• • •
"Welcome, Abarai-Kun."
Gasping, the red head pineapple turned towards the sound of the familiar voice, feeling his eyes widen in disbelief. "Aizen-Taicho… It can't be… What in the hell is going on?"
"Put Kuchiki Rukia down and step away."
"A-Aizen-Taicho..! How are you ali… No, more importantly, what did you just say?" Renji asked, his eyes widening once he scanned the scenery. Aizen Sosuke was very much alive, accompanied by Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname.
The Fifth Division Taicho smirked, "That's strange. It's not possible that you didn't hear me. I said, put Kuchiki Rukia down and step away, Abarai-Kun."
That's when Renji received Kotetsu-Fukutaicho's message.
"I refuse."
"What?" Aizen slyly asked.
"I said I refused, Aizen-Taicho!" Renji exclaimed, his hold on Rukia tightening. The dark haired woman looked scared, her violet eyes widening as they looked back and forth between the Taicho's.
However, the smirk never left Aizen's face. "I see."
Ichimaru's hand moved towards the hilt of his Zanpakuto. Aizen, however, stopped the silver haired Taicho from drawing his sword. "It's alright, Gin."
Renji's eyes narrowed as he watched the brown haired Taicho walk towards him and Rukia. He really couldn't do much with Rukia in his arms, but he'd do all that he could.
"I know you're stubborn, Abarai-Kun. If you don't want to just leave Kuchiki Rukia and step away, then there's no choice. We'll take your feelings into consideration, as well. I understand how you must feel right now…so it's fine if you want to hold on to Kuchiki Rukia." Aizen's hand moved to the hilt of his Zanpakuto, skillfully withdrawing the blade from its sheath. "Leave your arms here and step away."
Aizen attacked, barely leaving enough time for Renji to try and dodge. Rukia was unscathed, however Renji was not. He had used his own body to shield her.
"Re…Renji..!" Rukia whimpered, violet eyes wide as she stared up at the red haired Shinigami that still held her in his arms.
The Fifth Division Taicho's eyes narrowed a bit. "Impressive. You've learned how to dodge quite well, haven't you, Abarai-Kun? You've grown so much! I'm happy for you. However, if it is possible, I wish that you wouldn't be so stubborn. It is quite difficult to control one's strength…while stepping on an ant without killing it. Being your former commanding officer, I can't bear to see you die."
"Renji..!" Rukia exclaimed, feeling his chest heave as he tried to catch his breath. Renji wasn't in the best of shape before Aizen began attacking… There was no telling how much he could withstand. And Rukia couldn't bear to see him die. Not for her sake, anyway.
"Be quiet, Rukia." The red head ordered, not even looking down at her. "You said, 'Being your former commanding officer, I can't bear to see you die.' Then why did you…kill Hinamori?!"
Aizen blinked. "Ah, so that powerful tremor of reiatsu earlier really was from Tenteikura. It was from Isane-Kun…wasn't it? As for Hinamori… I had no choice. She couldn't live without me. That was how I brainwashed her to be. Don't you think that it was charitable of me to kill her? Though, I honestly didn't want her to die by my hands. That was why I went through the trouble of getting Kira-Kun and Hitsugaya-Kun to fight her. However, that plan didn't go so well. Thus I had no choice but to do it myself."
"I see." Renji muttered, glare hardening. "So Kira and Hinamori…we're just puppets that you manipulated at will?"
"As are you, Abarai-Kun."
"I get it now." The red haired Shinigami spat. "You're not the same Aizen-Taicho that I know anymore… I don't know what your intentions are, but I won't give Rukia to you even if I die!"
Aizen chuckled. "I'm not the Aizen-Taicho that you know? Sadly, that was just an illusion, Abarai-Kun. The Aizen Sosuke that you know never existed to begin with!"
• • •
"K-Kurosaki-Kun..! Wait-!"
Ichigo didn't heed Orihime's words, throwing Ganju's arm off of him and disappearing before our eyes. I gaped at where he used to be standing; even in the condition he was in, he was able to move that fast?
"Just what does that idiot think that he can do in that state?" I growled, narrowing my gaze towards the top of Sokyoku Hill.
