(A/N: I have nothing to say)
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Tales of the Abyss
Somewhere in the Seireitai
3rd Person pov
"Repent, Ochitamegami," Nebilim released her Shikai and stood proud in it, her hands in her pockets. "Well," she said, "I've released my Zanpakuto, you gonna release yours?"
Largo just scowled and turned his sword upside-down and slammed the time into the ground, "Recall the eons of war, Chusei no Puraido!" (Pride of Ages) The sword transformed in reverse, the hilt becoming the weapons' top and the tip becoming the hilt. Largo's weapon transformed into a sickle with a shape similar to his old weapon back when he fought as a member of the Six God Generals in Auldrant. The handle was in color by the handle and the blade was crimson. The symbol of a 7-pronged star was located at the meeting joint of the pole and blade with the rim of it red and the inner portions of it yellow, the center of it was hollowed out.
"A sickle scythe, can't really tell if that suits you or not," Nebilim pulled one of her hands out of her pocket and held it underneath her bosom with her palm facing towards the ground, "shall we find out?" after her rhetorical question Nebilim send an energy blast Largo's way. The former god general dodged out of the way and appeared behind and to the right of the white haired teacher and swung at her with his weapon. She jumped and he missed. Nebilim prepared to attack only for Largo to appear behind her, He's fast. Largo swung down over center of Nebilim's body with her back to him. Nebilim turned, the gems on her coat flashing, and summoned a hand axe to block and deflect Largo's attack. While descending, she swung upward and smashed away his weapon before kicking him in the side of the waist and sending him careening into the ground. Nebilim pointed to where he had landed with an open palm, "Thy servant that is weaker than the cool breath of morning enhance your energy into the justice of hate to bring about the new age of dawn. Hado number 55, Budosen!" (Martial Ray) Nebilim fired a straight shot of violet-pink spirit energy at Largo's location and then lowered herself to the ground. Largo was still standing, but he had lost the clothing on his right shoulder and was bleeding from it, panting.
"How?" he grunted, "Your strength should be significantly than mine in terms of brute force, how did you stop my attack so easily?"
"It's quite simple really," Nebilim smiled holding her palm face up, elbow bent, other hand in her pocket, "Your weapon is a long scythe like weapon, one could almost consider it a lance. I used an axe and as any good combatant knows axes always have an advantage over lances the same way that lances have an advantage over swords and swords have an advantage over axes. It's the simple weapon triangle, surely a warrior of your caliber knows that basic battle principle."
"Do not take me lightly Nebilim Gelda," Largo shouted, and raised his weapon high in the air, "Or else you may regret it!" He slammed the blade of his weapon into the ground and sent a powerful shockwave along the pathway towards Nebilim. The wise professor dodged out the way and came at Largo from on high. The former mercenary used Shunpo and met her head on at point blank range and swung at Nebilim with his scythe. Rather than block with an axe Nebilim stood on the flat end of Largo's weapon, put her hand right in his face and said, "Hado 31, Shakkaho!" She blasted him straight into the ground with her Kido attack and then raised her hand to the sky, drawing in spirit energy with it. Soon a large swirling mass of spirit energy was forming above Nebilim's head. It was about the size of a large suitcase when she released it and chucked it down towards Largo. He prepared for the large blast to come at him, but because they were so bright he missed the smirk on Nebilim's face and the snapping motion of her fingers that caused the blast to separate into six separate blasts. Largo was caught off guard and was only managed to dodge as many as four, getting hit by the other two. The next thing he knew Nebilim was behind him she swung forward, disadvantaging herself, by summoning a sword, but she didn't have to worry about Largo's reaction time, she had moved in and out quick enough to cut him in the shoulder. Largo now felt his arms sag, finding it hard to hold up his massive weapon.
Nebilim swung the sword she was still holding shaking off some of the blood, "Do you still want to continue to fight me?" she asked Largo, "With both your shoulders slashed and damaged as they are you'll have a hard time swinging around that overly large weapon of yours."
"Don't get too conceited!" Largo shouted and rushed forward attacking Nebilim with his scythe weapon.
The 12th Division researcher dodged the strike and each subsequent one as Largo attacked again and again until he swung and cut a tree in half to which Nebilim flipped over him and turned pointing her pointer finger at Largo, "Hado 47, Yogan Resa!" A flare of orange-red spirit energy when shoot towards Largo from off of Nebilim's finger and exploded burning his back and his uniform. Largo flexed his muscles and burst off the rest of his Shihakusho and turned to face Nebilim, gritting his teeth. "Really now Largo don't you think you ought to quit while you still have the strength to stand?"
