Chapter: 27
Bellowing like an animal, Veneno charged and swung his arms forward. The two Quincies fled and attacked from either side, thinking Veneno would be unable to protect both his left and right side at the same time. As they came, Veneno jumped, letting them pass under his body. The same move he had seen used before by a Quincy.
Undeterred, they each bent their bodies to avoid crashing into each other and open fired on Veneno's underside. Veneno's carapace protected him from injury. The arrows shattered upon impact with his shell. He landed and fired a cero at them which they also avoided.
Though angry and out for revenge, Veneno kept his head and wasn't about to let them get the better of him. He was thinking. He wasn't charging blindly. He had a plan. He knew they would strike at his back as before and try to kill him that way. Since he was not a clone, this was his only body and couldn't afford to let his guard down. Taking what he learned from past experience, he knew what to do and what to avoid.
Mordere aimed at Veneno's head. Aside from the mask on Veneno's forehead, his skull was unprotected. He fired and Veneno swung his arm, destroying the arrow with his pincer. He fired another cero at Mordere and changed location. He knew not to stay standing in one place for long.
Another arrow came his way and Veneno dodged. He ran for a distance then fired a cero at Yagi who was running the opposite direction. He missed and Yagi circled back to attack.
At the same time, Mordere chose to attack from another direction. He bent his knees and straightened them like an unleashed spring. He grabbed Veneno's right arm and held him back, giving Yagi a clear shot at his chest and face. "Now, leader! I've got him!"
Veneno didn't bother fighting back. Mordere had forgotten about the other weapon he possessed. The long flexible tail behind him bent and struck. The tip of his poisonous tail tore through Mordere's vest but missed his flesh. Seeing this, Mordere released Veneno and fled.
If his suspicions were correct, that tail could infect him with the Hollow virus. With Linnette still in the area, that would be dangerous. He didn't want Linnette to take control of him and force him to attack Yagi against his will.
Veneno's tail struck the ground at Mordere's feet while his arms went after Yagi who had come within striking distance. Yagi retreated but had enough time to fire off a few arrows in Veneno's direction. His pincers blocked every one of them. Yagi deftly moved out of Veneno's path and spun around to his side, with a clear shot to his neck. He fired but Veneno knew the attack was coming and ducked, letting the arrow sore over his head. He turned his body towards him and reached for Yagi with his pincer.
"Leader!" Mordere came running, jumped up and struck the side of Veneno's head with his fist.
Veneno's attack missed and his body tilted sideways. Mordere packed quite a punch. His bare fists were enough to send him staggering.
The Arrancar looked up and snarled at his attacker. He never thought taking on two at once would be easy, but it was the task he had taken on himself.
Ichigo watched weakly from where he lay on the ground. He was worried Veneno would need assistance but there was nothing he could do. Part of him was confident in Veneno's abilities, having taken him on before in the past. He knew just how strong Veneno was. He almost didn't win against him when they fought before. In that sense, Ichigo shouldn't have been worried. However, Ichigo couldn't help but worry about a friend. Especially one in battle with two strong opponents.
Veneno bent his torso backwards to avoid the arrows coming at his chest and swung his tail into Yagi's flank. The Quincy leader was sent flying sideways. That was the first real blow anyone had given him. Even Mordere was worried about his boss. He had never seen Yagi get hit before with such force.
His worry was for nothing when he saw his leader stand up and brush himself off. He looked more annoyed than injured. He was fine.
"How dare you hurt him!" Mordere swung his arms at Veneno, punching him. His powerful fists were enough to knock Veneno's arms back slightly. He could feel the vibrations resonate into the bones in his arm. This Quincy was strong. Mordere grabbed Veneno's pincer and blasted him with light from both hands. He had used arrows at such close range with such power that resulted in a blast like a bomb.
Veneno's pincer was not damaged but he could feel the blast travel up his arm and weaken his muscles. His arm dropped, giving Yagi the perfect opportunity to fire. Veneno raised his other arm to block the arrow but it passed under his pincer and sank into his stomach. The arrow weakened and disappeared. Veneno observed the wound but there was no blood. He didn't feel any different.
When he looked at Yagi, he was annoyed. Clearly that attack didn't happen the way Yagi wanted it to.
"That arrow didn't have enough power behind it."
Either that or Veneno was just too strong to be taken down with just one arrow.
The arrow only sank into the side of his stomach so it missed vital areas.
More arrows came next and Veneno retreated. He knew Yagi wouldn't let him get close so he was firing to keep him at a distance. Veneno had to find a way to get closer to Yagi for an attack. Firing a cero would work at a distance but he knew Yagi would dodge it easily. He had to get closer.
