A/N: For those of you wondering where everyone else is (Kenpachi/Ikkaku/Yachiru…etc.) I only have a limited space to put the fights (and as I've said, writing fights takes a lot out of me), so I'm totally employing Law of Conservation of Detail here. Only fights directly important to the plot get screen time. Yes, Kenpachi is out there killing Hollows and enjoying himself like the lovable madman that he is, but since he isn't fighting a major enemy and it's not important to the plot, I'm not writing him. I leave that to your fertile imaginations ^^

Yes, Karin's bankai appearance sort of resembles Tensa Zangetsu, but I was going more for Grim Reaper here.

RWBY fans in the audience? Unintentionally (I've had their shikais/bankais in mind for a long time), the twins kind of match both halves of that spectrum, with Yuzu leaning towards the red and white songs (Red Like Roses I, Mirror Mirror…especially Mirror Mirror), and Karin leaning towards the black and yellow (From Shadows, I Burn…especially From Shadows). But Karin fights like Ruby and Yuzu fights kind of like Blake so there's that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. At all.

Chapter 38: House rules

"Bankai. Mukai Ongetsu."

Reiatsu poured off Karin like waves, pushing outwards in all directions as the shadows around Ongetsu enveloped her. Within the shadows, her appearance changed, a dark cloak settling over her shoulders. The edges trailed off into the air, curling as if the cloak were made of smoke and shadow. Beneath the cloak, her shihakusho changed slightly, adhering slightly closer to her form to allow her freedom of movement. Her hair changed as well, her long dark hair shifting out of her typical high ponytail. Part of it fell down her back, another part of it clipped up somewhat messily and asymmetrically with a gold barrette in the shape of a crescent moon. Her scythe changed as well, Ongetsu's blade becoming bigger and the curvature more distinct as swirling patterns appeared along the flat. Three smaller spikes curved wickedly on the back of the main blade, the shadows lending the entire scythe an oily sheen, as though the light could not touch it. But none of those things were the main effect of Karin's bankai.

The shadows pooled and coalesced at her feet, forming a small circle. As the shadows around her began to clear, the circle expanded, stretching over the ground and changing everything it touched. Above her, the shadows formed a dome, the whole thing expanding until it engulfed Masaryu, Kohaku, Toshiro, and Sieg. It finally came to a stop after spanning a large area of the battlefield, its swirling shadows hiding everything that happened in the dome from view of the ones outside.

Inside, the landscape changed. Where the ground had once been flat bare earth, rocks now rose up in all directions, creating a barren and rocky landscape. The sky was dark, blotting out the sun, and the noise from the outside world was muted. The ground inside the dome was littered with weapons, weapons of all shapes, sizes and forms thrust into the scarred earth, all pure black from hilt to blade, all apparently available and waiting to be used. As the darkness engulfed them all, Sieg's flickering form solidified, the shadows around him seeming to withdraw into themselves. Daiguren Hyourinmaru crumbled into dust, motes of ice filling the air around Toshiro before melting away. In its place, Hyourinmaru's naked blade gleamed silver, the blade itself still holding its released form, with the sickle-shaped blade still attached to its hilt by the chain.

Karin wasted no time, flash-stepping forward from the air and rushing towards Sieg as the Arrancar started to get up. His eyes widened, his form flickering slightly as he tried to shift but found that he couldn't and he raised his blade a little too late as Karin swung her scythe at him, the powerful slash taking him off his feet and knocking him back into a rock. She landed on the ground, spinning from the momentum behind her slash, and shifted her grip on her scythe to one hand, bracing Ongetsu's hilt on the ground as she straightened up.

"Karin," said Toshiro, appearing on the ground beside her with a single flash-step. He held his sword in both hands, looking over at her.

Karin glanced back at him, a small grin appearing on her face. "Yo," she said. "Long time no see."

Toshiro frowned, running a hand through his hair in slight frustration. "Honestly," he said. "You disappear for over a week, and that's all you have to say?"

"A week?" asked Karin. "It's really been that long?"

Toshiro's brows rose at her question. "Where were you?" he asked.

"Somewhere strange," said Karin. She swung her scythe out in front of her as she felt a pulse of reiatsu, peering forward at the cloud of dust where Sieg had landed. Her eyes narrowed, the grin fading from her face. "Tell you all about it later," she said. "It looks like we have company now."

