Bleach 534: One step closer
Scene opens in Soul Society. Byakuya stands facing off against Darius. Darius is still half sitting on a rock, relaxed, as the blades of Senbonzakura swirl around him. He looks amused at the anger on Byakuyas face. He speaks with his voice taking on a subtle mocking tone.
Darius: You know, I remember your fight with As Noldt. It's surprising how such an experienced warrior such as yourself can be turned into a quivering, whimpering baby when fear hits them.
The anger disappears from Byakuyas face in an instant as he stares at Darius. His face is expressionless not giving away what he's thinking; he turns his head slightly to look behind at Ginrei. He pauses for a brief moment before finally letting out a long deep breath and relaxing his tensed body.
Byakuya: I'll thank you for reminding me of my past battle
Darius: what?...
Byakuya: Thus far what has been burning in me is rage, the rage of a man who has lost, who has failed. All that this rage has allowed, is for me to fester over what has been taken from me, what has been stolen. In my stupor the why's and how's had become inconsequential. My actions in that state would likely have brought nothing else than more shame to my clan.
Darius:…
Byakuya: in gratitude… I offer to spare your life if you return Senbonzakura to me and leave here.
Darius stares at Byakuya for a few moments, surprise showing on his face at Byakuya's words. Suddenly he bursts out laughing. He laughs so hard that he finds it difficult to breathe and has to forcefully control his breathing until finally coming to a stop.
Darius: Dude, I'll give you this much, I definitely didn't see that coming.
Darius straightens up and finally stands facing Byakuya his face turning a little serious.
Darius: I'll tell you what, here's some advice for you. I may not have the same ability as As Noldt that had you whimpering like a baby but I am far stronger than him alongside the fact that I have your beautiful Bankai at my disposal.
Byakuya:…
Darius: So simply because you gave me such a good laugh if you walk away now I will allow you to live.
Byakuya: You are mistaken
Darius:?
Byakuya draws his blade
Byakuya: My Bankai is useless to you. Senbonzkura Kageyoshi is not a bankai that someone with your level of skill or lack of experience can wield in battle.
Darius's face tenses as anger spreads across it at the insult.
Byakuya: It will also forever be my shame that I allowed myself to be caught off guard enough to leave such an opening to be attacked. However it is not a mistake I ever intend to repeat again.
Darius: caught off guard?! Was that all?! Hah…well, I guess we'll never know about that now will we?!
Byakuya:…
Darius: And as far as skill and experience goes I'm pretty sure I should be able to cope.
The blades of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi suddenly all head towards Byakuya, the millions of blades surrounding him in mere seconds. Byakuya appears about 50 feet to Darius's right. Darius turns to look at him.
Byakuya: I'll say it once more, the likes of you have neither the skill nor experience to handle Senbonzakura, return it to me and leave if you wish to live.
Darius: we'll see about that.
The blades sweep towards Byakuya again, this time spreading out and coming at him like a wave, forcing him to flash step away again. They don't slow down as they follow him but carry on forward at speed making him flash step again and again as soon as he appears. He keeps encircling the same distance around Darius, neither moving closer or further away.
Darius watches Byakuya flash stepping around him, smiling but not doing anything else apart from turning his head to watch him.
Darius: Maybe it's your skill and experience at fighting your own Bankai you should be worrying about captain.
Byakuya stops flash stepping 50 feet in front of Darius and looks directly at him meeting his gaze.
Byakuya: You are mistaken once again
As he says those words the millions of blades come crashing into him completely obscuring him from view. You see a close up of Darius's face which is a little surprised and confused at Byakuya's actions and words.
Darius: Well whatever, you're done with now.
Byakuya: *Utsusemi* Way of Onmitsu, 3rd of the Shiho.
Darius:?!
The view pans out and you see Byakuya is now standing directly behind Darius, his arm is outsretched and he has his index finger pointed at Darius's right shoulder.
Byakuya: Hado No.4 *Byakurai*
Darius:!
A concentrated bolt of lightning shoots out of Byakuya's finger and pierces through Darius's shoulder shooting out the other side. Darius stumbles forward a few steps staggering and in pain. He turns around and faces Byakuya, his face clenched in pain.
Darius: Argh, (damn him, he caught me off guard, I didn't even have my blut activated). You're dead!
Darius throws out both of his hands and points them at Byakuya. Far behind him the blades of Senbonzakura come storming towards them.
Byakuya: Lack of experience in using a weapon means not knowing its weaknesses. If your opponent knows your weakness before you do then you have lost the battle before it has even begun.
Darius: I have no-
Byakuya: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is not generous enough to distinguish friend from foe.
Darius:!
Byakuya flashsteps away just as the millions of blades come crashing into Darius obliterating him from sight his screams ringing high in the air.
Scene change to Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo is still off to one side watching Halibel with the other two captains standing together further off. Zaraki's hand can been seen, unmoving, out of the rubble down on the ground below.
Ichigo: Why are you protecting him?
Halibel just stares at Ichigo saying nothing. She swings her sword in front of her leaving a yellow trail of light. Behind her a dozen arrancar appear and countless hollows.
