I do not own Bleach or any of the characters.
Betrayal
"Your powers are not an anomaly," Halibel began. "You believe you died young and were sent to the Soul Society with your sister, correct?"
"I was," Kurai stated.
"Don't you think it's strange that you have no memories of your life before the Soul Society?"
"What are you saying?" Kurai asked.
"You were never human," Halibel stated. "You were born a soul. Your mother was a Soul Reaper, and your father was an Arrancar."
"He was a...that would explain a lot," Kurai nodded. "What happened to them?"
"They died," Halibel stated. "Your father left the Soul Society shortly after falling in love with your mother, before you were born, because he knew she would be killed if anyone found out about him. Unfortunately, it was too late. Within days everyone knew that your mother had been with an Arrancar. Once you were born, she was scheduled for execution. When word reached your father of her impending death, he returned to save her. The Head Captain ordered the other captains to kill anyone that tried to interfere with the execution and before your father could get to your mother, he was met by two captains. Out of all of the captains, none were happy with the execution but none dared defy the Head Captain in order to save your mother. Your father fought the two captains that he met as hard as he could, despite both wanting to let him live, they were forced to kill him. Before they could deliver the final blow, the execution by Sokyoku was carried out. Your father's rage granted him one last burst of power and he nearly defeated the two Soul Reapers. One of them activated their Bankai, however, and your father was finally defeated and slain."
"Who were the captains that killed him?" Kurai asked.
"Isshin Kurosaki and Kenpachi Zaraki," Halibel stated. "Isshin dealt the final blow. With your father and mother both dead, a second soul was assigned to you as a spy. You grew up believing her to be your sister. Once you graduated the Soul Reaper Academy, Kenpachi sought you out and recruited you into his squad not because you were strong, not at first, at least, but because he felt guilt over your father's death, as does Isshin, I would assume. Isshin left the Soul Society shortly after seeing the man you had become, seeing that you had no ill will toward anyone regarding your father's death, assuming he thought you knew."
"How can you know all of this?" Kurai asked.
"Aaroniero, the Espada that Rukia nearly died fighting, absorbed a Soul Reaper, gaining his memories," Halibel stated. "The Soul Reaper had been on good enough terms with Isshin to find out everything."
"I see," Kurai nodded before raising his Zanpakuto. "Well, now that I know I'm an Arrancar, shall we continue our battle?"
Halibel nodded and Kurai charged, slashing at her. She blocked the blade then spun, slashing at him. He blocked it, skidding back a ways before shoving her blade aside and slashing her across the stomach, blade sparking against her skin and doing nothing. He leapt to the side, avoiding a slash by a hair's breadth. Then, he slashed at her again. She spun, blocking it again then shoved him away. She chased him and slashed at him again, carving a deep gash into his stomach before he stepped past her, his own blade sparking across her skin again. He leapt away from her, her blade carving a scratch into his back as he did. He skidded to a stop then turned, looking back at her as she waited for him to make a move.
"You know, I had almost completely forgotten," Kurai stated. "I was never able to hold my own against your power alone. Our fight in Hueco Mundo was something of a shock to me as much as you. You've always been better than me."
"It's a shame that you tried to fight me alone," Halibel stated.
"I know," Kurai sighed. "This is going to suck for me."
Just as he said this, a second Soul Reaper appeared behind him, stepping up beside him. Then, another appeared on his other side.
"K...Kanisawa, Nemu," Kurai breathed. "What are you doing here!? Run!"
"No," Nemu said flatly. "We're going to help you."
"B-But-"
"Relax," Kanisawa snorted. "I'm going to reveal my Shikai."
Kurai glanced at her Zanpakuto then at Nemu to see her holding a katana with a golden tsuba and a green grip. He had never seen Nemu fight. It'd be interesting if not for the fact that Halibel had been easily beating him while it was him fighting her.
"Reinforcements?" Halibel asked. "Alright. Come. Let's see this Shikai of yours."
"Happily," Kanisawa smirked. "Drink your fill, Kiseichuu!"
Kurai looked to the Zanpakuto as the blade exploded, the dust scattering into the air, a loud buzzing filling the air. Then, Kanisawa lowered the handle and the dust swarmed toward Halibel.
"What is...parasites?" Halibel breathed before experimentally slashing her blade through the cloud of parasites, doing nothing.
"You can't stop them doing that," Kanisawa snorted. "My Shikai parasites can't be killed or sealed. And the longer they're flying around, the more power is stolen from the target."
