The Lengths One Will Go

By: Kuroi Atropos

Disclaimer: Kubo Tite owns Bleach. I am a lowly, broke fan.

Warnings: Mayuri worst case scenario, enough said. Really, though, this thing is going to be long and it gets a little… gruesome, in parts.

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Chapter Three

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Ichigo watched Rangiku-san rush from the room in a slight state of shock. He hadn't really run into this Kurotsuchi during any of his time in Soul Society, and from what little he'd heard hadn't had too high of expectations. But from Inoue's outburst and the disgust on the faces of the Shinigami he liked or respected, he scribbled this guy on his to-be-sliced-and-diced list somewhere under Aizen but above Ishida's Father.

"Twelfth Squad Taichou Mayuri Kurotsuchi. What do you have to say for the failure of your Squad in the matter of the detection of Arrancar in the Human World?"

Kurotsuchi waved his hand nonchalantly. "My Squad did not fail. If there was no reading of Arrancar, then there was no intrusion. Simple."

"Yeah well you sure failed when they took Inoue." Kurotsuchi's strange golden eyes glared at Ichigo who just smirked back. Ishida could glare worse blindfolded. "'Sides, who else would take Ishida? Sure wasn't the Vizard and that other bastard won't forgive him for helping me so he wouldn't take him either."

"Other bastard? As in, another Quincy? Really, I thought I had gathered up the last of them, yet more keep appearing. Where can I find this other Quincy?" Kurotsuchi's head twitched to the side at an almost impossible angle and Ichigo recoiled.

"Like hell I'd tell you, you sicko."

BANG "Enough." All eyes turned towards the Sotaichou who had slammed his walking stick into the floor. Renji and Shuuhei moved away from Ichigo and he glanced around. All the Shinigami had fallen into ranks, with the Fukutaichous at their Taichou's right shoulders just like Chad was at his, and everyone resembled marble statues staring intently ahead. Shuuhei and Kira stood alone, and an obvious hole remained in between Unohana-Taichou and Byakuya. Another one fell between Kenpachi and Ukitake-Taichou where the wannabe clown would go. The lines of Taichous and Fukutaichous were half in the meeting room, half in the waiting hall with Kurotsuchi at one end, Ichigo and Chad at the other. A crowd had gathered, some pretending to pay attention to other things, some blatantly staring. All of them had frozen in position at the Old Bastard's order.

"Kurotsuchi-Taichou, despite your assurances, Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki is correct. There does appear to be some holes in our sensor areas. I want you to forget whatever it is you are working on," a quick glance over the blood drenched robes, "and look at the scans of the area surrounding Karakura Town personally, see if you can't spot anything your subordinates missed that might allow us to know how these Arrancar slipped through our sensors. Then upgrade the systems immediately so that we do not miss any other incursions from Hueco Mundo to the Human World."

"As much I would love to, I really can't let this little research project wait. It could be of great use in the upcoming battles, and it is very time sensitive. My current subject is strong, but it won't be long now before his physical body expires and I really need to track the current pathways and structures before that happens and his Reiatsu transforms from human to soul."

Zangetsu streaked for Kurotsuchi's head before Ichigo realized it, only to crash to a halt on Byakuya's Zanpaktou. Ichigo recognized the stern look on the noble's face even as Shuuhei grabbed his other arm, and the entire area seemed as if it had been hit with a binding Kido. Kurotsuchi just looked smugly at Ichigo.

"Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki. I understand that your situation is stressful, but that is no reason to attack a Taichou," the Old Bastard's voice stated with absolute authority from behind Ichigo. "Given your history I am afraid that I must insist on your staying in Seireitei until further research can be done. You will not go half cocked to Hueco Mundo and you will await my orders. You and your friends may stay in the barracks of whichever Squad you chose until then. Kurotsuchi-Taichou, you may finish whatever you were doing, quickly, but I want some of your people working on this now."

"Yes, Sotaichou." The thing gave a slight bow before grinning madly at Ichigo and turning to leave the area through a hastily cleared corridor of Shinigami.

