Ladies and Gentlemen, we are finally here. The event I have been building up towards for many, many years is finally at hand. The battle of ideals. Aizen Sosuke, the former captain of squad 5 who wishes to change the gotie 13 and the world at large regardless of the consequences. Erza Scarlet Former S class mage of Fairy Tail and it's hailed Titania, now the current captain of squad 5 who wishes to bring about change to the spiritual world without needless bloodshed.
For over 95 chapters, I have built up to this very clash, and now, after many battles, and thousands of lives, soul reaper, arrancar and human alike, we finally arrive at this very moment.
To be frank, it almost feels surreal, hard for me to accept that we've finally reached this portion of the story. This fight in particular has gone through many, many changes in my head over the years, but the final overall themes of the battle have remained the same.
I eagerly look forward to hearing what you all have to say about this final, climactic clash as here and now, the battle of Karakura Town reaches it's conclusion.
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!
"Sixth Division, report. This is Captain Soifon, assuming command of the battle."
Soifon limped across the ruined battlefield toward the headquarters, communicating through an ear bud. Venerable Yamamoto had fallen. She did not know yet whether they were victorious or not, but according to combat protocols she was now in command of directing the battle, and it was not over yet. She had a few broken ribs, and her knee hurt fiercely, but she could stand and that was good enough. Reaching into her robes she produced a small tube, chewing down a strong painkiller.
"I repeat: Sixth Division, report."
After an unbearable pause of dead air, there was finally a bit of static noise as Kuchiki Byakuya's voice cut through.
"Sixth Division captain reporting in. I have engaged and killed the espada Ulquiorra. My division has taken heavy casualties, but we have secured the area."
He sounded half dead, shaken in a way Soifon had never heard. Well, if anything should do it, today was the day.
"Good," she said, keeping her tone firm. "I am wounded but standing, heading to HQ. Recover your wounded and fall back to secure my route."
"Understood. Executing."
Soifon limped along, already thumbing the bead to hit the next frequency.
"Fifth Division, report."
It took a few tries, and when somebody finally picked up, it was an intimidated fourth seat.
"Captain Soifon? Er- commander! We have taken losses, but we stand. We have lost track of our captain and vice-captain, but we have confirmation that the seventh espada has been neutralized. Our line is holding, and most of the arrancar have been slain."
"Maintain position," Soifon commanded, "and find out what happened to your commander. Retrieve your wounded and take up defensive positions until you receive further orders."
"Yes, command-"
Soifon had already switched channels, contacting Seventh.
"Heavy casualties taken, commander. We've lost nearly half our number."
Eighth.
"Heavy casualties, but we're holding. We can confirm the primero is dead."
Soifon scoffed to herself. Everyone had seen that.
Ninth.
"We've taken heavy losses. Our division has been routed. Our remaining soldiers fell back to support the tenth."
Third.
"We've lost over half our number, but the arrancar have been destroyed."
One by one, Soifon got a status report from every commanding officer she could reach. The message was clear: The arrancar waves had been undone. Some still remained, but the Gotei had held firm. The espada were either dead or missing, whereas most captains were alive or missing in action.
"Soifon!"
The one thing that could cause Soifon to waver had just arrived: a black-clad Yoruichi landing in front of her, rushing to her side.
"Are you okay?" Soifon said, her officer's façade cracking for a second.
"I'm fine," Yoruichi said dismissively. "The guy was small potatoes. Then I had to bail out Kyouraku from that giant monster, then… well, that happened. I'm a bit beaten up and tired, but I'm okay."
She looked to the ruined cityscape around them, where great burn marks ravaged the fallen buildings.
"I should be asking you that, anyway," said Yoruichi, gently putting her arms on Soifon's shoulder. "You look a mess."
"A few broken bones and some exhaustion. I'll live," Soifon said dismissively. "My leg is killing me, though."
"Let me help."
"You're not carrying me," said Soifon sharply. "I'm the commander now. Until Yamamoto is back, I am responsible. I can't be seen-"
"Okay, okay," Yoruichi said, holding up her hands in defeat, "but maybe take my arm? You can at least lean on me."
Soifon sighed and held out her hand. Leaning on Yoruichi, they slowly headed back toward the headquarters.
"Are we winning?" asked Yoruichi.