Halibel looked at her before her eyes widened and she looked down at her free hand. Kanisawa rested her hand on Kurai's shoulder and Kurai felt Halibel's energy begin to flood into him, raising his energy level back toward full rapidly. The parasites all swarmed inward, closing in on Halibel as a cloud and Halibel covered her nose and mouth, squeezing her eyes shut and raising her sword. She vanished, reappearing a distance away then charged and fired a cero at the insects. Just before it hit, it broke apart into millions of tiny streams, all being absorbed by the parasites and transferred to Kanisawa and then Kurai. Kurai instantly jumped way beyond full strength and held his hand out, firing a Bakudo 12, Fushibi out of his palm and forming a massive Kido net below them before combining it with Shakkaho so that it would explode when it caught someone. Finally the increase stopped and Kanisawa released Kurai, allowing him to use Flash Step to retrieve both Hitsugaya and Momo, bringing them back to Kanisawa. Kanisawa began to transfer the energy to both of them, healing them at the same time as restoring their strength. Finally, Halibel, who was once again surrounded, raised her sword, then slashed it, a massive quantity of water appearing along the arc of her swing before falling, hitting the parasites and dragging them away from her. Then, they flew out of the top of the water and shot back toward her.
"No," Halibel growled swinging her up again as the water rose back up. "Cascada!"
It blasted downward on the swarm of insects and then crashed down in the streets below. After a moment, the parasites all flew back up around Kanisawa before returning to their place while the sword was sealed.
"Looks like I'll be using this version after all," Kanisawa sighed. "Shame too. I was enjoying not having to work too hard."
The parasites all began to combine until they formed a massive leech, easily a hundred feet long. Halibel raised her sword, readying herself. Before anyone could make a move, another Garganta began to open. Another Arrancar, this one with a white shirt with an opening around his hollow hole in his chest, loose white pants, a mask fragments resembling a crown, and a large purple sword that looked something like a western-style broadsword stepped through, looking around as a massive hollow, easily dwarfing everything present, including the pillars around Karakura Town, only three of which were still standing, stepped halfway through after him.
"Who is that?" Kurai asked sensing Espada level Spiritual Pressure from the Arrancar.
"Wonderweiss," Halibel stated. "He's a bit odd."
The Arrancar was suddenly behind Captain Ukitake, driving his hand through his chest. Captain Kyoraku moved to attack Wonderweiss but Starrk, who the two had been fighting, blasted him in the back with a Cero as he did, dropping him as well. The massive hollow blew the fires around the three treacherous Soul Reapers out as Wonderweiss shrieked, everyone except Kaname covering their ears. Then, the massive hollow leaned forward, a vertical slit mouth opening in its front as a thick black sludge and Gillian masks spilling out.
"What is that thing?" Kurai asked looking to Halibel. "It can create Menos?"
"Yes," Halibel nodded. "It is Wonderweiss's pet, in a sense. It's called Hooleer."
"It needs to die," Kurai stated.
"We've got it," a familiar voice stated as the Vizard appeared in full above the other battles. "It's been a while hasn't it, Sosuke?"
After a moment, Lisa went to Captain Kyoraku, kicking him to wake him up, while the Shinji went to talk to the Head Captain.
"Guess we'll continue then," Kurai shrugged. "They can handle the Menos and Wonderweiss, for now, at least."
Halibel nodded and flew forward in a blur. Kanisawa swung her Zanpakuto, the leech blade whipping forward and wrapping around Halibel's torso, trapping her free hand and beginning to absorb her power. Halibel slashed downward at it but her blade simply stretched it, the leech not being cut by the blade. Halibel's eyes widened before she aimed her sword at Kanisawa, water coming out of the blades gill-like openings and covering half of the blade.
"La Gota," Halibel said the water firing, turning into a massive blast as it flew.
Before it could hit Kanisawa, Nemu appeared in front of it, thrusting her sword forward, the water scattering like she had fired a led ball into it. Then, Nemu sprinted forward along the leech. Halibel slashed at her but Nemu picked her feet up over the blade then slashed downward at her head. Before the blade reached her, Wonderweiss appeared, sword drawn and blocking Nemu's. He slashed at her but she vanished, reappearing behind him.
"Sorry, but I have a job to do," Nemu stated. "You'll have to move out of my way."
And with that, she stepped forward, slashing at him. He blocked it but the moment he did, her other hand began to spin like a drill and she drove it into his abdomen. He wasn't harmed but it did send him spinning through the air away from the battle. Then, Nemu turned and slashed at Halibel again. Halibel blocked it then shoved her away, turning back to Kanisawa as she raised her sword, which began to glow yellow.
"Kanisawa!" Kurai shouted. "Move!"
Halibel slashed, the leech bending sharply, forming a pointed angle, maybe five degrees at most but it didn't cut. Halibel swung her sword back up the other way, this time in Kanisawa's direction, however, Kanisawa had moved, taking the handle with her, leaving the only thing there to be hit as the leech. Halibel blinked then looked around as the leech released her, retracting to Kanisawa and being resealed into a normal Zanpakuto as Nemu appeared beside them and Kurai stepped forward with Hitsugaya behind him, standing protectively in front of Momo.
