The Death and Life of Erza Scarlet

by Goshinzilla

Death is only the beginning. Erza learns that much at the tower of heaven. But the afterlife, it turns out, isn't much better than life, with all its flaws. As she becomes a shinigami, Erza seeks to make a better world- but Aizen has the same idea... (ErzaXMomo)

43. The wings of the divine serpent

Before we begin the chapter itself, I want to address something. The latest chapter of the cannon fairy tail (519) has been...controversial to say the last. REALLY controversial. Now, I'm not going to tell you all how to feel about this chapter. Quite frankly, i don't have the right to. I'm not even going to tell you how I feel about it. There are many reasons that someone could have enjoyed the chapter, but there are also just as many reasons for someone to dislike it. That's not what this is about. I'm not here to "defend" the chapter, and not going to "rant" about it either. Let's ignore the chapter, and what happened in it. Let us focus on the main character of THIS story, Erza Scarlet. I understand that this AN is a bit lengthy...but i feel this needs to be discussed.

Erza has, at this point gotten...A lot of flack to say the least because of the recent chapter. Some say she's no longer a good character. Some go even farther and call her the worst character in the series as of now. I figured id throw my own hat into the ring and give my thoughts on her.

After all, she is the main character of this story.

Well what I have to say about Erza in this point in cannon is that...She's still Erza Scarlet.

Erza is still the character we all know and love. Erza is still kind, strong, intelligent, and among one of the few females in modern shounen manga that kicks major amounts of ass. Your most likely here, reading this for her. YOU are all her fans.

You don't have to worry about me, or any of us for that matter, going on some rant about how she is now a horrible character. That the last few chapters have SOMEHOW taken away all of her likability.

I feel that this assertion is inaccurate, and I'm very sure that you know this is not true or rather believe it to be. Erza is still the character that got me, and many of my friends and fellow fans into this series in the first place. Erza still has everything that fans loved about her. Erza is still strong. She is still wise. She is still kind. She is still beautiful. Erza has a one of the most sympathetic and compelling backstory's i can think of for a character in a shounen. None of that is gone. These traits are all still here.

Erza IS a good character. Make no mistake on that. We all love her because of the things that I just said. Because she is strong, because she is wise, beautiful, and everything I said earlier.

We love Erza...Because she's Erza. (Yes, I used that saying on purpose.)

Nothing that anyone else says about her will change that in my eyes. Not now, not ever. Erza has been someone that has inspired me for the past 5 years, and is the reason that this story even exists. Erza is by far, and easily, my favorite character, in all of fiction. I'll be damned if I stopped liking her character over such Nonsense. No one on tumblr, on youtube, or any forum will change that.

Don't ever think you should be ashamed that you like this character. Ever. No matter how much horrible things gets thrown her way online, or the hatred she'll face for whatever reason, NEVER be ashamed to say that you like her character. Be proud that you are a fan of her! Just like me, and many others out there!

Ok, Now that im done speechifying on my soapbox, oh boy, do we have a fun chapter for all of you! Plenty of twists and turns in this one. Many of you wont see these coming, and I eagerly await to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Get ready, cause its gonna get wild!

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.

---

Death would come for her.

Death was inescapable, even for the shinigami, because what they lacked in ageing, the toll of violent conflict would eventually make up for. To sign up was to know you would one day die, low-born or high-born, captain or recruit. The notion of dying, even by execution, hadn't hit Rukia nearly as hard as she had expected. At over a hundred and fifty, she had had a much better life than most, and lived longer than most. She had felt melancholy, knowing how deeply disappointed her honoured older brother must feel, but at the end of the day... you had to die one day, and to see it coming was not necessarily such a bad thing. Obviously she didn't want death, but she had made her peace with it. She would die; all she was would end, and some people would grieve. She had seen enough of it in her life to know what it meant. It didn't scare her.

But her quiet acceptance had been shattered, her resignation to simply contemplate life and meditate in wait of her sentence ended, and misery had overrun her.

She was supposed to die. Why couldn't they have left it alone?

She had sensed it, even weak as she was in her prison, powers suppressed by the sekki-sekki minerals. Kurosaki Ichigo. Erza Scarlet. Their signatures had burned brightly. What she had at first thought were illusions, wishful thinking, were true. When first she had sensed it, it seemed so... faint. Like the subtlest of smells, she had sensed them all, Yasutora Sado, Arisawa Tatsuki, Inoue Orihime, Ichigo and Erza...
Then she had felt Kenpachi's energy, bathing the entire Gotei in its overwhelming signature, and under it, Ichigo. Ichigo, then Erza. They had done battle.

What were they thinking? To run madly into a death trap, all for her? She could think of no other reason. It was exactly the sort of thing Ichigo would do. It was exactly the sort of thing Erza would do; they were like two peas in a pod, those two. But they should know better. They should know there was no chance of success. So why? Why on earth throw their lives away for her? She was not worth it. Why would they leave this burden on her shoulders?
Part of her wanted to cry, but she sat silent, sunk deep into despair. She felt weak, emotionally and physically drained, in no small part because of her reiatsu-absorbing restraints, but more than anything out of the agonizing knowledge that she was the cause of all this. She had dragged Ichigo into this. She had drawn Erza out of hiding. Quietly, in her head, she cursed her fate.

The universe was cruel, and had a twisted sense of humour. She had to make peace not only with her own death, but that of her friends as well.

---

In the Gotei, no leader was better respected or more beloved than the kind, mild-mannered captain of the thirteenth division, Ukitake Jushiro, and it was widely considered a great shame that he suffered from chronic tuberculosis. Without it, thirteenth would have had the best leader of all, and it was widely believed among its division's members that they would stand head and shoulders above the rest if not for this. Kind and understanding, mild yet decisive, he was considered the best of all to work under, and no division received more applications from the fresh recruits.
Lisanna Strauss, vice-captain to this tragedy of a man, saw things with a less rosy tint. The captain was as good a man as you could find, that was true, but he was no less a soul than anyone else, fallible and with his own shortcomings. Still, there was nobody she'd rather serve, and that was the truth of the matter.

As the man was often bed-ridden, Lisanna often found herself in charge of the division. Sometimes, she felt like she was its captain, even though that made her feel prideful and a little arrogant. She had been promoted some twenty years ago, shortly after Erza's defection. Since then, she had had to shoulder quite a bit of responsibility by herself. As vice-captain, she had insisted on a bit more discipline- the two joint third seats were well-meaning and enthusiastic, but were considerably better at executing an order than giving one, as they would often contradict each other. Both as stubborn as they were dedicated, the result had been stagnation and inefficiency. Until Lisanna took over, that was; from then on things had run more smoothly by far.

This very moment, Lisanna was headed back to her captain's quarters. It was early afternoon, and after leading thirteenth in the search efforts for a couple of hours, she had excused herself to go see to her captain. State of emergency or no, attending to an ailing captain was a good enough reason, and nobody had questioned her. She gently rapped on the door, hoping her captain would be in good enough health.
Quite a few thoughts raced through her head, as they had the entire day. She was actively involved in a conspiracy to commit treason. What else, she felt no hesitation, only determination to carry it out to its completion. All this on loose, shaky grounds, all this because she believed in Erza Scarlet.
Rod had mentioned both her captain and Kyoraku Shunsui as potential allies. But how could she discern that? Drawing attention to herself was the one thing she had to avoid. Lisanna did not consider herself clumsy in these matters, and she had good rapport with her captain, but she still found herself wishing she had knowledge of the spy's subtleties that Rod had trained for.

There was a light cough from inside, and her captain's voice, sounding fairly healthy and stable, rang out.
"Come on in."

Lisanna slid the doors open, walked up to the captain's bed, and fell to one knee before it. Captain Ukitake sat upright, wearing a simple robe, looking alert. Quietly, Lisanna sighed with relief- it had only been a brief episode this time. It could get nasty when it was worse, and it tore at her heart to see the man reduced to a coughing, hacking, bleeding mess.

"There's no need to be so formal, you know," said Ukitake, with a small smile. He coughed, just once, but stopped himself from letting it turn into a fit.
"Please, stand."

"As you please, sir," Lisanna said, and stood up. The captain was kind, mild-mannered and often weak, so she had taken it upon herself to act the part of the sterner, more formal sort of leadership the division sometimes needed.

"Now tell me... what news do you bring?"

"Grim tidings, sir," said Lisanna, and she didn't have to fake the dark look on her face. Quickly, she recounted the events of the night; Kenpachi's defeat, followed by Aizen's death, followed by this full-scale manhunt- which, as of yet, had yielded no results.

