Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima, Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. I own nothing.
A special thank you to Greatkingrat88 for writing this.
Ah July. I'm very hopeful for how good this month will be. I sure hope its good for all of you too. I'm sure you'll all enjoy this chapter, a lot of hard thought and work went into this.
Thanks again for reading. Please feel free to leave any reviews that you want, be it positive or negative.
The very next day, Erza found herself in the dark gloom of a palace in a world of black and white. No- it was not gloomy; it was a resplendently lit place, with a moon forever staring down on it, not a cloud to be seen- but it was colourless, lifeless, so unlike any place she had ever seen before. She had in her patrols both out in the
Rukongai and the world of the living seen desolate places- steppes, deserts, dead forests, rocky mountains…
But they had all had colour, and hints of life. This place was dead, completely dead. This place was Las Noches, a palace at the heart of Hueco Mundo, the aptly named 'hollow world'. The home realm of the hollows, ranging from the smallest beast hollow to the mighty Vasto Lorde, known to her only as a legend, a bedtime story for shinigami.
Here they were in what looked like a throne room, Aizen standing next to her looking up at the throne itself, while the pale moonlight shone through a window, bathing the room in its dead light. Along with them were Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tosen. She had initially been surprised that such an upright, just captain would have joined them- but then again, she had reminded herself, was that not why she had come here herself?
"How do you like it?" Aizen said, somewhat amusedly.
"It's very… large." Erza said nervously. She wasn't sure what to make of it. If not for the unnerving moonlight, for how everything looked black and white- even her skin looked pale in this light, far too pale- it would have looked all right, if a little bit pompous. As it was, it looked alien, cold, like the home of a mountain king, some legendary beast that looked down upon all else. Which, given where they were, wasn't impossible.
"This is my palace," Aizen said, taking his glasses off.
It appeared he didn't need them at all- part of his deception. It occurred to her that almost nobody knew who he really was. How lonely must he not have been, pretending for so long?
"I can see it does not appeal to you," he continued, looking at Erza. "I will not blame you."
"It's, er, it's fine," Erza said, trying to sound convincing. "It's um, very grand. Impressive, really."
"Erza, please," Aizen said, smiling, "you could not lie to me to save your life. But it's kind of you to try."
"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "It's just…"
"So lifeless? So harsh and cold? So… everything we are not?"
"Well, when you put it like that…" Erza murmured. "Then yes. Yes, you could say that, actually."
"I thought the same when I first saw it," Aizen said, nodding. "Harsh and barren, lifeless… but with time, you start to see a sort of rugged beauty to it. A place where only the strong can survive, where all luxuries and comforts have been stripped away, where loyalty exists only if cunning and power and fear can make it exist…"
"It sounds horrible." Erza said firmly.
"It is, certainly," Aizen said affirmatively, "but it's a good reminder. Because this world is a reflection of its inhabitants, created by the flow of souls. It is a mirror of the soul society- what it would be like without compassion, without love, without honesty and truth."
"I hadn't thought of it that way…" Erza said ponderously.
"Thing is, 's also a right good place to hide," Ichimaru said, smiling the same evil smile as always, "almost nobody comes here what ain't a hollow, y'see, and almost nobody even knows how you can go back an' forth between it. Ideal base, you might say,"
"That too is true," Aizen said, shooting Gin a look, "but poetry and practicality need not exclude each other."
"How do you actually get in here?" Erza asked. "It's supposed to be impossible."
"Its secret is well guarded. Hollows do it instinctively… suffice to say I found a method that imitates it to perfection. I would explain, but you wouldn't understand- it's a matter of science, and I do not want to bore you with technical jargon you could not understand."
"…I see," Erza said, and nodded. "So… um, did you build this place?"
Aizen let out a small chuckle. "No- I am not an engineer or an architect, and building it would take millennia. Hollows built this- their best and brightest, over tens of thousands of years."
"Really?" Erza said, with surprise. "Hollows… building?"
"It is all too simple to think they are mere beasts," Aizen said, nodding, "and indeed, most of them are. But those who rise above the rank of Menos are intelligent, and ambitious… they have had kings and queens in their time, Erza, and built great things- and razed them again. This palace, this Las Noches was started seven thousand years ago by Hollow King Xantika, then abandoned and restarted and abandoned and restarted for millennia, until their current so-called king had it finished. Since then, I took possession of it. I did some… redecorating, but left it mostly intact."
"You 'took possession'?" Erza asked, frowning. "You stole it from them?"
"The laws are different here, Erza," Aizen said calmly. "There is no sense of right and wrong, no sense of good and evil. There are no rights, no laws to protect the weak, no schools of thought that bring forth the idea that being nice to people is a good idea. Out here, the weak die, and only the strong prevail. The fast, the strong, the cunning, the ruthless- those win. Imagine the worst in yourself, the worst you could possibly be, and imagine it turned up and warped a thousand times, and you would see something approaching the culture of this place. Kindness is something they would not understand- barring just a few. I could not have negotiated or bartered for this place. The one and only thing they respect is strength- so I let the hollows know who was stronger."
"The worst in myself. The worst in yourself." Erza said quietly. "Why would you want any part of this?"
"It is as Ichimaru said," Aizen said, shrugging, "it is a very useful place. That… and I dare believe that some of these hollows are not beyond redemption. I dare believe that, no matter how impossible it seems, maybe it doesn't always have to be this way."
"You're mad!" Erza burst out. "The hollows- they are evil! They kill people and eat them, they kill each other- you said it yourself, violence is all they understand!"
"So you say." He looked inscrutable, perfectly calm, unfazed by her outburst, "But do you think we always believed in right and wrong as we know it today? There was a time when we believed that murdering a man's brother in retaliation for one of your own being killed was justice. Tell me Erza, is that justice?"
"Of course not!"
"But still, there was a time when this was believed. Yet, somewhere along the line, somebody saw it for the obvious injustice it was, and dared believe something that went against everything he was taught. He dared believe it, enough that he dared protest. And little by little, one by one, others followed in his path. How can we ever expect things to change, Erza, if we dare not believe the impossible first?"
"…it's mad, and I don't understand," Erza said, shaking her head, "but… I trust you." She sighed. "So, what's next- you show me around this palace?"
"That would take months, I think," Aizen said, "no, I think I would like to show you the few I have gathered who have potential. Those who will be our finest soldiers in the war to come- and the best hope that Hueco Mundo has. Erza, come meet my Vasto Lorde."
Erza swallowed. Vasto Lorde, in the flesh… hesitantly, she followed Aizen, as he led her out of the throne room, through the halls of Las Noches.
"Vasto Lorde…" Erza mumbled, feeling in between excited and terrified. They were creatures of legend, the very highest form of hollow evolution, monstrous creatures so terrifying they were said to outmatch most captains… she would be mincemeat if she fought, and the only thing protecting her, and outsider, would be Aizen. She trusted him, to be sure- but the thought was no more appealing for it.
