You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for the reviews! I love you all! XD
So I was going to post this chapter in two parts, but then found out that this first part had to be split up on lj, so instead of doing four parts… it's complicated. I just decided to do two chapters.
I apologize if any of you readers are anti-fillers. I happen to LOVE the Bount arc because it gives us a little more character development, extra Shuuhei and Kira, and… well, Nova. He is pretty and awesome and dresses like a ninja so I love him. XD
Chapter 19
Shuuhei and Ichigo stood on the porch of Urahara's shop as the sun sank below the horizon. The wind ruffled their spiky hair and pulled on the fabric of their shinigami robes. The younger of the two squatted on the railing, his hand rested leisurely in the hilt of Zangetsu. The older leaned against the railing, sword sheathed and arms crossed. They had stood this way for some time, quietly watching the clouds turn from a brilliant orange, to a deep purple. As the last slivers of light disappeared leaving the sky dark and beset with stars, Ichigo sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair.
"It's weird…" the younger man said.
"What is?" Shuuhei asked softly, turning to look at his companion.
Ichigo shrugged and slipped down from the railing. "This could be the last sunset I see… but I can't make myself feel any different than any other time I saw it."
Shuuhei turned back toward the sky and shrugged.
"It's probably because we've been at this precipice before… I've watched so many sunsets I thought would be my last…"
Ichigo worried the inside of his cheek and shifted his hold on his Zanpakuto. "I feel like I should say something really… you know like in the movies when the hero is about to do something all noble and bad ass?"
"Profound?" Shuuhei smiled.
"Yeah, that," Ichigo said.
The silence stretched again and Shuuhei rested his head against the wood of the post. Urahara had told them to wait at the shop until they received a signal from Nova. When the mod soul appeared, that would mean the teams were in place and Ichigo and himself would start toward the park.
Shuuhei had readied himself for a fit of anxiety, an overwhelming sensation of agitation or even nervousness, but none had come. He felt calm, at peace with himself. He had no regrets; he had left Ninth Division in a state of order and accomplishment. If he didn't return, they would make selecting a new Captain first priority, and things would continue to run smoothly under the direction of his carefully
trained seated officers. Kira would be fine. He was strong and needed to move out from underneath Shuuhei's wings anyway. And then there was Renji… he had finally gotten Renji. He had finally done the things he had dreamed of for years. He had kissed Renji's lips, run his fingers through his hair, kissed away his tears, held him as he slept... He would carry the memory of his time with Renji to the ends of eternity.
Yes, he truly had no regrets… Well… maybe one… But didn't Renji know? He had to know…
(You seem ready, Hisagi…)
I am, Kazashini, Shuuhei smiled. Whatever happens… I'm ready…
(Do not be too eager to die… I promised the baboon I would keep you safe…)
Promised the baboon huh? Shuuhei teased. You like him don't you?
(No…)
You're a liar… Shuuhei almost chuckled.
The wolf spirit was silent for a few long moments before he spoke again.
(Believe in me, Hisagi… We will make it back… You will be with the Fire Mane once again…)
I hope so… Shuuhei looked at the ground, his mood sagging slightly.
"Shuuhei?" Ichigo pulled him from his thoughts.
"Hm?"
The younger man had turned his head and was regarding Shuuhei with a peculiar look. "What are you going to do tomorrow?"
Shuuhei's eyes widened. Ichigo had noticed the drop in his mood and was trying to bring him back up again. Even when the odds were completely against them, he still was looking at the situation like they could win. It was strange how someone so young could be so inspiring, but Ichigo managed it time and time again. Shuuhei felt a wave of gratitude towards the substitute shinigami wash over him and he pushed off the post.
He didn't have to think at all about what he wanted to do as he stretched his arms and said wistfully. "Tomorrow, I'm going to wake up early and say good morning to Kira, because he's always up with the sun… I'll take a cup of tea out to the garden and watch the fountain for a while. Then I'll go back and spend the rest of the morning in bed… where I'll tell Renji that I love him…" The Ninth's Vice Captain straightened and he sighed with a small smile. "The rest of the day… doesn't matter…"
Ichigo turned his gaze upwards and smiled softly. "Yeah… sounds good… I got some important stuff I gotta talk about with Inoue tomorrow too…"
Shuuhei felt he should say something more but as the minutes passed by, he realized there was nothing else they needed to say. The two finally understood each other and stood on common ground. Shuuhei reached over and ruffled Ichigo's hair. The younger of the two elbowed his ribs playfully as they stood in comfortable silence, waiting for the signal.
