They couldn't hear or see the truth.
A single Zanpakuto plunged them all into the wrong fight when the enemy switched places with someone.
The Soul Reaper who swapped places with Aizen was barely conscious and even she couldn't understand what was happening.
Katsuko gritted her teeth when she hurried with a flash step. The girl could barely stand on her own two feet! She was stuck in place with her arm caught in Hitsugaya's ice. She was trying to defend herself with her own Zanpakuto. But now she couldn't move, she couldn't dodge, she couldn't do anything at all.
All that was left was to be skewered by the Captains she trusted.
With her Zanpakuto ready, Katsuko summoned wind around the blade when she accelerated her speed. The other Captains saw her closing in on 'Aizen' and thought she was trying to land a blow on him until she connected her blade with the ice. Upon impact, an explosion of wind shattered the ice, freeing Hinamori from its clutches. Without wasting another second, Katsuko pulled on her arm and moved further back away from the Captains.
She looked at everyone with her two blades in hand with a look of defiance. None of them looked pleased with what she did.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Soi Fon demanded, livid.
"I should be asking you that!" Katsuko snapped back, shielding the girl protectively behind her.
"Did Aizen brainwash you, Katsuko?!" Shinji yelled at her. "Get away from him!"
"No, I—!"
"If you choose to get in our way, then we'll have to strike you down, Katsuko-chan." Kyoraku sighed, adjusting his grip.
"Listen to me!" Katsuko shouted as loud as she could, her voice would probably be sore tomorrow if she kept shouting like this. "You're not fighting Aizen! You're attacking a Lieutenant, one of your own!"
"Don't get in our way," Hitsugaya growled. He was this close to ending that man once and for all.
Are you deaf?!
"Captain… Aizen?" Katsuko looked at Hinamori who was looking at her. No, she was seeing something else. She thought Aizen was the one who rescued her. Oh god. "You saved me…?" Her tone revealed her disbelief.
Hinamori Momo finally accepted that Aizen became an enemy of the Soul Society. And yet, here he was, protecting her from harm. No, it couldn't be. But her eyes were telling her so…!
Damn it! Complete and utter hypnosis! They can't hear me, and she doesn't see me! Aizen is choosing what they can see and hear!
Where the hell did he go?!
Katsuko whipped her head around to try and find the enemy until she noticed Soi Fon approaching her with her Shikai. In response, she coated her left blade in the wind and readied it to defend herself. Gyakufuu was the only semi-defensive move she had right now, and fleeing from her was futile. Sensing the attack from her blade, Soi Fon dodged and backed away as Katsuko tried making her steel collide with her gauntlet. Meanwhile, Hitsugaya unleashed a giant wave of ice in her direction. Responding, Katsuko changed her attack to Bakuhou and pointed directly at the ice.
It blasted a hole through it but the ice still kept coming!
My Shikai against Captain class Shikai and Bankai is not going to cut it!
And she didn't have enough of a time frame to release her Bankai with that ice moving so fast!
Just then, Ichigo flash stepped in between the attack and used Getsuga Tenshou to cut through the ice, creating a safe opening that left him, Katsuko and Hinamori unscathed. It forced Hitsugaya to stop when the attack flew at him. "Enough already!" He screamed at everyone. But they couldn't hear him. They couldn't even hear that Lieutenant as she tried speaking to them earlier, asking fearfully why they were attacking her.
"Ichigo!" Katsuko breathed in relief. She almost forgot about him for a second there with these strong Captains in front of her. "Thanks."
Ichigo glared at the Soul Reapers who were currently their opponents. To them, it looked like Gin was the one who defended Aizen just now. He took a glance at her to make a quick assessment of her condition to make sure she didn't get hit by stray ice just now. When he made sure she was okay, he focused his gaze back on the people who were his allies.
"We need to figure out how to stop this. If this keeps up, it'll just get worse over time!" Ichigo didn't know what to do. He and Katsuko were only told to avoid Kyouka Suigetsu's Shikai. They weren't told anything else nor were they given any plans in case something like this happened.
A giant wrench was thrown into their plan.
"But how are we even supposed to stop them?!" Katsuko stressed as she imagined a future where more of the Captains and Lieutenants became hypnotized by Aizen who wanted them to believe she and Ichigo were the enemy. There were too many. That was a scenario that couldn't happen at all no matter what. "Where the hell did he go?!"
If they could try and find Aizen right now, they might be able to find a way to stop him from using his Kyouka Suigetsu on everyone to set them straight. Maybe. But how were they supposed to fight Aizen when the Captains thought she and Ichigo were the enemy?! Their allies were to be hot on their tails!
Ichigo kept his eyes on everyone to make sure he didn't miss any signs of incoming attacks. There was only one way he saw out of this mess. "Since we're the only ones who can see him, one of us is going to have to find him. I think you'll have to go find him and I'll stay here and keep everyone busy."