"What do you know of them?" Aizen asked.
"They're uh, the strongest," Erza murmured, "they don't… they don't seem to know a whole lot about them, when I learned in school,"
"Likely because few have seen one up close. It's a curious fact that the further up the evolutionary ladder a hollow goes… the more like a human it becomes. A Vasto Lorde has been known to develop… honour, personal philosophies, even empathy. They look more like humans, too- not much bigger than you or I,"
"I'd honestly have liked it better if they were the size of a building and had claws the size of my sword. That's an expectation I can deal with," Erza said, through gritted teeth.
"You will see that they are not so different soon enough," Aizen said. They turned a corner, and he stopped, opening a door. Erza peered inside. The place was well-lit, with light quite unlike the dull and lifeless moon outside, and it was well furnished- a couch, beds, chairs…
And of course, people sitting on them. Hollows. Almost breathless, she walked inside alongside Aizen, her mouth gaping a little as she took them in. There was a centaur-like beast with long, green hair and a goat's skull for a face, with great curved horns jutting out, and cloven hooves as feet. A lance seemed to be part of its right arm naturally. It sat on its hind quarters, quite at ease, looking Aizen's way as he entered.
There was a hollow who almost looked like a man, slender and not very tall- black legs that could have looked like pants at a distance, and a bone-white upper body. Just as bone-white was its mask- which, eerily enough, didn't look like a mask at all- just like if somebody had cut off its face to reveal an almost flat, white surface under it. But its eyes were so different- a clear green, staring right into her mind.
The third one was unmistakably female. She had, on her grey-white body, the unmistakable shape of mammaries which would likely make even Matsumoto jealous- odd, Erza thought; she had never thought there were female hollows- she had never thought they had genders at all. The face of this third hollow was completely obscured by a toothed mask, up to just before where her eyes started, and she had short, blond hair and dark skin, contrasting the paleness of everything else. Her right arm ended in what looked like a gigantic fin of sorts- a crude greatsword, it looked like. Holding it across her chest, she went down on one knee before Aizen, bowing deeply.
"Aizen-sama," she said, her voice deep and husky, and quite respectful.
"Halibel," Aizen said. "Please rise."
"Who is this you bring, Aizen-sama?" The centaur-goat-thing hollow said, and Erza realized to her surprise that, going by its voice, it too was female. She sounded… well, neutral. Not hostile. That in itself was surprising.
"My espada," Aizen said contentedly, "meet my newest ally, Erza Scarlet."
"Uhm, hello," Erza said awkwardly, waving at them. She could feel the raw power radiating from them- controlled and restrained, but awesomely powerful, unlike any she had felt herself- so far, only Zaraki Kenpachi compared. "I, uhm, look forward to working with you. If that's all right with you."
"Erza, meet Tier Halibel," Aizen said, pointing to the blond hollow-woman, "Neliel Tu Oderschwank," he pointed to the goat-centaur, "and Ulquiorra Schiffer."
The white, faceless hollow looked at her, and took a few steps closer.
"Are you worthy of serving Aizen-sama?" It said. It was a direct question, one she would have expected to sound demanding, even aggressive- but it seemed to lack any emotion at all.
"I think that's his decision, not yours or mine," Erza shot back.
"Well said," Halibel said, nodding. "Know your place, Ulquiorra."
Wordlessly, Ulquiorra retreated, sitting back down on the couch.
"So… these are your strongest warriors?" Erza mumbled. There was no way to hide how she felt- they were raw power, each one of them, and acting unimpressed would be foolish.
"I have two more who are stronger still," Aizen said, and Erza gulped. How many allies did he have?
"But out of these three, Halibel is the strongest." Upon this praise, Halibel bowed her head contentedly, "Followed By Ulquiorra and Neliel. Five Vasto Lorde- and five more of the strongest Adjuchas, will make up the Espada."
"Espada?" Erza asked. "What does that mean?"
"In hollow tongue, it means 'blade'. It's a tradition- the ten very strongest arrancar call themselves like so."
"We are not arrancar yet," said Neliel.
"Your time is drawing close," Aizen said, nodding to her.
"…arrancar?" Erza murmured, confused again.
"It's known to the Gotei, but kept from most, what that is," Aizen explained, "an arrancar is a hollow advanced so far in his- or her- personal evolution that they have shed their mask to reveal their true face… and gain the powers of a shinigami."
"That- that's impossible!" Erza ejaculated. Reminding herself what they had said about impossible, she continued, "Well- I never heard about that, at least. How… how is that possible?"
"I would like to know as well," Aizen said, "but for the time being, what we do know is that they do exist. A hollow who can do this is known as an arrancar, and gains the appearance of a human, and a zanpakutou- but unlike a shinigami's blade, their zanpakutou reveal their power as a hollow, not one born magically from within. More importantly… any hollow who transforms like so gains explosive amounts of power."
"Yet it is flawed," Halibel said.
"Correct," Aizen said. He seemed to enjoy explaining this, so Erza kept quiet, "yes, the process is flawed. A hollow who does this by his own power loses a significant amount of potential power in the process. However… I have been working on a way of optimizing this process. Once I have the necessary tools, all my chosen subordinates will have enormous power- the weakest of them will rival a captain, and the best of them could only hope to be resisted by the eldest and most skilled shinigami."
"So that is your plan," Erza mumbled, nodding, "that… is how you will fight overwhelming power- with overwhelming power."
Aizen chuckled. "That is one way of putting it. But I would be a fool to stake everything on that alone." He looked pleased- there was no smile, but he looked very pleased. "There is one thing I have which will give us an enormous advantage- which will guarantee our victory."
"What is that?" Erza asked. How much had he kept from them all?
"Erza, what is the power of my zanpakutou?"
"Oh, I remember that," Erza said, "it creates water ripples which let you blind your enemies with light."
Aizen slowly pulled out his zanpakutou, holding it at ease. "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu," he commanded.
"I don't understand-" Erza started. Then suddenly, all three hollows were Aizen. "What?!" Erza said. Around her, there were four Aizen- no, a dozen- two dozen- a hundred, a thousand… the whole room was filled with them, each one looking exactly the same. The world had gone white, and all she could see was him.
"What the hell…" She mumbled, reaching for her sword. It was nowhere to be found.
Then suddenly, she was back in the same room, with the same four people.
"What the hell happened?!" She cried, again reaching for Tetsu no Tama- now securely held at her thigh. Ulquiorra halfway stood up, as if to defend his master, but Aizen made a gesture, and he sat back down.
"That is the true power of Kyoka Suigetsu," Aizen said triumphantly- and despite the normal light shining down, there was something about him that looked… a little scary. "My zanpakutou's power gives me complete control over all five senses of anyone who lays eyes on them. Currently, that includes every high ranking officer in the Gotei. I could make you see or feel anything, Erza- there is nobody I cannot fool with this."
