Lex Talionis
Chapter 17
Ichigo and Lisa both soon arrived to the Seireitei and were shocked at the sight before them; dozens upon dozens of Gillian filled the sky as they shot massive Cero attacks down upon various divisions and structures.
Ichigo and Lisa wasted no time and began attacking the Gillian, neither one needing to share a look as they leapt into the fray.
Lisa drew her Zanpakuto, smashed its hilt against her scabbard, and released her Shikai, "Smash, Haguro Tonbo!" she yelled as her sword now took the shape of a pole-arm; its bladed tip resembling a spade, while a heavy steel ball was on the opposite end of the pole.
Ichigo opted to forgo the use of his Zanpakuto and settled with using his fists and legs, as it didn't require too much reiatsu behind his attacks to shatter Gillian masks.
"Given my recent battle with Zaraki, I doubt Gekkō would prove very effective against these types of enemies," Ichigo mused as he flash-stepped in front of yet another Gillian and landed a straight punch on its mask, which created spider web cracks before it broke apart and the hollow evaporated.
While the Gillian were hardly strong enough to threaten either Lisa or Ichigo, due to their vast numbers it was proving to be a tiring battle, for every time a Gillian would be destroyed it seemed as though three more would take its place.
Realizing that he had to conserve his energy, Ichigo strived for efficiency in his attacks and maneuvers as the battle was turning into one of attrition rather than power. He ran straight, punched, jumped left, ran straight, punched, and continued acting and reacting in a very automatic-type of manner.
While Lisa was not using an unnecessary amount of force to kill her enemies, she wasn't being nearly as efficient as Ichigo due to utilizing her Shikai, and since the Gillian numbers continued to only increase as their battle continued, she eventually began to tire.
Destroying yet another and avoiding a Cero in the process, Ichigo was amidst moving towards another Gillian until he soon discovered Lisa was in danger. She had landed a vertical slash on a Gillian's mask and as she was withdrawing her blade and remained slightly hunched over trying to catch her breath, she failed to notice a Gillian powering up a Cero from behind.
Ichigo flash-stepped towards her, and midway into the attack as it approached her unsuspecting form, she realized too late the predicament she found herself in as a result of her momentary lapse in concentration. However, moments before the attack would have likely burned her skin, Ichigo grabbed hold of her waist and flash-stepped out of danger, much to her surprise and relief.
They appeared several dozens of yards away from the line of the attack, Lisa still very much trying to catch up her breath, while Ichigo's heightened senses continued to observe his surroundings for any and all possible attacks. Ichigo was so focused on the battle that he had yet to release Lisa from his grasp, his arm still wrapped protectively around her waist, an opportunity Lisa couldn't help but capitalize on, "There are easier ways to feel up my body Ichigo, all you had to do was ask," she said almost passively.
Her comment immediately disrupted his focus and he couldn't help but stare at her incredulously as a blush began to creep up his cheeks, but he quickly relinquished his hold on her and stared back out at the battlefield.
"Catch your breath," he said evenly before flash-stepping back into the fight.
Lisa took a quick respite to recover before once again jumping into the fight and after several more hours of fighting and a couple more breathers for Lisa, eventually every Gillian had been destroyed.
Ichigo had built up quite the sweat, but otherwise seemed to have sufficient energy. Lisa, on the other hand, was sweating quite profusely and couldn't help but rest her hands on her knees as she inhaled deep breaths.
As Ichigo glanced over at Lisa, he couldn't stop himself from staring. Her hair stuck to her forehead due to all the sweat she had accumulated. Drops of perspiration ran down from her forehead, across her jawline, and eventually stopped at her chin before falling towards to the ground. Her agape mouth tried to inhale and exhale oxygen, which made him unconsciously lick his lips as he suddenly became very thirsty. Beads of sweat that failed to stop at her chin ran down the front of her neck, over her collarbone, and disappeared underneath her uniform. He could only imagine that those droplets had trailed in between her breasts and it was at that moment he regained his wits and composed himself. However, much to his horror, Lisa had at some point while he openly checked her out realized what he was doing and grinned at him in response.
She didn't say anything though. He wished she did so he could get the embarrassment done and over with, but it seemed that she was going to draw the teasing for this particular incident out for who knew how long. Lisa stood upright after regaining her breath, her smirk still present, and as she took a step her knee buckled and she stumbled forward.
