Chapter 36

The Holy Moon

Arashi had a rather large problem on his hands, larger than any he had ever faced before. Renji's Hihiou Zabimaru sped toward him, and for a number of moments, his mind became a total blank. Being attacked with a Bankai, and from the likes of Renji Abarai, was something he hadn't calculated.

That didn't mean it was something he couldn't handle. He mouth curled into a wicked smile.

"I guess Aaron wasn't the only surprise awaiting me," he remarked, leaping high into the air to avoid Renji's opening strike. He smacked his lips at Hihiou Zabimaru's snake-like body contorting on a dime, hissing as it opened its jaws to devour its meal. "Not bad. Still, that's too slow to catch me."

He Flash Stepped away from death's door, reappearing dangerously close to Renji. Having to whip around such a large object would obviously leave its owner quite vulnerable. He intended to make his opponent pay dearly for being foolish enough to think such a cheap trick would work against him.

"Hey! You're not just fighting him!"

But before he could deliver the final blow, Aaron, like he was apt to, got in the way, deflecting Arashi's blade with his own. The two skidded away from one another, Arashi's expression transforming into one of irritation for the first time today.

"Indeed," he said. "I haven't forgotten about you, Aaron. So, you two want to do this the hard way then?" He eyed his sister Kana, who jumped in fright due to how hard he was scowling. She had never before seen him so upset. "All I wanted was my sister, but if you two have that much of a death wish, I'll be more than happy to oblige you."

"W-Why are you doing all this?! This isn't like you! Please, Arashi, stop it!"

Kana hated this. She hated everything about Arashi right now. His speech, his demeanor, everything he had done since he nearly killed Aaron and Rukia. She felt pathetic for crying yet again, but these tears weren't for herself.

They were for a brother she had lost somewhere down the line.

"Do I really owe the likes of you an answer, dear sister?"

Arashi's statement cut her like a shard of glass. Her face suspended itself in terror.

"I don't believe I do," he went on, his voice as abrasive as sandpaper. "Don't talk as if you actually know me. Where have you been the last few decades? We've been in the Tenth Division together from the start, but you promptly forgot about me the second you met other people. Our Captain. Rangiku. Rukia. And when you went off to the Human World without a care in the world, you abandoned me for a bunch of humans. While you stayed there doing God knows what, I waited for you to come back. And waited. And waited."

His cold, amber eyes moved themselves upon the unconscious Akira Akiyama.

"She was the only one who stayed by my side. Even after what happened with Heishiro, even after you left the two of us to suffer alone, and even after I begged and pleaded with her to leave you be all these years. I defended you, and yet…you chose him."

His icy gaze set itself on Aaron now. The recipient said and did nothing.

"Even after you were captured, you would go on and on about him. Every time I came to visit you before they threw you in that tower, that was all you had to say to me. I never realized I meant so little to you, Kana."

"T-That's…that's not…!"

"Save it. If I really cared to hear you groveling at my feet with half-hearted apologies, I would've asked for one a long time ago."

So, this was all her fault too, just like the situation with Akira. Arashi was right no matter how much his talk made Kana's heart ache; she should have kept a better eye on him. She should have been something akin to an older sister.

But now, it was too late.

"You want revenge too then? You think everything you said justifies what you're doing?" asked Aaron. "You're no better than Akira."

"No," said Arashi after some contemplation. "While I may have my issues with my sister, I don't want her dead. Everything that is going on is far bigger than our little family, Akira included. I've already told Kana this, but there is something going on here in Soul Society, something the likes of the Gotei 13 has never seen before. As you have likely figured out by now, it involves my dear sister, and your Rukia Kuchiki."

"And are you a part of it? You already have Rukia; is that why you need Kana so badly?"

It was a question that everyone there already knew the answer to. Arashi smiling from ear to ear merely confirmed it.

"Now isn't that the million dollar question?" he brightly remarked.

"Get out of the way!" growled Renji to Aaron. "We're not gonna get any information out of him by just talking!"

He chose not to wait for Aaron to move to safety, launching his Hihiou Zaibimaru at Arashi once again.

"Fool me once, shame on me," started Arashi, drawing his Zanpakutou. "Fool me twice, well…

"Flood everything in sight, Ekitai Ouji."

Kana had seen this before, though not on this scale. Her brother's sword changed into an orb of water, one that split into four smaller ones. They gradually warped into the recognizable shape of Shinigami, Shinigami that bore an unmistakable likeness to…

"Arashi…?"

Standing face-to-face with a bunch of clones wasn't anything new for Aaron. In fact, the mere sight of them made his stomach turn. He got more than his fill of duplicates having to face Seigetsu during his Bankai training.

The ones before him were made of water though. Gawking at the now five Arashis in total confusion, he was unable to determine the real one from the fakes.

Neither could Renji's Bankai. It clamped its jaws down on one of them, only for the alleged victim to burst into water. The liquid drenching Hihiou Zabimaru suddenly reformed into another mob of Arashis.

In unison, they all pointed their swords at the skeletal snake and said, "Way of Destruction Number 32: Yellow Fire Flash."

From the tips of their blades came a rainfall of yellow energy beams that shredded through Renji's Bankai and scattered its many segmented pieces.

"Whoa!" cried Kana. She had to dart out of the way to prevent a few from crushing her, not that she was worrying about her own safety as she snickered like an old, evil witch. "Of course someone like Renji would have a Bankai that's a fragile as bubble wrap!"

She stuck out her tongue, formed her right hand into the shape of an L and plastered it over forehead.

"Priorities, Kana!" snapped Aaron. "We're on the same side here!"

"Let her talk," said Renji, smirking confidently. "Hey, loud mouth, watch this!"

As much as Kana yearned to nag his ear off for his slight, she was left both speechless and amazed at the broken pieces of Hihiou Zabimaru rising into the air. They flew toward one another, snapping back together piece by piece until Renji's Bankai looked as good as new.