Largo grabbed the lower end of his Zanpakuto and raised it high into the air, "Hado 71, Kiretsu!"
Momentarily shocked as the chasm barreled towards her Nebilim leapt out of the way, Largo right on her. He swung at her with his Zanpakuto's weapon. Nebilim did nothing and let Largo's momentum keep coming down, only for his weapon to stop just outside her immediate space and create sparks as though it had just clanged against something solid, "Hado 33, Sokatsui!" Largo was blasted in the chest and knocked to the ground just to the left of the Chasm he created.
"Why did…why did my attack suddenly stop? What was that?" he asked.
"My Zanpakuto Ochitamegami has a self-defense mechanism built right in its release. An elliptical barrier surrounds my immediate vicinity only those with at least Lieutenant class reiatsu can even hope to break through it. If my barrier was too strong for you to break through with an attack then you have no hopes of victory. I'm going to end this battle before you cripple yourself further by trying to beat me. Bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku!" The powerful binding ropes went sailing towards Largo, but the hefty mercenary and 9th division soldier wasn't about to get caught in Nebilim's web of Kido. He dodged out of the way and behind Nebilim. She held her free hand like a cup behind her palm facing out behind her and fired an energy blast, which got Largo right in the chest covering him in a sticky goop that quickly hardened and trapped the man. However, Largo wasn't about to be caught in quick drying cement and burst out of it, but in that time Nebilim had managed to draw out yet another sword and slashed him right across his body, she hacked upwards and then down again creating 3 cuts along the man's body that formed an 'N'. Largo coughed out blood. "Like I told you, I would end the battle. You were never a match for me Largo," Nebilim told him, "hardly anyone is. You should be thankful you're not a real enemy," Nebilim began to walk away, "If you were, I would've killed you." With that the Head Researcher Assistant sealed her power into her sword and sheathed it. "You fought pretty good for a lug like yourself," she said lifting him onto her back, dear Yulia this man is heavy, "I'm going to take you to 4th Division to get you treated." As Nebilim made her way to 4th Division she found herself thinking, once Largo is able to get treated there are still some matters I need to attend to, I hope I can make it to the Sokyoku in time.
6th Division grounds
2 hours and 15 minutes before Rukia's execution
"Renji why are you doing this?" Rikichi found himself asking as he stared at the ground.
"What in the world happened here?" An angry voice suddenly shouted. Rikichi turned around to see Asch stomping onto the area.
"Ah 3rd Seat Fon Fabre thank goodness," Rikichi clambered towards the red head, "Please you've gotta do something."
"Explain to me the situation, I was engrossed in important research when I felt spiritual pressure in our own jurisdiction going haywire. What the hell happened?" Asch demanded to know.
"It's Lieutenant Abarai sir, he's gone completely nuts! He just started attacking everyone for no reason!" Rikichi shouted.
"Lieutenant Abarai is supposed to be in jail? Did he break out?" Asch asked.
"He looked like he had been out for quite sometime his spiritual pressure felt stronger too. Look," Rikichi showed Asch his broken Zanpakuto, "he broke my Zanpakuto in half, and not just me, them as well." Rikichi pointed to the amount of men thrown out on the ground, unconscious.
Asch grit his teeth and sneered with the utmost frustration and temperament, Damn it, what the hell is Lieutenant Abarai thinking? For god sakes prison break is one thing but attacking our own men.
"Do something 3rd Seat Fon Fabre!" Rikichi pleaded, "Find out what's wrong!"
Asch calmed down and put his thumb and forefinger to his chin, Hmm, I'd just as soon leave this to Captain Kuchiki to deal with, since Lieutenant Abarai is my superior officer, but knowing his origins, having researched it there can only be one reason he's going through all this trouble. Asch smiled with pride, I suppose I'll catch up with him and see what's up. Asch took a step forward.
"3rd Seat Fon Fabre."
"Fine I'll go after him," Asch said.
"Yes, thank you," Rikichi said. With that Asch took off after Renji as fast as he could. He managed to catch up with Renji because his Shunpo far outclassed the lieutenant's.
"Get out of the way Asch, I've got no quarrel with you!" Renji shouted at the 3rd Seat when he barred his path.
"Striking down our own men and breaking out of jail, have you lost it Lieutenant Abarai?" Asch shouted.
"You wouldn't understand, now stand aside!" he shouted drawing out his sword.
"I'm not here to get in your way, just to inquire," Asch said without drawing his weapon.
"I don't care, don't delay me, run with me!" Renji shouted.
"The execution doesn't start for another 2 hours," Asch said, "calm yourself." Renji relaxed a hair's breadth.
