New week new chapter. Don't want to spoil anything just go!
Part I
"Stay back everyone!" Isshin commanded. A mere second ago he and Tatsuki had set foot on the top of the cliff, the Hollow's path cut off by a line of fire from Tatsuki's Shikai.
The Hollow, of course, wasn't too happy about this. With a hiss it turned to them, murder in its eyes. Cooperating or not, Isshin was pretty sure this wasn't acting.
The cliff top was surprisingly sparse, especially considering the event they were supposed to be holding here. That being said, the few that were there had Isshin feeling nervous. Suì-Fēng was one of them, standing in formation, a cautious hand on her Zanpakuto, surrounded by her Lieutenant as well as a handful of her masked underlings. She didn't scare Isshin as nearly as much as the other attendee, though.
Not far from Suì-Fēng stood the Captain Commander himself, Genryūsai Yamamoto, his own Lieutenant beside him. The old man was looking at them through narrowed eyes, a gnarled hand clenched on the cane that Isshin knew he didn't need. (Not in the traditional sense, anyway.)
Isshin counted his lucky stars that Ichigo wasn't among the people here. That at least meant some things were still going to plan.
"What is the meaning of this, Captain Shiba?" the Captain Commander's rough voice called out.
Tatsuki answered him quickly. "This Hollow was working with the Ryoka, sir! It attacked us both on our way here."
"That doesn't look like any Hollow I've seen," Suì-Fēng said with a scowl. She was already drawing her Zanpakuto out of her sheath.
Shit, shit, shit, have to think fast!
"Which is exactly why you should leave it to us!" Isshin blurted out, inwardly grimacing. The look Suì-Fēng sent him was somewhere between deep suspicion and a non-verbal death threat, but she still withdrew her hand. He would consider it a win for now.
The Hollow apparently didn't like being ignored for so long, though. It turned from Tatsuki's barrier and sent a wave of cold right at Isshin, him barely having any time to Shunpo out of the way.
He could only watch as the attack hit one of the pillars of the execution stand. It crumbled in seconds. (He really had to wonder what kind of power this girl was packing.) He turned his attention back to their "opponent".
Isshin realistically had two options here. He could finish the fight quickly, minimizing the damage to the already clearly injured girl, and probably saving he and Tatsuki from facing any real suspicion from the spectators. He could also drag it along and act as distractions like they were supposed to in the first place.
His decision was pretty clear in his mind. He just hoped the girl would forgive him for this.
Isshin quickly drew Engetsu, readying a Getsuga Tenshō. He made sure his aim was just a little off as he released the attack, giving the Hollow just enough time to break left. It charged for him immediately, swinging its blade at him, and he barely had any room to block.
Their blades clashed once, twice, three times, and on the fourth he sent it stumbling back. (Even as the movement turned the cracks on its elbows into gaping wounds it showed no signs of pain. Isshin gulped.)
He sent it back further with another "misfired" Getsuga Tenshō. He stayed at the ready even when Tatsuki came forward with her own attack.
She put herself in the path of the Hollow, fire springing around them, coming right for the Hollow. None of the hits quite landed, though he imagined they weren't meant to. No, they seemed to have a different purpose as the continued flames brought color back into its skin. Blood started welling up from the wounds and its movements quickened. Isshin found himself letting out a silent sigh of relief.
"Stay on her, Tatsuki!" he yelled with a grin. "We'll have her in no time!"
That grin faltered when he saw Suì-Fēng quietly whispering to one of her officers. He met the woman's gaze for a split second, a vicious glare sent his way, before she quietly moved towards the path down the cliff. He paled, mind going through a dozen ways he might be able to keep her from heading down.
This was, of course, when the Hollow got its second wind. It charged right at Tatsuki running heedlessly over the flames, knocking the girl back. It pointed the tip of its blade right at the girl, and Isshin could see all that was gathering there. He knew whatever power it was going to release was enough to take out poor Tatsuki, and probably half of the cliff along with her. He made a split-second decision.
"Bakudō Number Seventy-Three, Tozanshō!"
Just as the attack was being released glowing pillars formed around the Hollow boxing it in entirely behind a glowing barrier. An icy fog quickly hid its shocked face from view.
"Good," the Captain Commander said with a thump of his cane, "bind it and take it to the Second Division cells so we may be rid of this mess."
Isshin nodded absently approaching the barrier with slightly trembling hands. Shit, he'd probably killed the girl with that one, hadn't he, trapping her in with that huge attack. Dear gods, what had he done?
After a long moment of hesitation, the Captain Commander's weighty stare at his back, Isshin lowered the barrier.
The fog from within released in a heavy cloud, billowing out and dissipating on the ground. In the middle was the Hollow, whom he recognized (letting out a heavy sigh of relief) as still being in one piece. It was on its knees, one hand on the ground bracing itself as it breathed heavily, the distorted noise ringing clearly through the air.
"Now, Isshin!" Yamamoto commanded. Isshin simply approached the Hollow, silent.
Tatsuki was already at the Hollow's side, an arm at its back to keep it from falling over (an arm that Isshin noticed was not freezing on contact). The Hollow brought a shaking hand up to its face and only now did Isshin notice the deep cracks running along the mask.
It dug it s fingers in, tearing off piece after piece and throwing them to the ground until all that was left was Rukia, shivering violently, eyes wide and panicked, her Zanpakuto lying sealed on the ground.
Isshin looked down at this scene, trying to think of anything he could say to save this. The Captain Commander was yelling something, demanding what Tatsuki was doing, telling Isshin that he'd just been given an order, and that he needed to follow it. Isshin only managed to say one thing in response.
"I refuse!"
…
When Rukia finally woke up she found herself on her hands and knees, shaking violently, and feeling like she wanted to vomit. She didn't know where she was, what had happened, but as her vision cleared, she was starting to put things together.
She wasn't in the forest. That much was clear. She wasn't back at the training grounds either, from what she could tell.
The first thing that fully came into focus was the person right next to her, the one that was holding on to her tightly. Tatsuki was crouched next to her, quiet as she stared up at the odd group around them.
There was Captain Shiba, an old Captain she didn't recognize, and his Lieutenant. All of them seemed to be standing off, Captain Shiba between them and the strange Shinigami. Something clicked in her mind, and Rukia realized she was at the very top of Sōkyoku Hill.
What the hell happened?
"I'm not even sure where to start," Tatsuki answered in an exasperated voice. Had Rukia said that out loud?
"Uh…Yeah, you kind of did."