Her eyes widened at that crazy proposal. Ichigo against everyone else? She knew he was strong but the idea of him being left behind while people were under an illusion was too dangerous. Of course, she trusted Ichigo to keep her back safe… but to leave him with the burden of stopping everyone? No way. That's too much!
"Are you nuts?! By yourself? Forget it!"
"What other choice do we have?!" Ichigo shot back. He was better suited at protecting people like this. And if she managed to spot Aizen, he wouldn't waste another second and rush to her so that they could attack him together and possibly stop his hypnosis. "They think she's Aizen! They're going to keep coming after her! I know you can keep her away from here!"
But you think I can find Aizen and fucking survive?! Every choice here is bad!
"I—!"
With a cry of pain from a blast that created smoke, Katsuko stumbled into Ichigo's back unintentionally, shock flashing across her face. Alarmed, he looked behind him and saw Hinamori holding up her Zanpakuto which was producing smoke from it. She was narrowing her eyes at them with the intent to do harm despite her current condition.
"You two are enemies of the Soul Society." She spoke as if to remind herself of this fact, and her hands gripped her sword tightly. She was never going to make the mistake of pointing her blade at her true allies again. Never again. "You are the enemy!" She screamed.
I forgot about what she was seeing!
Katsuko groaned as she straightened up with a wince. Her back was burned and she was bleeding visibly since Hinamori blew a hole into her Shihakusho. That attack was a full-on fire blast to her back!
Ichigo supported her when she hissed and hunched over. He could see the damage caused by that point-blank-range attack. Seeing Hinamori get ready to attack again, Ichigo made a move to push Katsuko behind him so he could defend her. But just as she stumbled behind him, her eyes noticed Captains moving forward behind Ichigo.
They were aiming for Hinamori again!
With nimble steps after spinning on her heel, Katsuko dashed past Ichigo and rammed her body into Hinamori to force them into a free fall. "They're coming again! Ichigo!" With a growl, she used her hand to shove Hinamori's hand off her face.
Ichigo whirled around and looked at the four Soul Reapers coming towards them. He needed to protect them!
"LET GO!" Hinamori screamed hysterically, readying her Zanpakuto once more. It was glowing a bright red colour which set off Katsuko's warning bells. Katsuko maneuvered around in mid-air to use her right blade to counter Hinamori's attack so that her fireball would fly off in another direction. However, the attack burned the left side of her cheek from the proximity, causing her to hiss.
"Come on… I'm trying to help you here!" Katsuko pointed her left blade behind her and used Bakuhou to accelerate their fall. At this point, she was wrestling the girl in the air to keep her still since she needed to make sure she didn't escape her grasp.
Meanwhile, Ichigo made a move to stop Kyoraku from going after them.
He aimed his blade at him to make him back off…
… only to end up slashing at nothing.
Ichigo's eyes widened when he realized his aim was completely off. He was facing in the opposite direction. Soi Fon, Shinji, Kyoraku, and Hitsugaya were supposed to all be in his sights in front of him. Instead, they were all behind him while he pointed his sword at nothing.
The bright haired teen clenched his teeth and quickly turned around only to witness Kyoraku slash at Katsuko's side, stopping her movements completely, followed by a ruthless kick from Soi Fon to knock her away from Hinamori.
The black haired teen was so confused. Just a second ago, she aimed to grab Hinamori's Shihakusho so that she could flash step away but somehow ended up reaching her hand out towards Kyoraku who was supposed to be behind her. Time felt like it slowed down in that moment when she uttered a simple huh?
She didn't have time to comprehend this confusion when a merciless slash and a ruthless kick sent her flying away.
Then she suddenly ended up pinned down on a building with a weight on her back, aggravating the already burnt and bleeding wound. With a sharp cry of pain, her fingers dug into the concrete of the roof as if to endure it while trying to push off whoever was on top of her.
"Stay put."
That was Shinji's voice.
He was looking down at her with a face that showcased disappointment in her. He was disappointed in how she ended up being one of Aizen's sacrificial pawns, which served to add fuel to the already burning fire that was his hatred for Aizen. He almost took it personally when he remembered just how Aizen played him for a fool all those years ago.
So, he decided to use his Shikai on both Katsuko and 'Gin' to stop them from getting in their way.
"Shinji…!" Katsuko gasped, turning her head to glare at him. She could see him holding his oddly shaped Shikai. "Let… go of me…!"
"Be quiet." Shinji cut her off. "You'll only be makin' things worse for you."
"You're attacking the wrong person!" Katsuko screamed at him.
She felt Shinji still.
Perhaps Aizen had a sense of humor, or maybe he wanted to add a dramatic effect? There was no telling why he decided to allow Shinji to hear her words that were unfiltered by Kyouka Suigetsu.
"What?"
