As Katsuko's feet scratched the ground, her sword went up to guard against Arashihoro's blade, clashing against it. Their swords scratched against each other as they pressed until one pushed back, Katsuko's blade was the winner of that struggle. Without looking to the side, Katsuko ripped out a stray blade from the ground and used it to slash to the left, cutting the wind clone that her sword had created and made it disappear, only briefly removing her eyes away from the sword spirit.
Arashihoro had started creating wind clones of herself to increase the difficult by attacking her from sides she wasn't expecting, not willing to be subjugated so easily. She was truly not making it easy for Katsuko. The wielder needed to earn the right from her no matter what. The rules cannot be bent. If she couldn't achieve Bankai from her, then it was going to be a damn shame with how hard she fought and improved.
Arashihoro was coming at her with no chance for any moment for reprieve.
Katsuko darted forward and swung her blades at her sword spirit who took several steps back while occasionally parrying her blades at the same time, but Katsuko was not relenting, she continued attacking fast, such is the usefulness of twin blades. One particular strike had Arashihoro staggering back a few feet. When she retained her footing, Katsuko had already pointed her sword and sent a blast of wind at her. The sword spirit flash stepped away and the rock behind her was now dented, fragments flying in the air with dust.
The girl flash stepped and attacked from behind, slashing her left arm, giving her a deep cut. With a growl, Arashihoro put more distance between them and parried her master's attacks. But the girl didn't stop, she continued chasing after her sword. Just like back with Urahara's training, she was growing even stronger.
Katsuko blocked the hard rapid strikes with her blade and winced at a particular harsh one that almost made her lose her footing. Back off! She screamed in her head and struck her sword back. She flash stepped behind her opponent and aimed at her only for her sword spirit to jump and avoid the blade, baffling Katsuko.
Their swords clashed again, again and again. The sound of clashing metal echoing around them.
Katsuko went after her and swung until she found an opening. Unfortunately, the Zanpakuto spirit was faster, she conjured up wind for a barrier that was also an attack when it shot towards Katsuko, causing her to skid to a stop and dodge it at the last second.
Annoyed, she clicked her tongue. Damn wind was annoying. Her head snapped up and she found Arashihoro coming down on her. Katsuko hurriedly brought her swords up to block her blade, wincing at the strength behind it. Her sword smirked at her and pushed harder when she gripped her blade tighter. When Katsuko saw wind swirling around the sword, she gave up the struggle and backed off, jumping away. Arashihoro's sword swung downwards, causing a small chasm into the ground. Katsuko wondered if Yoruichi would get upset from the damage.
Katsuko took a couple steps back while her Zanpakuto lunged at her, sending wind shaped like a crescent moon flying her way. Katsuko narrowed her eyes and flash stepped out of the trajectory. Arashihoro appeared behind her a second later with flash step and pointed her sword from a distance, sending her own blast of wind at the girl.
Katsuko leaped to the side and darted at her sword without rest once she recovered, swinging hard with a focused look. To her surprise, Arashihoro just flipped her sword backwards and stopped her blade. The force of it kicked up a bit of dust while their swords created sparks.
"You're running out of time." Arashihoro spoke with an expression of displeasure on her face, but Katsuko wasn't really listening since she was so focused. Rapidly, Katsuko retracted her blade and thrusted her sword forward before there was an opportunity to be warded off, successfully shoving it into Arashihoro's shoulder. Grunting, the long gray haired woman inwardly scowled at how slow she was to defend that attack. The black haired teen tried to slash her her again but her sword was blocked, their blades lightly screeched against each other.
"You listening to me?!"
Katsuko parried her attack with her right sword.
They backed away from each other and shared a glare. Just as she was about to move again, Katsuko felt something on the side of her temple. She brushed it with her knuckles while still holding her sword. Bringing her hand back down, she saw fresh blood, as expected, wind must have scratched her earlier.
One of the first things I've learned by being a Soul Reaper, head cuts bleed much more than cuts on an arm or leg.
"No time." Katsuko murmured, lunging at her sword.
…
…
…
Katsuko watched the cut on her thigh disappear after pouring the hot spring water on it. It felt tingly and nice. She had just finished dropping water on the cuts she got from Arashihoro now that she was on her short break. Compared to when she first started, she was starting to receive less cuts from her own sword. And now, she was getting frustrated about still not being able to beat her sword in a fight.
But she was getting better. In fact, she could tell that she was different from when she fought against Urahara, so that was good.
When she felt the improvement, she had to admit to herself that she was getting a little concerned about the growth. She didn't mind if her special case was making her stronger, she just didn't want her fear to come true by acquiring more strength.
Was she getting closer to who she used to be by gaining more power?
Ugh, no. Don't think about that.
The thought was strangled, quick and painless.
She straightened up with a soft sigh and started walking back the way she came, at her own pace. As she kept on walking, she passed by a large rock which had Ichigo and the red haired Soul Reaper leaning against it on the other side. Ichigo was just trying to catch his breath, cuts everywhere while the other, in a similar looking state, was drinking from a bottle, it was highly water inside. What else could it be in this situation? She was sure there wasn't any energy drinks in the Soul Society.
Her appearance made the red head turn his head and look in her direction. "Ah." he pulled the bottle away from his mouth. "It's your friend."
Her eyes quickly darted the other way when they made eye contact because she felt a spike of nervousness. But instead of just walking off when she saw red head look at her, she decided to approach Ichigo, after fighting off the impulse, because he lifted his head to look at her.
"How's it going?" Katsuko asked her orange haired friend, her hands tucked behind her back.
Ichigo wiped the sweat off his brow with his shoulder. "I'm getting there. Don't worry."
"I just wanted an update." Katsuko clarified with a small grin. Worrying about his Bankai training was not going to help him. The only thing she could really do is have faith and be prepared to help him.
Her reason for coming to the Soul Society was to support Ichigo and help him stay alive. She didn't come to the Soul Society to shield him. So if giving him support meant lifting the weight of his shoulders, in this case, protecting Rukia's life, then she would make sure that she would.
"What about you?"
"My Zanpakuto is not making it easy." Katsuko moaned while scratching her neck. "She doesn't show me any mercy." She let out a weak laugh.
"Uh, hey…" the red head decided to speak up. "Who are you?" he asked, not trying to sound rude.
The black haired girl looked at him apathetically, masking her timidity. "Katsuko." She flatly replied. "Hiragi Katsuko."
"She's my friend." Ichigo repeated. Didn't he tell him that before?
"Human, right?"
Katsuko nodded.
"How did you get Rukia's powers too?" Renji wondered, his tone carrying obvious curiosity while Katsuko lightly pursed her lips as she stared back at him now that he was clearly speaking to her. "I've never heard of a Soul Reaper's powers being split into two when being transferred."
"No, he's the thief." Shaking her head, Katsuko pointed at Ichigo in blasé manner. "Not me. I was nowhere near them when it happened."
"Eh?"
Ichigo looked at Renji while he pointed at the black haired girl who lazily tilted her head to the side. "Rukia said something about Katsuko over here having Soul Reaper powers because she used to be a Soul Reaper before her soul reborn through that cycle thing. She called it an error."
"Basically, I'm a living mistake." Katsuko laughed with a shrug of her shoulders.
Ichigo gave her a look while she just puffed her left cheek and averted her eyes away from his. That was the look of neutral face of slight displeasure.
"Seriously? That's strange." Renji blinked several times. He wasn't expecting this. An error in the Cycle of Transmigration? It's the first he's ever heard about it. But if Rukia never gave Katsuko her powers, then it must be true. Perhaps Rukia was simply the trigger.
