Chapter 12: I Gave Up Giving Up
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Zanpakutō"
"Hollows/Vizard"
"{Speaking a different language}"
AN: Holy fuck balls. Another chapter already. Real talk: I've been hogging the sole brain cell me and my friends have between us.
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Late Morning, Third Day of the Ryoka Invasion
Momo woke up slowly. Looking around blearily, it took her some time to recognize her surroundings. 'Captain Aizen's room? But why- oh! Right, I couldn't sleep and came here for advice. Captain Aizen must have let me sleep here.' As her awareness properly returned, the young woman caught sight of the clock on the wall. "EH?! I'm late!" Quickly as she could, Momo tidied up her uniform and ran out the door.
As she hurried towards the upcoming lieutenant's meeting, the raven-haired lieutenant came across a fork in the road. In another time, she'd have turned right, aiming to take a shortcut and would have stumbled across the corpse of her beloved captain. But today, she sensed an unknown yet unusually powerful Reiatsu signature not far off. "Huh? Is that… it must be one of the Ryoka!" Making a snap decision, she disappeared in a flash of Shunpo, heading towards the unknown presence she felt.
From his perch near his "corpse", Aizen Sōsuke felt Momo veer off in an unexpected direction. A slight frown marred his face as she went. "A shame. I had hoped to see her reaction to my death. Well, I suppose even the best of plans run into minor kinks now and then."
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That Afternoon
Candice woke up near instantly. Keeping her eyes closed and her body limp, she utilized her great-grandfather's old advice: If you fall asleep in enemy territory, don't give away that you're awake until you know who's around. Granted, he also said that America should've let the Nazis take England and to never trust a woman with no gag reflex, but there were a few kernels of wisdom mixed in with his ramblings. Reaching out as carefully and thoroughly as she could with her senses, Candice strained to figure out where she was and who might be nearby. Bambietta was close. Very close. In fact, she was probably within arm's reach if the Irishwoman wasn't wrong. Her friend also felt much healthier than she'd expected. 'Then again, it's best to have prisoners healthy before questioning. Can't have them dying too easily after all.' She herself was still hurting in places she knew she'd been injured, but it was a far cry from the agony she expected. Noting her aches and pain also caused the Quincy to realize something else. 'Why the fuck am I naked? …Well, no soreness in either of my holes so they probably haven't been fucking my unconscious body at least. Last thing anyone needs: Ghost rape.'
Returning her attention to her surroundings, Candice felt one- no, two more signatures nearby. She didn't know their Reiatsu signatures offhand but they were familiar enough that they were probably friendlies. Though the second one felt… fucky, for lack of a better term. "You can stop playing possum you know," an unknown, and completely unexpected, voice sounded, "I was in the Stealth Forces before you invented the telegraph. Neat invention that was, by the way. Kisuke loved it. At any rate, I felt your Reiatsu tense the moment you woke up, Candice." Realizing the jig was up, so to speak, Candice opened her eyes to glare at… a nude black woman.
"The fuck?!" She couldn't help but explain. In other circumstances, Candice would have no problem admitting this chocolate dream was beyond sexy. But right now, she was caught up in the fact that said woman was nude and knew her name. "Who the hell are you?"
Her golden eyes alight with mischief, the woman smiled and tossed her purple hair. "Do I really mean so little to you that you don't remember me? And after all we've been through together too," She declared melodramatically. As she spoke, she touched her forehead with the back of her hand and clutched at her heart dramatically. "Oh, how cruel you are!" Positively not in the mood for the stranger's games, Candice felt for her Schrift. In a heartbeat, the woman's demeanor changed, instantly turning serious and reproachful. "None of that. You're not nearly healed enough to be using that lightning trick again."
With a put-upon sigh, the dark-skinned woman said, "I suppose it can't be helped. None of you have actually seen me in this form before. Perhaps you'd better recognize me if-" A burst of smoke suddenly enveloped her. When it cleared, the woman had been replaced by a familiar black cat, "I look like this."
Candice blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. "You know," she started, her voice oddly detached, "I feel like I should be freaking out that you change from Nubian Goddess to Chinese dinner, but I'm kinda stuck on the fact you sound like an 80-year-old man in that form."
"Hahahaha!" With a burst of laughter and another explosion of smoke, Yoruichi changed back into her human form. "A disguise like that is hardly very useful if I still sound like myself, wouldn't you say? And I'm not from Nubia. In fact, I was born in Soul Society."
"How the hell does that work? Being born in the afterlife?" God, that was like that one movie where some guy woke up dead… somehow.
