Chapter 32
Quick and Not So Quick
By Demon-of-Cats
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, the Tite does. I own my OC's and OOC's
Warnings: This is AU and has some spoilers.
No Flames please, but constructive criticism is welcome.
When they reached the entrance to the elemental zone the group bunched together. Instantly, they felt the restrictions holding their blades in place in their sheaths.
The first four fights ended in the blink of an eye and then there was silence as they ran toward the center. For several moments there was only the stillness around them as they ran, then an arrancar appeared.
It laughed and then said, "Shadows will de-"
Then it and twelve of its comrades were dead and disintegrating.
Lancelot sheathed his zanpaku-tô, "Shadows defeated you."
As they moved toward the center there were many fights. Almost everyone participated and then the final arrancar group appeared between them and the building at the center.
"Mist is my weakness and only it will defeat me. Someone here has that, who?"
Amanda frowned and then muttered, "I had hoped I would get one."
"WHO WILL I FIGHT?"
Moria walked forward with measured steps, "That would be me."
Shinji frowned and glanced at Sajin. He noticed that his brother-in-law's face was set in a frown as well, but his eyes didn't seem worried.
What do you know that I don't? Shinji thought as he gazed at his younger sister again.
"Perchance are you of rank?" the arrancar asked.
"You tell me," Moria answered as she continued to step forward, "Spread! Umigiri!"
Moria's sheathed blade transformed into a flute and mist appeared around her. Then from the midst of the mist music began to play. Slowly the mist began to concentrate around the arrancar and its three remaining comrades. Each darkened in color as the mist disappeared into them just as Moria turned lighter in color.
As she finished the song she drew the blade from the flute.
The arrancar frowned and then asked, "What is that supposed to do?"
"You tell me," Moria answered and flash stepped behind the arrancar and next to his comrades. Her zanpaku-tô sang as it sliced through the three and then she charged her main target.
As his comrades died his eyes widened and he jumped away. Umigiri barely grazed his arm as he jumped away and suddenly a gaping wound was there, one that nearly took his arm off.
"That's a neat trick," Arthur muttered.
"She has many," Sajin said, "And one I will give away to the group. If she should activate her bankai then men should cover their ears. You don't want to be affected by her ability."
Ichigo turned to look at Arthur and then he asked, "Don't the charms that Merlin gave us protect us from the abilities of zanpaku-tô?"
Arthur nodded and then said, "Anyone touching you is safe as well as long as you are willing to protect them. If the arrancar were to touch you he wouldn't be protected."
The male members of the Visoreds were all suddenly standing next to Ichigo.
Rukia walked over next to her brother and smiled, "Those training with Ichigo were given the charms as well."
This caused Renji and Chad to get mobbed.
"Lancelot and I have the charms as well," Arthur said, "So we can spread out a little more. What about you Sajin?"
"Umigiri made me immune to her abilities. Moria and I fight together so often she thought it best that I remain unaffected. Someone touching me won't share that though."
"I seem to be immune as well," Tôsen said, "Though I think that has something to do with the fact I can't see."
Arthur chuckled and then said, "Sounds like some forms of magic then, a form that needs to be seen and heard in order to be effective."
While that exchange was taking place Moria was on the offensive. She was slashing at her enemy with strong attacks.
"NOW WHAT IF I ATTACK YOU!" the arrancar yelled and then appeared behind her. He swung his blade and hit Moria in the shoulder.
His blade stopped and he blinked.
Moria looked down at where the blade had touched her, "Ouch you gave me a paper cut."
"How much is the damage change?" Arthur asked Sajin suddenly.
"Light attacking dark the damage is ten-fold. Dark attacking light the damage is reduced ten-fold. It is five fold if attacking someone without the mist in their system."
"So if we are attacked by him we will receive a little more than a paper cut," Renji muttered.
"The mist is easily removed by someone with high spiritual pressure though," Sajin muttered.
The arrancar, just a moment before Sajin spoke suddenly spiked his spiritual pressure. Around him a black mist appeared and dissipated. He then activated his resurrection and attacked Moria. She attempted to get him with her mist a second time but it wouldn't touch his skin.
"It seems I've found some way to defend myself," the arrancar laughed, "Your little attack will be worthless now. YOUR CHILDREN ARE DEAD!"
Moria froze in place and then her face became dark, her eyes covered in shadow as her spiritual pressure spiked suddenly; "Do you really think . . . that was my full strength?"
The arrancar's eyes widened.
"Bankai," Moria muttered as she sheathed her blade. Mist formed in mass and shielded her from view.
It covered everyone on the battlefield and those men who didn't have a charm quickly touched someone who did, as they felt something at the back of their mind that made them nervous.