A face flashed in Renji's mind.
"You know, you look like someone I was acquainted with once." Renji admitted, prompting Ichigo and Katsuko to look at him, ceasing their little exchange. This quickly had Katsuko stiffening where she stood. Curiosity and denial mixed inside her. "She was close to a friend of mine. But she disappeared after committing a crime in the Rukongai—"
Stop talking.
"Um." Katsuko awkwardly lifted her hand to get his attention. "Sorry, but I don't know anything about that."
I don't want to hear it.
"I've never been to the Soul Society up until now."
I don't want to worry about that.
"She's not the same person, Renji." Ichigo told him, coming to her defense. He didn't like that it sounded like Renji was insinuating that Katsuko was whoever he was thinking about. A crime? Katsuko was not a criminal. He knew her. And even if she was in her past life, that shouldn't be affecting who she is today.
Katsuko pressed her lips together. So, his name is Renji...
"I was just saying." Renji defended. First of all, the spiritual pressure she gave off was not the same. Second, they looked the same, but they were not identical. So, this could just be a coincidence. "I just thought that maybe, you know?" The red head said and scratched his head.
The subject was thankfully dropped.
When the orange haired teen breathed sigh once he caught his breath, he briefly took a glance at Katsuko and saw her sport an unreadable expression for a split second before she blinked and rolled her shoulders back with a neutral face. That face she did was unsettling to him.
"I'm done with my break now. So … I'll go back to training now." Katsuko proclaimed before flash stepping away to her usual spot, eager to hurry and finish what she started.
Ichigo frowned and furrowed his eyebrows at the place where she disappeared.
…
…
…
Katsuko's eyes were flashing like hot, orange-red flames.
With a harsh strike, Arashihoro's weapon flew out of her hands that were now bloodied from sharp wind. Then, she received a strike across her chest followed by a ruthless sword thrusted into her body.
Cool mint green looked straight into dark brown that was brimming with determination.
"… Well, look at that." Arashihoro gave her a proud smile, tipping her head. "You did it. No hesitation nor the thought of accidentally killing me to hold you back. Just straight to the point."
"Yeah, well. I don't have time to waste." Katsuko grumbled, still looking straight into her eyes, asserting her dominance over her sword. Simply disarming her and pushing her down to the ground didn't seem like a good way to show her dominance over her sword. She needed to prove it and mean it. "I think you'll be fine too. If not, I'll just pitch you into the hot spring over there."
I need strength to protect someone's life and fight off those who would try to snuff it out.
Her sword laughed. "You're stupid. I won't die from this." Arashihoro lifted her arm and reached for Katsuko's forehead, but not without patting her head first, then she raked back her bangs, making her wielder squint a little. She placed her cool hand on her skin. The feeling made Katsuko feel slightly rejuvenated after all the sweating and fighting she had to endure for hours with short breaks.
"Congratulations. I give you the right to learn Bankai."
A bright light emitted from the point of contact and expanded immensely along with a burst of spiritual pressure. Yoruichi looked away from Ichigo's fight and witnessed the bright light that began to morph into wind when it swirled. Then the wind faded. She flash stepped over to Katsuko's place to see what happened.
Katsuko stood there holding a scythe in her hands. The handle was silver, the blade too, and the edge was black. The tip of the handle, where the blade was, had a star point shaped blade that was cut in half in the colours black and silver. It looked useful enough to poke someone if needed. At the same place, the opposite side of the scythe had the same star point blade albeit a few inches longer and a bit wider, also great for hitting sideways.
The doll for materializing Zanpakuto was at her feet.
Yoruichi stared at her. She was greatly impressed. Urahara had told her about her impressive growth, however, she wasn't expecting her to learn Bankai fast as well. Honestly, she didn't think it would be possible.
"So, you did it." Yoruichi jumped off the rock and landed on the same level that Katsuko was standing on. She looked at Yoruichi with a slightly dazed expression much like when she turned to face her when she practiced her cannonball.
Katsuko balanced the scythe in her hands to try and get a feel of how to move it around. Much like when she learned her Zanpakuto's name and its meaning, she learned about her Bankai, all important information seeping into her mind as if she just happened to recall them now. Her Zanpakuto had given her a quick crash course in her mind that felt like months, but was in reality just a few seconds.
She wanted to try it out.
She gripped her scythe tightly in her hands and dragged her foot back.
Eyes narrowing, her spiritual pressure flared and then she swung her weapon. "Gengetsu Reppu."
A giant semi circle wind flew and ran through a large rock. Her mouth dropped open. This attack was the same as the wind slashes that she did in her Shikai mode, but this one was much more powerful and faster. It had cleanly cut through the rock and made the top half of it fall down with a loud thud which threw up dust. Katsuko's eyes widened at the increased power. Still in her swinging stance, she slowly looked behind her shoulder to give Yoruichi the look she had on her face, she didn't even blink once.
"Like I said, Bankai makes you stronger." Yoruichi reminded her. "Your abilities of your Zanpakuto will have more power behind them. Of course, you would become much stronger the more you work on your Bankai, if you had more time."
Katsuko straightened up and blinked at her scythe, still in disbelief. She had that much strength at her disposal? How much stronger could Gengetsu Reppuu get? She was already amazed with the power it had right now.
"I just wished it didn't have to be a scythe…"
"Excuse me? Are you complaining about the Bankai you were given?!"
Katsuko winced and her hand flew up to her head as a voice loudly screeched in her mind. It was Arashihoro. Shaking her head, she grimaced and started explaining herself, "No… It's just, it starts with a sword, then two blades, and then I have a freaking scythe? Bankai looks different compared to the last two!" she tried to explain to her Zanpakuto, bringing the scythe close to her face to speak to it.
Yoruichi stared at her in amusement.
"You can't expect your Bankai to stay the same."
"Still…"
"Don't make me pull you into your Inner World!"
"Shutting up now." Katsuko lowered the scythe and looked to the side. She could hear Arashihoro huffing in annoyance. Honestly, it felt like her Zanpakuto had mood swings. She can go from being all cool and casual, she can be nice such as when she brushed her hair away and patted her head, and then she can snap. In some way… it kinda reminded her of herself, kinda.
Katsuko held it in a thrusting position and began 'shadow-poking' to test out her new weapon. After a few pokes, shifted her hands and swung the back side of her scythe to her left. She blinked and stared at the star pointed shaped blades.
She lifted a brow and tipped her head.
"Arashihoro Saikaza, huh?"
Having Bankai doesn't mean I'm invincible, it just means I've got more power on my side. Captains who have Bankai should be much stronger still since they've obviously had more time to work on it. That makes sense.
Would I win against a Captain?
The chances are probably very low.
But I wouldn't know if I didn't try.
She frowned. But I could end up dead...
After giving back the doll, Yoruichi went back to oversee Ichigo's training, leaving Katsuko alone with her Bankai. She made her sword revert back to its sealed state because she wanted to try switching to Bankai mode when she was in Shikai.
When in Shikai, all she had to do was put together the end of her hilts to use her Bankai.
She listened to the sounds of blades clashing and the roaring of her friend's voice as he raced against time to achieve his Bankai. Even if she couldn't see him, she could still hear the determination and strength in his voice. He wasn't going to give up. He was going to keep going until he reached Bankai.
And she didn't doubt him for a second.
He'll make it.
After another short break, she summoned her Bankai to work on it a bit more.
Ichigo was the only one left.
