So, before we begin, I just want to thank everyone for their kind words regarding Erza in the last chapter. Truth be told, I was taking all the hatred coming her way personally...Perhaps a bit too personally. I guess I just love the character a lot more than I realized. It was very depressing and upsetting for me to see her go through all that nonsense that she doesn't deserve. Still is if i have to be honest with you.
In any event, I want you to all know that every single one of your reviews really did cheer me up. More than you can imagine actually. The whole ordeal really did have me feeling more depressed than I had in a while and you guys helped give me the motivation to get over that and move on with my life.
Regardless as to how you feel about Fairy tail's cannon series as of now, (I still enjoy it, but I can understand why many don't. Believe me I do.) I'm just happy to know I'm surrounded by fans of one of the best, if not the best, female character in shounen history. She'll always deserve that honor in my eyes, no matter what anyone else tells me.
So thank you all. I really cant begin to thank you all enough with words alone.
Now then, lets get onto the show and get back into Erza and Ichigo's crazy adventure. While this chapter dosnt contain the twist of any "new bankai's" Id like to think we will still deliver some fun and interesting content for you all you enjoy.
So please, feel free to leave your thoughts on this chapter in a review. It helps us out a lot in terms of knowing what worked, what didnt and how to improve. What we want above all else is feedback of any kind. Be it positive or negative don't feel shy in sharing what you feel about this story.
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.
"What... did you just say you did?"
As Lisanna dared to look up, there was a mild look of disbelief on Ukitake Jushiro's face. She had delivered her report, deeply bowed and staring into the floor. Once she had secured the quincy in a holding cell, it had started to dawn on her just how big of a mess she might just have gotten herself into. Not only was there the matter of being part of a secret conspiracy, but even if things were as normal, she had attacked and nearly killed a captain. A vile, widely hated one, granted, but a captain nonetheless. A pillar of the Gotei's might, at a time when chaos ruled. As kind as her captain was, this could very well have repercussions. Hesitantly looking up at the captain, Lisanna felt as if she was a young and stupid greenhorn, facing a teacher after being caught red-handed sneaking out at night.
"I, er, defeated Kurotsuchi Mayuri in single combat," she said tamely. "He nearly died, but ultimately escaped."
"Yes, I heard you the first time," her captain said, in a tone as close to a snap as he ever got. "It was... rhetorical."
Lisanna held her tongue, waiting for his judgement. She had come right to him, because it was the safest thing to do. Half the Gotei was bound to know by now, and the sooner she reported, the better it could be handled.
He groaned. "And you say you have a bankai?"
"Yes, sir."
"Since when?" He said, his agitation somewhat diffused by curiosity.
"I have had it a few years, sir," Lisanna said hesitantly. She wasn't keen on discussing the subject.
"Years? You never thought to share?"
"It's still new to me, sir. What good would it do? I haven't had reason to use it in action until today. Do I just come out and brag to everyone that I have one, when I haven't even mastered it?"
"Quite the perfectionist as usual, eh?" He shook his head. "But still... a captain. All this for ryoka?"
"You know what he is like," Lisanna said darkly. "You know what he does to people. What's more, we've captured only one ryoka so far before now- he's got no right to take our second catch for himself. I made the arrest. He ignored that. That means he has violated-"
"Broken the law, yes, yes," Ukitake said tiredly. "As if he would ever receive sentencing. Now we'll have to deal with complaints from twelfth..."
"Will he demand I be fired, sir?" Lisanna said nervously. Retirement was not commonly an option in the Gotei, and those who could not- particularly those as strong as Lisanna- could look forward to a lifetime in the maggot's nest.
"No doubt," Ukitake said. "However, as you said, he violated the law. The man is as genial as he is twisted, but he is certainly not pleasant. My vouching for you will be more than enough. Somehow, I doubt Yamamoto-sensei will take his word over mine on this."
Lisanna breathed a sigh of relief. "I am sorry about this, sir, I really am."
"I'm not sure you are. I wouldn't be. I am not vindictive, but I have no sympathy to waste on the likes of him."
"Thank you, captain."
"This matter is not dead and buried, vice-captain," he said, and she could tell he was trying to be stern, "but for now, we have a manhunt to attend to. It's already afternoon, and you're the only one successful so far. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir!" Lisanna said firmly, glad that things had turned out the way they did, better than expected. She was not out of it yet... and the thought of Kurotsuchi Mayuri plotting revenge was indeed frightening. But for now, work. Quickly, she saluted her captain, and went on her way.
Momo had spent the day staring blankly into the wall, entirely unaware of the world around her, sitting in an empty room in the division. On some level, it had registered: Aizen Sousuke, the kind and beloved leader they all looked up to, was gone.
But she could not make it make sense. He couldn't be dead. She felt like it had to be some kind of trick, some cruel illusion. How could he be gone? He had always been there for them. They couldn't possibly go on without him. He was the heart of Fifth Division. That she wouldn't be able to see him each morning, that she wouldn't hear the reassuring sound of his voice, that he wouldn't be there every day to organize everything...
It couldn't be true. She couldn't wrap her head around it. It had even taken her mind off the one thing she had thought about more than anything else: Erza Scarlet.
She hadn't cried, not since that first time she saw it. The shock had upset her, but since then, there was an overwhelming feeling she could not shake: this could not be real. How could it be?
He had said something to her last night, she recalled.
"Should anything happen to me, I will know my vice-captain can hold this division up."
"Should anything happen to me."
It was as if he had known he was going to meet his fate. But how could he have known? Why had he been out there?
Maybe he had just been shaken by the invasion. He was always a kind and gentle soul, and she was sure this sort of cataclysmic event, coming out of nowhere, had to have upset him even though he put on a brave face. After all, she reminded herself, Erza had been his subordinate too... and if he had been half as kind to her as he had been to Momo, her return was bound to have pained him.
She shook her head. Nothing in this made sense, and she didn't want to try and reason around it, poke further into the gaping wound his absence had left her with.
"Look up."
The voice was gentle, and Momo knew it as well as she could know anything. She raised her head. The figure standing before her was tall and slender, undoubtedly feminine, with an ethereal, unearthly look about her. Long, elegant blue robes were flowing about her, as if weightless and touched by a breeze. Her hair was long and black, running down to her feet, and her face was gentle- but Momo knew it could take on the horrifying visage of a wraith if she lost her temper.
"Tobiume," Momo mumbled, her voice a little more than a whisper. "What- why are you out here?"
She had learned how to manifest her zanpakutou physically some time ago, but it was rare for it to come out on her own volition.
"You are in a pit of despair, master," the zanpakutou spirit said, gently cupping both hands around Momo's cheeks, her long fingers feeling cool. Her skin was pale, almost white. "Who else would support you now, if not I?"
Momo gently took Tobiume by the wrist, holding her hand, squeezing it. "He's..."
"You know it to be true," the spirit said. "You do not need to face that truth yet. Sorrow takes its time."
Momo nodded helplessly.
"But there are things you need to do still," Tobiume said gently. "There are two choices before you, master."
"What choices?" Momo mumbled.