It was too late to stop it now. Shinji's Sakanade already ruined their chance to save Hinamori from getting hurt by putting Ichigo and Katsuko under its influence. When he looked up, Gin's image fizzled, blurred, and instantly revealed Ichigo who couldn't make sense of his sense of direction. The same was true for Aizen's image that turned into a Soul Reaper who could barely stand. Shinji was shocked when the Captains attacked her with the intent to kill. It looked like they weren't seeing what he could see just yet.
"What?!" Shinji's voice erupted. "Wait!"
It didn't take long for her to become a victim of Aizen's desired outcome. With a slash from Kyoraku's Zanpakuto, she stumbled forward but never fell when Hitsugaya's sword ran through her without mercy. Hitsugaya was looking her dead in the eyes while ruthlessly pushing the sword further into her body.
Katsuko's mouth fell open when the horrific scene played in front of her. She couldn't believe she was seeing such ruthless violence. Holy shit!
With a loud curse, Shinji hurried to get off Katsuko and stopped his Shikai because it was his sword that prevented the only ones who were not caught in the illusion from stopping this outcome.
Ichigo stood in shock when he watched Hitsugaya drive the sword deeper into the girl. With flash step, he grabbed the small Captain's hands and screamed at him to stop. "The hell are you doing?!"
As if on cue, everyone snapped out of it and saw the truth in front of them and the mistake they made.
Wincing, Katsuko pushed herself up and looked towards where she felt Aizen's spiritual pressure appear. Now that the illusion was over, he was revealing his location as if to mock them all. He way nearby on the street below where there was a healing cube set in place for the injured, watching it all unfold in front of him. Hesitantly, she looked back to find the others processing the scene before them. But her eyes went back to Aizen when her mind was screaming at her to never take her eyes off that man.
Hisagi had skidded to stop when he saw Aizen standing with his sword out with Iba and Kira collapsed on the ground with fresh wounds at his feet. He didn't make it in time. With a grit of his teeth, he used flash step to back the hell away from the man who could finish him off without having time to blink. He needed some distance right now, choosing instead to be where Katsuko and Shinij were since it was better to be near some allies.
"Since when?!" Shinji demanded, voice filled with fury. How long have they been caught in his accursed illusion? When did he do it? Was it before or after Ichigo and Katsuko arrived?
"Since when?" Aizen echoed his question. "An interesting question. You should know the answer. Kyouka Suigetsu's power is total hypnosis. It can create an illusion by controlling all five senses at all times."
With an aggravated click of his tongue, Shinji's foot moved as he made a move to pounce recklessly at the traitor, seeking to demand that Aizen reveal when he began using his Shikai. All discipline and calmness were forgotten. Katsuko, who watching him closely was quick to pull him back before he could get himself hurt in a reckless charge. Her arm wrapped around his non-dominant arm to keep him still.
"Shinji!" Katsuko shouted, holding him back. It was too risky to act based on one's emotions. Her face winced when pain flared from Kyoraku's slash. She needed to stop the bleeding somehow for now.
"Wait!" Hisagi spoke. He also kept a firm grip on the man's shirt from behind.
The full weight of what had happened struck them now that Aizen broke the illusion, and suddenly the two were so hyperaware of everything.
"How long do you think I wasn't using my Kyouka Suigetsu?"
A sudden scream of rage suddenly erupted behind them. Shinji, Hisagi, and Katsuko looked back and found the small Captain immediately zooming through the air with his sword ready, eyes craving blood and teeth bared with a primal desire for killing.
Oh no.
"Wait, Captain Hitsugaya!"
Katsuko let go of Shinji and tried to stop the small Captain from getting closer to either her Zanpakuto or her Kido. However, her body was suddenly wrapped in chains, or at least that's what it felt like. Her body was restrained and incapable of making any moves to stop Hitsugaya.
"Don't even try to stop him. It's too late now."
It was Shisugu.
You don't even know that! You didn't even try! You didn't let me try!
"He lost the moment he got caught up in his emotions. Anything you did would still have led to the same outcome."
Hitsugaya zoomed past them.
He would get struck down by Aizen. There was no stopping it now. Next, she knew he'd aim for the others who were assisting Hitsugaya. Everything would fall apart in an instant.
The chains rattled when Katsuko struggled to break free from Shisugu's hold. Like a beast desperate to be free, she trashed around wildly. It didn't feel like he had absolute control over her body's movements, so she did the best she could to rapidly break free from him and do something to better their odds.
STOP IT!
Shisugu's grip easily slipped with a click of his tongue.
Toshiro's left arm and leg were severed off with one clean stroke.
Katsuko stepped forward when her body was triggered by some type of instinct.
Before anyone else could move an inch closer to the opposing side, Katsuko used two of her fingers to slice the air to create a borderline into the ground, and suddenly a giant transparent wall rose and severed the space between them all, serving as a warning and a sign to calm down to those on her side. It successfully stopped Soi Fon, Kyoraku, and Ichigo who were following after Hitsugaya when they realized how dire the situation was becoming now that he lost control.