After Katsuko, it was Renji's turn to achieve his Bankai. Once he did, he went on ahead first while Katsuko patiently sat on a rock near Yoruichi, observing Ichigo try to subjugate Zangetsu. Her Zanpakuto was resting horizontally on her knees as she sat cross legged when she felt something— a fabric brush her cheek. Blinking, she looked to the side and saw Yoruichi extending a cloak to her. It was beige.
"What's this for?" Katsuko took it from her and checked it out. There was hood attached to it.
"You'll wear it when we go. It wasn't that long ago that the criminal that looked like you disappeared from the Soul Society. There will be Captains present at the execution, including the Captain Commander, they'll think it's you so you'll need to hide your face when we go get Rukia."
"Ah, makes sense. Thank you." Katsuko set down her Zanpakuto and stood up with the cloak to put it on herself. It draped down all the way to the end of her knees and it covered most of her front. She picked up her Zanpakuto and placed attached it to her hip. She reached back and put on her hood. It did a good job of covering her head and making her long bangs hide most of her face. Her hood was most likely casting a shadow over her face as well.
"How do I look? Suspicious?" Katsuko held out her arms.
"Very." Yoruichi replied with a smirk.
All of a sudden, wind flew past them. It was Ichigo's spiritual pressure. Yoruichi and Katsuko turned to where he was and squinted from the air pressure shooting into their eyes. Dust and pieces of rubble was flying everywhere after swirling around for a moment. Katsuko grabbed the front of her cloak and shielded her right eye while her left eye just peeked through her hair to see what was happening. When it settled, Ichigo was standing there alone and the upper part of his Shihakusho looked different, it was longer and it looked shredded at the ends.
"Ooh!" Katsuko's eyes widened. His big kitchen knife was gone and replaced with a black sword that looked more like a regular sword. She flash stepped over to where he was and stood in front of him with curious eyes. His eyes were closed while he was standing. Zangetsu must be telling him about his Bankai.
When he came back to reality, he opened his eyes and looked at her, she was looking at him with round curious eyes.
She took a step back. "How do you feel?"
A smirk appeared on his face after a pause. "Great. I'm ready to go." he lifted up his sword to and looked at it. He was ready.
Her own smirk came up on her face and she clasped her hands together. "Alright." they were both set.
"The execution is going to start in less than five minutes." Yoruichi announced as Ichigo reverted back to his normal state. "We have to get ready now."
Katsuko and Ichigo followed Yoruichi out of the Study Chamber and into the room above, but not before Katsuko dragged him over to the hot springs to help him splash water on his wounds. She ignored his protest and forced him to pour water on himself. If he was going to fight, then she was going to make sure he was not going to be hindered by some damn training wounds.
…
…
…
She was nervous when they headed out because they only had once chance to not screw it up. She seriously wondered how Ichigo didn't feel nervous and where he got all that confidence. Again, she wanted some of that!
But the execution was stopped, so that was good.
Katsuko had knocked out the guards located around the area to remove the fodder that would stand in her way while getting Rukia out of there. She never thought she would be knocking out people outside a video game during her summer vacation. Funny.
She had been pretty quiet about it by clamping her hand over their mouths and letting them drop softly to not attract attention. Seriously, flash step came in handy for this. She didn't need Captains and some fodder guards coming after her. For some reason, Ukitake had arrived to stop the blade that took shape of a bird. It made Katsuko recall how Yoruichi called him a decent man. Another Captain wearing a straw hat assisted him. Katsuko recognized him from her dream.
She stood on the side and watched it all unfold quietly. Her cloak hid her spiritual pressure from the Captains so she literally just had to stand in the shadows and wait. Her Shikai was already released and ready to use to attack or defend.
Her hands gripped her swords tightly. She was going to use her wind to hastily get Rukia out of there. Ichigo just needed to get down from there with Rukia and—
Katsuko's grew wide. Rapidly, she held up her left blade just in time to block a hilt from slamming into the back of her head. To her surprise, Renji was the one standing behind her. Quickly, she used the tip of her right blade to push up her hood to show her face a little. He looked equally surprised and he pulled his sword away at the same time as her.
"Sorry. I didn't know it was you."
"Oh, uh… no harm done." She was wondering what Renji was doing this whole time. She thought he just decided to bail or something. "Anyway, Ichigo's got her up there. Come on." It seemed right to come out now. She wasn't alone in her task now it seemed.
Renji looked up and found Ichigo holding Rukia under his arm. Upon seeing her safe, Renji immediately started running. "Rukia!" He shouted as he ran closer with Katsuko trailing behind him. He looked real eager about making it to her. Katsuko spotted the Captains looking in their direction. She consciously tugged on her hood.
"I'm so glad, you're alive, Renji!" Rukia shouted back, her voice carrying pure relief. Seeing her old friend alive made her pay no mind to the person standing next to him. They didn't seem to be a threat since they came into her view together.
Seeing the two down below made Ichigo smirk. "Hey, Renji!" He lifted up Rukia high above his shoulder, making the prisoner and his two allies sport confused faces. As soon as Katsuko saw him reel his arm back, her eyes grew super wide.
"Hey! What the hell?! You trying to kill the person we're trying to rescue?!" Katsuko held out her sword in a panic. Did she have to use her wind to catch her?! "SHE'S NOT A FOOTBALL!"
Ignoring her, Ichigo just grinned and threw her down. "Look out below!"
Katsuko and Renji's jaw dropped open.
"You idiot!" Renji screamed while Rukia came flying down, screaming loudly from the fear.
This looked like a cool picture to paint though. Saviour Pitching The Princess. Artist: Unknown.
Seeing as how Rukia was headed straight towards Renji, Katsuko actually paused and lowered her sword with a wrinkled nose. In 0.2 seconds, her mind did the math. By the time she blinked, she came to the conclusion that, maybe, it was okay. Meh, Renji's got this. Nimbly, she side stepped just in time for Renji and Rukia to barrel past her. Her head turned and she watched them roll away. They moved back quite a distance.
Damn.
She looked up at Ichigo and shook her head in disagreement.
"Reckless!" Katsuko reprimanded sharply, waving her sword up disapprovingly. He could have tried to least flash step and get her down like a normal person! What if one of those Captains swooped in and caught her in mid air?!
She saw him shrug. "It's all good. He caught her, didn't he? Now, go on!" he made a shoo-ing motion with his hand.
Katsuko lightly frowned as she breathed through her nose. There was no turning back from this now and there was no time to just stand around. She spun around her heel and flash stepped to Rukia and Renji.
"Ichigo, you damn fool!"
"What if I dropped her, you idiot?!"
"No time to talk." Katsuko helped Rukia up on her feet as there was no time to get pissed at the orange head right now. That's when Rukia realized who she was under the cloak. "Katsuko! You're here too?" She exclaimed in disbelief. Her face was visible to Rukia since she was short and able to peer under her hood. She wasn't expecting Katsuko to be accompanying Ichigo on this crazy suicide mission, not when the girl was barely a Soul Reaper during her time in the Human World.
"Come on, hurry up and get up, Renji!" she snapped when she could feel the stares of the Captains on her back. She was surprised they didn't make a move to get to them yet. "Get moving, you came here to save her, right?"
No time to sit around!
Renji didn't need to be told twice. He easily picked up Rukia in his arms while holding his Zanpakuto in his right hand and started bolting back the way he came with Katsuko running after them, she was guarding the rear. Renji didn't have to worry about watching his back.
"Don't just stand there, you fools! After them! All Lieutenants, go!" A woman's voice boomed.
I didn't expect anything less.