"Your division stands leaderless. Its captain is dead, and its vice-captain... is indisposed. This state of affairs will not hold together long."
"I know..." Momo said, feeling a pang of guilt.
"There is also the fact that Erza Scarlet is within arm's reach if only you try. This is your choice, master. Do you choose your division at this time, or your heart's desire? To which one are you more loyal?"
"I..." Momo said hesitantly, for the first time all day not thinking about Aizen's death. "Tobiume, I..."
"I do not judge, master. But it is a choice that you must make. Either way, you have sat in misery for long enough. You must stand and face the world."
With her free hand, Momo made a fist.
"You're right."
"As always, master," the spirit said, with a bit of amused smugness in its voice.
Momo stood up, and the spirit dissolved, returning to Momo's mind. There were choices to make.
Byakuya had led the search to the best of his abilities for most of the day, not having eaten since breakfast. He had spearheaded the scouring- or his part of it- with a zealous devotion. But each moment, he felt like something was eating him up from the inside, gnawing at his guts, his mind. He felt like he was going insane. His eyebrow had started twitching, without him noticing it until a nervous sixth seat had asked if he was all right. When Byakuya snapped at the man for daring to question him, he had realized that he was not, in fact, all right- to lose his composure like so was inexcusable.
Shortly thereafter, he had excused himself, and abruptly left for his mansion. He was leaving a heavy load on his third seat's shoulders, with Renji still in recovery, but he couldn't stand it any longer. So it was that he stumbled into his personal office at the mansion, sweating and breathing raggedly. He quickly sat down cross-legged, fists clenched hard enough that his nails dug into his palms, and he forced his breathing to stabilize.
He was losing control. It was absolutely shameful to leave his command at such a critical time, for personal reasons he couldn't even explain, not to his superior and much less to himself. It was a disgrace, but he didn't even care.
He was not in control of himself. On the outside he appeared to be, but it was all a lie.
Rukia. It was all about Rukia. He had told himself that it was all about his honour and the stain it would leave upon it, how nothing could redeem that. It was not untrue, but...
He could not stop thinking about her. His little sister. Rukia, who he... loved. He took a deep breath, trying to stop a slight tremble running through his body.
She was still alive. She was still alive, and he wanted to spare her this unjust fate. These selfish desires were almost overwhelming. In his mind, he saw himself breaking down the prison walls, taking her out of there, running away with her to freedom...
It would not happen! He was Kuchiki Byakuya, first and foremost among nobles. He had not built his reputation up for centuries only to see it besmirched by egotistic desires. But Rukia...
She was still alive, and he already grieved for her. He already felt the pain of her passing. He would come to see her die, and sever her head himself if he had to, and he knew the pain of it already.
His eyes drifted up to the wall, where a short tantou, little more than a knife, hung, and remembered a thought that had occurred to him more than once these last few days. The custom was old, and not often practiced, but... there was a way to restore his honour. Seppuku.
It was not that he wanted to die. Suicide for selfish reasons would be unacceptable, weak and irresponsible. But honour was everything. He would watch her die. Then, when it was all done, he would take his own life. He would leave his clan in chaos, and his division would face a heavy load with him gone. But that was the only way. To let Rukia die was to dishonour the vow he had made to Hisana all those years ago, and even now, even with her long dead, he loved her fiercely. To let Rukia down would be to betray the love he had known, still carried within him. His word was everything. She would die. Then, so would he.
His clan would be in uproar, but he was not so arrogant as to think his clan lived by his grace alone. The Kuchikis could trace their lineage back to well before the founding of the Gotei, and he was but one in a long line of clan heads. The division would be in shock, but Renji was strong- more able than he gave himself credit for. Byakuya saw in him a rougher, less civil version of himself. With no choice, he would surely step up.
It was settled, and finally Byakuya felt himself calming. The world made sense. It weighed heavily at his heart- not the notion of dying, but of having to go back on his word, to stain his honour... and to see his little sister die.
He would pay. He would pay the price and do it gladly, and he would enter the annals of history as a man who valued the weight of his word, whose integrity would not be compromised.
Then he would, at last, be at peace.
They had done remarkably well so far, although at a frustratingly slow pace. The seireitei was crawling with shinigami, but a stolen uniform for Masaki had allowed Erza, Ichigo and his mother to move around well enough. The chaos was working in their favour- there was so much hustle and bustle that a few shinigami here and there weren't usually questioned so long as they looked busy... well, if you didn't delay for too long. To keep extra careful, they moved through storehouses, barracks and whatever buildings there were, keeping off the streets as much as possible. This had put their pace at something of a crawl, but they had still made rather decent time heading toward the centre, where Rukia was being held. This meant frequent pauses though, as patrols moved through the street constantly.
At the moment they were huddled in the sleeping hall of an empty barracks, whose one guard Erza had knocked out before he had a chance to react, Masaki keeping a lookout through a window. A patrol of a couple dozen shinigami were running through the streets, thoroughly checking for ryoka, and they all hoped they wouldn't think to check in the barracks.
"Um, aunt Erza?" Ichigo said. His voice was quiet, which was only reasonable, but there was something about the way he looked- nervous, concerned, stealing an odd glance at his mother as if to make sure she couldn't hear. As Erza knew him to be braver than to be intimidated by a few shinigami- he had stood up to Kenpachi, after all- she knew something had to be off.
"What?" Erza said, keeping her tone to a whisper, listening intently for cries of alarm. "This better be important."
"I- I don't know how to put it..." Ichigo muttered.
"Spit it out, boy, or keep quiet." Erza said bluntly. She was a little on edge herself, and she knew it.
He took a deep breath. What could be troubling him like this? Under normal circumstances she'd expect some teenage boy issue, but... this was hardly the time for that.
"It's about the fight. With Kenpachi."
"You did well," Erza said reassuringly, "you held your ground and fought back. I know it must have been terrifying, and I know it must have hurt, being left in that warehouse for so long-"
"No, not that," Ichigo said, spitting out the words awkwardly, almost stumbling on them. "Being hurt, frightened... it happens. I knew what I was getting into. I mean, not really... but you know what I mean."
"So what is it, then?" Erza said, furrowing her brows.
"I... when I fought," Ichigo said, seeming to collect himself, "something happened. I don't know how to describe it... there I was, getting my ass kicked, and suddenly this... thing pops into my mind. A monster. Something completely malicious. I could feel it like it was part of me, like it was part of who I am. It loved the pain. It loved the violence. It was crazy, just as crazy as Kenpachi..."
"What do you mean?" Erza said. Now that she thought about it, she had sensed something off about Ichigo as she approached. She had simply forgot about it until now, between fighting off Kenpachi, recovering from her injuries and seeing to Ichigo's wounds.
"It was a hollow," He hissed the words out, and she could see the fear in his face. "I don't know how, but I have a hollow in my head. It wanted to take over. It's so strong, and I have no idea how to stop it..."
"Slow down," Erza said firmly, looking him in the eye. "What happened exactly?"
"Like I said... got my ass kicked, and it popped out. Fought evenly with the bastard for a while. But... I managed to stop it. There was a mask forming on my face- a damn mask, Erza!- but somehow... somehow, I managed to get control of my left arm, tear it off..."