Rukia let out a quiet groan. "Mind catching me up before we both get killed?" Before she even finished the question, she found herself grimacing in pain, and looking down in horror she found her skin had what could only be described as…cracks in it. Dozens of wounds bled sluggishly on her arms from what she could see. From what she could feel there were dozens more elsewhere. She wasn't even sure what she should try and grab to staunch the bleeding. All she could do was hold her hands out in front of her as she tried not to cry.
"Shit," Tatsuki hissed out. She took Rukia's arms, muttering something under her breath as she hiked up the sleeves. Within seconds a glow started to form around them. "I'm no Orihime," she said, "but this should do something, at least."
Rukia let out a quiet sigh of relief as the pain started to ebb away. "Thanks."
"Explain yourself, Isshin!" the old Captain yelled. Looking at him again, Rukia was starting to get a pretty good idea as to who he was, and if she was right, they needed to leave, fast.
She could only see him from behind, but Rukia still registered the emotion that passed through Captain Shiba. His shoulders tensed, his fists clenched, and in that one moment he became the spitting image of Ichigo.
"I'm not just going to stand back, anymore!" he yelled. "Not when you would have my only son killed. I'm not doing your dirty work for you, old man."
"Isshin!" the Captain Commander warned.
"I refuse."
The silence that followed was so tense. Rukia couldn't even hear Tatsuki breathing next to her.
"…Treason, Isshin?" The Captain Commander said this quietly, calmly even, but the rage bubbling just underneath was palpable. "I had expected better from you."
Captain Shiba pointed his Zanpakuto right at the Captain Commander.
"Tatsuki," he said in a hushed tone. "Take Rukia and get out of here. I'll handle this."
"Got it," Tatsuki said hurriedly. She began hefting Rukia up to her feet, and with a suppressed grimace Rukia followed. She hoped she'd have enough in her to run.
She knew she didn't want to get involved in this fight. She knew that by just looking at the Captain Commander.
The man was hunched over, a cane clutched in his hand. He had a large scar on his wrinkled bald forehead with the longest beard that Rukia had ever seen, and she doesn't think she'd ever been more scared of anyone in her entire life. His Reiatsu was immense, packed tightly around him like a cloak. It was dense, and she knew that it wouldn't take much effort for him to send them all to their knees if he so desired.
So, the two moved as quickly as they could, limping along to get to the edge of the cliff. The Commander was quicker.
He raised his cane from the ground, and before Rukia's eyes the wood burned to ash revealing the Zanpakuto hidden within. He stood up straight, all traces of his hunch gone as he drew it.
"Ryūjin Jakka!"
The second he said that the clearing filled with an immense flame, Tatsuki having barely a second to grab onto Rukia and pull her close as she raised a barrier around them. The tight grip they had on one another almost hurt. Then just as quickly as it had started, it ended.
Rukia was coughing violently into her own fist as soon as the barrier went down feeling like her everything hurt. Tatsuki looked a little more well off, barely. The Lieutenant only coughed a few times before looking up again, dread in her eyes.
"Dammit," she bit out. The flames hadn't entirely dissipated. A ring of fire, about as twice as tall as them, was surrounding the field, blocking off just about every path of escape. It burned brightly, and Tatsuki was dragging them both away a, scowl on her face.
"Guess running's out of the question," panted out Rukia, hand already on her Zanpakuto. She quietly drew it.
"Today just isn't our day," Tatsuki said back with a weak laugh. Unsheathing her own sword, she stood by Rukia, the two of them preparing for the worst.
Rukia hoped to god that the worst wouldn't happen.
…
Isshin attacked first. He knew he needed that extra edge, that if Yamamoto even got the chance to attack, he would be done for good.
"Getsuga Tenshō!" It was probably the most powerful one he'd released in the last few years.
At the very last second, Lieutenant Sasakibe stepped in front of it, in a guarding stance. Even he wasn't prepared for the attack, though. He was blown back past the flame barrier, and Isshin knew he'd be down for a while.
Isshin wasted no time after that readying another Getsuga Tenshō and firing rapidly. The first was blocked with an outstretched hand and a quietly muttered spell. So was the second. The third was dodged with a barely visible Shunpo. After that Isshin stopped keeping track.
He followed the Captain Commander all across the field, trying to land a hit, to damage him just enough to falter, and at least break concentration and let the two girls go, but nothing was hitting. Isshin could start to feel exhaustion seeping in.
He needed a big attack, something that could break through whatever barrier the Captain could put up, something powerful enough to at least daze the old fart. In a quick move Isshin split open the tips of his fingers on his Zanpakuto. He came down from above.
Yamamomo was barely a second faster, the old man aiming his Zanpakuto right up at Isshin. He could feel the concentrated heat right at the tip of Yamamoto's blade and suddenly Isshin changed course from attack to survive.
He put up a barrier as quickly as he could and was flung clear to the other side of the cliff.
He didn't get back up.
…
"Captain Shiba!" Tatsuki screamed.
Rukia was roughly shoved away as Tatsuki ran towards the man, collapsing at his side. Even from where she was standing, Rukia could tell it was bad.
He was completely limp, eyes closed. His chest was a mess of burns and singed cloth. She wasn't sure if he was breathing.
Beside him Tatsuki was visible breaking, tears welling in her eyes as her fingers fumbled around his neck, searching for something, a pulse probably. After a second of this the girl let out a sigh, a few tears falling.
"He's alive," she reported, hands shaking.
Rukia didn't know exactly what Captain Shiba meant to Tatsuki (still wasn't entirely sure what was happening, why he suddenly started defending them), but she was starting to put the pieces together.
(She was sure that if something like that had happened to Byakuya she'd be acting the same way.)
"You, Ryoka, will not be so lucky."
Looking back Rukia saw the Captain Commander approaching them, his blade in hand and surrounded by flame. She tightened her grip on her Zanpakuto as fear clenched itself around her heart.
Then, she felt a sudden cold go along the hilt, sharp like a sting.
Say it.
"I want to win," she said to herself.
Her hands stopped shaking. The fear was still there, but she could actually think. She had an idea of what she needed to do. Tatsuki was starting to stand up next to her, a rage in her eyes that Rukia had never seen before.
Outmatched or not, they weren't going down without a fight.
Part II
Rounding up the side of the Mountain, Orihime didn't feel as tired as she probably should have. Right now, she was feeling a surge of energy, as provided by the Soldier Pill. The tips of her fingers tingled as the adrenaline kept her head clear. She had one more battle left in her, that much she knew.
Her and Ishida reached the top of the cliff, and at first all she could see was flame, bright and tall. That was enough to make her heart stop. With a few words she summoned her Shikai clearing a path for them. A few steps in and Orihime saw exactly what she had been dreading this entire time.
