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.
Another chapter for July. Don't expect this to be a common thing guys, sorry. We're just ahead of schedule.
That said, I do hope you all enjoy this. There are a few things I'm VERY positive you'll all enjoy!
Thanks again for reading. Please feel free to leave any reviews that you want, be it positive or negative.
The eternal moon of Hueco Mundo was bathing the room in its pale light, as Erza got to her feet again, wiping blood from her brow. It was strange how easily you got used to it- this realm was dead, cruel and the home of evil creatures, but it was as Aizen said- it had a strange, wild kind of beauty.
Not that this was on her mind right now. Here she was in a chamber of the palace in Las Noches, one sword in each hand, she took a stance, readying herself as Halibel came toward her again, her arm-sword raised and ready to strike. The great bone-blade came down, shattering the floor tiles as Erza rolled out of the way, and impossibly quickly it retracted to parry her counterattack. Erza pressed her advantage, hacking and slashing at the hollow, trying to keep her on the defensive- but her assault was broken with a single, hard wide swipe, which Erza only barely blocked. She could feel the muscles in her arms scream in protest, her bones almost but not quite cracking under the pressure, as she was sent flying a few yards. She landed on her feet, only barely keeping herself upright.
"If I had struck you seriously there, you would have died," Halibel said plainly. "Why do you insist on this? Neliel and I are both stronger than you are by a severe margin. You have no hope of defeating me."
"It's not about defeating you," Erza said, defiantly, letting her sword change shape into Breaker, the axe, "it's about learning!"
She lunged again, bringing her heavy weapon down, but Halibel had blocked it effortlessly. It had been this way for at least a week now, Erza challenging her or Neliel to a fight, losing miserably each time. She had started spending more time here, often after dark, and Aizen approved- although he had warned her not to stray into parts of the castle she did not know. Erza had found both Halibel and Neliel to be decent company- they were hollows, but in their own way, they were good people too. They had their own friends, lower ranked hollows under their protection, and they seemed to treat them well. So Erza had tried to befriend them the best way she knew- they didn't exactly have a lot in common, but violence was a universal thing to all sentient beings.
She hacked and cut, not really making much headway- but she had managed to make Halibel take a step back, which was a victory in and of itself. Then, Halibel let her bone-blade drop, and caught the blade of Erza's axe in her palm, not even taking a scratch.
"That is enough." She said simply. "You are tired and worn. Stop."
"I can still keep going," Erza mumbled. "I just need to…"
"Stop, or I will break this weapon." Halibel said coolly.
Erza grumbled, but let her sword return to its sealed form. Huffing, she wiped her brow again, and slowly sheathed her sword.
"You're so cold, Halibel," Neliel said chipperly, having watched from the side-lines. "She's just a shinigami. There's no need to be so hard on her." She was a sweet person, Erza had noted, something that went in stark contrast to her ghastly mask, looking like some grim, mystical totem.
"I was hard on her?" Halibel said dismissively. "If I were, she would be dead. I still don't understand- you are inferior. I mean it not as an insult, but you are. Your strength may not yet be fully grown, but you could never hope to match me. Why keep trying?"
"Well," Erza said, stretching her back and feeling the ache- she'd feel that in the morning, oh yes- "I'm running out of good practice partners back at home. I am going to be a captain one day, Halibel, just like Aizen… and if I want to reach there, I need to challenge myself. I need to get stronger. You don't get stronger by fighting people who are on the same level as you are. All that accomplishes is you staying in shape, at best."
"…perhaps." Halibel said, looking as inscrutable as ever under her mask. It was a strange thing- a mask she had, but not over all of her face. Under it was… skin, just like on any person she'd find in the world of the living or in the soul society.
"I figure, why not give myself as big a challenge as possible?" Erza said, giving her a smile. "Throw reason to the curb, try to move a mountain- and maybe if I try hard enough, I'll move it."
"Or you will break your back trying to." Halibel said dryly. She was critical, dismissive, but, Erza had noticed- she had never once said no to a spar with her, despite the gap in power. It was fascinating- she knew how to slay a hollow, big or small, and she knew how to fight against a sword, but Halibel was simply different- experienced, powerful, a true Vasto Lorde.
"That's a risk I am prepared to take." Erza said resolutely. "I did not join this… whole revolution to play it safe."
"You want a better tomorrow." Halibel said flatly, with a hint of skepticism.
"It won't come if I don't work for it," Erza shot back, "and one day, I'll be much stronger, and that day I will thank you for your help."
Halibel gave her a long, scrutinizing look, and walked over to a bench, sitting herself down.
"You shinigami are strange." She said, after a while. "You are soft, almost all of you are weak, and almost all of you hate and fear us. You work hard, Erza Scarlet, and your wish to become stronger is sincere. But do you realize what a luxury that is?"
"Luxury?" Erza said, following Halibel a few steps, until she was face to face with her again.
"Yes." Halibel said flatly. "To train safely, to have some… controlled environment where you can cultivate your potential. This is a great luxury. I am sure you must have had your struggles and pains getting here, but none of it compares to being a hollow. Out there," she said, gesturing at the endless, white desert of Hueco Mundo, "you would have been killed and eaten just now, not been given leave to rest. Had you been a hollow, dreadful things might have been done to you, and the only way to survive is to be even more dreadful yourself. I am strong, so I have earned the luxury of companionship, but I was a monster before then. I still am."
"You are not a monster-" Erza said, but Halibel cut her off.
"I am." She said sharply. "It is not something I am ashamed of. We all do as we must to survive. But through Aizen-sama's vision, I have found purpose. I do not regret or enjoy what I am, and I do not reject it either."
"Um…" Erza said, unsure of what to say. She was probably right- hollows were terrible, but she hadn't considered before how terrible a thing it was to be a hollow.
"You will never understand." Halibel said matter-of-factly, "Because you have not killed and killed and killed out of hunger, fear and ambition. You have never felt true madness, true ruthlessness. You have not felt the pain of ten thousand wounds, of almost dying all the time, of always being afraid and hiding it behind strength and viciousness."
"You're right." Erza said. "I can't understand. I can't help that. But…"
"I do not judge you for it. You did not choose to be a shinigami. I did not choose to be a hollow. We are what we are. Only purpose matters."
"Do you really think you are a monster?" Erza said, furrowing her brows.
"Would your kind not call me that?" Halibel said, giving her a look. "Would you not call me that, had you seen me in the darkest parts of Hueco Mundo?"
"You are a person, Tier," Erza said resolutely.
"Would your shinigami friends acknowledge that?" Halibel asked. "Would they even listen to you if you dared suggest differently?"
"Well…" Erza mumbled. "It would be difficult."
"Until recently, you thought just like they do. So why now insist on spending time with us?"
"I thought hollows were all monsters, it's true," Erza said, sighing and nodding, "but I was wrong. I know better now. If I can learn that, so can everyone else."
"You truly believe that?" Halibel said, giving her a quizzical look.
"I have to." Erza said firmly. "If I don't, then I'm just acting like I'm better than everyone else. I'm not a hypocrite, Tier- the better tomorrow isn't just for the soul society, it's for you too."