"Kurosaki wants to save Kuchiki-San, you know that." Ishida sighed, shaking his head at Ichigo's stubbornness. "Kokawa-San, if I know you well enough, you'll be rushing there yourself soon anyway. Even if you were injured, you'd still go. Correct?"
Chuckling, I flexed my left wrist to hear it pop before it landed on the hilt of my Zanpakuto. "You know me better than I thought, Ishida."
With that, I took off with a burst of speed.
There was no way I was going to flash step up there; no, not if I had to face Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen. No, I needed to save as much of my reiatsu as I could.
"Hang in there, you guys..!"
• • •
"Yo." Ichigo grinned up at Aizen, black sword crossing over his silver blade and holding it back. His cinnamon eyes flicked back to Renji, only serving to make his grin stretch further across his lips. "Why are you crouching on the ground? Is Rukia really that heavy? I've come to help, Renji!"
"Ichigo…"
"Yeah?"
"Sorry you had to come and save-"
The strawberry wouldn't hear any more of the pineapple's words, cutting him off and slyly looking at him over his shoulder. "What the..?! You look pretty beat up considering that you were only carrying Rukia around. Was the load that heavy for you to run away with?"
"Ah?! What're you implying?! Aren't you looking a little wobbly yourself?!" Renji accused, glaring at Ichigo as a vein throbbed on his forehead. "Shouldn't you be wrapped up in a bed somewhere instead of coming here?!"
"What?! Is that what you have to say to the guy who just saved your ass?!"
"Are you stupid?! I was going to thank you! But then you-"
Both of the men paused, wondering what the muffled noise they were hearing really was. They shared a look of confusion, before their eyes traveled down and landed on Rukia.
Renji's hand had been on the back of her dark head, pressing her face into his chest. And, of course, Rukia couldn't breathe with a mouthful of Shihakusho. However, the violet eyed woman was able to finally push herself off of his chest and take in gasps of air.
"Y-Yo, Rukia…" Renji stuttered, lightly patting the smaller Shinigami on her back as she coughed.
Ichigo blinked, not too sure what to do or say. "You okay?"
Rukia's answer spoke for itself; she aimed a nice punch under Renji's chin. "Fool! Were you trying to have me set a new record for holding my breath?! Pressing me against your chest with all your strength and chatting away… You nearly killed me, moron!"
However, their brief moment of conversation was cut short when Aizen began speaking to Ichimaru, gaining their attention once more.
"So he's…Aizen?" Ichigo asked, his eyes narrowing as he readied his Zanpakuto and watched the brown haired Taicho across from him.
"Yeah."
"Do you still have enough energy to run away, Renji?"
The red head scoffed, "I do, but I'm not running away."
"What…?!" Ichigo asked, flabbergasted.
"I've got a plan." Renji clasped a hand on Rukia's shoulder, gently shoving her behind them. "Zabimaru's broken form has its use! I'm going to fight! I'm sure you know, too… It's impossible to just run. I'm not saying we have to beat them, but… unless we immobilize them somehow, they'll just drag us back here without breaking a sweat."
Ichigo scoffed a bit, "Heh, fine then. Let's get this double-team started!"
Renji's hand went to the base of his broken Zanpakuto, gathering his reiatsu around him. "I can only use this technique once. But if this hits, it will definitely create an opening. Aizen-Taicho is strong…so the opening may only last for a split second. You'll have to move fast."
"Got it," Ichigo affirmed, determination filling his gaze as he readied his Zanpakuto. If this was their only chance, then he was definitely going to be ready for it.
Renji swung his broken Zanpakuto through the air, the broken edge soon colliding with the rocky ground beneath their feet. "Let's go, Zabimaru..! Higa Zekko!" {Bite of a Broken Baboon's Fang}
All around, the broken pieces of Renji's Zanpakuto begin to glow with his spirit energy and levitate in the air. Once they reached a uniform height, the broken pieces of metal circled around Aizen. With Renji's command, the pieces flew down; hopefully giving Ichigo the opening he needed.
Ichigo saw this as his only chance, so he charged towards Aizen.