"You can… do that?" Erza said, breathing in deeply. "It's… a godlike power." She shook her head- it was a great advantage to be sure, but to have something that powerful… should anybody have that?
"I do not take it lightly, of course," Aizen said, sheathing the blade again, "I have promised myself to only use it for good- not for selfish or petty pursuits, but to make this world a better place- this one, and the Soul Society."
"We have all submitted to it," Halibel said, looking at Erza. There was something reassuring in her voice- she was the product of probably hundreds of years of fighting, of hatred and viciousness, yet she seemed have complete trust in Aizen. "In my darkest hour, Aizen-sama saved me. He showed me what the true strength of a hollow can be. When the time comes, I will become an espada- and I will serve his will for as long as I live. I do this of my own free will, because I have seen a better way." She nodded gravely.
"I'm not as wordy as Halibel," Neliel said cheerily, "but it's right. We owe him everything."
"That… that's good, then," Erza said, "but… how do you intend to do all this?" She turned to Aizen.
"For now, we bide our time. We stay hidden, we gather information, we learn as much about our enemy as possible. When the time comes, we shall reveal ourselves, and I shall make my army real. When that time comes… I will make war. As short and efficient as possible, but war it will be. When it is done, you will stand at my side as I rule the Gotei Thirteen."
"We'll make the world better for everyone," Erza mumbled.
"Every village you ever wanted to help will be helped," Aizen nodded.
"Then… I have one question." Erza said firmly.
"Oh?"
"Ichimaru Gin." Erza said, gall in her voice. "Why?"
"Ah." Aizen said, nodding. "By 'why', I assume you mean 'why is somebody like him involved in something like this'?"
"Yeah, that's about it," Erza said sarcastically. "He's a creep- and don't tell me he's really just shy and actually very nice on the inside. Nobody is that good at being creepy without having a talent for it."
"He is a monster," Aizen said unabashedly. "A sadistic psychopath with homicidal tendencies."
"Then why?!" Erza insisted.
"If you'll let me finish? I first met him many years ago, when he was a young shinigami- and even then, I could tell what he was like. Hollow inside, no sense of compassion or empathy… I knew very soon that he would become a murderer one day. At the same time, he was quite skilled- and you know how little the Gotei cares about things like justice if there is talent to be found. Do you not, Erza?"
"I do," Erza huffed, still not convinced.
"I knew, back then, that I would either have to kill him myself, or watch others die because of him. But the problem was, he was innocent. A sadist, yes, and lacking empathy- but he had done no crime that I knew of. He was but a child. You have done it yourself, Erza, killed out of necessity- but tell me, could you kill an innocent child even if you were sure he would grow up to be totally evil?"
"…no." Erza said, shaking her head. "No, of course I couldn't. But…"
"There is your answer," Aizen said resolutely. "It was a dilemma- either do nothing and know what it would result in, or do something grossly wrong. So I decided… so strong as he was, that I would try the next best thing. I manipulated him, tried my best to control him, and I made him mine. He does not murder, Erza, even if it means I have done my best to meddle with who he is. He is loyal to me- not trustworthy, but loyal. If he weren't… I dare not imagine how many would die."
"I don't like it," Erza said. Ichimaru was a monster- Aizen had said so himself. Why would he have to be part of this? Something that was actually good?
"I don't like it either," Aizen said smoothly, "but it was the least bad option, Erza. Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones…"
"But you still have to choose." Erza said, sighing. "All right- just keep him out of my way. Um, please?"
"Consider it done. Besides, this way, he at least serves a good cause- however unwillingly." Aizen turned around, and began to walk out. "I have business to attend to. I will come fetch you later- for now, make yourself acquainted with your new allies."
With that, he was gone.
Erza looked at the aforementioned new allies. Frightening white monsters they seemed, inhuman and unsettling; the shape and features of humans yet so wrong…
But she wouldn't let that hold her back. If they were good people, they were good people, regardless of species. Besides, who had ever asked to become a hollow?
"Hello!" Erza said, a bit too loud, and walked up to Halibel, shaking the one hand she had free. A bit confusedly, she reciprocated the gesture.
"…I believe we were already introduced," she said, giving Erza a quizzical look. "and… what are you doing to my hand?"
"It's a manner of greeting where I come from," Erza said, "a way of, um, acknowledging each other, I suppose."
"Acknowledge." Halibel said slowly. "Very well. I will acknowledge you, Erza Scarlet." Firmly, to the point where it hurt, she shook Erza's hand back.
"…you can let go now." Erza said after a while. Tier Halibel, she decided, was rather an awkward person. Which, oddly enough, made her more relatable than most shinigami she knew.
"So," Erza said, "why don't you show me around in your home?"
Three days later, the night hung dark over them as Erza stood next to Aizen just outside the twelfth division, on a rooftop across the street. She had seen Las Noches, she had seen Hueco Mundo, and she had found it not revolting or horrifying as she expected it, but sad and home to people- hopeless people, in a sense she had never even thought of before. That hollows were people was in itself an alien notion- but undeniable; there was no doubting it after having met Neliel and Halibel. Bearing the white mask, with the yellow eyes of a monster... but with a mind, with hopes and a goal- people they were.
She wanted there to be a place for them in the world she would create with Aizen.
But first things first. It would be a long good while before they could even begin to attempt the creation of a utopia, and you would never reach the end of the road without first putting on foot in front of the other, taking that first step. She had taken the first step, joining Aizen. Tonight would be her second step.
"Are you sure about this?" Aizen said, sounding as coolly inscrutable as ever. Much of his affability, she had realized, was part of the act- he was a good man, but she had at least half a new person to get to know.
"I am." Erza said dispassionately.
This had been her first demand. She had bent the knee to Aizen, she had agreed to serve him for a greater good, and it was only right he did something for her- a show of good will. Twelfth division, more than anything, had coloured her view of the Gotei- the image of that dying Quincy was burnt into her retina, accompanying her into her dreams all too frequently. The thought of there being many more, there being so much suffering going on every day under the sanction of her so-called superiors...
It filled her with hate. A large and all-consuming hate, one that frightened her- it was like a malignant version of the love and loyalty she had for her friends. More than anything, she wanted it gone- and she wanted justice. Nothing could repay the poor bastards suffering down there in the labs- and nothing could save them either. But they would be granted mercy, and the monsters who did this to them would lose every last bit of data stored there.
"You are sure the facilities will be empty?" Erza asked, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.
"I let them know that second division would pay them a routine inspection. Those two do not like each other very much, so when given a warning, their researchers and staff tend to clear out. Of course, there is no inspection coming... but if anyone investigates it, it will turn out to be a clerical error. I doubt they will, after this."
"You really planted explosives everywhere down there, without being seen? In every room, every corridor?"
"The very best kido seals I ever designed," Aizen said contentedly, almost smugly. "Carefully and masterfully crafted runes infused with heavily explosive magic. All without being seen, yes- the magic of the Kyoka Suigetsu is all powerful."