The signal for the beginning of the end...
X x X x X
Nova understood the plan… sort of. Urahara-sama had a bad habit of not telling the mod souls what was happening until the last second. Nova had listened to Urahara-sama's voice dip and flow through the walls of the kitchen but unfortunately, Cloud and Ririn arguing with Kon behind him had made it near impossible to distinguish exactly what was being said. He knew the basic idea was to draw out this new hollow like a modern day sniper. Ichigo-san and the tall shinigami with the strange tattoo were going to play as bait.
Uneasiness was thick in the air; even Urahara-sama was feeling it. The boss did a good job of hiding his thoughts and emotions from the humans and shinigami that graced the shop, but he never fooled Nova. Just because he was shy and had some problems showing his emotions, didn't mean he wasn't sensitive to other people's; quite the opposite actually. Nova was incredibly intuitive and could pretty much read what anyone was feeling or thinking all the time. That was one of the main reasons he zipped his hood or pulled his neck into his shell when he was feeling particularly transparent. He didn't want people reading him the way he read others.
He had known from the beginning there were deep feelings between Abarai and the other tattooed shinigami- what was his name again? Hisagi? Feelings so deep that neither of them probably understood them fully. He was thankful for that because the attraction between Abarai and Ichigo-san had been pressing down on the two of them for years.
The shy mod soul enjoyed moving through the shop freely without being noticed. He would sit in the corner or on Chad's shoulder and just observe people and their interactions. The timeless love between the bald and peacock shinigami, the innocent love between Ichigo-san and Orihime-san, and the eccentric friendship between the small captain and beautiful Matsumoto-san. He loved how Rukia-san cared for Abarai like a little brother. He also found the strange friendship that seemed to be growing between Urahara-san and the quiet blonde intriguing. Nova was a closet romantic and believed everyone deserved to be happy, so he waited and watched with excitement and anticipation.
"Nova!" Ririn's voice screeched in his ear. Thank kami for the hood, otherwise he'd have gone deaf years ago.
Nova turned towards the little girl and made an acknowledging noise.
"Were you listening to anything I just said?" she whined.
Nova pretended to think for a moment before he shook his head, staring down at the blonde.
Ririn sighed and put her hands on her hips. "I was just saying that Urahara-san told Cloud to tell me to tell you that you need to go get Ichigo and Hisagi-san now, everyone is ready! Oh, and bring them up through the North park entrance so the Quincy has a good view!"
Nova nodded and disappeared. As he teleported through the city back to the shop, he hoped his porting ability could keep Ichigo-san and Hisagi-san safe.
The happiness of true love was at stake after all.
X x X x X
The mod soul, Nova, appeared not four inches from Shuuhei's face, startling him so bad he almost toppled over backwards.
"Holy shit!" he sputtered, not so eloquently.
Ichigo chuckled at his side. "Time to go, Shuuhei."
Nova's bright green eyes jumped between the two shinigami as his gentle voice whispered behind his hood.
"Stay close to me and I'll protect you from the shots as best I can."
Shuuhei nodded as Ichigo beamed at the mod soul. "Thanks, Nova," the younger man said.
Nova nodded back and turned towards the town. Shuuhei looked at Ichigo and drew his sword.
"Ready?" he asked.
Ichigo grinned and lowered Zangetsu from his shoulder to his side.
"Try and keep up, old man."
X x X x X
Rukia stood on a branch, leaning against the trunk and watching the North entrance intently. Urahara-san had sent Nova back for Ichigo and Hisagi not even five minutes ago, but her nerves were shot. She could feel Ichigo's reiatsu in the distance and wanted to scream for him to stay away. Rukia couldn't believe this was the only way to lure the hollow out. Putting one of her best friends and a shinigami she respected greatly directly in the line of fire was not her first choice of tactics. If anything happened to her nakama, she was going to rend this bastard hollow from groin to neck.
"Rukia," Matsumoto whispered below her.
Rukia turned to the blonde. "What is it?"
