First he saw his familiar struck by his own power and disintegrated, then he heard the last of the Demon Lord's heart shatter, signaling that the last of his loyal subjects had been cornered and defeated. The Soul Reapers had proved far stronger than he could have thought, and their dragon companions only doubled their strength or more. As Korla's wraiths were quickly wiped out, Kamai had to accept that he was the last one left. All his work, all his timing, all of it undone just because the current Soul King didn't act like a proper king. If it had just been the Royal Guards, he would already have the brat in his hands…
This frustration began to show itself in wisps of darkness rising off his body, the sensation of uncontrolled flight instincts rising in those closest to him, the Reapers noticing a shudder in their hands and a cold shock running up their spine.
The Dark Master's opponent had little noticeable reaction to the rise in Spiritual Pressure, the heartless Hollow still eager to pick a fight. He had taken several brutal hits during their fight, but the fast regeneration of a Hollow outmatched any damage Kamai could do, though Karin could barely stand to watch despite knowing he would heal. If she had still been fighting, Kamai would have killed her several times over, and only Ichigo's Hollow self was keeping him alive.
That thought was not helped by the overwhelming control on her instincts Kamai's power was having, and it took all of her stubbornness to raise her claws again and try to help her brother with fire. Kamai didn't seem to like that very much, strafing past Hichigo to attack her. She defended the first blow only to feel pain split up her arms as his blade twisted within her claws and pierced her anyway. He backed off quickly as Hichigo's blade went for his head, the two of them returning to their duel. The Hollow was in a rage, but Kamai still seemed fairly calm other than the darkness permeating the air around him and the otherworldly glow in his eyes.
Refusing to let this be how she went down, Karin tried another attempt at a tornado of fire. She was able to get one to work but her arms protested the movement violently and her zanpaktou expressed concern with her condition. Kamai used his darkness to cancel out the attack and didn't miss a beat in his fight with the Hollow, only making her feel even more useless. She just couldn't escape the effect of his power and it was exhausting her will to fight. She could see some of her comrades looking the same, watching the Dark Master fight but unable to come help.
She found Senjumaru by her side, the Royal Guard helping her to her feet.
"We should get you to Captain Unohana straight away." She stated firmly.
"I can't just… leave my brother here." Karin argued weakly, doubting she would be of any actual help.
"As of right now he's the only one who can ignore that monster's powers, and we can't lose you Lady Karin."
"I can't lose my brother…"
"We'll make sure you don't."
Karin turned to see Renji, Zaraki, Yamamoto and Yoruichi approach, some apprehension on their faces but determined nonetheless. Their dragons hung back, their instincts harder to resist as they stuck near Aberon, wanting to help but unable to get any closer. For so long they lived only to survive, and overcoming that was not easy, even for their partners. Her dragon was with them as well, whining in her direction as she worried for her partner's injuries but afraid to get too close. Karin could sense her dragon's shame but didn't have the heart to blame her since she also couldn't do anything more than throw fire.
"He's really strong, isn't he?" Karin lowered her gaze to the ground. Yoruichi put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Several centuries training his powers will do that." Senjumaru said grimly. "He's long since been preparing to take on the strength of a Soul King, we knew this would be a slim chance."
"We can at least try to make that a little less slim." Yamamoto lifted his blade and flames followed. Compared to the flaming tornados Karin had been using, the blaze from this older spirit was far more intense. She had a lot to learn before she could reach his level.
"Come on Karin, they've got Ichigo's back, he'd never forgive me if I let you get hurt." Renji stepped over to Karin's other side and silently offered to help take her to the healers.
"… Fine." She sent a decisive glare at the trio of Captains – one a former Captain – and directed her next words at them. "Take that bastard down."
"As you wish, princess." Yoruichi replied with a smirk. Zaraki just laughed while Yamamoto ignored them both and stepped forward with every bit of power he held as a leader, the other two close behind. Senjumaru let Renji help Karin and instead joined the others.