Halibel remained silent for a while, leaning herself against the wall.
"…you are a very, very strange shinigami, Erza Scarlet," she said at last, sounding puzzled. "Aizen-sama is strong. He gave us purpose, a reason for being beyond mere existence. Gin is a monster, a hollow wearing the skin of a shinigami. Tosen lies to himself about right and wrong. But you… you seem different from all of them."
"It's nothing special." Erza said, and smiled. "I'm just doing my best. Come on- let's spar some more. I pushed you back one step this time- doesn't it look like I'm learning?"
"Do not get so full of yourself," Halibel said, standing up, "you have a long way to go yet."
There was something about her voice, her eyes, the way she stood. If she hadn't had a mask, then she might have smiled, Erza thought.
It was after nightfall when she made it back to her room. Officially she had been out on patrol; the records would verify it, as would several witnesses who had seen her leave and return- that illusion power was quite handy. She felt a good bit more tired than a simple patrol would have left her, though- Halibel, even when she restrained herself, was awesomely powerful.
Which was why, when the light suddenly turned on, she immediately reached for her sword, and had managed to draw it out by the time a crowd of people chanted out, as one, "SURPRISE!"
"Well, look at you, keepin' alert," said Ikkaku, standing next to Lisanna. "Good to see you didn't get soft just for getting a cushy promotion."
Erza looked around, and lowered her sword. There was Ikkaku, there was Isane, Rangiku, Momo, Lisanna, Momo, Renji, Kira, Hisagi… even Rukia, it seemed. Her new room was quite spacious, but it was absurd how all of them had been able to hide in it. Just how tired was she? She managed a smile, though she didn't feel quite so chipper- she hadn't had a party in ages, and she was a little bit on edge.
"You guys…" She said, embarrassedly sheathing her sword, "um, what is this?"
"You made vice-captain, Erza!" Momo said cheerily.
"We just couldn't leave it without proper celebration!" Rangiku exclaimed, procuring a multitude of sake bottles seemingly out of nowhere. "We all got together-"
"She means Momo, Kira and I," Renji cut in,
"We all got together," Rangiku said insistently, "and agreed we should plan a proper celebration. You earned this, and you deserve at least a party."
"She means 'an excuse to get drunk'," Ikkaku said, "which I am all for, by the way."
"You didn't have to do this. I mean… do you usually?"
"We do if I have a say in it!" Rangiku said cheerily. She continued, her voice a bit light-hearted, "Young lady, you are now a vice-captain, and it is our responsibility as your seniors to celebrate and advise you."
"And drink lots of sake." Ikkaku said.
"And drink lots of sake!" Rangiku concurred. "There's no use trying to fight it- you are destined to party all night with your friends!"
"Well…" Erza said, looking at all their faces, all so happy for her, "when you put it like that… it doesn't sound like I have much choice, does it?"
"I'm so proud of you, Erza," Momo said, giving her a hug. Erza ruffled her hair, and looked down on her affectionately, not really sure what to say.
"You've done all right for yourself, Erza," Lisanna said, shooting her a content smile. "I always figured you'd outrun me eventually."
"It's not a contest," Erza said. "Everyone just does their best." She felt a little guilty- she was plotting treason behind their backs, and each one of them could become an enemy with time… this party was not unwelcome, and she felt glad they all cared- but at the same time, it only reminded her of what her better tomorrow would cost.
"Erza? Erza? Hello, Erza?!" Erza realized she had drifted off in thought, Lisanna raising her voice at her to catch her attention.
"Oh- sorry." Erza said awkwardly, giving her a smile. "Let's um, go sit down and have a drink, and such."
She joined the others at the couch- a simple one, as she'd never figured she would really need one to begin with- where the rest of them were already sat, pulling up stools for the ones who didn't fit. It hadn't been five minutes, and they were already talking, drinking… they were so lively, so happy, so spirited. For a second, she thought she saw the friends of old- Natsu and Gray at each other's throats as usual, Lucy trying to placate them, Elfman boisterously declaring his manliness, Mirajane sitting in the background with a smile…
Then she was back in the present again. She had lost a whole family once, and now she had found new friends, new family… and the path she was on might turn them all against her? What was she doing with her life?
"Erza?" It was Isane's voice, sounding concerned. "You look- um, you look a bit weird. We shouldn't have imposed… I'm sorry."
"No, no, it's nothing," Erza said, keeping her voice stable. "You're all- you're all um, you're great."
"I know what it is." Lisanna said. "It's the guild, isn't it? It's a lot like it."
"The guild?" Renji said. "What guild? What's she on about, sis?"
"She and I knew each other back when we were alive." Erza said, struggling to get the words out.
"Fairy Tail." Lisanna said. "That was the guild of mages we lived in. We were all of us like one big family… almost like this. That's what got you looking so glum, wasn't it?"
Erza nodded. It was only half the truth, but it would do.
"I told you we shouldn't have," Isane mumbled to Rangiku.
"No, no, I'm glad," Erza said, keeping her voice stable, taking a few deep breaths. "I'm glad you're all here. Everything- everything is okay. Please, um, tell me about being a vice-captain instead."
"Huh." Renji said. "You two used to know each other in life? I never knew."
"Vice-captain advice time!" Rangiku said, cheerily cutting him off. Rangiku might sometimes seem it, but she wasn't actually dim- and unlike Erza, she was an expert at salvaging an awkward situation. "Erza, now that you are a vice-captain, there are certain perks. Like how you can book a spa all to yourself at a moment's notice, or get discounts at all the best stores! Trust me, people love a vice-captain almost as much as they love a captain. We're famous and powerful, so use it!" She smiled broadly, and Erza suspected she was already half drunk.
"Oh. Um…" she said, not really sure what to say, but grateful for the distraction.
"It's a lot of hard work," Isane said, smiling with a hint of nervousness, "I was terrified when Unohana-taicho named me her second. But I knew she believed in me, and she was never wrong… so I worked hard, and I actually did all right. I don't, um, have much advice… other than you shouldn't doubt yourself. But I don't think you would anyway. Er."
Isane was probably about as awkward as Erza herself, which was a rare thing.
"Thank you, Isane," she said, smiling warmly.
"Well, I ain't a vice-captain," Ikkaku said, downing what was probably his seventh drink already, "but I know you well enough you earned it. Lotsa shitty bureaucratic bullshit to go with the job, but you got the strength. I don't do speeches, so I'll shut up and refill this cup inna second- but here's to you, Erza. You'll make captain one day, and when you do, we'll have a proper fight, you and I."
That last part would have sounded hostile, but to Ikkaku, violence was just part of friendship, and people who couldn't handle that weren't his friends. Erza just smiled at him, and poured her own drink, raising it in a toast. Ikkaku followed suit, and the two of them downed one drink each. As Erza felt the burn of alcohol down her throat, she let herself relax a little.
"Congratulations, Erza," Momo said, smiling the brightest of them all, "I knew you'd move up."
"When I make captain, you'll be my second," Erza said, half joking.
"Oh- oh no, I could never…" Momo murmured. "I mean… I'm not…"
"You're good enough. You're already an officer- and you're more talented than most. I will move up, and so will you, mark my words."