"...and after the search as duly organized, I headed back here to report, sir." Lisanna said, her voice droning on in a quick, efficient drawl.

"...well, I'll be damned." Ukitake mumbled, taken aback. "That... would explain the hustle and bustle before. I should have been up earlier-"

"Absolutely not, Captain!" Lisanna said firmly. "Your health is more important than anything else. Pushing yourself too far will hurt you just as much as the division."

"I feel like I'm talking to Unohana," Ukitake said with a soft smile. "Although somehow, she feels even more stern than that."

"...quite," Lisanna said, a little stiffly. Her captain was a good man, but she sometimes wasn't sure what to say to him.

"Well... that aside, this really is... quite something," he mumbled. "How was the old man?"

"The captain-commander was livid, or so I am told."

"I can imagine that. I guess it wasn't so bad being out sick, eh?"

Lisanna's first instinct was to tell him that no, being sick is never good, because seeing him sick ate at her, but humour was just one way of dealing with a condition such as his. She held her tongue.
"It spared you a lecture, so I can imagine it were so," she said diplomatically.

"And... anything else?" Ukitake said, almost hopefully.

"Sir?"

Ukitake sighed. "I suppose it would have been too much to hope for, that the old man would have declared a state of a emergency."

"A state of emergency..."
It hit her. A state of emergency was the only measure of authority that superseded Central Forty-Six rulings, to be used only when there was a state of chaos so strong that it demanded uninterrupted, unchecked authority until peace was restored. If there had been a state of emergency, then all proceedings related to the central judiciary arm would have been halted. If there had been a state of emergency, Rukia's sentence would have been postponed.
Rukia wasn't necessarily close to the captain. The girl, although skilled and strong, did not even have a seat. Yet Ukitake was a father to his men, and if you were a part of his division, he had your back at all times. He grieved for those who died in action, and for that he had the unending respect of the men and women under his command. To see Rukia, who had been one of his, wither away in prison awaiting death... it hadn't occurred to Lisanna, not directly, but he had to have been hit almost as hard as her friends.
"I'm sorry, sir."

"It... it is what it is," Ukitake mumbled. "I'll get to my office, get started on some paperwork or something..."

"It's a crying shame, sir," Lisanna said. He just gave her a look, tired and worn.

"In fact, sir, some would say it's downright unethical," Lisanna said determinedly, a bit of passion in her voice. "There's not a soul looking at this and thinks it's justice."

"There's nothing to be done, is there?" He said, shaking his head.

"Not with that attitude," Lisanna retorted. She was taking a plunge, and she knew it.

"Vice-captain?" Ukitake said curiously.

"I... I'm just talking out of the heart, I suppose," Lisanna said, after a slight pause. "We all want to change the world sometimes, don't we?"

"Yes," he said, nodding, "yes we do."

"Otherwise, what's the point of getting out of bed? If you can't make the world a better place,"

"Where is this coming from?" Ukitake said. He sounded curious, but curiosity could easily become suspicion.

"She... was a friend to a lot of us," Lisanna said, deciding to tell the truth- or well, the parts of it that were convenient, at least. "Not like my best friend, but still. I've kept my mouth shut, but sometimes, that just makes it well up. I'm sorry for that outburst, Captain. It won't happen again."

"Don't apologize," he said, shaking his head. "You're right. We all want to change the world. Sometimes, that... takes us strange places, mentally at least. It's only natural to feel some sort of anger before the impending loss of a friend. Frustration. I won't deny I've felt much the same myself."

"Then what stops you from acting on it? I mean that as a serious question, Captain."

"The rules of order," he said, and there was a directness in his voice, an answer ready-made since long ago. "The rules look the way they look for a reason. People take them for granted, because that's easier than thinking about what they mean. But I understand what they mean. I understand why they exist, because I still remember a time before the Gotei as we know it existed. A time before Yamamoto-sensei was Captain-commander."

"Captain?" Lisanna said curiously. He did not often speak of the far past.

"I was very young back then, but the Gotei was a necessary change at the time. It was... chaotic. Under the Central Forty-Six, order was brought, and the shinigami reformed into the fighting force we are today. The rules may not agree with us. Sometimes, they land us in situations that disgust us. But they need to be followed, because they bring all-important order. That is the standpoint of the philosophy behind the Gotei, at least."

"Do you believe it, captain?"

"...most of the time," Ukitake said, and sighed again.

"And when the rules are wrong?" Lisanna said flatly. Deciding to push the issue, she continued, "When the rules are twisted and abused. When they're used not to protect the innocent, but exploit them. What then, captain?"

"No system is perfect..."

"Begging your pardon, Captain, but do you look at Rukia's situation and say 'well, no system is perfect'?"
She was pushing far, she realized, maybe too far. But to her relief, Ukitake said,

"...no. This is injustice, no doubt."

"So..."

"So, what, vice-captain?" He said softly, raising his voice slightly. "Rebel against the entirety of the Gotei? How well do you think that would work, even for the star pupils of Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni?"

"But then it's not justice that drives us. Just force, just power."

Ukitake sighed again. "This is reality meeting ideals, and they are not often kind to each other."

"Well... nothing to be done, I suppose," Lisanna muttered, letting out a sigh of her own.

"I sympathize, Lisanna," the captain said. "Know that I do. However... sometimes, all you can do is sit back and watch, no matter how hard. Or just bide your time."

Lisanna blinked. "Huh?"

"Bring me my robes," Ukitake said firmly, his tone cheerier. "I need to make myself at least somewhat useful today. I believe you have duties to attend to as well?"

"Yes-yes, captain," Lisanna said eagerly, and quickly went to fetch his shihakusho.

Bide your time. Had Rod been right about him? Time would only tell.

---

The warehouse was quiet. Ironically, hiding had become easier in these places, the search seeming to focus on ground zero of where Erza had fought Kenpachi. There had been one patrol coming by, but they had been turned away by Isane. If they questioned her presence there, they hadn't shown it.

Compared to healing Erza, fixing Ichigo up had been easy. The boy had a few nasty lacerations, no more or less than Isane had expected, but with an hour or two of carefully applied medical kido, he was already on the road to recovery. He had some nasty red scars where the cuts had been, but Isane had assured them they would go away with time. Knowing it was futile, she had insisted that he should take it easy, and preferably lie down for the next day or two. It was early afternoon when they finished, and Isane was sanitizing her hands with alcohol when Erza walked up to her.

"Thank you," Erza said sincerely. "Without you..."

"I'm a doctor, and I did my job," Isane said bluntly. Erza was still no expert on reading people, but it didn't take much to realize she wasn't pleased with the situation.

"I mean it. You stuck out your neck for me-"

"And I may well lose it because I did," Isane shot back. She groaned, and sighed. "No, don't give me that look- it was my choice."

"If it helps, I'm really grateful too," Ichigo cut in, stepping toward her, taking care to walk slowly.

"You" should be resting!" Isane said with a firmness that reminded Erza that she was in fact Unohana Retsu's second-in-command.

"...yes, ma'am," Ichigo said, scratching his head awkwardly and sitting himself down on the stack of supplies he had been sitting on.

"At any rate, I really need to get back. I'm probably going to get the chewing-out of a lifetime, and my captain..."

"I know," Erza said, not envying Isane the least.

"Take care, you two," Isane said. "And I mean that only because I know you will both undo all my hard work sooner rather than later."

"We'll do our best." Erza said.

Isane grumbled something incoherent, but Erza could guess at its general meaning. She was normally very mild-mannered, but the circumstances were anything but normal, and everyone had their limits.

"Ichigo!"

The voice was unmistakable. It was Masaki. She had to have snuck in somewhere in the back, Erza realized, and either they had been too distracted to sense her, or she had been too careful with hiding herself. She ran toward them at full speed, and she looked ragged, worn out by stress more than anything else.

"Mom-" was all Ichigo managed before she was upon him, catching him in a bear hug.

"Dear god, I was so worried- oh thank goodness you're okay, thank goodness!" She was rambling, and Erza understood where she came from; if it had been Orihime... "I would have come sooner, but I, I was held up, and..."
She held him close, and kissed him on the forehead, multiple times and without the smallest hint of grace or dignity.

"Ow, ow, ow, ooow..." Ichigo grumbled.

"Marvellous. Another one," Isane said flatly. "Miss, you may want to step back. His body is still healing."

"Oh-oh!" Masaki exclaimed, and let go of her son like he were a piece of red-hot metal. "I'm so sorry baby, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine..." Ichigo grumbled, blushing slightly. It was bizarre, but also something of a good sign, that he was embarrassed. After all, if he could worry about that, it meant that pain and injury couldn't be all that bad at this point.

