Two years. Its been exactly two years that we have uploaded the very first chapter to this story. Its been a long journey to get here, and I once again, have to thank each and every single one of you who has left a review, encouraging thoughts, and helping us push forward. I never imagined that we would actually be here, 38 chapters, over 300,000 words, and over 600 reviews with only ONE chapter of the soul soceity arc. Its such an incredible accomplishment. This is ALL thanks to you readers. ALL thanks to the reviews youve left. I literally cant say enough to thank you. There are no words in the English dictionary that could possibly express all of the thanks I want to give you all.
This has been a journey that ive enjoyed so much, and one that im glad to know that so many other people enjoyed as well. In the two years that we wrote this, I NEVER imagined the story would have done as well as it has. It was IMPOSSIBLE as far as i was concerned.
But you all made that happened. We're doing this well, we're on TV tropes, thanks to YOU. The readers.
I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.
However, before we go right into the chapter itself...i have some words from the writer. Greatkingrat88.
"Two years. Two years already? Time sure does fly, doesn't it? When I started writing, I was only vaguely aware we'd do the soul society arc. It was a distant goal- and now here we are, kicking off what is unambiguously the best arc bleach ever had, and doing a pretty decent job of it, if I say so myself. I myself am more invested than ever; I look forward to writing every new chapter and I enjoy coming up with new ideas for it. More than anything, I love reading the reviews it gets, and I appreciate the fuck out of any criticisms too- it's the best way to improve as a writer. Would you believe we've climbed up to almost 17 reviews average per chapter? That's amazing- I remember when we started out, and got one or two at most. This last one got over twenty!
With that in mind, I thought I'd do a couple of shoutouts to a few reviewers who I feel have done an outstanding job. To jcampbellohten, for taking the time to pedantically correct every little mistake I make- seriously, thanks- and to kishinokurobi for his in-depth reviews, and to NoNameAvailableBis, whose reviews I find insightful and thought-through. And naturally, a huge thanks to everyone else here who finds it in their heart to review our humble little crossover. All the best, and look forward to more fights, more plot twists, and more changes to the canon story (while remaining true to the spirit of the original). Cheers!"
-Greatkingrat88
With all our thanks out of the way, lets celebrate this two year aniverery...with this chapter. Enjoy.
Special thanks once again to GreatKingRat88
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.
Hinamori Momo was, somehow, holding things together. With her captain summoned to a meeting- no doubt to be appraised of the facts of the current chaos- she was the one in charge of the division, which meant telling a lot of confused people what to do, when she herself wasn't sure what was going on.
It all came back to one simple lesson: when you're in charge, act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. It was to this end that she had every officer ranked higher than fifteen on a steady patrol route across all areas covered by division five, and all below running drills, overseen by their instructors. It wasn't doing very much, but it kept her soldiers busy, which was the main point.
What exactly was going on, she had no clue. There were Ryoka, that much was clear, although everything else was muddled through the grapevine. She had heard some insist with clarity that it was a full-scale invasion, having broken through the main gates and slain captain Ichimaru. Others thought it was an uprising from the Rukongai. Some would say it was a handful, less than five, doing some mad dash inside. Knowing better than to trust the word of mouth from frightened soldiers with no experience when it came to being invaded, Momo sharply ignored all rumours and kept herself, and everyone else, busy. When captain Aizen came back, they'd know what he knew. For now, they would keep to themselves. Information had come in sporadically from other divisions, reporting a great number of officers having been hospitalized. This meant that the ryoka, however many or few, were at least powerful.
Quietly, to herself, she was excited at the prospect of using her much-trained magic. Aside from the odd hollow hunt, there had been precious little chance of using her advanced kido, and a bunch of ryoka would make for good battlefield application. Her place, however, was with the division. They relied on her, and she would be there for them. It's what Erza would have done.
Erza... the thought writhed inside her mind like a snake, twisting and turning. What if it was her? The mere thought have her butterflies in her stomach.
No. Focus. Be rational. No assumptions, no anything without evidence or information from a reliable source. When times were chaotic, you had to be a beacon of order, because that's what people expected of a leader. Aizen had entrusted her with command, and she would not let him down.
"Will master require anything else?"
The ageing servant was bowed deeply as he addressed Byakuya, who was sat cross-legged in his office. Away from the division, in the villa of the noble house of the Kuchiki, he had gone to collect his thoughts.
"No. Begone." He said simply, and the servant bowed again, quietly making his exit, closing the door behind him.
Closing his eyes, Byakuya forced himself to calm, to make his insides match his outsides. He felt ashamed; he should be out there, right now, helping with the hunt for the Ryoka. He had left it in Renji's capable hands, for the time being, but right now... right now, he could not force himself to do his duty. It shamed him, but he could not bring himself to care enough. Not until he had had the time to calm, at least.
Even here, in his personal sanctuary, he found it difficult. He had always taken solace in this place, a simply furnished, practical office in his clan's mansion, in stark contrast to the luxury and wealth apparent everywhere else. It was an extension of his workplace at the division, practically speaking, but Byakuya thought of this more as his room than his actual room. Neatly arranged, cleaned only by veteran servants who knew exactly what to touch and not to touch, nothing was ever out of place. It was a place of order, to collect himself and reflect on the day. In the past, he had always come here to still the stormy seas, whenever his moods were out of place. It was rare, of course, for him to lose control, but he was not nearly as stoic as everyone believed him to be. His quiet aura of confidence was the product of hard work, not a natural affinity.
Yet today, as it had for several days now, it did little for him.
Rukia's imprisonment had troubled him. Even so, he had had faith that she would receive an appropriate punishment, return to service, and redeem herself with time.
Then, four days ago, it had happened.
Rukia sat still in her cell, a sombre look on her face. As Byakuya entered, he admired her temper. She was rather like him, in many ways, although she would never have guessed it. Impulsive, yet with a desire to serve. Passionate, yet even now maintaining a calm face, as was appropriate for a member of their esteemed house. Yes, she was like him enough that she could have been his flesh and blood. As dispassionate as his face was, his heart sang out with a mixture of concern- brotherly pride, admiration, concern, regret...
She said nothing as he stopped by her cell, her head slightly bowed, waiting for her clan leader to address her. Even in her white, shabby prison robes, her bearing was noble.
"Rukia." He said simply, forcibly keeping every ounce of emotion from his voice. "The judgement of the Central Forty-Six has been passed. It is irreversible." For the slightest moment, he paused, taking a short breath. It was irreversible. Nothing he did could change it. The least he could do was tell her the news himself. So why did that have to be such a difficult thing?
