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)

87. Civil War

Ladies and gentlemen, we are nearing the end of the Fullbring arc. Only one chapter remains after this if all goes according to plan! I must admit, im extremely happy with how this arc has turned out. We've taken the least liked arc in all of Bleach and turned it into something special and unique. Now again, I don't hate the arc. I think its fine, but I think making the fullbringers sympathetic characters just trying to live their lives makes them far more interesting than the villain twist we got. I'll admit, I didn't see said twist coming, but I feel like it made all of them less interesting as a result.

But this? Here and now all we have is a tragedy. Of how accidents can end up bringing about terrible consequence's.

We now have our hero's divided, the characters are fighting not for good or evil, but purely survival (Or in the case of Erza and her ally's, not being brainwashed.) It all makes for a more interesting take I feel.

We've also managed to cross over one million words as of this chapter. Over a million! I can hardly believe it! I remember when I felt proud to just have over 100,000 but now...It's just so hard for me to believe it. It's thanks to you all that it lasted as long as it has, as well as Greatkingrat who also deserves a shout out for all his hard work.

In any event, Im eager to hear what you all have to say on what goes on in this chapter, so if you want to support us and leave us valuble feedback, please feel free to do so in a review.

Thanks once again to Greatkingrat88 (for writing) and jcampbellohten (for being our Beta)

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!

---

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."

The shinigami's eyes were as cold as the chill wind emanating from her pale white blade, and Ginjou felt a sense of despairing resignation as he hefted his blade, taking a combat stance to match hers. He held his blade upright; she held hers low, eyeing him carefully.

"I would like nothing more than to skewer you and freeze you solid," she said, a tremor in her voice, "but for the sake of my brother- the brother whose mind you dared to violate and twist for your own ends- I will give you this one chance. Throw down your weapon and surrender, and you will be treated fairly."

"I've seen the shinigami idea of fairness," Ginjou said, sighing and shaking his head. He didn't even have the energy to inject the normal venom into the word 'shinigami.' He was just… so tired. "We're well past surrender. These… these are my kids, the ones fighting all around us. I can't lay my weapon down while they're still putting up a fight."

"So be it, scum," the shinigami said, her eyes narrowing.

"I know you have nothing but contempt for me," said Ginjou. "I would, too. But, believe it or not… I wish these was another way. It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"I understand perfectly well," said the shinigami, slowly circling around him. Ginjou turned to match her pace. "You would rather we had all been converted at once. The idea of having to actually fight for your goals instead of hiding behind that power like a coward doesn't appeal to you."

"Not even close." Ginjou sighed. "I just wanted us to live in peace."

"We'll speak when you're beaten, criminal," the shinigami said, and Ginjou sensed her reiatsu building up. As he steeled himself for what he was sure would be the last fight of his life, the same thought repeated in his mind.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

---

They had reached the safehouse without incident, a small cellar a mile west of their normal place. Jackie was busy comforting Riruka, who was still beside herself, and everyone else was finding their place. Some of them, like Yukio and Giriko, were already talking about a plan of attack. It was abject folly, and Ginjou knew it. They didn't know- hell, Ginjou barely knew himself- how strong the Gotei were. All he knew was the tremendous strength of a captain, and how a bunch of rag-tag humans with a small bit of power could never challenge it.

He gave them all a long, sharp look. These were his kids. Even an adult like Giriko, a grown man his own age, felt like one. Each one of them he'd found, trained, and guided. Each one had had nothing, and he'd replaced that emptiness with something. Not just practical skills to let them survive, but something bigger than that. A family. People who cared, who were always there for them. In a way, he sometimes felt glad of his fate as a refugee. Without it, he would never have met any of them, would never have made such a difference. He would never have had the chance to rise to the occasion and become a better man.

He gave them another look, and smiled to himself. He loved them all, sincerely. That's why he knew there was only one solution left.

After they were settled in, he'd called for Shuukurou and walked outside the door. Out of the others' earshot, he'd turned to the young man to speak. Shuu looked excitable, too naïve to understand what was coming his way, what ruin his actions would bring onto their motley little crew.

"So, what's next, huh?" he said, and Ginjou realized that even now, even after his little coup, the kid still look up to his leader. "I figure we can just walk in- if we catch enough of them at once, my fullbring should be enough to subdue the rest."

"That's great, yeah," Ginjou said distractedly. He took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, put one in his mouth and lit it. He only did this when he was nervous, under stress, and now of all times he figured he had earned one. He looked to Shuu, then offered him the packet.

"…you never offered me a smoke before," said Shuu. "You always say they're bad for your health, and you don't want me picking up your bad habits."

"Yeah, well," Ginjou muttered, "you're a grown man now, kid. Time you made your own decisions, it seems."

"…No thanks," said Shuu. "Look, I get… I get that what I did back there rubbed you wrong. I get you're always looking out for me. It's just that I don't see why we have to be the ones to run…"

"Save it," Ginjou said, waving off Shuu's attempt at an argument and pocketing the cigarettes. "We already had that argument, right? It's all settled."

He blew out a puff of smoke and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Ginjou," said Shuu, and Ginjou believed him. He knew the difference between sincerity and insincerity, even with Shuu. After all these years, the kid was an open book to him.

"Eh," said Ginjou, shrugging. "You got the others on your side, right? I ain't a tyrant. You all decided together."

"Yeah," said Shuu hopefully. "So, that attack…"

"If there was any other way," said Ginjou, "any other way to do this, would you take it? One that didn't involve risking all our lives and the wrath of the Gotei?"

"Of course!" said Shuu emphatically. "If I could do it another way, fine by me. I just want us… I want us to have a home. I want us to be a family. I want us to be together. If there's another way, I'd take it. But there isn't one, right? I mean, what are we going to do? Ask them nicely to maybe forgive us for killing one of their numbers?"

"There is one way," said Ginjou, taking another puff on his cigarette, "just one more. It'll keep you all safe."

"What is it," said Shuu, "and why wouldn't you mention it before?"

"To be honest, I didn't think of it. It's obvious now, but I should have thought of it then. I know what I have to do. I'm just… a bit selfish sometimes."

Shuu frowned. "Ginjou, what are you talking about?"

Ginjou took a deep breath. "I'm going to take care of it myself."

"What, take them all?" Shuu said incredulously. "You said it yourself, all of us together can't-"

"Not like that," Ginjou said hastily, shaking his head. "I'm going to go back in there, have a last word with the kids, and then… then I'm going to that headquarters they got to turn myself in."

"What?!" Shuu burst out.

"It's me they want. I'm the wanted one. Riruka might have done the last one, but they don't know that. If they get me… if they get me, they won't have to come looking for you."

"You can't be serious!" Shuu was practically screaming now, and had to hush himself; he'd always been keen to control his emotions, but right now he was barely managing it. "Do you think they'll give you a fair trial, or what? That you'll get out in a few years with good behaviour? That sound like the Gotei you describe?"

"No," Ginjou admitted, "they'll probably interrogate me and then sentence me to death."

Shuu balled his fists. "You're insane!"

"You're all family to me," he said simply, "and I'm responsible for you. It's the only way."

"How can you say that?" Shuu cried angrily.

"To be honest, I always thought it would go down this way. I always was sure they'd get me one day, sooner or later. Everything else, the years I've been on the run, the years I spent teaching you all… really, it's just a bonus. I was never going to have a future or a happy ending. I just didn't imagine it was going to be me doing it of my own free will. Life's funny like that, huh?"

"You great big idiot, you can't do that!" Shuu shouted, trembling with anger. "We need you, damn it!"

"It's your turn now, Shuu," said Ginjou softly. "You're the smartest one. Look after them for me, okay? They'll need somebody to guide them. I know it'll seem like an impossible burden at first, but it ain't. Don't worry- you've got what it takes."

"No," Shuu whispered. "No, you can't. You- you're everything to us. I lost my parents already, I can't- I can't lose-"

He was choking up, and Ginjou gently placed a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"I know it hurts. It'd hurt the same if it was me losing you. But, it's me compared to losing everyone else. It's me, or it's Jackie, it's Yukio, it's Giriko, it's Moe, it's Riruka… it's you."

He shook his head, and leaned in close. Tears were starting to trail down Shuu's cheeks, and there was a frustrated, mournful expression on his face.

"You and your stupid saviour complex," he whispered. "Damn you, don't do it!"

"If there was any other way, kid, I'd take it," said Ginjou, and pulled Shuu into a bear hug. There were tears in his eyes too, not for fear of his own life, for his fate was sealed, but for knowing he wouldn't see them again.

"Like I said," his voice shaking a little, "it's all up to you now, big man. Keep 'em safe. I know you can do it. I'll… go inside and have a quick talk with the others. I won't tell 'em the whole thing. I'll leave that to you, when it's all over. You won't have to leave. Just keep your heads down for a while, okay?"

Shuu, weeping openly, shook his head.

"I know it hurts," said Ginjou weakly, "but you're strong enough. Anyway… anyway, I'll head inside. See you in a bit, okay?"

Leaving him like that, Ginjou later realized, had been his first mistake. When he had said a few awkward, ambiguous things to the group about how much he appreciated them, he'd headed back out again, only to find Shuu gone, nowhere in sight. He'd realized what was up and hurried after him, but by then, it had been too late.

He had underestimated Shuu. He'd underestimated what he meant to Shuu. Now, for his follies and failures… they were all going to die.

Ginjou let out a resigned breath and broke into a sprint, charging the shinigami. All around him there was chaos, his fullbringers doing battle with people far too strong for them to handle. This was going to be a bloodbath, and Ginjou could only hope he would die first. At least that way, he wouldn't have to watch his kids die one by one.

---

It was near noon when the message came in. Soifon had led them to another hide-out not long ago, taking them there by teleportation; she would not risk detection for anything. With Yoruichi amongst their enemies, Erza couldn't blame her for not risking movement.

They were in the outskirts of the park, huddled behind some rocks and protected by a kido spell that suppressed their reiatsu heavily. Erza, lost in thought, had her reveries interrupted when she heard the buzzing of the comm-bead in her ear come to life, and quickly focused on the incoming message. To think that she would once have felt deeply uncomfortable with Urahara Kisuke knowing her exact location at all times… now, she just felt deeply grateful. That even one person had been able to withstand the hypnosis was incredible, and somebody as resourceful as Urahara Kisuke? She had hope, now, when only yesterday she had been on the brink of despair.

She pressed two fingers against her ear, activating the bead.