"I felt it when it happened," Masaki said, looking at Erza, seeming to have calmed down a little. "I would have come sooner, but- but there were so many shinigami, strong ones too, they were just everywhere-"

"You did your best," Erza said firmly. "That's all a mother can do."

Uneasily, Masaki nodded. Turning to her son again, she said, "Are you sure you're okay? You're not hurting too badly anywhere? I'm really sorry..."

"Mom, I'm fine!" Ichigo insisted, resisting Masaki trying to open his shirt and check.

"...I really have to leave now," Isane said. "I'm not going to lie to my captain if she asks, so I recommend you leave her before too long."

Erza nodded. "That's fair. Again, thanks."

"Yes, yes..." Isane grumbled. Gathering up her medical kit, she soon snuck out the door.

"Mom!" Ichigo said again, fending off a motherly assault of concern and affection. "I told you, I'm okay!"

"Actually, you're not." Erza said. "The medical kidos are still working on your body. It'll take most of the day before they're through, and even then, you should be resting until you've recovered fully."

"See? Listen to your aunt!" Masaki exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, that isn't an option," Erza said, tapping the hilt of her sword. "We're too deep in to stop, the Gotei is swarming with shinigami, and we still need to get to Rukia."

"See? Listen to your... uh, friend?" Ichigo said, failing to think of an appropriate familial equivalent to make his retort cutting enough.

Masaki looked angrily defiant for a second, as if she could really expect Ichigo to sit back and rest, but thought better of it. She was not to be left unsatisfied, however.
"Well, I'm sticking with you this time," she said, and it was clear there was to be no arguing. Erza didn't mind; Masaki was one of their stronger members.

"Let's go, then," Erza said. "I know my way around here. The search seems to be focused elsewhere, so... if we try and take the long way around, we've got a decent chance of evading them. With any luck, Yoruichi will catch us up and give us an update."

"Sounds like a plan," Ichigo said, and nodded.

"Oh and... we're taking it easy. If there's a fight, you only get into it with my permission. No arguing." Erza said. Ichigo looked like he might protest, but the stern look from both his mother and aunt made him think better of it.

"Fine..." he muttered. He grumbled, much like Isane had, and the three of them set out into the streets of the Gotei.

---

Renji had, for the most part, recovered. Being a vice-captain, Rangiku and he had been given priority of treatment. Renji didn't remember too much, having been given more than a few anaesthetics, but he had been told they had operated on him for most of the night, carefully closing his injuries and applying the right spells to heal him. The fourth seat had told him he would make a full recovery, so long as he took it easy for a while. He had been given a robe, and around the afternoon he'd been given permission to get out of bed.
He had of course considered ignoring the doctor's orders, but unlike the dumb grunts of eleventh, he knew better than to defy fourth- defying them was defying Unohana, and while he wasn't sure why everyone feared her that much, he wasn't keen to find out. Slowly, he made his way to Rangiku's room; she had been the only one there to have encountered the Ryoka like him, and she seemed not to have fought him.

He had had nothing but time to think since he woke up. There was a search going on, that much he had caught on to. Apparently, Aizen was dead.
But that was it. According to Erza, he was the one behind all this. If he was, then it was likely not true, just a ruse thrown in to... do whatever he needed to do.

But he couldn't just trust Erza blindly. As much time as he had had to think, he still couldn't make his mind up about her. She hadn't acted at all like some villain out to destroy all they stood for. Everything about her had seemed... genuine. But on the other hand, she had proclaimed herself guilty, at least to an extent. His heart cried out to believe in her, to stand with her, but his reason pulled him in the opposite direction.
Only one thing was clear. She wanted Rukia free, and he didn't doubt that. He wanted the same thing. For as long as that was the case, they were allies in this. In a way, it was something of a blessing to have been cut down by Kenpachi- it saved him having to explain just why he hadn't tried to capture her, why he hadn't achieved anything in his search. He grimaced, his wounds aching- some blessing that was.

Walking carefully, his wounds still stinging, he walked into Rangiku's room. She was awake, just like him, staring out through a window.

"Yo," he said, leaning himself against the doorway.

"Oh, Renji," she muttered, slowly turning her eyes to look at him. "Um. I mean, sorry. Good day. I was a bit distracted..."

"I feel ya," Renji said, nodding. "I been doing a lot of thinking myself. You recovering all right?"

She made a face. "The medics say I got lucky. I sure don't feel lucky, but apparently a single stab wound is pretty easy to treat. Compared to what you got, at least."

"...I can believe that," Renji said, remembering with a shudder what it felt like to be at the receiving end of Kenpachi's blade. "Look... I wanted to ask about something."

"It was her." Rangiku said. "The one who bailed us out was Erza Scarlet. She had me patch that kid ryoka up, and you too, while she battled him. Apparently... she won. I was sure she'd die, but she came back, looking like a walking corpse, picked up the kid and went on her merry way."

Renji drew in a sharp breath. She had beaten Kenpachi? Kenpachi, of all people, had lost to her? What in the...?
"You can't be for real," he mumbled.

"Kenpachi's here in the hospital too," Rangiku said. "Worse shape than either of us. I don't know any details, but I'm guessing Captain Unohana saw to him personally."

"Holy shit," Renji said, genuinely baffled. "She really..."

"I couldn't believe it either, but here we are."

"No way..." Renji shook his head. "Look, that's not what I was actually wondering about."

"Then what?"

"Well..." Renji said. How did he put this? "It's hard to say, but..."

"How did I end up with that ryoka instead of fighting or arresting him?"

Renji nodded. It was a good place to start, anyhow.

"It's... weird," Rangiku said, and she looked uneasy. "I fought him for a bit, but then he used Getsuga Tensho, and that was my old captain's signature move. The kid's zanpakutou is named Zangetsu, and the captain's was named Engetsu. This got me thinking, and..."
She paused. "Don't tell a soul, okay? Not yet."

"Sure," Renji said, nodding eagerly.

"He's the son of Shiba Isshin. My old captain. Apparently that bastard is still alive and kicking, although without powers."

"That... explains some things, then," Renji said slowly. "So you wanted to find out more."

"Yes. I convinced him to negotiate. I hoped him being noble would let him get some leverage..."

Renji snorted. "As if they give a shit about the Shibas."

"It was worth a shot," Rangiku said defensively. "Anyhow... I need to know. That's why I talked to him. It's not like Captain Shiba was the love of my life or anything, but he was my captain. He was an idiot, but he was also a good man. A good captain. I grieved for him. His family grieved for him. Everyone thought he was dead, and now... apparently he's not."

She shook her head.

"I hear ya," Renji nodded. "I'm no stranger to emotional baggage, ya know."

"He's out there somewhere," Rangiku said, and there was something distant in her voice, as if she was imagining it all vividly. "With a family. With kids. He left us all behind. I... I want to know why." She sighed. "Well, there you go- that was why. I guess it seems silly, right?"

She hid it well, but she sounded vulnerable, and Renji realized that she too carried scars of the past. Most people did, to some extent, but Rangiku was so cheerful and full of life; he'd hardly ever pictured her as having regrets.

"No, it ain't," Renji said, shaking his head. "In fact... I'm probably about to one-up you."

"Oh?" Rangiku said.

Renji took a deep breath, and took the plunge. "I ran into Erza Scarlet. It was she who sent me to find that Ichigo."

Rangiku blinked. "Well, you certainly don't disappoint. Care to explain?"

Renji grumbled. "I confronted her, all worked up and ready to get my ass kicked, you know..."

"Yes, yes, all that dumb macho stuff," Rangiku said dismissively. "So why didn't you?"

"I..." Renji said, hesitating. How would he put it? Telling her all of it might not be a good idea, but he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to share, to vent all of it to somebody, anybody.
"I cut her. She didn't even defend herself. She lectured me about attacking people who aren't fighting back, and suddenly I'm that stupid academy kid all over again, getting chewed out by my teacher."

"Go on," Rangiku said, sounding interested.

"She gave me the chance to stab her in the back. But she'd already said too much. She made me realize my head was all screwed up, that I was standing on the wrong side."

"Rukia," Rangiku said, as if having had an epiphany. "Of course..."

"Yes, Rukia!" Renji said intensely. "There ain't nobody I've known longer, and me just standing around while she's getting executed over some trumped-up bullshit charges... I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen."

"How do you know Erza isn't full of it?" The question was direct, almost blunt, and Renji paused for a second.

"I don't. I really don't. Erza, she even confessed to being a traitor. But... fuck me, I can't help but believe her. Maybe I'm blinded, but something ain't right here. You got your reasons to look into this, and well, I got mine."