"Seven days from now, you are to be executed for your crimes as Sokyoku Hill, by the Sokyoku itself. Your very being shall be burnt from existence, and your sins purged. That is all."
He saw the shock in her eyes, rippling across her face. Disbelief. Facing the reality of the fact, letting it sink in. No tears, Byakuya noticed, just shock. She composed herself well.
In a way, it would have been better if she had cried, if she had cursed his name for such callousness. It would have made it that much easier.
"I... understand, elder brother," she said quietly, her voice just barely composed.
"I will see you then," he said, and turned around, walking out.
There were so many things he wanted to tell her. How unfair it was. How he would fight for her. How proud he was of her, that he loved her. The truth of why she had been taken into the clan in the first place.
But he couldn't. He wanted to, badly, but couldn't. Not just because it was inappropriate, not just because he would never make a promise that entailed rebelling against the law, but because no matter how much he wanted to, he plain... couldn't.
When first he had received the paperwork, a courtesy from the Central Forty-Six, he had been dumbstruck, unable to speak or move for several minutes. Torturing himself, he had feverishly re-read the papers, believing against all evidence to the contrary that it could not be true. It defied all reason. No misdemeanour had ever resulted in execution. It was unheard of for nobility to be executed for any less than outright treason.
A part of him, the Byakuya that had once defied his parents' will and married that young commoner girl for love, had flared up in anger. It was injustice! For a minute, he had burned with fury, wanting to tear down the entire division, to wreak havoc upon the cruel old men and women who dared to lay such misfortune on his house...
But he had quashed it, quickly and with speed. To angrily defy the wisdom and authority of your elders was the attitude of a child, and Byakuya was the leader of the sixth division, and the noble house of the Kuchiki. If he did not obey the law, then who should?
Rukia had to die. Her fate was written in stone, the moment the sages had made their decision. He had a right to feel any one way about it he wanted, but he had no right to defy it. She had to die, even if it were by his own hand. This was a test of principle. He had lived his entire life believing in submission to proper authority, and to defy it now would be to tarnish everything he had ever done, to undo all his work, all his beliefs. Beliefs, ideals, they only mattered if they were tested. If you could throw them aside when you felt like it, they were not beliefs. They were just hobbies.
But it was still unmistakable. He had sworn on his honour, with all that that meant, on his wife's deathbed, that he would look after Rukia. Her death would compromise his honour completely. It would undo the worth of his word. No matter how this went, Kuchiki Byakuya would lose his honour. No price could atone for that.
Erza ran through the streets of Gotei. It had been easier than she had expected to evade pursuers. Once she had outran the first bunch, she had stuck to the side streets, the places she knew were the least likely to be full of running troops. Her memory of the place was still solid, twenty years later, and of course it hadn't changed the smallest bit. She had ran past several patrols on her way, but they had paid her little mind. Everyone was running around, and in the distance, she looked like any other shinigami- well, the armour would raise some questions once you got closer, but so far she had managed to dodge her pursuers.
The question was what to do next. They had become scattered. It was for the best, all things considered, as a united group would at this stage just attract more and more attention. It did, however, make for a conundrum. Run on by herself, or try to rejoin with some of them? She could sense some of them vaguely; Ichigo seemed to be fluctuating a bit, as if he had just expelled a lot of energy at once. A fight?
She shook her head. They were Fairy Tail reformed. That meant she had to trust them to handle themselves. Best to keep running, and stick to the battle plan. She had to head inward, and at an opportune time make as much noise as possible, while the faster or less conspicuous members of the team made their way to rescue Rukia. Erza was no master strategist, but this battle plan suited her well. Devised by Urahara and Yoruichi, it was as solid as these flimsy circumstances would allow. So run she did.
She felt the attack coming well before it hit, and quickly put dashed back. From around a corner, a shinigami came at her, sword drawn. The first swing had missed, as Erza put distance between herself and her attacker. His reiatsu came across her, washing over her like a long-forgotten smell...
Meticulously well-controlled. Almost neurotic. Vice-captain level. So, so very familiar.
"Izuru." She said. The shinigami paused, and looked at her, a fire in his eyes.
"So it's you," he said furiously, his guard up. Erza had refrained from drawing her blade; most people her could outright die from one of her basic attacks. This particular attacker, she was even less keen to hurt.
"What brought you back? You weren't content ruining all of our reputations and careers, not to mention attempting to do the same to the Gotei?"
"You career seems just fine," Erza said, noticing the badge on his arm, which read 'three'. Oh no... he was under Ichimaru Gin.
"We took a hit, but we bounced back," Kira said, pacing around her, his sword ready to strike."No thanks to you. To think we believed in you..."
A pained look went across Erza's face. It had been twenty years; twenty years of perfect evidence against her as provided by Aizen. Of course they all believed she was some monster. She would have to fight him. The problem was, she still remembered him as the enthusiastic young little nobleman put in her care, so many years ago.
"I... wish I had some answers for you," she said, "but the truth is unbelievable, and I don't think anything I have to say would satisfy you."
"We agree there!" Kira said, and quickly surged forward. His form was good, strong, well practiced and deadly. Erza simply caught the blade in one hand. There was a small trickle of blood, as Izuru struggled to wrench it free.
"Izuru, let me tell you this," Erza said firmly, "I am strong. Much stronger now than when I left. It would take the likes of Zaraki Kenpachi to break my stride. If you are going to attack me, at least use your shikai."
She let go, and Izuru scoffed as he took a few steps, looking rattled.
"You still need to work on your self control," she remarked. "It's no good looking in control if you can't act like it."
Izuru's hands clenched around the hilt of his sword. He grit his teeth, and all but growled out,
"Raise your head, Wabisuke!"
The sword extended, becoming entirely straight, and sported a hook-like rectangular contraption at its end. Nodding approvingly, Erza pulled her Tetsu no Tama from its sheath. She hated the idea of fighting a former student, but this was hostile territory... and she could not disrespect him that much. Not to mention, he might actually have gotten dangerous.
He surged forward, lashing out at her. He was fast; she was faster. He was strong; she was stronger. Rapidly, he hit her blade three, four times. Erza parried without difficulty.
"Are you even trying to hit me?" She chastised him. "Hit high, feint, go for the legs. Did you forget my lessons entirely?"
"No," Izuru said, shaking his head contentedly. "I was aiming for your sword. Doesn't it feel heavier?"
Erza blinked, holding her sword up. It was considerably heavier, now that she thought about it.
"It doubles the weight every time it strikes," Izuru said, almost triumphantly. "Your skill may be above mine, sensei, but how will you fight when you can't lift your weapon?"