"They're going to catch up to us…!" Rukia peered over Renji's shoulder and saw how the Lieutenants of Squad 1, 2 and 4 were chasing them now. Her eyes focused on Katsuko when she saw her skid to stop and bring out her twin swords from under her cloak.
"Wait, Katsuko! You can't take on three Lieutenants by yourself!" Rukia yelled over his shoulder.
"She'll be fine." Renji assured and picked up the speed. He had already seen proof of her fighting abilities back in the Study Chamber. When he took his breaks, he would pass by her and briefly see how she fought against her Zanpakuto. There was no reason to doubt her abilities against Lieutenants.
With the harsh training and that crash course, she learned how to use this attack properly instead of half-winging it. She was able to do one correctly after gaining Bankai. Arashihoro had given her quite the lecture about it too. Apparently, knowing the name alone augments the power behind the attacks. She spun around her heel and pointed her left blade at the Lieutenants who were coming after them. A condensed wind ball formed at the tip of her blade. "Bakuhou." It rapidly fired off towards the three Lieutenants who all failed to do something about it in time. Like a blast, the wind hit them hard, cut them, and then sent them all flying far back from the shockwave. Rukia and Renji felt it as they fled.
I can sort of control the amount of damage it can do now, so that's great.
All three Lieutenants went crashing to the ground. She made sure the attack wasn't going to kill them, it was enough to get them to stop moving. And as the dust began to clear, a Soul Reaper in a white haori flash stepped in front of her and was already swinging their blade. It was a man. Katsuko back stepped just in time to avoid the tip, and she stole a quick a glance at the Captain who attacked her. He had long black hair and these odd hair ornaments on top of his head.
As he took another swing, Ichigo flash stepped between them and effortlessly stopped his blade with his own. He smirked at the Captain. "I'm your opponent, Kuchiki Byakuya!" he reminded the older brother who narrowed his eyes at the orange head in front of him. His eyes flickered to the hooded figure who disappeared behind Ichigo.
"Keep your eyes on me!" Ichigo growled as he swung his sword.
Katsuko didn't even wait for Ichigo to say anything because she already went after Renji and Rukia. She saw Rukia looking over Renji's shoulder with a look of shock on her face. Obviously, she wasn't expecting this at all from Katsuko. The taller black haired Soul Reaper grinned at the shorter one while holding up a peace sign, feeling smug. When they made it to the stairs, Katsuko just grabbed Renji's Shihakusho and told him to hold onto Rukia. Jumping off the hill, she made them all fall off and used Bakuhou to send them flying down at max speed. Rukia was screaming again, with Renji this time. With wind, she eased their landing just like when she crashed into the Seireitei a few days ago.
"Sorry." Katsuko smirked at the looks of incredulity on their faces. She wasn't apologetic at all.
Katsuko allowed Renji to lead the way since he was more familiar with the Soul Society. But as they were distancing themselves from Sokyoku Hill, Rukia wouldn't stop making a fuss, demanding that they let her go back to help Ichigo or at least Renji and Katsuko help him. Katsuko wanted to roll her eyes and ask where Rukia hid her Zanpakuto when she said she wanted to help because it didn't look like she had one right now. She could barely feel any power coming from her at all.
"Will you just shut up?! We're running away so stay quiet! What if someone hears us?!" Renji finally snapped.
Katsuko pulled an exaggerated 'really?' face behind him.
"I heard something! Over there!" A voice yelled on the other side of the street they were running in.
Renji gasped and looked to the left. "You see?!"
"Hello?! Shut up!" Katsuko hissed at him quietly, annoyed by loud voice. She was this close to clapping his nape with her hand. "Your voice is a hundred times louder than Rukia's!"
Flinching, Renji flushed in embarrassment and faced forward. "S… Sorry. Let's just, uh, get out of here quick…" They all took a left at an intersection. Rukia and Katsuko both carried the same miffed expressions.
…
…
…
"Where are we going?" Rukia finally asked. They had been running for a while now. Renji and Katsuko had done a great job at protecting Rukia from Soul Reapers that spotted them. They were going to do everything they could to keep Rukia safe. Ichigo was still fighting Kuchiki Byakuya since they could feel his spiritual pressure. Katsuko even saw a black thing rising into the sky back at the Sokyoku Hill. She guessed that it was his but at the same time it wasn't because it felt… different. But much like Renji, she had faith in Ichigo.
"Anywhere from here." Renji replied, eyes focused in front of him.
"You mean you don't know." Rukia sighed and looked ahead.
"Look, all we have to do is run away from here."
"Would you be willing to hide in the Human World?" Katsuko decided to ask curiously while she looked over her shoulder when she heard voices.
Renji thought about it for a moment. "To be honest, I should. I just committed treason by running away with a criminal. I'll highly be stripped of my rank and be killed. I won't be able to stay in the Soul Society. Unless a miracle happens, I don't think things would be good for me here."
This made Katsuko frown deeply. She could only wonder how long did it take for someone to achieve the rank of a Lieutenant in the Soul Society. It felt… kinda sad that things would have to turn out that way. Wasn't the Soul Society his home too? To be suddenly forced to leave it all behind… it felt horrible, almost as horrible as when she cried in her room when she knew she had to leave home.
"I'm sorry." Feeling guilty, Rukia lowered her head. But Renji just brushed it off and told her to stop apologizing. This wasn't something he was going to regret no matter the consequences. He would guard her with his life against any obstacle that would dare try to stop him. "Katsuko, how did you even arrive in the Soul Society?" the noble woman wondered. She never had the opportunity to ask with everything that was happening.
"Urahara Kisuke." Katsuko replied. The days she spent training with the sketchy candy shop owner flashbacked in her mind, his harsh training that was beaten into her to have her prepared and the sweat and blood she shed to survive his training. The unbelievable growth she had with every training day. She recounted the details leading up to their arrival in the Rukongai to Rukia and Renji. And when she finished, she smiled a little at the shorter girl who was peering over Renji's shoulder to look at her.
Rukia couldn't believe that they had gotten this far in such a short amount of time.
"I could tell you more about it later, especially how Ichigo blew himself up." Katsuko laughed, trying to lighten up the mood a little. It worked because she heard Renji snicker.
"That's a story I'm interested in hearing." The Lieutenant smirked at the thought.
"Ichigo blew himself up?" Rukia repeated and blinked several times. "What do you mean by that?"
"I can tell you about it once we regroup." Katsuko said with a creeping smirk. "It'll be interesting to see how Ichigo reacts."
All of a sudden, a figure appeared in front of them. Renji and Katsuko skidded to a stop immediately at the sudden appearance. It was a dark skinned man in a Shihakusho with dark brown hair. He was wearing white goggles on his face and an orange scarf around his neck. Katsuko stood behind Renji with wide eyes. Her hands gripped her swords tightly.
"C-Captain Tousen?" Renji was confused and wary. "Why are… you here?"
She didn't know why Renji was just standing there when he knew that it was a Captain standing before them. Her hand, that was touching her left ear without realizing it, shot forward before she could even react, but then Tousen pulled out a white cloth that suddenly swirled rapidly around him, Renji and Rukia. It forced Katsuko back.
Hell no! Katsuko swung her sword. "Gengetsu Reppuu!" Her wind to render the cloth useless after it passed through it, cutting it up and ruining whatever Tousen had planned. If she was a second late, then he would have succeeded doing whatever he was trying to do.
She grabbed the back of Renji's Shihakusho and yanked him backwards, while she shot forward and swung her blade at the Captain who easily blocked her blade with his own. "Don't just stand there! Go!" Katsuko shouted over her shoulder.
"Wait, Katsuko!" Rukia called her name with worry as Renji finally started moving again. He jumped over a wall and started running down the street.