Forgetting his embarrassment, Ichigo rushed forward and caught her around the waist with both hands.
"It seems I exhausted myself more than I thought," Lisa admitted as she leaned on Ichigo for support.
Ichigo was very conflicted. The smirk she wore prior to stumbling made him suspicious on her sincerity. She could very well have been faking her supposed exhaustion, but he had no way of knowing as she had indeed used up quite a bit of her reiatsu.
Therefore, with slight hesitation and great discomfort, Ichigo fastened his right hand around her waist securely, and lifted her left hand with his own over his shoulder before helping her walk away from the battlefield.
Lisa was laughing inwardly, unbeknownst to Ichigo.
During their walk they soon were informed of an emergency Captains and Lieutenants meeting, and diverted their destination towards the 1st Division meeting room. Lisa, of course, paused several times in their walk with the excuse of needing to catch her breath, which only made Ichigo more suspicious, but since he had no way of proving her wrong he was forced to comply.
About halfway from arriving, Lisa decided to tease Ichigo even further, an activity she was finding to be extremely enjoyable, "Do you enjoy checking me out?" she asked.
Lisa could feel Ichigo tense underneath her, and restrained herself from laughing at his reaction; she instead chose to patiently wait for his response.
"I don't know what…" Ichigo almost immediately responded, but he stopped himself halfway as he recalled what his Zanpakutos had told him.
"Is this what they meant?" Ichigo pondered, uncertain of how he was supposed to react. "I shouldn't disregard my emotions…but I can't accept that which I don't understand," he thought, frustration starting to settle in as the answer to his dilemma continued to elude him.
Lisa took note of his abrupt pause and recognized the confusion and indecisiveness in his features. While she certainly didn't regret teasing him, she couldn't help but wonder why he had such difficulty with the question.
"I know he finds me attractive, so what's the problem? Perhaps he's scared of making that kind of declaration but it seems more…complicated than that," Lisa thought as they continued walking.
Lisa was about to tell him that she was simply joking as she noticed how much he was struggling with the question, but he replied before she could speak, "Yes and no."
Lisa was thoroughly surprised at his admittance, and she couldn't help but notice the slight increase in her heartbeat, but unlike Ichigo she was more than capable of thinking clearly while broaching this particular topic, "Yes and no?" she repeated, seeking clarification to his answer.
"We're here," he stated as they approached the entrance to the meeting room, thoroughly surprising her in the process as she failed to notice that they had entered the 1st Division grounds, let alone arrive to the meeting room.
Lisa swore internally as her curiosity had yet to have been sated, and trying to pry information out of Ichigo after the meeting would be dramatically more difficult as he would have had enough time to collect himself. Cursing their mandatory attendance for this emergency meeting, Lisa took her place behind Captain Kyoraku and after everyone arrived, the Captain-Commander slammed his cane on the ground.
"This emergency meeting shall begin! Report!" the Captain-Commander said with a strong and authoritative voice.
Yoruichi stepped forward before speaking, "We estimate that the Gillian forces in this attack numbered easily in the hundreds. We also encountered hollows with broken masks; their power rivaled that of a low-level Captain."
"They are called Arrancar; hollows that have removed part of their masks to gain powers similar to that of shinigami," Urahara expounded.
"I guess Aizen is on the move then" Shinji mused aloud.
"Our division lost about seventy-five percent of its members in the attack" Kensei said angrily, barely controlling his voice from yelling.
"And most of the structures of our division have been destroyed," Unohana stated rather sadly.
Yamamoto absorbed all the information and examined it before responding to his subordinate's reports, "Aizen targeted our security and healing divisions. He has made the first move in this war," Yamamoto stated before sparing a glance towards Urahara, "How much longer until you are able to open a gateway to Hueco Mundo, Captain Urahara Kisuke?"
Urahara looked up in thought before replying simply, "Tomorrow afternoon."
The Captain-Commander looked thoughtfully at each Captain and Lieutenant as a silence settled in the meeting room once more, and Yamamoto broke that silence with growled out words, "We shall eliminate this threat before it can grow any further! An assault team will be created to invade Hueco Mundo and destroy the enemy's forces!"