"This is nothing," Erza said stubbornly, holding the sword up. Four times. The weight had doubled four times, and she could feel it taking effect. As Izuru charged in, her movements were slower- and she couldn't even parry, dodging and back-stepping to avoid his shikai. Their blades crossed once more, and she could feel the weight increase. At this rate, it wouldn't take too long for her blade to be too heavy to even function. In her mind, Tetsu no Tama cried with outrage, demanding she end this indignity. End him...
Damn. She might really have to hurt him.
"What's the problem, sensei?" Izuru said, almost venomously. Her blade had crossed his a total of seven times now- eight, nine- and it was becoming heavier and heavier. "I thought only the Kenpachi could break your stride!"
Erza back-stepped a couple of times, and waited for him to come at her again. She was breathing heavily, her blade held low. Relentlessly, Izuru came at her again.
Then, Erza let her blade point to the ground. As she dropped it, its tip pierced the street easily, planting itself solidly in there. She watched the surprise in Izuru's eyes, as she took a step forward and to the side, blocking his strike with one of the armoured plates on her forearm, then slamming her elbow into his face. He staggered back, blood dripping from his nose, and Erza stepped after him, solidly slugging him in the solar plexus with an armoured fist. He coughed, his eyes going wide as the air was forced out of his lungs. Not relenting, Erza slammed another fist into his face, into his chest, unleashing a metal-plated storm of punches. He tried to bring his sword to bear, but she was inside his guard, batting it aside easily. For good measure, she grabbed him by the collar, and slammed her forehead into his. Staggering back now, he almost lost his balance, and Erza let out a final, hard left hook, connecting solidly with his jaw. Kira fell to the ground, his zanpakutou sealing itself. Erza looked at him for a second, to make sure he was down. It hurt her to have to do this, but it was better than cutting him. She turned her back, and retrieved her sword, which had returned now to its normal weight. Sighing, she sheathed it. There was blood on her knuckles, she realized. Slowly, she wiped it off on her shihakusho.
"...why?"
Izuru was still awake, it seemed. Erza turned to face.
"Why?" She repeated, not really sure what to say.
"We... believed in you..." Izuru said furiously, having forced himself up on his elbows. His face was a mess now, bruises forming all over it. "We believed in you and you turned your back on us!"
Erza really wasn't sure what to say. This was one of the things she had feared the most. To stand accused by the people she loved, innocent, and having no good answers.
"If I'm still alive when this is over," she said slowly, "I'll tell you. But you won't like the answers I have."
"Traitor," Izuru snarled, a tear running down his reddening cheek. "You deceptive, manipulative, conniving-"
For his sake and hers, Erza took a quick step forward and knocked him over the head, as hard as she dared, and he finally went silent. Rattled, she headed further down the Gotei.
Uryu had done the sensible thing, and taken to the roofs, where he had easily shaken his pursuers. Sadly, nobody else had thought to do the same, and as such he had been left alone, his companions having been scattered to the wind. His aunt would surely have been smart enough to do the same thing, but she had followed his idiot cousin, and gotten stuck in a scrap somewhere. They had won, although not without a fight, it had seemed.
He was honestly a little lost. Not lost insofar that he didn't know where he was; he had a perfectly good feel of where everyone in his team was, and a general sense of where they had come from and where they were going, but lost in the sense that he wasn't sure what to do next. He had relied a lot on his aunt, he realized, on his aunt and on his team, and it had created a sense of dependency unbefitting of a quincy.
This considered he had headed deeper inward, toward the prison itself. As a quincy, elegantly dashing across the walls, unhindered by his peers, he should probably arrive first. He'd grab Rukia, perhaps make some witty, dashing quip, then rapidly head back, their mission finished by night's end-
His optimistic daydreaming was interrupted as a black blur raced toward him, and if not for his extensive training, Uryu would have been hit dead on by a kido. Cursing himself, he could feel its energies very nearly manifest around him. He stumbled mid-air, as he took a second to disrupt the magical energies, and just barely recovered in time to land on his feet on a sizeable, neatly tiled roof. He had not a second to rest, as a shinigami rapidly came at him, swinging furiously and with precision. Uryu dodged, dashed back, putting distance between himself and his attacker, stopping by the edge of the roof.
"Not bad," said the shinigami, pacing maybe some twenty yards away from him. "And to think I was considering going easy on you..."
Uryu took a second to examine his opponent. He had wild, black hair, and a gangly, muscular frame. Most noticeably, he had three thin scars running down from his right eye down his cheek, a blue-grey tattoo running across his left cheek and the bridge of his nose, and yet another one on his left cheek, a simple '69'. His kimono was sleeveless, and with a choker around his neck, he looked rather a lot like a wannabe punk.
Except his strength, and the way he carried himself, really seemed to eliminate anything 'wannabe' about him. He had a badge tied to his upper left arm, which had the character for 'nine', and Uryu assumed he had to be a highly ranked officer- a vice-captain, if he remembered Erza's lessons correctly.
"You had better not, or your arrogance will be your downfall," Uryu said with a bit more confidence than he actually had.
There was no point in letting him take the first step. Quickly Uryu dashed back, crossing a twenty-yard distance to another roof in a single bound, while letting loose three arrows before he had even landed. The shinigami was no slouch, though, and followed him almost instantaneously. Uryu's arrows went wide, and within a second he had to bend backward, dodging a wide slash that would surely have bisected him. With agility, he turned the backwards bend into a somersault, putting his fingers to the roof tiles and launching himself into the air, sending off another couple of arrows before landing smoothly. The shinigami was undeterred, coming at him just as soon as he had landed, and Uryu dodged, evaded, jumped back, and even found himself having to parry with his bow. The shinigami was powerful, experienced and tenacious.
But at the same time, Uryu was actively drawing on his surroundings, and its power surged through him. Here, he had an unprecedented boost in power, in awareness, and although many a time the window was razor thin, he managed to avoid being cut. A single good hit could end him, he knew this very well. He was still human, and did not have the shinigami's legendary constitution.
"You're a real nuisance, aren't you?" The shinigami said, letting out a set of quick thrusts.
"I aim to misbehave!" Uryu shot back. It was as frustrating for him as it had to be for the shinigami. He was fast enough to avoid getting attacked, yet at this distance, up close, he could not draw his arrows fast enough.
The shinigami surged forward again. The cut was horizontal, and quite wide, and if Uryu had been more experienced, he would have suspected the feint.
