked up, the corner of his lips painted scarlet.
"Keikosuki ..."
Keikosuki was facing her own reflection, holding Senbonzakura. The weapon in Persephone's hands turned into a tessen.
"This is Impossible, you ... are ... Suki is …"
Suki crossed her arms against her chest and shook her head, angrily.
"Persephone does not know its limits."
"Suki-Chan, it's me ..."
Eyes veiled in tears, she looked up at her zanpakutō.
"I did this for Suki-chan. Suki-chan is getting stronger. I protect Suki-chan, who is too easily distracted by ..."
"Kuchiki-sama is the limit." Keikosuki said.
Persephone's eyes widened in surprise. This was not happening. She was not choosing this man over him.
"No, I'm fighting for us. Suki can close her eyes. She does not have to worry about such things. I'm fighting to ... protect Suki-chan."
"The way you protected me from Daddy. The way you protected me from Natsuki-chan? Is that it?"
"No, it was an accident. Suki knows it was an accident. She was trying to wake up my mistress, and Suki-chan was so depressed. We didn't do it on purpose. We just couldn't help it."
"She was everything to me. You took her away from me!" Keikosuki cried.
"No, Suki shouldn't cry. Natsuki didn't want you to be happy. Not I am not the enemy. I protect Keikosuki. I protect Suki-chan! I make her strong! She can face the world with me by her side."
Grabbing Persephone's throat with one hand, Keikosuki lifted Hisana's frail body a few inches above the ground. Persephone shifted again in Yamada.
"Silence!"
The world around it changed, like the shifting of thousands of pixels in a video game. The Kuchiki mansion and garden gave way to the inner world of Keikosuki Ichinose. A green valley like the plains of... White clouds floating very low ... In the distance, a castle perched on the hill. Byakuya straightened a little, getting back to his feet painfully.
"Suki…"
Persephone struggled in the air for a few seconds before Suki let go.
"I am awake now. My eyes are wide open! I will take over. Now."
Persephone lowered his head.
"Suki, I can't let go… If I do that, it will weaken our defenses. We will be risking everything. Just for nothing… We will lose. I know what is good for us. I did my best… I'm the one who fights for Suki."
"I said, shut up!"
Persephone frowned.
"I said Kuchiki-sama is the limit! Free him! Free them all! Such ... such is my will. Free Kuchiki-sama! Persephone let him go! Now!"
"But if I do that ... I can't do that… I need to Protect Suki."
"You never understood me. I'd rather die. I'd rather this end here than hurt Kuchiki-sama. So, let him go! Please!"
Byakuya witnessed the scene without being able to intervene. He closed his eyes with the idea of joining forces with hers. Doing something for her… But when he reopened them, Shane was leaning over him. He was back on the battlefield.
She passed out. While he recalled the last events, Keikosuki fell asleep against him. Her muscles relaxed; her fan hit the ground in a metallic jingle. He stared at the object for a moment, almost expecting Persephone to show his nose again, almost daring it to. He was tempted to abandon this weapon of doom on the battlefield. But he realized that, unfortunately, as Senbonzakura was part of him, that thing was part of Keikosuki Ichinose. He lifted her easily, wedging her head in the hollow of his neck, like one carries a sleeping child, and leaned over to pick up Persephone. However, walking was difficult, and he marched slowly to meet Unohana, who had just passed the Senkaimon with her men. He vaguely recalled Shane trying to recover Suki in his arms and Hinamori embracing his waist before tilting forward. His knees hit the ground, and he looked up at the sky, holding to her sleeping form. One drop after another ... It had started to rain.
"Can't Help Falling in Love" Cover [DARK VERSION] (feat. Brooke) / Produced by Tommee Profitt
Rain conjured sweet patterns upon her skin, he noticed, washing away the grim leftovers of the battle on her round face. I am a monster. I can't help being hungry all the time. The sudden downpour covering his face at the same time concealed the sanctity of Kuchiki Byakuya's sadness.
Wise men say…
He stared at the sky above their heads, ignoring everything happening around him, drowning all the noises.
Only fools rush in…
You could never hurt me. You hear me? You cannot hurt me like that except when you say you don't want to live. He held onto her as his blood covered the ground where he was kneeling.
"Byakuya, it's Retsu. Let go! Byakuya, can you hear me?! Let us help you!"
He wouldn't let go; his arms clenched around her like iron. He stared at the sky, observed the clouds rolling further away. Unohana crossed his field of vision. But his eyes remained unblinking. He had just realized with a touch of irony.
He was hungry.
For life.
For her.
To the point where he could almost understand Persephone's gluttony, making him closer to that beast than he would care to admit.
He looked down again, and Keiko was sleeping soundly. She was even snoring a little, her body incredibly warm against him, her face, the picture of innocence. He progressively closed his eyes.
"It will be okay. Byakuya." Unohana said, encouraging Shane to move away so that she could take his place by Byakuya's side.
She watched the reflection of the sky in his empty eyes. She patiently waited until he closed his eyes to hold him firmly in her maternal embrace.
"It will be okay," Unohana whispered, nuzzling his head firmly, her eyes filled with determination.
A/N: See, I'm done torturing you guys. Hope, you enjoyed that chapter! It's another one of my faves! I gave it my all. As for Yoruichi and Kisuke, I feel it's more important to understand the motivation of the characters than to give them a label. Instead of describing her as a lover, I described her as a free-spirit with an open-mind, a sense of humor and not much taboo or boundaries. She has an appetite for life. She is also unafraid and bold. She will challenge conventions. Kisuke is definitely her person and her best friend. She is the only one who will give it to him straight when he is full of it. He is the one she will sacrifice anything for. Including her titles and her freedom. It's what she did when she ran away with him. There is a reason for that. I'm not gonna call it a conventional romance since Yoruichi loves and cares for a lot of people. Including Soi Fon and Byakuya. So I respect all those who ship them too. In my story, she had sex with all of them, being Byakuya's first, and training little Soi Fon into becoming a deadly assassin. She has special feelings with all of them. The thing is Yoruichi is free to be awesome in my book. Shinigami live long lives, especially military lives, imagining all of them are living the monogamous life would be quite boring.