"I don't know," said Soifon helplessly. "I think so? The espada seem taken care of, and the arrancar horde, too. But, if the captain-commander is dead and Aizen lives, all is still lost. And, even if not…" she gestured to the city around them, war-ravaged, broken and littered with the dead, their own and human civilians alike, "this does not feel like winning. Another victory like this, and the Gotei is done for."
Yoruichi shook her head. "I know what you mean."
"Do you have anything to tell me about the battle?" said Soifon, switching gears before she could get lost dwelling on the enormity of their failure. "Catch me up to anything you know."
"Kisuke is wounded, but in stable condition. Kurosaki has been retrieved. Ukitake is in bad shape. I think… he's dying. Unohana has been called over to help, but she's exhausted."
"If he's the only casualty among us, it's a miracle," Soifon muttered darkly. "Still, that accounts for most of the captains. Except… Scarlet."
"I've no idea where she is," Yoruichi said. "I'll head out and check the moment we reach HQ."
"Don't. Whatever's going down is likely to be over by the time we get there. I need a good intelligence operative at my side more than anything right now. Erza… I don't know where she is, but she's tough as old leather. She'll make it."
You'd better make it, Erza, Soifon thought as she limped on. They had all lost enough today, and losing the one friend she had among the captains would be… too much.
Ukitake Juushiro lay in the street where he had fallen. Nobody had dared move him, not even Unohana. His white coat was dyed red and sticky with his own blood. His blade had fallen a good ten yards away.
Unohana kneeled by his side, feverishly applying her best medical kidou. It was a losing battle. His entire upper body was in ruins, three massive claws having left him with more hole than body. She could see parts of his spine jut out, and some of his innards had spilled out onto the street. He had lost most of his blood, and even worse, most of his spiritual energy had dissipated. He was hanging on by a thread, and the weave she was placing on him would only delay the inevitable. Her hands covered in blood, she still tried, still tried to force his body to live.
His heart was ruptured, and his aorta was trashed. His spine was broken in several places. One lung was shredded, and that was to say nothing of his liver or bowels. He was hanging on only by the sheer force of a captain's mighty spiritual power, but that, too, would last only for so long. Only somebody like Orihime could save him now, and she was far away, probably exhausted from the healing she had done all battle long.
"Sen… pai…"
A weak hand took hers, remarkably unblemished.
"Keep quiet," Unohana ordered firmly. "Don't waste any more energy."
"Save it… for the ones… that can be saved."
"Ukitake Jushiro-" she said sharply, in a tone most would have dreaded, but he was beyond fear.
"I don't… have long," he rasped, "so… go get the ones that… matter. My sensei. Kyouraku."
Something tore at Unohana. Her healer's oath was to always help, but sometimes… sometimes there was nothing one could do but to help people pass with dignity.
"Hang in another few minutes," she said, nodding.
Unohana paused, forced herself to calm for a moment, and tried her best to focus. Shihoin had stabilized Kyouraku, and he had been left not far from here. He was in good shape, considering the circumstances. Approaching the medic she had left to care for him, she gently tried to stir him, only to realize he was already awake.
"Can you walk?" she asked severely.
"Not unless I have to," muttered Kyouraku.
"You have to."
Sensing something was wrong by the tone of her voice, he sat up. "I'll lean on my blade if I have to."
When they got back, somebody else had already made it there. A battered Kuchiki Rukia knelt by Ukitake's side, looking inconsolable. Kyouraku's eyes widened as he approached.
"There's got to be something you can do," he said pleadingly.
Unohana shook her head. "There are many things I could do, but I am no miracle worker. His core… it's bled out too much. He's taken too much damage."
"But-"
"If I could help, I would," she said before he could continue. "Believe me, I would. But, sometimes…" She shook her head. "You can say goodbye. That's it."
Shunsui's eyes watered. Supported by Unohana, he stumbled toward his old friend, kneeling by his side.
"Good. Good," Ukitake wheezed. "And… sensei?"
"We can't get hold of him," Unohana said regretfully. "We don't know where he is. I think he's defeated Aizen, but… he's not here right now."
Ukitake nodded. "Shame. He's… going to take this hard. Kyouraku… will you tell him it's not his fault?"
"Of course," said Kyouraku, his voice trembling.
"He did his best, you know," Ukitake murmured, taking a deep, wheezing breath.
"The very best," Kyouraku said. "I'll tell him, I swear."
