Hey guys, newest update for Demons after, what, 2 long months. :) I have been really busy in real life, and only just got down to writing the fic again a few days ago. I hope the new chapter will provide some love to the ByaRuki pairing... we haven't gotten any sightings of them in the manga yet. :P
First off, I would like to thank all the reviewers of the past chapter, thank you very much, the feedback was lovely and I appreciate every single one of them. Believe me when I say that feedback and response are one of the pushing motivations of an author to write. =)
Second, if you have yet to realize, I have YET another new IchiRuki fic out, which was a spontaneous product of inspiration after looking at a really marvellous IchiRuki fanart. The details are in that fic itself, and it is currently titled 'Black Sun, White Moon' (title might change though). It is AU, with a fairytale setting. It tells of the Sun and Moon kingdoms, and how the fate of the two once-united lands soon begin to change with the Sun King Ichigo and the Moon Princess Rukia. Do give it a read if you like IchiRuki and fairytales. ;)
Third, I recently came in 1st place on an IchiRuki fanfic contest on DeviantArt in January! Woohoo! :D It was my first time placing among top 3 in a fanfic contest and I'm really happy. I wrote a different style this time - a oneshot, it didn't have lemons (damn), and played mostly on emotions. So I was pleasantly surprised with the results! :D You can read it on my Deviantart (I use the username evenstar-lady on there). =)
Fourth, I want to leave a shout-out to matsugo1, who made a wonderful movie trailer to this fic, 'Demons from My Past'. I was very honoured when I saw the video and thank you very much! I thought it was really beautiful and I love the effects! :D Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)
Byakuya looked down to see a bright red laser dot on his chest… just as a bullet shot its way into his heart…
The scream jammed in Rukia's mouth, only to be muffled by the gag, as she watched the bullet hit Byakuya. She did not know how long she had screamed, as his grey eyes half-widened in shock, as the terrible splotch of blood slowly started to spread across his shirt, as he finally dropped to the floor.
The body of Byakuya fell, almost in slow motion... and Rukia wanted nothing more than to run out and catch him, and make sure he was okay. How she wished she could turn time back, how she wished she could rip the tight ropes binding her to the chair and rush out to take the bullet for him. Rukia felt as if she was separated from her body, as if she was floating from above, watching a scene from a very, very horrible movie.
This could not be happening…
And when Byakuya's body hit the floor with a thud of finality, the ominous sound echoed terribly in Rukia's empty heart.
He couldn't be dead, he couldn't be dead, he couldn't…
"BYAKUYA!" Rukia shouted, but once again the cloth gag muffled the syllables into meaningless sounds. Her brain jammed, bringing all her thoughts to a halt, except for one.
Byakuya… Byakuya was shot. He needed medical attention now, he needed help! He needed… to be alive…
Please… please…
He needed to be safe… alive!
Rukia thrashed furiously in her chair, but the binding ropes reminded her of her useless condition… and what had brought Byakuya to her, and to this. The tears pooled in Rukia's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She needed to get to Byakuya, she needed to touch him, tell him to hang on…
"Taka, check him." Aizen's voice jolted Rukia, she had almost forgotten that anybody was around. The white-hot fury whipped around Rukia like a powerful storm, at the horrible man standing just next to her.
This animal… he was responsible for all of this.
"M-Me?" A nervous voice came from the left and a middle-aged man armed with a rifle stepped out from the shadows.
"Yes, you. Go on." Aizen's voice was calm. "We have you covered, Taka."
The middle-aged man walked out nervously to the body lying in the middle of the warehouse. From all corners of the place, Rukia could see the armed men step out into the light, so many of them with their rifles and guns still aimed at Byakuya's body.
What? What do you still want with him? Rukia felt the fury grip her heart. How many times do you want to shoot him already?
A cry from Taka jerked Rukia's attention back to reality, and her eyes immediately focused to the front again. What had happened? Was it a cry of triumph? Or was Byakuya still alive, even if barely so? Rukia felt the hope come alive in her heart. Maybe she could negotiate something with Aizen, make him release Byakuya. If he really wanted, she could take his place. Anything… anything to have Byakuya leave this place alive…
Another cry heard set Rukia's anxious heart beating faster than before but she could not see much of what was happening as Taka had been leaning over Byakuya's body, shrouding both of them from view. The violet eyes widened as she finally realized the reason for the noise. As the man leaned back in what appeared to be an expression of extreme pain, Rukia saw that a pale hand had latched onto Taka's own arm and twisted it back.