"B-But that's cheating!" voiced Kana.

"Screw you!" replied Renji. He wasn't sure why he expected Kana Mitarashi of all people to drop a grudge and be appreciative of him endeavoring to save her life. "Hihiou Zabimaru isn't so fragile. It's held together by my spirit power, meaning I can detach and reconstruct it at will. Sorry, but your brother is going to have to try a lot harder than that."

"Duly noted."

No one was sure when or how, but the legion of Arashis managed to encircle Aaron and Renji. The two Shinigami backed into each other, with Renji's Bankai coiling around them and forming a shield.

"What's your deal?" Renji asked Aaron, his eyes darting all around at their many enemies. He wasn't sure which one to crush first. "Can I count on you to have my back?"

Aaron nodded. "I can pull my weight, if that's what you're asking. You up for this?"

"I don't care how many of these bastards I have to take down! I'm getting Rukia back!"

Aaron found himself eager despite the harsh odds. "That's the spirit, I guess."

He Flash Stepped himself away from Renji and got the reaction from Arashi he hoped for; a number of the water clones went after him, leaving only a pair remaining with Renji. Aaron figured if he could split the numerous Arashis up, he and his new ally would have an easier time dealing with them.

"W-Why'd most of them have to come after me though?" he griped at the sight of five clones about to sink their swords into his flesh. "Glimmer, Seigetsu!"

With his released, oversized Zanpakutou, blocking the bevy of attacks was child's play. Now came clearing the enemies and giving himself some breathing room, something Seigetsu could also arrange.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

He drove his blue tachi downward, and a huge torrent of energy swept across the Arashis before they had time to react. A trail of smoldering destruction was all that was left in the path of Seigetsu's wrath.

"Were any of those the real him though?" Aaron wondered, slinging his sword over his shoulder. "Huh? How about that? I'm actually getting used to this thing's weight."

Seigetsu's rigorous training was to thank for that.

"Do not let your guard down, Aaron. He is still around."

Hearing the calm but stern voice of his Zanpakutou's spirit in his mind, Aaron nodded put a more secure hold on the end of his weapon.

Renji was doing a fine job of fending off his foes even though their numbers had swelled to over a dozen. With a whip here and a whip there, Hihiou Zaibimaru barreled through all the Arashis and reduced them to puddles.

"Just how many clones can this guy make?" asked Renji, breathing heavily. Aaron might have presumed otherwise, but his current strategy wasn't working, apparent by each pool of water giving birth to another pair of Arashis. He grit his teeth at being surrounded by nearly thirty of them. "C-Cut me a break already!"

"What the hell…?" Aaron felt his skin grow cold and clammy out of shock. It was like they were up against a hydra. Kill one head and another came to take its place. Seigetsu's duplicates had been nothing like this; they stayed down once dispatched. "How are we supposed to…?"

Drip. Drip. Drip. Aaron did an about face, hearing water dripping from somewhere behind him. He promptly located the source trailing down a nearby pipe, growing into a sizable body of liquid.

"You know Aaron," he heard someone say. He became rigid. The voice came from the large puddle. It slowly warped into a familiar shape, and before long, Aaron was gaping at yet another Arashi, "you and Abarai could have made this so easy. Do you think I like picking on the weak like this?"

Maybe it was stupid of him to take his focus off Arashi for even an instant, but Aaron granted himself a brief glimpse at Renji wrestling against the army of clones. His Bankai drove off one, but another got behind him and slashed him on the back, then another cut his shoulder. There were just too many to keep track of.

"You don't seem to have a problem with it right now," answered Aaron, on the verge of returning to Renji's side. The Arashi before him would no doubt make it hard. "Where's the real you? Too afraid to fight us yourself?"

"Nice try, Aaron," said a humored Arashi. "You won't catch me off guard like that."

Oh well. It was worth a shot.

With diplomacy failing, Aaron settled on bring Seigetsu down on the duplicate, splitting it clean down the middle.

"You should know by now you're wasting your time," the two halves informed him.

"Really now? Let's try something else then!"

The sight of Aaron gathering crackling, yellow energy into his right hand elicited genuine shock out of the water clone, but not nearly as much as when he shouted, "Way of Destruction Number 63: Thunder Roar Sear!" and let rip a huge concentration of lightning. It not only evaporated the clone in front of him, but pierced through and destroyed the ones near Renji too. Speaking of Renji, Aaron's Kidou half near fried him too a crisp as well; the top of his red hair was smoldering.

"W-What the hell was that?" he asked apprehensively.

"I think I've figured it out," announced Aaron as he made his way over to Renji.

"Don't leave me in the dark over here."

"I don't know how I didn't figure it out before." Aaron slapped himself on the head, half smiling. "We're dealing with water clones. Water clones. I didn't pay much attention during science class, but I did remember that water and electricity tend not to mesh well."

"I gotcha. Looks like we've finally got a way to beat this bastard."

Kana stood by as the two high-fived, saying, "K-Kidou? I didn't even think of that. Aaron's pretty good…"

No, that was an understatement. Aaron was using level sixty Kidou without an incantation as if it was as easy as breathing. Even the higher seats of the Gotei 13, Kana included, were hard pressed to do such a thing. His spell hadn't even been that much weaker than the fully chanted version. As he rubbed the back of his head and chuckled at Renji's unheard joke, Kana truly felt she was in the presence of a brand new Aaron Higuchi, one capable of doing whatever he set his mind to.

"Boy, oh boy." Arashi lazily rested his head in his palms, regarding the three below from atop his high perch. "I didn't think you guys would figure out my Zanpakutou's weakness so soon. Kudos to you, Aaron."

In the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of Aaron and Renji.

"It's not just weak to electricity though," continued Arashi, paying next to no mind to how wound up the two were. "Ice and intense heat will do the trick too. How fortunate I am the neither one of you have a Zanpakutou with those abilities."