"This is a recorded message, no time to talk. Luring the entire crowd out," came Urahara's hushed voice, spoken quickly. The sentences were contracted to the barest point of essential information only, all excess cut out, something Erza recognized from Soifon's manner of speech when on duty. His background was serving him well, it seemed.

"Target appears to trust me still. Fed false information about your appearing in the park. As we speak, all fullbringers and shinigami available mobilizing to hunt you down. Will lead him to co-ordinates left at end of this message. Be ready within the hour. Recommend ambush, utilize extreme caution. Most fullbringer abilities still unknown. Co-ordinates are…"

Erza listened intently. The location was not far, a forested area of the park that was sure to let them work this out by themselves.

"It's time, then." It was Soifon. She was folding up her haori neatly, standing before Erza in her assassin's garb.

Erza nodded. "We'll go in a second."

"Commander," said Soifon, "you will face your close personal friends. Have you the strength to combat them? There can be no hesitation. If you are lost…"

"For their own sake, I must find a way," Erza said, sighing. "It won't be easy, but I'll do it. He suggested an ambush; I agree."

"Your forte is not stealth. That being the case, lie in wait and reveal yourself along with Kuchiki and Matsumoto, drawing their attention. If I can come in close, hard and fast, I may be able to end it in an instant."

Erza nodded. "Be careful. They'll wonder where you are. They'll expect it."

"An instant is all I need," Soifon said, putting her hand on a knife in her belt.

Erza nodded, saddened by it. He would have to die, and no matter how she looked at it, there was no other way.

"And your operatives?" she asked.

"I sent them outside Karakura to find their way back to the Gotei with word of warning, just in case this doesn't work," Soifon explained. "This… could go very badly, and I want Captain-commander Yamamoto to know what happened if it does."

Erza nodded. "Good call. Alright, you guys!" she called loudly, summoning their other two party members. "It's time. Let's go. The Gotei is depending on us, so keep sharp!"

Still keeping low, still doing their best to conceal themselves, the four of them headed out. It was now or never; the trial by fire was about to come to a head, and within an hour it might well be decided.

---

"You… met Sultan Saladin?" Uryu said, nonplussed. As an immortal, the king was sure to have met some important people in his time, and as a member of the Knights Templar he certainly would have been a contemporary of the legendary warlord. Still, it felt a little bizarre to stand face-to-face with a man who had seen history pass by with his own eyes, who would have met and maybe even influenced some of the most important people the world had seen.

"So I did," King Sigismund said with a nod. "In passing, but I did. Although, I am getting ahead of myself again. As you may be able to surmise, I am skipping quite a bit- I was well into my fourth decade when my time with the Templars ended, and I spent a whole life there. I could fill weeks of storytelling, which, for obvious reasons, I will not. But, some things are worth mentioning- like how I ascended through the ranks as a senior knight, and was eventually set to training initiates of my own. I was a harsh teacher, I am told, but truth be told, I learned as much about people by teaching as they learned about knighthood from my tutelage. I am proud to say I raised many a fine knight in my time there."

"I am sure you did, sire," Uryu said, feeling a little impatient. He knew enough about Middle Eastern history to know that the events the king had spoken of were absolutely pivotal, and now that he had an eye witness before him, he was eager to hear more.

"My apologies," said Sigismund with a chuckle, "but at least one initiate is worth special mention. When I was in my thirties, a young man from a minor noble family of my homeland came into my tutelage. Unlike all other young men I taught, I sought him out especially, pleading with a superior to become his mentor. His name was Jugram Haschwalth."

Jugram gave a quiet smile. "Sometimes, it still feels like yesterday. I was a skinny, underfed youth with too much confidence and too little skill, facing down a giant of a man whom I knew nothing of except that he was considered as severe as he was mighty. I confess, the first time I saw him, I trembled inside."

"You trembled outside as well, however much you tried to hide it." Sigismund snorted. "I sought him out because I sensed that he too, like myself, possessed the gift, the ability to manipulate reiatsu. I never relinquished mine; I never knew how to. If I had known how to sever my tie to the spiritual, I would have, but I could not. I am glad now that I was ignorant of how that would be done. I remembered the lessons I was given as a child, before my parents died, and to me they were a curse, an evil knowledge that spelled doom for my very soul. I would sometimes drift into thought of how it was used, and I would flagellate myself for letting my thoughts stray into such sin. When I saw young Jugram I saw in him the same sin I struggled with, and realized, from my limited, wrong, and ignorant perspective, that he was at special risk of damnation. So, I taught him the firmest, strictest manner of templar philosophy, of piety and virtue. I was harsh, even cruel, but he did not bend or break. He shaped into the finest knight I had ever seen, purer than myself."

"For a time," said Haschwalth dryly. "This world has a way of tainting purity."

"It was all wrong, of course, as I realized later- but again, I get ahead of myself," said Sigismund with a dismissive wave. "However, it did instil in both of us a useful respect for the aspects of knighthood that were worth preserving- honour, loyalty, nobility, mercy, and kindness to the weak and ruthlessness toward evil."

"Much of what we did," said Haschwalth, "I would today label as evil. We slaughtered Saracens for having the 'wrong' faith, because our order commanded it so. Faith has a way of turning cruelty into righteousness, a path that we still struggle with."

"Indeed," said Sigismund, nodding sagely, "but I believe our young aspirant is keen to hear more of our history."

"I will not be so rude as to make demands of either of you, sire," said Uryu quickly.

"Of course not," said Sigismund with a smile. "You are a good lad, when all is said and done. You have a stiff neck, but you're a good lad all the same. I shall return to the topic that interests you- but first, young Uryu, I would have you try to understand where I was, mentally, at that time.

"I had dedicated a whole life to service of God, a life of ritual punctuated with great violence, with very strict rules and the promise of paradise as my reward. I was convinced that my soul was in danger of eternal damnation, a notion that faith had made as real to me as my knowledge today that the world is round. I had, for most of my career, believed we were absolutely righteous in our cause, and that our enemy was absolutely evil. I had of course been disabused of such childishness as expecting Saracens to have horns, but all the same I believed I was part of the noblest, holiest movement that existed on Earth: the defense of the Holy Land of Outremer, God's kingdom on Earth, where we, the Knights Templar, were the most exalted of all. I was a religious extremist by today's standards, but by all that is holy, I believed. I knew my place in the world and what I had to do. I knew how to care for my horse and my weaponry, how to teach young initiates, and my skill with a blade was mighty. In these simple tasks I took comfort and pleasure."

He paused, and Uryu looked him in the eye. He looked grim, and Uryu realized how Jugram might have felt one fateful day, centuries ago.

"It did not last, did it?" said Uryu.

"Of course not," said Sigismund with a sigh. "Perhaps I would have been content until my death if I had remained a simple battle-brother, but my talents marked me as too important to the order for such menial duties. Remember how I said I reached leadership at the castle of Gaza, directly under the lord of the castle?"

"Yes, sire," said Uryu.

"I did. The trials of getting there are less than relevant, but I did. I was deeply honoured at the time. It never occurred to me that my story thus far had been one of an upward trajectory, getting promoted rank by rank across the years. To be second-in-command was a tremendous responsibility, and to serve God in such an exalted manner was a balm to the soul… for the first few months."

"Now we get there," Jugram said reassuringly.

Sigismund shook his head. "There was war. There always was. Before Salahadin, there was nur Ad-din, and a hundred other warlords before him. For the century we held the holy land, there was always war. The Saracens, you see, disapproved of our occupying these lands. Sometimes the wars were greater and sometimes they were lesser, but with the hold we had, and for how long we held it, there was in the mind of the Christian knights, worldly or religious, the sense that our hold of the land was indomitable. This was not true, and the king of Jerusalem knew it as well as my grand master, and the grand master of the Knights Hospitaller. With Salahadin becoming sultan of Egypt and Syria, his power grew immensely, and it was known to our leaders that it would eventually outstrip ours. The sultan declared jihad on the crusaders, a holy war to match our own, and vowed to cast us out. A war came like no other before it, and we all suffered greatly. I had the privilege of fighting at Mont-gisard, where King Balduin IV led the Christian forces to victory against Salahadin's Ayyubids. It gave us much needed breathing room, for his forces outnumbered ours. Bloodied, the sultan opened negotiations. This, young Uryu, is where it all began.

"The lord of my castle was an old friend of our grand master, and as such, he was summoned to be part of the Templar delegation. My lord brought me along, believing it to be a useful experience for me. It was, but certainly not in the way he imagined it."

Sigismund paused, staring out into space as if looking into the very history he spoke of.

"I greeted the sultan along with all other Christian delegates, and found that Salah Ad-Din, the man the holy see of Rome had declared as Satan's representative on Earth, was an impeccably courteous man with the bearing of an honourable ruler. That alone did not shake my faith, but I was put ill at ease by the fact that he conducted himself far better than many of our own leaders. Even some of my fellow Templars were less than courteous. In the end, a truce was agreed upon. The sultan made many promises to keep this temporary peace, which I viewed with skepticism- with his superior numbers, I felt sure it was only a matter of time before he would turn on us."

He balled a fist.

"But, it was not the sultan who breached his word, nor one of his underlings. The man who put the peace to ruin, and ultimately sealed the fate of the holy land, was not a Muslim but a Christian. The man who ruined us was Reynald de Chatillon, may his name live forever in infamy. It was he who commanded raids against the sultan's caravans, provoking the warlord into action. War was upon us once more, not through heretical treachery but for the arrogance and short-sightedness of a cruel, self-serving nobleman, proclaiming to serve God yet acting in his own interests, a dishonourable and vile cur."

---

"Are they close?" Tsukishima demanded. They were all assembled, walking in formation, the shinigami leading the way while Tsukishima's fullbringers took the rear, leaving Tsukishima himself protected in the middle.

"Very," Urahara assured him. "I have an exact fix on their location. The sensor is one hundred percent accurate," he said cheerily, waving a boxy remote control with large antenna strapped to it. It was comically fake, housing only enough power to occasionally make a blipping sound, but Tsukishima- or anyone else, for that matter- had no way of knowing. That considered, he was getting worried; he had almost been leading them in circles, and sooner rather than later they'd realize something was up.

"That's what you said last time," Tsukishima said, scowling.

"Please, Shuukurou," Urahara said, shooting a genuine smile- while feeling revolted inside for how natural that false emotion felt. "Any moment now…"

"This is getting us nowhere," said Tsukishima. "If they're not here, then we should head back-"

That was when, to Urahara's relief, Erza Scarlet stepped into view from behind a tree. Some thirty yards away, she was flanked by Arisawa Tatsuki, Kuchiki Rukia and Matsumoto Rangiku, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez trailing behind, and she had a grim scowl on her face.

