While Toshiro's group fended off the werewolf Lyrah and Ichigo's group took on shadows and storms, the army following Senjumaru and Ichibe were met with the nest of demons. Three of the Elites faced them as well, but compared to Erol who had commanded the raids on Soul Society the past two years these ones didn't seem worthy of the title. The army was grateful they saw no Demon Lords, though the Immortals felt they had been cheated of a good fight with which to use their powers to the fullest.
They could see the storm begin to form and felt sharp rises in Spirit Energy in the world around them to signify where the Demon Lords actually were. Senjumaru had faith that her companion Oetsu and the new kid Ichigo could handle the two Lords their way and kept her concern more for the Soul King and the hostility brimming from the third Demon Lord going after him. As the battle progressed and she noticed he took no harm, her concern faded away some.
"You really shouldn't be so distracted." Ichibe warned her as they paused between fighting the demons.
"His Majesty is without his guard, naturally I will be concerned." She snapped in reply. "I understand that Hikifune wanted to aid the healers but she should have gone with him if he truly wanted to split up like this."
"We have watched him train and grow, have faith in his strength." The monk patted her on the shoulder to which she shot him a glare. "You know he hates being mothered so much, leave that to Hikifune and let's support him as best we can here. He has the warriors of his homeland behind him, that's as good as any of us being there."
Senjumaru clearly still seemed skeptical, but she accepted his lecture and focused her attention on the horde, her Kido making short work of them. She would have faith in her king.
As the nest was cleared of its inhabitants, Kenpachi continued wondering about the halls, scowl increasing the more he heard sounds of fighting while getting no closer to actually seeing anyone. The Demon Lords were all preoccupied elsewhere and the demons themselves were protecting their hellish nests. As a man on his own, he was basically overlooked. Not only that but being in a realm he didn't know with such a bad sense of direction wasn't exactly doing wonders for his ability to find a fight.
"I think we took a wrong turn." Yachiru spoke up with a loud pout.
"No kidding?" Kenpachi growled back, not amused by the comment. "This place is even worse than the Soul Society."
"I definitely don't know which way to go in here." The pink-haired Lieutenant sighed, looking up to the castle in the distance. They were trying to get inside to go fight the big bad boss, but it never seemed to get any closer. "This maze sucks!
"It sucks a lot." He agreed.
They wandered and wandered until they heard the storm set off with loud cracks of thunder. An angry howl was heard in the other direction. Kenpachi just kept walking. No point in getting excited by the noises of battle if he was still lost. While he continued on alone, Senjumaru and Ichibe's group managed to clear out the horde of demons and progress only to stumble upon Ichigo's injured group as they were finding a different way through to get away from the storm.
"You guys look alright." Ichigo noted as he glanced at the Immortals and Grim Reapers following behind the two Royal Guards. He checked on his companions as well, Byakuya, Momo and Shinji looking pretty much unscathed.
"We merely cleared a few rat nests, nothing harmful." Senjumaru replied with a huff. "You have taken some losses, however."
"We got the two long-range Demon Lords, Kazara Firemar and Korla Alivain." Rukia reported. "At some point Korla vanished along with Captain Thane, and Kazara retreated after Ichigo, I mean… Lord Kurosaki, dealt her a blow."
"You don't have to call me that, Rukia, we're dating." Ichigo grumbled, still not used to people calling him that title after he became a Royal Guard.
"I disagree but those matters aren't important currently." Senjumaru interrupted, Byakuya behind her stiffly nodding his agreement. "If you were up against those two, that meant the swordswoman must have been fighting the king and those who went with him."
"Shit, Karin better be okay." Ichigo said with worry in his tone.
"Those who trained in the Soul King's realm came out relatively unscathed from what I could tell, but I lost track of them while fighting the demons. I cannot locate that Captain friend of yours either, the current Kenpachi, but after seeing his training I'm sure he's fine."
"Yeah, I can agree with that."
"What should we do now?" Rukia asked the guards.
"Well, since we've managed to regroup we may as well finish the journey to the Dark Master's palace." Senjumaru suggested.
"I second that, those two you faced will likely be there and if you injured one we better hit her while she's weak." Ichibe added in his word. "The less Demon Lords the better. Hopefully King Hitsugaya will be able to join us as well after he defeats the third woman."
"Onward then!" Oetsu motioned dramatically towards the split in the path neither group had taken.
The groups all in agreement, they converged together and once more progressed as best they could towards the blackened castle.
They did not stumble upon Kenpachi or the Soul King's group on their way. Someone else had found the Squad Eleven Captain, however, and his face split into a grin at finally getting his wish. The blood-covered werewolf glared back at him and bared her teeth.
"You'll make a decent meal for now until I find my buffet again." She growled out, stalking closer. "You were a fool for traveling alone."
Her aura as the Alpha began to press down on the Soul Reaper.
She was startled when his grin only grew and he reached up to the eye patch resting on his face.
