Chapter 20 – The Angels fall… Again

Raven stepped in followed by Naomi and Crystal all looking much better and ready to fight to the death.

'Well hello there Captain Ruhodesu, glad of you to make it,' said Hisaigo with an exaggerated tone.

'Cut the small talk, I came here to repay a debt. Although I don't like him, Ketu and his friends did save me once so now I'm here to return that favour, by defeating you,' Raven didn't seem the least bit interested however, with such an emotionless tone.

Hisaigo gave an evil laugh that echoed throughout the room, 'Defeat me? Ha, you're more of an idiot than I thought. What makes you think that you're strength is anywhere near mine? I know you're tough, but come on, you have as much chance of defeating me than those two did, which I might like to point out isn't very high. After all, I have slayed countless number of soul reapers, and I really don't see anything special about you.'

Raven looked at him with a do-I-look-bothered expression on his face. 'As I've already said, cut the small talk.'

'Awwww, don't wanna talk?'

Raven quickly drew out a small sword under his haori, 'Shoot 'em dead, Shinso.' The blade extended straight for Hisaigo.

'My, my, you're a little impatient today,' said Hisaigo as he put his hand out and produced some sort of protective shield in front of him which Shinso couldn't pierce. Raven didn't look at all surprised as he shortened Shinso. 'Nothing? A right ray of sunshine aren't you?'

Now both Naomi and Crystal drew their swords.

'You'll regret ever hurting my cousin,' screamed Crystal.

And then all three shouted, 'BANKAI'

Hisaigo smirked and vanished and quickly stabbed Naomi before her bankai formed , he pulled out his blade and flash stepped back to where he was. The room seemed to darken all of a sudden as black wings sprouted from Raven's back and he was wielding a large scythe. 'Kurohane Kujotenshi.'

White wings grew from Crystal's back as her blade turned into two axes, but she quickly went over to Naomi.

'Nai,' she screamed, holding her close. Naomi was still breathing but she had lost a lot of blood. Crystal cried as Hisaigo watched with amusement.

Raven was trying to hide his emotion but couldn't, 'you bastard, attacking her when she was in the middle of using bankai, how low can you get.'

'I wouldn't call that low, I'd call it strategy. As they say, alls fair in love and war.'

'You imbecile, call it what you may, but now you've just made it personal.' Raven charged and swung down hard at Hisaigo who held up his sword with the least bit of effort and blocked.

'Careful, anger can cloud the mind you know,' whispered Hisaigo.

'You can go and shove it up your backside,' shouted Raven as he turned and swung again, but was blocked again. Crystal has finally left Naomi and was rejoining the battle wiping her tears.

'I'll make you pay for what you did,' she screamed at him.

'Remember what happened when you faced Usaitar? If you do then you'll realize that emotions only hinder you in battle.' Hisaigo jumped out of the way as Raven slammed down with his scythe.

'Stay still you insolent wretch.' Raven fired off a black kido blade, hisaigo swung his sword upwards and sliced it in two. Crystal quickly flash stepped behind Hisaigo and chopped at him with her axes. He blocked one attack and flash stepped upwards to dodge the second one. Another black kido attack rushed towards him, he flash stepped and appeared before Raven. He slashed down hard with his sword, Raven blocked but was thrown back into the wall by the sheer force of Hisaigo's strength making a small indent on the wall.

Hisaigo pursued Raven and charged, Raven flipped upwards as Hisaigo smashed a hole in the wall. Hisaigo flash stepped up and attacked, Raven also attacked, their weapons clashed causing a big explosion which blew Raven back into the wall and Hisaigo jumped back and avoided the blast.

Blood trickled out of Raven's mouth as his back smashed in the wall.

'Dammit, why is he so strong,' thought Raven trying to stand up. Hisaigo next went after Crystal and he blasted out a beam of green light in which she jumped out of the way. He flash stepped after her and slashed down. She held up both axes and blocked, but was also knocked back due to Hisaigo's immense strength. She was just able to land on the ground on both feet before Hisaigo dive-bombed into her. She couldn't move so she held up both axes once more and blocked again, Hisaigo hit with such an impact that it immediately made a crater in the floor below her and sent a huge shockwave which made large cracks in the wall. A large dust cloud rose around them and nothing could be seen. Hisaigo jumped out of the dust cloud and landed perfectly a few metres to the left of it and waited.

Two minutes later the dust died down Crystal was still standing, eyes wide open with shock , she was there frozen like an ice cube, holding her axes. A few seconds of silence and she dropped to her knees then fainted into the crater beneath her.

'CRYSTAL,' shouted Raven and tried to get to Crystal but before he even reached half-way Hisaigo flash stepped in front.

'As I've said so many times, loved ones will only hinder you,' said Hisaigo with the utmost care in his voice before he blasted Raven back into the wall with a beam of green light. Raven collapsed after bashing into the wall and moved no more.

'Such a mess, how am I going to clean all this up?' Hisaigo asked himself sarcastically. He walked towards Raven holding out his sword to deliver the final blow before a 'BANG' shattered the pair of gates open and Haruka stepped in.