Ukitake nodded, and reached out with both hands, extending one to his old friend and one to Rukia.
"You know… I always thought I'd die in my bed," he said, smiling. "Instead I get to die in the greatest battle of shinigami history. Zaraki will be jealous, ha…"
He coughed lightly, drawing another rasping breath.
"Please, save your breath," Rukia pleaded. "Captain, we're going to fix you! We're going to make you right again-"
"No, you're not," said Ukitake calmly. "I can't… even feel the pain anymore. Can't feel my body. Can't feel… anything. Can't see you two anymore…"
He turned to Rukia.
"You've come so far, you know that? You're so much stronger than anyone thinks. Stronger than your brother thinks. Stronger than you think. I'm so… proud to have been your captain. I can go… content… with somebody like you at Thirteenth. I leave my division with you, Rukia. Look after it."
"I swear it," Rukia said, tears streaming down her face, squeezing Ukitake's hand. Slowly, as if it took all his strength, Ukitake turned his head to Kyouraku.
"Loved you… like a brother," he gasped. "Even if sensei's not here, I'm glad you came. Thank you for everything. You… be the one to tell my family. Make sure I'm buried right. I always…"
Then, the last of Ukitake's breath left him, and he fell quiet. Tears flowed freely down Kyouraku's cheeks as he bowed over his friend's ruined body, his shoulders shaking. His beloved friend, with him since their youth, had passed. Leader, friend, brother- the best of them all had been lost.
The blades locked, and Erza shoved him back. Aizen stumbled, righting himself. Breathing heavily, he pointed his blade at her.
"You," he said, shaking his head. "Of course it's you. Who else would it be?"
Erza stared him down, her face a mask of cold anger. She had approached when she felt Yamamoto's bankai failing, knowing she had to do something. It felt right to be here.
"I know you don't understand this," she hissed, gritting her teeth, "but every single one of the thousands of people you just killed had family. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, daughters, sons. The people you murdered mattered, and you took their lives anyway. And, for what? Power? Look around you!"
She gestured at the ruined hellscape around them, at the burns on Aizen's body, at her own wounds.
"You're fighting to, what, become a god? You killed all these people, and you still lost. Think, Aizen!"
"They died for-"
"For a better tomorrow, yeah," Erza spat. "I see you, Aizen. I know what you are. I know you believe it. I know you're delusional enough to think you can murder ten thousand innocents and be justified. There's nothing left to say. I've never said this before, but you deserve to die."
Aizen took a deep breath, and grasped his blade in both hands.
"I always admired that about you," he said, taking a stance, "that moral character. That willingness to take a stand. If only you had listened, you would have been the perfect partner."
"You don't have partners," Erza snarled, spitting at the ground. "You have tools, and the moment they stop being useful, you throw them aside. You are cold and monstrous. You think you're better than Ichimaru Gin, but the only difference between you is that you think you're a good person."
Aizen's eyes narrowed. "Quite a lot to say given there were no words left," he said sharply.
Erza glanced over her shoulder quickly. Sasakibe was hurrying to his old master's side, dragging him away from the battlefield to tend to his wounds.
"Look after him," said Erza, looking back to Aizen. "He's mine."
"Quite a boast-" Aizen started, but Erza closed the distance, charging on unsteady legs. Aizen met her strikes head on, parrying carefully with tired arms. They went back and forth, running through the familiar movements of slash, thrust, parry, and evade, neither gaining an edge over the other.
It was strange to Aizen. This was unlike the thrill of fighting Yamamoto, with everything at stake and every aspect of his arsenal at his disposal. He was tired now, almost fully exhausted. His movements were slow and sluggish. Still fast by any normal standard, but they lacked the usual edge, the sharpness and perfection that normally came naturally to him. Despite his best efforts, he was not gaining any kind of advantage. For the first time ever, he faced down Erza Scarlet without the absolute certainty of victory.
Erza struck again and again, pushing Aizen back with each step, her furious assault putting him on the defensive. Her body protested; she was dizzy from blood loss, her muscles ached, and her wounds shot jabs of pain through her body with each movement, but she ignored all of it and pushed forward. Right now, nothing mattered except him. Now and now only she could match him. Beat him. Kill him.
"What's wrong?" she snarled as they locked blades, one sealed zanpakutou pushing against another. "Where are your illusions, Aizen? What happened to that smug confidence? Have you ever had to fight a battle you didn't know you'd win?"