"I don't have time to deal with Ryoka." Tousen spoke.
Well, too bad! You're gonna have to!
Katsuko pushed back his blade and swung at him as her spiritual pressure flared up, it was increasing tremendously as she glared at the Captain who had his eyes closed behind his goggles. Any reluctance she had about fighting a Captain and being prudent around them flew right out the window. The only thing on her mind was keeping Rukia safe from danger. Renji could have been a better match against him, who knows? But he knew the Seireitei better than her so he should have a better idea which path to take to flee in this maze of a city.
Tousen's eyebrows twitched at the spiritual pressure.
Katsuko growled and kept swinging at him while he blocked. He seemed much more preoccupied with getting past her, but she wouldn't let him. She surprised herself when she kept up with his speed. Having flash step certainly proved useful.
But it wasn't going to be enough.
Tousen went up in the air and raised his Zanpakuto and made a semi-ring that made a hundred blades appear. She slammed the ends of her Zanpakuto together and summoned her Bankai. Once it turned into her scythe, she spun it and pointed the tip of her handle at Tousen when he fired off his blades at her.
"Bakuhou!" The blast of the wind forced away the blades that were directly coming for her, causing them to land somewhere else other than their designated path. With the path clear, she jumped after him and swung her scythe at him aggressively while he only shifted a little to dodge and then swung his blade when he found an opening. Katsuko adjusted her scythe and covered her side by blocking with her handle. She kept blocking his attacks that carried much strength behind them.
Don't let up!
Katsuko nimbly shifted her hands and pointed the back end of her scythe at Tousen. This guy didn't even have his eyes open and he still managed to dodge the spike that was aimed at his exposed shoulder. But she was able scratch his cheek with the tip of her handle.
Their weapons clashed again. They were standing up in the air to by using reishi to create a platform, a skill that Katsuko barely even realized she was doing until she met his blade again.
"Cry. Suzumushi."
Katsuko winced at the sound that flooded her right ear. Annoying. Slightly tolerable. It was strong, but not enough to render her unconscious, it was muffled enough. She gripped her scythe tighter and shoved off his blade. Tousen was wondering why she wasn't falling to the ground after having her ears flooded with the ringing of his sword. He set it off with the goal of letting her crash once unconscious. Then he realized that he could sense faint condensed spiritual pressure that were located near her left ear. It was Kido. It reduced the effects of his Zanpakuto.
She flash stepped behind him and swung her scythe, but he dodged it and parried her blade followed by quick step to stab her shoulder. Her handle tilted enough to deviate his blade away from her shoulder. She twisted it around and tried knocking his chin with the end of her handle but he just back stepped. She used that opportunity to lift up her weapon and prepare to drop a harsh strike. As he prepared to block, she flash stepped in the middle of her swing and appeared behind him. Turning around, he found her still swinging her weapon. Katsuko's scythe now had wind swirling around her blade and she slammed it into his at full strength with a shout. The wind burst and sent him crashing to the ground which kicked up a load of rubble and dust. There was no way nearby Soul Reapers didn't hear it. She was damaging Seireitei property, and frankly she didn't a give damn.
"Gengetsu Reppuu!" She swung her scythe and sent a quick wind arc flying down where Tousen landed, causing more damage. She couldn't see anything so she wanted to draw him out. There was no way he got taken down after her last two attacks. She was sure he somehow came out unscathed from that attack. Always assuming that her opponent survived was a must until she could confirm with her own eyes otherwise.
Katsuko flash stepped down to the ground when she found Tousen leaping out of the the smoke, appearing behind him, she swung her scythe at him which he blocked. Her eyes narrowed and he pushed harder against her, refusing to relent against him. She had to stop him from getting close to Rukia and Renji!
"Persistent." Tousen pulled his sword back and swung at her. She used her handle to defend herself and moved her weapon around a couple of times to swing the smaller blades at him. Tousen was growing impatient at the Ryoka standing in his way, not only did he fail to retrieve Renji and Rukia in time, but his pacifist attack was useless against someone who warded off half of the effect with strong Kido. Her memory and prowess as a Kido user was quite troublesome. He was annoyed.
He was going to have to cut her down.
"Attention all Thirteen Court Guard Squads Captains, lieutenants, seated officers, and also the Ryoka."
Blocking Tousen's strikes, Katsuko blinked at the sudden voice that invaded her mind. It was a woman's voice.
"This is Squad 4 Lieutenant, Kotetsu Isane. This is an emergency. This is an emergency announcement from Squad 4 Captain Unohana Retsu and me, Kotetsu Isane."
But why was she addressing the Ryoka for something important?
"Everything I am about to tell you is the truth!"
Her scythe left a long mark on a wall when she swung her scythe at Tousen. He back flipped and dodged the attack.
She clicked her tongue. Freaking acrobat.
Katsuko adjusted her hand and swung the opposite way without turning her scythe or moving from her spot, aiming the back blade towards where he would land. She growled when he parried her scythe.
"Captain Aizen is a traitor to the Soul Society. He faked his death and is still alive. Central 46 have all been slain by him and he has been pretending to be the government to influence the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."
She flipped around her scythe to block his sword and then pulled back to swing at his feet. She narrowed her eyes when he leaped over her. Her back was exposed. He aimed his sword at her when he touched the floor, directing it towards her side. She twisted around and shifted to block with her handle, and then she back stepped to put distance. He swung his blade again but she brought her handle towards her to block him, grunting from the force. He continued attacking and she didn't give up blocking and standing in his way.
Without all that Bankai training or that crash course from Arashihoro, she wouldn't be lasting like this.
She shoved away his sword with a grunt and pulled her scythe back to swing at him. He struck her scythe hard and managed to make her lose her footing. Katsuko's eyes widened when he closed the distance with his blade pointed at her. Thankfully, she was able to shift her hold on her handle enough to block it.
"He achieved it all by using his Zanpakuto which has the ability to put a person under complete hypnosis. Lieutenant Hinamori and Captain Hitsugaya have both been gravelly injured by Captain Aizen."
Ay yo! You have a traitor in your group, so why the hell aren't you focusing on that? You don't even seem surprised! Katsuko thrusted the pointy end towards him repeatedly. Tosen dodged until he could thrust his sword towards her once he found an opening. Her eyes widened, her head tilted to the side to avoid the blade. She drew back her scythe and gathered the wind at the tip of her handle after knocking his sword away.
"Bakuhou!" she thrusted her scythe towards him again for a point blank range attack. He disappeared.
She clicked her tongue. Where the hell did he go?!
"Captain Ichimaru and Captain Tousen are both his allies."
Tousen?
Wait...! That's the guy I'm fighting!
"His motives are unknown but he is currently a Sokyoku Hill. Captain Aizen must be apprehended immediately and answer for his crimes!"
"Bakudo #30: Shitotsu Sansen."
She turned around and found three lights racing towards her. With her scythe in her right hand, she tried to use it to block the spell, but was too late. She was harshly shoved into the wall behind her with her center and left arm pinned to it. Fortunately, it only went through her and didn't hurt, if it did, she'd be dead since it could have cleaved her in half. There was a beak of light on her right side. She guessed that it was for her other arm, but because she moved it to try and block, it ended up just piercing the wall.
"Captain Aizen and I were wondering what was taking you so long."
Stiffening, Katsuko looked at the owner of the voice and found the Ichimaru Gin standing not too far away from her. He was straightening up after shooting that Bakudo spell at her. Her eyes glared at the man who smiled like a fox. Katsuko gasped when she felt a harsh strike on her scythe and made her loosen her grip on it. Tousen had disarmed her.
