Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and RWBY. Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and the late Monty Oum (rest in peace you saint of a man).
A question one would ask why type this up? Simple – why not?
Chapter 21: The Green Fox
The light of the Senkaimon dimmed to reveal captains Ukitake, Hitsugaya, and Soi Fon, who was giving a venomous glare to Ruby for some odd reason. Along with them came their lieutenants Kuchiki, Abarai, and Matsumoto. Most of them were just unseated shinigami but the dark garbs they wore revealed them to be the Stealth Force of Squad 2.
Ukitake, a person who gave off a more serene nature than his other shinigami, was giving a glare that betrayed his personality. Ruby did not like the tension growing in the air one bit and she returned a familiar glare back at the shinigami. Ichigo noticed Ruby tense up and was put on red alert as well. They prepared that twitch to switch their gigais into Soul Candy at the instant of danger. Senna was breaking down sensing the threat was without a doubt coming for her.
"Captain Ukitake," Ichigo said in a neutral tone, "what's going on here?"
"Ichigo..." Rukia muttered with a hint of sadness.
Then, Renji stepped forward putting on an air of authority. "By the order of Central 46, we are here to apprehend the Shinenju. Hand it over immediately."
Ichigo scowled angrily, but Ruby...
It takes a lot to make Ruby angry, but the way Renji stepped forward and ordered the pair to hand over Senna like he was invincible or something really rubbed Ruby off the wrong away. But the way they don't even mention her name but call like she doesn't have any emotions. Like she some piece of property, a thing. That simple action was enough to make Ruby snap!
The shinigamis' eyes widened when Ruby somehow turned her gigai into a Soul Candy and transformed into her spirit form. She instantly released Mazazoru and slammed the blade in front of Senna for her defense while flaring her massive spiritual pressure that made the lieutenants buckle their knees and made the captains produce some sweat. But they all flinched at the face that Ruby made that could only be described as pure fury.
"IF YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST TAKE HER AWAY LIKE THAT, THEN YOU CAN SHOVE IT AND GO TO HELL!" Ruby roared in fury, reminding some of them of Unohanna's cold aura except Ruby's felt like it burned from the silver light in her eyes, "SHE ISN'T A THING, AND I DON'T CARE IF SHE'S THIS SHINENJU. HER NAME IS SENNA, A PERSON WHO HAS HER OWN SOUL AND IS HUMAN JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. YOU ARE NOT TAKING HER AWAY AGAINST HER OWN WILL WHILE WE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT!"
'She really thinks of me like that.' thought Senna, slightly in awe of Ruby standing up for her.
"She's right because Senna exists at this moment." said Ichigo, popping out of his gigai and his spirits rising in agreement with Ruby's outburst, "You have no right to take Senna away. She has thoughts and dreams just like we all do."
"You don't understand." Rukia argued, "Ganryu and his followers are trying to capture the Shinenju so they can control the Valley of Screams. We were sent to protect her."
Ruby snapped, her eyes producing a brilliant silver light that seemed to gas off of them. "Don't go preaching you'll 'protect' Senna when you'll just lock her up. You're no different than that punk Ganryu. We will protect Senna the right way even if we have to fight both you and the Soul Society."
"You wouldn't dare." Soi Fon growled, clearly offended.
"I'd say," said Ruby, getting into her fighting stance along with Ichigo, "bring it."
The clash between the pseudo-shinigami and the Gotei 13 was inevitable until a third party took the chance to launch a surprise, putting both parties in a state of confusion. Ruby and Ichigo made sure to stay close to Senna, but couldn't see in the dust cloud from the explosions from the ambush. That soon turned worst when it wasn't the dust surrounding them any longer but a horde of Blanks. From above, one of the thugs dropped on top of the trio. Ichigo held him back while he left Senna in Ruby's care as they escaped via Ruby's Semblance.
Ruby's path however was constantly blocked by a horde of Blanks. She would take a whole line of them in one swing of her scythe only for more to pop up and try to take Senna. The horde had them back in a corner until they were joined by the shinigami Rukia. The horde of Blanks was closing in number, but Ruby and Rukia stood back to back holding out their palms.
"Hado 28: Itsutsu Hoshi."
"Hado 33: Sokatsui."
