Hello, and welcome to the next chapter!
Vizard Masky; Soi Fon's feelings are complex, she abides by the law, she doesn't have any real evidence that he isn't guilty of the crimes set up for him, yet she knew him personally, and as we'll see through the chapter, he earned her respect, and they became friends, then the shock of this happening, caused Soi Fon's heart to become hardened, and will be fighting feelings deep inside of her. Glad that you liked it, perhaps in the future she will be, Karin was more concerned with getting Yuzu and the others away before anything happened. I'm sure that Giselle is going to be showing a few things soon enough. And thanks!
Derek 23; I'll try my best!
Clarent excalibur; She will eventually learn Bankai yeah. We'll be seeing some of Takumi's past with Soi Fon, and though no Shunko, that's saved for Yoruichi, perhaps Takumi and Soi Fon will be teaming up in the future against an enemy.
ShadowUzumaki55; She did yeah, Karin tried her best, and managed to get off a few hits, surprising Byakuya. She was just wanting to get Yuzu and the others away, if she had the time to roast him, then she probably would have done, she was more caring about keeping him back. Haha, Kenpachi didn't even see him there~ Yeah, Giselle and Mayuri are going to have a fight soon enough. Soi Fon's got complex feelings inside of her. Maybe she'll see reason within this fight.
Skull Flame; It did yeah, Karin got taken over briefly, she'll be learning how to control that in the future. Haha, he surely did yeah, Shuhei got blindsided by Kenpachi, while Giselle was being casual with him. They do yeah, we'll be seeing some emotional beats this chapter.
Kurosaki shun; Thanks! Here's the next chapter!
Silver crow; Thanks very much! She is yeah, we'll learn more about why this chapter. Isane will eventually begin to see that Takumi isn't evil. Unohana surely does come out with some stuff huh. It's suspense, we'll see it in the future. It seems that he has to accept it haha. Karin did quite well huh. He was yeah. Kenpachi's having some fun alright. And Giselle's having her own kind of fun to~ Yeah in the future we will do. It was yeah, they believe he did that to the Visored along with Kisuke. Yoruichi did her job well. Byakuya could do. He did yeah, he could see Rukia's feelings on the matter. Takumi and Soi Fon are going to be going through quite a bit. Yeah, I alwasy felt that was a bit cheap since Yamamoto was strong and fell to someone other than the main bad guy. Yeah maybe he wont do. Those seem pretty awesome to me. The weaker ones he could do yeah. If it did it could be loyal. Maybe he will meet her.
Andrew123456; I don't know, I like them all for different reasons, and enjoy writing them about the same amount.
sundown923; Thanks very much! Yeah, we'll be going through the Soul Society arc right now.
LucasVAMP; Yeah, she'd be pretty interesting add.
Well, with those lovely reviews out of the way, it's time to start the chapter!
Soi Fon's heart!
With the situation becoming dangerous, Shunsui was becoming increasingly worried about what was happening with Soi Fon. If he made a move, then he knew it could cause problems, he still had to stay in the place he was and be the Captain for a little longer to find out more information.
But he could also see that Nanao kept looking towards the door, as if she was going to take off, and try to find Takumi.
He couldn't keep her away, especially at a time like this.
She had been waiting for one hundred plus years for this, so he got her attention by coughing into his hand.
"Nanao-chan, you're thinking about him right now, aren't you?"
"Captain, I don't know what you're..."
She tried to speak about it.
But in the end, she couldn't and just lowered her head.
"Captain, it's crazy. If Captain Soi Fon gets her hands on Takumi-kun and she uses her Shikai...she could end his life, and if she did then... Her feelings for Takumi-kun are volatile right now, she's not thinking straight."
"I tend to agree Nanao-chan. That's why, you should go if you want to."
Nanao was stunned that Shunsui would even consider saying something like that.
"But Captain..."
"I can't go, but you can. I still have to attend meetings and find out as much information as I can for Takumi and the others. But you, you care about Takumi-kun. Haha, you know that kid needs your support Nanao-chan, it's always been like that after all."
Nanao placed a hand over her heart.
"Captain..."
Nanao didn't know quite how to respond.
Clearly Shunsui was being considerate of Nanao's feelings right now.
He also understood something that many others might not understand at first glance.
And that thing was…
"Go, Nanao-chan. Don't worry, I'll make sure that we'll meet again soon. Do what you need to do, and make sure that blonde haired boy survives."
Nanao quickly got to her feet, and bowed her body to her Captain.
"Thank you Captain, I'll be there soon."
"Just be careful, Nanao-chan."
Nanao nodded, and took off.
Shunsui felt conflicted about letting her go.
But he knew he couldn't stop her.
She was a woman that wanted to be with the man that she admired, and possibly even loved.
He wouldn't stand in the way of that.
Standing face to face, Soi Fon's eyes didn't leave Takumi's own. It was as if she was trying to drill holes into his body with a look alone. Though Takumi remained calm and composed, he knew Soi Fon was going to be a dangerous opponent for him to fight.
Seeing Orihime and Nemu there, he didn't want either to be caught, or used, in a fight against him. If Soi Fon so wished for it, she could use Orihime or Nemu as someone that could be used as a hostage and that could spell trouble.
"Nemu-san, take Orihime-chan back, and I'll deal with her."
Nemu's face didn't change, but her eyes couldn't hide her astonishment at what Takumi had said.
"Takumi-sama, it's highly dangerous. It would be best if we attempt to escape. We have a good percent chance that we could escape if we move at maximum speed."
Takumi while wanting to believe in Nemu, also knew that he couldn't take the chance.
He knew that Soi Fon wouldn't stop in her pursuit, and he couldn't have either of the girls be hurt by her or worse.
"I know, she's a Captain, but I have to fight her. Besides, she seems to be gunning for me, so if you two wish to go right now then I'll be alright here. I can stall for time to let you get away from here."
Alarm bells rang within Orihime's head.
She didn't like the idea of leaving Takumi behind like that.
"T-Taku-chan! You can't! She's...She's dangerous! If you fight her..."
Takumi showed a kind smile to Orihime, Soi Fon's eyes picked up on it, and began thinking about something.
"I know...but I have to fight her. I can't have Nemu-san become hurt because of me. And I can't let you become hurt either. Take off while she's focused on me, I'll make sure that you're able to escape this area freely, alright?"
"Taku-chan..."
Orihime didn't want to leave.
She felt worried, naturally so.
But even then, Takumi was sure that Soi Fon wasn't going to pull any punches this time.
Soi Fon showed an unimpressed face, and tapped her foot onto the ground.
"If you're finished then-"
"You could have attacked at anytime, why didn't you?"
Soi Fon paused for a moment.
In that single moment, Takumi pushed Orihime into Nemu's arms, and pointed.
"Go, I'll meet you there! I promise!"
"B-But Taku-chan-"
"Understood."
Nemu, on the protest of Orihime, lifted the orange haired beauty into her arms, and took off at a high speed into the air, the young woman kept protesting and yelled "Taku-chan no!" but Takumi knew it was too dangerous for Orihime to stay and if she did, she could be killed by Soi Fon and she couldn't have that.
"Sorry, Orihime-chan."
He murmured to himself, knowing that it must be hard for her.
But from what he knew about Soi Fon, she definitely was an enemy that wouldn't hold back.
Soi Fon angrily looked towards her Lieutenant who was currently eating some potato chips, Soi Fon showed a disgusted face by what she could see before her.
"Oi, fatso! Go and get them, now!"
"R-Right!"
The large man attempted to move, when Takumi appeared before him, his hand stretched out with Kido energy swirling within his palm.
His eyes went down, and then he attempted to slash at Takumi, but he merely countered it with a single sword swing, breaking away the man's stance with the blade shooting up into the air with the pressure of Takumi's incredible strength and swinging motion.
"N-No!"
"Sorry about this."
Takumi quickly chanted a Kido spell, and shot off a high powered spell at the man before him. Soi Fon watched as the man was caught in the wave of energy, blasting him all the way into the back wall of the enclosed space they were in, his consciousness was beginning to fade from the powerful attack that Takumi had released.