Ichigo felt woozy. The image of Veneno's scorpion body kept fading in and out. He felt weak and tired. His body wanted to sleep. He wanted to just to escape the pain he was feeling, but he couldn't. If he passed out, he could become a Hollow again. He had to hold on.
"Ahh!" Veneno fell back, struck with a Quincy weapon Ichigo could not see. Veneno planted his six legs and stood his ground. He braced himself as a folly of arrows came soaring at his head. They struck his pincers and body but none of them made it to his flesh. To escape the arrows, Veneno jumped and fired a cero straight down.
Mordere fled the area, thinking the cero was meant for him.
Instead, Veneno meant to use it as a smokescreen. Veneno landed and disappeared in the cloud of dirt his cero stirred up. Now no one could see him.
Mordere fired wildly into the cloud, hoping one of his arrows would reach his target. All was quiet when Mordere stopped firing. He stared at the cloud, waiting.
Veneno fired a cero in Yagi's direction, but he dodged, just as he thought. The cero was meant as another distraction. While Mordere turned to watch the cero, Veneno came running out of the cloud heading in the other direction. By the time Mordere turned back, it was too late.
"Rah!" Veneno clamped his pincer around Mordere's arm and squeezed.
There was a loud crunching sound followed by a snap. Mordere wailed and screamed, his arm torn off by the Arrancar. There was a stub coming out of his elbow where his left arm used to be. Now it lay on the ground in a pool of blood.
Veneno moved in to finish the job but Mordere was moving again. He ducked and rolled under Veneno's body and between his legs.
Mordere tore off his sleeve and tied it around his injury to stopped the bleeding. He had no time to think about his missing arm. He had to focus on the Arrancar.
"Now you can only fire at one place at a time," said Veneno. "Like all Quincies."
"I'll kill you!" Mordere stood and fired with his remaining hand. Veneno dodged and came at him, circling wide. Moving in a crescent shape, Veneno fired a cero then, traveling right behind it, Veneno prepared his pincers for another go.
Mordere dodged the cero but wasn't expecting Veneno to be traveling in its path. Veneno appeared and opened his pincers wide to chomp off another limb. If the Quincy couldn't use his arms, he couldn't fire arrows. It would be next to impossible for him to attack.
Yagi watched Mordere's fight and wondered if he should use his Blood Spear to stop the Arrancar. He only had one shot but he would not miss. He still needed Mordere so it was in his best interest to save him from the enemy.
He looked to his left and saw Rukia watching him. She was expecting him to use it. The moment he did, she would attack, knowing he would be unable to use it again. Her anticipation was worrisome. If he used it now, he would not be able to use it again, even as a bluff, and she knew that. They were keeping their distance from him because they knew he could still use it. Like a chamber with one bullet. Once fired, the gun would be useless and no one would think twice about rushing in.
Yagi couldn't use it. Using that attack was the only way he was keeping them at a distance. He couldn't give that up, even for Mordere. Having Blood Spear at his disposal was the only thing keeping them at bay. It wasn't worth it. If he didn't use it, then he would have to do something else to stop Veneno, but anything else would be too risky.
He was safer here. If he went in to save Mordere, he was putting himself at risk. When it came right down to it, Mordere wasn't worth his life. He would rather watch his ally die than risk his own life to save him.
Yagi remained where he was and watched.
Mordere didn't expect Yagi to help him anyway. To prove himself, Mordere promised himself to be strong and being strong meant never needing to be rescued. He didn't want Yagi to think he was weak and discard him. It would be a great dishonor and downright embarrassing. Mordere had to save himself.
Pulling out another weapon, Mordere plunged it into Veneno's chest.
"Gah!" Veneno cried out as the strange blade was driven deep into his body from his momentum. Veneno sailed over Mordere's head and crashed into the ground.
Rukia took her eyes off Yagi to see what had happened. She gasped when she saw the weapon sticking out of Veneno's chest.
Ichigo shared her fears and tried to lift himself up but couldn't. He couldn't help Veneno.
Rukia stood and started to come over to help. As soon as she did, she saw Yagi taking a few steps towards Ichigo. She stopped and Yagi stopped.
Just as she thought. Yagi wanted Ichigo alone. If she left his side, Yagi would move in. She couldn't allow that. She went right back to Ichigo and stayed there. She couldn't help Veneno if it meant abandoning Ichigo.
Veneno lifted himself up and looked down at his chest. The weapon missed the hole by a few inches. It would be tricky to pull this strange weapon free with pincers but he was certain he could do it without breaking the handle.