Matsumoto looked up at her with her hands on her hips and a small frown furrowing her pretty face.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "Your reiatsu is funny."
Rukia looked back at the path and slipped her hands into the sleeves of her kimono.
"I'm angry," she said simply.
Matsumoto sighed. "I know you are… But your ototo-chan will be fine, Rukia. He always comes though, smiling and acting like a moron."
Rukia nodded but her shoulders tensed as she felt Hisagi closing in on the North entrance. Ichigo was close behind but nothing seemed to be following them despite the copious amounts of reiatsu they were pouring into the air. Matsumoto felt them too and drew her sword, readying herself.
"Rukia," she said. "Do you see them?"
"Not yet," Rukia answered. "But they're right outside. Gods they're so loud! They're going to attract every hollow in the city!"
"Well, that's what we're here for," Matsumoto stated.
Rukia watched as Hisagi and Ichigo came running down the path. She turned to her left to see if Yumichika and Ikkaku could see them. Ikkaku gave her the thumbs up sign and she turned back. Hisagi was searching with his reiatsu, reaching out and feeling for anything that could possibly be the last horseman. Nova teleported in next to the tall shinigami and Hisagi whispered something to the mod soul. Nova nodded and disappeared again.
Rukia's blood went cold as she watched her friends. They were like worms dangling from the end of a fisherman's line. There was nowhere to hide, nothing to provide even partial cover from the hollows arrows. She wanted to scream, or maybe to cry. Tear her hair out at the frustration that filled her chest to overflowing. Any moment now it could be over… any moment…
Ichigo moved from Hisagi's side and flash-stepped to the top of the fountain. He stood on the highest spout and slung Zangetsu over his shoulder. He looked annoyed and his reiatsu was turning red in his impatience.
What is he doing? Rukia wondered.
Suddenly, Ichigo sucked in a breath and bellowed at the sky.
"HEY! HOLLOW SON-OF-A-BITCH! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU! COME OUT AND TRY AND KILL ME ALREADY, I DON'T HAVE ALL NIGHT!"
As Rukia stared in something beyond shock, she heard Matsumoto snicker below her.
"See, Rukia? A moron."
But Ichigo got what he asked for. Seconds later, a streak a blue light from seemingly nowhere hit the fountain. The young shinigami was whisked away by Nova just as the structure exploded, stone and
water flying everywhere. The sound was deafening and the force of the impact almost knocked Rukia from her perch in the tree. She could hear Hisagi shouting but couldn't see anything but dust and falling debris.
"Shit!" Matsumoto cried. "Ishida-kun will never be able to get a hit in this mess! I can't see a thing! What's happening?"
Rukia watched as more streaks of blue screamed through the air pelting the area around the destroyed fountain. She knew they were not Quincy arrows but no matter how frantically she looked, she couldn't get a fix on where they were coming from. She could see the red flash of Nova's teleportation ability and prayed Hisagi and Ichigo were still alright.
A loud crash and a piercing roar at her back pulled Rukia from watching the courtyard. As she turned, she saw a large group of huge hollows slowly advancing from the Eastern entrance. Matsumoto flew into action, driving the front line back as best she could. From the corner of Rukia's eye, she saw Ikkaku and Yumichika take down several of the beasts with a few powerful strokes.
We have to keep them out of the courtyard…
With one last glance in Ichigo and Hisagi's direction, she hurled herself at the throng of hollow. She chanted a fire kido and blew away two before Yumichika could even react. Releasing her first dance, she brought down three others and met with Matsumoto in the thickest of it.
"God damnit, Ichigo…" she heard Matsumoto mutter under her breath. "I hope Taichou is alright."
As she sliced through a thick shell and the monster dissolved around her, Rukia noticed the rain of arrows into the courtyard had ceased and the sky was clear once more.
Oh, Kami… please no…
Rukia called to Matsumoto. "I'm going back!"
"Wait, Rukia! No!" Matsumoto cried after her, but the smaller woman didn't even hear her.
As Rukia flew through the bushes, she heard Jinta's cry near the South path.
"Look out! He's got Nova!"
Rukia's heart leapt into her throat and she increased her speed. Breaking though the foliage, her brain took a moment to register the scene.