It was a type of Danku without any incantation, resulting in Katsuko's slight fatigue that made her grit her teeth and wobble a little. The spell had used a piece of her spiritual power all of a sudden so it made sense for her to be like this. Right?
Throughout her entire time with the Vizards, Katsuko never showed any signs of knowing Kido the way Hachigen did. She simply knew how to do her little parlor trick that was handy in a fight. This was completely different from her usual Kido.
Naturally, it caught Shinji off guard since it was obviously similar to Danku, a level eighty Bakudo.
"When did you learn to do this?" Shinji asked. His surprise went further when he observed closely once she placed a hand near the place where Kyoraku got her to begin closing the wound. She just wanted to do enough to allow her platelets to do the rest.
"Don't ask right now. Just… everyone… take a breath." Katsuko wheezed and straightened up enough to get into position to defend herself if she needed to. Her words were a clear sign that they were making themselves wide open to attack. Aizen was simply waiting for them to allow him to exploit it all.
Just then, the barrier shattered as Aizen moved closer with a little smirk. The others readied their blades just in case. They didn't want to be caught off guard by this man. One misstep and it was over for them.
"That's one down." He flicked Hitsugaya's blood off his blade. His eyes landed on Katsuko who was finally catching her breath. His gaze made her tense up. "You are only delaying the inevitable." He turned to look at everyone else. "Sooner or later, every single one of you will fall and understand that you never had a chance to defeat me. Your hopes are only wishful thinking."
Kyoraku suddenly appeared behind Aizen and aimed to cut him from behind. However, Aizen flash stepped away and reappeared on the side.
"Once again, you interrupt me from talking, Kyoraku."
"Sorry." The lazy Captain droned. "I thought I'd remind you that I wasn't interested in hearing men talk."
This time, Ichigo moved in and tried catching him from behind only for his steel to clash against his. Aizen gave him a calm stare unfazed which only made the bright haired teen scowl.
Ichigo trusted his allies to help him… But to wait for the opening to present itself by leaving it to them was never going to work. They tried that earlier and ended up attacking that poor Lieutenant instead. If that was the case, then Ichigo had to attack now and make sure to never look at Aizen's Shikai no matter what.
Katsuko was already aware of what he was thinking. The Captains were fighting to protect Ichigo and Katsuko's eyes from Aizen's Shikai… Unfortunately, it didn't seem possible after what just happened. It wasn't going to be easy if Aizen was messing with them from the get-go. She was sure that everyone was aware of this now. Those who could see the truth shouldn't be staying in the back. They should also attack at the same time to optimize their chances.
"Who shall I use this time?
The only chance they had now was to defeat him before he could trick them again!
"Bankai."
With the decision to stop healing herself, Katsuko slammed the hilts of her swords to together to let it form into her scythe. The effects of her summoning caused a dispersion of wind to fly past those in proximity to her. How could she help carve a path to victory against someone like him? What could she do now?
"Don't be reckless," Shinij warned her when he sensed how eager she was to help. "If you approach him carelessly, then it'll be the end of you."
"I know that." She gripped her handle. She wanted all of this to end so that mundane days could come back. She needed to work for it. "But if one of you starts fighting an enemy that's not fighting back or is running away… then you might be under the illusion of Kyouka Suigetsu."
"Would that work? Hisagi wondered. The idea seemed plausible…
"But how do we know what you're saying now is actually your words and not Kyouka Suigetsu filtering it?" Shinji asked. He was annoyed as he thought of this possibility after what just happened. Earlier, they couldn't even hear Ichigo and Katsuko telling them to snap out of it. Would this be any different if Aizen wished it?
Katsuko frowned deeply. He was right. There were too many what-ifs to consider.
"Always so cautious, Captain Hirako." Aizen praised mockingly while Ichigo was pushed back, making the said person's eyebrow twitch. "But whatever plans or precautions you take, it still won't be enough. Like I said, you are only delaying the inevitable."
Katsuko flash stepped behind and swung down her weapon from above while Aizen guarded against Ichigo once more. The man didn't even look back and just raised his hand to create a red shield to stop her attack. With a swift step, Aizen rotated a bit and tossed them both back when Hisagi and Soi Fon came from behind Katsuko and Ichigo.
Katsuko grunted when collided against Hisagi just as he was about to wrap his chains around Aizen's arm that was blocking her scythe.
"Damn it." Hisagi cursed and reeled back his chains before Aizen could grab hold of them. The two recovered from their collision as Shinji and Kyoraku aimed to strike Aizen from different angles when it looked like he was repositioning himself after throwing Katsuko and Ichigo. Shinji's blade aimed for the back of his neck but was stopped by a green light, Kido, that repulsed him back while Kyoraku's strokes sliced the air when Aizen simply back stepped away.
Soi Fon came swooping in from below with her Shikai but Aizen simply grabbed her arm, and pulled her upwards to cleanly slice into her body. Katsuko grimaced when her blood chased her body as she fell just as fast as she was defeated.
