Chapter: 34
Yagi looked over his shoulder, sensing someone at his back. The Soul Reapers were following him. It would be impossible to search for Ichigo like this. He had to handle these people before continuing. Taking on such a number would be risky on his own, but he had little choice.
Yagi spun around in the middle of his run to face them. His heels left two trails in the dirt as he slid to a stop. He grabbed something from inside his coat and threw it at them. Expecting a weapon, they all jumped to one side to avoid it. Rukia drew her sword and slashed at Yagi's left side. He held up his Seele Schneider to block her strike.
On his right, he saw Rojuro running towards him with his sword. Yagi pulled out a second weapon and blocked his right side. With both arms now occupied, this was the perfect chance to attack him from the front or the back. Shinji went for Yagi's front, pointing his sword straight out in front of him. Yagi jumped straight up, letting the sword pass under him. As he descended, he kicked Shinji in the face. He used that kick to launch himself into a back-flip and land away from the two Soul Reapers attacking at his sides. With two weapons in hand, he slashed at both of them. Rukia jumped back to avoid the attack, but Rojuro was a little slower to react. The tip of Yagi's weapon cut the hem of Rojuro's sleeve, narrowly missing his flesh. Rojuro jumped back to make sure he wasn't cut.
"You Soul Reapers are asking for trouble," said Yagi. "Leave me be. There is no point to your struggle. You are only wasting my time and yours."
"We're not letting you reach Ichigo," said Rukia. "There's no way."
"There's no way you can save him. I alone hold the cure and there is no way I am giving it to you."
"Then there's no reason to keep you alive," said Shinji.
"Are you certain of that?" said Yagi with a smirk. "With me, you at least have a chance. Take me away and what have you got?"
"We have enough." Shinji raised his arm. "There's no reason to hold back anymore. Hado 31, Shakkaho!"
Yagi deflected it with his hand.
Shinji growled. Though Yagi was running away, he held such power. It didn't make sense. Why would a man who could easily deflect a Kido with his bare hands run from a fight? Clearly he was powerful enough to take them all down in one fell swoop. Why all this running and hiding?
Unless...
Yagi raised his hand as if he were about to use Kido himself. "Even if you find him, even if you reach him, you cannot save him. Ichigo Kurosaki will die. Mark my words, your friend is dead."
"Not as dead as you're going to be!" Veneno, quicker than the eye could follow, was in Yagi's face. Clenching his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white, he punched Yagi as hard as he could in the face.
"Unh!" Yagi was thrown backwards, tumbling across the dirt. He pulled himself into a kneeling position, clutching his jaw with his right hand. He saw Veneno approaching fast and jumped to his feet, running backwards as Veneno threw punch after punch at his head.
"He's not dead yet! No matter what, I won't let him die!" Veneno's fist grazed the side of Yagi's head. "I won't!"
Yagi bent down and jumped up, punching Veneno in the stomach and avoiding being hit at the same time. "Who do you think you are? You think you can save him? What is he to you, a lowly Arrancar?"
"He's my friend! The best friend I have!"
"No matter how you dress it up, you're still a Hollow. Though Kurosaki is only a substitute, he is a Soul Reaper nonetheless and it is his job to kill Hollows. Don't you see that you could never be friends? You're better off with your own kind. They'll treat you right."
"Is that why I was an experiment to you?" Sharif grabbed Yagi from behind and threw him into the air. "Is that why you left me for dead more than once? Is that way you wanted Ichigo to kill me? I am a Quincy, same as you, and you treated me like crap! I don't care about the roof over my head or the praise you've given me or saying how valuable I was to you. If I was so important to you, why have me killed? You're a liar! You only tell the truth when it gives you something to gain. When it's convenient for you. And even when you do, you only tell parts of the truth."
Yagi was snatched out of the air and thrown down into the dirt and stomped on.
"Stick with your own kind my ass! We are the same! The same race and look what you've done to me! I was too blind to see it before but now I do. If this Arrancar wants to think he's friends with a Soul Reaper, then let him think that way! And if this Arrancar is speaking the truth and the two of them are friends, then who are you to-"
Yagi shot an arrow into Sharif's chest. "Let them think whatever they want. I'm just stating facts. Two races cannot mix. Even you know that, Sharif. You, who only ever associated with his own kind, should know that better than anyone. That was not through my orders or the fault of anyone else. You opted to do that. You limited yourself to being with your race alone."
"That's true. I did."
"And why do you suppose that is? Because it's right, isn't it? It felt natural to you. Therefore, being with your own kind is the best way to be. The mixture of two different things is outlandish. The friendship between two different races... It's a sin! A crime against nature. If Ichigo Kurosaki actually befriended an Arrancar and the two of them actually have a genuine bond together, then... It's just wrong."
"And what am I?" asked Sharif, gesturing to his body. "What of this? What you've done to me? The marriage of two different things into one. Their friendship is by choice. I had no say in what you did to me. You just did it without my consent. A crime against nature. If it is so wrong, then why would you be the one to do it yourself? And to one of your own!"
"You want the truth?" Yagi said in an angry tone. "I never intended to keep you alive. After we took control of the Seireitei and wiped out all of the Soul Reapers, I was going to finish you off. My plan was to only keep you alive so you could help me get what I wanted. After that, you would have been of no use to me and I would then kill you."
He knew it all along. Sharif refused to think such a thing was possible, but hearing it now for himself confirmed everything. Whether or not the experiment was a success, Yagi was going to kill him. Whether he died in that room, on the table, in the middle of nowhere or in the Seireitei after the battle was over, Yagi wanted him dead.
He wasn't meant to live.
"You are already aware of the other reasons," said Yagi. "So now you know everything."
"More like you just confirmed what I suspected..."
"Don't look so down, Sharif. Everything about you is a mystery. I wasn't even aware bonding your body with the parts of a Hollow would work in the first place. It was all an experiment to see if I could. I'm gathering data as we speak. I wasn't even sure you would make it this far. I had no idea how much of a success it would be. If you would even last this long."