"Well, isn't this convenient?"

The voice was clearly amused, and through the doorway stepped Lisanna Strauss, a smirk on her face.

"Vice-captain Strauss!" Renji snapped. He reached for his sword instinctively, only to realize that he was still in hospital robes, and that his zanpakutou was bound to be in locked up in the armory. Rangiku looked no less shocked herself.

"Relax, you two," Lisanna said, making a dismissive gesture with her hand. "Good grief, here I was trying to figure out how I'd phrase 'let's commit treason together' without giving my intentions away, and the two of you are already halfway there."

"I... have no idea what you're talking about," Rangiku said cautiously.

"Oh, please," Lisanna said. "You two should really close the door when you're talking about things like this, or at least whisper. I might not be in the Stealth Corps, but even I know that."

"S-so what?" Renji snapped, startled, pointing aggressively at Lisanna. "You better be shutting your mouth, or-"

"Or what, Renji?" Lisanna said coolly. "I know your fine biceps are better refined than your grey matter, but even you know better than to think you could get away with starting a ruckus in Fourth."

Realizing how entirely right she was, Renji tamely lowered his finger.

"Besides, I've really nothing to fear from either of you, even if you had your zanpakutou," she said nonchalantly. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The first thing you need to know is: I'm not your enemy."

"How would we know that?" Rangiku said.

"Because I could be calling for your arrest right now, but I'm not. But to reassure you, I'll let you know one thing: twenty years ago, I helped Erza escape. Do I have your attention?"

"You... you really?" Renji said, stunned.

"Yes, really. She is innocent, as far as I am concerned. Framed," Lisanna said firmly. "More to the point, you are not alone in this. I represent a... special interests group, you could say. People who are questioning the situation we are in, people who think there is more to this than meets the eye."
Inwardly, Lisanna reveled in the situation. She made it all sound so mysterious, and it was rather a thrill.

"You said... 'let's commit treason'." Renji said slowly. "So we're all going to do... what, exactly?"

"Good question," Lisanna replied. "Fortunately, unlike the two of you, we do have a plan."

"Which is what, exactly?" Rangiku said.

"I'll tell you more when it's necessary. Rest assured, it's nothing immoral. Of course, it involves going against orders, but you knew that already, didn't you?"

"So what do you need from us?" Renji said suspiciously.

"Nothing, for now," Lisanna said with a shrug. "Just to know that we can count on you when the time comes. Keep your mouths shut, act normal, and be ready to act on our signal. Rod will be in touch."

"Rod Sentry? The vice-captain of second?" Renji blurted out. "That... makes sense, actually. Didn't he go to school with Erza?"

"Keep your mouth shut! What did I just say?" Lisanna snapped. "This is secret, and if anyone blows our cover, we could all go down for it."

"R-right," Renji said, nodding tamely.

Lisanna sighed. "Good grief... just act normal and wait. Can you do that?"

"...sure," Rangiku said.

"Yeah, okay..." Renji muttered.

"Good. Report back to your divisions when you're discharged. Keep quiet, and wait. That's it. For now, I've got work to do."

With that, Lisanna turned on her heel and walked out, leaving a confused couple of vice-captains behind her.

---

Uryu had taken their difficulties in stride, at least compared to his companions. Using his superior sensory skills, he had found a remote alleyway where he had caught a few hours of uneasy sleep, always keeping an eye half open, and had set out before dawn. His strategy yesterday had been to move fast, get to Rukia before he was caught himself, and re-unite with the rest of his comrades.
This had turned out futile; despite his superior speed, despite his skills, there always seemed to be somebody spotting him- there were simply too many angles, too many possibilities for error, too many shinigami crawling all over the place. Learning from his experiences, he had this time chosen to move with caution. He had stolen an ill-fitting shinigami uniform, and carefully dashed from rooftop to rooftop, always on the lookout for shinigami.

For a few hours, this had worked quite well. Activity was low early in the morning, but halfway toward noon, it was as if somebody had kicked a beehive. Shinigami were swarming everywhere, and if yesterday had seemed chaotic, the frenzy of black-robed reapers crowding every street put it to shame. Uryu, who had been making decent time, had found himself pinned, having to resort to running along with various shinigami to even get anywhere.
That enterprise was a desperate one, but to its credit, it worked... for a while. The chaos served him well enough that he could change directions before anybody started asking questions, like who his commanding officer was, or what company he belonged to.

But just before noon, his luck ended. Somebody had noticed his glove, questions were being asked, and Uryu struck the first blow. Seizing the initiative had let him gun down dozens of shinigami, and it had taken genuine effort not to kill them all- at least he hoped nobody had died. But no matter how quickly he had acted, he had not been able to stop them from crying warnings, and within minutes the whole area was crawling with shinigami, coming at him from every direction. Realizing that it was only a matter of time before somebody truly strong would come along, Uryu had run. He had outpaced most of his pursuers easily, but more than a few were persistent, and the alarm would always precede him. They had his scent now, like bloodhounds, and they weren't letting him go. Inwardly, he cursed. Damn it all!

He had been chased for nearly an hour when he found himself cornered near a square, some place that appeared to be a meeting place of sorts. Staring down dozens of shinigami, swords all drawn, he held his bow aloft, arrow at the ready, challenging whoever dared to be first. Carefully he looked around him. Nearly a hundred of them, at least. Several high ranked officers. It would be hard, but maybe he could break through...

But then, the tense aggression of his opponents slowly seemed to break, and there were cries from the back. Parting like they had been swept aside by a tidal wave, the mass of shinigami turned their eyes away from Uryu entirely. Uryu looked, and saw him. Wearing a strange hat, his face coloured charcoal black, the skin on his hands pale white, he wore the unmistakable captain's haori. Across his groin hung a blade, and he stepped forward. The mass of shinigami, so fired up not a minute ago, started to run in every direction, anywhere away from the man, and there was fear in their faces as they fled in panic.
Uryu needed no more clues. Kurotsuchi Mayuri, one of the very worst he had been told of.

"It might be better to die than be captured by him." That was what Erza had told them. Feeling shocked, his heart skipped a beat.

"My, my, my," said the captain, his voice a little shrill, sounding dispassionately pleased, "I found you after all."

The square was empty now, and Uryu wanted to flee himself. But this was a captain, and he was bound to be stronger, faster...
To fight, it was. Uryu had chosen to be a quincy, to be noble and chivalrous whenever possible, and that meant staring your fate in the face no matter how unpleasant. But part of him was still a young man, a boy with no real experience of war, and that part of him wanted very much to be somewhere else.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri," he said defiantly. "Head of the research unit and captain of twelfth division."

"Oh?" Kurotsuchi said curiously. "Quite well informed, I see. It matters not. You will reveal all relevant data once I get you back to the division."

Uryu let loose an arrow, which grazed the captain's cheek. Unimpressed, he put a hand to the small cut the arrow had caused, rubbing a drip of blood between his fingertips.
"Quincy. Relatively untrained, I see. Juvenile. Shame. I would much rather have studied a veteran."

"Don't count me out until I'm beat, scum," Uryu said firmly.

The captain gave him an amused look.
"Boy, there is no fight to be had. The likes of you could not hope to challenge me. But out of kindness, I will make you an offer: come quietly and without struggle, and I shall treat you with comparative mercy. I will apply anesthetics when possible, and you will even be allowed solid foods on occasion. That is quite generous of me."

"I'm not your lab rat," Uryu sneered.

"Really, I had hoped it would be one of the other Ryoka, as my research of the quincies is mostly finished," Kurotsuchi said, ignoring Uryu. "Still, there is no such thing as too many samples, I suppose."

"Try it," Uryu said, with more confidence than he really felt. "By the pride of the Quincy, I swear you will not have me as your prize without a fight!"

"You are all the same, do you realize that?" Kurotsuchi said. His voice was low, and it made Uryu shiver. "They all said 'by the pride of the quincy', insignificant things like that. They all screamed and begged for mercy in the end. It really is quite tiresome."

The man was a monster. Uryu felt anger rising inside him, righteous fury. He was practically bragging about his atrocities, and he had already pegged his next victim. Talking would do him no good now. Quickly, Uryu let a string of arrows loose, in the same instance springing into his hirenkyaku, landing on a rooftop overlooking the square.

"I told you, boy, it is pointless," the dispassionate voice said. Some ten yards from him, Kurotsuchi Mayuri stood on the rooftop, having followed him effortlessly. "Qualitative hirenkyaku, I must say," he added, as if he was observing something in a lab already. "Fairly advanced for a specimen your age, particularly given your lack of competent mentorship."

