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Chapter 63: Cat's Nightshade

(Que Story OP – Hello Sleepwalkers "Hyakkiyakou")

(Yang and Blake vs Yoshi)

"Goddamn defense types," Yang growled as she kept punching on Yoshi's shield and failing to do any damage.

No matter the force behind Yang's punches, the Bount refused to budge even as the ground cratered beneath them. She tried flanking from the sides, but Yoshi would react in time to defend herself as well. The best Yang could do was keep out of the right and any hits would be absorbed by her Aura to fuel her Semblance.

'And the problem is I can't take so many hits because of how much this vampire wannabee takes out of my Aura when she goes on the offense,' Yang thought in frustration.

It was no joke when Yoshi switched to her offensive form, and Yang was forced to get on the defensive. She was cocky for one second in her Aura tanking the blow, but when that massive jian blade simply grazed against her cheek did Yang realize her blunder. The damage Yoshi's offensive form could deal was not worth the payoff her Semblance gave her. All Yang could do was keep the Bount's attention on her.

That was all fine with Yang hinging her trust on her partner Blake. While she took the heat, the Faunas would use her acrobatic skills to outmaneuver Yoshi to get her strikes in. So far, Blake had managed in nicking the Bount at her shoulders and sides where Gambol Shroud drew blood, but it was not fatal enough to stop the Bount. The injuries would be done away with as soon as Yoshi fed on the reishi matter that made up Soul Society. Then there was Uryu who was unfortunately next to useless given the state of his powers and the destabilization of the Quincy artifact.

"Insect!" Yoshi growled.

Yang's eyes widened in surprise when Yoshi used the shield to instead push forward to bash the blonde. She was forced to hold her arms up and brace herself against the blunt blow. Her bones rattled against the force, but her Aura held strong like a brilliant haze around her body. However, it left Yang dazed long enough for Yoshi to switch to her offensive form and swing her blade intent on bisecting the brawler.

The rope of Gambol Shroud suddenly shot from behind Yoshi where Blake was perched on a nearby rooftop. Like a living thing, Blake's favored kusarigama wrapped snugly around Yoshi's wrist holding her weapon, and then Blake yanked as hard as she could. She was successful in preventing the death blow as Yoshi lost her balance from the sudden pull on her arm back. But the ancient being was not too surprised and she showed her contempt with a visible snarl.

Just as her foot left the ground, Yoshi slammed it back down hard enough to sink into the stone floor instead of flying off. With her footing reinforced, she showed her superior strength by pulling Blake completely off her feet with her own weapon. Unable to stop herself midflight, Blake was caught in a clothesline smashing her to the ground beneath Yoshi's feet. If it weren't for her Aura, Blake was sure her collarbone would have shattered, but she knew it was a dangerous level right now.

Before Blake could get up, a foot slammed down on her chest pinning her down. It was suddenly harder to breathe, but Blake suddenly found herself way too close to Yoshi's face. The way the Bount stared at her was as if Blake was a delectable meal ready to be eaten. Which Yoshi was when the Bount grinned sadistically.

"Your reishi smells unique," Yoshi hissed, her expression making her out to be more viper than human. "I wouldn't mind having a bite of this mystery meat."

This time, Blake's eyes widened in terror. Her survival instinct kicked in, making her body thrash to escape such a horrible fate. Blake's Semblance kicked in shifting the Faunas out of the way while a clone of herself took her place. So when Yoshi bit down, her fangs sunk into thin air instead of flesh. Eyes full of rage snapped to attention to the real Blake desperately making her way to get as far away as possible.

"Oh no, you don't!" Yang cried as she pounced onto Yoshi's back. "You are not going to ever get a single lick on my partner!"

Yoshi tried to shrug her off since Yang's close proximity made it difficult to shift her forms. She first tried swinging her weapon back, but Yang locked Yoshi's left arm in a tight hold with her own to prevent her from doing so. It was with her right arm that Yang pummeled down over and over upon Yoshi with explosive force. Teeth broke off and the jawbone cracked beneath her fists eventually, drawing cries of pain from the Bount before Yoshi managed to land a solid elbow to the side of Yang's head. The strength of the Bount made Yang skip across the ground like a pebble over a lake before she crashed into one of the many barracks of the Sereitei.

Yoshi maintained a stare at the ruined building, waiting for any strange shift in the rubble. None came and for extra measure Yoshi willed the reishi from the wall to disperse and absorb into herself, thus healing her wounds and carrying her power to greater heights. Now Yang was lying in the crumbled stone with her Aura flickering weakly. Her eyes were closed into a dreamless slumber, and the side of her head sported a red stain of blood from a fresh concussion made by Yoshi's blow. It was taking the last embers of Yang's Semblance to keep her condition from worsening, but she was out of the count.

