"NO!" Karin's distraught scream was followed by the sound of cracking earth as Myndrӕl slammed his body into the replaced wall, teeth bared in a fierce snarl as if his fury could remove the seal once more. Again and again he clawed at the rock, but other than make an indent in regular soil he got no closer to his partner. Ice blasted the side of the hill as he used his breath but that didn't help any more than his talons did.
As the dragon let out his anger on the hillside, Karin slumped to the ground in utter defeat, body shaking. She wanted to be angry, to storm inside and lecture him for the next week as she would normally do, to just hit something like the Ice dragon was… but she only felt pain. Everything hurt. Everything felt gray and silent.
A hand settled onto her shoulder but she didn't need to look up to know who it was.
"Ichi… is he coming back?" Her voice cracked as she asked this.
Ichigo glared at the sealed hillside with the fury of a full army. The tears dripping to the ground, the shaking in her shoulders, the defeated tone… this is not who Karin was. The last time she had cried was when she was just a little girl, after their mother passed and Ichigo tried to isolate himself away from them. So, while Ichigo could understand Toshiro's actions… he wasn't about to forgive him for it.
When her brother continued to remain silent, Karin didn't bother to ask again and remained on the ground, trying to pretend the tears didn't exist and flailing for a reason to be angry so she could ignore the pain as well. A scaly head brushed against her other side and she leaned onto her dragon partner until Yuzu approached and brought her twin into a hug.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Ichigo turned defiantly to the other Royal Guards.
"There's nothing we can do, he sealed it from inside." Senjumaru said with shame. "It might be weaker than if we had done it together, but it cannot be touched from out here."
"What if everyone in the Kido Corps helped out?"
"I'm afraid it still won't be that simple, he is the Soul King after all. Depending on how much of his energy he put into it, it could take weeks to break it down from out here without proper access to the place of sealing."
"But we don't have that kind of time!" Ichigo's raised voice was met by a sharp glare from the woman.
"We know that, Ichigo, but we just have to trust he can hold his own for that long." Ichibe spoke up instead before Senjumaru could say anything nasty. "All we know, and I'm sure this is something that Hitsugaya himself is holding onto, is that Dethmaiyn absolutely will not kill him unless he can convince him to relinquish the Soul King's title. Of any of us that could have sacrificed ourselves, he chose himself because he knew he would not die unless he lost his pride. He chose the path of the least possible casualties, likely because he doesn't want to add to the ones we already have."
"He is a stubborn fool." Senjumaru scoffed.
"Which is exactly why he did it." Ichibe countered back at her. "We must have faith his stubbornness continues until we can rescue him."
The Kido master turned away with a click of her tongue, but they noticed the concern in her eyes as she looked back at the sealed hillside. Myndrӕl had ceased tearing it apart, but he would not move from the guard post he had placed himself in even at his mate's request.
"Hear that, little Kurosaki?" Oetsu shifted over to Karin and tried to keep his tone light. "The king has given us his hope, his pride. As long as we recover and strengthen ourselves, we will return it to him in full force."
Karin's head picked up a bit.
"Usually the knight rescues his princess, but this time it looks like the knight is rescuing her king." Ichibe said with a small chuckle.
"And the dragon will not guard her as a prisoner, but aid her as a friend." Dyrilӕn promised.
"You guys can stop with the cheesy lines now." Karin said with a sigh, but her shaking had stopped and her voice sounded stronger. She was relieved; there was something to fight for now.
"Then let's get to work." Ichigo held a hand out and helped his sister stand on her feet once more.
"Right." The tears were gone, replaced with the fiery determination they were all used to. "The Jerk Master is going to pay for this."
The sky rumbled as clouds darkened it, bringing with it a sharp feeling of dread.
"We must act as quickly as we can." Senjumaru spoke up stiffly as she looked to the sky in concern. This wasn't a regular thunderstorm and it wasn't made by someone else with powers over the weather, not when it had such a dark feeling behind it.
Would they have time to save their king?
Coinciding with the darkening skies, Toshiro was slammed hard against one of the walls of the maze as he took a hit from a burst of lightning. There was already a gash on his left arm and a smaller one across his cheek, but he had at least inflicted wounds on the two sisters as well. They weren't too happy about it, shown by their irritated scowls, but they had the advantage over him as of that moment. Both were long range and kept distance from each other, which meant that no matter which one Toshiro went after, the other could strike at his exposed back. Using his own long-range abilities only bought him a few seconds and they were already getting used to his tricks. Korla's shadow beasts also kept back any of his own dragon projectiles, making it harder to use them as a way of fighting.
