You can be the king but watch the queen conquer.
~Nicki Minaj
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Chaos was running rampant throughout the Seireitei. Isane's announcement sent a shockwave through the members of the Gotei Fourteen.
Captain Aizen, Gin, and Tosen were all traitors? Central Forty-Six had been annihilated? These were unheard of events.
Kimiko was barely listening to the announcement, she had more important things at hand. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute as she approached Sokyoku Hill, battle plans and tactics formulating by the second. She'd have to be smart about this fight, she saw what Aizen was capable of, the power he possessed. He took down Hitsugaya in the span of a breath, he was not to be underestimated.
Aizen's voice infiltrated her thoughts as the hill came into view.
"She can stay in your arms, but the rest of you has to go." Giving herself an extra push, Kimiko managed to make it in front of the red-haired Lieutenant just in time to deflect Aizen's attack.
"Kimiko-taichou!" Rukia shouted in surprise at the woman's sudden appearance.
"Hi Rukia-chan!" She chirped happily, not taking her steely gaze off Aizen.
"I see you are donning your Bankai attire, I feel honored." He commented, a gleeful smirk on his face. Due to the extent of Kimiko's Bankai, any normal clothes will turn to ash when she's forced to utilize. To combat this problem, she implored Kisuke to design a fire-resistant outfit for her. It was nothing outrageous, simply a pair of black form fitting pants and a black bodysuit, paired with her captain haori, also fireproofed.
It wasn't often that she was forced to utilize Bankai, therefore she didn't wear fire resistant clothes on the daily.
"You can never be too careful." Kimiko replied.
"As much as I want to play with you, I can't have you interfering just yet." The former captain said with a glare in his glasses and a sharp smile. "Gin, Tosen."
"Tch." Kimiko knew she could take the two of them, but she wasn't confident in her ability to protect Renji and Rukia while doing so. Having no other option, the captain unsheathed her zanpakuto in one swift motion, twirling her wrist to toss the sword in the air.
"Allow you flames to dance, Hinotsubasa." Transformed into its Shikai state, instead of a sword, a two-bladed scythe came down, the cool metal pressing into Kimiko's hands just in time to parry Gin's attack from the front and Tosen's from the back. "As much as I'd love to handle the two of you on my own, I have more important matters to attend to. Shikima, Akane, would you?"
Her lieutenant and third seat appeared at the woman's side in an instant.
"I apologize for disobeying your orders Kimiko-sama." Shikima said.
"This is what I've been waiting for." Akane growled.
"I take it the two of you can handle things here then?" Kimiko asked rhetorically, spinning her scythe to push the two former captains away from her a few feet.
"Strike, Mamaushi." Shikima's zanpakuto, once released, was a long, slick black spear with tiny poison coated spikes.
"Snap, Raionzufangu." Akane's became a long red whip, blades lining the sides. She lunged at Tosen while Shikima took on Gin. With those two occupied, Kimiko turned her attention back to Aizen. He was just beginning his advance on Renji and Rukia and Kimiko was in front of them in an instant.
"You can't get rid of me that easily." She stated, holding her zanpakuto out in front of her, feet planted and ready to engage.
"Of course, I shouldn't be surprised that you of all people would be a few steps ahead of the game." Aizen surmised, a smirk on his face as she unsheathed his zanpakuto. "Well, shall we play Kimiko-taichou?"
She moved first. It was rare for her to do so, she liked to analyze, get a reading on her opponent's rhythm and patterns, but she couldn't afford to let Aizen strike first. Kimiko had seen what he could do and had to dispose of him as quickly as possible to keep Rukia safe and the Hogyoku out of his hands.
Her first blade clashed with his sword and she wasn't surprised at how easily he deflected her attack, she had seen how easily he defeated Hitsugaya's Bankai. Kimiko had sparred with the young captain before, she made it a point to spar with each captain at least once to collect data, and he was no pushover.
When she sparred with Aizen decades ago, there was no hint at this power he had. It was almost comical how easily Kimiko overpowered him, she was suspicious but had more important things to worry about. Now she saw how stupid she was.
The second swing of her scythe held more power, but was once again blocked with ease. She was gauging his power.
"It seems you were holding back the last time we sparred Aizen." Kimiko commented, another swing of her blade being blocked.
"Well of course, couldn't have you analyzing the true extent of my powers like you did the other captains, now could I?" He admitted, once again blocking her with ease.
No matter how much power she put behind each swing it was still as if he was merely swatting away a fly. She knew the power she possessed, knew that the swing of her scythe was nothing to laugh at. Before she could bring her blade round again, Aizen made his move.
He was fast. Kimiko had witnessed that, but it seemed what she had seen was only a fraction of his true nature. She prided herself with being one of the fastest within the Soul Society, second only to her cousin. However, she was barely able to block Aizen's attack, and it set up warning flags.