"Th-thank you," Momo said, blushing at the praise.
Erza just nodded, and let herself be swallowed by the party, by the buzz and chatter, the conversation and general state of being with other people. She hadn't realized how much she had missed this- it truly did remind her of times past.
Three hours or so later, most of them had left. They all had work in the morning, after all, and you could only stay up so late drinking without your superiors noticing. Ikkaku had left, so had Lisanna, Kira and Rangiku. Renji and Hisagi were passed out on her couch- where they could stay for the night, for all she cared. She was much too tired to wake them and run them out. The only one still present and awake was Momo, who was dutifully picking up mugs, putting stools back in places, and making the place a little less messy.
"You should go home," Erza said. "I'll take care of this in the morning."
"It's no trouble." Momo said.
Erza sat down on her bed. "So… this was fun." She mumbled.
"Rangiku-san insisted on it being a surprise," Momo said, sounding a little guilty, "she said it was the only proper way to celebrate."
"It was good. I was just, well… surprised." Erza said, her eyelids feeling heavy.
"I didn't know you were such good friends with Ikkaku-san, though," Momo said. "His division seems so… scary."
"They're a rough bunch, all right," Erza mumbled, "but I used to be there myself."
"Really? I never knew." Momo said. Finally finished with the cleanup- or at least the worst of it- she sat down next to Erza.
"I was, yes," Erza said, nodding, "but… I left."
"How come?"
Erza turned her head to look Momo in the eye. "Ikkaku, you know… he looks real mean, and he's rough around the edges. Kind of a real man's man, you know? Fight, fight, fight, get stronger, train all day and drink a lot of beer once the day is done… but he's a good person."
Momo nodded. "If you say he is, then I'm sure he is,"
"But his captain…" Erza said darkly, "his captain is a bad man."
"He's very frightening. They say he's insane…"
"He is." Erza said, making a fist. "Back when I was there, I served under Kiganjo Kenpachi. He wasn't the greatest leader there ever was, or the most hardworking, and he didn't treat me with any special favour. But he was a good man, Momo, a good man." She grit her teeth at the memory. "He led us, and he was the kind of man who'd never ask any of his soldiers to do something he wouldn't. When it came to fighting hollows, he was right there with us. I wasn't… that close with him, but he was a good leader."
"Then what happened?" Momo asked quizzically.
"Zaraki Kenpachi." Erza said brusquely. "He came in one day, claiming the name of Kenpachi, and because of some… damn outdated law, he could take it just by killing Kiganjo. He struck him down in one hit, he died, and everyone just… accepted it."
"So that's why you left," Momo said, sounding concerned. "That sounds terrible."
"Zaraki Kenpachi is a madman who lives to fight, without any concern for anyone or anything else." Erza said. "I don't think about it too often, but it shames us that a butcher like him is allowed to be a leader. He's a murderer."
"But Ikkaku serves under him."
"Ikkaku likes him." Erza said. "That is something I never understood- and I probably never will. I don't think I even want to. Suffice to say, eleven's not a place I'd recommend for any of my friends."
"But… you're still friends with him? Even though he 'likes' a murderer?" Momo said.
Erza sighed. "Being friends isn't just about liking each other, it's also about accepting the ways you are different. I have ideas he doesn't agree with, and he doesn't hold it against me. But still… it's something we don't talk about. It's best that way."
"…I see." Momo said.
"Anyway, I need to sleep," Erza said, closing her eyes, "so… please finish up whatever you need to do."
"S-Sure," Momo said. In just a minute, she had gotten what she needed, left and Erza let herself fall deep into sleep.
The next day, after hours, she had sought out Ikkaku, and challenged him for another spar, far out in the training grounds, at the very edge of the walls, a place often completely deserted at this time of day. He was good practice; strong, intense, challenging, spirited. They had sparred for nearly an hour, and neither of them were yielding- this was, technically, still the first round. Both of them had nearly won, and nearly lost, several times already- it was an even match, as even as it could only get between two fighters who had had years to explore each other's fighting styles. Sweat tricked down both their bodies, muscles ached and blades clashed. At long last, though, Erza mis-stepped, and Ikkaku quickly tripped her. Before she could recover, she was lying on her back, the point of his spear in her face.
"Give?" He said, his breath a little ragged.
"Give," Erza grunted. Ikkaku stepped back, resting the spear over his shoulder, and Erza flipped onto her feet, huffing irritably.
"You remember back when we started?" Ikkaku said, huffing, grinning a little. "I'd knock you over nine times outta ten. Now look where we are."
"More than that," Erza grumbled, holding her sword firmly, "and I really thought I had this one."
"Could have been you, could have been. To be honest, I don't think I'll be able to take you for much longer."
"What do you mean?" Erza said, still breathing heavily. "You- you nearly had me, like… so many times."
"You've been growing a whole lot since I first met ya," Ikkaku said, and there was something solemn in his voice. "There's a great, bright light shining about ya, an' the only one that burns brighter is my captain. I felt it then, an' I feel it now. You've been takin' control of it, little by little… an' yer so much stronger."
"You mean I've gotten better control over my reiatsu?"
"Well, sod me for bein' poetic," Ikkaku grumbled. "Yes, that's what I mean. Yer mad powerful, and when you got full control over that power, you'll be a damn sight stronger than me. That don't bug me none, don't worry about that- but question is, what will you do with it?"
"Make captain if I can, I guess," she said, shrugging. "You're one to talk, though… you're not even going all out."
"Then what the hell was the last hour?" Ikkaku sneered. "I'm getting bruises what will last a month here, and you're saying that wasn't all I got?"
"It's hard to tell, sure, but… in the way you move, the way you hit, the strength of your blows… there is something else there. Like there's something you could do, but won't. It's like a conversation with somebody who has something he wants to say, but won't. It's the feeling I get, at least."
There was a strange look on his face, and he went quiet for a while, just staring at her.
"…all right," he said at last, "there is something."
"What?"
"I got a question first, alright?" He said, pointing at her. "When you say you wanna be captain, you really mean it, right? You wanna go the full mile, reach the highest spot and be in charge?"
"It's not for being in charge," said Erza, "but yes. I am serious. I'm going to be a captain."
"You sound damn sure of yourself," Ikkaku said, nodding at her, "good, I guess. If you want a crazy hard dream like that, you gotta believe it." He gave her a hard, tough glare, and there was something different about him, the way his reiatsu swirled…
"Ready yourself, Erza. Get out your best damn sword, right now."
"What?"
"No 'what', Erza!" He snapped. "I'm going to show you something fucking extraordinary, got that? I don't want no 'what' or 'oooh' or 'aaah' or any fuckin' general gawking, just the best you got. You're a game, Erza."
In her hand, Tetsu no Tama took the shape of Render, the black greatsword.
"All right," she said, "now show it to me. Your secret special technique, or whatever it is."
"Good," he said, nodding. "Just one thing. Swear to me, right here and fucking now, that this shit stays between the two of us. Not a word of this leaves your lips, got that?"
"…all right," Erza said, unsure of what to make of this.