Still, he was confident that he had made the right choice. If he was having difficulty even after being able to unleash his power to the fullest, his men would have been crushed. He couldn't let any more of them die if he had the option, even if that meant he never saw any of them again.
"Bankai!" The ice became more intense as he unleashed everything he had, the storm clouding the area becoming thick with cold. Kazara acted as if she took no notice, still able to use the tumultuous storm to her advantage as the friction created static. Korla was the one that had to be careful, sticking to the shadows to avoid the frost and lightning.
His body now coated in frozen armor with wings to guide him through the air, Toshiro began to push back into the offensive. Kazara met him head on with electric traps and bullets, the two storms clashing violently. He saw no indication of either Demon Lord switching into their true forms. Were they really that strong? Were they really able to fight against him in Bankai without unleashing their full power?
He noticed Korla darting across the tops of the walls, choosing a lower vantage point to shoot from while the other two were in the sky to get away from the twisting thorns. He activated Frozen Prairie to cover any solid ground in vicious spikes of ice. Frowning, Korla switched how she moved around on them only to find that the ice sucked in all heat, which meant if she came in contact with it she began to freeze. Wings of shadow sprouted from her back and she was forced to go airborne with the others, a scowl on her face.
Now that he didn't have to worry about getting shot at from below, Toshiro intensified his attacks on Kazara. Her guns were solid enough to block his sword but prevented her from taking a shot. Any time she went to shoot with her second gun Toshiro would pull back for a different strike, going for speed so that she didn't have time to aim. Her frustration began to manifest in sparks across her skin even if her expression didn't change much. These sparks began to gather mainly in her arms, the extra static making his hair stand on end.
He utilized his ice tail to attack her from behind and try to break through her defenses. The once dull brown eyes flashed into a dark ruby as electricity erupted from her body like an EMP wave. This prevented the tail attack and also briefly stunned the fighter attached to it, causing him to reel back to avoid being attacked while he tried to get the ringing out of his ears. That was a brief flash of Kazara's true power… at the least he knew he was starting to pressure them now. He just needed to go at it even harder.
Metal clanged loudly as he lifted his blade to block a surprise melee attack from Kazara. Why would she use her guns to try and beat him upside the head? He figured she would have taken her shot.
"Electric Leech Torture." The hiss made him shudder before an itching sensation began to crawl over his hands and up his arms. As it covered more area, the itching increased to a sharp pain, as if thousands of needles were stabbing at every possible surface. She wasn't trying to clobber him with her gun, she wanted to get close enough to pass her electricity through the metal of their weapons and screw up his nervous system. It really did begin to feel like thousands of leeches had invaded his body and constantly let off electricity. Sparks danced across his skin as he pushed her away and tried to ignore the itching, screaming pain in his arms that was quickly reaching his torso.
Darkness rose up in his peripheral and reminded him that he was not fighting one-on-one here. His movements had become delayed now that his nerves were going haywire from too many pain signals, so the phantoms Korla summoned managed to easily knock him back down to the ground below. The ice covering the rock shattered rather than speared him, so other than the impact itself he was unharmed.
"I thought I would be facing a dragon, not a child." Kazara spoke up in disappointment as she hovered above him, her eyes still holding a faint dark red glow.
"In case you're wondering, Kazara is a dragon that became a demon." Korla let out a snicker at Toshiro's stunned expression. A dragon that willingly became a monster? Did that mean all of the Demon Lords were once other creatures and gained a human form once given demon powers?
"I'm glad I serve the Dark Master and not this hatchling of a Dragon King." Kazara spat with disdain.
"I may still be young for the dragons, but I can still take you on." Toshiro stood a bit shakily, his limbs still numb from the constant needle-like sensations still coursing through his body.
Kazara scoffed, unimpressed, and lifted her hand up to the storm above her. Lightning willingly came to her hands, shaping into a deadly spear she then threw down at him. Korla sent a volley of dark arrows from her and her phantoms just behind the attack to cover a large area. It would not be easy to escape with his body so unresponsive. His icy wings folded around him into a shield, giving off a sharp crack as the spear of lightning smashed into it.