Kamai saw the four new fighters approach and narrowed his eyes at them. They still had a surprising amount of energy left and were holding their own against his power.
"Fortress Blaze." At Yamamoto's command, a wall of fire encircled the Soul Reapers and the Dark Master, bringing with it an intense heat and rising high into the sky to eliminate any chance at escape. Kamai's power had no effect, as fire had nothing to fear.
Since Hichigo had backed off for a moment with the new arrivals, Kamai took a moment to appraise his new opponents. A man who could slay one of the most powerful dragons by himself, the General of an entire society of powerful dead warriors, a woman fast enough to catch a shadow and destroy it, and a faithful guardian whose sewing skill was an illusory masterpiece. Their addition to the power of a Vasto Lorde Hollow was indeed worthy of considering them a threat.
"When I heard that the boy who was heir to the throne was nothing more than an introverted Captain of a Soul Society with no knowledge of his ancestry and power, I assumed my rise to power would be an easy one." Kamai goaded them with his blade as he spoke. "I even let him live, enjoyed his suffering as he got to know his family only to see them destroyed before his eyes. I let him crawl his way up with the hopes of dragging him back down, and when I had him in my prison I honestly thought that was the end of it. Such a broken little boy, easy to scare, easy to manipulate.
"And yet, here we are. He resisted my powers long enough to be rescued by people I thought of as no more than irritating dogs pining for their owner. He turned Miyuki against me, forced this war to drag out, and has lost me my precious Demon Lords I raised with pride and care. I at least give him my respects for putting up such a resistance and having the forethought to train you people to fight me."
"That's the thing about people like Toshiro, isn't it?" Yoruichi smirked. "Once you get past his walls you just see the frail child underneath, but you ignore the shining heart he's hiding behind him. He doesn't show it to just anyone, you know, and it always rises up when he needs it most, calls out to the ones who have seen it."
"I suppose I did ignore it, and I have paid for underestimating him." Kamai admitted. "If this is to be my last stand, I will at least make sure to take all of you seriously."
Confined within a circle of fire, the five soldiers stood ready to battle their own instincts as well as the hidden monster standing before them. If they lost, there were not many left to replace them, and the Soul King was still trapped in his subconscious, vulnerable and alone.
The shadows still seeping off of Kamai from his Spirit Energy began to twist around him as his shape began to change, almost as if it was molding him. Like a proper demon, twisted horns rose from his skull, his skin turning a darker shade, his face took on a skeletal appearance, and spines pierced through his clothing down his back and on his shoulders. Somehow he still kept a regal look while revealing the demonic power he had taken into himself and changed him from a soul to a monster.
Despite the change, the warriors still felt like something was being held back. He had said he would take them seriously, and with his curse they knew he couldn't be bluffing about it, yet his form seemed incomplete.
"So stifling." Kamai's voice had an echoing hiss as his amber gaze looked to the fire in distaste. "I do not wish to be burned, so I may not reveal my full form, but rest assured I will still be fighting you at my best."
That they could believe, somewhat thankful now for the ring of fire. Zaraki personally didn't care if Kamai stayed the same size or became as big as Kazara's dragon form, charging forward first and clashing eagerly with the black blade. Much like Hichigo, Zaraki didn't have a concept of "backing down" when a stronger monster showed up, so even if his body protested the man took no notice and thirsted for a fight.
That first clang of metal marked their final fight, those hidden within Hachi's barriers watching with apprehension, praying to any deity that might exist for their side to win and finally be rid of this enemy. Karin sat with them as her sister and Shimmer patched up her arms, the both of them worried for their brother. They couldn't see through the flames, could only hear the sounds of shouts and biting metal, and it made them anxious.