"Even?" Kurai asked.
"No," Kanisawa said shaking her head. "She's still stronger. But I couldn't take anymore without negative effects."
Kurai nodded and flew forward, pulling his hand back, blade extending. Halibel raised her own, blocking his blade then shoving him away. He flipped over and shot back toward her, slashing as he passed, blade sparking against her neck. The flipped just behind her, slashing the backs of her knees, making her fall to her knees but not harming her. His sword sparked against her skin twice more before her blade flashed around at him, blasting him away from her as it connected with his grass blade. He slid to a stop and stood then flew forward again, slashing at the top of her head as her blade flashed at his side. He managed to form an El Escudo but her sword smashed straight through, biting into his side as his own flashed down, stopping it after an inch and a half. He shoved it away and Halibel spun, slashing at him. He ducked under the slash then stood, sword sparking along her in an upward slash starting at her right knee and ending on the left side of her throat. Then, he twisted his arm, blocking her sword as she swung downward at him. A sonic boom went off but this time he didn't fly away from her, he was only slowly pushed downward, a few inches a second as they continued to try to out muscle the other.
"You're still progressing?" Halibel growled.
"Always," Kurai grinned stepping out of the way of her sword and letting it fall then bringing his own up against her throat.
As usual, it was like hitting steel, his entire arm hurting and this time his blade denting in the shape of her neck but she did begin to cough and take a couple steps away. Then, she spun toward him, sword a white streak. He blocked it, once again resisting being blasted away but after a moment she kicked him then raised her sword, charging and firing a Cero at him. It hit him and exploded, blasting a good portion of his robes off and sending him flying before he crashed through three buildings and there he stayed. Nemu flew toward him but Wonderweiss appeared in front of her, slashing at her. She avoided the slash then slashed at him. He ducked under the blade and slashed at her again and this time, she blocked it and was sent skidding through the air.
"This isn't going well," Hitsugaya stated. "I have to step in."
"You stay where you are," Kurai growled, appearing between Hitsugaya and Halibel, smoking, badly burned, and panting but alive.
"You're still alive?" Halibel asked shocked. "I could have sworn I had killed you that time."
"Sorry, you're not rid of me that easy," Kurai grinned holding a hand out. "Bala."
The blast struck her in the stomach, launching her backward and blowing the vertebrae off of her stomach as well as burning it.
"Damn," Halibel growled. "Should have made sure. You wanted me to hit you with a Cero didn't you?"
"Damn right," Kurai grinned pulling out the only syringe he had left from Nemu and injecting himself, injuries healing completely. "If not, I'd never have been able to test myself. And boy did I fail."
"Shall we then?" Halibel asked. "You were planning to fight me alone again, right?"
"I was, actually," Kurai grinned. "Kanisawa, Hitsugaya, help Nemu."
Both nodded and left and Kurai flew forward, slashing at Halibel. When their swords met, glowing orange Kido ropes attached her her blade from his before all but one disconnected from his. He leapt back, swinging his sword downward, pulling the string tight as the Kido net he had set up below them then fell past shot up and wrapped around her several times. Then, he grippe the rope, pulling it free from his sword and grinned, retracting the blade and using his right hand to hold his left steady.
"Hado Eighty Eight, Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!" Kurai shouted the blast this time following the sting to Halibel.
He released the string, letting it fall as the Hado spell raced along it. The explosion of the spell meeting her was massive as a result of the net and the Hado 88 both exploding. When it cleared, Halibel was covered in first degree burns and a couple of second degree burns but nothing severe.
"That was impressive," Halibel commended raising her sword in front of herself. "Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to save you. Shall we continue?"
Just then, Hooleer suffered a kick from Mashiro and exploded into black sludge as the rest of the vizards finished off the Gillians before scattering to help the others, Mashiro and Kensei both going to aid Hitsugaya, Kanisawa, and Nemu against Wonderweiss. ANd they needed it. All three were severely worse for wear, and Kanisawa had only a few inches of leech left on her sword, the rest lying on the ground below them.
"Impressive," Kurai blinked. "He broke her Shikai. He's extremely powerful."
"I agree," Halibel nodded, seeming jealous. "That sword is quite bothersome."
"Yeah," Kurai nodded reaching out to Haruko but getting no answer. "So is mine. Where were we?"
He spun, flying at Halibel and slashing at her. She blocked it, shoving his blade back then returning a slash. He leapt over it, flipping sideways as he slashed. She blocked his slash then flipped over, sending a kick at him. He spun out of the way, slashing at her back and this time, his blade managed to carve a paper cut into her back before stopping hard. She spun, throwing him away then aiming her sword after him.
"La Gota!" She shouted firing the blast of water much faster than her Cero.
"Bala!" Kurai shouted, the two blasts exploding against each other and stopping.