He was scared, she could see it plain as day. Who wouldn't be? Ichigo could take on almost anybody head on, but an enemy that attacked your mind? A hollow? That bastard Urahara... she remembered it well now, a hollow mask forming around Ichigo way back then...
"What matters is that you stopped it," Erza said firmly. "That means you are in control. You, not... whatever that is."
"If I get hurt bad again... what happens if it takes control?" Ichigo said worriedly. "What if I can't stop it? What if I turn into a-"
"We'll deal with that when it happens," Erza said firmly, cutting him off. "we'll get to the bottom of this, I promise, but we don't have the time to stop and examine this. But listen- I won't let that happen to you. You're not going to become a hollow. Are we clear?"
"...yes, Erza," Ichigo said faintly, nodding.
Erza had no clue about the entire situation, or if she could do even a single thing to help, but Ichigo needed reassurance right now, not the cold hard facts.
"They're leaving!" Masaki hissed, from her lookout position. "Quickly, you two!"
Erza nodded. "Let's go."
They had continued for another hour or so, approaching the centre of the Gotei, and there had been little trouble for a while. They were walking down a street, oddly deserted, surrounded on both sides by division walls. Ahead lay the road to Rukia's prison.
"Where'd they all go?" Ichigo said, suspiciously eyeing his surroundings. Erza felt a pang of pride; he was acting like a warrior should.
"Maybe they called off the search?" Masaki suggested.
"Unlikely," Erza said, shaking her head. "I can sense a lot of them still around..."
"Should we try and move faster?" Ichigo asked. "I mean, without too many soldiers around..."
"Know a trap when you see it," Erza said firmly. She took a step forward in the street, and raising her voice, she called out, "Come out! You may have hid well, but this is a bit too convenient, isn't it?"
There was a slight pause, and then, from behind one wall each, two familiar figures jumped forward, standing some ten yards away. Erza's heart sank. White hair. A pink woman's kimono. It was Ukitake Jushiro and Kyoraku Shunsui, Yamamoto's star pupils. She had never seen them in action personally, but she knew the respect they both commanded.
"So much for our dramatic entry, eh?" Ukitake said resignedly, a small smile on his face. Erza grit her teeth.
"Who are these clowns?" Ichigo asked, in between nervous and angry. "We'll kick their asses no matter what!"
"No," Erza muttered, "I don't think so."
Shunsui smiled, and pointed at Erza. "Your next line is: 'You run ahead, kid! We'll hold them off!'"
"You run ahead, Ichigo!" Erza snapped. "We'll hold them o- what?!"
"I thought so," Shunsui said, the self-assured grin on his face widening.
"Who are they?" Ichigo insisted.
"Remember what I taught you. Senior captains," Erza said plainly, knowing the fight ahead could be just as hard- or worse- than her bout with Kenpachi. "Students of the captain-commander. Some of the oldest and most skilled."
"...Ukitake and Kyoraku, right?" Ichigo muttered. "Oh, crap..."
"Here's how this is going to go," Shunsui said, his tone calm and matter-of-factly, "the quincy lady in the back will take on my friend Jushiro here. I will take you on. Ichigo here goes on, just as planned."
"Is this some kind of trick?" Ichigo said suspiciously, a hand on the hilt of his blade.
Erza shook her head. "This man is many things, but he's not the kind who plays dirty. He doesn't need to."
"And here I thought it's I, the gentleman, who was supposed to hand out the compliments," Shunsui said amusedly. "Get a move on, kid. We don't have all day."
He stepped aside, gesturing with his hand toward the road they had been on.
"The prison is right this way. It isn't far. If you go fast, you might even be able to get there before somebody strong comes to stop you."
Ichigo glanced at Erza, who nodded.
"Go. Get to the objective. We'll manage."
"I'll be right behind you, sweetheart," Masaki assured him.
Kyoraku Shunsui wouldn't strike him down... or so she hoped.
Hand still on his blade, he slowly walked past the two captains. Although he kept his eyes peeled, neither one made a move to strike him. Once he was out of immediate combat range, he turned his back, and ran.
Shunsui let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, and took a step forward.
"Kids, huh?" He said jovially. "You're always worried they'll go wrong somehow. He's lucky to have two strong women watching over him."
"No jokes," Erza said, gritting her teeth, steeling herself, "let's get this over with."
"As you wish, oh harsh mistress," Shunsui said, his tone sounding mockingly hurt.
"Miss- or well, Mrs Quincy, why don't we go somewhere else?" Ukitake said politely. "These kinds of battles will be challenging enough without us getting in each others' way."
"Go. He's right," Erza said.
"You're sure?" Masaki said.
"I'm sure. Take care, and do your best. Oh, and one thing- his shikai can deflect missiles. Keep that in mind."
"Got it," Masaki said.
"Now that's practically cheating," Shunsui said, perpetually amused.
"No, it's only fair," Ukitake said. "Mrs Quincy, shall we?"
"It's Kurosaki Masaki," Masaki said, "and yes, let's." There was a quiver in her voice, although Erza knew it was more out of concern for Ichigo than herself. The two quietly walked down the street, turning around a corner.
"So, my secret plan worked out perfectly- here I am, all by my lonesome, with the undivided attention of one of the Gotei's most beautiful women," Shunsui said. He placed one hand on his sword hilt- one of them; he carried two, uniquely so for a zanpakutou as far as Erza knew.
"Drop the act," Erza said bluntly. "You sound and act like a drunken Casanova, and I'm sure a lot of idiots buy into it. How many people have you convinced that you're just floating around at your position because of your relationship with the old man? Not me, that's for sure. You're one of the oldest shinigami alive. You don't get to be one of Yamamoto's favourites by being useless. So stop faking."
Shunsui gave a whistle. "Nothing gets past you, huh?"
"I'm no scientist, but I do have common sense," Erza said firmly.
"All right," Shunsui said, the mirth dropping from his voice, "before we start, I'll make you a deal: you're strong. Too strong to take lightly, especially after you beat Kenpachi just the other day. That means I'd have to let loose, and you have no choice but going all out. That will mean chaos, destruction, maybe people getting caught up in all this. So my offer to you is: don't use your bankai. Don't even use your shikai. If you do that, I'll do the same for you."
Erza looked at him incredulously. This man was full of surprises.
"What about kido?" She said, to stall for time.
"Kido, dirty tricks, cunning plans, stratagems, all these are fair game," he said, smiling slightly.
"You have two swords, though. I am stuck with the one."
He shrugged. "It's the deal I'll give you. Believe me, it's the best chance you'll have of beating me."
Erza groaned. She couldn't fault the logic of limiting themselves to minimize damage- anyone getting caught up would weigh on her conscience. It had been a lot easier with Kenpachi; that berserker hadn't given her any choice but to go all out. Now the choice was here, and she had to make it.
"It's a stand-off, huh?" She muttered. "I don't use mine, you don't use yours. What if I change my mind midways and use it anyhow?"