"There we go," Urahara said, pointing.

"Tsukishima Shuukurou," Erza called out loudly, "criminal and manipulator, you are commanded to surrender immediately. If you do so, your life will be spared and you will be given a fair trial."

To punctuate her statement, she demonstratively placed a hand on the hilt of her blade. Behind her, Rukia and Matsumoto readied to draw theirs.

Tsukishima sneered. "I don't think so. Everyone!" he called out to the whole group. "Isolate them and take them down! I want them captured alive!"

"There's just one thing, Shuukurou," said Urahara. "It's quite important, actually.

"What now?" snapped the fullbringer.

"Well, you see, as a matter of fact, and of course with the important caveat of intellectual caution, it so happens that in fact I am just distracting you."

"What-"

A black streak surged through the wooded area, closing in on them with furious speed. Urahara put a hand on Yoruichi's shoulder; a pre-prepared kido spell would inconvenience her long enough if she reacted. Just one strike, faster than any of these humans could anticipate, and…

But of course, it was not that easy. Life seldom is. Just as the streak closed in, reality rippled and time froze. The streak slowed down to absolute stillness, leaving captain Soifon hanging suspended mid-air, clutching a knife.

"I guess you were right to set a ward with your fullbring, Giriko," Tsukishima noted. "She could have taken my head off-"

"Do something about her, quick!" Giriko managed, grunting, his breath quick and ragged, like he carried the weight of a skyscraper on his shoulders. "She's too powerful!"

"Got it," Tsukishima said, bringing out his fullbring. However, as his raised his blade, walking toward the frozen captain, she twitched, the raw force of her reiatsu beginning to undo the bindings of Giriko's fullbring. Tsukishima raised his blade and surged toward her, but there was a crackle of energy as if something had just broken, and his blade struck air as the captain broke free, landing on the ground and jumping back a good twenty yards.

"S-sorry…" Giriko muttered, breathing heavily. "These… these captains, it's like holding down a tidal flood or a landslide…"

"We'll be fine," said Tsukishima, turning back to Urahara. "And, you. How could you? I'm your best, oldest friend. How could you betray me like this?"

"I suspect," Urahara said coolly, "that what you really mean is, 'How were you able to do it?' You should be pleased to know that it's still in effect, that nasty little ability of yours. If it were not, I would already have put a knife in your back, you low-life."

Genuine surprise played across Tsukishima's face, surprise and anger, like that of a petulant child whose favourite toy had been taken from him all of a sudden.

"The truth is that I barely managed," said Urahara, "and even then, I still feel like you are my best friend, even though you are not. Even though there is only one person in the world I know as a true friend. It was just a matter of following the evidence. You made me do some quite extraordinary things, Shuukurou. Enough to make me question. Enough to make me think. But you've been prideful, too blind to the thought that your abilities have their limits and weaknesses. Blind enough to think that this," he said, tossing aside the remote control, "was anything more than a dummy."

"No matter," Tsukishima said. "Everyone, Urahara has gone mad, as well!"

"So I have," Urahara said cheerily, not moving an inch. "On that note, Yoruichi? We'll need to have ourselves a talk."

"Kisuke, what's going on?" Yoruichi demanded.

"That, I will explain soon," Urahara said, "although it will involve a fair amount of persuasion."

"You're not going anywhere," Tsukishima said.

"Oh, believe you me when I tell you that you need her to deal with the likes of me," Urahara said, and through the cheer of his voice there was cold, hard steel. "I may view you as a friend, but I will have no compunctions about going after any of the others, even my former shinigami allies."

Tsukishima appeared to weigh this for a second, then turned to Yoruichi.

"Deal with him," he spat. "Cut his throat and be done with it."

"Shuu, what are you…" Yoruichi said confusedly.

"Not a moment to waste, then," Urahara said cheerily. "Come now, Yoruichi. My throat won't cut itself." A step of shunpo took him away from the group.

Looking more confused than ever, Yoruichi followed him aside.

"Shuu, this is bad," Ginjou cautioned him. "If one turned free, who knows-"

Tsukishima snarled. "Everything is under control! That was just… a fluke. A small mistake."

"One that got us right into an ambush!"

"Shut up!" Tsukishima shouted. "Look at us; there's only four of them, and we've got allies, to boot. Byakuya!"

"Yes, Shuukurou?" said Byakuya, staring down Erza.

"Madness has taken them all," Tsukishima insisted. "You must subdue them. Lead the charge, and we will support you."

"I… cannot."

"What?!"

"You ask me to draw my blade against my fellow officers, my fellow captains. This I cannot do. It is one thing to ask me to settle a misunderstanding, even if the deception of it rankled me- but I cannot, will not come at my own with the intent to kill."

Tsukishima's face twisted with anger.

"I said you need to lead the charge, damn it! Don't you know who asks you? How can you say no to me of all people, with all I've done for you?"

"I do, indeed, appreciate your friendship and support, Shuukurou," said Byakuya, "but not long ago, I was ready to kill my own sister, for I was convinced I was right. I drew blades against my own. Pride and absolute moral certainty drove me to that point. You should know this much."

"Of… course I do," said Tsukishima, his tone conciliatory. "I understand it's hard for you, but…"

"Much is unclear," said Byakuya ponderously. "As a military operation, much of this makes no sense to me. Nor do I understand why the commander would suddenly turn on us. It is not consistent with her character. Nor do I understand what your relation to our cause against Aizen truly is. For you, Shuukurou, I would die- but I cannot draw blades against my own kind. Do not ask this of me."

"You have to!" Tsukishima insisted. "Come on, Byakuya, for me!"

"My most sincere apologies," said Byakuya, "but I must recuse myself. In time, I believe matters will be clear, but I cannot turn against the Gotei. I refuse."

"Fine!" Tsukishima said venomously. "Go stand back, then, coward!"

Byakuya nodded, stepping back and away from the gathering.

"Everything's fine!" Tsukishima insisted, although the tremble in his tone and the fury in his voice did little to assure the people around him. "We'll take care of this ourselves!"

"For the love of God, man, we'll get killed!" Ginjou said.

The fullbringers weren't unaffected. They were sharing uncertain glances, their eyes wandering between the enemy in front of them and Tsukishima himself.

"Give in before it's too late! We'll die!" Ginjou insisted.

"Not on your life, old man," Tsukishima said. "I'm done listening to you. I know how to twist the knife well enough- Momo, Orihime, go deal with Erza!"

Momo and Orihime nodded, and walked forward toward Erza.

"Ginjou, get with it or get out," Tsukishima said disdainfully, "but we're doing this. Isane, Nemu, deal with Matsumoto. Chad, Moe, get the blue-haired freak. Jackie, get the tomboy. Ichigo, Yukio, Giriko, stay back and protect me from that assassin bitch!"

"I'll… take care of the black-haired girl," Ginjou said resignedly. "God damn it, Shuu…"

---

Erza had taken a few steps forward to face the two most important people in her lives, while the rest of her allies spread out to face their respective opponents. Twist the knife, alright. As horrible as it was, she couldn't fault the strategy- Tsukishima had chosen to give her the two people it would be the hardest for her to tackle, the ones she would hold back against the most, the ones she wanted to hurt the least. She hadn't even drawn her blade; the thought of cutting either one of them even now felt unacceptable.

"Listen, you two," she began, "I know this is confusing to you."

She eyed them both, keeping herself in a combat-ready posture. They both seemed to notice, both raising their guard.

"It is confusing," Orihime said, sounding sad. "Erza, why did you turn against Shuu? He's our best friend."

Erza's face twisted with anger, and it had to have shown, because Momo said, "Something's not right. Maybe… he's probably right. There's something wrong with her head."

"He's not your friend!" Erza exploded, her frustrations overloading at last. "He never was! He's an emotionally manipulative snake, and he's using you both against me. He's twisted your minds. You've never known a Tsukishima in your life, he's just- he's just put himself into your memories. All the things you think you feel for him aren't real! You're both mine, damn it, my daughter and my girlfriend- mine, not his!"

"…Something's definitely wrong with her," Momo said, and Erza realized her outburst had only made things worse.

"I guess so," Orihime said, sighing. "Erza, just calm down. We don't want to hurt you."

Erza balled her fists, and forced herself to calm. She focused her mind elsewhere- how could she beat them quickly and easily? Momo was weaker than her by far, but she should not be underestimated, especially if she went all out. Her magic was potent, and assisted by Orihime, it could make for a very tricky battle.

"God damn it all…" she said with a sigh, and broke into a run, charging at them both.

"Hadou thirty-three: Soukatsui!" Momo cried.

"Tsubaki, Koten Zanshun!" Orihime cried.

Battle was joined, as miserable as it was.

---

Grimmjow was the only person on the scene with a genuine smile on his face, and even the fact that his opponents looked rather weak didn't phase him. He was starved for action, trembling with eagerness.

"Right, boys," he said, staring the two young men down, "don't disappoint me. I've gotten real blue-balled when it comes to proper fights recently, so make it good."

"He's a former espada," said Chad to Moe, "very powerful. Do not underestimate him."

"The tougher they talk, the weaker they are," Moe said dismissively, "but us, we put our money where our mouth is, don't we?"

Chad grunted in agreement, and his arms transformed; the black-and-red of Brazo Derecha de Gigante, and the bone-white of Brazo Izquierda del Diablo.

"Decent power output," Grimmjow said approvingly. "Get a good one in, and I might feel it." He nodded eagerly. "What about you, punk kid? Don't tell me you're as weak as you look."

"Who the hell are you calling a punk, punk?" Moe snarled, stamping his foot into the ground. "Yeah, people always talk shit to me like that, but they don't like me so much when I blow 'em away with a single punch!"

"Struck a nerve, did I?" snorted Grimmjow.

"Moe, don't let him provoke you!" Chad said, and raised his red arm, holding out a palm. "He may think you're weak. Let's show him what you're made of."

"Hell yeah!" cried Moe, invigorated by Chad's words. "Golden Luck, go!"

A set of brass knuckles, golden in colour, manifested over his hands. He clacked them together, shooting a cocky grin. Grimmjow just watched with amusement. Moe struck the palm of Chad's hand once, twice, three times, every consecutive blow getting stronger. By the seventh blow, he radiated power.

"Seven-in-a-row combo, bitch," Moe said. "How do you like me now?"

"Meh," Grimmjow said with a shrug.

"You little-" Moe started, but Chad cut him off.

"Seven times seven combo. You'll need it."

