Cws for body horror, major character death, and etemephobia apply this chapter.
Gin stared at the monitors in Las Noches' security room. An amused grin crossed his face as he saw the intruders' Kyokkō wobble, two figures leaving the cloak of concealment magic. How darned cute – did those kids seriously think their cameras would be fooled by a silly little spell like that? The naivety almost made him want to chuckle.
Luckily for them, however, Gin didn't really care what they got up to. As funny as it had been to see some jumped-up human swan in and make Aizen kiss his feet, the former Captain couldn't have cared less about Shido and his goals if he tried. There were only two things Gin gave a genuine shit about – Rangiku, and his revenge.
Just because he didn't care about the Phantoms, however, didn't mean they couldn't amuse him. Ignoring the bulk of the group, he instead focused on the little lambs that had sacrificed themselves on the altar of his trap. Gin watched Abarai's mop of red hair with disinterest, but when he saw his companion, the former Captain leaned closer to the screen. Running alongside him was little Miss Kuchiki, or whatever she called herself these days. His fox-like grin deepened, bemusement replaced by malice.
Oh, he could have some fun with this.
Striding out of the security centre, he marched towards the room Shido had claimed as a base. It was technically another throne room (the only thing Aizen loved more than being a pompous jackass was lording over people), though it was a bit less ostentatious than the one Shido had initially invaded. The size was far more reasonable, and the singular throne wasn't so far above the ground you had to strain your voice to be heard. The fact that one of the walls had been removed to show a lovely panorama of the false sky underneath Las Noches' dome was just another perk.
As he approached the human politician, Gin smirked as he saw Aizen – dull and compliant – crouched by the man's side. Oh, how the mighty had fallen. Still, it wasn't time for his vengeance yet, so he ignored his former boss and turned to face Shido instead. Soon, though. Soon.
The human had acclimated to Aizen's throne rather nicely. While the former Captain had liked to pretend he wasn't a tyrant, Shido had no such qualms. He embraced the role as he sat upon the ostentatious chair, fundamentally oblivious to how ridiculous he looked in his spiked helmet and dramatic cape as his brown-nosed cronies scurried around him.
"Ichimaru." His eyes narrowed when he saw the ex-Captain's approach. "Well? Are you here about the situation with the wall?"
"Oh, no – I'm sure you have perfectly under control, Shido-sama." Gin waved a hand dismissively.
The human stiffened, clearly unsure of whether Gin was sincere or if he'd just made an underhanded dig at his expense. It was the latter, of course, but Shido simply didn't know Gin well enough to call him out for it.
"Well, what it is then?" The man sighed, displeased.
Gin whistled. "It looks like we've got some rats scurrying about. Don't fret though, I know juuuuust how to deal with them." He leant forward conspiratorially. "It does, however, require a small favour from yours truly. See, there's this one Espada…"
As the human listened to Gin's plan, the man's eyes lit up in cruel mirth. The ex-Captain smiled – as dumb as Shido was, he could at least appreciate a beautiful act of cruelty. While Aizen had found his subordinate's mind games amusing, he'd never truly respected them as a form of art.
"Very well." The politician nodded. "You have my consent."
…..
Warily, Renji and Rukia marched through Las Noches' halls. The Captain remained on high alert, his instincts screaming. As they advanced, however, no pitfalls opened in the ground and no Arrancar jumped down on them from the ceiling. The redhead gritted his teeth. He wished Ichimaru would just spring his stupid trap already – the suspense was driving him mad. Then again, that was probably the point.
Eventually, the corridor came to an end, leading to a small slit of a door that was dwarfed by the walls surrounding it. The Shinigami exchanged a glance. Renji shrugged, and Rukia walked ahead, opening it – it wasn't like there was anywhere else to go, after all.
As light spilled through the doorway, she paused, eyes wide. "… What?!"
While the exclamation was hardly reassuring, her Reiatsu hadn't spiked, so Renji assumed whatever Rukia had seen wasn't a threat. As he poked his head out of the door, the Captain stilled before rubbing his eyes. Well, he could certainly see what was bugging her. Renji had assumed Las Noches was one solid block of a building, but it seemed that behind the large walls, there was instead a conglomerate of smaller towers, occasionally punctured by larger palaces that dwarfed them like a skyscraper did a house. It seemed they'd left one of said palaces, and were now standing on a narrow bridge connecting it to another one. That wasn't what had taken the Shinigami off-guard, however.
Renji pressed on his earpiece. "Uh, quick question – why the hell is it daylight out here?!"
Halibel sighed. "It's fake – Las Noches' dome simply mimics the human sky. Aizen-sama made it for 'morale'."
Rukia detected the edge to the Espada's voice immediately. "I assume that isn't the real reason?"
"Not entirely, though being able to exist under the light of day IS a symbol of the humanity Aizen-sama has returned to us – a reminder of what we had once lost, but have now regained."
Renji tilted his head, mulling over her words. He'd never really put much thought behind why the Arrancar rallied behind Aizen's banner, dismissing it as a combo of them being his creations along with their base instincts. Everyone knew Hollows did bad shit, after all. Still, when Halibel phrased it like that… by making them Arrancar, Aizen had removed them from the constant cycle of eat-or-be-eaten. They were no longer mere slaves to their instincts. If the bastard had done that for him… maybe Renji would have stuck by the guy's side, even if he was a megalomaniac. While Aizen had done a lot of fucked up things, maybe… maybe making the Arrancar wasn't one of them.
Of course, the moment was ruined by Futaba. "And by not entirely, Halibel means there's some funky readings coming from it."
"While many Arrancar are capable of living in harmony with one another, some… are not." Halibel explained. "Fracción getting into petty squabbles is one thing, but if two Espada decided to settle their differences with violence... it would not be ideal for Las Noches' structural integrity. Hence, the sky's true function – the Espada's powers are dampened under its light. Not by a significant margin, but enough to take the edge off some of our strongest techniques."
Renji noted the information and put it away for later. He supposed it explained why he couldn't see even the slightest hint of life out here – any Arrancar in their right mind would be avoiding it like the plague. The Captain couldn't even feel a breeze on his face.
"Come on." He sighed. "Let's get out of here – this place gives me the creeps."
"Be careful." Futaba warned. "I'm detecting a cluster of Reiatsu ahead of you. You're probs about to trigger Ichimaru's trap."
Marching forward, the nape of Renji's neck prickled as they entered the next palace, the false sunlight baring down on his back replaced by shadow. Instead of the enormous, tall corridors of the previous castle, the roof was low, covered by an oscillating rib-like pattern, and the hallway wide. Renji withdrew his Zanpakutō, the Shinigami on full alert. His reaction was warranted – they walked about five metres into the place, before with a click, the door closed behind them, cutting off the last of the sunlight.