How… how could it be?
"Oh." Aizen's voice was nothing but curiosity.
Rukia's violet eyes widened even more, as the figure reflected in them… slowly rose from the ground, keeping a hold on the other struggling man.
He stood up slowly but surely, without any hints of injury to his body. It was almost an ominous sight, like a dead body coming back to life. Rukia felt the happiness, hope and shock mingle together at the incredulity of what was happening in front of her. And when he stood and finally turned to face her again, she caught sight of those eyes, so grey and misty…
… and so very, very alive.
Aizen's eyes, which had momentarily widened for a split second, slowly narrowed as his lips curled into a smile. He chuckled. "So it was a false rumour, probably one of the many you have planted everywhere about your Purification Period date to throw unforgiving enemies off the track. Forgive me for even attempting to believe them, Kuchiki-san. I should have known better."
The smile widened on Aizen's lips as he stepped behind Rukia, addressing everyone in the warehouse. "Let us make this a showdown then." He raised one arm in the air.
"All of you… fire."
The fear and shock appeared on Taka's face a split second before it disappeared under a hailstorm of lethal bullets that started off once again in the warehouse.
It was a horrible grotesque sight, one Rukia would never forget as long as she lived. The bullets flew, riddling into Taka's body and he kept screaming in pain as Byakuya held onto him as a shield and retreated swiftly to a dark corner. And the men, they kept shooting, wasting the bullets away on the hope that one might strike Byakuya.
None did.
Byakuya moved with ease and agility, handling Taka's body as easily as if it were a life-sized plush toy. If the sight had not been so horrible, Rukia would have found it subtly beautiful in the way Byakuya moved easily within the spot, his eyes careful and his movements swift and precise, almost graceful.
Finally, when the final bullet dropped to the ground of the warehouse, Byakuya grabbed Taka by the neck in front of him. The man was still screaming in pain, and trashing weakly in Byakuya's bloody arms. His body was riddled with holes from the bullet, and blood was pouring out of him in a crimson puddle where Byakuya and him now stood.
How was it possible? How was it possible that he was not dead? So many bullets like that… and he could keep shouting…
Rukia felt her brain freeze at the illogical appearance of it all, at how it only seemed like a horror movie come true. Her eyes turned back to Byakuya, who stood coolly behind the man. Byakuya turned his back on both Rukia and Aizen, still holding the struggling Taka in front of him. Taka kept screaming, but Rukia could only see Byakuya's back to her now, shrouding Taka from her view.
Next, a most terrible loud crack echoed in the warehouse… a sound that chilled Rukia to the bone, especially as Taka's screams abruptly stopped after that.
He's alive.
No, he can't be.
Am I dreaming? Or is this a nightmare?
Rukia's brain was frozen, unable to process what was happening in front of her. Byakuya had just taken a bullet to his heart, and he could move about so easily. The red splotch on his shirt was slowly widening, reminding Rukia of his injury but he did not seem any worse than when he first started off.
Rukia could only watch as Byakuya placed Taka's dead body on the ground. Rukia's eyes hurriedly darted to the body, where Taka's head was twisted in the most strange and grotesque angle… that was never meant to be possessed by living human beings. Taka's eyes were wide open, his mouth frozen in a horrified silent scream.
He was dead.
Rukia felt the gasp jam in her throat again, as she looked at Byakuya.
He had killed someone… Byakuya had killed someone!
No, it was only for self-defence! If he hadn't done so, he would have been dead.
Rukia watched Byakuya turn toward her and Aizen. His grey eyes were wary but emotionless, as he took out a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood clean off his hands. The image sent a slight chill down Rukia's back. Byakuya… he seemed too cool, too composed for someone who had just killed a man for the first time. It was all too strange, and Rukia struggled to comprehend everything. Why? What was this?