"Agreed," said Toshiro, his grip tightening on his sword as he pointed it at Sieg. The dust cleared, revealing the Arrancar standing there, cracks spiderwebbing in the white carapace that seemed to cover his chest. His wings still spread in the air around him, but they appeared to be more corporeal now, less shadowy as they moved in a non-existent breeze. Dark blood spattered his white Arrancar uniform near his shoulder, and his eyes were narrowed at them.

"Your bankai," he said, glancing at Karin as he walked. "It prevents me from shifting forms?"

"It nullifies everything," said Karin, resting the shaft of her scythe on her shoulder. "Everything non-physical, at least. Ongetsu a little brat who likes to play games, so this is his way of making the playing field even for everyone."

"I see," said Sieg. His eyes moved towards the weapons littered around him, the field of blades poking up out of the earth. "And these weapons. Anyone can make use of these?"

Karin shrugged the shoulder that Ongetsu wasn't resting on. "If you think you can use them, go ahead," she said. "That's what they're there for."

"Interesting."

Sieg paused as if he was considering it, then picked up a pair of blades from the earth around him, testing them in his hands. They were identical, black blades with handles on one end that curved wickedly. He slashed them through the air, a whoosh following their passing.

"You may regret allowing your enemies so much latitude, Kurosaki Karin," the Arrancar said, looking up at her as he lowered the blades to his side.

Karin's only response was to grin, hefting Ongetsu in both hands and pointing the scythe at him. She and Toshiro charged forward at the same time, heading to opposite sides and moving to flank Sieg. The Arrancar raised the blades in each hand, parrying their strike before spinning neatly out of the way of their next attack, pulling his blades out from under theirs as he slashed rapidly at Karin's torso, twice in quick succession. Karin pulled back, blocking both cuts with Ongetsu's shaft before swinging downward, following through with a long cut. Sieg darted out of the way, light on his feet, and blocked Toshiro as he moved to strike again.

The clash of steel on steel reverberated through the domed arena, Karin swinging her scythe at him again. Sieg blocked the blow with the sword in his left hand, and Karin quickly braced a hand against the shaft, flipping it upward so that the shaft's other end caught Sieg in the torso. She completed the turn, letting Ongetsu's scythe blade stab into the ground behind her, and braced her hands on the now horizontal shaft, leaping into the air and using it as a pivot point as she drove both her feet into Sieg's chest. She finished her spin, landing on the ground on the other side of Ongetsu and pulling the scythe blade up with her, just in time to block as Sieg threw one of the short swords at her. He used the other to block Toshiro as the captain tried to come in from behind, then rolled back and out of the way, snatching up a number of kunai tied by their handles and disappearing behind a rock. Karin moved Ongetsu through the air rapidly as Sieg darted out from behind the rock, throwing three of the kunai at her.

Ongetsu blocked one of the kunai with each slash, the blades clattering uselessly to the ground as the Arrancar jumped into the air, closing the distance between them with one Sonido. He swung his sword down overhead at Karin, using his other hand to throw the remaining kunai at Toshiro. Toshiro raised Hyourinmaru, blocking the kunai with one swipe as Karin blocked Sieg with Ongetsu's shaft, pushing back with both hands and throwing the Arrancar back. Toshiro grasped the chain at the end of Hyourinmaru's hilt with one hand, spinning it in the air and throwing it at Sieg. He raised his sword to block it, the sickle wrapping around the blade. Toshiro tugged once, pulling Sieg's blade right out of his hand as Karin charged forward, spinning her scythe over her head to gain momentum before swinging it at him with both hands.

Sieg raised an arm, catching the scythe blade with his forearm and stopping the swing. The Arrancar glanced at her, his own eyes narrowing as hers widened.

"So," he said, as if he were simply analyzing the situation. "Hierro still works within your bankai."