"Can-can you handle that stress?" Moe said. "It's as high as I've ever gone. That's some crazy power."

"If anyone can, it's me. Do it."

Chad's arm morphed into a shield, and he braced himself. Moe struck the shield, again and again, his fists moving at superhuman speed; Grimmjow lost count of the blows, and whistled. The kid's power was climbing, rising to a level beyond insignificance, at the least. These humans were weird, and their powers worked oddly, but they weren't nothing.

A second later, Moe stopped, humming with power. Chad winced a little, dismissing the shield; the sheer amount of punishment had worn on him.

"I'll go first," the enormous teenager said, cracking his knuckles. "I'll make an opening for you."

"Finally," Grimmjow said. "I was just about to fall asleep over here."

Chad didn't respond, but roared his loudest battle-cry and charged, coming in first with his right arm, the black and red slamming at Grimmjow with tremendous force. Grinning, Grimmjow braced himself and caught the fist in both hands, not yielding an inch.

"Good hit," he said. "Well, not really. You better do more than that."

"Your arrogance is the one thing working against you, arrancar," Chad said, raising his left arm, his power surging. "La Muerte!"

The punch struck Gimmjow in the gut, and the air was forced out of his lungs as the former espada slid back, finally giving ground.

"Moe!" Chad cried.

"Already on it!" the punk cried, charging forward. "Forty-nine consecutive hit… COMBO!"

The uppercut hit Grimmjow on the jaw, and his mind blurred as he staggered back, nearly losing his footing. For a moment, he swayed on his feet, groggy, shaking his head, trying to make sense of things. That had hit like a truck!

"Seven-combo!" Chad said, raising his palm. "Quick, we'll finish him together!"

"You got it!" Moe called, striking Chad's fist seven times rapidly, the both of them charging in.

"La Muerte!" Chad cried, his white arm making a fist as his power surged.

"Seven-hit combo!"

Together, they slammed into Grimmjow with a double punch, Chad with an uppercut to his jaw and Moe with a straight punch to his face. The arrancar was knocked off his feet, sailing through the air for several yards before landing on the ground, lying still. Blood trailed down his face, and fresh red marks were forming; there would be swellings and nasty bruises before long.

"Hell yeah!" Moe said, skipping into the air, punching energetically. "Who's the punk now, huh? We got him, Chad!"

Chad nodded. "He underestimated our power-"

"We-ell," Grimmjow said, and in one smooth move he jumped to his feet with cat-like agility. He was bent over, his hair shadowing his bloodied face, giving him the look of some unearthly ghoul. "I gotta hand it to ya, I actually felt that."

Moe's eyes widened with shock, and Chad took a stance, arms raised.

"I'll admit it, I let you get that one in. Wanted to be sure you weren't just little kitty-cats without claws. But now that you showed me what you got…"

He cracked his knuckles and grinned widely, looking much like a shark.

"I'll hold back from using my sword. Don't want it to be over too quickly. C'mon, give me a real fight, or I'll fuckin' kill ya."

Chad and Moe breathed in as his power began to surge. To think they had thought, for even a second, that they had downed the likes of him…

---

"Rangiku, please," said Isane pleadingly, "put down your sword, and we can talk about it. Shuukurou, he just wants to help-"

"God damn him," Rangiku hissed. "Isane, I will not listen to that kind of talk, is that clear?!"

She stood in a battle stance, blade out, whereas Isane had refrained from drawing her weapon. Nemu, on the other hand, stood ready. Even unarmed, even without a zanpakutou, Rangiku knew the woman had been modified to be quite formidable. What was worse, Isane was a competent kidou caster, and if she backed up Nemu, this would be a hard fight. Worse, there was no way she could go all out- Haineko could do horrible things if she wanted it to, but these were her friends and colleagues. Damn it…

"She won't listen to reason," Nemu said indifferently. "I understand why you would try to talk her down, Isane, but I am confident it will not work. We have no choice in the matter."

"Damn it…" Isane said. "Something is wrong here."

"Yes," Nemu agreed. "We'll have to settle it later, though. Right now, we must subdue her by any means necessary."

"You're right," Isane said with a sigh. "Let's get this over with. Nemu, take point. I'll back you up."

"Roger that," said Nemu, taking a step forward. "Engaging."

The next moment she was on Rangiku, a bone-shattering punch just barely blocked by Rangiku's zanpakutou.

"Shou!" Rangiku cried, pushing back Nemu. Out of options, she knew of nothing she could do except drag this out. Damn it, Erza, get rid of that manipulating bastard already…

---

Tatsuki paced around the taller woman, feeling the rush of power inside her. She felt very glad of the training Yoruichi had given her, because the enemy in front of her moved with confidence, and seemed to have some measure of power. What was worse, she was sure to know much more about Tatsuki's strengths than Tatsuki knew about hers; this 'fullbringer' was a mystery to her.

"Arisawa Tatsuki," Tatsuki said as the woman began to match her pace, both of them circling around each other, neither taking their eye off the other, "but then again, you know that already, don't you?"

"Jackie Tristan," said the fullbringer, "and yes, I did."

"What's your game?" Tatsuki said. In reality, she was just making small talk while trying to gauge her opponent. Right now, it seemed like she was at least no amateur. Power thrummed under the surface of her collected appearance, and she moved well and carefully with strong posture, indicating a fair amount of training. "What do you expect you'll get out of this?"

"Home," Jackie said sincerely. "That's all we've ever wanted."

"Funny way of going about it," Tatsuki said.

"It's out of my hands," Jackie said with a shrug, "and yours, too. Right now, it's just the two of us. Your job is to beat me, and mine is to beat you. So, let's stop sizing each other up while just running our mouths. That's what boys do, and we're better than that."

"Ladies first," Tatsuki said sarcastically.

"Still holding back, huh? Too cautious? Maybe even… scared?"

"What was that about talking big and being better than that?" Tatsuki shot back.

"Hmph," Jackie snorted. "Have it your way. Hurricane Boots!"

Tatsuki knew next to nothing about how a fullbring worked, except that their powers didn't seem to fall under the categories of power one found among quincies, shinigami and arrancar. She felt ready enough, though, but even with her guard up she was nearly knocked out instantaneously. There was a surge of power, lasting less than the blink of an eye, and suddenly Jackie had closed the distance, a spinning roundhouse kick striking at Tatsuki's head. She only barely parried the blow, feeling deeply grateful that she had taken the time to wrap her wrists and hands in protective cloth. Even with the moderate protection it offered, she was knocked off-balance and sent tumbling. Thinking on her feet, Tatsuki turned the tumble into a roll and got back up just in time to parry an axe kick. She raised both arms into a cross, her shoulders sending her sharp jolts of pain at the sheer force of the attack she blocked. She rolled back again, getting to her feet and leaping to the side immediately, avoiding another axe kick. Neatly she put her hands on the forest floor, flipping over onto her feet with ease. She took a skip back to avoid another roundhouse kick, finally catching her bearings again.

Jackie was not relenting in the slightest. She kept her arms clutched tightly up against her chest, letting her lightning-fast legs do the work for her. Tatsuki kept her arms raised, dodging, evading, parrying, and trying to make sense of things. Her opponent was fast and strong, although the speed seemed to come sporadically, in bursts, rather than the smooth and easy flow of a well-trained fighter. What-

Suddenly a kick slipped through Tatsuki's guard, and the heel of Jackie's booth struck her just beneath her ribcage, halfway knocking the air out of her lungs. Tatsuki gasped for breath as she staggered back, nearly colliding with a tree trunk. She twisted aside, and a split second later, the tree was nearly ripped in two as Jackie's boot struck it. The force of it was incredible. Tatsuki was reeling, staggering, and she knew that if she let herself be hit again it would spiral downward, that it would only get worse until the situation was unwinnable. As another sweeping kick came in, Tatsuki dug into her own power reserves, drawing on the technique she had been holding back. In an instant, she moved twenty yards back, drawing a much-needed breath.

"Oh?" said Jackie, confidently walking toward Tatsuki. "Looks like you have some tricks of your own, huh? What's your fullbring called?"

"You haven't even told me what yours is," Tatsuki said, short of breath and eager to know anything she could.

"What can you make out yourself?"

"It's tied to those boots, right?" said Tatsuki, keeping her guard up. "You're fast, but… it's not you that's fast. Those boots make you fast, but only for a second at a time or so. Isn't that right?"

"Clever girl," Jackie said.

"Call me a velociraptor," Tatsuki said jokingly. "As for what mine is… make me show it, and you'll soon know."

"Awful cocky for a girl with more power than she knows how to handle," said Jackie, raising an eyebrow. She was almost within striking range now. "You've had your powers for what, maybe a couple months? You move like a rookie. You're not accustomed to using spiritual power. Me, I have over fifteen years of training. Do yourself a favour and give up."

"I guess I'm not the only one that's clever!" Tatsuki said, lunging. She went for a high kick of her own, which was instantly blocked. The boots, she noticed, emanated the same burst of reiatsu as before- she had been correct in her assessment. With the jerky, sped-up way they moved, it was clear her powers were effective… but not as effective as the ones Tatsuki had been learning. She could do this.

As Jackie blocked her kick, Tatsuki surged forward with her hand, balancing perfectly on one foot. She grabbed Jackie by the ankle, and pushed back. Jackie, surprised, stumbled back and lost her footing, and now it was Tatsuki's turn. There was a burst of bright, yellow, crackling energy and she surged forward, a powered fist striking at Jackie. The woman pushed Tatsuki's fist aside, just barely avoiding a strike that sent dirt and moss spraying across the forest floor, leaving a small crater where it hit. Jackie rolled to the side, throwing a handful of dirt at Tatsuki's face as she did so. She was not bad at thinking on her feet, it had to be admitted.

"That was power!" Jackie said, as Tatsuki began her assault, striking out rapidly with jabs and punches. "What the hell have you been holding back, girl?"

"I told you, make me show it!" Tatsuki shouted back.

It's not ready yet, she thought, and dangerous. I have to finish this before I have to use it, if it's possible…

As Tatsuki continued her assault, Jackie was content to defend for the time being. She had underestimated her enemy, she realized now. The girl'd had training, she was sure of it, real training, and there was power to boot. She was at least Jackie's equal. Jackie blocked a punch, feeling a burning sensation in her palm; there was force there now that hadn't been there before. Power. It radiated from the girl in uneven bursts, emanating from her lithe frame like tidal waves.

Jackie knew she couldn't let her keep going like this. The girl's combat skills were superior to her own, and if she let the girl drag this out, she would lose. She was getting surer of it every second. She stared at Tatsuki, eyebrows narrowed, pushed back by another vicious strike.