Water gushed from the destroyed fountain and broken stone lay everywhere but the dust had settled and she could see again. Kira and Ichigo lay tangled in a deep puddle. Ichigo was struggling to sit up while Kira lay on his side clutching his chest. Shuuhei stood, bloody and gasping before a… in front of…
What the hell is it?
A tall figure in a dark cloak stood before Hisagi. His head was covered by a large cowl effectively shadowing his face. The reiatsu surrounding the figure seemed to pulsate almost painfully in a reddish haze. Rukia watched as Hisagi's shoulders sagged slowly and his naginata came closer and closer to the ground.
This was not the marksman… this was the leader, Tinieblas. His power radiated like the heat from the hottest afternoon sun. It crushed her lungs and brought her to her knees.
Where is Ishida? Why isn't he attacking? The way is clear! Where is Urahara? What the hell is going on!
She watched as Hisagi started bow forward under the strain of negative reiatsu. Blood flew from his mouth and mixed with the flowing water from the fountain. It ran between the stones of the path, separating and diluting until all traces were gone.
Oh gods, Rukia's voice cried in her head. We're all dead…
X x X x X
Nova surveyed the courtyard as Ichigo-san and Hisagi-san neared the fountain. There was no sign of the hollows anywhere, not a flicker of reiatsu, everything was quiet. The mod soul's eyes moved to each of the four areas the shinigami teams were located. He saw that Abarai and the blonde were carefully hidden underneath a large oak tree. Rukia-san was high in a pine with a good view of the surrounding area. Urahara-sama stood with Sado and Jinta just to his right amongst thick dogwood.
Nova could feel Hisagi-san questing out with his reiatsu. The shinigami motioned for Nova to join him and the mod soul teleported to his side.
"It's going to get loud here in a second," Hisagi whispered. "Our reiatsu is attracting several huge hollow. Wait along the edge where the horseman won't see you. If he knows your abilities, you'll be as much of a target as we are. Watch us from the side."
Nova nodded and ported behind the oak next to Abarai.
The red head startled when he appeared but didn't say anything. His attention was on Hisagi.
"Huge hollow are coming," Nova whispered.
"Ikkaku and Rukia-san's teams are in charge of extra hollow," the blonde at Abarai's side whispered back. "We're supposed to keep watch on Shuuhei and Ichigo."
"Kira," Abarai said slowly. "Do you feel something weird? Like a pressure?"
Nova watched as Kira shook his head. "Not really, why?"
Abarai rolled his shoulders. "Never mind, it's probably just my nerves."
"What is Ichigo doing?" Kira asked suddenly.
Nova turned in time to see Ichigo land on the highest spout of the fountain. The mod soul frowned at this strange development but he froze as Ichigo bellowed out across the park.
"HEY! HOLLOW SON-OF-A-BITCH! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU! COME OUT AND TRY AND KILL ME ALREADY, I DON'T HAVE ALL NIGHT!"
"Fucking, gah!" Abarai choked. "Son of a bitch, Ichigo!"
Nova's eyebrows rose. Well, that's one way to bring him out.
Blue streaked across the sky directly in Nova's line of vision. The mod soul glanced up to see an arrow was heading directly for Ichigo and the fountain. Nova ported to the young shinigami's side and teleported Ichigo away just as the fountain exploded from the impact. Water rained down on them when they reentered the dimension. His sight was clouded as dust attacked his eyes and debris fell around all around.
Hisagi called out. "Ichigo! Nova! Are you alright?"
"We're fine!" Ichigo shouted back. "But now how is Ishida gonna see to shoot the son of a bitch! There's shit everywhere!"
Nova saw more streaks of blue and grabbed Ichigo's arm. They ported to the other side of the fountain as another arrow struck the ground where they had been standing.
"Fuck!" Hisagi roared. "Where are they coming from?"
"No fucking idea!" Ichigo screamed. "I can't see a damn thing!"
Nova frantically watched the sky and did his best to keep Hisagi-san and Ichigo out of the line of fire. But the arrows continued to rain down at almost impossible speeds and the mod soul was starting to feel sluggish. Something seemed to be holding him back as he moved. He felt a weight on his shoulders and his eyelids began to feel heavy. His gigai's legs almost gave out but he forced himself to focus on Hisagi and the orange flash of Ichigo's hair.