Turning around, he wasn't at all surprised to see an Arrancar standing between them and the exit. They wore a long, frilly coat over their uniform, and a tall mask obscured their head. Renji reached towards his earpiece, hoping Halibel could give him some information on the dude, when suddenly, he spoke.
"There's no need for that. I'm the Noveno Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie." He explained, waving a hand. An immediate wave of alarm ran through Renji. The Arrancar... he was acting normal, and that wasn't normal at all.
Rukia paled, hand immediately resting on Sode no Shirayuki's hilt. "There's something wrong here - Shido's minions aren't meant to be this..."
"Functional?" Aaroniero suggested with a shrug. "You're right, and the reason why should be obvious. I'm not under that man's control." At their clear unease, the Arrancar laughed, revealing his empty hands. "Relax – I have no intention of fighting you. While everything went blank at first, it didn't take me long to fight back against Shido's control."
Oh, Renji did not like this at all.
"Pull the other one." He snorted. If Akira and that Akechi person couldn't shake off Shido's control with pure willpower alone, he doubted some random low-ranked Espada would succeed where they failed. "Why you, and no one else?"
A mirthful chuckle echoed from behind the Arrancar's mask. "Well… let's just say I have experience fighting to keep control of my mind."
Reaching up, the Espada placed one hand on his mask and removed it fluidly. The second the Captain set eyes on the Arrancar's face, a strangled gasp escaped Renji's throat. His reaction was nothing compared to Rukia's, however. A blizzard of Reiatsu swirled around her as she instinctively took a step backwards, skin turning as pale as snow as sweat dripped down from her forehead.
"K-Kaien-sama…?" Her voice was a hoarse whisper as she stared into the face of the man she'd killed. "Is that… really you?"
Renji's instincts screamed as the Espada grinned. "Yeah. It's been a while. You look well, Rukia. Lieutenant, huh? I always knew you had it in you!"
As Kaien, or Aaroniero, or whoever the fuck he was approached them like they were old friends, Rukia took a hesitant step forward. The Lieutenant was stopped in her tracks though as Renji's hand clamped down on her shoulder like a vice.
"Snap out of it!" He hissed. "Remember, Ichimaru was the one to send us here – there's no way in hell this isn't a trap!"
A flicker of surprise flashed through Rukia's eyes before her expression turned steely. When she swivelled back towards Aaroniero, all lingering traces of shock and hope on her face had been drowned out by a hearty dose of suspicion.
"You're right – I know exactly what that man is like…"
"Really, Rukia?" The Espada pouted. "After everything you did to me, you're not even gonna hear me out?"
"Oh, I'm pretty damn sure she did nothing to you, buddy." Renji put himself between them. He'd had enough of this horseplay – he was going to finish this quickly and decisively. "Bankai: Hihiō Zabimaru!"
A fur shawl covered Renji's shoulders as his steel blade morphed into a skeletal serpent the size of a small building. The second Hihiō Zabimaru's form stabilised, however, the Bankai suddenly crumbled into nothing, leaving a sealed blade in the Captain's hands as his Reiatsu dropped back to its pre-Bankai level.
What the hell was that?! Renji gawped, looking around. Aaroniero's Reiatsu hadn't shifted at all, so Renji knew he couldn't be the cause of his Bankai's sudden disappearance. It was then though, that something in the back of the room shifted, and a figure emerged from the shadows. The Arrancar had mask fragments shaped like glasses and pink hair. Unlike Aaroniero, his eyes were vacant as he unsheathed his Zanpakutō.
"Halibel, we've got a bit of a situation here!" He barked. "Two Arrancars – one of them's a shapeshifter, the other's pink, and my Bankai isn't working!"
"Dammit!" Was the Espada's extremely reassuring reply. "Get out of there, NOW. You're in Szayelaporro Granz's lab. He's the Octava Espada – the one with pink hair. The entire room will be designed to mitigate your powers while sharply boosting his own."
"Got it!" Renji replied.
If Bankai was a no-go, he'd just have to use his Shikai. Activating the weaker stage of his Zanpakutō, he pivoted to face Szayelaporro, and Zabimaru ricocheted straight towards the Arrancar. Instead of slashing open his cheek, however, the whip-blade sailed right past the man's head and smashed into the lab's wall. A feral grin crossed Renji's face as cracks spiderwebbed from the point of impact. Why run further into Las Noches, after all, when he could just bring things outside? Thanks for that, Aizen!
Szayelaporro lunged at him, and while the Espada was quick, his movements were predictable. Renji side-stepped him with ease and launched Zabimaru at the weakened wall yet again. The blade never ended up hitting it, however.
"Oh, no you don't! Rage through the seas and heavens, Nejibana!"
Aaroniero intercepted him, Zanpakutō elongating into a trident. The long spear knocked Renji's whip-blade off course, and Zabimaru ended up skidding against the ground, shattering the tile but doing little else. The Espada flicked his wrist towards Renji and a wave of water burst from the earth, rushing towards the Captain at alarming speeds.
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia yelled. The colour drained from her Zanpakutō, leaving the blade pure white as a ribbon swirled out from its end. Pointing it towards Aaroniero, flakes of snow drifted through the air around her. "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"
A blast of icy wind burst from the tip of her Zanpakutō, halting Nejibana's wave in its tracks as the water turned to ice.
"Go, Renji!" She yelled. "Defeat Szayelaporro – I can handle Aaroniero!"
The redhead hesitated for just a moment. Renji had initially dismissed the Espada as a shapeshifter wearing Kaien's face to make his foes lower their guard, but now he wasn't so sure. Nejibana… it wasn't an Arrancar's Resurrección, but a Shinigami's Shikai. Unfortunately, as Szayelaporro shot a Cero his way, the Captain had little choice but to direct his full attention to the other Espada. At least with Aaroniero distracted, Renji could finally do what needed to be done.
This time, when he struck the wall, it crumbled. Szayelaporro's blade cut deeply between his shoulders, but it was worth it. Whirling around, Renji grabbed the Espada by his shirt and jumped.
…..
Makoto bit her lip as the remaining Phantoms hurried through the halls of Las Noches in a grim silence. They'd been forced to take a detour after Renji and Rukia sprung Ichimaru's trap, but after leaping out of a window and dashing across the desert grounds, they were finally back on track. While Makoto had felt a wave of relief when Ichimaru ignored them in favour of focusing on the Shinigami, it had been quickly quashed when Futaba contacted them with the news that their friends were fighting the eighth and ninth Espada respectively.
The brunette mulled things over. Three Espada had become their allies, and four were in battle – after Ulquiorra was sealed by Grimmjow's Caja de Negación, Shido had sent a reinforcement to take his place. That meant there were still three Espada active and unaccounted for, along with Ichimaru.