Nothing for it, thought Jackie. Sorry, kid…

As Tatsuki came in for another strike, Jackie sent a burst of reiatsu down into her boots, letting the conduits of her power overcharge.

"Hurricane overload!" she cried.

Tatsuki blinked. She had come in for a strike, then Jackie had vanished, and-

She spun around by instinct, just barely in time to block the strike from behind. A sweeping kick spun at her with enormous force. Tatsuki had a brief sensation of an explosive discharge of spiritual power before it connected, and then she felt the numb shock of the impact. She had blocked it perfectly, raising her left arm up and letting the right support it, bracing herself to minimize the impact.

This, she realized as she tumbled across the forest floor, had been a mistake. For a few moments, the world was utter chaos, spinning round and round, every second bringing with it new sensations of pain, until a final hit punctuated it when a tree trunk stopped her undignified fall. The world was spinning. Her entire body was filled with aches. Somehow she got to her feet, feeling as if she had lost contact with her body, like every limb was something she had to control by force. She made herself breathe slowly, to try to collect herself. She had taken a fair few hits before, both in her karate career and the adventure in the Soul Society, but this one was something else.

"Whuh- whah?" she managed, dimly aware that a human-sized shape of some form was coming toward her. The world was still spinning, only now beginning to slowly stabilize. She blinked quickly, shaking her head in an effort get it together, and raised her arms to take a stance.

When only her right came up, she realized something was wrong. Her vision stabilized just in time to see her left arm, twisted badly and broken. Tatsuki took a few ragged breaths, clutching the limb. She felt numb there, like it was somebody else's arm cracked like a twig.

"Too green," Jackie said, shaking her head. She had her arms crossed, guard lowered, seeming sure Tatsuki was no longer a threat. "You weren't ready for it, were you?"

"My… my mistake," Tatsuki said, gasping for breath. "I saw it. Now that… that I think about it. You used a whole lot of power to… to move really quick and hit me with- with a charged strike."

"Give up," said Jackie flatly. "Give in and sit down, and I will leave you as you are. If not, I'll beat you till you're bloody. I will do it, girl. My family's at stake here."

"Go… to hell…" Tatsuki said stubbornly, raising a fist.

"Honestly, I swear to God…" Jackie said, exasperated. "You really are as bad as any of the boys."

"Boys don't got a monopoly on being stubborn," Tatsuki said, finally starting to regain her bearings. Her left arm hanging limp, she took a stance.

"Look at you," Jackie said, scoffing. "You can barely stand! You probably have a concussion on top of that busted arm."

"Guess you'll just have to beat me bloody."

"Fine," Jackie said, taking a stance again. "Damn you, Arisawa…"

She launched into a sweeping kick, but as she did, Tatsuki's reiatsusurged. With her one good arm, she caught the kick, stopping it with ease. Jackie's eyes widened.

"Told you you had to beat it out of me," Tatsuki said, grinning at the fullbringer's shocked expression.

Her reiatsu was peaking now, overwhelming power radiating from her frame. Yellow energy crackled around her, small bolts of lightning striking out around her. The energy wrapped around her like form-fitting cloth, the lightning still sizzling around her form. Suddenly hesitant, Jackie took a step back.

Tatsuki lunged, sensing her hesitance. Jackie raised her arms to block, but Tatsuki's hand slipped under her guard at the last second, moving at superhuman speed. There was the shriek of lightning discharging, and Jackie gasped, nearly knocked off her feet as she staggered back.

"Raijin," Tatsuki said. "Only thought of the name a couple days ago. Still a hell of a long way from finished. Dangerous, because it eats at me and drains my reiatsu in less than a minute. Could kill me. So now it's my turn to say: Sit down and give up, or I'm putting you down."

Jackie stood upright, catching her breath. Defiantly, she took a stance again. "It's like you said," she exclaimed. "Boys don't have a monopoly on being stubborn."

"Suit yourself," said Tatsuki, annoyed.

In a flash, she was gone, reappearing twenty yards away, dashing around Jackie more quickly than the human eye could follow. Jackie still tried to keep up, still spun around to face where she thought Tatsuki would be, but every time, the teenager had moved on.

"Damn it!" Jackie shouted. "Stop running and fight, you-"

She got her wish before she could finish her sentence. Tatsuki slammed into the fullbringer, catching her in a lariat and sending lightning energy discharging across Jackie's entire body. She let out a pained gasp and slammed into the earth, paralyzed with shock.

Tatsuki stood over her, breathing heavily, and let the yellow aura dissipate. There was the crackle of static electricity, and then it was gone, Tatsuki seeming as normal as ever before.

"God… damn…" Jackie said, staring up at her, lying on her back. "You could have ended me immediately with that."

"Probably," Tatsuki confessed, "but my sensei- who you stole, by the way- taught me about self-discipline. This thing is… dangerous, and I'm still working out the kinks. The fact that you survived means I've made some real progress, though. I was afraid I'd turn you into paste."

"Damn… it…" Jackie muttered, trying to raise an arm. Her fingers trembled a little, then lay still.

"You got your wish, though," said Tatsuki, breathing heavily. "I'm… gonna have to sit down for a bit. I'm still human, like you. With my arm like this, I won't do anything except get in their way. Everything else… is up to the others, I guess."

She sat down, leaned against a tree trunk, and kept an eye on Jackie. The blast could have stunned a rhino; she doubted the fullbringer was going anywhere. She hoped Erza would take care of this soon. Her arm was making itself reminded, and… soon it would really start to hurt. Orihime, please be safe…

---

"Santen kesshun!"

Erza slammed into the barrier, her charge stopped dead in its tracks.

"Shakkahou!"

Momo's spell struck Erza in the side. The red, fiery blast expanded outward like an infernal blossom. Erza felt the sting of the heat and the shock of the explosion, but she held firm. She growled, a deep, throaty sound born of hate, and balled her fist. She slammed it into the shield in front of her, and Orihime's barrier trembled. She could have moved around it with a simple shunpo, but right now, she didn't want to. One strike, two strike, three strikes, and the glowing barrier shattered like glass.

"She's too strong!" Orihime cried. "Momo, you have to-"

Momo was already on top of it, having fired off another Soukatsui just as the barrier shattered, but Erza rolled forward, feeling the rush of heat as the magical flames missed her. She got to her feet and dashed forward; a single leap brought her within striking range of Orihime. She grabbed the girl by the collar with both hands, staring her in the eyes.

"Young lady, you stop this right now!" she bellowed fiercely. "I am damn well your mother, and you need to stand down. Don't make me hurt you. Don't make me do this!"

"You taught me to stand up for myself!" Orihime shouted right back, staring wild-eyed and angry. Erza could hear the fear in her voice, felt it in the way she trembled and struggled against her hold, and it made her hate herself. "You taught me not to back down when I believe I'm doing what's right! He's my friend, Erza!"

Erza let out a frustrated snarl. "You listen-"

"Shou!"

The spell, although lacking a chant and being on the lowest end of the hadou scale, still hit Erza hard enough to knock her off her feet. Momo was good at this.

"Bakudou sixty-three: Sajou Sabaku!"

Too good. Erza hastened to her feet, but only barely managed to stand before the golden chains wrapped around her. Momo muttered another incantation while Erza struggled against the chains, and then cried,

"Bakudou sixty-one: Rikujoukourou!"

The six pillars slammed into Erza with full force, holding her in place as only a fully chanted bakudou cast by a master could. She writhed, struggled against its grip, but where the chains had only slowed her down, the second spell had all but paralyzed her.

"Please, stop," Momo said severely. "I will cast a much stronger spell if I have to. You won't break free before I can manage it, I know you that well."

"Erza, please," Orihime pleaded. "We'll just call Shuu over, and-"

"NO!" Erza roared. "No, damn it! Can't you see it's all wrong? Stop and think for a moment, the both of you!"

She took a few breaths, and cast a glance toward Tsukishima. Further off, he was still looking around the woods, anticipating Soifon's next attack. Erza decided to risk it, to try to reason with them. Forcing herself calm, she said, "Does any of this make any sense to either one of you? Orihime, I'm your mother, and I am telling you I've never met Tsukishima until yesterday. Momo, I bet you remember him far back, don't you? As an old friend?"

"Of course," Momo said, her guard up. The golden runes on her skin were glowing, and Erza was all too grateful she hadn't gone all out. Being hit by a high-level offensive spell while trapped could be devastating, even for her.

"An old friend from your academy days, even?"

"He's always been there for me," Momo said slowly. "Yes, since... back then. He helped tutor me with my swordsmanship."

Erza felt the bile rise in her throat, and bit back an undignified, That was me, it was I who did that! Not him! Instead, she said, "And, Orihime, you remember him similarly, don't you?"

"Since… I was very little, yes," Orihime said. "He was my best friend next to Tatsuki. He stood up for me against the bullies when my brother died…"

Erza felt white-hot anger burn in her chest. Was there no end to what that bastard fullbringer would steal from her?

"Think," she said, taking another deep breath to stop herself from screaming with frustration. "Tell me, is Tsukishima a shinigami?"

"Of course not," said Orihime, just as Momo said, "He must be."

They both looked at each other in confusion.

"You think he is," said Erza, looking to Momo, "because he'd have to be if he was with you that long ago, right? Otherwise, he'd be an old man, grey-haired and wrinkled. Humans do not live long like we do. And you, Orihime," she said, turning to her daughter, "you think he's human because he's the right age. Not far from you. But they can't both be true, can they?"

"He…" Momo said. "I mean, he…"

"He must be a shinigami, then," said Orihime. "Maybe he's been using a gigai all along."

"Yeah!" said Momo. "Yes, of course. That has to be it."

"Are you hearing yourself?" shouted Erza. "You tell me 'that has to be it'? If he was your best and closest friend, why did you have to stop and think of an explanation? If he was your best and oldest friend, wouldn't you know right away what the truth was?"

They both looked uncertain now, the two of them sharing uncomfortable glances.

"None of this makes any sense if you just stop and think," Erza insisted. "How could a human be commanding all these shinigami? How could he be a shinigami, when he doesn't have a zanpakutou? Quick, ask yourself if you know what his zanpakutou is, without having to think of one first- you should know this! Tell me!"

"He must…" Momo said. "I mean, he was in the academy with me. He must have one."

"Is there anyone you were friends with at the academy whose sword you didn't know the name of?" Erza insisted.

"I…" Momo said, her eyes seeming blank. She shook her head, and ran her hands through her hair.