"Do it." Erza said through her teeth.
"This is unlike you," Aizen noted, "so... destructive."
"I am destructive. I always have been," Erza shot back, "and what I saw down there was... unacceptable. It must go, Aizen. No half measures."
"You never were one for half measures, no," Aizen said amusedly. He flicked his wrist and moved his fingers around, and at once a simple, stylized map of the science facility appeared in the air before them, a marvel of subtle magicks.
"This is the floor itself," Aizen explained, "and every red dot is an explosive seal set to detonate. Soon, the lowest floor of the twelfth division- including every last file and folder of research data- will have been reduced to rubble."
"Then do it. Please." Erza said.
"It is already being done," Aizen reassured her, looking intently at the magical hologram before them. "Seven... six... five... four... three... two... one."
From where they sat across the street, Erza heard a dull 'thump'. She knew it was set underground, but had at least expected a loud boom- it was almost disappointing.
"That was sector one," Aizen said, indicating at the map, which showed the first area of the map in a bright red.
Thump.
"That would be the second one."
Thump. Thump.
"Number three, number four," Erza mumbled, with a mixture of excitement and nervousness, as she watched the map grow redder and redder. Only two left.
"Hmm- that's odd," Aizen said, pointing at sector six, "that area just blew up... well, not the whole of it." With a curious look he inspected the map; part of the sixth area had gone red. Then there was another 'thump', and shortly after it a final, last 'thump'. The map glowed a complete red, indicating complete destruction.
"What was that?" Erza asked.
"I don't know," Aizen said, shrugging, "but nevertheless, you have got what you wanted. It will not stop them from rebuilding, or doing the same thing again, not without killing the researchers-"
"No killing," Erza said firmly, shaking her head.
"As you wish." Aizen said.
"We destroyed their research center. We'll do it again if we have to." She said firmly.
"As you wish, my destructive lady," Aizen said, chuckling mildly.
"...I best head to bed," Erza mumbled. "I- I still have work to do in the morning. I'll see you later... sir."
"Of course," Aizen said. "I'll stay for a while and observe this unfold for a while."
She nodded, and walked away, hopping down from the roof. Aizen watched her leave, and once she was well out of sight, he cracked a small smile. This was unlike him- he had for so long kept himself very carefully hidden, careful not to leave any tracks whatsoever. He had gone from that to... a major act of terrorism. As above the fools of the intelligence unit as he was, they weren't idiots- they would figure out that it was no accident. He would have to cover his tracks carefully. Not that there was any chance they would find anything pointing to him- his kido research was completely secret and impossible to trace, and at any rate they would find nothing his sword would not let them find- but this was still unlike him.
The most important thing, he mused, was that this act of terror had been done at the behest of Erza herself- she had had her finger at the trigger, and had not hesitated to pull it because she felt justified in doing so. She was becoming a model pupil- before long, he would no longer need to act so righteous in front of her.
Well, it had to be admitted also- it had been... fun.
"Hey, Erza!"
Erza looked up from her desk, where Renji presented a welcome break from the paperwork- you'd think that having joined a covert freedom fighter movement would mean less work, but no, the façade had to be kept intact…
"Yes, Renji?" She said, putting the pen and papers down.
"It's- it's-" he said agitatedly, a little short of breath.
"Calm down." She said firmly. "Take a deep breath, or two, and then tell me."
"Yes ma'am," Renji huffed, and took a couple of breaths. "It's Shiba Kaien. Did you hear the news? Last night?"
"No," Erza said, furrowing her brows. Last night she had returned late from a patrol, and gone right to bed- had something happened?
"What happened?"
"He's dead, sis. Shiba Kaien's dead."
Erza took a breath, keeping herself calm. She had not known Kaien- the head of the Shiba clan and cousin to Isshin, and vice-captain to the thirteenth division, she knew that much, but she had not known him personally. Death always came as a shock to those personally affected by it, but for everyone else… well, they were all part of a military organization, and it was not exactly like the Gotei had a retirement plan. It happened to everyone eventually.
"That's terrible," she said, standing up, "what happened? Do you know?"
"Hollow, sis. Some kinda freak-show hollow, they said- different from the rest."
"That's very sad, yes," Erza said, nodding, wondering how to put on the right air of respect toward the dead man in question- she knew well how personal grief felt, but she didn't have much experience handling other people's deaths. It made her feel uncomfortable.
"But why are you this worked up? Were you friends with him?"
"Don't you know, sis?" Renji said, his voice between angry and upset, "Rukia was his student. They say…" He hesitated, took a deep breath, and continued, "they say her sword was what killed him. She's not been arrested, but… sis, she can't be in a good way."
"So why are you here talking to me?" Erza asked.
"I tried- she wouldn't respond," Renji mumbled. "Shit… her eyes looked dead, sis. She really liked that guy, and… it's bad enough to watch somebody like that die, but to have to-"
"Let's not jump to conclusions," Erza said sharply.
"What can I do, Erza?" Renji pleaded, sounding a bit helpless.
"Renji," Erza said, looking him in the eye, "somebody dear to you is in pain. You do not know how you can help. Correct?"
Renji nodded.
"I'm not exactly an expert on people," Erza said, trying to think of some decent advise- that was the silly thing about being a teacher to somebody; people just assumed you knew things and it never occurred to them that you might just be ignorant and lost, too…
"Look, not everyone handles something like this the same. But… when it was me, I was nearly lost. It was Kotetsu Isane who pulled me out of there, and I hope her, or somebody like her, will do the same for Rukia. I'll say this- nobody in that position should be alone. Visit her when you can, and don't leave unless she tells you to."
"But what am I supposed to say?"
"You don't need to say a thing, Renji," Erza said firmly. "You just need to be there. Make her feel she's got people left in this world. That kind of pain can take you to some dark places without people to help you carry on. If she'll have it, talk to her. If not, just sit there until your ass cramps up. Understood?"
"…yes, sis," Renji said, nodding. Wordlessly, he turned around and walked out.
Erza watched him leave, and hoped she hadn't made some sort of mistake.
Life- or rather, afterlife- was hard, unfair, and then you died. That was Kuchiki Rukia's conclusion when, some two months after Shiba Kaien's death, she stood alone among the corpses of her comrades. She had failed to live up to the standards of her onii-sama, had never become a worthy member of the Kuchiki. She had endured that failure for a long time, even gaining hope of overcoming it under the tutelage of Kaien-dono. That hope had died with him, that dire night… when her sword had run through his chest.
She had been given counselling. The ever-smiling, ever-frightening Captain Unohana had insisted on it. But no amount of treatment could make the black hole in her chest go away; nothing could stop her dreams from his accusing face staring down on her. For that reason, she had joined a terminator squad the moment she was deemed fit for duty. It was dangerous work, and people often died- and deep down, she had felt that suited her.
Then there was today. A high risk assignment; hollow infestation out in the Rukongai. There had been five of them going out that morning, to fix a tear between the realms- reportedly with dozens of hollows having spilled out, and more coming.