Moria's voice then came to their ears, "Kon'iro enmu no keikoku."i
Sajin closed his eyes and sat down. He felt her hand touch his cheek and he smiled slightly.
The arrancar created a strong wind and the mist blew back slightly to reveal Moria to those looking in the right direction. She was dressed in a beautiful blue kimono of kabuki nature. Even her face held a kabuki like appearance painted pure white with deep blue lips and a deeper blue around her eyes in a sweeping pattern. On her cheeks a light blue blush, applied in a perfect circle. Floating above her head, starting just at eye level, was what appeared to be a blue/grey fin that trailed over her head and frilled back ending near the ground. One such fin also adorned each shoulder.
The arrancar looked smug for a moment and then attacked her again.
Moria spoke, "Fukusuru enmunai."ii
As her words finished the arrancar's attack passed through as she dissipated into the mist that had reformed.
Several seconds later the arrancar was dead and the mist began to vanish as Moria sealed her zanpaku-tô.
"Beautiful," Yumichika said as he spotted Moria in her Bankai, he hadn't seen her before.
"So your bankai clouds the senses of men huh?" Matsumoto asked as she ran over, "A woman would have an easier time?"
"Yes," Moria said as she placed Umigiri to her side before turning toward the building that her children were in, "and no."
"Explanations are for later," Arthur said as they entered the building, effectively cutting Matsumoto off.
They entered and instantly Sajin growled as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Everyone could hear babies crying and the sound of a young child yelling, though the words were lost through the walls.
Moria glanced around and then followed Sajin as he ran up the stairs. Arthur and Lancelot were nowhere to be seen.
Then, Arthur appeared in front of the couple. He handed two small bundles to Moria and then Kureno appeared in his arms and was handed to Sajin. Then Arthur disappeared and there was a blast of spiritual pressure and a door went flying.
"Daddy!" Kureno cried. He had a cut above his eyebrow and one of his ears was half missing.
Haruka and Himiko were in the same condition, and the injuries were bleeding.
The babies cried and cried and Moria cuddled them into her chest as she tried to calm them. Retsu came forward then and had nearly started to heal Haruka when her wrist was grabbed.
"I don't mean to be harsh," Arthur said, his voice cool, "But the Lady of the Lake needs to treat these injuries. There is a spell about them that could cause harm if she isn't the one to heal them."
Retsu nodded and backed away. The shadows then pulsed slightly and Lancelot appeared from one of the shadows.
"All are dead now," he said, "Their bodies in the shadow realm."
"Good," Arthur said and then turned toward the door, "Let us go. By now Merlin must have found a way to get the babies to Europe."
As they exited the house, those not carrying a child drew their blades. They had to be ready for whatever element was to defeat the hollows now.
They ran for a ways and then a hollow attacked and yelled, "Thunder and Lightning fights us now!"
"You chose badly," Amanda said. She had been one of the few not to draw her blade when she had exited the house. Now she did and the spiritual pressure that she released as the blade clicked out of the sheath caused Lieutenants nearly drop to their knees. They didn't completely fall because her power wasn't directed toward them.
"You're the General!" the hollow cried before he died.
"Yes and now the element is set," Amanda said, her voice cold, "I don't have time to waste on you fools. Fly to the sky! Thunder Eagle!"
As she released her blade there was a violent burst of lightning from her body that pulsed in the general direction that they were heading. Hollows died just being in the presence of that power.
Kyôraku and Ukitake blinked at her and then looked at each other before Kyôraku said, "THAT proves she's the General better than words. I've only ever seen that much destruction when you release Old Man Yama."
Yamamoto himself looked stunned.
"Let's move," Arthur said, "She's cleared a path."
They ran forward, occasionally having to pause to defend. As they ran Amanda seemed to be everywhere.
It was Yoruichi that pointed out she was moving so fast she was creating clones.
"Yes and no," Arthur said, "Those are solid and not just her being in so many places at once. While she is moving quickly, she has left spiritual pressure behind and it takes solid form. Though, if one of them were struck it would dissipate quickly into an electric cloud."
"Aw come on," Amana said as she appeared next to Arthur, "Don't give away all my abilities."
"I haven't given them all away," Arthur chuckled, "But shouldn't you be concentrating on the battle?"
"THUNDER MINE!" Amanda called suddenly and then spots on the battlefield ahead exploded with lightning, killing hollows and clearing the path, "We're almost out now."
"When did you put those down?" Arthur asked.
"On the way in. Fight smarter not harder."
"Don't make me hurt you," Lancelot growled.
Amanda just grinned as everyone passed through the gate.
End Chapter 32
i Deep blue mist of the siren. Grammar is probably off.
ii To hide inside the mist