As he dropped the soiled handkerchief to the floor, Byakuya looked at the Rukia for the first time since he was hit by the bullet. And Rukia immediately detected something else in those misty grey eyes.
Sadness.
Subtle sadness… and a sense of resignation.
It did nothing to resolve the confusion in her mind.
What was all this?
"You certainly have flair for drama, Kuchiki-san." Aizen chuckled as he produced a small knife from his pocket and stood behind Rukia. "Even I thought we had succeeded in that moment. But of course…" The brown eyes narrowed. "Kuchiki Byakuya is not someone anyone can ever take lightly, is he?"
Byakuya kept silent as he observed Aizen, who flicked the blade close to Rukia's neck. The grey eyes narrowed as the brown-haired man lowered himself to Rukia to whisper into her ear.
"Does he look a lot cooler to you now, Ukitake-san?" Aizen smiled. "Do you understand the real him now?"
The real him? What?
Aizen chuckled. "Allow me to demonstrate." Rukia only caught the words for a split second before Aizen whipped out a small handgun with his left hand. Rukia's violet eyes widened in shock and fear as she heard double shots fired quickly from the gun, sending two bullets into Byakuya's chest.
Byakuya did not even move away, his eyes staying on Rukia. That same solitary, sadness stayed in his eyes as he looked at her, ignoring the bullets as they hit his body.
Rukia screamed a second time, the gag once again muffling her voice. And then, the disbelief hit her a second time… when Byakuya did not fall, or even stumble.
The soft chuckle of Aizen in her ear brought Rukia back to Earth. "You see, little Rukia, he's always going to be able to move, even if we shot him down with a hundred bullets."
Aizen allowed a second's breadth of silence to linger before he spoke the words, words that Rukia would remember for as long as she lived.
"After all, he is an immortal."
xXxXx
The card scanner beeped as the access card was held in front of the screen.
"Access granted. Please proceed, Miss Miko. Have a nice day." The cool female operator voice sounded through the panel. A pair of footsteps strode past the silver door that slid open, and then another followed, and another and yet another pair of footsteps…
"We will take the perimeter down on the ground floor to ensure no one escapes from the building. The rest, up to the central office where the rest of the clan are."
The rush of brisk footsteps echoed across the fine-tiled floor. "By nightfall, Azaris will be bathed in blood… and taken over from the Kuchikis."
xXxXx
After all, he is an immortal.
Immortal.
Rukia's brain had froze once more at the word. There were so many strange things happening now, so many strange and dangerous things that she could not comprehend. And now someone was telling her Byakuya was immortal.
Immortal? As in… someone who could never die? What did Aizen mean?
"Perhaps your mind would have some trouble comprehending all the current facts for now. I will try to make it easier with a little fairytale. Have you ever heard of the legend of the Succubus, Rukia?" Aizen whispered into her ear as he held the blade against her neck.
When Rukia remained silent, Aizen continued. "Succubi are female demons, demons made famous in medieval tales. They appear as very beautiful women, but are actually monsters who prey and seduce men sexually, before draining of them of their life energy through intercourse. And did you know…" Aizen chuckled slightly. "… that there are male demons of the same kind, with the exact same mechanism?"
"This demon is known as an Incubus."
Byakuya watched Aizen warily, always focusing on the sharp blade at Rukia's neck. Aizen only smiled and continued talking.
"Do you believe in fairytales, Rukia? Or rather in the darker folktales that tell of the most terrifying of creatures, creatures known to exist only in nightmares? Did you ever believe that they might actually walk among the living, and are very real indeed?
Rukia's eyes only held shock and confusion.
"Is it all too much to take in, little Rukia?" Aizen smiled and gestured with his left hand at Byakuya. "Let me tell you a little more clearly then. Kuchiki Byakuya's actual age is six hundred and twenty-five years old."
Rukia's eyes widened in shock. What! No, no, it cannot be…
"He walked the times in your history textbooks. Renaissance, feudal times in Japan, he was there to witness them all first-hand."
What? This is impossible… this…
"Well today, Rukia… you are going to learn that not all legends are legends after all." Aizen spoke. "Your lover is an Incubus. Not only that, he is the most powerful Incubus to have walked the Earth for over six hundred years."