"What-what would you know about that?" Uryu sneered, skipping a few steps back.

"It's obvious to anyone who understands the technique," Kurotsuchi said, his tone as if he was addressing a Neanderthal. "You are mostly self-taught, perhaps using written down instructions, or possibly you had tutelage when you were younger- tutelage that ended before you could refine it." He looked delighted as he elaborated. "Ah, but I digress. Will you come quietly?"

"As if!" Uryu snapped.

"I see, I see," the captain said, and sighed. "As much of an ant as you may be, you would be a troublesome insect. I just hope you won't spoil too much."

Spoil?

The captain reached for the sword at his belt, slowly pulling it up. Ichigo held his like a warrior, Uryu had seen him handle it enough to know, but the captain held it more like it were an instrument, without the smooth, easy form of a well-trained soldier. The hilt looked odd, wrapped in what looked like bandages, little spikes sticking out where the guard was.

"Tear him up, Ashizogi Jizou," he said, as dispassionate as ever. There was a surge of power, and the blade transformed. What the zanpakutou had become looked utterly impractical as a weapon; just over the hilt was a metal plate in the shape of a face, and the sword itself resembled more the head of a trident than an actual blade, crooked and curved several times. It was the colour of brass, bright and yellow. Uryu knew better than to underestimate a captain, and immediately launched himself back, while firing off a hail of arrows. In seconds, he had covered well over a hundred meters, dashing across the rooftops. Kurotsuchi followed him, seemingly without much trouble.

"That's the problem with hirenkyaku, boy," the captain said menacingly as he caught up with Uryu, "it's all too predictable to the people who know its ins and outs!"
He dashed forward and slashed Uryu across the chest horizontally, raking the three blades over his ribcage and arms. The cut wasn't deep, but an immense pain overcame Uryu, and he tumbled to the ground. Forcing himself to focus, he tried to get up, but his body wouldn't respond; everything below his shoulders simply wouldn't let itself be commanded.

"That is the ability of my Ashizogi Jizo," Mayuri said, landing next to Uryu. "It severs the ties that connect the brain to the rest of the body until such time that I decide to undo it. It does not, however, stop the body from feeling pain."
Demonstratively, he raised his blade, and stabbed all three blades into Uryu's chest, just enough so that all of them had dug into Uryu's flesh. Uryu cried out with pain, blood seeping from his mouth.

"Now, since that is done with, shall we go?" Kurotsuchi said, taking a step back.

Uryu let his reiatsu surge, and to Kurotsuchi's surprise, he stood up. His movements were slow, jittery, like a sleepwalker just waking up, but stood he did.

"On my pride as a quincy, on my honour as an Ishida, I swear I will kill you!" Uryu snarled, slowly stringing his bow.

"Oh?" Kurotsuchi said curiously. "That... has to be Ransotengai, yes? Commendably done. Controlling your body like a puppet with reiatsu is no small feat."

His body screaming with pain, arms trembling, Uryu aimed an arrow.

"However, I tired of these games. Bakudo number four: Hainawa."

A yellow rope of light formed, surging forward quickly. In a second's time, it had wrapped around Uryu's chest and arms, binding him completely.

"Damn it!" he swore, struggling against the spell. His breathing was ragged, and the pain was threatening to overcome him. Was this what it meant to face a captain? He hadn't even had the chance to take that glove off...
No. Don't give in. You never gave in. If he could get away, maybe he could undo the spell...

"Now, it's time we go back to my division," Kurotsuchi said. "Shall we-"

Uryu sped away, using the last of his energy to put some distance between himself and the monstrous captain, landing some thirty yards further down the street.

"That was pitiful," Mayuri said, "it took you what, four steps to get only that far? Really, you are much too stubborn..."

Desperately, Uryu tried to work through the spell binding him. It wasn't that powerful, and normally it wouldn't have been the end of the world, but the pain of the toxins running through his body was too much. The captain came closer, walking leisurely toward him. Twenty meters now. Damn it all!
"Break, damn you!" He cried out frustratedly.

Fifteen meter. Uryu's struggle got even more desperate. The world was spinning, and he lost his footing.
But to his surprise, he fell into a pair of strong arms, lifting him off the street. In a haze, like in some fevered dream, Uryu looked up and saw a face, scarred yet beautiful, framed by short, white hair.

"Cheers love, the cavalry's here," Lisanna said with a smile.

"What..." Uryu mumbled.

Loudly, Lisanna proclaimed, "Ryoka, in the name of the Gotei Thirteen and its thirteenth division, you are hereby placed under arrest! You will be put in a cell awaiting interrogation and sentencing for your transgressions! Do not resist, or you will regret it!"
The words were more for show than anything else, and Uryu couldn't have resisted if he wanted to.

"Ah, you found my newest specimen," Kurotsuchi said, stopping some ten yards away. "Put him down. I am taking him back to twelfth-"

"He is an arrestee of Thirteenth," Lisanna said, her voice steely, "and as such he is my responsibility. Did you make an arrest first, captain?"

"You insolent woman!" Kurotsuchi sneered. "I do not have the patience for your plebeian excuses. Set him down and be gone, or you will regret it!"

"Did you make an arrest?" Lisanna insisted. "Because if you did not, Gotei law states that he is officially the responsibility of the Thirteenth until such time that he is brought to court for sentencing."

"You dare defy me?" Kurotsuchi sneered.

"I do," Lisanna said defiantly.
This was bad. She was supposed to be keeping a low profile. Fighting a captain, let alone one as merciless as Kurotsuchi, was not what she was supposed to be doing.
Time had changed her. Over a hundred years ago, she had been an innocent teenager. She had come a long way since then, seen a lot of terrible things and learned a lot of hard lessons. She had become hard, seasoned, a veteran, far from the idealism of her original family. But at heart, she carried the spirit of Fairy Tail, the spirit that would not let the helpless fall victim to monsters, not if you could stop it...
"It is simple," Mayuri said, anger flaring in his eyes, "I have no problem killing you too. It'll be a pain to deal with the complaints, but I've gotten past worse."

"So be it, then," Lisanna said. Carefully, she took a few steps, and gently set down Uryu by a wall. She dug into her pocket, and produced a small paper box. "Take this. It's not much, but it's a painkiller we use in the field."

"Th-thanks..." Uryu muttered.

"You're a cute kid," Lisanna said cheerily. "Shame about the injuries, though. Come see me in a few years, and I might actually call you handsome."

Uryu looked bewildered, and was grateful to see her turn back to the captain, her cheerful demeanour once again gone.

"Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri, by interfering with an official arrest and threatening an officer with death, you are in violation of the Gotei Penal Code, section B, paragraph 13, as well as section C, paragraph three," she said firmly. "Do you understand that this may result in criminal charges and repercussions both for you and your division?"

"Use whatever excuses you like, bitch," Kurotsuchi sneered. "Your pathetic law is illusory, and I stand well above it."

Lisanna nodded. "So be it, then."

In a flash, she stood up on a wall, some twenty yards away. "Let's take this elsewhere, then! It wouldn't do for your specimen to get damaged, would it?" She cried.

Mayuri snarled, and followed her. A quick sprint later, the two stood some ways away from Uryu. However, Lisanna was well aware that there were people living here, shinigami like herself going about their day. With a captain as volatile as this...

"Bakudo number four: Hainawa!" Kurotsuchi cried out, but the instant the spell went off, Lisanna slipped into a shunpo, reappearing well away from the arc of the spell. It stretched and reached, but Lisanna was too fast.
"It was too much to hope for, I suppose." Kurotsuchi said irritably. Surging forward, brandishing his three-bladed shikai, he struck at Lisanna. Quickly she drew her own sword, parrying just barely, and she found herself pushed back as she had to defend herself. The captain was by far not as intimidating with a sword as the fearsome Kenpachi or the ruthless Byakuya, but he was still a captain, powerful and fast. As he made one vicious sideways cut, Lisanna somersaulted back and out of range, quickly putting a bit of space between herself and the captain.

"Rend, Raijin!" she cried, and the zanpakutou disappeared, re-materializing as two sets of three-pointed claw blades, one held in each hand, each about a foot long. They crackled with electric energy, and Lisanna felt the surge of power. Her speciality was speed and close-quarters combat, which would serve her well- a single hit from that blade, even a shallow one, would partially paralyse her.