"Are you going to save Rukia?" Asch asked.
"What kind of dumb question is that, of course I am! And no one is going to stop me!" Renji shouted.
"Fine, then let's move," Asch said turning around.
"Huh?" Renji was confused.
"You're not the only one who doesn't want to see Rukia die," Asch said.
Renji smirked, "Thanks Asch,"
"Don't thank me, if we get caught I'm going to pretend not to be involved with you and pretend I don't know what you're up to got it," Asch told him.
"Does this have something to do with why you keep hauling yourself up in your office pilled under pounds of books and research notes?" Renji asked approaching his subordinate.
"Something of that note," Asch said cryptically.
"Heh, fine, let's get a move on." The two individuals kept moving until Asch sensed Captain Kuchiki's spiritual pressure. Immediately he drew his sword to make it look like he and Renji had been fighting. "Hey what're you doing?" Renji grumbled trying to get Asch off him when he felt the spiritual pressure too and followed the trajectory of Asch's eyes up to the top of the monument, where their Captain was standing, "Captain…Kuchiki."
"Where are you going Renji?" Byakuya asked him.
Renji drew his attention away from Asch, who leapt back a step. Renji mustered up all the courage he could and shouted, "I'm going to save Rukia!"
"No," Byakuya said.
"I must!" Renji insisted.
"I assume that you're refusing to let me pass," Renji stated.
"I would assume I'm not the only one," Byakuya indicated Asch's presence.
"Renji attacked our own men on his war path down here. After catching wind I followed in pursuit," which was the truth, but not the whole truth.
"I see," Byakuya squinted slightly, "Worry not, I can take care of things from here," Byakuya stated, "Carry on with your business Asch,"
"Good luck," Renji whispered to the red head behind him.
"Don't go dying now," Asch said and took off.
The moment Asch left Renji and Byakuya engaged each other in battle. It began with Byakuya attempting to attack Renji with Senka, which said Lieutenant blocked.
"Captain Kuchiki you can no longer destroy me with that sword!" Renji declared.
Byakuya didn't move a muscle except those of his lips in order to say, "You talk as if you've already won. What makes you so confident? Don't tell me you think that with your level of strength you can break my blade?" Byakuya held up his sword and gathered reiryoku around him in preparation to release it, "Scatter…"
Instinctively Renji send his Zanpakuto charging across the air and collided it with Byakuya's sword halting its release. Byakuya turned wide-eyed for a moment. He had not expected that. "I told you, you can't kill me with that sword anymore," Renji insisted in his declaration and recalled his Shikai back to its contracted form. "Long before I became your lieutenant even before I joined the Gotei 13 I was obsessed with one thing. I wanted to surpass you Captain Kuchiki."
Byakuya was more concerned with the fact that Renji had called out his Zanpakuto without calling its name. He released his Zanapkuto without calling its name, does this mean that he's…
"And I will surpass you Captain Kuchiki," Renji stated, "Bankai!" Powerful red spirit energy gave off, ripping up the tiles of the pavement as Renji released his sword's ultimate form. Byakuya stood watching intently. He was interested in seeing the ultimate power of his Lieutenant's Zanpakuto the way he stoically stared down the battlefield. A whirlwind of dust had begun to pick itself up around Renji blocking all visibility of his body and general area. The dust cleared and Renji's Bankai was revealed at last. Renji's Bankai took the form of a long Bamboo like snake creature, with a mane. The head looked like that of a baboon's skull mixed with a snake's. It growled like as though it were a prehistoric Pteradon. "Hihio Zabimaru."
"Well well, when did you achieve Bankai?" Byakuya asked.
"It figures you didn't know, you who don't have time for even your own subordinates," Renji stated bitingly. "I'll say it once again, I'm going now to save Rukia!"
"I've already given you my answer to that," Byakuya replied coldly.
"Very well, if you won't let me pass," the joints of Hihio Zabimaru began to separate, spirit energy forming in between the gaps, "I'll kill you and step over your corpse!" Renji scowled.
"Unlikely," Byakuya scoffed, but his plain speech didn't reflect as such, "With your ability you'll find it impossible to make me fall on even one knee." Having heard enough Renji sent Hihio Zabimaru forward at his captain who dodged giving no gesture for doing so as the head of Hihio Zabimaru dove into the ground. Renji attacked again, but still couldn't get Byakuya in the jaws of his massive weapon. He tried again and again, but he still yielded the same result, frustrating him. He only managed to get Byakuya when the 6th Division captain deliberately let it catch him, but at that point he had already thought of a strategy. "I see," Byakuya observed, "It's power is truly at the level of Bankai. Nonetheless," Byakuya's sword glowed pink, "It isn't enough. Scatter, Senbonzakura." The thousand tiny blades were released and cut through Renji's Bankai like leaves through the air. The fragments of the powerful Bankai were separated into tiny little pieces that fell all around Renji. Byakuya landed perfectly on his feet, safely on the ground with back to his lieutenant. He turned around when all the joints began reconnecting themselves and Hihio Zabimaru was prepared to strike again.