"Then the gloves come off," Shunsui said. "But if I got you pegged right, your word means something to you. In fact, if I got you pegged right... you're not a terrorist at all. You're just here to save your friend. As it happens, we're on opposing sides, but that doesn't mean we can't reach a gentleman's agreement. Or well, gentleperson," He grinned, as if he had said something clever.
"All right..." Erza said, slowly drawing her sword out, "all right. It's a deal. For now."
"Attagirl," Shunsui said. He tipped his hat, then threw it into the air, and surged forward.
There was no such thing as perfection in any martial art, and Erza knew it. Any one style could be countered by another at some point. Any master swordsman, no matter how skilled, could find himself outwitted, outfought, or downright unlucky. There was no objective metric for what was perfect.
Yet what came next felt completely flawless. Shunsui surged forward, drawing both swords smoothly and with ease, using both blades in tandem, the shorter one complementing the longer sword. Erza only barely reacted in time, bringing up her sword to parry a flurry of blows, fast enough that they both moved in a blur. His form was ridiculous; either he was the most genial swordsman she had ever met, or he trained viciously in secret. Erza was a master of the blade herself, but compared to Kyoraku Shunsui, it was as if her hundred-and-some years of practice were nothing.
Suddenly, she found her blade caught by Shunsui's longer sword, pinned to the ground, the tip of his shorter sword resting against her neck, drawing a small drip of blood.
"You're not too bad," he said appreciatively.
Erza grit her teeth. There was no winning like this. Still, he seemed calm and cheery, his blade held still, no threats uttered. Deciding to risk it, Erza skipped back a few steps.
"I might have taken your head off there, you know," Shunsui said.
"You didn't."
"True, true. You're pretty good at chances. If you make it out of this whole thing alive, I should definitely take you gambling." He smiled.
Erza scowled. Outmatched though she might be, he had said it himself- he could not take her lightly. If he wanted to take her down, she would make him work for it.
Masaki stood opposite the white-haired shinigami captain on an abandoned street. There was tension in the air; both knew the moment they had stopped, that very shortly, there would be violence, and one of them might die.
"Are you all right?"
He sounded so... genuine. Typically, Masaki would have assumed it was some kind of taunt, but Ukitake Jushiro- she recalled his name well enough- had been described as a thoroughly decent man, and he lived up to his reputation. The concern in his voice sounded real, and Masaki wished she didn't have to fight him... although mostly because he was a captain, and therefore somebody to be avoided whenever possible.
"I didn't come here to chat," Masaki said, taking a deep breath.
"You're not afraid for yourself, but for the boy," Jushiro said, glancing in the direction Ichigo had gone. "He's your son, isn't he?"
"How...?"
Jushiro smiled. "I know that look. Absolute concern for somebody else, because their life matters more than your own. My mother used to look at me that way. It's how I look at the men and women under my command... well, almost like that. I am truly sorry you have to be put in this position."
"I... thank you," Masaki said, a little taken aback. She had let the bow form in her hand, but hadn't raised it yet. Even in all this, face to face with an enemy, she was grateful for his sympathy.
"I don't suppose I could convince you to come quietly?" He said hopefully. "I could guarantee you humane treatment and fair sentencing. We already have another quincy in our custody."
"Uryu..." Masaki muttered. Damn it. "No. No, I can't. I'm sorry."
Jushiro sighed. "So be it, then."
Slowly, he pulled his sword out, and Masaki raised her bow, lining up a shot. Erza had told her he was a fair and decent man, but she had also told her something more vital- that Ukitake Jushiro was sick, and prone to fits of illness, particularly when he exerted himself. Perhaps if she could take advantage of his kindness, tire him out...
Decisively, she let the first shot fly. Failure was not an option.
The pace of the battle had slowed down considerably. Shunsui was still moving lightning fast, but no quicker than Erza could follow. Her swordsmanship was being tested to an extent it hadn't been in a very long time. Fighting brutes like Kenpachi, or monstrous hollows, she had plenty of experience with that, but this was sword to sword combat at the highest level. Constantly light on her feet, she parried, dodged, skipped back and out of the way to dodge, and rarely, finding an opening to strike back.
The smile never left his face, and Erza felt irritated; he could do better and she knew it. He was making a game of this, and she felt... disrespected. What was his angle? It wasn't like Kyoraku Shunsui to mock and play with his opponent, like a cat with a mouse. Part of her yearned to release her zanpakutou, and in her mind Tetsu no Tama snarled with anger, but as tempting as it was, she knew he had been right. A battle between them fully escalated could decimate the surrounding area, and it wasn't likely to end in her favour. She didn't know what his powers were, but he was one of the oldest living shinigami, and bound to have something powerful up his sleeve.
"Come on, come on!" Shunsui goaded her, letting out a quick flurry of thrusts, leading up to a feint and a low cut to her knee. Erza parried the thrusts, and just barely moved her leg out of the way, the tip of his sword cutting into her new shihakusho.
"It's all in the wrist with these things, don't you know?" He said, like he were a teacher. "A smooth, warmed up wrist means a more mobile blade. You're a bit stiff, I think!"
"Two swords to one!" Erza snarled back.
"We never improve unless we're challenged," he said dismissively, and launched into a set of wide, high slashes. They looked clumsy, which was exactly why Erza was prepared, blocking two stabs that would have speared her through the chest. Quickly, she retaliated with a kick to his chest. It was a solid hit, and sent him reeling back.
"Oof!" He said dramatically. "That's below the belt, miss Scarlet."
"Dirty tricks, strategies, they're all fair game," Erza said, echoing Shunsui's own words.
"True, true," he said calmly, slowly swinging both swords around, circling her. Erza held her blade up, ready for whatever would come next. "But I'll be damned, you really have come a long way. You didn't sit idle those twenty years, did you?"
"Are you going to state the obvious or are you going to attack me?" Erza shot back.
"All in due time," Shunsui said, continuing to circle around her, "but see, there are some things that don't add up. Not to me."
"Yeah?" Erza said, still on edge.
"It looks pretty cut and dry," Shunsui said inquisitively, "Erza Scarlet, traitor and terrorist, leads a strike force, including quincies, a former top stealth operative, and well-taught strong spiritually gifted humans. Why? To sow terror, of course. To wreak revenge on the society she hates."
He launched into a quick series of cuts, forcing Erza to parry, but it was as if his heart wasn't in it. A minute or so later, he ceased, going back to his circling.
"It's madness, of course. A small team against the Gotei? All of it? Thirteen captains? Nobody could hope to win. But then again, it's been two days and most of you are still at large, so it doesn't seem as mad as you'd think. But it still doesn't add up."
"Is this a fight or an interrogation?"
"Time will tell," he said slyly. "But here's the part of what doesn't add up. An invading force wreaking chaos and terror? Yes, I can see that. But when you look at it... the only casualties on our side are from captains getting overeager, not from you Ryoka. When you look at your movements, all it seems to be is your group moving inward, with a purpose. It's clear it is a mission, and it's clear that if you have malice toward the Gotei, you are exceedingly good at keeping it in check. This doesn't really fit the narrative we all assumed on in the beginning."
"What's your point?" Erza said bluntly.