Ishida had never really liked Shinigami. Ishida had hated them for not doing anything to help his Grandfather when he'd been too weak to. Ishida had told Inoue that the thing moving hastily down the hall was the main reason he'd had to watch his most important person die like Ichigo'd seen his Mom die. The only thing Ishida hated more than Shinigami (or buttons, Ichigo thought strangely) was indifference to suffering. Ishida, wherever he was, wherever he would be when this was over, would never forgive Ichigo if he didn't do everything in his power to save the person from that Thing. When the Quincy heard about this he'd probably even pause his tirade against Shinigami to politely (and a little primly) thank Ichigo.

"You don't care that he's dissecting someone alive? That he's going to kill them?" Ichigo still couldn't quite believe these revelations, and had to reassure himself it was the only option before he made his final decision to back burner one rescue attempt for another. His eyes flew around trying to find someone who would meet them. Renji just nodded to him, even as he backed from the line of Fukutaichous, but his face and eyes remained as blank and stern as his Taichou's so Ichigo didn't know where his friend fell on this matter. Toshiro shook, looking at his feet clenching nearly white fists. Soi Fong looked barely interested. Kira just stood there, his face unsure. Unohana-Taichou's face had transformed into a stoic mask, her gaze locked with Byakuya's. Her silver haired Fukutaichou looked like she wanted to panic. Komamura had grasped the hilt of his Zanpaktou and kept looking at the Sotaichou for orders. Kyoraku-Taichou and Ukitake-Taichou were staring at each other with strange looks of confirmation on their faces and their Fukutaichous had become focused only on them. Kenpachi was grinning madly with a hand on his Zanpaktou and Yachiru giggling quietly on his shoulder.

"This is war. I don't expect a child to understand the necessary sacrifices we must make." The Sotaichou stated calmly.

Ichigo stood there, Zangetsu locked with Senbonzakura and Suuhei's grip tight on his upper arm, and twisted his head to stare over his shoulder at the Old Bastard as he turned on his heel and left through a door at the rear of the Taichou's Hall, his Fukutaichou at his shoulder. He shifted to look at Byakuya's blank face, the shame on Shuuhei's, and the gamut of looks from everyone else. Were these people really letting this happen?

They were fighters! Protectors!

They couldn't just go about their day knowing that this thing was in his lab cutting up some living and breathing person.

Ichigo realized his glare had turned defiant and he silently urged them to act, desperately wanting to see the good people he believed them to be. They were strong, honest and caring, they were... not moving. They were all just standing there, letting that thing go so he could finish dissecting someone's body and soul no matter what the looks of disgust on their faces said.

"Ishida was right." He heard himself say. "You Shinigami, you just let that… thing go, knowing he's going to torture someone! You Shinigami are nothing but monsters, hell you're just like the Arrancar!" He shoved away from the two Shinigami and broke into the fastest Shunpo he could, aiming to intercept the retreating 12th Squad Taichou, only to be stopped halfway to his target by Byakuya.

"There's nothing to be done, Kurosaki. He has his permission -now orders- to continue."

"Orders that are bullshit!"

He didn't really care that they had stopped in the middle of a semi-crowded walkway growing more packed by the second with those that followed them from the meeting hall, or that he was screaming at a Taichou in the middle of an audience. Someone was being tortured, Ishida was missing and unsurprisingly Soul Society seemed too concerned with itself and its Old Bastard's orders to do anything useful. Nothing was good or right about any of this.

"It doesn't matter," came a quiet voice from behind him. Ichigo looked over his shoulder at Toshiro whose robes were still calming from Shunpo, unwilling to believe that the young Taichou said that. This kid, who had a smart mouth but was generally good, and caring and – and… everything. This boy who helped his little sister win a damn soccer match and let her score the last goal! "I wish it did," the white haired boy took another small step forward. Pain filled ice blue eyes meet his own shocked brown before falling to the ground, "but it never does to them."

"Then do something!" Toshiro just kept his eyes averted as a shudder ran over his small frame, and something in Ichigo rebelled. "Fuck this!" He shifted his grip on Zangetsu and said a silent prayer that Chad and Inoue wouldn't be stuck in the crossfire, and that he'd be in good enough shape when this was over to actually save Ishida.

Kenpachi's laugh was the last thing he really heard before he started to fight for real.