It hadn't been dozens. It had been well over a hundred. They couldn't run; there were hollows far too strong and fast for that. A distress call had been sent out immediately by the squad's leader, and a struggle for survival had begun, a desperate defensive fight, a mixture between running and battling with their lives at stake. For a while, it had worked. For some time, quick and smooth team work had kept them alive, with one hollow after another being slain as they constantly changed position, using everything in their arsenal to stay alive.
Then tenth seat Tumika had lost his arm to a vicious, snake-like beast hitting him from a blind spot, and he had been overrun in seconds, torn to pieces. One by one, the other three had been taken out- skewered, ripped to pieces, killed with sword in hand while slaying as many in turn as they could.
Now it was only her left.
As Rukia watched the wicked-faced horde of hollows move to leap at her one final time, a seething mass of teeth, claw and writhing bodies, she thought how strange it were, that just a few months ago this would have been horrifying. Now, it was strangely... pointless. Apathy was the last she would have expected, but it was all she could muster. She could not manage to care that her squadmates had died. She could not manage to care that she had no way out. She could not even manage to care about the large, bleeding gash in her side, which had already dyed a large part of her shihakusho quite red. She could see them move, slowly like the predators they were, and her vision went blurry. Slowly, she lowered her sword, waiting for the inevitable.
It felt right. Just... let it happen, and all the pain would be gone. It wasn't like she was killing herself. She had carried on, she had fought hard, she had done her best. It hadn't been enough. She was oddly fine with that.
Her vision faded, and she sunk to her knees, closing her eyes. It would hurt- but just a little more pain, and then... then, she'd be wherever Kaien was. Was there a life after the afterlife? She would find out. The shrieks and growls of the hollows came ever closer...
But then, one moment passed another, and the inevitable somehow didn't happen. The sore, throbbing pain in her side made itself reminded with each heartbeat, and Rukia felt almost disappointed- what the hell was taking them?
She opened her eyes, looked up, and... she saw and felt it. Two powerful shinigami, taking the full attention of the horde. Forcing herself to focus, through the pain and dizziness, Rukia looked at her saviours- the far-too-late reinforcements from the Gotei itself. There was the white-haired fourth seat of squad Ten, Lisanna Strauss- and by her side, the tall and fiercely red-haired third seat of squad five, Erza Scarlet. They stood only a couple dozen paces away, their swords out.
"You ready, Erza?" Lisanna said, staring intently at the horde before them. The hollows seemed curious about the new arrivals, slowly spreading out in a large arc, to surround them.
"Let's do this."
"No." Erza said, her sword already changed into two blades. "There is a survivor over there- take her to the field hospital, now."
"She's half dead," Lisanna bit back, "and if I go save her, you'll be overrun. Those aren't your everyday hollows, Erza- I'm counting nearly forty old, strong huge ones, and there's three gillians, and a damn Adjuchas too!"
"Do it," Erza said, her tone leaving no room for disagreement.
"I'm not letting you die for no reason-" Lisanna tried, but Erza cut her off.
"I hate to do this to you, but I am third seat and you are fourth. I am in command of this mission, so go save her- that's an order!"
"Really, Erza?" Lisanna said frustratedly.
"Sorry," Erza said regretfully. "Get her out of here, then come help out. Okay?"
"Son of a..." Lisanna murmured, and dashed toward Rukia. "Are you badly hurt?" She said to her.
"I'm..." Rukia said, lamely pointing to her side. "I... I don't think I can stand."
Lisanna looked around her; the hollows were gathering. "This might hurt, but we don't have any time," she said, sheathed her sword, and hastily picked Rukia up in a bridal carry. It hurt, but not especially more than it had before, and Lisanna sped away.
"I'm coming right back, Erza!" She snapped, as she started running, "so stay alive till them, you hear me?"
"I'm not dying here," said Erza, mostly to herself. There was a lot of them... but she was not going to die. It was not an option. Not waiting for them to pounce, she readied her swords and charged into the awaiting horde. She cut once, twice, three and four times, her arms working with furious precision, leaving seven hollows maimed. There was no time to go for a killing blow each time- she was outnumbered enormously, and her only advantage would be speed. Her weapon immediately changing to a spear, she sped forward, leaping over one hollow after another, even using them as stepping stones, she aimed for the first gillian. It was enormous, bulky and slow, bigger by far than even the Adjuchas- which, for now, seemed only to observe. The gillian looked down on her, red eyes glimmering with malice as it opened its mouth. Cero- she knew what it was before the red energy had even begun to gather.
Not stopping now, she dashed forward, running up the body of the hollow in defiance of all physics known to man. The ball of red energy was growing, but Erza had no intent on letting it fire. In a last spurt, she launched herself forward, spear pointed straight at the monster's mask. She felt the impact as it collided, rattling her very bones, and for a fraction of a second she feared her weapon would break. Then there was a gratifying crack, as the monster's mask fractured, pierced by the tip of her spear. It had not yet broken, though- only partly fractured. Wrenching the spear out, she let it form into her axe, Breaker. With a fearsome swing, she cut into the fracture, and the hollow screamed- a deafening, shrieking roar, chilling her to the spine- as it began to dissolve. It collapsed, and Erza let herself fall to the ground, landing with her weapons already switched to the double swords.
She panted. That had already taken a lot out of her- the gillian's mask had been thick and tough. But there was no respite- a horde of smaller hollows were charging her way, leaping on all fours. Not waiting to let them come at her, she ran to meet them, her swords ready and waiting. Carving through them with the power and experience of veteran, her blades worked furiously, slashing a gruesome, bloody pattern through the beasts. In a matter of seconds, nearly a dozen hollows fell over, dead or dying, and Erza was not even slowing down.
Crying out with a fierce shout, deep down from her gut, she jumped forward to face a group of Huge hollows, her swords changing into an axe again. A monster with a bulky body and long, spiky arms roared, slashing at her. It received a severed arm for its troubles, and the next moment Erza had smashed the blade of her axe into its mask. It fell down, beginning to decay immediately. Still looking for a new opponent, Erza jumped forward again. Breaker was hungry still, and she had the battle of a lifetime ahead of her.
Rukia saw it, as she was being carried away- that fierce, strong woman, jumping into a suicidal fight with no hesitation. Why? For her? Why would she be worth saving? Would she die too, because of her?
Thinking these despairing thoughts, Rukia drifted off into unconsciousness.
It had been hours, surely hours, since she had started this. Every muscle in her body ached; she had broken two fingers and probably more than a few ribs, and one of her arms almost hung limp at her side, her willpower just barely keeping it moving. Her clothes were torn and ripped, to a point where her shirt was less of a shirt, and more a collection of stripes. As it flapped in the wind, it might have looked attractive to a male onlooker, if not for how each tear came with a wound, soiling what was left of her uniform with red blood. Thick, clotting blood kept running into her eyes, from a nasty cut to her forehead.