"You've got a rather loose mouth," said Renji. "Thanks for telling us how to beat your little sword. You're gonna regret it in the end."

"Is that so?"

Another legion of copies spawned at Arashi's left and right. Aaron didn't bother counting them; it would only depress him since there were so many.

"The reason for my 'loose lips' is simple, Abarai: Even if I tell you how to defeat my Ekitai Ouji, the two of you are still doing to die here today."

Confident words. They were also weren't her brother bluffing. Kana took this to heart and sprang into action.

"That's enough, Arashi!" she bellowed. She no longer felt any fear or trepidation. Resolve shined on her face instead. Arashi did as she requested and didn't stir, willing to let her get off whatever was on her chest. "I don't know what it is you need with me and Rukia but…if I come with you, you have to promise to let these two go!"

"Hey, stop running that fat mouth of yours already!" barked Renji

Kana ignored him. This wasn't the time to let his taunting get to her. "I'm ready to go whenever you are, Arashi. You're in a hurry, right?"

"That sounds more than fair to me. You have my word, sister, that no more harm shall befall these two," said Arashi. He put some stock into his claim by dismissing his water clones. "It's nice to have someone here listen to reason."

"Don't do this, Kana," warned Aaron, having a hard time to deciding on which Mitarashi sibling to keep watch of. "Don't play into his hand. If you go with him, there's no telling what's going to happen. He and his cronies caused all this chaos just to get a shot at getting you and Kuchiki together. Don't let them win. You're stronger than that."

A weakening will wasn't the problem. Kana shook her head. "You both have done enough. I…can't ask you to die for me no matter how much I want to be saved. I've been thinking about it, thinking about everything long and hard. All this is…pointless. Even if you beat Arashi, the rest of Soul Society will be after you. I convinced myself we actually had a chance at doing this, but the longer this drags on, the longer…"

Her speech trailed off there. The last thing she took in before passing out was Aaron's somber face as pointed his finger at her and whispered, "I'm sorry."

No fair CT, she thought, the light fading from her watery, scarlet eyes. No…fair.

"W-What did you go and do that for?" asked an unnerved Renji, leering at Kana lying motionless on the ground. "I mean, I'm not really complaining you finally got her to shut up, but…"

"You even know that sort of Kidou, Aaron?" Arashi was intrigued as much as he was pained by what happened to his sister. "…You're something else, aren't you? You'd make one hell of a Shinigami in the Gotei 13. Maybe you even have what it takes to be a Captain."

"Thanks, but I'm not interested," said Aaron. "And Kana would've kept running her mouth for hours if I hadn't done that." He exhaled deeply, taking a stance that made it clear he had plenty of fight left him. "You're not getting Kana. The only way this is going to end when we stop you right here and now."

"And we'll get Rukia back!" stated Renji. Hihiou Zabimaru hissed.

"You two are talking about the impossible," said Arashi sharply. Maintaining his composure was becoming harder the longer this conflict dragged on. "I've wasted more than enough time on the likes of you, time I didn't have in the first place. I'll crush you, crush you so thoroughly that you'll regret even in the next life ever having the nerve to face me."

"He's pissed," remarked Renji, overjoyed. "Good."

"He's not the only one," said Aaron, chewing on his bottom lip. He craved to drive his sword through Arashi's frigid, black heart, yet he was keen on allowing the younger Mitarashi to make the first move. "Let's watch him carefully. There's no telling what he'll do next."

Arashi chose to go with an old but reliable move; his army of liquid copies reemerged. There were even more of them than ever before. Being hopelessly outnumbered, however, did nothing to daunt Aaron. He let another round of Thunder Roar Sear fly when the clones swarmed in for the kill. His Kidou took out roughly half of them, but the remaining had no urge to avenge their fallen kin.

"Heads up, Abarai!" shouted Aaron. The rest of the clones surged past him, knocking him off his feet, and zeroed in on Renji. "What the…?"

Renji wasn't using Kidou to dispatch them. Renji wasn't doing anything at all to defend himself actually as the enemies got closer and closer, leading Aaron question why.

Blushing some, Renji couldn't admit out loud he could barely do a low-leveled Destruction spell without blowing himself up, let alone pull off something like what Aaron had.

"I've got something better than Kidou! Come on, Hihiou Zabimaru!"

His Bankai roared vigorously before opening its mouth to form a glowing, red sphere.

"Hikotsu Taihou!" proclaimed Renji, and Hihiou Zabimaru fired a mammoth beam of energy that not only eradicated the water clones but kept going until its light bathed itself on the real Arashi.

Having never considered Renji capable of such power—the second time today he had underestimated the Vice-Captain—Arashi didn't react to the danger he was in until it was moments away from reducing him to ash. Grunting, he held out his Zanpakutou and began blocking the Hikotsu Taihou, no easy task considering how much it pushed him back. No, it wasn't just that. With his eyes widening like saucers, he realized he couldn't hold it back at all.

"H-How…?"

The blast swept him off his feet, threw him into the side of a building and nuked a good portion of the area while it was at it. Debris slowly rained down like ash from an active volcano.

"…Alright. That's one way to do it."

And this particular way suited Aaron just fine. The more explody, the better in fact. He only wondered why Renji hadn't done something like this sooner.

He got a good idea when Hihiou Zabimaru's segments broke apart and didn't reform like they had before.

"D-Dammit," said Renji, struggling to catch his breath. Sweat drizzled down his head. "That really takes a lot out of me. Rest now, Zabimaru. Sorry for putting you through so much."

"That probably didn't take as much out of you as it did Arashi," remarked Aaron with a laugh. "Seriously though. That was incredible. Your Bankai is the real deal."

Renji faintly smiled. "I'm gonna need to recharge for a bit. Anyway, what do you want to do about them?"

Aaron turned to Kana and Akira, pursing his lips. "We just have to get Kana someplace safe. If Arashi really wasn't the only one after her, that's a definite. We'll do the same for Rukia once we figure out where she is.