Rukia's eyes widened in shock.
Aizen whispered into Rukia's ears, his eyes trained on Byakuya. "Turns out you should have asked for his birth certificate when you started dating, because he might be a little too old for your taste. Also, he tires you out constantly, because that little vital energy inside of you has been his constant feeding material. His heart beats but continues beating regardless of whatever pierces it, no matter how lethal… except on one certain happy day where he turns more vulnerable. I was hoping that it was today but no matter, we will just have to try harder to kill him."
Aizen straightened up, keeping the blade at Rukia's neck. "But Kuchiki-san, I must admit I found myself thoroughly amused upon catching wind of your relationship with Rukia here, and very curious of the reason." He smiled. "Is she a lot more delicious than normal women?"
Aizen bent toward Rukia and sniffed her, causing an involuntary twitch to run through Byakuya's body. That did not go unnoticed by the mastermind who straightened up with a smile.
"This historical moment belongs to storyline of movies. The hero arrives to rescue his beloved, and she finally finds out that he is an undead."
"Yes, Kuchiki Byakuya… is an Incubus."
Kuchiki Byakuya's actual age is six hundred and twenty-five years old…
Also, he tires you out constantly, because that little vital energy inside of you has been his constant feeding material…
His heart beats but continues beating regardless of whatever pierces it, no matter how lethal…
Kuchiki Byakuya is an Incubus…
Rukia's heart froze at the impossible revelation. Byakuya's age… his true nature… his real identity. It was all a lie, how could it be true? How could something so incredulously impossible be true? How could he be six hundred years old? No human lived beyond those years, and he barely looked like he was over twenty-five!
But then somewhere in the back of her shocked mind, Rukia felt something click about the mysterious air around Byakuya, all the little snippets of conversation and feelings that had seemed so insignificant at the time. They moved about in her brain, fitting themselves like puzzle pieces, telling her what she had always felt, that something wasn't really normal with Byakuya right from the start when he came into her life…
'I only like old men and their smiles though.' 'That's truly fitting. I'm a lot older than I look…'
'Is it okay… if we… don't do it today? It's just… I find myself very tired the morning after…'
'You called me a demon…'
All the subtle hints in his words from the start, did they mean something much bigger at that moment, something which she had obviously not caught on to? Then there was the mysterious ways in which he would always appear, like he was something… supernatural. His impossible talents, his perfection in every single aspect, his charming personality, those hypnotizing eyes, the way he could seduce with so much ease… almost as if he had been doing it for centuries…
An Incubus…
Byakuya watched the difficult look of realization dawn in Rukia's eyes and he instantly knew.
She knew now.
"I am very sorry." A small, sad smile curled Byakuya's lips. "This must be a very rude shock for you, equal to a betrayal."
Rukia did not move, nor speak.
"I… could not bring myself to tell you the truth on the phone. It would only serve to terrify you..." Byakuya spoke. "But I would not have preferred for you to learn it this way, Rukia."
The Incubus took a single breath before he spoke the words, words delayed for too long now, and finally wrenched painfully out into the open. "What I meant to say on the phone was, I'm not the man you think I am, Rukia. To be honest, I am not even a man."
Rukia's eyes filled with tears… and the sight wrenched Byakuya's heart right out of him. After all the delaying and cover-ups… it only served to hurt more.
I should have known…
"I know I should not have lied, that it would be best to come clean as soon as I could. But I grew selfish in your company after tasting the happiness I had never felt before, and I would do anything for it to stay that way." The Incubus allowed a second's silence as if weighing his words. "I know it is inevitable that you would finally leave me. Be it by Death's hand or simply the fear of learning my true identity…" Byakuya smiled. "But I still fell in love."
Rukia's eyes widened, as Byakuya's eyes softened.
Byakuya did not care if Aizen or the entire group of enemy demons were listening to this uncharacteristic confession of his. After all, they will all be dead by the time he was finished with them. He just had to tell Rukia what he needed to tell her, and he needed to tell her now. There was probably no other time left.
"But yes, I did kiss another… but only to absorb some vital energy. I did not want to burden you, I wanted to be a little more like a normal human partner. A partner who does not leech off your energy in the midst of passion." A hard edge entered Byakuya's voice and Rukia noticed that he gripped his fists tight, but then he continued to smile at her.