In a faux educational tone, Yoruichi replied, "Well, when a woman and half a dozen men love each other very much (or she lost a bet,) they all work together to fuck her into a broken mess. Rinse and repeat until she's knocked up and there you have it!" Her teasing smirk falling off her face, the woman remarked, "But we're pretty far off topic at this point. I've been keeping an eye on you kids, making sure you didn't get yourselves killed." Under her breath, she muttered, "Didn't expect that to be a fulltime job. Five damn encounters with captains in five days."
Switching to a louder voice, Yoruichi said, "So anytime one of you was too injured to keep going or just otherwise about to die, I stepped in and saved your cute little ass." She squatted down, knowing but uncaring how this put her hairless sex on perfect display, and held a glowing hand over Candice's thigh. "Well, you won't be running around without further healing but you're not going to die of your injuries anytime soon. Sadly, I'm proficient with healing Kidō, but I'm far from an expert. Not to mention that I've had to split my time between all four of you." As she spoke, Yoruichi moved to check on each of the others. Sitting up enough to follow her movements, Candice saw Bambi laying on a futon next to her and a little further away, closer to the entrance of the apparent safe house, were Tatsuki and Ichigo. It seemed like the other three were all still unconscious. "In another few hours, I'll feel comfortable moving you lot to Kisuke's hidden training grounds. Among other things, there's a hot spring there that will accelerate your healing."
Feeling herself growing tired, Candice laid back down and asked, "And then what? What do we do once we're all healed up?"
Yoruichi shrugged in reply. "We'll figure it out from there. But I've got a couple of ideas."
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A Couple Hours Earlier
Hurrying along the pathway, Orihime simultaneously tried to keep track of Tatsuki's battle and ignore it. On the one hand, she desperately wanted to make sure her best friend and lover was alright. On the other hand, she knew it was a distraction she didn't need and she should focus on her task. Her distraction was such that she didn't notice the incoming Kidō until it was too late. From just behind her on the right came the crimson orb of a Shakkahō. Not having enough time to call on her Shun Shun Rikka, Orihime dove forward to avoid the blast as best she could. Though the Hadō exploded behind her rather than directly hitting her, she was still thrown forwards by the explosion, the heat searing her skin even as the shockwave threw her to the ground.
"Gah!" Orihime cried out in pain. Her legs and back were both peppered with second degree burns. Yet even as she tumbled, she invoked her powers, "S-santen Kesshun! Sōten Kisshun!" Five points of light broke off from her hair clips, leaving only a tiny fragment of each behind. Two quickly formed a dome over her body, healing her injuries and restoring her burnt uniform. The other three created a large triangular shield between the schoolgirl and her unseen assailant. Another Shakkahō impacted the shield followed by a third, but it held strong, even as the healing dome dispersed.
Before her appeared a young woman, her black hair tied back in a cloth-covered bun. "I don't know why you've invaded, but surrender Ryoka, and your life will be spared!" Curiously, she held her hands out like she was a Dragonball character about to fire a ki blast, while her Zanpakutō remained sheathed.
Bringing her hands up to her hairpins, Orihime shook her head. "I can't do that. Tatsuki-chan entrusted me to save Kurotsuchi-san. Please, I don't want to fight you. Just stand aside."
"I am Hinamori Momo, Lieutenant of 5th Division. I won't disgrace my position or Captain Aizen by failing in my duty!" the Shinigami declared boldly.
Her expression resolute, Orihime returned, "And I won't fail my friends! Tsubaki, Koten Zanshun!" A golden-yellow mote of light broke off her hairpin and streaked towards Momo.
However, the young lieutenant swiftly drew her Zanpakutō and held it in front of her, one hand braced against the back of her blade. "Bakudō #39, Enkōsen!" A large spinning disk of yellow Reiatsu formed in front of her blade and deflected the attack. Even as Tsubaki flew back to Orihime, Momo brought her off hand away from her Zanpakutō and chanted, "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!" As she chanted, an orb of yellow lighting formed above her palm. Thrusting her hand towards Orihime, she cried, "Hadō #63 Raikōhō!"
The energy shot forward, resembling a bolt of lightning. It slammed directly into Orihime's shield and while the shield halted the attack, it also shattered afterwards, the multiple attacks it had taken proving too much. Rather than stand still and let her opponent attack again, Orihime fired off Tsubaki once more while running parallel to her enemy. This time, Momo was more active in her countering. "Snap, Tobiume!" Her Zanpakutō's blade straightened, turning into a double-edged sword with three prongs sprouting from the edges of the blade.
Momo rapidly swung her Shikai at Tsubaki before turning and swinging it towards Orihime. From the blade launched a pair of fireballs, one heading for each target. However, while her back was turned, Momo missed Tsubaki suddenly dodging around the fireball launched at him. As such, while she fully expected Santen Kesshun to block her second attack, she was unprepared for Koten Zanshun to cut into her side. But she was a lieutenant, and Momo dodged to the side as soon as she felt the impact. She didn't move quickly enough to escape harm entirely, but what would have been a debilitating injury instead was merely an aggravating one.