"Boring," Kurotsuchi sneered, and came at her again. Quickly, Lisanna sidestepped a downward cut, and lashed out into a fast set of hits, designed less to hit him and more just to keep him on his guard. It worked well enough, the captain warding off her attacks with ease, but still being kept on the defensive. This was what she had hoped for. All she needed now was an opening...
Doubling her efforts, she moved her arms as fast as her body would let her, exchanging a mindbogglingly fast set of blows with the captain. Finally, his lack of swordsmanship began to show, and in a split second, she saw the opening- his sword going just a little higher than it needed to. In an instant, her left arm stabbed forward, the claws digging into the wrist of his sword arm. She let a current of electric energy charge in her right hand, and stabbed forward, striking him squarely and deeply in the chest.

However, what begun as elation became shock, as the electric energy simply died down. Looking unaffected, as if he felt no pain at all, Kurotsuchi stared at her.
"Do you think I keep no data on officers like you?" He said calmly. "Raijin, electric type close-combat zanpakutou. Using the right formula of chemicals, I have already injected myself with a serum that causes my spiritual energy structure to insulate against electric energy."

He reached into his pocket with his free hand, and Lisanna quickly jumped back, wrenching her claws free from his wrist. This was why he was so dangerous- the man had prepared for almost any occasion, and she was not keen to find out what he had in his pocket. It turned out she was not a second too early, as there was a puff of dark green smoke from a device in his hand, dissolving the ground where it landed.

"You are at a disadvantage. Surely you can see?" He said gleefully. "Your one power is nullified."

"Is that what you think?" Lisanna said, a dangerous edge to her voice.

"Bluster and bravado will not help, vice-captain," Kurotsuchi said, sounding triumphantly arrogant. "Your mistake was crossing me. Perhaps I won't kill you after all. Perhaps I'll take you back to my lab..."
He blinked. Lisanna's reiatsu surged, and there was a gust of wind extending out from her.

"You keep a record on zanpakutou, huh?" She said, her lips curled into a sneer. "Talk about lucky."

"What is this?" Kurotsuchi said, brows furrowing. "It is useless. Surely even a primitive like you can see-"

"My zanpakutou is Raijin!" Lisanna proclaimed loudly. "However, you know only half of its name. I use its lightning for its destructive power, but that is not all it can do. But I use half of its name for half its power, because the other half is wild, destructive and dangerous, and it could hurt even me. I use it only if my life is in danger. Rend, Arashi-raijin!"

The wind intensified, and Lisanna surged forward, so fast that the captain only barely had time to react. Bringing his Ashizogi Jizou up just in time, he blocked a fierce double strike, lightning crackling from the claws of Lisanna's shikai.

"Storm..." He mumbled. "It combines two elements to form a specific subset. Interesting." He smiled gleefully. "It is not nearly enough, however. Your lightning still cannot hurt me."

"Do you think that is all, Kurotsuchi Mayuri?" Lisanna said sharply. "Just watch, then- if you can!"

She dashed away, in an impossibly quick shunpo, reappearing behind Kurotsuchi. He spun to meet her, bringing his zanpakutou about for a horizontal slash, but Lisanna was already at his side, which was completely exposed with the swing he was making. Letting out a fierce cry, she stabbed her claws into the side of his chest four times, before disappearing again, only to come back in the air, behind him, slamming a kick into his head. Kurotsuchi snarled, bringing his sword back at her again, but Lisanna once again moved away, instantly appearing right in front of him. The captain tried to cut her, but within the blink of an eye, Lisanna had stabbed both her claws forward, burying them all almost to the hilt in his chest. Lightning was crackling from her entire form, sparks of electricity emanating from her, and a blue and white current of raw power could be seen running through her arms, for a bare instant showing her very bones through their light.
Kurotsuchi staggered back as Lisanna pulled her blades out, and she followed up with a swift kick to his face, launching herself into the air to add power to the strike. He was bleeding, and as much as he seemed to not register pain, he still had had his stride broken, still had taken damage.

"How?" he snarled. "I immunized myself against electricity! How are you hurting me with that?"

"I'm not," Lisanna said coldly. "I'm not using lightning to hurt you. I'm using it to boost my own strength. You may have made yourself immune to direct electric attacks... but you're certainly not immune to raw physical force."

"You..." Kurotsuchi snarled, staring at her in disbelief, "you..."

"What, surprised?" Lisanna said mockingly. "Because I'm stronger than you expected? Because you made a mistake, and it's costing you? Or is it because you're not the only one who knows how to use their brain?"

"You little bitch!" Kurotsuchi snarled.

"Let me warn you, captain, the full power of my zanpakutou makes me fast enough to best all but the captain of second division," Lisanna said coldly. "I intend to show you no mercy. You will not hit me, but I will hit you."

"You little pest!" Kurotsuchi snapped. He held up his sword, and Lisanna could feel his reiatsu surging. Damn it! Bankai already? She couldn't hope to trump that with shikai alone.
"Prepare to face the full might of my sword! Ban-"

"As if I'd let you!" Lisanna shouted, charging toward the captain as fast as she could go, lightning and wind coursing through her very being, carrying her toward her goal-

-and then she was right beside him, raising her blades, only to find him pointing a finger at her.

"Got you," he said gleefully. "Shou!"

The kido spell, simple though it was, with fired with precision and power, and hit her squarely in the chest. She was sent flying, tumbling through the air, only barely managing to recover enough not to crash entirely.

"Bankai!" Mayuri cried triumphantly. "Konjiki Ashizogi Jizou!"

---

"Connection established, my liege."

The air of the Cubiculum Sanctus, the innermost chambers of the Castra Vanden, were well-lit and had a fresh air, courtesy of the ventilation system that Grand Master Haschwalth- who had quite a fondness for non-magical human ingenuity, particularly the kind that made dreary castles less dreary- had ordered installed, but the mood hanging over the king's council was nevertheless grim enough that it might as well have been dank, gloomy and torch-lit.

There was a large round table, each one with a seat for anybody with the rank of paladin, and at its head sat the king himself, his majesty Sigismund Abaddon Ywach I, the one and only monarch of the order of the Vanden. His face was a mask of stone, one that most would think of as cruel, but Haschwalth knew it was only as cruel as the world had been to it- and behind it was a man with vision and mercy, with power and wisdom. Long, black hair flowed from his head, draping his shoulders, and a neatly trimmed short beard framed his regal visage. He wore a silver-coloured cuirass with golden details, and a magnificent cloak lined with ermine fur.

By his right side sat Haschwalth, the Grand Master of his knights, and to his left sat Subutai, Lord Commander and First General of all his forces, second only to the majesty himself in military command.

The meeting had been called with some haste, and as such less than a dozen paladins were in attendance. The man who had spoken was a low-ranked lay brother of the knightly order, given his rank specifically to serve as the Vanden's chief technology operator; he was a devoted servant but a brother of the sword only in name. Haschwalth thought nothing of it; they were all of them small and necessary parts of a greater whole, those with swords and those without.

"Well done, Jurgen," said the king, and dismissed the servant-brother with a nod. The technician bowed, and stepped back, ready to be of service at a moment's notice.

Before them was a holoboard, a projection of a point far, far away in space, coming from another dimension- the Soul Society. Specifically, the Gotei Thirteen. It had taken decades to sneak in microprobes with which to spy on the shinigami, its technology being a mixture of highly advanced human science, and knowledge looted or cannibalized from the shinigami sciences. Whatever the specifics were, they worked, and Haschwalth didn't need to understand how to understand that they filled their purpose. They had come to order for such meetings many times the past few days, observing the shinigami in action. There had been an invasion, meaning that it would be priceless knowledge- how they reacted to hostile military action would be absolutely vital.

Nothing they had seen so far had given any of them cause to be impressed, and Subutai had openly sneered at them several times. While Haschwalth was not nearly as harsh as his colleague, and not disposed toward petty contempt, he could not find it in him to hold Subutai's reaction against him even in quiet. The performance had been abysmal. A small group had managed to pierce far into the Gotei, despite overwhelming numbers against them. Even worse, they had not even infiltrated; they had apparently walked right in. Chaos had ensued, and although their vision was limited- the spy-drones could only cover so much, their artificial intelligence being limited- it appeared the shinigami had made minimal progress. Had the same ensued at Castle Vanden, every defender would be up in arms, following strict defensive protocols, quickly rooting out the enemy threat or die trying.

Right now, though, his concern was on a less significant matter. They had assembled to watch and judge a battle between a captain and what appeared to be one of his fellow officers- Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Lisanna Strauss respectively. However, the mere sight of the captain had set off Paladin Bambietta Basterbine, who was stood up, fuming, fists clenched. It was quite understandable; they all knew why, but to disrupt a king's council was unacceptable.