"Well, now you know." Sharif's voice was tinged with flame, his eyes gleaming with anger. "And now I'm going to use this power you gave me to take you down."
"So you're siding with these Soul Reapers and abominations?"
"I'm fighting for myself and what I think is right," said Sharif. "I don't care about Ichigo in the slightest. I'm fighting for me. Getting revenge for what you did to me and to the innocent people who suffered at your hand for no good reason at all."
Yagi sighed. It seemed Linnette was not in control of Sharif and that Sharif's thoughts were now unified. Sharif was sane but Yagi found his logic to be quite insane. He had a reason for doing everything he did. Sharif was always on board with it until now, so to him Sharif was the one who had lost his mind. He was the one in the wrong.
"If this is how you want to end this, then so be it."
Yagi sprang forward and drove his Seele Schneider into Sharif's stomach. Veneno grabbed Yagi by the hair and yanked him back, effectively pulling the weapon from the deformed man. Yagi elbowed Veneno in the rib and stomped on his foot. Rukia then moved in and slashed at Yagi's throat. Yagi bent backwards and leapt away.
Linnette watched the fight from where she stood and took in a deep breath.
Ichigo was willing to risk himself for her sake and now his friends were risking their lives to save his. She had to do her part. She was going to fight, too.
She started running. "Shinji! Bow down!"
"Wha..?" Before Shinji could understand her order, his body fell forward into a kowtow. It was automatic.
Linnette put one foot on his back and used him as a springboard to launch herself into the air.
"What is she doing?" asked Rojuro.
Linnette had thrown herself into the fray, latching onto Yagi's back as before and held him there. She didn't know how to fight, but she knew how to make the battle harder for Yagi.
"Get off me!"
Linnette bit him on the shoulder.
"Ow!"
"Lookin' sharp, siren," said Veneno. "Nice one." He took up his sword and cut at Yagi's legs. Since Linnette was wrapped around his torso, it was the only safe place to cut that wouldn't risk damaging her.
Yagi fell to one knee. He raised his head in a panic.
There were too many. He was in great danger. He had to do something. He had to use his Blood Spear. No, he had to wait. This was the perfect time to use it, but he may still need it in the near future. There had to be something else he could do.
Yagi grabbed his Seele Schneider in his left hand and aimed it behind his head at Linnette. Her neck was right there. It was the perfect shot.
Sensing her in danger, Rojuro ran forward and grabbed Yagi's wrist to hold him back.
"The hell with this." Yagi pulled his arm down, causing Rojuro to be thrown in front of his chest. No one could attack from the front without injuring Rojuro. Yagi then grabbed Linnette by her hair and pulled. Once she was thrown off, Yagi stood and retreated to a safe distance.
"It's no good. Even if you jump on him, the guy's going to get away," said Rojuro. "And with you on top of him like that I'm reluctant to react because I'm afraid of hurting you while trying to get to him."
Linnette stood, rubbing her scalp. "Then we attack from a distance. Let your Hollows take it from here. I have an idea."
Rukia rushed to block Yagi's exit. A wall of ice appeared behind Yagi and he turned. It would take him only seconds to go around the wall but he wasn't looking to flee just yet. Not with so many people on his tail. He had to take care of them first. He raised his bow and pointed it at Rukia.
A golden rope wrapped around Yagi's arm and pulled it down. The arrow meant for Rukia sank into the dirt, missing her completely. "What the hell is this now?"
"My melodious mistress has a message for you," said Rojuro. "Shut the hell up and leave her friends alone."
Yagi saw that the rope was actually Rojuro's Zanpakuto in its released state. "Damn."
The ground beneath him was starting to freeze. Rukia was closing in.
"Now, Shinji!" Linnette cried.
Still as himself, Shinji performed Kido to keep Yagi from moving. "Bakudo 61 Rikujokoro!"
Yagi looked around and realized he was trapped. He couldn't shoot an arrow with his arm tied up and he couldn't run with the sheet of ice around his feet and he couldn't evade with this Kido pinning him down. There was nowhere to go.
Yagi's mind was racing to come up with a solution. There had to be a way out of this. Again, his Blood Spear came to mind but he refused to use that until the very end. He didn't want to waste it. No one was coming to save him. His subordinates were gone. One was dead, the other was a traitor and the remaining two were attacking the Seireitei as planned.
What could he do? How was he going to get out of this?
Only one thing came to mind.
He wrapped his hand around Rojuro's weapon and pulled. Yanked forward, Rojuro slammed into Yagi's side and the impact caused the Kido to break. Using the Soul Reaper as a shield, he held Rojuro in front of his body so Rukia's sword would strike him first.
At the last possible moment, Rukia pulled back.
"Coward," Yagi hissed and threw Rojuro at her. "At least have the courage to cut through his body to reach mine."
"Rose!" Shinji stood and started running. His strides were uneven and shaky. His legs were weak. Still he ran to their defense.
"Shinji! I command you to go right!"
Shinji's body was in motion and not a moment too soon. One of Yagi's arrows passed under his arm as he turned right as Linnette commanded. "Thanks!"
"Ordering them around will do you no good, girl." Yagi pointed an arrow at her body. "They will happily die to save you." He fired.
Linnette saw the arrow coming and fell purposely. The arrow missed and she was unharmed. "Don't worry about me. No one else has to risk themselves to save me."
Rukia let a smile pass across her face for a brief moment. Then she grew sad. She had a feeling Linnette blamed herself partly for what had happened to Ichigo. This was why she said what she said. She didn't want anyone to sacrifice themselves for her. To her, being unharmed didn't matter if it meant losing a friend.
No one was going to die for her.
"Ichigo won't die," Linnette said. "We'll save him."
He was not going to die for her. If they could just reach him in time and save him, then Ichigo would not die and Linnette would not be responsible for his sacrifice. That was her logic. If he died, it would have been her fault because she drove him to this. If only she hadn't gotten hurt, he would have had no reason to go to the enemy.
"Shinji! Go left!"
"On it."