"Hado number one: Shou!" The shinigami cried, thrusting forth his free hand under his sword arm. The kido spell hit, almost point blank, and sent Uryu tumbling across the roof, nearly falling off. He cursed to himself; he should have expected their senior fighters to be more than one-trick ponies. Desperately he formed his bow, holding it up just in time to block a cut that might have taken his head off.
"You sure you're human, boy?" The shinigami said, pushing the sword down, edging closer to Uryu's neck. "You don't feel like one. Too strong."
"By the pride of the quincy!" Uryu snarled, both in defiance and as an answer to his question. Two arrows surged out from his bow, taking the shinigami right in the gut. He staggered back, but still kept his guard up. Uryu managed to get to his feet.
"Quincy, huh?" The shinigami said, and grimaced. "I shoulda known. Aren't you supposed to be extinct?"
"You could say that the rumours of our death are largely- no actually, that sounds like something my cousin would say," Uryu grunted, realizing he might have spent a bit too much time in his company.
"Firing with only one hand, though?" The shinigami said. He looked at Uryu differently now, less aggressively. He seemed to be taking him more seriously- which couldn't be good.
"Shots fired with one hand are neither powerful nor accurate," Uryu said, "but point blank, that does not matter."
"Here I thought getting up close was the answer," he said, his face quite stoic. Without warning, he cried, "Hado number thirty-three: Sokatsui!"
There was a blast of blue lightning, surging out at incredible speed, and Uryu just barely had the time to roll off the roof, practically thrown down. He managed to land on his feet, although his knees screamed in protest.
However, his had an unexpected benefit. It was cowardly to hide, but this was a mission and he had no choice with an opponent of this calibre. Quickly, he dashed around a corner. The shinigami was hot on his heels, jumping down, but he had lost sight of him temporarily. He could sense him, as clear as if he could see him with his eyes; he felt him look around, to one corner, to the other, cautiously advancing...
One quick hirenkyaku forward, Uryu dashed up against a wall, and lined up a solid shot, aiming for the shinigami's neck. To his credit, he reacted quickly, and his dash to the side made the arrow veer slightly off its mark, burying itself into his shoulder. A second later, he cried,
"Shakkaho!"
Judging by the quality and power of the kido, it was only intended to give him some space, and Uryu was happy enough to oblige, stepping out of the way as the spell impacted where he had been half a second earlier, shattering part of a house wall. Uryu quickly moved back up to the roof, the shinigami hot on his heels.
Uryu was ready with his bow when his enemy came up, sailing smoothly through the air despite his injury. He had time to aim and fire just one arrow, hitting before the shinigami had landed, before he could dodge, but the second went wild as the shinigami charged in like a bull, seemingly undeterred. He was bleeding profusely, having taken the second hit in his lower chest, and he seemed to have slowed just a little... just not nearly enough. Uryu barely hopped back from a sideways cut that would have split him open like a pig, desperately putting distance between himself and his antagonist. Honourable fighting, it seemed, was hard.
"Keep still, you little son of a bitch!" The shinigami snarled. "That actually hurt!"
"Good soldiers do not complain!" Uryu snapped back, well aware that he was constantly on the edge of death. His opponent seemed less interested than ever in taking prisoners, if that had been an option to begin with.
"Bakudo number four: Hainawa!" He cried out, catching Uryu mid-air as the quincy moved back. Tugging hard, he pulled Uryu back, his sword ready for a stab-
-and then he skipped back at the last moment, Uryu managing to turn a crash landing into a roll, just barely keeping his balance to get on his feet.
"You let go." Uryu remarked, stringing his bow.
"I'm not vice-captain for nothing," the shinigami scoffed. "You were drawing your bow to shoot me in the head. That close? Too risky. I'd die, even if you got speared with me. Takes balls to be ready to go down like that, I'll give you that,"
"We quincy win, no matter the cost," Uryu boasted. Truth be told it had been an instinct, all thoughts having vanished except that one opportunity.
The shinigami's eyes narrowed and he charged forward again. Uryu dashed to the side, but the shinigami traced his arm to follow his movements.
"Sho!"
The spell was quite close, and although Uryu could sense it well enough, he could not evade it. He grit his teeth and steeled himself as the kido, although weakened from its simpler form, impacted dead on and sent him tumbling. Uryu tumbled off the roof, and his landing was not smooth this time. The air was half knocked from his lungs, and he grimaced with pain; his ribcage has been rattled badly, and he only hoped he hadn't cracked any ribs.
The shinigami would give him no rest, of course, and despite his body screaming in protest, Uryu launched himself into a backward somersault, evading yet another cut just barely. Strands of black hair sailed through the air, and Uryu knew he had evaded decapitation literally by a hair's breadth. He skid backward, bringing his bow up again-
Then his movements froze, his body suddenly held perfectly still. The shock was intense, mentally at least, and it took Uryu a couple of seconds to realize. A kido spell of some sort, six rods of light circling his torso, holding him frozen in place. His concentration broken, his bow dissipated.
"A delayed spell, at full power," the shinigami said, his breath a little ragged. Uryu could feel the edge of the shinigami's zanpakutou rest against his neck. "Wasn't sure I'd get you there, but it was worth a shot."
"Sending me tumbling down to that street, then coming at me from the other direction, herding me right into your trap..." Uryu said, almost with admiration. "I underestimated you, shinigami."
"Same to you." His captor said, and nodded.
"So is this where I die? Make it brief, if so."
The shinigami shook his head. "I'm not one to murder the helpless. You're looking forward to arrest and the inside of an interrogation cell, buddy."
Uryu grit his teeth. Keep him talking...
"What is your name?"
"Shuhei Hisagi," the shinigami said. "Vice-captain of ninth division. You did pretty well, quincy."
"Ishida Uryu. Much obliged." Uryu said sourly.
"Now, why don't we get you out of here..." Hisagi said. Still holding on to his sword, he moved forward, lowering his guard. Suddenly, Uryu's bow hand rose, the bow forming, and he fired a quick series of shots with just one hand. They were weak and inaccurate, but at almost point blank range... it did not matter. Hisagi tried to move, but it was much too late. A dozen shots having hit his gut, he staggered back and fell onto his back. The bakudo dissipated, apparently bound to its master's will, and Uryu stood up, breathing just as heavily as Hisagi had a moment ago.
"It was a clever gambit," Uryu said, huffing, to Hisagi. The shinigami was far from dead, groaning in pain, and Uryu made a mental note that they were damn hard to kill. "Strategically sound. But you underestimated a quincy's ability to control reiatsu. The moment I realized I was trapped, I started to try and unravel it. I could only get my arm loose, but it was all I needed."