"Akira, on the other hand, should know what Arashi and whoever else was planning and where Kuchiki is, so we just have to find a way to get the information out of her. I'll let you do the honors if you want."

Renji didn't hesitate to say, "Gladly."

He then froze. He didn't see it until it was too late. Aaron didn't see it at all. They hadn't taken out all the water clones after all. One was moments away from latching onto Aaron. Renji shoved him out of the way and was knocked over instead. Before he could reform his Bankai and defend himself, the Arashi suddenly changed form, becoming the spitting image of a watery, hammerhead shark. Its powerful jaws tore into Renji's right arm, spilling blood all over.

"What the…?!" Now Aaron got a proper grasp at what was going on. Renji screaming in total anguish was as good of a wake up call as any. "Way of Destruction Number 4: Pale Lightning!"

He got rid of the shark, but the damage had already been done. He shot his hand over his mouth as he inspected the horrific damage to Renji's arm. It would be a miracle if he would ever be able to use it again.

"S-Stop the bleeding," Aaron muttered to himself, striving not to panic. He tore a lengthy piece of bandage off himself and wrapped it snugly around Renji's arm. Blood soaked right through it. It wasn't working. "Crap, crap, crap. I don't know any healing Kidou…"

"I'm fine!" protested Renji, pushing Aaron away. He wasn't foolish enough to try to stand, however. He was already getting dizzy. "D-Dammit! I let my guard down…"

Aaron knew he had too. He bit his bottom lip. If he hadn't been so careless, Renji would still be in one piece.

He faced the other way, already knowing who would be there waiting for him.

"Don't look at me like that," said Arashi heatedly. He might have just come out of the fryer because his skin was burnt to a crisp. The top part of his black robes had been blown right off by Renji's blast. Finding him so heavily damaged came as some relief to Aaron, though he was more baffled at how Arashi was still alive. "I'm the real thing alright. That really hurt though, you know."

"It was supposed to do a lot more than that."

"And I had meant to kill Abarai there, but sometimes things just don't go our way."

"B-Bastard!" snarled Renji. He cursed his body for keeping him down when it really counted. It still hadn't recovered from fighting Byakuya Kuchiki. "You're a god damned coward!"

"Oh, please. You would've done the same thing in my situation," argued Arashi, spitting out a glob of blood. His whole body was sore. "Playing the 'noble hero' is nice and all when everything is well and good. If I've learned anything as of late, it's that things tend not to go your way, even if you set the pieces on the board to act exactly as you anticipated."

"You don't get it, do you?" said Aaron, feeling his anger surge. "People aren't just pawns for you to use in your sick, twisted game."

"You're wrong," said Arashi almost at once. Aaron recoiled. "You think you and your friends have been in the driver's seat this entire time? What if I told you I've been manipulating your actions since the beginning? What if I told you I'm the reason you even stole my sister's Shinigami powers to begin with?"

'Nonsense' was the first word that came to Aaron's mind. He laughed and shook his head. He almost fell for that one.

"And how would you manage to do something like that?" he asked.

"Good. You're skeptical. I would've been rather disappointed if you just believed me just like that. You're wrong though. I've lied to you about a lot of things, but this isn't one of them.

"With Abarai incapacitated, it's fitting you of all people would become my final obstacle. Then again, you've been opposing me from the very beginning."

Aaron was lost now, and he didn't bother trying to hide it with his expression.

"We've clashed before, Aaron, though it's always been indirectly. Do you remember the Fishbone D you fought the night you met my sister? I was the one who modified it to be able to split itself and even use Cero. Did you not think it was strange a Hollow of that caliber, one even unseated officers in the Gotei 13 can usually handle, could do such things? You becoming a Shinigami and Kana losing her powers in the first place was admittedly unforeseen, but now that I think about it, perhaps it was better that way."

"S-So what if you know about that Hollow? Kana could have just told you what happened. T-That doesn't mean…"

"Still skeptical, I see. Fine. Then do you remember Solidtongue? That Hollow had the ability to turn invincible as well as pierce even diamond with its prehensile tongue. Why? Because I was the one who created it with that in mind. What I didn't anticipate was Kisuke Urahara showing up and destroying it. Though I gathered valuable data, losing Solidtongue was still a huge blow."

"Sworddread was another success, stronger than the other experiments before it. You and your friends even found a way to destroy that one though. My compliments. At least I gathered more data. I even got some interesting data on a Quincy. That's not a bad trade, don't you think?"

Aaron wasn't sure what to think. The color drained from his face. Nothing Arashi was talking about made any sense. It shouldn't have been possible.

"Next were those Gliders that showed up at your school's sports festival festival. They went off the rails; I only sent them to observe you and my sister. They weren't supposed to attack. Fortunately for me, you got rid of them, meaning no harm befell Kana in her powerless state. Sorry for them ruining your fun, by the way. I simply couldn't trust the information Akira gave me. She was spying for both me and Gin, but there was no telling if he had her under some sort of Kidou that would cause her to feed me the wrong info.

"Do you see now? Most of those Hollows were sent by me. Think about it. Why would a bunch of Hollows on that level go to a small town like yours? There isn't anyone there worth devouring. Had you ever seen that much activity there before? You're telling me you noticed nothing out of place?"

Aaron might not had, but his friends sure did. Kana, Sasune, and even Urahara all mentioned how odd things had been in Hino the past few months, and it all started the night Kana arrived in town. Even he had to admit he would be a fool if he thought everything was a mere coincidence.

"W-Why?" he stammered, trying to find some loophole in Arashi's story, something that actually made sense. "Why go to so much trouble? What were you trying to accomplish?"

"I just wanted data," said Arashi. "I knew my sister would be stationed in your town. That meant there would only be a single Shinigami there. It also meant I had the perfect testing ground for my creations. Kana may act like a fool, but she is a very powerful Shinigami. By having her fight whatever I sent there, I would get optimal data."