After a few moments of standing, panting in a deep puddle of cold running water, Nova realized the shower of arrows had ceased. Where had the archer gone? What was happening? He turned around indolently to look for Ichigo but cried out as he was gripped by his collar. The mod soul looked up into a face shrouded in shadow and blazing yellow eyes. Pearl white teeth flashed as his tall captor sneered down at him.
"You are a nuisance…" the sand-papery voice growled.
"Look out!" he heard Jinta scream from somewhere. "He's got Nova!"
Nova panicked, he couldn't teleport. His energy had been drained- was still being drained. He could do nothing but hang from the monster's grip as the sword was lifted to cut him in two.
"Oh hell no!" Kira landed above him on the hollow's shoulders. He raised his angled sword and struck the hollow's weapon repeatedly. Every strike was emphasized by a guttural cry from the blonde.
"Let! (strike!) Nova! (strike!) GO! (strike!)" The hollow grunted and his arm sagged. He dropped his sword like it weighed a thousand pounds.
Nova felt consciousness slipping away, but was aware of Abarai pulling him away from the horrifying figure. He was quickly passed to another pair of arms and he felt his body being dragged into the bushes. Already he was coming back to himself. His vision cleared and he felt the pressure lessen from his chest. It must have been the contact with that hollow… Was that the negative reiatsu Urahara-sama was talking about?
"Abarai-san!" He heard Jinta scream.
He looked up at the young red head. The boy was watching the fight intently. Nova turned to look in time to see Kira thrown across the courtyard.
"Kira!" Ichigo screamed. The young shinigami threw himself at the blonde and caught him before he hit a jagged piece of rock. The two fell, tangled together into a large puddle. Ichigo struggled to sit back up, but Kira was bleeding profusely from a wound in his chest.
"We have to help them," Nova whispered.
Jinta nodded. "Can you teleport again? We gotta get Kira-san, he's hurt bad."
Nova nodded and pulled himself to his feet. He looked down and saw the red head's jeans covered in blood. Startled, he knelt by the boy's side.
"Jinta-kun! Are you alright?" Nova's voice was strained. Jinta was one of his only friends and it made his insides boil to see him injured.
"I'm fine, Nova," the boy replied. "It's okay; I just got grazed by one of the arrows."
Nova stood reluctantly and turned to see Hisagi fall to his knees in front of the hollow. The shinigami was covered in blood and his reiatsu was disappearing fast.
"Oh shit," Jinta whispered as he tried to stand. "Hisagi-san…"
Nova didn't know what to do. He could save Hisagi, but maybe only for a few seconds. Kira obviously needed to be taken to Tessai and the others. But where was Urahara-sama? Where was Ishida-san? Where was their counter attack?
What the hell is going on!
X x X x X
Ishida watched Hisagi and Ichigo enter the courtyard from his vantage point on the flat roof of an apartment complex. The high location allowed him to see all four entrances to the park and gave him a
clear shot to the fountain. He held his bow steady in his right hand, the fingers of his left hovered over the shelf, ready to draw. He kept his breathing even, blinked as little as possible, and watched the surrounding buildings and treetops with a scrutinizing eye.
Where would I attack from… where is the most advantageous position?
Ishida appreciated being teamed up with Hitsugaya. The small Captain was quiet, easy to work with, and his comments and observations were well thought out and intuitive. He claimed to know nothing about marksmanship but had pointed out angles and cross paths that Ishida had overlooked.
"Now we just have to pray that Kurosaki doesn't do something stupid," Hitsugaya murmured at his side.
Ishida snickered softly. "Hitsugaya Taichou, you've know Kurosaki long enough that you should expect him to do something stupid."
The Captain sighed. "I can always hope… dream…"
Ishida watched in mild confusion as Ichigo leapt to the top of the fountain. The young shinigami stood for a moment looking around the courtyard.
Why do I feel like things are about to go straight to shit? Ishida thought.
The Quincy's heart almost stopped as Ichigo took a deep breath and shouted across the courtyard, his voice echoing through the entire park and no doubt into the streets beyond.
"HEY! HOLLOW SON-OF-A-BITCH! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU!"
Halfway through the orange – haired idiot's tirade, Hitsugaya sighed in defeat.
"I hope… and I dream… and then the fuck-head dashes my dreams to pieces with his thick, ugly skull."