Her two friends, one old and one new, were fighting against the Captain Commander. They were sticking close to one another, guarding each other. Tatsuki seemed to be doing her best to redirect and control the waves of flame headed towards them. Rukia was struggling to create barriers of ice for the two that lasted for more than a mere second. They were both sweating, exhausted, and clearly wounded.
"Ishida, cover me," she said quickly. "I'm going in."
"Got it."
The second Orihime saw Ishida draw his bow out of the corner of her eye she ran towards the two girls, and about halfway there a shocking sight nearly made Orihime stop in her tracks. Captain Shiba was lying on the ground some ways from the battle. He almost looked dead.
Her first instinct was to stop, turn around, heal him, and trust that the girls had it handled for the moment. She could tell just by looking at him that he didn't have long, that he was in immense pain and desperately needed help. Her second instinct had her think better of it.
She didn't know who defeated him, why he was on the ground, or even if he wouldn't turn around and held the Captain Commander the second he was back up. All she knew was that she needed to play it safe. So, she kept on running, going just a little faster as she gulped down the lump in her throat.
The moment Orihime reached the two, Ishida already firing at the Captain Commander, she had all six pieces of Shun Shun Rikka surround them, making a tent-shaped structure that wouldn't be breaking any time soon, flames licking the outside to no avail. She activated its healing with a single thought, and just as she was about to explain everything, she found herself tackled to the ground in a hug.
"You came!" Tatsuki cried into her ear. Next to them Rukia sagged in relief, falling back on her butt.
"Even Ishida's here," the Ryoka said with a smile. "We might actually win this."
Orihime hugged Tatsuki back with a big grin. "Ishida's buying us some time, right now. The second you're both healed we need to go out there and help him."
Tatsuki pried herself from Orihime. "Hey, I'm feeling better already," she said.
"Yeah," Rukia agreed, testing her damaged joints with a flex, "We can't leave him out there with that monster."
Orihime bit the inside of her cheek, here. Their "relief" probably had more to do with Shun Shun Rikka's numbing properties. That being said, they didn't have much time to waste, and Orihime could tell that some of their more major wounds were a little more "minor" already.
"Okay," she said, "but if anything happens try and get to me again. If you can get close enough, I should be able to raise another shield like this."
Both of them nodded resolutely at her, but just as she was about to lower the barrier Tatsuki exclaimed, "Wait!"
The butterflies wavered, confused.
"This may not be the best time, but…" Tatsuki gulped. "I'm sorry. I should have just gone with you in the first place, and I just wanted to say it now in case we don't…"
"We'll make it back," Rukia and Orihime said at the same time.
Rukia jumped, a little startled at this occurrence. Orihime blushed, but then their eyes met. They nodded and looked right back at Tatsuki with twin stern expressions.
The Lieutenant held her hands up in surrender. "Hey, not like I can argue against that."
Orihime let out a sigh, at least thankful that Tatsuki's few seconds of delay bought them some more healing.
"Are you ready?" Orihime asked. She had the empty hilt of her Shikai in her hands, raised to retrieve the butterflies.
"Ready!" Tatsuki had a fierce expression on her face.
"Ready," Rukia said, that stern yet calm look on her face, the one that Orihime had only seen one other time, right before the girl's fight with Tatsuki.
She hoped this fight would go better.
"Three…two…one!"
Orihime dropped the barrier reforming Shun Shun Rikka into a simple three-pointed barrier right in front of her. Tatsuki and Rukia rushed past her then, running straight toward the Captain Commander.
Taking a few steps back, plotting out the land, Orihime thought through her various Kidō spells. She could try directly attacking the Captain Commander (and wow was that not something she'd ever thought she'd say), but she doubted that would work very well. She'd better stick to entrapment spells, then.
Muttering a full incantation of the most powerful trap spell she knew she ran back towards where she last saw Ishida. With some trepidation she realized he was no longer firing any arrows.
Glancing back at the girls she registered something else with an equal amount of shock. They'd moved in closer to the Captain Commander, attacks more openly aggressive. When Rukia moved left, dodging a blow, Orihime realized why. His shoulder had been skewered through with a glowing arrow. Ishida had actually gotten him, and she could't help but be impressed. The two girls were focusing on that side, it seemed, Rukia struggling to get in another hit.
They may not have been winning yet, but they were giving the Captain Commander a run for his money.
Then, just as Tatsuki was redirecting another wave of flame, as Rukia had just finished launching another attack Orihime saw an opening to release her prepared spell. She fired.
The Captain Commander's eyes flickered toward her for a single moment and suddenly he had disappeared, and the spell hit a tree not far behind him. He reappeared when Tatsuki used Shunpo to stop him in his tracks as he moved towards Orihime, flames flaring around the both of them.
Silently thanking Tatsuki, Orihime ran forward to where she finally reached Ishida, and with relief realized that he was still standing.
He was hunched over, bow flickering in his right hand. She could see the burns that ran along his forearms, and after what looked like some intense concentration on his part, sweat beading at his brow, he fully materialized his bow again. It was then that he noticed her.
"I got him, he got me," he panted out. Then, as an afterthought added, "It's not as bad as it looks."
Without saying any more, he drew his bow and stared firing again, face pinched. Orihime resolved to stick close to him for the time being. She turned her attention back on the Captain Commander.
…
Rukia was closer to the Captain Commander than ever and there was no way in hell she was letting up now. In between all four of them he was having a hard time getting in a solid hit.
Then again, so was she.
Up until now Rukia had been nothing but happy about her powerset, but right about now she was starting to wish that Sode's thing was something like water instead of ice. She watched with a deep frown as yet another White Ripple was vaporized mid-air.
Looking to the side she could tell Tatsuki was doing no better. The girl looked completely overwhelmed, trying to keep so much flame at bay. She was visibly exhausted, face red and sweat dripping down her bangs only for it to dry instantly in the extreme heat.
Rukia did what she could and put more power into her attacks feeling herself growing frustrated, almost angry.
No, no, no, nope! The last time she'd felt that way she was trapped in her own mind for what felt like hours with that thing. She doubted Sode would forgive her if she succumbed twice in just a single day.
(She didn't remember much of what happened in there, actually. There were just flashes of images, of emotions. There was a masked Sode taunting her. Rukia was paralyzed, terrified.)
She tried not to get stuck in those thoughts, knowing that they would consume her. She needed to stay calm as she attacked the Captain Commander yet again.