"Y-You wanted to use your sister as a…test subject?"

That was beyond twisted to Aaron. He could hardly even process such an idea.

"You make me out to be some kind of monster, Aaron. I just told you that her strength is not to be estimated. Even if things had appeared grim for her, I would have pulled the Hollows back. You took her powers, and you handled the challenges before you quite adequately.

"Besides, Kana is to blame for going to the Human World to begin with. If she was going to be so insistent on shirking her duty, I was going to find a way to make use of her."

Aaron felt his head spinning. "Y-You were the one who sent Akira to spy on her then?"

"Yes, in a manner of speaking. Like I said, she was working for Gin as well. I needed someone to keep an eye on my sister's movements and inform me if she did something that could potentially endanger herself. You as well as I know my sister well; that was just about an everyday thing."

"Were you…also the one who sent all the Hollows to Karakura Town?"

"I can't take credit for that."

Aaron merely stared at him.

"Oh, come now," said Arashi, annoyed. "Why would I lie about something like that? I've been rather forthcoming thus far, haven't I?

"While I wasn't the one behind what you're asking, I'm guessing Aizen must have been. Yes, that sounds like something up his alley. He probably wanted data like me or to verify something. As to why he would send a Menos Grande too, I'm just as lost as you are. I'm impressed you and your friends managed to repel it though. That was no meager feet. Was that a test by Aizen as well?"

"Who the hell is Aizen?" asked Aaron. Whoever it was, his gut was telling him it wasn't an individual he wanted to bump into anytime soon.

"H-He can't be talking about Captain Aizen," said Renji, whose eyes were as wide as saucers. Aaron still had no clue who they were referring to. "He's dead!"

"Oh, that's right," said Arashi. "You guys still don't know the truth about him. Well, I guess I won't ruin the surprise. He really doesn't have anything to do with me anymore, so…"

"Aren't you working with him?" said Aaron, who suddenly couldn't run out of things to ask.

"At one time, yes. However, we've gone our separate ways. Aizen is a fool, unfortunately. He sees Hollows as nothing more than tools. That's wrong. They're lifeforms even above us Shinigami. Doesn't he see that?"

Both Aaron and Renji were assured only Arashi felt this line of thinking wasn't completely insane.

"They should be revered, not hunted down like mindless animals! Their power to evolve is unlike anything we've ever seen before. Just look at Abarai. He can't do anything right now because he's made of flesh and bone, just like the rest of us. Hollows are different, however. They can rapidly regenerate any wound, survive things we Shinigami couldn't even dream of. Can you imagine having that sort of power?"

Aaron didn't have to. He cringed, remembering how much turmoil his Inner Hollow had caused. His mind then flashed back to Hitomi Takibara, the spirit that haunted the cake shop she once lived at. She certainly wouldn't have been praising the Hollow that nearly made her its afternoon snack. And what about Konoka Mitsumi? What about the Hollow that killed her parents? She would have already broken Arashi's neck if she heard him speaking so highly of the monster that made her an orphan.

"Sure, there are some Hollows that know right from wrong," he stated, thinking of Sharpscale. "But they're few and far between."

"Couldn't you say that same about you humans? What about Shinigami? Nobody is perfect, Aaron."

Opening his mouth to counter, Aaron couldn't come up with anything.

"Are saying we should open up a goddamn church for Hollows or something?!" cried Renji. "What the hell are you on about?! What the hell is wrong with you that you'd go so far as to mess around with Hollows and even sick them on your own sister?!"

"There's nothing wrong with me," said Arashi, narrowing his eyelids. "There's something wrong with all of you. You insist on closing your minds and following whatever drivel Soul Society feeds you. We're the ones in the wrong, Abarai, not the Hollows.

"When I was much younger, my sister and I lived on the streets of Rukongai. We had to fend for ourselves. It's a rather boring story, so I'll spare you the details. I heard your upbringing was about the same, Abarai, so you should know very well how rough that was. The point of my tale is that one day, Kana and I were attacked by a Hollow. We nearly died. Heishiro arrived just in time and somehow fended it off. It nearly cost him his life. I had never seen such power. I'm referring to, of course, the Hollow."

Aaron already knew that. That was why a chill had shot down his spine.

"Ever since that day, I've wanted power like that, the power to protect one's self and do as one pleases. I joined the Shinigami Academy when I was old enough and became a Shinigami, but it wasn't enough. It hadn't been what I was longing for."

"You seem pretty strong enough to me," said Aaron. He wasn't saying that as a compliment.

"Yes, I've gained much strength as a Shinigami. I've trained long and hard over the years, but it still hasn't been enough. Many here in Soul Society protest using the power of a Hollow. They find it rather…disconcerting. Their ignorance is stifling. Isn't it impressive how Hollows can devour others and claim their victim's strength as their own? I can see no logical reason why we Shinigami shouldn't desire to learn to do the same."

"Is that what you're after then? An easy way to increase your strength?"

"What's wrong with that? You make it sound like it's a bad thing, Aaron."

"Just listen to this spineless coward." Renji was grinning. Despite how much blood he was losing and the fact he was barely clinging to consciousnesses, he was grinning from ear to ear. "There's always some chump who wants a handicap, a free way to the top. You're trampling all over the pride of the rest of us who worked our asses are to get where we are! You don't deserve to wear those robes! You don't deserve to carry that Zanpakutou!"

"You're still talking?" Arashi frowned. "My, Abarai, you certainly are a glutton for punishment. Who is the one lying there like the pathetic mongrel he is?"

"Y-You son of a…!"

"That's enough!" shouted Aaron. He couldn't let this opportunity pass him by. They had finally got Arashi talking. "You still haven't told us why you're doing this and why you need Kana and Rukia."

"Let me ask you something, Aaron," said Arashi, pointing at him. "How did you manage to obtain those Hollow powers of yours? I have been searching for a method for years. How could a mere human like you have figured it out, but not me?"

