Yay...part 4...and I'm still getting up all that I have as of this moment...so don't be expecting any real updates anytime soon...I work on this as I fancy it...but trust me, with this new filler arc that they have in the Anime, don't be surprised if it is updated quite often. ^_^
Oh, and the definitions of the "*" words/names:
Chuujitsu: Loyalty
Genkaku: Hallucination
Chinmoku: Silence
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The hollow was not an extremely powerful one, so the 20 Hounds didn't need to be called out to help the Saisei Bankai form that Livia and Kootta had taken. The appearance of the Saisei Bankai form was slightly different every time they joined and fought. That night, they were a beautiful woman wearing a light blue, sleeveless dress belted by metal shaped like snowflakes that also doubled as the swordbelt. Their tresses were a bluish white, and were tied back into a half-bun that was embellished by sparkling crystals and two peacock feathers. Their face was like death itself, paler than the moon with hints of blue where the skin was thin. Their eyes were icy, no pupil to be seen. It was the embodiment of viciousness and the cold anger of a queen's bloodlust.
Livia had given all control over to Kootta and her bloodthirsty nature. She just used the Zanpaku'to, and the Shurikan-like attack named "Winter's Breath," where razor-sharp snowflakes from on their fingertips, and are thrown at a high velocity to completely split the hollow's mask at several points.
They made quick work of the minor hollow before the other Shinigami even thought to show up. Kootta breathed in the spirit particles that was the hollow after it disintegrated, cleaning the soul that was the hollow of all of it's previous sins. As she breathed out, a Hell's butterfly formed, to signify the soul burial that had taken place in their lungs. Livia noted the other reiatsu before Kootta was done with the cleansing process.
It was after Kootta watched the Hell's Butterfly flutter away serenely that she noticed the other reiatsu. "How long have they been there?" Kootta asked, her voice spoken aloud because she was in Livia's body. It was cold, almost bereft of any life. Yet it was as beautiful as the sound of a flute being blown in a sad tune or dirge.
"Since the final blow, my most beloved. You were to preoccupied by the soul cleansing and burial to notice all of the strong spirit pressure that started to surround us," Livia said in her own voice, the tones lower and less musical than Kootta's. Livia used their hand to reach down for the Zanpaku'to. When they turned, she saw him, and saw his eyes riveted on the cross-guard of the Zanpaku'to that was now in their hands.
His eyes, as they turned up to the Saisei Bankai form that was the embodiment of both Zanpaku'to and Livia, turned to a burning fury and his face contorted with the anguish of emotions long forgotten. "Where did you get 7th seat Rei's sword from, demon?! WERE YOU THE ONE THAT KILLED HER!" He charged at them, and Kootta made their finely wrought features form a smile.
Their swords clashed, and the Saisei Bankai's face came inches from their attackers. "Hello, Zabimaru's wielder Renji Abarai. Where did I get myself from? Well, I got myself from myself, you fool. I wield myself now. Is that such a problem for you? Is it so hard for you to comprehend that she, in her final moments, released me from my prison in this gilded cage that you call a captain-class Zanpaku'to?"
Kootta looked out at the other gathered Shinigami and spiritually-gifted humans. Her eyes fastened on Ichigo, and she said, "Enough now, Zabimaru. I want to meet the fresh one."
She disengaged their swords, and used a flash-step to appear right in front of Ichigo. She took one of their too-long fingered hands and grabbed a hold of Ichigo's jaw, pulling his mouth up so she could breath her icy breath down his throat. "Hello, newcomer. You are quite handsome for one so young…maybe I should add you to my collection."
Kootta parted their lips for a moment before Livia said, "No, Kootta. No playing games tonight."
Kootta stepped back and pouted. "But this was too much fun, master! Why must we stop?"
In her different voice from the same body, Livia said, "Because, my dear, you ought to know to not kiss a complete stranger. Use those elfin manners that you are always so proud of."
They heard behind them in the silence that followed their words a whispered name, full of disbelief and confusion. "Rei…?" Renji said as he tried to walk forward. However, with a mere gesture of a hand, four of the 20 hounds of the Ice queen materialized in all of their frozen fury.
"Now, now Renji. Rei isn't a manifested spirit anymore. We joined when she was about to die, so that I could live out another life through her, and so she might exist a little longer." Kootta smiled. "And I do believe that you have met Yokubou*, Hokori*, Jounetsu*, and Fukushuu* before. I think that Rei and I called them out when she was ranked as 7th seat when she first joined the squad, am I correct? And weren't you her opponent? See, the hounds remember your scent." Kootta sheathed their sword, the ringing of the steel just as musically deadly as her voice. "Just be glad that Yabou isn't here. He doesn't take lightly to those who once were enemies coming up on their master's back."