"We'll get there," Shunsui said, again launching into a set of quick attacks.
Erza parried, getting pushed back, but she was losing her will to fight seriously. "If you want to talk, talk!" She snarled.
"You never know who's watching," Shunsui said, very narrowly missing Erza's neck with his longer sword, "whoopsy daisy!"
"You little..." Erza muttered. Shunsui paused again, staring her down.
"You're here for Kuchiki Rukia, aren't you?"
"What's it to you?" Erza shot back.
"It's fairly obvious. She is an old friend of yours, and you were noted to take friends quite seriously. Just as she's being unjustly sentenced, you come charging in, heading right for the prison where we keep our to-be-executed convicts. All while keeping to that same silly policy of not killing. That doesn't spell terrorist to me. It spells a fool- a fool for her beliefs."
Erza lunged forward, cutting at Shunsui, who neatly hopped back and out of the way. He cut at her with his left hand, bringing his right up for a stab, but was surprised to see Erza pull her sheath up, blocking both attacks. He gave a whistle.
"Not bad."
"Don't underestimate me," Erza sneered. Thank you, Ikkaku...
He took a step back.
"So, the fool comes charging in..."
"So what if I'm a fool?" Erza snapped. "Somebody has to believe. Somebody has to dream. If nobody dreams, then what the hell is anything you do for?"
Shunsui smiled again. "You're not the only fool here, you know."
"What?"
"I am saying, you're not the only one who noticed something... off. Not everyone just looked at Rukia's sentencing, shrugged and thought, 'well, tough break, I guess'."
Erza furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"
Instead of answering, Shunsui lunged forward again, his blades spinning deadly fast. Erza reacted instinctively, parrying with her sword and sheath, just barely keeping up. She managed to skip back, and as he overreached just a little, she counter-attacked, pushing him back. She rained down blows on him, hard and fast. She wasn't sure in the least what was going on, what he was getting at, and it made her angry. She didn't like games. So in her anger, she focused on doing what she did best.
Then suddenly, it happened. She stabbed forward, at the centre of his chest, and instead of being parried away, her blade slid in just beneath his ribs, almost to the hilt. Shunsui let out a gasp, dropping his swords.
"...what?" Erza said incredulously, standing still, staring him into the eyes, their faces only inches apart. "What the hell..."
"Obviously," Shunsui said, grunting, "I was caught off guard, lackadaisically underestimating a dangerous ryoka, nearly suffering a fatal wound in the process."
He staggered back, and Erza tamely pulled her sword back. He grimaced, and stumbled, falling over into a sitting position. Blood was dying his clothes red, pouring generously from the wound.
"You idiot!" Erza snarled, even more confused.
"Alerted to my predicament, Jushiro comes running to save my life, allowing the two ryoka to escape," he continued, clutching his chest. "Sonofabitch..."
"What the hell are you playing at?!" Erza snarled. "You- you just let me stab you, you stupid-"
"Has to look good, right?" Shunsui said, his smile turning into another grimace. "To answer your question... something's going on. Whatever that is, I don't think bringing you in will help. So take your friend, and go to save Rukia. You won't succeed, not yet, but it'd be a load off my back if you did."
Erza blinked. She could not figure this man out.
"Are you... betraying Yamamoto?" She said incredulously.
"No," Shunsui said, shaking his head, "but I do have my reasons, believe me."
"Then... why the hell didn't you just say so?"
"Told you, it had to look good. Besides, what am I going to do? Join your merry band of miscreants and get myself killed by old man Yama? I just gave you a hell of an opportunity. Don't waste it."
Erza shook her head. "You're insane!"
"I prefer 'alternatively rational', actually,"
Erza groaned frustratedly, then quickly wiped her blade clean on her sleeve.
"Will you be okay?"
"Oh, please," He said dismissively, "I didn't let you hit anything vital. Anyway, I think that's Jushiro now. Head down the street, and your quincy friend shouldn't be far."
Giving him one last incredulous look, Erza turned her back to him, and ran.
He had forced himself to not look back, but it had been hard. He had left his mother behind to fight one of those freakishly strong people- not to mention Erza.
Shoving those thoughts aside, he had focused on his objective. Rukia.
It had been an insane couple of days, painful and frightening, but there it was now, the tower where she was kept, just like Erza had described it. There was a moat separating it from the rest of the Gotei, some thirty feet wide and at least as deep, and the only access was a bridge, wide enough for three people at most.
Briefly, Ichigo paused, and took a deep breath. He had really made it there. All the pains he had taken to get there, all the friends left behind... it wasn't going to be for nothing. He was going to get Rukia, and... well, he'd figure out what came next once he'd done that. No sense in getting ahead of himself. Apprehensively, he took the first step, as if the bridge would strike him down with magic for daring to cross it. Soon after he took the next, and broke into a run. In no time at all, he crossed the bridge, coming upon thick, locked gate, split in two. Well, he was not about to let that stop him.
Rukia had been lost in thought, almost dozing off, when she felt the tremor. Something had hit the door, slamming it hard enough to nearly shake it off its hinges. Before she could make sense of it, it trembled again. Now, one half of the door was hanging lamely by just one hinge, the other blown away, having landed some seven yards into the tower's cell room itself. Rukia blinked. She could feel that energy now. Stepping through the wrecked doorway, a cocky expression on his face...
"Yo," Ichigo said, walking up to her, "let's get outta here."
Rukia blinked. It was like something out of a dream, the valiant young man coming to save the imprisoned girl...
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She said sharply.
It was not that kind of fairy tale.
"Huh?" Ichigo said, blinking.
"You reckless idiot, you're going to get yourself killed!" Rukia snapped. "I don't know how you even made it this far, but... how dare you come here? How dare you be this stupid? How dare you add your life to my conscience?"
"You..." Ichigo said, taken aback, "you listen here, I didn't survive a run-in with Kenpachi just to get here and not rescue you, okay?"
"Who asked you to rescue me?!"
"What, you want to die? You think what you did deserves a death sentence?"
"This is shinigami business, and it's not your place to meddle!" Rukia said evasively. "You get right out of here, Kurosaki Ichigo-"
"That does it," Ichigo muttered. Unceremoniously, he grabbed her by the cloth belt of her simple prisoner's uniform, and hoisted her over his shoulder.
"He-hey!" Rukia snarled, thrashing weakly against him, to no avail- her stay in the tower had left her quite weak. "Put me down, you idiot!"
"Shaddap!" Ichigo grumbled, turning around and walking outside. "You don't get a say in this."
"What the hell kind of rescue is this?" She protested indignantly.
"The kind that saves your life!"
Despite herself, despite feeling upset, there was... something else. Seeing him, feeling him up close, she realized she had missed him. That she had missed them all. There was the quickest vision in her imagination, of herself standing safe and sound with all the rest of them, somewhere far away...
But she quashed it. Even if by some mad stroke of luck he had got there, he would never succeed in getting out. There was no hope.