"And I watch you almost every night from the tree opposite your bedroom window. You are lovely even when you sleep."
Rukia's eyes widened, the smile stayed on Byakuya's lips.
"Do not fear." Byakuya grey eyes were soft as they looked at her. "I apologize for getting you into this mess. You will be safe soon… I promise."
I've always imagined how you would see the real me for the first time, but never in my entire life, would I have imagined it to be this.
A sudden wind swirled up in the middle of the warehouse, causing the dirt and debris to fly about in the powerful air. Rukia's eyes widened, even as the rest of the demons shrank back, shielding their vision and sight. Aizen's eyes stayed open, an almost maniacal smile on his face.
"Ahh, that smell of immense power. The power that will soon be mine."
The powerful wind slowly formed an air vortex in the warehouse, as the wooden pillars of the building begin to shake. The sound of wood snapping echoed overhead, as certain structures of the warehouse broke under the powerful pressure.
And as Byakuya looked upon Rukia, his grey irises slowly changed into the impossible colour of liquid silver.
So now you look upon the real me, Rukia.
Rukia gasped as she watched those familiar grey eyes of Byakuya change into impossible glimmers of silver. The features of Byakuya's handsome face hardened slightly, giving him a more lethal and deadly look. As the wind slowly settled in the warehouse, Rukia realized that a somehow chilly aura had descended upon the place so that the temperature felt much colder than before. She had never seen Byakuya like this… the only one time she had ever glimpsed such coldness in his looks and posture before was the night he had left Tokyo for Seattle in a rage after she had went out for a movie with Ichigo.
Byakuya lifted his head to look Rukia squarely in the eye…
... and suddenly, Rukia found herself looking at those eyes less than a meter away. Rukia had barely a second to register the shock that Byakuya was now directly in front of her, as the Incubus reached out and punched Aizen with his right arm, sending the other man flying backwards into the wall and disappearing amidst the rubble and debris. Byakuya deftly caught the knife that Aizen had dropped and sent the weapon flying after its owner. He turned back to Rukia as he stood in front of her.
So fast.
Too fast.
Had he just appeared directly in front of me… in a matter of milliseconds?
Had he just punched a man through the wall… with just a single blow?
Rukia looked up as Byakuya reached out to her ropes. She saw the residual dried blood that caked his hands slightly, and the sight combined with the cold temperature in the warehouse caused Rukia's body to let out an involuntary shiver. However, that little action caused Byakuya to hesitate as his hands hovered in the air. When he spoke, however, his tone was emotionless.
"Do not be afraid of me, Rukia. I will never hurt you."
She is afraid of me.
Byakuya watched Rukia tremble as he reached out to her. He stopped, wondering if he would terrify her any more if he touched her in that moment.
She is terrified of me.
The sadness weighed Byakuya's heart down but he refused to let it affect him too much, not when it was too crucial and dangerous a moment now to care about emotions. He was already lucky that she hadn't fainted or rejected him altogether as he had approached her. It was amazing how things could change so much. Not too long ago before she had caught him kissing his secretary and went on a trip with her friends, Byakuya had been in blissful heaven, hugging a happy Rukia in his arms on the sofa and feeling her cuddle closer to him each time he placed a kiss on the top of her head.
Byakuya had been working out ways to repair their relationship after Rukia had broken up with him. It was going to be a long and hard process but he was more than willing to go the extra mile, if that was what it took to have Rukia back again. He was going to start when she returned from the trip with her friends, and if he had to start anew with her again, he would. And when they were both together again, he would start to reveal bits of his true identity to her slowly and gradually, so she would not be alarmed. Maybe then... she would understand, maybe then she would even accept him for what he truly was.
But this had changed everything.
Byakuya felt the fury fill every fiber of his being as he thought back on the adversary Aizen. He had kidnapped Rukia and forcefully revealed the truth before her, only shocking and hurting the woman Byakuya loved. It was all too short a time, Byakuya knew she would not be able to take it right and his chances of mending everything had diminished almost to nothingness.