Soi Fon shook her head in disappointment at her Lieutenant's attitude and movements.
"Seriously, he's useless."
"Hey, isn't that your Lieutenant?"
Takumi asked her, Soi Fon rolled her eyes as if to say that she didn't care.
"He is, but it seems that he couldn't even see your movements. I saw them perfectly, you'd not pull off an attack like that against me. I would have avoided it instantly before you could have fired that off."
"Even then, it doesn't matter if he could or couldn't, shouldn't you be worried about him?"
Takumi wondered.
He honestly couldn't get a good read on Soi Fon.
She was good at hiding her true intentions.
Though he thought that was befitting a girl like her who according to Yoruichi had been trained by her and could handle herself quite well. Even Yoruichi thought that Soi Fon probably had grown to become quite powerful, and Takumi could sense that she did indeed hold great power.
It wasn't Kenpachi level in physical power, but he knew she had skills that could probably do a lot of damage and end up if he wasn't careful, she wasn't a joke.
Soi Fon eyed Takumi up for a few moments, before shaking her head side to side.
"Worried about him? He'll be fine, you didn't kill him, did you?"
Takumi shook his head.
"Of course not, I didn't come here to kill anyone. I came here to prove my innocence."
Soi Fon let out a long drawn out breath, then sharpened her gaze upon Takumi's form.
Those eyes that she had, Takumi definitely felt as if she was attempting to intimidate him.
But he wouldn't allow himself to be intimidated.
"I'm someone that's very fast, I take pride in my speed. I'm probably one of the fastest members of the Gotei 13, due to my nature as Captain of Squad 2, and also head of the Stealth Force. Soi Fon, is my name, if you had forgotten. Though I doubt that's even true. You're pretending with this whole amnesia thing, aren't you?"
Takumi shook his head to her annoyance.
"That's not it Soi Fon-san, I'm not pretending anything. According to Yoruichi-chan, we have had a previous relationship, right? I'm not sure what kind of feelings we had with one another but-"
"Wait, Yoruichi? Is she here, in Soul Society?"
Takumi raised a questioning brow.
She seemed...excited, and also, angry that Yoruichi could possibly be there.
"And if she is? What are you going to do?"
Soi Fon showed a sadistic sneer on her face.
"Then I'm going to find and defeat her, and bring her before the Soul Society for what she has done. Tell me the location of Yoruichi, and I'll let you go."
"Sorry, I can't do that. If you're intending to harm her, then I wont be able to let you get to her."
Soi Fon angrily stopped onto the ground.
"You dare speak to me like that! You have no right!"
"And you've got no right in trying to harm Yoruichi-chan either!"
"Calling her something so casual, you still have the same nerve as back then, don't you? She was our commanding officer, and you call her 'Yoruichi-chan' like you can naturally do that!"
Takumi could hear the rage in her voice.
Clearly, she didn't sound happy in the slightest.
"Of course, she told me to call her that. Wouldn't it be disrespectful if I didn't call her that? Should I call her something else, like Yoruichi-sama or something?"
Soi Fon scoffed.
"Seriously..."
"If you're going to attack me, then go and do it. But, if I may ask something?"
Soi Fon became slightly curious about what he was suddenly thinking.
"And that is?"
"Do you truly hate me?"
Soi Fon stopped at the question.
She went to answer, but she had to stop herself at the last second.
Hating him…
Could she bring herself to say something like that?
She didn't reply, and just took out her sword.
Takumi readied himself, but she merely stabbed the ground before her, when she did that, suddenly over twenty men and women appeared around Takumi, all wearing ninja like outfits. Takumi's eyes widened while Soi Fon showed a smirk on her face.
"Now that I've summoned the Stealth Force, they'll end you. Though these aren't all of the members, it should be enough. Basically, you're going to be ended without me having to lift a finger against you."
Takumi looked left and right.
Seeing all of the ninjas are at the ready, he twirled his blade within his hand.
"Ooh, a challenge, I like challenges Soi Fon-san. Though if you know me, I'm sure you're aware."
"Your point being?"
Soi Fon demanded angrily, while Takumi let out a small laugh, something that she knew Kisuke would do and it did anger her for him to do something like that.
"Quantity, over quality? I'm shocked, I heard from Yoruichi-chan that you were smarter than that. From what I can tell, these ninjas of yours aren't even Lieutenant level in power, so I can take them down without much effort. In fact, even weaker members of the group here could take them down with time. But we don't have time at all, so I'll take them down within a minute."
Soi Fon's eyes widened and she went to speak, when Takumi announced "Ravage, Kinhime!" and a large bolt of lightning erupted from the sky, sending it down onto the blade, and created his Shikai once more.
"G-Get back!"
Soi Fon jumped away, as the ninjas attempted to.
But Takumi's smile grew as he twirled his blade around, and announced "Shocking Blades!" and from his swirling blade, bolts in the shape of electricity began to be released from the blade, at such a speed that even Soi Fon had to admit that she was slightly impressed, but she managed to dodge them expertly.
However, for the other members of the Stealth Force, they ended up being pierced by the blades, in different areas. Some got their chests, some got their arms, some got their legs, and some got their stomachs.
Takumi made sure to avoid their heads, he didn't want to kill them.
But when he managed to get them, Takumi sent off a more stronger bolt of lightning while also sending out the daggers to stun the enemies, and caught them in several places, blasting them away with a single bolt of lightning that was enough to knock them out.
Soi Fon had to watch with stunned expression that her members of the Stealth Force had been taken down by Takumi's blade.
Then he stopped, and turned his blade onto Soi Fon who stood a good size away from him.
"Soi Fon-san, I can't hold back this time. I don't know what your beef with me is, but you threatened Nemu-san and Yoruichi-chan, I wont let you get either of them. I'll defend them with my very life!"
Soi Fon's eyes widened when he said that.
It brought her back to a time where he had met her...
More than a hundred years ago, running down the corridor, a young Soi Fon was getting ready for her day of the usual. She trained, for Yoruichi, and became strong to be strong for Yoruichi, and she wasn't going to stop, for Yoruichi either.
However, by the time that she had gotten to the place she was supposed to be, she came across Yoruichi, stood together with a young blonde haired boy. He appeared to be around her age, though he did look a little younger than she did.
Questions came over to her mind, while Yoruichi began to laugh.
"Aah Soi Fon, you're punctual as always."
"Y-Yoruichi-sama! Yes, I'm sorry for being a few seconds late!"
Yoruichi waved her hand side to side.
"You're to rigid Soi Fon, calm down once in a while." Soi Fon bent her head. "Anyway Soi Fon, we've got a new recruit here." Her hand brushed against the boys hair, while Soi Fon watched curiously. "This is Takumi, he's going to be joining this Squad as of today, I'll be training him personally myself."
"Training...him?"
Soi Fon was surprised that Yoruichi was going to train him.
Was he special?
She didn't know.
"Yes, he's got much potential, he's graduated the Shinigami Academy with excellent marks within just a year! Naturally, I scooped up that potential for myself hahaha~"
Yoruichi laughed loudly, Soi Fon became quite surprised.
"He graduated within a year? T-That doesn't happen often."
"Yes, it seems he's put in a lot of hard work and effort into becoming a Shinigami, isn't that right Takumi-kun~? Hard work pays off~"
Takumi showed a slightly shy smile as Yoruichi grinned.
"Y-Yes, I wanted to...be like my Father, a strong Shinigami."
"And you will be~ Now, this is Soi Fon Takumi-kun, she's someone I'm also training to become a personal bodyguard of mine. You'll be training with her also, she's highly skilled in many areas. Though she does have a hot head sometimes, and can allow her anger to cloud her better judgement."
Soi Fon bowed her head once more.
"I-I'm sorry Yoruichi-sama! I-I don't mean to let my emotions get the better of me!"
"Geez, relax Soi Fon, it's alright to be passionate." Yoruichi chortled out. "Anyway, I'm sure you'll get along great, wont you Takumi-kun?"
Takumi glanced at Soi Fon who looked on curiously.