"You little-"
Erza surged forward, headbutting him. Aizen reeled back in surprise, blade barely up in time to parry her next attack, and he groaned in pain.
"You spent all this time looking down on the rest of us. Now look at you!" Erza cried, pushing the attack. Aizen, angered by her taunt, focused and parried, meeting her next set of strikes with perfect precision.
"Look at me?" Aizen spat back, finally halting her assault. "I have won. I have defeated Yamamoto and made the key. All that is left now is to build my world!"
Erza let out an infuriated battle cry, launching into a series of quick thrusts. Aizen parried, reading her attacks, waiting for the right opportunity. Exhausted as they were, things were even- far more even than Aizen liked to admit. She was… good. He had always known that, of course, but he had always assumed he was naturally better. It had to be the drain of his battle with Yamamoto…
Patiently he waited for an opening. She was angry, and that was usually a weakness, but her form was not slipping. Even so, it was only a matter of time. Parrying, dodging, and evading, he waited. Then he struck. A quick rap against her blade knocking her weapon to the side just slightly, and a quick movement of his wrist, and his zanpakuto cut into her side.
But, to his surprise she didn't even flinch, immediately righting her blade and coming in with a counter-attack. Her blade raked across his cheek, and Aizen cursed inwardly as he reeled back, quickly putting up his guard. His hollow form was long gone, and the cut was a painful reminder that if he was wounded, he had no way out of it.
He continued to wait, his breathing growing heavier with each moment. Again he found an opening and a shallow cut to show for it; a second time, a third time, but Erza showed no sign of stopping. She was relentless, fighting like a fury.
Come on! he thought to himself. You can't keep this up. You're as tired as I am!
He stepped back, bending backwards to weave out of a horizontal cut, and made ready to find another opening. Enough of them, and he'd wear her down. All it took was one good hit-
It happened in an instant. His blade was batted aside, his hand slipping at the worst time, and she rammed her blade forward in a sharp thrust. The blade caught him in the chest, halfway running him through. He grit his teeth, watching the blood pour down his chest as she wrenched the blade free. He kept his guard up, stumbling back. He had barely even seen it coming. It was fast. Desperately, he reached into the last of his reserves, knowing it was almost fatal. As Erza rushed forward to follow through, blade raised high, Aizen took another step back. In between them the image of Momo appeared.
"Please," she begged, "don't hurt him."
He made her look pleading, sincere, perfect. Calling on his zanpakutou at a time like this ate away part of his very soul, burning at him like a slow fire, but he had no choice. If he could break her stride even for a second…
He was drawing his last few breaths. Gin was an expert in the art of murder, and he knew a fatal blow when it landed. Aizen had expertly cut right through him, right at his core, right through his aorta and into his heart.
"It's funny," he muttered. "Killin' him was my whole life's goal. I should feel pretty miffed 'bout this thing. But I… don't feel much of anything."
A hand touched his, softly squeezing it. Rangiku looked down on him, a piteous expression on her face. Tears were in her eyes.
"It was all for you, you know," he said, drawing another ragged breath. "I jus'… needed him to pay. Fer what he did. I know you don't like it. Ain't on you."
"I know," she said, her voice shaky.
"Went the way I did 'cause I had to. Didn't know no other. I…" He coughed, and drew another wheezing breath. "What, you ain't gonna tell me t' save my breath or nothin'?"
"No."
"You really ain't gonna try to save me, are ya? I know you can't, but…"
"Gin," she said, squeezing his hand tighter, "you chose your path a long time ago. I've cried about it enough. This… is the way it has to end."
"We finally see eye to eye," he said solemnly. "Live by the sword, die by the sword. I knew that goin' in. What'd I do with life if I didn't have no Aizen to kill? At least… I can go out in good company."
Rangiku let out a stifled sob.
"I'm sorry I made you cry," he murmured. "Never wanted to."
"No, you're not," she said, her voice ending in a pained squeak. "Maybe you think you are, but you're not."
A brief pang of regret went through Gin's mind. He cared. He always had. But, now it was too late to make her see, to show her. He'd known only one way, and it had… slipped.
"We had some good times, didn't we?" he muttered, slowly closing his eyes.
"Mhm," Rangiku said, nodding weakly. "Yeah. We did. Back when it was just us, looking out for each other."
