Mwahahaha – an update! I have just finished writing the Thesis Chapter that Ate Tokyo, so its nice to write something non-scientific again! This story is actually the only Bleach-like thing I'm into at the moment, since it seems forever since anything plot-related happened in the manga… and don't even get me started on Bleach filler arcs. I haven't even tried watching this one – seems to me that since Zabimaru doesn't look like what we've been shown Zabimaru to look like, it's going to plain annoy me. I'm also fully up to date on Naruto, FullMetal Alchemist and Vampire Knight, so if anyone has any recommendations for something to keep me quiet they would be much appreciated.
Ahem. Excuse the rant :)
It has been pointed out to me that I broke Renji right before his birthday, for which I feel very cruel. I'm going to have to make that up to him at some point. However, that'll have to wait a chapter. Sorry to all the people waiting impatiently for the IchiHime ness to start, but ehhh, anticipation'll just make it better, right? I really didn't realise this story was gonna wind up so long...
As ever, thanks so much for all the reviews – please do keep letting me know what you think, the more reviews, the more excited I get about the story and the quicker I update… ha haaaa, bribery!
"You don't speak?"
A roar is the only answer, and it lunges, malevolent yellow eyes glinting through the mask. Renji barely manages to bring Zabimaru up in time to block the blow, and quickly moves in for a counterattack – but the thing is gone. Only the light building between the curved horns draws the redhead's eyes to where it now stands.
Cero!
He dodges, barely, but lands awkwardly, thrown off balance by the blast behind him. Desperately, he scrambles to his feet, but comes face to face with white bone streaked with blood red, a taloned hand…
He hits the wall hard, and feels ribs break. Hot liquid fills his mouth and he coughs, spits, sees red splash onto the pavement. But there's no time to recover, because it's coming – an unearthly howl bursting from the skull-toothed mouth as the sword drives straight for his chest.
Clang.
Zabimaru knocks the blade aside, the whip-like blade already curving around to strike at the white-masked face. It meets only air, the figure gone so quickly Renji's eyes can barely follow the movement.
How the fuck is this thing so fast?
It's beside him in an instant, the slim katana coming down on his left side. Renji already knows that Zabimaru cannot retract in time to block the blow. He braces himself… pulls his left arm up to deflect the sword, gritting his teeth against the searing pain as the blade bites into his flesh, hears the crack as the bone stops the blow – and breaks.
There are humans living here… if he goes all out, then there will be damage. Buildings might fall, people might be hurt…
But if he doesn't, he might not survive. And this thing… he's never felt reiatsu like it. Stronger, far stronger even than a captain-level shinigami, stronger than a Vasto Lorde hollow, but different from both.
Zabimaru… fight with me…
The cry sounds in his head, matched by the screaming of the skeletal snake's head as the monstrous form materialises. The comforting weight of fur settles around his shoulders and curves around his right arm, as an answering shout rips from his throat.
"Bankai! Hihiou Zabimaru!"
A flick of his wrist sends a wave of movement along the serpentine blade, magnifying with each segment, the giant fangs reaching for the monster in front of it. But the white figure simply dances out of the way of the gaping maw, torn black clothes and long mane flapping around it. Every flick of the redhead's wrist causes jaws to snap on empty air.
Too fast – I can't win this way!
Gathering his strength, Renji gathers his reiatsu, sending it circulating through the segments of his blade. He can't use this attack more than once in the fight; it simply draws too much strength out of him. But the skeletal serpent cannot match the speed of the hollow-thing, so he has to try…
"Hikotsu Taihou!"
The beam of pure power shoots from the fanged mouth, straight to the white figure, and Renji sees, briefly, golden eyes widen. A fierce grin spread over his face. Fast as this thing is, even it cannot dodge a pure energy attack!
A hand rises, and talons spread – and the streaming red energy bounces and deflects from the bone-white appendage. Renji's jaw drops.
Shit.
And then the creature is gathering its own energy, that bright light gathering between its twin horns. A Cero! Renji draws his arm back, knowing he won't dodge in time, wrapping the bone blade around himself in a protective cocoon.
He hears the twin screams of Zabimaru in his head when the blast hits, feels himself thrown backward despite the protection of the blade. His head and back hit a wall, and he slumps to the ground, desperately trying to refocus his blurred vision, half-aware of the segments of Zabimaru's blade as they fall around him.
Falling forward, he tries to catch himself with his hands, unable to stop the scream that rips from his throat as his weight lands on his broken forearm. White claws appear in his vision as the thing steps in front of him.
