Legacy of the Moon
Arc II: Dawn of Dreams
Chapter 21: Revival of the Espadas I
Soon enough the conditions of that dimension started to change drastically with powerful tremors throughout the lands. The rivers of lava became turbulent while some of the cracks started to burst into the fierce release of fire and lava. Strong winds started to blow which were dissipating the toxic mist surrounding the region while the moving dark clouds were thundering more fiercely. It looked like a terrible storm along with a devastating earthquake. The demonic aura surrounding the castle was also changing swiftly. It was converting into a torrent of energy currents which was rotating all around the castle in a massive region and moving upward as if the entire place was moving swiftly into space. As time was passing the chaos in the dimension was getting intensified and soon it started to show the signs of dimensional rupture as several gigantic and tiny dimensional cracks started to appear in the space.
The Urahara Shop…
Yang had almost completed the treatment of Halibel's memories with the help of the stone which was given to her by Orkos. Ururu was monitoring and taking care of her injuries while Yoruichi was simply keeping an eye on Yang.
"I have fixed her memories, can I go now?" Yang asked Yoruichi.
"We would like to make sure that her lost memories have really returned," Yoruichi replied in a serious manner.
Suddenly Urahara walked into the room and said, "There's nothing to hurry… we can have some tea and by that time perhaps Halibel-san will wake up as well?"
At first, Yang stared at both of them but eventually agreed to stay and wait for Halibel's awakening. Now all of them came outside and started to have tea in the living room.
On the other hand, Halibel was asleep due to the effect of the medicines and it seemed that her injuries had healed to a significant extent already. However, she seemed to be pretty uncomfortable and disturbed in her sleep for the last half hour and ultimately she got up with a shock. Her head was hurting out of severe pain while she was sweating and her eyes were widened as if she was shocked by something. "Aaarrgh, what is happening to me?" She mumbled in pain while her memories were coming back to her and giving her the realization of the things that took place with her in the last 50 years. "No no no… how the hell can I do this to Lord Sesshomaru?… Damned no, Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun… aarrgh, why… why I was such a fool… shit! What happened to me? I don't fucking understand…" She spoke to herself in utter anger and frustration as tears rolled down her eyes. Ururu was scared to see her behaviour and she immediately rushed outside to inform Urahara and Yoruichi.
"Well, I think it is time for me to leave," Yang said as soon as she heard Ururu and then she got up and started to walk away from there. Urahara and Yoruichi stared at her but they decided to focus on Halibel for now. However, they didn't realize the fact that Yang didn't open any Garganta and that means she wasn't planning to go to the Hueco Mundo. "I think she needs someone to be there with her, Yoruichi-san," Urahara told her upon listening to Ururu. "Yes, let me talk to her," she replied and entered the room in order to check on Halibel.
"So, you are awake!" Yoruichi said to her.
"Yes," Halibel replied as she was sitting on the edge of the bed.
Yoruichi now walked up to her and sat down beside her. She noticed that her eyes were slightly red and moist as if she had been crying. "Are you alright?" Yoruichi asked in a polite tone.
Halibel didn't speak for a few seconds but eventually asked, "I am an Arrancar and you are Soul Reapers, then why are you helping me?"
"Because Sesshomaru brought you here and we trust him," Yoruichi answered.
"I see," she responded in a sad manner.
"Why are you so sad, Halibel? Tell me please," Yoruichi requested her in an insistent manner.
"It's nothing… never mind," she responded.
"Come on! Think of me as your sister and tell me. After all, you are close to our friend Sesshomaru. How can I leave you alone like this when you are looking so sad!" Yoruichi spoke to her in a soft tone while holding her hand.
Halibel looked at her slowly, took a deep sigh, and then said while looking down, "This battle might still be going on but I have already lost. My three… whom I cared for and protected for so many years, this battle took them away from me and I was manipulated to hurt the one who did so much for me. I have simply failed everyone who is connected to me."
"Stay strong! Halibel, this is not the end. Sesshomaru has already fixed your manipulated memories, hasn't he? I am sure he will fix everything else as well, he will revive your friends," Yoruichi replied while softly squeezing her hand.
"Revive my friends?" Halibel mumbled with a slight shock.
"Yes, he can revive the dead, that's why I tell you, don't worry," Yoruichi responded with a smile.
"I see," Halibel uttered in a low tone with a serious expression while constantly thinking about how she was being nothing more than a burden on him.
"Take care of yourself, Halibel. Don't overthink and if you need something, just call me," Yoruichi said before she left the room so that Halibel could calm herself down and take some rest.
Now both Urahara and Yoruichi weren't so far away from Halibel's room and thus their voice was clearly audible to her. "Hey Kisuke, I wanted to tell you something about Sesshomaru," Yoruichi said to Urahara while both of them were busy preparing Kido seal and armor to fight against Aizen. "Oh, what is it, Yoruichi-san?" he responded. "I think Sesshomaru loves her," she said in a serious tone. "What? How come?" He muttered with confusion. "Didn't you notice Kisuke, the way she was behaving, and yet he was focused on saving her, why?" Yoruichi replied insistently. "Perhaps he just respects her due to the fact that she helped him locate his sword the last time," Urahara answered in a slightly ignorant tone. "Then tell me, why did he rush to the Negal Ruins as soon as Yang mentioned that her gang had manipulated her memories?"