She could barely hold Breaker, her huge bearded axe, which she had swung with a tired, mechanical energy the last hour or so, like a weary woodsman chopping into a tree's trunk.
And all around her were the disintegrating corpses of hollows great and small. Bits and pieces of them were flung all over the dirty ground, blood and ichor staining the grass. There were mounds, veritable mounds, of decaying dead flesh, huge hollows with their tongues hanging lamely from their dead jaws, stacked on one another as they had fallen before her fury. She hurt, badly, but she had won.
Well, almost.
"Well, well," said the Adjuchas, towering over her, "you managed to kill all of them. Impressive."
It was huge in size, massive, over a hundred feet tall, its body a flaming red, with bull-like horns jutting from its mask. Its muscles bulged from its arms, grotesquely disproportionate in size compared to its smaller legs. It looked like a deformity, a still-born, misshapen freak of nature. Its mask was the typical bone white, except for three black triangular markings under each eye. Its teeth dark and sharp, it looked every bit the nightmare it should.
"Impressive? I thought you'd be angrier about losing your followers," Erza grunted, wearily raising her axe again. It was a monstrosity, to be sure... but she had fought a lot of monstrosities, and even now, she felt no fear. Caution, sure- but looking at it, even though it was grim, she felt only a cool calm, assessing the situation before her.
It was large, very large, but she knew from experience they could be deceptively quick. Adjuchas class, with reiatsu bigger than hers- but judging from its emissions, with inferior control of it compared to her; a major flaw to exploit. Adjuchas, the second highest stage of hollow evolution- it was old, experienced and wicked, no doubt. To do this, she would have to be very precise; there would be no room for mistakes.
"Angry?" The hollow said, letting out a low, rumbling laugh, nearly deafening her. "I am grateful, Erza Scarlet of the Gotei. That they died by your hand will mean that consuming you will mean all the more." He put one paw forward on the ground, and leaned in, preparing to pounce. "Trash like them can be replaced. But to think..."
"Think what?" Erza said, carefully taking a few steps back, reading the beast's movements.
"To think that Aizen-sama holds you in such esteem, yet he has not ordered any of us to not harm you." He let out a low, evil-sounding chuckle. "Does he value you so little?"
"I wouldn't have said yes even if he asked me to." Erza said defiantly. That's right, drag it out... if there was one thing about old, experienced and particularly evil hollows, it was their tendency to gloat. If Lisanna came back before he could move, this was sure to be a victory.
"Aizen-sama does not take requests, he commands," the hollow chortled. "If you have not seen this, then you are naïve!"
Immediately, before he had even finished his sentence, the hollow charged forward, in great and vicious strides on his massive arms. One claw came down on her, and Erza quickly rolled under it, ignoring the screams of protest from her aching body. Quickly, she burst into a sprint, drawing on her last energy reserves, trying to quickly reach its face. She dashed forward in a weak half-shunpo, and though the beast saw her, reeling back, she was able to make the jump, get up-
but then it failed, her foot crying out in pain, her jump half-hearted and weak. Before she could even hit the ground, the hollow's claw had hit her, slamming hard into her side, sending her tumbling. Struggling to stay conscious, she rolled across the ground, bleeding from new places and hurting even more in older ones. Even so, she forced herself to stand- get up get up get up GET UP or he is going to kill you! Get up!
Struggling to keep her balance still, she stood on her feet, just barely holding on to her axe.
Never falter!
She heard the voice of Tetsu no Tama's proud warrior spirit in her head, and nodded resolutely. Never run away, never surrender- not for something as small as your life. Grasping the axe resolutely in both hands, despite her fractures shoulder and broken fingers, she began to walk against the hollow, which was raising its hand against her again. The walk turned into a jog, turning into a pained run, and she charged to meet its strike head on. As its hand came down upon her, she focused what energy she had left to the blade of her axe, and let it bite into the hollow's flesh, hard. The hand split in two where she cleaved into it, and the monster roared with pain, pulling its hand back.
Quickly, Erza grabbed on to its thumb, and let herself be propelled up, up... and just as she was high enough, she jumped forward from the monster's hand, brandishing her axe for a wide, arcing swing. The adjuchas growled, trying to react, but before it could move out of the way, she had hit home, all her remaining reiatsu channeled into this one strike. It bit into its neck, crushing through muscles, sinew and blood, brutally severing the head from its body. Her axe breaking, Erza fell to the ground... and raising her head, managing no more than that, she saw the hollow's head lying close by, its body toppling like a cut-down tree trunk. Blood spilled out on the ground like a dark red river, and Erza let herself have a breath of relief. She had won, just by the skin of her teeth.
Rukia was not sure how long it had been since she had passed out- but judging by the burn in her side, probably not very long. Deciding not to move any more than she had to, she raised her head, looking around. She was lying on a field bed, elevated just a foot or so over the ground. She saw light from outside, dull and fading- twilight, judging by its shade, meaning that she had been out for a few hours. She was in a tent, she could see, dark in colour and with the fourth division's insignia on its walls. Reinforcements had come with medical aid as well, it seemed.
Rukia shifted a little, and felt a jut of pain from her side- and, she noticed as it died down a little, from her arms and legs as well. She was more beaten up than she thought… but the pain had been dulled by a lot- probably some painkiller drug. She was covered in bandages, she noticed.
Then she remembered. She had been ready to die. She had been completely without hope, not even wanting hope… and then there had been that Erza Scarlet, her old teacher, swooping in and taking on a horde all by herself. Was she…
No. She was much too tired, much too weak, and in too much pain to deal with all that right now. Closing her eyes, Rukia lay still on the field bed, feeling the thumping of her heart and every little jolt of dulled pain it brought. It was a surprisingly effective distraction. It couldn't last forever, though- sometime later, maybe minutes, maybe an hour, she heard a rustle at the tent's entrance. Opening her eyes, she looked to see what it was. She saw a jot of red through her half-closed eyelids, and raised her head, looking more carefully.
It was Erza Scarlet, looking like she had been run over by a rockslide of particularly large and vicious rocks. Her uniform was gone, replaced by a clean, white robe, stained a little by her own blood. Her head had been wrapped in bandage, her left arm was in a sling, her right hand has wrapped thickly with bandage, the two lowest fingers kept straight by a splint. Her chest, her legs and arms were thick with bandage, and she was still bleeding from a few cuts here and there. After her came Kotetsu Isane, looking worried as Erza sat herself down on a field bed opposite of Rukia.
"…you have a concussion, seven rib fractures which could puncture your lung, a fractured and almost disjointed shoulder, two broken fingers and a sprained wrist to go with it, and dear lord you have more lacerations than I care to count!" Isane said insistently, with a fussing, determined tone that oddly reminded Rukia of a worried older sister, "and no, none of them are 'just flesh wounds', Erza! It doesn't matter you're strong- shinigami can get infections too! You need to stay down, and don't move around!"