"There's a patrol approaching at one o'clock." A static buzz entered her earpiece before Futaba's voice came through. "Take the next left, and there's a storeroom you should be able to duck into."
Ryuji scowled, a look of annoyance flickering over the blond's face. "Oh, come on! This is taking forever! Can't we just crawl through the air vents or something?"
"There are none that would take you to your destination." Halibel explained. "You are drawing close, however. Assuming all goes well, you'll reach the throne room within the hour."
An hour… The student council president swallowed. She could understand Ryuji's impatience – their progress had been hindered by constant delays and detours. Still, now that Aizen was tangibly in their grasp, Makoto almost wished they had more time. She wasn't at all sure that she was ready to take on the megalomaniac's heart.
No, enough of that. I've trained hard, and have my friends at my side. I won't let my insecurity get the better of me now.
The Phantoms crammed themselves into the storeroom, Makoto's back pressing uncomfortably against a shelf as the scent of dust tickled her nose. The room was tiny – barely enough to fit them all in. It was clear from Ann's wrinkled nose and Ryuji's pout that she wasn't the only one who was feeling uncomfortably claustrophobic, but nobody dared complain when the once-distance echo of footsteps grew closer. As the student council president strained her ears, the patrol wasn't the only thing she could hear. A dull mechanical droning echoed in the background, accompanied by muffled voices and a rhythmical clinking. Even after the patrol's footsteps faded away, the other noise continued.
Ann pressed her ear against the wall, frowning. "Can you guys hear that?"
"What I can feel is more disturbing." Akira murmured, grey eyes narrowed. "To the north – it's not anything strong, but something about the ambient Reiatsu feels off."
"Does it matter?" Uryū questioned. "We're here to change Aizen's heart, not snoop around Hueco Mundo."
"It could be important." Makoto speculated, and not purely because she was worried about their impending battle. "If Shido's got more nasty surprises in store, it would be better to discover them now instead of in the heat of a battle."
Ryuji tapped his earpiece and quickly relayed the situation to Futaba. "… So, that's what's up. Can you see anything funky on the cams?"
"No, but that's not because it's nothing." Makoto could almost hear the frown in Futaba's voice. "There are only two rooms in Las Noches that don't have any camera coverage whatsoever. The throne room's one of them – surprise, surprise – but the other is the source of your mysterious hullabaloo, and more importantly, Halibel has no idea what's there."
The Phantoms exchanged a glance. Makoto's theory sounded more and more plausible by the second. Whatever the source of the ruckus was, it was either a recent development or something that Aizen had deemed to be off-limits for even the Tres Espada.
"Maybe we should check it out if it's not too far away." Akira mused. "Like Makoto said, I'd rather know exactly what we're getting into here."
She couldn't help but feel a bit chuffed at her leader's agreement, but then again, she supposed it was an obvious choice.
Futaba chuckled. "You're in luck, Skull! Remember those air vents you crave…?"
It turned out there was a shaft that connected the storeroom to the source of the commotion - probably why they could hear it so well. Unfortunately, it also turned out that crawling through a narrow, metal shaft with five other teenagers was about as pleasant as it sounded. Namely, not at all.
"Ryuji! Quit ogling my ass!" Ann hissed.
"How the-? I can't see fucking shit here, let alone your butt!"
"Will you two quit acting like complete and utter juveniles for half a minute?" Uryū sighed.
"Hey, you're younger than both of us!" Ryuji whined.
Thankfully, Akira put the argument to an end. "Quiet, everyone – I think I see an opening."
He crept forward, crossing over to the other side of the grill, and beckoned for Makoto to come forward. Grimacing, she peered through the bars and down into the building below. When she saw what was in the mystery room, a gasp escaped her throat.
Suits upon suits of armour were lined against the walls, and long tables covered in head to toe with pseudo-sci-fi weaponry stretched on as far as her eyes could see. Two assistants – normal humans, judging by their Reiatsu – hurried about, kitting a blank-faced Arrancar out with armguards.
Makoto tapped her ear – everyone needed to hear this, and she dared not raise her voice in case one of the men underneath them heard her. "I think we've just found Shido's arsenal of spiritually augmented weaponry."
Thankfully, no one spoke, though she could hear someone inhale sharply as they realised the implications.
"Holy shit." Futaba whistled, her voice a careful whisper. "If you take that out…"
"… Urahara's worst-case scenario might be averted." Akira concluded, rubbing his chin. "I know we've only got a limited amount of time, but it might be worth delaying our fight with Aizen if it means we can take this place out."
Makoto nodded – if Shido no longer had access to his weapons, the playing field between the Gotei 13 and the Espada would be significantly evened out. If the Phantoms failed to change Aizen's heart, the Gotei 13 would actually stand a fighting chance against Shido's forces in Karakura. It seemed most of the other Phantoms shared their sentiments, and a slew of quiet agreements buzzed through the coms. With one final nod, Akira started to count down from three, and on one, they struck.
Punching down, Makoto obliterated the vent, sending the Phantoms into free fall. Before he even hit the ground, Akira launched a spell at one of the humans, sealing them in a pyramid of light. The other man yelled, scampering away, but Ann was faster. She lashed out Shinkubi, metal turning to flame, and the whip wrapped around the man's arm, restraining him until Akira knocked him out with a tap to the head. Several Arrancar in various states of dress advanced on them menacingly, but to Makoto's relief, none of them had the presence of mind to set off the alarm. Charging forward, the brunette targeted the hybrid which was only kitted out in armguards, smashing her fist into their stomach before finishing them off with a knee to the face.
Ryuji, meanwhile, intercepted one which was protected nearly head to toe. Releasing his Shikai, the bat did little but knock the Arrancar back, but it left his foe in perfect range for his cannonball attack. The electricity seemed to mingle poorly with the Arrancar's tech, and he jerked erratically before collapsing to the ground. Their final foe was taken down by Uryū, whose arrows slipped between the gaps in their armour and punctured their muscles. Silently, the Arrancar fell to the earth.
"Gather them up." Akira gestured to their unconscious enemies. "Ann can seal them in a proper binding spell."
It didn't take long for them to drag their foes into a pile, and the blonde quickly got to work, murmuring an incantation Makoto didn't recognise. Deciding to leave her to it, the brunette turned around to the others.
"Any idea how to handle this?" Akira mused, surveying the armoury.
Makoto and Uryū exchanged a glance, and the latter cleared his throat. "Actually, I believe we may have a solution – it's time for us to show you our new tricks."
"Let's make a few piles." The student council president suggested. "I don't think we're going to be able to destroy this all at once if it's anywhere near as durable as Futaba's latest inventions."