"Shinigami against shinigami," she said darkly. "I wish that the quincy could have done... something. It would have been justice, seeing him destroy that monster."
She was trembling with rage, and perhaps something more.

"Indeed it would have," Haschwalth said diplomatically. He hoped she would take a hint; he'd rather not shame her in front of everyone by disciplining her.

"Justice is irrelevant," Subutai said dismissively, "the man deserves to die, yes, but as it stands the quincy failed. What is out of our control now is pointless to dwell on."
He was blunt and direct, as he always had been; a bit too blunt for Bambietta.

"It's him," she said, her voice trembling, "Your majesty, let me go in there!" She demanded furiously, raising a fist. "One of our own kind is stranded in there, while that... that... that thing goes berserk! Let me in there, and I will end him, and I'll-"

"Save the quincy you never met?" Subutai said dryly. "Do not pretend as if your intentions are noble, paladin."

"You shut up!" Bambietta snapped. Haschwalth took a breath; that was insubordinate even for her. Thankfully, Subutai just shot him a look, which to Haschwalth meant deal with it, or I will. Haschwalth sighed.

"Paladin Bambietta..."

"Grand Master Haschwalth."
The voice that rumbled out, quietly yet impossible to ignore, was that of his sworn lord, King Ywach himself.

"My liege?" Haschwalth said quickly, hoping His Majesty had not taken offence.

"Tell me, what are the five Quincy Virtues of the Vanden?"

His tone was neutral. The question seemed simple, ridiculously so; it was a creed they were all passionately familiar with. But to think the king would ask stupid questions would be to underestimate him, and to underestimate him would be to make a fool of oneself. Haschwalth stood up.

"Pride, in our strength and fortitude, that we may remember our purpose. Justice, for those who will have none without us. Humility, before our liege Lord, our powers and the universe itself. Mercy, that we may raise our blades and think not of who we shall slay, but who we shall spare. Selflessness, for we are servants, not rulers. Those are the five virtues of the Knightly Vanden Order. That is to us what the five-edged quincy cross symbolizes."

"So it is," his majesty said, nodding approvingly. "Paladin Basterbine."

"Y-yes, your majesty?" Bambietta said, seeming to have snapped out of her fit.

"I do not begrudge you your reaction. I do not hold your failures against you. We are all human, and we all have our shortcomings. We all know what that man did to you."

"Kept me in a lab," Bambietta said, gritting her teeth. "Doing... experiments. Like a living hell."

"So he did," the king said, nodding sagely, "and in due time, he shall reap what he hath sown. But I ask you, paladin- can you in all honesty say you are at this time proud, just, humble, merciful and selfless?"

Bambietta's fists clenched a bit tighter, before loosening, her arms hanging limp by her side.

"No, your majesty," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

The king nodded. "Then what are you?"

"I..."

Toward anyone else, even Subutai, who lacked Haschwalth's tolerance for her antics, she might have replied with something witty, or cutting, or rude. But not to His Majesty, the king, liege lord of the Vanden Knights and last of the great quincy lords. He commanded respect, even from the rowdiest among them.
"I am letting my emotions get the best of me. I am deeply sorry, your majesty."

She nearly choked on her words, and Haschwalth didn't envy her. Even though His Majesty had not gone out of his way to humiliate her, it was nevertheless hard for her to admit to such a thing, particularly in front of so many of her peers.

King Ywach made a dismissive gesture with his hand, as if all of it had been nothing.
"You are forgiven, Paladin."

"Thank you, your majesty. You are kind and gracious." She said the words quickly.

"Rest assured, justice will come their way. The time of the Vanden draws near, and when the bell doth toll, there will be retribution. Not revenge, for that is not justice, but retribution. Monsters such as he will face death, and our cause will be fully realized. Soon... but not yet. That is why you cannot go. Even if you were to succeed, you could easily be surrounded and chased down. You might reveal our presence to the world. Imagine if after all this time, you would be captured, only to be returned to the place from which you only narrowly escaped?"

Bambietta grit her teeth. "I said I was sorry, your majesty..."

"I am not chastising you, Paladin," he said mildly. "Your passion befits you as a member of our order. However, as this may be upsetting to you, perhaps you would be more comfortable leaving the table?"

Bambietta hesitated for a bit, then shook her head, a small grin crossing her face.
"Nah. That piece of shit ain't having an easy time. Maybe she'll just kick hiss ass."

"She appears outmatched, though," Haschwalth commented, glad to have the situation behind them and eager to shift attention elsewhere.

"I would not be so hasty," The king said. "Let's just wait and see..."

---

Lisanna had immediately moved back, knowing that whatever his bankai was, it would be something nasty. The speed granted to her by the full use of her shikai had taken her some forty yards back, where she stood waiting on a rooftop, catching her breath.
The thing was hideous. It looked like an enormous caterpillar, with the face of an infant, made all the more grotesque by its golden colour. A halo of sorts extended from its back, and Lisanna could see its reiatsu, glowing a malignant red. The captain had the same glow, standing in front of it, cackling triumphantly. The creature was much too large for the street it had been summoned too, and had already trampled half a building underfoot.

"What are you waiting for, hmm?" Kurotsuchi said cheerily. "Where is that spirit of yours, vice-captain?"

Cautiously, Lisanna jumped down to street level, and slowly walked toward the bankai, her senses all on edge. She stopped some ten yards in front of him, letting the length of her claws defiantly crackle with energy.

"So there is some courage left in you, then?" Kurotsuchi said, tilting his head. "I will enjoy taking it from you."

"You idiot, there are people living here," Lisanna said darkly. "Is some specimen worth so much trouble that you'll kill dozens, maybe hundreds?"

"Their deaths will be on your conscience, you little fool," Kurotsuchi said dismissively. "If you care so much about them, why would you start this fight in the first place?"

"You will not be getting away with this, not with attacking another captain's division! This area belongs to ninth-"

"Konjiki Ashizogi Jizou!" Kurotsuchi snarled, pointing at Lisanna. The creature, hideous and unnerving, let out an all too human shriek, raised its head, and from its mouth it spewed a rapidly expanding cloud of green gas.

Lisanna was already moving when it raised its head, dashing from one rooftop to the next. The cloud expanded rapidly, covering the street and the entire nearby area, and she was glad to have gotten away safely. Whatever it was, it was bound to be deadly.

"The toxin is based on my blood," Kurotsuchi said, walking toward her, his bankai following behind him. "Touching it is certain death."
He was gloating, Lisanna realized, sure of his victory now. Good. As the poison gas began to dissipate, she jumped forward, claws raised, aiming for Kurotsuchi's head.

"Again, you dull beast!" The captain snarled, and the bankai shrieked, breathing out its gas.

"Arashi no kaze!" Lisanna cried out. It was a simple ability, meant to do little more than disrupt an enemy, but in this case the burst of air would be more than a little useful. A strong wind manifested alongside her as she charged, blowing the gas away.

"Damn it..." Kurotsuchi muttered as she closed the distance, claws raised. All she needed was a second, they both knew it. Quickly, he retreated, jumping back toward his bankai. Lisanna cursed, and halted her charge- there was too much risk, charging right into the range of a bankai. She jumped back, taking a few deep breaths.
This was madness. She was tiring already; her zanpakutou was quite unruly, and using it fully took power and focus, more than she had to keep going too long. Hell, even with it fully mastered... it was still madness to take on a bankai with only shikai. The power difference was always going to be too great, and that was without considering the wiliness and malice of a man like Kurotsuchi.

There was nothing for it.

"You think you have won, Kurotsuchi Mayuri?" She called out defiantly.

"I make a point not to state the obvious," he said dryly.

"Then let me reveal something to you, before your victory," she said darkly. She let her reiatsu surge to its peak level, winds circulating around her like a tornado. "I may be just a vice-captain... but out of all the vice-captains, I am the single most powerful."

"Defiance is meaningless, no matter how heroic you may think it," Kurotsuchi said, sounding bored. "Konjiki Ashizogi Jizou, forward."

"I wasn't kidding!" Lisanna said loudly as the caterpillar-like creature began to move. "Bankai! Arashiraijin Kaminari Hebi!"

There was a discharge of power, immense and trembling its release all across the Gotei, and the monstrous creature paused for just a second. Strong winds flew about, pieces of street rock and wooden debris from nearby buildings, torn to shreds from the power radiating from the vice-captain, flying all around. He couldn't even see her properly throughout the elemental mayhem.

"It can't be..." Mayuri sneered. "Nothing in my files indicate she is even close to that level!"

"I guess you just don't know everything, then?" Lisanna said confidently.