Ichigo could understand the necessity of attacking Aizen's forces in Hueco Mundo, but he couldn't help the gnawing feeling he had in his gut or the risk they'd be taking by sending any team to Hueco Mundo, "If the team has too many, there won't be enough left to defend Soul Society, but if the team has too little, they won't stand a chance behind enemy lines. We can't just let their forces continue to grow and do nothing, but if our forces aren't correctly allocated then it could be fatal," Ichigo mused before the Captain-Commander garnered his attention once more.
"The assault team will be comprised of 3rd Division Captain Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō, 7th Division Captain Aikawa Rabu, 11th Division Captain Zaraki Kenpachi, 9th Division Captain Muguruma Kensei, 11th Division Lieutenant Kusajishi Yachiru, 9th Division Lieutenant Kuna Mashiro, 6th Division Lieutenant Kuchiki Sōjun, 4th Division Lieutenant Yamada Seinosuke, and…" Yamamoto said with a pause before looking directly at Ichigo, "2nd Division Lieutenant Fushou Ichigo."
"Fuckin' awesome," Zaraki exclaimed excitedly at the prospect of fighting strong opponents.
Ichigo didn't pay much attention to the Captain-Commander's gaze or Zaraki's minor outburst, and Urahara spoke up once more, "Might I suggest that my 3rd Seat, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, accompany them in case they run into any complications while trying to return to Soul Society?"
Yamamoto broke his gaze from Ichigo and directed it towards Urahara before nodding, "Very well. 3rd Seat Kurotsuchi Mayuri will be part of the assault team for Hueco Mundo. The assault team will depart tomorrow afternoon. 2nd Division Captain Shihōin Yoruichi, you will incorporate the remaining forces of the 9th Division into your own and oversee Seireitei security. 4th Division Captain Unohana Retsu, the 9th Division will temporarily be used as our healing wards until the 4th Division can be rebuilt. Dismissed!" he bellowed before slamming his cane on the ground.
As both Yoruichi and Ichigo departed the meeting room, they halted in their steps as the voice of the 8th Division Captain called out to them, "Yoruichi-san, Ichigo-kun!"
Yoruichi looked expectantly at Kyoraku while Ichigo maintained a neutral expression and closed eyes, his hands held behind his back as he took an unimposing posture.
"We're going to be having a little party at the 8th Division. I've invited the 11th Division and was hoping your division might join us as well," Kyoraku asked, the hope in his voice not missed by either Ichigo or Yoruichi.
Yoruichi simply grinned widely, "Sure, I just hope you have enough sake!" she said while patting the 8th Division Captain on the shoulder sympathetically.
Kyoraku almost had a look of indignation, as if the very notion of not having enough sake was an insult to his pride as a drinker, "Of course I do!"
Ichigo couldn't help but be confused at the idea of a party, and it apparently showed on his face as Kyoraku brought him out of his reverie, "What's wrong Ichigo-kun?"
Ichigo glanced up at the 8th Division Captain, paused for a moment in thought, and replied, "I don't understand why you are throwing this…party," he admitted.
Kyoraku looked as if someone had thrown cold water on his face, stole all of his sake, and informed him that he would spend the rest of his days on an island of men, "Why are we throwing a party?" he repeated with utter shock, the seriousness in his tone of voice only confusing Ichigo even further.
"We'll see you this evening Captain Kyoraku," Yoruichi intervened, waving them off before dragging Ichigo with her towards the 2nd Division.
As they walked in silence towards their division, Yoruichi decided to respond to Ichigo's question, "The party is one last escape before we're fully engrossed with war, it helps with everyone's nerves," she explained.
Ichigo looked up at her as she spoke up, "An escape?" he repeated.
Yoruichi simply nodded and as a sad expression graced her features, she continued, "It also allows the people who will not live through this war one last time to celebrate life."
Ichigo nodded in understanding and they continued their walk to the 2nd Division grounds.
After briefing his men on their new assignments for the upcoming war, Ichigo departed for the 8th Division as evening had come rather quickly with the amount of time the preparations for war had consumed.
As the distance between him and the division decreased, the volume of noise he could hear increased; laughter, yelling, clangs of bottles, and everything in between seemed to come forth from the 8th Division grounds.
He rounded the corner and walked inside the division, but was thoroughly surprised at what he saw. Men and women of the 8th, 11th, and 2nd Division were all drinking together, telling jokes, and sharing enjoyable conversation. As his eyes roamed across the grounds he soon recognized Yoruichi drinking with both Zaraki and Kyoraku, the latter of which was very animated as he told a story, causing the former two to laugh hysterically.