"Having a little trouble with a Ryoka?" Gin tipped his head curiously as he walked closer to them. "That's not like you."
"Pay no mind to it." Tousen sheathed his sword and pulled out another cloth. He shouldn't waste anymore time. "I'll go get them now."
Katsuko aggressively tried breaking free from the restraints when he said that.
"Don't bother. I fixed your little slip up."
Tousen uttered a quick apology before using the cloth to make them both disappear. Katsuko had seen Gin waving at her mockingly before they disappeared in front of her eyes.
"Man, fuck!" Katsuko she yelled and trashed angrily at her failure. She hated that Ichimaru Gin interfered. What did they even want with Rukia? What was the point of being so desperate to get to Rukia when she was only supposed to be executed? Was executing criminals such a top priority in the Soul Society?! Hell, they took so much time to prepare for the damn execution!
As she used her fist to try and punch through the Kido to free herself, she recalled what that Lieutenant from Squad 4 just said. Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen were traitors to the Soul Society. Aizen was pretending to be the government.
"Wait..." Katsuko paused, her fist in the middle of punching.
Criminal.
Changing the execution date.
Rukia.
Broke the law.
Government was assassinated.
"Wait, hold on." Katsuko's eyes widened. Her head turned towards the Sokyoku Hill where she felt Ichigo and Renji's spiritual pressure come from. Tousen and Gin were there too.
Rukia?
While she was busying putting the pieces together, she failed to notice how a certain Lieutenant, Hisagi Shuuhei, came around the corner after tracing the spiritual pressure of Tousen Kaname. He saw Suzumushi Nishiki Benihikou in the air and saw a hooded figure fighting against him. The announcement of Kotetsu Isane forced him to hurry up despite his weakened state caused by the Fifth Seat of Squad 11.
To his disappointment, he didn't find his Captain. He only found the girl who had defeated him that night. Her hood was off her head so he could see her face. He was just in time to see her use Byakurai to break the 30th Bakudo, she did it twice to free herself. The scythe at her feet returned back to its sealed state while she hunched over.
Her hand flew up to her face as her eyes grew wide. "Betrayal…" she muttered. "Tousen?"
Her nails began digging into her face as she felt immeasurable rage flood her being.
Betrayal. That's right. Betrayal.
An evil smile.
That night.
The only survivor.
A century ago.
The bodies.
Captain Aizen.
Blood.
Screaming.
Pain.
It was all coming back to her now.
The memory of the oh-so sympathetic voice and the gentle shoulder pat he gave her as she cried over the deaths of her Captain and Lieutenant came to her. It was all fake. He was a damn liar.
"That bastard, Tousen!" Katsuko roared angrily and snatched her Zanpakuto off the ground. There was pure hatred in her voice. She leaped up on a roof. Her spiritual pressure rose up once more, breaking a few tiles when she took a step forward to flash step towards Sokyoku Hill.
That presence was definitely her. But why now?
"Damn it, what the hell is happening?" Hastily, Hisagi flash stepped to try and catch up to her as fast as he could.
A futile attempt as he knew she was always much faster.
It felt like the air in her lungs were sucked right out of her. Her eyes were darting around when she saw bodies lying around her. They were scattered across the grounds. All dead with blood everywhere.
She covered her mouth when she felt sick. They were all slaughtered without any sign of mercy. Her hand dropped her Zanpakuto when her hands shot up to her mouth to muffle to sobs that were pouring out of her.
When she took a few steps back, her foot bumped into something. Frightened, she jumped and quickly looked behind her. Her eyes shifted downward to see something horrific. A head. Her eyes grew wide when she recognized their face. They were staring at her with eyes that looked like they were blaming her for this tragedy. And it was.
"NO!" She screamed and held her head. Her eyes clenched shut as her tears fell. "I did not do this! I… I would never!"
"But you did." A voice spoke so calmly in midst of the horrific scene.
"No!" she screamed while shaking her head frantically.
"You killed your comrades with your own Zanpakuto."
"I am not a murderer!" she screamed at the brown haired man standing a few feet away from her who only smiled at her. But she wasn't stupid. She knew that she did this. Denying the truth around her made her feel like a stupid child avoiding the blame. She was only trying to console herself through her grief.
"You are."
She sank down to her knees and dropped on all fours.
"And you will be my new experiment."
She let out a gut-wrenching cry in the night as she curled on the ground.
Ichigo couldn't move. He was desperately trying to find the strength to stand, but it was no use. Aizen effortlessly rendered him in this useless state after cutting him down. The only thing he could do now was just watch pathetically. He hated it. He hated just lying there and being unable to do anything. He needed to move. Aizen was getting closer to Rukia and Byakuya.
"Damn it…!" Ichigo tried pushing himself up onto his hands and knees while gripping his sword. Move! Move! Move!
Rukia flinched when Aizen got too close and held her brother close to her as an attempt to shield him.
"Hado #73: Souren Soukatsui!"
A blue concentrated blast zoomed past Ichigo and was directed at Aizen. The traitorous Captain merely took a step back and let it fly past him and it collided into the stand of the execution site. The brown haired man's eyes shifted towards Ichigo to look beyond him. Rukia nervously looked behind Ichigo and her breath hitched. Ichigo groaned in pain as he forced himself to look behind him. His eyes widened when he found Katsuko glaring darkly at Aizen, her eyes holding pure hatred for the Captain. She was walking with her Zanpakuto in her right hand.
"No, Katsuko!" Ichigo manage to shout at her. "Stay away! He's… too… dangerous!"
She didn't pay heed to him and continued walking closer to where they all were. Ichigo grabbed onto her Shihakusho to stop her, his grip as strong as iron, desperate to at least save her from getting hurt too.
"Listen to… me! Stop it!"
"Let go of me!" Katsuko growled and kicked his hand off with a menacing glare after stomping on his wrist with her other foot. He winced and loosened his hold, allowing her to break free. He didn't recognize that look on her face. She kept moving forward until she was out of the orange haired boy's reach who was trying to make sense of what was happening. Something felt off. He tried to get to her again by crawling but he flopped onto the hard ground with a pained groan.
"I was wondering when you would come to see me." Aizen spoke. His tone was mocking and it was infuriating her. The girl just glared at the Captain who didn't move from where he stood. "But how long are you going to hide?" Her eyes shifted to where Tousen was standing quietly.
Ichigo blinked rapidly. What? What is going on here?!
"How long has Tousen been working for you?" Katsuko demanded to know.
Aizen chuckled deeply at her question. "Do you really need me to answer what it is that you already know?"
After a beat, she let a hollow laugh and lowered her head. "From the start, huh? I should have known." She gripped the swords tightly. "He was the only survivor of that night. Why did I not question it?!" she laughed at herself, shaking. "And then you…" she lifted her head and held Aizen's stare with a deadly one. "You did that."
"Come now," Aizen smiled at her calmly. "You know as well as I do that my blade wasn't the one that did the slaughtering. It was yours."
"How cruel." Gin added with an evil smile.
"Isn't it?"
Katsuko's clenched her teeth. "Shut your mouth!" Katsuko leaped towards Aizen with a shout, eyes blazing with pure hatred. She would never forgive him as long as she breathed air. She was going to kill him.
Everything that happened, it was all because of him!
But Aizen was a master at provocation. It was too easy to get her riled up and have her leave many openings in her blindrage. Emotions are so easy to pick at.
"You're dead! You and Tousen!"
Ichigo and Rukia were shouting at her to stop.
But it was too late.