Going in for a simple strike on his bad shoulder, she laced in just enough Reiryoku to "cool him down" a bit. She swung in, getting closer than she ever dared, swearing that she almost touched him when a rope of flame came blazing right towards her face. She back peddled. It followed her.
Okay, maybe that move wasn't the smartest. Rukia ran back as it came after, but she wasn't able to go fast enough. She squeezed her eyes shut against the incoming attack.
It blew around her ears. She felt no pain. Rukia wasn't terribly surprised when she opened her eyes to see two of Orihime's "butterflies" hovering in front of her. They zipped away returning to their master.
"Thanks for the save!" Rukia yelled back, already going into formation once again. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Orihime smiling.
Rukia sent the next White Ripple from a much safer distance, pretty sure that there was no way in hell she was trying that last move again.
She looked at the wound on his shoulder and reconsidered.
"Orihime, cover me again!" Rukia yelled, the plan already formulating in her mind.
Rukia forced herself in closer, neutralizing a few of the weaker flames that came her way, dodging and jumping away from the more powerful ones. The latter became more and more common the closer she got and in her next step she found herself accosted by a large blast coming right toward her.
Orihime's shield did its job, taking the brunt of the blast, and when it lowered Rukia was right next to the man, his eyes widening as he looked down at her.
He swung his sword down, Tatsuki coming behind to meet the strike with her own. Rukia dove down at his feet, sliding along as she dug a long furrow into the ground next to him.
"White Tree!" she yelled out. Ice immediately started to creep up his feet at a rapid pace. "Ishida, now!"
For a split second the Captain Commander was completely unable to escape, unable to block. That was all it took for Ishida to release an arrow aimed right for his head.
The Captain pushed Tatsuki back, broke free one of his feet, but the arrow still grazed his head. He swayed for a moment, falling down onto one knee. In that time Orihime had him trapped in the orange glow of Shun Shun Rikka.
Rukia nearly collapsed at that. Suddenly everything was very quiet, the tension of the battle still handing in the air. Ishida and Orihime approached the other two wearily.
"You think we got him?" Tatsuki asked.
"I think so, at least for now," Orihime answered, hands clenched.
"I have yet to see something that can break through Inoue's barrier," Ishida said confidently.
No, not when she's at full strength, anyway.
Best not to say that out loud, though, Rukia thought. Orihime still visibly grimaced as if Rukia had.
"I need to stay here to keep him trapped," Orihime said suddenly. "You all need to go."
"No," Tatsuki said firmly, "We're not leaving you here. We'll figure something out."
"Figure what out?" Orihime asked, exasperated. "He's the Captain Commander."
"Exactly," Rukia said. "We leave you here and there's no way he's letting you live."
In the corner of her eye Rukia could see the flames starting to brew underneath the barrier. They had to figure this out, fast.
"I'd need to lower the barrier, and we can't ri…ri…" Orihime's voice was starting to sound strained. She was looking a little pale. Even through the barrier Rukia could feel the heat radiating from the man. "Just go!" Orihime yelled. She was gripping her head as if in pain. Rukia took another look at the barrier and took a cautious step back.
"Ishida," she rushed out, "maybe we should–"
BOOM!
The loudest sound Rukia had ever heard pierced right though her ears. There was a heat so intense around her that she couldn't even think. Then, for a second, everything went black.
…
When Uryuu regained awareness, the first thing he realized was that he was coughing heavily. He was flat on his back staring up at a hazy sky and dear god he was aching in places that he didn't know could ache. He dragged himself up into a sitting position, and looking down at himself, he saw that he had no obvious injuries. All his limbs were intact. There were no (new) burns, and when he tried to summon his bow it came on his first try.
He looked over at the scene, quickly dying flames scattered about. Orikasa and Arisawa were right across from him, groaning quietly as they tried to drag themselves up to their feet.
More worryingly he saw the Captain Commander, free, and rising from the ground. Ishida knew he had only a few seconds to get up and fire again before the Captain had the chance to retaliate, but he hesitated anyway when he saw Inoue.
She was lying limp on the ground, back facing him, and he reached for her immediately, hand hovering over her shoulder for a moment. With hesitation he pushed her onto her back. She was breathing and whole but leaning over he could see a growing spot of blood on the side of her head that had been on the ground, soaking through her hair. Uryuu felt a growing cold pit in his stomach.
This was bad. This was beyond bad.
That, of course, was all it took for the Captain Commander to recover.
Arisawa moved at the last second to protect Orikasa, and from his position Uryuu fired his own arrow. The Captain Commander dodged easily, which didn't really surprise Uryuu much. That shot to the shoulder was a lucky hit, nothing more. The old man had simply underestimated him, and he wasn't doing that again any time soon.
Uryuu dodged a few pillars of flame sent his way, moving back. It was a bit like a dance, really. Left, left, right, left, back, and shit that last one was way to close!
He heard Orikasa cry out just as one of the flames made contact with her left arm and saw her pull back with a grimace, shifting her Zanpakuto into a one-armed grip. She visibly gritted her teeth in an expression that almost looked like a snarl.
(Whatever she'd been doing in the Soul Society since seen he'd last seen her must have been intense. He'd certainly never seen her snarl before.)
He fired again and again, as many times as he could, and if he were a bragging man (and he was) that was quite a lot, and still none of them hit their mark. The man was too fast, and too good at just straight up deflecting Uryuu's arrows. It was almost insulting.
Uryuu then heard Arisawa yelling in pain, and before he could even figure out what had happened, she was flat on the ground clutching her stomach and screaming.
He didn't think he'd ever forget what she sounded like when she screamed like that.
She wasn't getting back up. He didn't have to be very close to realize that.
They were getting picked off, one by one. There was no more help coming, and they were all going to die, if not here, then days later, probably on this cliff in an execution. (Uryuu didn't think himself lucky enough to get rescued from a Soul Society prison for the second time.)
Firing another arrow, he thought of what he could do, of what Orikasa would do, and he just couldn't think of anything. All that registered was the glove on his right hand. That would do it, wouldn't it? That would turn the tide of the whole battle.
In his mind, Uryuu was screaming at himself for even goddamn considering it, for even thinking of throwing away all he worked for, the legacy of his grandfather, all for three Shinigami.
He looked at Orikasa, wounded and struggling, at Arisawa moaning in pain on the ground, at Inoue perfectly still and silent, and then at their opponent, biding his time in slowly killing them all. In that moment, Uryuu knew it was never really a question.
He deactivated his bow and before he could really think about it, he was ripping the Raidenhanto off his hand.
