Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. 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). Please support the official release.
Chapter: Banish in Flame
(Que Story OP – Hello Sleepwalkers "Hyakkiyakou")
(Ren vs. Leviathan)
Never would Ren dream that he would ever come face a giant Grimm one-on-one. Never thought of just standing in the air right in front of it like an wall in its path despite his size. Never would he think that he was actually brave enough to actually stare it down with his unreadable expression.
Only Nora had the sugar-fueled imagination for such a concept. Ren vs. a giant freaking monster from the sea. Next thing he knew he was going to try and stop her from investing in the cinema to make it into a movie. He shivered as his fears continued to delve into other possibilities Nora was going to do. She was the only woman to ever do that to him ever since they were kids. And it was always him to keep her in check and clean up the mess, but he would never give her up.
Speaking of frighteningly looking odds, the giant Leviathan Grimm just tore down one of the barriers and decided to blast out a fireball.
'Alright, I'm pretty sure Professor Port never covered fire-breathing Grimm.' Ren thought in a bit of trepidation of packs of Beowolves breathing fire. Hollows only narrowly come out worse with ceros and Gargantas.
Ren whipped out his left bayonet and split the fireball in two harmless fires. The heat was nothing compared to the raw powers he faced on Earth.
"Bad boy." Ren said.
The Grimm's response was to unleash a roar and make a beeline for the city. Ren had to say it was surprisingly fast.
"Bakudou 81: Danku."
With a burst of reiatsu, a towering blue barrier manifested in front of the Leviathan. It did not halt its course, which proved a false action when it didn't expect to bounce away. However, Ren was a little surprised that its sheer power and strength shattered the Kido spell.
"Let's try Hado." Ren mused, his right hand sparking, "Hado 63: Raikohou."
Ren was embarrasses to admit, but he found it 'cool' in the fact he could fire giant bolts of thunder from his hands. It only felt like a little tickle through his arms and fingers, but when that power was unleashed in those spells he has proven to have the power to decimate armies in a single blow. Command storms with a few words. And bring the meaning of destruction upon his enemies. While his kendo was impressive enough to hold himself against Aizen, his true strength lay in his unmatched potential in Kido. Normal spells that would take an incantation for the desired effect, Ren could simply shape his reiatsu into that spell and give out the same power.
And so did a mighty flash of lightning rip split earth and sky in two as it crashed into the side of the Leviathan. It gave a pained roar finding its shoulder scorched and sizzling from the foreign power. Another roar that rippled the air was given off as the Grimm took a few paces back to recover its bearings.
However neither it nor Ren did not expect what came next. A silver blur soared in front of the Leviathan. Ren could see it was Weiss' aircraft but on board was Nora with a loaded grenade launcher and Weiss beside her casting glyphs. Weiss must've picked up some of their friends to hold back the Leviathan as best they could when it appeared. Looking back to the now toppled bone tree Ren noticed the shockwaves rippling through the sky as the newborn arrancar was having battle with the Vizards. Reaching out his senses, Ren confirmed that Oscar was on board flying the aircraft as best he could while Yang and Blake for some odd reason was staying back with the Vizards to possibly look out for her sister.
As cold as the thought is, Yang's sisterly affection for Ruby was almost fanatical and Blake probably stayed behind just to look out for the blonde and keep both of them out of the fight. Now back to the current situation at hand with Nora's untimely intervention.
Ren turned back just in time to see Nora and Weiss launch grenades and Dust projectiles into the wound Ren made. Frost exploded with ash and smoke making the joint almost useless. Its deep red eyes were now aimed at the aircraft in pure fury. The Leviathan's right arm blurred in motion at speeds thought impossible for its size. Oscar quickly attempted to swerve away from the blow while Ren casted a low-level Bakudou spell to deflect the arm away.
"Get out of here!" Ren shouted, "I can handle this."
"Oh hell no!" Nora shouted through a megaphone she... just magically had. "You die for eight months and that means you take all the fun?!"
Ren couldn't tell whether to be happy about Nora's odd behavior or frustrated. The Leviathan took its chance to unleash a concentrated ray of fire. It first aimed for Ren who positioned his zanpakuto to split it down the middle until the Grimm turned its aim to the aircraft. Oscar was able to keep just out of its range while Nora pelted it with grenades to stumble the Leviathan's aim. Ren's Kido had a bit more bite to them leveling burns on the Leviathan's body. It was a true testament that Grimm were not regular creatures. Any other animal would've died by such wounds being inflicted, and it only seemed to make the Grimm more ferocious.