'I didn't want to use this yet, not until I was up against Dethmaiyn…' Toshiro scowled to himself, flinching when the arrows began striking at his defense. 'I may not even have time to set it off.'
'I will grant you the time you need.' A soft voice purred within his thoughts.
'Sofia?' His surprise was jostled slightly as another lightning bolt crashed against his shield. 'No… it's Seraphina now, isn't it?'
'If you wish to share the name your partner gave me, then yes.'
'It fits. Do what you can.'
A gentle feeling washed through his body, removing the electrical impulses setting off his nerves before a light gathered in his palm.
Kazara and Korla backed off in surprise at the flow of light, recognizing it.
"He can use that stupid creature, too?" Korla scowled as the familiar rose up into the air. Where Karin's version had been cloaked in fire with gold swirled over the pristine white feathers, ice made up this version's flight feathers and tail, flowing like water, and the swirls were a shimmering silver.
"You deal with it, I'm almost through his shield." Kazara ordered, bringing more lightning to her hand. Just a little more and they could capture the stubborn king.
"Hmph, I guess if we're letting pets play." Korla grumbled, shadows swirling around her and bringing forth her shadow familiar. It had a faintly equine shape, but rather than hooves it had long-fingered talons that made its steps silent, and its mouth went much further back on its head to show off a terrifying row of canine teeth, it's blood red eyes staring down the familiar of light. Its mane flowed like shadow and spikes covered its back like a demonic porcupine, a single large horn protruding from its forehead.
The monster let out a gurgling roar before charging at Seraphina, teeth bared to rip out her feathers. Ice crystals swirled through the air around the phoenix, adding to the frost already forming on every surface. The snow solidified into sharp spikes as the shadow creature approached without fear, simply snarling as the icicles grazed its black skin. The gashes did not bleed and the monster simply continued its charge until it launched forward horn first at Seraphina's chest. Letting out an angry cry, she flew up to avoid the strike, her talons slashing for the creature's back only to clash with the spines and bounce off harmlessly. Korla took a few shots at the familiar, earning a cry of pain as they embedded into Seraphina's legs.
Meanwhile, Kazara continued to drain the static from the air to continue her barrage of lightning on the icy wings below. They were cracking away, bit by bit, and soon she would have access to the king. She did wonder why he didn't just replenish the ice… perhaps he was saving his energy for something. Her eyes narrowed and she held back her next strike. She might be able to keep the barrage going until he snapped, but she needed to be aware of what the one called the Child Prodigy was planning. Under his command, his army had nearly wiped out all of the demons and killed three of her elite sisters and even took away the mage, giving her a name and winning over her curiosity. She could not risk underestimating him.
Her hesitation gave Toshiro just the opening he needed. The ice around him shifted into a liquid state, writhing and twisting upwards. Kazara tensed and darted back in case it had an area of effect, watching with a wary gaze.
"Wrath of the Hydra!"
"Hydra?" Kazara muttered under her breath in surprise. It would seem his dragon spirit had evolved somewhat.
Freezing water shot up in a spiral, forming into the head of a dragon, a snarling Hyorinmaru. Two more followed, then more, filling up the space as seven heads twisted through the air and snapped at anything that moved. One released a breath of icy water at Kazara, leaving a trail of thick ice in its wake as she darted out of the way with lightning at her feet. Another head launched at her, jaws snapping sharply through the air as it barely missed crushing her in its jaws.
With a scowl on her face the gunner made a lunge for Toshiro himself. He had not moved from his spot, seemingly stuck to it as the ice kept his feet in place, Spirit Energy flowing into it that kept the multiple heads moving. His sword was embedded into the ground and he seemed to be leaning on it for support.
Seeing Kazara approach, Toshiro scowled and twisted his blade in the ground. A new head rose from the ground near him and blocked her approach, knocking her backwards down the corridor. She landed nimbly on her feet and glared back at him with dark red eyes.
That gaze moved upwards as she noticed the movement of two of the heads become jittery and slow. Korla landed a few shots on one and it shattered surprisingly easy. One gone, the other head that had been acting lethargic spun around and reached its jaws out for the archer, causing her to fly away with a yelp of surprise, her steed charging forward and clashing with the dragon head on. This one did not break as easily, but cracks traced down its neck.
Toshiro saw Kazara's gaze light up with realization and he grimaced.