The rest of the Phantoms got to work, and as Makoto lugged bulky breastplates and glowing cudgels the size of her body into haphazard piles, she found herself developing a newfound respect for Ryuji – this stuff was heavy. Finally, though, it was time. Reaching into the bag where she stored her Gintō, she ignored the vials of liquid and withdrew something else. The Seele Schneider looked mundane in its base form – merely a grey slat with a hole in the handle – but when she activated the device, a long, glowing blue blade shot out from its end.
"Dude, is that a fucking lightsaber?!" Ryuji gawped, eyes wide.
Uryū adjusted his glasses, sighing. "Technically speaking, it functions more like a chainsaw."
"The semantics don't matter." Makoto shook her head. "Mind helping me get set up?"
She stabbed the Seele Schneider down into the ground at the tip of one of the piles, while Uryū repeated her motion to the side. Once five Seele Schneider were placed around the stack of gear, Makoto took out a vial of Gintō and connected each of the Reishi blades with a trail of liquid.
"Stand back." She warned the others. "This is going to be explosive. Sprenger!"
Makoto poured one final drop of Gintō onto one of the Seele Schneider's hilts, and the pentagram the Quincies had made burst into life. Each line of concentrated Reishi glowed an ominous blue, while the thrumming light of the Seele Schneiders increased every second. Makoto could feel a tugging sensation nipping at her skin as the spell absorbed every mote of Reishi it could, and a thin veil of blue light engulfed the stack of weapons.
Finally, once the spell had gathered enough charge, it erupted. The ground trembled beneath them as a column of energy burst from the centre of the spell, almost blowing a hole straight through the ceiling. It grew thicker and thicker, consuming everything in the Sprenger's bounds until there was nothing left but atoms.
As the blinding light finally vanished, the rest of the Phantoms watched in shock.
"Holy shit… that was wicked!" Ryuji gasped.
"And far more energy efficient than your average Kidō, too." Uryū smirked. "An entire third of the armoury gone, for just one vial of Gintō."
They were snapped out of their glee, however, when Futaba's voice chimed in on the comms. "Dunno what the hell you just did, but Shido's goons have noticed – you've got trouble incoming!"
Dammit. Makoto gritted her teeth. She should have known Shido would have felt that. For all of Uryū's postering, Sprenger had one large weakness – it was slow.
"Move on to the next one, now." Akira ordered. "Ann and I will handle the last."
Makoto gave her leader a silent nod, yanking the Seele Schneiders out from the ground. She and Uryū hurried to launch the next Sprenger, while Ann and Akira began to chant. With every passing second, the brunette's anxiety grew. The Arrancar Reiatsu in the air grew heavier and heavier, and Makoto knew they were running out of time.
Finally, though, their preparation came to an end, and the Quincies cast the spell as a spike of pink energy simultaneously exploded in the corner of her eye. Dust and debris filled the air, and when it settled, relief washed through her when she saw the second pile of spiritual tech had been reduced to nothing but ash. Unfortunately, Makoto's triumph was short-lived. Akira cursed, and turning around, her heart sank. The Shinigamis' spell hadn't been strong enough – the armour was merely scorched, not destroyed.
"- now!" Futaba's voice screeched, and with a jolt of horror, Makoto realised they'd missed the first half of her message in the sound of the blast.
What the hacker had been yelling about became readily apparent as the door to the armoury opened, and a wave of Reiatsu flooded into the room. An ominous silhouette loomed in the doorway, and Makoto could just about make out the Arrancar's wizened features. Unfortunately, his age stood out very little in contrast to the massive axe he wielded like it was made of paper.
"Espada." Akira confirmed Makoto's worst suspicions, his eyes narrowed to slits.
She bit her lip. The thick cloak of spiritual pressure leaking off the Arrancar put both Yammy and Grimmjow to shame, which meant he had to be on the higher end of the Espada spectrum. Given that Halibel and Ulquiorra were both accounted for… he was either the second or god forbid, first Espada. The only saving grace was that Shido hadn't armoured him yet - if he had, they'd have been doomed.
"Akira." Makoto spoke, voice eerily calm as she stepped towards their foe. "Take Ryuji and Uryū with you, and go."
While her heart hammered at a mile a minute, the primary emotion running through the brunette was an icy calm. Did Renji feel like this when he and Rukia split from the group?
"What?!" Their leader snapped, whirling around to face her. "Are you crazy?!"
Makoto shook her head, a weak smile on her face. "If we run, he'll just pursue us – we need to stop him here. Ann's the only other one of us capable of Bankai, and therefore is our likeliest bet at taking him down. She's exclusively a long-range fighter though, and needs someone to cover her. You're needed for Aizen. Ryuji's less reliant on fighting with his Reiryoku than the rest of us, so he'll adapt the quickest once you enter Aizen's heart. Uryū is another long-range fighter, and doesn't cover Ann's weaknesses. Therefore, I need to stay and help her."
Akira looked like he wanted to argue, but was cut off as the Arrancar swung his axe in their direction. The sheer force of the blow cut a divot in the ground, forcing the group to scatter. On the other side of the miniature chasm, Ann placed a hand on the frizzy-haired teen's shoulders.
"Makoto's right, you know. Besides… we can hold our own, remember?" The blonde finished with a cheeky smile.
Akira pursed his lips. "… Fine. Catch up to us when you're done here though, okay?"
"Of course, Joker." Makoto smiled at her leader. "Come on, Ann – let's show him what we're capable of!"
…..
As Renji leapt out of the window, taking Szayelaporro with him, Rukia turned back to face her opponent. Aaroniero twirled his Zanpakutō – Kaien's Zanpakutō – and leapt away from the beams of light piercing the room. Rukia watched the Arrancar with unease. She'd prayed that he was merely another Grand Fisher, copying Kaien's face the same way the monster had copied Shiho's, but she knew deep inside that wasn't true. His Reiatsu, the way he moved, the way he spoke… it was no mere impersonation. It was Kaien – it had to be. And yet, Renji was right – Ichimaru wanted her to meet this Arrancar, so whatever waited at the bottom of this rabbit hole was guaranteed to cause her pain.
Still, Rukia couldn't help but ask. "… How? How are you doing that?! How are you wearing Kaien's skin?!"
He watched her, a familiar frown on his face. "I'm not a mere copy, Rukia. I'm the real deal. The Hollow that killed me – Metastacia – was one of Aizen's experiments, and was designed to reconstitute in Hueco Mundo when it was destroyed. When it did though, it took my form." His expression lightened, and he gave her a smile so blinding it hurt. "Aizen thought Metastacia was still in control, but he was wrong! My iron will was enough for me to reclaim my body! Ever since then, I pretended to be a loyal Espada, just so I could strike when the time was right!"