"Not 'all right'," he said sharply, "Erza, if you say a peep to anyone, we're not friends anymore. You got that? That's how important it is."
She took a deep breath. He was really serious.
"Okay. I swear," she said, giving him a nod.
"Attagirl," he said, nodding back. There was a gust of wind around him, as his reiatsu began to climb, his spirit energy swirling and growing in power. She was no expert at reiatsu reading, but it was easy to tell- this was something extraordinary. He grinned widely, looking almost demonic, and leaned forward with his spear in both hands, taking a stance.
"BAN KA-AAAI!" He roared, and there was an enormous surge of reiatsu, dust whipping from the ground from the winds as it released. Erza gasped- ban kai? The rarest and truest of skills for all shinigami? The dust was slowly clearing, but even through it, there was no mistaking the raw power. Even the structure of his reiatsu was different- this was… incredible. The dust began to settle, and she saw it. In each hand, an enormous axe blade, each one as big as her Render, connected with an enormous chain to an even bigger axe blade, floating over his shoulders, decorated with the engraved image of a dragon. It was… magnificent to look at. Awe-inspiring, strong, lethal- just like what she would expect from Ikkaku.
Ryumon Hozukimaru," Ikkaku said.
"You have-" Erza began, but Ikkaku gave her no time. Immediately rushing forward, swinging one of his axe-blades with surprising speed. Quickly, Erza blocked it, the strike feeling like it would rip her main arm right off. It was followed by another, and another, and another, each strike vicious and absurdly powerful. She struggled to stay on her feet, being driven back several yards with each swing, somehow just barely managing to block his strikes, her body reacting automatically. She tried to push back, tried to hit again- but even with two enormous weapons, he was faster than her, hitting much harder. Finally, her arms burning with pain, she was knocked off her feet, tumbling well over ten feet, losing hold of her sword. Stubbornly, refusing to give up so quickly, she struggled to get to her feet, making a grab for her sword. Ikkaku just stood there, watching her with a serious expression.
Her arms screaming in protest, she forced herself to take hold of Render with both hands, struggling to lift it.
"Good fighting spirit," Ikkaku said, grinning. "This here bankai is pure, raw destruction. It's just like me."
"Don't I know it," Erza said, forcing herself to ignore the pain. The dragon emblem on the giant axe blade was glowing red now, and he held up his blades high, easily and readily. Erza, for her part, trembled as she held her blade up.
"Come on, then," She said, knowing she would regret it. But to her relief- and disappointment- his bankai dissolved in a bright flash of light, leaving only its sealed form.
"What? That's it?" She said, disappointedly.
"See that red, glowing dragon?" Ikkaku said, calmly sheathing his sword. "That's my bankai charging up. My sword's mostly like me, except he's kinda lazy in a fight. That red thing is me waking him up. When he's fully charged… I can't guarantee you wouldn'ta died, and this ain't so important a point I wanted to go there. Plus, I don't want nobody seeing I got one."
"I… I've never seen one before," Erza mumbled, letting her own sword seal itself. "How…. When…?
"That was the awesome power of a bankai, Erza," Ikkaku mumbled, "and you ain't telling nobody I got one, remember?"
"Why?"
"I got my reasons," Ikkaku said, "but point being, this is the power you need. Every captain, except mine, has to have one. Believe you me, you're strong, but you ain't even close to how good he is. You'll need one. Don't matter how good you control your reiatsu, how great battle planning you got, if your kido is top notch- this is the mark of a truly great shinigami. Don't even think about wanting to be a captain before you get this done."
"But… how?" Erza asked. "How do I… I mean, how did you?"
Ikkaku scratched his head. "It's uh, complicated. It's all that deep crap I'm not really good at- ya gotta be really one with yerself, talk to your spirit and really know what it wants from you. Some people got a great connection, other people need to work on it… a lot. Me'n Hozukimaru, we're a lot alike, and I'm guessing that helped."
Erza gave a thought to the vain, arrogant personality of Tetsu no Tama, and made a face. "I don't think I am so lucky. But… you, a bankai… I never knew."
"You figured out something was off. Yumichika did, too. We're buds, so I reckoned you should know what it is you're aiming for. Sound right?"
"No, it does…" Erza mumbled. "It hurt like hell, too."
"No holding back with this thing," Ikkaku said. "It's not subtle."
"No kidding," Erza murmured. "But… thanks."
"Yeah, whatever. Let me know when you're recovered for another spar. Me, I'm goin' back home. See ya around."
With that, he plain and simply left, leaving Erza with aches only trumped by her confusion and awe.
It was one day later, and again she was in the golden palace, Tetsu no Tama's arrogant visage staring down at her, lazily leaned back against a throne with a cup in his hand- which, of course, was golden too. But things were a little different- the floor and the pillars which held up the roof were riddled with little cracks, and an enormous crack ran through the floor, as if the palace had almost cracked in two. It was an ugly picture for this marble house of marvels. Taking care where she stepped, Erza approached the golden throne, and bowed her head.
"Yes, yes, you may raise your head," Tetsu no Tama said, a little irritably, sipping from his cup.
"What… happened here?" Erza asked, looking around. It was pandemonium- luxurious couches and divans split in two or overturned, vases shattered, fine rugs torn and frayed…
"Do you expect you can swing me about so roughly without consequences?" Tetsu no Tama said, leaning back on his throne. "Do you expect that you are the only one who hurts in those battles, hmm? We are one, Erza, and I am the one who bears the brunt of every act of violence you commit."
"I'm… sorry." Erza said, hanging her head. "I never considered that you felt it too…"
"Oh, lighten up!" Tetsu no Tama sneered, although not in a particularly angry manner. "I am your weapon, Erza. This is what I was made for. Does a muscle complain that it must lift something heavy? Does the eye complain that it must see? Does the tongue complain that it must speak? You are much too soft, Erza- I bear these scars with pride, as should you!"
To her surprise, he was actually smiling.
"But… your palace…" Erza murmured confusedly.
"I made it once. I can make it again." He said dismissively. "You should have seen it after you first fought that wretch- it was chaos. Half the pillars had fallen out of place. But this is not your petty world of physical things, Erza- by my will, I rebuilt it. I am rebuilding it even now."
Erza saw a small piece of floor tile, broken off and shattered, pull itself together and seemingly by itself place itself on the space of the floor where it belonged. Things worked differently here, it really did…
"So, now you have seen the awesome power of a bankai." Tetsu no Tama said, putting one hand on each armrest on his throne, leaning forward a little, "and it was a thug's bankai… but it was bankai. His power would pale in comparison to my own, of course."
"I need it." Erza said simply, looking him in the eye. "Tell me, Tetsu no Tama, what must I do to unlock your true power?"
His face hardened, and he crushed the cup in his hand. "Bite your tongue, Erza!" He snarled out the words, glaring at her. "You dare speak of gaining my true power? You may be older than myself, but you are a child with a childish dream, led like a simple ox by its nose ring! Madarame Ikkaku is a thug, but he has gained the respect of his zanpakutou, learned its innermost secrets and desires, pleased it and fulfilled its every condition. You, Erza, are a thousand years too early to even speak of bankai, you wretched mongrel!"