The Leviathan eyed the aircraft spinning around it, spitting out fireballs and waving its arms to swat it like a fly. It began to force the aircraft while also trying to ignore the barrage of Kido from Ren. Then it let out a roar so powerful the very air shook from the force and thus the aircraft was trapped. The Grimm took the opening of the disabled aircraft to swat it into a heap of burning metal.
Nora could only watched in shock as the giant hand inched closer to her demise. She closed her eyes at the last second, but the blow never came. She dared to open her eyes, only to widen at the sight of Ren levitating right in front of her holding the giant fist back with his dual bayonets. They didn't even have a crack in them.
'Judging by the strength, this thing could beat a Menos Grande easily.' Ren mused inwardly. He was glad that Grimm could not have the capacity to generate reiatsu or Argus would already be a barren wasteland.
"Stay back." Ren said softly, a ghost of a smile on his lips, "I'll take care of this. Right now. Hado 58: Tenran."
From Ren's palms, a horizontal twister manifested and grew to the size of the Leviathan's head to push the Grimm back. The green-clad shinigami made a resolve as he focused massive amounts of reiatsu. The Grimm needed to die now, not while Shao Kin was going on a rampage.
"If I faint, please catch me." Ren asked Nora, who reluctantly nodded. Ren took a deep breath before stretching out his hand to the Leviathan and he began to chant a long verse.
"Limit of the thousand hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired..."
At the end of the chant, the outpouring of Ren's reiatsu that cloaked him in a green aura manifested into several spears of light as long as the aircraft and made of such intense light they were blinding. The occupants in the aircraft were speechless at the pressure they could feel from them.
"Hado 91: Senju Koten Taiho."
With a flick of his hand, the spears raced to the Leviathan first impaling it through the chest. The Grimm gave a pained wail while eyes continued to burn with anger. But that anger diminished when it saw the small human known as Ren levitating in immovable opposition in its path. Its thoughts turned to retreat to age and grow stronger, but the wounds upon its body would not allow the Grimm to move.
"Disappear." Ren muttered before snapping his fingers.
The Grimm nor anybody else could let out a breath as the spears together went up in a tremendous explosion. Ren was able to put down on last Danku barrier to shield them from the shockwave. As it died down, all that as left of the Grimm was a hole in the seafloor and a giant ash cloud. A few seconds later, Ren gave a panted sigh as he fell into the aircraft.
"Okay, not unconscious." Ren mused as Weiss and Nora helped him up. "That's good."
"That... was... AWESOME!" Nora screeched, crushing his arm with her god-like strength. "You're like a walking explosive factory! Just think of all the fun stuff we can have!"
Ren could only have a shiver go down his spine. That was just... a terrifying thought. At least Salem is sane somewhat compared to Nora.
(Ruby and Ichigo vs. Shao Kin)
The Vizards were completely unprepared by the explosion of power radiating off of the former Vasto Lorde. That was actually the most alarming in the situation. This was an old Vasto Lorde as it had been one for 1,500 years. He was the true testament to the living nightmare that Vasto Lorde represent. His spiritual pressure was beyond captain level, and that was before he suddenly shattered off his mask.
Kisuke was cursing some sort of E-rank luck he was having. He went through the calculations of Hollows trying to become arrancar through natural means of ripping off the mask. The result was that there was a one-in-a-billion chance of a successful transformation, and that's if the arrancar survived. What Shao Kin had was the literal devil's luck pulling off a perfect transformation, increasing his already immense strength. For once, Kisuke was wishing Yoruichi giving him another beating for missing such a scenario.
"Kisuke-" Whatever Rose was going to say was cut off by a buzz of static and the blonde man crashing into the ground. Before he knew it, bones sprouted from the ground catching him in his arms and legs so to prevent using his zanpakuto to break free.
"I can't have the food ruining the main course." Shao hissed in amusement.
"Scream, Benihime."
The wave of red reiatsu never reached its target as Shao Kin disappeared in another buzz of sonido. One-by-one, each of the Vizards were kicked to the ground even before they could summon their masks. The more experienced such as Kensei and Shinji managed to barely dodge the strike.
"Kuso." Shinji swore. "Collapse-"
"I don't think so." Shao's voice suddenly spoke in his ear, grabbing his sword arm.
There was a quick twist followed by a loud pop of bone. Shinji bit his lip to force back a cry of agony, but was helpless to stop himself being trapped in the same way of his comrades.
"Bastard!" Roared Kensei with his Hollow mask. "Blow them away, Tachikaze."
