Chapter 3 – A Fight to Forget
It was the crack of dawn; the sun has just risen above the hills and is silently shining down at seireitei, the trees and flowers reflecting its glow. Ratiasu was already awake and looking out her window towards the east. She was still deciding weather to follow Ketu or not and still hasn't made up her mind.
At the eastern gate, squad captains and vice-captains of three, five, and seven have already gathered with their subordinates and are patiently awaiting The White Soul Reaper to appear. The captains stood at the front followed by the vice-captains who are leading the normal soul reapers who are behind the gate ready to stop any hollows getting past.
Six o'clock just passed and still no sign of TWSR (The White Soul Reaper). 'You don't think this could be a trap and Usaitar is actually attacking the other gates while we're here do you?' Ketu said looking at the other two captains. Raven just turned his head the other way and didn't utter a single word.
'Don't worry, I thought this could be a trap so I went to all the other captains an hour ago and told them to keep watch over the other gates, so if he does attack them we'll know about it soon enough.' replied Hikari in a "as-a-matter-of-fact" way.
'Alright whatever you say, you are the clever one here.'
'Hmph' said Raven in an annoyed tone.
'Did you just say something?' asked Ketu trying to sound polite.
Raven turned around, but didn't have time to answer because straight in front of him a few meters away a black hole appeared which happens to be the gate way to Hueco Mundo. Hollows swarmed out of the relatively large hole in all shapes and sizes. Lastly came TWSR.
'Ehahahaha, sorry we're late, took a while to gather up my army.' The hole the hollows came through has just closed up and in front of what was the hole now stands a huge army of hollows big and small with TWSR standing in front. 'Now then, attack,' he said in a calm voice, and immediately the hollows started swarming towards the gate at the soul reapers. The three captains stood there waiting for the hollows two pass, they could hear their vice-captains shouting commands at the soul reapers. 'Oh? You're not going to stop them?'
'Looks like you've seen a ghost, or did you look in a mirror? Just thought I'd slip that in. Anyway if we stop you, then we don't need to stop them,' said Ketu smiling.
'Big words, coming from someone weak as well and I'll just pretend I didn't hear that ludicrous insult. If you think you can beat me, then you should think again.' He vanished and appeared behind Ketu a fraction of a second later. Ketu had just enough time to draw his sword and block the attack.
'Oh? So you're not that bad I see.' He disappeared once more and appeared in front of the three captains. 'Fine, then bring it on, I haven't had a good fight for years.'
'Oh we'll give you a fight alright. Fly, Kazedoragon,' he shouted throwing his sword up in the air and a dragon appearing the second later.
'Wait Ket, don't rush out into things,' shouted Hikari warningly. She looked around at Raven, 'are you going to help us out at all?'
'I don't need your help to beat this guy,' he said coolly looking the other way.
'Hey are you guys finished blabbering? Or are you too chicken to fight me? ' shouted Usaitar.
'Why that little-' Ketu stepped forwards only to be pushed back by Hikari.
'Calm down Ket, we need to be calm and collected. I think I've got a plan to defeat him, come on we can win this.' said Hikari calmly.
'Ha ha ha. Me?Lose to someone who washed their hair in a bowl of fruit this morning.' shouted Usaitar insultingly.
'You fucking idiot, you're going to pay for that, come on Ket, let's get him.' screamed Hikari dragging Ketu to confront TWSR.
'Calm and collected… What a hypocrite' muttered Ketu shaking his head.
Hikari stopped turned around, 'did you say something?' she asked in a really scary way.
'Erm… nothing' Ketu replied waving both his arms about.
'Good, let's get started. Blossom, Rozehana' she screamed, and blades start coming out of the guard of her sword and encircled the blade. 'Alright mister big white and ugly, prepare to die. BEN DANSU.' She screamed the last two words and instantly the blades encircling the sword shot out at Usaitar with amazing speed. He disappeared just before they hit and reappeared behind Hikari and slashed down with his sword. Ketu who saw his attack first raised his hand instinctively and blocked his attack by raising a wind shield behind Hikari. Hikari turned around and slashed which Usaitar easily blocked. Then he disappeared again reappearing above Ketu, and disappearing once again because as soon as he appeared blades came flying at him. He appeared once again behind Hikari who was this time ready for him because she instantly flash stepped away and shot more blades to Usaitar which he dodged by flash stepping again this time going after Ketu. Ketu saw this coming and used his dragon to parry the attack. Ketu and Usaitar both went mad with attacks after that flash stepping everywhere, hitting, and missing.