Stay calm fletching. A comforting voice said firmly and Kimiko took a deep breath, jumping back from Aizen. Kimiko had been underestimating him still. Aizen did not give in, starting a barrage of attacks on the woman.
"Oh, come on Kimiko-taichou, you're better than this." Aizen chided, his sword coming down and slicing along her left arm. She grimaced and jumped back, the wound stinging painfully.
"Renji, get Rukia out of here." Kimiko called back to the scarlet-haired lieutenant, not sparring them a glance as Aizen continued his assault.
"I don't think so Kimiko-taichou."
He flew right past her and she was barely able to jump in front of Renji before Aizen's sword cut him down.
"Get out of here Renji. Now." She commanded through gritted teeth, pushing back against Aizen's sword.
"Yes taichou." He grunted.
"Shall we take things up a notch Aizen?" Kimiko question, placing both hands on the pole and twisting, the middle detaching. She wrapped the chain around Aizen's sword and pulled, the weapon coming free from his grasp and flying back a few feet.
"You never fail to impress me Kimiko-taichou." He said with a grin, completely unbothered by the fact that he was weaponless against the woman. She didn't say anything, tightening her grip on the sickles she now had in each a hand and taking a breath before aiming one of the blades at Aizen and releasing.
He dodged it and she moved her grip to the chain, manipulating both sickles at the same time, slashing at Aizen but missing each time.
"Enough of this foolishness, if you refuse to fight me at your full ability I have more important things to attend to." Too fast for Kimiko to keep up, Aizen dashed past her, going for his zanpakuto. Kimiko attempted to stop him, but uncharacteristically, was too slow.
His attacks were stronger this time, and she grit her teeth when she felt his sword slice at her chest. Distracted by the pain, he hit her hard in the center of her wound, knocking her back a few yards. She quickly got to her feet, standing in time to see Aizen cut through Renji's Bankai with the same ease he did Hitsugaya's.
Before the former captain could attack again, a boy with orange hair interceded.
So, it seems the Ryoka boy has achieved Bankai. Hinotsubasa commented, notably impressed. Kimiko simply stared in shock for a second, she hadn't been paying attention to the ongoing battles happening throughout the Soul Society, she had been to focused on her own fight. For the boy to be here means he had to have defeated Byakuya, a feat she did not think possible for him all things considering.
Regardless, she knew that no matter how powerful Ichigo was, Byakuya was one of the strongest within the Seireitei. He did not get through the battle unwounded.
"Renji, Ichigo, take Rukia and get out of here." The woman commanded, reattaching her two sickles to make a scythe and standing in front of them. No matter what, Aizen could not get his hands on the Hogyoku, that was Kimiko's main concern.
"Are ya crazy! I'm not leaving!" Ichigo protested haughtily, causing the captain to huff in irritation.
"Neither of you can hope to defeat Aizen! Yes, you may have achieved Bankai, and yes you may have defeated Byakuya, but Aizen took out the prodigy of the Seireitei in less than a minute. No matter how strong you think you may be, it's not strong enough! Not yet!" The woman bellowed, her patience beginning to run thin. "I cannot focus on my fighting if I have to worry about you brats!"
The captain let a portion of her Reiatsu seep into her words, hoping to intimidate the two idiots. Kimiko was well versed in keeping the extent of her Reiatsu controlled, allowing her to keep Hinotsubasa in a sealed state, but in reality, her Reiatsu was greater than Kenpachi's.
Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia all buckled under the pressure, Ichigo and Renji not quite falling completely to the ground, but short of breath regardless. Kimiko reeled it back in, allowing the Shinigami to breathe.
"Impressive." Aizen commented, completely unfazed by the show of power.
"I don't care what ya' say girl! You can yell at me all you want but Rukia's my friend and I'm going to protect her!" The captain's glare softened as she gazed at the boy's face. He was so much like Kaien.
Something in her brain clicked as she stared at him, bits and pieces pulling together, fitting together like a puzzle. The resemblance to her friend, the boy's age certainly fit, his power. She shook herself from her thoughts, it wasn't the time or place.
"I'm not leaving either Kimiko-taichou." Renji stated firmly, though his voice held the tiniest bit of fear in it. Renji was familiar with the wrath of the cheerful captain, Ichigo was not.
"Brats like you will be the death of me." Kimiko muttered with a grimace on her face. "Don't get yourselves killed."
With no further delay, the captain charged at Aizen. Keeping a smile on his face, he deflected every swing of her scythe just like before. Every now and again the captain would land a scratch, but nothing more.
"Engulf them, Hinotsubasa." Kimiko commanded, rapidly rotating her wrist to spin her scythe. Renji, Ichigo, and Rukia watched in amazement as flames begin to shoot out of the whirlwind. When the rotation came to a stop, orange flames were engulfing both blades. "Enough fooling around Aizen."