Kensei's zanpakuto shrunk into a combat knife gathering winds around him. Senna joined him as well, her own zanpakuto released and further amplifying their strength since they used the same element. Shao Kin just waited for their attack, his eyes almost taunting them. As Senna blasted a tornado, Kensei swung in the air launching air blades. The two winds combined in a razor twister. But Shao merely swatted it away with the back of his palm.
In pure speed, he got behind Senna's guard first digging his fist into her gut to knock the air out followed by a high kick to her temple effectively knocking her out with a concussion. Kensei swung a right hook, but was caught in a steel grip.
"You're unique as well." Shao said, squeezing the fist with audible cracks. "Too weak though."
Reiatsu was cupped in Shao's left hand until a cero was blasted point-blank at Kensei's stomach forcing him back until a bone spire grew behind him to crash into. He coughed out blood probably from some of his ribs breaking on impact before more such bone formations wrapped around him.
Kisuke stood stoically against the new arrancar already on a plan to fight. He acted in time parrying a fist with Benihime from a fist to the back of his head. He cringed as his arms shook from the force of the hit. It unnerved the former captain Shao had never used his new naginate, yet his hands struck like daggers and hammers. Kisuke used a quick shunpo to gain distance.
"Hado 63: Raikohou."
A flash of thunder roared from Kisuke's hands and directed at Shao. He braced the Kido spell using his left forearm like a shield. The blast could not pierce and eventually relented to Kisuke's ire. He was starting to hate Hierro.
"I wonder." Mused Shao as Kisuke sensed a surge of reiatsu in his right arm. His eyes shot wide open when blue flames started to form.
"Hado 33: Sokatsui."
"Sonunva-" Cursed Kisuke again at Kami probably taking revenge on breaking his almighty law. He could barely believe it. A Hollow using Kido spells of the shinigami. An arrancar yes, but a Hollow still. It intrigued the scientist, but right now research was not good for his health right now. Kisuke put up his Blood Mist Shield in time and let the fire dissipated.
"Surprised, aren't you shinigami?" Said Shao. "I've fought your kind for over 1,500 years. Did you really think in all that time I wouldn't pay attention to your means? I can assure you, I have very intimate knowledge of your Kido spells."
"Am I supposed to be frightened?" Kisuke retorted.
"Ha-ha-ha." Shao laughed. "You want to be frightened? Then how about this? Your friends over there are slowly dying. The longer they stay in the confines of my bones, their spiritual pressure is sapped away. Let's be honest here. You can't defeat me in time to save them."
As much as Kisuke was loath to admit, he was right. Shao Kin had not only wiped them out before a counter could be made, he also put Kisuke in a trap by singling him out as the biggest threat and giving him an ultimatum. Suddenly, there was a spike of spiritual pressure and Kisuke widened his eyes a bit seeing the buxom blonde and cat girl suddenly appear. If Kisuke remembered right, their names were Yang and Blake, and he was momentarily intrigued by their weapons and the same unique reiatsu they had.
Yang's gauntlets impacted with a bang as its shotgun casing went off and Blake swung down her short cleaver. Shao didn't even bat an eye as his Hierro negated the force entirely. Yang and Blake gasped in pain as Shao struck faster than they could see bruising and instantly shattering their aura. The arrancar dug his fist deep in Yang's gut with enough force to make her cough spittle and blood before smacking both Remnanties away.
"Insects have no place here." Shao said, aiming a cero at the duo. "Turn to dust."
The instant the red flash of the cero was unleashed, Yang's eyes caught the glimpse of white dashing into view. Yang felt the heat of the reiatsu pass harmlessly as the beam was split in two. When the blast cleared, Blake and Yang were spared while the ground at their flank had two deep trenches. In front stood Ruby in her Bankai form, but there was notable bruising and cutting on her hands and her shoulders rose and fell like she was panting.
"Damn." Muttered Ruby. "Guess stupid kinda runs in the family I guess? Thinking that I could just stand in front of a cero?" Ruby locked her silver eyes like orbs of cold steel on Shao Kin. "This fight is between us. Leave them out of this."
Despite the venomous tone, it did nothing to vex Shao Kin but it did make Yang and Blake cringe a little.
"Ruby, are you okay?" Yang spoke, her worry over Ruby increasing seeing her running on fumes.
"You need to get out of here." Ruby said sternly, glancing back at the duo with her wolf ears. "This isn't Torchwick, White Fang, or some Grimm infestation. If you stay, I can't promise that one of us won't accidentally kill you."