"Ah, yes, I hope we get along."
Soi Fon looked the young boy up and down, then turned to Yoruichi.
"Yoruichi-sama, are you sure about this boy? I don't know if he's dedicated to your protection."
Yoruichi chortled at Soi Fon's unsure feelings.
"I'm sure Soi Fon, doubting me?"
"N-No! I'd never do that! But if he isn't dedicated then..."
"I will protect Yoruichi-sama with my life!"
Soi Fon was caught off guard with what he had said.
"Excuse me?"
"I said I'd defend her with my very life, please don't doubt me! Yoruichi-sama accepted my offer to join this Squad, she is my Captain, I'll defend her with my last breath!"
Soi Fon showed a light smirk.
"Yeah right, you have to be ready at anytime to defend her, like now!"
Soi Fon suddenly went to rush Takumi, with her sword out, intending to show Takumi that he wouldn't be able to protect Yoruichi.
But he got before her with a burst of speed, and blocked her incoming strike with his own Zanpakuto, grabbing her wrist and held his sword out before him in a defensive manner, surprising Soi Fon while Yoruichi grinned.
"And that's why I wished to have him here Soi Fon. He might be a newbie, but he's been training hard. There are a few flaws I can see, but with the right training, I'll make sure that he becomes a good member of this Squad, and also, because of his kind heart, he'll be able to become a very good Shinigami, don't you think?"
Soi Fon couldn't believe that he had managed to surprise her.
She had been training for a long time, and yet…
This boy had managed to do something not many others could do in her age bracket.
She huffed, pulling away from Takumi and narrowed her gaze at him.
Takumi gave a small smile but Soi Fon didn't seem to be amused.
Yoruichi got close, placing a hand on top of their heads.
"It seems you're going to be getting along rather well~"
Soi Fon just stared at Takumi while he smiled up to Yoruichi.
Back to the present, Soi Fon remembered that time.
The first time that she met him, and back then, she didn't know what to think about him. His skills, the way he smiled, it caused her to feel half annoyed, and half intrigued. He simply could speak to Yoruichi so openly, while she always, as Yoruichi would often put it, would be rigid.
More than that, back then she didn't know if he could be strong enough to defend Yoruichi.
"Are you going to make a move, Takumi Urahara?"
Soi Fon watched Takumi like a hawk.
He didn't move.
With her men and women down, she knew that she'd have to fight and couldn't hold back either. However, she also was haunted by the memories of what Takumi had stirred inside of her, memories that she had wished to keep buried deep inside of her.
He didn't say anything.
He just stared at her, as if he was trying to work her out.
Shaking her head, she points forward to Takumi.
"You, are going to regret coming to the Soul Society Takumi Urahara."
"You hate my Father, right? Is that why you hate me? If it is, then it seems like you don't have the full scope of what's going on. My Father and I are different people. You need to listen to me Soi Fon-san, I don't want to be at odds with you, I want to make sure that the Soul Society is-"
"You're the reason people died Takumi!"
Soi Fon angrily announces to Takumi's surprise.
"No, I didn't do anything Soi Fon-san. Please you have to listen-"
"I'm done listening. I stopped listening the day that you left."
Those words felt like needles in his skin, and he couldn't exactly pinpoint why that was.
It felt distant, more as if she was saying it to herself than saying it to Takumi.
She then disappeared from sight, Takumi lost her for a single moment, but that moment was what she needed, as she appeared behind the young man, with her sword at the base of his neck, and her hand gripping his sword wielding hands wrist tightly, attempting to force him to drop his blade, while keeping him from moving.
"See Takumi? I've also improved quite a bit. I'm much faster than in the past. Now, you're going to die."
Takumi's eyes went towards Soi Fon who's head rested near the right side of his face.
Her eyes went into his, and rather than seeing the feeling of satisfaction on her face...
He saw within her eyes, that she had some conflicting emotions within her.
He thought that it was truly something Soi Fon didn't know how she was going to proceed.
Was she going to kill him?
Was she going to spare him?
Or could she simply not make up her mind and she was going to let out her feelings?
Meanwhile, Yoruichi brought Karin, Yuzu and Ganju towards the hidden location that was going to be acting as their base.
With Takumi and the others not there, she was left to take care of them. She could do that easily enough, she had made sure that she wasn't followed, and she also made sure that the others weren't injured, the best that she could.
Yuzu overlooked her sister who was still unconscious.
"Karin..."
"Don't worry, it was just a sedative. It was used in case she had lost control of the Hollow inside of her."
Yoruichi assured her, Yuzu offering a kind smile on her face.
"I know, I'm sure that she'll wake up soon. She wouldn't stay asleep for too long."
"Exactly, she's the type that will not give up. I'm sure though she will be disheartened when she does wake up."
"Because of the Hollow, you mean Yoruichi-san?"
Yoruichi inclined her neck in agreement.
"Yes, the simple fact about it is that she was getting taken over. After this incident, we'll have to train her even more, in being able to control the power of her Hollow. For now though, I'd say she did pretty well. She fought off Byakuya for a good amount of time, she should be proud of her achievement."
"...Though she should, she'll still be down about what happened with Rukia."
At the mention of Rukia, Ganju had more conflicting feelings within him.
The fact that he had lost himself in his anger, and because of that, Karin was in this state.
Ganju held his head in shame.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault that this happened in the first place. If I didn't let my anger get the better of me, then we could have ran away with..." He paused as he thought of his elder brother. "...with her, that Rukia girl, Karin wouldn't have ended up in a situation like this."
Yuzu gave Ganju a comforting pat on the back.
"Don't blame yourself. As Takumi-kun said, we didn't have to rescue her, we came close, and we should be glad we got as far as we did. Together, we'll save Rukia-san...though Ganju-san, do you really hate Rukia-san?"
At the question, Ganju's head went lower.
"...Honestly, I don't know what to say about her. She...She's different to how I thought she was. I always saw her as this bloodthirsty monster that killed my elder brother without remorse. But when I looked at her today, she didn't resemble that at all."
Yuzu could understand that, and so could Yoruichi.
"Ganju-san...when Rukia-san is saved, you can speak to her then, can't you? To get out all of your pent up emotions, to make sure that you aren't overtaken by your feelings again like that. We have to be level headed, I'm sure Karin would say the same when she wakes up."
Ganju showed a hint of a smile, and slowly began nodding his head.
"Maybe you're right. Still, I regret what happened back there, it wont happen again."
"I'm sure it wont Ganju-san~"
Yoruichi was amazed by the way that Yuzu showed her kindness.
It was quite lovely to see someone like her being able to lift up the spirits of the others.
She thought it was rather important for the group to have someone like Yuzu there.
But then she felt the pressure of Takumi fighting. It was faint due to the distance she was at, but it was unmistakable that she was feeling the fight Takumi had, and if she was right, then he was fighting against Soi Fon.
Yoruichi bit her lower lip, knowing that it was going to be dangerous if he stayed fighting her.
But if she left the others unprotected…
She knew that she'd have to leave it to Takumi this time.
Even if she didn't want to do that, she had to trust Takumi would be able to overcome Soi Fon, one way or another.
Back with Takumi and Soi Fon, still within her grasp, Takumi's body attempted to move, when Soi Fon locked his leg with wrapping her own leg around his own, stopping his movements. Takumi's hand felt as if he was going to release the blade due to how she was holding onto his hand.
"You might be fast Soi Fon, but I have some tricks up my sleeve."
Takumi's blade twitched as a spark of electricity dripped off said blade.
Grimacing, Soi Fon pulled backwards as a huge bolt of lightning rained down from up above.
Soi Fon glanced upwards, and could see the remnants of a Kido spell within the air.
"A transportation spell, but it seems different to the forbidden one..."
"I learned this straight from Hacchi!"
Takumi answered her inner doubts, and unleashed many bolts of lightning towards Soi Fon's body with precise movements. Soi Fon responded by simply using her Flash Step to avoid all of the attacks, using various acrobatic movements to dodge the intricately laid out attacks that Takumi was sending to her, while also setting up a few things to help him against the woman before him.