Karin stared at Sieg for a moment as the Arrancar stood there, then her eyes narrowed and she gripped Ongetsu's shaft tightly, pulling through. Sieg's eyes widened as the scythe blade bit into his arm, dark blood spattering the ground as he quickly moved backwards from her. Karin spun with her scythe, using the added momentum to swing again, this time at Sieg's torso. The blow caught him in the side, and she felt it bite as it lifted him up off the ground, sending him flying as she completed her turn. She lowered her scythe to her side, dark blood spattering the ground as she slid her back foot out behind her to stop her momentum. Karin spun the scythe to flick the blood off, turning towards where Sieg had fallen.

"If you thought something like Hierro would stop my blade," she said, "then you know nothing about the Eleventh Division."

Sieg pushed one arm beneath him as he got to his feet, one arm wrapped around his torso. He glared at her as he straightened up, blood staining his white Arrancar uniform as his eyes narrowed at her.

Then, he smirked. Karin's eyes widened at the sudden change in expression, and she held her scythe out towards him cautiously.

"That may be true…" he said, taking a breath. "But I believe that I now know everything I need to know about your bankai."

His reiatsu flared, and then, impossibly, he started to pull apart, the shadows coalescing around him on either side as two copies of him formed, shadows then splitting from those copies to form another and another.

"Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!"

Catalina darted out of the way as a wave of ice shot out from Sode no Shirayuki, the blast missing her by inches. The Arrancar turned, planting her foot on the ice and pushing off of it to leap further into the air. She raised her sword as Rukia leaped towards her, blocking the shinigami's blade. A grin appeared on her face as their swords slid against each other and locked together, exposing her teeth.

"I'm not in the mood to play today, so I'll make this quick," said Catalina, her gold eyes meeting Rukia's. She swiped out with her sword, the force behind the slash breaking the lock and sending Rukia flying back.

"Flutter," said Catalina, resting one hand against her zanpakuto's flat. "Mariposa!"

Rukia righted herself quickly, forming a reishi platform underneath her feet as Catalina's reiatsu exploded, pushing outwards from her in waves that almost made it difficult to keep standing. She threw a hand up in front of her face to protect herself, managing to keep her footing as the waves of reiatsu petered out and revealed the Arrancar's true form. Catalina hovered in the air in front of her, her mask forming a circlet around her head as she stretched shimmering, multi-colored butterfly wings. Some sort of powder hung in the air between them, and Rukia's eyes widened as it enveloped her, searing the inside of her nose as she breathed.

Poison? Rukia thought, alarmed.

Her eyes widened further as she felt Catalina's reiatsu shift, and she quickly turned in midair as the Arrancar appeared behind her, slashing at her with her claws. Rukia raised Sode no Shirayuki, Catalina's claws scraping against the side of the white blade. She jerked her head back as the Arrancar swiped at her face, Catalina's claws barely missing her.

"So, you've figured it out?" asked Catalina as Rukia sprang back, noticing the wary way the shinigami eyed her claws. "My Mariposa may look beautiful, but she's quite deadly. One whiff, and the next thing you know, you'll be trapped in a world where your greatest nightmares come true."

Rukia stared at Catalina, breathing heavily. She didn't want to believe it, but she could already feel the burning in her lungs that told her something wasn't quite right, the poison starting to spread its way through her veins.

"Oh, it won't kill you," said Catalina, still grinning. "But when you can't tell what's real and what isn't anymore, what's to stop me from driving my claws into your heart myself? In fact, I think I'll wait. I'll let the poison take you first, so that I'll make sure you die with pleasant dreams."

Rukia's eyes darted from left to right as Catalina spoke, considering her options. She glanced down at the ground below them, where the shinigami of her Division were fighting. She couldn't heal the poison by herself, and there were too many people involved in this melee for her to have any real options yet. But if Catalina was right, and it wasn't lethal…there were always other options.

"Well?" asked Catalina, interpreting Rukia's silence as fear. "Come to terms with your situation, Kuchiki? Have you decided to just lie down and die?"

Rukia's response was to flash-step forward, swinging her sword at the Arrancar. Catalina blocked it, her grin widening as the two of them traded blows in the air. Rukia's eyes narrowed, glaring at Catalina from over Sode no Shirayuki's blade, the Arrancar catching it easily with the white gauntlet that had formed over her forearm.

"Somehow, I had a feeling you'd do that," said Catalina. "You're all the same. You all stand and fight, even when you know you're going to die."

"I'm not dead yet," said Rukia, "And I'd prefer if you didn't underestimate me."