Yagi saw him coming and fired. Shinji moved aside of his own will. Linnette only helped his body move when he needed it. He was still in control. Shinji drew his sword and struck at Yagi's rib. A clang rang out as their weapons collided.
"Damn you!" Yagi hissed.
"Rose! Help Shinji!"
"You got it!"
Yagi shoved Shinji aside and moved to his left. Rojuro swung wildly with his Zanpakuto. The long whip extended his reach so he didn't have to get too close. His weapon wrapped around Yagi's torso, pinning his arms at his sides. Rather than struggle, Yagi spun his body, winding the whip further around him. This caused Rojuro to be forced closer, his reach shortening by the second. Finally within striking distance, Yagi stopped spinning and slammed his head into Rojuro's. When his grip went slack, he pulled the weapon from his body and cast it aside.
"Where do you think you're going?" Veneno slashed at Yagi's back.
"Don't get in my way!"
"Screw you!"
"Such a mouth, but I should expect no less from a piece of filth like you."
Shinji stood to back up Veneno, but his legs wouldn't stop shaking. His body was reaching its limit. He should have known this would happen sooner or later. After the damage he had taken up to this point, it was amazing he lasted this long. He was worried about their bodies giving out in the middle of a fight and from the look of things, that was exactly what was happening. He wasn't sure he should take the risk to help Veneno who was injured himself.
"Raugh!" Veneno slammed his sword so hard against Yagi's weapon that the Seele Schneider snapped in half.
Yagi dropped his useless weapon and watched its pieces fall to the ground like stardust. He pulled out another one to block Veneno's second strike. Veneno hit it again and again until this weapon, too, began to crack.
"Maybe he doesn't need my help after all," Shinji whispered to himself.
Yagi backed away from him, trying to gain some distance but Veneno would not let him leave. Every step he took was followed by the Arrancar. He would not give him an inch.
"I don't understand. Why fight so hard for a natural enemy?" said Yagi. "It doesn't make any sense. You think these people are your friends? You are not alike."
"I've seen the way you treat your own kind and it makes me sick. You think you can sway me based on that? You're an idiot. No matter what you are, no matter how different, you can still find friendship in others and form a bond. Ichigo taught me that."
"But isn't he also a Hollow to some extent? Are you certain you are not friends with him simply because you have something in common?"
"Then what about the others? These Soul Reapers are also my friends."
"Do you know why people have friends?" asked Yagi. "It's because they have something to gain. Friends are meant to be used. Same as anyone else. Friend is just a word you use for people you can leech off of."
"That is not true!"
"Of course it is. These Soul Reapers are your friends because they can provide you with things you need, like food and shelter. If it weren't for that, you would never go near them. Face facts, you're using them. Even if it is only to escape your loneliness," said Yagi. "But I understand completely. I use my friends as well. Once they've done their part, I don't need them anymore and discard them. You shall do the same thing. So will these people. The only reason they care is because you're strong. The second you're of no further use, they'll discard you."
"That is not true! I used to think that way but-"
"But what? It's true and you know it. The only reason they're fighting so hard for Ichigo is because they need him. He's strong and they can use that. You need him so you can pretend you're not alone and have a connection to someone. It's pitiful, really."
Veneno grabbed Yagi by the throat and squeezed. "We're fighting for Ichigo because he's our friend. Not for any personal gain or anything. He's our friend!"
Yagi grabbed Veneno's wrist and twisted. "You're talking nonsense."
With a mighty twist, he pulled Veneno's arm around, forcing his body to spin. Veneno's back was now turned towards Yagi. In no time, Yagi had curled his body around Veneno's and held him there. Veneno gasped for air as Yagi put pressure on him from behind.
"Friends are meant to be used. Once they are of no further use, you get rid of them. You do not risk yourself for them. That's foolish. You can always make new friends. Why protect one at the cost of your own life?" asked Yagi. "And besides, what if you do end up saving one life at the cost of your own? Then what's the point? You're dead. You can no longer be with them and you can no longer use them. Don't you see the flaws in such thinking? It makes no logical sense. Why trade your life for someone else? It goes against basic instincts. The drive to live."
Veneno couldn't move his body. Yagi was pinning his arms down. He couldn't lift his sword and he couldn't get away. He was trapped, wrapped up in Yagi's embrace.
Yagi rested his chin on Veneno's shoulder as he held him tighter, pressing Veneno's back into his chest.
"I'll happily sacrifice any one of my friends if it means living. Though I may have lost a couple, I can always get more. I just have to say the right things and lure them over to my side. I tried convincing you, but you're so close-minded. Just what I'd expect from a dumb Hollow. You lack any intelligence. You're just beasts. Why Ichigo hasn't killed you yet... No. Why none of them have killed you yet is a mystery. I'm actually surprised you haven't killed Ichigo yet for food."
"I'm not... like... that..." Veneno choked out.
"You and those Soul Reapers need to know their place. A Quincy will always prevail. We are the light that takes away the darkness. Soul Reapers try to purify Hollows so they can get a second chance or whatever nonsense it is they're spinning, when they should actually be destroying you. Filth like you should not be allowed to live. You are a disgrace. An abomination. If what you say is true that they actually give a damn about you, then they should all be punished for such an atrocity. Having any connection to you or your kind is a crime. Unforgivable. And Ichigo will be the first one punished for that."
Veneno was so angry he was shaking. He was desperate to get away. Desperate to kill him. Desperate to save Ichigo.
For a brief moment, Veneno saw a glimpse of the past. He saw Ichigo's smiling face.
He would see that again.
He would save him. He was willing to do anything for him. Anything.
Veneno looked down at the sword in his hand and braced himself. He brought the sword out in front of him. His left arm was free but the way Yagi was holding him kept Veneno from raising it. In sheer desperation, Veneno raised his arms forward as far as he could and, holding his sword underhand, stabbed himself in the stomach.
Linnette shrieked as she watched from the sidelines, cupping her hands around her open mouth.
Blood gurgled out of the hole in his abdomen. He put his hand on the hilt and pushed it through his back and into Yagi.