Even if they used the ones who couldn't be caught in Kyouka Suigetsu… how could they prevent being defeated by Aizen who barely had to spare any effort?
One strike from him and he made sure to make it a finishing one.
Katsuko stayed on the side, watching as everyone cautiously tried making their moves with the utmost caution. She and Ichigo were doing the same: alternating between head on attacks and waiting for openings for attack.
Well… openings for what they thought were attacks. Aizen was always able to stop their blades and push them back.
How can we keep fighting without falling first?
How can we still fight without Aizen defeating us first?
How will we last long enough to find this rare opening?
How could we defeat Aizen?
Shinji got slashed on his side, making him falter, and Katsuko tensed when she witnessed it play out. Quickly, she appeared between Shinji and Aizen when the enemy's his blade rose to land another strike. The end of her handle countered Aizen's blade. Her grip adjusted and she aimed to slash at him from below since her scythe was upside down. However, her weapon was knocked away and it rose past her head, shocking her when she lost her balance.
He met her eyes.
His sword glinted when he positioned it to land a decisive blow.
Something spiked inside of her.
However, Hisagi's Shikai wrapped around Aizen's blade to catch it and restrain it. With a growl, he tugged it back to give Katsuko time to reposition herself. It allowed Shinji to swing his sword but it only got blocked by a shield of Kido that repulsed him and Katsuko.
After they slid back, Shinji clicked his tongue when he regained his balance. "How many shields does he have?!" He didn't even aim for the same place!
"I ain't stopping to count." Katsuko adjusted her grip on her weapon.
This feeling…
The Lieutenant of Squad 9 glared at the man, his hands gripping the chains so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. "What you did to Captain Tousen…" he gritted his teeth. Revenge. The word was bright red, and with it came the flashing of a horrific scene that took place moments ago, still very fresh.
"Amusing, Hisagi Shuuhei." Aizen grabbed the chains and glanced over to him. "Are saying you're going to try to avenge him?"
He started pulling the chains towards him.
"Guh…!" Hisagi tugged on the chains to bring back control over to him. But his body flew towards Aizen with one more powerful pull.
In an instant, he was defeated with a large cut in his back, enough to render him unable to fight any longer. His blood splashed out of him while he was in disbelief, and it continued flowing out of him as he started crashing down after a blast of Kido struck him.
Katsuko's brain was replaying all the blood she had seen. Captain Hitsugata, Captain Soi Fon, and Lieutenant Hisagi were all taken down by Aizen's overwhelming presence. And so far, none of them landed a single hit on Aizen. They were all suffering cuts from his blade from failed dodges or quick attacks that none of them could comprehend. It was too true… He was someone who traversed far past the line of simple brilliance. As her eyes watched Hisagi continue to fall, her grip on her Zanpakuto tightened even more. Even if allies were falling, she couldn't stop now. She needed to help defeat Aizen.
Defeat Aizen? Can we even do that with the way he is? Can we do it with our numbers that keep dwindling?
Shinji aimed several swings at him after Kyoraku tried his chance. When all missed as Aizen weaved past it, Getsuga Tenshou and Gengetsu Reppu flew towards him from opposite sides. The two attacks exploded in smoke together when they met their target. Refusing to let this chance waste, Ichigo and Katsuko zoomed from their respective sides and pointed their blades at him by relying on their senses to guide them. They would move directly to where Aizen was while he couldn't see them.
Katsuko's teeth gritted as she swung with all her might for his knees while Ichigo aimed for his back with a roar.
A hand grabbed the opposite end of her weapon and pulled it so fast to force it to clash against Ichigo's blade, confusing them, and destroying her balance.
When the smoke cleared, Aizen was standing in the same place, and he was just holding Katsuko's weapon to guard against Ichigo's sword.
"You thought a smokescreen would work?"
A feeling labeled as panic started manifesting in the pit of her stomach when she saw him move his sword. Her gaze saw his calm stare as he moved to deal the blow that would most likely throw her out of the fight and maybe end her life.
It was like time slowed down.
He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me. He'll cut me.
He's going to cut me!
Her limbs felt frozen even when her mind was screaming at her to move. The uneasy feeling that seemed to crawl all over her skin like roaches invading her personal space and climbing on her immediately amplified. And then, everything stopped when Aizen disappeared just when two swords pierced the air between her and Ichigo, one piercing the air horizontally and one swinging down from above.
Life flowed back into her body. Ichigo was the first to back away to avoid being too crowded. Katsuko slid back and tried to get a better view of her surroundings; she needed space.
The remaining two at the center were also moving away to get into a better position to attack once more. Kyoraku was going to stick with Ichigo while Shinji was going to stick with Katsuko. It was better to be near the ones with the good eyes.
Katsuko saw Shinji approaching her position before he suddenly stiffened and faltered in his movements. Ichigo noticed the same for the Captain who was moving towards the left side. And then, Aizen was in the middle where they were all previously gathered.