The cry of a Quincy's bow alerted Yoshi to a barely recovered Uryu having fired one last shot. Yoshi leaned her head out of the way just in time to avoid a reishi arrow. Strands of her hair flew in her peripheral vision showing just how close her death was. But the arrow itself was flawed as the arrow soon crumbled into motes of light due to its instability from Uryu's failing powers. Looking over to the Quincy, Yoshi sneered at the sight of Uryu hopelessly trying to get back on his feet only to finally collapse with his energy spent and the Quincy artifact nearly burning his arm.

"And then there was one," Yoshi said with a full predatory grin as she tracked down the hiding Belladonna. "Come out wherever you are, little cattle. Don't make this hard on yourself. Prey can't hide away from me; I'll smell you out. We can make this quick, just a little prick on your neck - and it'll be all over!"

Yoshi had zeroed in on Blake's position and rushed upon the Faunas at her maximum speed. Blake's body acted on the impending danger by bringing the katana and cleaver/sheath in a cross guard against an overhead that would have cleaved down her head. Wide frantic eyes stared back at Yoshi's predatory gaze as the Bount increased the strength to overwhelm Blake quickly. The Faunas had no choice but to move the coming blow aside and just in time before her cleaver gave way to the Doll blade. Her eyes stared at the sword sunk into the earth inches from her face. She then used her Semblance to get back onto her feet, but not enough time to run away before Yoshi leaped for another blow.

"Use me!"

A voice so familiar yet alien echoed in her head, but her body moved for her drawing from the sheathed Asauchi from her waist to parry away the oversized jian from below its swing. To Yoshi, she saw the lethal opening on her person with Blake's weapon poised to thrust forward, but one Blake couldn't capitalize too distracted in her haze of adrenaline keeping her alive as well as the distraction from the voice in her head that was trying to figure out. The Bount quickly back-peddled away to give herself the distance to change to her standard form and then to her defensive form bringing back the massive shield.

"Little wretch," Yoshi cursed under her breath, peeking from the side of her shield at Blake.

Only to find that the Faunas had disappeared without a sound. Her face shifted to a snarl and released a scream of outrage. She began taking in the reishi with reckless abandon to weed her out. Unknown to the Bount, Blake had returned to the previous field of battle checking over the unconscious form of Yang. Any attempts to rouse Yang awake were naught, and Blake grew increasingly worried for the lives of Yang and her own.

"You are having a rough time here," said the mysteriously familiar voice, "and that's including the tussle with your ex-boyfriend. Seriously, Blake, what was your taste of men back then?"

"Can we seriously not go there!?" Blake screamed back mentally, or at least the best she could. "Also, hi? How"

"Looks like you're starting to hear me at a conscious level," the identified Asauchi spirit replied. "That's good. It means our intimate bond is finally reaching a mutual climax."

"Okay, first phrasing!" Blake said, ears turning red. "Second, a bit too busy keeping myself and my friends alive with this vampire on the loose."

"Then the answer is simple," the Asauchi answered, "Say my name."

"That's what I've been trying to do this whole time!" Blake yelled back, growing anxious as she heard Yoshi come closer.

"But you refuse to understand! You know my name already, so all you need to do is say my name! You must."

"There you are!" Yoshi exclaimed having finally found Blake.

She was already in a mad sprint before Blake was in the motion to put either Gambol Shroud. Adrenaline rushed like a flood through her body and the drum of her heart boomed in her ears. Blake clenched her eyes shut, trying to find some inner strength to pull on. From the recesses of her mind, something finally emerged. So as her remaining hand went to the Asauchi, her lips moved on their own.

"Stalk, Inuhoozuki."

Suddenly, Blake felt something from the deepest depths of her being suddenly spring forth greater than the feel of her Aura ever gave her. In the real world, Yoshi in mid-jump was blasted away as waves of black reiatsu tinged in grey erupted from Blake's body. She was completely enshrouded in its otherworldly embrace as if the shadows themselves took on a liquid form and now threatened to flood the world. Yet it soon did shrink away to a whisper of itself leaving Blake now standing on her feet brandishing a new weapon.

It was a sword of an odd design. The hilt was enough to be held comfortably in one hand and was made of an unknown black material with a line of obi string coming from a golden pommel at the bottom. So there was little to call a crossguard with it only being a diamond-shaped construct complicated with triangular protrusions that looked like cat ears. Yet it was the actual blade that was weird. Pitch black like coal, the blade seemed to have looked like it was once double-edged but the entire center was hollowed out to give it the impression of a two-prong. Filling out the hollowed-out portion of the blade to the very tip was reishi taking the likeness of a gaseous shadow.