"Now stop squirming, ya shrimp," Ichigo said, marching out on the bridge. "You'll thank me later-"
As if to punctuate Rukia's thoughts, they both felt it at once, before they even saw it. Standing at the middle of the bridge, there was the quiet, inscrutable form of her elder brother. The respected and fearsome Kuchiki Byakuya, twenty-eighth head of the Kuchiki clan, captain of division six, and the object of Ichigo's hatred.
"You," he snarled, slowly setting Rukia down, reaching for his blade.
"I would ask you to surrender," said Byakuya, "but I gather it would be a foolish attempt. Nor do you deserve such restraint after having the insolence to lay your hands on a member of the Kuchiki."
He stood before them, some twenty yards away, a hand on his sword, looking as inscrutable as ever.
"I remember you, all right," Ichigo said, his voice nearly a growl, "you're the sonofabitch who cut my mother down."
"Suffering and death is the result of entering the field of battle," Byakuya said coldly, "I spared her life because Rukia begged me to. I see no reason to extend the same courtesy to you."
"Bring it," Ichigo said, boldly taking a step forward.
Even in her weakened state, Rukia could see her brother move. He was a true master of shunpo, almost unsurpassed. She felt the sinking feeling in her chest, as he stepped forward, his movement becoming a blur. She would have to see Ichigo die before her eyes-
-and then there was a clang, metal against metal, and her brother furiously staring down Ichigo from the back.
"A quick, nasty move to end me quickly, right?" He said, turning his head to stare back at Byakuya. "if you think I'm the same dumb kid you fought back then, you're dead wrong."
The tip Byakuya's sword was grinding against the flat of Ichigo's blade, the teenager having moved it just slightly to block his attack, using his oversized weapon as a shield. Byakuya's eyes narrowed.
Ichigo swung around, pulling his sword out as he did, going for a sideways slash. Byakuya was already out of the way, having moved back in a graceful couple of steps, but Ichigo stood face to face with him already.
"Here's a thing my teacher told me," Ichigo said firmly, holding his sword low, "and that is that Pride Cometh Before The Fall. Funny how you don't get stuff like that until you see it in action. You were sure, absolutely sure, that you'd kill me outright, weren't you? If I were a better fighter, I might even have seen through it and used it to counter-attack. Pretty sloppy for an elite nobleman, isn't it?"
Byakuya's narrowed brows turned into a scowl, and the grip on his sword tightened. "You arrogant little child."
"Pot, kettle, black," Ichigo said flatly. "Now, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna get my sword out, all properly, and then I'm going to kick your ass, and then I'm going to grab Rukia and get her out of here, and then we all get our happily ever after. But before that, I have to ask you something."
Byakuya didn't answer, so Ichigo continued,
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I will not listen to paltry accusations by some half-baked amateur shinigami," Byakuya said, and his voice was not quite as dispassionate as Rukia was used to hearing it be.
"Your sister is right here," Ichigo said angrily, "and if you had any sense in you, you'd be right here with me, trying to save her. She doesn't deserve to die, and you know it. And if you don't know it... then I feel damn sorry for you. I don't know what's stopping you, if it's 'honour' or whatever, but if that is what honour is, I'd rather live my whole life without it. You're a sorry excuse for a brother."
The grip on Byakuya's blade tightened until his knuckles went white. Rukia thought she could see his eye twitch slightly.
"Do you know why older siblings come first?" Ichigo snarled, having worked himself up a fair bit by now, "it's so that they can protect the ones that come after them!"
"SILENCE!" The words came out as a shout, and Rukia blinked. She had never in her life heard her brother raise his voice before. He charged forward in as quick of a shunpo as he was able- which was quite quick- and brought his sword down. Ichigo only barely parried, stumbling back half a step before pushing back.
"Touch a nerve, did I?" He said defiantly.
"For your crimes," Byakuya said, his voice straining a little to remain calm, the smallest tremble present, "I shall execute you myself. You will not save Rukia. Nobody will be saved."
"Over my dead body," Ichigo said, shoving the nobleman back.
"It will be my pleasure to arrange that," Byakuya said.
Holding his sword up in a classic kendo stance, he moved forward. In the blink of an eye he had charged Ichigo again, bringing his sword down for a quick downwards cut. Ichigo parried it just in time, and Byakuya launched into a quick series of cuts and slashes, forcing the teenager back.
Oddly enough, the battle had a chilling effect on Ichigo, the muscle memory of his hard-earned swordsmanship acting like a bucket of cold water; his righteous anger washing away as he did his very best to just not die.
Byakuya's skill was nothing to sneeze at. In fact, it was cleaner and sharper than anything Ichigo had faced before- and unlike the practice grounds, there would be no stopping when his guard had been pierced. He was right in the thick of it, facing a skilled opponent who was genuinely trying to kill him. Completely on edge, he parried, dodged, moved back, evading or blocking Byakuya's attacks.
Realizing that letting himself get pushed back indefinitely was a losing strategy, particularly to an enemy so much more skilled than him, Ichigo tried to find an opening.
If you try to beat your enemy at something he's better at than you, you've already lost. Play to your strengths.
Remembering his sensei's words, he took a quick jump back, evading a wide sideways slash from his opponent, and surged forward, keen to repay the favour. Byakuya reacted lightning fast, redirecting the force of Ichigo's blow.
Next, Ichigo knew, he'd want to capitalize on Ichigo's swing, counter-attack, stab him somewhere vital- the neck, the head, or the centre of the chest. It was with not a little satisfaction that he felt Byakuya's zanpakutou overshoot as he took a sidestep at the last second, and saw the captain's shihakusho tear a little as he brought his own sword up to retaliate.
Byakuya paused for a second, sword held low and firmly in both hands. He too seemed to have lost whatever anger he had displayed before, entirely focused on Ichigo right now. He looked at Ichigo, up and down, then charged again. Quickly, he cut at him in a series of horizontal slashes, Ichigo struggling to parry. Speed was the name of the game now, he realized. It was meant to force him, the rookie, into making a mistake, to force him to make an error... or just to test him, until he could spot a weakness in his form. It wasn't going to be as easy as that, though. Ichigo would make sure of it.
As he finally found a split-second chance to bring his sword up for an attack of his own, Byakuya reacted lightning fast, striking his blade aside. Ichigo's sword skid into the ground, locked in place by Byakuya's blade. Before Ichigo could react, he saw Byakuya point two fingers at Ichigo, holding his left hand out like it were a gun.
"Hado number four: Byakurai," he said dispassionately, and there was a spark of lightning. Immediately, a bolt of blue discharged, striking Ichigo in the chest, piercing him entirely. It kicked like a mule, and Ichigo staggered back in shock. He could feel warm, wet blood trail down from beneath his right clavicle, and realized it had been kido- executed perfectly, in the middle of combat, as part of a strategy created specifically to put him in position to receive the spell point-blank.
Grasping his Zangetsu firmly, Ichigo forced himself to recover. Kuchiki Byakuya was no joke. His first instinct had been to try and end Ichigo instantly, not to incapacitate him, and now he had shown himself able to incorporate kido into his fighting style. He hadn't even released his zanpakutou yet...