"You're going to try and eat me, huh?" He sneered. "That better mean this fight will at least be entertaining!"
Lyrah watched a black and pink blur jump off the Reaper's back and land harmlessly atop the wall, nestling her tiny self between the thorns and watching happily, ignored by the Precipice World since she didn't use any Spirit Energy to watch. The child's excited expression made the werewolf hesitate.
The eye patch came off and the sharp increase in Spiritual Pressure captured all of the Demon Lord's attention. This was another Alpha, a man just as eager for blood and battle as she. Her fangs gleamed in the red light in eagerness. This would be more than a meal, this would be a test of power, a true fight to the death. It wasn't often she found a challenger worth dueling… what a glorious day.
"I've got a good feeling about you, fellow warrior, so I'll go ahead and tell you this." Lyrah stood a little straighter and put a hand over the left side of her chest. "I don't pull any tricks or gimmicks; my demon heart stays right where a heart is supposed to be. Once we have our fun, that's the spot to hit!"
"Right back at you, doggie." Kenpachi readied his zanpaktou in hand. "Just a good old duel, you and me! No bullshit like that fox sister of yours, I'm going to fight for my subordinates she ambushed like a coward!"
"Perfect!" The wolf was fine with such a sentiment if it meant she got an amazing fight. She never liked Firiat's fighting style either, preferred an honest, heart to heart fight, even if she did twist her words to cause some confusion. There was no need for words in this fight, though, just sword on claws.
The first clash made the air quiver with tension and power, sparks flashing through the air as the will of two Alphas met and battled for dominance. Lyrah's skin was about as thick as iron now, her blood magic giving her strength worthy of a Kenpachi, her claws able to fend off a zanpaktou with ease. She pushed up against the blade with both hands and reached her jaws forward to snap at him. He pulled his head back and, with a menacing grin, slammed his head into hers not unlike what she had done to Hisagi in her earlier fight. This time she was the one who stumbled back and had to clear her head while Zaraki swung for a cut across the stomach. Lyrah managed to jump back so it only grazed her fur.
Yachiru swung her lugs and cheered happily for Kenpachi as the battle continued. Lyrah managed to claw at his left arm and he returned the wound with a gash across her right side. The blood already drying in her fur was covered in fresh new red and the dark aura of bloodlust began to coat her fur once more as she got into the fight. Her teeth clamped down in his leg when he tried to strike her from above, but he kept going and embedded his zanpaktou into her back, barely missing her spine. She released him with a howl and threw him off. Fortunately, his sword did not get stuck as Karin's had before and the pain in his leg was ignored as they turned to face each other once more. It was still blow for blow between them, neither giving any indication of slowing down despite their injuries. Red stained the blackened earth around them as the battle raged on.
Further into the maze, there was silence rather than the sounds of battle. The storm had since run out of power and was quiet. The five Reapers separated from the army continued along their guided path, the white wolf they had seen before still a ghost passing around a corner just as they made a turn themselves.
"Where exactly are we going?" Karin questioned, though her gaze turned to the dark palace still visible above the labyrinth walls.
"Probably to whoever that wolf belongs to." Toshiro replied. "Let's just hope it's not a Demon Lord we don't know."
"Lady Ruala only ever mentioned the five sisters at the top." Yoruichi stated.
"Considering the measures Dethmaiyn has taken to keep us a step behind thus far I wouldn't be surprised if there was one even she didn't know about. She barely knew about the three trapped in this place as it is."
"What will we do if there is one?" Rangiku questioned her former Captain.
He glanced back at them, looking to Karin's bandaged arm and Rangiku's shaky legs. They would be in no condition to fight evenly with a new Demon Lord, and Isane needed to take care of them meaning she wouldn't enter the fight. If it was just him and Yoruichi, things might get complicated depending on the powers this enemy might have. Worse yet if it was Kamai, he was worried the Dark Master might hurt his comrades to prevent him from going all out.
They turned a corner and noticed the wolf sitting at the end where the hall spread out into another large courtyard like the one Ichigo's group had been trapped in. As they approached, the canine turned and trotted into the open area, stopping at the side of a figure they had never seen before sitting on a small bench with a garden around them. It felt surreal considering where they were, a young woman resting peacefully among a patch of black and red flowers. Her back was turned to them, but they could easily notice the snow white hair reaching down to her waist, two parts up in high pigtails on either side of her head.
Toshiro stiffened as he caught onto her Spirit Energy, an odd familiarity to it. He got a sense of winter from this woman… it almost matched his own, but hers could be felt through the magic in the air. If she was indeed the one who put the rune on the wolf, then she was able to use old magic like the Greenleaf family could.
"I am sorry for making you walk all this way." She spoke up, her voice holding a bite like frost. "I only wanted to meet one of you, though."
"Well you get all of us." Karin replied, stepping up next to Toshiro. The king glanced at her in concern, not wanting her to pick any fights until they knew who this was. He kept his caution up, but his curiosity begged him to know who this young woman was… and why she felt so familiar.