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Nemu shifted as she felt the explosion of Reiatsu from the Quincy's friends somewhere outside. She doubted that Mayuri-sama let it slip who his test subject was, so she knew it had to be from something else, but --

"Wait! You can't go in there!" Nemu looked up towards the window in time to see one of her squad members thrown against the clear surface with an audible crack and saw lines appear on the supposedly unbreakable glass. As the injured Shinigami slid down the spider webbed surface 6th Squad Fukutaichou Renji Abarai appeared, his tattoos and black robes blending with the cracks making him appear a blood crowned spirit looking down at the bloody scene at Nemu's back. She could tell the exact moment it truly registered on his face who was down there being held open, waiting for her Lord.

When the rage flew over Abarai's face Nemu recognized the feeling in her chest to be the same one that she had felt whenever she survived her Father's experiments, when she survived the fight between her Lord and the boy on the table, and when that boy, Uryuu, trustingly took the antidote to her Father's poison from her before the damage became irreversible.

Her mouth felt odd, and as the window finished shattering and the violent red head landed in front of her, she reached a hand up, and lightly touched the corners of her mouth, which were turned upwards in what could only be a smile.

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Ikkaku, who had just been literally thrown over multiple open walkways by a reckless sweep of Komamura-Taichou's rather annoying Giant Arm Zanpaktou as it tried to grab Ichigo, couldn't help but laugh as he parried the blow from nameless opponent as he made his way back to the main may lay and a better fight. Rukia, who Ikkaku had crash landed in front of, fought beside him, seemingly intent on reaching the same area he aimed for. Every now and then he saw her glancing around -- looking for her friends, he guessed. Not that you could see much besides the opponent before you in the beautiful chaos surrounding them.

Even as far from the Taichous as they were the sheer number of Hado spells and Shikai Zanpaktous flying about made moving quickly a risky option. It was a battle royal, a fight that had his blood singing and made him glad to be alive. He felt sure that battle cries and shouted Kido spells could be heard all over Seireitei, possibly even in the Rukongai.

It had only been the Taichous, Fukutaichous and the members of the 11th Squad at first, blade to blade as people backed Ichigo or tried to get him to stop. Then Kenpachi went a little berserk on Byakuya, making the noble the first to break the laws as he had to release his Shikai to avoid being cleaved in two by a particularly quick, powerful blow.

It had been stunned silence for a moment and then more Zanpaktous had been released in a fury of shouted names and swirling, dance like motions as people tried to counter each other.

Unohana-Taichou had tried calling for peace, but it had been a futile urging, barely heard over the rush of Reiatsu and blood in their ears. She had quickly thrown up shields to protect the less powerful Shinigami around the more powerful fighters, but it hadn't helped as they started fighting amongst themselves as well, mostly in Squads in defense of their Taichous or friends, but soon no one had been able to really tell whose side the person across from them had been on.

So many Reiatsus had peaked around him that what he could sense beneath the Taichous overwhelming presence was no help in telling people apart amidst the flashing of sword blades, Hado attacks, Bakudo shields and the rising dusty smoke. He knew that most of the Shinigami weren't aware of the fights cause. It was the closest Ikkaku had seen to the outer edges of the Rukongai since becoming a Shinigami. Everyone fought everyone, there were no sides, and people just parried thrusts towards their hearts and counter attacked, even if it wasn't against the same opponent.

It didn't even matter that so many of the people Ikkaku fought were weaker; since so many people were fighting he had to get creative. He and Rukia couldn't even leap the walls and go by rooftop because the battle had moved there too. Several sections had been so damaged he heard them starting to crumble under the weight of fighters on top of them.

He could hear a few people shouting for calm; mostly fourth squad members that had managed to avoid injury if only because the weaklings were so damn good at darting away from attacks to make it to the wounded. He finally heard Kuchiki actually shout in frustration when she threw the 10th Squads 14th Seat up over the wall (as an icicle he might add) as he nailed the 5th Squads 8th Seat in the head with Hoozukimaru's pole. He really didn't get why Renji was so protective of her, the Kuchiki Princess was more than holding her own.

"Throw me!" she called to him as she locked blades with another lower ranked Shinigami, and spun around to slam her elbow against the back of his head, twisting her blade so that both swords were out of the way of his fall.

"You sure?" She scowled and he laughed again, "Don't land in front of a Kido blast!" He spun around, placing Hoozukimaru to catch her jump, and then something snagged the collar of his uniform. Both their eyes widened before he crashed into her, and a dark hand locked onto Rukia's robe and somebody lifted them into the air.