Mercilessly, the nobleman pushed forward, and Ichigo found it harder to bring his sword up for a parry. It had been a clever shot, placed just so that each time he raised his sword, the wound hurt and bled. Ichigo cursed inwardly. If he wasn't within an inch from dying every second, he'd have admired the intelligence of the technique.
But it wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
Again, the sequence kept repeating. Rapid sword strikes, each one not so fast Ichigo couldn't just parry them. He knew what his opponent was looking for now, but couldn't focus enough to look for it. His arms ached, his chest hurt, and it took considerable effort just to keep his cool.
There it was again. A downward strike from Ichigo, cutting splinters into the bridge as Byakuya guided it down and locked it in place with expert precision.
He was going to have to work for it.
Letting out a guttural snarl, Ichigo surged forward, slamming his forehead into the captain's. It hurt as they collided, and he saw stars for a second. So did Byakuya, it seemed. His hand, which had raised to fire the kido again, was hanging lame from his side, his sword held in one hand. He had staggered back two steps.
Ichigo groaned, and rubbed his head.
"You got real clean form there," he said with a grin. "Cleaner than aunt Erza, even. You're damn good with a sword. Thing is, when your back is against the wall, you do what you have to, even if it means playing dirty."
"You..." Byakuya said, genuine surprise in his voice. He rubbed his own forehead, where Ichigo had headbutted him. An ugly red mark was forming there.
"My body's still not dead, man," Ichigo said, intentionally making his voice cocky. If he could get the nobleman to lose his patience...
Slowly, Byakuya held his sword up, and there was a surge of power.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura-"
Well, there it was...
…or not. Suddenly, a strap of white cloth wrapped itself around his blade, and the sword, which had started to glow, went back to its normal state. Ichigo and Byakuya both turned to look from where the strap was coming. Sitting crouched on the railing of the bridge, with cat-like agility, was Yoruichi. A grin was running across her face.
"Seems like I got here just in time. Long time no see, kid Byakuya."
Byakuya's head jerked, and although his voice was calm, there was no mistaking the contempt in his voice.
"You."
"That's right," Yoruichi said. "How you been all these years, kid?"
"Yoruichi?" Ichigo said. "Quick, let's grab Rukia and run-"
"Change of plans, I'm afraid," Yoruichi said firmly. "There's more captains coming. There's two more practically around the corner. You took too long. I'm good, but not so good I can be sure I can grab you, Rukia, and shake everyone else."
"What?" Ichigo said indignantly. "We came all this way, for what, giving up?"
"Not giving up, no," Yoruichi said, shaking her head, "reorganizing. I already had a chat with Erza and your mother. They'll try and pick the others up, and then we'll regroup."
Ichigo balled his fists with frustration. Rukia was right here, they had come so far...
"None of that will happen," Byakuya said coldly.
"I'd love to play, but I don't have the time," Yoruichi said with a smirk.
Wasting not another word, Byakuya surged forward, aiming a horizontal slash at Yoruichi. In a blur, the dark-skinned woman appeared behind him in the blink of an eye. Byakuya was hot on her heels, and Ichigo felt a little awed as he watched them. Byakuya was fast, seeming to move with an urgency he had lacked when facing Ichigo, each strike of his sword quick, deadly and accurate. Yoruichi, however, seemed untouchable. Ichigo could barely follow it with his eyes; the two moved too fast. In a second, there were half a dozen strikes, Yoruichi smoothly evading each one. Ichigo recognized the same pattern of forcing her back, putting her on the defensive, but Yoruichi was having none of it. Every now and then she'd make a quick roll to the side, or somersault over the captain, moving with amazing fluidity and speed. It was the first time Ichigo had seen her in action, and for her to handle such a terrifying enemy with such ease... she really was something else.
She wasn't having it all her own way, though. As Byakuya closed in again, there was a quick feint, and then he thrust his palm forward.
"Shou!" he cried. The spell hit Yoruichi directly, and sent her tumbling across the bridge. She recovered neatly, back on her feet within a second, but the disruption was all Byakuya needed to push his advantage. He closed the distance, and although Yoruichi managed to evade his first strike by a hair's breadth, it was clear she was hard pressed. Finally there was a quick slash, aimed at her neck just as she unbalanced ever so slightly, and Ichigo's heart sunk, hoping she would make it-
There was a clang, and as the two paused for a moment, Ichigo saw her holding a short blade. It had a handle and blade much like a zanpakutou's, but it was short, less than a foot- no more than a dagger.
"You've grown, little Byakuya," Yoruichi said, still grinning. "To think you'd make me use my zanpakutou, even."
"Your arrogance will be your downfall, traitor," Byakuya said firmly, his voice again calm, dispassionate.
"Being lectured on arrogance by the head of the Kuchiki is actually the funniest thing I've heard all year," Yoruichi said, her grin widening a little, "but I don't have time to play with you, I told you."
There was a blur, and suddenly Yoruichi reappeared next to Ichigo. Ichigo had expected Byakuya to be right behind her, but the man was standing still, looking just as surprised as Ichigo- surprised, and frustrated. Around his amkle, there was a yellow coil of sorts, anchored to the bridge itself. He pushed and pulled, but it held firm for the time being.
"Dirty ninja tricks," Yoruichi said casually, "Ichigo, let's go. It won't hold for long."
"No- we can't leave Rukia," he insisted stubbornly.
"I wasn't asking, kid," Yoruichi said, producing something from inside her shirt. It was a small, black rod of sorts, with what looked like a bird's skull on top. She held it out, and grabbed Ichigo by the wrist. Before he had a chance to protest, the small object grew a wing, almost the size of a dragon's, and with tremendous force it pulled them both off the bridge and into the air, flying through the air with speed. Ichigo held out a hand, frustratedly, as he watched Rukia turn into a small dot in the distance in a matter of seconds. Damn it!
"Hold still, you big baby," Jushiro said with a sigh. He was kneeled next to Shunsui, who sat leaned against a wall, and was trying to apply a basic medical kido.
"But it huuuuuuuuurts," Shunsui whined.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't have gotten yourself stabbed, then."
Jushiro was good-natured and patient, but sometimes, he found the antics of his best friend less than desirable.
"But it was the perfect cover!" He protested dramatically. "Besides, old man Yama would never have bought that I got knocked out, or whatever."
"So why are you complaining?" Jushiro mumbled, applying the kido carefully. The wound was nothing terrible, not for a captain like Shunsui. This would stop the bleeding and dull the pain, and with a quick visit to Fourth, he should be up and about the same day.
"Well, she didn't have to hit me so hard," Shunsui grumbled, "I mean really, that woman has a hell of an arm on her- she practically skewered me!"
"Shunsui, you're talking about a captain-class fighter. Who beat Kenpachi just the other day. Of course she's going to be strong."
"Yes, but..."
"You could just have talked to her and explained things, but no, that just isn't cool enough," Jushiro said. He sighed. "I'm sorry, that was harsh."
Shunsui just groaned. A few minutes later the bleeding had stopped altogether, and the two sat back on the street, just resting.
"So what do you think?" Jushiro said.
"That she's both hot, scary, and has a great rack," Shunsui retorted with a smile.
"About this. About letting them go. About... what we need to do. What do you figure?"