Blood spilled out of Shinji's body, the flow of crimson descending upon the fake street. Aizen's sword had sliced into the spot where his shoulder and neck met. The same was for Kyoraku who was already crashing to the ground. Katsuko's mouth fell open as a panicked version of Shinji's name escaped her. Her body dashed forward and she wrapped an arm around his midsection as he fell before flash stepping away to put more distance between them and Aizen.
Meanwhile, Ichigo was still in shock. They didn't even see the attack coming and he instantly finished two Captain class combatants… He reduced their numbers again with little effort.
Shinji's eyes flickered to him. Manipulated by his reflexes, Shinji forced his body to shove her back behind him and block Aizen's blade. However, his grip on his blade was weak since he couldn't recover from the previous attack and Aizen easily added another slice to his body when his sword made way for him.
Katsuko inhaled sharply when she saw the blade coming for her next. She pulled her weapon close to her to guard against the steel that nearly shattered all of her balance. Without faltering, she managed to meet the next swing at the last second but it left her in an awkward balance. She felt her heart rate pick up when she noticed how quick Aizen was to position himself to swing again. With her current position, she only had the option to lower herself while using her forearm to support the weight of his next attack on the pole.
"Not yet." Aizen remarked when he easily knocked her away.
Katsuko slid against the invisible floor, flummoxed by how far he pushed her back, making it difficult for her to regain her stance.
"Hado #88: Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raihou."
Katsuko's eyes widened at the spell coming for her. That was a familiar one…!
"Oi, oi, oi! Isn't that overkill?!"
When she finally stopped moving, Katsuko drew her weapon back enough for the top of her weapon to be almost at eye a bird's eye view. "Bakudo #39: Enkosen!"
From the point of contact, a yellow light formed and spiraled to form a giant spinning disk that was concentrated in spiritual pressure. The two Kidos collided immediately which made Katsuko squint from the wind pressure. The intensity of the attack was overpowering her shield which became apparent in the cracks appearing on the disk.
"Don't falter!"
With gritted teeth, Katsuko forced more power into the Kido to try and keep it stable until the attack stopped.
However, just throwing in power in something she never practiced in her life wasn't the basis of Kido. These spells required attention to detail, something one should study and practice numerous times. Recklessly charging the spells with power just made it go haywire without a proper foundation.
Ichigo charged his sword with Getsuga Tenshou and let out a roar before throwing it at the beam of light, successfully cutting it in half.
Enkosen broke.
Katsuko was only able to deviate the rest of the attack to avoid receiving the full brunt of it before getting sent flying away and out of the sky.
But not without Aizen side stepping to avoid a stroke of lightning shooting his way.
…
…
…
Sigh.
"The hell was that?"
Katsuko's eyes shot open. Her retinas instantly took in the sight of bright blue, the familiar comforting sight of her soul. Realizing this, she bolted up into a sitting position, alert.
"What?!" Why was she here?
Arashihoro were sitting together, watching her with half-lidded eyes after her exclamation. They weren't sitting on the watery reflecting floor. This time, they were situated atop a white pillar which explained why Katsuko found everything so bright. For some reason, her Zanpakutos were sitting on blocks created from the pillars as they watched her confusion. The Hollow propped a foot on the block and placed his palms on the edge between his legs as he gave her a dissatisfied look.
Concerned about his mood, she sat properly and gave him her full attention.
"Why'd you only use me at the very end?" The Hollow sighed, annoyed. "What's the point of giving you Shikai if you don't even use me?" He pointed his thumb at the woman next to him. "Instead, you use this one like favoritism."
His other half sighed as well. "Don't say it like that."
Katsuko's eyes squinted. "Wait… But aren't you like… half Hollow? Isn't that how I'm supposed to use you?"
The Hollow dropped his head with a groan while the woman of wind patted his thigh.
"I forgot you learned everything backwards." He suddenly leaped off the cube and manifested a Zanpakuto in his hand, spooking Katsuko. "Alright, on your feet. We'll go over this one more time. I'm not going to hold your hand a third time for this."
The wind of Arashihoro watched as Katsuko crossed blades with the piece of her. Unlike last time, she didn't seem apprehensive about what he had to say. There was a willingness to hear him out to not repeat her mistakes. But even after opening her heart to him, she failed to realize that using the Hollow mask was a symbol of their lack of trust in one another. To forcefully use his share of Arashihoro's powers instead of drawing it out naturally was almost like spitting in his face after everything that happened.
The relationship between Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto must include definite trust via Shikai.
Sparks flew from their clash.
Katsuko's eyes noticed the charge of lightning on his blade and she could hear the whirring of it. Cautiously, she pulled back and pointed her left blade at him to guard with the wind while reserving the right for guarding physical attacks.
The Hollow's nose wrinkled at the sight. Too engraved in her body.