"Well sunnofabitch..." Hisagi muttered.
"Well fought," Uryu said, and nodded at him. Slowed, tired and weakened, he hopped up to the roof. That had been one of their second strongest rank, and Uryu knew he hadn't even used the power of his zanpakutou to its fullest. This mission... what had he got himself into?
Things had gotten strangely quiet as Orihime and Tatsuki made their way deeper into the Gotei. Too quiet, in fact, which only made Tatsuki feel like it was too good to be true. Orihime, naturally, was oblivious, cheerily marching along.
After what they had done to that Jirobo guy, they had hurried away, and after dodging a few more patrols, snuck onward. They had made it at least two kilometres further in now, and not one patrol, not one band of zealous shinigami running in to get themselves a beating...
So when Tatsuki felt a surge of energy, she was more than prepared, grabbing Orihime and dragging her back as a shot of red light impacted where they had stood two seconds ago, spraying shards of rock across the street.
"Ahahaha!" The voice was deep, bombastic, and pompous, and Tatsuki looked up. Just like before, the attack had come from a roof, although their attacker seemed more interested in striking a pose than to stage an attack.
"You did well to avoid that attack! Naturally, I meant for it to miss! For I, the great Omaeda Marechiyo, senior veteran of the elite stealth corps, wished for you both to know your doom was coming!"
He was tall, as tall as the last one, but noticeably wide around the waist. He had vain little sideburns, a golden chain around his neck, and resembled nothing so much as an ogre in a uniform.
"Excuse me," Orihime said politely, "but if you're in the stealth corps, shouldn't you be trying to attack us more sneakily?"
"I-it may seem that way to ignorant rubes like you, ryoka scum, but my grasp of tactics by far outstrips yours!" He bellowed, and Tatsuki quickly deduced the man was an idiot. "In fact, I am employing the tactic of shock and awe and intimidation!"
"Yeah, that's us all right," Tatsuki said, sounding unimpressed. "We're intimidated, all right. Trembling in our boots."
"But we don't have any boots," Orihime chimed in. "Ooh, are we going to steal his boots? But I don't think he has any either..."
"Clearly you are bold and audacious to the point of foolishness, to resist my special technique!" Bellowed Omaeda, and jumped down from the roof, sword drawn. He had no doubt intended to make it look impressive, but he seemed to barely keep his footing.
Tatsuki took a step forward. "I'm taking care of this one," she said confidently.
"Are you sure?" Orihime said, sounding concerned. "You remember what Erza said- don't take any unnecessary risks. It'll be better if we do it together."
"I got this, okay?" Tatsuki insisted. "That fatso doesn't look like a risk to me. I'll handle it. If it's too much... I'll call you. Okay?"
"O-kay," Orihime said cheerily.
"Don't you ignore me!" Omaeda snarled, and took a stance, his sword out.
"You," Tatsuki said, pointing at him while holding her staff behind her, quite casually, "what is your rank?"
"Huh?" Said the fat man.
"I'm not going to even take you seriously unless you're at least a tenth seat," Tatsuki said. "So which is it?"
"I-I am in fact the seventh seat of division two!" Omaeda cried. "But you should tremble in fear, because I was once its vice-captain!"
"Used to be, huh?" Tatsuki said, in a flat tone that stated clearly what she thought that implied.
"I was deposed by a devious, scheming careerist bastard!" Omaeda insisted, clearly having no concept of an indoor voice. "However, arresting you ryoka will prove to my captain once and for all that that was a mistake!"
"Uh huh..." Tatsuki said, stepping forward, holding her staff at the ready.
"I am warning you, ryoka!" Omaeda shouted. "Surrender right now, or-"
He was rudely interrupted by the tip of Tatsuki's staff slamming into his face, and he staggered back.
"Son of a bitch!" He snarled. "I wasn't finished, you-"
Again Tatsuki hit, rapping him across the face with her staff, leaving an ugly red mark on his cheek.
"You were full of openings, so I attacked." Tatsuki said plainly.
"God damn it, that was my nose! You broke my beautiful nose, you filthy commoner!" Omaeda snarled.
"Cry me a river," Tatsuki said pitilessly.
Letting out an infuriated snarl, the ogre of a man swung his sword in a wide arc. It was surprisingly fast and strong, given how he had appeared thus far, and Tatsuki jumped back, narrowly evading the attack.
"I'll make you pay for underestimating the great Omaeda!" He roared, and went forward, pressing his advantage. He cut at her, fast and hard, and Tatsuki soon realized that although he was a fat idiot, he was not all talk. She parried once, twice, then put her staff into the ground and propelled herself up, slamming a spinning kick into the man's face, breaking his offence. Quickly she landed on her feet, recovering.
"You fell into my trap, you fool!" Omaeda cried triumphantly, pointing at her. "I simply misled you into thinking I was incompetent, when I am in fact far stronger than you!"
"Then why are you bragging about it when I'm still standing?" Tatsuki said, taking the offence herself this time. She quickly hopped forward, sending a rapid series of strikes at Omaeda. He parried, but that was what Tatsuki wanted. As he focused on her high strikes, she spun a kick into his knee.
But to her surprise, he barely even budged, and a quick left hook slammed into Tatsuki's face. She was knocked over, but managed to turn it into a roll, quickly getting back to her feet.
He was a lot tougher than he had seemed. If he hadn't stopped to boast, he might actually have found an opening to beat her by now. Briefly, she considered calling in Orihime. No... not just yet.
"You face your doom, ryoka!" Omaeda roared. "Feel honoured, for I am about to show you the true extent of my power! Smash her, Gegetsuburi!"
His zanpakutou glowed briefly, then extended and changed shape. Its handle remained the same, but the blade had changed; it was now a large, thick chain, and attached to its end was a black metal ball the size of a large pumpkin, with nasty-looking pointed metal studs across its surface. Omaeda laughed triumphantly, as he spun it through the air, sending it toward Tatsuki. Nearly caught by it, Tatsuki bent over backward, and felt a draft of air; it had come that close to hitting her head. She back-flipped, and hopped back a few steps, only for the ball to shoot out again, and again, slammed with surprising speed. It made a mess of whatever it hit, walls or street, and Tatsuki realized, as she dodged one blow after another, that a single hit would probably turn her into paste, human being as she was. Orihime could heal people remarkably well, she knew, but she was not willing to test what her limits were.
"Ah hah hah!" Omaeda let out a burly laugh, as he continued his relentless assault. "What's the matter, ryoka? You sounded so confident before!"
"Need a hand?" Orihime cried from the distance.