"Ahh!" Yagi cried out in pain and quickly released Veneno. He pressed a hand to the gaping wound in his gut. He stood quickly and staggered away.
"Unh..! Gah!" Veneno pulled the sword from his abdomen. The blade slipped out, the agony causing Veneno to reel back. His short breaths gurgled with blood and he started to wheeze. He covered the wound with both hands and fell forward on to the ground.
"Veneno!" Rukia gasped and ran to his side, ignoring Yagi. "Veneno, are you alright? Are you crazy? Why did you do that?"
Veneno turned his head to the side to answer. "It was the only way I could land a critical blow. I wanted to shut him up so much."
"You could have killed yourself."
Veneno chuckled, blood dripping slowly from his lips. "As long as it meant stopping this guy, I didn't care. Don't worry, I was careful." He looked away, his eyes tearing with pain. "I want to see him again, too."
He wasn't thinking, but he knew enough not to cause too much damage to himself. He wanted to see Ichigo, so he had to live.
"Idiot!" Yagi snapped, still holding his side. "That's the kind of stupidity I'm talking about. Why are you so willing to throw your life away for someone else? It isn't logical. Even if he lives, what does it matter if you die? You won't be able to see him again, so why bother?"
"Clearly... you've never cared about anyone but yourself," said Veneno. "When you care about someone, you want them to live. Even if it means..." Veneno held his stomach tightly, a surge of pain causing him to end his sentence short.
Sharif watched quietly as Linnette and the two other Soul Reapers came running over to check on Veneno. It was an odd sight to behold, watching a bunch of Soul Reapers and a human rushing to the side of an injured Arrancar. They were showing concern. They wanted to make sure he was ok.
Then Yagi took his hand from his wound and fired an arrow at the group. Rukia grabbed Veneno and jumped away as the two Captains scooped up Linnette and retreated to a safe distance.
Even then they showed care for the Arrancar. Veneno was injured and in no condition to fight. He couldn't take further part in this battle, which made him useless to them. Instead of leaving him, they risked themselves to bring him to safety. They were protecting him. Yagi would never do such a thing for him or for any of the ones who followed him. He would have left them there. The second they were no longer able to fight, he abandoned them.
"I suppose being with people like that wouldn't be so bad," said a feminine voice.
Sharif closed his eyes. "Yeah. I guess not."
"They seem to show genuine care for one another. How strange it must be for you to witness."
"Yeah. But I'm glad I did." Sharif bit his lip. "If this is the company they keep... I wouldn't mind being a part of it."
"Fufufufu..! Certainly better than that big jerk of a Quincy Yagi, am I right? Maybe we are better off with them. Thinking of taking that Arrancar up on his offer?"
Sharif opened his eyes and looked at the cut on his hand which still hadn't healed. "Yeah," he said softly. "It might have been nice."
It was getting harder to breathe. Ichigo took long deep breaths in an attempt to fill his lungs. Laying flat on his back must have been making breathing more difficult but he didn't have the strength to turn himself.
As he lay staring at the ceiling of trees, he thought of his friends, wondering how they were doing. He wondered if they were injured. He wondered if they needed him. He wondered if they were thinking of him, too.
He wanted to get better. He wanted to will himself into health but such a thing was not possible.
"They need me... I can't let them do this alone... I have to help..."
Ichigo's fingers tightened around the handle of his sword then went slack.
He was totally helpless and that fact caused him even greater pain.
Veneno lay hunched on his side, pressing his hands to his wound. Because he was in a weakened state, it was taking him longer to heal. As long as he didn't move, the wound would close completely in the next minute or so.
Yagi looked at the Arrancar behind Rukia's back. "One down." He knew Veneno wasn't dead but he would not be able to take further part in this fight.
Rukia had to take up her sword and fight. As the only one without critical injury, she was the most suited fighter amongst the group. She had more strength than they did at the moment. She also had to be careful not to get injured otherwise the whole group would be at a disadvantage. They needed her.
"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"
Yagi moved aside. Though injured, he still possessed a lot of strength and could dodge her attacks. It was doubtful that the wound in his stomach had healed by now. He must have been ignoring the pain in order to fight.
Linnette looked at the two Captains. "You ready?"
They nodded.
"Ok. Together now." She pointed. "Rose."
"Not a problem." He lifted his Zanpakuto and used it as a whip, striking the side of Yagi's head.
"Uh!" Yagi staggered to one side and looked in Rojuro's direction. He snarled a warning, but Rojuro wasn't intimidated. He threw his Zanpakuto forward in another attack which Yagi grabbed with his bare hand. "You keep doing the same thing. Repeating an attack is not only boring but foolish. You are too easy to read."
"Sure, let's go with that." Rojuro flicked his Zanpakuto, stepping forward to allow it more reach. The long coil wrapped around Yagi's back and tightened, pressing his hand to his chest. "All I have to do is yank and you'll be strangled."
Yagi smirked. "I will never be taken down by a Soul Reaper. Least of all by an abomination like you."
Yagi slid his body down so the Zanpakuto slid to his neck, but he moved his arm at the same time so he would not be strangled as Rojuro had hoped. His arm protected his neck from being crushed. Yagi slipped his head out from the coils and freed himself, but the weapon was still wrapped around his arm. He gave it a yank, pulling Rojuro in like before.
Still holding onto his weapon, Rojuro was pulled forward. Yagi pulled out another Seele Schneider to cut him.
"Rose, release!" Linnette ordered and Rojuro let go of his weapon. Normally, he would never let go of his weapon if he could help it, but his body followed Linnette's command which may have saved his life.
"Fool," spat Yagi. "Now you have no weapon. It's mine."
Rojuro stood between Yagi and Linnette with empty hands. He was like a deer in headlights. For a moment, he was unsure of what to do.
"Second Rose!" Linnette ordered.
His eyes changed and suddenly he knew exactly what to do: Go wild.
He charged at Yagi with all his speed and threw a punch at him. The punch missed but Rojuro never meant to hit him with that swing. His intention was for Yagi to move so someone else could strike.