"Why don't you stop this pointless fighting and join me?" Aizen proposed, effortlessly dodging the captains swings.
"Unlike you Aizen, I'm loyal to my friends. You'd have to kill me before I joined you." Kimiko replied coldly, bringing her scythe down once more.
"What a shame." He said with a dejected sigh. "So much wasted talent."
It was a split second mistake, but it was all Aizen needed. Kimiko made the mistake of glancing at his zanpakuto, and for a moment, it was her daughter, bloody and looking at her in desperation. It made the woman hesitate, and that hesitation gave Aizen the opening he needed. The next second, cold metal was sliding past through the captains' rib cage. Her eyes widened slightly in shock and she grimaced in pain as she jumped away from the man to prevent any further attacks.
"Kimiko-taichou!" Rukia called, concern lacing her voice as the captain began coughing up blood. The two had always been close, Kimiko taking Rukia under her wing like a little sister. The older woman trained Rukia herself, was there for her when Byakuya was cruel, and was every bit family to her as Byakuya.
Kimiko felt her shortness of breath and ruefully acknowledged that her lung was punctured. Before she could warn Renji and Ichigo against attacking, Aizen was slicing through their Bankai with ease.
To take out both of their Bankai with such ease, his power might even surpass yours young one. Hinotsubasa warned and Kimiko sarcastically thanked the bird for the vote of confidence.
Kimiko's vision began to swim as she shakily got to her feet, seeing Aizen approaching Rukia, telling her the truth about what Kisuke put inside of her. The injured captain attempted to intervene, but was merely swatted away as if she were simply a fly.
Struggling to her feet, Kimiko could only watch in horror as Aizen thrusts his hand into Rukia's body, pulling out the Hogyoku.
Time seemed to slow for the woman as she heard Aizen order Gin, who'd only reappeared moments before to her distress, to kill Rukia. She felt Byakuya's reiatsu approaching, knew he would take the hit for his sister, but she couldn't allow that.
The feeling of being impaled a second time wasn't better than the first, and Kimiko immediately coughed up blood as Gin's zanpakuto retracted
"Kimiko?" Byakuya asked, so shocked by her sudden appearance he dropped titles and forgot to call her by her last name.
"I'm still faster than you Byakuya boy." She replied cheekily, a smile on her face as she turned to him.
"Are you so eager to join that wife of yours Kimiko-taichou?" Aizen questioned and Kimiko felt her blood run cold. "I was there the night she was killed you know, another failed Hollow experiment of mine. She beat the Hollow but I couldn't have her reporting back to you, you were already so suspicious of me. She died with your name on her lips, cried a bit too if I remember correctly. Said something about not making it to dinner after all I believe. It was all very touching."
Her Reiatsu skyrocketed, so intense that even Byakuya had to plant his feet. Kimiko knew what he was trying to do, to provoke her, and she tried to get her emotions under control, but the last image of her wife, of Hotaru, kept playing through her head.
It's just a Hollow, I'll be home in time for dinner!
"Bankai. Fenikkusu no odori." Everything was quiet for a second before in a flash a whirlwind of flames encompassed the captain. Few had ever seen Kimiko release Bankai, and even fewer had lived to tell the tale. Anger was the only emotion the young captain felt, pure, unadulterated, anger.
"Beautiful." Aizen whispered in awe. "But your body is too weak to utilize it to the fullest."
In summary, Kimiko's Bankai translated to 'Dance of the Phoenix'. Flames encompassed her body completely, and a pair of phoenix wings from behind her. Along with her speed increasing exponentially, she could craft small, deadly birds made of flames that attacked her enemy, and create whips of fire to attack opponents, among other things.
Paying no mind to the man's words, she knocked Gin out of the way effortlessly and charged at him, managing to cut into his shoulder. It was pure anger that fueled the young woman's exhausted body, and the image of her wife's smiling face. Her face kept running through her mind again and again until she wanted to scream.
"Enough of these games." Aizen finally said as she charged at him again. Before the grief-stricken woman could even register the pain, a foot connected with her stomach, hard, and she was flying back, her eyes never leaving Aizen's face. She hit the ground hard and skid along it for a few moments before coming to a halt. Kimiko attempted to stand, but her shaky legs couldn't hold her for long and she hit the ground.
No. She had to kill him. She had to kill him. He killed Hotaru. He killed her wife. He killed Hotaru.
Hotaru.
With the image of her wife's face in her mind, the captain slipped into unconsciousness.
A/N: Now as you can see, I'm probably the worst at writing battle scenes. Anyway, hope you enjoyed!
spicyboi: thank you so much! your review(s) put the biggest smile on my face!