The rush was more amazing than words could really describe. (The fact that his stolen Shinigami uniform was being partially covered by traditional Quincy guards and armor was an added bonus.) He could feel the Reiatsu of every little plant and rock around him in acute detail. He realized that every little piece of that power was at his beck and call. He also realized that power would take some time to gather.
"Orikasa!" he yelled out.
"What?!" she yelled back ducking under another barrage of flame. She looked about as desperate as he felt.
"I need an opening. Can you do that for me?"
She glanced back at him, taking in his new strange garb, as well as the power radiating from him, probably. She looked deeply confused, but she still nodded saying, "I'll try!"
Uryuu gathered energy at his hand, then, paying the fight in front of him no mind. He disintegrated rocks, nearby bushes and brush, and even some of the stray flames beside him, anything that he could get his hands on. The terrain was more barren than he would have preferred, but it should be enough to make an arrow large and powerful enough to take down even this terrifying man. He just needed time.
…
Rukia had basically no idea what was going on. All she knew was that Ishida seemed to think he could do this, not that she knew what "this" was or why he'd kept it up his sleeve this long. She wasn't even sure how to make an opening here. Up until now that'd been his job, but right now, he needed her to do this and goddammit she was going to come through for him.
She doubted trapping the Captain Commander like the last time would work again, but maybe she could try something, something that had a slim chance of working at all.
A chance was better than nothing.
"Ice-rope!" she called out right before she threw her sword like a goddamn javelin, a length of ice arching from her hand to the hilt of her blade. The sword impacted the ground right next to the man, him looking so utterly confused as to why anyone would do that, probably. The confusion turned into surprise when she instantly froze the ground around him and kept on running to his other side, pulling the rope taught as she slid to the ground, making damn well sure that the rope touched his leg.
His entire leg was frozen within seconds, and though she could see him already try to thaw it out, she knew it was too late for him.
"Ishida, now!" she yelled out.
When Ishida's arrow fired it was as if a second explosion went off. The air buzzed with energy as it zipped to the Captain Commander faster than Ruukia could see. All she could see was the intense power ringing through the air. The Captain couldn't dodge it, couldn't do anything against it, and it impacted. Rukia curled on the ground, her arms covering her head against the resulting blast.
After a long moment she looked up, prying her face from the ground. Hey, this time she wasn't dazed.
Her adrenaline was still thrumming through her veins as she saw the Captain Commander stumble on his feet, a barrier flickering in front of him. It hadn't seemed to do much for him, though.
His body was burned by the sheer energy, his eyes wide as he looked like he could pass out at any moment. The top of his kimono was burned away revealing a muscled, battle worn form.
Rukia brought her Zanpakuto back in to her hands quickly, realizing that dazed as he was, he hadn't dropped yet. She wasn't taking any chances. She was finishing this herself. She began running towards the man just as he started falling back, yelling out some unintelligible battle cry as she readied the final strike.
At the very last minute she was pushed back suddenly by a whirlwind in front of her. For a moment it blinded her, and then she looked up feeling utterly confused. She lowered her sword.
"Ichigo?" she asked in a quiet voice. He was standing right in front of her. She may have lost some time, but Rukia knew that he was supposed to be far away from here by now.
Instead, here he was at the top of the cliff with a dark-skinned Captain she had never seen before, one that was roughly holding him by his arm, dragging him away.
"Hey!" she yelled out, raising her sword again. Ishida was right with her, raising his bow at the man, though he hesitated. (Did he need more time to recharge? Could he not control these new arrows well enough? She wasn't entirely sure.)
The dark-skinned Captain didn't listen and didn't pay attention to any of their threats, in fact. He just walked by Rukia towards two Captains that she was sure weren't there before, two Captains that she didn't recognize.
She wasn't sure what to do, here, what she was up against. She doubted her and Ishida could win two against three, but maybe with the right attack strategy…
Then, one of the Captains, a brown-haired man with glasses smiled right at her.
(No, she rethought. He wasn't looking at her. He was looking through her in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. Who even were these guys?)
Ichigo seemed to know, as the very next thing out of his mouth was, "…Captain…Aizen…?"
Part III
"Captains, Lieutenants, and Acting Lieutenants of the Gotei Thirteen…and…Ryoka. This is Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu of the Fourth Division speaking. Can everyone hear me? Please listen carefully. An emergency situation has occurred. This emergency transmission is under the authority of Captain Retsu Unohana of the Fourth Division as well as myself. Everything I'm about to say is the truth…"
Part IV
Rukia had no idea how that transmission was being broadcasted, just that everyone else on the cliff seemed to hear it, clear as day. She didn't quite follow the whole thing, there were just too many names that she didn't recognize, but certain bits, she understood just fine.
Someone had used their invasion of the Soul Society as a cover to stage a coup, had murdered dozens to pull it off. That person was standing in front of them. That person had Ichigo bound with a Kidō spell and kneeling like a prisoner at his feet.
That alone would have sent Rukia to attack, but something about the look the Captain was giving her had her hesitating.
She knew he had heard the whole message, but he didn't seem distressed in the slightest by it. He was just smiling, looking at her like she was a particularly entertaining child as she silently threatened him with her brandished Zanpakuto. He looked completely non-threatening, even friendly, which is exactly what had her so weary.
Ishida moved closer to her during all this, seeming just as apprehensive. Maybe he wanted a closer shot, or maybe he just wanted to stay close in the face of danger. Rukia wasn't sure, but she was glad nonetheless for the comforting presence. (It made it a little easier to communicate any plans they might think of, anyway.)
(She had no plan.)
"I knew something strange was happening," Ishida finally said. "I was hoping it would end up being to our benefit, but it seems I was wrong."
"The early execution date," Rukia started, "the lack of a trial, even the murdered Captain, that was all you." She made sure to meet his gaze when she said that, as difficult as it was.
"We were already at the hideout!" Ichigo yelled breathlessly. "No one was supposed to know about that place so how the hell did you?"
Captain Aizen spoke then, voice smooth and pleasant, "I've known about that hideout for a long time. In fact, I've known about all of you for a long time." Rukia's eyes widened at that before she could stop herself. He chuckled in response. "I found your plight quite interesting, actually. Going to such lengths to rescue a friend. One would almost call it romantic. It's too bad, of course, that it was ultimately meaningless."
Rukia bristled at that, her fear pushed aside in favor of anger. She knew one thing, at least, now. She was wrong. He didn't view them as children. They were lab rats at best.
"Tōsen," the man said, "bring him closer, please."
The dark-skinned Captain, Tōsen, she supposed, brought Ichigo up to Aizen, dragging him up and close enough for the Captain to grab Ichigo's chin, forcing the Lieutenant to face him.