He dragged his foot back and suddenly spun before slashing at the ground.
Katsuko stilled when she recognized that movement.
A beat.
The ground suddenly exploded and lightning rushed at her. Quickly, she darted to the side to avoid the trajectory. In that second, a brief flash of Hisagi dodging the lightning appeared in her mind. He wasn't able to dodge it at all. Because it would follow him like a magnet.
Katsuko tried using her sword try and conjure up wind to defend herself against him, but she failed to realize in time that the Hollow flash stepped behind her and threw her into the attack with a swift kick to her back.
The pain was instant.
The attack violently whiplashed her and brought her down to her knees, making her hack when she could feel an itch in her throat, probably akin to a burn. The sparks of lightning dancing across her skin made her twitch a few times. She couldn't move. It was almost like getting punched in the chin and having one's brain knocked back against the skull.
She was blanking on her knees for a few seconds with only the thought of how powerful that lightning was. She didn't realize how powerful the other half of Arashihoro was until she got the full brunt of it after accepting him. For some reason, now that she understood who he was, it made his attacks much more devastating than the other attacks she got hit from when he was simply just a Hollow to her.
Goddamn.
Katsuko blinked when she could move her right index finger. She didn't realize she dropped her right sword.
How can I use him…? I don't know how I did it before… How?
His sword pierced the ground. The sound woke her up and she willed her body to move back albeit sluggishly. Her hands were holding her swords defensively the best way she could while keeping her eyes wide and on him. Blinking in her current slow state might be a mistake.
"What is your goal right now?" The Hollow wondered while pulling out the blade from the pillar. "What do you intend to do against Aizen Sousuke?" He flipped around the sword in his hand loosely. "Do you want to defeat him?"
Katsuko was slowly regaining her functions while processing his questions.
Winning against Aizen is just… I can't do it.
Even with Shisugu with me, it'll be hard.
The Hollow dashed and swung at her again, forcing her to slam her steel against his to deviate the attack from its target.
As a piece of Katsuko, they were aware of the difference in power between her and Aizen.
So, what was left to do?
"If I could then I would." Katsuko replied after fending off another attack. She was pushed back from the impact of the Hollow's blade, forcing out a grunt from her. "Out of the two of us, Ichigo stands a better chance with his rates of victory so far and his strength. But I want to lift some of the burden off him. I want to be better, even a little more to make sure we win."
The more she spoke, the clearer she could see her role in this now.
"I don't have to be the one who defeats Aizen. I don't have to be the one who saves everyone. But I'll do whatever it takes to make sure things are in my favor. I'll make sure I win this no matter what I have to do because I can't have him ruining my fucking life." Katsuko gripped her swords tighter and glared at the Hollow. "I can't let him do that."
She leaped fast and was about to use her left blade to swing at him until she decided to use her right blade, somehow urged to use it after voicing out her thoughts. With it came the lightning that felt like it shot down from the sky to knock it out of his hands, a destructive power that blasted the pillar and made rocks and smoke fly up.
Ah.
Katsuko met the Hollow's eyes seemed to deadpan at the sheer simplicity of it all once she got it.
"Don't forget it."
Unharmed, he took a step forward with his hand out while she was still recovering her stance.
"Ack—!"
He slapped his larger hand over her forehead and eyes.
…
…
…
The woman of wind looked up at the sky after heaving a sigh. She spent the whole time simply watching her other half try to educate their young master. It provided some kind of entertainment in the peaceful world that previously collapsed on itself at least two hours ago.
"So, she's gone back." The woman of wind spoke, breaking the silence so that the man of lightning could finally bend down and pick up his blade.
"Mhm."
Both of them had now done their part in teaching her personally.
"She's strong, you know. And yet…"
"We're not quite there yet." The man of lightning sighed as well.
Self-understanding.
Acknowledgment.
Submission.
Still not quite there yet.
Bolting up into a sitting position, Katsuko whipped her head around in alert in case of an enemy attack. She found herself in an office building. From the looks of it, she must have crashed in through the ceiling if the obvious gap that continued to drip fragments of cement above her head wasn't obvious. Three office chairs were tossed after she crashed into them. There were pens under her hands too.
"I passed out." She realized.
She was going to rebuke herself if she didn't appreciate it for allowing her to get a little more acquainted with Arashihoro. None of that was a waste of time, not when he gave her some insight on how to use them properly.
She looked around for her Zanpakuto and found it lying across a table and its keyboard. It was back in its sealed state since she passed out from getting Kido'd. Remembering the attack that hit her, she finally noticed that her body was in good condition again.
Must be Shisugu.
Katsuko ran to get her sword, knocking off the computer mouse while she was at it in her rush to get out of the building. She jumped to get out through the hole she came in. Immediately, she felt to cool fall wind hit her skin accompanied by the spiritual pressures in the town.
Nothing seemed to have change while she passed out.