To her surprise, she found her buxom adversary charging her. But the orangette only managed about half the distance before she became stuck on something. Momo smirked as an orange Reiatsu net appeared in the area around her. "Hadō #12, Fushibi. And now," The short woman brought her Zanpakutō up to a part of the net attached to her badge, "Hadō 31, Shakkahō." The net was consumed in a massive explosion, engulfing the entire area. The Shinigami surveyed the area as the smoke cleared over the next several seconds. "There. That should do… it. Oh, come on!"
From within the smoke was the frustratingly familiar golden-yellow glow of Santen Kesshun. A sudden breeze cleared away the rest of the smoke, making it painfully obvious that the Ryoka was barely harmed. Worse, even as she watched, a dome of that same golden-yellow engulfed her and healed what damage Momo had dealt. In a fit of pique, she shouted, "Your powers are bullshit!" Taking a deep breath, she centered herself once more. "Fine. I'll just use an attack that even your shield won't be able to block!"
The young lieutenant resealed and sheathed her Zanpakutō before clapping her hands together and chanting, "Worldly calamity. Awakened giant. Overrun the seas and split the clouds. Scattered winds, frozen whispers. My right hand shines with power. My left hand rages with determination. Roar with defiance and strike down the mountain! Hadō #89, Dai Yōgan Nami!" At the end of her chant, Momo pressed her palms to the ground. Directly in front of her, the ground smoked then melted as a pool of lava quickly formed. The molten rock spread out before rising up into a wave. Once it reached its maximum height, it stood nearly two and a half meters tall and fifteen meters wide. It held position for just a moment before rushing towards Orihime at an alarming speed. The schoolgirl tensed and made her move even as the tsunami slammed into her position.
Though her view of the Ryoka was obscured by both the lava and the massive clouds of smoke pouring off it, Momo kept a close eye above the tsunami she'd created. 'If she's going to evade, it will be above.' From above and to her left, Koten Zanshun came soaring towards her. A quick Shakkahō knocked the attack away. Momo's eye caught Santen Kesshun peaking above the lava wave from that direction as well. However, she noticed her adversary's attacking ability veering off to her right. 'Her attack always returns to her afterwards. That must be where she is. Clever to send out her attacks in the opposite direction to throw me off.' Sure enough, she could spot Orihime's form through the smoke. 'Without her shield, she won't be able to defend herself!' "Not today! Bakudō #30, Shitotsu Sansen!" Momo quickly traced an inverted triangle, three more solidified triangles forming from its points. All three triangles fired and struck the target dead on! …Pinning the empty Shihakusho to the ground.
A form swiftly moved behind Momo from her left side. An arm wrapped around her throat as another loosened her sash. As Tobiume clattered to the floor, Orihime kicked it away from the pair of them before bringing her other arm up to reinforce her choke hold. "My trainer was very rigorous in making sure I understood misdirection. And how to take advantage of other's assumptions," She quietly told the Shinigami. 'Damnit! She knew I'd assume she would try to throw me off! She was… to the left… the whole… time…' Momo's thoughts faded out as she lost consciousness, her enemy having cut off circulation to her brain rather than her airflow.
Though her enemy was unconscious, Orihime took the time to apologize, "I'm sorry, by the way. We're not here to hurt anyone." Moving as fast as she could, Orihime bound the downed lieutenant's limbs with her own sash. Seeing that Momo's Kidō had dissipated with her unconsciousness, Orihime gathered up her borrowed Shihakusho and dressed swiftly before departing once more.
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If Sado was honest, and he usually was, he was getting really tired of the same old scenery. Every pathway looked the same as the one before it and if not for the plateau in the distance, he'd assume they were running in circles. At least there were fewer patrols to deal with. They weren't dangerous but they were aggravating. Running beside him, Ganju continued to talk, seemingly just to fill the silence. While they weren't friends, Sado didn't mind the other man and occasionally asked him a question, partly to show he was listening.
The first sign something was wrong was when dozens of black marks appeared on their bodies. The pain hit a moment later. Like needles pricking his body all over, it was widespread but not especially excruciating. "What the hell was that?!" Ganju exclaimed in shock. Not answering, Sado inspected one of the marks on his arm. It looked like a four petaled flower, or perhaps a stylized butterfly.
"That was the first part of my Nigeki Kessatsu," A woman's voice explained. Looking behind them, the pair saw a very short woman in a captain's haori, her black hair tied back in two long cloth-covered braids. On her right hand was a gold and black gauntlet that ended in a claw or stinger like blade on her middle finger. "If I hit you in any of those Hōmonka a second time, you will die instantly. Surrender Ryoka! This is your only warning!"