"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"
"Ah?" Yagi turned and saw the ice coming right for him. He grabbed Rojuro by the hair and pulled him into the line of fire. Rojuro was frozen instead.
"Rose!" Rukia cried. It all happened so fast, there was nothing she could have done to call off the attack.
"You see?" said Yagi. "You people have no idea what you're doing. You best leave it to-"
The ice shattered and Rojuro came leaping out, latching onto Yagi from behind. "Miss me? You really think a little ice is going to be enough to stop me? Well, guess again."
The two struggled, each trying to pull the other one down.
Now was his chance. Yagi's back was wide open. Shinji picked up his sword and ran forward. With this one strike, he would end it.
He was so close. Yagi had not turned around yet. He wasn't aware that he was behind him. Shinji was almost there, then suddenly, his legs gave out. "Unh!" He slammed into the ground on his chest. "Damn it, not now."
Shinji looked back at his legs. On the surface they appeared fine but he knew better. The damage was on the inside. He tried to stand but his legs shook and wouldn't support his weight. He was at his limit. Though he was still willing to fight, his legs had other plans. If they were too weak to support him, he couldn't fight.
Yelling with effort, Yagi grabbed Rojuro's head and flipped him over his back. Rojuro landed on his back but wouldn't stay down. He somersaulted, kicking Yagi in the stomach, right where his wound was. When Yagi cringed, Rojuro flipped over and stood. Without hesitation, he started punching Yagi. Over and over again, he delivered blow after blow, many of which landed.
"Letting the Hollow take control so you will be unpredictable," growled Yagi. "That may be the brightest thing you've done yet today. But it's not enough."
Yagi reached forward and slammed something into Rojuro's gut. It was his Seele Schneider. Rojuro grunted, his flurry of punches coming to a sudden stop. Yagi twisted it and Rojuro grabbed Yagi's shoulder to keep himself steady.
Linnette looked around in a panic, trying to find something that would help. Veneno was still laying on his side, his sword laying nearby.
Rojuro looked into Yagi's eyes, seething with rage.
"It's not a sword, but it can function as one, as you can see. Don't worry. I wouldn't use it to cut off your head, but I will use it to stab you until you fall. Seele Schneider is basically an arrow, just in a different form."
Rojuro snarled. "You think we're weak, don't you?"
"I've been saying it."
"Then why are we still here?" he asked. "If we're so weak, why is it that Ichigo has not yet died or become a Hollow permanently? Why is it your Quincy friend has been defeated but we remain? We are not as weak as you think."
Yagi narrowed his eyes. How dare this Vizard Captain have the gall to speak to him this way.
"Hyah!"
"Ahh!"
Rojuro looked to his right in surprise. Linnette had picked up Veneno's sword and used it to stab Yagi's hand. The very hand pressing the Seele Schneider into his gut.
She didn't have the strength to cut off Yagi's arm and she had no sword skills to use it properly, but her attack was still effective. She stabbed rather than sliced, the blade going in tip-first into Yagi's arm. The blade stopped at the bone, preventing it from passing all the way through and out the other side.
Yagi pulled his arm closer to his body, pulling it free from the sword. Fearing he would attack, Linnette raised the sword clumsily, preparing to cut him again if he tried.
Rojuro pulled the Seele Schneider from his stomach, stabbed it into Yagi's shoulder and picked up Linnette. He fled to a safe distance and set her down. "Thanks for the back-up, but don't put yourself in danger like that."
The light from the Seele Schneider faded and the weapon fell from Yagi's shoulder. It had started to lose its glow the moment Rojuro picked it up so the wound in Yagi was no deeper than a fraction of an inch. "A Vizard would have no idea how to use one of these," Yagi remarked.
Linnette looked to Veneno, hearing him moan. He took his hands away and examined the wound. It had already closed. He took a few deep breaths before moving to sit up. "Give me that back," he said, extending his hand.
"Here." Linnette returned the sword to its owner. "I had to try."
"You did good, but..." Veneno stood up shakily. "I'd like to use it now."
"If we get too close, he'll use one of us as a shield," said Rukia. "I'm worried if I use my attack again, it could end up hitting one of you. And Rose- I mean, Captain... You're in pretty rough shape. Linnette calling upon your Hollow gave you some stamina for a short period of time, but it doesn't change the fact that you're hurt."
"I know," Rojuro said, his eyes his own once more. "The other me will throw caution to the wind and attack anyway he sees fit. He can be reckless so it won't matter if I'm hurt or not. He'll push through. But that can cause even more damage. Like running on a fractured leg. Eventually, it will become a break and get worse from there if you keep running on it. But that's just how he is."
Rukia looked behind Yagi at the Soul Reaper laying on the ground. "Shinji's still out there, too. I don't think he can move anymore. He took several direct attacks so his body must be in rough shape. Just like you said, if you keep putting pressure on something sooner or later it will break. I think Shinji pushed himself too hard. Now he can't move from that spot."
"We should go get him. He can't dodge if he can't move."
"I think I have a plan," said Rukia. "Everyone needs to do their part. Are you ready?"
"May I help?" asked Sharif coming closer. "I wanted to take Yagi down myself, but I know I won't be able to do so on my own the way I wanted. But I'm willing to help you if it means taking him down."
"Alright." Rukia nodded. "Good to have you. Now, here's what I'm thinking..."
By this time, Yagi became aware of Shinji and turned his body to look at him. He wasn't going to approach, knowing the Captain still had some fight in him. He would simply attack from where he was and kill him from a distance. A single arrow should do the trick.
Yagi raised his arm. It shook slightly from the pain. The wound inflicted by Linnette wasn't enough to stop him but it did cause him pain. For a mere human, she turned out to be more trouble than he had anticipated. "And I thought those men following her around would be the real trouble."
Shinji lifted his head and saw the arrow pointed between his eyes. Knowing he couldn't run, Shinji remained still, hoping to roll to the side at the last moment.
Yagi blinked and turned to look at something on his left. The Soul Reapers were on the attack again. "This is so troublesome."