"I remember…" said Gin. "Yeah. Back then, when I was still… happy. Didn't… last, did it? Life's like that. One moment you're doin' good, then you're fucked. You… take care, Ran."
He took another long, ragged breath and smiled, genuinely and contentedly. One last time, he breathed out and fell still. The last thing he felt was Rangiku, holding his hand tightly.
The image of Momo was perfect, as draining as it was. All he needed was a moment's hesitation-
What Aizen got instead was an enraged scream as Erza barrelled forward, cutting straight through the illusion and running her blade into his chest. Shocked, he staggered back, bleeding from the deep cut.
"What…" he managed, wide-eyed, shocked. He put his hand to his chest, finding it dyed red with his own blood.
"She would never," Erza said furiously. "She would never beg for your life, you cretin. How dare you? How dare you use her image like that? How dare you think I'd fall for it?"
"But… I moulded her," said Aizen in disbelief. "I made her mine, all those years."
"She is yours no longer. She is mine now, by her own choice. She will never dance to your tune again, and how dare you think you could use her against me!"
Erza lashed out again with her blade, and Aizen barely parried now. He staggered back again, blood splashing onto the ground as he retreated. Erza's swings were slow and heavy, and they were wearing him down. He was still recovering from the shock of having been stabbed. Desperately he tried to summon whatever power he had left to just react, to stand up and keep himself alive. He felt her blade rake against his wrist, and the grip on his blade slackened. Feeling himself lose hold of his blade he instinctively surged forward, grabbing at her sword arm. Caught off guard, she wrestled with him. Aizen's blade clattered to the ground, and in a confusing melee they both tried to gain control. Desperate, Aizen slammed a fist into her wrist, striking again and again, forcing her to let go. Erza let out a pained grunt and lost hold of her blade.
But, Aizen did not so much as have time to collect himself before it continued. With a steely and infuriated look on her face, Erza struck him with her fist. The hit connected squarely with his jaw. She did not even try to recover her blade; she just went for him. Grabbing him by the hem of his shirt, she slammed her fist into his face again and again. The world went blurry. The strikes came over and over. Before he could recover, he would be hit again.
He was vaguely aware of being grabbed with two hands and slammed against a ruined piece of wall.
"You thought you were a god," she said coldly, punching him in the jaw again. "You thought you were so above it all, didn't you? Well, gods don't bleed, do they?"
To punctuate her statement she hit him again. Aizen tried to raise his hands, but it was futile. She slipped through his shambolic guard easily, and he felt his head slam into the wall from the impact. She grabbed him by the hair and yanked down his head. Her knee slammed into his temple, and Aizen saw stars. She yanked his head up and let go. Aizen stood there, barely keeping himself upright, trying to raise his hands to mutter a spell, to do anything. A furious expression on her face, Erza backhanded him. Aizen fell to the ground, his face bruised and bloodied. He took a few short, panicked breaths, and steadied himself. He rolled onto his back, groaning in pain. Erza stood over him, fists balled. As she came in for another strike Aizen lashed out, slurring the word:
"Shou!"
The spell, draining him even at its most basic level, hit her squarely. Erza was thrown back several yards, collapsing onto the ground. She lay there breathing heavily, and for a short period of time, so did Aizen.
She had been right. He had never been beaten like this, never trashed and manhandled like some common thug. He couldn't even muster the energy to feel the normal sense of outrage that somebody had dared to defy him like this. He was still processing the shock.
The world spinning around him, Aizen took a few deep breaths and tried to sit up. He immediately regretted the decision as a wave of nausea hit him, but he grit his teeth and took another breath, keeping himself upright. The world started to spin a little less; his blurred vision slowly came into focus again. He spat out blood, and two teeth came with it. He grunted at the sudden pain, and took another deep breath.
Erza did not look much better, herself. Her battle with Halibel had taken a toll on her, and it seemed like she had been running on fumes too. With her stride broken by his spell, exhaustion was catching up to her. Forcing his body to obey, against the haze of pain and nausea, Aizen wobbled onto his feet, standing up- if only barely. He saw his blade not far from where he had fallen. He stumbled toward it, nearly falling over several times.
Erza let out a frustrated grunt and slowly forced herself up, too, deciding to scramble for her own weapon rather than come at him. She crawled on all fours to grab her blade- what an opening that would have been if he hadn't been so weak, so drained- and took hold of it, using it as a cane to prop herself up. Slowly, both stumbling more than walking, they headed toward each other.