Catalina's response was to swipe at Rukia, her claws barely missing the shinigami's face. Rukia flash-stepped back and away from the attack, appearing several feet away from Catalina. She held out her hands, calling power towards them.

"Hado # 33!" she said. "Soukatsui!"

A blast of blue fire shot from her palms, heading towards Catalina. The Arrancar raised her hands, blocking the blast easily before surging towards Rukia with one flap of her wings, closing the distance between them as the shinigami flash-stepped away. Rukia turned as she got out of her flash-step, blocking Catalina's blow with her sword. Before the Arrancar could counterattack, she flash-stepped away again, each consecutive flash-step and exchange of blows taking her farther and farther away from the shinigami fighting below.

Farther and farther into enemy lines, where the only creatures below her were Hollows.

Not yet, Rukia thought, glancing down and still seeing a few brave forms in black and white fighting below her. Beads of sweat formed on her skin, both from the poison and from the effort of parrying Catalina's strikes. If she focused, she could still feel her allies' reiatsu pulsing in the distance. Karin, Yuzu, Kiyone and Sentaro, Hitsugaya-taicho, Ichigo.

She grit her teeth, driving herself forward. Not far enough yet.

"Where are you going?" asked Catalina, her eyes shining with glee as her next strike nearly sent Rukia spinning. She managed to block it, but just barely, gritting her teeth as the Arrancar pushed her further back into the air. "Do you really think you can run away from me?"

Rukia clenched her jaw tighter, her eye twitching as she forced herself to keep it open. She could feel the poison's effects stronger now, coursing through her blood. Her vision began to swim, Catalina's expression wavering in her field of view. She forced herself forward, taking another flash-step.

Not yet, she told herself, tightening her grip on Sode no Shirayuki. Just a little bit more. Not yet.

Catalina slammed into her as she came out of her flash-step with enough force to make her cry out, the Arrancar's claws tearing into her shoulder as her own shoulder slammed into Rukia's chest, driving her backwards. It was like getting hit by a truck.

"Face it, Kuchiki Rukia!" said Catalina as Rukia quickly pulled out of her fall, breathing hard with the effort of just staying upright. Blood, hot and sticky, trickled down her arm from the gashes that Catalina had opened up on her shoulder. It hissed as it hit Sode no Shirayuki's surface, evaporating. "You can't win this one. Every beat of your heart brings you closer to your own death!"

Rukia ignored her, doing her best to ignore the way her head was swimming as she glanced down at the ground.

A little bit more…she told herself. One more.

She took one more flash-step, gaining a little bit more distance as Catalina rushed towards her. Instead of slashing at her, the Arrancar back-handed her across the face as she closed the distance, the force behind the blow sending her flying. She formed a platform of reishi as she felt herself start to fall, but the technique was clumsily done, and she hit as hard as if she had hit the ground, rolling over in the air before coming to a stop. Her jaw ached from the blow, and she stabbed Sode no Shirayuki into the air beneath her, having to use both her hands to pull herself to her feet. As she struggled to stand, she looked down, her breath catching in her throat.

That last flash-step had taken her fully out of reach of her allies, over a deserted area of the battlefield behind enemy lines. Aside from the mass of Hollows beneath them, they were alone.

Alone.

Her grip tightened on Sode no Shirayuki.

"Look around," said Catalina, grinning as she gestured to the area around her. "There's no one here. That poison must be pretty strong by now, isn't it, Kuchiki? Once it hits you, it's all over. You're going to die here, alone, away from everyone you've ever loved."

Rukia shook her head, her breathing coming in ragged pants as she looked up at Catalina. She felt the poison work its way through her, heating her skin and beginning to warp her perception of reality. Catalina was right, with each beat of her heart, the poison was getting stronger. It wouldn't be long until she was completely under its spell, and Catalina could kill her whenever she wanted.

Unless she could somehow stop her heart from beating.

She gave the ground one last look, making sure that no shinigami were nearby. When it became clear that she was firmly behind enemy lines, she exhaled, power pulsing through her as she looked up at Catalina. The Arrancar's eyes widened as the temperature around them suddenly plunged, freezing the motes of poison that hovered just over her large butterfly-like wings.