"Seele Schneider," said Mordere. "That is the name of the weapon I stuck you with. You might as well know since it's what I'm going to kill you with." He pulled another one from his belt. "Time to pay you back for my arm, you piece of filth."
Veneno pulled the weapon from his chest and tossed it aside. His pincers cracked the handle but didn't break it which he was thankful for. If he broke the handle, it would have been extremely difficult to get the weapon out of his body.
Mordere was on the attack already. He rushed at Veneno, weapon in hand. Veneno held up his pincer to block. Mordere avoided his hard pincer and went for the flesh. His weapon entered Veneno's elbow and he slit open a path to the Arrancar's shoulder. Veneno's arm was torn open and blood sprayed from the wound like a fountain.
"Ahh!"
"An Arrancar like you needs to know their place!"
Mordere stabbed Veneno in the back and carved an X across his spine. Veneno turned his body quickly to one side to throw him off. Mordere took advantage of Veneno's long release form and stood on the spine of his scorpion body. It was protected by a thick, hard carapace so Mordere's blade could not pierce it easily. Mordere did not intend to. Since Veneno's form was very much like that of a centaur, he knew Veneno would not be able to attack him if he were standing where he was. He also knew that Veneno would be unable to shake him from this position and he would not be able to defend his back. From this position, Mordere had a clear shot at Veneno's back and there was nothing Veneno could do to protect it.
Even so, Veneno tried to face Mordere. It was impossible. Like a horse trying to face its rider, Veneno could not turn in any direction to keep his back from Mordere. This was exactly what he was afraid of and wanted to prevent. As long as Mordere was riding on him, Veneno's back was open to attack. He couldn't defend it nor could he reach Mordere to attack him.
"What a stupid Arrancar," he remarked. Keeping just out of reach, Mordere watched Veneno buck up and down and twist his torso to try to face him. It was like watching a turtle attempt to reach its own shell. Veneno could not grab him from here. Mordere found it amusing to watch the Arrancar struggle.
Veneno's arm could not reach Mordere and he could not rotate his torso any further. If only his spine was like that of an owl's neck. Then maybe he could reach Mordere. That gave him an idea. There was one part of his body that had greater reach than his arms. It was the longest and most flexible part of his body.
His tail.
He made one last attempt to reach Mordere with his arms, but only to make sure he had his attention. He made to make sure Mordere's eyes were on him, focused in this direction and not looking behind him.
Just as planned, Mordere kept his eyes on Veneno's pincers, making sure they did not reach him. That was when he struck. As Mordere watched the pincers, Veneno struck with his tail. Feeling Veneno's body move under his feet, Mordere quickly jumped off just as the tail came down on his shoulder. The stinger just missed his body, but the tail itself whacked his shoulder with enough force to dislocate it.
Mordere landed and held his injured shoulder. He had to pop it back in quickly before Veneno retaliated.
Veneno's eyes darted from Mordere to Yagi. That was the Quincy he wanted. He had to finish with Mordere before he went after him. If he didn't stop Mordere, he would keep preventing him from reaching Yagi. He had to take them out one at a time.
So far Yagi was just watching them but who knew how much longer that would last? It was only a matter of time before he took part in the fight again.
With a loud crack, Mordere popped his shoulder back into place. He wasn't expecting such a loud sound, making him think the injury was worse than it was. He was already angry with the Arrancar for attacking Yagi, but now he was out for revenge for his damaged body. He resented Veneno for even being alive. Arrancars and Hollows alike should not be allowed to live. As a Quincy, it was his job to right this wrong and eliminate him. Now he had even more reasons to do that.
That list was growing longer the more this battle dragged on, fueling his rage. This was no longer about killing an abomination. It was personal. Veneno must die.
The Seele Schneider in his hand extended to its full length, ready to inflict serious injury. Mordere was ready.
"Hey, Arrancar!"
Veneno turned back to Mordere.
"We're not finished yet."
"Right." Veneno had little choice. Mordere would keep coming if he didn't stop him.
Mordere lowered his body to the ground and shot off like a rocket. Veneno took a step back, seeing Mordere take to the sky. His jump was so powerful he was airborne. He sailed over Veneno's head and towards his back. Knowing where he was aiming, Veneno turned his body and backed up, preventing him from mounting him again. Mordere landed on the ground and shot off again at a slight angle, now heading straight for Veneno's chest.
Veneno backed up but it wasn't enough. Using his sword-like weapon, Mordere cut across Veneno's chest and towards his neck. Veneo leaned his head back and brought his left arm up behind Mordere. His pincer slammed into Mordere's shoulder and knocked him off course. Veneno was spared but not by much. He had a gash across his chest, narrowly missing his collarbone.