"This…" Erza said, her hands trembling as she raised her blade and took a stance, "is the last chance you'll get. Any captain… could kill you now. You've lost, you son of a bitch. If I don't beat you, somebody else will. You threw all you had at us, and… you didn't make it. Give it up."
"My… last chance?" said Aizen, letting out a raspy chuckle that quickly turned into a pained cough. "Or what? You'll… kill me? You, Erza Scarlet?"
Erza let out a frustrated groan and stumbled forward, blade raised. Aizen met her charge, if it even could be called as much, just barely bringing up his sword in time to react. His arms felt heavy; it was like moving them through tar. He'd never felt this tired in his life.
The two clashed feebly, their strikes slow and imprecise. Blade clattered against blade weakly, neither able to break the other's guard, neither able to do much more than swing wildly. Aizen took one step back, two steps, evading a wide, sweeping strike. Erza's form was weak now, worn down by her exhaustion. If he could just pull it together one time, for one good strike…
She lunged. The thrust was slow and clumsy, catching his uniform and scratching his side. She barrelled into him, and for a few seconds they leaned into each other, breathing heavily, almost resting. Then Aizen shoved her back with one hand, and before she could raise her guard he followed up with as hard a slash as he could manage.
It was good. It struck a diagonal line across her chest, and Erza let out a wheezing gasp in shock, stumbling to her knees. Fresh blood splattered onto the ruined ground around them.
Aizen raised his blade, slowly grasping it in both hands. He readied a swing, aimed right at her neck. Erza tried to raise her blade, but her arm only twitched, refusing to respond.
"This is your last chance," Aizen hissed. "Give up. Join me at last, and help me build tomorrow. When you're dead, Yamamoto will be gone, too, and nobody will stop me from escaping and recovering. And, when I come back, nobody will be left to stop me. Death… or life? Tomorrow… or nothing?"
"Go… to hell," Erza hissed defiantly.
Aizen let out a frustrated snort, and raised his blade. Fine. She made her bed, and she could lie in it. The blade came down, and-
He struck a spinning golden barrier. A light kido blast struck him, and Aizen reeled back several yards, struggling to remain upright. Erza collapsed on the ground, seeming spent, and standing in her place was Hinamori.
"You," Aizen snarled, taking a step forward. "You stupid girl, you think you can get in my way?"
"As you are right now?" said Momo, taking a stance with her own blade. "Yes. But, I'd do it even if you were at your peak. I love her. She is everything to me, and I'm not letting you take her from me."
Aizen took in a deep, frustrated breath.
"Momo," he said pleadingly, "stand down. I don't really want to kill either of you. I just need the old man-"
"No!"
Taken aback by the intensity of her voice, Aizen blinked. "What?"
"I'm not letting you take her, and I am not letting you take anything else either. I'm going to give you all I've got, because it's what she would do. It's not much, but even if it isn't… it's worth it."
"Alright, fine," Aizen hissed. "You want to die? You want your life to end here and now? Have it your way! I swear, I do all of this to save you all from yourselves, and I am starting to think you're not even worth it!"
"I don't care what you have to say," Momo insisted. "I'm not letting you through."
Erza had slumped over, face down in the dirt. She was only vaguely aware of the world around her, teetering on the edge of consciousness. Her vision was going dark, and she had an overwhelming urge to just close her eyes and sleep. She had given so much already, more than anyone could ask. She couldn't even remember why she had been fighting. There was… a war. And… she had been fighting somebody. It was important. But, reality felt like a dream. Nothing made sense. She closed her eyes and let go.
A pained cry roused her from falling asleep at the last moment. The voice was dear to her, more important than anything. The sound of the voice crying out in agony cut through her exhaustion like a bolt of lightning, and suddenly Erza was fully awake. Slowly she raised her head from where she lay.
Momo was fighting. Aizen was a mess, but Momo was almost spent, herself, and she had never been a master of the blade. He had stabbed her in the right shoulder, crippling her sword arm, and she was only barely parrying his attacks. She would not back down, raising her weapon desperately, but she couldn't last.
Erza let out a sharp set of quick breaths, trying to will herself to move. It kicked up dust in her face, but her limbs barely responded.