"Finally, I can get my nicks in," Inuhoozuki moaned in delight. "Ready to put this vampire back to those horrid romance horrors where they belong?"

"...Yeah, that's a part of my life I'll never get back," Blake agreed, cringing at the memory of her former interest in those books. "But this is..."

"I never thought this power would feel so incredible," Blake muttered in awe, staring at her own Shikai.

"So you unlocked your Shikai, huh?" Yoshi sneered, switching to her offensive form. "As if that will change anything."

Blake's zanpakuto took the liberty of seemingly responding for her as the shadow from the hallowed blade grew longer and coiled around its wielder almost protectively. If it had eyes, the end of the shadow length would be glaring at the Bount while hugging Blake. Within her mind, she felt the comforting nudge of Inuhoozuki, and it felt that she was standing right behind her giving her laying an assuring hand on Blake's shoulders.

"We have two advantages here," Inuhoozuki said. "The first is our new awakened Shikai. She has no idea of the abilities we possess."

"Neither do I," Blake noted.

"Do not worry," Inuhoozuki assured, and Blake felt the zanpakuto smirk. "I will guide you. You are my wielder after all. And now our second and biggest advantage is her arrogance. She thinks she has the upper hand. That will make her careless, and you are the best to exploit such weaknesses."

Blake nodded in agreement. Her fight with Adam taught her that much. She fastened the grip on both Gambol Shroud and Inuhoozuki, and from the zanpakuto she felt a level of confidence she could not describe.

She can win this.

There was a tense staredown between Bount and Faunas before it was Blake that took the lead. Yoshi widened her eyes caught off guard by the sudden newly increased speed Blake was now exhibiting. Her surprise cost Yoshi the needed to guard herself before Blake was already upon her with two blades ready to slam down with reckless abandon. There was no feint with her Semblance, only the raw power Yoshi was forced to endure. Even with the blade part of her Doll in the way, her defense soon buckled and Yoshi suffered two gashes down her body from her shoulders.

Following the pain came white-hot rage flowing through Yoshi's body as her mind screamed. 'This insect actually wounded me!?'

Using that rage to dull the pain, she brought her Doll into a wide sweep to slice Blake in two. At first, she thought she did when she saw 'Blake' split from the waist, only for the form to wither away like a mirage. A chill went down her spine when Yoshi realized too late that Blake was behind her. She desperately tried to defend herself, twisting around on her heel and switching to her defensive form. But that was the weakness of her Doll's upgrade; the time to switch between offense and defense left a sizable window of complete vulnerability.

Yoshi had only managed to turn around to her side, but there was nothing to defend herself. She had to face the agony that was the zanpakuto blade slicing into her back all the way to the burn. The Bount tried to hold down the scream of pain, resulting in a gurgle unkind to the ears. There was no doubt that Yoshi's spine had been cut through like a knife through butter and then followed by the loss of feeling to half of her body.

Even still Yoshi gritted her teeth and pushed her arms against the ground in a vain attempt to get back in the fight. While her rage still simmered, what was truly making Yoshi's blood boil was the sheer excitement of this battle. Never in her long life had she felt this feeling of death so close in a fight; if she were to die then it would be going down just as she wanted. Yet before Yoshi continued her futile effort, her peripheral vision was caught by the sight of the black blade of Inuhoozuki held to her face.

"Give up," Blake demanded in a cold tone. "You are beaten. There is no reason to continue like this."

To Blake's slight horror, what she received from the wounded Bount was chilling laughter. Crazed eyes looked back at Blake with not even a hint of giving up. For a moment, it was like looking back at Adam at his lowest the last time she was at Remnant.

"But that's where you're wrong," Yoshi said, arching her shoulders. "The fight itself is enough for me!"

Cat-like reflexes made Blake jump back once the ground gave a sudden rumble. The reishi that made up the earth crumbled into its basic particles that flowed into the Bount. Her injuries absorbed the pure energy and healing them to there was only a slight blemish. It was to Blake's astonishment Yoshi rose once again, now settled on her offensive form complimented by a maddened grin stretching her face.

"The only way this end is if one of us dies!" Yoshi exclaimed.

"It really won't stop until she's done for," Inuhoozuki consoled. "She has to be put down."

"I know, but it doesn't make me feel any better," Blake responded.

"It must be done in one fell swoop," Inuhoozuki spoke, and she felt the zanpakuto's comforting presence taking hold of her hands. "Allow me to guide you."