Soi Fon didn't hold back, pointing her fingers towards Takumi as she received a spell of Kido, shooting off small blasts of energy for his body, which he dispelled with a wave of his sword, and unleashing much electricity that encompassed the area around them.
"That's not enough Soi Fon-san!"
Soi Fon showed a dirty smirk on her face, and dashed forward.
However, while she did, Takumi saw that her body began to split apart, as if she was cloning herself.
Surprise overcame him, as he slashed at the first one that came for him…
But his sword went right through the body of Soi Fon and disappeared as if she wasn't even there.
He saw that these clones began speeding around him as if they had a life of their own…
But they were moving in the same way as Soi Fon, so he began understanding what this cloning ability was.
"Interesting."
Takumi stabbed into the ground, and unleashed a large mass of lightning through the ground to force the real Soi Fon to come out, and the clones were effected, disappearing as soon as the lightning passed through them.
Soi Fon leapt upwards, just as she saw Takumi sticking up his fingers.
"Bakudo 4: Hainawa!"
Unleashing a yellow rope to bind Soi Fon, the ninja woman began to laugh ever so slightly.
"If you're going to be fighting me like this, then I can do this!"
Soi Fon turned her hand downwards, and announced "Shakkaho!" unleashing a red sphere of energy, which broke through a portion of the electrified ground, which disrupted the flow of electricity for a few seconds, and in those seconds, Soi Fon landed on the ground and pushed off said ground to shoot off high into the air, Takumi ground his teeth, knowing she was doing that to avoid his Kido spell to trap her.
While in the air, Takumi saw that Soi Fon was drawing in the air, creating a triangle with three fang like triangles of yellow energy coming off of it, with Soi Fon's eyes focusing in on Takumi's body, and she didn't seem to even to be slowing down.
"Bakudo 30: Shitotsu Sansen!" Firing off the three fangs for Takumi to pin the young boy, she smirked at him dangerously. "You wont be escaping this time, Takumi Urahara."
Takumi quickly stuck out his hand, and announced his own Kido spell.
"Bakudo 37: Tsuriboshi!"
From his extended hand, a star shaped net of spiritual energy, with six ropes springing off around the area, and anchored itself before Takumi, with the three fangs of yellow energy sinking into it, but as if it was like elastic, sent the energy fangs right back at Soi Fon's body.
Soi Fon grasped her teeth angrily, sticking out her hands.
"Bakudo 39: Enkosen!"
From before her, an orange shield erupted in a spinning motion, and blocked off the rebounded Kido spell that Takumi sent her way, but while she was doing that, Takumi waved his sword into the air, and created a large cloud above Soi Fon herself.
Seeing the darkened cloud covering the sky, Soi Fon glanced up to see the cloud sparkling with electricity, and gathering into a single point within the cloud, her eyes broadened exponentially, her eyes shooting for Takumi.
"Oh shi-"
Her voice was cut off when a massive lightning bolt shot down towards her body.
Takumi tried to put a good deal of strength into his attack.
But as the bolt of lightning came down onto Soi Fon, her body suddenly flipped in the air and she stuck out her hands, gathering her power into a single point.
"Hado 73: Soren Sokatsui!"
She didn't have time to chant, so she had to fire off the Kido spell at a quickened pace.
Because of that, the power wasn't what she wished it to be, and released the intense power, and clashed with Takumi's bolt of lightning, with the powers mixing together at the clash, the intense air pressure slammed Soi Fon down into the ground, as the bolt of lightning continued travelling down towards her body.
"Sorry Soi Fon-san, but I can't lose here!"
Soi Fon ditched her Kido spell, and attempted to dodge, but as it moved at the literal speed of lightning, Soi Fon's shoulder got clipped by the electricity, and sent shocks through her body, along with burning her skin due to the extreme heat of the electricity that had been sent.
Soi Fon avoided most of the damage though, as the electrical bolt destroyed the ground behind her, and created a sizeable hole in the earth, along with the earth itself being scorched by the power of Takumi's Zanpakuto's Shikai.
Panting as she turned her eyes to Takumi, her anger grew higher, and higher.
The scowl made itself known on her face, her eyes turned darker by the second.
Looking at her burnt shoulder, and her fingers felt tingly.
Takumi definitely could have taken her own if she had taken that attack head on.
She also saw that Takumi was panting ever so slightly.
"...I see, so you intend to also show your power like this. I suppose I shouldn't hold back anymore, should I?"
Takumi watched as she held her sword outwards.
The sword allowed itself to begin to change form.
"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi."
Along with an ominous feeling, Soi Fon's sword glowed white, and began to shrink. It wraps around her arm and hand, and now has taken on the form of a black and gold gauntlet, with a small chain linking it to a stinger-like blade on Soi Fons middle finger. The stinger is about twice as long as the normal length of Soi Fon's fingers, slightly increasing her striking distance. The colors and pattern of the Shikai resemble those of a hornet.
Soi Fon's finger then pointed towards Takumi.
"Are you flipping me off?"
Soi Fon's face turned side to side in annoyance.
"Oh yeah, I'm giving you the finger alright. This finger, will sting you to death."
Soi Fon disappeared with a flash of speed, Takumi's eyes turning left to see that Soi Fon had appeared there, so he swung his blade outwards, and went to cut Soi Fon down, but she merely flipped onto his blade, her stinger heading right for Takumi at high speeds.
"No!"
Takumi unleashed lightning off the blade, but Soi Fon had already flipped over Takumi's body and stabbed towards his right hand side, Takumi placed out his hand and deflected her hand away from his body, but she quickly turned the tables, wrapping a leg around his body while turning her body upside down, and then she quickly brought Takumi's body upwards with her incredible strength, and flipped the young blonde away at a high speed, smashing him down into the ground.
His mind rattled for a second, but in that second, Soi Fon got above the young boy, and jabbed downwards.
His sword stabbed upwards, and forced itself against the stinger, with sparks going across their blades, but Soi Fon then slammed her foot down into Takumi's chest.
"Gwah!"
He spat out blood from the heavy impact, with Soi Fon seeing her chance, and stabbed into his chest. She didn't get to go all the way into his heart as he unleashed a massive discharge of electricity, but Soi Fon managed to avoid the powerful electric energy and got back a good distance.
Takumi panted at the feeling of being stabbed.
But then he looked down, and saw that a butterfly like design pattern formed at the base of the stab on his body, Soi Fon couldn't contain her smirk at the sight before her, and waved her stinger towards him.
"One more stab, and you're going to die. You can end this now, if you give up Yoruichi. If you do that, you can live a little longer, isn't that a good trade? Isn't that what people like you do, leave your comrades behind?"
Takumi felt the heat of the situation that was within him.
"I told you, I'd never give her up! I'd never abandon a comrade! I don't know what you think of me, but leaving a comrade behind is terrible!"
Soi Fon gasped when he said that, and it brought her back into the past.
Half a year had passed since Takumi and Soi Fon had met, and during their time together, Soi Fon kept him at arms length, even when he tried speaking to her, she'd always ignore him, and concentrate on training.
He didn't know exactly how to approach her, she wouldn't budge an inch when she was
Soi Fon and Takumi had been cornered by many Hollows while they were within a woodland. They were unusually strong for Hollows, though while they were training (though Soi Fon simply had come because Yoruichi had forced her), these Hollow had unexpectedly come and disrupted their training.
Despite their best efforts, they could only damage the Hollow a good deal, but it still could fight against them. Their bodies had suffered wounds, both had deep gashes on their bodies, Takumi had blood dripping down his face with the wound on his head, Soi Fon however angrily gripped her sword.
"That's it!"
"No, wait!"
Takumi said it with worry on his face, but Soi Fon didn't mind, and jumped the large Hollow. The single protrusion came out of the Hollow's arm, and sent off a stab towards Soi Fon, who narrowly avoided it, but the Hollow came back with opening its mouth, and shooting off an acid like liquid.
Soi Fon announced "Damn!" and tried to avoid it, but Takumi jumped up, tackling the girl to the ground, protecting her from the acid, which melted the ground, Soi Fon inhaled and exhaled slowly, then turned to Takumi.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Erm...protecting you?"