Stand up! Stand up right now, or she's going to die! Stand up, or he wins!
But, it was too much. She had almost nothing left. Her eyes started to blur again, and the darkness started to creep up at the edge of her vision. Oblivion was coming. It would take her. Momo would die, and there was nothing she could do about it. A deep sense of despair crept over her as the dark took her.
Suddenly she saw a bright light. It filled her field of vision entirely, and from the blinding white a voice called out.
"You're not giving up already, are you?"
Erza looked up. Her body felt light, like she was weightless, like she was floating on a cloud. The voice was familiar, although she hadn't heard it for over a century now. Before her stood a confident young man with pink, messy hair, his muscular arms crossed over his chest.
"Natsu…" Erza said slowly, in disbelief.
"I know you haven't given up. The Erza I knew never would," said Natsu, smiling self-assuredly.
"I- I've given all I had already," Erza murmured, staring at him. He looked exactly like she remembered. She was vaguely aware that he shouldn't have been here, that this shouldn't have been possible.
"No, you haven't."
There was the dwarfish shape of master Makarov, his gruff old voice cutting through her mind with clarity.
"You're still here. You're still thinking. And, when there's a will, there's a will to fight."
"I can't-"
"That doesn't sound like Erza to me," came the voice of Gray, the dark-haired young man giving her a stern look. "Does it, Natsu?"
"No, it doesn't," Natsu agreed. "What's wrong?"
"I'm- I'm almost dead," Erza said desperately, "again. I can- I can't move. I can't do anything. I can't-"
"Yes, you can."
Fading into vision this time was Mirajane, her gentle voice uplifting Erza's spirit.
"You've always been strong. Even stronger than you think yourself. You've always been too humble, but you know how strong you are. How much you're capable of."
"But…" Erza said weakly, "I'm weak. I've almost nothing left. I can't even stand. My body won't listen."
"Yes, it will," said Cana, coming into view. "You're not like you were before. Mind over matter, Erza. If you have the will, you'll stand. You can do it."
"But-"
"There's nothing you can't do, Erza," said Lucy as she faded into view. "Not if you put your mind to it."
"We all believe in you," said Levy, the last to come into view. "You just need to believe, too. You're Erza. You risked everything for your friends to get here."
"You've put your life on the line for a better world," said Natsu. "You stood up to a tyrant and refused him time and time again. You've beaten the worst he could throw at you. I know you're not going to stop here. Are you?"
Erza looked at them, drinking in the view of her old guild. They seemed so real, like a photo come to life. Tears streamed down her face. What she had lost, what she could never regain, it still stayed with her after all this time. It was part of who she was, immutable, unchangeable. No matter who she would become in the future, she would always be one of them.
"No, I won't," she said firmly, raising her head up proudly. "After all, I am Fairy Tail."
"Damn right," said Natsu.
"Thank you all," Erza whispered. They smiled at her, slowly fading from view. The light vanished, replaced by a dull light and a world of pain.
Erza came to already halfway to her knees, her arms trembling and straining to push her up. As her blurred vision came into focus, she saw Momo fall, blood pouring down her left arm. Her blade clattered to the ground, but she stayed where she was, defiant.
A low growl rose in Erza's throat as she got to her knees, her shaking arm reaching for her sword.
Get up! Get up and stand!
Somehow, against all odds, her fingers caught hold of the hilt. Now, to stand. Nearly falling over, she managed to rise to one knee only, and using her sword as a crutch she pushed up, up, up, slowly getting to her feet.
"Pity," Aizen said, his eyes focused on Momo. "I would offer you a place, but I have no use for a defunct tool."
He raised his blade for a decapitating strike. Momo stared him down, not flinching.
"I'd never take it," she said, drawing a long, deep breath.
Aizen's blade came down.
Energy Erza hadn't known she still had filled her. She surged forward, the growl turning into a battle cry. She wasn't running so much as continuously falling forward, but she moved, stumbling right into Aizen as the blade came down. Her blade met his, and as she slammed into him he nearly fell over, stumbling back, all balance lost. Screaming with undiluted rage, Erza grabbed the blade in both hands and thrust. She didn't know if it would hit; she wasn't even thinking, but she felt her sword strike true. Her blade run through his chest, hitting right under the ribcage. Pushing forward, she drove it deep into his body, until the guard of her hilt stopped her from going any further.