The goofy grin belonged to Kaien – and Kaien alone – but it did nothing to sway her. Theoretically, his story was plausible. The more she thought about it though, the more holes that appeared. Kaien was a skilled fighter, but no actor – would he truly have been able to pull the wool over Aizen's eyes for so long? Not to mention, he'd never contacted his loved ones in the Seireitei. The Kaien she knew would have at the very least informed his siblings that he was less dead than they thought. Aaroniero's plan also made no sense – Aizen was incapacitated, and he was apparently immune to Shido's powers. So why not help the other rebels?
In the end, Rukia didn't bother replying – the only thing Aaroniero would tell her was more lies. With a yell, she charged. For a while, the duo clashed, her ice freezing his waves before they melted again and knocked her away. The Arrancar then flashed in close, stabbing his trident at her with blinding speeds, and Rukia barely managed to intercept it with Sode no Shirayuki. It was then though that he twisted his Zanpakutō, and sent her blade flying out of her hands.
Shit!
"Bakudō #4. Hainawa!" Rukia yelled, a rope of electrified light wrapping around the Arrancar.
Without her Shikai's ice, there was no way for her to counter Nejibana's waves. Attempting to buy herself a few precious moments to retrieve her Zanpakutō, she flicked her wrist to the side, hurtling Aaroniero into the light. Rukia was under no illusions that her spell would hold him for more than a few seconds, but hopefully, the draining effect of Las Noches' sun would give her the time she needed.
It did, if not the way she anticipated.
The second the sunlight touched Aaroniero's skin, an awful, ungodly screech exited the Espada's mouth. His skin bubbled and blistered before finally peeling away, and Rukia's mouth dropped as she finally saw the Arrancar's true form. Until now, nearly all of the Arrancar she'd seen had almost been indistinguishable from humans. Aaroniero was an exception to that rule. There was a glass container where his head should have been, filled with an off-red liquid where two deformed skulls bobbed around.
Scooping up Sode no Shirayuki, Rukia whirled around to face the creature. "So… this is your true form. You're nothing but a mere mimic after all."
As Aaroniero walked back into the shade, his head warped, twisting back into Kaien's visage. "Hmph. You really think my power is that of transformation? You should know better, Rukia..."
The Arrancar spewed out his backstory – how he was the only Menos Grande amongst the Espada, promoted due to his unique ability to steal a dead Hollow's Reiatsu and powers. As he continued to rant, she listened warily.
At long last his monologue came to an end, and a brutal grin crossed Aaroniero's face. For once he looked nothing like Kaien at all. "I wasn't lying about Metastacia, you know. When his body returned to Hueco Mundo, I gobbled it right up!" The Arrancar's body began to warp, fingers and arms splitting into tentacles. "That's right – my powers are no illusions! Kaien's spiritual body is a part of me, including his thoughts, his memories, his experiences… I know them all!"
Breath catching in her throat, Rukia stepped back. No. No. No! While Kaien's loss still felt like an aching wound in her side, between Akira's reassurances, and both Captain Ukitake and the Shibas' forgiveness, she had been able to console herself with the fact that she'd at least saved him from being a monster's puppet. It seemed, however, that she hadn't even managed to achieve that.
Forcing herself to calm down, Rukia readied her blade. I'm sorry, Kaien… this time, I will save what's left of you once and for all.
…..
Renji landed on the desert dunes, coughing as he inhaled a mouthful of sand. Eldritch towers rose out of the ground around him as sunlight prickled his skin, alien and unsettling in what should have been the quiet darkness of the World of the Hollows. Still, as uncanny as the replica of a blissful summer's day was, it wasn't his powers that were weakened by it.
The redhead attempted to draw back his Shikai – he had no use for it now – but the Szayelaporro outsped him, sunlight be damned. Whipping out a spare blade from his uniform, the Arrancar plunged it into the mesh connecting Zabimaru's segments together, pinning the blade to the ground. As Renji yanked and pulled, Szayelaporro reached for his Zanpakutō, holding it vertically above his mouth.
"Stop him, now!" Halibel's voice snapped over the coms. "He's about to activate his Resurrección!"
Renji had no idea what Szayelaporro's true form was, but he could tell by the Espada's frantic voice that it wouldn't be anything good. Honestly, she barely even need to warn him – any Zanpakutō release that required you to eat your blade was going to be Kurotsuchi-level fucked up.
The Captain had a split second to act. Letting go of Zabimaru, he shunpoed forward and punched the Arrancar in the face. Pain exploded in Renji's fist as his knuckles broke against Szayelaporro's Hierro, but he'd done what he needed to. The Arrancar's jaw snapped to the side, and the light glowing in his throat flickered and died.
Staggering, the pink-haired Espada straightened up, before turning on his heel and flashing away. Renji cursed. If Szayelaporro managed to get back inside, Ichimaru would funnel them back to his labs, and the Captain would never be able to beat him there - this wasn't a fight he'd win without Bankai. At the same time, Renji wouldn't be able to use Bankai regardless unless he fetched Zabimaru... ensuring the Espada would just escape. He was at an impasse – his right hand was now out of commission, and using blunt force would just take out his left as well. So, now what?
I guess I'm just gonna have to improvise! Renji concluded, pursuing Szayelaporro in a flash of shunpo.
While the Espada was fast, he wasn't built for endurance. It didn't take long for the Captain to catch up to him, and tackle him to the ground. Renji bruised his cheek on the Arrancar's back, but it was worth it – Szayelaporro could hardly shunpo away with Renji's arms wrapped around his legs. The Arrancar squirmed, kicking Renji in the face, and the Captain coughed out a mouthful of bloodstained sand - the redhead reckoned he'd seen enough of the damned stuff to last a lifetime. Fortunately, in a brawl, Renji had the advantage. Scooping up the Arrancar by the leg of his hakama, he threw Szayelaporro over his shoulder and ran back towards Zabimaru.
He'd just managed to yank out the dagger Szayelaporro had pinned his Shikai down with when a burst of pain exploded in his abdomen. Oh. Renji staggered, looking down to see a blade protruding out of his torso. While he'd prevented the Espada from releasing his Resurrección, he hadn't disarmed him. Faltering, Renji collapsed to the ground.
Szayelaporro withdrew his blade, wiping the blood off it with a flick of his wrist. Turning around, the Espada resumed his journey back towards the safety of Las Noches' interior. As Renji watched his back, blood bubbling in his throat, a grin crossed his face – Shido's brainwashing really did do a number on any fighter that relied on their wits. No sensible opponent would have left Renji's Zanpakutō in reaching distance.
"Bankai: Hihiō Zabimaru!"
A skeletal serpent formed around him yet again, but this time, as Zabimaru roared, he didn't turn to dust. In perfect sync with his wielder, a glowing red light formed in the Bankai's maw before Renji even gave the command.
"Hikotsu Taihō!" The Captain roared, as a beam of light twice as thick as any Cero blasted from his Zanpakutō's mouth.