"I can handle myself!" Tatsuki cried back stubbornly.
Truth be told, she was getting less worried as it went on. He had gained power, certainly, but he had lost speed. The attacks were easy to predict, and although they were devastating, she had no trouble getting out of their way.
The problem was that he had more reiatsu than her, and a sturdier physique. Although she was not dying any time soon, she found it hard to find an opening to get in close. Time was on his side- if it went on too long, she would wear out, her inferior training with reiatsu causing exhaustion much faster. If she got tired, she would eventually make a mistake, and that would be that. Not to mention that there would be more shinigami coming, and sooner rather than later...
Then it came to her. As the next attack came in, the studded ball of death surging right at her, Tatsuki stood still.
"Hah!" Omaeda cried. "I've got you now, ryoka scum!"
But then, at the last second, Tatsuki sidestepped. She could feel one of the studs glance her shoulder, and it hurt- nothing broken, she hoped. But it had worked. Quickly, she grabbed on to the chain, and as Omaeda pulled his weapon back again, she was pulled in with it. He was strong, and she gained quite some momentum, enough that she was afraid she couldn't react in time...
...but then she felt a gratifying impact as her leg connected with his head, in a vicious sweeping kick, amplified by the momentum the ogre had created for her himself. Omaeda let out a gurgle, and a couple of teeth spilled onto the ground. As he took a few steps back, Tatsuki landed on her feet and followed her attack up before he could recover. Quickly, she jabbed him with her staff in the stomach, in the neck, in the chest, each impact charged with her energy. Using the staff to propel herself forward, she landed a solid punch to his face, and this time she could feel cartilage and bone crumble under her knuckles; this time she really had broken his nose.
Not beaten yet, Omaeda hit back with a punch of his own, and Tatsuki's hand hurt as she caught it. She was flung back, managing to keep her balance without trouble, but she realized it wasn't over yet.
"You filthy, low-born bitch!" Omaeda snarled, sounding furious. "I'll fucking crush you! SMASH HER, GEGETSUBURI!"
The ball came at her again, but it was a wild swing, lacking the precision it had had before. Tatsuki jumped over it, somersaulting forward, and dashed at him again. He snorted, and pulled the chain back, but Tatsuki was ready, dropping to the ground and then using her staff to pole-vault forward as the ball sailed over her, back to its owner.
"I think I see why you got demoted!" Tatsuki cried as her staff found its mark, impacting with the ogre's knee, this time gaining her a pained grunt from her opponent as he slumped forward. "You lack discipline!"
She hopped into the air, hitting him on the chin with a down-and-up kick, followed shortly by a sharp, hard whack to the side of his face. Relentlessly, Tatsuki struck him again and again, always focusing on his head- he had far too much bulk everywhere else for her liking. Omaeda groaned and moaned, his defence broken, staggering down from one knee to being on both, before finally succumbing to a particularly vicious hit, falling over unconscious. Blood was trickling from his face, which was red and bruised, and starting to well up badly. Tatsuki finally stopped herself, and took a few deep, long breaths.
Her control was still lacking. She had won, but it had taken a lot out of her. If she was ever going to catch up with Ichigo... she had to do better.
"Yay, Tatsuki!" Orihime cheered, running up to her friend and doing what Tatsuki supposed was cheer leader moves- or what she thought were cheer leader moves, at least. "T-A-T-S-U-K-I! That's... hmm, what's a good chant?" She stopped herself, and grinned. "Well, it doesn't matter- Great job!"
"Uh, yeah..." Tatsuki said, and smiled and nodded. "Thanks."
"That was so cool-" Orihime started, but Tatsuki was still on edge, and sensed it.
"Shush!" She said quickly, and not a moment later, a team of black-clad shinigami jumped down from the same roof Omaeda had come from. They were different from the others, their clothes form-fitting and their faces obscured by a strip of cloth.
"So what the hell are you, the ninjas?" Tatsuki said aggressively, holding her staff up.
"He did say he was with the stealth corps." Orihime said. "Isn't it a funny word, 'corps'? It is spelled almost exactly like 'corpse', but it sounds totallydifferent."
Tatsuki counted them. There were five or so, and although she could not sense anywhere near the same strength as Omaeda from them, they were quiet, professional and moved like they knew what they were doing, which was somehow much more worrying.
"You want some?" She said, keeping an eye on them, waiting for just a single wrong move.
"After what you did to him?" Said the ninja in the front, in a quietly stupefied tone. "I don't think so. Not my job. Let someone else get themselves beaten half to death."
"Huh?" Tatsuki said.
"Ooh, a peaceful resolution!" Orihime cheered. "Could this be the start of a new alliance between ninjas and humans?"
"...just let us have that fat idiot, okay?" Said the lead ninja, looking tired. "He's useless, but his dad is rich and it's my ass if some ryoka ends him."
"...okay." Tatsuki mumbled, a little surprised at this. "We'll just uh... be on our way, and you'll get him. Sound fair?"
"Fair," said the ninja and nodded. "Come on, boys- help me carry him."
There was a collective groan from his comrades. Feeling oddly puzzled, yet grateful, Tatsuki took Orihime by the hand, and continued deeper into the Gotei.
Another body slumped to the floor of the courtyard, joining the several dozens which already lay there, quite unconscious. Fifth division was alive with noise and action, as Chad, towering over nearly all of his foes, downed one shinigami after another, almost without fail in a single hit. He had wandered in to the main court of the division, quite by accident, and had quickly been surrounded. The first few had attempted to arrest him, with little success.
Say what you would about shinigami, Chad thought as he raised his fist again, decking a female officer with a quick left hook, they were at the least brave. Despite the hundred or so who lay still or writhing in pain, on they came. Currently, twenty or so had decided to pile onto him. Nearly anyone else might have collapsed under the sheer weight, but Chad stubbornly remained standing. He shook his shoulders a few times, and the pile dissolved, shinigami of all sorts of ranks tumbling off him in several undignified heaps.
Hundreds more looked on him in awe, standing undecided as their leaders were being pummelled by this strange giant of a ryoka. Another officer slammed into a wall, after having been sent flying, and Chad stared down his opponents. He had best move on. He could attract the wrong sort of attention-
"You fool!" It was another shinigami, taller and seemingly more powerful than the others, standing before Chad. Continuously, he swung his sword in a set of elaborate patterns, suggesting an intimate knowledge of its exact workings. "I am third seat Tukain Jinoru, the finest blademaster of this division's officers! You meet your end here and now, invader scum-"
Chad's fist had surged out, fast and hard, through the man's guard. As it impacted with his cheekbone, he was sent flying through the air, over a tall building. Where he landed, Chad couldn't tell, but as the seconds passed it seemed less and less likely he was getting up. Perhaps now he could move on?