Blake closed her eyes and when reopened they were staring back with a literal glow of pale light highlighting the resolve within them. No more words were said between the two combatants as they leaped at each other intending to finish this deathmatch in the next blow. Yoshi's crazed state had dulled her senses, not letting her think clearly of whatever tricks Blake had in store. She swung her Doll with all her might, but the girl that she cut through the waist was instead a clone that took Blake's place. The real Blake had slid down under Yoshi's sword arm and raised Inuhoozuki in the air, but not to stab into her back.

The shadows that filled the hollow point grew out in its serpent-like motions. It coiled around Yoshi from head to toe, and so fast she could watch it in the microseconds of becoming trapped in its embrace. A cold chill went down her spine, a premonition of her body knowing it was at the end of its life. Yoshi was spared just a few small moments to look back at Blake's yellow eyes glowing without much pity in them.

It all ended with one word from her lips.

"Mutage."

Like a loaded spring, the coils of shadow suddenly snapped down onto Yoshi's body. The loud snap that echoed from the action came from the many bones torn apart through Yoshi's body as well as crushed organs. What sealed the Bount's faith in death was the coil of shadow that snapped down her neck to half its size. It was too fast for Yoshi to even realize she had died and so her face was stuck in a stunned expression.

That soon didn't last. With the death of the Bount, her body was simply reduced to ashes as time finally caught up. The last Blake heard were the dual echoing screeches of her Dolls and then silence. Blake released a sigh of relief, feeling a weight leave her as well as the exhaustion of her body with the high of adrenaline calming down. Killing was not new to Blake, but it always sickened her every time she had to do it.

"Killing is never easy," Inuhoozuki added her words of wisdom, "And never should it be easy. Remember that."

"I know," Blake agreed.

She'd sooner slit her throat than become anything close to Adam.

A familiar groan diverted Blake's attention to Yang rousing from her consciousness. She didn't hesitate to rush to the side of her partner and check her over for any problems. Besides the stain of blood, it seemed that Yang was physically fine but she would not be returning to the fight soon. Blake paused in her study once she noticed Yang's lilac eyes open to meet Blake's yellow.

"Hey," Yang slurred, still dazed. "Did I get her?"

"No," Blake deadpanned.

Yang groaned. "Damn, I felt useless there. If only I didn't get that hit to the head."

"At least count your stars we're alive," Blake said. "Let's just hope the others are doing fine. Right now, I need to get you and Uyru some medical attention."

(Later that Night)

Shinigami in droves charged and fell before the larger-than-life Bount known as Koga. A grim look stuck on his face due to recent events. He had learned of Kariya's ultimate plot of genocide through the suicide of the whole Sereitei. His own chief was going to kill both Bount and Shinigami to get his revenge. Koga would not stand for such needless death and resolved at that moment to put down Kariya before he carry out his nefarious plan.

His failings came to realization when Kariya himself predicted Koga's open rebellion and subdued him on the spot. By the time he woke up night had fallen and there was no path to follow Kariya. To make matters worse, he was now on the radar of the Shinigami which leads to his current situation of being set on by the many grunts of the Sereitei's forces. He found no pleasure in fighting them; they were all young with futures ahead while he had lived too long. None could really harm him with Dalk fighting for him, and in the meantime he was gathering more reishi to bolster his power in order to confront Kariya.

His thoughts paused for a moment when a stray blade aimed at his throat was stopped by a steel ball of his Doll, Dalk. More steel balls converged and drove the wielder away in a painful barrage till he was slumped against the wall. Looking at the young man, Koga could only sigh in disappointment.

"Why do the young want to waste their lives away?" Koga said solemnly. "Make it painless Dalk."

The balls of Dalk turned into pikes and shot forward to end the Shinigami's life. A blur of white instead rushed passed Koga and got him away before his death. His brow was raised in a small sign of surprise and looked to the person that saved the young one's life. Perhaps it was a captain of the Gotei 13 that had come to battle him.

Instead to his dismay, it was one of the humans that allied with the pseudo-Shinigami. So young that she has hardly lived two decades, and admittedly a beauty with snow-white hair and blue eyes. Yet there was steel in them as Weiss Schnee faced down Go Koga with Myrtenaster pointed in a fencer's pose.

"No one is getting hurt while I'm here," Weiss proclaimed.

The battle continues and Blake has finally unlocked her new zanpakuto.

The future becomes more perilous as Kariya comes closer to his goals. Beyond that, forces above take notice of goings below and one whose station of blades has intentions for Ruby's zanpakuto. The horned wolf shall howl and the heavenly spear of creation shall shine alongside the black and white gods.

Up next is Chapter 64: Know her Reign, Hear her Roar!

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