Mordere landed in the dirt and spun onto his feet. His attack was relentless. Despite having only one arm, Mordere didn't seem to be any weaker. Surely the blood loss would make him feel a little dizzy, but it didn't appear to be that way. He came at Veneno with lightning speed and slashed at his exposed body. Any part of him unprotected by his armor was a potential target. Veneno had to evade every time that weapon was aimed at his bare flesh.
Mordere jumped again and held his sword in his teeth. Using his one good arm, he fired several arrows at Veneno's body. Veneno shielded himself behind his pincers and disappeared into the dust cloud. Mordere followed his arrows straight down, sword pointed forward. The glowing blade scraped against Veneno's shell before finding soft flesh.
"Huagh!"
No one could see what was happening in the cloud of dirt and dust. All they could hear was Veneno screaming in pain.
Ichigo watched with worried eyes, fearing the worst.
There was silence.
Yagi smiled and knew the Arrancar had suffered a mortal wound. "Well done."
A beam shot out from the cloud and went straight for Yagi. It was a cero. Yagi flashed away, moving closer to where Ichigo lay with Rukia. He scowled, staring bitterly at the dust cloud. Veneno still manged to attack despite being injured, and with such precision to boot.
Two voices were yelling. Veneno staggered out of the cloud with Mordere on his shoulders. Mordere had his weapon stuck in Veneno's shoulder, preventing him from lifting his arm. Mordere had his legs wrapped around Veneno's shoulders and neck, holding on while he grabbed fistfuls of Veneno's hair with his one hand. The stub of his injured limb smeared blood on Veneno's face. They grunted and yelled, spinning around in a circle.
"I told you I'd kill you, Arrancar!" Mordere drew another weapon.
Veneno threw his head back, slamming it into Mordere's stomach. He used his other arm to reach up and grasped Mordere's jacket in an attempted to reach his one remaining arm. Mordere maintained his hold on Veneno's hair but avoided the pincer by moving to Veneno's other shoulder. Veneno could not raised the arm he was leaning towards due to the weapon in his shoulder. Veneno took a chance and used his tail to throw Mordere off. His tail slammed into Mordere from behind and threw him over Veneno's head and onto the ground. The move did not just injure Mordere. Veneno was hit from behind by his own tail, causing his body to lurch forward and his head to spin.
Still determined to win, Mordere rose and ran at Veneno again. Using his Seele Schneider as the sword it resembled, he came at Veneno with a furious attack. The blade bounced against Veneno's armored legs and his pincers. Refusing to let up, Mordere continued the assult. When Veneno finally struck back, Mordere retreated. The only marks his weapon left on Veneno's armor were a lattice of thin scratches. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't break that armor. Seeing scratches gave Mordere hope that if he pressed a little further and kept at it eventually he would break through and be able to cause the Arrancar damage.
Such a thing would take too long and with only one arm he would not have the power to do so as quickly as he would like. Veneno's armor would take hours to get through at this rate. Time which he did not have.
He was starting to feel the effects of his lost arm and from the intensity of this fight. Mordere's reaction time was beginning to slow. At this rate, he would continue to grow weaker until he could no longer stand.
He looked to his leader, wondering why he had not helped him in all this time. They were fighting Veneno together just a few minutes ago. Then he got hit and was thrown in the other direction. Since he was able to stand, Mordere thought his leader was not injured. Could he be wrong? Or was it something else? Was his leader testing his strength? Was he disappointed? Mordere had to prove himself and make his leader proud. As a Quincy, he, too, had his pride. He could not lose to an Arrancar. He could not give up or run away. It was shameful. Aside from pleasing his leader, Mordere had to do this for himself. He was a strong Quincy. He could not lose.
Veneno panted and tried to remove the blade from his shoulder. Before he could, Mordere was attacking again. To stop him, Veneno fired a cero. Mordere evaded and the cero continued its path towards Ichigo and Rukia.
He yelped in surprise. He didn't realize they were so close. He should have aimed better. No, Mordere should not have blocked his vision. If Mordere weren't there, he would have seen them.
Rukia ducked, throwing her body over Ichigo's. The cero passed overhead and exploded behind them. Both were unharmed.
Veneno let out a breath, thankful they were alright.
"Idiot!" Mordere used his weapon as a dagger and stabbed Veneno in the stomach. He had to get Veneno off his feet. As thin as his six legs were, they were powerful. He could not budge them. He jumped onto Veneno's back and put him in a headlock.
Veneno could not grab hold of Mordere's arm. It was too close to his neck and his pincers were not the easiest to control. He would severe his own neck if he wasn't careful. Mordere used his stub of an arm to support the good one, keeping it in place.
