Final stretch guys! This is the last real chapter. Then there will be an epilogue and after this I think I will be veering away from writing any new Bleach fiction. I have one more story to post, but its already been written. After that, I will more than likely be venturing on to new and exciting things. Who knows, between posting chapters from that other story I may work on said new things. They will be more from the TV department instead of the Anime department though. Keep an eye out for new works. Maybe we like the same shows lol. I have to say (and this is one of the longest pre-chapter notes I've posted) that I have really enjoyed writing this story. I've had my rough moments and I've had my crazy typing fevers. And I've even managed to scrape past a major writer's block to finish this. I am so happy for those of you who have stuck with me through this adventure. And I am even grateful to the ones who read and just got fed up with the long delays. I have never posted a story that was 33 chapters long. (Which this one will be after the epilogue.) The only story that would have come close was Rukongai, but rather than leaving it on Hiatus, my sister and I have decided its not salvageable. But I digress, and really, who cares about my author's note, when this is the final battle?
Chapter 32: End
The device came away in Uryu's hands. Nemu gasped, and fell limp. Uryu watched in horror as her heart stopped beating. Chad stared on silently. Uryu stuck his hand back into her body, and grasped her heart. He'd seen Ryuken do it before. Cardiac massage. He gently squeezed her heart every other second. Just when he was about to give up, her heart gave a flutter in his hands. And then it starting beating on its own. Nemu's eyelids fluttered, and Uryu watched as she slowly came to. Weakly she pulled out a needle and some thick thread. Uryu stitched her side back up while she watched. "You should have let me die. I've helped Mayuri-sama do some terrible things," she told him. Her head was down and her voice melancholy. Uryu just stood.
"You said you would help. And I don't think I'm going to get help from Ichigo or anyone else anytime soon. Nemu smiled though, happy to be of use. She stood up, and swayed a little. Uryu grabbed her arm to steady her. She smiled at him again, and this time he gave a faint smile back. The three headed towards Mayuri's camp.
"If I have to... I will hold Mayuri-sama while you shoot him. In the head this time," she said. She gave just the slightest whimper. Uryu knew the strange devotion she held for her father. But he also saw the determination to fix the mistakes made.
"As long as you keep your head out of the way," he deadpanned. When they were just able to see the clearing up ahead, they stopped. Uryu dropped the bag he'd been carrying on the ground. He opened it and pulled out a blue and white disk emblazoned with the quincy cross. He glanced at Nemu, who nodded.
"Its spirit armor," she said simply. As Uryu held it, the disk seemed to melt up his arm. Plated metal covered his right arm, with metalic blue stripes. His quincy outfit seemed to change as well, into a blue crossed white jacket. Underneath the jacket was a metal plate across his chest emblazoned with the quincy cross. A large blue and white bow formed in his hands, bigger than any he'd ever manifested. It seemed to pulse with reishi. Down his legs, his usually fitted pants formed into blue crossed white hakama. And a reishi wing appeared, drawing on the reishi around them.
"I look ridiculous. I can't believe quincy actually wear this, where is the cape?" he says crossly. Chad just turned toward Mayuri's camp, flexing his arms. His arms morphed into the red and black shield and the red and white arm that attacks. Even Nemu seemed to prepare herself, drawing out a thin katana. They finished crossing the distance, to find Mayuri waiting for them. The other scientists seemed to scatter, taking their epuipment with them.
"I had a feeling you would show up quincy. So glad you could bring my treacherous spawn with you. It makes it that much quicker for me to kill you both. And while I have yet to research on anything like your friend there, I've seen enough video of the fights he's participated in that I should have no trouble capturing him. I also note that you've been thieving from my lab. That's not very honorable of you now is it?" Mayuri taunted. "Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. Rip, Ashisogi Jizo," he says, drawing his blade and tilting his head.
"Chad, don't get his. His shikai is a paralytic." Uryu says under his breath. Chad nodds, stepping forward. He punches forward with his right arm, sending out an el Directo. Mayuri uses Shunpo to get out of the way. Nemu flashes forward, bringing her katana down against Jizo's trident head. Mayuri easily forces her back, and she leaps away as one of Uryu's arrows zings past her. Mayuri manages to avoid the hit, and appears behind Chad. Mayuri swings Jizo at Chad's back, but Chad manages to turn and Jiza knocks against the shield. Chad punches at Mayuri with his left had, avoiding using the attack. Mayuri leans out of the way, then flashes away again.
Unohana watches as Kenpachi wakes up. She smiles at him benevolently. His eyes narrow. He sits up quickly, grabbing her shoulder in a punishing grip. Her eyes open, narrowing and she grabs his wrist pulling it off of her shoulder. She stands, and so does he. Turning around sternly, she glares. "Get back in bed, I haven't cleared you yet." Her face was that of Yachiru Kenpachi, but her voice was Retsu. Irritated, he sat back down.
"You have been lying to me, and everyone else, for years." he stated. She ignored the statement, and busied herself checking over his bandages. "I should have known it was you, but why couldn't I remember?" he growled, seemingly to himself.
"I blocked your memories," she stated simply. He scowled at her. She seemed to hesitate, then gripped his shoulder. "Yachiru has released her shikai," she says softly. He tries to stand, but her hand holds him down. "She's with Ichigo, and Ikkaku. I believe Orihime is there as well. There's quite the battle going on in your division. I'm afraid the whole thing will have to be rebuilt. You are staying here. If you go, that will be one more person delivering killing blows, and further weakening our forces." Kenpachi scowls, but relaxes against her hand. "Also, I figured out what's caused this. And I believe the root of this lies with Mayuri Kurotsuchi. I believe that Ichigo's other friends are fighting against him now."
Uryu fired off another volley of arrows, Mayuri flashing around to avoid them. Then there was Nemu, her superhuman strength grabbing his arm and holding it, and Uryu fired again. Mayuri kicked Nemu off, and flashed away, into El Directo's line of fire. This time, Mayuri came away singed, and more furious than ever. "Bankai, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo!" The giant centipede baby appeared, and Uryu nodded to Chad. The top of the red and white arm split, and charged. Blades errupted from the chest of the baby, and it rushed toward Chad.
"El Muerte," Chad intoned, and punched forward. The killing blast ripped across the ground at the baby, who screamed at first contact. Having learned from the last time and attack tore through the Jizo's bankai form, Mayuri flashed away. Nemu leapt over to him, and grabbed ahold of him, Mayuri plunged the katana form of his blade into her stomach, but she held still. Uryu drew an arrow and fired. Nemu ducked her head, and the arrow blew through Mayuri's head. She collapsed to the ground, and pulled herself away from the bleeding body of her father. Uryu approached her, to check out her wound.
"He punctured one of my lungs," she coughed, blood erupting from her lips. "You'll have to take me to fourth, since he won't be able to put me back together again." Uryu nodded to Chad, gathered Nemu in his arms, and used Hirenkyaku to speed off in the direction of fourth division.
Chad glanced over the battlefield, seeing the remains of the baby with the skull impressed upon the ground, and Mayuri's bleeding body. He stayed behind to watch and be sure it all began to disentegrate into spirit particles, before solemnly turning and heading in the direction of 11th, and the fights there. For the time, his arms formed back into his regular arms, but he knew he wasn't done yet.
Whew that was so so so much harder to write than I thought it would be. You can tell I don't spend a whole lot of time paying attention to Chad, Uryu, or Mayuri. But its here, and complete. I will get to work on the epilogue tomorrow before work, I hope and then I can stamp this with complete! Hope you were able to at least somewhat enjoy this chapter.