Soi Fon crossed her eyes at him.
"Do I look like I need protecting?"
"Geez, I was only looking out for a comrade."
Soi Fon pushed Takumi off her, and gripped her sword tightly.
"I don't need your protection, I don't need anything from you."
She dismissed Takumi, and charged for the Hollow herself. Quickly dashing over to the Hollow, she avoided a round of acid spit, before she got in low for the leg...but the stinger of the Hollow suddenly grew in size, and became like a tentacle, coming in from behind Soi Fon to stab her in the abdomen.
"Soi Fon, behind you!"
Takumi yelled, trying to get towards her.
But he wasn't fast enough and couldn't make it in time for Soi Fon to get pierced…
Luckily, she had managed to jump backwards out of the way of receiving it in her abdomen, but it went right through her leg, and caused a good amount of blood to leak out of her leg, as she fell down to the ground.
With Soi Fon's injured leg, Takumi stepped before her, and held out his sword for the hulking Hollow before them.
His small body with his blade became her shield, something that half angered her, and half surprised her.
"W-What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"I'm going to protect you Soi Fon-chan!"
"I don't recall when I said you could call me that!"
Soi Fon said it angrily.
His eyes turned back to her and offered her a kind smile.
"Seriously, you need to relax and rely on others more. You can't do everything yourself, right?"
"You're one to talk."
Soi Fon huffed, but Takumi showed a small smile.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you with my very life."
Soi Fon felt blown away by what was being said.
She watched as Takumi blocked off the stinger with his sword, and twirled around, his Zanpakuto cutting off the tentacle like stinger, impressing Soi Fon, as he ran forward, jumping up, and cleaved the Hollow in half.
But while he did, another Hollow came and attempted to attack Soi Fon.
She attempted to move, but she winced at the feeling from her leg.
She couldn't move, and could only put her sword outwards to defend herself…
But Takumi got before her, and received a hard blow to his body. His body went up into the air, surprising Soi Fon immensely. She couldn't imagine why he would do anything like that for her, when she didn't consider themselves to be on friendly terms at all.
Yet still, he then was slammed into the ground by the Hollow whipping his tentacle like stinger down into his body, smacking him across the face, and smashed his body down into the ground, Takumi coughing up a bit of blood.
"...Idiot, seriously, doing something like that..."
Soi Fon muttered, but did hold concern on her face for what was happening.
Despite being in pain, Takumi lifted his body once more, and pointed his blade towards the Hollow.
"Seriously you idiot, just run away!"
"I can't! You're a comrade! I wont abandon my comrades!"
Soi Fon was blown away by what he had said.
It seemed insane.
But she also felt...something deep within her.
As he rushed forward, and managed to get off a few attacks, he also received many attacks. The attacks pierced his skin, and dealt a good deal of damage...yet, he kept getting up, over and over again.
She couldn't fathom what he was doing.
He was being pummeled down into the ground time and time again.
Yet he was still fighting.
The Hollows kept bombarding them, and he was still fighting them off all by himself while defending her.
Wounds appeared on him, and he slayed Hollows left and right, yet he still kept fighting.
Soi Fon couldn't help but admire his will to fight.
Even when he was knocked down, he merely said "No problem..." and got up once more, and fought as hard as he could.
In the end, he couldn't fight anymore, and dropped down to the ground.
Soi Fon thought for sure that they'd end up being killed.
They didn't have a hope to survive…
But then Yoruichi came shooting in from the right, and quickly used her Flash Step and delivered savage beatings onto the Hollows in no time flat. Neither Takumi or Soi Fon could tell how fast she was going. It felt like she was moving at hyper speed with the way her elegant movements were.
When she had finished dispatching the Hollows, Yoruichi landed before the pair, and exhaled deeply.
"Geez, I was worried about you two. But it seems you managed to hang on for a good while." Yoruichi bent down, and poked Takumi's cheek. "It seems you got roughed up a fair bit Takumi."
"Y-Yes, I tried my best Yoruichi-sama."
"Haha, I'm sure you did. You did well, both of you."
Soi Fon's eyes turned to Takumi, while shaking her head.
"Yoruichi-sama...I don't deserve the praise, Takumi's the one who lasted longer than I."
Yoruichi raised an eyebrow curiously.
"I'm surprised Soi Fon. I was under the impressed you didn't get along."
"...Well, that's a mistake, I made that mistake Yoruichi-sama, he's more than capable of being a bodyguard for you."
Yoruichi let out a small laugh, seeing that Soi Fon was coming around to the idea that Takumi was capable. Soi Fon herself looked towards Takumi, and could feel newfound respect entering her body, it seemed that she truly did appreciate him in many different ways.
Back with Soi Fon and Takumi, Soi Fon recalled that from the past, and she remembered how from that moment, she did have respect for him. He had fought hard, and did it all while protecting her. It was that moment she knew that he could defend Yoruichi, that he'd be reliable, and it allowed herself to open up more to the young boy.
But that had been shattered now.
The day that he had disappeared...
Soi Fon stated it clearly, "One more sting, and you're going to die." and because of that, Takumi knew that he was in a situation that could be considered dangerous, he'd have to be very mindful to avoid being pierced in the same place or he very well could forfeit his life to her.
"Soi Fon-san, I know I'm not going to convince you to stop trying to kill me, so I'm not going to bother."
"Finally, you're seeing sense. Perhaps you do have a good mind after all. If you gave up now, then I'll take you in. or if you give up the location of Yoruichi, then I'll let you live for a little while longer."
"Either of those options would result in my death in the long run, and the second option would result in danger to Yoruichi-chan. So I wont be going along with that."
Soi Fon laughed.
"And I thought you had learned your lesson. I guess I was wrong."
"No, you're asking me to be lead to my death. You think any sane person was going to agree to that? Would you do that?"
"I'm not the one who's on trial here. You caused this, you disappeared and left..." Takumi noticed that she hesitated for a few moments. "...The Soul Society. Now I have to make you pay, and if you're not going to give up, then I'll have to finish you off!"
Soi Fon, fighting down the mixing of emotions deep within her, shot forward at a high speed. Making several jabs for Takumi, he blocked each of the strikes, barring one that went for his right hand side to stab him.
But at that moment, a barrier came out of his side, and blocked off Soi Fon's attack, the young woman clicking her tongue "Tch, a timed released barrier." something Soi Fon had noticed, but she didn't give up, and began running around him so fast that clones began to be made once more.
But the clones began to also run in different directions around Takumi. Some would run clockwise, some would run anticlockwise, among others. He wondered how she did that, while Soi Fon didn't seem to wish to share.
"Moving things like this...it seems that she might be doing the same thing to confuse me. The clones she makes are supposed to go in the same direction as her...so she must be moving in both ways so fast that she's trying to confuse me."
Takumi understood that Soi Fon was getting faster.
It was like she wasn't holding back now, and he had to admit, while she wasn't Yoruichi level, she was still rather fast, and could move faster than he currently could do, so he had to be creative, and keep her at bay.
While attempting to take down the clones, they swarmed him from all sides.
He couldn't tell which one was the real one, so he stabbed the ground, creating a dome of electricity around his body. The power pushed itself strongly around his body, and expanded outwards, taking out more and more clones by the second.
However, Soi Fon smirked, and managed to use that distraction to slip into his personal space, with Takumi turning to see Soi Fon's body next to his own with her finger going towards him.
"I saw through it Takumi! I've trained with you years and years ago! I know you'd have to leave an area around you save! A safety area!"
Takumi knew he couldn't move his sword in time, so he pulled his body upwards, being pierced underneath the area she had first stabbed him, so she couldn't use the ability of her Shikai, but it did create another butterfly like mark across his skin and clothing that the area had been affected by.
Back flipping away from Soi Fon, Takumi twirled his blade, and sent off a number of lightning daggers towards Soi Fon within a second, Soi Fon raised her finger, and used that along with what else was on her arm to block the blades of electricity.
However, as she was, Takumi got above her, and gathered a good deal of electricity.