'He he he, you're not bad, for a weakling' laughed Usaitar at Ketu. They swapped more blows.
'Hey you can't just leave me out' shouted Hikari who was just standing there in mid-air watching them fight. Ketu didn't answer. He was locked in fast close combat and didn't have time to respond. Hey kept going, for ages it seemed an even match until Ketu finally saw an opening, he slashed, Usaitar ducked to avoid it. Ketu jumped back and screamed 'REZATAIFUU' pointing his hand at Usaitar. The wind grew speed and shot at Usaitar like blades, he had no time to dodge.
'Time for me to join in' said Hikari, 'BEN DANSU' and again the blades shot at him the combined attacks cause a massive explosion at where Usaitar was standing. The minutes pass and nothing happened.
'Did we win?' ask Hikari, standing there, waiting.
As if response to her question there was an almighty roar from where Usaitar was and the dust cleared away at once to reveal him still alive and not even a scratch on him. He stood there smirking insultingly.
'Ha ha ha' he laughed like a crazed maniac, 'is that it? Ha ha ha ha, that was weak. I've had more trouble killing a fly.'
Both Ketu and Hikari stared in disbelief and were too shocked to move and stop Usaitar's next attack. He flash stepped in front of Ketu first and stabbed him straight in the stomach. Blood came spraying out his mouth and where he was cut, Usaitar pulled the blade out and kicked him he landed on the ground hard and laid there unconscious.
'KET, NO' Hikari screamed staring down at the bloody mess.
'Don't worry about him, worry about yourself' said Usaitar appearing in front of Hikari and slashed her across the shoulder. Blood came streaming out her shoulder, she screamed and fell and also fell unconscious.
'Well, that was a waste of my time' said Usaitar looking disappointed. He now turned to Raven, who was still standing there and hasn't moved an inch. 'Now it's your turn' he shouted advancing towards Raven.
'Hmph, about time you're finished them' said Raven, pulling out his sword.
'You sound tough, but still, I doubt you'll last that long against me.
'Just try me.' said Raven, frowning. Usaitar made the first move, by flash stepping in front of Raven and attacking, Raven saw through the attack straight away and blocked with ease. They started swapping slashes quicker and quicker, their flash step and attacks was almost a blur. Neither seemed to be letting an inch, it looked even for a long time.
It seemed like a never ending fight until Raven jumped back from Usaitar and said, 'This is getting boring, I think it's time to end this. Delete, Kujotenshi.' The sword extended into a scythe.
'Oooooo, I'm so scared,' said Usaitar, in an insultingly scared way.
'You will be,' and Raven instantly disappeared hiding his spiritual pressure as well. He appeared behind and slashed with his scythe, Usaitar weirdly, knew this was coming and ducked. Raven, disappeared once again and hit Usaitar from the front, but he just raised his sword and blocked again. No matter how many times Raven slashed, Usaitar could always block.
'Hmph, not bad' said Raven calmly. 'Try this on for size.' He swung his scythe and a black blade shot out of his scythe aimed at Usaitar who flash stepped and dodged it and appeared to the left. Raven swung again and attacked with the same darkness based kido attack. Usaitar just kept dodging eve though Raven's attack came with increased speed every time.
'Why don't you just give up, you obviously can't stand against my attacks for much longer.' said Raven coolly.
'Ha, you really don't know what you're up against, do you?' laughed Usaitar. 'You haven't even seen my sword's release form and you think you're better than me? Well then, I will show you that your power is still too far from mine. My sword has no name, but I can release it though. OBLITERATE.' A massive wave of spiritual pressure erupted from Usaitar his sword's length increased a large amount into a voulge. His sword 'Ha ha ha ha, like that, well you're going to love this.' He raised the voulge above his head and spun it round at amazing speed. 'DIE. DESTRUCTION OF PARADISE!' As soon as he said the last words a huge amount of spiritual pressure erupted from the voulge blasting Raven out of the sky. He flew backwards towards the ground, just before he hit Crystal came out of nowhere grabbed him and flash stepped away to a safer distance.
The blast was just about to hit Ketu and Hikari when a flash of vermillion (Ratiasu's scarf) came flying in. Ratiasu grabbed Ketu, flash stepped away as well, immediately behind them came Haruka who also jumped in, and flash stepped away with Hikari. A moment later, all three of them arrived in the same place.