Kurotsuchi grit his teeth, and was about to retort, but suddenly something surged forward- a flash of blue lightning striking his bankai in the front, causing it to reel back, shrieking in pain. The flash continued up into the sky, and Kurotsuchi could see it now, taking the shape of a massive serpent, no smaller than fifty yards long, twice again as thick as he was tall. Magnificent wings sprouted from somewhere beneath its head, and the feathers and scales both gleamed magnificently with all the colours of the rainbow, ever shifting, while still retaining the blue glow of a lightning bolt. It opened its maw, revealing a frightening set of pointed teeth, and let out its forked tongue as if to taste the world itself. It looked around, staring down at Kurotsuchi as if he were an ant, then lazily turned its head toward its master, diving back at her with immense speed. Quite unbelievably, the creature didn't crash into the ground, somehow ignoring its momentum and landing smoothly, wrapping itself around her master, its coils forming a protective wall. Lisanna soon climbed up, and Kurotsuchi could see it now- a saddle, mounted in between its wings and head. There was no sword in her hand, but a rod, golden and glowing with power.

"B-bankai..." he stuttered. "You think that will save you?"

"Actually, yes," Lisanna said flatly. The serpent raised its head high, flapped its wings, and as if carried by magic- because there was no way those wings, no matter how magnificent, could carry a body that size on their own- it rose into the air. Circling high over Kurotsuchi, there was a constant flow of electric energy, and the captain braced himself. What would he do? There was plenty of kido that could aid him, but as he had no data on this thing, he couldn't be sure what would work best- and likely, its power would shrug off most if not all low-to-mid level kido.
He had no time to contemplate it further, though. Lisanna raised the glowing rod, and cried,

"Dai-kaminari arashi!"

There was an enormous discharge of power, and from the bankai a storm of electricity descended, dozens, hundreds of lightning bolts rained down on Kurotsuchi and his bankai, only very few veering off their course.
Just the one bolt didn't hurt him much; its power was not that great. However, the unrelenting hail of lightning, his inability to shield himself, or take cover, or escape, soon meant that the attack began to take its toll. Kurotsuchi screamed with pain, his senses finally awakened from the relentless assault, as lightning coursed though his bankai and his body.

He was given but a few seconds to recover before Lisanna gently flew down, hovering some fifteen yards above street level, looking down on the captain.
"Surrender," she said flatly. "Your bankai is a poor fit for mine."

"You bitch!" Kurotsuchi screamed. "You bitch, I'll see you killed for this!"

"I'll take that as a 'no', then," she said dryly. "There really is only one way to deal with a mad dog..."

She held the rod out to the side, and it extended both ways, glowing with yellow electricity. Two metal points had extended, one from either side, the tip facing Kurotsuchi being sharp and perhaps half a foot long. Held together by raw electric energy, it formed a lance, some fifteen feet long. Lisanna reared her serpent forward, aiming her weapon well, surging toward the captain with speed.

"Konjiki Ashizogi Jizou!" Kurotsuchi cried desperately, and the bankai reacted, drawing in a breath to unleash its poison.

"It is useless!" Lisanna cried, and a strong gust of wind blew toward the caterpillar, stopping its gas before it could even discharge. Kurotsuchi's time was up, and he did not even have time to brace himself before Lisanna slammed into him, lance-tip first. She could feel it as it hit his midsection dead on, piercing through his guts, and she channeled all the energy she dared into this one strike. The discharge of power was blinding, enormous, and a second later, she had cleaved right through both the captain and his bankai like a white-hot knife through butter.
She let her serpent slide to a halt, and turned to face the captain, just in time to see Konjiki Ashizogi Jizou wail and shatter, no longer able to sustain itself. As the dust settled, Lisanna jumped out of the saddle, rod still in hand, the serpent following closely behind her as she approached Kurotsuchi. He wasn't readily visible, but before long she could see him. He was a mess; around him there was a mixture of ash and blood, most of the captain having been turned into a fine paste where he hadn't been turned into ash from the heat. His body was mostly destroyed; only half of his torso, his left arm and his head was still intact. He was breathing raggedly.

"Damn it... damn it... damn it..." he panted, desperately digging into his coat- or what remained of it- with his one hand.

"So you lived, huh?" Lisanna remarked matter-of-factly. It was tempting to end him, here and now, but that would be going a bit far... she was supposed to keep quiet, after all, and killing him would make things worse. That, and killing somebody who could not fight back... even after all these years, there were things she'd rather not do.

"I'll re-remember this, you..." Kurotsuchi wheezed. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, and his hand trembled as he finally fished something out from a pocket. It appeared to be some sort of syringe. He fumbled for a bit, missing his target several times before finally managing to jam it into his own neck, pushing its content into what remained of his body.

"I'll remember this, too," Lisanna said coolly, letting her bankai dissolve, sealing her zanpakutou fully. "And if you feel so keen on revenge, I'll be waiting. In the meantime... I think I have one or two complaints to make about attempted murder, endangering shinigami lives, and more than likely causing a fair number of friendly fire casualties."

He glared at her, a sickening grin on his face. To her surprise, he began to melt, turning quickly into a puddle of green goo. For a second she stood on edge, wondering if it was some sort of final trick, but the liquid began to creep away, like some despicable centipede.

"I'll be seeing you again..." His voice called out, sounding hollow. "When I do, I'll have something special for you and your bankai."

Lisanna shook her head, and watched him disappear. She took a few deep breaths, just relaxing herself. Her bankai had nothing if not raw power, but the energy it took to maintain it was proportional to that, and it had taken a lot out of her to use it even for this short a duration. She had gained it the hard way, like a shinigami should, but she was a far cry from the effortless skill of her seniors, and she knew it.
She sighed, and walked toward where she had left the quincy. A quick sensing was all she needed to know that he was still there. Well... at least she'd have something to show for all this.

---

Glossary

Raijin: Lighting God

arashi raijin: storm Lightning god

kaminarihebi: thunder serpent

Dai-kaminari arashi!="great thunder storm"

And thats a wrap folks! Plenty of unexpected moments abound in this chapter!

For the longest time, I've wanted Lisanna to have more to do in this story, but i couldn't seem to find a way that would have meshed well in previous chapters. I used her when I could, but I didn't want to force it. HERE however, I decided that she would get a majority of the focus.

I ALWAYS planned on her having a bankai the moment I had her in this story. Using Mayuri was the best choice and opportunity for it I believe. Lisanna in this story has a "power level" more akin to the likes of Tousen or Toshiro. Speed is her greatest asset, as well as Hakuda. She's not as fast as Soifon, but make no mistake, she IS strong.

Also for those of you wondering about how the shikai works, i simply used the same method that Kubo did for Yumichika. (Using the full zanpaktou name for a different power) It DOES has some basis in cannon, so no, its not something i did just for this story.

However, I'm sure some of you may be a bit...Upset that Uryu wasn't the one to take down Mayuri. Well, I do have a reason for that. To explain, here's Greatkingrat88.

"Now, in Canon, this was Uryu's time to shine. Why did we leave him out? Well, don't you worry- this will come back; it's not forgotten and he's not being ignored. In Canon, the rather forced "look at this photo of a dead subject I carry around that just happens to be your grandfather" debacle was the result of editorial mandates- originally, Kurotsuchi was supposed to be a long-running antagonist for Uryu, but Kubo got screwed on that front... and so many others. We won't ignore this, and we'll do it properly at a later time, and it will end up being a crucial piece of information in a later arc."

Exactly. It all, in retrospective felt a bit...forced in Cannon. Not bad mind you, but in the end...What did it REALLY do? Other than Make Uryu lose his powers, nothing. Here, we'll STILL use it...but in a more creative way.

And yes, Bambietta WAS captured by the 12th division at some point in her life, and went under some horrible experiments. I wont go into detail as to what kind, just know that it was...bad. In fact, I actually foreshadowed this in the story already...Twice in fact. I plan on doing a lot with this revelation, and Bambietta as a character. Expect to see much more of her down the road. (What can I say? I love her. XD)

I also figured it was time to see the knights of vanden once more. I feel its better to slowly build them up than have them appear out of nowhere. Expand their lore and culture, as well as their characters.

Oh, and Yes, Im not quite done with Rangiku just yet. What? Thought id just have her along for the ride till Kenpachi showed up? No way. I feel that there is alot more I can do with her character. What that is however, you'll need to wait and see to find out.

But that's just about everything I wanted to talk about. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as we did. Please, feel free to leave comments as to what you thought in a review. We're SO close to 800, I want to see if we can get past that number in reviews. With your help, I know we can.