Kurai landed on a ceiling then leapt off, the roof shattering under his feet before the entire building exploded and water flew skyward. Kurai flipped over, back to the ground and front toward Halibel so he could see to dodge her La Gotas. As he did so, he began returning fire with Balas, each blast aimed perfectly but the Espada still dodging out of the way of them. Finally, both of them took a direct hit. Then, both appeared level with each other halfway and were dusting themselves off, barely harmed. They flew forward, both slashing at the other and their blades met with a loud crash, sparks flying and a shockwave obliterating the buildings below them. They began to flash around the battlefield, swords colliding once before they moved elsewhere. After several moments, he jumped over a slash from her, kicking her downward into the top of a building and leveling it. Then, he crashed down on top of her, sword first. Hers blocked his, however, and after a moment she shoved him away then slashed him across the chest. He launched himself backward, holding a hand to his wound and Halibel followed. He blocked her first slash then flipped over her, spinning and kicking her away. When she was a fair distance from him, he began to rapidly fire Balas. SHe began dodging them, the blasts demolishing the Fake Karakura Town rapidly before she appeared in front of him, slashing. He blasted her sword with a Bala, launching it skyward then slashed at her. She caught the blade at the last second, stopping it almost two inches into her right shoulder. He ripped his blade backward, slicing her palm open, as well as deepening the gash on her arm considerably then slashed at her. She leapt backward then caught her sword and raised it.
When she slashed downward, he appeared in front of her, blocking her blade and making her attack shoot skyward, a cloud splitting in two overhead. She narrowed her eyes at him then sent a kick at him but he spun past it and slashed at her other leg. She blocked it then spun, kicking him in the back of the head and launching him away. He flipped over, sliding to a stop just as Aizen appeared behind her.
"You," Kurai growled.
"Lord Aizen," Halibel blinked. "What is it?"
Aizen walked forward until he was right in front of her then drew his sword and slashed her across the abdomen, her blood spraying out her right side and in front of her as Kurai and Momo, who was still there, stared on in shock.
"I'm done with you," Aizen stated coldly as Halibel held a hand to her wound. "Based on your performance, it appears you're not strong enough to fight for me. Gin, Kaname, time to go."
"I...don't understand," Halibel managed to say, voice weak as she struggled to stay airborne.
"Isn't it obvious?" Aizen snorted. "Even if I force more of you to sacrifice yourselves, in the end it would achieve nothing. So I'm cutting my losses. This isn't what I expected. I went through a considerable amount of effort to gather all of you Espadas. I never expected your strength to be inferior to my own."
"Aizen!" Halibel shouted angrily, flying forward and stabbing at him.
Kurai's eyes flashed around, his brain registering that the other two Espadas would undoubtedly kill her for attacking him, except that Starrk was lying dead in the street, apparently having been beaten at some point without him noticing, and there was no sign whatsoever of Barragan. He looked back to see that Aizen had partially dodged Halibel's blade, having gotten to his right enough that it didn't bisect him. However, it was large enough that it had still cut through his left side almost to his spine, while almost removing his left arm.
"Your attack is futile," Aizen stated as his zanpakuto sprouted from her left shoulder as the real one suddenly appeared behind her and the one she attacked shattered. "You can't win this fight. I am through wasting my time."
Then, he ripped his sword downward and out of her just above her hip, sending her blood spraying everywhere, Kurai watching, too shocked to react. Until now.
"Halibel!" Kurai shouted, appearing below her and catching her, realizing she was still alive, if only barely, and lowering her to the ground as Aizen watched curiously.
After a moment, he stood, his entire front covered in blood, some of it most likely mixing with his own through his numerous wounds, but he didn't care about that. He floated back up level with Aizen, between him and Momo, from what he could tell. Then, Grass began to slowly reach up his arm.
"So, Aizen," Kurai growled, rage reaching the bowling point and rapidly pouring over. "Your Kyoka Suigetsu can completely control the five senses right? Well, did you know that we Arrancars have a sixth?"
"You what?" Aizen asked calmly as the grass wrapped around Kurai's eyes, forming a blindfold before disconnecting, the rest returning to his wrist then forming the sword.
"Yeah," Kurai nodded grinning as he was left sightless. "You see, when blinded, we Arrancars, or maybe it's just something I inherited from my father, are able to see, in a sense, the Spiritual Pressures of those who are stronger or equal to ourselves. I never noticed until Halibel hit me with that Cero. I got debris in my eyes and couldn't open them, yet I could still see a few of the others and her. And, obviously, you. So while you may be able to control my five senses, I can still sense your power."
"So what?" Aizen asked.
"So," Kurai smirked, turning away from the illusionary Aizen and to the real one, floating at an odd angle from the other. "I can see you, Captain Aizen."
Read and review.