Ishida would have laughed, but a flash of blue streaked across the sky towards the courtyard. Reacting on instinct, the Quincy drew an arrow and retraced the flash of blue back to where he thought it had come from. Unfortunately, that place was the middle of the open courtyard thirty feet above the ground. Ishida saw a blur of brown and black before arrows started pelting the courtyard.
I didn't think he would attack from the open like that, Ishida berated himself. I underestimated him…
Even with his Quincy speed and awareness, Ishida could not follow where all the arrows were coming from. The cloud of dust and debris didn't help matters at all either. He couldn't see anything but streaks of blue and the quick red flash from Nova's teleportation.
A long string of obstinacies spewed from Hitsugaya's mouth before the Captain moved to stand on the edge of the roof.
"Huge hollow are coming," Hitsugaya spat. "This is so fucked up. Can you see anything?"
"He's down there with them," Ishida said. "But there's nothing I can do now with this mess."
"Do we need to move?" Hitsugaya asked.
"No. I have the advantage if I have the higher ground. The dust will settle in just a few moments. We'll have to wait." He watched the blue streaks, noticing a pattern in where they flew around his comrades. "I have an idea where he is, I just need a few seconds." He drew another arrow and readied himself against the railing.
"Shit!" Hitsugaya cried as the building shook. "We got a couple of hollows after us. Don't move. I'll take care of these." The Captain flashed across the rooftop to engage the monsters scaling the apartment wall.
Ishida watched the courtyard as the dust started to clear. He could almost make out the orange beacon of Ichigo's hair as he darted around in the water, dodging arrows and calling out to Hisagi. The Quincy focused on his task and tried to ignore the sounds of battle directly to his left and the chill of frosty wind as Hitsugaya cut down yet another hollow.
Wait… where were the arrows? Why had the attack stopped?
The dust had settled enough so Ishida could see Hisagi and Ichigo looking around in bewilderment. The courtyard was a disaster, flooded and littered with arrows and large pieces of broken stone. But there was no hollow… no… oh gods wait… Nova. What was happening to Nova?
Ishida felt a strange tightening in his chest as a burning presence made itself known behind him. He slowly turned to face a figure his exact size, wearing a dirty yellow cloak and holding a bow frighteningly similar to his own.
The last horseman pulled back his hood to reveal white skin and abysmal black eyes. His hair was long and tangled with no distinct color. His mouth stretched into a maniac grin to show off broken black teeth.
"Ishida!" Hitsugaya called from his other side.
"Don't move, Hitsugaya!" Ishida called back.
The Quincy knew if he moved he was dead. The hollow already had an arrow drawn and pointed at his chest. There was no way Ishida could get a shot off before he was struck.
The hollow laughed. His voice had the hollow underwater sound but it was soft, almost tender.
"Hello little Quincy…"
X x X x X
Jinta ducked and covered his head as the fountain exploded. Cold water and sharp bits of rock rained down on his back.
"Well…" he heard Urahara sigh. "That's an unfortunate twist."
Jinta looked up and found himself slightly put out when he saw his guardian standing nonchalantly above him, completely dry. How the hell did he pull off shit like that?
"The debris," Sado murmured beside him. "Ishida can't get a clear shot."
"Hmm, yes," Urahara tapped his chin. "I had a hunch…"
Jinta didn't stay to listen to what Urahara had to say. He stood, gripping his kanabo and jumped out onto the walkway. He could make out the shape of Hisagi-san, but didn't see Ichigo. He hoped the substitute had been able to dodge or Nova had been able to teleport him to safety. The red head was about to call out for him when something screamed by his ear, hitting the ground at his feet with a sharp thud. He looked down and recognized one of the hollow's arrows. He heard more whistling through the air and started to move on instinct. He turned his head to the sky and batted the arrows pouring down into the courtyard. He ran to Hisagi-san's side and did his best to deflect the deadly projectiles that were headed for the tall shinigami.
Keep Hisagi-san safe, he told himself. He's Abarai nii-san's special person…
"Jinta-kun!" Hisagi cried. "Where the hell is Urahara-san!"
"No idea!" Jinta bellowed.