Szayelaporro tried to run, but outside of the protection of his domain and under the punishing false sun of Las Noches, the Arrancar didn't stand a chance. The blast of energy from Hihiō Zabimaru caught up to him in no time, almost reducing the Espada to putty.
A wave of exhaustion crashed into Renji the second his attack finished, and Hihiō Zabimaru fell, sealing itself. Landing on his knees, he could do nothing but let out a sigh of relief as Szayelaporro's Reiatsu flickered out – the Captain had won.
As he stared at the sky, he found himself lost in thought. Renji wasn't dumb enough to think he didn't still have a hell of a long way to go, but at that moment, he finally felt the vast gulf between him and Byakuya shorten for the first time since he'd taken the latter's mantle. I hope you're proud of me, Captain. I hope I'm starting to become the man you thought I could be.
…..
"San no mai, Shirafune."
As the icy blade of her Shikai extended, piercing Aaroniero's brain, a wave of relief ran through Rukia. The Arrancar screamed as his released form – an awful mound of bubbling flesh and rotted protrusions – collapsed in on itself, disintegrating into a foul liquid and draining away before what was left of his body turned to dust.
The Lieutenant crashed down on the sodden ground, the dull ache of her exhausted body drowned out by a sharp ache in her torso. Darkness nipping at the corner of her vision, she stared down at the fragments of trident embedded deep within her guts. Ah. She'd almost forgotten about that.
Slowly, shakily, she reached for the armband Futaba had given her and pressed down.
…..
The hacker knew something was wrong the second Rukia's Reiatsu signature started to rapidly fade from her sensors. That didn't mean Futaba was at all prepared for what she saw when her warp pad flared to life, and a black heap materialised onto the mat.
"R-Rukia?!" She gasped, dashing to her friend's side before the overwhelming scent of blood hit her nose.
Futaba gagged at the pungent smell, only snapping back to reality when a puddle of bloop started to lap at her shoe. As the warm liquid seeped onto her foot, the hacker slowly looked up at Rukia. Logically, Futaba knew her friends got hurt on Phantom business – she'd seen Ann, Ryuji, and Makoto all bearing scrapes and scars, after all – but until now, she'd never actually seen any of their injuries in the flesh. Nothing could have prepared her for the three gaping holes in Rukia's intestines.
Whirling around, she barely resisted losing her lunch.
Halibel cursed, hurrying away from the monitors. "Nelliel, we have injured incoming!"
"We need to move her – if anyone else warps in, they'll just trample over both of us!" The green-haired Arrancar replied, voice authoritative as she hurried to Rukia.
Futaba knew she should be helping – knew she should be doing anything other than standing around like a useless lump – but her legs trembled, and it took all her strength to stay on her feet. No – I'm not going to stand around here like a numpty while everyone else is risking their lives! Swallowing her nausea, she stumbled over to where she'd stashed her medical supplies. Hands shaking, she grabbed everything she could before heading straight to where the two Arrancar women had dragged the fallen Shinigami.
The hacker had almost reached their side when Nelliel suddenly shoved a hand down her throat and vomited a pile of translucent liquid all over Rukia's torso. It was so fucking weird, Futaba stopped right in her tracks, desperately attempting to process whatever the fuck she'd just seen. It was then that a sizzling sound filled the air, and slowly but surely, the holes in Rukia's abdomen began to shrink.
Futaba shook her head like she was a wet dog. She was sort of expecting glowing hands or mystic powers when Nelliel said she had some healing abilities, not literal fucking puke, but you know what? Whatever! If it worked, it worked!
Hurrying, the hacker dumped her pile of stuff. "Hey! I've got bandages, pills, you name it – what do we need?"
"Coagulants and rejuvenation pills." Nelliel replied. "We need to keep her Reiatsu up and stop the bleeding. On that note, do you have the equipment needed for a transfusion…?"
"Uh, just gimme a mo'…!" Futaba hurried back to her gear.
She was so caught up in assisting the Arrancars, the hacker failed the notice the slow and steady beep on her communication device.
…..
"Let's get this done quickly." Makoto commanded, staring down at their enemy. "Don't release your Bankai yet – we'll probably need it eventually, but on the off chance we don't…"
"No worries." Ann agreed. "I guess that's one good thing about Shido's brainwashing – no need to be sneaky about our plans! Cover me!"
Leaping back, the blonde began to chant. While the elderly Arrancar's face was blank, it was clear what he intended to do as he hoisted his axe.
"How dare you step into my kingdom, you mere ants?" He murmured to himself, fractured fragments of his true personality seeping through despite the lack of cognizance in his eyes as he stared down at Ann.
"Hold it right there!" Makoto yelled, charging forward.
Distracted by the brunette, the Espada swung his axe at her instead. She ducked under the blow, and felt a gale of displaced air touch the back of her neck as the sound of shattering stone greeted her ears. Pressing in close, she swept her foot at his legs, hoping to trip him up. While it was never intended to be a powerful blow, her strike was far more sluggish than she anticipated, and the Espada grabbed the brunette's leg before tossing her at the wall. Gritting her teeth, she activated her Blut Vene microseconds before she smashed into it. As Makoto glared at the Arrancar, the student council president creased her brow. That was odd – I haven't made such a rookie mistake in years.
She had no time to ponder that though, as Ann had finished her incantation. "Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō!"
Six beams of light slammed into the Espada's midsection, and the man froze in place, axe static in his arm. Whipping out a Seele Schneider, Makoto activated her Blut Arterie as an explosion of Reiryoku burst from her back. While her Shunkō would burn through her reserves quickly, if she could take the Arrancar out in a single strike, it would be worth it. Flashing forward in a burst of speed Soifon would have been proud of, Makoto swung her blade down at the Espada with all her strength.
Barely three inches from his skin, however, her strike slowed. What on earth…?
For a second, Makoto remained hanging there, frozen in time, before the Kidō binding the man suddenly shattered and his fist smashed into her stomach. The brunette gagged, having no time to swap from Arterie to Blut as she was sent flying. This time, as she skidded across the debris-littered floor, every stone she hit battered and bruised her skin, dislodging her Seele Schneider from her grip.
"What the hell was that?!" Ann hissed, hands glowing with Kaidō as she quickly patched up her friend. "That spell should have held out way longer!"
"I'm not sure." Makoto grimaced. "Whenever I close in on him, my blows lose power." Seeing nothing else for it, she tapped her ear. "Halibel-san, we're battling an Espada – an older male, wielding an axe. He's reducing the effectiveness of our attacks – do you have any intel?"
Instead of hearing the Arrancar's voice, however, Makoto heard nothing but static. Confused, she barely managed to scramble out of the way of their enemy's next strike.
Ann cursed. "I think we might be on our own for this one – I can't feel Rukia's Reiatsu."