Ganju didn't take it well. "Shit. Shitshitshit. What should we do, big guy? …Big guy?" Looking to his right, Ganju saw Sado silently raise his hands in surrender. "Hey, what the hell?"
Sado shrugged, his arms still raised. "She can kill us with one more attack and already landed dozens faster than we could see. I'm willing to fight to the end, but we won't help Ichigo or anyone else by dying pointlessly." Raising his voice, the large teen addressed the captain, "We surrender."
"I- fuck. Yeah, you're right." Putting his hands up as well, Ganju confirmed, "What he said, we surrender."
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A Couple Hours After Sunset, Second Night of the Ryoka Invasion
On the upper levels of the Seireitei, Ichigo stopped in his tracks. "You gonna come out? Or you gonna keep half-assing your stealth like that?" He knew someone was nearby and trying to stay hidden. But they had nothing on Yoruichi. He'd only dealt with that cat a few times but Ichigo could never sense him unless he was allowed to. Now, it was possible that whoever he was addressing currently wasn't half-assing anything. Maybe they were doing their best to sneak around and simply weren't as good at it. Or maybe they were genuinely so weak that their signature was that small naturally. But Ichigo doubted it. He was certain: whoever was following him was much stronger than they let on.
He was proven right moments later as a section of the wall behind him seemingly bulged out it in the shape of a man. The surface of the "wall" flaked away to reveal the person Ichigo hated most in this or any world: Kurotsuchi Mayuri. "Well, well," He mockingly drawled, "It seems even an absolute simpleton like you isn't completely blind. Congratulations."
Drawing Eien-ō, Ichigo stated, "You've been looking for me." It wasn't a question.
"Personally looking? Heavens no. Such inefficient methods are beneath me. Instead, I used these," The clown-faced scientist gestured and a small cloud of what looked like flies flew from his sleeve. "Marvelous, aren't they? A few thousand drones buzzing all over the Seireitei, catching some rather interesting information." Here, his voice became even more vicious as Mayuri gave a smile that was all teeth. "You know, you brought some very interesting specimens to me. While the Quincy are of no interest, three of the others have abilities I've never encountered before." He sighed in mock regret, "If not for the sheer inconvenience you caused me in getting my idiot daughter killed, I'd be inclined to thank you. But instead, I think you will just have to make do with being a specimen alongside your friends!"
With that, Mayuri launched his left arm at Ichigo, the limb separating into multiple sections with an explosion of blood. Ichigo's reflexes allowed him to dodge and slice the hand as it neared him, partially severing four fingers off it. To his surprise, the limb then exploded after being damaged, knocking him backwards and lightly singeing his body. As Ichigo quickly got to his feet, Mayuri sneered, "Hmf. I can't say I'm surprised. You did manage to defeat that oaf Abarai, after all." The mad scientist grabbed his arm right where it had separated and casually broke it off. Taking out a small syringe filled with an unknown liquid, he injected it into his stump. Before Ichigo's very eyes, the flesh bubbled and grew outwards into a new arm. Knowing an opening when he saw it, he Shunpo'd towards his enemy, releasing his Shikai as he did so. With his blade high, Ichigo sought to cleave the captain in twain.
However, Mayuri nigh instantly drew his Zanpakutō and parried the teen's attack. "Impudent brat. You'll never harm me with such a pathetic attack."
"I don't want to hurt you. I want to kill you," Ichigo growled. He slashed again, this time from Mayuri's left side. But again, he was parried. A hew towards the man's leg was similarly deflected. As was a thrust aimed at his belly.
"Do your ears work, boy? I said you'll never harm me like that. I've installed a sensor in my Zanpakutō that lets me automatically parry any sword technique." Even as he spoke, Kurotsuchi parried another swing. "What did I just-" He was interrupted by a punch breaking his nose. "Oh? So you can learn after all. In that case, rip Ashisogi Jizō." His Zanpakutō transformed, now looking like a golden deformed trident of sorts. The three blades were curved and twisted with the middle one longer and somewhat straighter than the outer blades. Meanwhile, the hilt resembled a baby's head with its hands clasped in prayer.
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Deep in the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, the 3rd Seat of 12th Division and current head of the Spiritual Wave Measurement Department Akon found a crowd of his fellow scientists watching a bank of monitors. Pushing his way to the front, he saw what exactly they were all starting at. Onscreen, Captain Kurotsuchi was fighting another Shinigami, albeit one that Akon didn't recognize. "What's going on here?"
He was answered by Rin Tsubokura, the division's 7th Seat and head of the Communication Technology Department. The meek brunette said, "Captain's fighting one of the Ryoka, and they've actually managed to injure him!"