"I feel… so confused. Erza, what… what's…. I mean, what's going on?"

"Listen, Momo," Erza said pleadingly. "I'm Erza. I am yours, and you are mine. He's made you forget, and… I can't forgive that. But you and I, we are… we're…"

Momo looked at her blankly, and Erza thought she saw something there. For a moment, she had hope.

"I just… I want us to stop fighting," Momo said. "Can we please stop fighting? You're right, this… this isn't right…"

She looked at Erza, long and hard.

"Please," Erza asked longingly. "Please Momo, come back to me!"

"Erza… I…"

For a moment, Erza was sure she had gotten through to her, and she smiled at her. "My Momo," she said gently. "My Momo. Please, I'm right here…"

"…No," Momo said, shaking her head. Something in her look changed, and when next she spoke, all the tension in her voice was gone. "We have to subdue you. For Tsukishima. Everything will be fine. We'll sort out everything later."

"GOD DAMN IT!" Erza cried out.

"Momo, maybe… maybe we should…" Orihime muttered.

"There's nothing to talk about," said Momo gently. "We'll knock her out and then Shuu will settle it. You're loyal to him, aren't you?"

"Of course," said Orihime. "It's just…"

"Whatever it is, we'll work it out later."

Erza had had enough. She felt as if that monster of a man had taken Momo from her twice, not just once. He had bent her mind, enslaved her, replaced Erza. A massive surge of reiatsu built inside her, rising explosively.

"Oh, crap!" Momo shouted, and begun to chant another spell. "Orihime-"

Erza let out a long, loud, primal scream, low and guttural, and Momo's spell shattered under the surge of power. Before her mind-warped girlfriend could finish casting, Erza had surged forward, knocking Momo off her feet with a hard shove. It did no real damage, thankfully, but her spell was cut short. Erza turned to Orihime, who had raised her arms up and taken a stance.

"Orihime, I'm very sorry about this," Erza said coldly. "I know you'll understand later."

"Tsubaki-"

In an instant, Erza stood behind her daughter, a single shunpo step having taken her where she needed to go. Orihime turned around, but her reflexes were only human. Erza's hand connected with Orihime's neck, the blow just hard enough to knock out the girl. Orihime dropped like a sack of potatoes, and Erza quickly bent down to check that nothing was broken. Assured that her daughter was breathing properly, needing to suffer nothing worse than a bruise, Erza turned to Momo.

"Don't come any closer!" Momo said. Her voice was loud and aggressive, and Erza could tell she was trying to be intimidating, but she heard the fear underneath it: the tremor in her voice, the uncertainty of her posture. Momo was afraid of her, of what she'd do to her, and a wave of hatred welled up in Erza's chest. The worst thing of all was that she would have to hurt her, because Momo was not an insignificant threat. At that very moment, she imagined Tsukishima dead, and found satisfaction in the image. Just for a moment, before she caught herself, shook her head, and refocused.

She took a step forward. Momo raised her hands, taking a stance for the conjuring of a powerful kidou spell, and cried, "Bakudou sixty-three: Sajou Sabaku!"

Erza met the spell head on, surging toward Momo. She extended an arm, letting the great chain wrap around her, first the arm and then her entire body. But, as the spell concluded and the chains began to constrict, Erza refused to yield, standing upright, pushing back against the force of the spell.

"That's the thing about this spell, or any bakudou for that matter," said Erza darkly, her free hand grasping at the length of chain wrapping around her shoulder. "If you know it's coming and you know the spell, it's much less effective. A spell like this you can brace against, and suddenly it's just a mess of reiatsu trying to keep you down. And in a pure contest of spiritual power, the greater source always wins."

Her own reiatsusurged, and Erza's knuckles whitened as she grasped at the chain, tugging at it hard, flexing the muscles in her body against the magical energies. The spell, incomplete and lacking the force of a full chant, began to crack.

"You taught me that," Erza said, her heart aching at the knowledge of what she would have to do. "I'm not great at kido, but I do listen. I do keep up on the basics. And this," Erza said, tugging viciously one last time, letting out a grunt as the chains shattered around her, "won't be enough."

Momo gasped lightly, taking a hesitant step back.

"For the last time," said Erza, towering over her, "stop. You won't cast another spell before I'm on you. I'm too fast and too strong. The key to kidou combat is distance and mobility, and right now, you have neither."

It was an intimidating boast, and it helped that it was true. Erza was just in front of her, less than a yard between them. Momo's will seemed to falter, and for a moment, Erza dared to hope it could end here, that maybe somehow she could reason her out of it-

And then Momo's face hardened, displaying a stubborn defiance Erza would have found deeply admirable in any other context.

"Bakudou-"

Erza's fist lashed out, catching Momo in the gut, interrupting the spell before Momo could even muster the appropriate energies. Momo gasped, the air knocked out of her lungs, just barely remaining standing. Erza grabbed her by the arm, staring her down furiously. If Momo feared her now, then at least let that fear be useful. At least let it stop her from hurting her girlfriend again…

"He was right," Momo whimpered. "You really have gone mad-"

Hating herself almost as much as she hated Tsukishima, Erza brought down a fist on Momo's face, knocking her to the ground. Momo was sent tumbling by the force of the blow, and Erza quickly hurried after her, wanting to make sure she was not hurt. She found Momo out cold, and realized her nails had dug into her palms hard enough to draw blood.

That son of a bitch!

---

"Hakuren!"

The cloud of icy mist burst forward, and Ginjou had the good sense to move out of the way rather than brace himself. His knowledge of zanpakutou was limited as it was, but he'd noticed enough about the shinigami's weapon to realize it was focused on freezing people in place. Despite leaping to the side, though, the end of his blade was caught, suddenly lodged in a wall of solid ice. His heart beating rapidly, he tried to wrench the weapon free. The shinigami gave him no reprieve, though, charging him while his blade was stuck. No holding back against a helpless opponent- about as much as he'd expected.

Part of him wondered why he even fought. This was their doom. This was where they were all going to die. If he let himself be skewered now, he'd die and be spared watching the rest of them suffer the same fate. Yet, for some reason he couldn't quite pin down, he still struggled, still tried to break the blade loose, still mapped out a way to fight this shinigami as if he could win.

It wasn't spite. Somehow, it wasn't hate that drove him. For some reason he couldn't quite pin down, he refused to give in, not yet.

Not while his kids still breathed.

The shinigami came in with an overhead diagonal swing aimed at his head, and Ginjou momentarily let go of his blade, dodging under the blade by bending back. He lost his balance, but before he fell he grabbed onto the handle of his stuck blade, and in a surprise attack, he used the leverage to launch himself forward feet-first, catching the soldier-woman in the chest. She staggered back a few steps, surprised by the move, and Ginjou pulled himself to his feet, grasping the blade with both hands. Taking hold of it, he flexed his muscles and exerted as much reiatsu as he dared, trying to wrench it free. Just as the shinigami recovered from her stumble, holding her blade up again, his Cross of Scaffold came free, and he raised the great blade just in time to parry an overhead slash coming down at him. She was small, short in stature and lean of frame, but she pushed with the force of a tsunami, nearly throwing Ginjou off his feet by force alone. Shinigami were insane; nobody that size had a right to be this powerful.

Ginjou pushed back, though. His own reiatsu, despite having been kept mostly inactive, was no joke. Straining with every muscle in his body, he grit his teeth and grunted. The shinigami did not push further, instead breaking off to launch a series of quick slashes. Ginjou parried, taking a few steps back to make sure he kept some distance between them.

"Damn you," he grunted. "Damn this whole thing!"

"You got what you wanted, did you not?" the shinigami said, sending out a thrust that nearly caught him in the throat. Ginjou evaded, skipping back only to have a ball of red fire thrown at him. Startled, he rolled to the side, feeling the searing heat of the spell narrowly miss him. He heard the hissing sound of his jacket reacting to the heat, and smelled burnt leather. Damn it, he'd forgotten they could use magic, too!

"How do you think this is any of what I wanted?" he demanded, narrowly parrying another strike, pushed back once more. Part of him was amazed he was still standing. She was stronger than him, faster, and more experienced, but somehow he was still there.

"How is it not?" The shinigami demanded, disappearing from view. Ginjou spun around, knowing how fast the black-robed bastards could move, and nearly failed to parry a stab. Her blade raked against his arm, drawing blood before he pushed her back.

"I just wanted to be left in peace, damn it!" Ginjou snarled. "Before that bastard Captain Ukitake set me up, all I wanted was my life back! And before this clusterfuck happened, I just wanted my kids to be safe! Fuck's sake, shinigami, this is all wrong!"

"Liar," said the shinigami cautiously, raising her blade again. Ginjou held his sword raised, ready to face any attack.

"…Did you say Captain Ukitake?" she said, still keeping her guard raised. Ginjou did, as well.

"Long white hair, likeable demeanour, coughs up blood from time to time," said Ginjou. "What about it?"

"That's my captain," said Rukia sharply, "and he would never deceive anyone. Now I know you are a liar."

"Tell that to the masked men that came at me when I wanted out," Ginjou spat.

"You cannot deceive me," she said firmly. "Your people came here, to us. This was not our doing."

"Yeah, well," Ginjou said, "fuck me, nothing I say matters, does it? There's nothing I can do left, so just get it over with! Just fuckin' go ahead and kill me. I won't make it easy, you bastard crow of a death god, but there's nothing else left!"

He spoke from the heart, his voice trembling from more than just the rush of adrenaline. A tear trailed down his cheek. The shinigami gave him an odd look, and appeared to hesitate.

"Fuckin' hell!" Ginjou snarled, charging forward. "Aren't you grim reapers? If you want my life, then come and take it!"

She parried his overhead strike, and he snarled. There was nothing left except dying. There would be no glorious last stand, no moral victory, no defiance till the end. Just death, all of them joining each other in the grave. At least… at least they'd be together. That was all he had left now.

---

Tsukishima looked around from one side to the next. All around him, battle was joined, but his concern was the assassin. She had disappeared from view, and right now, only Giriko's formidable abilities could protect him.

"Shuu!" Ichigo said, pointing to the red-headed captain. She had beaten down the two girls he'd sent at her, and was advancing on them, blade drawn and murder in her eyes. Tsukishima cursed under his breath. He'd gotten the impression that Erza Scarlet was the sentimental type, and he'd hoped that sending her daughter and best friend at her would have tied her down at least a little longer. But, they were both out cold on the forest floor, and judging by the look in her eye, she had not taken kindly to his strategy.

