Chapter 7: For the Sake of My Pride

West Rukongia District

Dam, how did that happen? Ichigo thought as he quickly turned around to see who had attacked him.

"Ahh, how did you like my handy work Soul Reaper?" the Hollow taunted approaching Ichigo for another attack.

"Won't matter, because you're about to say goodbye." Ichigo replied while bringing up Zangetsu to finish off the Hollow; but the attack was blocked by the Hollow. The Hollow viciously kept attacking Ichigo, which made Ichigo go on the defensive; however, an opening appeared and Ichigo took this opportunity to cut the Hollow down.

"Bout time you showed up." A distant voice said approaching Ichigo.

"I suppose. Where is everyone?"

"Well, besides me and a few others that's it." Renji hesitated about telling Ichigo about the others being in HM. Renji could see that depressive expression on Ichigo's face, that he was all too familiar with; and whenever he saw it-things never turned out well.

"Let's go."

"Let's go where?"

"Where do you think? We're going to HM; and don't act like I didn't know about it either. I must find out about Rukia… I will find her!" Ichigo said with his eyes fully extended with his normal excited crazed looked.

"Hold up, just how are we going to get there? You know I can't open up a Garganta and the only person I know that can right now is Kisuke." Renji asked grabbing the upper part of Ichigo's Shihakusho.

"Well since Hanataro and Orhime are there, surely he should be healed by now, wouldn't you think? I am going, it's our only choice." Ichigo said as he flashed stepped to the Senkaimon to the world of the living, with Renji and the others closely behind him.

Hueco Mundo

Unsheathing his zanpakutou, Byakuya turned to face the enemy as he met with another beam of light that he barely dodged.

"I see you good at dodging things, only a coward would do so." The cloaked voice said.

"Don't be foolish, only a coward would hide in the shadows from their opponent."

"I don't need to show myself, since you already know who the enemy is, but very well I will show myself if that makes you feel more like a man and just to show that I can play fair, bwwwwwwaah eh." Renatus said as he cynically laughed approaching Byakuya.

"Well, I am glad to see that you finally showed yourself tsh, I was beginning to think you really were a coward." Kenpachi said as he swung to attack Renatus.

Dodging the attack by Kenpachi, Renatus taunted, "Is that so? What is this? Does it take two captains to take me down? I didn't know I was so special."

"Enough with your foolishness, what have you done with Rukia Kuchiki?" Byakuya asked in a demanding tone.

"For the moment she is still alive. So did you like how I arranged the clues?" Renatus mocked. "Don't worry Captain Kuchiki; I won't do to her what I did to that other female Soul Reaper. No, I'll do much…."

Byakuya didn't give Renatus time to finish his sentence as he attacked him viciously. How dare he boast about what he did to her, and the idea of hurting his pride, Byakuya thought as rage began to flow through his veins. He hadn't felt this type of rage in a very long time. In fact, he hadn't felt this way in any of his previous fights or battles; including his matches with that idiot, Kenpachi. Byakuya used Hakudo 61, RiKujokoro Kido incantation on Renatus, but he Sonidoed out of the way-however, he could not avoid Kenpachi's direct hit.

Renatus appeared to be a little out of breath from dodging the Kido spell and taking a direct hit from Kenpachi. "Tag-teaming, I see; well remember if you kill me now you won't be able to find that precious sister of yours! Ha ha ha." Renatus teased.

"Doesn't matter, I'll kill everything that moves in HM; so why don't we stop all this unnecessary chatter and come on with it! Kenpachi said as he rushed in for another attack.

Byakuya wanted to stop Kenpachi, but he knew that wouldn't be a wise decision when he was in action. Byakuya turned his attention away from Kenpachi and Renatus as he sensed Ashido approaching him.

"You should be very careful in dealing with Renatus," Ashido said with a concerned voice. "He is quite crafty; however, staying here is serving me no purpose. I will go out and deal with the other Arrancars and see what I can find out."

Byakuya acknowledged him by nodding his head and as he was closing his eyes afterwards, he hoped that Rukia was okay. Byakuya wasn't about to interrupt Kenpachi's frenzy of a fight and stood there meditating on the events that led to HM. He wondered why Renatus and his group of Arrancars only focused on certain individuals did. No, that can't be true; they attacked other Soul Reapers as well unless it was a cover-up for who the true target really was. In the previous battle with Renatus, it was true that they were trying to attain Vaste Lorde status and it wouldn't be farfetched that would attack Soul Reapers in the Soul Society or in the World of the living. However, in the World of the living, they only attacked Urahara and the others and no humans-Byakuya thought.