As Renji's pieces pierced the ground, Ichigo swung.
Only to have Aizen block his Zanpakuto with a single finger.
Before he knew it, Ichigo had been struck down by Aizen's Zanpakuto; his wounds deep and blood splattering all over the ground.
"Oh, my!" Aizen feigned shock as he slowly released his hold on the strawberry's Zanpakuto. "I meant to completely cut off everything below the waist, but… Was my swing too shallow?"
Renji gasped, his eyes wide as he watched Ichigo fall to the ground. "H… How's that..? How's that possible?!"
Aizen vanished before Renji's eyes, appearing behind him and cutting him down as well.
"Renji! Ichigo!"
• • •
"Renji! Ichigo!" I yelled, my eyes widening in fear as I watched them both fall to the ground, as if in slow motion. I forced my legs to run faster, this time applying reiatsu so I could flash step in front of Rukia.
Rukia was just standing there, defenseless.
She had no Zanpakuto, no chance of using a kido…she was, all in all, unable to do anything.
"J-Jun..!" Rukia breathed, staring at my back as I appeared in front of her, my Zanpakuto out and gleaming silver in the sunlight. Without a glance at her, I muttered the phrase to release my Shikai.
"Kokawa Junko?" Aizen asked, his eyes scanning over me from behind the square frames of his black glasses. "You've made it here as well?"
"Of course," I spat, my eyes narrowing at the Taicho before me. Rather, he wasn't a Taicho anymore. Not after today, there's no way. "Ichigo just had to get impatient and rush ahead. He was faster than I expected; but you always have to expect the unexpected with him."
"Ah, so true." Aizen nodded, grinning down at me. "But, the same can be said about you, as well. I never would have expected for you to actually go against Kyoraku-Taicho. I didn't think it would be in your character to try and avenge one of the humans."
Darkly laughing, I felt the red ribbon on the end of my Zanpakuto wrap around my arm. "You don't know anything about me, Aizen."
"Is that really what you think?" He asked, his glasses tinting in the light for a moment. "I know more about you thank you would ever think, Kokawa Junko. You were the one that led me right towards Kuchiki Rukia. Of course, I suspected you in the beginning as well, but that didn't happen."
"What are you talking about?!" I questioned, my eyes beginning to glow red as my reiatsu levels surged. I still didn't have the limiter on my lower back, so my spiritual pressure was as high as it could go. "What do you want with Rukia?! What did she do!?"
"Nothing."
I screamed, barreling towards the ex-Taicho of the Fifth Division. I was seeing red; I could feel the blood boiling underneath my skin.
This man was bad.
He had hurt Renji. He had almost cut Ichigo in half.
And he was still targeting Rukia!
The shadows around me leapt into action, curling around the other two Taicho's as they stood by the side watching; I didn't want them interfering with this fight. Granted, I knew I wouldn't be able to kill Aizen; if Ichigo and Renji together couldn't take him down, then I didn't stand a chance.
But, I could possibly stall him for a bit longer. Long enough for all of the other Taicho's and Fukutaicho's to hurry.
Zanpakuto crashed against Zanpakuto; black against silver.
Even though we hit evenly, I unleashed my hold on the shadows and urged them to crawl around this treacherous man. Everything was his fault; it seemed as if he was behind everything! He had to be taken down!
A searing pain raced across my back, startling me.
The image of Aizen before me shattered into many pieces, light reflecting off of it just like a mirror. My shadows were still bound around the air, surrounding nothing. I could feel my reiatsu quickly fading; my shadows were vanishing like smoke.
Choking out a sob, I turned my head to see Aizen looming behind me. His Zanpakuto was covered in blood. I wasn't sure if it was Ichigo's, Renji's, or my blood. Or even a mixture of all three. I weakly feel to my knees, falling to the ground.
I was useless. I didn't stand a chance against Aizen.
We had lost; there was no one else that could protect Rukia.
From the corner of my eye, I watched Aizen make his way towards the still defenseless Rukia. She had sunk to her knees, staring at us with terrified eyes. She knew she didn't stand a chance.
"Now get up, Kuchiki Rukia."