"Yoruichi-san!" Rukia called out, and Ikkaku glared at the sleekly beautiful woman holding them both up easily as she flash stepped through the fighters. (Ikkaku had to admit a slight amount of awe at the woman's maneuverability, which easily beat Soi Fong's.) He didn't have the chance to complain about how she manhandled him because before Ikkaku could take a deep enough breath to scream at her she had released both of them, sending them crashing into several sets of fighters before they stopped. Ikkaku wanted to yell at her even more for that before he spotted a scowling Yumichika facing off against a smirking Shuuhei (again) and changed his mind. They were back at the best area of the fight no matter how annoying the method of travel had been.

Ikkaku shoved up from the pile of limbs. Deftly twirling Hoozukimaru he stepped forward as Rukia yelled at someone, calling them a hentai, and a wave of cold rushed against his back, helping to push him forward.

Suddenly, a wave of Reiatsu washed over the crowd of fighters from the Twelfth Squad's buildings, one that Ikkaku knew without a doubt wasn't a Shinigami's. It didn't have that sharpness that came with a Soul's. It belonged to someone still living and it was powerful, growing more so very quickly.

"Ishida-san!" He turned to stare at Rukia, wondering why she had called the missing Quincy's name, her eyes grown wide in fear.

Rukia Flash Stepped away, easily maneuvering around the fighters as they stopped battling to stare at the strange arc of blue now towering over the buildings. He darted after her as Yumichika, Shuuhei, Iba and Kira fell in beside him. Yoruichi and Soi Fong darted past them. They landed in the middle of the particularly ravaged area that surrounded most of the Taichous.

He could feel all the Reiatsu curling back into its owners, see varied weapons and strange constructs whirl back into blades quickly sheathed as people wondered at the growing blue dome that was spreading on the horizon. Rukia literally shoved Ukitake-Taichou out of her way in her rush to get to where Ichigo stood, blade held high against the cherry blossoms still idly floating around him as stared in shocked recognition at the blue Reiatsu. He heard the 13th Taichou's exclamation of surprise, and Ikkaku's eyes bugged a little as it didn't slow her down. The other Ryouka were rushing towards him as well, the girl tripping and falling, Rangiku by her side, the boy leaping on his own.

Yoruichi appeared by Ichigo, talking quickly and firmly like people would do around Kenpachi occasionally.

"Oh, this won't be pretty." He glanced at Yumichika, who raised his decorated eyebrow and flipped his hair back and nodded towards the blue Reiatsu. "Isn't that rather lovely shade familiar?" And everything clicked. It was the same shade as that Quincy's bow.

He scanned the growing Reiatsu again, forced himself to sense beyond its sheer presence, felt its pain, and then recognized it. He hadn't been around the boy very often, but his Reiatsu combined with the stories that floated around about Quincies after the dark haired fighter had taken Mayuri down, had made him pay attention to the kid to see if he'd be a good opponent.

The friend that caused Kurosaki to come was already here, and his Reiatsu just exploded from the 12th Squad's grounds.

Kurotsuchi-Taichou had been covered in the blood of a living human.

The orange haired Shinigami's face became blank as the other fighter accepted recognizing the Reiatsu, realizing the blood coating Kurotsuchi belonged to his friend. A burst of Reiatsu blew everyone away from Ichigo. Rangiku caught the girl, and the others near him managed to twist themselves in the air to mostly land on their feet.

A demented cackle escaped a grin that began to stretch Ichigo's face almost in two, and Ikkaku took a few steps forward as darkness began to creep through Reiatsu. His orange topped head twisted to the side just a little further than it should and Ikkaku blinked to clear his vision, it looked as if Ichigo's eyes had turned black and gold like a Hollows. The teen gave another screeching laugh and raised a hand to his face staggering before he muttered "what are you doing?"

Ikkaku took a few more steps forward until Kenpachi shifted in front of him, "Taichou?" he looked up at the towering from and just nodded at the possessive smirk on the man's face.