But the noticeable one to her, the Captain Commander, was weaker than when she initially felt it when she arrived. The concern she felt made her take one step towards the direction where he was. No. She stopped herself and chose to look away from him. If she wanted to help defeat Aizen, she couldn't spend a lot of energy on potentially healing him.
With her sword in hand, she turned to where Ichigo and Aizen's spiritual pressure was, and she ran to leap off the building. She also wanted to know the foreign presence that was nearby them. It didn't feel like an Arrancar… they had a Soul Reaper's spiritual pressure. It wasn't either of Aizen's lackeys though.
Gin is still around but I don't sense Tousen anywhere.
"Please, no more evil Soul Reapers…"
With flash step, she hurried over to clear the halfway by air before dropping down to the street when Ichigo's spiritual pressure moved somewhere along it. To avoid obvious detection, she hid her spiritual pressure very well and darted through the alleyways to make a shortcut. It probably wouldn't make a difference for Aizen though. But she might as well still try.
The sound of her footsteps would no doubt alert Ichigo or anyone nearby since they echoed in the dead-silent town replica.
"Ichigo!" Katsuko called with a skid to a stop when she spotted his striking orange hair. Clumsily, she stumbled and placed her hand on the wall to stabilize herself.
"Katsuko!" Ichigo exclaimed, standing up with his sword, relieved. He was glad she looked okay after getting blasted from that attack. He didn't exactly have time to check if she was doing alright.
Before she could even formulate a phrase to ask about the situation, her eyes noted the person standing next to him immediately and she was left standing in silence when the information regarding their face was being processed into her brain. She blinked a few times when this face conjured up a goofy-looking face belonging to a goofy father.
How hard did I hit my head?
Ichigo sweat dropped when he could see her CPU running hot from trying to understand what the hell she was seeing.
"Oh, Katsuko-chan!" Isshin greeted her with a jovial smile with the same tone as when someone greets a familiar face from across the street.
"I think I need my glasses." Katsuko blinked a few times and looked at the wall as if trying to recover from looking directly at the sun. "That can't be my pediatrician standing there in Soul Reaper get up."
"Your eyesight is fine, remember?" Ichigo reminded her.
Katsuko's head dropped and she supported it with her hand when her eyes clenched. Then she took a few steps towards them, looking despondent in the sluggish way she walked.
But then her head shot up and she smiled so brightly, laughing. But her voice sounded distorted which gave away the truth the Ichigo.
"Uwaah! Isshin! It's you!" She bounced over to the Kurosaki men. Ichigo's head did a whiplash when he saw a smile he never seen her wear before. She was capable of smiling like this? Isshin was only reminded of a young Katsuko running around with Ichigo. He was still confused though. "I'm back too!" Katsuko exclaimed with her arms spread out before posing cutely with fists pressed against her cheeks, batting her lashes. "But as a pretty girl though! What do you think?"
Isshin and Ichigo blinked, bewildered.
Katsuko's hand suddenly grabbed her face and she straightened up with a murderous look. The glowing orange eyes accentuated her expression.
"I'm going to kill you!" She hissed while glaring at the sky.
"Hey, you left yourself wide open for embarrassment with how slow you were."
"What was that?" Isshin looked at his son.
"Long story."
Lowering her hand and bowing her head, Katsuko gritted her teeth while her bangs shadowed her normal eyes. "I think I'll take myself out when this is all over."
"Yeah, okay. Focus on that later." Ichigo agreed. There was no time to wallow in shame.
Reluctantly, Katsuko rubbed her face with her hand, doing her best to compose herself in front of the two while sighing into her hand. She could let the ground swallow her up later. She dropped her hand and looked at her pediatrician, face void of anything.
"Hello, Kurosaki-sensei."
After Aizen hit Katsuko with that tongue twister Kido, I was stuck with writer's block (ಠ_ಠ) oof Forcing myself to write every week was making me run on fumes and draining me since I had little time during the weeks. lesson learned. As I'm typing this, I feel like I'm about to pass out on the keyboardddd. tiiired. It's late.
Also, about the concerns about me being down because of certain kind of reviews... I appreciate the concern!
But... I didn't even read them ツ
Lemme tell you guys something about reviews... In the morning, after a recent chapter, I usually check my inbox for reviews since I'm eager to read what yall think (unless my provider decides to block ff mail again ffs). It'll either wake me up or just put me back to sleep like a benadryl pill (you can probably guess what happened). I read at least 7 words before going 'meh' and clocking out again lmao. So, it didn't really bother me because I didn't read them once I knew what it was going to be.
Still haven't read them up until now.
So, yeeeah my not updating is due mostly to lack of inspo and burn out.
Back to chapter related details now that we got that out of the way...
I was always curious about what Ichigo was seeing when everyone was attacking Momo. So, I decided to make my own since Kubo won't give it to me. As for Arashihoro and Katsuko, they still have some work to do, the biggest hint has always been there.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you have a nice day/night!
