SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 5 out, this is Chapter 6 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Pairings: Ishida/Hasu, minor pairing Hitsugaya/Karin
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.
Chapter 6: Ichigo, Byakuya, Kariya, The Battle of the Three Extremes!
"Wind Licht Schneide!" in the air, Kariya released his attack at his two opponents.
"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo countered with his energy blade, Byakuya releasing his Shikai to deflect off the wind-powered blade.
"Ichigo..." Ririn gawked at the mass destruction the explosion caused.
"Kariya!" in the crater, Ichigo made the move first, using Shunpo to take Kariya's back. "Too slow!" he swung his Zanpakutō, only to have Kariya use his wind-covered arm to block out the attack.
With Kariya focused on Ichigo, Byakuya sent Senbonzakura to the two, Ichigo backing off to avoid getting hit.
"Byakuya, enough already!" Ichigo snapped. "Are you trying to get me, too?"
"I told you that you were in the way." Byakuya reminded.
Taking notice that Kariya had broken out of Byakuya's attack, Ichigo jumped into the air to dodge the backlash, only to be met by Kariya from the back.
Slamming a punch to Ichigo's stomach, Kariya then sent Ichigo to the ground with a blast of wind. "Although my speed isn't as great as yours, I have many years of fighting experience." the Bount leader explained. "I can tell. I know which way you're going to move. It's obvious."
"Although you have a wind barrier, it doesn't seem to be impenetrable." Byakuya noted, having made a cut on Kariya's shoulder. "No matter how great the defense, a stronger offense will break through eventually."
"You're better than I thought you were." Kariya grinned. "But even so, you cannot beat me. I've already told you." using the surrounding Reishi, he healed himself. "Here in Soul Society, where it's overflowing with high level Reishi, we Bount are invincible."
"Then, show me this invincibility of yours." Byakuya challenged and let loose a flood of Sakura petals at Kariya.
Aside, Ichigo watched as Sakura petals battled with wind.
"Hadō #63. Raikōhō!" the standstill was disrupted by a blast of yellow lightning from the sky.
"What the...?" Ichigo gaped, the three combatants were pulled apart by the intervention. "You're..." he recognized the familiar-looking face that had emerged from the smoke beside Hasu, the crackling lightning from her arm indicated it had been the younger girl who cast the Hadō spell.
"Why?" even Ririn was shocked. "That face... is that Yoshino-obaa-san?"
"Impossible." Kariya muttered.
"I finally found you." Ran'Tao noted.
"Who the hell are you?" Kariya demanded.
"My name is Ran'Tao." Ran'Tao replied.
"Did you say Ran'Tao?" Kariya breathed.
"Yeah." Ran'Tao confirmed.
"Ran'Tao." Ichigo repeated. "She was exiled from Seireitei. She's the one who created the Bount."
"No way!" Kariya was shocked. "You're still alive?"
"Please wait a moment." Ichigo voiced. "Are you really her? On top of that, your face is..."
"Shinigami these days certainly have a different aura about them." Ran'Tao remarked. "You're undignified. I just know about the Bount. But that isn't good enough proof. Aside from the Shinigami in Seireitei, I am the only one who knows about the Bount's existence. That's because I destroyed every piece of information about them. You're a Bount, aren't you?" she looked at Kariya. "You can tell that I am the real Ran'Tao. That's what you feel, isn't it? I had a feeling that you would come someday. I've waited for what seemed like an eternity."
"Certainly, it took a long time for us to make it here." Kariya admitted. "We have long endured the tortures of the passage of time. And you're the one who forced all of that on us?""
"It seems that you're a much more emotional man than you appear." Ran'Tao remarked. "And you aren't as patient as you claim. Are you going to kill me?"
"Please wait." Ichigo voiced and jumped in-between Ran'Tao and Kariya. "I have a bunch of things I want to ask you if you're the real Ran'Tao. It''s going to be a real pain if you go and get yourself killed."
"Who said that anyone was going to kill her?" Kariya retorted. "She must watch us fulfill our goals. She must see the end result of what she herself started. I will kill her after I annihilate Seireitei."
"Byakuya!" Ichigo turned when Kariya was cut off by a wave of Sakura petals.
"I've said it before." Byakuya retaliated. "Anyone who disturbs Soul Society will be cut down." he let loose a wave of Sakura petals at the flying Kariya who instantly raised his wind shield to block off the attack.
"Like I'd let you escape." Ichigo took the opening and attack Kariya from the back.
Kariya defended himself with his wind-coated arm, Ichigo finally forcing his way through and landed a strike on the Bount leader.
"That wind barrier thing of yours," the Shinigami Daiko noted. "It looks like I can overpower it, too."
The standstill was once again interrupted, this time by Dalk's pelting metal balls.
"Kariya, let's withdraw for now." Koga came to his leader's aid. "Dalk, give us some backup support."
"My, there's a lot of hotties." the metallic spider-like Doll teased. "But I'm sorry. I can't play with you today."
Using Dalk's bombardment of metal balls, the Bount retreated.
"Ririn, can you tell where they are?" Ichigo asked the Mod Soul perched on his shoulder.
"I can't." Ririn replied. "My sensors couldn't really figure much out with all that banging and crashing."
"Captain Kuchiki." Hasu addressed the 6th Squad Captain. "Please return to Soul Society for now; leave this to me."
"Understood." Byakuya sheathed his blade and retreated.