There wasn't a chance in hell Aaron was going to answer that.

"I see," mumbled Arashi. "Fair enough. I wouldn't reveal the secret either. I will answer your question though. Actually, it has to do with everything I've spoken of thus far. It's to acquire the power of a Hollow. I am very close, you see, closer than I have ever been."

"Close enough for you to set up this whole execution?"

Arashi sighed. "Have you not been listening? I already explained I had nothing to do with that. No, that was all Aizen's and Gin's doing. Remember, I helped Rukia get out of the Repentance Tower as well as stopped the Soukyoku from executing Kana. Aizen and Gin murdered Central 46 awhile back. Any and all orders that have been coming from them have actually been coming from those two."

"Enough already! Captain Aizen wouldn't do something like that!" said Renji. "He's dead for crying out loud! Everyone saw his body hanging from the east wall!"

Arashi ignored him. "They are also the reason the execution date has been moved up so many times. I believe they are growing impatient and wish to execute their plans as soon as possible, before anyone realizes something is amiss. They might also be fearful, fearful of me."

"…How do I know you two aren't working together?" asked Aaron. "Everything you're telling me might be a load of crap."

"We were working together at one point, but I came to a disagreement with them, one that couldn't be reconciled. I split away from them and decided to do things my own way.

"Actually, Aizen was the one helping me to modify Hollows. We met long ago due to our mutual interest in the creatures."

"This guy has lost it," Renji told Aaron. "He's completely off his rocker."

Aaron wasn't so sure he was. "And where is this Aizen now?"

"Beats me," said Arashi, shrugging. "I don't really care what he or Gin are doing so long as I beat them to the punch. They're going to be coming after Kana and Rukia as well, probably sooner rather than later."

"…I think he's telling the truth," said Aaron. He confused even himself with what he was saying. "There has to be someone working behind the scenes, someone who hasn't show their face yet. All Arashi would have had to done was sit back and let the execution happen. I don't think he would be doing all this and risking himself being punished by the other Shinigami if that weren't the case."

"Good, Aaron. You're starting to get it now."

"Sure, but I'm still going to stop you. You aren't taking Kana or Kuchiki."

The elation on Arashi's face dropped like a rock. "…Or maybe you don't get it after all. You think I'm the villain here? Oh, trust me, once Aizen and Gin realize you've screwed up their plans, you and your friends are as good as dead. Not to make myself look like a weakling, but even I'm still a bit wary about crossing Aizen.

"But that's enough talking. If you two are still intent on stopping me, well…"

Aaron's instincts kicked in. He grabbed Renji and Flashed Stepped away from Arashi, who had vanished in the blink of an eye and nearly skewered them.

"W-What the…?" Renji had no clue what had just happened or how Aaron had gotten Akira and Kana on the rooftop with him. "W-What kind of Flash Step was that?"

"Renji," said Aaron, who felt his heart thumping uncomfortably in his chest. "Stay here and watch these two for me."

"There isn't a chance in hell, I'm not…!"

"You and I both know you aren't in any condition to fight for the time being. I'll get Kuchiki back. I promise. Let me take this guy on alone though. I want to be the one to defeat him."

Aaron had no idea how much he was asking of Renji. The Vice-Captain closed his eyes tightly, yearning to protest with every fiber of his being. This fight was as much his as it was Aaron's. Both of them had a reason to want to beat Arashi. Both of them had loved ones counting on them. Yes, he felt he had every right to beat Aaron black and blue and handle things himself. He sighed.

"…I've been doing nothing but getting my ass kicked, haven't I, Zabimaru? You must really despise having such a pathetic master." He held his Zanpakutou up and let sunlight reflect off its blade. He gave it a piteous once over before turning back to Aaron. "…Can you do it, kid?"

"I don't have any choice, do I? I'll beat him. You can count on it."

"…Then get the hell outta my face already."

"…I owe you one."

Aaron disappeared. Renji, meanwhile, just laid there. Not that he had much choice. He could have gone to sleep right then and there if it weren't for him needing to see the outcome of this battle.

"I can't believe there's another freak like Ichigo walking around…"

"Welcome back," said Arashi to Aaron, even going so far as to wave. "Did you chat with Abarai long?"

"Cut the crap." Aaron steeled himself on what he had to do. He wasn't going to let his opponent screw with his head any longer. "Let's just get this over with. You're still holding back a fair amount of power, right? Show it to me then."

Arashi was taken aback. "How did you…?"

"I won't know if I can really beat you if you're not going all out. Just do it already."

It was an interesting proposition, one that Arashi was hard pressed to decline.

"Well, I am on a time limit," he chimed. "Alright, Aaron. You did me a favor by getting Kana and Rukia to higher ground."

Aaron wasn't sure what that meant. He wasn't sure if goading his foe like this was such a great idea either. Arashi hadn't even done anything yet, but Aaron could already feel that something in the air had changed.

"Time to go, Ekitai Ouji," Arashi whispered to his sword. He held it up, allowing it to gently slip out of his fingertips and drift up into the heavens. Aaron couldn't find it amidst the clouds. They ballooned, obscuring the sun as they grew dark. Thunder roared soon afterward. "Ready, Aaron?"

Unable to speak, Aaron wasn't sure he was. Energy swelled around him, grabbing him by his throat. He made the foolish assumption Arashi's spiritual pressure couldn't go any higher.

It had already tripled.

"Bankai," said Arashi. "Kansui Ekitai Ouji."

Rain began to pour down in spades. It was anything but normal, feeling like bullets were actually impacting Aaron's skin. Alarmed, he hastily shot under the cover of a building.

"T-This is nuts," he fearfully said. The water in the area was already becoming too much for it to bear. It had risen to his feet and would no doubt go higher if this rain didn't stop. "I-Is he trying to flood everything?"

"Come on out, Aaron. This is what you asked for," he heard Arashi proclaim.