The area had gone silent except for the substitute's heavy breathing, and then the teen's hand dropped with a soft but harshly uttered "ok." A shift of colors started to swirl over his face from where his hand had been. The color crept and crawled and the darkness that had been making its way through the boy's Reiatsu shot out to encompass it completely and the Reiatsu kept growing, and the colors swirling over Kurosaki's face formed into a solid, gleaming white mask with stripes the color of dried blood delicately curving along one side.

The boy hefted his Zanpaktou, pointing it at where Kurotsuchi stood near Komamura-Taichou with his trident held high, and in a lilting, scratchy voice called out. "Bankai."

Then Kuchiki-Taichou uncharacteristically but literally screamed for them all to evacuate the area around the fight and the growing Reiatsu from the 12th Squad buildings.

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It hadn't taken as long as he had anticipated to barter Ichigo into joint control. It had also taken considerably less arguing than it usually did, for which he couldn't blame the King, and wouldn't complain.

After all, the boy was theirs (though Ichigo would say his alone).

"Die!"

He felt the force of their combined power shoot through the King's veins as he launched towards the thing that had hurt their toy. A flurry of sakura blossom blades swirled in front of him, and they howled as it let the thing dodge Tensa Zangetsu's strike. Their Rukia's brother knew what he could do and was trying to fight them. He fumed, and decided he'd see the noble broken at their feet whether Ichigo agreed or not.

Even as the King pivoted amidst the swirling pink blades and the crushing, giant fists and the chipped blade and bells, he used the King's senses to do a quick check around since despite all the warnings Ichigo still hadn't fully grasped sensing Reiatsu worth a damn. If their little Quincy was here, all their toys deserved to fight for him and not some nameless victim that his King foolishly took pity on. All of theirs in Seireitei were accounted for, including Renji, who was near Ishida.

Annoyingly enough Renji's Reiatsu was disappearing, being beaten down by Ishida's growing strength.

He rallied against his bonds. A fight meant joy and this thing deserved the torture it was about to be put through for daring to hurt what was theirs. He could feel the emotions pouring from several of the others who followed the King, even if they didn't play with him now, the thing wasn't going anywhere except in a nice little cage to wait for what they would do to it. They had time to fight to save their pets, their toys. Their prize wouldn't be stripped from them before they could finish the fight.

It didn't take long for the boy to catch on, and they darted away from the battle towards where the two precious Reiatsus originated.

"Kurosaki-kun! Wait!"

They didn't.

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Renji winced as he felt the shinning blue Reiatsu lash against his again. He was hunkered behind some type of shield that the 12th Squad Fukutaichou had thrown up over him and the two surviving aides from the operating room. They huddled close together on a small chunk of floor that was all that remained of the room, probably the whole building if not more thanks to the little ball of shield hanging suspended in the blue field of Uryuu Ishida's Reiatsu.

The other Fukutaichou tersely explained what was happening as the shield hummed around them. Part of their experiments had included removing the natural barriers and limits in the Quincy's mind that controlled his powers. Instead of taking small amounts of ambient Reiatsu from the air like he usually did, the boy was consuming everything made of Spirit Particles.

"Without it we would be dead, but even this shield is having trouble blocking Ishida-san's full power. We need to find a way out of here," she concluded.

"I'm not so pathetic that I can't feel my Reiatsu being eaten, thank you," he scowled and she just calmly tilted her head to the side. Okay so he had thought it was being battered down and not eaten until a few minutes ago but that didn't really matter. "Like you said we're all dead without this shield so unless you got something else hidden up that sleeve, just shut up so we can wait for the reinforcements."

"They will not be able to get through his Reiatsu, and we won't be able to Shunpo out either. As you've seen the Quincy's power will eat everything, including Shinigami, and convert it into pure power. We have severed nearly all the connections from his will to his Reiatsu so we cannot even hope for him to overcome the pain and bring it back under control himself."

Renji flinched as he recalled the sight he had stumbled upon. Not even seeing all the blood coating Kurotsuchi had prepared him for the sight of the Quincy laid out naked on the table, multiple slices in his arms and legs held open by sutures exposing muscle, tendon and bone. There were slightly closed cuts on his chest that Renji vaguely recognized from the classes seat five and up routinely had to take for field surgeries and he had wanted to throw up. There had been only minimal dressings and closures. He had over heard them mention something about increasing the dosage of a drug to keep the Quincy from moving due to stimuli, and realized they weren't even dosing the kid to numb him -- that he had felt every single thing they had done to him. Then red had filtered over his vision in a way that hadn't happened since Rukia was nearly executed.