"So, are you an enemy or ally?" Ichigo turned to Ran'Tao.
"Ichigo, someone's coming." Ririn warned, picking up another presence.
"Ishida." Ichigo blinked at the newly-arrived Quincy.
"Yoshino..." Ishida gaped when he saw Ran'Tao.
"No, this is the Ran'Tao that Yoruichi told us about." Ichigo corrected.
"That outfit..." Ran'Tao frowned. "You're a Quincy? A Shinigami together with a Quincy? That's a pretty interesting combination. If you consider the Bount your enemies, then I am not your enemy; otherwise I would not answered Tula-sama's call."
"Then, will you tell us about the Bount?" Ichigo requested.
"Before that, take care of injuries." Ran'Tao reminded. "My house is nearby. We will talk there."
Later, in Ran'Tao's hideout...
Hasu sweatdropped when Ran'Tao deployed what looked like a pair of defibrillator pads to heal Ichigo.
"So, where should I start?" Ran'Tao asked, keeping her first aid kit. "How much do you guys know about the Bount?"
"You used human souls in order to conduct research regarding eternal life, right?" Ichigo started. "I heard about that from the Bount leader, Kariya."
"Our research experiments were supposed to have an overall high success rate." Ran'Tao explained.
"But, an accident happened during the experiment." Ichigo stated. "The souls that were in the process of being reborn were affected, giving rise to the Bount."
"Right." Ran'Tao confirmed. "And then the Bount, who had nowhere to live in the real world, decided to live in Soul Society. But Soul Society would not allow that. Accepting the Bounts would mean they acknowledge them. There was no way that they would acknowledge something what was created in an experimental miscalculation. The Bount, who were desperately trying to be accepted into society, then tried to force their way into Soul Society. And that's when the Quincy became involved in the fight. Soul Society took advantage of that opportunity and tried to eliminate the Bount. Kariya and his group are those who narrowly escaped the Bount genocide, or those that were living elsewhere and so escaped the battle."
"What on earth have you been doing if you've had enough time to gather up all that information?" Ishida inquired. "Since you made the Bount, you should be able to go to the living world and do something to help them. So that's how much you care about the Bount; even though they were an unplanned byproduct of your experiment, didn't you feel the slightest bit of concern for the Bount?"
"It can't be helped." Hasu cut in. "If what we had garnered from the Kuchiki Clan archives are right, then Ran'Tao had her abilities sealed off. I am right, aren't I?" she looked at the older woman.
"She's right." Ran'Tao affirmed, turning her back to her visitors and pulled down her Shihakushō to reveal the seal on her back. "When I was exiled from Seireitei, my powers as a Shinigami were sealed away. Naturally, I could neither go to the real world nor escape this place."
"But, why were you the only one exiled from Seireitei?" Ichigo was confused.
"Those from Seireitei who exiled me knew the Bount were incapable of manipulating Reishi and felt as ease." Ran'Tao explained after redressing.
"They thought they could take care of everything down in the real world?" Ririn guessed, on Hasu's lap.
"I thought that the Bount would use any means necessary to find a way to get here." Ran'Tao stated. "So, they came up with ideas on how they could accept the Bount's existence without damaging their image. This is the result of that decision. Quincy." she turned to Ishida. "I have given your kind a great deal of trouble. Kariya used your powers to come here, didn't he? But why?" she wondered. "The Bount used your powers. Since you helped the Bounts out, does that mean that you're their comrade? One look at you and I can see the hatred you have for the Bount. So... what's the meaning of this?"
"Well, a lot of things happened." Ichigo tried to explain.
"You're called Ishida, right?" Ran'Tao asked. "Do you understand what type of tool that is? That battle accessory is very dangerous. If you use it haphazardly..."
"I understand." Ishida admitted. "But I must use this power if I am going to defeat Kariya, regardless of what may happen afterwards."
"I see." Ran'Tao noted Ishida's resolve. "But be careful. Do this not only for yourself, but also so that you don't cause trouble for those around you. It's okay." she assured, Hasu was already moving to catch her before she collapsed on the ground. "Didn't you think it's strange when you saw me? I'm a lot older than most Shinigami after all. In other words, I have several tricks up my sleeve. I came up with them while waiting for the Bount to come. Sorry, but I need to rest for half a day." she got to her feet with Hasu supporting her.
"Half a day?" Ririn echoed in shock when Hasu helped Ran'Tao to her bed where she immediately fell asleep.
Omake: Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide
Komamura and Hisagi stand in front of the grave of Tōsen's unnamed Shinigami friend.
Komamura: A souvenir?
Hisagi: Yeah. I heard Captain Komamura was upset that he had no go combs. I picked this one up in the real world the other day. (Hands Komamura a dog brush)
Komamura: This comb is rather different from our normal ones. (Tests out the dog brush on the fur on his head) This is pretty good.
Hisagi: (Thinking) I'm glad that you like it. Inoue Orihime knows some good shops.(Memory reveals that he had bought the brush from a pet shop)
In the next chapter, when Ishida notes that Ran'Tao is identical to Yoshino, Ran'Tao reveals that Yoshino's soul was a copy of hers, and that the Bounts were the byproducts of an experiment in which the research team she led tried to create immortal souls. In a forest in the Rukongai, Hitsugaya confronts Ichinose, and begins to fight him as Renji, Matsumoto report back with Ichigo, Ishida, Hasu, Inoue and Sado arriving shortly after. Now that's done, read and review.