"I-I guess I did. Me and my big mouth. To think he had a Bankai though…"

It was time for Aaron to rethink his strategy. Then again, he didn't have much of a plan to begin with. He was just going to let Arashi do whatever and then react accordingly, but this went beyond the scope of his predictions.

"I really am an idiot, aren't I? Oh, well. Spilled milk and all that."

He jumped back into the fray, ignoring the drops of water assaulting his bare skin. Having no clue what Arashi's Bankai did other than make the weather nasty, he would simply have to defeat his opponent before he could pull any more tricks out of his sleeve.

"W-Wait. His sword controls water, right? And now there's more of it around. Doesn't that mean…?"

Maybe Kana was right. Maybe he was slow. He blinked at the hundreds of water clones staring back at him. There might have actually have been thousands. He wasn't sure. They were everywhere. Some were standing atop buildings. Others were snickering as they tapped their swords on their shoulders. Suddenly, Aaron felt like he was holding a toothpick rather than his Seigetsu. He would need more than it to handle something like this.

No one did anything for a number of moments. Aaron gulped again and moved his head all over. There had to be some way out of this mess. There simply had to be.

He only moved his sword a little, but it was enough to garner a reaction out of the seemingly infinite number of Arashis. They all charged in at once, striking from every conceivable angle. Seigetsu was big, but not big enough to fend off so much all at one time. Aaron tried his best, however. He had no other choice. That was why he could live with his left shoulder being cut open, the left side of his ribs being cracked, his right leg nearly being cut off, and even has right eye haven taken the wrong end of a sword and being swollen shut and bleeding profusely. With a Getsuga Tenshou here and there, he wiped out water clone after water clone. Still, there seemed no end to them.

"Not a problem," he muttered, firing off another Getsuga that at least gave him some space to operate. "No problem at all. There's still only like…six million of them left."

Seigetsu fell out of his grasp and clattered to the ground. His hands weren't quite working at the moment. Gasping for air, he moved his head up as the Arashis closed in on him yet again.

"Way of Destruction Number 63: Thunder Roar Sear!"

His Kidou took out a straight line of duplicates. They were quickly replaced.

"Way of Destruction Number 31: Red Fire Cannon!"

He blew another group to pieces, though he didn't make much of a dent in their ranks.

"Way of Destruction Number 73: Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down!"

The giant wave of blue energy was by far his most effective offensive; it wiped out at least fifty of the water clones in his estimation and decimated most of the area. Unfortunately, hundreds of Arashis remained. They weren't multiplying like before. There were just too many of them, too many for a lone Shinigami to beat.

"G-Give me a break!" Aaron whined, dropping down to his knees. "Is Kidou no good after all?"

"Sorry, Aaron, but things won't be so easy this time," said the original Arashi, floating over the battlefield like a god gazing down at its creations. "Want to throw in the towel? It's not too late. Just promise me you'll go home like a good, little kid and never show your face before me again."

It was strange. Aaron certainly didn't resemble someone on the cusp of defeat. If Arashi weren't mistaken, the young Shinigami's exultant demeanor made it seem like he was the one about to snatch victory.

Picking himself up, Aaron said, "You seem to be mistaken. I said Kidou wasn't good. That doesn't mean there isn't something else I can't try. I admit, I wondered if I could actually beat your Bankai with just my Shikai, but it probably won't matter how many Getsuga Tenshous I throw at you and your clones."

"…What are you talking about?" said Arashi, showing a healthy amount of surprise. "You aren't saying, you actually…"

"Actions speak louder than words. Let me just show you!"

Arashi and his innumerable doppelgangers were content with watching. The level of energy surging from Aaron as he shouted with vigor was enough to pique their interest.

Can I do this?

Aaron, gathering as much power as his body would allow him, knew this wasn't the time to falter. He had gone through this routine many times before arriving to save Kana this morning. He did nothing but practice, so much so that he threatened to crush his own form. He had barely made it at the last moment. None of that mattered now. All his hard word was about to pay off here. Pointing his massive sword forward, he closed his eyes and strengthened his resolution.

I'm not as strong as Kurosaki. I'm probably not even as strong as most of my friends. They've had to carry me this far. It's time to return the favor. Watch me, Kana. Watch me, Kuchiki. I'm gonna put an end to this!

"Incredible," said Arashi, glancing around as the air itself was distorted by Aaron's still rising spiritual pressure. He was glad he had opted to stay his hand. "You really are something else, Aaron Higuchi. For a human to be able to do all this. You're gonna show me something special, aren't you?"

As structures crumbled under the weight of Aaron's energy, the cloth around Seigetsu's handle coiled around his arm. Things abruptly calmed down, and for a moment, Arashi wondered if Aaron had perhaps failed in whatever he was striving to do.

He didn't know how wrong he was.

Feeling the time was right, Aaron firmly grasped his Zanpakutou, his partner in crime that hadn't failed him once since they met. If anything, he had been its burden. Today, they would stand equal.

Thank you for everything, Seigetsu. It's time for us to move out.

"BAN…KAI!"

Arashi was glad he was paying full attention. Otherwise, the explosion of spirit energy that erupted from Aaron's body would have vaporized him on the spot. Instead, he Flashed Stepped out of harm's way, standing in complete shock.

"So, he really did learn Bankai."

"W-What the hell is going on?" Renji, having done everything in his power to make sure Kana, Akira and himself hadn't been blown away like everything else, stood to get an inclination of what he had missed since throwing in the proverbial towel. "H-Hey! The kid actually did it? He was seriously holding back this much power?"

#

"OUCH!"

Izumi Higuchi stopped in her tracks. An intense pain shot through her head out of the blue, leading her to place a hand on her head and lean against a wall for support.

"Are you quite alright, Miss Higuchi?" asked Kisuke Urahara. He checked her forehead to make sure she didn't have a fever. "Perhaps you've had too much candy and are feeling the sugar rush to your head?"