I'm going to die here.
His fist tightens around the bone hilt of Zabimaru in his hand.
Sorry, he murmurs to the nue softly. There's no reply, but calmness settles over him. "Higa… Zekkou…." Renji rasps out, gathering all the power he has left. Please let it be enough. Please let this catch it off guard…
The bone segments separate, lift, orient themselves so that the ridges along the back of the spine point toward the creature. Renji allows himself a small smile. He may be broken – but fast as that thing is, its surrounded. He can still win!
The thing screams as the bone segments fly toward it in a vicious rain, raising a cloud of dust which obscures it from vision. Renji sags in relief, his heart hammering in his ears. It's hard to breathe – one of his broken ribs has punctured a lung. Even if he's won, he's in trouble – Higa Zekkou has drained him of reiatsu, broken Zabimaru, and he doesn't think he could stand even if he tried.
But… he forces his head up, to look at the clearing dust.
What?!
The long mane streams behind the creature as it lunges forward from the dust, a clawed hand wrapping around Renji's neck and slamming his body hard into the wall behind him. Brick crumbles around him, and he feels his right shoulder dislocate as the thing rips Zabimaru's handle roughly from his grasp, dropping it to the floor beside him.
It wasn't even hurt… not at all…
The skull-shaped mask, decorated with its curving lines of red, is just inches from his face. He can hear the rasp of it's breathing, slowly being drowned out by the racing of his own heart as his body fights for oxygen. Fuck… the thing is raising its sword…
Renji's vision is already going black around the edges.
Rukia…
He thinks he hears her… or feels her… somewhere.
Don't come… stay away… stay AWAY…
The slim blade drives down and bites into his chest. Hot blood fills his mouth, spills down over his chin as he chokes. His vision begins to fade, the edges slowly imploding until all he can see is yellow…. Yellow irises in a black sclera, two yellow dots in blackness…
His neck is released, and he falls like a broken puppet to the ground, choking, his body fighting for air through the blood and the damaged lung filling with fluid.
Sorry… Rukia…
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"Inoue-san, you need to rest."
"I'm fine. Just a bit longer."
"You've been working non-stop for hours. You're exhausted. And he's stable now. You should sleep, Inoue-san. You can do more tomorrow."
"I can do this… I can keep going…"
"Orihime… Ishida's right. And I'll stay with him. If he gets worse again… I'll come wake you. But you need to rest."
"I'm sorry…. Kuchiki-san…"
******************************************************************************************
He can't breathe… can hear the rasping of his own breath as his body struggles for air, a millisecond of rasping breath all he can manage before his airways close up. Panic runs through his head. What's wrong? What happened?
"Shhh, Renji. It's alright. You were wounded, but we're healing you now… You're going to be fine…"
That voice… Rukia… instantly calming, sending warmth coursing through his body, sending him back into blackness.
Wounded… What had happened?
The scene plays out in his head again. The monster… that insane reiatsu, so much reiatsu, nobody had that much power. Not even Ichigo… or did he? Renji couldn't remember. But it hadn't felt like Ichigo… Hadn't looked like Ichigo… Ichigo wasn't a hollow…
Only the hair colour was the same. That thing… it had orange hair. But long, a mane down its back, not those ridiculous short spikes. Hair… it didn't grow that fast…
Again, he sees the creature step toward him… feels his shoulder ripped from its socket, sees the blade plunged through his chest, sees those yellow eyes gleaming through the white and red mask…
There's something… he knows there is. His mind is screaming at him from somewhere, but in the sea of pain and darkness and confusion it's screaming from inside a locked box, and he can't find the key.
Zabimaru…
No answer, and he remembers the Cero, the serpent protecting him, then Higa Zekkou… Damn. Zabimaru would know. The nue was probably raging at him for missing whatever it was.
It had walked away unscathed…
The sword drives though his chest…
The sword…
It was something about that sword.
Hanging against the wall, struggling for breath, pain coursing throughout his body, he forces himself to focus… replaying the scene over and over again.
Black… it was black. A rectangular guard… a simple pattern… a bar extending from each corner and running along the line of the guard…
Such a slim blade…
It was familiar, somehow. Why?
"Let me fight that bastard… Next time… I... will win!"
Zabimaru?
But the voice is gone.
That bastard… I will… win…
Zangetsu?
The plot thickens…
Hope you enjoyed reading! As ever, let me know what you think - I aim to please, and to improve :)