"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"
Yagi easily dodged. The attack came at him again and he retreated backwards. Something wrapped around his legs and tripped him. He fell onto his tailbone and looked up, seeing Rojuro clasping his Zanpakuto with both hands.
"Look what I found," he sang in a taunting fashion.
Yagi looked up and saw Veneno coming at him from the side. Yagi quickly freed his legs and jumped to avoid him.
Seeing his chance, Shinji attacked. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!"
Yagi couldn't easily dodge in the air, so he bent his body as far as he could to avoid being hit, but the attack scorched the hem of his coat and burned part of his leg.
"Don't give him an inch," Rukia told them. The plan was to surround him, but each person attacked at a time and each attack was meant to lure him further away from anyone he might try to use as a shield. They were also luring him into a new attack whenever he fled from one. Basically, he was in a minefield and every time he moved to avoid one explosion, he would be moving towards another.
"Hado 31, Shakkaho!"
Yagi ran from Shinji's attacks. Though Shinji could not move from that spot, he would not go down. He was still able to fight. From this spot, he would fire Kido at the enemy and keep him on the run.
"Whoops!" Rojuro's Hollow was in control again and hoisted his Zanpakuto into the air. Pulled tight, the long cord tripped Yagi for a second time. He stumbled but didn't fall.
"Hyaa!" Veneno slammed his sword against Yagi's Seele Schneider. They broke apart and Rukia took his place.
"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"
Yagi dodged but was caught by the large hand of a monster. Sharif shoved him forward towards Veneno who slashed at his front.
It should have been easy. Veneno was in a weakened state. Even if his wound had closed, he should still feel the pain. He was weak from the fight against Mordere not too long ago. The Arrancar needed time to rest and recover his strength. How could he still be this fast? How could he still fight?
"Hade 31, Shakkaho!"
The attack just grazed Yagi's head.
That Captain couldn't stand, yet he was still fighting.
"Hyah!" Rukia's sword clashed with Yagi's weapon.
Why weren't they giving up? Was Ichigo really worth that much to them?
What good would killing him do? Ichigo would be just as dead. It wasn't as if killing him would somehow spare Ichigo's life. Killing him wouldn't cure Ichigo, so why were they doing this? Was this revenge? Was that it?
"Ready, my songbird?"
"Ready!"
Linnette took one end of Rojuro's weapon while he held the other. They pulled it tight and ran forward behind Yagi. The long cord caught the back of his knees and was thrown off his feet. Yagi landed on his back and Veneno went in to decapitate him. Yagi pushed himself down and out of the way. Veneno's sword snipped off a few hairs but missed Yagi's head and neck. Veneno chased him with the sword, cutting a hole in the back of Yagi's jacket but missed his flesh.
Seething with rage, Yagi fired an arrow at Veneno then fired one at Linnette. Rojuro flicked his Zanpakuto up, blocking the arrow's path with the long cord.
Growling, Yagi fired again, this time at Rukia. She deflected it with her sword and sliced the air above Yagi's head. He had moved again. Sharif blocked Yagi's path and slammed his fist into Yagi's back. Yagi skidded across the ground, leaving large divots in the dirt where he landed. He straightened up, blocking Veneno's sword.
This group was not going to stop. No matter what, they would not pause long enough for him to breathe. At this rate, with so many of them, Yagi would be overwhelmed. Even though most of them were injured, their numbers alone combined with their unceasing attacks made Yagi worried he would not survive. If this kept up...
"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"
Yagi barely managed to get away this time. This made the group confident that they could stop him here and now. They may just win this.
"Hado 31, Shakkaho!" Shinji's attack chased Yagi closer to Rukia who was waiting for him.
She slashed at his back and Yagi moved closer to Veneno who cut off part of his sleeve. This time, there was blood. The gash wasn't deep but it was enough to raise their spirits and diminish Yagi's. They were getting closer to a fatal blow.
This made him very desperate. He tried to flash away but Veneno caught him by the back of his jacket and held him back. Held in place, Rukia slashed at Yagi's front. He jumped backwards into Veneno who used his sword to cut into Yagi's side. He just missed his gut.
"Damn you!" Yagi tried to wrestle Veneno to the ground but he could not be budged. Veneno tried to use his sword again, but Yagi kicked it out of his hand. He tried to use his Seele Schneider, but Veneno attacked before he could. He punched Yagi in the gut, his knuckles pressing into the wound from before. This caused Yagi to cry out in pain and drop his weapon. He punched Veneno in the face and fled backwards into Sharif.
"You won't leave here," he told him and smacked him to the ground. Yagi tumbled across the dirt and tried to run. Shinji blocked his path with more Kido. The slight hesitation allowed Rukia enough time to catch up to him.
Yagi turned and saw Rukia's blade heading for his chest. He aimed an arrow at Linnette, hoping this would be enough to make Rukia hesitate. Rukia kept coming, knowing Rojuro would protect her. Yagi's threats meant nothing anymore. She was going to kill him.
Yagi's eyes widened, seeing that she wasn't going to stop.
With all her strength, Rukia thrust her sword forward. Yagi scowled and held up his hand to block. Very quickly, he knocked her sword aside with his left wrist. Rukia's body was still in motion from the charge. Sword knocked aside, Rukia's front was perfectly exposed. Yagi clenched his right fist and threw it into her stomach.
"Uh!" All the air was forced out of Rukia's lungs. The force of his punch sent her airborne. She was thrown backwards and landed on the ground. She sat up, realizing her sword was missing.
It was in Yagi's possession. Gripping her sword with his left hand, he turned towards her. "I refuse to die here. No matter what you throw at me, I will always be better. I wanted Ichigo to be the one to kill you, but if I have to dirty my hands to stay alive, I will. It is you who will not leave here."
Yagi raised her sword and threw it. It flew in a straight line towards her chest. Rukia couldn't get away in time.
Veneno rushed forward. He grabbed her shoulders and turned his body, blocking her sword with his back. Veneno yelped, feeling the pain. The tip of Rukia's sword exited just under Veneno's ribcage. He fell to his knees, panting heavily.