Katsuko's sword didn't even slice through the air and she already found herself slashed across her front. Aizen was standing in front of her with his Zanpakuto extended.
He cut her before she could even blink.
What was I doing?
Katsuko fell on her side and met Ichigo's worried eyes while she lied there with her shocked and confused ones.
Seriously... what was I doing?
Once again, she felt pushed aside, she forgot herself. And before she realized it, she ended up in this state.
Ichigo balled his fist. It was pathetic. He was still just lying there and he watched her get cut up by that Captain, and now she was bleeding out in front of him. He cried her name while trying to get up again. Why couldn't his body just listen to him? The Captain began walking away from the fallen girl and brought his attention back on Rukia. There were people right in front of him that needed to be protected, and all he was doing was just lying there!
Katsuko heaved out a weak breath.
What just happened?
...
...
...
I'm sorry.
Her body pulsed.
Her eyes shot open widely.
Katsuko winced. Her hands flew up to the front of her Shihakusho and started grabbing it tightly, twisting it in her hands when she felt an excruciating pain. She let out a strangled cry and her eyes clenched shut. It felt like she was being torn from the inside out. Something was ripping apart from her.
It hurts!
Ichigo, who froze, was getting even more worried by the second when he saw curl on the ground, her legs kicking about.
As her skin suddenly began rippling with red cracks, she started screaming when the pain became worse.
What is happening to her?! Ichigo panicked in his mind. Did he do something?
"Katsuko!"
Aizen took a side glance at the girl writhing on the ground. Her body began to glow in bright blue light. It expanded in a flash. The sudden force of spiritual pressure and light made Ichigo squint his eyes. Rukia held onto her brother while Aizen stood impassively at the sight.
When the light began to fade, two silhouettes started becoming clearer by the second. Still lying on the ground, but on her back this time, Katsuko stared at the person who was kneeling next to her body. They had a hand on her chest that was producing a blue light. It was a woman wearing a Shihakusho. She had shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes. And her face… her face looked like hers. It was not identical, but it was alarmingly similar enough for someone to mix up the two. She looked down when she noticed that the pain from her injury was gone, instead, she saw that the wound that Aizen gave her had disappeared under to woman's hand. But the cracks on her skin remained.
"I'm sorry." The look alike woman said sincerely as she pulled her hand away from her.
Katsuko's eyes had widened astronomically. What the hell is happening here?! She shrieked inside her head. She wanted to ask some questions, but it was clearly not the time.
"Naogoma Chisaki." Aizen identified. "How wonderful it is to see you."
Chisaki turned her head and glared at Aizen once more. That calm irritating tone of his made her want to cut his throat. Her hand automatically flew to her Zanpakuto as she straightened up. She was ready to try again. But before she could, Katsuko shot up from her lying position and she grabbed Chisaki's Shihakusho with haste, startling her. She looked at her look alike and shook her head when she met her eyes. You're going to die or get hurt if you get close to him!
Knowing how dangerous Aizen was, she wanted to avoid seeing unnecessary deaths taking place right before her eyes.
But then, two women appeared around Aizen to apprehend him. Yoruichi and Soi-Fon. The other gate keepers of the Seireitei tried to assist Aizen but was stopped by Kuukaku and Jidanbo who appeared with great timing. Gin was captured by Lieutenant Matsumoto and Tousen by Lieutenant Hisagi. The sight of Captains and Lieutenants appearing one by one so fast around them made Chisaki take a few steps back. She spotted some familiar faces.
"Chisaki-chan!" Ukitake exclaimed. He had appeared next to the brown haired girl, relief on his face. On his way to the hill, he had picked up the pace when he sensed her spiritual pressure and found her again. And this time, she looked like how he remembered her. The girl didn't respond to her name and just lowered her head, unable to look at him.
Katsuko saw him glance at her and his face expressed confusion. Yo, I'm just as confused as you are, dude!
Aizen only found the situation laughable. Yoruichi quickly warned Soi-Fon to get away from him. They were just in time to avoid a bright yellow light that enveloped Aizen. Wary of the situation, Katsuko grabbed her sword and stood up just in case she needed to protect herself. A crack in the sky had appeared and then it stretched widely to reveal Hollows inside. The same kind of Hollows that wanted to march into Karakura Town that day when Ishida held his stupid Hollow competition.
"So many…" Katsuko muttered and held her swords tightly. Everything was happening so fast! What was happening?!
Two more beams of light shot down for Tousen and Gin, and their captors moved away to avoid the light.
The Captain Commander ordered anyone who tried to approach the light to stop immediately. It was too late. Aizen and his cohorts were out of their grasp the moment the light, Negación, came down on them. The Soul Reapers could do nothing but watch Aizen, Tousen and Gin rise into the air on the ground they stood.
Katsuko flinched and took a step back when a wolf (or dog?) punched the ground and started roaring at Tousen. He was wearing a white hoari too. "Get down here, Tousen! Explain it to me! Why did you become a Soul Reaper?! Was it not for your friend who passed away?! Where has your sense of justice gone?!"
The man known as Tousen easily gave him his answer. "The only path that I see with these eyes are the ones least dyed with blood. Justice is always there."
Chisaki chuckled darkly at his answer as she balled her fists. She bared her teeth. "By becoming a traitor who backstabs people?! What did they ever do to be betrayed by your stupid path of justice?!"
Instead of just watching something that didn't concern her, Katsuko remembered about Ichigo lying on the ground. She turned on her heel and hurried over to his side when she saw him trying to push himself up with his injury. He was in pain. As she got on her knees next to him, her hands hovered in the air worriedly. "Wait, don't try to move…!" She decided to keep one hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Uh, don't make it worse, please."
Ichigo lifted his head with a groan. "Nevermind me. Are you okay?" he looked at her with mirrored worry. She gave him a quick nod and then patted down her chest and stomach to prove it. Not a single wince showcased on her face. His gaze landed on her neck where he saw the red lines that traveled up from underneath her Shihakusho to her face. There was one long crack that ran up her left cheek and past her eye like a scar. They were on her hands too.
"I'm okay." she assured him when she saw him looking at the cracks on her skin. "It doesn't hurt."
"Have you fallen so much, Aizen?" Ukitake's voice asked the man getting further away from them. Ichigo and Katsuko both looked up at the person who had done them harm.
"You're too arrogant, Ukitake." Aizen remarked. "No one stood at the top from the beginning. Neither you, nor me, nor the gods." He reached up and removed his glasses from his face. "But that unbearable vacancy of the throne in the heavens ends now." He crushed his glasses and slicked his hair back, leaving one part dropping down on his forehead. "From now on, I will stand at the top." he declared.
Everyone could only watch him.
"Goodbye, Soul Reapers. And goodbye, Ryoka boy." He was looking at Ichigo and Katsuko as he stood in the hands of the Menos Grande that were welcoming him to the other side. "For a human, you were quite amusing."
Katsuko tensed when it felt like his eyes were on her.
The crack in the sky closed with a loud noise.
…
…
…
The Ryoka were no longer a threat, the Captain Commander had dubbed them saviours to the Soul Society. And with Aizen and his subordinates gone, they began focusing on the aftermath, calling for Squad 4 to treat their injured officers and the Ryoka. But when the Soul Reapers looked around, they eventually came to realize that there was another criminal standing among them. They were looking at her.
"Naogoma Chisaki." The Captain Commander spoke from where he stood. Chisaki shivered when she saw the look in his eyes, the evident anger.
"She must be in league with Aizen if she has returned at this specific time!" Soi-Fon got ready to pounce, she was just waiting for the Captain Commander's orders.