"All right, all right," Erza mumbled, lying down on the bed. "Take it easy… you saw to all of that yourself, didn't you?"
"Yes," Isane said, nodding and firmly pulled a cover over Erza, until it reached up to her chin, "and now I have to make sure you don't undo it yourself! Good grief, Erza, you are so reckless!"
"Take- take it easy, all right?" Erza mumbled, sounding oddly submissive. "I promise I'll stay down, if it'll keep you calm. Okay?"
Isane sighed frustratedly. "I'd like it better if you stayed down because it's the right thing to do for your own wellbeing, but I suppose it will have to do. I have to go make a preliminary report to my captain now- don't go anywhere."
"You got it, boss," Erza said weakly.
Looking skeptical still, Isane nevertheless walked out. Rukia lay still there, looking at her. Erza looked like she had been through hell… and well, fighting at least a hundred hollows at once, that sounded pretty hellish. It was amazing that she was still alive.
Grunting, Erza propped herself up to a sitting position, putting a finger over her lips.
"Don't tell Isane," she murmured, "she'll pop a vein, and I don't want that on my conscience."
Rukia didn't reply, not really knowing what to say. Erza looked her in the eye, and her brows furrowed a bit.
"Rukia," she said. "I remember teaching you how to use a sword."
Weakly, Rukia nodded.
"I don't remember teaching you to give up."
"What?" Rukia murmured.
"Saw it in your eyes," Erza nodded, "just sitting down, waiting for it to happen. Seen that look before, there's no mistaking it."
"You have no idea." Rukia said flatly. "I saw all of them die, all of them, and I did my worst… and you have the nerve to say I was giving up?"
"Weren't you?"
"…no." Rukia said.
"A word to the wise, Rukia- you're not that good at lying. Least not right now," Erza said, shaking her head. "And you know what? I think I do have an idea. Losing people you love, being almost dead, despair… I think I know about that." There was a firm look on her face, not judgmental, not angry, but very decisive. "I lost my three best friends along with my whole class. I lost my entire world- tell me Rukia, do you remember the people you left behind when you were alive?"
"N-no…" Rukia mumbled. "I was too young."
"Well, I do. I remember Natsu, I remember Gray, I remember Lucy. I remember Master Makarov, Mirajane, Jellal, Cana… you don't know any of them, but they were all irreplaceable. Everyone I ever knew, my entire life and future, I lost that when I died, and I don't think I'll ever get it back."
"Um… that's awful." Rukia said awkwardly. It was a lame reply, a much too tame thing to say- but what could really do that justice?
"But I got back up on my feet," Erza said, nodding to herself, her voice a little softer now, "yes, I kept going. I accepted that my friends weren't going to be there anymore. I made new friends, and when they died, I still kept going."
"…why?" Rukia mumbled quietly, feeling tears at the corners of her eyes. "Why do you keep going when you lost that much? I-I lost Kaien-dono, and it hurts so much- overwhelmed by emotion, she stopped talking, tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Because it's not over till it's over," Erza said simply. "I know that doesn't sound very profound, but it's how it is. Either you keep going, or you lay down and die. Nothing else to it. I kept going… I almost didn't, but I had help. You got people who love you, Rukia- and it might not feel like it right now, but there's things that make life worth living. It hurts- it really hurts, and it never goes away, not ever, not all of it- but that it hurts means you had something worth remembering. Move yourself forward, Kuchiki Rukia. If you feel like you let somebody down, then live for them. Use your power to make it up to them, whatever it takes. I sure as hell don't think Kaien would want to see you dead."
She lay back down, seemingly tired out from her lecture, and the tears flowed slowly from Rukia's eyes. Keep going, was it? Keep going, or lay down and die…
She still had friends left. Maybe… maybe it wasn't time to give up just yet.
Erza, for her part, lay back, keeping quiet. She was in that familiar state of hurting all over, in every place she could imagine hurting and some she didn't even know could hurt. This was a state she had experienced plenty of times both before and after having died, enough so that it was almost routine. As she drifted off into a drug-induced sleep, she wondered whether that really was a sane way of looking at pain.
Then, before she knew it, she was in a familiar place- the great cliff, with a magnificent tree growing from it. Her soul realm, the home of her zanpakutou, Tetsu no Tama. He had redecorated a good bit since she had first dispelled the cloud of dust- the mountaintop was now the foot of a resplendent marble stair, leading into a huge marble hall, shining white, its roof supported by exquisitely carved pillars. Erza sighed, looking at the ridiculously glorious sight of her zanpakutou's home, and walked up the steps leading towards the hall where he made his home. The hall itself had all sorts of comforts, fitting for a king- couches, divans, magnificent tables with great bowls of wine and fruit. At the center of the room, of course, was yet another stair, leading up to a brightly shining golden throne. Erza couldn't help but look at it with a little bit of disbelief, and a little bit of distaste- her zanpakutou was so very much like her in so many ways; honourable, straightforward, firm of principle, proud- but in so many others, he was… not. When had she ever wanted glory and wealth like this?
"I can hear all your thoughts, you know," the zanpakutou said, disinterestedly fiddling with a grape. How he had grapes in this world, Erza had no clue.
He wore splendid gilded armour, like what she had once worn in life- but bigger, more elegant, covering every part of him, down to the fingers and toes- except his face. He would be considered handsome in her world, with his well-sculpted features and short, spiky blond hair, and that very arrogant expression on his face that for some mysterious reason appealed to a lot of women.
"Tetsu no Tama," Erza said, giving a quick bow. He was very keen on respect, Erza knew, and would sometimes withhold his power for small slights- something that had left her being very careful with her manner of speech.
"You wish to speak with me?"
"Yes, in fact," the zanpakutou said haughtily. "You are changing, Erza. We are changing." In his hand, Render appeared, the black greatsword long and fat with power. He pointed it at Erza. "You have taken a new path."
"Yes, things are changing," Erza said resolutely, "but is that for the better or for the worse, in your opinion?"
"I have no idea," Tetsu no Tama said dismissively, Render disappearing in a puff of black smoke, "but I do know it will lead to something grand. This Aizen… do you truly trust him?"
"With all my heart," Erza said firmly. "He will lead us to a-"
"Yes, yes, spare me the lecture," he said, taking a sip of wine. "I am not opposed to a bit of loyalty to a lord you believe in. But do not let him lead your way of thinking, Erza- you must follow because you see it to be right, not because he tells you it is."
"Obviously," Erza replied. "Was that all you wanted to talk about?"
"There is plenty to talk about." He said, smiling contentedly. "You just recently took your first life, Erza."
"Don't remind me." She said, balling her fists. "I had no choice-"
"There you go as always, deprecating yourself!" Tetsu no Tama snapped. "Of all the masters I could have had… you finally show the courage and maturity to know when death is necessary, and your instinctive reaction is to flagellate yourself to no end. This is why I will not give you my true power, Erza- every time you do something worthy of being my true master, in every regard, you step back. Are you afraid of me, Erza? Are you afraid of my power?"