Ichigo: …. Tch fine, don't answer but you know you can't defeat me, you're just committing suicide by attacking. Don't force me to have to kill you!
Halibel:…
?: Hey Ichigo! Don't go thinking that you're the only one who has grown in the time since our last encounter, many things have changed since then you know.
Ichigo turns around in surprise at the familiar voice. He looks high towards the ceiling where the voice came from. Sitting over the hole, which is now significantly bigger, that Zaraki originally crashed through, with a big grin on his face is Grimmjow in his released form.
Ichigo: Grimmjow?!
Grimmjow: Hey Ichigo.
Halibel: Grimmjow! Why have you come back?!
Grimmjow pushes off the edge of the roof and comes down until he is standing roughly between the two captains and Ichigo. He turns to look towards Halibel his smile turning a little more serious.
Grimmjow: Did you really think I was going to leave you to do this by yourself?
Halibel:…
Grimmjow: Me going wouldn't have changed anything, we live or we die, either way it's out of our hands now.
Ichigo:?
Grimmjow looks towards Ichigo once more smiling at the confused look on his face.
Grimmjow: Still don't get it do you Ichigo?
Ichigo:…tell me Grimmjow.
Grimmjow: We held out for as long as we could, but from the onset you could tell it was useless. We didn't stand a chance what with their strength and abilities. They've also been recruiting the arrancars on the sly, all the ones that weren't good enough for the espada, all the ones we told to get lost he's slowly been recruiting and training up. We kept fighting though until…
Ichigo:…until they attacked Soul society.
Grimmjow: Yeh, after that it was pretty clear even for us. Keep fighting and be killed off until there's no one left or join him and maybe he'll decide to keep his word and let our people live.
Joushiro: our people?
Grimmjow turns to look at him his face now wild with anger.
Grimmjow: Why the hell do you think she is here you idiot?!
Halibel:…
Grimmjow: Do you think Bach expected her to live fighting against all three of you even with those arrancar behind her?!
Joushiro:…
Grimmjow: that was the deal she had to make, we all serve and in turn they stop killing us. You might hate us because of how we are driven by our hunger but that does not make us evil! We are not incapable of feeling-
Ichigo interrupts Grimmjos's next words, speaking quietly, he is looking down at his sword.
Ichigo: -I don't hate you
Grimmjow:?!
Ichigo: Neither did the captain commander. He knew… understood completely that you weren't evil, no more so than any soul in soul society is inherently good. You are just the other end of the scale. Without you there is no soul society, and without them there is no you.
Halibel:…
Ichigo: It's why they never actively hunted you, he made sure that they did just enough to protect the humans and maintain the balance and that was all.
Ichigo turns to face Halibel once more
Ichigo: We can help you, we can help each other.
Halibels voice is soft and bitter as she replies.
Halibel: You couldn't even help yourselves.
Ichigo:…
Halibel: Enough of this, it changes nothing. If I wish for my people to survive then I have no other choice. Grimmjow if you're not going to go then fight the other two, I'll fight him!
Grimmjow: Hey No! if anyone is-
Halibel doesn't wait for him to finish and launches herself at Ichigo. She starts attacking him, her strikes pushing Ichigo back through the air but he is able to deflect them comfortably without straining.
Grimmjow looks at them and sighs
Grimmjow: She even takes the fun out of dying.
He turns to face the two captains and grins
Grimmjow: well I guess I'll just have to make do with you.
Shunsui raises both his hands in front of him.
Shunsui: no no no no, not me just him first if you don't mind. I'd like to rest if that's ok.
Joushiro (whispering): Kyoraku what are you doing?!
Shunsui (whispering): I think someone needs to go down and look after those two, plus I have no desire to kill him, so you'd be the best to handle him.
Jousiro:… I understand, I have no desire to see them dead myself…
Shunsui looks towards Grimmjow and gives him a big open mouthed smile and waves at him.
Shunsui: byeeeeeeebyeeeeeeee.
Shunsui disappears leaving Grimmjow and Joushiro by themselves.
Grimmjow studies the talismans hovering in the air behind Jousiro.
Grimmjow: That looks like an interesting ability, unfortunately I missed the show earlier, so what does it do?
Joushiro: Why don't you see if you can find out?
Grimmjow grins as he dashes forward.
Scene Changes to Soul Society
Byakuya stands over the shredded body of Darius, he bends down and picks up the medallion staring at it. Over his shoulder you see Ginrei walking towards them.
Byakuya: Sen...bon...zakura...
Ginrei: you make me proud young Byakuya, to lead your opponent like that was magnificent to watch. To be able to dictate the battle you want from the offset your battle strategy rivals the very best.
Byakuya: His arrogance was his ruin...as it almost was mine in the past.
Ginrei: You do yourself injustice young Byakuya, I don't believe I ever raised someone with 'such' an arrogance.
Byakuya:...
Ginrei: Winning and losing is a part of life and a part of battle, you should not see it as anything more. I won the right to protect the king but I lost the right to continue watching you grow.
Byakuya:...and yet I still have not managed to win back Senbonzakura.
Beside them Ryuken, Uryuu and Isshin appear, on the other side of them Wairudo appears also.