But there was no such luck. From seemingly out of nowhere, there was a series of explosions around him, shaking the ground. Chad calmly turned to look at whoever had caused it. It had formed a neat, if rather rough circle around him, and it was obvious it had been a warning. Further down the courtyard he could see a petite woman marching toward him, the shinigami parting in awe of her. She wore a badge on her sleeve, and it was obvious she was some sort of leader. If not for her military uniform and the sword at her belt, she would have looked the very picture of traditional femininity, her hair kept up in a bun, neatly wrapped in cloth.
"Vice-captain," he said, remembering the lessons Erza had beat into them.
"You're pretty well informed," she said. "I am Hinamori Momo, vice-captain of fifth division. In the name of the Gotei, I ask that you quietly surrender. This has gone far enough."
"My apologies," Chad said, his voice quiet and even, "but I cannot do that. Please let me pass, and nobody else will be hurt. I detest violence."
"I can tell," Hinamori said, looking at the large assortment of unconscious or writhing-in-pain soldiers littering the courtyard.
"I do." Chad said. "I fight because I must. A friend needs my help, so I must give it, no matter what."
Hinamori nodded resolutely. "I respect that. Really, I do. But I can't let you hurt anyone else. I don't care for violence either, so I'm asking you one final time: come quietly, or I will have to hurt you."
"I cannot," Chad said simply.
Hinamori sighed. "I was afraid of that."
Suddenly she took a stance, bending her knees and pointing her left hand at Chad.
"Rikujokoro!" She cried, and six rods of light manifested out of nowhere, around Chad's chest, holding him firmly in place. Hinamori was not done yet, and from her hands surged a fully powered Sokatsui. She had long since mastered most normal kido, and forming a mid-tier offensive spell like this without words was child's play. The lightning slammed into Chad's chest, and there was a flash of light, dust being kicked up from the release of power. It was not her style to hurt the helpless, but a man capable of laying waste to officer shinigami like these would not die from this, not even close.
The dust settled, and Chad looked indifferent. His shirt had taken a beating, his chest showing through several rips in its fabric, but he was not bleeding or burnt.
"That stung." He said simply. Then, defying the masterful binding spell around his chest, he moved his hand to grasp one of the yellow beams. It moved slowly, as if through tar, but that he could deny paralysis at all... he had to be quite powerful.
His hand closed around one of the bars, and strained a little. The bar creaked, then cracked under the pressure. A few seconds later he had broken free, the spell dissipating behind him.
"Oh my," Hinamori said plainly.
"Do you still insist?" Chad said.
"Yes." Hinamori said firmly.
Chad balled his fists, and surged with energy as he ran forward. He towered over the vice-captain, several feet taller, and the charged punch he sent at her was a terrifying sight for the shinigami watching. Hinamori was not phased, however, and held her arms up in a cross. Immediately, a yellow disc manifested in front of her, ethereal and with no clear edges. It shook and trembled under Chad's vicious strength, but held firm. Punch after punch failed to penetrate, and Chad tried to step to the side, only to find that the disc moved along with him, refusing to allow that its master be exposed. Stubbornly, Chad continued to punch at it, managing to slowly force it back a little, Hinamori taking step after step backward.
"Where are you looking?" Hinamori said. The voice came from elsewhere, behind him, and Chad quickly turned to look. A barrage of red shots slammed into his chest, exploding furiously. He managed to keep his footing, but Hinamori was not done.
"Hainawa!" She cried, and a yellow stretch of rope extended from her left arm, wrapping around his ankles. She pulled, and Chad fell, pulled toward her. Hinamori extended her free arm up toward the skies, and energy surged as she carefully formed her spell.
"Soren Sokatsui!" She cried, and the massive blast channelled through her arm and out through the other, coursing through the yellow rope, flooding Chad's body with electricity that could literally have killed a herd of buffalo. A spell of this magnitude, she had still not quite entirely mastered, and calling out its name was still necessary for a full effect.
Chad convulsed and spasmed a little, and then the effect passed. Smoke lifted from him, as his clothes nearly caught fire.
"I'm sorry," Momo said. "I hope you won't end up dead-"
Chad stirred, and to her shock got up to his knees, then slowly stood upright.
"Oh, crap," she said. How could a human be that powerful?
With a speed that was surprising for somebody who had just been thoroughly electrocuted, Chad surged forward, a punch slamming into Momo. The disc formed, but too late, and cracked, absorbing only some of the impact. She felt the air knocked out of her lungs as she was flung backward, ungraciously ending up in a wall, which cracked behind her.
Groaning with pain she got back to her feet, only to see Chad standing there, waiting for her. He had not pressed his advantage, not hit her while she was down, like a more ruthless opponent might have. Slowly she walked toward the centre of the courtyard, the human following her movements cautiously. He did not seem eager to attack unless provoked.
"Everyone, please listen!" She said loudly. "Escort your wounded comrades out of here immediately. Clear the area. I am afraid I will have to take this seriously."
There was a frightened scurrying as her subordinates cleared the courtyard as quickly as they could, obeying her order of getting the wounded out frantically. There was a cracking in the air as Hinamori's reiatsu began to grow. She pulled out her zanpakutou.
"You're frighteningly strong," she said, her tone even and sombre. "I wish I could go easy on you, but I can't." She held up her sword, and said, "Snap, Tobiume!"
The sword straightened, two prongs extending, one from each side of the blade. One further up, one lower down.
"The power of shikai," Chad said. "I have a feeling I may have to return what you said about 'frighteningly powerful'."
"Oh, we're not halfway there yet." Momo said, with a small apologetic smile. She tossed her blade up into the air, and instead of falling, it rested itself mid-air, the blade pointing down and the hilt pointing up.
"Odd," Chad said.
"My Tobiume has a direct attack," Hinamori said, taking a few steps forward. "I used to think that was all it could do. But it's a kido type, and it's far more powerful... when it amplifies my power." Slowly, she lifted off the ground, levitating into the air until she was a good five feet up. There was wind gathering around them, and energy so saturated that it was visible to the naked eye crackled in little sparks of lightning. Without warning, a set of gold-coloured rings, some two meters across and some no larger than a dinner plate, each inscribed with odd runes, surged out. Chad took a defensive pose, but they moved well past him, settling in a ring around the courtyard.
"It's a restraint," Hinamori said. "To contain my power so that it doesn't spill out. I haven't ever used it inside the Gotei before. You're a first, that way."