Her power was a thing to behold, too. It roared, flaring like a raw pillar of force, almost choking him out even from a distance.

"Go deal with her!" he barked at Ichigo, feeling a tinge of fear. Ichigo had been his ace-in-the-hole, especially now that the useless nobleman captain had backed out with a whimper. He was insanely strong, and fast, both of which were essential to dealing with the likes of Captain Soifon- but right now, with a powerhouse like Erza Scarlet bearing down on him, there was no choice left.

"But- but she's Erza!"

"And I'm me!" Tsukishima snarled. "She wants to kill me, Ichigo! Are you going to let that happen?"

"…No," Ichigo said, shaking his head. "No, never. Hang tight, Shuu. I'll deal with it."

His own power flared up, and Tsukishima felt momentarily awed at the power he had turned to his side. Just being near these two titans made him feel like an insect too close to an open flame. It was a hateful sensation to have, but right now, he had more immediate concerns. As Ichigo rushed to face the irate commander, Tsukishima looked from one side of the forest to the next, paranoid.

"It's just us now, guys," he said, managing to keep his cool. "Giriko, Riruka, Yukio, we can do it. She may be a captain, but she hasn't counted on our abilities. We know everything about them, and they know nothing about us."

"Yeah!" said Yukio, and Tsukishima felt very glad that the kid was still young. Riruka looked less certain, but she'd been a mess ever since this whole thing started.

"Focus," Tsukishima insisted. "Right now, it's kill-or-be-killed. Don't hold anything back. If she comes at us, Giriko will slow her down. All it takes is for the two of you to keep her off balance for just a moment. One hit from my Book of the End, and it's over!"

"So it is."

The voice, quite calm and sharp, sent chills down Tsukishima's spine. She had reappeared right in front of them as if through magic, by the power Tsukishima understood to be shunpo. Giriko immediately pointed his hands at her, palms out, and there was that ripple of power Tsukishima recognized. In an instant, she was gone, but now they could follow her with their eyes, her super-rapid movements slowed. Even so, she was much too fast to catch, and Tsukishima was not about to take an aggressive stance.

"Defensive formation!" he barked. "Giriko, keep sharp! Make her come to us; don't let her bait you!"

"You know," said the assassin-captain, stopping her run around them, "you just boasted that we know nothing of you. You shouldn't be so sure. For one, I just realized the limitations of your big, one-eyed friend's power."

She turned to Giriko, and spoke calmly, and authoritatively. "That first ability you used ate up a lot of your reiatsu, didn't it? You're moving slower than before, even for a human. Your ability to slow me down is already wearing off. That was your ace-in-the-hole, and you've wasted it. You know you're growing weaker every time you use it. You've probably never used it on a creature of my class before."

"Don't let her get in your head!" Tsukishima cried. A bead of sweat trailed down Giriko's forehead, and he knew there was something to what she was saying. He was no expert in telling reiatsu levels, but it was clear he was getting tired.

"And what's more, you have to aim it at me. That wider area of effect… you can't even use it again, can you? Because it eats too much energy."

"Shut up!" Giriko rumbled.

"I'm the second-fastest thing alive," said the assassin matter-of-factly, "and the fastest thing alive is currently occupied fighting the man you failed to control. I am coming for you, Tsukishima Shuukurou."

"I'm not dead yet!" Tsukishima snarled defiantly.

"You three," said the assassin, "step aside. I don't want any one of you. Just him."

"You can't trust her word!" Tsukishima said sharply. "She'll kill us all!"

"He's right," said Yukio. "Go to hell, lady. We're not falling for that!"

"Y-yeah," said Riruka.

"Suit yourselves," she said, disappearing from view in an instant once more.

"Giriko," said Tsukishima sharply, "we get one shot at this. Can you do it again?"

"I… I might die," said Giriko wearily, "if I do the time bomb I set up before."

"If you can't, we all die!" Tsukishima spat. "Everyone is counting on you, so stop being so selfish!"

"I'll… manage something," Giriko said with a nod. "We just need one shot, right?"

"Yeah," Tsukishima said.

"When she comes at us, stay back. Riruka, Yukio," said Giriko firmly, "with me. The move we practiced. Together, as one. If we can knock her over just once…"

"Then it's all over," Riruka mumbled, getting noticeably paler. "Yeah, sure. Let's… do this."

Only moments later, there was the black streak around them, the assassin moving around them too quickly for their eyes to follow, looking for an opening.

"Can you hit her again?" Tsukishima whispered.

"Patience," Giriko grunted. "She's right: I'm running low. If I try to hit her with a normal attack now, I'll miss and just waste my energy, and the time bomb is a non-option."

"I thought your Father Time fullbring was one of the most absurdly powerful things I ever heard of," Tsukishima muttered.

"A fullbring is as limited as its user. I'm only human," Giriko muttered, his eyes darting back and forth. The assassin was still circling them, keeping on the move to avoid his attacks. "But, then again," he said, "she has to come to us. No matter how fast… she can't dodge this."

"Giriko!" Yukio shouted. Before the word had even completed, the black blur was upon them. Giriko was only grateful his fullbring could be set off like a proximity mine; reaction time alone would not ever have been enough. As the black blur closed in, a pulse emanated, drawing a fair share of his reiatsu,and Giriko groaned with the strain. Affecting something this powerful ate up even more of it than usual; in fact, he could not recall ever having been this exhausted from a fight.

But, it worked. The blur slowed down until it was something that could be seen, a shape recognizable as human. The shape of a young woman with a cold expression, and murder in her eyes, her very being blazing with monstrous spiritual power.

"Get behind me, Shuukurou!" Giriko barked. Tsukishima was only too happy to oblige. As she came in against them, Giriko met her charge. She was fast still, even under the effect of his fullbring, and Giriko knew this hung by a hair's breadth. She looked at him like he was an ant, even towering over her miniscule frame, and threw a punch. Giriko braced himself and caught it in both hands, gritting his teeth. The impact made his feet slide back, dirt spraying into the air, but he held firm. Against the overwhelming power of a captain, his fullbring had weakened her enough that he was able to withstand. It took every ounce of his strength, every reserve of his power, but he pushed back, grunting and gritting his teeth. His muscles bulged, sweat trailed down his forehead, and he was starting to get red in the face with the effort- but her charge had been stopped.

"Yukio! Riruka!" he hissed through his teeth, unable to muster anything more than that.

Behind him, Tsukishima watched, anxiety turning into triumph. From behind, Riruka used her shrinking ability to teleport in and hit the captain from behind, as hard as she could, and from the left, Yukio came in. If Riruka failed, his ability could seal the captain in stasis. It just needed to last a second. Smiling with victorious cheer, Tsukishima's eyebrows narrowed as he took a step forward, summoning his Book of the End.

What happened next was nothing short of baffling to the young fullbringer.

The assassin stood held in place, bracing against Giriko's enormous strength and even stronger fullbring, seeming locked in place and defenseless against enemy attack. It looked for all the world like she had completely underestimated them, left herself open to attack. Yukio was charging, his hands glowing with the force of his activated ability. Riruka was the first to close in, her super-rapid movement letting her have the first strike. She raised a fist, charged with reiatsu, and let out a confident shriek.

The next moment she lay on the forest floor, and Tsukishima blinked. He hadn't even seen her arm move. Riruka was out cold, and only now, a second later, did it register that she had not only anticipated the attack but hit before Riruka could even react. Effortlessly, the assassin lashed out with a foot, catching Yukio in the chest, sending him tumbling back a good fifteen yards.

"Damn it, Shuu!" Giriko grunted.

Acting on an instinct of self-preservation as much as in the defense of his friends, Tsukishima charged, blade raised. Calmly, the assassin raised the arm that had struck Riruka, pointed its palm at him, and exclaimed, "Shou."

The kidou spell struck Tsukishima squarely in the chest, sending him back in an undignified flight that ended painfully against a thick tree branch. Violently, his face slammed into the forest floor, and he tasted moss and dirt in his mouth.

"Now," said Soifon, cold as steel, looking up at Giriko, "that just leaves you. Are you exhausted yet?"

Giriko just groaned, still bracing against her fist, looking at her with an expression somewhere in between enraged and terrified.

"Suit yourself," she said, and pulled her fist back. Before Giriko even had time to unbalance, she had slammed a fist into his solar plexus. He gasped, the air knocked out of his lungs, but Soifon was not done. She jabbed him once, twice, thrice, four times more, and the tall, muscular fullbringer dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, quite unconscious. That left only Yukio, standing up with a terrified look on his face, rubbing a sore spot on his chest where Soifon had kicked him. She gave him a long, hard, vicious look.

"Stay down, or I will kill you."

There was no threat there, just a harshly stated fact. Yukio looked at Riruka and Giriko, both unconscious, defeated in an instant by the captain before him. They had taken their best shot, tried their hardest, used the one card left to play, and it had all failed miserably. Yukio's knees were shaking, and his body trembled, his breathing erratic. Weakly, he whimpered before sinking to his knees. This… was this what a shinigami was? She was as powerful as Ginjou had said they were, and more. Suddenly, he understood. His will to fight broken, Yukio murmured something incomprehensible, hoping he would not die there and then.

"Good boy," Soifon said, turning her eye to Tsukishima. The fullbringer had gotten to his feet, and was already fleeing into the trees. Soifon briefly cast the other fullbringers a look. It would have been easy to kill them all. She could have snapped the girl's neck with one blow instead of holding back. She could have broken the big man's spine if she so wanted. She could even cut their throats, right now, and under the law of the Gotei Thirteen, she would not only be cleared of crime but celebrated for her actions. These were criminals, nefarious evildoers who had sought to subvert, pervert, and twist the order she stood for.

She could. But, for some reason, she remembered her commander's words.

Please, Soifon, try not to kill anyone else. Even our real enemies. If you can.

Soifon's eyes narrowed, and she reached for her belt. One did not use a zanpakutou to kill a human being. It was morally wrong, for the blade was an instrument of purification against the hollow. More importantly, it was very ineffective against something with so little spiritual matter about them. What she pulled from her belt was not a zanpakutou, though. It was a steel tantou, a long knife she had sharpened just this morning. She turned her eye to the fleeing coward. She had bigger fish to fry. Her enemies here were beaten. Call it mercy or call it practicality, but she had no reason to linger here. Her prey was in her sights now.

---

"Ichigo, get out of my way!" Erza said. She snarled, blade out and raised.

"You're trying to kill Shuukurou!"