Hiyosu, the head of Gigai Development, added, "And with those drones the Captain made, we get to watch the whole thing. I haven't been this excited since Lieutenant Kurotsuchi's Gigai was delivered."
Akon grimaced as he remembered that day. While Hiyosu definitely knew more about Gigai than anyone in the SRDI, minus the captain, his fascination with them often crossed the line between scientific curiosity and perverse indulgence. On the one hand, nobody else found the maker's mark on the lieutenant's Gigai, which only Akon had recognized as belonging to his former captain, Urahara Kisuke. On the other hand, Akon would rather not know what possessed Hiyosu to check the vulval vestibule of all places. Discarding such unsettling thoughts, Akon asked, "So this is what my department was up to rather than their jobs?"
Snacking on some mochi, Rin answered, "Not just yours. Seems like most of the division is watching the fight live. I mean, can you blame them? Not often do we get to see Captain in action. Not safely anyway."
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Ichigo Shunpo'd backwards immediately. He remembered Yoruichi mentioning what that Shikai could do. If he got cut, he'd be paralyzed instantly. 'Best to fight at a distance.' "Yūrei no ken!" He declared. Instantly, a dozen duplicates of Eien-ō formed around him. With a mental command, they all launched at his adversary. While his control over so many was rudimentary at best, Ichigo reckoned that if Mayuri needed a sensor in his Zanpakutō to parry attacks, then he probably wasn't much of a swordsman. Three swords slashed at Mayuri from the front as another trio attempted to impale him from behind. The man's sword automatically came up and deflected the three in front of him before attempting to do the same with the trio behind. Unfortunately, they weren't grouped up and he only parried two before the third stabbed him in the hip.
The captain barely reacted to the injury, even when the copy of Eien-ō twisted and attempted to stab deeper. Instead, he simply broke the blade with his bare hand, causing the entire sword to dissipate. "Ah, so that is the trick? They can't maintain their form past a certain damage threshold." The remaining eleven swords closed in from all angles but Mayuri simply pointed his left hand palm up towards the sky and uttered, "Hadō #58, Tenran." A tornado formed from his palm, catching every sword in the cyclone and hurling them up and away from him. A silent Shakkahō followed and destroyed them all.
Gritting his teeth, Ichigo summoned another six blades, but before he could do anything, his enemy appeared before him, his sword already in motion. Ichigo tried to jump away, but the very tip of Mayuri's Shikai scratched him. Instantly, his body stopped responding to his commands and he fell limply to the ground, tumbling until he came to a stop, flat on his back.
"That's better. Your Zanpakutō is nothing special but you are a rather troublesome pest you know." Walking up to Ichigo's prone form, Mayuri took a moment to stomp on his ankle. Ichigo cried out in pain as the bones shattered. "Why, because of you, I have to create an entirely new assistant. Nemuri Hachigō, to replace the Nemuri Nanagō your actions have cost me." Pausing again, the mad scientist stabbed Ashisogi Jizō through Ichigo's palm, nailing it to the ground. Once more, Ichigo screamed. "Worse, my backup files are out of date. Do you have any idea how many days of work that is going to add to construction time? Of course you don't; you're little more than a caveman with a sharp stick." Another stab, this time to the shoulder. However, as he was distracted tormenting the schoolboy below him, he had stopped paying attention to the floating blades. All six surged forwards, aiming to impale his torso. Mayuri's Zanpakutō parried two of them even as the other four sank into his flesh.
With a growl of rage, the man lashed out with his Reiatsu, destroying all six swords at once. "I can't believe a whelp like you has made me use my Hojiku-Zai twice now!" Injecting himself with another syringe, he ranted, "Do you have any idea how much this stings?!" Even as he spoke, his flesh knitted itself back together, his damaged organs healing themselves as well.
"Still, I suppose it's not all bad news. Your comrades will make for a great deal of research material. Why, one of them has shown the ability to restore body parts. Not only will it make for so many more tests of the limits of her healing, but I won't have to use any of my medicines to restore her and her friends when they become too damaged." As he spoke, the psychopathic clown cut, sliced, stabbed, and stomped on various parts of Ichigo's body. Each time, he took care to avoid anything critical. "Do you think the dragon girl will still be able to use her powers without limbs? What about the boy? If I remove his right arm, will his power manifest in his left? What new chemicals will I be able to derive from them? Oh, I haven't been this excited since I was given free reign over 12th Division!" A grin of far greater bloodlust than even Zaraki could manage on his face, Mayuri took a moment to consider his prey. While the injuries he'd given the boy weren't terribly critical on their own, they would kill him within the next hour or so if left untreated.