A sudden burning pain in his left calf caused Jinta to cry out and fall backwards. He landed on his back in a deep puddle, reeling from the intense pain in his leg. He felt the little reiatsu he had draining away, seeped from his soul by the arrow that pierced his skin. He reached down and gripped the scalding projectile in his fingers. Holding his breath and clamping his jaw shut, Jinta pulled with all his strength until the shaft left his skin with a sickeningly wet sound. He squeezed his eyes closed and gave himself a second to recover.
Wait… he shouldn't have a second… Jinta opened his eyes and leaned his head back. The shower of arrows had stopped. The dust had also cleared a little, giving Jinta a good upside down view of the courtyard… and… who was that? What was that? Someone had Nova by the collar! Where had he come from?
Jinta saw the looming figure in the dark cloak raise an oversized sword to cut into the mod soul. In desperation the young red head cried out.
"Look out! He's got Nova!"
He pulled himself to his feet, frantically trying to get to his friend and was relieved when he saw Kira-san land on Nova's attacker. The blonde shinigami raised his angled Zanpakuto and brought it down on the enemy's sword over and over, his strikes punctuated by angry cries that Jinta couldn't make out.
Then Abarai nii-san was there. Jinta felt relief wash over him in a tidal wave. Abarai would fix everything. He was amazing and strong and powerful. Already his idol had Nova in his arms and was turning towards him.
"Jinta-kun!" Abarai growled. "Help him!"
Jinta caught the mod soul and dragged his gigai into the bushes. He turned back quickly to see Abarai and Hisagi-san facing their new foe from either side. Kira and Ichigo stood close behind, their swords raised. The four shinigami together were ferocious looking; like samurai or those cool Dynasty warriors in that Xbox game Jinta liked to play. He watched as Hisagi-san attacked with his naginata, giving Abarai an opening to hit the enemy's left side.
Suddenly, Jinta felt that horrible burning sensation again. It filled his chest and put pressure on his shoulders, making him fall to his knees. He felt like he was going to choke. His reiatsu was draining away once more. He looked up to see Abarai and Hisagi-san falter as their reiatsu was attacked. The force must have been excruciatingly painful being that close to the source.
The enemy took his opportunity and moved with a speed Jinta hadn't even seen Yoruichi-san use. He lashed out, striking Hisagi-san and in one fluid motion, sliced up the front of Abarai's kimono. Abarai countered but was backhanded viciously, thrown backwards by the force of the blow.
"Abarai-san!" he called out in terror.
Kira attacked next, but was easily deflected by another hard backhand and tossed in the other direction. Ichigo moved to catch the blonde before he hit a jagged piece of rock. The two fell tangled into a large puddle and Jinta's blood ran cold as he saw the wound in Kira's chest. What could he do? He was so weak!
"We have to help them," Nova whispered at his side.
Oh thank the gods, Nova. Nova could get Kira out of there.
Jinta nodded. "Can you teleport again? We gotta get Kira-san, he's hurt bad."
Nova stood beside him shakily but froze. "Jinta-kun! Are you alright?"
Jinta looked where Nova's eyes were staring. His jeans were soaked in his blood, but he knew it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Jinta had learned a long time ago that a little blood went a long way.
"I'm fine, Nova," Jinta said. "It's okay; I just got grazed by one of the arrows."
He turned back to the courtyard when he heard Hisagi-san's choked gasp. The tall Vice Captain was covered in blood but still facing the attacker. His spear was held expertly in his hands and his face was set in a terrifying sneer. Jinta felt a rush of awe as he watched the shinigami fearlessly stare down the enemy. He was almost as cool as Abarai nii-san.
Another pulse of that burning reiatsu rippled through the air, and Hisagi sank to his knees.
"Oh shit," Jinta whispered as he tried to stand. "Hisagi-san…"
Jinta wondered vaguely for a moment where Urahara was. What happened to Ishida? Wasn't he supposed to be watching from a building and covering them from above? What the hell was going on? Hisagi-san was going to be killed!
"Hey, asshole!" a voice echoed across the courtyard.
Jinta almost collapsed with relief as Abarai, appeared on the remnants of broken fountain. His hair was loose and blowing brilliantly in the breeze. The left side of his mane was dark with the blood that ran from his temple and his kimono was torn from shoulder to hip. He was bruised, soaking wet, and covered in dirt and dust but he was terrifying. He raised his Zanpakuto steadily and pointed it at their enemy.
"Don't you fucking touch Shuuhei you son of a bitch."
TBC