Ruby outstretched five fingers which fired a volley of reishi beams like a hail of bullets would while Rukia took care of her horde with a wave of blue fire from her palm.
"That is impressive Kido, Ruby." Rukia complimented.
Ruby scoffed. "Save the compliments after we make out of this alive."
Senna took their distraction to disspell her gigai and instead join in the fight, dancing in the autumn leaves with her Zanpakuto in hand.
'Ichigo and Ruby are protecting me because I'm a person, not a thing.' thought Senna, looking up at one of the thugs who had to be Ganryu, 'But I won't let them fight alone.'
Senna jumped up, released her zanpakuto, and poured all her energy to bring down Ganryu in one swift motion. She was already committed to the attack when Ganryu turned around with a smile that struck horror on her face. There was an explosion of reiatsu clashing with reiatsu that ended with Senna as the loser with a hand in her gut.
"SENNA!" cried Ruby and Ichigo.
The Blanks around them suddenly exploded, blinding the shinigami in dust. One went near Ichigo about ready to blow him apart. When Ruby saw it, she moved on instinct and slammed into the Blank far enough from Ichigo. The pseudo-shinigami's eyes widened when Ruby was in a crater with burns on her fair skin and rips in her clothes. She was barely moving and her Aura barely flickered.
"RUBY!" screamed Ichigo in fear.
Ruby lifted her head weakly to look at Ichigo dead in the eye.
"Get... Senna... back." Ruby said before unconsciousness took over.
Ichigo felt like a brutal knife was thrusted into his heart seeing Ruby down on the ground as though there was no life in her. Ichigo looked to the sky and positioned Zangetsu in front of him with his arm locked onto his other forearm.
"I will." Ichigo promised, "Bankai."
Faster than a bullet, Ichigo stood above the Dark Ones (stupid name I know) in his Bankai form. His blade shrunk into a black copy of a sealed zanpakuto with a chain, but an expert eye could tell the unimaginable power in the blade. Ichigo looked down upon all of them without any remorse.
"You're not going anywhere." Ichigo growled, "Put her down now. You can't have Senna!"
The Dark Ones charged Ichigo, but to him they were moving too slow to even catch him by surprise. He was a phantom to them disappearing as soon as their eyes made him out. The only one to appear so calm was Ganryu. He had complete confidence that Ichigo would fail in his attempt to reclaim the Shinenju. Ganryu didn't even react in emotion as Ichigo shunpoed in front of him with Tensa Zangetsu poised to cut him down.
"It's over." Ichigo stated.
The hand that held Senna also held a spear. With just a small manipulation of his spiritual energy, Ganryu extended the spear. It was aimed and timed perfectly to make dodging impossible. The spear would skewer Ichigo and leave him helpless.
... Unless Ichigo had Aura. The spear stopped inches from Ichigo's body via a blue barrier that held it off like steel. Ganryu's eyes widened that his underhanded play was proved useless, and in his shock left him wide open for Ichigo's attack. He summoned his blade to defend against Tensa Zangetsu, but Ganryu underestimated the force behind it and accidentally released Senna. She went into a free fall for a moment till she stopped herself with hoho. Senna left Ichigo to deal with Ganryu and instead rushed to Ruby's aid who was still unconscious in a crater.
"This is for Ruby." Ichigo said, Tensa Zangetsu leaking with black and red reiatsu, "Getsuga Tensho."
Ganryu was blasted by a point-blank, black Getsuga Tensho that sent him crashing into the ground. His followers appeared by his side to defend him. The Dark One leader rose from ground, his face etched with rage. After all of that, they failed to get the Shinenju. They would be forced to retreat, but a chance to get the Shinenju would probably never happen again.
"We shall retreat. One way or another we will have our reve-"
Everyone stopped dead still when a absolutely massive spiritual pressure crashed down on the entire battlefield. The lieutenants were on their knees, trying to breath. The captains were having a hard time themselves keeping their knees straight. This pressure was huge, even for a captain. It was like Kenpachim except this felt calm and composed like a mountain stream.
And this one was familiar especially to Ichigo and Ruby, who just started to come to.
"This is..."
"Fokonawarudogeto."
The voice bellowed over the Dark Ones as that spiritual pressure fluctuated. Out of the sky slammed four giant temple gates around the area. In a flash of light, the battlefield was encased in a yellow glowing Kido barrier to prevent any type of escape.