"Senbonzakura, a thousand blades each too small for the eye to see. When the blades fly the turn and reflect the sunlight, resembling a thousand flower petals falling. I know it all too well," Renji was rather unimpressed with Byakuya's attack earlier. "Unfortunately for you," Renji separated a joint in his Bankai as he explained, "My sword's joints are connected by my spirit energy. Your blades can't cut through them. Just now I deliberately disconnected the joints and then scattered them in order to counter your thousand blades!" Renji telegraphed his earlier tactic, of which Byakuya seemed rather surprised to which Renji smirked and asked, rubbing salt in the wound, "Does that surprise you, captain? I already told you. I can see every one of your blades!" With that announcement the ground beneath Byakuya exploded. He jumped and dodged and, against his own words fell down onto his knee. "Well what do you know, I got you down on your knee. And now I'm going to defeat you! I think it's time to bring down the curtain on the struggle between us, Kuchiki-taicho."
"Bring down the curtain you say?" Byakuya asked as he stood up and dusted himself off. His expression, while not much different then normal showed that he was still ever confident in his own ability, but not overconfident that he was going to be so careless again, "Very well then down it's going to come, but it will be the blade of my sword that will do it."
"Your sword!" Renji spat, "The sword that ends this will be mine!" he attacked Byakuya with Hihio Zabimaru again.
Byakuya held up a hand, "Hado 33 Sokatsui!" the blue blast of energy went blasting towards Renji, forcing him to use Zabimaru to defend as opposed to attacking.
He's discarded the incantation. Renji told himself. Can he really do this much damage with a mid level Kido without the spirit chant? He then spotted Byakuya's silhouette, "I see you. Did you really think you could hide from me with such a simple trick!" He sent his Bankai out again only for it to crash and clatter along the ground sliding to Byakuya's feet. Damn it, I lost control!
"Jumping to conclusions I see," Byakuya said, "I didn't use my Kido in order to obscure my movements from you. I did it to interrupt the rhythm of your Bankai." Byakuya then began to lecture, "The weakness of Bankai lies in its sheer size and the overwhelming power it releases. It goes far beyond the abilities of any normal weapon. It is for that reason that it is said that one must train for ten years after learning Bankai in order to control it completely. Renji," Byakuya's expression read some slight concern, the only time he'd ever shown any for Renji…not that he wasn't hell bent on running the poor red head into the ground, "You are not ready to use your Bankai in battle. Asch on the other hand…"
Renji grit his teeth, "I don't need your lectures! And don't you dare compare me to 3rd Seat Fon Fabre I hate it when you do that! I knew that when I came here! And I already know that you always consider Asch to be a much better subordinate than me, despite the fact that I'm the lieutenant!"
"Because Asch knows when to fall in line," telling Byakuya not to bring up the former lieutenant of the 6th division gave him incentive to do so. It would make victory easier, "he knows how to follow protocol and he knows how to handle himself in public. He's also not an immature brat that disrespects his superiors by learning Bankai and then releasing it without learning to master it."
"Just what are you insinuating. Are you telling me I'm worthless?" Renji was losing his temper, "I'll prove to you my worth by kicking your ass!" Renji made to attack Byakuya again, but his captain was now in full no nonsense mode.
"Bakudo 61, Rikujokoro!" the six rods of light slammed into Renji's midsection keeping him immobilized.