They stood leaned against each other, Aizen having fallen limp and Erza breathing heavily. Her head rested on his shoulder, and his on hers. She felt his breath on her neck, slow and wheezing.
"I don't… believe it," he said, his voice muted. "You… actually did it."
"Not yet, I didn't."
Gritting her teeth, she twisted the blade inside him. Aizen let out a helpless grunt, coughing up blood. It had been an instinctual act. Something inside her had just wanted to finish it, wanted to see him done and gone once and for all. Pushing her shoulder into him, she made him topple over. Aizen fell onto the ground, lying quite still. Blood trailed from the corner of his mouth. Erza stood over him, trembling.
"You actually… killed me," he whispered in disbelief. "Never thought you had the heart."
"I didn't either," said Erza, feeling unbearably tired.
"Everything I planned for," he murmured helplessly. "All those years spent planning. All the lives I took. For…"
"For nothing," said Erza sharply. "Your legacy will be tragedy and bloodshed. It would have been even if you won."
"Tomorrow," he whispered, "I could see it. I still can. Golden… perfect… just like I wanted it."
Erza shook her head. "And, look where that vision took you."
He looked at her and, to her surprise, he smiled.
"It's not over yet."
"What? Some final ace in the hole?"
He shook his head slowly. "There's still… you."
"Me?"
"We always… wanted the same thing. Ending… corruption. Making the Gotei… a better place. If it can't be me, then… I'll entrust my vision with you. That's your job now, Erza."
"My job?"
He nodded. "And, eventually… you'll see what I saw. That the system can't be changed. That corruption… is built into it. And, then… you'll have no choice but to burn it down. Because you're Erza. Because you can't abide injustice."
Erza gave him a piteous look. After all this time, she felt- strange. She had hated and feared him, but now a pang of empathy struck her. They had once sworn to the same thing, and in his own twisted way, Aizen had only wanted the world to be a better place. What couldn't he have accomplished if he'd worked with the Gotei?
"I'll do it," she said, nodding solemnly. "I'll do what you couldn't. I'll make the Soul Society right. And, I'll do it without killing people for getting in my way, too."
Aizen closed his eyes and smiled.
"Good…" he said, his voice becoming quieter. He didn't have long left, Erza figured. "One day you'll see," he muttered, "and then, you'll do… what I couldn't."
"We'll see," Erza said uncertainly.
"Yes, we will," said Aizen. His breath was laboured and struggling. "End it for me. Before… anyone else can take me. I've earned that much… after all we've been through."
She hesitated. He was helpless on the ground, beaten. It was unlikely anyone would recover him before he died. But… this was not murder. It was mercy.
Erza positioned her blade over his chest, and in a singular, quick motion thrust it into his heart. Aizen let out a final gurgle, and the last of his breath left his body. Erza retrieved her blade, and with some effort she wiped it on her sleeve. She slid the blade into its sheath and watched him lie there, still and gone.
So much blood had been spilt over him and his vision. So much death. And, now… it was up to her to make that mean something.
"Is it over?"
It was Momo, whispering the words as she walked up next to her. Erza let her hand brush up against Momo's, and they held on to each other.
"Yes," she said wearily. "Yes, it is."
She felt so, so tired. So many people had died today. It was unimaginable. This was the grimmest day of her life, but at least…
At least there was a future.
And so, with that, Aizen Sosuke has died. I was debating on whenever or not I wanted to simply imprison him for later use, or kill him off permanently, but I decided that this was the way to go. Overall, it helps give the arc a sense of finality for one and will allow us to focus on other things in the future.
From Erza fighting Aizen at his full power only to win because of her dragon heritage to Momo being the one to kill Aizen from a stab in the back, the fight has gone through many changes as I said before. Overall though, I felt like having the two of them clash as they did, low on spiritual power and already having gone through some of the most difficult battles in their lives, was the best way to go about it.
I'd like to take this moment now however to thank each and every single one of you who has read this story up to this point, and offer even further thanks to those who have left reviews for it. This story means so much to me as I've worked on it for over 6 long years. At many points throughout those 6 years, I've gone through some hard times, including the loss of two of my grandparents.
But you've all given me the hope and inspiration to continue not only through those hardships but this story as well. Words are not adequate to explain just how much you've all done for me, but regardless of it that, I truly thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
I eagerly await your reviews for this chapter and wish you all the best.