She had watched him being shot down by bullets, watched him come back to life, watched him kill someone in the most violent manner possible, and learnt of his impossible identity. Which human would not run away, traumatized, after everything that had happened?
Burying the sadness deep in his heart, Byakuya reached out and finally ripped the ropes that bound Rukia.
With one pull, the impossible ropes binding Rukia to the chair snapped and she was able to stand up with shaky legs. Her hands were still bound together and she was still gagged. Byakuya reached out to the ropes tying her hands together. "We should-"
The grey eyes widened as Byakuya turned forward, reflexively pushing Rukia behind him. Three daggers whizzed out of the darkness and Byakuya caught two in his right hand, a third in his left.
"Fantastic."
Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "Apparently, you are not very shabby yourself… Aizen."
Aizen smiled as he walked out into the light, as the debris cleared behind him. Rukia's eyes widened as she watched the dust settle around the wall, where a huge round crack had formed where Aizen had been thrown after Byakuya had punched him. The knife that Byakuya had thrown after him jutted from the left side of Aizen's chest.
"Tsk tsk." Aizen removed the knife from his chest and dropped it to the floor. "You really were aiming for the heart."
"Apparently, none of us here have our Purification dates set for today then."
Aizen smiled. "I wouldn't be too sure if I were you."
xXxXx
"This is a demand made to all within the walls of the Kuchiki headquarters. We have taken over your building, and we demand that all of you surrender in peace and I guarantee that no one will get hurt." The firm voice blared over the security sound system in the Azaris building. "I repeat. Come unarmed and we will not kill any of you."
The enormous conglomeration of demons stood in the wide silver passageway to the Kuchiki office suite on the twenty-ninth floor of Azaris, waiting. They had been waiting for a while now. After taking over the security surveillance, the demon rebels had moved to the main floor where they knew the Kuchiki demons resided. Here, it was a spacious place with many doors, most of them locked. The Ishikawa demons had regrouped in the main hall, preferring to move in bulk in the case of an ambush. It was all too quiet and they knew that they were being watched by unseen eyes. Right across from the main hall was the office suite, which was connected by a silver bridge-like walkway made of glass tiles. So many floors below the glass bridge, the sinister marble of the ground floor beckoned.
Suddenly, a loud brash voice sounded over the speakers. "And who is this demon that I am corresponding with?"
The Ishikawa demons looked amongst each other with some unease. Apparently, the security system wasn't the only one with access to the voice system of the building.
"Ishikawa." The de facto leader of the group stepped out, a seemingly middle-aged man with a goatie. "Ishikawa Shinobu."
"Nice to meet you…" A bullet flew from above the walls to lodge into the leader's chest as he stumbled back in surprise and shock. The remaining demons looked up at the glass walls where a black-jacketed, red-haired Incubus stood easily on the framed ledge, leering down at them. "… Shinobu, you son of a bitch."
The red-haired demon laughed and fired four more silent shots into the leader's chest before Shinobu had the time to react. "I know I'm wasting my bullets but you look so bloody slow and fat down there I can't resist." The Incubus slung his rifle and silencer behind his shoulder and grinned maniacally at the crowd. "Remember my name everyone. It is Abarai Renji… and I will have fun killing every single one of you."
"K-Kill him!" Shinbou shouted and twenty demons began to scale the slippery glass wall. Renji only grinned at them.
Suddenly, loud shouts in the middle of the Ishikawa group stopped the rest of the demons in their steps. Multiple cracks were heard and four demons dropped to the ground dead, their necks twisted back.
"W-Who are you?" The rest of the demons backed away from a figure standing in the middle of their midst, cloaked in a black long trench coat with a hood.
"Ah, my handsome men. That is no good a pick-up line for women." The figure removed the hood as long wavy blond hair cascaded over one shoulder. Before the demons could react, the figure somersaulted backwards to the middle of the glass bridge. "I was almost insulted that none of you noticed such a beautiful woman in your midst."
"Matsumoto, could you cut it with those lines?" Renji groaned as he jumped down from the wall to land easily beside his long-time best friend.
"Your fat and slow line wasn't too good either." Matsumoto flicked an imaginary dust off her shoulder.