Makoto froze as a wave of shock ran through her veins. The student council president attempted to hone in on her friend, but with all the dense Arrancar Reiatsu cloying the air, she struggled to even pick up Akira. Swallowing, the brunette pushed down her worry – she'd just need to have faith that Rukia had retreated as opposed to anything worse.
Unfortunately, it wasn't her Shinigami friend she needed to be worried about. The Arrancar held his axe before him, and plumes of darkness started to waft off the weapon. "I… am the mightiest of Espada. I… am inevitable. Rot, Arrogante."
Makoto braced herself as the Espada's Reiatsu skyrocketed, the oppressive force so powerful she could feel it prickling at her skin. Eventually, the maelstrom of shadows surrounding the Arrancar abated, and the brunette shuddered at what she saw. His flesh had burned away, leaving him as nothing but a skeleton covered in a bulky dark shroud. A golden crown was perched on top of his skull, and at that moment, the Espada looked far more like a god of death than any Shinigami ever had.
As his bandaged feet touched the earth, the tile beneath him crumbled into nothing but grains of dust, and the remaining pieces of spiritually augmented weaponry and armour started to slowly slink into the sands.
Makoto swallowed, mouth dry. "Ann, I think we need to run."
The blonde's mouth pursed into a thin line. "No objections here. Hadō #31. Shakkahō!"
The fireball hurtled towards the Arrancar, though if Makoto's awful little theory was right, it would have little effect. For a moment, the brunette wondered if they should call it quits then and there, but biting her lips, she managed to muster her resolve. If they vanished, he would just pursue Akira instead. Not to mention, if she and Ann were sent back to the free Arrancars' base, they'd never reach the others in time to help them fight Aizen.
Instead, as Ann's spell fizzled out and died metres before touching their enemy's skin, the raw energy of Makoto's Shunkō burned around her like a halo, and the student council president slammed her fist into the wall. The explosion of energy reduced it to nothing but rubble, before continuing onwards and smashing down several more walls in its path. Escape route cleared, she ran forward, careful to remain in the Arrancar's line of sight as Ann followed hot on her heels. Slowly, the Espada began to pursue them, and while calling the brunette's emotions relief would be far too strong, it was the outcome she'd wanted.
"Let's lure him as far away from the others as possible, then try to shake him off!" Makoto called.
"Got it!" Ann laughed. "Weirdo powers aside, at least this guy doesn't seem quick on his feet!"
Makoto couldn't help but frown. The blonde was right. Sure, he was following them, but his pace was oddly sedate – the Espada didn't seem too concerned about closing the distance between them. Was that because he couldn't though, or simply because he didn't need to?
The Arrancar opened his jaw, monotonous voice coming out in a gravelly rumble. "Respira."
A cloud of black smoke burst from the Espada and closed the gap between him and the girls in a matter of seconds. As it passed over the halls of Las Noches, everything the cloud touched turned into motes of dust. Heart rate increasing steadily, Makoto picked up the pace. The brunette's unease grew every second, but while the smoke was fast, she was fast. Makoto had always been one of the better distance runners in the Phantoms, after all.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Ann. The cloud of darkness nipped at the blonde's heels as a trail of cold sweat dripped down her forehead – it was clear she wouldn't be able to keep this up any longer. Acting more on instinct than logic, Makoto flashed to her friend's side and grabbed her by the nape of her catsuit before throwing her well out of the way of the Espada's attack. As Ann went flying, the smoke suddenly retreated – it seemed it had spread as far as it could.
Pride welled up in her stomach, but it was short-lived. Makoto felt a tingle in her fingers, and cold dread welled up inside her as she looked towards her left hand. The tips of half her fingers had disintegrated, leaving behind nothing but bone.
"It's time!" Makoto shrieked, watching in horror as the rot slowly continued its spread down her hand. "The Espada controls time!"
While the Arrancar hadn't reacted at all to their words before, her screech seemed to unlock something within him. "That is right… the form of death I govern is senescence. Aging. The passage of time. All will face it eventually, and all will die in the end."
A thousand panicked thoughts ran through the Quincy's mind. How did she make it stop? Could it even be healed in the first place, or had she become a walking corpse the second the Respira touched her skin? I don't want to die. Makoto started to hyperventilate. She had so many people to live for, so many dreams she hadn't fulfilled. She didn't want to die - not like this.
The brunette was snapped out of her panic when Ann's Reiatsu started to swell. The blonde rose to her feet, withdrawing her Zanpakutō before dropping the blade to the ground.
"Bankai." Ann's voice was laced with deadly venom. "Hiiro no Hōō!"
The world exploded into a crucible of fire. Blazing flames swept over Makoto before she even had the chance to blink, but instead of burning her, the warmth felt comforting like a mother's embrace. The tingle in her fingers began to abate, and wide-eyed, she looked down at her hand. Tiny golden flames burnt away the dark taint of the Respira before engulfing her bones. When the light faded, it revealed blessedly solid flesh. Her fingers felt slightly odd – prickling with something somewhere between pins and needles and numbness – but they were delightfully whole.
The brunette's eyes widened. This wasn't the first time she'd seen Ann's Bankai, but during their training sessions, the blonde had normally gone on the assault. She'd off-handedly mentioned it had healing abilities, but Makoto hadn't known they were anywhere near as strong as this. Relief crashed into the brunette like a tidal wave, accompanied by a trickle of shame that she'd let herself get so rattled in the first place. Beating herself up over it though wasn't going to help anyone – the only thing Makoto could do was make sure it didn't happen again.
Finally snapped out of her panic, the brunette saw her hand wasn't the only thing Ann's flames had affected. Dust and sand had melted into glass that twisted and curled into flower-like shapes, and even after the initial force of the Bankai's release faded, fire still burned away on the ground.
"Time's a pretty impressive power, but do you know what else is…? Life."
Turning around, Makoto's breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of her friend. In her hands, she held a jewel-studded baton, and with a graceful twirl, a ribbon of flame burst into life at one of its ends. That had not been what had caught Makoto's eye, however. Flames circled the blonde's legs, crawling up onto her back where they extended into a pair of burning, fiery wings. The brilliant glow surrounded Ann like a halo, and as the blonde slowly began to float into the air, confidence glittered in her brilliant blue eyes like diamonds. She looked radiant – no, Ann looked nothing short of divine.
The image was broken when Ann gave Makoto a cheeky wink. "Like what you see?"
"Uh, yeah..." The student council president couldn't help but blink.
Her eyes were torn away from the blonde, however, when the Espada used their momentary distraction to close the distance between them. He let out an awful, rattling breath, and another plume of dark energy flowed through the air. Makoto went on guard the second he attacked, but this time she was simply tense as opposed to afraid. Flipping out of the way, the brunette kept a careful eye on the Respira, determined not to get caught in its path again. This time, instead of running away, Ann beat her wings and flew well out of the attack's range. The wind she kicked up pushed the Respira backwards, and embers drifted through the air, slowly disintegrating the dark motes.