The dragons kept vigil outside the barrier, a few taking a chance to learn about their new partners while others kept their gaze fixated on the fire. One was inside the barrier, the emerald colored beauty who was partners with the older Greenleaf twin. His head rested mournfully next to Ralӕn's body. She had not survived the archer's poison. Her mother and sister did not leave her side, in tears and broken, deeply regretting that they had not done more to help her. She was not the only one. The Visoreds sat silently next to one of their own, Lisa still and bloody. Hiyori took out her fury on Shinji, but her anger could not hide her tears. Shinji himself just stood there and let her hit him. Not too far away, Momo cried into Rangiku's shoulder as they sat with Shuhei, Renji and Rose next to Kira. There were still a few others in critical condition that Unohana was working tirelessly to save.
It felt so hopeless, not helped by the fear digging into their hearts from an outside influence. Most of them no longer wanted to fight, just wanted it to be over. Karin turned her gaze up towards the palace above them once more. The day was slowly crawling to an end and still nothing from Toshiro. Was Kamai right? Would they have to wait weeks for him to wake? They were already exhausted just with this one day, and there was no way Kamai was going to just run away again. There was nothing left for him but to smother them and take control of the Soul King, he wasn't going to give Toshiro a chance to wake back up. Either they beat Kamai here this night, or they lost and the world was over.
The weight of such a responsibility began to overwhelm her the more she thought about it. This was really it. The was a fight for the fate of the world. For so long she had been telling herself this was just to protect the man she loved, but it was so much more than that. If they failed, EVERYONE would be gone. Everyone was here to ensure that the world they knew kept spinning and wasn't replaced with a blank slate. And they were up against a being so much stronger than them. In any other fight, having people like Yamamoto, Ichigo or Zaraki join the fight would have meant sure victory. Each of them could take on gods without blinking.
But all three of them were now fighting at full strength against one opponent and still hadn't won. Even backed by the quick skills of Yoruichi and Senjumaru, the sounds of fighting could still be heard. The air was becoming stiflingly hot the more serious Yamamoto got, and the air was heavy with Spiritual Pressure from Hichigo and Zaraki, yet they hadn't won yet.
Karin didn't realize she was shaking until Yuzu grasped her hands to still them.
"It's going to be okay." The blonde twin assured her sister, but there was a fear in the girl's eyes that betrayed that she was lying. She was a doctor through and through, smiling away despite the apprehension in her gaze, trying to make others feel better while hiding a panic attack behind closed doors.
Karin quickly pulled Yuzu into a hug and they held onto each other tightly for a few moments, truly scared of what was to come. A few of the others watched them with pity, knowing these two had not been ready for a war. They might have been the same age as their brother when he went flying into Hueco Mundo to save his friends, fighting a man far beyond him in power, but they were not the same as him. Karin had turned out powerful, but she didn't have her brother's hardiness. She was more human, her and her sister both. The dragon Shimmer curled around the two of them and purred in comfort, the twins welcoming her affection but still shaking.
The fire twisted dangerously as the fight continued to escalate, angry shouts and Hollow snarls barely heard over the roar of the inferno. Why wasn't it over yet?
Darkness was curling through the air, always spreading, always consuming, and the more it covered the harder it was to ignore the goosebumps on their skin and the urge to mount their dragons and flee the realm. Even as he was focused on fighting the Soul Reapers, Kamai was making sure no one else would stand to take their place, stripping them of their will to live the longer they waited. Hachi watched the skies grow darker as it slowly approached his barrier, unsure if he could hold it all off once the brunt of that hostile Spirit Energy reached them like a miasma from Hell.
All of a sudden there was light, a flash of bright blue that raced through the clouds obscuring the sun, bringing with it a chill in the air. This unexpected cold seemed to latch on to the darkness and dissolved it away and then washed over the Soul Reapers like a soothing breeze, the goosebumps no longer from fear but cold and excitement, their doubts and fears scattered into its wind. Within the ring of fire, Kamai turned a furious glare towards the palace as he found it harder to move, his opponents unable to help the grins on their faces at his displeasure.
"Toshiro!" Karin's heart beat soared with joy as she looked towards the brightening sky.