Renji turned to address the massive crowd of demons. "I shall warn each and every one of you. You can choose to leave now or engage us in battle. We have long caught wind of your activities and have made the preparations necessary to deal properly with each of you today... and it will be your choice today whether to live or die. Did you think we do not know that the access you have been using was from a previous employee?"
Unohana sat herself elegantly in the chair opposite Byakuya. "There are two things of importance which I wanted to discuss with you today, Byakuya."
Unohana fixed her eyes on the young executive. "I heard about Rukia. I heard that the both of you have broken up. And I want you to know that while I know it is difficult, this was inevitable given the nature of your relationship with her."
"What is the second important matter, Sensei?" Byakuya effectively cut the Succubus off. "I do not mean to be impolite, but the time for the contracts are dwindling as we speak."
"Of course." Unohana let out a soft sigh as she looked at the young Kuchiki but her blue eyes slowly hardened. "This one, I believe, is very important."
"I have information that Miko's access card was recently used in our company days after her resignation from Azaris. We believe there is some manipulation involved, that it might have been intercepted in hands of an unknown enemy. I have set a tracking system to the panel in case this card is ever used again to trigger an alarm in the security. I think we should look into this... that someone might be planning an ambush into Azaris in the near future."
"I will send out more men on to this matter, Sensei."
"This is why demons like you just don't cut it for the Kuchikis." Renji grinned. "You all too bloody weak and stupid."
Matsumoto smiled. "And not even the slightest bit handsome."
"Kill them! Kill them!" Shinobu's eyes were almost popping out of their sockets.
"Well… then…" Both Incubus and Succubus both stood and faced the crowd of demons.
"Time for action." Matsumoto smiled as she watched the demons run out to the glass bridge toward them.
"Yeah. Man, I smell blood." Renji grinned. "You ready?"
"Been ready my whole life."
The two demons exchanged a smile before both of them jumped over the glass bridge of Azaris, so many floors down.
xXxXx
"My, my. The girl is showing some courage, isn't she? She hasn't even ran away from you, crying in terror." Aizen smiled.
Byakuya's alert eyes flicked slightly to Rukia, who stood to his right. Rukia only stared back at Aizen, hard.
"So very… brave." Aizen suddenly appeared in front of Byakuya, whose eyes widened. The next second, Aizen reached out to Rukia with claw-like hands as she stepped back, a millisecond too late. But Byakuya's pale hand intercepted Aizen's reach and the Kuchiki pulled Aizen away from the human girl, receiving a painful punch in the stomach in the process. Byakuya drew back and pushed Aizen backward by the neck. They traded punches and kicks, so speedy and swift Rukia was unable to make out any clear movements.
"Kill her." Aizen's voice was loud and firm, even as he fought with Byakuya. Byakuya's eyes widened and he made to turn but a swift attack from Aizen prevented the Kuchiki from gaining much progress to where Rukia stood. The demons who stood all over the warehouse started to close in on the center of the warehouse where Rukia stood, her hands still tied up behind her and gagged.
Suddenly, the glass windows of the warehouse shattered overhead as multiple figures jumped through the warehouse. Byakuya gripped Aizen's neck as hard as he could to crush his windpipe, but the other Incubus twisted out of the way and aimed a kick at the Kuchiki, who easily moved out of harm's way.
"Protect her... with your life, if you must." Byakuya addressed the newcomers as he continued to fight.
Aizen smiled. "Looks like you brought reinforcements, despite your promise."
"It appears that you intended to kill Rukia, despite your promise." Byakuya aimed a disabling punch at Aizen who dodged it easily. "We are demons, and are of the same breed and natural instinct. Let us not lie to ourselves."
"What about lying to Rukia?" Aizen smiled.
Byakuya's eyes widened, as he received a punch in his gut in a fleeting second of hesitation.
xXxXx
"Kill all those who stand against the Kuchikis! Protect the legacy of Azaris!"
The battle had begun, on four different levels of the building. After Renji and Matsumoto had used diversionary tactics on the glass bridge, half the Ishikawa demons had followed them, only to be ambushed on three separate floors. The remainder stayed on the main headquarters floor, where they were confronted by the main combat team led by Unohana Retsu.