"That's impossible," she said, as Rukia's reiatsu rolled off her in waves, frost crystals forming in the air around her and just over her skin.

Rukia's response was to narrow her eyes, gripping her sword tighter as she raised it towards Catalina.

"Ban…kai," she said, her breathing labored. "Hakka no Togame."

Karin's eyes narrowed as Sieg began to split apart, forming five identical versions of himself that surrounded them. She took a step back at the same time as Toshiro did, their shoulders touching each other as they stood back-to-back, facing copies of opposite sides. Her grip tightened on her scythe as each of the copies picked up a sword, testing its weight in their hands. The one in the center stepped forward, and Karin's eyes moved towards him as he smirked at them.

"Your bankai prevents those within it from using kido-based techniques, but does nothing to stop their physical techniques, no matter how powerful they may be," he said. "Hierro, Sonido, shunpo, physical transformations—all of those are immune. Against one enemy, you might be at a disadvantage, but I am death, and death is everywhere. And on top of that, you've severely limited your allies as well." His eyes moved towards Toshiro, who gripped Hyourinmaru tighter, pointing the tip of the blade at Sieg. The Arrancar simply held out his hand, pointing the blade still in it at the two of them.

"That's why you will die," he said. "Trapped within your own bankai. Kyoka Suigetsu-sama's world—no, Aizen-sama's world has no place in it for false angels."

Throughout his speech, Karin was silent, her grip on Ongetsu not faltering. When he was finished, she looked over at Toshiro, her eyes landing on Hyourinmaru's bare blade. "That's right," she said, almost conversationally. "Toshiro, I kind of messed up your bankai, didn't I?"

"This is nothing," said Toshiro, not taking his eyes off Sieg to look back at her. "I can fight with a sword as well as any shinigami."

"Yeah," said Karin, looking away from him to face the other Sieg copies in front of her. "But that's not fair to you." A playful smirk appeared on her face, and she glanced upward, toward the highest point of the dome that surrounded them. "Hey, On!" she said. "House rules!"

"What?" asked Sieg, his grip faltering on his sword for the first time as he froze in place. For a moment, there was silence, and then from the shadows that gathered at the roof of the dome, a voice answered.

"Yes, Karin?"

The shadows parted, revealing for an instant a dark-haired child sitting there above the arena, seated on a throne of shadows like a prince watching a gladiatorial battle. His gold eyes shone brightly as he looked down on the field. He smiled, a flash of white teeth. "Who's on your team?"

"Hyourinmaru," said Karin, glancing at Toshiro.

"Hyou-nii?" asked Ongetsu, the smirk on his face widening. He glanced away from Karin, his eyes moving over Toshiro. "I can do that."

"Throw in Setsuyoku and Ayatori," said Karin, her eyes moving to where Masa and Kohaku were hidden among the rocks. As she turned towards them, the shadows seemed to part, revealing the two of them standing up, a ribbon of steel surrounding Masaryu as Kohaku's wires glittered in her hands. "Although I don't think they need it. I wanna get this over with quickly."

"Whatever you say, Karin-chan," said Ongetsu. His eyes gleamed, and the shadows swirled around him again, hiding him from view. "Just put on a good show…"

There was a pause, and then Toshiro's reiatsu suddenly flared, the temperature of the air in the arena plummeting sharply. Ice crystals swirled around him, forming over Hyourinmaru's blade. They spread over his back, forming Daiguren Hyourinmaru's wings and tail. Masa and Kohaku's reiatsus flared, in counterpoint to his, and Karin grinned as she felt her own power seep into her veins from the scythe in her hand, electricity crackling over her skin and rushing through her blood. Sieg's eyes widened, and he stepped back, holding the sword out in front of him.

"That's impossible," he said. "That's not fair."

"I said Ongetsu likes to play games," said Karin, turning towards Sieg. "I didn't say he was fair. I did warn you he was a brat, didn't I?" She looked away from him, her gaze sweeping over Sieg's copies and the shinigami standing with her. "Toshiro, Masa, Kohaku, let's finish this."

Toshiro nodded. Behind him, Masa and Kohaku nodded as well, their expressions grip. Setsuyoku reformed in Masa's hand, a sword of molten metal. Sieg straightened up, and the clones around them all charged at once.