"If possible, I would like to speak to the Soul King personally." The mysterious witch stood and turned to face them. The first thing they noticed was her eyes; pale and lifeless. She was blind. Her skin was pale, appearing as delicate as a doll. She could almost pass as albino, her snow white features contrasting with her outfit, a long-sleeved shirt of black with the shoulders bare, red wrapped over the chest and draped over the arm to attach at the wrists. Her ruffled skirt faded from black to red and stopped below her knees, feet bare of shoes.
Toshiro observed her carefully. Her delicate features, the fierce expression she held despite her eyes remaining blank, it seemed so familiar.
"She looks so much like you." Isane whispered to him.
"Your assumption is correct." The woman replied, startling the healer, forgetting that the blind tended to have exceptional hearing to make up for their dark world. "We share the same parents."
"What!?" The others gaped while Toshiro's mouth simply dropped a bit in surprise. He had a sister? A real one? Why had he never heard about her?
Wait…
"Just who are you?" Rangiku questioned, suspicious. "How do we know you're not just one of Kamai Dethmaiyn's Demon Lords."
"The Master's five Lords have been nothing but good to me, I would be proud to be one of them." The woman bowed her head. "But if it's a name you want… I don't have one."
"What are you talking about?" Karin was rightfully confused. "Didn't he give you one?"
"The Master can only speak truth, but he cannot give a name to a soul that is not his. I was never given a name by my parents before they abandoned me, so I simply do not have one." Her small hands clenched into fists and her voice rose in level. "I was not the son they wanted, so they got rid of me to make way for you, brother, and it was Lord Kamai who took me in and took care of me!"
"If you really are my sister, there's no way our father would do such a thing." Toshiro argued. "He cared for everyone."
"He clearly didn't care for me." She hissed, flourishing her hand above her. The wind became icy cold, a pure white frost spreading over the ground and walls around them. All the Reapers save for Toshiro himself shivered at the sudden cold. It was a warning, a show of what she could do so that they would listen to her.
"Definitely siblings." Yoruichi said with a scowl at the biting winter now surrounding them. She and the others were prepared to fight, but Toshiro didn't flinch, not even reaching back for his sword.
"I heard you were left in the slums as well." The Hitsugaya sister lowered her tone as she continued, the wind quieting down. "You were able to live a quiet life there before our father dragged you back to become king, instead of giving it to the Master like he should have. You don't have to shoulder that selfish man's burden, just give the title to Lord Kamai and everything will be fine." She lowered her head again and placed her hands up over her heart. "I'd like to get to know my brother…"
"If I give him the title now then you won't get that chance, he has vowed to kill me."
She seemed surprised, the icy wind flickering in intensity as the one controlling it had to take a moment to think.
"But… he promised… he said I would finally get to meet you." She sounded truly confused and for a moment Toshiro felt sorry for her. She actually wanted to get to know him… and had no idea that the man who raised her would be ending her brother's life.
"I don't think that meant he would keep your brother alive, princess." Yoruichi pointed out when Toshiro didn't. "He's made it very clear to all of us that the current king will die once he gets the throne."
Frost spiked up from the ground and the wolf snarled at them, hackles raised.
"Liars!" She snapped at them, the earth cracking beneath her. So she had magic abilities over more than just Ice. "Kamai would never lie to me! He can't lie to me!"
"Then he hasn't told you the whole truth!" Toshiro raised his voice to be heard over the winds she had stirred up. "He's twisted it somehow! I thought I had been abandoned once too, I was suspicious of him when they first brought me back to the Soul King's realm. But I was with him in his last days; he would never just abandon family!"
"Then he was simply ashamed to tell you about the family he DID abandon!" Refusing to listen, the king's sister brought up a Rune in the air and cast her magic at them. Shards of ice plummeted towards them.
Now Toshiro did act, unsheathing his blade and swinging it through the air at the wave of icicles. Two icy dragons charged forth and stopped the assault short before passing harmlessly into the air.
"Ice magic, like me. We got it from our mother." The witch noted. "But you use them as Soul Reaper skills like our father did."
"And you use your power as magic like our mother's family does." Toshiro responded.
"The Master trained me since my family wouldn't." Her tone was harsh. "I never wanted to use it against you, especially after I heard you were like me, but I will if I have to!"
The way back was blocked by a new wall. It was indeed this unnamed sister that had led them here and changed the maze to her will with Earth magic. It would not be easy to defeat her.
If she truly was family, Toshiro wasn't sure he wanted to. There was so much left unanswered, so much to know. Clearly Kamai had decided to hide things from her, so what had actually happened? Was she truly abandoned or had she been stolen away and told she wasn't wanted? He had gotten so little time with his father before watching him pass, never even got to know his mother as she gave up her life to hide him from Kamai, he didn't want to be the reason everyone in his family was dead.
His hand gripped his sword tighter. There had to be something he could do to get through to her, but he had to protect Karin and the others first.
I didn't want to work on my essay so I did this instead lol