"I must have it." Erza insisted, gritting her teeth. "I won't settle for anything less. If I have to beat it out of you, so be it."
In a flash, Tetsu no Tama had stood up from his throne, walking down its stairs to greet her, a furious expression on his face.
"Violence!" He sneered. "It is always violence with you, simpleton master! A thug Madarame Ikkaku may be, but he is true to himself. Are you?"
"Would you grant me your power if I weren't?" Erza countered, firmly staring him in the eye. He was tall, up close, a full head taller than her. He had never left his throne before, not that she could remember- this was extraordinary.
"Do not tempt me to take them away." He said coldly, grabbing her by the hem of her shirt, pulling her up face to face, almost lifting her off the floor. "You have ambition, Erza Scarlet, and of that I approve. You have power and honesty, and of that too, I approve. You have learned to show respect, and that too I approve of. However!" -He almost shouted out the last word- "I will not tolerate arrogance such as this. Bankai? Without having even learned to materialize me in your filthy little world? Without knowing every fiber of my being, without knowing what I want and how to treat me, without knowing me more intimately than any lover? Without truly knowing yourself? That is a childish dream, Erza, like the toddler who says he will bring down the moon."
"If I cannot believe the impossible, then how can I change the world?" Erza bit back.
"Hmmph!" The spirit sneered, letting go of her shirt, almost shoving her back. "Somebody else's words, put in your mouth for you to regurgitate and digest!"
"Tell me," Erza said stubbornly, "what must I do?"
"You must know it yourself." He said, slowly stepping back up the staircase to his throne.
"What do you mean?" Erza said insistently. "What sort of riddle is this?"
He did not answer, not until he had sat himself down on his throne, taking his sweet time in doing so. Leaning himself back, resting his cheek on one of his hands and giving her a curious look, he said,
"I suppose there are… some things you would need to first accomplish before you even think of achieving bankai."
"What?" Erza said eagerly.
"Do not accept such disrespect, for one." He said dryly. "What sort of owner lets her zanpakutou push her around like this?"
"WHAT?!" Erza cried out, exasperatedly. "First you give me a long and angry lecture, and then you chide me for not stopping you?"
He ignored her, and she could swear she saw a smirk on his face as he continued,
"You must gain full control of your power. You were strong in life, Erza, and your power has only grown since… yet, you only have control of half of it. Some shoddy fighters, like those eleventh division Neanderthals, would think that enough, but I demand more. Learn to control your power fully, physically and spiritually. If you could, you would be strong enough that only a captain's bankai could stop you in a direct fight."
Erza nodded. "I understand."
"Do not interrupt!" Tetsu no Tama snapped. "Secondly, you must learn to see reality for what it is. Stop expecting it to suit your naïve, childish expectations of justice, kindness and mercy."
"I can't…" Erza murmured.
"What did I just say?" The spirit sneered. "Honestly, is she even listening…? Well, thirdly: you must open your eyes, Erza. These are the three things you must do before you can speak to me of bankai."
"What?" Erza said. "What do you mean, 'open my eyes'? And… see reality for what it is? Stop believing in right and wrong? How could you ever ask me of that?"
"This audience is over, child," Tetsu no Tama said reservedly. "Do not come here again until called upon."
"Wait! Wait-" Erza began, but the palace dissolved around her, and she was back in the real world. Making a fist, she slammed the ground in front of her in frustration. That damned, vain spirit!
Ikkaku was lazing about in eleventh division's main building gardens, just relaxing in the sun and nursing a few bruises. Not a lot was going on; no big hollow hunts were coming up any time soon, Erza was off doing who knows what… when there wasn't fighting to do in one way or another, there simply wasn't much to do. His captain wasn't far off, arguing with Yachiru- he never won those arguments; that little brat always did whatever she wanted. Lying himself back under a tree, he drifted off in a half-sleep. It would probably have turned into a proper nap, if not for his captain walking by. Ikkaku opened an eye, seeing him take a seat outside the door, looking just as bored as Ikkaku. He always got a bit irritable when he didn't have good fighting to do, and an irritable Kenpachi was never a good thing.
"Yo, Ikkaku," he grunted, leaning himself against the wall. "What you up to?"
"Nothin', boss." Ikkaku said. "Nothin' ter do, is there? They say there's gonna be a purge out inna Rukon come Thursday, but that's three day's from now."
"Three days." Kenpachi grunted, like the words tasted of gall. "Three days, an' we get to butcher weaklings. Maybe a tougher one or two, if we're lucky. Fuckin' piss weak, innit? All the strong 'uns here refuse to give me a fight, too."
"I feel ya, boss," Ikkaku said, sitting himself up. "Battle's where we belong. But there's nuthin' to it. No people to fight… well, we could rebel an' take on the whole Gotei, that'd be fun."
Kenpachi looked at him, as if considering his joke as a serious suggestion, weighing violent treason against boredom.
"Nah." He said at last. "Lotsa headache, that." He leaned back, sitting quiet for a bit.
"You look kinda beat up, though. Who did you over?"
Ikkaku rubbed his forehead, which, like many other parts of his body, was sore since yesterday.
"Just training. A spar what got pretty intense, is all."
"You lose?" Kenpachi said, with just a mild interest.
"Barely won. Took me an hour. Give it a year, and I don't think I'll be able to beat her. Crazy strong, that one."
"Her?"
"Oh. Yeah, it's that Scarlet girl. Vice-captain of fifth. You know her, right?"
"The big-tittied redhead you used to knock over all the time?" Kenpachi said, sounding confused. "She looked weak as shit."
"You saw her years back, boss." Ikkaku said, feeling like he just made a mistake. "Powerful energy, lotsa raw talent. Shifts around between a whole buncha weapons- spear, greatsword, double swords, great axe, an' she uses them all like a fuckin' expert. It's a hell of a hassle to deal with, somebody who can just switch styles in a second. Mad strong, too… she's grown a lot."
"An' you say she's surpassin' ya?" Kenpachi said, furrowing his brows with interest."
"…aye," Ikkaku said, nodding slowly. "I only keep up cos' I sparred with her so long, I know exactly how she moves. She's stronger'n I am for sure, growing better every day. Give it a few years, and I don't know many people outside the rank of captain what will be able to take her on."
Kenpachi grinned, which was always a sight that could be taken right out of a nightmare.
"Ya don't say." He said, and stood up, slinging his long, sleek sword over his shoulder.
"Uh, boss? She's strong, but she ain't that strong." Ikkaku said hastily.
"Shaddap." Kenpachi said dismissively. "I'm bored as all fuckin' shit. Haven't had a good damn fight for like, five sodding years now. Don't care if you like her, don't care if you're nailin' her or some shit- I think I'll go have a look myself at this mad powerful woman."
With that, he walked out of the garden intently, Yachiru cheerily hopping after him, getting on his back. Ikkaku put the palm of his hand to his face. Shit… he'd avoided killing Erza the other day, but he might have done it now anyhow.