'The Four Corner World Gates?!' thought Ukitake in shock, 'I never thought I'd see such a powerful Bakudou again, but who could possess this spiritual pressure to cast it?'
His answer came to him by the appearance of a young man with shunpo. By the green Chinese-style outfit, the long black hair, and the dual zanpakuto on his back most of them knew as Lie Ren. The captains' eyes widened when they sensed him as the source of the spiritual pressure. It was not only powerful, but perfectly controlled.
'How could a human become this powerful?' thought Soi Fon.
Ganryu focused his furious gaze at the newcomer. This wasn't even a shinigami, just some random human. How could this human come out of nowhere and ruin his plans like this? But there was also a cold stab going through him, one he hadn't felt since he faced the sotaicho himself. Fear.
"Woah." Ichigo said, "Ruby, you weren't kidding when you said that Ren was pushing himself."
Ruby herself was in disbelief. Yes, she did witness Ren training himself beyond what most would say possible and still keep going where most would die. But never would she imagine Ren of all people becoming something like this.
'So this is what he's become just so he could stop Aizen?' thought Ruby.
"So you are the Dark Ones." Ren said, "There is no escape for you. Your quest for revenge and the Shinenju end here. Permanently."
"So what?" said the thug with the rope missiles on his back, "You are just one-"
It came like a literal clap of thunder. Ren unleashed his spiritual pressure upon the Dark Ones, sending all but Ganryu to the floor. His hair whipped in the air, and his reiatsu became visible for every eye to see. Ganryu kept his confident look, but inwardly he was terrified.
"You really think you can take us alone?" Ganryu said, "You can't defeat the entire clan all by yourself, no matter how powerful you are."
Ren sighed. "You should've stayed in whatever pit you crawled out of... Shunko."
As if his pressure wasn't crushing enough, this one practically put a planet on them. Their nerves fired and the Dark Ones jumped back to gain some distance from the rising pressure. Instead of the white lightning of shunko, green fire surrounded Ren's body till it became skin of fire on his body. What was more were the nine green tails of fire-like reiatsu waving behind him. He unsheathed his zanpakuto before banging the hilts together to form it into a bow.
"Kakushi Tsume."
It was do or die, so Ganryu certainly didn't want to go the coward's way out and at least get some satisfaction in his final moments.
"Kill him." Those would be his literal final words.
Ren had total control of the fight the second he arrived. The first one to go down fell with a lance of golden light piercing through his chest. The shinigami captains barely even sensed Ren's arrow. The other Dark Ones learned from this and kept their guard on full-alert. But Ren was a step ahead.
His bow unleashed what could only be a storm of golden arrows thought only possible by the means of the Qunicy and their bows. The one with the hammers instantly fell from the storm as he fell to the ground as a pincushion. Those who were of more average build had an easier time evading the barrage, especially Ganryu. However, he could tell this shinigami was playing with them.
One of his subordinates used her agility to get through the storm of arrows after Ren. As she got closer to her target, Ganryu could notice Ren's lips moving. It looked like he was... chanting!
It was too late to warn her. She appeared behind Ren to cut his head off, but the blades never made their mark. The nine tails of green fire shattered the steel like glass. The Dark One tried to go for a punch, only for her hand to became charred to the bone.
"Wh-What are you?!" she cried only to meet a hand charged with massive reiatsu.
"A defender." Ren replied, "Hado 54: Haien."
Haien was an instant kill spell that worked on low-powered opponents. The Dark One was at least considered 3rd Seat, but to Ren she was no different than a Plus compared to a Vasto Lorde as she instantly turned to ash in the blast of purple reiatsu. Ren turned his sights back at the ground preparing another Kido spell. This one was far stronger than the last.
"Hado 88: Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho."
Ren's left palm unleashed a tremendous beam of azure reiatsu, firing off like a Gran Rey Cero towards the ground. Only Ganryu had enough time to dodge, and the last of his followers died in the explosion. Multiple thoughts rang through the spectators as Ren's show of power like it was nothing.
'He doesn't even seem winded from casting such a high-level Hado spell.' thought Ukitake in shock.
'Overkill much.' were the thoughts of Senna, Ruby, and Ichigo.