"If your power means treating death as something unimportant, then I do not want it." Erza said coldly. "I'll make do. I'll make do, even if you took away all my power."
"Hn." The spirit took another sip of wine, and lazily gobbled down a couple of grapes. "And that, Erza, is why you still wield my power. Even when challenged by me, your own soul, you stay true to yourself. But take warning… the future may take you down a path that creates a new you, and that future you may not be worthy of my power."
"Isn't that always true?" Erza shot back. "Is that not always a possibility, for everyone?"
"True enough," the spirit said, nodding. "But I won't scold you too much. After all, you have moved up in the world… when will you upgrade from that tacky little room? A woman of your stature deserves far better."
"It's no more than I need." Erza said, smiling a little. This was a familiar verbal spar- Tetsu no Tama liked to demand the finer things in life, and Erza had little time for that.
"But, Erza…" Tetsu no Tama said, sounding grave. "Take heed. You destroyed something you found reprehensible not long ago. But in doing so, have you considered you might be destroying a part of yourself?"
"All the time, Tetsu no Tama. All the time."
He nodded. "We will speak again, Erza. For now… your audience is over."
And then, she felt the sudden rush of being thrown out, out of the palace, out of the realm itself- that blasted zanpakutou, and his arrogant way of treating it like his own personal kingdom! With a start, she woke up, feeling the pain of broken bones. Slowly, and with some effort, she went back to sleep again.
It was a few days later, when the worst of her injuries had been cured- through extensive medical kido, and more than a few scoldings from Isane- that she was well enough to be up and about. Captain Unohana had still insisted on her not returning to duty for a few days, and Erza was not about to defy her- but lying down had never been her forte. The news had spread across the Gotei, what she had done… people kept giving her excited looks, murmuring to themselves, and not in a bad way. It was like a not-so-bad version of what had happened after the massacre.
Right now, though, it was night, and she had been called out to meet Aizen. Out into the cool night she had walked, her bones still aching, her fingers still on a splint, but undeterred. Pain like this was nothing.
They were waiting in a square not far from fifth. In normal circumstances, she would have been unsure about such an open meeting place- but the power of Kyoka Suigetsu was something else, she had to remind herself. Out in the open, a clear moon shining down on them… conspiring rebellion. She was part of this now, and it was something that never stopped feeling strange.
Aizen stood there, flanked by Tosen and Ichimaru.
"Welcome, Erza," Aizen said, shooting her a small smile. "I am glad to see you on your legs again, after such a tremendous display."
"It was foolhardy," Tosen scoffed. "Not only did she risk her life needlessly, but she drew attention to herself- Aizen-sama's orders were clear, woman!"
"Silence, Kaname," Aizen said. His voice was quiet, gentle, but Tosen shut his mouth immediately.
"Ya gotta admit though, that was quite somethin' for a lil' girl without a bankai," Ichimaru said, smiling the same creepy smile as ever. "The hundred-slayer, I heard 'em call her. Yer makin' quite a name for yerself."
"If there is a problem-" Erza said, but Aizen cut her off with an assuring gesture.
"Don't mind them, Erza. This is exactly the sort of thing that might be expected of you- to suddenly become quiet and discreet would be far more suspicious for you. Be as you are. There is no need to worry. Besides, it was impressive."
"Thanks, sir," Erza mumbled.
"This is still more than necessary." Tosen dared remark. "Especially in light of the bombings…"
"Kaname, your petty jealousy would befit a schoolgirl better than a lieutenant of mine." His tone was gentle, but his words were sharp, and Tosen fell quiet.
"Is there a risk, though?" Erza asked. "I wouldn't want to have caused you trouble…"
"There is no risk." Aizen said calmly. "The second division is clueless. The reigning theory is that there were terrorists from the Rukongai somehow bypassing our defenses- something I planted evidence to support."
"…I see." Said Erza. "So, um, why did you call us out here?"
Aizen looked at her. "Ah, yes- let's not distract ourselves any further. The reason I called you out here is simple: the captain of division three is retiring soon due to a long time illness, and Gin will replace him."
Erza blinked. "He- he will? But can he…"
"Wouldn'tcha know it, I got me a bankai," Gin said lazily. "They say I'm a proper genius who deserve t'be at the very top of fings. So say at least five captains now. Goin' t'be fun, running me own division. Don't' it sound fun?"
Erza felt a sinking feeling. This man, in charge of others?
"Gin is still loyal to my cause, of course," Aizen said, noticing the look on her face, "and it serves us well that he is in a position of power."
"If-if you say so," Erza mumbled. "I mean, you'd know best, I guess…"
"That, of course, leaves the position of vice-captain vacant," Aizen said.
"Oh?" Erza said. "Do you have anybody in mind- oh."
"Well yes, who else?" said Aizen. "I can think of no better second in command at my side."
"You are sure, sir?" Erza said. "I mean…"
"You mean what, Erza? You are my third seat. You are the natural choice." Said Aizen.
"…I suppose I just didn't expect it." Erza murmured. "I- of course I'll accept!"
"Very good. I look forward to working with you." Aizen said, saying the formal phrase a bit mockingly.
"I'll do my best." She said resolutely. She had come this far- sure, "vice-captain" was just a rank, but she had climbed far and high now. She was leagues and leagues from where she had first started… and under Aizen's wisdom and guidance, she would go much further still. She would gain her bankai too, become the best she could be… and one day, they would create that better world.
Just you wait, she thought, to all the lost friends she had ever had, to the ones she had left behind in life and the ones she had left behind in the afterlife, just you wait. I won't have lost you for nothing.
Finally, Erza has reached the level of vice captain! Well, lets be honest, she's finally reached the RANK of vice captain. Erza was a powerful as one for quite awhile. How long ago? Ever since she saved her students from those huge hollows back in chapter 13.
Her power at this point is high vice captain to low captain rank. In a battle of Reiatsu, Erza surpasses Mayrui. but no other captain. She couldn't beat him as she is now, but that's due to his bankai, and THATS only due to his poison. Still, she's come a long ways, and she'll continue to climb even further.
I mean, she killed 100 Hollows! Several of them being gillians, many huge hollows, and a freaking adjuchas . I think that's a fair assessment.
I hope you all liked that scene at the beginning. For the longest time, Erza had just assumed all hollows were monsters. But as she learned here, she now knows that's not the case. Special thanks to Greatkingrat88 for that, he came up with that scene all by himself.
Also, I figured it was about time we got Rukia more involved in this. I wanted to do so earlier, but we couldn't find a way to do so without things being written...well, awkwardly. But we have it here, and that's all that matters.
Anyways, I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter. If so, Please leave a review on what you enjoyed about it, I would greatly appreciate it. Likewise, if you had any issues, please, tell us. We don't shy away from Criticism.