'Get away from him, or prepare to suffer the consequences,' said Haruka with such a ruthful tone in her voice.

'Ah miss Haruka, I was wondering when you'd make it,' cried Hisaigo his voice full of joy.

'Don't even try and be nice to me you scum.'

'I'm guessing by that underlying tone in your voice that you aren't glad to see me.'

'From the moment I first laid my eyes on you I had a feeling you were a bit dodgy, and I guess I was right.'

'Right you are Haruka, I may be crazy and insane but then again which evil person who has tried to take over the world isn't crazy?'

'Touché, but still, all evil people are stopped eventually, and I'm here to stop you.'

'Oh, no I'm shaking all over with fright,' he said sarcastically.

'You should be afraid. Now I'll say this once and once only.' She pointed her sword at him, 'leave now and never come back, or I can promise you that you'll never live to see another day.'

'Is that a threat?'

'So what if it is?'

'I don't like being threatened.' Hisaigo suddenly sounded serious, and he had an annoyed look on his face.

'Oh well, too bad.'

'I'LL TEACH YOU TO THREATEN ME,' exploded Hisaigo as he charged at Haruka.

'You fool,' whispered Haruka just as Hisaigo made his first attack. Haruka instantly flash stepped to dodge. She appeared a fairway behind Hisaigo and fired off Hado number four, pale lightning, from the tips of her fingers. Hisaigo knew it was coming and did a high back flip just in time to avoid the blast.

'Not bad, very speedy. But then again what would you expect from the strongest of all dragon based blades and owners.' Hisaigo seemed to have come back to his senses and isn't looking as crazy.

'You have seen nothing yet.' She instantly disappeared from Hisaigo's sight.

'I can read all your moves you know,' he said as he held his sword up to his left and a split-second later Haruka appeared and slashed down into his sword.

'Oh really?' she vanished again appearing above him and stabbing down.

'You're fast, but not fast enough.' Hisaigo jumped and swung his sword in a half circle and knocked her sword the other way. Haruka flipped up and slashed again. He flash stepped behind her and sliced horizontally.

'You're not exactly fast yourself.' She turned around and parried the attack, twisted around and also sliced horizontally. He held his sword vertically to his left and blocked.

'I never said I was fast though.' He smiled and raised his other hand, 'But I will say I am more powerful than you can imagine.' Hisaigo suddenly had a burst of spiritual pressure that erupted from him. Haruka was hit by it and was knocked back but easily flipped back to her feet. Hisaigo went in an evil laugh that shook the walls of this room. 'This is the power difference between you and I and you could never hope to narrow this power gap.' Hisaigo became enveloped in his own huge spiritual pressure.

'Never underestimate your opponent,' said Haruka as the glow of her spiritual pressure surrounded her. 'Now, it's time. Brighten the darkness, Hidoragon.' Haruka's spiritual pressure sent a large shockwave outwards, her as the central point destroying walls near her and shattering the floor. A bright glow radiated from her sword as it cut through all darkness in the room and the skies and brightened the day.

'That's some nice power you have there Miss Rose, nothing less expected the infamous Hidoragon of course.'

'Can it, you're going down.' And at that both spiritual pressures surrounding them disappeared and Haruka charged. Hisaigo quickly side stepped to move out of the way. Haruka twisted in mid-air and shot Hado number four at him. He held his hand up and blasted that all so familiar green beam of light, both attacks collided and sent Hisaigo and Haruka flying in opposite directions. Hisaigo instantly recovered and flash stepped towards Haruka.

'Shiraenkouya,' she screamed as a white flaming arrow formed on her sword and shot straight for Hisaigo. She smiled, as the arrow made contact and exploded. But a fraction of a second later her smile vanished as Hisaigo flew out of the smoke appearing unharmed and Haruka was so stunned she couldn't move. All she saw was a flash of red as Hisaigo pierced just below her heart and the blood splattered out as he pulled the blade out just as fast. Haruka's eyes widened with shock as she fell to her knees. Hisaigo stood above her holding the blood soaked blade downwards above Haruka.

'Weren't you the one who said never underestimate your opponents? It seems you just did and gave such a big opening that I had no choice but to take it.' He sighed and raised his blade just above her heart. 'Well now, looks like this is the end of the line for you, and the beginning of a new era of rulership of soul society, once I've killed you my powers will soon be complete and there will be no one to stop me. It's a pity that you can't stay to bask in the triumph of the great Hisaigo. But oh well, it's time for you to go.'

'Move, why can't I move? I can't die here, not now. Don't fail me now, move legs, MOVE,' she thought lying there the pool of blood beneath her expanding ever so larger with each second as blood pours from her wound.

'As they say in Chinese, qu si ba,' and he thrusted his blade down straight through her chest.

'Sorry, my friends. I've failed,' as the last thoughts left her, she blacked out.

Note qu si ba, means 'go to death' literally translated from Chinese

Again I'm going to have to postpone the next chapter by a week because of some Chemistry a-level exams next Wednesday, sorry.