"Honoured." Chad said. Decided to wait no longer, he let out a passionate war-cry, and charged forward, fist raised. It was for nothing, however, as a shield blocked his attack, and an explosion triggered the moment he hit sent him flying back. More golden rings extended across the courtyard, each one appearing to channel more energy. As Chad got to his feet, an innumerable mass of golden vines extended from the ground, wrapping around his legs, his arms, restraining him. With raw power, sheer force, he battled against them, but no sooner had he taken a couple of steps forward, still struggling to break free, than Momo had summoned another powerful spell. Gathering in the air, crying to be released, was a black cloud of raw energy. It surged toward Chad, enveloping him completely. He punched at it, but it was useless; you can't hit mist with your fists.
"Surrender." Momo said, her voice echoing across the space she had made for herself.
"I cannot!" Chad insisted.
An instant later, the cloud exploded. The force was enough to level all the nearby buildings, three barracks being reduced to rubble, and the courtyard floor itself wrecking in an instant. It was not over, Hinamori could still sense him, but she let the dust clear first. Breathing raggedly, Chad still stood, swaying like a boxer who had almost, but not quite had everything beaten out of him.
"Surrender." She repeated.
"I... cannot..." Chad said, gasping for breath.
Hinamori sighed. "So be it.:"
She wove her arms in an intricate pattern, closing her eyes. "Chronometron freeze."
The words were spoken quietly, but instantly, Chad stood still in one place.
"I wish I could just let that be that," Hinamori said, "but I can't take any chances with somebody like you." She moved her arms around again, in a more vicious pattern. "Golden Lightning Storm."
The spell was one of her own making, created by the revolutionary magic she had discovered and learned so thoroughly. Arcing from each ring, bolts of golden lightning rods struck Chad, over and over, one after another without mercy. Finally they ceased, the spells around him slowly easing out of existence, and he fell over in a manner not unlike a tree, impacting on the wrecked ground with an audible 'thud'. Smoke came from his clothes, and as Hinamori slowly descended to the ground, Tobiume returning to her hand and sealing itself in the process, she wondered if he could really have survived. The rings shimmered away, her entire network of spells now disbanded at her command, and things returned to normal. Sort of.
"Whe-ew!" The voice was lackadaisical, even lazy, and unmistakably familiar. Walking through the rubble was captain Kyoraku Shunsui, wearing his usual pink Kimono and straw hat.
"Captain Kyoraku!" Hinamori exclaimed, and quickly bowed.
"I feel like I should be bowing, after seeing that," Kyoraku said jokingly. "Now that's the sort of thing to put the fear of god into a man. Was that bankai?"
"N-nothing of the sort," Hinamori stuttered. "Just... advanced kido."
There was a slight, pained groan from Chad, who stirred slightly. Kyoraku gave a whistle.
"Well I'll be damned. He's still alive. Boy's got the endurance of an ox."
"I made sure to hold myself back," Hinamori explained. "To kill somebody unnecessarily..."
Erza would have disapproved.
"You're a kind soul, Momo," Kyoraku said, and nodded. "Anyhow, I just came by to tell you your captain got held up a bit. Seems like you got things under control, though." He nodded toward the surrounding areas.
"Oh, my goodness..." Hinamori all but gasped, putting both hands over her mouth. The entire courtyard looked like it had been hit by a tornado. Buildings lay in ruin, the courtyard floor was not only smashed, but reduced to sand, everything within her circle having been utterly devastated.
"Oh no... captain Aizen is going to kill me..." she mumbled paling. "Our budget will be so strained..."
"Given that the ryoka actually survived that, it seems appropriate." Kyoraku said reassuringly. "I'll gladly testify that you used necessary force to subdue a dangerous opponent."
"He did beat down a whole bunch of officers, including the third seat, without breaking a sweat..." Hinamori said, still seeming shocked.
Kyoraku nodded. "Don't you worry. Your captain will understand. Anyhow..."
"Oh yes, I'm sure you have urgent business elsewhere," Hinamori said, although a nagging little voice in her head told her that he was probably off to have a drink of sakè.
"I do, I do. The old man's got us all out and joining the hunt," he said with a sigh. "But I thought you should know, since I was in the area..."
"Yes?" Hinamori said curiously.
"The ryoka." Kyoraku said. "They are being led by Erza Scarlet."
Her heart skipped a beat as he said it, and her eyes went wide. She was back! After all these years, she was back! She felt a rush of joy, overriding all her fears and worries. Quickly, she did her best to hide her excitement, forcing her face to not break out into a grin. Something told her the captain did not find it too convincing.
"Something to consider," he said slowly. "I'd think carefully on what I did next, if I were you."
"Uh... huh?" Hinamori said, failing to come up with anything more clever or appropriate.
"Well," Kyoraku said in a casual tone, "safeguarding the division in such a perilous time is a demanding task, after all. Not to mention overseeing reconstructions! At any rate... I think I must be going. Be careful, vice-captain."
The very slight emphasis on the last part, vice-captain, told her he meant something by it...
But she put that thought aside. She was back. She was back! Just like she had hoped, just like she had known she would, she had come back! As captain Kyoraku walked away, she allowed herself a little skip and jump into the air, followed by a very controlled squeal.
She was back! She had come back to her!
I sure hope you all enjoyed these fights. I know you all wanted things to be a bit different than cannon, and i think this chapter shows that we're more than willing to do that! Fact is, we always were.
I knew from very early on that i would have Momo fight chad. I dont want you to see this as a minor win though. Despite all the shit he gets from the fandom, Chad IS powerful. He was capable of defeating a 3rd seat in ONE hit. Thats a guy thats supposed to the the 3rd strongest in the divison, thats just below vice captian. Im positive Chad could have beaten almost all the vice captians really...But, I anted Momo to get a chance to shine, and Chad was the only one i was willing to have lose at this point.
Dont worry though, I plan on redeeming him with some awesome fights down the line. I will NOT make Chad this series Yamcha.
Also hope you enjoyed the other battles. I figured Erza could use an emotional battle, and Omeada was a great chance for some laughs, while still being a good opponent for Tatsuki, Guy may not be fit for a 2nd division vice captain position, but he IS a strong soul reaper in his own right.
Im also hipping that you all enjoyed Uryu vs Hisagi. If Hisagi HAD used his shikai, he probably would have won,,,but we all know he hates to use it. That was his downfall.
I cant WAIT to hear what you all have to say about this chapter in the reviews. Im super excited for that, so please, continue to leave such amazing reviews like you have for the past two years.