The camaraderie and openness not only made him a little uncomfortable, but also slightly envious at how easy it was for everyone to express such a wide variety of emotions and the ability to simply let go of their inhibitions.
He didn't dwell much longer on how they 'celebrated life' as Yoruichi put it, as he was perfectly fine with celebrating life in his own unique way.
Ichigo walked to a corner of the division where he spotted the sake; hundreds upon hundreds of sake jugs were stacked against and along the division wall, where Kyoraku managed to acquire so much sake Ichigo knew not, but he grabbed four jugs by their ropes before walking to somewhere more secluded and quiet, away from the festivities taking place at the front of the grounds.
Ichigo eventually hopped on top of the roof of a building in the far back of the division which had a breathtaking view of the Seireitei and offered a clear sight of the full moon in the sky, a perfect place for him to drink and enjoy the serenity of the evening before he too was confronted with war.
However, halfway through his first jug of sake, Ichigo's privacy was intruded upon as he heard soft feet touch on the roof he was situated. He turned his head towards the noise and soon discovered its source, Lisa.
She was smiling victoriously at finding him, and he then noticed that she too had acquired four sake jugs. She set the sake down next to his, sat beside him, and outstretched a saucer in her hand expectantly.
Ichigo relented at her intrusion, realizing he had become noticeably more tolerant of her presence since their first encounter outside the Central 46 chambers, and so he filled her saucer with sake from the jug in his grasp.
She downed its contents before outstretching her hand once more, "So what did you mean by yes and no?" she inquired as he filled up her saucer once more with sake.
Ichigo didn't answer immediately. He drank the remaining sake in his own saucer before filling it up and stared at the tiles of the rooftop deep in thought, "I…" he paused once more, downing his sake again as he tried to conceive an answer.
"It makes me uncomfortable," he said, gulping down his saucer once more, thankful he could keep himself busy with drinking in between talking.
Lisa took a sip from her saucer, "That explains the no. What explains the yes?" she questioned, realizing that teasing Ichigo had now become one of her favorite activities.
When he glanced up at her though, her breath hitched in her throat at his expression. At first he seemed to be searching for words, but as his eyes met her own, she felt like a storm was raging amidst his irises, the white sclera was trying to contain it, and his pitch black pupils were boring into her.
"Looking at you…" he paused, "makes me feel."
Lisa couldn't hold his gaze, and as she looked away and sipped at her sake, a feint blush tinted her cheeks. Ichigo wasn't quite sure what to make of her reaction, but surmised it wasn't negatively received as she didn't leave his presence and had held out her hand once more for a refill of sake.
"Yeah, I like you too," she said casually, looking carefully at him out of the corner of her eye.
His eyebrows knitted together, confusion gracing his features once more as he tried to process her words while looking down at the rooftop tiles.
She lightly punched him in the arm, "What's with that face?"
He looked down at his arm where she punched him, nostalgia hitting him briefly before he glanced up at her still thoroughly confused, "I don't understand."
Lisa would have thrown her hands up in the air out of exasperation if it weren't for the saucer in her hand, "What's there to be confused about when someone tells you they like you?" she questioned.
"I…" he began, but halted his words when Lisa glared at him for trying to once again state that he didn't understand.
Ichigo drank the contents of his saucer once more as he contemplated the right words to use, and as he refilled his saucer he said, "I have lived in solitude for most of my life."
They both downed their saucers in one gulp before he refilled them again, "That explains a lot," she thought aloud, "It's no wonder you can socialize at all let alone know the intricacies of…" she continued with a pause before a smirk graced her lips, "intimacy."
Ichigo choked on his sake as he became extremely flustered at her remark, and although he picked up on the fact that she was trying to tease him, he couldn't prevent himself from reacting in such a way, much to his displeasure and her delight.
Halfway through the eight jugs of sake, they were still drinking in similar fashion as they were at the beginning, and neither seemed to be intoxicated to any noticeable degree. However, despite the enjoyable time her and Ichigo had shared thus far, Lisa couldn't help but dwell on what tomorrow would bring for her friends and the man beside her.
The possibility of Ichigo not returning plagued the forefront of her mind, and while she was indeed worried about her fellow Lieutenants and Captains, none of them were Ichigo.
The man she was slowly, but surely, growing to like with each passing day.