"You know, some might decide to leave you to your slow painful death. They'd think it's what you deserve for crossing them. However, I am a scientist. Leaving such a thing to chance merely guarantees you'll somehow survive and come back for revenge. And honestly, I do not have time for such nonsense. As such, consider this a gift." Positioning his Zanpakutō directly above Ichigo's heart, Mayuri continued, "A quick death. Just to make sure I don't have to deal with you again."
His voice long since given out from his screaming, Ichigo watched helplessly as the blade slowly descended towards his chest. After what felt like an eternity, the sword… stopped entirely. Before he could truly process this, something caught his eye to the side. There, on the opposite side of his body as Mayuri was a pair of armor encased legs. Moving his eyes upward, the only part of him that could move, he saw the armored form of Eien-ō, her face watching him impassively. "I see," she stated, her regal voice echoing. Kneeling down, she placed a hand on Ichigo's shoulder, "Come, Your Majesty. It is time for your next lesson."
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The pair reappeared in Ichigo's Inner World, this time in the field of swords, atop a small hill. Ichigo looked around in surprise. Everything was as he remembered it, from the green skies to the floating islands to the castle in the distance. Even more shocking, all his injuries had disappeared. "Why are we here?" He asked his Zanpakutō, "What about my fight?"
Eien-ō turned and walked away, calling over her shoulder, "Your fight against that man will wait, Your Majesty. Your lesson will not." Pausing, she removed a sword from the ground and held it up for inspection. The weapon in question was an outright massive straight sword, the blade longer than her entire body and wider than the length of her forearm. Despite this, she held it easily in a single hand as she looked it over. "Yes, this one will do. Catch, Your Majesty." The knightly woman casually tossed the oversized hunk of metal to Ichigo.
Though he attempted to catch it, Ichigo was unprepared for the sheer weight of the thing. It easily weighed far more than he did and he toppled over from its momentum. Hauling himself to his feet, Ichigo took a closer look at the ridiculous weapon he was expected to use. "What am I supposed to do with this? It doesn't even have a cutting edge! It's just a lump of metal shaped like a sword!"
Looking at him with detached amusement, the blonde answered, "I thought it was obvious, Your Majesty." From every direction, a heavy fog rolled in. Within moments, Ichigo couldn't see more than a few meters in any direction. The female knight stepped backwards until only her glowing green eyes were visible as she said, "Survive." With that, even her eyes disappeared.
Ichigo took up a defensive stance, his arms straining with the weight of his sword, and waited. All of his senses worked overtime to sense the attack he knew would come. The fog seemed to dampen not only his vision but his other senses as well. Sound, smell, even his ability to sense Reiatsu, all were deadened to near uselessness. It was like the world ceased to exist entirely and he was left in a void. All that truly remained was touch. The ground beneath his feet, the sword in his hands, those were the entirety of his world.
After several seconds that each lasted an eternity, Ichigo finally heard something other than his own breathing: a clanking sound, metal jostling against metal. Heavy footsteps, someone approaching. The sounds echoed from every direction. Finally, a form appeared from the mist. Completely encased in armor stood some kind of knight. Standing around two and a half meters tall, his armor was white and covered in bone designs. From the stylized ribcage on his breastplate to the fangs on his pauldrons to his helmet that was shaped like a skull with a row of horns like a crown. His eyes were a glowing yellow and resembled hitodama more than actual eyes. But most importantly, the knight held Eien-ō's Shikai in his hands. "So you are the one." Some distant part of Ichigo's mind noted that he wasn't even surprised the knight's voice echoed with power. "Very well. Shall we begin?"
In an instant, the knight was upon him, moving far faster than anything so large had any right to. Ichigo brought his sword up to block, but his enemy's raw strength sent him flying backwards. He crashed into the flat of one of the many swords implanted in the ground, though his own was lost as its momentum carried it further afield. The schoolboy barely had a moment to gather his bearings before his foe reappeared, lashing out with a kick that broke through the sword he was leant against. Rolling to his feet, Ichigo grabbed the first weapon he could find, a Dao sword that promptly split into two separate blades.
This time, when the skeleton knight attacked, Ichigo dodged rather than trying to block. Maneuvering around the armored giant, he stabbed one of the Dao into his opponent's armpit, only for a screech of metal to reveal that it was armored as well. His hesitation cost him as he was promptly backhanded across the face. "Clever. Abandoning a worthless weapon and aiming for your opponent's weaknesses. And here I was worried you might fight honorably," The knight complimented.
"Fuck that!" Ichigo spat, "My goal is to survive, right? That means making sure I kill you!" He threw a Dao towards the knight's eye and dashed off into the mist.
The knight caught the thrown weapon and crushed the blade in a single gauntleted hand. "Now you're getting it. Unfortunately for you," The behemoth took a bracing stance and swung Eien-ō horizontally. The sheer pressure of his attack dissipating the fog before him for dozens of meters. "We're not playing by the same rules." Though the fog returned with unnatural swiftness, he'd spotted Ichigo's form nonetheless.