"Put down your sword and you may live," Byakuya said as he unsheathed his sword and swung it at his side to get a firm grip, "Unless you still have some foolish hope about winning." Renji continued to stare defiantly at his captain. "In case you have forgotten or if perhaps it didn't occur to you," Byakuya held his sword upside down in front of him, "I'll remind you Renji that I too have Bankai. Byakuya let go of his sword. Renji watched with wide-eyed terror as the sword dissipated and sunk into the ground. Two rows of countless large blades appeared on either side of Byakuya, "Bankai," the swords burst in countless tiny blades, "Senbonzakura Kageyoshi." Without word, gesture or sound Byakuya willed his blades to attack and converge onto Renji. He shattered the six rod light prison kido, Renji's Bankai, a large section of the building behind him and delivered countless numbers of lacerations along Renji's body, several of which disintegrated his hair tie completely. Blood spurted everywhere and Renji slumped over and fell to the ground. Byakuya picked up his head and observed the damage and explained what had just happened, "A thousand blades rise from the ground, with their scattering infinitely more blades then rise, impossible to know their numbers and impossible to follow their paths, much less avoid them There's nothing to do but watch as one watches the wind pass and wait for the blades to pass through you. One can do nothing, but stand there, frozen, and then be swept away from this world." Byakuya then began to lecture his fallen lieutenant, "Shall I tell you the difference between you and I? It's class. It's like the story of the monkey trying to capture the moon. No matter how he struggles it's just the moon's reflection on the water he sees. So he only sinks into the water. Time after time the monkey sinks. Your fang could never hope to actually reach me," Byakuya spoke as he turned away from Renji, "never. But be proud. Be proud of the fact that you were cut down by this magnificent blade and still retain a human form." Finished with his lecture Byakuya then began to walk away. Renji however refused to give up and made to get back up on his feet. "So you can still breathe," Byakuya seemed intrigued; the notion of such came across in his tone of voice. "Do not move you will only hasten your death." With those words spoken Renji's Bankai reverted to its sealed form.
"It's not over," Renji managed to get out with tremendous effort, "It's not over. I can still fight."
"Didn't you hear me? I told you not to move," Byakuya said to the red head. Rage burning through him Renji charged towards Byakuya only to be cut down by several swords summoned in an instant by his captain. They surrounded Renji with Byakuya's spiritual pressure and dealt further damage to Renji's already brutally cut up body. Renji screamed in pain and fell forward. "I must compliment you," Byakuya said as he took steps forward towards Renji, "Although you received my Bankai you still live and even wish to continue fighting." Byakuya grabbed one of the swords he had made and picked it up in his hands. He pointed it at Renji's throat, "However, do not try to stand up again. If you do this blade will carve you into pieces, that I promise you. You must have noticed by now that your Bankai is gone. When one's Bankai disappears without the permission of its master it means that the master's time of death draws near. Soon enough now you will begin to fade away. So I shall ask you this one more time: will you at long last give up this foolish dream of yours of saving Rukia?"
Renji found himself lost in thought, I can't breathe, his spiritual pressure alone is tearing me apart. I can't even move my fingers. In the end this man and I were too far apart. After all…Renji's thoughts were cut off by his need to gag as blood dribbled from his mouth. Suddenly thoughts of Ichigo flashed through his mind. Renji's mouth broke out into a wide smile, teeth and all. "Of course not," Renji said finding the strength to get up, "because I swore that I would save her."
"You swore this," Byakuya was in disbelief, "You swore it to whom?"
"No one," Renji answered grabbing the blade of Byakuya's currently piercing through his hand. Thoughts of Ichigo continued to flow through his mind. "I just swore it," he shattered the blade he was grasping and shouted, "TO MYSELF!" He got up on his legs and ran forward at his Captain blade outstretched aiming to kill, screaming like a barbarian wanting to run the Kuchiki clan leader through. His blade slammed right off to the side of Byakuya's abdomen, but it did no damage. It did not pierce the skin or break through Byakuya's Shihakusho. It just collided against the 6th Squad captain and shattered into tiny little pieces. Damn it, those were the last words to go through Renji's head before he collapsed on the ground unconscious in complete exhaustion.
Byakuya removed his scarf and let it fall over Renji, "Congratulations, very admirable. That time your fang definitely reached me." The battle now over Byakuya walked away from the battlefield. He was surprised to pass Gelda Nebilim and Nemu Kurotsuchi along the way.
"Is he dead?" the 3rd Seat asked.
"Not yet, though he may die soon enough. It's not like I care," Byakuya stated coldly, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go wash this blood off and go to Rukia's execution. Where are you two headed?"
"The same place you are," Nebilim said, "With my captain having fallen Nemu and I are going to the Sokyoku to observe the execution."
"I suppose I'll see you both there then," Byakuya said and took off.
"Gelda-sama," Nemu spoke to her subordinate "Are you going to…"
"Yes," Nebilim answered. She glanced behind her to sense and make sure Byakuya was far out of range. "We've got some time to kill before the execution so I might as well." Nebilim bent down and began to heal Renji. I saw the whole thing Lieutenant Abarai, Nebilim said to herself, you performed spectacularly, so don't worry. I won't let you die.
To be continued…
(A/N: Nebilim is victorious in battle against Largo and Byakuya is victorious against Renji and Nebilim has enough time to spare to heal the poor guy. Next time on Noble Flames is Rukia's execution. See you all then. Review plz.)