"Don't say stuff like that, not when-"
"She wasn't asking." Ichigo's voice suddenly spoke behind Blake and Yang as he put a hand on each of them before using shunpo to get them to Kisuke, and then tell him to go free the Vizards while he and Ruby distract Shao Kin. Even if it meant a Yang-sized punch through his chest (much to Zangetsu's humor).
Meanwhile, Shao Kin took the first attack closing in behind Ruby's guard in a burst of sonido. Her face was caught in his claw-like grip and tossed away like a rag doll. The Huntress braced herself digging her feet into the ground to stop in time to reengage with the arrancar when he followed-up with palm thrust. She just barely managed to hold back the blow inches from her face while holding in a gasp of pain from her arms shaking from the force. The two entered in an exchange of blows, blade against fist but Ruby was none the winner. A palm thrust to her side staggered her, but she blocked the following left hook. Shao Kin flowed from the failed blow into a twist, flattening his right hand and striking her in the ribs then twisting around to land a heavy swipe to her neck just barely blocked with Ruby's own hand. The blow was meant to distract her from a kick to her gut knocking the air out of her lungs. Her vision blurred unable to even see the high kick to the side of her head. Her senses were literally knocked back feeling fists knocking into her stomach. For just a second there was an opening that Ruby took with swinging her glaive from the side, but Shao saw it coming and countered snaking his left hand passed the blade to punch Ruby in the cheek. Two more blows met her face before she actually parried a third to go for her own thrusting her glaive with her left hand. Shao titled to the side and caught Ruby's extended arm. His right arm slid under the limb to strike Ruby's chin sharply, then twisting around in a blur to strike her in the back with an elbow. Ruby turned back with a wide swing, but Shao merely ducked under the glaive and landed quick, sharp, and painful jabs to her chest. Then his hand tightened into a fist and there was a surge of reiatsu.
"Nudillo Palido."
The fist struck like thunder launching Ruby off the ground and crashing through the uprooted roots of the bone tree till she lost enough velocity to get stuck in one. She only managed to cough out a mouthful of blood before Shao grabbed her face ready for the finishing blow.
Ichigo finally made his entrance flanking behind the arrancar with Tensa Zangetsu raised over his head. Shao Kin twisted on his heel pushing the daito to the side with his free forearm then snaking it around to strike a heavy blow to his side. Ichigo let out a small gasp of pain before he too was grabbed at the face. Shao Kin spun into the air with the pair in his hands only to crash down back to earth and run them through the ground at breakneck speeds. He paused momentarily to throw them away in opposite directions with enough force to bury the shinigami in the ground.
While all this was happening, Kisuke went to work immediately on freeing Hachi. In this situation, both his and the Vizard's Kido would be enough to lock down Shao Kin until he could conjure a more permanent solution. He contemplated getting Yoruichi, but remembered she was in one of her "moods" again and would most likely beat him senseless again if he returned empty-handed. It was easier said than done trying to cut at the bone. Steel was like clay compared to the bone confinements, as noted by Benihime's protests to stop or else risking her elegant deadly edge. Yang tried punching with her robotic arm, but immediately stopped when on the first punch there were some audible cracks and sparks flying off on her artificial knuckles. The trio went down on a cold sweat when the Grave King's gaze locked on them.
"I can't have you doing that now." Shao Kin said threateningly.
He took one step before the world became heavier but not from the Hollow. Off to the sides two spires of red-laced black and purple-laced silver erupted from the earth. Yang, Blake, and especially Kisuke could tell by a feel in the air that it was Ruby and Ichigo. While fortunate they were still in the fight, there was something in their presence that instilled fear on the instinctual level. Earlier this power commanded respect, but now it was joined with cold and vicious intent like a predator. Kisuke knew this feeling as a Hollow's reiatsu, but the sheer size of it and the fact their shinigami powers were still present sent out some alarms.
Shao Kin's head whipped back to the spires of reiatsu. The pressure continued growing nonstop, crumbling the earth into a crater. A full-blown grin stretched his face, and wide enough to show his tongue licking his teeth in anticipation. The cattle, the shinigami; they meant nothing to those two that caught his attention. This is what he wanted, a true worthy hunt for his ascension. A battle between souls walking between the lines of two worlds.
I wanted to make this chapter a bit more, but there's just too much action. At least two more chapters of the fight before the conclusion of this arc and possibly the establishment of a new gate between the worlds of Remnant and Earth/Soul Society.
Up next is Chapter 40: Skewer, Empalador.
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