Shunsui shrugged. "It's pretty much what I thought. She's here for Rukia. She's all about saving the poor girl, even if the odds are impossible. If she's a malicious terrorist, then I'm a flaming homosexual."
"The 'flaming' part could be argued," Jushiro said with a smile. Shunsui laughed.
"Still..." Jushiro continued, "it's unlike you. Taking a stand like this."
Shunsui sighed.
"You know me. I don't like to get involved. I almost never stand up for things that are difficult. But the key word is almost. If there are no things you're willing to stand up for, then there's no point in living. This, this... matters."
"Kuchiki Rukia, huh..." Jushiro mumbled. "Is the principle of justice so important?"
"It is," Shunsui said, shaking his head, "but that's not it. They'll make a villain out of him, Jushiro."
"What do you mean?"
Shunsui sighed. "Those senile old geezers are doing something terrible, something going right against their own laws, and the old man is being forced to carry out those orders. And I don't know... seeing the old man doing that, it doesn't feel right.. Old Yama, he means everything to the Gotei. I can't just stand by and let this happen."
"For Yamamoto-sensei, then," Jushiro said, nodding. It was easy to underestimate Shunsui, even for Jushiro, but when it mattered... when it came down to it, he cared. In a very odd way, he was deeply loyal to his master.
Shunsui nodded. "So what do you say, buddy? Ready to throw your life away on a principle?"
"Just get the right tools. We'll need to seal the Soukyoko."
"I'll provide. We'll just have to keep our heads down for a little bit... ow, this still stings."
"You're impossible, you know that?"
Shunsui grinned. "That's the idea."
The two laughed. Having resigned themselves to their fate, together, it didn't seem all that bad.
Ichigo had tried- and failed- to keep track of where they were going. They had sailed across the Gotei, high up in the sky, and the huge city beneath them had looked so very small. Suddenly, they had rapidly changed their trajectory, plunged toward the ground, and just as Ichigo cried out in fear of crashing, they had sailed through a tunnel- well, it had to be a tunnel; Ichigo hadn't actually seen it, as it had seemingly been a headlong plunge into the side of a rock at one moment, then smooth sailing through pitch black darkness the next- before they suddenly landed, their movement rapidly slowing down. Yoruichi landed gracefully, while Ichigo stumbled and fell over as she let go of his wrist.
Disoriented and dizzy, it took him a minute to get back up on his feet. He finally stood up, wobbling a little before taking a look around. It was as if they had ended in a whole other world. There was light coming down from above, although he couldn't quite tell from where. It was a cave, vast and expansive, but it looked... oddly friendly for a cave. It was bright, the air dry and pleasant, unlike the dankness you would expect from a normal cavern, and there was a hot spring not far away.
"Where..." He mumbled, dazed and confused.
"A little place Kisuke and I built back in the day," Yoruichi said amusedly, "you didn't think that cellar of his was his first attempt, did you?"
Of course. That made sense. It was quite similar, although it lacked the sheer size and artificial sky of Urahara's place.
"I see..." he mumbled. Then he remembered.
"Rukia!" He snapped, "you left Rukia behind! We were so close, and you couldn't just grab her?"
"Ichigo," Yoruichi said, sounding less amused, "you don't understand."
"Then explain, why don't you?" Ichigo said angrily.
"There are two things you need to know. Firstly, the most experienced member of our team is not your aunt. It's me. I was a captain, Ichigo, and the commander of the Stealth Corps. I've forgotten more about being a shinigami than you have ever learned, and that's putting it lightly. Secondly, there are only a handful of people so dangerous that I would fear fighting them. At least two of them were just around the corner- Yamamoto's pupils. More captains were coming. I am the fastest thing alive- but carrying two people, I can't guarantee I'd get away with you both. That's the thing about experience in the force. You learn a thing or two about priorities."
"Shouldn't the mission be a priority, huh?" Ichigo objected.
She shook her head. "No and yes. We may not have achieved our objective, but by taking you to safety, the mission still remains intact. Doable."
Ichigo tried to think of a rebuttal, eager to blame her, but nothing came to mind immediately.
"I've been observing," Yoruichi continued, "and besides myself, only your aunt and mother are up to par with the elite class that is the captains of the Gotei. Even then, we are outnumbered. That's why I brought you here."
"What?" Ichigo said irritably, "if we're so screwed, then what's the point? What does bringing me here change?"
"It's time to begin your bankai training," Yoruichi said gravely.
Ah yes, its time for a training montage! Ichigo needs his bankai if he wants to even hope to hold a candle to Byakuya down the line...but you all knew that didn't you?
However, if your expecting me to just have the fight go the same way as it did in cannon, think again. While its easily one of my favorite fights in anime, giving you the same thing would be boring. I do think you'll enjoy our interpretation of the battle regardless. Will Ichigo even win his fight this time? Anything is up for grabs here!
But thats not all that happened that's worth discussing now is there? Far from it. As we've all seen here, I decided to do a bit more with Shunsui and Ukitake in this arc, give a little foreshadowing for what was to come.
But i do want to make something clear. Had Erza fought Shunsui in a more serious battle...She would have lost. As we've seen in his fight with Stark and Lile Baro, Shunsui is one of the strongest soul reapers to have ever lived. Id say he's stronger than most of squad zero to be honest. I mean, it makes sense, the guy WAS the 2nd head captain. Erza has a LONG way to go if she wants to defeat him in battle.
Just because Erza is my favorite anime character doesn't mean I'm going to make her invincible. That would make the story lose all tension and we cant have that. There are characters who she can lose to. Shunsui is one of them.
Another thing we've done that I hope you notice is Yoruichi using her zanpaktou. In cannon, we never saw it outside of one flashback appearance. Because of this, we can do whatever we want with it. Now the shikai itself may not be making an appearance anytime soon, but rest assured, you'll at least see what we have in mind for it by the time we DO reveal it. The same goes for her Bankai. So fear not fans of Yoruichi, you'll get this much from us.
Oh and how could i forget about Byakuya? I figured another look as to how he was taking this would be goo for the story...and as we can see, he is NOT taking it well. Far as he is concerned, Killing Rukia and then committing seppuku is the only way out of this. We'll be coming back to this later of course, but i figured this was a nice way to add more drama to the whole situation.
Last but not least is Tobiume. Now while I'm a a huge of the zanpaktou rebellion arc, Greatkingrat88. isnt. I really wanted to use Tobiume from the filler arc, but he was under the opinion of "she looks too much like Momo". So we decided to compromise by changing the design a little. To start, shes now taller than Momo is and...Well, shes got a bigger bust. XD.
However, we decided to add one more additional change to her look. In this case, Tobiume has more of a "ethereal" look to her. I think it helps her stand out more. If your confused to what i mean by this, try thinking of the "force ghosts" in star wars or something of a similar nature.
Besides, if Momo has EVER needed her Zanpaktou, its now. You can expect to see more of her as well, just not as much as Tetsu No Tama.
But that's all I really have to say on the chapter as a whole. So please, do leave your thoughts on this chapter,or the story as a whole in a review. We look forward to hearing what you all have to say about it.