"Worrying about your so-called friends made it easy for me to get to you. You got distracted." Mordere increased pressure. "See what you get by having 'friends', Arrancar? I was able to get this close because you got distracted, worrying about them. If you didn't give a damn, this wouldn't have happened."
It was true. If Veneno didn't care about Ichigo, he wouldn't have worried when he saw the cero heading towards him. He would have kept fighting and not pause to look in his direction.
However, Mordere didn't take one important thing into account.
When Veneno looked in Ichigo's direction, he saw the worried look in his eyes. The look of someone who desperately wanted to help but couldn't. Ichigo couldn't move. He wanted to help him so much and couldn't. He saw Ichigo's lips whisper his name. Veneno saw Rukia's anxious face and remembered when she watched his clone die, thinking it was him. How she was so close to tears. How sad she was. How angry she was. Most of all, how happy she was to see him alive. They cared about him. They worried about him. This was a feeling Veneno had never had before he knew them. The feeling of being loved and loving someone in return.
Friendship.
Seeing their faces watching him with fearful uncertainly and a longing to help him gave Veneno a strength he had never known. He wanted to protect them. He wanted to win. Not just to live but for them. Mordere was wrong about his friendship with Soul Reapers making him weaker and more vulnerable. It gave him strength.
With no regards to how painful this would be, Veneno forcefully reared up on his back legs and willingly fell onto his back. The weight of his body crushed Mordere and caused him to release his hold. The blade in his shoulder was driven in deeper from the impact and he could feel Mordere's body being pressed into his from behind. Mordere got the worst of it. His body was under Veneno's. He twisted and struggled to free himself and finally managed to squeeze out from under him.
Ichigo's vision started to go black. He couldn't see their fight anymore. The sounds of battle were drifting further away. He grabbed Rukia's wrist to keep himself conscious. Stimulating his senses seemed to help him stay awake, but he also wanted to get Rukia's attention, hoping she would help him.
"Hang in there, Ichigo." Her voice sounded like a whisper. "Hang on."
He looked at her blurry face. His eyes wouldn't focus. His body was numb. He couldn't move. His limbs felt like stone. He could no longer feel the warmth of her hand in his. He was so dizzy and so tired. Everything ached. Everything hurt. If only he could escape this pain. If only he didn't have to suffer.
If only he hadn't dragged them into this situation. They were here and he could do nothing. He was only going to cause them trouble.
He could feel himself slipping away.
"Rukia... I'm sorry."
Her face was brought closer to his. He could barely make it out.
"I can't..." He couldn't do it anymore. It was too painful. It was too difficult. It was all too much. "I'm sorry. I just can't. I can't anymore... I can't do it."
He couldn't hold out anymore.
What brought him back to his senses was a slap in the face. His eyes opened wide and he looked at Rukia. "Wha..?"
"I never want to hear you say that again! Do you hear me?" she snapped.
Ichigo lay stunned, staring at her. "Uh... I..."
"Never!" she told him in an angry tone. "You've never said you can't before so don't start now. I've never seen you give up once in all the time I've known you. Even when I told you not to do something; when I said you couldn't, you did it anyway. That is who you are. Someone who doesn't give up no matter how difficult it may be. When the hell did you become such a coward?"
That word was enough to make Ichigo snap back at her in anger. "What did you just call me? I'm not a coward!"
"Then don't act like one!" Rukia squeezed his hand and he felt her touch. He could feel it. "You're better than this. I know you are. You've never given up before so don't start now. Saying you can't is something I can't accept. It's the same as giving up and I can't let you do that. Not now."
He could feel the pressure increase on his hand. She was digging her nails into him.
"We're here fighting for you, Ichigo. All of us. You always fought for us and with us. You helped us. Now it's our turn to step up and return the favor. Now it's our turn to help you. Are you going to let that all be in vain? We're not giving up, even if we get hurt. We're still here. We're still fighting. We're not giving up. Are you?"
She was right. What on earth was he thinking? What was he saying? He knew desperation would do strange things to people who were suffering but he never expected to hear those words from his own mouth. Was it the fever talking or was he just that desperate? He didn't really mean it. He didn't want to give up. Never. It wasn't in him. He didn't know what made him say that. He must have been in a bad way to even think of saying those words.
"Giving up is exactly what the enemy wants. Are you going to let Yagi get his way? Are you going to let him win because it's easier?"
From the beginning, Yagi was trying to weaken Ichigo. Trying to break him. Yagi attacked his friends to lure him away. He injected him with a serum that was breaking him down from the inside out. It was painful and debilitating. As if that weren't enough, it was a terrible poison that would ultimately kill him, bringing him fever and sickness. It was torture. Not just to weaken his body but his spirit. Yagi wanted Ichigo to feel desperate. To suffer. To beg for it all to end. His cruelty knew no end.