Izumi, still groggy, shook her head. "No, it's…my idiot of a brother. He just did something, something huge."

"Hmm. Really now?"

"Oh, come on. I know I might have weird powers that give me better senses than others, but there's no way you didn't feel that."

Urahara shifted his head curiously. "Yes, I suppose I can admit that much. It would appear Mister Higuchi may not have needed us to rush here to his aid after all. Still, I am quite interesting in seeing who he is going up against to have made him unleash such astounding strength."

"Yeah. Same here," replied Izumi. She leered warily at where she detected Aaron's energy coming from. It wasn't that far; she figured she and Urahara could be there in the next ten minutes. Her body, however, protested. "It sorta feels like all my bones are creaking. Is that normal?"

"Oh, quite," said Urahara plainly. "I know you may be eager to assist your brother, Miss Higuchi—so am I—but it would perhaps be wise of us to wait a bit and see what happens, lest we be crushed to dust by all this spiritual pressure."

He wasn't going to hear much argument from Izumi. For the time being, she would just have to leave things to the capable hands of her baby brother.

"Then again, when have I ever trusted him to do anything right?" she murmured with a sigh.

#

"Higuchi?"

Konoka Mitsumi shot up, moaning as she rubbed her aching skull. Looking around, she couldn't even remember passing out in the first place. She had been awoken by Aaron's swelling energy. Even now, it was hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"Am I really sensin' the same guy here? Hey, Pretty Boy. Wake up already."

She shook Sasune Ishida violently, not really caring if she broke something of his in the process. Though it took some effort, she got him to stir in due time.

"W-What I miss?" he asked groggily, stretching his arms and yawning. "That was a pretty good nap, not that someone like me needs anymore beauty sleep. It would be illegal to get anymore gorgeous, don't you think?"

Konoka ignored him, focusing all her attention on both Soukyoku Hill and wherever Aaron was. "Looks like Higuchi and Kurosaki are both going all out. I wonder who they're up against."

"Well, whoever it is, leave me out of it."

"I don't think you'll hear anyone complainin', Pretty Boy."

Wounded by her remark, Sasune hastily replied, "W-What I meant to say is that there's no reason for me to jump in because I would end the battle in less than ten seconds! It wouldn't be interesting for everyone out there following along with bated breaths."

Konoka's eyebrow heightened. "…Who the hell are you talking about?"

"Shut up already. Both of you. You're giving me a headache," growled Ganju Shiba, getting to his feet. "What the hell happened anyway? What happened with that Arashi guy? Where'd Kuchiki get off to? I…"

"Shut up! You're giving me a headache!" cried Mayu Shiba. She gave her brother a stiff kick to the kneecap, prompting him to hop around on one leg and grasp the spot.

"What the hell was that for, you brat?!"

"It's already loud enough without you barking like a dog, Ganju! W-What even is that noise anyway?"

"That 'noise,' my dear," began Sasune, "is probably Chocolate Thunder's loco energy."

"Who the hell is Chocolate Thunder?" inquired Ganju.

"No way. This is…really that dumb Shinigami?" wondered Mayu.

"Nice one, Higuchi. Looks like you toughened up while I wasn't around," said a smirking Konoka. "Now give whoever you're fightin' hell."

"And smack 'em once or twice for me!" exclaimed Sasune, pumping his fists. "Oh man, a final battle always gets me fired up! I wonder if this is gonna be the end of the season…"

No one, like usual, had any sort of inkling what he was talking about.

"Let's just skip all the action and get to the fightin' part," said Konoka with a nod.

#

"This way then. I thank you, Aaron Higuchi. Now I know where to find you."

Sharpscale was the fastest around when using Sonido, yet, the Hollow felt it wasn't moving fast enough to assist Aaron. Soul Society was rather cumbersome to navigate. It didn't help Sharpscale had to muscle its way through so many Shinigami keen on getting in its way.

"Well, I suppose they have a job to do against Hollows like me, but…"

It appeared the execution had been thwarted somehow. After breaking away from Kenpachi Zaraki and the others, Sharpscale had planned on rescuing Kana Mitarashi, but Aaron had already beaten him to it from the looks of it. It wasn't sure why it couldn't get Kana's face out of its mind. It had remained there ever since their encounter at the Repentance Tower.

"Who is this woman? Does she have something to do with my missing heart?"

His instincts were urging him forward. He had to meet Kana again no matter the cost. It was to the point where helping Aaron was a secondary objective. Even so, helping Aaron was akin to helping Kana, so Sharpscale continued onward and as fast as its feet would carry it.

"Will I have my answers soon? I can only pray. Wait for me, Aaron Higuchi. That is all I ask of you."

#

Arashi felt compelled to stand by and simply wait for Aaron to reveal his newfound power. It was a strange craving the younger Mitarashi had to sate. He believed most would refer to it as 'curiosity.' Would it cost him in the end? Perhaps, though he was more than willing to take that risk.

"Is this how that lunatic Mayuri Kurotsuchi feels when he's doing his experiments? I'd better watch myself. I wouldn't want to be lumped in with the likes of him."

The energy that had exploded earlier shrouded the area in smoke, smoke that was only just then starting to fade away. It gave Arashi a much clearer picture of what was going on. His eyelid jerked.

"What in the…?"

It was Aaron he was staring wide-eyed at alright, though the Shinigami from Hino was…different, much different.

The tattered, brown cloak he wore greatly resembled Seigetsu's. So did his glowing, blue hair. A pair of angelic, white wings of energy billowed like fire and extended from his back, flapping as he hovered slightly above the ground. Aaron was armed with a pair of swords, both curved like his Shikai but being much smaller in size—comparable to a normal Zanpakutou to be exact—and being pure white. A chain connected the two via the grips.

"Seinaru Seigetsu," he declared.

"T-That is your…?" began Arashi, struggling to get anything out.

"…my Bankai," said Aaron, smirking as he finished Arashi's sentence. "Yes. Yes it is."

END