With a great leap, he flew through the air, crashing down mere centimeters from Ichigo's position. The teen barely dove out of the way, tumbling into a kneeling position. From there, he revealed that he'd gathered several short blades, each of which he promptly flung towards his enemy. Some went wide but enough found their mark to force the knight to waste time blocking and deflecting. In those precious seconds, Ichigo looped around him and performed a running shoulder tackle at his upper back. His enemy stumbled, but he didn't fall. Instead, he grabbed Ichigo by his upper robe and slammed him to the ground. Bringing his leg up, the knight stomped down on his chest. The air driven from his lungs, Ichigo gasped desperately in pain as he felt his ribs break. 'D-damnit. I can't beat him. Not like this.'
As the knight raised his leg for another stomp, Ichigo rolled away, kicking at his armored ankle while he was off-balance. Quickly scrambling for another blade, Ichigo grabbed a rapier and stabbed it into his foe's eye. With a roar that was more anger than agony, the giant threw Ichigo away from him before standing up and plucking the blade from his eye socket. The ghostly light had gone out within its helmet. "You're going to die screaming for that, insolent whelp!"
Though Ichigo quickly hid once more in the mist, his enemy didn't pursue. Just in case, Ichigo made sure to move behind his enemy and to the side. If the knight pulled that mist cleaving move again, he didn't want to be spotted so easily. But instead, his enemy… laughed. "O~hohoho! Did you forget, Ichigo? Did you forget your own Zanpakutō's abilities?" Suddenly, a whirlwind of violet Reishi formed around him, blowing away the mist for several meters. At the same time, his empty eye socket filled once more with a yellow glow. The knight raised Eien-ō high and declared, "Yūrei no ken!" Unlike the dozen or so swords Ichigo could conjure, his adversary created three rings of blades around himself, facing every direction at once. He barely had time to comprehend this fact before they all launched outwards.
Despite his best efforts to dodge, one duplicate of Eien-ō stabbed through his calf, sending him tumbling to the ground with a cry of pain. "There you are!" In a burst of speed, the behemoth was upon Ichigo in a heartbeat. "No more tricks. No more hiding. Nothing but you, me, and your inevitable death." In a move reminiscent of Mayuri earlier, the skeleton knight held Eien-ō above Ichigo's body and stabbed downwards, aiming to pierce his heart.
'I can't do this. I can't do this alone! I need help! Eien-ō, please, help me!' A moment before impact, Eien-ō vanished from the knight's grasp, reappearing in Ichigo's hand. "What!?" Shocked, but knowing not to waste his advantage, Ichigo lunged upwards, his Zanpakutō piercing his opponent's armor as easily as the mist around them. The blade penetrated right through the knight and came out his back, dripping with blackened blood. The lights went out in his helmet for good and he crumbled to dust before Ichigo's very eyes.
As the fog vanished, Eien-ō herself appeared before Ichigo. A warm smile on her face, she reached her hand down towards him. Ichigo grinned himself and took it, letting his Zanpakutō spirit haul him to his feet. Even as she effortlessly lifted him, Ichigo noted that all his injuries were gone as though they had never occurred to begin with. "I trust you understood the lesson, Your Majesty?" For all that she had just thrown him into mortal combat, her tone was almost teasing.
"Yeah. Yeah, I got it. Not sure nearly dying was necessary though."
"Experience is the most effective teacher. Rather than merely inform Your Majesty that you should ask for help, I felt it better to show you," She lectured him. The smile dropping off her face, she looked upwards at him with an expression of pure resolve, "Now, it is time for you to return, Your Majesty. And slay the one who would threaten your comrades."
Nodding, Ichigo replied, "Yeah, you're right. Will you help me?" He held out his hand towards the shorter woman.
With a cocky smirk he'd never seen on her face before, Eien-ō grasped his forearm, "Of course. I will always be on your side." At that, Ichigo faded away from his Inner World, his consciousness returning to his body. Once he had disappeared, Eien-ō addressed the air, "And you? What will you do?"
"I can hardly claim him for my own if he dies here, now can I?"
-]|[-
Time resumed and Mayuri's Ashisogi Jizō clanged harmlessly off Ichigo's skin. "What?!" In a flash, Ichigo lashed out with Eien-ō. Even though he dodged backwards with Shunpo, the scientist still suffered a deep slash across his belly. Even more surprisingly, he watched the Substitute Shinigami climb back on his feet, despite the fact he should be both paralyzed and suffering a broken ankle. "Some form of enhanced regeneration then? No matter. Not even regeneration will save you. Bankai!"