Therefore, she decided it was time Ichigo let loose a little and had some fun. Throwing any and all thoughts of anyone dying, Lisa scooted right next to Ichigo to the point that their hips were touching, she rested her hand on his back, and held out her saucer once more for a refill, "Try to keep up Ichigo."
Their close proximity and touching bodies, her hand softly rubbing his back, and the natural scent of her hair almost made him unable to speak let alone refill her saucer, but the taunting remark seemed to help him keep it together and so he met Lisa drink for drink, unknowingly falling into her trap.
They were starting on the last jug of sake. Their positions had not changed since they started purposely going through the sake, although Lisa's head was leaning on Ichigo's shoulder, but he didn't mind the contact so much anymore.
After drinking her saucer in one gulp, she outstretched her hand for a refill, but proceeded to fall into Ichigo's lap instead. She turned over, her head now resting on Ichigo's crossed legs, and she gazed up into his face as he simply drank the sake in his saucer.
Lisa thought she could get Ichigo drunk, and it might have worked if she had a greater tolerance, but after two saucers into the eighth jug of sake she could drink no more, bordering on passing out in Ichigo's lap.
Ichigo looked down at Lisa. Her half lidded eyes stared into his, a blush tinting her face due to her inebriation, and a soft smile adorned her lips as they continued looking at one another.
Lisa was struggling to keep her eyes open as they were intermittently closing and opening as she tried to stay conscious. As she peered up at his face, she couldn't help but revel at his eyes; scorching auburn irises looked down at her softly, the reflected moonlight only adding to their beauty, and it was at that moment that her eyes closed.
Ichigo finished the contents of sake in his saucer, and while the jug itself was still rather quite full, he decided taking Lisa to bed took precedence. After securing the jug of sake in one of the crooks of the tiled roof, Ichigo gently placed his right arm under her knees and left arm under her shoulders, slowly standing up with her body cradled protectively in his arms.
He opted to walk given his rather tipsy state, not wanting to run the risk of dropping Lisa, and made his way for where he imagined her quarters might be located.
Thankfully everyone had left and gone for bed, otherwise the sight of him carrying Lisa might cause unwanted attention.
After several minutes he located Lisa's room and carefully slid it open, revealing a room of simple design. He didn't want to look around or anything of the sort as he felt it might be an invasion of privacy, but he did catch a glimpse of some kind of magazines stacked on a dresser. Ichigo refocused his attention on the bed situated beneath him and he gently lowered the sleeping Lisa into it.
As he slid his hands out from under her knees and shoulders, before he could stand upright he felt a palm rest on his cheek along his jaw and fingers softly grab hold of the side of his neck.
Lisa's room was only partially lit by the moonlight from outside, and although it was rather dark where her bed was located, he could easily see Lisa's eyes staring up at him.
She was awake.
The distance between their faces was quite small, and he was so preoccupied with her beautiful eyes that he gave no resistance when she pulled his face closer. The inches between them were slowly decreasing. They could feel each other's breath on their mouths. A part of his hair had draped over his shoulders and brushed the side of her neck as he continued leaning closer to her body. Instinctively they both closed their eyes when only but an inch was between them, and their lips touched.
Her soft texture, delicious taste, and comforting warmth nearly made him collapse. The sensation was what could only be described as fulfilling. He was so emotionally overwhelmed by the experience that his eyes winced and he felt a lump in his throat. His heart was beating with such force and speed he thought it would explode from his chest.
Their kiss lasted for both eternity and not at all. The moment they shared was both the greatest and worst expression of feelings. Their connection brought both feelings of relief and fear.
Slowly the kiss was broken, and while Ichigo was trying to gain a semblance of conscious thought, Lisa softly whispered into his ear which brought him from his stupor, "Make sure you come back."
As he registered her words, he looked down at her once more and soon discovered that she had fallen asleep, only capable of departing with him a farewell gift and hope for safe return, the reality of war settling into him as he gently covered her with a blanket and quietly exited her bedroom.
That evening they were celebrating life, for death could arrive in the next moment. This was not only a time for one to relieve oneself of their inhibitions and enjoy the company of others, but to also rid oneself of regrets that cannot be addressed in the throes of war.
Ichigo eventually brought himself back to the roof where the eighth jug of sake lay unmoving and he picked it up. Filling his saucer, he stared out at the moon while drinking the sake, slowly coming to terms with the life he had worked so hard to forget.
After all, regret has no place in war.