'H-How much power do these humans have?!' thought Soi Fon, sparing a glance to Ichigo and Ruby.
She took note to think twice before messing with them ever again.
Ganryu flew up to Ren's level in the air, his clothes singed from the blast. Blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth and his right hand looked badly disfigured. And if it wasn't clear by his strained face of rage, Ganryu was pissed. He never felt such utter defeat and humiliation since the Head Captain himself. And Ren just gave him a glare bordering on impassive and boredom.
"Damn you." cursed Ganryu, "Damn you. Decades of planning, waiting for our moment to take our revenge on Soul Society. Only to have it squandered when it was all in my arm's reach."
"Surrender, Ganryu." said Ren, "Your petty vengeance is done for."
"Petty!" Ganryu seethed behind his barred teeth, "How dare you!"
Hundreds of Blanks sprouted from the ground converting themselves in reiatsu and surging into Ganryu's body. They could feel the heavy flux of power growing in his body. It became unstable by the increase and cracks of light appeared on his skin. Yet, he still absorbed more as fast as he could.
"If he continues to absorb this much reishi from the Blanks," said Hitsugaya, "his spiritual body won't be able to handle it and he'll..."
"Kaboom?" Renji said sheepishly. Hitsugaya nodded
"How big of a blast are we talking here?" Rukia dared to ask.
"Enough," said Hitsugaya, but reluctant to say, "to obliterate half of Karakura Town."
That almost stopped Ichigo's heart at that last statement. He was about to shout to Ren when he noticed the look in his green clad friend's eyes. Ren was not at all troubled.
"If I can't destroy the Soul Society," Ganryu cackled with a maniacal grin, "I'll just take you all with me to hell!"
Then, his eyes widened when Ren who was staring without emotion appeared in front of him with his bow raised up to his chest. The arrow did not produce a tip, but instead the reiatsu converged into a round singularity black and purple in shape. Even with all the unstable power overflowing within Ganryu, he could not help the frozen chill of fear.
Teirubisuto: Dama."
Ren released the ball of reiatsu with a bang. The spectators could only see the air circles of Ganryu's forced ascent into the skies of Karakura Town. They could hear its sharp whistle no matter the distance. That whistle was shut off when a second sun appeared in the sky, followed by a great roar of the blast. The clouds that spotted the sky were no longer in sight. Jaws dropped from lieutenants and unseated officers of the sheer destruction that they just witnessed and were miraculously spared from thanks to Ren. Though one had to wonder if the explosion was caused by Ganryu or Ren himself.
Ruby, trapped to watch the entire spectacle of Ren's one-sided slaughter of the Dark Ones, had one word to describe it.
"Awesome." Ruby squeaked. She could only imagine the wonders that Ren's Shikai in its bow form could do.
Senna had a million things going through her head, but only a few were made clear. She was safe. She wasn't going to be chased. She wasn't going to be taken away. And most importantly she had friends powerful enough to stand by her side.
Seeing Ren's extraordinary performance put all the shinigami present in shock. Such a display of power was comparable to what Aizen had done. They also knew that his affiliation with Ichigo and Ruby meant he was not there to aide them. So Ukitake made the wise call that his colleagues were to stupefied to make.
"Mission is over." Ukitake ordered, "We shall return to the Soul Society."
Not a moment too soon, they opened a Senkaimon in disappeared behind the paper doors. Ruby and Ichigo let out a breath of relief they didn't know they were holding. Ren looked down on his comrades, and a small smile adorned his face.
He was proud of himself of the way he used his power the right way: for his friends.
That's how you get rid of the Dark Ones Ren-style. This chapter was also to show his growth in his training, and he will become a bit overpowered in terms of skill and reiatsu compared to Ichigo and Ruby, but not much as a powerhouse. By this point Ren has Bankai with his training, but I can only say it isn't something Ren will use on a whim kind of like with Shunsui. And its official, Senna is part of the story and the triple group of shinigami is now quadruple.
Let me know any ideas of the name of Senna's Bankai.
Up next is chapter 22: Team SIRR.
Which arc do you want next?
-Return to Remnant.
-Fade to Black.
-Mini Arc: Ruby and Ichigo mastering their inner demons and getting their masks.
Bount Arc come after.
Stay in touch. Please, please leave a review.