"You're damn right I am!" she shouted, tired of indulging the delusions, tired of pretending. Right now, she would have shorn his head from his shoulders if she could. Nobody since Aizen himself had cut her this deeply, cut to the core of her soul, and where Aizen was just a murderer, Tsukishima had turned her loved ones against her, had put her through a special kind of hell. Yes, she wanted him dead now- but for the time being, Ichigo barred her way, and where Momo was too powerful to ignore, Ichigo was nearly her equal in terms of skill, and certainly in terms of raw power. Him, she could not simply push past.

Not that she didn't try. Lowering her blade, she walked forward, shoving him to the side. Ichigo would not budge, catching her by the hem of her haori, tugging her back.

"Hey! HEY!" he bellowed. "What the fuck is your problem, Auntie? Why are you trying to kill him?"

"I'm so, so fed up answering that question," Erza said, her voice a growl. "He's an evil man, Ichigo. You know me; you know I hate killing, but trust me when I say he's earned it."

"Doing what?" Ichigo protested. "Erza, he's our friend! Whatever he did, you gotta tell me, or there's no way I can let this happen!"

Even now, Erza admired the way he stood up to her, refusing to back down even against her word. In a perverse way, Tsukishima's manipulations had demonstrated the best in them all; Urahara's intelligence, Byakuya's honour, Momo's determination, and Ichigo's absolute, steadfast loyalty. Masaki and Isshin had raised him rightly, and deep down, she was proud to have been part of that.

She voiced none of it.

"Get out of my way!" She said angrily. She shoved him again, but Ichigo was too strong. He pushed against her, shoving her back with surprising strength.

"I can't do that! God damn it, Erza, what's wrong?"

"If it was anyone else but me," Erza said, her voice low and her breathing ragged, "would you still be talking? Would you still be trying to solve it peacefully?"

"…No." Ichigo admitted.

"What would you do normally?"

"I'd kick their ass, that's what I'd do!" Ichigo said angrily, throwing his arms up. "If I saw somebody trying to kill my best friend for no reason, that's what I'd do!"

"Then you'd better treat me like everyone else, Ichigo," Erza said, raising her blade. "I love you, Ichigo. I'm your mentor. I've been there for you since you were a toddler. I taught you how to fight. We've gone through hell and back for friendship and nearly died along the road several times. But, that is not enough, is it?"

"To let you kill my friend?" Ichigo said angrily. "No, it ain't. It never will be."

"Then use your sword, because I am your enemy," Erza said, taking a stance. "I will not stop until I get to him."

"FINE!" Ichigo said. "You really have gone mad, Auntie!"

"Hagane no Tamashii!" Erza cried loudly, the twin blades manifesting in her hands.

"Zangetsu!" Ichigo cried in response, bringing out the oversized cleaver of a blade.

Erza would have sighed, but to her surprise, she felt a sense of relief. She had fought Ichigo hundreds of time in training, and a concrete problem- like a warrior to overcome, for example- was the kind of obstacle she was happy to tackle. So be it, then. She let out a growl that became a roar, and charged, her twin blades working in deadly tandem. Ichigo parried, blocked and evaded, a look of surprise on his face. She was going all out, striking with furious speed, trusting his skill and training to catch her blows. All her anger and frustration, she was finally letting it out in a fatal dance of blades.

"GETSUGA TENSHOU!" Ichigo cried, charging a blast. Erza sensed the strike before it came, but as it sailed past her she knew it wasn't meant to hit her. The blast carved through a tree trunk and sailed harmlessly into the sky, but it had bought Ichigo the space he needed to recover. Blade raised, he came down on her. Effortlessly, Erza summoned the shield and longsword with a thought, blocking his strike with the shield and retaliating with the blade. Ichigo evaded a strike aimed at his head by bending back, before lashing out with a kick. It caught her in the chest, and although it only rattled her plate mail, it sent her back a few paces. Ichigo came at her again, his blade moving in great, powerful swings aimed at keeping her on the defensive.

Erza knew the strategy well; it was meant to use his greater physical strength to tire her out while defending, not allowing her a moment to retaliate. What she hadn't expected was how much better he had gotten. He was faster now, his movements better controlled, and there were influences in his style of fighting she did not recognize. It had been some time since they last sparred, and she noticed now that he had done a fair share of growing since.

Still, Erza was no beginner, and she had defeated the likes of Zaraki Kenpachi. Adapt; don't stop to gawp at a difference in skill. She did so by pushing into one of his strikes unexpectedly, his great blade clattering against his shield. Her arm ached from the impact, but she pushed on regardless. She struck at his leg with her blade, drawing blood from a glancing hit before he stepped back. Slamming into him with her shield again and again, she kept pushing him back, knowing that his greater reach was working against him this close.

Ichigo, of course, knew this as well as she, because it was far from the first time he had faced this difficulty. Nearly everything she could do to him, he knew the counter to, and vice versa. Ichigo rolled to the side and slipped into a shunpo, before letting his reiatsu rise to a sharp peak once more.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

The arc of raw power sailed toward her, and Erza skipped to the side. She knew this manoeuvre well- she could either parry it or move away, and he knew she'd move away, because it was stupid to take a blow head-on that one could simply evade. Using her distraction, he would surge forward using shunpou again to hit her from her right side, where her shield did not protect her. It took her only an instant to remember this, and thrust her blade out toward where she expected him to be. She was rewarded with Ichigo tumbling across the ground as he frantically scrambled to move away from a course that would have seen him skewered on her blade. Erza pointed her blade at him.

"Still falling for easy counter-moves, are you?"

"Only warming up, sensei," Ichigo said stubbornly, standing up.

There and then, it was as if they both forgot why they fought, both slipping into a focused mindset. Perhaps it was just old habit, but they were too used to fighting each other not to. Right now, it was a question of who could best whom. Master or student? Captain or auxiliary? Human or shinigami?

Erza banged her blade against her shield, eager to find out. Ichigo responded to her taunt by charging, blade held low. Once more they clashed, neither willing to yield or back down.

They exchanged a rapid series of blows back and forth before breaking off, neither one falling for the other's feints or strategies. Erza took a good, hard look at her pupil, eyes narrowed, as the two of them sized each other up. He was good. At least as potent a threat as any captain. Not as skilled, but powerful and fast, and too familiar with her style to be caught unawares.

So, use your own abilities more, she heard her zanpakutou whisper into her mind. You have an arsenal where he has but one blade. You can do things he cannot. If he is your match in swordplay, you must employ tactics beyond it.

Erza saw the sense in that, and at a mental command, she summoned Render, the great black blade. She dragged the heavy weapon along the ground as she charged, before raising it up high. Ichigo caught the blade as it came in, redirecting it into the ground, before headbutting her. Erza reeled from the strike, but did not take a step back.

"You're too easy to read, sensei," Ichigo said.

"Yeah. Too easy," said Erza. "Hadou eleven: Tsuzuri Raiden!"

The electric current travelled through her wrists, through the length of her blade and right into Ichigo's, and the teenager stumbled back, literally shocked. Erza let out a loud war cry and kicked him in the chest, slamming the flat of her blade into Ichigo's body for good measure, sending him tumbling. Had he been a real enemy, she would have cut him apart in that instance.

"Too easy," said Erza, breathing heavily. "If it's too easy, then it probably is, you idiot. Didn't I teach you that?"

"That's cheating!" Ichigo coughed, getting to his feet, raising his blade.

"Victory doesn't care about fair or unfair. I thought I taught you that, too. You do what you need to do to win!"

"God damn it, Auntie!" Ichigo said with frustration before he charged forward.

"Byakurai!" Erza called, and as Ichigo weaved to the side to evade the spell, she surged forward, slamming the hilt of her blade into his gut. He slid back, nearly keeling over, looking up at her with his blade raised. To her surprise, there was a slight grin on his face.

"You're right," he said. "It's all about adapting. If you're not going to play fair, then I guess this really is for real, huh?"

"You can bet your life on that," Erza said stubbornly.

"Even so," said Ichigo, letting his reiatsu rise, blazing like a wildfire, "there's no way I'll let you get to him. I'll just have to kick your ass."

"Beware, Ichigo," Erza said, staring at him with gritted teeth. "You've never even come close to beating me, and I will hold nothing back."

Ichigo snorted. "As if that would ever stop me." He raised his blade high, crying, "GETSUGA TENSHOU!"

As he brought his arms down, firing off the crescent moon, Erza raised her blade for a horizontal cut and cried, "DRAGON STRIKE!"

The crescent met her barely contained blast, force met force, and there was a blinding flash as the two attacks exploded, neither one overcoming the other. The trees around them rocked, some of them nearly uprooted by the sheer power, leaves blowing wildly in the wind.

"That could have torn me apart if I wasn't ready," Ichigo said, staring her down.

"The same goes to you. You've gotten madly powerful, Ichigo," Erza retorted.

"You're really not backing down, huh? Nothing can convince you to stop?"

"Not a thing."

"Then there's no reason to stop holding back for either one of us. I can't beat you like this." His reiatsu spiked, and Erza knew what was coming.

"Ban kai: Tensa Zangetsu!"

Erza thumbed the seal on her armour, letting the metal drop to the floor, and channelled strength from within. Matching Ichigo's pace, she cried, "Ban kai: Testusken Yoseitamashii!"

They stood before each other, radiating power of a kind only beings of their calibre ever could, two titans too evenly matched to go to any length less than this. Ichigo's blade was long, sleek, slim, and black, and his coat had changed; Erza in turn stood in gleaming plate mail, shimmering with power. A great and powerful weapon against a great and powerful shield; the two were about to clash, and only one could win. As much as Erza cursed this whole turn of events, something about this felt joyous. One thing, just one thing made sense, and that was good old-fashioned combat at the highest level.

"Bring it," said Ichigo, taking a stance.

"You'll regret it," said Erza, grasping Render in both hands.

A determined look on her face, she let a step forward become a run, and charged.

---

Place your bets everyone! Erza Scarlet vs Ichigo Kurosaki! The Master vs the student! Titania vs Substitute soul reaper. A woman who is part human and part dragon vs a man who has the powers of soul reapers, quincys and hollows in him. Truly it will be a battle for the ages.

Erza has gotten more powerful since her last fight with Nnoitra and likely has some new armors, but Ichigo now has his hollowfication powers. Needless to say, this wont be an easy fight, both physically, or emotionally, for either of them.

In any event, things should be wrapping up soon by the next chapter. Will everything turn out ok, or will it all end in tragedy? You'll have to read next time to find out!

Thank you all so much for reading. I eagerly look forward to what you all have to say about this chapter in a review, it really would mean a lot to us.