"But if you want to give up, that's your choice. If it's too hard for you to go on, I understand." Rukia bit her lip. "I just thought... It's just..."
"Rukia..."
"With everyone fighting like this and working around the clock, I thought you would be worth fighting for. If you give up and have everything go to waste, I'll never forgive you!"
Ichigo's arm reached up and grabbed Rukia's shoulder. "Who the hell said I was giving up?!" he snapped. "The hell I am! Would you quit running your big mouth and let me get a word in, Rukia? I'm not giving up. It's not in me. I never know when to quit. You should know that by now."
Rukia could feel Ichigo's strength in the hand grabbing her shoulder. His strength was returning.
"When I said 'I can't'... I was talking about the pain and weakness in my body. I can't take being like this anymore. That's what I meant. I can't give up until I teach that Yagi guy a lesson."
In truth, that wasn't really what Ichigo meant when he had said it. He was talking about how he couldn't hold on anymore, but Ichigo convinced himself that he had only said it on account of his feverish state. He wasn't thinking clearly. If he were his normal self, he would never give in and never give up.
He did mean what he said now, but he was covering himself for what he had said before.
"I know my body won't hold out for much longer, but I'm not giving up. No way in hell. So just shut the hell up and quit lecturing me. I know what needs to get done and I'll do it."
Satisfied with that answer, Rukia relaxed and gave him a smile. This was the Ichigo she knew. He was no coward and certainly not a weakling.
There was no way Ichigo was going to let people fight for him and have it not mean something. He was not giving up. He was never going to let the enemy win. If he gave up, then this fight would mean nothing. His friends, his own sacrifice, everything. He wasn't about to let that happen.
Veneno rolled onto his legs with the help of his tail and pincers. He looked in Ichigo's direction to make sure he wasn't in harm's way. When he saw Ichigo sitting up and talking to Rukia he felt relieved. Ichigo was still alive. He seemed to be doing a little better. Veneno turned to face his opponent. He had to win now.
Seeing Veneno stand brought a frown to Mordere's face. This Arrancar was still alive. "Raah!" His seething raged welled up from his throat and he dashed forward with his weapon at a blinding speed. He had to win. He had to kill him.
Veneno used his arm as a wrecking-ball and threw Mordere into the air. Mordere flipped once through the air and landed on his feet. He came at Veneno again with his weapon. When Veneno struck, Mordere kicked off one of Veneno's legs and changed directions. He spun his body around like a twister, weapon in hand. He slashed Veneno's pincer but it still wasn't enough to crack it. He fired arrows at Veneno's head and tried attacking in two directions at once. Without an arm, it was even more difficult.
When he tried to attack Veneno's underside, one of his blade-like legs came down on Mordere, piercing his thigh. "Ahh!" Mordere tried to slice off the Arrancar's leg but it was too well protected. Veneno lifted his leg and Mordere slipped free, jumping back.
Veneno looked back to see where Yagi was standing. He was still there, watching.
"You're fighting me, you ass!"
Veneno turned back. "Am I just your enemy because I'm an Arrancar?"
It was a sudden and bold question as far as he was concerned. "Of course you are!" answered Mordere. "Aside from that, you took my arm and attacked my leader. You really think I'll let you live?"
"And Ichigo. What did he ever do to you?"
"He's a stinking Soul Reaper! That's more than enough of a reason to attack him. He deserves no less."
Just as he thought.
Mordere pointed his weapon at Veneno. "Why the questions? What business is it of yours?"
"I just wanted to know because of how you were reacting. Now I know."
"Know what?" demanded Mordere. "You make no sense whatsoever! You're an Arrancar yet you defend Soul Reapers. They're your natural enemy. And here you are fighting alongside them."
"There was a time when I would have agreed with you, but things have changed. When I saw them as my enemy, I had reason to. They did things to me. It's my fault, too. I did things to them as well. I felt it was justified." Veneno looked back at Mordere. "But with you it's different. They've done nothing to you. It's just blind hatred. You hate them simply because they are Soul Reapers. Not because of anything personal. Same goes for me."
"Of course!" declared Mordere, holding his weapon high. "Soul Reapers are scum compared to us Quincy. And Hollows deserve nothing short of death. Arrancars are the very same. Your very existence is an unforgivable sin. You should not be allowed to live. Even if you acted like a saint, simply being an Arrancar seals your fate. You deserve to die! You are an abomination!"
"Even those who pose no threat?"