The blood haze hadn't left until he had sliced an IV line leading to the kid in order to get him to the 4th Squad, then it had been replaced by bright blue and the only thing that saved him had been the 12th's Fukutaichou snagging him back behind the shield.

"You're not sparkin' any new ideas here," he shifted uncomfortably, eyeing the shield.

"I'm trying to lead us to the only option." Her calm voice was gonna get really irritating really soon.

"Well stop being so annoying and let's hear it."

"It isn't one that you'll like."

He scowled, "lady, if it keeps the kid from eating us, I'm up for it."

Nemu looked up at him with bright black eyes, and he swore that he saw tears in them before she blinked and turned to look over at where Ishida was barely visible, floating from the Reiatsu forcing itself into him from beneath. The Quincy's aura had already disintegrated the table, the equipment and the floor.

"Please implement the strongest Kido shields that you can. They should not have to last long."

"What are you planning, Kurotsuchi-Fukutaichou?"

She didn't even turn to look at him. "Please, Abarai-Fukutaichou. I doubt that a 9th and 13th seat will be able to withstand Uryuu-san's Reiatsu without help."

His eyes narrowed at her, if she was going to take it and run…"Where's the shield going?"

She smiled sadly. "I will need it so that I can survive long enough to tap him with this." She pulled out a needle from her sleeve. Renji felt something inside him clench, and he had to fight down the automatic urge to reverse the needle and shove it into the construct, but she had helped him…

Still it couldn't hurt to ask. "It won't-"

"No. It is a drug my Father designed specifically for the Quincies. It contains a form of what was in the IV you pulled out. It is less powerful but will last longer, about fifteen minutes."

He scowled at the shield which was his second objection; he really didn't want it to go anywhere. "Why can't you just fucking throw the thing?"

"Because Uryuu-san's power would absorb it before it could reach him. You will have to get him to either Unohana-Taichou or that Ryouka girl and instruct them to repair the walls and the pathways to his will."

He blinked. "The what?"

"The Taichou will understand and the girl's powers will do it for her. You have to be fast, if his Reiatsu reacts again before they finish…" her voice faded as she looked at the blue encompassing their small refuge.

He frowned, it sounded like the Quincy needed some very specific medical voodoo done to him, and Renji didn't trust himself with an area that was one of his weakest, not with the life of a brilliant, courageous kid that had stood back to back with him in Hueco Mundo on the line. "Why don't I hit the kid and you explain all this to them?"

"Because his power will be greater the closer you move to him, and not even this shield will be able to withstand Uryuu-san's Reiatsu." Renji scowled as that sunk in.

It would be a one way trip.

"Sounds like an even better reason for you to give me that needle and tell me how to use the shield."

"It is my fault he's here, Abarai-Fukutaichou," she glanced back at him and Renji saw something on her face that was even more out of place then the strange smile she'd worn earlier. He didn't know... it kind of looked like regret, but not really.

All he could do was nod, "good luck."

"You as well, Abarai-Fukutaichou," she moved to release the shield then paused. "Also, the third east building on block 4 of the 12th Squad barracks will need attending to if it has not been destroyed. And tell Uryuu-san, that I thank him once more, and this time, it is for myself."

He nodded again, "as soon as the kid is safe."

Renji turned to the two cowering 12th Squad members that had tried to get between him and the Quincy rather than help him like the Fukutaichou. If he didn't want someone still breathing who knew exactly what the bastard had done to the Quincy every step of the way he would have let Ishida's Reiatsu eat those two just like the rest of them.

"Shields now you losers, I want you alive until I can question you."

They both stumbled through their forms and Renji scowled at their weakness. His own shield remained strong despite the damage taken from the Quincy's draining, and he nodded at the long haired girl who immediately dropped the shields range and launched herself forward towards the Quincy with a blast of Shunpo.

She spun, putting her back to the Quincy, cradling the needle protectively to her chest as she hurtled through the air.

Renji felt blood fill his mouth as he bit back a shout as her shield dissipated.

She didn't cry out as the bright Quincy blue enveloped her, her face losing that look of regret before it vanished.

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End Chapter Three

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