"Electrifying net!"
Swinging down his blade, a net of electricity came out of it in an attempt to bind Soi Fon.
Soi Fon saw it coming and was able to move out of the way of the net…
But then, she realized Takumi wasn't above anymore, only the remains of him was there, and she knew it was a clone, of electricity, something she hadn't seem him do, but honestly, she was quite taken aback by what had happened.
"A trick!"
She gasped, turning around to see Takumi swinging his blade for her body.
Turning to stab him, Takumi flipped over her body while still gathering electricity in his blade.
Soi Fon made several stabs upwards to pierce him, but he released a cloak of lightning around him, getting down to the ground and turned towards her with the built up electricity, his eyes locking with the young woman's own as he came at her with a huge burst of electricity.
Soi Fon quickly moved backwards using Flash Step as the huge wave of electricity swam outwards, and encompassed the entire area, smashing through several buildings as Soi Fon rushed backwards to avoid the massive wave of power coming for her.
Knowing she'd not be able to dodge it all completely, Soi Fon activated a barrier Kido around her in the form of an upside down prism, with the huge burst of lightning washing over the barrier, breaking more and more of it down by the second.
"He knows he can't keep up with me, so he's trying to take me out with power. It's a sound technique, but he knows he'd have to catch me with the power, that's why he's using tricks to get close. I forgot how damn smart he can be. I can never predict what he's going to do next. Even now, this huge burst of lightning might not even be the real attack..."
Soi Fon watched as the barrier shattered completely from the intense power of the electricity, but she saw an opening towards the right hand side so she took it, speeding out of the wave of electricity so she wasn't caught up in it…
However, at that moment, she saw before her, Takumi had appeared, panting slightly and had his hand extended.
"Shit!"
She went to pull back...but saw that the wave of electricity was still there.
Buildings separated her right and left, and only Takumi stood before her.
She couldn't go up either, as Takumi had created a barrier above them both, effectively trapping her.
"Hado 1: Sho!"
It was a simple Kido, but because he was so close, and she was stuck, she received the Kido in the torso, while she managed to get a stab off on his right hand side, creating a new butterfly design on his body.
The power sent Soi Fon right into the huge bolt of electricity, and shocked her body so much that burns erupted across her body, and caused a mass explosion, with Takumi falling down to his knees, and began panting more and more.
He had exerted a lot in the fight, and he hadn't fully recovered from his fight with Unohana either, so he was already fighting at not his best.
He had made sure that the power wouldn't kill Soi Fon.
While the lightning was dying down, Nanao managed finally come up, and saw Takumi's form.
"Takumi-kun..."
Takumi turned to see Nanao stood there.
"Nanao-san, what are you..."
"I couldn't...I couldn't simply stay back anymore. I'm sorry but I had to come and...I don't know if I can help, but I can't leave."
Takumi showed a ghost of a smile.
"Haha, it seems that we must have been close, huh?"
Nanao pushed up her glasses.
"Yes, very close, and very reckless as well. Seriously, fighting a Captain like this, did you not think of the consequences at all?"
"Hehehe, sorry, I didn't have time to think about it Nanao-san, I just had to protect Orihime-chan and Nemu-san-"
"So, another traitor then..."
Takumi and Nanao were stopped with those words.
Their eyes turned to see Soi Fon stood there, her eyes going between the two of them.
While she did have her body being hurt by Takumi's power, she hadn't fallen to the attack.
Soi Fon, panted and glared forward.
"Takumi...you truly are someone that has gotten stronger...but, I can't give up either." Soi Fon looked at her Shikai. "My Shikai's ability is going to be hard to get off on you, but I could resort to my Bankai." Takumi began backing away as she let out a small laugh. "Don't be surprised, every Captain apart from Zaraki has a Bankai. Though I do hate using my Bankai, my ability is more for assassination and my Bankai is something that doesn't fit that kind of life style."
"Captain, you can't use Bankai here-"
"You be quiet traitor, you're next if you get in my way!"
Nanao was silenced and felt her body tremble at the pressure Soi Fon was releasing, it was causing her to feel weaker and weaker, but Takumi directed her attention to him.
"Leave her out of this, your fight is with me." He turned to Nanao with a kind smile. "Go, Nanao-san."
"Takumi-kun, I can't...I'm not leaving!"
"I don't want you to get caught up in this. Please...go."
"Takumi-kun..."
Soi Fon's eyes slit themselves upon Takumi's form while Nanao placed a hand over her mouth.
"It's alright, I'll be fine."
"But her Bankai is...it's something you currently couldn't take Takumi-kun."
Nanao expressed her worries.
She didn't want Takumi to be killed.
Takumi could understand that. Though he didn't know what her Bankai was, he knew that it was going to be dangerous, her Shikai already was dangerous, so seeing her Bankai...but still, he knew he couldn't have Nanao caught up in that kind of attack.
"Then if it's me...you wont be hurt. You know the truth about me, and so do the others. That's enough for me...besides, it seems that I've got some history with Soi Fon-san here, it's time for us to settle it once and for all. Also, could you take her Lieutenant over there?" Takumi waved his hand right. "I avoided him during our attacks, and I managed to push her Stealth Force members away a good distance during our fight."
Soi Fon became stunned.
"He did that while we fought...I didn't even notice."
While thinking about her what had happened currently, Nanao looked conflicted by many different things.
"Takumi-kun...though I'm against it, I'll do this for you. But if you don't make it out of this alive, I seriously will….I'll seriously bring you back from the dead, only to slap you, understood?"
Takumi let out a small laugh at Nanao who gained a flustered face.
"Understood."
Nanao took a look at Soi Fon, then went over towards her Lieutenant, and Flash Stepped the pair out of there.
Once they had gone, Takumi turned back to Soi Fon.
"Soi Fon-san-"
"You shut up!" Takumi was surprised when Soi Fon began to let her feelings go a bit more, and her eyes began to become wet. "You keep saying my name as if we're friends! We're not friends! We've not been friends for over a hundred years! Ever since you left! I trusted you, I believed we'd always fight together, and protect Yoruichi together! But you and Yoruichi just disappeared!"
Takumi could see that she hadn't meant to say that.
She looked stunned she even let that out.
"Soi Fon..."
"No, stop saying my name like that. As if you care about me." She growled out. "You think me just seeing you telling those women to leave, is going to change my mind?"
"No, I never said that in the first place. I just don't want them to get caught up in this. You have issues with me, fine. But Nemu-san, Orihime-chan and Nanao-san aren't going to be hurt because of it. You take out your feelings on me!"
Soi Fon bit her lower lip.
But then she placed her hand outwards.
"I don't need Bankai for you, you've got enough marks on you. One more hit, and you'll be deceased!"
Soi Fon took off running at Takumi.
Takumi however saw that the young woman had many conflicting emotions inside of her.
The way she ran felt like it was a burden on her Psyche. This fight more than just physical, it felt like it was a mental battle that she couldn't afford to lose.
"I will win! I will beat you! I will surpass you Takumiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
Soi Fon screamed at Takumi who saw her body beginning to take a noticeable dip in her speed. She wasn't as fast as she was before, she was moving as if each foot step was her last one, and that in of itself was worrying.
While she was running, Soi Fon's mind kept going to something deep within her memories, something that she had thought she had buried long ago that crawled its way to the surface.
Sitting atop of a large building, a young Takumi's eyes went over the entire Seireitei, and his keen interest was always expanding. Even as young as he was, he still had the same eyes that Soi Fon had thought about for so long.
"There you are."
Soi Fon said it with a surprisingly causal expression.
She usually was on guard.
But now that she had been getting closer to Takumi over the time they had been together, she felt herself relaxing more and more.
"Soi Fon-chan, what are you doing here?"
"We have an assignment from Yoruichi-sama. I came to find you."
"Oh I see. Haha, thanks for letting me know, I'll be there soon enough."
Noticing a change within his usual voice, Soi Fon questioned it.
"Alright, what's wrong with you? You being anything other than upbeat is suspicious."
Takumi curiously raised an eyebrow.
"I've just been thinking."