Wairudo: It seems your battle is finally over
Byakuya:?!
Ginrei: Yes. Ishida Ryuken, are you able to release the Bankai from the medallion.
Ryuken: Yes I am, however I do not think it would be the most prudent thing to be doing at the moment, I'm sure you understand why Kuchiki Ginrei.
Ginrei:... I do.
Byakuya: What do you mean?!
Ginrei: The distance is somewhat far so you may not have been able to notice but Juha Bach has returned with what seems like six formidable allies.
Ryuken: Six pure blood quincies from what I can gather, on a completely different level to the pawns he's sent out so far.
Ginrei: If we return your bankai now it would just increase the chances of it being stolen again and used by the enemy.
Byakuya: Do you think I would use it again to be stolen?!
Ryuken: Which is precisely why I won't be returning it
Byakuya:?
Ryuken: Whilst it's sealed in the medallion it means it cannot be stolen which means you can use it at your leisure against your enemy.
Byakuya:?!
Ryuken grins and takes a long puff on his cigarette and blows out the smoke in a huge cloud. He looks directly at Byakuya and grins widely.
Ryuken: I love being the bearer of good news!
Scene Change to Hueco Mundo
In the background you can still see Halibel pushing Ichigo around, he's deflecting her blows easily, however he is not counterattacking. In the foreground you see Grimmjow strike down at Joushiro with his claws. Joushiro blocks it with his sword effortlessly, without flinching or taking a step back. Grimmjow seems surprised by this and strikes down with his other hand, Joushiro blocks his attack once more, his sword barely moving from the strike. Behind Joushiro two of the talismans light up. Grimmjow jumps back leaving some space between him and Joushiro the surprise still evident on his face.
Grimmjow: what exactly are you doing?!
Joushiro: hmmmm, maybe you're just not as strong as you think?
Grimmjow: hah you're almost as funny as Ichigo, fine don't tell me, I'll just have to work it out myself.
Grimmjow sticks out his palm. A cero shoots out heading straight towards Joushiro. As it strikes him it disappears, another talisman behind him lights up.
Grimmjow: you're absorbing them aren't you, my attacks?
Joushiro: am I?! I hadn't noticed.
Grimmjow: hah, fine lets see if you can absorb my gran rey cero.
Grimmjow slashes his left palm and holds it out. The gran rey cero builds and shoots out at Joushiro. Just as the normal cero it strikes Joushiro and dissapears, another talisman behind him lighting up.
Grimmjow: hmph, I wonder what happens once all those talismans fill up.
Joushiro turns around to look at them, as he turns to look back at Grimmjow he smiles.
Joushiro: oh I hadn't noticed, they look quite pretty don't they?
Grimmjow smirks at him and disappears, reappearing just above Joushiro to one side and coming down to strike. Joushiro once again blocks Grimmjows claws with ease with his left sword. This time he brings his right sword around and strikes quite casually at Grimmjow.
Grimmjow see's the strike coming and shifts so that it hits his upper left arm and stops.
Grimmjow: seriously you're gonna have to strike harder to pierce my-
Grimmjow goes rushing down towards the ground at great speed and crashes in amongst the rubble. Behind Joushirou one of the talismans dims. He points his right blade down towards Grimmjow and releases a Cero straight at him.
Grimmjow: ( what the?! That felt like...that son of a!)
He comes flying back up dodging the cero easily and faces off against Joushiro. His face is angry now, Joushiro also looks very serious.
Grimmjow: you used my own attack against me, [spits out some blood].
Joushiro: I did.
Grimmjow: ...so I just have to make sure that you can't block my attacks with your swords, right?!
Joushiro: It may not be as easy as it sounds.
Grimmjow: [rushing forward] we'll see!
Scene change to soul society.
Juha Bach stands in front of the six Quincies observing soul society with a smile on his face.
Mazrim appears to one side carrying Zenmaru. He drops him to the ground and bows down on one knee in front of Bach.
Mazrim: Your majesty, I have captured one of the zero squad as you commanded.
Bach: Splendid Mazrim, I expected nothing less, my apologies for making you work alongside that rabble for so long.
Mazrim: Whatever his majesty commands.
Bach grins and looks towards the lying body of Zenmaru.
Bach: Did he cause you much trouble?
Mazrim: No, fortunately the captains bankai assisted in capturing him quickly without having to harm him too much.
Bach: hmmmm, did you by any chance capture his Bankai?
Mazrim: My apologies your majesty, no, I didn't give him a chance to release it and incapacitated him the quickest way possible.
Bach: Do not worry, it was merely a whim to see the Bankai of the zero squad. I'm sure we'll get to see one soon enough.
Bach walks forward looking out and takes a deep breath.
Bach: Mazrim, take him to Jugo and tell him to begin the process and open up the portal as soon as he can.
Mazrim: Yes your majesty.
Bach: We'll see what fun we can have whilst we're waiting.
Mazrim disappears taking Zenmaru with him. As he does Bach focuses on something far off.
Bach: now lets see what the little ants plan to do next.
Next week Bleach 535: Resolve 2