"Yes! Weren't you listening? If you are not a Quincy, you are far below us. You are unworthy. We decide the rules. We alone have the right. Arrancars and Hollows alike are doomed to die. It is only what you deserve. You and those... those things!"
Mordere pointed to Shinji, Rojuro and Ichigo with his weapon.
"Having Hollow powers, really... It's a sin in and of itself. Willing or not, it's wrong. It's wrong to accept the powers of your sworn enemy. Though Sharif is a Quincy, his body was pieced back together with Hollow parts. Now he is an abomination."
Veneno frowned, hearing this. A member of their company now had Hollow powers. "He is your ally... Will you kill him, too?"
"If it comes to that, then yes."
He spoke without any hesitation. Veneno saw just how brutal this Quincy was. He had a cold heart. Veneno could see there was no convincing this man of anything else. He would not listen even if he tried.
Giving a battle-cry, Mordere came at Veneno in one last attack. He meant to kill him this time. No more words would be exchanged.
It looked like a forward attack but just as Veneno prepared to block his front, Mordere changed directions and went behind him. Veneno's tail swept the ground, hoping to trip him but Mordere jumped into the air and landed on Veneno's back once more. He drove his weapon into Veneno's spine. He screamed and used his tail to attack Mordere. Mordere jumped at the last moment and grabbed onto the tail. He held on for a violent ride as Veneno swished his tail back and forth to shake him off. His tail was armored so Mordere could not chop it off as he desired. He let the tail fling him into the air where he unleashed a folly of arrows. He followed their path straight down and impaled Veneno with his Seele Schneider.
Veneno screamed and staggered to one side. The weapon entered under his arm, crossing the other still stuck in his shoulder. His arm was stuck in an upward position. With these two weapons where they were, he could not lower his arm, nor could he bend it to block anything coming from the front or behind.
"It is time to pay you back for my arm and for attacking leader. Most of all, just for being alive, you monster."
Yagi smiled, watching with glee. Even with one arm, Mordere was a skilled fighter.
Mordere jumped up, colliding his knee with Veneno's chin, knocking his head back. An arc of blood painted the path from his lips and Veneno nearly fell over. He forced his head down, hunting for an opening. Mordere drew another weapon and aimed it at Veneno's chest.
Veneno spun, slamming his tail into Mordere's chest. Mordere avoided the tip and hung on as Veneno swung his tail. Mordere used its path as a way back to his oppoenent. He let go and dropped onto Veneno's shoulders, his weapon raised. Veneno blocked with his pincer and the weapon flew out of Mordere's hand. Mordere retreated for another attack.
Veneno tried to move his other arm to block but with the weapons stuck in his body, he couldn't. He grasped one with his pincer and pulled it out. When he reached for the other, Mordere was in his face. He kicked Veneno and fired several arrows. Veneno fired a cero at the same time, resulting in another explosion. He ripped the weapon from his shoulder and used it to stab its owner. Mordere stumbled back with the weapon sticking out of his stub of a former arm.
"I won't lose!" Mordere let the weapon remain, seeing how it extended his reach. He drew another and launched himself at Veneno. "You have no place among us! Worthless Hollows must die! A powerful Quincy will never be defeated by you disgusting monsters!"
Taking a deep breath, Veneno fired another cero at Mordere and hid behind his pincers. The blast knocked Mordere back, but he stood his ground. Veneno fired again and Mordere prepared to jump. Something was wrong. His jump wasn't powerful enough to take him out of the way. He looked down, noticing the wound from before. He had nearly forgotten that Veneno's leg and pierced his. He was still bleeding and running and jumping so much had only aggravated it further. The muscles were torn, making it impossible to jump. It was too painful and his leg wasn't functioning properly.
Mordere tried to block the cero with his weapons. He took the brunt of the attack and was blasted aside.
Thinking it was enough, Veneno turned his attention towards Yagi. He was next. He started his charge. All he had to do was use his pincers to decapitate him and this would all be over.
"Veneno!"
The warning came from both Ichigo and Rukia.
He remembered the last time he had faced Yagi and was attacked from behind. His clone had been killed. The same would not happen with his real body.
Veneno turned to meet Mordere. He had his weapon pointed forward like a sword.
Veneno had turned too quickly. All the legs on his right side were in the air while the ones on his left were still on the ground, resulting in his body being tipped sideways and off balance. The weapon pierced his other shoulder, missing his chest by only two inches. Off balance, Veneno couldn't absorb the impact as much as he wanted, causing his body to spin half way around. He fell onto the ground and Mordere stood on top of him.
Pressing his foot on the handle of his Seele Schneider to keep it in Veneno's shoulder, Mordere drew the one from his stubby arm and prepared to cut off his head. "Now die!"