Soi Fon showed a light smirk.
"Honestly, when you do that, things tend to happen."
"Are you saying I intentionally cause trouble?"
Takumi playfully pushed Soi Fon who wore slight annoyance on her face, but mostly she seemed to accept it.
"Yes, you do."
Takumi lightly chuckled.
"I promise, I'm not trying to cause trouble now. I'm just thinking about...what I'm going to do in the future."
"What do you mean? Do you intend to leave Yoruichi-sama's side?"
Takumi shook his head immediately.
"No, I'd never do that. She's the one who gave me a chance. Even though, I am someone that's not a noble, she still took me into her personal Squad, and is helping me in many ways...but, I also have things I need to do. I have..."
"I see, are you intending to leave the Seireitei? If you did..."
"I know, and no, I'm not planning to leave the Seireitei, I'm just thinking of what I should aim for, if I should attempt to become a Captain to accomplish my goals or...hey, Soi Fon-chan, how about we both compete to see who's going to become a Lieutenant first?"
Soi Fon adopted a light smirk on her face.
"You're challenging me now, Takumi?"
Takumi playfully stuck out his tongue.
"Yeah, why not? You always like being challenged, don't you?"
"That's more you than me." Soi Fon weighed up her hands. "Besides, it wouldn't be a challenge."
"Hey, I've improved a lot Soi Fon-chan."
Soi Fon raised a curious eyebrow.
"Really? Prove it then, and become a Lieutenant before me."
"I'll do one better, and become a Captain Soi Fon-chan!"
Soi Fon released a laugh she usually wouldn't do around others.
"Captain huh. You're shooting for the stars, but you'll fall at the clouds, but I wont stop you trying, you might get lucky. I'd go for Captain, but I'm intending to protect Yoruichi-sama always, even serving as her Lieutenant would be enough for me."
"Yeah...well, I'm always going to defend Yoruichi-chan, so I'll become her Lieutenant then."
"Try it, and I'll wave to you as I become that first."
"You're on, Soi Fon-chan. Besides, I've got to be beside you, you'd probably fall into depression if I wasn't around."
Soi Fon huffed.
"You saying I'm depressing?"
"I'm saying you're closed off."
"Yeah well...I only like talking to people I appreciate."
"Then you appreciate me?"
Soi Fon shrugged in an uncaring manner, and pinched her fingers together.
"Perhaps a little bit."
"Haha, then I guess I'll have to stay around always then, huh Soi Fon-chan~?"
"Is that a promise?"
Takumi cocked his head.
"Do you want it to be?"
"I don't care either way."
She played aloof, though Takumi got the hidden meanings within her words.
"Then lets say you and I will always defend Yoruichi-sama, together."
"Yes...lets do it, together."
Takumi smiled brightly, while Soi Fon's lips curled upwards.
Though they seemed to have a competition with one another, that was just how their relationship was. They drove the other to succeed, while also praising the others abilities, and in the end, it seemed that even though both couldn't be Yoruichi's Lieutenant, it wouldn't matter which got the job, as they both had confidence in the other that they'd be able to protect Yoruichi, together.
Back in the present, continuing to rush at him, Soi Fon's mind began to fill with more and more memories that were quite overpowering.
The time they first spoke, the time they fought together, the time that they made their vow, the time that they tried food from the human world, and how they had been moving up the ranks together.
How they both had promised to be together...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
She let out a scream, and thrust her finger towards him.
So many emotions filled her.
Anger, sadness, fear, hatred…
In the end, the moment her finger was going to pierce him…
She stopped.
Her eyes leaked tears, her body trembled as she looked towards him.
"...In the end...I can't."
Takumi could see the sadness and confusion within her eyes.
"Soi Fon-san..."
Soi Fon collapsed onto the ground, exhausted from the fight and her emotions heavily weighing on her heart.
Soi Fon punched the ground as her Shikai was deactivated.
Takumi also saw that the marks on his body also had disappeared.
"I'm a failure...I'm Captain of Squad 2, it's my job to capture you, and bring you in...but, I can't...why can't I do it…?"
"Soi Fon-san...I'm sorry."
Soi Fon's eyes went towards his own.
"...What did you say?"
"I'm...sorry for leaving you."
Soi Fon's body continued to tremble more and more.
She didn't say anything, but she did begin to cry even more.
Takumi couldn't fathom the emotions she was going through right now.
It seemed even Soi Fon didn't quite get it either.
Takumi tried to move closer, but she quickly swiped at him with her hand, forcing him backwards.
"Soi Fon-san..."
"Just...Just leave."
Takumi bit his lower lip as Nanao came back over.
Her eyes went to Soi Fon who just kept her eyes on the ground.
"Soi Fon-san, I'm...I don't remember the circumstances of our relationship...but, you stopped yourself killing me. You couldn't kill me in the end..."
"...Just go, I can't...I can't do anything this time...just leave, but the next time I see you..."
"I know, thanks...Soi Fon-san."
Takumi bowed his head to her, and turned to Nanao.
"Takumi-kun, lets go."
"Yes..." His eyes turned to Soi Fon who just stared at the ground. "Soi Fon-san…I promise, I'll prove to everyone that I didn't do what they believed I did. I'll protect the Soul Society, that's all I want to do."
Soi Fon felt passion in his voice.
The truthfulness behind his words.
His demeanour proved to her that he wasn't lying.
After all these years…
"Then lets go, Nanao-san."
"Yes."
Nanao and Takumi glanced at Soi Fon one last time, before shooting off through the air at a good speed.
Soi Fon was just left there, and she couldn't do anything other than sob loudly.
She was thankful that she was alone.
She...let him go in the end.
She knew that she shouldn't.
It defied all logic within her.
But she just couldn't do it…
She had to let him go.
Meanwhile, Giselle who was with Kenpachi and Yachiru, had been feeling the battle raging on for a good while now, but now that it had stopped, she felt relieved that she could still feel Takumi and that he was alive.
The area they were in was cramped, the walls were high, and the roads were long.
Giselle though didn't need to see where she was going, as she could sense quite a good bit around her. She was in her element with sensing.
"Wow, it seems that everything's died off down there, huh~?"
Yachiru sang out, Kenpachi raised an eyebrow.
"Honestly, I missed Takumi fighting?! Damn it, I wished to get in another fight!"
Giselle gave a playful stare.
"Not until the end of this series of events Kenpachi..."
She paused when she felt the new presence.
She definitely had been feeling it for a while now.
But now that the battle with Takumi and Soi Fon had stopped, she definitely could feel the presence behind them.
Her eyes quickly darted backwards, but nothing was there visually. But Giselle didn't let that deceive her, and she unleashed her bow from her belt buckle, and placed it firmly in her hands.
"Giselle-chan, why are you getting out your cute bow?"
Yachiru asked innocently, Giselle showed a calm and elegant smile.
"Just being prepared for, whatever is going to show up, that's all."
She replied while trying to remain cautious and on the ready.
Yachiru cocked an eyebrow upwards while Giselle kept looking in different directions.
Her senses were being thrown off.
But she definitely knew that she was being followed now.
However, while she was looking around, a few Squad 12 members began moving closer from around the corner in front of them.
"Captain Zaraki! What is the situation here?"
"Yes, we've heard that the Ryoka have been spotted here."
They strolled forward while Giselle held back in the shadows.
She felt something suspicious about this, she knew that this wasn't right.
Kenpachi clicked his tongue.
"I don't have any time for you weaklings."
He said it while giving a dismissive wave of his hand.
But they still attempted to get closer to Kenpachi, with Giselle remaining more and more suspicious.
But then she realized what they were trying to do, so within a second, she fired off strong arrows that stabbed through their robes of a Shinigami, and dragged him through the air at high speeds while they complained…
[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!]
But then they released a very poisonous cloud from their body which seemed to drain their bodies of all of its life. They turned from having healthy skin to being very pale, corpse like, with blood leaking out of their mouths.
They became limb within moments, while Giselle forced Kenpachi and Yachiru away from it, the girl knew all too well now that they were caught up in a dangerous situation, but she didn't hold back, and directed her hand towards the upper left hand corner.