Rukia couldn't believe it. The Arrancar who hated Soul Reapers so much had willingly protected her at the risk of himself. He truly had come a long way.
"Please take this thing out of my back," he groaned. "It hurts."
Yagi wasn't upset at all by Veneno's sacrifice. He looked pleased. "Do you see?" he said. "How can you not see it? The sheer stupidity of it? By choosing to risk yourself, you may have saved an ally, but now you're down another fighter. It is foolish!"
"If I hadn't... then we would be down another fighter anyway," said Veneno. "I'm done talking to you. There's nothing I can say that will convince you and you're too dumb to waste my time on."
"I'm the dumb one? I'm not the one throwing himself in front of an attack to get injured. You're too dumb to realize that you are the true idiot. I am the only one with any intelligence around here."
"If you're so smart..." said Veneno. "... then why are you running your mouth when you should be paying attention to the guy behind you?"
Yagi gasped and spun around, but there was no one behind him.
"I can't believe you were dumb enough to fall for that."
He was tricked.
Yagi turned back and saw Rojuro getting ready to punch him. He took the hit on the chin and was sent backwards into Sharif who held him in place. Rojuro rushed in and delivered a folly of punches, his Hollow unleashing all his fury. Yagi had become his punching bag.
Rukia grabbed her sword with both hands and pulled. Veneno dug his nails into his legs to keep from screaming. She was careful not to cut any of his organs as she removed her weapon but the action still caused him pain.
Between the wound in his gut and now his back, Rukia was wondering how long Veneno could keep doing this before he couldn't anymore. Eventually, even an Arrancar would lose its ability to heal if their body took too much damage.
"Ah!" Rojuro was forced backwards by Yagi's kick.
"Enough!" Yagi snapped. "Enough! Enough!"
Yagi threw Sharif off with the strength of his arms. He was angry. Furious. Even Sharif was afraid of what would happen next.
"This fight is pointless. Your efforts are pointless. There is no reason to go after me. Killing me won't save Ichigo. There is no point. Don't bother. All you're doing is weakening yourselves and getting on my last nerve. I've had enough!"
Yagi opened his jacket, revealing his hidden weapons. He had a whole arsenal at his disposal. He took something from an inside pocket and threw it at Shinji. Five Seele Schneider appeared around him in an instant.
"How the hell did he..?" Without being able to run, Shinji was a sitting duck.
Yagi threw another at Veneno and another at Linnette. The same thing occurred.
"At least one of you will die," said Yagi. "Those who can still move won't be able to save those who cannot. Not if you want me dead."
Shinji tried to crawl away, thinking he could make it out of the trap before Yagi ignited it. Then a thought occurred to him.
"It's a bluff!" he yelled to the others. "He wants you to rescue us so he can get away! Don't fall for it!"
Yagi grit his teeth in irritation.
"Kill that bastard, Rukia," said Veneno. "Don't let him get away."
She agreed and moved in for the attack.
Linnette stepped out of the trap just to be safe and ordered Rojuro to attack. He obeyed and charged in.
Yagi looked at the people coming at him from different sides. He was frightened.
"I knew it," Shinji said to himself. "This explains why he would attack and then run, despite having great power. He's a coward. Just as I assumed. He doesn't want to risk his own life so he'll run away as soon as he's either outnumbered or thinks he'll be in possible danger. He's calmer when he has people to hide behind."
It was true. Yagi was a coward. If he couldn't use anyone as a shield, he fled. He cared only for himself and his well-being. He would never put himself at risk. He wanted to live too much to take chances. He wasn't arrogant enough to think he could not be killed. He knew there was always the possibility, which was why he was quick to run as soon as things started to look bad. Even if he was sure he would win, he didn't want to risk his life.
Rojuro went high, fists clenched. As Yagi turned to block, Linnette gave an order. "Go low!" Rojuro's arm slammed into Yagi's gut, nailing him right in the open wound. The pain caused Yagi to hunch forward and Rojuro gave an upper-cut to his jaw. Yagi's head snapped back and he saw the glint of a sword at his side.
"Hyaa!" Rukia's blade found its mark, sliding under his left shoulder-blade and into his chest. Yagi's weight forced the sword in deeper as he fell backwards.
He could feel the blade pressing against his lung as it expanded with each breath he took. It wasn't punctured but it was a sensation he had never felt before.
"Go to hell, jerk!" Rojuro jumped up to land on Yagi's chest which would only force the sword in deeper.
He was scared. He feared for his life.
These Soul Reapers would not get the best of him. He would win. He had to.
Yagi brought his legs up and kicked Rojuro as he descended and forced him back into the air. He turned his body and pulled the sword from his back with his movement. He spun around and grabbed Rukia by the throat. He hoisted her up and threw her as far from him as he could.
Yagi examined his wound with his hand. It stung but he should be able to walk away from this.
Then something else appeared. Yagi turned and saw Sharif rushing towards him with his monstrous arm extended. Yagi tried to take a step back but his legs couldn't move. The ground under him had been frozen solid. His feet were frozen to the earth. He could not dodge.
The group watched, hopeful, as Sharif moved in to deliver the final blow. With this, their battle would be won. With this final attack, Yagi would at last be defeated.
Screaming, Sharif lunged forward, his arm outstretched.
This was the end.
Yagi's wide eyes reflected Sharif's grotesque arm as it closed in on him.
Inches from its target, Sharif's arm broke off at the elbow and fell.
"What?" Rukia gasped.
Sharif looked down at his severed arm. This was not the result of an attack. This was something else.
Then, small cracks began to appear on Sharif's body, growing in size. The marks grew longer and wider, a crystalline web spreading across his body. Without mercy the strange transformation continued. A fragment of Sharif's knee fell. It was as if his body were made of glass.
"What's happening?" Linnette whispered in confusion.
Sharif looked at his missing arm with a frightened look on his face. Not fear of the unknowing, but fear of understanding. He knew what this was.
Yagi started to smile. He chuckled cruelly at his former ally. "I was wondering how long you had left."
Veneno's eyes widened.