"I see that you are a strong one, just the way I like it!" Kenpachi said as he continued to battle Renatus, but he was getting bored of with fighting Renatus in his normal form. "Why don't you show me your true power?"

"Think you can handle my true form Soul Reaper?" Renatus asked as he ceased fighting while looking at Kenpachi.

"I say bring it on, hey I will even go all out this time, no more playing around!" Kenpachi stated, but he hesitated after he made the statement because he forgot the needed to know where Rukia was- such a nuisance, he thought. "Damn, before I kill you, tell me where the Kuchiki girl is at?"

"Why should I tell you where she's at? Don't you all claim to be smarter than us Arrancars?"

"So you're not going to tell me, eh?"

"I'm not the one you should be asking Soul Reaper, how dumb can you all be?"

"I don't like people talking to me like that, especially some lowly Arrancar."

Byakuya's attention was averted to outside of the cave to where Ashido was fighting the other Arrancars. He decided to go out and help him, but when he got to where Ashido was fighting the Arrancars, it was a scene that he wished he had witnessed. Maybe he should have gone with Ashido when he first went to confront the other Arrancars. Lately, it was always the would've, could've, and should'ves. The other Arrancars had left the scene and returned where Renatus and Kenpachi were fighting, but they only observed. Byakuya concluded that perhaps they knew better to interfere with Renatus fights.

"I should have been here to help you." Byakuya said as he kneeled down by Ashido's side.

"Don't worry about it. I knew I wouldn't always be lucky and that this day would come. Remember my request of you about not saying anything to Rukia. I was able to get a little bit of information out of one the Arrancars that I managed to kill. This is only a decoy, and your sister isn't in HM, in fact, she has never left Soul Society-that was all he was able to get out. I have one more favor for you."

"What is it?"

"There's a marsh just below this cave that has several headstones of my friends. I asked that you bury me there, so we can all be together." Ashido said as he was coughing up blood and barely having enough air to speak.

"I promised to do this, just lay there and don't try to talk."

"Thank y..o…u." Ashida said as he took his final breathe. It had been a long haul for Ashido as he spent many years fighting Hollows, surprisingly though; he had out lived his friends two decades over. Byakuya ordered his men to help with the burial before going back to where Kenpachi was. Byakuya paid respect to the slain Soul Reaper and promised him that he would not speak about this to Rukia and ordered his men as well to be quiet about the matter. However, speaking about matters he had to get that crazed Kenpachi away from Renatus. No, he would let Kenpachi finish him; yes he would let Kenpachi finish him for all the hurt and pain that he and his gang had caused.

Renatus decided that he would oblige Kenpachi and show him his resurrection form. Renatus was proud of his form and only showed it to those special people he deemed worthy of showing. Red mass of energy swirled around Renatus as he started to transform into his resurrection form. Long-boned horns spewed out from both sides of his head in the form what looked like horns on a bull. This was befitting for him, since he was mostly a bully himself. Renatus grew a long tail about a half-mile long that encased a pointed tip at the end. His arm formed more bulky muscles than before and his nails protruded out to where they curled almost touching this palm of his hands. Even his mouth formed two fangs that hung out from the sides of his mouth as if he was a blood-sucking vampire. Renatus feet even had hoofs on them but also with protruding nails curled at the end as they touched the ground.

Kenpachi stood looking in awe with a smirk on his face. "Is this all you got?"

"Stupid Soul Reaper, I am going to wipe that smirk right off of your face and you better believe it's enough to finish you off." Renatus said as his voiced were more rasped and echoed deeply throughout the forest. "You asked for this and make no mistake, I will kill you."

"I like to see you try! Alright then, it's a fight to the end…come with everything you have!"

The two exchanged several rounds of hard hitting blows; however, it appeared as though Kenpachi's attacks had no effect on Renatus's hard skin and the effects of Kenpachi's wounds were beginning to show. This didn't discourage Kenpachi, because he had a lot more spiritual pressure to expend. However, Kenpachi knew he didn't have all day to play with his opponent.

"I said for you to bring all you got Arrancar and stop toying with me, I don't have all day-this is it!"

"Whatever you say Soul Reaper."