His mind searched for ideas. At last he had one, but it came with a price. He had no choice.
Veneno let Mordere plunge the weapon straight down towards his neck.
"Veneno!" Ichigo screamed, thinking his friend was about to die.
Veneno wouldn't let him down. Knowing how much Ichigo truly cared brought Veneno joy. Joy and bravery. Just like Ichigo, he was willing to take risks to win. Not just for himself but for his friends.
The blade stopped just before entering Veneno's neck. His pincer caught the handle of the weapon along with Mordere's hand. He didn't squeeze. He wasn't trying to chop it off. He was holding him there. Veneno didn't want Mordere to get away. In that split second, Veneno grabbed Mordere, held him in place and rolled. Now on top of Mordere, Veneno fired a cero.
Another explosion. The ground shook and quaked. Yagi almost couldn't stay standing but he did.
The blast sent Veneno flying and created a crater in the ground where Mordere lay.
Veneno could have fired the cero with Mordere on top of him but that wasn't the plan he came up with. With him on top and firing the cero at the ground, the blast would be contained, making it even more dangerous at close range. The sacrifice was allowing himself to get caught up in the blast as well. As far as Veneno was concerned, it was worth it.
His body sailed through the air and came crashing down on the ground. He wasn't moving and his body was smoking from the blast.
Rukia craned her neck to see in the hole Veneno's cero left behind. Mordere was still in there, but she was curious if he were alive or dead.
As she looked, Yagi started to approach. He had been inching his way over to them for a while. Now was his chance. He knew Rukia wouldn't be able to defend Ichigo on her own against him.
She sensed him coming and picked up her sword. She pointed it at him, kneeling over Ichigo's body.
Desperate to help, Ichigo started to sit up without her support. He suffered a dizzy spell and fell over. He couldn't get up. His head was spinning too much. He wouldn't be able to help her.
Linnette watched from where she hid with the two Captains. Shinji was still unconscious from landing on his head from an attack. Rojuro was too badly injured to do anything. She looked over to where Veneno lay and knew he was in no position to help either. She had no weapon so there was nothing she could do. Even if she could, she was too far from Yagi to reach him in time. She couldn't run that fast and she was incapable of flashing to the spot like she had seen Soul Reapers do.
She looked down at Shinji. He wasn't injured. Just knocked out. Out of the two of them, he was their best chance. Well, maybe not him necessarily. "Shinji's Hollow, get up."
He didn't move.
"I know you can hear me. Now get up. Please, get up! I need you."
Shinji's eyes opened, glowing gold. The other one was in control. "Ai, he took one hell of a whack to the head." He sat up, holding his skull. "I told him he needed to be more careful."
"I need your help," Linnette told him.
He turned to her. "Whatever you need, kitten. Just say the word."
She pointed. "Help Rukia protect Ichigo. She needs help. Please stop Yagi from hurting him."
He nodded. "You got it." In a flash, Shinji was off.
"I'll go," came Rojuro's voice. Only it was a little different. There was a slight hiss to it. His Hollow was in control as well, though Linnette hadn't summoned him. "I'll assist. I know he means a lot to you. So I will also help."
Linnette put her hands on his shoulders to keep him from rising. "No, I need you to stay down. You're too injured. I don't want Rose or Rojuro or whatever his name is to get worse."
"Rose is a nickname," he told her. "But your orders were to help protect Ichigo from harm. I must obey your request."
"Then I order you to stay there and not make your injuries worse!"
He stopped resisting. He looked up at her with sad eyes. He looked like a frightened rabbit. It made her upset seeing him look at her like this. It was as if she were denying him something he desperately wanted.
"Now I am conflicted," he admitted. "You gave me two orders but one goes against the other to a point. I am not sure what to do."
"I don't want you hurt."
"I know. It would upset you and I cannot bring myself to do that to you." He sighed. "I know I am not myself around you and I'm alright with that. I don't mind. I know I have to do anything you say and that's fine with me. I like it. Gives me purpose and it makes me happy to please you." Even if it was a spell, he couldn't deny the feeling it gave him. He loved it. Being a servant wasn't so bad in his Hollow eyes.
Yagi was closing in and just as he was about to come within striking distance, someone blocked his path. Shinji stood in front of him with his sword drawn. Once again, Yagi looked annoyed but amused.
"Just save me the trouble and move."
"I will not. I was given an order. You will not reach Ichigo Kurosaki."
Yagi sighed. "I have no time for this. Either move or fight me. And I promise you, a fight with me will not be easy. Not for you. Save yourself the pain and stand aside."
"I will not."
He sighed again. "Fine. Have it your way. But I offered."
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