"Now, if you could please hold still…" His hand went back as if reaching for something. Maybe he was readying a Kidō of some sort, but whatever he was going to do, Rukia wasn't going to give him the chance. Shit odds or not, she'd seen enough. She charged in, readying a White Ripple.
…
The second Orikasa rushed in, Uryuu felt a pang of relief. If she hadn't gone in, then he certainly would have. He didn't know what kinds of powers these Captains had, and he didn't want to find out. All he knew was that there seemed to be a clear leader, and that if he could take that man down, the threat was gone.
He didn't have time to charge these next arrows. So, he just fired them as quickly as he could make them. This was probably for the best considering how difficult to control that one he'd aimed at the Captain Commander ended up being. He didn't want to hit Orikasa or Shiba by accident, after all.
(He tried not to think about how he wouldn't get the chance to learn how to control these, that after this battle, that would be it.)
Orikasa went in, swiping at the Captain, and Uryuu stayed back, aiming wherever it seemed the Captain would be next. Uryuu was getting tired of these Shunpo'ing Captains, though. The way they always managed to stay just a half a step ahead pissed him off.
Aizen darted around the field, Orikasa following him, but Uryuu could tell she didn't have the skill, nor the stamina to keep up.
"Those arrows sure are something!" Captain Aizen called to Uryuu. "If one of those actually hits me, I might be in trouble."
God, everything about this Captain pissed Uryuu off. He started firing a little bit faster, just to spite the man.
"Gin!"
Uryuu's eyes snapped away from Aizen to–
Snikt!
Uryuu stopped firing. Bow disappearing immediately. He tried to summon it back, to do something. (This wasn't supposed to happen, what was going on?) It was like his hands had just stopped working. He turned his head the rest of the way to see the fox like grin of Aizen's silver haired companion. He looked gleeful, his Zanpakuto extended unnaturally several meters until it met…Uryuu looked down.
The extended sword was buried deep in Uryuu's side, blood starting to stain the fresh white of the guards. He felt sick, looking at it, and a second later it was ripped free. He was falling before he even had the chance to process it all.
…
Rukia felt herself scream. She didn't hear it. Her ears were roaring with an anger deep in her as she saw Ishida fall to the ground. Tears were welling in her eyes as she pushed herself faster and harder than ever before. Sure, last time she'd done this she'd ended up trapped in her own mind, but then she was in Bankai and these bastards needed to pay!
She wasn't aiming, just hacking, trying to hit something, anything, and putting as much power, Spiritual and physical, behind every swipe that she could.
"I've always wanted to see your abilities in person," Aizen commented idly. Rukia payed him no mind. "I haven't gotten the chance to study a Substitute Shinigami in many years, especially one of your caliber." Was he really praising her, at a time like this? "I assume you've already achieved Bankai? I would have liked to see that."
She was considering showing it to him, right then, right there.
Wait…what?
No, this was the worst possible time to summon her Bankai, to lose control. Rukia wasn't thinking clearly. She needed to calm down, to slow down.
So, she did. She slowed her attacks, tried to quell the mutinous thoughts in her head. She was wasting energy, wasting movements. Her swings were sloppy. She needed to be more precise, careful, and there, an opening.
When he sidestepped, he twisted just so that he left his neck wide open. She swung for it, sending her Reiatsu charging through her blade.
"Hadō number Fifty-Four, Haien."
He grabbed the blade in mid-air with his bare hand before she could even get close. His palm was steaming. His arm was perfectly fine, even though it should have been frozen solid after grabbing Sode no Shirayuki bare handed like that.
"What the…" she whispered to herself.
"I'm surprised no one's tried this on you before," he said with a pleasant smile. "Then again, your Zanpakuto packs quite a punch. This may not have worked for anyone else."
He reached for his hip, still holding her Zanpakuto in place. She started tugging against the grip, trying desperately to get free, knowing that her blade should be cutting through his fingers like butter. It didn't budge.
She watched as he calmly unsheathed his Zanpakuto, and then, in a single slash, she found her own grip slackening. She fell right in front of him, pain radiating across her torso. With little care he dropped her Zanpakuto right next to her.
Rukia was still conscious when she fell, after she impacted the ground, and once she saw him start walking away. She could feel every inch of the wound he inflicted, too, how he had cut her across from collar to hip.
A part of her wanted to pass out it hurt so bad. Another more desperate part clung onto consciousness as it urged her body to get back up, to keep on fighting. If only her body would listen.
She forced her head up, unable to hold back whimpers. When she forced her self onto her elbows she felt a sharp pain that simply would not be ignored, one that forced her back down, flat on the ground. All she could do was watch helplessly as Aizen walked slowly back to Ichigo.
By now her friend was struggling, thrashing wildly against his bonds, trying to break the spell as hard as he could. The seals that held his arms behind him only tightened further. Tōsen who still had an iron grip on the back of his kimono shook him violently to try and get him to stop. It didn't work.
"You bastard!" Ichigo yelled, snarling. Aizen's smile quirked downwards ever so slightly.
An unbearable pressure suddenly overcame the entire clifftop, Rukia being pushed down on her face by the force, swearing that she could hear her own bones creak from all of it. She couldn't even get in enough air to scream. Then, as quickly as it had come, it lifted, and she found herself panting and gasping on the ground, tears escaping her eyes.
"You must feel so frustrated," Aizen commented. It took her a few seconds to realize that he was talking to her. "Your body giving up on you at such a time, how terrible."
Even his venomous words were enough to get her to start struggling upwards again. She managed to get to her elbows this time. She started pushing herself up further.
"With how deep your wounds are, you're probably going to die, Ryoka," Aizen said with a mock sympathy. "I wouldn't even be surprised if some of your insides were on the outside, now."
Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down.
Rukia made it up to one shaky hand, lifted the second one, levering herself up, and the moment it touched the ground it met something slick and warm, sliding out from under her. She fell back hard on her face, groaning.
"I am sorry about that, by the way," Aizen said. Rukia almost laughed out loud. "I must thank you for how helpful you've been this whole time. So, just lie down and die peacefully, okay?"
His expression is just out of Rukia's view, but she could imagine it. He hadn't dropped that creepy gentle smile off his face for the entire fight, nor that smug look in his eye. It made her grimace. She tore her mind away from that, just to ask him one question.
"Wh-what do you mean…by helpful?" she croaked. Straining her eyes, she dragged them upwards, just to meet his.