Kenpachi raised his spiritual pressure as Renatus also did; however, this time Kenpachi used both hands in the final attack. The immense spiritual pressure release seemed to make Renatus become somewhat skeptical of his own power but he couldn't back out now, he had to meet this challenge-but wouldn't it be great if the power that he could receive from Kenpachi advance him to Vaste Lorde, he thought. Too bad it was only a split-second thought, because when Kenpachi attacked him with the final blow-it was all over for Renatus.

"Are you done?" The impatient captain of the 6th division asked.

"Tsh, what do you think? I suppose I am done, why you asking me that question, don't we have to go find your precious sister?" Kenpachi asked while looking at Byakuya annoyed.

"Yes, but I just found out that she is not here in HM, this was only a decoy. We need to get back to Soul Society."

"Isn't Renji and the others coming here, shouldn't we want on them?"

"No! I'll contact the 12th and have them send them a message, let's be going out of this barren place."

Urahara's Shop

"I see that you're much better" Ichigo said as he turned and spoke to Orhime, Chad, and even Uryruu; at whom he was surprised to see.

"Why thank you Ichigo!" Urahara said as he continued sipping his tea. "How can I help you today?" Urahara knew Ichigo didn't just happen to stop by the shop just to say hello with Renji. He suspected that Ichigo wanted something really bad as he appeared to be desperate.

"I need you to open a Garganta; I need to go to HM to find Rukia."

"Didn't two captains already went there; there shouldn't be any need for you to go?" Kisuke said as he held the cup of tea up to his mouth peering at Ichigo.

"Didn't you hear a word I said? I need to go find Rukia?!"

About this time, Renji's soul phone beeped, it was the 12th division telling him to return to SS because Rukia was not in HM. "Ichigo." Renji said as he replaced the phone back in his pocket.

"What is it Renji?"

"I just got a message from the 12th division and this sounds really strange, but I was ordered back to SS because they didn't find Rukia in HM, she has been in the SS the whole time."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SHE IS IN SOUL SOCIETY?" Ichigo said screaming at Renji while walking up to him.

"Calm yourself down, I do not know any of the particulars, that is all I've been told." Renji said as he turned around heading out of the shop. He was about tired of Ichigo's temper tantrums. No, he was about tired of him period. "Let's go if you're coming." Renji had felt that it should have been him who Rukia was with and not Ichigo; however, after giving much thought about it, he couldn't really be mad at Ichigo. It wasn't Ichigo who had left Rukia after she joined the Kuchiki Clan, it wasn't Ichigo who didn't fight for her return-it was him and the only person he could blame was himself.

Soul Society

Ichigo and Renji caught up with Byakuya and the others. Kenpachi returned to the 11th division to check on his squad, but told Byakuya to let him know if he needed his assistance. Byakuya again said to himself, why would I need assistance from a commoner, but he replied that he would. Byakuya looked at Ichigo and rolled his eyes as he entered the office of squad 6 and sat down.

"Ichigo, I guess you heard the news that Rukia's been here all the time?"

"Yes, I just found out from Renji, what is going on? I thought that Hollow took her to HM?"

"No, she is here somewhere. I need you and Renji to go and check the entire Seireitei for her; and don't leave a stone uncovered. She is here somewhere, be sure to recheck her spiritual pressure again-even if it's faint."

"Well, uhm Captain Kuchiki what are you going to do?" Renji nervously asked.

"There's something I must check on….." Byakuya said as he was interrupted by a house servant.

"Oh good Captain Kuchiki, you returned!" the house servant said as she knelt before Byakuya.

"What is so important that you interrupted my meeting?"

"Please excuse my behavior, but it's very important sir, and it just happened before you entered the office. It was nothing I could do sir; and as you can see on my head I have a bruise. Two guys came in and knocked me out and when I came to my senses and when to check on Lady Yoruichi-she was gone."

Byakuya's blood was so engulfed with rage at the moment; he forgot to acknowledge the servant and headed straight out the door. "You have your orders Renji." Byakuya didn't even wait for Renji's response, either way, Renji and Ichigo had left quickly. Byakuya didn't like being made a fool of, especially in the front of others. But this wasn't really the issue that made his blood boil with anger- no, that wasn't it all. Whoever, it was; was playing a game of chess and Byakuya and the others have been its pawns. The person had harmed and kidnapped his sister; and the person had harm the only person that he cared about and at least now he knew that those buried feelings were the only thing that made his blood boil. He knew who it was and he was about to confront them.