Ann lashed her baton straight at the Espada. "You might be right when you say everything ends eventually, but you're forgetting something critical. Something new will always grow to take their place!"
The ribbon of fire snapped at him like a snake, but he was undeterred. Raising one arm, shadows gathered around his hand, solidifying into a massive axe. With a flick of his wrist, the Arrancar batted away Ann's flames, sending them scattering into the wind. The blonde wasn't ruffled though, and this time, pointed her baton towards the ground. As she slowly raised it higher and higher, the glass-coated ground turned a molten gold before it rippled, melting into pools of vermillion light. Creatures made of pure fire itself pulled themselves from the glowing lakes. Some of the beasts were small and lithe like rabbits, and others were slow and lumbering like savage bears with coals for eyes. Charcoal vines with thorns made of embers curled out from the portals, turning the world around them into a twisted menagerie.
Ann flicked her baton in the direction of the Espada, and they lunged. The skeleton batted away the smaller creatures with his axe, but when a large beast the size of a small car crashed into the Arrancar's side, he was forced to turn around. The man opened his mouth, a cloud of darkness reduced his attacker to sparks, but it left him wide open for several wolf-like effigies to sink their teeth into his limbs. A flicker of hope burst in Makoto's chest, but it faltered quickly when she saw the Espada's bones were merely singed instead of broken.
His Reiatsu swelled, and a wave of raw power burst out of him, vapourising half of Ann's menagerie. The Espada twirled his axe and threw the weapon straight at the blonde, who barely managed to flitter out of the way. It sailed straight past her head, tearing a huge chunk out of the wall behind her. Straightening herself, Ann flickered her wrist, and some of the embers drifting through the air exploded into roots and vines of pure flame, ensnaring the Espada in their grasp. Unfortunately, they didn't stop him from launching another cloud of Respira.
Again, Ann managed to flap out of the way of the cursed smog, but this time, Makoto saw her falter, dropping a few centimetres mid-flight before righting herself. The student council president bit her lips. While it was a small miracle that Ann's Bankai countered his skills, it didn't change the fact that the Espada simply had more Reiatsu than her. The blonde's stamina was already fading, and she'd barely even scratched him. If Makoto didn't find some way to even the playing field, and fast, they would be forced to flee. Unfortunately, she had no idea where to even start. The brunette's long-range attacks weren't strong enough to hurt the Espada, and she couldn't get close without his Respira disintegrating her. Makoto cursed. She couldn't fail here - the stakes were far too high!
It was then though that a flash of realisation ran through her, and the brunette widened her eyes. "Ann, I need you to distract him! Keep him occupied, but try to save your strength!"
Thankfully, the reaper-like monster didn't seem to register her words, entirely focused on the bigger threat. If only for a moment, Makoto almost felt thankful for Shido – if it wasn't for his mind control smothering the Arrancar's senses, this would have been a very different fight.
Curiosity flickered across the blonde's face, but she accepted Makoto's words with a nod. "Alright – I'll make sure he can't tear his eyes off me!"
A swell of gratitude rose within Makoto, but she knew now wasn't the time to get sappy. Flashing away, she knocked another wall down with her Shunkō – any pretence of stealth well and truly abandoned – and circled back to the armoury where the Arrancar had first released his Resurrección.
While it was barely even a room anymore – the ceiling and most of the floor had been destroyed, and the scant remains of the wall had been blacked and scorched – there was one thing inside it that was still untouched. Relief ran through her, and she couldn't help but let out a delighted laugh. Hurrying forward, Makoto scooped up an armful of blackened but whole armour from the ground. Distantly, she remembered Futaba mentioning that Ryuji's armour used Sekkiseki in the plating - the spiritually augmented stone must be able to block the Espada's Respira!
Kitting herself up, and strapping on extra plating for good measure, Makoto cast a Mantel on herself before hurrying back to the fight. Thankfully, Ann was still in the air, peppering the Espada with a relentless storm of fireballs he batted away with ease.
"Ann!" The brunette hissed, careful to keep her voice low. She didn't want the Arrancar to notice her quite yet.
Her friend froze for a moment, but thankfully, didn't gasp or whirl around. Instead, Ann gave a nod so slight she almost missed it.
"I need you to set everything on fire, and I mean everything." Makoto instructed.
"Time for the grande finale, huh?" Ann grinned, though Makoto could detect a hint of strain in her voice. "Alright, then – this plan of yours better work, though!"
Rising high, the light surrounding the blonde intensified as she started to spin her baton around. Slowly, ribbons of fire began to twirl around Ann, until they intensified into a tornado of pure flame. She didn't stop there, however. Makoto's eyes widened as the attack continued to grow, the fire growing so thick it started to cover the brunette's body – at that moment, she was very thankful Ann's flames didn't hurt her friends. When the blonde finally launched the seemingly ceaseless wave of fire at the Espada, it wasn't a mere tornado. It was a hurricane. In a second, the Espada was engulfed, the sheer amount of fire bypassing the rate at which his Respira extinguished them.
Instantly, Makoto struck. Pain radiated down her back and arms, a ferocious heat spreading under her pilfered armour as she activated her Shunkō. Still, the brunette dared not leave her back exposed – getting hit by the Espada's Respira would be far worse than some mere burns. She ran forward, the red lines of Blut Arterie tracing over her armour as she closed in on her foe. At the last possible second, the brunette withdrew a Seele Schneider, the blade sapping motes of Reishi from both Ann's Bankai and the Espada's aura.
When Makoto grew within an arm's reach of the Arrancar, her Mantel crackled and disappeared. Despite its resistance to his powers, her armour slowly started to melt into dust, and the handle of her Seele Schneider's handle began to wither away. Still, by the time the Espada started to turn in her direction, it was too late. Makoto's blade punctured his spine, and the Arrancar's own Respira finished the job. The black mist seeped into his marrow, and he began to disintegrate until not even a trace of his body was left behind.
The brunette had forgotten how oppressive the Espada's Reiatsu was until it was suddenly gone. The air felt weirdly light as Makoto slumped down on the ground, a wave of sheer and utter relief crashing through her as the vortex of hellfire faded, leaving nothing but melted glass and singed walls in its wake. With a thump, Ann joined her, Zanpakutō already returned to its sealed state. Worried, Makoto glanced over at her friend, but despite how pitifully low Ann's Reiatsu was, the blonde still had enough strength to push herself upright.
"High-five?" Ann grinned, raising her hand.
An amused snort escaped Makoto's throat as she staggered over to her friend, and ignoring the aching pain radiating down her limbs, she slapped her palm against Ann's.
The student council president almost fainted barely half a second later, but as she sprawled out on the floor, dark spots plaguing her vision, she was smiling.