Yoruichi's question left Halibel speechless who was listening to their conversation. "Yes, I remember now, Orkos attacked my group and only after that everything changed but why Lord Sesshomaru went there all alone, I must ask them if they are tracking his location or if they know where is he right now," She muttered to herself and then walked out in order to talk to them.
"Do you need something?" Yoruichi asked her as soon as she saw her.
"Where is Lord Sesshomaru right now?" Halibel asked in a serious manner.
"Hmm… we should tell her, Yoruichi-san," Urahara spoke while staring at her.
"An Arrancar girl Yang cured your memories and in return she wanted Sesshomaru to visit the Negal Ruins," Yoruichi answered her.
"He went to the Negal Ruins in order to meet Orkos all alone? Where is he right now?" Halibel asked with immense concern.
"Don't worry, Halibel-san… I have arranged some surveillance facility in the Hueco Mundo and recently my sensors have noticed him in the daylight area portion around the Las Noches," Urahara replied to her.
"Thank you so much for the help, you two... but I must take my leave," Halibel said before she walked out of the shop.
"Wait Halibel! Your injuries are not fully healed yet," Yoruichi told her while rushing outside the shop.
"I don't care but I can't let myself become a burden on him anymore," Halibel replied her while opening a Garganta, and the next moment she disappeared inside it.
"I think it's alright Yoruichi-san," Urahara mumbled slowly.
"Hmm… because others are there too?" Yoruichi asked him.
"Yes and also because now both Arrancars and we have a common enemy," he said in a serious tone.
Artificial daylight region of the Las Noches, Hueco Mundo…
The golden jewel that Orkos gave to Sesshomaru led him to the artificial daylight section of the Last Noches. Since he already had the experience of reviving the dead Shinigamis, he knew that both Hollows and Shinigamis are not purely physical entities unlike humans and thus their revival was going to be far more exhausting for him. The jewel guided him to the region where Zommari died and disintegrated into the wind. Sesshomaru was continuously exploring the middle section of the Las Noches while using his demonic senses in order to find the exact spot where Byakuya defeated Zommari.
Now as soon as he landed on the ground, his Tensaiga started to glow with the blue demonic aura. He unsheathed his sword and began to sense its will. The next moment, he started to pump his demonic energy inside the Tensaiga as a result its demonic aura began to expand and envelope a large area. The demonic energy was tracking down the Reishi of Zommari from the environment and focusing them at a single point slowly regenerating his body on the ground. Now as soon as the Daiyokai noticed the minions of the Netherworld around his newly formed body, he didn't waste a single moment in slashing all of them away with a single swing of his sword.
Suddenly, Zommari returned to life, and within the course of a few seconds, he recalled every detail of his battle against Byakuya and it didn't take him too long to recognize his savior, who was none other but Sesshomaru himself.
"You… you have saved me, isn't it? Who are you? I can clearly sense your overwhelming power by your spiritual pressure but you seem foreign to me… neither a Hollow nor a Soul Reaper, are you some kind of God?" Zommari said to Sesshomaru as he got up from the ground in a perfectly fine shape.
"No, I am a demon," Sesshomaru answered him, and then he got busy tracking down the location of the other dead Espadas with the help of Orkos' jewel.
"Whoever you are, know that you have done a great favor to me. Now I can fight for my Lord Aizen one more time and teach that egoistic Soul Reaper a fitting lesson," Zommari once again spoke to Sesshomaru while showing his gratitude by bowing down to him.
"There is no need for you to fight for Aizen anymore since he betrayed the Espadas," Sesshomaru replied while focusing on the golden jewel.
"OHH! What…? What are you saying? Lord Aizen has betrayed us... b..but then, why have you given me a second life?" Zommari responded with a great surprise and then he asked with immense curiosity.
"Not just you but I want to revive all the dead Espadas along with some of the Arrancars," Sesshomaru replied.
"Oh, but why? Please tell me," Zommari insisted.
"I am here only because of Tia Halibel, that's all I can tell you for now," the Daiyokai answered him after which the Espada didn't ask anything else.
"Hmm… Espada 3," Zommari whispered while trying to figure out the reason.
Now Zommari noticed that Sesshomaru was trying to sense something and he couldn't help but eventually spoke, "If you are trying to locate more of the dead Espadas then I can help you with it."
"Hmm… tell me where can I find them?" Sesshomaru asked him.
"Look at that damaged tower on your right, you will find Aaroniero Arruruerie's corpse inside it, come with me," Zommari muttered before he rushed in that direction using his Sonido while Sesshomaru followed him.
Both Sesshomaru and Zommari reached the tower's destroyed chamber in no time. They landed where Aaroniero Arruruerie's corpse was lying in a wrecked state. This time his Tensaiga didn't react at all while his corpse was also lying right in front of him. Sesshomaru realized that he could revive him normally like any other being. However, when he unsheathed his sword and got in the position of reviving him, he noticed that there were way too many minions of the Netherworld which was uncommon.