Mayuri's Zanpakutō glowed with an unholy red Reiatsu as the baby's head on its guard opened its mouth. From within came a massive monstrosity, a giant caterpillar with the golden head and arms of a deformed baby, a silver halo, and a large red cape. The abomination hovered in the air as it breathed out a cloud of purple smoke. "Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō," Mayuri stated with sadistic glee, "Its breath is poisonous to any who breathes it except myself."
The cloud quickly filled the area as it approached Ichigo. In response, his Reiatsu flared. Far more potent than ever before, the golden energy repelled the toxic smoke. 'Let's go, Eien-ō. We'll stop him. Together.' Their golden Reiatsu suffused his Zanpakutō as he held it above his head.
But his enemy was hardly impressed. "Using your Reiatsu to repel the poison won't work for long. But I won't give you the time to wear yourself out. Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō! Kill him!" From its chest, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō extended numerous sword blades. With an unearthly roar, the beast lumbered towards its prey, seeking to skewer him.
The glow suffusing Eien-ō turned into a radiant light, banishing the shadows and kicking up a terrible wind centered around the blade and its wielder. Even as his enemy's Bankai approached, Ichigo remained focused. Once the radiance had grown to the point it seemed he was holding a manifestation of the sun itself, Ichigo gave a roar of his own and swung the blade downwards. "Tenka-Ichiken!"
A golden blast of energy launched from Ichigo's Zanpakutō, following the arc of his swing. The beam decimated all in its path, tearing up the ground as it surged forth like a tidal wave. For a moment, its shine turned night into day as it lit up the area, blinding all, including those observing remotely. When the light finally died down, the truth of the attack's potency was revealed. Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō was obliterated, with only a few scraps of its cape remaining. As for Mayuri himself? His Bankai had taken the brunt of the blast, but it hadn't been enough to save him. Where he had stood, all that remained was a large scorch mark and a single burnt hand.
Completely spent, Ichigo collapsed face-down, his Shikai dissipating. Mere seconds afterwards, Yoruichi appeared beside him. "I'll be damned. You sure know how to pick your enemies, Ichigo. Better get you out of here. That light show will have alerted everyone from here to Sabitsura."
-]|[-
All over the SRDI, Shinigami stared at their screens in shock. After over a minute of silence, Hiyosu muttered, "He- he really killed Captain Kurotsuchi." He couldn't believe it. None of them could. Outside of the 11th Division, no captain had died in over a century. And none had died in combat for three.
A feeling of unease washed over Akon. Dreading the answer, he nonetheless asked Rin, "How many did you say were watching this?" He knew the answer, of course. He just hoped someone would tell him he was wrong.
"M-most of the Division, sir. Anyone who's not asleep, probably," Rin stuttered.
In the wake of such an answer, not to mention the reappearance of the criminal and former captain Shihōin Yoruichi, there was really only one thing the horned scientist could say, "Fuck my life."
-]|[-
AN: Well, we all knew that was coming. I wager, a great deal of you expected it since chapter one, two at the latest. Canonically, Mayuri does care for Nemu in his own twisted way, viewing her as his greatest creation. On the other hand, he's also introduced blowing up his subordinates, stabbing Nemu through the lung to hit Uryū, then stomping on her repeatedly for stating she might die of her injuries. In a way, he treats her like an old beat-up car: sometimes you're proud of your car and sometimes you smack the dash in hopes it'll make something work. At any rate, unlike canon where Nemu willingly put herself in danger to save Mayuri, here she's being killed for disobeying orders. So to him, she's defective and he has to start over.
Hadō #89, Dai Yōgan Nami (Great Lava Wave) is the same Kidō that Tessai used against Ichigo and one I made up myself. Why was Tessai's so much larger despite him not using any chant at all? Because not only is he captain level, but he was the head of the Kidō Corps. If such a thing as a Kidō Grandmaster exists, he's it. I'll admit, I'm not very happy with Orihime's fight but it felt like a case where either they had to be far better or I did for it to be interesting in written form. If it was animated, it could be pretty cool. But Orihime's a sorcerer who can't do much beyond casting Empowered Burning Hand over and over.
For those who don't know, Hojiku-Zai is that drug Mayuri uses on both himself and later Renji and Uryū that will heal even a severed arm but hurts like hell to use.
Now we've seen Eien-ō's other ability. Tenka-Ichiken (One/Greatest Sword Under Heaven), which is heavily based off both Getsuga Tenshō and Excalibur. Because there's no way Ichigo wasn't getting a sword beam. I just wanted to save it for the perfect moment.
Sabitsura is the 64th District in East Rukongai. Just chosen at random as it's one of the few that was named.
Next time on Vow of the King! Momo learns she fucked with the wrong woman and Candice wows Tatsuki with her tits.