"Ayatori!" said Kohaku, leaping forward and letting the wires spill from her fingers. They wrapped around two clones, holding them in place and binding them to each other.

"Setsuyoku: Kousen!" said Masaryu, slamming his sword down to the ground. The earth opened up in front of Setsuyoku's strike, spikes of molten metal thrusting in the air towards the bound Arrancar clones. The spikes tore into the clones as Kohaku held them there, and they vanished into motes of shadow.

"No," said Sieg, taking a step back with wide eyes.

He held out his hand, and the other two clones flanked Toshiro, leaping at him. Toshiro's eyes narrowed, and he swung Hyourinmaru out in front of him, ice following in its wake.

"Hyoryu Senbi!"

Ice slammed into the clones, the aftermath encircling all of them in a shroud of mist. Outside of that mist, Sieg took another step back, his grip on his sword wavering as he held it out in front of him.

"—No!" he said.

As the mist fell over them, Karin ran forward and leaped, the mist parting around her as she raised Ongetsu's scythe, spinning it rapidly over her head. Her eyes fixed on Sieg as she started to fall, narrowing as she gripped her scythe in both hands.

"Getsuga…" she said, the scythe glowing as she swung it towards him. "TENSHOU!"

A blast tore through the air, so bright that it was blinding. Sieg raised his arm in front of his face to block, but it was no use. The blast slammed into him, his last cry filling the air as the shadows parted around them.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

The shadows vanished, revealing the battlefield as it had been. In her hand, Ongetsu shifted back into its sword form, Karin's appearance reverting to her ordinary shihakusho. She stumbled forward as she landed on the ground, stabbing Ongetsu point down into the earth in front of her to keep herself upright. Her breathing came in heavy pants, sweat plastering her dark hair to the side of her face. Around her, Toshiro, Masa, and Kohaku landed on the ground as well, looking around. There was no trace of Sieg.

"Karin!" said Masa, hurrying over to her. Setsuyoku reformed in his hand, going back to its sealed state as he dropped down to the ground beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine—," she said, catching her breath. "Just—need a minute."

"It's her bankai," Toshiro explained, walking over to the two of them. His own bankai vanished, ice shattering as Hyourinmaru returned to its sealed state. "A new bankai is exhausting to use, especially in a fight like that."

Karin gulped down air, her grip tightening on Ongetsu's hilt. When she finally managed to make her world stop swimming, she looked up, her eyes focusing on Toshiro. "I'm fine," she said. "Really."

Toshiro's expression softened. "You should sit this out," he said, looking over the rest of the battlefield. "You've already done enough."

Karin shook her head, shakily pulling herself to her feet. She pulled Ongetsu out of the earth once she was standing, sheathing the blade. "Yuzu and Ichi-nii are still fighting," she said. "I'm not done yet. I have to meet up with my Division. Besides," She gave him a grin. "If I sit out a fight because I'm a little tired, those guys will never let me live it down."

Toshiro sighed, shaking his head as if he expected that answer but still didn't like to hear it. "Fine," he said. "But be careful."

"When am I not careful?" asked Karin.

Toshiro frowned at her. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Nah," said Karin, grinning slightly. The grin faded from her face as she turned towards the battle, and she glanced back at Toshiro. "Toshiro," she said. "When all this is over, we need to talk. There's something I want to say."

"Nothing bad, I hope," said Toshiro, glancing at the battle as well.

Karin shook her head, realizing she could have phrased it better. "Nothing bad," she said. "Just…necessary. I learned some things while I was gone…about myself. Anyway, we'll talk later."

His eyes met hers, and in that instant, she got the feeling he understood what she was trying to say. But he simply nodded, not pressing her further. "Later," he echoed.

She nodded again in gratitude and in promise, then turned towards the battle, flash-stepping away.

"Kenpachi!"

The captain of the Eleventh Division looked up from the group of dead Hollows surrounding him as Ichigo flash-stepped into view, his eyes still fixed on the horizon. In the distance, Karin's reiatsu was steadily pulsing, although not in the same way it had flared earlier. As soon as he felt it, Ichigo had come running. Kenpachi rested his sword on his shoulder, glancing at it as well before looking back at Ichigo.