'She knows I can't summon too many, and it's obvious I can't move while they're here.' He looked up to Seraphina as she gave an irritated cry when a dragon snapped at her. 'I can't control them well yet either…'
With seven heads fending off the Demon Lords, Seraphina decided to escape the battle and vanished into light, returning to Toshiro to rest for now and giving him some extra energy as he rapidly depleted what he had to keep the hydra moving. Two heads trapped Korla's shadow monster and got their jaws around a leg each. It screamed in fury, a horrible sound like nails on glass, and stabbed its horn through one of the dragon's eye. It reeled back with a snarl and let off a breath of ice, the other keeping the beast in place.
The creature shifted into shadow and retreated, returning to Korla's side at her silent command and melding into the shadows making up her wings, her eyes glowing in fury at having her pet injured.
This frozen hydra was much too dangerous to fight as they were. Even if the Soul King could only have so many moving at the same time, he could replenish any that were destroyed, which was the true strength of this ability. It gave him numbers and flexibility, even if he himself was trapped in place.
Kazara's skin began to harden into golden scales and her pupils became slits as her power suddenly spiked. She was ready and willing to shift into her true form to fight the hydra. Sensing this, Korla was about to follow suit, skin beginning to turn black on her limbs and slowly covering the rest of her.
"No need for that just yet, my dears." A calm voice cut through the air in a powerful tone. Both Demon Lords stopped their change, their eyes still glowing but their power dropping back down. "Best not to let him provoke you, it would be a shame if you accidently killed him."
Toshiro's eyes narrowed as he spotted Kamai walking calmly down the labyrinth hall straight towards him.
"Master, it's best not to approach." Korla warned as he stepped right past her and Kazara into the range of the hydra.
One of the heads lunged forward immediately at the new prey, jaws open wide. Kamai ignored it completely, his gaze focused on Toshiro as he continued approaching. The area around them seemed to grow darker…
Toshiro felt his heart rate quicken but didn't understand why. His hands gripping his blade began to shake. The dragon lunging for the dark Master suddenly crumbled away.
'I'm… afraid? Of what!?' He met Kamai's gaze with a wary glare. "What are you doing to me?"
"Oh you should know the feeling quite well." The man responded, amber eyes becoming aglow with power. Shadows writhed around them and even Toshiro felt a heavy weight on his shoulders, the Demon Lords shifting themselves into a kneel as their Master unleashed his true strength.
"You don't have Theda's Fear anymore." Toshiro scowled. Two more of his dragons lunged for Kamai, but a shudder raced down his spine and they soon crumbled as well. The air seemed to be shifting, something close to darkness yet hard to see latching onto each hydra head. As they were engulfed in the odd presence, Toshiro's heart beat faster and he found it harder to stand, this unbidden fear causing his ability to fall apart the closer Kamai got.
"No, but I've studied it enough." A sneer crossed the Dark Master's face as he watched the stubborn king fall victim to his power. "My darkness was already good at sneaking into one's mind and painting their worst fears to make them submit. Focusing on that aspect of fear let me get closer to the Fear that Death herself so easily instills in her victims just by existing. I may not be able to make this Fear as naturally as she did, but it's quite useful for subduing an opponent without a fight."
Toshiro's eyes widened as the sound of shattering ice echoed around him, his sword reverting to a sealed state as his ice crumbled away and he fell to his knees.
"What's this, the great Soul King kneeling before me?" Kamai chuckled darkly, the heavy presence twisting through the air and constricting around Toshiro's body. "You should have saved your energy, Hitsugaya. If you had, maybe my power wouldn't have gotten into your head so easily. But your bad decisions are my rewards; we have a lot to talk about…"
Amber eyes narrowed and the constricting darkness slithered up to Toshiro's neck, cutting off his air. It wasn't much longer before he fell to the ground unconscious. Kamai put his hands together in front of him is if in prayer and bowed slightly before stepping forward to pick up the knocked out king. They might be enemies in the battle for the throne, but the Dark Master still had respect for the young man getting as far as he did. He wasn't bluffing when he said Toshiro might have been able to resist the darkness if he had been at full strength, not that he could bluff, and that strength is exactly why he had set up so many obstacles to wear the king down, knowing the boy would be too stubborn to stand down.
They were almost equals in power, there was no doubt about it, which is why Kamai could not allow them to fight on equal ground. And he definitely couldn't let Toshiro fully awaken his power. The hydra was a sign… the Heavenly Guardian would soon rise up.
He had to die before that could happen.