Celebration had not been so early to shake, Erza had found out. It was a day off, and after her incident with the zanpakutou, Rangiku had ambushed her, along with Isane, Momo and Lisanna, and taken her out- quite against her wishes- to a spa in the first district in the Rukon. It turned out that Rangiku had been right; being a high ranking officer did let you get into nice places quite easily. Though Erza was not too keen on it initially- she'd rather have trained more- she had let herself be convinced. As it turned out, massages, sauna and a good lunch were actually very relaxing, especially for her sore muscles from the other day. So it was that, six hours later when they headed home, she was in a pretty good mood.
Good things do not last, though.
Just as they were walking home, the Gotei's walls just within sight, their way was blocked by the tall, lean and muscular frame of Zaraki Kenpachi. He looked at her like a shark sizing up its lunch, sword lazily resting over his shoulder.
"Zaraki-taichou?" Rangiku muttered worriedly. "What- what is he doing here?"
Cautiously, the five of them walked toward him, hoping to just pass him by- but no such luck.
"Erza Scarlet." The Kenpachi rumbled, pointing at Rangiku. "That you? Ikkaku said you had big tits an' red hair."
"What?!" Rangiku said. "No, no, no, no-"
"I am she." Erza said, stepping forward.
"Oh yeah. Your hair kind of is a bit redder." Kenpachi said, nodding. "Anyway, I heard yer strong. Proper strong. That true, girl?"
"I don't know about that," Erza said, her hand slipping toward her sword, "who told you that?"
"I know Ikkaku got his ass beat up pretty bad, an' then he tells me you're stronger'n him. I reasoned you had to be proper strong, an' there's only one way of measuring that kinda thing."
"Ken-chan's gonna kill you!" The pink-haired child in his shoulder cheered. "Please try and give him a fun fight, though!"
"Beat it, Yachiru. I'm gonna bust loose now, so get outta the way," he said, his voice rough.
"O-kay, Ken-chan!" Yachiru chirped, hopping off his back and to the sidelines.
"Please, Zaraki-taichou, you can't just attack your fellow officers!" Rangiku protested.
Kenpachi shot her a glare. "Get out the way, trash, or I'll cut you down first."
"Why?" Erza asked. "I don't want to fight you."
"Why?" Kenpachi said, as if she had just asked a really dumb question. "I love fighting. You're strong. I don't need no reason other than that."
"And if I refuse?" Erza said defiantly.
"Then you get cut down in the first strike," Kenpachi said dismissively.
"Erza, this is madness!" Rangiku hissed. "You can't you can't fight him! He's Zaraki Kenpachi. He's a monster!"
"Sure am." Kenpachi said, the grin on his face as wide as ever.
"Look," Rangiku hissed between her teeth, "we'll distract him. He gets lost easily. Then… just hide, or whatever. Get away. Get to your captain."
"She's right, Erza," Momo said, her voice trembling with nervousness, "you can't fight him. We'll- we'll figure something out-"
"No." Erza said firmly.
"WHAT?!" Rangiku shrieked. "You can't be serious!"
"Attagirl." Kenpachi said, nodding approvingly.
"Erza, you can't!" Momo insisted, frantically tugging at Erza's shihakusho, as if to pull her away from there. "He'll- he'll- you could die, Erza!"
"So could you if you got in his way." Erza said grimly. "I won't have that. If he cut one of you down instead of me, when I just… ran like a coward? Do you think I could live with that?" She made a fist, and a look of determination crossed her face. "No. That's not happening."
"It's just like the old days, isn't it?" Lisanna said, taking a deep breath. "You never changed, not that much."
The way she said it was a knighthood, as fine a compliment as she could get.
"Erza," Isane pleaded, somehow being the calmest of them all, "I've seen people come into our division with horrible injuries, with limbs cut off, with open bellies and their entrails spilling out. I've seen cracked skulls, I've seen more broken legs and arms than I can count, and I've seen people with injuries they'll never recover from. You see some really terrible things if you work in medical."
"And it's the worst when Kenpachi's done it?" Erza said, looking her in the eye.
"No." Isane said quietly. "I can't remember we ever had to patch up anybody from fighting with him."
"So, what?"
"Because the people he fights, when that happens… they just die." Isane said matter-of-factly. "You're incredibly strong, Erza, but this is out of your league."
"I know." Erza said simply, and looked at Lisanna. "Do you want to add something?"
"Go for it." Lisanna said. "It's hopeless- but we are Fairy Tail, and hopeless isn't nearly enough to stop us, is it?"
"Thanks." Erza said, smiling. She turned to Kenpachi, and pulled her sword out from its sheath.
"Finally!" Kenpachi grumbled. "Your pals are real fuckin' chatty, ain't they?"
"With me, Tetsu no Tama," Erza mumbled, and felt the spirit give its approval, although a bit hesitantly. Her weapon not yet changing into its shikai form, she stepped up, assuming a stance.
"Get back, you guys. Now." Erza said firmly. Her eyes were on Kenpachi, completely focused, but she could sense them moving back. She could hear Momo cry out, a heart-rending, shrill cry of fear- but she was going, whether by her own will or carried by somebody else. She focused her thoughts on the battle to come. Kenpachi was holding up his sword, and any second now, any second, it would begin…
What could she do, but fight? She could run, but she didn't like running. It was true that she didn't want her friends to get caught- but it was only part of why she had done it. She was stubborn, she knew- too stubborn to run away from something like this. And… deep down, she wanted to fight him. She wanted to beat him. She would not have sought him out for revenge; Kiganjo had not meant that much to her- but here and now, without a choice in the matter, it was fine. So… what was taking the bastard so long?
Kenpachi had cocked his head, and looked at her questioningly.
"Tell you what," he said, opening up his coat to show off his muscular, scarred chest, "you look kinda weak. I'll give you a free hit, to make it more even."
Erza blinked. What kind of trickery was this? Was he mad? Well- that he was, actually. Well, she wasn't one to waste an opportunity, not now… quickly, she rushed forward, closing the distance while being wary of sudden movements. She held her sword high, and cut down hard.
It was like hitting her sword against a brick wall. It skid and slid off, just barely drawing blood. Kenpachi gave her an unimpressed look, then looked to his chest, where a shallow cut was slowly trickling down blood.
"C'mon, that it?" Kenpachi grumbled. "That was pathetic- I'm almost tempted ta let ya go. Then again, I ain't had a decent fight in forever, an' I did come all the way out here. So…" He raised his sword, and took a step forward. Quickly, Erza jumped back, her sword shifting into the two longswords she was so used to fighting with. Deciding to take the initiative, she dashed forward, cutting at him, trying to stab whatever could be stabbed…
Moving with the ease and skill of a veteran, Kenpachi caught her swords, somehow moving his enormous blade fast enough to match the speed of her own two swords at once. He struck with a furious power, each strike reminding her of the power in Ikkaku's bankai- raw, vicious, and fast. She caught his blade with one of her swords, nearly getting knocked over by the raw force behind it, and raked her other sword across his mid-section. She drew blood, but he didn't even seem to notice- like a berserker, he lunged forward, batting his blade at her with an absurd power.