They turned back to the others, and she looked down her nose at Hitsugaya's white hair and young face. "Don't be so surprised. If you died, Hyourinmaru would offer you the same thing. Trust me. If you don't want to do that, then ask him some time. What's with the shocked expression?" Kootta raised her eyebrows at Hitsugaya's widened eyes. "For a captain class, you sure are ignorant. I am the spirit of a sword. I can see and talk to the spirits of all of your swords. I can see their true power…like you, appealing little orange-headed boy. I can see Zangetsu standing right behind your shoulder, trying to gauge my power to assist you in determining if you can beat me. Don't try it, little whelp. I have 16 other hounds that I can call on you and your little group, plus my own abilities. Don't tempt me further."
Kootta pretended a yawn. "Well, now, I'm getting tired, so I'm sure you little children are as well. Go take a nap before you try to take down these minor hollow. Your blades might not be sharp enough to cut, otherwise."
Kootta made to jump into the air as Hitsugaya said, "Wait! Who are you, then? Why do you stay in the human world when you could go on to the Soul Society?"
Kootta smiled, then laughed haughtily at him. "Who am I? I am Kootta Umi no Kootari, the former Queen of the Ice clan of Elves. And the reason why I choose to stay on Earth is because this place interests me. One person in particular…" And with that, the Saisei Bankai jumped away, and the hounds dissipated into mist that followed in their wake.
What the others didn't know was that Kootta and Livia had broken their Saisei Bankai, and were now watching from some nearby bushes to see their reactions. {You know, Kootta, you didn't have to look down your nose at all of them. Are you still feeling the bloodlust?}
Kootta smiled. No, dearie. This time, when I preformed the soul burial, it went away. Sometimes it does that…the spirit of that hollow really was a kind one. It didn't become a hollow willingly.
Then they both turned their attention back to the people in front of them. "…was that? Renji, did you know her?" the human with glasses was asking, reaching down a hand to help Renji up.
He rejected the offer. "I know the sword, and the second voice that was produced from the same body. Her name was Seishinn Rei, and she was a member of the 6th division around 40 or so years ago. She was a member of one of the squads that was sent to the real world, and then she just disappeared. We found a bloody shihakushou, and what looked like part of the ribbon that you saw holding the sheath to the belt of metal, but that was it. Some of the others who were there during the battle said that she took on a rather large hollow that looked kind of frog-like, was fighting it, and then the two of them just disappeared. No one, to this day, knew exactly what happened…but to think that her Zanpaku'to is in a permanently Ban-released state…I've never heard of anything like that in my entire life. And somehow they seem even more powerful than ever before." Renji looked over to Hitsugaya. "Well? Is there anything that you know about this? She seemed confident that you would."
Hitsugaya's face was down, as if he were thinking. When he raised his head, his eyes were hard and shining like ice. "Hyourinmaru is saying that the spirit fighter is correct. He says that most swords actually offer themselves to their masters in their dying moments, but very few are able to hear through the pain and the mental commotion." He looked off in the direction that Kootta and Livia were to have gone. "He said that the woman who took in the spirit of her sword must have been very strong, indeed. And the fact that a part of her still remains and can speak…" Hitsugaya shook his head. "She would've been the strongest captain in all of Soul Society."
His words were greeted with silence from all parties. It was then that Matsumoto said that she had left Livia by herself, so she needed to go and check on her. {Come, let's go, Kootta. Otherwise Matsumoto will learn of our trick.}
They used flash step to get back to Livia's gigai, and slipped into it, discovering that she still had all the money in her pocket.
A few moments later, Matsumoto showed up. She looked at Livia quizzically, then said, "Didn't I tell you to go in without me? Why are you waiting out here?"
Livia looked sheepish for a moment, then said, "Because…I would have felt bad using your money when you weren't even around. I'm not the kind of person that just takes money, then spends it without the other person knowing what I spent it on." Livia stood up, and stretched. "Besides…I just kind of what to go back to the Kurosaki's. I've shaken off whatever it was that I was feeling while I was sitting here waiting for you to come back."
Matsumoto looked Livia over for a moment, then nodded. "Oh, alright then. Let's get going back."