"Wait just a moment, Soi-Fon!" Ukitake pleaded, coming to Chisaki's defense whose eyes were darting around. The white haired Captain stood in front of her and tried to calm things down.
Kyoraku stepped forward as well. "Chisaki-chan would never commit evil."
"Captain Commander, please hear her out." Ukitake tried to reason with the old man.
"You two coming to her defense must mean that you were aware of what she had done and helped her escape. I had a feeling that was the case." Yamamoto spoke, disappointed colouring in his voice. "Unforgivable!" he bellowed.
"Aizen played a part in the crime!" Chisaki immediately said before she lost the chance to say it. She needed to at least get that out there before anything else because she couldn't keep staying out any longer. And she was worried when she saw Katsuko fret over Ichigo. "He did it with his Zanpakuto! You heard Lieutenant Kotetsu! His Zanpakuto can do complete hypnosis!"
Ichigo uttered an apology for the inconvenience as Katsuko helped up stand on his feet, supporting his weight as she looped his arm around her shoulders and put hers around him. She only huffed and brushed off his apology, telling him he didn't need to apologize for something like this.
"Thanks." Ichigo said
"No problem." Katsuko replied. "Let's get you healed up."
"Inoue's down Sokyoku Hill with everyone else." he informed and then winced. "I hurried all the way up after that announcement and left them behind."
Katsuko's eyebrows rose with surprise. "After fighting Rukia's brother?"
"Well, what else was I going to do? Rukia was in danger again."
Blinking at him, Katsuko cocked her head curiously at that. "What happened before I got here though? I figured she was a target but I don't know why."
Ichigo recalled what Aizen told him about what Urahara and it made him sigh. He didn't want to think about that right now. He just wanted to heal up and rest for a bit. "Uh, I'll tell you later."
"Kurosaki! Hiragi-san!" that was Ishida's voice.
"Kurosaki-kun! Hiragi-san!"
The two looked to the side and found Ishida leading the group. Inoue, Ganju and Chad were running behind him. They arrived up the hill pretty fast considering how high it was. "Ah, well, here they are." Katsuko was amused at how Ganju looked like he was dying from climbing all those stairs. Flash step was probably not something he practiced often. "I won't have to drag your ass down the stairs for six hours."
"I can still move, you know? I'm not disabled." He deadpanned as he looked at her. He caught her grinning and giggling once she sensed his eyes on her. The fact that she was grinning like a fool, as she sometimes did, in front of the people who were once their enemy just minutes ago made him feel like it was all over.
He eyed the cracks on her face and wondered if Inoue could possibly do something to make them disappear.
"I shouldn't try to crack a joke and risk making you laugh." Katsuko giggled to herself while adjusting her grip on his wrist as they started moving.
"You would be the type of person to do that." Ichigo chuckled a bit and then winced, making Katsuko laugh silently at his own goof.
All of a sudden, Katsuko was pulled from behind. Her eyes grew wide and her arm around Ichigo ended up being somewhat outstretched to him from being handled like a doll. Stumbling from her lack of support, Ichigo's face expressed alarm when he saw her get forcefully pulled away by Chisaki. He saw them move to a less crowded part of Sokyoku Hill. Katsuko's Zanpakuto clattered on the ground at his feet.
"Chisaki-chan, wait!" Ukitake tried to stop her. He didn't want her to run off again.
"The hell?!" Katsuko leaned her head away in confusion when Chisaki wrapped an arm around her neck and brought her closer to her. It looked like Chisaki was holding her hostage.
"Oi!" Ichigo yelled angrily, glaring at Chisaki while holding his side. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Don't think you'll be able to run away this time, Naogoma Chisaki. You won't get far." Yamamoto informed her as a warning. "However, if you turn yourself in now, I am willing to listen to what you have to say for yourself." with how things turned out and how she had mentioned Aizen playing a part in her crime, he was truly willing to listen to what she had to say.
Chisaki held the old man's stare for a while. She was scared. But, even if she was scared, she wanted to trust the old man's words. It's not like she had a choice anyway. There was truly no way to escape this time.
Katsuko tried pulling away from her. But god, this person was strong!
"Stop moving." Chisaki tightened her hold on her by wrapping an arm around her, pinning her arms to her sides. Katsuko growled and started making moves to stomp on Chisaki's foot or ramming her foot into her shin. Yeah, she could have gotten herself killed by moving so much in a hostage situation, but it was better than standing idly. Katsuko didn't want to get involved in this girl's problems! Wasn't she the reason why she recklessly attacked that traitor Captain just a moment ago? Wasn't she the reason why kept feeling like she was losing a grip on herself?
"I will not run anymore." Chisaki responded to the Captain Commander, but her hold on Katsuko just tightened when she felt her try to break free again. "But coming out of her body took too much effort." Chisaki was now looking at Ukitake as she spoke, hoping he would at least understand what she was trying saying. She didn't have time. "I need to rest for a while and undo the seals. I swear I won't run. I'm not going anywhere."
Seals? Ichigo was lost.
Before anyone could do something, Chisaki emitted blue light with her body and then disappeared. Feeling the restraint on her disappear, Katsuko took a few steps away from where she was and looked behind to see that Chisaki was gone. What just happened? Katsuko's gaze met Ichigo's when she turned to look at him, silently giving him a look of pure confusion. Expelling a tired and annoyed sigh, Katsuko was about to take a step forward to go back to Ichigo, until her body glowed blue for a brief moment.
A beat.
"Ugh!" The black haired girl's face twisted in pain and she hunched over.
Then it clicked for Ukitake.
"Has Squad 4 arrived yet?!" Ukitake looked around quickly. He didn't know how much damage the girl had suffered during her time in the Seireitei. But that guilty look Chisaki had on her face was enough to tell him that it was bad.
One. Right arm.
Katsuko hissed.
Two. Three. The carved V into her body by Hisagi Shuuhei.
She dropped on her knees.
Four. Five. Left shoulder and right arm again.
She collapsed on the ground with a huff.
Six. Aizen's attack. It overlapped with the wounds she got from Hisagi.
All the wounds she received from the start, aside from the ones she healed in the Study Chamber, now returned to her. It all came back to her in one shot. Needless to say, it was so painful. Her wounds didn't magically disappear. They had been sealed away by Chisaki the entire time. And now, the seals were removed and she was left to bleed out profusely.
"Katsuko!" Ichigo shouted. He was limping towards her after his body refused to let him run, ignoring Inoue's worried voice that was telling him to slow down.
The girl put a hand where Aizen slashed her, feeling her blood soak her fingers, her cheek pressing against the rocky ground, while she struggled to take a deep breath.
Hurts…
OOF. KATSUKO IS NOT HAVING A GOOD TIME.
OK.
I FINALLY WROTE ONE OF THE SCENES I'VE BEEN DYING TO WRITE. FINALLY! Maaaan, I used to listen to the frigging Senna ost track and imagine the scene with Aizen and Katsuko/Chisaki (obviously it didn't turn out quite as I imagined after writing all the details but still). We'll look more into Chisaki and Katsuko in the next chapter! There's still a lot more secrets that need to be uncovered!
Ahhh, and I was so nervous and hesitant to post this because I kept adjusting some things in this chapter since I wanted to get it right. I ended up combining two chapters together since I felt like it would end weirdly if I stuck with one.
Anyway! Katsuko's Bankai!
Arashihoro Saikaza (嵐滅裁風: Storm of Destruction Winds of Judgement)
Bakuhō (爆風: Exploding Wind)
Gengetsu Reppū (弦月烈風: Crescent Moon Gale)