Holding a hand over her mouth, Isane watched the fight commence, a good hundred feet away. Surprisingly, Erza was keeping up- she had not been cut down immediately, as she had feared. Momo was beside herself, her head buried in Rangiku's shihakusho, the older shinigami trying her best to comfort her.
"Lisanna," Isane said, looking to the third seat, who was observing the fight with an eerie calm, "I need you to go fetch Unohana-taichou. Now."
"I need to see this." Lisanna said firmly. "She is fighting an impossible enemy."
"She is going to get killed, Lisanna!" Isane snapped.
"I thought that a lot of times, about my fellow guild mages," Lisanna said, "when I was little and first joined the guild. You wouldn't understand, but… doing the impossible, defying the odds… we've done that so many times that I can have hope even now. Erza is strong. Believe in her."
"I do believe in her!" Isane shouted, surprised at the anger in her voice, "But I can't sit by here and do nothing. As vice-captain, I order you- go get Unohana-taichou!"
"Can't you do it yourself?" Lisanna murmured irritably. Rank had been pulled, and even now she was loath to disobey.
"I will be needed here." Isane said firmly. "If she survives, somebody has to try and stop the bleeding. Who will do that better- me, or you?"
"…all right," Lisanna said reluctantly.
"GO!" Isane shouted. Obeying her command, Lisanna stood up, and flashed away into a shunpo.
Erza was breathing heavily already. She had cut him many times, but never more than shallowly. Although it had been a hair's breadth, she had avoided taking a real hit so far. It was strange- a monster he was, with all the strength you might have expected- yet, she was somehow keeping up. She was somehow reading his movements, somehow countering his attacks, somehow even fighting back. A captain, against her, somehow not killing her. She had a creeping suspicion, though, that he had much, much more to give.
"Come on, come on!" He roared, cutting at her again and again, Erza just barely parrying his wide slashes, "switch weapons already! You think those sissy swords will help you win?"
He was enjoying himself, Erza realized- it was fun to him.
"All right," Erza said, dodging under a wide swing, and kicking high up, into his face, then jumping back a few steps, "all right, I'll show you."
"Attagirl," Kenpachi said, waiting just a second.
"Render!" Erza snarled, and her sword reshaped itself into the long, straight, ugly black greatsword, nearly as long as she was tall.
Kenpachi gave a whistle. "Not bad. Question is… can ya use it?"
Erza let out a war-cry, and charged him, cutting at him with all force. Her swings were slower, the blade being heavier, yet she was almost pushing him back- swing by heavy swing, she was matching his force, his raw power.
However, it was not to be. Catching her blade with just one hand, he guided it down into the ground, hitting hard- and with what seemed like the flick of his wrist, he cut down and up, from her hip to her shoulder. Erza cried out; the pain was familiar yet every time as much of a surprise. She staggered back, barely holding on to her sword. She was lucky enough that she hadn't been cut at her main sword arm, yet she could barely stand on her feet. She sunk to one knee, glaring at him defiantly.
"See, that's the problem with having a lotta weapons," Kenpachi said, grin as ever-present on his face, "you learn a lotta styles and that's useful, but you don't become a proper expert with even one of 'em. Your sword's too heavy for ya, and you use it like a rookie." He raised his sword, and she knew she had only a couple of seconds.
"That arrogant ignoramus!" She heard the prideful voice of her zanpakutou, and the world seemed to slow down a little. "There he stands, insulting me, when he does not so much as have a connection to his own sword! That brute treats it like a tool- he knows no respect, dignity or humility. He must be taught a lesson, Erza!"
"I tried!" Erza said, feeling weak, "I tried! But what can I do? He is just so… strong!"
"This is a special occasion," Tetsu no Tama said thoughtfully, "And… yes, just this once. You wanted to know bankai, Erza? I shall give you the smallest taste of my true power. Let this spur you toward finding it by your own power!"
Erza felt a surge of energy run through her body, her pain lessening. Time sped up again, Kenpachi's sword came down, and her sword was not there to greet it; all she could do was hold up her arm…
Then there was a distinct 'clang', and his blade stopped against her arm and shoulder. She still felt the blow, but its impact was stopped. Ignoring the pain, she stood up, sword in hand. She was covered in armour- a light black shade of plate mail, with deep black crosses on its chest and legs. All but her head was covered in it, thickly protected. She felt different- powerful, in control.
"Now what's that?" Kenpachi said, still pushing his sword against the armour, as if testing its strength. "What you pull out there, woman?"
Giving him a contemptuous glare, she held her arm up against his blade, and with one swift motion cut him across the chest with a power that she had thought impossible just a minute ago. Blood sprayed across the ground, as her steel hit home, hard and true, rending its way through her enemy's flesh and bone. Kenpachi staggered back, the cut wide across his chest. He stood there, looking at it dumbfounded, and for a moment Erza almost let herself believe she had won.
"Well, son of a bitch…" Kenpachi said. Then, he looked her in the eye, and grinned wide again. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about, Scarlet!"
Not giving him pause, Erza charged forward, moving her sword with speed, cutting, slashing, slamming, keeping the man on his guard. She felt powerful, strong, like she had become raw energy- yet at the same time her body felt chilled, like a body-wide tooth-ache, like nails across a chalkboard, like she was too little butter being spread over too little bread.
To her surprised, she was actually pushing him back, the power behind her strikes seeming to almost overwhelm him- cutting madly, stabbing, thrusting, striking. Finally, she slapped his sword aside with one powerful swing, and cut down with all her might. Again, Render hit home, and again Kenpachi's blood spilled plentifully down to the dirt road they stood on. Erza stopped for a second, panting heavily- the raw power was still there, but it was expiring, fading, and she felt like her entire being was being spent with it. Kenpachi seemed not to notice though, as he threw his head back, laughing madly.
"Yes! Yes!" He roared, shouting his approval to the heavens, "That's the spirit! Cut me! Hurt me! Put your back into it, girl!" He pointed his sword at her again, and with his laugh finally having died down, he still grinned, and said,
"You are a lotta fun. Who'da thought it? So I'm going to go all out."
He raised his hand toward his eye, and Erza's heart sank in her chest. All out? This was not all out already? Damn… of course it wasn't, but… damn!
And then, Kenpachi took his eye patch off. Under it, he had a perfectly functional eye. Not that Erza paid it any attention- the massive explosion of reiatsu that followed, nearly knocking her off her feet, took up all her focus. She could swear she saw a black skull behind him, laughing at her menacingly, as his reiatsu- yellow and bright, blazing like wildfire- washed over her like wild tidal waves. It was like looking up at a mountain, like being stared down by a titan, like facing a tiger with your bare hands- it was utterly overwhelming. Fear rose in her heart, and she braced herself.
"What… the hell?" She murmured, holding her sword up.
"This?" Kenpachi said, gesturing at the eye patch. "I'm too damn strong, y'see, so I had the science boys make me this thing. Suppresses my reiatsu something fierce, and makes me rely on just the one eye. More fun that way, eh?"
"That's… insane." Erza said, breathing heavily. The energy was leaving her; forcing it to stay felt like staying under water when you knew you had to breathe.
"Well, here I go," Kenpachi said, raising his sword, "now don't die too fast, okay?"