"There, swing!"
Giselle ordered Kenpachi, who didn't seem to have a reason to not do it, and swung down his blade with a good deal of force, which released a highly wild level of energy that shattered the very ground that was below them, along with the large wall that he unleashed his power to…
But then a barrier came up and dealt with someone of Kenpachi's level of power.
"W-What's that?"
Yachiru asked Giselle who ground her teeth.
"It's a barrier that's made from Kido, isn't that right Mayuri?"
Kenpachi's lone eye narrowed considerably.
"Kurotsuchi..."
"You rang, oaf?"
Mayuri's voice could be heard echoing through the area.
Giselle continued to feel disgusted with his appearance around them.
Then he showed himself.
From the wall, his body seemingly detached itself from the wall. It was like a second skin, at least that's what Giselle thought. Kenpachi didn't seem to care about that, and wanted to cut down Mayuri while Giselle was being cautious about it.
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi, it seems that you've finally shown yourself."
"Sense me, did you Quincy girl? My interest in Quincy's died out a while ago after I finished my research. But you've piqued my interest once more, it seems like we could learn a bit more about Quincy's from you girl."
Giselle showed a half smile that could even cause the toughest person to crumble.
"Is that so? You're going to try and learn more about Quincy's?"
"Perhaps, you've gained my interest. Your skills in sensing are magnificent, you even managed to detect the men I sent to take you down. It was going to be quick and painless for you, but you had to ruin it, didn't you?"
He started off calm, but towards the end his voice dipped into the mad scientist territory.
"Sorry about that you mad clown, but I simply couldn't have others die. Though your death-"
"Enough talking! I wanna cut him up!"
Kenpachi growled out, and came at the shield Mayuri had with his Zanpakuto, slashing again and again against it. But the fact that he couldn't get through began to anger him all the more, but Giselle glared hard at Mayuri.
"You killed them, sacrificing them as your own pawns."
"So what? They're under me, they knew what they were getting into. Now all I have to do is find Nemu, that idiot girl."
"Why? So you can kill her?"
Mayuri shook his head.
"She's too precious for me to kill. She's a being that I've spent many years creating. I couldn't get rid of her now. Though she does become useful for a shield for me. As long as it is the body that I've made, she'll always come back!"
"Come back, to being your shield?"
Giselle demanded harshly, Mayuri snorted.
"Why does it sound like you care?"
"Using people...forcing them to become your shield, you're a disgrace of a Shinigami, you know that?"
As she said it, Giselle pulled back her bow string, and formed a powerful arrow. But it also had some markings running across the arrow, it seemed like some kind of vein like pattern.
"What are you doing girl?"
Giselle didn't reply, and shot forward the arrow, which pierced the barrier, and caused it to begin to shatter, surprising Mayuri even more.
"It's a Quincy ability, a trade secret asshole."
Kenpachi smirked as he swatted the barrier with the already large crack within it, causing it to be disabled all together, and then leapt for the man himself.
Mayuri himself would admit that his skills in swordsmanship wasn't the best, so he couldn't take Kenpachi in a fight, that's why he simply took out a bomb looking device, tossing it at Kenpachi, which the man himself slashed apart, but it caused a giant explosion that forced Giselle, and Yachiru onto their backs, Kenpachi was flung down into the ground with light burns spreading on his skin.
Gritting his teeth, Kenpachi gazed up at Mayuri angrily.
"Tricks, you bastard?"
"Naturally, I have to since I don't have overwhelming power like you, you oaf. The intelligent outlast the stupid for a reason. The reason why we have modern technology isn't because of people like you. I'll thrive while you wither away. Surviving only on combat, you're a joke Zaraki, and I'll prove it right now!"
Giselle scowled at Mayuri.
She knew that this was going to be dangerous.
She didn't know if they'd be able to win.
Mayuri seemed to come prepared this time.
Giselle knew she'd have to pull out all the stops if she hoped for them to win this time.
Dashing through the city and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Nemu was carrying Orihime in her arms towards the destination that was agreed upon by Takumi and the others, with emotions running through Orihime, and Nemu simply kept calm, but even she felt something bubbling up inside of her.
Orihime kept turning her eyes to the location that Takumi was, and even from the distance they were, which was miles and miles away, she could still see the mass of electricity that was being used.
Until it eventually stopped, and Orihime became more concerned about what was happening over there.
"Taku-chan, I hope that he's okay..."
"Takumi-sama indeed would have a difficult battle. It seems that the battle has now ended."
"Y-You can tell?"
Orihime seemed surprised, but Nemu inclined her neck.
"Yes, I can currently sense the decrease in both spiritual pressures, while neither have disappeared. The battle could have been resolved. And it seems that since neither have been killed, that they ended the battle by choice."
"That's good...I thought Taku-chan might have...but he's going to be okay. I'm so relieved."
Nemu went to incline her neck…
When she felt the pressure of someone that she was very familiar with.
A pressure a few months ago she would have followed without question.
But now that she had begun changing, it was a pressure that she didn't like to even think about.
"Nemu-san, is something wrong?"
"...I can detect the presence of Mayuri-sama in the west direction. And he's not alone."
Orihime raised an eyebrow.
"West from here...if I'm remembering right, then isn't Giselle-sans group over there…?"
"Correct, Giselle Gewelle, Captain Zaraki, and Lieutenant Yachiru is also in that direction. They might be engaging Mayuri-sama in combat."
"Isn't it good that they're together? I mean...Zaraki-san seemed to be really powerful, and your Captain..."
Orihime didn't know how to speak about Mayuri.
She didn't know how Nemu truly felt about Mayuri now.
She knew that Nemu could recognize what he had done to her was wrong, but if there was any lingering emotions she wasn't sure. He did still create her, and he was in most aspects, her Father, so it was tricky to judge what was currently happening.
"His dangerous aspect is not his power." Nemu began, then clarified to the perplexed Orihime. "Mayuri-sama's most dangerous aspect, like Takumi-sama, is his intellect, and working around his opponents. The only unknown for Mayuri-sama would be Giselle-san and her Zombies. However, Mayuri-sama always has gadgets on him to fight most situations. I am...I believe the word is, worried, about our comrades."
Orihime could understand that.
But she also wondered, because it was Mayuri, Nemu might feel subconsciously that she should go over towards him.
"Nemu-san, do you...want to go over there?"
"To make sure that Mayuri-sama doesn't kill the others, perhaps it would be best if we move over in that direction. Though it would deviate from our current path, Takumi-sama also would head over there if he was with us, and we should also follow that kind of example."
Orihime also thought that was rather true.
If Takumi was there, he'd want to go and help out also.
They were too far from where Takumi was now to head back, and they were closer to where Giselle was.
Orihime also wished to provide some kind of assistance, and she knew that Nemu also wished to do the same thing.
"Then...maybe we should go towards that location..."
"Then we should hurry."
Nemu turned her body towards the location and proceeded to go in that direction.
She hadn't seen Mayuri for a little while now, she had to wonder what his current mindset was, and most of all...what she was going to do when she came face to face with the mad scientist.
End chapter!
So, we learned a bit about Soi Fon and Takumi's relationship. Though at first she didn't think he'd be able to be good enough to defend Yoruichi, but after he had defended her, and showed he wouldn't give up, she began to appreciate him more, and while they were fighting, memories of the past filled her, and while she thought she was prepared, she had been deluding herself, and couldn't finish him off, yet couldn't reveal her feelings, Soi Fon's going through quite a lot.
Then towards the end, Giselle, with Kenpachi and Yachiru, were confronted by Mayuri, who's got them firmly in their sights, and Mayuri being Mayuri, has some plans up his sleeve, but Giselle also has some tricks Mayuri might not see coming, while Orihime and Nemu have turned their attention towards that battle.
Well, until next time, thanks for reading!
Takumi; Orihime, Rukia, Yuzu, Karin, Nemu, Giselle, Liltotto, Momo, Soi Fon, Yoruichi, Hiyori, Nelliel, Tier, Rangiku, Toshiro (fem), Nanao.