'Ket, wake up please, please be alright.' Ratiasu shock Ketu a few times pleading him to wake up, tears streaming down her face. Blood was still pouring from his stomach where he was cut.
'Hey, can't you just heal him? I know you have amazing healing abilities.' reminded Haruka who was next to her still holding Hikari.
Ratiasu sat up straight, wiping her tears and started looking serious, 'Ok' she calmed down put her hands on his cut, a large green aura appeared round her hands and the wound very slowly closed. The bleeding stopped, but Ketu didn't look like he was going to wake up. Ratiasu couldn't hold her tears. She hugged Ketu tightly and cried.
'Hmmm… well it doesn't look like she's going to stop, I'd better get squad four over here or carry Kari to squad four.' thought Haruka looking around the place they were in, which was a deserted area on the outskirts of seireitei.
Shunsui just walked in, and immediately ran to them, 'are those two going to be alright?'
'I think so but they've both lost a lot of blood, we need to get them to squad four.'
'I can carry them both if you want.' said Shunsui extending out his hand.
'That'd be great. Here take Kari, be careful with her. Let me just get Ket.' She moved over to Ratiasu still clutching Ketu and crying harder than ever. 'Come on let go of him, you've done all that you can, we need to get him to squad four.' She tried to move Ratiasu out of the way but she won't budge.'
'Here why don't I try,' said Shunsui moving towards Ratiasu. He crouched next to her and said, 'come on, why don't you take him to squad four then? I'll bring Hikari up. You just go on ahead. I'll catch up with you.' He said those words in such a relaxing manner that made Ratiasu stopped crying.
'Ooo.. kay' sobbed Ratiasu, she got up put Ketu on her shoulders and slowly walked away and disappeared into the distance.
'Well, I'll be off as well then. Get back to seireitei soon, we've got a massive meeting, I can feel it, and I've also got some history on this WSR that I need to tell everyone.' He left as well with Hikari on his back.
All this time they were talking, Crystal and Raven were arguing about how Raven didn't need to be rescued.
'I didn't ask to be saved, I could have easily got back up and defeated him.' said Raven still emotionless.
'Why you little, if I didn't jump in and get you out you wouldn't be breathing now' shouted Crystal looking rather vicious.
'Erm… you guys, this really isn't a good time to be arguing, I think we should go back and check on how everyone else is doing. I mean if this Usaitar guy injured three captains who knows what he can do against the other soul reapers, right?' said Haruka looking from Raven to Crystal.
Raven suddenly looked worried. He uttered one word, 'Naomi', and left in a flash.
'Hey wait for me,' shouted Crystal hurrying after him, followed by Haruka.
A moment later they arrived at what was the east gate but which was now the most horrific scene. The ground was completely soaked in blood, there was red everywhere. A few Soul reapers' had their heads sliced off clean. Many were badly cut everywhere. Some had their insides spilling out and blood pouring everywhere. Haruka, Crystal and Raven moved for a closer look.
'These aren't hollow wounds,' said Haruka studying a Soul Reaper near her. 'When I was fighting here we had already taken out nearly all the hollows. These look like sword wounds, Usaitar did this.' She stood up and searched around, 'I'll go and get squad four here.' She left and flash stepped in the direction of squad four HQ.
Raven was frantically searching around at fast pace, with a (surprisingly) worried face. A few minutes pass and he comes across what he was looking for. Naomi was lying face down to the ground with no visible injuries on her back. Raven ran to her and picked her up and rested her on his knee. Her face was covered in streams of blood; her black hair was almost all red. Raven (for some reason) put her back down, and stepped away, he had a very wild and shocked expression on his face.
'No, not again, this can't be. Not here, please, no, no, no, not now, why. Why does it have to be now? NO' he screamed that last word so loudly that a few hundred meters away many birds flew off their branches in fright.
'Er… are you alright Rae?' asked Crystal slowly walking towards him.
'Argghhhhhh' Raven went mad, his face changed to complete anger. 'I'll KILL HIM, THAT USAITAR BETTER BE READY. HE'S GONNA DIE' he screamed at the top of his voice. Then he flash stepped and vanished.
'No, Rae. COME BACK' Crystal screamed, knelt down and broke into tears.
To Be Continued...