He brought his sword down, and the power was simply overwhelming. Desperately, against all odds, she tried to parry the wide slash- but like a juggernaut, it powered down on her, with irresistible force. It clove straight through Render like it were a twig, and cut right through her arm, lodging itself in her chest. Erza stared in shock. She had dropped her sword- and next to it, on the ground, lay her arm, bleeding profusely. The sword itself was in her chest, cutting right through her breast. Wide eyed, she stared in shock at the grinning, daemonic face- and then he jerked his sword out, and Erza collapsed, and fell into blissful unconsciousness.
Isane ran, the moment she saw Kenpachi turn his back and leave. Oh god- oh god! Erza, was she… hurrying up to her, she saw the state her friend was in. With the seasoned experience of a trained combat medic, she immediately went to work- it was ugly, and seeing Erza cut up like this hurt to watch- but with the right kido, she could stop the bleeding, she could maybe even save her arm…
Unohana Retsu felt his presence well before she could see him. She had hurried out here- Isane would never send for her like this if it wasn't serious. She was a good girl, very responsible- and if it involved Kenpachi, then it was no wonder. Before long, she could see him walking down the road, two big gashes on his chest and at least half a dozen smaller ones, and a grin on his face like everything was just right with the world. Blood dripped from his sword- Erza Scarlet's, no doubt.
"Did you have fun?" She asked, as she passed him.
"It was all right," Kenpachi said, shrugging. "She was a lot stronger than I thought, that woman. If she lives, she'll make a fun challenge one day. To be honest… this was the most fun I had since I joined. Not that it's sayin' all that much."
"I see," Unohana said politely. "Of course, you will stop by my division for treatment before you head back to eleventh. Those are some nasty gashes."
"What? I ain't-" Kenpachi started, but Unohana interrupted him.
"And you will take special care not to intimidate the doctors caring for you. They are just doing their jobs. Is that understood?"
"…yeah, all right." The man grumbled. He murmured something inaudible, and probably rude- but she knew he would be true to his word. He always was, when she asked him to.
There was a light, and slowly, Erza opened her eyes. She blinked, adjusting to the light. The first sensation she felt was a headache, a bit of nausea- and remarkably, not much else. She remembered being cut, bleeding… what had happened?
She tried looking around, although everything seemed blurry. Slowly, her sight adjusted, and she saw the familiar, clinical whiteness of a hospital room. There was a stand next to her, holding some bags with liquids in them, with little tubes in them that reached into her arm- well, drugs; that would explain why she didn't hurt. She looked up into the ceiling, just processing what had happened.
Wait a second. She had… lost an arm. Was she… the thought struck her with a bit of horror: cripple. Slowly turning her head, fearing deeply what she might see, she looked to her left, where she had been cut. She could see no stump, and daring to light her head- despite a wave of nausea coming with it- she forced herself to look closer. An arm. A forearm. A hand, fingers, nails… oh, thank goodness. Willing herself to move, she looked at the hand- and the fingers wiggled just a little. Letting out a long, loud breath of relief, she fell back on her pillow.
"I would not move around too much if I were you."
It was the soft, gentle voice of the fourth division's captain, she remembered it.
"You are still healing, and we cannot guarantee it will recover fully. We had to more or less completely reconstruct half your lung, and the nerve endings in that arm… now that was some precision work. We expect you will make a recover, though."
"How long?" Erza managed, keeping her eyes closed.
"You have been unconscious for twelve days now," Unohana said gently, "you are lucky Isane was there. She more or less saved your life. Had she not been there, had she not called for me…"
"…Kenpachi." Erza muttered. "He-"
"Yes, he did," Unohana said, sighing. "He is the same as always- reckless, strong, a bit insane…"
"He… almost killed me." Erza murmured. "Son of a bitch…"
"Yes, I imagine you wouldn't be very happy with that." Unohana said quietly. "I have had a word with him… he won't come after you until the time is right. And you, Erza… you must not fight him again, not until you are much stronger. You very nearly died."
"I don't want to fight him." Erza said weakly. "I was completely overwhelmed… after he forced me to fight. Believe me, I won't be seeking revenge."
"Good." Unohana said. "Rest now. You will need it, Erza."
Not needing much encouragement, Erza laid back. Sleep would come soon… but as she lay there, feeling the land of dreams approach, she couldn't help but wonder… could she face him again? If she got stronger, if she gained her bankai… could she challenge him again?
Maybe.
It would be worth a try.
And with that, we reach the end of the chapter. Erza vs Kenpachi was a fight I always wanted to see when I started this thing, and I figured now was a good time to do it. I know some people might be upset that she lost, but this is KENPACHI. The fact that Erza managed to get him to take his eye patch off is a feat impressive in of itself. Make no mistake, as of now Erza IS as strong as a captain...Not on Byakuya's level or anything, but she could now probably kick Mayuris ass.
Now, about the armor she used in this fight, her "Bankai"...Yeah, that's not even close to what its full power will be, or even look like. This was, at best, an incomplete bankai. Much like How Renji's was, and how Tohsiros is still Maturing, Erza's has a long way to go before achiving her true bankai..
That's not saying she can now use this whenever she wants ethier. This was a one time deal. Tetsu no tama is a VERY prideful zanpakto, and he could not, and would not, have his wielder be beaten by someone who dosnt understand the value of the bond between a soul reaper and his/her zanpakto. To lose without putting g up a fight would have been an INSULT to him, one he couldn't live with. She will never use this "incomplete" Bankai ever again.
Consider it a tease. You got to see how much of a boost it is, but the design itself is not final. Furthermore, she hasn't used any of its special ability's. I already know what they are, but Im not telling any of you what they are.
Hope you all enjoy the scene with Haribel. You can all thank GreatKingrat88 for coming up with that, it was entirely his idea.
Now, why did Ikkaku show Erza his bankai? Multiple reasons. One, he knows she would have figured it out sooner or later. Wit how much they spar it was bound to happen. 2, is that he realizes that she has actually surpassed him. He only knocked her down in that fight because he's so used to her fighting style. Soon, that wont be enough. He's gonna have to use it to give her a decent challenge when she inevitably gets stronger. 3rd and finally, is that he trusts her and views her as a good friend. They may be quite different, but there is no doubt that they do get along. He can trust her with this secret. Besides, by seeing a bankai and experiencing its power, he hopes that can give her that last push she needs to achive it. Which is has. She is now on the road to achieving it. How long till she gets it?...Not telling.
Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I know I did. If you want to show your support and tell me what you think, please leave a review. Likewise, if you felt something was wrong or off, also leave a review. Honesty is appreciated
Now, as for the recent fairy tail chapter...Yeah, did NOT see that coming. Glad I got to see Sorano again, always nice to see her, but that ending...Jezz, I thought this empire was tough enough as it is, but Zeref, THE ZEREF, is the one in charge of this powerhouse of a continent...Yeah. Scary.
Bleach was good, but sad. Im going to Miss Bazz B. He was a cool quincy and my 2nd favorite of the stern ritters...and yes, we WILL be doing that arc. I personally, cant wait to get to it. I have SO many plans for that.
Anyways, hope you all have a good day. Till next time!