"Yeah, I know," said Kenpachi. "Looks like she's back."

As if on cue, Karin flash-stepped into view, her hand on the sword sheathed at her side. She landed on the ground, her eyes moving quickly between the two of them. "Taicho," she said. "Ichi-nii."

"You're back," said Kenpachi, glancing over at her. "You got your bankai?"

"Mm," said Karin, nodding.

"Good." Kenpachi lowered his sword to his side, turning towards her fully.

Then, before Ichigo could react, he surged forward, kicking her square in the gut.

Karin's eyes widened as the blow struck home, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying. She struck the ground like a rag doll, a cloud of dust rising up in front of her as she tumbled to a stop.

"Kenpachi!" shouted Ichigo in outrage, turning towards the captain.

Kenpachi ignored him, his eyes narrowing as he glanced where Karin had landed. "That's for running off in the middle of a goddamn state of emergency," he said.

"What the hell?!" asked Ichigo, drawing Zangetsu from his back and stepping forward. He stopped when he saw movement in the cloud of dust, freezing in place. The dust cloud cleared, allowing him to see that Karin had pulled herself up onto one knee, an arm wrapped around her torso where she had been kicked. She raised her other hand, using the back of it to wipe off a line of blood from the corner of her mouth.

She was grinning.

"Just…" she said, her voice slightly shaky. "…Just getting them warmed up for you, taicho."

Kenpachi's eyes widened slightly, but the expression of surprise faded as he turned away from her, scowling. "Tch," he said. "Damn brat. If you got enough left in you for lip, you're not out yet. Get back out there and go do your fucking job."

Karin nodded, shakily getting to her feet. She drew in an experimental breath, then unwrapped her hand from around her side, raising her fingers to her mouth and letting out a shrill whistle. Those members of the Eleventh Division that were nearby, and hadn't already been led off by Ikkaku, Yachiru, or Yumichika, turned towards her.

"Eleventh, to me!" she said. "We're cleaning house!"

A chorus of roars and cheers sounded, and Ichigo watched as Karin flash-stepped away. Kenpachi turned towards him, eyes narrowed, and he realized that he was still holding his sword, pointing it at the captain. He glanced after his sister, torn between continuing where he left off and reminding himself that he had his own Division to look after.

"Dammit, Kenpachi," he said, finally lowering Zangetsu.

He might have said something more, had he not felt a more disturbing reiatsu signature flare up. His eyes widened, and he looked back over his shoulder at it.

Yuzu, he realized. And Kyoka Suigetsu.

Ichigo hesitated, glancing back at Kenpachi before flash-stepping forward, moving towards it. He'd gone two flash-steps in that direction before he felt something else, something that made him slide to a stop in mid-air.

Rukia, coming from the opposite direction. And not just Rukia.

Rukia using her bankai.

Ichigo stood frozen in mid-air, torn for an instant between those two reiatsu signatures. He had to help Yuzu, but Rukia's reiatsu was worryingly far away, and he knew how dangerous her bankai could be to herself. If she had to use it, she was probably in a situation where she needed help anyway. He couldn't go to both of them, though.

He could only help one.

Thankfully, he was spared from having to make that choice.

"Ichigo!" shouted a voice, making him look up.

Renji appeared next to him, hovering in the air with Zabimaru in his hand. "I'll get Rukia," he said, inclining his head in that direction.

Ichigo nodded. "I'm counting on you," he said, his grip on Zangetsu tightening. The two of them flash-stepped apart, heading in opposite directions as Ichigo closed the space between him and Kyoka Suigetsu.

Yuzu came to a stop, Jungetsu's fans in hand, on an outcrop of rock that overlooked the battlefield. Here, at the very edge of Soul Society, she could feel the pressure that came with pushing the boundaries of this dimension, energy swirling wildly in the air. It was an ideal place for Kyoka Suigetsu to hide herself, the confusion of the battlefield and the swirling energy patterns making it difficult to detect her reiatsu.

Jungetsu-chan, Yuzu thought towards her zanpakuto as she landed on the ground. I'm counting on you.

"Kurosaki Yuzu," said Kyoka Suigetsu, turning to face her. The zanpakuto spirit's kimono was immaculate again, her hand on her unsheathed sword as she gave Yuzu a smile that might have been friendly coming from anyone else. "You've come to face me again? I'm not sure if I'd call you brave or stupid."