He makes an amused sound, like he was glad that she asked at all. "I knew that when Lieutenant Shiba was incarcerated that his dear Aunt would come to his rescue. I knew she'd send you lot through the canon, that you'd end up causing a huge scene, and that my plan would run much smoother as a result."
Rukia wasn't glad that she asked. Every word he said felt like a dagger in her back. This entire time she thought she was saving Ichigo. She felt like crying.
Instead, she stuttered out, "A-and since you were the o-one that-t set it up in the first place…it was j-just th-that easy, w-wasn't it?"
His smile grew even wider.
"You're much smarter than you look," he said. "Of course, getting him to the World of the Living was probably the hardest part of it all. Sending Hollows, enough to warrant the attention of a Lieutenant, is no easy task. Those creatures are a nightmare to work with."
So, what? That was it, then? They were just playing into his hands this whole time and now they were going to die?
"Then why kill him?" she asked desperately. Mustering all her strength, she yelled as loud as she could, "Why kill Ichigo?! Why not just finish your stupid coup and leave?" She sounded pathetic, even to her own ears, but something she said must have struck Aizen. He looked at her, then, genuinely confused for just a moment.
"You mean, after all this time, no one told you?"
She had no idea what he was talking about. Apparently, he could read that bit right on her face.
"That's fine…" he trailed off, seemingly irritated before putting on his usual smile. He turned away from Ichigo fully. (Ichigo had just gone limp, like he'd given up. She wanted to scream at him for even thinking of such a thing.) "Since it's all over, I'll tell you about it.
"The Shinigami have four basic forms of combat, Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō, all things you would have learned at the Academy. All of them are similar in that they each have a limit. No matter how Capable the Shinigami, one cannot overcome the limits of their Spiritual Body.
"But!" he exclaimed, holding up a finger, "a while ago, I couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to break this limit, if there was a way to grow past it somehow, and after all my years of study I found it: Shinigami-Hollow hybrids."
Rukia felt herself freeze. She hoped he wasn't referring to her, that he didn't have more of a hand in the last few months of her life than he already did.
"Hollow-Shinigami, Shinigami-Hollow, it doesn't really matter. When the boundary is removed, you can create a new existence capable of achieving new heights. To my surprise, though, I found that I wasn't the first to come up with this theory. I was, however, the first to truly act upon it.
"I focused on creating Shinigami-like Hollows for a while, and that was quite successful," he boasted. "I had made Hollows that could hide their Spiritual Pressure, Hollows that could make Zanpakuto disappear, and even," he looked right at Ichigo when he said this final one, "Hollows that could fuse with Shinigami."
Ichigo paled visibly at this. Aizen continued with a smirk.
"However," he said, looking back to Rukia, "I would never call any of those 'breakthroughs'. In fact, no one has ever made a breakthrough. No one except Captain Kisuke Urahara."
Yet another name that Rukia didn't recognize. Ichigo, however, looked at the man in shock.
With awe in his voice, Aizen continued, "He created a substance beyond conventional physics, one that can instantly dissolve the barrier between Hollow and Shinigami, the 'Hogyoku'."
He paused, as if to give the name the proper respect it deserved. All Rukia felt was dread.
"It's extremely dangerous," Aizen explained, "which is probably why he tried to destroy it time and time again, but he just couldn't find a way. So, in desperation, he tried a different approach. He put a barrier around the Hogyoku and buried it deep within the depths of a certain someone's soul."
No…it couldn't be.
"Have you figured it out, yet?" Aizen asked slyly. "The place where he chose to hide it was in you, Ichigo Shiba."
When he said this Rukia had to remind herself to keep breathing. Ichigo just set his eyes on Aizen, a hopeless look in them as he began to realize his fate. Rukia banged her fist on the ground, realizing hers was just to lie there and watch.
"I figured that out not long after you went missing in the World of the Living, after my plan had already begun to formulate. It was Urahara that made your Gigai. It was he that made it untraceable. Those made things quite difficult for me, but thankfully it had one last function, too. It drains the Reiryoku of the wearer, making their powers deteriorate until they're nothing more than a normal human Spirit."
Rukia had always thought Ichigo's lack of powers was her fault, like she had somehow taken too much. Knowing the truth didn't make her feel any better.
"Do you see now? The Gigai Kukaku gave you wasn't meant to save you."
She heard Ichigo let out a broken sob at that.
"It was meant to help Urahara clean up his little mistake. Fortunately, you were discovered only a few months later. I immediately went to the Central Forty-Six Chambers and–"
Aizen stopped himself then. His smile dropped, and just behind him Rukia could see the silhouette of what must have been a giant behind him. The giant wore a Captain's Haori, was holding a Zanpakuto above his head, and had what appeared to be the head of a wolf. He swung his sword down.
"AIZEN!"
When the sword impacted it was a true impact. The rock ground around it cracked and crumbled as a wind picked up from the arc of the path, kicking up dust and blinding Rukia. She squinted against the onslaught, unable to do much else except wait for her vision to clear. Hope swelled in her heart.
When her vision finally cleared, she cursed that hope. Aizen was still standing there, dust settling around him. He was holding the sword above him by the blade with just a single hand.
"I see that you're not wearing your mask, Komamura. Did you have a change of heart?" he asked simply.
"How can you just stand there calmly when you…" Captain Komamura trailed off, practically shaking with rage. He attacked again with a heavy strike. This one, Aizen dodged handily and it swung wide. The large Captain was not deterred.
Komamura yelled, righteous rage in his voice, "For all your lies and betrayal, I will give you no mercy!" He jerked his head to the right then, looking to Tōsen. "And you! Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Neither Aizen nor Tōsen respondede. They judst stay silent, Aizen looking rather satisfied as Tōsen remained carefully blank. Aizen began approaching Komamura then, not that the larger Captain seemed to notice. The wolf-man's eyes just stayed focused on the space right next to Tōsen, much to Rukia's confusion.
"Nothing," Komamura scoffed. "Nothing at all." A frown tugged at his black lips when he said, "How disappointing." He drew himself back into a wide stance before yelling, "Bankai!"
Aizen was right in front of him. He was right in front of Komamura and the larger Captain didn't even seem to notice. Aizen noticed Rukia, though. He looked down at her, gave her a wink, and then suddenly, as if woken from a dream, Komamura startled, realized Aizen was right in front of him, and his Bankai failed to summon.
"Hadō number Ninety," Aizen says calmly, "Kurohitsugi."
Komamura was immediately trapped, encased by a cube made of a pulsating black energy. Rukia felt her heart drop as the seconds dragged on. He had to have survived. He was their only hope.