"Why are there so many spirits connected to him?" Sesshomaru asked Zommari.
"It is because he had absorbed a lot of Hollows inside his body but instead of killing them, he always used their body as his limbs and their powers as his powers," the Septima Espada answered.
"I see… quite familiar," Sesshomaru mumbled while comparing him with Naraku in his mind.
Now Sesshomaru charged his demonic energy and swung his Tensaiga towards the corpse of Aaroniero Arruruerie, reviving one hundred souls with a single slash including the Espada. Slowly the tiny pieces of scattered Hollow flesh started to move and get collected around the heads of Aaroniero Arruruerie. In the course of a few seconds, the collected flesh reformed the body of Espada and fixed the container in which his two heads used to float in the liquid. The next moment, Noveno Espada was standing right in front of Sesshomaru and Zommari, he was puzzled and trying to figure out what had happened to him.
"We were dead Aaroniero Arruruerie but he has revived us," Zommari said to him.
"Who you are?" Aaroniero Arruruerie asked the Daiyokai in a serious tone.
"I am Sesshomaru," he responded while staring at him with his cold golden eyes.
"And he is a demon lord," Zommari added.
"Oh! A demon…" Aaroniero Arruruerie responded with a slight shock.
Now Sesshomaru took out the Orkos' stone from his kimono in order to track down the death location of the Espada whom he needed to revive the next but Aaroniero Arruruerie interrupted him as he said, "I want to help you in this mission of yours."
"Yes, Demon lord! You will need us to deliver the news about Aizen, especially to the powerful Espadas," Zommari said to him as well.
"What are you talking about Zommari?" Aaroniero Arruruerie asked him with a surprised expression.
"Lord Aizen has betrayed us Aaroniero Arruruerie. He attacked Espada 3 Tia Halibel in the battle of the World of the Living," the Septima Espada answered.
The Noveno Espada was shocked and speechless after listening to the words of Zommari and he knew he couldn't question him since he was one of the most loyal Espadas among all. Meanwhile, the Orkos' stone in Sesshomaru's palm started to glow with its light focused in the north direction. Now Sesshomaru asked, "Who is there in that direction?"
"It is where Szayel Aporro's laboratory is located," Zommari answered.
"We should head towards the laboratory of Szayel Aporro then, it must be the place where he died," Aaroniero Arruruerie muttered and then all three of them swiftly flew towards the laboratory.
Nearby the laboratory of Szayel Aporro…
It took them some time in order to reach the spot where Szayel Aporro died but neither his Reishi nor his body was present anywhere around. However, the place was full of signs of a devastating battle with lots of rubble, blood, and burns.
"The body of Espada 8 Szayel Aporro Granz is under my possession and he is not completely dead yet," Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi out of a sudden while coming from behind with a huge cart along with his Lieutenant Nemu.
"A Shinigami!" Zommari and Aaroniero Arruruerie muttered upon seeing him.
"You again! I wonder how you managed to trespass in our time even though I put a blockage on that mysterious well," Kurotsuchi spoke anxiously upon seeing Sesshomaru.
"For now, I want you to either spare that Espada in your possession or kill him right away and then hand over his corpse to me before you leave," the Daiyokai replied in a serious tone.
Kurotsuchi now began to wonder about his intentions. He doubted that Sesshomaru was secretly under a treaty with the Hollows while simultaneously worrying about the fact that it would not be wise for him to pick a fight against the Daiyokai when Soul Society was already in danger because of Aizen.
"If my words are hard for you to understand then my blade is ready to continue the conversation," Sesshomaru said while raising his spiritual pressure because of which not just Nemu but even Zommari and Aaroniero Arruruerie began to have trouble standing close to him.
"Hmm… you can have him alive but know that I will catch him again eventually just to investigate how a beast such as you can cheat death so easily," Kurotsuchi replied in an egoistic tone and then he ordered Nemu after which she injected Octava Espada with a liquid to remove the effect of poison from his body.
The moment Szayel Aporro returned to his senses, he shouted at Kurotsuchi, "Bastard! You will pay for what you did to me."
"No, Szayel Aporro! There is no need for it," Zommari said as he used his Sonido to appear right in front of him.
"Why…? What are you trying to say Zommari?" Szayel Aporro responded with slight confusion.
"Aizen has betrayed us but this Demon lord is resurrecting the dead Espadas and only because of him that Shinigami has released you from that miserable state," Zommari answered him.
"Hmm, I see…" Szayel Aporro responded while calming himself down and then he looked towards Sesshomaru.
"Staying united and alive would be in the best interest of us for now," Noveno Espada muttered.
On the other hand, Mayuri Kurotsuchi said while narrowing his eyes on Sesshomaru, "It seems that we will have to do something about this demon otherwise he won't stop interfering in the issues of the Soul Society."
"Yes, Mayuri-Sama, I am ready for your command," Nemu replied in her usual polite and modest manner.
To be continued…