"When you attacked my Division," said Yuzu, stepping forward. "You forced my hand."

"I see," said Kyoka Suigetsu, her eyes meeting hers. The smile became a smirk. "So how is Byakuya doing these days?"

Yuzu's response was to raise one of Jungetsu's fans, energy crackling at the end as she pointed it at Kyoka Suigetsu.

The zanpakuto spirit feigned a disappointed sigh. "There's just no reasoning with people like you," she said. "Very well. Shatter."

Yuzu breathed deeply as mist emanated from Kyoka Suigetsu's blade, reaching for Jungetsu from beneath the water of her inner world. As the illusion threatened to engulf her, her left eye started to ache, fixing on Kyoka Suigetsu as the two of them shot forward towards each other.

TO BE CONTINUED

Omake

"Alright! Get them!" yelled Karin, as her team of forty Eleventh Division members descended upon a group of Hollows, yelling and screaming as they thrust their swords in the air. They didn't need any encouragement, and swooped down on top of the Hollows, letting out excited whoops as they cut down everything they could reach.

Karin grinned, drawing her own sword from its sheath as she charged into the fray, cutting down one of the Hollows on her right as she spun around and stabbed Ongetsu into the neck of a second one. There had been a strong Hollow around here. She'd sensed it as she led her group here. Not a Menos, but close enough to be a bit of a challenge. Her eyes scanned the battlefield in front of her, landing on a large Hollow a short distance away, one that was shaped a bit like a gorilla.

There.

She flash-stepped towards it, grinning as she swiped her sword at it. The gorilla Hollow blocked the slash with his fist, blocking the second and third as well. It had armor on the back of its hands, like gauntlets, but she could tell with the third strike that there was an opening. If she stabbed at it while it was swinging at her, she could finish the fight. She took a step back, prepared to try and saw her opening.

Alright, she thought, angling Ongetsu and getting ready to make the kill.

A group of curved blades swept through the air suddenly, slicing through the Hollow. It collapsed to the ground. Karin's eyes narrowed, Ongetsu cutting through empty air as Yumichika straightened up from behind the Hollow, casually dusting off his sleeve. "Well," he said, his own group of shinigami charging into the fray behind him. "It looks like that wasn't much of a challenge at all, was it, Karin-chan?" He smiled at her, a sparkle appearing in the air just over his eye. Karin's eyes narrowed further, a vein pulsing in her head as her hands clenched into fists.

"What the hell?!" she asked. "That was mine, you freaking kill-stealer!"

"I didn't see your name on it," said Yumichika, smirking at her.

"What do you think I was doing with it, then?" asked Karin. "Playing soccer?"

"I thought you were visiting relatives," said Yumichika, glancing at the gorilla carcass. "My mistake."

Karin's eyes narrowed, and she surged forward, grabbing Yumichika by the front of his shihakusho. "You wanna say that again, you sparkly freak?!" she asked.

"Freak?" asked Yumichika, his eyes narrowing. "That's rich, coming from a muscle-bound ape."

"Yeah, well you're a tacky fruit basket."

"Now, now, Karin-chan, just because you have a horse face, doesn't mean you need to take it out on everyone else."

"I might have a horse face, but at least I'm not a pig!"

"Oh, Karin-chan, that wasn't even creative. I'm guessing Shiro-kun doesn't like smart girls?"

"Um, you two," said Toshiro, appearing on the ground in front of them as they surged back and forth, hands on each other's throats. Sweat droplets formed on the back of his head. "There's…kind of a war. Going on. Right now."

"At least I can get a date, you twinkle-toed ballerina!"

"At least I have grace, unlike you, you bull in a china shop!"

"Um…I'm actually still alive," said the gorilla Hollow, pushing himself back up as he turned his mask towards them.

"Shut up! We're talking here!" said Karin and Yumichika simultaneously, stabbing their swords in the Hollow's direction. The Hollow vanished, and the two of them went back to arguing without missing a beat. Toshiro continued to watch the scene, more sweatdrops forming.

"They like each other," said Ikkaku from beside him, noticing what he was looking at. "Really."