The cube dissipated after five long seconds, and the second it did and Captain Komamura appeared, he fell to his knees, bloodied and battered from wounds that Rukia couldn't see.
Without so much as batting an eyelash Aizen turned to Rukia. "My Zanpakuto, Kyōka Suigetsu, has flawless hypnosis," he explained. "Even if the target is aware of its ability, they cannot resist its influence."
The silver haired Captain, the bastard that stabbed Ishida whistled appreciatively before saying, "You skipped the incantation for a Ninetieth level Kidō?" He snickered. "How terrifying! Since when could you do that?"
Shaking his head Aizen said, as if disappointed, "No, the spell failed. It's power barely reached a third of its full potential."
Gin stroked his chin, contemplating. "I see, so spells in the Nineties are more difficult to handle, after all."
With that, Aizen approached Ichigo again, unhindered. Rukia cursed under her breath. No more help was coming, was it?
"My apologies," Aizen said, as if he wasn't going to kill someone. "So, Ichigo Shiba," he continued. "When I found you in the World of the Living, the first thing I did was assassinate the entirety of Central Forty-Six." He tapped his chin, staring up at the sky. "I believe Miss Isane said this: 'Sōsuke Aizen faked his death so he could move in secrecy, and then he murdered the Central Forty-Six Chambers.' See, that was technically incorrect.
"I actually butchered them the moment I found you and used an illusion to make it seem like they were all alive and well. After that, between the three of us," he gestured to his two companions, "it was quite easy to impersonate them and give out orders that would help us achieve our goals."
Rukia was too tired to be amazed at Aizen's barbarism. Shit, the blood loss was getting to her. She was amazed she'd held out this long.
"To ensure your capture, I assigned your father, Captain Shiba to retrieve you. To keep Urahara from succeeding, I ordered the Gigai to be destroyed, and to make sure your Soul was completely destroyed so I could retrieve the Hogyoku, I ordered you to be executed here. I've actually spent almost all my time there since my…" he chuckled at the next word, "death. Or course, just in case your little group caused the execution to fail, I needed to know that there was another way to retrieve the Hogyoku. Central Forty-Six's detailed historical records helped plenty there."
Just as he finished his statement he began fishing through his robes, pulling out a strange looking tube from within.
"Naturally, Urahara's research materials were all there, and he went into great depth about implanting foreign objects into a Spirit…"
He trailed off, pressing a button on the tube that Rukia couldn't see, and his hand morphed right before her eyes. It not only changed shape, the finger tips turning into knife-like claws, but it even seemed to change material, skin changing into what Rukia swore was wood.
"…as well as extracting them."
He plunged that new hand through Ichigo's chest.
Rukia's mind stuttered to a halt. Ichigo dropped from Tōsen's grasp, and suddenly Rukia wasn't even sure what she was looking at anymore. He wasn't moving. Above him Aizen held up a tiny crystal, the size of a rubber ball from a toy vending machine.
There was no blood, though, and within seconds Ichigo was stirring again. Her mind started working again.
"So, this is the Hogyoku," Aizen said, an appraising look on his face. "It's awfully small." Then he glanced back at Ichigo, noticing the boy dragging himself onto his hands and knees. "You're unharmed?" he asked, surprised. "What an incredibly technique. It's unfortunate that you're no longer of any use to me, though."
Aizen dragged Ichigo by the collar, the Lieutenant struggling weakly, hands scratching uselessly against the Captain's arm.
"Gin, kill him."
"Well, if it can't be helped." As he said this, he unsheathed his Zanpakuto. It was shorter than average, but Rukia knew exactly what he could do with it. "Shoot to kill, Shinsō."
Rukia's legs were numb. She couldn't even feel them anymore. Her arms were going cold, too. What was all that training for, if she couldn't even do this?
She watched, feeling despair as the fox-faced Captain attacked, but just before he could make contact, a figure blurred by. Ichigo was snatched right from Aizen's hands and Gin's Zanpakuto missed Ichigo, burying itself into someone else entirely.
Captain Shiba was standing there, holding his son the best he could with only one arm, the other busy keeping the sword buried in his side from burrowing any further. He looked pale, was still obviously injured in other places, but in his face Rukia could see nothing but determination.
Retracting his blade with a tsk, Gin looked disappointed.
Shiba stumbled back when the sword tore free, and that seemed to be enough to knock Ichigo from his stupor. He caught his father before he could even hit the ground, laying him down gently. Shiba gave his son as reassuring of a smile as he could, and Ichigo returned it, right before turning to Aizen and giving him the most hate-filled glare imaginable, even as Aizen begun to approach him, a hand on his own Zanpakuto.
Before Aizen could even draw his sword, he was interrupted.
"Don't move." The voice sent a rush of happiness through Rukia. If she were strong enough, she may have even called the woman's name, Yoruichi. Her hand was holding down Aizen's sword arm, a cloth length wrapped around the sheath and hilt to keep it from being drawn.
"If you move even one muscle, you'll lose your head." A small female Captain that Rukia had never seen was holding her own Zanpakuto to Aizen's throat.
More unfamiliar faces came after that as an orange-haired Lieutenant cornered an amused looking Gin by holding her own Zanpakuto to his throat. A tattoo covered Lieutenant was cornering Tōsen similarly.
"This is the end, Aizen," Yoruichi said with a scowl. "You're surrounded."
Aizen smirked in response.
More Lieutenants and Captains that Rukia didn't recognize continue to fill the area, then, and she can't help but think they all sound like they're underwater for some reason. (Or maybe she was underwater?)
I've lost too much blood.
As Rukia's vision started to go in and out, bizarre things started to happen, bizarre enough that she wasn't sure if she imagined some of it or not.
Aizen and his two companions are swept up by rays of light. (Definitely a dream.)
Menos Grande start filling the sky. People are panicking, screaming. (A nightmare.)
"…Negation!..." (…What?…)
"Tōsen!" (She was sure that was Komamura.)
The final words are the ones that she remembered most clearly. She heard them, just as everything went dark.
"Young Ryoka, you really are interesting."
Why did I keep Aizen as the bad guy? Mostly just because it's a roll he fits well in, and more than anything I needed Urahara firmly in the "good guy" camp for various backstory and plot reasons that probably won't become apparent until the next arc, though you will get a taste before the end of this one.
Speaking of that! Holy hell! We only have two chapters after this one, an aftermath chapter and then a final interlude. Then we get to discuss some not so fun stuff like Hiatuses…
(Fun fact this Chapter has more paraphrased quotes from the manga than literally any other before it. It still took forever to write.)