Two out of three ambush teams had been wiped out by the Kuchiki defense teams, leaving one. Renji and Matsumoto had decided to go back to the twenty-ninth floor to assist Unohana, knowing that they were probably the main targeted team. And they arrived just in time to watch a demon leap up behind Unohana in what was unmistakeably a planned assassination in the midst of battle.
"Watch out!"
It was bloody, it was all a mess. Demons fighting everywhere, and we were down in numbers, Byakuya having taken almost half the team over to rescue Ukitake-san. I wasn't feeling peaceful, the fight that was to come didn't feel good. And bad feelings usually precede bad outcomes.
It was the Ishikawa rebels as I had thought, those who survived out of the battle of what was left of our massacre months ago. We were still outnumbered but we fought anyway. I engaged Shinobu and we began combat. He was strong, but I held my ground. What would Ginrei say if we lost now? We could not afford to lose here.
I killed Shinobu after near half an hour of battle. I found his weak spot and sneaked behind him, successfully planting my hands around him in an act of suffocation. In the next second, I felt the bones of his neck and it was easy to be snapped off.
I let my guard down then. I had just killed the leader and many demons were already backing off. Suddenly, I caught a flash of movement from behind me. I heard Abarai's voice warning me about something, or someone.
There was someone behind me!
I turned only in time to see the demon with the shining dagger in his hand, poised to strike my heart. I swore that my heart skipped a beat in that moment.
Was I going to die?
How did they know? How could they know?
How did they know that today… was my Purification Period?
xXxXx
"Rukia-san? Are you alright?" Rukia turned as she heard the good-natured female voice. Her eyes widened as she watched the petite long-haired girl give her a smile. A group of people now surrounded her, some of whom she had once encountered during Byakuya's dinner party. A group of people who probably weren't what they seemed... a group of people who were probably all demons. They had broken in through the windows and Rukia had heard Byakuya instruct them to protect her, and all of them had dutifully surrounded Rukia, some engaging the enemy in combat already. There was no need to protect her, as long as she could get these ropes off her hands...
Hinamori Momo now smiled ath Rukia. "This must be very terrifying to take in one day."
Rukai tried to gesture to her ropes and gag cloth but Hinamori Momo only shook her head. "We are under instructions by Kuchiki-san to do this, Rukia-san. Please do allow us to work smoothly." So saying, the young Succubus produced a long white cloth in her hands. "Pardon me."
Rukia's violet eyes widened before they were lost beneath the white cloth that Hinamori fastened around her eyes. "Kuchiki-san would not prefer you to see him this way."
"You are pathetic, Kuchiki Byakuya. Trying so hard to protect something so meaningless… which you will soon lose everything for."
Aizen and Byakuya moved in wary circles, each sizing the other up.
"Oh, and that instruction to 'kill her' wasn't for Rukia, so I do keep my promises." Aizen smiled as he produced a tiny earpiece from his right ear.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed.
Aizen only smiled. "I have heard multiple rumours of Purification Period dates among the Kuchiki demons and somehow, there were two that coincide today. I figured either one would be true... so I decided to plan my attack and try to carry out double high-risk assassinations today. I would try to kill you today, obviously that hasn't worked... for now." Aizen's lips curled upward. "While in Azaris, my men will simultaneously target the other demon... and I believe that party will be successful. Therefore, I was just giving out instructions to carry out… my hypothesis just now." Aizen smiled again.
Kill her.
Byakuya felt his heart still at the words.
Aizen only grinned at Byakuya. "So how does it feel having to lose your own kind… over a human girl? Is it worth everything?"
Byakuya did not move, nor speak.
Aizen smiled. "There is no need to pretend between both of us. We both know who I am talking about now. Let us observe a moment's silence for the unfortunate passing of Unohana Retsu."
And there we have it. Rukia finally finds out about Byakuya's identity after all this while... took 31 chapters for that. =P I know the combat scenes probably didn't come out as smooth as I would like it to be but I was too busy focusing on the emotional aspects of both Rukia and Byakuya following the revelation of the truth. Hope it was still good, though.
Do review this chapter for me and tell me what you think about the chapter, any feedback or suggestions are welcomed. ;)
-evenstar-