"Guh..!" Sharif's leg started to crack. His left leg shattered under him and he fell to one knee. He looked at his shattering body in frusteration.
"I told you," said Yagi, "that even I was not certain it would work. That everything about this experiment was a mystery. I didn't know if it would kill you on the table or kill you slowly. Now we know."
Sharif was never meant to live.
Yagi broke free of the ice and stood above the severed arm slowly turning to goop. It was like watching clay melt. He turned back to Sharif with a smile. "Farewell, Sharif." Their eyes met. "Good-bye."
With that, Yagi flashed away and disappeared.
"Where'd he go now?"
"He escaped again, that rotten son of a..."
Veneno stood up and ran to Sharif's side. "Sharif!"
Sharif's other arm started to crack and split from his body.
Veneno was the first one to reach him. "What did he do to you? What's happening?"
Sharif shook his head. "My body... is rejecting itself."
"What?"
He chuckled miserably. "Even Yagi didn't know if it would work. Even if it did, how long would I last? A body built with Hollow parts. Really... Such a thing really possible without complication?"
Sharif's body was falling apart and there was nothing they could do.
Veneno tried to keep Sharif's arm from falling by pressing it together with his hands. When Sharif's fingers started to chip and break off, he tried to reattach them, failing miserably.
"Don't bother," said Sharif. "I knew this would happen. It was only a matter of time." He looked down at his severed arm and saw the unhealed cut. "I knew I didn't have long. My body wasn't healing as it was before."
That was when he knew he was reaching his end. All his other wounds had healed except for one. When he blocked the attack from reaching Yagi, his wound never healed. That was the moment he knew his body wouldn't last much longer.
SNAP!
Sharif's body was split in half. His legs crumbled and fell apart. His upper body fell forward. Veneno and Rukia both softened the fall with their hands. They lowered him to the ground on his back and watched his deterioration. There was nothing anyone could do.
It came in stages. Being unable to heal was the first warning sign. Then his body would become brittle and start to break. Sharif wasn't sure what would happen between now and his death, but he knew it was coming quickly. He didn't have long.
Sharif looked at Veneno's worried face and then at Rukia's. They were both showing concern for him. They were at his side at his death. He saw Linnette and Shinji and Rojuro, too. They were all here to see him off.
They all looked sad. Until recently, they were enemies and now they were showing concern for him. This was a bizarre thing indeed.
"I knew I was going to die," Shairf said. "I guess I came to terms with that. I don't know. Maybe I'm just numb to the whole thing. Maybe it's happening faster than I can cope." He turned his head towards Veneno. "You offering to let me live with you was kind, but..."
His shoulder started to split.
"In truth, I wasn't sure I could trust you, or be friends with you. You're an Arrancar. But I was actually starting to like the idea. Guess I'll never know what it would have been like. See, I've never had friends who weren't Quincies before. You would have been the first. But I can see now that a friendship with you guys would have been nice. I would have enjoyed it."
He thought back to the group looking out for one another and smiled. He remembered the Soul Reapers coming to the aid of the Arrancar and the the Arrancar risking his life to protect them. How the Arrancar- How Veneno, had tried to protect him. How they worked together and looked after one another.
"I would have liked to have been a part of that. It seemed nice."
Sharif's eyes started to fill with tears. Only now did he finally realize what he had missed out on. He thought he was happy with his life the way he had chosen to live it. Now he could see that he wasn't as happy as he thought. As good as it was, it could have been better.
He made many choices too late.
"And I'd like to confirm something," he said to the group. "There is no cure. So there is no reason to keep Yagi alive, even on the off chance of him handing it over, because there is none. He never made one and never would. That's the thing about Yagi. The thing I had always refused to see. He would never make a cure because he wanted Ichigo to suffer and die. He would never make one, even on the off chance that one of us ended up getting it. He doesn't give a damn about any of us so why would he even bother? And he would never put himself at risk, so there's not even the possibility of him getting it. He's always careful to keep out of danger."
This answered the one question that was bothering everyone. Even those who didn't believe Yagi had a cure would still wonder if it was possible that he did. Now their uncertainly could be put to rest. There was no cure.
However, this also meant that it was up to them to cure Ichigo themselves. If Yagi didn't have a cure, they would have to make one.
Parts of Sharif's body were melting and other parts were cracking and chipping away. As he tried to move his remaining arm, it chipped and fell away from the rest of his body.
Sharif turned his head slowly to look at them. "He left me behind. He used me. He did this to me." A crack started to form on his cheek and spread as he spoke. "He doesn't even have the guts to..." He sniffled. "At least... At least... I have someone with me at the end."
Veneno touched Sharif's chest, silently letting him know he was there.
"I have to confess something. Veneno, I was actually planning on killing you when you found me. I'm sorry for that. I don't have any desire to do that now. And I want to share my final thoughts with you and this group."
"Yeah..?"
Blood started to ooze from Sharif's ears, mouth and nose. He had mere seconds left.
"I'm happy for you," he said softly. "These people you call your friends. I'm glad you have them. I'm glad you have people who care about you and who you care for in turn. And Ichigo... He's lucky you all are willing to go through so much for him. He must be really important to you. How devoted you all are to each other... I'm glad I got to see it before the end."
He was a little jealous. Mostly he was sad he never got to experience that for himself. He never had someone care so much for him before.
"Though I never really had that myself... I'm glad I have people around me now. Maybe if I was given a little more time, I could have experienced it more fully. But this is enough for me. At least I know what it's like to..."
Sharif's jaw snapped off and fell, pulverizing into dust and goop. Sharif took his final breath and his neck snapped in two. His head fell back and shattered. His flesh melted away revealing his bones. What remained of Sharif was a pile of Quincy and Hollow.
He was afraid to die. He thought he had come to terms with it but he was having doubts as everything faded to black. "I'm scared."
"It's ok," said a feminine voice. "You won't be alone. I shall accompany you."
"You will?"
"Yes. We will go together."
Sharif felt a warmth touch his hand and it put him at ease.
"We're always together."
For once, Sharif was glad he wasn't alone.
T^T
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